Blog Hop & Giveaways!

Hi everyone - I don't know if I already mentioned, but I'm on the DT for the lovely team at It's A Creative World... and this weekend we're having a blog hop!

If you are already following along, you'll have come here from Mandy's blog - Welcome, Hoppers!

 For my part I'd like to invite you all to try your hand at a very popular mixed media project - shrine making. Shrines are places to give thanks, seek answers, and venerate treasures things - they can be religious, spiritual, or neither, so anyone can join in.  Mine was created for someone in particular, who I was partnered with in a swap, and who wanted the theme 'Things with Wings':

It's one of the simplest forms of shrine - a matchbox drawer stood on its end, with a piece of card or chipboard cut into a frame.  I chose a house shape, but you could chose a circle, star, tree, you name it - totally up to you.

Then you just decorate and fill with whatever you love :)

So, the giveaway part... Leave a comment on my blog during this blog hop, and I'll enter you into a draw to win your very own, custom-made shrine, and some lovely altering goodies for you to try your own out too!

For another chance, make sure you become a follower of my blog, and for even more chances, follow the blog hop around and comment as you go.  Even if you don't win, you'll feel like a winner when you see all the lovely projects everyone has to inspire you with, and there are a few more giveaways to be found too!

You may (or may not!) also know I'm an independent Stampin' Up! demonstrator too - so to celebrate the blog hop I'm also having a special deal on at Beautiful Impressions - click to find out what, and how you can benefit!

Thanks for looking - and you're now off on your next part of the hop, to the lovely Kerry.

Celebrate Spring!

Leanne x 

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PS. Here's a comprehensive blog list, incase you get lost!

Start at: http://itsacreativeworld.typepad.com/its_a_creative_world/
1 - Laura - http://bubbaboobits.blogspot.co.uk/
2 - Doda - http://www.dodadidit.blogspot.co.uk/
3 - Gabrielle - http://gabrielle-price.blogspot.co.uk/
4 - Eleanor- http://highlandhousekeeper.blogspot.co.uk/
5 - Erika - http://snappycrafts.blogspot.co.uk/
6 - Ifa - http://ifazainon.blogspot.co.uk/
7 - Katherine - http://www.fruitofmyscraps.blogspot.co.uk/
8 - Dolly - http://dollysdreamings.typepad.com/
9 - Mandy - http://6ichthusfish.typepad.com/
10 - Leanne - http://craftaholicleanie.blogspot.co.uk/
11 - Kerry - http://www.socksandscrapbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
12 - Tracey - http://tj-runningwithscissors.blogspot.co.uk/

Artistic License...

Wow. I was thrilled to receive my CJ back today, from the swap on UK Scrappers.  And simply overwhelmed when I saw the work people had done. Truly awesome, and not in a skater-boy way.  Check it out, in the order the CJ went round: Frances, Sarah, Irene, Helen, Shirley, Lou, and Netty:

Thank you ladies for such gorgeous work, - I now have to pick one they didn't and finish my own, then these are destined for a wall hanging.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you're all very jealous, mwhahaha!
Leanne x

Screens and Shrines...

So over on the UKScrappers swaps forum, I was partnered with Rebecca, to create a matchbox shrine on the theme Things With Wings.  This went through my head as 'things that fly' - and I chose birds, butterflies, and time.  I tried my best to make this personal to Rebecca, and  I hope she likes it:

Also, I got drawn into chat in the Screen Swap running alongside it, and - before I knew it - I was in on that one too!  Again, with Rebecca, again on that theme... ,This time I used lyrics from one of my favourite songs.  So, again, I hope that she likes this my efforts:

Here are some close-ups of my 'mechanical' winged wonders:

Both of these items went through several incarnations - the first shrine and screen were Stampotique bats that didn't work... The second shrine had all sorts of things going on, until I realised that nobody made the other item I wanted... The second screen had mesh panels in the centre but kept collapsing...
But I'm still proud of how these final versions turned out - even if it was hte most severe case of leaky elbow I've ever had...!
Thanks for looking,
Leanne x

All loved up...

Just had to post sickeningly sweet photos of my cards from Rob- yes, plural, he didn't get make one last year so he thought he'd do a double!

Also, a rather lovely surprise of a dozen long-stemmed roses- surprising because he's not really a flowers man, and very much appreciated.

Thank you Bert xxx

Photograph...

I've always found great meaning in the lyrics to "Photograph", by Nickelback; however, looking back over my own photographs from the past, I realised that I've never really contemplated scrapping them. This surprised me, with it being what my scrapbooking is about, not to mention the amazing emotional content!
So here's my first attempt, albeit poorly lit, which also qualifies for the UKS Weekly Challenge:

One down, many memories remembered, and plenty more photographs to go...!
Leanne x

Ssh... It's a secret!

I just wanted to blog my latest UKS swap entry - a book with secret compartments.  I'm really happy with it, almost didn't want to send it off!  So I hope that my swappee, Frances, likes it.  Her theme was Carnavale:

The backgrounds were created with my Stampin' Up! Watercolour Crayons,

visit my SU blog to order yours!

Leanne x

What's in a Name...?

This is my latest LO - it started out as an SU-only layout, but then I got inspired!  It was perfect for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers, about the people we're named for, and I even handmade my rosette from scratch - no die I promise!
Anyway, everything's SU apart from the journaling card, which is MME, and lovely flocked Thickers to match the lush flocked papers :D  And the gorgeous young subject is my little little brother (not to be confused with my big little brother), when he was the pageboy at my wedding...

Have you had any LOs that started off one way and ended up another?  Have you blogged them?  Drop me a link or let me know, I'm always interested in hearing the stories behind creations!
Thanks for looking,
Leanne x

Counterfeit Kit & Collector's Diary...!

Finally, I finished my basic Collector's Diary, for the class over at Crafty Templates with lovely Leo :D

Firstly I drew inspiration from the Counterfeit Kit challenge and made myself a kit based around a patterned paper and some ribbons:

Then I used my altered binder technique learned from Chris, and old papers, ribbons, glubers, new pretty ribbon and gems, and LOTS of SU Ink, punches, etc. Oh and fell in love with tissue tape...!
The photographs are all taken with different light sources to try and bring out the true colour, but the miserable weather is NOT helping any:

 I'm especially proud of my handmade flowers and the punched embellishment in the last picture - loving the Authentique word stickers!

Now all I have to do is start following the class - what I'm going to do is make some sample pages as per the class guidelines, but then I can add to this over time - take out what doesn't inspire me any more, add in new techniques - I'm really looking forward to having an inspiration journal I'm proud of - and not a towering stack of mags and printouts I never read -thank you Leo!

Leanne x

Altered Binder...

I wanted to share a technique for making a great album or journal that I found whilst surfing the merry old internet the other day - all you need is an old binder and duct tape, and you can turn this:

into this:

over at my other blog: www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk

Give it a shot!

Leanne x

Credit for the basic idea to Scrapnanny x

Chic Chips & Spooky Stories...

Just a quick post to update on the chipboard swap from my previous post - I wanted to show off the selection that came home to me :D Thanks to everyone for their efforts!

Also, I wanted to show off what's off to Netty today for the Halloween Decoration Swap on UKS - I hope the recipients like them, they're not very glitzy for a banner I know, but I hope they go down ok!

Thanks for looking - anyone else made an early start on seasonal projects yet? Aren't we just so organised? ;)
Leanne x


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