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