A Frugal Journey Through January Day 13

Hello again. Today I have a project for you which I made some time ago but is one of my favourites, and was a very popular workshop project too. I love Dylusions stamps with all the interesting elements that can be endlessly mixed and matched to suit your project. Great fun!

The base for these is a paper mâché hanging which I painted black. I cut a piece of white card just smaller than the hanging, tore up leftover scraps of paper which I randomly glued to the white card covering with a couple of thin coats of gesso both to knock back the pattern on the papers, and to stop my ink runs from soaking too quickly into the background.

When the gesso dried I stamped the background with various Kaisercraft Texture stamps in Versafine Vintage Sepia then allowed some black and brown Dylusions ink sprays to run down the background. I also added splatters in the same black and brown, with a little white too.

I added a few extra ink runs on the second background then glued both backgrounds to the hangings. Not sure which one I prefer.

I stamped the full Dylusions figures, which were constructed from elements from various Dylusions stamp sets, onto white card to provide a sturdy base, then stamped the elements individually onto a selection of patterned paper. These papers were from Basic Grey Little Black Dress and Teresa Collins Vintage Finds. After cutting them out I glued the pieces onto each figure then cut the finished figure out and used foam pads to position it on the hanging.

All that was left was to add a greeting to each and these fab black arrow paper clips which I found in IKEA.

There was quite a bit of fussy cutting with these but with the radio on the time just flew, and I loved the finished characters! Hope they inspired you too.

Same time, same place tomorrow when I will have some distressed backgrounds to share. Hope to see you then x

 

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A Frugal Journey Through January Day 5

Good evening, Day 5 of my Frugal Journey already!

Today's idea is for a scrapbook layout but could easily be adapted to a journal page or a card. My starting point was this fun photo of our elder daughter. I knew I had some animal print from a 6x6 paper pad I had been hoarding which would work with her dress, Little Black Dress by Basic Grey. Problem was I only had one sheet of it, what to do?

I cut a 2"x 6" strip of each of the other papers I had remaining in the collection plus 2 pieces that size of the paper I wanted to be most dominant, then cut each strip into two 2" x 1" and two 1" x 1" pieces. I rounded two opposite corners on each piece with a corner rounder to make them more interesting and laid them out on a cream background in a regular pattern.

I used this as my background, layering my lace, ribbon, vellum and cardstock circles and rings, stamped embellishments, glittered letters and tags and frames over it, each time adding a little stamping to help blend the background and base together.

This was a really economical layout to make needing hardly any patterned paper, a good way to use up the most precious of the papers you have been admiring rather than using lol! Simply changing the papers can really change the feel of this layout idea too...

..... really zingy paper leftovers from BoBunny balanced by a black and white photograph this time.

Hope you found this idea useful and, if you do make a project using it, then I would love it if you would share it with a link to it in the comments below.

Thank you for joining me on my Frugal Journey.

Same time same place tomorrow, using some die cuts from even the smallest of scraps.

Hope to see you then x

 

 

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A Frugal Journey Through January Day 3

Hello again and welcome to Day 3 of A Frugal Journey through January.

I often doodle ideas for scrapbook layouts in a notebook for the day when Mr Mojo goes on strike. Ideas for cards tend to either get made at the time I had the thought, or lost with the sketch on a scrappy bit of paper headed for the waste paper basket when the urge to clear my desk hits me. So, why not be more organised with card layouts. Work out what you like on a specific size of card.

I started with a layout to fit a 13.5 cm square card but it can be turned,

 

resized, in full or part,

and the grid can be used as a stencil with inks or paints too for super easy one layer cards.

 

So, what would you sketch and how would you use it? Why not share your idea by leaving a link to your work in the comments to this post!

Thanks so much for stopping by. The stamps I used in these projects are Chocolate Baroque Wisteria Lane and the papers are from Prima.

See you again same time, same place tomorrow x

 

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December Workshops Timetable for Snazzys Studio

Hello again, and to our USA friends a very Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you are all having a wonderful time with your family and friends. I am known for being a bit 'bah humbug' about Christmas, and I have to say I was unimpressed with the supermarkets attempt to market the trappings of Thanksgiving to us here in the UK this week.

But and a very BIG but at that, just as I love Christmas, in December, (not July!) I also think we should steal the best bits of Thanksgiving and take a moment to ponder all we have to be grateful for. It is no secret that with illness, bereavement and the consequences of both on almost every aspect of our lives, the past few years have certainly had their challenges. The flip side of that is how our family pulled together, how our friends, (the real ones, not the fair weather types,) were so quietly there for us to share our tears, and a whole lot of laughter too. Most of all I am grateful to a very fine friend (you know who you are) who, when I was so stressed out with everything that was happening and worrying about all the wrong things, suggested I stop (very unsuccessfully) trying to be everything to everyone, and instead 'spend time with those who soothe your soul' and let the rest take care of itself - those who were my friends would understand my need to do this and those who didn't weren't truly my friends. So, today I count my many blessings and for the first time in a long while I am looking forward to a peaceful festive season with my wonderful family. I hope you are too x

To business and some great workshops if you fancy stepping off the merry-go-round and take a little time out for yourself and perhaps try something new?

I have been working this past month with one of my favourite collections this Winter, Jolly Holly from Basic Grey with co-ordinating stamps from Hero Arts. I have always adored Basic Grey papers, they seem at first glance to contain a pretty eclectic collection of somewhat disparite ideas, yet when you really look through them they are actually beautifully co-ordinated just not in an obvious 'matchy, matchy' way.

The stamps are a really good mix of the elements from the papers but again varied in scale etc so not completely matched.

All of the projects for December were made with these papers and stamps except for the monthly layout workshop. I made these quick cards just from some leftovers from the other projects to illustrate how versatile these papers are whether used by colour.....

....or all mixed up in workshop projects.

Wednesday 3 December 10am to 1pm

Last Minute Christmas Cards £15 or 1SWV

Join me and make five really Clean and Simple Christmas Cards using New Seasons stamps from Hero Arts with Distress Inks, Pan Pastels, masks and stencils.

Saturday 6 December 11am to 4pm

Christmas Block Book £30 or 1 SWVS

We all tend to gather with our family and friends over the Festive season and with lots of photos taken we need somewhere to put them all, not hidden in a box, but in a chunky little book with lots of flaps, slides, flips and pockets to keep them in order, together with any other memorabilia, ready to share and reminisce over.

Sunday 7 December 11am to 3pm

Art Journal Sunday £5

Join me in the Studio for a play with inks, powders, paints, stamps, stencils, masks and the odd idea or two. No need to book this one just drop in, grab a coffee and have a go.

Wednesday 10 December 11am to 3pm

Mini Star Book £20 or 1SWV + £4

Many years ago I designed this project after being very disappointed with a 'kit' I bought to make a book in the shape of a star which turned out to be nothing more than strips of poor quality sugar paper and not very clear instructions. I decided I could do better myself here is a mini version of my original.

Saturday 13 December 11am to 4pm

Exploding Box Book £30 or 1SWV

Ok then is it a book or an exploding box, both really as this is box which opens in the manner of a traditional exploding box but it incorporates a book into the structure. A great way to pass photos etc on at Christmas with a pocket to hold a gift card if you need it to be a gift too.

Wednesday 17 December 10am to 1pm

December Monthly Layout Workshop £15 or 1SWV

This layout uses an acetate layer to add interest, mine is on a festive theme in shades of turquoise and red. Book your space, bring along your photos and have a go.

The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed no 'Stop by and Stamp' or 'Technique Thursday' sessions in December, partly as everyone tends to be busy preparing for their Christmas celebrations and so we tend to offer fewer sessions in December, but mainly as these sessions have unfortunately not proved popular enough for us to continue with them. We are having a rethink and the New Year will see new ideas, new sessions and lots of fresh ways for us to share our tips and ideas with you. I hope you will join me on my journey through 2015.

Thank you for dropping by, I will be back very soon with some news on our annual Winter sale event which is also having a makeover this time around. Hope to see you in class soon xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

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