The Other Side Of Me

I've recently decided I can't stand it any longer and have succumbed and bought a proper Project Life folder and some inserts.  I've been working towards this for a long time and it's made me so happy to finally have one instead of sticking photos into a book like I have been since last August. So why do I infinitely prefer Project Life? 1.  Because you don't need to stick anything down if you don't want to.  This is a massive bonus because I've changed my mind about this first double page spread about 8 times!  2.  You can be as creative as you like or keep it really simple and everything still looks really good.  I've done everything here from using die cut letters and numbers, typing my words and printing it out, using my own handwriting, using proper photos, using parts from magazines, using free printables from the internet, the list goes on. 3.  PL folders enable you to scrap book, art journal or use it as a smash book, it's all down to ...

I made a card for a resident who's birthday is on St Patrick's Day.  Here we are:   I started off with a Lucky Limeade base (it had to be green, didn't it?)  I've been wanting to play with a couple of embossing folders that I have that you would place over a card.  Now I can do this without creasing the surrounding cardstock I just had to have a go. The other thing is that I've just got a new set of Sizzix dies in tag shapes.  I cut a piece of Fresh Vintage dsp in the Lucky Limeade and Pool Party colour, then drew around the same die and cut it out, to make a border.  I popped it on, lined up straight at the top.  Then it was just a case of using up a few Pool Party scraps to make butterflies (I actually have a drawer full of these in lots of different colours and sizes).  Et voilà Back soon, I'm sure Happy crafting! Jane xx

I've looked in my photo folder and have realised there are several photos I haven't blogged yet, so here are a few.  This first one was for a resident and uses one of my favourite stamps, Postage Due.  This is quite a 'go-to' stamp for me and I am never disappointed with the results.  The colour scheme is Soft Suede and Crumb Cake.  I love the linen ribbon, too. This second card was for a resident with a February birthday.  The flower is in one of my Hero Arts sets that I mostly use for art journaling, but it was perfect for this card.  The colour scheme is Primrose Petals. Finally, this masculine card was also for a resident.  I love the stamp.  It's actually from Get Stamping Magazine, which comes out every two months.  I got a subscription for Christmas and I love it.  I was very pleased with the colour scheme and the simplicity of the card. Hope you like my recent creations, they were fun to make. I'm off to ...

I had so much fun making this card.  I challenged the card swap group to make a card using bright colours this month, as it's so dark and grey outside.  I wanted to use a big, 'In your face' stamp as well as bright colours.  I soon settled on this tangerine tango. and garden green.  (The original card was by Julie Wadlinger, but Blogger won't let me add a link any more).  I really enjoyed making the card.  The base is kraft and it's 5"x7".  Then I put a piece of Tangerine Tango through the Bigshot with the hexagons ef.  I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller and decided how much I wanted to tear off, then stamped the dandelion image on the card.  This stamp is from a magazine called Get Stamping, which comes out every two months.  John got me a subscription for Christmas, which I'm really pleased with, as the stamps are fab. Back soon, I'm sure. Happy crafting everyone Jane xx

Okay, I'm going to confess:  I was actually going to stop blogging at the end of 2013, but I find I can't resist it.  I realise this is the first post of the year, though.  This was the card I made for a resident in December.  The colour is Blushing Bride, which I really love. I am delighted to say that everyone in the Card Swap Group wants to keep going, so we will, which has cheered me up no end.  I am going to be more organised this year and send my cards off as early as I can.  I don't go into work on a Thursday until 5pm so I am going to use the whole of that day to craft. 1st Thursday: Card Swap group card 2nd Thursday: cards for residents 3rd Thursday: Christmas cards 4th Thursday: Art journaling. I am carrying on with my journal/smash book several days a week as well.  I'm finding it quite addictive. Back soon Jane xx

This is my second go at a Project Life type of page.  Can I just say I have nothing against PL at all, I think it all looks fantastic, but I just can't afford it and have so much dsp in my house, it would be insanity to go and buy some more. So this is how I'm doing my pages.  The colour scheme for this one is Baja Breeze (good way to use up retired cardstock too, you see) and Cherry Cobbler.  There is a bit of dsp from Echo Park on the first page, which I really love.  This way I get to keep some for myself.  It's the same paper I used to make the Christmas card in my previous post. The biggest development (and there is a pun here, much as I'd like to avoid it) is that I found a photo developing shop in town that develops photos straight from my phone with a great deal of ease.  They print off two photos on a sheet of 4"x6" paper so you can cut them in half, and that's what I've done on these pages.  I was so excited at being able to do this! Her...

I've had very little time to make Christmas cards this year, something I intend to rectify in 2014, but I thoroughly enjoyed making this one for my card swap group recipient for December, Zoe Tant. There is a total mix of products on this card. The card base and the ribbon are from Stampin Up, in Baja Breeze.  The dsp is called Winter Wishes by Echo Park and I absolutely love it.  I had to wait for it to come from America a few years ago and it didn't arrive until the middle of January! I've used the Marianne doily die to cut the white shape behind the jar.  The jar itself is a Sizzix stamp and die set.  I've had it for months and this is it's first outing.  The actual snowman in the jar is from Little Claire's Designs and was the perfect size.  The sentiment and the snow in the jar are from my new magazine Get Stamping.  John has bought me a subscription for this for Christmas, which I am very excited about.  The lid of the jar and the backg...