Friday, January 30, 2015

Add a little stamping to your layouts...

Hi everyone, it's Tracey here to share a layout with you and hopefully inspire you to get your stamps out hiding and onto your layouts.

I am well know for buying stamps and not using them.  They decorate my craft room shelves nicely but really I need to get them out and use them.  I know stamping can be a bit daunting but it doesn't need to be.  I decided to challenge myself and pick some stamps that I thought would fit with the theme of my photo.  I picked ones that were not big in size, but that added a little something extra to my layout.  Think of it as just adding another layer.  Another thing that might help is to choose an ink colour that is more of a neutral tone so that it doesn't necessarily stand out and therefore there is less pressure on "getting it right".  It also makes the stamping another element on the layout rather than a focal point.


I chose a yellow because there were hints of it in my photo, it added a little extra colour to my layout and it blended into the layout rather than standing out.  This also meant that if my stamping wasn't perfect it wasn't going to be obvious, so taking away that pressure I mentioned earlier.



I then laid out my pieces roughly putting things where I thought they should go.  I played around with the layout a bit and then once I was satisfied I added my stamping. I then went and secured all the pieces down. 


I finished off my layout with some stitching.


Thanks for stopping by and I hope I have given you some tips that will encourage you to 
add stamping to your layouts.
  
Happy stamping
Tracey - :-)

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Kaiser Blue Bay Layout by Mel Connell


Hi Everyone, I just wanted to stop by and share a layout I have recently done using the new Kaiser Blue Bay Range. 

This is such a pretty range and can be used for so many kinds of photo occasions. Here I have used a photo I took of an old temple that has been converted into a restaurant in Bali. 

Along with the gorgeous My Creative Wings chipboard swirls, this is just a divine combination. 

I had a bit of messy fun on this one also, using the new Tim Holtz Distress sprays. I am so in love with these. I used the Pewter on the chipboard swirls and also used Picket fence to create some paint dribble grunginess under my focal photo. 

All these products and more are available in store now. 

Stop by again soon to check out what one of the other Design Team members will be bringing to show you. 









Friday, January 23, 2015

Australia Day Inspiration

Good Morning Rikki here today with a Mixed Media share...... and something a little Aussie inspired for this weekend, it being Australia Day. This layout was created at the TM Extravaganza it was a great day meeting all of you. 




We have a new event planned for this Saturday 24 January....come and get in the Australia Day spirit and spend the day scrapping from 10am-3pm and enjoy a 'Sausage Sizzle' on us!


Places are available and we can take your booking over the phone on 92792183 at the shop!


If you havent played with the Prima Art Basic modeling paste I really recommend it!!! Its perfectly smooth with no grain and it dries without having to search for your heat gun.


To create this effect hit the page with a lot of water then rather than mist it grab your paint brushes and paint the Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain colours onto the page it will give you a lovely soft water colour effect. 


The joys of using a template with the Prima Art Basic Modeling paste is that it will naturally pool around the image on your template to ''bleed'' it out just mist the edge of the pooled colour and will add a softer edge. 


Dont forget to leave time for the colours to dry to stop them going too muddy also add multiple layers of colours to give you shades and tones.


To finish off flick some Tim Holtz Distress Spray stains over your background..... dont you just love the White Picket Fence Distress Spray? 


Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stains



Prima Art Basic Modeling Paste



Till next time have a Creative Day and a Great Australia Day.

Rikki 
xxxxxxxx


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Loving "Your Creative Wings" Chipboard!!

Just a quick layout using some of the new amazing YCW Chipboard range. I've kept it simple and just added gesso and glitter to my YCW pieces. Its all come together perfectly along with one of Teresa Collins recent ranges "Nine & Co", some sequins and a few of the gorgeous flowers Tomorrow's Memories has to offer. Cheers Sonya!!

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Keeping it simple...

 Hey there, I hope you are enjoying the summer holidays. 

I was inspired by Louise’s keep it simple approach from the other day.  I had a look around my scrap table to see what was sitting there then I took that “don’t over think it” approach with some Glimmer Mists. I am a notorious, self confessed, need-to-just-step-away-and-leave-it-alone scrapper so this was a challenge for me. I DID change my mind on the photo, so bearing in mind it took about 15 minutes to upload my second choice of photo, edit it and print it this layout still only took me about 45 minutes in total... including drying time. That’s like a land speed record for me. I admit that most of my pages sit on my scrap desk for days (even weeks) before I finally settle on the design and glue them down.

First up I found a piece of 12x12 white American Crafts cardstock, a good old letter stencil and some white gesso. I smeared the gesso carefully to just get the numbers. I then turned the stencil over and sort of stamped the excess randomly across the page on the left of the page (towards the top left of where my photo would sit). You don't need THIS stencil... anything will work... think outside the box. ;)




Next I found MY skinny masking tape, that my darling daughter keeps stealing, in her room! Any washi tape will work here too. I just added a couple of strips of that under the stenciled numbers and again top left of the photo. I also found that netting stuff sitting in a scrap pile. I don’t even know what it is... but seriously, just use whatever you have... scrap papers, ribbon, fibres, fabric or gauze would work equally as well.


I let the gesso dry and then added a few sprays of lighter coloured Glimmer Mists. These are the ones I used but any colours that you like will work. Tomorrow's Memories stocks a great range of gorgeous colours.


Start off with the lightest colours then work towards the darker. Be conservative with the darker colours so they don’t overwhelm the page. I do a few spritzes (is that even a word?) from up high... about 50cm above my page... then for that darker colour I got closer to the page. When the spray pools you can move your page to manipulate how it drizzles down the page. I also added a few more "splatters" by taking the nozzle out of the bottle and flicking the straw at the page. Have a practice on some scrap... but again... it's supposed to be random. Don't over think it! ;)


Then I found a clock stamp that I thought was lost! Yay me! I used StayzOn Timber Brown Ink... but I THOUGHT it was black... (the back story is my air conditioner  died on that hideously hot day on Monday and so I have the house in darkness to try to stay cool!)... This in turn is the reason I chose the sepia coloured photo... I think it would have looked better with black ink and a black and white photo... but there I go, over thinking again!  Anyway, I added a few stamps of the clocks. I don’t bother with an acrylic block for this type of stamping and I don’t be too careful with how I ink my stamp. I want it to look a bit random... very subtle... not perfect.




I also had a Tim Holtz Distress Stain dauber... press it on to some scrap paper to get lots of ink into the sponge then hit it really hard onto your project to get that splatter effect. (You might like to have a practice and do this with some newspaper spread about or in a three sided splatter box... needless to say I now have splatter up the wall).  This one was Antique Photo but there are prettier colours... and even metallics. Check in store.



Next I simply coloured my Your Creative Wings chipboard pieces with the Tim Holtz Antique Photo Stain and attached them with Glossy Accents. I adore this little bird with his tiny crown and the printer's pointing hand



 Last of all I attached my photo. Done. Even “messy” can be simple. ;)

Happy scrapping.

Anne-Marie
xxxooo 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Webster's Pages "Hall Pass" | Process Video with Louise Beerens



I recently made some shop samples using the gorgeous "Hall Pass" Collection by Adrienne Looman for Webster's Pages and had a few scraps leftover.  Rather than throw them away, I made a very quick page and filmed the process.  Most of you know I am a very simple and quick scrapper so I hope you pick up a couple of tips to help you speed things up!

Here is the finished page.....










And here is how I put it together- you can watch the video here or over at YouTube- thanks for watching!




Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Moonlight Scrap - Places Available!

We have places available for our Moonlight this Friday night.
Phone us on 92792183 if you would like to join in on this fun night!
'Moonlight Scrap'
Friday 9th January
5pm - 11.30pm
$10.00


Monday, January 5, 2015

Playing with Gelatos | Louise Beerens


I had some free time (don't hate me) to play with my Gelatos and since TM is now a stockist, I thought I would push "Record" on the video camera so I could show you all how I just muck about in my art journal and create backgrounds upon which I can come back later and build a journal page.

I have had my set for a while now, and although I am a clean and simple scrapper, I LOVE playing with Gelatos because they are so versatile.  I have used them to colour chipboard, to watercolour, to paint and to make my own spray mists- they really are a unique and fun product.

Grab a cuppa and I hope you enjoy my little demo.....





If you would like to learn more about Gelatos, the lovely Mel Connell is teaching a class called "Rainbow Canvas" this Saturday 10 January at Tomorrow's Memories from 10.30-12.30pm.  Phone the shop on 9279 2183 to secure your spot!


Here's a sneek of what you will make in class....


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Bo Bunny 'Star Crossed'

Absolutely love this layout that Sonya has created with the new Bo Bunny 'Star Crossed' range. In store now!
Absolutely love this layout that Sonya has created with the new Bo Bunny 'Star Crossed' range.....
.....In store now!