A new Bike for Christmas - Stuck?! Sketch

Hi Everyone :-)

This is a record for me - 2 posts in a week!!

I've completed another challenge this month - this time for the October 15th Stuck?! Sketch.

Anyone who has visited my blog a few times will know that I'm a bit of a double layout girl! To be honest, I'm not sure why exactly I prefer this format... I think I just like the fact that there's lots of space... I generally like to include multiple photos to tell the story and with a double layout I can include my photos, journalling and embellishments without feeling restricted for space. So I thought it would be fun to see if I could use a 12x12 sketch and convert it into a double. The sketch over at Stuck?! seemed perfect as it already included 3 photos and I just needed to enlarge most of the elements on the sketch to suit my double layout. Here's what I came up with:

 And this is the sketch that I used:

I pretty much stuck to the sketch except that I moved the title over to the right hand side of the layout as it seemed to work better there for me.

I gave my background a bit of subtle texture and interest using a Prima mask and some Glimmer Mist:

The patterned papers that I used were from the Kaisercraft Sweet Pea range. I also used stickers from this collection including the banners, the scallop border, and the hearts.

I had a lot of fun using this sketch, and I will definitely try using a 12x12 sketch for a double layout again.

Thanks so much for taking a look!!

Mandy

Cardabilities Sketch #85

Hi there!

Just popping in today to share a card that I created using the Cardabilities Sketch #85. I made it for a work colleague who is celebrating her 50th birthday next week. She is sooo lucky to be jet-setting off to Paris to celebrate her birthday!!! So I thought it would be nice to make her a birthday card with a Paris theme:

Here is the sketch that I based my card on:

As you can see, I stuck to the sketch fairly closely, and the card came together really quickly!

I've been using my Cuttlebug quite a bit lately and I used 4 different dies just on this one card - the Spellbinders Picot Edge Circle, the Sizzlits Little Leaves, the QuicKutz Dragonfly Alphabet, and the Sizzix Framelits Bitty Banners.

Here is a closeup:

So wish I was heading off to Paris this week!!!

Thanks for stopping by to have a look :-)

Mandy

Princess - L.P.S October Colour Challenge

Hi there!

I've been enjoying playing along with some online challenges lately, and when I saw the October Colour Challenge that has just been revealed at Life. Paper. Scrapbook I knew that I wanted to join in with this one :-)

I love the muted tones and the vintage feel of the colour palette:

With the blues and browns, I would probably usually associate this colour palette with a 'boy' layout, but I thought I would challenge myself to create a feminine layout using these colours and I'm really happy with the result. It sometimes pays to step out of your usual comfort zone and try something different, even if its just a new colour palette! Here is the layout that I created:

These photos are of my daughter at 2 years of age when she was the flower girl at my brother's wedding. Everyone commented on how gorgeous she looked on the day. My mother-in-law put her hair in rollers in the morning and when we took them out she had these adorable little ringlets. With a little tiara, and a beautiful ivory dress, she looked like a little princess! She enjoyed every minute of it too! Can't believe that now she's 9 years old... Where did those 7 years go?!!

The papers that I used are from the Kaisercraft Sweet Pea collection.

Here are a couple of closeups of the two flower clusters on my layout (they are mostly Prima flowers except for the Kaisercraft ribbon rose):

I used a few of my dies on this layout - the MFT Dienamics flourish, the Sizzix Stampin' Up Little Leaves, and the Tim Holtz Caged Bird.

I also used a Prima mask with distress ink on in the bottom left hand corner to give my background some subtle texture and interest.

I'm loving wood veneers at the moment and I've been using them on nearly all of my layouts. I included a couple of Studio Calico wood veneer butterflies on this layout.I just inked them with some 'brushed corduroy' distress ink, and voila!

And here is a closeup of my journalling:

Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and thank you in advance for any kind words that you leave for me - I love to read them!!

Mandy

Love You to the Moon and Back - SUYS October Challenge

Hello!

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend! The weather is absolutely beautiful here today, and what's even better is that it's a long weekend!! Gotta love that ;-)

Today I would like to share a layout that I created for the Show Us Your Stuff October Challenge. The criteria for this challenge is to use multiple photos and one or more arrows on your layout. As well as this, all entries must include a handmade item.

Here is my layout:

I handmade a fishtail banner from denim fabric: 

 From the parts that I cut out to make the banner, I also made two arrows:

And here is a closeup of my title which I fussy-cut from the papers. My title also doubles as my journalling as I think it says it so well. Kids love to know how much they are loved, and in the eyes of a child there's not much further away than the moon :-)

I included two sets of arrows on my layout for this challenge - the wood veneer arrows which point to my title as well as the denim hand-made ones.

The patterned papers that I used are from the Kaisercraft Blast Off range. I love all of the bright colours in this range!!

Thank you so much for taking a look at my layout, and for any comments that you leave... I really love to hear from you :-)

Mandy