March 2012

I am not doing too well in Project 12 this year. Seven months gone, two months completed...

* Banners: Paislee Press

* Title: Shimelle Laine @ Two Peas in a Bucket (digital)

* Embossing Powder: American Crafts

* Sketch: October Afternoon

I used a sketch this time, and I literaly copied all the photo shapes exactly. I hardly ever use different sized photos and this helped me to make something different without having to do any design work!

Here's the originak sketch from the October Afternoon blog:

Source: octoberafternoon.typepad.com via Elisa on Pinterest

10 years

Wednesday was a special day because 10 years before this girl joined our family. Lucky us.

Happy Adoption Day, L!

Craft Inspiration

There's nothing I like more than browsing a magazine, specially scrapbooking and crafts mags.

While nothing beats paper publications, since I go the iPad I have downloaded/read online some  magazines like Mollie Makes, Scrapbook Trends, Scrapbooks Etc and Martha Stewart Living.

Those are all paid for magazines, but there are some amazing free e-mags around.

I love these ones:

Scrapbooks and Cards Today

30x30 (Polish)

Crafting Ireland

While browsing Issu today, I found a few more:

Scrapbook Trends April 2010 

Cards April 2010

Plumetis (French/English)

Paper Runway

Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine 


They're all full issues, while some are regular free online magazines, others are a free edition of a paid-for mag.

Have fun!

Have you heard of Skylanders?

Unless you have a child in your life, of a certain gender and of a certain age, you probably have not.

For the uninitiated, I'll explain: it is a Wii game, and Wikipedia explains:

"In Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, players take on the role of a Portal Master who can control over 30 different characters, including Spyro. Players embark on a journey into a world where they will explore lands, battle creatures, collect gold and treasures, and solve puzzles while on a quest to save their world from Kaos, an evil Portal Master, whom they must defeat."

It fascinates my boy and lots of his school friends. The clever marketing ploy about this game is that it mixes the video part with actual toys. You can change ther role you play by placing a diferent character in a sort of box (which looks like a tree trunk to me). So, not only you have to buy the game, but you will be asked to buy endeless Skylanders so your child can progress in the game.

My son's granny gave him the game as a Christmas present (big hint from Daddy) and on his birthday last month he got 12+ new Skylanders from family and friends.

* Font: Pincoyablack (title), Century Gothic (journaling)

* Stamps: Studio Calico (letters), Viking Direct (date)

* Skylanders Image: Crabfu.com

* Other: Letraset Promarkers,  Washi tape, Silhouette Cameo

It is a very simple layout that took a few resources to put together.

First the profile was inspired by a silhouette by Kennedy Garret that I found in pinterest:

Source: flickr.com via Elisa on Pinterest#

The profile was from a photo I took a while ago as part of my photo a day project:

After that, I looked for a font that ressembled the Skylanders title. Pincoyablack is not exactly like it, but close enough.

After that was the inside of the silhouette which I wanted to be Skylanders-themed - a quick google search brought me to the person that drew the characters. His blog has the original sketches for download. I grabbed one and coloured with Promarkers.

After all that, it was easy, I had fun colouring with Promarkers.

Which I might be using more in the future... In a recent crop, Elaine Smyth gave a class on how to use the markers and I think a penny dropped. I has only half listening while I was trying to get my layout finished and I regret it, I should have paid more attention!

Don't Grow Too Fast...

Often I have an idea for a layout design which is very simple to visualize but a pain to make. Often I give up on those ideas.

This time, I would have given up if I didn't have the Silhouette. Or I would have attempted a digital layout. Because the idea was simple, layers of cardstock, going from light to dark, each with a word on top, but can you imagine handcutting all these letters?

These were the only shade I had enough to make the sentence I wanted. However would have been much better on a brighter pink.

I am not sure if you can see it, but he chevrons go from dark pink to while, you can see through all the shades.

Guest Designer for DYSU

Today I am the Guest Designer for DYSU.  The challenge subject is very close to my heart: FOOD! Or should I say stomach...

The challenge is been sponsored by Rhoda Design Studio, which kindly shared the fun image of the teacup seen in my card.

* Digital Image: Rhoda Design Studio

* Font:  Keep Calm and Carry On

* Stamps: Papertrey Ink

* Ink: Tsukineko (Versafine, Versamagic)

Check all the amazing entries here!

I was very honoured to be asked, thank you!

Giant Bubbles

I posted recently about my love of soap bubbles, and since we went to the bubble exhibition a few years ago I have been thinking in trying to make really big ones.

When I was looking around in pinterest for things to do in the summer, I found a post teaching how to make big bubbles. It is really simple, you probably have everything you need at home.

Did it work? Well check it out:

The original tutorial asked for 4 drinking straws, but I ended up using two kebab sticks as handlers instead of a second pair of straws.

I told the the boys to blow or to wave the contraption but they discovered that the best way to make big bubbles was to slowly walk backwards. Genius!

I found this in a list of "boy-approved craft and activities", and interesting enough, I had 3 boys and 4 girls at home (only two my own, you understand) and while the girls played a little, it was the boys that really enjoyed making giant bubbles.

Here's the link:

Source: cometogetherkids.com via Elisa on Pinterest