Facebook Challenge

I set a little challenge over on Facebook the other day, in honour of my 23rd Wedding Anniversary - but I think I'll extend it to something a little more, and also have it continue it through the month of August.

So the challenge will be to scrap a layout or project, along the lines of  "Then & Now"  - so it could be something like you on your wedding day and how you are now? or maybe you had long hair and have since cut it all - even baby photos :)  It's up to you.  But do share your links on here and over on facebook.  I will be giving a little prize at the end of the month - I'm hoping a couple of you will join in, so I can then give random generator a little play to find a winner LOL.  Anyway, the prize will be something from all the lovely brand new goodies that will be coming to the store soon :)

I've still to figure of how to leave a badge etc on here for finding Gotta Craft on Facebook - but give me time, I'll get there.

Anyway, I'll leave you with a layout using July's kit with Cosmo Crickets, Odds & Ends -oh yes, its hubby and I on are wedding day LOL. 

It's Just Scraps: Patchworked Papers

So I came home from holiday and I looked at the lovely bits left over from this month's kit and I thought I just had to do another page.

I gathered up the scraps and decided to make a patchwork effect to emphasize the country feel of my photo, with crumpled up edges and some machine stitching. Here it is:

While it was coming together, this is what I thought:

- the distressed edges disguise the wonky edges from the left over scraps

- this kit mixes well with Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe. That's where my buttons came from

- to add to the scraps I placed some pages from an old dictionary. Any kind of ephemera can bulk out a page if you are running low on the patterned paper you want to use

- I cut my title from the very middle of the cardstock before sticking the rest down

But most of all I thought - doesn't Sandra put together a pretty kit! This one might be my new favourite.

Odds & Ends - July's Kit

Have you ever not wanted to go on holiday? No, neither had I. Until Sandra sent me the July kit and I realised I wasn't going to be able to fit in all the things I wanted to make! It's Cosmo Cricket's Odds & Ends, and it's absolutely beautiful.

It's a kit for cutting into right away, so that's what I did:

with this page about some retro kitchen accessories from a recent shopping trip. The little paper dolls are cut from one of the sheets of paper. I cut the big doiley shape and the red numbers with my Slice and the lovely cream alphas come with the kit. My favourite piece? I think it's that blue dotted paper, but that could change, I'm not finished yet. In the shop here

I'm just butting into Sian's lovely post, to say that July's kit will be going on sale on Saturday 16th.  And to say a HUGE thank you for everyone's kind words, and cards - it's really meant a great deal to me and my family.

Rainy Day Scrapping

Sometimes I get an email from Sandra and it says "I've been thinking.." and then I know there's going to be some thinking in there for me too..

We all love a new kit every month. Fresh supplies, the latest papers, right for the time of year. But where does that leave all the other paper? The stuff that was right for Christmas or Valentines Day or last Halloween? If you had got round to using it. I've come up with a different way of looking at the paper you already have:

"When she's sick she says I love it when I stay home and we eat popcorn. It feels like breaking the rules"

1. DO NOT look at your photographs. Don't go anywhere near them. Look only at your papers. Choose a selection based only on colour, not on what you bought them for or what pictures you think they go with. I have used some from Cosmo Cricket DeLovely, a summery collection.

2. Take two sheets of white cardstock. Punch border strips from one and arrange on the other to make a textured background.

3. Create a patchwork from your patterned papers. Just choose what you like; and, remember, no looking at your photos.

4. Cut one piece to be a photo mat - mine is sized for any of my 4x6 photos - and stick it down. Now, pick out some matching embellishments.

5. NOW - look at your photos and I bet you will find something to fit on your layout. I took this picture ages ago, but the colours are a bit of a mixture and I'd never found a way of using it until now. This way of scrapping throws up all kinds of new combinations!

6. Finally, add in any extra embellishments you want to support your theme or pull your colours together. I added a American Crafts chip button in red and a flower made from patterned paper (quick tutorial coming soon).  Add your title and journaling - done.

Any time you feel like a bit of scrapping, but you can't pick a photo and you haven't found a story, turn to your stash and do a couple of these. Then save them for a rainy day or until the perfect picture appears!


As a little side note ..... the papers that Sian has used are now discounted as a blog special ... so now you can play along.  You'll find them HERE

Crop layout

At every crop, it's always amazing to see just how many layouts some can do ... not, me! I'll admit, if I do one, well that's quite a record - and in my defence, I'm too busy making teas and coffees and chatting LOL.  But well, Petra ..... lets just say if she only completes one layout in an evening, we're thinking she must be coming down with something!

Plus ... she always manages to have the perfect photo to go with the crop kits - and this one was just the same.  Just look at the stunning layout she created using the crop kit with papers from Cosmo Cricket.  The kit can be found Here

Nutmeg has arrived




Just added to the site is the latest collection from Cosmo Cricket, Nutmeg. And oh my word, it's just gorgeous ....... the papers are double sided and the embellishments, well ... you're gonna love them .