Hybrid Cards

I promised to post this card last week, but I lacked any form of enthusiasm to post it. I'm in this frame of mind where I have a gazillion ideas, but nothing actually happens. I've still been going to the gym three times a week, with the exception of last Friday as I had a haircut appointment. Very important! Because I've been physically a lot more active, I've also been a lot more tired and obviously have less hours in the day to craft. Anyway, I'm in positive minds.

I'm working on a commission at the moment for Scrapbook Inspirations. Unfortunately I won't be able to show you anything for quite a while as it's for the February issue. And Rebecca dragged me into making party bags for her belated party, which will take place during half term. I finished one bag and I must say it looks really cute.

Anyway, back to the card... This is a hybrid card. Robin Carlton, the owner of Sweet Shoppe Designs sent me an email asking whether I would be interested to join their hybrid team. It was a really tough decision, because it's such an amazing site, with cool products, but I couldn't seem to sell the concept to myself of printing off digital papers and then scrapping them traditionally. After much deliberation I turned her down. I would like to thank Robin for considering me. Oh, and I did have a go and made a card with one of their kits:

The none digital supplies are: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics (Kraft) Clear Stamp: Papertrey Ink, Ink: Staz'On (Timber Brown), cord, Border Punch: Fiskars Uppercrest, Corner Rounder: EK Success, Circle Punch: EK Success, Pinking scissors: Fiskars.

My apologies for the delay in posting. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Tulips

Today for the first time in 3 years my mum has come over to visit us. Of course I have seen here in between, albeit only a handful of times and always on her soil. When we were residing in Australia, the journey was too much for her to deal with her fear of flying. Just a mere 45 minutes from Amsterdam to London is just about what she can handle. She'll be here for the next 5 weeks.

Since we moved back from Australia, last June, I have seen my mum twice, but she had not seen the children since January last year. The difference is big when you talk about a 10, 9 and 5 year old. Rebecca and Renee came with me to the airport this morning to pick her up. They were both delighted to see her.

During the past week Renee was counting down the days until she would come. It was so lovely to see her all over my mum. Wanting cuddles from her and Renee pulling out her favourite jigsaw puzzles for 'oma' (grandmother in Dutch) to help her make them. My mum also played Battleships with Ruben and Rebecca. It's great to see the connection with all of them, despite the fact they see her so little.



On Thursday night I created a LO using a digital page from Anna Aspnes. I was inspired by Ali's layout that was published in CK's May issue. Even though Ali's is all digital, I decided to make it a hybrid page.



Supplies: MultiFoto Single Layered Template No. 26 by Anna Aspnes from Designer Digitials | Bazzill Basics Cardstock Lily White | Cosmo Cricket patterned paper Girl Friday | Sassafras Lass patterned paper + die-cut stickers + alpha sticker | American Crafts Thickers Lullaby | Spellbinder Nestabilities pinking circles + circles | EK Success corner rounder | Avenir font (all items in bold were included in Studio Calico's March Garment District kit).

I wish everyone a wonderful Easter.

Scrapbook Alchemy Episode 1 + 2

Yesterday afternoon I finished Episode 1 of Jessica's Scrapbook Alchemy classes. Since I've done Jessica's digital scrapbooking classes before, it wasn't a real challenge, but I was always intrigued about the hybrid part, so that's why I purchased it. Here's how mine turned out:



Supplies: Bazzill Basics Cardstock black | Basic Grey patterned paper Mellow + Cupcake | Autumn Leaves journaling chipboard | Prima Marketing flowers | Spotlight buttons | Pink Paislee glitter | EK Success flower punch | Maya Road rub-on | Fancy Pants chipboard swirl | Making Memories paint.

I changed the colours because of the photos. I found it also very useful to use the colour wheel for this layout to find a third accent colour.

Jessica walks you through both the digital side and the hybrid side of it. Digitally you create a photo block, convert two pictures to black and white, add a title to your photo using two different fonts, add semi-transparent accents and learn how to add a border to your photo block.

I had so much fun making this layout, that I decided to purchase episode 2 as well. In fact, I've already finished that one as well.



Supplies: Bazill Basics Cardstock | Basic Grey patterned paper Urban Prairie | DMC Floss | Making Memories puffy alphabet letters.

This time I used the same patterned papers as Jessica, as they worked well with my photos too. I know Jessica prints her photos and journaling in this case on special Epson Matte Photo paper as she also has an Epson printer. I've tried this paper too, but as I've got a Canon printer, I'm not impressed with the quality. Instead, I printed the journaling on cardstock and printed the pictures on glossy photo paper. I then cut out the pictures and adhered it to the cardstock.

That's all for today. I'm off to make some lunch, as Renee (who's already on her Easter break) is complaining her tummy is rumbling.

Want to be my Lab Partner? + a TOOT!

I know the title suggest otherwise, but I'll start with the TOOT! (It just sounded better the other way round). I was chosen as card of the week over at Card Patterns yesterday for sketch #7. I'll be guest designer for sketch #9. I received the sketch yesterday, and I can tell you it's different. The new sketch will go live on Saturday, so stay tuned.

Hybrid scrapbooking. Ever considered to use your computer to make a layout, and still use your traditional scrapbooking supplies as well? Is not knowing 'how to' one of the reason you haven't gone down this path, or you just wish you knew a little more about it. Well now's your chance.

Yesterday Jessica Sprague opened her new self-paced classes called Scrapbook Alchemy. This class combines digital techniques with traditional scrapbooking. I signed up for the first episode yesterday, and have almost finished my layout. As part of purchasing Episode 1 of Scrapbook Alchemy you get a free gift code to share with a someone else, a lab partner.



I've decided to give my free gift code away to one of my blog readers. Just leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, and I'll pick a winner on Monday. No need to have any digital experience, but you do need to have either Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS.

I've still got to add my last embellishment on my LO, which is drying as I type this, but I'll leave you with a sneak. I'll post the whole LO when it's finished.



Finally, I would like to thank all of you for your comments. I'm seeing quite a few new names popping up in there. It's good to be able to put some faces to my blog readers and to return the favour and visit your blogs in return.

edited: If you really would like to try this class and you haven't got Photoshop, you could always download a free 30 day trial from Adobe's website here to see if it's something for you.

2007 Year In Review

It was a very dark and grey sky this morning, but upstairs in Renee's room was enough light to take pictures of my finished 2007 Year in Review book. I'm so pleased with it, as it sums up in a nutshell what we've done in a year's time. And I'm amazed and very pleased to see how much we did. At least we leave Australia, knowing that we've used our time down here well and even though we've only seen a tiny bit, we've seen so many beautiful things. The album is also a good index of things/events I'd still like to scrap (but that will have to wait until we settle in the UK). Of course making this album was so easy, using Jessica Sprague's awesome album templates, which is featured in her second special issue Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking 2.

Oh, and I'm doing another 2 in 1 for my picture today...





May 27th - Year in Review Album:

















Mid-year I ran out of 'g' rub-ons, so I continued with a 'g' stamp. I considered changing the first ones, but decided that the 'perfectionist' in me just had to deal with it.














Supplies: cardstock - Bazzill, PPs Chatterbox, 'g' stamp Fontwerks, 'g' rub-ons American Crafts, McGill circle punch, corner rounder, '2007' stamp Hero Arts, scallop punches Marvy Uchida, metal tag rim Making Memories, Robin's Egg 12"x12" scalloped leather album Making Memories.


EDITED - The font Jessica used on her template is One Fell Swoop from www.dafont.com and the digital flourish is called Boho Flourish Brush Set by Michelle Coleman, www.littledreamerdesigns.com.

Meet Baby Hayley

When Dana was still pregnant with Hayley I asked her whether I could take some pictures of the baby, to practice my photography. She was thrilled I'd asked. This morning I ran into her after I dropped the kids off at school and I went round her house around 11.00 a.m. to take some pictures. I asked her if it's okay if I put a few on my blog and she said yes. Here's a few of my favourite ones (also been trying out some of my new actions).









Yesterday I also started my Year In Review book for 2007. It's amazing how quickly these two pages came together. I did have a little head start as I'd already pre-selected 20 pictures a while back for January. I only needed 15 for this spread. Jessica's design was 8x8", but when I printed the left hand page I thought the pictures were too small. I enlarged it to 10x10", printed it with pictures on it. I then also printed the page again on photo paper and punched out the pictures with my square punch, which is the exact same size (how convenient is that?). I was a total copy cat a followed Jessica's design completely. This is what it looks like:



Now I've only got 11 more months to go, but it seriously only took me less than 2 hours to put together. The biggest job will be to find 22 more sheet of Bazzill cardstock in the colour bark, LOL!

Thanks again for stopping by.