Quiet time for scrapping

This last month I've barely scrapped, just don't seem to have had the time. I'm sure I read an article in one of the mags last year which said our creativity goes in cycles, so I'm clearly in a gathering phase just now. Hope the creating side comes back soon:). I am just back from my holidays, so do have 250 new photos to scrap!

I did manage the first day's challenge in Jessica Sprague's challenge a day at the start of June, to list 5 favourite things about summer. It includes my new favourite technique - extractions, which I learned using a fabby technique from Cassie on Designer Digitals.

I did do a couple of interesting LOs at the start of last month when Anna Aspnes set challenges on Designer Digitals, they are totally different to anything I'd usually do, but I loved being out of my comfort zone.

The first one gave us a template, with the title 'Absolutely Zero Desire', and I had great fun thinking of my top 10 to be included.

The next week she gave us an overlay, including the title 'I have a secret desire 2' which came just at the right time for me to know exactly what to write about.

To counteract that, I did my first paper LO in a while, and as I'm not doing so much of it, I decided to go all out and include lots of product. I love the bright colours in it.

Loving the challenges on Jessica Sprague

This LO was done for the 3kits 3ways challenge on DD. I used J Edwards Bluebells and Daffodils kit; A Aspnes Esther brushes; K Pertiet Photo wraps as the 3 kits, as well as some other bits and bobs from DD.

Jessicasprague.com had a week of challenges this week - 7 LOs in 7 days. I wasn't able to do all of them, but I got 3 done. Even better, there's one for each day in June too!

This first challenge gave us a template by LivE. I used the Pandamonium kit by M Terasawa for the little bee etc.

The second challenge got us to use a blending technique. I used the heart shape from the standard Photoshop shapes, then added a brush and changed the blending mode to overlay. I like this photo, taken as my photo of the day in January. 

This last one is just a fun one. We were to think of a song that means a lot to us. I love Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, it's just such a sunny, happy song. I made the little mini-me last year as one of the challenges during a UKS cybercrop, so I used a photo of it on my LO now that I know how to extract things!

If you've never done a digi scrapping class, then I totally recommend Jessica's classes. There's a video tutorial for each one, and tons of supplies. It's the easiest way to learn, I've learnt sooooo much!

More LOs

I love you because...
I almost think there's too many challenges available for scrappers, I love them, but sometimes I can get caught up in thinking I have to try them all! Today was Saturday Scraplift day on Designer Digitals, and I gave it a go. I'm not used to scraplifting, but I liked the original LO. It was fun to use baby photos of Amy as I've just been using recent ones so far for my digi pages. Also, I LOVE the Pandemondium kit by Mindy Terasawa, and use it all the time!

I'm also loving all the various styles of page I see in the gallery. This week's colour challenge on DD was set by Anna Aspnes who has a really cool arty style. We got this background paper, and the swirly clipping mask. It's totally not my usual style, but I enjoyed having a play. I downloaded the dragon clip art and covered it with paper from K Pertiet's clipper paper pack. 

Apart from this we've just had the first posting of the eco-friendly cj on UKS. My theme is reuse: what have you repurposed around the home. I'm thinking there could be some really interesting themes with this one.  I've asked that everyone use some packaging on their LO. On mine I cut some flowers and title out of a Mintrels packet and a cookie wrapper using my Sizzix dies. The title on the front was cut from magazines and a colouring pad of Amy's (the U).

Yay, got my mojo back

I'm so glad I've got my new laptop, I was worried for a while that I'd lost my mojo for digi-scrapping, but now that I've reloaded everything I'm back. It helped that Designer Digitals had their quarterly sale last weekend, with lots of chats and freebies. 

Here's a few LOs I've done since then, using freebies from the chat day as well as other goodies from DD.

Also, I actually managed to do a paper LO last month too! I chat on a social group on UKS called animal, vegetable and mineral for those of like who sometimes like to do LOs without people. Last month the challenge was to use our favourite stamp, and I love this set by Rhonna Farrer for Autumn Leaves. Also decided to use up some of my hoarded stash, so I included the lace cardstock and layered several chipboard flowers. I really enjoyed paper scrapping, though it was a bit annoying that stamps can't be flipped, now I'm used to Photoshop brushes lol.

Arty Farty Jigsaw Swap

Here's the first piece I've finished for this swap on UKScrappers. The theme's music, and we were to include the purple ribbon. It was great fun to do, I did a digi background, added some inchies, and the note is chipboard with a Basic Grey rub-on on top.

Eggs!

For Easter we decorated some eggs, using templates downloaded from the Playhouse Disney website. In case you can't recognise them, from left to right are Handy Manny, Tigger and Mickey Mouse. Amy had great fun with them, but I was stunned when I read the 'artwork release form' we'd have had to fill in if we wanted to send in the photos to enter the competition.

Choice phrase: ' throughout the universe in perpetuity'. I also liked the fact that they could use the entry in 'any and all media now known or hereafter developed'!

All in all, we had a fun Easter, though there's still too much chocolate in the house. 

I also had fun this evening when I went to do my tutoring, as well as my pay I was given a dozen hen eggs as well as a goose egg! One of the perks of living in the countryside:).

Inspiration from everywhere

I've been visiting a lot of blogs lately, and feel I want to pretty mine up a bit. I'm just not sure whether to use one of the sites that provides backgrounds, or whether to have a go at making my own. Any suggestions?

As for inspiration, I've realised it's everywhere - in adverts, on the web, magazines, and of course on the forums when I click through all the fabby LOs everyone else does. This week there was a web inspiration challenge on Designer Digitals. I chose to take inspiration from the IKEA website, and created this page.

Not many supplies to list, papers by Mindy Terasawa.

Apart from that, I've been trying to get up to date with my 365 LOs. It speeds things up so much to use a template. Here's the pages I've completed for March so far.

Our team on UKScrappers, Charli's Angels, set the weekly challenge this week. We decided to use the initials of 'angels' as the challenge. For 5 points each the LO was to contain Any new stash, Notes or journalling, Glitter/Glitz, Embellishments, Lace and Sewing/Stitching. Here's my LO. 

Finally I got a new printer, yay! Now I might actually do some more paper scrapping again. I've just joined a new eco-themed cj, so will start planning that, along with working on the arty farty jigsaw swap, it's always good to be busy!