Laura Rumble - Crafter

Sometimes packaging is just too good to throw out in the recycling! At least it is for me as a crafter... The colours on this chocolate bar wrapper from Dormouse Chocolates was just the perfect ombre of palest yellow to rich sunset orange with a whole lot of perfect peachiness in between, and a really good weight of cardstock, too.  It demanded to be reused on a layout! I paired it with Simon Says Stamp's Garden Greetings stamp set and some stencilling with oxide inks in the background.  I love the softness of the colours, stencilling and vellum against the starkness of the bold black stamping. I used the text on the chocolate wrapper to make a found poem about my boy Theo.  It kind of has a double meaning as Theo is short for Theobroma; Theobroma Cacao is the name of the cocoa plant that chocolate is made from.  Yep, budgie boy is named after chocolate!  Two of my most treasured things are birds and chocolate!! I always say I'm rubbish with words.  The col...

I've recently discovered that there is a sticky film that picks up the negatives from your cutting mat holding them in their correct position until you stick them down on to your layout.  It seems I am the only one who didn't know such a thing existed!  It is great for using up bits left behind from a background.  The bits are often so pretty but way too intricate to pick up piece by piece. That is how this layout started.  I played with my Daniel Smith watercolours for a background and picked up a section of leftovers from my cutting mat.  Using my Liquitex inks I mixed the perfect metallic rose gold (1 drop of bronze, 2 drops of copper, 3 drops of gold) to match a chocolate wrapper I had kept to use.  I'm trying to be less 'ooh, I'll keep that bcauseIll use it one day' but sometimes old habits die hard!  Still, at least I actually used this keeper quickly. I threw in a few scraps of coloured card, some ribbon and buttons and called it done...

Still running with my obsession of gift wrapping... look!  This one has a chocolate included in the bow!! I've used Retro Christmas range of ribbons from Crafty Ribbons and some kraft paper stencilled with gold acrylic paint and glitter glue. Thanks for stopping by!

Here is a post first published last week on SpiegelMom Scraps blog... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For my third guest designer project for SpiegelMom Scraps I promised you a mini album... and here it is! I had a wonderful lunch at a chocolate cafe and thought it would make a lovely mini album, so I collected a few bits and pieces from the cafe.  I picked up the chocolate menu, and kept some cellophane wrapping and tissue paper used to wrap up my purchases, and the companies ribbon that was used to tie the package.  I also kept the paper bag and the label from Mum's tea bag. The plan was to build a little kit around the collected ephemera, so I searched my paper and washi stash for matching colours.  Serendipitously the ribbon in SpiegelMom Scraps Etsy shop were the perfect colours. I added cork shapes and wood veneers to my mini kit, and enough sequins for them to feature on every page....

Continuing my May Guest Designer stint at Spiegel Mom Scraps , today Jody's website features a mini album...  Here is a sneak... I hope you can pop over and have a look x

It is challenge day at Crafty Ribbons Challenges today - The gorgeous La Vikinga set us the theme of circles . I have used three different ribbons to create my feature circle - Vintage Script, Gold edged, and Swiss dots sheer .  I tacked them down with a few stitches and then covered the stitches with wooden stars. This was the first creating I had done in 10 days and I may have added a little more than I usually would... here is a run down; Ribbon and buttons - Crafty Ribbons Flair and stickers - Evalicious Glitter stars - Things That Shine Kraft stars - my cameo Stars cellophane - Easter chocolates from Chococo ! Wood veneer stars - Studio Calico Enamel dots and glitter dots - my stash White glitter stickers - stash busting Pencils - Derwent Spelling mistakes in the journalling - Beads Buttons and Birds! Sharing at: Thanks for stopping by!

I took part in a Valentines Day swap this year.  I enjoyed the Christmas swaps so much that I made a promise to seek out at least two other swaps throughout the year.  I stumbled across Tracey and her blog Mad About Bags. I was paired with the lovely Sarah and this is what she sent me: I marvel when I open things that are so me - rainbows, butterflies, birds, orchids, buttons and ribbon.  I love everything.  There was chocolate too.  It didn't make it in to this photo.  It's not that I have eaten it all, I promise, but it is in my snack pile and I forgot about it when I was taking photos! But here, to prove it, is the photo I posted on Instagram with the hashtag 'internet friends are the best!' And isn't this just the neatest blanket stitch in the world?! This is some of what I sent to Sarah... A little note. Lollipops for her two sons superheroes. A mini canvas.  There was more but I seem to have been so excit...

Oh yes!!  This weeks smile was delicious!!  Linking up at Annie 's...

It's my turn over at Crafty Ribbons Inspirations today... One of the cracker gifts that I have saved from the Christmas festivities is a metal bookmark.  I wanted to pretty it up with ribbons.  I also received a chocolate cook book as a gift so I thought why not use the chocolate ribbons and make it matching... It was simple to personalise... just pick your ribbons, tie them on, et voilà! Of course I had to test it in the chocolate cook book which meant drooling over several recipes to find the right page to photograph it on ;) You can find the chocolate ribbon collection here and the book here and the chocolate... well, that's long gone!!

Last year I was quite low in November and when I saw Carmen was running a Secret Santa I wanted to join in.   I had a look at posts from the previous years and decided I needed to join in.   So I did.   When the swap came through I discovered I was buying for the boss!   Well, you can’t get much scarier than that!   I did some gentle stalking and made a list (I do like a list!)   Here is what Santa parcelled up and sent off to Carmen: In return Ally was my Secret Santa.   I can’t say thank you enough to Ally .   I appear to have forgotten to take a before photo…   I unpacked the parcel and found beautifully wrapped presents.   10 !   Thank you Ally!   I put them under my tiny tree - here is the tree minus the presents… On Christmas Day I opened a few and as the day wore on and the ME started biting I put the others aside and opened them on Boxing Day. Here is what I was lucky ...