Laura Rumble - Crafter

I've been attempting to tidy my desk...  It hasn't gone well.  I keep getting tired or distracted and it isn't really something I can have help with.  So I carry on at the rate of 20cm squared tidied per day!  I found some bits and bobs buried under other bobs and bits and they were crying out to be made into a layout... A little snippet of a yellow doily, a frill of lime tissue attached to some gold scalloped washi tape that didn't make the cut on a previous layout, a piece of card that I had played with inks on... the photo I chose picked out the yellows and oranges and I was away! As he noticed I was taking a photo of him he stuck his pinky up, the dafty!  It is impossible to get decent photos of him!  So there was my title - and I hand cut the letters out of the card I had tested my inks on. The mixed media work is all Shimmerz stuff, that hadn't been put away when I had finished with it.  *tut tut*  At the last minute I though...

Um, I'm not very good at tidying up.  I am, as it turns out, very good at keeping every little piece of cardstock because it could be used one day. This card is made from snippets that I had kept.  I do get immense satisfaction from making something from bits that I don't need to re-cut - just use them as they are - but it was getting ridiculous!   These bits of card and packaging were saved in the epic clear out (that has now stalled as my health has, well, stalled too.) I added a crochet flower (by my Pet Crocheter) and some sequins (Pretty Pink Posh, Maggie Holmes and Spiegel Mom Scraps) Linking up at The Playground

Today I am sharing the three papers from Vivienne that I forged for the Counterfeit Kit Club . First up the geometric square-triangle-chevron paper .  This pile of bits... became this strip of paper... Then I moved on to the triangles paper . I had a little pile of offcuts left over and thought these would make a slightly off the wall interpretation of the b-side of this paper . With the help of matte gel and a knackered old paint brush (I won't use my best brushes for gel)... I made this.  Now to call this one a counterfeit is pushing it, but it was inspired by the original.  Shame that I covered most of it up in the end.  But you'll have to pop back tomorrow to see the finished result!

This is a layout using up the last of my April Like For Ever kit.  It is loosely inspired by soaphouse mama ... she is great for inspiration! While I'm here I want to tell you all that I am having a giveaway on instagram .  I realise not everyone is on instagram and I want to make it fair for my blog readers who aren't.  If you want to be in with a chance of winning this little lot... Leave me a comment here for one entry. For an extra entry share on social media (your blog, twitter, etc.) and come back leaving a comment with the link to the share. I won't say it is mandatory to follow my blog but it will help - if you win it will be announced on my blog so you'll want to keep in the loop! Of course if you are on instagram you can join in there too! A run down of the goodies... 2 6x6 paper pads 3 small paper pads 2 patterned paper scalloped shaped pads 1 pack of rhinestone bling 1 pack of glitter dome stickers 1 pack of dimensional stickers cork...

I'm going to show you my process for making a candle birthday card with a few snippets and off cuts... I collected a handful of trimmings and cut them down to different lengths between 2cm and 5cm.  The widths were approximately 0.5cm to 0.8cm.  With a pencil line lightly drawn on to my card blank for guidance I started to randomly stick a few rectangles down, varying the sizes, colours and widths. When I had a good covering of rectangles I drew little dashes at the top - these are the wicks and turn the rectangle in to candles. I watered down some neon acrylic paints and added some yellow watercolour paint.  When my permanent pen ink was dry I painted a flame atop each candle.  Using a round paint brush I just pushed the side of the bristles gently to the paper which makes a flame or petal shape.  I varied my flame colour slightly each time I loaded my brush. Once the first flames were dry I carried on adding more rectangles, wicks and flam...

Finally I'm sharing the first layout from my Counterfeit Kit for February. I've started working my way through those scraps, snippets and offcuts.  I picked out a handful of blues and teals, stacked them and played around until they looked good. A healthy sprinkling of sequins and some machine stitching... Not all of the stitching is in exactly the right place but most of the alphas should stay put! And I used a load of alphas on one layout.  I would have shied away from this before, a fear of wasting them I think, but I'm pleased to have pushed past that! And I used up a flair and a Christmas paper clip!  Yep, stars are not just for Christmas! Linking up at The Playground .

It's the 9th and I still haven't blogged my Counterfeit Kit for February!  I've taken a slightly different take on this kit... and it bares very little resemblance to the original ... well, let me take you through it... you will see what I mean. I start as always with the kit condensed in to a list.  I dismissed the travel theme and the small flowers. The alphas in the inspiration kit were square - I picked out all the tile-like letters in my stash. These are the only 12x12 sheets in my kit.  A different twist - I told you! Everything else is a scrap or a 6x6 that has been detached from it's pad/collection for a previous project and then been abandoned! Here are my little embellishments - quite a random mix but I'm not going for twelve layouts that match.  I'll get twelve layouts that will look great individually. Some flair - I must use these this month.  I have too many flair and still want to buy more.  This can only ...

It is challenge day at Crafty Ribbons Challenges . Here is a layout using Crafty Ribbons new lace... (at time of publication the lace is so new it is not yet on the website!!) I am totally in love with it!  The lace that is.  It comes in so many colours and I don't think there are many colours that I wouldn't use. Here I've gone grey to match the snippets and flair badge.  (Used snippets - tick.  Playing at The Playground !)  I had some wired ribbon that I wanted unwired, instead of throwing the wire away I bundled it up to make a 'bed' for the flair to sit on. I used my new (for Christmas) glitter glue and butterfly stamp and added some haematite star beads.  They had been a bracelet at one point but I decided they would make a good embellishment! I love the grey tones and the dark teal together, definitely one to remember as a successful colour combination! Entering at Scribble and Scraps and Anything But A Card (brand new lace!) ...

Helloo!  It is day two of Crafty Ribbons' Twelve Days of Christmas celebrations .  I made a tag for today... A little rant... I measured and carefully cut the corners to turn the rectangle in to the classic tag shape - were they even?  No!  So I held the bigger corner flipped over on the other side and trimmed.  Did it even it up?  No.  Sigh, I guess I'll always have wonky corners :) I've used Christmas cupcake sentiment , silver corrugated card that must be 12 years old (possibly older!) and used up snippets of red (from a previous Bev's Bag), silver and hearts ribbon .  Linking this up at The Playground for using up snippets of ribbon and old (almost antique!) card! Thanks for stopping by!

A layout made with sparkles and off cuts! And I love it. I lined up assorted offcuts from my Counterfeit Kit .  I added a sprinkling of swarovski crystals and a pink bow from Things That Shine . A date sticker and 3 pink flowers finish things off nicely. Look at the crystals, they make me smile! Linking up at the playground !

I had quite a few left over bits and bobs and snippets from my Counterfeit Kit from July.  Strips of paper, random shapes, tiny rectangles... I cut them up to around 3cm long strips and separated them in to two piles. Then I cut my 12x12 in to four pieces.  I removed the smallest piece and re-spaced the remaining three to give my 12x12 with a couple of small gaps - those gaps were to be filled with snippets! I pondered putting them in the same order top and bottom but in the end just went with a randomness of colours.  I raised the middle panel up on foam dots to give some dimension and a lovely shadow line. I popped the photos on foam squares too, and finished off with a multi coloured title. I've just spotted my eye is missing a tittle - I will have to add that on before I file the layout away!  There is always a chance that it is stuck to my elbow or calf... you crafters know what wandering stickers are like... Linking up at the Playground Th...

Here it is!  The last in my series of mini canvases. I used oil pastels, art bars, acrylic inks, acrylic paints, thread and snippets of washi and paper that were hanging around my desk! The orange was probably the most fun to make but the least fun to name.  In fact I asked for help and Kay kindly pointed me to a page about orange and things associated with the colour.  From there I got it down to a short list and sat for ages wondering which was best.  I decided on create, the page mentioned creative flair.  I'm still not sure it is right! They are sitting all lined up on my picture shelf.  They are dinky and really rather cute but  still pack a punch all together. What do you think? Kinda sorta want to do more in the in between shades of colour... (Links for the individual posts: shine , love , smile , laugh , happy & wish ) Thanks for stopping by :)