Double CCC !

This card uses Tim Holtz's techniques: The blended batik method with distress inks (this week's CC # 11) AND the monoprint method with alcohol inks on glossy cardstock (CC #3). The CCC is the Compendium of Cusiosities Challenge hosted by Linda. I joined in at challenge #7 so I did #3 as a catch-up.

Used: Distress Inks: Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord; Archival black ink; Alcohol inks: Nature Walk trio; Stamps: Tim Holtz 'Flights of Fancy' and 'Urban Grunge', sentiment from Compagnie des elfes; Paper: Ranger glossy cardstock, lilac card, silver mirror card, purple card blank; clear embossing ink and powder.

Match-book Mini Album.

I was inspired by Olga's match-book album to make one for our grandson's first year before his 1st birthday on Tuesday. I have bits and pieces to add, and there are more pages than shown here, but here it is. I am working on some exciting news (shhhhh!) so I thought I would blog this while I am otherwise engaged!

The papers are all GCD Chic Bébé with Bazzill Java covers, JilliBean journaling sprouts and all bound together with the Bind-It-All.

Does size matter?

Don't feel the need to answer: I only ask because my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities #9 is rather small. I am pleased it with it though, whereas I am not at all sure about the page overall. A very shabby chic style: I made the base layer at one of the association workshops, following magazine instructions, and I have to admit it's not really my style. And as I type that, my husband has just seen it and said he really likes it: "One of your better pages"! LOL - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
The base is white Bazzill with torn book pages and plaster's mesh (as a mask) stuck on to it. It was then part-painted with walnut inks, inked in places with Distress Walnut Stain and stamped and embossed before having the plaster's mesh lifted. I have finished it off with some tulle and VERY old flowers (like 15+ years old!) with bits and pieces left from Basic Grey 'Sugared' kit (all inked with Walnut Stain Distress) + rub-on. It commemorates my neice who died last year and particularly the beautiful quilt made for her by 'Quilts 4 leukemia' in 2008.

For the grungeboard label I used Distress Crackle Paint (Antique Linen) with Walnut Stain Distress ink and the technique described on p42 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Cursiosities book for the challenge on Linda's Studio L3 blog. I also used pearls (PaperMania brads), so the page also enters the Basic Grey challenge, and cork with Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

Sketch Saturday: 3 in 1 card

A friend asked me to make a card to say all of Happy Birthday, congratulations on receiving the Bac (International Baccalaureate) and Bon Voyage as this guy leaves to continue studying in Canada - All on one card! However as soon as I saw sketch #115 on Sketch Saturday I knew what I wanted to do:

Also perfect for the Bon Voyage challenge on PaperPlay. The card was collected this morning and she could not have been happier :)
Used: PaperMania card blank, papers, stamp and markers; computer-generated text and graphics (scroll & map); 3D glossy accents; Spellbinders Curved Rectangles and Tags Trio in the Cuttlebug; Dovecraft eyelets.
Un ami m'a demandé de faire une carte pour dire Joyeux anniversaire, Félicitations pour votre réussite au baccalauréat international et Bon Voyage que cet homme va continuer à étudier au Canada - Toutes les sur une seule carte! Cependant, dès que j'ai vu sketch # 115 chez 'Saturday Sketchers', je savais ce que je voulais faire, et elle était très heureux avec la carte.

Compendium of Cusriosities #8 - Inked Grunge

Another piece for my wooden house: You could be mistaken for thinking that we are very romantic and, although we are between ourselves on an everyday basis, we are the couple who never do Valentine's and have been known to miss our wedding anniversary by several days on more than one occasion! Outward shows of romance are rare! So, I've quite shocked myself by inking up these two grungeboard hearts with our initials. I've used the technique on p39 of Tim's book as per the Compendium of Curiosities challenge on Linda's L3 blog with the addition of some gold spray on the small heart which I then picked up from the teflon mat with my finger and smeared on parts of the larger heart. The camera flash has really highlighted those bits.
Used: Idea-ology grungeboard 'elements' with Fired Brick and Frayed Burlap Distress Inks on the big heart and Walnut Stain on the small one; Cosmic Shimmer Rich Gold; Stamps: Tim Holtz 'Urban Grunge' stamps; Archival ink; JoAnn's letters.

Une autre pièce pour ma maison en bois: Il est rare que je suis si romantique! J'ai fait moi-même choqué par encrage jusqu'à ces deux cœurs grungeboard avec nos initiales. J'ai utilisé la technique sur la p39 du livre de Tim selon le 'Compendium des Curiosities' défi sur le blog Studio L3 de Linda avec l'ajout de quelques embruns d'or sur le petit coeur que j'ai ensuite repris à partir du tapis en téflon avec mon doigt et enduit sur certaines parties du le plus grand coeur. Le flash de l'appareil photo a vraiment mis en évidence ces parties.

Blue and silver scrap page - Hugs

Another page made for the summer 'game' I'm playing with the Tourc'h2Scrap scrapbook group - Only one more to go! Again, a sketch from the French Temporelles blog, plus the demand that the base page be 'handmade'. I have made mine by sticking plasterer's tape down randomly on to the Bazzill and then spraying silver Cosmic Shimmer over it and darkening other parts and the edges with Distress Ink 'Stormy Sky' before peeling the tape back off.
Also used: Cuttlebug with Nestabilities Circles and Sizzix 'Wingo Zingo' and Cuttlebug 'Not the Boss' alphabets; papers from different PaperMania ranges and scraps; DCWV Border Strip; Stamps by 'Art Warehouse'; Doodlebug button; photo hinges (which I coloured with alcohol inks) and silver jute.

Une autre page faite pour jeu d'été chez asso Tourc'h2Scrap - il reste une à faire! Encore une fois, une esquisse du blog Temporelles, avec la demande que la page de base est "fait à la main". J'ai fait mienne avec le scotch plâtrier j'ai collé sur le Bazzill, puis j'ai pulvérisé 'Cosmic Shimmer' argenté sur elle. Puis, j'ai l'assombrissement des autres parties et aux bords avec l'encre Distress "Stormy Sky" avant de les peler la bande reculer.

Feeling fruity !

I'm late blogging this page as it was one of those on display in the library recently and I forgot to photograph it first. I've done my strange mix of French (juin = June) and English on it too: I must stop that! Early summer was exciting for us seeing the fruit forming, esp as the pear trees were the first to be planted when we moved to France (2006) but this is the first year they have fruited: Hoping for more each year now.
The page follows sketch #112 on the French Temporelles blog.
Used: Bazzill;  DCWV 'Spring' and 'Mat Stack 3' papers; Prima flowers; die-cuts: fence and apple (Sizzix ?), scalloped circles cut with Spellbinders; title cut with Cuttlebug alpha 'Harmony'; hand-cut cloud and grass; ColorBox 'Pumpkin Patch' chalk inks; buttons, gems and string from stash.

Une page montrant nos fruits début de l'été. Il s'agit de la première année de notre poiriers ont fructifié. J'ai utilisé le sketch #112 chez Temporelles blog. J'ai utilisé des papiers de DCWV, le Bazzill, die-cuts de Sizzix, Spellbinders, Cuttlebug et fait à la main; encres de Colorbox; petits fleurs de Prima.

First scrapbook page of the twins

Focusing here on Aaron, as I am planning to do a different page for Daisy. This page is part of a summer challenge I am taking part in and had to follow a given sketch, had to be monochrome blue or pink and had to have 5 buttons and real stitching! When I saw the Basic Grey challenge was stitching I reached for the old 'Boxer' collection for my page base and I'm also entering this in the PaperPlay 'anything goes' challenge.
Used: Papers - Basic Grey 'Boxer', PaperMania 'Henbury'; Transparency - PaperMania 'Sweet Nothings'; EK Success border punch; Making Memories buttons; Hampton Art stamps; Distress Ink - Stormy Sky; Tim Holtz Grungeboard; Brilliance Ink - Platinum; Cuttlebug alphabet 'Harmony; rest from stash.

Mettre l'accent ici sur Aaron, que je me prépare à faire une page différente pour Daisy. Cette page fait partie d'un défi d'été d’assoc Tourc’h2Scrap et on doit suivre un sketch donné, ont dû être monochrome bleu ou rose et devait avoir 5 boutons et les coutures réel! Quand j'ai vu le défi Basic Grey a été couture je suis arrivé à l'ancien collection «Boxer»  pour ma base de page et je suis aussi en participant chez PaperPlay défi 'anything goes'.

Tinted visions fragment - Curiosities #7

I used alcohol inks to colour this fragment and frame a picture of my husband's mother. It will be part of a larger project as I have bought an old house shaped box divided in to sections which I intend to fill with mini-art pieces. The old mountboard scrap used here was cut down to 5,2 cm (just over 2") square to fit one of these. I'll be first to admit the ric-rac isn't the right thing to add to the fragment but it will do until I find something better. Anyway, I spent so long digitally restoring the picture and fighting with the printer that if I don't stop waffling I'll be too late to enter the 'Compendium of Curiosities' #7 challenge using Tim Holtz's book on Linda's Studio L3 blog and, as it's the reason I bought the book and the fragments I'm determined to get there!

Used: Tim Holtz Ranger Alcohol inks, Tim Holtz Idea-ology fragments; Ranger alcohol ink applicator and blending solution; Tim Holtz Compendium of Curiosities book and rest from stash.