Badgirls week 4........

.....design school is white space. Now if you look at my LOs you will find very few with blank areas. I like to pile things on, use patterned paper and embellish! So when I saw this week's challenge I was rather dismayed. Friday night I thought and thought but no inspiration came. Saturday morning I looked through my photos and chose 2 quite different ones. I did one layout, (the LOTS one) but I wasn't at all happy with it. The white space was there but it didn't really serve a purpose- it didn't add anything to the design. So I put it aside and tried a totally different LO using the other photo. It's the 'Unwritten' LO. The LO came together really quickly and I love it. I quickly uploaded to the Badgirls gallery because I was afraid self doubt would creep in if I didn't upload there and then. So it's done now, and even if I don't get through to the next round I have to say I love the LO and it was great to do something totally different. Today Emily and I went to the Botanical Gardens. It was such a lovely day- sunny and warm and the leaves are just beginning to turn- so we had an enjoyable time. I took some photos and then on the way home we stopped to take pictures of relections in some of the modern city glass buildings. So I'm a happy bunny tonight- I've had a lovely weekend- just wish it could go on a bit longer though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oc1j5NakY

My new bin doesn't help..

Last post I mentioned my new Ikea pop up bin- and the hope that it would make me a tidy scrapper. Well guess what? It doesn't! I get in such a mess when I scrap. I pull out bits of paper, and leave the unchosen pieces on the floor. I pull out boxes of embellishments, and they end up spread all around. I put things aside to use on my pages, then can't find them when it comes to sticking them on. Yesterday I did one LO and my room looked like it had been hit by a cyclone. I scrap in my kitchen/dining/family room, so usually use my dining table to scrap on (mainly because I can't fine my scrap desk under all my bits and pieces). So yesterday I was scrapping, and doing the laundry at the same time. My folded washing ended up on my sofa, and my dining room chairs because the table was covered in paper, glue, ribbons -you name it! The whole room ended up looking like a disaster zone. sometimes I wonder how my family put up with me. Anyway, it was all worthwhile because I ended up making the Round and Round the Garden LO, and I love it. It is the first time I have really consciously 'designed' a LO. usually I put things on a page, move them around, play a bit then stick bits down. But this LO was for Badgirls, and the challenge was to do a LO using a particular design element, and then to write about how the design works. So it required planning and thinking.

I am enjoying the challenge over at Bad Girls Kits.
This is my latest LO. It was for the challenge about texture and dimension. I wanted to do a masculine page, with a limited colour palette, so the interest had to be provided by the textures I've used, which include scrim, copper mesh, leather, felt nylon staockin in the butterflies, wire, metal, inking, stitching-all sorts of things.
I'm really happy with the title treatments- the word 'my' is copper embossed- the letter 'y' is a doctored 'x'. The word 'guys' was a bit of an accident. I was trying for a crackle effect, but it wasn't textured enough, so I UTTE'd it and rubbed some stazon black ink over it. I've ended up with a rather nice metal effect! Again, I was short of the letter 'y' so I just turned an 'h' upside down! I adore that brown lac
e along the bottom. It came from Little Silver Hat, and looks even better on a lime green background.
It is a holiday here in Scotland today, and is pouring down. Still, we are off on a run out to the countryside for a walk. I was hoping to get out with my camera, but if the rain doesn't ease up I can't see my camera coming out. Yesterday I took my MIL to Ikea for breakfast and a look around. I just bought a set of little popup nylon bins, they will be great for putting my scraps in while I'm working on a LO-maybe I can be a tidy scrapper after all!

Great day

What a fab day I had today- everything I love doing- well apart from the washing that is! This morning I got up and completed the LO you see here. I am joining in the fun at BADGIRLS KITS, and this week's challenge was about using colour to create mood. I thought this sludgy blue paper from Basic Grey 'phresh and phunky' was perfect to set off this photo of one of Emily's dirty looks. I added the pink for a bit of balance and allude to the fact that she does have her sweeter moments too. I really enjoyed creating this grungy style LO, especially after all the bright ones I seem to have done lately. This LO came together very quickly, and that meant I was able to go out into the garden and enjoy some rare sunshine. The weather was perfect- blue skies and sunshine, so I managed to get some much needed weeding done, and all the washing out to dry too! After that Emily and I went cycling along the Water of Leith. It is such a lovely cycle- no cars, through the woods, so lots of shade, which made for comfortable cycling, and as an added bonus the route is flat- perfect. Then after tea we went for a walk, and I experimented with my camera. I am going to start my photography blog to go alongside the Cheryl's course that I am doing on line for 4 weeks. Hopefully by the end of it I will have the confidence to use manual settings as a matter of routine. Today was all about experimenting with aperture and shutter speed and reading histograms. So what a great day- perfect weather- scrapping, gardening, cycling and photography. What more could I possibly want?

Carole Janson's class LO

Just a very quick post tonight. I wanted to add the LO I did when I was in Australia in July. I was lucky enough to attened one of Carole's Janson's classes, and this is the finished LO (finally!). I didn't have a photo at the time, but have now added one of Emily. This LO looks so much better IRL. The photo is actually attached to a transparent mat, but unfortunately it can't be seen in the photo. I have put the LO in a box frame so it remains nice and dimensional., and I've crackle glazed the frame in toning colours. Carole is such a talented scrapper, and a lovely, friendly lady too! See more of her work here. Thanks for a great class Carole- one thing I learned is don't scrimp on the stash!