Create Your Own Kit

Have a look at this

These are all the 12 x 12 papers I have in my possession right now (excluding my DT papers).
The other day I was surfing the net trying to find a good monthly kit club as I felt I needed to get back into the swing of scrapping layouts more. I saw many awesome kits, most of which I will never be able to afford, so I had a brain storm.

I got all my papers out and counted them.

There are a lot of them.

Too many to justify buying more.

Have a guess how many...c'mon guess 

(no, REALLY -> guess..I will send a RAK of a selection of papers to the one closest to the actual number)

So I figured, why don't I take all my papers and create my own Kits from them? Also, I have equally as much card stock lying around gathering dust. Well, I got cracking and first sorted all papers by colours - geez, that was some hardship on me and I was hyperventilating that my anal-storing-by-manufacturer organisation was going up the creek.

In the end it was worth it, because I rediscovered papers I forgotten I had and I got all excited just thinking about how to use them. I whipped up a total of 24 Kits (that is two years worth of an average $25 saved) and challenged myself to use them all up before I am allowed to sub to another Kit Club.

My September 2010 Kit included:

3 Sheets of 12 x 12 {{ Cosmo Cricket }}

2 Sheets of 12 x 12 {{ Scenic Route }}

1 Sheet of 12 x 12 Rusty Pickle

3 Sheets of 12 x 12 card stock from {{ Bazzill }} & {{ Frances Meyer }}

endless supply of Alpha Stickers, Stamps, embellishments

And these are the projects I have created so far, but I am nowhere near done :)

** click on images to enlarge their view **

It's all go - go - go

Just a warning - this post will be picture heavy: so if you are on dial-up, my apologies....as always, if you wish to see any of he picture larger, just click right onto them and they will open up enlarged.

So, where do I start - Challenge? Scrapping for fun?? Rejected items??? I go with the challenge, the last one for the colours over at the {{ Design Team Dollies }} challenge blog. One of my co-workers commissioned me to create a birthday card for her mum and as she is a fan of bright colours, the {{ recent Dollie challenge }} was perfect:

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Hero Arts; Frances Meyer ** Papers: My Minds Eye; Sultane; Upsy Daisy Designs ** Stickers: October Afternoon ** Digi Stamps: Little Musings ** Punch: Martha Stewart

With the huge 30% OFF EVERYTHING Sale over at {{ Some Odd Girl }}, I succumbed to a fruit cocktail and bought myself some more yummies - do you think I can count them towards my five-a-day? The Sale is going on all throughout today and ends tomorrow - all the new releases are included within the Sale, so be quick!
I created this card this morning for a co-worker who had been such a great support to our team throughout the last week, I hope she will like it.

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Papermill; Frances Meyer ** Papers: My Minds Eye; Upsy Daisy Designs ** Stickers: October Afternoon; Jenni Bowlin ** Digi Stamp: Some Odd Girl** Punch: Martha Stewart ** Tools: ProMarker pens; Uniball Signo Pens

A few weeks ago I created some layouts which I have never gotten around to post, for whichever reason - but most probably just because I tend to FORGET a lot of things lately....the first ones are part of my {{ Rock Album }} collection - I can't believe how quickly I am catching up with it all! 

And then there is the one that was rejected... I applied for the {{ Hambly Screenprints }} DT call and you had to create one never before seen layout. If I am honest, I don't even know why I submitted, because I didn't really fancy all the requirements for the DT - so in a roundabout way I am glad I was not chosen. Believe it or not, had I received the call - I would have declined. I am actually so happy with the two Manufacturers I am with, that I have no intention of entering any call in the foreseeable future.


So, with that off my chest - here's the layout...showing Mr P and myself locking jaws, after he picked me and my earthly belonging up from Harwich, to start the rest of our lives together....everyone go: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Creative overflow

I am surprising myself at the moment, finishing at least two layouts and one card per day...not sure why, but I am also not complaining. For one thing - it does get my {{ Rock Album }} finished quicker, right?

The first page is not all that great but I just don't have too much good "supporting" stuff for the very first concert I ever attended...the band was (at the time) Europe's youngest Rockband ever, with an average age of 13 (bless) and I was so in love with {{ Uwe Schneider }}, the guitarist *swoon*.

Their first ever concert in Hamburg was one day before my 15th birthday and my mom bought the ticket as a birthday present...only thing though, she came with me. Now, really that was not a bad thing because I was so hysterical that I would have never found my way back home without parental guidance *giggles*

Anyhoo, we had tickets for the last row, so my pictures didn't turn out that great - you can hardly see anything, even with a magnifying glass...but enter: Super-Mom. She took my camera, went as far to the front as possible and was intercepted by a security guy about row 10:

"Sorry Ma'am, you can't go any further"
"I only want to take ONE close up picture for my hysterical daughter - it's her birthday tomorrow, you know"
"Sorry, if you do not have ticket for the front, you cannot go here"
"Well, I am not interested in the music or interested in staying there. I would just appreciate taking ONE picture"
"Sorry, no can do - orders"

So, all my Mom could do was get a picture from row 10, under the security guys watchful eye - but at least I don't need a magnifying glass to see the guys :)

**click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock:Stampin' Up
Papers: Sassafras Lass
Stickers: Rusty Pickle
Other: Metal Tag Frame - Making Memories; Dymo Label Maker; Uniball Signo Pen



And then - there is Pantera. Oh how I loved those Dudes and saw them quite a few times. I will talk more about them when I scrap about the other gigs :).
For now, this layout doubles as my entry to the {{ Design Dollies }} latest Elements challenge, which was RIGHT up my street. You will have to click on the above link though to get the skinny on the requirements. But let me tell you - the prize up for grabs is WELL worth particpating.

**click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock:Bazzill

Papers: Upsy Daisy Designs - #SYLA015. Gators; #SYLA013. Everglades; #VO014. Fashionista
Stamps: My Minds Eye; Catslife Press
Other: Dymo Label Maker; Uniball Signo Pen; Buttons; Pearls - Papercellar

Whoaaaaaaaaa....

....I am in love - utterly and irrevocably in L-O-V-E

with my new 55/200 lens - just look at the difference and you will understand.
Sitting on the couch in our front room, zooming all out of the balcony window to the house opposite the other side of the street.

This is what my old and trusted 18/55 does:

And this is what my new best friend does:

How can I NOT be in love?!?? The possibilities - being able to take pictures of wildlife (and I am not talking of Mr P in the shower here) from a distance that won't disturb the animals was something I always wanted to do. But so far I just did not  have the money to spend around £300.00 ($457.00) on a new Nikon lens. Even the refurbished ones are around £139.00 ($212.00) - again, money I do not have lying around.

So, when I went into town and saw a used Tamron for the grand price of £39.00 ($59.00) - well, it was a no brainer, really. As I took my camera and checked the compatibility with the Tamron, I knew that it would work and the lens still has a six month guarantee. Not that I expect it to break, because quite frankly - if it works ok now, why wouldn't it in six months time? This is the first time I bought a used/refurbished technical item - something I never considered before. This wee lens may have changed my mind in that aspect.

Despite being snapping away like a mad woman, I still had some time to create a card for the recent {{ 2 Sketches 4 You }} challenge. It is also to be entered into the {{ Simon Says Challenge }} for "Things with wings". Ok, so you may say "but pigs don't fly..."well, uhm HE-LLOOOOOHOOOO, look at this cute stamp from {{ Some Odd Girl }} and you will learn different. With us, pigs ARE things with wings...

** Click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Papermill
Papers: My Minds Eye
Stamp: Some Odd Girl
Stickers: Making Memories
Other: Embroidery Floss; Beaded String; Self-adhesive Ribbon; ProMarkers; Cosmic Shimmer

And I also managed to create two more pages for my {{ Rock Album }} and here is another first: I have started to take the pictures of these layouts in MANUAL mode...I know, I know...I kinda hyperventilates thinking about it but it has been a long time coming. Now I am learning about aperture, focus and all that jazz and it is really amazing to see the difference now when you shoot in manual mode compared to auto mode. I saw a difference in colours that I never thought possible. I was even cocky enough to do my focus in manual mode, which meant that after four years I found out that my lense has not just one but TWO rings I can twist...well bugger me!

So here are layout pictures in manual mode (as was the one above of the Flyin' Pig card but the window pictures at the beginning of this post were taken in auto mode)

This page shows a newspaper article and yes, that is me in the picture....my mum used to run the City Cinema in Hamburg and having a Teenage Daughter meant she was quite up to date with what the Youth wanted to see/hear. When AC/DC brought out the movie {{ Let there be Rock }}, mum was the only one who saw the money the movie would make. The article states that the 17 year old daughter of the cinema manager was looking forward to the movie as she is such an AC/DC fan and they asked me if I would wear my Angus outfit...of course I could not resist ;)

** Click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazill
Papers: Making Memories 
Stickers: Pink Paislee; Rusty Pickle; Jenni Bowlin 
Other: Flat backed pearls; Cosmic Shimmer

And this one shows two members of {{ King Kurt }} and myself after their 1986 show in Hamburg. I saw them twice and loved both gigs, even though I nearly did not get home after the first gig. The bus driver was initially refusing to take me on, as I was caked in flour and coloured water....which was their gimmick all those years ago. All of a sudden they would throw flour all over the audience, followed with water. I tried to dodge it as best I could but I still looked like I stood next to a cake factory when it exploded...

** Click on image to enlarge ** 

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazill 
Papers: Scribble Scrabble; Teresa Collins 
Stickers: Jenni Bowlin 
Other: Flat backed pearls; Flowers

Size matters...

...it really does, because since I made the decision to mainly scrap in 8.5 x 6, my creative juices have been in overflow. That size just seems to accommodate my style of scrapping - with one picture and little journaling - the best. You would think that having a smaller space to scrap would mean I finish the layouts quicker but OH nooooo, the process of shuffling, thinking, dimissing, cussing and finally glueing it all in place remains the same.

I still managed to finish two layouts and one card over the last few days, so I thought I would share.

First of, let me show you another card I made for {{ Some Odd Girl }} using one of the brand new wickedly delicious stamps, in this case {{ Mocha }}. This  fella makes me yearn for a tall caramel macchiato..yum

** click on any image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Papermill
Paper: American Crafts; Vintage bookpage
Stamp: Some Odd Girl
Tools: Fiskars Border Punch; Dymo labeller; Promarkers


Then there was another page for my {{ Rock Album }}...I found this silly picture of me, hobbling around on crutches. The reason for that was my pathetic attempt at a stage dive during the {{ Biohazard }} gig in 1993...let's not go there in detail, I was just glad that none of my friends witnessed it at the time when the crowd parted the minute I went to jump *cough*

** click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Papers: Sassafras Lass; Teresa Collins; My Minds Eye
Other: Chipboard stars - Rusty Pickle; Flatbacked pearls - Papercellar, Kaisercraft; Bling - Kaisercraft; Cosmic Shimmer; various printed tapes


I had oodles of fun with this picture of my mum and my aunty as well, which I scrapped previously but decided it would work better in the smaller size.

**click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Stampin' Up
Papers: My Minds Eye
Other: Chipboard buttons - Maya Road; Pin; Flowers; Flatbacked pearls; Masking tape; Cosmic Shimmer
Stamp: Upsy Daisy Designs {{ Floral Flourishes }}
Tools: Cuttlebug Butterfly Emboss and Die 


There is more, but that has to wait until the next month as it is for upcoming assignments, but I can leave some sneaks...just because, that's how I roll

But wait...there is more I have to write about - I have won another blog prize...YAY. After the one the other day, I must be on a winning streak and shall be stalking every blog with some candy up for grabs..tee hee.


Remember {{ my card }} for {{ this }} challenge over at {{ The Town Scrapper }}? It was created for a good cause as each card that was entered into the challenge would get some $$$ in the pot for {{ this }} worthy cause. Imagine my sheer delight, when my card was picked as the winner!


Soon I will get to play with this cute couple, which was the winners prize - a fab rubber stamp set...woot woot

** image taken from the Town Scrapper Blog **

Last but by no means least  I have been given a few blog awards over the past months and as you may recall, I generally don't play along to them as I have linked to those bloggers I adore a myriad times over already.BUT that does not mean that I am not appreciate that my fellow blogettes think I am deserving of an award and I apppreciate every single one of them.


For each award I receive, as a rule I link you to a blog that I thoroughly enjoy for one reason or the other, and most of the time they are not craft-related - but I get a kick out of them nevertheless.

So, first of all I want to thank {{ Deanna }} for awarding me this delightful Sunshine Award back in March, which funnily enough was also awarded to me a few days later from my online buddy {{ Trace }}. I *heart* that chick - she is funny and creative and even though we only chat sporadically via email, we totally "get" each other.

And today I got the above totally cute award from Mrs Oddness herself, {{ Kristy }} whose fault it is that I am now addicted to cute digi images that have eyes even though in real life I have yet to see {{ cupcakes }}, {{ clouds }} or indeed {{ mushrooms }} that blink at ya. But I am LOVING them and I cannot wait to see what else will be winking at me from the virtual shelves of {{ Some Odd Girl }}.


But I digress - I owe you two links for the two awards, right?


First of, I cry at least once a week, when I read {{ this }} blog. But it is not out of sadness but a sheer "I-am-peeing-my-pants-while-I-have laughing-fits". Seriously, you need to subscribe to that blogs' feed - I promise, you WILL cry with laughter and at some stage you may even pee a little in your pants from laughing....not syaing that I did but I am also not saying that I didn't.


And then there is {{ this }} - another funny one, and I am tempted to use some of those signs in our office once in a while. Now read {{ this entry }} and tell me you don't find it funny?!?? I just couldn't help giggling myself stupid over it.

Have a fun filled weekend :)

myStampBOX - DT March, Pt I and DT Call

Today marks the first of my last uploads for {{myStampBOX}} as my DT term ends on 31 March 2010. It has been an amazing six months and I enjoyed to work with these wonderful stamps and the fantastic team.

Unfortunately my last shipment from mSB with the new releases only made it across the pond a few days ago, so I have to show you some more projects with some older stamps. BUT just because I have used those stamps a myriad of times before does not mean they have lost their appeal to me - far from it. We all have some stamps we keep using over and over again, right?

My most used set definitely has to be {{Just Add Notes}} - not one weekend goes by when I don't use it.

So, I created another page for my {{Rock Album}}, the first set of Bon Jovi tickets, the next lot is already waiting on my craft table to be added :)

** click on image to enlarge **

Ingredients:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Papers: October Afternoon; Collage Press; Upsy Daisy Designs #UDD0163. Belle / Beau

Stamps: my StampBOX

Other: Cosmic Shimmer; adhesive pearls; journaling pen

Another set I dearly love is the {{Happy Birthday - Small Box}}. You will never run out of uses for a sentiment stamp set. 

There is always one birthday or the other around the corner and I happened to need one card for a co-worker. She LOVES everything queenish/princessy so the card in the shape of a crown was the only option :). The "Happy Birthday" sentiment was just stamped around the edges to give some depth and turned into a lovely border.

And - you guessed it, of course - I teamed the stamping with a helping of Cosmic Shimmer

** click on image to enlarge ** 

Ingredients:

Cardstock: Frances Meyer; Papermill; Stampin' Up

Stamps: my StampBOX

Tools: Woodware - Diamond Border Punch; Cricut - Celebrations cartridge; Cuttlebug - Swiss Dots embossing folder

Other: Ranger - liquid pearls; Cosmic Shimmer; Ribbon; Papercellar - Pearls; Button

Now, if you have enjoyed the projects I have shown you over the last six months created with the my StampBOX stamps and you think you would like a play yourself - NOW is your chance as mSB are having a Design Team Call. You can read all about it {{ here }}

myStampBox - DT February, Pt II

Here are another two projects for the wonderful myStampBOX. I know I keep saying it but it is such fun working with these awesome stamps.

I love using the Word Jumble set as it provides you with such a fantastic opportunity to create a real quick card at short notice.

*** click on any of the images to enlarge them ***

Ingredients:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Papers: My Minds Eye

Tools: Borderpunch - Fiskars

Stamps: myStampBOX

Other: Paint - Jones Tones

And then there is another page for my "Rock-Album", where I scrap the ticket stubbs of all gigs I have been at (including pictures, if I can find them...). You may have seen my AC/DC entry already and here is the next page, featuring Axxis(a German Metal band) and Alvin Ailey (American Dance Theater).

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Papers: American Crafts; My Minds Eye
Stamps: myStampBOX
Other: Punchinella; Pearls - Papercellar; Rhinestones - Papermania; Paint - Jones Tones; Cosmic Shimmer

The common feature on all my ticket pages will be the Just Add Notes set in one form or another. I like to have some sort that links all the pages together, and this particular stamp set help me achieve consistancy.

myStampBox - DT February, Pt I

Please join me over at the myStampBOX blog for more information on what prompted me to do create the following layout.

Think Challenge, think Advert....that ALWAYS gets me creative :)

See you over there!