Tuesday 30 October 2012

Decision Time!

Hi FabScrappers,

I think that the time has come for me to go to a scrapbooking class! I need to know a bit more about what goes into all the beautiful projects that come my way on a daily basis.

I'm a worrier and I do like to know as much about something before I dive into it

The trouble is that a Google search of classes in my area yielded, no jokes, over a thousand results!! So, my question is this, FabScrappers, how do you go about choosing a class to attend? I mean from the absolute start, I know nothing!! What do I take with me? Who do I take with me?  I'm not super creative, will I even fit in?



So, besides the little panic session there (I've told you before, my mind bounces. A lot!), I think that I could enjoy learning a new craft. I can't be the only one that has this problemSo give me all the advice you can, please, FabScrappers!

With love from Michy
x

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FabScrappers!!


Its coming up to fright night FabScrappers. We have no doubt that, if you celebrate this holiday, you have been hard at work on costumes, decor and planning. All this will inevitably lead some delightful photos to be scrapped!!

Now, I know that you can very easily search all of this your self, but you have other things to do, right? I have gathered a selection of phrases/titles and poems to make your layouts even more special!! They say a picture says 1000 words, why not have a 1005 to make your layout stand out ;)


  • Boo Bash
  • Positively Defrightful 
  • Too cute to spook!
  • Mommy's lil' pumpkins
  • A haunting we will go
  • Carving out memories
  • There is mischief brewing
  • Eat drink and be scary
  • Ghouls just want to have fun!!!
  • Bippity, boppity boo!!
  • Come as you aren't
  • Every little thing she does is magic
  • Pumpkins come and pumpkins go but a Jack-O-Lantern

  • Jolly wolly pumpkin face, you're happy, tell us why, "I'd rather be a pumpkin face and not a pumpkin pie."
  • On Halloween, the thing you must do is pretend that nothing can frighten you. And, if something scares you and you want to run, just make out like it's Halloween fun!

These are just a few of my favourites. What are some of yours?

How are you making your Halloween layouts special this year, FabScrappers?

Monday 29 October 2012

Shona Stops By with a Little Inspiration


Hi everyone, Shona here and I would like to thank you all for stopping by. Today I have 2 new layouts that I have created with the yummy Fabscraps Marie Antoinette Collection. This collection is so delicate and delicious! My first layout is called “Shining Star” and this is my adorable grand daughter. I got inspiration from a fellow scrapper Marilyn Rivera for this layout …she is a super talented lady and you can find her blog here. There is lots of punch work, distressing and inking on this layout.


I have used the collection feather chippys as leaves and tucked them into the flower clusters.  Paint the chippy feathers with white gesso and spray with some glimmer mists. After this dried I added some clear crackle paint to them. I also tucked in some of the Metal Fabscraps Embellishments.



The butterflies are punched from the scraps…gotta use up all those tiny yummy pieces, hehe! Add some flowers, bows and paint spatters and you are done.



My next layout is called “Flower Girl” and this is my cutie pie niece. The hearts and banners are all fussy cut from the collection papers.



For the hearts I fussy cut them, inked the edges and added some pop up adhesives and gauze between the layers. I have finished them off with some twine bows and some Metal Fabscraps Embellishments.



This collection comes with so many gorgeous chipboard pieces and I have used the title and feathers on this one. The title is just painted with gesso and I added some glimmer mist.



One last close up of the feathers used as leaves in my flower cluster.



I also created one more layout earlier this month with this collection for a reveal at The Color Room. The title and frame are from the collection chippys and I did lots of background masking on this one.



Thanks for stopping by today, make sure to stop by our Facebook page and show us what you are creating. I can not wait to see what you do with this collection. Take care and happy scrapping!

“Shining Star” Fabscraps Products Used:
FabScraps Marie Antoinette paper range: C53 004/007/008
Die Cut Chipboard DC53 010 (the two larger feathers only)
Fabscraps Metal Embellishments
“Flower Girl” Fabscraps Products Used:
FabScraps Marie Antoinette paper range: C53 004/005
Journal Die Cut Book MC53 001
Die Cut Chipboard DC53 010/024
Fabscraps Metal Embellishments

Wednesday 24 October 2012

A Little Competition Amongst Friends.

My best friend and I were waiting for a concert to start the other day and we got to discussing how our friendship started 8 yeas ago at a concert. This, inevitably, led to a discussion of all of our favorite concert memories. I said to her that I wished that we had a collection of all of the photos that we had taken together at all the concerts that we had been to. I decided that, when I've eventually learnt enough about scrapbooking, I want to scrap all of the photos into a pretty layout to frame for my music room.


I'm sure that you're all the same; everyone has that one friend that they have made some crazy memories with!

FabScraps wants you to share those memories with us!!

We want to know the best thing that you and your friend have done together; something that has lead to a memory so precious that you couldn't possibly NOT scrap it!

Tell us your story on our Facebook page, and you could each win a mini album, a mini paper collection and a book of journal tags to help you record those special memories that make you smile! Post your story under the designated image. Don't forget to tag her/him in the story. The story with the most "likes" on the 31st of October wins.

Monday 22 October 2012

Never Ending Christmas Card


This is the first of Michele's lessons for The Collins Show. She used products from our Christmas Collection to make a card that has many places for you to write messages and display special photos for your loved ones!

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1. Cut 2 rectangles measuring 12cm x  28cm of brown card stock. Mark A, B, C and D as per the diagram (don’t worry about this as this will be covered). Cut and mark 2 more rectangles that are 14cm x 24cm.   Score all the rectangles as per the diagram below. Glue the four pieces together, with the A facing the A, B to B, C to C and D to D. The longer piece must be on top of the shorter pieces which lie horizontally.



2. Glue exactly to the diagram. Please make sure that you have the A and A together B and B together the C and C and the D and D together one vertical and the other horizontal, the shorter one is vertical. (As per diagram). You will also note the way you should glue the pieces together on the diagrams.

3. How to fold the card:






4. The chipboard boots DC 51 008 and hats DC51 014 are wet picked; do this by wetting the part of the chipboard that is unpainted (which is the part that resembles the fur). Using a craft knife make small little cuts to fluff up the chipboard to resemble fluffy fur, leave it to dry and come back to painting it once it is dry. Dab brown paint on and then take some cream paint and stipple a little bit on to get a mottled affect, remember to use very little on the brush. Carry on with the other steps until dry (please remember, when painting, try not to push too hard as it will flatten the fluff).

5.  Use the C51 004 paper and cut, from the Christmas scene at the bottom, 12 cm across x 14 cm. From C51 005, cut 8 rectangles measuring 6cm x 7cm. Distress all the rectangles with an electric paper distresser and then rub cream paint over the distressed edges to resemble snow. Once dry start gluing on the rectangles, please glue as close as possible to the top and the bottom for the row of 4 red brick on each edge, the secret is to not cover your scored lines. Glue the Children in the centre on the left and the tree on the right (Make sure you can still turn your card at this stage). Attach the fancy buckle ME1 005 with brads MP 003 in the centre of the large square by the opening. Attach the sticker “we wish you a merry Christmas” (ST 51 001) in the bottom of the large square on the left with children (not the side with the Christmas tree) Punch snowflakes with the craft punch and apply them to FabScraps self-adhesive foam core (TS 14 001). Rub cream paint on to the tips, once dry attach them with Fabscraps foam dots (G1 002) to the centre of all the red brick squares. Paint the chipboard bell (DC54 009) cream and decorate the etched part of the chipboard with silver stickels. Tie a brown ribbon around the bell just under the bow of the chipboard and then attach it to the left hand corner of the centre block with the children at an angle. That is your cover completed.

  

6.  Open the next page as per attached picture. From C51 001, cut 2 large rectangles (12 cm across x14 cm down) using the side of the paper that has the lady and the bell on the side. Cut 4  rectangles measuring 6cmX 7cm from the back of the same paper (the wood panels). Apply the same technique as above to distress the edges and apply the cream paint to the edges. Embellish this page with the words "faith, hope, love" (DC 51 018), 5 stars (DC51 009). Paint the chipboard with cream paint and rub  silver stickels over all. Glue the two large rectangles to the centre, the bell at the top and the lady below. Attach the cream wood panels to the 4 corners the 4 stars to the centre of the cream squares. Glue the "faith, hope, love" to the top centre square as far down as possible and a star in the right hand corner. (You can attach a photo with Fabscraps self-adhesive foam core (TS14 00)1 on to the picture or you could leave blank and write a message.)





7. Flip the card from the 2 centre squares as per diagram.  Cut 4 more rectangles from the red brick side of  C51 005 (6cm x 7cm). Cut 2 large rectangles from the dotted side of C51 007 measuring 12 cm across x 14 cm down. Use the same technique as was used on the paper, distress the edges and apply cream paint. Once dry, glue the 2 red rectangles in the centre. Glue the red brick to the top 2 small squares and the bottom 2 squares. Cut 2 pockets from the striped side of C51 008 measuring 5cm x 8.5cm, include a 1cm border around the sides and bottom to fold inwards. Use a circle punch to punch a half circle in the middle of the top of the pocket. Rub cream paint on the edges and leave to dry. Make a tag with a rounded top measuring 4cm across x 10.5 cm from the C51 001 paper. Add a flower embellishment (E1 001) with a pearl (ME1 013) in the center just below the punch hole for the ribbon. Thread a thin, brown ribbon through the tag hole and tie.  Attach the pockets to the outer edges of the red dot paper. Place the tags inside.  Stick the stickers ST15 002 on to the bottle tops (BC 003), use dimensional glaze on top of the stickers. Glue the bottle tops on to the 4 pieces of red brick paper, one on each. Glue the 2 Christmas boots to the top inside corner of the red, dotted paper as close to the edge as possible. Add the hat to the bottom of the pocket on the right and the "Merry Christmas" sticker (ST51 001) at the bottom of the pocket. You will have to cut Christmas so that it can fit on the pocket.

 



8. For the last page, which is the back of the card, cut 2 large rectangles from the music notes side C51 003 (12 cm across x 14 cm down) and 8 rectangles (6cm x 7cm) from the dotted side of the left over C51 004 paper. Distress and paint the edges as you have done throughout. Glue the large rectangles in the centre at the top and bottom, making sure not to stick the squares over the scoured lines. Glue the smaller rectangles along the left and right edges.

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We would love to see how you have made this project your own! Send us photos of your work or photos of classes that you teach!

With Love from FabScraps
xxx

Friday 19 October 2012

Tuesday 16 October 2012

A History of Scrapbooking

If you're anything like me, you want to know why you are doing something. I always like to know the origin of something, looking into the history of scrapbooking showed me that the origins are much further back than I expected.

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Scrapbooking has been around for far more years than most of us imagine. The earliest examples of what we now think of as scrapbooks were, in the 15th century, known as “commonplace books”. Basically it was a collection of little things that interested the collector, all stuck in the book.

It was later, though, in the 16th century, that the hobby became more widely spread. “Friendship albums” became popular amongst the middle class. In some cases friends or patrons were asked to add their names, titles and a small piece of writing or an illustration to the album. Friendship albums were also known to contain memorabilia of travels or occasions; pieces of art or coats of arms of people that the album owners came to know, even locks of hair. This was the first known opportunity that women found to record their personal history. It was a space to express personal thoughts, sentiments and memories.

These images are from Anne Wagner’s (1795-1834) “Memorial of Friendship”.

A page from the scrapbook that is devoted to Anne Wagner's friend, the Right Honourable Viscountess Kirkwall, Anna Kirkwall.

A page devoted to Mrs. Browne of Gwrych.

A page titled "Sappho" with the name of Anne Wagner's niece, Felicia.

A watercolour background is used for this collage page that includes decorative gilded paper cutouts.

Watercolour sketches of found objects, including a butterfly, a feather and seashells.

A silhouette portrait attached to a page as a memento of someone, with a handwritten poem beneath.

This page of Anne Wagner's scrapbook was created by her niece, Felicia, aged 12.

The verso side of the cover page of Anne Wagner's scrapbook


An elaborate example of a braided hairlock attached to a page. The inscription is from Elizabeth Venables; the location is given as Abergale, July 29, 1803.

This poem was handwritten for Anne Wagner by her brother, G.W. Wagner, August 13, 1795

The rise in popularity of the hobby caught the interest of manufacturers who soon began producing a variety of memorabilia that could be displayed in these Friendship Albums. Scraps were printed on to pieces of paper to be glued into the albums. They were ornately designed, with bold images of birds and flowers. In the mid 1800s, companies began to produce books with leather covers and preprinted with bold designs. 1837 saw the introduction of the first carte-de-visite albums. These albums allowed slots to display early photographs (known as carte-de-visites) and were adapted by some people to have space for watercolour paintings and pencil drawings. In 1872 Mark Twain drove the mass production of an album with pages that were prepared with adhesive. Around the same time, companies began producing embossed papers that could be cut out and used to embellish pages.

An example of an early carte-de-visite

Mark Twain's adhesive scrapbook earned him $50 000




Unfortunately, the popularity of scrapbooking declined drastically with the recession during World War 1. Another contributing factor was the mass production of photo albums in the 1940s. Scrapbooking would remain a low-key hobby for a few years to come.

 1980 marked a turning point in scrapbooking history. A woman called Marielen Christensen, of Spanish Fork, Utah, was asked to exhibit her work The World Conference on Records in Salt Lake City. She had been designing creative pages using her family photos and storing them in sheet protectors in ring binders. By the time she was asked to display, she had created 50 albums. She and her husband went on to publish a book, Keeping Memories Alive, and then to open the first scrapbooking store, also called Keeping Memories Alive.


Monday 15 October 2012

Christmas Projects by Shona


Hi everyone, Shona here and I would like to thank you all for stopping by. Today I have a layout and 3 cards to share that I have created with the gorgeous Fabscraps Christmas Collection. To me this collection is just so shabby and delicious! I have done lots of distressing and inking on the layout and added in lots of the Collection goodies to finish it off. Oh and yes…this is my grandson, such a little cutie pie.

I love all of the chippys that come with this collection. For the title piece I have first painted it white, than I misted just a bit of green on it. After that was dry I used some embossing powders on the top to finish it off.  I also used a die to cut the red doilys from the collection papers.

The poinsettia flowers in this collection are so much fun to make and so so easy! Just pop out what sizes you want to use, curl the edges a bit, ink them and start to layer them. There are even green ones to use for leaves. How easy is that and they look Fabulicious. To finish off the layout have added a ribbon and twine bow and one of the Fabscraps Metal Embellishments.

Next I have 3 cards that I have made with this yummy collection. It is never too early to start making your cards and tags for Christmas. I love this first one, I have fussy cut and layered the windows…and this little window really pops up about a third of an inch or so.


I am loving the colors and music note papers in this collection and my next card is created with it. I cut a circle to use in the center from one of the collection papers. I have also made the flower from the die cut flowers paper with this collection.  Add a bow and liquid pearls and you are done.

For my last card I have fussy cut the girl and holly from the collection papers. I love doing these weird shaped cards, they are so much fun. To finish this card off I have used a Fabscraps flower and metal embellishment with some twine.

Thanks for stopping by today, make sure to stop by our Facebook page and show us what you are creating. I can not wait to see what you do with this collection. Take care and happy scrapping!

Layout - Fabscraps Products Used:
  • FabScraps Christmas paper range: C51 002/007/005/008
  • Die Cut Chipboard DC 51 019
  • Stickers ST51 001
  • Flowers MCDC 10
  • Fabscraps Metal Embellishment
Card 1 - Fabscraps Products Used:
  • FabScraps Christmas paper range: C51 003/005Die Cut Chipboard DC 51 019
Card 2 - Fabscraps Products Used:
  • FabScraps Christmas paper range: C51 003
  • MC DC 10 for the flower
  • ST51 001 Stickers
Card 3 - Fabscraps Products Used:
  • FabScraps Christmas paper range: C51 001/002/008
  • Fabscraps flower and metal embelishment

Friday 5 October 2012

FabFriday

Happy FabFriday!!!!

Have a look at what we've been up to this week! 


This week's FabFriday video link:



Today's fabulous project link:


for step by step instructions on how to make this Fabulous project



Thursday 4 October 2012

FabScraps in Florida

After months of build up, Bee has finally made it to Florida!! FabScraps is at The Collins Show this weekend. Michele has joined Bee and will be teaching 3 exciting classes on Friday and Saturday before  the Trade Show on Sunday.

Leading up to the show, Mich was working flat out to perfect the designs for her classes and I am so excited to finally be able to share a sneak peak of the projects before she teaches them.

Marie Antoinette Layout
A gorgeous layout using our new Marie Antoinette Collection. This project highlights the technique used to make a unique acetate frame.







The Nature Calls Layout
This layout, shows a creative use of our Rustic Collection. She is highlighting an easy faux leather technique, that can be easily adapted for many projects.







Lastly (and my personal favorite) is
The Never Ending Christmas Card
A stunning card using our new Christmas Collection. This really is something that you would be proud to send to your friends and family; a card with many many spaces for your messages and photos.








Keep an eye out, FabScrappers, for the full instructions for these innovative projects!!

If you are going to the show, don't forget to share any stories or pics you have with us, WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!!