Wednesday 29 September 2010
Creating But I Can't Share... Yet!
The October Design Team Gallery is being prepared for your perusal as we speak. The DT have each been sent some products from the *Gorgeous* My Minds Eye "Lost & Found" range.
Time to scrap has been a little limited with increased working hours and lots going on at home but what time I have had has been spent playing with the DT kit. With four different sub collections Lost & Found has a palette to suit everyone!
Click HERE to see the lost & Found products on our site.
Monday 27 September 2010
Gadgets & Gizmos
In no particular order...
Sizzix, Quickcutz, Cuttlebug, Big Shot, Wizard etc...
Cricut \ Cricut Expression, Craft Robo, Slice...
Dymo, Provocraft roller stamp...
Cropodile, Big Bite, Fastenator...
Bind it all, dreamkutz...
I have owned \ do own several of those from the list, some are used often, some rarely and some not at all. Some are about to get dusted off and re-introduced to my crafting area.
But for all the gizmos and gadgets available are there any that you can say truly change the way you work and the items you produce?
For me, though I rarely make them, the Bind It All made mini books much more appealing to me. My cricut stood unused for along time until i took the time to play with it and realised I actually quite liked it. My Big Shot gets used, but not as often as it should and I just bought a new dymo machine because i actually missed the old one I got rid of because it was so dated!!
What gadgets do you use and which do you regret buying \ are glad you didn't buy?
Saturday 25 September 2010
What is Your Favourite Layout? *Giveaway Time*
So I am totally indecisive over what my favourite layout is, I am resisting the urge to go on with more of my sub categories of favourite layout and then post the relevant favourites... but the point is that looking back we have different reactions to the layouts we have made. We may look back and wonder what we were thinking as we stuck down the elements in our first layouts, we may remember with varying responses the "sticker sneeze" followed swiftly by the "Prima Got Flowers sneeze" and then the Elsie inspired doodle craze. But aside from scrapping fads and fashions we all have layouts that we love, most of us have some we didn't quite hit the mark on and wish we knew just what was missing and some even have layouts they dislike so much they re-do. Whatever reaction they cause it is important to remember that just by provoking a reaction, either through the memory of what is on the page or the memory of actually making it, your layout is serving one of it's purposes and keeping you linked to the memories related to it.
We would love to see your favourite layout (or if you are like me one of your favourites!) Leave a comment in the comments section with a bit about your layout and a link to it on a blog or online gallery before 8pm October 1st and we will select someone who has shared their work with us to receive a little box of goodies.
Good luck!
Thursday 23 September 2010
All that glitters!
All that glitters is not gold is the saying, well I think I shall change it after my last few days crafting with the DT papers for October... "All that glitters, is My Minds Eye!!" Have you seen these papers? Seriously they have to be seen to be believed, they are just divine, with just the right amount of sparkly to make a simple girl like me happy. You have to ask yourself however, with so much sparkle going on, how I still managed to need stickles for one of my layouts?!! Seriously, and it's a page about my two boys!! One of the things I love most about the My Minds Eye paper ranges is the little embellishment cards that coordinate with them. Even if you have words on them that don't quite suit your page (for example this one has "just like brothers" on it and my photo is actually of my two sons) you can add items to them, just like you would with patterned paper - just think to yourself "smaller canvas".
Portobello Road is just one of the sparkly Lost & Found collections from MME, Union Square is another in a delicious Golden brown/Red and Kraft/cream mix. As the shop site says the images really do not do these papers justice - they have to be seen! If you love a little sparkle (or even alot of sparkle) these papers are for you! Funnily enough, this paper would work quite well with the Septmeber spotty challenge too!
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Challenge Reminder....
To enter email your image to me at Mel@atripdownmemprylane.co.uk as per the instructions in the info post for the chance to win a prize :)
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Making Choices About Your Photos (1)
I came across this layout from the January 2010 Design Team Gallery featuring Prima papers. I was really pleased with this layout - with it i managed to try out a clean and simple design style but allow the paper to offer the detail and embellishment that I find hard to leave out when i attempt clean and simple.
The paper has the fancy frame round the edge and my page just adds the three elements; photo, journaling and title, to the centre of the frame.
However another reason I love this layout is I find the combination of the colour in the page and the black and white photo very easy on the eye. I have always loved the simple and timeless style of black and white photos and when I look at my scrapping I notice that I tend to choose black and white for specific sorts of layouts. Often (though not always) I reach for the black and whites for those layouts focusing on relationships, character etc... where as colour seems to be first choice for documenting events.
One of the big joys of black and white photo graphs is that it really opens up your options for which papers to work with. Sometimes the colour in your photo just screams a paper line at you and that is great, but if it doesn't then it is always worth converting the photo to black and white and you may find that removing the colour element opens up whole new avenues and ideas.
So what do you prefer to work with and why? Black & White, Colour, Sepia or a combination of all of them?
Sunday 19 September 2010
September Sketch 2
Remember, if you have a go at this sketch load it to an online gallery or your blog and post a link on this post (or the post for September Sketch 1) Deadline for linking is Midnight on September 30th.
Friday 17 September 2010
Friday Night is Soup Night
If you enjoy taking a look at the Chicken Soup blog each week and playing along sometimes why not take a look at the Chicken Soup DT Call. We would love to see what you have to offer and remember that you are not committing to joining in EVERY week, just a minimum of once per month (although if you want to participate every week then great!) Details of how to apply are HERE.
Thursday 16 September 2010
7 Weeks To Go...
Once again we are returning to the Stoke By Nayland club on the Essex \ Suffolk border for our 7th retreat. With two more booked for 2011 we still very much enjoy hosting the events and seeing the many repeat delegates as well as some new friends.
Keep an eye out here for a couple of sneak peeks soon and of course after the event there will be photos, write ups and anecdotes!
*****
New goodies are on the way for the shop as well. beautiful Bo Bunny lines are amongst those which have flown across the pond today and which will be here on Monday. Keep an eye on the website throughout the next week for new arrivals being added :)
Tuesday 14 September 2010
Gallery Time...
We had loads of fun playing with these cute new ranges which as always are beautifully complimented by the adorable MLS Alphabet stickers. Here is one of Suzannes DT layout to give you a taste of what's in the gallery.
Also check out new products, the last month has seen 240 new products so far so take a look HERE
Sunday 12 September 2010
Scraplifting...
So if you are feeling less than inspired why not take a look round some galleries are start a bit of sincere flattery by scraplifting some of your favourite layouts by other scrappers - you never know you might just add a few lovely layouts to your albums and get the creative juices flowing again!
Saturday 11 September 2010
July \ Aug Sketch Winner
Friday 10 September 2010
Time For Some Soup...
It was great to go through my old stash and use up some rub ons for the frame around Lost and also some flourish vines and borders. Finally I finished the body of the butterfly with some e line pearls.
I hope you enjoyed my take on the recipe, do take a look at the Chicken Soup blog to see what the others got up to.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Take A Look At Janes Gorgeous New Class...
CLICK HERE to visit our website and click on the link to download the instructions.
Monday 6 September 2010
Back To School
Saturday 4 September 2010
Spots Before My Eyes... AKA September Challenge
Also they don't look as pretty as the Jenni Bowlin paper pictured above but I thought it would be nicer for you than a photo of a five year olds spotty tummy!
So this preoccupation has sparked my idea for Septembers challenge which is to email a layout, card or other project to me that features a spotty, dotty or circley (yes I know that isn't a real word) pattern or element somewhere on the page or project.
The email address to send your entries is Mel@atripdownmemorylane.co.uk and the winner will get a shopping voucher for ATDML. Of course by the time the winner is announced there will be even more in the New Products section to tempt you!
Friday 3 September 2010
September Class By Mel
Thursday 2 September 2010
Winner and New Products
Kirsteen... please email us your details and we will send you your parcel of goodies.
For those that didn't win do hop on over to our site and see what we have on offer. There are lots of lovely new items that would make great additions to your projects.
www.atripdownmemorylane.co.uk/catalog