Virtual Crop Weekend Challenge - Album Covers Edition 5

Welcome to this months Album covers challenge. My album of choice this month is Bowling for Soup Drunk Enough to Dance. I love this album because of the interesting design, because the title speaks to me (I NEVER dance unless I have had a good few drinks first!) And finally because one of my best festival memories is getting right to the front row of the crowd for Bowling for Soup, enjoying a cracking set and then being lifted over the barrier by security to get out afterwards as the next band due on were rubbish!

So here's the cover...

For my layout I used the four vertical elements to include three photos and a journaling box. I did give some thought to adding quirky angles to my photos but in the end decided to offset the position instead.

For my title I added a two line title in different fonts.

As soon as I chose this album I knew which photos I wanted as I had already printed the 5x2 vertical images of Isabelle climbing and jumping off the pillars at Ferry Meadows. However because they were quite small I felt like the whole lot needed to be contained in a smaller space so added the doodled border 3/4" around the edge.

I ended up using very little patterned paper which meant I could use up some scraps from the Studio Calico Yearbook range from several years ago. In my stash I had some of the Bramble Fox perspextives including the sub title pieces as well as the arrows, chevron and camera.

I hope you enjoyed this months album cover challenge, do head over to our Facebook Group ATDML # Create this weekend for the Virtual Crop on Sunday and if you have a go at the Album Challenge do upload your layout to the Album Challenge Gallery.

Class 15 with Mel - Gridlocked

Hello and welcome to my third and final class of this cybercrop weekend. I hope you have enjoyed yourselves so far.

My last class is named after the (not very well known) film Gridlocked which appears to have been a vehicle for the man who played Wentworth Millers brother in Prison Break! 

 Layout one features a grid formation using different sized elements to create a block, it is a style I quite enjoy and have returned to in different forms over the years. It is also a good way to use a wide variety of patterns on your page while keeping them nicely contained!

The second layout in this class has absolutely nothing to do with grids and in complete contrast but I wanted to illustrate how the way you select elements from a collection can create quite contrasting looks.

Instructions can be found here

Don't forget to head over to the ATDML # Create Facebook group and share your creations. There are albums to share class layouts as well as individual albums for each of the challenges.

Happy Scrapping!

What's Up What's App? Scrapping the Everyday

I spoke of my passion for scrapping the everyday in my last post and realised that I had made another 'everyday' layout for one of my latest DT pieces.

With my daughter living most of the year in Newcastle, we miss her very much.  A way we have gotten around this is via an app called WhatsApp.  This enables you to send photos and messages for free and therefore is very appealing to a cash strapped student!

We only seem to use it for frivolous messages, which for some reason are mostly photographs of what we are eating, as the more important ones are texted to each other, I am not sure why but that is just the way it is.

I need to give you a little background to the WhatsApp message I scrapped.  I work for a charity and their offices are based at a marina, quite a way from normal civilisation.  There are two full time members of staff and one part time working in the office.  On the days when I am the only one in I take my dog to work for company and on the day in question Gracia was revising hard for her exams.

I used Fancy Pants - Trendsetter and the little wooden chevrons from Studio Calico to indicate the flow of the conversation.

 So there we have it, another of our everyday happenings scrapped for us to giggle about at some later date.

The oversized chevron

I love Studio Calico's little wood veneer chevrons, but you can also make them on a much larger scale to draw attention to the photo.  I choose some Studio Calico papers which have a lovely ombreish/rainbow pattern to them.  I cut a strip about 4 inches wide, and then on the back I marked the centre, and then marked down 2" on each side, joined the lines together which made the point on my chevron, I then made some 1" deep and some 1/2" deep - inspired by those wood veneers and their different sizes.  I like the way that they draw your eye into the photo...though I think my husband is right - I should have used the colour photo for this one as that would have made it pop from the page  allittle more. 

I also used a pile of embellishments from the Maggie Holmes ephemera pack - there are loads of gorgeous goodies in there including the tickets, tags, bows and several cameras.

New to ATDML - Studio Calico

I was overjoyed when I saw that the shop was now stocking some Studio Calico products, especially the new Yearbook range of papers. I taught a couple of layouts for the crop run by fellow design team member Karen using these papers which, being double sided, are super versatile.

The first layout uses a simply repeating diamond pattern (cut from card and used as a template to trace on the papers). Adding a stitch effect to the page with a white pen gives a patchwork feel with a difference and allows for journalling blocks to be created from the background card. I sanded the edges of my photo slightly and then completed the page with a thickers title and some days of the week words strips from October Afternoon 9-5 washi tape.

My second layout contained not faux stitching but the real deal to tie together wonky strips of 12x12 papers and some bubble wrap stamped background card.  Another great way to see both sides of the double-sided papers from this range.

My little burst of contrasting colour came from a photo mount and a dimensional heart cut from three pieces of paper folded in half the stuck together as shown.

Hope you enjoy browsing the new Studio Calico products in the store and are inspired to go create with them.