Design Team - Around the world in 80 days!

So for this month the wonderful people at Jones Crafts have given me the mission of using the new fab Scraps collections for my design team projects! 

Now in truth this is no real mission at all! The designs are so wonderful to work with it's a pleasure! 

So to start with... I've taken a sheet of dark cream 12x12 card stock...now this bit is completely optional.. But I wanted to be a little more frugal for this project so I've "gutted" my cardstock so I've got it to use for my layering a little later... So all I've done is drawn a border with a ruler just 1-1/2" in around all 4 sides and using my metal edged ruler and a knife I've cut out the centre.

Now for the fun part... Decorating our border!

Ok so confession time... At this stage you can see just how messy my table is! 

I've had a LONG day creating for my design team projects and upcoming lessons and the table has seen more than a few inky projects today! 

So back to it... As you can see I've distressed around the edge of my border with memento Potters clay ink, then using a Kaisercraft clear stamp - postmarks I've stamped randomly, overlapping in places, all over my border! 

For the next level I've cut down my sheet of. - British stripe c73 006 to a  10" square and stuck it over the top of my border.

Now for the next level of decorations I've taken 3 sheets - 

Paris c73 001

Britain c73 005

America c73 007 

Then cut a 2 inch vertical strip from each one.. Then cut the base of the strip in to a inverted v 

Next up, I've distressed around all pieces with memento Potters clay. 

I've then staggered my 3 strips overlapping them and gluing them over the top of my page. 

Now on to the cords... So all the way down the right hand side of the page I've glued on a twisted twine cord. After this I've used a thin twine and pierced my page 4 times at the top of the border and then wrapped the cord around the base and back through the holes, gluing them down on the back, I've also done this just once on the top left side of the page to continue the theme. 

Now for the photo matt, I've cut down part of the middle from the piece we "gutted" earlier. 

And distressed around the edges with the same memento Potters clay, then for some little extra stamping! 

I've used one of my favourite Kaisercraft stamps - Morocco to stamp all over the piece, it's so easy to line up for endless backgrounds! And at only £3.99 it's a cracking stamp! 

Ok for the next little bit.. Recently I've treated myself to one if the fantastic Little B punches (£29.99) ticket strip 

Cut from a lovely thick 300gsm cardstock this punch just sails through it no problem! 

Back to making more of a mess of my table! 

I've once again gone back to my trusty memento Potters clay to distress my tags and then stamp over them with the same postmarks stamp from earlier (£3.99) 

For the final pieces! 

My hot air balloon is another of the AMAZING!!! Fab scraps chipboard shapes, we just love these!

In my last project I frantaged them, this time I'm going to show you a different way to use them...

Firstly I painted it white with gesso paint, dried it with a heat gun, then stamped postmarks over the balloon and then stamped the morocco stamp over the basket. 

To give it a little more pizazz I then clear embossed the top of it and tied on a pre cut die cut tag with the same cord for extra journalling 

And that's it for today's project! 

All of these wonderful papers, stamps and chipboard shapes are available from Craftmania

If you're a retail store and would like to stock them please contact Jones Crafts 

Design team project - Fab Scraps!

This month for my jones design team I've got to work with one of the fantatsic new collections from Fab Scrabs! It's a refreshing collection, with a lovely quality feel to it... One of subtle colours and soft lines...

Little bit of a confession here... For some odd reason I do have a little bit of a thing for lighthouses and hot air balloons, so you may notice these appear a little too frequently in my work lol... My class have even picked up on this now.. With the next couple of pages featuring hot air balloons for their lessons they think I'm working in cahoots with the local hot air ballon tours ;) 

Anyways back to today's project... So starting off with my backing sheet of coral and sea themed 

goodies I've distressed around the edge, usually I would use a Tim Holts distress ink but this time I was feeling a little rebellious so opted for a Memento Potters clay pad, although not one to boast it's distressing qualities I find these work just as well as Tim's 

Once I had my base sheet tackled it was time to pick my layering sheet.. Of course it just had to be the lighthouse backing paper, but to fit in with this page I wanted textured edges instead of fresh cut lines, so I used a ruler and ripped along the side if it... No measuring needed... Just rough ripping... I've rebuilt my page to give you a little idea of proportions - 

Now time to distress the edges if these too... Given the nice layered edges I found these really 

distressed well... I am in truth rather a fan of ripped edges... Just seems to fit in so much better with shabby effect I aim for :) 

Or so next up... It's time to lay on my jigsaw puzzle of pieces and work out what's needed next... 

I decided I needed a colour to break up the two heavy background sheets so opted for a light brown linen  card.

I love linnen card as you can highlight the texture so easily by just taking an ink pad and rubbing it right over the top if it, so that's what I did... Once again with Memento Potters clay - cheeky little before and after - 

(This is actually the backing to my photo... That I did the same technique with)

So now I've got my photo backing and layers sort of organised I wanted to find the WOW factor for this page... Now very recently a very lovely friend of the store - Debbie Fisher came to do a Crafters Companion demo day for us and introduced me to Frantage embossing powders and to be honest... 

I'm hooked! So anything I can cover I will... It's an addiction! And with so many colours to choose from I of course had one for this project too ;) 

Now luckily in my design team pack this month I've been very spoilt! 

I've received several of the Fab Scraps chipboard shapes - now these are a true scrapbooking essential!

Acid & lignin free, lightweight, amazing value! 

And the uses are endless as well as the options to colour them! 

To give you a little idea.. Here is a couple of my favourites - 

So now it's time to get my anchor and helm coloured and ready to fit the page, now a wide eyed crafter has possibly already spotted the wonderful frame these shapes come attached to will make a perfect photo surround! (Little cheeky bonus!) 

All we need to do to "Frantage" these pieces is dab over the top of them with a clear emboss pad and the tip on the powder... 

Tap off the excess and heat with a heat gun 

For my frame I've used shabby white and for the small frame, anchor & helm I've used aged gold... 

These powders are only £5.99 and are so thick and wonderful & easy to use.. And it gets even better... They are available in a wide selection if colours too! (In store now @ Craftmania) 

Now you may be wondering how I've only used one set of these fantatsic chipboard shapes but yet have two of the bonus frames... Well for my next page I'm going to be using the hot air ballon chipboard! So I've borrowed the frame from this one in advance ;) 

Time for the finishing touches! 

I've just added a little cord to my anchor and layered a stamped sentiment 

(kasiercraft stamp set - antique bazaar) 

And a few sprinkles of our fantatsic hanged white frantage powder across the base if the page, and the heated it, hopefully creating a sandy beachy effect! 

Now that's this project done! 

If you would like to come and have a go at this page in one of Craftmania's lessons this page will be 

featuring as a project in our scrapbooking classes in the lowestoft (Suffolk) store on Saturday 1st November 2:00-4:30 and Wednesday 4th November 10:00-12:30 

For more details check out the Craftmania facebook events page -

Www.facebook.com/craftmaniacrafts/events 

As always a massive thank you to Jones crafts for sending me such wonderful products to play with! 

If your interested in stocking any of the products used today please get in contact with jones crafts 

(Frantage embossing powder is not a Jones Crafts product)

All of today's products and pages are available in Craftmnaia Great Yarmouth (Norfolk) & lowestoft (Suffolk) stores - to have any of the products posted to you, please call 01502 218281 :)