Round robin at Swirlydoos

Hello everyone!

Today I'm sharing my layout for the Round Robin challenge at Swirlydoos kit club.

I have the pleasure of being on Week 1 this month and starting my Team 2 off with a soft pretty layout using Blue Fern Studio papers from Courtship Lane and Serendipity.
The theme is 'Anything Goes' so complete freedom this month.
There are some twists too, these being,
* grunge it up or true swirly style - I chose the latter!
* Use a recent photo - I have had this photo of me and my hubby for a few weeks to scrap so decided to use it for this.
* embellish embellish embellish - lots of flowers and yummy things on my layout!
* keep the colours light bright & cheerful - well I think I've done that!

The background BFS paper was from my own stash but the papers used for all the layers and banners were my leftovers from the BFS Courtship Lane and Serendipity papers in my Swirlydoos April kit.

I love layers and have done multiple layers on my banners, some lifted up with foam tape to add dimension and all of them inked up on the edges.

All but one flower are from previous Swirlydoos kits as are the wood icons, the crystal hearts, pink crystal bead trim, pearl trim and the Prima Rub-ons with pink foil. 

I used a TCW stencil on the background with texture paste and then some splatters with gesso and two different colours of Shimmerz Inklingz.

The chippie is from Fabscraps and covered with some white embossing powder and then brushed over lightly with the pink Inklingz.

Here are some close ups:

Thanks for stopping by today!

Please visit us at the Swirlydoos forums http://www.swirlydoos.com/forums/topic/july-2016-round-robin-almost-anything-goes-sign-ups/ to find out more about this challenge and the other challenges we do, also to see the other teams Week 1 layouts!

For more info on Swirlydoos scrapbooking kits look here http://www.swirlydoos.com/

Ginny  :)

'Jubilee' CSI case file #206

Morning everyone!

It's time to reveal this weeks new case file over at CSI - color, stories, inspiration!
So let the investigation begin for Case File 206!
This case file is open until the 22nd July. So why don't you have a go with this gorgeous colour scheme (I loved this one) choose your 'testimony' (subject) and then make your layout including some thing from the 'evidence' (embellishments) list! As always there are some amazing prizes to won at the end of each month, so come and 'solve' a case with us!

Here is how I solved the case with my layout!

You all know I live in the United Kingdom, so as the colours are the same as our national flag I have easily been able to scrap something about 'patriotism'. I chose the Diamond Jubilee of our Queen from 2012. It was party month and everyone had street parties and house parties and school celebrations and entered into the spirit of it all!

We had a party at our house which my friends came too with all the kids too and we had a lovely time, dressing up in red white and blue and the kids all had their faces painted with the union jack.

My Evidence used:

* stars

*stripes

* something woven

* flags/banners

*jars

* fabric

* metal

* circles

My Testimony used:

* topic - journal about 'patriotism'

* Inspirational Words - celebrate

As always here are the close ups.

Products used:

Paper: 

Kaisercraft; Base Coat; Linen

Papermania; Portobello Road 12 x12 collection

Other:

Papermania; Portobello Road; Glittered Designer Die-Cuts

Joy! Crafts; Bunting die (triangle)

Signature Dies by Joanna Sheen: Bunting Die (with hearts)

Prima Color Bloom; Antique Gold

Gesso

Texture paste

Memory Box Stencil; Rings and Puddles

Red seed beads

White cotton and sewing machine

burlap and mesh material

mini pegs and big wooden stars

Flag ribbon and Heart ribbon

Prima Ephemera bottle

Small wood stars - Live & Love Crafts

I really hope you love this layout! I really enjoyed this one, I love mixing some mixed media with my paper layers!

I hope you are also inspired to hop on over to the CSI forum pages and join in with this case file, I am sure you have some photos somewhere that would be awesome for this challenge!

Would love to see you there!

http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/

Have a great day!

Ginny   :)

One for the Dads!

Hi all,

I am going back a couple of weeks to show you this layout I created for the June Round Robin (RR) challenge at .Swirlydoos kit club. The theme was 'All about Dads' as Fathers Day was in June.
Here is my layout with a photo of me with my Dad many years ago, for Team 3 Week 3, following fellow Swirly girls, LaQuette and Jan.

I followed LaQuette and Jan's layout fairly closely, but I did flip the design to work from the right hand side of the page and not the left. I used the same stencil as well.

I kept the page masculine but with a pop of colour from the orange flowers to bring out the marigolds in the photo.

Lots of distressing and heavy inking and masking with texture paste.

I used Kaisercraft papers from the Time Machine collection.

The papers and Stencil used for the texture paste are from previous Swirlydoos kits.

There are loads of layers in this layout! The embellishments are just layered up on top of each other to create a great effect! I love looking through a layout trying to work out what layer went on first!

I used lots of textures too, bakers twine, plastic string, a netting and a loose burlap weave. Here are a few more photos close up to see the layers.

My chipboard star, (which was made by the 'Southern Ridge Trading Co' and was part of my prize for winning a Sketch Challenge at Swirlydoos) was covered with embossing powder and then I mucked around with some Walnut Stain Distress Stain and then finished with dabbing over in places with some Gold 'Viva Precious Metal Colour' paint.

The hinge just had the Viva Gold paint on it.

For more details on Swirlydoos Challenges and becoming a member/subscriber of Swirlydoos and their gorgeous kits please visit the forum

http://www.swirlydoos.com/

Thanks for stopping by

Ginny    :)

'PLAY' - design team layout for CSI Major Case File 205

Hey!

It's a new case file at CSI - color stories inspiration, Major Case File No. 205. This case file challenge runs all month until the 31st and has a sketch included for inspiration.

              These are our wonderful sponsor's for this month who are donating some fabulous prizes!

This case file has a fun bright summery colour scheme. The idea is that you use all of the colours on your layout but in what proportion is up to you. My layout is done predominately with the blues and yellow, with the black in the texture paste and the pink is the tiny hearts on the washi tape!
You can add neutrals to the colour scheme ( black, white, kraft, cream, grey, brown)

Inspiration for your layout is taken from the 'scene' picture and the 'Testimony' prompts. You choose one element (or more) from this list.
I chose:
*Topic: document spending time outdoors and
*Inspirational Words: outdoors.
From the 'scene' picture I had a feeling of the seaside and beaches so I chose my photo of Holly on her school trip to the beach with her class. Their school uniform tops are yellow so they fitted in with the colour scheme perfectly.

From the 'Evidence' list ( embellishments to use on your layout) I chose to use:

* chevrons

* stripes

* clouds

* labels

* metal

* straws

* wet medium

This layout has a mixed media background using lots of 'wet mediums'.

I used two different stencils with two colours of texture paste. I used two mist sprays, sprayed and splatted to get different effects, and Gesso, splattered everywhere!

I used one photo instead of three from the sketch. I kept the banners underneath.

My papers were all dry distressed.

I used the metal paper clip as my title.

To my background effect I used Ric Rac ribbon and washi tape and also staples to hold my layers together.

A tip for a good mixed media background is to layer all those mediums. But make sure they are dry in-between each addition. I speed this process up by using a heat gun.

I added some Liquid Pearls to the centre of my flowers and random dots around the layout. I threaded and knotted some ribbon on to my ribbon buckle and nestled it in my embellishment cluster.

The straws were a fun addition. I had a whole heap of straws in my drawer for the kids and there just happened to be ones that matched the colour scheme perfectly! I cut them to lengths that were easy to use and poke under my layers.

My layers are matted up with cardboard so there is room to tuck embellishments underneath. This creates depth and detail to the layout.

Products used:

Papers:

* Pink Paislee; Indigo Bleu; Jacquard

* ILS;  Pops of Oz

* Basic Grey;  Urban Prairie; Straw

Other:

Prima; Color Bloom Mist; Sunshine

Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mist; Pastel Blue

Finnabair; Texture Paste; White Crackle

Finnabair; Texture Paste; Graphite

Gesso

Prima Marketing; Got Flowers; Bright

Liquid Pearl; Buttercup

Teresa Collins; Enamel Dots

The Crafters Workshop; stencil 'mini the story' 507s

The Crafters Workshop; stencil 437s

BoBunny Blooms; Buttercup Dahlia; crochet flower

Scrapberry's; Paper clip

Cheesecloth,

Washi Tape

Ric Rac ribbon

Straws

Flower sprigs- Anne Marie Designs

Stapler

Wooden Tags

I hope you enjoyed looking at my interpretation of this Case File and that your inspired now to come and have a go at this fun challenge!

http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/forum/topics/major-case-file-no-205-case-closes-on-july-31-2016

Hop over to the CSI website and come and see the inspiration the rest of the design team have come up with. All styles are there, everybody is different, there is sure to be something there that you like and get inspired by! Here is the link to the gallery to what our embers are doing to!

http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/photo

Thanks for stopping by, until next weeks new case file opens! See you there!

Ginny  :)

Design Team news.....................

Hello everyone!!

I am SO excited with todays announcement and I cant wait to tell you  my amazing news!!
I have literally nearly burst with excitement and its been the hardest secret to keep!!

I am now a member of the Swirlydoos Design Team!!!   Eeeeeeekkkk!

I am so honoured and proud to be joining the amazing ladies on this wonderful DT and look forward to working with them  and the stunning kits that Krissy provides us with over the next few months!

I have been a subscriber of the kits and a member on the forums now for over two years and it is such a friendly, happy, inspirational and fun place to be. Everyone is made to feel so welcome, to me its like family.

Swirlydoos is a monthly Scrapbooking kit club, based overseas in Aurora, USA, and is a worldwide supplier and provider of up to the minute products and kits through subscription and the Swirlydoos Store.

I want to tell you a bit about the kits.
These beautifully monthly kits, put together by  Krissy, are always stunning, they come straight to your door, full of all the latest elegant papers and products out there in the market. They are perfect for beginner or the more experienced scrapbookers alike, these kits are made to get your creativity flowing and for our members to create a piece of art within their scrapbook albums. Alongside each monthly 'Main Kit' we have 'Add On' kits, these being, Flower, Embellishment, Co-ordinated Cardstock, Patterned Paper, Technique and Mediums Add on kits. We are now also doing a 'Die of the Month' too!

Available on the Swirlydoos forum, blog, Snapguide and You Tube there are hundreds of tutorials, tips and tricks provided by the Design Team to inspire you with that next creation!

We have monthly challenges that run with each new kit for everybody to join in with - we love meeting new members through these challenges. My favourite challenge is the sketch challenge. Every kit comes with its own sketch. Create your layout using this sketch and enter it in the challenge for a chance to win a fabulous prize.

We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, You Tube, Snapguide and Scrapbook.com. Our Swirlydoos Gallery is resident on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/groups/SwirlydoosKits/?ref=bookmarks where the DT and Members share the love on everybody's creations.

So please come on over to Swirlydoos to find about more about these beautiful kits and join me and the other Swirly girls every month drooling over our new goodies!

So I would just like to say again how honoured I am to be on this design team with my fellow Swirlies and can't wait to get creating and share with you lots of Swirly goodness and inspiration. This really is a dream come true for me!

Come back soon!


Ginny  :)

DT layout Case File 204

Hi everyone!

Today I'm sharing my design team layout for CSI - color, stories, inspiration Case File 204.

Here is the case file

I used all 5 colours from the scheme.

My evidence used was;

* hearts

* wings/feathers

* flowers

* polka dots/stripes

My Testimony  used was:

* Document something you love a lot

* Inspirational word: heart

I loved the colour palette in this case file, gorgeous girlie colours, perfect for my little girl!

This is a birthday photo of her from a couple of years ago but the layout is about what she means to me and how she always makes me feel better, she is my angel!

I didn't do any distressing on this layout - unusual for me! I wanted to keep it clean & fresh.

I used a Simple Stories paper collection, So Fancy.

I loved all the feathers in this paper collection. I did a lot of fussy cutting and used the sticker sheet.

Some elements were lifted up with cardboard or foam pads.

These papers are lovely and have there own layering already incorporated to the design.

The journaling is most important. Get it on your page! CSI is all about the journaling, we love to know the stories behind the photos! But also more importantly for you to remember those stories  too!

I used the beautiful Scrapberry's Cherry blossoms, perfect for this layout!

Don't forget to layer up your sticker and fussy cutting to make an attractive cluster to catch the eye!

Products used on this layout:

Paper:  Simple Stories - So Fancy - Pink watercolour/ triangles

Simple Stories - So Fancy - Fancy

Other: Simple Stories - So Fancy - Enamel Dots

Simple Stories - So Fancy - Fundamental Cardstock Stickers

Simple Stories - So Fancy - Bits & Pieces

Scrapberry's - Cherry Blossoms - Bright Pink

Paper roses & zipper - The Craftz Boutique

Heidi Swapp - Journal Stickers

Prima Chalk Ink pad - Blossom Bud

 "          - Petal Pink

Blue Flowers from my own stash.

Hope you liked this layout.

Please visit the csi blog and join in with us with our case files. We have 3 case files a month, reveal days are the first two Friday's and the 4th Friday of the each month.

http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/

This case file closes on July 8th, so you've plenty of time to come up with a layout.

Come and see what the other members of the Design Team came up with.

Here is the direct link to case file 204

http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/forum/topics/case-file-no-204-case-closes-on-july-8-2016

Thank you for stopping by

Ginny  :)

Altered Wall Hanging

Hello everyone!

I have a poorly daughter at home today, tonsillitis again, so as she is dozing on the settee I get an earlier start then usual on the rounds of blogs, sites, DT duties and doing a post. I might get an earlier night tonight now!!

Today I am sharing an OTP project that came in the main kit from Swirlydoos Kit club May 'Peach Blossom' kit. This beautiful kit features Kaisercraft Always & Forever paper collection. 

I have done a Snapguide tutorial with how I made this. Follow the direct link below to view.

Check out How to Create a Wall Hanging With Swirlydoos May Kit by Ginny Hickmott on Snapguide.

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Click on this link to view my Snapguide profile.https://snapguide.com/ginny-hickmott/

Please follow me by pressing the 'follow' button when you get there so you don't ever miss another guide!

Here are some close ups of the finished project.

Hope you've enjoyed this post.

Don't forget to pop over to Snapguide and Swirlydoos kit club to see more details on these beautiful monthly kits. http://www.swirlydoos.com/

Have a great rest of the day!!

Ginny  :)