Debut post for Wild Orchid Crafts

Hello lovely folks! How has your Saturday been?

Today I'm presenting my debut post for Wild Orchid Crafts and my project is a sweet shabby mini-tag album embellished with lots of WOC products.

I've used papers from the "Coffee in the Arbor" collection by Maja Design (6x6 paper pad) and trimmed them down to size. Also used are chipboards from Blue Fern Studios, which I absolutely love!

But you would agree with me that the most eye-catching part about the mini-album would be the gorgeous flowers from WOC. I have on my cover chrysanthemums, roses and sweet blossoms, all available from the WOC store.

The clock hands are from the small Roman clock chipboard, but the clock ring is actually a piece of metal embellishment from WOC, which I have altered.

Some inside pages:

My album ended up quite chunky because I just had to use these lovely 3D flowers on every page (well, almost every page).

Keeping the pages simple for photos and sentiments.

And here is my start-to-finish video tutorial:

List of supplies:

WOC products:

Mixed Size Open Roses MKX-599

Mixed Colour Sweetheart Blossom MKX-137

Mixed White Flowers & Rhinestone Embellishment Starter Pack MKX-323

Mixed Colour Chrysanthemums QVR-080

2-Toned Mixed Colour Wild Roses 30mm QVE-040

Mixed Clocks and Time Metal Embellishments GST-158

Vintage Cabochons Copenhagen MKX-195

Others:

Mediums: 13@rts, Luminarte Silks Glaze, Rangers, Lindy's Stamp Gang

Papers: Maja Design (Coffee in the Arbor collection)

Chipboard embellishments: Blue Fern Studios (Memory Frame Set, Roman clock set,

Chipboard tag album: Um Wow Studio

Trim, Twine: own stash

And here's a giveaway special! If you would like to own this mini tag album that I've created, just complete the following steps (international shipping included):

1) Subscribe to my blog and Youtube channel

2) Follow Wild Orchid Crafts on their blog and FB page 

3) Leave a comment below before 14 Jan 2015 (12 noon GMT+8) and I'll pick a winner on the 15th.

That's all I have for today. Have a crafty weekend!

 love,

Debut post for Maja Designs

Good day everyone!

I'm so excited to present to you my very first post as a Maja girl! Still trying to get used to that name because I've never thought of myself as a girly girl despite the romantic shabby style that I love so much and the amount of flowers that I must use on any layout.

For my very first post, I've used some of the gorgeous papers from the Vintage Summer Basics and Vintage Spring Basics. Love how different papers from different collections complement each other so perfectly, not to mention just how much their shabby sweetness appeals to me!

Here is the layout I made of my youngest. I chose to focus on the grey and blue tones with a touch of white washing.

Some close-ups:

I had a lot of fun creating these layers by tucking in bits and pieces in between the papers. The neutral colors of the background paper was also suitable for the mixed media work I wanted to do with my 13arts stash of paints and mists.

My floral cluster and title. Keeping everything toned down and simple. Tucked under is a Blue Fern Studios chipboard (Printer's Desk) which I've lightly altered.

A flair from Um Wow Studio

The Graduated Square chipboard (also from Blue Fern Studios) under all that layers, together with more flowers. I also tucked in leaves die cut out from Vintage Spring Basics.

The other side of the cluster with little cut-outs from Vintage Autumn Basics.

And here is a start-to-finish of how I created this layout. Thank you for dropping by today!

love,

A Mini Album for Marion Smith Designs

Good day nice people!

I rarely make mini albums because I'm not particularly good at them. But when myprize pack of Um Wow Studios goodies won at Scrap Around the World came, there were these cute little mini albums just screaming out and begging to be altered. So I picked out some of my favourite lines from Marion Smith Designs and tried to work some magic up.

Journey Mini Album

This is the cover where I've used mostly papers from Nirvana, layering my cut-outs and popping them up for a 3-dimensional effect. I die cut the flowers from Garment District papers and shaped them for a more gentle contour using the Bloom Impressions Tool. Jazzing up the flower are the new MSD stamens and a piece of bling from Junque and Gems. I put in a little bit of texture with some 13@rts acrylic modeling paste over one of their stencils to fill out the space. There is also a piece from the Petite Frames set from Blue Fern Studios which I've tucked under the balloon and used it to secure my trim. For that, I've covered it with some Shimmerz Dazzlerz.

Some tips I found useful:

1. Your cover can be as layered or as three-dimensional or as cluttered as you like. But remember to do the reverse side first if you're going to make it chunky, as it can be little tricky if you can't lay the base of the album page flat on your work space.

2. I usually try not (but tend to forget) to clutter the pages in the mini-album or make it too chunky, but you can always make each page more interesting by using accents. I used cut-outs from Garment District to spruce up each page and the 6x6 pad size is just perfect for a mini.

3. Instead of adhering them flat on the page, layer different accents (I used up to 3 layers) and pop up the topmost one using the thinnest 3D foam dots so that the album can still close nicely. Don't forget you typically have a few pages in one mini album so the trick is not to overdo the 3D effect for each page.

4. It's ok to have bits sticking out of your pages - not everything must fit. I do this a lot as I like the "messy" and "out of the box" effect it creates.

Finally, here's a look at the inside pages of the mini and you can see the above tips in action.

One of the pages feature the "Blue Fern frame" from BFS as well. I painted it with Ayeeda's matte paint (Pink) and also Pearl Mist (Sap Green). 

For the back cover, I used the MSD Stamp and randomly went over the patterned paper. The rose was fussy cut out, and I used my finger to spread some Stickles over the petals for a shimmery effect. I also tied one of the Junque and Gems monocle pieces to my twine. Inside is a motif I cut out from Garment District.

And that's all for today. Thanks for dropping by!

love,