Good Reads in April

eeps! It's nearly the end of May and i haven't done my good reads for April yet! Just one again, Warm Bodies. It's set in a bleak version of earth in which a zombie virus is spreading rapidly throughout the population. The story is told from the point of view of a zombie ('R') who resists his instinct to eat a living girl and feels the urge to keep her safe which in turn creates a chain reaction. This is a romance, but it's no where near as slushy as most young adult fiction. Even if you don't like the supernatural romance genre then i still think you'll like this book. And considering it's zombie context it's not too gory either, i'm very squeamish and i could handle it! It is a really easy read, but it does explore some deep issues about humanity, and mortality. The main characters are likeable, 'R' being very articulate (meaning it doesn't read like a zombie book) and more human than many humans i have come across in my lifetime, so you want him to have a happy ending, even though that seems impossible given that he is undead. It's funny, but subtly so, it's bitter-sweet in places, sometimes touching and well worth a read.

Mollie Makes Magazine

i've been meaning to blog about this magazine since it first landed in my postbox nearly 3 weeks ago, because it is just so lovely & i think you'll rather like it. i'd been waiting in much anticipation for it's release and i was not disappointed! It's the kind of mag that i've been dreaming of for years. It's the perfect mix of vintage, home decor, crafts, cool happenings in the UK and the latest trends. I love the tone of the magazine and the design is so fresh. Jane and the team did a super job! Lot's of clean lines and delicious pretty photos. Annnnd it comes with a free (cute) gift every month! I already talked one of my crafty pals in to subbing and if you're reading my blog then it's a fair bet you'll love it too! It's available in shops in the UK now (although it seems to be selling out everywhere!) and there's a planned release for it in the rest of Europe, the US and Australia on June 9th. But if you can't wait, you can buy the digital version online. If you're not sure it's for you then they're blog is rather lovely too and will give you a good idea what they're about plus you can take a sneek peek of the mag.  i hope you find it as inspiring as i do. Hurrah for living and loving handmade!

Getting sketchey

As you know i'm a huge fan of sketches, they always get me inspired. Luckily for me two of my favourite manufacturers are now running sketch challenges on their blogs so i have even more of an excuse to play along with them! i worked on a few over the weekend.

First up, this sketch from the Sassafras blog designed by Marcy Penner.

All products: Sasafrass

i scaled this one down to 8 1/2" x 11" and i mixed 3 different lines from Sassafras, which just goes to show how easily their lines work together!

Next up this sketch based on a layout by Lory Bucaria for the new weekly feature on the Elle's Studio blog.

Papers, Butterflies, Sticker, Pin: Jenni Bowlin Studios, Glassine Envelope: Pink Paislee, Alpha Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Cardstock: Core'dinations, Tags: Elle's Studio, Other: Twine, Pearl Stickers, Tiny Attacher. 

i flipped the sketch for this one and did my own thing with it. To get those sanded squares on the grid, i created a mask using my square punch and a scrap piece of card so that i could control where i was sanding. Then i hand stitched around them with twine. 

i got my baby back! (and the JBS winner!)

My Canon Baby that is. And technically i didn't get it back, i just bought a second hand one as that was going to work out cheaper then getting mine fixed. Oh how i have missed her so! i'm a happy snapper again :)

Everything Studio Calico except the studs from Basic Grey.

Last month when i was reading Warm Bodies i came across such a wonderful passage that i instantly had to get up and scrapbook! i ended up using a quote from the book for this page: 'you should always be taking pictures, if not with a camera, then with your mind. Memories you capture on purpose are always more vivid then the ones you pick up by accident'. So true, don't you think? A good reminder to stay present and aware. This page uses my favourite papers from Studio Calico evvvvver!

And now for the JBS winner. Thank-you all for you sweet comments, i wish i could send you all some happy mail! i used the random generator to pick a winner:

Congrats! Please e-mail me with your address at alexa underscore gill at yahoo dot co dot uk ! :)

JBS May Featured Customer!

i was surprised to discover that i am this month's Featured Customer Spotlight over at the Jenni Bowlin Studio's Blog this month! Being a huge fan of JBS products i was most delighted, and flattered that they would think to pick me! There's lots of exclamation marks used in this post because i tend to over use them when i am super duper excited!! So you'll have to excuse me...

To celebrate my excitement about the customer spotlight,  i'm having a little give away of some JBS products!  

For the chance to win, please leave a comment on this post. Internationals welcome! I'll pick a winner next Sunday. Thanks for sharing in my excitement! And if you upload your JBS layouts to their gallery, maybe you'll be picked to feature next on the blog!

And whilst i'm here i thought i'd share the latest page i did for Jenni's class over at BPC. The challenge was to use the dennison labels that came in our class kit. 

Paper, Ink, Alphabet Rub-ons: JBS, Stamp: Making Memories, Other: Embroidery Thread, Paint, Vintage paper.

Thanks for  stopping by and have a great week!

Drink Shop Do

Lasr Saturday i took a trip to London to meet fellow scrapbooker & blogger Lara. It was quite a delight to finally meet her and to discover that our passion for scrapbooking isn't the only thing we have in common.

We met at Drink Shop Do, a really lovely place to spend an afternoon. There's a vintage & sweet/ice cream shop out front and further back there's a tea shop. Everything can be bought from the chair your sitting on to the tea cup your sipping from. There are crafty classes hosted a couple of times a week from crochet to card making you can also arrange a little craft party of your own if you have enough people! i would highly recommend it if you're in the Kings Cross area, i certainly can't wait until the next time i visit!

There are lots of cake's on offer and drinks too: milkshakes, coke floats, pressed juices, herbal teas...the list goes on. i also induldged in a sherbet dip!

i am still DSLR less :( so i only took a few photos with my instax and my iPhone, but you can see some of Lara's lovely pictures on her blog here. And it's worth taking the time take a look around while you're there, because she is really rather talented. Getting to play with her 450D really made me itch to upgrade when i finally invest in another digital camera. i'm keeping my eye on ebay.

More iNSD Layouts

A couple more layouts to share for challenges over at Studio Calico...

Kit: Joyride - Studio Calico, Paper: MME, Sassafrass, Studio Calico, Ticket: MME, Gems: MME, Wood Veneer Frame & Stars, Rub-ons: Studio Calico, Alpha Stickers: Sassafrass, Sticker: Jillybean Soup, Other: Embroidery Thread, Twine.

This one counts for the challenge to use wood or woodgrain on your pages the one for  hand stitching and the colour challenge!

Paper: American Crafts, Hambly Tape: American Crafts, Rub-on: Embossing Powder: American Crafts, Ink: JBS for Ranger, Versamark, Mist: Maya Road, Stamp: Studio Calico, Chipboard: Maya Road, Alphabet; Cosmo Cricket, Journalling Card: Elle's Studio, Punch: Martha Stewart, Other: Toothpicks, Buttons, Glitter, Twine.

This one covers the challenge for stamping and using tape. i used one of those Maya Road clouds to make a cupcake this time and added a little glitter. And in case you're wondering...Raspberry and White Chocolate is my favourite flavour cupcake! You can always win me over with one of those ;)

A word on banners. i was not a fan of this trend to begin with and was hoping it would pass quickly, but lately i've found myself wanting to add them to my pages and now i kind of like them a lot. The trends usually get me in the end...

Think i'm going to try and fit in a few more challenges before the week is out, i seem to be a lot more productive that way!

Happy iNSD!

What is iNSD i hear you say? {inter}National Scrapbooking Day of course! And actually yesterday was iNSD, not today, so i'm a little late. But yesterday was all full of fun-ness but no scrapbookey things for me, which a story for another blog post.

Anywho, i hope unlike me you managed to get some scrapbooking done on this wonderful day! i have been celebrating this amazing hobby today instead and getting crafty. This year marks a decade of scrapbooking for me and i am so thankful to have found it, not just for the creative outlet but also the wonderful people i've met along the way. If you'd like a giggle you can check out last year's post in which i shared a few of my very first pages!

This year Big Picture Classes teamed up with Creating Keepsakes for a Creative Crop, in which a different challenge was set every hour for 12 hours. i took part in a few including this one based on a sketch by Lisa Day.

Studio Calico Kit: Partly Sunny. Paper: American Crafts, October Afternoon, Studio Calico, Mist: Studio Calico, Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts, Stickers: October Afternoon, Flowers: Making Memories, Punch: Martha Stewart, Other: Twine, Tiny Attacher.

Around this time last year i started Flat hunting with my Bestie, She Who Must Not Be Named. It was a big decision to move in together, but one that has worked out happily. Mid way through our first day (and what turned out to be the only day) of flat hunting we stopped at a diner for lunch to talk things over. What better way to make a big decision then over pancakes and milkshake?

Some other fun things are going on in celebration of iNSD in a few of my favourite places: Studio Calico, Jenni Bowlin Studio and Elle's Studio. Be sure to check them out if you haven't already as they have challenges open until the end of the week! i'm hoping to complete a few more before the deadline, so i'll be beack during the week with more layouts to share. i hope you had fun on iNSD!

Elle's Studio Pages

i have always been a fan of the stuff that Elle comes up with (she is so talented). As you know, i always handwrite my journalling so am often on the look out for places to house it, sometimes stickers and journalling dots can be a pain because my pen won't flow on them properly or the ink gets smudged, but not Elle's stuff! Anyway, i have fallen in LOVE with her latest release, handmade layers. It is the perfect mix of vintage and modern and has such a sweetness about it. And for my UK pals, you'll be pleased to learn that Elle's Shop has low international shipping prices too! Here's a couple of pages i did using the handmade layers collection:

Paper: Crate Paper, Alpha Stickers: Sassafras, Journalling Spots: Elle's Studio, Doilies: Cosmo Cricket, Mist, Stamp: Studio Calico, Ink: JBS for Ranger, StazOn, Other: twine embroidery floss, date stamp. Bottom photo credit: Adam Sayward

In March, i went to stay with a friend in Oxfordshire and we visited Blenheim Palace. We loved it there and had a grand time exploring the grounds and getting lost in the maze! i'd highly recommend it for a day out if you're ever in that area.

Paper: Crate Paper, Alpha Stickers: Sassafras, Buttons: Crate Paper, Journalling Spots: Elle's Studio, Mist, Stamp: Studio Calico, Chipboard: Maya Road, Pearl: Prima Marketing, Punch: Woodware, Embossing Powder: American Crafts  Ink:  JBS for Ranger, StazOn, Versamark, Other: Crochet Doilie, Embroidery Floss, Buttons, Vintage Lace, Beads, Date Stamp. Photo Credit: Steph Bracher.

i have to say, this is the most FUN i've had creating a layout in a long time. Which is saying a lot, because it's always fun. i think because i got a bit techniquey, it felt more like playing. i sprayed the vintage lace with mist to make it that light shade of pink. i use mist in this way so much these days, i wonder how i ever scrapbooked without it. And i enjoyed creating the ice cream cone too. i used a Studio Calico herringbone stamp to make the 'cone' and i double embossed a cloud chipboard piece with Zing! to create the 'ice cream'. Then i just glued some beads on for the 'sprinkles'. i was glad to get a different use out of the cloud chipboard piece. i think i'll be making a cupcake out of one next :) If you have any other ideas on how to use them, please comment and let me know!

Be Gentle

i'm currently taking Jenni Bowlin's class over at Big Picture Classes. Jenni has always been a bit of a scrap crush of mine, way back when she used to appear in magazines frequently and desiging for Lil'Davis Designs. When she started her own line of products i was over the moon and i have quite a hoard of them. So taking a class with Jenni is a delight and it's inspiring me to use more vintage stuff on my layouts. This is a layout i created for our first Creativity Challenge, to use vintage millkcaps on a project.

Cardstock: Core'dinations for Jenni Bowlin, Buttons, Paper, Alphabet Stickers: Jenni Bowlin, Other: twine, vintage paper, vintage milk top, crepe paper. Tools: Sandpaper, Tiny Attacher.

Core'dinations is just about the loveliest cardstock out there, i always lightly sand it to highlight the pattern. Speaking of which, have you seen the latest Core'dinations line for Jenni Bowlin? It's soooo pretty! And completely different to anything they've done before.

i had some fun playing with crepe paper for this layout. i used my trusty scalloped scissors (yes, the ones i have had about 8 years and hardly ever use!) to cut the crepe paper and folded it around the punched cardstock. i also twisted it so i could use like raffia and tied it on the buttons, as i would with regular ribbon.

Remember to be gentle with yourself, and others too!