Strong? - The studio Challenges selfie challenge

The latest challenge at The Studio Challenges:

Selfie 

As it seems to be such a craze at the moment, create a layout using a selfie picture! (A photo you took of yourself, there may be other people in it you but you must have taken it and be in it!)

-----

Over the past two years, I have been through to so much - excuse my French here - shit:  issues caused by others but which I have had to deal with, if not both my family life, my finances and my sanity would be endangered.  I have been asked why I just haven't crawled into bed and pulled the blanket over my head, refusing to get up, or how it comes I haven't broken down.  I guess it is becuase I'm mentally strong - or is there another explanation?

Background paper: Crate Papers. Flower patterned paper: Basic Grey.Chipboard: October Afternoon. Cut outs: Chic Tags. Flair: The Paper Bakery. Resin badge & grey striped overlay: Freckled Fawn.

The very long title is printed on a A4 transparancy and the edges covered with paper strips to make them less visible. The ledger pattern on the background paper also helps out.

Please head over to The Studio Challenges to see the rest of the DT's fabolous examples, and to play along

Launched (Creative Scrappers sketch #268)

Spring came early this year, and we had some lovely warm days in April. I live at the seaside, so it's often windy her, but we even had a week without wind and with sun.

DS11 decided it was time to get his boat back on water, but this particular afternoon I didn't have time to help him. But he had four strong buddies with him and they managed to pull the boat trailer by hand down to the sea front and launch the boat. Actually a car wouldn't have helped this early afternoon: we have a concrete ramp we use for launching boats, but this day the tide was so low, that a car would have had  to back all the way out on the sand bottom - and it would probably be stuck.

Here are DS11 and his brother on his way home:

Background paper: Webster's  Pages. Other papers: SEI, Sassafras Lass, LYB, Crate papers. Banner: Teresa Collins. Badges: The Paper Bakery. Wood pieces & epoxy stars: Freckled Fawn. Alpha: AC. Anchor: unknown

Details:

I found inspiration to this layout from Creative Scrappers sketch #268:

The six circles draw my attention, but I deciden to put my photo to the right of them. So I have streched the sketch to fit my needs, but I'm still happy with the result.


Have you had an early spring, too? or a nice fall if you are on the opposite part of the globe?

Love you - not! (The Paper Bakery Sketch #25)

My boys are 11 and 14 years old. Normally they are the best friend, but it's coming more visible that there is an age difference: there is one teenager, and one teenager wannabe and they are going on each other's nerves sometimes. Mostly it's about calling each other, but on occations they get into physical fights (sounds familiar?):

Patterned papers: MME, October Afternoon. Wood pieces & epoxy arrows: Freckled fawn. Brads & enamel dots: MME. Cut outs: Chic Tags. Flair: The Paper Bakery. Chipboars: Imaginarium Designs (Love You), Memory Maze (call out). Alpha: Basic Grey

 Details:

The papers are a true mix of left over papers from previous The Paper Bakery kits - I love how well they worked together, even if from different manufactorers !


I found the design for this layout at The Paper Bakery, sketch #25:

As my background paper had plenty of circles, I chose to substitute the circles in the sketch with smaller items as wood hearts and enamel dots, and I sprinkled them over other parts of the layout too, to balance it better.


Hands down - do your kids fight, too, or is only mine?

Gone Fishing (The Studio Challenges May sketch)

The Studio Challenges has another great sketch to inspire you today, Valerie has created this sketch inspired by Jinny's April challenge layout.

Here is my take on the sketch:

My neighbour has a pond with koi fish. Luckily he has lots, and they breed naturally so quickly that he need to sell 50-60 each summer. If not, I think my cat Ponky would have been in big trouble if he discovered this:

Background paper: WRMK. Other patterned paper: Basic Grey. Hanging wood sign: Kaiser Kraft. Alpha: AC. Woode word, fabric badge & wood camera: Freckled Fawn. Tag, button & resin fish: unknown

I streched the design a bit to fit landscape oriented photos, and I used the same one twice. Who says you can't *lol*?

Details:

Here is a trick for you when using busy background papers: go with a completely different color in the title -  it takes the focus away from the busy paper and lead your eyes to the photos. Imagine the tiltle in brown - your eyes would immidiately be drawn to the busy, right hand side.

Please link up your takes to the side bar at the The Studio Challenges blog, we would love to see what you do with this lovely sketch, you have until June 8th to enter!
------------------------------


EDIT May13th: Extra, extra!


Hvae you seen this blog post at Paper Isuues featuring Simple Stories? The post is called It's raining Cats and dogs and has lots of inspiration for layouts about furry friends and rainy days. Head over to see!

Epic fails (The Studio Challenges)

The latest challenge at The Studio Challenges is all about epic fails:

Epic Fail - has something happened lately that you would rather forget, if so now is the time to create a layout about it! We all learn something from going through tough times, what did you learn?

If it's on film or tape, I have scrapped it - good or bad - happy days, epic stunt fails etc etc. This time I want to say something about an object I consider an epic failure: the pocket bike (aka mini moto).  DS11 has one, and he loves it, but it is the most stupid gadged invented ever, in my opinion: it's limited where you can ride, it's really small, and it brakes down or runs out of gas all the time.

Details:

Come play with us at The Studio Challenges - you  have until 11th May to upload your layouts from this month in the sidebar.

The box fits! (CSI #120)

What is it with cats and boxes?

If I pull out a box, my cat is up and in it in no time. I even think she can smell a new box - if she's in another room, she comes hopping and examine a box I pull out.

I was curious and wanted to test her - will she try to get into any box, no matter how small?
I took a tiny box, put in on the table - and yes - she laid down in/on it:

Full size layout:

Background paper: Jillibean Soup. Other papers: SEI (w/pink stripes, pink)), Lemon Owl (blue, green.
Ribbon flower: Jillibean Soup. Journaling spot: Chic Tags. Arrows, washi, wood frame & metal camera clip: Freckled Fawn. Alpha: Basic Grey. Buttons & cats in basket: unknown

This layout was made with inspiration from CSI case file #120:

How I solved the case:

Colors: all used
Evidence: Stripes, animal accents, something sheer
Testimony: write your story as a haiku.

My haiku:

This is my last layout as a DT member at CSI. I have had a wonderful year there as a DT, but I have decided to cut down on DT assignments for a while - there is so much I want to do during this summer and I felt it will be wrong to comit to CSI at the moment. It was a hard decision as the challenges are just awesome, and I certainly will go back whenever I need inspiration.

This also means I will create less this summer, and this blog will be updated at a more irregular bases. I'll still be creating for The Studio Challenges, and there surely will times where I become so inpired by challenges found around, or just get the urge to create, that I'll head back to my table and scrap or make cards.

See you around!

DYI Softgun Masks Dudes (CSI special file 365-5)

The CSI DT is excited to reveal our fifth special Case File created for our collaboration with Scrap365,UK's biggest and best scrapbooking magazine. 

This special Case File will be open for investigation for the entire month of April. We will have a new Scrap365 Case File every other month, with the publication of a new issue of the magazine. After this Case File closes, we will be selecting our five favorite layouts to feature, and those people will be invited as CSI Deputies (guest designers) for June. 

Here is this month's special Case File:

And here is my example for you:
(DS11 and his buddy got the idea they would make their own soft gun masks from plaster strips..)

Papers: Panduro (red stars), Lemon Owl (printed). Masks: The Paper Bakery. Stamp: Kaiserkraft. Cut outs: Panduro. Files/deviders: Chic Tags- Alphas: October Afternoon (grey stripy), Basic Grey (grey solid), AC/Amy Tangerine (grey trasperent), Simple Stories (red solid, yellow tiny type), Cosmo Cricket (red tiny type). Sassafrass Lass: Red large

How I solved the case:
*All colors used
*Evidence: Stripes, buttons, paint, string, circus themed products, triangles
*Testimony: Journaling as a circus ad

I hardly ever paint on my pages, but on this one I went far out of my comfort zone :-)

Now, head over to the CSI site to read all about this months fabolous prizes, to see the rest of the DT's wonderful examples and to play along! Remember, you have the rest of April to play along!