Painted Postcards & Vintage Tags!

Whizz...well that was the weekend then! I can't quite believe its over already! We had a great time at Scrap Saturday, and I enjoyed welcoming 3 new clients. I love seeing people go away totally inspired and ready to scrap their precious moments. We played with sandpaper this weekend - a really simple medium I sometimes forget to use. Its quick and easy, very portable and cheap to add to your tool kit (just don't tell your hubby that you've nicked a bit of sandpaper from his precious hoard of bits to use sometimes - can't imagine keeping things that might come in handy (LOL) boys ah!!!).


I just love these vintage labels, and have used them on layouts, cards, and even stuck them into books when I give them as a present.

Simply choose your favourite paper - pretty muted florals or neutrals look fab and cut to 8cm x 6cm. Sand the edges all the way around, then use any journalling stamps in your stash. I've layered two of mine here, a frame stamp and then another quote line clear stamp over the top - I love nice straight lines to rubon titles onto which I've done here. I then sewed a button on with pretty contrasting cotton. Next make a mount out of card or I used a Delish Peppercorn Treats paper because I love the way the black sands off well. Cut this about 8.5cm x 6.5cm and stick on your label - Wooo Hooo you are done. This is a great project to make in a little production line so you have a goregous little stash of labels whenever you need them.

We also got out our watercolour pencils - again another love of mine to keep in the toolbox. We used the Delish Peppercorn Buffet paper and cut out the floral boxes, painted in the flowers, then stamped a post card stamp, script stamp and a floral stamp all overlapping onto the front. I then used small alphabet stamps to put on my title. Have a go at colouring in again - its so great for bringing out the inner children in us all.


I'm very excited this week, as later on I'm rushing into the office to inspect all the new High Tea collection that has landed - new website about 95% there - so I'll let you know as soon as it's live and you can see and buy the new collections!

Have a great day!

All About Me Scrapbook Album

Had a wonderful class on Saturday teaching 18 creative ladies near Gatwick. I was given a great brief by a couple of my clients to create a secret mini album workshop for their annual weekend away - just want a designer like me adores!

I came up the idea of a 6x6 acrylic and chipboard album celebrating all the wonderful things about you! ie; All About Me. Too many times we scrap our loved ones, but I daydreamed about what it would be like if I found an album in a gorgeous old vintage suitcase all about my Mum. I would be able to read it and appreciate her passions even more, so I developed an album that might do that for my Holly someday. I took photos of my favourite jewelery, what books are on my bedside cabinet, how I like to eat a cream tea, and what our house looks like...it was really refreshing and also means you get to take loads of cool arty pictures of stuff you collect.

Here is all the lovely packs of kits I pre-made ready for them. You'll notice a new product which is my journalling kit (at the bottom) - just lovely off-cuts of pretty paper that I have used my journalling stamps on, ready for you to use on cards, layouts, even as a jam label. I'll be selling these and other handmade things on my new website due to launch next week.

Why don't you think about scrapping yourself! It doesn't have to be filled with photos of you if that's not what you like, but feel it with all the things that make you YOU!

blog-speak soon!
debs
x

Show us ya wellies!

Snow again here, just a fine sprinkle, but lovely to see the garden being coated with winter bling once more....lucky school is open as I really need to have a creative day today and get some new designs out of my head, down my arms, and onto paper...well once I've updated my blog, read a couple of other fab blogs and of course made a huge mug of coffee!

One of my favourite observations over the last few weeks has been the amazing array of goregous wellies (or gumboots as us kiwis say) that are making an appearance each day. I've seen skulls, flowers, chocolates, swirls, insects and keep cursing that I've forgotten my camera as wouldn't it make a fab page - send me an email with a picture of ya wellies and maybe I can make this page happen debs@gingerpickles.co.uk

Here are mine;

Here is also the table that now looks so different from when it was all dressed for New Year - can't wait to see it covered in salad bowls, crusty bread and a glass of very cold wine!!!

Happy New Year!

Well pass its due date! but Happy New Year everyone! I can't quite believe its all over for another wonderful year - what did my Mum say about time speeds up as you get older - don't think I took much notice as I was probably a teenager and desperately trying to be old enough for killer heels!


Just wanted to share this delicious table with you that we did for our New Years celebrations, using the Delish Designs Peppercorn paper to make the table mats, gifts boxes, and the Clear Frames stamps for the tags.

Am finally getting upstairs to my newly organised creative santuary this afternoon to start to play with new designs for 2010.

So watch this space!............

x

Christmas Layout

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

The presents are all under the tree, with the Christmas Eve present for Holly right at the front for later tonight - a marvelous tradition my Mum started when we were young, a small "doing" present to keep our excitement at bay - this is usually when I got a new paper doll.

I have put my Christmas layout loose in my album, all ready to simply choose my favourite photos taken tomorrow and put in place. I use a template which I covered with lots of 1 inch strips of Christmas paper, then recut out the template and inked all the edges. I then put a line of glue and glamour dust across each seam to bring in a bit of sparkle. I've put two 4x6 photo mounts to the top corner as well so I know exactly where my photos will go. I can't wait to put small photos peeking through the holes.

I'm really looking forward to getting creative again over the holidays, with to be honest colours other than red or green. Give me my favourite black and whites with a hint of jewel colouring, hazing pinks and purples and a shot of limey green - yippee!

Wishing you all a brillant festive season full of wonderful memories!

Enjoy your loved ones!

Debs
x

Our house is ready!

Yeh, our house is now ready for Christmas! The tree is up, and decorated in lime greens, silvers and whites. In our dining room we kept it to reds, with our wooden tree filled with red baubles to match my cool heart that we made at our Scrapbooking Supper. I've then put the rest of the baubles into a bowl for the table.




If you are like me, then you'll hate loosing control when it comes to choosing and mixing colours on your trees now that you have children - we simply bought our daughter a small tree for her room, which is has huge delight in decorating with all the handmade bits and pieces she's done, that old horrible fairy that everyone has lying in their decoration box, and tinsel (where did we get that from!?) - she's none the wiser to this simple parent trick of design!

This year we've also filled our wooden advent calender with sweet treats and put in our hall so that as people visit they can open a drawer and get a surprise - amazing how many "big" people would secretly like an advent calender of their own!


Happy decorating!

Well it really feels like Christmas is near, now that I've had my first Christmas Party! We sipped champagne, ate a delicious buffet and sampled warm mince pies whilst we managed to get in 3 cute scrapbooking projects last night at the Ardington Hotel in Worthing.



Here is the cool patchwork heart we made ready to hang at home. I have just the perfect mirror in my dining room above the fireplace where it will look just fab.



I also designed the heart to be great all year round by doing the same design but in black and white on the other side - how cool is that. I love the idea of displaying your creative paper projects in your home and not putting everything into albums. It's really rewarding to walk past something and think "hey I made that!", even better when a friend drops in and admires your handywork too.

Bring on Christmas now I'm really to celebrate. Off to London tomorrow to see the lights and all the goregous window displays - camera at the ready

Debs
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