The Atelier

"Every DAY of my life..." by Charmane Koch

I Scrap!!!

I've been Scrapbooking since May 2004 a couple of months after my son Chei was born.... and there has not been a day that has gone by that I haven't AT LEAST thought about Scrapbooking!!!

And as time goes by I think I become more obsessed and addicted to this hobby that has overtaken my LIFE!!!

But the good thing about it is it revolves around my family - I'm a Stay at Home Mum so I can scrap in between taking care of my two kids and every ounce of my scrapping is about MY FAMILY and Myself!!! Which is another good thing as I have something to show for it - not just NOW but generations to come!!!

I decided to use a photo of me at a Scrap N Chat I recently attended (taken by Danielle Quarmby) - This was my THIRD In real Life Scrap with others that I've attended - I'm usually a Scrap at Home all by Myself Scrapper!

Step One: Positioning photo

I placed the photo so that I could cut part of the Patterned Paper (with a Craft Knife) so that I could overlap it over the photo. I slipped the photo behind the cut out part and taped the photo down.

Step Two: The Title

I positioned the arrow and played around with my title til I liked where it was. I stuck down the arrow so that it was actually pointing to a Buzz and Bloom ATC I was creating! I painted the BRAND NEW Buzz and Bloom Blame It on the Sunshine Chipboard and Buzz and Bloom Tubby Jr chipbaord with blue paint. Once dry I drybrushed black paint over the top (and painted the flower centres black too) Then glued into position.

Step Three: Journalling & Buzz and Bloom Paisley Embellishment

Because my photo was glossy I needed to give a white coat of paint over the "blank" area so then once dry, I could then write over the top of the photo.

While waiting to dry I painted the Buzz and Bloom Paisley Chipboard witht he same blue paint as my title. Once the blue paint was dry I sponged Ink over the Paisley chipboard edge separately. I stamped the Buzz and Bloom Passion Stamp onto the centre of the Paisley Chipboard. When everything was dry I journalled about my life as a Scrapbooker!!!

Step Four: Finishing Touches

I decided to doodle a border around the edge of my page using black pen and also around the edge of my photo.

Just to finish it off I added red velvet ribbon to the top right and bottom left corners - and black flowers over the top of the bottom and black sequins over the top ribbon.

"Look to the stars!!!" by Charmane Koch

Buzz and Bloom products used:

Buzz and Bloom Chipboard Flower Chip

Buzz and Bloom Grand Flourish (small)

Black cardstock, black paint, sequins, beads,glitter pens, black pen, black thread & needle, glue, paintbrush, paper piercer.

I have been obsessed with BEADS, SEQUINS and BLING for a while now, so I thought I would LOVE to create something special using them with the gorgeous Buzz and Bloom Chipboard.

I really love the look of a black background and using bright colours so I started with black cardstock and a photo my partner took of me (experimenting on me with his photography skills!!) I loved the photo and thought it was perfect to use for this project. I decided to create the page with the size of 8 x 10 inches as I had plans to attach it to a canvas I have here at home to put on the wall.

This is the original photo that was taken...

I attached the photo to the cardstock approximately half a centimetre from the top of the page (photo size 6x8inches) This would give enough room for me to place the gorgeous Buzz and Bloom Grand Flourish to the bottom of the photo.

The next step to prepare my photo was to add my sequins and glitter glue. I painted the whole photo except my image in black paint and then waited for it to dry. (From experience, if you don't add the paint and have a glossy photo - the glitter when dry flakes off - so this is a little tip, if you attempt this!!!)

The next process is slow and steady - and you truly have to have patience (don't know how I did it!!!) After the paint is dry, I lightly sketched a freehand circle/oval shape around the image of me in pencil. This gave me a guide to carefully glue each pink sequin into place. I then dabbed dots of glitter pen colour around the edge of the sequin circle - green, blue and gold. I have then glued the next circle (semi-circle actually) of sequins, this time in purple. The problem with this process is it is very tricky not to touch the wet glitter, so you really need to create each section bit by bit. This means waiting for the glitter to dry and also the glue to dry so that the sequins are firmly in place.

Once a few rows had dried I decided to attach beads to the centres of the sequins. With a paper piercer and craft mat I pierced holes through the centre of each sequin hole. With two strands of thread approximately 40cm long I attached one bead to each hole. This is yet another slow process - but I think the outcome is worth it!

Close ups of the glitter glue, sequins and beads....

First image is of the glue when wet - very easy to bump!!!

The second image shows the glitter dry and the finished product closeup of the beads and sequins.

I thought by using the Buzz and Bloom Chipboard Flower Chip as the "star" it would bring focus and meaning to my actual layout. At this point in my life - Personal and Scrapbooking wise I am really looking to the stars - I am feeling truly blessed with the opportunities that I have been given and grateful for what I have.

To embellish my Buzz and Bloom Chipboard Flower Chip I firstly covered it in some gorgeous Starlite Black Ink which gives a starry shiny look. I then decided to dab dots in the inner part with pink glitter glue and also added a bit of purple glitter.

To make it blend with the rest of the page, I also glued pink sequins.

Finishing it off, I used black pen to highlight the engraved parts of the Buzz and Bloom Flower Chip.

To embellish the Buzz and Bloom Grand Flourish, I firstly painted it with black paint. Once dry I then turned to my glitter pens again. I used the same colour in each opposite part of the flourish (if you cut it in half both sides would have the same colour on each side, does that make sense?)

I used a matte sealer, but think would have been better to use a gloss, although I still like the outcome.

I really enjoyed creating this layout, and I do plan to attach it to the 8 x 10 canvas I have.

Can you believe, even though it

took quite a long time to create this page - I am STILL addicted to sequins and beads!!!!

I know I haven't any title on the actual layout, but I have called it "Look to the Stars".