Scrapbook Studio Design Team

Artsy Grunge Online Class... coming soon!!

From Louise:

But here's a sneak peek... just to get ya going!

Class kits will be available online or through the shop shortly... be in quick as numbers are limited and this one's going to be popular I think (oh, and messy! LOL)... The last online class I did was heaps of fun too!

On another note, we decided it's about time we introduced ourselves properly and let you know a bit more about ourselves... so here goes...

First the glamour shot (LMAO)...

How did you start scrapbooking? I went along to a Creative Memories night at my cousin’s place to help make up numbers, I had no idea what scrapbooking even was but came away from the night intrigued but thinking “there must be more to it than that”. I went straight online and did a search and that was it – completely hooked.

How long have you been scrapbooking? I’ve been scrapping about 8 years. I spent the first 6 of those collecting stuff and doing very little scrapping as we had a scrapbook store (until Joshie came along) and it kind of killed the urge to scrap for me. It was after Joshie was born and we closed the business that I really found my passion for scrapping again.

How would you describe your style? A lot like me, distressed! LOL. I like it a little shabby chic, a little grunge with lots of details and layers. I love having depth, dimension and texture in my pages – you’ll never see a clean and simple page from me – despite several attempts at that style!

Journaling – a lot, a little, not much? Depends on the photo, sometimes I journal a lot, sometimes the photo says it all for me.

Do you have a scrap space? I scrap out of my garage – we converted it into an office but it gets damned cold out there in winter, and stifling hot in summer. Still, it’s my wee space and I’m glad to have an escape route. LOL

Is it messy or tidy? I endeavour to be tidy but I’m just not a tidy scrapper. I go through my stuff and have a cull occasionally but within a month it’s back to untidy and chocka. I dream of a room with built in cupboards and organisers, wallspace for hanging racks etc…

What/who are your favourite subject/s to scrap? Joshie mostly, family times and events, but more and more I’m scrapping about myself. I’ve realised how important I think it is for me to write down about me. Not only for Joshie, but also I get to know more about myself in the process. Scrapbooking and the wonderful people I’ve met through this hobby, has also helped me overcome some of my self-confidence issues.

Where do you find most of your inspiration for LO’s? I love all the scrapbooking magazines, and tend to traipse around the blogs that I love most when I need a mojo fix.

Where do you start on a LO? I tend to have the journalling or heading my head before I start – a bit backwards I know, but it seems to work for me. Everything else just sort of flows from there. Sometimes it’s just a new product I’m dying to use, and I’ll design the layout around that. I don’t think I ever do anything normally… LOL

Why do you love scrapbooking? What’s not to love? I get to be creative, play with art stuff like a kid again and have time for me. I also end up with something that Joshie just loves looking at again, and again. And that makes me feel pretty good.

Favourite LO? One I can’t show you that I submitted for a competition… so you’ll just have to wait! LOL

Favourite technique? Gotta be distressing and inking/chalking the edges of things. I love to make my own transparencies a fair bit too, I think I keep 3M in business… :)

Favourite colour to use? I like neutrals mostly, but having a boy I do tend to do a fair bit of blue.

Favourite scrapbooker/scrap idol? I love Nic Howard’s work, it’s a damned site tidier stylewise than mine and I adore her attention to detail and envy her neatness! Her journalling is always on the button too!

What would you say to someone starting out scrapbooking? Just do it, it’s ok to waste a piece of paper. Make sure you have extra prints of your photos so you’re not afraid to just give it a go! It’s not a life or death thing, it’s personal, creative and is meant to be a piece of you on the page. There’s no right or wrong way to do it so just go for it.

Blog: http://louisewilliams.wordpress.com

There's inspiration around you every day!

Hi guys!

I've been playing around with adding everyday items from around the house and thought I'd share a couple of layouts with you.

Firstly I used some tinfoil to create a mirror in this layout, called Reflections. I printed out a transparency with the words on it and overlaid it over the tinfoil but behind the frame, it not only protects the foil but adds interest and is a pretty different way of adding some journalling. Metals are acid free and easy to manipulate - you can create your own frames, flowers and cover your chipboard with it too.

I've also recently discovered the joys of modgepodge and napkins. There's such a huge range of really beautiful paper napkins (but you can use the same technique with lace), that it's a shame to not be able to use them on your pages. What I tend to do is paint a light layer of modgepodge onto a transparency, lay down my napkin (a single layer only) and then paint a second, slightly heavier coat of modgepodge over the top. When it's dry you can often remove the transparency from the napkin, or leave it intact.

This layout uses an orange floral napkin to add a burst of colour, and for the bottom one I used a napkin that used the printed image of a bird and branches - perfect for the asian theme I wanted.

As a general rule of thumb, as long as the non-acid-free items from around your house aren't touching your actual photos the layout should endure. If you're worried about it though, laminating the non-acid-free item will protect everything else in your layout.

On this last layout I used the rainbow and medallion shape from the front of a Cheerios box! I sanded away the bits I didn't want on my layout, and the medallion is separated from touching the photo with a layer of acid-free patterned paper.

Give it a go! There's so much inspiration around you every day!
Louise :)