A catch up Mash up

Hi all

I thought I would drop by today with a bit of a catch up of bits and pieces since my last visit ... hence the title 'mash up' I have been doing so well being organised with my blog posts ... even shocked myself :D but life and work got the better of me the last couple of weeks and I missed my Cyber Monday date last week so here's a little of what I have been up to ;)

At the end of September I had a day in the studio at Create and Craft with ....

The Serif 2015 calendar collection, Cottage Arts (beautiful) Masks and Art backgrounds and the Daisy Trail 2014 collection (and of course Craft Artist 2 Professional) A perfect combination for creating Christmas pressies this year whether you use photos or not, and if you're doing Christmas craft fairs .... say no more :D (Calendars and DT collection unlimited angel policy as long as you create your designs yourself and cottage arts is 200 of one design ... fill your boots I say LOL)

I managed some Me time in my studio

and even if I say so myself I LOVE my flowerpots! One of those things that I look at and am really proud of! A bit of mixed media going on here with watercolour pencils and pastels (thanks to Cat Bennett for reminding me to mix it up in Greece!)

I then created a couple of projects that I really enjoyed doing for the Scrap365 blog

Hop on over (after you finish here :)) and check out the step by steps on the blog and let your imagination go and create some of your own Mexicana .... go on the sequins are calling!! And while you're there look at the right hand side at the top and grab yourself the FREE copy of our new digital magazine .... AMAZING!!!

Then it was more show prep time! Most of the time I work in my craft studio (yes I know I'm lucky to have my own room!) But sometimes I like to sit on the sofa and watch telly while I'm creating (the beauty of digi crafting!)

Sometimes though the woofs get bored :D step 1 ... the paws on the mat and the stare

Step 2 the half body on the mat and the stare under the eyebrows

Step 3 the 'you will pay attention to me' stare

Step 4 'ok I am going to sleep on your hand so you can't move it' LOL Ollie did get his own way eventually and I took them for a walk after getting Stan out of his bed where he had retired having abandoned all hope LOL

And what was I prepping for? The amazing craftscape collection which launched on Create and Craft on 2nd October

This is a page I made live on air with Dean Wilson as my guide :D (the text is using the font Galeforce as lots of you have asked!)

And this is one of my favourites from Twilight forest .... I will share more images and a project tutorial or two soon ;) I just love the kits ,I think they are genius and I can't wait to see what you all do with them!

And finally after the very busy launch I went to Seaton Carew with the boys for a walk on the beach the next day to clear the cobwebs

and beautiful it was too! Although rain was around it was a beautiful Autumn afternoon and the beach and sky just seemed to go on forever! These moments in time are so precious aren't they?

And that's it, all caught up so far, as I said I will be preparing some project tutorials soon and I have some frequently asked questions to answer! Thanks for popping by, I hope you are well and happy and as ever, until soon,
Happy Crafting
Love
MJM x

'I am Youth, I am Joy...'

Hi all

Just popped in to drop off some sneaks of my latest offering for the latest issue of Scrap365 which is on the shelves NOW!! (craft shops and WHSmith) Do you have yours?

I have mine and I was really tickled to see that this issue I am the centrefold LOL and before that conjures up images best not thought about the picture is of my birds nest project!

 

This is one of those projects that I was REALLY, REALLY pleased with. It lived in my head for months before finally tumbling out and was all inspired by a 50p bridesmaid posy holder!

 

This issue of Scrap365 is all about upcycling, re purposing and using up what we have squirreled away in our craft rooms proving that we don't need to spend a fortune to indulge our addiction .... oops I mean hobby :D

I have to give a big shout out to the photography department for the magazine, I love the way they have set up the photos (with the help of our fab editor!) and executed them superbly not just for my project of course but for the whole magazine, it's a visual delight!

To accompany my project I have posted a Step by step on the Scrap365 blog so please do hop on over to see how I did it and see how to transform some tin foil, tissue paper, polystyrene shapes, music paper and of course that posy holder into (what I think) is a beautiful piece of home décor.

 

I hope you enjoy and I hope you get to grab a copy of the magazine to be inspired by all the other glorious projects held within ..... A sunny afternoon, a quiet hour by yourself, maybe a cheeky glass of cold white wine and a superb magazine packed with crafty delights .... what could be better? In fact that's me doing that right now once I have signed off ;)

CHEERS :D

Thanks for popping by I am lining up some posts for you, a few tutorials, frequently asked questions answered, a project revisited and a bit of general life so until I *see you* soon, as ever,
Happy Crafting
Love
MJM x

Scrap Around the World EPIC event!

Hi all

So do you remember me posting at the beginning of the month about the Scrap Around the World EPIC event? Well today is the turn of the uber talented Scrap365 DT to play along and I am lucky enough to be in there too!

 

Scrap Around the World is an amazing challenge blog they release a mood board to work with every month, you get to play along and you get to be chosen for the wall of fame and let me tell you there is inspiration by the bucket load over there from the lovely Helen Tilbury's design team and from the international blog visitors that share their work ... if you haven't checked it out please do and you're not too late to play along with the EPIC event, lots of amazing goodies up for grabs from some amazing sponsors!!

This is the mood board for the EPIC event

 

Please pop over to Scrap Around the World to see all the layouts from the sponsors so far and please pop on over to the Scrap365 blog to see what our DT has done .... gorgeous work that's what!!! BUT before you go here's my offering with some close ups

 

My lovely niece on her 17th birthday. I guess the reference to 'celebrate' on the mood board inspired me to choose this photo as I received the board just after her birthday. I love the fresh colours of the mood board with the turquoise and pink and decided to leave a lot of white space to keep the airy light feel I got from seeing it.

 

The balloons made me think of flying away so I decided to splat the colour onto the page instead of making it too heavy. I used a slightly watered acrylic paint to do this and kept the splats quite thick to add texture. If you have a go at this clear your work space and even take your page outside to splat it if you can, no matter how careful you are the paint gets everywhere LOL Once the paint was completely dry I applied gilding flake glue along the edges of the runs, using my finger to spread it and then used gilding flakes to add the gold like there is at the bottom of the balloons on the mood board

 

I picked out the pinks and turquoises from the mood board with flowers, dew drops and liquid pearls...

 

... as well as with ribbons, lace and twine for added texture

 

To me the doyley added that last bit of birthday tea party feel inspired by the photo of the macaroons.

 

and lastly the typeset on the mood board inspired me to add some of my own handwriting in different colours and styles

 

I hope you like my take on the mood board, I really had fun creating it! Please go and check out all the many, many different interpretations of it on Scrap365 and ultimately on the Scrap Around the World blog, you will be inspired just by the sheer amount of different takes on it let alone by the beautiful work produced! I look forward to seeing your interpretation!!!

 

Thanks for popping by, I hope you're well and happy. I'll be back soon with some stuff ... not sure what yet but lots in the pipeline :) and will definitely be back next Tuesday with my step by step tutorial for my little birdie project in this months Scrap 365 magazine ... have you got yours yet?

 

Until soon, as ever,

Happy Crafting!

Love

MJM x

On a journey with a Prima review

Hi all

Over at Scrap365 this month we have been reviewing some Prima goodies, you really need to check out all the review posts if you haven't seen them as the DT have done some awesome work and it amazes me the diversity of the collections we all had to play with!

I got to play with some product from The Cartographers collection and I created these 3 projects

 

If you hop on over to the Scrap365 blog I have posted a few step by step pics and instructions and also you can read what I thought about the collection .... needless to say all good ... after all it's Prima :D .... enjoy!

 

Please check out the other reviews too you will be inspired and don't forget we regularly review new product over on the blog as well as lots of other bits and pieces to accompany the magazine so why not book mark it as a favourite place to get your mojo going!!

 

Thanks for popping by and join me at the weekend to see how that floral art workshop went ... If I dare share LOL

I hope you're well and happy and as ever, until soon,

 

Happy Crafting

Love

MJM x

 



Scrap365 Blog Hop

Hi all

At Scrap365 we are getting your scrapping New Year off to a flying start!!!
This month we are teaming up with Finnabair and her amazing DT from Mixed Media Place :D

 
One of the things that we are very conscious of at Scrap365 HQ is that if you are new to scrapping it can be really overwhelming with the choice of products to use and the host of styles to emulate….the same could be said if you’re experienced!!

So we have decided that 2014 is the year to get BACK to BASICS!! It doesn’t matter if you have been scrapping for ten years or ten days...you will be sure to learn something new along the way!

Finn has very kindly donated a marvellous prize to either add to your stash or to get you started.

 
All you need to do to be in with a shot of the prize is follow the Scrap365 and Mixed Media Place blogs. Like both on Facebook and leave a message on the Scrap365 blog telling us which layout principle you are going to try! We would love to see your take on the Principles so be sure to upload them to our Facebook page :)

Our January Blog Hop is all about layout principles. This fabulous prompt was found on Pinterest, courtesy of SuzyQ Scraps. It really sums up the beginnings of every layout.

 

So continue your blog hop journey with us and see how this turns into some glorious pieces of art :)

 

And here is my little offering

 

 

I chose to work with the 6th principle on the sketch ... Texture. I love making my work 'touchy feely' and I like people to have not only a visual experience but also a tactile experience when I share my work.

 

Texture can be added to your work in so many different ways. It can be done with embellishments, material, paint and even the paper itself. I'm going to break down my layout for you to give you a few ideas on how you could add texture to your layouts and hopefully prompt you to explore other ways for yourself. 

 

There are so many gorgeous papers on the market now that already look textured and they are a great place to start from as with my base 12 x 12 from 7 dots studios, I then set to work with some distressing....

 

 

I do this by holding my scissor blade at a 90 degree angle to the edge of my paper and scratching it backwards and forwards. Start gently and add more and more pressure as you get the feel of the paper to create as much or as little distressing as you desire.

 

 

Ripping the edges also gives a different paper texture, rip towards you to reveal the core of the paper.

 

 

I created a 'scrunched' frame for my small photo which added a different paper texture and even more dimension to my layout. Distress the edges of a mat which is cut a bit larger than the photo and then curl up the edges, ripping into the frame as you go.

 

 

Once all my paper and photos were distressed I moved onto some fabric texture with ribbons and lace. All sorts of fabrics make for great textural additions to your work from net to hessian, ric rac braid to felt, velvet to denim.

 



 

I like to attach my lace and ribbon with staples by pleating them roughly as I go to add some movement to the strips I use. Also the metal of the staple plays really nicely against the texture of the lace.

 

And then I raided my embellishment boxes and added even more texture with metal, wood, resin, cork and wire. Pick textures that not only feel different next to each other but also textures that the eyes can see which creates a visually textural feast even if the viewer can't touch your work physically.

The last thing to add was my journaling (which is a quote from Bruce Lee) You can add texture with your alphas too, some are 'touchy feely' with so many great choices on the market and I also find by mixing up the styles of alphas I use I can create visual texture too.

 

The following close ups show the mix of textures I have used in a little more detail.

 

 

Layering up the elements creates texture in itself by adding dimension.

 





 

and doodling some of the title adds my own personal texture to my work

 

 

I hope this will inspire you to add some extra texture to your work and have a play about with different materials and embellishments.

 

That's it from me for this little installment of our blog hop, I hope you've enjoyed your visit and will pop back soon to *see me* Now it's time to hop off to the next lovely in our list, the uber talented Pascale and one of the lovely Mixed Media Place girls, you're in for a treat ... enjoy! (just click on her name to get there)

 

Don't forget to leave your comments on the Scrap365 Blog when you get back to the beginning and follow the instructions to be in for a chance to win that gorgeous prize! And maybe you could leave some blog love on the DT blogs along the way ;)

 

Thanks for your visit and until soon, as ever,

Happy Crafting

Love

MJM x

 

Materials used; Paper = 7 dots studio - Messy Head & Glitz designs - Wild and Free Arrows, Drip. Embellishments = Prima decorative wooden embellishments, Tim Holtz idea-ology cogs, Metal charms from PaperArts, Websters pages - Alison Kreft recorded stickers, Freckled Fawn cork arrows,

Alphas = American Crafts Thickers - Sentiment foil letter stickers, Cosmo Cricket tiny type



 

A Little bit of Christmas Inspiration

Hi all

How are you? Well and happy I hope! Well so far so good on the blogging front from me LOL!

Just a quickie to pop in and drop this off ...

 

The December/January issue of Scrap365 is on sale today so why not grab a copy and indulge in some crafty Christmas and winter inspiration!

 

 

There's an article in there from little old me too ;) A little inspiration for last minute Christmas gifts or just a different way to capture your memories using box frames. I'll give you a couple of sneak peek pictures if you promise not to tell but you'll just have to get your mitts on the mag to see the full project ;)

 

 

 

Told you they would be sneak peeks ;)

 

Enjoy the magazine and I'll see you soon, until then as ever Happy Crafting

 

Love MJM x



 

 

 

Has it been so long???

Hi all

Sneaking in to remove the dust covers, open the curtains and let some air in to my little corner of blogdom!

I really cannot believe it has been so long! I had to giggle to myself when I read the last post and made a comment about it not being May like weather but more like November .... prophetic? Or am I just rubbish LOL

I guess I need to find some love for blogging again, I know I posted ages ago about this very subject. I used to love blogging and leaving little bits of my life here in cyber space but think I got a little jaded with it all, being on so many design teams at one point when blogging was not an option as I posted my regular DT projects every month. As life got busier in other ways I had to part company with a lot of those lovely companies and suddenly I was free to choose when I blogged. I intended to take a little time off but it's like going on a holiday, it takes me a little while to resume normal life and I guess my blog has suffered the most. Anyway no excuses and no apologies that's the way it is, however I am going to try and get back into the groove and hopefully will make it back here a little more often ..... but no promises right??!!

I am stacking up some posts now, basically having a blogging day ;) There will be catch up bits, up to date bits and hopefully lots of crafty bits :)

But to end this post the first thing I am going to drop off is this link to the Scrap365 blog

.... there is a blog hop and you still have time to join in for the chance to win the new American Crafts Autumn Crisp collection. There is loads of lovely inspiration on the blogs of some of my fellow DT members on the mag so go on why not indulge and be inspired and remember to read the rules, post along the way and you could win all those goodies! Why am I not in the blog hop? Too busy this month but I will be playing along with the next one ;)

Right my crafty lovelies and anyone who has stumbled along here by chance I will get this posted and keep writing some more posts and who knows maybe it will be worth popping back really soon!

Until then, as ever, Happy Crafting!
Love
MJM x

A sketch challenge to share

Yoo hoo! Surprise!! Told you I’d be back soon bet you didn’t believe me did you LOL

I am popping in here to continue my catch up although a little out of chronological order today as I want to drop this off. My version of the sketch challenge over on the Sketch book 365 blog. I know the October sketch will be going live soon so I didn’t want to miss the boat on this one!

The scrap365 blog is a great place of inspiration and of course is an extension of the fabulous Scrap365 magazine. Every month the design team is sent a sketch to work with for the Sketch book 365 blog and then you also get to play along with us.

This was the sketch for September

And this is what I came up with

And here are some close ups

The paper is quite highly patterned in the background but I really liked the way it worked with my story, it’s from American crafts and although patterned I still managed to add some paint splatter!

I added some ripped and torn paper then distressed and raised my photos

And the bottle top holds tiny shells all held in place with some crystal glaze

Somewhere I do have a full materials list written down but can I find it? I’ve been tidying, say no more, sorry! Why not pop on over to the Sketch book 365 blog to see what the other designers have come up with, it always amazes me the different ways a sketch can be interpreted, and then why not play along?

Thanks for popping by, I hope you’re well and happy and as I’m on a roll I hope to see you soon ;)

As ever Happy Crafting

Love MJM x