Another Crafty Moment.

I popped into the shop on Sunday to do a bit of secret crafting while we were closed. It's the only real time I get now. I've made a couple of applications to design teams, so I've had to get a few extras on to the gallery - partly because the bits I consider to be my best are all currently under consideration. As I have 5 or 6 filled albums (and that's just the layouts that came off the walls when we moved shop 6 months ago) I'm sure I have loads of stuff that hasn't even made it to the gallery yet! Anyway, I have some classes coming up at the store, so I spent Sunday creating just two new layouts. I'm guilty of being in a bit of a rut lately & just knocking out a couple of quick designs as & when I need them.

I really enjoyed spending a bit more time on these ones & going back to all the little touches that add minutes but you only notice when they are not there - eyelets instead of brads (although now I have a crop-a-dile they are just as effortless as brads); inked edges; lots of layers etc ... & mixing up the titles a bit - I've not done that for a while.

The first has photos from when I moved into the very first shop, almost three years ago & uses Basic Grey 'Dawson' papers & alphas. All the accents were handcut using the new 'Thinga-ma-jigs' template from Hot Off The Press.

Looby has set the second weekly design challenge over on the shop blog - so this week I'm particularly thinking about hand cutting. This second layout is another I've been threatening to do for ages. The papers are American Crafts 'Bookshelf', Dawson Alphas again but mixed up with Ellison Junk Drawer die cuts for the title. The flowers were all handcut from the AC papers - the smaller ones were stencilled from the Thinga-ma-jigs template, as was the ampersand (how much do I love this template!!) The journaling is direct on to the page - no matted blocks & there's just a touch of stapled ribbon & button embellies.

I do have another double layout from the July personal shopper kit to share with you - but I'm gonna save it for another day! After I share it with the personal shopper class this friday night (who'd have thought fridays would be such a popular night for a class?) You can see the first one here over on the shop blog.

Oh! and all the Basic Grey & American Crafts papers are on BOGOF in store. If you can't visit the physical shop, keep an eye on the new webshop in the next few days - they'll be on there by the end of the week - American Crafts 'Bookshelf' are already online here - I'll be adding 'The Goods' next ;o)