Strawberry Pickings - Blog Hop

Hello Everyone

I was tagged by a really lovely lady, Helen Wallace, to play along with this Blog Hop (with a difference).

If you know Helen, then she is certainly a lady for words and journalling, so please excuse me, if I am not as "fluent" or poetic as Helen!! ;-)

Helen tagged me in her post here and if you would like to go and take a peep at her blog, I am sure she would appreciate it! You will also see what I mean about her journalling and story telling, which is certainly so wonderful and fabulous! Helen has a way with words and also creates beautiful cards and pages alike!

Helen has certainly inspired me to journal more and also think about the journalling, before I even start my pages! It certainly has helped me to create "well rounded" pages, if I can say it like that! ;-) So thanks Helen for tagging me, it certainly was an honour for me! ;-)

To start off, many people probably wonder why my blog is called Strawbs Patch.  Well I have had a nickname for many years and that is Strawbs. So when I decided to create a blog for my creative hobbies etc, I thought "Strawbs little creative patch", could be quite nice.  It has stuck and is still my little creative patch!

What am I working on right now?

I am busy with 3 projects simultaneously.  I am busy with a BoBunny off the page project, using the sunny and bright Lemonade Stand collection.  I am also starting my BerryBleu71 July project, and I am just about to post our new Scrap Africa challenge for tomorrow.  Here is a little sneak peak of my page tomorrow.

How does my work differ from others of it's genre?

I really don't actually know what to say here! I think I have a shabby chic style, but I am evolving to use lots of mixed media and so how that is different from others, I'm not sure! I think everyone has their own little creative stamp, so that when someone looks at your work, they have a pretty good idea of who created the page! To define that "stamp" is the difficult part. I just know that I love scrapbooking and I would hope that anyone looking at my projects would know that I created them with love and with a passion for creating! ;-)

Why do I write/create what I do?

I think I have partly answered that above, but I also want to document and leave something for my son, who will one day grow up and have a family of his own.  He loves my scrapbooking and often will sit with me, while I am scrapping and create little cards and projects of his own.  I always show him my pages and tell him what they are about. There has not been a disapproval yet! ;-) 

How does your writing/creative process work?

Sometimes it starts with a photo and I think to myself, that must definitely be scrapped.

Sometimes it starts with a thought about a moment that I don't want to forget and really want to document.

Sometimes it starts with a little inspiration seed from a project that I have seen in a magazine, and think about how I could incorporate that into a project.

Sometimes it's a colour or a picture I have seen in my day.

So yes, something always triggers my creative juices and then I just follow where it leads me.

How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

Again, this is partly answered above! Many things inspire me and when I have a little flavour to run with, then I must see how it turns out. I often lay in bed at night and think about current projects and one's coming up. This is normally right before I close my eyes and go to sleep and it's such a good energy to go to sleep with! I can assure you that I wake up with the very same energy! ;-) This always leads me to creating later on in the day. Sometimes it's frustrating that I have to get the work day over with, before that process can begin!

I also love beautiful papers and accents, there is nothing better than creating with papers you really love and knowing that whatever you create must turn out "good" because the materials are so good.

Being on DT's and seeing wonderful materials and getting to use them, is certainly inspiration too. I can't begin to tell you how the creative juices flow when you get to see new collections behind the scenes and then wait for the parcel to arrive in the post.  It is like Christmas, on any given day!!! It is just awesome! ;-)

What is my signature style?

I think that was answered in various questions above! It's a combination of things.

To name the "stamp", it's not a black and white answer! ;-)

I have tagged 3 creative friends, who will be sharing their creative journey's with you next week Monday.

They are

Wilna Cremer

Wilna I recently met, when we did the Scrapping4Charity weekend.  Wilna and I had a  good laugh and she was such a great help on the weekend! Wilna also is also a fabulous creator and she has a wonderful shabby chic style. She is a super teacher too and anyone who attends her classes, would really learn a few things! 

Desire Fourie

Desire is an inspiring card maker and she really does make wonderful cards! I admire how she creates a lot of her own embelishments and flowers, that certainly is amazing and certainly helps the budget a lot!

Her colouring techniques are fabulous!

Jaya Raghuvanshi

Jaya's projects caught my eye, because she has a fabulous style. I love the design of her pages and her textures and layering.  She has such a natural artsy style, that I would certainly give my eye teeth for! ;-)

As Helen mentioned in her post, through cyberspace, I have also made some wonderful friendships.

There are many of these creators, ladies and men, that I truly admire and are so inspired by.

I have had the privilege of meeting some of them and it has added so much to my creative journey!

So to all my scrappy friends, I thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement and the wonderful inspiration that I always find on your blogs! Every single one of you! ;-)

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me a little bit more.

Denise x

All Woman - Somewhere in Time - BoBunny

Hello Everyone

I have a double pager to share with you today! This is really rare, as I really don't do much double pagers anymore.  But I was asked for this DT assignment and I am actually so happy, because I am thrilled with how it came out.  

This double pager is also up on the BoBunny Blog where we are showing the beautiful Somewhere in Time Collection.  It's a bit vintage, a bit steampunky and just gorgeous!

So here is my double pager.

I had recently done a canvas which I shared on my blog, for the BerryBleu71 challenge about Marilyn.  It was while I was researching her a little, that I found these amazing photo's and also some wonderful quotes.

 She was not a size 8 and had beautiful curves, definitely "All Woman" and she was not afraid to show her curves! So this page is about celebrating being a woman and loving who you are, whether you are a size 8 or not!!

I found quite a number of Marilyn Monroe quotes that were absolutely fabulous and I used one here, which I really loved - "I don't mind living in a man's world as long as I can be a woman in it".  My journaling says: I love that she was a full figured woman and was so very beautiful.  I love that she was all woman!"

I did some stencilling and gesso work and then added some paints, stamping and then some cogs.  I also did a lot of fussy cutting of the blooms, which are absolutely gorgeous!

Below is a close-up of the journalling.

Patterned Paper: Antiquity, Beauty, Timeless, Evening Mist/ Somewhere in Time
Stickers: Cardstock Sticker/ Modern Miss
Noteworthy: Somewhere in Time
Buttons: Somewhere in Time
Brads: Autumn Song
Jewels: Somewhere in Time
Stamps: On This Day, Wall to Wall Textures, It is Written, Distressed Textures
Kraft: Wood Gears

Thanks so much for popping by!

I really appreciate your visits and comments!

Denise x

Two Peas in a Bucket

Hi Everyone

This was such a shock to me! Yikes....

 

Thought I would share this with you here, in case you have any credits etc.

 

 

Denise x

Fun Times - Scrap Around the World Challenge June 2014

Hello Everyone

I have been scrapping up a storm and enjoying the creating so much! So yes, I have another page to share and it's for the Scrap Around the World June Challenge here.  Di really give a super and gorgeous challenge.



This mood board definitely smacks of summer and even has a European look to it and so I immediately knew that I wanted to scrap our European summer spent in Austria, 2 years ago. I had a picture of Joe and in mind and it was perfect.

This is certainly one of my most remembered summers and I know is also a firm favourite for Joe! He loved everything about Austria and often asks when we will go again.

So here is my page.

I used a combination of BoBunny Lemonade Stand, Our Lil Monster and Happy Tails collections, as well as a few bits and bobs from scrappy stash.

I used a new BoBunny stamp too, which is the little bubbles stamp.  It's super.

Helen Tilbury had given me an idea with regards to the non slip runner matting and it was perfect for some texture.

LOL...Joe loves ice-cream and so this was the perfect photo to use here too! 

Thanks so much for popping by!
I hope you have a super evening!
Denise x

Beginings - Prima BAP

Hello Everyone

I have had a great time finding some scrappy time and really enjoying just being able to create and chill out.

I finished a page for the Prima BAP. Here was the sketch.

I went with a picture that I had scrapped many moons ago and felt, that possibly I had not done it justice.

So here is my second take.....I might try and find a photo of the first one..

This was me on my 1st birthday. A lifetime ago!!!!

I used the beautiful Meadow Lark collection. It is still one of my favourite Prima collections.

I love the colouring on this page and was really pleased with how the purples all blended so well.

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope you had a super Sunday!

Denise x

BoBunny Mixed Media Cards

Hello Everyone

I hope that you have had a scrappy and restful Saturday! I have managed to catch up on quite a few projects and things, so I am feeling quite pleased with myself.

Anyways, I am up on the BoBunny blog today with some mixed media cards. Please pop along and have a look at all the cards created by the DT, but here are mine.

Enchanted Garden is a fabulous collection and so pretty with it's colours and theme.

Here is a close-up of the gesso, watercolouring and stamping, along with some washi tape.  The new BoBunny stamps are so fabulous...they are great keepers! ;-)

For my second card I used the Modern Miss collection.

Again I did some watercolouring, and also added some drywall tape for texture. I love the vibrant colours on this card.

Check out these awesome new BoBunny stamps.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I really appreciate your visits!

Have a super evening!

Denise x

Marilyn - Berry71Blue June Challenge

Hello Everyone

Today is my turn on the Berry71Bleu blog to share my project for the June Challenge.

The theme this month is: Favorite Movie or TV Show & the challenge is: Multiple Photos. Your project must be centered around your favorite movie or TV show and must consist of more than one photo. You can use the same photo twice or use different photos--the choice is yours. If you just can't pick one movie or TV show--then feel free to center your project on your favorite actor or actress, this counts as well.

I chose to create a canvas of a Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe. She really did catch my eye when I was little and I remember a little bit about the gossip about her and Kennedy.

I chose this picture of her, as it's such a super, womanly one.

My background was made up of wonderful vintage papers and an envelope from Gauche Alchemy. The main piece was actually an old letter, on very fine paper, which I just glued on and then watercoloured and painted.  It was written in fountain ink, so made for a spectacular background! ;-)

I also added some texture with gauze and texture paste. The butterfly from Scrapiniec  was embossed with red and copper powders. Some stamping was also done with Viva Las Vegas Stamps and BoBunny stamps.

I also went to town on my frame and I added texture with texture paste, embossing powders, leaf remnants and paints.  I really love how it came out, looking all old and rusty!

As always, any project is not complete without some gorgeous Prima flowers...so these were added too, with a few metal accents and sugar dots.

Marilyn was really a stunning woman and when I did a little research I found some wonderful quotes that she said. I thought they were fabulous.

This

This last quote is just the best! ;-)

I have done a DT project of this super lady too, and will share that with you in the next few weeks. So yes, Marilyn has certainly been part of my creative energy lately! ;-)

Hopefully you will come and play along with us! 

I hope you have a super Friday!

Thanks for popping by!

Denise x

Scrap Africa Challenge no.30

Morning Everyone

I am back from my scrappy weekend and it was a blast! It was really nice to meet so many new people and also have a chance to share some of my scrappy styles with the class.

We had a class of 60 ladies...and believe me, it was quite a task to get round to everybody and also answer all the questions.  Luckily I had Wilna Cremer to help me and so we were able to "hopefully" get round to everybody.

I think we were also really lucky, in that, we had a lovely group of ladies and they were actually quite easy. No difficult ladies at all! ;-). So thanks to Cathy van Vollenstee...it was a super weekend!

I was absolutely shattered when I got home last night...but all for the good! ;-)

Scrap Africa has a new challenge up and hopefully you will join us.  It's a Scrap Your Stash challenge....and I KNOW that you ladies all have a stash....so come and play along!

I created this card, using one of the first collections I ever bought....Basic Grey Sweet Threads.

I did a lot if distressing and watercolouring and used rub-ons and chippies. Hopefully a new fresh, vintage look to some old goodies.

I really hope you will join us....

Thank so much for stopping by!
Have a super day!
Denise x

Thank You Card

Hello Everyone

Sorry that things are a bit slow on my blog at the moment.  I have a huge scrapping weekend coming up and have been very busy getting all my kits and stuff together.

This should give you an idea.

So yes, it has been rather busy on my end.  It has meant that I have also had to get ahead with all my DT projects too! ;-)

Anyways, I am looking forward to it and I am sure it is going to be some good fun.

On Thursday night I had my usual scrap and chat night with the ladies and I made a card.  I loved the fussy cutting.

These papers, from Prima, were such a hit with me, because you could really put the patterned papers to use, with all the wonderful designs for fussy cutting.

I created many layers and was good fun putting it all together.

Anyways, I hope you have a good Sunday.

Have a super, restful day.

Denise x

June Challenge - Berry71Bleu

Hello Everyone

There is a new challenge over at Berry71Bleu. Check out Kay's super challenge and page below.

I will be back later in the month to share my page! ;-)

Favorite Movie or TV Show June Challenge by Kay

Hello once again fellow Berry71Bleu fans, Kay here presenting the June 2014 challenge!  This months theme is: Favorite Movie or TV Show & the challenge is: Multiple Photos 

Your project must be centered around your favorite movie or TV show & must consist of more than one photo.  You can use the same photo twice or use different photos--the choice is yours.  If you just can't pick one movie or TV show--then feel free to center your project on your favorite actor or actress, this counts as well.

Television has evolved greatly since it was first introduced as has the movies.  We've come a long way from the silent films of the 1920's.  Some may say that we've gone a bit overboard with the amount of computer animation & technology that composes many of the action films of today.  However, whether you prefer the modern day film or a classic black & white movie--we all have our faves. 

Sitcoms and/or TV shows have become part of our everyday day lives.  From 'I Love Lucy' to 'Three's Company' to 'The Walking Dead'--there are countless of TV shows with a variety of themes & let's not forget all those countless reality shows.  'I Wanna Marry Prince Harry' comes to mind as a recent reality show that makes me wanna pick up a good ol' fashioned book!  But that will be a theme for another challenge!  :-)

My favorite movie is 'The Breakfast Club'.  I love 80's movies in general, but this is one that always makes me stop channel surfing when I come upon it.  With the wonderful software known as Photoshop--I have become an honorary member of 'The Breakfast Club'!

Didn't you all know that I was actually part of the original cast for 'The Breakfast Club'?  I was given the part of 'the rebel'.  This is the photo that was going to be used for the movie--but I decided to opt out--acting really isn't my thing.  :-)

Here's a close up of the photo.  That's me sitting on the end.  Not bad eh?  I think the role of 'the rebel' would've worked out had it been part of the movie!  Tsk, tsk, tsk...Hollywood doesn't know what it's missed!

Papers used are from 7 Dots Studio & Gauche Alchemy.  Several of the embellishments used throughout this page came from Gauche Alchemy as well.  I had the pleasure of working with one of their kits & there are so many unique bits & bobs included in the kit that I had never seen before.

Included in the Gauche Alchemy kit were several strips of Punchinella--also another first for me.  I had never had the option to use this before & I have to say that I love the visual effect it gave my background.

I've also used several chipboard elements from Scrapiniec.  The splatters of white that you see on the background of my page were made with a stamp from Viva Las Vegas & white acrylic paint.  I dabbed a bit of white paint directly onto the stamp with a small foam brush & then lightly pressed down with the stamp randomly around my page.

As part of my journaling I included just a few of my fave quotes from the movie.

The design of my page was based on a sketch from Page Drafts.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of your favorite movies/TV Shows, actors or actresses!  I hope you will all have fun with this challenge.

Now onto the prizes for this month.  There are some fabulous ones up for grabs, amongst them a voucher from my Etsy shop--just remember, you gotta be in it to win it!

First Prize:

Gauche Alchemy Themed Kit + Punchinella Variety Pack
(Actual Prize May Differ From Photo)

Second Prize:
7 Dots Studio - Love is in the Air Collection

Random Prize:
Kay's Kreative Korner Gift Voucher 
(A small sample of the butterflies available from Kay)

Sponsors:

Gauche Alchemy 

Gauche Alchemy is on hiatus but will be back soon.

E-mail us anytime: create@gauchealchemy.com

Join the Gauche party on Facebook!

Stalk us on Twitter!

Drool over Gauche creations and add your own in our Flickr Group!

Check out our virtual inspiration board on Pinterest!

And don’t forget to visit us regularly on our blog. 

Gauche Alchemy is for those that create outside of the box, those that create inside of the box and those that tear the box a new one…

Discover the secret that every great altered artist, scrapbooker, cardmaker, memory-keeper and mixed media artist knows. Whether you are new to the process or have already discovered the joy and flexibility inherent in a varied stash of inspiring supplies, Gauche Alchemy is here to feed your art and soul – a friendly push from your personal muse!

Gauche Alchemy specializes in kits filled to the brim with fabulous finds and artistic goodness. If your addiction is vintage ephemera, found objects,
beautiful fabric, trendy paper or unique embellishments, we’re here to enable you – oh yeah! Our kits are designed to make you laugh, question social convention and remind us of our past (the good, the bad, the whimsical – even the downright kitschy).

Each kit is designed to jostle your creativity with unique tidbits, coordinated colors and delicious textures. If you are unaccustomed to working with our unique offerings, GOOD! Our goal is to encourage different ways of thinking about the art that is all around us. We are big fans of "upcycling" and hope to encourage others to join us on our path to "recycle, reuse, repurpose!"

  7 Dots Studio

http://7dotsstudio.com/

We are a team of creative women who cannot image their world without
paper, glue and the creative process. Scrapbooking is our passion and we
love to share our passion with other scrapbookers. For this reason, 7
Dots Studio exists. The quality of our products is our top priority. Our
collections are made from thick (250gsm), acid-free, lignin-free,
archival scrapbooking paper. We also offer high quality cardstock
stickers.

Kay's Kreative Korner

Kay's Kreative Korner was opened in 2009. It began simply as a way of sharing a few of my handmade items. I opened my shop with a couple of hand stamped cards, butterflies & a few pre-made scrapbook pages. Within a year, I stopped making cards and decided to concentrate on specific embellishments--I went with the butterfly. I've always admired the butterfly & what it symbolizes. Change, transformation, a new start, beginnings...with this concept I started making scrapbook embellishments based on existing butterflies from all around the world as well as butterflies that I have designed myself. Each butterfly is hand cut & carefully assembled by me.

Within a few months I started to add transparent 'Glass' butterflies which are clear in nature but add a very bold & unique touch to any crafty project. My latest creations are the 'Rose' butterfly collection which are butterflies with roses on their wings & the 'Message on Wings' butterfly collection with sentiments printed on their wings that can be personalized.

In addition to the butterflies I specialize in vines & beaded flowers. Each item is handmade with much TLC and careful precision. My greatest reward is seeing how others use my embellishments on their own projects & pages or to decorate a special occasion. 

A special thanks to Gauche Alchemy, Scrapiniec Die-Cut Chipboard and Viva Las VegaStamps! for sponsoring the Berry71Bleu Design Team this month!

Scrapiniec Die-Cut Chipboard

Blog: http://scrapiniec-inspiracje.blogspot.com/

Scrapiniec is the first Polish manufacturer of laser die-cut
chipboard products for use in scrapbooking. They satisfy even the most
unusual individual orders and are characterized by reliability, high
quality and friendly customer service.

Viva Las VegaStamps!

Website: http://www.vlvstamps.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vlvstamps

Blog: http://vivalas.blogspot.com/

Viva Las VegaStamps! has the world's largest collection of rubber stamps under any roof in our Las Vegas Retail Store. We manufacture and sell over 19,000 different images throughout the world to retail customers as well as retail stores. We also sell our unique Miracle Tape in six sizes as well as sheets. Check out our Steampunk Images and our new releases each month. We have stamps from other companies, a Bargain Basement with reductions up to 75 percent off and Dollar Deals!

Please note that if the winner(s) of this challenge are international they will be responsible for shipping costs. Make sure you follow our CHALLENGE RULES.

Thank you and we hope to see your beautiful creations this month!

We appreciate each and every challenge entry and share the designs that catch our eye on ourfacebook page and Pinterest Boards. Look for your work there!

Have a super, scrappy weekend!

Denise x