King of the house

This is my contribution for Lilo's summer blog party challenge. The challenge was to use as many things as possible from her favourite list.

This page started out as an idea to paper piece a house, combine that with the king of heart paper and create a page about the king of the house. The king of the house is really the king of the house. He lived here before us. He refused to move. But he was nice and allowed us to move in. Isn't that a king of a house, I don't really know what's a king of a house...

Lilo's favourite list goes

Patterned papers -- yes, they are there. Seven or eight of them.
Layer on layer -- yes we have to call this layer on layer
Lace -- yes, on the roof like a fancy rain gutter :)
Buttons -- yes, some here and some there. One of them was supposed to be a small guy, but I manged to capture the page on picture before that button turned into a small guy...
Sewing machine - I imitated that one. ;)
Embroidery - Well... I did some kind of embroidery on another page recently and to be honest... I didn't cope to do that again. :)
Staples - I decided not to use staples on this page ;)
Fun decorations - Hmmm. Fun is subjective. But I used a game marker which I put a sticker in/on, I managed to make a house and cut out some flowers from patterned papers and I adhered some of those owls which I haven't used yet.
Text strips - Yes, they are there
Acrylic - Yes, around the photo. One of my favourite ways to use acrylic...

Does he know?

Susny's summer blog party challenge is a do and don't. It means that some things are a must and some things are no no to have on what I create.

Must have

Alphabet stickers/Thickers -- Yes
At least two hearts -- Two plus some more
Journaling square/spot (as it comes, stamped or homemade) -- Yes, a red stamped one
Drawn contours -- Yes, on the thickers, the cloud, the heart, some of the handwritten words and on most of the Elsie-papers

Not allowed
Cardstock -- No, I used a patterned paper as background
Brads -- I cannot see any
Bling/Glitter -- Missing
Lace (ribbon is ok) -- No fabric on this page

This challenge is combined with Scrapping the music #47 - Stay Beautiful. That is to scrap a layout honoring someone beautiful by inspiration from the lyrics to Stay Beautiful by Taylor Swift. The title "Does he know?" is taken from the lyrics and it represents the unsecurity a mother sometimes may feel regarding if her son does know how much she loves him. The photo is of the first real kiss he gave me. He must have been less then six months old when that picture was taken. The thought bubble says "I'm taking pictures in my mind, So I can save them for a rainy day". This is a constant reminder for me to save pictures of things we do and say and hopefully they will help to console and comfort when things get tough at the same time as I will have funny stories to tell...

The journaling is the chorus which go

You're beautiful
Every little piece love, don't you know
You're really gonna be someone, ask anyone
When you find everything you looked for
I hope your life leads you back to my door
Oh but if it don't, stay beautiful

A mothers door is always open regardless of what happens. But... does he know? That's something you never can take for granted. And... it doesn't matter how much you wish him to know...

Reflections and questions from a creative mind

This text may seem a bit harsh, but... doesn't we all have our moments? Perhaps is it that I suffer from sunstroke. Or... is it just that I am trying to be serious or at least be taken for serious? I would appreciate if you take the time to read through the text and also react to it.

Creative Mind Illustration by Crisp™

More? How do I manage to squeeze so much in on the pages I create? And how do I think to make it not too whimsy for the eye to behold? That second question is of course with exceptions and it's really in the eye of the beholder to judge how calm or not the page is to watch. There are not many of you who even bother to comment when you visit here to see what I put my heart and soul into and create. Then there are you who brightens up my days by leaving a line or two. And some of you sometimes ask me how I do. I have written some text on how I create before. I can probably write even more about it... Now to what's on my mind.

I added the challenge category after the great response I recieved to my writings concerning freestyle scrapping on a scrap forum. I got the feeling that there are many people sitting at their scrap desk who want to just let loose and create with a free and creative mind. The challenges I give in the challenge category are given with hope of inspiring you to create from what ever comes into your mind when you see the challenge in question. These challenges are often based on pictures since I figure that it's easier to think and associate from something you have before your eyes. To grasp some detail and see where it may take you. I have realised that this is how I create. I find some thread to start with. And then... I just go and go 'til it's enough.

I added the technical category to show what I encounter when I scrap. Those things are not rocket science. Those things which I have collected during my first encounter with the term scrapbooking - or even long time before that since I always have squeezed things into my photo albums. Those things that just crosses my mind in the making. Those things that I seldom can point out one single inspirational source for. Those things that I sometimes take for granted. Those things that I realise that some people don't even notice. Things that we all can think about and do/make/create with quite simple means. Things that will make me and you to think outside the box. To create those small details which hopefully adds something extra to a page and perhaps also surprises.

I have also started to write more around each page I create. What that page tells me or... rather what I want to say with that page. These texts are pieces of my inner mind which I make public.

So... are these things interesting for you who read my blog? Is there any worth in me posting these categories? And... what else would you like to see and read about? Or... should I just shut my big trout? ;)

Some people who have met me in real life have told me that they would like to have a look inside my brain. I usually reply something like that I, sometimes, also would like to have a look there. To see how it really works. So I can find the words for my thoughts, my convictions or just what's on my mind. This means that it's probably well worth for me to write down text about how I create and think and not think when I create. That is in order for me to understand and likely learn more. But... should I keep these texts for myself or are they also of interest for someone else? It's probably the researcher in me who thinks that any knowledge (research) which is not put open for critics are not knowledge (research). Therefore... shoot. Tell me what you like and not like with my blog. What you would like to see more or less of. And so on. I have my convictions and some of you seem to regard me as cold (that is to come from people who never have met me), but that does in no way mean that I cannot reconsider and change. If you ask me, I would say that constant thirst for experience and knowledge is one of the most important ingredients in life. This is the space where I open up for you to affect me and what comes out of my tapping on the keyboard. Catch that opportunity by leaving a comment. If you for some reason, regardless of what that reason may be, don't want to post your thoughts out on the open Internet - drop me an e-mail on maxellexam@gmail.com I am looking forward to see the reaction, if there even will be any, to this posting. And... if it's dead quiet I may likewise put the whole thing down...

I should perhaps add something about why I write my blog in some kind of English. Well it's just as simple as that I realised that it would be easier to finish my doctoral thesis if I use the same language in most of my writing. And... I also noted that there were some non-Swedish visitors to my blog. Even if the pictures often are the most important thing in scrapbooking... I thought that I also should make it possible for "everyone" to see the things that happen behind the scenes. :)

Outside in our garden

I also took on mahlin78's material challenge. The following things had to be on the page I created.

2 photos
2 patterned papers
2 cardstock
2 ribbon/lace
4 flowers
4 brads
Hand written title. That is the whole title has to be handwritten.

It's him again. At work... outside in our garden. I cannot explain the clouds there. There were no clouds in the sky on that day... but for some reason, I just put them there anyway. Perhaps to fit in that second cardstock since I used a clear background. :)


2 photos are there. 2 patterned papers makes up two trees. Two trees that actually are in the garden for real. :) 2 cardstock where the greeen one is my handcut grass, flowerstems and leaves and the white one are the clouds. 2 ribbons in the form of ric rac are used as flower stems. 4 flowers are... well... there are only four flowers on this page. :) 4 different brads makes out the flower centres. The title is - yes - handwritten. I then hope that it's ok that I added a clear background where I painted in the water he is spreading all around.

My little garden santa on his summer job

I took on Marie's or Bitte's bingo challenge. Bingo challenge means that you are scrap from one row and use the four things this row contains. Besides these things, it's free to add additional things. My row is the last horizontal one. The one that contains buttons, something stamped, only one photo and at least three patterned papers.


It's my garden santa. :) The garden was full of santas. That was before we took over the house where we live. There is only one santa here now and that's him. The garden is full of flowers, trees and other living things which need to be taken care of. We can say that it's a lot of work and I am therefore happy that I managed to put my child into work, that is to say that he, as the title says, has a summer job.


I found that little santa which is also watering some flowers and he just had to go on this page. now I urge for more of these nice pictures to use in my scrapping. The grass is a really nice decoration which I also just found here in my stash. I wonder where I can get more of that one too... it's made of some plastic material and has a nice texture and a vauge transparent touch. I also like the texture and that little extra that some yarn give to a page. Bingo! Three buttons that is. One red, one green and one yellow. Each with an attached pin. Something stamped is a photocorner, the title and a bird. One photo is there. Finally, at least three patterned pappers ended up as eight patterned papers or ten depending on how you calculate. I really like to scrap those scraps. To find the papers that go with the theme and color matches.

I have designed some more

From Jomma's large kit for July that is.

The royal theme of this kit really suited me. :)


Click the picture to see more.

Imagine you had 1 million $s

Scrapmojo prompted me (and you and everybody else) to ask someone in your family or someone close to you what they would do if they had a Million dollars and then scrap that person's answers. We were also asked to try to include a picture of the person in question. If that was not enough :) , we were challenged to use a pen/pin anywhere on the page. It was possible to, for instance, use a pen for journaling or a stick pin on the page.

I realised that I would not get any usable answer from that little one. :) I also realised that I should spare you from the crazy answers which my father definitely would have given. I also realised that I should not challenge by posing that question to my mother. So... I made a deal. I encouraged him to be free this weekend if he gave me the answer. And... here it is. What he would do if he had one million $s.


The green color is a must since it's about green dollars. Gold is not something I really use, but here it was suitable. And all those small tiny cards of clubs. They just had to go there based on two things. First, the Swedish word for clubs is a synonym for money. Second, if you play your cards well, you will succeed. I put in the old song which goes "Money, money, money is a rich man's fun". I also put a watch there together with "Not if... when?" and what that means... well, isn't that obvious? Just look at that dollar grin. ;) There are some different banknotes (one which I colored in - in green), a small coin which was around some candy and tickets which express money. The question "How do you measure wealth?" is there. And there are three pins which I first twinned with some floss and then glued down with superglue. The background paper is a plain white paper which I colored in with means of coffee and tea about four years ago. The title, except the "im agine" stickers, is handwritten by me. There are also some important contrasts built in to this page... can you spot them? ;)


I just have to show you this detail. Some say that behind every successful man stands a woman/queen. Or is it that it's the women that is the successful queen with shitloads of money hidden in a secret gigantic treasure chest? Or is it better not to have a women who spends all that hard earned money on useless things? Or, who is it that is worth their weight in gold? It must definitly be something with that queen since there seems to be no King - only a Knight - on this page... ;) This part of the page would have been even funnier with a nickel or a dime there, but I didn't have any...


Anyway around, thanks a lot for this great challenge which really made me think and bend that strange mind I have. Thanks! And thanks to Marie, a great chick who sent me some of the real goodies which I adhered on this page. Thanks! And thanks for making me, once again, realise that you can scrap with about anything...and... I urge for more of this type of nice items to scrap...

Can I play with madness?

Maid? Is it a nice or a bad epithet? As a single mother I think it's nice one. Somewhat related to the innocent virgin that someone put as another epithet on me. I am however not that rusty. Or... at least I imagine so... ;) During this weekend, I missed their gig - again! In order to give attention to these British rockers in combination with the fact that I am a sinless dear devil, I ask: Can I play with madness? at the same time as I am to torture you with

Stand up and tell me what you want to do with your life

Tell me not to play
Well, all I got to say to you when you tell me not to play,
I say, "No!"



For all of you who remember "Berg" and "Bagen" (Mountain and the bag). Nostalgia!

Forever showing personality

It's boiling hot outside and summer blog party july is going on. Finally, I have managed to find time and space to create from some of the challenges. Nice thing!

The first contribution is for Lena and Ronja's sketch challenge. The sketch to scrap looks like this


Flowers! They are everywhere. But... it's summer so that's ok. I decided to scrap a flower from my garden. A flower with attitude. ;) You could say he's a star which sometimes shines on my sky and shows me the way forward.


Since this concerns something bright in my life, the yellow color was given from the start. The rest is chosen depending on a combination on what was available, what matched to photo and what contained the messages I wanted to give. The yellow and blue is perfect in a Swedish context and suitable here since we finally are in Sweden. ;) Charcoal is without competition my favourite chalk. It gives that dirty contrasting look which I like. I used some stamps here. It's seldom I use stamps in this way, but I can't explain why I don't use them. Why not just stamp? Did you notice that I also stamped the background paper with light blue courrugated cardboard? That was my first try at this technique and it was indeed tricky. You can see how it turned out in the closeup below. But, what about the sketch then? I rotated it 270 degrees clockwise, that is 90 degrees counter clockwise, and added some small things but followed the base.

There is still time for you to create for the summer blog party - part two. The deadline is 31st of July 23.59 (Swedish Time Zone). My challenge can be found here and all other participating challenges can be found here.

My {123} GOal

I guess I managed on time for We dare you week 30. This weeks promt was to scrap about my skills and abilities. Large as well as small ones. What have I succeded in/with? What goals have I accomplished?


My {123} GOal is a play with the fact that I really hate to make up plans (for the future). Of course, I have goals in/with my life, but they are not set in stone. I imagine that it's better to leave things open. Put another way, I take things as I encounter them at the same time as I secretly try to do my best to achieve those goals that I indeed have. ;) And some detours on the way are just ordinary food... The trick is to not let those detours take you too far away from that track... the track that it's safe to leave... This page contains important things in my life which reminds me of those detours, the goals I have and that I should not get lost when I leave that track.


Once again I managed to use up the whole kit for this month's challenges. This page contains three Holtz tickets with words, the larger Holtz ticket and also that Bohemian wrapping which the green rhinestones came in. ;)

Edit: Go over to the We dare you blog to see this page and some of the other really nice rockin' interpretations of skills, abilities and goals.

If I am growing...

The theme for week 29 in We dare you was to scrap about where I grew up. Or when. I am convinced that you should never ever fully grow up since you will get a bit dull if you do. But, there are things in life which we can learn from and thereby hopefully become stronger and perhaps also better human beings. You know, those dark moments when you dwell in despair and those precious times when you are having so fun that you are to pee your pants.


I interpreted the good as the sunshine and the less good as the rain (perhaps tears on my cheek). And you know what they say? "After rain come sunshine..." I and you and everyone else need, just as every other living thing, both rain and sunshine to live, grow and bloom...


I used three Holtz tickets (as leaves), two flowers, two buttons (as flowers), green rhinestones (as leaves) and three sticker frogs (which you have to kiss in order to find your king...) from the kit. And yes, Again, I colored in a photo by hand. The trees are made after a tutorial for faux wood made by dr.Nina. Or... I made some modifications. The colored pens are ordinary colored pens which I also went over with a water brush. So... if you don't have the pens Nina is using in here tutorial - Use what you have. :)

This time I also used one little word for what I created. But... it seems not better than I mixed up the timezones and the dates and thereby missed that deadline. Well... I actually missed both. :) And we will see later today f I manage to keep the deadline for next We dare you... or not...

Edit: I am happy now. I missed the deadline due to a mix up, but look here. I managed to be included in the slideshow over if-favourites. *happy* And I managed to finish the next We dare you on time. *also happy*

I designed with fancy

Yes.

But...

I almost threw myself over the large july kit from Jommas. :)

Here... I give you a sneakpeak.


One click will beam you over to Jommas blog where you can see more than a sneakpeak...

I hope that my life will be nice to me so I manage to create something more from this nice colorful rockin' kit asap.

Nice items #11 - Chipboard albums

Well. I cannot get in contact with my Photo bucket at the moment. This means that I cannot post my stuff now.

While I wait for someone to pull the right cable in place, I have to investigate some nice chipboard albums. I feel that it's coming closer now. The moment when I have to start and finish my first minialbums. These first ones should of course not have an ordinary shape... instead the shape should be something like...

For him
A castel album
Shit
This is really awesome
Just think how much fun
I would have with filling it with
my prince... :)


For those moments when life goes like on rails
(That's a Swedish expression)

For all those Kodak moments

For the things that takes me to heaven

For that place where I grew up

Perfect
For all those insights I have in life

For the one who is my baby? ;)

For the Royal
Indeed Royal

For all those places where the postman used to deliver

For those things that little bird told me...

And yes, I will most probably add more pictures to this posting later on... or in a new posting. Anyway it's going to be, do you know of any awe chipboard albums? Tell.. tell... just tell. :)

Edit: Since some of you are asking about where you can find these albums I answer that question here. I have no clue. :) Or... a dream album which is similar to Believe and Baby is available from Jommas. The rest... well. I found these pictures on the big huge wide Internet and to be honest, I don't even know who produces some of them. :)

Weekly challenge #7 - Flower Power

For this week, I would like to see how you can use flowers. Perhaps some home made paper posies. For what they are and how to make 'em, click here or just scroll down. :) But...

it's not flowers as you use to use them. You have to do something different. Something surprising. Something awesome.

Copywriter: Thomas Danthine

Put in other words. I want you to rock'n'roll those Primas or whatever they're named. Show off their potential. Or... try to convince me that you can't make a scrap page, a card or something altered without flowers. ;)

Post a working link to whatever you come up with. And... who knows what will happen... ;)

Techniques - Matching paper posies

This is a very easy technique. You are familiar with Doodlebug's paper posies?


They come in different colors, but not all. Flowers are not a favourite decoration for me, but I use them. Sometimes. :) One day I was to scrap a photo of little him picking up a flower during his first spring in life. You couldn't really see the flower in his hand on the photo so... what to do?

Of course. Place a flower in his hand. With stem and all. But... the only paper posies I had was in the wrong color. I looked at those small - almost tiny - prima flowers and... I took a short piece of some kind of jute or paper yarn. Threaded it through the Prima flower and tied a knot on the front. And guess what, I had just made my own paper posies in a matching color.


So next time you feel that you don't have access to the color you want of that flower. Make your own. And... for the win-win that will increase our scrapping knowledge, please comment to this specific posting by giving a link to whatever you have created or do create from the theme in question.

Work - rest - play - die

Nice items #10 - Let's Glitz

Since, I'm frustrated I thougt I should
calm down by surfing for some nice scrap items.


Where should I go?


Well, it's just to drive...


Hot Mama. I like it...


Literally burning hot...


Brings me back to that christmas...


Drivin Ocean drive...


And yes, it was/is definitely a chemical love story...

Designing with fancy

Yes. They arrived today. That is july's kits. I am about to design the large one - Little Prince - for Jommas this month. I feel that I definitely have to put on my fancy pants, act royal and start to create... ;) Just look at these goodies...

Do you want your own of these fancy cool kits? Order here.

And when you're on to it. Just look at these goodie Jars. I {heart} them! So... when are you (you know who you are :) ) becoming economically independent?

Reci-pie for that de luxe...

I am trying to catch up with the We dare you challenges. Bling. To bling a page. To bling my life. That was the theme for week 28. I had a plan. Or at least an idea. Then I realized that why should I scrap a page about something that's not for real in my life. Something that I even don't want to make it come through. Then I became sad and decided not to scrap such a page at that moment in time.

I have now managed to find an interpretation which I can live with. Something that I can put my name on. And here it comes. My reci-pie for that de luxe x(tr)a sassy fun feeling. I used three Holtz tickets to represent three insights which I do my best to life up to or after. Three insights which, for me, leads to a de luxe feeling. And I know at least one person in this world who understands what I aim at. One person which I know have very similar insights in life.

Always trust my instincts

Make my wish come through
Always have a story to tell

Looking at the kit, I used three Holtz tickets, one red frog sticker (a really nice one) and a red flower (which I put some glitter on). All other stuff is from "my stash". You may also note that I painted the large letters, the "die cut" labels (which are cut out from a - is it? - Prima paper?) and the tickets with transparent glitter. And every handwritten letter has at least one ingredient in form of a glitter pen. This page is really bling and shiny and changing depending on from which direction you look at it.

And yes, there are some hidden/subtile messages on this page including play and also deliberate misspelling of some words... I do so since that's the way I like it. :) Finally, I finally made my red and purple page. A color combination I have been thinking about for months now...

Techniques - make your own altered chipboard title

Last autumn ten weeks of challenges were given on Scraputmaningen. Each week had some theme or technique to take on. For the challenge of making your own title, I decided to try out something I had been thinking about for a while. I tried to make my own chipboard title and also alter it. The following are ten steps for making your own altered chipboard title.

1. Sketch out the letters on some ordinary cardboard. Take some kind of packaging which has been around something.

2. Cut out the letters with a scissor. Try to do this as close to the finished product as possible.

3. Take a scalpel and cut those extra things that the scissor didn't mange to do.

4. Sand all edges to get a smooth look.

5. Paint all over with desired color or, as in my case, colors. Try to experiment with coloring over wet color or wait until one color is dry before you add the next color.

6. If it's tricky to color the edges, chalk them with an as similar color as possible.

7. Chalk over the dry letter with desired color. I chose white for a frosty snowy feeling.

8. Stamp each letter with practically any stamp. Stamp in a random manner.

9. An extra option is to emboss each letter. I didn't do that (mostly depending on that I don't own the tool in question... ), but I have seen really nice letters made this way.

10. When you are satisfied with each letter, adhere them to your page with some suitable glue.


Have you tried to cut out your own chipboard letters by hand? It may seem tricky, but with some patience following the steps above will give you something which is handmade with love. :) And it's easier if you choose large letters with not that many small details.

Hope you will try this technique out. And... for the win-win that will increase our scrapping knowledge, please comment to the specific posting by giving a link to whatever you have created or do create from the theme in question.

July challenge - some contributions

Here are some contributions for the July challenge - spit it out. There is still time to complete this challenge. Follow the link to see some inspiration pictures. To this comes that you are to use

- at least one photo/(stamped) image
- stamps of any kind and
- something made of metal

on what you create - an LO, a card or something altered. Besides that, you are

- encouraged to add whatever you like as we are supposed to think freestylin' in a punk style...

The first contribution is made by Ellen - Avigt.nu and she was inspired by a frame and a ransom font. The colors are punk for me. To this is a rough look achieved by stamping on the background paper. The torn paper is really nice. Actually I don't manage to get them that nice. :) Safety pins are added in a true punk manner.

Cousin Sean by Ellen

Next is Bi who says that she's a bit too old for punk... I ask: Can you ever be that? ;) She is interpreting punk as those spike hairs, chains and needles. The closest to spike hair she found among her pictures was a picture of a baby hedgehog and a curious cat. The cat tried to make friends, but "Igge" was consistent to show those spikes... This is also punk. The title is classic. There is a really nice solution for a chain. Rivets! And safety pins.

Go on punk, make my day by Bi

Scräpemma was interrailing and ended up in Berlin 3rd of October 1990 and, as you probably already know, that's less than a month after the Berlin wall fall and Germany was united. People were celebrating all over the place and you can see that freedom feeling in that photo. The title is so good. It's a paraphrase of songs/album titles of two punk bands. A chain, rivets and safety pins. Look at that nice doodled house and the punk fabric. You also have to note her solution for the "stamp" rule. There are some stamps there. And that's real stamps. And they are stamped! :)

Never mind the landlord by Scräpemma

Samara also used the frame with text on it. Then she had problems to find a picture to scrap and here "good-looker" helped her out by picking a photo of him and telling her to scrap about him. It's about the first summer. The summer that they met, was engaged and also married within 2 months and 9 days. If that is not in line with what punk stands for, I must have missed some important ingredient in this subculture. I like the red background. It's romantic and dreaming in a cool way. And look how love is spreading all around by the placement of the scalloped hear. Noteworthy is talso hat she used spare letters in different colors and this adds to a punk feeling. Finally, I really like that frame. So nice. Unfortunately she doesn't know where it comes from. Anyone else who knows and can tell us?

The first summer by Samara

I am so glad that you joined in on my challenge. It's such an edifying sight to see how you all interpret and create. Some parts are similar, but each page is a really personal interpretation of the theme. Great!

And again... there is still time to complete this challenge. Full information is found here.