“These Days” Update and Giveaway.

This is another range I have really enjoyed playing and though i must admit it feels like so long ago as we had to have everything finished before Christmas to send over to CHA, i still want to use it again as the colours are so versatile.  Below are some of the projects I created with These Days.  Sorry to those of you who have a workshop mag – these are also included in there but last year on some of my travels i have been told i need to post more of these as there are some who can’t get hold of the mags – so girls these are for you.   
PHOTO BOX
Im not sure about anyone else, but i know when tracing back your family tree you can end up with soooooo many photos you wonder where you are going to store them.  Well i thought – why not take the old recipe box from Kaisercraft and give it a new life and use it as a photo storage box instead.    Add a few of our flourishes for frames on the sides of the box (highlight some fave photos in the cutouts) and as additional decoration, a Tim Holtz Curio Knob to open the lid, you have yourself a storage box for those photos that can also become an heirloom in itself.


ORNATE FRAME
i had heaps of fun playing with this ornate frame.  Returning from Ranger Uni i have been hanging out to actually put some of the techniques we did there onto our wood.  You don’t quite get to see it from the photo, but the actual feel of the frame in the end felt like laminate – actually quite like my kitchen bench top, even to the colour….   I told you i liked this range. 

To recreate the frame look:
Paint all edges and inside the cutouts of the ornate frame using sage paint and allow to dry.  Lightly white wash the front of the frame using the white paint and again allow to dry. (though to be truthful i don’t think i waited….) Don’t worry if some of the frame doesn’t have any paint on it as it will only add to the distressed look.  (no such thing as mistakes remember girls)    Using the a Bundled Sage ink pad (Tim Holtz of course) rub over the front of the frame.  This will stain the frame and also go in to the little grooves and places where there was no paint.  Whilst the ink is still wet cover the ENTIRE frame in clear embossing powder – yeah ok i forgot to tell you – you WILL need a lot of embossing powder.  Use a heat gun to melt the powder to create an enamel look on your frame.  Due to the size of the frame you may want to do this in sections.  Use a sanding block to rough up some of the edges before rubbing in some Vintage Photo distress ink over the entire frame.  This will go into the grooves and add definition to the edge areas and give more of a distressed look.  Add more ink to further define any areas you would like highlight.  You just got to love distressing hey!!!

Like i said i had a lot of fun – but i am really enjoying anything that is a little messy these days….  play on words – get it, get it – THESE DAYS….  ok forget it Mel..

And lastly of the projects to share is another double layout similar to the one i did up for the kits (see below) but with a few extra added embellishments etc.  This one i have been waiting for to come back from CHA as its a little bit more special to me and i would like to put it up somewhere as these are pictures of my grandparents who both died within 8 weeks of each other just before Christmas. Aren’t they gorgeous on their wedding day 70 years ago. 

CLASS
Yesterday i spent a lovely day up in Seymour with Kathie from Scraphappy Kat – a small homebased business and took a group of lovely ladies(below) for a class.

Kathie(in the pink)  has been trying to get me up there for a while but my schedule last year was a little hectic and not much free time, anyway i finally made the drive up the highway and it was well worth the trip. As i mentioned on yesterday’s facebook post, sometimes we are just meant to be in certain places at certain times and this weekend turned out like that. I won’t go into all the details but its just funny how things work out and everything just fell into place. We did the layout kit from “These Days’ paper range and lots of fun and laughs were to be had, especially when i told them about the “norty” corner for anyone who misbehaves or mucks up any of their papers…. Thankfully no one needed to visit it and they were all on their very best of behaviour – OK well some of them. Thanks girls for a making me so welcome - it was a pleasure and hopefully i will get up there again soon.  Below is the layout kit we worked through.  These are available for sale from your local store – well only if they have purchased them (go on give them a little nudge if they haven’t)


If any of you live local (Geelong region) and would like to do these, i will be also be doing this class again at Chandon Craft this upcoming Thursday night. (Please contact them to book).

Also i have two kits left over and will randomly draw them from names from the list of comments left on this blog.  If you would like one of these kits – which contains all you need to complete the above,(instructions paper, cardstock, flowers, blossoms, rubons and collectables) leave a comment along with your name and email address where i can contact you if you are the winner.  (unfortunately i have to limit this to Australian residents – sorry girls).

Thanks again for reading and hope you have had a weekend as fun as i have.Take Care and have a great week
Mel