Chapter Two: Love

Chapter one ended with a passport and tickets. 

Chapter two begins with new love, adventures, excitement, and happiness - our girl is in France!

The story continues..

I used a toned-down pinks and browns colour scheme for the middle segment in the journal, for a more mature and romantic feel. The covers of the section are from Meg's Junk Journal collections and Cut & Create elements are used throughout to tell the story. 

Arriving in Paris, she receives a letter. 

She doesn't need to wonder who it may be from! Inside, two tickets, a photo, and a letter - 

'meet me at the dance tonight, don't be late!'

The envelope and inclusions are another interactive elements, which the Cut & Create images are perfect for.

Upon meeting, they discover their mutual love for dancing and music. They dance through their time together, all over Paris. 

He buys her beautiful Parisian gowns and she learns to sing.

Meg's Cut & Create imagery sings this song so well and paints the picture perfectly.

She keeps all memorabilia and many gifts. He takes photos of her, as many as he can. Time is precious.

Junk Journals are a perfect way to experiment with different paper mediums. Handmade paper, doilies, embossed vellum and stunning papers from Meg's Garden all coordinate and compliment, making for not only a visual delight - but also textural.

I created pockets using different mediums and hand-sewn elements. Each pocket contains a trinket or keepsake. Here, a decorated Art Tag peeks out, embellished with stamps, ribbons and charms and more Cut & Create images. Metal charms give extra texture, plus add to the vintage feel.

A pop-out sentiment features in between the middle pages. Not only is it the fitting sentiment for our lovers, but it continues their story. Meg's theme from a previous collection inspired me to include dance as part of the story.

I couldn't resist using one of my absolute favourite embellishments, vellum pockets, throughout the journal. Inside I have tucked away pieces he has collected, photos and gifts from her, their time together. I used a masculine Vintage Journal Card to give the feeling that we are looking in his pockets or suitcase. His belongings.

Meg's beautiful watercolour tones set the feeling perfectly - contentment and happiness. What could possibly stop this whirlwind love?

I reintroduced darker colours and embellishments at the end of the chapter.  

Gone is the colour from their lives and reality has come in the form of a letter - he has to return to the battle at the front, immediately.

He leaves her with a orchid, to watch bloom and think of him.

Inspired by the Cut & Create images, in particular the fob watch and sentiment, I used this to convey time. 

His single orchid has over grown in the garden. He still isn't back yet. 

How long has it been?

Video of Journal:  https://youtu.be/6d3ScNj_2-w

  

Julia

Love, Always

Hi Everyone,

The emotive sentiment was the inspiration for this card (and my love for all things Over The Top!) Just look at the beautiful lady's eyes -  love and purity. Both are cut from Meg's Cut & Create pages from the new French Roses Collection.

As well as my love for O.T.T, I also love layering on cards - adding height and focal impact. For this card, layering was made easy with the extensive choice of delicate patterned papers. 

The paper flowers - not quite pink, and not quite apricot, tone perfectly with the papers for added detail and embellishments. Tucked around them, I have ribbon bows, feathers and bling.

And now for the O.T.T moment.. a piece of pearl costume jewellery! It sits atop of a Cut & Create design, finishing the card with a bling!

The French Roses Collection is a masterpiece of beautiful papers, thoughtful colour selection and heartfelt choice of ephemera. 

Mary

Memories Shared

Hi Ladies,

Isn't craft, whether it be scrapbooking pages or handmade cards, a wonderful way to create and share memories?

I think so, and the beautiful sentiments from Meg's new collection French Roses inspired this card.

I fell in love with the rose paper, so elegant and so perfect for any occasion. And roses just make everyone smile, too. 

I used a long card, rather than a standard size card to capture the rose in full. I die cut the Memories sentiment and embellished just one corner, using ribbon, feathers and a fabric flower in tonal colours.   

I gave one embellishment to the rose, a heart charm, and finished with pearl bling before mounting the sentiment to the card.

Inside, I placed an insert with the second sentiment that inspired this card. I used one design paper from the Spring Flowers Collection and die cuts for the journal area.

Both these sentiments can be found on the Cut & Create pages in Meg's Garden new collection French Roses, be sure to wander through the shop today - as I know they will inspire you, too!

Julia

Love Lines

Hello friends,

I am enjoying creating with Meg's new Vintage Journal Cards, and excited to use another new product - vintage lined paper.

I used the new lined paper for the background of my card to start, and used another of the Vintage Flower Journal Cards as my topper.

Taking inspiration from the colouring of the Journal Card, I kept all coordinating A4 watercolour papers, cardstock and embellishments in tones of cream and pale green, to make a light and lacy card for any occasion.

I used several die cut frames and borders, all cut from Meg's watercolour papers. I love layering off centre, so the focus is drawn back to the main topper - in this instance, the beautiful rose. 

Adding another layer and texture element, I placed lace going across the card, and finished with a lace bow. Under the bow, I included a charm trinket as a base, and clustered flowers together to finish. All tie in wonderfully, just like they were 'meant to be'!

The vintage lined paper again is so versatile and a perfect addition to Meg's collections. As they come in A4 sheets, I had plenty left over. This time I used the paper as an insert inside my card - to quite literally, use as lined paper for my greeting!
As always, I finished with distressing and inking the edges.

At 3x4" in size, the Journal Cards suit all shapes of cards, and you can always make something small look the 'big picture'!

Happy card making
Julia xx

All you need is Lace

Hi Everyone,

It always feels like Christmas when a new collection is released! I have had great fun creating with the new Vintage Journal Cards, 3x4" in size and just perfect for all your projects.

I have used the Vintage Flowers series for my cards, and also Meg's A4 watercolour paper that I absolutely love - so versatile, as you will see!

Meg also has new laces to tempt us all. What can you not do with lace?! For this card, I have made the Journal Cards a feature, and also created a background using the watercolour paper and lace. Effective, unique and so feminine.

Using the blue watercolour paper as my base, I then cut strips of lace and placed over top, allowing the watercolour to still show through and adding lovely texture that only lace can. 

Before adhering, I also placed die cuts from cardstock underneath, slightly muted by the lace. Having lace as a base also ensured the beautiful Vintage Flowers Journal Cards were the standout feature.

Embellishing was easy with Meg's wide variety of charms, ribbon, flowers - you name it - available. Keeping in tonal blues, I clustered flowers and a charm together, mounted on top of another die cut, and finished with adding a sentiment and pearls. 

  

Remember I mentioned how versatile the A4 watercolour paper is? Well, let me share another use with you. I have used one page, cut to size, as an insert for inside my card. Not only is it decorative and adds a touch of luxe, but with the watercolour muted tone it is the perfect base to write your message to the lucky person receiving the card!

Enjoy creating with the new Journal Cards! 

Julia xx

THE FRUIT PICKER ~ SHERLOCK 111 A NEW CASE

Hello !
Mary here to share another layout using the Sherlock 111 A New Case Range. I have really enjoyed creating with this range. I create this layout for a challenge where the Criteria was "Country" and this is what I created

The Fruit Picker

I enjoyed playing with texture paste and mists , stamps , die cuts , Mesh ribbon and jute with this layout . I've also added a hot air balloon charm and bee charm to the layout

I have also layered the strip filigree over the round filigree and added some Jute Twine and gold colour paste . The PP layered under my photo of one of my Mothers brothers is from the 4 x 12" strip that comes with the 12 x 12 papers. Under the papers I have used staples to adher the mesh and jute ribbons.
The die cut I have used is Megs Store .
Thank You for calling by .
Mary x

A New Case to Solve

I say, Watson, I do believe we have another three cards to solve!

It is hard not to have fun with the Sherlock III collection!

With so many choices on each page, the Sherlock ephemera sheets made my three cards full of detail.

I wanted to have the man himself, Sherlock, stand out. This card has several layers - including die cuts, background stamping and more from the ephemera sheets, but of course dear Sherlock must take pride of place. The papers in the Sherlock collection beautifully allow you to create either in full detail or laid back in design.

Taking inspiration from the ephemera, I added corner detail giving the effect that the gentleman's quill is ready to pick up and write inside his journal - or of course, inside the card!

I think one of my favourite designs to date, a letter to a loved one, complete in an envelope with a postcard and forget me not photo - all from the ephemera pages. I made a small slit in the envelope cut out so I could tuck the postcard and photo inside. I added background stamping to give the effect of a far travelled message. 

I hope you are all enjoying this new collection, I love having a challenge and stepping outside of my comfort style of cards! 

Happy creating,

Julia

Chapter 88

Hello Crafters,

Haven't we all struggled at some point trying to make a masculine card? I certainly have! Never fear, as we now have Sherlock on the case - Sherlock III A New Case solves the mystery of just how do I make a male card look pretty?! Elementary, my dear Watson.

Using the new Sherlock collection along with the coordinating Cut & Create Ephemera Sheets, I created a card album, with a specific gentleman in mind for a special occasion.

I still wanted to keep the look and feel of this as being a card, rather than a book or album, so simply adhering two large cards together gave me my starting point. The rest came together easily using this collection.

I made sure to have an embellished page next to a slightly toned down page throughout, ensuring space to personalise at a later date and not to overwhelm the overall design.

The background papers are the perfect size for a slightly larger card. I enjoyed having more space to create, and it was ideal for this project for the extra space to write on.

Embellishing was exciting, using keys and charms that all toned in so well together with the papers and ephemera. I added a touch of ribbon and twine to add dimension and also make the charms function.

On most pages I added stamping detail, only lightly, to blend into the background. And as always, distressing and inking around the edges - which was perfectly suited to this collection.

 
I cannot wait to give this card to the gentleman, and hope he enjoys looking through it it as much as I enjoyed making it!


Head on over to Meg's Garden and be inspired, rather than afraid, to give masculine cards a go.

Creative wishes,
Julia

The Birds and the Butterflies

Hi Everyone,

I have for you today 3 more cards using the stunning Shades of Green collection and Ephemera sheets. This collection is proving to be wonderfully versatile and perfectly suited to any occasion or themed card.

For something a little different, I embossed one sheet from the collection and lightly went over the raised areas with ink to bring out the design and compliment the overall look. Both the roses and butterfly are cut from the ephemera sheets and I added pearl trim and ribbon to the butterfly - height and dimension is a favourite technique of mine. Finally, for a little glitz, I finished the card with glitter, highlighting the detailed ephemera cut outs.

Aren't these birds just adorable? Using one cutting die set, I die cut the large heart, and with a smaller heart I then cut out the two birds from inside the same heart. To make the birds the main feature, I adhered them back in the same place, but raised with mounting tape and ink around the edges. A complimenting sentiment and charms finish off a simple yet effective card. 

Using the green and gold ribbon as my inspiration, I created an oversized bow and paired it with the lovely Paris ephemera design and flowers. I then used another sheet from Shades of Green and shiny gold card stock to bring it back to the ribbon inspiration. A very quick card to make, but the finished look is delightful.

Thank you again for your wonderful feedback and comments. 

Regards,

Julia

Charming Trio

Hi Everyone,

I have another three cards to share with you today, using the new Shades of Green Collection, Card Artist Packs 1 & 2 and Ephemera sheets.

Within each design, I have included a little metal charm for added detail, and also something a little different. They are not at all too heavy, easy to adhere. and sit wonderfully on the card.

Matching the ephemera cut out with the paper design, I cut out the floral image and mounted it, to be raised on top of the paper to create dimension and depth of the same design. With a die cut in between, I then added the green ribbon to bring the smaller cut out forward and stand out. The butterfly, also from the ephemera sheets, is mounted with tulle for extra flight.

Using another die cut, I framed this ephemera cut out and slightly recoloured with distress ink. Using the same ink, I stamped corner details to complete the look. To bring attention back to the rose design on the paper, I made a small ribbon bow to make it look as if the rose was dimensional. Finally, a perfectly fitting sentiment from the ephemera sheets. It is a lovely rose, isn't it?

For my third card, I used several layers of the Shades of Green papers, mounting them and also distressing the edges. I decided to keep the embellishments minimal, instead opting for one large flower embellishment with added feathers and beaded trim. I finished off by adding hints of glitter on the flower and also around the lady ephemera design. I am sure she would love the twinkle in her hat.   

Best wishes until next time,
Julia.

Introducing ...... Shades of Green

Hello fellow crafters, when I received my package from Megs Garden Yesterday I was so happy, so much beautiful goodies as always and I couldn't wait to create with the New Shades of Green Range and the new dies.
This is my page

As the papers are in the A4 Size I simple add it to a piece of cardstock. Some close ups

I absolutely love this Organza Lace flower with Diamante , it is a favourite of mine and was thrilled to receive it in my DT pack , I have added the sweet little charm heart beneath it. In the top corner I placed the Filigree strip to which I added a Diamante.

And then I had a play with a couple of the new dies in the store To the left I used the Lattice and Circle Die under my photo. I fussy cut the music sheet and Lovely Rose Romance from the Cut and Create sheet from the Range.

In each corner of my Layout I added the Lines and Curls die for a touch of elegance .I hope you pop over to the store and take a look at the new products in the shop. The range of new dies are fabulous there are so many I want !

Happy Creating

Mary x

SECRET MYSTERY BOX & MINI JOURNAL with new PARIS CHIC COLLECTION

Hello Everyone,

Liz here today showing you the new PARIS CHIC COLLECTION.   I was lucky enough to be given the new Journal pack in this wonderful collection.

But first let me tempt you with a 'Secret' mystery box that I created to hold the mini journal using Paris Chic.

And Meg's Garden new Box Handle Arch and decorative lock.  Stunning items don't you think?? Then I was inspired to do a little Decoupage on the lid, with papers from Paris Chic and Vintage Beauties.

Now for a little side view and inside peek.

I made the little Journal from a couple of 12x12 album page inserts, then set about decorating my Journal.

Some special brass corners and metal hearts.

Meg's Garden lace and ribbon really set the Journal off.

Meg's Garden heart shaped doily and beautiful floral ribbon.

 You will notice that I used a little 'Inca Gold' in gold to edge a few of the cutouts, which gives a real vintage look to the pictures.

Finally a little fussy cutting of the flowers and here is the end.

I hope you have enjoyed our little visit through Meg's new Paris Chic Collection and be sure to check out more HERE.

Thanks for taking the time to look and until next time........happy creating. ....Love Liz.