SST 2014 Grand Finale

Here's just a shortie for you with my layout for the Grand Finale of the Supreme Scrap Tournament. I've been just a bit too busy to produce something I can be proud of. I don't feel good at all about this one. Plus it's really poorly photographed and processed. I just can't get my head around this double layout thing!. But, it is what it is, and I finished. On time.

 Here's a version, with all of my "trash stash" numbered and accounted for.

1: 1 plastic bag from Lisbeth Dahl, Copenhagen
2: 1 small chunk of wood wool
3: 1 piece of a broken yardstick
4: 1 black paper clip
5: 1 swan feather
6: 1 piece of ball chain 

7: 1 piece of silver-colored string (from a prize tag)
8: 1 page from a broken dictionary
9: 1 sheet of tissue paper
10: 1 lid from a glass jar
11: 1 chrocheted doily 

12: 1 white ribbon
13: 1 tyre from a toy car
14: 2 tags
15: 1 wine bottle cap
16: 1 cork 17: 1 piece of denim fabric
18: 1 odd end of T-shirt yarn 

A: Kraft cardstock

B, C, D, E: four sheets from MME Chalk Studio.

So, that's it. Now I'll go packing to head off to Austria in a couple of days. See ya!

I've been scraplifting

I made a couple of layouts the other night, and since Design in Papers had a blog hop with a scraplifting challenge, I decided to enter. So, first up is a layout based on one I found at Petra's blog:

 I loved the whimsical style of Petra's layout, and I was inspired by all the layering.

The next layout I chose to scraplift was Alex':

What I loved most about her layout was the composition of elements, and how she had worked diagonally, so that's what inspired me to make this layout.

Finding peace

Sometimes it feels like you are about to seriously freak out, because of all the things going on in your life. Like now, for instance, when I'm trying to make everything work out between work and home, and spring is just around the corner with tons of activities popping up just because of that. Also, in two week I'm off for a few days in Austria, to visit a school there and try to make connections for future projects. There is tons of fun coming up, but also tons of worries.

In moments like that, I turn to nature for finding peace. I disappear into the woods, or out to sea, and just clear my mind from everything.

Like this. The sun, the wind and the sea. The open views. There's nothing quite like it to take your mind off of everything. I need my sea "fix" at least once a week, and then I'm fine with everything else. I wonder if a mountain "fix" can do the same thing when I'm in Austria?

The layout is based on a sketch from Hobbyworld. I've been toying around with it for a bit, but I think most of the sketch elements are still visible :-)

Happy scrapping, everyone!

SST round 4 #Layout

Yes, I'm still in :-)
But there are so many contestants having left the Supreme Scrap Tournament, and all of those still in are extremely talented, so I am pretty sure this will be the last round for me.

My layout was done many days ago, but I've been just a bit too busy at work this week to get home in time to photograph it in decent daylight. Today, I finally made it, after a day full of lesson-planning and teaching. I suddenly found myself trying to juggle a names-in-a-hat-app on my iPhone, a bluetooth remote for the computer (for changing pictures in a digital presentation) and a sheet of paper with main points for that presentation, in an effort to teach a class of tired 14-year-olds something about strategies for writing... That's when you realise it's time to go home, enjoy your weekend and try not to be a teacher for at least two days. AND photograph your layout while there's still daylight.

So, the challenge this round was to make a double layout with at least eight photos and three hidden elements. I added four hidden elements, two of which contained hidden photos. The first one is a small box which opens up...

 ...to reveal a piece of paper with some journaling on it. The lid is on a hinge, to allow it to be opened and closed, while still attached to the layout.

 

The next one is also based on a hinge, with a photo which opens up to reveal another photo beneath.

This one is pulled out, with some journaling written on it.

  

Last, but not least, a spinner that, if you pull the little paper flap,reveals yet another photo.

I guess I don't have to tell you that I had tons of fun makin this one... I love challenges like that!

Have a great Friday night, everyone. Myself, I 'm going to pour myself a glass of red wine and celebrate the fact that it's Friday. ;-)

SST round #3 Layout

Well, I went straight out of the card competition last round of the Supreme Scrap Tournament, but I'm still in the layout contest. Here is this week's layout.

The challenge was "Doodle it", and so I did. I took out a kraft cardstock and a navy Zig Writer and got down to business. I've been meaning to get into hand lettering for a while now, and finally here was my chance to actually try since the title had to be handwritten directly onto the layout.

The quote "I refuse to sink" means a lot to me, because in my opinion, one can only do so much as oneself allows. If I allow myself to "pause" the world around me for a while, and escape into some sort of happy place, then I can achieve so much more the rest of the time. I have many such happy places, and I recently discovered another one, a rugged, swampy, moss-covered island with access only through a narrow bridge and a kettle gate. Once you pass through that gate, you are in another world, one I hardly knew existed here, so close, only a few months ago. This island has it all - breathtaking scenery, wild, spiky cliffs, and also smooth polished ones, similar to those on the Blue Maiden island where I went for the first time last Summer. It has mysterious hollow oak trees, bunkers and other remnants from when Sweden was a highly fortified country hunkered down under the Soviet Union during the days of the Cold War. Over all of this, the wind blows hard, and the sea roars loudly, and the smell of salty water lies heavily. I LOVE it! Just wait until tomorrow - I'll put my wellies on an off we go, to the happy place. Well, I kinda promised the kids a picknick on those cliffs if the weather torns out OK, so that's where we'll be.

SST round #2 Monochromatic

I made it to the second round of the Supreme Scrap Tournament, and since I've never been a fan of double layouts I almost dropped out when I heard that the second round was also to be a double. But, well, here it is. I'm not half as pleased with this one as I was with the last one (with which I, by the way, won the first round in my group).

The theme for this round is monochromatic, and I chose to work with the color blue. I've been using different blue shades of papers and embellishments, and I have also used different blue pens and mists to add even more color.

The color products I have used are all different shades of blue - Dylusions Ink Spray Vibrant Turquoise, Heidi Swapp Color Shine Navy, Tombow Dual Marker No 443 Cyan and Zig Writer Navy.

The photos take me back to last Summer and the beach house we rented for a few days. They were perfect Summer days at a perfect Summer location, and looking at them bring back the sound of the waves and the wind outside my window at night, and the lingering warmth of a smooth sunkissed cliff after sunset.

It really makes me long for Summer... and for that place. I hope I'm able to return some day, because I really found peace of mind there, where the sky met the sea. There's something about staring out at the horizon, as far as the eye can see, and let your mind go. Don't we all need that once in a while?

Oh, and that felt lace ribbon. I know it almost look kind of purplish in the evening light. But in real life, it's a perfect match.

Wish me luck!

SST round #1

I'm alive... I bet you all wondered, since this blog hasn't been updated since October. But yes, I'm here, and I have some things for you today.

I've entered the Supreme Scrap Tournament, and yesterday, challenge #1 was launched. The theme is "1000 steps from home", so I decided to focus on all the wonderful things we have within a thousand steps from our beloved farm (click the picture to make it larger).

All the photos are taken on and around the farm, and the most spectacular one, the one in the corner, is that of the White-Tailed eagle that paid us a visit last weekend. Pretty amazing, huh? 

Here it is, sitting in a tree just across the road from our house, accompanied by two youngsters soaring in the sky. When it took off, I managed to snap the photo for the layout.

There's so much more than the eagles and their buddies (hawks, buzzards, red kites and various owls) that make our farm such a special place. There is the creek, where you can catch a perch or two if you are lucky, or a couple of minnows for the cats to feast on. There is the sea within just a short walk, and there is the island with the mighty oak tree, where you need wellingtons and really low water levels to go (which rules out getting there most of the time, but when you are able to get there, it's an amazing place to be).

There's the typical farming landscape, with red barns, fields and meadows. There are woodlands, valleys and rounded hills. There are cows and horses, accompanied by moose, roedeer and boar who venture out of the woods occasionally. It's a paradise, simply the best place to live, and really, there would be no need to go anywhere else in the world just to find peace of mind.

However, there are snakes in all paradises, and in our case, the snake is a HUGE noisy wind turbine, newly risen within a thousand steps from home, that covers all of this in a constant rumble, very similar to that of a battle plane that looms at the horizon and never goes away. I'm OK with the sight, it really doesn't look that bad, but the noise has taken over everything. There are no other sounds to block it out in our peaceful and quiet little corner of the world, and it affects us all living out there more than anyone could have foreseen. So, our paradise seems to be a little lost, and that saddens us. That's why I really needed to make this layout to remind myself of what it was like before they put up that monster, and what we are fighting to get back.

Im moving on...

Yes, I actually made it through the 4th round of the European Scrap Battle, which means I've reached as far in the quarter finals in the card an layout categories! The competition at this level is extremely tough, and the girls I'm up against in both battles are extremely talented with cool styles that are completely their own. I can't wait to se what the challenge for the next round is.

Here are my contributions for the 4th round:

Have a nice weekend!

August layout for Riddersholm Design

It's Monday today, but I had to stay at home from work with Albin, who has caught a cold. It's always like this - two weeks into the school term the bugs attack, and someone gets ill.

I have a layout to share today with the Fall Flea Market collection from Riddersholm Design. The photo is from this summer, and the days we spent in a rented beach house in Småland. The weather was perfect those days, and we spent a lot of time hanging out on the cliffs by the sea. I sometimes wish I had a house like that, on the beach, to spend warm summer days in. Actually, we do have a piece of land stretching down to the shore, and one day, I hope to be able to open up the woods out there just a little bit, and build myself a tiny cabin with a sea-view, and a path leading out to the little island that is part of our property. I know there are tons of rules and regulations that most likely will stop this from happening, but still... I might just park a litte vintage camper out there to use as a beach shack. I don't think anyone can stop me from doing that.

OK, enough with the dreaming, and let's just get back to the layout. I totally adore this sunburst paper from Riddersholm design, and the best thing is that I have it in both 12X12" and 6X6", so I can use it a lot... You will se a card with it in a few days.

Have a great day, everyone!

This is for Denmark

This week has been all about the Eurovision Song Contest in our house. The kids and I love the whole thing, and we have been listening through the songs over and over again. Our initial favourites were Hungary (a bit of a surprise, there) and Iceland. Eh, well, Agnes has been crazy about the Finnish Bridezilla since she heard that song for the first time, but of course, that song would be right up a seven-year-old girl's alley.

We loved Denmark's song too, of course. Who wouldn't? It's amazing. We're extremely thrilled that Denmark won the ESC, and I think it's hilarious that the contest next will be held only 20 minutes away from where it was yesterday. The fact that Emmelie is half Swedish doesn't hurt either. WTG, Denmark, and congratulations, dear neighbors.

What way would be better to celebrate this occasion onm the blog than with a couple of things from the amazing Danish manufacurer, the design team of which I am a little bit extra proud of belonging to today, Riddersholm Design. So here's a layout and a card for you today.

 The layout is made with the fabulous Chantilly Dawn collection.

The card has papers from the Bello Pastello collection.

Once again, congratulations Denmark, and I can't wait to see the show on the other side of the bridge in a year!

Mr Grumpy-face

Here's a layout I made with a sketch from Skissedilla.

Yup, that is Mr Grumpy-face. Luckily, we don't see him that often, but when we do, it's most likely because we won't let him use the computer, or something like that. Lucky for him, he's adorable even if he's grumpy.

A different take on the same sketch

As it turns out, Berry71bleu has a challenge this month in collaboration with OUAS, using the same sketch. So, I made another layout based on it. The journaling is on the back of the tag under the photo. I really wanted it hidden, and the tag is double sided, which suited me perfect.

Berry71bleu also had a rule to use chipboard on the layout, and a few of the pennants under the photo are chipboard ones.

Also, it's really a perfect day to add this layout to the blog, because today is that little man's 10th birthday! Happy, happy birtday, my bright, sweet, amazing boy. I love you 4ever!

It's my week...

...as a guest designer at the You Do blog. I have had tons of fun working with their products, and here's just a couple of things I've made. Please, visit their blog for more projects and information about them.

//Jenny

Mattis

Meet Mattis! He is our biggest furbaby, and he has got a mind of his own. When it's snow and freezing outside, where would you find Mattis? Not in the warm, cozy sofa corner, but out there in the snow refusing to go inside. He's mad that one.

The sketch is from C'est Magnifique Kits.

My Mind's Eye April Challenge

Here's a layout today that I made for the April sketch challenge at the My Mind's Eye blog. I saw the sketch, and since I had just bought these papers, I saw the perfect opportunity to use them.

I have mixed papers from Boy Crazy and My Girl, and as usual, cutie pie Samuel is in focus. He is six months now, and he discovers new things every day. The journaling says: "Hello, sunshine! Are you ready to discover all the fun stuff the world has in store for you? It's time to dig into the big smorgasboard that is life."

I did some fussy cutting in a couple of the papers, and decided to use pop dots to make the cut-outs stand out a little bit. I just LOVE these lines!

//Jenny

So, I won...

...a couple of challenges I've participated in over the last few weeks, and I realised that I haven't shown you the layouts I made! I was supposed to, but something got in the way... and then something else... and then all of a sudden two weeks have passed by, and I haven't updated at all! Shame on me. Anyway, the first one was made for the Easter crop at Svensk Scrapbooking, and the challenge was to create a layout in the shape of an egg.

The second challenge was from Lektyg & Hantverk, and it was a sketch challenge with a photo inspiration twist. This layout earned me a gift certificate, and I am really happy about that.

So, I've been extremely busy these past couple of weeks, with my job, working on assignments, attending sports events with my kids, and I've even managed to spend some time in the farmhouse, clearing out the laundry room, which has been turned into a junk room since it's basically the only room in the house we aren't redecorating. It will be converted into a passage to the extension we are going to put up anyway, so until then we just have to put up with the hideous 1970s style in there.

Have a great week, everyone!

Farm Girl Friday April

It's Farm Girl Friday again at the Riddersholm Design blog. The DT was challenged with a spring theme, light colors, and recycle a bit, using their favourite non-scrapbooking accessory. Here's what I made:

 And here's my favourite non-scrappy item to use - tiny lightbulbs, coming from an old electric candlestick. They are adorable to tuck in here and there between flowers and other embellishments on a layout or a card.

 

So, be sure to check out the Riddersholm Blog and leave a comment on the FGF post to be in for the drawing of the monthly giveaway.

Happy scrapping!
/Jenny

My lovely girl

I never get tired of photographing my daughter. She, on the other hand, never gets tired of posing in front of the camera, but some of the best photos taken are the ones where she doesn't realize that I'm taking one. Like this one. She wanted to show off the easter decorations, and I pulled out the camera. This was the last photo I got, after she thought I was done. Isn't she lovely?

The layout was made for this month's first challenge at the Challenge Me Happy blog. I loved the colors that were the inspiration for this challenge, and they just seemed perfect for this photo. All of her favourite colors at once.

Have a nice Thursday!
//Jenny

Cybercropping with YouDo

Have you seen that there is a cypercrop at the YouDo blog? If not, you'd better get in there and check out the challenges.

I am extremely proud to say that I will be guest designing for YouDo later this year, but I have already made some contributions to the cybercrop, in hope of inspiring the contestants a little. This is what I've made:

For the "Let it glitter" challenge:

 Here's a layout for the sketch challenge:

 One for the scraplift challenge:

 And a card for the challenge "Anything but square":

So, are you inspired? I hope so. The cybercrop is open for international contestants, and you have until April 14 to link up your creations at the YouDo blog.

Happy scrapping!

//Jenny

Agnes

Hi everyone!
The Easter break has begun, and I started it by going straight to bed and sleep for twelve hours. I guess I needed that pretty badly...

Here's a layout I made with the Huntington Garden collection from Riddersholm Design.

I also used some of the Ink It flowers with it:

Have a nice Easter, everyone!