Update on Lou's Album

Here are some of the pages for Lou's Butterfly Album.


I've left lots of space on the pages as i would dearly love to mount some photo's mounted on shimmery bronze paper and add some more flowers and butterflies and go to town with some mini tags (Lou is the 'master of the mini tag!' oh and buttons i've created some scrumptious button flowers as well...its a must that the pages have got to have these on them).





Linzi has got a double page spread or two to add one.Speak to you soooon Linz.

I have a double spread in pink here for her lovely girls I will pop the photo's i have in photo corners so as they can be changed if the girls would like.




I'm printing off some others i've got of a sunny afternoon we had a few years ago for the friendship page at the back.






My thoughts are with you every day Lou ...i hope you are getting stronger and stronger .

Lou's Butterfly Album

Lou's Butterfly Album is more than a project it's something 'very special from our hearts'.Here we are pictured above a few years altogether at Lou's... crafting and stamping away merrily.

OUR STORY
Lou is the precious gal who introduced Linz and I to 'proper scrapbooking'.I do not think I would have been making my albums if hadn't been for our Lou.We all met whilst working in a Surestart project, all doing different roles, (integrated teams don't only benefit families!we were drawn together by the crafting bug).If there is ever a group gals that could generate a frenzy around colourful papers and what you could make out of a kitchen roll inner it was us three!.Lou always has so many ideas and talents to share....she is a big sharer with an enormous heart.She is also the kindest, mellowed out lass I've ever had the pleasure to know with a sense of humour about everyday stuff that brings a smile to your face and got folks chuckling...she is a strong spirit and has weathered a lot of adversity and still had the energy to support others ..... we love her so much she is a 'one of a kind' person!

Lou is unwell and is on a bumpy journey of recovery and we do not know when we will be able to see her... so we are creating Lou's Butterfly Album to celebrate all that we/people love about her and to include memories of what she loves to.Then we will get the album to her as soon as possible so she can have something in hospital to let her know we are sending her love... which in time we hope will help her recovery.




I am hoping to share this process so as in true 'Lou style' anyone else wanting to create such an album can do so.Linz and I will also be emailing and leaving links for people so as they might participate and send love to Lou in the album if they would like.
1. We chose paper we know Lou loves ...yep Lou it's Basic Grey...this ones "Gypsy" i just know you'd have to put it in your stash and stroke the packet for a few months but Linz and I have broken the cellophane wrap!and we're gonna use it squeel!(squeels of delight)



2.We are using Lou's technique for a symmetrical butterfly.....fold the paper in half, in this case a piece of 12 x 12 draw half your butterfly and cut out ......a perfect template.Then use it on chipboard for the covers and the paper stash your using for you pages.

3.Planning out pages..we thought of a variety of themes and we need other's help to get most of the pages off the ground.Lou is special to a lot of people so we are trying to get the message out there..." photo's and comments you want to send Lou emailed to Linzi.lou2112@sky.com or contact Linzi or myself for our adresses address if you have something to post."


4.Special family pages.We would love to make some special pages for Lou's family especially her two daughters...........we hope to be in touch about this.







5.We are planning to use a variety of methods, including collage, stamping and use of quotes and a few stamps and items/embellis we know Lou loves.When complete the strudy butterfly pages will be held together with a bookring so as pages can be taken out or the album added to.An upate will follow.


Everybody loves you Lou and are rootin' for you ...............

Blissfull albums

I created an album of BLISS last weekend... it's cover is bursting with colour and 3d design....i had a real creative fest making it...i will bind the pages today and post a photo....i've also some gorgeous little childrens memory albums i've to bind that have used the 'simply adorable' hand stamped images theme them...i will be popping these on ebay soon.Below is a 20 minute video(i'm very new at videos)explaining how i create my albums and it includes one I made for mothers day.
Simply pop in the title of the video to watch any of the password protected ones in this case it is ...memory albums....

memory albums from carol sikazwe on Vimeo.

Art Deco Celebrate Life albums

I've decorated a few pages in one of the albums i started a month or so ago......i'm going slowly with these albums and just savouring creating them adding bits n pieces...and enjoying them the Art Nouveau ones have flowery pages planned i'm soooo loving just looking and thinking what i'll add to them.


Just love these two pages as the picture frame kind of allows a phot to be inserted and give the people or person n the photo some raher sparkly vellum wings weeee wouldn't that be nice ...i liked the thought of that.

OWOH Update

This has been amazing... and altough the blogspot header says 16th February it is infact 7a.m on the 17th ! and have just used the random generator to pick a number between 1 and 113 and it is number 42 .....and this is Sam Bonney from Cornwall.I have emailed you Sam and your ATC's will be on there way to you as soon as possible xx

OWOH

This is my first time participating in this activity.Thankyou for this opportunity to join in with One World One Heart Challenge special thanks to Lucy for leaving me a little adventure trail to follow from wishcasing wednesday....

Enjoy joining in with OWOH

" I am Carol I live in Leeds,U.K and am a passionate scrapbooker and lover of life stories. I am creative most days, usually with paper, glue n glitter, I love cutting and sticking, making albums for others and creating my very own embellishments, especially flowers! My work is sentimental in nature and is crafted from the heart and I love sharing and recyling ordinary things adding glitter and a little magic....... I love being inspired by others and learning new techniques"

Below is my doorstep prize of two sentiment infused ATC's for my OWOH winner.

This challenge is open to all active bloggers worldwide and only entails you leaving me a comment and then I will select a winner from those leaving a comment in February and post out the above prizes.

Instructions according to OWOH guidelines:

Please leave a comment, with your email or a clear way to contact you to arrange to post out the pictured prizes out to you.The winner of the prizes will be announced on February 17th i will then email and post the winners prizes onto them.

I sooo look forward to visiting blogspots and being inspired and hope you enjoy browsing my work for inspiration also...love to all participants xxxx

My Art Nouveau album project

I am taking my time with these albums i want them to be embellished plentifully and i want to savour every moment.I've completed the front covers and the templates for the albums and their inner pages..... this project has been a little picture in my left brain for sometime!

Comissioned Albums for two special little girls.....

Two albums to keepsake memories in for sisters.They are simular ' dreams ' based with some fairy magic inside and the cover schemes chosen by their mum based on their personalities.....how lovely..such a pleasure to create these albums...

For my Good Friend K.....

I loved creating this for my buddy ....She has recently obtained some very old photo's there are sooo many that show some very memorable moments from her childhood. This is a particularly cute photo of her brimming with joy and mischief as a little one... she still has the same cheeky smile and so have included a photo of her on the first page showing that very same character a good 40yars on ! everyone cannot help but be drawn to this cute cheeky little girl so we've given her wings and she is her own 'Angel of Happiness' this suits my freind she is indeed an Angel of Happiness.I would love to create more of this sort of album for others....we all are our own Happiness Angels and I think it is a truly healing ritual to give oneself wings and the freedom to acknowledge this.

2010 Footy highlights album

This is a quick 4 x4 to add to my sons memory box he enjoys his footy and had such a super time when the school team won the inter-high school cup..it was put together quickly and simply.I jotted in some of the highlights of the year..the big win...key Arsenal highlights...the new team...and oooh dare we mention it the World Cup!

Albums for Mitch

Slideshow customized with Smilebox

Sweet Pea 'Winter magic Albums'

At last i've managed to get the slideshow of these gorgeous little creations on the blogspot....I loved creating these they've a scrumptious magical and shabby chic feel to them lots of different textures in a most of them with prima and fabric flowers, embossed and flocked papers really yummy.

Digital slideshow generated with Smilebox

December albums to browse

Another smilebox slideshow is coming please email me with any queries.Thankyou and enjoy...

A greeting card by Smilebox

Personalize a picture slideshow

Friendship albums

A special keepsake for a special work colleague...Happy Birthday Pat..
I have some Christmas themed albums very simular to this i love this layout ... it is simple but so effective for keepsaking in...

Joe's special album is complete

Make a free slideshow

Love albums to personalise

Photo slideshow made with Smilebox

A Special Keepsake Album for JOE

Here is the basic layout outline for Joe's Friendship Album.It uses his favourite colour..red and 'school/grad days' design of DCWV cardstock.All 6 x 6 mounts have open tops so items can be stored inside and i'll be notching them so they look like like pockets and as you can see they are large enough on which to mount photo's if desired.The album is his mum's idea and such a super way of keepsaking for her son as his moves through a transition in life.

Completed New York Album

It's been such a pleasure creating this album and thankyou to fluff for the extra distressing ...Kirst you know what i mean here!

Christmas card making

I need time and inspiration for card making it's not my strong point................Two peas have 'it' here each Friday.
http//www.twopeasinabucket.com/events/11-holiday-cardmaking-weekends/

Video showing the nearly complete New York album

New York Project - The process from carol sikazwe on Vimeo.

Progress with our New York Album project.

Following the plan we had made i've now started a basic layout for each page using the photo's.











step 1. choose colour combination carefully to reflect colour in the photo's particularly like the hot pink in a skirt worn and this is key to this album being for the person wearing the pink!and the boys in their blues,greens and Khakis.So neutrals with black and a hint of hot pink throughout with a splash of designed paper that picks out the city backdrops and parks.Also a block layout in keeping with a geometric theme with just a hint of a journalling feel from adding a binding edging.All in keeping with what we discussed earlier to reflect the personality and sentiment the album hopes to hold.












step 2. Front Cover. Not yet complete but basics are there.....





















step3.Mount photo's and provisionally layout basic pages.Keep it simple and ensure the elements can be moved around and adjusted as there is plenty more to add to the page!.




















step 4. Add the key feature of 'the map' embellishment carefully matching each bit of new york to the page as planned......before embellishing any further.


















step5. Carefully look at where the sentiment will go, stamp the sentiments and mount as appropriate.

step 6.add the paper and memorabilia distressing and inking/stmaping and tearing this pieces to give them a collage feel.Stick them underneath on the basic page...see it's a good job those initial photo's and layout elements were not stuck down in the first instance...but it was still important to know where they were going to lie! (this can be the fiddliest bit but it's important if you've a plan to in some way stick to it ...not always my strong point being a free flow creative! but i can do it especially when it's for someone else!)

more piccies to follow..................