Banana Frog Blog

Work Out Wednesday :: I Heart You

It's a late night workout this week!  The Stitch & Craft show opens tomorrow morning and I've been setting up the Scrapbook Theatre all day.  Every year I think they will add a red curtain or cinema seating to make it live up to its name, but they never do.  Anyway!  Having chopped paper and moved furniture all day, it was time for a nice, relaxing stamp workout.  Who knew I could be healthy and chilled all at once?

This week, I'm giving the heart a workout -- specifically I Heart You.  This set has so many stamps and you can't go wrong with a variety of hearts.  Recently Emily gave me some little badges to wear...one says I ♥ Twin Peaks and another says I ♥ my easy bake oven...ever since I have thought I clearly need a badge that says I ♥ ♥ing things!  So of course, I heart these stamps.

I also ♥ these Valentine papers from My Mind's Eye, but I bought them and Valentine's has come and gone and I haven't made anything with them!  I better put it right before next Valentine's rolls around!  So here we go with pink and red and hearts, oh my!

The tag is up first for a quick and easy warm up.  Grab three shades of ink and a white tag.  Start with the palest shade and scrub it around the edge of the tag -- cover more than you would when you just ink the edges.  If your ink pad is too big or has lots and lots of ink, use a cotton ball or a sponge.  Then stamp with the medium shade of the three.  Make sure at least one of the hearts goes off the edge of the tag for a finished look.  Then go to the darkest shade of the three, add a stamped heart in the middle, overlapping the paler colours.  Use the same ink pad to drag around the edges, then layer the tag with patterned paper for a place to write your message.

For this week's cardiovascular card, I wanted to show you the inking method.  This is a great one for solid, chunky stamps -- especially if you want to stamp onto textured cardstock.  Tap lightly with the ink pad, then add more ink around the edges of the stamp.  It looks like this on the block and...

this when it's stamped!  Cut out the heart and layer it up with more patterned papers and the little love box, which is my favourite stamp in the whole set.  So simple and yet I use it time and time again.

Which leads us to the challenge...my workout layout challenge was to blindly grab a photo from my bag of to-be-scrapped-pictures and make it work with both the pink + red papers and the I Heart You stamps.  And what do I pull out of the bag?  A picture from a concert.  So now I have lost all credibility, for while I have already been twee enough to scrapbook this band (and on quite a few layouts actually...) I have now reduced them to pink, polka dots and hearts.  How very rock and roll.

For this layout, I also pulled out my journaling stamps, elegant swirls stamps and my two inch scallop circle punch.  I love how the journaling stamp and the punch fit together, and well, you can never go wrong with a bit of swirl in the background, can you?

With such a late night workout, I think I'm exhausted!  So now I need your challenge for next week...what stamp set or colour do you fancy?

And most importantly: new stamp designs are in the shop now!  Go now go!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Happy Easter!

Easter seems to have arrived out of the blue. The weather doesn't know whether it is spring or winter -so we have had snow, sun, hail and showers...all day! Also, don't know about where you are, but schools and nursery's here seem to be all at odds. I have my daughter at home next week, yet my son is at school. He doesn't have an Easter holiday (or half term break) until April 4th! So I have children at home for the next 4 weeks. Fun, fun, fun...but not much work getting done!

I wanted to show a couple of photo's of my two to wish you a Happy Easter.
First is Nathan wearing his easter hat. He made it for the school easter parade. Most of the mum's said that they had made their child's hat, but I can say, hand on heart, that Nate did most of his -and that is because he thought he would win a prize. Of course, I didn't explain to him that all children got a prize for entering :-)

My daughter Kerris was invited to a 3rd birthday party. The theme was Princesses and Pirates. All the little girls looked gorgeous dressed as one princess as another. All were in floaty gowns. Some had fairy wings, some had tiara's. All little girls dressed as princesses except one. My little princess refused to put a dress on, or even look at one. The ONLY thing she was going to the party as, was a pirate! She makes a beautiful pirate and definitely stole the show, but it would be nice one time to see her dressed as a princess!

I hope you are all having a wonderful easter break.

The brand new stamps will be available next week!

Wishing for summer....

Brrrr! I thought the weather was supposed to be getting better now? I'm so fed up with the dull, cloudy days I thought I would cheer myself up with some lovely bright colours and memories of last years holiday... I found this picture from SeaWorld last year, just look at all those beautiful, bright tropical flowers surrounding the waterfall...what better stamp set to start off with than Tropical Garden. Firstly, I found the brightest inks that I own, and then stamped lots of images on plain white cardstock, after leaving them to dry for a while I cut them out, leaving a small white border around the edge of each image. I used the Bejeweller to embellish the centres of the flowers with tiny little crystals just to give them a bit of sparkle.

Back to the LO - I took a piece of plain 8x8 cardstock in a nice tropical green, and then hand cut some scallops out of a piece of plain white, and layered one on top of the other. I used Willing Race to stamp my title in black ink, and then fixed the photo in place.

I then layered my flowers and leaves around the edges of the white cardstock. Some were stuck flat to the page, and some have little foam squares to lift them up. I also used a pencil and curled the edges of the flowers around a little to give them a bit more dimension.  So there you have it - a little bit of colour to brighten up my day! I think I will leave this one on my desk for a while, so I can look at it and dream of summer......

Work Out Wednesday :: Flower Power

Ready for a stretch this week?  I know it's arriving in some parts of the world, but it's still a bit cold and grey here, so I'm hoping for some spring every single day.  I put a bit more spring in our flat with fresh flowers, so now I'm leaning on some Flower Power stamps to help kick mother nature into gear. 

The set has five stamps -- a solid sixties flower in two sizes, an outline flower that coordinates and two stylish leaves.  So now all we need is a tag, a card and a layout and we can call it a workout!

The pairing of the outline and the solid stamps means you can make a tag in minutes, since you won't need to mask anything to build a scene.  Start with the sold shapes (the purple flowers and the leaves), then stamp outlines over the top in black.  Finish with a pen to add a few custom details, and tie on to the nearest gift -- that's a extra bit of s-t-r-e-t-c-h for your workout if you left it on the other side of the table! 

Polka dots may have been fifties rage, but sixties mod styles brought the dots into line -- you can take your cues from the fashion world and do the same.  Punch cardstock circles and adhere to a card in a straight line, making sure there is a partial circle at each end of the card.  Stamp the large flower on white cardstock and cut into a circle.  I like to offset the circles so part of the design is cut off and ink the edges.  The graduated look on the flower is one of those tricks that makes clear stamps great -- stamp once, then reink just the edges of the stamp and stamp it again, right over the top.  Because you can see through every layer, you can get the placement spot on and presto - a flower with some punch.  Stamp an outline flower in black on white cardstock.  Drag the purple inkpad over the paper to pick up some swirls of purple.  Cut out and adhere to the card.  Layer up with lace or ribbon, flowers and gems.

Just keep at those moves and they'll make a whole layout -- four flowers-in-circles, a few more paper flowers and some patterned paper and you're done.  The title comes from one of my favourite songs ever and this time of year I get the words stuck in my head, just waiting for it to warm up.  (Seriously, I love the song so much I named cupcakes after it.  And then ate them with the band, which was surreal.  Anyway!) In actuality, that flower picture on the layout is in focus!  And if you're looking in the right place, you'll see that one of the four paper clips is actually purposeful for something other than looking cute (which I maintain is a totally acceptable purpose) with all my scribblings about why I am ready for springtime hidden behind the big block of cardstock. 

And with that stretch, I do believe we are done for today!

Show us what you can make with Flower Power -- we'd love to share some link love to your creations this week!  Just give your stamps a workout!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

The final peek!

Today it is time to see the final four new sets from Banana Frog. I was going to do them singularly to give them each chance to shine, but ended using multiple sets on the examples. So here they all are!

The first set is a large (8x6") alphabet called Madfont. It is inspired by the font used in the title of the US Mad magazine. It is solid yet quirky, and also a bit western!

The second alphabet is called FT Rosecube. It is one that Shimelle drew my attention to, and we both love it. It is 3D, ever so slightly grungy and it also reminds me of an old type press. It is a great size for mini books as well as layouts and cards.

Both FT Rosecube and Madfont are used on the layout Little Rock Star.

Take Note is a journaling set, but has pointers for information such as 'Notes', 'Event' and 'Evidence'. I wanted something a little more elaborate and distressed. I was inspired by some wrought iron work in a local park. I loved the beauty of the design and how the aging process was actually enhancing that beauty.

I used the Take Note set on the layout 'Yeehaw Kerris!' along with Elegant Swirls, Swirls and Make a Chain to try and replicate some of the elegant wrought iron work.

Take Note and Madfont have both been used on 'Bonkers'. On this layout, I doubled up the large journaling shape to incorporate all I wanted to say. I also used Whirligig to replicate the circle design on the Rouge de Garance paper Picoti Picota No 7

The final set to show is called Tag it.

This is a great set for cards and gifts as well as layouts or mini-books. Alison has used it on her layout 'Jump for Joy' and I have made some cards, also using the Retro Greetings set.

Each of the new sets (including the sets designed by Shimelle) will be available from local stockists in the next week!

Something for Spring...

I’ve been busy being inspired by the lovely Spring weather that’s on it’s way at last, so here is a little project to brighten up your day even if the sun isn’t shining outside;

Step 1: Stamp and cut out three of the largest scribble flowers.

Step 2: Stamp and cut out twelve of the smallest funky paisley petals onto green cardstock; these will form your leaves.

Step 3: Glue the petals (four on each, back to back) and the flowers to a 6” dowel.

Step 4: Add contrasting cardstock to the centre of each flower and add glitter to the pattern on the petals to add some sparkle. I wrapped coloured wire around each dowel to give added interest, finished off with a mini flower gemstone.

Step 5: Using a Dymo machine type out a sentiment to decorate your mini flower pot.

Step 6: Attach your photo’s to the centre of the flowers and place the flowers in the flower pot, securing them with blue tack.

Enjoy!

Hannah

xxx

Work Out Wednesday :: Sewing Kit

It's Wednesday again -- welcome back to the work out!  This week we're stretching and limbering up with the Sewing Kit stamp set.  It's full of buttons in a few sizes and stitch-pattern borders.  Plenty to get us through a tag, a card and a layout!  If you've got these, get 'em out and work 'em out this week!  (If not, you can always make a shopping trip count as exercise!)

Here's our weekly warm-up -- you just need a white tag to get started.

Stamp the large and small buttons straight on the tag in coloured inks.  Then stamp the smaller button on a sticky note to create a mask.  Cut it out and stick it over the stamped button.  Then you can stamp the cross-stitched border without it overlapping the button.  (If masking is new for you, check out this tutorial for an illustrated step-by-step.)  Then stitch on some real buttons to mix with the stamped ones.  I stamped the cross-stitch again on a pink vellum tag for more layers and tied them both together with pink satin ribbon.  Save your tag for a perfectly wrapped gift or put it to work on a quick layout.

If you sew on lots of buttons, you might also appreciate this nifty little tutorial, which is definitely my favourite way to tie a knot.  Simple but true!

Moving on to a card and staying with a pink theme this week...I love the little stitched borders in this set for adding just a little something.  You can make it bold in brighter or darker inks, but I like the is-it-there-or-is-it-not of the pale pink on white.  This is a design that goes together in just a couple minutes, especially since that paper is already cut with the lovely scallop edge.  You can add a name here or make this as a postcard and write on the lines.  Don't forget that cards don't need to take hours or carry a shopping trip full of goodies to still be cute, handmade and appreciated.

And for the final stretch, we put it all together.  Please tell me I am not the only person out there with a giant stash of those giant flowers!  I must have bought a pack in every colour when they came out and I think I have used about six flowers in total.  Definitely need to see about that!  So here's a layout with another two in use (I do think they look much nicer layered with two or three to create a fuller flower, but that's just me).  That pink patterned paper was a half-sheet in my stash as well...and I need to use up those half-sheets that get cast aside, so it was time to grab it and stick it down! 

To finish the flower accent, stamp the large and small buttons and punch them out with a scallop punch.  The lighter pink ink is great for layering in lots of faded colour along the edge of the punched shape.  Then add more flowers and more real buttons until you've got everything you want, and layer sticker letters right over the top.

There are three layers of stitching in the frames around the photographs -- a zig-zag stamped in pale pink, then a doodled zig-zag over that with a fine point black pen and a straight stitch stamped in the brighter pink.  The stitch stamps make great journaling lines too -- this one is the cross-stitch but they all work well for writing.

That's the workout for this week -- now treat yourself to a cooldown if you like!  If you give your sewing kit stamps a workout, make sure to let us see!

Until next Wednesday then!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Put your name in lights!

I did mean to begin posting the next sneak peeks late last week, but you know how life has a habit of getting in the way!

So, a bit late, but today is the turn of Budmo Jiggler (and no, I didn't come up with that name!) a great new large alphabet (8x6"). I love using crystals and bling at the moment and so matching that with stamping was ideal.

It reminds me of Hollywood and those mirrors with lights all around. At some point I will get my name in lights! The stamps work great on their own, or looks super glitzy if you pair them with crystals or even glitter glue. On the layout below I have used 3mm crystals.

On the second layout, Alison has included some crystals, and left some blank, which looks really effective.

This set will be available in a week or so either from Banana Frog or from your local stockist.

Work Out Wednesday :: Scribble Flowers

So Miss Banana Frog (Bev, but it's funnier to imagine her with a sash, crown and a bouquet of bejeweled frogs and fruit) challenges me to come up with something weekly.  I figure if I can do Orange Wednesdays weekly, then I could do some sort of stamping Wednesday weekly, but that's not catchy enough.  No, no, no.  See, I also want to imply that what we are doing is good for us.  That in some small way, stamping could even be...healthy.  Like all that picking up the block-putting down the block-picking up the block could be considered...exercise.  And so Work Out Wednesdays was born.

And although Miss Banana Frog was really in favour of the cheesy catchy WOW name, she told me stamping wasn't really exercise.  I was devastated.  I mean, I even stamp standing up!  Surely that's exercise!  But apparently it's not.  Undaunted, I declared we can give our stamps a workout!  So here goes -- whether you declare this a weekly exercise for your stamps, your brain or your body, I just hope you'll join with me for a little craftiness every Wednesday here on the FrogBlog!

Each Wednesday we're going to give one set of Banana Frog stamps a quick and easy workout.  I wanted to start with the set that has been my favourite since the very beginning of the frog -- Scribble Flowers.  I use this stamp so much!  It features on pretty much every last minute card I've made in the past couple years and every non-Christmas gift tag too.  It's definitely a staple.  If you've got it, dust it off today.  If you don't...well, that's what shopping is for, of course!

Do you remember those workout shows in the 80s where they had three different levels of participant on different platforms on the screen?  The girl at the front on the tallest platform would be exercising her socks off while the poor guy in the back did his best to keep upright during his new exercise regime, plus there would be one normal type person in the middle?  Well this is nothing like that and yet totally inspired by it.  Because each week we're going to start with a tag, then move up to a card and then onto a layout!  But of course, making a tag doesn't mean you're having trouble with the workout so really it's a terrible, terrible comparison.  But remembering the image made me laugh so I had to share it with you.  Keep in mind that the image is funnier if you picture it in the correct clothing and set design of 1982: lots of leg warmers, velour, headbands and a strange mix of earthtones and purples on the wall in big geometric shapes.  Okay, if it's not funny by now it's not going to be, so one we go.

The reason I love Scribble Flowers is because the flower design looks great with one super easy trick: stamp off the edge of the page or tag.  The set has two sizes, so you can vary it up a bit too which helps.  If you've never tried placing the design off the edge it will make all the difference to the details of the design so give it a shot.  This is just a regular mailing tag stamped with dark brown dye ink (remember, dye is the one that dries fast) plus a scrap from a vintage book page with some red pigment ink around the edges, topped with part of a label, a chipboard letter, a button and a straight pin.  Tie it up with some red ribbon and it's all done faster than you can say 'warm up'!

You can start a little basket to keep your WOW tags, ready for gift wrapping a present or you can stick them straight to work on a layout.  8.5x11 pages don't need much more than a tag and some extra paper scraps to finish the page, so this is great for those random photos that you have sitting on your scrapping table in need of a home.  Simple is good.  In my world anyway.

Okay, moving on with our workout!  One of the ways to make your workout productive is to keep going with the same supplies for all three projects.  I say it makes you more productive.  What I really mean is if we use it all, we don't have to clean it up.  And that's what I really love.  So today we are working the red + brown combination and two pages from an old rescued book. 

The second trick that I use with my scribbles is to cut out the flowers.  So stamp away on white cardstock, then cut them out.  You don't have to be precise and trust me, you don't have to do this with a craft knife.  The only thing I have ever cut with a craft knife is myself, so I have a severe phobia of the things.  Scissors.  Scissors will be fine.  Cut out some stamped flowers and layer them with some more paper scraps until you like them.  Put the big one on a pop dot.  Everybody loves pop dots, right?  Okay, maybe I get too enthusiastic sometimes but I do like using things that have been in my stash like for-ever.  That blossom might just count as that too.  I stuck all this on a corrugated card because that's what I had handy, but go for whatever you have sitting there in your stash.  Plain brown, red, white or cream will all work and even sage green looks pretty cool with all this red and brown.  And somehow I have about twenty card blanks in sage green and I'm not even sure where they came from.  I think I bought two and they multiplied.  Seriously.

And now the real stretch of today's workout will be a breeze!  Here's the 12x12 page.  Same colour scheme and basic supplies.  Once I had the basics down I added a few other bits and pieces to stretch the layout to be a bit different than what we made so far...so I added the velvet ribbon and the Fanciful stamps, then stitched a frame around it all with my sewing machine.  I'll warn you now that you'll see plenty of photos from this wedding in my layouts for WOW and assorted other things at the moment, but if you can't be surprised that I took a ton of photos that day!  This is just the proof that I really am scrapping them.  I've still got a big stack, so Work Out Wednesdays can help me with that too -- I'm sure I'm not the only one out there with a stack of unscrappeds that need to go somewhere soon!

Now it's your turn: do as much of the workout as you like.  Copy it exactly (that's totally fine and great as a warm up to a full day of scrapping!) or change it up to make it your own!  If you do the workout, make sure to comment here and tell us about it.  If you post it on your blog or in a gallery, give us a link so we can check you out and say hello!

See you next week for a whole new workout!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Cake anyone?

One of the first things people will tell you about Shimelle is that she loves cakes. This is true, although annoyingly she stays tiny and doesn't get spots! I think it may have something to do with her fascination with Alice in Wonderland, but that's another story.

So, the final set of stamps from Shimelle is called That takes the cake and it is a scrumptious set.

"I am obsessed with cupcakes and I don't care that Bev already has an adorable cupcake stamp set -- I needed more! The great big cupcake is similar to one I have hanging on my wall, only that one is two feet tall. I find it really difficult to be grumpy when I look up and there's a giant cupcake on the wall, so I figured that a big cupcake stamp on a card would make it pretty hard to be grumpy too. I also love cake stands, and manage to find all different uses for them around my house. My favourites are old and a bit wobbly. So from the other side of the scale from that giant happy cupcake, there's a lovingly wobbly stand for you to stamp tiny little cakes all over. I love how these look stamped in black outlines with colour added in watercolours."

Tomorrow sees the start of a new weekly article by Shimelle and then from Thursday I will show you more sneak peeks.