Banana Frog Blog

Corinne Delis - June Guest Designer

I am sure that most people will recognise Corinne's style. Her layouts are colourful, striking and fun. I am definitely a big fan. Corinne has her own blog, and she is also on the design teams for Maya Road, SIStv, American Crafts and Cherry Arte. One very talented lady! So we are delighted that she is the June Guest Designer.

Now, over to you Corinne...

First of all I am not a stamper. I have stamps don't get me wrong, even more than I can count, but do I use them a lot? My answer is no. It is not that I do not like using stamps, but I think I just have to get used to them. I loved playing with the stamps from Banana Frog though, they challenged me to step out of my own comfort zone, scrapbooking wise.


Joy in Italy

For this lo I didn't wanted to use any patterned paper, alphabet stickers or embellishments. I wanted to challenge myself to work with the stamps. Instead I used the 'O' from the Budmo Jiggler as part of my background stamp.
For the title I also used the same alphabet but I used a lighter colour of ink otherwise the black would take over the whole lo and the focus wouldn’t be on the photo anymore.

One little word

Making a scrapbooking page without a photo is very hard to do for me, but I just did that in this layout and I actually like how it turned out. The cupcake(Build-a-cupcake) was perfect for this with the one candle celebrating that the challenge blog One little word was also one year old.

Happily ever after card

I used the cute hedgehog from the Greenwich Park stamps for this card. I wanted two of them to kiss but I had only one stamp. I stamped the same stamp twice on white paper, cut them out and turned one of them around. Now they were facing each other. I just had to draw black lines that were somehow similar as the original stamp. I think it turned out ok.

Happy Birthday card

I just love cupcakes and now I had the change to build my own with the Build-a-cupcake stamps. I used different kind of patterned paper to make the layers and in the last line of the cream I made a little cut with a knife so I could slide the candle in it. This way it sticks out a bit and you can even take it out.

Beverly thank you so much the stamps are awesome and I am sure I am going to use them over and over again.

Thank you Corinne!

Work Out Wednesday :: Pattern Blocks

A little delayed, but we are definitely working out this week!  (Note to self: cleaning the house should not mean putting the camera lead 'away' in a place you will not remember until 4am.)

This time we are working with Pattern Blocks, a set I once looked at in confusion but have since come to love for its sixties appeal and its easy pattern construction.  The set includes six different patterns that can be duplicated to create borders and backgrounds in a flash.

Tags up first as we get warmed up, and these will be done in seconds.  The pattern blocks fit right along the bottom of the tag, leaving the top for writing a to & from or another short message.  And for anyone out there who bought a sewing machine for their papercrafting -- is it gathering dust?  If so, let's give that machine a workout too!  Choose straight, zig-zag or fancy stitches to go across the tag at the top of the pattern.

Moving on to a retro card as we get in the groove!  These two pattern blocks look great together, one solid and one framed.  Just stamp one corner then look through the clear block to line up each block from there -- clear stamps mean no fancy gadgets, spirit levels or corner squares.  Just look to line it up.  Add some zig zags or cross-stitches to keep it in place and create a frame, then pin your message over the top.  Embellish in the empty space if it suits the recipient of the card!

And we need a layout before we call our workout complete!  I love this block -- so very Mary Quant.  These two girls have a very sixties vibe about them and I'm sure they would wear Mary Quant dresses if they ever have the chance -- they're on the right track with alice bands and beads.  Anyway!  Stamp the Mary Quant block over and over until you've finished a twelve inch border, then add it to your page and stitch it into place.  See if you have anything in your stash that fits in the circles of the pattern -- these little epoxies were just the right size.

If you've got Pattern Blocks at home, get stamping with them this week and let us see what you make!  (And if you don't have it at home, you can get it here!)

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

 

Banana Frogs in the wild!

There's a workout to come later today but it may be this evening so here's something to make you smile until then: Banana Frog birds spotted in the wild!  Nicola used the bird from the Greenwich Park set for her fabulous name badge at a recent retreat.

See more of Nicola's crafty wonderment with the Greenwich Park critters here!

Christi hearts Banana Frog

I've known Christi for a while (she was my Valentines swap on UKS one year!), she is an American who used to live in the UK but has now moved back. Christi contributes to a number of magazines and has her own blog.

Christi used the Take Note, Greenwhich Park and Circus Stories sets to make two gorgeous layouts and a card. She has used photos taken by the super talented Kara Bryant in both the layouts.

So, over to Christi...

For this layout, I used the Take Note set. These stamps are clear acrylic so it is very easy to create a decorative edge like the one that I did here around the Kraft paper and have it lined up perfectly. I LOVE that about clear acrylic!!

Isn't this photo just the cutest? I tried to stay with a very simple design for this layout.

Look at this gorgeous journaling stamp that is in this Take Note set. I just added brads on the ends to give it a bit of dimension. I also stamped a detail line from Circus Stories around the outside edge of the whole layout just to give it a bit more dimension.

For the butterflies, I stamped the swirl of the bracket on an orange paper and then strategically punched using my butterfly punch.

Finally the card...I love this, but only because I love these stamps so much!!! Look at those cute stamps from Shimelle...the set is called Greenwich Park. Everytime I stamp that little deer, it just makes me happy!

I just hand-wrote the "thanks" sentiment into the stamped oval.

Thanks Christi for some great ideas!

Let us know how you use your stamps, we would love to see your layouts, cards etc.

Work Out Wednesday :: Take Note

Well, I guess it's a late night workout for us this week, but it is still Wednesday for a good couple hours!  This week we're working out with a new set -- Take Note.  It has lovely lines for journalling and distressed frills at the edges.

A tag to get us started -- how about something to tie on to a Father's Day present this weekend?  Use the smaller set of lines and couple it with chipboard letters and brown ink for a finished tag in just a minute.  You'll be off and running...

to a card for the next bit of stamping fitness!  Assemble scraps of patterned papers on a card blank and add coordinating ribbon.  Use the same stamp from the tag but ink only the outsides -- clean the lines with a baby wipe.  Add a sticker monogram to the centre for a card with a personal touch.

The large journaling stamp in this set can be made even larger.  Stamp it once, then reink, turn the stamp and look through the clear block and the clear stamp to line it up.  You'll end up with a wide journaling box with frills on both ends.

Fill with lots of writing or just space out what you have to say.  Finish your workout with a simple layout using that journalling box and adding frills to the corners of your cardstock...and your stamps will go from neglect to spoilt rotten in under an hour!

Get Take Note here!

See you next week!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Work Out Wednesday :: Cuomotype

I think I may be neglecting all the lovely Banana Frog letters with our workouts!  So this week I dug into my beloved letter stamps and realised I have always neglected poor Cuomotype.  Look -- all shiny and new.  And no reason!  It's a brilliant font and so easy to use.  Here we go!

Tags up first...and these are a perfect fit for the three sizes of metal-edged tags in my stash.  A lowercase letter fits right in the middle of a mini tag, an uppercase letter or two fits nicely on the standard size tag and a whole word will fit on the large tag.  Hurrah! 

So...we put them to work!

I am loving the Jenni Bowlin journaling die-cuts for scrapping but they also fit perfectly on cards.  If you want to start including your handwriting but worry it won't look finished enough, try stamping the words then writing over the top, with the letters in the gaps.  Definitely a design that has your custom style when you use your own pen, and the blocky nature of this font makes it easy.

And how about something nice and simple to finish our workout -- a 12x12 page that comes together in no time, just from the scraps on your desk.  Stamp and write the title...

Then use blocks cut from scrap papers and strips for writing a few notes.  If you have more time, you might want to embellish each block individually.  But if you're like me, you've got to run now or you'll miss your train! 

See you for another workout soon!

Love and glitter,
Shimelle.~*

Hard at work

If you haven't already seen Audrey's Tic Tac Toe project, then check it out! She's been one very busy bee this week creating some more fabulous projects to share.

This layout uses Rouge de Garance papers from the Picoti Picota line and a whole host of Banana Frog stamp sets: Greenwich Park, Bensfolk, Journaling, I Heart You & Fanciful.

This gorgeous layout uses papers from Jenni Bowlin's Tangerine Dreams line with Steelfish, Fanciful, Greenwich Park, Scribble Flower and Journaling Banana Frog stamp sets, not forgetting some bling with the Bejeweller!

And last but not least, a wonderful card created with Dream Street papers from the Near and Dear line and Tag It, Retro Greetings, and Fanciful stamps.