Like For Ever - Acorn Avenue - September Kit

Hey everyone, welcome back!

Today's post is the second in a monthly series where I will be showing you the contents of my Like Forever kit.

The Like Forever kit is a monthly scrapbook subscription kit. Each month is a different theme and a different scrapbook collection. Like Forever is a UK based kit and I am so excited to be subscribed to it!

More details can be found on www.likeforever.co.uk

Septembers kit is called 'Acorn Avenue' and features Pink Paislees 'Cedar Lane' collection as well as a couple of other items.

Here's what I received in my kit:

Embellishments

Arrow Embellishments

These embellishments are amazing, I've never seen anything like them before. Anything that's sparkly automatically catches my eye and the gold glitter detail on these is super sparkly! I love the gold that is wrapped in with the twine as it adds an extra dimension of colour and detail to the embellishments. The ends of the arrows match the papers perfectly and really help to tie these arrows in with the rest of the collection. I'm not really sure how I'm going to use these but I'm sure I will find a way!

Ephemera Pack

My ephemera stash is growing rapidly, I'm either going to have to start using them or get myself a bigger bowl to keep them in! There are 76 pieces in this ephemera pack including glitter, foiled, vellum and normal cardstock pieces. I love the autumnal feel of this collection and the ephemera is a great representation of this. I'm about to start on September 2014 in my daughters Project Life album, so I can see myself getting a lot of use out of the pieces in this ephemera pack. My favourites have to be the acorns and the foxes.

Word Stickers

These word stickers are a completely new item for me, I've never purchased or used word stickers before. There are 112 stickers in this pack with all sorts of different words and phrases on. The colour is a beautiful transparent mint with gold foiled writing on them. There are so many phrases that I've spotted in this pack and thought 'ooh I can use that!'. My favourite has to be #likeaboss! My other half has just passed his driving test so this is the perfect sticker to use on a layout to document that!


Blue Glitter Thickers - Fitzgerald Font

Ooh so shiny, so glittery! These thickers are BEAUTIFUL. Never would I ever have thought to buy blue thickers for myself as it's not a colour that I generally use much. I'm definitely going to have to think of a use for these as they are too fantastic not to use! I'm thinking of maybe an April showers layout for my daughters Project Life album (If I ever manage to get to April!)


Pretty Pink Posh Sequin Mix

Sequins are something that I have never used in a layout before. I'm going to have to turn to Pinterest for some inspiration. This sequin mix was especially created for the Like For Ever Kit by the lady over at Pretty Pink Posh. The colours are amazing, blues, browns, pinks and a fab mustard yellow. They compliment the kit perfectly and I can't wait to get stuck into them.


Wooden Butterfly Buttons

Buttons are another thing that I have never used on a layout before. I'm actually quite tempted to keep these to one side and use them in my bedroom which has a bit of a butterfly theme going on in it. The back of these buttons are plain which opens them up to be used on many different layouts...I may even have a go at painting the other side myself or letting my daughter at them with some colouring pens for a completely individual look.


Papers

Town Square

The floral side of this paper definitely isn't my style, I much prefer the pale blue side. That said, I can imagine fussy cutting some of the flowers out and using them as embellishments instead.

Acorn Avenue

This paper is beautiful, I don't know which side of it to use! I'd love to fussy cut some of the acorns out but I can imagine it will be quite time consuming. I can also imagine layering this paper on a layout. I should have got two of these!

Greenspace

Hmm.. this paper I am struggling with, I'm not too keen on either side of it. I'd love the side with the words on if they were bolder.. maybe I'll have a go at cutting some of them out. Really unsure on this one.

Cedar Lane

This floral paper is gorgeous, I can't wait to make a layout with it. I'm not so keen on the B side but that's OK as I will definitely be using the floral side of it!

Main Street

I adore both sides of this paper. Grey isn't a colour that I would normally use but its one of my favourite colours, so I need to start using it more! However, the pink pattern on the other side is lovely too. This is definitely a piece of paper that will have to be cut up and used in a few different layouts.

Walnut Street

Woodgrain is not a favourite of mine, I have never used it in a layout as it's just too dark for me, so I can never imagine using it either. I love the black and white polka dot side of this paper and I enjoy using monochrome in my layouts, so it's a good thing that I received two pieces of this paper in my kit.

Arrow Avenue

Again, the B side of this paper is a woodgrain so I highly doubt I will use it. The A side of this paper is amazing and I think it will look fab with the arrow embellishments that I also received in this kit.

Circle Street

LOVE the circle pattern on this paper, its definitely getting cut up so that I can use the circles to layer up on a layout. There's absolutely no doubt which side of this paper I will use!

Park Place

Both sides of this paper are fab and I will definitely be using both sides of this, I actually think that they will layer up nicely together. I may end up fussy cutting the zigzag pattern and using it as a border on a coloured piece of cardstock that coordinates with the colours in the zigzags.

Riverside Lane

The leaf pattern on the B side of this paper is interesting and is something a lot more neutral than anything I would ever use. I may have to think something up for this paper as the pattern on it is fab for an autumn layout, I'm just about to start on October 2014 so I'm hoping I will use this then.

5th Avenue

Another paper that I am torn between sides on. The B side is a gorgeous colour, however I won't be using it as a full sheet as I'd quite like to cut out some of the strips of leaves to use as borders and layering strips.

This month there are 2 pieces of cardstock, a grey and a beige. I honestly don't know if I will use the grey as I'm not the biggest fan of dark colours and I'm actually a little intimidated by the thought of scrapping onto something so dark. I will however be using the beige cardstock as it matches some of the papers in this kit beautifully.

Overall I would say that this kit isn't really my style due to the dark colours, I much prefer bright, bold colours. That said, I'm looking forward to trying out some new layouts and techniques in order to be able to incorporate the darker colours. It will definitely add something new to my album, and who knows...maybe I will learn to love darker colours!

Well that's everything I got in this months Like For Ever kit. I really enjoyed receiving this and excitedly looking through all the contents, I can't wait for next months box!

Thanks for reading and have a great day,

Charl x

Like For Ever - Dream Big - July Kit

Hey everyone, welcome back!

Today's post is the first in a new monthly series where I will be showing you the contents of my Like Forever kit.

The Like Forever kit is a monthly scrapbook subscription kit. Each month is a different theme and a different scrapbook collection. Like Forever is a UK based kit and I am so excited to be subscribed to it!

More details can be found on www.likeforever.co.uk

Julys kit is called 'Dream Big' and features Pinkfresh Studios 'Happy Things collection as well as a couple of items from different collections.

Here's what I received in my kit:

Wood Veneer Stickers

These wood veneer stickers are beautiful. I love the patterns on them and that they can be used as they are or even coloured in. They are a fab size...not too big but not to small and are a lovely thick quality.

Alpha Sticker Sheets

You can never have to many alphabet stickers! The font on these is gorgeous and you get 5 sheets in the pack: green, baby blue, mustard, baby pink and a raspberry pink. Each sheet has 109 stickers on it and there are plenty of each letter. There's nothing worse than using alphabet stickers to then realise that you don't have enough of a letter.

Acetate Die Cuts

These are really interesting, I've never seen anything like them before. There are 20 different patterned acetate triangles in the pack and there are a lot of pattern variations, from words, to stripes to leaves. I'm looking forward to using these on a layout but I need to do a bit of research into what to stick them down with.

Flairs

I posted about flairs a couple of weeks ago and how I had never used them before and now I have some more to add to my collection. The patterns on these are lovely and I think the orange one will look great on an autumn layout.

Glitter Foam Stickers

These are definitely a show stopper of an item, they're huge! They're so thick and are covered in a beautiful black glitter. The glitter feels like it's stuck down really well so no chance of it falling off. I really can't think of how to use these in a layout due to their size so any suggestions would be great :)

Cardstock

Four sheets of lovely thick cardstock. I actually don't have any cardstock so this is a welcome addition to my scrap booking stash.

Crate Paper Oh Darling Vellum

This vellum is so pretty. I love using polka dots in my layouts so I will definitely make good use of this! It's great quality and not too transparent, so it will layer nicely.

Doodle Borders/Bow Ties Paper

I know which side of this I'm going to use already. Those doodle borders are awesome, I can't wait to get my felt tips out and start colouring it in!

Happy Words/Rustic Pattern Paper

The little cut out happy words cards are adorable and I will for sure be using that side of this paper. I like the pattern on the other side but I'm not so keen on the darker colours in it.

Botanicals/Sparkle Paper

The sparkle side of this paper is to die for and I'm already thinking of potential uses for it, the botanicals side is pretty but not something I can imagine myself using.

Balloon/Semi Circle Paper

The balloons side of this paper is absolutely perfect for a layout celebrating my daughters first birthday. I really love the other side too and I'm starting to wish that I ordered another sheet of this paper as an add on.

Ombre' Mosaic/Confetti Circle Paper

The mosaic side of this paper is a stunning and the colours are so bright. I really like the confetti circle design but I can see myself struggling with this a little as there's not really much space to put my own mark onto this paper.

Rustic Triangles/Triangle Pattern Paper

The rustic triangles side of this paper is not me at all, but that triangle pattern...oh my! Its so busy but so vibrant! I'm going to have to think really hard for a use for this paper.

Dream Big/Geo Shapes Paper

Another 'ready made' page with the dream big side of this paper. I think I may end up using the geo shapes side as it will look lovely with some nice big lettering running straight through that cluster of shapes in the middle.

Well that's everything I got in this months Like For Ever kit. I really enjoyed receiving this and excitedly looking through all the contents, I can't wait for next months box!

Thanks for reading and have a great day,

Charl x

Handwriting For Journalling

Hey everyone, welcome back!

Today I thought I would do a post about handwriting for journalling. I love to add journalling to Project Life cards in order to record memories and milestones in my daughters Project Life album. I always aim to do it as neatly as I can and I'm always quite impressed with it as soon as I've finished it. However, when I look back on it days later I always find myself thinking 'Oh, that looks so scruffy and untidy!'

Because of this I've made it my mission to improve my handwriting, both printed and cursive (but mainly cursive as I think cursive handwriting looks so pretty!). In order to achieve this, I have been using printable worksheets that I've found online. I'm going to share with you my two favourite websites for printable handwriting worksheets, just in case any of you were interested in having a go at them yourselves!

So here are the two websites:

http://www.llamaslovelettering.com/

This website has 10 lesson worksheets as well as blank worksheets for you to do your own thing on.

http://handwritingworksheets.com/

This website has so many different printable worksheets depending on what style of handwriting you want to improve. They are simple but I find that they really help!

Thanks for reading, have a great day and I'll see you all in my next post,

Charl x

Freckled Fawn Blooper Bag

Hey everyone, welcome back!

Today I received some happy mail from Freckled Fawn. I ordered one of their 'Blooper Bags' from the website (www.freckledfawn.com)  after seeing some girls discussing them on an american Project Life group.

The Blooper Bag costs $5 and includes items that are either; retired stock or imperfect items, e.g. a sticker sheet with a couple of stickers missing/out of place.

So mine was delivered and here is what it looks like.

I thought I would order one to see what it was like and to see if I would receive some items which I wouldn't normally tend to purchase, that I could use to bring something different to my scrapbook/Project Life layouts.

So here is what I received in my Blooper Bag.

Acrylic Shapes

The first items which i pulled out of the bag were some acrylic shapes. I received a small bag of stars, two presents and a glittery cloud. I've never used acrylic shapes in my layouts before. The shapes are all really thick and sturdy and seem to be of a very good quality. I'm definitely looking forward to using the 2 presents in my Christmas 2014 layout (which i have yet to start!)

Flairs

The next items I pulled out of the bag were two packs of flairs. I have never even seen anything like this before and had to do a quick google search to find out what they were. I love the summery designs and can definitely see these being used on a bright summer layout as they will fit in very well with the colours which I am planning to use.

Epoxy Stars

The next item I pulled out of the bag was a pack of clear epoxy stars. There are 2 different sizes and they are of a very high quality. I have used epoxy stickers in layouts before but i'm not sure how well these ones will show up on layouts due to them being clear.

Glitter Snowflake Stickers

The next item I pulled out of the bag was a packet of 9 glittery snowflake stickers. I LOVE these! I'm definitely attracted to anything glittery and shiny and these will make a great addition to any Christmas or winter layouts that I do.

Chipboard Frames

The next item I pulled out of the bag was a packet of 2 punch detail chipboard frames. These will look great on a layout with a cheeky Instagram selfie on! They are nice and sturdy and I like the fact that the punched out letters are included in with the frames. A great way to reduce wastage, and extra embellishment for another layout!

Gold Foil Labels

The next item I pulled out of the bag was a sheet of gold foiled labels. These are lovely thick labels and I can think of so many uses for them! A couple of them are Christmas themed but the majority of them are plain meaning that I can use them any time of the year.

Alphabet Stickers

The next item I pulled out of the bag was a sheet of blue circular alphabet stickers. These are a gorgeous colour and a great size too. This is actually the only 'imperfect' item in my Blooper Bag due to the creasing and a couple of the stickers are peeling off. They are however, still 100% usable. 

Wood Veneer Numbers

The final item that I pulled out of the bag was a set of 2 wood veneer numbers. They are a good, large size and have a very smooth finish to them. This is the one item in the bag that I am going to really struggle to use as I really don't know what to use them for?! Any suggestions?

Overall I would say that the Blooper Bag was a good buy for me as it has provided me with a variety of items that I would probably never have purchased myself. I love that the bag is completely re-usable and I plan to use it as a crafty travel bag, unless my daughter pinches it (she's quite taken by the gold stars!)

Have any of you ever had a Freckled Fawn Blooper Bag before? What did you receive in yours?

Thanks for reading, have a great day and I'll see you all in my next post,

Charl x

Current Favourites: Washi Tape

Hey everyone, welcome back!

Today I thought I would do a quick post about my current favourite washi tapes. I have so many different types and patterns of washi tape, but it all depends on the project I'm working on as to which tapes I use.

The project that I am currently working on is my little girls project life album. This is influencing me to choose and favour brighter colours and floral patterns. They match the layouts really well and add an extra layer of colour and depth to the page.

Left - Right: 

Tesco (Part of a set of 3)

TkMaxx; Cath Kidston (Part of a set of 4)

TkMaxx; Cath Kidston (Part of a set of 4)

Gifted by a penpal from Germany 

Paperchase (Part of a set of 4)

What are your current favourite washi tapes? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day and I'll see you all in my next post,

Charl x