Paper Folding with Pretty Papers

I love pretty papers, and we have so many pretty papers, including parchment papers and vellums, in the shop that I thought I'd play around a do some paper folding which seems to be in my mind at the moment. I happened to be surfing around the Internet...as you do....and saw something like this on my travels so thought I'd have a go with some pretty pink flower fairies vellums. I used A4 papers for the back so its actually quite large, measuring about 50cm in diameter, but of course it can be made a lot smaller and I thnk a teeny weeny one would make a great embellishment for a scrapbook page or a card, but this one is perfect to hang in the shop window.

Changing colours

I'm never really ahead of the curve on craft trends. It always takes me a while to get in to something, and so it took me a while to get in to Promarkers.

And while I'd heard that you can use them to re-colour other things (like gems, and peel-offs, and stickers) I had never tried it. But my friend is getting married and I'd offered to make the invitations, and on the sample I'd used a pretty pink gem. She loved it - which was great - except I ran out. 

So thank you Mum and Mindy, for reminding me that I could use a pink Promarker to turn my little clear gems into perfect pink ones.

And then I realised that the white alphabet stickers that didn't work on my scrapbook page, would look perfect if they were pink. And in doing so, completed what might be the longest scrapbook page ever. Thankfully, I love it. That perfect pink was worth waiting for.

Scrapbook Friday: Back on black

I don't know why it never occurred to me to mount my photos on black card before? Five years of scrapbooking and I manage to miss something obvious like that.

I think I've had this background paper almost all of that five years...I know it's been in my stash a long time. I still think it's gorgeous, but no-one is ever going to see it stuck in my folder, are they?

Possibly the longest page title ever...but it is indeed, very important to take regular breaks for tea (and cake)!

Scrapbook Friday: Late night scrapbook love

You'll have to excuse the late night photos as I prepare this Friday page for you.

It's a formula.
2 photos + whole sheet of patterned paper background + something at an angle or offset to make it interesting = a page that could be really similar to last week's but is somehow quite different.

My favourite thing about this layout (apart from Mindy, of course) is the luggage tag.
Just an ordinary tag (you could even cut one from plain card) and these journalling block stamps.

Stamp twice across the tag to make it look like horizontal ledger paper. I'll be honest here, I tried masking off the edges so I didn't get the double line in the middle...and it didn't work. I couldn't line them up straight. So I decided to embrace it instead, and actually I think it looks fine.

Then I used a brush and some acrylic paint to edge it, and tie in with the paint block behind my title. A few extra embellishments from my collection, and it's done.

Scrapbook Friday

Big foot, little foot.

Big page, little photos.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the need to fill a page completely with paper and photos and stuff. Here, though, I loved the background paper and really didn't want to cover it up. Cropping the photos to 10cm square and making fake-polaroid backgrounds was the perfect solution. The splashes of green keep the page from looking too dark.

Summer scrapbooking

I think we can all agree that we had better weather in April/May than we have done in our actual summer months. So this page of our first ice-creams of the year is kind of appropriate.

This layout uses these stamps to create the bunting, and I hand-stitched across the top using embroidery thread. In a moment of madness, I decided to create a matching swirl across the bottom of the page as well. My hand-stitching projects always seem like a good idea at the time, but at times I was stitching through three layers of cardstock, so it was quite labour-intensive.

My top tip: draw the shape you want and poke holes for your stitches before you start sewing. And make sure you make the holes big enough for your needle to go through :)

Something different

Sorry folks, it's been a quiet month for blogging. I can only blame the Open University, really, because I've been working hard on my course.

Still, sometimes it's nice to forget that I have another essay due in less than two weeks and play with some paper. It's been a while since I put a scrapbook page on here so I thought I'd share this one. My cat Morpheus is, apparently, not the only black cat in the neighbourhood. I did a double-take when I saw this one sitting on my wall!

And this is a little peek into my craft space too...the page is resting against my computer monitor. Yes, my Martha Stewart punches pretty much live on the desk, I use them so much. I would like to point out I do have another table that I actually craft on, this desk is only for my PC. Somehow the craftiness just gets everywhere though! And the crazy mess on the left is my ribbon collection, which lives on 2-inch book rings that are at the moment hanging from my desk lamp. It's not neat but it makes me smile.

Recording my life, one scrapbook page at a time

Last year was somewhat 'scrapbook interruptus' for various reasons, mostly health-related. Which means that over the last few months I have had plenty of photos to work on, and it's been lovely to re-live some fantastic moments from 2009. It was a busy, fun-filled year and I have the photos to prove it.

Further proof, if any were needed, of my glitter obsession:



K x

I don't think he understands me

Morpheus is my cat. I love him to bits, but I don't think he really 'gets' scrapbooking - other than as an endless source of bits of paper and ribbon to play with.

Sparkly scrapbook paper

Would you believe that one sheet of double-sided scrapbook paper was enough to do 2 pages, a card and a tag?

I kid you not. So I had fun experimenting with some different styles.

These photos were taken exactly a year ago....life has changed so much since then. I have to say, though - short hair is so much easier to look after ;)

This flower is part of the paper - just use a craft knife to cut around the petals and bend them slightly before you stick it to the page.

I didn't even need to add any extra sparkle to this one - all glitter is included!

K x

Are Hobbies Healthy for you

Well naturally some Hobbies like Sky Diving have dangers associated with them, but even these still health advantages.

How can Hobbies help with your health?

Having hobbies can help you keep busy so you are not overeating, they can lower your blood pressure, provide a release from stress, and keep your mind and body active.

Do you want to quit smoking or drinking?, lose weight, want to feel more interested in life, a sense of accomplishment?

Then take up a Hobby.

Your hobbies will be unique to you; find things you are good at, you have always wanted to learn, or bring back something you did years ago, recapturing your youth. They can range anywhere from: crafts, games, art, music, writing, pets, gardening, and exercise.

Hobbies such as, sports, exercise, and gardening, are forms of physical activity, providing movement for the body. This movement helps to tone and stretch the muscles, balance the blood sugar, lower the blood pressure, reduce stress and rid the body of toxins. Some of these can be done out in nature; connecting with nature has been shown to have great health benefits. Activities like: hiking, camping, gardening, or even a walk in the park, are great examples.

Animals are also important to health it can be watching a Gold Fish in a bowl or training a Parrot or walking a Dog. Taking care of and bonding with them, requires learning, activity and opening yourself up to love. Animals have been known to lower blood pressure, provide laughter and to even help people with disabilities open up. Laughter has been shown to provide many health benefits, such as: lowering blood pressure, helping digestion and keeping you young.

Art and music and writing have been used for therapy; it has been shown that developing our creative side is so valuable for overall health. Singing requires one to breath deeply, bringing more oxygen into the lungs and cells of the body. Writing allows us to express our feelings and creativity. Art, allows us to de-stress and to express ourselves; all three provide a sense of accomplishment.

Hobbies are great when you are trying to quit smoking, drinking, overeating, or other bad habits. Take up new hobbies instead of the bag of chips; Start today to keep your mind and body active. The latest studies show, we can develop new pathways in our brain, so start learning new hobbies today.

So de-stress, relax, chill and exercise your brain with one of the following:

Scrapbooking, Knitting, Embroidery, Paper Folding (Origami), Parchment Craft, Rubber Stamping, Decoupage, Painting

They are all good for your Healthy wellbeing

Craft Workshop

New Craft Workshops for Autumn

This week a new schedule of workshops for September through to December has come out.
The list is going up on the web in the next couple of days. Make sure you pick up a leaflet when you come into the shop.

Cardmaking is now twice a month on the 1st and 4th Saturday of the month. This months theme is Unusual Shaped cards....

Scrapbooking with Kate is back with September's theme of Mini Books and Picture Frames.

There is also a display in the shop of some of Kate's Scrapbooking pages, which are absolutely gorgeous.

Have you seen the cards Hilary has made from Martha Ospina's new book My Passion My Parchment, they are stunning. If you want to learn to do Parchment Craft ask about the New Beginners Parchment Workshop is starting in September.

Keep Crafting!

scrapbooking my life

One of the biggest debates in the scrapbooking world is what you scrap. Do you scrap the big occasions, the birthdays, holidays, weddings, births....or do you use your scrapbook to record the little things, little stories, quirks, odd moments that aren't really a special event, but make you happy and are worth recording?

I think for me, everything is worth recording. I don't scrap chronologically (in that I don't stack my photos up and say "well, I can't work on this pile until I've finished that pile"). I organise my photos by theme, or by occasion (whichever works best....that's a post for another day) and I make pages about the things that I feel are important or interesting. Sometimes I scrap about what we did, sometimes I scrap about how I feel.

That's what I love about this hobby: there are no rights and wrongs. If something works for YOU - then that's all it needs to do. There are so many different styles and formats, so many different papers to play with...it's easy to get overwhelmed. So just remember that you are doing this for you - and there is no-one else you have to please.

kate x

Have you seen this page?

My first published page - in this month's Scrapbook Inspirations magazine (page 82). It feels like such a long time ago - the photos are of our holiday last August, I created the page in October, and I answered the call for publication about 3 months ago!

It's a really simple way to show off several photos - none of them were enough for a single-photo page. A good tip for holiday photos (of which I had about 500) is to go through and arrange them according to topic - so although these pictures were all taken on different days and in different places, they all came under the 'transport' heading, which made planning my pages much easier.

Using lots of photos can be tricky, but by overlapping them like this they don't overwhelm the page. Mount the photos on contrasting card or paper, and trim it to a very thin border (mine is probably a fraction of an inch). This gives it just enough to 'stand out' from the page, without overwhelming the other photos.

Yes, those are original tram tickets in there - I know they're not acid free, but by mounting my photos on acid-free paper, this protects them from the tickets. If you're really worried about preservation, you could always use plastic pockets or laminate your items (though remember that some tickets are printed on thermal paper so you must use cold laminating pouches).

The title was handcut from funky foam - we have a great selection of this in the shop, but I do like neutral colours for effective titles, especially as the green on this page is so vivid. The green felt flower was also handmade, so I could cut it to exactly the right size for my page. If you're not so keen on the hand-cutting, there are plenty of ready-made flowers for you to choose from.

Have a go at doing some multi-photo pages for your summer album!

Kate x

So much fun

I keep meaning to share the fun we have in our workshops, and for one reason or another, I haven't managed to yet - no camera, no batteries, forgetting to take photos until everyone has left...

For May, though, I managed it, mostly. Which is quite fitting as I think it's a year since we began the process of scrapbooking and cardmaking workshops (Mum, correct me if I'm wrong). In that time my style has certainly changed, and so has everyone else's....it's been fascinating to see everyone grow in confidence, try new things, and enjoy the process. Scrapbooking is more than just about the pages - it's about the memories and stories that we share. And in the same way, the workshops are more than just about making something - we chat, we share ideas, we share our stories, we share our stash. I think (and hope) that everyone enjoys the projects that we make, but I know for sure that everyone enjoys the chance to spend some time together, doing something fun.





Don't forget that next month our workshop is on 16th June, and I will post a sample of the project so you can all bring the photos you need :)

Kate x

Wanna see?

In all its glory....see you tomorrow!

Kate x

Workshop next weekend

Just a couple of peeks at the page we'll be doing at next weekend's workshop...bit more technique-driven than usual, and certainly a very different style - it'll be interesting to see how everyone uses this! Don't forget, we're working with one large picture (I used an 8x10)

Kate x

New year - more layouts!

Just a quick one - we are all still here, honest!

Already January is flying past and it's business as usual at the shop. Our new opening times mean we are now CLOSED ON MONDAYS - but you can still place your orders online.

Thought I'd share a quick layout with you - this was from our scrapping workshop earlier this month. Some Christmassy pictures and I've used felt to create my own accents - I'm loving the unique look you can create by making your own page accents.

Next workshop is Sat Feb 10th - drop us a line for more info.

Kate x

Scrapping workshops

Our monthly scrapbooking and cardmaking workshops are proving a huge success and I'd just like to share with you the sample pages from our last session. Paper and tools are provided, though everyone brings their own kits too, and the sample pages are a springboard for everyone to create their own ideas. It's great to see how everyone takes an idea and uses it differently and we have seen some fantastic layouts.

Our card makers are well looked after too, with card kits and samples for them to work with as well. Perhaps the most exciting aspect is seeing the crossover between cardmaking and scrapbooking. So many of the techniques can be used on both and I love seeing people realise this!

Kate x

Welcome to Wightcat Crafts

Wightcat Crafts is based in Newport, Isle of Wight, UK. We are a dedicated Craft shop specialising in Parchment Craft, 3d Decoupage, Scrapbooking, Altering and Stamping.
Our Design Team hold regular demo's and workshops, details of which will be posted here.