Everyday Quirky-ness

Hi there fellow crafty & quirky types.

I've been living with my Juicy Fruit Quirky kit for a few weeks now and, as I'm the kind of person who likes to leave stash within eye-shot [if that's even a word!!] in order to mull it over and happen upon an interesting way to use it, I've had this kit spread out on my craft room floor since it arrived.

I've been wanting to use the 'Cute Strawberry Label' acrylic stamp, which Leo had custom-made for this kit, from the start but wanted to wait for two things before using it. Those two things were:

1. waiting for the strawberries to ripen on the plant we have in our garden and
2. thinking of an interesting way to show it off!!!

Upon an inspection of our solitary strawberry plant yesterday afternoon I could rule out #1 straight away! A project based around a punnet of our first home-grown, ripe, red juicy strawbs is a loooong, long way off yet [yet, despite that, they will be featuring on a layout very soon anyway!]. So, instead, I thought I've come up with some ways in which you can turn your little strawberry stamp into the star of your daily domestic adventures!!! Here are a few suggestions.

Customise sticky labels to seal envelopes and parcels:

Stamp onto mini-Post-It notes to draw attention to important info in your diary: Create a colourful 'To Do' list:
If you're interested in further Post-It based inspiration you might be entertained by some of the amazing feats captured in one of these videos . They're not at all related to the Quirky kit ... but they are most certainly 'quirky' ...and I thought you might enjoy them as much as I do!

Set a personalised place at the table [cherry design ribbon and bugle beads: also from the kit]:

Finally .... [and less formally].... remind someone of what they mean to you with a surprise note:
I've loved finding small, yet useful, ways to use my 'Cute Strawberry Label' stamp but I'm sure you can find many more ways to put it to use in your everday lives. If so, don't be shy, there are no prizes for modesty here .... show us what you make!!!

As always, we'd love to see any projects you make using the Quirky kits. You can leave us a link in the comments section, come and chat with us on our thread over on http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/ or failing that ...you can always wave your projects under my nose if you see me around ...

I'll be back with more Quirky kit projects soon,

Julie :)

Getting busy with the Juice Fruit Quirky Kit

I've been having loads of fun with this kit this past week so thought I'd share what I've made so far. Here's a quick cute card made with one of the Kitschy Digitals tags. I stitched some of the beads on around the edge of the tag, added some of the cherry ribbon to a card blank and the tag on top. To finish the card I added the message and a bow with the polka dot ribbon.

I followed the sketch on the Scrap Like You Mean It challenge here to make this layout. I used the melon paper for the background (the back of it) and then used trims from the other papers and some of the ribbons to build up the background. I made some of the strips in to kind of flag shaped just cutting them into shape with scissors. Some of the paper edges have been distressed by dragging open scissors along the edges. I've also added machine stitching to the background, it's rather haphazard but if you wanted to make it neater you could do that - use it to add frames or highlight points of interest on your layout.

You can see here in detail the effect if scissor distressing the paper edges. I've also used paint here to add a different distressed look. This one is a Raspberry Paint Dabber - the colour matches the papers really well.

This next layout I made using the Bonne Bonne paper. This time to distress the edges I used a paintbrush dipped in water to wet the edges and then rolled the paper over. I wanted something that looked more of a natural colour to contrast with the acid yellow for this layout so I used an old canvas bag cut up to make a square of canvas then used a Mini Mister (you can use any kind of spray bottle) and sprayed yellow ink on to the canvas to echo the sprayed effect already on the paper. This was then machine stitched to the background. The photo and title was mounted onto a scrap of some Bazzill Kraft cardstock and that was also machine stitched to the layout. To finish I added some trim and a button and then stamped the 'yummy' on to one of the Kitschy Digitals tags and stapled it to the layout.

Here you can see the detail of the sprayed canvas stitched to the layout.

Finally this one Incorporated all the above techniques. The background is the Bazzill Kraft cardstock. First I sprayed on the yellow ink and let that dry flat. Next I worked out the placement of the photos and then used the alphabet stickers in the top left of the background as a mask spraying black ink over the letters. If you have a go at this you need to make sure it dries before you peel off the stickers. I put the peeled off letters on a piece of plastic to save them for later. Next I used a piece of the strawberry paper cut to 7.5x12 and distressed the edges with scissors then attached it with machine stitching to the right side of the background. At this point I added the photos - some of the middle ones that cross the papers I used 3D foam pads to attach them on. The title was then added, I used a mixture of alphabet stickers (including the ones used earlier to make the sprayed title) and stamps. The journalling again is on a tag cut from the Kitschy Digitals sheet. Finally I added the flowers they were made from off cuts of paper cut into a circle which you then cut a spiral in to and roll it up from the center. The tighter the spiral you cut the flatter then flower will be and obviously the larger the circle you cut the larger your flower will be. I used a glue gun to attach them to the layout.


That's what I've done so far and still got lots to use up yet!
xx Leo