Wednesday 6 July 2011

TCR 65 "Sommarbad" (summer dips in the sea) and TCR 65B "Stockholm In My Heart" and the page I tried to upload yesterday

The colours in the palette that TCR released on Friday are among my absolute top favourites; blue and tan with a hint of mint. Here's the gorgeous palette:


The tan made me think of old and battered sepia photos and as you all know, I love old photos. This one is from MIL's photo album and shows DH's two cousins with their dad one summer in the early 1950's. DH spent all his childhood summers with his maternal relatives on the Swedish island called Gotland. It has the most magnificent fine-grained sand beaches but also a coastline of soft, round cliffs. THE perfect place for mainland holiday makers, even now.

#65_Sommarbad 4000px- main

I used craft cardstock on top of a patterned blue/tan/newspaper print paper from Swedish designer Pion Design. I dry brushed Gesso and misted with TA in Suede before I used a heavy hand to distress the edges.

#65_Sommarbad 800px-2

The big alphas were in craft before I misted them in TA Glimmer Chalk in Cornflower and then glazed them. I really like the shine to them, reminds me of the surface of water.

#65_Sommarbad 4000px-3

Some flowers that I snipped of a bouquet of silk flowers and the golden puddle is Universal Ink in Gold. Just like the moonshine on a clear night and the reflexes of the sun in water.

#65_Sommarbad 800px-4

This one is to show you the "snowpaint" that I've used before. It's like Gesso mixed with very fine sand. Gives a fantastic texture IRL.

#65_Sommarbad 800px-6

And the WP lighthouse that so many have used before me.

As I love any hue of blue, I couldn't resist making a second LO for TCR #65. I called it "Stockholm In My Heart". Any Swede immediately starts humming this song when they hear the first bars being played. It's an ode to my hometown Stockholm and how beautiful she lies between the bracken waters of the Baltic Sea and the sweet waters of the lake Mälaren. As I've mentioned so many times before, it's all about water in Stockholm and no wonder, the thousand-year-old city is built on 11 islands connected by bridges. Enough of geography.

#65B_StockholmIn My Heart 4000px-main - Kopia

The pic is of me and hubbs on a balmy summers evening a couple of years ago, we're having pick-nick with our best friends and the skyline of our hometown can be seen in the background. I handstitched around the whole page and also stitched some leaves and flourishes along the left side. The alphas are Prima and originally green, so I altered them by dabbing some Sky Blue and Chestnut Roan on them.

#65B_StockholmIn My Heart 800px-5 - Kopia

More gorgeous Imaginarium Design chippies, just love them. I started by chalking the flourish in Chestnut Roan, then dabbed it with Sky Blue before I Stickled in Cinnamon, Waterfall and Patina. Some minty pearls and jewels to finish it.

#65B_StockholmIn My Heart 800px-4 - Kopia

All papers are from Swedish designer Inkido. Dotted lace/netting from WP.

#65B_StockholmIn My Heart 800px-6 - Kopia

And a close-up of the pic and the misting. Mask from Prima. I would like to suggest you click for a larger image so that you can really see the blue/cream/green floral paper under the tan one. I just adore those brand-new papers from Inkado! I fussy cut loads of the roses and layered them along the left-hand side of the page on top of the stitching and in the cluster at the top.

Yesterday Blogger wouldn't let me upload a page that I had made just for myself. Let's see if it works now instead.

Summer Dreams 4000px-main

More typical Swedish summer images. This time the photo is of grass straws of wild forest strawberries, sweeter than any cultivated strawberries, laid out on the soft round cliffs found in the Stockholm archipelago. Even though its very late in the night, the cliffs are still warm from the sun earlier in the day. Here you can also see some of the famous summer light. Remember we're talking of almost midnight here!



All the papers are Anna Griffin Franscesca. Absolutely divine, soft, mild greens, blues and pinks. Here I have experimented making accordion flowers for the first time ever. Lesson learned is to use really strong glue and not fib with the pleats ;))

Summer Dreams 4000px-3

Summr Dreams 4000px-4

Just like old wallpaper! and a sweet posy of a Prima branch, scrunchy seambinding and a trail of fussy-cut blooms from another line by Anna Griffin.

Summer Dreams 4000px-6

Dear me, now I must have bored you stiff with my florals and fussy cutting. Hope you scrolled down and skipped the uninteresting pics. For those of you who have actually, yet again (boy, this is getting a habit) come all the way down here - cudos to you! and a really really big humble thank you!!

Should you generously also want to leave some comments or tips on how I could have made them better, I thank you a second time!!

Wednesday is coming to its end over here, it has been a really warm and sunny day. I think we'll settle for some Italian antipasti and cantaloupe for dinner. Some rosé of course and Doreen, if you read this - here's to you sweets! psss, I have had a couple of them Mojitos too ...

Cheerio for now! xoxoxox Eila

15 comments:

  1. I just love your pretty scrap style - so joyful to see!

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow - love all the details! thanks for sharing how you did them too! helps me out a ton.. like this "snow-paint" technique and i agree with you on the Imaginarium Design chippies - they are fantastic!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wauwwwwy so many pages you made and all so lovely with yummie colors and details.Love your snowpaint at the beach page...clever girl!
    have a lovely scrappy time byebye,Lean

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous!! Beautiful work! I love the first one, many great details. The photo in the second one is Fantastic!! and the page , too! Hey, the muse is there with you, good!!! Love MIL's photo. Take Care my friend and enjoy your summer. A Big Hug!!! Muak! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful Beautiful work Eila! especially the first one and just adore your pics they are fab...love visiting your blog and the description of all your pages ...might just get to tcr page today as your sleeping lol!!!
    have a great day sweetie...
    Lindy xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow! Eila these are all fab! I like how you used the gesso and folded over the paper...looks great. That's a really good pic of you and hubby!

    ReplyDelete
  7. So beautiful all of them. The first one is my fave! Love how you worked the kraft paper. On the second one the hand stitching is superb! The photo of you two is beautiful! And the third one brings the flavor of the wild strawberries in my mouth just looking at the photo!

    "Nähdään" heinäkuun lopulla.
    halit
    H

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eila LOL, what have I started, well I did read to the end obviously! Love them all but the 1st one is my favourite, the pic, the gesso, the lettering and the lighthouse from Webster's such an amazing layout. I did not know Stockholm was made up of islands sounds a bit like Venice? How funny to get so much daylight, it is light here until about 9.30 but even now it is drawing back out, been soooo busy this week DD has had 1st of 2 proms (dont ask!) the pics are amazing and looking forward to scrapping with them, wait to you see the dresses, ohh to be yound again, take care my friend and enjoy the rest of the week. x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi, friend! I am in awe of so many new techniques you share here...I love the addition of silk flowers, as well as the accordion-folded one; they are just perfect for their respective layouts! I also love the snow...where did you find it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. WOW !!! ALL wowzers !!!!! love all the layers and the shabby feel to them ... exquisite work .. hugz x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gorgeous, gorgeous work, Eila! So many beautiful, elegant details and layer on all of them! I especially love what you did with the chipboard on that Stockholm layout! Just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello Eila. Firstly, your posts are definitely not too long or boring...I love reading what you have to say...it's always so interesting! I love all of your layouts...they are stunning doll. I love the distressed look of the first layout, and your use of gesso and misting...the result is so beautiful. You've done such an amazing job altering your chippie with ink, stickles and gems. I love all your beautiful layers of paper, lace and all your other gorgeous goodies. Your stitching is wonderful as always, and adds such a lovely touch to your work. The photos and stories behind them are wonderful. Great job with the fussy cutting and pin wheel flowers. I could go on and on...awesome work.
    Have an amazing week and take care..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello my friend! I so love to read all your descriptions of pages and places. I never tire of it and thus it is of course not boring!!
    The pages are beautiful. I find favourite elements in each and all but on the whole I think I am in love with number one. The beautiful framing with the pps and that darling light house add such beautiful touches!!
    You gave me a great idea now...
    I am off to the garden to pick some mint leaves, and then to get the limes out of the fridge. Cheers my darling!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Eila you are a mixed media genius! You must join Pages in Time. They have a Christy Tomlinson (from The Scralet Lime kit club) class going on (probably finished but maybe still going on...that may be of interest to you. Art journaling, etc...I got the info "She art" looked intriguing but no time for me & a bit too arty for the way I'm scrapping at the moment. I love your posts & all the detail & love you pour in. Don't worry about your blogging style as it's your blog & if people are in a hurry they can skim. I almost always read every word & try to come back if I've been too rushed. You live in the midst of sheer beauty so for me it is a feast for the eyes. Your layouts are coming along in leaps & bounds, not that they weren't always beautiful - but they are so darn good now it's a pleasure to see & read all the significance to every ounce of detail you add. I love your heavy-handed distressed edges on the first layout & your glossy letters - just like water! The second one is very pretty & I love the photo of you & hubby. So sweet! The glitzy chipboard looks stunning & your last one with the concertina flowers is beautifully layered with some lovely cluster detail too. Very beautiful. Your albums must be a feast to look at.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awesome job combining the diff WP pps on your TCR layout , my dear ! & wow with the wild strawberries so beautifully lined up ?!! Love it with all the Anna Griffin goodness !!! I was tempted by that line too but didnt succumb - the usual too much pp already we have in our stash ! & I still can't believe you're Swede !!! love all your stories !

    ReplyDelete