A New Project - Scrapbooking Me

Project number 6 trillion and 22 - Scrapbooking Me.

So I've started a new project, this one is a retrospective. I'm hunting out old pictures of myself to scrapbook, journal or memory file, kind of watching how I've changed over the years. So here is my first make in the project, an 8"x8" scrapbook page with a picture from way back in 2007.

Oh so much younger, a full 5 years ago! Ok so probably not that much younger, luckily it wasn't taken with a hi def camera! The photo was taken in March with a mobile phone camera coming back from a lovely day trip to Winchester. I've done some Photoshop jiggery pokery to the photo and added a vintage frame.

And one of my Washi Tape suns, the ZIG Photo signature pens are totally perfect for writing on the slightly non-absorbent Washi Tape by the way. Have I mentioned how much I love these pens? They are definitely in my top five, they are so useful. Anyway I digress The Zig Zag pattern is a Hero Arts stamp. 

I've used Heidi Swapp No Limit papers 'coz they perfectly matched the photo and their style kind of matches me as well. I love the blue prints and technical drawings - very me. The number stickers are the Heidi Swapp Color Magic Letterbox Resist Alphabet Stickers and I've treated them to an acrylic paint make-over. 

So have you started any new projects recently? I would love to see them! Feel free to do a Scrapbooking Me project just remember to drop back and leave me a link to your project if you do.

Enjoy your Olympic Friday!

Kim

Tuesday Tripping

Is that two consecutive blog posts with something about tripping in the title? Think it might be! Got a busy week ahead, lots of commissions to finish and get in the post before the Olympics start messing with the mail.  So I thought I would drop by to show a couple of piccies from the weekend as a small diversion.

We had a lovely weekend catching up with more family members that we had not seen for a while, and what glorious weather we had. YAY! Summer is finally here. Not wanting to turn into a weather blog but I have to say I do like a bit of sun.

It was full festival mode on Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank, it's one of David and my favourite places for a walk and it seemed to be everyone elses' favourite place as well on Sunday.

I've been in London many years now and it is fascinating watching how areas have changed over those years and with the Olympics there has been some accelerated change to areas that is like watching years go by in just a few months. 

Life is Change, Change is Life

Embrace the Change!

There is a little spot under the Royal Festival Hall that was an unofficial skating park, but I think it has been there so long now that it is now an official skating park and people stop to watch the bikers and skaters. I always watch in awe. 

I love the years of tagging on the walls in the area, it is just so vibrant. The Royal Festival Hall is great for Parkour too, we have spotted them a couple of times. Keep your eye out for them in the quieter areas whilst you are wondering around looking at the various art instillation they have at the moment.

Ok so enough diversion and time to do some work.

Apologies to anyone dropping by my blog yesterday to see a La-La Land Crafts post from me, it will be back to normal services next week but don't forget to pop by the La-La Land Crafts blog to see the lovely DT inspiration.

I also have a digital card make on the Studio12 blog today if you are interested.

Have a totally tripping Tuesday.

Kim

Day Trippers To The Transport Museum

Yep we have a blog post! So that is a full week of blogging, told you I had lots to share this week! Today I wanted to share a memory. It's a page from my Smash / Notebook, you know the one I showed you on Monday with the little sketching practice. It's the same notebook but this time with a little memory layout from the long bank holiday weekend in June.

Ok so bear with me, I have a lot of photos, but the page is all interactive and everything!

So David and I went on a little touristy trip to the London Transport Museum in Covent garden. You know how it is, you live somewhere but you rarely do the touristy things. But there was a two for one offer and I couldn't remember if I had been before and David was sure that he hadn't. So perfect opportunity we thought.

If you were worried that we went all the way into town to the Transport Museum just to take pictures of each other then fear not! Lift up the top photos and you will see the Museum! Told you it was an interactive page. I'm not sure that you can spot that I've stylised all the photos on the page with Photoshop.

I've used Heidi Swapp No Limit papers and a cute glittery Heidi Swapp Destination Paper Pennant along with a map page torn out from an old London A-Z. I masked off Covent Garden and gessoed the map then circled the spot with Kuretake ZIG Cartoonist Sumo ink to highlight the museum.

The banner uses the Heidi Swapp Color Magic Letterbox Resist Alphabet Stickers with some spray inks and slightly riffs on a song title from the Beatles (but not the meaning of that song - if you are worried!), don't know why that was in my head when I made this. 

Did you spot the faux London transport sign with the Transport Museum written in Kuretake ZIG Cartoonist white ink? Oh and the ticket we used to get there is on the page too. And under the moving photos is lots of space to journal the day.

It was a fun day! I think we might have had to stop out for some Szechuan dumplings too as we were in town.

Have a fun Friday.

Kim

Sunday Round-Up - Dear Diary

David and I haven't had any time off for good behaviour in a while so yesterday we treated ourselves to a blowout day in our home town of fun, funky London for a bit of relaxation and to recharge the creative batteries.

We tried to fit in as much as we possibly could starting with some performance art at the Wellcome Collection in Euston. I am a HUGE performance and instillation art fan, love it and this piece from Sheila Ghelani called Covet Me, Care For Me was an audience participation piece.

(Photo Copyright Sheila Ghelani via the Wellcome Collection website)

With 50 'mongrel' objects encased in sealed glass hearts, you pick a heart and then sign a receipt. You then dress in safety mask, apron and gloves and kneel before a cutting mat with your chosen heart and a hammer and break the glass to retrieve the item. Sheila then helps you to remove the safety clothes, which is all part of the performance, and hands you the object to take behind a screen where it is cleaned and wrapped with care by another performer at a desk with a draw and an old-fashioned standing lamp.

The idea is that you are encouraged to think about love, the passing of time, dissemination and cross-fertilization, and for me I felt like I was part of art and had participated in something very special and I was very grateful to be able to join in.

I'm going to look after my 'mongrel' item and wear it over my heart from time to time!

As we were in the Wellcome Collection we took some time to look around the exhibitions and, both being reformed scientists, it was nice to dip a toe into the history of science and I would recommend it for all, not just scientists! Their tag line is 'a free destination for the incurably curious' and I can definitely hold my hand up to being 'incurably curious'!

The Euston/King's Cross area is home to one of our favourite restaurants -  Red N Hot - a yummy Szechaun restaurant on 37 Chalton Street, NW1 1JD. It was Snazz Szechaun but has recently been bought by the Red N Hot group but the food is still gorgeous.

After filling up on dumplings and 'Hot Numbing Beef', we set off again, jumping on a bus towards Blackfriars and cutting through the inner sanctum of Temple to get to 2 Temple Place, which had an exhibition of work from a collaboration between William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, which I didn't know was going on. We were curious about the house, so it was a total bonus to see such amazing work including embroidered panels that had taken 8 years to complete.

By now it was starting to get dark and we decided to walk up to Charing Cross Road to check out the second-hand book shops and stop for a cuppa. We cut through Somerset House where they have one of the Christmas Ice Skating rings set up and I took the opportunity to get snap-happy and take action photos of skaters, well until we get told that unless we have friends and family on the ice, we aren't allowed to take photos - erm? Why?

And we popped past Covent Garden...

Ooo Sparkly - makes quite a Christmas card picture, doesn't it?

Our last port of call was a small production in a theatre above a pub. So we hightailed it up to Camden High Street for the Etcetera Theatre above The Oxford Arms to see Stand-Up Comics by Michael Eckett and the Sigil Club production company. A very enjoyable comedy set in a comic book shop and with lots of comic book references whilst we look at the relationship and development of the main characters.

After a drink in The Oxford Arms we set off home... I think we managed to make up for a lot of missed relaxing in our one day!

And before I go, just thought I would say a BIG thank you to those folks who have seen my recent article in Simply Cards and Papercraft Issue 91 about the freestyle / free-motion sewing and have been dropping me such lovely messages about it!

You guys are the best! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Oh and I've been playing about with making my own photograph masks, as seen on my photos above, what do you think?

Right I'm off, hope you all are having lovely weekends. 

Kim

Sunday Round-Ups around the blogs - Update: Check out Debbi for her Sunday Round-Up.