Celebrations at Anything But Cute!

Anything But Cute is one year old and I have been invited to join in the Anniversary celebrations as a Guest Designer alongside some amazing artists…yes I did pinch myself…several times…!!!

I have been given this….. to display on my blog -forever!!

So…to the challenge...

The theme is Celebrate Your Style - as I have confessed before my style is Eclectic (very, some of you might say!)
I do love using my scraps though..and stamping…and Paris..and making little books and journals... so this is what I made.

Front Cover

The Front cover - which of course is corrugated card from THAT online company. I don't know where the Metro stamp is from but the Paris on the label is from my Caravelle Studio French collage stamp. The little brad at the top is from a set I bought last year in France. 

Back Cover

The butterfly is part of a Crafty Individual stamp and the Bonjour is from an old Elusive Images set(now Chocolate Baroque)

So, would you like to see inside? Please do!!
I will go through from the beginning - some will be double pages some individual, but all in order.
Some don't need a caption but I may add some as we go along

 The inside cover paper and images here, as several are, come from my paper stash and most, I think, are Papermania.

 Using some scraps - the flower has been around for ages.

 I wanted this page to show the butterflies on the next page too so I cut out the triangle.

I used tinted crackle paint(with DecoArt Primary Cyan)through a favourite stencil. The butterfly has also been cut out for a while. The ticket was cut from some paper I bought last year in France.

 Some tinted (with English red oxide DecoArt Fluid acrylics) texture paste through a stencil - Not very neat I'm afraid…..err- embracing imperfection? The Sacre Couer here is from a little set I bought in France. 

 Paper Artsy Mini stamp onto French book paper

 The Chocolaterie (not sure where from) stamped onto tissue paper partly coloured from behind.

A dinner money envelope stencilled using a Rebekah Meir stencil and Worn Lipstick distress ink - another Paper Artsy Mini and the Moulin Rouge cut from an old calendar.
The tag inside has a Darkroom door image of the Notre Dame on one side and is some patterned paper from my scraps stamped with an address and some bits of my new scarf fringe - way too long for my liking but the scarf is lovely!

Instead of thread or ribbon I used some French book paper folded into a little fan shape. 

 Lace doily stencil using Brushed Corduroy DI. 'Paris in the Spring' stamped using Perfect Medium then used two colours of Stampendous Embossing powders.

 More scraps, calendar images and a stamp topper that I have had for ages!

 Background stamped using Emma Godfrey's Eclectica French set from Paper Artsy(EEG07)The little canvas watch from set I bought in France last year, the words are cut from a shopping mall guide I picked up this year (we found a great little mall near Place D'Italie)

The little Eiffel Tower here is a gel type sticker that I backed with paper as it didn't show up very well - I have a whole load of these type - bought in a sale at Accesorize years ago and never opened!!

 TH stamp from Attic Treasures set and some Papermania tissue paper crumpled and inked over with Vintage Photo DI

Now you may notice my undeliberate mistake here..as I made these pages separately before making up my book I accidentally stamped my favourite Crafty Individuals background stamp upside down!
The Sacre Couer image is part of the Paris collage from Carabelle Studios - I find the best way to stamp on fabric is to ink up the stamp and then lay the fabric over and rub gently to ensure good coverage. Paris (part of the TH stamp) was stamped onto another piece of scrap that already had some script on it. Emma Godfrey's set also had 'j'adore' - just right!!

My final page has the Eiffel Tower from the Caravelle set stamped onto another piece of stencilled scrap. I covered the page with some cheesecloth that I had distressed with my needle felting tool.I attached the 'Memoir' pin before glueing down with Multi- matte medium. I wrote Paris onto part of a coffee stirrer and added a tiny bit of stamping at each end, the gel flag sticker is from the set previously mentioned.

I used my Crop-O-Dile to punch holes big enough to thread some lace through to hold the book together. 

I do hope you like my little book and I have given you some ideas for using scraps.

The celebrations continue at Anything But Cute so please go and join in - it's Your Style they would like to see!

Thank you to the team at ABC for inviting me to your celebration party - I look forward to many more fantastic challenges in the future!

Thanks for looking, Chris