Happy Halloween!

I know that Halloween isn't a very big thing in the UK or certainly not as huge as it is in the US but I've noticed its increased popularity over recent years. I think it was this that prompted me to choose a halloween themed kit for one of Octobers kits.
The feedback so far has been great and I think opting for a subtle paper was part of the reason. I have to say that this weekend we have been surrounded by all things spooky and seen more than a few crazy costumes which have provided loads of photo opportunities. I don't think I'll be struggling for pictures to scrapbook next year!!
We hope today is lots of fun for everyone and that you don't forget your camera!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Total Papercrafts kit 1 for November

I know that this post is very early as the kits for October have only just gone out but I'm trying to get ahead of myself and organised!! The first kit for November has a rich and luxurious feeling about it, perfect for heritage photos, masculine pics or photos with rich, deep colours in them. The luxurious feel is not only given by the gorgeous shades of red, brown and ochre but by the strokable flocked chipboard alphas, the sparkling adhesive crystals and the shimmering gold embossing powder included in the kit - it really has to be seen in real life to fully appreciate how fab it all looks together!
The sample page uses a single 6" x 4" landscape photo but you could squeeze two 6x4's on there if you prefer. This is another of those kits where everything you see is included except the tiny bits of string in the tags (but thats only 10p a yard in the shop so hardly going to break the bank!). You'll need an embossing pad and a heat gun to be able to get the most out of the lovely mirror gold embossing powder. You'll also need black and brown inkpads and a scoring tool.
A heat gun, die cutting machine plus rosette die, tag die and hinge die will all be available at club for those who are attending in Essex or Kent.
The kit contains; cardstock, 3 sheets of double sided patterned paper, vintage book paper, pack of Lush adhesive crystals, pack of Lush flocked chipboard alphabet, gold embossing powder plus paper hinge template.
I'm off to play with kit 2 for November now - its absolutely gorgeous but I can't say any more right now!!!

Tag swap

We ran the first of our tag swaps at club last night and I was blown away by the gorgeous stamps everyone had! It is lovely to have a selection of stamped tags with gorgeous images that I wouldn't normally be drawn to purchase. I fell in love with Pauline's cat stamp (being a cat lover that was one of the first I spotted!!) and the Tim Holtz quote stamp on Wendy's tag. Sarah had a few requests for her glittery allium tags from some who weren't even taking part - it was so lovely! I have plans for all of these lovely tags, you may spot them on here in the coming months.

Unfortunately the image doesn't show all of the tags as there were more than I could get in the shot. We also have a few swap members who have yet to bring in their tags - so there's even more to come.

The good news is that we et to do this all over again next month at the Kent club - woo-hoo!!

Tag swap samples

We are running a stamped tag swap at both our Essex and Kent clubs over the next few weeks. The idea is to share our stamp images by stamping them onto a standard size 8 shipping tag so that we end up with a selection of different tags. These can be used to embellish our scrapbook pages, added to a card or tied to a gift just as it is.
Each person is stamping a tag for each member taking part using white or cream card and then brown or black inks. We are writing our name on the back in pencil together with the make and name of the stamp(s) used. This way, we'll know who made what and also be able to source any stamps that we fall in love with!!
So, I've taken a pic of my tags for the swap, anyone who knows me will know that I love layering images and so I used a number of my favourite stamps together with a couple of shades of brown and black. I am really happy with the finished tags, they could be used for so many different projects and I really hope the Essex ladies like them tomorrow!

Total Papercrafts October kit 2!

Tracey has designed a fabulous single page for our second kit this month that is full of details. We chose the brand new 'Oct 31st' line from Fancy Pants which has a subtle Halloween theme. Don't be misled by the fact that this is a themed kit because this design and these papers will work with all sorts of photos as the spookiness is very understated.
The design uses two 6" x 4" portrait photos - Tracey chose black and white prints but the colours of the papers are very neutral (cream, black and grey with a touch of blue) and would work with colour photos too.
The kit contains - cardstock, 3 double sided patterned papers, a pack of chipboard alphabet letters, a pack of black adhesive crystals, 3 skeletons.
You will also need 3d foam pads, black permanent inkpad (sample used Stayzon in black), dark brown inkpad (sample usd Distress Ink in Walnut Stain), 4 medium black brads - thats it!

Creativity Escape booking open!!

We have opened booking for our next Creativity Escape weekend!! You can reserve your place now through our online shop at http://www.totalpapercrafts.co.uk/ with just a £25 deposit.

Full details of the weekend can be found on the Creativity Escape page above and on our forum.

Recipe swap on the forum

My recipe album from the circle journal has attracted a lot of interest, so many people have been in touch telling me they love the idea. With that in mind we have launched a brand new swap on the forum which is open to anyone and with less commitment than a circle journal.

To find out more details and to sign up drop by the forum at www.totalpapercrafts.forumotion.co.uk

New tutorial on the Forum

The forum has started to gather interest and we have our first tutorial on there courtesy of Claire Bell. As soon as I saw this fab coaster mini book in the gallery I fell in love and was desperate to know how she had made it. Claire very kindly offered to upload a tutorial and within minutes we had full step-by-step instructions complete with photographs - you can always tell the experienced teachers!!

If you haven't joined our forum yet, I think its well worth it just for this tutorial. You can find it at www.totalpapercrafts.forumotion.co.uk or by clicking onto the link in the right-hand panel. We are adding new chat topics all the time so its always worth dropping by to see what everyone is up to!

Announcing our new forum & gallery!!

We are really excited to announce the launch of the new Total Papercrafts forum!!

You can find the forum at www.totalpapercrafts.formation.co.uk but will need to register before you can see all of the fun things we have on there. Registration is really simple and quick and once you have signed up you can join in the chat in our range of different topics as well as browse our gallery.

The forum is open to anyone with an interest in scrapbooking. We have forums for Total Papercrafts kit subscribers, club and for each of our events plus general chat. Our gallery is a great place to browse and also to share your own projects.

We have a direct link to the forum over on the right of this blog, so no need to even remember the web address!

Feel free to drop by and check it out!

Total Papercrafts kit 1 for October

There's something about bright colours that just makes us smile and the first Total Papercrafts kit for October is packed full of colour and fun! The shades of deep teal, red and green are mixed with splashes of cream and white to tone them down a little and the result is a fresh and fun kit that will work with so many different types of photos!

The kit includes; cardstock, four sheets of double sided patterned paper, corrugated card, a paper circle template, a whole pack of fabric flowers and a pack of flocked adhesive words.

The sample uses three 6x4 photos - two landscape and one portrait, plus a 4x4 photo. The theme is really flexible as the flocked word stickers include those shown in the sample plus 'home', 'cutie', 'party', 'secrets', 'groovy' and 'lucky'. I think you'll agree there is plenty of scope there!

You'll need teal, red and green inks (the sample used Patina Glimmer Mist, Distress ink in Barn Door and Stampin Up ink in Old Olive), a distress tool or scissors and something for the centres of your flowers such as brads, gems or buttons.

Get ready to start October with a shot of colour!!