There's nothing Basic about Basic Grey...

For a looooonnngggg loonnnnngggggg time Basic Grey has been one of those must have company's whose products I just had to have.... I love their designs, their quality and their colour palettes.

A self confessed "paper stroker", this is the kind of stuff that I just had buy two sheets of "one to use and one to "oooooooh" and "aaaaah" at" - and just gently run my fingers over.... sounds like something I should be locked up for doesn't it.... (though I know from my demos I'm not the only one - come on you can own up to it... just admit you have the problem and I promise it becomes easier from there on in!!)

Of course the only problem was that I bought two but every time I went to cut one up I started to have heart palpatations, hot flushes, pangs of guilt.... I just never could cut into it, I felt like someone condemning a living thing to meet its maker and many sheets of this truly yummy (but not in my tummy) gorgeousness still sits in boxes waiting to be used....

I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when Docrafts announced they were going to be distributing the products. But thats not the best (or is it worst) of it - for several days after I was asked if I would do some of the demos for these products people thought I was dabbling in things I shouldn't be (happy hormones can have such a weird affect on you) and then when I got my kit my hubby had to find the Epsom Salts as the excitement was just too much....

But up reared the ugly "Just Can't Cut It" monster and for ages and ages I looked it, I stroked it and then I put it back into its box wondering how on earth I was going to get any samples made for my demos....

A short while ago I had had a conversation with Katy Godbeer to ask if she had ever had this problem and it turns out she hasn't. She just gets stuck in and cuts right into it... her thoughts are that well yes it looks lovely in that 12 x 12 or 6 x 6 sheet but it looks just SSSSOOOOOOO much better when its on your project, be it card, scrapbook page or altered art.... and something she said rang so true when I look at some of my stash... it looked beautiful when I bought it but now some of it looks dated and I've never used it when it could have been looked glorious on some project and I would have had the adrenalin rush and excitement of using it when it was new, where as when its old and a little dated you just use it because you feel you need to because it's a waste if you don't.... but it feels as dull as doing the ironing or the washing up.... This struck a cord with me because to me crafting should be exciting, it should make me feel exhilerated to be creating with beautiful products, my heart should skip beats when it looks stunning on the finished article....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO with a deep breath in I got out my guillotine and I cut..... and I cut and I cut and I cut.... and I created and I crafted and I enjoyed the thrill and I hope that as a result you enjoy these couple of projects that I made using my most favouritist of favourite brands of pure gorgeousness... I have more "in development" as it were and I will post them up when they are finished but just in the meantime I hope you enjoy this card and scrapbook page (and believe me when I tell you the paper just looks so much nicer used, embellished and enhanced.... so in future if you too suffer from an inability to cut into such scrumptious pieces of paper or card in your own stash, just take that deep breath, get out your scissors or your craft knife or your guillotine and realise that you are doing it a favour by using it.... you are making it better than it could ever be on its own by showing it off to its true potential, you are giving it the chance to be what it was created for, that you are not destroying a lovely piece of paper but giving it a life of its own in your own unique style....) and now that I have waxed lyrical I'll show you what I came up with! Hope you like it and it will inspire you to try these yummy designs yourself and to revisit to see more projects later on!!!

This card uses the Basic Grey "Sugared" papers and shows how the co-ordinated and patterned designs can be layered to produce beautiful effects.The two sheets 12x12 sheets I attacked for this design are called "darling" (the stripes) and "attractive"(The flowery design behind it). The other items are Sugared chipboard stickers... these are chipboard embellishments of absolutely stunning quality already with sticky stuff on the back (its the flower bit to the right) and Archaic alphabet stickers. The stamp I have used is from the Basic Grey "Flourish Edges" clear stamp set - these are stamps to get seriously excited about - the clarity of the image and the intricacy of the details are beyond compare... they are the kind of stamp I need more of and there are tonnes to choose from - from journalling blocks to images to words and sentiments!!! I think it adds just a nice background to the chabby chic style of this card, as does the inking round the edge of the papers - I've used mini ink it up pigment stamps for this because the effect is so lovely and soft (as a peach that is!)

Now the monogram on the card I want to show you in more detail if you don't mind:

Here I have layered a Sugared Monogram sticker on to brown cardstock, cut round it and embossed several layers of clear embossing powder over the top. The finishing touch has to be a bit of bling (I'm a girl so I do love my sparkle and glitter!) Here its Papermania Adhesive Gems in Irridescent.... just gorgeous don't you know? Even better if the embossing crackles a little bit it adds to the vintage look of the design!!!

Now the next project just shows you that paper look so much better when its used than when it is still in a full sheet.... The pictures below show a scrapbook page of my godson's 3rd birthday party (OMG is that really 8 years ago - where has time gone!) This page uses the Cupcake papers and you'll see how effective it is to cut into the swirly design and just use part of it on the background. I've also used the co-ordinating buttons, Elements stickers and Rub On's ("Make a wish" on the main picture to capture the whole tradition of blowing out the candles!!) - And before I leave you with these pictures and let you get back to normality I have to tell you that the Basic Grey Rub On's are no ordinary Rub On... they work like a dream (Infact I thought I was dreaming the first time I used them) and the delicacy and detail of the designs is second to none - my advice: GET SOME!!!! You won't regret it!!!!

And here are a couple of close ups so you can see some of the page in more detail.

And now the time has come the Walrus said.... for Crafty Becky's to return to normality...

Hope I see you all again soon!

Enjoy your crafting!

Love

Becky

xx

Just WHOOOOO Is MOLLY MOOOOOO????

I thought it was probably time to introduce the one, the only, the Molly Moo... So here she is....

Hope that didn't scare you too much!!!! She certainly was a scary sight first thing in the morning.... and at any time that KFC entered the house!!!

Molly was the most feisty, fun loving, playful, beautiful, fiery, stunning, rotund, inquisitive, precious, brave, funny, clever, unique fur baby that ever there was.

If you thought Garfield had cat-itude, he had nothing on Molly. She was a survivor, rescued from an estate where the children threw stones at her. She was determined she wouldn't love me when she was in isolation at the vets whilst she had all her injections after she was rescued, so much so the vets told me to let her go wild again.... but I was never going to give up on her and the minute I brought her back to my flat it was like she sighed a huge sigh of relief, found the end of my bed and fell asleep. There started our beautiful and special relationship.

It was Molly who told me my hubby was the man for me. In general she hated men and she never went on anyone's lap but the first time he came to visit she jumped straight up on to his legs, curled up and went to sleep... so you see I had to marry him for the sake of Molly... She was a S.E.R.I.O.U.S daddy's girl and if he was at home she was always with him!!!!

Molly had poor health off and on when she was with us - after all she had been living wild for some time (long story but her owners never really wanted her) and we had no idea of her medical history. She developed pancreatitis but she loved life and was quite happy taking her medication - just so long as you gave her two biscuits before, then her tablet and two biscuits afterwards. You couldn't fool her - that tablet would not go down until she had two biscuits (never one!!!) and she didn't leave you alone until she had had two biscuits after.

A couple of years ago Molly suffered from kidney failure and despite the vets trying to kick start her kidneys again (I think they were secretly in love with our gorgeous little girl too!!!) and despite her not wanting to give up we had to make that most hard of decisions and let her go. We only had her in our lives for a few years, I never knew her as a baby as she was grown when she came to me but I am so honoured and proud that she chose to love us and that for that short time she was happy to have us as her humans.

My dad (I've told you before he's incredibly clever with a camera and with photoshop - and that I am very jealous) pulled this image off a digital snap I had of her slung over her daddy's shoulder. Her face makes up about a twelfth of the picture, yet he pulled this bit off, applied watercolour effect and made this stunning image of her for us.... Not only that, he printed it off about A2 size in photoquality and it is now framed on our wall so we remember her every day... as if we could forget...

This picture of Molly is our memorial to her - it shows her defiant character and her beauty all in one and it is part of my brand for my cards and jewellery that I make and sell, along with any other odd gifts and products I design. And that is why this blog is named as it is and when I can figure out how to do it It will form part of my blog logo - as I say I'm not that clever with photo editors though.

They say that

Cats Leave Pawprints On your Heart....

This little girl not only left paw prints on our hearts but also all over us... and we have the scars to prove it!!!!

Take care and I hope you enjoyed meeting our precious girl, Molly

Lots of Love

Becky

xxx