My thought in SMASHing

It was actually through looking at some images on flickr did I discover some new. Ever heard of Smash book? From what I've been researching and watching youtube videos did I decided what it was. Basically it's form of scrapbooking which uses basic craft material no fancy album, pages, embellishments. The official folios are by K & Company have a look at this link but generally all it is grabbing all the ephemera, mementos you can't throw about and give them a home. I have been doing this stuff for years since when I was studying Foundation Art and Design by then it was Visual Diary and influence by Photojournalist Dan Eldon who died by being stoned to death by angry mob.
I keep sketch book/visual diary out of habit my idea needs some where to go. Here some sneak peek  of my scrapbook :

 This was want I was doing before basically stuck stuff without special arrangement or decorations

Samples of work, projects completed I add them here with some handwritten notes. GCSE Design and Technology we were told to annotations I thought they were pointless only at College did I realise they are important otherwise I'll forget the little details.

Paper ephemera, packaging I add them here. I love non Roman packaging: Chinese, Japanese as makes a change from see English words of every day living.

 I'm using a handmade paper journal brought from fair trading shop which is long gone. I have only a few pages left and will soon need to find new home from my treasures. This is not the only book I have 4 either in the garage or in my room some where. I'll show some pages once I've found the other scrapbooks.
I've tried scrapbooking and even brought a book on the subject but seems too formal and incompatible to the way I work as I prefer to experment and over collage.
You don't have to buy Smash folio in order to stick things I use this:

 I've found this the Arnofini and cost less than some fancy journals. I did use as diary until the frustrating of trying to write perfect lines of text. All is not lost. You just have to figure way to reuses stuff.

 Here are selections of pages there's not much as I only started Smashing early this month and then the crafting challenges and mandatory swaps got the way.

 As you see I love collage I remember in my altered book, spend a lot time making actually embellishments than actually sticking. I hope to use some of pages as a home for my tags of 2013.

 I have photos which are not yet catalogued some dating up to 2003, the time I was in Barcelona. Some sites have printable smash elements I find the links in Pinterest needs updates as some are either dead or have to plow through pages. I love to join Pinterest one day.

I ever dedicated a 2 pages to my favourite hamster Rafa. He's so sweet even thought I have Oscar I can't help missing Rafa though. I will make page for Oscar too in fact every week I try to take as many pictures as possible didn't get a chance with the Roborovski as usually active at night and very fast. Here is folio I brought from Amazon

 Red doodle book, inside all the pages are decorate to give you a head stand.

 I couldn't help buying some goodies at well. The grab books looks interest I prefer K and Co ephemera pack. In saying that I loads of scraps and paper stash, printed lots of Journalling elements and collected more flyers and leaflets. I'm a terrible hoarder.

Don't know if I'll ever get the chance to use this Red Folio because all the interested photos I've printed will ended up the Walls Journal. But life is one big journey, now I see that every day can be documented onto a page as well. Start with a month, week and day. Interesting events only happen once in a while. There's more to come on this intriguing subject in the mean time have a look this video you will hooked too.

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July tag of 2013 and some good news

I found out at the beginning of the month I'm the winner and runner up of Visible Images June Challenge: Character. Hence the new blinkie badge my prize was the choose of any clear stamps for £10 which is basically 2 stamps. Due to the random selection of winner and runner up anyone can win except for Craftstamper magazine the standards are so high. In all it is important to do your best in everything you do. Tim Holtz is launching a new load if idea-ology plus stencils I'm having trouble trying to keep up. Only joking I only choose the stuff I actually want so for July's Tag of 2003 this is my creation:

The technique was using a brayer and distress ink I barely glanced at the post so the result was make it up as I go along. Grunge board with Rock Candy crackle paint, I was little impatient with drying and rushed the process with the heat gun. Ideally it should be left for day or more but I don't get free 'quiet' slot at the kitchen table till 7pm sometimes later. A half a day is wasted through waiting and with this heatwave, crafting is difficult. My intention was make something which celebrated Handover day in Hong Kong but ended up different and random. Mistakes can be turned into something wonderful. Distress Stains were dabbed in the cracks, I made my own tissue tape as ideo-ology range is so expensive, you can use washi tape instead.
Didn't have simple saying in my collection a stamped text on vial labels works as fine, most of stamps are PaperArtsy except for the Aztec Sun which is GCS(Great Canadian Stamp). For embellishments I used Muse token attached to crinkle ribbon with mini safety pin and metal charm (not idea-ology). Grunge board is strange as it smells like new shoes, very rubber and meant to be  altered as it doesn't lie flat. Element range is hard to find I end up buying and Mini safety pin might be discontinued. Some places still sell them if you know where to look.

These are the stamps I've chosen and don't know if I have time to make something for Visible Image's July challenge.

I've discovered something new this month it's called Smash book, all it's really is sticking stuff on pages. K & Company sell these Smash book which is spiral bound and has lots of coloured pages plus there are numerous accessories. It's like what I have to spend money on a new idea when I have been doing this kind thing for years since about 2000 when I was studying Foundation Art and Design it was called Visual Diary and brought on by Dan Eldon. I did buy a doodles smash book and few stuff from Amazon, at the moment I'm using Walls Journal Notebook due the fact it becoming annoying trying to align the writing. More details on 'smashing' will later I have stuff to right now.

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