1-2-4 dynamite

finally, april 1st, new challenge, and so sorry I've been away!!

2009-04-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

first of all, again big big sorry!! I've haven't found the time or energy to update the blog, because when I do it, I want it to be good! but now, I'm back with the april-challenge! and...this month I want you to use BEADS!! any kind of beads, new, old, glittery, matte, but it has to be colourful!

link to your photos in the comment-thread and I'll draw a winner who gets a goodie pack of rainbow beads. last entry date is april 30th.

below are inspiration, there are several ways to use beads on a lay-out!

use the hama-beads of your childhood to make the title. (you know, that's the beads you iron to make them stick together.) it doesn't matter if the letters are not perfect in shape or size, that's just cozy.

you can also make embellishments with these beads, like mushrooms, hearts and birdies.

if you don't have the hama beads, maybe you have other beads? it's a little mean, but it's ok to "borrow" from your children. maybe you can even do this together? here I used normal jewellery beads for the title. you will use a lot of glue dots to fasten them, but it's worth it:)

you can also think of that the use of different beads, can create different moods in a lay-out. here, to create a 1950ies feeling, I found retro looking beads in pastel colours, and even a beads shaped like a sea shell. doesn't it remind you of a 50ies budoir?

then, in a rock'n roll lay-out, I used neon hama beads, to give the lay-out an edge.

and when it comes to colours...even if one colour is dominating...you don't have to completely stick to that colour. a break is so nice, here I used a blue heart pearl with the purple dominance, and still, it doesn't ruin the overall feeling!

I can't wait to see what you're making, have fun with your beads:D:D

mushroom fun!

2008-10-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

the mushroom season is here, both in the forest, and in scrapbooking! I was so sure it would be easy to make tons of mushroom-themed lay-outs, but somehow my inspiration left me... I really struggled with this one, even if I love mushrooms, and it was I who came up with the challenge...what a bummer! I guess that's an important lesson too, sometimes scrapbooking is not working out the way you want to, sometimes it's really hard, but don't worry...try something else, be inspired by other colours, other themes, other photos. I went to a crop yesterday, and made lots of lay-outs...none of them with mushrooms lol

still, I have these three...and maybe you are luckier than me, send me your mushroom-lay outs before november 5th! (I'm going to Stavanger on Papirfesten, so I won't be able to do anything useful during the weekend before, so, november 5th it is!)

mushroom nr.1 make your own mushrooms! on this lay-out MINE! I wanted a colour scheme I didn't find in my papers...so...I made my own paper. I drew the mushrooms with pencil first, then I filled in some of the lines with a thin pen. I used tria markers to add colour, I will write about them in a later post, they are very fab indeed! if you find it hard to draw your own mushrooms, look for inspiration in other people art, and draw after them, copying is just fine. or, ask your kids for help, kids draw lovely mushrooms, I know, I work with them at school. scan them in, or scrap directly on the drawings.
remember, a mushroom is not a complicated construction, it has a hat and a stem. any colour and pattern will do, just go wild!
on this lay-out, I cut the title from a plastic bag, and added a robot rub-on from hambly. it's all about the small elements that makes it come together..you don't need much, but it's nice to have something that catches the eye.

if you don't want to draw mushrooms...you can scrapbook a photo of a mushroom instead. my mushroom hunt never has any luck, but I have a mushroom lamp that I love...! notice the balance of this lay-out, it has two heavy clusters, that doesn't kill each other, connected with lighter embellishments. I cut a mushroom from the back of an old playing card, and added buttons and a flower that matched the colours of the photo. the title is hand drawn.

so....now I was going to write about the new, cool papers with mushrooms that are out right now! hm...sassafras has made these lovely lovely design...and I started scrapbooking, so happy and smiling...until I realised the paper was to pretty to cover with anything...I didn't know what to do, I tried a little bit...but I don't know if this can be called a finished lay-out or not... I have some buttons, tulle, rub-ons and paper clips...and my bunny..hm... at least, you can be inspired by the mushrooms, the are cuter than sugarpie!

mushrooms, and a winner:D

2008-10-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

my lovely boyfriend again made the draw, and ta-dah: this is Nora's concert lay-out whoa!! I'll send you a Hello Kitty-plektrum in the mail!
thank you so much to everyone who participated, I'll show all your lay-outs soon, I just have to excuse myself, because my internet connection at home really...s*** sorry about that, but it's just not working. it's so frustrating, since I can blog post like I want to, and I can keep the schedules I've made...so, that's why we're at oct 9th, and still no new article...but, it's coming!
the people I rent my flat from promised they would try to get it fixed, so I hope, soon...

anyway, it's autumn, and MUSHROOM TIME***
this months theme is MUSHROOMS!! I'll come back with more lay-outs, this is number one, and it has...MUSHROOMS! they're home made, with a little fabric and white paint. it's very easy, just cut them out like you did in kindergarden, it doesn't have to be perfect.
now, I want mushroom-layouts of all kinds...mushroom photos, mushroom paper, mushroom embellishments, mushroom theme, mushroom shape, mushroom colour, mushroom font...feel free! I promise to be back with more mushroom tips very soon, and I also promise a mushroom-like-prize::):) who can resist mushrooms?? not me! thanks for understanding, I'll be back stronger and stronger!

more inspiration!

2008-09-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

I know I promised you a guest designer weeks ago...but my internet connection is terribly unstable, it works whenever it feels like it.... so, finally, here's Elisabeth, the biggest Bon Jovi-fan I know, with the coolest Bon Jovi lay-out I know!

thanks to everybody who has send me your lay-outs so far, I can't wait to get more, just send them to my e-mail adress: kastanjepiken@hotmail.com

and, I know october 1st is not so far away, so, I'm letting this competition run a little longer, I need your work before october 7th.
have a rockin' week:D:D

two winners, and a brand new month!

2008-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

there's september already!! thank you so much, all of you who scrapbooked your holiday photos, and send them to me! my always lovely boyfriend drew two winners, and they are...:

Sosa and Anne Merete! congrats!
Here are their lay-outs:

the rest of the entries can be seen in our flickr-gallery! (I just did a random draw, you were all great!)

I hope you keep sending me your lay-outs, because here is our september theme, **MUSIC**

this summer, I've been in a studio, singing for real, for the first time, I have played more guitar than ever before, and I've even written a song (about mosquitoes ha ha lol). I've also explored lots of music I haven't known before, so it's time to scrapbook about this!

this month, you can choose between four different challenges.

1. scrapbook a special concert.
this lay-out is from a trip my boyfriend and I made all the way to Tromsø, to see his favourite, russian band, grazdanskaja oborona. we had a great time, strolling around the city, and later at the concert, standing in the front in a very small concert area, dancing and singing. afterwards, it was possible to go backstage and meet the band as well. we were exhausted, but totally happy when we got home. just a few months later, the singer/songwriter/main man of the band, died unexpectedly from a heart attack. after 29 albums and 20 years of rock, there was no more. it was really very sad, and we were so happy they actually came to norway, so we got to see them.

on this lay-out, I remember both the singer and the concert. I know many photographing is prohibited on lots of concerts, but you could always scrapbook a photo from the internett or a magazine or newspaper. it doesn't matter, it's the experience you want to remember. I try to keep my paper and colours so it's true to the sound of the band I'm scrapbooking, I don't use pink for this one lol but the most important thing is that it feels right for you.
2. scrapbook your favourite band
simple as that. this is KENT. I love them. this photo is from the internet somewhere, and I've just written down my fave songs by them. it doesn't have to be complicated at all.

3. use a quote from a song as your title
this line is from "jokke & valentinerne", a norwegian band. it means, take me with you, all I need is this bag.
I've used bold letters to make the title stand out, and made the lay-out for my boyfriend, to show that I really don't need anything but him, we could run away anytime. I made small crosses with masking tape, and wrote directly on the photograph with a uniball pen.

4. use elements from music to scrapbook about something else.

rock music is full of cool patterns. so is the 80'ies. I love cassettes, they are cosy and old fashioned (already), and I grew up with them. here I used different elements, to create a happy feeling. on the first lay-out, I'm inspired by norwegian band "surferosa" who's really into the 80'ies gym style, bubblegum, bright colours and crazy combinations. don't be afraid to experiment, it's so much fun to play. the cassette is cut out from a magazine, and the title is cut by hand from adhesive foil. on the photo, I cut stars with a small punch, and the orange stars are from a childrens jar of plastic beads. tulle is a little hard to adhere, but try to sew it on to your lay-out, or use stables or clips.

here, I'm wearing my cool 50'ies shoes, and I drew a bright pink rockabilly patteren with my crayons. this is a very cheap and easy way to make a lay-out, you hardly need anything, but with cardstock. the clover stickers are bought on sale in a book store, and the clips are from my childhood collections of stash. take a look at home, and see what bright, fun treasures that are hidden in your drawers, it could be a goldmine in there!

so, now I want you to scrapbook again. I didn't write so much about each lay-out this time, I felt the photos spoke for themselves. as I said, there are four task you can follow. send me your lay-outs by e-mail, and I'll draw a random winner among all you who participate, who gets a hello kitty-plektrum, and some fun cassette scraps to use on your pages.

and don't forget to check back, more lay-outs will come, and this month, we also have a very cool and cute guest designer, she's up next week with more music scrapbooking!

summer is over...

2008-08-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

hi again everyone, I'm just one day late...I promised to be back by the 15th, today it's the 16th, som almost...I can't believe it can be this busy having holiday! but, I'm blaming the olympics broadcast on tv, and the fact that it actually isn't holiday anymore, I have a new job, I will work at my local school two days a week! the children are very cute and funny, and I already love them a lot! so, that means, summer is over, and I'll make SUMMER the theme for the rest of the month here at 124 dynamite:D

I guess lots of you have holiday and summer pictures loaded on your computer now, you are right back home from vacation, and soon, it will be darker and colder in the evenings, and you're ready to do some scrapbooking??!?! I know I am!

the most important thing: get those photos out of your computer right away! it's really important to print them fast, either at home, or at your local photo store, because if you wait, you'll have more and more photos from other happenings, and soon, it's all forgotten.
you don't have to develop all of course, but pick the ones you love the most, put them in your albums, on the wall, and in your scrapbooks!

when I scrapbook my summer photos, the most important thing is the mood. I want to remember the smells, the breeze, the colours, the magic moments that were created, and so, this article is not so much about techniques, rather about caputure something that's in your heart and your mind.

this lay-out features flowers from my boyfriends garden. I love them so much, they are white znd cosy, and round like snowballs, soft like feathers, and they are so big, who wouldn't want to take their photo when they are blooming?

to not kill the photos, I stuck with one colour, and I chose one that really made the photos pop! try different ones on a blank piece of paper, if you're uncertain of which one to choose. all the embelishments are also pink, to make the lay-out interesting, I added different structures instead, like plastic, paper, paint, tulle, epoxy, floss and metal (the clips)
I tried not to overdo it, because the photos were so extremely fantastic (I don't get tired at looking at them), so try to find the balance. sometimes, less is more.

for this lay-out, I did something I've never done before, I scrapbooked another girls pictures. the lovely silje gave me her permission to use this photos from las vegas, and I'm so happy, thank you, I'm crazy for the pics!! even though I've never been to vegas, the photos was wild and cool, and I tried to make my own vegas font, before hand drawing it. it's a good idea to cluster photos that go together, that makes them the focus point of the lay-out. to not make the lay-out too messy, I group all the other elements in another cluster. the balance then looks good to the eye. the black flower ties the two groups together.
as the mood here is...well...crazy vegas, I used my most crazy yellow happy paint as background.

this page shows me laying in the grass in the garden. it's summer, and this lay-out will always remind me of summer, and my plans and dreams I had, even if it's not a special occasion, or a special holiday. don't forget to scrapbook the everyday moments too!

again, yellow, as it's the colour of summer! the funky pink is for my happiness, as you all know, I'm the pink girl!

this picture was taken on a weekend trip with my boyfriends and our group of friends. one morning, my boyfriend came in with these wild flowers for me. it was a very special moment, very personal, for several reasons, and I really wanted to scrapbook the moment in a happy, but not to wild style.

here I used a childrens theme, I drew the rainbow by hand, and also used crayons for the background.

the next lay-out is from the same trip, it shows summer love, me and my boyfriend's shoes in the grass. when you're on holiday, try to take photos from unusual angles that really shows your feelings. I used this paper that is full of xoxo's to show love, of course;) it's manufactured by SEI, one of the coolest brands out there! when I'm writing this now, I realise that this month, I'm totally into yellow, pink and rainbows, that's the tove-trend at the moment lol

this last lay-out is a real holiday snap, my friend and I travelled through italy by train some years ago, we stayed at camping sites, and they all had a swimming pool! it was lovely! it was so hot, and we were swimming every day!
I wanted to capture all of italy in one lay-out...not easy, but at least, my italy, which was bright and fun and full of sunshine! the sun is made of self adhesive folia, and the letters are cut from a love elsie-fabric.
now, I have printed my photos from ukraine, but no time to scrapbook them yet. in the meantime, start scrapping, I have some really cool chips boxes from ukraine, with kyrilian letters on them in fab colours to give away. so, send me your lay-outs, and I'll draw a winner by september 1st :):)

still on holiday...and a winner****

2008-08-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

oh well...it seems like this blog is still on holiday...I'm so sorry, it's just too much now, but as it seems like lots of you is also celebrating the last glimpses of summer, I postpone everything here, and promise to be back on the 15th, with a fun theme and some goodies!

then, we have a winner from last months, it's RENÈEYA:D:D

look at all her fun magpie-stuff!! I have to say...she was the only one who sent me something, but that doesn't make her lay-outs any less fab, WOW girl, you rock!! send me your adress love, and you'll get fun mail soon!!

there will be more competitions soon, as said, I'll be back by the 15th, so watch out** have a great summer till then!!

just a reminder...and some blushing!

2008-07-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

just want to say...don't forget to send me your lay-outs!! I have two sweet prizes, remember??

and one other thing...tomorrow is august 1th, and I'm supposed to be posting a new theme...but I've just got back from holiday two days ago, and the rest of the week I'm working with my hockey theme, to make money for the new season. yesterday I was on duty from 07.00 am till 11.00 pm...that's 16 hours, ouch! I didn't realise the end of july would be this busy lol
so, the new theme might be a little delayed, but during the weekend, I promise it will be out!!

and, again...send me you're magpie lay-outs! there's glitter thickers to be won!!

summer and a winner!!

2008-07-10T12:10:00.001-07:00

first of all, I'm sorry I'm a little late with the winner of the first RAK, from july 7th! I didn't realise I would be so exhausted from my birthday lol BUT my boyfriend finally did the draw, and the winner is LILLEASK! whoa, send me your addy by e-mail (kastanjepiken@hotmail.com), and I'll send you fun stuff in the mail!

Now, soon I'm off on holiday, I'm leaving on sunday, and then I'm gone for 2,5 week,s so 124dynamite will take a little summer break! I will give you some inspiration with a photo from my fave movie at the moment MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO! (*tonari no totoro*)
japanese animation are the best, do a google and youtube search and be inspired by the colours and the fun and the joy in the characters! and if you didn't see Totoro yet...go do it! he'll be your friend for sure!! happy summer so long, see you soon!!

two more magpie-lay outs

2008-07-05T10:23:00.001-07:00

today, the weather has been really wild here, thunder and lighting and heavy heavy rain...so, what's better on a rainy day, than some more inspiration?? here goes:

this is one of the fastest, most fun lay-outs I've ever made...these are paper from cheap chewing gum, you know, the ones you can buy in packages of ten or something...for those of you who live in Norway, Europris is the place! all you have to do is cut them up, and have fun!!

this layout is made on a plastic bag. I mean, I bought some lovely lunch bags on ikea...and they were too cute not to be scrapped! I put the photo inside the bag, so the decor would show. the paint is done with bubble wrap, and really, you just treat the plastic bag like any other "normal" scrap surface. just glue and stitch and sew and do whatever you feel like!

deadlines...

2008-07-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

I start this post with another new lay-out, just to show that cartoons are great for scrapbooking! of course, for a superbunny, you need superman!!

then, I must say...

ooops...I'm so sorry I forgot to give you the "competition" deadlines (it's not really competitions, I mean, that sounds so serious, it's really more like fun scrapbooking carrots, for everybody who wants to enjoy:)

so, to get things straight, here is the carrots:

best magpie tip - carrot:

send me your lay-outs, with a description of what you found that was just perfect for your scrapbook, that you've never thought of before!

deadline: july 31th (since this is magpie-month, we give it the entire july, more time to scrapbook!)

magpie-layout in general carrot:

I will draw a random lay-out from anyone who submits, it can be anybody, and any style, beginner or advanced, I just want everybody to scrapbook a lot, because it's the best thing in the world!

deadline: july 31th for this one as well, that makes sense.

comment-carrot:

random RAK-draw from everybody who comments on the first welcome post from yesterday. (that means, not this one lol)

deadline: july 6th is the last chance to post, I will draw the winner on july 7th, that's my birthday, so it makes even more sense to give away fun stuff then:D

I have lots of cool stuff to give away, like glitter thickers, neon felt and fun papers.

and, I want to thank everybody for all the lovely response I've already gotten so far, it means very much to see that people are interested in what I do! thank you, thank you, thank you, you are all so sweet!!

1-2-4....WE'RE OPENING***

2008-06-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

hi hi hi to everybody, and welcome!! I'm so excited now, this is so much fun, I really hope my posts will be full of inspiration for all who's visiting!! since this is the grand opening, I have some really sweet give-aways, keep reading, I'll post about it a little further down!
now, to this months subject: MAGPIE SCRAPPING!
from scrapbooking magazines, I've learned that magpie-moments are these moments when you realise; "wow, this item is not meant for scrapbooking at all, but man, it looks really, really cool on my lay-out". and then of course, this magpie-stuff can be anything you see around you. lots of stuff you already own can be used for scrapbooking; have a look in your cupboard, mess around your children's toys, cut your old clothes to pieces...
sometimes, you feel like you just can't get inspiration, that you have used all the normal stuff that's available; buttons, ribbon, brads, eyelets, rub-ons...that's when you need fresh, new thinking!
right now, I'm really into 80ies-style, with neon-colours and arcade game fun, and except from bam pop papers, there's not much to find in the scrapbooking world, that's when I have to look outside, to cartoons, vintage stickers, toys and hot pink party straws.
here's some lay-outs, showing different magpie stuff:

here, I used hama beads for children for my title. these beads are great, as they are cheap, easy to work with, and comes in every lovely colour you can imagine!
to make a title like this, you need beads, and a plate to place them on, both can be bought in a toy store. simply place your beads as you please, remember to reverse your letters, as you will turn them when finished. place a sandwich paper over your beads, and heat them with your iron a few minutes, until the beads melt togheter. gently remove the beads from the plate when cooled down. I used glue dots to attache them, but I'm sure other types of glue will do as well. be careful, so the beads doesn't fall apart, they can be a little fragile, even after ironing...

in case you wondered if stickers were out, they're not! stickers are cool, this is a vintage dolly duck. paper clips are also great for scrapbooking, they come in lots of colors, shapes and sizes.

here's more and more and more beads, I made a frame with them, just gluing them onto my lay-out using liquid photo glue. the page ended up quite heavy, but it's great, you can just keep throwing beads on your paper until your satisfied.

the red snaps here are playing cards, found on a flea market! flea markets are great for magpie fun, you can find all sorts of stuff here, like hairclips, old record covers, fabrics, plastic toys, and the best part of it: it's all such a bargain, you won't get ruined!

my lovely bunny is on my lay-out! I love this one, the rainbow is made from a party cracker!! just grab your scissors and cut it in every shape you like. the pink brads on the left are not brads, but thumbtacs, they look like candy, and you just punch them through, and bend the back side with the scissor handle, then place a piece of scotch over.

really, that's the good thing about scrapbooking, you can use absolutely anything. if you worry about items being acid free, I have to be honest, and say I don't really care about that part, but you could always keep them away from your photos, and they'll be safe. I'll post some more acid info later on, I have interesting information on that part, from my friend, the librarian:)

now, I promised to give away fun stuff, and I will! get scrapbooking with all you magpie treasures, and send me your lay-outs! (kastanjepiken@hotmail.com) I will make a flickr gallery for all the pages, and I will give away fun stuff to the best magpie tip, I will draw one random out of everyone who submits a lay-out, and I will also draw a RAK from anyone who comments on this post, I really appreciate your feedback, I need it to know how to make this blog fab!

so, that's three prizes, go on scrapping, thanks for sharing my opening of 1-2-4 dynamite, and have fun!!

hugs, tove*

soon, soon, soon...

2008-06-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I planned a countdown...but then I didn't think about the fact that I'm gone the entire weekend, on the fab pink forum crop at scrapbookexpress...
and...when I wrote my last post, I had no idea I would suddenly be moving, I mean, I saw the ad, dialed the number, went to visit, got the key, organized my friends (with cars lol) and moved in, all within less than a week! wow, crazy! BUT that doesn't mean there won't be dynamite fun here...instead of the countdown, here's a lay-out for you! I'm writing on the first article...and this is a little taste of what's to come...

hint: the owl is cut out from a pillow case...

so, if you feel like scrapbooking, here's some fun tips from this LO, that's really not hard to do, but can take you in a different direction. pick one technique or more, and just do it:

1. use patterned paper instead of cardstock, and mat your photos with paint
2.take photos of something you never usually shoot...like your shadow...or your shoes...or the nice plant...or the tabasco sause on the table during dinner...
3.write you journaling on your photo if you can't find space elsewhere. if it turns out unsatisfactory, place a sticker over your mistake, or print another copy.
4.write your title by hand. practice first on some blank paper until you get the look you want.
5.make a scalloped edge with a small pair of scissors, in the happy-go-lucky way, just cut, and see how it turns out.

that's all for now! soon, dynamite will be back with a so much colour and fun, I have the lay-out's in my album, ready to share!
do you feel like scrapping now?? I do!

congrats:D

2008-06-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

my man helped me draw the RAK yesterday! anne-britt, send me you adress (my e-mail is kastanjepiken@hotmail.com), and you'll get fun stuff in the mail!! thanks to everybody who came up with wishes and ideas!!

right now, I'm working on the first real post, I'm also planning a countdown, so stay tuned!

summer fun!!

2008-06-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

I know it's not july 1st yet, I know we're not starting yet...but I want to do a little fun still...
post a comment about what you would like to read about for my first, opening article. which techniques do you want to learn more about?
I'll be giving away a RAK on monday evening (june 9th), because then I'll be through with all my exams, and summer holiday has started:D:D

opening july 1st!

2008-05-18T08:33:00.001-07:00

...a little sneak peak of what is to come...i made this the other day, with masked tape, green paint, and an old roll of film!!*

i wish this blog to be fun and funky and full of inspiration for everybody, no matter what age, i want to express freedom in scrapbooking, and total creative in all aspects anyone can think of.
...then, I need your help! let me know what you want to read about, send me your stuff, tell me about your latest discoveries and fab ideas, speak up about what you would want from a concept like this, i'll be so happy to hear about it!!

i'll be back with more small fun before the big day...and don't forget those comments;)