Orient Yourself CJ

Here's my entry for Sid's CJ 'Orient Yourself'. When I heard that it was an oriental theme, I wasn't sure that I would like doing it, I don't do much oriental. But then the CJ arrived! It is absolutely gorgeous - and everyone I've shown it to agrees, even those who don't 'get' papercrafting, stamping etc! Thanks Sid!

I had been looking at some old photos recently for my BOM, and came across these photos taken in Hong Kong, some 25 years ago. And I decided after not liking my stamping approach very much for the last CJ, that I would go back to scrapbooking - my first love. As luck would have it, someone was selling Paper Artsy Asian stamps on UKScrappers! So a nice combination, scrapping old photos and stamping. I played with the stamps, with distress ink backgrounds (of course) and lots of masking on the LHS stamped tag. In fact, I was so pleased with it that I used my very first attempt! I did have to try several times for the 'emperor' one, that one didn't stamp so well. I played with the photos in photoshop -one to B&W, and the dragon one I took out most of the colour. I aged them with sandpaper and distress inks.

The background paper has a little story too! I posted a request to sponsors on UKscrappers for Asian papers, and I found some gorgeous antique looking papers, with writing and postage stamps. But, I couldn't find anything else on that site I wanted to buy, so it would have been 90p for 2 sheets of paper, + £2.95 P&P!!! So I bought these papers from Crafty pastimes, along with the little chinese coin charms, and some cut'n'dry, which I have after since I used it with Debs in Worthing.

I hope you like it Sid! Judging by the previuous entries, I think you will be really thrilled with your CJ when it gets home.