Finding Pink Pig

No I haven't missed an "a" in my blog title, I have just found a brilliant on line company who make gorgeous sketch books, called Pink Pig.

I was searching the Internet (as you do) looking for some quality sketch books which can take ink, paint and water. I had looked at the usual ones available in the shops and I was just searching for a cheaper price when I stumbled upon Pink Pig. Now as you well know I am a huge pig fan and anything with pig in the name gets my attention. I was delighted to find that they sell an enormous range, all made in England in Yorkshire and their fly leaves feature pink pigs!! I have never heard of the brand but when I read more I found out that they have been making quality sketch books since 1991 and are also a best seller on Amazon.

I eventually narrowed my choice down to an A5 size sketch book containing fab thickness watercolour paper. I chose a cover and was delighted to find that postage was free! However once I pushed the button I suddenly thought that I had ordered the textured rather than the smooth finish. Eeek! There was a contact number which got me through to a lovely guy called James who checked my order and assured me that I had indeed ordered the smooth watercolour paper. We got chatting (as you do) and I mentioned I was a blogger and papercrafter and that I was impressed to see that they also sell scrapbooks. To cut a long story short James kindly put a free scrapbook in with my order for me to review on my blog. If you want to see the whole Pink Pig range this is the link. You can even create you own personalised covers.

So Mr Postie arrived with my parcel

 I love the sticker and I have peeled it off and added it to the inside of my scrapbook. What an address...Swine House!

Inside was my sketchbook and scrapbook.
I choose a mulberry paper cover for my A5 sketchbook..there are lots of colours...mine is Sienna...you will find out another time the significance of this ;0)

It contains 25 pages of 270gsm watercolour paper/
Their paper is acid free and again made in the UK.
It will be able to take all the ink and water that I can throw at it.
I chose the matte paper option...the paper is sooo stroke-able. Such a fabulous feel.

So onto the scrapbook I promised to review....
I chose (there are lots of other variations available) an landscape A4 size with recycled  pages. There are 20 leaves (40pages) of 150gsm cartridge paper pages. Amazingly they are party made of recycled coffee cups and are archival quality.

The strong wire binding allows for expansion. My cover is plain black and very strong and I shall at some point add some of my own decoration.
I love that the fly leaf is covered in pink pigs...squeal..!

You could stick your photos and ephemera neatly inside but of course what I love doing is making "Moments"....I  use mixed media paper and lots of mixed media techniques to make precious "Moments"of family events and keep them in a real life Jane's Journal (or 2).

I decided to make my first Moment for my scrapbook using a most appropriate occasion...it just had to include pigs didn't it. I using a recent photo of Daisy and my daughter at Peppa Pig World where we squealed with laughter a few weeks ago. If you missed that post this is the link.

I chose this lovely photo from our day out.  I wanted to reproduce the bright sunny greens from this happy photo in my Moment.

I trimmed a tiny piece off my piece of mixed media card and scribbled on some bright yellow and green Gelatos and started adding water to create some drippage, just like Daisy's ice cream that day!

I also added some yellow bister and more water

plus some stenciling and script stamping for the background. I still wanted to leave some white space too.

I then put on my creative hat and put together this layout....
Here it is

The stamps are all by Visible Image

and here is my first Moment stuck into my new Pink Pig scrapbook.

 I like to use a double spread as I write about the day and include tickets and ephemera from the day.

I then had a light bulb moment and decided that rather than the next Jane's Journal that this will be Daisy's Diary!

These scrapbooks are a new range for Pink Pig...they are testing out the market here and abroad.  As these are so reasonably priced I think I will be buying another one for me very soon. Their range of art books in incredible.

One day I will give this to Daisy...she will be able to re live some of the special Moments she shared with her Nanna when she was young.

I would like to enter my Moment into the following challenges;

Frilly and Funkie All in the family
Little Claire's 3/3 create a scene
Happy Little stampers mixed media  texture
Noor summer
Creative Inspirations 3/3 bingo  I have gone along the bottom  horizontal; white, distress, dots (my stencilled dots).
Butterfly challenge yellow
Crafty Boots summer time
Crafty Card Makers 1/3 shabby chic
Simon says stamp Work it Wednesdays wafer thin dies my heart is a wafer thin Memory Box stitched heart.
Deep Ocean colours of summer


I hope you enjoyed seeing my first page of Daisy's Diary ;0) Incredibly tomorrow is the last day of our not so flaming June. I will be back on Friday as it will be the first of the month and time for my Design Team  inspiration post for our newest challenge over at Country View. I love this time of the hear and I'm enjoying watching Wimbledon on TV and just to tease you......

Yes we have tickets...Centre Court...and guess when they're for.....??! ;0)

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x