January 1 - Stuck ?! Sketches Challenge

Having a holiday is wonderful for getting back into the craft room and creating some pages. This page for the 1 Jan Stuck?! Sketches challenge. I always love Laura's sketches - and appreciate the challenge they are to me ....... I always struggle with ideas for multiple pictures and I find myself using these templates over and over again..  I managed to locate some old photos of my young grand-daughter Shante' and her beloved Pop.

A little license taken on the tag placement but overall I really enjoyed the triple.

 I've used papers from another of my pad collections and my Martha Stewart punch, some Prima flowers and Wycinanka chipboard (totally amazing products - you have to take a look at their website) with I touched up lightly with a little kindy glitz.

Thank you for stopping by ..... I hope you found something to inspire you.

Scrapbooking Memories Masters 2015 - Honourable Mention

So there was I heading off to work after my Christmas holidays .... not feeling particularly well but determined to get into the paperwork that had multiplied during my absence. Right on top of the pile was this months New Year edition of Scrapbooking Memories (I have a mail subscription). I opened the packaging intending to have a quick peek before I launched into the days work when  ..... WOO HOO there was one of my pages with an Honourable Mention from last years Masters.  So - my new boss now thinks I'm a little loopy (doing a happy dance at my desk) but I am so thrilled. They did (unfortunately manage to spell my name wrong - but that's OK ..... I know its mine.  So here it is: 

123 Challenge Blog - January Challenge

Yellow yellow everywhere ..... I nearly ran for the hills when I saw the requirements for this months terrific competition at 123 Challenge Blog - I ADORE yellow but always struggle with scrapping it on a major scale. Adding texture is always interesting however after staring at my various tubs and tubes of paste for half an hour I opted for a more subtle use of embossed cardstock, silky petals mixed with paper and layered die cuts.

This is a favourite picture of big sister Cait and Bree. If I have one wish for this pair it is that they are always there for each other.

I really love playing about with my big jars of petals and creating flowers ..... yellow is a colour both my grand-daughters love so that added to the creative fun. I've used a wonderful piece of die cut from K&Coy (Que Sera Sera) and embossed Bazzill cardstock. It feels really nice to run your hand over.

 Thank you for stopping by ..... I hope you like what you see.

Scrapbookit - January Challenge

My very first challenge for the year (actually it's been five months due to relocating, work and family commitments).  Really enjoyed this months challenge from Scrapbookit -  working with a terrific sketch from Page Maps.  I started out with the best intentions to keep it neat and clean ..... and naturally quickly resorted to my favourite shabby chic (with pink) style.

I've used some lovely old K&Coy papers from a pad (love my stash) and Martha Stewart punches and my very very favourite dies - part of the Catalina collection from Memory Box. Some pearly bling (naturally) and its all done. Two lovely photos from Mossy Point taken a few years ago.

Here are several close-ups.  I just adore the Catalina range - really delicate and so pretty. A few pink flowers to complete the look.

Thank you for stopping by - I hope you find something to inspire you.

Welcome to 2016

It seems like forever since I managed to enter a competition, spend some serious time in my scrap room or just really relax. I've now entered the final run up to my retirement from full time Defence work .... all I really want is to spend more time crafting - it's the only thing that really chills me out after a challenging day with some of my transitioning clients - or the endless Defence maze of paperwork.

I have managed to complete a few cards over the last couple of weeks - a little bit here and there. I'll pop them in a post later this week.

I trust and pray 2016 will be a positive year for all my family friends and crafters alike. Not without challenges - but with the skills and support necessary to meet them.

Christmas Tree

I had the pleasure of attending a class at Bella Paperie recently - our project this lovely Christmas 'Tag' Tree. Created by the ever delightful 'Pink Donna' nine of us beavered away under her excellent tutelage for about seven hours to produce our medley of tags. There were lots of special little hints and tips - as well as some excellent recipes for sprays (you've just got to love Isocol).

Now I've completed by first one I can't wait to make several more as gifts to friends. I've placed my order for several more trees (made privately) and intend to commence work in late September. We were extremely lucky in our class - Donna and her very supportive husband completed all the die cutting before we had arrived - there are around 200 die cuts in the project ....... multiplying that by nine is mind boggling. The photos aren't the best - I needed ore light - but I'm sure you can see all the details.

The tag dies are both from Sizzix - a couple of the old thick red ones. You just can't get a good clean cut in thick chipboard using the new thin dies on the market now. Products included Shaved Ice, Folk Paint, Inka Gold and a varied collection of bling and metal embellishments.

Stuck?! Sketches - 1 Aug 15 ..... Inspire

The month of July is traditionally a crazy month in Defence .... there is no time to pursue hobbies or plan any down time .... it's rush rush rush - end of financial year, new budgets, taxes to complete and of course posting season. That time of the year when your next location is sent out and you start to plan another move. It can be really tough for those with children. It means new schools, day-care, friends, medical support - it's very intense. As I approach my retirement I look forward to nesting in my own 'forever' home and scrapping all day if I want to :) What a heavenly thought. This time next year.

 
Notwithstanding I was totally thrilled to be asked as a Guest Designer for Stuck this month. I'm fairly new to Blog competitions and finding Stuck was a wonderful piece of luck. I love everything about the bi-monthy designs Laura creates. You'll see I'm quite literal in my interpretation - I really exercise the OCD part of my brain when I complete my pages.

My style can be somewhat eclectic (depending on the subject) but my preferred style is either vintage shabby chic (I love flowers and bling) or the cleaner style I've used on this page - punch work and a focus on colour/pattern matching. This is a picture of my older daughter Alison (an Army Nurse serving overseas) and it has become something of an 'in joke' between herself and her husband that he takes a photo of her taking photos.  I love this one - and the autumn tones of the papers and flowers seem to mix nicely with the photo.

I've used a Martha Stewart circle punch, and deep border punch for the cut work. Paper is a lovely collection from First Edition called Boho Chic (nice thick cardstock quality double sided papers). The flowers are Prima and the bling is from Kaisercraft. My frames are from a terrific Aussie company called Scrapmatts ..... I've run them through the embosser for added detail. I really love vellum in a big way  - been experimenting over the last twelve months - this paper (which comes in many thicknesses) is wonderful for printing messages or inking. It's amazing to print photos on too.

Well .... thank you for stopping by. I hope you like my interpretation of Laura's lovely sketch for this month.