Love These Gorgeous Girls - Version 2

I originally shared this layout as part of my Scrapmatts DT work for this month. However, due to Harrison going through a grumpy stage I didn't get to quite finish it as I'd imagined it in my head. Today I would like to show you the new finished version, with some paint splatters, builders tape, buttons, crackle accent and journaling added. I also changed the photo over to black and white. You can see the original version here, let me know which one you prefer.

 

 

 

I was originally going to journal about my 30th birthday, which was when this photo was taken, but then I realised the girls meant much more to me than just one night. My journaling speaks about the support these ladies have provided me during my pregnancy (I was 26 weeks in the photo) and becoming a first time mum.

 

Now that I've added the journaling, I can also enter it into the current challenge at Once Upon A Sketch. The theme is "The women/girls etc in our lives...". I have rotated the sketch below counter clockwise to suit my photo.

 

Classy & Fabulous

I have started my maternity leave this week and am hoping to use the extra time to get ahead in some of my DT commitments. Before I sat down to work on those though I wanted to create a layout for a challenge, so turned to my trusty favourite Once Upon A... Sketch. The journaling prompt for this month was to focus on a number. I have used photos showing my growing belly during different weeks of pregnancy, my journaling in included in the yellow pull-out tab to the left of the photos.

 

 

The title is meant as a joke, it was one of the journal tabs in the paper range and it made me laugh as anyone who knows me would agree I am neither classy or fabulous. :) I have used the Butterfly Kisses range from Kaisercraft as I like the bright colours and thought I should squeeze in one last girly layout about me before they all become focused on my coming son.

 

 

Lots of bling and beads added to this layout, plus a little bit of black to grunge it up a bit. Can't get too carried away with the girlyness. :) Here is the sketch I worked from:

 

 

There has been quite a bit of growth since the week 21 pictures was taken. I reached 36 weeks yesterday and this is what I now look like!

 

 

Anyway, I continue on my missing to clean and purge my craft room, so have decided to give away the remains of my Butterfly Kisses collection. I think I won this collection at some stage and while this is the second layout I have created with it it's always a struggle for me to work with. Rather than hold on to it I'd love to see it go to someone who will use it. International postage costs restricts this giveaway to Australia residents only. Again, if you're interested just leave me a comment and I'll draw a winner in the coming weeks. Don't forget I'm also giving away some stamps to a good home.

 

Included in the pack:

Collectables (die-cut shapes) - partially used

Rub ons - as new

Layered chipboard - partially used

6.5" Paper pad - partially used (I think I've used maybe three sheets of the 24 included, all 12 of the speciality papers and 4 sheets of die cuts are still there too)

4 sheets of double sided 12" paper - partially used

3 die-cut speciality 12" single sided papers - as new

1 speciality spot varnish 12" single sided paper - as new

1 x 12" sticker sheet - as new

 

Little Mischief - Scrapmatts DT

 

Project number two for my June Scrapmatts DT projects is a single page layout of my parent-in-laws' puppy, Josh. He is very cute (aren't all puppies?) but he is also going through all the typical puppy stages of chewing/biting everything, too much energy and problems with toilet training. I will use this entry as my Pets theme submission for the Gold Coast Show this year.

 

The picket fence is such a cute design but I had never found a use for it on any of my layouts previously. The title comes from an assorted set which seems to be more targeted towards little boys but I thought it suited Josh perfectly. You can see in the close up I left the fence raw to tie in with the natural feel I was going for. The title is painted with acrylic paint and then covered with crackle medium. The Scrap Word in the corner just has stamping ink whipped over the top to let the recessed black words still show through.

 

Scrapmatts used: CB1198 Scrap Words 06; CB2026 Picket Fences 09; CB4055 Assorted Words 09.

 

 

I was inspired by the Once Upon A... Sketch June challenge for this layout. The journaling prompt for this month is 'The best things in life aren't things'. I've left my journaling visible on this layout, talking about how Josh's cuteness outweighs his mischief at the moment. 

 

Oh Happy Day - Scrapmatts DT

Have you ever had that LO that you thought you knew where you wanted to go but it fought you every step of the way? That was the way it was going with this one, so I tossed everything but the photo and the chipboard vine to start all over again in a new direction. I think it's a bit different to my normal work but I love the end result. I'm pretty sure I've actually scrapped this photo of Ben and I already but I like it and had a second copy already printed so why not use it again? :)

 

 

The chipboard vine is a stunning piece which I've had in my stash for so long as I really wanted to feature it rather than hide it behind other elements on a LO. I trimmed the longest bit of the branch and stuck it above the rest to work better on my page. I have also used one of the new arrow pieces, a filmstrip ATC piece, some left over vines and a charm which I spray painted black. I like the contrast of the black against the more subtle inks.

 

Scrapmatts used: CB4034 Floral Design 01, CB3001 Film Strips 03, CB6095 Assorted Words 18, CB6086 Twig Frame 01, CH075 Charm.

 

This LO was inspired by the May sketch over at Once Upon A...Sketch. The journaling theme for this month is anything goes. My journaling is on the green pull-out tab behind the photo. It felt good to include some more detailed journaling in my work for the first time in a while.

 

First & Only

What's this, could it be? Yes, it is a layout designed just for fun! After spending the whole weekend creating for DT projects I still felt creative so decided to whip together a layout for a couple of challenges before the month ended. It's been a while since I'd done a wedding photo so decided to whip one of those out and pair it with some beautiful Couture Creations papers and Scrapmatts chipboard.

(Removed for publication consideration) 

Had some fun layering paints and washi tape to create the background. Put some of my new muslin to use for a whispy background. End result is actually pretty girls but I still like it, and surprisingly so does Ben.

Inspiration for this layout came from Once Upon A ... Sketch. It's been too long since I last played over there. The journaling theme was this quote:

My journaling reads: I had a crush on Ben since I was 15. He was my first serious boyfriend, first person I lived with, first husband and soon to be father to our first child. He is my first and only true love.

The sketch for this month:


I also loved the colour challenge over at Kreative Koncepts (formerly Scrap Friends), and it worked perfecting with the Damask Delight paper range.


Now that I've been creative all weekend I think it's time for me to head back to the housework and try to catch up. Wish me luck! 

Life is Better When You're Laughing

Wow, it's been quite a while between layouts for me. Oops! I have been trying to re-organise my craft room in the hopes that will get me re-motivated. I'm about halfway through so still looks like a bomb has hit it but hopefully I'll finish it off this weekend. Of course, after playing my all my supplies I got the urge to create something so took a quick break to come up with this layout.

 

I was inspired by the current challenge over at Once Upon A ... Sketch. The challenge is 'My Happy Place', so I knew right away I wanted to use a photo of myself and my husband because my happy place is always next to him. This photo was perfect because we had such a good day at the Pet Porpoise Pool. Ben got to play catch with a dolphin and I got to swim with a seal! Here is the sketch:

Don't forget, the challenge for this month over at Unstampabelles is vellum. I recently saw two amazing layouts (by Fiona and Jennifer Grace) which used vellum/transparency to create shaker pockets and I just had to give it a go myself. You can see in the close up the wood veneer and sequins I have included in my pocket. If you want to try it yourself my tip would be to make the vellum slightly larger than the backing paper so it bubbles up slightly. I didn't do this and so my sequins don't have much room to move around in.

Smile - Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

I am hosing a Girls Night In to fundraise for the Cancer Council tonight and thought I would do up a pink themed layout to feature on the night. Photos are of my mum when she had to shave her head during her chemotherapy treatment in 2010. Despite undergoing a complete double mastectomy and six months of chemo treatment, she maintained a positive outlook and often had a smile on her face. She remains cancer-free today which is a great result! Unfortunately my paternal grandmother passed away from breast cancer about 20 years ago, early detection and advances in cancer treatment are so important which is why I'm hosting the fundraiser. If anyone is interested in donating, the fundraising page is here:

http://qld.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=647015

 

I used the beautiful Kaisercraft mask and two different coloured inks to create the background. The feathers were my first time using foam stamps from A2Z Scraplets and also the first time I had used some Gelatos I purchased when in Melbourne. I think they will take a bit of getting used to but I'm excited by my initial attempts. I also used a couple of brads from a funky pack I purchased, another Tim Holtz metal tag and a Flourish with a Bling swirl which I coated with gesso to tone down the hot pink colour a bit.

 This layout was inspired by the challenge over at Once Upon A... Sketch. Their journalling challenge was to document "The Journey..." so I chose the start of mum's chemo journey. Nadia created this lovely sketch to work from.

Bonnie LO

I finally got my mojo back and managed to create two projects today. The first one is a DT piece so it will be revealed on Monday. This is the second project and is a tribute to my husband's dog who passed away earlier this year. I have created a number of pet themed layouts over the years for the Gold Coast show and most of them have used pet themed papers and/or embellishments. Today I decided I wanted to go in a different direction so I have actually created a very girly LO to celebrate her memory.

 

 

I started with pieces from a kit I purchased from Paper Stories and then added bits and pieces from my stash as I went. The detail shots show some of the layering which was again a focus for me. I liked playing with the sequins and also got to use some shell pieces I have had in my stash for years.

This LO was inspired by two challenges. The first is Once Upon A... Sketch. Their theme for August is 'I'll never forget'. I have my journaling in the top left corner of the page which talks about how I didn't like dogs when I started dating Ben but I fell in love with Bonnie and how much we miss her now she is gone. This was the sketch:

I also used the current colour challenge over at ScrapFriends. I was doing so well at playing every fortnight over at that site but then life got in the way and it's been a while since the last time I got to play. They always have fantastic sketch challenges and beautiful colour combinations so go check them out (after you leave me a comment, of course). :)

Watching You Grow - Scrapmatts Design Team LO

My silly internet is playing up so I can't upload anything in my normal browser which has delayed me in getting this post up. This is my first layout for the Scrapmatts DT this month. I've decided to post them as separate LO's just to spread to joy around a bit as I'm not creating too much at the moment. I just can't seem to get my thyroid medication right so the doctor keeps having the play around with the dosage.

 

 

We had some very exciting briefs for this month, the first of which was to create a LO showcasing whatever we thought the current trends in scrapbooking were. I have done some masking with paint, used metal embellishments, an Instragram photo and some messy thread under the photo. It's the first time since I've done the thread thing. It's fun but hard to get it to stick down.

 

You can see in the close ups that I've used an old flourish (love these and have used multiple packs) as well as the new release banner. They have both been painted with a mixture of blue and white mists.

 

Scrapmatts chipboard used: CB1003, CB1189, CB1204, CB5106.

 

This LO design was inspired by the challenge over at Once Upon A Sketch... blog. The journaling prompt this month was "Grow". I have written on the back about how it's difficult to watch little Harvey grow knowing he has a terminal heart condition. Here is the beautiful sketch: 

 

Love a Good Lazy Weekend - Once Upon a Sketch LO

Love a good lazy weekend is the title of this LO and what I got to enjoy this weekend! For the past three months I have had the busiest weekend plans in my life and it was starting to wear me down. We were meant to head out for a BBQ with friends this Sunday but unfortunately the host got sick so we had to cancel. It did free up this weekend though, hence why I managed to create two LOs and finish off one from the expo.

 

(Removed for publication)

 

I popped by Spotlight this weekend too and picked up a paper pad of 5th and Frolic by American Crafts. The flowers were just calling out for fussy cutting and it was the perfect way to de-stress. I've worked to build up the layers and finished it all off with a Eloise flourish from Flourish With a Bling.

 

This LO was inspired by the Once Upon A... Sketch challenge for this month. The theme was 'What's your guilty please?' My journalling is on a tag being the photo and talks about how Ben and I will sleep in, relax on the lounge and have breakfast together (hence the photo of the matching tea cups) around 11am when we get a lazy weekend. Here is the sketch:

 

 

It's also pink with spots so fits the criteria for The Lollipop Ladies for this fortnight.

 

 

Lastly, Frosted Designs is also having a polka dot challenge. I've got two sheets of patterned paper with polka dots on it.

Scrapmatts DT reveal - Love and Becoming a Mother

One of the things I love most about chipboard is how versatile it is, so I was very excited to see that one of the DT challenges for Scrapmatts this month was to show how you can alter your chipboard. I am quite happy to use my chippie raw but sometimes it's nice to dress it up a bit. Sometimes it can be as easy as cutting up the design so it suits your LO better. I have done that with the layered frame below in that I cut off a third of it, now I can use that part in another LO. I also cut the nested shape around the title because the original shape was too long, so I just trimed out some of the long pieces and re-assembled it.

 

(Removed for publication)

 

Techniques shown in the close up below clockwise from left.

1/ The underframe was painted black and left to dry. The top frame is painted with gesso. Once that is dry splotch/stipple on texture paste randomly over the surface (if the shape is more solid you can really create a lot of texture with this technique but because the chipboard is so delicate I was more restrained). Whilst the texture paste is still well, get a contrasting paint colour and apply this randomly with your finger. Sprinkle beads over the design then press them into the paste, this will also blend in the paint colour. Finally, glue the two chipboard pieces together.

2/ For the heart I painted it purple then ran the inner heart through my embossing machine. Dry brush the shape in a contrasting colour, the depressed areas stay purple. I also covered the nestled shape in washi tape which is a very quick, cheap and easy way to alter chipboard.

3/ I used the word scraplet raw because it was perfect already. The leaf sprays have been cut into three pieces from each stem so I could spread them around my cluster more effectively.

 

 

Scrapmatts used: CB8005 Layered Frame 03, CB1146 Leaf Spray 01, CB1199 Scrap Words 07, CB5018 Nested Shapes 04, CB1070 Hearts 03.

 

This LO was insired by the current challenge over at Once Upon A... Sketch. The theme was 'best day of your life'. I wouldn't say my wedding was the best day of my life, because I would hate to think it's all down hill from here, but it certainly was a fantastic day.

 

 

The other challenge for April was to create a project about mothers. I was initially going to do a LO about my mother but couldn't find a photo I wanted to use. I was then going to do a LO about my mother-in-law but as I was searching through my photos I found this one of my friend with her newborn. It was too perfect to pass up and why shouldn't we celebrate the achievements of friends as well as family in our scrapbooking? 

 

You can see I've used the Scrap Words again, I just love this new release. There are 3 or 4 different styles available in both black and natural. I have also used a frame which I loved but never had a photo which fitted before and some butterflies. The frame I have painted in gesso, then misted in three different colours before applying watered down acrylic paint over the top. The butterfly is apinted with acrylic paint and then has a gloss glaze over the top. While the glaze was still wet I sipped the edges of the wings in glitter to add extra sparkle.

 

 

Scrapmatts used: CB1199 Scrap Words 07, CB6041 Arch Window Frame 04, CB4008 Butterflies 01.

 

This LO was inspired by the fantastic sketch over at ScrapFriends. All those diagonals make it a really different kind of LO but I'm happy with the end result.  I kept the main elements but went on a tangent with the embellishments just because I wanted lots of fussy cut flowers. :)

 

 

The Hats

I love scrapping Christmas photos all year round so it's only natural that I would do a whole heap of Christmas layouts in December. This was one of those photos I snapped on the fly just because my camera was next to me and I ended up loving the way the light was shinning through from the window. My journalling is about the multiple 'hat' traditions my family has for Christmas.

 

Mainly Kaisercraft papers here from a few of their different Christmas ranges as well as some brads and mini-blooms. Chipboard florishes are from Scrapmatts.

 

 

This is my DT LO for The Lollipop Ladies. The sweet inspiration this fortnight is candy canes with the added challenge of spirals. I have used a lot of red/white stripes from the candy cane and have the twine looping in spirals as well as the spiral button from Evalicious. How are you inspired by candy canes

 

 

Guest DT spots are able to be won each fortnight and our sponsor this fortnight is: Mad for Markers*

A choice of 3 of her M4M digi stamps.

I have also combined this challenge with the wonderful December challenge over at Once Upon A... Sketch. The theme for this month was 'It's December...' so as I mentioned I've journalled about Christmas traditions. Below is the sketch for this month, which I have rotated counter clockwise.

 

 

Lastly, Frosted Designs is running a twelve days of Christmas competition. I'm not sure if I will get all tweleve challenges completed but thought it would be fun to try. The challenge for day 4 was to use four different patterned papers.

Cherish

Don't you just love those happy snaps you take that work out even better than expected? This was just a quick snap of my parents while we were ten pin bowling but I love it.

 

 

The challenge over at Unstampabelles this month is monochrome. I took a bit of leniancy and incorporated a fair bit of white and black along with all the red. I took this as the perfect opportunity to use my new rolled flower die from Die-namics, they are so easy to create. The die I purchased creates two sizes and was only $13.

 

The sponsor this month is Anne of Cardmaking Online, who has very kindly offered a $25.00 gift certificate.

 

 

My sketch inspiration this month comes from Once Upon A... Sketch. I haven't played along with them since July so I thought it was definitely time to play with another of Nadia's beautiful sketches. There is no theme for the journalling this month. I have included a rub-on for my journalling in the top left, but also have 'Mum and Dad, Sept 12' under the love journal tag. You can just see it in the detail shot above. I have rotated the sketch to the left and moved the title to suit.

 

 

Cheeky Monkey in Thailand

My nickname for my husband is 'monkey'. When we were staying at Bandara Resort Koh Samui in Thailand for our honeymoon they had monkeys on all the signposts and also monkeys on the doors to indicate if you wanted room service or not. I manged to snap this photo of Ben pretending to be a monkey next to the sign while we were on the way to the pool one day. He, of course, hates this LO and personally I'm not quite sure I pulled it off either but I love the photo! :)

This is my DT entry for The Lollipop Ladies for Challenge #50 which was bananas and leaves. The bananas made me think of monkeys and I've also used the yellow background. I was able to use my new Big Shot to die-cut the leaves.

The LO was also inspired by Once Upon A... Sketch. The challenge this month was to use the sketch below and journal about friends. My husband is my best friend and I was so glad that I got to experience my first international holiday with him. Journalling is on the back of the LO.

I'll also enter this LO over at The Corrosive Challenge Blog. Their theme for #154 is "Cheeky, Saucy, and Sassy". Using an image and/or sentiment, we want you to make us laugh, chortle, snicker, and guffaw!

The current Use It Tuesday challenge is to use uncut paper. The green background piece is one I've had since near when I started scrapping so it's good to finally use it.