Scrapping with CISters

On Sunday I went to another crop with the CISters... and we had a ball. Gloria Jean's Mudslide coffee, Liz's chocolate muffins, Eagle Boys pizzas, lots of scrapping and chatting (and a few stray mosquitoes after all the rain we've been having).

I finished a few more 8x8 layouts for my St Helena album, a single and a double:





Also on Sunday, Kerry nominated me for a Nice Matters blog award.

This is what the original creator said: This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others, that are there to lend support, or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world! I am naming this award the Nice Matters Blog Award.




Thank you Kerry... I agree that nice really does matter. So I am nominating my crop buddy CISters, because I had the best time on Sunday and they are all so nice to spend time with. Jolene, Liz, Leone, Lynn and Mary. Pass it on...

Sketch layouts

My creativity has been a bit flat lately... I'm blaming the 'flu, but I suspect it's just part of the up-down cycle that all scrappers experience. So I've been using some sketches to get me started.



This one is based on a sketch over at Gettin' Sketchy - I still have an endless supply of footy photos so I really need to get some more multi-photo pages done. Might be time to get into some more double page layouts, I think.

And this one is based on a sketch by Becky Fleck:

OTP sneak peek...

I had fun putting together my lastest Scrap with V kit, which is an OTP project. A little bit out of my comfort zone... well, actually, a long way out of my comfort zone... but I had fun putting it together. Here are some sneak peeks:

Little surprises

... are on their way to Kerry Murray, Kerry Lloyd and Lynn Cresswell. Enjoy your goodies and have fun paying it forward.

And thank you Manon for my second nomination as a Rockin' Girl Blogger. That is so cool. Manon is a CISter and totally rocks as August Guest Design Team member over at Crafting in Style.

I nominate... Mistra, because your scrapping continues to inspire me, and Kerry, because I am loving your latest layouts and your constantly updated blog. Pop the icon up on your blog, link back here, and nominate some other Rockin' Girls.

Paying it forward

I recently visited Leanne's Little Place - the blog of a friend of a friend. I actually popped over to see some pictures of the Scouts' world record kite-flying attempt (and success)... and came across Leanne's 'paying it forward' post quite by accident.

So... I am paying it forward too. I will send a surprise package to the first three people who comment on this post. The surprise will be a scrapping RAK (but I don't think I have any non-scrapping visitors, do I??) I have been blessed with a number of competition wins lately... so my stash is bursting. Then what happens is... you link back to this post from your own blog, and you 'pay it forward' by sending out a RAK to three more people.

Have a fantastic day :)

PS... How cool is this - After I was reading about the kite flying on Leanne's blog, I checked my bloglines, and I found the most recent post on her space:my space Another kite!

Chinese Whispers II

Finally I can share my layout for Chinese Whispers II over at Bon's Scraps. This time the "whisper" was words only, no picture of the previous layout to work on. It was really interesting seeing all the completed layouts to see how everyone interpreted the previous scrapper's description. I finished this last month and actually did it to complement another layout using the same series of photographs - so I used the same cardstock and patterned papers.

Guest DT positions

Scrap with V is looking for two guest designers for a two month stint starting in September...

Check the details here if you are interested.

And the very first Scrap with V cyber crop will be held in September too... pop over and check out the dates. More details coming soon.

Extreme Makeover

For Week 5 of Scrap World's "Back to Reality" competition, we had a choice of four layouts to "make over". I chose this layout by Ali Russell and kind of turned it around and put my own spin on it. I'm really liking green at the moment, probably not a colour choice that will get me too many votes, but it works for me.

This is my entry:

Size does matter...

...sometimes. At the Crafting in Style cyber crop this past weekend the challenges were all about size - large photographs, small photographs, big embellishments, and a megalithic bingo game. Congrats Marni on surviving the bingo calling.

I only completed two challenges this time around, but as always it was heaps of fun.

Challenge 1 - one large photograph, four different patterned papers, chipboard:



Challenge 2 - at least four small photographs (no large photographs allowed), paint, "minimalist style":

Golden Moments

I just love this quote:

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.

This is the quote I used on my first August kit layout for Scrap with V... it's up in the store now.

Rockin' Girl

Dee has nominated me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger. Thanks Dee!

This little icon is popping up all over blog-world and I didn't really think my little blog would ever wear one... but it's kinda cool :)



What happens is that you can put the icon up on your sidebar as proof of your "Rockin' Girl" nomination, and then you nominate some Rockin' Girls and pass it on.

So today, I nominate Miss D and Kerry Lloyd... because you girls ROCK.

Peeking

... just a little bit...

These are some sneak-peeks of the latest kit layout that I submitted to Scrap with V. I think the new kits go up on Sundays, so I can share once Vanessa has uploaded to the store.

Just for something different

I have been too sick to get enthusiastic about scrapping over the past few days. But I did have a go at a fun challenge over at Scrap N Crazy. Lisa set a challenge to scrap a single photograph in every colour of the rainbow, on a black background, and I attempted a digital layout.

This is my effort:



(Don't worry Donna, I'm not crossing to the dark side, I love my mess too much, LOL)

The background paper for this layout is from a free kit by Rhonna Farrer at Two Peas in a Bucket.

Permission to share...

I'm now allowed to share my Scrap World Back to Reality entries on my blog.  Here are my first four layouts:

Week 1: Project Runway - using fabric



Week 2: Survivor - using limited supplies



Week 3: Big Brother - focus on family or friends



Week 4: Biggest Loser - limited supplies or techniques

Stopping the moment... with lighting

This was my layout for the 'Stop the Moment Running Away' photography competition in July. The theme was lighting, and this photograph was the one I took while experimenting with a home studio. I don't have a garage, but I hung up some sheets on the patio and used that as a 'studio'.



The other lighting topics were - using natural window light, and using a reflector - the lessons are over at Crafting in Style.

Wednesday workshop at CIS

These are my two layouts based on the CIS Online Retreat Wednesday workshop:





The workshop was based on 8.5 x 11 format, but I did my own take on it and modified it for 12x12. I had heaps of fun with this workshop and I am slowly coming around to the idea of adding more and more stuff to my page and filling up every last space.

Stylin' Up

I just love this amazing layout created for me by Penny Hackney! Penny's work has inspired me for a few years now, so I was thrilled to win a layout scrapped by her in a cyber crop at Scrap N Crazy.

Thank you so much xx

Still loving orange

This is a layout that I did for the Little Scrap Shop blog - a new US scrap kit site. Can you tell I still love scrapping with orange? The quote on the photo is from Rachel Carson.



PS: Thank you to the mystery CISter who sent me the gorgeous laser-cut flourishes in a RAK. Just perfect for this layout.

And thank you to Chris from Scrap with V, who sent me this delicious orange package of goodies today: