Some other February layouts:

What else was I doing in February? Some of it I can't share yet but I can put these ones up:

First: a layout for Aussie Scrapjacked... scraplifting the gorgeous Jolene Pienaar:



Of course my layouts are nothing like Jolene's. Jolene actually watched me putting part of this together last Sunday and didn't recognise it as a jack. I don't think anyone else did either, LOL.

And a fun one for the Scrap Pile cybercrop with Maree's challenge criteria: something I love other than scrapbooking, and using ribbons and buttons.



Thank you Liz for the use of your Fancy Pants stamps.

More computer tricks

'Computer Tricks for Scrapbookers' continues at Crafting in Style... and we have just finished the second three month term. Lesson 1 focussed on using gradients to 'fade a photo' and create a journalling space ~ very cool. It took me a while to fiddle around with the slider and the opacity levels but now that I'm getting the hang of it, I'm finding it totally addictive.

This is my photograph (which I altered with Design Fruits 'Tasty Tattoo' brushes):



And this is my layout:



Continuing with the journalling spot theme, Lesson 2 focussed on creating a subtle 'vellum-look' journalling spot:

On your mark... get set...

The Amazing Digi Scrap Race has started... and I have completed Challenge 1:



Feeling a bit relieved actually, because I was a bit nervous at first and worried that I was out of my depth. But it's fun... and I can do 'fun' :) And all those freebie digital kits that I have been storing away are finally going to see the light of day on some layouts.

I was going to list each and every kit that I used on my digi-layouts, but it's way too hard. None of the elements is my own creation (although I have altered some), all of it is (or has been) available free online. Credits are given in the NDISB gallery and I am more than happy to let anyone know where I sourced something if you are interested.

The brushes are from Design Fruit which is still my all-time favourite brush site.

Colour, colour, colour

Donna set a fun challenge at Scrap Pile, to use the colours of orange, lime green, yellow, light blue and black, and this is my layout:



PS: Thanks Shelly for the little felt bird


And another colour challenge over at White with 1, using white, red and hearts:



I have run out of white Bazzill (shock, horror!!) and had to use an album insert, but I'm still happy with how it turned out, even without my beloved textured Bazzill.

More than a hobby

Julie Stone is seeking the assistance of scrapbookers to produce a total of 1600 6x6 pages - the pages will be used to create memory books for attendees at a camp for abused and at-risk children.

We decided to devote some time to this magnificent endeavour at our CISters crop day today. And we produced lots of pages (not sure how many... but they certainly add up!!) which will be sent on to Julie for the 2008 camp. Good luck in reaching your target, Julie.

It was fun scrapping with Linda, Liz and Gail today, and catching up with Jolene too... As usual we enjoyed yummy Gloria Jean's coffee, scrapping inspiration and lots of laughing.

I also finished off a sketch layout for the Scrap Lounge cybercrop today:



I'm still very much on track with using up my patterned paper stash - using some old scrapbook.com paper on this layout, heaps of older Basic Grey ranges and SEI papers on the 6x6 pages for Julie's memory books, and donating some more Basic Grey to Liz to encourage the production of some, ahem... more boy layouts **wink**

Stepping back

My term as a design team member at Scrap with V draws to a close this week, and I have decided to step back and just hang out as a forum member for a while. I still have a few kits in the wings, that will be released in the store over the next few months.

Thank you so much to Ness and Ardoo for the fantastic opportunity to design kits for your store and to work behind the scenes on the forum. I am extremely grateful. And thank you to my fellow design members for the fun and encouragement along the way.

The new design team will be announced at the end of the week. Good luck to all who applied.

Sketching

Back in October I was involved in a little competition at Crafting in Style, in which I created a layout sketch (no worries) and then a card sketch:



Being somewhat 'card-challenged' I did find this one a bit harder than a layout sketch (not sure why?). But I had some extra incentive too, because I had someone special in mind when I made the card:



For the jazzed up, Liz Weber electronic version of the sketch , check out CISters Stylish Sketches.


And while I'm thinking sketches...Ally presented a gorgeous sketch for the Crafting in Style cybercrop on the weekend, and this was my sample layout:

Sharing the love

I just found out that I won a voucher at Scrap Therapy for my 'She Goes Whoosh' layout... and winners get to choose someone to 'share the love'. I chose Kerry, who will also receive a voucher. I met Kerry in Adelaide last year at the Hub retreat, and her layouts totally ROCK.

This is the other layout I completed for last week's Therapy cyber crop. We had to scrap about a 'thing' (not a person or animal) that we love:



All of the patterned paper consists of little off-cuts from my stash, including a Scrapbooking Memories freebie which I thought I'd never use. I'm definitely still on track with my mission to halve my patterned paper stash this year.

Happy birthday to Scrap with V

Scrap with V is celebrating its 5th birthday with a cybercrop this weekend. Heaps of fantastic challenges posted already, and I will be calling bingo on Saturday night too.

Ness set a fun photography challenge ~ to upload a picture of something chocolate. This is my contribution, which I took on the holidays during one of our numerous Coffee Club visits!!

I've designed a few new Scrap with V class kits too, which will be up in the store over the next few months. Some sneak peeks:

Crayola Box...

You are most like: Black You are bold with a dark side. You make clear lines wherever you go, though you colour outside of the lines. Many people may just see the surface of you and think you are merely plain, but you have a lot of depth to you as well. Take this quiz:  Which Crayola Box of 8 Colour Are You?

I took a fun little colour quiz, and this was the result! I don't usually put quizzes like this on my blog... but this time it's all about a monochromatic challenge over at Crafting in Style's cybercrop this weekend.

This is the layout I created based on my quiz result:



More challenges and more layouts still to come!

Catching up

Just a bit of catch-up on some of the layouts I have done this year ~ a couple of 'summer' themed ones that I completed for challenges around the forums:





Except for the dotty Prima paper, the rest is all older stash ~ Daisy D's and some little scraps of Basic Grey and Chatterbox papers; I am SO determined to use up the scraps and the older papers in my stash.

She Goes Whoosh

This is a layout I did for the 'Sharing the Love' cybercrop at Scrap Therapy:

Challenge criteria: Use predominately red and pink



I de-saturated the photo to get rid of all the blues... and ended up with a red swimming costume too :) Total serendipity, LOL. And still on track with my personal challenge to myself to use up my old stash... some Junkitz papers and some little scraps of Chatterbox as well on the chipboard flowers.

Sketch layouts

I've been needing a bit of motivation this past week, so I've done some more sketch layouts to get the creativity moving again...

January sketch challenge by Wendy at Scrap with V:



Pencil Lines Sketch 67:



January sketch challenge at Forever Always: