A bit of silliness...

This is the latest layout kit which I created for Scrap with V:

'A Bit of Silliness'



All kits are suitable for beginner level scrappers and contain product shown and full-colour, photographic, step-by-step instructions.

My Triple Treat kit is on hold at the moment due one of the products being out of stock at the wholesaler... hopefully it will be available in December.

Blue and brown... and burgundy...

Over at Crafting in Style, Tam set the monthly theme challenge for October, and here is my layout:



The criteria: Use blue and brown in the layout, one photograph, and strip journalling.


Fast forward to November, and the new criteria includes burgundy. NOT a colour I use a lot. I use reds, and oranges, and browns, but burgundy is not high up there on my list of favourite colours. Anyway, here it is:



The other criteria: fabric, paint or ink, and NO blue.

This layout features another photograph from our recent holiday to Cania Gorge... I took several hundred pics so I think there'll quite a few more 'gorge' themed layouts over the next few months.

Some class layouts

I had fun attending a couple of free online scrapping classes in the past week.

This is my layout based on the October class over at Scrap World:



Melissa's sample layout used some purple papers from Basic Grey, but purple is not really my colour. So I substituted some patterned papers from my own stash, and played around with it a bit. I'm really happy with how it turned out.


And this is my layout based on the Funny Face class by Giovanna Scott at Forever Always:



I changed things around a bit but I did enjoy trying the techniques, especially dry embossing the flowers (which I need a bit more practise at).

Weekend cyber cropping

I did a few cyber crop challenges on the weekend, enjoying my last weekend freedom before returning to work this week.

This was the only challenge I completed over at Forever Always:

Challenge 1: The criteria were based on children's television programs. Wiggles (red, blue & yellow), Hi-5 (5 buttons), Mr Squiggle (doodling - the dots on the buttons and the hand drawn borders). A bit of a frivolous layout, but lots of fun.




And these were the challenges I completed over at Scrap World:

Colour challenge - Black, white and pink:



Manufacturer challenge - Use products from only two manufacturers (not counting cardstock). I used 7Gypsies and Heidi Swapp:

Inspired by sunsets

Lesson Six of the 'Stop the Moment' photography competition over at Crafting in Style, involved tips and techniques for taking photographs of sunrises and sunsets. This is my layout entry:



I was a little bit stuck on how to scrap the photograph, since I take so many sunrise and sunset photographs, and I have already scrapped my favourite ones. So in the end I went with a simple design and hoped for the best. The journalling is written on the notepaper tucked in behind the photograph, and this is (partially) what it says:

I have always had a weakness for sunsets - there is something romantic and mesmerising about the sun slipping below the horizon and leaving behind a sky full of burnt orange tones.

On this particular evening I must have taken 20 or 30 photographs of the setting sun. In our part of Australia there aren't many locations where we can see the sun setting over the ocean, so it was not surprising that I had my camera on hand every evening throughout our holiday to capture whatever sunset colours that nature had in store.

Sunset #11... one image of many, that evoke some very special holiday memories.

This layout combines a lot of my favourite things - sunset, orange and lime, Crate Paper, spots, flowers and buttons, machine stitching, ribbon, simple design - so it is very much a reflection of where my 'comfort zone' scrapping is at right now.

For more sunrise and sunset layouts from the other CISters... head over to the CIS gallery.

Seven random facts

I have been tagged by Jolene, to share seven random things about me:

1> I love orange gazanias (I took this photo at the beginning of spring this year)
2> My favourite colour is blue - any and every shade
3> I would love to travel to Venice... it's my dream holiday destination
4> I can't touch my toes, never been able to
5> My first pet was a Siamese fighting fish called Cousteau
6> I am bilingual
7> I am, and always have been, a night owl
And I tag...
Liz and Dee

1,2,3 Challenge

This is my entry for the October 1,2,3 Challenge blog:

The criteria: 6x8 photograph (mine is a touch larger), pink chipboard alphabets (I used 'Bella') and hearts (handmade from an album insert and doodled with a pink gel pen). This was a really fun layout to do, mostly because of the subject matter :)



And I just realised... no patterned paper!

October Scrapjack

This is my October entry for Aussie Scrapjacked:



It's a really loose interpretation of the original layout by Megan Stephenson, but I just love how it suited these photographs, which I printed out ages ago and never got around to actually scrapping.

Thank you Megan for the inspiration.

Cyber cropping

Busy last weekend cyber cropping (amongst other things). Things did not run smoothly on the work front so I didn't finish many of my planned layouts - I have more incomplete ones than complete at present. Note to self: I really need to make myself do just one thing at a time.

Here are some of my favourite layouts from the weekend - I focussed on some of the men in my life for a change!

My 'Big Softy' - for a challenge over at Scrap with V, set by Kerry. The criteria was to scrap about a man (not a child), include flowers, butterflies and transparencies. I had a play with the transparencies - stamped out some flowers then highlighted with KindyGlitz - something a bit more arty than I usually do:

And for the Crafting in Style cyber crop I did some pages featuring my gorgeous little nephew, can't believe he is one year old already.

Scraplifting Julie

Last month's theme challenge over at Crafting in Style was to scraplift a layout and use at least three different patterned papers. I scraplifted this layout by Julie Dudley and came up with this:



Tonight I found this layout was a winner, so I'm going shopping again...
Thank you Julie for your challenge and for the inspiration.

And I also found out that my red 'Winter at the Beach' layout won a prize over at the 1,2,3 Challenge Blog. What a fabulous week.

Sneak peeks

My next Scrap with V kit contains three single layouts. Here is a sneak peek...

The kit should be up in the store sometime in the coming week.

Creative Blogger

Thanks Lea, for nominating me as a Creative Blogger. My blog is just my own way of recording my creative inspiration and endeavours, so it's nice to know that other people enjoy my creations too.

Hmmm... I know quite a few creative bloggers myself, but I nominate Jolene, because not only does she have her own personal blog, she also shares her creative talent on her fabulous sketch blog: CISters Stylish Sketches.

Stopping the moment

... at night. Lesson 5 of the CIS 'Stop the Moment' photography competition focussed on night time photography. This is something I really struggle with, so I enjoyed the chance to practise in this area.

Here are my entries:

Part 1 - Night time scene photography:

Part 2 - Photographing people at night:

Part 2 - Low light in-home photography:

I chose the first photograph for my layout. The layout I planned was totally different but didn't come together at all like I expected, so I threw it all aside and went with blue, green and simple:

Some layouts to share

With so much going on in my family life, my scrapping has become extremely sporadic over the past few weeks. I have a few layouts to share though...

Yesterday I went to the Brisbane Papercraft Festival with some of the CISters, and we attended the "Bit of Bling" class presented by Andrea Thompson. Not only did Andrea present the content in a fun way, it was also fun to hang out with Jolene, Liz and Leone - these girls are so much fun to scrap and shop with. We also met up with Marni for lunch, and she is every bit as nice in person as she is online.
This is my layout... pretty much a copy of the class layout, but it was so relaxing to just sit back and get tactile without thinking too much about the design process:



The class rekindled my love of bling, and I enjoyed trying some new ways to "bling up" my layouts. I especially loved the Jo Sonja's Opal Dust - big glittery pieces in a quick-dry gel - another thing for my wishlist *sigh*


I also finished an entry for the September 123 Challenge. I've had this one sitting on my coffee table for a few weeks, just pondering on how to finish it off. Last night it all fell into place - a Buzz & Bloom chipboard shape (got some yesterday) and some KindyGlitz (inspired by yesterday's bling overload).

The criteria - no flowers, torn paper, a transparency:



And just some close-up details... I really did go to town on the bling:

Inspired...

I have been tagged by Vicki, to submit a LO to the INSPIRE ME blog. So I have :) And I tag...

Liz
Manon
Lee

More spring cyber cropping

I finished three layouts at the weekend cyber crop over at Crafting in Style.

Challenge 1 - Use bright colours, doodling and the word "happy" in the title:



Thank you Miss D for the Prima patterned paper, just perfect for this layout.


Challenge 2 - Use lots of flowers, a bird and a spring quote:



And thank you Julie for the little chipboard birdie. The quote is a line from the lyrics of Elvis Presley's 'Spring Fever': Open your eyes, the sky is full of butterflies. Small piece of trivia... that song appeared in his 1965 movie "Girl Happy".


Challenge 3 - Based on the Jolene's sketch, and spring-clean your stash (no new products):



I used some of my older Junkitz patterned paper and Li'l Davis slash pockets, which I've had for ages.


Over at Chook Scraps September cyber crop, I managed to complete one layout:



This one had to use green/black/white (one of my current favourite colour combinations) , bling, and a quote. I chose the quote, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams" - by Henry David Thoreau.


And I was thrilled to win a prize over at Scrap Therapy for my lime green layout "I Love You". Thank you Nat, I can't wait to go shopping...

'Friends' Kit

My 'Friends' layout kit is up in the Scrap with V store now... the kit includes materials for two single page layouts with full step-by-step photographic instructions, suitable for beginners or those who want to fast-track the scrapping process with colours and patterns and materials all ready to go in one easy kit. There's also lots of scope for adding extra items from your stash or changing the layouts around to suit your own photographs.

Some more sneak peeks...

More orange... teamed with pink...
This kit will contain instructions for two single page layouts... coming soon to Scrap with V...

Spring cyber cropping

September marks the beginning of spring... so there's really no escaping the "Spring" theme anywhere in the Australian online scrapping scene!

Over at Scrap with V it has been a huge weekend at the inaugural cyber crop, with six scrapping challenges, a photography challenge, two kid's challenges, a make-and-take class, mini-class, technique class, games and lots of chatting.

The mini-class was all about making spring flower embellishments, and these are the class samples that I prepared:



As I pointed out in the class, I don't know who started the idea, but it is a style made popular by various scrap artists, including Rebecca Sower, whose craftsmanship is just amazing.

This is the layout I prepared as a class sample:



And this is a layout I entered for a cyber-challenge over at Scrap Therapy:



I used my sample flowers from the class to scrap another layout. It had to include flowers, something new, and use bright colours. Bright enough, do you think??? The 'new' products are the Making Memories Shimmer alphabet stickers and the Prima 'Say it in Crystals' large flourish.

Back at Scrap with V, Donna challenged us to choose a song or quote that 'defines' us, and include a photograph of ourselves. This is my layout:



And another layout for the weekend - based on a Scrap Therapy sketch and Scrap with V criteria to include six circles, five squares or rectangles, four hearts, three flourishes, two stars and one other shape (diamond)...



First time ever that I have opened my packet of Heidi Swapp ghost alphas. I bought them a-g-e-s ago and they got lost somewhere in my stash... just surfaced again and I think I'm addicted.

Spring is here

... and Scrap with V is holding its very first cyber crop. The forum is young and fresh and growing... so a spring theme is just perfect.

We have some fun challenges planned, as well as some games, a 'make and take' class and a mini-class, and prizes too. Come along from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th September and join in the fun. PS... there's a lucky door prize too, so don't forget to register and sign in.

And speaking of fun and spring and Scrap with V... here are some sneak peeks for one of the new kit layouts I'm working on: