my girl - Kraft it up June 2014

Yes! Another photograph from our photo shoot last November, but I just love them all! 

My not-so-little girl is growing into such a beautiful young woman she needs to be celebrated. Every single day I thank my lucky stars that she came into our life, our family. She brightens our darkest days with her quick wit, her funny stories, her creativity and the generosity she shows to others. 

Sadly, Kraft It Up have set their final challenge this month. This is the sketch we were given to work with. Now I know that I have taken some liberties, but the structure of the sketch is there and I've met the requirements of including the colour pink and paint or ink splatters. I love creating in 6x12" format but sometimes find there just isn't enough space to fit everything, so I made it a double.

Materials used include kraft cardstock, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic pp (love this range), Carta Bella So Noted pp, Simple Stories pp, paper doily, Colorbok chipboard accent, Kaisercraft gems and brad, glimmermist, paint, cotton and machine stitching.

My journaling reads: 

Whatever happened to our tree climbing, mud slinging little tomboy?

She's made way for a pretty young lady.

You love to dress up now, choosing your outfits carefully, styling your hair and even wearing a little lipstick. That's not to say you still don't like trees of mud (wink).

Thanks for looking x 

November KIU - Minimalist

A hundred hearts

I loved this quote when I read it and couldn't wait to use it on a layout. This little pic is of my sweetie back when she was only 2 years old. For Christmas Santa left a beautiful fairy costume under the tree and she lived in it - literally - for months and months.

Novembers challenge at Kraft it up! was to create a layout and show a large amount of white space. I decided to cut my 12x12 in half and treat each side as a mini page which created a complete layout when combined.

I pulled out the paint and randomly dry brushed my kraft with black and pink. The slide frames were picked up at Spotlight, the alpha stickers are by Prima, the chippie hearts are very old and from 7 gypsies and the sweet little kraft embellie is from Journal It's by Star (you can find her very beautiful bits and pieces at D-lish Scraps as well as the black butterfly). Some Kaisercraft rub-ons and handmade flowers completed my layout. I found a great tutorial at Nancy's blog so had a go and was really happy with the results.

Thanks for looking xx

and so it is August already!

You spoil me

Kraft it Up gave us a sketch for the month of August and challenged us to use lots of layers and different textures. I used Kaisercraft pp, alphabet stickers and flourish, adding machine stitching and some coffee dyed lace, flowers and splatter.The the pretty green flower matches my favorite cup and saucer perfectly - a Christmas gift from my kids.

I feel so lucky to have a family that spoils me! Suprising me with a coffee machine - just for me. And the reason why? Because I am always doing things for them. I was a little embarrassed, after all, it's my job as a mum and wife to look after them, but mostly I was really touched by their kindness. 

 

KIU July - I am on a journey

I am on a journey

This month Kraft It Up wanted to see a layout that tells a story of something you want/wish to do in the future... Yesterday morning I was lucky enough to wake up and see this stunning sunrise over the hills in my backyard and I was reminded of the miracles we encounter everyday. This ties in nicely with my personal commitment to find my faith - in myself, in others and my religious beliefs.

 While playing with my supplies and came up with this simple flower that I used on my July KIU layout. As I am always happy to find a tutorial for a new technique, I thought I'd share with you my instructions to make your own loopy flower.

 1. Cut strips of paper to loop for the petals. My strips measure 1cm wide and 3", 2.5" and 2" long. Also cut a circle of cardstock to use as a base. Using these lengths my finished flower is quite large and measures approx 4.25" across.

 2. Using the longest strips bend each of the strips in half and secure - do not fold, you want the loop. I used a hot glue gun but glue dots or quick drying Helmar 450 would work just as well.

 3. Attach the petal loops to the circle of cardstock. The size of the circle you cut out and how wide your strips are will determine how many loops you require.

 4. Flip the flower over. Continue to attach the petal loops onto the back of the cardstock circle, spacing them so they fill the gaps left by the petals on the other side.

 5. Bend the next size of strips into loops. Attach them between the large petals.

 6. Round the ends off the smallest strips and attach them between the last layer of petals. Alternatively you could loop these petals and glue them down, but I found it was a bit fiddly for my hot glue covered fingers.

7. Finish the flower with a button or large brad.

I used Kraft cardstock and two Prima patterned papers from my stash, and finished my flower with a Prima button. Just for a little sparkle I sprayed my loopy flower with both Sand and Wheatfields Glimmermist.

It is really easy to make, a great way to use your scraps and looks lovely when finished.

What are you waiting for?

Give it a go and leave me a comment, I'd love to see what you can come up with.

Thanks for looking xx

June Kraft it Up

Only you hold the key to my heart

Another challenge from kraft it up! 

** JUNE'S CHALLENGE **This month your challenge is to create a layout using Kraft Cardstock or Kraft Patterned Paper
and the following...
3 Different Alpha's + 3 Photos + A title with 3 or more words + a masked background!

I thought all  the requirements of this months' challenge might be hard to put together, but once I had a spark of an idea it came together quite quickly.

I have used some MME patterned kraft combined with plain kraftcontrasting navy cardstock. My alphas are Prima stickers in 2 different fonts, and some RW lasercut chippie alphas that I've painted and glimmermisted.

Rummaging found me an old key that was no longer needed, so I transformed it with paint, ink and embossing powder. For instructions on similar techniques check out the You tube tute for shabby chic keys.

I used the Kaisercraft wooden flower branch as a mask for glimmermist, then added some pretty pearls to it and attatched it to my layout. It was more fragile than I remember them being, or else my big clumbsy fingers were less careful, and I managed to break it in several places. Never fear - Helmar Scrapdots to the resue! Yes, incredibly through the mountain of junk on my desk I managed to find this exceptional product and it saved the day.

Maybe I'm getting more sentimental as I get older, or maybe I just realise that some day my memory will fail me - either way I'm grateful for that little twinge that reminds me to journal on my layouts. I have included a little glimmermisted tag behind my photos with my journalling.

April Kraft It Up

So its a little later than normal, but a challenge worth waiting for!

This month KIU wants you to use Kraft CS or PP as your base and we want to see another THREE kraft items on your layout, these can be anything as long as they are KRAFT, everything is else is up to you!!!

Woo hoo! The perfect challenge for a kraft lover. Kraft, kraft and even more kraft!

The Mob

 

Yep, another holiday layout using the fantastic pics we had taken at Old Time Photos on the 

Gold Coast.

I have used a kraft base with 3 different kraft patterned papers from the MME Life Stories range. Again the Fiskars punch got a real workout and I have created some more little blooms to match. I'm glad I invested in some circle dies for my Cuttlebug, it saves so much time when I am cutting out multiple layers for the flowers.

I can't believe just how grown up my children look in these photos - at the time they were only 8 and 9 (Connor has since had a birthday and now he's in double digits).

The jounalling to the right of my layout reads;
17 January 2012
Reluctant to start, the kids quickly changed thier tune when the guns and loot came out.
Bonnie and Clyde look out!
Pics by Old Time Photos (copyright)

Your comments are always welcome and really appreciated, they are like 

sunshine on a rainy day! 

As always, thanks for looking xx

 

February Challenges

OMG! What an incredible month the Design Teams are having in February. Myself and fellow scrappers are really inspired by the creations that are popping up on all of the challenge sites, and the mojo is flowing!

White with 1 - white + lemon + 3 photos

Splash

This is definately one of my least fav layouts in a while, but its another moment scrapped and in the album.

The photos are of Savannah having a great time at Wet'n Wild on the Gold Coast, where we holidayed over Summer.

I have used Echo Park patterned paper (a popular pick from my stash lately), done some swirly embossing, added tuelle for texture and randomly stitched some sparkly crystal beads onto my layout.

The photography is poor but I promise to keep practising.

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Scrap the girls - Love in the title, turquoise as the dominant colour and chipboard

Right now you love

Once I got my head around the very strict criteria for this month I loved, loved, loved what I ended up with.

 I found a beautiful Prima bloom in my stash that was just the right colour, had some chipboard flourishes (yuk, they must have come in a kit) and got to work with the vintage music paper. Since I can't read music I have absolutely no problem in ripping it up for a collage, and in case you don't see the theme developing, I LOVE glimmermist. I used it to paint the flourish and to spritz my background.

Just conincidentally I took these photos of my lovely when she asked me to listen to her sing. Yes, it was Katy Perry and then Lady Gaga.

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Kraft it up - include Love and pink

Promise, Cherish, Forever

My hubby and I are fast coming up to our 13th wedding anniversary and it dawned on me that I have NEVER scrapped a wedding photo. So without further ado, here's my take on this months' challenge.

I am really enjoying using my We R Memory keepers divided page protectors at the moment, they are particularly great for using up scraps. I've included an old LYB transperancy (I think I've had them for 5 years or more), a cute doily my friend Di picked up at a garage sale and a bookplate I found when cleaning out the drawers. Told you I used lots of scraps!

I finished this layout on retreat with some like-minded lovely scrappers. Again, my photography is pretty dodgy, but its definately a much more pale pink cardstock than in the picture.

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123 Challenge - use the word 'fresh' or 'free', the colour fuschia and fraying or frills

Farm Fresh

I love how this layout turned out. I have incorporated FRESH in my title, since life here in rural Gippsland really is farm fresh, the colour fuscia with my glimmermisting of cardstock, fabric and book pages and fraying and frills were created with my little ruffle.

These photos are of the little golden pumpkins we grew in our vegie patch last season and my goat Souva (Souvalaki by name only!) and her beautiful little billy kid born at the start of January. I will have to take some more pictures of this layout, they really don't do it justice.

My lollipop flower was admired by many on our recent retreat, what I didn't tell them was just how easy it was to make using an old dictionary, some felt and random glimmermist colors.

Another new technique I have been using lately is to take a journal block and stitch.

This one was from MAMBI and was cute to start with but now I think its even cuter! Again my Dymo labeller has come in handy for strip journalling (I'm sure I have used it more for scrapping than school labelling).

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Scrapbook Savvy - sketch with a twist

Play

At 8 years old I still have to push her on the swings, but you see the joy in their eyes when they feel like they are flying and its definatley worth it.

Another retreat layout!

This itty bitty 8" x 8" page size was ideal for the smaller photos in the sketch, and I find by mixing up page sizes in my albums I can utilize all the little bits and pieces I would otherwise throw away (....gasp I hear you say, but who really, honestly uses all that they put away for a rainy day?)

The Fancy Pants Lilac House line has been a good 'go-to' for my pretty little girl layouts and many vintage projects that I have worked on. And my cabbage rose? This is the last of a big batch of satin flowers I made up some time ago. Its good to know they have all found homes in and amongst my creations, but now I need to hop to it and make some more! Love, love, love all the Prima resin shapes, including this fancy corner sconce.

October Challenges

I'm getting the jump on my favorite challenge sites this month and have already completed my Kraft it up layout and Scrap the girls.

Kraft it up! October Challenge - create a layout using a monochromatic, minimalist or vintage/romantic/shabby chic style

In contrast to my usual style I have opted for a minimalist layout.

go Blues no.12

I love this footy photo of my son and thought it deserved pride of place, I was extra proud of him this game. 

The journalling reads:

It was a tough game by all accounts. 

Connor kicked a behind in the first quarter but Yarragon were playing at home and leading by 5 goals at 3/4 time. 

Then the Blues fought back to lead by 3 goals. 

In full back Connor smothered a certain goal. The final siren sounds - the Warragul Blues have won! 

For his fantastic efforts, and possibly saving the match Connor wins the coaches award - well done.

Scrap the girls October Challenge - create a layout with the word "love" in the title and use distressing

Love

I love that you love to snuggle, 1 month old November 2003

I am really loving the smaller page size, and have used my new typewriter on just about all of my layouts lately.

I have so few photos of Savannah when she was a little baby, in the dawn of digital photos we lost so many pictures by not backing up files, so this photo is very precious.

So glad I now have this Sizzix die, the flowers are so cute! I distressed the edges of my page and the little kraft leaves I cut. 

Plus, all of the inking was with Tim Holtz distress ink!

At last, finished projects!

As promised, I have been clicking away and taking lots of photos of my most recent projects!

To start, here are the canvases I made to pretty up my loungeroom.

I am very happy with how they turned out.

I have used lots of natural textures that suit the farm feel of the photo and our lifestyle.  Dried grass from the paddock,hessian, raffia, snippets of green, a leaf and even a little bee is peeking out.

Again, in keeping with the the natural theme I have used calico to make my own flowers on a branch from the yard, raffia, a Bo Bunny flower, pins and a little dragonfly is hiding. 

I used impasto medium as the base for both canvases to add some texture. I love how they turned out!

Just finished my layout for Scrapbook Challenges, sketch 239
http://scrapbookchallenges.ning.com/

Have been meaning to scrap these photos of my Nan and Pa's wedding day for ages, and finally found a sketch I LOVE! My new Tim Holtz tickets came in handy, and some little frames I picked up from the op-shop and a beautiful button finish it off nicely.

Finished my December Kraft it up challenge, a Christmas layout using non-traditional colours.

http://kraftitup.blogspot.com/

I love using stiching and haby on my layouts - can you tell?- and thought the dress pattern looked cool on everyone elses layout, so why not? The buzz and bloom alphas are great, I paint them, glitter them, ink them, use them raw etc.

And following are just a couple of layouts I have finished in the last couple of weeks.

 Using Fat Cat Scrappin' January kit matched perfectly for my layout about Book Week last year.

http://fatcatscappin.blogspot.com/

 

Another kraft it up challenge, altering the edges of my layout. Love grunge, its my excuse to by myself: messy!

My baby broke his arm a while ago, definately needs to be documented.

So many more to post, but I am out of time. Don't forget to check out the Jindivick flower and craft show on the last weekend in February and the Warragul Show, first weekend in March.