SEM December Sketch Challenge

Beach

I took some photos at the beach in September, we just stopped for a while after visiting family who live nearby. The kids had so much fun collecting shells and skimming the flat ones out into the bay. They found a jelly-fish, chased sea gulls and had a lovely time, although it was too cold to even dip a toe in the water!

I decided to scrap this photo in particular because it captures the relationship that my kids are sharing right now. They are still children but rapidly becoming more independent of me and their Dad, and turning to each other for company, comfort and support. It is a beautiful transition to watch, and I don't feel sad that my babies are growing up - instead I feel blessed. They have each other, and I think even they are beginning to realise this now. They have each other.

Sherri set the sketch challenge at Scrapping Everyday Miracles this month, and as always I took the sketch that we had to work from and changed it... turning it 90 degrees clockwise. I didn't find three photos I wanted to use so instead printed a pic in a larger size and sliced it into three. On my canvas I used lots of distressing, ink and glimmermist to get my background just the way I like it and then I added lots of paper layers, flowers, hessian, ribbon, shells... pretty much whatever I could find. These are actually some of the shells that we found at the beach on this day, neat huh?

Now it wouldn't be an SEM challenge without a twist * use a punch* I have used a border punch along my paper layers.

I can't wait to see what you create! Don't forget to link up @ the post for your chance to win!

Thanks for looking x

Show us your stuff

Show us your stuff - April Group 1 Challenge

I will cheer you up with April Group 1 Challenge - Here is the picture (credit pinterest) to take your inspiration from !

... and using this inspiration I have created a felt Baby Girl canvas

I know its not a layout or card, but I have used a lot of my scrapbooking supplies to complete this little project, which measures about 15cm square. I have taken my inspiration from the delicate crocheting and the teeny tiny toes that will fit into these booties.

 I have so many lovely ladies around me with pregnant bellies at the moment, and I know for sure 2 of them are going to have sweet daughters, so I thought I'd get the jump on my baby shower gifts.

I have made the larger felt flowers and used some pretty Lime Tree Creations as the flower centres. The tiny Heidi Grace ladybug has been rattling around in my drawer for a while so I'm really glad it found a place here. The butterfly was also an odd find in Savannahs useful box of all places! I stapled  a whole sheet of felt on the base of the canvas and then stitched and hot glued my elements in place.

I was pretty happy with finished project and can't wait to create another 3 canvases for my ladies in waiting.

You must hop over to the blog and check out the amazing DT samples.

Christmas card project

This little project is becoming a bit of a tradition for me. I gather together all of the Christmas cards that we received and bind them together as a keepsake.

 

I felt liberated using some very old Creative Imaginations product from my (far too large and impossibly messy) stash. The best bit is it only took 30 minutes to complete, unlike so many other projects I agonize over. And I'm happy with the finished product.

Maybe my children won't grow up as sentimental as I am, with mountains of old letters and cards piled in boxes in the shed. At least this way we have an ordered way of keeping our cards together, and some day they may well wonder who they were friends with way back when.

Fat Cat Scrappin' September Kit

I picked up my altered book from the shop this week. Not happy with the way it turned out, but will try altering another book, there are just so many great examples out there I know I can do better.

Little cupcake pincushion

I don't know about anyone else, but I just love all the cute little pins that are available now. I love how they look on layouts, but often once they're home they're out of sight, out of mind.

Not any more! I made this sweet pincushion, kinda like a little cupcake, using a coffee mug and some felt. Simply roll the felt like you would a paper flower and voila! a handy dandy little pincushion that looks good on your desk and keeps your pins and needles nearby.

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.