Craftwork Cards - Warren

It was my friend Maria's birthday recently so I quickly made her a card using a Craftwork Cards die cut pre coloured image from their 'Warren' Collection, Sweet Meadow paper and bunting, die cut scallop circle and flower and a sentiment. The only non Craftwork Cards items were the little pink flowers which were from Hobbycraft.

The design was the same as a card I made for the Scrapology card challenge last September but for Maria's card I used slightly different colours. I think if you like a design, its good to recycle it?

Hope you had a lovely birthday Maria.

Scrapology - March Card Challenge

This month Karen from Charmed Cards and Crafts have sponsored our card challenge over on Scrapology.

The challenge is to use a digital stamp on your card. The design team used digital stamps available from Charmed Cards and Crafts and I used an image from the Sugar and Spice bundle.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and used papers from Papermania's 'Rose Garden' collection. The border was punched with a Fiskars 'sunburst' border punch and the self adhesive pearls were from The Hobby House. The sentiment was from a QVC kit.

Please hop on over to Scrapology to see all the design teams cards and if you create your own card using a digital stamp and submit it you could win two digital collections of your choice from Charmed Cards and Crafts.

Scrapology March Layout Challenge - G is for Glitter

This month on Scrapology the team chose a super layout by our own design team member Anita as inspiration. With the challenge to use Glitter on the layout this was a good opportunity to break out the Stickles, glitter, glitter stickers and all things bright and sparkly.

This was my layout.

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I used papers from My Minds Eye 'Lost and Found' collection, 'Dreamy 2' collection and 'Quite Contrary' collection and with some careful gutting I was able to stretch those papers to enable me to mat and layer to create a frame effect.

I made the flowers from some scraps of paper cut into flower shapes on the Craft Robo and Stickled them to make them sparkle. I used brads for the centres which I glittered.

The chipboard lettering used for the word 'Dream' came from a Lisa Bearnson chipboard kit bought from QVC probably 5+ years ago. I covered the naked chipboard and edges of the photo mat in microfine glitter to match the glitter on the sheet of MME Lost and Found die cut paper. I finished the layout with some glittery butterfly stickers

This is Anita's stunning layout which was the inspiration for mine and the rest of the design teams layouts .............

........ and this is Lynn's sketch.

Please pop along to Scrapology to take part in the challenge. The prize up for grabs is amazing!

Scrapology - February Card Challenge

This month on Scrapology the sponsor of our monthly card challenge is Amy from The Crafty Purple Frog. The challenge is to use Layers and Amy kindly provided the design team with digital decoupage sheets created from fantasy artwork by Ching-Chou Kuik.

I used a sheet called 'Dreamy Moon' to make my card.

I used papers from BasicGrey's 'Green at Heart' collection and Hot off the Press (I think) as well as quote a bit of black Bazzill card stock and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.

It doesn't really show very much in the picture but the decoupaged image was stickled to an inch of it's life to make it sparkle. (I think I may be addicted to Stickles because recently everything I have created has had to include some Stickles!)

Please pop along to Scrapology to join in with this months challenge.

Valentine's Day Baking

"Happy Valentine's Day"

This morning Lara and I continued our tradition of baking some sweet Valentine goodies. This year we made mini heart shaped iced cookies.

Echo Park Birthday Layout

It was my daughter's 9th birthday in December and I am quite chuffed that I have already scrapbooked photos taken at her party. I struggle with birthday layouts so for me to get one completed within 2 months of the big day is quite an achievement.

I used Bazzill cardstock, papers from Echo Park's 'Playground' and 'Walk in the Park' collections and cardstock stickers for Bella Blvd's 2009 'Sweet Celebration' collection. I used a white cardstock background and I matted all the photos, patterned papers and elements on black cardstock to make them pop and hopefully create a bright, fun layout.

Scrapology February Layout Challenge - P is for Patchwork

This month on Scrapology we are scraplifting a layout designed and created by SJ for the Cardinal Colours Retreat last autumn and this month our technique is to use your papers to create a "Patchwork" background.

Some of my readers may remember this layout that I created last year using BasicGrey's Offbeat collection. I really liked the colour combo and the papers were perfect for a series of photos I took of my daughter playing in the snow, so I decided to use the scraps of paper I had left from my original layout to create this challenge layout.

Just as scraps of fabric are perfect for patchwork quilts, etc. , scraps of paper are perfect for patchwork layouts. I used a square punch to punch my 'patches' but could have easily just measured then and cut them with a paper trimmer. After sticking the patches to my background card (which I had punched a fancy border round) I machine stitched over the joins. I used snowflake embelishments from K&Co and felt snowflakes from Papermania. I added some unbranded silver alphabet stickers for the title, tiny alphabet stickers from Adornit and metal corner embelishments.

To add a bit of sparkle I sprayed the whole layout (except the photograph) with 'Spray and Sparkle' glitter varnish from Crafter's Companion. It really does Sparkle & Shine in real life.

This was SJ's original layout ....

... and this is Lynn's sketch.

Pop over to Scrapology to see all the design team Layouts and maybe have a go at the challenge yourself. There is a great prize on offer and as they say, "You've got to be in it to Win it".

Quick Birthday Cards

Last week I suddenly realised two of my design team co-members on Scrapology were celebrating birthdays, so I quickly made a couple of very simple cards using some Craftwork Cards supplies that I had had for quite some time and not used..

I think the papers were from the Yummy Scrummy Range and I added some Card Candi and a sentiment also from Craftwork Cards.

Very quick and simple cards and not an original idea but I hope the girls liked them.

Scrapology - January Card Challenge

This month on Scrapology, Ali from Craft Ribbons has sponsored our monthly card challenge. The team (and readers joining in with the challenge) are challenged to "Say it with Ribbons" by creating a 'Love' themed card incorporating ribbons - very apt with Valentine's Day just a month away.

I created a cute little square card with a 'Me to You' image.

To create the ribbon heart in the centre of the card I fixed pieces of ribbon to a piece of cardstock which I had cut roughly to the size of the finished heart. The size of the heart was the same as a White heart shaped paper doilie from The Hobby House which I trimmed to create a frame for my ribbon heart. The doilie edged heart was mounted on a square piece of red and white spotty paper which I edged with white lace. I finished the card by embelishing it with red Card Candi from Craftwork Cards, a ribbon bow and a pre-made 'Me to You' topper and tag from DoCrafts.

The prize for the winner of this month's challenge is a set of 16 'Valentine' ribbons so pop over to Scrapology and have a go.

Puppy update

A friend asked me how Millie our Labrador puppy was doing so I thought I would post a few photos here.

The first couple of photos are of Lara with Millie and were taken a few days after Millie came to live with us. Lara absolutely loves Millie and to see them running and playing together in the garden is so sweet.

Christopher took the next few photos. Back in the summer my brother passed onto me a camera which he no longer used. It's an SLR and whilst I, much to Christopher's disgust, have only been using it on auto, he has been playing around with apertures and shutter speeds, etc. I must agree the photos are lovely and I really should be brave and take the camera off auto but that's so scary!

These last few photos were taken just last week in the back garden. Millie has learned that if she finds something tasty in the garden (ie, a leaf or twig) and takes it under the trampoline to munch on it is very difficult for us to get to her to take the tasty morsel off her. These photos were taken in that spot.

Tomorrow she is due to have her final injections and next week we are off to a puppy party! Oh happy days.

Scrapology January Layout Challenge - T is for Texture

Over on Scrapology we have started the New Year with a challenge to use 'Texture' on your layout and also a double page sketch based on a layout by Stacey Hansen

I decided to use papers from the 'Year-o-graphy' line from Simple Stories to create a year in review layout. I am loving the collections from Simple Stories and they are fast becoming another of my favourite manufacturers.

I used 8 photos on my double page layout taken during the year on various occasions. Usually I find it difficult to use photos from different events on one layout because often the colours clash, etc but on this occasion because of the muted background I think the layout worked.

To add texture I embelished the page with buttons, machine stitching, stickers and created bunting along the top of the page with punched circles and scalloped circles which I stapled onto some bakers twine.

Looking at the layout I realise what an eventful year 2011 was for my family.

Here is the original layout by Stacey Hansen.....

........ and here is the sketch with Lynn created.

Pop along to Scrapology to see all the teams layouts and to find how you can win an amazing prize of one of each sheet of Bazzill Two Scoops - extra special, 12x12 premium cardstock!

Favourite layouts of 2011

Last year I did a review of my favourite 10 layouts of 2010 so I thought I would do the same this year now that its the eve of 2012. So, here they are:

1. Snow Day - I was able to incorporate Echo Park Journalling Cards in this layout I created for Scrapology. During the year Echo Park has firmly found its place in my list of favourite paper manufacturers.

2. c1915 - I rather surprised myself with this layout created for the March challenge on Scrapology. It was the first time I had scrapped a heritage layout and I was really pleased how the layout turned out, especially since I used very old supplies and handmade all the flowers.

3. Family - More Echo Park paper in this next layout. I love the photo and the bright zingy colours.

4. Sweet Child of Mine - I turned to my old favourite 'BasicGrey' for this layout of Lara. The photo were taken when she was really little and I just love the look on her face and the crochet flowers on the layout were gorgeous.

5. Flying Teddies - I rarely create layouts with card stock backgrounds but this year I have created quiet a few and actually like the look. More Echo Park papers on this layout - told you they were one of my favourites!

6. Ice Queen - Not an obvious choice of paper for this snow themed layout - BasicGrey's Offbeat. The colours in the papers matched the photos perfectly and were perfect. (Watch this space for another snow themed layout using those papers soon!)

7. Lets Go Fly a Kite - This year I became aware of Canadian Scrapper Stephanie Klauck and she inspired me to upgrade the software on my Craft Robo, get a new cutting blade for it and start using it again. This layout was inspired by one of Stephanie's layouts.

8. When Life Gives You Lemons - I think this layout is my absolute favourite layout I created this year. Inspired by Georgia K Keays and created for Scrapology I love the colour scheme and the doodling and was pleased to be able to use the crochet doilies bought on a greek island holiday many, many years ago.

9. Fishing With Dad - another Stephanie Klauck inspired layout using more Echo Park papers and a photo collage created in Picassa.

10. Flower Girl - This last layout was also created for Scrapology and I used some beautiful paper from Prima. The flowers were handmade as was the dress embelishment. I had an idea for making the dress in my head and managed to replicate it.

Happy New Year everyone. Hope 2012 is good for you and your families.

Lots more layouts (and cards) hopefully to come next year.

Introducing Millie

Yesterday we collected our new puppy 'Millie'. She was very timid last night when we got home but after a good nights sleep (no whining or crying) she has really come out of herself today and is a welcome addition to our family.

Millie is an 8 week old yellow Labrador and has the sweetest, gentlest temperament. So far she has shown no interest in our cat Tux and whilst Tux is obviously curious about this new bundle of fur that has suddenly appeared he seems quite happy too.

I've lost count of the number of times the family have told me that Millie will be a good subject for my scrapbook pages so I guess she may well appear on a page (or two) in the future. Watch this space LOL.