Show Us Your Stuff December challenge

So Christmas is 25 days away - where has the year gone??????????
The final challenge at Show Us Your Stuff is a very cool sketch:

This one was a lot of fun to create with. I scrapped this cute photo of friends daughters from quite a few Christmas's ago. I started with a stencil and some Bo Bunny glitter texture paste, this is a cool product. Then came the addition of all of the Christmas papers and embellishments. Whatever worked that was Christmas themed, went onto this, lol. The final addition, and my handmade item,  was the Charms Creations super star in green - perfect. 

Decorating the tree

White with 1 December challenge

It's December!. Ok, I am happy to put up the Christmas decorations now, I refuse to do this before 1st December, lol. 

Anyway, the new challenge is up at White with 1. This is my last layout I will be sharing as a design team member, I have chosen to step down from the team. This months challenge screams Christmas to me. There is an accompanying sketch that is optional, but I chose not to use it: 

So I used this very cute photo of my nephews, taken with Santa, at a market. I used a star stencil, texture paste and paint to create my background. I also die cut stars to add to the layout, and added some trees, and stockings. The final addition was the Charms Creations super star. 

Santa was here

Scrap the Girls December challenge

Ok, so it's December, I really don't know where the year has gone.
The challenge is now up for Scrap the Girls. I really love this challenge, the moodboard is beautiful:

I know there is no red in this, and the non-traditional colours really didn't need red, but I thought I needed a bit of red for my layout. I tried to keep my layout as neutral as possible, but it screamed for that red. I was inspired by the trees, and the natural wood. I left my trees natural. I was also inspired by the twine. The word wonder also stood out, and I have included it with "wonderful", as an item on my layout. The Charms Creations paper X  and the star finished off the layout. 

Ho Ho Ho

Scrap the boys November challenge

I haven't done a challenge at Scrap the Boys for a few months now, not from want of doing, it's been a time thing. This month however, I had some time to do the challenge, and I loved this challenge. I love colour challenges, they are so versatile.

How awesome are these colours for boys? 

I decided to just stick to traditional scrapping for this challenge. I mean to say, we have so many papers and embellishments to use, we should use them, so that's what I did. The photo is of great nephew Hendrix on his first birthday. I really love how all of these colours worked together. 

Cake smash

More than Words challenge November

I managed to have a go at the November challenge at More than words, and it was a fabulous challenge:

I have had this photo of this old abandoned dinghy in my stash for a while, wondering how to scrap it. The dinghy has it's own story, I don't know what that is, but if you use your imagination, you could try to work it out. 

Anyway, this challenge was perfect for this photo. I used a woodgrain paper as a background, and the outdoors concept was about the dinghy. I tucked a lot of different elements into spaces on the layout, and tore some corrugated cardboard as well, which added to that woodgrain effect. The addition of the clocks on the layout helps to add to the mystery of the old dinghy. 

I really had a lot of fun just playing and creating this layout. 

Thanks for the challenge.

By the sea

Kraft Plus November challenge

Wow, what a challenge this one is at Kraft plus for November:

 

So many ideas, so many different things that could have been used. 

When I was looking at my photos for this challenge, I came across this photo, which I have been waiting to scrap, also wondering how I could scrap it. Perfect opportunity. 

The photo was taken at a class with the talented Louise Nelson, when she was here in Melbourne. A group of my friends and I attended her all day classes, and it was fabulous. This photo was taken during our lunch break, Louise photo bombed the photo with myself and Sonia. It was a lol moment. 

So on my layout, I used BIG letters to create my title. I created a thinga-me-bob, one of Lou's techniques, and had to be included on my layout. I love how different this layout is, it's so different to anything I normally do. 

LOL

CSI colour challenge November

So for November at CSI, the new case file is all about autumn.

This would have to be my favourite time of the year. I love the colours of autumn, it's usually just the right temperature, and there is no polllen to cause hay fever. It is just so pretty.
My layout is about a town that my husband and I visited in Autumn, called Walhalla. The colours were perfect.
My background was created using Tim Holtz distress oxides to get the right colours. For the evidence some white rub ons. I used some chipboard leaves to the side of the photos, some die cut flowers and skeleton leaves. The Charms Creations DIY chevron was also another perfect bit of evidence, I coloured this with oxides.
My testimony was the journaling about Autumn in Walhalla, and I created the title by die cutting some acetate that I had coloured with alcohol inks.

Autumn

Show Us Your Stuff November challenge

It's time for the new challenge at Show Us Your Stuff for November. Can you believe it is the nearly the end of the year? I can't.

I must say this was a fun challenge, trying to see how much metal stuff I could put onto my layout. I am surprised at just how much we have to play with. 

So my colour inspiration really came from the photo itself, they it was a matter of placing down the metal. I recently obtained some metal chipboard shapes - stars and arrows - they were totally perfect for this layout. I added some wire which has been stuck down with staples, a heart paper clip, brads (remember them?), silver paint. I die cut the title out of some silver paper. The final addition to the layout was the Charms Creations glitter heavenly heart. 

The cutest face

Scrap the Girls November challenge

November is here and it is time for a new challenge at Scrap the Girls.

I didn't have a photo to use of just shoes, so I used a photo from my 50th birthday, highlighting my shoes that I wore. My outfit for my 60's theme party was really based around my $20 bargain platform shoes I found whilst out shopping one day. 

I created my layout, by using Tim Holtz distress oxides, and then stencilling over that. I tried to use a stencil pattern that looked a bit similar to the pattern in my dress. 

As there was so much colour in the photo, I wanted to get this into my layout, and added that in the chipboard and die cut flowers. The Charms Creations DIY heavenly heart was perfect for this layout, as I was able to colour it with the oxides. The final addition to the layout was the chipboard shoe from Scrap FX which I sprayed with gesso. 

This is another funky layout that has been added to my crazy album from my party. It's a fun album to look at. 

It's all about the shoes

White with 1 November challenge

So it is November, and the year has flown. With the new month, the challenge is here for White with 1 :

Now ordinarily I don't scrap much with yellow. I loved this one though, it made for a fun layout, and very summery. 

I started with some colour using Tim Holtz oxides on the white cardstock. I then added some  patterned paper, and texture paste randomly over this. I then stamped using archival ink and also did some embossing. I framed the photo, with a cute little wood veneer frame, and then added anything yellow that worked, including a little pineapple, coz why not. 

I finished off with a Charms Creations denim and hessian chevron. 

I love how this turned out, considering I don't much do yellow.

At the Beach

Scrap Matrix guest designer share - Art journal double page spread

Hi everyone, I am back with my second share for October for Scrap Matrix as a guest designer. This has been a real privilege, thanks Vicki.

So, for my second share, I have an art journal creation. I am reasonably new to art journaling, so still finding my feet with it. I loved doing this one though, as the products I used are just so much fun.

I really love the 13 Arts ayeeda watercolour powders, and this was the main feature used on my art journal spread.

With these powders, the more water added, the more dilute the solution, and with less water the more intense the colour.

So with the sky blue, I spread this over my art journal page, adding water as I went, adding more powder – even to the page, and continued spreading it until I was happy with the look I was achieving. I dried it in between layers, to be able to add more intensity in some areas.

I added splashes of water to the layers as well, to create some spots on the spread colour.

I used the most basic of tools for my art journal, grabbing the trusty paper tool, and I removed sections of colour as well, as really wanted some differentiation on the pages.

Once I was happy with the layers, and after drying them all off, I then added some more intense colour with a spray in the mini mister, as I wanted to create some flowers.

I then started to bring in the brown watercolour as well.

After I was happy with the background colour, I sealed it with some clear gesso.

I grabbed my white sharpie and gel pens, and started to draw circular shapes onto the pages.

I cut out some circular shapes from some leftover Blue Fern Studio patterned paper, and added this to the pages.

The next step was to do some random stamping around the pages.

I mixed the blue and brown watercolour mixtures to make a greenish colour, adding another colour tone to the pages, and painted the stamped images with this and also with the straight diluted colours.

To then added some plasterers tape, 7 Dots Studio Lost and Found elements and word stickers.

To complete the pages, I grabbed some Art Alchemy acrylic paint, and randomly painted this around the paper flowers.

So the completed art journal pages were a complete surprise to me, how the watercolour powders would work with techniques I used. It was a completely random process, and a great way to explore some very fun products.

Art journal spread

Products used: 

Art journal

13 Arts Studio Ayeeda watercolour powders

Prima Finnabair clear gesso

Blue Fern Studio Wanderlust patterned paper

Blue Fern Studio Departure stamp

Stampin Up Reason to Smile stamps

Stampin Up Fast and Fabulous Stamps

Dina Wakely stamp set

Ranger Archival ink

Plasterers tape

7 Dots Studio Lost and Found Elements

7 Dots Studio Lost and Found word stickers

Prima Art Alchemy acrylic paint

More Than Words October challenge

I have managed to have a go at the October challenge at More Than Words:

What a lovely challenge, and how versatile this is. 

I have interpreted my layout a little differently, using the strong contrast of the brick wall in the background of the photo, with the delicate kiss between this couple on their wedding day. This is what led me to create the layout as I have. I have used a cobblestone/brick stencil and texture paste, to create the look from the brick wall in the photo. However, I needed to add delicacy, so I have done this with a lace patterned paper, stamping of flowers around the page, lace transparency, the butterflies, bird and flowers fussy cut from patterned paper. I have also used a small and delicate title, so it doesn't overtake the photo. 

The fabric component to my layout is the lace tucked in around the papers, lace leaves and organza flowers. 

A perfect moment