Show Us Your Stuff July Challenge!

I am here today sharing my take on the July challenge at Show Us Your Stuff, which is a colour challenge - I LOVE colour challenges!

Here is my layout...

{Papers by Echo Park; Alphas by Jillibean Soup
Published - Scrapbooking Memories Vol 17 No 9}

Seeing as it's Winter here in Australia (although some days you wouldn't know it where I live), this month's challenge is a Winter-inspired colour palette. And, as always, your entry must also contain at least one handmade item (not necessarily by you).

Here is the palette...

{Image source: Design Seeds}

And some close-ups...

{Flair button from Flutterby Designs; ladybug from My Little Bit of Whimsy;

resin rainbow from Lovelybug Bits n Bobs; satin flower from Burdy's Embellies}

{Heavenly Heart from Charms Creations; Lovelybug Bits n Bobs resin heart; flowers from D-lish Scraps}

Don't forget you have until the end of the month to enter this challenge. It's a really great palette, (and even if you aren't a fan of blue, it's not as challenging as you might think!) The winner this month will receive some awesome goodies from Charms Creations (like the Heavenly Heart I used on my own layout!) Be sure to visit Show Us Your Stuff for all the challenge details plus some gorgeous inspiration from the DT!

Happy scrapping! X

Button Art

Just thought I would quickly share a photo of my button art that was posted over on the Off the Rails blog. I won't go into details here, so if you are interested in how to do them, you will find all the info HERE.
I think they are pretty cute...

And don't forget about the current challenge at Off the Rails too, this month it is this gorgeous inspirational colour palette...

Such beautiful colours (and pretty gorgeous shoes too!), I would love to see your take on it! X

And Another D-lish CC Layout!

So I have just managed to squeak in before deadline and complete a third challenge for the D-lish Scraps birthday cyber crop. I would have liked to have done more, as the challenges were great, but time just didn't allow me to. :( Anyway, the final challenge I managed to complete was for Karyn's technique challenge, which was "painting with plastic". (You can find Karyn's description of this technique HERE.)

Here is my take on it...

{Papers from American Crafts & Glitz; title die cut from Heidi Swapp}

I created my background with Karyn's technique using my gelatos and some plastic D-lish packaging. I really like the effect it has given. (The little splatters were created by flicking the excess colour from my mixing brush.) 

As with my previous CC layouts, I managed to include quite a few of my favourite D-lish goodies on them. Here are some close-ups...

{The feature flower is a gorgeous 'Eternity' bloom; the others include Bitty Blooms,

Forget Me Nots, Cherry Blossom & Roses - all from D-lish. Acrylic heart from Heidi Swapp}

{Flair button from the 'Which Way Words' set; flowers & flower stamens all from D-lish}

Thanks for taking the time to pop in! Happy creating to you all! X

Another D-lish CC Layout!

So I managed to find time to complete another of the D-lish Scraps CC challenges, this time it was Alz's Product Challenge. The challenge was to use at least 5 different types of flowers. (No problem with that here, I LOVE flowers!) I managed to use no less than 7 different types of flowers from D-lish alone! hehe (Plus some old 'flat' paper flowers from my stash and even a pearl flower pin.)

Here is my layout...

{Papers & die cut embellishments are from American Crafts 'Dear Lizzy - Daydreamer' collection}

Here are some close-ups...

{D-lish flair button from the 'Life in Bokeh' set;' D-lish pearl heart cabochon;

D-lish flowers include Cherry Blossom, Bitty Blooms, Forget Me Nots, Trellis Rose, Cosmos Daisy}

{More D-lish flowers - Roses, Cherry Blossoms; Cosmos Daisy;

Rainbow Heart resin from Lovelybug Bits n Bobs}

{And more D-lish flowers - Lilly; Rose, Cherry Blossom, Bitty Bloom;

Heavenly Heart embellishment from Charms Creations; pin from A little bit fANTsy}

I LOVED this challenge and putting together this layout...I love it when someone tells me I have to use flowers! ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and to everyone who takes the time to leave me feedback. X

D-lish Scraps CC Layout!

So, D-lish Scraps celebrated their 5th birthday over the weekend with a huge Cyber Crop and I had the best intentions of joining in the scrapping fun all weekend...but my sick children had other plans. :( Luckily though, entries are not due until next Monday (14th) so I still might get some more done!

The first challenge that I started was Agnus' gorgeous mood board. Here is what I came up with...

{Papers by Glitz; Little Yellow Bicycle & Echo Park. Transparency by Hambly Screen Prints.}

And here is the board I was working with...

I was drawn to this challenge instantly and just loved Agnus' take on it. I was inspired by a few elements - the bright colours against white background; the cake (hence my baking themed layout); the layers of cake & stacked patty pans (replicated by my layering); the balloons (which reminded me of one of the papers I used, even though it is actually lollipops on it); and the polka dots (which I included on a few elements). And although I didn't use all the colours shown, I did draw my palette directly from the photos.

I also managed to include lots of D-lish goodies on my layout...

{Flair button from the 'Which Way Words' set, purple pearl heart cabochon}

{Lots of gorgeous D-lish paper flowers; chipboard cupcake from Little Yellow Bicycle}

{This D-lish mini rose was just what this bow needed!}

{I even had this vintage D-lish pearl-topped fabric flag in my stash!}

(Chipboard 'love' mini word also from D-lish}

Thanks for stopping by, hopefully I will have some more to share soon. Happy scrapping! X

Some exciting news...AND a layout!

Back again with another share! If you saw the recent announcement you will already know my exciting news - I am a now officially a Design Team member at Scrap the Boys! I was thrilled when Wendy asked me to join the DT, and am honoured to be on the team with such an amazing group of scrappers!

So today I am here to share my first challenge sample as a DT member, and this month it is all about "Big Boy Toys". As my twin terrors are still on the small side (having just turned 2 last week), and true "big boy toys" are still lurking somewhere in the future, I decided to scrap about their version...

{Papers by Echo Park}

Pushing each other around perched on the front of this baby walker has become a favourite pastime of late (especially the bit where you run at a wall or door and ram the passenger into it!)

{Road sign fabric button from Lovelybug Bits n Bobs; Love Candy embellishment from Burdy's Embellies}

{Flair button from Flutterby Designs}

I hope to see lots of familiar faces playing along with this challenge at Scrap the Boys this month - there are THREE awesome prizes up for grabs from Molossi, Charms Creations and Chook Scraps! Pop over for more inspiration from my very talented fellow DT members HERE. 

(Don't forget to leave me a comment when you visit me so I know to visit you too! X)

Off the Rails - Palette Challenge!

Just a quick share from me today, showing you an Off the Page item (I know, don't keel over from shock!) that I created as my sample for this month's challenge at Off the Rails. This month there is a gorgeous colour palette for inspiration and it led me to create this...

As soon as I saw the palette, I immediately thought of the 'Fancy Pants - Be Different' papers I recently received from Wild About Scrap. Those cute little monsters on the 'Be Different - Monsters' papers were just begging to be fussy cut, so I decided to create a sign for my boys' bedroom door with them. (The base of this sign was actually from the side of an old cardboard box!)

Make sure you pop over to the Off the Rails blog HERE (where there have been some exciting changes!) to see the colour palette that inspired me, and for more creations from the DT. There's a fabulous prize pack up for grabs from our very own DT member Rachael Funnell for this challenge. I do hope you will join us, I would love to see what YOU create! X

Blog Hop...with a difference!

So I am here today for a share of a different kind for this "Blog Hop with a Difference". (Sorry, this was supposed to be up last night!) I was extremely honoured (and very humbled) to be asked to participate by my gorgeous friend Paula Perry, who I have known through the scrapping community for a few years now. I was really blown away when Paula asked me to join in as a person who inspires her, especially since SHE inspires ME! I have long been an admirer of Paula's work, especially her use of mists & masks, colour and layering - some of my own favourite things! If you are not familiar with Paula's work, make sure you visit her blog HERE to see her gorgeous creations.

Now, getting to know me...

1. What am I working on right now?
At the moment, it's Design Team work which will be revealed soon. I tend to only have one project happening at a time, as I like to finish completely before starting something new.

Here's a little of what I've created lately (and yes, one of them is an Off the Page item - I even surprised myself!)...

2. How long does it take to complete a project?
These days, (thanks to my beautiful children!) I am rarely able to start & finish something in one sitting, so it is usually spread over 2 or 3 days in a couple of sessions. On average I think it would probably take about 2-3 hours of actual time. (The worst part is having to stop & pack up when the mojo is flowing! LOL)

3. What are my favourite things to create with at the moment?
Without a doubt it's all about texture & colour! My must-have items are patterned paper, texture paste, stencils, mist / paint / ink, gauze, doilies, flowers, buttons / flair, sequins...and my trusty hot glue gun!

4. How does my creative process work?
I am definitely a creature of habit - I always start with my photo. (If I am designing for specific criteria, I bear that in mind when choosing my photo.) From there, I select patterned papers and a sheet of coordinating cardstock (I like to use a cardstock base for stability & "framing" on my layouts). Once I work out roughly where my photo will go, I start adding mediums. (My favourite part!) After that, it's all about layers - more patterned paper, gauze, doilies, etc. Then I embellish with whatever takes my fancy at the time. I never plan my embellishments in advance, I wait until I have the background done & photo ready to stick down and then just let my mojo take me wherever it wants!

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
I have to admit, sometimes it's not easy! After having over a year off after the birth of my boys, it wasn't easy getting my mojo back. My biggest inspiration definitely comes from my kids though, as they are my usual subjects and I love the fact I am creating something that records the memories of their lives. Aside from that, there are several things that inspire me - the work of others (via blogs, Pinterest, Facebook, etc); the products (you know when you have THAT paper you just have to use?); challenges (I often find having some sort of criteria to follow makes it easier for me); and last but not least, for me it's about the time out. It's time spent NOT doing chores, running after the kids or doing things for other people, it's about doing something just for myself...it's MY thing!

6. What is my signature style?
This is always the hardest question! I don't quite know what to call my style, but my favourite things to use are colour, messy mediums and layering. I guess that makes it kind of "arty"? (If someone can define this for me, then please do! LOL)

This is one of my favourite recent layouts - what "style" would you call it?

Now to tell you who I have joining me on this blog hop. Each of these lovely ladies inspires me for different reasons...

Vicki Burdon
Vicki and I have been the best of friends for 5 years now. She was my very first real online "scrappy friend" and of all the things I have gained from this craft, her friendship is one of the greatest. We have supported each other through many life events, and despite the fact we live 1000's of kilometres apart and have only had the chance to spend "real" time together twice, she knows me better than almost anyone. (Sometimes I think we were separated at birth! LOL) Vicki inspires me not only for her creations, but also for the friendship & unwavering support she has always given me and simply for what she manages to fit into her life! When she isn't running after her 3 gorgeous kids or working on her farm, she runs & designs for both Scrapbooking Top 50 and Show Us Your Stuff; as well as her handmade business Burdy's Embellies.

Em Stafrace
If you aren't already familiar with Em's work then you have seriously been missing out! Em is not only a very talented scrapper, but also an extremely talented graphic designer. How she manages to combine the two through her hybrid and digital work never ceases to amaze me. I have often looked at digital layouts and whilst I admired the composition of it, I often thought it was missing a bit of the texture & dimension you see in "traditional" scrapping. NOT the case with Em's work! Her ability to add depth to a page is AMAZING, and she features textures that you seriously want to reach out and touch. Em has a a long list of impressive credits to her name - design team positions, numerous publications, and she also manages & designs for Page Drafts (where you can find her awesome sketches!)

Becci Sundberg
Becci is another lady that totally inspires me. I first came to know Becci through scrapping, but since then I have come to admire so much more about her. Becci runs her own blog called Becci's Domestic Bliss, which documents her passions and journey toward creating a simple homemade life for her family. I share many of Becci's philosophies & interests and often find her a wealth of information. From organisation and running a home, to cooking for a family (from scratch of course!), her amazing crochet creations and just the simple fact that she keeps it REAL. Becci calls it how she sees it, and I totally love that about her! Becci even went as far to crochet an entire blanket for EACH of my boys after they were born, and it was one of the most amazing, generous gifts I have ever received.

Each of the ladies will post on their own blogs next Monday, 7th July, so be sure to stop by and check them out. In the meantime, you can visit the lovely Paula's blog post HERE to see who else she linked up besides me.
Thank you so much for stopping by, and for all the comments you leave me. You really do make me smile and it is very much appreciated! X