A Couple of Canvas Creations!

Just a quick share from me of a couple of canvas creations I recently made as Christmas gifts. I shared these over on the Off the Rails blog the other day, as part of my post about using Project Life cards for something other than Project Life.
(You can see my post on the OTR blog HERE, which includes my tip about printing on PL cards)

Here are my canvases...

A closer look at some of the detail...

Thanks for popping in! :)

My HUGE news!

So my HUGE news for anyone that doesn't already know, is that I have been selected as a Design Team member for brand new Australian manufacturer, Cocoa Vanilla Studio!

I will be working alongside an amazing line-up of 10 other very talented ladies from all over the globe, and I really am still pinching myself that I am part of it! Check out this team...

The team is headed by owner & designer Zoe Pearn, who has previously designed for companies such as My Mind's Eye and Kaisercraft. Cocoa Vanilla Studio is the fruition of Zoe's dream to design for her own company and I am so thrilled to be part of it!

Here are the blog links for all the team members, so you can check them all out...

Amanda Jayne Baldwin

Raquel Bowman

Anna Komenda

Anna Kossakovskaya

Annelie Maddock

Belinda Griffin

Marcia Dehn-Nix

Michelle Whorwood

Sophie Sim-Lawrence

Tarrah McLean

There are two debut collections from Cocoa Vanilla Studio - one for the boys, and one for the girls. (And given that I have both genders here, I am sure I will put them to good use!)

Each paper collection has coordinating stickers, flair, wood veneer & cork embellishments...and I cannot wait to get my hands on them! You can pop over and see the full range HERE (You can either buy them direct in Zoe's store, or look out at your favourite retailer for them!)

Despite the fact I have been on DTs before, this is the first time I will be designing for a manufacturer, and I am so grateful to Zoe for giving me this chance. Exciting times ahead!

Off the Rails January Challenge!

Another mid-month reveal from me, and this one is for Off the Rails Scrapbooking. This month's challenge is a gorgeous summery mood palette.

Here's what I came up with...

{Papers by The Girls' Paperie; Jillibean Soup; Bo Bunny; October Afternoon; Pretty Little Studio; 

also included are Becky Higgins Project Life cards}

And here is the palette...

I am pretty happy with the way this layout turned out. (Especially since I was able to use so many different papers from my stash!) As tempted as I am to always grab my most recent purchases, lately I have been making a concerted effort to use up some "older" products I already have...it just seems a waste for them to sit there. I find that colour challenges are perfect for this - I just go through and grab out whatever matches the palette and then choose a mix that work together. (Stash buster!)

Here's a closer look at some of those layers...

{Prima Divine Rose; Lovelybug Bits n Bobs fabric bunny button}

{Prima & D-lish Scraps flowers; D-lish Scraps sequin bow; gold spot washi tape; gold doiley & scalloped gold trim}

{This pretty girl is from Pretty Little Studio; flowers from Green Tara and D-lish Scraps}

I hope I have inspired you to bust your own stash or give the challenge a go. I would love to see what you come up with (and how much of your old product you can use too!) Thanks for stopping by and to everyone who takes the time to leave me a comment on my work. (I always try to repay the favour by visiting yours, so make sure I can find you!)
Happy scrapping! X

Scrap the Boys January!

Time for a mid-month reveal, and this one is for Scrap the Boys. I am so pleased to be continuing on with STB this year. You may have already seen this fabulous, funky mood board designed by Rikki Graziani that is this month's challenge...

Here is my take on it...

{Papers by Simple Stories; Echo Park; Pretty Little Studio; Bella; and Making Memories;
ephemera pieces by Heidi Swapp; photo overlay transparency by Simple Stories}

And yes, in case you were thinking it, it IS a rather "clean" layout for me! (I have done a few lately.) The main reasons for this are:

a) being pushed for time during busy periods, you can't always afford the drying time (and clean up time) using mediums requires, and

b) I thought a change might be good! I certainly find this style works well for my "boy" layouts, so you might see more in future.

I like to use machine stitching to add texture and dimension to this style of layout. (I even impressed myself with the stitching of the star though!)

{Flair by Flutterby Designs; wire from D-lish Scraps}

And still continuing on my quest to include more detailed journaling in my own handwriting...

{Journal card by MAMBI; photo cut out by Flutterby Designs}

I hope you are all feeling motivated and ready for a year of great challenge prompts to get you scrapping your boys. If one of your new year resolutions was to scrap more / journal more / record more precious memories, then start now! (And if you link up your layout on the blog before the end of the month, you will be in the running for prizes too!)

There is also an extra prize up for grabs from Charms Creations...

Simple like the Scrap the Boys Facebook page HERE and the Charms Creations Facebook page HERE then leave a comment on the Scrap the Boys blog HERE saying you're a fan of both - easy!
Happy scrapping! X

D-lish Scraps January Inspiration Board!

Back again today sharing my take on another of this month's challenges, this time for the gorgeous D-lish Scraps "Tutti Frutti" January inspiration board.

Here's the board...

As you can see, it's bursting with beautiful, fresh colours and includes an optional sketch. I was particularly drawn to the citrus tones (and appropriately, the board also featured an image of citrus), so I decided to focus on those. (I included a small pop of blue, but decided not to push it all the way to include the pink & purple.) I loved the sketch as well, so used that as a jumping off point.

Here's what I came up with...

{Papers by Studio Calico; Glitz Designs; Pretty Little Studio; Becky Higgins Project Life card}

And a few close ups of all the details...

{Flair and paper blooms from D-lish Scraps; felt flower by Lovelybug Bits n Bobs}

{Paper flowers all from D-lish Scraps; paper & acrylic die cuts by Heidi Swapp}

{More D-lish Scraps flowers}

Because of the placement of my journaling, I didn't want it to stand out too much and overwhelm the design, so decided to use green on green, which makes it a little harder to photograph & read (but it's there!)

I really loved working with this board, thanks for popping in for a look! X

Scrap the Girls January

After finding myself with a burst of creativity last night, I went searching for a challenge to do and as soon as I saw the gorgeous sketch designed by Rikki Graziani for this month's Scrap the Girls challenge, I HAD to do it! (You can find Rikki's sketch HERE)

Here's my take on it...

{Papers by Heidi Swapp}
Published in Scrapbooking Memories Vol 18 No 5

This layout was another "stash buster"for me. I used up some scraps from Heidi Swapp's 'Sugar Chic' range I had been hoarding, which I fussy cut, along with a sheet from the 'Dreamy' collection, and I think they worked beautifully together. (And as a bonus, I managed to use a photo I had also been hoarding - and it's a 5x7 too!) 

Besides the papers, I also included some paper doilies, a Prima pearl flourish (that I cut into pieces), a few wood veneer pieces, and plenty of pretty blooms and leaves...

(And yes, more journaling in my own handwriting - the quest continues!)

Thanks for stopping by and for everyone who takes the time to leave me a comment. The cool, showery weather we have here at the moment is obviously good for my mojo, so am off to try and create some more! X

Show Us Your Stuff January Challenge!

Happy New Year peeps! May the year ahead be peaceful and prosperous for us all!

Getting straight back into the scrappy swing of things, the first challenge for the year at Show Us Your Stuff is a sketch challenge designed by Amanda Hartmann...

For my take, I flipped the sketch over on it's side and then shuffled bits around...

{Papers by Pebbles Inc; Bo Bunny; Becky Higgins Project Life card; die cuts by Kaisercraft and Heidi Swapp}

Published in Scrapbooking Memories magazine - Vol 18 No 2

This layout was a big one for me - it's the first time I have scrapped any of the boys' hospital photos, as just looking at them took me right back there and I always found it difficult. Anyway, as part of my recent resolve to include more meaningful journaling on my work, I figured I might as well start to scrap one of the hardest times in my life. (Now the first one is done, there is likely to be a few more to come.)

Here's a bit more detail...

{Prima Divine Rose; D-lish Scraps flair and assorted blooms}

I hope you will all join in the challenge this month, I would love to see you playing along!

Happy, scrappy new year and here's to a fabulous 2015 friends! X

Show Us Your Stuff December Challenge!

I can't believe this is the last Show Us Your Stuff challenge for 2014! And this month the challenge is to create something inspired by our fabulous Summer themed inspiration board (not forgetting to include a handmade embellishment!)

Here is the board...

And here is what I came up with...

{Papers by Echo Park and My Minds Eye}

Although it's not necessary to create a summer themed project, I just couldn't resist scrapping this cheeky pic of my boys that I took last summer. (Don't you just love little baby bums? hehe) When it came to paper choice for this layout I couldn't go past the aptly titled 'Perfect Summer' collection from Echo Park. I also used some of the cute coordinating stickers...

As the papers I used were quite busy already, I kept embellishments fairly minimal. I included a flair from Flutterby Designs, an acrylic die cut from Heidi Swapp and I even cracked open the old brad container and used a few of those!

I would love to see you all play along with us, we have a fabulous "Secret Santa" prize up for grabs this month! (Details on the blog HERE) :)

Scrap the Boys December Challenge!

So here we are - the last Scrap the Boys challenge for 2014, and this month it is a nice, easy one - a sketch! This month we are keeping it simple - you can interpret the sketch however you wish, and scrap any theme you like, as long as you are scrapping BOYS!

Here is the sketch...

And here is my layout...

{Papers by Simple Stories}

As you can see, I interpreted the sketch fairly loosely (as I do...hehe), but I am pretty sure you can still see the bones of it there?

Besides the Simple Stories papers which formed the basis of my layout, I also used a couple of Heidi Swapp ephemera pieces; a handmade star from Charms Creations; flair from Flutterby Designs and wood veneer stars & gold spot washi from D-lish Scraps. (Even I managed to keep it relatively simple this month!) ;)

Even though I know this month is super busy for everyone, I hope you will find a little time to join our challenge. (The sketch makes it really easy for you!) Plus we have THREE prizes up for grabs from our amazing sponsors - Scrapmatts, Scrappers Garden, and Scrapbook Fantasies, so get scrapping those boys! :)

Scrappy Canary November Sketch Challenge

One final layout from me this month, and yes, it's a challenge! I stumbled on the Scrappy Canary November sketch challenge and decided to play along.

Here is the sketch...

And here is my take on it...

{Papers by American Crafts; Glitz Designs; and Kaisercraft. 

Pocket cards by MAMBI. Transparency by Hambly Screenprints}

As you can see, the sketch is still visible in my layout, but I did manage to put my own spin on it! :)

{Flair by Flutterby Designs; acrylic number from Heidi Swapp}

{Heart die cut by American Crafts; wire from D-lish Scraps; glitter sticker by Heidi Swapp}

I really loved indulging in a total pink overload on this layout, it's been too long since I last did that!
Thanks for stopping by, I will be back tomorrow with the first of the new DECEMBER challenges for the month! (Eeeeeeek!) :)

D-lish Scraps November Inspiration Board

Some months it seems like the only scrapping I ever do is all for my DT commitments. Now don't get me wrong, I love being part of the teams I am on, and I really love that I have multiple opportunities to share my work and connect with people BUT sometimes its nice to create something that's not a "have to" or that I'm not under any pressure to get it finished in time.

So, I was determined this month to play along with at least one challenge just for myself. Top of my list was the D-lish Scraps Inspiration Board. (Of course, the fact I managed to snag one of this month's sold out "Just Add Paper Kits" that was perfect for it, probably helped too.)
Here is the board...

And here is my take on it...

{Papers by Crate Paper; Echo Park; Teresa Collins; Kaisercraft; Basic Grey; American Crafts;

Transparency by Hambly Screenprints; Die cuts from Heidi Swapp & American Crafts; Alphas by American Crafts}

I loved this board! Besides the colours, I also used the sketch to start (although I did deviate a bit). Specifically, the cushions inspired me to combine a mix of floral & patterned papers, including a strip of chevron; whilst the gold dots on the wedding cake immediately made me think 'gold sequins'; and just about every image on the board screamed 'layer upon layer' to me, so that's just what I did!

I did have a slight dilemma whilst creating this layout - I was in two minds about how best to use my D-lish kit. Did I "go for broke" and use as much as I could from my kit, or did I savour the contents and spread it across lots of layouts? (It's probably at this point I should make a small confession - I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my supplies.) You can probably now guess I opted for the latter. ;)

Anyway, I did manage to use quite a few D-lish goodies on my layout - gold glitter flag & scalloped trim; flair; flowers; washi and a quote from the Minifetti word sheet...

So happy I got to play along with this challenge! :)