Scrapbooking Top 50 February Challenges

Talk about last minute! I found myself at a bit of a loose end today so decided to do a challenge. I found this cute "Love" themed mood board at Scrapbooking Top 50 so thought I would give it a go...

The first thing that jumped out at me was the red, white & black colour combo, along with the pop of glittery gold; I also drew inspiration from the doilies, the word 'love' and of course, hearts.

Here's what I came up with...

{Papers by Prima Marketing}

Given that these are not the usual style of papers I scrap with, I was pretty happy with how this layout came out. Here's some close-ups...

{Flair, flowers and gold doily from D-lish Scraps}

{Large flower from Manor House Creations, other flowers from D-lish Scraps, die cut by Shimelle for American Crafts}

I wasn't the only one scrapping today - my 6 year old daughter Brielle was also busy. She spotted the kids challenge that had also been posted on Top 50 and insisted on having a go (her first ever challenge!) The kids challenge was to create a layout and include at least one heart.

Here is her layout...

She says "this layout is about my birthday party last year. I used the scrapbooking stuff mum and dad gave me for Christmas. Mum cut me some hearts and I chose green glitter paper".

I think she got enough hearts on there! So proud of her efforts. (I had to help her by cutting the paper to her specifics, as I usually cut with a ruler & knife and I don't trust her with that yet!) The design is all her own (but I do think I can see some influence of my style in her work). :)

Thanks for popping by! (If you do happen to leave any words of encouragement for Brielle, I will make sure she sees them, thank you!) X

Flying High for Cocoa Vanilla Studio

Well here it is - my first official layout for Cocoa Vanilla Studio!!! (You might have already seen this published on the Cocoa Vanilla Studio blog a couple of days ago.) I was seriously SO excited when I received the email from Zoe asking me to join her Design Team. I fell in love with the Cocoa Vanilla products as soon as I saw them, as they are full of colour and gorgeous patterns and right up my alley!

For my first layout I decided to tackle the super cute 'Flying High' collection and scrap a pic of my boys. I love using bold patterns and lots of colour on my boy layouts, as the papers tend to do most of the work, and it reduces the need for embellishments. (A good tip for anyone on a budget!)

{Papers by Cocoa Vanilla Studio}

That being said, I couldn't go past adding SOME embellishments, and these cork stars were the perfect choice! By adhering them using foam tape, they add an extra bit of pop and dimension to the layout, whilst the cork adds subtle texture. (The stars come in packs of 24 various sizes, so they go a long way!)

When it came to adding a title for my layout, the 'Journal Cards' paper sheet provided me with the perfect one. I also cut out a blank one for my handwritten journaling and jazzed it up with a coordinating sticker and flair button. (And how seriously cute is that little plane sticker? Love it!)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I hope I have provided you with a little dose of "boyish" inspiration! I am so happy I have the opportunity to work with these fantastic products and to share them with you. 

If you would like to get some of the 'Flying High' collection for yourself (or even just to see the rest of the range), it is available from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio shop HERE or check with your favourite scrappy retailer.

Until next time, happy scrapping! X

Show Us Your Stuff February Challenge!

Time to share my mid-month reveal for Show Us Your Stuff. (Forgot to post this the other day - ooops!) This month's challenge was lots of fun - it's a "Countdown Challenge" designed by DT member Ali, and it looks like this...

(Of course I couldn't stick to the quantities listed and had to have more, but that is perfectly acceptable, you just can't use less than the amount specified.)

Here's my take on it...

{Papers by Studio Calico; Teresa Collins; Fancy Pants and Heidi Swapp}
Published in Scrapbooking Memories magazine Vol 18 No 4

I didn't write much on this page, but I did include some, by incorporating my handwritten journaling as part of the title...

One last thing, check this out for a super sweet embellishment combo - D-lish Scraps flair layered with a Burdy's Embellies fabric yoyo flower - isn't it gorgeous? The pop of yellow, was just what I needed!

You only have until the end of the month (that's the 28th this month in case you had forgotten!) to enter the challenge, so make sure you have it on your list! There is a fabulous prize up for grabs from Scrapping Life (and a special offer for SUYS fans too!) Details on the blog HERE

Scrap the Boys February Challenge!

I can't believe it is February already and my daughter is now in Grade 2! (When did that happen?) Not too long now, and my boys will be starting their own little adventure at daycare a couple of days per week. (I can't wait to finally have a bit of time out, that cheeky pair runs rings around me every day!)

Speaking of boys, I am here today to share the latest challenge from Scrap the Boys. And this month it is all about "Out of their mouths". (Believe me, I could have done 20 layouts about the things that come from the mouths of my two...and not all good either! LOL) I did manage to decide on one though, and it's a recent favourite of mine.

Here's my take on the challenge...

{Papers by Pebbles; Bella Blvd; Pretty Little Studio; Bo Bunny; and PL and MAMBI cards}

A few close-ups...

{Ephemera pieces by Heidi Swapp; flowers from D-lish Scraps}

{Flair and flowers from D-lish Scraps}

{Handmade flower by Charms Creations}

{I even STAMPED on this layout - stamp by Heidi Swapp}

Thanks for stopping by today, I do hope you will all join in this month's Scrap the Boys challenge, it's such a fun one! There are some fabulous prizes up for grabs from Flutterby Designs and Faber Castell this month.
I am so looking forward to seeing what comes "out of the mouths" of everyone else's boys! ;)

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