Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Carolyn

Oops... I got so busy scrapping over the weekend that I forgot to post Friday's challenge... here it is.

The challenge is all about element clusters.... now this was a stretch for me as I tend to be more of the clean and simple layouts but what the heck a challenge is good. I found the perfect layout from Jowilna to scraplift and here you go a page with not one but two element clusters on it

I've had this paper sitting in a packet for years (a kit I bought from Retha way back!)... well the colours are perfect for yummy strawberries for pud.

I added some 3d gel medium through a sort of stencil (a piece of rubbery mesh) to the background, applied some distress stain and then piled up tags, hearts, bakers twine, buttons and some stickers... just all together yet perfectly placed. Final touches was some sewing.

Check out the blog for some more ideas on this challenge.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Esther

Today's challenge from Esther is all about using die cuts... these could be premade, cuttlebug or silhoutte cuts... well I had three layouts from classes I took with Jowilna that fit this challenge perfectly but just needed a bit of finishing and photos....and now look here, three more pages done and dusted.

This page used the word day, the big bunny and the house all cut out on the silhouette. The two little bunnies are wooden ones that I had floating around. The flag banners was a stamp that we cut out and manipulated.

The stacked circles on this page were also cut out on the silhouette. Then the little embellishments are stickers, precut dies, flowers and of course a crazy bird stamped and inked onto word paper.

and finally on this page the hearts were cut out on the cuttlebug and the love word on the silhouette.

Check out the blog for a few more ideas using diecuts.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 472

February is flying by with loads of posts... it has been a fun creative month for me.

This layout became the perfect vessel to show the map of the resort we went to on holiday back in 2013... I needed a filler page in my album and decided to scrap the map. Found some travel related stickers, a few rub-ons and a bit of ink and another layout was done.

I seem to have cranked out quite a few quick pages this month... they are nice to do in between all the elaborate ones as it makes getting the important stories down so much easier.

Remember to check out the blog for more ideas on this sketch.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Lori

Today's challenge with Lori is about making cards... well I don't make them and I don't usually send them either... but this challenge called to me over the last week, so I quickly found some leftover scraps and put a card together especially.

I even hauled out a stamp especially for this page... my lovely new Tim Holtz birdy that I haven't used yet. Also found some odd buttons and a couple of leftover stickers... 1-2-3 card done. Who knows maybe I will get inspired to make a few more.

So head over to the blog to get more inspiration from Lori.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Kate

Today's challenge is all about using Graphic Patterns... well I browsed Kate's blog and noticed lots of layouts that used BUSY pattern paper as the background. I've found over the past year that I now tend to be a more white/solid colour background person adding in the patterns in bits and pieces... but you know me.. always up for a challenge again. So out came another page that has been sitting around needing a photo and journalling... the perfect fit for this challenge.

I had made this page years ago for some other challenge... the idea was I was going to use it to mark Aaron's reading progress over the year... never happened. But hey, why not record the achievement anyway... he earned loads of merits at school just for reading and ended up getting 20 merits and chocolate as a reward.... Well done.

Head to the blog to see some more crazy patterns in evidence.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 471

What happens when you have time to scrap...well you do just that, and I managed to get all my Feb commitments done in one weekend... felt so good to be up to date. So this past weekend I actually managed to tackle some other hobbies that I have neglected... I sewed two pairs of pants and half a blouse, plus started knitting a jersey for Aaron. I did do a bit of photo editting too for future pages that I am planning.

So here's today's page that got done last weekend.

I really enjoyed this sketch... finding the chipboard photo frame was an added bonus and then everything just worked. I found a new pack of beach paper that I had bought (with this trip in mind!) and using the stickers and a small strip of the paper the layout was done... love these quick and easy pages.

I did start from the sketch... but just changed the position of the title and journalling so that the stickers would fit better at the bottom of the page instead of floating around.

Check out the blog for more inspiration on this sketch.

Scrap Mixers - Challenge #2

Our second scrapping challenge is up on the Scrap Mixers blog... this one is all about using 3 different stamps on a page.

Once again I turned to my trusty friend/mentor Jowilna for inspiration and found the perfect layout to fit the challenge.

My stamping is:
1. I inked up a stencil which I stamped onto the background
2. I used a stamp and flower stamps onto precoloured paper which I cut out and added as embellishments
3. There is a postmark stamp on the top left and a word stamp on the right hand side which are stamped directly onto the page

So technically I guess I used 5 different stamps in three different ways... mixing up the challenge in various ways.

Join in and create a page too... see the blog for some more ideas.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: ME

Yip it's my turn to have me featured on the Sketch Crew Crush... and it's all about creating double pages. This seems to be what/how I scrap a lot of lately... not that I am complaining... I love the doubles as it gives me room to add lots of photos.

Browse around my blog and get inspired.  Just as an added taste, here is a layout that I FINALLY finished this past weekend... I started making this way back in 2012, just need to add the many (and there are many!) photos to it and journal... well I got A into G and did that this past weekend... another page ticked off my long to do list.

This layout was an old Scrapkits set of notes that I had... love all the pockets and the mini albums... I even added in extra flaps as there were so many photos to put on this page.

Leave me a comment and let me know which page has inspired you to scrap doubles. And don't forget to see the blog for more ideas from the design team.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Ashley

Who doesn't like to scraplift other people's layouts.... it is fun as it takes half the thinking out of making a page. Scraplift... not copy...ie use the same design/colours but make it your own.  Well that was the challenge for today.

 My layout was very loosely based on Ashley's one... different size photo and arrows used, plus my title and journalling are in different places... see I made it my own. Thanks for a good place to start Ashley.

Check out the blog for some more inspiration on this page.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Andrea

Today's Sketch Crew Crush is focusing on Andrea... she uses predominately white backgrounds, which I must say I have actually gotten into having done so many of Jowilna's classes... the layouts look crisp and neat and the photos really pop out.

This page was a class that Jowilna gave two weeks ago at Paper Creations and based on a page she created for Lady Pattern Paper.... Such a quick fun page with subtle little quirks and techniques thrown in.... and yummy that tart Aaron was eating sure makes me hungry.

Check out the blog for some more ideas on this challenge.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 470

I had an awesome weekend of scrapping in my scraproom... got loads done.... it felt soooooooo good to be creative again.

I added an extra photo to my page and then cheated a bit in just using the chipboard title as is... no inking or anything. I even hauled out old rub-ons which fit perfectly with the pics.... just a really really quick and easy page.

Check out the blog for some more ideas.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush: Kelly

The whole month of February at Scrapbook Challenges is dedicated to the current Design Team... we are running challenges based on each person's style. I missed the one on Mandi (which you can see here) but did do the one for Kelly.

I have been wanting to make this page about the day Dad died, well since it happened. It was just not a very easy page to do for me as it brings back all those sad memories. Well this challenge was actually the perfect vehicle for me to take this page and I did it on Thursday night... spent an hour or so in front of the computer typing up the journalling with tears running down my cheeks. It was hard, sad but very good to actually get it done.

The original layout for this was a Becky Higgins page that we did at the SA Convention way back in 2006 I think. I've always wanted to use that layout again so this page was really good for it.

Making a "Clean and Simple" page is good once in a while... no need to throw the kitchen sink at the page, but with just a few bits and pieces you can still make a very pretty page.

Head over to the blog to see more layouts on this challenges and then take part too.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 469

It's a new month and a new sketch is up at Scrapbook Challenges.

Though you can't see it in this photo, I made a flap under the right hand photo and there I put little closeup pics of each room in the doll's house.

Just a bit of history, this doll's house was made for me when I was a little girl. It was made by my Grandpa and Uncle and I have treasured it for many years. My Dad had stored it in their house since I moved out but on this day (back in 2012) it was decided to bring it home... and Aaron adopted it as the latest toy... he redecorated each room and happily played with it for a few hours. Now it just sits in the cupboard and collects dust. Maybe one day  it will come out and be used again by some little girl.

Go and check the blog for some more layouts by the team.

AND.... be prepared for a month of fun with the team

ScrapMixers - Challenge #1

Today is the day for the first challenge at Scrap Mixers.... a brand new blog and a brand new concept.

I challenged the team (and you) to create a page using more than 6 pattern papers ... think squares, circles, strips, etc... I really had fun creating this page and ended up using 13 different papers. I really love how my page came out.

You can read more about the challenge, and see what the rest of the team did on the Scrap Mixers blog.

My page was inspired by Jowilna Nolte... friend, scrapping teacher and mentor. I love being able to use her techniques and ideas but still put my own spin on it. Thanks always Jow for the inspiration.