Nuts About Sketches - Week 358

Today's layout is my last one for Nuts About Sketches.... though the blog is not closing, Shawn decided not to carry on the design team... I am sad not to be designing for her anymore. It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to scrap with Shawn over the last 6+ years... loved every layout that I've made using her sketches.  I know that I will continue to use the NAS sketches in the future.... they are sooooooooo easy to scrap from.

This is my layout that I created for today

I used some leftover paper that I had from another layout and added in a few splats, some stitching and the stickers for the title.

Check out the last reveal for the design team on the blog.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 357

I really enjoyed making this layout last week... I actually got to scrap during the afternoon on Wednesday and managed to put this page together pretty quickly.

We had another great sketch to work with... I made a few adjustments on where I put some things.... added my journalling to the top circle, added a subtitle to the bottom of the photos.  The small dots around the big circle are stamped using an inkpad and the backend of a pen.

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

Nuts About Sketches - Week 356

I had a stunning weekend of scrapping this past weekend... did a class on Saturday morning, made this page in the afternoon and spent Sunday at a charity event with Michelle van Wyk.... more on that when I finish the layouts "wink, wink!"

For this layout I dug out some photos of the last time it snowed in Joburg... yip it didn't stick to the ground, and we couldn't build a snowman... but still it did snow!

This is the great sketch we used.... I even turned my two jumbo photos on the bottom row into two mini flaps... extra photos underneath.

Check out the blog for some more great ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 355

Today's reveal is up on the blog.... the sketch called for us to use a LARGE photo... now I don't normally use these but luckily still have a few on hand from our boat trip last year so did a page all about the formal evening on board.

I really seemed to play around with the placement of things this week... rotated the sketch 90 degrees but then still put the banner at the top ... anyway I like the end result!

Don't be intimidated by the large photo... if you head over to the blog you will see lots of ways the DT used this sketch with all sorts of sized pics.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 354

January is speeding past... our sermon on Sunday mentioned how life is like a rollercoaster... just when it starts it's over... and for me the years seem to do that faster and faster all the time.  I guess with scrapping deadlines always looming it does makes the year rush past too.

Today's reveal is up... I had fun creating this page.. which came together fairly quickly. That's the beauty of sketches... half the thinking has already been done.

I used some leftover elements from a previous scrap class on this page... and also some leftover stars and stickers.

Check out the blog for even more fun ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 353

Well last week I bombarded you with all my completed pages from 2014.... hope you had time to feast your eyes. Now it's back to current scrapping and hopefully keeping ahead with the photos.

I really love the versatility of the NAS sketches... being able to add photos, reduce photo sizes, etc... ie just make it my own.

Check out the blog for lots more ideas on how to use this sketch.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 352

Yes I know I just posted yesterday about last week's reveal, but it's Monday again and time for this week's reveal....

I went fairly simple for my page this week... used some colour core cardstock that I had on hand, which I embossed, sanded and tore into the background circle.  Then just added a doily, some leftover strips and some stitching.  The banner flags are all from sticker sheets that I had on hand.  Even my title is a leftover... from a class that I did on Saturday! Love using up some of my ever growing stash!

Check out the reveal on the blog for more awesome ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 351

Phew... 11 days into the new year and I am barely touching sides.  So first up....

I went back to work on Monday and hit the ground running.... working late and overtime already.  Sure hope that things settle down soon and I can begin to take it a little easier.

Thankfully I did get tons of scrapping done during the two weeks I was off work... well not scrapping technically... mainly photos printed and layouts finished... over 20 of them!  They will be coming soon to my blog, so be prepared for lots to ooh and ahh over.

Today, though, I am showing my layout for this week's reveal at NAS... I had a ton of fun making this page:

I used 2ups for all my photos and so got a lot of pics onto my page... 14 in total!  I also cut my title and some splats on my silhouette machine and then added in some ink splats too.  The border is a new one from Couture Creations that I got a few months back but only played with on this page.

This is the sketch we worked with:

The rest of the team also did some amazing layouts this week... see them on the blog.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 350

Last week of 2014... phew but this year has flown past... it has been a year full of lovely memories (most of which still need to be scrapped!), and also a busy year at work for me. It may not have been as successful a year scrapping (I don't think I even cracked 100 layouts this year!), but I am happy to have learnt lots and done lots of fun things this year.

Today's reveal is up and I can say that I stretched myself a bit on this page... no pattern paper was used at all!!!  I die cut my letters and a doily, painted some sticker letters and then used up lots of leftover stickers for the rest. I added some ink splats and splatters for an extra touch.

Check out the blog for some more lovely ideas.  Here's to lots more scrapping to come in 2015.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 349

Wow can you believe it... Christmas is on Thursday.  yikes the day we always look forward to with longing is now just around the corner. Technically I am on two weeks leave as of today, but I am actually still working on stuff, so hopefully will have it all done before Wednesday and then I can have a decent break.

I haven't stopped scrapping though!  Last week I edited and printed photos for a whole bunch of unfinished layouts... got about 18 done.  Feel like I accomplished a heck of a lot in a few days.  Must just do some journalling on a few and a couple needs titles.  I still have a pile to tackle and hope to have them done before 2015 hits.

This is my page for today's reveal at NAS.... I flipped the sketch left to right to make my title work better.  My title is a chipboard one that I lightly painted in white and then added some chalk accent colours.  I was chuffed with how it turned out in the end.

Do you need inspiration for scrapping?... Head over to the blog to see what the others on the DT did... there are lots of ideas this week.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 348

Phew... feeling a bit "deurmekaar" today.... I think the year has caught up and I am slowly shutting down.  BUT I still have to work this week and get tons done, so best I buck up and do something.

Anyways, in between dealing with Aaron burning himself this weekend (he is fine!), I have managed to get a bit of scrapping done too.... like my page for today's reveal.

I changed a few things to help me get the photos on that I wanted... plus I wanted to use the chipboard tree so replaced another photo with the sun ray background.

There are some more ideas with this sketch on the blog, so be sure to check them out too.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 347

Another week has flown past.... in this last week:
- Aaron had prizegiving at school and finished Grade 7... that's it now with primary school.  Onwards to highschool now and a whole new adventure.
- we've had to replace our fridge... last one died a slow death.
- we've had load shedding of note and been without power for hours on end - four days in a row (thankfully all during the day this time round!)

BUT none of that has stopped me from scrapping.... yip been able to carry on and get a few pages done, including this one for today:

I am super chuffed with this page... I used two different vellums on it, did some ripping, embossing, some splattering, even sewed and played with ink to change my letters from baby pink to brown.

To change my letters, I started just rubbing an inkpad over the letters but it didn't do the job very well. So then I found some spritz in brown and just sprayed them till they were the right colour.  Of course being slightly glossy the spriz didn't adhere too well and I ended up with spots... but you know what, I actually quite like that as it gave me a funky effect that I was trying for.  To end off once they were dry, I applied dimensional glaze to them.  I tried cracking it, but didn't make any difference.  I have seen that Tim Holtz now has a crackle dimension glaze on the market, so think I might get me a bottle and redo my letters at some stage.... but for now I am truly happy with them.

 This is the sketch that we got to play with this week:

Be sure to check out the blog for even more great ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 346

Beginning of December already... boy oh boy the year has flown.  We had Aaron's birthday party on Sunday... he had fun with 8 friends.  Now we are in the last stretch of Grade 7... eeck end of primary school on Friday.  There have been some really special times over the last 7 years and I look forward to a few more in the next 5 of his school career.

Anyways, back to scrapping.... Here is this week's layout that I did... again changed a few things to make it work for me and my pics.

I added in a laser cut for some more animal detail and changed the circle photo for one popping out of a vellum envelope.  Also did some stensilling for added effect.

Check out the blog for some more great ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 345

In amongst birthdays and power failures, I still managed to scrap this past weekend.

I had fun putting this page together... used my diecut circles and lettering, plus added funky stitching. I even managed to incorporate Aaron's actual hospital ID bracelet.

Here is the great sketch that we worked with:

There are some lovely layouts by the team this week, so be sure to check out the blog for more ideas.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 344

It's birthday week! Yippee... just two more sleeps till my birthday.  Why I am excited, who knows as it will be a rather low-key day I am sure... but I just feel like celebrating anyway.

Most of the week still involves Aaron having to study for his exams, plus me having to deal with work stress.... but thankfully I do get to scrap now and then too.  Like Friday, when I put this page in the late evening hours just before bed.

I did a bit of "retail therapy" this week too and bought myself this chicken wire die from Country Crafts. So I really did need to use it straight away to make sure it worked... hehehe.  Love how it came out and adds just a little bit of fun to the page.

I decided instead of adding a paper circle to the page, just to stitch it on.  Added some rub-on flowers, ladybirds and a butterfly for extra interest.

There are some really delightful pages to see on the blog this week, so go take a peak.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 343

This past week has been super hectic with work.  I simply had to take a few hours on Saturday and scrap before I loose my sanity.  So I turned to the next sketch for NAS and this is what I created

I definitely took a few liberties with creating this layout... I didn't have the right number of  pics but made those that I did have work.  I reduced the circle and made it into a life buoy onto which I put my title.  I then replaced the title section with the banner.  For the journaling strip I created a pocket and included the pamphlet from the boat showing the deck plan.

I must admit I am very chuffed with how my page turned out.

Pop over to the blog to see what other ideas the DT had this week.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 342

It's November... birthday month in our house... but before then there are exams to study for and loads of work to do.... another busy month ahead.  As I keep saying, at least I have my scrapping therapy to turn to to keep me sane!

Today's layout is really special.... it came together pretty quickly once I finally decided on the photo to scrap.

I changed the penants for flowers and substituted some of the circles as well. Below is the sketch we got to use

Check out the blog for even more lovely layouts.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 341

It feels like it's been a very busy week since I last posted, but when I look back on it, it wasn't actually that busy as I even got to scrap one or two afternoons last week. I was mainly trying to get today's layout put together.

My page came together fairly quickly, but it sat for a day or two before I got to finish it.  I added a few little "Jowilna" touches to my page... stitching and buttons. Oh and I rotated the sketch so that my photos fit a bit better.

Check out the blog for a few more idea on what to do with the sketch this week.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 340

Boy oh boy but did I have fun with today's sketch from NAS....

I worked on this page on and off for the past two weeks... added two flaps to the top left page and a mini-book to the bottom right page.  All in all there are 31 photos on my layout!!!

Here are a few more pics to show you.

and the mini book

Not forgetting of course the great sketch that we started from.

There are lots of other great layouts on the blog to see, so remember to pop over there too.

Nuts About Sketches - Week 339

Phew it's been a busy week... family to stay and a friend's wedding, never mind working and scrapping a page or three.

Today's page was one of those that I scrapped last week... came together real quick and I love how it turned out in the end.

This is the awesome sketch we got to use... love the circles.

Check out the blog for some more great layouts.