Happy New Year 2021

 

It's the New Year and a full 365 days lies ahead. May we all be safe, happy and healthy this year. God bless.

Romans 15:13 - 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Dandelion Dust Design - StepxStep Dec2020

 I have been wanting to do this challenge since the middle of the month when it was posted but just never got there. Today is the last day to submit so squeaking in with my layout done.... my last creation for 2020.

I have really enjoyed doing these step x step challenges... 

a. I've used kits I might not have

b. They're quick and easy

So hopefully there will be a few more of these next year too.

iNSD with The Cut Shoppe

The 5th of May was {inter}National Scrapbooking Day and lots of blogs were having online challenges and crops. I decided to try my had at a few but then scaled down and only did one. I ran out of time really. Anyway here's my entries for the challenges held by The Cut Shoppe:

I used the polaroid cutfilefor this and backed it with lots and lots of scraps from Simple Stories. It all got inspired by a journal card on the Simple Stories paper which I ended up cutting out for the bottom corner. This is also for a product challenge at Scrapbook Generations.

It might not show up tooo well in this photo but I stitched a straight line through each row of hearts to hold them down. I then added some pink and red ink before stamping my quote and added the inked chipboard title. I used a few hearts from the center of the cutfile as well and then added some bling.

I loved the title cutfile and decided that bunny pics would be perfect for this. I also used the colour scheme from the challenge at Scrapbook Generations.

I started with the sketch and celebrate challenge for Sketch N Scrap for my page and then added the challenge from Scrapbook Generation where I had to used certain products. Managed to tick all the boxes on this one. For the cutfile challenge, I offset the words to make a matt. I inked the actual words with Brilliance silver ink.

I am happy that I managed to get these layouts done. It also got me to use some of my stash and play a bit with my curio machine and cutfiles.

As you can see, I am also entering some of these layouts in other challenges at Sketch N Scrap and Scrapbook Generations as well. Posts about those challenges will be coming up towards the end of the month. It's going to be a busy scrapping month ahead!

Let's Scrap Sketches - 15 April reveal

It's time for another new sketch and here is my layout:

I had ample photos to create this page and could quite easily have done the double, but as I have already planned my album I knew that I needed to do a single page with these photos, so I just condensed the sketch and created my layout.

My background is an old Prima travel range and then I added some leftover stickers from Simple Stories travel range. I used the song "down town" as my inspiration for my title and created my own cutfule for it. Once I had cut it out I used the inside bits of my letters and coloured them with distress oxides before adding them back into the border. I then just added some white letter stickers for the Niagara part of the title.

This is the great sketch we worked from (I might very well use it again for a layout with loads of pics).

BE sure to checkout the blog for lots more inspiration.

I am also submitting this page to The Studio Challenges for their song title challenge this month.

Stick It Down - April Double Page

Phew it's been another crazy week with not too much scrapping happening... except creating pages for DT commitments and screeching in before deadlines! Sure hope I can catch up and get ahead before month end.

This month's double page is up on the blog and here's mine:

I used some very old Fancy Pants star paper for my triangles... I've been hording this piece of paper for ages and ages and decided it was perfect for this page. I added a few strips of washi tape (the blue one has little yellow fleur de lis on is which always makes me think of scouts). I then diecut a few stars and used my Curio to cut out my title.

Be sure to pop on over to the blog to see more inspiration and take part in this month's added challenge of using song lyrics on your page (unfortunately I couldn't find any to work with my photos),

I am also using this page for a challenge over at Scrap The Boys... using geometric shapes.

Trying my hand

I keep one eye on the new DT calls coming out all the time and every now and then will try out for a new team. One such team is Let's Get Sketchy. I am off to make a layout for this challenge and then hold thumbs like mad that I make the team. Why don't you try out too?

Lets Get Sketchy Guest Designer Application

I read about applying to be a guest designer for Lets Get Sketchy back in December and then found the perfect photo for the layout that was required. I scrapped it, took it's photos and then left it stewing on my pc till after the deadline of submission... silly me. I didn't realise I had missed the deadline till I sat down to submit. Oh well,guess I just chalk it up to another page done and leave it at that.

I did manage to use quite a few bits from my leftover stash and also a set of diecuts that I found when I was having my clearout. Amazing what you find when you're not looking for it!

Looking for a new creative outlet

I am busy looking for a new Creative Design Team to be a part of. It's not easy putting yourself out there and hoping to get picked just on the strength of a few layouts being submitted, but what the heck, if you don't try you won't succeed. So here goes....

These are a few of the teams that I am vying for:

1. Let's Get Sketchy - Guest Designer

2. Colourful Creations

3. Cocoa Vanilla

So let's see what happens in the New Year.... holding thumbs!

Scrap Your Scraps - Blog Hop

Today there is a blog hop happening through Scraps You Scraps... getting to know each designer a little better.

You should have arrived here from Cathy Martin's blog...

My created my layout digitally this week.... yip decided to try something new too.... not to sure that I will create too many digital layouts, but now and then it is fun to play with.  I used a free kit from Word Art World.... love her stuff.

The journalling on my page reads as follows:

"If you had to ask me when I became a Christian,
I would say definitely that I've been one all my life.

There has never been a moment when I haven't felt
the presence of God.  I committed my life to Jesus
when I was 6 and He has been my strength ever since.

When I look back on the last 40 years I can definitely
see how God has led me through each decision I've had
to face and also how he has held me close through each
trial...  job searching, loosing our first baby, when
Dad died suddenly and I had to carry on with life.

There is no way that I would be where I am or who
I am today without God in my life."


Your next step on the blog hop is over to Connie Hall.  If you get lost, you can always start on the Scrap Your Scraps blog.

Blog Tour

There is a blog tour going on and I have been nominated by Jowilna (thanks my special friend and scrap mentor).  None of us are affiliated to any one site... just a friend asking a friend and recommending another friend.... so hop  on and take a tour around blog land... you might meet some interesting people.

Here's some fun questions and answers that might give you a bit of insight into my creativity.

1. What am I working on right now
Mainly doing scrapbooking layouts for my DT commitments.

2. How long does it take to create a project
Most of my pages take me 2 hours... now and then I have managed to knock one out in 15 minutes!  There is one though that has been hanging around for nearly 3 years! ouch!

3. What are my fave things I love to create with at the moment
I love playing with paper, so most of my creations are scrapbook layouts.  I tend to stay away from mini-albums unless I can add it to my page.  When desperate I will make a card or two as well.

4. How does my writing/creating process work
I usually start a layout with a sketch, then find photos that will work.  I then will pick out pattern paper to make the pics and lastly some cardstock.  I usually will dither about the title while putting the page together and this will either be done with letter stickers or diecut lettering.  My journalling is 99% of the time done by hand... I used to do it all on the computer but I've gotten to the point where I accept my scruffy handwriting and just get the job done.

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired
I get inspired by browsing the net.... yip spend quite a bit of time on pinterest.  Also I mainly look for sketches which I like as I find them to be a blank canvas which I can adapt.

Oh and then taking classes with Jowilna definitely inspires me to be a bit more creative and stretch myself to use some of my stash!... thanks buddy.

6. What is my signature style
My style is very simple.... it's all about the photos and the everyday moment.  I don't used posed pics... just happy mommy snaps and capture the moment.  I tend not to over embellish, but rather let the papers and extras enhance the story.

Hope this all makes sense and you have gotten to know my style a bit better.

And now the blog tour continues....

I nominate Shawn Lahr (from Nuts About Sketches).

Please leave me a comment so that I know you've visited and then head over to the next stop (or three) on the journey.... till next time.

Spur of the moment scrapping...

On Friday I ordered and paid for a kit from Michelle van Wyk... well on Saturday morning I decided that I would go to her shop (the Bonsai Huisie) and do the kit as she was teaching it then.... very spur of the moment!  And was a great kit it is....

Me being the fast scrapper that I am, was finished this page by 10:30.... so decided that I needed to do another one... and Michelle just happened to have some kits on hand in the shop.

I came home and managed to find photos there and then for both pages and so even finished them on Saturday... was a truly great scrapping day.

Nuts about Sketches - Week 279

Did you see the announcement on this week's blog post.... the new DT was posted and I'm serving once again... yippee!  AND there are two other South African's serving with me this term too.... Jowilna Nolte and Jeaunes Viljoen ... it's going to be fun seeing what they create each week from 1 September!

Well back to this week's sketch... a single layout with a BIG photo space.

Aaron surprised our domestic, Isabel, one morning and snapped this photo of her.  I decided to scrap it and give her a big space in my album as she does so much for us by cleaning each week so I don't have too!

But do check out the blog to see what others did with that space... lots of photos or even just one.

About A Boy - Design Team Call

I saw this call on Facebook last night and decided that as I only have one boy I need to try out... so why not try out too if you scrap boy pages... check it out here

EcoScrapbooking eBook Launch Party

Welcome to the Earth Day (April 22) blog hop hosted by EcoScrapbooking to launch a very exciting book.  I'm super excited to be a collaborator on this project and you can see more about my layout in the book which you can download here or in pdf format from here.

Remember that eco-scrapbooking is all about scrapping greener and wiser... so use products that are "green" otherwise Reduce, Reuse and Recycle... which is what i did on my page... I recycled an old coffee can tinfoil seal.

Here is the full blog hop list:

Danielle Hunter | EcoScrapbook

 Zaira Sierra | Hacer Scrapbooks

Lisa Troch | The Cherry on Top

Cathy Sanders | What's up with Cathy < - - - you are here!!!

Jules Hollis | Inspired Jules

Erin Bullock | Deeply Rooted Life

Stephanie Medley-Rath | Scrapworthy Lives

Renee Joy | Charms Buttons & Bows

Andrea Friebus | Lights C.a.m.era Action

Jody Spiegelhoff | SpiegelMom Scraps 

For added fun, here is another eco-friendly scrapping idea.  I decided to clear out my scraps for Aaron's school as a fundraiser. 

I took my full and overflowing box of layout leftovers

punched lots of circles in 3 different sizes 

and then assembled them into the perfect Christmas ornament.  

I made up kits with the full instructions and the kids at school thoroughly enjoyed making their own ornaments too. So now you too can reduce your stash and make something decorative.


So happy hopping and eco-scrapping. Your next stop is  Jules

Follow me on BlogLovin

I found out this week that Google Reader is closing down at the beginning of July... bummer!  Anyways, I've signed up with BlogLovin so now you can follow me there.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

New blog decor

Looky looky.... I have a new blog background and header.

I saw fellow Sketch Crew member, Chanell post a new cover for her facebook and cheekily asked her if she could adapt it for me for my blog... and look at that... one stunning new header image made... and I love it!!!

and because I got myself such a fun header, I had to change my background and a few other colours too... brighten things up a bit.

So a huge big thank you to a fab friend for a great new makeover... wonder stuff that you can do with digi-scrapping!

Happy Monday....

After a weekend of being off-line and feeling rather out of touch, my day got made this morning when I opened my email and saw that I had won!!!  What I hear you ask?  Well a free ticket to the Big Picture Classes' Boot Camp 2012.... super excited!!!

I won by entering a comment (or 4!) on Kim Bryns' blog last week...

and then out of the 100+ comments she drew MY name... yippee!!!!

So reckon I will be doing some serious training for the next few days.

Guest blogging

I'm guest blogging over at Broken Treasures on Elizabeth's Feature a Friend Friday posts.... please please please go check it out.


I've blogged about how I organise my photos and my scrapping plan.

In need of stash?

I never thought there was something as TOO MUCH stash... but then you run across someone who is giving away heaps of it and realise that this give-away is almost more than I own already!!!!  Hehehe... so if like me you want to get your hands on it, then head over to Tina's blog for a chance to win some lovely loot.

Here is a pic of a smidgen of it:

So head over to her blog now and enter.

Want some blog candy?

One of my fav South African scrappers who is now in Australia :( is Michelle van Wyk.  She has super ideas, loves teaching and is an awesome blogger too.  Head over to her blog and sign up as a follower... we all stand the change of winning some Kaisercraft goodies when she has 200 followers.