Secret Scrapbook Event - in photos

We weren't allowed to share anything about the event as it was all a BIG SECRET until Sunday the 19th of June... and then I just got a little busy... anyways, here are just a few photos of my weekend away last month... lovely scrapping with some fun friends:

Getting my hands on my own Go Cut & Emboss machine from Couture Creations... thanks so much for my new toy.

The crazy girls at Table 5.... without you I wouldn't have lasted the full two days. 

From top left.... Vanessa, Lindsey (aka Gillian), Kim, Shirley, Tanja and me.

Us crazy girls with Jow and Nabila

and last but definitely not least.... the Couture Creation Girls... Kerrie Gurney who is the Design Team Coordinator and Jowilna and myself who will be guest designers over the next few months.

A big thank you to Cariena Basson and her whole team from Scrapbook Studio in Jeffery's Bay, as well as to TheWholesaler. An even bigger thank you to Couture Creations and Ultimate Crafts in Australia for their sponsorship of this event and all our lovely spoils.

Scrapbook Challenges -Sketch 488

Another month is coming to the end already.... wow our year is halfway done. It's been an up and down one all round this year, but we have made it thus far with the Grace of God. I am truly grateful for all I have, including the ability to create memories and layouts week after week.

This page took a little bit of work this week compared to my last few....hehehe I sprayed some Heidi Swapp ColourMist on the background before adding my strips and photo. The top strip was a leftover from another day when I was trying a whole bunch of techniques with stencils and ink.... leftovers definitely come in handy. Even the sun and the flower were leftovers from previous pages. I did lots of stitching on this page too for some added detail as well as the buttons and scattered bling.

Be sure to take a look at the blog for a few more ideas.

Scrapbook Studio Secret Scrapbook Event - layouts

The last few weeks has been all about the Secret Scrapbook Event hosted by Scrapbook Studio in Jeffery's Bay... it was a 5 venue around the country event with LOADS of secrets beforehand as well as LOADS revealed on the day. It's amazing that 300+ ladies can actually keep secrets for more than a month.... well worth the suspense I guess.

We all got the new "Go Cut and Emboss" machine from Couture Creations (the main sponsor).... this is really a fun machine to play with.... cuts like a dream! We received some dies and embossing folders to keep as well.... so nice to get new tool stash as well as the awesome product.

Over the weekend I barely managed to finish anything, but during last week I finished 5 of the 6 layouts... still need to decide if I will do the last one.

These first two were designed by Kerrie Gurney who represented Couture Creations, all the way from Australia... I of course put my own little spin on both layouts.

Next up are the two pages by Jowilna:

I simply love these two pages... didn't change up too much... just titles and added a few photos to the first one.

Lastly was the kits by Cariena...now I have only done one, and totally changed the layout to suit my style and the photos... but I did use some of the design elements from Cariena's original page.

It was an enjoyable (but exhausting) weekend.... thanks go to Couture Creations, The Wholesaler and Scrapbook Studio for a wonderful experience and all the lovely secret spoils.

Art Elements Scrap Day

Back in May Jowilna ran her own scrap day called Art Elements... it was such a huge success that she hopes to have another soon.... well I know that I will book for it as soon as it's announced.

I helped Jow set up a few bits and pieces before hand early on Saturday morning and then sat back and scrapped the rest of the day. The day was also sponsored by Lady Pattern Paper so all our pages used that wonderfully versatile paper.... here are the layouts we made:

First up was Bernadette van Veenhuysen (otherwise known as "Sam's Mom", in cyberspace). It was interesting to do her page... having scraplifted one a few years back. I changed a few photo sizes to suit my pics, but basically kept to the design.

Next up we did Jow's page.... wow! In true Jow style we learnt fun new techniques and created a simple yet masterful page.

We had a take home kit which I promptly did the next day:

and..... yes there is more! Bernadette gave away a few lucky draws in her class... yip you guessed it, I won. The kit I won was to make a mini album. BUT as I am so over doing those, I decided to use the bits and pieces and create a double page...here's my finished page:

All the little cards and bits were from the kit. I then added some brown Pop paint to the left side with a gladwrap technique. I painted my chipboard letters for the title in two different Pop paint colours too. Once it was all dry I added some dimensional glaze and then sprinkled some beach sand over it...yes there was even real beach sand in the mini album kit!

The heart on the right hand page was also in the kit. This I backed with a piece of paper from the kit, then filled the inside with dimensional glaze and sprinkled the beads from the kit inside.

So there you have it.... four pages done from a one day event.... ever so worth it.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 487

Two posts in one day... yip that's a bonus and all.

This is my layout for today's sketch reveal...

Following on my previous quick page, here was another one... I also used Simple Stories paper and then added my photo with a transparency over it and then tons of arrow stickers.... quick, easy and effective.

Super quick and easy scrapping is the way to go when you have deadlines to meet. Check out some more inspiration on the blog.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 486

Last week we had a public holiday on Thursday, and I turned it into a long weekend by taking Friday off too... it was really good to have a weekend of nothing planned. I caught up on some washing and also managed to finish some layouts and make some new ones. All in all it was a good creative weekend. More on those projects in posts to come, for now it's all about sketches and layout reveals. This one was actually for last week, but there was a glitch in posting, so here it is now:

I almost feel like I cheated on this page... hehehe but really it's just shortcut scrapping. The background paper is pre-printed with all those gorgeous stars on it.... it's by Simple Stories. So I just cut a slit at the top and tucked my photo under it. I added a few buttons, some strips and then two embossed stars with a few extra star stickers. A nice and quick page.

Check out this blog post for some more inspiration.

Remembrance Day

Okay so I know it's not November or anything, but I have been seeing a lot on Instagram from the Royal Family all about different World War I and II remembrance functions.... and last week I actually created a layout about one of the first event's that Aaron took part in as an invested scout... a Remembrance Day parade at the local Moth Hall.

This day brought back lots of childhood memories for me of doing something similar when I was a Girl Guide. Also reminds me of both my Grandpa's who each served in one of the wars.

This page is another Jowilna inspired one but with quite a few twists and variations of my own.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 485

It's been an interesting Monday... good news (see previous post) plus finishing off of four pages that I scrapped over the weekend, and grocery shopping. Oh and not to forget work of course....I do utility billing and this week is my busy week... chaotic! and I did a visit to our work storeroom today just as an added extra....talk about a full day.

At least for my sanity I do get to scrap... even if sometimes it's only blogging about it.

Here is my layout for today's reveal:

This is such a cute and versatile sketch.... I sort of did my own thing with the arrangement, but also stuck with the plan. Nice to do something simple every now and then.

Check out the blog for some more amazing takes on the sketch plus some news on June's scrapping schedule.

Scrapbook Generation feedback

Remember a few posts back I showed my layouts for the Island Crop at Scrapbook Generations?...

well I had one layout picked in the lucky draw and I won some shopping dollars.

Then today I see that one of my other layouts is up on the blog as a spotlight pick.... so honoured to be included in the list of 60+ ladies picked ... this is out of out of the over 1400 projects posted during the crop!

May was indeed a jolly good scrapping month for me!

It's official - Couture Creations

I am soooooooooo excited to tell my loyal blog followers and friends that the Design Team for Couture Creations has been announced.... you can read all about it on their blog.

As much as that is exciting... nope I didn't make the team (sad face!) ..... BUT.... I have been chosen to be a guest designer and for me that is just as exciting.

I will get to meet Kerrie Gurney next week at the Secret Scrapbook Studio Event.

Well done to all the ladies who were selected.Look I also get to serve with my best buddy Jowilna

There are definitely squeals and giggles of delight are happening here.