Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 491 + Pattern Challenge

Look at that... it's the last Monday of July already... wow.... and just when we thought witer was nearly over it arrived with another fierce cold front... brrrrr and wet. We can't actually complain about the winter this year as it's only been two days of really cold weather each month. So this is July's batch. We've really had some awesome sunny days so it's nice to have the soft rain again.... I just don't like cold AND wet weather. At least it does make nice scrapping weather...hehe. I was productive this afternoon and managed to get 5 pages virtually finished...just a title or two and some stitching to be done.

So,on to this week's fun combined challenge...

For my layout I turned to a stash of Cards that I had and cut them up for the little bits on my page... just an arbitrary layout recording a "new" look for me (ok it's old as this was back in 2013!)... and I got to add in some tiny polka dots too for the pattern challenge.

Remember to create a page and link it up on the blog.... check out the inspiration there too.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 490 + Journalling Challenge

This week's layout and challenge are up....

My layout is using photos from a trip Keith, my hubby, took to Canada last year to visit his family. They had a morning out in the lovely town of Paris. As neither of us are likely to get  to the actual city of Paris in France, I thought I'd may as well use the Eiffel Tower sticker from a travel collection on the page... sort of tongue-in-cheek!

This week there is a journalling challenge as well.

Remember you can create one or two layouts and stand a chance of being the lucky draw winner for this month. Check out more inspiration on the blog.

A fun page

Here is a technique page that I did a few month's back but haven't yet posted... oops..

For this one I did a whole host of embossing resist on the small cards using various embossing folders as my stamps. Here's how:

1. First up I stamped the pattern with watermark ink, then applied clear embossing powder and heated them.
2. Next I applied various distress inks to my craft sheet, misted them with water and then dipped each piece into various colours and left them to dry. Each piece turned out differently.... like the cracked eggs I was hoping to mimic.
3. Cut each piece to size and finished off my layout.

This is a very effective technique that can be done with any stamps (or embossing folders as in my case!). Why not give it a try.

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch 489 + Title Challenge

My layout for this week's sketch is all about a trip my Mom and I took last year... a week away from family and work... literally and escape. 

I used a sheet of the new Sea Breeze collection from Couture Creations for my background... added a stamped compass in the top right corner (more on how I created my stamp coming up in August!) I also cut afew tags to tuck under my photo. Here is a closer peak at the stamping on my layout

This is the fabulous sketch we worked with this week...

As well as an added bonus of a Title Challenge... using a #hashtag which is all the rage at the moment.

So you can do one or two layouts or even combine them,like I've done... but take up the challenge and have fun. More inspiration can be found on the blog.

A whole host of June creations

During last month I did manage to scrap quite a bit... my motivation arrived and I got down and busy. Here is what I produced:

All these pages are designs by Jowilna with a few adaptations by myself as I don't always have the exact stuff to make the techniques or layouts.... but that's the great thing about Jow's classes... they work with whatever photos and stash you have on hand.

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.