I photograph .. with Scrap Matrix

Morning peeps!!!

So a wee while I shared that I had joined the Scrap Matrix design team. Well I've been somewhat negligent in sharing my first project with you. Only because I've been creating other projects. But yeah. Slack huh?!

Anyways, Scrap Matrix runs a monthly challenge from the 15th of each month, to the 14th of the following month. The current challenge is to create a Monochromatic project using a line from a Tic Tac Toe board. This is what I created ..

I photograph

I chose the far right line .. Pretty Patterned Paper, Lace, Paper Flower and my colour, obviously, yellow ..

This is, I think, my favourite part of my layout (excluding of course the photo and the memory lol) ..

You can find more close up photos of my layout, and step by step instructions of how I made my background on the Scrap Matrix blog, HERE.

For more inspiration from the entire Scrap Matrix Design Team, and instructions on how to enter, see HERE.

You have until midnight on the 14th so you'd best get creating!!!

Have fun.

Alz

:)

Life is wonderful .. with A2Z Scraplets

Heh peeps!

Just me, back again to share another layout I recently created. This time I was inspired by the A2Z Scraplets' challenge to create a layout using a new technique, or a technique you haven't used in a long time, or a new product. I went with a technique I haven't used in a (very, very) long time .. using glue to cover chipboard with patterned paper and when dry, sanding off the excess for slightly distressed edges.

Life is wonderful

I used a couple of A2Z Scraplets' chipboard trees that I've had in my stash for so long I don't think they even stock them anymore! Hang on a minute, they do! I just found them .. A2Z Scraplets Tree Branches.

Anyways, they were the perfect match for my photo. Here's a couple of close ups ..

I think you could just about make it if you get moving, so here's all the details for the A2Z Scraplets August challenge.

Happy scrapping!

Little things .. with Kraft+

Heh peeps!

I am slowly getting the hang of creating with kraft cardstock. I've been trying to play along with the challenges over at Kraft+ more frequently for practice. It seems to be working. Fingers crossed I haven't just jinxed myself.

Little things

I loved this month's challenge .. "leaves & branches" ..

This challenge was a great opportunity for me to scrap one of my many nature themed pics from when I explored the, beautiful beyond words, Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. I haven't really known how to approach them before now so am glad to have this one I can scraplift in the future.

Also, I had a lot of fun playing with Tim Holtz Oxide inks to create a background. I decided I wasn't happy with the amount of coverage I had (almost the entire page, which is a lot for me these days), so I cut the background I had created into strips and used them to matt my photo. I think it worked a treat .. custom made kraft patterned cardstock you could say. lol.

Here's some close ups of my layout ..

Thanks yet again for a wonderful challenge and lots of inspiration Kraft+!

Meanwhile, if you want to give this challenge a go, I reckon you've got just about enough time. You can find all the details HERE.

Happy scrapping!

Explore .. with 123

Sandy was here last weekend, GB took the weekend off to take over Harry duties, and I got to scrap, and relax, and it was wonderful. I decided to take on a few challenges and 123 was up first.

Explore

close ups ..

The challenge is open until the end of the month so there's still plenty of time to get your entry done. You can find all the details HERE.

Incidentally, yeah I had some troubles with my 'squares'. Most of my patterned papers were cut into squares but then when I used them for layering they kinda lost their 'square' look. Oops. Its the thought that counts yeah? That's what my mum used to tell me. LOL!

Happy scrapping.

Blind scrapping .. with Scrapbooking Memories magazine

A little while ago now, when I was on the design team for D-lish Scraps, I ran a blind scrapping challenge during one of our cyber crops. It was really quite a lot of fun to do and the girls who participated really enjoyed themselves as well. The idea of a blind scrapping challenge is that someone gives you a materials list and set of instructions to create a layout, except you don't get to see what the layout looks like. I remember the first time I did a blind scrapping challenge and it seriously nearly did my head in LOL!

So anyways, moving on, I ran the concept past the editor at Scrapbooking Memories magazine (at that time, Vanessa) to see if she might like to use the idea for a feature and she loved it! So I created this layout, provided Vanessa with a materials list and step by step instructions which she then sent to the fabulously talented Belinda Spencer. Once Belinda had created her layout we got to see what each other had done. I've got to tell you, my instructions turned out to be pretty good as Belinda totally got the design of the layout but at the same time, her colour palette and mixed media really made our layouts stand out from each other. The same but different.

 Discover

published in Scrapbooking Memories Vol 18 No 3

One of the things I particularly like about this layout is that I've got four photos on it. That's important to me when scrapping travel photos. Oh and isn't that Scrap FX chipboard pelican on the pier post just sensational? I coloured it with Wink of Stella pens and have to say I was mega impressed with the coverage of the white on the pelican.

Anyways, if you are interested in recreating my 'pelicans layout' you can find the materials list and step by step instructions, together with a copy of Belinda's layout in Scrapbooking Memories Vol 18 No 3.

Cheers!

This .. playing catch up

I had been determined that my 10 day road trip to South Australia in March last year to attend the e2c retreat would be scrapped before I headed back again in March this year. Like so many plans we make with the best of intentions, that didn't happen. But I'm not going to let the photos of that trip lie by the wayside so here's one of the table 9 (2014) girls.

This

published in Scrapbooking Memories Vol 18 No 2

I can't help but smile when I look at this layout. The memories the photos invoke are priceless. It was so good to catch up with these girls again this year, although Janet, who's moved to sunny Queensland, and Lisa, who's teaching schedule conflicted with the dates, were sadly missed.

Have I scrapped any photos from e2c 2015? I don't think so. Will I? Before my 10 day road trip in SA photos are scrapped? I don't think so. Its now July and I've been working on a list of what, where, when, who and why needs to be scrapped to finish my e2c 2014 albums. Meanwhile, what did I do with that list of photos still to be scrapped ..

Blind scrapping with SBM .. Discover

Quite a while back when I was the Design Team Coordinator for D-lish Scraps I ran a blind scrapping challenge during one of our cyber crops. It was such a hit, and I had so much fun, I wondered if Scrapbooking Memories magazine might be interested in doing a blind scrapping feature. They were so I created a layout and wrote up the instructions and materials list. The instructions and materials list were forwarded to Belinda Spencer who did a brilliant job following my instructions.

This was my layout from which the original instructions were drawn.

Discover

published in Scrapbooking Memories magazine Vol 18 No 3

I love 'my pelicans'. Love, love, love them. They may even make it into a frame and onto a wall. Actually, now there's an idea ..

PS: If you're interested in seeing Belinda's fabulous layout, you'll need to get your hands on a copy of Vol 18 No 3, Scrapbooking Memories magazine.

The Shoe Tree v4.0 .. with Show Us Your Stuff

If you saw my post earlier today you'll know that I was feeling more than a tad ambivalent about my layout, The Shoe Tree. Now here's the thing. When I finish a layout I always put it in its album and clean up my table in preparation for my next project. I haven't been able to do this with the layout I shared this morning. My instincts were telling me I had to re-do it. So I did, and finally, I am happy with this layout (I think LOL!).

The Shoe Tree

If you missed this morning's post, so you know, I created this layout using the current challenge at Show Us Your Stuff.  The challenge is a countdown one (like a recipe) requiring the use of the following ..

*  5 circles (I've used a flair button, buttons, punched circles (pink), stamps and enamel dots)

*  4 patterned papers (I've covered that with the layering behind the photo of yours truly)

*  3 photos (actually I have five)

*  2 different sized alphas (see journaling and title)

*  1 handmade embellishment (both the flair button and the buttons are handmade)

I love these types of challenges. If you do too, and think you'd like to give the Show Us Your Stuff challenge a go, you can find all the details HERE. Have fun!! I'm off to link up my layout to the challenge site. This layout I'm happy to share LOL!!!!

PS: If you're wondering about the font I've used that has to just about be the best ever typewriter font, its called "1942 report".

The Shoe Tree .. with Show Us Your Stuff

I think I've lost my way, or my mojo, or my 'golden touch'. Nah just kidding. I've never had a 'golden touch' LOL! But I have lost my mojo. Now that I'm not doing any design work I feel kind of lost. Of course I'm still doing work for Scrapbooking Memories, and enjoying it, and for the most part I think (LOL), doing a good job, but the rest of it? I just feel lost.

Should I work on the 27 albums of photos I've been wanting to scrap in the pocket page style? Should I finish my mum's album and start on my dad's? Should I sort out the rest of the memories I want to scrap from my road trip in South Australia last year and then edit the photos for printing and just get on with scrapping them? Should I spend my time continuing to cull and organise my, not insubstantial, stash? Should I take the time out to continue playing with watercolours? Should I finally finish unpacking my stash from when we moved four years ago? Should? Should? Should? Sigh ..

I thought maybe doing a challenge might help. I'm not entirely sure it did.

The Shoe Tree

I used the current challenge at Show Us Your Stuff as inspiration for this layout. The challenge was fabulous and right up my alley. I love quirky challenges that both inspire me and guide me. The 'countdown' challenge at Show Us Your Stuff certainly did that. At the same time, I think this was about my third attempt at getting this layout done. Its been slowly driving me bonkers. Seriously. I started it last weekend and each day I've fiddled with it a little bit more and I've gone through at least three backgrounds. Sigh ..

The seriously fabulous 'countdown' challenge translates as follows ..

*  5 circles .. (I used buttons, a flair, enamel dots, punched out circles and a doily)

*  4 patterned papers .. (yep I've got that covered with lots of layering behind the photo of moi, oh and the background)

*  3 photos .. (again, I've go that covered .. well actually there's five .. hope that's okay)

*  2 different sized alphas (my printed journaling and title cover this bit)

*  1 handmade embellishment (my flair button is from The Greatest View and my buttons are hand painted)

Looking at my layout now I can see where I went wrong and what I could have done instead. Don't you find that frustrating? You know, when you've stuck everything down and you're looking at it later and you're like "oh I should have done this or that and it would have looked so much better"? Yeah? Could. Should. Would. Sigh ..

I am ever so tempted to pull this apart for the third (or fourth?) time but think its time to move on to another project and just breathe ..

PS: If you're looking for a fun, fun challenge and loads of Design Team inspiration, head on over to Show Us Your Stuff!

Believe

Look what I found in the vaults of 27 or so draft blog posts!

Albeit more travel photos from South Australia, this layout is really quite different for me. Not so much mixed media but lots and lots of paper layering. Can you tell I was trying to use up some off-cuts LOL? Seriously though, having had a 'solid' Christian upbringing, it was important to me that I scrap these photos with reverence. It was really quite a difficult layout to create as I second guessed almost every decision I made.

Believe

The pink background paper is from 7Dots Studio and definitely not something I'd ever normally buy (not that I don't love 7Dots Studio). But my friend Ros Madley was here scrapping and offloading papers she wouldn't use from one of the kits between myself and another friend Cindy Porter and this one jumped out at me.

Other than a little stamping, I've only used some Liquitex ceramic stucco medium with a brick template, filled in here and there with Prima mica flakes. Then almost a tonne of layers, plus journaling and embellishing. Other than the Studio Calico doily all, and I mean all the embellishments, even the title, are from D-lish Scraps.

In the end I was really very happy with the layout and I look forward to doing a double layout of the outdoor photos of this very beautiful spot in the Clare Valley soon.

Travels .. with just me

I recently shared a layout with you which I created for a challenge which means I had the time in my scrapping schedule to scrap for a challenge. Have you any idea how rare that is for me? Well guess what? There's something even rarer. Yep. Me having the time to scrap something 'just because'.

Travels

I created a layout not all that dissimilar to this one not long ago. I tried to keep this one much the same, but different, as I want them to sit in the album together and compliment each other, without them being a double. What do you think?

Now its back to the DT scrapping which, incidentally, I love!!! Lucky about that huh?!

Clare Valley .. with D-lish Scraps

I'm continuing to plough through my South Australian holiday photos ..

Before my girlfriend and I did our road trip to e2c (and back) I stayed with her family for a couple of days on their farm in the Clare Valley. The Clare Valley is a magical place, full of wonderful gems like this, so understandably my girlfriend wanted to 'show me around'.

Clare Valley

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love how the D-lish Scraps embellishments pull my layout together. I've used .. the pistachio Monochrome Journal Its pack, Washi Tape, a Pinkfresh Studio Colourblock Veneer Geotag, retro Pinkfresh Studio Enamel Brad Stickers, Flair Buttons from the apricot and kraft Monochrome Patterns packs, white Peonies, white Wildflowers, a lime Forget Me Not, Freckled Fawn Wood Chips (arrows), a white Wooden Leaf, a 4cm Metal Box Lock, and clear Motex Tape.

I love how this layout came together, especially given that it has three (and a bit!) photos, something I'd ordinarily struggle with. I shared it with my Creative Director (GB) and am thrilled to report that he really likes it too so I must be on a winner LOL! I have similar photos of, sadly, the ruins of the old post office, so think I will scraplift myself when I scrap those photos.

Stay tuned!

Eyre .. with Scrap FX

Here's my third Design Team project for Scrap FX this month ..

Eyre

This layout was shared on the Scrap FX blog as a part of a themed group post. This month the theme was "your style". So, so, so perfect when you have a bunch of newbies to 'settle in'. Me? I got to go to town with mixed media products. Yay!!!!

Because I knew I was going to use a lot of mixed media of course I had to start with a sheet of 1.8mm Chipboard sprayed with gesso. We also weren't required to only use newly released products so I chose to go with a beach theme and used the Beach Grass chipboard which I sprayed white and then painted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam. Because I chose a white Glimmer Glam its very subtle and also very hard to photograph and show you the shimmer and shine.

I also sprayed white and then painted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam the Arrows Fancy and my title using the Bag of Letters mini (another favourite font you'll be seeing lots of!!). Meanwhile the 2014 Year Pack is proving to be a very popular addition to my Scrap FX stash, having already been used on three different projects!

I love how this layout turned out and look forward to bringing you more Scrap FX inspiration in the months ahead. For loads more inspiration I suggest you have a look see at the Scrap FX blog. Perhaps make yourself a cuppa first though!

Inspired by Agnus Kasprzak

The monthly D-lish Scraps cyber crop has just been and gone and although, again, I didn't have the time to play along with all the challenges, I was definitely inspired by Agnus to create a layout with tags.

The sticky up plants

I'm really thrilled with how this layout came together. I had a lot of journaling, and as it was going into my travel album, I really wanted this particular journaling to be legible when in the album.

I've used a host of D-lish Scraps embellishments when creating this layout including .. a sage Coloured Doily, kraft mixed size Shipping Tags, a black Bitty Bag from the rainbow chevron pack, a black Mini Wooden Peg, Freckled Fawn Wood Chips from the arrows pack and a Flair Button from the 2014 Script Words pack.

By the way, does anyone know what happened to Making Memories? They used to have the most awesome products, especially their rub-ons. I was unpacking some boxes a few days ago and came across these travel rub-ons by Making Memories and I was, as you might expect, delighted as they are so timeless and, together with the D-lish Scraps products, helped to pull this layout together.

Anyways I'm off to scrap. Hope you're having a good day.

Inspired by Ros Madley

Last month D-lish Scraps hosted a cyber crop in The Scrap Suite on Facebook. Unlike the huge 5th Birthday Bonanza we had the previous month, this cyber crop was scaled down to half the size so not all the Design Team members were required to set a challenge and having less challenges helped to create a more relaxed atmosphere for our scrapbooking friends. LOL instead of trying to complete eight challenges, there were only four. A win for everyone.

I had other scrapbooking deadlines looming so was unable to participate in the cyber crop but was, nonetheless, inspired by all the challenges and set myself the challenge to do them anyway. This layout was inspired by Ros Madley's challenge to scrap a selfie photo. It didn't need to be a selfie of yourself but I had a selfie I had taken at Adelaide airport from my trip to the Eyre Peninsula earlier this year which I wanted to scrap for my holiday album. So I took advantage of the opportunity and came up with this ..

Coming home

I used the following D-lish Scraps products .. Freckled Fawn wood chips, a Flair Button from the fabulously whimsical, Little People pack, aqua blue Coloured Wire, pastel mix Sequins, blue Mini Roses, white Spiral Stamens, cream Pinwheel Blooms and blue Cherry Blossoms.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed playing with the Spiral Stamens; and the Pinwheel Blooms are the perfect size and shape. I suspect you can expect to see them on a lot of my layouts in the future!!

I love how this layout came together. I think its funny that I've done the final page of my holiday album but still need to scrap the photos from the trip itself. But when inspiration hits, and in this case it did, go for it! Thanks for the inspiration Ros!

Happy scrapping!

123 - May

The challenge this month 123 is awesome .. the colour green + the word "time" + journaling as the technique. So, so versatile! I could scrap with this challenge criteria 'til the cows came home!

Africa

I had a lot of fun creating this layout. I've been wanting to use my watercolour pencils with some templates to create a 'sketchy' effect for ages and finally did so on this layout with a TCW 12x12 Swiss Dots template and a black watercolour pencil. It worked perfectly. Well exactly how I have always envisaged it! I figured I'd take it that extra step further by colouring in the chipboard with the black pencil as well. I wasn't at all sure how it would look but figured if it was awful I could easily go over it with a paintbrush and a little water to smooth it out. As it is I loved the way it looked and I can't wait to colour in some more chipboard! But I'm going to need to expand my watercolour pencil selection. I have a decent size tin of them but think I need a lot more!!!

I used lots of D-lish Scraps products, as usual, on this layout. Its soooooo not hard to continually promote products that you love!! On this layout you'll find .. plenty of Washi Tape, a white paper Daisy (currently one of my favourite flowers), Freckled Fawn Enamel Dew Drops (just a few scattered here and there), lime Forget Me Nots (we all know how much I love these!), black Mini Roses of which I just can't get enough, and a Flair Button from the Words of Wisdom pack.

I hope you'll give the 123 challenge a go this month. You can find all the details HERE. Good luck, have fun and happy scrapping!   :)

Scrap The Girls - April

OMG can you believe it's April already?! I was talking with a friend just the other day about doing a six month course and thinking 'yeah it'll finish around June' and then another girlfriend came over last weekend and noticed I hadn't changed my calendar from February. LOL umm where have I been?!?!!

Anyways the April challenge this month at Scrap The Girls is to create a layout "using traditional boy colour schemes and some "boyish" embellishments". Considering I wanted to use my not insubstantial D-lish Scraps stash to create the layout, and that probably my favourite embellishments to play with are flowers, this was going to be a tough one!!

Ultimate

In the end I settled on these photos of my niece in Africa. I haven't included any journaling on the page itself as I have popped a tag into a vellum bag for her to write her own journaling. I used a Viva product with a TCW template to get the dark tile texture, and another TCW template as a stitching guide, and then coloured in sections of the stitched chevron pattern with gelatos. Such a lot of fun to do!

In the mix of D-lish Scraps embellishments used are Freckled Fawn wood chips, various Journal Its, Freckled Fawn paper clips, Cotton Twine, paper Doilies, Flair Buttons, a Vellum Bag, PVC Doilies and Flourish With A Bling gold pearls which were left overs from a previous Just Add Paper Kit. Not a flower in sight!!!

I loved this challenge and hope to be able to find the time in the future to participate in more of them. If you think this challenge could be for you, you can find all the details HERE. Have fun and good luck!!!!   :)