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".

Handmade swaps ..

.. Wishing Wells and CJs .. just a few of the reasons I love being a member of an online community where we not only share in each others lives but also our creativity. ScrapChat has been my 'community' for a few years now and I love the close knit circle of friends I have there.

Recently one of those friends (heh Sandy!) hosted a handmade embellishment swap. We have such a talented group of women at ScrapChat; handmade embellishments are all the rage; we love to learn new techniques from one another; it made perfect sense! Plus we hadn't had one in a while LOL!! When it came to deciding what to do for my handmade embellishments I got a little stuck. LOL there were sooooo many things I wanted to do. So in the end I decided to go with an 'embellishment pack' ..

Music Sheet embellishment pack

products used:

patterned paper - Kaisercraft Timeless Collection "Sheet Music"

dies/punches - SU Circle punches 1.0" and 0.75", Die-namics Dizzy Doily Duo die, Tim Holtz Alterations dies: Caged Bird and Mini Paper Rosettes

other - Inkssentials Glossy Accents, chipboard, gold bottle caps

I had a lot of fun putting these packs together. I can see how the girls who do this as a home based business, selling on blogs, would enjoy doing this. But en masse? I don't think its quite for me. Not unless I was working with a friend. Perhaps. LOL! In any event each embellishment pack contains a doily, bottle cap, mini rosette and a chipboard bird. I hope the girls in the swap like them.

We also have a Wishing Well at ScrapChat. The idea is that once you grant someone else's wish you then make your own. Then when someone else grants your wish, they make a wish; and so on. I love cruising the Wishing Well thread to either grant wishes or get ideas for RAKs (Random Acts of Kindness). One of my friends (heh Susan!) went on a cruise with her husband and friends recently and wished for someone to die-cut her a title (x3) for when she scraps her photos. I had a font Susan liked and was able to access the exact cardstock colour she was hoping for and so was thrilled to be able to grant Susan's wish. I had some cardstock left over so also made up a few embellishments ..

Susan's Wishing Well

products used:

cardstock - SU Pacific Point

punches/dies - SU Circle punches 1.0" and 0.75", Cuttlebug Harlequin die, Quickutz Stardust font die

other - bakers twine, white brads

I'm pretty sure Susan will be happy with what I've put together for her wish. Oh and get this, another ScrapChat friend (heh Miriam!) was able to give me the specific cardstock Susan had been wishing for!!!

Finally, the last member in my CJ group to whom I owe a CJ contribution is Susan (heh again Susan!!). The theme of Susan's CJ is What makes you laugh. This has almost been the toughest theme in this group because so many things make me laugh. LOL (pardon the pun!) where to start???? In the end this is what I decided upon ..

Every cloud has a funny bone

products used:

cardstock - black Prismatics

patterned paper - Echo Park Sweet Summertime: Cool Treats, Pinwheels, Happy Spots

embellishments - Heidi Swapp circle clips, Prima Flowers (Sprites), various ribbons and buttons

alphas - Dymo black label, American Craft Thickers (foam, black): Daiquiri, Subway, Wonder

other - pure black Zig Writer, white Uni-ball gel pen

font - Optima

The title is a play on my 'MS speak'. I'm forever mixing up my metaphors and words now! Some days it makes me very, very frustrated but like most things in life, if you just don't laugh, you'll cry. Susan, if you're reading this, thanks for a great theme. Oh and yes I'll get all this in the mail for you super soon!

Wishing everyone a fabulous start to the week, whatever it has in store for you.  :)

One sketch .. two layouts

Was Easter really only just last weekend?? Where has the time gone? I had the pleasure of the company of a very, very special, dear friend for the Easter break. Sandy (heh Sandy!!!) came to stay. We had such a great time. Chatting, eating, drinking, shopping, scrapping, laughing, crying. It was just wonderful. It also reminded me of the last time Sandy was here ..

A couple of months back when Sandy was here for another weekend break she used one of my Alz Sketchz to create a layout ..

Maaate ... by Sandy

products used:

cardstock - SU Confetti White cardstock

patterned paper - Basic Grey Marrakesh collection

other - Tim Holtz Distress embossing powder, chipboard flourish

This is the sketch Sandy used ..

Alz Sketchz

Christmas (Memories)

I love Sandy's layout. The simplicity works so well for a male based page, and the title is perfect. You can just picture (or hear) the guys saying "maaate". What a priceless photo! Thanks Sandy.

I had also wanted to give this sketch a go so figured I'd whip up something to share before I post this post. Here's what I came up with ..

Adorable

products used:

cardstock - SU Naturals Ivory

patterned paper - Pink Paislee Prairie Hill: Spool, Country Meadow, Sun Spot, Hilltop, Kite Strings, Flight Pattern (including reverses)

embellishments - Pink Paislee Prairie Hill shipping tags and chipboard pops, Prima flowers - Tattered Treasures (wheat) and Tasha (Gold), Polly! felt butterfly, Jules Gems' resin flowers, A Lil Somethin' mistable cogs and mistable banner, Charms Creations {fabulous} flowers, crochet flower, twine, sewing machine thread, bottle cap

alphas - Quickutz Mini alpha dies, American Crafts Thickers - Giggles, Foam, Cream

other - Inkssentials Glossy Accents, VersaMagic Jumbo Java chalk ink pad

font - Optima

"It's not to my liking" said GB. LOL, that's okay GB because I love it!!! I'm in such a more is more phase at the moment. LOL can you tell? GB's tastes run to the more clean and simple, perhaps a little graphic. Too bad GB .. if you want clean and graphic take up scrapping!!!!!  :p

Oh and this is the original layout from which my friend Kylie (heh K!!) of {Yillup Designs} created the digital sketch for me ..

Memories (Christmas)

products used:

patterned paper - Bo Bunny Tis the Season collection

alphas - Carolee Creations sleek red alphas

embellishments - Hambly Collections journaling spots, Zva pearl flourish, Kaiser pearls

punches/dies - Big Shot Thick Cuts Circles die

other - Sharpie journaling pen

So there you go, one sketch two ways. Thanks as always to K for being so generous with her time and making up my Alz Sketchz and for Sandy testing them out for me.   :)

Sweet and simple

Unlike the little girl in the photo LOL!!!

I honestly think I must have been the grumpiest little girl who ever lived. Photos of me smiling are as rare as hen's teeth. Seriously! In most photos of me as a little girl I'm either scowling or just kind of staring at the camera. Perhaps even at a very young age I had 'scrapper's child syndrome' ... you know when your children get tired of having their photo taken because you want yet another scrapping opportunity?? LOL neither my mother nor my father were 'scrappers' but my father it has to be said, was almost obsessive about documenting and photographing everything we did. So perhaps at about 18 months old I was simply over having my photo taken?? Who knows. All I do know is that looking at this photo I see one very grumpy girl!

Grumpy girl

products used:

cardstock - Prismatics White, Stampin' Up! Confetti White; patterned paper - My Little Shoebox Garden Party, Fields a Bloom (reverse), Three Bugs in a Rug Happy Bird-day, Bird-day Stripe (reverse), Sassafras Lass Sunshine Broadcast, Flourish (reverse) and wee bundle (6x6); Sassafras Lass cardstock stickers - Blue Graph (alphas) and Flag Banners; Making Memories velvet brads, Yillup Designs crocheted flower, Purple Pumpkin button, Washi Tape; Font - 2Peas Gimme Coffee

Grumpy girl is my entry in in this month's Scrap the Girls challenge. The challenge this month was to create a layout using the quote ...

"Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it."

~ Harold Hulbert

Although in the past, not having my own children, I haven't played along with Scrap the Girls, this month I thought "why not" and decided to give it a bash with a photo of myself as a little girl. It's not like I have a shortage of childhood photos I want to scrap!! You can find the Scrap the Girls challenge blog HERE.

Oh and I used one of Alz Sketchz to 'whip up' this layout ...

Alz Sketchz - You

I love the simplicity of this sketch and that it allows for so much white space. Following is the original layout my buddy Kylie of Yillup Designs used to create the sketch for me ...

You

products used:

background paper - Green Tara handmade mulberry paper, embossed black; patterned paper - My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary Little Boy Blue "Curious" Who Loves You, Quite Contrary Jack & Jill "Be Happy" Blissful and "Life is Good" Serene Spots; Sizzix Boss-O alphabet dies; My Little Shoebox alphabet stickers - Gumball; Basic Grey decorative paper clip - Sugar Rush; Jillibean Soup canvas flower - Red Polkas; Prima Embroidered Tab - Play; Chatterbox Ribbon & Trim - Ruban; Kitty Robot polymer clay buttons; Stampin' Up! Real Red stampin' pad; Colop date stamp fabric, felt, suede

Thanks yet again for an awesome sketch K!!! Amongst her many other talents, Kylie makes the most amazing crocheted items. You can see them in her etsy store HERE. Incidentally, the aqua/teal coloured crochet flower on my layout Grumpy girl is one of Kylie's! Awesome huh?

Til next time ... stay safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do (ha ha)!!  :)

I could be indecisive

... but then I'm really not sure.  Ha ha.  Seriously though I'm having a really hard time with this Weekly Favourites Challenge Journal over at ScrapChat.  Every week a new challenge goes up and I think to myself "oh this will be a cinch" but then when it comes to the crunch and I actually need to choose a favourite 'something' well, its not so easy.  Trust me LOL, I'm not losing sleep over this ... much.

I've had a little catching up to do with my Journal and have in the last few days covered the past few weeks' topics ... favourite TV show, favourite piece of advice, and favourite sport.  Now do you see my problem??  How do I choose my favourite TV show?  Do I go down my antiques/collectibles passion road with the various reality TV style antiques shows; or the entertaining comedy/humour based programmes which make me laugh; the dramas in which my heart and soul are invested; or the social commentary documentaries I love and adore on SBS?  Just as well we don't have Foxtel!!  Worst still, a piece of advice?  Especially when there are so many wise, insightful men and women in the world who have said, and are saying, so many wonderfully sage things.  When it came to my favourite sport I wondered if I could just leave a page in my journal blank LOL!  Not that I don't love sport.  I did, once.  In fact I used to play and watch an awful lot of it, but times have changed.  After 15 years or so of playing netball and various other sports such as hockey, and 20 or so years of going to what was the VFL (now the AFL) week in, week out to see my beloved Magpies 'fight' it out on the field, my life now is fairly devoid of sport.  I no longer play it, I'm no longer a spectator and, I can scarce believe, I no longer pour over every weekend paper to read all the stats and news of all the games.  What to do, what to do?  LOL!!

In the end it came down to this ...

• If I could watch only one TV show a week what would it be?
• Re the favourite piece of advice, keep it simple, easy to remember, and essential!
• Sport?  Use the quintessential coin toss.  Heads netball, tails Aussie Rules.

Pretty easy in the end (LOL she says) ...

family is everything

(Week 15 - Favourite TV show)

products used include black cardstock, Tattered Angels Gold Glimmer Mist, Stampin' Up! Barely Banana cardstock, Cuttlebug Red Tag Sale alpha dies, and Stampin' Up! round tab punch

note: this page opens out to show photos of the family members and a lot of journaling in the form of a written synopsis of the 'story so far'

Smart Dude

(Week 16 - Favourite piece of advice)

products used include Stampin' Up! Whisper White and Riding Hood Red cardstock, Cuttlebug Harlequin die, Carolees Creations Adornit tiny alphas, recycled cotton thread, red dot Washi tape, black marker, and font - 2Peas Barefoot Professor

note: I know they're hopelessly (?) outdated but I'm loving making my own banners plus how cool is the tatty old recycled cotton thread I 'upcycled'?!

roolz

(Week 17 - Favourite sport)

products used include Bazzill cardstock, Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock, American Craft Thickers Daiquiri black foam, Stampin' Up! large oval punch, Cuttlebug dies - arrows and Concentric Stars

note: again, lots of journaling because I figure someone one day might be interested in knowing why I chose this as my favourite sport

So that's that.  Stay tuned for more weekly favourites ... one day ... maybe ... perhaps.

2011 Weekly Favourites Journal

I have finally covered the journal I am using for my weekly favourites challenge at ScrapChat.  I'm both relieved and thrilled.  Relieved because I'm not a huge fan of unfinished projects lying around, and this was one.  (Okay I confess, one of about 73!!!)  At the same time I'm not the type of scrapper who can just 'rush' something.  I wanted the cover of my journal to have a certain 'look'.  I wanted it to represent everything about what it was and then some.  Plus I'd never, ever covered a journal before.  Well not of this variety anyways.

For this year long challenge I've used a Winsor & Newton Visual Arts Diary ... you know the ones with a kind of shiny, but not smooth, textured surface.  I knew I didn't want to take the binding apart because personally that just doesn't work for me.  I knew what I wanted to cover the journal with, but had no idea what types of adhesives would work best.  I knew I wanted to add texture.  I had a vague idea of a 'title', but when I say vague I really do mean vague.  So, frustratingly (because I have just wanted to get it done and move on LOL) my thoughts for the cover of my journal have been simmering on the back burner in my mind.  And then inspiration struck in the form of a journal GB received from Carers Victoria ...

Isn't this just about the coolest journal ever?  I mean seriously?  Teal is my favourite colour at the moment so it instantly grabbed my attention.  Then the series of words down the left margin jumped out at me.  It was brilliant.  I loved it!  Suddenly I knew exactly how I wanted my journal cover to look ...

Because I love texture and textiles (I'm a real 'touchy feely' kinda gal LOL) my journal had to be covered with lots of texture.  So I chose a stunning SEI flocked paper, and added some truly sublime Chatterbox velvet ribbon from their artsylicious range, and Maya Road pom pom trim (possibly my favourite trim of all time).  I continued the texture with foam.  American Craft Thickers in foam.  Did I mention foam?  Oh how I love foam.  I've no idea what it is about the texture of foam; maybe its soft, squishiness (?); but I love it.  Using the Carers Victoria journal for inspiration I added some words on the left margin and then the year in the bottom right hand corner.  A very simple, graphic-like design, but one which speaks volumes and I love it!!  Thanks Carers Victoria for the inspiration ...

American Craft Thickers used include: daiquiri, giggles, latte and rockabye

Favourite ... place I've lived

Well I'm only a week behind in my 2011 Favourites Journal so I'm pretty happy with myself right about now.  Week #8's topic is your favourite room.  I know exactly what I'm going to do for that one, with a little bit of a 'spin' on it.  So to speak LOL (don't worry all will be revealed!).  I just need to have a few photos printed which GB is hoping to do after work for me today.  (Thanks GB.)

Meanwhile hmmm ... the favourite place I've lived (week 7)?  So many places, although not as many as most; so many memories; how do you choose?  It was a tough decision.  In the end it was a sad decision because we ended up selling my 'favourite'.  No doubt in the future our new home will become an equal if not more of a favourite.  For the time being though I think my favourite place to live will be wherever GB and Magoo are because home is where your heart is and my heart belongs to them.

Anyways here is my journal entry titled SOLD ...

When creating this journal entry, I printed a pdf copy of the realtor's flyer from when we sold the house.  On top I layered some old photos from GB's childhood which I printed on transparencies.  I also included a photo (again printed on a transparency) of GB and Magoo sitting on the front step the very last time we locked the door and walked away.  A poignant moment.  I made my own "SOLD" sign with Sizzix Serif Essentials alpha dies and then printed lots of words in varying fonts about what the house meant to me (us).  At the top is a pull out sheet of A4 paper on which is printed the list of reasons we loved the location of our home ... a document which was used when marketing our home.  So lots of ephemera at play here.

The various fonts used include: Charlemagne std, Academy Engraved LET, Harrington, Wide Latin, 2Peas Ocean Crossing, Didot, Perpetua Titling MT, Bernard MT Condensed, KinkajuuStewNF, Century Gothic, Desdemona, Jazz LET and Stencil.

These little piggies went to market

Well, actually they went to Universal Magazines not to market, and some of them stayed home.  :)

Around the middle of last year (2010) when our new home was nearing completion and life was crazy busy with all the things you need to do that no-one ever tells you about when you first mention you're going to build (most people just look at you with shock horror and others just start hysterically laughing with no explanation!!), I needed something creative to do, but it had to be small.  My scrapping stash, which had never been fully unpacked (or even half unpacked for that matter) after we moved from our old home to a rental whilst we waited for our new home to be built, was back in the process of being slowly packed again.  We were out at the new house site nearly every other day.  We were busy getting quotes for post hand over work.  I was meant to be packing.  Scrapping really had to take a back seat.  But if I didn't do something creative I think would I have gone completely mad!  So I set about making a series of cards featuring Pink Pigs I made with the Sizzix Pig #2 die.  The pigs themselves were easy to make ... I'd die-cut them during the day and then sit down of an evening and bring them to life with a little shading here and there whilst watching TV.


For a little while there I seemed to eat, sleep and dream about Pink Pigs.  This wasn't my usual kind of thing but I was having sooooooooo much fun and they were just soooooooooooo irresistible!!  Eventually I ended up with a collection of eight cards before I made myself stop!!  I had covered card occasions from love and bon voyage to Christmas and get well.  What was I supposed to do with them all??  I loved my Pink Pigs.  How could I possibly bear to give them away??  But what was I supposed to do with a set of eight Pink Pigs cards?  Just store them for all of eternity LOL?  I had some pretty positive feedback from some friends who had seen the cards and so I decided, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I submitted them to some scrapbooking magazines.  Scrapbook Creations picked them up in a heartbeat.  Well sadly not all of them ... five of them for a feature article which appeared in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85 ... and one of them for the Christmas Gallery in Scrapbook Creations Issue 84.  The two cards but actually four pigs who "stayed home" survived the rejection well LOL.  In fact I'm not even sure if they realised exactly what was going on.  In any event, without further ado, please give my 'herd' of Pink Pigs a warm hello ...

Love

featuring Tim Holtz and Sizzix dies, Maya Road trim and various cardstock

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85

Bon Voyage

featuring Sizzix die, My Little Shoebox patterned papers, and Cavallini & Co Paris gift tags

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85

Happy birthday (for the hippy in your life)

featuring Sizzix die, and Basic Grey and My Little Shoebox patterned papers

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85

Happy birthday (message from a little birdie)

featuring Sizzix die, Collage Press patterned papers and Maya Road trim

[this little piggy stayed home]

Get Well Soon

featuring Stampin' Up! and Sizzix dies, K&Co patterned papers, muslin and haberdashery items

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85

Friendship

featuring Tim Holtz and Sizzix dies, Fancy Pants patterned papers and a Charlotte's Web quote

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 85

Randolph the red nosed piggy

featuring Sizzix dies, Doodlebug Design Inc patterned papers, and haberdashery

published in Scrapbook Creations Issue 84

Merry Christmas (We Three Kings)

featuring Sizzix die, My Little Shoebox patterned papers, and Tim Holtz grunge shapes as templates

[these little piggies stayed home]

*** please note***

the font used on all these cards is 2Peas Magic Forest

also, no Pink Pigs were harmed in the making of these cards

Clearly I love die-cutting and making my own handmade embellishments.  Yes I love a good laugh and like to make things a little (or a lot!!!) tongue in cheek at times.  And I do love to work with fun and funky, bold and bright colours and products.  At the moment though I'm fighting what I feel is going to be a losing battle ... I have giraffes on my mind ...