Buttons and Bows and More

Our Summertime Story ...

2012-02-01T21:05:00.000+10:00

This is a very bright page, inspired by the challenge at Hooked on Craft Challenges at the moment - the criteria was simply SOMETHING BRIGHT. This is what I came up with ...

I've used some of my favourite goodies - A2Z Scraplets (just love those thongs, and a tree), Purple Pumpkin (spotty button and felt star), Craft Queen (white ribbon), My 2 Angels (charms), Bo Bunny papers, and a technique that I love though don't use often enough - hand stitching (Anne P does it so well!). There's even a hidden journalling tab at the top of the photos. After I took the photo I even added a lovely Turquoise flourish from FWAB above the thongs and up the right hand side! I will need to retake the pic and upload.

I love using Thickers, but I really hate it when I have heaps of letters left, but just not the ones I want!! I think everyone runs out of the E's too early, so I've use the number 3's upside down. I didn't have an S either, so that's made up of the reverse of 2 questions marks, and the T was a cut down number 4. I have a huge box of Thickers that I just haven't managed to throw out, and if I keep this up I might just be able to use them up ... might take a while, but maybe .... I just hate to throw things out.

Hooked on Craft is also having a DT call so if you are interested, pop on over and enter the challenge or send in your details :)

Thanks for looking.
Sandra

Dream Big ...

2012-01-30T22:07:00.002+10:00

It was back to school for the kids last week and I wanted to make something for my son to encourage him to keep on using his imagination, never give up, believe in his dreams etc. He loves my cogs and so I thought I'd make something that he can pop up in his room, something just for him.

This is what I came up with ... it's a 'wreath' made out of my Tim Holtz cogs dies, all heat embossed with varying types of embossing powders and rubbed with metallic rubons to create a bit more of a rusty look. I also used some walnut ink for the dark brown colour.

These little pins are from Tim Holtz and the ticket is from My 2 Angels and some Scrapmatts cogs.

I used some Glimmermist to create a sprayed background on some cardstock, as well as embossing with bubble wrap stamped ink ... does that make sense! I used the bubble wrap to stamp the Embossing medium on the paper, sprinked on the embossing powder, and then heated. I re-coloured these dusty blue Thickers with some of the metallic rubons as well to make them blend in a little more.

And here's a little arrow I added in from My 2 Angels as well.

While I was part way through this project, my favourite Pritt ran out :( I had a few tubes in my stash for a while, but they were never going to last forever. I found a couple of references to x-press it's clear glue, and thought I'd give it a try ... and am happy to say that it matches up to Pritt really well :) Good timing for this challenge on x-press it's blog.

Kids Christmas Wish

2012-01-27T09:21:00.001+10:00

These photos are a few years old, and I love the kids' expressions and I loved the North Pole sign, but they just didn't work as 6x4 photos. So, with some inspiration from a wonderfully talented scrapper and lovely lady, Mandy, I started cutting out the pics!! It's not something I do a lot of but it's what was needed for these photos and this layout. I totally LOVE this reindeer from A 2 Z - how fabulous are those antlers!! I popped on a little red rhinestone for his nose :) All of the snow flakes are the Martha Stewart border punch that cut up. The little chip signpost, also by A 2 Z, was just perfect for my sign, and I added a little Diamond Dust to create a bit of snow. If you take a look at Scraptherapy this month, they have a K challenge using scallops - more inspiration for my layout.

So, are you a photo cutter, or do you like to use square/rectangle pics. I think I might have to try more photo cutting ... I like it whenever I cut one out, but I don't do it much at all.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sandra :)

Family ...

2012-01-24T14:11:00.000+10:00

I loved the Mad About Scrappin' challenge this month - use over 3 photos. This little 6-opening frame (Picture Frame 14) by A 2 Z Scraplets was perfect for my little Fuji Instax Mini photos. The kids love taking photos on this and it's great for the instant result. I've inked the frame and the 'Family' work with Versa Pinecone.

Thanks for dropping by :)

Sandra

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas ...

2012-01-18T10:00:00.001+10:00

I've had these two photos for over 15 years!! I took them on my first trip to Europe when I was studying at Uni. I went to stay with a family in Munich to 'immerse' myself in the language and culture for 6 weeks before my third and final year of my degree. Well, it worked, and I topped the uni and German and got a 7 for the subject!! My husband gave me one of his 'good' cameras to take with me, and I was really happy with these pics I snapped whilst taking a walk in the new snowfall the day before I left - my first snow!!!

These fabulous snowflakes are from A 2 Z Scraplets. I've embossed them with silver and have added other embellishments. The silver squares are also A 2 Z goodies - the 'offcuts' from the picture frame 4.

I've used some of my fave Purple Pumpkin goodies too - spotty buttons, vinyl heart, ticket and doily.

Thanks for looking :)

Sandra

A 2 Z Scraplets January Sketch

2012-01-16T10:00:00.027+10:00

It's sketch time at A 2 Z Scraplets.

Here's the sketch ...

And here's my layout ... Mothers Day

I've used the Li'l Range Birds and Trees chipboard from A 2 Z Scraplets (just inked up in Versa Pinecone ink), Prima flowers, FWAB pearls, and a doily from Marg. There's a few Die namics die cuts from The Stamp Spot in there too. The paper and alphas are from Kaisercraft.

There are some great packs of chipboard up for grabs if you play along with the sketch this month at A 2 Z Scraplets!

Thanks for dropping by,
Sandra

Boy Birthday Cards with Robots

2012-01-14T16:32:00.001+10:00

Here's my first project to share using A 2 Z Scraplets. I loved these little Robots the first time I saw them - I'm always on the lookout for ideas for boy birthday cards, and these were perfect!

These little stars are great too.

I embossed them all with different colours of embossing powder to suit my papers. I used the Kaisercraft 6x6 book of Shaken not Stirred papers. I love the red, white and black colour combo!

So, for quick and easy cards, a paper pad, chippie and a bit of bling, and you are well on your way.

Thanks for looking!

Sandra

A note hanger ...

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000+10:00

This is a hanging note book for my son. It was pretty simple to make, and a quick little gift idea. I covered a piece of thick cardboard with some Bella paper, and then punched holes to hang it with some Bakers Twine. I glued on a note book and tied on a pencil covered in paper. The alphas are Die namics By the Letters.

It's now hanging on my son's bedroom door :)

Cheers,
Sandra

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-10T16:04:00.003+10:00

I guess it's a little late for that really, but this is my first post for the year. I've had a few days of spare time during the school holidays (and away from the dodgy house that we are renovating) and I was able to squeeze in a few wonderful scrappy days.

Here's an altered notebook - perfect for my daughter starting Grade One and wanting to write all her friends names - over and over again :)

I have another one for my son that I'll pop up in a few days time.

Hope the year ahead is a great one for you all :)

Sandra

Happy Christmas!!

2011-12-15T21:21:00.002+10:00

I've been playing with some Christmas cards this last week ... better late than never!! I love the colour combo of black, red and white, and saw no reason why I couldn't use it on a Christmas card.

I've use some of the gorgeous Flourish with a Bling products, SU stamps,Spellbinders, Martha Stewart punches, some ribbons, embossing and some Sizzix tags.

With school holidays upon us, I'm not sure how many more posts I'll get done before Christmas, so best wishes to all my blog readers for a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!! Stay safe and take care.

Cheers,
Sandra

Some happy scrappy news!!

2011-12-04T07:16:00.000+10:00

It's finally time to announce it .... I am now part of the A2Z Scraplets Design Team!!

Have a look here to meet the new design team members. I can't wait to get started on my projects, and thought I'd show you some of my favourite Christmas scraplets ....

I can't believe it's December already. One more crazy week of school, then some time (I HOPE!!) for some Christmas craft with the kids where I can also get some of my things made as well.

Hope the week is good to you all :)

Cheers,
Sandra

Some November Challenges

2011-11-30T19:15:00.000+10:00

It seems I did more work this month than craft ... much to the pleasure of my husband but not so much to me!!

I managed to finish the Craft Queen challenge - use pink ribbon and a stamp. This is what I came up with using my wonderful prize pack from last month ....

I can't take credit for the butterfly idea - see the tutorial here ... http://forscrappingoutloud.blogspot.com/p/videos.html - I love the idea!

I also did the Flourish With A Bling challenge and chose to use red, green and silver as the three colours for my card.

I just managed to scrap them in before the entries closed and before the sun went down so I could photograph them. The only downside is that I had to use my iPhone and the quality isn't that great ...

I can't wait until the Christmas craft next month ... well, starting tomorrow really!!

Oh, and stay tuned for some Happy Scrappy news - YAY!!!

Cheers,

Sandra

The November Challenge at the Stamp Spot

2011-11-27T19:17:00.021+10:00

There was a wonderful colour challenge at The Stamp Spot this month - using teal, yellow, white and brown. I hope you had a chance to play along ... here's my entry (please tilt your head 90degrees to the right ... silly iPhone camera!)

I have used some fabulous My Favourite Things Die Cuts - the Ticket Tab, Bracket Tab, as well as some flowers, twine, a charm and some beads.

Before I got involved in paper crafting, I used to dabble in beading. This month, Michelle sent me a great little collection of beads. I picked out some aqua ones to match the water in the photo, and pencilled out a flourish pattern. At various intervals I punched a hole, threaded some cotton up through the hole, popped the bead onto the needle, then threaded the needle back through the same hole. Repeat for the whole flourish and you have your own unique embellishment.

Thanks for dropping by again,

Cheers,
Sandra :)

Crazy faced girl ...

2011-11-17T10:22:00.002+10:00

Yep, that's my daughter. She's a bit of an actress at times, and I snapped these less-than-perfect pics of her a few years ago.

Using multiple photos on a page is something I don't shy away from, but it takes time to work out what to do!! Michelle at the Stamp Spot sent me these numbers in my kit last month, and I've put them all (well most of them) to good use here.

This is my 'crazy faced girl'!! I have also used some great dienamics flowers and a charm from My 2 Angels, but there's lots here that you can use too. The tag under the word GIRL is labels 14 from Spellbinders. The papers are MME Penny Lane ... love shopping my stash!!

http://thegreetingfarm.com/rubber-stamps/anya-ian/birthday-anya-ii.html
Cheers,

Sandra :)

I do like Birthday Anya ...

2011-11-10T09:41:00.001+10:00

I made a very simple card with some stamps from The Greeting Farm last week. Here's another that has a lot more detail, but still used a coloured stamp. This time I've used Birthday Anya II, some ribbon and lace, spellbinders scalloped circle, a tag similar to these and renaissance hearts pendant.

This is one of my recent favourite cards - hope you like it too!

Thanks for looking :)

Last minute birthday present and card

2011-11-03T09:43:00.013+10:00

Why is it that I always seem to run out of little boy and girl cards, just when it's time to go to a party. I have heaps of 'thanks' and 'thinking of you' cards ... time to stock up I think - so many kids birthday party invites.

Well, we were off to a little 6 year old boy's birthday and left the shopping too late. We had a kite in the birthday box, but not quite enough, so I had to make something. This is what I came up with ...

I covered some matboard with paper on one side and bazzill on the other side. (originally I was going to use Bazill for the covers, but it just wasn't strong enough to be a book cover. I used my cuttlebug 'clockwork' embossing folder, and inked all the edges with distress ink. I love the Tim Holtz cogs die too :) I finished it off with Bo Bunny paper scraps, ribbons and rings, as well as mini alphas and BG chip letters. Hope he liked it!

And here's a dinosaur card too. These chip dinosaurs were out of my kids sticker stash!! A little bit of twine, ribbon and a charm later, it's a quick and easy card.

Thanks for popping in. Hope you have a great rest of the week!

Sandra

Who loves Purple Pumpkin??? Who loves a giveaway???

2011-11-03T06:54:00.000+10:00

Take a look here for a great giveaway ... http://purplepumpkincrafts.blogspot.com/2011/11/huge-purple-pumpkin-giveaway.html ... and you could win this ....

YUM YUM YUM YUM

:-)

2011-10-31T09:29:00.002+10:00

Why is it that I always seem to be tidying my desk? We'll, I uncovered a coloured stamp hiding at the bottom of some papers last week ... and my daughter is off to a birthday party next weekend, so I whipped up this quick little card for her little 6 year old friend.

I've used some scraps of papers (I am constantly amazed at how far scraps can go with making cards!!). A little bit of ribbon and a stamp all adds to the finished product. And of course the little Anya! Of course you can make a much more extravagant card than this one, and I have one to share with you next week :)

Until then,

Sandra :)

Volcano Man!!

2011-10-28T06:00:00.004+10:00

I've had these photos for a year now and thought they'd fit the A2Z Scraplets sketch well, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I had fun with this one!! I sprayed the background corner card with 2 colours of mist to get the colour I wanted - a mix between black and brown. I made a volcano (or something that resembles it!!), and kept to earthy colours to give it the volcano feel. I love the outcome, and so does my son :)

... just realised now that the only bit of paper I used was the green strip at the bottom! Oh well, don't think it matters, though that is not helping me get through my massive paper stash!!!

Thanks for the challenge :)

Sandra

A MAD Challenge

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000+10:00

I loved the sound of the Mad About Scrappin' challenge on Facebook this month. It was to use 4 patterned papers, 3 photos, 2 ribbons and a 1 word title. This is what I came up with ...

I've used Bo Bunny papers (my 4th piece of paper is the tag - just in case you were counting!), a Prima swirl - all cut up :), AC thickers, some of my favourite felt rolled roses made with MFT dies, ribbons and a charm.

Thanks for looking,
Sandra

I have discovered Purple Pumpkin!!

2011-10-23T12:11:00.001+10:00

It was only recently I discovered Purple Pumpkin although my friend Anne had been on their DT! I was on holidays and busy with work for most of the last 6 months so didn't really pay much attention . But - OMG - I put in my first order for their goodies at the last sale and I was so happy to receive my envelope in the mail. The packs are fabulous!! I love each and every one of what I ordered. I've used a few pieces already, and know they'll be a favourite. So how could I not give their monthly sketch a go?? This is my entry, turning the sketch on it's side ... (I've had to blur out one of the kid's faces in the pic ...)

I'm an instant fan of the spotty buttons and the strips of tags!

Thanks for looking,
Sandra :)

For a Top Bloke

2011-10-19T21:26:00.000+10:00

I've made this card to play along with the challenge blog Card and a Half. It only dawned on me a couple of days ago that Helen who runs the site loves chocolate ... just a Glass and a Half in every block of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate ... I'm guessing that's where the name comes from. Anyway, this is the first time I've played along and I've gone for a card that would suit any Top Bloke ...

As I'm running it tight to the deadline, I've had to try and manage a photo at night without the flash blowing everything out, and I think it's turned out passable! I've used some Tim Holtz cogs, distress ink, distress stain, random hammer, SU punch, Cuttlebug script embossing and some Craft Queen twine.

I'm pretty happy with the result - love it when I get a nice male card! Thanks for looking :)

Sandra

A Shabby Diary

2011-10-16T07:12:00.000+10:00

I've always admired Mandy's shabby scrapbook style and love looking at the Shabby blog but I've always thought it wasn't really my style so haven't played along with the challenges. This month though was a different story - I loved the inspiration for the challenge, so thought I should give it a try ... be inspired by this picture and use paint and flowers ...

Here's what I came up with - an altered diary. I've used pieces of lace, book paper, white and pink paint, Prima flowers and bling, D-lish flowers, butterflies from my stash and a little friend tag.

I am so happy with the result and am so glad I gave it a go this month!!

Thanks for looking :)
Sandra

Best Wishes Bunny

2011-10-14T12:15:00.001+10:00

Funny things happen when cleaning up one's scrap desk ... long forgotten things come to life again!! I found this little quilled bunny and flowers that I made at least a year ago, and I thought I'd use them on a quick and simple card.

I've used the MFT dies from The Stamp Spot, along with some embossed cardstock. A little bit of ink, a ribbon and a stamp, and then you have a card! I love that these dies add that little something special without a lot of effort.

Thanks for stopping in :)

Sandra

A is for Apple ...

2011-10-12T06:54:00.001+10:00

... a match the letters and pictures book. This is what I've made from the WOW apple album. I was originally thinking of using if for an Apple Recipe book, but changed my mind to make a little book for kids.

It wasn't too hard finding something from my scrap stash for every letter of the alphabet. The biggest challenge was X ... xylophone or x-ray. I didn't have either, but I did find a little skeleton charm from My 2 Angels. I popped it behind some tracing paper and mounted it in a little frame so it looked a bit like an x-ray. I hope a two-year-old thinks the same thing! For most of the pictures I used charms, stamps, chipboard or embellishments, but I did have to make a nappy, oblong, zig-zag and 'yellow'.

It's a pretty quick and easy gift idea. I didn't put a lot of details on the background - simply covered each MDF page with paper, inked the edges, and painted the leaf and stalk of the apple. I think any more background details would take away from the letters and pictures and make them too difficult to see. I finished it off with lots of ribbons on the rings.

I've added a hand-cut acetate front and back cover to protect the pages a little. I also love using acetate pages to add extra pages to an MDF album - here's one I did a while back ... Little Tommy Turtle Book

Thanks for dropping in.

Sandra :)

Bulky cards

2011-10-03T21:07:00.000+10:00

I love adding a bit of dimension to my cards - not so great if you want to post them in an envelope, but fabulous for delivering by hand. These are some I created for the Purple Pumpkin DT call - I didn't make the cut, and only recently even found Purple Pumpkin, but I love these cards, and thought I'd share them here. Gosh, I didn't even have any Purple Pumpkin products, but thought I'd try to find things that were a bit similar!

I love that little pirate button - thanks Ronnie! I've also used Basic Grey Marakech paper, My 2 Angels charm, and D'lish pearl string.

This little girl is a cutie! There's a Kaisercraft stamp, Basic Grey Urban Prairie paper, My 2 Angels twine and Prima bling.

I love to use Coredinations for some extra background detail. This one is Black Magic which has a colour core and a black coating. There's also some Prima bling, KC button, Doodlebug brads and Paper Inklings rub-ons.

Thanks for looking,
Sandra :)

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

2011-10-01T18:50:00.005+10:00

I made a few cards for World Cardmaking Day today :) They were pretty quick and easy, and I just LOVED that I was using my scraps up!! It's days like these that I'm glad I'm a hoarder :)

'for you' : KC paper, WOW tulips (which I've coloured with felt pens and added Diamond Dust), Spellbinders Labels 14, Primal bling, and other bits from my stash.

'love u' : KC paper, WOW chipboard buttons, and other pieces from stash.

'mothers hold their children's hands for a while and their hearts forever' : WOW chipboard butterfly, KC rhinestones, My 2 Angels charm, Spellbinders Blossom Two flower, Cuttlebug embossing folder.

'with sympathy' : WOW chipboard tree (I love to use raw chipboard at times - no need to add to it all the time!), Stampin Up papers, My 2 Angels charm, and other bits from stash.

And this was my favourite for the day ... 'welcome little man' : KC paper, WOW chipboard giraffe, Spellbinders labels, My 2 Angels charm, mini alphas.

And a layout - 'beach budz' : (yes, I'm running out of letters in the thickers packet!), KC papers and embellishments, WOW chipboard crab (sprayed with Tim Holtz mist). This is for the Scrap Of Difference October Cyber Crop and is a Sketch from www.stickersnfun.com

I love that crab too!! He's so CUTE!!

Thanks for looking,
Sandra :)

More stamp colouring ...

2011-09-30T20:00:00.001+10:00

Here's a few more stamps to share, following on from my earlier post, from The Stamp Spot.

This is the gorgeous Birthday Anya II from The Greeting Farm. She's so cute - perfect for birthday cards - but I decided to pop her on a birthday layout. This is me on my birthday this year, with my son taking the pic - he's not bad at getting us in the frame! Little Anya as been coloured with Twinklink H2Os. I've made a flower and used some chipboard and buttons, as well as KI Memories Frosty Lace for the red background. I also used some paper rolling (Bo Bunny Sophie Stripe) which I haven't tried in ages!

And here's a card with Lula - I thought she had a good amount of attitude!! I've used the KC Shaken not Stirred paper pack and a Tim Holtz embossing folder (brick pattern).

Thanks for looking.

Sandra :)

Some stamp colouring

2011-09-30T13:50:00.000+10:00

I received some lovely new stamps from The Stamp Spot this week and have had a load of fun colouring them in. It's been ages since I've sat and coloured, and it was great. The kids even joined in!! I've used Twinkling H2Os and normal colour pencils blended with Gamsol.

The first ones I'd like to share are the Fairy Princess set from The Greeting Farm. They are so cute and I think they perfectly suit little girl's cards or layouts. Here's what I came up with.

All of these papers are MME Pretty Please, with Love Elsie pink cardstock. I've also used Thickers, mini alphas, glitter, Martha Stewart doily lace punch, buttons, charms and KC rhinestones.

And here are some male ones. How cute is this little Edward and Ian from The Greeting Farm.

I've used a page from the Kaisercraft 6x6 paper pad _____, Spellbinders tag, min alphas, and Tim Holtz alcohol inks to create the background. I've coloured in Edward with Twinkling H2Os.

This layout has used K&Co papers and foam sticker, random buttons. Little Ian has been coloured with H2Os. I had to giggle when I was putting this layout together ... my husband's name is Ian too! The kids thought that was pretty funny - a stamp named after Dad!! LOL.

I'll have some more in a few days. Thanks for looking.

Sandra :)

WOW - a male card

2011-09-29T01:30:00.001+10:00

I needed a quick and easy male card so I whipped one up with some WOW chipboard cogs and a few left over strips of embossed card (thanks to the leftovers I've had from the last few cards and layouts, and the card idea from Julie), as well as the packaging from some ribbons.

The embossing folder is the Cuttlebug Clockwork, and the Spellbinders Labels 14 is the sentiment background.

Thanks for looking :)
S

more cards ....

2011-09-28T01:45:00.001+10:00

Another card from the Scraptherapy challenges this month. I've used more Tim distress inks and the Gadget Gears die, the Impressabilities Floral and Stone, Spellbinders Labels 14, Adorn It mini alphas and MME ribbon packaging.

I also loved the look of the card challenge at the Scrap of Difference cybercrop this month. This was a criteria challenge - 3 colours, 1 chipboard, 1 flourish, 1 stamp, 2 flowers, 1 button. I find it just as quick to make a few cards as it does to make one (once I work out what I want to do), so here are two similar ones I made.

I've used Coredinations black magic cardstock, some Papermania paper packs, Prima flourish, and other bits and pieces from my stash, with some stamped sentiments from a friend.

Thanks for dropping in.

Sandra :)

Some cards using Tim ...

2011-09-27T13:37:00.002+10:00

I played along with the sketch challenge at Scrap Therapy this month and decided to make the cards option. The criteria was to use string and flowers - some bought and handmade. Tim Holtz is the Man(ufacturer) of the Month for September, so I used as much of his products as I could too.

Both of these cards use distress ink and perfect pearls spray. I've also used the Tim Holtz die called Tattered Florals to make my flowers. I've used Kaisercraft timber pieces as stamps and masks for the bird and birdcage, as well as another stamp. There's lots of little buttons, ribbons, string and flowers from my stash.

Thanks for looking :)

The last few September projects for The Stamp Spot

2011-09-27T09:43:00.005+10:00

Just a few final projects from me for The Stamp Spot's September Challenge. Just a couple more days to get your entries in and be in the running for a $20 store voucher, and don't forget about my giveaway if you want as well.

Music Card

On this card, the buttons have been cut out of paper. I used 4 pieces of paper for each button - so don't worry if you don't have cardstock - just cut a few pieces of paper and glue them together. It's a great way of adding extra dimension! I stitched them as I would a real button and I think they look great. You could even add some dimensional magic for a glossy coat if you wanted.

I used Dark Room Door Music Stamps, Spellbinders Lacey Squares, Distress Ink, My Favourite Things Buttons Quarted and Music Notes Dies, and some cotton and ribbon.

Bookmark

I made a little bookmark with the leftovers - so simple! You could add extra bling or ribbons and tassles if you wanted, but I like the simplicity of this one.

I've loved playing with the products from The Stamp Spot this month. Thanks Michelle for asking me to join in :)

Sandra :)

Very Cool Buttons!

2011-09-26T08:01:00.000+10:00

Thanks Ronnie for my excellent buttons which arrived today. They are so cute!! Will have to use them soon.

Ronnie is selling off some of her excess buttons so be sure to pop in to her blog if you are interested.

S :)

Creating two cards with a similar base

2011-09-25T09:41:00.002+10:00

I find it easy to create different cards from the same bases, so thought I'd show them here. I started out with a white card, then a dark blue rectangle, then a white embossed card slightly smaller again. On one card I used the My Favourite Things diecut flowers from The Stamp Spot to create a 3D effect (rather than rolling them up into flowers), and the other one was a bit abstract with ribbons, findings and diecuts.

There's still time to get your entries in if you want to play along for the chance to win a $20 voucher!

Sandra

A little Gift Box

2011-09-23T09:32:00.003+10:00

I love this little gift box. It's 2"x2"x2" and is made from Coredinations Cardstock and is another project for The Stamp Spot. I used some of the pink diecuts to decorate it from My Favourite Things - the Large Rolled Rose and Oval Chain Border. The tag is a Spellbinders one which I cut in half and then tied with some ribbon. The lid was made with the Flourish Impressabilities.

(I didn't use Photoshop for these images and I think the reason the rotations haven't held is to do with that! So, sorry ... time to turn your head to the side ...)

There's still time for you to enter the September Challenge ... why not give it a go?

TFL,

Sandra :)

September Giveaway

2011-09-22T22:16:00.000+10:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I have a little goodie bag up for grabs for anyone who enters the September Colour Challenge at The Stamp Spot. It's filled with some leftovers that Michelle sent me for the challenges, as well as some pieces from my stash. There are lots of My Favourite Things diecuts, other chipboard pieces (doves, stars, frame, trees, brackets, butterflies and more), ribbons, buttons, Prima notelets, ink, charms, 7Gypsies stickers, felt butterflies. I've also popped in some pink, white and blue lengths of lace after taking the photo.

So, pop on over to The Stamp Spot and enter the challenge, and let me know here when you have uploaded your entry. At the end of the month, a winner will be drawn and I'll post the pack to you (I'll pay the postage in Australia only sorry). 8 days to go!

Thanks for popping in,
Sandra :)

Thanks card

2011-09-21T09:26:00.004+10:00

I'm back again, this time with a card. I thought this Thanks card fitted in well to The Stamp Spot's criteria this month, using blue, pink and white - not a combo that I would have chosen myself but I love the result.

I love getting out those Spellbinders again - that's the butterfly. The other diecut is My Favourite Things - and there's a whole range of these over at the Stamp Spot too :)

I have lots of little goodies left over from my pack from Michelle this month, and I'm going to add a few more things to it and give it away to one of my blog readers who also enters the Colour Challenge this month. Simply enter the challenge over at The Stamp Spot and leave me a comment on any of my TSS posts this month, and my DD will pick a name out of the hat ... simple?? I will take a pic of the little stash and upload in the next couple of days.

Thanks for dropping in.

Sandra:)

Some little sewing projects finally finished ... 3 years on ....

2011-09-20T17:08:00.001+10:00

Three years ago I made my daughter 3 lovely little dresses out of this fabric. At about the same time, I also made most of these little bags ... they just needed the clasps sewn on. Well, they went into a box as I didn't have time to finish them, and I found them last week. So, I decided to finish them! Now I wish I did it 3 years ago ... and so does my daughter - she now wants on of each. Shame the dresses are long gone!

I love the little felties I made to cover up my stitching of the clasps. I think the butterfly is my favourite.

(Sorry - you will need to turn your head again ... does anyone know how to rotate in blogger???)

Thanks for stopping by.

S :)

HELLO AGAIN BLOGGERS!!!

2011-09-19T17:08:00.000+10:00

Well, after a well-needed break from scrapping, work and life in general, I'm back! We had a great holiday, but it was sure great to come home too. I am so looking forward to getting back into my stash :) :) I had a lovely little surprise last week when Michelle from The Stamp Spot asked me to join her Design Team ...wow! Of course I said YES and I'll be sharing some of my first projects for her over the next few days.

I am also sending a big Thank You to WOW and Paper Inklings for their understanding for me not being able to finish off all my DT projects before going away. I'll be working on these over the coming weeks as well, so there should be lots of new stuff popping up here.

I look forward to blogging, surfing around and catching up with you all again. I can't wait to get back into creating, and have been finishing off some other things I've had sitting around for ages - non-scrappy things - so I'll pop them up here for a bit of variety too :)

Thanks for popping in!
Sandra :)

Boys just seem to love dogs!

2011-06-30T02:49:00.002+10:00

Another WOW post and this time it features my son. He's always wanted a dog and had so much fun when Treacle came to visit us for a while.

I've used Basic Grey papers, glitter thickers, and a cute WOW puppy.

To create the puppy, I wanted a mottled look. I simply coloured the chipboard with felt pens, but not too heavy - just a quick brush over the surface with the light brown. I went over the markings with a black pen, coloured the nose and toes, and finished off with his little red tongue.

He's a cute little puppy, don't you think??

:)

Not a scrapping post ...

2011-06-09T19:48:00.000+10:00

It seems so long since I have scrapped, or done anything crafty at all!!! With work, kids, getting ready for our trip, school, life in general, there's not a lot of time left for much else.

But, I'm not complaining, as here we are on the trip that we've been saving and waiting for over the past 3 years (it will probably be 10 years before we have another one!!). We'll be keeping a blog as often as we can or as often as our internet connection allows us to - www.ianwilkinson.com.au/blog

Hopefully I'll be back into scrapping and crafty goodness when we get home!!

A sad and sorry sight ...

2011-05-20T14:46:00.000+10:00

... in my poor scrap room of late ... because I'm not there!!! It's been a while since I've had the joy of sitting at my desk and creating. It's been a busy busy household here, getting ready to go on holidays and trying to get all the work out the door to clients, get ourselves and the kids packed, get the house clean and tidy for our friends who will be house-sitting ... we will definitely deserve that holiday by the time we get there. It's been a long time coming - 3 years waiting - one week to go :)

Today is my day for another WOW post.

I like this cute layout of my DD enjoying herself at pre-school. I've used Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers, thickers, Prima flowers, Kaiser bling and a Fiskars border punch.

The gorgeous chippy is of course WOW and it is one of my favourite butterflies. I've painted it with pink paint, added a few rhinestones for the body, and to add some dimension and make the wings a bit opaque, I backed the wings with some tracing paper. I like how it now makes a contrast to the background paper rather than being able to see the background through it.

Thanks for dropping by!

Cheers,

Sandra :)

Half a lifetime ago ...

2011-04-28T08:08:00.006+10:00

My turn for another WOW post today ... be sure to hop over to the WOW blog for other great uses for chipboard by the Design Team.

I'm not going to show you the other side of this tree ... but it wasn't really right for my layout. I sprayed it with some Slate Glimmermist, but it wasn't black enough for what I wanted. The great thing about chippie is that if you stuff up one side, you can flip it over and try again on the other side ... well for a tree at least :)

So, I pulled out my trusty distress ink and started inking. I was going to just make it totally black, but I like the effect of the mottled patchy look - my simple tree.

I've used Stampin Up papers, Spellbinders flowers, old book pages/quotes, thickers, mini alphas, and of course the WOW tree :)

Thanks for looking.

Sandra

Long time, no post ...

2011-04-23T20:08:00.000+10:00

... it's been a hectic few days in the lead-up to Easter in our house. A bit of a crazy last few weeks of the LONG term, getting ready for family visiting for Easter, and getting ready for Easter itself.

Here's an album I've been waiting to complete for a little while now. It's the WOW timber 'splash' album.

I loved the DM and diamond dust to accent the letter outlines, and I also used a WOW chipboard swirl border as my 'stamp' for the white paint swirls at the bottom.

This is a story called "Theodore makes a splash" and is about the Prep Class 'pet' (stuffed turtle) that goes home with a new child each week. When we had Theodore, he went to swimming club, joined in with a race, and had an all-round splashing good time ;-)

TFL,
Sandra

School Days Album

2011-03-31T09:49:00.000+10:00

We were given lots of photos taken during the school year from various excursions, sports days and general classroom activities. I thought I'd pop a few in an album so they are out on display rather than hidden away.

I've used Stampin Up Celebrations papers on this WOW MDF album. The photos of the photos haven't worked out very well as they were laminated and I got lots of reflections, but I think you'll get the idea. I've used lots of charms, thickers, ribbons, cardstock, journal blocks, mini alphas, spellbinders die cuts and inking throughout the pages.

Thanks for looking!
Sandra x

2011-03-26T01:40:00.013+10:00

It always makes me laugh when I see this photo and remember the times (quite a few of them) when my husband decided to to a bit of gardening with the 4WD. It's very efficient - he would say ... why dig out a tree when you can pull it out! I guess he's right ...

I've used Paper Inklings "City Limits" papers and some hazardous chipboard pieces. Inked the chippy, purposely leaving it a little mottled for effect, then stuck in down to some yellow cardstock. I loved how this really lifted the chipboard off the page. I finished it off with some puffy yellow thickers.

Beware the Man at Work!

S :)

Hugs and Kisses

2011-03-21T09:42:00.000+10:00

I much prefer Hugs and Kisses to Noughts and Crosses, and I think my kids do too :) They had a blast playing with this game as soon as I had finished it. A great and quick project from WOW which I decided to keep in simple so it was more usable, and I'm glad I did, as the kids loved it.

I covered the back plate with Basic Grey's Basic range to provide a subtle background. I spritzed the front plate with Tim Holtz distress ink - Fired Brick mixed with Black Soot. Then I inked the Hugs with Black versa ink cubes, and the Kisses with Vanilla versa ink cubes. I love the result - a practical gift, quick and easy to make, with hours of fun ahead.

Time with Dad is special

2011-03-16T13:33:00.002+10:00

Another project using Paper Inklings. This is the Freestyle Motorcross paper - you don't need to do boy layouts with them!!

I loved the blue/grey paper - it went really well with the water in the photos. I mad some flowers with the paper too, and added a bit of lace around the edges, and finished it off with a Prima flower centre. The heart chipboard was gorgeous too. I inked these up with 'Broken China' distress ink and then used some dimensional magic to highlight some of the heart segments. I used some sentiment rubons (so easy to apply!) - my favourite sentiment on the sheet ... "If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart".

Thanks for looking,
Sandra :)

Two happy kids

2011-03-12T08:32:00.000+10:00

My husband and I often find ourselves amazed at how well the kids play together. Of course we have the best kids in the world!! And this was one of those days ... just so happy to be together - and this day they were in the bath with their toys and floaties :) I love the expression on their faces and remember their giggles.

Here I've used KC Pina Colada papers, Bella Journal tag, Bingo page, charms and WOW chippy (available from Mad About Scrappin').

I covered the wave piece with blue paper and then added Diamond Dust to create the look of foam on top of the waves. For the Siblings word, I inked it orange, then used clear embossing powder to keep that wet look.

I also attempted to make a life saving ring - just coloured in a little foam circle and wrapped some string around it.

Till next time,
S x

Mummy's Little Girl

2011-03-08T07:44:00.000+10:00

From time to time the girliness in my little girl shines through! There is some hidden journalling on the pink tab under the photo which talks about our birthday tradition. On each person's birthday, they choose what restaurant they want to go to and - for the kids - what they want to wear. This photo is not about the shorts, but about the shoes!! Little Miss decided she was going to wear her high-heel dress-up shoes with the fluffy pink feathers on the front ... and no amount of talking was every going to change her mind!

I've used some gorgeous Prima stitched mulberry papers, some Prima Flirty Little Secret pink paper, along with some felt, charms and other bits and pieces.

I loved this title piece of chippy from WOW. I firstly inked it pink and white, then used a thin layer of Pritt Glue to adhere pink and white micro-glitter. I chose two colours so the words would stand out a little better.

Some more silvery WOW chippy, a doily and buttons from my stash, and another of my little handmade angels.

Thanks for dropping in.

S x

I love Australia!!

2011-03-03T21:35:00.001+10:00

I love the feeling you get when you are travelling and you know you are close to home.

I love the feeling you get when it's Australia Day and you see all the kids (and the big kids) wearing the red, white and blue, or green and gold, and proudly showing the tattoos of the Aussie Flag on their cheeks and arms.

I love the feeling you get when you read all the stories of Aussies doing it tough, other Aussies helping them out, and the feeling that they will never give up.

I love the feeling you get when you hear the song ... I still call Australia Home

And I love this paper range by Paper Inklings ... it's called 'Australia' :)

I've used a large Australia Die Cut map, some background paper which I've spritzed a bluey colour to match my flags, and a flag banner cut from paper. I love the co-ordinating animal chippy too.

Great to see papers specifically designed for us and our customs :)

The first day of school

2011-02-26T08:18:00.000+10:00

It took me a year, but I finally scrapped my son's first day at school. I've used the Out of the Hat criteria this month ... masking, clouds and a tree. I've used Bo Bunny and Basic Grey papers, WOW chippy (available from Mad About Scrappin'), and some other bits and pieces from my stash.

I've masked and spritzed the clouds using Tim Holtz distress ink - a few drops of Broken China mixed with one drop of Black Soot.

I've used the Tim Holtz distress embossing powder to create a rough aged look to this chippy.

Thanks for looking :)

Scooter Boy

2011-02-21T21:25:00.013+10:00

After we moved into a new street, we noticed all the kids had scooters ... so we had to get one too! But they were so happy and proud to have a new vehicle to master - and he did such a great job too (don't you just love the Thomas shirt - he he he)

This was my first project for Paper Inklings, and I loved how the chipboard, rubons and papers worked so well together. These papers are from the Concrete Jungle range - and they are just perfect for layouts of those males in your lives.

Thanks for looking :)

S x

Photos of You - All dressed up and nowhere to go

2011-02-16T19:32:00.000+10:00

I had this funny series of photos that I've been waiting to scrap, and I think I've just found the perfect title and caption for them ... Photos of You - all dressed up and nowhere to go.

It was a funny day when I took these ... Missy wanted to go scooter riding, wanted to dress up, and wanted to do them both at the same time. I put my foot down at here wearing the high-heeled dress-up shoes on the scooter though, so she made do with the sandshoes! And she had to have the helmet on too - Mummy's orders!! I love those expressions on her face :)

I've used WOW chipboard painted with silver metallic paint, and have hung some charms from it using some beaded lengths. The papers are a mix of Basic Grey ranges, border punches and some KC bling.

Natural Instinct

2011-02-11T19:47:00.000+10:00

After years of being frightened of animals, our little one is turning the corner, and is now quite an animal lover. Here she is with a Blue Tongue Lizard at one of those kiddy animal birthday parties. I love how she looks so comfortable with it ... not sure I'd look as calm!!!

I loved Mel's layout at ASJ this month, and though this layout looks nothing like her beautiful one, it was the starting point!! The photo was given to me and it have a big ugly pram in the background ... easy to fix with a big chippy tree from WOW. I've inked the tree itself with Distress Ink, and have chalked the flowers, then popped some Dimensional Magic over the top of them.

Thanks for dropping in.

S x

School Memory Box

2011-02-08T19:32:00.000+10:00

My son loves to keep every little thing that he draws, makes, gets from friends and finds at school. I'm fast running out of places to put them, and encourage mostly that they are not kept at all!! I have a little solution for some little treasures. I've suggested that this is used for cards, invitations or drawings that just can't be binned.

It's just a shoebox with a hinged lid which I painted and coved in all those left over foam thickers I had. I used the WOW chipboard 'abc123' which really suited my "School Memory Box" theme. I've heat embossed the chippy with white embossing powder (a couple of coats) and then used Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks to colour the letter. I've used my Spellbinders Labels #7 to create the little book and have found some other schoolish embellishments - cap, bike and abc charms, staples, peg and measuring tape.

Love Letters

2011-02-07T18:51:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Anne for a wonderful card project on the weekend at our craft group. It was a great design, and I loved the SU Love Letters papers I used for it. Anne does amazing work with hand stitching and charms, so of course they were a wonderful feature of the card, along with a lovely handmade flower. Here's my take on the project ...

And this one uses one of my little angel charms. Hey, guess what Anne?? I succeeded in handstitching on a layout last night!! And I love it too :)

Maya Road Dress Form

2011-02-06T12:30:00.000+10:00

I loved the last OTP kit that Leanne from Mad About Scrappin' sent to me. It came with a gorgeous range of Fancy Pants Vintage Valentine papers, and lot's of little extras - lace, pearls, calendar and flowers. This is what I created ...

I'll be using it as a 2011 diary to record the 'things I love in 2011'. So far for January I have

* seeing my kids go off to school on their first day

* the spirit of Aussies helping each other out after the disasters

* a new year and a new start - I love the symbolism of a new start that the new year brings

And of course I had to create some cards with the leftovers ...

Remember to check out Aussie Cards for Sale if you are looking for a quality hand made card.

Thanks for looking
Sandra :)

YIPPEE!!

2011-02-04T20:26:00.002+10:00

I was one of the lucky winners at Aussie Scrap Jacked last month. I had a ball playing along with the new DT's challenges - thanks for the inspiration for this one Sarah. Here's my mirror frame, and I'm stoked that my daughter loves it too :)

OK - I can tell ...

2011-02-04T11:05:00.001+10:00

I am joining these lovely ladies ....

Danielle Sheehan

Leah Cameron

Kim Kendell

Sharryn Thomson

Monique Fox

Belinda Achatz

... on the design team for Paper Inklings!!!

Blogs for everyone will follow soon, and I hear my first kit is on the way!! Should be lots of fun :)

Some good news for the new month ....

2011-02-01T12:46:00.001+10:00

... but guess what??? I can't share it just yet!!!! But I guess you guessed that already ;-)

Stay tuned - should be able to say in a few more days ....

{{ happy dancing }}

And I'm thinking of all my friends in North Queensland who are preparing for a massive cyclone heading their way - stay safe!! Let's hope it's not as bad as they are saying ....

Just a couple more from ASJ

2011-01-31T09:40:00.001+10:00

I've loved the inspiration this month at Aussie Scrapjacked.

Here's another layout I've done based on Julie's, and I've used the KC Christmas Carnival range for my daughter's first day at school. I've had some little doilies sitting in my cupboard for ages, and I think this is the first layout I've used them on!!

... last one ...

2011-01-31T09:30:00.002+10:00

and my last one from ASJ this month is from Bec's layout. The papers are KC Pina Colada and Utopia, but I've had to blur out the gorgeous little faces to pop it up here :( You can't see the detail very well but there is some rolled papers in there, as well as a bit of 3D-ing.

Thank you to all the ASJ girls for great inspiration this month :)

TFL,
Sandra

Aussie Scrap Jacked

2011-01-24T19:20:00.001+10:00

I had a great time on the weekend playing along with Aussie Scrap Jacked. It was just what I needed to kick-start my scrapping for the new year. There are heaps of challenges to choose from. I did four of them so far, and here they are ....

My first one was Sarah's challenge. I loved her frame and I dug out a MDF mirror I'd had for a long while. I decorated it for my daughter using Prima papers and flowers with some KC quotes. I'm so happy with the result, and so is little miss :) I only realised after I'd finished that I used the same Prima flower vine as Sarah too!! It was too difficult to photograph the mirror piece without getting me or the camera in it, so I took it out :)

KC MDF mirror and KC quote stamps

Close up of Prima Hydrangea flowers with Diamond Dust

One of my favourite quotes for life ... remember that something incredibly wonderful is always possible.

TFL,

S x

More ASJ

2011-01-24T19:19:00.003+10:00

Here's my 2nd project from ASJ. I chose Vicki's card this time and came up with this ...

I've used KC Gypsy Girl papers, KC sentiment stamp, Fancy Pants chip butterflies, a Sugar Nellie stamp (Rose Swing), and Nestabilities circles. It was my first attempt at using ink with a water pen, but I think I'll keep practicing. I like the look of it, but it need some perfecting!

Still more ASJ ...

2011-01-24T19:18:00.002+10:00

Another ASJ and this one I used Lisa's layout. I love the effect of the circles and dug out some old Technique Tuesday circles from my stash. I inked them up with some distress inks, sprayed a bit of Potion #9 on it, and added a bit more chipboard here and there ....

(I had to take the finer details out of the journal spot - looks a bit dodgy!!)

Some scrapware chippie for the fence, along with an accucut tree, all coloured with distress inks.

I finally used my little felt boy from My 2 Angels that I've had since September, along with some charms and a Diamond Dust covered chip cloud.

Thanks for looking,

S x

Last ASJ post for now ....

2011-01-24T19:15:00.001+10:00

And this one is inspired by Mandy's layout at Aussie Scrap Jacked. When I think of Mandy, I always distress my edges :) so I doubled up on my papers (can't really see the border one!) and distressed away. I've used a Tim Holtz cog as a mask and sprayed away with some glimmer mist. I've popped some Scrapmatts cogs over the top, and added in a cute little tractor button ... if only I had a big chippie tractor for this one - it would have been great!

That's my last one to share for now. I hope to get some more time on the weekend to do a few more perhaps.

Thanks for dropping in.

Sandra x

Some news to share

2011-01-19T18:51:00.001+10:00

I received some great news!! I have been asked to join the Design Team of an Australian chipboard and MDF manufacturer - Words or Whatever (WOW)!! They have a great range of products and I'm so happy to be chosen on their team. Keep an eye out for my projects over the coming months - I can't wait to get started.

My latest project for Mad About Scrappin' used a WOW Shadow Box. I loved the result, and by using some of the fabulous flowers, pearls and papers that Leanne sent me, I made a little treasure for my wall.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sandra x

Gorgeous Girls

2011-01-09T11:38:00.000+10:00

I love these little creations!! I can't wait to get them on my cards and layouts. The kids and I had heaps of fun making these yesterday ... what do you think of my hand-made angel charms??

Some fabulous blog candy up for grabs!

2011-01-06T17:32:00.000+10:00

My fellow designer Laura, at Aussie Cards for Sale, has some great blog candy up for grabs this month. Just click on the link on her name and follow the directions, and check out her gorgeous cards while you are there ....

I've been spending all my spare time renovating lately, so no new projects to show just yet.

Thanks for stopping by.
Sandra x

My cards have been accepted at Aussie Cards For Sale!!!

2010-12-28T21:40:00.001+10:00

YAY - my cards are for sale on-line, so if you are looking for quality hand-made greeting cards, pop into Aussie Cards for Sale and there's sure to be something you will love.

If you are into Facebook (which I am trying hard to be - LOL!!!!), you can follow here.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2011.

Thanks for stopping by :-)

S x

I couldn't wait to share ....

2010-12-20T19:05:00.000+10:00

I have just finished some great OTPs for Mad About Scrappin. They'll be revealed in January, but I couldn't help but pop up a couple of sneak peaks. I really enjoyed working on these projects :) Lots of lace, beads, flowers, and stunning papers!!

Keep your eyes peeled in January for the full reveal, along with a HEAP of cards too :)

S x

Little Robots

2010-12-20T18:58:00.001+10:00

I LOVE THIS RANGE BY MME!! I've had this in my stash for months and months, buying it from ScrapTherapy. I did a layout a few months ago with it, and then my life took over my time and I've not created as much as I would have liked recently. Well, I fixed that this weekend ... I got out the kit and made some cards, then a few more, and still more. I love them all - now, what to do with them??? My son has already picked about half of them that he wants to keep for his friends birthdays! There's also a bookmark there for good measure :)

TFL,

S x

Aussie Cards for Sale

2010-12-20T18:46:00.001+10:00

I came across this site as another way of selling cards. Alicia has set up an on-line store called Aussie Cards for Sale. They are looking for card designers to be part of the site. Here are the cards I would like to submit for consideration.

If you are interested, just clink on the links above and you'll find all the necessary information. What a great idea!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sandra x

I've had a facelift ....

2010-12-19T10:49:00.000+10:00

... I thought it was time for a new look, so here we are - pink instead of black. Much better, I think :)

And I have been creating!!! YAY - didn't realise how much I missed it. I will pop up some photos later, as soon as I can find some light ... rain, rain, go away, come again another day ...

DT CALL

2010-12-04T07:20:00.002+10:00

Sassy Little Sketches is looking for a new DT ... check out the details here. Great sketches and great inspiration!!

Happy Happy Happy

2010-11-20T14:23:00.003+10:00

My sister had her first baby this morning!! A little girl - Tandia Lee. 3.8kgs, 48cm long, born at 4.17am, 20 Nov 2010 - 1 day early. No pics yet - can't wait to see her ... shame she's on the other side of the country ...

Sad Sad Sad

2010-11-20T08:33:00.000+10:00

Well, the news is out ... Scrapbook City is closing it's doors. Leisa and Kerri have done a wonderful job with the business, but it's time to move on to bigger and better things. I wish them all the very best in their new adventures and it will be a shame to see the end of such a wonderful store. But the good news is that everything is on sale, so the local Brissy girls can pop over to Indooroopilly to find some bargains.

Good luck Leisa and Kerri - all the best for the future!!

November's Sassy sketch

2010-11-14T07:14:00.003+10:00

Another sketch for the month, and sadly the last one for this term of DT. I've loved the sketches while I've been on the DT here and hope you've loved them too. Here's what I came up with for this one. I've used Kaisercraft Lush paper, a Sugar Nellie stamp (Rose Swing), Nestabilities Ovals, a KC stamp, and some my2angels charms. The flower is Green Tara.

And here's the sketch if you want to have a go. I hope you do - looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sandra
x

MAD challenges for November

2010-11-12T16:39:00.000+10:00

There are two new challenges over at MAD this month. One is to use no paper - just cardstock, as well as a zipper. I had a go at making a zipper flower (saw one on a shoe a few weeks ago!). Well, it was harder than I thought, but I do like the result. Cardstock was easy in the end - just add punches :)

Don't forget to drop in this weekend for the MAD Cyber Crop - lots of good challenges on the go! Just click the link to the right to get to the site.

Thanks for stopping by :)

OOTH for Nov

2010-11-06T16:37:00.000+10:00

Here's my layout which I finally uploaded for the November challenge at Out of the Hat. The challenge was to use string, paint and corrugated cardboard. This is what I came up with ...

I've used some trusty chip thickers for my title. I didn't want to add anything else to it - just loved the simplicity of this one.

Better late than never ....

2010-10-23T09:34:00.000+10:00

This seems to be a familiar story, but once again 'life' has taken over my life!! Anyway, here's the current challenge at Scrapbook City and have a couple more days to enter. It's a pretty simple one - handmade flowers! Here's my card.

... and here's the link to the blog to enter your creation - Scrapbook City Card Blog.

My Sassy Card Sketch for October

2010-10-14T07:08:00.001+10:00

It's the 14th again, so time for my SLS card share. I've used Kaisercraft Rough and Tough papers and brads, and some buttons from my stash. The stamp is a KC one too - Life Sentiments.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step ...

... and here's the sketch ...

Let me know if you play along with the sketch this month!

S x

Some new posts finally (have been fighting with my PC lately!!!)

2010-10-10T09:10:00.001+10:00

I have been having a whale of a time with my PC of late!! I had to change my hard drive over, then upgraded to Windows 7, trying to use Lightroom instead of Photoshop, Internet Explorer keeps crashing on me, and then Blogger wouldn't let me upload any photos ... till now. Well after fiddling around with a few settings, it seem to be working now. So here goes - a few updates.

Christmas is Coming - A bit early for most of us I think, but one of my DT jobs at Scrapbook City was to create a range of cards from the Imaginisce Cottage Christmas Range using my Spellbinders. Here's the 5 in my kit. I love the colours in this range - I think they all work so beautifully together.

For anyone who wants the full set of instructions on how to construct these cards, pop into Scrapbook City for their Christmas Card Extravaganza sessions, and you can see what all the DT have been up to for their Christmas Creations.

***************************

Some more Christmas Cards with Heartfelt Creations. They make some great rubber stamps and have gotten together with Spellbinders to provide a complete stamping and die cutting package ... stamp the image and cut it out perfectly with the matching die. I've created a snowflake here with stamping white Stazon onto acetate. Cut out the die and then layer them up. Pop something in the middle to cover up the messy joins and you have yourself a snowflake. I've also used the Lotus Pendant die from Spellbinders, and have embossed it with silver. These are also available from Scrapbook City.

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And if you are in the mood for some challenges, why not drop by the Scrapbook City Card and Layout blogs to see if you can win yourself some fabulous prizes. All challenges are fortnightly and the winner is chosen by random.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Sandra

MAD October Kits

2010-10-06T09:19:00.000+10:00

Sorry I'm a little late with this one due to my PC problems, but if you are quick, there may still be some kits left ... if not, there's always next month :)

This is what I came up with for my October Kit that Leanne sent me.

It's so easy to get at least 2 layouts and extra cards made from the kits. Take a look at the other kits at Mad About Scrappin - you are sure to find something to suit you.

TFL,
S x

Out of the Hat October Challenge

2010-10-03T09:13:00.001+10:00

Here is the October challenge:

1. Scallops - Katie H
2. Handmade embellishment - Jo Caird
3. A book page - Chloe N

Remember that entries need to be uploaded no later than midnight on the 25th of the month to be elligible for the monthly prize pool on offer from our generous sponsors!!

Here's my sample layout ...

I've used some papers I bought ages ago from ScrapTherapy - Fancy Pants All Fall (I love the sayings in them), as well as charms and Scrapware chippie from My2Angels, and some Basic Grey alphas. I made the little book out of the Spellbinders Labels 7.
Can't wait to see how you use the criteria this month, and there are some great prizes up for grabs from the wonderful sponsors there too.

S x

And my last sketch at Cardabilities ....

2010-09-30T14:56:00.003+10:00

.... is up now. I'm still using up some Bo Bunny Peacock Lane offcuts! I've also used Justrite stamps and my spellbinders circles and scalloped circles dies.

And here's the sketch ....

Hope you have fun playing along. Good luck to all the new DT who will be bringing you inspiration over the next 6 months!

Sandra

Time for a new challenge at ScrapbookCity

2010-09-30T08:12:00.000+10:00

This fortnight it's the colour challenge. Spring is in the air so we selected a nice bright "Springy" kind of palette. All you need to do is use this colour palette as the basis for your layout. These are the only colours besides white and black that you can use, but you can vary the shade (darkness) or tint (lightness) of them a little if you need to! And for some "colour theory" ideas to help get you started think about the 60 30 10 rule for combining colours. 60% use of your main colour, 30% of your second colour and 10% splash of your highlight colour! You have five colours to choose from so that should be easy!

Here's my card using the lovely Best Creations papers. They had all the colours so no need for searching high and low to fill in the criteria. I've also used the Just Rite stamps to create my sentiments, Martha Punch and some Kaiser bling.

Hope you can play along. Just link your creation here at the ScrapbookCity Card Blog for you chance to win a great prize pack.

I'm working of some Christmas cards from the gorgeous Imaginisce Range for the Scrapbook City Christmas Card showcase, so keep an eye out for those.

Till next time,
Sandra

Scrapbook City Retreat Class

2010-09-24T14:18:00.001+10:00

Although I can't make it to the Retreat this weekend, I was lucky enough to have a play with some new stamps and spellbinders and MME papers. I created this gorgeous card, and I love the result!

Heartfelt Creations is one of the stamping companies that make stamps that fit perfectly to Spellbinders dies, so it's easy to stamp and cut. I used Versa Silver ink and clear embossing for the flowers and leaves. Justrite stamps were used for the circular greeting, and the gorgeous papers were MME Portobello. They are just divine.

Time for another challenge at ScrapBook City

2010-09-18T15:05:00.000+10:00

This fortnight, it's the BLING challenge. Use bling any way you want on a card - how easy is that! Hop on over to the Card Blog to see all the details.

I kept my bling pretty simple this month and decided on a little bit less-simple effect with my new spellbinders die - Lotus Borders! I saw something similar on the Spellbinders blog recently and thougtht I'd give it a try too. And I used my favourite colour - Teal! These papers are from Papermania - 6x8 paper packs. They are great, and come in a variety of colour tones per pack. Look out for them next time you are in.

Hope you can play along with the challenge this fortnight! There are two chances to win an I-Rock pack (one chance for cards and one for layouts!). How great is that :-)

Thanks for stopping by,

Sandra

Sketch #11 at Cardabilities

2010-09-18T14:56:00.000+10:00

Time for a new sketch at Cardabilities.

I've used Bo Bunny Peacock Lane, Kaisercraft stamps, Petaloo and Prima flowers and some Green Tara lace for this sketch.

Hope you can play along.

Sandra

Time for my Sassy September Share!!!

2010-09-14T00:00:00.000+10:00

Here's my take on the September sketch for SLS. I've used MME Pretty Please papers, some KC bling and rubons, and a little charm.

... and here's the sketch ...

Hope you can play along again this month.

Thanks for dropping in.

Sandra
x

Going Bush

2010-09-03T11:46:00.001+10:00

The September challenge is up at Out of the Hat. The challenge this month was to use:-

1. Minimum of 6 buttons - Susan

2. Use a border strip - Katie
3. Incorporate the title into the journalling - Kylie

I used KC papers Rough and Tough, a homemade tree from Allie's fab tutorial at ScrapTherapy's blog and my new Martha Garden Trellis Punch for my border strip (just stretch the imagination a bit!!). There's a little charm from my2angles hanging off some prima felt alphas.

And here's what I came up with ....

Thanks for looking in.
Sandra
x

It's MAD!!

2010-09-01T16:11:00.000+10:00

No, I'm not referring to my crazy busy life at the moment - it's my first MAD About Scrappin' share. I was given the lovely Bo Bunny Peacock Lane to work with, and I love the results. The kit is available through the month of September in the MAD store. It includes 2 pieces of cardstock, 4 pieces of paper, and lots of little flowers, some mesh and chipboard. Here's what I came up with ...

"Friends"

"TUTU Beautiful"

And some cards with the left over scraps ...

Thanks for dropping by.
Sandra
x

My first ScrapBookCity project share

2010-08-31T17:50:00.001+10:00

I mentioned a few weeks back that my LSS - Scrapbook City - has asked me to join their Card Team!!! There's a new Card City Blog that's been set up, with lots of great challenges that will be posted every 2 weeks and some fabulous prizes up for grabs too. (check out Scrapbook City blog for layout challenges).

I picked up my first project in-store last week, and now's the time to share. I've used a Kaisercraft Lush 6x6 paper pad with my Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Pendant die to create this card. The lace and flowers are Green Tara, and the stamp is from Kaisercraft's friendship sentiments, the bling are KC pearls and I've used Distress Ink in Walnut Stain. Also Versa ink in pinecone and turquoise.

Why not pop on over to the brand new Card City blog and keep an eye on it as it grows and the challenges are revealed - lots of great prizes up for grabs every two weeks!! Hope you can join in the fun.

Thanks for looking!!

Sandra
x

Cardabilities Sketch for the 30th!

2010-08-30T19:16:00.003+10:00

Another sketch for Cardabilities. I've used the fun MME Little Robots papers and diecuts. I love the colours of these!

And here's the sketch - so many options here.

Hope you can give it a go too.

Bye for now.

Sandra
x

Muddy Fun!!

2010-08-28T09:14:00.001+10:00

Here are a few layouts I found whilst cleaning up my scrap space this morning! I love having a good tidy up :-)

"Little Swimmer" using Kaisercraft Devonshire range, Nestabilities 'Blossom' flowers, hand-cut leaves, cuttlebug embossing, Maya Road felt flowers, Prima lace and bling. This was a MAD sketch that I used for my application for the DT.

"Crazy Faces" using MME Little Robots paper and embellishments.

"Just add mud" using Basic Grey's Urban Prairie papers, Prima bling and flowers, Sassy Lil Sketches sketch

"Muddy is my middle name" using Basic Grey's Urban Prairie papers, Fiskars Border Punch, Prima Bling and centres, Nestabilities flower, Stuck! sketch

"my friend" using Kaisercrafts La Di Da papers and embellishments

"YUM' using Pebbles Inc papers, KC paint, Maya Road flower. I created this for a 1,2,3 Challenge a few months ago.

Thanks for stopping by :-)
Sandra
x

Some more cards

2010-08-25T19:42:00.000+10:00

I've had these for a while now but with my uber-busy life over the last few weeks, now is the first chance I have had to upload them.

"It's a girl" - Impressabilities embossing and Nestabilities oval, Fiskars border punch, KC stamp, Prima lace, random butterflies.

"To you from me" - MME paper, SU sentiment stamp, metallic paper, Hero Arts daisy stamp.

"just because" - Tim Holtz masks, distress ink and pin, Shapeabilities dies with Alcohol Inks on metallic foil, Martha Stewart punch, SU punch

I'm off to create some more downstairs and have a few things lined up to guarantee a very scrappy few days ahead! Soooo looking forward to it.

Till next time,
Sandra
x

Sassy Lil’ Sketches “Hidden” Treasures Blog Hop

2010-08-23T14:00:00.026+10:00

Sassy Lil’ Sketches “Hidden” Treasures Blog Hop - August 23rd through August 30th, 9 PM. EST.

We are having a Blog Hop…Sassy Lil’ Sketches (http://sassylilsketches.blogspot.com) style! We want you to get to know our new Sassies. There are some pretty fabulous prizes to win, too!

The "Hidden" Treasure Blog Hop starts at Sassy Lil’ Sketches (http://sassylilsketches.blogspot.com) where there are two of our sassy sketches and rules for the blog hop. After visiting Sassy Lil' Sketches you can choose which Sassy you would like to visit next. We recommend visiting every Sassy because we have "hidden" treasure at four of our Sassies' blogs.

The Sassies:

Aimee (http://optimisticscrappiness.blogspot.com/)

Amanda (http://amandajonesblog.blogspot.com//)

Amy (http://gebmom.blogspot.com//)

Brenda B. (http://brendasscrappyblog.blogspot.com//)

Brenda R. (http://www.roseblossomlegacies.blogspot.com//)

Carla (http://www.carlarausin.blogspot.com//)

Cherie (http://boywouldntyouliketoknow.blogspot.com//)

Cheryl (http://cherylswindow.blogspot.com/)

Christine (http://scrappinshimano.blogspot.com//)

Deanna (http://momentstocherish-deanna.blogspot.com//)

Debbie (http://www.scrapenabler.blogspot.com//)

Denise (http://lalasworldblog.blogspot.com//)

Isabelle (Zabou) (http://zaboubricole.canalblog.com//)

Jessica Bree (http://www.jessicabree.typepad.com/)

Katie (http://scissorsspatulasandsneakers.blogspot.com/)

Kelly (http://www.meluv2scrap.blogspot.com//)

Laura (http://www.findingthejoyineachday.blogspot.com//)

Martine (http://scrapcatslove.blogspot.com//)

Nancy (http://homesclscrapper.blogspot.com//)

Rebecca (http://houseofhenrie.blogspot.com//)

Sandra (http://buttonsandbowsandmore.blogspot.com//) ME!!!!

Shana (http://www.yayaprincessblog.blogspot.com/)

Our awesome, amazing, and completely generous sponsors for Sassy Lil’ Sketches “Hidden” Treasure Blog Hop:

Xyron (http://www.xyron.com/)

Thoughts 2 Paper (http://www.thoughts2paper.com/)

Scrappy Jo (http://www.shopscrapbooksupplies.com/)

Crop Stop (http://www.cropstop.com/)

Apron Strings ( http://www.apronstringsdesigns.com/)

Crop Chocolate (http://www.cropchocolate.com/)

BoBunny (http://www.bobunny.com/)

Here are the sketches for the blog hop. If you want to give them a go, link your card or layout on the Sassy Blog - http://sassylilsketches.blogspot.com/

Here's my take on the card sketch. I've used KaiserCraft papers and ribbon, Nestabilities dies and a charm from my2angels.

Here's the sketch for the card ...

And the one for the layout ...

Hope to see you playing along.

Bye for now,

Sandra x