So after 2 weeks of rain (bliss) and some awful flooding in areas so close to us we finally seem to be back on line with constant internet access. Creating quick gifts using scrapbooking supplies is one of my favourite things to do - not only can you personalize something that comes from the heart it can be fun trying something a little different. I had some empty glass jars from Mr Price and i filled this one with some honey. I used some of the new Prima die-cut flowers to add to the lid, but before i added them i wanted to give them some dimension. What better way to add dimension then using the Chiswick Embossing tool with a large 12 and 14mm ball at two opposing ends.

Normally embossing tools have small ends and it takes a lot more work to create the type of dimension i wanted to achieve, so this tool was really amazing for what i wanted to achieve.

I placed the die-cuts onto a piece of foam and gently rolled the embossing tool in the center of the flowers. As you roll in the center the ends curl up creating dimension. it really is that easy and simple!
The secret is rolling onto the foam - a hard firm surface will not work for this.

Notice how the tips of the white largest flower curls the opposite way again? Well here's how i did....

I curled the edges of the flowers outwards using my Chiswick Bone folder. Place the bone folder under the petals and hold the petal lightly with your thumb and then pull the bone folder outwards curling the petal downwards. I then used the embossing tool by rolling it in the center and made the petals pop up towards the middle. Then layer the flowers on top of each other for a gorgeous dimensional look. This will work great on gift boxes, a bunch of flowers or a card.

There's a new challenge up over at Scrap Africa - recycle! right up my alley! With the challenges i like to make tags - they are a quick and easy reference for me to just play and create and experiment and get things done of course.

i used this tag as my starting point for a gift tag - it's from a new fitted sheet i got a couple of months ago and i just love that recycled emtini liner cardstock it is printed on! i only used the 'care instructions' part of the tag though

i used Graphic 45 and Dina Wakeley stamps for my background...

some coloured ribbon, washi tape and pearls add some finishing touches!

we hope you will play along, so hop on over to the blog and see what everyone else did with this challenge! hope you are having a wonderful week!

We all love a pretty piece of patterned paper right? Yes! So you bought a couple of extra sheets and before you know it there were a dozen or so more new ranges on the market that you just had to have – so you bought them too. And now you are left with some pretty papers in your stash but you have no idea what to use them for because they seem to be outdated – wrong. I have always found the Graphic 45 papers so beautiful – but when it comes to working with them I shy away – that’s until I changed my mind set about it. I have never been anywhere close to the East that is Japan or China, so for me to even want to work with the ‘Bird Song’ range by Graphic 45 made no sense at all. But since I don’t scrap my photos to match my paper, but rather use the products I like, I felt quite comfortable to go right ahead and use the beautiful paper with birds on it. 

With love layout 

For my layout I used photos of a friend who celebrated her 9th birthday recently. I teamed the photos with the older Bird Song range of papers and threw in a new paper from Basic Grey’s Bow ties range. By using a newer paper alongside an older paper you can easily update the look or change it to something else. To further update the look of my paper I added some stamped images using the Artiste Markers and some themed stamps. I used Crystalina glitter glue to highlight some of the elements on the papers and lastly updated the look with some funky washi tape giving my layout the funky edge I wanted. The washi tape was used selectively for its pop of colour giving my layout an accent colour of bright pink and adding loads of unexpected interest. The elements used throughout focus on a feminine theme with birds and flowers – and the Eastern theme are no longer my main priority on this project.

cut out elements dressed up using glitter glue Crystalina

 Here are some more easy tips and tricks of how you can revive 

some of those older paper collections in your stash 

1. Pair them with a new sheet of paper and you won’t even know the difference between old and new 2. Heat emboss a simple design on patterned paper and then cover the rest with ink for a beautiful new look. The embossed image resist the ink and leaves only a small hint of the original patterned paper 

3. Add a layer of gesso (white acrylic paint) to camouflage some of the pattern you don’t like, then add collage stamped images onto the white areas to create a whole new look 

4. Cut them up and use small pieces on a project. Work on a white background to give the paper a fresh new look 

5. Use them on an altered project and camouflage the design with flowers and other embellishments 6. Throw paint and ink to the surface and cover up the old design or colour 

7. Blind emboss the paper using your Cuttlebug and embossing folders and add ink or thermal embossing to it to totally change the look 

8. Ignore the theme of the paper and use it anyway because you like it – don’t be limited because you think the papers has to match your photos 

9. Pick a technique and use it to alter your paper like die-cutting elements out of the papers and using them on cards or gift tags 

10. Add some new products into the mix – I added some modern Washi tape to my projects giving the older paper range a new funky twist and a nice element of surprise Don’t be afraid to alter and change the look of your paper stash – you will get so much more out of your purchases by adding some clever alterations to them.

To see how i altered some more of the beautiful Bird Song papers on a gift tag, head on over here

Products used 

Artiste Dual Tip Brush Markers (12 Pack) – Brights [DDOA851100]

Bird Song Double Sided Paper - Bird Song [GF 4500569] 

Bird Song Double Sided Paper - Endless Spring [GF 4500574] 

Bird Song Double Sided Paper – Tranquility [GF 4500573] 

Bird Song Double Sided Paper - Cherry Blossom [GF 4500575] 

Bird Song Double Sided Paper - Shanghai Girls [GF 4500579] 

Couture Creations Glitzin Glamour – Crystalina [ADCO 721971] 

Therm-O-Web Zots 3D 200 [TW 3786] 

VersaMark Watermark Ink Pad [TVM-001]

it's time for another sketch over at scrapbook challenges.this week's sketch was a single, but by now you know that my hearts lies in doubles and so i turned the single (right hand side) into a double creating my own thing on the left. i also scrapped our little puppies' operation - yes a memory and things we need to remember and want to remember - it's part of my real life! but the best thing about this layout is that i had a light bulb moment (well for me anyways) - i knew i had some stamps....that would work perfectly, so i went a digging and found the little *medicine* bottles from Graphic 45 - and i loved them on this layout....

i used a really old range from Kaisercraft and i also only had the 2 sheets of paper that perfectly complimented the blue of Jacks' blankie.

i punched some of the circles out of the paper and raised them onto the paper for some added dimension. love the look

combined some old 7gypsies stickers for the *operation* theme and then pulled the red through using more paper elements and buttons

and the bottles up close - i stamped them onto the back of a glitz paper that is cream with a bit of a texture and print. i combined the bottles and raised some of them to give the illusion of them being in the front of the others. so glad Jack did not have to have some of those medicines.

hope you are having a wonderful week....i am still fighting the bug and hope it will let go sooner than later! this week is a hectic creative week and so looking forward to catching up with some good friends - good people - special people, finalizing some business deals that can be quite exciting in the long run and scrapping loads of layouts! be blessed!

thankful!pretty much sums up my day today. driving home from class today, i was stuck in traffic again for way toooo long in fourways. way too many people irritated and driving, way too many people consumed by the rush of spending money they probably don't have. way too much of ugly. i am so thankful for making it through this year, for the opportunities and the blessings bestowed on me in this tough year, but i am glad it is heading towards the end. i am thankful for the small little things that are the big things in my life, since the big things really are just things and can be taken away in an instant. i am thankful for just being. and so thankful for the people who share my creative journey in so many ways - so that means you if you are still reading.

i am also so thankful for being able to work with beautiful stuff - for the little inspiring projects like wrapping a gift in some prettiness. i love graphic 45 paper so much, but find it hard to work with - what i do like is that embracing the "differentness" of the papers and turning it into the unexpected and the different makes the product blossom even more. so i loved wrapping gifts in the papers, with special bows and gorgeous gift tags.

so this means that my colour scheme for this festive season is bold and bright and totally happy. it's filled with pretty and delicate and glitter and bling. here's wishing you a 'thankful' ordinary day and may your preparations for the silly season be reasonable and sparkly and keeping the spirit of caring alive. have a thankful day! i am playing catch up with my December Daily project...stay tuned

Each month we will feature our favourite products distributed by The Wholesaler and place some focus on those products showcasing their adaptability and versatility to different creative styles. What better way to start off than Graphic 45. Graphic 45 is family owned business with lots of passion behind it. Their creativity is astounding in so many ways, but it’s not always everyone’s cuppa tea. Yes you will know exactly what I mean. Their products are amazing but many people find it difficult to work with. I have found that when I design with their products keeping things simple suits my style and personality a lot more. I am know for my fair share of ‘weird’ creations and so I also find it ironic at the same time that I find it difficult to scrap with their papers. But for this project I absolutely loved working with the Olde Curiosity Shoppe Range. I worked inside a printer’s tray with lots of little compartments – loads of space to add all kinds of knick knacks. I kept the palette to the yellow, ochre, orange and black colours so that the project would fit into my work space comfortable. 

To add texture to some of the patterned paper pieces I used gold AC Pop! Microbeads. To adhere the microbeads I used Anita’s 3D glaze and then sprinkled the beads on top, left them for a couple of minutes and shook off the beads that did not stick. It’s a quick and effective way of adding texture without a mess.

slightly bigger glass viles filled with book paper words and gold micro beads.

cut out butterflies with popped up wings and a cut out word.

I also added some Petaloo flowers for that feminine touch. These flowers have a slight tint to them but I love how it adds that unexpected element.

 I had these tiny glass bottles that fitted perfectly with the theme of Apothecary jars and Olde Curiosity shops, so I filled them with wood glue that dries rock hard inside. For the outside I used some stamps and rub-ons as decorative element.

To create another fun element to my printer’s tray I added a piece of homemade chalkboard. I simply cut some black foam core to size and layered to pieces on top of each other for dimension. A piece of chalk rests beside it for easy access in case I need to write another key word as a reminder.

For more inspiration and to see more Graphic 45 products  visit www.thewholesaler.biz/blog

Products used 

Anita’s 3D glaze GF 4500462 

Olde Curiosity Shoppe 8x8 Paper Pad 

AC 27350 Pop! Microbeads – Gold 

C1833-205 Ruffled Roses - Plum 

Pop Dots 

Tombow Mono-multi adhesive

So sorry for not popping in lately...no excuses just life. that's all. life in all it's simple and complicated glory, it's raw reality, and it's beautiful mess, that's all. and sometimes it's good to just break away and not to stare into the bright white screen of my laptop so often. i must admit i have become a bit slack in that department. i don;t spend as much time surfing my favourite 3 blogs and i really am not to interested in the things out there. call it crazy or whatever - but it's been my reality as i work through the many questions about life i have.and no...i haven't received any significant life changing answers in case you are wondering. but enough of that. so here i am finally.... where have i been. well i have been to Bloemfontein and taught some awesome ladies. kind, compassionate, talented and above all humble and appreciative. what have i realized. that most scrappers have become very spoilt! where are the days when you came to class with photos...and made them worked. Nowadays it's sneak peaks, photo requirements, colour swatches, paper samples and and and....(well maybe i am exaggerating a bit) but you get the idea. having said that the ladies in Bloem coped really well. Then i started working on 6 different classes to go down to the Eastern Cape to teach...and you guessed it same thing. well by class number 6 i had no notes, no photos and no sneak peaks - bad bad me. and guess what - they coped. and they all had stunning cards at the end of the day with only working off my samples. and in between all of that i am working of 6 article deadlines for a magazine, other design team projects, trying to clean my house, do laundry, feed the dogs, make class layouts, booking dates up to April 2013...so i am sure you understand why i have been absent. please don't get me wrong - i LOVE being busy - the more you do the more you can do! but sometimes you need to take a break from blogging and life in general. So came Friday (yesterday) i took a break and painted my bedroom (well 2 of the 4 walls)...since i had a suspicion that the paint may go off if i don't get my behind into gear quickly....and i enjoyed it and love the walls and have aches and pains everywhere. so that's where i have been...but i am back! and just to let you know i love teaching scrapbooking more than ever before...just incase i needed reminding and had second thoughts...

but i won't leave you empty handed...here's a little project i did for 

www.thewholesaler.biz/blog 

in celebration of the Olympic games.

Union Jack paper by Scrapbook Studio.co.za
and yes it may be a little crazy and weird, but i love it! so please head on over to the blog and read all about it and leave some love. Then head back to my blog and leave some love telling me you did so and i will see what i can put together as a little give-away for you guys....just because you stuck around so patiently!

PS....i love flowers! have a wonderful weekend...i will be back soon with some layouts to share.

it's time for another stunning sketch over at scrapbook challenges this week. i am thrilled with this layout and how it turned out - and it was such a fun sketch to use and interpret. it you want more inspiration head on over to scrapbook challenges to see what the rest of the girls did.and here's what i did with my layout. my photos are really old and ordinary but have special moments captured in time. i think this was taken in the days before i even had a digital (wow)

some pretty elements - those new prima wooden buttons are totally awesome. combined with some old rub-ons and buttons.

gold leafing and distress stains are perfect next to each other! love the colours.

and some sewing - tiny knots using embroidery thread and cut shorter then scuffed up using my fingers. and a fair amount of diamonds used to create that beautiful frame.

products used:

patterned papers by Teresa Collins

Toile paper by Prima

AC Card stock Coffee

Butterfly by Graphic 45

Lettering by Basic Grey

Die by Tim Holtz/ Sizzix

Distress stains by Ranger

Tile by Prima

Wooden buttons by Prima

Rub-ons by Kaisercraft

Other: embroidery thread, buttons, diamante, gold leafing potpourri, old postage stamp

hope you have a wonderful week - mine is hectic. 

then there's also this mountain i have to climb!

and with that being said...there's a new sketch up today and it's again a beauty. i loved this sketch so much i even managed to make a matching card using the scraps from my layout. i will have to post that later when i finally take a photo.

here's what i did with the sketch...

i used my usual white background card stock with some bright patterned papers. this is a great way to compliment the mush-mash of photos used for this layout of my niece. instead of working against the mixture of colours i embraced them and made them work for me. my title is cut using the Cricut machine with a grey shadow.

below my photos i used a strip of vellum as an added detail. instead of adhering the vellum i used my decorative sewing to attach the vellum to my background. let's face it - a bunch of glue showing through vellum is really unsightly - almost - no really just as bad as a 'thong' peeking out from under a pair of jeans! it's a BIG no-no ladies. i love how the vellum adds a beautiful and delicate touch to your layouts. a real feminine touch!
for my title i used die-cut letters as said before - i grouped them together with a stamped Kaisercraft image, some rub-ons, buttons, graphic 45 words, diamante and paint splats. o love grouped elements like this - and remember the closer they are grouped together the better it looks!

thanks for stopping by - and also to those new followers! thanks for taking the time to stop by. i wish you a creative week ahead. and remember to do what you love and make something beautiful!