it's time for another sketch over at scrapbook challenges - sorry for being behind on those postings too!i am still not any better and still no doctors' diagnoses! so i will just scrap myself better - cheaper option anyways! thanks for sticking around....

here's what i did with this week's sketch. it's a single page that i turned into a double with lots of white space. the photos are some of the scrapbook studio retreat held in February - and what a fabulous time of friendship we had.

i used a combination of papers but the main piece of paper is the floral kaisercraft paper which i simply love. i love a mixture of colours and patterns and this is just so perfect.

i added some crate chipboard elements and some small punched flowers using the same paper.

and some stamped images using Versafine finished off with buttons, fussy cut flowers and more chippies. head on over here to see what the rest of team did and so see the sketch. join us next week for a fabulous new sketch and loads of inspiration.

here's to some rest and relaxation over the Easter weekend - He is Risen.

happy world cardmaking day everyone! lucky for me i made these cards this past week so have something to celebrate with today.how special that we have an entire day to celebrate making cards for friends and family. so to celebrate here are my Boofle cards made for The Wholesaler to celebrate them importing the beautiful range of DoCrafts papers, stamps and other crafting goodies. I have fallen in love with this Boofle guy - he is just so cute. I used a single stamp with three different techniques to achieve three different looks. 

 first up....shadow stamping.

i love how the Mr Cool set has a shadow stamp included and so i used a Brilliance Pearlescent ink for my shadow giving it a beautiful shimmer. the outline was overstamped in black ink.

to add some texture to his nose i used dimensional glaze and microbeads - just love the look.

second .... i used masking to get my background effect. a really really old technique but still a favourite.

i combined a script Prima stamp with some inks to achieve the look behind Boofle.

third...simply stamped and then coloured in using a combination of 2 colours of Artiste Brush Markers. love how versatile those markers are.

and once again i re-stamped the image onto old book paper and cut out the nose portion and adhered it to the colored image for some dimension.

i hope you had a wonderful day making cards or just being creative! until next time, thanks for popping in  and leaving some love - always appreciate your visit. Blessings!

so i had this long post written up, crossed through it all, deleted it all...... whatever....instead
here's one of the cards i did for our card convention. i made this card and loved it. maybe because i loved the paper so much and the typewriter - it's just one of those things that will work on any project. and then i had to make everyone punch out the little letters and adhere them using foam dots or Olba dimensional glue (and no technically they are not correct) but hey it's an old fashioned typewriter, and it's paper and its mine so who cares.
and then i turned the card into a layout. i also incorporated some of the techniques of the other cards we made during the day into the layout. so it just goes to show that you can turn just about anything into anything. i often use card inspirations and turn them into layouts and the other way around.
 because you see - it's all been done before. not only in crafts but in life too.
and so it won't be the first time that people have hurt me and it sure as hell won't be the last time either. it seems that people thrive in their own hidden agendas....
and all i want to do is create and be left alone!
by the Grace of God i live.
 i hope you like the projects - they are meant to inspire and that's all - no hidden agenda!
white card stock, Pink pattern Authentique, map Pink Paislee, patterned papers Pink Paislee, typewriter die by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, book paper, silhouette print out, buttons, gold Micro beads AC distributed by The Wholesaler, organza ribbon, jute, embroudery thread, dimensional glaze, and rub-ons Kaisercraft.

It's time for a new sketch over at scrap Africa! Wow - i can hardly believe how time has flown and ho the site has grown with followers from all over the world. so happy that this little place can show case local talent to the rest of the world. i love working with this sketch (and the new ones are even better) so hang around why don't ya. here's what i did with the sketch. i create a funky border using my olba heart punch. it took quite a few hearts punched from patterned paper to create this border.
i first drew a circle using a large plate in pencil. i then adhered the first lot of hearts by easily picking them up with an ordinary wax crayon - it works really well.
i then flipped the second lot of hearts over and fitted them into the space formed by the first lot of hearts. it really is a stunning effect and so easy to recreate.

and some close ups of my journaling. i printed my journaling in a circle shape and punched it out using a circle punch, inked the edges and then added it to the center of a clock sticker. a single cross stitch adds some detail.

and a close-up showing the finishing touches on the heart border using purple diamante.

and some technique strips used throughout. i love using scraps of things i love. pieces of technique sheets are perfect for punching shapes and adding strips randomly on layouts - fabulous for adding texture and colour.

hop on over to the scrap Africa blog to see more fabulous designs as well as see what guest designer and scrapping icon Iris has done using the same sketch!
supplies used:
Patterned paper: MME, Kaisercraft, Cutmates. Lettering: Basic Grey. Distress stains Ranger. Chipboard strip Basic Grey. Rub-on Bo Bunny. Heart Punch Olba. Other Buttons, thread, diamante, star punch.

well today marks a very special day in South Africa. it took the vision of 2 very special scrappers to come up with a challenge blog unique and "eie" to SA. and those 2 scrappers are Russian. they are talented. they are unique. they are amazing. they love SA. and it's special for me that they chose me to be a part of that very special project they launched today! so thank you to evgenia and svetlana - both scrappers i have admired for a long long time now. and so Scrap africa was launched. i am sure you will be thrilled to check it out and to play along and be challenged. for our first sketch we were given a really cool single page sketch to work with... of course battling to work on such a small scale i stretched things out and turned mine into a double. and here it is - to see the single page sketch head on over to the site and leave some love...

i had fun with this layout. not only did i make my own patterned paper but i used something i never thought i would....itsy bitsy little flowers. yeah you heard me...
these little flowers are the passion of Kim from Olba. and she loves them. and i kinda think i see the attraction after adding them to this layout. now don't get me wrong - i won't be doing this all the time - but having them just in the right place makes for something really special.

then there's the super cute little card stock cut outs from Glitz to combine with my colour scheme. don't you just love that balloon, a little basic grey rub-on and again a little flower.

my background card stock was splatted with gold perfect pearls and that i-am-in-love-handmade-paper was made using pearly card stock and distress stains and some secret weapons.

so there you have it. please hop on over to the scrap africa blog, share it with your friends and be inspired. i hope you are having a fabulous week creatively and spiritually!
i am still restoring...