Welcome to another blog post – i can’t believe how the weeks and days are flying by as we head towards the end of the year. Whenever I see some of my niece’s “selfies” she takes they crack me up! I love seeing them in their everyday environment, and love capturing those moments for them onto scrapbook layouts.

So for this layout I used a sketch from Scrapbook Challenges to create this fun layout. I used a combination of patterned papers and dressed up my layout with border punches, glitter and burnishing paste from the Chiswick range of products. I totally love the end results.

For my title word, I used a word cut from my Silhouette machine in smooth black cardstock. I wanted to dress it up a bit to remove the harshness of the black. Enter my favourite go to product  – burnishing paste in bronze. I used a cloth to simply wipe a thin layer of paste across my word and then adhered it to my layout – quick and easy and so effective. A slight shimmery colour!

These are the products i used for my layout
Ultra fine glitter sb4225
Simplicity Border Punches – Dotty Border pct 778
Burnishing Paste 25ml Bronze pa2195
You can view these and all the other products on the website at www.chiswick.co.za
Let us know if you have trouble finding any of the products at your local craft store.
Until next time – happy crafting!

It's been a while and i am still not feeling myself after a little set back - anyways i guess this is where you realize you are really getting older and things don't mend so quickly anymore!it's also been a while since i have done my Scrapbook Challenges sketches which i love so much - but A into gear and here we go! i loved this week's sketch - although adding my own spin to it it did inspire this layout i made. the photo is of my nephew that i printed a while ago and found on my desk during yet another clean up session - this time for good! no more holding onto things!

here's the original sketch for you to feel inspired by...

and some detailed images to see what i have done.
i used a circle stencil (my favourite) to add some colour to the background - i used a very light ink as i mostly do. the tags and cut outs are from the new Crate paper range that is to be released in South Africa soon and it's one of my favourites ever!

my title was created using a combination of rub-ons from Melissa Frances and lettering stickers from Websters. i normally don't like lettering stickers but just love this type! The green heart stickers are from the same sheet of alphas. can you tell i used the P's as D's?

and one of my favourite washi tapes with some machine sewing! Love!

i also added some red paint splats for as accent colour. i hope you are having a creative week!

in other news.....we are prepping for our Midlands event in May and i am super excited to be traveling there soon with some awesome girls and being creative in such an amazing place! chat again later this week - thanks for stopping by!

This week is time for another great sketch over at scrapbook challenge. i love how this sketch is open to interpretation and there are so many options for doing your own thing. i did change things up as usual to suit my style. to truly appreciate the versatility you need to head on over to the site to see what the other girls did with their layouts. as a new twist Brynn (our talented group owner) has added some challenges to the sketch to keep things interesting - this time around it was to use 'chevron' and wood 'veneer' - i got to use one of my all time favourite chevron papers.

here's the original sketch ...

i used some ancient Heidi Swapp words - i am amazed at how classic these still are! and so happy that i got to use these from my stash...

i also got to use these gorgeous rub-ons from a company that no longer exists - sadly! and how funny that i got them as a gift from the original owner of scrapbook challenges Pamela Young and a great inspiration to me!

and finally some techniques and stamping for that unique element.

and everything thrown into a big match to create yet a beautiful memory! i also added some texture using my beautiful Dina Wakeley stamp in a soft green chalk ink pad. just enough to add some interest on my background. thanks for stopping by and here's wishing you another wonderful and creative week.

it's Monday somewhere in the world and time for another sketch over at Scrapbook Challenge. This week is a double page sketch and one that i love...because i could use my scraps and papers i love so much. i used mostly Kaisercraft papers with some Simple Stories thrown into the mix. here is the sketch that the talented Chanell gave us to work with - all created from a print she pulled of Pintrest - she is amazing when it comes to making things digi!

pops of colour, ink, stamping and lots of patterned papers - all the things i love and enjoy so much!

for my title i combined stamping with perfect pearls - love!

some washi tape peeking out from underneath the paper strips and hexagons.

inking and stamping with some of the new kaisercraft stamps - so versatile and fun!

hop on over to Scrapbook Challenges and see what the other design team members came up with - such amazing inspiration - and play along why don't you?

wishing you a creatively wonderful week filled with blessings! 

...as i type i am listening and looking at the 30 odd guinea-fowl roaming around not even 10 meters from my front door - so blessed!

i used mostly scraps from the Sunshine in my soul range of papers by Glitz, Simple Stories, stamping and washi tape. layouts using scraps are still my favourite - economical and using all those pretty bits and pieces instead of throwing them out!

i even added a dotty paper from Project Life in the mix. the little camera sticker is from the Simple Stories range with a little diamond added for some sparkle.

the dots on my background is a stamp - i stamped it directly onto the background and then added some colour selectively using my water-colour paint.

i made some very tough decisions this week - and with some loving support from my DH we will get through even the toughest of times. but as i suspected when you give God and opportunity to open bigger and betetr doors in your life, you sometimes have to walk away from your comfort zone. but human nature is a funny thing and sometimes walking away is very difficult until you do it. so excactly 12 hours after i took action the first door has opened - and may i add....

it's one that i am very passionate about!!! here's to serving a MIGHTY GOD and many more miracles! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and never forsaking us!

I am slowly getting caught up with my version of project life - week 2. And it just so happens that today is the day we can start ordering the "real project life" stuff here in South Africa. As i said before, it will never take over my traditional scrapping but i am really in love with the fairly quick and easy way i can include all those experiments i normally throw away and everyday stuff i collect.

this week i teamed my left side with a single page layout designed for Scrapbook Challenges. I love how it worked out. and as you can see i in my ignorant and sheltered life discovered TYPO by accident. i happened to look for a photography shop in Brooklyn Pretoria and the center which had 2 very good shops now have none but they do have a typo. so it turned out to be a good and a bad day.

i also found these amazing digital wood grain images and also photographed a few pieces of wood around the farm - LOVE! I used the wonderfully versatile 24/7 range by Simple Stories for my accents. I ended up dismantling the dimensional stickers and ended up with 3 of almost everything - now there's value for money. the foam dots pulled apart really easily and the residue cleaned up well with my TW 4087 Therm-O-Web Adhesive Pick-up Square.

The pink heart is one of my favourite Hero Arts stamps embossed in Blush American Crafts Zing embossing powder. I embossed 2 layers - adding the second layer of embossing powder while the image was still hot. this gave me a nice solid embossed heart. I also did some stamping directly onto my photo using Brilliance ink and a swirl stamp.

hope you are having a wonderfully creative week. thanks for stopping by and leaving some love! you are appreciated and loved!

it's time for a new sketch challenge over at scrapbook challenges. this week's sketch was a single page and again i turned it into a double - my comfort size for scrapping!i also set a challenge for myself - using a piece of paper that i very well could live without - you know the one... yip that big old green piece of kaisercraft. green is just not my colour - but what's a girl to do when she needs to use what she's got? I combined the green cut out with a more acceptable palette featuring blue and red with some stamping thrown into the mix and a recycled postage stamp ...

this week was a bit of a loose interpretation on the sketch - i used the left hand side of the sketch and then just did my own thing like i normally do.head on over to www.scrapbookchallenges.com to see the original sketch and what the girls did with their designs...

in the end i kinda liked how it turned out! I used some red Teresa Collins flowers cut from a piece of left-over paper from my scrap box - and when i say scrap box i really mean the pile of papers that has overflown onto my floor waiting to be used or chucked (ya right)

to pick up some of the green i used a recycled postage stamp on the right hand side to pull your eye across - just enough green not to make me wanna hate it

colour is a beautiful thing - but some colours are meant for nature - here's how i see it

yellow - only meant for sunflowers in a field

green - only for freshly cut lawns

purple - for fields of lavender in france

orange - just joey roses in the garden

and those are my least favourite colours to use anywhere, cause in my opinion they are only meant for nature and perfectly so

hope you have a wonderful week - i am heading out to Bloemfontein for some classes and will be back on Sunday - so stay a while and come back soon! have a wonderful week!

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!

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.

welcome to the Scrapbook Challenges Blog Hop

if you arrived here from  Phillis' blog  then you are in the right place

we are celebrating a new year and another term of new design team members with a special sketch and some awesome goodies up for grabs

if you want to play along remember to leave some love as you hop onto each blog and then onto the final destination. but here's the sketch and what i did with it...
 and if you get lost just head on over here to find your way....
SBC http://scrapbookchallenges.com/sbc-blog/

I used the sketch and stretched things to turn it into my beloved double pages. Most of the sketch is visible on the right of my layout and it pretty much took on it's own life from there on.

i used a stencil with some texture paste on the background and lightly inked it using gold Mr Huey inks to add some colour. i also made some marble circles to add more colour and pattern

some delicate cut-outs from patterned paper repeating the colours throughout the layout

fabric strips and stickers used in the perfect colour combination.

 here are some of the fabulous prizes up for grab if you play along with us

now it's time to head on over to Emmy's blog and see what she did with the sketch

Emmy http://few-favourite-things.blogspot.com

we hope you have an awesome time. there's loads of activity happening around the site with games and hunts. so if you have nothing planned for this weekend, why not spend it with us being creative. now go and get your scrap on :-)

it's Monday which means it's time for another sketch over at scrapbook challenges.i loved working with this sketch - so many possibilities. there's no 'official' double page version, but because i am more comfortable scrapping on double pages....that's what i did. the colour inspiration came from these gorgeous little pink and green leaves i found from a new supplier (yeah) awesome stuff. so here's what the original sketch looks like, and remember to head on over to www.scrapbookchallenges.com to see what the design team has done

and here's my layout...

i used a combination of old and new patterned papers. some chipboard elements and some paint and inks for an artistic touch. i also added some old book paper for a change - missed using it.

really old Basic Grey rub-ons - i simply cut the strip in half to use it in more than one spot on my layout, love being frugal

and lots of sewing done. i used this really cool template i have - made for calligraphy - to punch holes in my layout and then sued gold thread to sew this beautiful diamond pattern. i love the delicate and beautiful look - worth all the work!

hope you are having a wonderfully creative week so far.