Happy world Card making day! I hope you will have a crafty day filled with lots of goodness! I'm sharing a card with you for this special occasion!

 So you’ve pretty much used your Silhouette for anything and everything, and hopefully by now you have mastered some of the most important functions. And now is the time to play and have fun!
I used one of my backgrounds I purchased to create a background for a card. I love how you can simply change the size of your cut image to fit any project. No more using pretty patterned papers for my cards – I think I am hooked on the versatility of using these cut backgrounds on my cards, and I can custom cut them in any colour paper I want or need.

open the background from your Library

resize the image – remember to hold down the “Shift” key so that it will resize proportionally. I just work on the sizing and because the image Is measured in inches I can easily see if it will fit my card front

send your file to the Silhouette to cut. Remember to loads your cutting material by following the on screen prompts on your CAMEO

cut your background using your material of choice. I used my favourite cutting cardstock, American Crafts smooth cardstock

I start by peeling off the outside piece of cardstock leaving behind only the cut background part

next I use my Spatula to carefully remove the cut image and all of the parts on the inside. I really like this tool because I can remove small as well as large piece of cardstock easily without damaging the delicate cut lines

Once my image was cut and removed from my cutting matt, I adhere it to the front of my card and trimmed off any overhanging bits using my scissors. Make sure that all the bits are glued down really well to avoid them lifting after you cut the edges off. I recommend using a spray glue to make things easier.

 So you’ve unpacked your Silhouette and the box and all its bits are kept safely together, or so you think. That is until you want to change the blade settings. Apparently that little grey cap is quite an important part of the machine and whole cutting process – who new, until it was a bit late?

So as organized as I am, I couldn’t find the cap anywhere under the piles of in-progress stuff on my desk.

 Never fear because there is always someone with a solution – so phone a friend and here’s what I learned. You know the little hole on the left side of the CAMEO, the hole where you are meant to store your blade, the same blade you sometimes will have to change the settings with and just can’t do by hand and simply turning it, yes that hole.

Well afore mentioned hole can also help you adjust the blade: simply insert the blade and turn to adjust – genius right! Right!

And after all of that, I lift a pile and there is that little grey sucker! Some useless information for those who knew, but if you didn’t, then thanks a bunch to my friend for sharing that info – that saved my life!

Sharing some ideas from my Christmas photo shoot in 2013 for The Christmas Magazine. Each year i hope to get organized and start prepping for the festive season really early (don't we all) - although the commercial side of it does put a damper on it all, there still is that magical true meaning side to it all.I love these rusty ornaments and especially this cake stand from my home - so I incorporated it into my decor and filled it with my handmade fabric wrapped baubles.

The photos were all taken on my old farmhouse style table i inherited (or got) from my dad's parents. I painted it white and sanded it to get just the perfect amount of chippiness to it.

more rusty urns filled with sweets and decorated with berry garlands

and finally some handmade quick and easy kid friendly decorations for the tree - Using buttons and ribbon to create miniature wreaths - add them to candles, around serviettes, on cupboard doors - and when you are done recycle them to create something else

Strips of torn fabric wrapped around and pinned to the top of a polystyrene ball and then a ribbon loop added with a decorative pin

simple gift wrapping ideas with brown paper and paper garlands to string on the tree

and an old recycled curtain ring covered in ribbon and a festive berry - quick and easy and earth friendly decorating

are you planning anything for Christmas in July to help you get an early start to your special season?

I have scrapped for many years and some layouts just didn’t make the cut. Maybe it was a bad day, maybe it just wasn’t good enough for me, maybe my craft has evolved, or maybe times have just changed and I have changed. Maybe I just like the paper ranges more than ever before…

And so it is with anything creative – as we grow and change so does our creativity. Which brings us to the Urban Market range of papers by Teresa Collins? Now if you talk to anyone who really knows me, you will know that I don’t do two colours in anything – 3 or more please! But somehow this range was different, it has blue, grey and black and some white of course and that’s Ok – I could deal with no third colour until I started looking for photographs to use. And as soon as I threw in the gold I realised that to try and not live by what you believe or know or trust is simply wrong.

I have always trusted my accent or third colour as you will – because it is one of those design principles that just work. It takes a beautiful collection of paper and turns it into a layout that I can live with for years – simply charming to say the least.

So here’s my advice for today’s layout – trust your Gut instinct! And do what you love and believe in and your craft will speak to you and you will love it for always – as I will!

So back to crafting, for my layout I used only the TC papers, but when it came to adding photos and embellishments I picked out the golden hues from my photos and added that colour in the form of buttons, thread and diamonds (there’s that 3 again) and it simply lifted the layout to something that I love! It just goes to show that a few simple elements can change something in a big way.

Happy scrapping - no matter what always enjoy your creative process!

Early on in my creative career I worked in a stamp shop - my love for "rubber" was and still is passionate! I love the feel of holding something tangible in my hands that i can repeatedly use over and over again and in different ways, combined with many techniques and products in any which way it pleases me. So when i first got hold of the Chiswick range of stamps (www.chiswick.co.za) i was pleasantly surprised. The range quickly became a favourite go to section. So when  i created this layout i wanted to incorporate many different designs  into it and the go to products was stamps.

I used them in different ways to create not only texture and patterns but add something interesting to this somewhat masculine layout, and still keeping it real to my own style.

I used lots of circles on this layout - just another shape to add to the many on the list used on this project. I used sewing to highlight the circles and add even more texture.

I used this beautiful stamp and stamped it onto white smooth cardstock using black ink. I then trimmed the stamped image into smaller diamond shapes to use on my layout as a border. I love how one 'big' thing can become lots of smaller elements on a layout or card just by using your imagination and a good pair of scissors like these

I also used these fun little postage stamps to create my own elements on my layout instead of using store bought embellishments. I stamped them onto white cardstock and then added a light inking on top of that to change the colour - this makes them blend into the layout more instead of standing out like a sore thumb. Use foam dots to raise them for added dimension.

I used the intricate floral stamp from this set and embossed it in dark brown embossing powder to create my own textured piece of embossed paper. You can dress it up using buttons, brads and other elements, ink the white background to change the colour or leave it plain as i did for an effective handmade piece of paper.

I love how i created my own elements in a few easy steps using just stamps and a couple of added products. It just shows you how stamps can be used creatively using different mediums making each project unique and special. All the products used are available from your nearest scrapbooking shop - you can contact Denise on 031- 569 6116 or visit www.chiswick.co.za to view their entire product list and for previous blog posts. Look out for another creative blog post later this week featuring a fun jewellery item you can make at home. Have a wonderfully creative week!

There's a new challenge up at Nuts about sketches and this is a great one - i loved everything about this sketch, and i loved how my layout turned out! i did a LOT of Christmas layouts last year for a lot of different reasons, but this was a really special one (even better up close and personal).

this was of my regular friends' Christmas dinner we had together. i used a single sheet of Prima patterned paper for this layout - the piece on the left hand side running down.

the remainder of the paper was cut out and you can see that below - the feather and rose grouping. just love that. i combined it with some Heidi Swapp and Teresa Collins' elements and cut out bits from papers. the red and black striped tape is a Heidi Swapp product from way back when and it just worked beautifully.

i used the die-cut circle i made on my Cuttlebug using washi tapes, with some stamped images inside it. a few diamante were added to finish it off.

i used this beautiful washi tape to add some delicate writing to the top edge and the gold just picks up on the gold in the photos and in the paper. a few gold confetti circles works really nicely scattered amongst some other elements.

and here's how i got to that die cut again as written about it here

hope you feel inspired - i love scrapping themes but not necessarily using themed papers and elements. it can be done to suit your style - and this one is right up my alley! have a wonderful week and thank you for popping by - followers of blogs are special people and you are truly loved and valued! thank you!

welcome to another challenge at scrap Africa! it was an easy one...but boy did it take me a long time to get it done - it was too funny! i started off with a few layout ideas since i so love washi tape and have a fair share of it in my stash, but just couldn't get it together! so finally i created this card and loved it. it just worked and came together! how big is your washi stash? do i need to know?

love me some twine in pretty colours  -so versatile and functional too!

i used a big variety of washi tapes in blues - love the one with the butterflies on!

the sentiment is from a Teresa Collins sheet of paper from her Memorabilia range. *love

hope you are having a wonderful week. please head on over to scrap Africa and play along to win some awesome prizes!

Convenience and creativity go hand in hand and with today’s time being a luxury it makes sense. So when Couture Creations released their new 3in1 sets of embossing folders, die-cuts and stamps it made so much sense. Creatively these sets are perfect for creating beautiful cards and elements for your scrapbook layouts in a single setting without having so search for things that match each other.

Stand by me
I love using bits and pieces on my projects so the Pattern embossing folder set is sure to be a firm favourite. For this card I used one of the wide border stamp and then embossed it using the matching embossing folder to add some texture. The beautiful rosette stamps was stamped onto pink patterned paper and cut out and finished off with some buttons. The stamped sentiment is part of the stamps and included in the sets so it makes it extra convenient having everything at hand.

These cards are so easy to make simply because I had everything at hand in one easy set. These 3in1 sets are sure to be a firm favourite in my stash – easy and convenient with exquisite designs.

Products used
Couture Creations Dream Boat 3-in-1 Set - Floral (Embossing Folder, Cutting Die & Clear Stamp) [ADCO 723403]
Couture Creations Dream Boat 3-in-1 Set - Pattern (Embossing Folder, Cutting Die & Clear Stamp) [ADCO 723404]
Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad - New Sprout [TMD-704]
Memento Dew Drop Ink Pad - Cottage Ivy [TMD-701]
Family Stories Double Sided Paper – Family [TC FS1007]
Mister Huey's Colour Mist - Pretty Pink [AC 331083]
Mister Huey's Colour Mist – Sunset [AC 331048]
Mister Huey's Colour Mist - Water Cooler (Aqua) [AC 331019]
Vintage Bliss 6x6 Paper Pad [SS 3001]
Versafine Ink Pad - Onyx Black [TVF-82]

Hello everyone...sorry for being missing in action for a while. it seems that August is always such a busy month and with that i lost a bit of blogging time (ok time everywhere it seems). the house is a mess, the work area is a mess, i am behind on washing and so many other things it seems.but i did manage to play with the amazing new Teresa Collins Family Stories this past week. First up is a new Scrap Africa sketch so pleas head on over and play along with us

i had fun creating with inks and the washi tape in this range - so many little things to add details to your layouts.

and then there was this layout i made for The Wholesaler - you can visit their blog here to find out what i had so say about this amazing range of papers - this all while Teresa Collins is in South Africa visiting and teaching our shores. such a lucky girl - but i am unlucky to not attend her classes. maybe sometime soon in America!

i used a combination of the papers and cut out elements to spread the colour around my layout which i totally love. i am so in love with the beautiful soft pink combined with orange of all colours and that amazingly soft blue and delicate turquoise - pure perfection.

i used a recent stamp i found to create a paper pieced flower - and am so in love with the look. i am not a huge fan of paper piecing but have had the perfect flower visualized in my head for this for ages and when i found it i was over the moon. it worked so well with this paper range as well! pure bliss.

ahh and the simple sticky note - well she did it! turned something so simple and functional into something playful and fun and scrapbookingy.

i also added a few Ali Edwards' stamped words, pearls, diamante and brads to finish off my layout. i hope you will hop on over to The Wholesaler and see what other beautiful products are currently available! a well designed range of paper and embellishments has gotten me back into being excited about new papers after a rather long dry spell waiting for the new releases to land here in SA.

wishing you a wonderfully creative week - i have about 2 more days of 6 days left in the studio photographing.....well you will just have to wait a bit longer. let me just say i am giddy with excitement and have rekindles my love for publishing and photography, and am so thankful to God for this opportunity and privilege! have a stunning week!