Home for Christmas is the new range of goodies from DoCrafts - and i have fell head over heels in love with their papers. The range is firm and sturdy but not too thick to score and fold or even emboss. so it was a natural choice to make some easel cards using this beautiful range of papers and matching stamps. I love how easel cards can display themselves without any issues and they always look good no matter what.

i combined a variety of the patterned papers with kraft cardstock for an earthy Christmas look. to bring in some green i used the beautiful holly stamp and added colour using the new range of DoCrafts Artiste Dual Tip Brush Markers. i love the artistic look i am able to achieve using these markers. and they come in 3 different sets for a huge range of colours.

the baubles were cut from a sheet of patterned paper and popped up using pop dots.

stunning sentiment tags are available in the range making it a complete a-z option for quick and convenient Christmas crafting.

for my second card i matted a piece of kraft cardstock onto patterned paper and added some sewing for texture. I used a scalloped circle Couture Creations die underneath my Boofle printed accent.

some red gliztin glamour glitter glue used on the berries adds a nice touch of shine.

and a couple of diamante to finish it all off.

to see how i used the Artiste Brush Markers head on over here for a sxs tutorial.

with the weekend here maybe you will have some time to get a few Christmas cards done. remember there's only about 13 weeks left. here's to a creative weekend filled with peace and beauty!

time for another sketch over at scrapbook challenges. how time flies when you are having fun.i loved working with this sketch. i think it's because i can make a double page layout comfortable with only using 1 or 2 photos - and that's ok. so for this layout i used the beautiful range of washi tapes from K-Craft. you can find more about them here. i am also using her beautiful washi tapes for my upcoming card class in October. can't wait to see old and new friends.

i used about 6 diffferent washi tapes together to create the horisontal lines for my background.

a few embellishments in the form of buttons and cardstock heart. i also used a couple of patterned paper in between from crate, glitz design and websters.

and journaling sewn to the background after printing it

the photo of the cat has been floating around our house for years. my brother took the photo years ago of my sister's little kitten inside his army boot - a classic and a well loved photo resembling happy times - i think. and on a personal note (not sure if anyone cares)....

we need to make some tough personal decisions around here. struggling to hear God's voice on this matter and praying for clarity and peace while i enter into this new phase of life.

wishing you all a very crafty week - i think i feel like throwing paint at a canvas.

today (although almost over) we celebrated heritage day in south Africa or as it is better know as National Braai day (bbq). for me unfortunately no braai today - we are not the biggest meat eaters and although there is nothing nicer than a piece of 'braaied' wors or ribs we just didn't do it. but i did capture some photos of the big event last year and so it was time to create a fun layout using a cricut cartridge with some braai themed die-cuts.what i did do today is spent some time scrapping with friends and just chilling. even though i have been super stressed out lately - today was a good day. it must be a mind thing knowing it is a holiday. so for this layout i used the PB&J basic grey range of papers with its bright and beautiful colours - tying together our rainbow nation beautifully.

off course i had to add some bling to the little chefs hat

added some texture to my die cut title using a cuttlebug embossing folder

some sweet flags - yes flying them high and proud

and some background watercolour splashes

i hope you all had a wonderful day! no matter what you did. also reflecting on life and being alive as i came upon a horrific accident on my way this morning - while remembering the anniversary of my dad's death 27 years ago on the road as well. reflecting on the meaning of life - and as the Greeks say all there is is love and helping others. nothing else matters. and yes all the earthly goods don't matter. as i realised again today as i walked into total and absolute faith - cause there was nothing else to hold onto today - but faith itself and a promise.

what i love most about the cuttlebug is the versatility in designs when it comes to their embossing folders. although we are not huge on celebrating Halloween, this project was a fun one to do using the beautifully themed Halloween embossing folders - the best thing about the folders are that they are not too themed specific so one could get away with using them on different projects too.

beautifully embossed clay tiles covered in a layer of pigment powder for a shimmering effect.

clay tiles with a skull theme are finished off with diamante eyes and hides behind a 

Cre8te chipboard fence.

we are having a relaxed weekend here at home - cleaning, purging, shaking off baggage and letting go of fear. the one thing i have realized is that if i thought i had problems, i feel so sorry for those who have so much more and yet are so insecure in themselves and their lives. it really makes a difference having a life in Christ and knowing that each day is made new in HIM. i have so much to celebrate! hope you are having a creative weekend wherever you are. thanks for popping in and all the comments - you are a blessing!

scary to think that we are almost done with September...which only means that we are heading down hill to December really quickly.and on top of that is was monday again and time for another stunning sketch over at Scrapbook Challenges. i loved working with this sketch - right up my alley. not sure my paper choice was the best...a bit "blendy" for my style but still love it! to see the single page version and what the design team came up with head on over to scrapbook challenges

I used a beautiful chipboard frame from Crate paper that matched my papers and colours perfectly. had to add some bling around the edges...

and tried the new tim holtz faux metal technique using metal tape and alcohol inks.

and some sewing fort texture and colour

here's wishing you a creative week filled with love and goodness...

Products used

Patterned paper Bo Bunny and Bazzill Basics 

Chipboard elements Crate paper

Butterfly Kaisercraft

Lettering Grunge board

Other diamante, thread, alcohol inks, metal tape, brown acrylic paint

*Bazzill Basics paper is available from Scrapbook Studio