30...

Last weekend J turned the big 30.  Seeing as we only got married a few months ago a not so big fuss was made of his birthday just a teeny tiny group of very close friends, a few helium balloons, pizza and a Nigella approved chocolate fudge cake.  Normally I would go all out and do lots of handmade decorations  and make all the invitations and food, not so this year as I feel like I am still recovering from the wedding and I have a big birthday for Teela coming up and a Hens night to help plan, he did however get a card.

  (Paper: DCWV- The Green Stack, Bazzill, Grant Studios, Kraft Base)

(Other: Glossy Accents, Kaisercraft Jewels, Assorted Punches, Cricut) 

I don't own all that many stamps especially sentiments and I just could not get anything that I did own to work so, I fiddled around in Microsoft publisher till I had a design that I liked and I printed the Happy Birthday onto the die cut scallop, it takes a little bit of mucking around but it is worth it as I got an image that I was happy with rather than just using what stamps I had that may not have gone as well.

Naughty But Cute

This is possibly one of my favourite photos of Teela, all covered in hot pink lipstick and thinking that she was so special, as the layout title suggests, naughty but cute.

(Paper: Grant Studios, DCWV, lexel, Kaisercraft- Pina Colada)

(Other: Chipboard Alpha, Stickers- Craft Affair, Doodlebug -Sweet 16, Grant Paper Die Cuts)

So yet again and true to my form this was a layout made entirely from my stash and the best part was that it included my beloved budget friendly Grant Studios products, really old and cheap stash (the Doodlebug stickers which I swear I have owned for six or more years and the Craft affair buttons that I bought from The Reject Store for $2 a pack) and some of that recycled/saved paper from my old work.

The other thing that I am really happy with is the alteration of the lipstick sticker on the layout.  When I pulled this photo out I just knew that I had the perfect sticker for it, the only downside was that the black and white polka dots did not match in with the colour scheme of the layout and had to go so in order to change that I took some coordinating paper and glued over the base of the lipstick sticker, covered it with the paper and then cut around the edges, and voila a matchy matchy lipstick for my layout in under one minute.

Why did I not think of that....

Seriously, how easy is that.  I love it when someone comes up with an idea that is so simple but so effective.  might go and make some twine tonight.

Girly Cards

I generally don't make all that much in the way pretty girly cards but over the last couple of weeks I have made a few that fall into that category

 (Paper: Grant Studios, Lexel)

(Stamp: Melissa Fances, Fiskers-Baby)

(Other: Velvet Ribbon, Satin Ribbon, Versacolr Ink, Kaiser Pearls, Kindy Glitz)

Do you have scrapbooking paper that just wont work for you in a layout?  This paper was exactly that, I loved the design but I personally just can't fit paper with a big print into my style so instead of giving the paper away I decided to make a card from it, yes it is much taller than a standard card but I was lucky enough to have a matching envelope from a card that I was given that was the perfect fit.

(Paper: Grant Studios, Lexel, Cristina Re)

(Stamps: Kaisercraft- CS707 & After Five)

(Other: Kaisercraft Gems, Ribbon, Satzon, Adirondack & Brilliance Ink, Kindyglitz, Foam Tape)

This card was made using some left over scraps from when I was trialing my wedding invitations.   A fairly simple card the only thing that I did a little different from normal was stamp the pink background with white flourishes.  The plain pink was just too harsh so I added a contrasting pattern to make it softer.

 (Paper: Kraft Card Base, DCWV, Grant Studios, Bazzill, Lexel)

(Stamps: Bella Blvd- Flirty Clear)

(Other: Paper Mania Glitter, Zing Embossing Powder, Versacolor & Brilliance Ink, Pearl Ex, Teresa Collins Blingage)

I visited a scrap store I had not yet been to last week and manged to pick up the Bella Blvd Flirt stamps for $3.50 and I could not wait to play with them.

Ohhhh shiny Card.......

How lovely is that tinsel glitter, I have only used loose glitter once or twice before and it was not a good expeience, the Papermania glitter seems to be a bit more user friendly than the last lot I tried, can't wait to try the others I have.

Stash friendly cards....

I am generally pretty good when it comes to purchasing scrapbooking supplies and I do try to keep the spending and the amount of product that I have to a sensible minimum.  I have been a tad naughty in the last few weeks buying a few little bits and pieces here and there and seeing as I am trying to lower the amount of supplies that I buy till after we move and I have not actually crafted all that much lately I took it upon my self to use something from the stash.

A few years ago I won a competition from Scrapbooking Memories and the prize was a huge pack of Avery stickers, there was so many packs in that prize that there was no way I would ever be able to use them all so I kept what I thought I would use and I donated and gave away the rest.  That was three or four years ago and I have still hardly used a thing from what I kept, I decided that I was time to use something from my Avery stash.  

I Picked a pack of glittered flower stickers

 (Paper: Kraft base, DCWV, Bazzill, Unknown)

(Stamps: Creating Keepsakes KOTM, Melissa Framces)

(Other: Avery sticker, Grant Rub on,, ranger inks)

 (Paper: Card Base, DCWV, Bazzill, Grant, Unknown)

(Stamps: Kaisercraft, Melissa Frances, Fiskers)

(Other: Avery Sticker, Kaiser brads, Distress ink)

(Paper: Card Base, Grant, Bazzill)

(Stamps: Melissa Frances, Kaisercraft)

(Other: Avery Sticker, Grant Rub on, American Crafts ribbon, Paper Mania Glitter, Brilliance Ink)

I was so happy with the way that the first card turned out that I decided to keep going with the same look and until the whole pack of stickers was gone.  Goal achieved, used up one whole pack of the Avery stickers. 

Lately....

                                      

• The Easter decoration aftermath.  I do not really get into the spirit of holidays (8 years of retail in malls will do that) but I decided to go all holiday mode for the kids this year.  Should not have bothered, ten minutes hanging out the washing and that is what's greeting me inside.

• 
•  It has been hair clip central here for the last few weeks.  I am done for a while but the hard parts start now, choosing a name to operate under and selling some.

•   Enjoying the last of the warm sunny days, sadly I think that this day was the last that we will enjoy untill next spring :(

•   Helping my amazing friend out with her kids clothing stall, I love being around so many beautiful things that she has hand crafted on her own

•  Mixed berry cheesecake.  I used to make these bad boys for a living in so many diferent flavours, I used to make lots and lots of them every week, it has been two years and this is only the second one I have made.  It bought back all the good feelings that I get when I cook/bake and it tasted pretty amazing as well.

• J considers himself the baker in this house and weekends we are usually indugling in some home made bakery treats, usually bread but sometimes he will make something indulgent like this brioche that was not really anything like brioche but still tasted too good to be healthy.

• Scrubbing walls, yep scrubbing the walls of the house, not the greatest activity that comes to mind but something that must be done.  Two years of little grubby kid hands is starting to bother me, super spring clean here I come.

Long forgotten scrapping....

I have been meaning to get on here and post a few layouts that I have done recently within the last few months and longer and have just not got around to posting them.

(Paper: Bazzill, Grant, Fiskers, Lexel)

(Other: Rubons: Love Elsie - Heidi Grace, Stickers: Ek Success, Stamp: Kelly Panacci) 

This was my most recent layout, I don't scrap all that many layouts of J and I, it always seems that we are behind the camera and we don't really like having our photos taken all that much.  I used a great mixture of new and old products in this layout, both rub ons I have had for years and the ticket stickers I have had for ever, the I love you title is a  sillhouette file. 

 (Paper: Echo Park, DCWV, Scenic Route, Mica paper & flocked paper- unknown)

(Other: Stickers: Heidi Grace alphas - Echo Park, Craft Affair, Stamp: Autumn Leaves, Distress Ink)  

This was the first of two layouts that I did in fairly neutral colours.  I have always loved bright colours and most of my scrapbooking and cards are a testament to that but occasionally you get photos or a theme to scrap that does not lend itself to the bright colours or overly busy papers, it was nice to mix things up a bit.  As usual I used a good mix of new and older products, the green/khaki flocked paper and the mica paper are seriously old and are from the very early days of this hobby.  

 (Paper: Bazzill, DCWV, Grant, Love Elsie, Handmade - unknown source)

(Other: Stickers: Cloud 9 - Chatterbox felt, Stamps: Kelly Panacci, Distress Ink, Buttons, Glossy Accents, Embroidery Thread) 

  I have been holding onto the DCWV Green stack paper for so long now waiting for the right type of layouts for its use, I am so glad that my kids are at the age now where it seems appropriate to use this paper. 

(Paper: Creative Imaginations, Grant, Bazzill, corrugated paper)

(Other: Ribbon, SVG files for Cricut)

I love this page, in fact it up there with some of my favourites but apart from the colours and just the way that it all came together the thing that I love the most about this layout is the fact that all it is is paper and a bit of ribbon, sure I got some help with the Cricut and some punches but once upon a time I would have hand cut all that.  I also believe that I scraplifted this from a layout that I saw somewhere, sadly it has been a few months since I made this layout and I can't for the life of me remember where I got the inspiration or who the creater was. 

 When I first started scrapbooking there was not the over abundance of pre made goodies to use in fact there was very little to choose from unless you were into Suzie's Zoo or Mrs Grossman so you had to make your own embellishments, and sometimes that meant cutting out for hours.  I just love the fact that it shows that you don't need expensive and pre made embellishments to make a good layout.

(Paper: Grant, Kaisercraft, Corrugated Card)

(Other: Sticker: Craft Affair, Stickles, Twine, Cricut)

This one is OLD, really, really old in fact I think it could even be two years old, I have no idea how it slipped past me documenting it.  Not exactly the nicest of experiences to document but lets face it anyone who  has kids had felt the dreaded tanty and I try to document our lives the good and the bad. 

Back to reality...

The last year has pretty much been a haze of busy and the last three months I have been in wedding overload, not to get into too much details but everything went off perfectly and the day was beautiful.  We are now however in the very last stages of post wedding wind down, all the guests have gone, the thank you cards will begin, we have a mountain of paper work to sort, leftover wedding goods to either sell or store, mountains and mountains of washing that needs to be taken care of and just the getting back into the routine and reality of what is "normal" life.

 An actual Holga wedding photo not a fake iphone number, one of my favourites, can't wait to see the others that were taken from this camera.

I am looking forward to embracing the nap where I can, they are a luxurious and self indulgent treat that I discovered after the wedding, having the time to clean and sort my house out again, having more time to socialise and finally having the time and inclination to craft and bake again.  Ohh how I have missed the simple pleasures of having a few hours all to myself with no wedding planning and organising.

How I love old stash....

You know what I love?

Actually do you know what two things I love?

Saving money/buying bargains and using my old stash.  I actually find rather a lot of pleasure in being able to re-use or re purpose something, breathing new life into something that was on its way to the bin or taking something that is old and making it look new or fit in with new products.

This is reflected a lot in my crafty endeavours, take this layout below, some of that paper is about 8 years old, some of it was rescued from going to the bin at my old work, the button came from a jar of vintage goodies found at the op shop and the pretty pink die cut paper came from a cheap multi pack of die cuts at Big W for about $5.  I did not have to buy a single a thing for this layout, it was all product that I had at home, some new and some old, some at the higher end price wise and some right at the bottom, I love it when a layout comes together like that especially when I can use paper that is from my earlier days of scrapping.   

Amazing

(Paper: K&Co, Paper Salon, GCD Studios, Lexel, Bazzill, Grant Archival)

(Other: Kaiser Pearls, Ribbon, Lace Trim, Button, Sam & Lucy Tiny Types, K&Co Stickers, Kindy Glitz, Butterfly Punch-Heidi Grace)

Blog version 2.0

So sometime last year I decided to delete the old blog and start again.  I just had the realisation that I wanted a bit of a change plus I felt that I had outgrown the old blog which I had been merrily contributing to for the past four years, bit of a big decision for me but one that feels right. 

I have taken a few months off from blogging after I deleted the old one as the reality is that I really have not had the time to dedicate to a blog.  The last few months have been a whirlwind of planning a wedding (which is pretty much almost here, eeep), working and running a household with two small children and just general life responsibilities.

So what have I been up to in the last few months?  Here are some projects that I have been working on:

So there is, a few months of creating right there.  I actually wish that there was more to show but another thing that suffered during the past few months was my creativity which is silly really as I was working in a shop environment that sold pretty papers & embellishments.

TFL, Erin