More Class Work

Well, I have to say I am absolutely loving the Pop of the Page 2 class over at Studio Calico. I have even kept up with the challenges! But I guess that is because we only have weekly ones instead of one almost every day! So the challenge was to be inspired by something from the third pdf that we received. So this is my result:

I am really pleased with how this one turned out. I was inspired to use some glitter, which is on the tag sticking out and on the wood veneer shapes, and I was inspired for general layout too. Having so much fun layering and adding bits and pieces. Loving these photos too, just look at my little boy, what a little cherub he was. Don't get me wrong, he still is my baby boy, just now he comes up to my armpit and plays World of Tanks with his father rather than being cute and cuddly! Well he still is cuddly!

And can you believe, I have been so inspired by the class and video I even have another layout on the go right now!

Catch you soon.

Katie x

Stuff.

Stuff, it is such a useful word! You own stuff, you have stuff to do, sometimes you just want to do stuff all! Anyway, today I have stuff to share!

Firstly I have a new nephew! That is pretty big stuff! He was born back in April and is such a sweet little thing, so cuddly just like a little koala.

This is Alexander, isn't he just the most gorgeous thing you have seen?!

I have also started another class over at Studio Calico and I have done the first two challenges already as well! The class is Pop off the Page 2 with Jen Jockisch and it is all about layering and building interesting pages. So the first challenge was to lift or be inspired by one of the pages in the first PDF, and the second was to embrace mixed media.

I am having huge fun using my Silhouette too! Especially when there are great cut files that come with the class!

I also have completed another two challenges from the previous class - Bright Ideas. Yes, I know that was back in February, and guess what I am not quite at half way through the challenges. But I plan on doing them all.... eventually!

So these are water colour resist and texture challenges.

This is my water colour resist. I wrote the title with white glue that dried clear, then used mists over the top, blowing with a straw to get the interesting patterns.

This one was to include at least three different textures, even if they were flat textures. So I started with some mask and ink work, layered with papers and embossed cardstock, chipboard in the title, a flair button and a crocheted flower. I think that covered the brief!

So, that's all from me for now. Til next time....

Katie x

Hello... I'm Back!

Geez, you think you are on a good thing, getting things done timely, then it all just goes out the window! Oh well, as they say in the movies, "That's Life"!

But never the less, I am back. Today with some more Studio Calico - Bright Idea inspired pages, and my beginnings into Project Life. I had been scared off by PL with all those people doing weekly spreads. One I just don't have the time and two I don't have the inclination to document like that, so I just wrote it off as not for me. But the more I saw, the more I thought I could adapt it to suit me, and I had tried to do something a little like this years ago before the trend hit (not so organised as this is however, just a summary kind of documention!), and I had "stuff" that I could use, so I thought, why not!

I have decided to do a monthly overview instead of a weekly one, with the option of making more spreads if the month was particularly "busy". I know others are doing this out there, so I know I am no pioneer, nor unique, it just took me a little longer to get there than others! Anyway, enough waffling, the outcome is something the kids love, is easy for me to keep up with, and a great way to have an overview of the year in a simple format! Yay!

So let me share with you my latest tinkerings!

Firstly Bright Ideas # 8 String Art - use string art somehow, somewhere on your page.

I ended up having fun with this, and love the yellow (one of my fav colours right now!).

Bright Ideas # 9 - Washi Tape Takeover - use no patterned paper, use washi instead, cool right?!

What I ended up doing for this one is cover some cardstock in stripes of washi to create my own patterned paper, then I cut tags and other bits and pieces to create my background. My favourite part was the washi feathers that I made (in the close up picture), based on an idea that I pinned and I am not exactly sure where it originally came from, but very very cool!

So next up are my first PL spreads - Dec 2012 and Jan 2013. Nothing amazingly exciting about them, but my start to more regular documenting, and that is what is important!

I quite enjoyed making one photo fit four slots, a great way to get a large photo in! Now that I have played with what I already have on hand, I can feel the need to add to my "stuff" to be better organised!!! Any excuse, right?!

Til next time.

Katie

Something to Share!

Well, I pulled my finger out and made an effort to stop looking at stuff on-line and actually do things that I have been thinking about. The result is a one of a kind cut file for my Cameo and a finished layout from the long finished Bright Ideas class over at Studio Calico! Yay me!

So the challenge for this Bright Ideas task was to create shaped text to somehow include on your page.I decided to do a guitar filled with my own words about Niamh liking to strum her guitar. My favourite part of this page however was the title card that I created and then cut with my Silhouette. (geez I love this machine!). So lets get down to it and play show and tell!

So I drew the card and then scanned it in and finally imported into the Studio software to create my cutting file. Pretty nifty isn't it??!! Well I am pleased even if no one else is! The wonder of being able to include my own handwriting in a title without having to use a craft knife to finish it off! I also cut the musical notes with the Silhouette too, just to finish it all off. All in all something that I am most pleased with!

So, if you like the title card, and have a Silhouette I have decided to let you have a copy of the file! You can find the file here, just please mention me if you do use it, and come back and let me know too so I can see how you used it!

Well, that is enough for today. Although it has spurred me on to go and create some more!

Katie x

Easter Update

Well, Easter certainly crept up quietly but quickly this year! But it is definitely nice to be on go slow for the school break!

Since the last update we have added two more mice to our brood (don't ask, I am still not quite sure how it happened!). They have all settled in well, and are already well trained like the original two. All you have to do is shake the seed container and they come running looking for you to give them seeds!

Our feathered friend is well settled also. Pearl is such a lovely sweet bird who loves to be on someone's shoulder and be included in the family activities.

Here are the two new meeces... They are Casper (the white, well actually she is creamy coloured one) and Monkey is the other, she is tail-less which was kind of strange at first, but she is not bothered!

So our Easter long weekend has flown by in a flurry of chocolate and egg hunts. Here are a few pictures of the two family activities we had on over the weekend.

I think the kids had a lot of fun with their cousins, which is always nice. And we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of another one too! With only days (hopefully) to go, my brother and his lovely wife are expecting number 3 anytime now! Yipee, another baby to play with!

Well, that's us for now. Hopefully I might get some crafting happening while we are on go slow mode!

Til next time...

Katie

Another Pet...

Yes, another pet has entered our household! Erin had her birthday last week and all that she wanted was her very own pet cockatiel, well now she has one! She chose a hand-reared cinnamon pied pearl cockatiel and she is rather sweet. Her name is Pearl, my idea based on her colouring! I had been joking with her that she would have to call her pet bird to be Capn' Jack after Jack Sparrow, but she wouldn't have a bar of that. Well I had to have a giggle when I told her that even though the name Pearl was after her colouring, there also was the ship the Black Pearl in the Pirates movies! So I got my reference after all!!! Funny! So here is the lovely Pearl and her smitten owner!

We are currently getting her used to all of us and being handled, and we seem to be having little achievements every day. So I am sure it won't be too long before Erin will be sitting doing her homework with Pearl on her shoulder, or perhaps trying to eat her pencil!

I have also completed another three challenges from the Studio Calico Bright Ideas class. This class is almost over and I am only up to challenge #7 (out of 22 so far!), but I am not worried. It has all been about getting ideas, trying new things and just generally being inspired to scrap, and that is happening!

So this first one is about the polka dot, making your own no less! So I went for subtle effect and did tone on tone dots on my background, and I also stamped some soft pink spots on my patterned paper.

 

This next one was all about neutrals with a pop of colour. Pretty self evident I dare say! 

 And last but not least, this was an inspired by kind of page. Here is the original image -

I chose initially the colour scheme, and then also played on the squares and circles and even the gold edges. I am quite pleased with how it finished up. Oh and let me just say, I am loving my silhouette!!!

So, that is all for now. Hopefully some more challenges to come, especially as this week has not been quite as hectic as the last couple!

New Additions!

So, Daughter #1 (as in eldest not best!!) had her birthday last weekend. Fourteen can you believe?! I am not sure that I can, but I guess it is what it is! So what did we get a fourteen year old for her birthday I hear you ask, well some clothes, a charm for her bracelet and some mice. Yep, we gave in and gave her some pet mice. Two cute little creatures that she has named Minnie and Patches. She didn't seem to like the names that I had already given them - Fatso and Wousbag. See I had got to know them before she did, after hiding them from her for four days, and so I thought I had naming rights, but apparently not!

 So this is Minnie (aka Fatso), she is sweet and she does love her food.

And this is Patches, for obvious reasons (aka Wousbag, as she was much more timid!).

And here is the big fourteen year old with her new charges.

Looking more and more grown up every day. But you can't wipe that grin off her face now that she has her own pets!

Also I have managed to do another two of the challenges for the Bright Ideas class over at Studio Calico. I am only behind a bit, they just posted Challenge #9, and I just finished #3!! It is hard to do something every day let me tell you. But no worries, I will be kept with scrapping ideas well after the class finishes, so that is cool!

The first was to sew your title, and I roughly kept to the sketch that came with the challenge too. It was a good excuse to scrap a page celebrating our wedding anniversary that was also last week. 18 years! Wow! But I couldn't imagine having my life with anyone else....

This challenge involved using a map or something map like on your page. Again I kept roughly to the sketch mainly because I loved the big photo and simplicity of the page, which really worked with my photo. I used a printed bit of the Binna Burra walking trail maps along with some map patterned paper, very cool challenge!

So, that about sums up the past week. Next week we celebrate Daughter #2's birthday, we like to pack them in!

Thanks for stopping by!

Katie