Scrappy Catch-Up!

Well, here I am back again. School holidays have just begun, thank goodness! Everyone is just so tired and ready for a break, not to mention coughs, colds and other sniffles! We don't have any major plans these holidays other than catching some of the new movies coming out (and there are a few on our list!), and maybe some catch-ups with friends and family.

On the crafting front, Erin and I found our way to the Scrapbooking and Papercraft convention over the Queen's birthday long weekend. We were able to cover all that we wanted to in only a few hours. Disappointingly it seems to get smaller each year with less to offer. But aside from that I was still able to come home with a few goodies! Mainly a pile of new washi tape! Funnily enough, next door at the convention centre was the annual book fair, and I think we almost spent more there and had more fun in 45 minutes than the whole time we were at the show! Although Erin and I were very impressed with Jane Devenports drawings, they were wonderful!

But I did come away itching to create, so that is the positive! I spent last weekend creating while introducing myself to the series "Breaking Bad" that so many friends have recommended to me. Well I was not disappointed! And it gave me an excuse to just sit and play for a few hours! I haven't managed to do any challenges for a while with committments to classes and other business getting in the way, so I thought I would try and get some done for this month. I managed two challenges last weekend, and hopefully I will get some more done over the holidays. So lets get onto pictures!

Firstly, here are the Project Life spreads that I mostly completed while on my scrappy retreat a few weeks ago. I still had to finish of journaling and I added a few more photos too.

Working by month is really great for me, I have time to do this and the kids absolutely love having a little summary of our monthly activities to look back on! I think I "convinced" a few of the girls at the retreat that this might be a worthwhile venture too! I used Simple Stories Snap and Echo Park Photo Freedom kits for these pages making it really quick and easy to put together.

Next up are some pages that I created for the sake of creating! It is really nice to do that sometimes!

The Frodo page was inspired by one done by Marcy Penner that I have on one of my Pintrest boards, such a good way to collect ideas Pintrest! I am also enjoying scrapping some older photos. I think that might be because my kids won't let me photograph them quite so much any more and they are at school so much so I don't have a captive audience any more!! Oh well, holiday time, I will endeavour to pin them down and take photos!!

These next ones are my challenge ones. The first for Purple Pumpkins June Sketch and the second for White With One. Firstly here is the sketch:

And here is my interpretation:

Again, an older photo! I added in an orange heart button, butterfly flair and yellow ticket that are Purple Pumpkin products. I also had to play with the gorgeous gold glitter washi tape that I recently picked up from D'lish Scraps! Isn't it the best!!! That is also where I picked up the labeller that made the "cheeky grins" label/title.

So White With One June criteria was White + Coral + Decorative Edges, and I pulled out some of my border punches, which I admit have not seen the light of day in a little while, and had some fun!

I really love how the edges came out, tone on tone, detail without being too busy! And some more older photos. look how little and sweet my girls are! I can't believe how quickly they have grown!

Well, that is all from me today. Hopefully I willbe back with some more challenges soon!

June already!

Wow, I cannot believe it is June already! The best thing though is we are getting ready for a long weekend this coming weekend, due to the Queen's Birthday public holiday. I really feel like I need a long weekend!

Having said that last weekend was almost like a long weekend. I spent the weekend on a scrapping/crafting retreat with some of my beautiful crafty friends. I must say that I came away feeling a little refreshed and happy that I had so much time to just sit and create, and chat too of course! A lot of talking and laughing goes on at our retreats! So, I thought I would share some of my favourite creations from the weekend, all with a layering feel to them courtesy of the Pop Off the Page 2 class that has just wound up!

 OK, technically I finished this one before the retreat and I just haven't put it up yet!

 This one came out of a challenge put forward by Andrea. The background paper was where I demonstrated how to use mists to create a watercolour type of effect. My challenge was to use that demo page! Kind of pleased with how it came together!

Not too much else to report here. The world keeps turning and we keep going on with our busy lives!

Katie

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