74 - CSI Challenge - Happy Days

The challenge this week is for those who love the super bright  colours.  Think vibrant gelati and sophisticated cocktails.  My first thought was to put my sunglasses on, but I had fun with the challenge and stepped outside my comfort zone, so I hope you will too.

Here's how I cracked the case.

I found the perfect pink on a recent trip to my LSS and I thought it matched well with some older MME and a Kaiser butterly.  I introduced the chippie to add a bit of grunge.

A couple of closies, this one to show the beads on the butterfly

And this one to show the embossed metal flowers

I made a terrible mess with the pink dylusions which has been covered by the buttons.  They are not quite where I would chosen to put them, but a good disguise all the same.

EVIDENCE

Metal - the embossed flowers

Beads - on the butterfly

Flowers

TESTIMONY

I used the inspiration words: Cute, Little and Bright

The journalling is about our DGD.  It's on the back of the layout and reads:

This photo was taken on your very first sleep over with Granny and Pa.  To everyone’s surprise you slept all night, waking up as bright as a button. There was no time to get you dressed, as you immediately wanted to be outside, exploring in your cute pink pyjamas.

This big old vintage bike was no challenge for you, even though at 15 months you are still a tiny little girl. You’re as game as Ned Kelly, and as happy as the day is long; always wanting to have a go, no matter how difficult the task.  Like a butterfly, you flit from one thing to the next, never settling in one spot for more than a minute.

Although you love pretty colours like pink and purple and you adore your dolls, you are equally at home with dirt, bikes and soccer balls; no gender stereotyping for you.  Your vocabulary is sparse, but despite that, it’s wonderful to observe you honing your interpersonal skills by negotiation and a beaming smile.   Love Granny

MATERIALS

American crafts - Dedar Lizzy, 5th and Frolic (reverse) the hot pink

My Mind's Eye - Unforgettable, "Today" the yellow polka dots

My Mind's Eye - Memorable, "Journey" (the days)

My Mind's Eye - Kate & Co, Decorative buttons

Simple Stories - Vintage bliss brads 

Prima - Say it in crystals

Kaisercraft - Rhinstones for a cause

Kaisercraft - Pink Pearls

Kaisercraft - Tigerlilly Collection - Freesia (butterfly)

Mill Hill - Seed beads

Dylusions Ink - Bubblegum pink

American crafts embossing powder - Zing

Martha Stewart Punch - Marguerite Daisy

Ranger ink - Jet Black

Scrap FX chipboard -

Spellbinder - Die - Fancy tag

73 CSI Challenge - Cheeky

A beautiful combo this week and I had a photo of one of the twins wearing these colours.  I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with the inspirational artist Finnabair a little while ago.  This layout was inspired by her style.

The photo was taken on the twins first birthday.  Unfortunately the pics of them eating their cakes were  mostly out of focus, so this is the next best thing.  This one captures the spirit of DGS perfectly.

I wouldn't normally use so much product on one page, but found it quite liberating to use the materials left over from the workshop.

It's hard to see the Kaisercraft stamping around the muslin, but it added some definition which I like.

And a couple of closies

EVIDENCE

Circles - the metal embellies

Leaves

Tone on tone - I tried to achieve with the misting

Something upside down - I used the flower mask upside down.

TESTIMONY

I chose to write from the inspirations words, wander, go, free

Where ever you wander and no matter what life sends your way, I know you will embrace everything with curiosity and exuberance.  I love that you find rhythm in the smallest of sounds and try to replicate them by humming and a bit of soft shoe shuffle. Luckily you landed in exactly the right family; they encourage you to be a free spirit whilst guiding you with clear boundaries and unconditional love.  I hope I’m around to see you grow up.  Go well little boy.    Love Granny

MATERIALS

Greyboard - Imaginarium 

Chipboard Alphabet - Imaginarium

Prima patterned paper - Sunrise, sunset collection “”Del Sol”

Prima - Vintage mechanicals, Bottle Caps

Prima - Vintage Mechanicals Metal FLOWERS, Medium 960315 by Finnabair

Prima - Vintage mechanical Washers

Prima - Vintage mechanicals, Brads

Prima - Leaves Grove Blue 

Prima Mask- Donna Downey studios “Hollyhock”

Prima Mask - “Lattice”

The Crafter’s workshop Template - Tiny Circles

Tattered Angels Glimmermist, Patina and Walnut Gold

Kaisercraft - clear stamp - Arty

Kaisercraft - Flowers

Kaisercraft - Pearls

Atelier Gesso

Derivan - Impasto Medium

Dylusions Ink Spray - Squeezed Orange

Ranger distress ink - Brushed Corduory

Tim Holtz - Metal Word Key

Magnolia - Chandalier garland “blue”

Green Tara - Metal embellishment Large Round # MELR 13 

Green Tara - Wire Heart (WH 178Go)

Muslin Gauze - Spotlight

Buttons- Vintage from my Mother’s stash

Scrap Around the World Challenge 1

 Scrap Around the World is a brand new challenge site led by the uber talented Helen Tilbury.  The idea is to use the mood board and the sketch to kick start your creativity.

http://scraparoundtheworld.blogspot.com.au

The weathered doors reminded me of the ornate doors in Zanzibar whilst the leather and the turquoise guided my colour choice.  This is my third attempt at and the result is not what I had in my mind.  Does that happen to you sometimes?  It got to the stage, that I just stuck it down regardless, or gave up on the idea of entering the challenge.

I tried to create a Moorish look by using the stencil with embossing powder.  Then I thought it looked too uniform, so I picked some of the embossing off again.  Some of the paint splats didn't work, so the removed emossing ended up as a cover up for the messy splats.  

My layouts tend to be in four categories.  Those I love (small amount) those I like (bigger amount) and those I tolerate (a small amount) and some, like these, which may still end up in the bin.  

Well done fellow scrapper, if you've persisted with this little mini rant to the rambling end.  

Now I'm off to and clean up the mess.

MATERIALS 

Grey board - Imaginarium

Gesso - Atelier

Prima - Alphabet stickers

Kaisercraft clear stamp - Flutter

Corrugated cardboard - recycled package materia

Prima Stencil - Lattice

Ranger - Emboss it dabber - clear

Tattered Angels Glimmer mist - Patina, Golden Terracota and walnut gold

Tattered Angels Glimmer glaze - Cowboy

Stampendous - Embossing enamel, Aged Teal

Leather string - Mother's millinery stash

Tags - local post office

72 - Discover Journey Explore

Usually my layouts begin with the photograph, but this time I was inspired by "the tall tale" prompt in the Testimony list.  I remembered a couple of extraordinary days in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

I attended a work shop by the uber talented Louise Nelson last weekend, and some this background was created during her expert class.  If you don’t know her art, you might like to pop over to her blog athttp://louise-justloolabelle.blogspot.com.au and be inspired.

All colours used, although the yellow has not photographed well.  

 I wanted a minimalist look to this page, to evoke the sense of space in the outback.

I fell in love with the textures of the landscape and have tried to imitate it here

EVIDENCE

Layering of stamps

Metal cogs  

Something clear - the bubbles

Drawing - the fish (a very crude attempt to show the style of the Aboriginal dot paintings)

TESTIMONY

I chose to write about a tall tale which really did really happen, during a three month caravaning holiday 2012.

THE JOURNALLING READS

We had travelled from Adelaide, South Australia to Mabel Downs, Western Australia, about 4000 kilometres; a base from which we planned to explore the famous Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) National Park. This ancient rock formation was only discovered in 1983 by a film crew. 

We anticipated the track into the Park would be rough, stony and corrugated, but what we didn’t know was there were about 30 flowing creeks to cross as well. Most of them were easy crossings, but some involved deeper water, with a steep approach and random holes to drop into on the way across. The 50 kms took about 2 hours to negotiate. 

I don’t have adequate words to describe the “Bee Hives”, the rock formations we’d come to see. The colours of orange and dark grey, the patterned striations and sheer enormity of  them simply took my breath away.  The vastness of the landscape, the chasms and gorges as well as the silence, created a sense Sacred Place.  

That evening we discovered the front number plate was missing from our car. We asked what we should do about it and were told, just report it at the next police station. On the way back into the National Park the next day we kept an eye out for the it. I stripped off my boots and walked the two biggest crossings, poking around with a stick, trying to find the number plate, but it was nowhere to be seen. Luckily I didn’t find any crocodiles either!

To add insult to injury, we developed a fault with the back suspension of the car, which was a bit worrying. The nearest Land Rover garage was in Broome, 800 kms away.  The photo of me in my Bombay Bloomer shorts is taken from a distance.  I didn’t want to frighten the horses!

We saw so many natural wonders on this trip, but to walk among this ancient landscape, truly was one of the highlights.

MATERIALS

Greyboard - Imaginarium

Chipboard frame - Imaginarium

Atelier - Gesso

Prima - Epoxy Srickers

Ranger Distress Ink - Rusty hinge

Tim Holtz - Sprocket Gears

Tim Holtz - Long fasteners

Tattered Angels Chalk inks - Inchworm, Firefly, Evergreen

Kaisercraft Stamps - Pack your bags collection

71 - CSI Challenge Sprung

Blue is my favourite colour, so it was not difficult to decide what the primary colour would be on this page. I stuggle a bit with red at times, so I added just a tiny bit of it.  

I kept Em's sketch close to the original and it was wonderful to work with.

For the pen work, I drew the clouds on vellum and tucked them under the patterned paper.  Good to use some of the very old stash.

EVIDENCE

Circles

Vellum 

Clouds

Doodling

Birds

Music notes

Ink splatters  

TESTIMONY

I chose to write about a conversation I had with DGS when he  was learning to manipulate grown ups into doing what he wanted.

THE JOURNALLING READS

When your hair gets long like this, I remember a conversation we had when you were five.  Mummy had asked me to cut your hair, but when I got the scissors ready to do it, you said “No Granny, Mummy has a hairdresser coming to my house on Sat 17th. This option had been discussed so I naively swallowed  your explanation hook, line and sinker.

Saturday was indeed the 17th and I had no reason to doubt you. When we got home Mummy said. “Did you not have time for the haircut”?  I told her what you’d said and she was astonished because she’d not arranged any such thing. “Why did you say that to Granny?” “Cos I didn’t feel like having my hair cut today Mummy, I wanted to play all day”!! 

MATERIALS

Bazzil cardstock - pale turquoise and grey

My Mind’s Eye - patterned paper, Fiddlesticks “Story”, both sides

Vellum - Unknown brand

Martha Stewart Punch - Birds on a wire

Basic Grey Alphas - White chocolate chip

Blue Fern Studio - Chipboard, Icons “Step one”

Prima stencil - Static

Atelier - Gesso

Liquitex - Gloss heavy gel

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Broken China

Tattered Angels Glimmermist - Patina

Kaisercraft stamp - Sheet Music

Kasiercraft - Pearls, red

Button - red house, unknown

Zig Pen 

Guest Designer at Orange Paperie for May

Cheryl from the lovely team at Orange Paperie invited me to design for May.  I so admire these girls since we all met at the Boxx a few summers ago.  Thank you so much, it's an honour to be among you.

The brief was Monochromatic with white space, a lovely challenge to work with.  I scrapped our DGS who is a big school boy now.

I enjoyed getting messy with texture and paints, and the way older prodcuts can be freshened with a new technique. 

Love that Prima Florish mask

The Journalling is on the back of the page.

Before you started school you said you felt both happy and scared.  Now, with the first term over, you have settled well and particularly love jolly phonics.  We missed our big boy when we didn’t see you for our special day each week and notice a huge change in your vocabulary.

We loved having you over for days during the holidays and taking you to the planetarium and to see Zambezia.

We played guessing games about names that sound the same, but are spelt differently and mean different things. e.g. which/witch, hear/here, pear/pair.  You were very good at the game, suggesting things we had not thought of.

You told us that you had helped Daddy to prepare the garden patch by digging it over to aerate it. Then you would plant the winter crop of root vegetables. When asked if you’d like to go to the park or the library, you declined saying, “No thanks, I’d just like to go home to your house and play like we used to. 

MATERIALS

Dusty Attic - Skeleton Clock Faces
My Mind's Eye - Howdy Doody, "Like", Wild Flower Paper (Background)
My Mind's Eye - Breeze "Dream" Stamped Paper (Checked)
Graphic 45 - The Old Curiosity Shoppe Collection (Buttterfly)
Prima Mask - Flourish
Prima mask - Lattice
Prima - Vintage mechanicals ( number 5)
Prima - Wood embellishments, Gears
Atelier Gesso - White
Liquitex - Gloss Heavy Gel
E.K. Punch - Binding
Kaisercraft - Collectables, On the move (car)
Pan Pastel - Bright yellow green
Basic Grey - Alphabet stickers, Archiac
October Afternoon alphas - Mini market sticker, Green
Colorbox chalk ink - Olive pastel
Tombow pen - 177
Tattered Angels Glimmermist - Forest Green
Francheville glitter brads - Savoir Faire
Buttons - spotlight 
Deli an Kindy Glitz - Crystalina
Embroidery thread

70 - My wish for you

Beautiful spring colours this week and I chose to scrap a spring wedding.  I absolutely love pink and green together and wanted to use the chipboard frame which I have been saving for a special occasion.  

 Nothing more special than a son getting married!

I found the perfect patterned paper by Anna Griffin and had fun with lots of fussy cutting.

The metal title is almost as old as me and I have no idea of the brand.

And a couple of closies.

Sadly my crackle paint has gone all gluggy and didn't really perform well, but I'm slowly learning to accept that it doesn't have to be perfect!

COLOURS

I used all the colours and added some pale green, light blue and gold, within the 10% criteria

EVIDENCE

Flowers

Metal - the title

Mini brads

Paint

Distressing

TESTIMONY

I documented something about Spring.  The journalling is on the back of the page

THE JOURNALLING READS

On the first day of Spring our oldest son and his partner planned to celebrate their engagement by having a party for family and friends.  We all pitched in to help decorate their garden and prepare the food. The weather Gods smiled on us by dropping the wind and sending the sun. Our youngest son and his partner flew home from the U.K. and the newest addition to the clan looked cherubic in her pink smocked dress.  About half an hour after the invitees had arrived, the couple in question could not be found. Imagine the guests surprise to see them re-appear as Bride and Groom. Surprise!!!  The day wizzed by too quickly and I wanted to hit the re-wind button to see the special bits again. The tender moments, as they stood together holding hands.  The look on my son’s face as he said his vows and the beaming smile of the bride as she responded with hers. To have all the family gathered together to celebrate. Nothing gladdens my heart more, than to see my sons happy and know they’ve found someone to love who loves them in return. In the words of Michael Leunig, “Love one another and you will be happy.  It’s as simple and difficult as that.”

Photograph courtesy Ric Ferber.  Thank you Ric

MATERIALS

Dusty Attic Chipboard - Sweet Pea Frame

Gesso - Atelier

Tim Holtz - Crackle paint, clear rock candy

Jo Sonja paint - pale gold

Prima ink - White

Spotlight - Flowers

Green Tara - Flowers

Prima - Flowers

Marianne design - paper roses

Martha Stewart Punch - Deco Fans

Bazzil Cardstock - Mid green

Bazzil Cardstock - Light green

Bazzil Cardstock - Dark Pink

Bazzil Cardstock - Light Pink

Anna Griffen - patterned paper, 1735 and 1733

Bazzil Cardstock - Black

Spotlight - lace

Metal title - Unknown

Basic Grey - Brads