Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  This week's sketch at Frosted Designs is a really good one.  I couldn't wait to get started on it.  I've had these pictures of my boys in one of our favorite forest playgrounds for months now and just couldn't figure out how to use them.  Nothing seemed right until I saw this sketch.  I was so glad to get them down in a layout.  

The tag is from a piece of clothing that I've had for ages.  I've just always loved the birds and flowers on it and thought it was perfect for this page.

My sister-in-law sent me these bingo tiles, flowers, and the coolest label maker.  I couldn't wait to play with them!  I was pleased that they complimented my photos so well.

Thanks for coming by to take a look.  I hope you'll stop by the Frosted Designs site and play along with this sketch.  I'm pretty sure it will show up in my layouts again!  :)

Pencil Lines...

Good Morning Everyone!!  Its a beautiful morning here in Dunedin.  Last night we had breakfast for tea (dinner) including streaky bacon, which is a special treat here.  Bacon is quite expensive so we've only had it a couple times in 10 months.  This morning when I woke up and could smell bacon and fresh coffee, it took me back to memories of Grandma's house.  There is just something about that memory that has me in a great mood.  Maybe it also had to do with the sunshine, the heat pump running (a warm house is SO nice!), and that my parents are coming in NINE days!!!!!!!!  But I'll take it.  I feel so happy and productive today!  Ahhhhh......


This layout is for the sketch challenge this week at Frosted Designs  As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do.  I've had this layout in my head for awhile but just needed a clearer picture of it to get it onto paper.  I love this photo of Aron and Aden.  Despite their 4 year age difference, they are the best of buds.  They share a bond that is so evident and will stand true for years to come.  

I was so into creating this layout that I didn't notice until I was all finished that its crooked!  Oh well.  Its the memory that counts.  :)  I am so glad to have this layout out of my head and onto paper!

Autumn, Sketchy Thursdays, and Design Dollies...

Autumn is definately here in Dunedin.  Yesterday I asked Bryce to take me on a photographic, scenic drive.  We were only 10-30 minutes from home but found some beautiful leaves.  I have always loved autumn and autumn in Apirl is no different.

I love this picture of my boys.  It will be fun to scrap too.  They are so sweet.  Yes, I did have to bribe them with lemon heads (candy from the States) but it was worth it.  :)

Design Dollies and Sketchy Thursdays...
Friday night I had several friends over for scrap night.  I was working on the sketch from Sketchy Thursdays and it just wasn't coming together.  So instead I worked on a project for my mom.  I'll post it after I've given it to her so it stays a suprise.  I finished up my layout this morning and was pretty pleased with the outcome.  It feels a lot cleaner and simplier than what I've been creating but I think this is good too.  I used to do a lot of two page layouts but have gotten away from them.  So I was happy to see this one and use my Easter pictures from last year.  Glad I got them scrapped 6 days before I take new Easter pictures!  :)
 

I sewed the buttons on a length of baker's twine for part of my boarder.  The challenge at Design Dollies this time around was to use buttons in an interesting way.  Well, not sure if buttons as a boarder is all that interesting but I'm going to submit it for their challenge.  The bunnies are from pages of a book that my sister-in-law sent me recently.  I had meant to take some pics of what she sent but was so excited for it to find a new home that I forgot!  So instead I'll just make something with it and show it that way.  Thanks Michelle!!!

The boys are on school holiday for two weeks.  Right now I have 5 boys 11 and under in my house.  Getting ready to take them to the indoor pools.  Its cold outside!!!  We're going to have to get creative over these next couple of weeks but it will be good for them to have a break.

Frosted Designs...

Hello Everyone!  Time for another Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge.  This week's challenge is handmade embellishments.  There are so many cool ideas out there for handmade embellishments!  For my layout, I used a pair of my son's jeans to make my circle "flowers".  I've always hung onto their ripped up or "too dirty" to be donated jeans just in case I wanted to use them for something.  (you'll have to come back for another really cool jean project coming in a month or so!  I'm excited about that one too!)

I just traced the circles on the jeans with my circle cookie cutters, cut them out, and then just pulled on the edges a bit to give them that frayed look.  Then I sewed them together with a bead and a little embrodery thread.  A little paint for my background, some bling, and my page came together.

I hope you'll stop over at Frosted Designs this week and play along with us!  I can't wait to see what you will come up with!  :)

My Core'dinations Creative Frenzy...

Hello Everyone!  This post is specifically for the Design Team call at Core'dinations.  I have always enjoyed their cardstock and since its hard to come by here in New Zealand, I thought why not give this DT call a try.  These 3 layouts are made primarily with their cardstock and for this call.  Sanding, ripping, and distressing are the techniques I used.

And just to clarify.....I love being on the Design team at Frosted Designs!  And will most certainly still be creating for them.  The Gals over there are so great!

Ok.....here are my pages.....

Thanks for taking a look!  I am pleased with my end result no matter the outcome.  :)

Some sun....Design Dollies and Sketchy Thursdays...

Today was SO nice!  As much as my last weather post might have been about cold, this one could be about warmth.  It is amazing how much warmer it is when the sun shines all day long.  The house is warm tonight too.  So nice!

The day started with a gorgeous sunrise.  It took my breath away!  The day was warm enough that I went without a jersey (jacket/sweater) and even was barefoot in the house (usually my feet are cozy in my slippers).  I was soaking up the sun as much as I could.

And the day ended with a pretty sunset.  Hoping for more sun tomorrow.


Design Dollies and Sketchy Thursdays...
I decided to combine challenges for this layout.  I used the colors from Design Dollies and the sketch from Sketchy Thursdays.  The boys have always been helpful in the kitchen and of course if knives are involved, they want to be in on the action.  One day, Bryce taught them how to cut vegetables properly by keeping their fingers tucked back.  They paid close attention because it meant cutting with a knife.  :)

You might notice from the bottom left photo that my husband is missing part of a finger.  Not from cutting vegetables though!  :)

Happy Today!  Hope the sun is shining where you are today!

Scrapbookers Anonymous design team call...

Over the past few months, I have really enjoyed playing along with Scrapbookers Anonymous.  The idea behind this online challenge site is to dig into the stash of scrapbook stuff you already have and use it up.  I really like that idea.  I have many scrapbook things....paper, embellishments, alphas....that I just love.  Sometimes its hard to use them because....well, then they would be used up!  But then again, I bought them in the first place because I really loved them.  And if I use them up, then I have room for the new things that I need.  (and yes, need is the right word!)  Right???

This particular layout is my submission for their Design Team call.  When I saw the call, right away I knew I wanted to enter.  Then I thought "oh, but then I can't be eligible for their prizes......which I can win new stuff if I'm picked."  Well, I have decided that I wanted to go ahead and risk the chance of not getting picked to receive the monthly prize.  So here it is, my layout.

The challenge for this design team call was to dig in your stash and use stamps.  Stamps????  I am not nor have ever claimed to be a stamper.  In fact, pretty much the opposite.  The challenge was to use stamps to make our own patterned paper and at least 3 stamped embellishments.  Now I do have stamps.  I just don't use them much.  Perfect challenge for me!  I have these doily stamps that I just love.  I haven't had them too long but they were in my stash!  So I decided to use them to create a boarder on my page.  Then to make the black doilies for my embellishments.  I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

Since Scrapbookers Anonymous challenges us to dig in our stash, I tried to do that for this page as well.  The buttons are some that have stayed in my stash because I just loved them "too much" to use.  The butterfly ribbon is some that I picked up well before we moved here (which was over 10 months ago).  The cork #4 is from some stickers I've had for ages.  Last but not least, the letter stickers "you"....well, I've had them so long they have lost their sticky-ness!  I had to glue them on.  :)

Thank you Scrapbookers Anonymous.....not only have you helped me dig into my stash and use it, I also now know how to spell "anonymous" without looking it up!  :)