12 Tags of Christmas – Next instalment

Day 3:

Okay – I panicked slightly at this one.  No tree/branch stamp!  No Tim Holtz Bird die, no tissue tape and no Tim paper to cut the “postcard” from.  Ahh! But I did have a memo pin, lol.

To make matter worse, Tim put tinsel on his tag!! What the . . .?  I loathe tinsel!

I used a Silhouette file for the bird, a plant stamp for the branches, a Penny Duncan cutting file for the flower and a graphic from Land of Enchantment for the postcard.  I found some ruffled ribbon in my stash that had some lurex in it but I still had to force myself to use it.

Day 4:

This has to be my favourite so far!!  I used a Christmas stamp that I am pretty sure I got from Rubbadubbadoo (is that how you spell it? – can’t find the business card under all my creative mess)

I didn’t have any of Tim’s facets so I used a microscope slide instead.  I couldn’t get the snowflakes to lift off so I just cheated and stamped the over the now blue glass, with silver ink.

The bling is a a Prima corner that I cut to suit and the self-adhesive pearls are from my stash.  The pearl charms are re-invented earrings but I actually has an adage ticket and mini-paper clip from Tim’s range that I could use.  Yay me! LOL

12 Tags of Christmas – Day 1 and 2

I love following Tim Holtz as he produces twelve tags each December.  I made them for the first time last year and just love all the techniques he so willingly shares.

I will post them up 2 days at a time.

Day 1:

I don’t have Tim’s dies so I altered a cutting file from Silhouette (Haunted House) and scored the weatherboards rather than using strips of grunge paper.  The fence was a free download file I have had for a couple of years – no idea now where I got it from.

The wreath is one of those cheap Xmas earrings and the tag I printed and cut on the Silhouette as well.

Day 2:

I don’t have anything remotely close to the pinecone stamp that Tim used but I did find this bird on a branch so figured that would have to do.  The pearl charms and the silver “wings” are made from junk jewellery.  The sentiment was printed from an installed font on my computer.

My first ever Blog Award

How cool is that!  I received one each from Sherryn and Lynne.  Thanks girls!  Gave me a real buzz.

The rules of the award are that you list 5 things about yourself that others may not know and to pass the award on to 5 others.

So …….

1.  I hate housework

2. I used to be a gym junkie

3. I used to scuba dive

4. I have always wanted a convertible

5. The 2nd and 3rd toes on each foot are webbed to the 1st  knuckle (weird, huh?)

I would like to pass this award on to :

Cyndi, Brenda, Elaine, Denise and Trina

Birthday Boy

Hell’s teeth!  Liam is 12.  How did that happen?

This year Liam insisted on a Wiggles Big Red Car cake.  I did try to get out of it by saying “I don’t think I know how to make one of those Hun” but quick as flash he came back with “That’s OK!  I’ll get the instructions off the internet.”  Damn – he did just that.

So, he helped me bake the chocolate cakes to make it with (not to mention the other 2 batches of mix that were made into 40+  muffins for taking to school so that he could “share my birthday with all my friends”) and I put the finishing touches on at 11.55pm the night before his actual birthday.

 

A long way from perfect but Liam was very happy.

Friday Night Fun – 2nd Instalment

5/11/10 8pm – 12pm – Forget the fireworks!  There is scrapping to be done for goodness sake! (actually the weather was pretty grotty so I didn’t miss being outside till all hours, lol)

Right on cue Rangi posted this fortnight’s Friday Night Fun at Scrapbook Dreams:

1. Choose a paper range and scrap with it.
The challenge being the majority of the layout must be in the range including embellishments (you may have to be creative if you don't have any pre-made ones in your range).
2. Once you have your range an photo/s sorted, lay them out and take a photo and post it in the gallery with the name of the range you have chosen.
3. Create your layout and take a photo of it all completed and post it up in the gallery (by midnight).
Don't forget we have a 9.30pm TWIST!
Have fun and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with
Note:You may add additional bits and bobs to your layouts like buttons, rub-ons etc ... but keep in mind the challenge is to use a majority of the range you have chosen. Be creative!

Oh hell!  I am so not a “brand” shopper!  I have a paper or two from this range, one from something else and three form another, if you get my drift. A bigger panic this time!

I went through my drawers of papers and came across a collection I had bought from Shell at Scrapbook Dreams some 18mths ago with good intentions of using it for a particular project. Obviously that didn’t happen, lol.

It was the Kaisercraft range, What a Hoot Collection.

I am so not a fan of having to take these photo’s in rubbish light but we are all in the same boat I guess.

My finished layout (surprising I got it done at all between phone calls, forum posts and an almost 12yr old who simply refused to be tired enough to sleep):

The journalling reads:  What defines me? My Job? My culture? My Background? My Family? My Friends?

9.30pm – time for The Twist:

With the range you are using- Create a gift tag!
It must include: To & From
And don't forget to take a photo and pop it up in the gallery (by midnight) to get yourself another entry into the draw.

It was fun and I finally gave up on wide-awake-son and went to bed at 1.30am with him happily watching TV.  Mattress, blankets, pillow and remotes – but he was asleep when I got up on Saturday, lol

Friday Night Fun

Over at Scrapbook Dreams, the lovely Rangi as offered to host a fortnightly challenge – Friday Night Fun.

And it is – fun, I mean.  We have had two now and because I am such a slack blogger of late – I haven’t shown you either nights results!  What am I like?

22/10/10 8pm – 12pm

1. Choose an unfinished layout or project and take a photo. Post your photo up in the gallery. You have 30mins(until 8.30pm) to do this.
2. Complete your unfinished layout or project. Take a photo of the finished creation and post this up in the gallery. You have until midnight tonight to do this.
3. Keep an eye out for the 9.30pm TWIST!
I hope you have some yummy snacks ready now lets have some fun

Oh boy!  Slight panic but here is my unfinished layout “ingredients”:

(Yes – my 45th birthday!  There were so many darn candles I needed sunglasses.  Mind you, Andrea and Christine did stick in a few extras!  Also another post to blog, lol)

Here is my finished layout (bad lighting due to photo being taken at night):

at 9.30pm Rangi posted her “twist” to be completed as well:

TWIST- With the products you have used (3 items or more) its time to make a card! You can add other products if you wish. Put your name next to a theme. Once a theme is taken it can no longer be done.
Card Themes
Happy Birthday-
Thank You-
Congratulations-
Miss You-
I Love you-
Merry Xmas-
Get well soon-
You're the Best-
Greatest Friend-

I chose “Miss you”

Will post the next Friday Night Fun separately.  Why not join in? – Register at Scrapbook Dreams if you are not already a member of the forum or jump right on in if you are.

Well It’s About Time!

OMG!  I have been so slack at blogging!  Slap on hand!  Bad Blogger!

OK – enough of that.  What the heck have I been doing of late?

Sprucing up the house (well two rooms anyway, Friday night fun at Scrapbook Dreams, ATC’s for Crafting Passionz and Scrapbook Dreams, Creating various “stuff” for a craft stall on the 9th of December and loads of other goodness-knows-what.

So, this post will show you the sprucing up.  With the sale of the house becoming inevitable there are oodles of finishing jobs to be done.  I took some of that into my own hands (seeing as James has taken his helping ones elsewhere, lol) and tackled my bedroom a couple of weeks ago.

It was OK, just looking tired and dated.  Now it is calm and serene and I just love it!  Jolly proud of my efforts too, if I may say so.

Just don’t open the drawers, lol! A girl has to put all that essential “stuff” somewhere.

This week I tackled the spare room.  Now that there is one less big bed in the house, I have free reign on this room for a Crafting Mecca!  Yay for me!

My word!  I love it!  I spent Friday night in here, working on the challenge and twist that Rangi hosted on Scrapbook Dreams for the fortnightly Friday Night Fun – but – that’s another post, lol.

Bizzy Becs Blog Candy

Wow! Check this out here!

What fun! - What are you waiting for? - Go on over and check it out!

A Celebration of Kiwiana

Scrapbook Outlet NZ has been running a 9 week challenge/celebration of all things Kiwi and today it all comes to an end.  I haven’t shown you any of my efforts yet so be prepared for a long and photographic post.

Each week the challenge would be issued and we had 7 days in which to upload our layouts.  I enjoyed getting some layouts done in reasonably quick succession.

Week 1.  “New Zealand Icon”

Week 2 “National Colours”

Week 3 “No.8 Wire”

Week 4 “Remoteness” (use of white-space)

Week 5 “Beaches / Water”

Week 6 “NZ Song Title”

Week 7 “Sports Mad”

Week 8 “Weaving/Maori Design”

Week 9 “Mystery Product”

All participants who entered layouts and/or quizzes were award various points and if you reached 100 (as I did, only just) were sent a mystery product to be completed and uploaded by midnight tonight – 10th October.

With entries not being revealed until Monday, I will wait to show you what it was all about.  Let me say this though – it was not something I would have purchased and not something I will purchase in the future but was good fun all the same.

Watch this space . . . .

Time for a catch-up

Well – a few things have happened that have altered my life path!

My husband moved out of the family home in July this year and although we undertook counselling, and I thought things were heading in the reconciliation direction, he dropped the bombshell last week that he will not be coming home.

I was angry but now I am just sad and disappointed that he found it necessary to take such a drastic step away from his family.  I hope he can find the peace and life satisfaction he is looking for and in the meantime we will build a new kind of relationship – one that I don’t really have a name for yet.

I have made the decision not to go on a benefit and my workplace will do what they can to give me extra hours.  I can probably fit in an extra 5 a week, most weeks so it’s all good.

I am feeling somewhat in control of my own future as a single parent, knowing there will be days when I fall apart and there will be days that I wonder if it was ever any other way.

All in all, I am OK and Liam will adjust.  Onwards and upwards and drinks on Fridays, I say!

Mid-Month Motivation

Time for mid-month motivation over at Scrapbook Dreams.

I have suggest some scrap-lifting to get the mojo flowing.

This layout, published in Australian Scrapbooking Ideas magazine, was my inspiration

And this is my version of that layout

It was a great way to use up scraps (of which I have a very large drawer of) along with some awesome Tim Holtz papers. A lot of my embellishments were either handmade or cut on the Silhouette and painted.  The larger film strip is a rolling stamp and the smaller one is is Tim Holtz Film Ribbon. A stamp or two finished it off.

I am off to Shell’s retreat at Waihi Beach this coming weekend so hope to have lots to show you next week from that.

I won a Challenge!

OMG!  How exciting!  I enter challenges sometimes, not with the prize as my goal but to keep my MoJo up and to try and provide some variety to my layouts.

I do have “issues” with the opportunity to take photo’s because, as most will understand, Liam’s Aspbergers does not really allow him to participate in all and sundry and he has a strong need to stay at home and just be himself at weekends.  There are only so many photos to take, and scrap, of Liam on the the computer or playing the Wii, lol.

However!  For his Dad’s birthday this year (40th) we had Andrea and Ivan here along with SIL Melanie and her fiancée Aaron for the weekend and we went to the see our home team, the Hurricanes, play rugby against the Crusaders at the stadium in Wellington. (We won, by the way)

Liam often interacts with Dad while on the computer and Dad is watching a game on TV. I love it when this happens and it never fails to make me smile!

MIL had sent down her old team supporters jersey for Liam and, yellow being his favourite colour, this was very well received.

So – the challenge . . . this was run at Scrap Box NZ and it was to do a layout about sport.

 

I had heaps of product left from my SENZ class (Thanks Trina) and the colours just seemed to work for the photo.

Fiona offers a $20 voucher for the Scrap Box shop so I will have lots of fun working out how to spend it.  What’s the bet I don’t stop at $20 though, hehe.  Thanks so much Fiona, you made my day.

(PS – Didn’t make the design team for Southern Girls Challenge blog.  Oh well, maybe another time. )

Southern Girls Challenge Blog – DT Call

Tracy and Louise have set up a blog to add a down-under feel to the www challenge realm (Click on their banner above to pop on over and check it out).

Yay for them! Even better – they have put out a call for applications to be on their Design Team.

This is something I would so love to be a part of! As they say “Gotta be in to Win”.

These are the projects that I am showcasing for the girls to look at.

A set of 4 cards using stamps, inks, vintage atlas paper, diecuts, vintage photo images, printed digital scrapbooking elements and journal spots, done in collage style.

A collage of photos showing two of my off-the page projects. The mail-box and the bird houses were cut using my Silhouette, inked with Vintage Photo Distress ink and decorated using a mix of Websters Pages (6 x 6) and various printed digital images. There is some additional stamping on the mail-box which closes with jump-rings and a Tim Holtz hitch fastener.

It wasn’t the easiest job to photograph the 3-D objects and the weather has been dismal for so long that I jumped at the first opportunity to photograph them outside in natural light.

The mail-box measures approx 4” deep x 1.5” wide x 2.5” high.

The tallest of the birdhouses stands 5.25” , the middle sizes one at 4” and the smallest is a smidge under 3”. They are each about 2” deep (give or take) and 1.75” wide.

The edges of all the cut outs are inked too – you should have seem my fingers, lol! A bit fiddly but absolutely worth it!

You know – whether I make the design team or not – I loved doing these projects and I am so happy to share them with you.

My card has been shown on a blog

Yay!  How exciting to have one of my cards shown on someone else’s blog!!

I have used a Vintage Floral frame digital stamp  from Create with TLC, added a Longing Tilda from Magnolia Stamps and coloured the complete image with Distress Inks.  The sentiment is a rub-on from my stash.

I did it myself

Liam has been really enjoying the Technology Cycles at school – we used to call Manual in my day, LOL.

He started with Visual Arts, followed by Hard Materials (Woodworking) and Food Technology (Cooking).  At the moment Liam is about 2/3 they way through the Fabric Technology (Sewing) cycle and is loving it.

I sent a camera to school and his Teacher Aide took some great photos of Liam making his Wheat Bear in Solar System fabric.

The journalling is some word art that I had downloaded a long time ago, printed directly on to the cardstock (love have an A3 printer) and to follow through with the theme I took to all the elements with my own sewing machine.

The word art reads” A child is never more proud than when they can say – I Did It Myself”

More SENZ creations

I took a really interesting class, tutored by Wilma Sharp. It was a Kaleidoscope technique class and included the Perspex templates (4 different sizes) and a hinged mirror to help you with placement of the template on your images. You need to have the image printed a number of times and the same number of images printed in reverse.

We were provided the images too and Wilma chose a generic photo of a tea cup and saucer. Each layout in the class came out quite different depending on where participants had placed their template.

This was my initial layout:

We completed it with enough time to have a second go (Bless You Wilma for providing so many extras) so I chose to do a different size (therefore using a different number of photos) and this is how it turned out:

Interesting Huh!

Who stole July?

I cannot believe that July is all but over! What happened there then?

There have been some domestic issues, that I won’t go into here, that have taken most of my time and energy this month but hopefully I am fighting my way through the haze now.

I have been crafting, although less than usual. I have submitted my ATC’s for the Scrapbook Dreams July Swap so I will post a photo of the full set when they arrive.

The other biggie for me this month was 4 days in Christchurch, rooming with Brenda and Elaine, attending SENZ and spending a day with Natasha.

I took 5 classes at SENZ!

In this post I will show you what I came home with after the 3 in 1 class tutored by the very talented Trina McClune. What a lovely lady with a lovely smile! It was full on, trying to produce 3 layouts based on 1 sketch in two hours!

I am not happy with the execution of this unfinished layout! To be honest the photo looks way better than the real thing! I love the idea of this technique but I don’t think it’s my thing. I am more than happy to admire Trina’s work in this style.

See what I mean? It is much more her thing aye?

Layout two was to use 5 small photo’s, all the same.

I love the layering and colours of this one. I’m really happy with it.

The third layout used a single large photo.

With my best girl living so far away now, I don’t get the same chances to scrap photo’s of her very often. This photo is a few years old now but she hasn’t changed at all – a beautiful girl, inside and out!

Brenda took this class as well and has posted some photo’s on her blog that you can visit here.

Happy Mail

As a member of Your Paper Pantry, I signed up for a Lightweight Scrappy Swap in May this year.    I was partnered with Tina from Alabama and this is what arrived on my doorstep today (the first parcel she sent has disappeared and strangely enough, the postal worker that accepted it has since been fired!  1+1= 2) .

How spoiled am I?   VERY!

Thank You So Much Tina  xoxo