From 'just because' to Scrapbook Savvy

Hi Scrappers,

Hope all is good in scrappy land. I've had the background to a layout hanging around for a couple of weeks now - you know when you have an idea but then get completely stuck because you're not quite sure what to do with it?!

I was given some stencils years ago by my lovely MIL and never used them. Anyway, I thought they'd be good for a background so I spent absolutely ages stencilling around each letter onto some white bazzil. Not just once though (why make things simple when you can make it so much more complicated and time consuming like I always do) but three times, in different coloured markers. I then decided it looked too dull so I coloured in some of the letters using a copic marker. Then I didn't like the shade of yellow I picked so re-coloured the letters in a Stamping Up marker. I still thought it was slightly boring so then I whacked a few drops of trusty old Glimmer Mist on it. Eventually I thought it would do. I looked at it. And looked at it. And looked at it some more. And I couldn't think of a damn thing I could do with it.

That's where Anthea's challenge came in on Scrapbook Savvy. I thought it was the perfect sketch for such a busy background and that's why this layout went from a 'just because' layout to a challenge layout!

So after that extremely long winded explanation (are you still awake?), here's Anthea's sketch..

And here's the layout that took forever...

To be honest I'm still not sure about that background but you've got to get out of your comfort zone eh?

Thanks for stopping by and hope I've cured your insomnia!
Cheers,
Claire xx

Playing with Imaginisce

Hi Scrappers,

Some gorgeous Imaginisce goodies have been sitting in my stash just waiting to be played with, so what better way to get my mojo going than by entering their sketch challenge this month. Not sure about you but I find Imaginisce products quite difficult to get hold of in Australia - I only ever seem to be able to find them at craft expos.

The sketch for October looks like this -

- and my effort looks like this -

Image courtesy of LSBS

How pretty are those papers? I love the blues and the pinks together - perfect for boys and girls alike. Unfortunately my 5 year old wasn't so pleased with pink on the layout - shock horror, he thinks it's only for girls and is quite unimpressed when he sees it on my pages! (Of course, I've given him some motherly advice and told him that in a few years time he may actually quite like girls but he seems to think I'm ever so slightly mad when I tell him this.)

I got to play with my new I-bond glue gun at last. It's really easy to use but I have to admit it took quite a lot of effort to do all those glue dots in a circle! Everything else involved lots of fussy cutting from those patterned papers.

I also have a few bits and pieces from Imaginisce's Little Cutie range - perfect for a new baby card based on another Imaginisce sketch by Melinda Spinks...

The blue background is actually stamped using versamark but it doesn't really show up in the photo. It looks better IRL - honest!

Well, happy scrapping everyone and hope you all have a great scrappy week,
Cheers and thanks for stopping by,
Claire xx

'Fall' at MME

Hi Scrappers,

My love affair continues with MME and recently I bought a whole heap of stuff from Samantha at Eye Candy Magic who's getting rid of some of her stash. Check out her blog to see if she has any more goodies on offer - I managed to pick up a whole heap of MME Stella and Rose for a bargain. Turns out it's the perfect range for this months MME challenge which is to use 'Fall' as your theme. That's Autumn to us Brits/Aussies of course! I had some great pictures from a day out in Canberra earlier this year - the colours were just beautiful and I've been waiting for the perfect papers to use with the photos. This months sketch looks like this -

- and my version looks like this -

I flipped the sketch but otherwise pretty much stuck to it. The only problem I had was restraining myself from using everything in my new stash of goodies...it would have been very easy to go completely overboard and throw everything I have on the page. I cut the detail of the boys out and matted it so that it stands out on the layout - don't they look cute?

Well,I've got so much gorgeous stuff left that I might just try and do the MME card challenge as well this month. So many challenges and so little time eh?!

Enjoy your scrapping! Cheers and thanks for stopping by,
Claire xx

Too tired to think

Hi Scrappers,

The school holidays have been a whirlwind of overseas visitors, catching up with old friends, the obligatory sick kids and a lovely hen afternoon in the city having afternoon tea. So I'm way too tired to think of anything interesting as a title for this post!

Just a quick one then, to put my Scrap the Boys challenge up. This month we have to put a handmade boy embellishment on our layout. It would have been so easy to pick something from my stash - why make something when others can do it so much better?! But I thought I'd better bite the bullet and have a go. I made a couple of flowers - something that feature pretty rarely on my layouts, since I'm not a girly girl and I've 2 very unruly boys. I've tried to make them a bit more masculine with some denim and jute ribbon and I used glubers that Lauren Bell introduced us to at the LSBS retreat. Here goes -

I put the flowers against some Basic Grey chipboard and did my journaling on some lollypop sticks that are meant to resemble the boardwalk. You have to love those Basic Grey doiles - they're so detailed you don't actually have to do anything except cut them in strips and stick 'em on!

Ok, that's all I can manage I'm afraid - I'm off to have a rest...this socialising has played havoc with my sleeping!

Cheers and thanks for stopping by,
Claire xx

White with One (but only just!)

Hi Scrappers,

Well I thought I'd get out of my comfort zone completely this month and try the October challenge at White with One. This months colour is black and it has to be used with paints and mists. I'm probably the only scrapbooker in the world who doesn't own black glimmer mist, I'm not too great with paint and I don't have a lot of confidence with mist either! The only black and white patterned paper I have in my stash is some ancient stuff I bought aboout 4 years ago.

I have got some white glimmer mist though, so I made my own kind of wheel by masking some chipboard gears against a black cardstock circle. I assumed it would turn out white but it's actually gone silver and kind of metallic so I hope I've not strayed away from the black theme too much!

I painted the metal gear black and used this to stamp on the cardstock. I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out but I have to say I'm itching to slap on a bit of yellow paint so I might make some minor adjustments later!

This was a great exercise in using up some of my stash as everything on the layout is pretty ancient - surely that means I'm allowed to buy more stuff? Because I certainly need it. No, really. I do.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by,
Cheers,
Claire xx