Sunday, December 22, 2013

Blowing Raspberries

Hi Peoples!
I have a layout to share with you today of my favourite lil man! Chloe has heaps of pages and feel like I need to play catch-ups with Jayce.


The subject of the page is pretty obvious, Jayce learnt how to blow raspberries! And has become a favourite past time of his, especially when he starts getting cranky.
Just for something new and different... I have used a sketch!


This sketch is from the newish Boy Meets Girl Scrapbook Challenge Blog. The blog provides two challenges each month, one for scrapbooking boys and one for scrapbooking girls. Now that I have one of each this is a great challenge blog for me! 
Once I saw this sketch I knew instantly I had to use it! Can be found here. I love that everything is at an angle but still square!!


I tried to go back to the basics, good old paper and glue, with this layout and what better range then to use Pebbles Basics. I split the page into four different colour sections using the same patterns in each colour and only matching colour embellishments. The only exception is the title which is the awesome transparent alphas fro Amy Tan.


As it turns out, seems I can't just keep it basic anymore and had to splat some paint all over the place.
Although I love everything being at an angle I just couldn't resist added a piece of flair and making it the only straight thing on the page.
Once everything was stuck down it still didn't feel finished so I got my journalling pen and doodled around everything while on the phone.


The top corner looked a lil bare, add some twirled twine. Problem solved. Although when I first went to take pictures of this layout the wind picked up, moving my twine and it hasn't looked right since =(


Hope you like it and every one has a fantastic Christmas and wonderful New Year!
I look forward to focusing more on my crafting in 2014 as during this busy few months I have really missed it and realized have much it means to me (and helps keeps me sane =P )
XoXoX Nicole

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Cherish

Hey. Hi. Hello.
It has been exactly one month since I was here last. My bad. I have been extremely busy of late. To the point that it took me the entire month to finish this layout! Yeah, crazy busy! But here it finally is.

Cherish

As soon as I saw the mood board over at Scrap Around The World I just had to use it! It can be found here.


The ideas cam flooding in!! Of course the colours were a great inspiration but I also took the idea of running mist down the page from the bottom left picture in the board. And I got messy, it was fun.


This didn't work exactly how I was planing. I hoped the mist would run around the modelling paste bubbles more rather then just straight over the top. Thicker/more modelling paste this probably the solution to that problem.


Hopefully when things calm down some I will be able to share a how to post for this layout with more info on the background.

The layout of the page came from the Purple Pumpkin November sketch challenge here.


I loved this sketch for all its white space which also made it a perfect match with the mood board challenge.


Purple Pumpkin have heaps and lots of super colourful buttons, both flair and fabric. I could have covered the entire page in them! But I was going for a minimalist look and just snack the one flair in with my flower cluster.


I could of journalled heaps with this photo about how much these two already love and care for each other but I think the photo says so much by itself. So I simply titled it 'cherish'


Cherish works for it on so many levels. They cherish each other, I cherish them, these moments and watching they grow together. It makes me proud. Lots more about that in layouts to come I'm sure!
And keep your eye out for my up-coming how to with this layout.
XoXoX Nicole.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

u r a QT!

I am just scrapping in with another two-for-one challenge layout today. I haven't had much chance to scrap lately, hell I haven't had much chance to sit and breath lately! But I couldn't let October fly by without having a go at these two challenges, so what better to be efficient and combine them.

 u r a QT!

First up there is the always handy sketch challenge. I love sketches. They help to make all my layouts unique and push me to do different things. This one is from C'est Magnifique Kits and can be found here.



I instantly loved this sketch and just HAD to use it! I have inversely flipped it, so that the title and photo are on the other sides to better go with the stencil/modelling paste/spray work I did on the background.


I have also used a colour challenge over at Black With Two. They ask you to use black cardstock as your background then the two colours for that month with a 5% white allowance. I only discovered the site this month and was super excited to play along as this is not my norm.
The colours this month are Pink and Gold in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness this month. I started scrapping Chloe so knew I had a lot of pink stuff to use up.


For the first time ever I actually started this page without a photo, I just got so excited by the sketch and colour scheme. When I got about half way I went through my computer to find a photo and came across this amazing picture of Chloe from a photo shot, I can't believe I had forgotten about it!


The bows in the sketch go perfectly with the girliness of the photo, one is a Purple Pumpkin find and the other I made myself. The gold flower is kindly crochet by my cousin Anna (thank you).


I had this glitter card stock in my stash for a while and was super excited to use it. It really makes the photo pop!

I was also excited to dig out my boarder punches that I had be hoarding. All the pink strips are from my scrap pile.
I hope you like it!
XoXoX Nicole

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Cuddlier You

Why hello there.
I have a layout to share today which touches on a not so happy moment. Well in fact it was pretty much the worst week of my life ever! It is the story of when Chloe was very sick and had febrile convulsions, they were scary!
I knew it was something that I wanted in her scrap album. It was after all a pretty big something that happened to her. But, like I said, it isn't a happy thing. And lets face it we all like to scrap the good times!! The perfect photos!!
So I continually put it off. That was until I saw this months challenge over at Once.. Upon A Sketch. The topic was 'Journey' and I had recently been talking about Chloes seizures with a friend and how I think she become a bit more affectionate after them. Finally I found a way to have a positive spin on it. So here it is:

The Journey To: A Cuddlier You

Not only did the topic of a journey make me think about this page but each month at Once Upon A... Sketch to journal topic, as the name suggests, comes with a sketch and this also made me think immediately about this story and the photos. The challenge can be found here.


The reason why the sketch jump at me for this layout is the detail in the background, it reminded me of the red plus sign usually associated with a hospital. So I decided to keep that idea going using a red and blue colour scheme like the emergency lights.


The 3 photos I have used are each a collage of the different stages in the story, they are not great photos and I didn't have that many to choose from, taking pictures wasn't really on my mind at the time. The first is Chloe at home on the Monday not looking well at all. The second is in the hospital ward with a Bert balloon that she choose from the gift shop, there were plenty of pretty girly/pink/princess type ones but she wanted the Bert and she loved that him! And the last is her playing in the Pediatric Ward. There are hidden tags behind each photo explaining this.


There are very few embellishments on the page, the story is kinda a design feature by itself. What is there was cut out when I was back home with my Aunts cricut (told you I had been thinking about doing this page for a long time)



I got to this point in the creation of my layout and considering leaving it there, it looks complete enough, possibly journalling on the back. But this time the story was more important to me then the photos. It is the size of an essay for journalling and is not going to win any type of writing award! Its just the facts of what happened. I did want to put feeling and my emotions into it but got teary enough just writing this much.

For those of you who are interested this is what the journalling says (feel free to scroll past though, its kinda long a tedious):
"As a baby you were not very cuddly. Not from lack of love, more the need to move and play. That was up until your first birthday. 
At your party you caught a very nasty flu and by Monday we were off to the Doctors. Panadol and rest were recommended which at first worked a treat but the second dose of Panadol came straight back up along with everything else. So in the bath with you. while getting dressed for bed Suddenly you went completely floppy! I desperately tried to catch your gaze but you stared blankly! It looked as though there was no life in you! My heart sunk! I called for daddy then frantically cuddled you while he rang 000. We followed their instructions and within a minute heard the sirens roaring to our place. 5 ambulances showed up, including one that had actually finished their shift. You had started to move again but your temp was 40.2oC. that is when you had your first ever ride in an ambulance. 
At Sutherland Hospital they told us about ‘febrile convulsions’ - seizures caused by a fever, you were given a different Panadol, some Neruofen and kept for observations until your temp went down. After what felt like forever you were given the all clear to head home with strict instructions to keep up the medication and you shouldn’t have any other seizure in the same illness. 
Dad stayed home from work Tuesday and the day went smoothly but again when getting you ready for bed you convulsed. This time a normal type seizure, full body shaking and jerking, eyes rolling and face going blue. I put you in the recovery position on the floor, assuring you (more myself) that you will be ok and once again dad stayed perfectly calm and called 000 and you got your second ever ride in an ambulance. The doc that night was not very helpful at all! She sent us home even before your temp was down. 
Wednesday went a lot like Tuesday but by this time we had noticed a pattern and it was happening again! So we drove ourselves to the hospital and sure enough your temp was super high again! Although after a few hours it was as if you had never been sick in the first place! “Maybe we over reacted”, home we went. Then that was the worst night ever! Your temp would NOT stay down, you were tired but couldn’t sleep, you wanted cuddles but body heat made you hotter, you needed assistance but had maxed the medication amount. I ended up trying to sleep with you on the floor of the bathroom with a wet face. Whenever I woke (which was a lot) you would be snuggled up to me hot again I’d have to move away and fan you, at one point I vaguely remember waking and seeing your limbs blue! 
When morning finally arrived we went to the usually docs office, you didn’t feel hot to me but the thermometer said 39.6oC. I shudder to think of how high your temp DID get! Dad and I made the decision to take you to the Royal Childrens Hospital. Unfortunately they were extremely busy and it was a long long wait. The entire time all you wanted to do was sleep on one of us, we could not put you down. You were paler then paper, your eyes were red and begun to ooze and you were completely lethargic. You got your first ever X-Ray and the docs agreed you were really sick but wanted us to head home and come back for a checkup tomorrow. This time Daddy was not taking that and insisted that we might aswell stay the night. They put a cannula in your hand (which was horrible to watch) and I asked them to check your temp again as it was around this time each day you were going downhill, reluctantly they did and sure enough it was spiking again. Finally they agreed it would be best to admit you however they were out of beds and we were sent back to Sutherland Hospital. 
The same nurse had been on each day and was disappointed to see that you hadn’t been admitted earlier. They set us up with a cot for you and couch for me in the Paediatric ward, it took you a long time to drift off I think from the discomfort of the cannula. We were both completely exhausted and with the comforting thought of doctors nearby we slept until 10.00am! After another smooth day they sent us home on a ‘leave pass’ so that if we had any concerns later on we would come back and by pass the emergency room. Thankfully we didn’t need it and over the next few days you steadily began to improve. It truly was the worst week ever! 
I hated seeing you like that. But the silver lining is every now and then you don’t mind a lil snuggle!!

So that's the story. She has had another convulsion since then however now that we know what they are and what to do for her its not so bad. I honestly feel for the mothers of epileptic children, they must be some of the strongest women is the world!
Anyway. I must say a huge thankyou to the Once Upon A... Sketch people. If it wasn't for this challenge I might have never got this story down.
XoXoX Nicole

Monday, October 21, 2013

Super Slide

Hey guys.
Just dropping by very quickly before the dinner time crazy hits.
I have layout to share of chloe going down a super big slide with my uncle Neil.


I took inspiration from many different places for this one:
Sketch from PageMaps


The minute I saw this sketch I though of this moment. The strip down the middle reminded me of the slide and that's what I tried to make it look like using grey and orange cardstock.


Normally when I see a sketch I automatically see all the different sections of it as different pieces of patterned paper, but as you may have noticed I'm really into trying new things atm so looked at other ways to include the design features. I made the outside square by stamped boarders using down pointing arrows (to go with the down the slide idea) and just a squiggley thing that kinda reminds me of grass. For the other main section I used a old gift card to spread out some pain gesso.


I've also done a bunch of stamping on this page which I am slowly getting the hang of and really liking the effect.

Quote from Wow Chipboard

"Here's To Never Growing Up"

This is a fantastic quote that I could probably it on every single layout I do! It really spoke to me for this page for two reasons. One: I absolutely love watching Chloe go down slides, it would have to be her most favourite thing atm. She always says "weeee" as she goes down and has a little giggle at the bottom before saying "more" jumping up and doing it all over again. I really hope she never out grows this simple joy! Two: for Neil. I'm not too sure who enjoyed going down the slide more, Chloe or Neil. Just goes to show there's still a lil kid in all of us!

I have used a whole bunch of WOW goodies. I really do love their chipboard. The film strip over the photo put a an angel and the arrows are WOW and help to add to the going down the slide idea. Also the words play and fun are from a word back.

And a colour challenge at Kraft It Up.
(although it can't be entered because it combines other challenges I thought I should still recognise their help)


I will come back after dinner to share some more about this layout.
Thanks heaps for stopping by and any great comments that you leave. I love hearing from you!
XoXoX Nicole.

Materials.
Kraft Cardstok
WOW Chipboard - Film Strip
WOW Chipboard - Narrow Arrows
WOW Chipboard - Life Element Words 2
Paint - Gesso, Orange and Blue
Echo Park - So Happy Together - Jot It Down
American Crafts - Thickers
Jillibean Soup -Game Day Chilli - Soup Labels
MME - Miss Caroline - Dilly Dally - Adventures - Sticker Labels
Stamps - Kaisercarft, Studio Calico, 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Just You

Hello there fantastic people of the internet!
I have a layout of little baby Chloe to share. The photo is one of the many photos I used to take of her whenever she wore a new outfit, so there is nothing overly important about the photo, I just like it. Hence the full title is 'Nothing special Just You Sitting on a table In front of flowers' literally describing what is in the picture. (Of course I do think Chloe is extremely special.)

Just You

I took inspiration for this layout in two places. First up the current sketch over at Sketchabilities, which can be found here.


Next up was case #91 over at CSI: Colour, Stories, Inspiration.


Actually, it was probably more like three inspirations. The other one was the papers I have used. They are one of the latest collections from Websters Pages called 'Postcards from Paris 2'. It is not often (well almost never) that I stay within a collection when making a page but this time I have.


The papers are amazing! And are such good quality it seems a shame to cut them up. But thankfully I have the 6x6 paper pad as well and was very conservative even with that so I have plenty more to play with another time. Yay. I fussy cut most of the details from the pad and used the left over bits to mat the photos as per the sketch.

I felt as though the edges were too stark even after a lil bit of distressing and had just been visited by a work friend who generously brought me a gift box which had straw stuff in it, can you guess were it ended up? Yep. I sprayed a bit with green glimmer mist and stuck some down.


I also brought out yellow glimmer mist and the texture paste. I pasted over stencil waited for it to fry then sprayed the yellow around the place.


I have included hidden journalling into the page which tucks just behind the photo. I chose to go with the nothing special idea and the CSI case 91 prompt of something I enjoy everyday. Which is simply doing the mum things for my daughter. Its everyday, basic, routine and I love every bit of it!


This layout is again a different style for me. I don't think I can claim is its not my usual style as I seriously don't seem to stick to one style. I like to let the 'feel' of the photo decide.
Thanks for popping by.
XoXoX Nicole

Materials.
Websters Pages - Postcards From Paris 2 - Tres Belle
Websters Pages - Postcards From Paris 2 - 6x6 Pad
Websters Pages - Postcards From Paris 2 - Word Stickers
Websters Pages - Postcards From Paris 2 - Paperclip - Butterfly
Basic Grey - Letters
Kaisercraft - Flowers
Kaisercraft - Letters
Simple Stories - Letters
Martha Stewart - Boarder Punch

Monday, September 30, 2013

Adore

Did we all have a good weekend? We did absolutely nothing and it was amazing!
I have here a layout featuring Chloe and Jayce. Neither of them is looking at the camera or smiling or doing anything overly special, they are just sitting there staring at each other and that is exactly what I love about this photo!

Adore


The design for this layout came from the Kraft It Up September Challenge which can be found here. This month it is a sketch and you all should by now know how much I love a sketch!


I have again kept really close to the sketch just switching two photos for one and circles for a rainbow of hearts. I knew that just all the same hearts would not be overly interesting so I mixed it up by adding a silhouette heart to each line.


I began by stamping some squares of gesso at random spots before sticking down the hearts. I then added shapes/flower/bling of the same colour in a brighter shade.


I really did krafted it up. I was looking forward to finally using machine stitching on my page, I absolutely love how it looks and have been dying to use it, however the sewing machine at the crop was broken =( so the kraft on kraft looked pretty boring. I fixed this with paint. A dab of each colour matching the hearts at the top and then used an old gift card to scrape it down.


I think 'adore' it the perfect title. They truly do adore each other and the definition from the Kaisercraft rubon sums it up beautifully.


Hope you like it.
XoXoX Nicole.

Materials:
Kraft x2
Amy Tangerine - Ready Set Go - Surrounded
Kaisercraft - Run Ons - Words - Adore
Kaisercraft- Clear Stamps - Serect Admirer - Definitions
Kaisercraft - Take Note - Memo
Kaisercraft - Rhinestones
Gesso, Cricut, Resin Flowers

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Bright

Since Jayce was born, and actually while I was pregnant too I think, I have called him My Mr Man. Often with another word inbetween depending what his doing. Eg. My Mr Hungry Man, My Mr Tried Man etc. etc.
Hence I have decided to start scrapping a 'My Mr Man' series, photos of Jayce I like that make him look a certain way.
First cab of the rank is:
My Mr Bright Man

I went to an afternoon crop the other day for only the second time ever. It was good to sit there (well stand actually, I usually end up standing while scraping) and scrap uninterrupted. More often then not a page takes me a few days (if not longer) due to caring for children, housework etc.
I completed one complete page at this crop and wanted to fit another in too.


I had seen this sketch from Ruby Rock-It, so I grabbed all of the papers I had from them and before I knew it, I had completed two complete pages!
The page come together quickly, rather then thinking, moving, thinking, rearranging, thinking, I just sprayed and stuck.


The page began with the Aracdia paper and I sprayed tattered angles mists in colours matching the photo.


Next out came the circle punches. I punched a bunch of them in all sizes from different papers in the Cranival ranges.


I had been thinking about the 'My Mr Man' series since my trip back home and hence had the those three words pre-cut (multiple times) from the cricut. Along with a few other little bits a pieces used here, the smiley face, clouds and balloons.


While packing up at the scrap I came across the PP fabric buttons and with a bit of glue my page was done.
Thanks for popping by.
XoXoX Nicole.

Materials.
Ruby Rock-It - Tranquil - Aracdia
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival Queen - Yackety Yak
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival Queen - Candy Strip
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival Queen - Framed
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival King - A to Z
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival King - Dotti
Ruby Rock-It - Carnival King - Candy Strip
Cardstock - White, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Red, Pink
2 Crafty Chipboard - 2013's
Purple Pumpkin - Fabric Buttons - Dotty
Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Turquoise Blue
Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Rum Punch
Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Sun Sisters
Tattered Angels - Glimmer Mist - Key Lime Pie
Cricut. AccuCut.