Car Crazy - STB DT

I am sooo excited to share with you my first page made for the Scrap The Boys Design Team. Yay!

But before I share the challenge and my page, how about I show you what is up for grabs!!
This month the amazing people at Faber-Castell have donated two packs of their amazing Gelatos! Why not go and visit their facebook page or website to see their incredible products.

But wait, there's more. Pilot Pen are offering two pairs of 9" scissors and Raquel is handing over an embellishment pack from her private stash!

Januarys challenge is to use the amazing mood board above and pictures of the men in your life to create a masterpiece! You can view the first half of this months reveal here and the second half here!
And this is my page:

I took inspiration from a number of images in the mood board.

The graffiti style background from image number 4.

The road through the page from image 1 and the picture I scrapped from image 3.

If you get some scrappy time this month please put the Scrap The Boys challenge on your to do list!
XoXoX Nicole

Scrappy News!

So. The blog has so far been quiet for the magical month of December.
Some of you may be thinking that I haven't been too busy with the Christmas crazies to scrap. But you would be wrong.
I have been scrapping.
However due to a little secret I've been keeping I can't show you yet.
Yep.
I am super excited to announce I am on my first ever DT for Scrap The Boys. Yay! An online challenge blog about scrapping the males in your life.
Check out the list of other amazing woman I will be creating along side here.
And some details bios of us all here and here.

I can't finish this post without wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a super Happy New Year.
I sure am excited for what 2015 will bring!
XoXoX Nicole.

Awww Moments - STB

Hey Hi Hello.

Ao its been a while since I was here. After a promising start to scrappy this month life got very VERY busy. So busy in fact,  that I finished and photographed this page over 2 weeks ago but am only just finding the time to post it.

The layout features an all time favourite snap of Brenden and Jayce taken on his first birthday. 

I finally scrapped this snap for the November challenge at Scrap The Boys which is about showing the 'soft side' of our male friends/loved ones.
They also have a snazzy new banner this month too.

The page uses almost entirely Heidi Swapp September skies. The main reason for pairing that collection with this photo is the 'So Chill' square. 

And a few close ups.

Thanks for popping by.
I am now going to frantically stick and glue on the page which has been almost complete on my scrap desk for over 2 weeks so that I can photo and post it by tonight.
Wish me luck.
XoXoX Nicole

Neanie - OUAS & Words + Paintery

So I figured I was about due to create a page that is completely not my normal style, although I don't consider myself as having 'a style' there are definitely styles I do a lot less then others. Plus I stumbled across a brand new blog challenge that would do just that.
But first things firsts. The layout.

(Nanna) Neanie

This page is a happy snap of my two crazy kiddies with their equally crazy Neanie (my mother).
That new challenge blog I referred to is Words & Paintery. So new in fact, that this is their first ever challenge.

Now the blog was a little light on exact details, but the idea is to embrace mixed media scrapbooking (something I don't often do and you know I like a challenge to be just that, a challenge). You are provided with colours and a word, as yet I am not sure whether the word is a technique to be used or a topic to be scraped (if the latter, woops).

I have done a bunch of painting incorporating the three challenges colours, which I mixed myself from dyslusion inks blue yellow and white, using a Heidi Swapp heart stencil over and over. I also did some messy stamping with some Kaisercraft texture stamps.

Every now and then I feel the need to make a page with more meaning then a happy snap. When that happens I head start to the Once Upon A Sketch challenge blog, they provide a sketch and a topic/prompt for journalling.

Novembers challenge prompt is 'inspiration'.
I split the journalling over two spots. The top is the more general, my usual, words about the who and what. 

While the journalling lower down is more in depth words, although I still wrote them in a light-hearted humorous way, it talks about how my mum has inspired me as a mum.

The gorgeous fabric heart is from Charms Creations (who, btw, is having a sale on the facebook page atm) I think I also took some inspiration from the pages she creates with the washi tape, sting, and doily.

As much as I dislike flowers on my pages, this page really did need them (I fought really hard too!)

Well that was my field trip into the world of mixed media. Maybe I will be back again...

XoXoX Nicole

Hello Selfie - WW1

I have finally completed a piece of scrappery after what is my usual start of the month lull. 

I am hoping to keep at it and create a large number of pages this month. Also my usual but it will happen this time... I hope...

Anyway. First up is a layout feature a new favourite photo of Jayce and myself.

This page was created along with the WW1 November challenge which is 'freesia' or yellow.

I created the background using paint swatch samples of varying yellows collected from Bunnings. Even managed to find ones with appropriate colour names which were underlined/circled before stitching them onto white cardstock.

I matted the photo with both black and white cardstock to make it pop. Behind that I chopped up two sentiments from a Elle's Studio Cameron paper and layered them vertically with a few punched star boarder bits.

Isn't that the cutest little square! The arrow points to Jayce btw.

I scattered a few of the punched stars around for some added interest.

When stitching the colour swatches, one was missed to create a pocket for the tag which pulls out and has the journalling on it.

I had planned on the 'a favorite photo of Jayce & Mummy' to be the title but felt it left a void in the middle of the polaroid frames, so added the another title too.

 Back to share again. Soon.
XoXoX Nicole

Fun Ahead - WCMD

So the reason behind this card may be a little bit my cryptic then the others...

It is a girl baby shower card. I wasn't sure what sentiment to use until I found my Chic Tags 'Cloud 9' goodies. I think "Goodness Me Oh My! - Fun Ahead" sums up whats coming pretty well.

This card was based on the sketch from Jenessa for the WCMD blog hop at My Scraps & More.

It took me an stupidly long time to get this bow right, but I think it was worth it.
I added the fussy cut rattle to ensure my meaning got across.

I'm pretty sure the receiver will appreciate the humor behind this card.
XoXoX Nicole

2 Today - WCMD

I really have been enjoying my ventures into card making and in this last week November has suddenly become very booked. So I'm getting prepared early.

This card will be going to a two year old boy (hopefully that doesn't surprise you).

The design came from Wendi's sketch for the WCMD blog hop at My Scraps & More

The lumpy boarder (the official name is escaping me atm) was created by punching small circles from 3 Bella Blvd papers, sticking them in a row then placing the car strip over one half of them.

The stars and letters were also punched from the same papers. While the cupcake was fussy cut then backed on white and  the 2 candle was cut free hand.

Hopefully the boy will like his card, ha, ok, hopefully his parents will! Lets face it, he just wants the prezzie!

XoXoX Nicole

Fabulous Darling - D-lish Scraps

With this layout a got a bit messy. Loved it! It came together super quickly (for me at least).

Oh So Fabulous Darling

I took inspiration for this page from the October Inspiration Board at D-Lish Scraps, another first time participate for this month.

I took a lot of inspiration form this one. First and foremost, the colours. I began the page by dripping a paint brush into the dylusions ink sprays green, pink and blue then added some spots of black too.

I did a quick round up of papers matching these colours and cut small strips laying them over the ink.

I couldn't resist adding these sunnies after noticing some in the board too.

Next I took the title directly from the inspiration board, all-be-it a bit sarcastically.
The washi tape down the sides could not be a more perfect match to the colour scheme.

After quickly jotting down the story at the bottom. The page was down. Yay for quick satisfying pages.
XoXoX Nicole

Thank You - WCMD

So I have been at it again and created another card. It really does feel good to give someone something you have created yourself. And these are by far my favourite type to give.

I was torn when I began this card. I wanted it to be bright (like always) but really wanted to use the dated looking thank you seal stamp. I finally found my answer in a super old Echo Park collection which was both of these things and I choose almost primary colour combo.

Armed with the above sketch from Nadine at My Scraps & More the card come together very quickly. I substituted the buttons for extra 'thank you' stickers because I am very very thankfully to this person.

I hope to make more cards as an occasion arises.
XoXoX Nicole

Big Sister - WW1

So my layout count for the month is a bit low so far. And this layout I share today is the reason. I spent a looooonng time on it and not for an obvious result.

Big Sister In Training

 The photo was taken in December 2012 not long after I discovered that bub #2 (now known commonly as Jayce) was on the way. Chloe loved (at still does) caring for her babies, giving them bottles, cuddles and tucking them into 'bed'. I used this photo to document about her super nice/caring nature and our confidence that she was going to be a great big sister.

I have once again taken on the White With 1 challenge, this time very happily as it is my favourite colour! Radiant Orchid aka purple!
Although it seems that the wider scrapping community does not sure my love for it. Very few companies produce anything purple (I have actually emailed a few on this topic) and many blog scraps recently have mentioned their dislike for it.

The hold up with this layout was not my usual issue, hesitation to cut the pretty paper, as it is mainly strips of scrap paper from various companies. It was the stitching. Although the papers were all purple they were many different tones and were in need of something to unify them. I decided on stitching which seemed like a simple yet effective solution, until my sewing machine decided to play silly-buggers on me.
Hence most of the stitching was done by hand. Wow was it time consuming!

The star and heart are hand made embellishments from the super generous and talented Charmane from Charms Creations.

Now that it is finally complete and my fingers have stopped bleeding hopefully I can quickly create some more layouts before the month is out.
XoXoX Nicole

P.S. I already have an idea for the next WW1 and I don't even know the colour yet. I believe it has become my favourite monthly challenge.