Saturday, May 31, 2014

1st Face Paint - Annas Craft Cupboard & Sassy Scrappers

Last day of May! Wow! I do remember saying "I wont let this year fly by like all the others" direct quote! And woops my bad! Where did it go?!?
I have another layout of Chloe to share with you today! Which came together very quickly!


Talk about inspiration de-railing plans. Everyone in this house hold feel asleep surprisingly early last night and I was cruising through the internet when I came across:


This sketch for May over at Annas Craft Cupboard and


This mood board for May from Sassy Scrappers. I put them together and this layout was done in record time!
It is a little different to my norm.


I have used two pieces of chipboard from WOW both painted and for the first time I used some embossing powder on the butterflies.


I created a little banner from the Kaisercraft Enchanted Garden Collectables pack, in fact the entire layout is Kaisercraft Enchanted Garden including the paper and rubons.


For an extra bit of sparkle I stuck down some sequins after a quick spray with glimmer mist. To add interest I used a toilet paper roll and cue tip to put on some paint circles.
I'm off to enjoy my weekend, hope you do too!
XoXoX Nicole

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Up Up & Away - PageMaps

I have interrupted my Jayce layout catch-up to FINALLY do a layout which has been waiting a long long time. With the last page I posted here, I shared the story about my cloud paper collection and thought it was probably about time I scrapped the photos I intended on scrapping with them...

Up Up & Away

And you will notice I only used one piece of cloud paper... 
The theme of the page is about taking flight as the pictures are of Chloe learning to crawl, the first time I saw her on all fours. She rocked back and forth for a bit then fell and got cranky. It wasn't much longer until she was racing around.


I have used exclusively the Echo Park Everyday Eclectic and did LOTS of fussy cutting! It took me a long time to be happy with the balloon arrangement. I fiddled and changed and moved them around for days!! I also fussy cut some clouds from a strip of the background paper that I saved and layered them on the balloons to help blend them in a little bit. Eventually I got sick of fussing over it and starting just sticking.


I have used dimension a lot on this page. The photos 'step' up in line with the photos again adding to the 'up' theme.
Oh by the way. The design was based on a sketch in the PageMaps archive from April 2013, the middle bottom sketch, I rotated the sketch and took a few little liberties such as moving the title. Happy 8th Anniversary PageMaps.
Thanks dropping in.
XoXoX Nicole

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

My Scrap Space - Version 1

I LOVE to get a glimpse into other peoples scrap spaces. Not sure which part of it I like most. Finding storage tips/tricks. Seeing what supplies they put closest to their work space.  The jealousy of wishing I had a space even remotely like that... Its totally all of the above!
For these reasons I have decided to do one of my own. 
Note this is version one! These photos were taken in February and things look a little different now...

Welcome to my scrap space.


Yes. That is our dining room table. 
Yes. This is where I do my scrapbooking. 
Yes. We eat here almost every night.
No. It doesn't usually look like that...


If you follow me on instagram here you would have seen these pics above of what it looks like mid-project.
I insist on eating dinner at the table as a family and hence have to pack-up what I'm doing every night. As you can imagine this is extremely frustrating.


As for my scrappy supplies, if you turn around from where this photo was taken you will be in our lounge room and find this along the back wall.


A bookshelf-desk-bookshelf arrangement which houses, among other things, my scrappiness. 
As indicated by the two rugrats that crept into the photos, my space needs to be child friendly and baby-safe. Thankfully Chloe is a pretty good kid as long as you explain things to her, so she knows the bottom to shelves are hers the others are mummies. As for Jayce, he can't reach yet. When he can we are going to need taller bookshelves. That kid is such a boy!


The first bookshelf holds the majority of it (the second one just holds the albums and other random odds and ends that don't get used much, other then the printer on top).


The top of the unit features a little purple accordion folder that holds my pre-printed photos, each to be page has its own sections sometimes with embellishments I plan to use with them. A little wooden box from the reject shop houses my mists/sprays/paints (although I think I may be about to out grow it). Three cropper hopper paper holders, these are a recent addition which I am extremely happy about, due to funds I didn't buy any dividers and instead use manila folders with the company written on the top which sits above the papers. This works great as inside the folders doubles as off-cut/scraps holder.


The top shelf has a thin wire basket for my sticky stuff that fits nicely in front of what should be a waste bin that contains my thickers/alphabet stickers. Two black baskets also from the reject shop hold a bunch of my embellishments in no real order, you just kinda gotta flick through until you find what your after (or anything else that tickles your fancy). And a little wooden box that was given to me years ago sits under one with inks in it.


The second shelf also has two black baskets, one for stamps and one for newer embellishments and another wooden box which holds my chipboard. While the black photo box gives a home to my small amount of flowers. 


The desk here holds many scrapy bits and bobs, scissors and pens and buttons and stuff. Although is manly for my laptop and dumping stuff (it is never this neat). I did try to scrap here for a little while but it is just not deep enough and then there was no safe place near power for my laptop.


Above the desk two pieces of dwell rest between the bookshelves on which I have alot of ribbon considering I very rarely use it and another wire basket full to the brim with washi tape. Also from the desk side of the second bookshelf hangs a portable tools thingo that I put random tools in.

I hope you have enjoyed a look through my back-dated scrap space! And hopefully version 2 won't be too far behind.
XoXoX Nicole

Sunday, May 25, 2014

100th Post!


WooHoo! This is my 100th blog post!


Yay! Only took me almost exactly 2 years!


First ever blog post here on 19th of May 2012.


That is all. For now.
XoXoX Nicole.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Dream Big - Creative Scrappers

I'm currently playing scrappy-catch-up for photos of my son, Jayce. This next layout features a sweet photo my mum took of him sleeping at just over 4 weeks old.
The layout is probably a lot softer then my usual page, but then again I have never claimed to have a single set style anyway and tend to let the photos feel guide me.

Dream Big... To The Moon

For as long as I have been scrapbooking (on and off for about 2.5 years now) I have brought every cloud pattern paper I have come across. And I have no idea why anymore. Where did it start? I think the idea was to do a page about Chloe learning to crawl (which I still haven't done...) and call it 'up up and away'.
Fast forward to now and I have ALOT of cloud papers and have never used any of them. As soon as I recently saw this photo at my mums I knew they'd finally have a purpose.


The layout design was inspired by 1 of the 12 birthday sketches over at Creative Scrappers. I haven't played along with one of their sketches since before my crafty break while pregnant and what better challenge to jump back in with. Hopefully I don't need to tell you it is the top right sketch that I have used.


The above photo looks down the layout in an attempt to show you all the layers. Each cloud paper has been cut into a straight line but all clouds on said line fussy cut around. Each stripe has only been attached at the bottom end so they can lift slightly.


The white cardstock is actually a 'frame' foam dotted above the clouds and the 'love you' is attached to it so that it also sits above. I stitched around the frame to add a little bit of interest to it, but my have been a bit too keen considering it was only the second time using the sewing machine and rounding a corner smoothly proved to be very tricky!


This 'Dream Big' journal card comes with the new Hello World collection pack from Websters Pages and pulls out on this layout to reveal my journalling which says "1st July 2013. Jayce at 4 weeks old, this is currently a very rare sight" 


I have again kept the embellishments to a minimum as the background is quite busy, only adding a few extra clouds here and there plus the obvious stating cricut baby boy.
Thanks for coming by. Leave some love (or hate whatever works for you)
XoXoX Nicole

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Problem Contained - Scrap The Boys

So it seems I tend to scrap about Chloe quite a bit more then Jayce. Its not a favourites thing. I just find it easier. I'm not used to scrapping for a boy. Plus she is older and does more scrap-worthy things.
Anyway. I hope to correct this beginning today.
Hence. A Jayce layout to share.

Problem Contained

Now what better way to try and scrap more boy layouts then to play along with Scrap The Boys. A challenge blog all about doing just that. This months challenge is to get 'Grungy/Messy'! Something that looks great but I don't often do due to lack of personal scrap space!


And I sure got messy!! I experimented with paint and ink and even thread.
I created the colour splats in the background using a technique I learnt watching Mr Maker with Chloe (I used to like the show because it kept her occupied for about 15 mins but now I watch it too!) Simply water down your paint a little, cut up a sponge into smaller bits, soak up paint and then whack with a spatula. Not only does it create a great look, its lots of fun and stress re-leaving!


If you have read my blog for a lil while you may recall me mentioning MANY times that I would love to stitch on my layouts. Well my super wonderful, absolutely amazing Aunty has been kind enough to let me permanently-borrow her sewing machine! YAY! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!
And what better layout to experiment on! It was so much fun and adds a great touch. I think I will be doing alot more of it!


I have added a number of small embellishments around the photo but kept them to a minimum. The 'capture' flair from APOCD was perfect for this page, as were the speech bubbles cut from an old Bella Blvd Making The Team paper, plus a few wooden bits here and there.


Finally, considering the photo is of my son being put in a box, I couldn't resist finishing the page with the Bella Blvd 'p.s. i love you sticker'
Hope you like it. I sure liked getting messy! Will try to do more.
XoXoX Nicole

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Australia Day - My Creative Sketches

Welcome.
Another scrap page which features myself but this time also the much cuter daughter of mine Chloe. The photo is a selfie taken on Australia day this year. I'm a proud Aussie so had to scrap it!


If you haven't noticed before one of my favourite scrappy companies is Bella Blvd and so last year I brought one of their warehouse boxes which was full of awesome goodies!!! But I couldn't deny that I was a little (very little) bit disappointed when the largest proportion was American related. Nothing against America but I wondered if I would ever be able to use it (I don't even have a passport let alone travel plans). Then it drawn on me, although our countrys supportive colours are green and gold our flag is also red blue and white. 


The layout design was inspired by the April Sketch at My Creative Sketches. I love this sketch bog not only do they have AWESOME sketches and AWESOME prizes but they finish mid-month which that is perfect for a scrapper like me that doesn't get as much time to scrap as they'd like and tends to fiddle with the page for AGES before it sees any glue!


The pattern paper is from the Bella Blvd 'All American' range, which complimented the Australia flag clothing we are both wearing. While the 'love this place' card is from the recent 'Family Forever' collection, I was super excited to use it on this page because I DO love this country and anywhere with my kiddies!


Along with the Bella Blvd goodies I have used a number of chipboard pieces. The strip of stars has simply been painted also the title (but about 50 million times because I kept changing my mind which colour I wanted it, I think it has double in height). I began with the banner by painting the 'string' edge in grey then I stuck down a very old Ruby Rock-it pattern paper of Aussie flags and trimmed it to size.


And you can't have something Australia without an "Aussie" "OI!" which I has been stamped. By then end of the day I nearly had Chloe shouting this with me, we will perfect it ready for next year!
Thanks for dropping by.
XoXoX Nicole

Friday, May 9, 2014

My Intentions - MME

HELLO!
I'm finally back again. April just threw by! Busy, busy it was.
I bring to you today a scrap page that was a looooong time in the making! Please tell me I'm not the only one who prints the photo and gathers the supplies and writes out the journalling, maybe even draws a quick diagram of the to-be page and then files it away with the best INTENTION of creating it some future free time. FREE time, ha, yeah right!! And hence the layout never gets done. Are there others like me...?
This is one of THOSE pages!

My Intentions 2014

This page began way back in January. When much of the scrappy world were creating the 'one-word' (still not even sure what that means) and new years resolutions pages. My Minds Eye had a 14 things for 2014 challenge and I intended (there's that word again) on playing along. So I printed the photo, wrote out my list and gathered the supplies. And. Yep. Filed it away for another day...
Fast forward to now and the month of May and MME have done it again. This months challenge is to 'use enamel dots in a creative way' which immediately reminded me of dot points and that list I had written many months ago.


The original list was a bit longer (14 things to be exact) and was a mix of a new years resolution/ideas/to-do list. I decided to narrow it down into what I would really like to improve on and knowing that no one is perfect I decided they were my intentions, not an exact goal that could be ticked off.


They are:
  • Eat better - I'm a grazer. I tend to slowly pick at what ever is readily available over the day then sit down to a defined meal. Not something I want my kids to learn.
  • Stay off my mobile phone - I think we are all guilty of quickly having a flick through social media in a spare minute but when 30 mins later your still staring at the screen, its not cool.
  • Make memories - do stuff, try things, love it, hate it, find out. 
  • No wasting - in all areas. Time is a big one! I'm a procrastinator at the gold medal level. Also food, plan meals ahead of time to use what we have.
  • Be outdoors - we have a great back yard now and I don't think we use it enough. With Jayce still being young sometimes its just easier to set up fort inside. No more. Fresh air, cool breeze, dirt. Get out there!
  • Scrap more - so I can remember more of this year and the kids at this age.



I want to do these things each day, every day, TODAY! And I used the word 'today' as much as possible in this layout and outlined/drew over it whenever it appeared to really emphasis it. Like I said, I'm a procrastinator from way back, so if I'm going to do it, do it TODAY. NOW!


Anyway. There they are. My intentions for 2014. Hopeful I can stick to them with only a few lapses hey I'm only human. 
I have to say a huge thank you to MME for the two times inspiration to get this page day!! THANK YOU! This page would not have happened without them and these goals would be long forgotten by now (heck I would of forgotten about them the moment the new years hangover kicked in)
And I suppose I can't sign off without the revelation that this is my first page EVER to not feature any of my kiddies. Shock. Horror. *falls of chair* Bye.