Two Crazy Kiddies - Bo Bunny & My Creative Sketches

So. This post is going to be short and sweet with terrible picture quality for now. It is well past my bed time!
Tonight I created my third ever double page layout of my two crazy kiddies on a shopping trip to Kmart. My previous two-pagers have had varying success, the first was certainly not a masterpiece, in fact I don't think I ever completely finished it, and the second was picked up and published in the American magazine Scrapbook and Cards Today.

2 Crazy Kiddies

The photos are from a shopping trip to Kmart wear these beanies were just screaming to be worn! I couldn't help myself and popped one on each and snapped some quick pics. I am a very indecisive person so shopping trips can drag out a bit but doing silly lil things like this help keep the kiddos happy, well... tolerable.
The title and journalling are more about shopping trips in general and other silly things I do to while they are in the trolley to ward off tears and tantrums.
This page combines two sketch challenges.

The first page is from My Creative Sketches September Sketch and looks like the above. Can you see the resemblance? It was the Bo Bunny - Our Lil Monster 'Rawr' paper which married these photos with this sketch for me.

The second page was based on the Bo Bunny September Sketch challenge. I loved this sketch as circles are an element that I rarely use but know they create great effects.

I used only the Bo Bunny Our Lil Monsters collection for this page. I have wanted it since its reveal but could not find it until a holiday trip which just so happened to drive directly past a scrapbook store! Yay.

The few times I have created a double page layout I insist on putting embellishments over the page split to help unify them and to make my life more difficult this time I did so with a banner.

 Each letter has been fussy cut from the All Star paper then stuck over the string.

An assortment of fitting words have been stuck near the two separate photos.

That is all for now.
I will be back again with better pictures when the sun is high and I have had a reasonable amount of coffee!
XoXoX Nicole

Not So Beachy Keen - Creative & Sassy Scrappers

A very big hello to summer!!! Wait. What. Its only September. Who cares, this weather is gorgeous!

I am again outside while the kiddies play lathered in sunscreen (they got my skin, poor lil things) on a perfect 30 degree day. And it is meant to stay this way the whole week! High five Mother Nature.

Anyway. On to the business. Today I share a layout of Chloe back in April last year when she had her first full beach experience, she wasn't a fan...

Not So Beachy Keen

The page design is based on Creative Scrappers sketch number 277. To make it my own I switched triangle for shells.

Meanwhile the inspiration to scrap this photo came from the September Mood Board at the online store Sassy Scrappers.
I must confess, during our holiday to Mollymook two weeks I ago, I may have staged a photo or two with this scrappy challenge in mind (you know your a scrapper once that happens!) but couldn't stop thinking about the difference between her first time and now. So I thought it best to get that on paper asap.

Unlike last months Sassy Mood Board entry HERE, this time I was inspired by the overall 'feel/topic' and mostly the top right image, such as the title.

 My partner loves terrible puns, so after reading the image words I couldn't help but make the title a play on words from the saying 'peachy keen'.

The quote on this PL card could not be more perfect because that is exactly what happened.
With my continued effort to journal more I decided to write about both beach experiences that lend me to this page. I journaled the photo-relevant details in clear view onto the background itself.

And used this extremely relevant PL card to hide the 'now' contrast details.

Thank you muchly for checking out my page.

I hold very high hopes of being able to create another page before months end (yes I do realise that is tomorrow... I pray for an early night for the kids!)

XoXoX Nicole

Favourite Dudes - Stuck?!

Hey guys.
I am back again, currently sitting outside in the amazing sunshine typing while my kiddos play happily. This is why I hold onto my uni life and always buy laptops!
I have today a layout of Jayce with a photo bomb from a not so familiar face, daddy. I really should start scrapping more photos of him with the kids but he is not a fan of being in front of the lens and some how manages to take a horrible shot 95% of the time...

Favourite Dudes

To create the page I have used only Bella Blvds Max collection. I love this collection! It was not love at first sight though. Originally I did not think I would get much use out of it but brought it anyway out of customer loyalty. Now four layouts later I still intend to use it again.

The design for this page is based on the September 1st sketch at Stuck?! sketches which is currently celebrate its 1 year birthday. Ha-Ha-Happy Birthday!
As is my style, I have kept very true to the sketch. However I did tweak it a little:
Switching paint drops for fussy cut speech bubbles...

stitched circles for stars...

and moving the journalling over because I ran out of room.

Thanks for checking it out. Hoping to be back again tomorrow with another share. Fingers crossed for double nap time. (Toes crossed too)
XoXoX Nicole

First Day - ACC & Scrap Our Stash

Ever since this photo was taken I knew it would have to be scrapped as it was such a big moment for my kiddos, but my guilt over the subject matter kept me from putting anything together... 

First Day

This is a pic snapped before my kids first ever day at day care when I returned to work last year. Looking back I am still shocked that I was comfortable sending my kids (esp Jayce - soo young) but I was able to take them to work with me at an on-site childcare with a fantastic reputation. Anyway I won't harp on about the personal side of this, it could get very long and heated...

It was the September Scrap Our Stash Stash Challenge #18 that finally made me revisit this photo and finally create the page. As per the challenge I have used lined/ruled paper, chalkboard paper, pencil, alphas, apple, book and ruler.

The layout of the page was based on the September Sketch at the Australian online scrap store Anna's Craft Cupboard.

I stitched the fussy cut 'pocket' on to the page so that it can be used as a pocket and hide my long journalling about the day and my feelings and why I sent my kids to day care. It is on the day' card that pulls out and is hand written on both sides... I had a lot to say.

I also fussy cut out the apple and books from Simple Stories Smarty Pants paper, in fact most of the page is from that collection.

Thanks for stopping by.
Come back again soon!
XoXoX Nicole

My Baby Girl - WW1

And I am back.

Took a short break from scrapping for the last two weeks and enjoyed some rare family time. Brenden had a whole 6 days off! It was awesome and the kids LOVED having him around more!

Back to your usual viewing. I have a new scrap page to share.

My Baby Girl

The picture is of Chloe and I when she was a mere 3 months old.

I have once again forced myself to partake in the White With 1 challenge for September which is marshmallow. I am certainly enjoying pushing myself with these challenges, it still feels soo foreign to me to use such limited colours!

I also decided to push myself an extra step further as well this time, by including flowers. An embellishment that I have used in the past but am certainly not comfortable with.

I am trying more and more to journal on my pages. A picture might tell a thousand words but certainly not the whole story! Normally on a page like this (where the picture is not an overly huge moment, merely just a photo I like) I would not include any because I didn't know what to say. So this time a wrote about the general type of photo rather then this specific one.

Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to what WW1 will throw at me next month!
XoXoX Nicole

Winter...?

Hey Hi Hello.
This year it seems that Mother Nature has been away with the fairies a lil bit. The weather has been all over the place! For a few weeks, in the middle of winter there was glorious sunshine!! The kids and I took advantage of it as much as possible! And that is what this page is about.

The layout of this page was inspired by the August Sketch at My Creative Sketches. I altered the sketch to suit better, for example just the one large photo, but I believe you can still see the it.

I used the top semi circle to re-create the sun shine and lined it up with the glare in the photo itself.

I thought about many different titles for this page. Originally I was going to scrap it just cause I liked it, but decided to create more of a story about the weather to add meaning, then the title was going to be "Summer (in blue letters) or Winter (in red letters)" hinting at the switch of weather, however I made a mistake and stuck down the WIN in blue first. So decided to let the colour of the letters do more talking then the words.

The page is 90% American Crafts Amy Tangerine, with just a sticker and piece for paper from the another AC brand Dear Lizzy.

Another close up shots of the AC embellishments and fussy cutting and...

post done.
I am now heading to bed for a very early night to try and kick this flu which has began to creep up the day before our first ever, just for fun no real plans, holiday.
Thanks for coming by.
XoXoX Nicole.

Gel ASAP -Scrap365

So spring came right on schedule on Monday but it seems winter crept back since, its crazy cold and wildy windy! Perfect for inside creative time.
This time a have made a page using a recent snapshot of Jayce.

 Get This Kid Some Hair Gel Asap

I based this page on the September sketch at Scrap365. There are so many reasons to love their challenges, the sketches are always fabulous with plenty of white space and an amazing prize on offer. Plus they start/end mid-month!

For this sketch I have flipped it to better suit the photo.

When his hair is dry, Jayce has extremely straight hair which sticks very close to his head, we call it the Lego man do. But we discovered when wet it can be styled heaps of fun ways! Although it goes right back to Lego-man once dry. I have journalled about this in bottom right.

And I have used what I think would be my longest title ever to describing my reaction to this and wish that it would stay in the styles sometimes.

I sometimes check out the company blogs of the collections I have for tips/ideas. On Friday the Bella Blvd blog showcased two layouts using this 'lookin' good' tag. Made me want to use mine asap. I added the fox sticker next to it to hint at looking foxy.

When I first went to photo the page, I thought/couldn't handle that much white space. Hence I added some grey paint spots and a few punched stars from the other colour but same pattern paper.

I have a feeling more pages of Jayce with different do's will eventually be made. We nearly perfected the Elvis look last night!

XoXoX Nicole