Scrapbooking Memories Blog Hop

Hello there and welcome to my blog today! It's a special day today in blogland as Scrapbooking Memories Magazine are having a blog hop combining the talents of the current Scrapbooking Memories Masters and the Creative Team.

If you've been following the blog, you will have come here from the link in Anita Stokes' blog and my post is the 4th in the hop today.

All of today's posts are designed around a theme given to us by Scrapbooking Memories, and it is up to you to guess what that theme is! Once you think you know head over to the Scrapbooking Memories blog and have a guess in the comments section there.

It's important to visit all the blogs in the hop today to gather all the clues you will need to guess. The blog hop stated earlier today on Leonie Neal-Dawson's blog, so if you've come straight here, make sure you go back to the start to get all of the clues. Good luck everyone!

My layout that I'm sharing today is this one of my great niece Amber-Rose, who is normally more than happy to pose for my camera, but on this particular day she had a few moments of unusual shyness.

For the background I used a sheet of Echo Park Ombre paper which I chopped and switched around and attached to white cardstock. Using texture paste and a small Prima mask, I added the random patterned texture in the background.

The matting for the photos are some various Amy Tangerine patterned papers and the cute little yellow frame is from a pack of 12 Dear Lizzy frames. Washi tape, self-adhesive lace, flowers and a ticket were added for some extra interest.

The chipboard flowers from Words Or Whatever have been coated with a layer of white gesso using a coarse brush for texture, and then coloured with Stampin' Up ink in Yoyo Yellow and then finished off with some knotted sewing cotton.

And finally I have used some Basic Grey small alphas and AC fabric Thickers for the title.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today and having a look. I would love it if you left me a comment to let me know you've dropped by. Can you guess what the theme is yet? Your next clue is on Georgia Heald's blog and will be posted at 2pm, so head over to her page next to see what amazing creation she has come up with for today's theme.

Awesome NEW RELEASE at WORDS OR WHATEVER!

This month's new releases from Words Or Whatever are so worth checking out! I was mega-excited to receive my samples this month! 

So many awesome products with new AltaMATZ, chipboard and the fab new lines of Wood Veneers and Krafty Bits journal spots....you MUST check them out and get your local scrap shop to start stocking up on them if they don't already, as WOW is a wholesale-only company.

One AltaMATZ I am particularly excited about is my Plus Sign design which I have used for the background on this layout of my daughter Elise's engagement moment...

Here's what the AltaMATZ looks like....

I have also used the new Wood Veneer 'Male and Female Icons' which come in a pack of 10 in 2 sizes....

...and also one of the brand new Krafty Bits journal cards that come in a pack of 10....

To check out all the other new releases and what the rest of the design team have created pop over here to view all the new crafty WOW goodness.

Thanks for stopping by xx

Colour Challenge at the Words Or Whatever blog

There's a new monthly challenge at the Words Or Whatever blog and it's an awesome colour challenge. Here's my example I did for the blog....

....using the colour palette below which is the only requirement other than using some WOW somewhere on the layout. I have used the 12x12 Checkerplate AltaMATZ for my background and the brand new Wood Veneer paperclips and 'smile' title. Aren't they just divine embellishments?

Here is a close-up of some of the layout.....

I would love to lots of you creatives have a go at this challenge! You can find all the details and some more design team examples here.

There's a new monthly challenge at Words Or Whatever....

Join us this month for a challenge at Words Or Whatever.
It's a simple recipe challenge using WOW chipboard or AltaMATZ, the colour orange (must be 20% of your project) and a word beginning with the letter W.
How easy is that?
Entries are due on the 20th June and details of how to enter and some DT inspiration are here.
The winner gets a very generous pack of WOW products to play with.
Here is my DT example:

If you don't have any Words Or Whatever chipboard or AltaMATZ and your local scrap shop doesn't sell any, and you would like to have a go at this challenge, just email me at sueat17@gmail.com with your address details and I will send you some.
Now you have no excuse not to enter!

Mummy Hugs

Just sharing a layout I did while on retreat on the Gold Coast last weekend. Twice a year I head off to Queensland to spend the weekend with some very special scrappy friends. It's always wonderful to catch up in person and spend some quality time with like-minded gal pals.

The photo in this layout is one I took of my niece Katia and her gorgeous daughter Tayla when they were visiting recently all the way from South Africa.

I created the background strips using a brand new release AltaMATZ from Words or Whatever with heavily diluted Dylusions ink to create a watercolour effect. Then once that was dry, I traced over the top.

The WOW AltaMATZ I used is the 12" Square Frame.

There are so many amazing new releases from Words Or Whatever at the moment. If you want to check out some more, head over to the blog and have a look at what the rest of the Design Team have been creating with all the new goodies.

April 123 Challenge....

This month's challenge at the 123 Challenge Blog has so far produced lots of beautiful layouts. Is yours amongst them? If not, you've got until the 30th April to get your entries in to be in the running for some awesome prizes from the sponsors.

The challenge this month is...

....and this is my take on the challenge....

It's hard to see, but I have white-washed that beautiful Crate Paper background paper behind the photo, and I've used some coloured chipboard elements from Words Or Whatever.

It's a cold weekend, so it's the perfect weather for scrapping!

Get those challenges in!!

So much going on this weekend challenge-wise in the world of scrapping. But in case you are looking for something to do, or some inspiration head on over to the re-invented 123 Challenge blog or the Kraft It Up blog and give the March challenges a go. You still have 2 days to be in the running for some great prizes.

The 123 Challenge for this month is to create a layout using the colour 'black', the word 'year' and the techique 'twine circles'. Here is my Creative Team example....

The Kraft It Up challenge for this month is a sketch...

And here is my take on the sketch....

So get into the craft room, and get creative!!

Two weeks......

....is not a long time for me between blog posts because I simply quite often forget to, with everything else that occupies my busy days. But it IS a long time for me not to scrap or craft in any way, which is exactly what has just happened in my life.

TWO WEEKS WITHOUT SCRAPPING!!! That is just wrong!

I have a 5mm kidney stone (and the subsequent state it left my body in after it was unceremoniously removed) to blame for the hiatus.

So needless to say, I am champing at the bit to get creative and thoroughly messy this weekend with four glorious days ahead of me.

So as I set off on my weekend of creativity I leave you with this thought....

Meet-A-Cheetah

It's not often I get the chance to scrap a page just for the sheer joy of it lately. With all my other commitments there just never seems to be enough hours in the day.
Last weekend I went away to The Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne to join in the fun at Malinda Gardner's Scrap & Chat Retreat, so I spent the first night creating this layout (in between the chatting and laughing).
These pictures are of my daughter Elise and her boyfriend Rhys getting up close and personal with a cheetah at Canberra Zoo (a Christmas present to Elise from Rhys).

I have this huge collection of washi tape, but hardly ever seem to use much of it, so I gave it a good workout on this page.

Words Or Whatever Challenge

Want to win some awesome chipboard for your stash? 
It's too easy....all you have to do is show us your creative talents using some Words Or Whatever chipboard and upload to the WOW Facebook page , or email it to:  challenges@websterenterprises.com.au by March 15th.

If you want some inspiration, head over to the Challenge Post on the WOW blog and see what the Creative Team have come up with.
I've use a couple of lovely delicate flourishes on my example....

Can't wait to see what you create!

Kraft It Up February Challenge

Have you done you entry for the Kraft It Up blog this month? You have just over a week to get your entry in. Entries close one minute before midnight on February 28th....so get to it! There are some wonderful prizes up for grabs.

All you have to do is create a layout using Kraft as your base and use stickers of any sort....too easy!

Here's my take on this month's challenge....

Head over to the KIU blog to check out the rest of the Design Team examples here and here and then get scrapping!!

Another new Design Team for me

I am really thrilled to announce that I have been asked to join the new look 1-2-3 Challenge Blog as one of the Design Team. This new challenge blog will run just the same as the previous one but at a different address. Pop over here and become a follower so you don't miss any of the fun once we get started.

Just wait until you see the amazingly talented team Mel has put together! The team is being announced slowly over the following days so keep your eyes peeled for the reveal of this exciting team.

So far we have Kim Price, Paula Perry, Wendy Smith and myself. I am so excited to be working alongside these wonderful girls and can't wait for the first challenge kicking off in March.

Hope to see you all participating in the fun!

New Year and a new Design Team for me

I'm a bit slow announcing this, but I have been privileged to be asked to join the Words Or Whatever Design Team for 2013. This is no real stretch for me because I already use WOW products on a large percentage of my layouts anyway. 

If you haven't come across WOW products before, you can check out their fab range of chipboard, AltaMATZ (templates) and MDF products here. They are a wholesale only company, so if you local scrap shop doesn't stock these wonderful products, ask them to get some in!

Here are some sneaks of some of my layouts using WOW chippy....

Kraft It Up January Challenge

A new year and a new challenge over at the Kraft It Up blog. This time we have a colour challenge which I always enjoy doing and here is my sample Creative Team layout....

I was lucky to have the perfect patterned paper for the brief and also found these gorgeous cabochons in the right colours too....

Here is the colour swatch for the challenge....

Don't forget to have a go at this great challenge....you have until the end of January to complete it. Head over to the blog here to get inspiration from the rest of the team.