SCRAP THE GIRLS Challenge

After a huge break from scrapping, I have finally created something scrap-wise.

Apart from a little bit of crafting and teaching at some local retreats, I have really done nothing for nearly 3 years. Daring to set foot in my craft room with the intention of a huge clean-up (read:clean out), the itch to play started to return.

 Seeing the sketch for this month's Scrap The Girls Challenge blog piqued my interest, and because of an extended break from work after contracting whooping cough and being on home quarantine, I decided to have a go.

 Here is my take on the challenge...

And here is the sketch from Scrap The Girls...

I've used the stunning papers and some embellies from the Cocoa Vanilla Bohemian Dream range. I am so in love with the designs from this awesome Aussie scrap company and bought this range hot off the press a year ago whilst on retreat, but have never gotten around to using them.

Here are some close-ups of my layout...

Thanks for checking out my latest creation. I'm really not sure if this renewed interest continues, as I have been exploring my original art roots in recent times but I'm not really impressing myself so who knows where this journey leads me. 

September Kraft+ Challenge

After an awesome crafty weekend just gone, I finally broke the scrapbooking drought. It seems my illness sapped me of all my mojo. so a weekend away with some awesomely talented peeps helped to get back into the swing of things.

And what better to start with, but a sketch challenge....one less thing to think about is always good!

This month the Kraft Plus Challenge Blog has a sketch challenge using triangles (the Tri Hard Challenge), and here is my finished layout....

...and a close-up of one of the wonderful titles that Words Or Whatever make....

Here is sketch for the challenge.....

It feels strange to be blogging again...not sure many people follow personal blogs these days anyway? Thanks for looking :)

May 123 Challenge

Such a long time since I've blogged!

As most of you probably know by now, I have been in hospital since February having intensive chemotherapy for leukaemia (A.L.L.), so my scrapping output has been just about zero.

I have a small trolley of supplies with me, and just lately, I have managed to get a couple of things done.One of them was the May challenge at the 123 Challenge blog.

 It's not often I attempt an A4 size for my scrapping, but someone had sent me a present with some pieces of really thick cardboard used as protection, and I wanted to really get stuck into the background with lots of inks and texture paste, so it was perfect for the job because then I wouldn't have to worry about warping (which is one of my pet hates).

Here's how it ended up....

The criteria for this month is the colour GREEN, the word TIME and the technique JOURNALLING.

I created the texture in the background by using corrugated cardboard and one of my favourite Words Or Whatever altaMATZ with texture paste.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope I will be more productive in the coming weeks so I will have more to share for next time. 

The start of a NEW YEAR!

It's always an exciting time in our calendars when the New Year rolls around. For me it signals a fresh start....no resolutions, but just a spring clean of the mind and a whole heap of calendar dates to fill up.

I am so happy to announce that I have been asked to stay on the WOW Design Team for another year, and I am excited about all the wonderful chipboard, wood veneer and AltaMATZ I will get to test-run in the process. I have really enjoyed working with Suzanne, San and all the other girls on the team....roll on 2014 and let's do it all again, but bigger and better!

I have also been asked to stay on the challenge blog sites of 123 and Kraft It Up for another 6 month term. The challenge blogs are something I looove doing, just wish there was more time to complete all of them out there. 

I thought with the end of my year as a Scrapbooking Memories master which was a WHOLE heap of FUN, I would have lots of extra time, but it doesn't seem so.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, and if I were to make a New Year's resolution, it would be to update my blog MUCH MORE REGULARLY! Let's see how we go!

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!