A little breathing space.

Well dancing in the eisteddfod is complete and we only have the choir to go on Thursday night. Was a really busy week, trying to fit in work and be at the eisteddfod with the kids. Totally enjoyed it though as always. Kids did well both in solos and groups and that is all we can ask. They put in the hard work before hand and had no slip ups on stage. Now we prepare for concert and everything that comes after, such as Christmas, aghhhhhhh!!!! Here are my two and their friend ready to do their uptempo modern solos on Friday last.

Surprising myself!

I actually got to do the competition lo for Scrapbooking Premiere, which will be judged at their retreat in October. I just needed to do something for me, as I have been running around for everyone else lately. We had to capture a mood of some description, use black white and red, feather, masking and some sort of bling. The kids birthday was a very happy/party mood, could not resist using a feather as a mask on the white c/s and just love stickles and dimentional magic, not to mention glitter. Had a ball, although the craft table looked a little worse for wear after it was finished!

Sept/Oct Sketch @ Premiere

This challenge sketch is absolutely inspirational and I found myself with a couple of hours before bed last night in which I created from this sketch. It will be pretty hectic in my household for the next 4 weeks so I may not get a lot of scrapping done. Was really glad with the outcome of this one though and even managed to get to bed by 10 p.m. last night.

Kraft it Up August Challenge...

is a colour challenge using black, green and yellow. This is a great combination for reptiles but a little daunting when you want to use wedding photos. However undeterred we soldiered on. i love film strips to use more photos on a page and this was really appropriate for Christie and Robert's nuptial photographs. It is a long time since I used mulberry paper too, but he presto some yellow was in my stock. I love anything Kaiser so the flowers and the wood vines were appropriate in this lo. Kraft c/s is so great to use as a base as it does not interfere with the overall lo's tone, just adds to it, no matter what colour etc.

A Win!

What a boost to my scrapping confidence, I won the sketch challenge for May/June at http://www.scrapbookingpremiere.com.au/ I am basically a solo scrapper due to all my hectic schedule so to get a mention like this just gives the best boost and builds confidence no end!

July/Aug Premiere

This challenge from http://www.scrapbookingpremiere.com.au/ is all about bold and bright colours and different lettering, not to mention stitching and hand altered paper doilies. We also had to make our own background paper. I went a little bit wild with paints and just squiggled paint all over the page. The only disadvantage to this is that it took ages to dry and some of it gets covered by what you are doing on the page. Anyhoo this is what mine looks like!

Let's Get Shabby

The new challenge is up at Let's Get Shabby and the challenge is to use wings and a special verse. My daughter has a very special friend. They dance together and for duos and trios with my son. They do not go to the same school but have found a special friendship which as lead to both families being close. They are there for each other in good times and sad, and this picture of the two of them just shows how happy they are to be friends. The pair of them are angels, even if the devil sometimes raises his ugly head. There are quite a few elements in the lo, but the Prima butterflies are to die for. I also used some acrylic butterflies and adhered them with clear stickles, which I also used to highlight the vine and the edge of the 3D butterfly. I have used some felt flowers and a swirl of pearls to finish it off. I just love the lace border around both the photo and the matting; really makes it girly!

Premiere Sketch

This month's sketch from http://www.scrapbookingpremiere.com.au/ is a beauty. Heaps of opportunity for embellishment. These prima stars were just what the doctor ordered.

Premiere Kit

I have had this lo on my desk half finished for over a fortnight and finally got to finish it this morning before heading off to athletics etc. This is a Kristy Cook kit but I have added a couple of extra things from my stash to personalise it.

Have a great weekend!

A Shabby Birthday

The challenge, to help celebrate their 1st birthday, from Let's Get Shabby, is a layout depicting birthdays and evidence of stamping. I must say I discovered some stamps that I had forgotten I had, and put them to good use on this layout. I love Kraft cardstock and found the Dotted Girl paper great to match colours of inks etc for stamping. The little cup cakes are all embossed with clear embossing powder to help them standout on the page. I thought I was finished the lo and was certain it needed something, but what? The light bulb came on when I saw a packet of party poppers in the drawer. You guessed it, I popped a couple and used their contents on my page as an embellishment. Now it really is a party page!!!!

A Premiere Kit

Bought this kit yesterday from Scrapbooking Premiere. Changed it a little to suit the photograph of Barry and Jan, parents of the bride from my previous post. I had fun doing this as you can just follow the instructions; get a result without too much brain strain.

http://www.scrapbookingpremiere.com.au

Kraft it Up Challenge

Always wanting to use more photos on your page? Kraft it up's challenge is to use 4 to 6 photos on a layout. Having just attended a very special friend's wedding, I used this challenge to scrap some of my photos.

I decided to use a heart as the first base, and forgive me Christie, but I cut you in half, to allow the heart to open and reveal some passport size photos of the parents and the bridesmaids in side. I love the ruffle ribbon and it hides the edge of the heart well. Used a lot of ink and a couple of stamps to embellish the inside of the lay out. Had fun doing this one, thanks for the challenge http://www.kraftitup.blogspot.com/

Hey!! Another one....

I'm on a roll.....Kraft it Up's challenge this month is minimalistic. I don't think I have done any minimal los since I started scrapping so this was a challenge in itself. Had to keep saying "leave it alone, don't touch it!!!" to myself otherwise there would have been more than 3 elements on the page.

Finally a page!!!!!

Seems like forever and it really is but I finally have had some time to myself and did the sketch challenge from Scrapbooking Premiere. Have quite a few photos from Bowen athletics and this sketch allowed me to us a couple.

Bowen Athletics Carnival

A big weekend for us just gone. Our annual trip to Bowen for the Athletics Carnival was quite successful. Kendall had 10 events, which he placed in 6. 1st in 800m walk, 800m run, 400m sprint and 1500m run, 2nd in hurdles and 3rd in 200m run. Dana, who is not really an athlete but does excel in the race walk, placed third in the 800m walk, her first real medal as generally she has only got the participation medal for athletes 7 and under. She was stoked and so were we. It just goes to show you have to find your niche in each area of your endeavours. Kendall and I are off to Rockhampton next Sunday for him to compete in the Caprincornia Cross Country. He will be representing Mackay District. We also have a dance workshop next weekend so everything is on a timetable so we can get to everything. Have a great week!

Let's Get Shabby Challenge

this time is about autumn colours and our inspiration was a beautiful quilt. I decided that both the colours and the quilt were inspiration for me and it reminded me of doing samplers and cross stitch and patchwork all together. I had photos of the family competing in a cross country event recently and suddenly a light bulb went on; the words cross and country could also be used in craft!!! So my layout, which I have designed to hang, is based on patchwork, using the photographs, samplers, using different stitches and buttons, country feel, with cotton laces and fabrics, and of course the beautiful autumn colours both on the base paper from My Minds Eye and the fabrics. I cheated a little and used an X for the word cross, so it could either be a big cross stitch or a shortcut for the word Cross. I really had fun doing it, even if the machine played up a little doing the stitching. Check out Lets Get Shabby's site for more inspirations!!!

Shabby Scrap: April Challenge

Easter photos are always a challenge, but the challenge from Lets Get Shabby was to do an Easter lo. Most of our photos are from the bunny visit, as this is the only time over Easter I remember to get the camera out. It is usually a relaxing weekend at our house, a total opposite from our usual hustle and bustle. I decided to use the kids Easter baskets as an inspiration and have all my eggs in the one basket. Tulle, bows, glitter, stickles, diamentes, fibres and ribbon helped make the lo have the "shabby feel".

April Challenge-Scrapbooking Premiere

Sandra and the girls have once again challenged us to create a lo using a minimum of elements. Colour inclusion needed to be coffee, metal and beads needed to be evident, the word remember had to be in title or journalling and the theme was a place or thing. For one who is used to scrapping people, this became a challenge in itself to find a suitable photograph. Luckily the kids had gone to Eungella with the grands over Easter and Dana had taken this magnificent tree with plaited vines on it.....problem solved!! (I do not want to see another bead for a little while either..

Special night in

Had some friends over last night for dinner. What great company and wonderful way of creating your own entertainment. Kids all got on fab and included all of us in their entertainment. It reinforced for me how lucky we are to have such wonderful friendships and how much I miss those friends who are far away and cannot join in on these evenings. So too my special ones away at the moment, enjoy every moment, make sure you have the best times, but remember those at home love you heaps and would like to see in back safe and sound when you are ready!!!!

Kraft it Up and Scrapbook Premiere Challenges

Well I had time today to manage a couple of challenges.

The first lo is from the Scrapbooking Premiere sketch challenge for April and I could not resist using these two photos of Dana on Easter morning showing just exactly which eggs she likes and which ones she does not prefer....

The second lo is for Kraft it up and they required Kraft as the background and a monochromatic colour scheme. I used a lego brick to create the background in cobalt blue then painted some chipboard letters the same colour and coated them with dimensional magic. I had a pen the same colour so just outlined the word King so it fitted in. Very simple but effective no less.

One day blogger will show me how to get the pictures the right way round....

...

Special Friends

Here is a lo I have done for one of mdd special friends. She is having her room repainted and has new bed linen etc. They are all growing up too quickly. I did the lo in the colours of her room. She told me she is over fairies etc and wants a more grown up feel for her bedroom. Don't wee all!!! Happy Easter to all..

Sketch Challenge - Scrap Therapy

Just loved the March Sketch in the challenges from Scrap Therapy this month. Gave us the opportunity to delve into the scraps box and use up some left overs, (a bit like Sunday night tea really!). A really did not make a dent in the scraps but it was nice to try...I have used a lot of mechanical aids for the lo. The cuttlebug, cricut and sizzix all feature to make this lo about the pulley systems at the Science Centre at Qld Museum.

Kraft it Up March Challenge.

Kraft it up's challenge criteria for March was quite simple; kraft product and mixed alphas.

The photo of Kendall was taken at Movie World, so I decided to go a bit silly and base my lo on Batman. Na na na na na na na na .....BATMAN!!! I cut out a rectangle and put the photo in behind on the graph section of the KRAFT Graph star and then using Microsoft clip art of a bat used a transparency over the top. I traced the outline of the bat underneath and coloured it in as a shadow under to transparency. Then it was into my letter and found whatever I had to make up the words. Rather than leave the star by itself, I mounted in on Bazill C/s and used the Words from Batman's fights on the border. A little bit of silliness for Kendall's album!!

Shabby Challenge....

A very interesting challenge this month, using 5 different flowers, in a garden like theme along with a quote from Alice in Wonderland. My quote is from the king about going as far as you can, and I think it is great advice for kids. The photo was a self portrait Dana and I took just mucking around really. I have used heaps of different flowers from Prima, Kaiser, Bumble Bee Crafts, hand crocheted ones, bead flowers and button flowers. A great big chipboard swirl holds them all together as well as beautiful Prima leaves. A little lace and some beads on Basic Grey lemonade flower garden background paper. The birds are also chipboard. A little alcohol ink gives the quote a distressed look backed up by the distressed edge of the lo.

A bit of Sunshine in the Rain

First let me apologise for the quality of the photo, but it is pelting outside and the light is no better than inside....Getting a little bit tired of the rain now so thought I would make myself a little brighter by doing a layout that was summery..."Fun in the Sun". The photographs were taken in my cousins backyard on our holidays. The kids had a great time in the pool and for kids that don't see each other very often they got on famously....

Kids on a Platter

This is a fun lo I did with photos from Qld Museum, where the kids could put their heads on the fruit platter without the rest of their body showing. (Optical illusions etc...) The Shabby Green Door paper was great as it head all the food words on it, so I could kind of collage the lo. A few acrylic pieces of fruit and some dimensional magic on the letters made this a fun lo, just like the fun the kids had at the museum..

Therapy Challenge

The February technique challenge at Scrap Therapy this month is Glimmer Mist. I used a plain piece of white card stock as by drop sheet for spraying the flowers with glimmer mist. This created the perfect piece of patterned paper to use for the layout. The colours matched perfectly and there was no need to look further. (just needed to wait for everything to dry). The flowers were sprayed a couple of times as was the chipboard word. (I inked it first to give a base and then sprayed twice.) A Fiskars border punch added interest to the outside of the layout and a few kaiser pearls finished the flowers off. Voila one layout...

Scrap the Girls Challenge

this month is from the inspiration, Dance like no one can see you, sing like no one can hear you etc and we had to throw some hearts in as well. The photograph on this lo is of the kids dance teachers from last year and the quote seems so appropriate, as without their guidance my kids would not be able to move as they do.....Let's just say it is a bit of a tribute lo...

Challenge LO Feb/Mar Scrapbooking Premiere

The requirements for this challenge were: A male themed page, create your own patterned background on plain cardstock, use a key, colours to be included were Aqua, Chocolate and White, and at least one embellishment had to be metal. I went a little rank with the negative of Tim Holz grunge board and a spray bottle with watered down paint in it. Not a bad effect and got lots of keys into the lo...LOL!! the little heart on the grunge board heart is a metal charm, an the lettering is Bella Chipz. A little bit soppy for a male lo but the meaning is true!!!! Love you Kendall!!!

Scrapbooking Premiere, Feb/Mar Sketch

This is my take on the sketch challenge over at http://www.scrapbookingpremiere.com.au/ . I love glimmer mist but do not get to use it very often. The chipboard was inked and then sprayed as well as the background cardstock.

Kraft It Up..

A new challenge blog is up and running, using Kraft. www.kraftitup.blogspot.com. This month's challenge was a grunging up layout using Kraft. I normally am not into grunge but had a ball with this lo, even going as far as finding the physics book to get some scientific equations out of. The photo was taken at Brisbane Museum on the holidays. Really a great place to visit for kids and adults alike. We had a ball there!!

Let's Get Shabby Challenge...

is up and is all about special letters, notes etc to keep and treasure. I really don't have anything like that, but with the modern era of technology, I do have a special SMS message, that I will treasure forever. Friendship can never be measured in time or anything else for that matter and I will keep this beautiful txt forever. You cannot always be close in person, but will always be close in feelings. I have used the beautiful MY MINDS EYE - Laundry Line as a base and scrapmatts.com template as a feature. Other scrapping supplies included: Adorn It tiny blue letters, kaiser pearls, lace, eva creates brad, ruler ribbon, basic gret porcelain sticer, fibres, paper doily, m/s clipart and word, memory keepers clear envelope and 3d mounting tape. Not in my usual style but very happy with the end result!!!

Australia Day...a great day to scrap..

Thanks to Tamar Bostock from Tarisota for emailing us some pdf instructions for January los. The studio is not up yet but Tamar thought we might like to start on our kits on this Australia Day. It is too wet outside to do anything so I did these two los after lunch. It is really good to be able to produce a lo without any consternation, or arguing with yourself how the lo should progress. Just simply follow the instructions and voila....

Home Again...

after our little trip to Brisbane. The kids and I had a great time, museum, movie world, Mt Tamborine, catching up with friends and family, doing dinner etc...my only regret is that I did not get much shopping done. It is a little hard to drag a little man shopping so I will have to make a trip back soon.

Time for a boy dancer:

layout. Kendall had some great shots from the eisteddfod, but I needed to work out how to ensure they were masculine los. I had some chipboard cogs in my stash, very masculine, engine parts etc, anyhoo, I decided to use a little glimmer mist and have the cogs as shadows as well as actually using them on the page. A couple of rubons and some paint, glimmer mist, a few notes and stars and we have a boy page....(with full approval of the subject!). I like glimmer mist but don't always have ideas on how to use it. Today however was different...

A lo from my 9 yr old..

daughter, Dana. She scrapped this all by herself yesterday, and even though I am her Mum, I think she has done a great job. She just sat at my craft table and found what she needed and voila, a lay out....well done!!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Scrap the Girls January Challenge

This is my first attempt at this challenge, but the sketch looked great and I was keen to give it a go!! The colours in the photos were my inspiration and the Farmer's Market Paper from Shabby Green Door all seem to co-ordinate well with the photographs. I just dipped into the costume sewing drawer and retrieved some sequins to add a little bling to the lo.

A Little Night Scrapping

I get most of mu thinking done either in the shower or mowing the lawn. The idea for this lo came in the shower last night; so I immediately got to it. I am really happy with the result. I don't feel I need any words, just embellish the photograph. I embossed the frame and just used the beautiful crystal butterfly, some flowers, buttons and rhinestones to jazz it up.

Dana thinks she would like this in a frame for her room, so I guess I will be visiting my lsbs for a frame in the near future.

Simple and Quick

Sometimes, you need to scrap, but you don't have a lot of time. Something really quick and simple: and here it is. I have a box full of stuff just for Xmas scrapping, so I printed off 6 wallet size photos, delved into the box and within 20 mins the lo was done. Not overly ornate or embellished, just simple and documenting this year's Xmas Day. When I have a little more time I will do a couple of lavish ones for the kids albums. Until then, this one will give evidence the Xmas did happen at the Bates".

Lets Get Shabby

This months challenge was all to do with summer. Summer here means hot days and rain. It was raining while I did this lo so I decided on a parasol/umbrella theme. The two girls smiles certainly brighten any day and I used the colours from the photo to help create the background parasol, which included lace, ribbon, crystals and bazzill card stock. I love American craft thickers and these "Prancer" ones were very bright indeed. I added Dimensional Magic to give them a shine. I could not resist adding sequins to the parasol to match the costumes in the photo. The overlay is from Page Frame Designs and is a really thick overlay which does not bend easily, so it holds the weight of the parasol well...