Busy Busy Busy

Dont ya just get fed up with just being so damn busy this time of the year? and we are all suffering the same no time syndrome ! lol   Well I have been busy making some extra special Christmas presents, but shhhhh cant tell you too much incase the receivers are tuning in! hehehe

So here I am finished wrapping the twins birthday presents! (how inconvenient just before chrissy!) almost all the christmas presents and almost finished off my handmade goodies! Listening to Michael Buble Christmas Album - just luuurrrrvvvveee it, all the christmas lights are on and up, and I have to say its beginning to feel a lot like christmas and I am so excited ! what a big kid !  
Bring on Santa ! hehehehe
Anyway I digress I thought I would just show you a quick handmade share - Canvas gifts for the family...

 What's so special about these I hear you say? well to me everything, the men on the horse's just happen to be one man and that's my Daddy ! - I am sure he wont even realise what I have done when he opens it, but I am pretty sure he will love it once it hits home ! So proud of him I know it will stir a tear or 2 now he's getting older - lol

You cant see from the picture, but each image has been antiqued with Tim Holtz distress stain, and then the whole canvas modge podged - once dry it was then antiqued again over the edges - then crackled with tim holtz distress crackle rock candy.   I have made 2 more of these slightly different for each recipient but they all have my dad in them.
Anyway off to deck some more halls ! and Jingle my own bells !  hehehehehe

TFL  - Simone XXX

Togetherness at Challenge Heaven

This month (dec) at Challenge Heaven, as the Design Team member I have the theme challenge....
The Theme is create a layout in the theme of 'Togetherness' with this criteria, use a stamped heat embossed element in the background of your page , and a handmade embellishment.
Here is my take on the challenge :

 I have stamped in the bottom left hand corner and up the left hand side of the page and heat embossed using Clear with a gold sparkel added it gives just the right amount of bling but subtle all the same :)

 My hand made embellishment is the Net flower - created with a strip of netting hand sewing a length of vintage lace to it and pulling the cotton to gather it into a rosette type thing adding in a vintage button and then stitching the sides together.  - If there is a call for more info on how to do this, email me / leave a comment and I will consider adding in a tutorial :)

 A little closer on the heat embossing - which is also behind the photo on the top left hand side.

The circles in the back ground were cut from the flipside of a piece of websters pages, these were then screwed up into a ball, inked with Tim Holtz distress Ink, and then spritzed with water, once unfolded and dry the inks blend in together to give a much worn / distressed look.  Just adds that extra bit of shazam to what otherwise were quite dull circles :) lol

Thanks for looking girls, remember to pop on over to Challenge Heaven and take a good look at all the inspiration, why not pop in and do one of the challenges why you are at it :)  Gotta be in it to win it. \
\TTFN 
Simone XXX

Its all Merry & Bright !

I did warn you all that I was now on a Christmas role, so this arvo I had the chance to complete a page from a sketch I was inspired by, from the fabulous Heather Waldron, via Challenge Heaven.
So here is what I did ....

 And some close ups for you .

Thanks to Helen Clifton for her amazing face painting skills :)  I hope my layout does them justice ;0
Watch out for more christmassey !  the padgeant is on next week ! lol
TFL

Simone XX

Blind Scrap

Last night over at Challenge Heaven I hosted the Blind Scrap, for those of you that dont know what one of those is, you get given instructions one step at a time, and an ingredients list.  Then you do your page and we all reveal what our pages turned out like :0)  its great fun,  Here is what I did.

 The quotations I have had written in my special quotes book for some time and I cannot remember who they were by, so unfortunately I cannot give credit :( ,  I used a little cheese cloth behind that had been spritzed with red & green glimmer mist / chalk  just to soften  lift and texturise the qoutes and that corner a  little

 The tree is a Tim Holtz die, cut in chipboard, painted in Adirondack snow cap paint dabber, and then diamond glazed and sprinkled with Mica Flakes, I just lurve these, I think it gives this an illusion of snow / ice, even though it isant cold here in Oz, its all about how Christmas feels in your heart and to me it will always snowing ! (in my head of course ! lol )

 I used Tim Holtz distress stains in Fired Brick and Forest Moss - Some TH Christmas tissue tape

Add a little Websters Pages ribbon and away we go ! I am really in the chrissy spirit now, watch the pages over the coming days / weeks !  ! lol
TFN !
Simone XX

October @ Challenge Heaven

Challenge Heaven DT entry this month is  Ebony or Ivory + Blue and Lime Green  - so I went with the Ivory (white) option - Not my usual colours and I have to say for all the stash I have -  I didn't have much Blue and Lime Green  so I improvised  - lol    out came the bottle of Adirondack acrylic paint dabber in snow white , and hey presto some clouds in the back ground and some Texture paste to texturise the background.
Here is my take on the challenge.

 

T. P Fluff and Stuff  is just a little nickname I have for Tom  his initials and I have always called him fluff and stuff because he has always had fluffy hair :)  and he is full of so much lovely stuff :) lol 

I stole it from H.R Puff and Stuff and I guess it just stuck from there. 

TFL  - Simone XX

Cyber Crop November 2011 Over at Challenge Heaven

Come and join in the fun - I will be sending out the instructions for the blind scrap :)

Definatly a kodak moment !

So glad I was given this camera that belonged to my Grandad - imagine my excitement when I discovered I could actually get the negatives developed still. - & it fit right in as one of my Favourite things for the challenge over at Challenge Heaven this month ! :)

 I was lucky enough to find the brad in the centre of the Rosette which just happens to be the same camera, in a set I had  My Minds Eye, what  stroke of luck !   the photographic apparatus card was out of a 7 gypsies ephermena pack.
Just proves there is a reason why I like collecting scrapbooking goodies you never know when you are going to use them! lol

 The black and white pictures were developed form the negatives I found in the instructions manual.

 Back ground paper is from Tim Holtz stash - chipboard clocks are Graphic 45, clips are 7 gypsies, transparent negative strip is also ...... u guessed it  ! Tim Holtz ! get the common theme now ? :)  lol

TFL - Simone

Father's Day Wallet

I have been busy beavering away today on a Father's Day gift for my Daddy ! :)  -  Over time I have seen many versions of wallett cards and little album's, and an amazing one last year by the very talented Marie Scanlon (missing you xox) . 
For whatever reason I have never made one though, so I thought this year, Dad's getting a heartfelt gift with lots of love from his baby girl ! lol
Voila!

So here is what I did - The wallet is made from Grungepaper and not Grungeboard, as its a little softer and easier to work with, besides I didn't want it to be too bulk.
I sprayed / painted this with Adirondack ink stain in Espresso ( one of my most used colour's I reckon!) once dry I ran it through a Cuttlebug (big shot / vagabond can also be used) using a bubbles embossing folder which as you can see give's it an animal skin type look.    For those of  you that have not used Grungeboard before although it works very differently it really does give the effect of leather - I just love it its so pliable and hard to tear.

I also cut 3 strips of grungepaper to create the pockets on the inside and sprayed them and embossed them the same as the main structure of the wallet.
I stitched these on top of each other - starting at the bottom and maneuvering all the way round in one stitch adding the sections as I went.  The following pictures might help show this.

 I then continued back round again to form a running stitch .

It is important to notice that I also added a flap of Grungepaper, and it is a good idea to hide this under one of your pocket strips whilst you are stitching.

I also placed a piece of patterned paper towards the top just to give it a little different look.
Once the main structure was complete with stitching etc, I  added a plate - This was cut from a Tim Holtz Tag's and book plates die once again in Grungepaper, I then added some Gold foil to give it that metal look, and then embossed it using some alphabet embossing tips, which also work great on leather and other materials, although an investment I feel for me they are worth having a set I use these on my journals all the time.

 

I added little credit card size inserts decorated with verses and quotation's guaranteed to bring a tear to Dad's eye ! lol   I actually cheated a bit and just cut them out from a Tim Holtz ATC die that I have, but if you don't have that luxury aim to make them aroun 3.5 x 4.5 inches and you cant go wrong. 

Incidentally I think I forgot to add that the actual wallet when open measures around 9" x 5". 

So there you have it, I hope this helps enough for you to give one a go, they really are great fun, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome! I am sure your Dad's, Pop's, Grandad's, Pa's, father in law's etc will push you up the inheritance ladder if they are given one of these !  hahahah only joking ! 

With lot's of love to my Father, my resting in peace Grandfather's and Father in law, and all you Dad's out there, I wish you all a wonderful Father's Day.

Now off to petition to get the date changed I am fed up with it always hijacking my birthday ! lol 

TFL & have a great weekend  XXX

Couture

There's a sketch challenge for me this month (September 2011) as Design Team Member for
Challenge Heaven.  I just love it right up my street :)
Take a look designed by Heather Waldron its just fab!

So here is my take on that wonderful sketch.

 

Because I dont already have enough patterned paper I thought I would add to my stash and picked up this wonderful Corsets Paper from the Couture Collection designed by local SA Gal Denise Boddey. 

Just perfect for my layout, and I have to say I quite like the whole softness that Denise seems to capture in her papers, subtlety that you love and not so prominent that you are scared to cut the paper :)

The pattern on the top and bottom of the paper has been created by stamping onto cardstock with embossing ink, then adding enamelware emboss powder and a heat gun. 

So here are a few close ups for you. 

The Chipboard is all Dusty Attic, Aussie based my favourite chipboard people by far, that includes the title, the dress form, and the amazing decorative strip along the bottom.  You can buy Dusty Attic online at Abundantias Gold.
I have broken out those twinkling h20's again (luminarte) and painted the border strip in Poppy, and the title 'Couture' in heavenly.  how appropriate ! lol

Most of the created areas have been cut from the paper, with the addition of some Prima Velvet Leaves, and some Mini Abundantias Gold roses.

and finished off with a little Glimmermisted and shredded ,to within an inch of its life, muslin cotton. :)

Thanks for Looking - Dont forget to leave me some love so that I know you were here :)

Simone

Some Artyness to share !

Its been a bit quiet on here of late i guess life just gets in the way! , apart from working on a few projects, you know me always dabbling in one thing or another, I have been busy creating some rather unique cards...... more will be revealed about these further down the track, but it has meant that I have once again got stuck into that paintbrush that keeps reawakening the arty monster in me ! lol

Here are a few shares..... more to be revealed about why I have done them a bit further down the line... :)
TFL !   Simone oxo

Introducing Atlantia 

 Meet Hielin

 & Obsidian

Teddy Edward

Its Cyber Crop over at Challenge Heaven again this month, and my Challenge for the Design Team is
Challenge 1:
Scrap 2 or more photos of an animal or make reference to an animal in your title, using Transparency, Stamping and a border punch.
So here is my DT example:

So I cut out a rectangle of transparency / acetate  and randomly stamped over it with Archival Ink (staz on can also be used, these permanant inks stop it from smudging and coming off) 

TRANSPARENCY & STAMPING Check. 

Then I used an EK Success border punch on the edge of the page to mimick notepad paper.

BORDER PUNCH CHECK 

I gave the edges a distress and then added Charcoal Black Distress ink,  the blue splodges are China Blue Distress Ink, with a light squirt of Denim Blue Glimmer mist followed by Peacock Blue Glimmer Chalk. Then a light spray with Graphite Black Glimmermist. 

The Key and Lock are cut from Tim Holtz Alterations Hardware die set   (for use in cuttlebug/ big shot/ vagabond) 

More ingredients: Twiddleybitz chippie wings, RW Laser Cuts mini Ebony Swirl. Tim Holtz tissue tape, Kraft Resist paper, Jenny Bowlin Studio Chipboard buttons, Tickets unknown, Alphabet chipboard letters Memory Maze. 

TFL  hope there is some inspiration here for you :) 

Simone XX

CYBER CROP ! come on over and join in the fun :)

Challenge Heaven

 I have 2 layout's as design team member  in this months Challenge Heaven :  so here are my shares :)

 Theme Challenge:  Scrap a sports picture - use a border punch
Colour Challenge:  White Turqouise & Silver use pearls.

 

I just had to break out my favourite Twinkling H2o's again I just love love love them :) 

TFL S x

It's not long till Christmas!

It's certainly cold enough for me to remember childhood memories of Christmas in England, don't get me wrong I absolutely love our warm Christmases but I still have this romantic notion it should Snow for christmas day, I guess thats all the Coke adverts we have been brainwashed with ! hehehe

Anyway this year i have been organising myself early and creating albums as gifts.  I have uploaded a detailed walk thru on the Abundantias Gold for the little baby below, created from 2 sheets of paper, my stash and some imagination!   

Why not head on over the blog and check it out  CLICK HERE

Or if you decide you want some of the papers CLICK HERE

TTFN!