All those Odd Photos

Do you ever find that you have an assortment of odd photos lying around, and you just not sure what to do with them? they don't really warrant a whole page all to themselves, or perhaps you have already scrapped a version of them in one way or another.

I have gathered up all those oddments and placed them into this multiple photo layout.

I just love this collage press cloud background paper, I have used it on a number of occasions on my layout's, it just seems so dreamy and a touch heavenly ! 
Consequently I am having a play at recreating it , changing it slightly so that all my pages are different, with this one, I crackled the edges with Tim Holtz distress crackle paint in picket fence.   I stitched a circle in the center and then tore the paper to reveal a different backround, aka vintage book paper and material scraps. If you haven't guessed by now, you may notice that I actually like using up all the oddments!
Waste not want not :)

The circle embellishment and the buttons are  made up of some scraps of Calico I had hanging around, stamped and inked, gives them a new life !
I will be teaching a version of this at Album Memories Port Elliott, in June / July.

Off to tame the 3 monsters as it is school holiday's and boy today they are Troll's ! hehehe

Simone XX

Kraft it Up! KIA

Finally after it sitting staring at me to the side of  my desk for 5 days,  did I manage to finish this months challenge for Kraft It Up.  I have been busy 'creating' for an upcoming tutorial to appear on Abundantias Gold Blog,  and a page for an upcoming class at Album Memories in Port Elliott

I actually had a bit of fun with this one as the criteria was:

• 1 sheet of cardstock 
• 2 photos smaller than 6x4
• 3 different Alpha's
• 4 different patterned papers
• 5 different embellishments

I was having a ball gathering all the bits I might use and made a right old messy pile of goodies, to which one of my cheeky monkeys who's bedroom you can barely walk into for stuff everywhere had the cheek to say "you are really messy mummy!"   lol.... if only he knew !!!!

Anyway before I waffle more here is the page.

I had a good old play with Tim Holtz new release lines, the new Distress Ink dabbers, I actaully have some similar that were made by walnut ink that i bought years ago, but I am liking the fact that they co-ordinate with my favourite Distress Inks, as I am kinda used to the colour range ! :)
I couldnt resist adding some of his new 'Sketchbook" tissue tape, I have to say this is my most favourite yet.

I spritzed the distress ink with water to soften the colour, and deliberately over wet the pp's and tore hole's in them to reveal another PP underneath.
The bodice and photo corner (used both the positive and the negative of this , waste not want not) , was painted with Luminarte Twinkling H20's - I just luuurve these.

The chipboard cotton reels took a small smudge of Vintage Photo Ink, and were wound with natural cotton, and an old needle added for authenticity.
Zoe was inked with the new Distress Ink Dabber, Vintage Photo.  Of course my Sewing Machine made an appearance again! :)

Here is my ingredients list:

Kraft Cardstock
Collections - 6x6 papers
Dusty Attic - Bodice cotton reels and artist title
Tim Holtz - Typewriter charms, sketch book tissue tape.
Graphic 45-  staples chipboard buttons
German Scraps

Thanks for looking everyone, I have another share to add in a day or 2 !

Lest We Forget

White with Olive Green and Twine it is this month over at White with 1.
I had a ball, rummaging through all of my stash looking for Olive Green anything, as it's not a colour I use frequently, I did recall that I had a sheet of Making Memories flocked Olive green paper somewhere (that appears in the background) so went on a hunt to track it down, 5 boxes of papers later and Voila! there it was, and somehow I had had the foresight (or most likely purely by accident! I like to pretend I planned it! hehe) to add another Olive Green paper with it, and that was the script paper in the background 7 Gypsies.


The pictures are from a precious few of WW2 that my late Grandad took whilst fighting in France and such, all bundled together in a forbidden diary he kept amongst the passages of an army issue french phrase book, forbidden incase he became captured by Jerry, but for his taking a chance an invaluable piece of family history.
I studied a fair bit about the First & Second World War, and was lucky enough to visit Flanders Fields in France, a fair amount of War graves for all nationalitie's, field hospitals, Trench Museum's and such, as a result I have some treasured memories of chatting to my Grandad about it all, whom had never 'opened up' about what he had seen / experienced, and marveling at the strength of spirit these brave men had.  Such  warriors of there time, and I thank them everyday for there sacrifice. With my deepest respect, that I hope will pass down many generations to follow, May they all rest peacefully.

Thanks White With 1 for inspiring me to begin to Scrap those precious pictures. So here is my take on this month's challenge.

I will add  a few extra close up's over the coming day's but I had to rush off for school pick up ran out of time!

Here is my Ingredients list:

PP: Making memories Flocked Floral 

PP: 7 Gypsies Avignon : Ecriture 

Cardstock Bazzill Green 

Heidi Swapp Clock Face Stamp 

Kaisercraft Blank Naked Tags & Stamps

Twine 

Prima Marketing Flowers  :- Wild Wood collection - Rosemary 

Vintage Lace & Buttons 

Tim Holtz Ribbon & Reinforcers Stickers 

Sewing Machine & White Cotton

Distress Ink , Forest Moss & Bundled Sage 

Websters Pages green baubles trim 

Paris Clock - Abundantias Gold embellishment

Thanks for looking.  & thanks for all the beautiful comments you have all been leaving. :) 

Simone XXX

Once Upon a Sketch

An avid journaller and recorder of history I am , imagine my excitement when I stumbled across this fabulous brand new challenge site, ONCE UPON A SKETCH Australian based but open worldwide it houses some of Aus's best on the design team, and even some very well known local one's as well. Name drop Heather Jacob, and Steph Caskin-Devlin

The first giveaway is up, supplied by there sponsor Scrapbook Nook, and take a look at this stunning kit! 

Ohh Cant wait for the challenges to begin ! :) wink wink  :) :) :) :) :0) 

A weekend of crafting!

This weekend I headed down to Port Elliott to spend a few days with friends in the country scrapping to my hearts content, completly relaxed and with no pressure. 'Just what the doctor ordered!' 
On the saturday am I taught a class at Album Memories in Port Elliott, using / demoing Glimmermist and a few of its possibilites, now for those of you interstate / overseas Port Elliott is a country town in SA, and therefore often doesnt get to have a 'hands on' experience like this.  Anyhow, here is  what we did. :)

& just a few more shares of some of the pages I completed.

 

This picture was taken in 1998, and was my Grandad who is no longer with us, and my Dad in England.  A special picture for me as it was one of the last times I saw my Grandad.  I had another play with my much loved twinkling H20's to colour the Heidi Swapp Invisible circle border, and also the Tattered Angels Tag. 

Another share, a trip to the Crystal Castle in QLD, such a beautiful place, had it not have been so hot I would have loved to spend more time there 'absorbing nature'.

 

I have used Kaisercraft range here, and cut the border away from the Die cut paper using one half on the left of the page, using the other half to use as a template and glimmermisted the artisan shape on the right behind the die cut.  Then flipped this over and used underneath the pictures on the left hand side of the page. 

The Glimmermist used was Orientla Poppy, and asian back ground stamp was used with Faded Jeans Distress Ink. 

Thanks for looking I hope you enjoyed :)

Kraft it Up!

Over at Kraft it Up , March's challenge is to add the qoute 'There is no greater gift than today" and have Kraft cardstock in it.... the rest is up to you!  well here is my take on my daughter doing 'the crab dance' at the beach.

I have used:

•   K & Co Que Sera Sera Paper
• Scrap FX Chippie Mermaid, that I had a complete ball shimmering with Twinkling H20's and Glimmer Glam! love love love the h20's! 
• Tim Holtz tissue tape / stamp
• Kaisercraft bling swirls
• Blue Thread 
• G C Studios 
• Walnut Stain Distress Ink 
• K & Co Studio 112 Trinket Tags

Here's a few close up's so you can see a little more of those H20's!  you just have to have a go with them. :)

 Thanks for looking ! dont forget to leave me a comment :)

Simone X

Let the challenges begin

Well this month over at White With 1, it's all pink, and the challenge was to use bright pink, with an artisan shape, and the only other ingredients - white!
Anyhoo, even though I have a darling daughter, I dont tend to use a lot of pink, I have added a lot of detail to this page, but unfortunatly the picture does not do it justice, the flourish is actually a strong metallic pink, but does look a little brassy in the photo,  I have also white enamel embossed around the edges a swirly design, and then dry dusted with some White acrylic paint (use a dry brush and a small amount of paint).
I have had the picture sitting around for a while, my daughter was sat on these beautiful Rose Quartz chunks at the Crystal Castle in QLD, we had such a beautiful day wondering around the garden's soaking in all the energies of the crystal's, if it had not have been so hot I would have liked to have spent quite sometime there just absorbing mother nature and all of her beauty. Fond memory's of such a beautiful place.

Here are a few close up's hopefully you can get a better look at it.

Here are more of my ingredients:

• Artisan shape created using Heidi Swapp Mask template, with Pink Sherbert Glimmermist and Strawberry Glimmer Chalk, applying the brayer technique to even the tone.

• Journalling spot from Hambly Screen Prints rub on's applied to transparency and then written on with a white gel pen.

• Fairy title - 5 kids and a dog, crackled using Tattered Rose distress crackle. then inked with Versa Mark Opera Pink.

• All edges distressed using Donna Salzar's new Distrezz It Tool, this is just fab love it love it love it, check out my other post on the blog to see a demo.
• Heidi Swapp Mirror - butterlfy in pink of course ! 
• Large floursih swirl cut from K&Co Studio 102 paper. 
• Hambly Screen Prints - ATC Patchwork sheet 

Thanks for looking hope you have enjoyed :)