Friday 31 January 2014

CSI - 106 - A New Year



So last weeks challenge was a bit self reflective for me, but it fitted the "case":
I was really surprised when I saw the colours because I had just got Kaisercraft SweetPea on sale and the colours were perfect.  I got the collection to use on the girls 2014 dance pages, but I am sure there is enough in the pack to do this challenge.  Any way, here is what I came up with:

106 - A new year
Here is how I solved case 106:
Scheme - the colours are all there (with a few greys too)
Evidence – arrows, gold, cloud, numbers, circles and stripes.
Testimony – Write about resolutions, number your journaling and IW: good and be “Like many of us, we celebrate New Years Eve and during the night, I sit and contemplate the year that was. I was a little sad this New Years to say good bye to 2013, as I have accomplished so much. I feel better within myself and have been actively trying to get fit by going for my morning walks and drinking more water than usual. I put myself out there by starting my own blog and posting some of the scrapbook layouts and cards that I make. I smile as much as I can and laugh with my children. These were my resolutions for 2013 and they have all been achieved. So on reflection, 2013 was a good year for me and now I get to close the door on it and start thinking about 2014.
Unlike most of us, I don’t set my new year’s resolutions on the 1st. This is because I found over the years that I would forget what I was going to try to achieve or I would set my goals so high and unrealistic that it just never happened. Instead, I ruminate on it over a few weeks – until I get an idea of what I want to achieve. This works well for me as I often can’t make snap decisions.
So what do I want for 2014 for me personally?
1 Sign up for a new crafting challenge
2 Be more confident when looking at others blogs – write comments
3 Get in front of the camera more
4 Get to the beach more often
I am really looking forward to 2014 – Madison is starting Intermediate and Katie Rose will be on her own at Primary school, so both girls get a chance to be independent from each other. Riley is going to have his first season of football and is now one of the big boys at Kindy.
Without even realising it, I am already achieving some of my resolutions. Today, I spent the afternoon with Leanne, Emily, Katie Rose and Riley at Milford Beach. I put myself in front of the camera and let Leanne take photos of me and then printed them before I could delete them!
I don’t know what else will happen this year, but I am sure that there will be plenty of opportunities to keep my New Year Resolutions and create new memories!”

Astro Boy

I have been a very lucky girl!  For Christmas, Jack ordered me two new BIG sets of Spectrum Noir Pens...  Lights and Brights and they finally arrived last week!!  Then Lili Of the Valley had a huge sale on 140 of their stamps and I got 6 new ones which arrived at the beginning of this week.  So I am feeling rather spoiled at the moment!  I am afraid to say that my current addiction (which changes from week to week!) is colouring stamped images to use for my card toppers.  I really love that I can personalise cards even further making sure that the recipient gets something that they love!

We have a 7 year old boys party to go to on the 02/02/14, and I originally was going to use a stamp of a surfing cat by Penny Black to make him a birthday card, but his pet Kat passed away yesterday - so a change of tactics is required!  I have coloured in one of my new LOTV stamps "Astronaut" and made a space card for him. He is really into Star Wars, so it's not quite right, but I just loved the stamp and had to use it!


I have stamped the image using Tuxedo Black Momento Ink and coloured with Spectrum Noir Pens.  The background papers are from an old Rosies Studio A5 pad.  The Birthday Wishes stamp is Wild Rose, the ribbon is American Crafts and the star sequins are from Spotlight.

Friday 24 January 2014

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #3: Stamp on patterned paper

I love stamping, and have a huge collection of stamps, but it is not often that I stamp onto patterned paper!  I decided to do a smaller project for this, and made a birthday card as I wanted to use one of my Gorjuss girls...

I really love these stamps, and normally I would colour them so for this challenge, I decided to paper piece the dress, tights and birds and then colour her skin and hair.  I even stamped a brick wall stamp (Prima), to stick underneath her.  When I was layering up the Happy Birthday, I didn't have the right colour card - so I just used my washi tape on white cardstock then die cut through a small scallop circle.

The only problem is that I love it so much that I just dont know if I can give it away...

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #1 - Subway Art

I had so much fun creating subway art with a holiday/snow/family theme!  I did this on an A5 card and then stamped with all the word stamps that I have that were in the right theme to go with my page. I didn't want to use the whole sheet on this one page, so I die cut a circle and a heart to use and the rest I can use on another project!



The background paper is counterfeited and I loved it so much, that I decided to do this for all my background pages for this holiday!

CKCB Hop Challenge January 2014

Welcome to my blog - my first ever blog hop challenge!  You have arrived here from Milissa


I loved the idea of putting a container on my layout, so here is my page with a jar of "snow":

CHALLENGE #2:  Use a container on your project



I found these little glass jars at the $2 shop years ago, and I never thought of using it in a layout!

All the papers used are from my counterfeited kit.  The photos are of my eldest skiing the Rock Garden on Whakapapa in NZ for the first time!  In fact I used this kit to scrap the whole holiday!!!  Any way, enjoy the rest of the hop, from here you need to go see Elaine

Thanks for joining us on the hop!

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Sugar & Spice "Candy" range

What a busy Saturday Leanne and I had!!  We were in Spotlight running the make and takes for the brand new Sugar & Spice product range.  This includes a 6 pack of washi tape, tin of stickers and pad of vibrant paper - ALL colour co-ordinated!  There are five colour ways, but we decided to use the candy as it has blue, pink and purple and fitted in with the birthday theme.  Here are the sample cards that we designed and taught:



All the products used are from spotlight and the products used are:

We R Memory keepers - Tab punch
Becky Higgins Corner rounder punch
Francheville small butterfly punch
Heart punch
Fiskars Circle template, tags template and cutter
Fiskars paper trimmer
Versacolour cubes:  Cyan, petal pink and hyacinth
Versafine black onyx stamp pad
Kaisercraft pearls
American crafts Cardstock
Sugar & Spice Candy Hues range, stickers, paper and washi
Kaisercraft save the date stamp set
Kindy Glitz crystalina 3D
Twine, double-sided tape, foamies and mini pegs

Sunday 19 January 2014

CSI - 105 - 2 cheeky galz

I am absolutely loving the colours this week!!


I found some old photos taken on Jacks cellphone from when the girls were little and had to use them - they fitted the sketch perfectly!!!

105 - 2 cheeky galz
Here is how I solved case 105:
Scheme - the colours are all there.
Evidence – stars, circles, book pages, stripes, something unusual (the gold 6 pointed stars are from a hanging door curtain) and a pocket
Testimony – Write a how to guide & IW:  escape, away and strange.  “How to keep two cheeky girls busy:
1 – Take one trampoline and add two girls.
2 – Let the girls escape from real life by using their awesome imagination.
3 – Get them to make strange funny faces by making funny faces at them.
4 – See if they will run away from each other – while staying on the trampoline.

5 – Sing and dance to ring a rosie.

Sunday 12 January 2014

CSI - 104 - A time to Dream



I am back taking the CSI challenge again this year!  Case 104 was a bit of a challenge with all the bright colours, but I had fun with my doily! The challenge:


104 - A time to Dreamand here is what I did with it!

Here is how I solved case 104:
Scheme - the colours are all there.
Evidence – Bird, Damask, polka dots, hearts, fabric, paint, silver metal, doily and ribbon.

Testimony – IW:  smiles, sunshine, up.  “At dinner tonight, you were so tired you fell asleep before I could get the food on the table.  You are so full of smiles and sunshine when you are awake, I wonder how bright your dreams are when you are asleep.  You were so peaceful, I just couldn’t wake you up.  Madison, you are my little dreamer.”

Katie Rose Jazz Exam 2013

I got the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Paper Pad and stickers to use for summer photo's and the girls dancing pages for the year.  But as usual, I got distracted by other things and haven't had the chance to use it yet.  So today, I quickly put together this page for Katie Rose and her Jazz exam.  I kept it very simple as there are four photos on this page.  One of them is on a pull card and it has all the girls in the exam.  I then got Katie Rose to write on the back of the photo the names and exam numbers of each of the girls in her class.


Tuesday 7 January 2014

Counterfeit Kit Club - January 2014

As part of my New Year Resolution, I have decided to try another regular challenge.  I have been watching the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for a while now, and love the idea behind using what you have to make a kit, and then having additional ideas to use the kit.  I have given myself the extra challenge of not spending any extra money to do it - so I will have to use what I have already.

This month has a lovely kit to counterfeit, originally by Hip 2 Be Square December 2013 kit:

Picture of December 2013 Main Kit
There is an additional kit by Oh Deer Me with some fabulous embellishments:
December 2013 OHDEERME Kit

I really liked the colours of Aqua, Red, Pink and Grey and so I used that as a starting point for my papers.  I don't have any exact product that has been used in the kit, but as I love to reproduce papers, I have managed to duplicate some of the papers.



PAPER:
Rosies Studio "Chantilly Lace" 2013 6 x 6 pages from pad x 2
SAMPLE Typo Flyaway 8 x 8 Confetti paper
MME (???) Woodgrain paper
MME (???) Graph paper
Francheville Gelati basics paper Red and Pink stripe
Counterfeited:  Dark Grey Cardstock with aqua ampersand die cuts
Counterfeited:  White Cardstock with Grey stamped journalling frames
Counterfeited:  White Cardstock with Red music stamped and vellum zig zags on top
Counterfeited:  White Cardstock with Pink Cardstock frame, striped washi and gold paint splatters
Counterfeited:  Grey Cardstock with white die cut and punched snowflakes  *
Counterfeited: Aqua Cardstock with white die cut and punched snowflakes *
* These will have white chalk ink rubbed over the piece when used and more snowflakes strategically placed while using it.

CARDSTOCK:
I am not sure of the brand, as I buy this in bulk packs and then file by colour.  I think that these are Rosies Studio or Francheville



I have chosen two shades of grey, aqua, two shades of pink, white and kraft to be able to have some flexibility with each project for colour matching.

CUT APART:
I really liked some of the designs, and had to have a go at Counterfeiting them.  I didnt really like the bright yellow, so I just replaced it with papers that I think go well with the others.



4 x 6 Navy and white striped (cut from Random scrap of 12 x 12)
4 x 6 Cut from BoBunny Sugar Dot White with black polka dots
4 x 6 Cut from (Unsure of brand) pink stripe and dark pink bow
4 x 3 Counterfeited:  White cardstock with pink striped paper/red cardstock and stamp (family fun!)
4 x 3 Counterfeited:  White Cardstock with aqua inked edges and grey washi tape and stamp (date)
4 x 3 Counterfeited:  White cardstock with you and hearts and ruled lines.
4 x 3 cut from Rosies Studio Chantilly Lace x 3
STAMPS:  Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm Clear Stamp set, random words

EMBELLISHMENTS:

When I was looking at the original kit at hip 2 be square, I saw the December 2013 add on embellishment kit and started to drool at the snowflake overlay and the kraft chipboard shapes so I thought I would make a few of these to put into my kit as well as the extras that I use on my page:




Counterfeited:  Woodgrain paper bag made from MME Woodgrain paper
Counterfeited:  Handpainted words and fussy cut:  family, love, always
Counterfeited:  Decorated Buttons
Counterfeited:  Small snowflake acetate overlay
Counterfeited:  Kraft chipboard shapes
Counterfeited:  Acrylic heart and arrow frames
Decorative Brads
Washi Tapes
Die Cut and Punched snowflakes
Mini star and heart punch
Fabric Flowers
Handmade flowers
Paper roses
Paper doilies
Paper clips
Chipboard shapes (in red and pink)
Wooden hearts and arrows
Turquoise and pink bakers twine
Dear Lizzy Thicker Stickers
Penny Black snowflake stickers
Rosies Studio garden flower stickers
Mini pastel star stickers (no brand, kids ones from dollar shop)
Aqua, red and silver blings


This kit is very much a snow/winter themed kit and as we are in the middle of summer, I have photos from a skiing trip from a few winters that are needing to be scrapped.  The colours that I concentrated on (pink, aqua and grey) match the kids ski gear!  Look out challenge number 1, here I come!

If you want to know more about the counterfeit Kit Challenge, pop over and visit them at:

http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.co.nz/