Project Life Week 8

Some weeks are rough. This week was the roughest of the rough.  I thought long and hard about what to include in this week's PL page and decided that it was ok to say this week was rough but I didn't need to go into any great detail.  I am sure it will all be recorded in a "traditional" scrapbooking layout eventually. Keeping it real but without the gory details.

It's another single page week and since it will sit opposite Week 7 in my album, I have used Kraft again to make the spread cohesive even though it represents two PL weeks.

Week 8.....

There is some journalling about the week (blurred for sharing) but I have kept it fairly vague.  I don't really need my boys to know exactly what's happening at the moment and to be honest, the story is a tough one to tell right now.  However, I really do believe in ensuring our memory-keeping is authentic and recording our lives accurately- the good AND the bad.

Layout Share | Basic Grey

As you might remember, I have stopped buying new product in an attempt to use up old product and I had squirreled away the Knee Highs & Bow Ties collection by Basic Grey.  I buy these amazing products and then stash them away waiting for "the right project". Then I forget I have them LOL!

This collection is perfect for little boys so when I wanted to scrap this photo of my little boy playing with his trucks and trains and I stumbled across these papers, it was a no-brainer and I had to finally cut into them.

My little guy always lays down like this when he's playing with anything with wheels- he must like watching the wheels turn.

I've left this collection in a spot where I can easily see it now!

Life.Paper.Scrapbook | February Mood Board

We have a new mood board to play with at Life.Paper.Scrapbook and it's just stunning.

Our sponsor this month is Scrapdelight Scrapbook Store.

Scrapdelight is a young and dynamic Dutch scrapbook store, owned by Michelle Ploeg. It all started in 2008 as an online store and now became the place to be in The Netherlands for all your scrapbooking, stamping and mixed media supplies, classes and inspiration. If you're not close to the store, you can still shop online and find their wide variety of products in the online store. They ship orders worldwide! 

The challenge winner will receive a EUR15 gift card to spend in the store. 

Here's the Mood Board- full of soft apricot, peach, pink and gold.....

Ok, so the Mood Board is gorgeous but I struggled to create a layout.  I just don't usually work with these colours and I sure don't have these colours in my stash.  So I decided to make some cards instead using gelatos, watercolours and embossing powders to create the right look. 

I was inspired by the confetti in the Mood Board so I used Gelatos to stamp some circles for the main panel on this card.

For my next card I used watercolours to create my ombre background.  Then I embossed some hearts in gold on a sheet of vellum to stitch over the backgound and soften it a little.   I loved how this added both dimension and texture at the same time. The same watercolours were used to make my tag.

You could absolutely use these same techniques to make beautiful backgrounds for a scrapbook page.

Be sure to head over to Life.Paper.Scrapbook to see the absolutely amazing work the design team produced and also for all the challenge details.

Project Life Week 7

Oh boy, Week 7 was rather forgettable.  We had a very low-key week, not many photos and I found myself in a bit of a funk.  I have had pain in my left heel for a while and this week decided to get it checked out.  I have a stress fracture and have to stay off it - yeah right!  They wanted to pop a cast on it to force me to stay off it, but I politely but firmly declined.  How am I supposed to look after two little boys with my foot in plaster? A few years ago I broke my other foot and had a cast- it was a nightmare, and that was with hubs home to help out!  So let's just say, I am doing my best to stay off it but a Mum's gotta do what a Mum's gotta do......

When I sat down to do this week's PL and realised I didn't have much to record, I decided to do a single-page spread rather than try and fill a double-page spread with "fluff".  I suspect next week will be pretty dull as well, so it can go on the facing page to this week's.  It was Jade last week, so it's the Kraft Edition this week.

Here is Week 7.....

Now in the interests of resting this foot of mine, I'm going to read a few chapters of my book before the boys require feeding again ;-)

Feeling Sketchy | Sketch #81 (Layout)

I'm back again with yet another challenge for Feeling Sketchy and this challenge is sponsored by Molossi who very generously offer a $30 chipboard and bling prize pack for a monthly winner.

The Design Team have been using digital stamps from Bugaboo Stamps on our cards and they are also offering 7 digital stamps to a monthly winner.

So on with the sketch we're playing with.....it's a LAYOUT SKETCH!

I love using grids on my layouts, so being inspired by the grid pattern in the background, I decided to bring that to the foreground and make it the main feature of my page.  I also adapted elements of the sketch to fit in with my own scrappy style and using a kit from Life.Paper.Scrapbook I created this...

This layout tells the story of our ride on the Fremantle Sky Wheel.  We were attending an event nearby but my big boy begged me to take him on the wheel when we were finished.  As soon as it started it's ascent he freaked out in the most hysterically funny way.  He got even more upset when I started to record video of his freak-out.  Definitely a story worthy of it's own layout ;-)

Be sure to head over to Feeling Sketchy for all the challenge details and more inspiration.

Feeling Sketchy | Sketch #80

It's challenge time again at Feeling Sketchy and this challenge is sponsored by Molossi who very generously offer a $30 chipboard and bling prize pack for the monthly winner.

The Design Team are using digital stamps from Bugaboo Stamps and they are also offering 7 digital stamps to the challenge winner.

So on with the sketch we're playing with.....

I'm using this adorable stamp again which you can find here.

It's not showing up very well in the photo, but the hexagon panel is the yummiest watermelon pink colour and I have teamed it with mint green, black and white.  I figured that since my card for Sketch #79 was blue and green, I would make this one for the girls ;-)

I hope you'll play along with us at Feeling Sketchy- don't forget there are prizes to be won!

Layout Share | Amy Tangerine

Last April I was lucky enough to meet Amy Tan at my local Spotlight store.  She was so lovely and despite being very tired from travelling, she was genuinely happy to be there, teach a make-and-take and check out the projects that some of us had brought with us.

Fittingly, I have used Amy Tangerine to create this page.....

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Layout Share | Studio Calico Atlantic

Just a quick layout share today using Atlantic from Studio Calico.  This is my youngest son in the bath and by the looks of it, he was in desperate need of a haircut!  Apologies for the photo quality- it seems there was less light around than I thought when I took the photos.

I added lots of layers behind my photo- layering is something that I am getting more and more comfortable with- and you'll also notice there is no stitching!  Not like me at all, but I was in a rush to finish up the page so I decided to add a few staples here and there instead.

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Less Is More | One Layer Week

This week at Less Is More it's a one-layer card challenge and I decided to play along.  I don't often make one-layer cards so I thought this would be a fun challenge to try.

I stamped a butterfly image from My Favourite Things in versamark ink, then white heat embossed.  I then applied Distress Inks - Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean- with an ink blending tool, and finished with some splotches of pewter Distress Stain.

My cardbase is Confetti cardstock from Stampin Up and I love the subtle texture it gives.  I believe it's discontinued though so I use what I have left sparingly.

Project Life Week 6

Week 6 saw Master 3 and Hubs spend some time in Adelaide with family, the first day of Year 2 for Master 7 and some much needed quiet time for me :-)

I have used the Jade Edition this week and it is still one of my favourites.

Here is Week 6.....

We've enjoyed some slightly cooler weather this weekend and I'm about to give the outdoor dining setting a wipe down so we can eat outside this evening....aaahhh, the simple things!

Just Add Ink #201

Gosh it's been such a long time since I played along at Just Add Ink but I just haven't been able to fit it in. Well, it was back-to-school week this week and hubs took Master 3 away to Adelaide to see the grandparents, so I had time to create just for the sake of having a play :-)

My first port of call was to check out the challenge at JAI and I was excited to see this......

I pulled out the "Up, Up and Away" stamp set and set to work creating a background of hot-air balloons. I then created my sentiment panel using a stamp from "Sassy Salutations", some punched scraps and twine.

We have a few birthdays coming up, so this card will be on its way to someone soon :-)

Project Life Week 5

It's Back-to-School Week and we were happy to have hubs home for half of the last week of the holidays. We had a very busy week with tile selections and pre-start for our new home.  We then changed our minds on a lot of things over the weekend and made new selections :-)

This week I have used the Honey Edition and kept things super-simple with a lot of journalling straight on my photos.  I have been asked about the font I have been using this year- it's Courier New and I use both the Bold and Regular variants depending on what's required.  Last year I changed font every week but this year I will stick with Courier New every week.

Here is Week 5.....

Hope all your kiddos have a terrific first day at school and that all the Mummy's get to enjoy some peace and quiet today ;-)

Life Paper Scrapbook | February Sketch

We've had a lovely summer break and it's Back-to-School day here in Perth and I am sending my big boy into Year 2.  Why do these children have to grow up so fast?!

It's sketch challenge time again at Life.Paper.Scrapbook and this month's sponsor is The Scrapbook Store.

 
The Scrapbook Store is a Western Australia based scrapbooking and craft online retailer stocking an extensive range of the latest released scrapbooking and craft products. With over 5,000 products online and growing, there isn't much in scrapbooking and craft that they don’t sell!  First time customers receive 10% discount off their 1st order. Simply register and you will receive an immediate e-mail with the details of how to claim your discount.

The Scrapbook Store is awarding the winner of this challenge a $20 Grab-Bag!


Here's the sketch we're playing with.....

I took the opportunity to dig around the deep dark depths of my stash and I found some leftovers from a really old Studio Calico kit.  There were papers from October Afternoon and  American Crafts and embellishments from Jenni Bowlin and what I am pretty sure was Basic Grey - the packaging was missing.

Head over to LPS for all the challenge details and for lots of inspiration from the other Design Team girls :-)