Thanksgiving card

While we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand we were invited to share in the celebration with our American friends.  I had seen this card at Pickled Paper Designs and loved the look and idea so I pulled together similar supplies and this is my take.  The berries and new leaves a NZ touch.

Colours:  sahara sand, white, certainly celery, garden green, very vanilla, cherry cobbler
Stamps:  rough type alpha and simple serif (SU), leaves (megilo), craquelure (IO)
Finishing touches:  chevron ribbon and linen thread (SU), red tage sale alpha die (cuttlebug), circle punch

Stamp Club June

With the new catalogue out next month the retiring list is out. The challenge for this month was to create a card using something from the retiring list.

I picked itty bitty stamps, punches and buttons.  I have made a card recently using them but haven't done much with them.  I found this card when I googled the stamp set and started to play with similar papers and elements using the set.  I used certainly celery and chocolate chip as the colours as they are retiring as well.  I love it when you find ways to combine different sets.  I recently bought the ciao baby stamp set and punches.  I used a stampin write to ink the edge and use for some of the layers.

Colours: certainly celery, chocolate chip, very vanilla
Stamps:  itty bitty bits, ciao baby and best yet (SU), a little argyle (PTI)
Finishing touches;  circle punches, striped ribbon, jewels basic pearls, petite scallop punch, itty bitty punches, linen thread, dimensionals, beautiful wings embosslits, itty bitty buttons and DSP newsprint (SU), button, brad, tiny tags die (PTI)

Big Idea Festival Day Four - Scrap your goals

This challenge followed on really well from Day Three - Dream Journal.   When you know where you are headed you are more likely to get there. My goal at the moment is to get creating.  As I started putting together the page I started pulling out bits and pieces and realised just how much of a rut I have been in. 

Journalling reads ' Once upon a time I felt free to try new things, I had a purpose for all the little things I found {usually on sale}.  Now I am stuck.  What seemed like a good idea at the time is now stopping me from moving on.  I have discovered what I really like, my style and how I want to move forward.  So I am finsihing the nagging and clearing out the bits to make way for the good stuff.'

So I will
Spend at least 15 mins a day in my space doing something towards a project.

On a roll with baby album

Having started Riley's album I have been working away at more pages despite things slowing down with the school holidays. I have enjoyed putting together little details with the different products that I have. It has been some time since I purchased them so it is like shopping all over again pulling out the different things.

Pretty in pink

Another card for sale. I was inspired by a scrapbooking layout that I had seen. I liked the subtle colours and the combination of layers. I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to the little details. The button was the perfect fit. Loved this one.

Colours: sahara sand, blushing bride, certainly celery, white
Stamps: wedding cake (martha stewart), library ledger, text style and timey tags (PTI), simply you (ali edwards), friendship blooms (SU), patchpal giraffe (CDS), sentiments circles (autumn leaver, baby (kaiser)
Finishing touches: DSP and stitched poly ribbon (SU), blossom die (spellbinders), slit punch (SU), hole punch, pearls, linen thread, tiny tags die (PTI), button, stitching

Vintage wedding

The word is getting out. My wedding card was well liked, so much so that I was asked to make another. I usually ask for some inspiration. This time I started with the vintage theme. I just love pulling out different pieces and seeing them come together.

Colours: very vanilla, baja breeze, poppy parade
Stamps: sense of time, whimsical words (SU), wedding mimi (kaiser), favourite memories (ali edwards), impressions (bella!)
Finishing touches: antique brad, hodgepodge, victoria crochet trim, beautiful wings embosslits and everyday enchantment DSP and organdy ribbon (SU), clock chipboard (unknown), wool daisy flower, vellum, photo anchor, rhinestones, apron lace border punch (fiskars)

Ahhh some pages at last

I have been itching to get back to doing some scrapping pages for some time and finally I made it. I have several things on the go that I am wanting to do but opted for doing some pages using a recent purchase. A page of tickets, labels and tagsfor boys by Bella! called Tokens. Where I usually plan my pages around my photos, this time I chose photos that went with these elements. Loving my journalling stamps from Papertrey Ink - Mini Scrapbook Series - Library Ledger. You can do a little or a lot depending on how much you have to write.

DIY embellishments

In life I am taking more time to stop and notice the little things that are going on around me. To embrace the moment and enjoy it. Check out this trailer here. Definitely wanting a copy of the book - One Thousand Gifts.

This seems to be rubbing off on my layouts. I have been noticing the little details that others are using and have been playing with different elements {punches, stamps and dies} to add the finishing touches on my pages. Sure its great to have just the right element to use but its certainly not always possible. Fun trying out new things with what you have to see what you can come up with.

Some pages I started a while ago.

I have been trying a different way of scrapping. Doing several pages at once. First the layout, then the titles, then the journaling and finishing touches. It works well in terms of being able to focus on one aspect at a time. But I don't always get pages completed when I have gaps in what I am doing. So since adding some much needed things to my space, I have finally got back to them. During the holidays I had a huge clean out of my scraps and put my punches and dies to good use cutting out the little details that I like to use on my layouts. I found this fab flax basket and they now have a spot on my desk for easy access.

August Stamp Club

Time for another round of Stamp Club. With Father's Day next month the challenge was to come up with something masculine. Seems to get alot of people stumped as to what to use. I have already put together a couple of cards. You can see them here and here, but I had some more ideas that I wanted to try.

I usually start out with the colour combo. Keeping the lines clean you can still add details with stitching, buttons and embellishments like staples and paper clips. The 'dad' card started with the all in the family dad image. I saw this card on Maureen's blog, Buttons and Bling and changed the eyelets for buttons. The award card was inspired by this card at Stamping a Latte. I had loads of fun putting them together.

Colours: going grey, basic grey, tempting turquoise, old olive
Stamps: circle of friendship, background sampler, little pieces, rough type alpha
Finishing touches: scallop circle punch, circle punches, star punch, faux stitching, paper clip, patterned paper (october afternoon)

Colours: night of navy, sahara sand, old olive, cajun craze
Stamps: all in the family, trendy trees, background sampler
Finishing touches: alpha stencil, spiral punch, mat pack, buttons, linen thread, staples, faux stitiching, patterned paper (3 bugs in a rug)

Thanks to a special teacher

I still remember my first teacher. Next term Kyran is heading into a new year one class that has been created as more new entrants start in his old one. So I wanted to send a card for his first teacher. He has had a super start to his schooling and always enjoys what he has been doing. Full credit to her hard work and creative ideas.

I saw a school themed card on Nichole Heady's blog from Papertrey ink {you need to scroll down as it is in the middle of the post}. Having my new library ledger set made it easy to create the same look. I matched it up with some school papers from K&I Memories and found some great little details to finish it off. I am loving the rickrack border die.

Colours: old olive, cherry cobbler, basic black
Stamps: mini scrapbook series library ledger (PTI), all year fun and lots of thoughts (SU)
Finishing touches: school days paper (K&I memories), rickrack border die (PTI), stamps and typewriter alpha dies (cuttlebug), cork, brad

Scrap Happy

With being up to date with my card making I have been spending time on my pages. This is one of my favourites from the ones I have done. I am really enjoying putting together different products now I know what I like. I especially love pulling out products and punches and using them in different ways. For a long time I have been feeling dragged down with what I am doing and it is great to be inspired and get more done. I have been using my page dividers more as I discover the best use of them.

All in the details

I have been having fun with creating details to add to my layouts. Love using pages like this Kaiser one {Sand Dune} Add the photo, title, journal and you're done.

With dabbling into digital I have come across some great places for inspiration. Some things I have had a go at using stamps and bits and pieces from my stash. The inspiration for this layout comes from here from Jane Crowley at her blog The Queen of Quirk.

I have definitely decided I like straight lines {at least when it comes to photos}. I am enjoying picking the photos that I want to use for my layout and including the rest in page dividers. As I see more and more of how people are using the Project Life albums I will be adding more to these as I do it more regularly.

A bit of this and that

In an effort to discover my style of scrapbooking I have been checking out lots of different techniques and layouts to see what I like. A blog that has been of particular inspiration has been Maggie Holmes Photography which you can find here. I love how she pulls different elements together to create fun layouts. I am enjoying creating little details to finish my pages. This one started with the papers from Paper Loft's "Dude" collection.
I also like the way that she incorporates her handwriting to journal. I have been inspired to drag out my bits and pieces and put them to use by cutting elements that I can go to and use {strips, circles, stars, labels}