Cutest Video Hop Ever 2 - Natalie with Moriah and Judah

Hello and welcome to the Cutest Video Hop Ever! 

Today Moriah, Judah and I are joining Emily Leiphart for this fun Video Hop where we create a project together - kids and mums crafting side by side! 

There's going to be lots of laughter, plenty of cute moments and of course, a bunch of PRIZES to 
WIN along the way as well. Keep reading to find out how!

My children have always loved crafting with me, and I'm proud that I might inspire them to explore 
their creative side as I believe it holds limitless potential!

In the Video Hop you're going to see over a dozen other papercrafting industry leaders who have also joined forces with their children (or in Simon's case, his mother!) to whip up some rather amazing projects.

This is the card Moriah and Judah and I created using some of the new Simon Hurley stamps, stencils and inks, along with some dies and adhesive pearls from Australian-owned company Uniquely Creative for the perfect finishing touch.

I'm pretty chuffed with the end results, and I don't just mean the finished card. An even prouder moment is when I ask Moriah what she learned along the way she can list of two or three new tricks and techniques that she picked up such as how to use a stencil, how to ink-blend, and how to 'scatter' those pearls for a balanced look. And when I ask Judah if he had fun he replies very emphatically "yes I did!!"

So how cool is that?! 

 

But don't just take my word for it, watch my video below to see how the whole card came together. 

And don't forget that this video is just one link in the fabulous line up of well-known paper crafters and their kids. You really HAVE to start at the start and do the whole journey!!

VIDEO HOP LIST

All of the artists' YouTube links are below. Hop along and get inspired and make sure you leave a 
comment on each video for your chance to WIN one of the amazing prizes below.
Please remember that comments here on the blog, while greatly appreciated, are not eligible for the 
giveaways below. You must leave your comments on YouTube. The more you comment, the higher 
your chances of winning.

Emily Leiphart

Simon Hurley

Catherine Pooler

Laurel Beard

Ardyth Percy-Robb

Jill Dewey Hawkins

Laura Bassen

Marie-Pierre Capistran

Samantha Mann

Evelin Tee

Ujjwal Gupta

Ashlea Cornell

Jenny Colacicco

Natalie Elphinstone

SPONSORS + PRIZES

We're incredibly grateful to Ranger Ink and Simon Hurley for sending Simon Hurley create products to 
several of our designers, and also to Catherine Pooler Designs for sending her inks to several of our 
designers.

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful individuals and companies who have donated over 30 
prizes for this fun event! The winners will be chosen randomly from all comments left on each of our 
videos. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! 
Comments will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 17, 2019 and winners will be announced on Emily's 
blog on April 24, 2019.

Ranger Ink, 2 Simon Hurley create goodie bags

Jennifer McGuire Ink, 3 Share Handmade Kindness goodie bags

Catherine Pooler Designs, 2 ink pads per video

Scrapbook.com, $75 gift certificate + ColorCase 2-pack*

Simon Says Stamp, $50 gift certificate

Avery Elle, $50 gift certificate

Studio Katia, Two $25 gift certificates

Winnie & Walter, $50 gift certificate

Pretty Pink Posh, $30 gift certificate

Ellen Hutson, $25 gift certificate

Hero Arts, $25 gift certificate

My Favorite Things, $25 gift certificate

Newton’s Nook Designs, $25 gift certificate

Paper Smooches, $25 gift certificate

The Stamp Market, $25 gift certificate

Waffle Flower, $25 gift certificate

*Instagram giveaway

Happy hopping and good luck!!

25 Days of Christmas Tags - Day 18

I'm so excited to be joining in the Day 18 celebrations of the 8th annual "25 Days of Christmas Tags" - the brainchild of Tracey McNeely! Pop over to her blog HERE to check out all the details!

Today we're highlighting Neat and Tangled whom I'm lucky to be a designer for. I just love their cute and whimsical images mixed with the hand-lettered sentiments that spark joy every time I create with them!

I made a set of two shaker tags, combining a few different products together (stamps, dies and sequins) but everything you see here comes from Neat and Tangled. I'm going to be posting a video on my Instagram account sharing the process behind creating these, so make sure you pop over there to check it out!

The angels and 'good news' sentiment come from the latest release stamp set called "Angel Wings", while the 'joy to the world' sentiment comes from an older set called "Art Deco" which is a great all-round stamp set to add to your collection.
The stars in the background is a really clever stamp called "Falling Stars" which I've been using over and over this season. And the tags are cut with a die set called "Classic Tag 2" which is one of my most-used dies ever!

Neat and Tangled are going to be sponsoring the prize for today, but check out the whole line up of fabulous sponsors and supporters behind this incredible event!

Find out all the details on how you can enter to WIN over on Tracey's blog post HERE!
Happy crafting!!

December Mood Board at Jot Magazine

There's nothing better than Christmas crafting right? And the idea of a December journal of some kind (call it what you like!) is really appealing. When I saw the new Mood Board Challenge at Jot Magazine it became just the push I needed to decorate the front cover of my December not-quite-a-Daily notebook. Here's how it turned out....

As you can see, I took my inspiration mainly from the image in the top left. In fact, the notebook itself actually started off white, but I covered it in brown paper (just like those packages) and made sure I included a bit of string for good measure.

I mixed and matched some of my holiday-themed Sizzix dies to create the iconic car carrying a Christmas tree. I added a bit of an Aussie spin on things by using the Coastal Off Road die for my car. This is from one of the sets that Sizzix Lifestyle have released exclusively to the Australian and New Zealand market through Spotlight and they all feature summery and beachy themed shapes which of course is just perfectly timed! (Also... Spotlight happen to have them all on SALE at the moment too. Check them out here!!)

The Christmas tree is from an older Sizzix set which is sadly no longer available, but I'm fairly confident that anyone who has been papercrafting for any amount of time has some kind of Christmas tree stamp or die or paper they could cut out! Right?!

Anyway, that's what I created using the Mood Board as inspiration. Where does it lead you?

You can find all the details for the Jot Magazine December Mood Board challenge HERE.

Every Day I'm Sparklin' - A World Cardmaking Day Post

I am a little late to the party since World Cardmkaing Day was last Saturday, but you know what they say about better late than never right?!

In actual fact, the day itself slipped away from me before I even had time to catch my breath and think about making a card (one of those days!), but I followed along with the celebrations on social media, especially all the posts from Simon Says Stamp!, and as soon as I had a chance I ran to my craft room and whipped up this set of simple but cute cards.

I say simple, because I had already coloured all these fun images from the 'Castle Times' stamp set by Ink Blot Shop on another occasion, so I only had to make a background for them and assemble the cards together. But that still counts doesn't it?! LOL!

I chose to pair the images with some sentiments from the 'Everyday Magic' stamp set from Studio Calico - embossing them with gold glitter to fit with the magical fairy tale kind of theme I've got going on here.

Did you manage to play along with any challenges for World Cardmaking Day? I'd love to see. Link me up!!

Jot Magazine October Mood Board

I'm in love with the images Mardi curated for the October Mood Board at Jot Magazine. It totally makes me think of Spring, and creating this card had me feeling very happy!

Here's a look at the Mood Board. It's so soft and bright and airy isn't it? 

I was immediately drawn to the illustration of the little bird amongst the giant flowers and thought that recreating something similar on a card could be quite fun. 

But instead of just keeping the flowers flat, and having painted colours behind them, I took my inspiration from all the natural textures represented in the mood board and used wool felt instead. It was easy to cut the felt into these tiny little shapes with the help of my hole punch and some metal dies!

Which image inspires you the most? Come and join us for the October challenge at Jot Magazine and have a chance to win a voucher to the Jot shop! You can find all the details HERE.

Neat & Tangled October Release | Day 5 Recap

YAY! The new release October products from Neat and Tangled are now available to purchase in the shop! I've been having a tonne of fun with them this week, and if you haven't seen all my recent posts, feel free to track back on my blog to see everything I've made.

But today I still have one more card to share!

This card features a combination of different products from the release, but the main images and sentiment all come from the 'Get Yeti' stamp set. The only images that don't are the presents, they're from the 'Fa La Llama' stamp set.

And in the background I've used the 'Falling Circles' coverplate die to create my own stencil (just from scrap cardstock) and sponged some light blue/aqua ink through it to make it look like a bit like it's snowing.

If you would like to see ALL the new release products up close and in 'real life', I've put together a video that walks you through everything. I had Moriah and Judah help me.. which made it really.... fun! You can see that on the Neat and Tangled YouTube channel HERE.

Neat & Tangled October Release | Day 4 "Fa La Llama"

Hi and welcome to Day 4 of the October release from Neat and Tangled. Today we're shining the spotlight on the "Fa La Llama" stamp set and it's matching dies. Here's the card I made with this super-cute set!

For a 3x4" stamp set, this one really packs a punch. It's got so many fun elements in it apart from just the main image of the llama, and I've used all of them for my card.

I love that the scarf ends come separately so you can place them where you'd like! And the squiggly little stars for background details are perfect.

And of course, don't get me started on how cute the sentiment is!

I used the Jewel Tones sequins from this months' relase to add the finishing touch to my festive card. I strung them onto some gold thread and hung them across the top, a bit like fairy lights or a garland. So fun!

BUY!

All the new release products will be available in the Neat and Tangled shop at 8am EDT (that's 11pm Australian Daylight Savings Time!) on Friday 6th. In the meantime feel free to browse the 'older' products, since you might want to pick up some of them as well ;-)

WIN!!!

Now head over to the Neat and Tangled Blog and leave a comment on today's post to be in with a chance to win the Get Yeti stamp and die set!!
And don't forget to leave a comment here to be in the running for a $25 store voucher!!

Neat & Tangled October Release | Day 3 "Winter" and "Backdrop" and "Jewel Tones" sequins

Welcome to Day 3 of the October release from Neat and Tangled. Today we're showcasing four different products, and I used three of them on this card...

So what we're focusing on today is the "Winter" stamp set, it's matching dies, "Jewel Tones" sequins and the "Backdrop" stamp.

I especially love the "Winter" stamp set because of that big sentiment. Those 5 lines are in one block, and although you could always cut it up or mask off different segments if you prefer, I really like the idea of being able to stamp it as a big bold statement!

I think this would make the perfect stamp for when you need to mass produce some holiday cards - one image stamped and you're practically done!

I finished my card by using the "Winter" dies to cut out the title. Multiple layers of white cardstock stuck together for the word, and reflective silver card for the shadow effect. 

Now, if you were wondering about the value of the 3x4" Backdrop stamp then I can assure you there are so many ways you can use this. I've used it in probably the most simplest of ways for this card - I really did use it as a backdrop! LOL!

I first stamped the solid image in blue Distress Oxide ink, and then swiped my green Distress Oxide ink pad over the stamp in sections and stamped it again. It gives a subtle two-toned effect which is a bit fun.

I finished the background with silver embossed snowflakes from the "Winter" stamp set, and sprinkled on the Jewel Tones sequins too. The snowman and sentiment come from the "Get Yeti" stamp set that we featured on Day 1.

BUY!

All the new release products will be available in the Neat and Tangled shop at 8am EDT (that's 11pm Australian Daylight Savings Time!) on Friday 6th. In the meantime feel free to browse the 'older' products, since you might want to pick up some of them as well ;-)

WIN!!!

Now head over to the Neat and Tangled Blog and leave a comment on today's post to be in with a chance to win the Get Yeti stamp and die set!!
And don't forget to leave a comment here to be in the running for a $25 store voucher!!

Neat & Tangled October Release | Day 1 "Get Yeti"

Hello and welcome to day 1 of the October releases from Neat and Tangled.
Today we're showcasing the adorable "Get Yeti" stamp set and matching dies! Here's the card I made...

Now obviously I had to let the Yeti take centre-stage, but with so many other images in this stamp set to choose from, I had a hard time narrowing down who his friends should be! I actually stamped and coloured all of them and then played around until I settled on the little penguin and the snowman.

I used black embossing powder on watercolour paper to create all the images, and then used a combination of different inks to colour them in - that included Zig Clean Colour Brush pens, Distress Oxide inks, and my Color Theory dye inks from Studio Calico. All those mediums but I stuck to this fairly minimal colour scheme!! LOL!

There are a couple of sentiment options in this set, and I heat embossed one of them with white to complete this little snowy/frosty scene.

BUY!

All the new release products will be available in the Neat and Tangled shop at 8am EDT (that's 11pm Australian Daylight Savings Time!) on Friday 6th. In the meantime feel free to browse the 'older' products, since you might want to pick up some of them as well ;-)

WIN!!!

Now head over to the Neat and Tangled Blog and leave a comment on today's post to be in with a chance to win the Get Yeti stamp and die set!!
And don't forget to leave a comment here to be in the running for a $25 store voucher!!

Belly Shots and a bit of Labour!

It seems I didn't end up taking a whole lot of belly-shots this time around. But towards the end of my pregnancy I clearly thought I should remedy that and purposefully took a few. I was able to then fit them all onto one page in Shiloh's baby album!

I used a combination of ready-made cards from older Studio Calico Documenter kits, as well as a couple of cards I made myself from scraps of paper and a few embellishments. It was just the right balance of keeping the spread quick and simple, as well as still being a bit creative.

Oh, and of course, I needed to leave plenty of space for some journaling!

Keeping the album as chronological as possible (at least at this stage!) I then went on to create this page about the day she was born.

I started with some photos of the creative talents of my two eldest daughters as it related to my labour. Moriah made me a "happy pushing" card, and Bethany drew this fabulous picture of how she imagined the birth to go! They both made me laugh so much I needed to document their efforts!

That middle picture of me with the funny smile? That's totally in the middle of labour!
And then the more genuine smile of relief and amazement and love as I'm holding our new baby for the first time :-)

So happy I'm getting these memories documented whilst they're still fairly new in my head!