Family Matters

Oh yes.... I've still got a couple more late Monthly Layouts from last year that I haven't caught up on yet. In fact, maybe that's what I should do on my Public Holiday tomorrow... finish these off. Now there's a thought!

So I did this one for September. Managed to incorporate another drawing Munchy did of our family at around about the same time. I'm a little bit worried. I think that's me with the laser eyes there. Hhhhmmmm.

I'm using up lots of Studio Calico goodies here. I've got way too much more where that came from and I want to work though some of my older stash. I am still just loving those wooden vaneer houses, and cant' wait to get my hands on all the new shapes they put out at CHA.

And just because I've got soooo much of Munchy's art sitting around waiting to make it's way onto layouts, I not only managed to incorporate some of the little pictures behind my tags, but I turned it into a little book here and wrote all my journaling on the tiny pages.

Alright.. well now that I've got a plan for tomorrow I better get to bed. Night all :-)

Blessed beyond measure

I've got a few more of these monthly layouts from last year to catch up on. And don't think just because today's page share is for the month of December that I'm now caught up! 'Cos I'm not even completing them in order. *LOL*

What I loved about creating this page is that I didn't have to put any thought into it all. All I did is shuffle all the scraps from one of my old Studio Calico kits around until they fit. If only all pages came together this easily ;-)

I felt like it was quite an achievement to use up so much of my scraps and left over products. Does anyone else feel like it's an accomplishment to kill a kit? I guess it's because I don't do it very often!!!

Once again we were slack enough not to even capture a true family portrait of the four of us in December, so this one of me and the girls was the closest we got. But I do love this photo of us on the farm at Christmas time, even if it captures Moodles in a half-blink :-)

On these monthly pages I'm just journaling about different things that come to mind, not actually about things we did that month. I guess I was in a bit of a sentimental mood when I started to journal on this one, as I've gone on and on about how lucky I am to have these two beautiful girls. But hey........ it's the truth.

As Long as We're Together

Following on from my previous attempt to get more of my 2011 monthly family portraits scrapped, I managed to get my November photo down on paper.

I'm not really scrapping these in chronological order.... I gave up on that ages ago. I'm just scrapping what inspires me next. I thought the subtle pinks and reds in the photo was a nice contrast to the almost monotone blue/green layout I made.

This page was a combination of my Studio Calico Field Guide kit, plus some older Studio Calico shop items like all those Anthology journalling cards which made up my background. The Sassafras month card was something I was trying to keep consistent on my pages so when they're all done and albumed it will look a little more cohesive. (Yes, I think 'albumed' should be a word)

Have I mentioned I'm currently having a love affair with my gesso? The chalky white paint is making it's way onto all my layouts lately....... you may have noticed!

Now I haven't really been journaling the things we did each month, more about my thoughts and emotions. Because the November photo is taken outside our house here in the country (where I've been placed for the last 5 months) I journalled about our feelings on moving here, and what it's meant for us to uproot for this period.

I noticed that this page is a little flatter than my usual, so I wanted to leave you with a sneak of an upcoming layout that packs a bit more of punch in the dimension department. Looks a little Valentinesy doesn't it? Hint, hint! It's getting published soon, so I'll be able to share the whole layout after that.

What a Crazy Bunch

I'm trying real hard to finish a bunch of pages for my 2011 family album. With good intentions of getting a family portrait taken every month I failed on a few occasions, and when that happened I checked back through all the photos I had taken that month and tried to find something that had at least most of us in it.

Unfortunately for the month of August it seems we barely took any photos at all, and this crazy selfie of The Man with Munchy and Moodles was the best I could get. Slim pickings as you can see!!

So with a crazy photo to scrap, the layout definitely called out for some crazy scrapping. Layers and layers of paper and packaging. Lots of gesso and paint splatters, and about half a packet of brads (all from my Handmade Studio Calico kit and add-on).

I think I am falling in love with this messy style of scrapping for the time-being. Watch for more pages like this coming your way!

Plus I've still got more family portraits to scrap from 2011. I better get going on them hey?

My Top 10 for 2011

I find these type of posts interesting don't you? Looking back over the past year to see what you've created, to see how your art has evolved, to pick out common themes or techniques and to give evidence to help define what is "your style". Not to mention just to remember the events and the stories that have shaped your journey over the past year.

So these are the layouts I picked out for my Top 10

I started the year continuing to design for Handmade by Suzanne. Suzanne was aware of my style and preferred manufacturers and always gave me great "kits" to work with. On occasion she would throw in the odd challenge for me (like my attempts with Websters!) but it's always good to expand your horizons isn't it? "Surround Yourself" is one of my favourites from my time with HBS - a simple page by my normal standards but I love this celebration of two of my best friends.

One of my most favourite collections this year would have to be Starters from Sassafras - I almost went into grieving when they announced they were no longer going to operate as scrapbook manufacturers. This layout combines lots of fun techniques with some cute photos of my Moodles at the park - how could it not be included?

Out of my short-lived stint designing for Kreatorville Kraft I chose this page as my favourite. It features pretty much every single one of my go-to techniques: lots of paint, mist and ink; messy stitching; a long pretty title; clouds and sunbeams; and some Hipstamatic photos of my kids.

One of my personal scrapping challenges this year was to complete a layout of a family portrait taken every month. I was slack enough that I haven't even managed to take a family portrait every month, and I certainly haven't yet scrapped all the ones I do have..... it's a work in progress. But my "April Family Photo" cracks me up every time :-)

In June we took our first family holiday with the four of us to sunny Queensland. Of course I managed to take about a million photos of our exciting adventures and fun memories.... but there's nothing quite like coming home again is there?

In August I changed job location to a rural hospital which has allowed me to spend much more time with patients getting to know them and their stories which I think is fabulous. But it also means that when something goes wrong it tends to affect all of us so much more deeply. I made "Beauty For Ashes" to commemorate one ladies journey which had a heartbreaking ending. This is real life.

In October I began a new Design Team with Scrapz.biz. We've got daily challenges and an active forum which means I'm continually pushing myself to create in new ways as I set sketch challenges, colour combinations, journaling criteria, and blind crops among other things. "Scooter Love" was based on a sketch I drew but it still manages to incorporate all my recognisable elements.

As if I didn't have enough supplies already, I've kept my subscription to Studio Calico kits and am tempted to buy from their shop every month without fail. So in an effort to whittle down my stash a bit I managed to use pretty much a whole packet of their journaling tags on "Best in Show" - I adore these vintage colours :-)

December saw me resigning my position at From Screen 2 Scrap, not because of any problem, but just because after nearly two years it felt like it was time to move on. "Blessed Are The Curious" was one of my favourites I designed using all the criteria. Thanks Shazza for a wonderful time!

And in 10th position comes "Moo Shoe" - a funny layout about my gorgeous girl and her quirky habits. I just love to document the little details of life that might otherwise get forgotten in the future.

And there we have it. My Top 10 for 2011.
If you have a link to your own favourites I'd love to come by and see :-)
Happy New Year!!!

True Story

Sometimes I'm a bit conservative when it comes to chosing new scrapbook supplies and I tend to stick to my tried-and-true brands - often buying large chunks of the same collection so I can be assured my layouts will be coordinated. 

But yay! I purchased and used two new-to-me brands on this page here. Both the Simple Stories 'Happy Day' collection and Bo Bunny's 'Et Cetera' have been on my radar since thier release at the last CHA and I'm pleased to see how well they work together.

The direct inspiration for the woodgrain design I painted onto the background came from this book cover I pinned on Pinterest. I love that place... so much eye-candy!

The journaling tickets I picked up from BubblyShnooks etsy store. Gorgeous hey?! And another great place to go for inspiration.

I'm so happy I managed to get another monthly layout done.... this is our June family photo, which we took whilst on holidays in Queensland.

So tell me, what are some of your favourite brands for scrapping with? Because I'm thinking maybe I need to expand my horizons a bit :-)

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Here's another monthly page that I'm only just getting around to doing! This one's for March. Ooopps!

My March family portrait was taken on a Sundary afternoon after church and was filled with many different colours, so I had to choose some fun papers to match.

I ended up using Echo Park's new Victoria Gardens collection because they just worked perfectly to reflect the grey and green and pink in my photo. I have to admit - I never would have thought of that colour combo for myself! Works even better with some yellow highlights too :-)

Not only will this album tell the visual story of how our family has grown and changed over the months but I'm also using this opportunity to show little snippets into our life. I'm not necessarily journaling about what we did each month, but more about who we are.

So here I journalled about our weekly ritual of going to church every Sunday. For us it's more than just tradition, it's a chance to celebrate our relationship with a living God with the people whom we share a special bond. It's our second family, a place we feel equally at home in, and a place we're missing dearly at the moment as we spend this 6 months in the country. However, we are back again this weekend to get Moodles dedicated. Can't wait!

Every Single Day

I've been desperately trying to keep up with my idea to photograph and scrap a family portrait every month this year.......unfortunately I've been failing!

For a start, I totally forgot to take a family portrait in May and so had to go back through all the photos we took (which didn't happen to very many for that month) and try and find one that fit the bill. As it happens this was the closest I could get. It's only got 3 out of the 4 of us, and it's not a particularly good photo..... but... nevermind :-)

I used this fabulous sketch designed by Michelle Fowler for my inspiration. It's the current challenge at Handmade by Suzanne, and this month I was given the wonderfully Blissful collection by Authentique to work with. You can play along with this challenge too for a chance to win a $30 store voucher. If you were lucky enough to win I'd highly recommend any of the new Authentique collections, but it's true that the Blissful collection is my favourite.

I just love the serene vintage colours, the subtle tone-on-tone patterns and the sturdy thickness and texture that these papers carry. I'm really in love with this new company that is Authentique - the papers are a lot heavier than The Girl's Paperie. Think My Mind's Eye if you want a more accurate comparison.

The HBS store is just getting flooded with all the new collections, all your favourites that you picked out from the sneaks of CHA are making their way through the HBS doors. But some things that you might not have seen before that are new in store are these nifty little button makers. They're cheap as chips and allow you to make your own flat-backed fabric covered buttons that you can customise for every one of your projects. What a great idea! You can see two that I made in the close-up above.

So the idea behind my page here is about trying to capture the everyday family moments. Since I obviously couldn't do any major May event (it seems we didn't have any!!) I scrapped this photo of one cloudy afternoon in our garden. That morning Munchy woke up and decided she wanted to do an egg and spoon race. Who knows where she got that crazy idea from?! But it was do-able..... so we did it :-)

April Sunshine

brings great photo opportunities.
And a layout about it.
Eventually :-)

I mentioned previously how excited I am to be Guest Designing for Tidbitz in Time this month, and I tell you the truth when I say that their kits are Fab-U-LOUS!

Especially if you love the romantic/shabby-chic/vintage vibe on your pages. If you can't go past a piece of Prima or Webster's Pages paper without drooling then this is the kit club for you :-) Look at all the delicious Prima goodies in the July kit for a start!

Now, if you've followed my blog for long enough you'll probably know that Prima and Webster's (whilst extraordinarily beautiful) aren't the usual way I roll. But I think it's important to remain true to yourself so I had to adapt all the Prima papers to suit my style.

And trust me when I say that, because I first had one very failed attempt with this kit to do a more 'Prima-y' type layout and let's just say I won't be sharing that one in a hurry!

But everything on this layout, with the exeption of the black cardstock, is from the kit. The white grungy background paper is the b-side of one of the Prima papers and it made the perfect blank slate to be misted and stencilled and doodled on, and so it evolved into what you see here.

Same with the Prima candy-gem bead clusters. They're so beautiful, but I just couldn't seem to carry it off adding it to my layout as it was. So I pulled it to pieces and added the beads individually! Voila.... one scrappy scrapper doctors her products :-)

PS. I'll be drawing a winner for my Two Peas voucher tomorrow, so you've got about 24hrs to get your last minute entries in. All the details are here.

Desperate Housewives

I'm so excited to be bringing you the Fetch a Sketch challenge this week over at Scrapz.biz, and let me tell you it's a good one!!

The theme this week is 'Desperate Housewives' which I immediately Googled to spark some creative ideas since I don't actually watch the show, and I came across this image of one of their DVD covers.

I used this to base my sketch off. And I've purposely left it fairly vague in order to allow you your own interpretation and add your own design style.

You can use all those squares as photos, or journaling blocks, or embellishment spaces or anything else you can come up with.

I also used the original Desperate Housewives image to help guide my colour choices.
I started off with a bold dark background and filled it with vivid blue, red and yellow patterns.

Products I've used:
My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose
My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose brads
My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose label stickers
Basic Grey Micro Mono alpha stickers

So if you want to join in with this week's challenge and go into the draw to win a fabulous prize all you need to do is create a layout based on the sketch above and upload it to the appropriate gallery using FAS 049 in your title by midnight Wednesday 18th May.

Have fun!