Monday, May 31, 2010

Happy Birthday Maddy!

When the dies you want just aren't available yet, you have to make do with contraband punches...

This is the card we sent for Nicole's daughter Maddy who turned 2 last Friday.  I think I'm in love with Tangerine Tango and Whisper White as a combination... what do you think? 

Happy Birthday Maddy!




Materials:
Stamp sets - Well Scripted, Always in Bloom wheel
Cardstock - Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Inks - Versamark, Tangerine Tango
Accessories - White embossing powder, heat tool, Tangerine Tango ribbon, assorted punches


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Saturday, May 29, 2010

My Second UStamp Project...

My second UStamp project has been launched tonight!  The idea stemmed from me constantly scribbling funny stories and comments on scraps of paper, with the intention of including them in my scrapbooking... and promptly losing them!  I hate to think of how many page ideas I've lost or how many of Olivia's cute quotes I've forgotten.

So I made myself a "Journal Board".  It's like a photo memory board, but the intention is that you pre-make journal boxes and tuck them on the board ready for use.  On my display board I've got a variety of journal box types, but I'll be including some undecorated ones as well.

I'd love to know what you think... it's a little different to my first UStamp project!




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Friday, May 28, 2010

Lots of Bots - Just Add Ink Challenge 19

I'd just like to say a big THANKYOU to everyone who left a message or emailed me in response to my last post.  It means so much to me to have such wonderful things said!  It wasn't supposed to be a sad post and I promise that sometime soon I'll write about some of the funny things from that period in my life.  I instinctively want to write "if anyone's actually interested" (bad habits die hard!), but I know Amanda will be interested in hearing The Toothbrush Story.  Yes, I really did capitalise that like it's the title of a novel... lol.

Anyway.  You're here to see my project for the Just Add Ink Challenge #19!  All I'll say is that I love this set.  It's so cute and so good for watercolouring!


It's a bit difficult to see, but I've stamped the Elegant Eggplant piece with Polka Dot in Versamark.  And now for a close-up of my watercolouring...



And here are the challenge colours!  Come to Just Add Ink to link up your entry!






Materials:
Stamp sets - Lots of Bots, Occasional Greetings, Polka Dot
Cardstock - Watercolour paper, Taken with Teal, Elegant Eggplant
Inks - Elegant Eggplant, Going Grey, Basic Black
Accessories - Big Shot, Top Note die, Melon mambo ribbon, eyelet border punch


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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

What Came Before...

I've been looking at my scrapbooking before I was introduced to Stampin' Up! and I thought I might share a little here.  Just a warning - this post does get quite personal, so if that makes you uncomfortable, stop reading now!

I started scrapbooking very briefly after my husband and I got married in 2006.  I did a few wedding pages, some I kept and some I tore up - yep, I've always been like that!  But even though I scrapped a few wedding pages, scrapbooking didn't become hugely personal to me until I started scrapping pages of my daughter.  Olivia is 3 now.

This is the first page I did of Olivia.  I think.  I don't exactly remember, and I don't really remember doing the page.  I'll explain all that in a minute.


This is one of Olivia's first photos, taken very shortly after her birth.  I do remember that moment, when she looked at me so knowingly, as if she was saying "Oh, hello!  It's you!".

The reason I don't remember scrapping this page, even though it's such a memorable moment for me, is that 6 weeks after Olivia was born, I was admitted to hospital (with Olivia) because I was suffering from Post Natal Depression.  Within a few weeks of being admitted (I spent 3 and a half months in hospital), my status changed and I was categorised as having severe PND.  And it wasn't responding to medication. 

To cut a long story short, one of the treatments that I had has resulted in a substantial memory loss for me.  About 5 and a half months.  I don't remember from when Olivia was about 3 weeks till around 6 months.  I'm not saying that my memories are fuzzy.  They're... gone.

So how does that affect my pages?  Well, I started scrapping when I was in hospital, during the time I had that treatment.  So there are a lot of pages that I look at but don't remember much about.  I don't remember putting the pages together, and there are a lot that I don't remember the photo even being taken.  I'm still coming across photos and sections of video that I didn't know existed.


I do remember the above photo.  It's another one from the day Olivia was born.

Another thing you might notice about these early pages is that there's no journalling.  There's a reason for that too.  I simply couldn't find the words to express what I was feeling... or more precisely, what I was supposed to be feeling.  I thought I'd add journalling later, but I've changed my mind.  I once read an article that claimed that a scrapbook without journalling is a waste.  I disagree completely.  To me, my lack of journalling, and the reason behind that, is just as important as anything I could write on the page.


These photos were taken at home when Olivia was about 2 weeks old.  From what I've been told, I was showing signs of PND even then.

So there you have it.  I'm sure I'll share more pre-Stampin' Up! pages soon.


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Monday, May 24, 2010

A Gorgeous UStamp Project... Plus More Free Passes!

I have another UStamp project to share, and this little beauty is designed by Gardenia Pepworth.  Gardenia's blog is one that I frequent A LOT because she always has so many inspirational ideas!  And this month she's running a blog candy competition!  Check out this post to see the details.  :-)

On to Gardenia's fabulous project - it's a Scallop Circle Stacker Box!  And here's my version...



Isn't it just gorgeous?  Want the instructions?  Then you need to join UStamp!  Click HERE.

Materials:
Cardstock - Parisian Breeze, Chocolate Chip
Accessories - Chocolate Chip, Kraft Corduroy button, Big Shot, Scallop Circle die, Little Leaves sizzlet die



While I'm chatting about UStamp, I've been asked back to be a Guest Designer for the next round!  Isn't that hugely flattering?! 




 

And guess what?  The free pass details have already been announced!  Here's what Dawn revealed to the Designers...
The FREE PASSES this time around will go to 13 winners
that will be drawn through a random drawing.
The names will be selected from the group of names that
post a comment at
between May 21st and May 31st.
The winners will be announced on June 1st.
If a winner is selected and has already paid for the event, a refund will be issued.



So what are you waiting for?  Head on over and leave a comment for Dawn!




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Sunday, May 23, 2010

Whimsical Girl

Okay, so it's a contraband digital stamp, but how CUTE is it??



Materials:
Stamp sets - Digital stamp - Whimsical Girl (non SU!)
Cardstock - Blue Bayou (retired), Watercolour paper, Chocolate Chip
Inks - Blue Bayou (retired), Blush Blossom, So Saffron
Accessories - Chocolate Chip ribbon, rub-ons


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A Few Cute Baby Cards

I saw an adorable baby card by Tami Black recently, and it inspired me to come up with a few of my own.  Hope you like them!





Materials:
Stamp sets - All In The Family, Out of the Box, Short and Sweet, Polka Dot
Cardstock - Kraft, Certainly Celery, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana, Watercolour paper
Inks - Black StazOn, Certainly Celery, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana,Versamark
Accessories - Certainly Celery ribbon, So Saffron Ribbon, white ribbon, dimensionals


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Friday, May 21, 2010

Fabulous Recruiting Offer - Join My Team!


Stampin' Up! have released a fabulous recruiting offer that's available till July 31 2010

20% off the Starter Kit!
That's only $259!

Click on the flyer below to see what you get in the wonderful starter kit,
and if you're interested in joining my team, get in touch (contact details on the flyer).


Looking forward to hearing from you!


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Just Add Ink Challenge #18

Amanda recently told me that I have a "cool-minimalist" style to my cards.  (Thanks, Amanda!)  I don't know about that, (personally, I'd say plain), but my challenge card for Just Add Ink this week is definitely minimalist!  And for a minimalist card, there sure was a lot involved...


The base cardstock is Sahara Sand and I sponged Versamark all over it using scrunched up cling wrap - it gives a cool suede effect.

I clear embossed Organic Outlines several times on Urban Oasis DSP, and then brayered over the clear embossing in Basic Black. My aim was to get a panel that didn't have a whole image on it - I wanted Organic Outlines to not look like it usually does... Okay, so I've confused myself now...

Then I layered everything on Basic Black and Sahara Sand (all using the suede effect again).  The sentiment is from Best Yet and is black embossed.


And here's the sketch for this week's challenge.  Make sure you head over to Just Add Ink and check out the fabulous Design Team projects!


Materials:
Stamp sets - Organic Outlines, Best Yet
Cardstock - Sahara Sand, Basic Black
DSP - Urban Oasis
Inks - Versamark, Basic Black
Accessories - clear embossing powder, black embossing powder, heat tool, brayer, cling wrap, dimensionals


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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Mmm... bikkits

I attended a scrap day recently and I was sooo uninspired that it took me all day to come up with ONE layout!  That seems to be happening to me more and more lately... maybe I only have a certain amount of creativity in me and it's nearly used up??

Anyway, this is the first page for a double page layout - it's of my daughter in the kitchen, making bikkits (aka biscuits!).  Olivia has good speech for a 3 year old and doesn't have any problems saying "s"... except when she's saying "biscuits"!  It's very cute hearing her talk about making bikkits...





Hope you like my page... hopefully the second half of the layout won't take as long to do!!

Materials:
Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, More Mustard
DSP - Bella Rose, non SU! Sassafrass Lass patterned paper
Inks - Chocolate Chip marker
Accessories - White gel pen, corner rounder, Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Set- medium Sizzlits die


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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Lots of Bots

Just a quick card share today!  I love the Lots of Bots set - it's so cute for watercolouring!  This image normally has a sentiment underneath it, but I trimmed it off so I can have the sentiment separately.  I think it's rather cute.  :-)



Materials:
Stamp sets - Lots of Bots, Well Scripted, Polka Dot
Cardstock - Kraft, Watercolour paper, Taken With Teal
Inks - Black Stazon, Taken With Teal, Basic Gray, Going Gray, So Saffron
Accessories - So Saffron ribbon, dimensionals, aquapainter



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The Final Masterpiece...

Here it is!  My final masterpiece!  I took Paula's advice that she left on my previous post and added a sentiment in hardware with twine to my very first brayered card.  Hope you like it!



Materials:
Stamp sets - Forest Friends, Happy Moments
Cardstock - Whisper White, Basic Black, Confetti White
Inks - Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Black StazOn
Accessories - brayer, clear embossing powder, heat tool, brass Hodgepodge, black twine


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Sunday, May 16, 2010

A New Love...

My brayer and I have had a few differences of opinion in the past, but thanks to Delys's tutorial, we've patched things up and I now have a new love... BRAYERING!! 

My only problem now is that I can't finish my card!  Nothing looks right... BUT, I'm so proud of my efforts that I'm going to share what I've got so far.  Feel free to leave your suggestions for how to finish it off!





Materials:
Stamp sets - Forest Friends
Cardstock - Whisper White
Inks - Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Not Quite Navy, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip
Accessories - brayer, clear embossing powder, heat tool


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Always Embossed

Here's my first recreation from the other designers in our Just Add Ink Blog Hop.  As soon as I saw Nicole's gorgeous emboss resist tutorial, I just had to recreate it!  Even down to the stamp set and ink colours.  Make sure you check out Nicole's blog, she has such gorgeous work on there!  While I'm talking about Nicole, here's a little plug for her new line of children's decor and accessories...



Nicole has just launched My Flutterfly - her own range of children's decor and accessories! 
Become a fan on the My Flutterfly facebook page and leave a comment on Nicole's blog
to go in the running to win one of her stunning mobiles!


Now, here's my card, based on Nicole's tutorial.  :-)


Aren't these colours just beautiful together?


I'll be back soon with some more recreations from the Blog Hop tutorials. 

Materials:
Stamp sets - Always, Well Scripted
Cardstock - Whisper White, Naturals Ivory
Inks - Versamark, Tangerine Tango, Real Red, Chocolate Chip
Accessories - clear embossing powder, heat tool, chocolate embossing powder, sponge dauber, Chocolate Chip ribbon


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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Vanilla Autumn Flair

A quick card share today!  I took inspiration from this stunning card on the Wplus9 Design Blog to create this card.  Mine's nowhere near as stunning, but I'm still happy with it!




Materials:
Stamp sets - Autumn Flair, Occasional Greetings
Cardstock - Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Basic Black
Inks - Versamark, Black StazOn
Accessories - Pewter Hodgepodge, Black satin ribbon (non SU!), clear embossing powder


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