Cake Art (Lets Get Sketchy)

Hello!  Well its time for Team A to reveal our second layout for September over at Lets Get Sketchy, which means we're halfway through the month!  I've been feeling really under the weather lately, which is why I haven't been blogging much.  Hopefully things are on the upside now and I'll be feeling a lot better.

This weeks sketch was designed by the awesomely talented Jenessa Franco:

I decided to make a page that would go next to my Week 1 reveal, which was the butterfly cake that I made for my friend's daughter.  Its always satisfying to get an event scrapped and done!

I used the same Studio Calico kit as my previous layout, I just love all the colours, patterns and fun embellishments in it!  I also used India Ink and a paint brush to get my big ink splatters, a technique taught by the amazingly artsy and talented Wilna Furstenberg.

Here are some close ups:

I can't wait to see your take on the sketch, make sure you link up, and also head over to the blog to see how the rest of Team A interpreted the sketch.

Be blessed

Melissa x

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction (Use Your Words)

Its time for our second reveal for September over at Use Your Words Challenge Blog!  For this reveal our word was SWEET, and when I think of this word, aside from thinking of my kids (most of the time), I think of baking.  This word was the perfect opportunity to get these baking photos scrapped.

Because I had 4 photos I knew I wanted to do some kind of grid design.  I was inspired by Maggie Holmes on this one, as she is very good at doing a loose grid design that still enables layering papers.  I started by machine stitching borders for the photos on each of the papers I chose, then I embellished them and layered them.  I used an older Studio Calico kit that I've been hoarding, and the only addition from my stash were the pink washi tape and the Basic Grey acetate letters, which I love!

Some close-ups:

Thanks for looking.  Make sure you head over to the blog to check out how the rest of the DT were inspired, and I can't wait to see what you make and link up!

Be blessed

Melissa x

Yummy! (Scrapstuffz 'Inspired by' Challenges)

Hello!  Well its my turn to reveal my layout over on the Scrapstuffz blog.  This month our inspiration piece was this cute mason jar photo.

And here is my layout:

I was inspired by the jars, and used one of the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan jars for my journaling.  I layered up some of my favourite Crate Paper papers, and used the strawberry card from an October Afternoon Miscellany pack.  Here are some close ups:

Head on over to the blog for the full details on how I was 

Girls (Artfull Crafts)

Hello, and welcome to my first official project post for Artfull Crafts!  I'm so excited to be on this Design Team, and this month I get to play with Kaisercraft's Tea Party Collection.  For the love of all things pink and girly, I had to scrap a selfie photo of my daughter Azaria and I.  Make sure you head over to the Arfull Crafts blog to see my post.

Here is my layout:

And some close ups:

You can check out and purchase the collection here.

Be blessed
Melissa x

Waiting (Crate Paper)

I decided to enter the Crate Paper August Creative Weekly Challenge which had the challenge of navy blue and sequins.  I am loving that sequins are so trendy in the crafting world right now, and it seems that they are trendy in fashion too!

My layout is about my kids waiting for a special Christmas surprise to arrive on 22 December 2012. It was Grannie and Poppa (my parents), who planned a special trip, and we told Sam and Azaria that we were going to the airport to pick up a special present. The photo shows them waiting in the airport terminal, watching the plane arrive.  Here is my layout:

It was a very special moment, therefore the Maggie Holmes handwritten moment paper was perfect.  I'm so glad I'd been keeping (hoarding) it!  I added a frame, some ephemera, and painted the border with watered down ink.  I was inspired by an image I found on Pinterest of some chevron sequins.  I decided to use this inspiration to make the journaling tag.  Here are some close ups:

Thanks for looking

Melissa x

Butterfly Cake (Lets Get Sketchy)

Welcome to a new month at Lets Get Sketchy, and while a lot of you are at the start of Autumn, Spring has arrived here in New Zealand.  For this reveal we had this fantastic sketch by Brenshevia:

This week I choose to scrap a photo that I took way back in 2009.  It's a photo of a cake that I made for a friend's daughter for her 4 year old birthday party.  My mother in law had given me cake tins that make butterflies, so I made a carrot cake and iced and decorated it as a tree.  I used an older Studio Calico kit.

I kept this layout really simple.  I painted the border on with the straw in my white Mister Huey's, and instead of a banner, I used twine tied with a button.

Thanks for looking.  I can't wait to see the layouts you create with this sketch.  Make sure you head over to the blog to check out what the rest of the DT made.

Be blessed

Melissa x

So Very Tough! (Use Your Words)

Hello and welcome to September!  Here at the bottom of the world that means Spring has arrived, YAY!  Well its a brand new month over at Use Your Words, and our word for the next fortnight is TOUGH.  Remember the rules are that you must use this word either in your title and/or your journalling.  I've found that as I've been creating these layouts, I prefer to use the word in my titles.

When I think of the word "tough" it immediately reminds me of a summer bike ride we had in February.  Once a month on Friday nights our church has Youth & Family Connect, which involves really fun activities that are open to anyone in the church to join in.  On this particular Friday night we went bike riding, with the aim of riding on the Queenstown Trail from Arrowtown to the Kawarau Bungy Bridge (the official home of bungy jumping in New Zealand and the world).  Sam was 5 back then, and we were so proud of him as he was the youngest kid to bike 16 kilometres (9.941 miles)!  The photo is of him pushing his bike up the last hill.  When we arrived back the entire crowd of church family started clapping for him, he was so tough and Shaun and I were so proud of his tenacity!

Here is my layout, made with my July Paper Bakery Kit.  I must admit I'd been hoarding that Elle's Studio confetti paper!

My photo is an Iphone Instagram, and is so dark because it was dusk, and the sun had nearly gone down.  I just love that sequin arrow that came with the kit!

I did my journaling in the form of a letter, which is something I've learnt from Wilna Furstenberg.  I think its a lovely was to record memories, which my kids will go back and read when they are older.  

I just had to include a close up of that super cute bike clip, which is a Paper Bakery exclusive! This photo also shows my layering, which I'm still loving!

Thanks for looking.  Now its your turn, and I can't wait to see how the word TOUGH inspires you!  Don't forget to head over to the blog to see how the other DT girls were inspired.

Be blessed, and enjoy welcoming Spring or Autumn wherever you are in the world!
Melissa x