Kaisercraft XO Mini Album (Artfull Crafts)

Good morning, I'm up on the Artfull Crafts Blog  today with another project I made with the beautiful Kaisercraft XO collection, which you can purchase from the shop here.

I decided to make a mini album with the cut apart journaling cards, and I included recent photos of our family, and some scripture about love.  I made the cover very simple and minimalistic, with white cardstock which I embossed, and then used two manual dies (through my Cuttlebug).  I used my sewing machine to add texture, and glued the ribbon onto the back of the album.

Here is the cover with the ribbon untied.

I prepared the album before I'd printed off my photos, which is a new process for me, as usually I like to have everything ready to go, especially the photos.  Here are some close ups of some of the inside pages.  You will see that I bound my pages with washi tape.

You can watch how this mini album came together here on YouTube, or below:

Thanks for looking!

The Sweetest Thing (Using up my Stash)

Hello again, well as part of my scrappy goals this year, I need to use up more of the products in my stash.  So this layout is made entirely from older product, and the triangles are all left over from another layout.  

I used Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party (which I really really need to use and not hoard), and We Are Memory Keepers Inked Rose 6x6 pad and Albums Made Easy Die Cut and Journalling Cards.  The two collections work really well together.

The photo is of Brielle playing after her 3 month photo shoot.  She's nine months now, it all goes way too fast!

Love those Dear Lizzy resin flowers!

She really is the sweetest little thing <3

I'm becoming a fast learner on Youtube, and managed to make the process video for this layout fully on my own (without help from Shaun)! You can see it below, or head over to my channel here.

Thanks so much for looking, and thanks for those of you who have subscribed and left me lovely comments x

Kaisercraft's "Too Cool For School" Layouts (Artfull Crafts)

Hello, well it's almost back to school time for my kids, with two more teacher only days on Monday and Tuesday, and school starting on Wednesday.  My husband is a teacher, and school started back for him on Friday.  

This all means its perfect timing to show you two layouts I created with Kaisercraft's new Too Cool for School collection, which you can find in the Artfull Crafts shop here.

For my first layout I wanted to use the realistic chalkboard background and scrapped a large photo of my 5 year old daughter on her first day of school last July.  Our school is so awesome, they take a photo of the kids of their first days, and give a large print to the parents.  The only photos I had of my daughter were of her looking unhappy and emotional, so it was such a blessing to get this lovely photo of her smiling.  

I kept my layout really simple, made the most of the background paper, then just added some stickers, collectables and washi tape from my stash.  

The pencil collectable die cut "Great Day" works perfectly as my title.

I cut the "today"banner from one of the journalling cards.

The ruler is from the sticker sheet, and I just layered it under my photo, with some washi tape on top. The scalloped border is cut from one of the patterned papers with my border punch.

My second layout is a mixed media page where I created my own background by cutting apart one of the papers, gluing the strips down randomly, adding some punched stars, and then covering the whole page with gesso.  Next I added some water colours, my photos in a row, and then just added stickers and collectable die cuts (much like the previous page).

The page is about my son who won a special award at school in 2013.  The blurry photo in the middle is the only photo we have, which was taken with an iPhone.  I took the two photos of the award with my DSLR, just before we had to give the trophy back.  So whilst the photo in the middle isn't great quality, the story needs to be recorded in Sam's album.

A close up of the background paper and my journaling. I trimmed away the white border around the "Achievement" pencil to fit with the other embellishments.

I made the star embellishments with my Epiphany Crafts punch.

Thanks for looking!

I'm on YouTube!

Good evening, well I'm so excited to tell you that I've achieved one of my 2015 scrapbooking goals, which was to make process videos!  I had to get over myself to start with (LOL!) and just deal with the fact that I don't really like hearing my voice.  So yesterday I filmed myself (thanks to Shaun with  a contraption involving a microphone stand, a wire coat hanger and our video camera), and then did the voice over last night.  It was so exciting to finally make a video.

The layout is all about Sam, and the funny faces he pulls when I'm trying to take a photo!  I think he looks like Mr Bean! I used my December Hip Kit, and when Sam saw that the Dear Lizzy title Thickers included "Yo!" he requested that I use it to make a page about him.  So of course I had to oblige, and these photos were perfect.  I based this layout on a Pagemaps sketch I found on Pinterest.  You can see it in the video.

And some close ups.  Love the Amy Tangerine Stitched goodies in this kit, and the Evalicious puffy stickers are super cute!

I loved focussing on the green and blue papers and embellishments, and added some watercolour.

Here's the video:

I plan to make heaps more videos (especially now that our 6 weeks of summer holidays are nearly over), and you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here. 

Thanks for looking!

This (Lets Get Sketchy)

Hello, just a quick post today as we're heading over to Wanaka (next lake over) for two nights.  What a mission trying to get ready to go for 5 people for only two nights!

It's our third week reveal over at Lets Get Sketchy, and we had a gorgeous sketch by Laura Whitaker. I scrapped a couple of photos from Brielle's 3 month photo shoot (that I took).  I used Webster's Pages Sweet Routine, which I'm using for her monthly album.  I added some gold tissue paper and pink fabric, and I ruffled both on my sewing machine.  I wanted to keep this layout soft and girly, so I focussed on using the more neutral and light pink papers.

The gold thickers title and heart are from Maggie Holme's Open Book (Crate Paper).  I loved the arrangement of the banners in the sketch and matched them.

I love how pretty the gold tissue paper ruffles turned out.  The doilies and wood veneer feathers are from my stash.

And here is the sketch.

I'd love to see you play along!

Kaisercraft XO Layouts (Artfull Crafts)

Good morning!  I hope you're enjoying Summer as much as I am!  Today I'm on the Artfull Crafts blog with three layouts I made with Kaisercraft's beautiful XO collection.  I loved this one soooo much that I couldn't stop!

XO is a Valentines Layout with gorgeous colours, patterns and chalkboard print, and I decided to use it to scrap my gorgeous girls.

For my first layout I used this speciality wreath paper, and I backed the smaller cut outs with patterned paper from the collection.  I left the larger flowers open to provide contrast.  The photo is of my baby girl in June when she was 2 months old.  I completed the layout with some collectable die cuts and stickers.  The title is made with a die cut (Sweet) and sticker (smile).

A close up of the layered pieces.

A close up of the title and wreath.

My second layout is about my eldest daughter loving to look our for her baby sister.  I really wanted to feature that bold floral, but I couldn't make it work, so I  used the B side of it (apricot colour).  I layered some papers under my photo, and applied some gelato with a plastic bag and a spray of water.  My title is handout from this gorgeous paper.

A close up of my title.

A close up of my paper layers.  I popped up the flower border sticker on some dimensional adhesive.

My final layout is made with cutting a selection of the patterned papers with a manual die "Love" on my Cuttlebug.  I also cut some leaves with plain white cardstock.  I arranged them on my page, then stitched them down.  I stuck my photos on vellum to provide some soft separation from the rest of the page, then just added some stickers and sequins.

The flower border is from the sticker sheet.

A close up of the die cut words.

You can purchase XO in the shop here.  

Thanks for looking!

Last Two Layouts of 2014

Good evening, here are the last two layouts I made in December.  They are both made with my October Hip Kit, and are A4 (8.5 x 11) sized.  

The first one is about my kids and their cousins playing in the Autumn leaves in 2013, and I've scrapped several of these photos before.  I layered up lots of scraps and sewed them down.

The second layout is a really cute photo of Sam that Mum took when he was 2.  I played with my silver gelato using the plastic bag and water technique that I love.  I fussy cut the feathers out, and either sewed vellum under or over them.  I just loved that 3x4 card from Crate Paper.

I haven't killed this kit yet, but I've moved onto my November kit.

Thanks for looking!

A Recap, Favourite 10 Layouts of 2014, and Goals for 2015

Good morning!  Today I'm sharing my top 10 layouts of 2014.  Last year I did this post where I shared my favourite 13 layouts of 2013.  I've decided that this year and for the years to follow I'm going to keep it to 10 layouts, otherwise in 2030 I'll be sharing 30!!!

Before I get to my layouts, the following were my creative and blog goals for 2013:

• To create because I love it, not because I have to.
• To share more of myself and our life on my blog, because lets face it, this is as close to keeping a diary as I'll get.
• To put my layouts in albums and not let them stack up!
• To learn new techniques and keep exploring my scrapbooking style.
• To take better photos, both of our life and of my layouts.

I was able to achieve all of these goals, although it is incredibly difficult to source reasonably priced 12x12 D ring albums in this country.  Once Brielle was born and I felt better I was able to get my creative flow back.  There is nothing worse than trying to be creative when nauseous.  And of course having a new little baby to scrap was amazing!  Having a DSLR also helped me take better photos.

I dabbled in more mixed media than ever before, and joining the Hip Kit Club revived all of my layouts, and satisfied my urge to have new product.  I was lucky enough to be featured on the Hip Kit Facebook page!

So here are my favourite 10 layouts of 2014:

Made with my first Hip Kit (May).

  The title page for Brielle's album using older product from my stash. 

This one was made for Get Inspired Magazine when we featured Pink Paislee.    

I made this one with my Hip Kit, and I loved that Echo Park paper so much I was able to incorporate it into three layouts by cutting it up.

This one was based on a sketch for Lets Get Sketchy.  I just love that October Afternoon floral paper.

I loved that Crate Paper Notes & Things paper so much I kept it as a background paper.

My favourite layout made with Kaisercraft for Artfull Crafts.

I love this one so much because I'd just got my DSLR and was loving practicing and learning.

Another layout for Lets Get Sketchy, love the paper strips!

This layout was for a mood board challenge over at Mei Li Paperie, and I was blessed to win!

The saddest scrappy part of 2014 had to be the closing of Two Peas in a Bucket.  They were my home, and so special because they were such a huge part in discovering the online scrappy world.  Scrapstuffz 'Inspired By' Challenges (of which I was part of the original design team) also closed.

After the closure of 2Peas, I was so relived and grateful to Scrapbook.com who enabled us "Peas" to import our galleries to there.  But my real home was found on the NicoleJones911 Facebook page where there are so many supportive ladies.

I'm continuing to design for Lets Get Sketchy and Artfull Crafts, and I LOVE both teams.  Brenshevia and Liz are amazing bosses!  

And now for my creative goals for 2015:

• To use up more of my stash!
• To start making process videos and posting them to my Utube channel.
• To keep applying for design teams.
• To keep up with my Hip Kit subscription and not fall behind!
• To finish my 2013 December Daily (yes thats not a typo), and start my 2014 album.
• To complete the two mini albums I'm yet to finish...
• To complete my 2014 Project Life monthly album.
• To scrapbook because I love it, not because I have to.

My biggest issues with Project Life and not keeping up would have to be having a new born baby, and not having a decent photo printer at home.  I would love to get a Cannon Selphy.

Thanks for reading this far!

So Very Blessed (Lets Get Sketchy)

Happy New Year! Oh my goodness this time of the year is sooo full on, especially with a baby who is big time on the move!

Its our first reveal for the year over at Lets Get Sketchy, and to kick things off we had an awesome sketch by Brenshevia.  I used my November Hip Kit (yes I'm behind), which is full of predominantly Christmas product, and scrapped two photos of Christmas Day in 2012 (and yes I need to fix the date on my page).  Not the greatest quality photos, but a very important memory to be recorded as it was Granddad Colin's last visit down south.

I love black and red for Christmas!  I added the twine, sequins, red glittery thickers, vellum and some red cardstock from my stash.  Often I find Christmas layouts hard, no idea why, but with this kit its easy!

And here is the sketch:

I hope you make one of your New Years resolutions to play along with us each week!