Escape to the Lake (Crate Paper)

Last month I entered the Crate Paper June Creative Challenge Weekly.  As you probably know, I just adore Crate products, especially their eclectic mix of vintage ephemera, and distressed paper.  

The June challenge was to create a project with poka dots.  Lately when I think of dots I think of bokeh. I cut one of the CP frames to have my gold sequins escape into a sky of bokeh.  I layered velum dots over my paterned paper dots to create the bokeh effect.  This layout is about our summer escape to camp at Lake Aviemore, and features my daughter.  I love that she is unaware that I was taking her photo.

 I was so excited to check their blog  today to find out that I was a runner up!!  Here is my layout:

I used a mix of the Maggie Holmes, DIY Shop and Fourteen collections.  I used a DIY Shop photo overlay on my photo to give it an Instagram look.  Additions were the lovely Heidi Swapp Letters, and a Pink Paislee heart which I painted gold, and gold sequins.

Thanks for looking

Melissa x

Use Your Words - Happy Scrapping News!!!

I'm so thrilled to announce that I made it onto the Design Team for Use Your Words!!!  It's such an honor to be able to design with such a talented group of ladies!  I do hope you'll come and visit and play along.  I can't wait to see what you make!

Melissa x

A Smile (Scrap & Music)

Scrap & Music is a really fun challenge site that requires a layout to be made based on a sketch and the lyrics to a song.  Such an awesome concept, I love it so much I had to play along.  Sketch #5 and the song "She" by Elvis Costello is the current challenge, and I love that they mention the use of this song in Notting Hill, which has to be one of my all time favourite movies!!!

I decided to push myself to use this for a layout about my son:

I love this photo so much as for once he isn't pulling a silly face!  I used my lovely May Paper Bakery Kit, and some extras from my stash!  Love all the crate paper in this one!

Here is the sketch:

Thanks for looking :)

Use Your Words Challenge Blog - DT Call

As a writer by day and a scapbooker by night I've discovered a brand new challenge site called Use Your Words Challenge Blog.  I love that it combines two of my favourite things, and I've decided to apply!

I just love this badge created for the blog!

Have a great weekend :)

Azaria's Page!!!

This weekend, in the midst of Azaria's birthday, church and the official closing of Winterfestival, I spent some time at a local scrap camp, organised by my lovely friend Lara.  I was able to make three layouts - I've resigned to the fact that my pages take a loooooong time to come together!

As Azaria's birthday was on the Saturday, I had brought with me a little crafting kit that she had seen at the Warehouse (and kept asking for), and a little bag of lollies.  On Saturday morning Nik kindly set up a table next to mine, and I took Azaria for a "surprise" trip to the camp.  She had no idea at all where we were going, and was quite shy and overwhelmed when we arrived.  She was very happy to open her present, and with the help of Kim, made this page:

So cute!! I love that she loves scrapping too!

Scrapstuffz "Inspired By" Challenges - First Official Challenge!!!

I'm so excited to be a part of the new challenge site Scrapstuffz "Inspired By" Challenges!  The Design Team is thrilled to bring you the first official challenge, which is to be inspired by this US Independence Day image:

I was inspired by the sunburst chevrons, and it immediately made me think of the chevron arrows paper from Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm.  I was also inspired by the stars, so had to use the constellation paper from the same line.  I snapped this photo of my kids playing in the snow a couple of weeks ago, and I think that the arrows work really well with Lucky Charm.  I fussy cut the arrows, sewed them onto my page, and then bent the edges up.  I love the movement that they give the page!  Some layering, a sprinkling of sequins (like snowflakes) those yummy pink sugary thickers,  and a triangle on the bottom right corner to anchor my page, and I was done! 

I can't wait to how the image inspires you!  Make sure you link up this month, follow the instructions on how to play on the site, and you'll be in to win an awesome prize!

We Made the Newspaper (Lets Get Sketchy)

Welcome to the first sketch of July over at LGS!  This is my second month of being on the Design Team, and I'm having a blast!  This week's fun sketch was designed by the very talented Jenessa.

My layout features my lovely sister-in-law, and tells the story of the ball that we went to last year.  As my husband was the MC for the evening, Alana and I arrived at the ball together and had our photo taken by one of the local papers.  We totally didn't expect to end up in the paper, but much to our surprise we made the social page (which if you know me is not the attention that I seek lol)!

I made this layout with my May Paper Bakery Kit, and I'm absolutely loving the mix of product that Sarah has put together.  I just adore the Lily Bee Bokeh paper, and really wanted it to feature so I cut it large.  This layout also features Crate Paper's Maggie Holmes paper, and the DIY Ephemera pack.  I added glitter to the flower die cut, and also had a fun messy time glittering-up the frame (from Crate Paper's The Pier).  I also had fun with the heart mask that came with the new subscribers gift, I used gold acrylic paint.  The frame and gold thickers were not from the kit.

And here is the sketch:

Thanks for looking.  I can't wait to see your layouts, so do come and play along.  I love your comments and please follow my blog :)