She's a sweetheart

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend doing the things you love! I spent a fabulous day with some scrappy friends yesterday and I finally have something I can share.:)  Remember those MME collections I was getting so excited about?  I played with MME all day and I was in heaven!! Lol!  I've created this layout for the new Bird Is The Word challenge where you have to use the word 'heart' on you layout.
And here is the girly layout I promised using the MME Miss Caroline 'Dilly Dally' range.  This pic is of my sweetheart DD taken about a month ago.  She has grown up way too fast. :(

 A little close up of my cluster using some of the layered stickers and buttons from this range.  I've teamed it up with some Green Tara Mini roses and a 'Zva Creative' flourish.

 And my title with a cute little heart pin from the collection.  I've used the Martha Stewart 'Floral Vine' punch on the red border strip. Oh, and I rediscovered my date stamp that was hiding under some stash.  I haven't used it for years, but you will see it popping up everywhere on my layouts from now on. :)

All the product used are available from Handmade by Suzanne.

Well, that's all for today! I've got more to share later in the week. Thank you so much for visiting and have a great week!
Until next time.
M xox

The new MME collections are here!!!

Oh, I've just realised what a bad blogger I've been this week. Sorry! :( 
It doesn't mean that I haven't been busy creating though.  Problem is, I just can't show you yet! :)
What I can show you, is a layout I've created with my DT kit from Handmade by Suzanne, using the brand spanking new MME line called Miss Caroline 'Dilly Dally'.  Oh my!  My daughter looked at me strangely when I first saw this in the HBS shop as I was hyperventilating from excitement. Lol! Not that any non-scrapper would understand...
Well, here is my first layout using this gorgeous range.  We had a family outing early January this year and went go karting. What fun! The kids loved racing their parents.  Unfortunately I couldn't take pics of us in the actual go karts as we were all racing together and there was nobody left to take the pics. :(

The Dilly Dally range is so versatile and is ideal for creating boy or girl pages.  My next layout will be a girly layout.

I covered the Scrap FX chipboard 'pennant flag' with some of this pattern paper.  Love how it turned out. :)  Just look at those cute little heart pins. 

Love the 'Mini Skull and Crossbones' from Dusty Attic.  Perfect for all those boy layouts.  All it needed in this case was a bit of black paint.

I so, so loved working with this range and I can't wait to create my next layout!  If you want to check out all the gorgeous new MME ranges and other new arrivals, you can find it HERE.
Now, I'm off to go and spend a some time with my DH.  He has been working way too hard and extremely long hours lately and I've missed him.
I'm hoping to catch up on all my favourite blogs over the weekend and maybe have more layouts to share during the next week. :)
Thank you so much for visiting and for all the lovely comments you may leave.  They make my day.  Have a wonderful weekend!
Until next time.
M xox

February sketch challenge at Handmade by Suzanne

The new sketch challenge is up at Handmade by Suzanne and it's another beauty! I've had my example done for a couple of days now, but we had no sun in Perth for the last 2 days, so I couldn't take a pic of my layout until today.  Not that I'm complaining... it also meant that the temperature has dropped to under 30 C, Got to love that!
Lol! Before I get to carried away about the weather, here is the sketch.  As always, there is a $30 store voucher up for grabs and the winner gets determined by random draw.  You've got until the end of February to get your entry in. :)

 

And here is my take on it.  I've used the Echo Park 'Times and Seasons' collection. It's one of my fave Echo Park  ranges this far.  All products are available at Handmade by Suzanne. :)  The pics are of my DS during a photoshoot before his Year 12 ball in 2010.  He was waiting on the side while the others were getting there pics taken and we snapped these 3 pics of him... just being himself I guess. :):)

 A close up of my title. I've used the Tim Holtz mini rosettes die to make the rosette.

 And another close up of the 3rd pic of my wacky boy. :)

There is always a lot going on at Handmade by Suzanne, so if you don't want to miss out on anything or any news, why not sign up for the newsletter?  The latest newsletter can be viewed here.
Okay, that's all for today. Thank you so much for popping by and have a wonderful weekend!
Until next time!
M xox

Scrap The Girls February challenge

Hi everyone! Schools have started across Australia this week.  Today I paid school fees for the very last time!  Such a weird feeling.  There are going to be many more 'last' moments for us this year as our baby (16 years old) has started Year 12 today. :(  I'm excited for her but also sad as it will be the end of an era for us. It feels like it was not that long ago that she had her first day at school.  Lol! Must mean that we're getting old. :)
Today is a new month in an almost still new year and that means a new challenge at Scrap The Girls.  The criteria for the February challenge is to use turqouise as the dominant colour, chipboard somewhere on your layout and the word 'love' in your title.  Easy, hey?!
Head over to the STG blog to see all the CT members' gorgeous inspiration.  Here is my example.

I've used MME 'Lime Twist' pattern papers,  Crystal Palace 'Star Burst' from Prima, assorted flowers from Prima and Kaisercraft paper blooms for my cluster. :)

The cloud chippies are from Dusty Attic and can be found here.

The fence is from Dusty Attic too and the chippie flower is from Scapware.  I've used the Martha Stewart 'Daisy Fan' Deep Edger punch for the strip at the bottom.

So, why don't you give this challenge a go?  I would love to see you enter.
That's all for today! Hope you are having a wonderful week.
Thanks for popping by!
Until next time.
M xx

Cute little guy

I hope all my Aussie blog readers had a great Australia Day yesterday.  It was terribly hot here in Perth with a maximum of 42 C, so I decided to stay home and scrap a bit. :) 
I really like the look of the sketch over at 'Get Picky' so I decided to play along. The pics are of my friend's little boy! Isn't he just the cutest?!!

I've used the Kaisercraft 'Sweet Nothings' collection for this and although it is mainly a very feminine looking range I tried to 'male' it up a bit. Here is a couple of close ups.  I punched the face of one of the little cupids out from the pattern paper and made this cute bottle cap. The covered button is from 'Lovelybug Bits n Bobs' and the doily is from my stash. 

As you've probably noticed, I love adding hessian and twine to my male layouts!

I've stuck the dove sticker onto some cardstock, cut around it and then gave it a lift with some foam tape. :)

That's all for today. You have until tomorrow night if you want to give this challenge a go. 

Thank you so much for visiting and have a great weekend!

Until next time!

M xox

More Echo Park 'Yours Truly'

It's been VERY hot and humid in Perth during the last few days and today is just a little bit better... I think 31 C max.  Only until tomorrow when it will start again! :(  They predict  40 C for Australia day this coming Thursday! Guess how I will be spending my Aus Day?  Scrapping under the airconditioner sounds like a plan!
Yeterday I spent a wonderful day with some gorgeous scrappy friends and I managed to complete another layout using my Handmade by Suzanne DT kit.  I tried a different (not so formal) style for this one and quite like the way it turned out. :)

I've used Echo Park 'Yours Truly' pattern papers and punched out some hearts. I then filed the edges a bit to go with the whole distressed look. :)

I've used mainly Kaisercraft paper blooms for the cluster and my favourite Martha Stewart 'frond' punch for the leaves. Used an inkpad with the Crafters Workshop 'Cherry Blossoms' template on the white background.

That's all I can share today. :)
Thanks for popping by! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you had a bit of time to be creative too.
Until next time.
M xox

More love...

Lol! I mean more of Echo Park 'Yours Truly'... although this range will be perfect for any 'love' theme.  Since I got my housework under control this week, I created another layout using my January DT kit from Handmade by Suzanne.
Do you know that I have never scrapped any of my own wedding picture before? Well, until now. We'll be married for 22 years this coming April. :) So, I thought since this paper range is perfect for weddings and all things love related, I might just as well.  It looks a little dramatic to me with this strong colour combonation, but then weddings are a bit dramatic, right?
Here is my layout.

I've used some gorgeous Prima flowers, a Kaiser paper bloom, some Green Tara mini roses and a stunning Prima metal wall lamp. I punched the leaves out using my favourite Martha Stewart 'frond' punch.

The flourish is from Zva Creative and come in so many colours and designs. Love this product!  All the stickers used on here is from the EP 'Yours Truly' range and the frame of my photo was punched using the Martha Stewart 'Layered Arch' punch around page set.

A close up of my big bow. Lol!  My DD bought it yesterday to wrap a present and I thought it would be ideal for my page. :)

That's all for today. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Thank you for visiting and for your lovely comments.

Until next time!

M xox

Echo Park 'Yours Truly'

Hi there scrappy friends! I hope you are all having a great week. My DH went back to work yesterday and I am having a major house clean at the moment. So fun... NOT!  Lol!  I suppose that's what you get when you relax for 2 weeks and don't do much. :)
Just want to share a layout I did using my gorgeous DT kit from Handmade by Suzanne.  The papers and stickers are all from the Echo Park 'Yours Truly' range. I love the colours in this range and I thought it would go well with these pics of DH and I taken 4 years ago.

A close up of the Zva Creative 'Triumph flourish'. You should check out these beauties. They come in such a variety of designs and colours and the quality is outstanding!  And I've used my favourite Martha Stewart 'Swirling lace' punch again. :)

The little flowers on the edge of my circle photo are Mini Blooms from Kaisercraft and so is the wooden 'Eiffel tower'. The flowers in the corner are a mixture of Kaisercraft Mini Blooms and Green Tara 'Mini Roses'. 

Okay, that's all for today. I have to go and do some more cleaning now... :(
Thank you so much for visiting! Have a wonderful day!
Until next time.
M xox

January Sketch at Handmade by Suzanne

Yay! I have scrapped my first layout for 2012!  Shell has designed a beautiful sketch for Handmade by Suzanne's January Sketch Challenge.  Here is the sketch:

 And here is my example.  I've used an older collection by Kaisercraft called 'Blush'.

A close up of the title and the gorgeous Pink Paislee butterfly.

The big flower and leaves are from Prima and the smaller ones are Green Tara Mini Roses.  The resin birdie is from Prima too and the wooden manequin and Berry Vine are from Kaisercraft.  All products are available from the HBS store.

So, why not give the sketch a go?  There's a $30 store voucher up for grabs and all you have to do is enter, because the winner gets determined by random draw.  Easy! :)
Not sure when I'll be back.  I've still got DH home until next week, so don't know how much scrappy time I'll be able to fit in. :)
Thank you for visiting and for your lovely comments! 
Until next time.
M xox

Bring on 2012!

First of all, I want to wish all my scrappy friends and blog readers a fantastic New Year! I hope that 2012 will be the best year yet!

I haven't been scrapping at all for the last 2 weeks. My DH has taken 2 weeks off work and will be home for another week. We have been enjoying some lovely family time and lots of socialising with friends.

I have some exciting scrappy news to share though. Scrap The Girls has announced the new CT and I'm one of them!  I seriously love this challenge site. Malinda sets the coolest challenges and if you have girls (or even just one, like me) you will love it too!  To see the announcement and the rest of the CT's stunning examples, go over HERE.

The challenge is to create a layout using a monochromatic colour scheme. Minimal black and white is allowed and remember 'ONLY GIRLS'.

Here is my example.  I love these pics of my gorgeous girl.  So happy and carefree. :)  I've used a combonation of Echo Park 'Victoria Gardens' and Authentique 'Uncommon' pattern papers.

A close up of my flower cluster. I've used a combonation of Prima flowers, Green Tara Mini roses, Kaisercraft paper blooms and Kaisercraft resin blossoms. The leaves were made using a Martha Stewart 'Frond' punch.

The chippies is from Dusty Attic. I've painted it, distressed it a bit then added some Diamond Dust over the top.

The edges were punched using the Martha Stewart 'Swirling Lace' Punch around the Edge set and the rhinestone flourish is from Kaisercraft.

All the products used are from Handmade by Suzanne.
I hope you will have a go at this challenge too. Can't wait to see what you create. :)
That's all for now (I think). I'm hoping to visit my favourite blogs very soon for a catch up.
Have a great week and thanks for visiting.
Until next time.
M xox

Once Upon A Sketch

It's been a long time since my last post.  I'm sure most of you will be able to relate to my situation of not having enough time in your day at this time of year. :)
As you probably already know, Handmade by Suzanne is sponsoring 'Once Upon A Sketch' this month. Nadia has asked the DT members to play along.  You can see the gorgeous layouts of the other DT members here.  And here is the challenge:

December 15th Challenge

Journalling Criteria/theme: Our Christmas traditions.

We would love to hear how everyone spends Christmas Day. Even if you do NOT celebrate Christmas, what do you do on Christmas Day?

Remember that you are allowed to also create a card or altered project based on this sketch and instead of the journalling criteria you need to use a quote.

Things to consider when playing along...

**This is an international blog, so anyone can enter

**You are allowed to create a card, layout or off-the-page item based on the provided sketch and additional journalling criteria. If you are creating a card or altered item you only need to include a quote.

**You are also allowed to flip or rotate the sketch or alter it to suit your needs, but please make sure its still recognisable.

**Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery and link it on the sidebar of this blog using the Link tool. Please provide a direct link to your post, not your entire blog.If the link tool is down, please leave a comment on the comments section and link your layout there.

** The deadline for this challenge is midnight December 31st, Australian Eastern Standard Time . The Design Team will vote and the winners and the Top 5 project will be announced soon after the challenge has finished.

**You may enter as many times as you like and combine this with other challenges.

**Also, please consider turning off word verification for comments on your blog.

Here is my take on this gorgeous sketch. I've used the Simple Stories '25 Days to Christmas' collection for this. All products available from Handmade by Suzanne.

 A couple of close ups. :)

This will probably be my last post for 2011. So many exciting things happening in 2012... I can't wait! I want to wish all my blog readers a wonderful Christmas and I hope your 2012 will be awesome!  Thanks for your continued support. I appreciate every single word of encouragement.  Your gorgeous comments often changed an average day into a beautiful day. :)

Until next time!

M xox

Movember

Hi everyone! I'm sure by now you are well organised and have everything ready for Christmas!  Eeeek! I am so behind... Time is running away with me this year. Hopefully our tree will be up after the weekend...
Just want to quickly share my take on Handmade by Suzanne's December Sketch Challenge.  It's another beautiful sketch designed by Shell. Love her sketches. :)
Just to remind you what the sketch look like:

And here is my take on it.  DH decided to play along with some of the guys at the office and do the Movember thing in 2009.  I always wanted to scrap these pics and when I saw the new Echo Park 'Times and Seasons' collection, I knew it would be perfect. 

 A close up of my title and that cute little moustache that was included in the sticker sheet.  Used the Crafter's Workshop 'chicken wire' template for my background. :)
You've got until the end of December to get your entry in. There is a $30 store voucher with free postage up for grabs and the winner gets determined by random draw. I can't wait to see your take on the sketch!
That's all for today! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful weekend! I'm off to make a list of 'things to do before Christmas'.  Lol! It's going to be a loooooong one!
Until next time.
M xox

Once Upon A Sketch

Handmade by Suzanne is sponsoring the Once Upon A Sketch challenges this month and a couple of the DT members have played along. You can see all the layouts here.  It's a gorgeous sketch and I loved the challenge. If you would like to play along, this is what you have to do:

December 1st Challenge

Journalling Criteria/theme: The thing I look most forward to in December.

Write at least 2 sentences on what you look forward to in the next month. December is a festive month so your journalling could be about the Christmas season, the holidays, the presents or if you do not celebrate Christmas what does December bring for you that you look most forward to? Note:You layout DOES NOT have to be about Christmas! It can be about anything December brings.

Other ideas for journalling: an annual holiday or celebration, a specific event such as putting up the Christmas tree or pre Christmas traditions you might have leading up to Christmas, family time, snow covered fields or warmer weather, time off work, school holidays, change of weather, new season fruit.

 

And here is my take on the challenge. I've used the October Afternoon 'Sidewalks' collection and some of my favourite Green Tara Mini Roses. I've misted the paper doilies using October Afternoon Sprinklers 'Red Wagon'. Everything available from Handmade by Suzanne.

 And some close ups. :)

 

The winner of this challenge, as chosen by the Design Team, will win a spot on our Design Team for the month of January. As well as that, the winner will also receive a AUD$20.00 voucher (plus FREE shipping) to spend in the store at Handmade By Suzanne who is ALSO having a 20% sale storewide ALL of December!!

Here at Once Upon A...Sketch we LOVE to encourage EVERYONE to participate, even those that are fairly new to scrapbooking so this is why we like to offer some prizes for RANDOMLY chosen winner so that everyone feels like they have a chance to win!

One lucky person will receive this prize from Handmade By Suzanne!

Tim Holtz Alterations Embossing Folder Set (Collage)

And one lucky person will win this..

A set of My Mind's Eye 6 x 6 paper pads in 4 different collections.

****

Things to consider when playing along...

**This is an international blog, so anyone can enter

**You are allowed to create a card, layout or off-the-page item based on the provided sketch and additional journalling criteria. If you are creating a card or altered item you only need to include a quote.

**You are also allowed to flip or rotate the sketch or alter it to suit your needs, but please make sure its still recognisable.

**Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery and link it on the sidebar of this blog using the Link tool. Please provide a direct link to your post, not your entire blog.If the link tool is down, please leave a comment on the comments section and link your layout there.

** The deadline for this challenge is midnight December14th, Australian Eastern Standard Time . The Design Team will vote and the winners and the Top 5 project will be announced soon after the challenge has finished.

**You may enter as many times as you like and combine this with other challenges.

 

I can't wait to see what you all create with this sketch.  Thanks for visiting.

Until next time.

M xox

Birthday Sale and New Sketch at Handmade by Suzanne

Hi there scrappy friends! I hope you are looking forward to a wonderful weekend. No doubt, it will be a busy one with Christmas getting closer, but we won't get into that too much. :) Our tree isn't even up yet!!
Instead of rambling on about how unprepared I am for Christmas, I'll rather share some good news with you.  Handmade by Suzanne is having a Birthday Sale with 20% off storewide!! With Suzanne's already LOW prices and HUGE range, you will be getting all your scrappy needs for a steal.  To check it out, have a look over HERE. You'll be glad you did!  You can also read all the latest news in the December newsletter here.
And now for the December sketch challenge.  Shell has designed another beautiful sketch for this month's challenge.

If you would like to stand the chance to win a $30 store voucher, give this challenge a go. The winner gets determined by random draw, which means anybody can win!

I think that's all for today.  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time.

M xox