Sorry for My Absence

Just a quick post to let you all know I am still here and all is OK! Things are just really hectic, with cricket season, Christmas on it's way, hopefully we will be moving in January so trying to get things sorted there, getting decorations made and ready for my youngest sons graduation dinner dance and work, so not a lot of spare time to craft at all.

I know I have said this before but I am sending out a Big Apology to all my blogging friends and dedicated followers for not posting or visiting and leaving comments. Hopefully once the boys finish school I may have a bit more time. Hope to be able to do a big blog hop soon and catch up on all your crafting projects, I am really missing not seeing them all and getting some inspiration too.

Back soon (hopefully)
Kaye x

SOUS Sketch

For this weeks sketch over at SOUS I decided to do a card, as I need a girly card for later in the month and I haven't made a one for ages. It is quite simple but I am really happy with the outcome. The image was sent to me ages ago by Kelly (thank you so much) and I have just not got round to using it. I coloured the image in using the MCPT technique then cut it out with a Nestibility. The base of the card is just plain white cardstock and the orange and little bit of yellow are both Bazzill. The spotty orange paper was from my scrap draw. The stamp is by Fiskars and the flowers are by Paper craft. I added quite a bit of bling and some stickles around the edge of the scallops and that was it done really.

Blog Award

Wow, I am so lucky to have so many wonderful friends out in blog land. I got home from work on Friday and checked my blog to find I had been given this award twice, from Kim and also from Wanda. Then I got back from cricket today to find that Nanne had also passed it my way. Well if you have never visited the blogs of these very talented ladies then you really are missing out, I would have to say they are three of the most talented and lovely people I have had the pleasure to meet through blogging. Hop on over and check out their amazing blogs.



The rules are this: I need to pass this award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in ONE word.

1. Where is your cell phone? Handbag
2. Your hair? brown
3. Your mother? short
4. Your father? heaven
5. Your favorite food? curry
6. Your dream last night? dancing
7. Your favorite drink? coffee
8. Your dream/goal? Own a scrapbooking store
9. What room are you in? study
10. Your hobby? scrapbooking
11. Your fear? heights
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? In my own store
13. Where were you last night? chilling
14. Something that you aren't? slim
15. Muffins? Choc chip
16. Wish list item? More cricut carts
17. Where did you grow up? England
18. Last thing you did? Blog hop
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your TV? Always sport
21. Your Pets? none
22. Friends? many
23. Your life? Really good
24. Your mood? happy
25. Missing Someone? sister
26. vehicle? Honda Jazz
27. Something your not wearing? Make up
28. Your favorite store? Just Scrapbooking
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? This morning
31. Last time you cried? Month ago
32. Your best friend? husband
33. One place that I go to over and over? cricket
34. Facebook? No
35. Favorite place to eat? Italian

And here are my nominations

Jane
Enfys
Sandi
Sandy
Margie
Donna
Leah
Kelly
Leah
Sandi

And also I would like to send it back to Nanne, Wanda and Kim. OK! so I passed it onto more than 5 people but as I received the award myself 3 times I thought this would be just fine.

Triple Challenge

This layout was done for the triple challenge that is being run by Stuck on U Sketches, Practical Scrappers and Frosted Designs. The challenges were to use the sketch, use 3 different ribbons and use an owl. I managed to combine all 3 into one layout Yay Me! The picture was taken at the end of my eldest sons Graduation Dinner Dance, which was also the last day of primary school.


Paper used are Bazzill and We R Memory Keepers. The Marquees were cut from Storybook, (I know that on the sketch it was meant to be half off the page but I printed my picture too big). The cream mat for the photo was edged with a Fiskars punch as was the black Bazzill. The 2007 was cut using Graphically speaking which I glazed with Dimensional magic. The ribbons were all from my stash, which I have had some of them for ages, and the owl is a chipboard die from DCWV.

I am off to do another post of a blog award that I received from 3 wonderful people. Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Wild Thing

Hi everyone! Another busy week is passing by and this is all I have to show for it. I obviously didn't take notes from last week about how to manage my time as it certainly isn't happening this week.

This layout was done for the sketch at Stuck on U Sketches, pop on over and check it out and perhaps have a go yourself. This picture was taken nearly two years ago at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I was really impressed how well it turned out as the tiger was behind glass and I got no glare from it.


All the papers used were Basic Grey, that I have had for a while but with this picture in mind. The wording, leaves and tiger head were cut from Bazzill. The tiger, large leaves around him and the wording were cut using the Animal Kingdom cart and the smaller leaves were cut using Storybook. I ran the wording through the cuttlebug using the branch folder and chalked a little bit just to show the edging on the letters. A bit of doodling, string and a couple of tags for good measure and I was done (Oh I wish it was that quick).

Hope you are all having a great week, see you soon.

Love you - second post for the day

Wow two layouts in one day, not done that for a long time. I even started this one before I took the boys to school. I don't know what I did today but I definitely feel like I organised my time a whole lot better.

The papers used are all Black Market Paper Society. The swirls were already on the paper so I cut around them with a craft knife. The music was on one of the sheets so I just cut out a small part. Flowers are Prima with a small Kaiser pearl in the middle. 'Love' was cut using ACY as was the small boy. 'You' was cut from Graphically speaking.

The bird was cut using Indie Art on base, blackout and then just the wing, I added some stickles to the wings, but it doesn't show to well in the picture.

I fold back the corner and held it down with a hinge cut from Storybook, the corner was done using a fiskars corner punch.

I am hoping I get a little bit more scrapping done this week but will not hold my breath as I am working and the boys are training after school, but we will just have to see. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Cool Dude

This layout was done for the challenge over a Practical Scrappers, the challenge was to use office supplies, so I used a person shaped paper clip and some document clips. The papers used were MME and Pink Paisley both from the Halloween range, although they weren't bought with the intention of doing a Halloween layout they just looked like really good boys papers. The two marquees were both cut using Storybook, I distressed the spotty one a bit and left the orange as it was. The edges of the stripey paper are distressed too.

The chipboard 'cool DUDE' is by Scrapfx, I inked and added dimensional magic.

I used two buckles and some ribbon as an embellishment and put a few buttons on it too.

I don't always sew my buttons but I decided to today and like the effect, the middle one is a chipboard button that I got from Kmart.

Can't believe I actually got two layouts done today, I made sure I had a bit of me time for scrapping. I will post the other layout after this one.

Sandy's blog candy

Wow check out Sandy's blog (if you haven't already you don't know what you are missing).

Sandy started her blog in June 2009 and has already reached over 100 followers, so as a huge thank you for the support and dedication to following her blog, she is offering this awesome candy. Now who wouldn't want to win this?

Christmas layout for SOUS

I have to start this post with an apology, I have been a very bad blogger of late and have not visited my fellow bloggers as regularly as I normally would. As I have said before Cricket season has well and truly started so I am quite time poor at the moment, so may not get to blog and visit as much as I would really like to.

Today is our last Sunday off before Christmas so I made the most of the opportunity to take part in the Stuck on U Sketches, sketch for this week. Not sure about the layout I came up with, but here it is anyway.


Papers used are Kaiser, the new Belle range and the countdown numbers are from the same range. The reindeer's I bought last year and never got around to using, the green and cream ribbon I only bought the other day and have been dieing to use. I really like it because it was double sided. Merry and Bright is an 'Imaginisce' stamp.


The chipboard Holly is from Dusty attic, I inked, chalked and added dimensional magic to it. Really pleased with the results. The border and the bits sticking out of the top of the picture are Embossed glitter Transfers by Daisy & Dandelion, they are a range from the UK that we have just started getting over here.

Hope you are all having a great weekend, hope to be back soon.

Summer Sunset

This layout was done for the sketch over a Stuck on U Sketches go check it out and have a go at the sketch yourself.



The photo was taken 2 years ago from my patio of a beautiful summer sunset. I have wanted to scrap this picture for so long and I thought this sketch was the perfect opportunity. Papers used are My Minds Eye, DCWV and Bazzill. Flowers are Prima. The black Bazzill was run through the cuttlebug using the swirls folder then stickled. The top green corner swirl was cut on the cricut using Storybook as was the lettering and the scalloped square. The tag was hand cut using Deckle edge scissors which was for last weeks Practical scrappers challenge (a bit late I know). The chipboard swirl was from Dusty Attic, I have only just discovered this company. I also ran some organza ribbon under the edges of the scalloped square.

Hope you all had a great weekend, I had a very busy but fun one.

Look what I got!

I am so honoured to say that I received this award twice this week from Kim and Sandy. If you have never visited their blogs you are really missing out on some fantastic inspiration.

Here is how it works....*Say thank you and give a link to the presenter of the award*Share “10 Honest Things” about myself*Present the award to 9 other bloggers whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design or to those who have encouraged me*Be sure to tell the 9 bloggers chosen that you are giving them the Honest Scrap award and provide the guidelines for them.

1. I have two beautiful boys that are my inspiration to scrap
2. My wonderful husband and I have just celebrated 15 years of marriage
3. We have lived in Australia for 5 years and I can honestly say I don't think we will ever move back to England.
4. Since starting my blog I have gained many new friends from all corners of the world and I love the support and encouragement they all have to offer.
5. I can't wait until the summer finally arrives as I hate winter with a passion and is one of the reasons why we left England.
6. My favourite food would have to be curry from an India Restaurant, it is very hard to find a good curry house here in Australia.
7. I spend far too much time scrapping and not enough time doing the housework, but hey the housework is always there and the ideas have to used straight away or may be forgotten.
8. My favourite TV show is NCIS, I am a huge Gibbs fan, he is HOT HOT HOT!!!
9. As a child I hated the game of cricket but now my boys play and I actually understand the game I love it.
10. My favourite scrapbook magazine is Scrapbook Creations, I buy it every month as it is full of so much inspiration and ideas.

Now I have to pass this on to 9 people, which I think is going to be so hard as I would love to pass it on to so many more. These are all people that have inspired me so much, I visit there blogs on a very regular basis.

Nanne

Sandy

Kim

Wanda

Leah

Margie

Jane

Christine

Sandi

Happy Birthday to ME!

This is the card my youngest son made me for me birthday today! He made it using cuts off the cricut. He loves what I do but when it comes to making himself he's not that interested so I think he did a really good job. Hope your all having a great week!

Dog Birthday Card

I have wanted to do one of these cards for ages and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to do it for my friends, daughters birthday. I have seen this card done a few times and I have more or less copied the design of this card from someone else but can't remember where I saw it which is frustrating as I would love to pay them the credit which is more than due, so if this is your design then thank you so much. The dog image is a free clip art from Arts 4 Crafts click on the link to find more. I printed it out twice and cut out the flower, eyes, nose and paws and pop dotted them, then I used flower soft for her fur. The card itself is made using My Mind's Eye. The large flowers were cut from a sheet of patterned paper from my scrap bin and the small ones are punched out from the same paper. The ladybird was cut from WIMG and the heart was cut from George. I cut the grass using Plantin Schoolbook. I used these butterflies a lot and they are by Jenny B and the dragonflies were from my stash. The Happy Birthday is a fiskars stamp, I had to made the envelope for this one as it is quite a large card.

I made this card ages ago but couldn't post it as I know my friend checks out my blog, so I am finally glad that I can put this on my blog as today is her birthday.

Sisters

I did this layout for the Stuck on U Sketches challenge, this is the first time I have ever done a sketch and I think this was the confirmation as to why I don't do sketches. To me I always found them daunting and restricting, I am very much a free spirit and go with what happens on the day. This layout took almost all day to complete on Friday as I just couldn't get it to work, that is why I turned it on it's side and made a slight variation on the original sketch.

Anyway the picture is of my sister and I, I reckon I was about 5 and Jane was 7 but not 100% sure. All the papers and embellies were Kaisercraft the 'Duchess' range. This was the perfect opportunity to use the flower tutorial from this site too. The two brown circles were embossed using the cuttlebug and the swiss dots folder. The other three were embossed using Birds and Swirls, Script and Swirl and then inked with a Sepia ink pad. Another perfect opportunity to use cuts from ACY too, for the lettering and the image. Hope you like it, I think I do.

Hope your all having a relaxing and crafting weekend, as that is what weekends are for.

Memories

This is the page to accompany the 'Precious' page so the whole title reads 'Precious Memories'. I used very much the same papers and embellishments as the first page, but this one was a bit quicker to do as I had more of an idea of how it was going to look.

Yay it is Friday, not that it really means too much this week as the boys are on school hols so days are slow and easy, but no lie in this weekend for us, Cricket Season starts tomorrow. The match starts at 8am and finishes about 12pm (or the first half will, the second half is played on Sunday morning). We have to be there for 7.15am for warm ups, which means we will be leaving home at the latest 6.30am to get there. Normally it will be just Saturday mornings (thank goodness).

Hope you all have a fab weekend whatever you are up to.