Butterfly Gardens

On Sunday i was putting away a giant pile of layouts into albums. It's always fun to go through the layouts that i've worked on over the last few (or four!) months and appreciate them again whist i'm storing them away. i came across this one that i realised i hadn't shared here yet, it's based on a sketch in the Pencil Lines book. 

Paper: Basic Grey, Ki Memories, Girls Paperie, Alpha Stickers: Sassafras, Stickers: October Afternoon, Mist: Maya Road Washi Tape: American Crafts Punches: Woodware, Martha Stewart, Other: Tiny Attacher.

LOVE that Ki lace paper, it has so many fun possibilities !! This photo was taken at a Butterfly Garden that i went to when i was travelling in Malaysia. i have a TON of photos from that day. There were a lot of unusual breeds of butterflies that were just SO beautiful (don't worry, i didn't use the flash, wouldn't want to scare them!). However i don't have the time nor the desire to scrapbook them all. To make sure they get seen instead of stuck on my hard drive, i'll print a load in 6x4 and store them next to this layout in some American Crafts divided page protectors. i tend to do this a lot where i've got lots of photos from one event/day, especially for my travel albums. i'm really bad at keeping 'regular' photo albums because i don't scrap chronologically, so i find this to be quite a good happy medium. So, i'm intrigued, if you're a scrapper, do you keep regular photo albums too? 

Warner Bros Park *Pencil Lines Sketch 200*

Sorry i haven't posted in a while, the last week or so has been crazy busy and i've been here there and every where. i just wanted to stop in  and share another layout i did using a Pencil Lines Sketch, this time it was sketch 200 and i loved it. 

Papers Sassafras Lass, Jillibean Soup, Alphabet: Basic Grey, Mist: Studio Calico, Doilie Stickers: Hambly, Flowers: Sassafras Lass.


i took these pictures when i was at the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park on the Gold Coast of Australia. No one on my coach or in my room at the hostel were interested in going so i just went on my own. i started off on the kids rides thinking they'd be tame and i'd ease myself in, but even those were terrifying! i screamed my head off on every single ride. Haaaa! It was a really cool day though, i loved seeing all the characters because i am basically still a child at heart.

Speaking of Warner Brothers and theme parks, She Who Must Not Be Named discovered the other day that WB will be opening  up the Harry Potter Studio's for tours in the spring next year!! i am geeking out big time about this and can't wait to go! And it's only about an  hour and 45 minutes drive away. i am soooo excited!

Kite Festival *Pencil Lines Sketch 199*

i allowed myself a whole day of scrapbooking yesterday and decided to play along with a Pencil Lines Sketch. i like to save my favourite sketches from Pencil Lines and print them out so i have instant inspiration if  i need a little help with design. i love that sketches can take some of the thought process out for you but still allow plenty of room to play and put your own spin on things. This is Sketch 199, designed by Mahlin Wiggur.

Here's my take on it. i originally wanted to scale it down to 8 1/2"x11" but then i decided to add in the kite and the clouds and it wouldn't all have fit so it became  a 12x12. The kite is made out of some Sassafras banner stickers and i freehanded the stitching. It was a lot of fun to mix such bright colours, it's making me long for the summer!

Papers: Crate Paper, Echo Park, Stickers: Sassafras, Alphabets: American Crafts & Sassafras, Clouds: Buzz & Bloom, Ribbon & Buttons: MME, Mist: Studio Calico & Maya Road, Punch, Martha Stewart, Ink: Colorbox. Twine from own stash. 

Mi-Pod & a Pencil Lines Sketch

Adam has been one of my dearest friends for over 5 years now and as long as i have know him there has been one constant passion in his life: Music. i will often get a phone call or text telling me about the latest act that he has discovered and he will implore me to listen to them. He loves the divas of the world, the Beyonce's and the Gaga's, but he has a broad taste that includes most chart music. He always knows about the latest and greatest and if you want to be in the know too then he has started his own blog.

Here's a page i did this past weekend about our friendship, in fact i finished the sewing while i was on the phone to him yesterday. It's based on Pencil Lines sketch 103. Pencil Lines just celebrated their 4th birthday last week! i've been following the blog since the start and they've gone from strength to strength and you can never fail to find inspiration there each week. As part of the birthday celebrations each DT member picked a sketch from the past and i decided to play along with 103. Be sure to check out the blog! i used bits from the October Studio Calico kits and threw in some October Afternoon stickers. 

i had a very busy week last week seeing Marina & the Diamonds (she was fab!) Darwin Deez (who did some amazing dance skits, i think this was my favourite gig of the year! It was magical.) and the Social Network (seriously worth a watch). i also took a little day trip up to London on Saturday to hang out with family in Portobello Market. i'm planning on taking things a little easier this week and making decorations for our Halloween Party next weekend.  

My Little Shoebox layouts

My Little Shoebox are running a competition over on their facebook page at the moment where you can submit a layout using at least 4 different products from one of their lines. Each week is a different line and this week it Just Add Butter. So i used my remaining scraps to make this layout.



MLS are also sponsoring Pencil Lines this month and here is this week's sketch, designed by Anna Bowkis:


i moved the paper strips around to suit my page. i really like how the three groupings of circles create a visual triangle. It was refreshing to work with a predominately monochromatic colour scheme with just a few pops of yellow, it made selecting which products to use a bit easier!


i used some MLS papers and also some Girls Paperie which i punched pieces from using the Martha Stewart Starburst punch. i also used a journalling card from Fancy Pants and the die cut is from Deja Views. Here's a close up where i layered some buttons. Buttons will never be out of fashion for me!


i did a bit of hand sewing on this one which is something i haven't done in a while! Over the summer i'd like to get back into embroidery and do some pieces for our flat. It's an easy enough craft to take outside so hopefully i'll get some done while i'm down on the seafront.

Dear Lizzy Love

When American Crafts launched their new Dear Lizzy line co-designed with Elizabeth Kartchner i think scrappers around the globe were all swooning over the spring colours, the fabric paper, the crochet flowers, that gorgeous ribbon and well everything in the collection really. i know i was, it's one of my favourite winter CHA 2010 releases for sure. Luckily there was some in the March Studio Calico kits so i got my hands on some! So i've got a few layouts to share...


Elizabeth was guesting over at Pencil Lines the other week and this is my take on the sketch. i can't tell you how much i love creating from sketches right now! And Pencil Lines is a fabulous resource for sketches and there's a ton of talent to inspire you each week! This picture is of my sister & i (photo credit Hayley Gisborne). i just spent the weekend with my sister & i'm pretty sure i love her a little bit more every time we get to spend time together, so lucky to have her in my life. Everything on this page is from American Crafts except the bunting stickers which are from Jenni Bowlin.

Last week over at the American Crafts blog they were hosting a Dear Lizzy week with lots of yummy goodness & they set a challenge to create a layout with 2 or more Dear Lizzy products. Not much of a problem for me seeing as i love it! I wanted to document spring as I am delighting in it this year, so far we have had lots of sunshine and everywhere is in bloom!


This one features 3 of the papers, 1 of the fabric papers, rub-ons & crochet flowers from the Dear Lizzy Line, the ribbon is also from American Crafts. The butterfly chipboard if from Maya Road which i painted & sprayed with mist, the blue paper is from Cosmo Cricket, the lace paper at the top is from Sassafrass Lass, and the stick pin is from Jenni Bowlin. Everything i used i got in the March Studio Calico kit.