Cake Fail

Back in March i was SO excited to make my sister a special birthday cake. i wanted to do one of those awesome cakes that has the sprinkles in the batter so that it looks all pretty when you cut into it, like this one.  Somehow mine didn't turn out as planned and you couldn't see the sprinkles at all. i'm not even sure what went wrong, maybe the jimmies i used weren't bright enough? Anyway it was still a delicious cake & a story worth scrapbooking.

i wanted to use the birthday vintage flash cards from Elles Studio to support my story but the 'cake' card wasn't in a colour that matched my other supplies. Instead of discarding the idea i used my craft knife to cut out the lettering and backed a patterned paper behind it. i actually ended up really liking the look. Love altering my supplies to make them work for me!

Because of... *effer dare 17*

Yay! The effer dares are back, and this pleases me so! i've missed those girls & they're crazy inspiring posts/creations. And this time April Foster of Studio Calico is playing along too, double yay! The prompt is 'because of...' This instantly made me think of everything my mum has done for me. When you 'grow up'  (put in brackets because i don't really consider myself a grown-up) i think you start to realise what a huge responsibility being a mum is. It goes well beyond, cooking, cleaning and entertaining, it's the most important job there is! My mum's influence has shaped me into the person i am today, which most definitely is a good thing, because she is rather wonderful.

Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Sassafrass, Stickers: Sassafras, American Crafts, Flower; Sassafras, Alpha Chipboard: American Crafts,  Mist: Tattered Angels, Maya Road,Kit: Back 40, Studio Calico.

As SC are sponsoring the dare i figured i'd used one of my kits. i'm nearly done with Back 40 so i got that out to play with. Just another page or two and i've officially 'killed' it, that'll be a first! This picture is of my mum and i, aged 11 months.

Getting sketchey

As you know i'm a huge fan of sketches, they always get me inspired. Luckily for me two of my favourite manufacturers are now running sketch challenges on their blogs so i have even more of an excuse to play along with them! i worked on a few over the weekend.

First up, this sketch from the Sassafras blog designed by Marcy Penner.

All products: Sasafrass

i scaled this one down to 8 1/2" x 11" and i mixed 3 different lines from Sassafras, which just goes to show how easily their lines work together!

Next up this sketch based on a layout by Lory Bucaria for the new weekly feature on the Elle's Studio blog.

Papers, Butterflies, Sticker, Pin: Jenni Bowlin Studios, Glassine Envelope: Pink Paislee, Alpha Stickers: Cosmo Cricket, Cardstock: Core'dinations, Tags: Elle's Studio, Other: Twine, Pearl Stickers, Tiny Attacher. 

i flipped the sketch for this one and did my own thing with it. To get those sanded squares on the grid, i created a mask using my square punch and a scrap piece of card so that i could control where i was sanding. Then i hand stitched around them with twine. 

More iNSD Layouts

A couple more layouts to share for challenges over at Studio Calico...

Kit: Joyride - Studio Calico, Paper: MME, Sassafrass, Studio Calico, Ticket: MME, Gems: MME, Wood Veneer Frame & Stars, Rub-ons: Studio Calico, Alpha Stickers: Sassafrass, Sticker: Jillybean Soup, Other: Embroidery Thread, Twine.

This one counts for the challenge to use wood or woodgrain on your pages the one for  hand stitching and the colour challenge!

Paper: American Crafts, Hambly Tape: American Crafts, Rub-on: Embossing Powder: American Crafts, Ink: JBS for Ranger, Versamark, Mist: Maya Road, Stamp: Studio Calico, Chipboard: Maya Road, Alphabet; Cosmo Cricket, Journalling Card: Elle's Studio, Punch: Martha Stewart, Other: Toothpicks, Buttons, Glitter, Twine.

This one covers the challenge for stamping and using tape. i used one of those Maya Road clouds to make a cupcake this time and added a little glitter. And in case you're wondering...Raspberry and White Chocolate is my favourite flavour cupcake! You can always win me over with one of those ;)

A word on banners. i was not a fan of this trend to begin with and was hoping it would pass quickly, but lately i've found myself wanting to add them to my pages and now i kind of like them a lot. The trends usually get me in the end...

Think i'm going to try and fit in a few more challenges before the week is out, i seem to be a lot more productive that way!

A Sassy Sketch

There's a lot more happening over at the Sassafras Blog these day including monthly challenges. i decided to play along with this month's sketch designed by Valerie Salmon because i loved it so much. i can see myself using this one again, especially as the Paper Whimsies would work so well for this design.

When i was visiting Singapore Zoo, i was most excited to see the Orangutan's. i hung around for a while waiting to get my picture taken. But it turned out i was waiting in the wrong place! Luckily, i saw them all woalking back to their enclosure (hand in hand, so sweet!) and their keepers offered to take a picture for me.

Papers: Sassafras, Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts, Studio Calico, Alpha Stickers: Sassafras, Mist: Studio Calico, Bloom: Sassafras, Brads: American Crafts, Other: Button, Tiny Attacher. 

Speaking of Sassfras, have you seen the new line Sunshine Broadcast? Love it! And they've released some new alpha's including a woodgrain print! Eeep! These alpha's are my most used and i LOVE woodgrain so i am particularly happy about this combo! Can't wait to get them!

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!

Milkshake Monster

Happy Friday everyone!

i've had a relatively quiet week but i did go and see Swan Lake On Ice last night which was pretty awesome. i think ice skating is so beautiful and graceful and the costumes are always so sparkly!

Just wanted to share this layout with you today. You may have noticed of late i've been using a lot more scraps of paper and bits and pieces on my layouts lately and i'm finding this really works for me. And yeah i know chocolate milkshake isn't very healthy, but i love it and nothing will make me give it up! i do limit myself to a bottle a week, it's usually a special treat at weekends. It's even more of a treat to get a nutella milkshake from Shakeaway. Mmmmm...

Papers: Sassafras, Cosmo Cricket, Studio Calico, Stickers: Sassafras, Mist: Studio Calico, Button: from own stash

This was made using the Back 40 kit (which amazingly, is still available!) and Open Pasture add-on from Studio Calico, i'm making an effort to try and use up some of my older kits and this one has been getting a lot of use. i wear navy a lot so the Indie Girl papers from Sassafras work with a lot of my photos. i wish we could get full sheets of just the donut banner sticker from Sassafras as it's always my favourite on the sticker sheet. I already had to order another bottle of the Atmosphere Mr Huey because i'm almost out, i use it all the time! The photo on this layout was taken with the webcam on my laptop and then processed using Poladroid.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend, thanks for stopping by!

CHA CHA CHAllenges!

The DT over at Studio Calico decided to set some scrappy challenges for those of us not going to CHA this week. You can see them all in the Challenges forum. There's often challenges posted there and sometimes it's just the prompt i need to get motivated.

 Papers, stickers: Sassafras. Brads: American Crafts. Butterfly: Jenni Bowlin, Mist: Maya Road.

The first one i tackled was Tina's challenge to scrap a photo taken in front of a mirror (note the silly face i'm pulling, heee!). My DSLR is still broken but She Who Must Not Be Named is kindly letting me use her point and shoot. The idea for the layout also came from her. She pointed out a while ago what an extreme person i am, in the sense that i usually really love something or really dislike it, there's no real middle ground with me. It's the same for books, films, music, and people. i guess i am just a passionate person, it's the same with my emotions too.

Papers: Basic Grey & Girls Paperie. Brad & Alpha: Making Memories. Stickers: October Afternoon. Mist: Studio Calico

Next up was Sasha's challenge to scraplift a DT layout from the Candy Shoppe Gallery. i chose to lift the design of Stephanie Howell's Sweet Lucy layout., because i loved it so much. i love using those OA stickers as journalling spots. 

Love for my Mamma

Paper, Stickers, Brown Alpha Stickers: Sassafras Lass, Blue Alpha: Cosmo Cricket, Stamp: Studio Calico, Butterflies: Jenni Bowlin

It's my mamma's birthday today. She's the most amazing mum of all time. i'm sure most people think that, but mine really is. She is so generous and caring and selfless. She has done so much for my sister and i and we love her forever and always.

Halloween is my favourite

i've mentioned before how much i LOVE Halloween. You know how in the The Nightmare Before Christmas the town Mayor starts planning the next Halloween on the 1st of November, and freaks out when they realise Jack has gone missing and is all like 'We've got to find Jack! There's only 365 days left until next Halloween! (364)' well, that's me. At least that's what one of my friends suggested this last December when we were watching it.Yep, i'm a total Halloween nut.

Papers, Stickers: Girls Paperie, Stamp, Mist: Studio Calico, Buttons & thread: own stash

i usually start planning my costume months in advance, sometimes i'll make it myself but last year i found a costume on-line that i loved and had to have. One of the advantages to forward planning is that the costume is much cheaper to buy in August then it is in October! So i don't feel too bad about buying an outfit that i'm probably only going to wear once. What with Halloween not being such a big deal here on our little isle it can be hard to find themed scrapbook supplies. i'm not too into theme scrapping anyhow, and i HATE purple, which most Halloween themed lines incorporate. i generally just try and make do with what i've got in my stash but last year i did manage to get some cuuute SC pumpkin stamps that Laura kindly picked up for me and the yummy papers from Girls Paperie which i've used on the layout above. The other day i was working with some Mix & Mend from Sassafras, designed by the fabulously talented Michelle Clement (who by the way has collaborated on another collection, which i'm soooo excited about!) and i noticed that the colour scheme would probably work for a Halloween page, so i got to work.

Papers, Stickers, Orange Alpha: Sassafras Lass, Green Alpha: Basic Grey, Mist, Stamp: Studio Calico
Photo Credit: AveryFineDesign

The banner stickers that Sassafras started releasing as part of their collections last year are one of my go-to embellishments these days. i love to cut them up and layer them, it's so simple! My favourite part of them are the leftovers though, the bits that weren't necessarily intended for use. And this line with all the stitched details and walnut ink splotches means all the hard work is already done for you, love it!

In other news: Remember that 8 is enough post i did last week? Well i failed to mention that each month you can enter to win a kit from Studio Calico and a gift certificate for Ella Publishing. And on Tuesday i had an e-mail from Angie Lucas to say that i was the January winner!! i am beyond excited!! Check out the lovely things they said about my layouts in this post! If you'd like to enter email entries to submissions@ellapublishing.com, with “Eight is Enough” in the subject line. e-mail pictures of all four of your layouts (each sized to 800 pixels tall maximum), plus a picture of your eight original supplies, and an explanation of how you stretched each layout. What are you waiting for? Good luck! 

Have you seen this layout?

Papers: Sassafras Lass, Cosmo Cricket, Stickers: Sassafras Lass, Tape: American Crafts, Buttons: MME

 A few months ago, i was hugely inspired by a layout in this post on the Sassafras blog by Elizabeth Kartchner and decided to scraplift it. The layout didn't feel complete without a few splotches of mist on it though and i was still awaiting the delivery of my Mr Huey's, so i decided to put it aside until i had them. Well the layout seems to have gone walkabouts because i have looked through all my albums and turned my studio space upside down looking for it, to no avail. Annoyment! My studio isn't even {that} messy! Luckily i'd used the layout when i was testing my scanner so i still have a copy of it, but i'd really rather have the original, so i can finish it off. i have no idea where it's gone! i suppose you've got to laugh about it...someone please tell me i'm not the only one this has happened to!

i love to hear your stories

Another page made with the SC Metropolitan kit, the colours in it are amazing, i think this is my favourite kit since Granny's Cupboard and i am kicking myself for not picking up extra SC paper, i am in love with the Sassafras exclusives, and i've nearly used up all the entwined blooms too!

i was inspired to make this before Christmas after spending the afternoon with my Nan, but the only photo i could find of us together is from 2008 (check out the blonde hair!). i really enjoy spending time with her, she makes me laugh so much! She entertains me with stories about my mum & her siblings when they were growing up, about the early days when her & granddad started going out, and about growing up in the war as the oldest of 10 kids! She has lived a rich life & i love to hear about it & i know she will not be around forever to tell me stories, so the time i do get to spend with her is cherished.

Right Now

i saw a layout on Keshet's blog last week titled 'Me:Today' and realised i hadn't done a page like it in a while. i like to do them from time to time to document where i'm at, as things change so much from year to year. Or in my case month to month because i'm such a free spirit and i get bored rather easily. 

Right now i'm feeling overwhelmed. i feel like i don't have enough time. Enough time to see my friends, family and  find room to make time for the things i love too. Enough time to have fun and also time to rest. i am constantly exhausted and i am SO fed up of it. i also feel guilty for neglecting my blog and the blogging community, i am almost always a week behind on my google reader! Eeek!

i found time to do a bit of scrapping 2 weeks ago and that made me feel overwhelmed too. Sometimes i just sit and stare at all the stuff i have and don't know where to start so i've decided to try and simplify things a bit, just pick a few items and try and work with them. i tend to take pictures on a no flash setting so they often come out yellowish anyway but the pogo printer makes photos so look so much more yellow/vintage then they actually are. So it suited the Mix and Mend line from Sassafrass and the Free Composition paper meant i had all the layering with none of the work involved. love. Journalling is hidden in the Maya Road envelope. And i'm still addicted to the Dear Lizzy tape. 

Scrapbook Share on Sunday Returns!

Yay! We finally have internet. i am soooo happy. i can get back to regular blogging now. Tomorrow i get my desk for the craft corner/scrap space too. i am so excited to finally get that little area sorted out, it's the last thing to do. i've been pretty busy this weekend spending time with family and getting out and about around town. i'm so in love with the weather we're having at the moment, it's gloriously sunny but living on the coast means we get a breeze too so it's the perfect temperature. Happy summery days!

A few months ago i won a 'Golden Ticket' to see a sound check & an acoustic pre-gig gig with Biffy Clyro (one of my all time favourite rock bands). i thought i had blogged about it but i couldn't find the post, although i can't imagine that i wouldn't have mentioned it seeing as it was one of the highlights of the year! We also got to meet the band very briefly and they were very gracious indeed. So i scrapped a few of the photos, taken on my iPhone because most venues won't allow SLR's.

 This is an old page, because i am rubbish at sharing. i used the Quilting Bee Studio Calico kit. i'm so glad i bought extra SC paper that month as that English Tea paper is a firm favourite of mine and i wish i had more of that Sassafrass paper too, it's probably the loveliest Sass paper ever! You don't need much embellishment with such pretty paper.

Here's some close ups of the ribbon embellishment i made.

i'm so happy the internet got installed in time for all the CHA gossip and sneaks, i think it's going to be a fun week!

Cupcake Toppers

i've recently bought this book so that i could make lots of yummies. i then got some lovely stuff from Cupcake Social. So i decided to make some cupcakes at the weekend. They were delicious, if i do say so myself! i made some cupcake toppers to finish them off.


i had a pack of the new border stickers from Sassafras in a kit recently and after using them on 5 different pages, i still had over half the sheet left! So i was trying to think of other ways to use them up and i thought they'd make cute little 'flags'. i just cut the border strip up and stuck 2 stickers back to back with a cocktail stick in the middle. These stickers are all the same so they match.


There's enough of each border strip to make 6 toppers.


With these, each one is different so you get a whole new look when you turn the toppers around.


It's so quick and easy! i think they look charming. And they would work on a page too, perhaps using a pin as the stick instead? Think i'll try that out next. Have you used any scrapbooking products in unusual ways lately?

Crate Sketch

Crate Paper have just started doing a weekly feature using a sketch. And you know this girl loves sketches! Here is this week's, designed by Emily Pitts.


And here's the layout i designed using the sketch. The background paper and the grey patterned paper are from Crate paper, the other paper and stickers are from Sassafrass Lass.


To make these wool embellishments, i plaited some wool and then glued it to some card, sticking it down in a spiral motion. Does that make sense? i think they are something i will be adding to my projects more often.


The page is about the first time i went horse riding, in the Australian outback. The trainers purposefully picked a well behaved horse for me because i was a first timer. Her name was buttons, rather appropriate for me, i thought!

Scrapbook Shares on Sunday

This week Kara decided to make a layout a day & challenged her blog readers to do something everyday too. As my social calendar was relatively free this week i decided to make a layout a day too. Things were going quite well until a friend came round for dinner on Thursday & i didn't have the opportunity to scrap. And Friday i was completely exhausted. Plus my New Moon pre-order arrived early so She Who Must Not Be Named & i decided to have a twilight fest & watch both films in a row. So no scrapping occurred on Friday either. i still think this is a pretty good effort though as i don't usually get my scrap on during the work week, so i'm not going to beat myself up about it. After all scrapping is for funs! Today i'll share what i made Monday through to Wednesday & i'll be back tomorrow with my weekend scrappies :) i got good use out of my Studio Calico Kit this week.


Apologies for the shadowy image, i didn't realise it was so bad until i just uploaded it's not worth re-taking now it's dark. i used a mist on the card to get the glittery effect & it's so pretty in real life. Here's a close up.


i've been holding on to this photo since 2006. Goodness knows why! So it was about time i did a little ode to Lush, i loves lush so. The woodgrain paper used on this page is from the packaging of the SC exclusive wood veneer....



...which i used on this page. The yellow paper behind the photo on this one is from a ad card that came in this month's kit. i love it when packaging & ads are pretty enough to reuse on pages :)


Photo credit for this one goes to Miss Adrienne Sweet.

Love List

Last week over on the SC blog the challenge was to create a layout with a list. Some of my favourite pages to make & to look back over are always based on lists about my favourite things. It's so great see what things were a part of my life at that time, especially, things like music, tv, fashion and technology. Moving forward i think we always forget this kind of stuff! i try and do these kinds of pages a few times a year, last year i even did a whole mini about it. Enter the Love List: stuff that is rocking my world right now.


This was one of those pages that just fell into place perfectly. Navy & Yellow are my favouritest colours right now, so that was an obvious colour choice. i knew i had to include that Dear Lizzy music paper because i'd included a couple of music loves in the list. Misting & crochet also made the list, so i had to include those! Although i'm not good enough at crochet yet to make my own flowers so Dear Lizzy stepped in again. i've been crazy for all things woodgrain for a while now & type writer fonts are also a firm favourite. i added the hearts to the brads with a sharpie pen. i just *love* it when your papers & embellies reinforce your theme :)

What's on your love list right now?