JULES THE BLING PRINCESS

What Comfort Zone?

2012-01-27T08:03:00.005+10:00

At the very last minute (how typical of me), I decided to join the January Blog Challenge over at Glitz Design. Now all I can say is, this challenge pushed me so far out of my comfort zone, that I don't have a comfort zone left. I'm fairly certain it's gone for good, lol!

There was so much in this photo to use for inspiration. I focused on the circle element from the mirror; the soft, subtle colours; the flowers and snowflakes; and the hanging garland.

I love using my bright colours, so this challenge pushed me totally out of my groove. But I think I succeeded? I'm fairly happy with the end result. Especially since I even managed to use my Cuttlebug for embossing and die cutting. Plus I used chalks on my page - something I haven't done in years. :-) I love using my old supplies.

Titled: Love, Cherish, Adore.

Products used: Glitz Design papers, Glitz Design paper layers, Glitz Design Peek-A-Boos, Glitz Design alpha stickers, and Imaginarium Designs chipboard titles.

UPDATE: My layout made the January Blog Challenge Top 5. What an honour! Woo-hoo!

Here's a close-up of one of my favourite dies - Tim Holtz rosette.

And a new favourite die - Donna Salazar for Spellbinders.

A Little Different...

2012-01-26T17:55:00.004+10:00

We are branching out over at Scrapbook Kits (With A Difference). I've decided we need something more than just class kits. We now have pre-made layouts and pre-made mini-albums. (And yes, we still do Limited Edition kits of all styles and themes). So I just wanted to share something a little different...

Boys Will Be Boys - a pre-made layout that I created using Creative Imaginations papers.

One of the joys of owning a store is that I get to play with papers that I would never, ever get to play with otherwise.

Udderly Cute - isn't this just adorabel and so much fun?

I'm working on a couple more with puppy dogs and monkeys. If you are interested in purchasing any of them you can find the details here (at Scrapbook Kits).

CSI Case File 2

2012-01-22T21:18:00.005+10:00

Decided to try something new, and had a play with the Case File 2 colour challenge over at Color Stories Inspiration (CSI). Hmmmm...not sure about the purple (blah!), but loved the other colours, lol! Here's my take on the challenge:

Titled: Beautiful. I didn't feel like doing much journaling this time around (have had a stomach bug and didn't even feel like finishing this layout, but I did). The journaling reads: I have something more precious than diamonds. I have you!". Products used: Glitz Design papers, rub-ons and Peek-A-Boos. Prima flowers.

I had a great time layering the Prima flowers and doilies. (-:

Look at all those details and depth. Sigh...makes me happy.

Scrap Supplies For Sale...

2012-01-21T17:08:00.005+10:00

I've got to get rid of some of my scrapping goodies, lol! I have too much. Here's a few things for sale. Please feel free to share with any of your friends who may be interested. I will put more up as I finish cleaning out my store and scrap room: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2979527403305.152308.1115507546&type=1

TCR #93

2012-01-16T20:33:00.005+10:00

I love challenge sites, especially colour and sketch sites. But I just don't get enough time to play in them, as often as I would like to. But every so often, a colour combination (or sketch) comes along that I just can't say "no" to! And that was the case for this week's colour challenge over at The Color Room. So I ignored my unpacking for the day, and played instead.

Using Palette #93, this is what I created. Titled: Future.

Now, these are not colours that I would usually put together for myself, but they just called to me, and I absolutely adore the end result.

I used this opportunity to play with my Imaginarium Designs chipboard. I used a beautiful decorative border and some mini chipboard alphas. The border has been painted with Lily Pad Glimmermist, then I added a layer of Wicked Glimmer Glaze. The alphas have been inked with English Ivy from Ingvilde Bolme/Prima, then coated with Eucalyptus Stickles. Once dry, I added a further coat of Dimensional Magic.

Here's a detailed shot of the flowers I created. I used the Pink Paislee pleated trim, a few paper flowers, and some gorgeous Zva Creative pearl brads.

I'm so excited about just playing again, that I might even go and play over at CSI as well. I've heard the colour combination over there this week is quite exciting. See ya! Got to go scrap!!!

Imaginarium Designs: Are You Ready For Some Fun?

2012-01-10T19:10:00.006+10:00

Now, as many of you know, I'm supposed to be busy unpacking, after moving half-way across Australia. But I haven't scrapped in over a month, and the fact that my brain kept me up until 2am last night thinking about layout designs, I decided I had better take the day off, and just scrap - to get it out of my system. And that is exactly what I did!

ID Products Used: IDFR0002 and IDS0009

IDF0002

IDS0009

Ummm...can you say creative overload??? My brain feels so much better now that I have done something creative. It's slowed down a little, at least for a few days. So I will go back to unpacking tomorrow. But today, I get to share this wonderful layout I created using Imaginarium Designs chipboard. If you want to get your hands on some of this yummy chipboard, or you want to share your amazing ID creations, please, please, please, come and join us at any of the following sites:

Imaginarium Designs Ning Site - here you can find all the amazing creations shared by the Imaginarium Designs Design Team and all our wonderful fans and followers - lots and lots of inspiration to be found. And lots of new friends to make too. :-)

Imaginarium Designs Face Book Page - this is a brand new place for Imaginarium fans. Just click on LIKE to join in all the fun.

Imaginarium Blog Site - keep up-to-date with all the latest information and Design Team creations.

Imaginarium Designs Web Site - want to stock up on your stash of Imaginarium Designs chipboard? Then this is the place for you. (Shhhh.....don't tell anyone, but we have lots of new stuff coming soon!!!).

So, are you ready for some creative fun? Then let's go!!!

Let's Play Catch-Up...

2012-01-07T22:38:00.005+10:00

Oh my goodness, life has been so busy, and I haven't had a chance to share everything that has happened. Christmas and New Year have gone, and we are well into 2012 already. So let's start at the beginning...

For the first time in quite a while, we had a simple, fun, family Christmas together. By we, I mean my two brothers (Steven and Matthew), their wives (Kylie and Amanda), and all our children. Yes, and my hubby too, lol! No, I didn't forget him. He has actually taken a month off from work, and it has been wonderful having so much time together as a family.

My girls are always asking about my Blythe dolls, and wanting to touch them, and change their clothes and positions (which drives me crazy - I hate sharing my dolls, lol!). So I decided it was time for them to get their own. Let's just say this Christmas present was a HUGE hit, and my dolls are now safe!!!

And the Blythe doll clothes pattern that I ordered a while ago finally turned up. Which means I now have to remember how to actually sew, not just use my sewing machine for my layouts. Hmmmm....this could be interesting, dangerous, or frustrating. I'll let you know, lol!!!

Our move to Adelaide went smoothly. I'm still unpacking, but the worst is over. I have to pinch myself everyday to believe that we are actually here - we (by we, I mean all of us - hubby, me and our 2 girls) have a beautiful house (yes, it is only a rental and I will have to give it up one day...sigh...), with a pool, and more room than we know what to do with (I have my own scrap room, plus my own room for my store). It has everything we could possibly want, and it is so close to everything (Bunnings is just over 1 km away in one direction, and Coles is 1.1kms away in the other direction). We are less than 10 kms from the zoo and the city, and about 15-20 minutes from the airport, IKEA and beaches. The girls school is less than 5 kms away too. We are so happy and content it seems wrong...probably because we've never experienced this before. The weather is BEAUTIFUL. After a lifetime in Queensland, I am deliriously happy to be in hot, dry weather. Yes, Adelaide does still get humid, but it is nowhere near as bad as Queensland. Yes, we are in love...and yes, we are staying in Adelaide! (My cats are probably relieved about that as I am sure they do NOT want to fly EVER again!!!).

Tomorrow, we are heading off to a local Filippino Festival (if it stops raining). I am so excited - I've never had the opportunity to experience this sort of celebration before. I'm sure my camera will get a good work-out. (-: It should be a wonderful day, full of new experiences, foods, and people...yay!!!!!

Crafty Sketches January Challenge

2012-01-02T15:17:00.003+10:00

The January Sketch is up over at Crafty Sketches. This month's sketch was designed by the wonderful Annette Gearside.

All the details for the January Sketch can be found here. I hope you will pop on over and check out the awesome Design Team creations. They have definitely been busy this month!!!

It's such a great sketch - so I decided to have some fun with it. Here's my take. Titled: To Awake. My eldest daughter actually took the photo on a school excursion, but it suited my theme perfectly. My need to "awaken" and make some changes in my life.

Challenges at Scrapbook Kits...

2012-01-02T09:18:00.004+10:00

A new year, brings new challenges. Over at Scrapbook Kits, we have two new challenges for you - our Inspiration Challenge and our Sketch Challenge. Our Design Team have been extremely busy creating all sorts of inspiration for you. Make sure you pop on over, and take a peek. Better still, why not join in the fun? I would love to see your creations.

Our Inspiration Challenge for January 2012 is all about Summer. Bright, summery and citrus colours. (Picture found on Pinterest). How does this inspire you? A picnic in the park? A swim at the beach?

And our January Sketch challenge (designed by me). The Design Team had a blast with this sketch and have created so many different interpretations. Want to check them out? Then just click here. I hope you'll come and join us for some scrapping fun!

Even On Etsy...

2012-01-01T14:08:00.003+10:00

Oh my goodness, I'm on a roll today...I have just opened a store on Etsy. I don't currently have anything uploaded for sale, that will have to wait a while, until we are settled in our new house. But yes, I have taken the first step towards change...I am now on Etsy.

One Little Word 2012...

2012-01-01T13:05:00.003+10:00

I'm been having a really hard time choosing my "WORD" for 2012. There are so many possibilities with where I am in my life at the moment - forward, flourish, challenge, awaken, enjoy, appreciate...all are possibilities. But I needed something to represent the upheaval that I have just brought down on my family with our move to Adelaide. Leaving Brisbane behind and moving to a new city, a new school, a new community...so I have chosen CHANGE as my word for 2012. This is what I will focus on for 2012 - change to my outlook on life, change to my health and exercise routine, change to my lifestyle, change to my store (it needs an overhaul, lol!!!), change to how I interact with my children and partner, change to how I view my creative skills, ...change all around me. I have been given this wonderful opportunity to start a new life, with a clean slate, in Adelaide. This year, I have to make the most of this opportunity, and change whatever needs to be done to make this new life successful.

Which Team?

2012-01-01T12:37:00.003+10:00

I've got some exciting news to share with you today....I made the Imaginarium Designs Design Team. Yes, I have been given this awesome opportunity to work with some amazing scrappers from all around the world (some of which I have had the pleasure of working with before, so it's a great feeling to be working with old friends again). I am looking forward to a creative year of sharing some inspiration with you - lots of layouts, maybe some cards, definitely a few off-the-page projects, and a few tutorials heading your way this year! Here's to an exciting start for 2012...Yay!!!!!!!

Christmas Wishes...

2011-12-25T06:38:00.004+10:00

Life has been so crazy and hectic, especially for the past month. I'm sorry I have neglected my blog - so not my style at all. I promise once we are settled in Adelaide (early in the New Year), things will start to return to normal, and my posts will become regular again.

I have received a happy, happy email, and can't wait to share the details with you. But again, this will have to wait until I am settled. Sorry, just had to tease, lol! I also managed to scrap one layout before I had to pack up my stuff for our move south. I can share that in the New Year too. You have no idea how much I am missing my scrapping at the moment - the withdrawal symptoms are bad, lol!!! I think it's time to start doing more digital scrapping (I've been dabbling - still have a lot to master).

I just wanted to take a moment to wish a Merry Christmas to all my family, friends, followers, and blog readers, both near and far. Please have a wonderful time with your family and friends, and please stay safe. I'll see you on the other side - once I've recovered.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

Because I'm Addicted....

2011-12-12T15:07:00.009+10:00

Because I'm addicted to chipboard (and scrapbooking in general), and because I am also crazy, I have decided to throw my hat in the ring for the Imaginarium Chipboard Design team call. This means I get the opportunity to share my favourite top 10 layouts using chipboard, and that we all get to wait impatiently together to find out who makes the cut. At least this time, I don't have to suffer alone, lol!

Love - I created the banner title using chipboard banners that I painted, glittered, and enhanced with rhinestones. I then added Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots underneath to add some dimension. And finished by adding chipboard letters for the title.

Rejoice - I LOVE chipboard frames. I can't get enough of them. The just look so beautiful when they are coloured and glittered, and used to frame a favourite photo. In most cases, my go-to for colouring chipboard is Glimmermist because it has a built in sparkle and can be sprayed on (I usually add a coat of gesso first so the colour doesn't soak in and disappear). My second favourite would be Twinkling H2Os (and they don't usually need a coat of gesso).

Daddy And His Girls - This was one of my first opportunities to play with the Helmar Crackle Medium and chipboard. I simply coated the chipboard with Glimmermist (for sparkle of course!), and then coated with the two step crackle medium. The result? Beautiful vintage looking chipboard pieces, which I then coated with Dimensional Magic for shine.

Do I Look Comfortable? - Do you see that great, big orange flourish? I created that using the left over chipboard that held a chipboard flourish. I kept the backing (negative space) and simply placed it on my layout, added scrap paper around the entire outside edge so the spray would not go all over the page, and sprayed with glimmermist. I always keep any negative pieces and templates from chipboard. They make fantastic masks!!!

8 Yrs - My other chipboard weakness, is decorative borders. They make such a dramatic statement on a page. The trick is not to overwhelm the border with too much embellishment. In this case, I have simply coated it with a bold coloured Glimmermist, and added some clear rhinestones for sparkle. Talking about sparkles, they also work well to jazz up pre-made and coloured chipboard. I have simply taken the Crate Paper chipboard pieces and added glitter glue (Kindy Glitz) to add a little sparkle to flat chipboard pieces. Rhinestones also work well in such situations. (-:

Tangled - I wanted a different shape for matting my photos, and for journalling. So I took six shaped chipboard pieces, covered them with scrapbooking paper, and added my photos (and journalling) on top as desired. I then added Helmar Liquid Glue Dots underneath to raise them and add some dimension. I love the end result - it gives a nice splash of colour without all the straight lines of squares.

Just Being You - this layout was all about experimenting. I had several new glues to try, and I wanted to see how they worked with chipboard. The green chipboard photo frame - that's Helmar Craft Glue and flocking powder. Isn't the colour magnificent? The chipboard borders were decorated with Glimmermist, coated with glue, and then sprinkled with glitter. The end result was a beautiful pink border full of sparkles.

Sweet You - I wanted to create a whimsical background for this layout. So I used my chipboard pieces to create that effect (sun, rainbow and clouds). To create my visual triangle, I simply painted the chipboard cloud and three chipboard words white, then coated them with glitter. That helps my visual triangle to pop on a background full of colour.

Photo Display Frame - what can I say? Chipboard is so versatile and fantastic for Off-The-Page projects. I've used so many techniques on this project - glittered it, sprayed it with Glimmermist, coated it with Dimensional Magic, inked it, and covered it with paper.

Treasure Box - this is by far, one of my favourite Off-The-Page projects. My daughter fell in love with this chipboard treasure box and asked my to decorate it for her. How could I say no? I used a beautiful rich brown (Glimmermist) as my base, then coated it with Helmar Crackle Mediums (in two steps). The end result was this stunning, vintage looking treasure box. Let's just say my daughter was lucky to get it back, because I really, really wanted to keep it for myself, lol!

Thank-you for joining me on this little tour through my favourite chipboard layouts and projects. It's been a wonderful opportunity for me to share my ideas and thought processes with you. I hope it entices you to go and play with your chipboard - after all, it is one of the most versatile embellishments you can use on your layouts. Seriously, you can do ANYTHING with chipboard!!! Don't be scared to experiment either... (-:

Bad Scrapper!!!

2011-12-01T18:41:00.004+10:00

I'm so sorry! I know, I've been a very bad scrapper neglecting my blog. Believe me, it's not intentional - because all I WANT to do is sit down and scrap, but life has other ideas at the moment (like creating kits for the store, and packing for our move to Adelaide). But maybe this will make up for it?

Here's the December sketch for Crafty Sketches (created by Kim Kendell). Just click on the link if you want to play - all the details are on the blog.

And here's what I was inspired to create. This is a layout about my baby brother, who is now a proud daddy (which still seems surreal to me at times - my baby brother is a father!!!). I don't do masculine pages often, but I really enjoyed the process of creating this one. It was very unexpected. :-)

What A Hoot!

2011-11-17T21:39:00.004+10:00

I've been wanting to share this for a while, but couldn't, because it was for the Hambly DT call. Unfortunately, I didn't make the team. )-: But I did have fun creating this layout. I created the background using masking tape, gesso, washi tape, and Glimmermist. Messy = fun!!!

I cut out several transparency frames. On some, I adhered my photos, and on others, I added a rub-on. I then added Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to the back of them to create some dimension (I definitely didn't want everything flat!).

I used rub-ons for my borders, and decorated with Liquid Pearls.

And I finished off with a bright red, bold title, and some rhinestones (of course!).

So, are we all ready for the weekend? One more day to go! Yay for Fridays!!!

The Color Room Challenge #82

2011-11-12T10:55:00.004+10:00

I'm back! It's been sooooo long since I've had time to play in The Color Room, and I have missed it greatly. But I am finally back!

This layout was created for Challenge #82. Yes, that was a couple of weeks ago, but I've been busy!!! :-) Life got in the way, as per usual...

Here's a close-up of the Prima candelabra that I inked blue (with Ingvilde Bolme's new inks), and covered with glitter.

I used the blue ink on the grey ribbon flowers too. Plus a little purple colour from a copic pen. I added a few Prima flowers, and cut up a Prima vine. Lets just say this DIDN'T turn out anything like what I had in my head, lol!!!

My Last With Helmar...

2011-11-08T20:56:00.003+10:00

Welcome to a new month, and a new challenge over at Helmar.

This month, the challenge is "All About You!".

Once again, we have a fabulous sketch created by our very own Lydell Quin.

This is my last DT creation for Helmar USA/Australia. Unfortunately, I will not be continuing for the next DT term. It's time for a new adventure. (-:

Products Used: Helmar Vellum spray; Helmar Gemstone Glue; Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots; Sassafras papers, brads, foldies and stickers; Zva Creative rhinestones.

Crafty Sketches In November...

2011-11-02T08:29:00.003+10:00

The November Sketch is up over at Crafty Sketches. This is such a fun sketch. I just adore it! There is so much room for interpretation.

If you would like to join in the fun, just click here for details.

This is what I came up with! Love, love, love the colour!!! Don't know what it is at the moment, but all my layouts seem to feature yellow, orange or red. Must be a phase I am going through? I've used lots of Sassafras goodies for this layout (papers, stickers, Foldies, paper flowers). And lots of stitching for texture (and because I haven't played with my sewing machine for ages...it feels neglected, lol!). Titled: Love This Girl.

And So It Comes To An End...

2011-11-01T15:07:00.004+10:00

I've been so fortunate to have a glorious 18 months as a Design Team member for Zva Creative. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to and end. And unfortunately, it is time for me to move over, and allow some new, fresh talent to have the same opportunity that I was given. All I can say, is that I will miss this "family" immensely. They were a really wonderful team to work with. And I wish all the best for the new team that has come on board. Have fun ladies!!!

Here are my last two layouts for Zva. As some of you may have noticed, I have a thing for "orange" at the moment. And that has continued with these two layouts. (-: I don't plan it that way, it just happens. This one is titled: Flowers In Winter.

Zva Creative products used: CR-04CB-115; FL-04CA-112; CRW-04CB-129; FL01CB114; FL01CB115; and FL01CB117; FL01CB110; FL01CB112; BRBK02CA103; BRBK02CA102; AD01CB101 AND AD01CB102.

Here's my very final layout for Zva Creative. Titled: She Doesn't Do Normal.

Zva Creative products used: CRW01CB113; CRW-04CB-129; CRS-03CB-118; FL01CB110; FL01CB117; BRBK02CA102; AD01CB101 AND AD01CB102.

Thank-you for joining me on this journey, and I can't wait for my next adventure to begin...time for new doors to be opened.

Want A Challenge?

2011-11-01T14:19:00.006+10:00

I love the start of a new month because it's time for new challenges!!! If your looking for something to inspire you, we have two new challenges up over at Scrapbook Kits. Both competitions close at midnight 30th November 2011.

Firstly, we have the November Sketch Challenge.

Yes, this sketch was designed by yours truly (shock! horror! I'm actually starting to enjoy creating sketches).

Just click here for all the details.

And we have the November Inspiration Challenge too.

Don't you just love these bright, bold colours?

This palette was brought to you by Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Just click here for the full details.

Happy scrapping everyone!!!!

Helmar Prizes...

2011-10-27T15:58:00.004+10:00

Come and join in the fun on the Helmar Facebook page. I currently have two games under way (with Helmar prizes up for grabs). Here's the details for the first game: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2463282297500&set=o.124378664981&type=1&theater

And here's the second game: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2473938323894&set=o.124378664981&type=1&theater

You have until the weekend, when I will announce the lucky winners!!! And don't forget, you have to "LIKE" Helmar first to be eligible to play. (-:

Glitter In Her Veins...

2011-10-27T15:14:00.006+10:00

Here's a little project I just shared on the Helmar blog. Just click here for full details. I jazzed these magnets up using Helmar Gemstone Glue, glitter, and rhinestones (from Zva Creative of course!). Now they are all sparkly and pretty on my pinboard. (-:

Owl Love...

2011-10-26T21:50:00.003+10:00

I'm an owl lover. I have been since I was a child. They fascinate me, and I think they are the most amazing bird ever. (Closely followed by birds of prey and peacocks). So you can imagine my joy when I won these little beauties from Brenda at Red Stitch Designs (especially since I had totally forgotten about the competition). I cannot wait to give these two a home on my Christmas tree. And if you want some beautiful hand-made goodies to decorate you house, I highly recommend Red Stitch Designs. Brenda is one of the most amazingly creative people EVER!!!! Mmmm...maybe it's time for me to order my Christmas gifts? (-:

Spirit Week at Helmar!!!!

2011-10-24T22:39:00.009+10:00

Guess what! I'm hosting a week of fun, games, challenges, and prize give-aways over at Helmar Facebook this week. Would you like to win some Helmar goodies to play with? Would you like to join in the fun? Just drop by the Helmar facebook page, "Like" Helmar, and join us for a great week. And if you've never played with Helmar before, then now is your chance. But be warned - it is very, very addictive. (-: I should know, lol!!!

You Got Me Ribbons!!!

2011-10-22T19:05:00.004+10:00

I found this on Pinterest and had to share. What do you think? A feline scrapbooker, lol!!!! I can so totally relate to this picture - sad, isn't it?

So Excited!!!!

2011-10-20T20:14:00.006+10:00

Woo-hoo! I can finally share my layout that is in the current edition (November 2011) of Scrapbook Trends. This is the first time ever, that I have been published with this magazine company, so I am just a little bit EXCITED!!!!!

I created this layout using a sketch from Crafty Sketches, and a Noel Mignon kit (I think it was Mary Ellen, but not 100% sure because I completed this about 6 months ago). Titled: Living Life Having Fun. Thanks for letting me share this with you. (-:

Zva Creative Project No1. October 2011

2011-10-19T21:38:00.007+10:00

Here's my first Zva Creative layout for October. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the new orange and red rhinestone flourishes. I mean, totally love, as in I have several packets of each in my stash. (-: So I thought it was time for me to share this addiction with you...

I'm not usually an "orange" type of girl, but there is something about this shade of orange that has me drooling. So why even bother fighting it? I think it's better if I just make the most of it, lol!!! I used two flourishes on this layout - don't they just look gorgeous! Titled: 8 Years.
Zva Creative products used: CR-04CB-115 (rhinestone flourishes); CR-01CB-101 (clear rhinestones); BRBKCA101 (1/4" rhinestone brads); BRBKCA102 (1/8" rhinestone brads); FL01CB115 and FL01CB117 (various felt flowers).

Here's a close-up of the flourishes and flowers. I even added a little kindy glitz to the chipboard for a little more sparkle (papers and chipboard by Crate Paper).

Zva Creative Project No. 3 September 2011

2011-10-15T16:48:00.007+10:00

I'm slowly catching up with some of my scrapping commitments. Here's my 3rd September project for Zva Creative. Titled: Smiles and Hugs.
Zva Creative products used: CR-04CB-109 (rhinestone flourish); FL-04CA-130 (dual flowers - purple); FL01CB110 and FL01CB112 (silk flowers); FL01CB114 and FL01CB116 (felt flowers); AD01CB102 (2MM FOAM DOTS); CR-01CB-101 (clear rhinestones); and BRBK02CA101 (1/4" rhinestone brads).
Here's a close-up of the new rhinestone bird flourish. Isn't it stunning? And it comes in lots of delicious colours. You can find them here.
Another close-up, this time of all the flowers I used on the layout. I love that I can so simply change the colours of flowers with Copic Pens and Glimmermist. Makes scrapping so much easier. Papers by Lily Bee. Transparency and rub-ons by Hambly. Punch by Martha Stewart.

Helmar DT Search...

2011-10-15T15:50:00.003+10:00

Helmar Design Team Call 2011/2

Helmar USA, Inc, distributes Helmar Adhesives & Art Mediums. Have you had dreams at night that adhesives would land on your doorstep? Do you want to be a part of one of the most creative teams and work with products from the most amazing manufacturers? Well, that dream can come true…….Helmar USA, Inc. wants YOU to become a member of our Design Team!

We are looking for new Helmar Design Team Members!!! We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated designers and paper crafters to serve a six-month term beginning November 1, 2011 (Continuation of the term will be determined by both parties at the end of six months.)

As a Design Team Member, you will receive:

*Advance releases of products!
Adhesives!
*Endorsement fees for published layouts and projects!
*Payment for projects used for trade shows!
The latest & greatest products from our Preferred Vendors (USA)!

Helmar Design Team Members are required to:

Dedication to a minimum of (2) blog posts per month. More are LOVELY!
Dedication to your personal blogs which means keeping them fresh and mentioning Helmar products (we will do our best to promote you personally as well which is a win-win for everyone). Keeping them fresh and new is important.
Involvement with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook at minimum is required. This is the future for the industry and plays an even bigger part now than publications.
Dedication to our preferred vendors. They treat us great! We work very hard to secure those relationships.
Optional...Teaching experience. We are expanding our marketing efforts and the best way to do this is by demonstration and teaching.
Another great plus is video tutorials.....and step-by-step projects or kits featuring Helmar products.
Members are asked to submit their monthly Helmar projects for possible publication in crafting magazines and idea books.
Members will also complete special projects as requested by Helmar to be used for trade shows, catalogs, promotional items, and various other venues.
Interested applicants should send the following in a single email:

Name, address, daytime & evening phone numbers, and email address (USA, Canadian, Australian & New Zealand applicants only, please due to shipping constraints). Current and prior Design Team Members welcome to apply!
Please indicate if you are applying to be a Design Team Member or Educator.
Short biography
Links to any on-line galleries and/or blog
Link to Facebook/Twitter Pages
List of other design teams in which you are currently or were previously a member. NOTE: Members are encouraged to be on other design teams (except for competing adhesive companies) and partner their products with Helmar Adhesives & Art Mediums.
A brief paragraph stating why you would like to be a member of our Design Team.
Three example projects (layouts, altered projects paper crafting projects, etc.) no larger than 150k each – Make sure to list any special adhesive techniques used and list the Helmar products. NOTE: You are not required to use Helmar adhesives for your application however, that is preferred so we see how creative you are with our products.
Anything else you want us to know about you…..what sets you apart from the rest? We want to see your enthusiasm!
Optional: Please provide Links to your YouTube or Ustream page including a link to a video showing your demonstration or teaching techniques. Please do not send the video in your email (only a link).
Please submit the above information to info@helmarusa.com by October 26, 2011. No late entries will be accepted. The new Design Team members will be announced on our website.

For additional information on our products, visit our design team blog at: www.helmarusa.typepad.com. Feel free to EMAIL any questions to info@helmarusa.com

Tracy Weinzapfel
President, Helmar USA, Inc.

Crafty Sketches October Challenge...

2011-10-15T15:26:00.004+10:00

I'm a little slow posting this, but better late than never!!! This is the October Sketch Challenge for Crafty Sketches.
Here's my interpretation of the sketch. I had a play with the new ScrapCake papers. They are very beautiful papers, good quality too. But I'm still undecided on whether they suit my style of scrapping. For me, the jury is still out, lol!
A close-up of my journalling. (-;

My new favourite embellishment - the die cut rosette from Tim Holtz. So, so addictive. Definitely can't live without it. It's on my must have at all times list.

"Out Of The Box"...

2011-10-12T23:35:00.005+10:00

Are you ready for a new Helmar challenge? This month we give you the "Out Of The Box With Helmar" October challenge. Our very talented Lydell Quinn has created another super sketch for your pleasure. And the Design Team have been busy creating lots of fabulous layouts to get you inspired. Just pop on over to the Helmar blog to see the Design team creations, and to get all the challenge details.
Here's my take on Lydell's fabulous sketch. Have I mentioned how much I love her sketches? Like seriously, LOVE!!!! I've never seen a sketch by Lydell that I haven't liked. But I digress...back to my layout. I wanted something fun and girly, but not necessarily pink and pretty. Know what I mean??? So I went with a neutral background and 6"x6" papers from Pink Paislee's "Sweetness" range. I added some flowers and bling (Zva Creative), a little journalling, and a few sticker embellishments, and I was done. One pretty layout that is not traditionally pink! Totally love the end result.
Here's a couple of close-ups of the layers, flowers, and bird embellishments.

I just love how I was able to make my own background with these 6"x6" papers. Such a great invention. (-:

Just A Splash Of Colour...

2011-10-10T09:37:00.006+10:00

After nearly 2 weeks of not being able to scrap (thanks to surgery, stitches, and a metal splint on my finger), I finally have something to share.

I've always wanted to decorate a photo display tray, but wasn't sure where to start. So I gathered my supplies, chose some beautiful bright Kaisercraft papers (Miss Nelly), and let my imagination run wild. The end result was a beautiful, colourful photo display, that truly reflects my personality. I can't wait to hang this on the wall in our new house!!!!

Heres' a close up of all the little details. I've used SO MANY different brands of products on this tray - Glimmermist, Helmar, Kaisercraft, Prima, Zva Creative, Hambly, Jillibean Soup, My Mind's Eye, Teresa Collins, Maya Road, Martha Stewart, and Crate Paper. If you want to know a bit more about the adhesive products I used to create this, you can find my blog post on the Helmar blog.

I added my rub-ons onto transparency, then cut it out. I then adhered it to the tray with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to add heaps of dimension.

I aslo used the Liquid Scrap Dots to adhere the banner flags to the tray. You can see here how they are raised nice and high from the back of the flat tray.

For my key, I simply tied a ribbon around it, added Liquid Scrap Dots to the back of it, and adhered it to the tray. I wiped away any excess with a wooden skewer. Now, I won't say creating this was easy - because for me, it wasn't (I tend to be a perfectionist who takes forever to decide, lol!!!). But it was a lot of fun and I am thrilled with the end result.

Monthly Challenges at Scrapbook Kits...

2011-10-08T23:11:00.006+10:00

The monthly challenges over at Scrapbook Kits are up! You have until midnight on the 31st October to get your entries in (full details can be found on the Scrapbook Kits blog). Winners will receive a Limited Edition kit from the store. So, do you want to play? Well then, take a peek at the following:

This is the picture for the October Inspiration Challenge. Isn't it beautiful? And don't you just love those colours? The Design Team have had a blast with this and you can view their incredible creations here.

And here is the September Sketch, created by our very own Amy Bender. It's a great sketch with so many possibilities. And again, our Design Team have shown us many different ways to interpret this sketch. Just click here to view what they have created.

Well, I hope we have inspired you to come and play with us. I can't wait to see your creations!!!

September Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

2011-09-28T22:00:00.003+10:00

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June Zva Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:

Nancy Doren
Windy Robinson
Camilla Ekman
Jillian Deiling Cassity
Susan Lui

One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a Zva prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

Zva Creative September DT Blog Hop!

2011-09-26T23:00:00.002+10:00

Zva Creative and our talented Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special! We thought it would be more fun to add even more chances to win our blog hop prize! See details below.

The summer trade show was in July, which means brand new Zva Creative products. So please keep an eye out for them at your local craft stores.

As you know, Zva offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, September 26th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, September 27h and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 28th on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.

To increase your chances of winning:

* Comment to let us know that you posted on your Facebook page about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)
* Comment to let us know that you "tweeted" about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)
* Comment to let us know that you asked your local store to carry Zva Creative products. If they already do, that's fantastic, maybe you can suggest other products that they don't carry

Sooo, you have FOUR chances on each blog to win one of our FIVE prizes! That's technically OVER 50 chances :)

I love using bright colours when I am scrapbooking. I just can't help myself. However, I find the most versatile colours with Zva Creative are the clear rhinestones and white pearls. Why??? Because I can colour those to any colour I want using my Copic pens. The pearl leaf branch that I have used in this layout was originally white pearl. But it definitely didn't match the colours of my layout, so I simply coloured it green with a Copic pen. And voila! Bright, colourful leaves that are not lost amongst the brightness of my layout.

Here's a close-up of the coloured leaves. I also added colour to the floral embellishment. Again, it was too pale against the colours of my layout. I added a little Glimmermist to brighten it up and add a little sparkle.

The butterfly was already such a beautiful, vibrant blue, and I didn't want to detract from that. So I kept it simple, and added just a single rhinestone in the centre.

And my other weakness when scrapbooking is layers and depth. I'd be lost without the Zva Creative foam dots. I have them in both 1mm and 2mm thicknesses, and I ALWAYS have a huge stash on hand because I go through sooooo many!!!!! In this close-up, you can see how I have used the foam dots to create varying depths and layers amongst the flowers, photo, and title.

Zva Creative Products Used: flower (FL-04CA-128), pearl leaves (PES-03CB-101), leaves (FL-04CA-112), silk flowers, felt flowers, 1/8" rhinestone brads (BRBK02CA102), multi-coloured rhinestones (CR-02CB-101), rhinestone strips (CR01CB113), 1mm (AD01CB101)and 2mm (AD01CB102)foam dots.

The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes

Your next stop is here: Windy Robinson

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us. Don't forget to pop back on Wednesday to find out if you are one of our lucky winners. Until then, happy blog hopping!

Treasure Chest of Prettiness...

2011-09-24T09:21:00.005+10:00

As you well know, I don't often do off-the-page stuff. Not because I don't like it, but because we just don't have the room for it in our current house (that should change once we move to Adelaide - YAY!!!). But I made an exception for this treasure chest (from Twiddleybitz) as it was a special request from my youngest daughter (strangely enough, the eldest has now asked for one too, lol!). The box was first painted with gesso, then given a couple of coats of Tattered Angels Chalkboard Glimmermist in Decadence. I've coated the outside with Helmar Crackle Medium (steps 1 and 2). You can find further details of my creation on the Helmar Blog.
I've added lots and lots of Prima goodness - flowers, vines, butterflies and rhinestone embellishments. I've added colour to the flowers with Tattered Angels Glimmermist (Patina and Turquoise Blue).
I've had this clasp for ages (but no idea who I got it from). And I finally got to use it on something. I simply added Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive to the brads before pushing them into the chipboard. This added extra strength.
The inside of the box has been finished of with Prima paper (from the Indeed range). And now I have one very happy, little girl, who has already put her chest to good use (I think she is hiding her pocket money in it, lol!).

Top 5 2011

2011-09-19T11:44:00.016+10:00

Back in 1991, if you had asked me who my Top 5 men were, that could get me all hot and bothered, this would have been my answer:

TOP 5 1991

Keanu Reeves

Johhny Depp

Lou Diamond Phillips

Robert Downey Jnr

Brad Pitt

Some things just never change. Like those men that can get me all hot and bothered (other than my husband, lol!). I decided to compare my top 5 from 2011 to my Top 5 from 1991. And guess what? You can find several of the same men on both lists. Yes, really! Like good wine, they just get better with age.

TOP 5 2011:

Keanu Reeves

Johnny Depp

Taylor Lautner

Michael Copon

Robert Downey Jnr.

I wonder who will make my list in another 20 years? (-: So, who's on your list? Come on, leave a link here and share!!! I'd love to know, lol.

Still Scrapping...

2011-09-17T20:10:00.004+10:00

Just a couple of layouts that I have managed to squeeze in amongst the madness. But if you come back next weekend, I'll share an OTP prject with you. Yes, shock! Horror! I've done something OTP.

Titled: 2 For Tickles. This is my first Zva Creative project for September. And don't forget to mark your diary for Monday 26th September - that's our next Zva Creative blog hop!
Titled: Her Self. Just a little something that I created with the "Salt Water Taffy" kit from Noel Mignon. The next kit is due on my doorstep any day, so I need to get moving with this one, lol!

Lilo and Red...

2011-09-16T23:20:00.006+10:00

It was dress up day at school today. The girls could go as any character from a book. So we got creative, and this is what we have...

Little Red Riding Hood

And Lilo and Stitch (technically from a movie, but it has since been turned into a book, and as far as Keana was concerned, that was good enough!!!). Yes, these photos will be coming to you soon on a layout - I can't wait to scrap them!!!!

Layout Tag With Noel Mignon...

2011-09-14T22:34:00.005+10:00

A couple of times a year, I play the Layout Tag game over at Noel Mignon's. Love, love, love this challenge. Anyway, here's the latest layout I have created for the Tag Layout challenge.

Titled: In This Life. Created using "The Bee's Knees" kit from Noel Mignon. I can't wait for the next game to begin...(-:

Mixed Media, Here I Come!!!!

2011-09-10T11:08:00.004+10:00

OMG! OMG! OMG! I'm so excited!!!! I just finished my first ever canvas. *Insert happy dance here*. This one is for my mother's birthday. I decided it was the right thing for her to have the honour of my first canvas.

Here's a close up of the butterflies, bling, and dress form. Yes, in my true fashion, I have added bling to my canvas. Yes, those are real paper ruffles on the skirt (I won't mention how frustrating and difficult that part was, lol!).

Here's my little quote. For the life of me, I can't remember where I saw or heard this quote. I googled it, but nothing came up.

So, what do you think? I would be thrilled for some feedback, so if you would be kind enough to leave a comment, I would be truly appreciative. I need to know if this is an avenue worth persuing. But if it doesn't inspire anyone creatively, then I might have to go find something else to do. (-:

This Is For Him...

2011-09-04T16:21:00.006+10:00

This is for my husband, and their daddy, for Father's Day. Need I say anymore? (-: I created this layout with the sketch for the Helmar September Sketch Challenge. This amazing sketch was created by our very own Lydell Quinn. Make sure you pop over and check it out, and see what amazing inpiration the design team came up with.
Lots of circles, lots of chipboard, lots of layers.
I absolutely LOVE this colour palette. I need to do more like this.
A close up of my journalling.

Scrapbook Kits September Challenges...

2011-09-01T21:05:00.005+10:00

Finally, I can reveal the new challenge ideas over at Scrapbook Kits. Instead of two sketch challenges each month (one on the 1st of the month, and one on the 15th of the month), we are now having two challenges released on the 1st of every month.

The first challenge is a sketch challenge. And this sketch was created by yours truly!!! (-: Isn't it a fun sketch? The design team over at Scrapbook Kits have had a blast with it. You can see all their inspirational layouts here. I would love, love, love to see what you could do with this sketch? If you want to play, you have until the end of September to submit your layout.

And the second challenge is an inspirational challenge. I have an addiction to Pinterest, so I thought once a month, I can share a favourite image that I have found. The Scrapbook Kits design team blew me away with their interpretations. Want to see what they did? Just click here. And if this picture inspires you, and you want to play, please submit your entry by the end of September. Right, now it's time to play...(-:

Crafty Sketches September Sketch...

2011-09-01T20:56:00.004+10:00

It's reveal day over at Crafty Sketches!

September's sketch has been designed by team member July Gaceta. You can find all the details for playing along on the Crafty Sketches blog.

I absolutely adored this sketch, and had so much fun playing with it. I went all girly and pink, lol! Titled: Hand Made By Mummy. Products used: Girl's Paperie papers, Prima rhinestone flourishes, Prima flowers, Lil Davis chipbaord alphas, Glitz Design mini alphas, Martha Stewart punch, EK Success punch, and Liquid pearls.

August Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

2011-08-31T22:25:00.006+10:00

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June Zva Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:
Julianne McKenna-De Lumen
Tara Orr
Gail Lindner
Susan Lui
Tanya Tahir
One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a Zva Creative prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

My lucky winner is....
MrsETaylor who said...Always love how you put a layout together. So much eye candy!!! August 30, 2011 3:37 AM
Could you please email me your address so we can get you prize out to you.

Here's another Summer layout that I'd like to share with you. Titled: Sweet Memories. Zva Creative products used: pearl flourish (PEB-03CA-113); rhinestone flowers (CRW-02CA-107); silk flowers (FL01CB104 and FL01CB105); rhinestones (CR-02CB-101); bulk 3D roses (pink sweet rose); and 1mm and 2mm foam dots (AD01CB101 and AD01CB102).
Here's a close-up of the pearl flourish and rhinestone flowers. The pearl flourish was originally a pale blue, much too pale for this layout. So I simply coloured it to a more appropriate colour with a Copic pen. And to add depth to my rhinestone flowers (I didn't want them stuck flat on the page), I simply stuck them to a sheet of acetate, cut them out, and adhered them to my layout with some Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots.

I'll see you all back here for the October Zva Creative Blog Hop!!! (-:

Zva Creative August DT Blog Hop!

2011-08-29T20:22:00.009+10:00

Zva Creative and our talented Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special! We thought it would be more fun to add even more chances to win our blog hop prize! See details below.

The summer trade show was in July, which means brand new Zva Creative products. So please keep an eye out for them at your local craft stores.

As you know, Zva offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, August 29th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, August 3oth and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 31st on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.

To increase your chances of winning:

* Comment to let us know that you posted on your Facebook page about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)

* Comment to let us know that you "tweeted" about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)

* Comment to let us know that you asked your local store to carry Zva Creative products. If they already do, that's fantastic, maybe you can suggest other products that they don't carry

Sooo, you have FOUR chances on each blog to win one of our FIVE prizes! That's technically OVER 50 chances :)

Here's a little inspiration that I'd like to share with you. Titled: Eeekk! I couldn't resist scrapping this photo of my husband and my youngest daughter. It's funny, because both my daughters LOVE the water, but my hubby and water just don't mix. The girls must have gotten their love of water from me, lol!!! Zva Creative products used: rhinestone flourish (CRB-04CA-116); silk flowers (FL01CB106); bulk 3D flowers (mini roses mixed colours); rhinestone strips (CR01CB113); rhinestones (CR-01CB-101); and foam dots (AD01CB101 and AD01CB102). Other products used: Jillibean Soup papers, Jillibean Soup journalling spots; Glimmermist; Martha Stewart punch; and Glitz Design mini alpha stickers.

Here's a close-up of the rhinestone flourish. Orange isn't a colour I work with often, but this matched the page perfectly.
Just a little close-up of the rhinestone strips, silk flowers, bulk 3D flowers, and journalling.

The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes

Your next stop is here: Maiko Miwa

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us. I hope you are finding lots of inspiration along this Blog Hop, and don't forget to pop back on Wednesday to find out who the lucky winners are!

Good, Bad, And Addicted...

2011-08-21T19:10:00.003+10:00

Do you want to grab a bargain? I'm having a 40% off sale over at Scrapbook Kits. It's my overhaul sale, lol!!! The only things not reduced are the August Kits and the Limited Edition Kits. But this is for a short time only, and stock is limited. First in, first served, so be quick. Right, that's the good news...
Now for the bad.... I've found a new addiction. Hubby, if you are reading this, this is the point where you should turn off the computer, and run away screaming. Seriously. (-: Are you ready for it? I've crossed over to mixed media! I've been wanting to do this for the past 6-12 months but didn't know where to start. So, I finally made the leap, signed up for an online mixed media class, and jumped in with both feet. I've purchased my first lot of canvases, and now I get to play. I never thought I would be as addicted to anything as I am to my scrapbooking. But I was SO WRONG!!!! I'm totally, totally, totally addicted... (-: I will share some canvases once I've mastered a few more techniques, and got something worth showing. Just remember, canvases take much longer to create than layouts. This is no 3-4 hour project, but may take anywhere from days to weeks. Right, I'm off to make a mess... (-:

My Scrapbook Nook Goodness...

2011-08-19T20:04:00.010+10:00

I've managed to finish two more layouts with the August My Scrapbook Nook kit. I've had to create a few minutes here, and a few minutes there, thanks to my injuries. I found this process extremely frustrating, since I am used to just sitting and playing for as long as I like. But I can't do that at the moment, so I must adapt. This first layout is titled: H2O Baby. Rhinestones, chipboard shape, mini alphas, and Liquid Pearls from my own stash.

Here's a close-up of the title, chipboard and flowers. I coloured the white Thicker alphas with glitter and Dimensional Magic. I painted the chipboard shape with Twinkling H2o's and Stickles. And I made the flowers with my trusty Marvy flower punches.

Here's my second layout. Titled: Done (Cross It Off The Bucket List). I love how this layout turned out - very unexpected. I had a completely different image in my brain when I started.

I've added some extra photos in an envelope. They include images of me patting a tiger, and placing meat in the lion's den. I tend to be camera shy, but I still wanted to include those photos in the layout. The solution was to hide them in the envelope. The Prima branch, Prima flowers, Pink Paislee tissue paper, mini alpha stickers, and Hambly transparency are all from my own stash. And just in case you were looking for some fun this weekend, My Scrapbook Nook is having a Cyber Crop. Why not pop on over, say hello, and join in the fun? Details can be found here.

Just Shoot Me...

2011-08-18T20:26:00.003+10:00

It's been the week from hell. Yes, this is my whingy blog post. I'm way overdue, and I might as well just get it out of my system. (-: I'm entitled to one of these every 6 months or so, lol!

On Monday evening, guess who tripped over the girls' mess outside and fell onto the outdoor dining table, dislocating the middle finger on the left hand, and pulling all my gluteus maximus muscles down the back of my left leg. Yes, me!!!!!!
I haven't been able to sit properly since it happened, and my finger is so swollen and sore. Far out, I am SO SICK of being accident prone. On top of this, when I am so sore I can barely walk, it is also the week where the girls get to stay home on Monday and Wednesday thanks to the Brisbane and Pine Rivers Show Day holidays. Great. Just fabulous. NOT!!!!! Hold on, it gets better. Yes, it does. Keana wakes up this morning with a sore throat and a nasty cough. Sigh. Guess who gets to stay home with mummy today??? Then the other daughter gets mad at me because I won't let her watch "The Block" because she hasn't finished her homework tonight (never mind the fact that I told her to do some homework last night and she didn't!!!!). She told me I was the worst mummy ever and that she wished I wasn't here. Lovely. Just what I need. So, now I am injured, one daughter is sick, the other one hates me, and because I can't use my hands or sit properly I am now behind in my DT commitments, and with packing kits and orders for my store. Crap! Crap! Crap! Right, I feel better now...everyone back to the way they were, please. (-:

Helmar and A Flower Tutorial...

2011-08-12T23:17:00.004+10:00

I've just put up a post on the Helmar Blog, and shared a quick and easy tutorial for making these heart-petal flowers. If you'd like to learn how they are made in five easy steps, please hop over to the Helmar Blog for full details.

Here's a close-up, showing a little more detail. (-:

Guest Designer Play Date!!!!

2011-08-12T20:32:00.008+10:00

I've got a guest designer play date this month with My Scrapbook Nook. They have sent me their August Kit to have some fun with. It's filled with lots of My Mind's Eye and Jillibean Soup goodies. Yum, yum, yum!!! And what better way is there to showcase a kit, than to add some glorious Zva Creative goodies to the mix.

I love how this layout turned out. Titled: Be Free. The kite's add a sense of whimsy, and the hand-made flowers remind me of pinwheels. And of course, a little bling (from Zva Creative)adds the perfect touch of sparkle.

Completely fell in love with the Jillibean Journalling Sprouts and twine. I'm sure I could use them on every layout if I tried, lol!!!

Want to see more? Well, I've still got another couple of layouts to create for My Scrapbook Nook. So stay tuned, because August isn't over yet!!!! And if you want to get your hands on this kit, you'd better hurry...kits are limited.

Classes At Arnolds...

2011-08-05T16:06:00.004+10:00

I've got a new class that I will be teaching at Arnold's soon. Probably sometime in September. At the new store! Did I tell you that Arnold's is moving? Yes, they are!!! To a bigger store with two classrooms. Woo-hoo!!!! Here are the details: The new store opens on the 5th September. Phone number is 07-3293 4390. Email is sales@arnolds.net.au. New address will be: Shop T4.02, The Zone, 743-763 Deception Bay Road, Rothwell QLD 4022.

This class is all about Tattered Angels Glimmermists and Glimmer Glazes. If you want to have some fun, get messy, and learn how to use those mists that you have been hoarding, then come and join us! Just call the store to book your place (07-32934390).

Bright, Bright, and More Bright!!!

2011-08-04T07:59:00.003+10:00

It's "Adhere With August" over at Helmar. Our new sketch is up (by Lydell Quinn). Bet you can't wait to play with this one!!! Isn't it a fun sketch. (-:
Here's my (very bright) take on it. Titled: Sweet You. This is one of those layouts that kind of "fell" together. But I absolutely love it. I'm very happy with the end result. I've mixed lots of brands and products (mmm...maybe I should do that more often???). Products Used: Lilybee Cardstock paper, Crate stickers, Maya Road chipboard, Pink Paislee tags, Doodlebug buttons, KI Memories Puffies, Kaisercraft rhinestones, Prima flowers, and Zva Creative foam dots.

Hand-Made Rosettes...

2011-08-03T14:26:00.004+10:00

Howdy all! I have a tutorial about making rosettes up on the Helmar blog. Feel free to wander over and have a look. (-: I will be doing another tutorial next week about making flowers from punched heart shapes. Life is busy - I'll be back as soon as I can, lol!

More Sketches...

2011-08-01T21:54:00.005+10:00

It's sketch time again over at Crafty Sketches.

This is my take on the sketch. Titled: Adelaide. The whole circle thing didn't work for me, so in my usual fashion, I changed it. (-: And moved it off centre, lol! Products used: my supplies came from the "Salt Water Taffy" kit by Noel Mignon. Pearls from my own stash.

Scrapbook Kits Sketch Is Up...

2011-08-01T21:26:00.003+10:00

The 1st August sketch for Scrapbook Kits has been uploaded. The layouts created by my team (current members and new members) are amazing!!! These ladies just rock my socks off with their work. Can you imagine what they are going to do once they get their hands on my kits??? I so can't wait to see what the September kits bring us. This is going to be a really, really exciting time. I will try and get some sneek peeks up as the kits come in. (-:

Zva Creative Project No.3 July.

2011-07-31T22:50:00.003+10:00

Purple is sneaking into my layouts, more and more! And I think I'm finally coming to terms with it. (-: I decided to play around with some Tattered Angels masks, and a little Purple Grape Chalkboard mist. And then I added some Lily Bee papers into the mix. And I finished it all off with a big slpash of Zva Creative bling and flowers. Titled: Such Intense Concentration.

Here's a close up of the journalling.

The pearl bracket, individual pearls, and pearl brads were all the wrong colour (cream). So I found a couple of different shades of purple copic pens, and altered the pearls to the colours I needed. That's one of the things I LOVE about my Zva Creative rhinestones and pearls - althought they come in lots of pretty colours already, it is not just limited to those. Not when you have a copic pen. (-:

Challenging Myself Again...

2011-07-31T13:02:00.005+10:00

Right. So the deal is, the more cards I make, the easier it will get for me! Are you sure about that people??? Why is it then, that it takes me twice as long to make a card, as it does to make a layout? Hmmmmm..... I did this card for a blog post over at Helmar USA. Details are here.

This time around, I opted for an all white on white card (except for the alphas). Although the bloomers and pearls have come up very cream coloured in the photo. Strange that! They are not that cream in real life. I have embossed my background with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, and painted and glittered the metal photo corner white (it was originally green). Products used: AC cardstock, AC Thickers, AC bloomers, AC metal photo corner, Prima flower, and Prima pearls. Oh, and lots of Helmar glues, lol!!! (450 Quick Dry, Permanent Adhesive Runner, Gemstone Glue, Liquid Scrap Dots, and Craft Glue).

How Rude?

2011-07-29T17:25:00.003+10:00

Sometimes, when in public, you can't help but burst out laughing, because of something you've seen or heard. Yes, it happened to me today - in the library of all places. I was checking out some books to take home, when a mother walked past, with her young daughter (maybe 5-6?) following up behind her. And as she walked past me, she said to her mother, "3 books? I only get 3 books???? How rude are you!!!". (She didn't say it in a nasty tone, she said it in a very disappointed tone). Seriously, I was howling with laughter. Most parents fight to get their children to read, but here was one little girl, getting upset because she couldn't have more books to read. This made my day. (-:

All Worthwhile...

2011-07-29T17:13:00.004+10:00

Sometimes you wonder whether the whole blogging thing is worth it. After all, who really reads my blog? But then, I receive emails like the one below, and I realise, it's all worthwhile. Every single word.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Gone...":

Hi,
I am Cheryl's niece and after Cheryl passed away, our family was told of this blog. Reading these comments in the week following her death was so lovely. I still have this saved in my favourites and come on to read all the wonderful comments about her.
It's been a great pick me up for when we are feeling down and missing her.
She was the most amazing person and I just wanted to say thankyou on behalf of my family for all the wonderful comments we get to read and remember her for. x

This email nearly had me in tears. To know that I have helped Cheryl's family deal with their loss, and touched their lives, makes me happy. Why? Because I know this little effort on my part, has made the world a slightly better place for someone else. I am so glad I was able to help...even if it is only a blog post. (-:

June Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

2011-07-27T18:42:00.009+10:00

I decided it was time to do something with my Zva Creative flowers, other than put them on my layouts. So I got creative, and made a headband and some hair clips for my two girls.
Here, I used a large hot pink flower (FL-04CA-103), which I have sprayed with some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmermist, for that extra sparkle. I simply glued it to the headband with a strip of material and a hot glue gun.
Next, graceful roses (FL-04CA-132), in pale pink, added to hairclips.

Again, I simply used a thin strip of material, and a hot glue gun. I also sprayed them with Cosmos Pink Glimmermist, to enhance their colour.

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June Zva Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:
Ingrid
Nancy
Guiseppa
Jill
Lou

One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a Zva prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

Zva Creative July DT Blog Hop!

2011-07-25T21:58:00.005+10:00

Zva Creative and our talented Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special!

We know that it's a busy time of year with kids home from school and vacations, so we thought it would be more fun to add even more chances to win our blog hop prize! Details below.

It's CHA time which means brand new products. So please keep an eye out for them at your local stores.

As you know, Zva offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package ...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, July 25th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, July 26th and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 27th on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.

To increase your chances of winning:

Comment to let us know that you posted on your Facebook page about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)

Comment to let us know that you "tweeted" about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)

Comment to let us know that you asked your local store to carry Zva Creative products. If they already do, that's fantastic, maybe you can suggest other products that they don't carry

Sooo, you have FOUR chances on each blog to win one of our FIVE prizes! That's technically OVER 50 chances :)

I haven't played with pink for a while, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Titled: Party Girl. This is a layout about my eldest daughter who just turned 9.

A close up of my journalling and bling title.

A close up of the beautiful felt flowers (one of my favourite products), the rhinestone flourish, and the rhinestone brads.

Zva Creative Products Used: CR-04CA-101 (rhinestone flourish); CRP01CB102 (rhinestone alphas); BRBK02CA102 (1/8" rhinestone brads); CR-02CB-101 (coloured rhinestones); CR-01CB-111 (rhinestone strips); FL01CB115 and FL01CB117 (felt flowers); AD01CB101 (1mm foam dots); and AD01CB102 (2mm foam dots).

The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes

Your next stop is here: Nancy Doren

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us. And don't forget to drop by on Wednesday to find out who the lucky winners are!!!

Steep Learning Curve...

2011-07-23T13:18:00.007+10:00

Who knew having a store would be sooooo challenging. Thank-goodness I'm a quick learner. The only thing I haven't worked out is how to get more hours out of a day, lol! But I have managed to upload my first set of kits. There are 8 different styles, and their numbers are limited. Here's a little sneek peak: BE CREATIVE
PRETTY IN PINK
ROCK STAR
CAMEO GIRL

You can view the rest in the store: here. And yes, I would love some feedback. What do you think? - good, bad, ugly, too big, too little?

A Funny Thing Happened...

2011-07-22T08:42:00.003+10:00

Like most parents, mornings are hectic around here. My youngest (Keana) isn't a problem - she can feed herself and get ready in no time flat! But my eldest (Malayla), that's a whole different story. She's a perfectionist (wonder where she got THAT from?), gets distracted easily, and hates to rush anything. Drives me crazy!!! Which left us with a dilemma this morning - we had no time left to test her spelling (they have their spelling tests at school on Fridays). What to do? I had the perfect solution. Keana tested her older sister for her spelling on the drive to school. Do you want to know how she commenced this activity? She told her older sister to "GET YOUR MOUTH READY!". Seriously, ROFL!!!! I nearly cracked up totally while trying to drive. Yeah, my youngest is also a comedian!!!!! (-:

She's A Lunatic!!!

2011-07-21T11:41:00.003+10:00

My cat Jellybean is an absolute lunatic. No, really!!!! I was packing the girls lunch boxes yesterday, and I turned around to find Jellybean on the bench, checking out everything that I had placed into the lunch boxes. So I semi-closed the lunch box lids, put her on the floor and got rid of her (or so I thought), and went back to preparing lunches. The next thing I know, my girls are absolutely roaring with laughter. What the???? I turn around to find Jellybean, with her head stuck in the lunch box, pulling all the snack bags out. Yes, seriously!!!!! She was unpacking for me! Carrots, apples, cheese and crackers - everything was fair game. But strangely enough, it was the carrots she was most attracted to. She really wasn't happy when I took that bag away from her. I had a cat (Banjo) about 4 years ago, that absolutely loved the scent of carrots and would rub all over them. I think Jellybean must have the same attraction. Does anyone else have cats that are attracted to weird things? I'm guessing carrots are the equivalent of catnip for my darling furry girl...sigh...so not NORMAL!!!!!

The Team is Up...

2011-07-21T06:00:00.004+10:00

Meet the new Scrapbook Kits team for the next 6 months:

CAZ HANCOCK - NZ
HELEN TILBURY - STH AFRICA
RAISSA COSTA CARVALHO- BRAZIL
PETRA OFFRELL - SWEDEN
JUANNA SIA - SINGAPORE
YVONNE SHEPHERD - AUS
HOLLY CONNORS - AUS
LISA KAMPHIUS - AUS
LEAH SCHAEFFER - USA
KIM KENDALL - AUS
ERIN REED - USA
PAM PRITZL - USA
AMY BENDER - USA
KRISTIE TAYLOR - USA
KIRSTEN CASEY - AUS
REBEKKAH MITCHELL - AUS
MICHELLE WALLACE - AUS
NICK KNOPKE - AUS
VALERIE BISHOP - USA
ANNETTE GEARSIDE - AUS - CARD KIT DESIGNER
JODI DOLBEL - LIMITED EDITION KIT DESIGNER

Here's my original post on the Scrapbook Kits blog.

Zva Creative Project No1. July 2011

2011-07-17T21:52:00.006+10:00

Here's my first project this month for Zva Creative. Titled: Never Enough Kisses. I wanted a neutral background that didn't compete with all the flowers colours and photos. But I'm not sure if I acheived that...sigh!

Here's a close up of the title and journalling.

Lots of layered flowers, pearl flourishes, and butterflies. The pearl flourish was much larger and didn't fit the page, so I simply cut it up into smaller pieces. (-:

And what layout is complete without a little bling, lol!
Zva Creative products used: pearl flourish (PEB-02CB-113); rhinestone title (CRW01CB117); 1/8" gem brads (BRBK02CA102); rhinestones (CR-02CB-101); pearls (PE-02CB-102); silk flowers (FL01CB110); felt flowers (FL01CB114, FL01CB115, FL01CB116, and FL01CB117); and 2mm foam dots (AD01CB102). Other products used: Amercian Crafts papers, lace paper, and material paper; Tattered Angels Glimmermist; Heidi Swapp mask; Martha Stewart punch; crotcheted white doily: white gell pen; black journalling pen; and mini alpha sticks from My Little Shoebox.

What Green Thumb?

2011-07-15T22:48:00.005+10:00

I definitely don't have a green thumb. That's why I created this beautiful pot of paper flowers as my DT assignment for Helmar USA. You can find all the details and products used on the Helmar USA blog site here.
The papers are from American Crafts, as is the material paper, brads, and white rose ribbon. I have used Prima leaves, and some green spotted felt from my stash. The pearls are from Zva Creative. All glues used are from Helmar USA. The punches are from Martha Stewart.

Just a little close-up to show you the detail on the flowers.

And that shimmer on the flower petals is Dazzling Diamonds Glimmermist. And I finished off my beautiful pot of flowers with a little chipboard bird house, painted with Twinkling H2O's.

Have a happy, scrapp weekend everyone. I'm teaching at Arnold's tomorrow, so it's going to be busy, busy, busy...as if I'd expect anything else, lol!!!

A New Sketch...

2011-07-15T09:07:00.006+10:00

We have a new sketch up for you to play with over at Scrapbook Kits By Scrap With V. You have until the end of the month to join in the fun. All the details can be found on the blog here. Hopefully, by next month my time will be better organised and I can join in the fun too. (-: I love this sketch (designed by Leah Schaeffer) - it has so many possibilities!

Up And Running...

2011-07-14T18:49:00.005+10:00

I'm getting there. Most of the boxes have been unpacked, and the first round of kits have been put together. I've even posted some sneak peeks of two kits on the shop's blog site.
I've had over 35 applications for my first ever DT call. And there is still another 5 days to go before it closes. Life is busy (such an understatement, lol), but at least my girls are fed and clothed. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, next week will be a little easier. I just have to remember to breathe... sometimes easier said, then done, lol!!!!

This Crazy Life...

2011-07-10T12:40:00.004+10:00

Time is going to quick. I need it to stop. I can't believe my nephew Theo is nearly 6 months old already. Where did that time go? I haven't even had time to blink and it's already gone.
And my eldest baby has just turned 9. Malayla had her birthday on the 4th July, but I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to blog about it yet. She wanted a real digital camera for her birthday. I was so happy, and excited when she asked for that gift. It made me proud. (-:
Here is my little miss at her birthday party. She had a "Papparazzi Disco Party" at a local beauty parlour (Petite Princess Parlour, to be exact). They had a "pretend" security guard, personalised lanyards, and a danced for 2 hours (with a disco light, smoke machine, and flashing lights). Malayla and her girlfriends had SO MUCH FUN!!! Oh, and they got their nails painted too, lol!
This is one of the reasons I fell in love with Adelaide, and want to move there. You can actually have rabbits as pets. And ferrets too (but not at the same time as they are natural enemies). I found this black and white pair at the Adelaide Zoo. They were so soft and cuddly. Sigh...I want my girls to be able to experience this. Adelaide, here we come!!!

I've nearly finished unpacking all the boxes for my store. It has taken forever because one, I have had the flu and can't seem to shake it off, and two, it is school holidays. Hopefully, my life will return to some form of normality by the end of next week. But maybe not...my life was never normal to begin with, lol!

Red, White And GLUE!!!!

2011-07-06T10:11:00.008+10:00

It's challenge time over at Helmar. The July Sketch Challenge is up on the Helmar Blog. This sketch was created by our very own Lydell Quinn. And this month's challenge is to use Helmar Gemstone Glue and gemstones on your layout.

Here's my take on the challenge. Titled: Her Beauty. I love, love, love Lydell's sketches. They suit my style of scrapping so well. And I had a great time with this one using Prima products that I haven't played with in so long. (-:

Crafty Sketches July Sketch Challenge...

2011-07-04T21:52:00.003+10:00

Here's the sketch, designed by myself, for the Crafty Sketches July Sketch Challenge. Want to see some inpspiration? Just click here to see all the amazing layouts created by the Design Team. You will find my layout here too. I think they have outdone themselves!!! This is really a fun sketch so I hope you can come and play. I would love to see what you can create with this! What do you think? Maybe I should take up designing sketches as well, lol!!! (-:

Zva Creative June Monthly Project No.3

2011-07-02T22:08:00.006+10:00

I've been so busy with life, that I haven't had a chance to share this layout with you. Titled: One Fine Day. I created this as combined DT assignment for both Zva Creative and Helmar. I don't usually combine my assignments, but I've been busy with the purchase and set-up of my new store, my daughter having her 9th birthday party, and coming down with another nasty cold/flu that has left me bed bound for a couple of days. I did my Helmar post a couple of days ago. You can find the details here.

I didn't have any red rhinestones to match the red rhinestone flourish, so I simply coloured them with a red copic pen. I love that I can colour the Zva Creative clear rhinestones to any colour, to match any layout. Pure genius!!!

The rhinestone flourish was originally too large, so I simply cut it into smaller pieces. The chipboard frames were black, so I covered them with gesso, then brown paint. Once dry, I coated them with Helmar Crackle Medium (steps 1 and 2). The chipboard bracket was also black. Again, I coated it with gesso and brown paint. Once dried, I coated it with Helmar Acid Free Glue, and sprinkled it with brown glitter.

Zva Creative products used: rhinestone flourish (CR-04CA-105); rhinestones (CR-01CB-101 and CR-02CB-101); felt flowers (FL01CB115 and FL01CB117); and 1/8" rhinestone brads (BRBK02CA102).

My Secret Is Out...

2011-07-01T00:01:00.008+10:00

No, I AM NOT pregnant, lol! But I do have a new "baby". Much to my shock, I have just purchased an online scrapbooking store. My dear friend Vanessa has decided that it is time to move on from Scrapbook Kits (by Scrap With V), and I have put my hand up to take on the challenge. Now, you will have to bear with me, because while I have run a business before, I have not run a scrapbooking store. So undoubtedly, my life might be a little crazy for the first few months, lol! But Vanessa has promised to stick around and show me the ropes (phew!!!).
Which leads me to my next announcement...
I need a new Design Team!!!! Design Team commitments will include working with a monthly kit, and posting on the Scrapbook Kits blog on a rostered basis. The term will be for 6 months (September 2011- February 2012), with the option to extend at the end of the 6 months. Are you interested? Would you like to join my team? To apply, send me a short paragraph about yourself, and 3-5 images of your best layouts, cards or off the page projects. If you have a blog, please include a link. But don't sress - a blog is not essential. Please keep each image to 200kb or less.
Send email to julianna@powerup.com.au. This call is open until the 10th July 2011. I will then try to announce the new Design Team within a week. So, now I have turned my life upside down, are you ready to join me? LOL!
PLEASE NOTE: This call has now been extended until the 20th July.

Title: June Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

2011-06-29T18:49:00.005+10:00

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE June Zva Blog Hop winners! Their names will be found on the following blogs:

Julianne
Congratulations to Margie! You're my lucky winner on this blog hop! Please email me your mailing address as soon as possible, and Zva will get a prize package out to you. You can find the link to my email under my Blogger profile.

Benedicte
Windy
Camilla
Jolanda

One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a Zva prize package worth $30.00. Congrats winners!

Today, I wanted to share this photo with you (instead of a layout). I just wanted to show you how much my Jellybean loves her Zva Creative. Here she is keeping it warm for me on my computer desk, lol! (-: Yes, when I am scrapping this is where she usually sleeps.

Zva Creative June DT Blog Hop!

2011-06-27T23:00:00.005+10:00

Zva Creative and the Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special!

As you know, Zva Creative offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package ...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, June 27th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, June 28th and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 29th on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.
This month I wanted to share a nice, bright, colourful layout with you. Titled: Hush Now. It features the newest addition to our family, "Jellybean". I don't often use bright cardstock for my background page - I tend to stick with white, black or kraft. But in this case, I wanted something bright like the colours of jellybeans. And these colours just work so amazingly together. Yes, sweet and cute and colourful - just like jellybeans, lol! Zva Creative products used: rhinestone swirls (CR-04CA-124); pealrs (PE-02CB-101/CR-02CA-127); rhinestones (CR-02CB-101); rhinestone strips (CR01CB113); silk flowers (FL01CB106 and FL01CB112); 1mm foam dots (AD01CB101) and 2mm foam dots (AD01CB102). Other products used: Noel Mignon Mary Ellen kit; Tattered Angels Glimmermist (Santa Baby) and Glimmer Glam (Mermiad); and Glitz mini alphas.

A close up of my flowers, bling and journalling.

More flowers, and lots of bling. I've added pearl rhinestones to each red polka dot.

The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes

Your next stop is here: Tara Orr

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us. I hope you have found plenty of inspiration along your way, and I really hope we see you back here next month for the Zva Creative July Blog Hop! Happy scrapping! Don't forget to check back on Wednesday for the names of the winners, and a little more inspiration. (-:

Helmar And Best Creations...

2011-06-26T21:10:00.005+10:00

I should have posted this a week or two ago, but life has been crazy hectic, plus I've been in Adelaide for a week. Two weeks ago, Helmar and Best Creations (preferred partner) teamed up to see what amazing creations the Design Teams could create with their products. You can find all the team's creations on the Helmar Blog. You can find mine here. I will admit this was my third attempt at this assignment. Sigh...I struggled with the themed products...I really had to find a way to use them untraditionally. Titled: Life Is A Circus, Hope On And Enjoy The Ride.

You can find the details of my techniques and products used on the Helmar Blog.

Here's a close up of my journalling - yes, we were swimming in winter - that's how this whole layout came about, lol!

Just A Little Different...

2011-06-26T16:10:00.005+10:00

Here's part of the main reason I went to Adeliade. I wanted to catch up with Steph Devlin and attend her layout class. I love doing Steph's classes because of all the new tricks and techniques that I pick up along the way. Steph's style is a lot different to mine, so I always have fun with her creations. This layout is no exception - her original layout looks quite a bit different to mine. And man, can that girl layer...whew!!!!

Here's a close up of the title - Love You Forever. I've coated mine with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam (Chandelier) to give it some added sparkle.

I've added pink Liquid Pearls for some added colour. And some Kindy Glitz for even more sparkle, lol! I can't thank Steph enough for this class, it was pure fun. I loved being able to scrap just for me, without having to think about it. I don't get to do that often. Mmmm...might have to do something about that!!!!

Not In My Wildest Dreams...

2011-06-24T21:43:00.005+10:00

I'm an animal lover. Always have been. Always will be. But never, ever in my wildest dreams, did I think I would get the opportunity to feed three lions, and pat a tiger. Seriously. I did. On our trip to the Adelaide Zoo yesterday, Annette and I paid for the glorious privilege of feeding the lions. OMFG!!!!! We took turn feeding the two lioness' first (will put up photos for that tomorrow - still have to scan them). The girls are huge. They growl and hiss. And I was in absolute awe. And then we literally, went into the lions den. Steve (the zoo keeper) locked the lion in a small cage beside the den, then Annette and I lugged this huge piece of meat around the lions den, wiping the scent of the meat everywhere, before Steve was kind enough to place it up in the tree branch for us (it was too heavy for me, lol!). Here, you can see the lion finding his meal and pulling it out of the tree. You can see the crown standing around the fence watching. Yes, we were out the back, watching from behind the barred door that leads into the den.

This is the lion less then 1 metre away from me. He jumped up on the barred door to let us know he wanted more food. Look at the size of him, and those paws were huge!!!!!

And then we got lucky with an added bonus. The tiger came up to the fence for a pat, and a scratch. I was nearly delirious with excitement. I actually got to pat a tiger. Holy crap!!!!! I cannot even begin to explain how all this felt. It was (besides the birth of my two girls), the most awesome, amazing, overwhelming thing I have ever done. Ummm, did I mention I am taking the family back to Adelaide at Christmas time so we can all do it together? Yes. Seriously. We are going to spend Christmas with the wild animlas, lol!

Adelaide From My Camera...

2011-06-22T19:48:00.004+10:00

I love Adelaide. I cannot deny it, and I cannot fight it. I want to move here - NOW!!!!! The shopping is out of this world (wait till I show you the shoes, handbag, and jewellery that I have purchased). It's clean. The people are friendly. And it is so easy to navigate around the city and suburbs. Here's a shot of King William Street. This is one of the main streets, and leads down to Rundle Mall and the Torrens River.
A lolly shop that we found in a side street of Rundle Mall. Isn't it amazing! Plus there was a really cheap and amazing bookstore directly opposite. (-: Annette went to the lolly store, I went to the bookstore, lol!
Piggy in the Mall. There are three of these statues, all different, and all gorgeous.
We found the black swans down near the Torrens River. They were very friendly (which we did not expect), and very vocal. They make the most amazing noises.
And here are the Kangaroo Paw wild flowers coming into bloom...glorious!!! Today we wandered down to Glenelg (more photos to come), and tomorrow we are going to the zoo. Friday we fly back home. I'm going to miss this place.

Captured Moments...

2011-06-22T17:05:00.005+10:00

Just sharing a layout I created while I've been down here in Adelaide. Shock! Horror! I actually used some old Kaisercraft paper that I found while at the scrapbooking retreat. And some old Fancy Pants chipboard pieces that I purchased. And I got to play with my new Tim Holtz stamps. (-:
Here's a close up of my flowers. I simply cut them out and adhered them with some Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots. So, so easy to do. Then I coated around the edges with some Kindy Glitz for sparkle and shimmer.
Those black alphas were originally pale pink. I simply coloured them in with a black Sharpie pen, stuck them to my page, then coated them with Dimensional Magic for a little shine.

Hello Adelaide!!!!!

2011-06-19T20:56:00.006+10:00

Meet Bill and Mac. These are two of the Clydesdales that pull the tram down at Victor Harbor. The tram goes out to Granite Island.
This is Mac. Isn't he gorgeous!!!!

Here you can see the bridge that leads out to Granite Island. This is where the tram is pulled along by the horses.
Here's Annette busy taking photos, while I take photos of her. Fair game, I say!!! (-: We are loving every second of our time in Adelaide. It's beautiful!!!!!!!!! I'll be back tomorrow with a layout share.

Where Am I?

2011-06-18T20:57:00.006+10:00

I'm in Adelaide. At a scrapbooking retreat. Yes, I went all the way to Adelaide for a retreat. Yes, I know I am crazy but I had an ulterior motive! I wanted to catch up with Steph Devlin who was teaching a class at the retreat. And I wanted to have some downtime to myself (plus I have my good friend Annette with me). We are having a blast, and will be in Adelaide until Friday. Here's a layout I have done, and can share with you. I created this layout for myself, no Design Team commitments, or assignments. Just for me!!! I have used a Noel Mignon kit.
Just a couple of close-ups. I've fallen back in love with stamps - this is a new one that I got from Glitz Designs. The mini alphas are also from them (and not part of Noel's kit).
Another close-up of the journalling, and a new Tim Holtz stamp.
For the retreat we are staying at Adare House which is at Victor Harbor. The retreat finishes tomorrow afternoon, so then we will pack up and head back to Adelaide city. Here's a couple of pictures of the views from where we are staying.
I haven't had a chance to edit or photoshop these photos - they are "as is!". I know hubby and I have been talking about moving to Perth, but after coming back to Adelaide, I am having second thoughts. I really think I would prefer to move here. Seriously. I'll be back tomorrow or the next day with some more photos. Stay tuned...

Not "Me" Layouts...

2011-06-15T16:25:00.003+10:00

This week, over at Helmar, we are celebrating the partnership between Helmar and Best Creations. But sometimes things just don't go as planned. Like these two layouts I tried to create for this DT assignment. Let's just say, they are NOT going to be seen on the Helmar blog. Nope. Definitely not. But I am happy to say, my third attempt at this assignment did work out, and you will see it up on the Helmar blog on Thursday (USA time).
I don't know what is is about these layouts, but they are definitely "NOT ME" layouts. Know what I mean? I don't know if it was the themed papers, the colour palette, or the fact that I had a nasty cold when I created these, but I definitely struggled. As the saying goes, you win some and you lose some. Or in my case, it's the third time lucky, lol! Thanks for dropping by.

Can A Girl Have Her Life Back?

2011-06-12T11:16:00.008+10:00

I'm so sorry for neglecting you my sweet blog readers. It's been a crazy week. Jellybean (our cat) is on heat. So I have been kept busy keeping an eye on her. She is booked in with the vet to be desexed next Thursday. Let's hope it not to late. If it is, does anyone want kittens???

I wanted to share this photo from our Sunday trip to Wet And Wild. My darling hubby took this photo, and it's actually one of my favourites. The three girls (Alex is Malayla's buddy) had the best time ever.

Then on Monday we all got sick. (Except Alex. She was fine, lol). So I've had one or more children home for the first three days of this week. Then on Thursday and Friday they had their school sports carnival.

On Tuesday hubby went back to work. I'm on my own again for 3 weeks.
On Friday coming, I fly out to Adelaide for a week of scrapping, shopping and sight-seeing. I'm going with my dear friend Annette. Let's see how much trouble we can get ourselves into, lol!!! Grnadma is going to hold down the fort (scary, scary thought!).

And all day Friday and Saturday I spent cleaning out the house of rubbish and unwanted stuff. I've done all the rooms except my scraproom and the garage. They will have to wait until I get back from Adelaide.

On the scrapping front I have some exciting news. I have had my first ever layout picked up by Scrapbook Trends (USA magazine) for publication. It will be in the November 2011 issue. Yes, I am excited. But probably not as excited as my dear friend Jodi Dolbel. She made the Kaisercraft Design Team 2011-2012!!! Woo-hooo!!!!!!!! Way to go Jodi. I am so proud of you. xxx

And hopefully by tomorrow I will have a layout or two to share with you. My urge for cleaning is over, so I should be able to sit down and scrap without problems now, lol! (-:

Get Your Glue On!!!

2011-06-06T07:32:00.003+10:00

Guess what? We have a challenge for you up an the Helmar blog site (believe me, the Design Team have been very busy creating lots of inspiration for you!!!). Yes, every month now, we are going to find new ways to inspire and challenge you. So, are you game? Are you up for it? Come and join us this month for a sketch challenge. All you need to do is link your layout to Mr Linky on the Helmar Challenge blog post, and you will automatcially be in the running to win some awesome Helmar prizes.

Here's my take on the Helmar June Sketch Challenge. Titled: 4 Ever. I hope you come and join in the fun. I'd love to see how Helmar inspires you!

Do You Etsy?

2011-06-02T21:51:00.007+10:00

I've been wanting to open an Etsy store for some time now. But I haven't found my "niche" yet. So, in the meantime, I will enjoy those stores that my friends have opened (and I will watch and learn, lol!). My dear friend Gail Linder, has been busy sourcing, and restocking her new Etsy store Greatest View. I'm a sucker for Baker's Twine, and Gail has a store full of it!!! (-: In lots of different colours. Not to mention the doilies, stick pins and rosettes. So many pretty things to choose from. Yes, I am restocking my scrapping supplies...(-: Look at what will be making it's way to my supplies shortly...

I'm a kraft addict too, lol!

So many colours and shapes... Stunning paper doilies!!! With polka does. Swoon!!!!!

How divine are these felt rosettes? But hurry. Supplies at Greatest View will be limited once I have finished shopping, lol! Get in quick!!! (-:

Share Time Already...

2011-06-02T14:49:00.003+10:00

I'm getting off to an early start with my DT commitments for this month (as I have a week away at the end of the month). Plus I have a lot of other crazy stuff going on in my life (will give you more details down the track when I am ready). Here's my first project this month for Zva Creative. Titled: 24-7 Chocolate. Zva Creative Products used: rhinestone bracket (CRB-02CB-109); Dual Flowers (FL-4CA-128); Graceful Roses (FL-04CA-131); rhinestones (CR-02CB-101); rhinestone strips (CR01CB113); bulk 3d roses in lime green - 2 sizes; and 2mm foam dots (AD01CB102).

Here's a close up of some of the flowers I have used. The Graceful Roses and Dual Flowers were white, which didn't work for me, so I simply sprayed them with some Glimmermist. I used Lime Twist, Inchworm, and Sprout to get the right shade of green.

And I know it's hard to see, but I filled the negative space in the letter "o" with rhinestones. I have used the Noel Mignon Mary Ellen kit to create this layout (papers, foldies etc.). I have used some Hambly Washi tape, and a mask from Tim Holtz.

It's Arrived!!!

2011-06-02T14:22:00.003+10:00

My Helmar box of goodies has arrived. And there are heaps of new things to try. Like the adhesive runner - I've never, ever used one before. And the crackle medium (step 1 and step 2). So many possibilities with that stuff! And the Helmar Remove Cleaner. Heaps of new products to experiment with. This is going to be a lot of fun!!!! Keep an eye out for some new projects coming your way! And don't forget, next week Helmar and Best Creations are teaming up to present you with a whole tonne of inspiration. I hope you'll drop by the Helmar Blog to see what we've been up to!!!

May Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced...

2011-06-01T19:00:00.006+10:00

We'd like to congratulate the FIVE March Zva Creative Blog Hop winners!
Their names will be found on the following blogs:

Carole Maurin
Susan Lui
Tara Orr
Kim Hughes
Tanya Tahir

Here's a little more inspiration for you. Titled: A Lovely Day. I have totally fallen for the bright colours in the Mary Ellen kit from Noel Mignon. Zva Creative products used: Pearl leaves PES-03CB-103; Rhinestones CR-02CB-101; Rhinestone strips CR-01CB-109; Pearls PE-02CB-101/CR-02CA-127; and 2mm Foam Dots AD01CB102.

A close up of the journalling and details.
And lots of pretty flower, leaves and bling.
One winner from each of the 5 blogs will receive a Zva Creative prize package worth $30.00. Congratulations to the winners!
And I hope we see you back here at the end of June for our next blog hop!

Crafty Sketches June Sketch Challenge...

2011-06-01T18:17:00.004+10:00

Woo-hoo! It's the start of a new month, so we have a new sketch for you up at Crafty Sketches. This lovely sketch was designed by Eve. Don't forget to join and the fun and link your creation to Mr Linky before the end of the month.

Here's my take on the sketch. Titled: Pose And Click. I've used the Noel Mignon "Mary Ellen" kit to create this layout (plus same Hambly Washi tape). And that wood grain paper is growing on me - I think I'm now addicted to it, lol! (-: Happy scrapping everyone!

Zva Creative May DT Blog Hop!

2011-05-30T23:00:00.007+10:00

Zva Creative and the Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special!

As you know, Zva Creative offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.

The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package ...YIPPEE! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.

The Blog Hop starts today, May 30th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, May 31st and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 1st on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.

I opted for Summer colours this month. After all, who doesn't love Summer days by the beach or lake? My girls definitely do!!! Titled: Queen Of Pout. Yellow isn't usually my colour of choice, but I am really glad that i chose it for this layout. It just makes the page so fun and festive.

The flourishes were too big for my page, so I simply cut them into smaller pieces. And of course I added some rhinestones for the little bit of extra sparkle. (-: (Why don't I just admit it? I added the rhinestones because I am a BLING addict!!! There, I said it, lol!)

Zva Creative products used: Pearl flourish PE-02CB-129; silk flowers FL01CB106; rhinestones CR-01CB-101; rhinestone strips CR-01CB-109; and 2mm foam dots AD01CB102. Other products used: Noel Mignon "Mary Ellen" kit; Glimmermist.

The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes

Your next stop is here: Carole Maurin

Thank you SO MUCH for joining us . Don't forget to drop by on Wednesday to find out who the lucky winners are. Plus I will have a little extra inspiration for you!

The Countdown Begins...

2011-05-29T13:54:00.002+10:00

It's coming...

Soon...

CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!

Back On Track...Kind Of...

2011-05-27T17:53:00.005+10:00

Our family life is kind of back on track. Here's a run-down. Keana is feeling much, much better. She even went to school today. No, we still don't really know what the problem was. My mojo is back. I managed to scrap my first layout is about 4-5 days today. Yes, it's definitely back, and I am very, very relieved. Jellybean has a head-ache. She didn't see me close the glass sliding door, and she ran into it. She bounced off and gave me a very peeved off look (I totally cracked up laughing!!!). I'm thinking about doing some gardening stuff with my girls tomorrow. The scary thing is, I am SO NOT A GARDENER!!!! But a herb garden might be a good idea. We have a party to go to tomorrow afternoon, and we haven't even bought a gift yet. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute. Sunday it's supposed to rain again, so I think we might go to the movies and see Pirates Of The Carribean. My Helmar box of goodies is supposed to turn up some time next week. The waiting is driving me crazy, lol! I just ran out of Liquid Scrap Dots, so I am kind of desperate. And to finish it all off, my husband is going through a mid-life crisis, and has dyed his hair black...

Here is Tony with grey hair.

Here is Tony with black hair (sorry for the bad photo - it was from a computer screen shot). So what do you think? Does he look 25 again? Does that make me a cougar? ROFL!!!!

Color Combos Galore Challenge #194

2011-05-27T15:31:00.008+10:00

It's time for me to say goodbye. I've been with Color Combos Galore for a year now, and have decided to step down as I need to take some time out. So Challenge #194 will be my last challenge with the CCG Design Team. I can't thank Janet enough, for the amazing opportunity that she offered me, and I can't thank all the ladies on the team enough, for their amazing friendship and support. It's been a wonderful, wonderful journey. (-:

Here's my take on this week's challenge. Yes, I know this isn't a typical "me" layout. But with everything I had going on with Keana, I just couldn't find my mojo, couldn't get in the zone, and really struggled to scrap. But I have wanted to record our daily schedule for quite some time, so this was the perfect opportunity, since the designer's challenge was to work with numbers.

Here's a close-up of the schedule. (-: Yes, my crazy, crazy life...sigh!

Just Roll With It...

2011-05-24T21:07:00.004+10:00

Today took a turn for the worse. In fact, the past 10 days have been a turn for the worse. Both my girls have been sick on and off over the past 10 days. For the most part, it was a sniffly nose and cough. Nothing serious that I couldn't deal with. The only disruption was to me - at home - when they were home sick and kept fighting. Blah!!!! Then on Saturday night my youngest got sharp pains in her stomach, about 10 o'clock at night. So I gave her Nurofen, and sat with her until it kicked in and she fell asleep. On Sunday she wasn't really bad, but she wasn't really good either. But it still wasn't enough to have me too concerned. Monday morning I decided to take her to the doctor just in case. After a test, he decided it was probably a urinary tract infection and gave her antibiotics. But to keep an eye on her in case the pain got worse (in which case it might be appendicitis). This morning it got worse. The Nurofen wasn't working. So I took her up to the hospital at 10:00am. It was such a long day.... they did an ultrasound, they did a urine test, they did blood tests, they did physicals...and they wouldn't let Keana eat in case they had to do surgery (yes, at one point they were talking like it was a big possibility). She was in so much pain, and it took all my effort not to cry in front of her because there was nothing I could do for her. But after 10 hours, she finally took a turn for the better. And they let her come home (as long as I keep a close eye on her). In the end, they don't think appendicitis was the culprit. They think it is most likely inflamed lymph nodes around her liver (or was it kidney? too tired to remember) because of the nasty cold she had last week. Or it could still be a urinary tract infection. Appendicitis rates much lower on the possibility scale (thank-goodness). But at least she is home. The cats have been fed. I am finally getting the cup of tea I have been craving all day. And I am too tired to give a damn about trying to scrap. Now that's a first for me, lol! So here's to rolling with the punches, and hoping that tomorrow is a better day. (-:

Just A Share...

2011-05-21T21:55:00.007+10:00

I thought I might join in the fun over at Glitz Design. This month's challenge was to create a layout using the clustering technique. Here's my end result - titled" How Can I Resist?". I'm undecided about this layout. It didn't turn out the way I saw it in my head. Maybe it's the colours? Or maybe it's the design? I don't know which, but I just know I am not 100% happy with it. But never mind - I still had fun creating it. (-:
Here's a couple of detail shots.

I have my suspicions I might be in for a rough night. I think my youngest has picked up a stomach bug, or eaten something that does not agree with her. She is complaining of a very sore stomach. I have just given her some Nurofen, so we will see how she feels once that kicks in. My poor little girl. Hopefully she will be able to get some sleep tonight if the medication works. Otherwise I think tomorrow will be a slow, stay at home day, for both of us.

I have the type of keyboard that slides in and out, from under the computer desk. And Jellybean has found a new way to scare the bejeezuz out of me! I'll be typing, then I will feel this hairy thing brushing against my fingers. Of course I jump, thinking it's a spider, (can you say SCREAM!!!), but I look down to find a furry paw trying to reach me from the back of the keyboards. Rotten little cat. (-:

I want to go and scrap, but I'm craving chocolate and peanut butter ice-cream. Damn! We have no chocolate at all in the house. )-: Guess I'll just have to go and scrap, lol! See ya!

Happy Birthday To You...

2011-05-20T22:43:00.003+10:00

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Antonio,

Happy Birthday to you!!!

We all miss you. Hurry home soon.

Love from Malayla, Keana and Jules. xxx