August Zva Blog Hop Winners Announced

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!!!!

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...

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!!!

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...

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...

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...

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. (-: