This And That EP Sketch Contest...

Have I mentioned how much I am in love with the Echo Park This & That Graceful collection? Like, really in love!!!!! Teal, red and brown has always been one of my favourite colour combinations, so I am happy to use any excuse to play with these papers.

When I saw the Echo Park Sketch Contest, which requires a layout to be created with either "This & That" collection, well I just jumped at the chance to play with these papers. Here's the end result: I Think You Are Amazing. My daughter is struggling a little with the changes of a new school and new city, so I created this to give her self-esteem a little boost, and to let her know I love her - no matter what!!!

Here's a close-up of some of my detailed work and layers. Yes, I'd be lost without my Liquid Pearls, lol! They are a staple of my stash (did I mention I just purchased all the new colours? Addicted much???).

Glitz March Blog Challenge...

I'm loving the new challenges that Glitz Designs are offering up every month. The beauty of them, is that they are not all the same - sometimes it's an inspiration photo, other times a colour combination, or like this month - using a specific product. For March, the challenge is to use "Paper Layers" on your layout, card, or off-the-page project.

Don't ask me what's with the orange layout - I can't answer that. It's just the way it turned out, lol! It had a mind of its own. Titled: New Beginnings.

I loved the opportunity to use paper layers, but I wanted to be a little more creative then just using them as background layers. I contemplated making flowers out of the paper layers, but flowers hold much better when the paper is thicker and sturdier. Plus the paper really needs to be double-sided, which the paper-layers are not. So, I looked for another alternative, and came up with paper rolls used as a decoration (and tied together with a big, bright bow).

Here's a close-up of my paper rolls. And hand-made flowers. :-)

Products Used: Laced With Grace paper range from Glitz Designs; Glitz Designs What Nots; Glitz Designs Paper Layers; Glitz Designs Peek-A-Boos; Glitz mini-alphas; washi tapes; Zva Creative rhinestones; AC Thickers; Martha Stewart punch; paper flowers.

Imaginarium Designs Project No.2 March

Today I get to share my second March project for Imaginarium Designs. Yay! (And I still have one more project to go). Just click on the Imaginarium Designs blog (right here) for the full details and to see all the other inspiration from the team.

This started out as a desire to use some stickers and transparencies that I had purchased. It then took on a mind of its own, lol! I am absolutely thrilled with the end result - I've layered mists; washi tape; rub-ons; transparencies; stickers; stitching; and papers to achieve this look.

Techniques Used on Imaginarium Designs chipboard: Both the mirrored bracket and mini oval frame were coated with a Krylon gold leaf pen. Once dry, I added a paper background, and adhered it to my page with Helmar Liquid Scrapdots. Kaisercraft Sparklets and Blossoms were added for further detail and decoration. The "YOU&ME" phrase was coated with Ingvilde Bolme/Prima ink. I then sprayed it with Helmar Vellum spray, and quickly sprinkled Doodlebug glitter over the top before the spray could dry. I then simply tapped off the excess glitter, and adhered the phrase to my layout.

Other products used: Crate papers; Hambly transparencies; Hambly rub-ons; Hambly Washi Tape; Kaisercraft rhinestones; Kaisercraft Blossoms; Kaisercraft Sparklets; Teresa Collins transparency; Heidi Swapp flourish sticker.

Do You Care?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I've decided it's time to give back to the community.

Besides, don't we all need some good Karma?

And helping others always makes one feel better.

So, lets find out how many of you really do care, and will donate a little of their creative time, and create a mini-masterpiece. All for a good cause. All for charity.

All to help women and men fighting the fight against cancer.

What brought this on, I hear you ask? Well, I received the following letter from my dear friend Annette. She is involved with the Be Uplifted Inc. charity. And they need help. I am in a position to offer that help. So, here we go:

"Hi Jules,
I had this wonderful thought about ATCs & the 'Be Uplifted charity' ...
I have been asked to do some art work to be displayed in the oncology
unit at a local Brisbane Hospital
My thought was: if all your friends & my friends & their friends would
be interested in making an ATC in pink with an uplifting word or quote
on it. What do you think???
My objective is to then adhere them to a large canvas (or two) or
frame them behind glass for display.
As they will be glued down the names of the artist will need to be
separate so it can be added beneath the ATC.
The patients will be able to read these whilst they are going through
their chemo treatment.

May is the birthday month of 'BeUplifted' & all the information is on
this link... http://www.beuplifted.org.au/
so if I could have all ATCs by the end of April, I can have it framed
and ready to present at our mid- May function.
ATCs contact could be through my email or your facebook?

Be Uplifted Inc is a breast cancer fundraising organization supporting
women and their families during diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Thank you for helping us to help others.
Have attached our logo

love ya thanks for supporting us
Annette"

I am going to take this opportunity to ask if you will participate (I will beg if I have too!!!)?Anyone can join in (local, interstate, or international). All you need to do is create an ATC card in pink, with an uplifting word or quote on it, before the end of April. All ATC's will be included in the frame, with the artist's name listed below the card. Can you imagine a huge frame filled with ATC's from all around the world? How awesome and amazing would that be? Wouldn't you like to be a part of that? I know I sure would!!!

If you would like to participate, please email me at julianna-delumen@powerup.com.au, and I will send you the address that the ATC needs to be sent to. Alternatively, you can message me on Facebook (my Facebook link is at the top of my blog).

I hope I hear from you soon. :-)

Thank-you for taking the time to read this. It is greatly appreciated.

I will share my ATC once it is complete.

Combining Challenges...

I promised myself that I would find time to do the Sketch and Colour Inspiration Challenges this month over at Scrapbook Kits. But again, I find the end of the month fast approaching, and me running out of time. So rather than choosing to do just one (or worse still neither!!!), I decided to combine both challenges. And oh man, I am so glad I did. Now some people have problems with combining challenges, and get their knickers in a knot about it (it's cheating, it's wrong, blah! blah! blah!). I don't have that problem, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. :-)

To be honest, I made a HUGE mistake on this layout, so it does not look anything like it should. How so, you ask? Well, you see where those flowers and hanging leaves are? Originally, I used dark green Liquid Pearls to make the stems - but something happened (a cat who shall remain nameless tried to jump on my table and caused me to smudge it - big time!!!). Which left me with a dilemma. How to you cover up a great, big, dark green smudge? Why, gesso, inks, and mists, of course!!! I'm not entirely happy with the end result, but it's definitely better than what is was with the green smudge all over it. Sigh...I guess some things are just meant to be, lol!

A close-up of the flowers and leaves, and some of my details.

Just a close-up of my journalling (thanks to the misting, I had to use the journalling to help tie the page together).

Products Used: MY Mind's Eye papers; MME chipboard pieces; MME brads; Manor House flowers and leaves; Prima pearls and rhinestones; Tattered Angels mists; and Liquid Pearls.

Sugar And Spice...

Those words, "sugar and spice", definitely describe my two girls perfectly. They are so different, but both lovable and adorable. Today I am sharing my first March project for Imaginarium Designs (I've done 3, so there are two more coming). You can find more details about my March project over on the Imaginarium Designs blog - and there are some from the other ladies on the team, too. So pop on over and check them out - lots of gorgeous layouts for those special girls in our lives.

ID Products: 8 Butterflies on board - Code IDS0003; and 12 Buttons on board - Code IDS0031.

Techniques Used: The butterflies were inked with two different shades of blue from the Ingvilde Bolme/Prima inks. Once dry, I coated them with Tattered Angels Glam (in Chandelier). I adhered them to my page with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to raise them off the page. The buttons were inked with a hot pink from the Ingvilde Bolme/Prima inks, Once dry, I coated them (very thickly) with Dimensional Magic. This gave a beautiful, shiny finish once it was dry. I finished them off by tying bakers twine through the centre, before I adhered them to my page. The phrase "You Are My Everything", was first inked with a cream/beige from the Ingvilde Bolme/Prima inks. For a pearlescent finish, I then coated the phrase with a cream/pearl colour from the Twinkling H2O range. Finally, after deciding it still did not stand out enough from the page, I added a light coat of Crystalline Kindy Glitz.

Other products used: Glitz Designs papers; Glitz designs rub-ons; Sassafras flowers; Zva Creative rhinestone flourish; Hambly Washi tape; Zva Creative rhinestones; The Twinery bakers twine; and Liquid Pearls.

Here's a close-up of my butterflies, buttons and title. I love how the Glitz rub-ons worked perfectly with the title to help create a little cluster of elements in this corner. And those sparkly butterflies - love!!!!! They are just so cute and go with everything. Somehow, I think those butterflies and buttons are going to have a permanent spot in my stash, lol!

Let's Go With Cute...

One of the interesting things about playing Layout Tag over at Noel Mignon's, is that sometimes you have to work outside your comfort zone. What do I mean? Well, everyone has a different style of scrapbooking. Sometimes, the layout you receive is totally different to your own style, so adapting it can be quite a challenge.

I usually like to leave a little (or a lot) of white space on my layouts, but many of the American girls have a different style where they utilise the whole page. Because this is a new style for me, I decided to keep this layout simple and cute. Why make things harder for myself? This may not be my greatest layout ever, but it's passable, and I'm happy with it. Besides, cute is always a good thing, isn't it? LOL!!!

Want A Fun Challenge?

We have a gorgeous colour inspiration challenge for you over at Scrapbook Kits. I am definitely going to have to find some time to create a layout for this!!!

March Inspiration Challenge (picture found on Pinterest).

So, do you want to play?

Then just click here for details to enter, and join in the fun.

And for those of you who prefer a sketch, we have this sketch designed by yours truly. What do you think? Does it look like fun? I think it does, and I will DEFINITELY be creating a layout based on this sketch - I will share it when I am finished.

So, if you would like to join in for the March Sketch, just click here.

And remember, we LOVE playing with new people too. Everyone is welcome. All the details can be found on the Scrapbook Kits blog.

Crafty Sketches - March 2012 Sketch

I've been designing sketches again. It was my turn to design a sketch for Crafty Sketches. All I can say is, this one is REALLY a challenge, lol!

Crafty Sketches March Sketch - designed by Jules (That's me!!!).

I love banners, so I decided to make the most of them, with not one row of banners, but three!!! I warned you it was a challenge! :-)

And this is my interpretation of my sketch - "Like Day & Night".

The rest of the Crafty Sketches Design Team (and Guest Designer) did an amazing job with this sketch. Just click here to see their work, and receive a whole lot of inspiration. If you would like to have some fun and play with us, all the details can be found on the Crafty Sketches blog.

Products Used: Echo Park "This & That Graceful" papers and stickers; Imaginarium Designs chipboard; Magnolia chandelier piece; Prima flowers; Kasiercraft rhinestones; The Twinery twine; and Ranger Embossing Glitter.