Don't you love a stunning Sunrise

Phew, made it with only hours to spare.  I've just finished my entry for the Dusty Attic monthly challenge, my 1st entry in 12 months so I've put a lot of effort into it.  Here is their Inspiration Board I followed:

 

I love the richness of all these colours which have gone extremely well with this gorgeous photo of a sunrise along with these BoBunny papers.

 

When I first got this BoBunny  'Weekend Market' paper collection I was quite overwhelmed by the boldness of the colours and designs, but gee whiz it matches this photo perfectly. 

After stitching, layering, adding a bit of background stencilling I got stuck into adding as much Dusty Attic chippies as I could.  Most pieces were painted several times in varying colours, then touched up with stickles, rub-n-buff or glossy accents.

 

Enjoy these closeups:

 

Dusty Attic products used are:  DA700     Powerlines

                                                   DA848     Floral corners

                                                   DA802     Zippers

                                                   DA1074   Love this

                                                   DA477      Mini words #3

                                                   DA802     Dusty in Bloom - smokey blue



(Inter)National Scrapbooking Day Weekend Extravaganza

Southern Girls Challenge and SpiegelMom Scraps are teaming up to bring you a full on, awesome Nastional Scrapbooking Day Weekend of fun, creating and prizes including prizes from our sub sponsor Auzz Trinkets & Crafts

Come and join in the fun - Sign up at https://www.facebook.com/events/352855381575724/

And you can use this special discount code in the spiegelmom scraps store to select some goodies to play with.....

NSD15

We Are looking forward to this joint awesomeness and hope you will all come and join us.

Pretty's for Prima

I am excited and extremely humbled to have the privilege to put together this collection of my work and be considered for a position on the Design Team for Prima Marketing.

Firstly here is an altered journal I've made for my nephew and his fiancé, who are marrying later this year.  I really love doing this type of work and alter all sorts of things.

 

 

Enjoy these close-ups



 

 

 

Prima products used here are: Seashore paper, Sunrise sunset stencil, Shabby Chic Treasures - mailbox, Art basics - modelling paste, gesso, 3D matte gel, micro beads & glass beads.

 

Secondly this simple card was a pleasure to make:

 

 

 

Prima products used here are: Ledger pad paper, flower spray - ladybird, Say it in Crystals - Divine

 

Thirdly, my layout featuring another one of my nephews in his favourite pastime:

 

 

More close-ups to enjoy

 

Prima products used here are: Seashore paper & tags, woodgrain & anchors stencil, Art basics modelling paste, flowers - blue mini rose & seashore, Shabby Chic Treasures - resin birds, Junkyard Findings - Vintage Trinkets, light bulb & bottle caps, flower spray - lady bird.

 

Lastly here is my 'tag' notebook (2 oversized tags turned into a notebook:

 

 

Prima products used here are: Seashore paper, flower, Say it in Crystals - Divine.

 

Thank you for this chance to showcase some of creations to you, it has been a pleasure to put this collection together. 

Tane Mahuta

Time for another challenge at Southern Girls Challenge and the theme this time is STARS.  I wanted to do something a little different so have let stencils and this awesome photo speak for themselves.

 

I've started with my ever favourite Kaisercraft paper, from 'Precious Moments' & 'Timeless Classics' collections.  I've added some modelling paste thru this gorgeous Imagine if . . star stencil, distressed, stitched, then added lace & burlap to the layers.

 

Handmade burlap bloom, crocheted & prima flowers keep the page uncomplicated while matching the colour scheme perfectly.

 

I LOVE the kiwiana chipboard available at Imagine if . . , infact they are the only company that I'm aware of that produces this type of product.  Here I've added some flocking to the koru pieces.

 

This felt kiwi is a perfect companion for the mighty Tane don't you think?  As he IS the star of the forest I hope I have done him proud.  'Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) is New Zealand’s largest known living kauri tree and without doubt its most famous, it is believed to be over 200 years old.

Thanks for joining us here at Southern Girls Challenge, I hope this has inspired you to try something a little different.

End of an Era

As stated in my previous post my 12 month term with Imagine if .  . has now come to an end, so after thinking long and hard just how best to show off some of my years work.  While looking through all I've created I just couldn't leave out too many things so  I've put together a few photo collages with some of what I've been up to. 

 

The range of chipboard, MDF & felt products that Imagine if has produced over the last 12 months simply incredible.  Every month Jo had yet another package of 'new releases' for us girls to 'play with' for her. 

 

 Some of these products i.e the hollow book & fairies (both picture 2) I REALLY hit the wall with and had to put them aside in the 'too hard basket' until Jo asked for them, then surprisingly they came together effortlessly and infact have ended up 2 of my most favourites.

 

I've had a real blast being on this team, the other girls have all been fantastic and SOOOO talented, I think we've 'fed' off each other (talentwise of course).

 

Now with the Design Team term at an end, Imagine if will be running challenges for everyone to show off their talents, with the chance of winning a 'Guest Designer' spot.  Good luck to you all.

 

So a big thank you to Jo Johnson and her family for all their hard work.  I hope the business goes from strength to strength for you.  They can be visited at the shop at 25a Canada St, Morrinsville or of course mail order direct from the site here.  

Farewell Imagine If

It is bittersweet writing this post as it is the last project I'll be sharing in my capacity as Design Team member for Imagine if . .  .  These last 12 months have gone sooooo fast, its really unbelievable its over already.  It's been a fantastic ride as I've been amongst some awesome talent, Jo really picked herself a great bunch of crafters, and I think . . . no, I know we have all really grown from this experience.  Who would have thought 12 months ago the type of creations we have all come up with . . . . wow.  And it's a bit sad too now its all over, but I'm going to try to carry on pushing myself - after I catch my breath of course. 

So here's my farewell layout, using all the new chipboard Jo has produced for us this month.  She sent us dolls, keys & locks & wings to play with.

 

I've used Kaisercraft paper from the 'Precious Moments' and 'Just Believe' collections, and have finally used my Martha Stewart 'Round the Page' punch - LOVE IT.  I've used a DSD stamp under the paper doily, then had lots of fun creating this gorgeous doll.  Sadly I can't take all the credit for her as I have used the idea I saw on Gabrielle Pollacco's awesome blog (and used her dolls head also - thanks Gabbi). 

 

Its such a fun idea and so easy to do.  I then added the sparkling wings, which were painted then finished with a layer of stickles.  The padlocks and keys were heat embossed silver then touched up with TH Vintage Photo ink.  The heart was painted then clear heat embossed.

 

I've used lots of I am Roses blooms, so will be entering this into their monthly challenge also.  Blooms used are Daisy, S10 blooms, small daisies & leaves.

 

I'll also be entering this in the Artfull Crafts colour challenge for this month.

 

Imagine if . .  products used are Angel wings

                                                    hearts

                                                    keys

                                                    locks

                                                    doll

Kaisercraft Design Team 2015 Entry

I am excited to have the opportunity to put together this collection of my creations to showcase my talents, and to be considered for inclusion in this prestigious Design Team.

Firstly I'd like to share this layout created in October 2014, using a 'Honey Chai' paper, with lots of Imagine if chipboard labelled We are Family

Also please visit my 2nd selection here to see a later layout using 'Sandy Toes' paper.

Secondly, my Off the Page project was created in May 2014, is a Memory Box using a 'Timeless Moments' paper, here showing off my flowermaking skills.  A detailed tutorial is linked to this post.

 

Again my 2nd selection is a more recent creation using only Kaisercraft flowers on a decoupaged gift box, please look here

 

Thirdly I have included here my mixed media Journal cover created in January 2014, using lots of 'bits and pieces' including Kaisercraft chipboard

 

 

An extra for this section is a real favourite of mine, but sadly because of present design team restrictions no Kaisercraft products have been used.   I loved constructing this hollow book and adore how the cover ended up.

I am please to be able to put together this wee collection and hope it shows off a bit of my style and capabilities.

 

Playtime

Gee how time has flown.  Here I am back again with my 1st layout since rejoining the Southern Girls Challenge DT.  Lou has selected a 'Boys Theme' for this latest challenge, so I was excited to do something with this awesome photo of my son Troy playing with his xmas present (oh dear, poor neighbours).

 

Such a fun page, which I tried very hard to keep simple . . . . this is real hard for me, and to do a page without flowers is such a rarity.  This is the back side of a Kaisercraft 'Now Boarding' paper, with lots of random bits of paper, stencils & splotches.  Several Imagine if . .  cogs just add a little more of a 'male' feel to the page.

 

When creating this I had in mind to enter a challenge at Artfull Crafts where this month one of their challenges is to add 'splatters & splotches', so now I've ticked both boxes.

 

I would love to see you all support both these challenges, as they are both NZ based, and we've got to support the locals now don't we??

Shabby Chic Box

I've had a lot of fun creating this latest box, which was to be a gift for a friend, but as you would have it I've fallen in love with it myself so . . . .  I'll probably have to keep it for myself.

Here I'm showcasing lots of new pieces from Imagine if . . , and as usual this has finished up TOTALLY different to what I had in my mind at the beginning.

Kaisercraft 'Precious Moments' paper was perfect for the shabby look I wanted, this was inked with TH 'Walnut Stain', before it was attached, then I added a bit of texture with a bit of modelling paste thru stencils.  Here is all the 'bits' before assembly.

 

The gorgeous arched window frame received a coat of "Grape" paint, then was dry brushed with gesso.  The wings were embossed, then along with the remaining chipboard received various coats of brown & pink paints, then I applied the solution to 'weather' the paint before painting white.  This all then was inked again with TH Walnut stain. 

I've used a mix of handmade and I am Roses flowers along with muslim, leaves & cones to decorate the corner.  An old brooch was touched up with gesso before being added to the top of the arch.

 

Enjoy these close ups

 

 

I am entering this in the I am Roses monthly challenge, with I am Roses products used  lillies, buds & sweet little S10 blooms.

 

Imagine if . .  products used are  Arched window frame

                                                     keys & locks

                                                     wings

                                                     Quote sheet - Dreams

                                                     open flower

 

Another summer 'Tail'

OMG the beginning of another new month, and luckily we are still very much in the grips of summer.  So why not show off some more awesome summer photos with the fun new chipboard pieces Imagine if . .  have for us. 

Recently I was lucky enough to spend the day fishing at the Hen & Chicks, islands outside the Whangarei harbour, and we had such a fantastic day.  The sea was crazy calm, the weather was awesome, the company was great and the fish were biting - need I say more.

 

Again I've used paper from the Kaisercraft 'Sandy Toes' collection, its just so right for these summer photos.  The brown checkered paper is from my stash.   

 

First step after I distressed the paper was to apply 'bubbles' on the page.  Sadly not easy to see on the big photo, but they can be seen clearer on these closeups.  I applied some gel medium thru the bubble stencil.

 

 

Don't you just LOVE these chipboard tails.  Here I've coated them with modelling paste then when nearly dry I've pressed on the scales and ribbed the tail.  When dry I painted them with silver paint, then when that was dry I used several different Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in blues & greens.  Did I say how much I LOVE these??

 

Lots of other little 'bits and pieces' finish my summery page.

 

Imagine if products used  -  Tails

                                              'Sun Sea & Sand'

                                              Anchor

                                              Sea horses

                                              Quote Sheet - 'Seasons in Time'

                                              Bubble stencil