Creations From The Heart

Why?

Sugarplum Paperie blog challenge

I've just finished up this hybrid layout for a blog challenge I'm hosting over at Sugarplum Paperie.  It will be up on Nicole's blog sometime tomorrow our time.  I have made it about taking stock of your life and thinking about myself for a change which us Mums rarely do. The kids always come first for me and I have definitely suffered physically and emotionally from that. I have let my health go, I have a very inactive lifestyle and have been piling on the kilos. I did 5 index cards of journalling for this layout which I've tucked into the plastic pocket detailing what I need to make drastic changes to - my health including my weight, choosing a more active lifestyle and ultimately doing this for ME and for my family. And yep, them there feet are my big, swollen ugly ones! Because of the heat, they've been like that for a while here but the photo makes them look oh so much worse!

Digi supplies:
Papers, frames, tag, asterisk, dandelion and flowers next to 'ME' from STRAWBERRY AU LAIT by Sugarplum Paperie
'Precious' label from February Grab Bag LITTLE LOVE BITS from Sugarplum Paperie
Index cards from PROJECT 365 EMBELLISHMENTS from Sugarplum Paperie
Font Travelling Typewriter

Physical supplies:
American Crafts chipboard alphas
Making Memories Cheeky Shimmer alphas
3D foam tape
Plastic pocket envelope
Rhonna Farrer wordart sticker
Flowers & brads (unknown)
Pink scalloped edge Bazzill
Hole punch
Thread
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Sponge for distressing
Making Memories tiny alpha stickers

father's day projects

With Father's Day only just around the corner here in Australia, I have had a request for tomorrow's workshop to make a card and a scrapbook layout, so here's a couple of the cards that the guests will get to choose from followed by the layout of my Dad!

Because I don't have any Stampin' Up embossing powders, I've used some from my own {huge} stash but everything else on these cards is from Stampin' Up.

Credits for first card:

Stamps - Bronc Buster, Weathered, Wanted, Always, Fine Lace

Ink - Versamark, Going Gray

Card - Basic Grey, Black, Mellow Moss, Really Rust, Kraft

Other - Black Twine, edge distresser, sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mat Pack, black embossing powder (Tim Holtz distress embossing powder)

Credits for second card:

Stamps - Weathered, Always, Fine Lace, Occasional Greetings

Ink - Going Gray, Versamark

Card - Basic Grey, Black, Blue Bayou, Really Rust, Kraft

Other - Hemp Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals, gold embossing powder (my own stash), edge distresser, Mat Pack

 

CLICK ON THE PICS TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE DETAIL.

Here's my 12x12 layout done on some black textured cardstock.  I've also added in Basic Grey, Mellow Moss, Really Rust and Whisper White.  The word 'Dad' has been stamped with the Big Deal alphas and Crystal Effects has been added onto them.  I have stamped 'my' with the Short Order Alphabet and pinned it on with a silver brad.  I have punched out some large stars and distressed them with ink, tearing and screwing up (the fun stuff!) and stamped some smaller stars onto some of them from the Wanted set.  The only ink I've used is Basic Grey.  I've distressed most edges of the cardstock, inked some of them with a sponge, pricked holes with the Mat Pack set and mounted the Really Rust card onto Stampin' Dimensionals.  This piece also has some Hemp Twine tied around the top and I've also used the Spiral Punch along the top of this and stamped the Fine Lace background stamp onto it.  The Basic Grey piece has the Linen background stamp all over it and I've torn and rolled the right side to distress it.  I'll eventually add a journalling tag and pop it in behind my photograph.  It's a nice, simple layout but the Basic Grey is certainly a colour that has grown on me since it was released in the new Idea Book.

Layout for Alethea

Told you that I'd scrapbooked!

This is the layout that I made as an RAK for Alethea who won my blog comp recently.  These are her two gorgeous sons and I love how she can edit her photos in the camera before printing to have half black & white and half colour.  I grabbed bits and pieces out of my stash and I'll jot down what I can remember:

Background paper from We R Memory Keepers (Whiteout Collection)

Blue Bazzil for photo mats.

Daisy D's journalling card (I've left blank so Alethea can write something there about the boys)

Queen & Co black Felt Fusion

Creative Imaginations Swatch Book Impressons (terrible to apply - took forever to rub and nearly had to rub through the page to get them on and they're peeling off already)!

Making Memories rubons

Hero Arts stitched circle stamp

Tim Holtz "Walnut" Distress Ink

Basic Grey buttons

Chatterbox words

Heidi Swapp chipboard clock

Scraps of paper for the strips behind pics (Basic Grey, Daisy D's & others)

American Crafts metal photo corners

Staples, twine, thread, ric rac, metal charm

And think that's about it.  It's hard to see all the details but you get the gist with this pic and I'm really happy with it so hope Alethea is too.  She probably won't see this before I get the layout to her as her sister has just had her second child - a little boy named Charlie!  Congrats Allison....

A layout from Pene...

Keep meaning to show you this beautiful layout that Pene did of her gorgeous daughter Rachel using some of the goodies from the Pretties Kit.  Doesn't Rachel just make your heart melt!

And if anyone else wants to email their layouts, I'm happy to pop them onto my blog for the world to see!  Especially you Ange...love all your layouts and I'd love to be inspired by you and for you to inspire everyone!

little fishy....button layout

Isn't this just the most adorable card you've seen!  Wow, if you go look at the closeups, it's even more beautiful.  Beatriz has made this for the Paper Crafter's Gallery Idol competition and it's so unique.  Those glittery scallops and the twill bow for the tail are just perfect!

What about this awesome layout by Jennifer McGuire using Autumn Leaves buttons!  Another WOW.  Click the layout to enlarge for loads more detail.

About time I did a layout that was not digi!

For a change I did a layout that I instantly fell in love with and with a gorgeous photo of Toby from November 2006 and the new In Colour cardstock, it just pops off the page!  The pic of my layout is a bit dark so it's not as true to colour as in real life but you get the drift.  I've used some of the new rubons, the fabbo Pretties Kit (flowers, stick pin and beads) and the patterned paper behind the photo is from the Pallete of Prints which is the May promotion.  For every $35 you spend, you can pay $12.95 for a 6x6 inch pad of papers (equivalent to 12 sheets of 12x12 papers).  They are double-sided with loads of different patterns and can make a mat as I've done here or used on your cards.  I have dyed the white flowers by using my Aqua Brush on the lid of my ink pad then blending it until I had a nice matching colour.  The cardstock here is Wild Wasabi and Purely Pomegranate.  The PP's are Certainly Celery.  I've also distressed the edges with my Cutting Tool and you'll notice that I've used the Watercolour Joy wheel in Versamark down the left and right side of the cardstock (it's a little bit hard to see).  Up the top is a Rhinestone Brad and some Hemp Twine to make it look like a hanging picture.  Hope you like!

oh brother layout

Here's a digital layout I've created using a new kit by Veronica Hurly.  If you want to check out all the details, head on over to my digital blog.  Love the colours in her new kit.  Very classical with cream, red, black and white.  This layout is about how the boys CAN actually show some love to each other once in while rather than belting the heck out of one another!  Had a bit of a play with Photoshop to make the photo more faded and vintagy and the title has been subtly placed across the bottom of the pic.

i'm grateful for....

I had a pretty rough day with my eldest child today so wanted to make up this little layout to show how eternally GRATEFUL I am to my wonderful parents, for without them, I have no idea how I'd cope some days.  So this is a little bit of my appreciation for how they deal with and how they help out with my two beautiful boys, although after today, Toby was lucky to still be alive (LOL)!!!  All credits for this digital layout can be found over on my digi blog.

Stampin' Up shares

Here's a layout I made recently but forgot to post!  It's got a photo of Ryan at creche last year and all the pics the photographer took of him that day did not get one smile!  But I really like his innocent look and matched it up with some Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Close To Cocoa and More Mustard cardstock along with some of the Au Chocolat D/S paper from Summer Mini.  I've added some cream organdy ribbon, brds from Earth Elements, white gel pen journalling, Round Tab punch.  The stamps used are: Love It (Hostess gift), Typeset alpha (borrowed from Gabbie), Small Sayings (Summer Mini) and Warm Words.  I've used my corner rounder punch with guard off to create the scalloped edge on patterned paper.  I've inked the edges of the title in Chocolate Chip and all stamping was done in same.

The "Celebrate" card is using Close to Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel, Barely Banana and Glossy white cardstock.  I'ved used All About U and Cheery Chat stamps.  Ink is Close To Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel & Barely Banana.  Ribbon is Caramel gingham.  I've punched holes along bottom of card with 1/4" punch and then stuck a strip of cardstock behind it.  The centre background of the card is done on the glossy card with a brayer and 3 different Classic Inkpads and I've stamped off the Happy Birthday greeting into the background.  I've then torn the Brocade Blue Cardstock, [edited to add: stamped Celebrate greeting onto it, inked edges in Close to Cocoa] and mounted it with Stampin' Dimensionals and wrapped the ribbon around a number of times.  Nice masculine card which I seem to have trouble creating.  Hope you like!