Lavender Kind of Life

The Scrapping Bug is hosting a "School's almost out" crop. Dee posted a great challenge to showcase the "great outdoors" on a layout. My hubby took this amazing close up of our lavender last summer. I figured it deserved its own layout!

I used my new Crafters Workshop stencil with gesso and micro beads. The papers and embellies are DCWV and letters are Thickers and October Afternoon.

Here's a couple of close ups.

Thanks Dee for a great challenge!

Rose of Me!

On Saturday evening The Scrapping Bug hosted a one hour online crop. I thought it sounded like some intense fun so I dove in. We had a sketch for inspiration and 60 minutes to create! This is what I came up with...

I even threw some white paint on my BG background paper and fussy cut some flowers from some MLS papers. Crazy what you can do in an hour!

And here's a couple of close ups...

It was a ton of fun and I can't wait fo the next one!

Focus on This

Here is another layout of Crookhaven, Australia last summer. This is a beautiful picture of my special friend Charlotte enjoying the view.

The PP is Studio Calico, American Crafts and A2Z Essentials. Flowers are Recollections, plus Thickers, BoBunny alpha stickers and vellum from my stash. The velum embossed so nicely with my chickenwire folder! Cool.

I decided to link up with the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge for a "bit of brown." I stamped a chevron pattern with brown distressing ink, plus the Studio Calico background papers have a bit of brown and I splashed on some Adirondack colour wash in butterscotch (which is pretty brown!). The flowers and branches are brown as well.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Crookhaven

I saw this great sketch challenge over at C'est Magnifique and decided to play along. Here's the sketch. When I saw it I thought it would be a perfect time to use my new MFT fence die. It also embosses!

And here's what I came up with. This is a photo from Crookhaven, Australia, down the coast a few hours from Sydney.  I used a new stencil from Crafters Workshop (Punchinella) and sponged a combo of gesso and Adirondack colourwash in butterscotch on the chickenwire part of the stencil. I also splashed some of the full strength butterscotch around the page. I think it is a bit hard to see here. The PP is American Crafts and A2Z Essentials. Flowers are Prima and Recollections, letter stickers are BG, doilies are by my mom (!) and tulle and trim from my stash. I also cut the branches  and the gate with my new Memory Box dies.

Here are a couple of close ups...

Thanks for popping by...

Happy Father's Day

My mom has become a real big card maker. She made this super cool card for my brother for father's day! Doesn't it look like a Don Cherry shirt??

Check it out...

She got the template from Card Maker newsletter.

Way to go Mom!

thanks for stopping by and happy father's day everyone.

You Blow Me Away

I have another birthday coming up so I made this cute little card for my friend's daughter Niamh in Australia. She turns 10 on Canada Day! 

I coloured this House Mouse image with my copics, and layered it on some 3 Bugs in a Rug and also used my Tim Holtz embossing folder again. Some seam binding, a button and PTI twine finished it off.

I linked up with Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge anything goes this week as well.

Have a great weekend!

Sweetest Things

I have recently become addicted to hexagons and chicken wire patterns. My DH thinks I am crazy with all this talk of chicken wire! 

My friend Jean's birthday is coming up, so I made her this card. I made the base with my Tim Holtz embossing folder (love it!) and traced and hand cut out these hexagons from a 6x6 Studio Calico pad "Classic Calico." I also used my new Memory Box branch die for the first time. Amazing! And stamped, embossed and cut out the butterfly. The sentiment is a MFT stamp.

I also linked up with Simon Says Stamp and Show "anything goes" challenge this week.

Happy Birthday Jean!
Thanks for dropping by!

Handsome Views

Here's another layout with photos taken on Manly Beach. Love these! I used MME's "Bohemia" line for the background paper and sponged gesso on with my reverse chicken wire stencil and also splashed on some black and white acrylic paint. I fussy cut the title letters from MME's "Good Day Sunshine" line and the flowers from an ancient MME line "Breaking Free." The strips are from Good Day Sunshine as well. The mini alpha stickers are Jenni Bowlin and the chipboard flourishes are Tim Holtz. 

Here are a few detail shots...

I linked this up with the MME fussy cutting challenge as well. Now it's time to give my scissors a rest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chill Out at Manly Beach

I dug deep into my MME stash for this layout of Manly Beach near Sydney last July. I used a sheet of "Bohemia" for the background and stencilled white gesso with my Crafters Workshop reverse chicken wire stencil. Love that thing! I also splahsed around a bit of white and black acrylic paint. I fussy cut the flowers from very old paper from the "Breaking Free" line and the little surfer huts and other papers are from the more recent "Good Day Sunshine" line. I also added some Thickers and Jenni Bowlin stickers for my title. 

Here are some detail shots to see that fussy cutting. And can you spot the surfers in the photo? Cool!

I linked up with the MME "fussy cutting" challenge. Lots of fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

To Australia

Here is another layout of our trip to Australia. These photos were taken from our plane somewhere over California. At one point my DH opened the shade and said, there is a plane coming towards us! Sure enough a Korean Air jumbo was heading our way. Eventually it turned away, but it was kind of scary. These are not good shots, but you can see our wing and how close the other plane was!

I used BoBunny's Etcetera line again plus some scraps from K&Co. plus some acrylic paint splashed around. The felt flourishes are from Queen and Co., chipboard flourish from Tim Holtz and pearls from Kaiser. I also added velvet trim, burlap, and cork from my stash. Flowers are hand made as well as Prima and Recollections. My mom made the crochet flower/mini doilie!

 

Here are a couple of detail shots...

I decided to link up with the Simon Says Stamp and Show texture challenge again. Lots of great texture going on here...butterflies cut from cork, scraps of burlap, velvet trim!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend Avril's birthday!!! This is the card I gave her. I die cut the dress and overalls from fabric with an old original Sizzix die. The stamp is Hampton Arts, twine is PTI and buttons and clothes pins are from my stash.

I thought I would enter a few contests this week too for fun.
The Squirrel and the Fox is having a Winter or Summer challenge. This darling laundry hanging on the line screams summer for sure! And Simon Says Stamp and Show is having a texture challenge. This popped up fabric and grass, not to mention the stitched clothes line and real mini clothes pins add lots of texture here!


Happy Birthday Av!!

Our Journey

I've been laying a little low this week recovering from oral surgery. (Having stitches in your mouth is NOT fun!). But I found some time to work on this layout of our journey to Australia last summer. These are some shots from the plane on the way, between Chicago and  San Fran. 

I splashed some acrylic paint on the Bo Bunny Etcetera background paper. Other papers are ancient ones from K&Co. Chipboard is Riff Raff and Tim Holtz. Flowers are handmade, Prima and Recollections. Twine is PTI plus I dug out some burlap, cork and trim from my stash.

Here's a few detail shots (sorry for the dodgy photos, no sun today)...

I thought I'd enter a few challenges this week too:
Frosted Designs for a punches challenge and Use Your Stuff for adding texture.

Thanks for stopping by!