Jillibean Soup | Art from the Heart...

Hello Friends! This was one of my favourite projects created for Jillibean Soup last month.  It is a simple display board where I can clip my youngest son's endless supply of hand drawn/painted/made artwork! *grin*

The process is simple.  If you know my style by now, you know I don't like to over complicate things! All you need to create this board for yourself is the burlap frame (found over at Jillibean Soup), a bulldog clip, Happy Hues paint and a soft brush. I am using Amiable Aqua paint from the Jillibean Soup Happy Hues collection. Don't forget to have a hot glue gun handy too!

Firstly I started by sourcing the top middle of my burlap pin board. Once I found the correct spot, I hot glued my bulldog clip into place.

Next I removed any stickers and poured the paint directly onto the frame.  Using the soft brush, I followed the grain of the frame to paint the top only.  Feel free to paint your frame entirely.  I liked having the inside and outside edges raw.

After the paint dries, add a wire word to the top of your frame and using Jillibean Soup beanboard alphas, create the phrase "Art from the Heart" along the bottom.



See.  Easy Peasy.  Now all you have to do is hang the frame and add some homemade artwork. Or it could even work for school certificates, notes or a place to jot down reminders!  I love how versatile this project can be!

Thanks for joining me here today.  Don't forget to head on over to the Jillibean Soup blog to check out some other fabulous projects..x

.....................................

art work by: Cameron Allinson.

Sassy Scrapper | Project Life Week 23...

Hello Friends! Man!! These school holidays are killing the scrapping mojo I've had happening! LOL!  It certainly has been a crazy few weeks in our household! But at least today I can share my Project Life Week 23 | June 9 - 15.  You can check out all the details here, over at Sassy Scrapper.

 

"Week 23"

 

 

I've been playing with the gorgeous new July Project Life kit.  I hope you can drop by Sassy Scrapper for a visit.  Thanks for stopping by...x

 

 



Jillibean Soup | My Whole Heart...

Hi Everyone!  Today I want to share with you a layout challenge we were given as designers over at Jillibean Soup.  Jill challenged us to use the silhouette files (especially created to match up with the awesome Jillibean Soup product) or use the mini/large place mats on a layout.  What a fun challenge!!

I chose to work with the mini placemats!  They are super cute.  This is what I came up with.

 

 

"My Whole Heart"

products used: cs - Kaisercraft; pp - Jillibean Soup; alpha - Jillibean Soup; other - Jillibean Soup: wood sprinkles, mini placemat, woodgrain bag (stampables), wooden flag, stickers; tools - typewriter, machine stitching.

I have placed a wood grain, mini bag from the stampables collection, behind the placemat.  Inside the bag I have hidden my journaling.  To allow it to sit neatly behind the place mat, I've simply trimmed the top edge of the bag.

The wood sprinkles were my next indulgence on this layout!  You may have seen this sneak from a few weeks ago. *grin* 

I added a little 'orange-coloured' detail in the bottom corner and layered it with a wood flag.

Finally I added my title using both the navy beanboards and the white alphabeans.  I must admit, having the grid patterned paper made my job of lining up the letters, much, much easier! LOL!

Don't forget to head on over to the Jillibean Soup blog and check out what the other DT members created! And while you are there, check and see if you are a winner of the NSD Jillibean Soup blog hop!  Congratulations to Kaitlynne Roil, who was randomly selected from the many entries on my blog post.  She has won the four packets of clear stamps.  Thanks to everyone who played along..x

Thanks for visiting..x

 

Sassy Scrappers | Project Life Week Four...

Hi Everyone!  I'm up on the Sassy Scrappers blog today with another PL spread.

 

 

This week I'm sharing a few tips on how I archive my children's artwork!  You know the stuff that they create and you just can't throw away?! *grin*

 

 

If you get the chance please come by and visit..x

 

Bella Blvd | Project Life...

Hi Friends!  Hope you all had an amazing Christmas!!  Ours was a fantastic time spent with both friends and family!  There was plenty of chaos and mayhem but lots of love and laughter as well!  *grin* 

 

Over on the Bella Blvd blog (on Christmas Eve) I shared some more of my Project Life. 

 

 

"Project Life: Week 49"

 

products used:  BELLA BLVD - Christmas Countdown: Borders, O Tannenbaum, Believe, Christmas, Christmas Cuties, Daily Details, Alpha+Bits, Captions, Tabs, Paper Pieces; Daily Chevies: Chevy Carrot, Chevy Bell Pepper, Everyday Bookplates, We Are Family Bookplates, Arrows Pink; Snapshots: Alpha+Bits, Captions, Daily Details, Days; Play Date: Captions, Tabs; Finally Fall: At The Patch; Freestyle Sophisticates: Freestyle Banana, Freestyle Saltwater; High Five Alpha Stickers: Gulf ; other - vellum, Greatest View Badge/flair, twine, cardstock; tools - typewriter.

 

 

It has been a week of Christmas decorations, holiday spirit, elves and dance auditions/concerts!  I've kept it rather simple during this busy time, just so I can record the memories.

 

Head on over to the Bella blog to see some more wonderful PL inspired projects.  Thanks so much for visiting...x





Merry Christmas!!!

Hello Friends and Family!!   We are wishing you all a very Merry Christmas with plenty of holiday spirit!  Hope you are having fun with all of your loved ones...x

Stay safe and enjoy every moment..x  Ho Ho Ho!

 

 

 

Greatest View + Jot Magazine...

Hello lovely friends.  Today I am sharing a layout created for Greatest View and our team up project with Jot Magazine.

 

Our challenge was to use the words "Greatest View" in either our title or our journaling.  Our subject could be interpreted in any way we wanted.  So how could I not use a photo of my kids!  *grin*

 

"My Greatest View"

 

products used: pp - Carta Bella; Greatest View - Badges/flair (Chalkboard Hearts, Snapshot, Arrows), chevron ribbon (Aqua, pale blue); ALpha - Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon; other - Carta Bella (Rough & Tumble cardstock stickers), Echo Park decorative Brads, Crate Paper chipboard, felt, paper doily, embroidery thread, glimmermist (sunflower), Tim Holtz mini paperclip; tools - hand stitching, Alta Matz 'Hearts in a Row' stencil.

 

I have used my DT kit from The Scrapbook Store and the gorgeous Carta Bella Rough & Tumble collection.  Who knew you could use it for more than just boyish pages! *grin*  I just added a few heart shapes courtesy of the Alta Matz "Hearts in a Row" stencil.  I just laid the stencil out flat on my base paper (the Carta Bella patterned paper is quite thick it could almost be classed as cardstock) and traced where I wanted the hearts to be placed on my LO.  I then paper pierced the outline and spent a long time hand stitching with white embroidery thread. *grin*

 

The "Snapshots" badge/flair is a perfect little embellishment.  I love the colours and the symbolism it adds to my page.

The other badges/flair I have used from the Greatest View shop are "Chalkboard Hearts" and "Arrows".

 

journaling says: "everyday I feel so blessed to be a part of their growing lives. it amazes me to know that I am so very lucky to help guide and nurture them. everyday my world revolves around being their mother & to see the path they choose to walk as they grow, is & always will be, my greatest view.."

I hope you will visit both the Greatest View and Jot Magazine blogs to check out what all the other designers have created for this challenge.  Thanks so much for visiting..x



 

Bella Blvd | Pinterest Inspiration...

Hello Friends!  It's time for a little Bella Blvd Pinterest Inspiration today and this was something of a challenge for me!!  Laura always chooses awesome images and this photo is no exception.

 

However, we normally don't celebrate Halloween in our household, even though the idea of this particular "holiday" is becoming more popular in Australia in recent times.  And even if the photo can be interpreted away from the Halloween theme.. I can't escape the Autumnal colours!  Eeeeek!! We are experiencing Spring Down Under (even though it feels ridiculously like Summer!). *grin*

 

So how did I get around these challenges in the challenge? I chose fun photos taken in gorgeous afternoon light.  That solves everything right? *wink*

"Fun Can Happen Anywhere"

products used: cs - Kaisercraft; Bella Blvd - Snapshots: Snapshots Tabs; Trick or Treat: Happy Owlween; Finally Fall: Borders, At The Patch, Quadrants; Sand&Surf: Paradise; Bookplates: Everyday Bookplates; Sophisticates: Yellow High Five Alphabets; Crochet Hearts: Orange; Designer Tape: Pickle Juice Stripe Tape; other - embroidery thread (black), sequins; tools - silhouette portrait, black pen, foam tape.

 

My children have certainly had an eventful September/October school holiday this year.  We did so much and most of it was from the comfort of our own home! This particular day was all about the water fight!  Simple pleasures!! LOL!

 

If you would like to see a little more about the process of my layout, please visit Bella Blvd here.  You will also get to check out the other fabulous DT interpretations of the Pinterest Inspiration photo too.  Thanks so much for visiting..x

 

 

 



The Scrapbook Store | October Sketch...

Hi Everyone!  Today I am sharing this month's sketch from The Scrapbook Store.  It is another gorgeous design created by my talented friend Melinda Spinks. 



I've added my own touches to it - like rotate it to the right and of course shrunk it down to 8.5" x 11".  *grin*

 

"Treasure Hunt"

 

products used: cs - Kaisercraft; pp - Carta Bella (Rough & Tumble); alpha - Dear Lizzy, Jillibean Soup; other - Carta Bella: cardstock stickers; Echo Park: Decorative Brads; Jenni Bowlin butterfly stickers, twine, mist (Mister Huey's, Glimmermist), Colorbox ink (pool); tools - black pen, hole punch, Amy Tangerine clear stamps.

 

I put this layout together using my The Scrapbook Store dt kit for October.  It is full of lovely Carta Bella collection featuring Rough & Tumble.  These soft blues/aquas/yellows were perfect for the beach scene in my photos.

 

 

The element stickers from Carta Bella are absolutely gorgeous and I have teamed them up with the decorative brads from Echo Park. I kind of went a little over board when using them together! *grin*

 

I hope you will join in with this challenge over at The Scrapbook Store.  There is already a huge amount of inspiration from the DT flooding the gallery.  Thanks for visiting..x

 





The Scrapbook Store | Project Life...

Hello Friends!  Today I am sharing my last project using The Scrapbook Store dt kit for August.  The new Little Yellow Bicycle: Makin' The Grade focuses on back-to-school.  And since I am dreadfully behind with my project life I thought I would put together my Week 5.  Yep.  I am that far behind!!! LOL!  Good thing I have my other blog where I write it all down until I can put it together in my album.

"Project Life - Week 5"

products used: pp - LYB, Becky Higgin's PL filler cards; alpha - Jenni Bowlin Mini Chalkboard, Kaisercraft alphas, Collage Press Alphas; other - LYB: canvas stickers, tear-out tickets, chipboard shapes; Jenni Bowlin flag banner, Crate Paper stickers, 2Crafty chipboard, brad, vellum; tools - machine stitching, typewriter, printer.    

This was the week where we had no electricity for four days straight.  Even thought the sports ground at the bottom of our street was supplied with power and our neighbours 200m down the road were living in luxury!! LOL! I can smile about it now but at the time... sigh... It was a frustrating week for sure.

 

We were cut off from most of the local area once again because of the flooding in our area.  This time caused by Ex-tropical Cyclone Oswald. 

The kids were meant to start back at school for their first day after the Summer holidays but due to flooding some schools had closures and other didn't.  Tahlia was one of the lucky ones!  The boys made it to school.  A little harassed from the 15 minute notice we were given, but none the worse for wear!  *grin*

We had to go to friends houses for warm showers and to iron school uniforms and work clothes.  I truly appreciate them allowing us to intrude into their space at such a time.

This year we have a high schooler!  Grade 8 and incredibly nervous about the change to her schooling environment.  And while we had a lot going on, I didn't actually have the time to focus on taking photos.  I had bigger things to do - like entertain bored and stir-crazy children inside a house they were all sick of looking at!  Quite a hard thing to do when they couldn't go outside to play, because of the rain and it was too dark and gloomy inside due to no power.  *grin* I've documented a lot of the emotions of the week and tucked them all into a vellum pocket on off-cuts from the LYB patterned papers.

 

 

 

left side..



right side..

I've included a note from Ethan's teacher that came home in that first crazy week of back-to-school.  It pulls out to reveal the whole note and class agenda for the term.

I've incorporated a number of LYB embellishments on this spread, such as the canvas stickers, tear-out tickets and chipboard shapes.  The clock has to be one of my faves...

..and the back pack is pretty cute too..

If you would like to get your hands on any of these Little Yellow Bicycle: Makin' The Grade products, please check out The Scrapbook Store.  Thanks so much for visiting and letting me share a little of my PL..x

 

Jillibean Soup | Chalk...

Hello Friends! How is everyone today?  I just wanted to pop in briefly to share my layout that is up on the Jillibean Soup blog today.

 

"Chalk"

 

products used: cs - Kaisercraft; pp - Jillibean Soup; alpha - Jillibean Soup Alphbeans; other - Jillibean Soup: coordinating cardstock stickers, pea pod parts; paper clip, mist; tools - star punch, flower punch.

I really love these new longer and skinnier alphabeans from Jillibean Soup.  They remind me of the long colourful lines that my son drew on our pathway and so I thought they were perfect for this layout!

 

Don't forget to head on over to the Jillibean Soup blog to check out what the other fabulous DT members have created this month!

Thanks for visiting..x