Tuesday 29 December 2015

A Weekend in Honkers

Another travel themed page this month, this time for the Kraft+ challenge blog. Using some pics from a weekend trip to Hong Kong in November with my youngest. Yes, it can be done, we had 3 very full days of fun. The flights are not much longer than the train from our place to Sydney, which is easy done for just a weekend, so I thought "why not?".
Eddy had not been so it was his turn. He had a blast hanging out with Mick and Tania's boys and experiencing a different world despite having a nasty head cold the entire time. He was so distracted by his surroundings he completely ignored his headaches and snotty nose for the most part, what a trooper!

The challenge was to use map paper, a kraft base, and travel theme.
I printed out a map of Hong Kong as a reference to places we saw and used some Bazzill Swiss Dot kraft card for the base.
Click on the image below for a link to the challenge post.


Thanks for coming by


Friday 27 November 2015

My one challenge page for the month!

Hopefully, with school holidays coming up and life slowing down a bit, I might get a few more done next month. I kinda need to get back into it and learn how to have fun with scrapbooking again.
This was inspired by the November challenge over at Show Us Your Stuff.


Requirements - Map paper, travel themed pics, something handmade (Charm's Creations doiley embellishment to which I have added colour.)
The title is a New Release from WoW (not loaded to the shop yet) which I painted and misted, and the arrow is also a WoW chippy.

Thanks for coming by


Wednesday 25 November 2015

Catching up!!

OMG it's been a long time since I posted! There is so much to share that I'm not sure where to start. Let's see...


Still time to get in on this one, post your creation to the Wow FB page.


My Triple Treat challenge

And then there is my final, leaving post for Gauche Alchemy. I am gonna miss those awesome girls! I spent 3 years creating with them and felt it was time to move over and make room for some fresh creativity.
So the steampunk themed November challenge is my last. Still time to get in on this one too, post your creation here.
This is mine, there are more pics and details if you follow the link above.

And in amongst everything I had a trip to Hong Kong with my youngest. An opportunity to hang out with a long time friend and his young family, see the sights and catch up on several years worth of each other's lives.

Yum cha at the Sai Kung waterfront

A visit to Monkey Mountain, Tai Po Rd.

After a walk through the Sai Kung Old Town.

The amazing cable car ride to the top of the mountain to see..........

The Big Buddha

Mick & Me

We also did The Peak, the ramps, Mon Kok markets, and had a special visit to Mick's place of work to see the Cathay flight simulators, Ed's eyes nearly popped out with excitement! It was only 3 days but we packed heaps into it and had a fantastic time. Many thanks to our gracious hosts xxxx.

Well I think that's enough for one post, I'll put up a challenge page I managed this month shortly.
Thanks for coming by,

Monday 12 October 2015

A Different Take on Haunted Glamour?

Being the month of October the Gauche Alchemy challenge is all about Halloween. Being an Aussie, I am not. That said, I really did enjoy myself with the mood board this time around and got a little bit naughty. Yes, like this sneak peek says, "It's all about the boobies"
You can see the full page and details here, enjoy.


This is the mood board, click on it to go to the Gauche release post. 

october2015

Come and play along, as usual anything goes, post your project here.
Check out the Gauche blog throughout the month to see how the Alchemists are being inspired and have fun!

Thanks for coming by

Monday 28 September 2015

K+ Challenge

I had some scrapping time yesterday where I actually scrapped! Yep, it kinda surprised me too. Inspiration and motivation has been scarce around here lately so cutting and pasting on a Sunday afternoon was a treat.
After a couple of warm-up pages I had a play with the September Kraft+
tri-hard challenge and came up with this....


This is the sketch, I mirrored it.

T'was fun.
Still time to have a go if you want.

Thanks for coming by

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Wonderful Gauche Inspiration

It's such an inspiring mood board at Gauche Alchemy this month, full of bright colours and sunshiney feelings with just a hint of snark. My project is up on the blog and it's a favourite, I love it so much, so head on over and check out the full page. Here is a sneaky peek...
close-1
I used some chippies from Words or Whatever and a background technique I learnt recently from the seriously fabulous Naomi Cox. If you want to get your hands on some cool vintage and retro art supplies for your pages check out the Gauche Alchemy shop here.
Thanks for coming by

Monday 7 September 2015

Special Investigator!

I was so chuffed recently to be asked to be a CSI Special Investigator as a result of this page I did back in July. My first page is up here along with a myriad of exceptional talent from around the world, so exciting! You should head on over, check out the awesomeness, and play along. 
This is my page 

From this inspiration board
I love that they give you journal prompts, I had been struggling to scrap these pics for my youngest boy because I just didn't know how to tie them together, this board made it so easy!

There are plenty of other boards both old and new so if you need a kick start head on over to their ning site or their Facebook page and have a look.

Thanks for coming by

Thursday 3 September 2015

WoW, excited much!

Exciting new things are in the wind for me. I have snagged myself a spot on the Design Team for Words or Whatever, an Aussie company that makes chipboard and stencils. I will also be creating some of my own designs.... So excited!!
I got my first lot last weekend and had a play while I was on retreat with some of my girls out at Lake Keepit.


On this page I used the World Map stencil with some red mist, Lighthouse Flourish stencil with Inka Gold, and Boot Print stencil (designed by me and available soon, yay!!) with a black inkpad. Also from Wow, some Chicken Wire chippy and the Hit the Road chippy (also designed by me, this one needs work I think).

I feel a whole new world of creativity opening up and I'm stoked!
I hope you follow along with me and see where it goes.

Thanks so much for coming by

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Color Stories Inspiration

I haven't played at CSI for quite a while. Usually the challenges feel too constraining, not enough room to move. Lately however, this is exactly what I've needed. Mojo has been at an all time low with even the desire to create being absent a lot. I have had to force myself to do it because I know that it makes me feel happier and keeps me sane. So a tight guided challenge is just perfect.
This page is for Case File No. 169

I designed and cut my title on my new Silhouette Cameo (I think I'm in love with this machine!)

This is the summary of the challenge from CSI

Thanks for coming by

Saturday 20 June 2015

Best Dishpig ;-)

This layout is for the Stamp It Up challenge at Berry71bleu for June.
A story that makes me laugh. Love this boy so much!


I used some Tim Holtz stamps and Ranger Dylusions ink sprays for the background. Correction tape too so you can read the journalling.
Thanks for coming by

Coming Soon!

I am sooooo excited about the Gauche Alchemy shop re-opening soon.
You can be in on it as it happens by following on Facebook here.
Or follow the blog here.

shop SNEAK

Can.not.wait!


Tuesday 9 June 2015

Gauche in June

The new mood board is up at Gauche Alchemy, it's cool, colourful, and Asian inspired. Here is a sneak of my layout, you can see the whole thing over here.

And did I tell you that the shop is to be re-opened soon!
I can.not.wait to see what funky and unique arty finds they will be stocking *squeeeee*



This is the June Mood Board, link up your project here and remember it can be anything inspired in some way by these images, that includes colours, shapes, patterns, etc...

Thanks for coming by

Sunday 31 May 2015

A Mum's Challenge

Berry71Bleu is having a Mother's page challenge this month, and having been fortunate enough to have had a scrapbooking retreat earlier in the month, I managed this page.

from this board

I did a few other pages too but have posted them on my FB page this time.
Thanks for coming by

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Getting messy with Gauche (and a DT call!!)

There's a new challenge over at Gauche Alchemy for May and the Alchemists are sharing how-to's. Lots of interesting posts are going up.
Mine has a bit of a run down on how I create my unique backgrounds, you can check it out here.
This page was the final result.


There is also an open call for the Gauche Design Team, you can check out all the details here. I must say that this team is truly one-of-a-kind AWESOME!
Thanks for coming by

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Hobart, Tasmania

A post about our holiday with a scrapbook page at the end. 

This is one of the reasons April disappeared so fast in our house.
Hubby and I took the two younger boys to Hobart for a week in the school holidays. Rather than drive around, this time we based ourselves in a cute terrace found on AirBnB, it was cosy and warm and had all mod cons (including a spa) and was an easy stroll to Elizabeth St Mall and the Waterfront

We splashed out and got tickets for the 'Posh Pit' on the ferry to MONA. Very nice with complementary bevvies (hot, cold, and alcoholic) and canapes.
I didn't manage to get in many photos but here we all are, feet at least.

And the boat...

This was the exhibit that impressed the most. Laser-cut steel, a life sized low loader rig with a cement mixer on the back.

There was a lot to see inside, a very interesting and eclectic mix of modern art to get you pondering, inside an amazing building, underground.
Dex found an old piano and treated us to 40 mins of his virtuosity, acquiring a bit of an audience and a round of applause at the end. All just practice to him.

We went on a wilderness 'cruise' to the Southern Ocean to see wildlife in its natural habitat, seals, albatross, and shags on rocks. This was awesome fun, we got to taste fresh-from-the-sea seaweed, quite good and nowhere near as salty as I expected, and wear head to toe raincoats to protect us from the wind and spray when the boat was a rocket.


We took a bus to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, this was Eddy's activity pick, he wanted to see some devils. We got up close and personal with a wombat, a devil, a koala, some native birds, and lots of roos!


and then on to historic Richmond.

On the weekend we wandered around Salamanca Market 

and caught up with my wonderful scrappy friend Sharmaine when she picked us up and took us home to enjoy a delicious lunch with her lovely family.

The boys and I had a marvellous time. Not quite sure about Phil, he seemed to lose his happy half way through and didn't find it again until we got to the airport to come home. It's not the first time and it inspired me to scrap this page when I went to retreat (also in April).

I see separate holidays in our future, it's a good thing.

Thanks so much for coming by