Huka Falls

Taupo is such a great holiday spot - so many things to see and do...

This page started out as an experiment, layering watercolours on with a brayer and building up colour. I then realised I hadn't left much in the way of white space, so I added tissue to break it up. I also used the swipe on swipe off technique through a new fave stencil (feel like the Karate Kid - Wax on, wax off 😁😁😁). I also used some Colourblast paste to make string as well as stencilling.

The embellies are mostly Vicki Boutin, plus a beautiful Charm I've been waiting for the right place for.

 

Hope you love it as much as I do! 

Gangsta

Couldn't believe this photo of my brother at a recent murder mystery night - it's so him! Right down to the Disorderly Conduct charge 😆😆😆

I'm entering this page into the current Stuck?! sketch challenge - I love these sketches 💓

Here's the page....

And here's the challenge...

Make sure you have a go too!

Beautiful

Just a photo I loved of Shiloh 💓

 

This was for the Scrap Our Stash July sketch challenge - 

 

The word for the month was "Fireworks", and I have used

F - Flowers
I - Ink
R - Ranger
E - Embossing powder
W - White, Wood veneer
O - Organza ribbon
R - Rhinestones
K - Kaisercraft
S - Staples

 

You make me so proud

Hello scrappers!

I've made this page with the magnificent Magnolia Jane collection from Heidi Swapp (available at The Paper Teapot) for the March Zebra challenge.

I couldn't get past the influence of black and white, plus stripes - so this is what I came up with!

I also used one of the new Tim Holtz stencils, I love these cute little stencils, so easy to use and they don't take up much room at crops 😉

The photo was at Breanna's graduation from High School, which she achieved with merit (meaning she received a year 13 subject prize also). 

I just couldn't be more proud of this kid and her achievements!

💖💓💖

A Brilliant Day

Hi and welcome to my very first challenge as a design team member for Scrap Our Stash!

There used to be an ad screening on TV whose tag line was

"Don't leave home til you seen the country!"

New Zealand is such a beautiful place, and while our kids are dying to travel the world, we want to show them as much as we can here in "Godzone".

This photo was in the summer holidays down at Bluff - on a good day you can see Stewart Island which is the southernmost part of NZ.

This was the inspiration for my layout...

Both the title and the colours inspired me - and Dr Suess is still one of my favourite authors ;).

I used Cocoa Vanilla "Colour Me Happy" papers - the "B" sides for all the patterned papers - 5 weren't hard to find from this lot, and the one round embellishment is an epoxy sticker inside a pressed bottlecap, plus I got a bit carried away with the circles - patterned paper and fab Tim Holtz stamps too :)

If you would like to play along with the challenge, the link is here.

Thanks for looking!

Wonder...

This page is titled "Wonder" as that's exactly the expression on Shiloh's face....facing a new year of challenges at school, wondering what path to take, where life will take her.

And a couple of close ups of that texture....

I had two challenge sites that I used for inspiration for this page - 

Firstly the sketch is by Laura at Stuck?! Sketches, I love how it makes it easy to put my own stamp on things. If you would like to play along you have until the end of the month - just have a look here.

And this is the sketch I used...

Secondly thank you to Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge for the title inspiration, this challenge is also open to the end of the month - have a play along with this challenge too - go on, you know you want to! Have a look at it here.

Also, I have to say - I'm a major fan of Bo Bunny texture paste - a really nice effect and so simple to use. 

Thanks for having a look, leave a comment if you like it ;;)

Southern Selfies

As a Mum to 2 girls, finally I can do a boy layout!

I wasn't even tempted a little bit to put flowers on it ;)

This is my hard case little nephew Sam, along with his big sister Maddie and our girls, taken in Margaret and Phil's beautiful Invercargill garden. They'd just spent half an hour running madly after bubbles from a machine so red cheeks!

This was a really quick layout, using Cocoa Vanilla papers and ephemera plus my new ScrapFx title that I lurrrvve (available from The Paper Teapot here) and a few other bits and pieces from my stash.

Leave me a comment if you like it!

Mind the Gap!

This photo was taken on Breanna's sixth birthday - just love the missing teeth grin! :))

This page came together really quickly with Cocoa Vanilla's Free Spirit range (available from The Paper Teapot here)- so many gorgeous bits and pieces to work with. I added some WOW chipboard, a Doodlebug doily, some Typo wood veneers and washi, and a Heidi Swapp word.

I still felt it needed something else so I swished on some Bo Bunny Glitter paste and outlined the circles with Kindyglitz.

Leave me a comment if you :X it!

Together

This is another of the series of photos I took of Shiloh and her friend Shannon when we went to the Botanic Gardens a few months ago.

I love seeing the daffodils blooming - it means Spring is really here!

Yet another Cocoa Vanilla page - this is with the Life is Beautiful collection (available at The Paper Teapot), the extras are the little handmade doily flower, some flowers from The Paper Teapot,a paper doily, title from Heidi Swapp, and a bit of thread.

Having  the full collection to mix and match makes pages come together super easy! 

Don't forget to leave a comment if you like it, and share :)

Hello SunShine

Another page in mainly using the Hello Sunshine collection from Cocoa Vanilla - it's just so great for these sort of days!

This was just a hot summer day with nothing better to do - so I took the Shiloh and her friend Shanae out to the lake at Pegasus for a dip.

As well as the Cocoa Vanilla papers, flowers, puffy stickers, diecuts, wood veneers, and flair which are available at The Paper Teapot here, I also used a Heidi Swapp stamp, Doodlebug doily, Freckled Fawn arrow and an Amy Tan enamel heart. The hashtag and heart diecuts are from Kaisercraft.

As it I write this it's piddling down outside - just the right sort of weather to scrap sunny days!

Hope you like it - please share and comment if you do :)

Canine Cuddles

Hello! It's been a while, time for a catch up again...

Last year we made a new friend...well a family of friends actually.

Shiloh and I arrived at Mum's one Saturday afternoon, and as we came in the door one very quick wee daschund slipped past us and raced inside! He was so cute and friendly with the most adorable little skin folds on his legs, we thought he was still a puppy and he was obviously lost. We went up and down the drive to see if anyone knew where he had come from but no one did, so we ended up ringing the council as we were worried he'd get hurt on the busy main road.

The next week Mum had a visit from his owner, along with our friend Harry, and his adoptive sister Emma. We were invited to visit their house to see the rest of the family too, so we went round the following weekend to meet all four of the little ones.

It turns out Emma was 3, Harry was actually 5, Henry was 16 and Indy was between Harry and Henry. Harry was well named for Houdini, apparently it wasn't the first time he'd snuck out, and we'd heard later it wasn't to be his last!

I caught this photo of Mum and Emma, and just love it.

 

I've actually used watercolour paper as the base for this layout and a soft wash of colour so as not to detract from the photo. And look - a slide mount! I've had that in my stash for about 12 years I think!

Plus my favourite Kaisercraft stamps for the edges, some pretty washi and vinyl hearts.

 

I love this look - what do you think?

Bad Kitty

I'm lucky enough to get breakfast in bed most Sunday mornings, time to read a chapter or two over a good coffee :)

Usually I also share my space with one of our two fur-babies, Patch who always makes herself comfy at the end of the bed, but also eyeballs my bagel - must be the cream cheese lol.

This particular morning she had also snuggled under the blankie and her look was rather evil I felt, enough to make me keep my plate close at hand anyway!

 

This was my first page that I have played with my new Silhouette cutter, it took me a while to work it out, along with a few swear words when I lost everything but I eventually managed to make the circle frame with the kitty head incorporated. Hopefully I can remember what I did for next time!

 

Apart from that, it was quite a simple layout for me using mostly Snap! products, chipboard from WOW, Flair from Paper Vine and Heidi Swapp words.

 

The edging was just Versamark Ink with KaiserCraft stamps.

 

As always, thanks for looking, and feel free to comment... 

 

 

Pretty Leah

This is my cute little niece, she's a girly tomboy if there is such a thing??? We don't get to see her too often sadly but love to see how she's grown each time we do :)

 

 

It just happened that I'd bought this gorgeous My Minds Eye Jubilee paper just before I saw the August challenge on the 123 Challenge Blog , and even the photo overlay is also from MME but very old.

Here's the challenge

 

 

Couldn't have been more appropriate really!

 

Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by.

Some Bunny...

Onesies are just wonderful :) Bre has worn and worn this bunny one, purchased just in time for Easter last year.

The paper and die cuts are from Kaisercraft's Kaleidoscope Collection, Washi from Papervine, chipboard from WOW, medallion from American Crafts, enamel shapes from We R Memory Keepers and a Heidi Swapp word transparency. The large butterfly is a VERY old Prima one, and the camera is also from Prima.
I love the soft look of this layout, most of my more recent ones have been a lot brighter, and you know what they say about a change!

Netball

Its been a few weeks so here's the next instalment.

From Future Ferns when she was just little, up until the 2013 team (the last for Parklands Club) Shiloh has her Game Face on. The bottom jaw juts out and a look of determination comes to her eyes. Always played her hardest, sometimes even when her fingers were blue from the cold!

 

 

This page was done almost entirely using Kaisercraft's Game On collection. I love how it makes it so simple to put a sports page together! I still have tennis and swimming pages to go, so keep an eye out. I also used a little Heidi Swapp, and a Tim Holtz mask. Add a few sequins and a chipboard frame... and Voila!