Nadia's Giveaway

http://samnadia.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-giveaway.html

The above link is to Nadia's very generous giveaway blog post. There are 5 chances to win a bunch of great goodies. You won't be sorry you visited. Don't forget to check the rules for your chance to win.

A fun new challenge site I found today

Use It Tuesday is a new challenge site that makes you USE up your stash.  I have a rather large stash nowadays. When I used to sell scrapbooking supplies as a job I had a lot of product in my house. I don't think I'm quite at that level yet but edging towards it. Time is always the issue of course. I do have other duties to think of as much as I would like to sit and just scrap most of the time. lol

So, the current challenge is a really fun one. It's Cooking Up Fun.  I do like to cook.  For an event last year at School I had to make lots of cupcakes. I mostly bake dairy free cakes so I made the cupcakes dairy free, chocolate ones (cocoa only). My son Damon (who is allergic to dairy) tried them out and declared them yummy.  I also decorated the boxes with my pens and templates so they looked pretty.

One other requirement for Use It Tuesday is to tell what stash you've used up.  A few years back I was in a colour swap that Wendy Smith organised. It was an orange one. The little stamped image of an orange has been sitting patiently waiting to be used since I got it. I had also had the Sassafras Lass paper for some time. Orange is a great colour for a boy's page don't you think?

Use It Tuesday are also having a DT call. I think I may apply. It seems like a fun challenge site to me.

Layout for Anna's November sketch

Hi all.
Last night I created a layout for Anna's Craft Cupboard's November sketch challenge. I must say it is fairly blah in my opinion. The colours all match the the elements all complement each other but I just find it a bit dull. The background paper is by Cosmo Cricket and most of the other items are Basic Grey/Wander. Anyway, that's another layout for last year's vacation completed, which is great.  See, a positive.

Here is the sketch. I flipped it on it's side as I am wont to do.

A Giveaway

My Scrap Friends are a new challenge blog having an amazing giveaway. Check them out by clicking on their name above. Here's a pic of the candy on offer.



Super amazing right? I knew you'd think so.

Harrods for Handmade by Suzanne sketch

Here is a layout I did today for the November sketch challenge at Handmade by Suzanne. It's called Harrods and it's about the famous Department store in London. Such a lot to see there but all very pricey. The guys loved looking at the really expensive big boys toys.

I've used a sweet colour palette for this. As it happens the paper tear flowers I made yesterday (see the next post for a tutorial on how to make them) colour matched perfectly so I've added one.

Techniques used were fussy cutting, paper tearing and adding scraps. It's always good to use up scraps. Manufacturers used were Pink Paislee, Fancy Pants, Basic Grey and Sassafras Lass.

Thanks for looking. Hope you liked what you saw.

Tutorial - Paper Tear Flower

Today (and part of last night) I made 9 x Paper Tear Flowers. At least, that is what I am calling them. I had a bright idea of tearing strips of paper up to make some flowers. Here's how I did it. (Please forgive the photos. even though it is spring is it dull and rainy here.

First, choose 3 complementary papers that are fairly thick and have a white inner (not dyed all the way through). Choose a length that you want and sit there tearing up strips. I had a tool to help me. I used a Creative Memories tearing tool. Made this job a little quicker.

Then I decided that I would turn the ends over and glue them down to create a little lift on the ends.

Set to dry.

 Then layer the 3 papers until you have created a flower shape, leaving the turned up edges underneath. (not the like one on top as you can see it is no good this way)

Choose another complentary piece of thick paper with a white centre and tear some circles for your flower centre.

I've used another Creative Memories tool, this time a punch. It is a splat punch.  I have a lot of Creative Memories tools as I used to be a Consultant. They are really excellent tools. I've placed the splat over the top of the circle to create a more realistic flower.

Now you just need to push a hole through all of the layers in order to put a brad through to hold it all together.

Here is the final result.

I've made these flowers as part of Amandas Scraps Swaps for November. I chose the theme of flowers and these are for the embellishments choice. I only needed to make 5 but I made as many as I could with the amount of torn paper that I had. I'm sure these will come in handy. They'd probably be nice on a card.

My ARTastic entry - Together Forever

Hi there. Last night I got busy creating my layout for November's ARTastic challenge. I chose to use the photos of my wedding anniversary this year. They are quite nice posed pictures my husband and I took of each other. I love the dress I wore. It's very pretty and floral so I wanted to complement the colours in the dress when I made the layout.

Here's my layout and a couple of close ups.

The painting inspiration is Bacchus by Caravaggio. (see here to view the picture on the blog)
The extra criteria is to add:
1. fruit or graphs
2. wine glass or bottle
3. a bow

I've got all of them. I have a wine bottle which is full of grapes. It is a sticker journal box by Creative Imaginations. Neat huh? I have a little red rose with a green ribbon bow in the top journal box.

I have a created a cluster or BG stickers and Cosmo Cricket doilies in the centre at the bottom to replicate the fruit bowl in the painting.

Thanks for looking.

UPDATE
Incredible news. This layout won first prize. Hooray. I'm so happy.