Use your stuff

 At Use your stuff they want anything Christmas.

I had a gift bag that came apart over the Christmas giving, so turned the main picture from it into a card.

The reindeers are glittered and it was too pretty to waste.

Happy Christmas and New Year to Tammy and the girls. (I used to be on the DT for UYS.)

Li'l red wagon

 Christmas Eve, and I'm all set for the big day tomorrow. To fill in some time until my daughter arrives, I decided to cover a notebook that I bought for $2.

I used a paper I had here. 

I painted the chipboard pennant blue, then when it was dry, I stamped it with a clock stamp that I've had for 40 years (part of my teaching days). 

The lace doily is an old one I cut in half.

The 2 safety pins have been around here for ages.

The number 8 fell off another project.

The angel pendant is new and adds a vintage touch.

I only worked on the front cover as things on the back cover make it too lumpy.

I'm entering my project on Li'l red wagon where they want angels.

Lasting Memories wants shapes.

At Lasting memories there is another challenge. 

We are asked to choose between triangles, circles, hexagons or hearts.

In this layout of my sister's 3 grandkids, I have used lots of hearts.

I hadn't seen them for a while, and they had grown so much! 

I used Fancy Pants papers on here as the bright colours suited the layout theme.

AAA birthday and Inspiration Station

 Keeping with the vellum idea I noticed a challenge for embossing at AAA birthday

I had this card partly made already as I'm using up smaller pink pieces of paper on cards. This one features zippers. I used a strip of striped ribbon across the bottom then a rectangle of embossed vellum behind the sentiment. I used 4 heart shaped enamel dots from Heidi Swapp at the corners.

My next card is for Inspiration Station where they ask us to be inspired by this picture.

I thought of snowman plus coffee.

The snowman himself was on IDEALOGY papers so I used him as it is. My background was based around the coffee idea. Brown with white spots then a frilly (frothy) top and a few sprinkles (ie bling).

Li'l red wagon

My next card is for Li'l red wagon. 

I needed a sympathy card this morning so used some vellum I had on my desk to make this card.

I had 2 small sections so put them with a space in between. My sentiment is cut as a trapezium just for something different (it contrasts to the squares on the background).

I added rows of lace top and bottom while keeping it all neutral.

Lasting memories

 At Lasting Memories they want us to create a layout using black and white photos and monochromatic as well.

I've been sorting through old photos and have thought out of the box for this challenge. The statues were actually taken as coloured photos but as they are white, they appear to be a black and white (with a kind of silvery tinge.

I used that silver idea and made it my monochromatic colour.The circular tags that make up the title are silver edged so worked perfectly.

Sketch 'n' scrap and 613 Avenue CReate.

 At Sketch 'n' scrap they have this card sketch.

I've made and sold all the Christmas cards I'm going to for this year so now I'm back to general cards.

In this case it can be a Bon Voyage or maybe for someone leaving home. I featured a tag I made previously which says Pack up and go.

I've used shades of pink and a tiny bit of turquoise. Perfect for a girl/woman. 

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At 613 Avenue Creates there is anything goes but with an optional twist of "Up in the sky".

I found a card that says

The sun is up

The sky is blue

It's beautiful and so are you.

I've used it on this card with just a couple of circular shapes. It will be a good birthday card for a Baby Boomer friend as the words are from the song "Dear Prudence".

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To use up the pink paper I have also made these 2 cards.

Male Room (second card)

 I decided to make a second card for the transportation theme at The Male Room.

This one features a jet, and the sentiment is "The sky's the limit." Here in Australia our high school students in their final year have just received their final results and University offers. I thought this would suit a boy.

Cardz4guyz

 I've made a card for Cardz4guyz.

The theme this week is something starting with O. I had some journal cards from Prima's St Tropez range and one said "Home sweet ocean" so I decided to use that.

The background paper is an old one I have had for years as it was too busy to use for scrapbooking. It works ok as a background. I also fussy cut around a scallop shell to embellish my card.

The Male room and Paper players.

 I've made a card for The male room, where the theme is transportation. 

My brother-in-law worked driving trains for around 40 years, so this picture is appropriate. I found it in an old picture dictionary. I've added a stamped sentiment and the background paper was neutral enough to work on this.

Second card is another Christmas card. (Now for next year's festive season.)

It is for the paper players where they have a colour challenge.

 I've created a card and used chipboard geotags reinvented as tree baubles. I inked them in gold, which is hard to see on here, but quite shiny in real life. 

Sketch 'n' scrap layout

 

I've made this layout for Sketch 'n' scrap where the original sketch looks like this.

My photos are landscape so would be too wide if I put them side by side. I decided one on top of the other is the way to go. 

The green panel behind the photos was plain so I stamped palm trees to make it a "patterned paper".

I used a Flourish with a bling vine as part of my embellishments, plus 3 cork cameras. The 2 oval shapes worked as layering behind my title plus my journal corner. I spread the letters of my title out for something different.

Counterfeit Kit challenge -Five gold rings

 

Gold is a precious metal, just as our memories are precious. Make a layout featuring 5 precious Christmas memories.

It is often seen in Christmas decorations.

For my layout, I started with 5 photos from Christmas 2014. I used 2 gold doileys and 3 smaller gold circles cut from corrugated cardboard. 

I have also used white with gold stars washi tape and 2 gold sparkly frames. The copper coloured wood veneer Christmas trees provide a good contrast to all the gold. 

As a final touch, I added some gold sparkly rhinestones.

These are precious memories as the children have grown up now and I rarely see my nephew. 

Atlantic Hearts challenge.

 At Atlantic Hearts challenge there is this sketch.

I've had some baby paper here for quite a while, so decided to make 3 baby cards.

I've used a Jolie's Boutique set of baby die cuts.

They all used the same sketch but the 3rd one has a slight twist.

Lasting Memories-Wedding inspired.

 The next layout at Lasting Memories is inspired by a wedding. They want something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

My something old is the background paper, I couldn't work out how I'd use it until now.

My something new is a packet of vellum featuring gold circles

My something borrowed is a photo that appeared at a school reunion featuring me in the background

I took a copy for this page. My something blue is the alphas and the blue torn paper I used to cover the word baseball. 

I look so young in this photo!

Lasting Memories Love your stash.

 LM #627 - Love Your Stash (March 2022) - Create a layout and use 3 or more patterned papers, stickers (this can be any sticker - puffy, chipboard, or cardstock stickers), trim (washi tape, ribbon, twine, etc.), punches/die-cuts/ephemera, and finishing touches (enamel dots, brads, sequins, bling, splatters, etc.)

On here I've used 3 papers: the upside-down triangles one, the mathematical numbers (black and white) and the greenish diamond papers. 

The stickers are the title "love your life" and the 2 small flower stickers.

The trim is washi tape measure above the journaling and another clear one featuring scientific formulae behind the title.

The punches/die cuts/ephemera is 3 canvas shapes which I misted in candy apple red plus the 2 playing cards and 2 paper clips.

Scrap our Stash

 

A new month means new scrapbooking challenges. At Scrap our stash they have a shapes challenge.

I've chosen hexagons for this layout. My photo is of the iconic Metro sign in Paris France which we found while we were there.

The large blue flower is Maya Road and I actually used the packaging from it to cut out my 3 hexagons. I loved that luggage man so much, he just had to go on this layout and the rhinestone red swirl worked well too.

Cards 4 guyz

 At Cards 4 Guyz they want a male Thank you card.

After selecting a suitable background paper, I used paint to create water for my fish picture and a matching Thank You sentiment.

Li'l red wagon

 At Li'l red wagon they want flowers.

I was in the middle of making a tag featuring a pink flower, so I used it on this card and added a black tassel to match the grossgrain ribbon.

Cupcake challenge and Atlantic Hearts.

 At Cupcake challenge they want owls.

I made this card using Kaisercraft Secret Admirer collection. I added a pair of homemade flowers to make it more spring like. There is an owl peeping out of the cluster on the right.

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At Atlantic Hearts challenge this is their sketch

I've put a male spin on it as I need a card for a male friend who mows my lawns.

There's a flower on here but it is quite masculine looking.

Paper Issues Scraplift Sunday (2)

 

Here's the layout we are asked to scraplift.

I had lots of Halloween pictures left so chose this one of cupcakes we saw at a market.

The purple mist has made another appearance. I was pleased to use more black striped acetate plus the black notebook paper that I saved. My tag is made from a tissue box and the tassels came from 2 bras I bought. The offcuts of the other papers are from my scrapbags.

Had fun with this one :)

Fusion card challenge

 

At Fusion card challenges they want gingerbread.

I've made a card using 2 felt gingerbread men. It features a doily, and the sentiment says Eat drink and be merry.

Sketches in Thyme

 My next layout is for Sketches in Thyme

I need to turn mine 90 degrees since my photos are landscape.  This is one done by a design team member.

Here it is!

As my 4 photos were quite busy, I kept the papers simple.

From my kit (other than the papers), I used the big brad, a black coaster and alphas plus packaging to make the 2 smaller circles. I dug out my blue dottariffic pen to do the arrows.

Fishing at Farmquest

 Over at the Farmquest blog they want something to do with fishing.

I've used some October afternoon stickers on this male card. The red made a good background colour.

CKC Challenge #1 Right now, Kraft + and Challenge YOUrself.

 We are asked to record something of our life right now.

This had me thinking and I've used a photo of me taking a selfie in a mirror at an art exhibition. 

I like visiting art galleries and museums because you're never too old to learn.

I'm enjoying life right now!

Kraft + also has a song lyric challenge, so I decided to combine the two.

I've chosen the Carpenters' song I'm on top of the world" and my Kraft cardstock has a map of the North pole on it, how appropriate! 

I've used 5 of the large tickets, also on Kraft, behind my photo at the top. They have dots behind them to make them stick up. The blue Ruby-rock-it ribbon at the top helped to make the tickets more obvious.

I matted my photo on atlas paper as well. My journalling went around the edge as I want some of the map to remain visible. My alphas didn't stand out enough, so I traced around them in black pen. I added the chiffon bow and enamel dots to finish off the layout.

Challenge YOUrself has this challenge

My own handwriting is around the edge of the layout. It has been cut off at the bottom. It says:

I am at a good place in my life right now. My debts are paid and I'm FREE to enjoy life. I smile when I think about what was achieved and have a loving family as well. Life is GREAT!!.