Alex Hughes

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T03:58:00.000-08:00

I made the kids some love cookies to take to school. They had fun giving them out to their friends that are girls! And the eldest did his best to hide his at the bottom of his lunch box, LOL!!

Unity Stamp LOVE

2012-02-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

I got in some new stamps this week and my little fingers were just itchin' to get busy with them. And last night I posted a sneaky photo of the tag I made with my two favourites. I stamped the tag with the Chicken Wire stamp and Chocolate Chip ink, then over stamped with a Stampin' Up flower from the Nature Walk set.

I coloured the flower and stem with markers and stamped a couple of times to get different shade. Then I layered Tim Holtz tissue tape over the bottom and inked it all in Antique Linen and Vintage Photo ink to 'age' it.

Then I used my markers again to colour the Freedom wings and stamped them onto cream cardstock, cut them out and 'aged' them too. Then positioned them under a chipboard heart covered in Stampin' Up's German Glass glitter.........LOVE that stuff!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my vintage heart tag.

Learning to trust your instinct

2012-02-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

I love Pinterest, can always find a quote for how I am feeling.

Vintage Cards and Butterflies

2012-02-06T03:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a productive week for me this week. I completed a few card classes ready for the coming months. Here is a sneak peek of the Vintage Card Class for our Scrap Alley Retreat.

I LOVE creating vintage style cards with lots of vintage photo ink and roughed up edges. Can't wait to create these with my workshop attendees in March.

Cheers

Gadget Gears for Guys Card Class

2012-02-05T02:26:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned previously, I have been busy creating sets of cards for upcoming workshops and today I want to share with you the next set that I will teach at Catchy Crafts on Monday 13th February at 10.30am. It's called Gadget Gears for Guys and features the Tim Holtz Gadget Gears die.

If you want to join us then contact the store to book in on 9477 4401.

On a personal note, I am so excited about the planning for our US trip. Check out this brownstone! Isn't it just GORGEOUS.

This will possibly be our home for the seven nights we are in NYC................AND............it's really close to the Museum of Natural History!!! The kids will be stoked (being Night at the Museum fans!). Personally I am looking forward to lunch at The Boathouse in Central Park!

Thanks for stopping by

Scrapbooking resolution

2012-02-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

This year my resolution is to do more scrapbooking purely for myself. Last year it all took a back seat to a million other things I was doing and I forgot how much I enjoy just scrapping for no reason. And I have started the year with a big bang, getting onto my US album before we head off there again, school pages and more. Today I am just going to share one page with you. I created this with a Basic Grey range and used this photo that makes my heart melt.

Have a great day!

2012-02-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

I love the versatility of Distress Stains to colour just about anything!! And soooo easily! Last night I had fun colouring a vintage doily the EXACT colour that I needed. I started out with this that I had cut from an old table runner:

Added some of this:

And finished with my newly coloured doily.

Here it is on my completed page:

I also coloured the lace with the Fired Brick Distress Stain, and now it all matches!! Love that.

Thanks for stopping by

Dreams Of Paris Card Class

2012-01-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

Next week in my class at Catchy Crafts will be creating these cards:

With dreams of Paris, these cards are made by using Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Dark Room Door stamps to create a set of cards that can be used for any occasion. If you would like to join us for this workshop then contact Catchy Crafts on 9477 4401 to book your spot.

Monday 30th January

10.30am to 12.30pm

Would love to see you there.
Cheers

Shabby Chic Cards Relisted

2012-01-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

I put together some more of the popular Shabby Chic Card kits that flew out of my Etsy store last year. These cards are made with Tim Holtz stamps and Pink Paislee paper and the kit includes everything you need to put together the three cards pictured (no stamps necessary!). Yep, everything is already stamped and cut - you just have fun putting them together.

I only have two more kits left and that is it. So grab one now if you want one from HERE.

Cheers

Brave Girl Stamps by Unity

2012-01-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

I do LOVE Unity stamps. So much to choose from and always new ones coming out. I got some of the stamps from the Brave Girl's Club stamp range a little while ago and here are some cards I created with them.

This first one is with the "She Sprouted Wings" stamp (if you like this stamp you can find one on my Etsy site HERE).

This is with the Brave Girl Boots stamp and all the papers on the cards are from the Cosmo Cricket range Odds & Ends.

And this one is called "Enjoy this Day", I just love this bicycle. The ribbons featured on these cards are seam binding I got from Etsy and some my Mum gave me for my birthday last month. They are ribbons with petals stuck all over them, so pretty and different.

Have a great day

Scrap Retreat Workshop

2012-01-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

Posted this sneak peek over at the Scrap Alley Retreats blog.

Upcycling Vintage Books

2012-01-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

I have been having fun with vintage books for a while now, cutting up the pages and adding them to my crafting projects. Now I have moved onto the covers thanks to inspiration from Pinterest and Etsy. With an age old LOVE for notebooks (just ask my husband, he teases me about all the notebooks I have lying around the house) I now enjoy 'upcycling' old books I find in second hand stores and markets into notebooks for myself and the kids.

The kids had a laugh at this one, "I Am A Donkey". In fact they snavelled up some other ones I made but nobody wanted to be the donkey, LOL.

In this one I played with adding tags and paper bags and other things.

I have been stitching some booklets also, I made one each for a few friends for Christmas. I can see this may become a bit of an addiction. My personality is like that, is yours? Do you find a new 'something' to love doing and become obsessed with it?

I will share some more soon.
Bye

Card Kits over in my Etsy Store

2012-01-12T02:51:00.000-08:00

It is that time again. The hubby went back to work this week and I was itching to get back into creating kits for my Etsy Store. So back to work I went and I have been busy putting my new card kit together and it is called CREAMING SODA. Here it is:

(layout from friendlyscrap.blogspot.com)

And some close ups of the goodies.

And the papers.

You can find it by clicking right HERE or by clicking over on the right hand side.

And keep your eye on the store as more things will be added real soon.
Cheers

Unity Stamps Arrived in my Post Box

2012-01-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

I love it when that happens!!! Some stamping goodness arrived in my letterbox this morning. Wanna see?

Keep an eye on my Etsy store as I have obviously ordered more than I can deal with (is that possible?!?!?!?). I have ideas for these!

Cheers

Happy Birthday To G!

2012-01-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

It was Miss Georgina's birthday yesterday and we had a lovely day just hanging out while the kids all played together. I had fun making some Raspberry and White Chocolate cupcakes that I iced with Vanilla cream cheese frosting which was DELICIOUS! Here is what they looked like:

I had fun playing with a piping bag. I need a bit of practice though to get them looking decadent like they do in shops, but it was fun (and messy!). And isn't that little cupcake stand so cute? Miss G bought me a set of them a little while ago.......I love them, so adorable. Thank you and Happy Birthday Miss G - here's to a great year ahead.

Thanks for stopping by

Graphic 45 Card Class @ Hornsby

2012-01-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

The time has come to go back to work and I am really excited to teach this class. I love Graphic 45 papers and in this class we create these fun cards with the Curtain Call range.

Do you want to come and join me? The class is next Monday 16th January - 10.30am at Catchy Crafts in Hornsby. Be sure to ring and book your spot, 9477 4401 or email on sales@catchycrafts.com.

Cheers

Vintage Tag to Share

2012-01-07T22:45:00.000-08:00

Just a quick share.

Cheers

New York Dreaming!!

2012-01-02T17:15:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!

I am not sure if I have shared this little project here on the blog before but I have it hanging in my craft area and it is appropriate for my dreaming this year. 'Cause in September we are off to New York!!! AND WE ARE SUPER EXCITED!

I loved New York when I went in 2010 and can't wait to spend more time there this time. The kids are jumping out of their skin to see all the things I have told them about plus more. Anthony wants to visit Carlo's Bakery cause he loves the show Cake Boss (we all love it actually!).

Time to start dreaming and saving my dollars!

Thanks for stopping by,

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

2011-12-28T03:28:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite experiences of this Christmas period was when my dear friend took me out for a birthday lunch at Taste in East Gosford. It has become one of my favourite cafe's of late and the Peppermint Hot Chocolate was very Christmas-sy AND to die for.

If you are in the area be sure to drop in there and enjoy the great food and lovely staff.
Cheers

Cute Christmas Packaging

2011-12-24T03:51:00.000-08:00

I love wrapping gifts..............I even volunteer to do it for my Mum. Just so I can have fun making them pretty.

HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Skinnygirl Cosmo for Christmas

2011-12-24T01:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to me!! Thank you Bethany for bringing it to Australia!

Cheers!!!!

Dressing up Christmas Packaging

2011-12-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

I love all those little bags you get from the cute jewellery stores and gift stores. They are usually made from sturdy cardstock and make a great base for 'dressing up' your Christmas gifts (and I LOVE that I am recycling!). Here is what I started out with:

And here is what will go to the recipient for Christmas, so easy:

Thanks for stopping by

Christmas Packaging & Presents

2011-12-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

Back with some more of the gifts we have given out lately. I love looking at other peoples blogs and seeing what fun and exciting ideas others have, so I wanted to share with you some of the fun things we have given out lately. This was the gift we made up for our school Principal, it was full of fun mint things like Mint Slice biscuits, Mint Dove Chocolate, a Mint Pattie and a Peppermint Crisp amongst other things.

Then I took a little poem my friend found online somewhere (on some clever person's blog no doubt!) and altered it a little so that it suited our Principal rather than a teacher.

It reads:

Thanks for your commit "mint"
to our school.
Thanks for your encourage "mint"
to all our children.
Thanks for your involve "mint"
and dedication.
Thanks for your invest "mint"
of time and energy to make school
such a great place to be.
Thank for helping to create
a nice environ "mint"
for our children to learn and grow.
Everything you have done this year
has really "mint" a lot to our family.

Thank you and Merry Christmas

And then of course we can't forget the office ladies at our school. They are awesome, they put up with me making last minute payments, replacing lost forms and generally answering my questions when I have no idea what is supposed to be going on (boys are terrible at bringing information home!). They each received a monogrammed mug with a candy cane choc heart inside. Thanks ladies!

Ok, am off to look at more fun ideas on the web. Maybe I need to start getting ideas for the next occasion??? I can't believe that this one is nearly over. Believe me the sleeps are being counted excitedly.

Gifts Across the Seas

2011-12-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

I was excited this week to send off one of my Etsy Shop card kits all the way to the USA as a gift for someone. What a nice way to purchase a surprise gift for your friends or family. I popped this in the post a few days ago with a big smile, thinking of the recipient receiving it unexpectedly.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are enjoying your Christmas lead-up.
Cheers

Candy Cane Hearts and more!

2011-12-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

These last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of school finishing, birthday parties and other fun celebrations. I have been busy making and wrapping Christmas gifts for the wonderful teachers at our great school and thought that I would share them with you today. Between three kids they have five teachers so it was simple but fun all the way round.

Cute serviette holders with red and white serviettes to plonk straight down on their Christmas tables.

Handmade goodies in cute little boxes.

These included white chocolate coated oreos and white rocky road with dried cranberries, dried blueberries and pistachios. Then drizzled with dark chocolate.

And then some candy cane hearts. I found these in a few places online and just loved the idea. And they were super simple. Just lay out two candy canes into hearts.

Fill gap with melted chocolate and then add spinkles.

Ta Da!!

We are going to make more of these this week of holidays before Christmas Day. We might try some little candy canes this time.

I will be back to share some more gifts and packaging fun in the next few days.

Cheers

Bleach stamping class

2011-12-13T01:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those ladies that attended my last class for the year at Catchy Crafts yesterday. It was a lovely day having some fun with using household bleach for stamping. Here are the cards we made.

My next class at Catchy Crafts is on Monday 16th January at 10.30am. I hope to see you there.

Cheers
Alex

My Childhood Mini Book Pages

2011-12-09T03:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence over the last few weeks but I am sure you can relate when I say "Slow Down Life!!!!".

Life has been a whirlwind and in that time I also had to go without my computer for nearly a week, YES - A WEEK!!! It was like I had my arms chopped off!!! But here I am again and I hope to find time to update here regularly over the festive season.

Today I want to share with you (as per my promise to my class attendees! - better late than never they say) my pages from the last Mini Book workshop I took at Catchy Crafts. This was made with the Bo Bunny Etc range, which I love! The sheets of stickers and papers make a mini book so easy to create.

Eeeeek! Some of these photos are so funny. And very cringe-worthy! But these poor old photos were yellowing with age in one of those old 'stick em in' albums from the 70's. So I rescued them, scanned them and fixed them up as best I could with Photoshop. It was a fun album to make and I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into 'My Childhood'

Cheers

Fun with Bleach Stamping

2011-11-24T03:43:00.000-08:00

I had fun creating some class samples for my bleach stamping class coming up next month at Catchy Crafts. Wanna see a peek?

I had so much fun with this household product and can't wait to have fun with my class mates. This workshop will be on Monday 12th December at 10.30am. Call Catchy Crafts to book a spot, would love to see you there.

Cheers,

Love the Misty Mornings

2011-11-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

This last couple of weeks I have loved waking up to the gorgeous misty mornings.

I dragged my camera out the other morning and took a few snaps. Love this spiderweb!

Graphic 45 Curtain Call Flower

2011-11-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Made this yesterday.........

......for my December class at Catchy Crafts.

December 7th @ 10.30am
Call to book - 9477 4401

Would love to have you join me!

U Make me Happy

2011-11-20T04:34:00.001-08:00

...............dear friend.

Unity Goodness

2011-11-15T00:30:00.000-08:00

I placed an order with Unity Stamps the other day so that I could get my hands on some gorgeous Unity goodness!! (Take a look at that bike would you!) And guess what? I ordered some spares.....................sooooooo, if you would like some for yourself then be sure to check out my Etsy store as I have added them over there.

Check them out HERE

Cheers

Busy, busy, busy

2011-11-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

I know I have been MIA for the last couple of weeks but I have been busy creating. Just not so much with paper. Wanna see what I have been up to? Well, with Halloween at the end of last month I got inspiration from the internet to get 'food creative' and made these goodies.

Screaming Strawberries

Look a whole choir!!

And Ghost Biscuits

Then the other night I had some people over and decided it was about time I gave Cakepops a go. They were delicious and super easy to make. I used a standard vanilla cake mix, which you then crumble. Whip 100g cream cheese with 1 cup icing sugar with a beater then add cake crumbs and mix. Shape into balls, refridgerate for a few hours then attach to stick and dip in chocolate. Love them, gonna try some different flavours for Christmas which is at my house this year. So I will be creative with food a little more hopefully. Here are my cakepops:

Thanks for dropping by

Come & Make a Mini Book with Me!

2011-10-25T03:55:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I am teaching a workshop at Catchy Crafts that will make a great gift for Christmas or maybe just to keep yourself!?!? I LOVED creating this mini book with the Simple Stories range. Life Documented is the perfect range to suit a wide range of photos. So call the store and book your spot for Saturday 29th at 1.00pm (yep, after sport!) at Catchy Crafts in Hornsby. Here are some pic's to inspire you:

Cheers,

Sunday Sentiments

2011-10-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday cards to share with you today. I love the colours of this first card, I think the apricot flower really pops off the blue card.

And this next card features one of my very favourite colour combo's.......chocolate & pink. So pretty and cute for an 18th birthday celebration.

Thanks for stopping by

Cricket, A Day Out & Birthday Wishes

2011-10-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

Yep, cricket season has begun and this year I have to go as we have two playing Saturday mornings now. I was lucky enough this week that one of them played Miss G's son so we got to chat while we ummmm......watched. Yep, we did watch. Promise.

Lately the weather has been a huge mixture of hot and cold and it is hard to know whether to rug up or not. On the weekend we had some gorgeous weather so we took advantage of it and headed off on the train to Brooklyn. The kids loved their first swim, played in the playground and had fun exploring.

And I have been fitting in some creating, making stuff "just because". So here is a card to share with you that I made the other day.

(Papertrey Ink stamps, My Minds Eye paper, Stampin' Up ribbon and charm - unknown)

I also made some cute Christmas tags to add to my Etsy store. You can check out my store HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,

Baby Bliss

2011-10-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

My Mum needed a card to give her friend who has just became a Grandma again, so of course I willingly obliged. I love creating for a reason. And I love my new seam binding.

Thanks for stopping by

Mini Book Workshop

2011-10-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

Now those of you that know me well, know that I love a Mini Book or two. You can see a portion of my stash in an earlier post that featured this photo.

This basket is now overflowing and I need to find an extra storage solution.....oh no! That will mean a shopping trip.....oh well. LOL!

So I had a couple of requests to teach a Mini Book workshop and of course I said "I would love to!". So on Saturday 29th October at 1.00pm you can come along to this workshop at Catchy Crafts and complete a cute little album featuring canvas board covers and Simple Stories papers & elements. Here is the front cover to whet your appetite:

Call the store on 9477 4401 to book your spot, places are limited so be quick. I would love to spend the afternoon with you and you will have a gorgeous Mini Book at the end of it for your stash or to give as a Christmas gift. You never know, if you are not already addicted to mini books this could be the start of it! Tee Hee.

Cheers

Mini, Mini Kits Now Available at Etsy

2011-10-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

Yep, now I have added mini, mini kits on Etsy. Great for grabbing bits and treasures to create a couple of cards with the 2 x A5 cardstock included. And with Christmas just around the corner (can you believe how fast this year has gone?!?!?) I have included a couple of themed ones to begin with. And they are all only $5.50 including postage Australia wide.

You can find this kit HERE

And this one HERE

Or maybe you are not quite ready for Christmas yet, so this one HERE might suit you better?

Or this one found HERE.

A few to choose from and I will be adding more goodies and treasures over the next couple of weeks now that the kidlets are back at school. Keep your eye on the store.
Cheers,

Bliss Couture - DIY Card Kit

2011-09-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those that bought out my first DIY Card kits. They went super fast (might look into making up some more), but the other day I had some fun designing some more kits to upload. So here they are, Bliss Couture.

This kit features Papertrey Ink "Signature Series - Dress Form" stamps and diecuts, Tim Holtz "Haberdashery" stamps and Prima paper. The kit includes everything you need to create these cards, all you need to have on hand is brown inks and a sponging tool to give them the "vintage" feel and adhesive. So if you would like to purchase a kit to create these cards then you can find them HERE.

Cheers

DIY Card Kits Now at Etsy!

2011-09-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

* Edited to add: All sold out. More kits coming soon.

I have now added DIY Card kits to Etsy for those people who cannot make it to a class because of distance or circumstance. So now you can purchase a kit with full instructions, all images stamped and paper cut to go. It makes it so easy to whip up some cards when you need one for a special occasion. It also means you don't have the expensive outlay of stamp sets, cause the stamping is already done for you. However, if you decide you NEED the stamp set after playing with my card kits then the instructions are FULL and you can be recreating these cards time and time again.

The first card kit up for grabs is the Shabby Chic Card set featuring a set of three cards using Tim Holtz "Papillon" stamps, Pink Paislee "Butterfly Garden" papers, twine and a Tattered Florals flower.

So if you would like one, then head HERE and grab your own DIY Card kit. I will be adding more sets (including Christmas designs) over the next couple of days so keep your eyes on the store to make sure you don't miss out.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christmas Time is Coming!!

2011-09-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

Ho Ho Ho!! Yep, Christmas is only a couple of months away and it is time to get started on your Christmas cards. Here are the cards that I will be teaching at Catchy Crafts on Monday 26th September @ 10.30am.

Festive Floral Christmas Cards

In this class we will create three lovely cards for the festive season by learning how to make three different flowers. You will have extra in your kit to make more of these flowers when we are done. And they are designs that can be repeated over and over, even for other occasions.

Call Catchy Crafts to book your spot - 9477 4401

Cheers

A Note to my Children

2011-09-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

A friend pointed me in the direction of this today.

I like it! So I just wanted to share.

You can buy a screen print of it HERE.

Happy 50th Debbie!

2011-09-07T04:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night was my good friend, Debbie's 50th birthday celebration. We have spent the last 6 months working out details and having so much fun planning the night. My friend is over-the-top fun and her party was just like her! She chose a pink theme and she had a slushie machine with cocktails, a photo booth and a DJ. My favourite part of all was the lolly bar though! I have always wanted to put one of these together in pink and having boys I can't do that for birthdays. So Debbie and I had so much fun with this. She found so many fun pink lollies and purchased some beautiful jars and this is how it looked:

How cute is that banner made by Miss G?

Gorgeous pink lollies

And everyone loved it and made sure they took home cute pink & white striped lolly bags for their kids.

We found a cute photo online of a gorgeous ruffle cake, so Debbie went to her favourite cake shop at East Gosford and they did an awesome job of replicating it.

Just look at these ruffles - mmmmmmmmmm, yummmy!

Get your lips off that Megan!

And here are my two wonderful friends

Happy Birthday Miss Debbie!!! Love ya girlie!

Thoughts of Paris

2011-08-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

Had a little fun with the Grand Calibur today in between housework and nurse duties. I created this shaped card with my Labels One die.

Loving the seam binding ribbon too - had fun dying it with reinker. It's so much fun to create don't you agree.

Cheers

Gotta Love New Toys!

2011-08-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

And of course I am talking about scrapbooking toys!! I went to work today and had a lovely time with the ladies at Catchy Crafts creating cute tags. Then I went shopping!! As you do when in a large scrapbooking store. And I have been wanting one of these babies since seeing them released at CHA last year.

The GRAND CALIBUR. It cuts larger Nesties - AWESOME!!

So I bought the Labels One dies home to play with too and as soon as I got home I cracked open the box and started playing immediately (not like some toys I have brought home before, ah hum one of which is STILL in it's box!! But we won't mention that.) I love it, I love it, I love it. Want to see what I made? In the matter of only an hour, I whipped up this journal. It measures approx. 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" in size and so fun.

I embellished the front with paper from Stampin Up, pleated ribbon, a doilie, seam binding ribbon and an organza rose.

And inside the pages are all varied, from pale grey paper to music paper to more SU paper.

Can't wait to play with these dies in my scrapbooking.

Thanks for stopping by,

Papillon Tag Class @ Catchy Crafts

2011-08-20T00:37:00.000-07:00

Want to come along and create some fun tags with me on Monday? This is what we will be creating:

On Monday at 10.30am, for just $25 you can come along to Catchy Crafts @ Hornsby and have some fun playing with Tim Holtz Stamps, Distress Inks and more to create your own set of four tags. They are great for use on Scrapbooking pages, Card fronts and Special packages to people you love. Call the store ASAP on (02) 9477 4401, be quick and grab those last available spots.

Cheers

Mini Bliss

2011-08-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

Life has been super hectic around the Hughes household lately and that is why I have been missing from around here. Last weekend Georgina and I held our very first Scrap Alley Retreat and it was a HUGE success, you can read about it here. Everyone had a fantastic time, we had a ball hosting it and cannot wait till the next one. Then this last week I have been nursing a little boy who has been to hospital to have his tonsils out. He is not coping the best so lots of loving and hugging has been going on around here.

But today I had a little free time and decided that in honour of my feature HERE on the Etzcetera Magazine Blog, it was time to put a new kit together. And since I received a new goodie box from Papertrey Ink this morning, I have featured this MINI BLISS kit around the mannequin stamp set and die that I ordered. I LOVE IT!!!!

Along with Papertrey Ink stamped images and sentiments, it features goodies from 7 Gypsies, Maya Road and Tim Holtz.

This kit is so much fun, and at only $10 it is a great bargain kit to take along to your next crop.

And even better with FREE postage Australia Wide. Head on over to my ETSY store to grab your kit while you can, they are limited.

Cheers

Dreaming of Paris

2011-08-07T02:17:00.000-07:00

As I love a little bit of storage, I squealed with delight when I spotted these at the cheapie shop the other day. They look like books but they open up for storage.......love!

My new Paris boxes now look awesome on my crafting desk, housing all my handmade flowers, diecuts and bits & pieces that need a creative project to stick to. Maybe if I surround myself with Paris paraphernalia then one day I might get there..........law of attraction and all!~!

My Mini Book Collection

2011-08-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

I snapped this photo as I walked through the lounge room the other day. I think I have a little bit of an addiction to creating mini books!

I have them stored (or stuffed now) in a vintage wire basket. I love that the kids can pull them out and go through them whenever they want. I am not precious about them, that is what I have created them for.

Cheers

My Favourite Things - new goodies!

2011-07-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I purchased a cute new stamp set from My Favourite Things. I have had a lust for birds nests lately and it wouldn't go away so I went on the hunt for a cute birds nest stamp, preferably with eggs in it. Voila!

I decided to use the sketch from the My Favourite Things blog challenge (but of course didn't get to enter the challenge as I forgot to photograph it and get it entered in time, oh well!). I love using a sketch to get started on creating, it is always a good kick off point.

Here is my card that I created based on the sketch.

Thanks for dropping by,

They're Here!!! Yay

2011-07-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

After a long wait, the new stamps from Ippity have arrived in my hot little hands.

I love this set and am just now busy designing the projects for Ippity Stamp Club #2. Here is the first sample:

What do you think? This is such a cute and versatile set and did you know with Stamp Club you get to take the whole set home with you?? How cool is that!?

I still have one spot left for tomorrow nights class at 7.30pm. Email me is you would like to come along and take this gorgeous set home with you. Would love to see you here.

Cheers

AWESOME!

2011-07-26T18:08:00.001-07:00

This video just makes me Sigh! And want everything!!

J'Taime Paris - It is up for SALE!!

2011-07-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, my new card kit has hit my Etsy Store. It is called J'taime Paris and features goodies and treasures with a French flavour. Beautiful lace, paper flowers, ribbons and lace. I can't wait to get started on the samples right now.

Beautiful lace, paper flowers, ribbons and lace. I can't wait to get started on the samples right now.

So if you would like to grab a kit for yourself, head on over to my Etsy store to grab one while they are available. For only $16 (including postage Australia wide) it is a bargain. Now I am off to craft :)

Cheers

Ippity Stamp Club #2

2011-07-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love these new stamps by Ippity! They are just gorgeous, arn't they?

And next week I have Ippity Stamp Club #2 being held here in Lisarow on the Central Coast. Stamp Club is where for $30 you get to come along and make a bunch of projects (usually about 4-5 items) with the featured stamp set............AND you get to take the whole stamp set home with you at the end!! Stamp Club times are:

Tuesday 26th July @ 10.30am - 12.30pm
or
Thursday 28th July @ 7.30pm - 9.30pm

Contact me by email if you would like to come along. Would love to see you here!
Cheers

A Peek of Paris

2011-07-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

New Card Kit Coming Soon!!

Class Schedule Updated - New Tab Above

2011-07-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I decided to finally get back into my workshops and stop being on holidays!! I had my first class at Catchy Crafts last week and realised how much I miss sharing this craft with others. So I have added a tab up along the top of the blog called "CLASSES" (very obvious really) and here I have listed all my upcoming workshops with details such as location and cost. Included (where I can) I have put photos so you can see what the projects involve. Here are some of what is coming up:

Shabby Chic Cards

Fathers Day Projects

and Papillon Tags.

I would love to have you come along to a workshop so if you would like to book in, contact me direct for home workshops (scrapalley@gmail.com or 0414 444 150) or call Catchy Crafts on 9477 4401.
Cheers

Crop Night Fun

2011-07-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Deb and I headed off down the freeway to Catch Crafts Crop Night. We had a great time with great company, fun tools to play with and I actually got some pages done. I have decided that simple is best with my scrapbooking at the moment. Poor Nathan had only a single page in his school scrapbook when they pulled it out the other day and it made him so sad. So of course that broke my heart. I get busy designing and creating of other projects and commitments and sometimes forget why I REALLY scrapbook. So I have decided to take my pages back to basics and get busy putting some more pages in his album. Here are a couple I finished the other night.

And yep, my eldest pointed out the year to me. Livin' in the future I am!! LOL. Gotta fix that.

So I have now been through all my photos and have the ones I need printed prepared and I am going to get everyones School Scrapbook up to date. And no longer will I worry about what goes on the page, fast pages are ok. Not every pages needs a new technique and tons of product. And working with matching products, like kits makes that easier. Maybe I need to do some more shopping?????? LOL.

Thanks for dropping by

Something to Remember

2011-07-17T04:09:00.001-07:00

More Weekend Fun with Oreos

2011-07-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

It all started when I found these:

Oreo Cheesecakes! YUMMO. But I didn't have the stuff for the cheesecake part, poop. So time to re-think it, and I had a cake packet mix. Yes, Oreo Cupcakes. Let's go boys!

So we put the Strawberry Oreo's in the bottom of the cupcake liners.

Then mixed the cake batter.

The kids all got involved. (And yes, you do need to wear a hoodie whilst mixing!)

And into the oven they go.

And out of the oven.

This is what the inside looks like.

And off to tasting!

On the soccer field.

They were a hit! And so delicious warm.

But a chef I am not. Much prefer paper, LOL.

Cheers

Pretty Sparkling Drinks

2011-07-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

No scrapbooking today! Lately I have been searching for photos for scrapbooking projects and I have been horrified to find that each month has very little to offer. What have I been doing lately?? I seem to have put my camera away for twenty-eleven and let life slip by with no photographic memory. Arghhhhhh, where has the woman I know gone???????? So this weekend I got out my camera and snapped away at just about anything. So I am going to share some of them here instead of scrapbooking. And then maybe I can scrapbook the photos at a later date...................and share them again that way!! LOL.

For lunch on Sunday we had a simple sausage sizzle and some sparkling drinks (just plain old cordial with a bit of soda water, really easy but fun). And when I sat them down on the outdoor table for the kids I loved how the sunlight shone through the acrylic. Pretty Sparkling Drinks!!

They were gorgeous!

And my cuties, taking a drink. They are gorgeous too!

Thanks for stopping by

Our Gypsy Street

2011-07-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

Back at SIA last year I bought a kit from the 7 Gypsy's girls and had no idea at all what I had purchased. It was a left over from a class and all I had was the bits and pieces, no instructions, no picture of what I had to make it into. Then they emailed me the instructions, but if you are anything like me then you need a visual to work your way through the written stuff. And I didn't have that. Then one day I visited my dear new friend Jen Hall and spotted HER Gypsy House among her scrap room stuff. YAY!! So Jen was kind enough to lend me her house and I finally got around to creating my own. Here is OUR GYPSY STREET:

Aren't they cute? I love how we both customised our houses to reflect our own house. And they are the same, but a little bit different. Thanks so much Jen for lending me the visual.

Thanks for stopping by,

Embelles Workshop - Rocked it AGAIN!!

2011-07-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

I love the EMBELLES Workshops!! They are awesome value for money and huge fun to attend. Last weekend Debbie and I headed off to Newcastle for a fun Sunday with the girls. It was Christmas in July and we made a scrapbook page ready for our Chrissy photos to come, received a kit for a December Daily Album to make later (we were just too buy this weekend) and here is my favourite project - The Advent Calendar.

We took a large rectangle canvas and cut the canvas from the middle and used the wooden frame for our base. Then the hands got busy with creating 25 cute tags to countdown the days until the fat man in the red suit comes.

I loved all the details they included. It was so much work for them to prepare, and so much fun for us to create.

Love the mannequin die cut, I think I need this Tim Holtz die.

And my birthday! Might need to add some bling to that one.

They were all so adorable. Thank you so much Lizzie and Lisa, we loved every minute of the day. Looking forward to the next one we are booked into.

Cheers

Owl Gift

2011-07-06T00:40:00.000-07:00

I was going back through my photos and realised that I didn't share this project with you all. Our friend Jen Hall had a baby a few months ago and we gave her this cute vintage frame for the babies room. It seems we started an 'owl fetish' for baby Quinn.

I found an owl pattern online somewhere, adjusted the size to fit the frame and used the SU chipboard branch also. I love that his initials are QT - ("cutie").

Have a great day

Sweet Delights Fun

2011-07-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

I have been having a bunch of fun playing with the Sweet Delights kit from my Etsy Store. It is bright and colourful, which is not normally what I like to create with. But with the kit all co-ordinating, it makes it easy and I have been enjoying it. Here is my first sample:

I have used one of the Tulip cupcake papers in the kit and the crepe paper cut with Nestabilities. I took step by step photos of the crepe paper creation and will share them with you tomorrow. But for the next sample I couldn't help but tone it down to the vintage style I love to do with some Vintage Photo Distress ink.

I used Chalkboard Glimmermist for the card background, then used the heart doilie, sentiment and trim from the kit. The vintage digital image from Made by Janet is just gorgeous and makes the vintage style very easy to achieve. Here is a list of what you will find in the Sweet Delights Card Kit:

If you would like a kit, head on over HERE to grab yourself one. Limited numbers available, once they are gone that is it. I am working on a new one real soon though. Seeya!

Glimmermist Card Class @ Catchy Crafts

2011-07-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Next week I begin my classes at Catchy Crafts and I am happy to say the response has been awesome. There is still one spot left in the Glimmermist Class next Monday 11th July at 10am. Class is $25 and includes everything you need to make these cards.

If you can't make it next Monday I will be teaching a different workshop on Monday 25th July. These are vintage style cards using Tim Holtz stamps and gorgeous Pink Paislee papers.

Call the store on 9477 4401 to book your spot, but be quick ...... they are booking out fast. I can't wait to share these cards with everyone coming.

Cheers

Kookaburra Retreat Wrap Up

2011-07-02T03:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Kookaburra Retreat organised by Andrea North. The retreat was organised to raise funds for Christchurch as Andrea is a Kiwi and it breaks her heart to see what is happening over there. As soon as she asked me if I would contribute by teaching I jumped on board immediately. It was an awesome weekend and she raised $1200 NZ dollars to donate. THAT IS FANTASTIC!

I had a great time and actually got some scrapping done too. I laughed a whole bunch thanks to these girls on my table:

And I created this heart in honour of the people of Littleton, NZ.

In honour of this video that Andrea shared with us.

Littleton Short Film

Here is Andrea (our wonderful Retreat organiser) with her heart and her winnings from the Tombola.

It was an awesome weekend, THANK YOU SO MUCH ANDREA and to everyone who attended to make the weekend great.

Thanks for stopping by,

Launch of a new Online Magazine

2011-06-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that Kim Archer has launched her new craft and lifestyle magazine - etzcetera. And it looks AWESOME!

Head over HERE to check out the first issue for free. It is packed with awesome articles, ideas and crafty goodness. And make sure you look for my Ippity Ad on page 17 and let me know what you think. It cleverly links directly to my Esty store. Fantastic! I will definitely be purchasing the second issue, and the third and the fourth etc etc.

I loved the new magazine Kim, congratulations to you and your team.

Pretty Packaging

2011-06-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

I love giving gifts...................sometimes I don't give them on time. But I love giving them. Today I visited my dear friend Liz Walker who's birthday was a couple of weeks ago (Shhhh, and I missed it and feel terrible about it!), so I trotted off with a package of crafting goodies for her. I thought I would share a photo of the packaging with you, she seemed to like it.

I love giving gifts cause I love doing the packaging as much as I love picking or creating the gifts.

Thanks for stopping by

"It's the Best Day Eeeeveeer" - quote SpongeBob

2011-06-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day. They say good things come in threes and I am happy to say they all came in the one day yesterday. Firstly I took a visit down to Catchy Crafts to grab some scrapping goodies (cause apparently I don't have enough!!) and drop off my August samples. And I was stoked to find out that there are a bunch of people booked into my classes coming up in July. AWESOME! I can't wait to meet and spend time with some Catchy Craft customers and here is a sneak peek of the cards we will be creating.

This is a class where we will have fun with Glimmermist, embossing and stencils. So if you would like to join us on July 11th at 10am, then contact the store on 9477 4401 to book your spot (be fast - there are only a few left I believe).

Secondly, I received an email telling me that my eldest son has been offered a position at the Selective High School here on the Coast. I am so proud!!

I raced home from shopping, cooked up some cupcakes for a celebration and made him a card to tell him how awesome we think he is. He seems pretty pleased with himself, which he certainly deserves to be. He worked hard to prepare for the exam and he has been rewarded with a great opportunity for his schooling future. U R AWESOME!!

And lastly I have been crossing my fingers, toes and anything else I can, hoping that I will be "pulled out of the hat" to attend the school camp next term with my middle son. And Yippeee, it worked.

I will be off to Camp Toukley with a bunch of Year 3 & 4's. I haven't been on a school camp yet and I am really looking forward to this. Apparently I HAVE to go on the giant swing though, not too sure I am looking forward to THAT!

Thanks for stopping by

Re purposing My Surroundings

2011-06-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

On the weekend my dear hubby got busy and made me a garden patch ready for me to plant some herbs and vegetables. Let's hope I can keep them alive!! A gardener I am not, but I am going to give it a try. While getting it ready he trimmed a tree (that he would rather pull out but I won't let him) and I loved the branches with green 'stuff' (lichen???) growing on it. So off I trotted with it inside to see what I could do with it as a display. And what I came up with I am really happy with.

I took some vintage music paper to line the inside of the vase to cover the bottom of the branches. Then dug out my cream ribbon off my wedding bouquet and tied it into a big bow.

Then I embellished it with a glimmermisted chipboard flower and a pearl and bling embellishment.

Took me about 10-15mins in total and I am totally happy with it. Now I am going to decorate the tree with cute tags and inspirational quotes.

And I just wanted to show you the green stuff. It adds texture and interest to the branches and I really like it. Ahh, small pleasures from re-purposing!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Kookaburra Retreat

2011-06-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that I will be off to a Retreat this weekend. The lovely Andrea North has asked me to teach a class at her Kookaburra Retreat which is being held to raise money for the Christchurch Relief. And with everything that has been happening to them over there in NZ, I am more than happy to help raise whatever we can. So I have designed a mini book for everyone to make and I just wanted to share a couple of pics for you.

This is the front cover. The theme will be Memories and the atttendees can make it adapt to any memories they would like to showcase whether it be birthday, christmas etc. I had chosen photos from our recent NZ trip.

I made these pages from the Tim Holtz tag die and used Ippity stamps from the "Love in Return" set to embellish throughout.

And I just love this Quick Kutz die for making 12" loops, perfect when they are cut down for a small project too.

See the polkadots, hmmmm we are going to be having fun stamping with some interesting things. Hope everyone likes messy!!

I will report back next week on all the fun we have. Cheers,

New Etsy Shop Listings

2011-06-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy bee tonight listing my new CARD KIT on Etsy. Want to see?

Sweet Delight Card Kit

So bright and pretty. If you would like a kit they are available HERE. There is a limited number, so be quick.

Cheers

Donna Downey Album

2011-06-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was excited to attend a Donna Downey class. But it has taken me a while to actually get my album from the day finished. I finally did just that this week.

I focused the album on two of my closest friends and how they influence me. They make my life totally enjoyable, I love hanging out with them.

The pages were made up of plain old manila folders, cardboard boxes and gorgeous canvas pages.

We used some of Donnas favourite Golden paints and had a heap of fun getting messy.

We also got to experiment with India Ink and a nib pen. Arghhh, I really don't like my writing and found this bit a little challenging. However it was so fun going outside my usual.

It was a fun class to attend and I enjoyed finally getting the album finished. Thanks for stopping by,

Kaiser Crafting

2011-06-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

So I let you know the other day that I actually got some scrapping done. And today I want to share with you the other page I got done. The products I used are what I received from Scrapbook Divas a little while ago, it is Kaiser Chanteuse. So pretty.

I also used the crocheted doilie from Kaiser and a gorgeous diecut from the range. Also used gorgeous crinkle ribbon. Love that stuff.

Then I also made a card from some of the other goodies.

If you want any of the Kaiser Chanteuse goodies head over to Scrapbook Divas to get some. Thanks for stopping by,

Finally some scrapping

2011-06-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy and full of cards and retreat preparation and well....just life. And I was so happy when the other night I took some time to just scrapbook. You know.......just scrapbook. For no reason, just for the fun of it, just to record memories in a pretty manner.

I enjoyed it. This page was using My Minds Eye, one of my favourite brands along with chipboard letters that I covered in German Glass Glitter.

LOVE that stuff!! Will be back with more to share soon.
Cheers

Flutterby Card Kit Sample

2011-06-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hi there, just wanted to stop in and show you some more samples I have made with the Flutterby Card Kit.

I used the 7 Gypsies File tab to create this cute little give card. Perfect for attaching to a special gift for someone.

And this is using the pillow box and butterfly that is included in the kit. All I did was stamp it, tie a ribbon around it and voila. Ready to fill with chocolates. And the card behind it comes in the kit already stamped, so you can embellish on it or send it just the way it is.

I am on my way to our Craft Night at Lisarow tonight so I will be sure to make some more samples to show you.

Ciao

Road Trip to Catchy Crafts & A New Venture

2011-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I never sit idle.....EVER!! And yesterday was no exception. I took a little road trip down to Hornsby today. To the NEW location of Catchy Crafts. It is awesome!! So much bigger, so much better to browse product and so much easier to spend your money (whoops!!).

Check out the wall of punches, so many Martha's!

And the paper selection is fantastic!

The shop is great and it is the beginning of my new venture. I am happy to announce that come July I will be teaching card classes at Catchy Crafts. So check out their class timetable soon to see what I will be starting with (think vintage and glimmermist). I will give you some sneaks on here too of course.

Thanks for stopping by

Introducing FLUTTERBY

2011-06-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

Well thank you to all those lovely customers who purchased Romance. They are now all gone and I have released the next Card Kit over HERE at Etsy. Introducing FLUTTERBY

This kit features beautiful Turquoise goodies and Butterfly details.

K & Co Papers, butterfly fabric and more.

Here is one of the goodie bags included in the kit that I decorated, dressed up with details from the kit (plus a doillie from my stash!). So easy when everything matches.

So if you want to grab a Flutterby Card Kit to help in your paper crafting projects then head on over to my ETSY store. They are limited, so be quick. I will be back with more samples from the kit real soon.

Cheers

A little bit more Romance

2011-05-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

And I have left my favourtie cards until last.

How cute are the little Robert Gordon red & white striped banner? And I love the Hessian to cut out with my Nesties. You get both these goodies in the kit, as well as the crepe paper, patterned paper and fabric.

This cute little card was fun to make.

I love the trend of banners and with patterned paper you can make them for any project. And the little flower that I have used on this card (and the one on the card above) is just three circles free-hand cut from the fabric in the kit, then stitched together. One with a button from the kit (this card) and one just with a puckered stitch (above).

I love the Pink Paislee tickets in the kit too and you can see I have added it to both cards. So cute and such a nice little touch to any project.

So there you go, I still have a ton of product left but still I have showcased a bunch of different ideas for the Romance Kit. I can't seem to stop playing with it and when there is more I will share them with you. If you have purchased the kit, then please feel free to copy any of these samples and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at scrapalley@gmail.com

Cheers

More Romance for You!

2011-05-27T04:49:00.000-07:00

As promised I am back with some more samples I have made with the Romance Card Kit (available HERE).

On this one I have used the felt heart, patterned paper, white frame, music paper and card base from the kit.

The only extra thing I used was a Stampin' Up sentiment stamp.

And this is the little notepad from the kit that have I created a cover for and decorated with other elements from the kit. Including the doillie die cut by Papertrey Ink, the chandelier image and the sentiment. Would make a cute little gift wouldn't it?

I have just a couple more to share so I will be back over the weekend.
Cheers

Samples from Romance

2011-05-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

Awesome!! The response to my card kits on Etsy has been AWESOME!! Thank you!! So awesome that I only have 2 Romance kits left. So if you would like a kit then be quick and head over HERE to purchase one of the last two.

And in the meantime I am going to share with you some of the projects I have made with my ROMANCE kit. I love this kit and have had so much fun creating with it. In fact there a quite a few samples, so I will just share a few today.

This one I have added the stamped tag that is included in the kit to a stamped Kraft card I had on hand. Then I added a little bit of lace to the end and handcut the sentiment from the Kit's sentiment sheet. These were adhered with foam mounting tape. Easy card to make with the kit and a few bits you can find in your own stash.

On this one I have used the tissue paper included in the kit. I scrunched it up to create creases and then covered a piece of cardstock with a glue stick. Stick the tissue paper down, but don't smooth out so that it looks crinkled. Fold edges around and adhere to one of the white cards included in the kit. Whack on a sentiment and Voila!!

And here I have made a cute little tag card with the patterned paper from the kit and the stamped paper bag. A great idea to add to a gift, don't you think?

Sigh!! So many bits in this kit to create with. So I will be back tomorrow with some more of my samples. Right now I am having fun with the next kit.

Cheers

Card Kits by Scrap Alley

2011-05-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is what I have been working on.

CARD KITS by Scrap Alley Kits & Treasures

I opened an Etsy store a million years ago and never really did a thing with it. All that is changing as I am now able to sell my Ippity stamps through Etsy. So I have had the idea in my head for a while now for creating card kits to help people collect a stash of fun, matching products to create their projects with. And with an Etsy store I am able to offer them to the world, yay!

You know, a set that you can pick up and take to a crop and KNOW that everything is going to match and go together. It can be the only thing you take and you will be able to create a number of projects - this is EXACTLY what I did in New Zealand. I took my very first kit, called ROMANCE with me on holidays due to the lack of packing space. Along with a couple of ink pads and my staple crafting goodies (ie. scissors and glue) and I was able to create a number of projects from my kit. I will feature them here on the blog over the next couple of days to show you what you can create with this kit.

ROMANCE features soft, feminine embellishments and papers that go together so nicely. Along with some vintage papers too. Think roses, shabby chic, doillies, felt flowers and more. Here is a list of what is included in this awesome kit:

All this for just $16 (including postage Australia wide!!). Can you believe it? This is a great way to get a little bit of this and a little bit of that (all matching and complimentary) without buying everything in bulk. If your budget is small but you want a whole lot of product..........then this is a great kit for you. Be sure to snap up your kit ASAP as there are only a limited number. You can purchase your kit

HERE.

Now I am working on my next kit................think turquoise and butterflies!! Be sure to keep checking on my Esty store for it's launch and other exciting treasures.

Cheers

Hello Again

2011-05-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

My apologies for being absent for so long. We undertook some renovations with a a new floor covering installed, then we took a family holiday to beautiful New Zealand.

And I have been working on getting some goodies up for sale at Etsy.

I will be back to tell you more very soon.
Ciao

Craft Night @ Lisarow

2011-05-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Wanna come along?

This Friday night, May 6th at 7.00pm. Contact me at scrapalley@gmail.com to get the address details and let me know you are coming (then I can pack you a goodie bag!!) Yay!

Cheers

Kaiser Love

2011-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love how Kaiser release ranges regularly and how working with their matching products makes creating so easy. I have worked with quite a few of their ranges over time and was excited to see that they were putting out a call for next years design team. So here is my post to apply for that position. Fingers crossed!!

Scrapbooking pages

Rewind Collection

Shaken Not Stirred

Chanteuse

Mini Album

Pina Colada

Inside detail

Off The Page

Up, Up & Away

Advent Calendar

Close up detail

Cards

Up, Up & Away

Thanks for stopping by,

Easter Gifts to Show

2011-04-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

So I finished all my Easter gifts in the eleventh hour as I always do! I apologise for the photos, but they were taken late at night before they were all excitedly handed out by little boys.

For the ladies who visited (ie, Nanna, Grandma, Auntie and her friend). I sewed these little hessian bags and glued on the vintage Easter images that I purchased from Made by Janet on Etsy. Then I filled them with homemade rocky road in cello bags. Yum!

For Anthony and Grandpa. These are Papertrey Ink stamp boxes that I have dressed up with paper and ribbon, along with bunny tags I purchased from Bed, Bath & Table last year in the sale. (I just love the after celebration sales where everything is heavily discounted!)

For Uncle Pete. Again I used a vintage image from Made by Janet and stuck it straight on the front of an egg. Made a box, filled it with shredded vintage music paper and added a bow.

And my sweet treat to the boys with their pyjamas (they ALWAYS get pyjamas for Easter, I think I always used to as a child too. Gotta love a tradition). These are tubes that I purchased from Papertrey Ink with a simple ribbon and tag.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you had a lovely break.
Cheers

Stamp-a-Stack Workshop

2011-04-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

The school holidays are coming to an end this week (after the Easter festivities are over) and I am holding a Stamp-a-Stack Card Workshop on Thursday 28th April at 10.30am. In this SAS you will create 10 cards (multiples of three designs as pictured) to add to your card stash for birthdays and other occasions.

I would love to have you join me this coming Thursday, so contact me at scrapalley@gmail.com to book your spot. We will be using some fun items, like Papertrey Ink dies, felt, core'dinations paper and embossing folders. I only have a couple of spots left, so be quick.

Cheers

Kaiser Chanteuse Projects

2011-04-22T04:31:00.000-07:00

Michelle from Scrapbook Divas asked me recently to create some projects with the new Kaiser range called Chanteuse. Of course I said YES, cause I love any reason to create!! And this range is just divine to work with. You can get it over at Michelles store HERE and guess what??? It is all on special for between 20% to 50% off!! Can you believe it? Make sure you head on over after you visit here.

On this page I used my wedding photo. It is our wedding anniversary next week, can't quite believe that it has been 14 years!! I look so young!!

I love the Posy flower stems.

And this photo is of my Mother-in-law and her twin sister. I love how this range works great with older photos.

I know the crochet doilies have been around awhile, but I just love them.

Then I had the need for some Mothers Day cards as that is coming up really soon. And this range has heaps of "Mother" references to use. PERFECT! On this one I cut up the rubon so that it would work with the chipboard element.

Then I made a special box for a really dear friend of mine.

This range is so versatile. I just love it. Remember, pop over to Scrapbook Divas to get some for yourself. And thanks so much Michelle for letting me play with it, I still have more so after my Easter projects are over I will create some more. So check back when all the Easter Eggs are distributed to see what else I can come up with.

Cheers

Easter Treats

2011-04-20T05:04:00.001-07:00

And the making of Easter gifts begins!! I kind of took a break from Easter gifts after my workshop a couple of weeks ago. The kids took the little baskets and boxes we made in the Easter Egg-stravaganza workshop and gave them to their teachers at school. Then school holidays started and we have been flat out having fun and keeping busy.

So it's time to get off my butt and start on my Easter gifts because...................Easter is only 4 sleeps away after all!!!!! So here is my first one:

I made this for my dear friend as she was off overseas today, so she received it yesterday. And I made this after her suggestion so it was a treat to give her this. I have used the packaging from my last Papertrey Ink stamp set purchase. The acetate boxes are perfect for housing some chocolate goodness. Add a doily, a scalloped circle and a We Are Memory Keepers easter tag and voila!!

Am off to work on some more gifts that involve gorgeous vintage images and hessian. Check back to see what I come up with.

Thanks for stopping by,

Scrapbooking Retreat Announcement!!

2011-04-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right. A Scrapbooking Retreat!! That is my exciting news and I could just squeal with delight!! I am so excited to be organising a scrap retreat here on the Central Coast. A FULL weekend of uninterrupted scrapping with no curfews, no kids, no cooking and a whole lot of great company. All for only $175pp. Interested??? Check out the Scrap Alley Retreat blog over HERE and register your details at scrapalley@gmail.com

CAN YOU TELL I AM EXCITED!?!?!?!?!?!?!? If you are local or willing to travel, I would LOVE to have you come along.

Now I am off to work on the other little project I have going on. Details here soon. Very exciting!!

Cheers

Exciting Invite Coming Soon and a sweet 6 year old

2011-04-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

I have been working on something really exciting (with a little help from my friend) and I am going to share it with you all really soon. Those of you that are on my Craft Mailing List have already received your invitation and have first dibs at choosing to join in. If you would like to join that mailing list, then please email me and I am only too happy to add you to it. You will then be first to know about all my workshops, events and happenings. But more about that in the next day or so.

Yesterday most of my family went off to the football and I was left home (happily) with my littlest guy. He perched himself up beside me at my craft table and we got busy. I promised him I would share his creation here on my blog (he was beside himself with happiness as I photographed it, knowing that it was going on "the internet"). So here it is:

Pretty cute for a 6 year old I think. Don't you?

Thanks for stopping by and keep your eye on her for an announcement soon.

Cheers

Embellees Girls Rock!!

2011-04-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

The other week I headed off to Newcastle with Deb and Miss G for a workshop with the gorgeous girls from Embellees. Liz and Lisa REALLY know how to turn on a day. I have to admit that I am not the best 'student' around when it comes to attending scrapbooking classes. I am usually really impatient!! LOL. But I must say that I LOVED every minute of the full day with these girls. We all worked at our own pace, it was jam packed with projects and great company and they were nice enough to let me take along my Ippity stamps to show (and sell) to all their ladies. And on top of that the Edgeworth Bowling Club has an awesome bistro for lunch. It was a GREAT day.

I finally got around to adding photos to the two layouts we created on the day (designed by Miss Lisa) and I think they are gorgeous. So I wanted to share them with you.

This one uses the Pink Paislee House of 3 embossed paper and then distress inks over it. Love that effect. And that scallop trim?? That is woodgrain contact..........lurve it!

I love that little bird in the bottom corner of this one. Such a cutie. And those quilled flowers.....they are courtesy of Miss G (Debbie and I both piked out on creating those, Miss G was so good at it).

Check out the Embellees website and be sure to book into a workshop soon (bummer that the next one is booked out already!! They are so good everyone wants to go!!) Be quick to register your name for the July workshop though, it is sure to sell out quickly. Maybe I might see you there :)

Cheers

A Change is as Good As.......

2011-04-09T03:33:00.000-07:00

a holiday, they say!! There are some changes going on around here and I am really happy about them. I have always run two blogs.......first of all with Stampin' Up as my other one and then just recently, my Ippity blog. This was always done for a reason. And the reason with the Ippity blog was because of my other commitments, and I never thought it appropriate to combine my Ippity promotion with my other craft obligations. Now that all that situation has changed and I am again "doing my own thing" (with a BIG sigh of relief and happily), I can change things up a bit to make this a one stop blog for all my crafting creations PLUS my Ippity creations.

So you will now find EVERYTHING I create here, and not have to head over here to check out what Ippity goodies I am playing with. You can also purchase your Ippity stamps RIGHT HERE! You will notice that along the top I have put all the pages of the Ippity Season Releases and if you click on them, you will find images of all the stamps, what's in stock and paypal buttons to buy what you would like. If you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at scrapalley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

And now to share some craft visuals, cause lets face it.........we all blog surf for the pictures right??? ;) So here is the other cards we created in the Easter Egg-stravaganza workshop last week.

For this one we used a vintage easter image. Such a great way to embellish a card.

I picked up the egg shaped Nestabilities while I was in the States. So cool to use at this time of year. And I have a bunch of Easter goodies to still create for my family over the next couple of weeks. So stay tuned and I will share them with you.

Cheers

Happy B'day and an I Love You

2011-04-09T01:54:00.000-07:00

After a full morning of soccer and football, I got some crafting time today while everyone chilled out to a movie (they were exhausted!!). Love those kinds of afternoons. So I took the time to create a birthday card for my Mum to give to my brother tomorrow (I used one I created a while ago, such a cheat!). The only stipulation was that it had to say "Son", so here it is:

I had fun with Tim Holtz stamps, embossing and inking, a 7 Gypsies tag and some more Tim with the ticket & pin. I added the clip which is from Stampin' Up, however it was a little too 'silver and shiney', so I just grabbed out my alcohol inks and coloured it Espresso.........so easy.

So while my Mum and the kids were watching Monster House, my Mum had a little nap so I got busy on making a present for when she woke up. Here it is:

I should have probably kept it for Mothers Day but who can wait to give pressies when they are completed??? NOT ME! So when she woke up I presented her with a cuppa and a pressie, lol. Needless to say, she was happy.

This flower was made from paper towels that I used to sop up a whole bunch of Glimmermist. I love what that stuff does to paper towel, give it a try sometime won't you?

Thanks for stopping by and I will be back to share a whole bunch more soon.
Cheers

Party Details

2011-04-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

Just recently we celebrated a whole bunch of birthdays in our family, March is the busiest month of the year for us. My kids are able to have a party every second year, and as we have two in March they alternate. This year was Nathan's turn and he chose a Sports theme for his party. I headed off to the Base Warehouse Party Shop to see what I could find. I found a whole bunch of soccer stuff, so that's the direction we went. Now I LOVE all the party details. Anyone that knows me can tell you that. But sports games are not my strength, therefore I am very glad to have two older siblings to do THAT part of the party. I just concentrated on food and details. So I thought I would share some of the details with you. Here is the party boy in front of the party table.

And here are all the goodies that Mum and I worked on.

Teddy Racers - how adorable are these (thanks Jen Hall for the inspiration).

Jelly Cups - these were a hit!

Sports Players - these used up all the extra icing from the Teddy Racers.

Marshmellow Pops - so fun and easy to do.

And as I said, I love all the little details. I found some soccer tags and images to download from this fantastic party site - Karas Party Ideas and made personalised labels for everything in Photoshop. Sports drinks for each child.

And Party Gifts to say thanks for coming.

The kids had a ball playing games like soccer and tunnel ball and they stuffed themselves silly on the food. After a couple of hours they all went home with smiles. It was great fun and Nathan loved it. Mum mission accomplished!

Thanks for stopping by

This makes me happy!

2011-04-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

Now to fill in that big gap!! Want to know where I get my Distress Inks from?

HERE at Inspiration Emporium.........with the dollar so good and their postage being only $10, this place absolutely rocks for getting things at a HUGE discount compared to buying them here in Australia. At only $4.99 each I will have this stash up to the full set in no time :) Love this shop!!

I am having so much fun tonight teaching myself how to create scrapbooking sketches ready for a project I am doing next school term. I was originally going to use sketches for my classes from inspiring places I have found online but I have wanted to be able to do my own for quite a while now. So tonight while catching up on my favourite TV shows, I have taught myself how to create them. I have been working them out by going through my albums and actually creating the sketch from a page I have already designed . Want to see?

And here is the page I took it from.

Now I am going to have some fun creating other pages from this sketch to see how I am inspired differently. And by all means, feel free to create using the sketch as inspiration. I would love to see what you come up with, so please share.

Thanks for stopping by

Easter workshop BOOKED!

2011-03-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my plan for today was to share another sneak peek with you for the Easter Egg-stravaganza so that the last couple of spots could be booked up to make a full class. However, two lovely ladies have taken the spots just this afternoon, so it is now FULLY BOOKED! Yay! Can't wait to share my ideas with these ladies.

So anyway, I might just share another little something we will be making next week..........just to get in the Easter spirit. Here is one of the cards we will be making using a cute little vintage image and some crepe paper.

Now, since that workshop is fully booked and I can't take anymore - how about I share a sneak peek with you for the next workshop I am holding. This workshop is a night time one due to school holidays beginning at the end of next week (what the???). How fast is this year going already?????? And it is a 12x12 Scrapbook Page using Teresa Collins papers. Details are below the sneak peek. Let me know if you would like to book in, spots are sure to go fast.

"You're A Star" Scrap Page

Friday 15th April

7.30pm - 9.30pm

$20

Contact me at scrapalley@gmail.com or txt me on 0414 444 150 to book your spot. (Spaces are limited). I would love to have you here.

Cheers

Papertrey Fun

2011-03-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got together with my friends, Miss G and Deb to have a Papertrey Create Day. We have been purchasing a 'little' bit of fun from them recently and decided that instead of shopping we should play with the product (however Debbie didn't get that memo, she shopped again!!!). LOL, it was a great day, however I only achieved a couple of cards. Hmmm, must have something to do with all the talking!!

I love this paper and stamp set. The sentiments include HUGE words (ie. Hey There) and smaller ones to compliment them. This set is called Big & Bold Wishes. And the little swirly circles are from the Delightful Doilies set.

And this one was made with a set Georgina bought called Button Boutique. We purchased some inexpensive chipboard coasters and cut the buttons out with the Papertrey Die. Then stamped with the Delightful Doilies set again. Took the Cuttlebug to the background and voila!

I love Papertrey Ink products and before you ask, no you can't buy them in Australia. You need to buy direct from the company as this is the only way they sell. And while postage is not small, we feel the quality, designs and fun products they have are worth going thirds in the postage to get something we love. So I am sure we will be shopping there again soon.

Thanks for stopping by,

Easter is just around the corner!

2011-03-23T03:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so both tomorrow's classes are fully booked and I am super excited about spending time with everyone tomorrow. So I thought I would give you a sneak peek of the next workshop and give you some more details. Here is one of the projects we will be creating for your Easter celebrations:

Easter Egg-stravaganza

Tuesday 5th April

10.00am - 12.30pm

$20 (includes kit)
edited to add * Only one spot left - be quick

This is a fun class, full of chocolate and creating. Gift ideas for just about everyone. I just LOVE dressing up chocolate!! So be quick and contact me ASAP, as there are limited kits and I would hate for you to miss out!! Email me at scrapalley@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

Cheers,