Scrapping Away

2010-12-17T22:31:00.003+11:00

Any of my readers would wonder if I ever scrap any more. Truth be told it is rare, unfortunately these days real life has intruded on my scrapping time. But luckily for me I am on six weeks holidays. It has only been about 5 days of holidays so far and although it is the busy festive season I have managed to get some layouts done.

These layouts are from a trip we took to Fiji in April 2010. The papers are all from the Teresa Collins Travel Ledger series of papers. I keep all of my travel layouts in the one album and therefore I like to differentiate each trip by using one set of papers per trip.

I have another layout ready to photograph but the light isn't good enough at this time as I prefer to photograph layouts using natural light. I also have another layout on the table so hopefully I will have this one finished over the weekend.

Sassafrass Lass

2010-09-30T20:38:00.002+10:00

Besides having one of the coolest names in the business (IMHO) Sassafrass Lass have some incredibly cool papers. I had a play with the October kit this week and found the Sassafrass Lass papers to be cute, striking and remarkably easy to use for girl or boy type layouts. The photo of Em probably would have looked dropped dead gorgeous on anything anyway but I was pleased to see that the papers in no way detracted from the photos and in my opinion may have even enhanced them. The layout of Lucy was my first time scrapping on Kraft cardstock, I know amazing though that is. I was really excited at the idea of scrapping on Kraft but in the end it wasn't really anything special.

The holidays are here

2010-09-27T13:59:00.003+10:00

I am not sure this layout should be considered a holiday achievement as it has been on my scrapping table for about a month in a half finished state. However, the school holidays are here and I have been so sick for the first 3 days of the holidays that I need to give myself a boost and so I am going to claim this, now complete layout, as the first of my holiday achievements. I am still incredibly tired - like more than I can ever remember being (other than when there was a newborn in the house). Hopefully, I will soon throw off this flu bug and be able to get some scrapping done, especially as I only have 5 childfree days in the fortnight!

This layout uses some old Kaisercraft papers, I even managed to use some epoxy brads which I have in every style but have never actually used. The chipboard numbers are some old Heidi Swapp ones (and by old I am talking about 8yrs!!).

Snow photos

2010-09-19T21:45:00.003+10:00

I dug out some snow photos on the weekend, maybe I was missing Albury! We moved back to SA in early July and therefore pretty much missed the snow season this year. I think Em would have enjoyed it more this year than she did last, I sure hope Lucy would have because she really hated it the last two years. I was inspired by the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses range, and while it is wintery and snowy it isn't overly Christmassy like most winter papers are. The sketch I used was a Pencil Lines sketch (number 203). The photos are no masterpiece but that isn't what this hobby is about is it? To me it is about recording moments and memories and if you learn a thing or two that enables you to take great photos then all well and good but snapshots should also be scrapped!

I've been scrapping again

2010-09-12T13:21:00.003+10:00

Had a little bit of time last night and while I should have been marking spelling tests I scrapped instead. Will get the tests done this afternoon or tonight. I had these photos of Emily in purple and they have been causing me a few headaches. I don't know if this happens to anyone else but I seriously am almost unable to scrap in purple. It's not that I have a particular distaste for purple, I quite like the colour but as soon as I pull out purple papers I feel my mojo leaves the building. So, last night I was determined to get these photos scrapped. I really love this Kaisercraft range and so it ended up being not as difficult as I had expected. I was really happy with how the green and yellow broke up the purple.

Getting back into the swing

2010-09-11T14:58:00.002+10:00

Managed to complete a layout that has been waiting for finishing touches. I love these pictures of Lucy with a duckling and I really wanted to ensure the photos remained the focus point once the layout was complete. To that end I was conscious of not overdoing it with embellishments but at the same time not leaving the pages too bland. The patterned papers are My Minds Eye, cardstock is Bazzill, flowers are Kaisercraft and some bits and pieces I found in the bottom of my flower jar!

Back from oblivion

2010-09-02T21:55:00.005+10:00

Well that about sums up where my blog has been for the past 18mths. Mmmm, a lot has happened but hopefully things will start to get into some sense of routine and I will post regularly again. Here is my latest scrapbooking attempt.

The papers are Delish Designs and the cardstock is Bazzill. I have also used Bazzill Edges on the layouts. I love how the paper worked with my font focus. I really want my layouts to showcase the pictures and tell a story and this is one of those times when I feel I have actually achieved it.

My second layout using the papers lacked the wow factor that I felt I achieved in the first layout. However I am still happy with it, the stunning photo of my little girl certainly helps.

Pina Colada Cards

2009-10-05T20:34:00.003+11:00

The holidays are over and it is time for the seniors' card making class to begin this week. I decided to go bright and hopefully this is well received. The cards use the Pina Colada ranger from Kaisercraft, it is one of their paper lines from the Q1 launch. As the Q2 range is now available it was a great opportunity to clear out these papers. I love the bright colours of these papers but to me they suit a lovely tropical holiday layout and as I haven't had any tropical holidays since the kiddies came along it is great to be able to use them for something else. I am really happy with how the cards turned out and I think this colour combination is totally rad.

Spellbinders Foil and Cuttlebug

2009-09-19T23:13:00.004+10:00

How cool is this?

Had a play with the Spellbinders premium foil on some layouts and as I had a piece left I made a card with it. I totally love the effect of the Cuttlebug embossing folders on the foil. It is such a striking effect. Will certainly use this technique again.

2009-09-08T21:35:00.003+10:00

Had a great deal of fun with this month's Scrapaholix kit. I wanted to make sure I used a lot of photos on my layouts as I am being inundated with photos these days, guess that's what happens when you have 2 beautiful children. LOL! I love the effect of the Ranger Liquid Pearls on the My Mind's Eye papers and I had fun playing with different effects using Coredinations paper. I crumpled and sanded the cardstock to add dimension. I also completed a third layout with the kit but as yet I haven't decided on a title for it.

Titles are cut with the Cricut using SCAL

Flower Soft

2009-09-01T20:52:00.005+10:00

Been playing with Flower Soft tonight. Working on a cute little stamped card using Flower Soft Heather and a new Stamp It stamp that arrived earlier this week. Have to organise my cards for my last card making class of the week. Think I may get a Christmas card into the class this week as before we know it the Jolly man himself will be here and I never seem to get enough time to make my Christmas cards. If only I had bought the Polar White Flower Soft I could use it on my Christmas Cards to liven up Santa's beard!

Will post some photos when I get a minute.

If you are after some vid demos about Flower Soft, there are heaps on You Tube, this is one of the best

Cuttlebug cards

2009-08-24T20:58:00.004+10:00

I made these cards this week using my Cuttlebug Embossing Folders and some Coredinations Whitewash cardstock and Chatterbox Papers. I love the effects you can achieve with the embossing folders, it is like having another patterned paper. The scallops are all taken from the Cricut Storybook Cartridge.

Now I really must work on my cards for my class this Thursday. I am thinking a cherry blossom svg with flocked flowers for one of my cards. Hope it turns out well.

DIY SVG files

2009-08-16T20:08:00.003+10:00

I have been searching the net for inspiration for some cards for my class this week and I came across a very cool site called iDiY There are templates for everything on there - boxes, bags, labels, fonts and dings etc. All are in pdf format and so would be great for converting into svgs and cutting. Get on over there soon, that's where I will be tonight. Meanwhile think I have decided to use masks and glimmer mist to create backgrounds for my cards and may play with some digi stamp images or just make my own.

Birthday mesh

2009-08-07T22:03:00.003+10:00

We have had a crazy time around here, birthdays, the start of a new school term, sick kids etc all on top of the usual run of the mill chaos. I have been playing a bit with SCAL 2 and it is a vast improvement - still not adequate to replace Inkscape though. I decided to create a mesh for my daughter's birthday page. I made a mini mesh for her card and thought I'd do her birthday scrapbook layout with a mesh too. Here's a picture of my creation. Let me know if you'd like it.

Kaisercraft Scrap your Summer Competition

2009-07-17T21:24:00.002+10:00

Have you heard? Kaisercraft has a great new competition called Scrap your Summer

While freezing here in southern Aust let's remember the warmer months and scrap some sun drenched beaches, or tropical pools! The idea of the competition is to scrap your summer photos using the new Kaisercraft Offshore or Pina Colada range. Check the blog for detail: http://www.kaisercraft.net/blog/scrap-your-summer-competition/

Wall Vinyl

2009-07-17T21:10:00.002+10:00

I have been wanting to do some wall quotes or decorations for months but I haven't yet found a good (reasonably priced) source of vinyl. I have some scraps that I got from a sign maker though and so I decided to have a play and do some designs on my daughter's wall. As my scraps were quite small I was fairly limited but I am happy with how it turned out. This sits above my daughter's pillow.

I just used the Storybook Cartridge for this one but now I have started I can see so many possibilities using SVG's I have downloaded!

Kaisercraft Pina Colada and Child's Play

2009-07-14T14:21:00.004+10:00

Today is an important day as it marks the point at which I have now completed a layout with each of the Q1 paper ranges! Note to self - no trumpet fanfare! I am happy with how these layouts turned out as to tell you the truth. . . the papers didn't excite me at first. Having said that I love the pages I've created and now I can see heaps of ways to use these ranges.

The font on the Snow Angel layout is one of my favourites, it is called 1BeanSproutDNA and it is a freedownload. I especially like the way it is easy to weld in Sure Cuts A Lot.

Cricut Gypsy

2009-07-11T22:57:00.002+10:00

I see Cricut has a new product nearing launch. It is called a Gypsy and it is a hand held unit. The idea seems to be planning designs on the go and then hooking up to your Cricut to cut. At least I think that's the idea! The specs I have found are listed below:

Features:
Size – 8” x 3” x 1.5”
Weight – 11 ounces
Screen Size - 4.7”, 16:9, 480 x 272
Stylus Length – 3.75”
Storage – ~4000 Cartridges, 10000+ Designs
Battery Life – 4 hrs cont. 18 hrs int.
Compatible with all Cricut Machines and Cartridges
Weld, size, slant, rotate, stretch, preview
2 Full content cartridges preloaded

Benefits:
No computer required
All CDS functionality on-the-go with no PC
Interfaces with CDS when connected to a PC
Stores All Content
Stores All Overlays
Stores All Manuals
Stores CDS Projects

The website they have up at the moment (Rogue Gypsies) is a tad unusual, the premise being that 10 of the Gypsies have gone missing and they've sent a kind of bounty hunter after them. As I said a little unusual.

I will be keeping a close eye on this to see if it is really worth getting excited over. At the moment I kind of can't see the potential but am happy to be wrong.

Dinosaur SVG border

2009-07-06T21:01:00.004+10:00

There's a Challenge on the Craft Edge website to design an ABC border or frame svg file. I like to keep my Inkscape skills current by creating random files and so I jumped into this challenge. Hope someone can use the file. It was fun playing around with dingbat fonts. I probably should have done some princess icons instead as I am planning to do some vinyl wall decorations for my daughter and also some freezer paper t-shirt stencils and I am pretty sure princesses will be the theme and pink the colour! Maybe that's why I chose dinosaurs for this project.

DinoABC border file HERE

Kaisercraft Loire Valley and Duchess

2009-07-02T20:57:00.004+10:00

Managed to spend some more time creating last night, and I had a ball with the Loire Valley Range. I was really pleased with how this one turned out. I love the paper but wasn't really sure I had the right photos to use it. So I decided to focus on the reverse of the papers and OMG I love how it turned out. Inspiration came from Pagemaps

I also played with the Duchess Range. Now I know most people upon seeing the range will have it pegged for heritage layouts. I know very few people who do heritage layouts and so I decided to use it for a general kid layout. I was happy with how this turned out too. It has made me look at the entire range in a new light.

This leaves me two ranges to play with. Now I love Pina Colada but really don't think I have the photos to suit. I'd love to have some cruise photos (PO cancelled our cruise in '04, haven't quite got over that yet!!) but I haven't so not sure what I will do with this range. Again think I will concentrate on the reverse of the papers. Child's Play isn't my favourite release but I am sure I can come up with something. Watch this space!

Kaisercraft Offshore Range

2009-07-01T21:33:00.004+10:00

If you haven't checked out the new ranges from Kaisercraft then get on over there asap. There are so many gorgeous papers in this release. I rhink my favourite is Offshore, or maybe Penny Royale but then again Loire Valley is stunning - what a hard choice.

Here's my first layout created with the Offshore range. We live inland and so beach visits are rare for us. Thankfully the Offshore range suits baths photos too.

I really loved the layout in the Kaiser magazine that Melissa Kennedy did with the Penny Royale papers and so I scraplifted it and then took it one step further turning it into a double layout.

Now what should I work on next? I have a layout half finished using the Duchess Range so perhaps I will try my hand at Pina Colada.

Twilight free svg

2009-06-25T22:41:00.004+10:00

I have to admit to an obsession, I love Twilight. I have read all the books and I have watched the movie too many times, I am listening to the soundtrack now and I have even read Midnight Sun (the draft version available on the net) a couple of times. I know I have family that would disown me for this and I know it's a teen story but I can't help it. So I am flying my Team Edward colours with this svg release! There's the Cullen Crest and my Team Edward banner ready to cut with your Cricut.

Wordbooks

2009-06-24T22:39:00.002+10:00

Everyone, everywhere seems to be into wordbook albums at the moment. I have cut a few but I am not really into mini albums and off the page items that much. But I have found a great use for wordbooks and that is as cards. I made two for a friend of mine and we were both thrilled with how they worked out. As I have made them I thought I may as well share them. So if your name is Cheri or Sharriee it is your lucky day! Will post a picture of the Sharriee card tomorrow - I hope! I have had sick kids all week so I am amazed I managed this entry
Sharriee wordbook
Cheri wordbook

Kaiser Q1 Launch

2009-06-12T20:31:00.005+10:00

Just got home from Geelong and the Kaiser Q1 launch, All I can say is wow! The 10 hours of driving was definitely worth it. These papers are awesome, embellishments match each range perfectly, Kaiser has come up with the best packaging and therefore storage solutions. You are not going to want to miss this launch on July 1. There is definitely something for everyone whether you are a working on heritage, cruise, beach, baby, friends, family etc etc layouts. If you are into card making, beyond the page or home decor then there is something here for you too.

If you haven't had a look at the sneak peek then what are you waiting for?

Mark this date on your calendar as these items will go fast.

There is also a great competition on at Kaisercraft to win the new paper ranges. Check out the website details Day one of the competition is today so you only have a few hours left to get your entry in.

Scrapbook kits with SVG files

2009-06-07T21:45:00.006+10:00

I have been working on some card kits and scrapbooking kits lately. These are kits with a twist as they come with original svg files. The first layout is below.

The kit comes with a selection of different shapes, book plates and the scalloped frame. I actually cut about 10 shapes and bookplates (customers get all 10!) but when it came to putting it together I only used a couple. The title is cut using 2 Peas Bad Atititude font.

Now I am working on the kit for next month with a stash of new svg files.

BTW - getting excited - only 5 more sleeps til Kaisercraft Q1 launch

Netballer Free svg

2009-05-19T19:13:00.004+10:00

I was asked to make a card for a young girl who had experienced a hard time. I didn't have much to go on except that she was in to netball. I searched the net for a netball file that I could cut on my Cricut but was unfortunately disappointed and therefore had to make my own. I pretty much had to start from scratch with this one, so while it is very basic I was thrilled with the image once cut with the Cricut.

If you'd like the file leave me a message

Card Elements

2009-05-14T22:43:00.002+10:00

Can't believe I have been gone so long! That's what having a busy life does to you. I have run 3 All Day Scrapbooking Events in 3 weeks as well as teaching 3 card making classes and then there's the usual family and work life! As I have been so busy making cards recently I have put together an SVG file of useful card embellishments.

If you would like the file I have it available on Media Fire HERE

ANZAC svg files

2009-04-24T21:01:00.004+10:00

This weekend will be spent remembering those who have given their lives and those who have given their loved ones for our freedom. I have taken Emily to ANZAC marches each year of her life and tomorrow will be no different. We will head off for the 8:30am march in Albury with both girls. I look forward to being organised enough to start taking the girls to the dawn service each year too. To commemorate the ANZACs I have made some ANZAC svg files. I haven't done a scrapbooking layout of our yearly pilgrimmage to the march and I really should as it is part of our history and part of the girls' story and therefore belongs in their album. If you would like these files please leave me a comment.

Mumma Bushka again

2009-04-22T19:40:00.005+10:00

I had another glorious day of scrapping, oh how I wish that were true! LOL! After taking my daughters to swimming lessons, dropping them at daycare and cleaning half the house I squeezed in another hour or so of scrapping. The truth doesn't sound nearly so exciting does it. Anyway, I finished the second page of the layout I uploaded yesterday. It uses the Kaisercraft Mumma Bushka range.

The title was cut with my Cricut and Sure Cuts A Lot. I would love to tell you which font it was, I'd love to remember which font it was as I am really happy with how it turned out. I have tried searching but I have over a thousand fonts that cut well and it could be any one of the scripty ones. The great thing about SCAL is you are never tied to a few cartridges or dies.

I still have to cut a title for the Fun Fair layout. Things move slowly here!

Kaisercraft Mumma Bushka

2009-04-21T19:36:00.003+10:00

I had a chance to scrap today and it was great to do exactly what I wanted. I love the March Kaisercraft papers and have been using them a bit lately.

This is one of the two lay outs I completed using the Mumma Bushka range. It is part of a two page layout but the second page still needs a title on it. Perhaps it will be ready for uploading tomorrow. I am also working on a layout using the Kaisercraft Fun Fair range but it is a complete rip off of one of their Design Team layouts - it is so gorgeous I couldn't resist. Again may upload tomorrow.

I also used the ink resist technique to complete a layout for a friend. I won't upload it here as she hasn't seen it yet but here are a couple of others I did using Heidi Swapp Invisibles and Heart Mega Masks.

SCAL

2009-04-17T15:08:00.002+10:00

As you will see from my blog I spend a lot of time using SCAL, in fact it would probably be a challenge for me to make a scrapbooking layout, card or OTP item without SCAL these days. If you are interested in purchasing SCAL email me. I can give you tutoring in setting up your SCAL and also get you downloading fonts and images in no time. I use Inkscape extensively and therefore assistance is altering and designing images comes as part of the SCAL package when you purchase from me. SCAL is so popular at the moment with copies flying out the door each week. It is the best decision you will make if you want to use your Cricut machine to its fullest potential.

Spinner card fun

2009-04-15T11:17:00.004+10:00

It is school holidays and that means some time for me! Yes you read right, being a teacher means in school holidays my 2 are in childcare for a couple of days each week. Yesterday I made spinner cards. This is my first attempt at spinner cards and after hand cutting one I made an svg file so the Cricut could do all the hard work!

No pennies here so these are made with two 5c pieces, think I'll have to find some buttons to replace the coins as I am going to be poor at this rate - they really are quite addictive. These two are made with Kaisercraft papers (K-Bots and Fun Fair).

Onesie card

2009-04-12T17:18:00.004+10:00

A good friend of mine just had a baby boy and I wanted to make a special card to celebrate the event. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to make the Onesie card that someone on the SCAL Yahoo group shared. I have a template myself and have been meaning to convert it but you know what they say about a bird in the hand and all that. I also really like that this card has a pop-up word in the centre. I used Kaisercraft Lovestruck Sweetheart for the inside of the card and Bazzill for the actual card. I embossed it with my Cuttlebug Embossing folder. I am really thrilled with the effects you can get from these. I feel the temptation to buy a few more, particularly Swiss Dots as I love the look of that on cards for every occasion.

Kaisercraft Cupcake Album

2009-04-10T10:37:00.004+10:00

I am thrilled with how my cupcake album is shaping up. I am not quite finished but I think the svg files I made really complement the Kaisercraft Sugar Sugar Range and how could I resist their gorgeous cupcake album.

The title was cut using the Cricut and SCAL, as I used Coredinations papers I embossed the title using my Cuttlebug embossing folder. I love the effect of these folders. To get a fabulous result remember to lightly sand the embossed image.

If you like the party hat file check out my earlier post http://scrappingaway.blogspot.com/2009/03/party-svg.html for the free download

This has to be my favourite page, she's a great subject which of course helps but I also love the candle. I posted the svg two weeks ago for free download http://scrappingaway.blogspot.com/2009/03/football-season-and-more-party-items.html

What a poser!

Thomas

2009-04-03T19:44:00.002+11:00

We are off to a 4yr olds birthday party on Sunday and I wanted to make a special card. He is a real Thomas the Tank Engine fan and so I made an svg of Thomas to adorn his card. I have cut Thomas out and am really happy with him, now to make the card. Tomorrow I have plans to make a fair few cards as we have a number of April occasions requiring cards and I also need to put together a mini portfolio as I have been asked to teach a card making class for the next term. I can't share Thomas on here but let me know if you'd like to use him :-)

Heidi Swapp Invisibles

2009-04-01T21:43:00.004+11:00

I just received a box containing the new Heidi Swapp Invisibles, and these are so cool. They are kind of hard to show you as they are white card with clear embossing on them. The idea being the white embossing resists ink and therefore after inking the page you are left with a stunning pattern. These really are a great new item, they aren't like anything of seen before and I like that :-)

These invisibles papers will be used with Heidi Swapp Mega Masks in our April Scrapaholics kits, so I will definitely be planning my sample layouts this weekend. Hope to post them early on next week.

If you would like to have a look at the Heidi Swapp Invisibles check out this You Tube video. Heidi Swapp Invisibles

Football season and more party items

2009-03-28T20:05:00.005+11:00

What? I hear you say. Well in Aust. this is the first weekend of the true football season and to celebrate I have a football title. Now don't get me wrong, I have no interest in football, in fact I honestly couldn't care that it is football season. Truth be told a friend asked me to make her an Auskick title and I thought there may be a few people out there who could use it. I say a few as I know my Aussie audience is small :-)

I have also converted a few more party items, if you would like these svgs leave me a message and I can email them to you. It is Earth Hour in a very short time and that means the computer is going off so I don't have time to load them onto Media Fire. Will get back to that soon.

Party svg

2009-03-27T14:00:00.004+11:00

I must have parties on the mind at the moment. I woke up at about 3 this morning thinking of making a party hat svg. I guess we do have 2 birthdays this week and a few of my friends have kid's birthdays this week too. In a spirit of birthdays and giving I am giving the svg away for free. If you want the SCUT or don't know how to seperate this svg in Inkscape just drop me an email. If you don't know about SCAL and Inkscape and how they make your Cricut so much better, have a read through the blog and if you still are unsure just email me and I will happily give you the low down.

Click here for the free file

Party!

2009-03-18T20:27:00.005+11:00

It's nearly my birthday and I am having a scrapbooking cocktail party! Should you drink and scrap? Oh well, we will start with the scrapping and the drinking will come later. The perfect thing is that we are having it at my retreat house and so we can either scrap all night or have a sleep when it all gets too much! How good is that!

On the menu we have strawberry daiquiris, lime margaritas and Mexican food. I made up invites in the shape of a margarita glass and I have also made a word book for the party pics. Now just to catch everyone in the next week to hand out the invites.

The picture isn't the best sorry. If you'd like the file it is here. You will need Inkscape though as I havn't seperated it all out.

Kaisercraft K-Bots

2009-03-16T19:35:00.003+11:00

I had the chance to play with a sample from the Kaisercraft K-Bots range on the weekend. I haven't any robot related photos to do a scrapbooking layout so I used it to make a card. I wish I had robot pics as this paper is delicious. The robot images look fabulous cut out and mounted with foam mount on boy cards. the colours are a mix of muted blues and some more vibrant yellows and oranges. I can't wait to see the fantastic layouts that are sure to appear in galleries all over the net in the next month.

I also used my Sure Cuts A Lot program to cut an aperture thank you card. The aperture was designed in Inkscape and cut on the Cricut using SCAL. Lucy is one this month and she has received a fair few presents (Fisher Price has been doing a roaring trade!)so I made up a set of thank you cards. While they all have this aperture cut from blue Bazzill each one is slightly different.

If you'd like the aperture cut I have loaded into my Media Fire account and will be available for download for the next week.

If you are in Australia and are interested in buying SCAL drop me an email as I am a distributor. I provide hints and tips to get you started, can walk you through the set up process and am available if you have any questions.

Where does time go?

2009-03-11T21:20:00.003+11:00

Since returning to teaching this year the days seem to simply fly by. I promised some medical images and I did work on these and I even cut them but haven't had two minutes to myself to do any creating and as such I haven't made any cards yet. I have put them on Media fire so you can cut them yourself and maybe one of you will show me what you make with them! Have fun creating. I had foot surgery today and so I could do with a card myself! I will be off my feet for the next couple of days but don't know that I will get much achieved as my two youngsters will be home with me and no doubt demanding of my time.

If you have SCAL and a Cricut you are set to make some fabulous get well cards or sickness/hospital visit scrapbooking layouts with these files

Click on the links here if you'd like a stethoscope, bandage/bandaid and get well soon title

I have a house word book that I have been working on lately that I hope to be able to share soon, all I need is the time to make my sample

Sometimes life is a blur

2009-03-02T20:30:00.003+11:00

What a week it has been, I feel like I went missing in action! What with working 3 days teaching and then having a class Fri night at Rutherglen and a day crop at Wagga I didn't really have time for creating.

I did manage to get this layout completed at Wagga, good thing too because it is one of the 3 I will teach on friday in Albury. I love the versatility of the KI Memories Lace cardstock. I have used it with the following techniques: painting, glittering, chalking, and glimmermisting. I have cut it in strips, cut the odd flower off the sheet, and also used it as a block. It can be used as a frame, a photo mat, a page border, a page accent or a strip. If you have a Cricut and Graphically Speaking cartridge there are a heap of lace options on there, there is also one on Wild Card. If you have SCAL the sky is the limit as you can make as many these as you like. Or if you are seriously lacking in toys there are plenty of companies making selling them ready made.

I am working on some get well cards so stay posted for some medical type svg files in the next week.

Ric Rac svg

2009-02-20T13:34:00.003+11:00

I have been making a few design elements for scrapbook layouts lately. I started with ric rac thinking it would be easy but it really wasn't. I am thrilled with how it turned out though. I had to create a grid over my design in Inkscape in order to have each 'wave' the same height and length. I am sure there is a way to adjust the grid already present on Inkscape but I don't know how, if you do please let me know. I have used the ric rac on a layout that I will be teaching next week.

I imported this into SCAL at 1 inch. It looks like real ric rac!

Another Wedding card

2009-02-18T16:41:00.003+11:00

I ended up making a very similar wedding card for the second card. This week I have been a bit ill with tonsilitis and this has seriously affected my creativity. I feel in need of a break but I am in the midst of two very busy weeks. I quite like the white on white for this card. Again it is the cake off the Wild Card cartridge, cut at 5.25inches, the flowers are Kaisercraft and they have been spritzed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in irridescent gold. I inked the edges of the cake an two of the flowers with a magenta chalk pad.

Wild Card Wedding Cake

2009-02-15T20:52:00.004+11:00

I was asked by a friend to make a couple of wedding cards. I didn't want to simply duplicate the last card I made, I prefer to make each card an original. I decided to use the Wild Card Cartridge and I am really happy with how this turned out. I cut it at 5.25inches and I inked the edges using a stipling brush and a chalk inkpad. The flowers are 3 layered paper flowers from Lu Lus Scrapbooking and the bling is Heidi Swapp. I love the look of the flowers but didn't want to go over board and so I only added the four, it was very tempting to just keep adding them. Now to work on the second card.

Not a Valentine

2009-02-13T20:15:00.004+11:00

I managed to get a bit of creating done today. With tomorrow being Feb 14 it would be easy to claim this as a Valentine's card but we don't really do Valentine's Day and it really is just coincidence that I have been playing around with a heart. I plan to have this as one of my make and take projects at February and March Scrapping Away events.

The hearts were all cut using the Cricut and SCAL The paper is My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus "darling" polka dot/brown

Mascot

2009-02-12T14:11:00.005+11:00

It is my school swimming carnival today, I don't work Thursdays though and taking my two girls to the pool with nearly a thousand teens just wasn't appealing. I did however make a mascot on my Cricut for Clark House. Our mascot is a Cougar and I searched the net for one and then spend about an hour altering it in Inkscape. I am really happy with how it turned out.

If you'd like the file you can get it here

All Day Crop

2009-02-08T19:57:00.002+11:00

We had an amazing all day scrapbooking event yesterday at Scrapping Away.I must say though I am exhausted today! The temperatures soared outside to unprecedented levels - the mercury tipping 48C. The air conditioner battled bravely but was no match for 11 scrapbookers in 48C heat. However, a great time was had by all, there were challenges, laughs, bingo, a lot of new pages completed and some UFOs, there was even a baby born - thankfully not to any of the scrappers! Congratulations to Martine's sister Diana on the birth of Jade.

The colour challenge layouts were stunning and I am kicking myself for not getting photos of them. The competition was fierce, well done Sally on taking line honours.

As I couldn't get to sleep until 2am due to the heat I planned out next All Day Scrap Challenges! I am really looking forward to these too.

On the topic of scrap days, the Wagga list is coming together but there are still places available. So if you are in Holbrook, Cootamundra, Narrandera, or any other town near Wagga, (or even if you are in Wagga) come join us for some scrapbooking fun on Feb 28th. Email me for details.

Simple Birdie

2009-01-27T19:24:00.005+11:00

The simple bird shape is quite popular these days. It appears in home decor, on manchester and also kids outfits so it is no surprise that it is also very popular with scrappers and card makers. First it was the owl haunting scrapper's pages and now the simple birdie. Cricut has one on their Wild Card cart which is pretty cute and I have used it myself on a couple of layouts. Someone requested a simple bird on a SCAL forum I am on and for a bit of relaxation I played around with some ding fonts to come up with these examples. Today was the first day back at work so I thought some Inkscape therapy was called for.

The fonts I used are 2Peas Urban Birdies and 2 Peas DW Girlie Girl

If you'd like the SVG file click HERE

Happy Australia Day

2009-01-25T22:18:00.003+11:00

January 26th is Australia Day and in celebration I have some free Aussie svg images for you. For all the Aussie users of SCAL and for anyone who has ever been to Australia, fed a koala or patted a kangaroo here are some images for you. I haven't had a chance to make anything with them yet as I getting ready to go back to work. Yes, the new school year begins right after the Australia Day holiday and it spells the end of my maternity leave.

If you would like the Australian svg files you will find them HERE

2009-01-25T14:54:00.002+11:00

I have been having fun this week, well except for the last 72hrs when my baby has been sick. DH was away and I seem to get a lot more Scrapbooking done then. That and I realised I start back at school next week after having a year off on maternity leave so if I don’t get things done now who knows when they’ll get done. Anyway, I stray . . .
I have been playing a little more with my KI Memories Lace Cardstock. I have found it to be really versatile. I have been using techniques long forgotten like chalking! I also tried to use it as a mask but that was a rather messy disaster. This layout is very simple and it only uses a strip of the lace cardstock but I am really quite happy with it. I made the photos all small because they were rather average photos but important to scrapbook as it was Lucy’s first Christmas and this was her opening her first present.

Free Book plate SVG

2009-01-22T19:55:00.003+11:00

Today I have some free bookplate SVG files for you. I had some cards to make and I thought I may as well make some new svg files at the same time. If you have SCAL you can cut these with your Cricut.

If you would like the files go here

Hope they are useful, leave a comment to let me know.

KI Memories Lace cardstock

2009-01-20T10:17:00.004+11:00

I have been working on my technique notes for the March Scrapaholix kits. I have been having fun with the lace cardstock by KI Memories If only there was enough time in the day to try everything that is running through my mind - and yikes I have to go back to my regular job next week after being on maternity leave for nearly a year!

I am pleased to announce that I have eventually managed a layout of Lucy! 14 more to go by the end of February if I am to meet my goal.

This layout uses KI Memories lace cardstock and chalk to create a subtle pattern on the background paper. I hand painted the photo mat as I didn't have the right shade of lavender Bazzill. I used a dry brush to paint the border and while it is straight I wasn't aiming for a perfect line so it is freehand. The chalk gives a very subtle colour and pattern to the background and is therefore hard to see in the photo, it is a little more obvious irl.

Ballerina SVG

2009-01-19T20:02:00.005+11:00

I have been doing some layouts of my daughter's first ballet concert and playing around making some svg files. I haven't yet used any on the layout; I make, cut and then change my mind! Here is one of ballerinas in a row. I initially made it to replicate a line of ribbon on a sketch I had made, then I thought it would make a good page topper and it would, the only problem is these papers aren't really traditional ballet style and so the ballerinas looked out of place. If you would like the file you can find it here. ANd below is a screen shot of what it would look like on your Cricut mat.

Cricut Storybook Cartridge

2009-01-18T22:29:00.002+11:00

Been a busy weekend and so I haven't had much of a play with my new cartridge but I did create this layout and I thought the "Once Upon a Time" title on the cartridge really suited it. Unfortunately the photo isn't that good.

I have been planning some layouts using the KI Memories Lace cardstock that we will be using in an up and coming Scrapaholics kit. Before I work on them though I have to finish a card order that I have. I made 8 cards tonight and so I should be able to finish the order tomorrow. I have so many ideas in my head that I want to try with the lace paper. I am planning to do most of the layouts of Lucy as one of my resolutions was to do 15 layouts of Lucy before the end of February - I haven't done one yet!!!

Surf board svg

2009-01-14T15:55:00.003+11:00

A while ago someone on a Yahoo group I am on posted a surf board svg. I saved thinking it may come in handy one day. Well it has. My BIL is into surfing and it is his birthday tomorrow. I am really happy with how it turned out.

The wording is a bit corny but it is all I could come up with! I will try and find out who the file belongs to so I can direct you there to get it.

Scrapbooking with Stampendous Fun Flock

2009-01-12T20:34:00.008+11:00

I have been playing with flock recently on my scrapbooking layouts as we are using Stampendous Fun Flock in the February Scrapaholics kit. After much trial and error I found a mixture of acrylic paint and zig glue pen to be the perfect mediums for adhering Fun flock. I used acrylic paint when the base colour was different to the flock colour and I used a glue pen when the fun flock matched the cardstock colour. I also decided on two layers to get the flock density correct. Here are the layouts I have completed so far.

New Plans

2009-01-12T15:52:00.002+11:00

It is with great excitement that we let you know of our plans for 2009: Scrapping Away will be heading into rural Australia and running workshops and day crops. We will of course continue with our very successful retreats but we are expanding to serve those of you who cannot get away from home for the weekend but love to scrap.

At this stage plans are a foot to hold workshops in Rutherglen, Wangaratta and Yackandandah and we are also planning 12 hour crops for Wagga Wagga, Holbrook and Griffith.

These locations are all within easy reach of home but we'd love to make it further afield too: If you would like us to come to your town please contact us. We would love to bring great Scrapbooking products and workshops to your community.

Our workshops in Albury and Balldale continue to expand with many people joining in the fun of learning about scrapbooking, creatiing stunning layouts, and meeting new friends.

Workshops are generally Scrapbooking techniques through Scrapaholics but other options are available such as: Card making, Making the most of your Cricut and Using Sure Cuts A Lot and Inkscape with your Cricut.

Email us if you'd like us to come to your town

How exciting!

2009-01-10T20:08:00.004+11:00

In the mail yesterday I received my new Storybook cartridge. Now I am a SCAL owner I really do advocate designing your own images, using true type fonts and converting jpgs to svgs and not needing to buy cartridges but every now and then Provo Craft comes out with something I just can't resist. This was the case with Wild Card and now with Storybook. True I could make many of these images but the time it would take me would outweigh the ease of buying the cart. I was so excited to see the cart but also felt a little thwarted as I have a retreat on at Scrapping Away this weekend and so I immediately took the cart over there for them to use. My play time will come after the retreat finishes. keep a look out for the latest projects using the new cart!

I am still deciding whether to buy Graphically Speaking too as it looks very cool and again something that would take me a fair bit of time to create using Inkscape and SCAL.

I have also been playing with flock this week and have a fun layout to upload. The lighting isn't that great for taking pics atm though so I'll have to work on that tomorrow.

Back again

2009-01-03T13:47:00.004+11:00

A simple scallop using Basic Grey Scarlet's Letter and black Bazzill

I feel as though I have been gone forever but in reality it was only a few days. Unfortunately my computer got a virus and so I was sans internet for a couple of days. I am happy to say I now have the green light and am bug free! What this meant was I couldn't upload my latest projects and my Wild Card projects. By without any further ado here they are.

I love this little present card and as someone at my crop said, "how cute would a layout look with these presents in varying sizes across the bottom?"

This monster is a cutie, I am not altogether thrilled with him though as I had to emboss him with my Sizzix and he was too big too fit. So I call him Examplar 1!

A great little birthday card and there are so many ways you could alter this card to make it special each time.

Wild Card Cart

2008-12-29T10:51:00.002+11:00

I have just received my Wild Card Cartridge. I put off buying any new cartridges because I make most things with Inkscape and SCAL now. Just before Christmas I was ordering some mats though and I was tempted by Wild Card and Storybook. Still waiting on Storybook but that's another story. I have just sat and read through the Wild Card booklet and OMG! This cart is so much more than a card making cart. It has the funkiest icons that would look great on so many scrapping pages. I am so glad I bought this cart/ DO you know what the best thing is? Dh and dd #1 are "camping" (in the back yard) tonight and so I can cut away and play with the card styles and icons etc!! Look for some posts of cards in the not too distant future.

Eyelet Scalloped Square

2008-12-29T07:06:00.002+11:00

You may remember my Pirate page from the other day. I used a piece of the eyelet scalloped Bazzill on it and really liked the effect. Last night I was playing around in Inkscape and decided to make an eyelet scalloped square. I have it available for downloading here As always these files are for cutting on the Cricut using SCAL.

Hope you all had a great Christmas. Ours was a family affair and it was great to catch up with people we rarely see. We spent Boxing Day up Mt Buffalo and I can't think of a better way to spend the day after Christmas - certainly better than the post Christmas retail frenzy.

Fiskars Finger Tip Knife

2008-12-19T21:00:00.005+11:00

The January Scrapaholics technique is cutting by hand using the Fiskars Finger Tip Knife. This tool really helps you to cut well. I don't often use a craft knife because I'm really not that adept at cutting with one but this tool makes it much easier. The tool is included in the January kit along with some simply stunning Crate Paper from the Prudence Collection. The Temperance die cut paper is my favourite and so I stretched it across 3 layouts. I'm really happy with how these layouts turned out. I will be demonstrating this kit in Balldale on January 7th and Albury on January 30th. Email me for details.

These 3 layouts count as challenge 13.

Gift Cards

2008-12-16T10:46:00.002+11:00

Challenge 13 is finally completed. Considering how straight forward it is I took a while. I decided to give my day care mum a set of cards. I thought that would be a gift that is useful but in a good way. I don't really know her interests enough to buy her a present that I know she will use and so I hope this present hits the spot. I know she has a mother and 2 daughters and a son so I tried to make cards to suit these people. I also included a couple of Christmas cards just in case she was caught short (or to start planning 09!). I am going to box them up in a nice sturdy box so they will be protected all year. The box is my next project!

Divine gift bags

2008-12-14T20:01:00.004+11:00

Challenge 12 is here and at this rate I may be done well before my end of year time line. However, once again I have been side tracked. I was all set to finish my day care mum's gift when Dan posted this gorgeous purse shaped gift box on his blog. I made one and showed my daughter and she immediately had the great idea of making these for her little friends. So here they are:

The svg file is available as this week's freebie on Dan's blog. I don't have a 12x24 mat and so these are cut on my Cricut using a 12x12 inch mat. This is the largest box you could cut on this size mat but it is a perfect size for a few chocolates. Make them for your work mates and put in some ferrero rocher chocolates or some home made fudge, make them for the teen girls in the family and put in some lip gloss or nail polish. A great file and a nifty little bag which is so easy to put together.

I have used a range of papers, we chose ones that were heavier weight papers. These are mostly Basic Grey and American Crafts, the Christmas one is Kaisercraft.

Now to find an equally cool box to make something for the boys she is friends with, anyone got any great ideas? Then I really must finish the gift for my daughter's day care mum!

Challenge 11: An svg Christmas tree

2008-12-11T22:08:00.006+11:00

I got side tracked again! I have been working on a gift for my daughter's daycare mum and that was to be my 11th challenge, but it isn't ready yet. If I had spent the night working on it, instead of designing in Inkscape, I would have had it ready. But lucky for those of you with Sure Cuts A Lot, I designed instead. I have an svg file of a Decorative Christmas tree. As you can see, it is certainly not your typical Christmas tree. This tree is made using a couple of dings and then modified in Inkscape. I am really happy with the final product, hope you like it.

If you would like to use it you will find the file available here. I think it would look good on a card - mmmmm haven't made cards this year {dropping my head in shame}

Now to get back to the Christmas present!

Advent treats

2008-12-08T20:47:00.004+11:00

I have eventually got myself organised and made my little Advent packages. Here are a few photos of them hanging on our tree.

My 3 year old finds them to be very tempting but so far is showing great restraint. I only made 12 as Emily is already finding the wait for Christmas to be long. This way the excitement will be heightened in the last 12 days!

I made another set of these with cardstock weight scrapbooking paper and they kept popping open, so I decided to use light weight paper. The paper is Sandy Lion, London Town and it was in the December Scrapaholics kit.

The tenth challenge is complete so 5 more to go. I am starting to find it a bit harder to get to these projects as there are so many other things to be done. However, I have already decided what my next challenge will be.

Ahoy there

2008-12-04T21:14:00.003+11:00

My daughter absolutely loves this local park which has some official boring name, after an ex mayor or some such. The first time we went there she christened it the 'Pirate Park'. Whenever we drive anywere in the vicinity of this park she asks if we can go to the 'Pirate Park' so this layout is for her.

The skull is from My Crafty Files and the font for the title is Windlass. I have only recently learnt about opening a true type font and using it in SCAL without actually installing it. Installing too many fonts really slows down your computer. Both the title and skull were cut on the Cricut using SCAL.The cardstock is Bazzill.

At times I spend hours on the detail in layouts but often I find simple is good. I have way too many photos to spend hours on every layout. This will mean project 9 is done!

Challenge 8: Girl gift album

2008-12-02T19:59:00.004+11:00

I love these word albums from MOSD I posted a boy album back in October and I have eventually got around to doing my girl album. This is a gift for my mum, so I hope she isn't reading my blog or she won't be at all surprised.

Dec 1 and the countdown has begun

2008-12-01T22:37:00.005+11:00

I have only managed 5 projects so far so I really must get busy. I do have a few half finished though so stay tuned.

I had a few dinosaur chipboard accents left over after making the Boy word book and I decided to make them into cards. These cute cards are very simple but they look so effective and I am sure any young boy would be thrilled to receive them as birthday cards.

I also decided to make a card for a teen male, a much harder audience. I went for something a bit grunge inspired.

My list so far then
1. Wreath
2. Kaisercraft Days Til Christmas Tree
3. Christmas Morning layout
4. Joy Layout
5. Happy Holidays Layout
6. Dinosaur cards
7. Grunge card

Dino card embellishments are Basic Grey Archaic, Guitar Embellishment is cut on the Cricut using a guitar svg I got from Denise's blog

Inspiration hit today

2008-11-26T20:25:00.004+11:00

While playing around in Inkscape I created a journaling block or label. I think it is quite cute so I decided to make it available through my blog. I am only an amateur so I was really quite thrilled with this, hope you can use it.
Journaling block
It cut nicely on my Cricut so I am off to make a card or a layout. Actually these would look nice on some clean skin wines to make a great personalised gift.

28 Days and another 2 projects done

2008-11-26T10:41:00.003+11:00

I am on a roll! I still haven't got back to making the goodies to go with the Kaisercraft Days Til Christmas tree that I posted the other day, but I will.

Today I have the next 2 pages made with the Scrapaholics December kit. That's 3 pages made so far with the kit and there is easily enough paper left to make another page or a few Christmas cards. The cardstock is Bazzill Chiffon and Coredinations Burgundy. The patterned paper and diecuts are Sandylion. The journaling block was cut using SCAL and my Cricut. You can get a copy of one at the Frugal Crafter

Christmas layouts

2008-11-25T14:20:00.003+11:00

I wish Christmas brought the best out in my photography skills but unfortunately it doesn't. I am usually busy with other things and thoroughly preoccupied so at the end of the day I have next to no photos and those I do have are average. There is also so much clutter around on Christmas Day, wrapping paper, presents, and other people that I find it hard to achieve great shots. As this is the case I have found it difficult to scrap Christmas photos. Tell you the truth I have actually avoided scrapping Christmas photos. Now I have 2 children I can no longer neglect preserving these memories. Plus, the Scrapaholics kit for December has a distinct Christmas theme! It took me along time to create these pages and although the colours aren't everyone's idea of Christmas I love the way they are not the traditional red and greens. The cardstock is Bazzill Chiffon and the trees and die cut are from the Sandy Lion Christmas Range.

As promised I have an svg file for the title I used on the Christmas morning layout. You can find it here It is in Inkscape and ready to cut with SCAL and your Cricut.

32 sleeps and the tree is done!

2008-11-22T20:42:00.005+11:00

The tree is finished and the first of my 15 challenges is done! Today it was the Kaisercraft Days til Christmas Beyond the Page Project. I thought as I was counting done the days on the blog I may as well get the tree finished. The paper is Kaisercraft's Countdown range. The Bling is more obvious irl than on this photo and it is mostly Kaisercraft. There are original rhinestones and circle borders. I have added stickles to give the star, numbers and flourish some bling too. This was a fun project and we'll enjoy the countdown to Christmas. I'll be teaching this class in Albury on Dec 5th, if you are in the area there are a couple of spots left so you'll have to act fast. Leave me a comment if you want to join us and I'll email you the details.

I think we will need some goodies to unwrap each day to enhance the excitement so I am off to make these next!

33 sleeps til Christmas

2008-11-21T19:11:00.004+11:00

I feel a need to get into the Christmas spirit and as I avoid the shops at all costs it means decorating our place. As there are 33 sleeps til Christmas I thought I would start by making a wreath. I have used the fantastic files and instructions from Dan's blog. This blog is a great source of inspiration and svg files! Dan has great freebies up for a week at a time and if you miss out he does have them available for sale. If you want to buy the files for this wreath in SVG, DXF, PNG/JPG format then go to Dan's other site
The holly is cut on the Cricut using Bazzill Bling and Leapfrog, the berries are accented with Ranger's Glossy Accents and the ribbon I picked up at Spotlight.

I think it is time to issue myself a challenge. I will do 15 projects by Christmas. They won't all be Christmas related but I am guessing at least half will be. I had better get off the computer and get started on my next project! How about you? Care to join me in this challenge? I think I will make an Advent calendar and some Christmas decorations, maybe some bonbons and of course some cards.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-11-10T16:59:00.005+11:00

I have eventually got my act together and made a start on Christmas cards. I know it is already November and so I really am going to need to get a move on and produce a lot of cards. I have been cheating a little and using SCAL and my Cricut to cut cards. It is certainly much quicker this way. I have used KJtagsXmas font to cut both gift tags and cards. I didn’t come up with this idea myself, check out Denise’s Blog for this and other great ideas. Denise has a heap of SVG files she shares so if you have a cutter and SCAL take a look.

Also went to the Albury Botanic Gardens yesterday for the Fairy and Dinosaur Stomp. I took the camera along, of course, and took some cute pics of the girls and couldn’t resist sharing a couple.

I also made have the SCUT file to share for the scallop I used on the November Scrapaholics layout. I usually make things in Inkscape but for some reason I did this in SCAL so sorry no SVG this time. You can go to the following link to download it http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=b38accfabc050c8bd2db6fb9a8902bda

Kaisercraft papers

2008-11-04T09:20:00.005+11:00

Had a play with some new Kaisercraft papers last night. Monday night is the only night I watch tv and so while I sat in front of the idiot box I did some card making. It must be a mum thing - doing more than one thing at a time! The papers were from Kaiser's latest release and they are the Waterberry and What a Hoot Ranges. The papers are so new you won't even find them on the site yet! They are a great paper to work with as they are thick, double sided and have great colours and patterns.

These 4 cards were made using a half a sheet of the Brood paper from the What a Hoot Range and a half a sheet of the Enticing paper from the Waterberry Range. Don't you just love the names given to Scrapbooking Papers, who comes up with these?

I really like their new Sakura Park range too so keep your eyes out for upcoming posts with cards made using these papers.

2008-10-26T19:48:00.006+11:00

Scrap the Day Away

Saturday was full of laughs, relaxation and scrapping. The walls of Scrapping Away were bursting with the happy sounds of ladies relaxing and reminiscing. I'm not sure how much scrapping got achieved but it was a lot of fun. I know I only managed 3 pages in the 12 hours Cool. Two of mine were for the November Scrapaholics club meet.

Pretty sure the award for achieving the most goes to Nicky, I do remember at one stage early on in the evening hearing her say she'd completed 9 pages.I do know we all wished we could spend 'just a little longer', but don't you always? There never seems to be enough time to scrapbook. Luckily at Scrapping Away there is always a table to scrap on and a bed to sleep in. We'd love to have you join us at the next class, All Day Scrap or Retreat.

Til then, scrap whenever you can

Cheers

Ruth

Card Making with SCAL

I have been having so much fun lately learning how to use Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL). I love my Cricut cartridges, don't get me wrong! I wish I owned Graphically Speaking and Wild Card. But SCAL opens up a whole new world of fonts, dingbats and image files. In this economic climate SCAL gives you more bang for your buck. Here are a couple of cards I have made in the last few weeks using SCAL.

Thanks to Linda for the use of the card pattern shown here

So far I have only used SCAL for titles in my scrapbooks. Can't see me needing to buy many more chipboard alphabets in the future.

I have found SCAL to involve a fair bit of practise in order to use it properly. One site in particular has been invaluable in my learning is http://susanbluerobot.blogspot.com/ This lady is absolutely amazing and anyone purchasing Design Studio or SCAL would be wise to bookmark her blog.

Boys Word Book

2008-10-03T11:31:00.003+10:00

I have been having fun this week working on a word book for my friend Susie. She has been looking after the girls for me while I tutor on Wednesdays. I got this word book from MOSD, they have great products. If you have been reading my blog a while you may remember the acrylic album I did that I got from them. I absolutely love the Word Book. It was really easy to work with and the Basic Grey Archaic papers that I used are really striking. Hope you like it too.

Cricut just keeps getting better

2008-08-11T15:30:00.002+10:00

Have you heard the news? Cricut just keeps improving and maintaining a competitive position in the die cutting business. They have just released information about a new blade which can cut chipboard.

Slice thicker material with ease! Shorter housing provides greater clearance for heavier materials, allowing you to cut material up to 1.5 mm thick. Use it for chipboard, wood veneer, magnet sheets, vinyl, and much more.

This product will work with either the original Cricut machine or the Cricut Expression. This product will also work with all international versions of the original Cricut machine and Cricut Expression.

How cool will this be? I can't wait to give it a go, believe me I have already got my preorder in!

12 Hour Crop

2008-07-27T19:24:00.003+10:00

We had a great 12 hour crop at Scrapping Away yesterday. It was one of those days that was relaxed but productive. I managed to catch up on some of Em's baby layouts that have been waiting to be finished for the last 3 years. Most of us managed to complete between 8-12 pages while having a good catch up. We had so much fun using the Accent Essentials cartridge on the Cricut. We cut 12 inch snow flakes and nested circles to use as backgrounds for our layouts and we also found the coolest alphabet on the Cuttin' Up cartridge - Wholly cow is awesome so check it out.

Our next event is a Scrap Night on Friday and hopefully I will manage to get a few more layouts caught up. I am planning to finish some birthday pages and also make a start on some new baby pages.

Ranger Glossy Accents

2008-07-18T13:50:00.004+10:00

I seem to be working my way through Ranger products lately. This month it is glossy accents. You are all no doubt familiar with similar products to Glossy Accents eg. Dimensional Magic. My main complaint with the similar products was their drying time. There is nothing worse than going to a workshop and creating a gorgeous layout that isn't dry for the trip home and then ends up getting damaged in the car. Glossy Accents has over come that issue as it has an exceptionally fast drying time.

When using the product I wanted to try something different from the usual - you know giving chipboard a glossy look or creating water drops on a pool layout. What I ended up doing was using the glossy accents to doodle on a plain piece of Bazzill. It really gave the layout a lift and added dimensions. I also used it to add glossy to a chipboard letter that had been inked.

Next month using glossy accents and Tim Holtz Fragments to create embellishments.

Absolutely Awesome Acrylic

2008-06-22T15:37:00.004+10:00

What a busy time it has been recently. I have barely had time to scrap and yet I have so many new papers to play with. I have been working with Acrylic pages this week and they result in beautiful pages but are quite a challenge too. I continually had to remind myself that the page is two sided.

The next workshop is on July 4th and I will be demonstrating the use of acrylic pages. We will complete two 12x12 acrylic layouts and 2 cardstock layouts as well as make some acrylic embellishments.

July is sure to be a creative month as we also have a Scrapaholics workshop on the 18th July and a Scrap Day on July 26. The Scrap Day is 12 hours of scrapping fun so be sure to register soon. Email me for further info info@scrappingaway.com.au What could be better than spending a cold wintery day scrapping away?

Here are a couple of acrylic tutorials

This one has some great tips to help you avoid errors! Always great to learn from other's mistakes.

Playing with felt

2008-06-13T14:52:00.003+10:00

I have been doing a bit of experimenting with felt this week. I have been using it on layouts and also doing a bit of sewing. Winter is a great time for doing craft isn't it. I came across this fantastic tutorial by Noell Hyman on distressing felt with Tim Holtz distressing powders

http://www.paperclipping.com/2008/05/18/paperclipping-44-altering-felt/

I love Noell Hyman's tutorials, she has great ideas which she clearly explains and she creates wonderful layouts.

August Scrapaholics Retreat

2008-06-03T13:04:00.003+10:00

There is only one spot left in the August Scrapaholics Retreat now. Email me soon if you want to attend a great retreat with at least 36 hours of scrapbooking time, two Scrapaholics classes and plenty of fun.

Retreat Vacancies

2008-05-20T11:03:00.002+10:00

We have had a few retreats booked lately and there has been interest by groups smaller than 8. Please, if you have a group interested in coming and there aren't 8 of you, contact me as we can always accommodate you. In August there is a Scrapaholics retreat with some vacant spots so if you would like to attend give me a call or email me soon. The retreat includes scrapping time from 3pm Friday until 3pm Sunday and 2 Scrapaholics classes during this time.

Tim Holtz Grungeboard

2008-05-18T12:45:00.004+10:00

This month's Scrapaholics kit uses the cutting edge Grungeboard by Tim Holtz. This stuff is fabulous, it's like chipboard underwent a revolution. You can cut it, paint it, ink it, sew it, emboss it, die cut it, grunge it up by sanding for a brilliant effects. This stuff is totally flexible, you can even screw it up and flatten it back out and it will retain its shape. Check out this video demonstration by Tim Holtz.

http://www.timholtz.com/vid_grungeboard.html

The Boxer Basic Grey papers in the kit have a grungy feel to them which really works well with the Grungeboard.

Join a Scrapaholics Club now to get great kits like this one.

Not one in your area? Start your own. Email me

Sketch challenge

2008-04-20T14:46:00.004+10:00

Are you up for a challenge?

After posting about sketches I became inspired to offer a challenge.

Use the following Becky Fleck sketch to complete a layout about your mum or motherhood and send me an email of the layout before Mother's Day. If I get more than 8 entries I will place all the names in a hat and draw out a winner and send them a prize. Looking forward to seeing your creations.

Do you create layouts from sketches?

2008-04-18T15:58:00.000+10:00

I am a real sketch fan, how about you? I love Becky Fleck sketches (http://www.pagemaps.com/), and when I get new mags I will often sketch layouts that I like, but I also love to sketch ideas from in my head before I create a page. The thing I really like about sketches as opposed to looking at actual layouts is, I find sometimes the paper that was used, or the photos used can put you off. Where as a sketch has no colours, patterns or distracting photos. Another great thing about sketches is that everyone interprets them differently.

Another great site to find sketches is Pencil Lines http://www.pencillines.com/ this site has about 8 sketch designers on their team from around the world and also guest designers so there is always something to suit most tastes.

Introducing Lucy Grace

2008-04-07T10:59:00.004+10:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks due to the arrival of Lucy on March 28 and unfortunately I haven't made it into here to update class information. Hopefully I can get it done while she has a sleep and Em is reading. First off here's a couple of photos.

Scrapaholics classes are up and running again starting April 25th and then May 2nd. The technique this time is wet embossing and the layouts use gorgeous Making Memories Travel Series Papers and of course Bazzill. The papers are very versatile and would suit a myriad of themes.

I have chosen to do a daddy and daughter page as the grungy colours really suit a masculine page. But as you can see in the second layout the colours a also great for a non-traditional Christmas layout as well.

The April 25th class is almost full so contact me quickly if you would like to join us. The May 2nd class still has a few spaces left but as always I recommend acting quickly as these classes do fill fast.

Scrapping Away Retreat Special

2008-03-18T20:25:00.007+11:00

Do you want to organise a small group retreat?

How's this for an incentive for you!

To celebrate the imminent arrival of our baby we are offering a hostess special.

Book your retreat for 8 people before April 30 2008 (and pay your deposit) and as organiser/hostess you will stay for free.

Yes, you read right! Pay for only 7 people to stay at the retreat.

You deserve a break and we will reward you for doing all the hard work to organise your group by giving you free accommodation.

Get in quick to book the dates you want.

Email us today

Check out the website too

Fabulous Felt

2008-03-09T21:27:00.004+11:00

The March Scrapaholics class is already upon us and the techniques this month are using felt and a monochromatic style. What a challenge this turned out to be! Once upon a time I was a Bazzill scrapper and then something happened - I discovered that patterned paper is not only fun to own but great to use too! I have become so use to scrapping with patterned papers that to face a kit of only Bazzill, felt and ric rac was a bit scary. Mind you it was very yummy Bazzill in 6 different purples. So, if you are up for a challenge of scrapping in a monochromatic manner join us for the class. Email for details if you are in Albury/Wodonga region or if you would like to buy a kit

I had a lot of fun in the end with using my photos as the focus of the page and not letting patterned paper be the focus. I used passport sized photos on the expecting Em page and let them tell the story of my joy while pregnant. The look is really quite effective. I guess it isn't truly monochromatic as it has green paint on it, but it is close enough.

For my second layout I really wanted a double page and this proved a challenge as I have never done a LO with 2 pages that are different colours. In the end I decided not to have two different coloured pages and cut away at the Bazzill creating two 12x12 papers from strips of Bazzill. The effect was just want I was after and it suited these great photos of Emily at the Swan River perfectly. Man she was a chubby bubby!

In both cases the felt has added a bit of dimension to the layouts. It is an interesting fabric to work with. I found it works well in the Sizzix if your dies are thick but when you try to do fine cutting it easily loses shape. Also I tried stamping on it but wasn't thrilled with the result. In the end I found the best result came from using acrylic paint.

Next month we are using wet embossing and then the following month Scrapaholics UK has designed the most gorgeous, nested, star acrylic stamps. Get in quick to own this fantastic set as there was a limited run produced.

Retreat Bookings and more exciting Cricut news

2008-02-10T17:15:00.000+11:00

It has been a busy week since I last wrote. Our Scrapaholics class on Friday night was a huge success with some stunning pages created. There were kindy and newborn photos scrapped as well as beach and picnic photos, showing how versatile these Scrapaholics kits are designed to be.

At the end of this week is the Rutherglen class working with the scrumptious Crafter's Workshop scallops and swirls template. If you'd like to join us just email me.

The Retreat Grand opening is in a couple of weeks at the Feb 29 class and the champagne will flow in celebration of having finished the renovations!

Retreat bookings are steadily arriving and we have also introduced a class option at the retreats. You can choose to have one or two Scrapaholics retreats included in your weekend for only $5 a class. On that note we are also seeing our inaugural Scrapaholics Retreat in June filling up. For more info on Scrapaholics Clubs click here.

About a month ago I shared with you all the trial version of the Design Studio program allowing you to weld letters from cartridges you already own. This time I have some even bigger news. I came across a program that allows you to use your Cricut to cut any true type font down loaded on your computer - HOW AMAZING IS THAT! I know! The link is Sure Cuts A lot Now I haven't downloaded it yet but I have heard it is pretty good. As this is an early version I think I may wait for them to iron out any flaws before I buy it!

Great Products and Fabulous Classes

2008-01-31T16:55:00.000+11:00

The month of February is full of great classes you are sure to enjoy. It is looking to be a very busy month with Scrapaholics classes on Feb 8 and 29 in Albury and Feb 15 in Rutherglen.

Feb 8 class is using beautiful Hambly overlays and stunning black and white papers.

The Feb 15 and Feb 29 classes both use a Crafter's Workshop Scallop and Swirls Template and some gorgeous 7 Gypsies Papers. In this class we explore doodling as a stylistic element and the template makes it easier for those who are a little intimidated by freestyle doodling.

There will also be a class in early March (14th) where we we explore using felt to add texture to your pages. The pages we will create in this class are monochromatic. With so many fabulous patterned papers on the market it is rare to complete a totally monochromatic layout with only the use of Bazzill and so this one is bound to challenge you to think outside the box. Sneak peak coming later!

If you are in Albury or Rutherglen (and surrounding areas) and would like to join one of these classes email me. There are, at the moment, only vacancies in the Scallops and Swirls and Felt classes

Scrapaholics Retreat

2008-01-13T14:36:00.000+11:00

How exciting! The date has been set for a Scrapaholics Retreat.

This is a chance for

Those of you who are interested in having a look at a Scrapaholics class
Those of you who attend Scrapaholics workshops and would love a weekend away scrapping
Anyone who wants to come to a retreat at the Scrapping Away House and doesn't have 7 other scrapping friends available when you are to share the cost with!

The dates are June 27-29

The Cost $170 per person (plus a $25 security deposit refunded after retreat)

Price includes:

TWO Scrapaholics workshops with instruction and enough materials to make 6 or more pages (these will not be kits already completed at other Scrapaholic workshops but one off kits)

Accommodation in our comfy self contained retreat house

Space for scrapping your days away - one trestle per person

Full use of the studio with all of its wonderful tools

There are strictly limited places available so please contact info@scrappingaway.com.au as soon as possible to reserve your space.

Resolutions

2008-01-07T20:19:00.000+11:00

This is the time of year that everyone makes plans to improve, do better, achieve something. I tend to stay away from making official resolutions but I guess I still look to make positive changes in my life in general.

Did you make any New Year's Scrapbooking Resolutions?

I have seen a few around from the general

Do more scrapping

To the specific

Complete 24 LOs a week

Wow! Imagine having the time to do 24 LOs a week. I am a slow and steady scrapper most of the time and so I doubt there are enough hours in the week to finish 24 LOs. Lately, if I do more than 36 in a year I count it an achievement. I must have a weekend retreat to get some more done. Anyone want to join me for a retreat at scrappingaway.com.au Retreat House. I have been so busy setting it up for others that I have neglected to factor in some time for myself. Guess it will have to be later in the year as I am sure to be rather busy with a new baby in the early months.

I would like to catch up on some of Emily's photos before the new baby arrives. Heck, I still have photos from her first year to do and I hate that I have forgotten the stories behind a lot of those images. Perhaps, my resolution should be to jot down more of the stories of our life. I use to be good at that. Once upon a time I had a little booklet full of anecdotes all ready for journalling. Sometimes life takes over though and you forget to take the time to record these incidents.

Cricut Design Studio

2007-12-16T20:00:00.000+11:00

I have been playing with my new toy this weekend and what a great toy it is. The new Cricut Design Studio program introduces a new level to what you can produce. Sure it is restricted by the cartridges you have, but if you already have a number of cartridges on hand this is a great addition to your scrapping room - and to the Scrapping Away Retreat House. I just love being able to weld my letters to make connected titles. Also you can play around with the size of the letters - width and height, and you can combine images from different cartridges.

If you think this may be interesting to you but you just aren't sure yet there is a trial version available at
http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=1311421&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
It only allows you to use the cartridge that came with your machine e.g. George if you bought the initial personal cutter. But at least it gives you some idea of the potential of the program before you buy.

Here is a box I have made for Emily's daycare mum for the title I used George and the Design Studio program to weld the letters.

Classes galore, kits and more

2007-12-02T19:40:00.000+11:00

Wow, what a month it has been.

Scrapaholics Australia launched this month and the December kits have sold out already. I have bought in some extras for January and so we are set for the increasing number of clubs that are joining up.

In Albury we have 2 Acrylic Album classes this month before Christmas. If you are interested in joining one, I still have a couple of spaces left. Email me at info@scrappingaway.com.au

The Rubons Workshop was fantastic with some amazing layouts completed. It was also great to have some new faces join our going group of eager scrappers.

The January Scrapaholic workshop in Albury has sold out! If you would like to join us get your name down for February as soon as possible.

And, Scrapping Away Retreat House has had a lot of interest and weekends are starting to be booked.

What a great way to be ending the year.

One page done with the January Scrapaholics Kit

Low introductory price for Scrapaholics Australia Instructors

2007-11-24T15:52:00.000+11:00

Scrapaholics Australia has launched their first technique based kit. Instructors around Australia will be teaching this kit through out December. Would you like to be a Scrapaholics Australia Instructor?

We are an independent network of scrapbooking clubs. Each organiser runs their club under the Scrapaholic banner and there are about 100 clubs in the UK, USA, Canada and now Australia. We form a supportive group to promote and teach Scrapbooking.Each month we produce a kit of products based around a particular technique. The technique is demonstrated at the club and members have the opportunity to try out the product/technique in the form of a club kit.

If you would like to start your own club email me today info@scrappingaway.com.au (A one off joining fee of only $50 {introductory price} until the end of November)

A great way to try new products and techniques
Run it as a hobby or business
Have fun scrapping with your friends

Latest kit layouts

Another Room Ready

2007-11-18T15:06:00.000+11:00

Just thought I would share with you another room we have completed at the Scrapping Away Retreat House. I had everything set up a week ago but couldn't post any photos as Matt was still in the US with our digital camera. The room has come up well and is very comfortable and spacious enough for three. This room has access to an ensuite bathroom.