Home for Christmas easel cards.

Home for Christmas is the new range of goodies from DoCrafts - and i have fell head over heels in love with their papers. The range is firm and sturdy but not too thick to score and fold or even emboss. so it was a natural choice to make some easel cards using this beautiful range of papers and matching stamps. I love how easel cards can display themselves without any issues and they always look good no matter what.
i combined a variety of the patterned papers with kraft cardstock for an earthy Christmas look. to bring in some green i used the beautiful holly stamp and added colour using the new range of DoCrafts Artiste Dual Tip Brush Markers. i love the artistic look i am able to achieve using these markers. and they come in 3 different sets for a huge range of colours.
the baubles were cut from a sheet of patterned paper and popped up using pop dots.
stunning sentiment tags are available in the range making it a complete a-z option for quick and convenient Christmas crafting.
for my second card i matted a piece of kraft cardstock onto patterned paper and added some sewing for texture. I used a scalloped circle Couture Creations die underneath my Boofle printed accent.
some red gliztin glamour glitter glue used on the berries adds a nice touch of shine.
and a couple of diamante to finish it all off.
to see how i used the Artiste Brush Markers head on over here for a sxs tutorial.
with the weekend here maybe you will have some time to get a few Christmas cards done. remember there's only about 13 weeks left. here's to a creative weekend filled with peace and beauty!

washi tape, a layout + sketch 314.

time for another sketch over at scrapbook challenges. how time flies when you are having fun.i loved working with this sketch. i think it's because i can make a double page layout comfortable with only using 1 or 2 photos - and that's ok. so for this layout i used the beautiful range of washi tapes from K-Craft. you can find more about them here. i am also using her beautiful washi tapes for my upcoming card class in October. can't wait to see old and new friends.
i used about 6 diffferent washi tapes together to create the horisontal lines for my background.
a few embellishments in the form of buttons and cardstock heart. i also used a couple of patterned paper in between from crate, glitz design and websters.
and journaling sewn to the background after printing it
the photo of the cat has been floating around our house for years. my brother took the photo years ago of my sister's little kitten inside his army boot - a classic and a well loved photo resembling happy times - i think. and on a personal note (not sure if anyone cares)....
we need to make some tough personal decisions around here. struggling to hear God's voice on this matter and praying for clarity and peace while i enter into this new phase of life.
wishing you all a very crafty week - i think i feel like throwing paint at a canvas.

heritage layout and a braai.

today (although almost over) we celebrated heritage day in south Africa or as it is better know as National Braai day (bbq). for me unfortunately no braai today - we are not the biggest meat eaters and although there is nothing nicer than a piece of 'braaied' wors or ribs we just didn't do it. but i did capture some photos of the big event last year and so it was time to create a fun layout using a cricut cartridge with some braai themed die-cuts.what i did do today is spent some time scrapping with friends and just chilling. even though i have been super stressed out lately - today was a good day. it must be a mind thing knowing it is a holiday. so for this layout i used the PB&J basic grey range of papers with its bright and beautiful colours - tying together our rainbow nation beautifully.
off course i had to add some bling to the little chefs hat
added some texture to my die cut title using a cuttlebug embossing folder
some sweet flags - yes flying them high and proud
and some background watercolour splashes
i hope you all had a wonderful day! no matter what you did. also reflecting on life and being alive as i came upon a horrific accident on my way this morning - while remembering the anniversary of my dad's death 27 years ago on the road as well. reflecting on the meaning of life - and as the Greeks say all there is is love and helping others. nothing else matters. and yes all the earthly goods don't matter. as i realised again today as i walked into total and absolute faith - cause there was nothing else to hold onto today - but faith itself and a promise.

halloween themed cuttlebug embossed clay tiles.

There's so much one can do with The Cuttlebug die-cutting machine and even more so with its embossing folders. the versatility is really amazing. and so last week i set out to complete a fun little Halloween project that has been on my mind for a while. you can read more about it here
what i love most about the cuttlebug is the versatility in designs when it comes to their embossing folders. although we are not huge on celebrating Halloween, this project was a fun one to do using the beautifully themed Halloween embossing folders - the best thing about the folders are that they are not too themed specific so one could get away with using them on different projects too.
beautifully embossed clay tiles covered in a layer of pigment powder for a shimmering effect.
clay tiles with a skull theme are finished off with diamante eyes and hides behind a 
Cre8te chipboard fence.
we are having a relaxed weekend here at home - cleaning, purging, shaking off baggage and letting go of fear. the one thing i have realized is that if i thought i had problems, i feel so sorry for those who have so much more and yet are so insecure in themselves and their lives. it really makes a difference having a life in Christ and knowing that each day is made new in HIM. i have so much to celebrate! hope you are having a creative weekend wherever you are. thanks for popping in and all the comments - you are a blessing!

scrapbook challenges sketch 313.

scary to think that we are almost done with September...which only means that we are heading down hill to December really quickly.and on top of that is was monday again and time for another stunning sketch over at Scrapbook Challenges. i loved working with this sketch - right up my alley. not sure my paper choice was the best...a bit "blendy" for my style but still love it! to see the single page version and what the design team came up with head on over to scrapbook challenges

I used a beautiful chipboard frame from Crate paper that matched my papers and colours perfectly. had to add some bling around the edges...
and tried the new tim holtz faux metal technique using metal tape and alcohol inks.
and some sewing fort texture and colour
here's wishing you a creative week filled with love and goodness...
Products used
Patterned paper Bo Bunny and Bazzill Basics 
Chipboard elements Crate paper
Butterfly Kaisercraft
Lettering Grunge board
Other diamante, thread, alcohol inks, metal tape, brown acrylic paint
*Bazzill Basics paper is available from Scrapbook Studio

cricut cartridges and a monogram project.

over at the wholesaler blog i have been playing with the new Cricut cartridges that has just been released in South Africa.I love things that are versatile - so that means that i can see myself using them over and over again for various projects, cards and layouts. and that is exactly what the new Fontopia and Frame of mind cartridges will do for me = plenty of use. to see more of the projects and see how i used the frames on a card head on over to www.thewholesaler.biz/blog and leave some love there. in the meantime this is what i did with the Fontopia cartridge. i used it to create a beautifully layered monogram perfect for the front cover of a journal or craft room door.
love how the Studio Calico Classi Calico range of papers gave me the subtle colours i so love these days for my craft room and home.
some curly flowers or simple strips of scraps to create texture.
the outside frame is a plain piece of AC card stock that i embossed with a kaisercraft wood grain stamp and then coloured with several layers of Mister Huey ink and finishing it off with a layer of white Mister Huey ink to tone down the colours. love this effect!
i have been on a searching mission again....surprise there! well no not really....searching for my comfort zone again - so i am playing with inks and minimalistic scrapbook layouts. wonder where this next journey in life will take me. until the next time i hope you have a wonderfully creative week.

wax crayons, life and a layout.

there's a new challenge up over at scrap Africa and it's a fun one! a beautiful quote is the starting point for a project and it involves wax crayons and colour. so hop on over to Scrap Africa and pl;ay along to stand a chance of winning an amazing prize. and here's what i did. i wanted to scrap this cute little photo of my nephew and this was the perfect opportunity. i used a whole bunch of patterned papers with bright and beautiful colours to support my bright wax crayon colours on the background.
and a page without sewing just wouldn't be mine....
some beautiful new washi tape distributed by K-Craft.co.za. i love this beautiful delicate floral design. patternedpapers by DoCrafts and Crate paper distributed by The Wholesaler.
and leaving you with this beautiful image taken for my magazine a couple of years ago. and i am still in love with colour!
hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend filled with loads of colour. welcome to some new followers - thank you for taking the time and to pop in and say hello! remember that you guys are the reason we come back and share so please say hi! lots of love....
Products used
Cardstock AC White
Patterned paper floral Crate Paper
Patterned paper DoCratfs Happy Days
other map paper and stamps
Wooden buttons Prima
Sticker Basic Grey
Washi Tape K-Craft
Wax crayons

inky business over at the wholesaler.

today is all about using some of those versatile tear drop ink pads on your projects. but i leave you with some visuals only - so if you want the low down on inks 
and their characteristics head on over here
gotta love that Boofle bear by docrafts - remember that all the products used are from The Wholesaler and that you can shop their website and let your local store know what you want exactly. viewing products on-line is such a bonus and convenient
beautiful summer colours - orange and turquoise
stamping details - Brilliance inks are amazing
buttons and sewing to add some texture
hope you are having a wonderfully creative week.
i am packing kits for our Card Making Retreat over 3 days next month. yikes...i can hardly believe it is here again. thanks for stopping by - you are appreciated and loved!

focus on graphic 45 products - the wholesaler.

Each month we will feature our favourite products distributed by The Wholesaler and place some focus on those products showcasing their adaptability and versatility to different creative styles. What better way to start off than Graphic 45. Graphic 45 is family owned business with lots of passion behind it. Their creativity is astounding in so many ways, but it’s not always everyone’s cuppa tea. Yes you will know exactly what I mean. Their products are amazing but many people find it difficult to work with. I have found that when I design with their products keeping things simple suits my style and personality a lot more. I am know for my fair share of ‘weird’ creations and so I also find it ironic at the same time that I find it difficult to scrap with their papers. But for this project I absolutely loved working with the Olde Curiosity Shoppe Range. I worked inside a printer’s tray with lots of little compartments – loads of space to add all kinds of knick knacks. I kept the palette to the yellow, ochre, orange and black colours so that the project would fit into my work space comfortable. 
To add texture to some of the patterned paper pieces I used gold AC Pop! Microbeads. To adhere the microbeads I used Anita’s 3D glaze and then sprinkled the beads on top, left them for a couple of minutes and shook off the beads that did not stick. It’s a quick and effective way of adding texture without a mess.
slightly bigger glass viles filled with book paper words and gold micro beads.
cut out butterflies with popped up wings and a cut out word.
I also added some Petaloo flowers for that feminine touch. These flowers have a slight tint to them but I love how it adds that unexpected element.
 I had these tiny glass bottles that fitted perfectly with the theme of Apothecary jars and Olde Curiosity shops, so I filled them with wood glue that dries rock hard inside. For the outside I used some stamps and rub-ons as decorative element.
To create another fun element to my printer’s tray I added a piece of homemade chalkboard. I simply cut some black foam core to size and layered to pieces on top of each other for dimension. A piece of chalk rests beside it for easy access in case I need to write another key word as a reminder.
For more inspiration and to see more Graphic 45 products  visit www.thewholesaler.biz/blog

Products used 
Anita’s 3D glaze GF 4500462 
Olde Curiosity Shoppe 8x8 Paper Pad 
AC 27350 Pop! Microbeads – Gold 
C1833-205 Ruffled Roses - Plum 
Pop Dots 
Tombow Mono-multi adhesive

scrap africa = happy days.

scrap Africa has an amazing new sketch over on the blog. it's a single page sketch but i decided to turn it into a double page to suit my style. for this layout i grabbed the happy days patterned paper by DoCrafts to create this happy go lucky layout. colourful and yet subdued. to view the sketch head on over to Scrap Africa.
i also used some Glitzers with my DoCrafts Happy days patterned papers - love the colours and how well they worked together.
buttons and little triangular flags placed randomly, cut freehand and just for fun.
for the centre piece of my layout i used a vintage map as my base and covered it with 2 pieces of vellum to tone down the colours. it's a wonderful method to alter things. the little hello element is by bzb designs - the talented Brynn Marie from Scrapbook challenges and is part of a digital kit.
My title was cut using the Cricut Expressions 2 in black AC card stock. clean and simple.
all products featured are distributed by The Wholesaler.

miss penny and happy spring day.

happy spring day if you are in South Africa. which means that we went from cold (even some snow fall) to bloody hot overnight.but i look forward to having a green lawn again and for the dust to disappear. and then there is Penny...i named this card after the sweet lady who made it for me after one of the women's day classes at scrapbook studio.
i taught them to work on a sheet of white card stock and use it as a drip sheet for inks and paints. once we were done making a mess i showed them the potential of using their drip sheets in their actual project and even more possibilities. i pointed out to Penny that what she had in one corner was a card front on its own....and there she is just as i visualized her....
total perfection and perfect for a  spring celebration
even the imperfect pieces of texture paste became a feature
it goes to show that art is indeed anything you want it to be
hope you have a fabulous day. and once again this is the reason why i do what i do!

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