Artfull Crafts Christmas Countdown Tags and wrapping

Here is my last post for the Christmas countdown over at Artfull Crafts. This time next week will be Christmas Eve! Today I am showing you some simple gift wrapping and tags using Kaisercrafts North Pole collection along with kraft tags, twine and paper lunch bags. This would be a great way to wrap CD's, DVD's and books.

I have used Homebrand paper bags and tied twine around a few times before tying a bow. On the one I added a doily before attaching the tag.  The tags are just using papers, collectables and other embellishments. There are so many ways to decorate the bags - stamp on them, create a multi media bag or just keep it simple.

Thank you so much for the lovely comments and I hope you all have a safe and Happy Christmas - All the best for 2015! Don't forget to have a go at the competition and load your entries here for a chance to win some prizes.

Artfull crafts Christmas Countdown week five - Christmas Decor or Decoration.

This  Artfull craft Christmas countdown is going so fast I can't believe it is Christmas  in 12 DAYS time!  My project today was inspired by something I saw while blog hopping. Someone, I can't remember who sorry, had altered an artists palette wooden tray. I found some in a local stationery store and thought it would be a great idea to create a Christmas decor mixed media piece for the countdown. I have used mainly Kaisercraft's North Pole Collection collectables and lots of other embellishments.

To prepare the palette I painted the whole thing with gesso and let it dry.  Using the Prima Decor Two stencil and moulding paste I added some texture to the palette. I then used Heidi Swapp Tinsel Colour Shine to add the silver colour.  To create the darker bits I sprayed more layers of the Colour Shine.

To finish off the project I layered tags, diecuts, flowers and other embellishments together. The round circles filled with bling are a ribbon that has been cut up.  Here are some closeups - I think I got carried away with the soft focus though!

Hope you are all getting into the Christmas Spirit! Have you put up your decorations and tree yet?
If you do make some decorations or decor pieces make sure to load them here for a chance to win some prizes.

Artfull Crafts Christmas Countdown week four - Christmas gifts

Today I have some Christmas gift inspiration for this weeks Artfull Crafts Christmas countdown theme.  My project is a Christmas album which can be used as a very basic December Daily or to add favourite Christmas recipes to it.  Something I also thought about was to chronicle those photos of your children having their photos done in Santa's Grotto in the malls each year to give to their grandparents or godparents.

I have used Graphic 45's Night before Christmas 6 x 6 paper pad. The great thing with this album you can change it for any 6 x 6 paper pad and create a non Christmas album too. I have cut out 6 x 6 chipboard pieces and then covered with the papers from the pad and inked the edges with distress ink.

Here is the cover:

I have just created a flower cluster with flowers, leaves , buttons, a chipboard tag and a mini bottle with sequins inside. I have also placed random sequins on the cover. I have added ribbons to the book rings once album was completed.

The pages are simple and easily created using the papers and various embellishments. You could create a simple one like this or go more arty and introduce some mixed media to the project - masks, mists and texture paste would be great additions. As you can see I had a really sunny day when I did these photos!

Will you be creating some of your gifts this year? If you do make sure to load them here for a chance to win some prizes.

Artfull crafts Christmas Countdown week two - layouts

This is now week two of the Artfull Crafts Christmas countdown - the theme of which is albums/layouts or project life spreads. I love all the inspiration and hope you are having some time to join in. Today I am showing you a few Christmas layouts using various ranges.

The first was created using the bold and Geometric Simple Stories DIY Collection. This collection has an awesome selection of papers and stickers to chose from with a more traditional Christmas colour scheme paired with black and dark brown to give some added pop!

The layout has been created by layering distressed and inked papers and then adding chipboard, diecuts, flowers and stickers. The flourish is a cut up ampersand. The photo is of my oldest son which was taken around his first real Christmas when he was just over a year old.  He was a premmie and had only been home a week before Christmas so we stayed home that year.

My second layout is also using Simple Stories DIY Collection - just a bit more simply. I have only used some of two papers from the paper collection - one for the photo mat and one with the circles for the flower centres on the flowers. The base is Kraft cardstock sprinkled with mists. I have added some of the paper diecuts and chipboard from the range as well. Finished off with a cameo title and a little journalling. This is the same boy in the previous layout but eight years later! He has just turned 14 this week!

My third and final layout is using my favourite Christmas collection North Pole by Kaisercraft- so much so that I had to buy more of it after getting my design team kit!  I first sprayed the background white cardstock with my mists. The hexagon background was created using my cameo. I then just layered papers, collectables, photos of my 11 year old and flowers to create a less traditional Christmas layout. I love how it has turned out.

Have a great week and enjoy the Christmas countdown - I would love to see some layouts or albums created by you for the Christmas Countdown . Make sure to load them here for a chance to win some prizes. 

Artfull Crafts Christmas Countdown - Week One Plain and & Simple Christmas Cards

 The first week of the Artfull Crafts Countdown was to create some plain and simple Christmas cards to inspire you. Hope you are all enjoying the countdown - I can't believe Christmas is next month!  I have made four simple cards - three using the Kaisercraft North Pole Collection and another more generic one.

The first card on the far left I created by rounding the corners of the card with my corner rounder. The next step was sprinkling Heidi Swapp Colour Shine mist by removing the spray unit then gently tapping the tube part. You could use any mist or spray to create this effect.

I then cut the heart from the Silver Bells Foil Paper and layered it on some black cardstock. After attaching a loop of thin silver ribbon I stuck the heart on the card with pop dots. The flower has a bit of the ribbon on with a bling centre. Final touch was the sentiment from the North Pole Collectables set. Here is a closeup view of the card.

The card centre left is a non traditional card very feminine and easy to create.  It is also easily modified to a non Christmas card as well. I created a green mat for the card and then added the doily. Some flowers and a leaf in a bunch tied with a ribbon topped with the sentiment from the Mistletoe collection by Kaisercraft almost finish the card. I then created some dots with glossy accents to complete the card.

The card on the centre right was created using the Elves paper and cutout sentiment a card from the Peppermint Swirl Kaisercraft Captured Moments card pack. The base of the card has been punched with a Martha Stewart punch.  I have finished off the card with some bling   and a piece of snowflake ribbon.

 

The last card on the right is my favourite of the four - love the "country" look of it. The embellishment are North Pole Collectables   attached with foam dots along with a bit of bakers twine.
The Mat of the card is using the Sweater paper in the North pole collection.

I hope you enjoyed my post today - there is still lots of inspiration in the next few weeks so see you soon!

I am on the Artfull Crafts Christmas Countdown Team!

New Christmas Countdown Design Team  at Artfull crafts and Challenge Info 

I am one of the new team members at Artfull crafts for their Christmas Countdown and have just been introduced on the blog - look out over the next few days for the other new design team members who along with the current team will be inspiring you up to Christmas.

The Christmas Countdown will start this Sunday, 8th November. Each week there will be a new theme and challenge and everyday someone from the Team will inspire you with a project. AND look out for the Sunday email which will announce the new theme and the special for the week.

We do hope you will join us during this fun time!
Don't forget to head to the Artfull Christmas Store and stock up on products.

Here is my Introduction:


Today we welcome Beverley Cunnigham onto the Artfull Crafts Christmas Countdown Design Team! We asked Beverley a few questions about herself and her crafting passions. Enjoy the read!

Hi my name is Beverley Cunningham and I have been scrapbooking for nearly eight and a half years. I live in Gulf Harbour in Auckland with my husband Andrew and our three kids Brendan (14), Christopher (11) and Kaitlyn (10). We have one pet a rabbit named Molly. We live near beautiful beaches and a regional park - it feels like a holiday home in summer. I started work in an accounting office this year which is was what I was doing before kids. I have been on a few design teams and was lucky enough to work in a craft shop before it closed its doors in February.  I love the scrapbooking community and have made some wonderful inspiring friends and participated in some awesome events.

How were you introduced to scrapbooking?
Almost eight and half years ago my sister gave me a scrapbook kit from the warehouse. That was the start of an amazing journey of becoming part of an awesome community and yummy products that are hard to resist! Here is my first ever layout using that kit.

What inspires you for layouts, projects, cards?
My best inspiration are challenges especially sketch ones. There has been many a time when my mojo goes on holiday and a sketch challenge has brought it home!

What other project types do you like to work on besides scrapbook pages?
I love off the page projects including mini albums. Mixed media has become one of my favourite types of project to do.  I have a collection of "found" things from op shops just waiting to be converted.

This is a fairy house I created in 2012 as part of my submission for Prima's Design Team.

I purchased the house from a decor shop and painted it.  The green on it is Verdigris embossing powder. Then I just went mad with embellishments and paper to decorate it. This was a mothers day present for my mom. 

 

 

 
Some close ups.

What is your favourite scrapbook brand and why?
Well Prima has been my all time favourite for a long time. Just love their flowers and embellishments and have been known to go a bit crazy with them at times! Kaisercraft and Teresa Collins are fast catching up though!

What scrapbooking tools/products can you not do without?
Well where do I start there....
My Cameo which is severely neglected
My Martha Stewart Trimmer
My Prima comfort craft distress tool
My Heidi Swapp Colour Shine sprays (a new addiction)
Masks and texture pastes
Flowers and wood veneers
Better stop there...could go on forever...

What is your current favorite technique or embellishment?
Using Masks, texture paste and sprays is definitely a favourite.  I have just made some of my own masks with the cameo using designs from online. I want to have a go to design my own soon.

This is a layout I did last year that is one of my favourites. I love how it came together with lots of techniques used. I was trying to scrap a bit like Solange Marques. She blends her photo into her background with inks, paints and other mediums Its one of my favourite photos of my boys too!

 

 What do you hope to try or improve on this year?
I hope to get to get to know my cameo more so I can use it more and to get more scrapping done as 2014 has been a quiet year on that front.

What advice can you give to people just beginning to enjoy scrapbooking?
Just to enjoy their new hobby and get involved in the scrapbooking community it can be fun and supportive.  

This is one of my favourite mini albums (not so mini!). Also a submission for the Prima design team it is a Prima Canvas album - its three years old but it still reflects my style and I thoroughly enjoyed making it and documenting a bit of a family time line. I started by masking and spraying each page and printing my journalling on canvas.  Then it was the case of major decorating with a ton of gorgeous product

I am really looking forward to been part of the Artfull Crafts Christmas Team and I hope you are inspired along the way!

123 Get Scrappy Guest designer for October

This month's challenge at 1 2 3 Get Scrappy is a board filled with "P's"

Here's the new board:

 

I won a challenge at 123 Get Scrappy a couple of months ago so I am guest designer this month.

I used the top line of Pink, Plaid and Peace and here is  my layout

 

So head on over and have a go at 

123 Get Scrappy!

Colour Me Scrappy Challenge #67

Another challenge done and dusted - I don't think I have tried their Challenges - great challenges.

Here is the Challenge over at Colour me scrappy:

 

Here is my layout with one of my family that I love - my youngest son looking very happy hence the title.

 

 

Stuck?! August 15 Sketch

Here is another layout for Stuck Sketches - this time the mid month challenge. I reduced the number of photos but have one larger one and flipped the sketch.

and here is the sketch:

Stuck August 1st Sketch

Hi everyone yes a lot of posts in one day now that I work everyday I find it harder to make time to do my blog and its near the end of the month so challenges are nearing their end.

Here is Stuck?! sketch for the 1st of the month.

 

Here is my nautically themed layout of Brendan quite a few years ago!

White with one August Challenge

Well look what this challenge was....

 

just a bit tricky.....but luckily I come from a country whose national colours incorporate black so a NZ themed page of my big boy! Oops the T in the title on photo was sticking up!

123 Challenge August Challenge

123 Challenge for August once definitely for a girly page pink, stripes and the word love!

 

My layout is of the time Kaitlyn met the Chipmunks at the zoo.

I have used a paper napkin as my background - for some reason I had no pink striped paper in my stash!

Once Upon a sketch August Challenge

This months challenge over at Once Upon a Sketch  is to use the sketch and create a layout about the men in our life with journalling.  I chose to do a soccer layout for Christopher's album and part of the journalling  a quote is printed on patterned paper by the manufacturer.

Here is the sketch:

 

and a mixed media soccer layout  - playing with Gelatos!

Sassy Scrappers Challenge for August

A couple of weeks ago I had a scrappy day with friends and manged to do a few challenges for the month. Sassy Scrappers challenge was a mood board which included an image of Ralph (a man in the photo).  This image made me instantly think of the photos I used.

Here is the board:

Here is my take reducing the pink to make a boy layout

Kreative Concepts Colour challenge #27

My last layout share for today. I am not a fan of using purple in layouts but had these photos of Kaitlyn that had to go on a purply layout! so I used Kreative Concepts Colour Challenge # 27 to create a layout.

Here is the colour combo my layout has lighter hues.

 

 My Layout

1,2,3 Get Scrappy Challenge

Yes that is what I did today 1, 2 , 3 layouts! Using the tic tac toe style challenge over at 123 Get Scrappy I chose the diagonal line of Turquoise/aqua, Green and Yellow to create this layout. Not a heavily embellished layout but I love its "simplicity" after not scrapping layouts for two months.

Thanks for visiting!

Sassy Scrapbookers July Mood Board

Well I found myself able to have a few hours to scrap today and decided to try a layout using Sassy Scrappers July Mood Board Challenge. Love this colour combo!

 

Here is my layout. I have cut my paper to look like the bracelet pattern and did a gold dot background for some of the textural features in the mood board.

Stuck?! May 15th Sketch

Three quick posts in one day!!Another challenge at Stuck sketches which can be found here - a multiphoto sketch this time!

 

Here is my layout with Kaitlyn and her Dotty Wot a character on a New Zealand TV program.

Stuck?! May 1st sketch

Stuck?! 1st May sketch is a great one for a one photo layout (easily converted to more then one photo) and can be found here

Here is my layout with Kaitlyn at Motat's old school. She looks like she is concentrating!!

Hello are you still here? and a layout for Scrap the Boys Challenge!

Well isn't that shocking last time I was here was six months ago....Lots has happened but not a whole lot of scrapping done. That changed last weekend at the four day Scrap Away Retreat at Glentui in Christchurch. I had an awesome weekend and created 21 layouts including a double plus 8 cards from the layout scraps!

Here is a layout for the Scrap the Boys Challenge for May which is to go Grungy/Messy!