Men of Men

Hello girls :) Had a very busy week creating all sorts of things and my scrappy place is full of uncompleted projects but at least this one is finished. I based my layout on a sketch which you can find here. I also tried my hand at Tracey Sabella's Misted Rock Salt Chipboard Tutorial and had a lovely time with it until the crackle starting popping off like little crackers and only then did I realize..OOPS..I forgot to complete the last step...LOL!!  Here are two little close-ups ....don't look toooo close!!

  Well, once I put the sealer on all was well and this is definitely something I will do again and again. Thank you Tracey...you're tutorial is great...can't say the same for the student though...lol! Till next time...take care and have a great day!x

Beautiful

Another layout, another sketch contest...love them! I did this one for the sketch contest over at My Creative Sketches and loved working with Kim gorgeous sketch which you can see here. Once again, my gorgeous little niece Isabella is the focus of my layout. She's growing up so fast now and I am so sad that I am missing out on all the good things that is happening in her little life right now. I know that I will never give up hoping that they will come back to South Africa.

The little flourish pieces are from Flourish With A Bling and the name of this particular one is the FWAB Grace Pearl Flourish Pearl.  
The title letters were done using a foil-technique that was so cleverly taught by Melody Koopmans at our scrapbook marathon in October. Thank you Melody...loved it!

Till next time..thanks for looking and take care :) x

Walking with the godfather

Hello again friends:) I so love the challenges over at Once Upon A Sketch and made a point of making some time to join them again this month. Nadia's sketches are so awesome to work with and this month is no exception.   Here I used a photo which I took when Isabella and I went to visit my husband and we spent a few days in Kruger National Park. Everything morning Isabella would grab her lion, ask Eddie to carry her pillow which is her little security blanket and her and Eddie would take a walk down to the Letaba river to watch the animals taking a leisurely stroll to the water for their first drink of the day. I would join them a little later with some tea and the three of us would just sit there and enjoy the peace and tranquility.  This month the theme is "anything goes" and you are free to create a layout based on whatever theme you like, but your layout must include some journaling and the sketch below. 

I love the fact that these challenges forces me to do some journaling because for the most part I am terribly lazy to journal and usually leave it till last and if there is no space on my page then it will be left out completely...not good :) The little flourishes are from Flourish With A Bling and I used the FWAB Chloe Pearl Flourish Black which I cut up and tucked between the flowers. 

Till next time, stay safe and take care and please know that I always appreciate your visits very much :) xx

Treasure

Happy

Hello friends :) This week I played around with some Prima papers and because I couldn't decide which one of the two to use, I decided to use both and make them companion pages. As always, my darling little niece is the focus of my layouts. Tomorrow I am off to Cape Town for a Scrapbook Marathon and till next time, take care and be good :)

Goldilocks in Barcelona

I did this layout of little Hadiyyah and the picture was taken whilst they were on holiday in Barcelona..hence the title :) The flourish is from Flourish With A Bling and is called FWAB Chloe Pearl Flourish Antique Gold. This flourish is definitely my favorite:)

Materials used:

My Mind's Eye - Little Boy Blue "Curious"
My MInd's Eye - Portobello Road "You and Me" Love Birds
Graphic 45 - A Ladies' Diary Moment in Time
Graphic 45 - A Ladies' Diary Delicate Details
Grahic 45 - A Ladies' Diary  "A Ladies' Diary
Flourish With A Bling - Chloe Pearl Flourish Antique Gold
Distress Ink - Pine Needles and Frayed Burlap
Spellbinders Nestabilities Decorative Labels Eight

Sweet

This is my take on the current challenge over at Once Upon A Sketch. The challenge is to incorporate something from this quote:

and also to use the sketch below:


Thanks very much for looking and take care till next time :)

Molly

Hello again friends :) I  got a bee in my bonnet and thought I would make a little hat for Miss Molly. I just love this picture :) Doesn't she just look like a little granny?? Anyways, it was such a struggle to get a decent photo because she kept shaking her head to get the hat off and only when I realized the ribbon was tickling her ears and subsequently adjusted it, she was quite happy to pose for the picture :) Special mention: The flourish is from Flourish With A Bling and I used the FWAB Grace Pearl Flourish Pearl.I also made this layout for a Guest Post at Ideas for Scrapbookers which is a treasure chest of ideas and inspiration for every scrapbooker. Thank you very much for the honour Pam :)

String art Tutorial:

So many of my friends have asked me how to do the string art in the top right corner of this layout and here it is finally:

To start with, decide where you would like to position the string art. Draw two light pencil lines as per the illustration directly on to your paper.

Make tiny little holes 1cm apart on each line

If you’re doing this for the first time, it helps to number the holes as per the illustration to eliminate confusion.

Thread your needle with the required colour thread (I usually use embroidery thread) and insert your needle into the  back of hole number 12 on the vertical line.

Bring the needle to the front and thread a few beads (3 or 4 will do fine) and then insert needle into hole number 1 on the horizontal line.

Then insert needle from the back into hole number 2 on the horizontal line, bring it to the front, thread another few beads and insert needle into hole number 11 on the vertical line.

Insert needle from the back into hole number 10 on the vertical line, thread beads and insert needle into hole number 3 on the horizontal line.

Insert needle from the back into hole number 4 on the horizontal line, thread beads and insert needle into hole number 9 on the vertical line.

And then you continue in the same pattern: No.8 vertical to number 5 horizontal, number 6 horizontal to 7 vertical,  6 vertical to 7 horizontal, 8 horizontal to 5 vertical, 4 vertical to 9 horizontal, 10 horizontal to 3 vertical, 2 vertical to 11 horizontal, 12 horizontal to 1 vertical. Fasten your thread with tape to the back of the work.

Don’t forget to thread a few beads as you go along.  Once you have completed the string work, you can then adjust the positioning of the beads as and how you would like them to be as they are loose on the thread and can be moved.

Have fun and enjoy!!

Mojee

Hello again friends:) Today I am introducing you to my daughter's what was supposed to be a Labrador but since the puppy is now all grown up we still have no idea what he really is but that doesn't matter at all. So, please meet Ammo aka Mojee aka Muchee aka Mo aka Mojo and so on...lol!! So, if you have some time this month, hop over to Scrap Africa and join us in the new sketch challenge for September. Hope to see you there! Till next time, take care!

Llandaff Oratory - Lesson Layout for Scrap Affairs

Hello again my friends :) Just wanted to show you a layout I did for a lesson in our local Scrap Affairs Magazine. The theme of the issue is "travel" and I've been wanting to scrap this little church for so long and this was the perfect opportunity. I don't want to bore you but I thought I would tell you a little bit about this cute little church.

This little church, one of the smallest in the world and the only privately owned Roman Catholic Church, is dedicated to the memory of a brave man by a loving father.  The story of the church is that Llandaff Mathew, lost his life aged 28, in an endeavour to save the lives of other miners at Burnside Colliery near Natal on the 19th March 1925. His body was never recovered after another rock fall. His father, Maynard Mathews, a retired magistrate, lived at the “Lodge” where the garage now stands. He was an eccentric old man who was a Roman Catholic and wanted to place a plaque in memory of his son in the Ladysmith Roman Catholic Church. When this was denied him, he was very aggrieved and determined that he would place a plague in a church. Mr Mathew built his unique memorial with this sole purpose.

The Church, which seats just eight (the number of lives that Llandaff, so we are told, saved before the final fall), is a fully consecrated Catholic Church, with all the vestments of its big brother, the one wing of the Cardiff Cathedral in Wales. Mr Mathews became a priest and was received into the order of St Dominic on May the 7th 1926. On his death the property was sold to a Mr George Tierny, a Roman Catholic, who later sold it to Mr CN Osborne, a Protestant. Mr Osborne decided to retain it as a Roman Catholic Church.
In 1960 Mr Charles Osborne West bought it and had it declared a National Monument. In 1974, as a wedding present, he gave it to his wife the present owner Mrs Mims West-Thomas who still resides in the village.

The church has a regular service once a month and is very popular for couples that want a small wedding with a difference. It is also a place of comfort for weary motorists who wish to pause for a moment of quiet solitude in this lovely Church. My sister and I stopped here one day and she took these pictures for me. Thank you Sis!

You are in a very “special Church” dedicated to a brave man and loving father who later became a priest and gave his life to the service of the Lord. So when you read this, remember both of them in your thoughts and prayers and all those who have preserved this wonderful church.

I also need to make a special mention of the little black flourish used on this layout from Flourish With A Bling. This particular one is called the FWAB Chloe Pearl Flourish Black.

A Special Kind Of Love - Scrap Africa Challenge 8

It is time for a new challenge over at Scrap Africa and this time we were to use the poster below as inspiration for our projects. You can use the phrase in your project or you can make a mini-album to tell your story. I chose this beautiful photo of Josie and Beauty. Beauty was Josie's first love, and the pony who taught Josie to ride.  When Josie and her parents lived in the Middle East Josie took every opportunity during the summers to visit Beauty in Norway. She also took Beauty on her first ever riding camp when she was only 6 yrs old. Beauty belonged to Penelope Ponyfarm, the place where her Mom  grew up, and where she too learnt to ride and care for horses. On days when Josie struggled with her confidence Beauty was there to help her along and if the lesson didn't go too well, there was always cuddles and special moments to compensate for that and so a very special bond formed between the two of them. After Beauty retired Josie still went to visit her and just spent quiet moments cuddling and grooming her. Sadly Beauty passed away in 2011 due to a severe bout of colic at the ripe old age of 25. She was a legend to all the kids at Penelope Farm. Josie and Beauty's story is written on a tag which I tucked away. Combined with this challenge  I also made this layout for a DT project at Flourish With A Bling. I used pieces of the beautiful FWAB Bella Rhinestone Flourishes Wine and saving the rest of it for another project.:) 


And here is the "inspiration poster".                                                                                                                     
That's all for now :) Thanks for looking and have a great day!!xx

Colourful Memories Giveaway

Colourful memories (Svetlana Austin) is having a giveaway to thank the loyal supporters of her blog for their continued support. Click here for the details of the giveaway and do yourself a favour and "join" as a follower. I promise you will not be disappointed. Her blog is a treasure chest of inspiration!!!

Ok here is what one of you will get: 
*** Kaisercraft stamps x 4
*** Kaisercraft Rub-ons x 2
*** Kaisercraft wooden flourish
*** Flower border punch
*** Corner embossing punch
*** Pack of Prima resin flowers
*** An album with files for 20 x 20 cm pages
*** A candle holder cage (pictured in the beginning of the post) that you can decorate yourself
I hope it is worth of commenting on this post and stand a chance of winning this gift pack.
Here are the rules:
This giveaway is only for readers of my blog.
You are welcome to join if you find my blog interesting.
If you post on your blog an announcement about my giveaway then you can come back and leave a second comment for an extra chance with a link to the post on your blog where you shared it.
The last day to enter is the 2nd of September. The winner will be announced on September, 3.
Thank you and good luck!

Till later!!x

Altered Bottle

Ooh I had fun with this bottle...my first altered bottle!!  It was just a "lemonade" bottle from Woolworths and I decided to try my hand at altering it and I used the colour schemes from my bedroom but it will look pretty good in my bathroom too...LOL!! I think another bug has bitten me!!

Fur-ever Friends

This is my take on the current challenge ending 31st July over at Once Upon A Sketch. And here is the very talented Nadia's sketch.

We spent the afternoon at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary during my visit to my family in Australia at the beginning of July and as usual Isabella makes it her life's ambition to befriend every conceivable animal we come across. She firmly believes that the path to friendship is through the tummy and if she can just feed them then all is well and good :) Love this child so much :)

Forever - DT project for Scrap Africa

This is my take on sketch 8 over at Scrap Africa . This is my gorgeous daughter Heidi and Justin whom I am starting to think of as my son..LOL!! Love these kids!! :) On this layout I used the beautiful Flourish With A Bling Chloe Pearl Flourish Antique Gold. Love their products :) We would love it if you could hop over and join us in this sketch challenge :) Thanks for looking :) I always enjoy your visits :) Oops almost forgot to show you the sketch... well, here it is :)

Profile Of My Heart - Scrap Africa Sketch 7

Hi all!! Time for a new sketch at Scrap Africa and this is my take on Evgenia's beautiful sketch which you will see below :) Meet Molly, my shadow and one of the many pieces of my heart :) Over the last couple of months I have neglected scrapping my four-legged babies and am now making up for it :) On this layout I used the beautiful FWAB Jasmine Puffy Flourish Latte from Flourish With A Bling. On the photograph you may not be able to see how beautiful it really is in real life but it has a lovely, subtle sparkle to it. And here is the sketch.

{Love}-ly Locks - Scrap Africa Challenge 6

Challenge # 6 at Scrap Africa is a color combo.  Make any scrap object using at least 3 colors from South African flag: red, blue, green, yellow, black and white. You don't need to keep the colors precisely the way it is on the flag as long as one can see it clearly.  Additionally you can use: grey, beige and cream. The colors on the photographs are not taken into account - it can be any colors and it doesn't count towards the minimum colors required for the combo. This is my take on the challenge and we would love it if you could join us.  Here is an example of the South African flag. 

Riley (One Year Old)

Finally I found some time to enter a challenge over at Once Upon A Sketch and this month the theme is BIRTHDAYS.  This is another page for Riley's album. He belongs to my daughter and her fiancee. Riley's first birthday was honestly a huge milestone for him and for us as he experienced nothing but misfortune since the day he was born. Riley's original owners dropped him off at a "boarding kennel" with the promise to collect him when they returned from where-ever it was they were going. Well, Riley was never collected and this so-called boarding establishment stopped feeding him and caring for him because the owner didn't pay for his stay. Sick and starved Riley ended up at the SPCA. That is where Justin and Heidi found him but regardless of the fact that he  had contracted canine biliary and was told that he was probably not going to make it, they decided to adopt him and nursed him through his illness. It took a long time and it was an uphill struggle due to malnutrition and his overall condition but he pulled through and became the love of their lives. Six months after that Riley had to fight for his life again after a tragic accident and unfortunately one of his hind legs had to be amputated. Once again he was nursed back to health with lots of tender, loving care and regardless of only having three legs he has adapted incredibly well and lives a perfectly normal happy life. So you see, having made it to a one year old is a huge plus for him and for us and even though we don't know the exact date on which Riley was born, we do know it was during the month of August and so he gets to celebrate his birthday for an entire month!! Riley is now almost two years old and going strong!!  This layout also features the cute little FWAB Trent's Fence available from Flourish With A Bling who is a wholesale company but you can see a list of their stockists here.
And here is the sketch:)

Cherry Lips - Scrap Africa Sketch 6

Hello everyone! It is time again for a new sketch at Scrap Africa. I hope that it will inspire you as much, as it inspired me to do this layout featuring my all too adorable niece Isabella :)  Don't you just love that gorgeous flourish from Flourish With A Bling called FWAB Grace Pearl Flourish Copper. Absolutely love it!!

And here is the fabulous sketch we had the privilege to work with :)

Our sponsor for the next two challenges (Sketch # 6 and the up-coming in 2 weeks time challenge # 6) is

Scrapbook Studio . If you happened to be somewhere around Jeffery's Bay, make sure you pay them a visit or else you can do your shopping for all things scrappy in their online shop. It is filled with all the latest  and coolest stuff a good scrapper can wish for.

Enter your projects in one or both of the challenges and stand a chance 
of winning a gift voucher to the value of R 200 (20 euro).

Flourish With A Bling June 2012 Challenge

This month we have a simple sketch for you to interpret any way you wish, and of course an opportunity to win some gorgeous Flourish with a Bling products while having fun and playing along.

Here is the sketch for this month’s challenge – we can’t wait to see  what you create.  You can flip it, turn it, mash it up or just be inspired by the elements or shapes in it – the name of the game is to have fun, use some of your fave FWAB products, and show us your beautiful creation by linking up to the “Amanda’s  sketch challenge 2012″ section in the FWAB Gallery.

 

Flourish With a Bling Challenge Rules

- You are required to use Flourish With A Bling products on your creation;

- You are required to use the above sketch as inspiration for your entry;

- You are required to upload your entry into the Flourish With A Bling Gallery under “Amanda’s sketch challenge 2012″;

- You can create a card, layout, OTP, home decor, anything you like;

- Challenge closes midnight Saturday 30th June, 2012;

- You can enter as many times as you like;

- You MUST have fun!

PRIZE – a fantastic pack of Flourish With A Bling goodies perfect to scrap more fabulous layouts or cards!!

. . . . . . . . .

Excited? Inspired? You should be!

We hope you will join in the fun with us here at Flourish with a Bling and we look forward to seeing your entry in the FWAB gallery.

Happy Creating,

Amanda