Card, Cushions and Mixed Media.

Just sharing a few things I've been creating recently.



A card for the Scrapbook Fantasies VIP November Challenge.



Some Cushion Covers.

 The top cushion is for Mr 5 who is obsessed with animal print. We used some fabric that Granma bought for him to make a cushion for his bed. He's hoping for a pair of pajama shorts to match. I don't know where this animal print obsession has come from as it's not my kind of thing. But I'm happy to go along with the 'jungle theme'. lol.

The brightly coloured cushion was a patchwork experiment. The corners don't meet up but I'm sure with practice and patience and the right tools this will become easier. Miss 7 seems to have taken a shine to this one and it now lives amongst the many stuffed animals on the end of her bed.

The bottom two cushions were made for our outdoor lounge chair on the back verandah.
 

Experimenting with Mixed Media on a note book cover. Drying time between layers is quite painful when your head is full of ideas. Maybe the idea is to have a few mixed media projects on the go.

 

 

Decorated Notebook.

 

I recently purchased a new notebook to keep track of everything. It has cute little dividers in it which I'll no doubt decorate at a later date. I loved the basic brown craft cover but I've been wanting to make a pretty cover to personalise it. So this morning I woke up early and thought I'd get into it while everyone was tucked up all cosy and quiet in bed. My favourite time of the day. 

 

I started with a piece of calico which I spritzed with chocolate and blue. I then distressed some patterned paper and inked the edges. Inked a paper doily which I then machine stitched to the patterned paper. Also machine stitched the edges. The chipboard tree and bird are inked and thick double sided taped to the notebook. I used twine to tie the buttons to the branches and also wrapped it around the tree for a bit of texture. The nest is made from the threads and scraps that were lying on my desk. I put them between my palms and rolled them into a ball then flattened them out. I added a little flock (chopped tulle) The sticker words are from many years ago and have never been opened. They remined me of little random thoughts that might pop into my head during my day or while I'm creating. The piece of blue lace was from some containers that Mum decorated for my room when I was much younger. Somehow I've hoarded it and it's got a new use now. Not sure where all the supplies have come from as I have removed the packaging and can't remember all their details. I was hoping to use some texture paste and beads etc. but I'm so impatient (drying time) and just wanted to complete it today. Hoping to do some similar projects in the future.

 

I've also been wanting to change my blog header to something more me. As I was taking photos of my newly decorated notebook I thought they'd be cute to add at the top of my blog. It's all trial and error in the design department here. I have very limited computer skills but I'm slowly muddling my way through it.

 

 



Decorated Notebook



Close up



Alicia's Card Sketch Challenge October.

I've been having a go at a few challenges lately. It's a great way to get motived after not Scrapbooking and Cardmaking for some time. I haven't been organised enough to post photos of the finished layouts but they are done which is the main thing. I'm happy about that.

 

I've been reorganising my papercraft desk area (yes I hear you, it's an endless task) so that I can easily use the tools and supplies without the drama of digging through chaos to find something to use. My desk work area is on a wall at the end of the garage. Right next to the most used door in the entire house. Not the ideal place when 3 sets of small hands with curious fingers pass by several times a day. It's apparently also the perfect place to accumulate everyones belongings as they pass by.  

 

My Cuttlebug is now at arms length with all its accessories close by. My clear stamps are in a cute little box all lined up waiting to be used. Inks, ribbons, flowers etc all have their own homes. It's a great feeling to know that it's done. I wonder how long it lasts?

 

Cuttlebug at arms length.

 

Clear Stamps all lined up ready to use.

 

Alicia's Scrapbook Fantasies Card Sketch Challenge for October using the signature colour purple.

Close up.

 Products used are

-Cardstock-Bazzil x 2 shades of purple and Kraft.

-Patterened Paper-doublesided-'Fabscraps High Tea Garden Party'.

-Template-TCW-Bricks.

-Ink-Versa Color-Voilet.

-Stamps-(Penny Farthing Bike and Lace Trim)-Kaisercraft 'Miss Match'.

               (Lots Of Love)-Docrafts-Papermania-'Birdsong'.

-Ric Rac-Purple Sparkley

-Twine-Black and White.

-Flowers-unknown.

-Buttons-unknown.

 

Can you believe that I didn't have much purple to work with? Not sure if it's because I'm not really drawn to purple when purchasing papers or the fact that a number of people around me love that particular colour and I've used it all up to make birthday cards. Anyway I popped into the shop to get a few papers to add my collection just in case.

 

Loving my new stamps recently purchased from Scrapbook Fantasies too. I've been looking for a bike stamp for little while and just had to get it. I also think the brick wall template might get a bit of a workout on my layouts in the future too.

 

I need to work on my photography and cropping skills. Yes natural light might also help.

Practice makes perfect right????

 

Cheers, Shell. 

Bulk Baking Lunch Box Fillers.

I don't really like to buy heaps of prepacked school snacks/lunchbox fillers. I prefer to bake our own to pop in the lunchboxes with a sandwich and a piece of fruit. On a weekend we do a little bulk baking now and then to freeze so they are ready to grab through the week. Cookies and Muffins are usually a winner. We mix up the flavours so they don't get boring. The kids love to eat the raw mixture 'help' which can be fun and messy most of the time.
 

 

Apple and Cinnamon Muffins

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Little Man is turning 5!

'Our Little Man' is turning 5 tomorrow and we are throwing a 'Camping Themed Party' on the weekend. These are the invitations that we made and sent to family and friends.

 I also have some party bags and decorations that I'm working on that I've left until the last minute I'll share when I finish making them another day.

He has requested a cake that looks like a campfire.

Camping Themed Invites

Show and Tell........

I've been checking out and having a go at a few Scrapbooking Challenge blogs recently.

The following is a combined challenge from CSI and Once Upon A Sketch .

 

 

 

I had heaps of fun and can't wait to try some other challenges.

Strawberry and Banana Smoothies!

On the bike ride home from dropping the girls at school today
my little man and I decided that we were going to make a
'Banana and Strawberry Smoothie' for our morning tea. 

We added frozen bananas, fresh strawberries, ice cubes and milk and whizzed it all up together.

 

Very simple and delicious.....

Do you have a favourite Smoothie flavour?

 

Scrapping Again!

I recently attended 'Scrapbook Fantasies' annual scrapbooking retreat that was held earlier this month with my Mum and two of her lovely friends. We had a very enjoyable and well deserved weekend away. I have returned home with a need to get back into some serious scrapbooking that seems to have been neglected big time over the last few years.

 I've started with my daughters primary school portaits and class photos and have completed 8 pages in the last week. Including the years that haven't been reached so that the style and papers used are similar all the way through. To make it easier I selected several papers that went well together and cut each into enough pieces for each of the 8 pages. Using a similar layout and embellishments on each page to make my goal more achievable.

Hopefully seeing the completed pages keeps my interest and I continue to get through all these precious memories that need to be scrapped so we can enjoy them. Rather than being packed away in a box and forgotten. Fingers crossed!

Making the Time to Create.

I love to create things. I feel relaxed and content when I can make things. Even something as simple as a card can make me feel as though my day wasn't a waste. (Not that looking after my family and keeping the house clean is a waste but it can be a very thankless job and by the end of the day you are back to square one and preparing to repeat the process the next day with not much to show for it.) This year I have promised myself to make the time to do the things I love. It takes a lot of preplanning and I've found setting a side a day to do this has been the best way to fit it into my life.

Drink bottle covers and a couple of easter gifts.

 

Do you set aside a particular time or day to create?

The Dreaded School Morning Rush.

I love to wake up earlier than everyone else in the mornings at about 6am. The house is lovely and quiet. I can catch up on reading my favourite blogs and have a quiet 'hot' coffee before 'The Dreaded School Morning Rush' begins. No matter how organised I think I am. It's never enough to make the morning run smoothly. I've tried waking them up earlier. Getting more things prepared the previous night etc, etc. It only takes a grumpy child, a lost sock or homework and the whole morning unravels at great speed. Checklists are stuck to our fridge so that Miss 10 and Miss 6 can check off what they have done and where they are headed. The novelty soon wears off and they spend more time looking for their favourite coloured markers to check off the boxes than actually moving. Sigh!

Is there such a thing as an organised school morning?

Or is it just something that I dream about daily that will never come true?

Valentine's Day!

This morning I baked some cupcakes for afternoon tea for the kids and also a simple chocolate cake with fresh cream for our dessert tonight.

 

We haven't planned anything extra special. An exchange of cards and chocolates is about as fancy as it will get this year. Maybe a 'childfree' date night in the near future might be on the cards.

Hopefully we will be celebrating a little more next year as we've been together 20 years.

It's lovely to have a day dedicated to showing someone how much you love them, but I think showing how much you love someone each and everyday is more meaningful. Not to say that giving and receiving cards, flowers, chocolates and small gifts isn't nice too!

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?