Virtual Crop Fun

This weekend I have been assisting with a Virtual Crop event hosted by Creative Memories Australia & New Zealand and a small team of consultants. The event is open until Monday so if you would like to take part in the fun you still have time - all the information can be found here.
My role has been to create a sketch to inspire the participants with their album making projects. I usually share single page layouts however, for this event I decided to mix it up a little and created a multi-photo double page layout. It has been so much fun watching the event unfold and seeing some amazing digital and traditional pages produced with it.

I thought I would share the sketch here if you would like to give it a try. The photo sizes are 4 x 6 and 4 x 4 but by adapting the sized you can create some great variations.

One of the other challenges for the Virtual Crop was to create a Mothers Day card using a card sketch and specific instructions. I was in the process of colouring some images with my copics before the crop so I decided to use the sketch for a Get Well card. I loved the simplicity of the sketch and the fact that I could create it so quickly.

....be sure to visit the Virtual Crop Events Page to see all the fabulous work everyone is sharing.

Easter Digi Treats

Happy Easter !! I hope you have enjoyed the weekend break with family and friends! It has been such a long time since I have updated my blog and I feel I am always apologising for how busy my life is. I have decided that I am one of those people who needs 48 hours in a day and then it still may not be enough....I'm sure many of you can relate to that too!? Apart from family commitments, I have been "busy" spending time in my "happy room" creating all sorts of cards, scrapbook layouts and other paper craft goodies, but unfortunately, many don't make it here because they are "secret" items for Idea Extravaganza events, Design Team projects etc....and I would hate spoiling the surprises for you. However, in light of the fact that it is Easter and this is my 100th post I thought I would celebrate by sharing some "freebie" digital templates and show you a little of what I have been doing.

These are part of the next installment of sketches that I will be presenting this year at the big Idea Extravaganza workshops - so a little preview for you to play with before I come visit your Town, City or State.

 





If you like to play with paper and stickers - these sketches are easy to follow and if you prefer digital you can find the download links here and here. ( and they will be available up until the 7th April ) I have noted that the digi templates have already been downloaded over 50 times each in such a very short space of time...which means you must like them - huh?? If you do use the sketches, I would appreciate you leaving me some "love" or share your page creations on my facebook page - an event has been created and there are some amazing versions of these sketches already being uploaded & shared - I would love to see yours too!

These are my examples, they both use the new baby digital kits released by Creative Memories "today" - enjoy!

 



Let's hope I can keep those promises of more regular blog posts and I am back before this month ends.

Sketch Sharing

I have been a little distracted over the past few weeks preparing a presentation for the Creative Memories Leadership Summit, an Ideas Extravaganza and the Aus/NZ Virtual Crop event - busy, busy, busy but I wouldn't have it any other way! I love what I do! Some of the ideas I can't share with you because the products used to create them have not yet been released....so in the meantime I thought I would share some of the sketches used in the Virtual Crop. If you use them to created scrapbook layouts I would love it if you would share your creations on my Facebook Page - while I appreciate all the lovely emails of thanks you send me  for sharing, I would so appreciate seeing what you do with the sketches.

These are the sketches I shared this weekend during the Virtual Crop - there are 4 sketches in this series and the fourth one is based on a combination of the design elements from the first 3. There is also a Multi-Photo and Single- Photo version of Sketch#4

 

 

 

 

This digital heritage layout was created using Sketch#3 and a new digital kit to be released on the 1st March - make sure you ask your Creative Memories Consultant about this one - it is gorgeous!!

 

 

 

and this layout was based on Sketch #4 and also uses that gorgeous new digital kit coming your way soon!!

 

Enjoy the sketches and don't forget t show me what you create with them!



 

Back with a Freebie

I don't think it is too late to wish you a Happy New Year and I do hope 2013 has started off well for you. I have been enjoying the holiday season with my family and planning my crafty activities for the next 12 months...with all I have planned I know it is going to be an exciting year ahead. We are suffering a bit of a heat wave in our area with temperatures around 42oC ( 108oF ) so I have been spending my time under the AC on my computer doing a little digi scrapping.....the perfect place to be! I have been reworking some of my original sketches and coming up with some new multi-photo sketches to share with you. This is the latest in my Formula Sketch Series.

 

and this is the layout I created using the sketch/template - ah yes! - I hear you say, it is pink again!! I really am very predicitable aren't I??

 



 

I have been receiving a number of requests to create digital templates from my sketches and with the help and encouragement of my digi scrapping friends I have created my very first template....and to thank you for all your support during my Idea Extravaganza events and for the lovely followers I have here and on Facebook I am offering it as a little GIFT for you. My plan is to create a series of templates for both my Scrapbooking and Card Making friends so stay tuned for more info coming soon! If you do download and use the template I would appreciate you crediting it to me with a link back to my Blog or Facebook Page click here for the download link - have fun with it....and I will look forward to seeing your creative interpretation of it!

 

....and for those of you who may be interested in my card making exploits??....I have  been colouring up a bit of a storm with my Copics too!! - I have coloured up a lot of images but with my recent Digi Mojo making it's appearance, I haven't had time to make them up into cards.... as yet. but I promise I will soon.

 

Enjoy the template!

Done, Posted and Received!

Yay Me!! - I did it! I am 100% super organised for Christmas in just a few short days I completed all my Christmas shopping - wrapped my gifts and placed them under the tree, wrote a Christmas letter for my far away friends & relatives, made Christmas cards and sent them ( I did resort to some store purchased cards too - sorry! ) baked mountains of Christmas treats - Rocky Road, Toffee Truffles, Rum Balls, Apricot Cookies and Gingerbread Men ( to name a few LOL! ) - just some last minute Christmas lunch things to do and we are all ready to celebrate the festive season.

 

Although I felt I had left my card making until the last minute, I am pleased with what I was able to achieve and as those that follow my designs and ideas know, I am a great believer in formula work.....it was why I was able to produce my Christmas cards so quickly. I used the same little elf image for all my cards and even a few gift cards too - his name is Spritz, he  was designed by Krista Smith - Saturated Canary and you can purchase him here. I then kept to the same colour scheme and design formula for each card - the sentiment I varied depending on the card - whether it was being sent to a family or an individual, the font I used is called "Hooteroll" - currently my default font for everything! 

 

Copic Used:

Skin: E11, E01, E00, E000 - Cheeks/Lips - RV2

Wings/Pants: W1, W3, W5 - with some crystalina Kindy Glitz over the top

Hat & Boots: G46, G24, G21 R24, R22, R21

 

 


I do have one more card to share with you, but I will leave that until Christmas Day where I will be posting it in the Mad for Markers Challenge Blog - while the online store Mad for Markers store has closed, the blogs will remain active and they will be a great place to find Copic inspiration.... so be sure to check out what the Design Team post on these blogs to share with you... and my other Christmas Card creation. :)

Wishing my Blogland Friends near and far a wonderful Festive Season - hoping 2013 brings you health, happiness and lots of crafty goodness.

Procrastination Time

Remember in my last post I mentioned I am yet to make my Christmas cards? Well nothing much has changed....I've found myself being distracted during the week by  all sorts of other crafty goodness - yes, I have been doing something from which I derive enjoyment, and thus putting off my priority tasks to later time - I have been "procrastinating" big time!! However, I did manage to finish my Christmas shopping, wrapped it all and now have it placed nicely under the Christmas Tree - that is certainly a first for me. One of my distractions this week was "pinterest" so I have plenty of inspiring ideas for those Christmas cards when I eventually make them LOL!! and I also got distracted creating a little something for Challenge #32 over at the Saturated Canary Challenge Blog - the theme is Chocolate and Marshmallows - I was wanting an excuse to colour up little Miss Latte a generous freebie from Krista during her 12 Days of Christmas posts and she was simply perfect for this treat box project.

Copics Used:
Skin: E11, E01, E00, E000 - Cheeks - RV42
Hair: E29, E27, E25, E21
Clothes: Y21, Y23, Y26, RV91, RV93, RV95

I did a little experimenting with my snowflake embellishments and I was pleased with the result. I punched out the shapes from some blending card - then I coloured them using my Copics ( RV91, RV93, RV95 ). Next I mixed a concoction of Polar White Flower Soft and Diamond Sprinkle Embossing Powder with some Glossy Accents and painted this over the top - it was very messy, but lots of fun.....and  making snowflakes in our hot Summer temperatures also felt a little surreal LOL!

Today happens to be my 95th blog post and it made me think about what I should do to honour my 100th post...seeing it is fast approaching....what do you think of some "blog candy"? I know my followers come from many different papercraft fields - scrapbooking, card making, smash booking, ATC creators, just to name a few, so I thought I would like to offer something suitable for all these mediums. I will put my thinking cap on and search ( and shop - I LOVE shopping ) for some suitable candy and in the meantime you might like to invite your friends to follow my blog while you, yourself, keep an eye out for that magic 100th post.

I think searching and shopping for blog candy is another form of procrastination LOL! - I really must lock myself in my "happy room" and make those elusive Christmas cards!

I will be back when they are done!

Sharing Saturday

I know it is that time of the year where I should be colouring up my Christmas images and getting all my Christmas cards made and sent off in the mail...but it is not happening! - as always, I keep getting distracted with other 'crafty' things to do and December is also a busy birthday month in my extended family so there are cards to be made for these occasions too! I thought I should share two of them with you today, they both use the same image but coloured up with a variety of different coloured Copic Markers. I have used a Little Darlings Stamp by Saturated Canary called "Party Hardy" this stamp is from the NEW release of Saturated Canary rubber stamps and available NOW at Mad for Markers for pre-orders :) Yipee!! You can pre-order your "Party Hardy" stamp here There are 14 stamps in this NEW release and if you are anything like me? - you will have to have them all!! - yes, I am a huge fan of the art work of Krista Smith and I suspect you already knew that, hey?

 

  

Copics Used:

Skin: E11, E01, E00, E000

Hair: E27, E25, E21

Clothing: B95, B93, B91, G43, G24, G21, RV95, RV93, RV91 

 

 

Copics Used:

Skin: E11, E01, E00, E000

Hair: E27, E25, E21

Clothing: R81, R83, R85, V12, V15, V17, B28, B24, B21

 

It is another very "HOT" Summer's day here today, I have settled in under the air-con for the afternoon and intend on colouring up some more images - I might even surprise myself and start on those Christmas cards I keep ignoring! Whatever I ended up playing with or creating today - I promise I will give you a little preview here... so stay tuned and keep cool.