Bandanna Day and redecorating!

Today at Eme's daycare, they are supporting Bandanna Day for CanTeen. We rummaged all through the house and found this cute little number. Eme loves a dress up and she's super cute too!
She's sitting on my new armchair...I picked it up yesterday for $5! Such a bargain. I'm about to start redecorating my scraproom and I can't wait. Since I've been off sick, I've been watching a lot of home improvement shows and reading blogs and catalogues, gathering inspiration. One of my fav shows is Find Your Style. I took the quiz and the result was "rustic comfort". Apparently my design style is a combination: part updated country, part ethnic flair, both with a contemporary look and feel, that's casual and practical. Sounds good to me! Karen's philosophy is that you pick 4 elements for your room, and then buy things in those colours, within your style. By doing that, everything will work...theoretically. Seems easy enough. lol. Here's my colour palette.
I also want to inject a lot of white and chocolate brown. So, once you've worked out your 4 elements...tan, red, white and chocolate...its then time to write a shopping list of things you'll need. I already have the walls painted, so I can tick that off the list. I also have red metal storage tins, and my "new" chair is tan coloured. Things left on the list are a new rug. I love this one...it fits my ethnic/practical criteria.
I also need more storage...love this Lack bookshelf unit by Ikea. I'll sit this against the Hog's Bristle wall, and fill it up with all my scrapbook albums and magazines and things.
Love this too...perfect for my sewing machine, or to rest the laptop, clip it up perhaps...who knows...its just stylish and practical.
Left on the list is a new desk, a small coffee table for my new chair, a light fitting, and maybe some fabric curtains. The budget for all this is not huge, as this room is a luxury in itself, so I'll keep trawling the local thrift shops and garage sales for fun pieces and invest in the rug and desk as they'll be keepers.

I want my creative space to be warm and welcoming, inspiring and functional, and most importantly, organised. I can see us all using this space once its done. The kids already love spending time in there with me, and I have a couple of old school desks with lift top lids that I'm hoping to put in there for them so they can create too. The desks were a bargain at only $2 each! I have chairs for them, but might pick up a couple of funky new ones. I'm hoping that Andrew will feel welcome in there too...perhaps he can sit and read in the chair and have a cuppa and a chat with me while I work away. I can see it all now....can't wait! I'll post some pics once its all done.

Cheers, Lis.

For Today : 27 October 2009

I like lists and when I saw this on Ali Edwards blog recently (inspired by the Simple Woman's Daybook), and I thought I'd have a go myself.

Here goes...

Outside my window...Marley, our pup, staring at me, hoping that I'll let him come inside.

I am thinking...that I'm getting too used to being at home by myself during the day. Its time to go back to work.

I am thankful for...the antibiotics that are finally starting to make a difference.

From the kitchen...fresh made bolognaise sauce simmering on the stove, and the smell of garlic bread, ready for when the family return from swimming lessons this evening.

I am wearing...my pyjamas at 3pm! There's nothing better than a jammie day when its cold outside and you're unwell.

I am creating...a mess. Unfortunately, with creativity comes mess and scrapbooking has to be one of the worst crafts for it. I should be thankful that I don't quilt and do beadwork as well!

I am going...to have a shower and get dressed before the family come home.

I am reading...scrapbook magazines for inspiration. At the moment, I just don't have time or the inclination to sit and read a full novel. One day, but not just yet.

I am hoping...to lose some weight in the very near future. My blood test results were not stellar and I want to improve on them before the next round.

I am hearing...the sound of birds chirping. I love the sound of Spring!

Around the house...there are toys and shoes everywhere! I honestly don't know where all this stuff comes from, but the kids keep dragging more and more out. There's also a tonne of washing to fold...will it ever end?

One of my favorite things...is watching cooking shows and home improvement shows. I just can't get enough. Tuesday night on the How To channel is my favourite time of the week.

A few plans for the rest of the week...getting back to work, enjoying crop night with the girls, and going to my first ever Halloween party! The kids are going as a scary glow in the dark skeleton and a pretty witch (guess which one is going as which?!) lol.

A picture to share...Seth and Eme at Mum's 60th birthday party last weekend.

Savvy sneak peek...

November 1st will see the release of the "We're Savvy" kit which I've put together for Scrapbook Savvy! Here's a sneak peek of the contents...
This kit will sell for the bargain price of $25AU and is excellent value for money. This first kit has 7 sheets of patterned paper as well as cardstock, lettering and embellies, and you are going to love it! I know they will sell out quick, so head on over to Savvy and arrange your subscription. I will be sharing some layouts I've created with the kit on 1 November 2009...check back then!

Cheers, Lis.

Scrapbook Savvy - Think Pink cybercrop!

This month's cybercrop at Scrapbook Savvy has just started and the challenges have been revealed!! The theme...Think Pink!

My challenge this month is easy...I want you to celebrate an important woman in your life, be it mother, sister, friend, coworker, teacher...it doesn't matter who.

Create a layout about that special female and include some pink...that's it.

Here's my layout...
This layout is about my friend and Savvy boss lady, Sar. I've been hanging onto that photo for ages...and I managed to keep the layout a secret from Sar until the reveal! lol. I've been scrapping layouts about my friends recently and I'm loving the album that is starting to unfold. If you haven't scrapped your friends yet, I highly recommend it...they are worth celebrating and remembering too.

Come and join in the fun at Savvy and have a go at the other challenges! There's great prizes to be won.

As I mentioned earlier...Savvy kits will be revealed on 1 November 2009, and I just heard that all the goodies for my kit have arrived!! I can't wait to share it with you in a week's time.

Have a great weekend. Lis.

Scrapbook Savvy reveal...

This month for Scrapbook Savvy, I got to play with the very sweet Jolly By Golly range by Cosmo Cricket! These papers are designed for Christmas and wintery layouts, but the colours are so soft that you could use them for other themes.First up...time to scrap that Santa photo! Why is it we force our children to sit on Santa's knee, then tell them to stay away from strangers? lol. I have hand cut holly from the patterned paper and added Kaiser rhinestones for berries.

I just loved that colourful stripe and I thought it would be a perfect compliment to my oversized photo. I have added rubons to the coordinating chipboard pieces, as well as down the side of my layout.

Last, but not least, the pic of my son was from a few years ago, and he hasn't changed a bit! He still loves donning the Santa hat and it doesn't matter if its Christmas or May...its all good. lol. I have created a background of torn strips, then added rhinestones to the flowers on the base paper. Choosing pink lettering may seem out of the ordinary, however this range has pink papers in it, so I knew it would go! If ever you're stuck for ideas for lettering, look to the other papers in the range for inspiration.

Jolly by Golly papers and embellishments are selling out fast, so check out the Savvy store now.

In other Savvy news...

1 November 2009 sees the release of three brand new kits..."She's Savvy" and "He's Savvy" designed by Sara Noendeng, which will be girl and boy themed; and "We're Savvy" designed by me, which is a little more neutral.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, our THINK PINK CYBERCROP is starting on Friday night, so head on over to the forum to find out more and join in on our challenges. You have a whole week to submit your layouts, so plenty of time for everyone.

Cheers, Lis.

Inspired Blueprints Sketch #33

The birthday celebrations and sketches keep on rolling at Inspired Blueprints...and sketch 33 has been revealed....here 'tis ...and here's my layout. I don't normally create "pretty girlie" layouts, so this was a good challenge for me. The photos are of me as a baby (awhhh...wasn't I cute! lol) and I've teamed them with Websters Pages, ZVA Creative pearls and gorgeous 7Gypsies tag (thanks Kim). Love that key too by Tim Holtz. I've been busting to add it to a layout since I got it. lol.

Here's the details...

Upload your takes to the Inspired Blueprints gallery by 31 October 2009 for your chance to win a great prize!

tfl, Lis.

More Pebbles...

I completely missed uploading this one! So busy and so unwell all at the same time. Last Friday I posted some tips on the Pebbles Inc blog for creating double layouts, and here's my layout. The photos were taken during a freak hailstorm in my home town recently. Poor little Eme didn't know how to cope with all that ice! lol.
My layout was based on this PageMaps sketch.Here's a few detail shots...can't get enough of those wonder Pebbles Inc chips!
Check out the Pebbles Inc blog to see my tips and for more layouts by the Pebbles DT.

Savvy scraplift round robin...

Over the last few months, I've been hosting a scraplift round robin at Scrapbook Savvy. Here's my layout that started it off...
and here's how it progressed through the girls...

Each participant only saw the previous participant's layout, and they had to email it back to me once they were done so that it was kept a secret. It was so funny watching it change along the way, and everyone's layouts were just gorgeous! The next round robin will be starting soon. If you want to play along, come join in at Savvy.

Cheers, Lis.

More Pebbles...

Check out the Pebbles Inc blog for some inspiration pieces I have shared...

The inspiration for this card comes from an orange polka dot dress by Kidology, and the screen printing and vintage buttons used by Australian Birdhouse. I have used patterned paper from Pebbles Inc's Downtown range, as well as Pebbles Inc flower chalk stencils to replicate the screen printing techniques used by Birdhouse. The end result is a fun Fall card, just perfect for one of my Northern hemisphere friends.
I have also added layered buttons, which have been finished with twine...just like the centre of the Birdhouse pear t-shirt.

This Friday on the Pebbles Inc blog, I will be sharing some tips and techniques for creating a balanced double layout. Check back then.

Cheers, Lis.

Pebbles Inc blog week

This week, I am hosting the Pebbles Inc blog! So exciting!! My challenge to the DT was to create projects using Pebbles Chips. I just love their chipboard...the colours coordinate perfectly with Pebbles patterned papers, and some are embellished with glitter! Gotta love glitter!! Here's my layout. I've used papers from a selection of ranges and used chipboard pieces that blend into the patterned papers, but add dimension. The chocolate chips add a little contrast. The sticker words are from the Lil' Miss range.Here's a few detail shots...Do yourself a favour and check out the Pebbles blog to see how the rest of the DT rose to the challenge! I'll be posting again a couple of times this week with some inspiration pieces and another challenge...stay tuned.

Inspired Blueprints - Sketch #32

The 1st birthday party continues at Inspired Blueprints with the reveal of Sketch 32! The dt have created gorgeous layouts based on this sketch, and our guest designer is the very talented Louise Nelson. Check out the blog for loads of inspiration.
Here's my take on the sketch. I swapped out the bracket edge for a scalloped circle. These pics aren't from any special event...just Eme playing at the park. The last time I took pics of her on the swings she looked very timid...now she loves swinging high!
Working on some great stuff at the moment...check back later. Cheers, Lis.

Market finds...

I love wandering through the local creative traders markets to see what goodies I can discover.

One of my favourite stalls belongs to Sarah...she creates the most delightful hand screenprinted baby clothes. I just can't wait for my friend Rach to pop out that baby so I can buy her something (only 7 more days, if not sooner). Check out Sarah's etsy shop...Australian Birdhouse.

Birdhouse have recently teamed up with Mavis and Frank, and some of their stuff was on display too. I bought this necklace and a matching bracelet. So much fun! I love the colour and print of the fabric and its so soft to wear. Check out Ally's etsy shop...Mavis and Frank.You just never know what you might find at the markets...bring on next Friday!

Layouts to share...

This week, I've had a little time to get creative. It always feels so good to sit with likeminded people and create. I went to Sar's place for the Savvy crop on Tuesday and met some of the girls that I've been chatting to online. So nice to put a real face to a name! (waving hi!!). This was a spur of the moment layout...those papers were the last ones left on the shelf and I couldn't leave them there without all their paper friends (lol). These fun pics were taken for Father's Day this year.
The next two layouts were created using the Girls Loft kit from September. Such a great kit! I have very very little left over and I've managed to create five layouts with it. I like it when I use up something completely. I was a bit worried about those Scenic Route diecut letters, but I've added foam tape and made them dimensional. Love it!

This layout is about Eme's maths skills. I think she's awesome. She's only just turned four and has developed her own way of counting. I think she's trying to emulate Seth and is busting to go to school herself. She always says to us..."what pluses four by four?" and we pretend like we don't know, then should proudly says "eight!". I don't know why she says it that way, but she's happy and it cracks us up.

Lastly, this one is about Sethy-boy. The kids are very spoilt by their grandparents, and sometimes Nanny (my mum) takes him to the mall after school to get a cinnamon donut and a milkshake. Wish I could come along too! lol.

That's it for now...have a great weekend!
Lis.

CCG #134

Color Combos Galore #134 has been revealed...and here 'tis.

nanjing bruce - gobi white - imperial yellow - ching-hai green

The first time I saw this combo, it instantly made me think of sport! Well, Australia almost always wears the green and gold at every sporting event. I just had to do a layout about my own little sports star...Eme! We signed her up for Little Athletics recently and she had her first competition a couple of weeks ago. She had so much fun running the 50m, 100m and orange race, as well as doing the shot put and long jump. Needless to say...she was very tired afterwards. We're so proud of her. You can't quite see it in the photo, but she has her tongue hanging out! lol. Seth also performed excellently at Little A's. He smashed his long jump PB...last year it was 1.85m, and this year he's done a 1.97m already!! That's huge considering how short he is!! We're hoping he'll break the 2m mark soon.

This is my last layout as a DT member for Color Combos Galore. I've really enjoyed working with the design team and creating with such gorgeous colour schemes. I will still be popping in for inspiration, but as a community member from now on. Thanks Janet for the opportunity and I wish you and the girls all the best.

Cheers, Lis.

Savvy challenges for October

Loads happening at Savvy this month! Lots of new products instore and chatter in the forum. We also welcomed Kayla and Sara to the design team! Come and play along with us.

There are four fantastic challenges this month at Scrapbook Savvy!

Kerryn's Ad Challenge

Create a layout based on this ad.

Kayla's Savvy Scraplift

Scraplift this layout by Melissa M.

Sara's random challenge
Create a layout using these criteria
1. At least 3 patterned papers.
2. A rub on
3. A photo larger than 6 x 4.

Lisa's sketch challenge (that's me!) lol.
Create a layout based on this sketch by PageMaps

Here's my sample layout. I loved this sketch...its multiphoto, has room for journaling and uses up plenty of scraps! Don't we all have a heap of those laying around.

These pics of Sethy-boy were taken at school recently when his grade did an assembly performance. They recited the story of the Rainbow Fish. Seth looked so cute in the front row...he's so much smaller than everyone else, but his performance was just as large. He played an octopus which had a deep voice...too funny. To go with the recital, the children created their own hats to wear. Seth's was an Orca. We've had plenty of discussion about this..."Mum do you call it an Orca or a Killer Whale? Because they can be called both you know". lol. The kids also drew and embellished their own rainbow fish. Seth had to point out all the sequins and the different colours he used...I think he wants to be a scrapbooker too! (much to my hubby's dismay..lol).

Enough of the story...how do you play along? Simply upload your takes on any of the challenges by the end of October and you'll be in the running. I can't wait to see your layouts in the Savvy gallery!

Cheers, Lis.

Scrapware news...a fundraiser and a new community!

Are you hosting a Girls Night In function this year?

Scrapware have released the perfect shape sheet to scrap your event! Better still...Scrapware will be donating 20% of sales of the Think Pink shape sheet directly to the Girls Night In fundraiser for the Cancer Council!!

Shape sheet measures 5"x7"
rrp: $5.95 Aus
Ask your local or online store to order some in for you today!



Check back tomorrow for some ideas.

In other news...

Scrapware now has a community group! To join, click here. You'll find plenty of inspiration using Scrapware products, and in the very near future there'll be opportunities to participate in challenges, win prizes, view new product and chat to other members. See you there.

Pebbles Inc reveal...

This week on the Pebbles Inc blog, design team member Akiko Kuroki challenged the DT to create a layout by extracting a design from Pebbles papers. Instead of cutting out the actual patterns, I decided to make my own scene by combining papers from different ranges. The sun is made from Pebbles chip pieces. The end result is a fun and whimsical layout by my friend Sandra and I. Check out the Pebbles blog to see how the rest of the team tackled this challenge.
Hope you're all having a great weekend! Lis.

Happy Birthday Inspired Blueprints!

This month, Inspired Blueprints turns one! It doesn't seem all that long ago that Anne-Marie, Christy, AnnaMarie, Lynn and I were talking about creating an awesome sketch challenge site. We launched the Inspired Blueprints blog on 1 October 2008 and since then we've grown and grown. We now have over 1300 members worldwide, we've released 31 sketches, our members have uploaded over 2500 layouts to our gallery and there's been nearly 79,000 page hits on the blog!! Incredible! I owe big thank you to our design team, new and old, for creating gorgeous layouts every fortnight and giving our sketches life; our admin team (AM, Christy, Kim and Lynn) for all the background stuff that goes on to make the blog and gallery run smoothly; our sponsors for their very generous support and of course, you...our members. We hope to continue to inspire you...and this month there'll be four sketches for you to create from and four chances to win a prize (plus another surprise coming...shhhh)!

Sketch 31 has been revealed...
and here's my take!
I so enjoyed creating a layout from this sketch and there's beautiful examples already being uploaded in the gallery! If you haven't joined our inspiring and positive community, we'd love to see you!

Cheers, Lis.

American Crafts purchases Pebbles!

From the AC blog...

We’re excited to announce the acquisition of Pebbles, an amazing scrapbooking brand that we’re certain will be a great compliment to the American Crafts product lines. Pebbles will remain a separate brand under the American Crafts umbrella. We will continue to offer their current products and plan to introduce new products over time. And the core of Pebbles design team will join us to ensure a continuation of their fun, fresh style.

Pebbles was created in 2001 as an extension of the Pebbles in my Pocket retail stores that are located in Utah. They make simple, cute, and easy-to-use products, including patterned paper, craft chalk and stencils, decorative Chips chipboard shapes, self-adhesive Candy Dots, themed die cuts, ribbon and more.

We’re so excited to welcome the Pebbles brand! If you aren’t familiar with them, check out their products featured on their web site. And make sure to visit their blog for regular ideas, inspiration, challenges and giveaways.

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So, what does that mean for me and the rest of the Pebbles Inc Team? Absolutely nothing...its business as usual and we'll still be bringing you plenty of Pebbles inspiration every week! What an exciting adventure for Pebbles!