Just Like Martha

A catch up on Cards for the month ahead

As you know I like to have all my special greeting cards made in advance, ready to pop in the mail or deliver...sometimes, time gets away from me but I am happy to say that the following sees me organised and ready for the next few weeks...I am now ready to tackle MAY which is a HUGE month of card and gift giving.

As you can see I am still loving my collection of dyed doillies to work with...

A GET WELL card using some night bright cheery papers from my stash

A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY card to a special couple married 65 years!!!!

A few more BIRTHDAY CARDS, this time for the boys...

Sympathy cards are never easy, I can never seem to find the right words, sometimes I think the simper the better...

Finally a gift bag with matching gift tag ready for one of Taylor's school friends...

Hope you like my latest 'card creations', have a nice day xxx

Crafty projects to share...

I have had these photos on my camera for a while to share...a couple of cute ideas for easy but effective gifts for a 'special little person'.

Okay so now regular readers would be familiar with my obsession for doillies, I dye them and then use them in all sorts of projects, mosly cardmaking and scrapbooking....they are so pretty what little girl wouldn't love them sewn on to a white t-shirt...

(Hmmm okay so maybe I should have ironed the t-shirt before taking the photo...but you get the idea)

Another simple but effective gift is a door plaque or simple canvas to hang on the wall. I made these for twins to go with a present I already had purchased....

...and yes there is another doillie...

There you have it, I DID say simple BUT effective...happy CRAFTING!

Travel Journal inspiration.....

I wanted to take a travel journal with me on this trip, something to write in every day and a place to paste museum tickets, airline boarding passes, drink coasters and all the goodies I collect along the way...memories. The girls have each been given an early Christmas present of  lovely journal each, perfect but I was looking for something special and didn't like the commercially produced ones I came across in the shops (surprise, surprise).

So a 'google searching I went' and along the way discovered lots of inspiration...these were amongst my favourites.

Source: www.sandekrieger.typepad.com

Source: via Pinterest

Source: via Pinterest

Source: via Pinterest

So inspired by the creations I discovered along the way I set off to create my own, off to Big W and a stationary supply place for a few supples (I find Big W which is quite local has quite a good selection of resonably priced scrapbooking supplies PLUS its open early so I can be in an out before the shops become busy)...

Then I set to work starting with the front cover then a few pages dedicated to our first stop Paris. The idea is that along the way if I have time I can doodle and journal to my hearts content OR simply gather everything and jot down notes on scraps of paper to create later...I have created a mini 'kit' to take along which neatly fits in a large pencil case (including the journal) I can take it on the plane with me (I just have to remember to keep the small scissors in my check in baggage to save any embarassment!)

What do you think?

 

Inspired to Scrap...

The recent few challenges that I have participated in have "inspired me to scrap"...

 

 

Its amazing how good it feels to 'dust off' those cobwebs and get stuck into some serious memory making!!!

 

 

 

All this creating I have run out of refills for my album.....looks like I'm off shopping next week on my day off for more!

Another scrapbook challenge (thanks to the @Home girls)

There is nothing like a little challenge to get those creative juices flowing and inspire you to enter your creative space for a 'little play'...that is exactly what I did after Kim Archer's girls posted another challange at the @Home site - www.kimarcher.typepad.com

The challenge was set by Lisa, "create a layout inspired by Lisa's colour palette" (green, blue, yello, white and orange)...the look of summer, and I found the perfect photo...Lilly earning to surf (hmmm part of the school's summer sports program - never did FUN stuff like that when I went to school!!!)

 

There were some beautiful entires in the challenge stop by at Kim's site to check them out!



 

Sketch Challenge

I have never really participated in any "scrapbooking sketch challenges", mostly when I scrapbook it just happens, I don't plan how I scrap it just evolves...BUT...it was lots of fun to participate in this challenge over at www.kimarcher.typepad.com and just quietly I think I am hooked! (Kim's support team have organised this challenge whilst Kim has a well deserved rest)

 

 

 

Thanks to Kim's support team for organising the challenge, special get well wishes to Kim, hope you are back on your feet soon xx

A quick pressie idea...

I am not normally a fan of punches....I mean of course I buy them, get totally caught up in how cute they are and the endless possibilities but then never seem to use them.

Well after making a 21st Birthday card using '21' butterflies from my new butterfly punch I was inspired to put together this easy but oh so effective frame for a special little girl who is soon to turn one.

Its also a great way to use up all those scraps of paper that I cannot bear to throw into the bin! 

Time for more scrapping

Well, the recent Kim Archer class along with some 'not so nice winter weather' has inspired me to create some more scrap pages. First from a fairly recent trip to Taronga Zoo...

The Seal Show was amazing, such clever animals..(Anne, recognise the wool??)

Ahhh braces, I remember them well,. Taylor has adapted well to a mouthful of 'stuff'!

And a few layouts finally completed from a few months ago...

Told you I was on a roll.....I have also been creating some special gifts and cards...more soon!
 
 
 
 
  

Workshop class with the wonderful Kim Archer

It has been a while "since my last post", school holidays have gotten away from me, I even missed SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY last week!

I have managed however to sneek in a little 'creative time' and took part in a workshop with the wonderful Kim Archer www.kimarcher.com.au it was to celebrate the third Birthday of @Home....lots of inspiration for Birthday layouts...here is mine!

Yep, the date is right - this picture was taken on Taylor's 10th Birthday in 2007, so I am a little behind in my scrapping (eek!), ahh well better late than never huh!

The layout was worth waiting for I really enjoyed Kim's class (really easy to follow along). And the second page.....

If you get the chance make sure you try one of Kim's classes, they will certainly get your creative juices flowing!
 
 

Good weather for card making and scrapping!

The weather has been pretty "yuk" for the past week or so...perfect for staying warm indoors and catching up on some card making and getting presents ready (there are a few Birthday's to celebrate this month)

I love to co-ordinate the card and pressie (ok so I am completely 'nuts' about it) and I seem to have a thing at the moment for gift bags???

This was a cute idea, I found some funky lizard shapes and simply glued them to the parcel I wrapped in brown paper (would work well also with flowers/butterflies for a little girl - these shapes were picked up cheaply from the discount shop)

And YES I also made a co-ordinating gift tag to match!

 

I was 'on a roll' with a few cards for a few MALE Birthdays looming..

Then a few 'girly' ones...the first using a photo we took when we lived in Cairns (the flower of the Cannonball Tree - simply stunning and a favourite of ours at the Botanical Gardens)

And lastly a 'special' Birthday to celebrate...we have a few of these over the next few months (including hubby)..ahh they say "50 is the new 40"!

Finally a scrapbook page from our recent weekend in the Blue Mountains, we were very lucky to see all the beautiful Autumn colours before the rain really took hold..

 

Bye for now xx