Big blokes don't get craft Feb 2018

It's probably a generalisation, but it always seems to be us girls recycling things into art or craft and being quite proud of our efforts. Guys look and they see the raw materials - not the new product. That's what Artastic's girly looking challenge reminded me of!

I love the inspiration of a painted plate and used the patterns and colours to create my page.

Big Blokes don't 'get' craft Feb 2018 Artastic challenge

Artastic Feb 2018 challenge girls only

On my page I used some of the items I made from old christmas cards and beetroot tins - into vases and pen holders. I am really enjoying this recycled art.

To pink... with love FEB 2018

What can I say? CSI scrap challenges is still one of my favourites because every now and then there is one thing I can count on - a pink-themed challenge!!! I can't help myself - I really like designing in pink. I didn't grow up with, I didn't like it in my teens, but I love it now.

I loved the challenge, but again, had no bears or bunnies to use (one of the pitfalls in digi scrapping is that bears and bunnies on their own don't come up alot and I've always got to go to the Designer Vector market which is used in publishing and oh so expensive.) So this time, I drew my own bears and bunnies to get around this problem. yay!

I also challenged myself to use only items purchased from my first digi store; PickleBerryPop. This was challenging. Even now there are some bits just not available or not as user friendly as other places and I was forced outside my comfort zone to make items from Lara's Digital World and Indigo Designs and the like to fill the gaps that I came across.

However, still managed to get a page I was happy with. I took the love letter style - but more to myself.

Love Me Feb 2018 - CSI #248 challenge - digi layout

The CSI challenge:

CSI case file no 248 end Feb 2018 challenge

you are my Super Trooper Card digi

And here is my digital scrapbooking card based on the Kraft +One Feb 2018 challenge - 'you are my super trooper' using most of the elements from my digi scrapbooking layout (plus a few extras I found hiding in the background!). Using the chains I tried to make it look part of a dress and the kraft background as the 'skin tone'.

You are my super trooper card

Hopefully it still has that ABBA feel to a different time and place.

It was really fun taking elements from the ABBA costumes and creating the page and the card.

Ode to ABBA Feb 2018 digi scrapbooking layout

Kraft Plus One's Feb 2018 challenge was challenging for me; I had no real nostalgia to draw from except some dim memories during primary school of some of my friend's mum's or teachers into something called 'ABBA' which I didn't even register was a band. Some had seen them in person, others treasured their records (yes - records!). The music I do recall from that time was Nana Mouskouri, Elvis Presley, and my Mum's love of Neil Diamond, Charlie Pride and other people I didn't really know or care for. I didn't really 'get' music of this kind. I secretly played my Mum and Dad's three Reader's Digest classical music cassette tapes over and over again in my room.

Sure, I could have picked ABBA out of a line up, but I as a primary school kid  I wasn't interested in that kind of music - just got used to hearing them on the radio for the next ten or so years.

So I didn't really find an appreciate of ABBA music until I bought the ABBA Gold album on CD just a few years ago, to play in my car. I had already 'discovered' The Seekers and Simon and Garfunkel, and I didn't realise how similar themed ABBA music was, and how unique their sound and their story was.

So when this challenge came up, I researched their albums (most of which I've never seen) and based my page on their costumes from the album cover of Waterloo which was so bizarre to my more modern eyes and very scrapbookable! I used a textured kraft patterned paper in behind.

So here is my Ode To ABBA.

Ode to ABBA Feb 2018 digi layout - Kraft Plus One challenge

Kraft Plus One feb 2018 challenge

Hopefully the die-hard ABBA fans approve!

Bling me! Feb 2018

Although I've loved bling in scrapbooking for some time, it never shifted over to IRL. Sure, I like necklaces if I'm lucky enough to be given one, but only in the last few years did I go out of my way to buy necklaces or brooches I like myself, and always in that 'costume jewellery' vein.

As I came back with three more brooches for my collection from my christmas break, I thought I would do a page about them and my new found love of bling IRL.

Ye Olde Bling Feb 2018 digital scrapbooking layout, Archiscraps

The inspiration from Archiscraps was a very ornate chapel, so I took one tower and created it from scratch using buttons, beads, flowers, pearls, etc to match the stones or flints on the building.

Archiscraps Feb 2018 inspiration +bling

Journaling on page reads :

I’ve only recently found an appreciation for jewellery, although I have always worn necklaces or brooches (which are oddly out of fashion and rarely seen these days ) - not rings - they just get in the way at work, painting or gardening. I love my necklaces, most of which have been gifts over the years, but on my last few Christmas breaks I discovered costume jewellery, and got some cheap and nasty pieces to start with. Since then I’ve found way more respectable brooches and started to wear them even to work! I’ve done a bit of research online and have fallen in love with brooches. These three I got from Ned’s Shed at Pambula. I paid less than $8 each. I’ll never be able to afford diamonds, sapphires or rubies, but costume jewellery allows me to enjoy bling!

Ingredients:

Dita B Designs Click n Summer Memories Add On Paper 3 (tree shape)

American Crafts City Park Echo Park Detail Tree (felt tree)fruit labels (off fruit)

Hot Brass alphas, 

S Clingerman A Boys Story Alpha 1

Far Far Hills Christmas wreath Skimersan 005 (flower)

Basic Grey Black Tie Patterned Paper - Corso

JY Family Fun Night patterened paper no 12 (check)

 the paper stack no 2 papercraft magazine birdie floral lime/blue

Lara’s Digital World For Lara - Button round

Rachael’s Designs Antique & Vitage Buttons no 13

Angie Young Get Crafty Collage Sheet 36

Kimeric Designs SIS Brad no 2

Helly Designs Leave This World Behind - brooch

L Grier Disaster space 1 - paintstroke no 9 (clouds)

ADS Fall Fantasy Border 1

Aliya Because of You element 11 (arch)

American Crafts City Park Echo Park - Ribbon GreenBlue, etc