Something Fierce Feature Paper Blog Hop

Welcome to our Blog Hop for the January feature paper "Something Fierce"  Did you arrive here from Shaunna's Blog ?  I hope you enjoy clicking through all of the links to see everyone's different takes on this versatile paper pack.  The colours in it are fabulous for our Australian Summer photos!

Sticker quotes look great in a stitched circle thin cut.  I have also used leftover cardstock and our numbers thin cuts to do the "12" in the corner.  Thin cuts are a fabulous way of turning scraps into great embellishments.

I just love the bright, clear colours in this pack.  They are easily customised to suit pretty much any photos.  This pack also works exceptionally well with our Carolina and Bluebird cardstock and ink. Don't be put off by the super-cute dinosaurs as you can easily avoid dino-themed pages (simply by turning the paper over!)

The bright primary colours in this pack make it perfect for fun kid's pages.

My cute niece is affectionately known as "T-Rex" so I liked adding the dinosaurs to her page!

This was my take on the Workshop Your Way layout - not a dinosaur in sight.

That is it for me this month - I may confess to being "all scrapped out" - I have just returned from a 3 day scrap retreat with some scrapping buddies and actually completed over 100 pages.  It feels good to be getting those albums up to date!

Now hop on over to Maz at Amazing Creations to see what she has been up to!
Until next time,
Happy scrapping,
Nell

Card Captions Stamp of the Month Australasian Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our first blog hop for the year.
Did you arrive here from Shaunna's Blog?  Whether you are new here or a seasoned scrapper please enjoy hopping along to all of our blogs to see what we've been creating.  We love it when you leave us a comment too!

January's Stamp of the Month is an absolute must have.  I recommend a sentiments stamp like this one for every beginner scrapper/cardmaker.  It is a perfect addition to your "toolbox"

Confession time: I woke up super early this morning and rather than toss and turn got up and played while the rest of the house was asleep.  My daughter shares a bookcase partition with my scrapping room so I had to scrap on a corner of the kitchen table.  I crept in and grabbed a couple of blocks and my black ink and little tool caddy and the "Something Fierce" Workshop Your Way without waking her.
You may notice that all of my examples this month use only black ink and two blocks (a 1" block and a 1x3 1/2" block)  Most of my cutting was done just using my microtip scissors.  I know that this stamp set would work beautifully with any of the papers in our range but I wanted to keep to using Something Fierce.

I think I have mentioned before that I am big on teaching my kids gratitude.  We generally have a basket full of thank you cards easily accessible for them to write thank yous.  My son has recently lamented that "there are only girly cards left"  (meaning too many butterflies and flowers!) so these are to restock the basket.

Don't throw that sticker sheet away until you have thought about the bits that are left - the little zig zag borders are the bit left over after the stickers were removed.

Stamping directly onto the PML cutouts or pre-made journalling dies is a great way to add extra dimension to your work.

This stamp set is not just for sentiments - how cute is that little star?  I have been using "leftovers" from my Craft with Heart subscription as they coordinate perfectly with the feature paper pack for the month.

This one was made especially for a dear brave little girl who has an extended stay in hospital.  Paired with a set of our watercolours and a visual art diary it will be a perfect recovery present.

Sometimes it is great to have a couple of generic cards on hand.  This is perfect for a new job, new house, promotion, graduation, or any job well done!  I love the little dots to make an effective border.

Part of my strategy to get organised this year is to make Birthday cards for my friends and family and put them in a 12 month file under the month of their birthday.  If I mark in my diary the week I need to send cards (and to whom) then it should all work perfectly.  I will have two nieces turning three this year and one of them (Tiana) is sometimes affectionately known as Ti-Rex.

This is part of my strategy to send cards "just because"  All of my really best friends live interstate.  Catch ups are rare so when they do happen I want to be able to send a photo of that moment afterwards just so they know I am missing them!  Can you see the little scraps of cream paper under the dinosaurs? They are bits that are cut away from the sticker carrier sheet so that I can still stick my photo under the dinosaurs.

And I couldn't let you go without pointing out that this stamp set is not just for cardmakers!  Look at that border!? With sentiments like "hello" and "love you" it is also perfect for adding to your layouts.

So what do you think?  Hugely versatile and lots of fun.  The other thing I LOVE about this set is how easy Close To My Heart have made it for you to obtain it.  We have a brand new Seasonal Expression packed full of gorgeous new product.  Choose any of your favourite things up to $82.50 and this stamp is yours for only $8.50.  That is money well spent!

Happy New Year to you.
May your scrapping bring you joy this year!
Now click on this link to Doris' Blog to see what clever ideas she has been creating!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Documented Blog Hop

Ah Documented how I love thee!
Welcome to our Australasian Blog Hop.  Did you arrive here from the crafty goodness of Lauren's Blog?
I hope you will click on each link to the very end and we would love it if you leave a comment (crafters need a bit of encouragement occasionally!)

Now this paper pack is an important one.  It celebrates all of those wonderful things that make life worth documenting - friends, special memories, moments you want to relive.  The sentiments in this one are just so sweet too (especially that Dr Seuss quote which I put with a photo of our recently departed dear old dog and then howled!)

Love, love, love it.  To me it screams album-making in my favourite scrappy, slightly off kilter kind of way and every page I've used it for I love. I hope you love it too!

Oh, and it teams AMAZINGLY with our retiring colour of the year - Bashful - if you are a Bashful fan then don't forget to get it before it is gone this month!

I love the sweet Picture My Life - Love Us cards that go so well with this pack.  That gorgeous green floral is just one little 3x4 card cut in half.  The zip strip at the bottom suits my sassy little girl perfectly!

The chipboard complements worked perfectly for 14th birthday photos - this is pretty much a modified layout from our Seasonal Expressions Catalogue.  Cutting a square into triangles is a great way to get extra mileage out of your feature papers.

This is the layout that we did at our Close to My Heart Convention this year.  I love it! It worked so well with these treasured photos.

Sometimes a little bit of product goes a long way.  This double page only used four 3/4inch strips of feature paper and a few (mostly leftover) compliments! And see what I mean about how beautiful it looks with the Bashful!

The world's quickest card.  Feature paper cut to 1/8th inch shorter than our value card base, a sentiment stamped in black on a scrap of White cardstock, tear the bottom. Add a couple of dots.  Call it done.

And just to prove it is not just for girls - a very quick page for my son's album.  Once again just a strip and a PML card put to good use.

What will you make with Documented?  Hop on over to Doreen's Blog to see what she has created!
Until next time,
Happy scrapping,
Nell

Classic Summer Bash Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Australasian Blog Hop for May!  Did you arrive here from the lovely Doris?
May already! How did that happen?  If you are anything like me you are still scrapping Summer photos so this stamp will work perfectly for those occasions.  As is usual with Stamp of the Month this stamp can be yours for just $7.50 with a $75 purchase this month (and what a month to spend money with all of the glorious new products available in our Seasonal Expressions Catalogue!)  See your consultant for more details or if you don't have a consultant feel free to shop with me at www.nellward.closetomyheart.com.au

I think my favourite part of this stamp is that cute little banner.  I also think the jar will come in super handy to put floral stamps in as an informal vase.  

This super simple little card is just one of our bulk white daisy cards cut into a square and corner rounded.  I used a background texture stamp like the one from our "Colourful Texture"set (D1784) with glacier ink and then stamped an M sized sentiment on with memento black ink.  The little banners were in Twilight, Cranberry and Canary ink.

This card uses one of the PML cards from our new "Documented" Paper and then a scrap of blue behind it and black ink to stamp the jug and lemons and banner.  Then I just cut tiny triangles from scrap paper.  

This page is just waiting for some photos of my funny friends.  I am very lucky to be part of a "secret" Pimms group of like-minded, fun loving school mums who come and drink Pimms and eat cheese on my deck on nice afternoons.  It is a tradition that I love and we always laugh so hard that my stomach muscles hurt so I thought it was worth documenting these beautiful friends in my album.  Our albums should be a celebration of our relationships! Of course now I need to organise another Pimms afternoon to get some photos - the things we do for our scrapbooking!!!
I used Willow cardstock and ink, with the same Twilight, Cranberry and Canary combo for the lettering.  I know that the "Location", "Date" and "Time" stamp will be great for future birthday invites/social gatherings but it also works beautifully as a journalling prompt.

So that is it from me this month.  Hop on over to Wendy's Blog to keep sharing the great ideas!
Happy Scrapping,
Nell

"Live Beautifully" Australasian Blog Hop

This month is National Scrapbooking Month and Close to My Heart are celebrating with a gorgeous "Live Beautifully" Paper pack ($23) and stamp set ($27) and the "Live Beautifully" Cut Above Kit (5 double page layouts with page protectors for only $68.50!) This is a GREAT month for those new to scrapbooking to scoop up a bargain with the Live Beautifully Album Kit - a grey or black album, cut above pages and protectors, a black pen and a tape runner all for only $103.95! If you have photos on your phone and not printed, or if you have never scrapbooked before, then this is the month to make those memories shine!

If you have arrived here from Kara's blog http://creatingwithkaradavies.blogspot.com/2017/05/live-beautifully-australasian-blog-hop.html then welcome.  Welcome back to all of my regular readers too.

Most of us will be running special National Scrapbooking Month workshops this month so contact your consultant to find out more!

These first few layouts are from the Cut Above kit.  The last one I really mixed it up a bit by using some of the "No Worries" complements and paper to give it a beach theme.

This one was done using the Live Beautifully Paper Pack:

 This one is based on a layout by Jo Armstrong (a very talented Kiwi consultant) - the champagne ink was just the right colour to match my cream coloured wedding dress. Great to finally get these 14 year old photos scrapped!

I also wanted to show you that this paper pack is not just great for formal/girly/love photos.  This ombre Seaglass paper was perfect with a little bit of Whimsy fundamentals to create a super quick layout for my son.

Then these are two simple cards I taught my customers this month - both using the Live Beautifully Stamp set (one with some scraps from my big organiser full of paper scraps, Cranberry and Fern ink and the other with Sea Glass ink and the black floral paper with the ombre seaglass paper from the Live Beautifully Paper Pack.

Both designs took inspiration from my fabulous friend Jacquie Paech.

So many talented consultants have done stunning work with this beautiful collection!

Now for more inspiration head over to Shaunna's blog at http://passionateaboutpages.com/2017/05/10/live-beautifully-australasian-blog-hop  Don't forget to contact your consultant to make the most of these special May only products (and if you don't have a consultant yet then feel free to shop with me at www.nellward.closetomyheart.com.au)

Happy National Scrapbooking Month!

Friday Fun with CTMH

I have been playing with the Brushed Workshop on the Go pack in preparation for tomorrow's workshop.  I love the sayings in this stamp set (I can see it getting a LOT of use!)  Maddie had fun getting inky with me too and I had to laugh when I was getting her all set up to stamp because she said "Yes Mum, you better set me up with a stamping station".  Later on she asked me for a "one inch block because this stamp is soooo little!"  She just cracks me up.  Too grown up for words sometimes!
This first layout is straight out of the Workshop on the Go kit and the second is an adaptation from the Make it From Your Heart Book Volume 2 Pattern 2.  This book is so good for when you need a bit of inspiration, and a total bargain at only $10.

I also finished off Seb's little bear to go with his cardi set.  It was from out of the Better Homes and Gardens Knitting Book.  Very easy and quick and a great stash buster for leftovers (the cream wool is 2 strands of 4 ply left over from Hannah's baby layette!) so I think I might be making a few more of these when I no longer have knitting deadlines LOL  Making good progress on Maddie's cotton version of the Longfellow Garden Cap Dress - almost up to separating out the sleeves so that will happen tonight I hope.

Happy Friday Folks!

xxx

oops!

Oh dear! I am failing miserably at my Close To My Heart Friday blogs.  So this one is a day late and last weeks never happened.  I have been playing with the November Stamp of the Month which is a lovely open ended flower design.  This one is very versatile and super user-friendly.

I have also been doing a bit of knitting.  I finished my lace shawl "Nightfall in Paris" which is one of my friend Nim's designs.  Then I finished a test knit hat and a sweet little test knit dress using some of my oldest stashed yarn.  Then today I finished a little cardi set for my friend Lou's newborn son Sebastian.

 Not sure how to link them here but they are all on my ravelry projects page.  One thing I am noticing through my Julie and Julia project is that I do use my craft books (definitely more knitting than sewing ones) but I also use ravelry more - which probably means that I need to limit my craft book collection only to books that I know I will use!

I have been crazy busy at work and next week is set to be a crazy week too so I am already thinking ahead to a simpler 2015!

Stamp of the Month and some new techniques

I just love this month's Stamp of the Month - so sweet for photos of kids and family and that tree will be awesome for all sorts of photos.

Did you notice the wood grain washi and the wanderful arrows washi on that first one?  I have also been playing with dimensional elements.  While I still wouldn't put them in my album they are great for cards and home decor items:

 This is our dimensional pennant frame - great as a gift for grannies and friends!  The paper roses are cut on the cricut and rolled using a quilling tool.

On the weekend I learnt how to make other flowers from the cricut too: 

I can see this being a great project for gatherings/hands on classes.

I am also exploring with our Shinhan markers - this was my first page using them (and last month's SOM)

Happy scrapping until next time!

Favourite Layouts from the Weekend!

We had my "team and friends" CTMH retreat on the weekend.  I managed over 60 pages and these are just a few of the favs:

We have a brand new ideas catalogue out this month so I cannot wait to get my hands on some exciting new goodies!
Happy scrapping!