Fresh fish!

We finally had gorgeous weather a couple of days ago and Jeff and Aimee took the boat out for an afternoons fishing near Kawau Island. My gosh! The snapper they caught were huge! So, tonight we are having our second meal of fresh pan-fried snapper, home-made chips and salad and there was still plenty to give away. So cool!!
This layout is for another of the Frosted Designs 12 Days of Christmas Challenges. 10 completed! Two to go...dont know if I'll make it!

Challenge 6: Six pieces of washi tape ( 5 are the chevron design and 1 is measuring tape)

If I dont get another chance to blog, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!
Cheers,
Sue :)

Family 2012

I just love our annual Ellis family Christmas! We have celebrated this, the week before Christmas, for over 30 years.  This year we were down in numbers because Rick and family moved to Sydney early this year and Lloyd and Ben are also based in Sydney. But we still had an awesome day with great weather!

This layout completes another of Frosted Designs 12 Days of Christmas Challenges: 11 Banners! I have another 3 days to do at least one more challenge, but hopefully the last 3 remaining!

The sketch I used for this challenge is Sketchabilities #81. Their cool sketches are well worth checking out to get you started!
The patterned papers are Glitz designs! Have I mentioned how I love their papers!! LOL!

Cheers,
Sue :)

More Frosted Design challenges

Its Christmas Eve day and I am feeling relaxed and ready for a lovely day tomorrow! Tonight we are heading out for an annual Christmas Eve dinner with friends... restaurant, no cooking! Lovely!
Meanwhile, I have finished some bits for 3 more of the Frosted Designs 12 Days of Christmas Challenges! Still another week to try and get them all finished!

Challenge 4: Four patterned papers

Challenge 5: Five gold/yellow products

Challenge 9: Nine pearls or bling

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Hope everyone has a joyous day tomorrow!

Sue :)

Tags and cards

With Christmas so close and recent birthdays and babies, I have making lots of cards and tags!
I have been trying to get through Frosted Designs 12 Days of fun Christmas challenges. So here are a few more covered!

Challenge 2: Two stamps ( Welcome baby and the 'B' in the middle of the star.)

Challenge 3: Three mist/inks/paints

I have used TH Distress inks - Peeled Paint, Broken China and Fired Brick on this tag.

Challenge 7: Seven sparkly snowflakes.

I made 7 Christmas cards with one large sparkly snowflake on each. (Hope this fits the challenge ok!)

Challenge 8:

Eight different products or brands:

MME patterned paper, Tim Holtz metal cogs, Spellbinders cog die, Making Memories screw eyelets, October Afternoon brad (Take note), Cosmo Cricket stickers (33), Peelcraft 'L' and Hero Arts 'Birthday Wishes' stamp.

My son turns 33 this Thursday! It is scary how fast those 33 years have gone!! Just thought... His birthday is 20 12 2012!! How about that?

We had our extended family Christmas yesterday, so hopefully I will have time to scrap some of the pics for another of the challenges.

Cheers,

Sue  :)

All About You

Emma at 30 weeks! Doesnt she look stunning?!! I took this photo at the baby shower. We all had to wear something pink, hence the pink ribbon around her...ummm...above her tummy! Em has a very infectious giggle, so I am sure she will have a very bouncy, happy baby !

I have used more of my fabulous Glitz Designs stash. I just love their stuff! I have used papers and embellies from the Cashmere Dame, Hello Friend and Pretty in Pink, ranges. The doilies are cut with a Spellbinders D-lite die.
Frosted Designs is having 12 days of Christmas challenges. I am going to try and do at least 10 of them!! This layout is for the 1st Day...use 1 bird. My bird is in the top right hand corner.
I have based the layout on the Sketchabilities #80 sketch.
We have our local 'Carols in the Park' tonight, but I dont think the weather is going to play fair! Its so disappointing for the people who put in so much effort.
Cheers,
Sue :)

Hello Beautiful!

This gorgeous wee girl is the daughter of our niece, Susie. We had Em's ( my baby and soon-to-be mother of my first grandchild!) baby shower on Sunday and I took this photo of Alice. Isn't she beautiful?

The papers I have used here are from the Glitz Designs, Cashmere Dame, range. I am always excited everytime Glitz bring out a new range. Love their stuff!

How perfect are these papers for the current challenge at Challenge Me Happy. I loved their sketch! 

Tomorrow, Emma and I am going to 'Christmas in Coatsville'. My birthday pressie from Em! Looking forward to it!!!

Sue :)

Hearts and rosettes wallhanging

A little something to hang on the bedroom wall of my soon-to-be granddaughter! Lots of fun to make!

It is all in white, pinks and greys. The background is white, but hard to photograph well through the glass.

Cheers,

Sue :)

Prima class at Scotties

I am very excited about taking this 2 page layout class at Scottie Crafts this Saturday, 10th November, using the fabulous, fun papers from the Prima Firefly collection!

If you would like to know more details, check out the Scotties blog, here!

Cheers,
Sue :)

Tag for Scrapfest swap

It was so much fun swaping tags in the Scrapfest Tag-it!
This was my tag for the Group 3 girls. Our challenge was to use a stamp, texture and a colour.

Main Supplies:

La Blanche stamp and black embossing powder

Spellbinders Venetian motives die (bookpaper doily, cut 2)

Spellbinders Aster Flower Topper (book cover canvas which I embossed with a rubber mat, then cut around and rubbed with TH Lipstick Distress Ink)

Marianne Design die (silhouette)

Martha Stewart pansy edge punch

seam binding coloured with TH distress stains - Antique Linen, Worn lipstick, Victorian Velvet

Cheers,

Sue :)

Bathurst Adventure

Jeff has just turned 30! Another one of my babies in their thirties!! Too scary!
To celebrate we all banded together and bought airfares from Auckland to Sydney, acommodation, rental car and tickets to the 50th anniversary of the Bathurst V8's, for Jeff, Lloyd and Mike. It is the first holiday that Mike has ever had with just his sons!
They had the best time ever!!! They were still so excited (and very tired and hung-over) when they got home 5 days later.

I am adding this layout to the Frosted Designs Friday challenge, which is Sports!
It is the first time I have used these Spellbinders sprockets. I think they are really cool!
Sue :)

BITW - Touch

Jeff and Aimee have moved in upstairs after they put their house on the market and it sold  one week later and they had to be out in 3! They were expecting it to take months and have plans for building a new home. But... in the meantime, renting in town wasnt an option when you have 2 precious outdoor cats!!
So..this layout is of Woki, who has been very nervous in a new environment. He is sitting within one quick leap to the gap that is his hidey-hole under the deck!

One of the 'Bird is the Word' challenge words at the moment is 'touch'. I always look forward to seeing what their new word is. They have some great words.
Lots of Prima, Rondelle, papers, flowers, bling and journalling block. I also used my new Spellbinders lattice die and some Easycast resin flowers. The centre flower is embossed bookcover canvas using Spellbinders Aster Flower Topper die (both dies and resin is available from Scottie Crafts)

It is wet and wild outside here, but I feel for everyone in the South Island who are really coping the weather bomb! Have a good,'inside' weekend everyone.
Cheers,
Sue

Summer Lovebirds

I gathered up some of the new Prima Firefly collection that has just arrived at Scottie Crafts. The colours are just gorgeous -bright and summery! Apart from papers I have also used the Firefly journalling notecard set,  Prima flowers, a Crafter's Workshop chevron mask and texture paste.
Jeff and Aimee have a boat and one of their favourite things to do together, is to pack sleeping gear, a food basket and fishing rods and head out to Kawau Bay for the night.

Challenge Me Happy has an Anything Goes challenge this fortnight - a challenge everyone should enter! So easy! Seeing as the papers and embellies are Prima, I have used this month's sketch as inspiration.
Cheers,
Sue :)

Baby bump

After two weekends of shows and workshops and the preparation, I came home itching to get into my new Prima supplies from Scotties!

I have been taking photos of my daughter, Emma, and her growing baby bump. But, every time, it was so hard getting a pic without Frank (their present baby!) wanting to be part of the action. We finally put him in the garage!

So, I have done this layout for Frank!!

Prima Supplies: Background paper; Tea-Thyme Collection, Cypress Rose

                        Journalling notecard; Rondelle Notecard set

                        Prima mask (with Liquid Pearls applied )

                        New little Say-it-in-Crystals

                        Flowers

                        Canvas Alphabet stickers

Other supplies: Resin hearts (made from Easycast and moulds) These new resin making kits are new to  Scotties and sooo cool!!

                        Seam binding dyed with Tim Holtz Distress Stains

                        Martha Stewart corner and border punch

All these wonderful, cool products are available at Scottie Crafts!!

Cheers,

Sue

Mr and Mrs

I have been a bit quiet this week and feeling a bit sorry for myself!  I have a broken rib and right hand after fainting and unceremoniously crashing into the end of the bed and into the exercycle!! Thank goodness for the Olympic Games!
But...Scrappy withdrawal symptoms were really setting in by yesterday, so I decided I had to attempt a layout!  I used my cricut and the new gel pens to draw and cut a strip of patterned paper and asked my son's girlfriend to roll the 2 doily shapes through the cuttlebug for me and I was away!

I have used this month's sketch from 'Stuck?!' . The papers are mostly Pink Paislee, London Market and Glitz Designs Paper Layers. 'Mr and Mrs' was cut on the cricut also.

Off now to see what else I can do without having to pick up a pair of scissors! 

Cheers,

Sue :)

Pleasant Sunday Afternoon

It is so good to have some time to do a bit of scrapping again! We recently spent a lovely weekend in Sydney visiting Lloyd and Jodie. It doesnt happen often enough!
This is a quick layout (to get my mojo back!) for the Frosted Friday Challenge, to use only patterned paper.

These gorgeous papers are from the Kaisercraft  Lake House collection. The frame was cut from the Fancy Frames cricut cartridge.

Enjoy this wet scrapping Sunday!

Cheers,

Sue :)

21st Birthday canvas

My brother asked me if I would do one of my "arty" photo canvases for my nephews 21st? How could I refuse?!! LOL!! Anyway, it has been a nice break from cutting, cutting and more cutting stuff for my SENZ class packs!
I hope he likes it!

I started with a 18" x 24" canvas, glued down strips of patterned paper and then painted over it all with Lumiere paints. I then stamped on background stamps and the brick mask with texture paste. Next, I put down the photos and then added the embellishments. Nik is a keen surfer so I tried to create something that reflected this at least a little, e.g chipboard swirls, pumice texture paste and gesso.
I am wanting to get some of the challenges done over at Challenge Me Happy One year Anniversary Hoopla, so I am putting this in Norine's challenge - a birthday layout. A rather large layout, I know!! And she may decide it doesnt fit the criteria!
Now, I am going to stoke the fire, because the weather is yuk today and start dyeing metres of seambinding for the class kits.
Cheers,
Sue :)

Cherish with Prima

I decided to go bright for the June Prima BAP. I pulled out some older Prima papers. These collections, Madeline and Fairy Flora have been 2 of my favourite Prima collections! I sprayed two of the cool Mistable canvas flowers with Dylusions Bubblegum pink and Postbox red.

Frosted Designs Friday challenge this week is to use stitching. I have stitched the muslin onto the photo and added more stitching around the patterned papers.

A while ago a friend gave me the crotcheted doily! Thanks, Jean!
I'm now rushing off to take this gorgeous girl in the photos and her husband to the airport. They are heading to the States for a 3 week holiday. I hope they have fun, but I am going to miss her!!
Cheers, Sue :)

Stuck! challenge

A friend dropped off some gorgeous photos of her new grandson to scrap. He is sooo cute!!
The Stuck sketch for June 1st is another goodie and they have the lovely Annelie Maddock,  guest designing for them.
I have some cool Heidi Swapp papers and Instaframes sitting here and thought this cute photo was a chance to use them.

The other papers are Bo Bunny Double Dots, which come in awesome bight colours, the star is Crate paper and the little hearts, MME. Gosh! A real little mix!
For the heart background, I cut a paper template, sat it on the background and doodled the lines with TH markers and then filled the shape with Golden light molding paste using the Prima brick mask.
The photo had a large plain area on one side, so I used a MS stamp anywhere star punch to bring some of the bright yellow through.
Yet another sunny day ahead for Queen's Birthday weekend!! And the kids all coming for dinner tonight! Love it!!
Cheers,
Sue :)

Baby Boy

A third layout using the Graphic 45 'Little Darlings' collection from Scottie Crafts. This is a great collection for baby or vintage photos.

I thought these papers and the photo of my son would fit nicely with the June challenge at Let's Get Shabby which is to create a layout with
 'something old, ( this photo of my son was taken nearly 30 years ago),
something new ( the Graphic 45 papers),
something borrowed, ( my tape runner cartridge ran out and I had to borrow my daughters),
something blue' (most of the LO!).
I hope those of you who are getting a long weekend for the Queen's Birthday are relaxing and enjoying the winter sunshine!
Cheers,
Sue :)

Prima wedding album

Last weekend we had a wonderful short hop over to Sydney to see our son and new daughter-in-law. I am thankful that if they have to live overseas, that it is not the other side of the world!
I had recently finished this little album of some of their wedding photos (using the awesome Prima Mixed Media album and inserts which I got from Scottie Crafts) and took it over to them. It is already doing the rounds of family and friends!
After lots of stamping, inking and sewing, handmade flowers and Prima products, this is it! (Photo quality not great, sorry)

Frosted Designs Friday Challenge this week, is Weddings!! How many entries am I allowed? LOL!!

Off to do the boring stuff now! Grocery shopping!!
Cheers, Sue :)

Well -suited! The groomsmen

I did this layout a few weeks ago, but haven't got around to putting it up! London Market really has been one of my favourite collections this year!
Also, the studded flourishes and wooden clocks put out by Prima have been wonderful for male layouts!!

This weekend we are off to see our gorgeous son and new daughter-in-law! I cant wait!
The sun is shining, the fireis going and the frost is thawing.
Life is good!! :) :)
Cheers,
Sue :)

More little darlings

Another layout and a card using my DT papers, Graphic 45, Little Darlings, from Scottie Crafts. These papers are perfect for older photos and give a real vintage feel. This is a photo of my daughter and two friends, on the trampoline, making a home from boxes and old quilts etc was taken in 1990.
Lots of fussy cutting and punching!

Frosted Designs Friday Challenge is to use lacing. I have laced some ribbon through the punched border. which, I think, gave more of a vintage feel to the LO.

The sketch I used for inspiration is from Scrap Africa!

And a vintage card from leftover bits and pieces!

Cheers,

Sue :)

Baby Girl LO

I was down at Scottie Crafts yesterday and picked up these Graphic 45 'Little Darlings' papers. Perfect for all these baby photos I have of little Emilie.
I used the latest sketch from Get Creative to put together this layout.

I used a Crafters Workshop, Dots all Around template and texture paste for the background circles and then got out varying heart punches and dies! The heart circle is a Spellbinders, the rosette is made with a strip punched from a Martha Stewart edge punch and the border and corner is one of Scotties new MS punches that 'fell' into my bag yesterday as well!!

Off to make a card for my niece who is having her baby TODAY! Hoping things are going well for her!!

Sue :)

Autumn evening

Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge is all about the garden this time round. So I popped outside the front door and took this photo at about 5pm when the sun was just going down. The Autumn trees and bush in the background makes the garden look gorgeous. I love fine Autumn days! This photo is only a small part of our large garden and my journalling tells the simple truth about who is the hardworking gardener in the house! " I am so thankful that Mike is as passionate about gardening as I am about scrapbooking!"

I have used Creative Scrappers #206 sketch for the layout.
Happy Mother's Day to all fellow Mums out there!!
Sue :)

SGC - Boys!

My brother turned 54 last weekend and we had a great party! I cropped these photos that were taken as part of a family shoot about 50 years ago  (he was so cute!) and made a quick card! Not a very good photo of the card unfortunately!
Southern Girls Challenge this fortnight is 'About the Boys', so I will pop it in there.

I embossed my card with a TH Sizzix folder and then rubbed TH Bundled Sage Distress ink over the raised areas. I then used the Vintage Photo Distress Ink and rubbed around the edges. (The colours aren't that great in this photo - too orange). I then went over the whole background with my new favourite product - Reeves Irridescent Medium! It gives a gorgeous sheen to the background!

Cheers,

Sue :)

More gorgeous Prima!

I am so loving the Prima ranges at the moment! They have been wonderful to use with Lloyd and Jodie's wedding photos. The lilac colours of the wedding party really go well with the Nature's Garden and Fairy Bell ranges. As well as all the Prima yumminess here I have used the May BAP for my sketch inspiration.

 The gorgeous little Prima doily stamp has been sitting on my desk begging to be used! The Paper Variety has a challenge this month to make a handmade flower, so I stamped a few doilies with Versamark and embossed with white and then cut three of them to form a flower. Kinda pleased with the result!

I am also putting this into the challenge over at Bird is the Word (smile).

I hope everyone is having lots of  'smile' moments today!!!

Cheers,

Sue :)

Cherish

Challenge Me Happy has a black/white/red challenge for this  round.
Keiren and Dave's little Emelie was wearing the perfect little cutie outfit for this challenge!

I cut the frame from the Cricut Cartridge, Fancy Frames. I have had the heart border in my stash for a while and cant remember what cart it was in! The poppy is Prima, the rub-on word is Kaisercraft (been in my stash awhile also!) and the bling strip is Recollections.
Heather's challenge for the Frosted Designs bloghop is to use strips of paper, so I have punched some strips of paper with a MS border punch, as part of the background.
Cheers,
Sue :)

Resist!

Frosted Designs are having a blog hop with lots of little challenges. I have been away most of the weekend and dont know how many I will get done, but I saw this 'Resist embossing' challenge from Anita and thought it a good chance to get out my new Dylusions sprays and my TH texture background stamps. Actually ended up having a play with lots of stamps that having been waiting to be be inked! Its my first play and not fantastic, but one challenge done!

Off to look at the others.

Cheers,

Sue :)

Stuck challenge

I had these adorable photos of Emilie sitting on my desk and when I saw the May Stuck challenge I knew it was the perfect sketch!

The  patterned papers are Prima, the stickers ( hens, tree and bird etc) are Basic Grey, the clouds are Studio Calico and the leaves punch is an EK (The little leaves are the punch-outs coloured with TH Distress Stains). I kinda loved how the sunflower on the Prima paper looks like a sun shining, so I added Glossy Accents to highlight it. On the sides I added some TH Texture stamping, softened with Pan Pastels in lemon.
Cheers,
Sue :)

Always and Forever

Another gorgeous wedding photo scrapped for the album!!
Frosted Designs has a cool challenge again this week - use rolled paper.
I punched a lace strip with a Martha Stewart lace punch, rolled it around a pencil and then adhered it to the top of sliced background paper before tucking under the scallop border and fussy cut flowers. I rolled (curled) a few paper strips as well!

All of the papers and most of the embellishments are from the new Websters Pages papers that have just arrived at Scottie Crafts. The transparent frame is a Glitz Peek-a-Boo.
The weather is cooling here and this morning I have a bacon hock and vegies simmering away for our first pot of winter soup! The smell of soup cooking and a cosy fire are probably the only things I really love about winter!
Have a good day!
Sue :)

Adore

Another layout for some young friends' album.
The background paper is Websters Pages and the rest of the papers are from the Basic Grey, Picadilly range. The butterfly is a Spellbinders die, Wonderful Wings. There are 5 lacy butterfly dies and 5 shadow dies. Very cool set!
I have used the April sketch at Get Creative. Check out their cool challenges here.

Have a great weekend!

Sue :)

SGC layout by Emma

Southern Girls have a challenge "All things girly". I have done this layout of the bride-to-be (my friend Kate) and her bridesmaids' fun day at the Races.

TFL
Emma :)

Cute little Emilie

I am loving these very cute photos that some young friends have given me to scrap! Emilie is such a cutie!

I am putting this layout into these two challenges:

My Minds Eye - use hexagons

Frosted Designs - use hexagons

It is ANZAC Day in NZ and Australia. We honour those who died in World Wars helping us preserve the wonderful freedom we have in our countries today. "We will remember them".

Cheers,

Sue :)

More Glitz

This layout is based on the April 15th sketch over at Stuck Sketches!

Mostly Glitz Designs papers and embellies here, except for the print paper which is Pink Paisley's London Market. I have coloured the bird on the background paper with my new Pan Pastels. I love how smooth these pastels are! Lots of die-cutting here - Spellbinders leaves, Tim Holtz Rosettes, Swirl and Tiny tag, Martha Stewart border punches and Cricut cut frame!
Check out the Stuck sketch blog for this cool sketch!
Cheers,
Sue :)

Prima Prima!

I have so much Prima in my stash! Its time to stop oogling it and start using it! So here is a layout using the

 Prima BAP for April.

The papers are from the Fairy Belle collection. Perfect papers for more wedding photos! I have put a little irridescent medium over the flowers to soften them and inked parts of the background paper to highlight those colours. The lacy cut has been done using the Paper Lace cricut cartridge.

This second layout I did a few weeks ago but didnt get around to putting it on my blog. This one is using the Nature Garden Collection. I am loving the Prima Vintage charms and their very cute stamps! The little bird stamps are so useful, especially as the set has one facing each direction!

The cricut cut lacy frame is from the Damask Decor cartridge and some of Martha Stewarts gorgeous punches will pretty up any page!

All these papers and Cricut cartridges are available from Scottie Crafts.
Cheers,
Sue :)

A wonderful day!

Just before Christmas, when Mike was in the States, he met a young lady who told him that she and her fiance and two friends were coming to New Zealand in March and that they wanted to get married here. Mike kindly volunteered my services to help them plan their wedding!!
After numerous emails, we had a wedding planned and had formed a fun friendship.
The day of the wedding was one of our worst of the many wet days we had this summer!!! Well, these great kids did not care! They live in the desert at home and saw this as part of the adventure. We had the service on the deck of my cousins bach, we opened some champagne and they danced in the rain. We all got totally drenched to the skin but it was such a fun, fun day!!!

This layout uses Bo Bunny papers and chipboard from Scottie Crafts in Glenfield on the North Shore.

Frosted Designs Friday Challenge is 'Weather'. I thought these photos were perfect for this topic. You can even see the fuzziness in the main photo from rain on the lens!

I am also putting this layout in Bird is the Word challenge to use the word 'Future'.

Aren't we all loving this beautiful autumn after our near non-existent summer!!

Sue :)