Raindrops ...

I like the rain and umbrella inspired challenge on Sugar and Spice Crafty Challenge blog especially since we have been getting a lot of the wet stuff ourselves and umbrellas have been getting a fair workout in my household.

In fact today is really dull and I would not be at all surprised if we have yet more rain at some point today - hence my less than magnificent photograph of my layout - let's blame that weather !!

Lasting Memories for April ...

Joining in with the challenges on Lasting Memories again this month.  I hope to complete them all - an added bonus is the way they have their blog set up means I can highlight them all here in the one post and upload individually over on their site.

The first challenge is ...


"it's all in the colours!"  Use your colouring skills to create that embellishment - can be a doodle, a digital image ..
I used an ink pad to colour two chipboard pieces on my page - they look very different from that original plain boring old chippie.

Second challenge ...

"it's the little things in life that matter the most!" scrap about the small moments in time or the little things that you want to remember in years to come ..
I've captured my hubby happily reading this newspaper of choice on a Saturday morning.  He gets very little free time during the week and this is a quiet piece of the day he very much enjoys.

Third challenge ... "Easter hunts are on!" scrap about Easter ..
Well Easter goes hand in hand with chocolate bunnies, children and also Christmas pyjamas according to my son :) so I couldn't resist doing an Easter page in Christmas colours !!

Fourth challenge ...

"Arbor Day/Earth day!" lets celebrate nature
I figure climbing trees is discovering nature ...

I have also combined this last challenge with one from Frosted Designs where we have been asked  to incorporate at least three of the following words in some way shape or form into your project.  I used clouds (patterned paper at top of page), green (a predominantly green background and flowers (as embellishments).

 

It's all in the numbers ...

Always enjoy The Studio Challenges and try to fit in at least one of their challenges each month.

The first one for April is all about numbers in whatever format you want I guess.

I've used a numbered design piece of patterned paper as well as a number border strip.  Simple but effective I say and a terrific way to use up a few sheets of 6x6 !!  I have a draw full of paper pads :)

Hope you can pop over to their blog and play along this month.

123 and XOXO ...

I'm playing along with 123 Get Scrappy this month with their tic tac toe type challenge.  I've used roses, a yellow background and chalks on my page.

I've also drawn inspiration from XOXO Scrapbooking where we have been asked to scraplift this layout  by Tess Pretty or draw inspiration from a couple of main elements.  In my case I've been inspired by the coffee ring stamps Tess has used on her page as well as the smaller format photograph.

Both great challenges - hope you can play along.

Creating and Rochelle ...

Enjoyed playing along with the word challenge on Creating with Paper this month and also combining this with the Tic Tac Toe challenge from Rochelle Spears.

I have used the word SWEET and used the criteria on the diagonal - 3 patterned papers, a butterfly and journal card.

Hope you might be inspired to play along too.

Beyond Grey ...

Beyond Grey Challenges this month are asking for cards made in the colour format of black and gold.


This isn't a colour combination I usually would use but was happy to give it a whirl.  Perhaps you might like to too!

also entered in 4 Crafty Chicks challenge #190 - Sentiment only no pictures please.

Feeling both Sketchy and Southern ...

Feeling Sketchy Card Challenge  #87

combined with Southern Girls #89 - Use your stripes

and hey presto ...

The Crafty Scrapper ...

I am playing along with The Crafty Scrapper this month where they have asked entrants to use BLACK on their pages/layouts (black ink doesn't count!)


I have used black cardstock as my base and also a black border strip, my patterned paper also features black as part of it's design. 

Show us your stuff ...

A very pretty inspiration picture on Show us your stuff this month.  You could say it's yummy !

I just had to use these colours be it in a slightly different brighter version and also put my own large purple flower (handmade of course) onto my page.

Guesting on The Color Throwdown ...

I'm really pleased to be guesting on The Color Throwdown this week.  I always enjoy the colour combinations they use and this one is no different - very pretty.

Here is my card based on their swatch.

Hope you can come and join in.  The design team do some amazing work, some very talented crafters here for sure and it is refreshing to see so many different styles and designs of projects.

Thank you Tammy and Lori for inviting me.

About places ...

While Shimelle is having some well deserved maternity leave she has a few guests dropping by to inspire us.  Relly has posted a challenge based around a post Shimelle did some time ago with a list of suggestions on how to journal about places.  The essence of her post was to use these ideas to create your page ...

Take something simple and repeat it three times

List what you observed

Depend on pronouns

Redefine your audience

Admit a change in perspective

Her full article can be found here ...


So I have taken up the challenge and created a page about a few hours I spent at a local beach side suburb.  I have used the list approach from Shimelle's suggestions to enhance my page.

So sassy ...

A really lovely mood board on Sassy Scrappers this month.

I love these colour combinations so much.  For my own layout I have pulled as many of those colours from the mood board as I could and combined them on my page - pink, teal, gold, yellow, grey as well as replicating the lettering in my title  "friends".

Scrapping boys and girls ...

Getting in early with some challenges this month.

First up is Scrap the Girls.


This month we want you to scrapbook your girls using traditional boy colour schemes and some "boyish" embellishments!!!  Remember no boys allowed, just girl stuff!!

Don't think there is anything remotely girly about this page.

And then we have Scrap the Boys who are asking us to use flowers on a boy page.

So from one extreme to another :)

Joining UnstampaBelles ...

Just a quick announcement that I have joined as team member for UnstampaBelles Challenges.



UnstampaBelles is a paper crafting challenge blog. We like to see how you can manipulate paper. This does not mean you cannot use other materials, but primarily we need this to be paper-based. A scrap page, an ATC, a card, a box, a basket or item made from card/paper, a tag but without using stamps (digital or rubber or cling, and that includes sentiments). 

Lots of scope for thinking outside the square as well as the ability to use up that mountain of stash we all have accumulated over the years - rub-ons, stickers, die-cuts and word sentiments but you can even create using gosh, gasp your own hand-writing ! or make it computer generated.  In fact you can cut up old commercial cards, snatch a corner from patterned paper, destroy grannies latest gossip magazine - the sky is the limit, just no stamped images please.

Hope you can pop over and join us soon - the April challenge will go up on the 7th.

Edited - Now the 7th is past I can reveal the challenge and my card.  

Challenge#34: Incorporate an Animal or a Bird

and the TWIST is

use PASTEL colours

At the last minute ...

I'm sneaking in a couple of last minute entries for two times two March challenges.

Lasting Memories Challenge # 181 is to use flowers on our layouts for an "Early Spring" theme.  

and Scrap Our Stash Stash a Thon Challenge # 9 is to use twine on your page.

and finally .....

Lasting Memories Challenge # 184 

In honor of April Fool's Day... we want to see those HUMOROUS, SILLY, FULL of LAUGHTER and CAUGHT on CAMERA moments.   

and Scrap Our Stash Stash a Thon Challenge # 14 is to use the #1 on your page.

and now as they say ... I am done !!

All dressed up for Easter ...

It's April on Pixels and Paper Challenge Blog and Easter month and we are taking a trip back down memory lane to when Easter meant dressing up and wearing bonnets and gloves were the normal thing to do.  Do you member those days or have photographs in the family album of your parents or grandparents looking like these three darling little girls as they celebrate Easter.

Yet this photograph isn't all about Easter, it's about fashion from another era, it's about being outside on a cool day.  It's about green, manicured lawns and orderly gardens.  It's about a neighbourhood of houses and middle class families.  It's about having sisters (siblings) and spending time with them.

What is this photograph about to you?

Here is my take on the challenge ...

I can remember dressing up for Sunday church - frilly white dresses with fancy petticoats, hair curled, neat and tidy with bow attached and fancy polished shoes with cute white ankle socks.  I'd carry a little handbag, inside a clean, pressed handkerchief and a token coin for me to drop carefully into the collection plate.  In winter I had a bright red coat my Mum would button me into and off we would go to meet the aunts and uncles for morning service.  My layout reflects the colours in the photograph - the olive, tan and blue tones of the girls coats and the lace trim for the sweet little bonnets the girls are wearing.  

We'd love to have you come and join in with us this month.

Some ARTastic fun ...

I think you will LOVE the featured artwork on ARTastic this month.

Today, April 1st,  is April Fool's Day around much of the world. In honour of pranksters and joke loving people, our inspiration this month comes from the Alice in Wonderland series of paintings by Charles Blackman. Criteria is anything goes but your photos must depict crazy antics, silliness or just having loads of fun.

  

Charles Blackman - The Chess Game

Come on and have some FUN this month - we want to see your crazy, joke loving layouts.


updated - now it's the 15th and I can put up my own page.