Last of the Garden Grove layouts

It's the end of July (gosh that month went too fast), and I uploaded the other two layouts using the Scenic Route Garden Grove goodies, to my SBO Gallery.

I have a bit of a thing for patterned paper strips at the moment (nothing wrong with that I say!). Strips are a great way to bring in smaller amounts of bold/bright pattern to your layout.
Can you see the heart on Alyse's tongue? The journalling says: to get this cool heart shape you hold your tongue over the jar of sprinkles and tip your head back ewww! LOL

More patterned paper strips! The greens and yellows in the collection were perfect for nature photos. Those little leaf buttons have been in my stash for a lonnngg time.

Kicking it off

I get to kick off the August challenges and you have until midnight Wednesday 26th of August (hmmmm very special date that one and I don't mean cos DH has a dental appointment either).

As for all challenges your layout must be newly created.

Valid layouts will go into a prize draw at the end of the month.

Do you have a stash of patterned paper scraps? and several if not more, packets of embellishments? Silly questions to ask scrappers I suppose.

Well my challenge may help reduce your supplies a wee bit.
You need to use at least seven different patterned papers on a layout (each pattern has to be larger than one inch square to count) PLUS at least seven different embellishments.

Here is my example using nine different pps and nine embellishments (counting the diecut)...

I used the Scenic Route Garden Grove papers and diecut plus the reverse of the SR-GG kraft/black cardstock and some random embellishments. This is an easy layout design and the pp strips would work equally as well in the landscape orientation.
I hope you give my challenge a go.

Waste not want not challenge

Hey look here for a cool challenge

the details: -

The PRIZE: The GORGEOUS JULY KIT. The Challenge is a 'green' challenge and is to make the most of our scrapbooking supplies by using everything! We want you to use the parts of our scrapbooking supplies that arent 'normally' used or meant for use. The outer packaging, the inner packaging, the negative of stickers, etc. These of course can be mixed with actual scrapbooking supplies. The challenge is to create a layout or OTP or a set of 3 cards using scrapbooking packaging or backings somewhere on your project. Upload your project to the Waste Not, Want Not Challenge folder by midnight Friday 14th August. All valid entries will be put into a draw for a fabulous July kit. Please let us know what 'waste not, want not bits' you have used on your layout.

I have been trying to create some torn corrugated cardboard embellishments using a pizza box and this is all I could come up with. I have used Huckleberry Glimmermist and when they are glued to my WNWN challenge layout they will have some bling to pretty them up even more. LOL

Another DT challenge has been announced...

Ruth's turn to challenge us this week.
scrap a note written to you by one of your children, include a photo of them too. If your children are too old now, scrap a note from a loved one (with a photo of them)

I managed to get both of my teens to write me a note this morning. I just gave them a kraft c/stock tag each and away they went...

I used Pretty Please patterned papers, Bazzill Kraft c/stock, AC thickers alphas and random embellishments teamed it all with this recent photo of Alyse and I at her pre-ball party. The photo originally was of me, Alyse and Ross but will scrap the full photo another time.

I used Scenic Route Garden Grove c/stock, pp and the word 'lucky' also AC thickers for the title and some random embellishments. This photo shows my baby boy all grown up and looking like a real teenager, but as you can see from his note he still loves his Mum even though I did need to give him a gentle push to start writing the words are all his own work.

This is a sneaky peek at my challenge layout which will be announced next week.

Kate's challenge at SBO

Kate's turn to challenge us this week...
reflect on where you are now and create a page/project that shows that. Use photos, words, quotes, song lyrics. Can be light hearted or more soul searching.

My challenge layout is more light hearted than soul searching, its about me being a photo maniac and how the local Harvey Norman staff know me by name cos I am there so often getting photos printed.

I used leftover bits n pieces from Trina's "Family" Precious Pages kit for my 6x12 layout.

July DT work

Oh how I *heart* the Scenic Route range and that is what I got to work with this month. Heaven!

The range has many easy-to-use-together-patterns and three distinct colours/design styles. Here I have used the brighter patterns which I love and at the end of the month I will post the layout I created with the lighter style (I preferred the brights) and another bright layout. The range also includes a kraft/black style.

As soon as I saw the sheet of pp with circles of colourful brightness I knew I had the perfect photos to go with it. These bumper boats at Splash Planet were such fun to zoom around and try to crash into each other, it helped the layout that the boats were so round and so brightly coloured. LOL

I love the bottom photo of my DS and his three nephews down at the river. I smile when I see the youngest lil man Jade, falling in the water which is so typical of him to be a mile a minute. Also seeing Ben's pants wedged in his butt crack makes me laugh, he is so laid back and just doesn't care. The strips of varying sizes were easy to use together on this layout and worked well with the black Bazzill cardstock. Random alphas from my stash.

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Members of the SBO forum suggested the Design Team use a sketch as part of their DT work, I love sketches so jumped at this challenge. Ruth designed the sketch for July...

As you can see I rotated Ruth's sketch to suit my photo orientation. The green patterned paper was perfect for cutting out the leaves and flowers for the embellishments. I used some handstitching for the detail on the top left side.
(I promised the boy in the photo that I would blur out his face when I uploaded this layout as he is now almost 14 and slightly embarrassed that he had a crush on my DD when he was eight. She is three years older than him. LOL)

Happy Mail

I am going to start stalking our postie soon hoping she will soon be bringing me some Happy Mail from Big Picture Scrapbooking. I was more than very excited when I read my name on this post.
My family weren't the tiniest bit as excited in fact they were more than slightly annoyed at all the screeching and squealing I was doing from my computer chair.

Even though I am now on my fourth album of About ME layouts I decided to join Cathy Zielske for the third time (fourth time if you count the class I attended IRL at Crafting Connection) and register for ME: the abridged version. (the class is still open if you want to register too).

My pre-class homework is to read Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life and start on my own ABC of ME list. (any help you wish to give here gratefully received).

My list so far:
A - Alyse, allergies
B - brother, balloon ride (accident)
C - Clive, computer
D - dieting, decor, Dad
E -
F - friends, family, food
G - grateful
H - hobbies
I -
J -
K - K.I.S.S.
L - librarian
M - Me, Mum
N -
O -
P - pets
Q -
R - Ross, recycling
S - Senses
T - Taylor, Taradale, Travel
U -
V - Vespa, vehicles
W - winning, work
X -
Y -
Z -

as you can see I have a lot of spaces to fill, I am sure my list will grow once I read the book.

More Precious Pages Kits

I am loving these PRECIOUS PAGES kits, have you tried them yet??? the instructions are so easy to follow, the products are gorgeous and the price is very reasonable.

Go HERE to buy the kits. I have it on good authority that there are more kits in the pipeline! Yaaay!

This is one of Vicky Gibson's kits, the patterned paper was perfect for my childhood photo, I still need to finish the journalling (about my white vinyl handbag from the Op Shop and my loooonnnng floral dress).

Well I did say the instructions were easy to follow but I managed to mess the sizing up on this one of Trina's kits, so my matt is smaller than hers. Still love it though. Journalling: A week of relaxing together in the warmth of Fiji, is just what we need to get through winter in New Zealand. June 2009

I love the colours on this double page kit of Lara's, and thought the GROW title would be perfect for these photos (Grow old with me). The journalling is from our wedding: We will care for each other always, no matter what life may bring. Together through all lifes experiences. (excuse the poor photos of these layouts the background cardstock is def the same)

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It's Lesley's turn to offer up a challenge at SBO forum this week...

10 minutes to select a photo
10 minutes to select your supplies
30 minutes to complete the layout

This is maybe a strange photo of our feet/footwear but I had a story in mind so staged the photo as we waited outside the airport. journalling: Sitting outside Nadi airport soaking up the last of the hot sun before having to board our plane bound for New Zealand, back to the cold; woolly socks and boots again. =(