Saturday 26 January 2013

56 - CSI Challenge- Smile & Birthday Blog Hop




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CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration turned one this month, and we've been celebrating with fun and festivities all month long. But what's a birthday party without presents?
We are rounding out CSI's birthday celebration with a huge pile of presents! The talented and very generous CSI design team, aka the CSI Detectives, have prepared special blog posts for you this week, and all you have to do is leave a comment on participating design team members' blogs for a chance to receive a present from them! The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you'll have to receive a gift!
We also have the brand-new company Blue Fern Studios joining our blog hop! Our very own Detective Michele Singh is the designer of this company's beautiful chipboard, and we are delighted to have Blue Fern Studios join us to celebrate our birthday on the month they were introduced to the world!
The CSI Birthday Presents Blog Hop will run from January 25 - 29. Winners will be announced in our Full Disclosure (Announcements) Forum the following week. A newsletter will go out to members once this announcement is posted.
Here is a list of the blogs you will want to visit:
 Everyone who leaves a comment on my blog has an equal chance of winning a parcel of scrappy goodness....good luck.
Of course I'd love it, if you became a follower too  :)

Here's a sneak peak of the contents of the parcel.



I hope you will join in the fun and try your hand at the challenge this week.
The super talented Michelle Singh has created these wonderful printables, if you’d like to use them for the challenge.




When I first saw the colours for this week’s challenge, I had no idea what to do with them.   Luckily, I was given this photograph recently. The photo is of our middle son and his three little boys.

Our five year old Grandson Lachlan is always fascinated by the Capital letter L.  He was rummaging around in my scrap room one day looking for L’s when he unearthed these very ancient metal alphas.  They are so old, I don’t even know who made them.  Any way, Lachlan’s favourite letter was the tiny spark from which this page grew.




A couple of close ups





I deliberately kept the page simple to showcase Lachlan's letters, so I decided to make the baubles from scratch.

First I drew the shapes free hand on a folded piece of scrap paper.  By folding the paper in half and only drawing half the image, each side is exactly the same shape. 




Cut out the shape while the paper is still folded, open drawings out to their full size, then trace around the shape with a pencil on your chosen card stock.  
The star is not made this way, it is a die cut.
You can make them any size you like.  
Mine are about 4 cm x 3 cm


Run them through an embossing folder and ink with distress ink.
They come out just like bought ones.

EVIDENCE
Strings - the stitching
Wet Medium - texture paste, glimmer mist and stamping
Something that dangles or hangs - the baubles
Plain card stock background
Doodled dashed lines
Something transluscent- the tiny star on the bottom bauble

TESTIMONY
I went to the rainy day journal prompts and chose to write about the many things that make me smile.

THE JOURNALLING READS
Lachlan makes me smile when he calls a spade a spade.  One day at lunch when he asked for more food after a substantial meal, I said. 
“How about we wait for a while to see if your tummy is really full”?  
“But why Granny”?  
“Remember one day you got a pain when I gave you too much and your tummy popped out in front like a soccer ball”?  
“Did it look just like yours Granny”?  

Xavier makes me smile when he tidies up after himself, liking everything to be in it’s place, all neat and tidy.  He likes to share and make sure everyone is included.  He makes me smile because he’s arbitrarily decided that the good car belongs to Pa and the clapped out bomb is mine.

Oliver makes me smile because he’s a bon vivant, a mover and a shaker, a rhythm man, who never sits still.   He’s got ants in his pants in the nicest possible way and a smile that would charm the birds out of the trees. He makes me smile when he runs for the sheer joy of it.

Their Daddy makes me smile, because he’s still a big kid at heart and likes nothing better than a good rumble on the floor with his boys.  When I see his little ones, throwing a tantrum, pushing the boundaries, having a bit of biffo and giving sloppy kisses, I smile, because their Daddy did it all before them.  It’s right and fitting that he now has a turn in the drivers seat.

MATERIALS USED
Bazzil Cardstock - Grayish teal and white
Martha Gardner punch, Cherish
Crafter’s Workshop Template, Mini Punchinella
Derivan Matisse, Impasto Medium
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Patina
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Ink, Broken China
Maya Road Clear Stamps, Scrolls
Xcut Die, Star
Couture Creations, embossing folder, Instinsic
Craft Queen Washi Tape, Black & white Chevron, Small red star, Grey Text
Francheville, Savoir Faire, alpha puffy stickers
Metal letters, unknown
Tombo Pen, blue
Star - unknown

Photobucket

64 comments:

  1. I love the ornaments! Even more so knowing the meaning. I know what you mean about the colors and my layout sort of fell in my lap too.

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  2. hey Helen great post with all your delights ... hey and loving your new look blog .. I have booked Emma for next month cant wait xoxox

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  3. I really loved your journaling - sounds like you have a beautiful family and all the boys look gorgeous. Beautiful feel to your layout - clean and uncluttered, letting the picture shine and the ornaments.

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  4. It's amazing what little kids like, great page

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  5. Fantastic layout! Love the details!

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  6. Simply a gorgeous page! I love that you stitched the page, I keep saying I am going to but never get around to actually do it....it just adds so much to the page!

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  7. Cute giveaway plus a fantastic page.I can see the work that has gone into it.

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  8. Gorgeous as ever Helen.....love the little giveaway...hugs..x

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  9. wow, amazing layout, great blog hop and loving you new blog all looks fabulous :)

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  10. I LOVE to visit your blog. Your stories are wonderful and I feel like I know each of the people you write about. I love how you love your family and it shows in all of your layouts. This layout is just so lovely :D Thank you for the chance to win some lovely goodies :D

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  11. Beautiful page, Helen! I love all your detailed journaling & the gorgeous little stars in the corners. Fabulous work :)

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  12. awsome page helen! love ur stack of goodies too,as im a massive kaisercraft fan!

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  13. Love your layout and Journalling Helen, always love your journalling and I love the spark from which your layout grew
    Mary x

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  14. Charming! As always, I love your journaling <3 I'm happy to be in the same DT with you!

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  15. Charming! As always, I love your journaling - you have such a talent in that! I'm happy to be in the same DT with you!

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  16. Great page and great inspiration. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  17. Gorgeous is the word I was thinking, too - gorgeous page; gorgeous journaling & gorgeous give away...you gorgeous Helen, you!!!!!!!!!!!!! TFS:):):)

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  18. wondeful details love your layout and awesome blog look love it :)

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  19. Super journaling...this is always the hardest part but you have nailed it.

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  20. love how bright you got the colour story to look xxxx

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  21. you are such an inspiring journalist Helen .. thank you for sharing your family stories... such a joy to read .. love your LO & that gorgeous photo TFS .. cheers xx

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  22. Lovely layout and journaling! Wonderful!

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  23. What a lovely layout and journaling!!!!!..... thanks for the tips!

    I just signed up as follower

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  24. Great page and great inspiration

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  25. I like when the journaling is this important to the LO. It tells the whole story!
    Thank you for sharing your lovely work! :)

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  26. Your page is amazingly elegant. What a lovely story! Thanks for sharing a bit of your family love with us:) See you around!

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  27. Hello Helen! What a touching journalling you did there. Thanks for the inspiration. So glad to be in the same team as you.

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  28. what a lovely layout
    hugs Pia

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  29. Charming and simply Gorgeous work!

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  30. beautiful layout! Thanks so much for showing how you created the wonderful ornaments!

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  31. Love the journaling and how you made the ornaments.

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  32. Helen, your blog design is amazing! I love your page with the ornaments hanging and what an amazing RAK! Beautiful!

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  33. bien jolie page ! et j'adore votre bannière et les couleurs de votre blog ;-))
    corinne

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  34. So nice and "clean"
    Gorgeous!!

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  35. This is so adorable! Love all the little stars in the background!!! TFS and thank you for the chance to win a wonderful RAK! :)

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  36. Thanks for the inspiration and the chance to win. Your LO is gorgeous!!

    Greetings from Germany, Iryna

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  37. Beautiful page Helen and great journalling some inspirational - enjoy the hop and Em has done a brilliant job with the blog...xo

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  38. Lovely page! Love the ornies!

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  39. Love all your works Helen! Beautiful page!!! xoxoxo

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  40. I love the deceiving graphic simplicity of this! Your design does surely allow his letter to shine! Your handmade ornaments and stitching are perfect here! Beautifully done.

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  41. Dear Helen,
    This is just stunning as every one of your layouts. Your stories are always incredibly told. Love all your layouts, thanks so much for the weekly inspiration!!

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  42. Helen, your journaling is just the best!!! You inspire me to really put effort in my journalings too! Thank you for sharing this great layout!

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  43. Helen, your journaling is the best! You inspire me to put more effort on my journalings too! Thanks for sharing this great layout!

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  44. Your page is delightful and I totally love your journaling - always makes me smile!

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  45. Helen, I soooo love your work because its always about the stories. These will certainly be treasured for years to come. Memories are so important when they are journalled. Great work as always!

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  46. Helen, what a cute page...but I agree with all the other people, the journaling is the best part...You truly are an inspiration!

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  47. Lovely page. Your home made embellishment turned out just beautiful.

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  48. Had to re-read your journalling, was smiling ear to ear! How blessed you are to have such a beautiful family and he he there's a little fox behind your ear even if it's a loving one :)) You truly are a story teller Helen, a marvellous one too!! always look forward to your well told stories and beautifully elegant pages!! Good luck with the hop, cheerio Miss Helen! Mwah!

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  49. Adorable layout with an equally adorable story, Thankyou for sharing Tx

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  50. As always a nice story with your layout! I like most of all about you always give your comment on everybodys pages. You take the time for it and that is just friendly. So no matter or it is nice or ugly, you cheer people up. Bye bye, have a nice sunday!

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  51. Beautiful, wish we could all do as good a work to make our layouts POP as you have. Thanks. Great giveway

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  52. I love your LO. The background to how it became so and the journalling that goes with it are so wonderfully written that I'm absorbed into your world for a little while - thank you so much for sharing.

    Sarahxx

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  53. I just love reading your journalling and the meaning behind the layout. And I love the new blog look too!

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  54. I love reading your journalling and getting the story behind the layout-something I still struggle with. Congratulations on the new look blog too-very you!

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  55. This layout does your beautiful family justice -- just lovely.

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  56. What a beautiful LO Helen. Love all the details. I am a fan of all your work. Fantastic blog!!!!! Love the header. Congrats!!!! Love those goodies too.
    Huggies
    Rachelle

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  57. I always love your stories, full of smiles and life. Hugs,

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  58. Beautiful page and I always always enjoy your stories :o)

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  59. Hello my friend.. I have had trouble trying to find your blog, this is the fisrt time in ages taht Ive been able to find it ????? You have such a wonderful way with words, and this LO is gorgeous...
    hugs
    Karen

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  60. I loved your idea of using all the tiny stars cut from the same color paper & grouped together to create extra texture. Love being inspired by new ideas from all the talented designers in this hop! Thanx & I hope I win!

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