Saturday 26 January 2013

56 - CSI Challenge- Smile & Birthday Blog Hop




_________________________________________________________________________________
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

Saturday 19 January 2013

55- CSI challenge - Dream


CSI is celebrating it's first Birthday all this month, with lots of new challenges and a blog hop starting next week. There are prizes to be won so why not come over and be part of the fun?




As part of the Birthday Celebrations, we were invited to scrap lift an element or design from the very first CSI challenge in January 2012

I was inspired by Em Stafrace and her design called “Taking Time”, especially the resist misting, linking the two other elements.  As often happens, my page, took off on a direction of it’s own, but I used Em’s page to kick start my ideas.   Thanks Emma...love your work.


Here is my take on the challenge. 


And a close up




EVIDENCE
Flowers
Leaves
Diamond shapes
Tone on tone
Faux stitching
Scallops
Plain white back ground (to begin with)

TESTIMONY
The journalling is on a tag behind the photo.  I used the inspiration word favourite as my prompt. The journalling reads:-

Even though you love playing with your brothers, you also enjoy time out to dream. On this day, you sat in your favourite spot under the camellia tree and quietly pondered the mysteries of life.  When the others are around, you tussle for toys and attention, often with a shriek loud enough to split an atom. It was lovely to see you sit still with the little stone dog in the flower bed.  You gave him sloppy kisses on the nose and talked in dog, as only toddlers can do. So sweet.  Love Granny

Thanks for calling in to say Hello and for any comments you care to leave.

MATERIALS
Kaisercraft patterned paper, Marigold Collection, lemon
Bazzil Cardstock, white
Prima flowers
Imaginarium Chipboard, alpahas
Scrapmatts Chipboard, Leaves
Prima paint, Branch bark
Ranger Acrylic paint dabbers, Snow cap, Lemonade, Sail boat blue
Tattered Angels Glimmermist, Blue skies, Patina, Key lime pie
Royal Coat, dimensional magic
Fiskars punch, Apron Lace
Kaisercraft Stamps, Botanical 
Kaisercraft blooms
Signature Sensations, Mini flowers
Collection, Butterfly Prints 0458, Vintage 0500, Chambry 0522, Angelic 0529
Prima stamp, #544980
The Crafter’s Workshop, Harlequin, Gathered flowers
Atelier, Gesso
Derivan Impasto, Medium
Prima, Ingvilde Bolme, distressing tool

Saturday 12 January 2013

54 - CSI challenge - Play


It’s Birthday month at CSI, with different things happening every week. You get the chance to win a prize, just by entering the challenge.




This week as well as the colour challenge, we have a stunning sketch, by Emma Stafrace from Page Drafts. 

CSI Case File - 54 Play

I loved the sketch and was rocking along, almost finished when I took it one step too far with the mixed media and created MUD!....Yikes....disaster....I had no more red paper and there was none in the shop....so go to plan B.   I don't like it nearly as much, but I've leant my lesson...lol
A couple of close ups, I made the heart flower with a Carl punch to echo the hearts on the patterned paper.

The chevrons didn't photograph very well, but they look good in real life.



EVIDENCE
Mixed Media back ground
Doodling
String

TESTIMONY
Hand written journalling

THE JOURNALLING READS
At the adventure playground you put aside your innate caution about heights and climbed the BIG slippery dip.  You sped down, squealing with delight and immediately scrambled up for another turn.  You loved the tyre swings and the swing bridge too.  Fresh air, sunshine and your favourite hat; a perfect recipe for a happy day. Love Granny

MATERIALS USED
Glitz Design, Cashmere Dame Cherries, (reverse)
Bo Bunny, Love Letter Keys (reverse)
Bo Bunny, Love Letter's Stripe
Bazzil Card Stock, black, blue and yellow
Treasures Cardstock, Papyrus
Spellbinders, Standard Circles Large
Spellbinders, Grommet tags
American Crafts, Thickers, Rainboots
Tomorrow's Memories, Twine
Ranger distress ink, Black soot
The Crafter's Workshop Stencil, Chevron
Pan Pastel, Raw Umber
Carl punch, heart shape
Color box ink, Lipstick red
Prima ink, Coltsfoot Stemens
Washi tape, black and white chevron, Craft Queen
Washi tape, red star, Craft Queen
Prima, distressing tool 
Faber-Castell, brown pen

TFL and for any comments you may care to leave.  I appreciate each and every one of them. 


Saturday 5 January 2013

53 - CSI Challenge Adorable

This is the new colour challenge over at CSI
These purple and lavender shades are never my "go to" colours and I wasn't sure what to do with them at first.  Fortunately I had this photo to work with and I love the way it turned out.


We looked after Esther overnight and the photo was taken in the bath, the 5.2 seconds she actually sat down in the water.  She loves to walk around, splash and do anything but get washed.  Don't let the innocent smile fool you !!

I used a sketch by the very talented Emma Stafrace to kick start my mojo.  Thanks Em.




A little closeup of the flower


EVIDENCE
Flowers
Metal, on the star
Scallops
Tea cup accent

TESTIMONY
Write a Haiku inspired by the thre main elements in the picture.
I’ve never written a Haiku....you might think I still haven’t, but I hope it’s on the right track!

THE HAIKU READS
Esther, your sweet smile,
Like tea and a sweet cupcake,
Charms both heart and soul.

PRODUCTS
Bazzil cardstock, blue and white
Artee Stardream, Amethyst
Artee Stardream, Lilac Polka Dot
Basic Gray Alphas, 3984
Fab Scraps, “Marie Antoinette, Purple Tea Party”, patterned paper
Fab Scraps, “Marie Antoinette, Blue Musical”, patterned paper
Prima, “Tea-Thyme Collection “Challis”
Magnolia Doohickey, Doily Flowers die
Magnolia Doohickey, Rose Leaf
Spellbinders, Classic Scalloped Circles
Prima, Say it in crystals
Tim Holtz Distess Ink, Milled Lavender
Metal Star, unknown
Blue & White Washi Tape, Craft Queen
TFL and for any comments you may care to leave.  I appreciate you dropping in  :)