Christmas Pics (WARNING MANY MANY PHOTOS)

Hi all. I hope you had a great Christmas. I know I did. I had my ONE WEEK ANNUAL WEEK OFF !!!
Yes thats right only one week per year. I own a Scrapbook Shop & for nearly six years now, that is all I get off. One week per year.  Thats the world of self employment. Lucky that  I  LOVE my job. I haven't had a chance to scrap as my hubby has been off with me & I think he would have a hissy fit if I started scrapping on our one & only week off together. I am sitting here with a glass of wine & some yummy Xmas chocolates. I could definately get used to this!!! Seeing I haven't got any layouts to share I thought I would just show you all some pics I took on Christmas morning before all the family arrived while everything was all tidy & organised. One hour later it all looked like a military zone!!! but hey that is what Christmas is all about. We did have a wonderful day.

These were some gorgeous flowers that Alison & Mark that own Green Tara sent me on Christmas Eve, to say thanks for co ordinating  their Design Team for the year. Thanks guys they looked beautiful as a table centre on the big day. I thought I would show you around, so come on in.......This is the front door.

I am so lucky to live in a beautiful part of NSW Central Coast,  right on the coastline backing onto all natural bushland. We are only a stones throw to the beach, not that I get to go there much these days.

Our house is all timber & glass over looking all the bushhland. This was our Christmas table before the mayhem. Such a shame to mess it all up.

These pics were taken from my kitchen looking out across the dining area out onto the deck.

I thought I would show you a couple of pics looking down from the deck onto the pool area, & the bush beyond. It  truely is a great little spot to live,  being up so high & backing onto all the lovely Aussie bushland. When we moved here nearly 13 years ago there was not a plant insight. We had just got back from a holiday in Port Douglas in far north Queensland & I decided I would like to create a little bit of the tropics in my own backyard. I have landscaped all the gardens myself. I planted every single plant & I have to say that I do love it so, although now I work such long hours  my hubby Chris has taken over the upkeep.

I hope I haven't bored you too much with my snapshots, but as I said earlier in this post, I haven't done any scrapping while I have been on hols & having nothing else to blog post with, I though I would share these with you all. I hope everyone has a great New Years Eve tonight & above all, stay safe.
Happy New Year.   Cheers Di  xoxoxo

Great NEWS to Share...

 

Hi everyone, I am so excited to share my NEWS with you all. I received an email last night telling me I have been accepted on the KRAFT IT UP  Creative Team, starting February.   I am so excited & so honored to create along side such a  talented  team of girls. I just can't wait to get started.
Cheers Di  xx

Scrap the Boys December Challenge "Ho Ho Ho"

Hi everyone. I think this is my last challenge to finish before Christmas. This one is for Scrap the Boys. This months criteria was a colour challenge. The colours were red, green, white & aqua. After some considerable pondering I decided to go with stars for my theme. I have used loads of Gesso, paint & Glimmermist.

I have cut out all my stars, thrown in a few die cuts & used this fab new ribbon from Green Tara which I love.
Lastly  I have  splashed some paint around the edges just to finish it off.

I hope you like my layout. Until next time. Have a Merry Christmas & be safe.    Cheers Di  xx

The Color Room Pallette #89 "Daughters are So Special"

Hello again. Trying to get all of my monthly challenges up before Chrissy. This is my layout for this weeks challenge #89 over at The Color Room. This weeks colour pallete just grabbed me. I am not a blue person normally, aqua yes, but I never scrap in blue but when I saw Belinda Spencers layout for this challenge I was just so inspired to give blue a go. So yet again, thanks so much Belinda for all the inspiration. Aren't we so lucky to have such great challenge blogs like the "Color Room" to challenge & inspire us & to push us out of our comfort zone. I just LOVE doing these challenges, & I have to say I think it also pushes your creativity too.

I have done my signature distressing, I actually struggle, not distressing these days, I just love distressed edges so much. I suppose it is just a "phase" I am going through!! I have misted in white, I do love this white mist. I have also sewn all my edges if you look closely. I have used some lovely NEW chippie mesh, this one was only released last week & I am rather keen on it. I have die cut that lovely blue doiley you can see in the background as well as the corrugated one. I have splashed lots of Gesso on all my other pieces, and all in all I am rather pleased with the end result. This was one of those layouts that just came together easy. I wish they all did!!!

Until next time, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas & New Year, be safe & see you all back here in Blog land soon.       
Cheers Di  xx

Yeah I was a Winner at Kraft It Up

Oh W.O.W. I just found out I was a winner this month over at Kraft It Up. I am so excited. Thanks to all the D.T. that voted for my layout. I just love playing along each month & I get so much inspiration from not only the D.T. but also all the girls that play along. This "Blog Land" community sure is a good one. It is so wonderful to be a part of such a great community of like minded girls. Thanks again girls, please except my heartfelt thanks. Cheers Di  xxx

The Color Room Challenge #88 "Merry Christmas"

Hi everyone. Just trying to get all my layouts done before Chrissy. This is my layout for challenge #88 over at The Color Room. This weeks challenge was a lovely Christmas colour pallette. I have completely pulled this layout apart three times before I was finally happy with it!! Don't you hate it when that happens?  I have gone a little crazy with all my embellies & haven't left much negative space, but I had this  gorgeous box of embellies from K&Co. that I have been dying to use. I just wanted to put them all on, the big snowman is actually the lid from one of the boxes. Way too nice to waste.  I thought I showed marvelous restraint. NOT!!! I just couldn't stop. I do think this is definately a sickness!!!

Aren't they cute. I do love them. Anyway enough of my ramblings. I have used this photo of a friend of mines grandchildren, they just look so sweet. I have thrown some paint around & trimmed the page with some yummy Green Tara ribbon & sparkly beaded trims which I just simply tied a bow with.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I do hope you like my layout. Until next time. Merry Christmas.
Cheers Di  xx

Kraft It Up December Challenge "Christmas Photo Shoot"

 Hi everyone. Today I have just finished my layout for this months challenge over at Kraft It Up. This months challenge was to scrap a "Christmas Tradition". I have to say I do have several various Christmas traditions, but the one I have decided to go with was my annual "Christmas Photo Shoot". Hey I know we all do a photo shoot at this time of year so I wasn't very original but I do love these pics of me with my little fat Staffy "Poppy". I only have sons so I always say she is the daughter I never had!!! Sad isn't it, but thats what being an "empty nester" can do to you!! You all have gorgeous pics of your kids, I have Poppy & I.  I do loooooove her to pieces, & she looks so cute in her Christmas hat.

I am very pleased with these colours. I took a little inspiration from Julie Winks layout. Thanks Julie. Isn't it great to have such a talented  DT to draw inspiration from. I have done my signature distressing, a few paint effects, some sewing & then added some sparkle seeing it is Christmas.

 Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I hope you like my layout. Until next time. Merry Christmas.
Cheers Di & Poppy    xx

White With 1 December Challenge "Merry & Bright"

Hi everyone. Today I have a Christmas layout to share with you. This is for the December challenge over at White With 1. I can't believe it is almost Christmas!!! This year has just gone so fast. This months criteria was taking  inspiration from a Christmas paper. I have used a lovely Allison Ellis foil holly paper & I have teamed it with white cardstock.

On the white card I have used a stencil with Gesso & loads of Glimmermist & Glimmer Glaze to achieve the yummy snowflakes. I love the dimension of the Gesso. (Thanks again Stacey Young for the inspiration, Stacey is sooo the queen of Gesso).

I have used 2 Crafty chippie words & Reindeer which I painted white & then gave a coat of Glimmer Glaze to add sparkle, although I don't think you can see the sparkles all over the page in the pics!! I have also used lots of Diamond Dust on both the scalloped circle & the snowflakes to simulate snow. Lastly I have done my signature distressing, sewing, used lots of both Green Tara & Prima flowers & if you look closely at the flowers you will see lots of little Green Tara crystal sprays. I just love these. Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I do hope you like this layout. Until next time, Merry Christmas.        Cheers Di  xx

Yeah Yeah I was "Featured" in The Color Room Challenge #87

Yeah!!!!  I am so excited. I just looked on the blog over at The Color Room & to my surprise I was one of this weeks "Featured" layouts. Thanks so much to the DT girls over at TCR who voted for my layout. You all inspire the rest of us so much & I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say what a fantastic weekly challenge site TCR is. Great pallettes & great sketches too. Also thanks to everyone for all your wonderful comments you have  left me over there. Thanks so much. They really do mean so much to me.   Merry Christmas  Di  xxx

The Color Room Challenge #87 "She's All That"

Hi everyone. Wow I am having withdrawals. I haven't blogged for 11 days. My laptop is in being repaired plus  I've been so busy I just haven't had a chance, so I thought I would squeeze this weeks The Color Room challenge in. I just adore this weeks pallette.  It is aqua, yellow, white & silver. Sooo pretty. These are some photos of a friends daughter I have been wanting to do & I thought they were just begging for this colour pallette.

I am really pleased how my brick wall turned turned out. I used a stencil with a Gesso & Glimmermist, actually I thought I would try a few of Stacey Young's gorgeous techniques with Gesso. I have pretty much put it on everything, lots of fun & I will definately have another go at this. Loved it.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by. Until next time.   Cheers Di xx

Kraft It Up November Challenge "Dreams"

Hi again everyone. I am really on a roll at the moment. I seem to be scrapping up a storm. This is my layout I did for this months Kraft It Up challenge. This months criteria was journaling in various ways. On my layout I have chosen to create several tags in different shapes & sizes for my journaling & to group them together in a cluster as an embellishment. I absolutely adore these photos of my Godaughter when she was pregnant & thought they would be perfect for my layout, I have been wanting to scrap these for ages & just hadn't got around to it. I was very inspired to do a layout in yellows by Belinda Spencer. She has done a couple lately & they looked so beautiful & I have to say that  it is a colour that I don't normally use. So thanks for the inspiration Belinda.

I have done lots of layering, I so love to scrap with several layers, I suppose this is just part of my style. I have also done lots of edge distressing, sewing, stamping  & Glimmermisting .

I have used lots of yummy raw chippies including the Chicken Wire & a Viney Flourish both of which I have cut up. I have also included lots of little bits of  "natural" types of things from hessian to doileys & lace (both of which I misted to get the correct colour) etc etc. I am really happy with this page as it really meant a lot to me as she is a very special girl to us & I so wanted to do her justice with this layout with these very special photos. I hope you like it too. Until next time.   Cheers Di  xx

The Color Room Challenge #85 "Love You"

Hi everyone. Here is my layout I have just finished for this weeks challenge over at The Color Room. This weeks colours were pinks, yellow & white. Such a pretty pallette. Thanks to all the girls at The Color Room for continually coming up with such inspirational pallettes & sketches. This layout I based very loosley on the sketch.

I have used a corrugated background which I have Glimmermisted in two colours & I am rather pleased how it came out. I have also die cut my three circle doileys, tiny butterflies  & these little leaf sprays. I have thrown in some chippie pieces (as always) I do love my chippies. I have also made a couple of handmade flowers as well.  Hope you like it. Thanks for popping in. Until next time.
Cheers Di  xx

Scrap the Boys November Challenge "Charlotte Pass Juniors

Hello everyone. Just sharing my layout I have just finished for this months challenge over at "Scrap the Boys". This months criteria is to "Show your Team Colours", any sport.  I thought long & hard & decided to think outside the square & instead of football & soccer, which I have heaps of, I have opted to do this one of my eldest son Beau. These pics were taken way back & he was in a junior ski team. They are great action shots which were just perfect for this challenge.

I really enjoyed doing this layout. I have used  lots of misting, paint, sewing, edge distressing. I have also stamped all of the stars. I have even sparkled up these snow flakes although I don't think you can see it in these pics. Thanks to the team at STB for such a great challenge. I have really enjoyed playing along this month, after all, it made me do these pics which up until now were just waitng to be done. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.
Cheers Di  xx

Lets Get Shabby November Challenge "Enjoy the Moments"

Hi everyone, I have just finished my layout for "Lets Get Shabby". Talk about cutting it fine. I only saw this challenge at lunch time today & it finishes at midnight tonight!!!  I loved the concept, so I thought I would give it a go. Now the criteria was to do "Monochromatic" but absolutely no other colour eg. black, white, Kraft etc. is allowed. I love monochromatic, but not to be able to put a touch of a neutral with it was extremely hard!!! Anyway I managed to do it & I must say I am rather pleased the result.

As you can see I chose to do green as it is my favourite colour. I have used many different shades of green & used lots of different mediums on my chippies to achieve some textures. In these pics it looks like there is a brown in this paper but I swear it is a dark green. There is absolutely no other colour on this layout other than green.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by & look. I hope you like it. Until next time.     Cheers Di  xx

White With 1 November Challenge "A Special Day"

Hello everyone. I have just finished my AMENDED layout for the current challenge over at White With 1. I had finished this layout about  two weeks ago & posted it to their blog but I just wasn't happy with it!! So I have tweeked it, slightly changed it & now I am finally happy with it. This months criteria was white (as always) plus one bright colour plus flowers. As you can see I have chosen turquoise as my colour. I had this beautiful photo of a friends daughter that I thought would be perfect, she makes such a beautiful bride.
  I have used a gorgeous  2 Crafty  chip circle flourish as my focal point & I have given it a serious makeover using different mediums & several paints. I have to say I am very pleased with how it turned out.

 I have also used lots of yummy Green Tara large roses & Flower Sprays that I have Glimmermisted various shades of aqua then accented in gold to match the chippies. I have also used small Green Tara white roses & these gorgeous Green Tara Crystal Sprays. I so love these little blings!!

I have done lots of misting, although most of it is covered unfortunately(I changed my mind half way through) on both my background & on my doileys, I have sewn & done lots of edge distressing too. I am very happy how this page has turned out & I hope that you like it too. Until next time.
Cheers Di  xx

The Color Room Pallette #84 "Daughters are so Special"

Hi everyone. Here is  my layout for the current challenge over at The Color Room. I haven't really blogged for a couple of weeks as I have been really busy with my shop & DT. work, but I have caught up so I can start this month fresh.  I do love this neutral pallette.

 I always love a natural pallette with raw corrugated cardboard, hessian, muslin, raw chippies, string & more &  I do love this big hessian bow.

 I have continued with the hessian theme by using it on my little banner as well, but by accessorising with these tiny flowers,  I think it gives a nice balance & a touch of feminity.

I love the way this photo has dappled light accross her face so I have placed some little twig things beside her so it gives the illusion that they are casting the shadows, that is the theory anyway!!! Thanks  so much for stopping by & any comments you may care to leave. I hope you like this  layout.
Until next time.   Cheers Di  xx