Scrapbooking Made Simple

This is a layout that I did using a few strips of patterned paper (left overs) and lots of Kaisercraft flowers and bling.  I stamped my title and then using chalks coloured it in.  Stamping a title is a very cheap way to do your title. I love this photo. We had them taken at the local shops last mothers day.  The shopping centre took the photos and gave them to us free if we had shopped in the centre. When I sat the kids up to do the photo baby girl (DD2) didn't want to sit without me so I had to get in on the shot. But it is nice to now have a Mothers day photo!

I recently attended my local scrapbooking store http://scrapbooking.arnolds.net.au/  to do a class on making paper flowers. This was by far the best money I've ever spent on a class. I do love their cardmaking classes but this was just wonderful!  You will start to see quite a few examples of these flowers on my layouts. (Once I like something I tend to overdo it... I do think I have a problem though when it starts to show up on every layout I do... then it's time to do another class LOL). The reason I love this class is because it makes it easier add embellishments to your page that perfectly match your layout and to save money as well.  After all paper is the cheapest scrapbooking supply of all so what cheaper way to embellish your layout than with paper? For some techniques on making paper flowers go to scrapbook.com and check out their video gallery. This is a fabulous resource for many great technique videos and tutorials.

I love this set of free paper piecing templates. I especially love that there are some great examples of how they've been used. Check it out. http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/printables/paper-piecing/

y This is one of the cheapest pages I have ever done..... well cheapest in terms of cost to me..... the only thing purchased for this page is the monkey head and the letters for monkey. The rest of the page is all left over from a class we did at retreat..... (Perfect in Every Way is the name of that guided page). This is the moment that my pages started using pop dots so prolifically. During the guided class the teacher did several different heights of elements and title. This is one of the reasons I'd say to anyone if you are at a retreat and there is a guided layout being done by everyone and you don't like the finished product or the colour scheme being used... or whatever..... just do it anyway as you never know what you might get out of the class "artistically" speaking.

Well this time I really mean it when I say SIMPLE... LOL This layout uses one piece of patterned paper from another DCWV paper stack. I simply used my craft knife to cut around some elements of the pattern on the paper to allow me to slip the photos behind the cut out elements. I used buttons and flowers and ribbon to decorate the page and foam thickers from the $2 shop to add my tittle. I also used a Kaisercraft stamp to journal the page.

This layout was one I did while away on retreat. It was very quick and easy. I used two pieces of patterned paper from the DCWV paper stack Baby Girl papers and a plain piece of cardstock from the Brights Paper Stack (available at Big W). A fiskars border punch was used as well as a sizzix die. The embellishments were all simply cut from paper. Making your own embellishments from paper is another way to save money on your layouts. Often it's the "extra's" we add to a page that really push the cost of your page up. Don't believe me? Try costing out your page next time and see what the most expensive things are on the page.

  This layout was lots of fun to do and only uses one small strip of patterned paper (DCWV) and one strip of plain paper (red) on plain white cardstock. It's a great layout to use up your leftover pieces of paper. I punched a circle with a border from the red paper using a circle border punch from Fiskars and placed it under the stamped image (journalling stamp from KairserCraft). I have stamped the same thing several times so I could cup out elements of the stamps and pop these up on the page. I used left over alphabet stickers for the title and then hand sewed part of the title. I used an embroidery thread and have purposefully made the sewing very rustic. The final touch was a rub on (Priceless Moments). Which was a left over from another project. Every now and then it's a good idea to go through all those left overs and see what you can create with them. I know it's hard when there are so many yummy new goodies in store each week but it's really the most economica

This is a layout I did whilst away on retreat. It is a very special layout to me as it shows my mum giving me away on my wedding day. I used some chipboard letters I bought at KMart and the patterned paper is a piece of flocked paper I got from the $2 shop. I typed my journalling on acetate and added this to the page as well as journalling inside a stamped image which I cut out of co-ordinating plain paper. I did this same technique for the butterfly. I also stamped directly onto the background. The edge of the background paper was scalloped using a fiskars border punch.

  Another multiple photo layout.  This is a double page layout and again very simple. I am unsure of the manufacturer of the paper I used, it is a colourful paper with lots of different colour hibiscus flowers all over it.  The title is made up of a variety of stickers and chipboard letters that I got from the discount store for $2. The embellishments are just flowers cut from the patterned paper and stuck back in place using pop dots.  This is one of those layouts that i love because of the story it tells. DD2 had her first day at the beach and loved it. She looked so cute in her bikini. I especially love all the lovely pinchable bits of her. SO CUTE!  Then DD2 decided to try sand in her diet. Well the big kids cracked up.  So she kept on eating it!  A great day all round. 

 This layout of our trick or treating one Halloween is very simple. As I like to use multiple photos on a layout I simply trimed the photos then placed them on the page. I filled in the spaces with different patterned papers and inked the edges to give definition. I have used a corner rounder on each of the photos and patterned papers from the DCWV Linen Closete range. Of course I used the Wall Decore and More Cartridge for my cricuit to cut the owl, skull and title letters.

Diecuts With A View 12 by 12 Citrus Solid Coordinates Diecuts With A View Citrus Premium Mat Stack PROVO CRAFT Well Décor & More\ Cricut Wall Decor Shape Cartridge Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Lace Heart Love is a layout I put together using DCWV paper /citrus stack 8 x 8 and of course my cricuit cartridge wall decore and more. Are you noticing a pattern here? LOL. I do get a bit of over use on a product or technique if it becomes a favourite.  Sorry guys...  anyway: I also used the martha stewart lace hearts border punch. Everyone is dressed to match because we were going to an event that was themed red so when we got home I took advantage of this and got some photos done so I could use these papers. Which just goes to show how obsessed I am about my scrapbooking LOL! Anyone else have this problem?

This layout was done using the DCWV Citrus Cardstock Matstack (4.5 x 6.5inches) and the DCWV Citrus patterned paper Stack 8 x 8. I also used one sheet of cardstock as my background. Again I have used the Cricuit Cartridge Wall Decore and More. I love using my cricuit as it means I am making elements for my design that match perfectly and saving money.  I also love using kits or matching papers from the same range whenever possible as the colour match of elements in the design are then absolutely exact! Which I do love.  On this layout I also used a stamp from stampin up which says "You're never more than a thought away". Which is one of those sayings that comes in handy on a variety of layouts and cards... probably my most used stamp at the moment.

This is a great pad of papers from Grace Taylor called Splish Splash... which is kind of funny when you consider I named my layout the same thing and didn't event realise it. I named my layout as this was a phrase on the cricuit cartridge.... you guessed it "Wall Decor and More".  I also used  martha stewart border punches on the thin strips of patterned paper.  Apart from the embellishments from this kit I also addes the little gold starfish.

PROVO CRAFT Well Décor & More\ Cricut Wall Decor Shape Cartridge I did this layout of DD2 and DS1 and called it "So Tweet" ... for three reasons. One because he is so sweet with his littlest sister 2. because the ribbons and elements of this Francheville Kit called Cutie Pie had lots of birds featured on it and 3. because this is one of the "Phrases" available on the Cricuit Cartridge Wall Decor and More... this is one of my favourite cartridges.  You get so much on this cartridge!  I also added a crochet piece on this layout. This is a piece my mum did many years ago. She would of been starting a doily for someone and checking the colour of the cotton and trying out the design. I'm so glad I have lots of these little pieces to add to my scrapbooking. They make the pages even more special.

Hope everyone is enjoying their labour day long weekend. We're having a really great autumn. Last weekend Easter Weekend) we managed to take the kids away camping for a night... What fun that was. I specifically didn't plan anything and left it all to chance to get the kids less focused on the "plans".. you know roll with the punches, be more spontaneous! Well I think they finally got the hang of it.  I got some good photos to chronicle it and hope to journal that page in detail to always remind them to be more spontaneous and have fun with life. This weekend we took a day out to go up the coast and drove to Moffat Beach. This was such a fabulous spot with a really cool little wadding puddle that is created above the shoreline. It's the perfect spot for the littlies to paddle. We had a really great day and even took some fabulous photos for DDH to paint us a picture. We're even more determined to encourage him in his painting now (he recently took up oils,

This is a favourite layout of mine. I'm not sure if it really shows up well in this photo but the photo on the left I have hand cut elements of it and created a 3D effect. I painted, stamped, inked and glittered the Z/s to get different effects. The background paper is just a plain piece of paper that I have stamped and inked the edge of the page using white ink. The Winnie the Pooh chipboard elements are by Sandylion and were purchased from a Discount  shop and only cost me $2. Sandylion Winnie The Pooh Chipboard Medley, 22 Per Package