Birdworld

PageMaps blog is having another sketch challenge. The prize is 16 pieces of chipboard from Dusty Attic as well as an ornate shadow box kit. So, since this one was open to people all over the world, I decided to enter. This is the result.

I liked the sketch,
but had trouble choosing the paper to use. Once that was chosen though, the rest came together quite quickly. In the end I used a piece of patterned paper from a recently purchased pad of (Garden Party)papers from DCWV. The blue flowers in the corners matched perfectly the SU blue paper I had already chosen to use! I added some feathers that I had bought on a whim, as well as the Scrapmatts birds that I purchased at the Craft Fair at the beginning of the month. I added a couple of leaves made with the SU bird punch, and coloured the birds with my Sakura pens. I drew a quick border around the pictures, added the silver brad letters title, and a Dymo subtitle. The journalling I put on a journalling sticker from one of my SU Simply Scrappin kits. It reads:
While Gary read his paper outside, I spent an hour or so with the birds at Birdworld. Since the blue & gold macaw loves chewing it was suggested that I remove my earrings before going in! Just as well. Sam the black cockatoo was just content to sit on my shoulders.
Here are a couple more shots.


And here's a shot of the blue & gold macaw chewing my hat, and thankfully not my earrings as I had taken them off. Apparently a woman lost her stud earrings earlier in the day because she didn't take them off, but the bird did!

Till next time, happy days!

Francine

It's never too late I guess...

I had decided that I was going to apply for the Design Team on a new challenge blog called Southern Girls Challenge, especially for ladies down under. Well, I didn't read the instructions properly! I'm so used to entering challenges that close at midnight, that I didn't take in that the challenge ended at 3pm (New Zealand time)! I haven't had any time to work on the layout until today, the last day, although I knew exactly what I was going to do. Anyway, long story short, by the time I finished it and went to send the email I saw the post "Call closed". So, instead of entering the DT call, I'm just showing all of you what I made. Hope you like it - I really do! Gary even says it's one of my better layouts!

Remember this layout I made from a sketch from Beggahuna? Well, I liked that sketch so much that I had to use it again. This layout turned out completely different. For starters this picture is landscape as in the sketch rather than portrait like the last one. I used lots of chipboard painted with Twinkling H2Os and/or my new Sakura pens (bought at the Craft show at the beginning of the month). For the circle, this time I used a piece of wire strung with beads. One of my friends, Lainie, is competing in a challenge at the moment that required you to use wire, so that gave me the idea. The background paper is from the Halloween Spotlight kit from Breezy, and the green papers are from Stampin Up! I borrowed my neighbour's eyelet border punch (thanks Katrina, I promise to return it soon!) to use on the cardstock strip, and put a Kaszazz rubon on there as well. The big butterfly at the bottom comes from the craft fair too, and was also coloured with my new Sakura pens. In fact, I went a bit crazy with the pens. I love the sparkle! The sparkle from the Twinkling H2Os is sooooo much more subtle and less obvious! But, it's great to match up embellishments. I used it on the chipboard, as well as the large butterfly, the Tim Holtz grungeboard letters (love them!) and the little bead butterflies. Those butterfly beads were actually blue and a funny creamy orange colour before I painted them.

Anyway, want to see some close ups? Here they are:


Sorry about the quality of some of these shots. They were taken indoors at night, not the best conditions in which to take pictures like these.

Well, I have set my sights on several more competitions that all need to be done before the end of the month, so I better hop to it!

By the way, in case you were wondering, the picture on the layout was taken at Floriade last year (Sept 2009). It's a tradition in our family - every year I take a picture of the kids in the flowers just outside the gate to Floriade. Last year, I even convinced Gary to come along. We brought the tripod along too, set the the timer on the camera, and, hooray, a whole family shot! Maybe it will work this year again - only 2 weeks to wait till Floriade opens for this year to find out. Hopefully the rain will stop before then - I've had enough!

Till next time, happy days!

Francine

Want to win some blog candy?

Everybody loves blog candy don't they? Well, my online friend Ingeborg is running a competition of a differnt sort this month - she's giving away the chance for some blog candy just for linking to her site. Here's what she's giving away:

The pack contains:
An acrylic block for your clear stamps
Chipboard Shapes 'Turn, turn, turn, a time for love' (Buzz & Bloom)
Chipboard Shapes 'Pointers: Swirly Snails' (22 pieces, Buzz & Bloom)
Chipboard 'Corner Flourishes' (Buzz & Bloom)
Glue Sticker Sheet for flocking or glitter 'Dingbats' (Around the Block)
Flowers 'Blossoms' (Making Memories)
Clear Stamps 'Emotion' (Heidi Swapp)
Flowers 2 packs: green and pink (KaiserCraft)
Pearls green (KaiserCraft)
Rubons 'Baby' (KaiserCraft)
Rubons 'Months' (KaiserCraft)
Rubons 'Urban Threads' (TLC)
Clear Stamps 'Doodled Frames' (KaiserCraft)
Clear Stamps 'Christian' (Scripture by Design)

What a fabulous prize! And Ingeborg is always so lovely that even though she lives in Europe she opens her competitions to people all over the world!

The other parts of the competition are
1. you need to become a follower of her site, which I can do now since she created a way to follow her other than through facebook (which I'm not on - so thanks for adding that functionality Ingeborg!);
2. post a picture of the blog candy on your blog and add a link to her blog on yours;
3. leave a comment on her blog with your link and an idea for next month's competition. My idea is to create a layout with at least 5 photos on it, at least one of which must be 4"x6"/10cm x 15cm or bigger.

So why not join in the fun - go check out her blog here. Hopefully you'll join her for next month's competition too (whatever that may be - the winner of this blog candy will determine that!). You can get to her blog from the link on my sidebar at anytime.

I haven't had any time for scrapping lately and there are several competitions I want to enter with one due today, so I better get to it!

Till next time, happy days!

Francine