March Guest Designer at Tidbitz In Time + new Bird Is The Word challenge

Happy Monday everyone!

The March kit from Tidbitz In Time has been released, and this month I am a Guest Designer over there. I showed you some sneaks of the kit I was working with and it is simply beautiful! It is packed with Prima flowers, Basic Grey Curio, and a few other lovely things!

 I have made 4 layouts and 2 cards with it so far, but today I can only show you one which is for the latest Bird Is The Word challenge. The word this time is *BEAUTIFUL*. You need to create a project using this word in your title or incorporating in your journalling somehow.

Here is my Design Team layout using the March Tidbitz In Time kit and the word BEAUTIFUL...

Journalling: You are my beautiful, gorgeous, sweet, loving, lovable, funny, adorable and much much loved baby girl 

and some close ups...

      

The big denim flower I have used is from Pretty Petals . Did you know that Pretty Petals has a flat rate postage cost of AUS$4.95 for Australia and AUS$6.95 for the rest of the world? These flowers are so unique and they come in such a variety of colours to suit any style. Don't forget that there is a Pretty Petals Club as well for 3, 6 or 12 months. You get an amazing pack of flowers every month at a much discounted rate than purchasing them outright.

Before I go, here is one of the 2 cards I made with this kit...

Be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has done over at Bird is The Word. You have 2 weeks to upload your entry to be in the running for an awesome prize from Tidbitz In Time..

See you tomorrow, where I will share with you my Kraft It Up DT layout using this kit!

Bye!!!

Last day for GIVEAWAY + Twisted Sketches Card...

Hi everyone...it is a peaceful Sunday afternoon at my house right now and I am stealing a few minutes to remind you that you have just a day left to enter my giveaway (click here) ! Due to time differences I will extend it to Tuesday March 1st - Sydney time- , which will still be Monday February 28th for the rest of the world since we are ALMOST a day ahead here than some places around the world....Does that make sense?

Now remember, just upload a link to your blog in the comments section of the giveaway blog post, sharing your scrap area. If you have done an older post that's fine...you don't need to take new photos or do a new post on your blog! I am just interested in learning where everyone scraps..and from the sounds of it everyone else is as well..so this has been SO interesting and so much fun for me. THANKS to the people that have already posted their links. Your names are on the list ..please tell me if I have forgotten you..

Also remember these are the 2 kits I am giving away and please remember to be a follower so that if your name is drawn you know you have won!

So quickly on to a card I made for this funky and cool blog I have only just discovered called Twisted Sketches . Just yesterday twisted card sketch #48 was posted on their blog and it was this sketch together with the added criteria of using'" folds" on your card!

Remember I told you I have really started enjoying making cards again..and this was so inviting ...and  I had a desk full of supplies..so here is my card.

So that's my card with its matching envelope!

And you might notice that the sentiment on my cards usually reads "FOR YOU"...that's so that I can use these cards I make for any occasion...

So that's it! Hope you had a wonderful weekend....ours is almost coming to an end..and the dreaded Sunday night depression is creeping in. Oh well..

Bye for now.

Blogger Issues + Color Combos Galore #181

Hi there everyone. I hope you had a lovely week and hope you have an even better weekend.

I just wanted to let you all know of an issue I have been having with "FOLLOWING" people on blogger. A couple of days ago I went to manually add a blog to my following list on blogger dashboard and it didnt allow me to add it. Instead I got a message saying "you are following the maxinum amount of blogs..unfollow some blogs.."  or something along those lines. After a bit of research I found out that blogger only lets you follow 300 blogs..does anyone know anything about this? If you have any idea I;d appreciate your input because it sounds like I cant follow any more blogs. ...

So I am letting you know, because it looks like it has been automatically "unfollowing" older blogs I was following each time I added a new one to the list. So I apologise if you see me drop off your followers list ...I still like you all and want to follow you..and as soon as I work out which ones it has been kicked off my list I will add them promptly!!!...Please let me know if you noticed this on your blog,..

So moving right on to Color Combos Galore...

Inspiration Board #181 is live and this is what you need to work with this week..

I didnt get a chance to do a layout this week but if you go here you can see all the stunning examples by the rest of the Design Team.  

Remember you can always create a card or OTP project as well.

 Just by uploading your gorgeous layout, card or project based on this weeks Color Combination you can be chosen as daily gallery favourite and have your layout featured and your photo on the main page.

Or you could be a weekly featured member which means you come back the next week as a Guest Designer and create alongside the DT.

Challenge entries must be submitted to the gallery by 11:59pm next Wednesday (USA Eastern) before the next reveal, to be eligible for the Monthly Grand Prize which this month is from Unity Stamp Company.

Unity Stamp Company are generously offering one randomly chosen lucky winner two stamp sets, a stamp handle, and an ink.

See you next time..and please let me know of any blogger issues..Nadia.

Stuck! Introduction and a few Sneaks...

Good morning to all my lovely readers out there....It is a spectacular day in Sydney, Australia today. An absolutely perfect and sunny day! And...I am doing EVERYTHING possible to avoid the huge amount of paperwork and invoicing that needs to be done by the end of today LOL..

I recently asked this at the Nook forum.."Do you think you could scrap ALLLLLLLL day if someone let you?? " and the overwhelming response was a HUGE yes and how every ones everyday lives are affected by scrap booking/card making/paper crafting whatever it is. I mean, if the kids were looked after, cooking, housework was done..I think I could go from morning till night and that wouldn't be enough. Oh how I dream of one day being able to do that...just for a day...rather than always trying to squeeze it in between the everyday stuff that has to be done around here..

Anyway...I was formally introduced over at Stuck yesterday and my term there starts on March 1st. But Sara asked us to create a layout with the February 15th sketch just so that we can introduce our style to everyone. I was introduced along with Melinda Thompson, a lovely LOVELY lady I have had the pleasure to meet in my scrapping world.

So this is the current sketch up at Stuck!

and here is my take on it.

           

               

This is my cute little Ioanna....with her worried face. The picture is not the best, but I really wanted to use it as its hard to capture expressions like that!

Now remember the other day I was up 'till 3 am creating for a Guest Designer spot? I can now tell you that I am the March Tidbitz In Time Guest designer and have been working with the March kit that looked  a little like this all spread out on my desk.....

You definetely need to keep an eye out for the March kit and you can find all the details you need here . It is being released officially this Sunday so I will show you what I created then, but until then here are some sneaks

Ok! See ya back here soon. Take care..Nadia.

What will you be doing in the coming week?

If you have reached the end of the month and are running out of inspiration or wanting to do some scrapping you have until the end of the month to:

1)... get your entry in at Bird Is The Word. The word to use is PASSION..(deadline for this is Saturday 26th)

2) ...submit your entry for Kraft It Up's February Challenge . The challenge is a colour combo

3)...submit your entry for both February challenges for Show Us Your Stuff

4)....get your entries in at The Studio challenges

5)...upload your lovely creations over at Color Combos Galore..you are certain to find a colour combination there to inspire you.

6)...check out the contests and the other happenings at My Scrapbook Nook

7) ......check out the Stuck! sketches for February and be inspired too give it a go..

and lastly ..if you are still bored

8)...take some photos of your scrap area, post them on your blog or online gallery and link them to this post for my giveaway...If you have posted them online in an older post no probs!!

Here are the 2 prizes up for grabs for 2 RANDOM winners..also at the bottom of that post there is a list of people who have already posted their links..check them out for some cool inspiration.

Pack 1

Pack 2

Hmmm...wonder if anyone made it to the bottom of this post...LOL..if you did I'll tell you that I stayed up till 3am and  worked on 4 layouts yesterday for a Guest Designer gig in March with a favourite kit club of mine...guess you'll have to  wait and see!

Oh and before I go...I received the most exquisite handmade album for my daughter Maria Elena from my friend Irma. If you go to this post you can see what she made for me..and if you go to this post you will see what I made for her. Irma and I decided to challenge each other to create something with each others photos that is totally opposite our styles. But in the end, she wanted a really feminine layout of her maternity shots so i absolutely enjoyed creating this layout for her.

So just a couple of days ago I got her album in the mail together with a box full of goodies because we are involved in a product swap, and simply loved it! Thanks Irma!

Will you let me brag...just a little..?

...that my layout from a couple of posts back using the AMAZING Bo Bunny Gabrielle line was ...

at Two Peas in A Bucket today.

This is a huge thing and something that certainly does not happen very often. So forgive me for being a show off today...LOL. Have you seen the amount of projects uploaded there? There is approximately 1 layout per 10-20 seconds  I would think!

But it just proved my point right? That when you LOVE (and I mean LOVE) what you create with, you can do amazing things. And , as I said here on my blog when I posted that page on Saturday, this is what happens when you scrap while the kids gift you with 3+ hours of sleep. LOL..

Now on to something else...

Here is another layout that I created with my February kit from My Scrpabook Nook, which was full of Webster's PAges Hollywood Vogue stuff.

As I mentioned before, the new design team does not officially start at the Nook until March, but new fellow DT member Anna Siga has already put up a new challenge which is a monthly layout inspiration challenge. Each month she will be browsing the Nook gallery in search of a layout to featured - next time it could be you!

The first Layout Inspiration member is Willea (Helena) , a scrapper from Sweden who I love, with this gorgeous layout! We can be inspired by this layout in any way that fits our needs - scraplift, color combo, placement of flowers, the design, the placement of photos, bling, techniques and so on. Basically just let this layout inspire your creativity - anyway we want

So here is how I intrepreted it...

              

For this particular layout, I was inspired by the multiple photos, the "childhood memory" theme, the old book page, the doilies, the flowers and the design. I am also entering this as the February challenge at the Webster's Pages ning site, where you need to use Websters Trim on a project!

Yes yes...that is little Nadia, around 1980 in my homeland Greece. I am the same age as my youngest, Ioanna. Feels a little weird that! Anyway...I was called a little German because I had the blondest almost white hair you could imagine, fair skin and green/blue eyes. Not very typical of traditional Greek kids. LOL....Always been different in looks from other Greeks, and combine that with my now Italian surname through my husband, I am NEVER assumed as a Greek. It took me MAAAAAAAANY years to get over the fact that I am not recognised as Greek and that I have lost my identity really, but I think I am OK with it now...well..maybe.

Anyway...So..anyone can take part in this challenge at the Nook. Here is the link to it and I believe you can use any materials. Doesn't have to be a Nook kit.

You have until March 17th. Plenty of time!!!! One winner will receive a RAK from Anna!

Hope you have a lovely week!

Lots of love, Nadia.

The Studio Challenges.

A brand new challenge is up at the Studio Challenges blog.

The challenge this time is to use frames! Use a frame of some kind on your page. Frame your picture or your whole layout, just get a frame or two on there!

This is my Design Team example, using again Websters Pages Sweet Season.

I used that pink love heart frame around the 2 photos. It was a Little Yellow Bicycl overlay which I trimmed to fit over the top.

There is a lot of layering here, so here are a few closeups to appreciate them.

Here I have also used another frame around the title, which is from Sweet Season stickers

I think I have mentioned this the last couple of posts, but I want to mentiona gain that Websters is so great for fussy cutting and layering as you can see in the 2 closeups below.  

The flowers are Prima ofcourse!

 So this layout is called Sugar Babies. Do you find that if you let them, your kids could possibly eat sugary stuff all day? Well I think mine would. So this is why all those sweet treats are given to them in moderation at our house. The problem is when they go to the grandparents house...I used to get soooooooooooo mad because they would just ask for chocolate or whatever and it would just be given to them. But...the older I am getting,a lot of things are becoming easier to accept. So I have let it go and embraced the fact that, as cliche as it sounds, they are grandparents and they are allowed to spoil their grand kids.

Ok..head on over to the blog, to see the rest of the DT example and see if you'd like to give this a go. You have 'till the 1st of March and you could win this...

Win a 3 month subscription to MSD!

Have a great week everyone.

P.S I dont really like to tease...but I sooooooooo wish I could tell you about an unbelievable offer I had last week. I wish I could, I wish I could...but you'll have to wait till May..yep! But its HUGE!!! For me anyway. Its got to do with ...oh I cant say without giving it away..you'll haveto wait..

Bo Bunny Layout Challenge...

Oh I love life's little surprises..its double appreciated when you don't really expect it!Take for example, the fact that both kiddies have been asleep for about 3 hours now (yes..you heard me!!even the 4.5 y.o ) and hubby has been doing his own thing. Suddenly I was left with ...ummm..TIME on my hands..and with everything done that needed to be done today, and all my DT commitments out of the way I sat down and scrapped this page for the current Bo Bunny layout challenge over at their blog..

The challenge was to use this sketch and 80% Bo Bunny...

As you might remember I told you in a previous post I received the absolutely stunning Gabrielle range from Bo Bunny as a winning prize a couple of weeks back. I am absolutely inspired by this line. I love busy papers with lots of designs that you can fussy cut! I think there is just so much you can do with that sort of paper.

Here is some layering with bits and pieces I cut from the papers. It was still VERY hard to cut into the beautiful paper but I knew it had to be done LOL! The glittery brads and the metal butterflies are all from the Gabrielle line.

So do you know the childrens book I took this line from "I'll love you forever...."? Its from the book called "Love you Forever" by Robert Munsch...A brilliant book about the passing of time, how children grow up but how a mothers love always stays the same and then how the mother grows old and the child then says this to his mother. Its a very touching book.

A bit more cutting and layering. The circular metal brad is also from the same line.

And a bit of hand stitching...

If you like this type of scrapping then I hope you get Gabrielle in your hands soon because its gorgeous. Here is the complete line. I hope to add a bit more to my collection soon.  Hmmm..I'm starting to sound like a Bo Bunny spokeswoman hey? LOL

Take care, Nadia.

Show Us Your Stuff...

...February #2 challenge is up.

The challenge this time is this sketch, designed by Michelle Fowler and you are to include a quote on your layout and of course a HANDMADE item.

I hope the word "handmade" doesnt scare you. LOL. I hope you dont think that you have to go create something EXTRAVAGANT!!! Handmade can mean something handmade that you have bought from someone else or even something simple YOu put together.

Click here to be directed to the Show Us Your Stuff blog where you can see all the A.M.A.Z.I.N.G design team examples. The DT at Show Us Your Stuff is divided in two. The group I am in creates on the 1st of each month for the 1st challenge and the second team creates on the 15th of each month for the 2nd challenge..So, I dont have a DT layout in this challenge....Did I lose you? LOL.

What I am trying to tell you is that if you follow only my blog you might not know that there are 2 challenges every month so if you wanted to stay up to date with the challenges you could also follow the Show Us Your Stuff blog.

So have a look at this.....One more prize to add to this months sponsors is this pack of goodies by me. Why do you ask do I make up these packs? Because I really dont mind doing it. I love putting little packs together to give to people, and when Show Us Your Stuff first started a couple of months back, Kerry (the founder) was having a bit of trouble finding sponsors, as you do when you first start out. So I asked if she wanted me to make a couple of things since I am on the Design Team anyway. Well she accepted my offer and here is this months pack..

I have put together this pack of handmade flowers/buttons/accents and other bits and pieces for one winner and since this is the first month we have opened these challenges to international residents this is the gift should there be a non Australian winner. But of course anyone can win this.

I'd love to see some overseas friends of mine enter this challenge...and who knows? You could win this little pack!

Now, don't forget that  February Challenge #1 is still open till the end of the month together with  February Challenge #2 which went up on the 15th. There are some inspiring submissions already so check out the blog for those and the other FABULOUS prizes up for grabs.

Hope you have a nice weekend...Nadia.

Color Combos Galore #180...

..has just gone live. This is the inspiration board this week



The Designers Challenge is to use banners...how cool!!

Here is my Design Team example and if you go here you will see the rest of the Design Teams bright and colourful creations. If you viewed my tutorial at Color Combos Galore last week, you will note that I have used the photo that I edited during that tutorial. To find out how I edited this photo go here.

This is a photo of my brother and his daughter...it was too good of a photo NOT to scrap.

Here is a close up of my banners and some other details.

I have used the beautiful Fancy Pants Love Birds collection and those flowers are American Crafts.

Remember you can always create a card or OTP project as well.

 Just by uploading your gorgeous layout, card or project based on this weeks Color Combination you can be chosen as daily gallery favourite and have your layout featured and your photo on the main page.

Or you could be a weekly featured member which means you come back the next week as a Guest Designer and create alongside the DT...Just like my good friend Jasmine Shea this week.

Challenge entries must be submitted to the gallery by 11:59pm next Wednesday (USA Eastern) before the next reveal, to be eligible for the Monthly Grand Prize which this month is from Unity Stamp Company.

Unity Stamp Company are generously offering one randomly chosen lucky winner two stamp sets, a stamp handle, and an ink.

See you next time..Nadia.

I have caught the bug...

The card making bug that is.

All of a sudden cards have started creeping into my life. Did I tell you how I first started with cards about 4.5 years ago when I was on maternity leave with my eldest? Well that's what happened and after I made ...well..lets see..a MILLION CARDS without having a million people to give them to I started growing tired of it. Then I accidentally picked up a scrap booking magazine about 2 years ago and well...what can I say? I have never looked at making cards again. But...suddenly..I am excited about making a few cards here and there. They are quicker, the provide a nice change from 12x12 layouts and you don't have to worry about photos. So, I cleaned the dust off my card making supplies and have created a few the last week or so.

Now, I made the square cards (I REALLY LIKE SQUARE..they are like a mini layout) using my SIMPLY STUNNING February kit from My Scrapbook Nook. My term there doesn't officially start till next month, and I am pretty sure I was brought into the team to create layouts, but with ALL the awesome card challenges going on at the Nook right now, as well as having a few celebrations in February I have rekindled my love affair with cards...:o)

This card I made for this challenge at the Nook. The Design Team were shown a card uploaded in the gallery by a Nook member and were asked to be inspired by it. Anyone can join in this challenge using ANY materials. It doesn't have to be a Nook kit. There is a prize up for grabs.

Here you can see a matching envelope I made to match the card. I think its sooooooo cool to have a matching envelope. WHENEVER I have given people a set like these, they ALWAYS comment on the envelope and it kinda builds up an expectation of what the card will be like. I think its a nice way to present it too.

And here is my second card made for this thread up at the Nook forum where we are asked to show any cards we made with the Feb kit.

My last card and envelope set. I don't even know why I am sharing this with you because I really don't like it...I had something else in mind and this doesn't look anything like it...ever get that? Well anyway...here it is...maybe SOMEONE might like it. LOL



So there you have it!

If you haven't checked it out yet head on over to the Nook..it is buzzing 24/7 with challenges, discussions etc etc. I find that there are updates on everything that is going on in the scrapping world ALL THE TIME...

Hope I can show you soon some layout I have created with this fab kit!

OK..better be off ..It is almost 1:00 am here in Sydney..

See ya soon, Nadia.