My Favorite Month (OUAS December challenge)

Look at this great sketch created by Nadia Canizzo for Once Upon A... Sketch:

Journalling Theme: "My favorite month"

 

You are free to interpret our theme any way you like but please make sure your layout is based on the sketch above and includes some journalling (hidden journalling is fine)

Even if I love December with advent, Christmas and all the family time, I admit I love July even more:

Papers: Simple Stories. Colored stickers: October Afternoon.Word stickers & tab: Bazill.
Flair: Marens Landhandleri. Buttons: Angels Craft. Alpha: I don't recall :-)

This is the very last layout I'll make as a DT member at OUAS, at least for a while. Originally the DT term was for one year, but due to Nadia having a baby etc, the term became half a year longer. It has been a lovely journey to be a part of, but now it's time to close that door and open new ones :-)

Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the current team's wonderful examples and to play along!

My Happy Place - OUAS October challenge

I just cannot believe it's November! We have had the most wonderful autumn here, and the pasifloras are still blooming in my garden - usually we have som heavy frost in September which kills them. But I don't complain!

This layout is about my happy place - our patio and garden:

Background paper & title: LilyBee. Others: Carta Bella. cutouts: Elle's studio.

Journalings says: It's just so relaxing to sit down in the patio, watch above the land and sea, knowing it's growing and blooming there.


A few details:

Flowers & photo frame: Freckled Fawn. Resin birds: Webster's pages. Ribbon: MME

Yellow striped gem: Queen &Co. Wooden hearts: unknown

The theme for this month's challenge at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS) is My Happy Place and here is the sketch which goes along with it:

Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the rest of the DT's stunning creations, and to learn more about prizes and our sponsors. Will you play along, too?

OUAS October challenge has gone live!

Hey everyone!

Another month, another challenge at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS)


I hope you all get a chance to play along this month. There are SOME AMAZING prizes up for grabs and don't forget about the OUAS Facebook contest!!! When you play along this month please post your layout at the OUAS Facebook Page HERE, too, where a RANDOM winner will be chosen to win this prize from our monthly Facebook sponsor 13arts.


Here is the October Sketch:

And this is the Ocober journaling theme:

 "The Journey..."

You are free to interpret our theme ANY WAY you like. It is for your inspiration and this theme word DOES NOT need to be part of your title or journalling. But please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes journalling (hidden journalling is fine). Acceptable journalling is MORE than just a sentence, or generic writing such as date/place etc. It needs to be present and at least 3 lines long. Remember, hidden journalling (under a photo/tag or behind your page) is perfectly fine but please DO let us know in your post where your journalling is! 

My example for you

Papers/stickers: WRMK. Paper Clip, enamel dots & fabric brad: Freckled Fawn.
Other brads Teresa Collins. Stamps: Jillibean Soup

I chose to go with a bold color sheme this time, to match the colors in my photo:
The photo was taken during or road trip this summer, and the journaling says:
"This is the Message you don't want your GPS to display, particulary not when the option is 140 km (100 miles) longer, But luckily, the GPS was wrong, and the short cut was open".

Details:

Do you trust your GPS - always?

 

Now head over to the OUAS blog to play along and to see the rest of the DT's fabolous examples!

OUAS September Theme: Lucky

Hi!

It's September 1th today, and as usual the beginning of a new month means a new challenge at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS).


Here is the September Sketch:

Journalling Theme: "Lucky"

You are free to interpret our theme any way you like but please make sure your layout is based on the sketch above and includes some journalling (hidden journalling is fine)

My example for you:

Papers: Crate Papers, Webster's Pages. Stickers & buttons: Webster's Pages. Calendar Card: MME
Envelope: Studio Calico. Alpha: AC. Ribbon: unknown

The journaling is about how lucky you feel when you finally get fish (not clever, not smart, just lucky, as you do the same tricks every time, and sometimes you get fish, other times nothing). Earlier this summer it has been DS13 who has gotten all the fish, this time it was DS10's turn.

Have you felt lucky lately and feel like sharing it with us at OUAS? Head over to the OUAS blog to see more examples from the DT and see how you can win some fabolous prizes!

OUAS August challenge: I'll never forget.

It's August 1th today and that means a new challenge at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS). This month's journaling theme is

"I'll never forget"

and you are free to interpret our theme any way you like but please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes some journalling (hidden journalling is fine).

Here is the sketch which goes along with it:

If you have followed me for a while you know I lost my only brother a year ago, on June 9th 2012. He chose to take his own life, and it honestly came out of the blue. My journaling is about this very morning, how it was like to get such a message, how I reacted, the choices we had to made that day: what to tell the kids, what to tell our family and friends. Of course, I will never forget my brother either, he really was a great brother and uncle, but I felt like doing some self therapy this time - telling how I felt that morning.

Patterned papers & trim: Prima. Cut outs: Glitz Designs. Resin bird & bow: Webster's Pages, Alpha: Echo park. Pins: unknown

Detail photo:

 

Please head over to the OUAS to see the rest of the DT wonderful creations and to see how you can play along!

Grow - OUAS July Challenge

Hi!

Do you have a a veggie garden?
I do, and I just love to see the development there during the summer season. Unfortenately, summer so far this year has been pretty cold and wet so the plants haven't grown as I hoped for. But summer isn't over yet, and as I am a true optimist, I haven't given up. But I admit I'm seriously considering buying a greenhouse to increase the chances of eating DYI vegetables.

The July journaling theme at OUAS is Grow, and you are of course free to interpret it as you wish. I chose to write about my veggie garden to be :-)

Patterned papers & cut outs: Lemon Owl. Clay carrots: MyLittleBitOfWhimsey. Alpha: Sassafras Lass

Did you notice how I made the signs for the plants? I have written on simple can lids, just like the one I have tucked behind the butterfly. Very cheap - very effective, and when fall comes, I just toss them in the bin for recycling metal...

Journaling: The one who give up is a loser: we try out again hoping summer will be warm enough to give us home grown vegetables like squash and chilli.

OUAS July Sketch:

Do you feel like playing with us?

My Guilty Pleasure - OUAS June challenge

The start of a new month means a new challenge and sketch at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS):

June Theme: What's your guilty pleasure?

Oh yes! We all get some sort of pleasure from something we really shouldn't. What's yours? 

Ideas for journalling: scrapping, time alone, food, going to a concert, a T.V show, time in the garden, playing , Facebook, your iphone, shopping, bags, shoes, computer time, designing, creating etc etc

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below.

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is .You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

 

The June sketch:

 

 

 

 

 

And here is my guilty pleasure:

 

 

Patterned Papers: Studio Calico (Blue), Søstrene Grene (With berries). Washi: Teresa Collins. Fabric page runners: Charms Creations. Alpha: Basic Grey. Tabs and bottle caps: authenitic :-)
 

 Journaling says: There is nothing as good as an ice Cold Pepsi Max if you are thirsty, tired, have a hang over or just want something.

Some close up photos:

 

 

 

 

Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the other DT memebers' guilty pleasures and to play along with us.

 

 

And finally, tell me - what IS your guilty pleasure?

 

Closer to 50 than 40

Yepp, it's the truth...

I remember when my father turned 50. I thought he was so old! I'm sure I'm not as old as he was at my age!

All material except white cardstoch (Bazill)s: The Paper Bakery April Scrapbooking Kit (Papers WP/Alison Craft + AC/Dear Lizzy. Alpha: Jillibean Soup. Die Cuts: Crate Paper. Feather: Bella Blv. Washi: Prima.  Flair: The Paper Bakery)

Some details:


Btw, the paper with arrows is from Studio Calico's April Card Kit
Photo taken by scrapping buddy  Petra Offrell/Pysselpetra at her place  

Journaling says: " I might as well face it: I'm closer to 50 than 40. I can see retirement hitting me fast! But as it seems as "The 60YOs are the new 50YOs", there might be lots of good years ahead."


As you might know, there are two DTs at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS), team A and team B, which alternate every second month. I'm on team B, and May is Team A's month, so I'm not up on the OUAS blog this month. But I couldn't resist plying with this month sketch and theme, and the layout above is my take on the challenge.

Sketch:

Theme: Numbers!!!

This month, we ask you to include a number , ANY number, on your layout. It has to be VISIBLE on your layout and it can be in your title or part of your journalling. It can be a date, an age, a house number, an anniversary, the number of children you have, the number of pets ....anything you like. But please make sure that there is some explanation through your journalling, somewhere on your page or blog about what this number means to you.

 

I replaced one of the photos with a tag, but still did stay pretty close to the sketch. And yes, I journaled about numbers - my age.

 

 

What do you say? Do you want to give the challenge a try?
Please head over to the OUAS blog to see more fabolouse exambples from the DT and to see who this month's sposnsors are!

Once Upon A Sketch April Challenge

Hi. I hope you all have had a happy easter! Have you been fooled today, btw? Not me - so far *lol*


Today is the first day of the month, and that means a new challenge for you at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS). Here is this month's theme and sketch for you:

Theme: Best day of your life

The best day of your life!!!!! Everyone has at least one or two! Tell us anything that you can relate this title to.

Ideas for journalling: child's birth, wedding day, anniversary, meeting someone special, buying a new home, changing jobs, a holiday, a special celebration.. there is no right or wrong. Its YOUR day!

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below.

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

Here is my take on the challenge:

My journaling is on the tag stuck under my photo and it says: The best days must be those where you can, after rough periods, can say: "Hey, it went OK - we survived - and we are ready to take more".
I honestly love those days.

Papers: Prima. Alphas: Basic Grey. Zipper: Maya Road. Small flowers: Petaloo. Large flowers & tulle: Unknown.

Please visit the OUAS blog to see the rest of the DT & guest's examples, to see the wonderful prizes from our sponsors, and to play along!

It's the Weekend - OUAS March challenge

Hello friends!

Today has to be a fabolous day: it's Friday, which means the weekend, and it's March 1th, which means spring will be around any day in my part of the world.

A new month means a new sketch and challenge at Once Upon A Sketch. The March theme is:

"Its The Weekend!"

 What does your weekend look like? 

Some of you already know, but some of you don't, that every Friday night for as long as I have dated my husband, we have had our weekly Friday Night Date. It's an inhouse date, and it's the day at week we make some special food, share a bottle of wine and sit down and really talk. Our everyday life tend to eat up every spare time we have, so I sincerely believe those dates har been a key factor to keep our relationship healthy.

Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs. Bling: Designers Choice. Badge: Cre8tive Cre8tions.
Paper, ribbon, pucinella & charm: Unknown

All chipboard is painted with acrylic paint, the hearts then grid stamped and
repainted with white acrylic paint dots

Here is this month's OUAS sketch:

The "fine" print:

Theme: "Its The Weekend!"

 What does your weekend look like? 

Maybe you work, or run around like crazy taking your kids to activities etc. Lunch with friends? Movies? Dinner? Or maybe you do all the exciting stuff like ...clean the house, tend to the garden , kinds birthday parties. You might like to tell us of an exciting weekend coming up, or a weekend past. Maybe a weekend getaway? Whatever it is that you want to tell us that has to do with the theme "Its The Weekend" we would love to hear it. 

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. 

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

---------------------------

Are you ready to get blown away by marvellous inspiration from the DT and the gust designers? Please check out the OUAS blog, and don't forget to read how you can win some fabolous prizes!


Have a happy weekend - how do you plan to spend your Friday Night?

Do All Things With Love - OUAS February Challenge

Here is the Once Upon A Sketch February Challenge:

"The month of February is the month we celebrate St Valentine's Day here in Australia and in many parts of the world. Love takes on many forms..relationship love, parental love etc etc. So let's think about what the above quote can mean and how you can interpret it on a layout. You are free to scrap about any kind of love you wish however you like based on the following sketch. 

Ideas for journalling: love for your partner, family , parents ,siblings , children, work, students, craft, music, extra curricular activities. Whatever it is that you do with love !

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. 

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine."

The sketch:

Here is my example for you:

Patterned paper, flags & cut outs: Basic Grey. Alpha: SEI. Rubons: Bo Bunny. Patterned brads: MME. Stich stamp: MRMK. Muffin & carrot: MyLittleShopOfWhimsey. Others: unknown

My journalling tells ebout how much dinner taste when it's made with love, not just for the purpose of avoiding hunger.

Do you want to see how the rest of the DT, our special guests designer and special guests, the Meg's garden DT has interpreted this challenge? Or do you want to play along or learn how to win the fabolous prizes? Or do you just need some inspiration?

Please head over to the OUAS blog.

I'd love to see you play with us and to see how you solve this challenge

The start of something new

Happy new year everybody, and welcome to my new blog. As you see it isn't complete yet, but it will be in not so long :-)

 

 

Thank you to all of you who have visited me over the years at my old blog and signed in to follow me here  in the future. The old blog still exists, and there you also will find my Top 10 12 layouts and Top 10 cards made by me in 2012.

 

 

Over at OUAS we're ready to keep your mojo going by giving you a new sketch and challenge to work with in January:

 

 

 

Theme: "The start of something new" 

 

 

Here is the deal:

 

The new year is among us. What better way to celebrate change, renewed hope and having a positive attitude than with a brand new year? A new start...a new horizon and the start of something new! A new year is full of possibilities. So in honor of the start of 2013, we would like you to create a layout and interpret the theme "The start of something new..." however you like. Whatever that sentence inspires you to scrap then go for it. 

Ideas for journalling: Include the theme sentence as your title, a new job coming up or the beginning of a new job and in the past and what it meant to you, a child's new toy, a new house you are building/moving in to or one you have moved in already, a new year and what it means to you, a new attitude, the start of a new school year, a new relationship - yours, a family members, your child's, a new friendship, new wardrobe, new diet, new phone, new haircut...

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. 

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

 

 

Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the complete rules and to see what the marvellous DT has come up with, and to learn who is this month's sponsors. OUAS has undergone some minor changes, too, but you will learn all about if you visit the blog.

 

 

Do you want to know how I solved this challenge?

Here you are:

  


Yepp, you read it right - no shopping for us in 2013!
I try to learn my kids that happiness doesn't come from what you own, but what you do and how you are. It's amazing what a teenager, and a ten year old "need", but we're trying to force them to reconcider it.

The entire family agreed on this shop stop, and we sat down one afternoon to create a list of what we are allowed to buy this year. Necessities, like food, medicine and underwear are excluded from the shop stop list and the list contains a number of items each of us need to buy over the year (text continues under the following close up photos):

 

Patterned papers, stickers, alpha & chipboard: Echo Park. Bling: Petaloo
Dots: Craftworkcards. Glassine envelope & fiber:: unknown



The envelope contains the deal/shopping list for 2013



• Shoes, trousers and t-shirts can be bough when the old ones are broken, but nobody need more than 10 t-shirts!
• Long sleeves/hoodies will not be bought this year as we all have plenty (exception: if a kid grow 15 cm+), the same goes for other clothes. This mean no shopping just because there are sales in the stores!
• Electronical devices which are broken will not be replaced, execpt household items like washing mashines, stoves, computers etc. Broken mobile phones will be replaced by the cheapest there are!
• No new car!
• We need a new tent, and hubby a new golf driver.
• Trips and vacations are allowed!
• etc etc

There are more details to this deal, all of them in the list in the envelope.

 

I am allowed to buy as much white cardstock & glue I want, but not more than four paper collections (but I am allowed to win some, without them counting as part of the four *lol*)

 

I also offered to not buy albums this year, but the kids told me I should as "it looks so messy with layouts piled up in your scrap place" - god bless them.

 

 

What to you say - is this a good deal? Can we do it? Could you/would you?