Biker cards and shaker boxes

 I have created some cool boy cards for the WOW blog using the ultra-versatile cog frame set and a set of biker chipboards:

These two cards have a shaker box under the biker and I'm going to show you how easy they are to make:

First, paint your biker and a cog frame that is roughly the same size:

Next, cut out 2 rings: one from a contrasting cardstock and one from foam or thick card (this will be the spacer). Also cut out a circle from acetate and from patterned paper (not shown) with the same diameter as the outer edge of the rings:

Glue the spacer ring onto the acetate. Sprinkle some micro beads on top. Be careful, they're jumpy little buggers. I do this in a deep bowl.

Glue the paper circle (good side down) on top of the spacer ring. Now turn it over and add the yellow cardstock ring, the cog frame and the biker. As you turn the card the micro beads move, creating ever-changing hills for the biker to climb.

Here is the other one:

You can also make the biker "ride" across the page:

There is a slit on both sides and the ribbon gets looped around the front and back of the card (the left slit is under the happy birthday sign). When you pull on it the biker moves:

 He's first glued on a circle of acetate to strengthen the chipboard a little and then onto the ribbon.

Here is the last card:

To get the crackle effect, first paint the chipboard, then cover in a generous coat of Crackle Accents. Let it dry and then smooch brown ink all over it. Wipe it off with a tissue and there it is:

I figure you can never have to many "manly" cards on hand!

Give away time at Rainbows & Whimsy Giveaway

The gorgeous Jess is giving away gorgeous stuff! Check it out here:

Be in it to win it.

Eye-popping red!

I got some of the new Echo Park Happy Days paper from my2angels and don’t the colours just pop! I thought they were ideal for a monochromatic look, which is something I hardly ever do. It’s so hard to stick to one colour (+black & white) only, but I love the result.

You can follow the links to all the products: I used the papers Checkerboard, Scalloped, Stripes and  Bottle Caps with a small tag and word strips cut out from Journaling Cards.

Who could resist cutting out some of those cute bottle caps?!

Some of the small embellishments are: twine lollipop:

 felt heart

and musical note charm musical note charm under a felt pinwheel.

I don’t know if I have ever used so much red on a page before! I like it, so on goes a frame from red velvet ribbon velvet ric-rac and now I can definitely say that this is the most red I have ever used! I hope you like it too.

Geli

Kai's 4th

What can be cuter than a little boy and his truck cake?! They don't get any cuter than my little nephew. Here's what we'll be doing in class next week:

I picked the bright and funky papers from Kaisercraft's "Party Animal" range and I think the page needed a kite. You know, a kite for Kai...

I saw this cute little heart border in Scrapbooking Memories and had to have a go at it. With a double layer they really pop out:

Ok, so my sewing isn't straight! 

BUT I'll show you how to make a multi-patterned stamp:

And if that doesn't give you the munchies, then you have much better self-discipline than me!

xoxox Geli

The Gift of Finding Joy in the Little Things

My little Leah can get more excited about a water balloon than most women over a pair of shoes on sale. I think it's awesome and I hope she never looses this gift. 

This layout was based on a sketch challenge by Lil' Red Rocket. Shell always makes beautiful sketches that are easy to work with:

As you can see, I've mirror reversed it. The doilies are stamped on acetate: 

... and here's a sweet little button from Lil' Red Rocket:

Hope you find joy in some small thing today!

xoxo

Straddie

What do you get with a junk shop find, cupcake papers and some altered paddle pop sticks? This: 

I got the cupcake border idea from Erika and Renee. Thanks, girls!

My favorite is the funky felt oval bitty from the junk shop:

 Cheap scrapping, yeah! Another thrifty idea is the frame, it's made from "driftwood" paddle pop sticks to go with the beach theme:

Come along to class next week and learn how! And there is a pull-out tag for some journaling:

Actually, it wasn't a great vacation, cause we got stuck on the island in a cyclone and it rained and stormed for days. BUT there were a few nice days with good weather and I have the photo to prove it!

Wild Fun

I had the perfect Halloween photo from last year to go with the new Echo Park Apothecary range. 

The beauty of a grungy page is that you really can’t make a mistake; just keep adding layers until you are happy. Let me take you through my process, which admittedly is a little all over the place. What can I say...it’s school holidays!

By the way, everything is available at My2Angels and the links to all products can be found here.

I used the Under Your Spell paper for the background and there wasn’t much to add, since it’s quite perfect the way it is.

First I tore a hole for the photo. The hole needs to be about 1” smaller all around than what you want in the end, so don’t make it too big! Scroll it open to reveal the nice colour on the back of the paper. I then messed around a little with Distress Crackle Paint in white. I like how it has a paint brush in the lid: minimum clean up!

Once it was dry I rubbed a little orange ink into it highlight the cracks and wiped the excess off with a baby wipe.

Then I stamped all around the hole. Yes, it means I don’t see the cracks all that much anymore but that’s what I’m talking about: layers!

For the black paint drips on the bottom I made a quick home-made comb from a scrap of cardstock packaging. I used a slot punch but you can use scissors too. It doesn’t even have to be even.

I applied a generous amount of black Distress Crackle Paint and dragged the comb through the paint downwards. The messier the better. Easy!

While all this was drying I tore some strips from Wicket Potions and inked around all the edges with a distress stain. A bit of chipboard barbed wire got a coat of glitter embossing and I added the silver pendant. Very gothic! To make it stand out I inked a bit under the pendant and popped on a skeleton charm.

My journaling says, “Truth be told I’m not a big fan of the ghoulishness, but it is a bit of wild fun.” The title chipboard was embossed and inked. In the end I used a bit of Stickles glitter here and there and it was done. Don’t I have a gorgeous family! Let’s see what costumes they come up with this year...

Halloween Witch

Here is my monthly blog post for WOW:

I’m not normally a double layout scrapper but once in a while you need more than one photo to tell the story. In my case, it was my youngest, Leah, trying so very hard to look the part of an evil witch at the Halloween parade last year and failing in the cutest possible way. She’s got Daddy’s acting genes. So whether or not you are a fan of Halloween here is an easy-peasy double with 7 photos that you can try.

You don’t always need the exact embellishments to go with your theme; sometimes it’s more fun to turn one thing into something else. I had an extra alien from my "Bookmonster" page. He is so cute, but what I really wanted was a ghost. So off with his antennae, paint him white, give him a coat of ghostly sheen with Perfect Pearls and zombie eyes.

Perfect!

In the true sense of “waste not, want not” I used the cut-off antennae under the paper rosette. To make a rosette, punch a 2x12” strip of paper with a scallop punch along one long side and pleat like a fan, nice and tight (let the scallops guide you). Glue the ends together so you get a ring and glue it flat onto a cardstock circle. Hold it till it dries and add a brad in the middle. To give it a bit of shine, I embossed the outside with some glittery silver embossing powder and gave the balls of the antennae a coat of German Glitter Glass.

I used a flame set to get Leah flying on her broom stick. 

First I painted them white and gave them a coat of orange embossing powder, but I wiped off a little here and there before heating it. I then sprinkled a tiny bit of black Opals on (you can also use embossing powder) and heated it again.

The other 2 wings from the set were embossed in 2 coats of black for a nice glossy look.

I hope you like my cute Halloween witch. Mwah-ha-ha. 

Big blow of my own trumpet

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Actually I've been working on my first commission for Scrapbook Ideas and it's taken up all my spare time AND I can't share. It'll be in the December issue!
A little while ago I sent off my entries to the Scrapbooking Memories Masters and today I got an e-mail from them. No, I'm not in, BUT they want me on their Creative Team for 2012! I'll be in the team with Jasmine and I am so excited to be picked. Like her, I've had to read the e-mail a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming! I'm so excited I just had to share.

"Just a quick photo!"

How many times have my kids heard that sentence? Little Leah is always happy to quickly stop and put on a cheesy grin and let Mummy do her stuff with the camera. She is a scrapbooking Mumma's dream.

I based the layout on a sketch by got sketch. And I had to try out one of those faunky zipper flowers that Gilly did in the latest Scrapbook Creations mag.

Just one more zip and a sweet little ticket from My 2 Angels:

Come and join me in class next week! We'll be doing this layout. Just imagine a Harry Potter version (there is an owl, after all) Keep your eyes peeled, I'm so gonna do one.

Scrappy Day Out

On Sunday we went to the Gold Coast for a scrappy day out, visiting Traci from my2angels. We did some awesome bargain shopping (yea, we all love shopping for scrap supplies) and did a mini class. We made some gorgeous chippies with a scrunching technique. Thanks, Traci!

Sam getting dirty:

Kerry and Lyndal having fun:

Here are our wonderful creations:

boy version:

girl version:

Thanks, girls, for a wonderful, fun day!