Sketch # 79 at Sketches in Thyme

The latest Sketches in Thyme sketch challenge went live on Thursday, yup, I am a bit late in posting this!! In my defence I did do two other blog posts on Thursday, I wasn't up to doing a third!!

So, I really had fun playing with this one. I used the sketch to create the front page for my kids 2012 albums! No worries that I am doing it in May!!!! It should be done first thing in January, LOL!

Here is Caide's page, I have also done Bryce's and will do Jamie's today.

The border punch (donut ring by EK success), star badge(old School metal badges by Pink Paislee), unique sticker (Old Home Tavern Words & Titles by Paper Loft), and Tim Holtz stapler were all purchased at SCRAPBOOK STUDIO.

Here is the lovely sketch we got to play with, you can either do a double page layout, or use either side of the sketch!!

Please pop on round to the Sketches in Thyme blog, the DT girls have outdone themselves with this sketch, and you will be totally inspired by their creativity!! You have until the end of the month to create your layout based on this sketch, when you are done link it HERE.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Sending you smiles and happiness.

FO - Shift of Focus

Happy Friday everyone!! :)

It's an even better Friday for me, cause my sweet husband came up to me this morning and said it was a bit quiet at work, so I need not come in. I really do have the best husband in the world!! :)

So I will be enjoying a long weekend at home!!

Today I am sharing my latest finished knit with you. The pattern is called Shift of Focus, and is a new pattern by Veera. When I saw this over at Ravelry, I knew I HAD to knit it!

(Photos taken by my 10 year old son Bryce!)

Now that my Shift is finished I am concentrating on my Color Affection. I also bought some yarn, and the pattern for another Veera pattern, Gathering Stripes, I am knitting it in a grey with red stripes!

It's Friday, so that means I am linking up to my Linda's Creative Friday again. Also linking up to Tami's FO Friday!

Have an absolutely wonderful weekend everyone!!

Challenge # 5 at Scrap Africa - Keep Calm and...

The latest challenge is up at Scrap Africa!!!! Here are the deets:

Hello dear friends of Scrap Africa!

We are very excited to bring you a new challenge today.

We must say that it was a lot of fun and surely it was challenging even for us to create our projects for this reveal.

So, here it is. First of all, please keep calm :-)) 

Off course all of you are familiar with this type of posters:

(the image is taken from Pinterest)

You will need to create any scrap project (a layout, a card or an altered object) with a phrase on it "Keep Calm and..." - the end of the phrase is up to you. Be funny, be creative, be thoughtful - whatever the moodyou are in, as long as you spread the calmness around :-)))

If you will decide to create a poster featuring a phrase, make sure you think of something innovative and interesting: 

It must not be just plain letters on the plain background!

You can see some ideas of "Keep Calm" phrases on this Pinterest board

Here is the layout I created for this challenge:

 

My uncle lives on the coast, he doesn't have kids of his own, so he LOVES to spend time with my boys. He had a ball teaching them to surf in the December holidays!

So.... great challenge don't you think?!? Look at the awesome prizes that are up for grabs!!

Our current sponsor is Kaisercraft

To stand a chance of winning one of two prize packs you need to take a part in one or two of our challenges 

(sketch # 5 and this challenge).

Each prize includes:

35 sheets of paper, 3 paper pads, 3 packs of rub-ons, 3 packs of stamps, 1 pack of ribbons, 

1 pack of collectables, 1 acetate sheet , 5 sticker sheets (30 x 30).

These prize packs include materials from the brand new collections Magnolia Grove and Rock Pool, as well  as other 4 new collections that will be released in June and July. How cool is that? You don't want to miss this great opportunity!

We would LOVE for you to play along!!!! Link your creation HERE when it's done!

Challenge #45 - Dying to Diecut (or Punch) with Southern Girls

The latest challenge is up at Southern Girls!!!

This time round we have another easy peasy one for you all, we would like to see diecuts or punches on your projects.... machine made, pre-made or punched as long as your entry has a punch or a diecut its all good.

We have three fabby sponsors again this time round, drumroll please.....

Our international sponsor

Our Australia - New Zealand Sponsors

What lovely prizes, don't you think!?!?!?

So here is my layout for this challenge:

This layout is about my attempt at being a cool Mom, and going a ride at the Newcastle Show with my oldest son Caide, I realised shortly after stepping onto the ride, that I am not cool, and just a big ninny!! I can't tell you how sick I felt afterwards!! LOL :)

So, we would REALLY LOVE for you to play along with us in this challenge, it's a super duper easy one, and fun too!! Check out the Southern Girls Challenge blog for more inspiration, and when you have completed your masterpiece link it there!

Check out this awesome kit!!!

Scrapbook Studio has started putting together a monthly kit, May's kit is absolutely stunning, and is packed FULL of lovely product!! Check out what is included in this kit!!

11 x Double Sided Patterned Papers

8 x Sheets of Plain Cardstock

1 x Pink Paislee Chipboard Alphabet

2 x Kaisercraft Mini-Alpha Sheets

2 x Packets Bling/Pearls

1 x Scrapper T Overlay

1 x Scrapper T Chalk'em

2 x Fabscraps Metal Embellishments

2 x Packets Jenny Bowlin Tickets

3 x Different Ribbons

Complete Instructions for 4 layouts (for you novice scrappers, this is just awesome!!)

You can purchase this lovely kit HERE, for the bargain price of R395! There are only 3 kits left, so rush off and get yours before they are all gone! :)

Showing you an older FO

As you may gather, I have been making a concerted effort to photograph the many knitted items that I have knit in the last few months and years. I haven't been very good with that, only with the items like socks and shawls that don't have to be modeled and I can take the photos myself!!

So today I am showing you an item I finished in 2010!! :)

This is one of the first items I knit with my own handspun yarn. I LOVE LOVE this capelet so much. The yarn I spun is so so soft, and it is so cozy to wear. I love it when the weather starts getting cooler so I can start wearing my knitted items!!

So, here it is:

I am TOTALLY loving my knitting at the moment, can you tell??? LOL :)

This pattern is called Lace Capelet and it is free over at Ravelry. It is a fun quick knit with a great end result!!

I cast on for Color Affection on Tuesday and am loving this pattern, it is hugely popular at the moment and has had 2570 people knit it and post pictures on Ravelry!

I am linking this post to Linda's Creative Friday again :)

Sketch # 78 is up at Sketches in Thyme!!

Hello, hope you have all had a great week so far, I can't believe it's Friday already tomorrow, the week has flown!!!

So I am here to share my take on Sketch # 78 that I put together for Sketches in Thyme, I really enjoyed working with this one, and love how this layout of Jamie turned out!

Isn't that photo of his little feet in his new slops just too cute for words!!!

Here is the sketch that you get to play with!! :)

We would really love for you to join in the fun, check out the Sketches in Thyme blog for more inspiration from the old DT girls, as well as the new ones, they are really talented ladies! Once you have completed your layout link it there!!

Thanks for stopping by today :)

FO - Vitamin D Cardigan

I am back with another knitted project to share with you today!!

This one is called Vitamin D, and it was a great knit!! I did battle a bit at times, unfortunately I have a bit of a mental block when it comes to reading patterns, but with a bit of help from my sister was able to work through it!

I LOVE how this item turned out, unfortunately it is a little tight, I might have to try and stretch it a bit more, if that doesn't work out I may give it to my Mom and knit myself another one!

So, here it is:

This pattern is available to purchase on Ravelry!! I really am loving my knitting at the moment, it relaxes me like nothing else!! I am busy with a new project at the moment, its called Shift of Focus, it involves lots of garter stitch and short rows. I have also decided what's next after that, I am a bit addicted I suppose!!

I am linking up with my friend Linda's Creative Friday again, how are you Linda?? :)

Have an awesome weekend!!! 

I am now a Designer for Scrap Africa!!! :)

A couple of weeks ago Evgenia from Scrap Africa sent me an e-mail asking me if I would like to be a part of their team. Of course I said "YES PLEASE". I have loved this site since they first established it. Their challenges are always fun, and sometimes require you to think a little out of the box, the sketches are always super inspiring. I am so happy and excited to be a part of this team, and look forward to the fun journey I am going to be taking with them!!

So, for my first challenge I have created a layout for Sketch # 5. Here is my layout :

This layout is about my youngest son Jamie, and how he calls me "my sweetheart" rather than Mom. It started more than a year ago, I am not sure why, but I absolutely love it. It makes my heart very very happy!!

Most of the product I used is from the Year-O-Graphy range from Simple Stories. I bought a whole bunch of product from this range from Scrapbook Studio and LOVE it!!!! So fun and easy to work with!! The border punch is also from Scrapbook Studio and is a Knock Out punch by American Crafts, it is called Notebook I think, and has become my firm favourite!! The lovely doilies are from Evgenia's Etsy shop, you can view her lovely products HERE.

So here is the lovely sketch we got to play with -

Isn't it lovely!!!! So, we really would love for you to play along with us, I know I have lots of lovely scrappy friends out there who would have fun this!! Go and check out the Scrap Africa blog, and see where you can link your creation when finished!! While you are there, please also become a Follower, I would be so happy if you did xx

Thanks for sharing in my happy news, I hope you have enjoyed your time here at my blog :)

Sketch # 76 at Sketches in Thyme

I totally totally forgot to post this sketch for Sketch # 76 at Sketches in Thyme! Bad bad me!!

I have almost totally fallen off the Blogging Radar actually, so I have decided it's time to pull up my socks and get my head back in the game.

So.... even though this sketch challenge has come and gone, I still wanted to post my layout, and also urge you to go and visit Sketches in Thyme. A new set of DT girls have recently been chosen, and I am super excited to see what they are going to bring to the party, they appear to be super talented!!

My layout is about my middle son Bryce, he really has a special soft soul!

Sketches in Thyme's latest reveal will be up tomorrow, so I will have a new layout then!!

ALSO - I have some happy news to share with you tomorrow, I will also fill you in on all the details then!! So it's going to be a busy blogging day!!

On a personal note, my hubby and I celebrate our 14th anniversary today, I love this man so so much, he is my best friend and the most amazing father, I am truly blessed to have him in my life. I LOVE YOU BABE!

See you tomorrow!! :)

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!!

I've had an early shower, I've got the Sharks rugby game on the t.v., some inspiration from 2 Peas and I am all set to do some scrapping!!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day to all  my scrappy friends!!! xx

My Current W.I.P.

It was a short work week for us here in South Africa, so Friday rolled around quite quickly for us!!

So today I am going to share my current Work In Progress with you. I am knitting a cowl called the Honey Cowl, it's a free pattern available over at Ravelry (the best knitting, spinning, crocheting site ever!!!) , and I am using my own handspun yarn. I am LOVING (x 1000000000000), how rich the colours are knitting up. In the past I have lost a lot of colour in my yarns when washing them, but thanks to my friend Carle, I now know what I need to do in order to set the colour in my yarn.

The roving that I used for this yarn was purchased from Carle, you can find some of her lovely products in her Etsy shop HERE.

I am linking up to my other knitty friend, Linda's Creative Friday. 

Anyway, that's all for me today, I am off to sit down with my knitting and a cup of tea! :)