Have you tried My Digital Studio?

This is my first Digital scrapbook page.

It is very simple and very easy to do on MDS - the Stampin' Up! digital scrapbooking program.

Have you heard of MDS? (My digital Studio).

Would you like to try it for FREE?

You can download a free copy of the program ( and use it for 30 days) with no obligation.

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How simple is scrapbooking when you don't even have to print the photos, or cut any cardstock,  ribbon, or open a box of buttons. Just click the colours, stamps, background papers, ribbon, embellisments that you like. Layer them onto a page with your photos and admire your work all on the desk top of your computer.

For your FREE download of MDS click on this link: http://www3.stampinup.com/home/au

call Nerida on 0468 877 125 if you have any questions.

Enjoy!!!

Cyber-stamp-crop at Elite Stampers!

This weekend Angela Sergeant, and the Elite stamper's team are having a cyber - stamp - crop!
Angela sets 4 challenges: a Sketch, a colour, a photo inspiration and a product challenge.
We started playing on Sat morning and it goes till Monday pm.
This is my card for challenge one. The sketch challenge.
And then I had a go at scrapbooking using the sketch.
Both use the "Tea for two" patterned papers and lots of product from the Autumn seasonal mini.

Artisan Embellishment Kit Scrap page

 How easy was this scrapbook page to create?
OK, I was inspired by the front page of the Impressions magazine.... for the layout and excited about using some of the gorgeous embellishments from this kit.
Beautiful laces, ribbon, buttons, ceramic flowers, hearts, doilies, tickets, fabric flowers and love heart tags.

 I have hardly even used what is in this kit and have made several cards and a scrapbook page AND there is still heaps more left to use in this kit. It makes lumpy bumpy cards, or you can use the doilies and lace for flatter projects. You could sew the buttons, lace and ribbons to clothes!!!

 My favourite part of this is how it all coordinates with the same clean vintage style and goes with Pool party, primrose petals, crumb cake and very vanilla (as well as white).

I have stamped the Best things in life aren't things (from the Feel Goods stampset) inked with my Stampin' write markers. All our stamping up markers match the cardstock and ribbons so you know that you always have the right blue, green, red or crumb cake to match your papers. 

Another scrap book page completed - Enjoy!

Sycamore street scrapbooking

OMG I scrapbooked!!!

As the title suggests it was Jessie's school fete back in October.

Why? Because I have new patterned papers and I am not, not, not a hoarder.

I will use my scrapbooking supplies - paper, ink, cardstock, new buttons, and twine.

So featuring the new Designer series paper "Sycamore street" are bunting circles strung on some linen thread showing both sides of the patterned paper. Are you liking it?

Then three fluttering butterflies punched out of Sycamore stree paper and embellished with rhinestones, no less. The journalling is a little on the light side but has the date, place and what we did.

And last but not least, the scallop circle punch and window frames collection framelits to frame my photo.

I was working on the craft table for most of the day selling crafts and raffle tickets, as you do.

Scrapbooking the holidays

This scrapbook page is from photos I took last school holidays.

It celebrates my daughter and I and the fun we have together.

So the title is Celebrate today and the journalling says:

"My happiest days are with you".

I have stamped directly onto the patterned paper in the blank space below the bird on it's branch.

There is something about this bright  and clear "Poppy Parade" that makes me smile.

I have made all the embellishments with my Mixed bunch stampset and the blossom punch with a few of the circle punches to make the centres.

The Patterned Paper featured on this page is:

Pocketful of Posies.

The paper was cut out using the framelits die and the Big shot machine.

Amazement Farm

 As you can see from the photos the girls had a great day at the Amazement Farm.
At mid day there is a sheep race and you are able to take the winning sheep for a walk back to their barn. The sheep are happy to be led and pose for photos with their adoring fans.

 My broadsheet Alphabet is brilliant for a fun heading in Melon Mambo and Early Espresso ink.
I love how each letter is a slightly different style and yet holds together so well for a stylish title.

 These v-cut banners are very in at the moment. So I have added some distressed circle punched flowers to pretty the soft suede page abit.
My banners and circles have been stamped with the "Style Beautiful" stampset in Melon Mambo, Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant.

 The crumpled circles are crushed and unfolded then pinned together with a Rhinestone brad for a little bling in the centres. These stamps are usually used as background stamping on cards but I have brought them front stage and centre to make my flowers.

A school holiday scrap page

When the sun was shining last week we visited a Garden farm called "Amazement".

It is full of activities for the children like mazes, three wheel bikes and lawn games to play.

Our favourite part of the gardens to visit was Bunny world.

Where you can pat the baby rabbits, Guinea pigs and chickens that have recently hatched. 

The photos of Jess show her cuddling a couple of very friendly bunnies.

 Can you imagine her oohs and ahhs?

The Title is stamped with my new Broadsheet Alphabet set.

I have stamped on whisper white cardstock and cut them out with my sharp Papersnip scissors.

For this layout I wanted to get several photos on the page so using a grid pattern I lined up the white borders of the photos.

I ran the scallop dotted ribbon through the centre and some strips of patterned paper on either side of the gorgeous pleated satin ribbon in Baja breeze.

The Apothecary Art stamp inside the Edgelit die makes a great journalling frame.

Scrapbooking a proud moment!

 When the weather is wet and gloomy we scrapbook.

Today's page is all about a proud moment when Jess received a class medal at the end of year assembly.

I have so many photos I never know what pictures to scrapbook next,

 so I have chosen a picture that has lots of feelings and emotion attached to it.

... and then its play time with what ever new stamps and tools I can find.

 I am loving the "Mixed Bunch" stampset and matching punch.

You can layer the punched flowers with plain, stamped or patterned paper and the centres fit into several of our circle punches.

 By cutting out two of the frilly petals you can make a butterfly.

The antenas are made from ribbon or twine would work too.

I like to put a rhinestone jewell in the centre of my butterflies. How pretty are these?

 The Journalling box is stamped with the apothecary Art stamp which conveniently has lines to write on.

The New Big shot - Framelit dies are great for making different sized frames around any image.

 And did you notice the gorgeous big strawberry I made using the Sizzlit heart and a trimmed down piece of the 5 petal flower punch? these look great dipped in some chocolate chip or Early espresso ink.

 For a title I stamped the Congratulations stamp from "Curly Cute" and

Wow, you're the best

from "Friendly Phrases".

Cardstock: Cherry cobbler, Lucky Limeade, whisper white.
Designer paper: First Edition.

The Open Sea ...

 An excursion out on Sydney harbour with lots of photos from the ferry, stopping at Shark Island for a run around and learning all about early settlement of Sydney and basically what all the landmarks are and making sure not too many hats get blown into the briny blue water.

 The "Open Sea" stampset is a brilliant set for this scrap book page. I teamed it up with Baker's twine (available in the Summer mini) this one is wound with cherry cobbler and white cotton and goes with the reds and blues and razzleberry I have chosen. My title is created with the Timeless type big shot alphabet and attached with two way glue pen.

 What is a page about the water and ships with out a swathe of deep blue ocean made with crumpled Night of Navy cardstock and sprayed with Frost white shimmer paint spray.
Distressing is a great stress release .... give it to the kids to squish and destroy, they will love crushing up mum's special paper!

 Instead of fussy cutting out all the boats I found that the shifp fits beautifully into the 6cm circle punch and so does the world map stamp too.

If you want a smaller circle you can squeeze it onto a 1 3/4" circle, with out losing too much of the ship.
I just love what you can do with the detailed anchor stamp and the compass ... layering and ageing it with inks. The distressing kit comes in handy for roughing, sanding and distressing the edges.

January Scrapbook page

 A simple scrapbook page for the beginning of the year - using stamps, my bigshot alphabet and some First Edition designer series paper.

The typewriter image from Established Elegance is great for an education themed page.

For me it is a traditional element that says writing, working and playing with words.

My dad had an enormous remington typewriter in his office (downstairs beside the garage) I remember being able to play on it and dreaming of working in an office when I grew up ....

It is said be careful what you wish for, you just might get it !

...and I spent 26 years working in an office using a computer keyboard for most of it.

Early thoughts lead us to where we are now.

Here is Jess on her first day of school this year.
 I have also used the Elementary Elegance stampset framing the 4 with butterflies, keys and crowns.

 The typewriter spits out my journalling on a small Curly label punched piece of cardstock.

  I have repeated the same images (making my own background paper) on to the First Edition printed paper. Adding two pieces of punched ribbon border to the sides.
The colours I have used are Rose Red, Soft Suede and Early Espresso.

Enjoy!!!

More "Letters to santa" Quick accents

 Have you ever read that book:

 "Where is the Green sheep"?

Well we played - where is Santa - this year.

We visited the shopping centres of course, but it was a case of:

we just weren't dressed for photos with Santa, we just didn't have enough time, we will do it another day.

And then it happened - Santa had gone.

He'd caught the last reindeer train back to Finland and the Northern hemisphere.

There was only his empty chair...

what's a mum to do?

Take a photo anyway - so its not in the spirit of Santa but it was funny...

And just to save us from the Is santa real questions...

Santa had hitched a lift with the fire brigade to help with their fundraising and he came to us for a photo instead.

All the decorations on these pages are from the Quick accents "Letters to Santa" pack.

Scrapbooking the days of Summer

During the holidays we managed to get out into the bush a couple of times for walks, even though it threatened rain with overcast skies. One of the days we visited Girrakool National Park. We walked as far as the caves, crossing stepping stones over rain-filled creeks and had some good conversations along the way.

I really like this stampset: "Kindness matters" because it has butterflies designed to go with vintage style pages. It seems to match a lot of my stampsets at the moment. 

 For a small 6 x 6" page there is a lot going on starting with some

 "flower garden" embossing on the Elegant Eggplant cardstock.

Distressed edges on the patterned paper

Punched flowers from the Boho Blossom punch with added PEARLS

Embossed vellum butterflies (Beautiful wings embosslit)

 and of course the photo that has been cut out with the Beautiful butterflies die.
And the corner has been sprayed with shimmer paint mist for added sparkle.

Its appropriate that I have used the kindness matters stampset from Shelli Gardner's collection as the layout was inspired by one of her gorgeous vintage cards.

Building a scrapbook page.

Scrapbooking is a little different to making cards.

You know that your scrapbook page is going to be kept for some time and may be brought out year after year by family and friends.

I know that a scrapbook page takes a little longer and so I set aside enough time to enjoy the process.

There is the Photo selection time - choosing a picture that evokes an emotion: a moment of pride, excitement, a beautiful photo, or an event to remember!

Next comes the colour matching - to the photo, to the mood, to the season.

Usually it is the fabrics and patterns in the photo that I want to repeat in the background.

Then choosing the products I will use as accents: Sometimes for me it is the latest set of patterned papers or a shiny new product that I want to experiment with. And, sometimes it is just an idea I have, inspired by a magazine, or an image from an advertising catalogue. My favourite are bath, manchester and bedroom catys. 

This one reminds me of pillows or a patchwork quilt.

Often, I like to start small with a 6x6 inch page and build up a full size page from there. 

 Sometimes by the time you add an embellishment and some background stamping, or a title that is enough!

But usually I like to add more than one or two photos to a page and that decides the way the page will look.

I add my date and journalling last ... and sponge around the edge of the white page.

This page is one of my favourites featuring Jessica at the Choral Festival in September.

The singing club sung songs from Mary Poppins and dressed as maids and chimney sweeps.

The fresh vintage patterned papers and the orangey reds in the embellishments match the cute little aprons they wore.