Online Gallery Challenge's for March

I thought it might be a good idea to let you know what our online challenges are for March on my blog as well as through the newsletters.


Layout Challenge
Use your old one off bits left over from your stash, i.e. the last flower from a set, odd brads/eyelets, rub-ons/odd piece of chipboard, etc.

Photo Challenge
Everyday life. Take a photo of something that represents your everyday life.

Project Challenge
Create a mini album using old CD's

Card Challenge
Create a card with cupcakes on it


Have a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing what you all create.

16th March 2011

I went to a funeral today.  I have always found funerals to be very very sad and sometimes even depressing.  Today was one of the first times where I have gone to a funeral to celebrate the person's life.  This lady had been one of the teachers that taught both my girls Art at their little school.  Mrs B was an amazing crafts person and loved to share her love of art with the children.

Today I discovered she had been teaching for over 40years.  She was the type of person who until you got to know you would think of her as a scary person.  I am so glad I was able to see and know the sweet and kind lady that she truly was.

It was also amazing to see how many people she touched not only through her teaching but also through her crafts.

Thank you Mrs B I am glad I knew you, and thank you for all that you have taught my girls.

14th March 2011

It has been full on the last couple of weeks with kids classes and organising different things.  I have been wanting to get on and blog but there are only so many hours in a day.

I have been wanting to share this layout I did the other weekend with you so ... finally here it is.

This is a layout of Miss M's last swim class at her old school.  I made the paper goggles from black cardstock and to give a shiny look to the lenses of the goggles I used that wonderful product - Dimensional Magic.  It is magic and really gives this layout something special.
I also used the Cricut that I have on loan from my Dad and Grandma Lyn to do my title.  Yep it is true these really are fun machines to play with.  I have already bought a couple of cartridges for Grandma Lyn and I to use.

Ultimate Scrapbooking Room

I found this You tube video awhile back and put it on Facebook but since then I have had some people asking about it and do you think I can find it again on my facebook (LOL), so I thought I would put it here on my blog instead.

I happened to come across this video of this lovely lady sharing her craft room and oh boy I would love to have something like this, but good grief talk about having lots of cricut machines.  I like here paper stash the most I think.  Well enjoy and dream.

Friends Smile Mini Book

I had the opportunity this week to create a little something for a dear friend overseas.  Another friend will be visiting and offered if I had anything small to give to my friend they would drop it off for me.  So over the weekend I began creating a fun little mini book using the Bind-it-all tool and some envelopes.
Glenna made this book for our December 2010 newsletter at the end of last year, you can download the December 2010 newsletter for our website:  www.betterscrapbooking.co.nz   So using her instructions this is what I came up with:

It was a lot of fun.  I used the Making Memories Paper Reverie Collection to decorate the envelopes.  To embellish my pages I used a corner punch from EK Success and some fun little flowers.  It did not take long and I know it will be a gift that will be treasured.

Remember not all pages need to have photos, sometimes it is nice to have a page with a little bit of journaling (or part of a poem) and some doodling.  My doodling was possible with the use of templates.

Christchurch Earthquake Workshop

Christchurch Earthquake Workshop - Friday 4th March $15

Next Friday we will be having a special workshop where all the workshop fee will be going to the Christchurch Earthquake Fund.

The workshop will be from: 6:30pm - midnight
Tea, coffee and supper will be provided.
Seats are limited so register your interest by emailing me at: megan@betterscrapbooking.co.nz

We hope you can join us to help this devastated community.

Christchurch Earthquake

To all our customers, family and friends in Christchurch,
Please know you are all in our thoughts and prayers at this time.
From everyone at Better Scrapbooking Ltd.

14th February 2011

Happy Valentines Day to you all.  I hope what ever you do today that you will have a truly great day!

I have had sometime to be a little bit creative lately.  Last Friday for some reason was not a good day, so i spent a little bit of time creating for someone else.  The process was very healing and I felt a lot better doing something for me (getting creative) and doing something for someone else (making something to give away).


Here is what I made.  A good friend of ours is just getting into keeping a journal so I bought a hard back exercise book (they have been on special for the school stationery) and decorated it.  She was blown away by it when I gave it to her the following day.

I cover the front and back covers separately which left the spine showing the exercise book red colour.  To hide this I used some of my paint (luckily I had some cream coloured paint left) and carefully painted the spine.  It made a huge difference to the look of the journal.

I also layered some flowers and attached them with liquid white glue to the front of the journal.  When the glue was dry I attached some bling using my I-Rock.  While I had the I-Rock tool out I added some bling swirls using the Swirl I-Rock Template.
I have purchased some extra hard back exercise books as I think these covered journals make fantastic gifts.  Remember to take advantage of any sales you see.

Also over the weekend I had a go at altered a glass bottle.  I had this bottle for awhile.  It was a little sparkling Ribena bottle that I picked up one day as a treat.  It has been cleaned and sitting around for months so thought it was high time I did something with it.

I added some rub-ons.  Now this was a challenges as the bottle is shaped and the rub-ons did not lie flat.  But when doing something like this one just has to be patient and take ones time.

I added a piece of ribbon.  Next I layered some flowers and added a cute little bling brad.  To attach the flowers to the bottle (hiding the join in the ribbon) I just used some foam tape.

I think I will use this to decorate my craft room once I get to really tidy it up again (sigh)

Lastly this weekend I thought it would be a good idea to create a sample layout of what the children in my kids class will be making this week.  Seeing as it is Valentines Day I thought it would be fun to do a "Love Is ..." layout.  I am looking forward to seeing what the children come up with.

Happy Birthday Peanut

Wow it is so hard to believe you Peanut our cat is now 2 years old.  He has been through many wars already, but we are so happy to have him as a part of our family.

Yes he was born on Valentines Day in my young daughters cupboard.  He and his two brother and one sister were almost born on my daughter's bed but we moved Kitty just in time.
Peanut is a very gentle cat and a great part of our family.

Happy Birthday Peanut from all of us!

Bird Cages

Well finally I am back online.  Can you believe it no sooner had we got all my stuff onto the laptop because the desk top computer was playing up that the laptop was stolen - ahhhhhhh.  It has made things very difficult.  Anyway, I have had some fun this month, I managed to let myself has some crafting time and this is what I came up with ....

I was given the birdcage for Christmas by my family and ever since I have been busting to decorate it.  The two birds inside the cage were made using the Hot Off the Template - Birds.  I used some brown and blue ink, inked some cardstock then cut out the birds.
All the flowers have been wired onto the caged, the butterfly was tied on with some thread.

This was a lot of fun, now I need to find something else to decorate - Oooo notebooks, here I come.

Have fun scrapbooking and paper crafting everyone.