Adore Forever...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Welcome to my first post for 2015! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful festive season and a great start to the New Year. 2015...Wow!

As this post goes live I am on holidays with my family in Moruya just near Batemans Bay in NSW. We have spent some time in Avoca Beach, then Canberra and this is the last week or so of our summer holiday.

I love holidays. I hope you are all having a break no matter where you are and that you are staying safe. All of the fires in SA and VIC at the moment are devastating. If you are affected please know our thoughts are with you all. 

This month at Scrapbookit, the beautiful Brenda has provided us with the challenge, a tic tac toe!

I love tic tac toes because you have a little bit of variety with what you can do and if you are like me you can be a little naughty and slip in a few extras from the grid!!!!

Here is the tic tac toe grid that Brenda has set up for us...what a great selection!

I have decided to use one of the diagonals...'Flowers, Journal (more than a few lines) and Stencil' as my main focus for this layout.

Here is what I came up with...

This is my gorgeous Nan who turned 85 last year. I used an app on my iPhone called 'Color Splash' to remove the background colours on this photo and just have the main focus of the photo coloured.

As always, Jo has challenged me with an awesome pack of goodies. As you all probably know girly papers and I rarely cross paths but Jo never lets me get away with sitting in my comfort zone and that is what I love most about designing for Scrapbookit...I am forever challenged!

My pack included the Bo Bunny paper collection 'Madeleine.' Such gorgeous papers that include pinks, greys, mint greens and maroons.

I started this layout with a piece of Coconut Kaisercard which I sprayed with Heidi Swapp Colourshine 'Blush'...my first deviation from the grid (whoops!). I then used the Tim Holtz Layering Stencil 'Doily' with some moulding paste in random places around the cardstock. Once dry, I swiped the raised moulding paste with Burgundy Versa Colour Ink. Here are some close ups of the stencil work.

I then used some of the patterned papers to create a patchwork effect behind the photo. Some of these squares I have raised and punched a decorative edge. All sqaures have been inked using the Kaisercraft Grey Ink.

I have mounted the photo on some patterned paper from the collection and some Kaisercard 'Steele' cardstock.

I have also fussy cut some leaves and a birdcage from the patterned paper to add to the features on this layout.

The next part of the grid that I have used is 'Flowers' I have used a mix of Manor House and Kaisercraft paper flowers to create a flower cluster on the layout.

I have also stamped some Burgundy flower stamps from my pack. Another of my deviations - stamps! Also in my pack was a word stamp 'Adore' which I also stamped in this area using the Grey Kaisercraft Ink.

I have also added some Pearl embellishment swirls from Flourish with a Bling to this cluster.

Here is a close up of the cluster...

The last feature of my layout taken from the Tic Tac Toe grid is the Journal (more than a few lines). Journalling is such an important feature of scrapbooking layouts. In years to come I want people, especially my son, to look at these layouts and to know and have access to stories and people who are part of his past.

However, being that this requirement was 'more than a few lines' I didn't want the story to be the feature of this layout. I wanted the photo to be the focus. So I decided to hide my journalling. Behind the photo I have created a pocket using some foam tape and another piece of cardstock. I cut a piece of Kaisercard 'Ballet' with a tab on the left hand side and inked the edges with Kaiscraft Grey Ink.

This is where I journalled.

On the tab I used the Bo Bunny Combo Stickers for the word 'Forever.'

Here is a close up of the journalling card behind the photo...

And to finish a shot of the layout with the journalling card pulled out.

I hope that this has inspired you to join in our challenge or to purchase some of these great products from the Scrapbookit Online Store...www.scrapbookit.com.au

If you can't find what you are looking for send an email to Jo and she will help you out. She is always more than happy to help you out with all you need to get your scrap on!!

Make sure you pop back again throughout this week to see what else I have created using this Bo Bunny collection.

Until then,

Happy Scrapping!

Mel x