a couple more for November.....

Scrap of Difference has had its CC and the theme this time was sunshine.. i got the sketch and the technique done.. the technique was to use rips and stitching... i used the gorgeous pink paisley butterfly gardens papers for this  layout.. some prima flowers, a kaiser chippy painted with kindy glitz and a few other bits and peices.. i thought this photo of the sun shining on Hannah's face was suitable for the theme of sunshine....

a closer view...

the other layout i got done was for the sketch....

 i just used one photo instead of two...the photo has the sun setting, so i thought it would be good to use for the theme of sunshine... i used all sorts of stuff on this layout...an old chippie i cut up to suit, flowers, ribbon., tags..

thanks for coming by...hasn't this month just flown by..??. are you all organized for December?? i have done a bit of  the shopping and looking at recipes for the Christmas season... so i guess that is a start!!!
take care and thank you for any comments...xx

She learnt to trust - BITW

the next word for Bird is the Word http://birdisthewordchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/11/sunday-november-20-trust.html is to use the word TRUST.. (there is also a sketch, but i think i went off in my own little world this time!!!) When i thought of the word trust, i immediately thought of my youngest daughter who arrived into our family a very frightened and unsure little girl.. She had to get to know us, and she learnt to trust...i love this photo of Nisha and her sister Hannah.. Nisha's time zone was all out of whack for a week or two, so she was falling to sleep at tea time, and on this day, she feel asleep on Hannah.. and that to me symbolizes a trust and a feeling of comfort...She learnt to trust........

and a close up.. i have a 'thing" with tags at the moment.. just love taking them and adding something to them and putting them on my layout... the papers i have used are from a stack i got from Lincraft.. the bird cage is a RAK i got from a friend..

 and i want to really say thank you for the comments you leave.. you really are my encouragement.. some days i have tears in my eyes from the sheer kindness in your words.. so thank you...
i hope you are having a good day today!xx

S.A.H.M. - OUAS November 15th challenge

the new challenge at http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-15th-challenge.html is to use the sketch...

and

Journalling criteria: This time the journalling criteria focuses on YOU as a woman OR ANY female in your life. What is the best thing about being a woman? Motherhood? Shopping? Make Up? Girls nights? Gossip? Your journalling can be as long as you wish and in any language, but you must journal at least 2 sentences on the best part of being a woman.

well i thought about what i like most about my life at the present, and i really love being a S.A.H.M. a stay at home mum.. i appreciate being able to be at home for my daughters. i have at times gone out and worked when my kids were younger,  so i know how hard that is..so that is what i have done this layout on... 


i have used pretty much all Kaiser papers, Nana's favorites and some homemade papers.. Kaiser chipboard and over lay...i have turned the sketch anti clockwise once..

thanks for dropping in, and i appreciate your comments!!

Get Picky Sketch #14

the latest challenge for GP is use this sketch for your inspiration....http://getpicky.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-sketch-challenge-14.html

i was stumped for a while, i think the circles got me...!!! but then i thought i would just put embellishments where the circles were... and so i used some gorgeous photos of my little grand - niece... Amelia Grace..
 and did some fussy cutting of the flowers from the papers i was using...

and a close up....

i also used some 3-d flower stickers and prima flowers, glitter glue and liquid pearls.. and some misting.. decorative scissors and MS punch...

thanks for coming by.. and thanks for any comments too!!

a great giveaway @ OUAS

wow.. i just came across this.... how amazing!! just had to share it.....

Time for a giveaway here at Once Upon A..Sketch, because we are feeling a little generous and just to thank you for your support.. 

You have a chance to win this gorgeous album kit featuring Melissa Frances 5th Avenue collection...

"Limited Edition Melissa Frances" Kit Contents (kit by Scrap That! - Canada's best kit club) 

Envelopes and Tags Book

5th Avenue 6 X 6 Paper Pad

5th Avenue Sticker Book

5th Avenue Diecuts

2 Mini Envelopes and Tags

Trinkets & Baubles

Diamond Chandelier Drops

“Mom” Expressive Transfer

Vintage Architectural Molding Appliques

Crepe Paper - Light Blue, Pale Pink, Cream, Pastel Green

4 ZVA Pink Transition Mini Roses

6 ZVA Cream Mini Roses

Vintage Seam Binding

All you need to do is: 

1) Be or become a follower of our blog

2) post about this give away on your blog or Facebook page or wherever you like, together with this picture and a link back to us

3) Link your blog, or Facebook Page or wherever you posted about this giveaway on the bottom of this post using the Inlinkz button. 

The details

* open worldwide

*you have 1 week from today - this giveaway will end on midnight Friday November 25th ( Australian Eastern Standard Time) 

Good luck!

**please provide a direct link to your post about this giveaway and PLEASE state your FULL NAME and your COUNTRY

so head on over to Once Upon a Sketch.....http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-time.html

**

The Best Gift of all is You!! - FWAB Nov challenge

well with the heat we have been having here, it is way too hot to do too much...(in my opinion!!hehe!) but scrap!!! the current challenge at FWAB http://www.flourishwithabling.com.au/blog/?p=2139 is to use at least 3 of these colors....as well as a neutral color... and also a FWAB product on your layout..




so i was inspired to use the red gold silver and green colors on my layout...

and i used the jessie cherry red flourish cut to suit...

My gorgeous girl in her Christmas dress in December 2009... (the only way i know that it wasn't last year is because the grass is so dry in the photo.. last year it was very green from lots of rain...)

If you have a FWAB product, and feel inspired by those colors then have a go at the challenge, the prize is a random draw and take it from me the prize is fabulous, worth about 30 dollars of FWAB products..

thanks for droppin in!! hope your day is going great!

Enjoy the little things - BW2 November challenge

Black with Two this month http://blackwith2challenge.blogspot.com/2011/11/october-winner-and-november-challenge.html is to use dominant black with lime and cream...so this is my take on it... My daughter Hannah... i have used a scrapmatts lamp post painted cream, cut a border  with my cricut, put some pleated paper under the photo with some music ribbon from craft queen, kaiser pearl flourish EK punch and mixed flowers..

thanks for your visit and any comments too!!

Shine - Handmade by Suzanne Nov sketch

Hi... this layout was done for the November sketch for Handmade by Suzanne http://www.handmadebysuzanne.com.au/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1144&title=november-2011-sketch-competition&cat=541 which I saw from a lovely friends blog so I thought i would give it a go seeing as I do like a sketch to get the mojo started... so this is the gorgeous sketch.....

And this is what i did with it .I only used one photo and I decided to go bright colors on this, and love how it turned out!!

thanks for coming by,  I hope your day is going great!!

you ADORE the beach - BITW challenge

The latest word over on BITW http://birdisthewordchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/11/adore-new-challenge-word-november-6.html is to use the word "ADORE"... humm so many things i could have gone with.. but i choose this cute photo of my youngest at the beach in 2004.. When she was introduced to the beach she was a bit overwhelmed, but the next time we went she just loved it... now... she adores the beach...
I used a kaiser chippie for the castle, and scrap matts chippies for the shell, star fish and ships wheel and anchor.. I also used an old bracelet that no one was wearing with the fish on it (at the bottom) and I have no idea what the meshy stuff is.. I got it at Spotlight in the hat section a long time ago...the beach huts are Kaiser stamps...the small flowers are prima... and other bits and bods from my stash..

thanks for poppin in... sure feels like beach weather here in the SE of Queensland!! thanks for your comments.. they are most welcome...xx

Because - OUAS nov 1st challenge

the challenge that is current at OUAS http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-1st-challenge.html is to use this sketch.

and journal about when you started scrapping and why you scrap... Well today is quite special to me because on the 6th November 2002 i got a phone call from our social worker to tell us we had an allocation of a little girl.. We had been waiting 8 years for this call.. and why i mention this is because my youngest daughter has been the catalyst for me to get into scrapbooking. One of the many things we had to do to become eligible to adopt was to create a "life story book" for our child, explaining how they came to be in our family.. I started this book in a 3 ring binder, using the pages to put in photos and the many documents we got during the process.. It was before we even had a computer, so it was hand written and looking at it now very primitive. but it is a book my daughter likes to look through over and over.. When she came home and life began  for her here I continued to add photos and things she did, like paintings from playgroup, then kindy.. and then when the book was too full to put any more in it, i wondered what i would do.. it was then in 2006 my friend Marlene took me to a scrapbooking shop and there i saw 'real' papers and albums so much better than a 3 ring binder.. and so in January 2006, i bought a real album and papers and began the creative process of learning how to make a scrap booking layout with photos and stories.  Then i began to do layouts for my older children, and then for myself.. so here i am over 5 years later, creating layouts, having a blog and making wonderful friends...  all BECAUSE i had to make a book for my daughter..
So the photo is of my daughter holding her life story book, quite special to me.. i will always remember that phone call....(9 years ago today) you have a daughter... not the usual way of finding out about your next child.. but a most remarkable precious way...
(if you have read all this, then thank you....!!)

Because.................

a close up of the layers.. i used the Miss Nelly range of papers from Kaiser...

thanks for coming by!

Beautiful Memories - Get Picky Inspiration Challenge

the latest challenge for get picky http://getpicky.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-inspiration-challenge-13.html is to use this picture for inspiration as well as using some sort of fabric, lace, felt etc.. so i took this picture

and as my inspiration i took the gorgeous colors, the lace drapes were inspiration for my lacey white rosettes and the round circles on the mat gave me circles i used for my photos.. i also used bits of fabric for the bunting up the side..

thanks for coming by, and thank you for any comments you leave too...

ooo nearly forgot this one....

oops i nearly forgot to put this one on my blog.. the sketch from Flourish with a blinghttp://www.flourishwithabling.com.au/blog/ for October was this one from the uberly talented Liz Weber..

and i turned it once clock wise for my layout. as always the criteria is to use a FWAB product on your layout....
my two girls, spending some time together...

thanks for coming by, and i hope to get into some November challenges soon!! Isn't the year flying by??!!!