Christmas Crafting

Each year I say I will make presents but don’t often get around to it.  This year with our budget lower than usual I was determined.

I made calendars for each of the families on both our sides.  I bought a calendar template from Sweet Shoppe HERE and just had to add my photos in Photoshop.  I then printed them at home onto A4 photo paper and then had them spiral bound at Office Works.  I’m so happy with how they turned out.

Here is the calendar for my side of the family.

           

And then I made 4 Cookie Dough Jars up for 3 of my Perth friends and our lovely neighbour Angie.  I followed Bakerella’s instructions HERE.  I LOVE these.  I really hope they taste as good as they look in their jars though.

I also made my niece a photo tin about her cousins so she can be familiar with their faces and names as se lives away from them.  I taught this as a class with a groups of home schoolers too.  There are photos on both sides…

This year for my Christmas cards, I only gave to our direct families and I bought my friend Nicky’s handmade cards and didn’t make my own.  They are gorgeous :)

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Love Gayle xxoo

Kaiser Album

I actually got around to decorating a Kaiser Wooden Album! It's taken me long enough...

This one is about Murray's mischievous childhood :)

Using Kaiser 'Star Designer Album', Kaiser 'Extreme' Papers, Kaiser 'Extreme' Brads, American Craft Journalling Stickers, assorted Kaiser rhinestone pictures, and Thickers 'Peacoat Felt'. All found at Country Scrapbooking.

Mother's Day Boxes

I made these boxes using my Cricut and the 'Tags, Bags, Boxes & More' cartridge. They are for the ladies at church for Mother's Day and I have filled them with chocolates. I am coming to realise my Cricut has a lot more uses than just titles!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Gayle xxoo

My Classes from the Retreat

I forgot to show you the full versions of my classes I taught at the retreat on the weekend.
This first class was to teach the technique of cutting your pages and photos in half to continue onto the next page. Apparently it looks much better in real life.


And here is the explosion box I taught.

Holden Graveyard Photo Tin

I had nothing to do at work one day so I made this tin to store my photos in that I need to scrapbook....thats a plus for working in a scrapshop hey.

~August 2007 Layouts~

My layout for the Scrap of Faith competition "What Scrap of Faith means to me"

Got three layouts done yesterday while looking after the scrap shop for Kerri while she was at a field day. This first one is back in 04 at the Great Australian Bight. I used my new stamps from Cass...love em...will be using them a lot more! Here are some more old photos from 04 (trying to get all my older ones scrapped).
And a ride on Puffing Billy in Victoria....very simple LO...but I really want to get my older photos done so I can go onto other projects.
Errin and I went on a photo shoot again today because she ran out of photos to scrap. We both scrapbooked this photo today with the same bible verse. Check out Errins blog for her take on it. A quick layout before tea. This layout is about Tayla's Beanie Kid obsession. Each Beanie Kid has a BK#, birthdate and personality description.

Errin and I made these prayer journals yesterday as part of her discipleship training. It's designed by Nat Mardon and the instructions were a free download from Scrap of Faith. Click HERE for the instructions.
This is the inside cover including a pocket for notes and the first section for Prayers of Adoration (telling God how much I love him).
The 2nd section is for prayers of Confession and Forgiveness and the 3rd section is for prayers of thanks (for all the wonderful things God has done in my life and for answered prayers)
The 4th section is for prayers for things I need... like special blessings, healing or guidance. The 5th section is for prayers for others (family, friends, my church, the lost etc)
And the 6th section is for things I feel God is speaking to me about.
This is the second page for Mum's Life Album. This is Mum's parents. I'm really enjoying making this album.

I had a vision of this layout while praying for our town about 6 months ago and felt tonight that I was to do it. The verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land"

Another quick digital layout cause I was bored and I have some cool new kits to use. This kit is a freebie by Isabelle Cyr. Ok..I have made two cards today out of scraps and it got me thinking that maybe I should make a challenge for myself to make a card every time I do a layout out of the scraps. Thought it was time to have another go at digital scrapbooking. I love these mini kits. They are Weeds and Wildflowers creations. I love the look of doodling on layouts and can't do it myself so these kits are great...it is already done for me! This layout expresses my love for photography...since 1990 when I got my first camera at 13.
These are my nieces and nephews (and 3 girls)...all the grand kids on the Smith side. I made this layout for my friend Errin. She is a new christian and this layout is to remind her who she is in Christ and how God sees her. This is an Explosion Box I have made for a class sample for Father's Day. I have kept the 'decorating' quite simple so everyone can get it finished in the allocated time.
This layout is for a Scrap of Faith Cybercrop Challenge. The challenge was to 1. create a layout in white/pink/green 2. make your own embellishment (the flowers) 3. add a bible verse. So this is my interpretation. The bible verse reads "What matters is not your outer appearance - the styling of your hair, the jewellery you wear, the type of clothes - but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in." 1Peter 3:3-4.

~March 2007 Layouts~

This is last nights effort. I got the photo idea from Erin Keener at Multi-Photo Scrapbooking.

I am teaching at the "Scrappin in the Bush" Katanning retreat on Saturday. Below is a sample for my class. The layout in the frame is 7"x7". I know it is the same as the layout I did last week...but I just loved it so much...hehehe. I have also done a burgundy one as a sample. The plan is to make a selection of kits with different themes/colours for the ladies to choose from to suit their photos.

I just love this photo of Murray and the girls. The quote on the photo reads "There is no higher calling in life than the task of bearing and raising the children whom God has trusted to our care. We are given a few brief years to love and guide them and instill the values in which we believe. Then suddenly, the children are grown and have families of their own. What endures for mothers and fathers after that moment of release is a precious museum of memories to be enjoyed for the rest of their lives." by Dr James Dobson.

A layout of Ashlee reading. She LOVES reading children's novels...especailly Enid Blyton books.

This month I did the "1,2,3 Cybercrop" We have been given 3 challenges to finish before the end of the month. Each Challenge has 3 criterias to it.
This is the first Challenge. The Criteria was 1 - Use one of Elsie Fanigans layout sketches 2 - Use a monogram (the "B") 3 - use handstitching (sewing on my buttons)

Here is my layout, the photo is of the girls when Bree was 8 days old.

This layout is for the second challenge.

The criteria was 1 - use no cardstock, 2 - use a quote from http://www.kitiq.com.au/ 3 - use hearts.

So here is my entry. To veiw more challenge entries visit http://ourbrightstarsandus.typepad.com/123_cybercrop/

And here is my Challenge #3. Criteria is 1 - Scraplift a layout from http://www.chookscraps.com.au/ 2 - use black and red, 3 - use buttons.

So here it is I made this mini album for Jenelle. The pics are from her 70's party we had last year. I borrowed the idea from Nat Mardon...thanks Nat. What's with all the hearts lately..it must be my latest trend.
This layout is of my friend Ros and her boys. It is my March "1,2,3 Challenge" entry.
I asked Murray what things he likes me to do to make him happy....here is a list of 20 things he compiled. (click to enlarge)

Murray reloaded his first bullets on Saturday. This is a layout to remember his experience.

Try to ignore the transperancy circles...you can't see them too badly IRL.