...like a headless chook

Well, so the expression goes, I seem to have been running around like a headless chook - here there and everywhere. It may not seem like I've done anything for a while but I have been working on my DT projects, making thank you gifts for Emily's kinder teachers, as well as doing some construction work around our house - which has involved pricing, sourcing and ordering all of the components which can be very time consuming. Some days I felt like I was on the phone or net all day... actually I was!
So, I don't have any new cards or layouts to show you... yet, but I thought I'd share a little about the January new release for Kaszazz.
I am having a product demonstration and a chance to look at all of the new release products - and order some too if you like. As a hint, the theme of the new release is "Romance" but you didn't hear it form me, ok?
So, write it in your diaries - Monday 18th January, 7:30pm @ my place. No cost involved. Please email me if you would like to attend, and let me know numbers (you are welcome to bring a friend) but I will have to limit numbers to 12 so that everyone can have a play with the products. You never know, I may even have a product giveaway on the night!
email : rachel.witthaus@gmail.com

I'm on a Design Team!

Wow, I'm so excited!!! I just checked the Sketches! {by tamara} blog to see who the new design team are and I'm one of them!! Did I mention I am excited?!
The call was for 10 people to join the DT from 1 January - 30 April. There is a 4 week cycle that involves:
Week 1: Layout Sketch Week
Week 2: Recipe Challenge Week
Week 3: Card Sketch Week
Week 4: Journaling Challenge
... so stay tuned for lots of projects and hopefully something to inspire you.

The first challenge will be posted 5th January so make sure you don't miss it!

For those interested in the next NEW Kaszazz Release, it will be happening in mid Jan. There will be more info to come but I'm too excited to concentrate right now.

Inspired

As I was blog hopping today I came across a scrapbooking sketch site. I'm finding that sketches have been giving me a lot of inspiration lately, and it's quite fitting that this particular blog is called Inspired Blueprints. Their current sketch - #37 was the basis of this layout. Although I didn't stick exactly to the sketch, I used the mosaic element to fit with my photos.


Cardstock is kraft/oatmeal, PP is Grace Taylor by Grant, Heidi Grace stamps using Chocolate Ancient Page and coloured with Derwent pencils, Bazzill for the journalling strips, black felt tip pen and Signo white pen.
Thanks for looking :)

Scrapbook layout using 8x10 inch photo

I don't print my own photos at home. I have considered getting a photo printer in the past but by the time you buy the printer, the inks, and a good quality photo paper it works out cheaper to have them printed in the stores when they are on special.

Camera house have had a special on 8 x 10 inch photos for $1.95 each this month (ends today) which is pretty good, so I got a whole heap printed to either scrap or frame and hang on the wall.

This photo is so pretty and I used the Lightroom program to alter the colours and just leave the blue tones - which highlights the inside of her hat and her eyes. It was very glary the day this was taken so it made it hard to get a good colour balance on the original photo.

I have got piles (I'd hate to count the number of sheets - my guess would be somewhere in the vicinity of 150 12x12 pieces) of paper sitting in my paper rack from my 4 years of scrapbooking and I have decided that it is time to move it along... use it or lose it!

This background paper is a Basic Grey paper, flowers, brads and rhinestones are Kaisercraft, stamps are Grant and Autumn Leaves, inks are Ancient Page. The title has Rock Candy over it (although the ink I chose for the "love" is not bold enough for my liking and I may try and go over it in some way to make it stand out more). I have a hidden journalling tag under the photo that explains how this photo was taken on Feb 7th this year - Black Saturday when the bushfires destroyed so much of our state, and we were out sightseeing on the Great Ocean Road and had no idea until we came back to our accomodation after dinner and saw it all on TV.

I know there isn't much to this layout but with a photo this big there isn't a lot of room left, and I didn't want to take away from the photo with too much else.

Artwork hanger

I have had these MDF letters and plaques sitting around for ages so I decided I would finally make something with them.

The plaque I painted with Tarnished Brass Crackle paint around the edges, and dabbed the top with Snow Cap Adirondack paint. The letters are covered with Eggplant Adirondack paint, then stamped with the Circle Trio stamps using the Snow Cap paint.

The letters are adhered with Glossy Accents - it is an awesome glue! The butterflies are painted with Snow Cap white and stamped with a variety of inks (Ancient Page, Vivid and Colorbox chalk) in the colours my daughter chose.

The antennae are a pin (they actually came on a shirt of my husbands - you know how they are pinned in place in the packet) that had a pearl top. I threaded on some beads - mostly glass beads and stuck them into the top of the butterflies and tapped them right in with my craft hammer. The butterflies are decorated with assorted Rhinestones and Rock Candy stickles.

I cut the ribbons to various lengths and spread them out across the bottom on the back of the plaque. I stuck them on with Glossy Accents and then punched a hole and hammered in an eyelet (without setting it) to hold them in place. I threaded ribbon through one side of the clips and tied a knot to keep it on, and hung it on the wall with a 3M removable hook - no holes in the wall.

Now Emily has a place to hang all of her paintings and pictures she brings home from kinder without them piling up on my fridge!

So what do you think??

Photos

I love photos. I always have, but since becoming a mum and wanting to capture all those once-in-a-lifetime moments, photos have taken on a new meaning.

When Emily was less than one, I only had my basic 35mm film camera (no fancy settings or anything) and I would put a blanket behind her and make a "studio" - which was much cheaper than what Pixi charge!

I then got my first digital camera (which my parent's have just borrowed to go overseas and still works fine) and the photos just multiplied. Instead of taking one or 2 photos on film, I would take 10 at a time because it was so easy to delete them later and only print the ones I wanted.

About 2 years ago Matt suggested that I should get a better camera, and I did consider a DSLR but at the time it seemed a bit daunting - I still wanted the ability to just point and shoot, so I got the next step down from a DSLR - my Canon Powershot S5 IS. It has good optical zoom (digital zoom is useless) and has a lot of the features of a DSLR without having to worry about lenses and focusing it manually.

In the last 12 months I have done more reading about the settings on my camera and now I have figured out how to create those gorgeous shots where the subject is in focus and the background blurred. These are my favourite sort of portrait shots, although depending on the setting they aren't always possible.

Even more recently I downloaded a trial for a program by Adobe called Photoshop Lightroom - which adjusts the settings of the photos (not really an editing software). Thanks to Kylie and Bruno for telling me about it.

Here are some of the photos I have adjusted - I will share the before and after to show how you can change photos - even if they aren't great in the first place.

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Mojo Monday 114

This is my take on this week's MojoMonday sketch.

Materials: White and Black cardstock, Medium Butterfly stamp, Dogwoods Jumbo Rollagraph wheel, Fancy Flourish stamp, Mini Messages stamp, Plum Wine Ancient Page ink, Black organdy ribbon, Rock Candy Distress Stickles, DST.

I'd like to try this sketch again using a watercoloured image on the lower left.

Ink Comparison

While I'm at it I thought I would show you the difference between some of the inks available through Kaszazz.

ANCIENT PAGE

Ancient Page is a dye ink. It is light-fast (won't fade), permanent, waterproof (excellent for using when watercolouring images), and acid free. It is available as ink pads and also as cartridges to use in the Rollagraph and Jumbo Rollagraph handles. It stamps an evenly coloured, bold, solid image. Because it is a permanent ink, it can be a bit difficult to clean off rubber stamps, but Ancient Page also makes a stamp cleaning pad that will get rid of any stains. The dense foam pad is raised well above the plastic casing to ensure an evenly coated stamp with minimal effort. Stamp pads are available in a full size $8.95 or mini pad $5.95 as well as combination colours (8 in each) in a petal point shape $37.95. Each colour has a refill bottle available too.

VIVID!

Vivid! is an acid free dye ink also. It is water soluble, slightly transparent and fast-drying. It creates great bold stamped images but can not be used when watercolouring or using any liquids (e.g. mini-mister) as it will bleed on the paper. Like the Ancient Page inks, the dense foam pad is raised well above the casing to ensure it is easy to coat the stamp. The Vivid! inks are available in a full sized pad $9.95 as well as a mini $5.95. Re-inker bottles are available for each colour.

Tim Holtz DISTRESS INK

Distress Ink is acid free and a unique blend of water-based dye ink. Because they are a dye ink they soak into the paper and give a realistic aged/weathered look. The pad had a raised felt surface so you can use them direct to paper, or ink up a blending tool to colour the paper. These inks are usually talked about when blending (one or multiple colours together) but they do stamp equally well. The more ink you add, the deeper/brighter the colour. When the ink sits on the rubber stamp it tends to bead a little, meaning you don't get an evenly coloured image - however that is what these inks were developed for. They will bleed and blend when misted with water and a range of techniques can be used with these to give subtle, bold, smooth or mottled effects depending on how they are applied and treated. These inks come in the range of colours that match the re-inker bottles, embossing powders and distress stickles to ensure each element compliments each other. The pads come in a 2" square (casing is 3" square) $11.95.

COLORBOX INK

These are an acid free pigment ink, which unlike a dye ink which is absorbed into the paper, pigment inks sit on top of the paper. They are a thick, opaque ink with the colour pigments (tiny particles) suspended in the ink. I don't have any of these inks, so I can't comment on how they stamp (as well as not having a photos). The Colorbox inks are available as a mini sized pad $6.50, cat's eye $4.45, in metallics ($7.95 and $4.95 respectively), and in a paintbox (12 colours in each) $35.95.

COLORBOX FLUID CHALK

Colorbox Fluid Chalk inks are a blended ink. They give the visual appearance of a chalk/pastel finish in a fast drying archival quality ink (will last in your albums and are acid free). The ink gives a matt finish to the stamped image, and blurs the outline slightly to give a soft effect. These inks are one of my most used inks because I just love the finish they give. The pad is made of foam and is raised well above the casing for easy application to the stamp. The pads come in a full size $10.95, mini $6.45, cat's eye $3.95, as part of a combination of colours (5 in each) stacked queue $21.95, cat's eye set (5 colours + stylus) $22.95 or in an option pad (8 colours in each) $37.95. Refill bottles are available for each colour.

Embossing Medium Comparison

I mentioned in my last post that I was doing some comparisons of Embossing Mediums.

WHAT ARE EMBOSSING MEDIUMS?
They are a type of 'glue' that is stamped instead of ink. They are not an ink because they usually have no colour, although you can get tinted versions. Their job is to attract and hold the embossing powder (very fine particles that melt when heated). Some inks can be used for embossing - such as the Distress Inks, but you have about a 20 second window between stamping and getting your powder on so you'd need to be quick! Embossing mediums are generally slow drying so that it gives you plenty of time to sprinkle on the embossing powder and start heating it.

WHAT EMBOSSING MEDIUMS ARE AVAILABLE?
There are many embossing mediums available sold under different brands. Of the non-Kaszazz mediums Versamark would probably be the most well known brand. Kaszazz offers 3 different embossing mediums - Perfect Medium, Top Boss and Watermark. Because I noticed the 3 different ones in the catalogue I decided I'd better find out what each do (or don't do).

THE TEST
I decided to use a fairly detailed stamp to show how well it adhered the powder, and it just happens to be one of my favourite stamps - the Cherry Blossom stamp. I used black card with white embossing powder, stamped on coloured card with no embossing powder to give a watermark effect, and on white card with black embossing powder. The embossing powders used are the Top Boss embossing powders.

Below is the photo of the results:

WHAT I FOUND
When I first stamped the black card with the mediums I did them in a production line style - as in, I stamped them all with each pad then added the powder all in one go. When I did this, by the time I added the powder the Watermark image was dry and the powder didn't stick so I had to re-stamp it. This indicated to me it is a fairly quick drying medium.

For an all-round performer I think the Perfect Medium performed best. It gave nice crisp images and held the embossing powders well, as well as creating a clear watermark effect on the coloured card. Perfect Medium is $8.95 for a 3 inch square pad. A re-inker bottle is also available.

The Watermark also performed well, but as I mentioned it dried quickly (within 2 minutes) so would not be useful if doing multi-stepped processes, but in clarity it performed well in both the embossings and watermark and gave the clearest and boldest watermarked image. Watermark is available in 3 sizes - cat's eye $4.95, mini $7.95 (as pictured) and full sized $12.95 pads. A re-inker bottle is also available.

Versamark performed equally as well as the Watermark in terms of image clarity however I find this medium a bit too sticky. I often have to pry paper from under the stamp, which can lead to a blurred stamped image. Versamark is available from most craft stores and retails around $14 for the pad.

Top Boss Clear (not the tinted version that is also available) performed well for embossing and attracted a large amount of embossing powders, giving a lovely raised image. It is obviously not a watermarking medium, because as it dried it disappeared on the coloured paper. I guess you would need the tinted version to leave a watermark. Top Boss is available in either clear (as used) or tinted, and comes in a mini $6.95 (as pictured) or full sized $13.95 pad. Re-inker bottles are available for both.

Contact me if you would like an embossing demonstration or would like to purchase one of the embossing pads above.

Mailout

If you are visiting my blog and you are not on my monthly email list, please email me with your name and email address.
Every month I send out an email with any specials, promotions, new product releases, and dates to remember. Make sure you don't miss out!
As you will notice, there is no scheduled workshops for the month of December. I figured that most people will be pretty busy with the holidays approaching, so if you do have some spare time let me know and I can organise one for you.
Also, don't forget pressies for all your wonderful family and friends - I can make up a scrapbooking or cardmaking pack to suit your taste/budget or you can choose one of the quick kits from the catalogue (pages 3 - 16) prices start from a low $11.50 for a Surprise Box kit (page 4-5) which are always very popular. There are heaps of designs and colours to choose from and you could make one, or give it as a project kit... or just keep it yourself!
I am in the process of doing a comparison of Embossing Mediums, so keep a lookout for my next post :)

Mojo 111

I decided to get creative and do a card for this week's MojoMonday challenge.

I used a cuttlebug embossing folder for the dark blue background (Bahama coloured Bazzill) which I then rubbed with the Ice Blue Colorbox chalk ink to highlight the raised bits. I stamped the cute little bear image with Chocolate Ancient Page then used the Lyra watercolour crayons with an Aquabrush to colour it in. Some extra daisy stamps put together to make the flower at the top, some ribbon tied around the middle and finished with some rhinestones.

12 x 12 Travel Album

As some may know I travelled quite extensively as a child and I have fond memories of those times. When I had become more confident at scrapbooking I decided I wanted to copy some of the photos from our family trip around Europe (that I took when I was 12 with my $40 camera may I add). Well, about 2 years ago I copied some of the photos (scanned and printed them because it was before the days of digital cameras) and they have been sorted, then I tucked them in a book in the right order, and then they were forgotten about.

I've decided it is time to finally finish this project (which is only one of many grand plans)! Yesterday I started with a 12 x 12 (30cm x 30cm) chipboard album cover that I covered with a sheet of the Traveller paper - I thought the page with the olde world map was quite fitting. I then cracked open my bottle of Tim Holtz metallic crackle paint (tarnished brass) to paint the chipboard title as well as some antique linen crackle paint for a bit of contrast in the title. Once the paint was dry and crackled I rubbed some vintage photo distress ink over it and around the edges to give the cracks a bit more definition. Stuck the title on with some glossy accents (yes, it is a glue as well as a 3D sealer) and there you have it - the cover to the album that has been a long while coming. I think a nice photo in the top right corner would set it off nicely but I'll see as I go along. I'll try to photograph it at various stages so that you can see it all come together.
Sorry for the bad photos - it's late and the flash just isn't as good as sunlight.
I tend to add and change things as I go rather than setting it all out before I start. Fingers crossed this project works!

Loving the new school theme stamps!!

I resisted (I really did try), and finally gave in and ordered a few of the new school themed stamps. Being the time of year when school/kinder and daycare is winding down (yes, only 8 weeks til Chrsitmas Holidays!!) I thought these would make a cute card and pressie for the teachers. I saw these cute triangular covers on the awesomely talented Jennifer McGuire's blog. They are like a little bag, but the sides are open. As soon as I saw these it made me think that they would be great for teachers. They are super simple to make - and I punched a circle in the front to show what's inside (which in the photo is Allens lollies but would be great with Lindt balls, Fererro's or something of the yummy chocolatey variety, even homemade cookies). If you are interested in making this I can show you how at the Open Crop on the 12th November.

I totally love the Rollagraph, but there is only so much you can do in either black ink or embossed, so I decided it was time to get some other cartridge colours to use. Here I used the Ancient Page Neptune (blue) and Plum Wine (pink) with the Dogwoods wheel (which was in the July product release). I then stamped with the medium butterfly stamp using my favourite inks - the Colorbox chalk inks and cut them out. The Ice Blue and Prussian Blue match great with the Neptune ink don't you think? And the Orchid Pastel and Dark Peony match well with the Plum Wine? I was impressed! The butterflies are stuck with tape runner (or DST) down the centre and the wings folded upwards so they look like they have landed on the card.

I have also been working on some technique workshops. This one uses the Circle Trio stamps and Perfect Medium to give 3 different effects. One uses the Pebbles Inc chalks, and 2 use Perfect Pearls - one stamping on, the other stamping off. The chalks give a lovely "cloud" effect whereas the Perfect Pearls are all shimmery and gorgeous! If you are interested in learning these effects/techniques just email me and I will organise to have a future workshop based around these.

And finally, I used the MondayMojo sketch (vaguely) to create this card. Tell me, is this look something that appeals or do you prefer a more modern look? Leave a comment below.

Creative block but now I'm back!

You know how authors say they get writers' block? Well I've had a bit of creative block recently. Everytime I have managed to sit down and try out some combinations I've either been on a role and get interrupted or it just turns out horrible (well not horrible but not so appealing). In the scrapbooking world when this happens it's called losing your mojo.
The good news is that I'm back!
I just made some great gift tags and an awesome card but the catch is, you have to come see them yourself this Sunday at Wilmington Community Centre/Kindergarten Fete (7-13 Wilmington Avenue, Hoppers Crossing) between 10am and 1pm where you will see myself, Debbie and a range of craft displays and a FREE make and take demonstration.
To the wonderful people I met on Sunday at the Mossfiel Childrens' Centre, thanks for coming over and saying hi. It was my first time doing a stall so it was all new to me.
As always if you have any questions, would like to order products or you'd like to book a demostration or workshop email me at rachel.witthaus@gmail.com.
There are some great new special offers coming out this month and next so you will be receiving my email very soon, especially if you are considering joining as a Kaszazz Consultant!
I'll be back soon to share another of my creations :)

5PQ019 - Cheeky Cards

I'm not exactly sure why these are called "cheeky cards" I think bright and cheery cards might have been a better title, but nevertheless, here they are.

These cards are really pretty, but not over the top pretty - you know how sometimes you get a bit carried away with adding lots of bits and pieces.

This workshop is a 5 Projects Quick workshop, which is designed to have the 5 projects completed in 90 minutes. Most, but not all of the 5PQ workshops are cards. This particular workshop is $20 per person, and I am teaching this in about a weeks time.

Why not get a group of your friends together for a FREE "make and take" or a workshop like the one above? I have a folder full of workshops you can choose from including card making, scrapbooking and off the page albums and craft ideas, using a whole heap of different products.

As I mentioned a week or more ago, Kaszazz now has a new product catalogue just released with lots of cool products in it (which I'm slowly getting around to playing with), so contact me to grab a copy, or check out the Kaszazz website to view it online in 3D.

Scrapbooking 101

I have been scrapbooking now for over 4 years. I was introduced to it when I was pregnant with Emily, but I started after she was born. The fact that I could make a photo album look pretty really appealed to me.
I can safely say that I have come a long way in those last 4 years.
I have a collection of my 'early' pages that I can't bare to part with but they will never be shown to anyone else... perhaps you have some of those too? Or maybe you think that scrapbooking seems too hard and a bit beyond you? Or the age old "I'm not creative"... let me tell you - you don't have to be.
A lot of the elements that you will find in scrapbooking are basic design principles. The first would be colour combinations.
- Monochromatic means that you use shades of the same colour for your page - e.g. all purples or all reds, etc. This can be very effective when using deep and light shades together to add contrast without clashing.
- Complimentary colours are colours that you will find on the opposite sides of a colour wheel. There are many colour wheels available for purchase or a simple google image or wiki search will give you some examples. These colours are not alike, but look good when paired together such as red and green, yellow and purple or blue and orange and often it is best to use one compliment lighter with the other darker - such as pale yellow with deep purple or deep red with light green.
- Analogous colours are those that sit in the 3 adjoining sections of a 12 piece colour wheel such as yellow, yellow-orange and orange. These all are analogous colours and will look good when placed with each other. They share somewhat similar characteristics so it ends up looking quite harmonious but still contains some differences in colours.
- Choosing colours from your photo such as creating a blue layout around a photo of brilliant blue eyes will make those the focus. I have heard the extreme of people dressing their children in certain clothes so that they can create a layout with a certain colour or pattern, but I think that may just be taking it to the extreme... plus there's always photo editing software ;)
- Rules and breaking them is all part of the fun of it. We've all heard "blue and green should never be seen" or that pink and red clash... but whether you choose to obey or break them is all part of experimenting. Colour is fun, and it's important that YOU like what your page ends up looking like, so ultimately do as you please!
Next is the elements of a layout - where you position your photo, papers, embellishments etc. There are endless combinations that will render a layout balanced or appealing. There are websites and blogs that create sketches that help people to organise their layouts. I think this part of it is mostly a matter of personal taste and being happy with how it looks. I tend to be a stick as you go type of scrapbooker, whereas some lay everything out and shuffle it around before finally sticking it when everything is just so. Some like to leave 'white' or blank space, whereas I tend to like to fill the page. Some have no journalling (writing that relates to the photos), some hide it under the photo on a tag and some have it as a feature of the page. I usually always include some journalling because for me that is a part of recording who, what, where, when and why. I vary between having it hidden and having it showing - often it depends if there is any room left!
Products - oh how I lothe thee... well I actually love them but sometimes the bank balance tells me otherwise. Most scrapbook layouts are based on cardstock - heavy paper (approx 200gsm) that can be held up with one hand and not flop, or alternately patterned papers (commonly referred to as pp) or double sided patterned papers (commonly referred to as dsp or dspp). Double sided patterned papers have the benefit that they have a coordinating design on the back. There are a multitude of companies that produce patterned papers that are suitable to use in your scrapbooking... the thing to remember is that if you want it to last so it can be passed down the generations (and lets face it, if you're going to the trouble of making it, you'd hope someone is going to look at it in years to come!) you need to use Acid Free papers and other products. It is of most concern if these elements are coming in contact with the photo, because otherwise the acid will deteriorate your photos... and I think we've all seen those photos that grandma used to have in a shoe box that were handled by every Tom, Dick and Harry and now are almost unrecognisable. I have heard of some people that use gloves or tweezers to handle their photos until they are covered by a page protector so that no acid from their fingers would get in contact with them, but I think this is going a little too far. Just use care and pick them up by the edges. Many people are confident enough that they can use non-acid free products on a layout if they are not in contact with the actual photo but I try not.
Once you have some pretty papers and your photos you will need to somehow attach them together. Some like to use a glue stick (although I personally don't), others use double sided tape (commonly referred to as dst or Kaszazz calls it super tape) or a tape runner that applies the sticky tape or dots as you run it along the edges. There is also mounting foam, or as Kaszazz calls it Magic Mount that is essentially double sided tape with foam in between so that it gives some dimension to the element by lifting it off the page.
Lastly there is the many, many different embellishments. These are elements that add interest to a page. It can include ribbons, felt and fabrics, flowers (paper or fabric), die-cuts (cut out pieces), charms, chipboard (which is thick cardboard, not the woodworking kind that I first imagined), brads, rhinestones, buttons, punched out pieces of paper (punches), paperclips, staples, stickers... the list goes on and on. As I mentioned previously, I prefer to use acid free embellishments where possible on my pages to try to avoid harming my photos.
It is a really good idea to plan a layout (or page) around the size of your album. Albums come in a variety of sizes depending on the manufacturers, but the most common would have to be 12 x 12 inches (can you tell scrapbooking originated in America?). There is also A4, 8 x 8 inch, 6x6 inch and so on. Almost all of the pages I do are 12 x 12 inch, which is usually the size that cardstock and patterned paper comes in. A true 12 x 12 inch page will be 30.5 cm x 30.5 cm although some try to sell 30 x 30 cm as 12 x 12 inch. A 6 x 6 inch album can work out quite cost effective because you can get 4 pages out of one piece of 12 x 12 paper although the down side is that if you are using standard size photos (6 x 4 inch) the photo takes up most of the page and doesn't leave a lot for decorating. If doing a 6 x 6 inch mini-album I have often used the 2 facing pages as if they are one so it is more like 6 x 12 inches across both which seems to work well.
How many photos you use on a page is up to you and you can be guided by what you see in online galleries or what the sketch indicates. I tend to not put more than 2 standard sized photos on one 12 x 12 page otherwise it can look too crowded. If you are trimming your photos you can probably get away with more but they need to be relevant to each other (like in a sequence about the same thing).
I think that's the basics of scrapbooking, so if you are game, give it a try! You never know, you might even end up hooked like me :)

Mojo 104

I love logging on on a Tuesday morning (we all know America is behind the times - lol) to find out what the MojoMonday sketch of the week is.


Some really appeal and others are a bit meh, but I really liked this one and I had all my circle punches out so I got stuck into it.

I used the watermark cartridge in the rollagraph to emboss the black background onto the white cardstock. I then used Perfect Medium and the Fancy Flourish stamp to emboss the large circle and the scallop circle in black. I also embossed the sentiment and cut out with the smaller circle punch. The scalloped circles behind the large circle are inked with Ancient Page, and I used 3 and cut each in half, then layered them around underneath because one was not large enough to be seen under the big circle. It also gives it a 3D feel. The ribbon is layered and attached, then I cut some 1/2 inch strips of plain black cardstock to put under the main elements to add a bit of contrast.

Now I'm planning on cleaning out my scrapping area this afternoon and getting rid of all of the old bits and pieces that I am never going to use. I don't know whether to try and sell some of it on ebay or just give it away.

And lastly, I have my photo from yesterday. I was driving in the driveway yesterday when I noticed a swallow clinging to the brick pillar at the front of the house, but by the time I raced inside and grabbed my camera it had gone :( so instead I have a picture of our lunch - pizza muffins. Just have to decide the worthy camera moment for today... maybe all my scrapping mess!!! So what are you taking your photo of today?? Don't forget to enter this weeks challenge for your chance to win!

Exciting New Kaszazz Product Releases

As well as the Annual Product Catalogue & Project Book, approx 3-4 times a year Kaszazz adds new products and releases a New Product Flier. The last release was July, so to have another this month is quite exciting!
Some of the great new products that have been released include a School Days themed scrapbooking range (double sided papers, vellum and coordinating Cardstock), some cool new school themed stamps including 2 whole alphabets, more of the cute outline stamps that can be watercoloured, and my personal favourites - 12x12" Chipboard album covers, Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powders in the whole distress colour range, and Tim Holtz Metallic crackle paints!
Please email me at rachel.witthaus@gmail.com if you would like a copy of the Annual Catalogue, and/or the New Product Fliers for July and September, or any more info about any of the products I've mentioned.

Also, don't forget to start taking those photos today for your chance to win the Prize this week!!!

Free Giveaway - Get Snapping!!

I am feeling in a generous mood and I feel like setting a challenge. A photography/scrapbooking challenge.
I have found that for the last month or so I seem to have made plenty of cards but a total of one scrapbook layout. It's time to get those papers ruffling again!

Giveaway Requirements:
Take at least one photo everyday starting Monday 14th until Friday 18th. Each photo must be of a different subject (as in they can't be all of the kids). Once you have your 5 photos taken you then have until Sunday 20th at 9pm (AEST) to choose one or more of your photos to create a scrapbook layout. Upload a photo of your layout to your blog or photosharing software (photobucket, flickr, etc) with the link in the comments section of this post. There is no cost to enter, but only one entry per person.

Prize:
2 6x6" chipboard mini album covers, 2 hinge rings and 4 pieces of 6x6" patterned paper (all Kaszazz products). I will mail the prize to the entrant that has shown the most creativity in their photography and their use of products in the layout (i.e. think outside the square!).

So get those camera batteries charged, the memory card clear and take advantage of those moments that you wish you had taken a photo.

Mojo Monday 103

It's been a few weeks since I did a Mojo sketch and the one today appealed to me so I thought I'd give it a go.

I whipped out all my scrap bits of paper and found one that I liked (the background) then used the flip side for the accents (dotty). The stamp and patterned paper are Kaisercraft, the white velvet ribbon is Kaszazz. The rectangle under the bird is blended with Shabby Shutters, Broken China and Faded Jeans T.H Distress ink, with a wash of blue and green Perfect Pearls over it, edged with Frost White Colorbox ink. The bird is embossed with Pearl TopBoss powder, inked with Broken China Distress ink, and highlighted with Blue Perfect Pearls (made up with water). The sentiment is from the Mini Messages set, stamped with Frost White Colorbox ink.

If I get time I may try this again later in the week with a different spin... :)

Perfect Perfect Distress

I am totally loving playing with Perfect Medium, Perfect Pearls and Distress Ink! And seeing as I had the Treasured Memories stamp set that needed to get dirty - what better excuse did I have? I need to say thanks to Carolina for the inspiration I needed for this card.

Note the shimmer of the Perfect Pearls as shown in the second photo. It looks much better in real life!

I'm looking forward to repeating a similar design in green and purple.

Hmmm, I wonder how it would look with more than one colour of Distress Ink...

I'm off to do some more experimenting.

Perfect Pearls

Ok, so now I have another new addiction - Perfect Pearls... as well as distress ink, but I didn't use that this time. So what are Perfect Pearls? They are a pigment powder that is made up of mica - you know, the stuff that is in the metallic paints on cars that they charge you extra to have. It also has a resin in it, so when it is wet it becomes set or fixed. They remind me of little pots of eyeshadows and they are so shimmery it's just gorgeous! They can be used wet or dry with a whole heap of mediums.

For more info about Perfect Pearls and how you can use them see my website Product Showcase or just YouTube 'Perfect Pearls' to see videos of Tim Holtz and the Ranger crew using these.

The card I made used a total of 7 materials/tools. Rubber stamps (sentiment and Cherry Blossom), Perfect Medium, pearl embossing powder, heat gun, Perfect Pearls, water and a paint brush.

First I loaded the flower stamp with Perfect Medium and stamped the 2 images - one to the right and one to the left. I coated it generously in pearl embossing powder and heat set it. I then mixed up 3 spritzes of water from a MiniMister (but you could just use a teaspoon) with a 'scoop' of Perfect Pearls - red. By 'scoop' I mean the amount that will fit on the wrong end of the paint brush (that comes with the 4 pack of Perfect Pearls). I then used this to paint in my flowers. I repeated this with the green Perfect Pearls except I used a bit less water and less of the powder. Once it was painted I dried it off with the heat tool (only cos I'm impatient), stamped the sentiment with Perfect Medium and dusted over dry green Perfect Pearls which stuck to the Perfect Medium.

I did use my iron with a piece of copy paper over the card to try and iron out the curl that happens when you wet card, but because of the embossing powder, it stuck to the copy paper a bit and pulled off some of the embossing. I'll know not to do this again next time!

Lots to share

With some of the offcuts from putting my workshop displays together I came up with a Wedding Card using the Ebony and Ivory papers and stamp set with the Fancy Flourish. It was quite simple to make and I think it's quite effective.

I also tried some black embossing for the next wedding card, but I'm not sure that I like it. It uses the Fancy Flourish (in the new release catalogue) and the heart is from the Stampin' Up.

Then, I spent today in the most awesome craft room (so jealous) creating a demo page using my newest favourite product - distress inks. I guess I can thank Kym for me now purchasing 5 more distress inks, and Perfect Pearls, and MiniMisters, and the ink blending tool... but they are sooo cool!

Check out the effect page Kym came up with and kindly shared with us. My page isn't yet finished but these effects are too amazing not to share now.

I can't wait for my order to arrive so I can play around with these colours again!

We have lift-off!

Saturday was my launch for Kaszazz. I was quite nervous, but come 2pm I was more excited than nervous. I was so happy to show everyone the awesome stuff!
I ended up with 8 people that attended, so a nice number really. I think the hardest part will be getting out into the community because quite a few of my friends and I have friends in common too - so I need to broaden out.
I will hopefully be attending a Fundraiser in Werribee where I will have a stall so I'm hoping that will help with more contacts, and I'm going to look at getting a stall at the local market.
I hope everyone had a great day - I certainly did!
Now I'm off to put in my order and buy some more yummy stuff!

Distressed to Impress!

Ok, I'm so loving this card I whipped up yesterday afternoon (while I should have been preparing dinner - lol). I was inspired by the Cherry Blossom distress card on page 99 of the Kaszazz catalogue, and I was dying to try out the Cherry Blossom stamps and Tim Holtz distress ink.

For more info about Tim Holtz distress ink, see the Product Showcase on my website (click here).

This card was so easy to make - a little time consuming, but very easy. I used the distress ink to stamp the images of the cherry blossoms onto the card, then used the ink with a stylus and foam oval tip to distress the edges. I used the chalk set to colour the centre of the flowers with pink, and the stems in green and brown. I added some Ice Stickles to the middles for the anther of the flowers, and stamped a sentiment - and tada!

This card is headed for a couple who are going oversees for a while (to Japan - hence the cherry blossom), to wish them safe and happy travels.

Now I know why!

RUBBER STAMP WARNING!!!

A recent study indicated that rubber stamps and embossing powders give off certain pheromones that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase unreasonable amounts.
When stored in large quantities in enclosed spaces, the pheromones (from rubber) cause memory loss and induce the nesting syndrome (similar to the one squirrels have before the onset of winter i.e. storing food), therefore perpetuating their species.
Sound tests have also revealed that the rubber emits a very high pitched sound, heard only by a select few. A breed of women known as "Rubber Stampers". When played backwards on an LP, the sounds are heard as chants,"buy me, stamp me, emboss me."
Studies have also indicated that aliens have inhabited the earth, helping to spread the effects that these stamps have on the human population. It's also been experienced that these same pheromones cause a pathological need to hide these stamp purchases when taken home (or at least blend them into the existing stash), and when asked by a significant other if the stamp is new, the reply is: "I've had it for a while."

Many thanks to Catherine of www.cathcreates.com.au for a laugh.

2009 Workshop/Crop Schedule

As you can see I have the dates (with one to be confirmed) for the Workshops or Open Craft Crops that will be held at my house.

So, what are they?

The first will be the Recipe Box Gift Set on 12th September.

This Workshop will produce a papercraft recipe box with recipe cards and jar labels. Suitable for beginners.

The Workshop to be held on the 24th September is a Rollagraph note set cards.

This Workshop will produce a set of 5 cards with matching envelopes in a box. This workshop uses heat embossing techniques. Suitable for beginners.

The Workshop on 2nd October is for an Ebony and Ivory Adore Frame.

This Workshop produces a frame suitable for a special occasion photo such as a wedding, family portrait, etc. Suitable for beginners.

The Workshop to be held on 17th October is for a Bella Pocketbook and Cards.

This Workshop teaches 3 cards with matching envelopes, with a pocket holder for the cards and envelopes. Suitable for beginners.

The Workshop on 7th November is for an Ooh La La Daisy Journal.

This Workshop produces a hard cover journal/autograph book. Suitable for beginners/beyond beginners.

Open Craft Crops will involve bringing along your papercraft projects and using my tools. I will not supply materials, but I may have some available to purchase on the day, or you can let me know when you book so I can order them in time for you.

See the Schedule for times and prices.

Book in now to avoid disappointment!

Mojo Monday 98 Sketch

What better way to try out my new stuff than to do a sketch?

I started with a white card, which I chalked with both brown tones - lightest first then darker around the edges. I then stamped 2 outlines from the 2 step butterflies in the lightest blue fluid chalk ink. I stuck on a Bella jounalling block, topped with the cutout of the 2 step butterfly done with the 2 darker shades of fluid chalk ink, and a scallop circle which I chalked the edges with brown and tried to chalk the sentiment with perfect medium (same as versamark). It wasn't dark enough for my liking so I stamped over it in the darkest pink fluid chalk ink (now it looks like a shadow). The scallop circle and the butterfly are raised with foam. Lastly, a strip of velvet ribbon running down the side to finish it.

My package arrived!

How good is it when you get mail... or better - a package. Not the bills, or the junk mail but stuff that actually has handwriting on it. So you can imagine my disappointment when I got home Friday and saw that someone had tried to deliver a package. Time - 5pm. Post office closes - 5pm. No! I had to wait all weekend because the office they took the package to doesn't open weekends, so I had to get there at 9am this morning to get my parcel. And then what else can you do but open it up straight away and check out the contents :)






So, here's the contents.






Lots of nice stuff to start playing with, although my personal wishlist of products is growing by the day... I wonder if you can just buy the whole catalogue? No, not the catalogue - the whole contents of the catalogue.


Anyway, when I got a few moments this afternoon I opened some of the packaging and started using some stuff. I kid you not, I was like a child in a lolly shop. So, here are my first creations:











The first was using the Jumbo Rollagraph. The wheel is called 'four flowers' and the Ancient Page ink 'coal black'. I rolled it over the tag, then using my chalks, I coloured the image. It was quite strange really because the chalks look so much like eyeshadows, but they go on the page so nicely. The pom poms are just too cute and surprisingly easy to use.

The second was using the 2 step stamp of the butterfly, the mini messages stamps and the liquid chalks. These liquid chalks are SO good!! They are the consisency of pigment inks, but they dry quite quickly to the matt finish of chalks. This also means that they don't appear to bleed much - which can be a problem for some inks and papers, so the images stay crisp. Each of the colours unclips and you can use it like a mini stamp pad, or you can leave them in the case... you can even swap around the colours to get a rainbow effect on your stamps. Anyway, enough of my rambling. I'm going to play around with these in the next few days and see what interesting designs I can come up with.