Tis' the season.......................

Hi guys

Well it's my turn to update the blog this week & I just wanted to start by saying A huge congratulations to Sue, Craig & the team.....your hard work has certainly paid off as that is the best OTP project I've ever seen!!...LOL

On a serious note it truly is an amazing shop you have created & I'd just like to wish you every success for many years to come!!....Can't wait to physically come & shop til I drop!!

It's a HUGE credit to you all!!!

Well as the title says...Tis' the season so this week I thought I would share some quick, cheap & easy Christmas ideas to make with you all.

First is some Christmas place cards I've made using left over materials, very basic using Bazzill card for the base......as these were made using scraps I don't have exact measurements as they are different sizes, roughly 7cm square, then with pattern paper cut 6.5cm square for the centre. Using a scrap of co-ordinating pattern paper I used a small circle scalloped punch & added a 1 1/2 in circle on top & added our initials. Using felt i cut out small holly leaves & added a single red button in between them.

Using the same My minds eye paper I cut a strip 3 1/2 inch wide and placed around a candle added felt holly leaves & a button & some Christmas ribbon to finish my centre piece.

Close up detail of place card.

One of my fondest childhood memories was the Christmas pudding my pop use to make & that is where I got the inspiration from to make this Christmas card.

Using felt I cut a rough pattern out & stitched it to my card, I then stamped a holly deco using the Kaiser clear stamps and coloured using water colour crayons, added a title and using dimensional magic to highlight Xmas.

Another card using leftover pattern paper & some felt for the stocking, the matt was made with my cuttlebug and a swirl embossing folder. The title was created using Thickers.

Last one is my tree decoration using my extra lge Marvy scalloped circle punch, a 1 inch circle punch to staple the string to hang & a small ribbon bow to cover the staple...very easy & effective way to add decorations to your family tree & something the kiddo's would be able to help with also.

As this is my last blog post for the year I'd just like to wish all the Scraploot scrappers & visitors a very Merry Christmas full of fun, love & laughter with the ones you love and a safe & Happy new year.

Until next time

Happy scrapping

Kylie :)

Photo overload

Well the opening day went extremly well... we all had so much fun.... its been great seeing everyone coming in and enjoying the awsome work that was put into making what Scraploot looks like today...

So today i went round and took heaps of photos to share here so be prepared for photo overload LOL....

This is the front counter

the front area of the store

looking in the back area from the front

the bazzill cardstock cupboards with the ribbon cupboards

this is our gorgeous Gazebo in the middle of the store... when we have special things on this is where we will put it, during normal times are are going to get some small seats and coffee table where you can sit and read a magazine have a coffee etc and get inspired...

this is our American Crafts thicker wall... this is my favourite wall of all... it looks so pretty with all those colours up there....

these are just some random photos around the store...

this area behind these gondala's is going to be our classroom... we are just waiting on the tables to arrive and we are then going to start doing some classes starting in Feb as well as crop nights etc... you can also book out the scrap room if a group of your friends want to come and scrap for the day when there are no classes on...

So there you have it... i hope you liked the tour of the NEW scraploot shop... we love it its turned out awsome...

Hope to see you there soon

Sheree

Only a few more hours to go

Till the shop is offically open.... we are all exhausted but so excited as well... the store is looking awsome and we are all ready to open our doors for the first time tomorrow morning at 10am....

I have taken some more sneek peeks to show you all so here they are...

Its looking so good... our sign out the front is gorgeous and goes so well with it all... so thats about it for now... i will be taking lots of pics on the weekend for sure so ill update as soon as i can...

Just thought i would put this on here also for people that are planning on coming to visit us here are our shop hours and address

22 Rowood Rd Prospect

Store Hours On Line 24 x 7!

Store hours

Tuesday, Wednesday 10am to 5pm
Thursday 10am to 7pm
Friday 10am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm
Monday - Closed

Our online shop should start to come back on early next week...so keep your eye on the online shop as well...

Ok off to get organised for tomorrow (yeahhh im so excited)
Hope to see some of you sydney girls... make sure to come and say hi....

take care

Sheree

More Sneek peeks...

So im back with some more sneek peeks of the new shop... man its looking sooooo good....... im sure alot of people will get a huge surprise when they see it... We all worked very hard this weekend to get alot of it done and its now looking more like a scrap shop instead of a mess LOL...

We had some very very awsome helpers on the weekend... thanks so much to Linda (craig's sister from Victoria who flew all the way up here to help us out), Coral and Geoff (who came down from the coast to give us a hand) and our 2 new junior staff members Jordyn and Kristy... thanks so much to everyone it definatley was a great help to us all...

so i thought today i would take some more sneek peek photos for you all... again still cant give too much away till this friday when its grand opening day....

HE HE HE not much to see is there LOL... i just like teasing you all LOL....

Only 4 more days till the big day that we are open for business... hope all you sydney people are going to come and visit us this weekend....

more to come shortly

Sheree

All things Heidi

In celebration of Heidi Swapp opening the new Scraploot store I decided to showcase a few of her products both old and new. In the three layouts below I have used mainly Heidi Swapp papers and embellishments. I can't provide links to the scraploot website for the products as they have been deactivated for the move but when they are reactivated just look under the Heidi Swapp category and they will all be there.

Love Notes

My sons first crush !!! At only two my son Addison simply adores little Ella from playgroup.

The Heidi Swapp products used include her new dining room paper line- mood lighting, ghost letters, chipboard hearts and a bit of bling. The colours in the photo were an unusual combination but when I saw the mood lighting paper I realised it matched the background colour of the photo nicely.

Pregnancy number 2

This photo of me was taken about 2 weeks ago when I was 34 weeks, I wanted a bit of a different angle. The Heidi Swapp products include the Carefree paper line- Strawberry lemonade dots, Slide clips in black , chipboard clock and some older large pink flowers. The swirls and dots and colours in the paper are very feminine just perfect for a pregnancy layout.

You Amaze Me

last week my son amazed me when he counted backwards from 5 to 0, Toddlers are like sponges they soak up everything they hear and see.

Here I have used the World traveller continents paper, centre of attention rubon letters in brown. I have also used felt butterflies in blue. This layout showcases the fact that papers on a certain theme do not necessarily have to be used in that way, the papers bought out the colours in the photo regardless of the fact that they are about travel.

I hope you have been inspired to use some of the Heidi Swapp products in the store and for all those lucky people who will be at the opening have a blast !!!!

Kim

Update on the NEW SHOP

Well with only 8 days to go till the shop is open we are all busy packing, moving, cleaning and sorting... but i do have to say that the shop is starting to look AWSOME....

Craig has done such a great job over at the shop to get it all ready for us to move in... with the painting and the putting of things together he has done a fantastic job (thanks so much Craig...)

So Sue, Karen and I have been busy at home packing up all the stock ready to be moved over (as you can see by the online store there isnt that much left LOL) then its the unpacking at the other end which Karen has started to do....

So with that we thought we may start to do some fun sneak peaks of the shop for you all to see (espcially for our interstate online customers)... so here is the first peek LOL...

LOL not much to see is there LOL... we are really keeping you in suspense.... but we will take more pics as we go and on the grand opening all will be revealed as im sure there will be hundreds of photos being taken....

Well off to get ready for tomorrow to pack more stuff....

Dont forget to come and visit us on the 28TH Nov 2008 at 22 Rowood Rd Prospect....

See you all then

Sheree

Southern Cross Kids Camp - SCKC

Take a look at this blog, and I dare you not to want to get involved and help ;)

Julie Stone

If you cant get online ... here's a basic run-down. Southern Cross Kids Camp run week long camps for abused and at-risk kids across Australia. The kids 'Buddies' create memory books that focus on their holiday week , that sadly might be the only happy childhood memories recorded for them . A fellow scrapper helped out at two of the SCKC camps held early this year and helped create gorgeous “Scrapped” memory books……they were the best ones yet, easier for the tired buddies and treasured beyond imagination by the children. The books were so successful, the Australian Directors contacted her and asked if all Nine of the camps in Australia and NZ could get the same albums! 325 kids memory albums!!! As you could imagine, to achieve that they need your help!

What can we do to help?

We can take the pressure off the Buddies by creating as many 6x6 layouts we possibly can. Then all they need to do is add photos & journaling then get a good night's sleep :)

How many?

They need about 6300 pages ... surely we as scrappers or crafters can help make these children's albums a reality!!! Make 2, make 6, make 12 ... make as many as you can. These pages are for camps for the entire year, not just the 2 that Julie is attending. Exciting stuff!

What can I do?

You can dig into your stash (I know you've got a big stash of papers & cardstock ;) LOL) ... and start creating. Here's what you need to make:

Pages are 6" x 6".
One photo per page (approx 5" x 3.5"), add a photo mat (I cut mine 14cm x 10cm).
Make a space for a bit of journaling.
No need to punch holes ... they're being put into 6x6 page protectors in a 6x6 album.
Colours - try for neutral, brights, muted, multi coloured, they need boys and girls pages but usually need more boy pages… bold colours are great as they suit both Girls & Boys.
Make the page so that it will suit a portrait or landscape photo (can be turned on it's side).

Where can I see an example?

On Julie's blog. Real fancy designs aren’t necessary, simple is best
Try making the same layout using different papers or
a few designs with co-ordinating!

How long have we got?

The camps will run through 09 But to be repackaged and sorted they will need to reach Julie anywhere between Mid to late March 09.

Where do I send them?

Bring them back in here and when we get a whole heap we will post them off, we may ask you for a small contribution to help with the postage.

Julie Stone
c/- SCKC Memory Books
PO Box 290
Unanderra
NSW 2526

No time?

Simply don't have time to create, but really want to contribute. Your old stash need a good home? Some left over odds and ends taking up space? You can contact Julie via her blog or email juliest35@optusnet.com.au as they need embellishments and alphabets for the buddies to decorate the front covers.

Are you keen? Are you excited? I know I am. I challenge everyone who is able to donate to this worthy cause to rise to the occasion and create for these kids in need. You might be thinking ... I can only do 2 layouts ... well ... that's 2 more than they had before :)

Do you get together with friends to scrap or do craft? Why not challenge your group to create a couple of pages each? Been looking for an excuse to hook up with other Scrappers in your area? Clear the dining table and scrap up a storm. Kids enjoy scrapbooking? Get them involved making a couple of pages for other kids who don't have as great a life as they do, a brilliant way of sharing some meaningful time and teaching them about helping out those in need..

SCKC need our help, we can make a real difference and all with our left over scraps!!


Come on! Lets try put a smile on a Childs Face!

Button tips

OK YES i must confess I own 14 MEDIUM sizes jars of buttons, they are my rainbow on my scrap desk! I now collect buttons just like I do patterned paper!

On this 8.5 x 11 layout I made a giant felt number 2 and covered it in buttons.

In MS Word type the number you require and make the font around 350. Select outline from font options so you don't waste ink. Print it out and you have a pattern to use to cut a felt number.

I also used the circles in this patterned paper to make paper buttons.

When I want to thread a large umber of buttons I thread them on one long piece of DMC thread. It is a quick way to achieve the threaded look.

Buttons add splashes of colour and texture to pages

I love dotting my i's and j's with buttons to add a bit of interest. You can also use them as the center of letters like "o" and "p."

Use this 2 Crafty tree and make a 'button tree'. Gather buttons of 3-4 colours and various sizes.

Cut out a paper background to glue the tree and buttons to.

Fill in the spaces.

Use buttons to make a speech bubble for things children/people say.

Emboss buttons with coloured embossing power to match other page accents.

In this layout the stars and buttons all match.


place rub-ons on buttons to make them stand out.

Stamp on buttons using staz-on ink.
Create a bullet list for journaling. Use buttons as the bullets.

Use large buttons as the letter o.

Make a button Christmas tree, in a triangular shape. Add dots of Kindy Glitz for that much needed sparkle.

When I want to sort through my buttons I tip them into a long tray, gather the ones I like and tip the rest back in. This ensures that the buttons do not tip all over the scrap room floor.

happy creating

Belinda

A Teachers Thank you Gift

Being a primary school teacher myself I would LOVE to receive a little mini book from one of my students. I can’t wait until Max goes to school so I can scrapbook a gift for his teacher.
So if you are stuck for a special gift for that special teacher out there make them a mini book.

Scraploot has the coolest KI MEMORIES, Junkitz and Scenic Route school themed papers.

Teacher appreciation makes the world of education go around. ~Helen Peters

A TIP
In this 4x4 album I used lots of passport sized photos of every child. The BEST way to obtain quick sets of these at home is by using Photo Sheet. You can place 2,3,4 or 8 photos on one 6x4 canvas QUICKLY no resizing needed in photo shop at all….I love it! It is as simple as downloading photo sheet from the blog, opening it, have your photos open in a window next to it and drag and drop them in. Always remember to pick an output location (bottom right hand corner) as this is the folder where your photos will be saved.

The Fiskars Water Threading punch looks great in this mini album.

Teacher Quotes are nice to include. You find many quotes for teachers and other occasions at http://www.quotegarden.com/.

Some more I included in this book

• The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what you just learned this morning.
• A hundred years from now it will not matter what your bank account was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove . . . . but the world maybe different because you were important in the life of a child.
• A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.It's easy to make a dollar. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.
  
  

Sorry for child protection and Departmental reasons I can’t show the faces of my class on this blog. And on that note always be careful to obtain parent permission when taking other children’s photos.

happy creating....Belinda

3-Ding

Hi girls, So how are we all recovering from the BIG news??? don't forget that there are still some tickets available, head on over to HERE to purchase your ticket, and please read the conditions before hand. I am dying to meet Heidi! I cant wait!!!


So for today's update I thought I would let you in on a fun technique....... 3-Ding! I have recently re-discovered it and am inlove all over again. This technique works well on those types of patterned papers you can cut out, Sassafras Lass is perfect for this.

Here in this layout I cut out some clouds from the Happy Place Dreamland paper, and using some Double Sided Foam Tape on the back of the pieces I applied them to my layout along with some felt cut out like a sun I have added an effect like the sky with a sun and clouds. On this next layout I have cut out more of the design from the Happy Place Over the Rainbow paper.




And again using some foam tape I have applied them to the layout to add a fun childish feel.

And this last layout as it was an outdoors themed page I decided to add the clouds out of the same paper as the previous one, only I wanted it to add to the outdoors feel to the layout, hence the reason to having them up the top of the layout only.

When using foam tape you can also layer other items, like flowers, by adding 2 or 3 layers of flowers you are drawing the eye to your embellishment, just remember your layout still needs to fit into your albums, so too many layers may make for a very bulky album.

Try using foam tape under your photos too, or with ribbons, or even titles or journaling blocks, the possibilities are endless!