SALE-a-Bration

Starts tomorrow... check out the store for details. I hope that your New Years celebrations go well tonight, Happy New Year everyone.

Happy Saturday...

I hope you all had a magical Christmas Day with friends and family eating, drinking and talking. Christmas morning started here just like any Christmas morning with two kids excited about the prospect of opening parcels and eating lollies before breakfast. I don't think breakfast even exists on Christmas morning, (although I need my daily fix of the morning cup of tea before I am coherent.) Yesterday was a day for actually figuring out just how some of the many toys worked. And I managed to sit at the computer long enough to find some inspiration in the everyday.

I was folding some washing the other day and came across a little top of my daughter's and thought that I could use it as inspiration, so I will share this once I have finished it. Then browsing on the net at clothing, and soft furnishings, there is just a whole world of inspiration as you can see in the above picture. So my challenge to you is to find something that inspires you and recreate it as a card, scrapbook layout or beyond the page project and upload your creations here. Upload your inspiration photo and creation and why it inspired you.

Merry Christmas to All...

and all a good night. Well two more sleeps anyway. This is my last post for a couple of days now. I am busy tomorrow preparing food for Christmas lunch, and I need some time out. Next year is another year and January marks the first anniversary of owning and running Scrap Box NZ. I wish to take this opportunity to thanks each and every one of you who have supported me in the journey. As January marks the first year I will be having a SALE-a bration for the entire month of January. That means 10 to 30% off most product lines. So keep watch and don't miss out. I will be starting the year afresh with new product lines. So I need to make room. So to all of you and your families, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas...

A couple more things to share today. Probably the last ones now before the man in the jolly red suit comes visiting.

This first piece is a simple layout I have done using KaiserCRAFT paper from the Dash Away All range (vixen) I have also used a piece of the new Sakura Park range under the photo as a mat. It is not a particularly nice photo of the layout but you will have the idea. I have also used some metallic paint under photo mat and on the Ho Ho Ho, some white cardstock run through the Cuttlebug (snowflakes), strips of red cardstock, Basic Grey and KaiserCraft rubons, rhinestone swirls and glitter. Phew who would have thought you could use so much product on a simple layout. I have also stamp a snowflake image on the title. The photo has been manipulated.

This second piece is something that I have been meaning to try for some time and finally got round to it. All it is, is an envelope made in to bag called a bag-0-lope. Then I have just embellished it. A simple little gift bag that you can make out of almost any size envelope.

I hope that this keeps the creative flair going for you all over the break and that you all take time out to relax on Christmas day. Have a fantastic Christmas and be safe.

The Great Scrap Box Christmas Chalenge...

has now been wound up, and a big congrats to Tracy who took out the grand prize. Here is the work that Tracy has completed to take out this 4 week challenge, and after 4 weeks of competition we had a tie-breaker situation between Tracy and Liz. You can also check out the rest of the entries here

Week 1, was to create a layout with product for less than $10.00 average

Week 2, Create a Christmas themed layout using non-traditional Christmas Colours

Week 3, to create a Christmas Dinner Table centre piece or part of a table setting

Week 4, Create a boxed set of Christmas cards

And the Tie-breaker challenge, create a 6x12 or 12x6 layout using a set sketch.

A very impressive line up of work from Tracy, our eventual winner aye..

Dec Card kit

Hi all,
Well can you believe its nearly Christmas. The time has gone so fast and blink and Santa will be here.
Anyway, have been lucky enough to have a play and design some cards for the Dec kit that is selling over in the shop. Basic Grey's Urban Prairie is just a Divine range of papers to be working with, along with the element stickers and buttons. Doubly yum!
The kit is well worth the $$$ spent and I ended up with so much left over that I am sure I can come up with some more amazing creations when the time allows.

1. Your invited card.
2. Wishing you all kinds of happy Card
3. Celebrate Card
4. Happy birthday Card
5. Happy day Card
6. For you Card

With the kit I think I managed to squeeze out a huge range of versatile cards with a spring feel to them. If you have the chance to get your hands on this kit then do so, its so worth the play!


Wishing everyone a fantastic Christmas and holiday season from me too.
Thanks Julia, Brenda and Dallas for welcoming me into such a fun fab team.

Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine...

...well pohutukawa actually. As most of you who have visited in the last couple of days, you would have noticed that I have hung my decorations on my blog. And as the Pohutukawa is the national Christmas Tree for New Zealand and the beach is our playground at this time of the year, I thought it only too appropriate. So Christmas is upon us again, and another year almost over. I am feeling a little chipper today as the tree is up and the Christmas shopping is done, finite, finished, no more!!! Now let all the activities begin, and what a line up I have. School break ups and productions, Kindy parties, the local Carols by Glolight which my daughter is involved in for the first time. Our own work do this weekend, phew!! I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have supported the forum, gallery and shop over the last 12 months. A special thanks to Brenda for all her help too. I know it is not easy with two young children. Thankfully mine are just that little bit older.
For those that comment about their Christmas plans, I will do a draw for a RAK this time next week. After all it is Christmas.

More to Share...

I seem to be doing less and less scrapbook layouts at the moment and reverted back to my grassroots of card making. Maybe because they are quicker as time is always a factor these days. But I have found the time for my children's teachers' So have been flat out making little favour boxes like the ones below. I thought that i would share to get you all motivated on your Christmas crafting.

This first one is a triangle box that is made using just one rectangle piece of cardstock, which I have stamped on using Inque Boutique Christmas stamps and Colorbox fluid chalk ink. Gave the scallop circle nestibilities a work out again for the 'Joy' tag.

This one is a diaper fold envelope, which I intend on putting a cake of chocolate into, I will also decorate the outer wrapper of the chocolate to match. This is all in the folding of one square sheet of patterned paper. The stamping is again from the Inque Boutique Christmas set.

A Christmas Cracker favour box. This I have made using scraps from the new Waterberry range of papers from KaiserCRAFT. Not exactly a Christmas paper, but I think it works.

Last but not least a box-in-bag. I have used Snow Soiree from Imaginisce for this and the snowflake is made using the tag-team snow flake die run through the Cuttlebug. The ribbon is a scrap piece of Anna Griffin satin ribbon. The base of the bag is made using a constructed box from one square of Cardstock, then the paper wrapped around it. Easy. So easy I intend to make these again.

Hope this has given you all some inspiration for those handcrafted gifts and doesn't Brenda's work in the previous post look fantastic.

A couple of things to share

I have a couple of things to share that I have been doing of the last couple of weeks. Yes, they have taken me this long as my crafting time has been very interrupted of late.

The first is a layout of my boy, it is a more simple sytle than I usually scrap with, but I really enjoyed doing it (it didn't take me less time though). I've used the Basic Grey Archaic collection which I love for boyish layouts at the moment.


The second project is a card. Using Basic Grey Urban Prairie and Making Memories noteworthy papers, bazzill bling blossoms, making memeories blossoms and basic grey rubon.

December Monthly Specials...

...**December Monthly Specials**
-Once it's gone, it's gone-
Making Memories paints - 25% off
Inque Boutique Stamps - 25% off
November's monthly specials continue till the end of December with 25% off all Christmas stock (excluding the November Monthly Kits)
To celebrate the reintroduction of Prima product - 10% off. Prima stock will be loaded during this week. So check back soon.
All will only be while stocks last.

To all those that took part in the Great Scrap Box NZ Christmas Challenge, well done. We will have the final results to you by Wednesday, and we will have found a winner!! So stay tuned and good luck.

New Product...

has arrived in store, we now have the new Bazzill Basics Dotted Swiss available in all 23 colours. Plus the new Fairest of Them All from Imaginisce, available in this range are fairy dust brads, glitter giggle rubons, coloured rubons, papers and the ever popular Snag'em stamps. Just when you all thought that was it, a new shipment of Prima Marketing products arrived yesterday but just needs to be loaded into the store. On it's way to us are a couple of the latest ranges of papers from KaiserCRAFT, top-ups of rhinestones and pearls, plus we have ordered the coloured themed rubons too and are great value at just $4-50.
The last challenge for the Great Scrap Box NZ Christmas Challenge has been set and well done to those who have so far completed the challenges. Also well done again to Tracy and this time Mrs Frizz (Michelle) for taking out challenge 3.

Prudence

The new Prudence collection from Crate Paper is truly lovely. Greens, teals, browns mmmm simply delicious!! The diecuts are especially great, already glittered and ready to add straight to the page. Here is a layout of me wee baby who is now no longer a baby.


Here is a close up of the glittered diecuts, they really are wonderful to use!



All products used are available in the shop
I've used the following on the layout:
Diecut Paper - Hope
Paper - Temperance
Diecuts
Letter Stickers
Brads
Rub Ons

Creative Christmas

For those of you stuck for ideas on what to create for challenge 3, here are just a few to just get those creative juices flowing.

Points this time will be awarded for creativity and individuality. So hopefully these will give you all some ideas. Good Luck!!

Weekend Inspiration

Just a couple of cards that I have made during the week. I have got several birthdays this month plus Christmas coming up. So I got a little carried away with the card making.

This first one is just a random male orientated card that I have used scraps for. Plus tag that I have inked.

This next one is for my daughter who is 4 next Sunday and just loves sparkley things and yes pink, but I managed to sneak in some green as well.

This one using Basic Grey 'Sugared' range of papers for a friend of my daughter's two days later. Gotta love that Bazzill Basic ribbon too.

This last lot is party favours for my daughter's wee party that she wanted. I have used Imaginisce All Kinds of Happy papers and given the nestibilities a work out too.

A Little Teaser...

...here, this is the prize pack up for grabs in the Great Scrap Box NZ Christmas Challenge. There is nearly $60-00 worth of product here for the eventual winner. So good luck to those who have entered, and well done to Tracy who took out the first round. Second round has been posted on the messageboard


Included in this pack is a Pink Paislee 8x8 paper kit, KaiserCRAFT fancy flower album, 2mtrs of ribbon, Bazzill chips, Glimmer Mist, KaiserCRAFT rub-ons, Green Tara flowers, and 18mm Bazzill brads.

Crate Paper

Julia sent me a box of Crate Paper, the new Mia collection, which is just gorgeous - the colours are just beautiful & I love the browns, reds & aquas!! Crate paper has such a gorgeous texture to it & easy to work with...gorgeous diecuts, lettering & papers!!

Must add too - the first gallery for the Christmas challenge is up & it's looking S.E.N.S.A.T.I.O.N.A.L!! Well done everyone!!

November Kit

November already! It's a little scarey how quickly the year has gone by - and they seem to get faster with each year!! I guess from now on in, it's all about Christmas, school break ups, school/kindy concerts and that good old Christmas shopping!

I had a blast playing around with this months kit - gorgeous Kaiser papers & plenty to keep a girl busy!!

Deadline midnight Sunday...

Don't forget that registrations for the Great Christmas Challenge close at midnight tomorrow. Your first challenge will be posted on the forum on Monday evening.

Christmas Inspiration...

I have just recently received my copy of the latest Ezibuy catalog, and thought that I would post a couple of inspirational photos out of it to get you started on those handmade Christmas gifts and cards.

The colour themes that I am seeing come through are soft pinks and blues this year as well as the traditional red/green/gold. This post is a tiny hint as to what is in store for you all for the Great Christmas Challenge.

Breast Cancer Donation

During the last two weeks Scrap Box had been running a campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness, where for every purchase over $20-00, Scrap Box would donate 10% of the takings. Every little bit counts and I will be donating $26-00 to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. It was a small effort, but thanks to those who helped me with this.

Introducing...

Registrations are now being taken here. This is where you will also find the details and guidelines for the competition. The competition gets under way on the 3rd November and will run for four consecutive weeks.

Good Luck to all those that enter.

One of my Goals...

this year was to be 'published' well can you imagine my surprise when I received an email from Basic Grey saying that my 'Bloom' layout had been accepted into their gallery. It is not published in any major scrapbooking magazines but an achievement for me just the same, as Basic Grey have to approve layouts for their gallery. So 2008 goal achieved.

And the Winner is....

Angel gurl, Well done Janine. The draw has been done from the comments left about the paper ranges that you would like to see carried at Scrap Box. As you, the customer are important to me. The need to know what to stock is helpful. Don't be shy, leave a comment or just ask. If we don't stock a particular item, then please enquire as we can try and source it for you. So some of the ranges that have been commented on, Prima seems to be a biggie, Websters Pages are becoming more popular and I must say they are beautiful too. So Angel gurl you are the RAK winner!! Nice layout in the Basic Grey Gallery too BTW.

Monday Inspiration...

I had this photo of a tulip in full bloom in our back garden for a while. I have been meaning to scrap it, so finally yesterday I did.

I have used papers from the Ambrosia Range, it looked so perfect with the orange tones of the tulip, but placing it on a black backgroung tones the vibrant colour down a little. The stamps I have used are the KaiserCRAFT flourish clear stamp set and I have stamped by painting metallic gold paint on the stamp first. The journaling spot is just a 'scrap' piece of paper ripped out of an exercise book, which I have tea stained by soaking in strong tea. The gold and white netting is from a bunch of flowers that my MIL was given.

Sneak Peek 3...

I will be putting up a grand prize for the winner, plus there will be spot prizes and weekly winner prizes.

Tips & Techniques....

I learnt a few tips and tricks while at SENZ. So I thought that I would share a couple with you.


When using Glimmer Mist, ALWAYS shake the bottle sideways and not up and down as the liquid ends up in the cap. So when you take the cap off, you end up with a mess. Also when applying the Glimmer Mist, stand a box on its side a spray your tag/cardstock into the box. This leaves very little mess.





I also have a couple of sneak peaks of what we created in the classes.

Christmas Memory Tree

Create a Card Buffet

If the Shoe Fits - altered shoe last

And one more tip to share today, check out this link: http://www.wannastamp.blogspot.com/2007 ... candy.html

Have a happy Friday

Cards from the October Kit

So here are the cards that I have made with the October Card kit. Instructions for each card are included in the kit. Had lots of fun making these cards, the colours are bright and cheerful.

The kits are available in the shop for purchase now but be quick as there are only a few left.