Some of you may know that I used to be a Creative Memories Consultant. However, this company is no longer operating in Australia and New Zealand. Luckily, a new company called Close To My Heart came to our rescue and I am now a consultant there!
If you would like to keep up to date with some of the cards and scrapbooking products I will create, please take a second to like my new blog- CTMH Craftings.
I look forward to playing with my new goodies and inspiring some of you to create your own beautiful papercrafts.
Life from my point of view as a Stay at Home Mum. Sharing recipes, play ideas, frugal fashion and a bit of crafting too!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Happy Fathers Day!
Yesterday was Father's Day here in New Zealand and I had a wonderful time celebrating with my husband, father and father-in--law, as well as all the family.
Of course, I had to make a card for each of them- and I was inspired by the current Use It Tuesday challenge- TRENDS.
Owls have certainly been a trend I have noticed recently. I always seem to be using the owl punch my sister has, but this owl stamp has been at the back of my stamp storage for a while as I received it at the beginning of 2010. The tie stamp had also never been inked, but it is so adorable that now I am thinking of lots of different ways to use it!
I hope all the Dads out there had a great day yesterday!
Supplies used:
Creative Memories: White cardstock, Be Young Stack Pack, Precision Point adhesive.
Stampin Up: Punch Bunch stamp set, Teeny Tiny Sentiments Stamp Set, Island Indigo cardstock, Island Indigo ink, Soft Suede ink, Tie stamp, Modern Label punch, Snail adhesive.
Of course, I had to make a card for each of them- and I was inspired by the current Use It Tuesday challenge- TRENDS.
Owls have certainly been a trend I have noticed recently. I always seem to be using the owl punch my sister has, but this owl stamp has been at the back of my stamp storage for a while as I received it at the beginning of 2010. The tie stamp had also never been inked, but it is so adorable that now I am thinking of lots of different ways to use it!
I hope all the Dads out there had a great day yesterday!
Supplies used:
Creative Memories: White cardstock, Be Young Stack Pack, Precision Point adhesive.
Stampin Up: Punch Bunch stamp set, Teeny Tiny Sentiments Stamp Set, Island Indigo cardstock, Island Indigo ink, Soft Suede ink, Tie stamp, Modern Label punch, Snail adhesive.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Bananas, Baked Beans and Blood
The title of this post sounds like the world's most unappetising recipe- but these are actually some of the stains I come across on a daily basis. With two active boys in our house, their clothes certainly take a beating! My 13 month old son loves bananas, baked beans are a standard lunch, and my older boy is prone to bleeding noses.
Luckily, Napisan has been a saviour to my washing. I used to scrutinise every single piece of clothing before it went in the wash, but lately I have been using Napisan in each load and I have been really impressed with the results. I have also tried it as a soaking option and as a paste, and I thought you may like to see the results.
Firstly- the bananas. These are my son's pant after a banana and some yogurt at lunchtime.
I soaked these overnight in Napisan and then ran them through the washing machine on a cold wash. The result? No more banana or yogurt! I didn't even rinse the food off first.
Baked bean sauce was spilt down the front of a rather nice hooded jersey. The jersey sat unnoticed for a few days in the washing pile, and I came across it in the morning. With no time to soak before doing a load of washing, I just added some Napisan to my cold wash.
It still managed to get rid of the tomato sauce with no soaking required.
Lastly, my son had a bleeding nose and wiped it with his sleeve.
Blood calls for some heavy duty stain removal action, so I made a paste with the Napisan and some cold water and rubbed it into the sleeve. I could see it working as I rubbed it in.
After drying in the sun, the sleeve was back to normal.
I have a few more piles of washing, including stained bibs and dull whites, that I will share photos of with you once they have been given the Napisan treatment. It is very satisfying to see clean washing instead of scrutinising each piece of clothing and having to do two or more treatments.
I would love to hear any stain removal tips you have!
*Disclosure: Some of the products mentioned here were provided to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Luckily, Napisan has been a saviour to my washing. I used to scrutinise every single piece of clothing before it went in the wash, but lately I have been using Napisan in each load and I have been really impressed with the results. I have also tried it as a soaking option and as a paste, and I thought you may like to see the results.
Firstly- the bananas. These are my son's pant after a banana and some yogurt at lunchtime.
I soaked these overnight in Napisan and then ran them through the washing machine on a cold wash. The result? No more banana or yogurt! I didn't even rinse the food off first.
Baked bean sauce was spilt down the front of a rather nice hooded jersey. The jersey sat unnoticed for a few days in the washing pile, and I came across it in the morning. With no time to soak before doing a load of washing, I just added some Napisan to my cold wash.
It still managed to get rid of the tomato sauce with no soaking required.
Lastly, my son had a bleeding nose and wiped it with his sleeve.
Blood calls for some heavy duty stain removal action, so I made a paste with the Napisan and some cold water and rubbed it into the sleeve. I could see it working as I rubbed it in.
After drying in the sun, the sleeve was back to normal.
I have a few more piles of washing, including stained bibs and dull whites, that I will share photos of with you once they have been given the Napisan treatment. It is very satisfying to see clean washing instead of scrutinising each piece of clothing and having to do two or more treatments.
I would love to hear any stain removal tips you have!
*Disclosure: Some of the products mentioned here were provided to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Best Friends Digital Layout
If you are a mother, you probably know those days when nothing goes right and your kids are being less than angelic. However, every now and then I capture a moment that makes me realise why I love having my two boys in my life.
These photos demanded a scrapbook page, and the team over at Just Add Ink have a Digital Scrapbooking challenge going so I have entered this page over there. I hope that you can see the love and joy between these two! The journaling says- "You two are so sweet to each other! These moments make me smile."
I am on a bit of a washi tape kick at the moment, so I had to add some digital tape to my layout. I combined the blues and greens with a gray paper for a boyish colour scheme without being too babyish, as my boys are growing up now and I need to use more vibrant colours in their layouts.
This layout will be going in both of their albums for 2013.
Digital supplies used:
Storybook Creator: Discover Digital Power Palette, Family Man Digital Kit, Seasons Digital Kit.
Font: Over The Rainbow.
These photos demanded a scrapbook page, and the team over at Just Add Ink have a Digital Scrapbooking challenge going so I have entered this page over there. I hope that you can see the love and joy between these two! The journaling says- "You two are so sweet to each other! These moments make me smile."
I am on a bit of a washi tape kick at the moment, so I had to add some digital tape to my layout. I combined the blues and greens with a gray paper for a boyish colour scheme without being too babyish, as my boys are growing up now and I need to use more vibrant colours in their layouts.
This layout will be going in both of their albums for 2013.
Digital supplies used:
Storybook Creator: Discover Digital Power Palette, Family Man Digital Kit, Seasons Digital Kit.
Font: Over The Rainbow.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Made in NZ Father's Day Gift Guide
I love supporting local businesses, and New Zealand has some wonderful shops online that cater for all sorts of people. With Father's Day coming up on Sunday 1st September, I thought I would share some Kiwi made gift ideas for your Dad.
The Photo-Loving Dad
These sweet Me & Dad magnets are fantastic on the fridge with a photo- what a great surprise for Father's Day. I have had mine since 2011 and still get comments about them! You can also put them on filing cabinets if he wants to display photos in the office Available from tinch.
The Car-Proud Dad
We all know a guy who loves his car, and these car mats are proudly made in New Zealand to deal with our weather conditions. No more traipsing mud into the car! Select your design based on car make and model from Rubbertree.
The Book-Loving Dad
The Grill King Dad
The Chef Dad
How cute are these wooden spoons? You can even customise it to your Dad's favourite colour or tie it in with your kitchen décor. Great for those Dads who are in charge of Scrambled Egg Sundays. Purchase via Jamie Kay.
The Tech Dad
Most men I know own a smartphone, laptop, tablet or gaming console of some kind. A NZ based business, Wrappz allows you to customise these items. How great would it be for your Dad to have his favourite photo of his kids on his iPhone or Playstation? Wrappz cases provide robust protection and are printed using the latest techniques to provide a visually stunning scratch resistant finish. Have a play and come up with a design that Dad will love.
The Comfortable Clothing Dad
Comfort always starts with the bottom layer, and Thunderpants are a great NZ company making underwear that is designed to not ride up your bum! They even have a special on at the moment, so grab a great deal.
The Family Man Dad
Another favourite gift in our house, this framed list of house rules is a lovely reminder of family bonding. Perfect for any Dad I think! Check out the full range of options at smartiepants.
The Bed Hog Dad
Some men won't stay on their side of the bed, no matter how hard you try! It gets even worse when the littlies climb in as well, leaving you with hardly any room to sleep. Try to combat the problem with these pillows from Hazel Loves Design.
The Photo-Loving Dad
The Car-Proud Dad
The Book-Loving Dad
 |
| Purchase from Gecko Press, a wonderful book supplier that has books from New Zealand and around the world. |
The Grill King Dad
This heavy duty BBQ cover will protect your dad's most prized possession and is NZ made, waterproof and UV treated. Grab one at Not Socks.
The Chef Dad
The Tech Dad
The Comfortable Clothing Dad
The Family Man Dad
The Bed Hog Dad
I hope that you have been inspired by some of these suggestions. Which gift suits your Dad the best?
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Birthday Girl
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of my very good friends is having a birthday today. We have been friends since we were 4 and went to the same kindergarten.
I made this card with guidance from An Inky Situation's colour challenge:
I made this card with guidance from An Inky Situation's colour challenge:
I don't have any Marina Mist inks- so I found some papers and a ribbon in my stash that looked close enough. I wanted to go with a floral theme but ended up mixing in a cupcake as well! No birthday is complete without cake.
Also joining in with the Seize The Birthday Anything Goes Birthday Celebration.
Supplies used:
Colorbok: Felt Buttons
Kaisercraft: Child's Play Collection Chinese Whisper Paper
Miscellaneous: Ribbon
Stampin Up: Whisper White cardstock, So Saffron Ink and Cardstock, Calyspo Coral Ink and cardstock, Bordering On Romance stamp set, Create a Cupcake stamp set and Punch, Sizzix Little Leaves.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
A Weekend of Birthdays
This weekend we will be celebrating my husband's birthday, as well as his uncle's 70th birthday with a family get together. One of my good friends is also having a birthday. Must be time to make some more birthday cards!
Just Add Ink is having a great challenge this week- Just Add Blokes!
This card is for my husband- a very blokey, DIY kind of man. I am very lucky that *most* of his handyman jobs work out well. I won't mention the time he cut through the telephone line... It was only appropriate that his card feature tools. I used a very masculine background stamp in Always Artichoke and added some Soft Suede cardstock that I had run through my Cuttlebug with a woodgrain look embossing folder.
I am also entering this card into the Fusion challenge:
I used the sketch on its side and also was inspired to use gold from the shells. I used a broken off piece from a measuring tape and added some brown cardstock that I inked to look like a saw embellishment under the sentiment oval.
I added some drawn on hand-stitching and matted the tools background with more of the patterned paper to tie everything together.
This card is also going into the Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge to use Embossing!
Supplies used:
Stampin' Up: Tool shed background stamp, Bring on the Cake stamp set, Always Artichoke and Soft Suede ink, Soft Suede cardstock, Well Worn paper, Woodgrain embossing folder.
Just Add Ink is having a great challenge this week- Just Add Blokes!
This card is for my husband- a very blokey, DIY kind of man. I am very lucky that *most* of his handyman jobs work out well. I won't mention the time he cut through the telephone line... It was only appropriate that his card feature tools. I used a very masculine background stamp in Always Artichoke and added some Soft Suede cardstock that I had run through my Cuttlebug with a woodgrain look embossing folder.
I am also entering this card into the Fusion challenge:
I used the sketch on its side and also was inspired to use gold from the shells. I used a broken off piece from a measuring tape and added some brown cardstock that I inked to look like a saw embellishment under the sentiment oval.
I added some drawn on hand-stitching and matted the tools background with more of the patterned paper to tie everything together.
This card is also going into the Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge to use Embossing!
Supplies used:
Stampin' Up: Tool shed background stamp, Bring on the Cake stamp set, Always Artichoke and Soft Suede ink, Soft Suede cardstock, Well Worn paper, Woodgrain embossing folder.
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