Thursday 27 January 2011

Colour Filled Days layout {Scrapbook Challenges}, my January RAK, beautiful Layout Frames & a Home Decor Update!


At last!  Something to blog about!!  Life has been frenetic of late & I have been alternating between my sick bed & running around frantically registering my daughter for university, organising her accomodation, transport & all her requisites.  No easy task as she will be many miles away for months at a time.  Nonetheless, today I took some time out to CREATE.  Yaaaay!!
This is the challenge I set over at Scrapbook Challenges {you will see it in the forum there tomorrow} as my January Design Team Asssignment.  Yes, I am now designing for Scrapbook Challenges until the end of June & loving the friendly community there.
This challenge is for the letter C - hence it is called "Colour Filled Days" therefore the title starts with a C!

I have also made sure to use CARDSTOCK on my layout & something beginning with C.  In my case I chose CRATE PAPER Restoration {the printed paper}.  So why not join me & play along?  Just follow the link - great prizes to be won regularly & plenty of challenge & sketch inspiration!
Supplies used are:-Bazzill Basics Cardstock {Swiss Dot} white
Crate Paper Restoration {printed paper}
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist {Starfish}
Red ink {Colour Box}
Crate Paper Restoration chipboard embellishments
Echo Park "Life is Good" border stickers, alphas & bunting
Yellow alpha stickers - Basic Grey
"Love" title - Glitz Design Love Nest
Yellow embroidery thread
Dark brown journaling pen - Creative Memories

And here is my January RAK - I have decided to host a monthly giveaway here on my blog to all my FOLLOWERS {I will be restoring my Followers gadget shortly & in order to be eligible to win you need to become a follower & leave a comment on this post any time before the end of January {Monday 31st} midnight EST - 8 hours behind local South African time therefore 8a.m on the morning of February 1st 2011 if you are based here in the Rainbow Nation}.

There is an assortment of "stuff" in this pack, including 3 packs of K & Co. embellishments, Sassafrass acrylic alpha stamps & petalloo flowers.  Bling, chipboard, stick-pins & a whole mini-pack of Basic Grey "Sultry' papers.  I am going to spend the entire year paring down my older stash but may add in some interesting new or unusual goodies as well, just to say Thank You for all your kind comments & support!  Of course this RAK is open to EVERYONE all over the world & I will pay postage - because I'm cool like that!
And here is one of my new dining-room lights - bought on sale at Mr. Price Home in Johannesburg & carted all the way home in our trailer!  Loves though right???!!!
 
And my Christmas gift to the house- these unusual painted metal artichoke candlesticks.  Oooh they make me hungry as I just looooooooooove fresh artichokes!
And another couple of Mr. Price Home candlesticks bought on sale, nothing special but nice nonetheless...The counter these items are on {there is another big matching light just to the left of the artichoke candlesticks} is my album shelf {actually 2 of them pushed side-by-side} housing all my scrapbook albums.  I store them in the dining-room as it it the only room with space for the bookshelves they sit on.

And here is a photo of an absolutely beautiful oak-stained handmade frame that I had made locally by a master craftsman.  In fact I had EIGHT of them made to put above my server table in my dining room.  I am going to use them to display my latest scrapbooking layouts & have ensured that they are easy to "get into" from the back so that I can change the layouts in there regularly.

They are shadow frames so the backing board is slightly recessed to allow for a bit of dimension.  I still have to get the glass cut to fit.  The internal measurement is exactly 30.5cm (12 inches).  I am taking orders on these & they are very reasonably priced so anyone interested please let me know in the comments section & I will e mail you details.  They are beautifully oiled/matt varnished & honestly the workmanship is impeccable.

I am so excited to get the layouts chosen for them & get them up on display!
And lastly - COOKIE JARS!!!  How adorable are these???  Giant cookie jars to house my ribbon - all in a line on a long shelf {still to be made} above my studio window - Ye Olde Sweetie Shoppe style!!!  I am currently overhauling my studio space & refining my storage methods thanks to Organisation Week on the Creating Keepsakes Blog {had me really inspired!}.

10 comments:

Diana said...

I love the LO Helen. Love the colours, the many photos, and the theme/topic too.

Vicki said...

Love your multi photos layouts Helen. Those frames are going to look fabulous with your layouts in them too.

Mel said...

Oh Helen, what gorgeous things on your blog, I am sorry to hear that you have been sick, I hope you are feeling better today, I can imagine too the stress of having your dS away for Uni....I love this layout, gorgeous and bright and cheery, and your collection of frames, and jars, wow, gorgeous, those lights are just super stunning. Melxx

Stefanie said...

Beautiful LO.
I am thinking about the things I love about Summer - seeing that I HATE the heat, that's quite something for me.
The cookie jars, are they also from Mr Price?
Love the decor pics too, thanks.
(not that I think you did it only for me...)

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

Good to see you creating again Helen!!! Gorgeous layout with delightful colors and elements!
Sorry to hear that you have been sick, I am suffering for the past weeks, today is the first day I feel better, but still coughing, I am glad the headache, neck ache are all gone, whew..... Hope you are feeling better, no fun to be sick!

chantal said...

Hi Helen. Such a generous give away, thank you for the opportunity. Good luck with all the arrangements for university. Love the ribbon in the cookie jars. Enjoy your weekend.

Chantal

tania said...

Oh wow!! That layout is just excellent!!! love it!! i had those jars too, filled with flowers, maybe should now use it for the ribbon, i am also busy in my room:) loving the rak!!
those candles are sooo beautiful,really:)
ok, i must quickly go and take a dance with the vacuum!! speak again!!

Ella Swan said...

Thanks for the love girls! Happy weekend to you all! I have a comment from Shayne who is having internet issues so will copy & paste it in for her ;-D

Ella Swan said...

Shayne Spacey Sheard 28 January at 08:27 Report

Hi dear,

Love your latest post - but can't comment for some reason. That light is just divine, as are your cookie jars - i'm desperate to find some like that for my baking. Where did you find them? Can i ask you to find me some too? PLEASE? Or at least tell me where so that I can send my cousin (she's in Kloof) on a search for them? I found some on line but they are hideously expensive.

Hope you're feeling much better and have an great weekend.

Lots of love xxxx

Briana Johnson said...

I love at SC for this page and i wanted to leave some here as well. It's absolutely fab! I just love the sizes of the photos being able to see the heart shape behind yet all the photos are still big enough you can really see them.

I dig those artichoke candle sticks as well. Great texture.