Top Ten Layouts 2012

Duh, it's that time of year again.
I admit it - it's dead hard to pick ten favourites - each and every layout means something for me!
But I have made my choice, and will give you my personal favourites. OK, I give you twelve - I couldn't narrow further down *lol*

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But first - some news regarding this blog: from January 1th 2013 it will not be updated anymore. But fear not - I'll have a brand new one: 

From January 1th 2013 my blog will be Hilde - The Paper Addict.

(http://www.hildeaaslund.blogspot.no/) 

I'm still working on the details, but the blog is open for you to have a sneek peek and to sign in as a follower. From mid January I will close the old Scoobie-blog for new comments, but the blog will still be there.

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OK, back to business. Here are my ten twelve personal favourites. They all have one thing in common, I really enjoy the design, so there are more to them  for me, which I'll explain under each image. And I don't list manufactorers this round. The layouts are presented  chronological:




You really don't need much to create a layout: a dog, some snow, a black cardstock, two pieces of scrap papers and two embellies. I love the orange on black! A just for fun layout, inspired by "use two papers only" at the Basic Grey blog.




The inspiration to the title work came from an image of a cuuuuute kitten with the same caption. Love how it turned out with this photo of my brother making a silly face. This is also how I want to remember my brother who died in June - a fun dude. A just for fun layout, published in ScrapStreetMagazine




I admit it - I'm attracted to simple designs. I wanted to keep focus on DS10 admiring a glass he had blown himself, and the embillshements used here was just what I needed. DT work for MyScrapbookNook




Over the years I have learned to know a lot of great scrappers, and one of them is Petra.
I hardly use mist or paint on my creations, but in this layout it turned out great, together with hand cut flowers and another few embellishments. Cool colors, too. This layout was made for a recipe challenge.



I'm not a girl who likes mess, and I surely do not have the patiente to let wet mediums dry. But on occations I do, and I love the structure modelling paste adds. This is my first try with it. DT work for OUAS





I often grab neutral papers for backgrounds, but some times it's fun to do the oposite: use busy papers as background and neutral ones for the rest. In my oponion, the green letters are what really makes this layout pop!
DT work for MyScrapbookNook




In August I was forced to work with color challenges as part of the OUAS DT, when they teamed up with the color Challenge blog CSI. And I was immidiately hooked :-) I had always been afraid of never having the perfect shades of the colors, but I always have close ones, at least in some accents as ribbons etc. My entry for an CSI challenge




Soft colors and a hairy husband - the perfect combo! But one of the CSI challenges gave me the guts to try it out :-)



A happy kid need happy colors. My entry for a sketch challenge at Skissedilla




Black background makes bright colors pop. And I stamped on a layout! Yeah, me!
Made for a CSI/OUAS challenge





I love how light this layout is, despite the dark purple and green. Made for a CSI challenge.

 



Shabby chick, white space layout with a twist of artsy - it's possible :-)
GDT work for CSI

  Don't ask me if I can pick one fav, because I can't. Can you? And why did you pick that particular one?
Have you picked your own favs yet?


Tomorrow I'll give you my top ten fav cards/AI for 2012, so please come back!

Feeding the wild birds - CSI #52

Hello friends.

I know it has been quiet on this blog in December, and I haven't been very active in cyber world either.
Do you want to know why? It's very simple - I have taken off anything scrappy to enjoy the season and to spend time with my family doing what we wanted to do when we were off. And it has been great, but I admit I'm itching to scrap and make cards again.

I also admit I have done some scrapping stuff behinds the scenes, like solving the CSI December challenges, and  working on a new personal blog. Yepp, I'm moving! My blog needs a makeover, and as the oldest posts are from 2008, so I thought I might as well create a completely new one.

So from January 1th 2013 you will find me at Hilde - The Paper Addict. I'm still working on the details, but the blog is open for you to have a sneek peek and to sign in as a follower. From mid January I will close the old Scoobie-blog for new comments, but the blog will still be there.


As you may have noticed I have been guest designing at CSI the entire month of December. I love the challenges and the color combos which forces me to try out new combinations, and I know I will continue to solve the cases in 2013.


Here is this week's case to be solved:

I just love the classy color combo!


And this is how I solved it:

Another layout where the materials are a true mix of different manufactorers. I THINK the background paper is MME, but isn't sure as the label was cut of, the alpha is from SEI,  the overlay from Hambley, but the rest I have no idea about.

How I solved the case:

• Colors - all five used
• Evidence: wood/woodgrain (Washer and baground paper), twine, kraft paper, burlap, eyelets, washer
• Testimony: handwrited journaling, documenting a gift (figurative - we give something to the wild birds to during the season, not only the humans and domestic pets)

Don't you want to give this challenge a try? Here is where to find it!

Nuts About December!

As I said in my last post, I really enjoy December - a few of my favourite things are mentioned on this layout:




Patterned Papers & ornament: Harmonie. Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs. Pins: Maya Road.
Alpha: AC/Amy Tangerine, Basic Grey. cardstock: Bazill. Snoflake Dies: QuickKutz



Do you wonder why I have a photo of walnuts on this page? Here's the explanation:
In Norway we have a tradition of eating nuts as snacks during Christmas.

Some  years ago I planted a walnut tree in our garden, hoping it one day will carry nuts. Walnut trees are not very common here so I have never been sure if this could be a success. Last year we had two nuts (!), this year several kilos :-) I'm so happy to see it worked out!


The inspiration source for this layout is the December Challenge at Once Upon A Sketch:

To see all the beautiful, inspirational examples from the DT, and get the details in how to play, please visit the OUAS blog :-)

House rules - CSI file #47

Have you ever concidered visiting me and my family? Beware that we have house rules!

Did that scare you?
Don't be scared, they are very easy, just like the journaling on this layout says:


We really don't have many house rules guests need to have in mind - maybe three?

*this isn't a hotel so you need to tidy up yourself
*our butler's name is Do-It-Yourself
*guests are like fish - after three days they smell

And as our kids some times behave like they are guest in this house, the rules go for them, too."




Patterned papers: CSI Coordinates, MME. Rubon house: Maya Road. Rubon swirls: Hambley
Journaling cards: Chick TagsAlpha:AC. Ribbons, buttons, mesh, key & twine: Unknown


Do you have house rules?

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I admit it: I some times run out of ideas/topics to scrap about, but the CSI Challenges ("Case Files") always push me in the right direction. My brain start work as soon as the challenges go live, and for the past three months I have scrapped stories I never had thought of. It's easy to think we just want to remember the vacations and happy days when we browse the albums in thirty years, but these "out of the box" themed layouts will surely bring back memories of what our real life was like, the everyday life.


This goes for CSI case file #47, too:

 

The CSI printables ("coordinates") was fabolous this round, so I didn't even bother to dig into my pile of papers - I just grabbed the printable papers and used them - how easy is that?

This is how I solved this case:

• Colors: OK
• Evidence: Patchwork pattern, mesh (golden, behind photo and house), flourishes (rubons)
• Testimony: Etiquette guide (the house rules)

I also admit I'm happy and proud to find this layout on the CSI Watch List this week:

Tell me: do you ever run out of ideas/topics to scrap about, or is it just me?

18 things to do before I die

Are there things you really want to do but haven't got round to yet? I have a long list...

Some of them should be quite easy to tick off my list, because they are not very time consuming or expensive - it's more a kind of getting my butt in gear. Like taking a class in flower decoration, which I started on last week. I had had in my mind for years, but finally took the plunge when one of the local florists had an ad for it. I really enjoy it, and some details of my first decoration is shown on the layout below.

Then there are other things that have to wait. Like seeing kenguroos in Australia. It's not like something I can to in an afternoon, and I will certainly need some more money than I use on a class at the florists. But if I start saving...

Title: 18 things to do before I die

Background paper & journaling spot: CSI Printables. Frame: Imaginarium Designs
Ribbons: Scrapbook Fantasies. Tiles: Harmonie. Glitter pins: Marens Landhandleri
Alpha: AC, Webster Pages & Glitz. Wire: my florist. Buttons: unknown

The got the idea for this layout when I saw CSI File Case # 46

Evidence: frames, translucent element (some of the tiles), something that shimmers (glitter pins).
Testimony: 18 things - a list of 18 things I want to do before I die.


One thing I really like about the CSI challenges, is that they have a set of printables (or coordinates as CSI call them) along with each challenge. It's both backgrounds, tags/spots, word art and other embellies you can print out. For my layout I printed out one of the backgrounds on matte photo papers as well as a sheet of tags/spots. I used one of them only, but spent the remaining parts for three super cute cards I'll show you later this week. If you're curious about these printables, here is the link to Challenge #46 - scroll to the very bottom and on the left hand you find the printable files.


So what's on your list - what do you want to do before you die?

Favorite room

Do your family have a favorite room in the house? In my family it's the kitchen: everything seem to happen there: School work, eating, cooking, it's the game zone, computer room, the pets' sleeping area, where we party, read etc etc.

It' nice to have a place where both family and friends gather, but it gets incredibly messy because of it, too. Like when the kids bring friends and they leave their jackets on the chairs instead of in the wardrobe. Like when DS10 has messed up his own room so badly, that he need the kitchen table for creating one of his giant paper projects. Or like when DS13 and his gang uses the said table as a gaming spot, and just leave it all there when they decide it's time to do something else.

I found inspiration for this layout in this week's CSI challenge:

My evidence is the woodgrain background paper and the buttons, my testimony is documenting a favorite room.

What's your family's favorite room?

Model plane freak

DS9 is an RC model plane freak. He spends a small fortune on buying them, and due to a high level of self confidence, he believe he can fly them all. But he can't - and he always blame the plane he crashes when his tours end up as disasters - they have either too little power, keeps flicking even after adjusting, they have aerodynamic probles etc etc. Not once have I ever heard him admit he don't have the skills to fly difficult planes...


Two weeks ago he bough a Vision. He had been warned, both by his dad and other great flyers, that this was a difficult plane to fly. But DS9 was sure he could fly it - but he couldn't. The plane hardly lifted from ground, before it ended in the ditch....


This photo is taken before take off.

Patterned papers: Little Yellow Bicycle. Plane & cloud stamps: Imaginisce

3D foam dots give dimension to the details

I got the idea for this layout when I saw this sketch over at Pagemaps:

I flipped the sketch and replaced the butterflies with planes and clouds, but except for that I satyed pretty close to the original sketch?

Have you been out flying model planes lately?

Crazy Guys (Sketchabilities #75)

As I mentioned yesterday, Sketchabalities is up with a new, lovely sketch.
One thing I really loved about it was the the sketch was designed for (optional) multi photos. I had some photos from Greece this summer, taken when hubby and DS9 went para sailing, and there was no way I could use one photo only to tell the story.


Here they are, my crazy men, praparing to sail, sailing and beeing happy afterwards.




Patterned Papers, chipboard & Rubons: Fancy Pants Beach Bum collection.
Alpha: AC. Buttons: unknown. Stars: home made


Did you notice the tiny black stars? I bought myself some cool stitch stamps last week, and me and DS9 had fun playing with good old fashioned shrink plastic this morning.

Click on image to see the stars better

Stamps: CloseToMyHeart Stitched together

Tell me, have you played with some old stuff lately?

CSI Case File #35 - Love Milk Shake

I admit it - I have a crush on these color combo challenges. I have avoided such kind of challenges for years, afraid I wouldn't have the right shades of colors in my pile of papers and stash, but after trying out a few of them, I don't fear them any longer:

My simple approach is this: If I'm happy with the outcome, who cares if the shades are not perfect? My kids when browing the albums in twenty years? Will they look at the layout, laught out loud and claim to the  world "Look, mum didn't manage to do exactly as the challenge required! What a loser!". I doubt it.


Here is this week's CSI file:

 I picked what I had which fit the scheme best, and came up with this layout:

Patterned papers & stickers: Amy Tangerine for AC. Rubons: Pink Paisley

Kraft Background & beads:Club Scrap. Photo Corner: Heidi Swapp

Alpha: BG. Paint: unknown. Pen: ZIG

Both kids claim they have a lot better milk shakes and ice cream desert further south in Europe. You have no idea how many photos I have of them drinking and eating the said treats! So while we were in Greece this summer, they grabbed the opportunity to get some!


Actually, I'm not sure if the dairy products are better further south, but may be they have the taste of Summer and Vacation?

The Runaway Bride

Kiwi, our budgie, managed to get out into open air last Saturday.
How sad, we never expected to get her back, even if we heard her on occations when her buddy, Fluffy, called for her. After all, she was just eight weeks old and not completely tamed yet.

The following Monday night I heard her again - the next morning she flew in the door in the living room. Oh happy day!


Title: A Taste Of Freedom
Journaling: The short version of the first two articles in this post


Here she is, happy in our walnut tre:

PP, rubons & cut out: Basic grey, Authentic croched doilie, flash card: October Afternoon, alphas: adornit and American Craft, Raw chipboard: Imaginarium Designs, calendar card: Jenni Bowlin,  canvas tags: Maya Road, clay bird: MyLittleShopOfWhimsey, Twine & paper tape: unknown 

This layout was made with this lovely sketch I found at the Pagemaps Blog. I have had some trouble with Mr Mojo, and this sketch was just what I needed to get me started. It was fun to finally pull out some old papers and a mix of embellies and just create!


Some close up shots:





Thank you for taking your time to stop by. I really appreciate it!

Tell me, have you ever lost and found any of your pets?

My first layout for OUAS is up!

Hi.

My first layout as DT member at Once Upon A Sketch (OUAS) was revealed yesterday. The team is large (to give you even more inspiration) so half of the team's layouts are revealed on the 1th of the month, then the rest on the 15th. And my layouts go live on the 15th :-)

Here is the OUAS July Sketch and challenge:

Theme: Friend

We would like you to create a layout and interpret the theme "Friend" however you like based on the following sketch. You can journal as little or as much as you like, but your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.


Ideas for journalling: one of your current friends, a childhood friend, an unexpected friendship,what having friends mean for you, a friend that you miss or have lost, family member who is your closest friend, a scrappy/online friend, a special person that has touched your life, someone who has helped you out lately, a friend that you couldn't do without, your children's friends / classmates etc., your pet and the friendship you have with it..

 
And here is my take on the sketch/challenge:
 

Sponsor materials:
Imaginarium Design: corner ornaments and chipboard frame

Closeup photo of corner cluster

 
Please head over to the OUAS blog to see the rest of the DT's stunning creation, find more about the lovely prizes you can win if you play along, learn more about our spnsors and to see how other scrappers have interpreted the July Challenge. You still have another two weeks to play with us. Do we see you there?

New Chick In Town!

I got this cute little budgie baby a few weeks ago. Isn't she adorable?
Her name is Kiwi, because of her color, and she is now about two months old.

I want to tell you something funny about budgie colors - they aren't always what they look like. Actually, Kiwi is probably a blue bird, genetecly, not green. But because of the amount of yellow she looks green (you know what happens when you mix yellow and blue, don't you? You get green). If you have look at her, closely, in bright light, you do see the blue. Funny, isn't it?
Unfortenately, she's not to fond of human beeings, so I doubt we will ever get her completely tamed. But she is good company to our other budgie, and that's the most important!

DT work for MyScrapbooknook, featuring the June kit + Grab bag

What is your favourite color today?

The last farewell

3 1/2 weeks ago we burried my only brother.
We kept the service very private, only the closest family was present (but in lat August we'll have a new service for the rest of the family and friends).

I found the colors in the MME Indie Chic Citron collection perfect for the photo of my parents and I taking a laste farewell with my brother. I chose to keep this layout very simple (may be too simple when looking of it afterwords, but what the heck - it's made for me, and I can recall this sad day even if it's simple, when looking at it).

A background paper particialle flower printed, a few stickers from the same collection, and then some cut out flowers from a second paper, was what I needed to create this layout, along with a ribbon and an aplha.

All matearials from MyScrapbookNook July Grab Bag

Thank you for taking your time to stop by - I really apreciate it!

A new month, a new kit and a new creation

Today it's Thursday. Tomorrow it's Friday. And it will be my last workday before I take a six week long break!!!!

And I'm so looking forward to it! There has beeen too much "Life Happens" for the last three months, so I need time to relax and get back on track. And  I ordered a family trip to greece in August - just because I don't rely on Norwegian summers any more: the two last ones has been greay and cold, and it doesn't look we are going to have a good one this year either. Blahhh!

But now it's a new month - and I'll have plenty of time to play with the MyScrapbooknook july Kit which dropped down in my mail box the other day:

Isn't this lovely? Lots of fun MME and Jillibean Soup stuff!

And I have started cutting in it :-)


Last week the kids attended a BMX summer shool. And it vent, as it always does, with falls and skratces and aches. This time DS9.

Have you started scrapping your summer photos yet? Or your winter photos if you are in the part of the world where they have oposite seasons than me?

Back in business!

I know I have been quiet lately and that this blog hasn't been updatet in close to two weeks. And I was a slacker even before that. But sometimes life happens and blogging isn't on top of my priority list. Do you have those periods too?

This spring has been so hectic: Hubby has worked a lot and let me stuck with the kids and running this place called home all by myself (at least it has felt like that). Then, during the Easter Break, my FIL -who lives with us - was involved in a really ugly car crash wich set him back a lot and I got even more on my hands. But we clung to the hope that June would bring easier days: hubby would have a new employee in is shop and FIL should have recovered. Both happened and there were happy days.

Then life hit again - bad. I know some of you already know, but two weeks ago I lost my only brother. It came so sudden, not expected at all, and this just sucked all the energy out of me. So I haven't created much for the last weeks, and therefor not blogged either.


But I wanted to go back to some routines quickly, so when I saw this great sketch, made by fellow DT member Nicole Nowosad for MyScrapbookNook's June Member Sketch challenge, I knew I wanted to play along.

 I picked up a photo I had laying on my desk, the June Kit and created this layout. The title is "So Close to Losing Him" and the journaling tells about what it was like getting a telehone call about his accident when we were stock on a ship just between Germany and Norway, doing a mini cruise.




Patterned papers: Simple Stories Fresh Summer



Please head over to the Nook Forum to see more of the DT examples for this challenge and to play with us! Do we see you there?

DIY - at the glass blowers

A few weekends ago I took DS9 to the glss blowers at Hadeland Glassverk: DS12 was playing a squash tournament in Gotenbourg, hubby was working, and me and our youngest needed some quality time.

The place is awesome, so much to see and do, and DS9 was tickled pink when he could blow his own glass. I have some photos of the blowing process, which I will scrap later, but I started scrapping this photo where he's studying one of the glasses he made:

All materials from MyScrapbookNook June Kit



Papers: Simple Stories Fresh Summer


Some times it's great to have just one kid to take care of - it's about to getting to know them better, too, right?