"Our Family" Canvas

Hi everyone :) The Helmar team have been lucky enough this week to team up with Faber Castell to showcase some of their amazing products!!! Not having worked with their products before I sat down with some watercolour paper and simply played to get an idea of how each of the different types of pencils / pens etc looked....Boy did I have fun!!!! I am loving trying new things and styles atm and this was perfect for me to step out of my comfort zone!

So once I had an idea of how easy the pencils worked etc.. next step was to create my canvas background... Napkin art - using a variety of napkins and the Helmar Decoupage and Craft paste - this is a beautiful thick type of medium so as my canvas is 30 inch by 30 inch... I watered down the craft paste so it was easier to spread over the whole canvas....I simply dabbed my brush in water then into the paste and then gelled down the one ply napkins in random spots... Once dry I did a white wash over the top... I created the tree by ripping up pages of an old book and glueing down once again with the Decoupage and craft paste.. Then I pulled out my Faber Castell pack - Mix and Match Mixed Media Aquarelles and ink in green so to create my leaves. After stamping over 200 leaves on to the same old bookpages as I had used for the tree trunk...lol (and I still reckon it needs more - what do you think??) it was time to colour them in - I simply did one stripe of the orange down one side of the leaf and then used 2 shades of the green to create a bit of shading etc on the leaf... using a wet paint brush you brush over the top of the pencil which in turn into vibrant watercolours!!

Once dry I then had to cut them all out by hand... - that was a sit infront of the tv watching footy night! Next using Helmar's Acid free glue randomly stuck the leaves down over the tree.... Next up was the embellishing..... all the metal flowers and chipboard was glued down using Helmar's 450 and then the birds nest was created using the liquid scrap dots Voila... Pre white wash

Finished with photo's of my family in little metal frames and trinkets... :)

Birds nest

Some gorgeous earrings :)

Pop over to the Helmar blog to check out what I created this week! Love my new project!!

Also can finally spill the beans - I have an article in Stampington & Company's Belle Armoire magazine July Edition with one of my favourite pieces I created for Graphic 45 Winter CHA..... The magazine itself is stunning.. and so inspiring :)

School Holidays have finally started and so looking forward to not having that mad rush every morning!! It was a long term and the girls worked hard got great reports and finished off the term with both of them receiving a merit award on the last day for all their hard effort and work. :)

Some steampunking madness...

Why?? Cause I can!

As you all know I do tend to favour the steampunk vintage style when I scrap so I was in my element creating this for the Twiddleybitz show display project! In creating this project I was able to combine a few of my loves and my secrets with scrapping....

First up Helmar glues.... I have loved these and used them since I started... Whilst they have a great collection of glues for a variety of projects no matter which glue I use I know I am guaranteed the project will stay together and not fall apart with all the rigours of travelling... In fact this project I created interstate and carried it back in my hand luggage - yep placed in overhead lockers and carried around the airports etc!!! Did anything fall off or apart? Nope :)

Second is my chipboard - Twiddleybitz - Having been on their DT since they started it has been a constant in my scrapping so much so I can't imagine not creating projects without it!! :) The best quality of chipboard that doesn't warp or separate with umpteen layers of paints or sprays and mists etc.....

Thirdly - one of my favourite brands of paper Graphic 45 :) No matter what you use I love how easily they work together even though at times the papers can be a bit scary!!! Just start cutting up and playing....

Well enough dribble from me - by using these products you too can create your own masterpieces easily!

Now you can see why I need good glue - Helmar's all the way ;)


Material List
Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Glue, Liquid Scrap Dots, Decoupage and Craft Paste
Twiddleybitz - Funky Attic house, Hot Air Balloon small and large, Lightbulb, Rollerskate (aren't these just funky or what!), Steampunk Cogs Frame, Interactive Cogs Mechanics, Floating Frame
Graphic 45 - Olde Curiosity Shoppe range of papers




Enjoy - I am off to scrap some more - guess what I am using hehe

Take 5

I had fun playing yesterday with chipboard and Helmar glues and some thing new..... Pop over to the Helmar blog for the details on this LO



Enjoy your weekend everyone :)

Top of the morning to you!!

Hope it isn't as wet where you are today - I needed my bathers on with a snorkle, mask and flippers for the school run this morning lol.... Roll on summer..... please!

Anyway - I am suppose to be doing some boring paperwork but thought I would have a coffee and post this instead... Last month I went along to the Perth Quilt and craft fair - I love looking for new mediums and idea's and discovered something called stoneart.... so bought some and came home to play with a new Twiddleybitz proto type - a TOP HAT!!!!! (hehe it is so new it may not even be on the site yet :P ) and Helmar's glue - perfect combination - especially when I team it up with some Graphic 45 Kraft reflection too hehe!!!

Here is a sneak peak and for further photo's pop over to the Helmar blog. Stay dry and Happy scrapping everyone!

Email help please!!! lol and a New TBZ release.....

In the middle of trying to fix my email - it is saying my account is full despite deleting over 500 emails...... so it suggests opening in Microsoft Outlook which I have done and now it is downloading over 8000 emails that I have already opened in Windows Live..... Can anyone help??? So if you have emailed me and I haven't answered you know why!

Yep another year older hehe Got totally spoilt with new clothes shoes and a gorgeous pandora bead from the girls, a very snuggly rug for the couch and a new vacuum cleaner (I bought this for myself rofl!!! so needed a new one so it was a good excuse!) Thankyou to everyone for my birthday wishes :)

AND now onto what I have been creating the past few weeks.... Next weekend is the Brisbane Papercrafts show and it is one of the best in Australia so I have been busy with new TWIDDLEYBITZ proto types and Helmar glue creating up a storm...

First up is this awesome printer tray in the shape of a house.... a little bit deeper than the standard trays you find so you can easily create little stories in each room :) So easy to put together - My first go to glue Helmar 450 and then wallpapered, carpeted and added roof shingles using the Helmar Decoupage and Craft Paste - first time I have used this and it is fantastic - goes a long way and gives you a bit of time to make sure you set the paper in the right spots!!!





The rest of the house has been assembled using mainly Liquid Scrap Dots and 450 :) Love creating little scenes in each room. Twiddleybitz will be releasing an awesome little kit to go with the house which has items such as the fireplace, buffet, spiral staircase ( :) ) , phone, tea cup and wine bottles and glasses and cat.... it goes on!!! I also added the little Twiddleybitz table and the 3 frame mirror which I chopped up and put the large mirror in the hallway and the smaller ones either side of the fireplace. :)



























And that is only one project I have done........ my others include some funky steamp punk rollerskates and balloons, hats and some new mixed media stone stuff..... birdhouses and money boxes.... in fact many different styles and projects!! Sneak peaks to come but in the meantime pop over to the Twiddleybitz stand at the show in Brisbane to see in real life!!!!

A Little birdie told me

that it is Helmar 450 Quick dry week!! So combining two jobs on one project I created this birdcage for Twiddleybitz's gallery and show display stock using both Helmar 450 and their Acid free glue too!! For more close ups pop over to Helmar

I also created this canvas for a 90th birthday present - at Escape 2 Create retreat I did Kate Mason's mixed media class using paper napkins, canvas, gel medium and paper! So using what I learnt made this canvas - Chipboard branch and butterfly were stuck down with Helmar 450!!

Happy scrapping :)

First post for Helmar YAY!!!!!!!!!

My first post for Helmar has just gone live after trying to work out typepad etc :) Well you all know me and computers!!!!! But I got it right YAY for me ...

So based upon this months Sketch Challenge with Helmar you will have to pop over to their blog to see what I came up with.... sshhhh here is a sneaky peak just to wet your appetite!

Helmar goodness

Whilst away in Binningup a couple of weeks ago I received a phone call with some exciting news.... Would I like to be part of the Helmar Design Team? Would I - of course I would rofl!!!!!!! I have used their products for years and love how it just simply is guaranteed to work every single time. I use it by the bucket load!!! It had been a very busy couple of days with a house full of kids and most of them had just left which meant I actually heard my phone and got the chance to speak to the lovely Erika Taylor! Yes I was # 18 - the one who was going to celebrate with some bubbles - sound like me??? :P So now it is official I can yell it from the rooftops - so excited to be part of this team and the wonderful creativity it has :) Thankyou!

Copied from HELMAR:

The New Helmar Design Team consists of 19 full time designers, 5 guest artists, and 1 sketch artist. I'm so honored and humbled to present to you the Helmar Design Team!!!
Jamie Cripps
Jennifer Evans
Martha Richardson
Julie Tucker-Wolek
Cheryl Boglioli
Grace Lauer
Susan Weckesser
Carisa Zglobicki
Cindy Royal
JJ Sobey
Vicky Alberto
Melanie Forbes <------ Me Me Me!!!!!!!!!! rofl :)
Rae Cooper
Michelle Wallace
Amy Lynne Lassiter
LIz Chidester
Jen Erickson
Beck Beattie
Sandie Edwards
Lydell Quin- Our Helmar Challenge and Sketch Artist
Erin Morehouse - Our May Guest Designer
Lisa Wilkinson - Our June Guest Designer
Katie Nolan-Denhan - Our July Guest Designer
Kate Vickers -Our August Guest Designer
Cheryl Walker - Our September Guest Designer
Erika Taylor- Design Team Coordinator
Also Jessica Morales will be doing some amazing videos for us on a regular basis and we wanted to give her a shout out too.
Also just back from simply the BEST retreat Australia wide - no doubt about it - ask every single person there and they will say the same thing - Escape 2 Create simply rocks!!!!!!!

Still need to unpack and catch up and everything else that is involved in going away for a few days so will be back soonish with photo's to share :)

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good night......

It is time to say farewell to my time with the wonderful Graphic 45 and the design team...

I have thoroughly loved every minute of being on this superb world class team and wish to thank them for this wonderful opportunity over the last year. To my fellow 2011 teammates - you inspired me endlessly :)

But as one door closes another opens.... Keep watching this space....

Happy scrapping all and thankyou for your wonderful support and comments over the last year