Hi Everyone - today we are introducing Ngaere Bennetts who won a spot on our Design Team for a month when she won our "Travel and Treats" challenge with this entry.

First of all - here is a little more about Ngaere and how she scrapbooks!

"I am in my late forties and I have two adult children, a son and a daughter. My son and his partner have given me two gorgeous grandsonswho are the subject of lot of my scrapbook pages. I am also attempting to scrap my parents old photos and to get the stories behind them while Mum and Dad are still around to tell them to me. I was a manager for 16 years but last year I quit to pursue a different lifestyle and at the moment I am working as support worker for young adults with physical and mental disabilites. Something very different and very rewarding"


"I have been scrapbooking for a number of years but have found myself drawn more and more to the off the page and altered art stuff. I love to learn and combine new techniques and once I have learnt a technique I use it as much as I can before I get sidetracked onto something else. I also am involved in the local Creative Fibre Group. Currently I am intrigued by assemblage art and I find it is a great way to incorporate all of my different interests. I love making mini albums for friends and family and enjoy incorporating interactive elements into the mini albums and into the pages. While I like the heavily layered pages that are the rage at the moment I also enjoy pages that are simple and clean. My style is eclectic and I do like to "upcycle" incorporating found and junk materials into my pages, albums and art. Oh the possibilities!!"


"I do not think of myself as very creative especially when I see what other people can achieve but I get a great deal of enjoyment out of taking bits and pieces and making them into something unique. I have learnt over the years that you have to be true to your own creative style and let it reflect your vision rather than other people’s expectations."

Ngaere has created these wonderful two albums shown above - both of which have some really neat design ideas!

In this fabulous "Gratitude" layout which opens up, she has used some Teresa Collins "Giving Thanks" products and some beautiful mini-flowers.



In her final page for today, Ngaere has made some wonderful "Serendipity" paper and below, she shares just how she did it.


Materials List and Instructions - Serendipity Paper

1 piece of 12 x 12 white card or heavy paper
1 piece of tissue paper 13" x 13"
Stamps
Inkpads in various colours
Black Ink
Gold/Silver Embossing Powder and Ink
Paintbrush

1. Cover white card with Modge Podge (matt or gloss)
2. Scrunch tissue into a ball then open out and place over wet modge podge.
3. Press down on to modge podge then paint modge podge over the top of the tissue. Leave to dry.
4. When dry rub coloured ink on to a craft mat. Spritz with water. Using a sponge or Cut N Dry foam transfer the ink to the paper.
5. Heat set ink with heat tool
6. Stamp images randomly on to paper using coloured inks. Heat set ink.
7. Using black ink stamp flourishes randomly on to paper. Heat set
8. Using Cut N Dry Foam or sponge transfer embossing ink randomly over the paper. Sprinkle embossing powder on to paper, shake off excess.
9. Heat embossing powder until melted.

We look forward to seeing more of Ngaeres' work later in the week and if you have a question - please leave a comment and we will try our best to answer!

Lowri :-)