What a fabulous first challenge of the year! Thanks to all the submitters - there are some high quality entries and you guys are making it harder and harder to pick winners. Did you know that sometimes we have to revert to picking them from a hat? That just adds to the fun. Have you checked out the entries yet? If not be sure to click here. And because we want to share the love, we thought we would run a Comment Competition. People seem to be motivated by winning crafty goods...lol!


Keep reading to find out how to win that prize!! But for now here are the winners:

Overall Challenge Winner
Congrats to Rosemary Scott with this LOVE-LY layout! Rosemary has created a perfectly pleasing layout using Kaisercraft's Secret Admirer range (it's personally one of my all-time favourites from them). I love everything about the layout - the balance of the design, the fabulous photo of her brother (we all love black and white photos - and brothers), her use of wooden flourishes and flowers. DELICIOUS!!



Sketch WinnerCongrats to Yoko Houthuijzen! We LOVED this take on the sketch that was supplied by Sketches in Thyme.
Yoko writes: ". I''m into patch work hearts this month. Used Kaisercraft Timeless Paper Pad and Tim Holtz Distress Ink." We loved the simplicity of the design, the fun title and photos and the interesting addition of the patchworked heart.




 

First Time Entrant Winner
Congrats to Cherry Thelmo-Fernandez! We loved the idea of a 10-year wedding album - and congrats on the anniversary! This Funky Hearts album from Kaisercraft is the perfect gift and the mix of red, white and black is so striking. Cheery must have spent ages cutting the paper around the scallop edges. Well done for such a tidy job!

 (If you want to be eligible for the first-time entrant prize, then please state first-time entrant in the comment section when you submit)




Share the Love Prize
There is one more prize to be won. It's the commenting prize. Head to the website gallery and for every comment you make on someone's February entry, we'll pop you in the draw to win a $30 "Love" pack. We'll make up a fabulous pack of newly released Love themed papers and embellies. You have until midnight Friday 8th of March to make the comments to be in the draw - that's a week away - but don't forget!

Yet more love! 40th Anniversary celebrations!
Thanks everyone who followed along and encourage me to get the layout photo board completed for my Mum and Dad's 40th anniversary. It was a challenge to complete 18 layouts in TWO days. Yes Last-Minute-Lizzie was at it again! But I seem to work well under pressure. Each layout took 40 minutes - that included picking the papers, creating the layout, and then cleaning up, having a 5 minute water break before getting back into it again... Phew! Anyway, the guests loved it and so did Mum and Dad. I'll be popping them in an album for them soon (after displaying them in the shop for a little longer).

Here are some collages of the completed layouts:



Don't forget to check back into tomorrow for the new monthly challenge and theme!!

It is a well known fact that the number of notes coming home from school grows exponentially according to the number of kids live in that house. My kitchen is a schamozzle - I need a way to organise all of these notes!

A friend of mine bought me a set of handmade decorated wooden clothing pegs. They have a strip of paper on one side, and a magnet on the other. Bingo! Organisational problem solved.

I used KaiserCraft's Class Act range of papers to whip this set up in no time!


 Here's how I did it:

These are the materials you'll need:


Gel medium to use as glue, wooden pegs, 9mm strips of paper (our pegs were 9mm wide), paintbrush to apply gel medium, and some scrap magnet (advertising magnet - eg old calendars from real estate agents).

It's quite simple from here - brush a thin layer of gel medium onto the peg, and put paper over it. Cut magnet to 9mm width and use gel medium to apply it to the back of the peg.

It's really that simple!

I chose to embellish my pegs:

Hi there Christine here.
Do you have wooden blocks lying around? I do and so decided to do something with them.


I started off with plain wooden blocks - I have used Stampin' Up ones that I never put the rubber stamps onto.


I then covered them in patterned paper - Kaisercraft's Suga Pop.


 On the front I used chipboard letters to spell out Anna's name and die cut a shape for them to go on . A little rubon heart fitted on each letter. I stuck 3 rhinestones to the top of each one - as a girl has got to have plenty of Bling!



I decorated the backs with some of the Collectables and Rubons and added some pink twine.


I then decided I had to make a set for Anna's baby brother, Onyu.


I left his blocks plain and just diecut some patterned paper letters for his name and wrapped some patterned paper strips around the bottom. On the backs I used the black rubons again onto the plain wood. I used mod podge to adhere the paper on and gave them all a coat of it after.


TFL!

Happy Creating.

Christine

Betsy here today to share another couple of cards made with the love theme.
I have used the cute Lili of the Valley stamps on both cards, colouring with my copic pens.



Aren't they gorgeous little people?  Maybe by clicking on the pictures a clearer image will be seen.



On this card I have added a felt flower from Prima. Do remember the competition that Artfull Crafts is running at the moment with the " Love is all Around" theme. We are so enjoying seeing all the entries.

All today ladies - trust you are all enjoying another lovely day, as it is here.

Happy crafting and many blessings,

Betsy.

and I am very excited to be showing you the frame I recently got to alter using the Kaisercraft Secret Admirer Collection of Papers and Goodies Liz sent me to play with - click on this link to go have a wee look at the gorgeous things in the collection http://www.artfullcrafts.co.nz/category/1403/SecretAdmirer.html

The colours and versatility of this paper range was really amazing from the very neat "cherished" frames that could be used for card fronts - KaisercraftPaperSecretAdmirerCherished.html or just an embellie on your page to the extremely cool little "first love" tags from the KaisercraftPaperSecretAdmirerFirstLove.html paper.

Kaiser has recently produced some wonderful collections but I think so far this one has a huge thumbs up!

So onto the frame, I found this frame at the Warehouse in a junk bin about a year ago and thought one day the right papers would come along for it, and they did. I also used one of the Kaiser Wooden words that are available now and I think it complimented the frame nicely.
What do you think....










You might have noticed the words covering the "Dream" word, these were rub-ons that also are available in this collection and they worked well. I covered the word in Kaisercraft "Sage" paint, these paints are great to use as they cover a multitude of products and give a really nice finish.

These pics used in the frame are of Our 2nd Son and his Fiance on the day he proposed...Yay more photos for me to play with when they get married!
Thanks for looking at what I have been working on for you and I hope to be bringing you some more wonderful Kaiser goodies in the very near future

Until Then...
Happi Scrappin!
Robbi

 Hello, Tracy here, so Liz sent me some goodies to play with... and here is what I came up with for my first card out of my Design Team package.

Hi Jo here, I decided to set myself a real challenge for this project for Artfull Crafts.  I didn't want to use any paper.  No paper? Yes I can do that.  Then what did I find out? Kaisercraft released Base coat this would have been superb for it.  Liz said she would send me some.  But no. I set a goal, so stick to it. Though I do have the paper for another project.    

I started with this stunning little storage cabinet from Kaisercraft.  The more I looked at it, the more I began to think how useful it would be.  I thought of everything in my really organised studio, and picked the one thing that drives me crazy.  My distress inks.  They are never easy to sort through, find the right foam square for the right ink, so you end up with three blacks squares, and no linen coloured ones.  Time to sort that out.

This is a lesson in what NOT to do.
Distress inks, distress cabinet.  You can see where I am going with this can't you.  This is where once again I tell you what not to do.  I am impatient, if you do not know this by now, well, now you do. I wanted it white, like an old girly dresser from days gone by, with all the filigree and handles and well, pretty but distressed.
I thought that it would be a great idea to stencil a wood pattern on to the sides and the front, using modelling paste. I did one side and put it aside to dry.  Hmmm this will take a while. Next day, I realised that it was just going to stick out to far and not look that good, it was a far to high design.  Sand it off, start again.  No!  I am over that idea, three sides to stencil, that will be another week before I can carry on.  Next option paint the project with white paint,  I hunted through my pile of paints and not one white to be found.  We are renovating a house at present, so I grabbed some white paint from there, once again a bad decision.  I allowed that to dry (with a heat gun) of course.  Then I added some crackle medium all over it. No, I know what you are thinking, don't force dry crackle medium, I was a good girl, off to bed, and I let it dry naturally.  Next morning up and on goes the next layer of paint, white again.  Waited for it to start to crack, so I could carry on playing.  Nothing happened.  Hmm that is strange, try again.  I coated it with crackle again, this time  more generously.  Waited, dried, re painted nothing happened.  You can not use house paint with crackle medium, especially good quality house paint. Always order from Artfull crafts paint section, and be patient while it arrives.

That's okay, I will just try something else.  I painted another light coat over the project again, and this time I got my heat gun really close and I made the paint bubble and blister. I know that this is wrong, but it worked.  I distressed my paint this way., but I could have used a Tim Holtz distress paint at this stage.  But I was worried about the house paint I had already used.


Then I used weathered wood distress ink,  I rubbed it all over the project.  Where I had added the crackle medium, it was a little higher, than the rest of the paintwork and so the ink attached to these parts more, and went into the blistered areas.  I wiped it down with a paper towel, and did it again, I dried it off with a heat gun for a few seconds.

Next I tried to find matching door handles, I found two crystal ones for the bottom drawers  Tim Holtz Ideology Accoutrement's. ,  but I just kept coming up with ones of everything for the top cupboards. Next problems was my embellishments, I had silver filigree pieces, gold keys, gold lock and copper door handle.  Alcohol ink solves that problem.  First I added a gold, and then some black.
This was a copper and black handle, as you can see I have toned it right back to match the lock.
Then I had to put it on to the cupboards, off down to the workshop, mum and I worked out how to use dads drill, and three holes later, three yes I drilled one wrong, but you cannot see it.


Next I tied some old gold keys and some ribbon and lace around the handle. Corners inked and on.
Now I am looking at it, really excited because I am going to do something very cool.  I am going to fill my cupboard with inks.  Who forgot to check that the cupboards would actually hold the ink, and you could close the doors.  Well not me, but I am not that worried, that is why I didn't decorate the front, because it isn't actually going to be closed.  Sneak peak. 

  
On the inside of the cupboard I put Velcro strips across, and attached my foam squares for my blending tool.  Then I layered the inks up according to where there foam square was.
And here is is, all set up on my desk and ready to use.  One Kaisercraft storage unit, and soooooooo very useful.  I have added little daubers in one drawer, and teardrop chalk inks in the other.  The blending tools are on top.  Now once again I have a very organised and useful project for in my studio.

So get yourself one of these cupboards and have a play, use the right paint, and or paper.  This would make a great spice jar holder for cooks, or for jewellery people for bead jars, for artists small paints or mediums, for make up for your teens, or get your distress inks sorted (just don't try to close the doors).  Distress stains fit better.  Enjoy.    

 
          

       

Hi there - Christine here with some cards I made using Kaisercraft's Suga Pop Collection.

 For this card I layered up some of the Collectables onto a paper doily and then added some of the Suga Pop Rubons and some twine & rhinestones.

For this next card I wanted to use more of the rubons. I love putting these black ones on to patterened paper.


On this square card the owl is a rubon too - but you can get him as a stamp here, he is so cute. He would be easy to paper piece too.
The row of bows is the strip of paper along the bottom of the 12x12 patterned paper sheet. Love to use those strips on my projects!

Hope you are all having an enjoyable week with time to get crafty too.

TFL

Happy Creating.

Christine

Betsy here this morning to share another couple of cards.

The first card is another Golden Wedding which I had to make for an order. You know doubt will notice, I have used a 3D image of a rose on this card. I use this one quite a lot on 50th anniversary cards as it seems to go with golden weddings and is most appreciated by the recipients.




The die I have used is a Cheery Lynn Doily Die, DL103, Spellbinders label die for the sentiment and I love those stick pins! Lately, I have been printing off  the sentiments and the recipients names, using my computer.




This is another order and I know it doesn't come into the romantic category, but it is made with a Prima Romantique paper - does that count?! I have used the lovely Memory Box dies on this card, Cherise Label 98402 and Tiffany Frame 98401 and the Martha Stewart round the page punch for the edges. All these dies and punches were bought at Artfull Crafts.

All from me today ladies - out to enjoy this lovely day.
Happy crafting and many blessings,

Betsy.

Hi Jo here, with my latest project for Artfull Crafts.  I am lucky to have two beautiful daughters Alysha and Samantha, (and Aly's boyfriend Jason), who are only to happy to stand in front of the camera (years of being made to), so when they had the chance to do a steam punk shoot, they both knew that they would be popular with their mum.

I am using Forget me not, Queen bee page from Kaisercraft for this layout.  I decided to use an embossed card stock for the mat of the photo.  This meant embossing two pieces of card stock, as I used an A2 embossing folder from Sizzix.


Once I embossed the card stock using Sizzix Bingo and Patchwork folder, I then cut and joined the embossed parts, to make a mat for my 4x6 photo.  I have lifted the mat pieces top and bottom, so you can see where the joins are on my layout.  Sticking these down properly (which I will now do) will ensure you cannot see them.  I then played with white ribbon, metal pieces from Graphic 45, and cogs from Tim Holtz, then I added some Kaisercraft Forget Me Not collectibles flowers and leaves, and the word moment from below. 

I added extra layers, including a acetate flower that was from a pre-printed Kaisercraft forget me not beehive sheet.  I cut out the acetate flower using tattered flowers die. I also cut the little bee from the same page, and the crown in the picture below. 





A few little additions gave more depth to the layout. I hope you enjoyed.  Now how about getting some of those embossing folders, and acetate sheets, and having a play.  Enjoy your week.