Give A Girl A... and Saturated Canary Blog Hop

Welcome to the Give A Girl A ... and Saturated Canary Blog Hop!

This hop is full of inspiration from both teams and there are heaps of prizes to be won, from Saturated Canary images to a 3 month subscription to Give A Girl A ... stamp sets, to each designer hosting a giveaway. So hop along with us and enjoy the ride!

If you have come from the amazingly talented and beautiful Krista then you are right on track. If not you should go to the very start with the gorgeous Kellie.

I'm so excited to be part of this hop. I just love the products from both of these businesses and have had a lot of fun using their stamps and images on my SMASH* page.

I just love to SMASH* - its my thing at the moment. Today's page has a photo of my youngest daughter with a yummy pink meringue cookie shaped like a dog. When I asked her if I could share the answer was "no way ... you wish jelly fish". lol!

From Give A Girl A ... I've used the Keen as Mustard stamp set ("Un real banana peel", "you wish jelly fish", "love" and "insta moment"),  Yesterday stamp set ("today", "3", "1", and "August"), and Best Friends stamp set from tomorrows March release ("I love this girl" and "blah blah blah"). Use the code KARYN for 15% off your Give A Girl A... order.

From Saturated Canary I've used the adorable "Jelly Bug". I have loved Krista's images like forever and this girl is one of my all time favs. She reminds me of my youngest (yes, the gorgeous girl in the photo). And she goes perfectly with the "you wish jelly fish" saying! I've coloured this image using my cool grey copics, I love this look!

This is a page in my Blue SMASH* folio. This is one of my favourite SMASH books as many of the pages are quite quirky. I've left the other side blank because i like it as it is and also my SMASH* books get quite bulky when I use every page.

I love to splatter paint on many of my pages and this page was no exception.

I sprayed a white doilie with turquoise coloured glimmer mist and let it dry - just seems to pop on this page! I am also loving using sequins at the moment.

I've also used some of the October Afternoon Woodland Park collection and alphas, Amy Tangerine ribbon, Stampin' Up! bird paper clip, Chalkboard seven seas glimmer mist, Dear Lizzy lucky charm bits, and doilies, tag, bag and twine from my stash.

I'll be giving away one of the fun Give A Girl A ... stamp sets to one lucky person.
to be in the running all you need to do is
- leave me a comment
- participate in this Blog Hop and leave all the other ladies some comment love too!
I will draw a winner on Wednesday March 6th.

Now continue this hop with the lovely Maria Therese where I'm sure you will find some more amazing inspiration.

Here is the Hop list if you get lost
Kellie
Krista
Karyn <-- you are here
Maria Therese
Jodie
Lou
Damaris
Alyce

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Beach!

I have been enjoying doing some scrapbooking recently. I really should do more of it! I found I used more of my SMASH*ing style and loved having more "white space" on my pages.

These photos were taken on one of our beach holidays last year. I've used lots of the stamps from the Give A Girl A ... "Endless Summer" stamp set. Some of the sold out stamp sets are currently available for pre-order as is the March release which will be out this Friday! Use the code KARYN for 15% off your order.

I've also used the gorgeous October Afternoon Woodland Park collection, Amy Tangerine alphas, Studio Calico wood veneers, some sparkly sequins, and a fabric yo-yo and twine from my stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

It's all about Family!

Yes, more pages using my favourite October Afternoon "Woodland Park" collection. I just love the fresh summery colours and they coordinate with our clothes at the moment too!

These photos were taken at a family Christmas gathering. It is so special for cousins to get together, and even though their age gap is up to 30 years they still have fun!

I've splattered blue paint in my Black SMASH folio and products I've used include the October Afternoon Woodland Park collection, Studio Calico wood veneers and a tag, twine, and bag from my stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Church Play!

At Christmas time the children at our church do a wonderful play. They have an amazing "Junior Church" leader who brings a modern day twist to the Christmas story and why it is important.

I've used my Black SMASH folio and products I've used include the October Afternoon Woodland Park collection, Studio Calico wood veneers and a tag, twine, doilie and bag from my stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Home is ... Where Her Toys Are!

My youngest daughter has such a big heart! She has sooooo many toys and they are all so special to her. When I saw this latest release from Angie Delarie (called Just for my Valentine - love captured my heart) I just had to use it on a SMASH page of my daughters toys - doesn't Teddy look gorgeous in his glasses!

I've splattered paint in my Blue SMASH book and products used include  Angie Delarie Just for my Valentine - love captured my heart digi (coloured with Copics) & Strawberry sweetness embellishments, Studio Calico wood veneers, Dear Lizzie papers & stickers, SMASH* roller date stamp, KaiserCraft Alphas, Typo heart, October Afternoon button, and twine from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Christmas Craft!

I love the idea of hand crafted presents at Christmas time. I bought a plain flower pot and my daughter painted it for her dad for Christmas - these sort of gifts are so special.

I've used some of the Simple Stories Sn@p papers and stickers on this page - I just love them! They are so bright and fresh and perfect for these pages. I must stock up on some more of the range!!

I've used my Black SMASH book and other products include Studio Calico wood veneers, and a tag, bag and twine from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Love!

Can you believe it ... I've made a card ... and I coloured the image with my copics! I really enjoyed myself! I havent done much cardmaking for a while but I recently wanted to make a special card for my 6th wedding anniversary. Angie Delarie has released some gorgeous images for Valentines day and this one (called Just for my Valentine - Dinky ride love style) was perfect for my card.

Stamp/Digi : Just for my Valentine - Dinky ride love style digi (Angie Delarie)
Cardstock: Confetti white, daffodil delight, gumball green (Stampin' Up!)
Papers: Amy Tangerine
Coloured with: Copics 
Other :  heart wood veneers (Studio Calico), ribbon (Amy Tangerine), button (October Afternoon), alphas (KaiserCraft), giant Rhinestone (Glitz), twine and fabric yo-yo (my stash)

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

2012 SMASH Journal Finished!

I have finally finished my 2012 SMASH book. I used the orange book and just loved it for a "yearly diary/journal" - the pages are not as busy as some of the SMASH books are. I used about 6-8 pages per month which was achievable for me. I plan on using my 365 SMASH book for 2013! I will probably use less bulky embellishments in my 2013 book because it gets too bulky. Another option would be to have 2 books and only fill about half the pages in each .. Hmm will think about that!

Here is a view of the completed book. I decided not to decorate the front because I find it is harder for me to store.

 I kept the first page fairly plain

These pages have photos from a local Christmas pageant. It was 40degC that day and we almost melted it was so hot. My youngest daughter Jessica was on the Kindy float "under the sea". She dressed as a fairy ... of course! She was so excited! It made me cry it was all so beautiful and special. Rachael and I wrote silly messages on the road using the chalk "Please Santa, I can explain!" we got a few amused looks!

 These last pages are from Christmas day - just the general larger than life excitement!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Keen As Mustard!

Today the February stamp sets are released at Give A Girl A ... There are 2 fabulous sets available "Keen as Mustard" and "Yesterday".  Use the code KARYN for 15% off your order when you spend over $10.

This SMASH* page uses "Get out of town", "Awesome", "Say what?", "He said:" and "She said:" from the "Keen as Mustard" set. They are perfect on this layout of my daughter on the phone. I don't even think anyone was on the other end of the line at the time lol! She is so animated.

I've used my Blue SMASH book and other products include Studio Calico tin pin and wood veneers, Amy Tangerine papers, stickers & washi, Dear Lizzie roller date stamp, Simple Stories Sn@p card, October Afternoon Alphas, Typo heart, and a doilie & paperclip from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Water Fight!

For Christmas my girls got some walkie talkies and water pistols - they have so much fun chasing each other around and squirting everything! "This is Jessica calling Rachael ... come in please ... over" lol!!

On these SMASH pages I've used lots of the word stamps from the Give A Girl A ... "Endless Summer" stamp set (I love these stamps). Use the code KARYN for 15% off your order there when you spend over $10.

Other products I've used include the October Afternoon Woodland Park collection, Studio Calico wood veneers and the SMASH* date stamp.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Endless Summer!

Here are some more pages in my Christmas/December SMASH book. It is summer here in Australia and often very hot. My youngest daughter loves to swim/play in this paddle pool. So fun!! 

I went with the circle theme already on the pages and added my trademark paint splatters and the gorgeous October Afternoon Woodland Park collection. I've also used a heap of word stamps from the Give A Girl A ... Endless Summer stamp set - just perfect aren't they!! Use the code KARYN for 15% off your order there when you spend over $10.

Other products I've used include Studio Calico wood veneers and the SMASH* date stamp.

I'm also joining in on "Currently Creative" over at Give a Girl a Blog, you can check out more amazing projects there.

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Blog Makeover!

Happy Australia Day!!
I'm so excited to have had a Blog makeover by the amazingly talented Kellie Winnell. Thanks Kellie!! I just love the fresh new design - isn't she clever! My old design was well past its use-by date and although I recently fiddled a bit with changing the background I didn't have the patience to play around in Photoshop to update my banner. Kellie has a real talent and Flair for this kind of thing. So if you are looking for someone to create or makeover your blog then I would thoroughly recommend her (the prices are very reasonable).

You also must check out the gorgeous stamp sets at Give A Girl A ... I use them on most of my SMASH* pages - they are perfect for Project Life and Scrapbooking too!!
Use the code KARYN for 15% off your order when you spend over $10

Have a great day
xx

All About the Necklace!

Back some months ago I was the lucky winner of a gorgeous necklace  (thanks so much Kellie Winnell). At the time I promised I'd SMASH* a pic of me wearing it. No, I hadn't forgotten, just waiting for the right moment lol! I think it was back in the winter when I won the necklace and picked this beautiful blue colour that I thought would be perfect for summer. I just love it, it is really quite a show piece.

I've also fallen in love with the October Afternoon Woodland collection that I've used here. Lovely fresh colours after all the Christmas colours I've been using. You will be seeing more of it in my SMASH*ing!

Other products I've used include  Studio Calico wood veneers, Simple Stories bingo cards and a doilie & sequins (I'm loving sequins at the moment) from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Christmas Day the Aussie Way!

These SMASH pages are of some of our Christmas day activities. We spent some time in the afternoon constructing a wooden kitchen/stove set for Jessica. She loved helping Dad with the tools!! I've also included another of Jessica's amazing drawings - aren't these precious!

Products I've used include Give A Girl A ... "Christmas Time is Beaut" stamp set, Studio Calico wood veneers, My Minds Eye All is Bright collection, and  doilies & washi from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Goodbye Elfie!

We had a farewell Party for Elfie on Christmas Eve. We all gave him a hug then Jessica wanted to put him by the front door for Santa. Bye-bye till next year Elfie!!

Products I've used include Give A Girl A ... "Elf on the Shelf" stamp set, Angie Delarie's Elfie in the box digi, Studio Calico wood veneers, October Afternoon Make It Merry collection, and  doilies, washi, chevron bags & tags from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Elfie Plays the Mr Potato Head Game!

As it is nearly time for Elfie to go home he spent some time playing the Mr Potato Head game with his friends then had a farewell party! It will be sad to see him go. I made a list of my Top 10 Elfie hiding spots for this year, and also a list of things I hope he does next year lol!!

Products I've used include Give A Girl A ... "Elf on the Shelf" stamp set, Angie Delarie's Elfie in the box digi, Studio Calico wood veneers, KaisetCraft wood veneers, October Afternoon Make It Merry collection, and  doilies, chevron bag & tag from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Elfie is All Tied up in Toilet Paper!

Well, I'm on the home stretch With my Christmas 2012 SMASH book. 

In the first photo Elfie found himself a bit tied up in toilet paper. Then he got into Rachael's makeup and wrote on the mirror with lipstick - very cheeky. Finally we found him under the Christmas tree searching through the presents! 

My SMASH book is very thick by now. Really I should only use half the pages but it is just too tempting!! In the last photo I've included a picture my youngest daughter drew for me at Christmas - isn't it adorable! I must include more of this in these books. 

Products I've used include Give A Girl A ... "Elf on the Shelf" stamp set, Angie Delarie's Elfie in the box digi, Studio Calico wood veneers, October Afternoon Make It Merry collection, Basic Grey Jovial die cuts, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, and twine, doilies, washi, chevron bag & tag from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Elfie in the Fridge, Just Like the North Pole!

Our Elfie tried out some acrobatics when he was hanging from the lights then he must have felt homesick because we found him in the fridge - or maybe he liked the look of the beer!!

Another interesting background SMASH page in the first photo but it worked out in the end (gotta love woodgrain washi!!). The second was one of my favourites because it worked so well with the paint splattering (that I love to do) and some of my favourite October Afternoon papers! And it wouldn't be complete without a bag and tag for my journaling!!

Other products used include Give A Girl A ... "Elf on the Shelf" stamp set, Angie Delarie's Elfie in the box digi, Studio Calico Wonderland collection and wood veneers, KaiserCraft wood veneers, October Afternoon Make It Merry collection, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, and twine, doilies, washi, chevron bag & tag from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

Oh Dear, Elfie Packed the School Lunches!

I saw so many fun Elf adventures on Facebook and I had to laugh when our Elfie packed the school lunches (lol). You should have seen the looks on my girls faces. Rachael had pickles, gravox and a tomato in her lunchbox (she absolutely hates raw tomatoes) and Jessica had a tin of baked beans, chilli flakes and salad dressing (yuk according to her). Precious!!

I've splattered paints in my Black SMASH* folio and used a heap of my favourite products including Give A Girl A ... "Elf on the Shelf" stamp set, Angie Delarie's Elfie in the box digi, Polka Dot Creative Mini Kit 9, Studio Calico wood veneers, October Afternoon Make It Merry collection, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, and twine, ribbon, doilies, washi, chevron bag & tag from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx

G'day from the Whispering Wall!

Just after Christmas we went on a drive to the Whispering Wall nearby. It is just amazing. It is a curved concrete wall built to dam the water in the area. The curved properties mean you can stand at one end and talk and people at the other end can hear you, like you are standing beside them ... eerie in a way!

This page was perfect to use the "Australia Day" stamp set from Give A Girl A ... I've put the "G'day" inside the speech bubble from the "Endless Summer" stamp set - I just inked the bubble part with a marker then stamped, easy!

I've used my Orange SMASH* folio and other products including Amy Tangerine, Studio Calico wood veneer, October Afternoon alphas, and a doilie from my stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by

Crafty hugs xx