Final stage

I had the best intentions on my annual leave to get more scrapbooking done. However as with many best laid plans, they do not always go according to plan. But it was great to spend some time with my family that came over from Queensland, especially after what has happened there since they returned. Certainly makes one realise never take anything for granted and appreciate what you have.
As I mentioned in the first and only stage I listed on my blog, when Mandy showed me the cricut lite cartridge "Dude" I had to get it as I have 2 wonderful boys. So knowing my eldest loves his scooters and skateboards but forever loses his tools I not only had a perfect way to wrap his gift voucher from unleashed but it also serves the purpose of his special toolbox for his scooter and skateboard tools and the odd wheel.

I first covered the box with my 2 different pieces of patterned cardstock, then using the black memento ink (which I purchased from Scrappy Go Lucky) I inked all the sides.

Using design studio I was able to use the cri-kits black gel pen to draw out the detail and then by using the shadow function I worked out the area and size required to then get the cricut to cut it out. What ever you do, do not remove the mat out of the cricut machine!!

I adherd the dude cut outs with double sided tape for the half pipe and word, but used foam dots for the dude (this gives it a bit more dimension).

Believe it or not, pink and purple are currently the in thing for those that love to scooter or skateboard. So with that in mind and the fact my sons scooter is current purple with a splash of pink my colour scheme was selected.

I used copic pens 0, 100, V000, V15, V17, RV000, RV21 and RV34. Starting with the darker colour first on the outer rim I began shading the image. What is great about copic pens is that they make blending so easy which is great for giving a flat image the illusion of depth. Make sure when using copic pens you do use the correct type of paper, as it will bleed terribly if you don't.

My son loved his personalised gift on Christmas morning so much so he did not even realise there was a gift voucher inside of it, he just wanted to see the other images on the "Dude" cartridge.

Beyond the page

I love doing beyond the page projects, and what's great is that they make great gifts as well. Below are just a number different beyond the page items I have done.

What better way to hide those unsightly bills and pens, not only serves a purpose but is a decorative feature near my kitchen bench.

My boys loved this one at Christmas time. Every morning they would wake up to see what I had left for them. So thank you Mandy from Scrappy Go Lucky that not only had this Dusty Attic item for sale but also for introducing me to flower soft. It's not just useful at Christmas time either, if you take the middle insert out it can hold smooch or kindy glitz paints and then you could use the numbers to represent different items, from eyelets, brads and flowers.

This one was definitely a challenge, but enjoyed seeing it come together nearly as much as seeing Mandy's daughters face when I gave it to her. I am so glad Mandy has a girl now if I want to do something really girlie I know the perfect home for it. For the instructions on how to make this check at the Scrappy Go Lucky Blog.

I have a tendancy, if I can not find it - I will make it. I wanted the word love to stand upright and could not find anything long enough or sturdy enough to hold them. So into my shed I went and with the table and drop saw I made this box for myself. My friend Mel liked it so much she asked me to make her three of them, I am still waiting to see how hers turn out, when she has I will post them on the blog. No pressure Mel!

There is not much I will not scrapbook. These used to be what the lindmindt chocolates came in one year for Christmas. They were so cute I had to scrapbook them.

My Christmas centre piece with a difference. This one was so much fun to create because the boys and I got dresses up and with my camera on the tripod I got some great shots. There are a number of different cricut cartridges with stars on them so you can pick which ever one you like. The design studio helped or gypsy if you have one. To make the photos stand up I just used skewers and put the florist green foam in the base box.

If you have design studio or gypsy you can also make your own personalised named albums. It's just a matter of using the welding function and ensuring each rectangle shape you use per letter gets extended.

If you ever get sick of looking at a bare white fridge then do as I do scrap it using the vinyl sheets or even contact. Do make sure to put your cricut machine on the right settings for vinyl or contact or you could have a great deal of trouble. If your unsure Mandy at Scrappy Go Lucky has a fantastic book purely dedicated to your blade, pressure and speed settings for different types of paper.

Lastly, I had to play with the glass etching with the vinyl when it came out. Plus again one of my favourite cartridges as I love swirls and butterflys - Wall Decor and More. Sorry the quality of the photos are not as good as they could be.

Well I hope in some small way I have inspired you. I know I love looking at scrapbooking blogs to see the different styles and projects people do.