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Zva Creative and our talented Design Team welcomes you to join us this month for a blog hop that we feel is always extra special! We thought it would be more fun to add even more chances to win our blog hop prize! See details below. The summer trade show was in July, which means brand new Zva Creative products. So please keep an eye out for them at your local craft stores.
As you know, Zva offers so many beautiful color groupings for pearls, flowers and crystals. We want to make sure that they shine bright for you, so each designer was asked to share a creation using a specific color or color combination on their blog hop project.
The Blog Hop begins at Kim Hughes' blog. She will have the complete list of all blogs that are participating in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play along, just follow along the blog path. I am linking to one of the Zva designers and that designer is linking to the next and so on. Be prepared to be inspired along the way. Hidden on FIVE of the blogs is a Zva Creative prize package...YAY! Winners will be randomly chosen after the hop is over, so it's important to leave a comment on as many blogs as you can along the way.
The Blog Hop starts today, August 29th and runs through midnight US Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, August 3oth and the 5 winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 31st on each of the five winning blogs. The full list will be found on Kim Hughes‘s blog as well (linked above). We will do our best to notify each winner, but it's best if you can pop in to all of the blogs once again on Wednesday...plus, you never know what kind of inspirational creation that you may find there. All you need to do is leave a comment on this Zva Blog Hop post...you do not need to leave a comment on each and every designer's blog post to qualify. The more times you leave a comment along the blog hop path though, the more chances you will have to be one of the lucky winners.
To increase your chances of winning:
* Comment to let us know that you posted on your Facebook page about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)
* Comment to let us know that you "tweeted" about our hop (link to any of the blog hop posts)
* Comment to let us know that you asked your local store to carry Zva creative products. If they already do, that's fantastic, maybe you can suggest other products that they don't carry
Sooo, you have FOUR chances on each blog to win one of our FIVE prizes! That's technically OVER 50 chances :)
Here's my layout, a fun summer layout as I'm ready for the warmer weather to begin (here in the southern hemisphere LOL!)
I've used a gorgeous green rhinestone swirl (CR-03CA-120) to add "movement" to my title.
The blog hop begins here: Kim Hughes
Your next stop is here: Susan Lui
Thank you SO MUCH for joining us
I managed to carve out some small snippets of time last week to create a layout. It's one that I've been wanting to create, as a bit of therapy really. I jotted down the journaling the night before Noah was born with this layout in mind.
I got my husband to take a few shots of me just two days before the birth. I used one of my favourite actions in photoshop (see this post for more details) to mute the colours somewhat and make them absolutely perfect for the gorgeous pink range from Authentique called Uncommon.
Here are some of the details including Zva bling goodness and flowers.
And Elle's Studio journaling tags.
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I'm going to get a bit personal here . . . but the week before I had him, actually 6 days before he was born, I fell all the way down my back cement stairs. It was a horrible experience made worse by the fact that Amelia witnessed the whole thing so we were both quite traumatized. I spent the day and night in hospital and was battered and bruised but obviously we were both ok.
After the shock wore off, I was able to find a lot of things to be grateful for as it could have been a lot worse. And I knew I had to create a layout for his album about this.
Here's what the journaling says:
"On the night before you are born, I have to get down on paper our journey. It’s been hard. And scary at times. For most of the pregnancy I’ve been sick – Influenza A, pneumonia and cold after cold, most leading to chest and ear infections, UTIs and severe lack of energy. Throughout it all you’ve remained perfectly healthy and for that I’m so grateful. Which brings me to the week before your birth when I had a terrible fall down the stairs resulting in an ambulance ride and a stay in hospital. You see, I fell on my enormous, pregnant belly and was terrified I hadn’t kept you safe enough. It turned out you were completely fine and I escaped with bruises, grazes, soreness, some chipped teeth and a busted lip. And again I ‘m grateful for YOU. I sincerely think that if it weren’t for you in my belly that my injuries would have been far worse –possible broken bones, internal bleeding, head injury. My belly cushioned my fall to an extent. I’m so grateful that we are both ok. I’m so grateful you were with me to save me but most of all I’m grateful that tomorrow I can finally hold you in my arms."
Thanks for letting me share this.
In the few weeks before Noah was born, I was busy, busy, busy making loads of goodies from my Greatest View etsy store for the August Scrapbook Savvy kits.
And they are finally up for sale - check them out here! They contain papers from the new Authentique range which I just looooove! And of course, lots of coordinating goodies including gorgeous new range Thickers.
I'll be (hopefully) opening up the shop again this week as I do have some new items on their way. We'll see how much sleep I get and how much computer time I have!
It feels a bit weird sharing a layout now that I created earlier in my pregnancy . . . since Noah is snuggled in on my lap!
And I thought I was huge then!
How perfect is that bingo card for this layout?
And a layout using some less-than-perfect IPhone photos which were perfect for printing out small to match the bingo cards.
As usual, lots of layers, stitching and distressing.
I inked all chipboard pieces and then added a thick layer of Distress Stickles so they weren't too 'shiny'.
All items except cardstock, twine and large letter stickers are from the kit. I love how it's a no brainer when it comes to combining papers - you know they all coordinate nicely!
Don't forget you can view the entire gallery here (there's lots of inspiration) and see the kit in full here.
The gallery is up on the Tarisota site here for the latest collection Parisian Glamour. This collection was so lovely - consisting of pinks and creams with lots of trims, buttons and chipboard.
Another layout of Amelia feeding the kangaroos at Australia Zoo, which really is her favourite thing to do there.
A bit of texture added with the cream burlap . . .
All items used are in the kit except the cardstock and pink letters.
I was also inspired to use my favourite items, the fabric flowers, to create this frame.
I saw the idea to cover a plain frame with painted and roughed up pieces of corrugated cardboard somewhere in blogland . . .
I added the buttons to the flower centres and the leaves are my favourites from Zva.
Here's a closeup of the quote that I typed straight onto the paper with my vintage typewriter. The patterned paper was from the kit and I just happened to have this piece left over from another project!
I'll save the other two layouts for another day I think! I'm typing this one handed while Noah sleeps on my lap and Amelia is making a big mess in the lounge room around me! We're still trying to find our 'groove', sleep is at a minimum these days! But I know it will get better!
Thanks for visiting my quiet old blog today!
We were so lucky that a friend of ours, who just happens to be a photographer, had a couple of hours free on a recent trip to Brisbane. I took advantage and asked her to take some newborn photos for me. Thanks so much Chrissie! I looooove them so much!
I just love how newborns tuck their feet up like little froggies! Oooh they are good to snuggle with!
He's got quite the frown! His little forehead wrinkles up - so cute!
These were the only toys in the house that were suitable for a boy! LOL!
And resting on Daddy's hand - Chrissie even managed to catch a little smile!
Of course Amelia did some posing also!
These just take my breath away.
And I think my favourite . . .
I don't know when I'll ever get time to scrapbook again! I've been jotting down the stories I want to remember and now I have some photos to go with them.
I can't wait to get stuck into it again!
