The story of the little violinist

That's me in that picture. I think I'm 5 years old, playing at my first concert.

I started playing violin when I was three. At first I started learning with Suzuki method where you learn the music and songs by listening. The idea is that everyone can learn how to play an instrument. There were these music books that contain many songs and after you learnt all the songs from one book you would play all the songs in a concert. And that's where that picture was taken.

Violin and music have been such a big part of my life. I played until I was 20. I got great friends, traveled  the world and recorded albums with our orchestra. Special memories <3

This layout was created for CSI.

Materials: Pink Paislee, American Crafts, Crate Paper, Doodlebug Designs, MME

The story of a golden favorite

I’m just loving all the gold that is all over the scrapbooking world right now. The combination of white and gold works so well and Paper Camellia's January’s main kit was perfect for creating this kind of two colored layout!

In our living room, I have two layouts framed. I loved this layout so much that I wanted to frame this one (btw, Ikea's shadow frames are perfect for this). Normally I don't use glue when I adhere the picture as it might cause some warping. After one day on our wall the photo fell as the double sided tape didn't hold. So right now there is a nice non-photo layout on our wall with the photo lying at the bottom of the frame. Maybe I really should fix that :)

Materials: Paper Camellia's January main kit; American Crafts, Studio Calico, Webster's Pages

The story about my great grandmother

I'm excited to show you my first DT layout for Scrap Around the World! Many of the design team members present mixed media style of scrapbooking, so I'm happy to bring a different kind of inspiration and interpretation of the mood boards!

This layout is special for me. The mood board has a beautiful shabby chic feel, but I instantly saw the light pink roses there. Those instantly reminded me of my great grandmother. She was a remarkable woman. She passed away last summer at the age of 98 after a great life. For this layout I wanted to use a picture of her hands. Handcrafts were really near to her heart. She crocheted, knitted and made beautiful applications to fabrics. Almost all of my linens have handmade details made by her. She sure was an inspirational lady!

Here is the moodboard and link to the challenge and remember to check the mid-month reveal too here. 

I hope you will join us at SATW! You have time until end of January to participate to this challenge!

Materials: American Crafts, Studio Calico, Crate Paper, Doodlebug designs, MME

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PRIZES

1ST PRIZE

OVER $50 worth of product from 7 Dots Studio!
EXACTLY AS SHOWN BELOW

7 Dots Studio was born from dreams & for dreams. 

We are a European scrapbooking manufacturer of high 

quality scrapbooking products – paper, stickers, die-cuts,

 collage sheets, 6x6 pads, collection kits &chipboard.

Our collections are created by amazingly talented artists - 

from clean, graphic designs to mixed-media, grungy collage look. 

What you can always be sure of are high quality & thickness

 of our papers, which makes them perfect for all kinds of media.

 Among our products you will also find clear stamp sets coordinating 

with our collections to make them even more interesting & versatile.

We are amazingly happy & feel very blessed to see how much

 our products are loved by crafters & artists all around the world!

If you would like to see more awesome inspiration from our design team

please visit our blog HERE, our Facebook  page HERE & follow us on

Twitter HERE, Pinterest HERE & Instagram {7DOTSSTUDIO}.

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2ND PRIZE

$35 worth of CHIPBOARD from 2Crafty Chipboard
{not necessarily exactly what is shown below but a GREAT selection!}

2Crafty Chipboard is an Australian owned & operated manufacturer & wholesaler 

of laser cut chipboard products, located in Sydney, Australia.  We have been

 in operation since October 2006 & have more than 1 000 designs on offer.

We pride ourselves on quality products that are versatile & up to date with 

market trends, as well as offering unbeatable customer service, 

with quick turnaround of jobs large & small. Visit our website HERE.

We are happy to quote on personalised jobs, whether it be a single title for a 
customer, or large jobs for retreats, classes etc.  If you are a retail business 

& would like to stock our range of unique products, please contact us

 for more information.  Please see further details on our blog HERE!

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3RD PRIZE

$30 worth of product from 13@rts
{A selection of the products shown below}

13arts is a Polish manufacturer specialising in scrapbook papers, 

embellishments & artistic mediums. See our store HERE where

we ship worldwide!  Our blog HERE is full of inspiration & we

 have a monthly challenge where all our welcome!

Follow us on Instagram HERE, Twitter HERE & Facebook

 HERE & remember to follow us on Pinterest HERE too!!

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4TH PRIZE

$25 gift certificate from Creative Embellishments!

Creative Embellishments is a family owned company created by

Michael & Nicolle Kramer, a husband & wife team who design

 & manufacture unique, high quality chipboard, wood, rubber stamps 

& flair products.  We have been in operation since September 2013. 

It is our mission to offer fun & inspiring products that can be added to

 any project to bring out your inner creativity! In the near future we will 

be expanding into other mediums such as acrylic & stencil embellishments.

 We also custom cut for individual orders & have a wholesale store for 

retailers, kit clubs & classes. Do your shopping HERE!  If you own a 

store register for our wholesale section HERE.  Be inspired by our blog

HERE & follow us on Instagram HERE & Youtube HERE.

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5TH PRIZE

$20 worth of product from UmWowStudio!
{based on a good selection of the goodies below!!}

UmWowStudio is an innovative embellishment company located in

 Las Vegas, Nevada.  With chipboard, flair & stencils currently in

 their product line (& more fun things on the way!) they span across

 all bits of paper crafting, including memory saving, card making,

 tags, stamping, mixed media, art journaling & more!

Shop with us HERE, follow our blog HERE & LIKE us on Facebook

HERE!  Follow our boards on Pinterest HERE & Youtube HERE!!

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6TH PRIZE

15 Euros worth of product from Scrap-Unlimited
{you will receive a surprise selection of BEAUTIFUL goodies!}

Scrap-Unlimited is a craft supplies manufacturer from The Netherlands,

creating  & selling the most amazing selection of embellishments for the

crafting industry.  We offer shabby chic, vintage & steampunk inspired 

embellishments, ribbon, flowers, metals, mini-books & mini novelty items.  

Check out our online store HERE for SO MUCH MORE!  

LIKE us on Facebook HERE & follow our highly

 inspirational blog HERE & our Pinterest board HERE.

-----------------------------------

7TH PRIZE

$15 gift voucher from Mixed Media Place

Mixed Media Place is a treasure chest of different media for creative minds,

carrying a wide variety of embellishments & tools to get your projects going. 

The world of mixed media is a place of limitless possibilities - we are here
 to help you to spread your wings & fly! Find our blog HERE, LIKE us on
Facebook HERE, follow our boards on Pinterest HERE & do your shopping HERE!

------------------------------------

8TH PRIZE

17.50 Euros worth of products from Danafix, France. 
{Exactly as shown below}  Ciao 5+1 set “Vampire Knights”.

www.copicmarqueurs.com is an online store 100% dedicated to all 

Copic products. All Copic products made & assembled by the European

 importer are available in stock & we offer fast, international delivery!

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9TH PRIZE

$15 worth of product from Studio75
{Exactly as shown below}

Studio75 is a  Polish manufacturer of scrapbooking papers & items 

such as chipboard albums, notebooks, spiral bindings & magnetic sheets.  

We have our own online store HERE, a bustling Facebook page HERE

 & a highly inspirational blog HERE - come & visit us - let's connect!

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10TH PRIZE

Over $15 worth of product!! Courtesy of our design team!
{This month from me - Helen Tilbury}

Prize consists of a full pack of 5 inch doilies, airmail washi, a Prima stamp set,

K & Co. brads, Purple Pumpkin flairs & giant button, embroidered flourish,

Basic Grey bling rub-ons & Wycinanka Chipboard Christmas set. 

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RANDOM PRIZE

Scrapbook kit from SCRAPS OF ELEGANCE KIT CLUB
Random Winner will always receive the previous month's kit
from Scraps of Elegance, valued at a whopping $36.95!!

Scraps of Darkness & Scraps of Elegance are monthly scrapbook kit clubs
 that cater to scrapbookers who are looking for an alternative to what other 
kit clubs offer.  Our kits are designed for artists who wish to take scrapbooking
 to a level beyond.  We strive to include the latest & greatest items on the market
 that will enable you  to create not "just a layout", but a work of art. 

Visit our blog HERE,our Store HERE & sign up for our kits HERE & HERE!

Please LIKE us on Facebook HERE, follow our boards on Pinterest HERE ,

subscribe to our Youtube channel HERE & find our tutorials HERE!!

We would LOVE to connect with you!!!

The story of vacation fever

I need a vacation! I need sun!

We travel abroad typically once a year. It's a longer vacation in some where warm. Normally when we get back from the vacation we start to plan another one. Our last vacation was in May and no plans are made for new trip. Research and dreaming yes, but no reservations.

This means that I'm looking at the pictures from our trips over and over again. I actually don't know if it helps as the more I look at the pictures from these tropical destinations the more I want to travel again. But I can't help it! Be prepared to see some old vacation pics scrapped in the near future!

This layout was created for CSI.

Evidence: stripes, silver, 3 of something, glitter,
Testimony: inspiration word "frozen"

Materials: American Crafts, Heidi Swapp

The story of handmade storage solution for scrapbooking stuff

Yesterday was my first time on Paper Camellia's blog. I just have to say that Paper Camellia's kits are just perfect for my taste and style! January's kit is already sold out, so it is a good idea to start a subscription as that way you can make sure you won't miss any kit!

This layout is about a wooden storage box/holder that my husband made for me. Yep, he build it himself from scratch! It's perfect! He made sure that my 6x6 paper pads will fit perfectly and there's a place for sticker sheets. He is a keeper for sure! :)

Here is a video I filmed while I was making the layout:

If you can't see the embedded video, you can watch the video here: http://youtu.be/4L7uX_3zUFE

Materials: Paper Camellia's January main kit; American Crafts, Webster's Pages

The story of CSI basics

Hi there! As you have probably noticed I'm part of CSI's design team and share layouts based on the CSI case files on my blog almost weekly. CSI is so much more than just a regular scrapbooking challenge. It is a community with a capital C. All the design team and CSI members upload their CSI layouts to the gallery. You can find different forums from the site, like CSI Lab where members share their tips about scrapbooking, and you can even find a live chat room!

Each challenge contains a case file. This week's case file looks like this:

The case file contains three parts: 

1. Inspiration picture where the color scheme of the file comes from. You should use all these colors in your layout. You can add neutrals like white, black and kraft if you want.
2. Evidence: this is a list of elements and you need to choose at least two from the list and include them to your layout. This time I chose "triangles" and "stack something".
3. Testimony: This part quides you with the topic and journaling of your layout. CSI is all about the stories, so this is probably the most important part! You need to choose one option from this list. For my layout, I chose "thank you letter" as the picture is actually a thank you card that my cousin sent after her high school graduation to family and friends.

So here is my layout based on the case file:

Our former CSI DT member Riikka has made awesome instructions about how you can upload your layouts to the CSI gallery. You can check it out here!

I really hope that I see you and your layout in CSI! We have an awesome community there and we hope that you join us :)