Let's Party: on a budget!

Celebrating birthdays is an important thing in our home. It doesn’t necessarily means large expense…but definitely means big effort is put into making everyone feel hugely special. I decided to use that principle when creating this page about our daughters 11th birthday. 

I set about designing a page full of interest without fancy cutting machines, or I just used regular scrapbooking supplies from the super fun SUMMER SUN collection from Fancy Pants Designs to do it. Take a look at how I did it.

Celebrate 11yrs by Kim Watson

Using plain colored paper as the background gave my page a strong grounding, especially with the variety of different patterns used to make my birthday-themed, hand-made page accents.

Let’s start with the balloons:

1. Select x4 different papers.
2. Hand cut them into balloon shapes, they don’t have to be works of art  Anything similar will work just fine, as they are layered into a grouping.
3. Cut a little white crescent shape for the hi-lights.
4. Tie a length of twine onto the bottom of each balloon.
5. Layer into a group using pop dots & tie the strings together at the  bottom.
6. Add a little paper bow to cover the know & hide the adhesive.

Now the little party hats:

1. Cut x2 striped triangle shapes.
2. Using a scalloped edge punch, make some little decorative strips as trim for the bottom of the hats.
3. Use a few shapes from the ephemera pack to decorate.
4. Adhere to the page using pop dots for dimension.

And lastly the little birthday cake:

1. Taking a few patterned paper scraps, cut x3 layers for the cake.
2. Add some white scallops to emulate frosting.
3. Attach to the tag & add stickers numerals.
4. Using pop dots, adhere to the page, push dressmaking pins into the foam dots underneath, acting as candles.

Now that your accents are all made, assemble your page. A few scattered sequins add festive sparkle…and don’t forget some journaling & stitching to finish. I am so pleased with the result & even more pleased that even when creating a page on a budget, it doesn’t have to end up looking plain. I hope you have found this post inspiring!

Fancy pants Designs collections used: Summer Sun, Office Suite

Scrapping birthdays + a new layout!

Hi Kim here. Today I am excited to share a page using the fabulous May Hip kits. The citrus colors are so fresh & funky. I really enjoyed the paper & embellishment combinations!!

Happy Birthday to Me by Kim Watson 

I love using patterned paper as a background for most of my layouts which means I end up mixing a few designs on one page.  The coordinating patterned papers from the Hip Kits May Main Kit make doing that so easy. I was particularly drawn to the vibrant striped paper & ended up using it to determine my over color palette. 

I have some rather grainy photos from my surprise birthday lunch that I really wanted to scrap…so chose this layout that uses x4 smaller sized photos. Making them black & white with high contrast, crisped them up nicely.
The wood veneer embellishments from Shop Evalicious are so cute…but I needed a color accent in this top corner. Paint did the trick..a little dauber from the May Hip Color Kit did the trick. I love how it turned out.
Then came the extra fun part…the cluster on the left of the photos. I mean really, how does one choose which of the cute embellishments to use, the main kit & the embellishment add-on kit are bursting with options. I settled on items from the amazing Pink Paislee pack & Evalcious stickers which always rock my world. I mean…check out the vibrant colors?!

Then came the journaling… easy-peasy when you have a pile of cards from the Hip Kits May Project Life Kit by the ever talented Evalicious & a typewriter. I love the quality & finish of them….they give the page such a classy feel.

I hope this page has been inspiring. Have a wonderful weekend!

Busy weekend!

We were so busy out & about this weekend, that today was the first time I have switched my lap top on.We were invited to a Prince & Princess party on Saturday & I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet, little miniature 'royals' that were milling around in their finery. Princess Erin Russel was in her social element & delegated tasks to all within earshot, who happily obliged. Of the couple of boys there...Max was by far the loudest, busiest & wildest on the coin operated arcade rides, which were a unanimous hit, with the weather outside being chilly & totally unsuitable for sparkly dresses. It ended up being a fun, fabulous birthday party. Princess Erin looking adorable....

Castle cake looking scrumptious (made & iced by her Dad, Rodney)

Present time.

The littlest Princess, Callan, looking gorgeous in here fushia tutu.

Today after we dropped Cas off with her Mom, we took Max to Kid's Planet to play. It is a new play center in Muizenberg with a great Space theme, fabulous educational activities & awesome play apparatus. The kiddies & parents, alike had a blast.
Enjoy your day guys!
XXX

Spoilt!

I was so spoilt this morning by two amazing girls, who I am privileged to call friends. We drank delish coffee, ate gorgeous food & had a fine time doing what we do best....YAK!
It is so great having friends where conversation is never a problem, we are all at a similar place in our lives, we all scrap & have blogs we love to update. It was the formula for a FAB! morning.

Girls thank you so much for the thoughtful pressies & excellent company....you are both complete STARS!!!
PS: Jo & Anita, you were missed but we will do another morning like this soon XXX

Ok, so it was my birthday yesterday!

Yip, I am older, not much wiser & a lot chubbier than I'd like to be @ 39! I feel like 39, is someone else's age, not my own.....I mean 39 was always the age of my mothers friends & now here I find myself, right there too....YIKES!!! I'm actually getting older....the realization that I have actually left my 20's, has finally twigged. People....if any of you see me heading for the isle of elasticated trousers in Woolworth's....do something, do something radical!

It was a really quiet day with nothing planned. At about 12.30ish Tersh said "Come we have to do something", so he treated Max & I to a lunch at a little old hotel in Fishhoek called 'Hotel in the Avenues'. It is not a popular place except for elderly British tour groups, so we were pretty much alone in the dinning room, which wasn't a bad thing. The 5 or so other tables of elderly people, were quite taken by our super charged little boy, which was a relief because it could have been very stressful trying to keep him seated for the duration of our meal. He kept them entertained by introducing himself to them & plonking himself down for a little 'chin wag', when conversation with us got a bit boring.

And we had a surprise guest....Flat Joscie from Hawaii. She flew in just for the occasion. My sweet friend, you were wonderful company...thank you XXX

We were the last to leave the restaurant...Max by this time was ready for a run & tumble & resorted to running & jumping off the raised section at the back of the room, launching himself into the air & rolling on the floor.
(Oh to be able to move to a country where restaurants cater for the difficulty of dining with children. Here in SA there is only 2 restaurant chains that do that & sometimes one would love to be able to order something other than a burger, hence our trying this deserted out of the way little place.)
On the scrappy front, I have been carding up a storm!!!! I realized the other day how many off cuts & scraps I have kept for the day I decide to make cards. Well the day finally arrived & I have made a ton of them.

Here are a couple for you to look at:Have yourselves a super day!!
XXX

He's 4!!

Maxi's birthday was a blast......literally hahaha! All who attended, both kiddlets & parents alike, enjoyed themselves thoroughly. We had plenty of delish food & home bakes, 2 enormous jumping castles & a bucket full of laughs. The joy I witnessed on the face of Max & his little guests at the unveiling of the 'Rocket cake', was worth all the effort & late nights. Tersh did such an amazing job of shaping & icing the cake......my bloke is such a star!!!

It has been a whirlwind last couple of days after the party, with this weekend being an extended one. We have done not much but relax and enjoy each others company, so not much in the way of yummie news I am afraid other than Maxi's delicious cake.

Here is the recipe for anyone who loves chocolate:

Pre-heat your oven to 180C or 350F

3 cups all purpose flour
4tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
2 cups any regular sugar
1/3-3/4 cup cocoa (depending on your preference)
1/2tsp salt

Mix all dry ingredients together in a big bowl & make a 'well' in the middle.

2 1/4 cups boiling water
(optional~ dissolve 1Tsp coffee powder into the boiling water. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavour)
3/4 cup oil or melted margarine/butter/fat replacer
1tsp vanilla

Mix all liquids together & pour into the well in the dry ingredients.
Mix well with a spoon, making sure to keep batter aerated.

Take 1 Tsp white vinegar & mix well into batter (this replaces eggs)

Pour batter into a well greased pan (+-20cm length)...bang out air bubbles.
Cook for about 20min or until firm but springy to touch.

Ice with soft butter icing while still warm.
(2Tsp butter + 2Tps cocoa powder+ 1 1/2-2 cups icing/powdered sugar).
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts & allow to cool.

Voila!!~ delicious, sticky, very chocolaty, browny type cake.

ENJOY!!