Our first ever Crafternoon (scrap day)

Last weekend 30 ladies joined Dizzy Izzy for 12 hours of scrapping madness at the Port Hacking Community Centre. This was our first ever scrap day - or as Tracey likes to say Crafternoon, and scrap we did. We had scrappers of all levels from beginner to expert, and the quality and quantity of layouts was really impressive. Tracey and I really enjoyed getting around to seeing what people were up to, its always inspiring to see the perspectives of other scrappers and learn new hints and tricks. We also love helping with scrappers block - so if you ever get stuck please come and ask, we are always happy to try and help.

Our lovely scrappers

A big congratulations must go to Susan and Denise who won our two scrapping challenges, incorporation of a button/ribbon and interpretation of a sketch designed by the terrific Tracey. Also congratulations must go to my Mum (Diane) who not only made great tasting sandwiches for lunch but, with a little persuasion completed her first two layouts!!!!!! Go Mumsy :-) I am also going to congratulate myself for doing my first ever spot of teaching - a little make n take featuring my tags. Thankyou ladies for your patience, I hope I taught you something new and easy to do with all those scraps. Great for the kids these school holidays.

Susan & Denise - Our challenge winners!

Both Tracey and I were really impressed with the venue - with fantastic lighting and plenty of room to spreadout your scrap supplies (none of that nasty chairbumping) and a massive kitchen for lunch and dinner prep, we hope to be holding more of these scrap days in the months to come at the Port Hacking Community Centre. We are also currently on the look-out for a Wollongong venue, so if you know of anything suitable please let us know.

The Dizzy Izzy girls full of nerves at the beginning of the day!

The meal plan was a popular option so we are looking to include this at our future events - Di says that soup is on the menu for lunch at our winter Scrap days - stay tuned for more details.

Tracey and I could not put on such events with out little team of helpers so a big shout out must go to the joyful Jodie, delightful Diane, magical Matt and rocking Rob - you guys are awesome. Both Jodie and Di have given us lists of ideas and suggestions to make our days even better and brighter in the future.

What an inspiring view!

Wishing you all lots of scrappy mojo this Easter weekend

Fleur n Trace x

What to do with all those scraps?

Its true ….. I have another paper-crafting obsession..... gift-tags. If your anything like me you probably have a box, tub, drawer or similar full of left over bits of paper that you have kept with the intent of one day using – you know those ones, where you just love the paper so much you can't bear to see a single cm end up as waste, and - if your like me some of these papers off-cuts may have been around for years. You may call me a scrap-hoarder, but now I know the reason I've been keeping all those off-cuts. 

It's not like I haven't seen cute gift tags before, but the penny had never dropped to use my scraps to make these little goodies. Blog surfing one night I came across these gorgeous tags made by Prima’s Cari Fennell – you can see her versions here,http://meandmymaryjanes.blogspot.com.au/ and hey presto I was on my way as a tag-maker. They are so easy to make, you can have a complete tag in under ten minutes and using your off-cuts you have no outlay.

So here’s how I make mine

Step 1 – I have a template, this one was a clothing label recycled by my mum and then by me, but you can easily print off a template online. I trace this onto an off-cut of cardstock and a piece of patterned paper or additional bit of cardstock and cut out using my craft knife.

Step 2 – I attach this to the piece of patterned paper/cardstock so its extra sturdy then cut around the shape of the tag.

Step 3 – I cut a half piece of patterned paper using the tag as a guide.

Step 4 - I tie a bit of ribbon to this half piece and then attach to the bottom of the tag and I ink all around the edges (my preference is the versamark pine cone ink.)

Step 4 – Usually I would add an embellishment but the patterned paper spoke for itself this time, I punch a hole in the top of the tag and then add some twine to finish it off.

With my finished tags I have been bundling them up and using them as gifts. A handmade gift made with love that doesn't cost the earth J

Fleur x

Try It: Washi Tape Flags

The latest Scrap Challenge on our facebook page is a competition featuring the new trends of flags, bunting and banners on a scrapping layout. (Check out our facebook page if you already haven't, and you might be able to win an embellishment goodie bag!)

I thought it would be fun to share a cute little and very simple technique to make your own flag embellishments out of washi tape (another hot trend this year!)

So, bear with me as I take you through this easy but fun tutorial! Its my first one, so hopefully the photos are up to scratch! (Although I love taking photos, I am by no means a professional photographer!)

Enjoy!


To make your flags you need 3 things:

Any old toothpicks will do. They won't be acid free, so if this is a concern for you, I suggest sealing them with a spray sealer or similar. You could also avoid having them touch your photos when using them on a page.

First, if you have toothpicks that are pointy on both ends, you will need to snip one end off. This will just make the stick more uniform, and the washi tape will grip better.

If you have flat top toothpicks, you can go straight to the next step!

Peel a length of your washi tape off the roll, twice as long as you wish your flag to be and place your toothpick in the centre.

Fold the washi tape over the toothpick. Make sure you line it up or the adhesive will show on one edge.

Then cut it off and you have your flag! Easy!

You can cut your flag into different shapes to vary their design or use a marker to embellish them. So many different possibilities!

Tracey*

A Garden Party

On Australia day we not only celebrate how awesome this country is but also my Bestie’s birthday. This year was a significant birthday, so rather than the typical hottest 100 party or cricket on the beach she went all out and had a beautiful garden party. I wanted to share with you some photos I took and some great ideas which I found inspiring.



Just after the starting line -
the Wheelbarrow Race

Who says games are for kid’s parties? Seanne organised some relay events including wheelbarrow races and apple bobbing. It was so much fun and created a great atmosphere at the beginning of the day as people were mixed into different teams and interacting. Even the parentals got involved. Later in the night she pulled out giant jenga. Sea and her partner Brett had written silly dares on each of the bricks which again added to the atmosphere. The dare’s weren’t too confronting which was nice, rather things like – ‘do your best model walk’, ‘play air guitar’ and ‘make a toast to the birthday girl’.

I loved how Sea set up the table, mismatched crockery that came from a friend’s wedding, beautiful pink and white roses that she got from a florist friend who went to the Sydney Flower markets (these are such a cheap option and apparently anyone can go to these markets, you just have to be out of bed early). The white tablecloths, set against the lush green backdrop. It was just visually stunning.





The Table - Hubby took this great photo!



The Hanging Pom Pom's



Tissue paper poms – another of my friends is getting married in March and want’s to incorporate them into her day. After her initial thoughts of purchasing them I found this great tutorial on a you-tube video  for Martha Stewart Pom’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDAgjtScFpU. Sea and her sister did the test run – rather than costing $30 a pom the cost was a couple of dollars. Sea’s pom’s turned out so well, and they were a great feature on the day.



Chalkboard message by Jazzy



Chalkboard messages, this is an idea I found online– I had a spare chalkboard at home leftover from scrapping projects and gave it to Sea for the day. During the day I popped around and got people to write sneaky messages on the board and took photos. Seanne didn’t see them at the time, so it was great to give these photo’s as a little memento gift afterwards.





While the washing up may of seemed daunting, I was so impressed that they had organised a scrap bin (for the chooks) and general garbage bin – then separated the crockery and cutlery into plastic tubs filled with soapy water. A group of our mums all got into the kitchen later in the night and finished the dishes – I love this sense of community they have, even when they are just pitching in to get things done, they are gossiping and having a great time.



Singing and dancing :-)





This was such a beautiful day topped off by an amazing African singer, who had us all up and dancing, with instruments. Our night ended sitting around glasses full and enjoying being in the great outdoors.

 

Thanks Sea, Brett & Co for putting on such an amazing day!!!!

Fleur x









Where Have You Come From?

My first efforts at scrapbooking

I wouldn’t call myself a “great” scrapbooker, nor would I say I am naturally creative or artistic. For me, the majority of my layouts are a struggle!  Mostly it will take me hours but sometimes it can take me days, and often I will leave projects unfinished. I’m sure that many of you will relate.

My abilities as a scrap-booker have improved with the simple method of practice makes perfect over a long period of time (6 years in fact). These days I am flattered that some people think what I create is praise-worthy, and I’m proud of most of the projects I complete.

More of the early days

So for those of you who are overwhelmed, or comparing your layouts to those that grace the glossy pages of magazines, I want to share where I’ve come from in terms of my scrapping journey, and reassure you that persistence pays off!

The first layouts that I completed by myself are pretty cringe-worthy, but I love comparing and knowing that I have improved my skills. Hopefully with the passage of time, my scrappy projects will be even better!



This is one of my most recent efforts



My little bit of advice …… just get started!  That’s right, put that magazine down, turn the internet off, stop dreaming about those embellishments and get to creating!!!!

Oh and when your done, look back over your old scrappy projects and be impressed about where you've come from on your scrapping journey!

                                                        Fleur x

Who Is Dizzy Izzy???

We are a duo of craft addicts who are totally addicted to scrapbooking, cardmaking and just about every other craft we come across. We hope we inspire you by sharing our passion.

After our beloved Scrapbook store - Scrapbook HQ (SHQ) - closed its doors almost two years ago we were devastated. So on the Saturday night of the last retreat, sleep deprived, running solely on sugar, and after some persuasion from SHQ's Kate, we decided to take a massive leap of faith and add another challenge to our already busy lives.

We now run weekend retreats at the Tops Conference Centre in the beautiful Stanwell Tops. We also sell lots of lovely scrapbooking supplies and other goodies direct from some of our favorite suppliers including, Prima, American Crafts, Studio Calico, Crate Paper, Bo Bunny, Bazzill and Pink Paislee. We hope you can join us at one of our retreats.

The Dizzy Izzy Girls

Hi I’m Fleur and Dizzy Izzy is my alter ego - thanks to my dear hubby who nicknamed me Izzy... This nickname is due to my first name being Iza - one of those horrible inherited family names which became a bit confusing with three generations of Iza’s living under the same roof - so I go by my middle name - Fleur. Darling hubby soon lengthened it to Dizzy Izzy due to all the random "dizzy" things I do.

Yes I may have been known to pour cereal in my tea-cup, and re-cook a store bought cake (plastic and all) that I’d forgotten I’d hidden in the oven, to keep out of sight of the birthday girl.

I’m a scrap -addict of about 5 years - thanks to my dear friend Tracey. Tracey introduced me to the wonderful world of scrapbooking and our beloved Scrapbook HQ in the midst of writing my thesis. It didn’t take long before I was scrapping more than writing. The thesis is now a distant memory, and scrap-booking remains as my favourite hobby. I love all things sparkly, but mainly I'm a vintage style girl. However this year - 2012 - I am trying to get out of my comfort zone and use new techniques and styles, I'll get back to you on how that works out...

I look forward to sharing more with you and I hope that you find some inspiration from this blog! Happy Scrapping - Fleur x

Hi I'm Tracey! I've been crafty all my life - as a child I spent many hours with my grandparents making decorations, cards and cross stitching. I started scrapbooking about 8 years ago and became a paper addict straight away. There's nothing better than an afternoon spent scrapping with friends, playing with paper and making pretty pages!

Being lucky enough to work at Scrapbook HQ for 4 years helped to feed my addiction, plus I got share my love with everyone who visited at the store. While helping the SHQ girls to run their retreats, I noticed that people would ask me questions on how to do things and ask for my advice on their layouts. A LOT. I also noticed that I LOVE answering their questions. So much so that I have been known to take 7 hours to complete one page because I'm so busy helping everyone else!

Now I get to fuel my paper addiction with Fleur, organising fun and relaxing weekend retreats and scrap days. I'm an eclectic scrapper - my style changes all the time depending on my mood and the photos that I'm scrapping. I love texture and fussy cutting and embossing and layers and stamping... and I think I better go scrap now! xx Trace*

November 2011 Retreat

Our First Retreat!
Thanks to all of the scrappers who came along to our first ever Dizzy Izzy Scrapbooking Retreat!
We had games, competitions, classes and non-stop scrapping!

Thanks to our guest teachers Kate and Renee, and all of our helpers, it was a great weekend.

Here are a few photo highlights. Enjoy!

The Group

The Dizzy Izzy Store

Late Night Scrapping

Competition Winners!

Tracey's Mini Cookbook Album Class

Kate's Class