Link to Blog Hop with a Difference Post and NEW WEBSITE

Here is the link to my
Blog Hop with a Difference Post on my new blog...

This is also my new website, with blog and shop all in one. It is still getting set up so excuse the mess over there until I get all the furniture back in place and everything in its place! 

Michelle Grant DesiGns

Hope to see you over there too! :)

‘Finalist Entry Kaisercraft DT 2014/15’

I am excited to share my Kaisercraft Finalist Entry with you!

We were sent these gorgeous new Paper ranges to work with. Once I got started with playing with them it was a bit hard to stop.

How adorable is this new Teddy Bears Picnic Range, absolutely perfect for those gorgeous baby pics! I love how this layout turned out with this cute photo of my Friend Denise's bubba. Couldn't have been more perfect with the teddy in the pic too! :)

After doing the layout I remembered my teddy bear collection in the cupboard and decided to do this reverse canvas with a couple of them. The little white one my kids gave to me one Xmas many years ago. I also played with a peeled paint look on the background paper. That was fun too.

But why stop there, how cute are these teddy bear cards!

The other collection I got to play with was the North Pole Collection, while I am generally not a Christmas Scrapper, I think this range has converted me. I think it is the traditional red and green that turns me off Christmas scrapping, the colours in this range are so fresh and funky! Love them!

 The red hats on Xmas day was an  absolute fluke on this layout! I honestly don't think I could have planned it better if I tried!

Of course I had to create a couple of funky cards with this range too! So easy to use with some awesome quotes!

Lots of depth and dimension on this one! :)

Wish me luck on this fabulous journey! So loved doing this entry! :)

A quick update & pics from the March ScrapMedia Workshop

It really has been a crazy start this the year this year.

 With no signs of slowing down!

I have had so many doors opening and have been working relentlessly to get my business established.
I have had such an emotional roller coaster ride these past few months.
The photo above represents what my last couple of years have looked like. I think I have gone through more black pens in the past 12 months than I have in all my schooling.
All these notes and all these ideas and all this learning can only lead to great things I am hoping! :)

The first workshop for the year in March was so much fun, we jam packed so much into the weekend and I literally didn't stop all weekend and forgot to get photos. I managed to get a couple at the end but missed a few of the girls! These ladies always make me smile, such a pleasure to teach! Each and every one of them beautiful and talented! I am so blessed to have you all at my workshops! xxx

I can't wait to have all this available online!!!
Fingers crossed, if all goes to plan that will be before the end of the month!

The workshop classes were jam packed, soooo many techniques, soooo many yummy products!
When I get on a roll it is hard for me to stop! ;)

These were some of the techniques we covered in the Gelatos Tech Journal Class!
Everyone loved the tech journal!!  All the Tech KiTs & ScrapMedia KiTs will have tech journal printouts in them too!

We explored the many possibilities when it comes to image transfers in this workshop!
There were 4 different image transfer techniques in this ScrapMedia KiT.

In This TechKiT we covered doing photo transfers onto wood! I love how they all turned out!!!

Stay Tuned - Coming Soon!!!
Some of these kits & more will be available online! :)

So in all it was another great workshop with great company!
Thank you to all those that attended and making it so much more special!

Now to get ready for the next one on the 31st of May & 1st of June
There will be even more fun and techniques and products to boot!!

Some of the things I am working on for the next workshop are:
Metallic Melts
An Album for You
Melt Art Embossing Enamel Embellishments
and more

Australian Scrapbook Ideas #25 Frame it Up ~ You Make Me Smile

The Final Layout in the Frame it UP article in Australian Scrapbook Ideas.

Loved doing this one, I have used the Manor house frames and some resin frames to create this layout.  This one is a real mix of styles with a bit of everything thrown in!



I am so proud of my girl, she has been through some real challenging times in recent months, you just want to protect your kids forever. It is so hard to watch them have to go through some necessary life challenges that makes them better people.



I absolutely adore this Bo Bunny range of papers too! I love all the bits and pieces for clustering!

The Manor House lace frames are just stunning, love how this one turned out too!

Australian Scrapbook Ideas #25 ~ Frame it Up ~ Life

Another one from my Australian Scrapbook Ideas #25 Article.
I created a shadow canvas for this one. You don't get to see the depth of this project in the magazine.

The photos are framed with paper frames that were raised off the canvas with 3D foam tape and then I used texture paste to fill in the edges on the inside of the frame.


I added the photos to a piece of cardstock that was stuck on the back of the canvas frame to give it more depth so the photos looked like they were floating behind the frames.



This was fun to do, I don't think I have seen anything done like this before, well not to my knowledge when I created this one anyway! But there are always many like minded people out there, who may have already thought of this technique too! I would love to see them if there is!



I can imagine sooooo many possibilities with this technique!!!

Why don't you have a go of creating a shadow canvas this weekend?? Come on I dare you!


Make sure you share them here or add a link to yours here!!
I would love to see and be inspired by yours too!

Happy Friday People xxxxx

Australian Scrapbook Ideas #25 Frame it up ~ Family

Back with another layout in the article, This one showcases framing using tags and bits and pieces.

All the instructions for these layouts are included in this magazine.

This layout used tags and embellishments to frame the photo.
I have also used decorative foils on this layout that I will have available in my online shop coming very very soon!! fingers crossed within the next couple of weeks xxx

I will try and get a couple of foil tutorials up soon too! These are so much fun xx

I love the effects of the decorative foils on  chipboard!!!

Cheers xx

Australian Scrapbook Ideas #25 ~ Get It Framed ~ COVER ~ Follow Your Heart

I am pretty excited to share that I have made the cover of the latest Australian Scrapbook Ideas.
This Magazine includes my article on "Get it Framed"
I will share the others in the next couple of days! :)

I had been getting published for 8 years before I made my first cover. It was never high on my wish list all those years, even though secretly I would have loved one.

The feeling I had when I first saw my first cover on a magazine was unforgettable. It was so funny I remember standing in the shops when I first saw it and was thinking to myself someone has copied my layout, that even looks like my nephew in the pic! HOLY CRAP that is my layout! Was so funny that it took a bit to sink in!

So this now brings me to my 3rd cover (my second for ASI)
I still get just as excited to see them on the cover!

This is one of my dear friends daughter in this layout, I took these photos for her semi formal formal. Tori was so much fun to photograph she is just gorgeous inside and out!

I had to create all these layouts for this article while I was away from home without all my supplies and stuff to play with! That was a challenge. But then again I have never been one to pass up a challenge!



If you dream of getting published never give up, and never take a rejection personally, treat it like a raffle ticket submit them then forget about them. Persistence is the key! Never Give up!!!
The first rejection is always the hardest, but after that it gets easier. Even for someone like me who has now been published for 9 years I can still get maybe one picked up out of every 20 or more submitted.
It is not about you it is more about what they are looking for that magazine and it is only one persons opinion and what that one person is looking for!

Never Give UP if it is what you really want and dream of!!!
(That goes for everything in life and business!!)

I received this message from Amber after I did an interview call with her recently.... This makes me sooo happy!!'

"When Michelle rang I wasn't really sure what to expect. I'd never been interviewed about my scrapbooking before. The questions really got me thinking about what I wanted to achieve through my scrapbooking. I think in the end Michelle ended up helping me more than I helped her. She gave me the courage to submit my work into a magazine again and the next day I received an email saying they want to publish a couple of things. Michelle made me realise that I shouldn't give up on my dreams. If it's what I really want then keep going until it happens."

Amber has since gone on to have another 2 or 3 publications picked up in recent weeks too!
I love seeing others dreams come true too!!

I would love to hear some of your publication stories/ struggles too, make sure you share them here too!

Have a fantastic day everyone!!!

Trust In Yourself ~ Canvas

This was one of those nice little unexpected projects that emerged amongst a busy schedule!
It was an old canvas that had something crappy on it and I walked past it one night and thought I might throw a layer of texture paste on that......



I stamped some things into the texture paste and added some egg shells.
Then a couple of days later.......



I added some Lindy's Stamp Gang spray inks!

 

Then before I went for lunch another day I thought it was feeling too wishy washy,
So I rubbed some yellow oxide paint into all the grooves and wiped off the excess with a baby wipe

Then I rubbed a bit of burnt umber paint into the circle patterns.
The hanging charm frames have brads and pebbles in them then filled with ice resin.
The sticks and twigs come from our beach! :)

 

So for something that was not planned and just happened inbetween everything I am pretty damn happy with it!!!

Thanks for Looking!
Have a Great Day! xxx