Chillin

It's a two-post day! I randomly decided to play along with Sketches with Color during naptime today - well, it's the 31st so that means that today is the last day of the challenge and I gotta post this baby N-O-W! 

I've never done this particular challenge, but it was fun to have a sketch, color scheme and a random something to include (butterflies). 

And as a teaser, check out those Kiwi Lane templates and figure out which ones you'll be seeing more of during the blog hop I'm part of tomorrow!

Other fun things used here: American Crafts Classics paper and some Thickers, MME Lime Twist, Ooh La La, and Quite Contrary papers, and Heidi Swap and October Afternoon mini alphas. The butterflies are a 3D cut file from Silhouette. How about those sewn on trails? Ha! Next time I need to plan those suckers out before I glue and stitch everything else to the page.

So It Began

My sons have/had a Cars obsession, but it didn't really begin before we went to Disney World in 2011. Neither son would have been disappointed to miss this duo, but they now rank as some of the most important characters in our lives! So much so that I busted out this older picture to document the change. 

I used the January Sketch from My Mind's Eye for this page. Also from MME is all that Kraft-ty goodness, Kraft Funday to be exact! I love how the colors complement the characters.

Other things I used include Kiwi Lane Designer Templates (Tags and mini scallops), Jenni Bowlin Mini alphas, Color Box Charcoal ink, and WRMK Sew Easy Random Stitch head.

Brothers throw stones

Okay, in this case they were throwing pebbles. And into water. But the throw stones part was a witty thing I came up with as I was putting this post together, and will probably be added into the page in some manner at a later date. 

This layout was inspired by Let's Get Sketchy's January week 4 challenge. I also used the color blue for the Scrapbooksteals.com MCM Baby Blues challenge. 

And while this used mostly My Mind's Eye Follow Your Heart, there's also touches of Indie Chic Nutmeg, and a Miss Caroline wooden embellishment that I colored on with American Crafts Metallic Markers. The splatters and mists are from October Afternoon and Mister Huey's. The doily embossing folder is Lifestyle Crafts. 

Earth without art

So my family is in a planetary obsessed phase right now. Vance is into all things planets, rockets, moons. That was the theme of his recent birthday party. The dust around stars is what hubby's studying for his dissertation (don't ask, I don't understand much more of it than that!). 

When I was feeling a little creative but not so scrappy this weekend I busted out a canvas I'd picked up at goodwill and started redecorating it. Earth-themed of course! 

Sort of. 

Now, I have never taken a painting class in my life and many artists out there will know all the reasons why this piece is horrible, but as an expression of myself off the page and into mixed media it was a huge first step that makes me proud.

Babies wear diapers

When I got married my mom gave me a box of my childhood photos. I've at various times attempted to scrap them. Sometimes I include true stories or captions, normally I just try to write some type of witty caption for the photos instead. I realize that long-term it may not overly educate my future generations about the individuals in the photos but it may shed a light into my personality. Besides since there's nothing on the backs of the photos I'm certainly not hurting history! LOL.

I mean, I could text a copy of the photo to my mom and have her write a journal entry for me. Naaaaaah, that's a lot of work.

Today's layout features one such photo coupled with Authentique papers and Kiwi Lane Templates.

Kiwi Templates I used: Tags 4, Bracket 2, Paisley Place mini 1B

Clay - Jade 7

As much as I loooooove pulling out new papers, using up papers that have sat in my stash for a couple of years brings me serious joy. Maybe because it means that I'm that much closer to having to "replace" it. 

In this case, this is some old BasicGrey Origins. There's also touches of Echo Park This and That and For the Record embellishments. 

The sketch I used for inspiration is the Scrapbooksteals.com Jade 7 MWM. 

Party Set Up - another Dec Daily post

I joked when I started my Dec Daily project that it might take me until February to finish that mini, and I might have been right. But here's one more for that project - Dec. 21. Vance's birthday, which we spent waiting for grandparents who were due in town at any moment, while we waited we decorated for his party.

My page was inspired by Let's Get Sketchy: January Week 3 Challenge.

I'm also linking this one up on: 

Use it Tuesday: Warm it up Red, Orange, Yellow. Hoarded items include Jenni Bowlin alphas and Imaginesce dotted ribbon are over a year old. The American Crafts Chap papers and yellow ribbon have been in my stash since last April. Paper clips are over 3 years old.

Paper Girls Challenge Blog: Wood/wood grain. I misted the wooden buttons to complement my page colors.

Snow - Kiwi Lane DT Doodles and Scrapbooksteals MCM

For this week's Kiwi Lane DT Doodles (week 3), I busted out more snow photos and Authentique Peaceful with some touches of Original. I love how these collections really worked with the photos - and the Kiwi Lane Templates remind me of snow drifts which was perfect for these snowy papers!

Templates used: Paisley Place mini 1A/B and 3A/B, Tags 1 and 7, Sweetheart 4T, Floral 3T

I'm also linking this one to Scrapbooksteals.com MCM - Sparkle and Shine. I used some Zing embossing powders (Copper Metallic) to add a touch of texture and shimmer to the page.

After lots of fussy cutting, some distressing and a bunch of sewing this page really just sort of came together.

Love your face - Paper Secrets Challenge

Here's another for the ol'December album. Day 7 - a trip downtown to Living Windows (shops have mini scenes in their windows that you walk past and watch)  and hot chocolate after.

This page was inspired by Paper Secrets SketchSavvy #79 with a twist (use twine). 

For the twine, I used one of my Sew Easy heads to add a banner across the page. I then distressed inside each banner's center and roughed up the twine. After inking the layers, I adhered them, and inked and heat embossed the base layer. A strip of washi, a washi flower, some epoxy words, and rhinestones and we're good to go. 

Jade 6 - Tree

Chugging away here at my December album. This page is inspired by the Jade 6 Mid Week Mojo sketch at Scrapbooksteals.com, chopped down to an 8x8. 

I'm also linking it up at Cameo Creations for their Pink and Brown Challenge.

The base/brown paper is American Crafts Classics Collection. All the other bits are Authentique, mostly Uncommon. The title is on brown cardstock, cut from my Silhouette Cameo. Everything got inked with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

Charming and Adorable - Kiwi Lane DT Doodle week 2

This week's DT Doodles at Kiwi Lane spoke to me. Paper and sketches do that sometimes, though I don't know how many people experience that effect. It's been a couple of months since I played along with the DT Doodles challenge, but I'm hoping to add it into my regular routine this year.

I pulled out some pics of my biggie taking photos and generally having a good time at the park and set to work cutting, inking, sewing, crumpling. So much fun - and this baby came together in about an hour! Sweeeeeeet. 

Papers are MME Lost and Found

Epoxy stickers are Glitz Design

Design Templates used: Wildflowers Tiny, Brackets, Tags, Paisley Place mini

Dec 18 Cookie Baking

I avoid glitter like the plague. It gets everywhere, but when Use It Tuesday decided it was time to "make it sparkle" I knew that I really needed to bust out some Martha Stewart glitter that I'd had since I started scrapbooking! I used the glitter to make a little flourish in the background of the page (and still have way to much of just that one bottle). Also hoarded/seldom used, I don't think I've used that Sew Easy head since right after I bought it, about a year ago. The Jenni Bowlin mini alphas are about a year old as well.

For sketch inspiration I used Let's Get Sketchy's week 2 challenge.

Dec Daily - December 18 Cookie Baking

The papers are from the Authentique Festive and Peaceful collections. I inked them up with Ranger Distress Ink Peeled Paint.

One more page done in my December "daily" album. Only 23 more to go. ;)

Baby it's cold outside

The Scrappy Friends Challenge has become one of my go-to challenges. Hosted by my friend Kerys and some of her friends, each offers up one part of the challenge with bonus entries for incorporating all aspects into one layout.

The January challenge:

Kerys - Winter theme challenge

GCC (Brenda) - Sketch Challenge - any sketch published Dec. 2012 or Jan 2013

Kristi B's -  Stash challenge - washi, glitter, chevron

Rochelle's -  Song lyrics Challenge - "baby, it's cold outside"

I managed to incorporate all the challenges into my page about Vance playing in the snow willingly, for the first time. 

Here's the sketch I used. It's from Scrapbooksteals.com - and by my friend Michele for Mid Week Mojo Jade 4. 

You are my sunshine card

I made this little card based on the Authentique January Sketch challenge. I'm also linking it up to the Scrapbooksteals.com Use Bling challenge.

Authentique products: Glowing paper 8, Uncommon Original, Festive Merry, Festive Yuletide, and Carefree Details

Other products: MME Lush Orange gems, WRMK twine, Momento Potter's Clay ink

Jade 5 - Play outside

Scrapbooking has been quite a struggle for me lately. My mojo seems to have left. In the end, I'm happy with my pages but getting them done is like pulling my teeth! Ugh. Thankfully, I've been a bit obsessed lately with my Kiwi Lane templates. They've been making my life just a touch easier.

This page is based on the Scrapbooksteals.com Jade 5 sketch by Kerys. I also managed to use some ledger paper and fulfill the Paper Girls Challenge Blog.

Thankfully, this week should put us back into a normal routine - no crazy trips, events, or life changes. *sigh*

Jade 4 - Fashionista

I waited days for photos to arrive, when they still hadn't arrived after the Scrapbooksteals.com MWM deadline I decided to pull out some photos of myself. I have always like this one of me playing dress-up. But it says so much more about me. My passion for my own fashion sense. My need to shop to fulfill the fashion. And I love the hat (I recently rediscovered hats and wear them almost every time I leave the house).

My friend, Michele Duffy, created the fab sketch that my page is based on. I got all fussy with my Graphic 45 Fashionista papers and so it took on a different feel from her very clean sketch. But I love this page like few that I've created in the past couple of months. 

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be seeing you around. 

On the Up and Up

This page is based on the Paper Secrets sketch with a twist. I used American Crafts Chap for most of it, but there's also some MME washi, a Glitz Designs journal sticker, Jenni Bowlin mini alphas and an assortment of chipboard alphas that have been chilling in my stash.  I used Kiwi Lane Clara Lane templates and inked  it up with Ranger Distress Inks. 

Paper Secrets' "twist" was to include washi on the page somehow. Using it in the bottom corner seemed pretty natural and I really like how it tied the title to the corner shape. 

journaling

Back in my college journalism days I took a couple of classes that required introspective writing. Journaling. It was really a struggle in the beginning. Ten minutes about me. What am I gonna say? By the end of the courses I'd find I could write for considerable lengths of time, filling pages with my thoughts. Granted I was newly engaged so much of it is sappy, but I could do it. When it wasn't required anymore I stopped. I don't remember making a conscience decision, I just did.

Which brings me to this weekend. I attended a class about journaling at my local scrapbook store. I went thinking, "gosh, I really need to share my feelings more while I do my pages." Turns out the class was really about reasons to keep a journal - incorporating some art journal sorts of ideas. But I am so excited. It was such a refreshing class, and I was so excited about being with crafty people that I used their studio space and decorated the front cover of the journal they provided.

Most of the components are BasicGrey, there's a couple pieces from 7Gypsies and the pearls are Kaisercraft. And I was very excited to get to play around with the new WRMK tab punch. What a fun toy - that I totally need.

Hopefully I can put this baby to good use this year.

Jade 3

Just because I like to show all of you what I've been up to, here's my interpretation of Kerys' Jade 3 sketch over at Scrapbooksteals.com. It was such a fun one to get me back into a crafty groove after the MADNESS that has been December. (Jury duty, kids and me down with a nasty cold, in-laws, two birthdays, Christmas, oh my!)

This one's all Echo Park - some For the Record and some of For The Record 2.

Hopefully now that I broke the creative ice I can get back to work on my December Daily project - needless to say, I took photos almost daily but this is gonna be a month in review highlight reel since I haven't done any work on it for three weeks. Ha!

Great grandma present

Mom and I were discussing all the creative things we've done this year, which made me remember that I never shared the Christmas present that I made for my grandma. And sadly, before we sent it to her (in pretty frames), neither of us took a good picture - this is from my phone on the day I made it. 

The layout had to feature both sets of great-grand boys, be on two pages, and have relatively fair representation of my sister's kids. Thankfully, mom and I are planners and had decided in June that I'd make this present and mom would buy the scrapbook frames, which means that when my sister visited in August there were LOTS of pictures taken for *this*  purpose! My sister thinks we're cray-cray, but that's okay.

There's a couple of scraps in here, but most of the page is American Crafts Chap - paper, ribbons, tabs, accordion flowers, etc. We sewed that red ribbon to the blue, and also the blue ribbon to the photo and then glued the yellow over the seam. The circle border was cut on the Silhouette Cameo. There's lots of distressing - tearing, crumbling, inking. 

Off

Wooohooo! 2013. We made it. Now it's time to get back to life as normal. I sure wish someone could tell me what that is. ;)

Day glow. Neon. Florescent colors. Whatever you call them, I have a love/hate relationship. You see, I'm a child of the 80s. I owned a *lot* of clothing in these colors and through junior high hot pink was my *favorite* color.

That might be why I tend to scrap in traditional colors, but love when others use them. Thankfully, I still have some of my Amy Tangerine Sketchbook that I won awhile back because the Paper Girls Challenge was to use that particular color range.

I also incorporated Let's Get Sketchy's challenge for this week - to use a photo that is Not Picture Perfect. This one is out of focus. I like the softness it gave the photo, but I'd given up on using it because it wasn't challenge worthy!