Stamping over at Practical Scrappers

This week the design team over at Practical Scrappers was to use stamping. You'll have to check them out! When I think of stamping, I think random stamping for a unique look. It also lets you create absolutely any type of paper you want!
Before I go into the design of this layout, I want to tell you a little about the featured gal in this layout. her name is Kelly, and if you click the layout, you'll see that I've highlighted her face with a window charm. She was on my team whe I was a director for CTMH. All I can say is that she is a fabulous person. She exceeded any and all expectations as a consultant and leader on my team. At convention in 2008, she was given an award for Top Sales as a new consultant. I could go on and on about her, but that would embarrass her much, I know. The layout says it all. Clearly she was (and should have been named) a Rising Star at Leadership this year.
For this layout, I used the Cottage Floral and Tiny Typewriter stamps set to create my paper. Colors used were Tulip, Sorbet, Creme Brulee, and Juniper. I have shown you the paper before it was used below. When you are random stamping, the way to get it even is to work in triangles. Your first triangle will work off your second and so on. You should really try this technique some time. It's fun and relaxing! After I stamped, I used my stipple brush to warm up the page.

I also cut some flowers from Cottage Floral (I love to cut and make die-cuts from a stamp set!) I used them randomly on the layout with pop dots, and I put window charms in the center for some pop. That is the close-up example I've shown you below.
Try random stamping! And if you do, I'd love to see your work! Send me an e-mail or direct me to your blog. I always love to see other people's work!!

Sisterhood

This is a great sketch by Creative Scrappers. These are pictures from a sister's weekend in 2006. For five of us to re-arrange our schedules was quite a feat. But how wonderful for all of us to get together! That was the last year we were all able to have a "full" sister's weekend with all 5 of us. I am hoping someday that we will have this precious time again, How special to shop, laugh, eat M&M's, and just be friends and sisters for a weekend.

• CTMH Grace Paper and matching journaling stickease
• Bazzill and Prima flowers
• Random chocolate sparkles
• CTMH Dazzling Die-Cuts scalloped circle
• Thickers letters

Oh, and to complete the recipe, 5 lovely girls. Can you tell I love my sisters very much?

Cards and Movie Day

I was able to spend the WHOLE day in my craft room today. I purposefully made meals in the last couple of days that could be reheated. Yippee! As much as I love to cook, I really like days in my craft room. Jerry was out muskie fishing for a part of the day, so all was okay.

I've got Netflix, so I was able to stream movies over my laptop and just work away while I crafted. This first card is my husband's favorite. This is new paper coming out from CTMH, and it will be available on September 1st. It is called Grace, and it is warm and wonderful. I love paper packets that have a sheet with strips. It's so versatile for adding to artwork. That's simply all this card is - two matching sheets of paper, a matching stickease, some random ribbon, and a Martha Stewart daisy. It's a very nice pattern from CPS.


The second card I created today was a really fun pattern from Inspirational Card Sketches. Oh, that was a fun pattern to work with! I flipped this pattern, and I brought the sentiment to one of the boxes. it allowed me use this beautiful gold organdy that I purchased from Paper Source. Again, I chose to work with more Grace paper. The flowers are Prima, and the brown sparkles are from the dollar bin at Michael's. I used a sentiment from the Faith, Hope, and Charity stamp set from CTMH.


The last card is my favorite. It's simple and very understated. I didn't use a pattern yet brought things together fore Penny's Challenges. She wanted us to create with flourishes so I grabbed my Playful Petals stamp set with lovely flourish. I added some pearls to it along with a Prima Natural flower. The sentiment stamp is one of the favorite that I own. It is from a discontinued set from CTMH. More pearls along the bottom and some CTMH chocolate organdy. This card can be used for just about any occasion!

Now that I've explained the cards, I wanted to share a little about one of the movies I watched today. Have you seen "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"? It is about 2 young boys that become friends through a concentration camp fence. It was heart-wrenching to watch this movie, and I found myself watching more movie than making cards. I cannot fathom how or why Our Jewish culture was persecuted in this way. What I will say is that I am proud to be American, and I am blessed to be free. If you have a chance to see this movie, I highly recommend it. I know it will move you.

The Butterfly

"The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough." - Rabindranath Tagore

What a blessing to come across something so beautiful in my garden! Yes, I did take this picture from one of my gardens. The Monarchs have been out often, and it was just lovely that it paused long enough for me to snap a few pictures. I can't tell you what the flower is as I have a terrible habit of planting and not remembering. What I do know is that the butterflies love it!

So relish in your moments today. Don't let even the tiniest thing pass you by. I just put a meatloaf in the crockpot, baked a pan of cream cheese brownies, and put a loaf of bread in the oven. These are the moments for me when I get to snap a few pictures, cook for my husband, and then share with you. What a wonderful life!

Simple Pet Layouts

You know, as I took out these pictures today, I thought of something. So often I work to make the most beautiful layout filled with lots of flowers, embellishments and "things." That's great! I love looking at those layouts in my books - and I will be making a lot more of them.
However, sometimes I think I just need to relax in this hobby, this craft that I love so much. I don't want to take too much time working to make a layout just perfect, so that I eventually lose that love. I also think that it can detour people from looking a blog. I want to make things that people can easily copy without much fuss. Just a revelation I had today! LOL! Enough rambling now.
For these two layouts, I used Cloud 9 pet paper. Because the colors match, I can easily put them in the pet book side by side even thought the backgrounds aren't the same. I captured my sweet pets sleeping. And what funny personalities I've got in my house! I used Thickers letters from American Crafts, and the small embellishments and sayings are random. Didn't take much time or product, but I did what I wanted to do - showcase my sleeping beauties!
**If you'd like to see the layouts larger, just click on them.**

Two Blog Awards!! What an Honor!!

Wow! I am so touched by my wonderful blogging friends! It is not only an honor, but I am humbled by these awards. I never take them lightly as I know they are passed on with love.

This first award is "Eye Like Your Style." I received it from Dawn and Kim. These two women are amazing, and I want to pass it right back at them! The other people I want to send it to are Penny, Jamie, Tina, and Laurel. If you aren't a follower to any of these blogs, you will want to check them out. You will find fabulous artwork and lots of inspiration! They have all inspired me in one way or another, so I like to keep my eye on their style!!

This next award is from Karen. Karen is one of the most incredible artists I know. She also has a strong love for family, and so her posts always touch my heart.

Here are the rules of this award.
*pass this on to bloggers who you feel are honest in their blogging
*list 10 honest things about yourself

I am going to pay it forward by passing this award to the following friends:

• Kim (I am grateful for this prayer partner of mine. Although we've never met, we are definitely sisters at heart.)
• Tammy (I admire her spirit, her courage, and strength. She is a wonderful example to all.)
• Selene (I really look to her for honesty in artwork. There have been a couple of times that she hasn't like what she's posted, but she does anyway! What a true spirit of crafting!)
• Tina (She has been an inspiration to me in business, in artwork, in teaching. And she shares her family on her blog. I like that!)
• Karen J (She recently opened her crafted room for bloggers! Now that is honest - showing close-ups and all! Her artwork is beyond compare. I look to her for so many ideas!)

Now let's see. 10 honest things about myself:

1. I will drink blended coffee before I have a meal.
2. Much to my dismay, I watch reality shows. American Idol is my fav.
3. I home-schooled my son, Shane, for several years.
   
4. Speaking of Shane, even though he's 20 years old, my "mama bear claws" still come out when they need to. Guess I'm still a little protective, huh?
5. I never hoard my scrapbooking supplies. I purchased them to use them!
6. I am extremely afraid of frogs. Very silly, but true.
7. I don't like wearing pants. 99% of the time, you will find me in a dress.
8. I played baseball on the "boys team" when I was growing up. Still and all, baseball is my favorite thing to watch.
9. My favorite scripture is Micah 6:8, and my favorite book of the Bible is Philippians.
10. My husband and I never argue. It's easier to compromise!
    

Getting my Mojo on with Blues & Browns

Last post for the day!

I think I am going to like Cafe Mojo. Could it be that it refers to coffee? Maybe it's that there's great artwork - check it out! Or it could be that my friend Kim is a design team member. Well, whatever it is, it's worth a look-see!

The challenge was to create something in blue and brown. I've been hanging on this cute little 6" clipboard for some time. I thought this was the perfect time to use it. All products used (except the clipboard and silver sparkles) are CTMH.

Serendipity paper and die-cuts
TLC stamp set
Journaling Spot
Outdoor Denim Craft Buttons
Chocolate Brads
Clear Buttons
Designer Ribbon - Chocolate, Outdoor Denim

It's All Heart

This is my third post for the day!

I always like to try my hand at the Cuttlebug challenges. This week we were challenged to make shape cards. I could have come up with something more original for the challenge, but because it's our anniversary, I guess I felt in the heart mood!

Cricut Wild Card cartridge
Cuttlebug Swirls Folder
CTMH, Petaloo, and Prima flowers
Gelly Roll glitter pen

Dream

I thought I'd work on the Raspberry Suite color challenge this week. The reason I wanted to work with it was simply because it was a challenge for me! I am not used to working with these colors, and I didn't know what the Sorbet would look like in this mix. It was uncomfortable, but with the help of CTMH products, I think the card is "give-able."
CTMH Daydream Level 2
CTMH Aspiration stamp set
CTMH Love Story Rub-Ons
CTMH Sorbet and Sweet Leaf ribbon
CTMH Sparkles
random silver sparkles

19 Years...The Love of My Life

Today is mine and Jerry's 19th anniversary. Oh, he is the love of my life! We met on a blind date, and three weeks later, he asked me to marry him. People said it wouldn't last, but here we are 19 years later!
There are so many reasons I love this man more and more every day. People don't believe me when I tell them that Jerry and I don't argue. But it is true. He is so easy-going, and he has taught this Finlander to be much more easy-going over the years! He helps me to see that whatever may happen, it is not the end of the world. Jerry has stood by me through every illness, surgery, or difficult physical time I've gone through. Truly, many people may have walked away. But those wedding vows - "in sickness and in health" really meant something to him. Jerry is a strong father. Adopting Shane when he was barely 3, he has loved him and taught Shane so many things. What an amazing quality in a husband! He has truly shared life with me in these 19 years, and I love him more and more every day for that. Jerry is my best friend, my soulmate, and the love of my life. Happy anniversary, honey!

Kissin' the Sky

Have you had ENOUGH of me in the past couple days? Keep scrolling for new artwork!

This paper from Best Creations is so much fun! It is glittered in places, and that adds a pretty cool look! (Just click on the picture to see a better look.)

I liked the sketch from Get Sketchy for this card. if you haven't been there, be sure to visit. There is some fabulous artwork to view!

I used my Marvy Uchida punches to create all the flowers. There are two layers. Fiskars helped me make the edge on the top two papers. I cut out three kites and added waxy flax tales. The sparkly phrase is easy enough to add with White Daisy pigment ink and glitter.

I think this one has to sit on on a shelf in my craft room for rainy days!!

More Paper from Italy...

Oh, this is such beautiful paper! When I saw this sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I paired the paper with CTMH Bamboo and Indian Corn Blue cardstock. I stamped transparencies with Versamark Wheat chalk ink. In the next image, you'll see this up close. It is sometimes a dilemma on how to attach transparencies to your artwork. On this card, I used Bamboo Edge Anchors. (Other times I have used Glue Dots vellum sheets - that works well, too.) Now, I needed to highlight the beautiful paper - not hide it. That's why this sketch was perfect. I added a some flowers and a hat pin. I have someone in mind for this card, and I hope she likes it!!

Penny's Sketch

This sketch on Penny's Challenge was so wonderful, that I made two cards using it! I loved the simplicity of the sketch that gave so much room for creativity and what you can do with it. For the first card, I used some beautiful Heidi Grace paper, CTMH rub-on, Prima flower, and a pin from JoAnn's.

The next card is made from paper I picked up at Paper Source. I was you could see it and touch it in person! These two papers were made in India. I added some ribbon I picked up at Paper Source, Prima flowers, and CTMH rub-ons. I created the card this way because I just didn't want to cover up that beautiful paper!

CPS Card Sketch

After you look at this one, keep scrolling down! I've added a lot of artwork, so if you are looking for some ideas, stay awhile! This is a sketch from CPS. I started out by trying the clean cut 3 pieces. But oh, with Back Country paper from CTMH, you just need to add a little roughness. So I have three elements on the left, I just took a little liberty!

CTMH Back Country paper
CTMH Adventure Dimensional Elements in Color
CTMH Craft Buttons, Swirl Clips, & Waxy Flax
CTMH Outdoor Thoughts stamp set (those little words)
Karen Foster metal charm

Card Patterns Sketch

Lots of artwork for you to look at today! But look at it this way, it's free to look!! ;)

I need several men's cards in the next few months. They are tougher to make. I'd rather do frilly with the flowers. But those guys in our life deserve cards, too! I used all CTMH products for this card. This is another paper packet I haven't worked - Back Country. This is not the matching stamp set, but rather another called Hook, Line, and Sinker. Great set to hang on to if you have it! I used the Happy Birthday set for the sentiment. A few embellishments, and it is card that my husband gave his approval to!

Bo Bunny Sketch

Bo Bunny is a fresh crisp paper to work with. I like that it is two-sided as it takes very little paper (less than one sheet) to make a 5x7 card. I am not used to working with these bright colors - especially yellow - but I like the result with the flowers!
Bo Bunny Gift of Love Paper
Bazzill Flower
Prima Flower
CTMH Craft Buttons, Waxy Flax, Ribbon, Brads, and Clip

Basic Grey Sketch

This is a fabulous Basic Grey sketch. There is so much possibility with it, and I guess that's why I like it. The recipe is:
Basic Grey Wisteria Paper & Stickers
CTMH Edge Anchors
CTMH Because of You stamp set
Random ribbon & Self-Adhesive Pearls

I can't wait to use this card!

Yippee!! Lucky Me!!

I am so happy! I won the random drawing for participating in the Wacky Wednesday challenges on Creative Scrappers!! Yahoo!! If you've never checked out their challenges, you really should go there. All of the Wacky Wednesday challenges are great fun, but I was really intrigued one week when our layout came in the form of a puzzle. A little like a treasure hunt! So much fun to know I'll be getting goodies in the mail!!

Just a Story Today...

As I've been avidly scrapbooking lately, I naturally come across some memorabilia I haven't scrapped or some interesting photos. Perhaps that is why I scrap. Shane will share my legacy books with his family and be able to share.

Just a few days ago, I came across his First Communion certificate. Let me tell you the story. We were attending a sunrise Easter service at our church. Shane was just 8 years old, and he watched the beautiful Communion service. As the bread and wine were passed, he looked up at me and said, "If we were all welcome at God's table, why can't I share?" I will never forget that because I knew then that Jesus had captivated his heart. In short order the assistant pastor, started special Communion classes for him, and he took his First Communion three years early. What a blessed day! He had great influence on his Grandpa for this act of faith, and in the next spring, Grandpa was baptized. (That's a story for another time...)

Of all things, I have never questioned Shane's faith and love for our Saviour.

Today, the ELCA released their ruling on a very important subject in the church. If you'd like to read more, you can go to the ELCA website. But let me tell what this answered prayer means for our family.

This young man will someday be able to marry the person of his choice in the congregation he grew up in where he learned to love our God. When he has children some day, he will be able to bring them to the church and have them baptized. As a mother I am overjoyed and I thank God for the ELCA church showing God's grace and continuing in compassion. The truth is that God is completely in love with every one of us. And what beautiful sons and daughters of the King we are!

May you be blessed today...

Creative Scrappers Layouts

This is a layout of two of my grand-nephews. You will find the matching layout in my next post. Are they cute or what?!
The paper and journaling tags are Paper Loft. The rub-on is MME, and the brads, buttons, and hemp are CTMH. This was a challenging sketch because of the way the papers were laid out. However, the I do like the finished product and it shows off these cuties really well!










I love this picture and that face on my grand-nephew Aaron. The journaling blocks were perfect for his expression. They are from Cosmo Cricket. Paper is Basic Grey's Wassail (yep - a Christmas paper!) CTMH has new dimensional elements that are round, and how easy was it to cover it with the paper. (Hint** I used Bonding Memories glue when covering dimensional elements or chipboard. It is awesome!**) The buttons, felt, and hemp are also from CTMH. I am quite certain this layout and that precious face will make you smile!










This is the matching layout for the one above. Again I've used Wassail from Basic Grey. The tags are from Cosmo Cricket. Chipboard, hemp, felt, and buttons are from CTMH.
My nephew has a great-looking family!

scrap sketch Week #52

This is a fun sketch from scrap sketch. I really like the simplicity of it and how it allows for so much possibility. I chose to scrap a couple of my grand-nephews and their father, my nephew Ryan. Oh, what precious pictures of them!

The paper and sentiment tag are from Paper Loft. Buttons and hemp are CTMH. The hardest part of this layout was putting hemp through the buttons, and even that wasn't hard! Very easily a 20-minute layout!

Be the Change

I dug out a paper packet that I have not played with yet - Moon Doggie from CTMH. I decided on a sketch from Inspirational Sketches, and I came up with this card.

I've got three layers of patterned paper on this card, and a barely visible row of scallops on the diagonal piece. I've used the matching journaling tag for Moon Doggie to stamp the sentiment from Rubber Stampede. I've gone almost all clear stamps, but there are those few that have great sayings that I hang on to!

The hemp with a safety pin finished up this card. Now it's off in the mail for a birthday!

Use Up Those Scraps!

If you go to Practical Scrappers this week, you'll find that the DT created layouts using scraps this week. This is the DT layout I submitted - and yep, it's all scraps! I'll tell you some more about it.

First of all, those pictures are priceless to me. Those are pictures of me at 1 and 2 years old. In the center, I put a picture of my Shane at 18 months old. This layout will go in my heritage book.

I used scraps of Emporium paper from CTMH. You know, those 1/2" - 1" pieces you cut off that you don't know what you'll do with anyway if you save them. That is how I created the background for the pictures that actually looks much like a piece of paper from that packet. The elements on the top of the page are pieces that I saved because they are big and interesting. I didn't know I would be making patterned paper from them at one point, but that's what these scraps did! Covered in Liquid Glass, these make a very nice top to the page. All the mats and little pieces of cardstock came from my scrap basket. You have one, don't you?

I challenge you this week to make a layout completely from scraps. When you are done, post it with Mr. Linky on the Practical Scrappers blog. Let everyone see your fabulous work!

Some Fine Italian Paper

First of all, this is my third post for the day, so be sure to scroll down if you'd like to see some more new artwork!

Ok, on to this beautiful Italian paper. Right across from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, there is a wonderful paper shop. I regret everyday that I didn't buy masses of this handmade paper. It is so beautiful, and it is so much fun to work with! I took a small take out box from the Paper Source, and I covered it with pieces of marbled paper. The other elements used are ribbon, brads, and a pin from my from my stash. The large flower is from Prima Naturals - isn't it gorgeous and perfect?

We were visiting Shane in Uptown today, and it's like a little world over there. So many shops and fun things to see! That is where I found the Paper Source. They have handmade papers from many places in the world, and I was able to find some from Italy. I found treasures that are not found in "regular" stores, and it was wonderful to lay my hands on new and unusual things. I'll use some some of these new papers in the weeks to come so that you can see just how beautiful they are!

Paper crafting takes us down so many roads, doesn't it? I absolutely love it!