Happiness Is...

I had the pictures from our 20th anniversary celebration put into an 8x10 collage.  So easy to do, and what a fun way to scrap all the pictures!  I scrapped this on a True Fit Folio from CTMH.  Have you seen these?  They are just the best thing, and I have a lot of them in my scrapbooks.  They come white and are like file folders for your scrapbook.  I put menus and little memorabilia in this one.

Items used:  Graphic 45 Steampunk paper; CTMH Black Textured Cardstock, True Fit Folio, Pewter Brads, and Rub-Ons; Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals Die; Ranger Clear Rock Candy Distress Paint; Imaginisce Hot Rocks and i-Rock tool; Prima flowers; Tattered Angels Crepe Ribbon; May Arts ribbon; Fiskars Scalloped Border Punch

Now, I want to share something with you - and even show you an example.  Yesterday my mother-in-law was here scrapping with me.  She brought some magnetic albums in order to take the pictures out.  The pictures are faded from being in the magnetic, and when she pulled the first one out, it tore! 

I am so glad she is doing this.  I took a picture to show you how difficult the process was.  She carefully peeled each one using my Slice spatula.  Oh gracious!!  If you still have pictures in magnetic albums, you might consider taking them out soon!  If you are a legacy scrapper, you want your pictures to last through the generations and they just won't last in those old magnetic books.  Just my two cents for the day - LOL!!

Better Living Through Scrapbooking Reveal Day!

Time for a new challenge!  Have you been playing along?  When you complete all four challenges for the month, you are eligible to win one of the great monthly prizes from our generous sponsors.  Take a look at them on my right sidebar.  You don't have to finish one challenge before the next one comes out.  You just have to complete them all in one given month to be entered for the goodies.  I love the concept of Better Living through Scrapbooking which is "challenges to heal your soul and inspire your mind."  Give us a visit.  I bet you'll find a challenge you'd love to do that will help you grow in this hobby!

Let me tell you about this week's challenge:
"Holiday paper challenge”
Use holiday-themed papers (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, etc.) to create a non-holiday themed page layout or mini album.

Choose at least two of the following:

1. Use photos that are at least five years old.
2. Use punches or a die-cut machine to hand-make embellishments or letters out of patterned paper for your page.
3. Use pop-dots to give 3-D dimension to an element of your page.
4. Use numbers in the title of your page.
5. Use rubber or acrylic stamps somewhere on your page.
 
 

 
When I pulled out this picture, the first thing I noticed was Shane's shorts. Look at all those colors! I thought of Hallowe'en in Wonderland right away. It is just the perfect match! Have you noticed lately that many holiday papers are useful all year round? That is such a great trend! Those fabulous double sides are a bonus, I think, and make patterned papers so much more valuable. Doesn't this holiday paper work perfectly for this every day photo?

I really like that although this paper seems busy, Shane's little face is the focal point. I've used four options on this page that I hope will inspire you. My photos is actually 20 years old. Boy, this little guy turned into a man quickly! Shane's matted picture, the word "play," and the banner are all popped up. I combined the last two options by stamping his age at the bottom. These were not options, but I added a couple of other techniques to the page. I've distressed all of the paper by simply rolling the edges. It's easy, and it adds great dimension! I also sewed on my page with one of the Granny Stitch'z template and purple floss from Bazzill. This template set is fabulous! It has 8 different edging stitches, and it's they are so easy and fun to work with. The purple floss is from the Crayons floss set. Both of these items can be found at a great price from Discount Cardstock.

Items used: Bazzill Eggplant Felt Cardstock, Granny Stitch'z Template, and In Stitch'z Crayon Floss Card (Discount Cardstock); Hallowe'en in Wonderland (Graphic 45); Journaling Block (Quick Quotes); Transparency Frame (Colorbok); Big Kids Slice Design Card (Making Memories); Black Buttons, Alpha Stamp Set, Swirl Clip, and Black Archival Ink (Close To My Heart); Hemp and Vintage Ribbon (stash)

Better Living through Scrapbooking Newsletter

Have you signed up for the Better Living through Scrapbooking newsletter yet?  There is so much GREAT information in it!  I think you would love having it come to your e-mail box!  There is a challenge for you in this month's newsletter, and it's all about you!! 

Baby, You’re the Greatest” challenge

Create a baby layout about you, using the oldest photo you have of yourself.

It’s wonderful to pull out our own baby pictures! Sometimes we are so caught up in scrapping others that we forget to take time for our “All About Me” books. If you haven’t started a scrapbook for yourself, this would be the perfect jumping off point! I’ve used four of our challenge options for my layout, and I've highlighted them for you.

1. Scan the original photo and print it using your home printer or photo printing service, or take the photo to your local copy shop and have them make a color copy of the photo so that you can scrap the photo and save the original. I wanted my layout to have a 5×7 picture. If the quality is a little grainy to you, it is because I started with a very small picture! I scanned it and then printed it on my printer. I love this picture of my Dad holding me as a pretty happy baby!

2. Use no pastels or “baby colors” on the page (no light pinks, blues or pastel yellows) Now this was pretty easy for me! I m not a pastel girl, but rather prefer rich, warm colors. With a black and white photo, these Graphic 45 papers worked beautifully!

3. Frame the photo on your page in an unusual way.

4. Use words/letters as “art”. Cut letters and words from old magazines, junk mail, newspapers, packaging, etc. and use them in an artistic way on your page. Use them as a title, journaling, or just as embellishments on your page. Okay, I interpreted this a little differently! Instead of cutting out letters, I painted a journaling block directly on my page. This is so much fun! And very easy to do with a fan brush. You don’t even need to be perfect! When it was dry, I stamped my phrase with archival ink.

5. Use lace or ribbon on your page. I doubled some beautiful crocheted ribbon to add to the vintage feel of this layout.

A simple thing I did was distress the edges of everything. For me, it left enough clean lines, but still brought this layout back to 1962. Now, I bet you are wondering about that flower! I made it with two different colors of vellum. I used my Slice to cut scalloped circles – (4) 3-1/2″ circles and (4) 2-1/2″ circles. I crumpled them up pretty good, flattened them out and then stacked them. With four layers of each color, it was easy enough to manipulate the vellum to give it some floral poof. Give it a try – it’s really simple!

Items used: Natural Smooth CS, Cream and Wisteria Vellum (Discount Cardstock); Hallowe’en in Wonderland papers (Graphic 45); Edge Distresser and Vintage Pin (Tim Holtz); Slice Basics 1 Design Card (Making Memories); Antique White paint (Ceramcoat); Colonial White button, Colonial White crocheted ribbon, Alphabet stamp set, and black archival ink (Close To My Heart)

You're the Cream in my Coffee

There is a wonderful challenge site called Papercraft Star.  They post their challenges ahead of time so that you have plenty of time to play.  That is so great for the busy crafter!!  You can also "like" their Facebook page.  So fun for getting updates and they are giving away a gift certificate when they reach 150 fans!!  I saw the challenge this week, and of course I had to play.  Look at the inspiration, and those of you that are my regular readers will know why.  Have you had coffee from a French press?  There is no better way!!

I have had this coffee cup template for quite some time (I'm sorry that I don't remember where I got it!), and this was the perfect time to use it!

I love the way this card turned out - so fun!  I printed the saying on my computer.  Other items used: Bazzill CS; Graphic 45 Steampunk paper; Mark Richards crystals; Wal-Mart ribbon; Tattered Rose Distress ink

It's Sunday - Better Living Through Scrapbooking Reveal Day!

These aren’t colorful pictures done on vintage paper. These are just bad photos! They were left in one of those old magnetic albums too long, and this is what happens to them after time. So if you have any photos still in magnetic pages, you might consider taking them out as soon as you can!!

I could never let go of these pictures, though, because they are the only ones I have of my great-grandmother who we called Moo Moo. She didn’t speak English (or maybe she did but just loved her native language of Finnish). I don’t remember much about her because I was just a little girl when she passed on, but I do remember how very nice she was – and that I loved the times we did visit her!

And that is what the challenge at Better Living through Scrapbooking is all about this week – scrapping those bad photos! Maybe you have old ones like this. Or maybe you’ve got a recent one that you love, but it’s just not the best quality. Scrap them anyway!! You can do marvelous things with them, and you will never regret having them in your memory book!  You'll need to use at least two of these options on your layout:

Create a layout using a photo or photos that you would normally have discarded.

Chose at least 2 of the following:

1. Use rub-ons or stickers directly on your photo(s). 
2. Use paint on your page in a messy or unusual way.
3. Use a die-cut or pre-purchased journaling “spot” on which to write your journaling.
4. Use the following sketch as design inspiration for your page: http://www.betterscrap.com/images/sketch2.jpg 
5. Make a handmade flower using Katie’s technique in our August 1st reveal, and use the flower on your layout.

I’ve done a few different things on this layout, so I’ll tell you first about the four challenge options I used:
 
1.  Rub-ons directly on my photos
2.  Painted edges of my photos with gold and sandal ranger paints
3.  Angela had a great sketch for us to use this week, so I gladly used that!
4.  Journaling spot was diecut with vellum and cardstock

There are a couple of other techniques you’ll see on this layout:

1.Stitching using a Bazzill template and floss
2.Crackle paint and glimmer mist on the flowers

Now take out those bad pictures and see what you can do! Be sure to go over to Better Living Through Scrapbooking to see what the rest of the marvelous design team did!!  We’d love to have you join us!!  Play along all month for your chance to win one of the prizes on my right sidebar.  WOW - there are three amazing prizes!!

Items from Discount Cardstock:

  

Midnight Black Cardstock

Cream Vellum

Bazzill In Stitch’z Granny Stitches Template

Bazzill In Stitch’z Pebbles Floss

Bazzill Raven Paper Flowers

  

Graphic 45 Papers:

Communique

Hallowe’en in Wonderland

Le’Romantique 

Other items: K&Company – crocheted ribbon; May Arts velvet ribbon; Tim Holtz Filmstrip; Prima flowers; Imaginisce gems; Tattered Angels wheatfields glimmer mist; Ranger gold, sandal, and clear rock candy paints; 7Gypsies rub-ons; Close To My Heart edge anchors, paper clip and charm; Slice Vintage Findings Design Card

Are you a Better Living Through Scrapbooking fan on Facebook? We are holding a Labor Day giveaway on our Facebook page, and it’s so easy to win! 

Just visit our Facebook page (if you’re not already a fan, just click the “like” button at the top of the page, and you’ll be signed in!) and look for the Labor Day giveaway post. Just leave a comment to that post, tell us your favorite inspirational quote, and you’re entered to win! 

Once lucky recipient chosen at random from the eligible participants will win a Punky Sprouts album from their new Summer CHA release, along with a pack of My Little Shoebox alphabet stickers to help you decorate the album!

Better Living through Scrapbooking - September Challenge #1

Ooooh, I so loved the challenge this week!  I have to tell you, even though I am on the design team, Better Living Through Scrapbooking challenges me in a unique and wonderful way!  When you do one of the layouts for the challenges, you will find that you think a lot more and the layout takes on special meaning.  Have you joined in yet?  What about the Facebook page?  You can follow there and keep up with everything going on!

All rightie, on to the first challenge for September!  Cehct out my right sidebar for the prize this month - it's a really good one!  Play along with all four challenges in September, and you have the chance to win!!Here are the deets for this challenge.  I've highlighted the options I used in my layout.

"Inspirational Quote challenge"

Create a layout that is based on your favorite inspirational quote. Need some ideas? Visit http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/ for a great searchable collection of quotes.

Chose at least 2 of the following:

1. Use one 5x7 photo of a place or thing that inspires you.
2. Use a palette similar to this one: http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/1254702/BetterScrap_Ch5
3. Make this a double 12x12 or double 8 1/2 x 11 layout, with at least 2 photos per page.
4. Place your title on a circular or wavy path.
5. Use a transparency of some sort on your page, whether an actual transparency sheet (Hambly Screen Prints, Fancy Pants) or transparent embellishment (Heidi Swapp Ghost Shapes, Making Memories) that you purchased, or a handmade transparency made by hand or with your computer printer.

Now I know everyone has a favorite quote!  Grab a picture or two and create!!  Here's what I created:

I so love this picture of Shane.  He was such a tiny little peanut, and I love what the studio did with the background.  Seemed like a perfect time to use Graphic 45 papers! 

It was very easy for me to choose an inspirational quote for the challenge this week. I prayed this Proverb for Shane non-stop. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Not because he was a difficult child to raise, but because children find their own wings at a certain time in life. There was a point as a parent that I had to understand to let go and trust that what we taught Shane would stick for the rest of his life. And today, I still find myself meditating on that Proverb.  Once a mother, always a mother!!


Items used:
Graphic 45 (Hallowe’en in Wonderland and Christmas Past)
Bazzill Cardstock from Discount Cardstock (Natural Smooth and Midnight Black)
Bazzill Flowers (Raven and Kisses)
CTMH (Bamboo Bitty Brads, Swirl Clips, Black Grosgrain)
Slice Cards (Big Kids, Noteworthy; Spring); Colorbox Chalk Ink (Chestnut Roan)

Timeless

I created this simple layout of my Dad using Graphic 45 paper.  He really loved baseball (well, all sports) when he was alive, and I am glad that I have a picture of his baseball stance.  When I see pictures of my sister's kids playing baseball, I notice their baseball stance first of all!  Isn't that funny - Dad taught me well how to play baseball!

This paper is jsut gorgeous, and I want to make sure that I only used one pictures so that I could keep the beauty of the watches.  I've double matted the photo.  The large watch was on the paper under the picture, so I cut that out and popped it up.  I didn't feel like this layout needed a lot of "stuff."  To me and my sisters, the picture speaks volumes.

Another Sketch from The Scrappiest

As long as I was working with The Scrappiest sketches, I thought I'd try working on Sketch #70, too.  I have been going in and out all day - such a gorgeous day!  I was gardening this morning and finishing off the last flower bed I had to work on.  So I'd scrap a little, garden a little.  All days should be this lovely!

I also incorporated another challenge into this layout from Graphic 45.  Their challenge was to use papers from their Transatlantique collection.  Such fabulous papers!!  I used pictures from when we were in the port of Malta on our Mediterranean Cruise.  The streets were so quaint in Malta.  Everyone had a gate between their heavy door (and these were some heavy doors!) and the screen door.  The ladies open their screen door and lean on the gate to chat with neighbors.  How wonderful is that?!

I created one paper flower from the Graphic 45 papers.  The crepe ribbon is from Tattered Angels and I misted it with Tuscan Sun and Coffee Shop glimmer mist.  The rose is also from Tattered Angels and is one of their new irresistible glimmer chips.  I've sprayed Coffee Shop glimmer mist on that and then painted with clear rock candy crackle paint.  Oh, the crepe ribbon and handmade flower also have crackle paint on them.  The luggage, words, and stamps were cut from paper.  In order to give the luggage a more realistic look, I put glossy accents on the straps and edges.  Fun, old fashioned paper that suited these pictures well!

Cards, Cards, Cards (and then a few more cards!)

I told you yesterday that I would have some work to show you.  So I am going to show you the fruits of my labor today.  I made 8 of each of the next cards that I am showing you this morning.  I have the card swap at work, Mother's Day bags to fill, and Operation Write Home cards to send.  Cards never go to waste in my house!!
First I'll show you a couple of challenges that I did.  The first is for Stretch N' Bubbles.  I was so blessed to win free images from them last week!  What a fun thing to open my e-mail and find such cute images.  It was hard to pick one to go along with this week's sketch!

This is the little mouse image.  I thought it would make a nice card for a soldier to send home.  I used Basic Grey Kioshi and CTMH's TLC stamp set.  I am still so new to coloring, but it's really fun to use all the different mediums to give it a go.  (Kim, I know you are out there - are you surprised?!)

The next card is a sketch from Card Patterns:

I used American Crafts I Do paper with CTMH's Soulmate stamps set.  The flower is from the bridal section at Michael's and the ribbon is Little Yellow Bicycle.

The next card is Graphic 45 paper and a retired CTMH stamp set and is for the card swap at work:

The following cards are very simple.  You know what is funny to me is that my husband likes these cards the best of all the cards I made yesterday.  I guess there is something to be said for clean and simple with a good stamp!

(stamps for this and the next card are SU! and Inkadinkado)

(stamps - Unity and SU!)

(Unity stamps)

Well, I think it's time to switch over to some altered items and pages.  I can't say there won't be a card or two mixed in, but I think I'd like to finish some albums I've been working on.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring day!  The birds are singing like crazy here, both my furry pets are snoring right now, and life is good.

Inspirational Card Sketches

This is the last bit of Graphic 45 paper I will share for a bit - I promise!  I absolutely fell in love with these papers.  This is the Times Noveau collection, and I am using a sketch from ICS:

The only thing added to the paper was a CTMH stamp and ribbon.

Today I'm moving on to some new papers from Jillibean and Reminisce.  You'll see some different brighter colors from me coming up!

Get Sketchy

I thought I would share some more Graphic 45 paper and Stampers Anonymous work with you.  I probably should tell you that the paper collections are from the Playtimes Past and Communique collections.  The SA stamp is called Good Thoughts.  For this card, I used a sketch from Get Sketchy, and I am going to show you the outside and inside of the card.

As you'll see, I used very little other than paper on this card.  A couple of Bazzill and flowers and a CTMH rub-on border.  The circle and cardstock flowers are cut with nesties and the corners with an EK Success punch.

I woke up this morning to this lovely sight in my backyard:

Such a cute bunny!  I know they wreak havoc in my flower beds, but we are firm believers in keeping our yard and woods as natural as possible.  Now I went to stand out on the deck to get a closer picture, but found I had a problem in the backyard.  There was a hawk at the base of the deck next to the woods (yes, our house is that close to our woods), and it was quietly inching it's way up to rabbit.  Instead of a picture, I put Miss Chanel (our beagle) out to do some protecting of the yard.  She got everyone moving, and I got to see the hawk soar away.  Even though they are preditory to small animals, they are just beautiful to watch fly.

On another nature-type note, yesterday afternoon I smelled smoke when I had the windows open.  It was a windy day, and I didn't know if someone had neglected to follow burning bans or if something was wrong.  We (meaning me and Chanel) got in the Jeep to check it out, and there was a huge grass fire a couple of miles from our home.  Helicopters and several fire departments were there trying to break down the fire wall, and it took several hours to stop the spread.  It turns out that it had started much further away in a ditch off the highway.  Scary thing for the folks nearby whose homes were in the path.  There is still a heavy smoke smell in the air, and it's a constant reminder of how careful we must all be when the ground is so dry.

I'm off to work now.  I'm anxious to catch up later and see what you've all been creating!

I Have Been Quiet, But I've Been Creating!

I realized today that I haven't posted in a bit.  I have been busy doing this and that and working, but in the quiet times I have been creating.  I thought I'd share some of the results with you today!

First up, I have a sketch from CPS & what I did with it:

I used: Graphics 45 paper, Stampers Anonymous stamp set, Bazzill flower, Coffee Shop Glimmer Mist, and random ribbon, button, and gems.  I was psyched when we received the Graphic 45 paper and SA stamps at work.  Such great vintage material!!

Now I just have a couple of layouts to share.  I have been working on Shane's 1+ years, and I'm having a blast lookinga t these pictures all over again!  The layouts are not real technical, but they turned out exactly as I wanted them.

The first is Sassafrass Lass papers & stickers, Thickers letters, Deja Vu transparencies, and some really cute little boy pictures!

The next layout is made with some new papers - Fancy Pants My Family.  These papers are just great!  I added some CTMH outdoor denim embellishments and Makimg Memories dotted letters.  Again, there are some pretty cute pictures of this little boy of mine.