It's Reveal Day at Let's Scrap!

This week at Let's Scrap, we have a card sketch for you.  I simply love this sketch because it is so versatile!

And here is my example for you:

I sure do love Webster's Pages, and I pulled out some of their paper for this challenge.  The Brave Girl stamp set by Melody Ross/Unity is perfect for this paper.  I chalked my brave girl's dress, wings, and hair.  I have found this to be my preferred method of coloring.  It is so subtle and soft-looking.  Once that was done, I applied glossy accents to the hair, wings, dress, and butterflies.  If you'd like to see a closer look, just click on the picture.  The scalloped circle was cut with my circle and scalloped circle nestabilities.  Those lovely gems are from Imaginisce and set with my i-Rock tool.  Have you used that tool yet? I think I would be quite content to just put gems on everything all day long - LOL!  It's so fun and easy!

Why not play along for your chance to win the Starstruck stamp set from Verve Stamps?  Hop on over to Let's Scrap to see a picture of the set and to post your entry!

Better Living through Scrapbooking Reveal!

Here we are again for our 3rd week at Better Living through Scrapbooking!  Are you playing along?  If you participate in all the challenges during the month, you are eligible for the grand prize (see it on my right sidebar).  But don't let that stop you, there will be occasional goodies and RAK as weekly prizes!! 

This week's challenge is to do a photoless layout of a happy memory or event.  You need to choose at least 2 of the following on your layout:

1. Use memorabilia in lieu of photos. If you have a map, brochure, flyer, receipts, or other paperwork from that day or event, use them on the layout.
2. Create your own photos of the memory or event. Take photos of favorite souvenirs from the day or event. Use your kids or grandkids, pets, or even dolls or stuffed animals to recreate a photo to represent the memory.
3. Use your favorite die-cut machine to create your page title.
4. Use at least two metallic elements on the layout.
5. Distress some element of your page – fray, tear, or crumple paper, or use distress ink or other distressing techniques on your page.

Does that sound challenging?  I thought so, but get an idea down, and soon your page just flows!  I am anxious to see what you come up with!  Here's mine for you:

This layout is of my 48th birthday. Jerry and I were going to spend the day at the Mall of America. I walked out of a store to find Shane waiting for me to, too!! What a great surprise! I was treated to a coffee at Caribou, a bag of Brighton, and an extremely wonderful day!! I had my camera, but I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot to take pictures!

I used four of the options on my layout. A Brighton bag was cut apart and used for the number 48 and as an element. I die-cut my title “queen for a day” with my Slice Bon Appetit card. Do you see that sparkly crown and key? Those are my metal embellishments. To create the flowers, I tore Brighton tissue paper (more memorabilia!) in crude circles, and then ripped the edges. I inked them with white pigment ink and then added some (well, a lot - and it's still all over to prove it!) glitter. Fun flowers! The cute little lady sticking out from the flowers was chalked, and her hair, wings, and dresses were coated with crackle accents.  Here are some close  up shots:

Aren't those flowers so pink and pretty?!

This vintage stamp from Unity and Melody Ross is so lovely - but even better when coated with crackle accents!

Items used: Melody Ross Homespun Chic collection; American Crafts and May Arts ribbon; Unity Brave Girl stamp; SU! journaling tag; Creative Imaginations pearl brads; Studio Decor metal; Recollections pearls; CTMH black cardstock, prisma glitter, chalk, and white daisy pigment ink; Ranger Crackle Accents

Now, why don't you hop on over to Better Living through Scrapbooking and play along!  I think you will love it!

Lots of Pink

At least a lot more pink than I am used to working with!  There is a challenge over at Play Date Cafe using some colors that I am not accustomed to working with.  I guess this week is all about true challenge for me!

I combined these colors with the sketch from OCC Sketch Blog:

Items used: Bo Bunny Petal Pushers; Petaloo Color Me Crazy flower; Unity stamps; May Arts ribbon, Stickles

I was truly inspired to do this other piece of artwork from a sketch I saw on Inspirational Sketches:

I love this sketch because it leaves the crafting world wide open!  I grabbed an Art Blanche clipboard from my stash and covered it with Bo Bunny Petal Pushers.  I built two flowers using paper, Bazzill flowers, Imaginisce flowers, and brads.  The chipboard phrases are Melody Ross, and the ribbon is May Arts.  Truly quick and easy!

Both of these pieces actually fulfill the challenge over Our Creative Corner, too - creations showing what summer means to you.  Summer is all about the flowers to me!

A Little More Pink

I wanted to make a special card for Jerry's grandmother's 90th birthday, so I grabbed some more Melody Ross pink and went about making a card.  I used this week's sketch from ICS.

I used Homespun Chic sugar-coated paper for this square card.  Don't you love the pink and green together?  I had one of these flowers on my mini album in the previous post, too.  They are so easy to make, and because I also have to be a frugal paper crafter, you will probably see a lot more of these homemade flowers in my work.  SO easy to cut those layers, and then mold with distress crackle paint.  CTMH fabric brads are so perfect for these flowers because they add the vintage element.  The hat pin is from Making Memories, and I purchased the ribbon at Wal-Mart.

Create Beauty Everywhere

Isn't this little boy just adorable? Don't you just want to pick him and give him a great big hug? This is my all-grown up Shane when he was just 5 years old. One of our favorite places to visit was Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. Shane especially loved the spring gardens, and that's what we were looking at in these pictures.

Now I know all too many moms that will not scrapbook their sons in "girl" colors. That has never been a problem for me. There are so many colors and patterns out there. I just can't see limiting all of Shane's pages to "boy" colors. For this layout, I used the Melody Ross Homespun Chic line. There a touch of sewing on this layout as well.

I have been scrapping a lot the past few days, but I only share a small portion. Usually all of my layouts go right in a book and at that point, I have surrendered them. Do you know what I mean? Scrapbooks are not just for us. They are for our future generations, and when I create pages, I am thinking of Shane and all the lovely children that I am believing will follow him. Scrapbooking is truly in the soul, I think. Yes, some of our pages are artwork from deep within us - paper crafting at it's best. But more to the point, it's what we record in pictures and in journaling that is important. Because then we've taken what's in our soul and made it our legacy. I'll take that over money anyday.

Three in One

There were quite a few challenges that I really loved this week! Be sure to scroll down to the previous two posts for some other techniques and ideas. I put three cards in one on this post, and this will end my crafting day. When it's cold out, I can't think of anything better to do!!

The first card is a bit of an Asian theme using my CTMH Aspiration stamp set. Basic white is the theme at Cuttlebug Challenges this week, so I only used a bit of desert sand to compliment the white. I love the Cuttlebug dots folder. Perfect to add the little bit of extra to a card!
I took some liberties in the next card for Cards. My scallops are from a Bo Bunny diecut from the Gypsy line to coordinate with the paper from the same line. I maintained the simplicity of the card by adding very few elements. The stamp is Rubber Stampede, and the beautiful natural flower is Prima.

The next paper I used is from Melody Ross' new line, Homespun Chic. I actually cut around the sugared flowers to add them to the card. That cute tag is also from Homespun Chic. (And isn't that true? If you could only see my craft room!) Stamp and ribbon are from CTMH. LOVE this card and will surely be passing it on to one of my creative friends!! This fit into the Embellish Magazine challenge.

Now, unfortunately, I have to think about domestic responsibilites. I am so very fortunate that I have so much time to play. What a blessing!!! Tomorrow I've got some layouts to tackle, so I'll share some of that work with you then. Have a great Monday evening!

Faith

I have been reading a new book by Joel Osteen, "It's Your Time." I love watching Joel from Lakewood Church. Such inspiration and faith-enthusiasm come from the words God gives us through him! His writings from the very first chapter, "you're closer than you think," having been sticking with me not only as I continue to read, but throughout my days. Are you in need of something? Are you trying to get through a particular situation in your life? Try thanking God for the promised delivered...you are closer than you think...

I found this new and lovely Melody Ross paper, and I created what I thought would be the perfect companion page for a journaling page in my memory book. The butterflies are cut from the paper, and I've covered CTMH dimensional elements with another sheet of Melody Ross paper. The ribbon is fro the Paper Source, and the flowers are Bazzill and Prima.