Sketch-a-Thon

Hsve you been playing at Sketches for You?  The sketch-a-thon is in full swing!  One of our very special guests is Cherie from Sassy Lil' Sketches.  For the Sketch-a-Thon, I was asked to create a page using the following sketch:

I loved this one, and here is what I came up with:

Items used: Magic Moments Level 1, My Stickease, and Cocoa Grosgrain (CTMH); Slice Design Card Fall/Back to School (Making Memories); Hot Rocks and i-Rock (Imaginisce); Double Loops Edge Punch (Martha Stewart)

Sketches in Thyme Reveal

It's Thursday and that means it's time for a new sketch over at Sketches in Thyme!  We are using a Helen  Croft sketch again, and I am always thrilled to work with her sketches. 

These pictures are from 1991.  It was Jerry's parents and grand-parents were celebrating their anniversaries at the same party.  These are such wonderful memories!   Visit Sketches in Thyme and try this sketch yourself for an entry into the monthly prize.

Items used: CTMH Grace Level 2, Stickease, cocoa grosgrain, sparkles, alpha stamp set, chipboard buttons, and cocoa marker (for faux stitching); Bazzill and Bo Bunny flowers, CI chipboard hearts

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)

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!

It's a Sassy Lil' Sketches Day!

It's time to play along again at Sassy Lil' Sketches!  Here is the sketch for the 14th:

Be sure to hop over to see what the "14th Sassies" have done.  You'll receive lots of inspiration from them!

Sassy Lil' Sketches gives you the whole month to play along.  Isn't that great?  You have to have your projects done by the end of the month.  For each challenge you complete during the month, you get an entry towards one of the wonderful prizes!  Check them out on my right sidebar - they are awesome again this month!!

Better Living through Scrapbooking Reveal Day!

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge!!  Be sure to take a look at the prizes for this month on my right sidebar.  WOWIE - there are some good ones!!  I LOVE designing for this challenge blog.  I am challenged every week, and that is just incredible.  If you've been scrapping for a long time like I have, it's good to learn to streeeeeetch!!  So without further ado, here is the challenge this week at BLTS!

Quite the fashion disaster, don’t you think?! My husband laughed and laughed when I brought out this picture! Okay, now I think it’s quite the look, but back in 1982, it was really a good look! That BIG hair, BIG glasses, BIG faux fur coat, silver metallic dress. Really, what on earth was I thinking?! Stop laughing!!  It's time to get on to the challenge…


“Fashion disaster challenge”

Create a layout about a fashion disaster, hair disaster, or social faux pas that happened to you. I've highlighted the options that I used:

1. Use an old school photo of yourself on your layout.

2. Use fabric or canvas on your page(s). I used twill fabric as a mat on my layout. It’s kind of fun to use because you can pull the threads on the sides. After I did that, I distressed it with Vintage Photo distress ink. In fact, all the paper is edge distressed and then age with Vintage Photo. I’ve also added a felt vine to my page.

3. Use one larger and two smaller photo on your page.

4. Use ribbon in a fun and/or unusual way on your page. There are so many great things to do with ribbon! it is not very original to put a piece across the layout as I’ve done, BUT I’ve knotted the same ribbon and used it as flower centers. The little butterfly was fussy cut from the paper behind the picture, and I covered it with glossy accents to give it a glass look.

5. Use the following as a page title, or the beginning of your journaling: “Quick, Call the Fashion Police!” Well, really what else can you say? I needed the fashion police and they were nowhere to be found that day! I printed this on vellum and aged the edges.

Items used: Cream Vellum and French Vanilla Bazzill flowers (Discount Cardstock); Le’Romantique and Fashionista paper (Graphic 45); Crocheted Ribbon (American Crafts); Felt Vine (Prima); Vintage Clip (Close To My Heart); Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Edge Distresser and Glossy Accents (Ranger)

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

Sketches in Thyme Reveal Day!

It's time for a new sketch over at Sketches in Thyme!  We are using a sketch from Helen Croft - she is amazing!  You can link up to her Scrap-a-Little Sketches blog on my left sidebar.  Here is the sketch we are working with this week:

Don't you love the possibilities?  Even though it's not my reveal week, I was anxious to use this sketch!

Items used: Lily Bee Designs paper, rub-ons, and chipboard; Petaloo paper flower; CTMH dutch blue cardstock

Play along for your chance to win the fabulous prize sponsored by Maven Tanya that you'll find on my right sidebar.

Wednesday Afternoon Artwork to Share

I have a couple of cards and a layour to show you this afternoon.  My artwork will be done in spurts for awhile until I can get used to my full-time schedule and getting up so early in the morning!  I used to be a night owl getting a lot of work done into the wee hours.  I've actually gotten a lot more done today, but it's not time to reveal them yet!  (I am so thankful for scheduled posts!!)

All rightie, let's get to the good stuff and the reason you stopped by in the first place.  First up, I've got a layour for the Adornit monthly challenge.  I've been playing along for 4 or 5 months now, and I almost forgot to do this challenge!  I neglected to order the monthly page kit that Adornit puts together.  Usually I leave that out as a reminder.  (Sidebar - can you image what my craft desk really looks like with all these piles?!)

I grabbed some Adornit I had in my stash and created a layout with the theme "everyday giggles" and using the three items necessary - a rub-on, a dimensional flower, and a sticker.  Here's what I came up with:

Shane was just a year old here.  What a little blonde peanut!!  I used all Adornit for this layout except for CTMH black cardstock, a SU! rub-on, and my "so cute" from the Slice Big Kids design card.

Up next is the a card I made for Heart 2 Heart challenges.  I haven't had the chance to play for a month or so, and I really wanted to make the time this week.  It's a CTMH color challenge - NewEngland Ivy, Autumn Terracotta, and Honey.  Well, those colors are right up my alley, so I created this fall card using the circle templates from Jeanette Lynton's Wishes book.

All products used for this card are CTMH.

The last thing I want to remind you about is the Sketches for You Sketch-a-Thon.  It started today with the pre-challenges.  I posted this fall/back to school challenge using a sketch from PageMaps:

Items used: Imaginisce Apple Cider; Kraft paper; CTMH Colonial White buttons; Tim Holtz sentiment stamp; Zing Vanilla Embossing Powder; random hemp and leaf button

You have until Spetember 30th to complete this challenge, so hop on over for your chance to win a prize!

I hope you are having a grand Wednesday afternoon!  Be sure to make it your best day!!

Let's Scrap Reveal Day!

It's Wednesday and a new sketch over at the Let's Scrap community!!  Here is the sketch that Cheri designed for this week:

I have used the right side of the layout making it more masculine:

I had these pictures from a storm we had this summer where we lost part of our willows.  I wish I could angle on a layout so that I could have done that 4th picture that way.  I fear that the "straight line" scrapper in me would rip the layout apart at a future date.  You all know that about me anyway, though - LOL!!  Check out the main page over at Let's Scrap and see what the other design team members did with this layout.  Gorgeous!!  Play along for the chance to win the weekly goodies!!

Items used:  Bo Bunny Roughin' It, Paradise, and U Bug Me collections; CTMH swirl clip and edge anchors; ribbon from stash (and I wish I could remember where I got it because I love that printing on the twill!)

Let's Scrap also has a monthly challenge using a Julie Bonner sketch.  If you play along, you have a chance to win a huge Jillibean Soup package!!  You will find this sketch on the Let's Scrap main page.

Sketch Reveal at Sassy Lil Sketches!

There is a new sketch over at Sassy Lil Sketches today!  The reveal is done by the "7th Sassies," so be sure to hop over there to see their work - it's awesome!! 

Check over at my right sidebar to see the prize for September. Again, there are some fabulous sponsors this month!!! For each time you play during the month, you gain an entry.  Fun, huh?!!