A Few Challenges

It's summer, and I know you're busy so here are a few things to get your creative juices flowing.
This example has a few purposes. First, if you take my Basic Grey Card Class at A Walk Down Memory Lane on July 24 (details in the right hand column), you'll get to make this card. It's also an entry for Moxi Fab's Clean and Simple Card Challenge. All week Moxie Fab is having card style challenges. Click here to check them out and play along.
The papers and buttons are from Basic Grey and the stamp is from Technique Tuesday (which just happens to be 25% off this month at AWDML).
Up next is a little layout inspiration. On the 15th of the Month Scraptiv!ty posts a layout sketch on-line with 3 examples. 1 example was made by me: You can check out the sketch and the other examples by clicking here. This was a bit of a step outside my comfort zone. I don't usually do shabby chic layouts, but I think this one turned out well. All of the paper, ribbon, buttons, journaling stickers, and miscellaneous accessories are from Chatter Box. I used a gold gel pen to journal and to outline the edges of my patterned papers. Thanks for stopping by for a little inspiration.

Chirp, chirp, chirp...

Yes, that's the sound of crickets on my blog! Whew, sometimes it takes a bit to get back into the swing of things after vacation. But, I've been working diligently on a few things to share with you over the next few weeks. Today, though, I wanted to catch you up on what's going on and share some cards that I made at my last card class. If you're in the area of A Walk Down Memory Lane come by and check out one of my classes some time and you can make fun cards like these, too. This card uses paper from Like Father Like Son from Fancy Pants, Artisan Tape from Pink Paislee, and stamps from Technique Tuesday. All Technique Tuesday stamps are 25% off at A Walk Down Memory Lane this month.
This card also uses stamps from Technique Tuesday. The "missing you" stamp is from Cornish Heritage Farms. The paper is from Bella Blvd All Inclusive Line.

This last card uses papers from one of my favorite new companies, Echo Park. Their papers are just perfect for summer! The stamp is from Unity Stamp Company, and the border punch is Apron Lace from Fiskars.

Finally, I'd like to remind you to stop by Scraptiv!ty this summer. You can check out the great sales they have going on all summer long here on the blog. Also, check out the forum here, for some great summer contests and project ideas from the design team.

Here's to getting back into the swing of things!

Scraptiv!ty June Kit Part 2

I have 2 more items to share today that were created today with Scraptiv!ty's June Kit.

First up is card that unfolds to hold a gift card:

I also created a layout. I need to explain the layout a bit. When I used to live in Colorado, I played Bunco once a month with a group of ladies from my church. The first game night after I had my first child, they threw me a surprise baby shower (and of course, we still played bunco). It was such a kind thing to do, and now I have a layout for that memory:

If you want to see more creations with this great kit click here to go to the Scraptivity gallery to check out what the other Designers created.

Scraptiv!ty June Kit Part 1

Yeah! It's time to reveal Scraptiv!ty's June kit. As always, I'll have half of my projects to show you today, and half tomorrow, so don't forget to stop by again then. This month's technique was all about using games and game pieces to capture those special memories.
1st up is a layout of my 3 yr. old.
As you can see, I used the game pieces to highlight the fact that he's 3 (I think I made that fact clear here...he he he).

Now here's a great way to hand out treats, prizes, or poker chips for your next family game night:

Finally, there are a lot of dominoes in this kit, and I needed use up the extras, so I turned them into magnets and a necklace:Pretty fun! See you back tomorrow for release part 2.

When Old is New

Yesterday, I was showing someone this book I made almost a year ago. I realized it's never been posted on my blog, so I thought I'd quickly share it with you. People were always comparing my boys and trying to remember if the older one looked like the younger one when he was that age, so I made this fun side by side comparison book of their first year:The book is from Kaisercraft, most of the patterned paper is from Basic Grey, the brads and ribbon, and card stock are from Stampin' Up!, the cuts were done with my Silhouette, and the title was sketched with my Silhouette as well.
This upcoming week is going to be a busy one on my blog. Starting Tuesday I'll have the new June Scraptiv!ty kit featured here. It's a great kit, and you're not going to want to miss it!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day

Hello! I hope you've all found a great way to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, whether it's cropping in person or with an on-line community. My fellow Design Team members and I over at Scraptiv!ty area having a great time with an on-line crop. Just for visiting my blog today, you get a sneak peak of a challenge I will be posting tonight at 8 pm on the S! board. Now, I'm not going to tell you what the challenge is, but here's the page I created for the challenge:

This page is also part of an album being given to a friend for a thank you gift. The pocket on the bottom right hand side holds clouds (cut with my Silhouette) that have thank you notes written on them:
The paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love line.
Now, if you looking for something to do this fine day, click here to head on over to all of the fun at Scraptiv!ty.

Mama-Razzi

I received my April Scraptivi!ty kit full of Bo Bunny Mama-razzi papers about a month ago now, and I still can't get enough of this line. It even inspired me to start blog stalking Bo Bunny. Guess what I found out? Bo Bunny's having an ad inspiration layout challenge right now. You can find all the details here.
I found this add and thought it would translate to a layout so well, I just love the clean lines:

Here's the layout I came up with:
Supplies:
Papers - Bo Bunny Mama-Razzi: Stripe, Flash, and Dot
Rub-ons - Bo Bunny Mama-Razzi
Card Stock: Core'Dinations Black Magic
Embellishments: Vanilla Ric Rac
Pebbles Inc Candy Dots

Moxie Fab, Fab Friends, and Some Upcoming Fun

You know I love playing along with the challenges and Tuesday Triggers over at Moxie Fab World, well click here to check out this week's Tuesday Trigger creator at the Moxie Fab World. You might just see a project by someone you know (me!!!).

I just got done creating a layout that will be part of a gift scrapbook. The scrapbook chronicles this past year of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), and will be given as a thank you gift to this year's coordinator. This page is of our steering team:
I used some of my favorite papers from Cosmo Cricket Earth Love. These papers are soft, pretty, and subtly girlie. I love them! I added some stitching around the edges using a Bazzill in stitch template. I used a scallop punch and a small hole punch to make the flowers. The letters are Thickers from American Crafts.
One more fun, and hidden, detail:
That little tag behind the photo pulls out for journaling. We're going to write a very heartfelt, very sappy thank you note to our coordinator on it and slip it back behind the photo.
I've made a companion page to this layout, but you'll have to wait until May 1 to see it. In case you didn't know May 1 is national scrapbooking day. There are lots of fun activities going on all over the paper crafting world. I'll be hosting a challenge over at Scraptiv!ty that uses that companion page. If you're in the northwest Iowa region that day you'll want to swing by A Walk Down Memory Lane where they have classes, crops, and a make and take (made by yours truly). Remember, friends don't let friends craft alone! I'd love to have you join me on-line or in person for some fun May 1.

Scraptiv!ty April Kit Part 2

Today I have 2 more projects made with the April Scraptiv!ty kit.
This layout again uses the altered photo technique. Here I printed the larger photo directly onto patterned paper:
The second project is a mini-album. I take so many pictures of my boys, but usually am not in many pictures with them (I know you can relate!), so I decided to do a mini-album of just pictures of me with my boys. The pictures are printed on canvas to give them a shabby chic feel. Both the Bo Bunny Edgy Album and the pre-cut Mama-razzi papers can be added on to the April kit.

Scraptiv!ty April Kit Part 1

It's Scraptiv!ty Kit release time for April, no foolin'!!! I'm pretty sure this is my favorite kit yet. This kit features papers from Bo Bunny's Mama-razzi line. I love the mix of blues, browns, greens, and black and the photo/camera theme. Equally fun is this month's technique of different ways to alter photos.
First up is a layout:
I altered the photo by adding blue ink to the photo, journaling directly on it, and adding a rub-on to the corner of it. I used my Silhouette to cut the detail behind the photo.

Next up is a card:
I love how core'dinations card stock pops when you emboss and sand it!

The final project that I have for you today just may be my favorite:
I had my dear husband cut a 26" x 6 1/2"piece of wood. Then I painted it, and covered it in mama-razzi paper, photos, ink, and embellishments. Now I have a great piece of art for my wall. In fact, my husband is hanging it as I type this.
Come back tomorrow to see what else I created with this awesome kit!

Oh Dear!

Oh dear, I must apologize, I've gone a whole week without posting. My mom has been visiting, and I've been having so much fun, that it just slipped through the cracks. Well, my mom's gone home now, and I thought I'd post a card. This card was done with images cut with my Silhouette, Sampin' Up! stamps and card stock, and My Mind's Eye patterned paper.
Scraptiv!ty's April kit release is Thursday, so check back here Thursday and Friday and I promise to have lots of new projects both days using the kit. It's one of my favorite kits so far, you won't want to miss it!

A tale of 2 cards

Well, I know I've said it before, but I do like stepping out of my comfort zone to make cards. It helps me grow as a paper crafter, but it's not always ad successful as I'd like it to be. I have 2 cards today. 1 is 100% in my comfort zone and the other is way outside it. 1st up is the not so comfortable card.

This is for Moxie Fab World's Doilies and Lace challenge. Vintage, shabby chic, or whatever you want to call it isn't really my style, but hey, it was fun to give it a try. Most of what you see up there is from my February Scraptiv!ty kit. I cut some of the lace into strips and twisted it up to make the lace flower. Then I used some brown ink to dirty it up a bit. All of my non-kit items came from A Walk Down Memory Lane (AWDML) and include the journaling tag from My Mind's Eye, the pretty stick pins from Jenni Bowlin, the i love you stamp from Heidi Grace, and the Sunburst border punch from Fiskars.

Now up is a card that's 100% in my comfort zone.
This card uses paper from My Mind's Eye Andrea Victoria Collection. The border punch is one of my favorites, Apron Lace by Fiskars. The Happy Birthday stamp is by Cornish Heritage Farms. The rhinestone brads and ribbon are from Stampin' Up!

Erin go Bragh!

A happy St. Patty's Day to you all. I'm and Irish girl through and through (at least on my mom's side), so I wanted to make sure to stop in and wish you all a Happy St. Patty's. This is a repeat card for 2 reasons. 1. It's one of my favorites and is perfect for St. Patty's Day (Erin go bragh translates to Ireland Forever). 2. Moxie Fab World is having a lace and doilies contest. You can find the details here. That lace made from glitter is perfect for the contest. If you haven't already, you can get this lace and doily kit (full of gorgeous paper, too) from Scraptiv!ty.

Spring is in the Air!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that the days are getting sunnier and warmer. I am so very ready for spring, and so are my fellow DT members over at Scraptiv!ty. We're having a Spring Fling Contest that will last from now until May 1st (National Scrapbooking Day) and includes 6 challenges. The prize is a guest Design Team spot for 2 months. That means you get 2 Scraptiv!ty kits to play with! You can check out all of the details here.
The other great thing about sunny days is that they bring great natural light for me to photograph my pages. This weekend I was at my local scrap store. I was dropping off some DT work and then going to pick up a Birthday present for my Mother-in-law. I was not going to buy anything for myself (I know, I can hear you laughing). Well, I just happened to walk past the new Studio Calico papers and FabRips embellishments. Of course, I had to buy some. Here's a page I made with Studio Calico's Homefront line.
What I love about this finished project, is a few of the unexpected details. Check out the journaling a little closer:
I embossed a piece of paper with the Quickutz Retro Square embossing folder. It goes so well with the feel of the Studio Calico papers.
The title was cut using my Silhouette. Man, I love that machine!
And, of course, I couldn't help adding a few brads from Basic Grey and a grommet from We R Memory Keepers.
Now I'm going to go out and enjoy the sun!

Thinking Highly

I can't believe the weekend's gone already! I hope you all had a crafty weekend. I had a fun time teaching a class at my LSS on Saturday. Sunday we went to see Playhouse Disney Live. I took some great photos of my boys that I can't wait to scrap. Today I thought I'd play along with Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger. Here's the picture they posted to get your creative juices flowing:Here's what I came up with:As you can see, I was inspired by the colors of this week's Trigger. I had some leftover 7 Gypsies paper from my November Scraptiv!ty kit that was just perfect. I also had some Core'dinations paper left over from that same kit. I ran it through my Big Shot with a Quickutz embossing folder, and then sanded the design to make it pop. The stamp is from Lizzie Anne Designs. I just picked it up from A Walk Down Memory Lane last week. Any excuse to use a new stamp, right?
If you want to play along with the Trigger too, you have today still to play.

3 Random Projects

Here are 3 random projects I've done recently for you viewing entertainment.
Random project 1:This is a charm and chain from Stampin' Up. The 1" x 1 1/4" charm plus chain cost just under $30 total, and I have to tell you, I'm really pleased with the quality. It opens like a locket. There's glass on both sides, so you could make this a double-sided charm if you wanted too. The glass on the front is beveled and the glass on the back is flat. The beveled glass also gives you a little room for layers and embellishments. I used My Mind's Eye's Ooh La La paper on the inside and added a Kaiser Craft Rhinestone for a little pizazz. I just put it together quickly to match an outfit I was going to wear. What I love the most, is that I can change it up as I please. So easy!

Random Project 2:
This is a frame I did for my sister who works for Make-A-Wish. I think I've mentioned before how much I love that organization and all the people who make MAW such a success. Just a little something for her office. Do you see those little half pearls inside the stars in the background? Well those (and the big pearls) are actually on top of the glass to add a little dimension to the project. The paper is from DCWV's Luxury Stack. "Wish" was cut from vinyl with my Silhouette SD. The star background was also cut with my Silhouette. It's hard to tell, but the layer under the stars is actually a pale shade of blue, not white. Oh, and that frame (mat and all) cost me a whopping $3 at Walmart.

Random project #3:
Did you know Scraptiv!ty post a new sketch on their website every month with 3 different layouts examples? I was one of the layout creators this month, and the above is what I came up with. Are you curious now about what the sketch looks like? Click here and you'll be sent straight to this month's sketch and examples. The paper and buttons are from Fancy Pants. I picked it up at A Walk Down Memory Lane, which just happens to have everything by Fancy Pants on sale this month for 25% off. Oh, and they also have Hero Arts Stamps on sale for 25% off too! Woo, hoo! Those artists at work are my boys, painting away on a canvas.