Layout #71 - Creative Accents December Challenge

Creative Accents Challenges has a new December challenge up, and it's one that everyone can play along with:

That's right, anything to do with Christmas, link it up and you could win a prize! And the prize is going to get bigger and better the more entries we get, so that's something to get excited about!!! Here is what I came up with for your inspiration:

I really love how this page turned out, but again, it's one I agonized over. I've had the photos forever, and they're in B&W, so that's easy. I found a great sketch over at 4x6 Photo Sketch Blog, so that was easy, too. The hard part was deciding which papers to use, and then journaling. Can you believe I've drawn a complete blank when it comes to the Christmas of 2009? All I remember is what I derived from the photos, it's terrible!!! I completely blame it on the pregnancy hormones!

Anyway, here's a close up of some of the stitching and snowflakes I used to embellish the page (why I chose snowflakes for indoor photos, I'll never know, but I love 'em just the same!):

And a close up of the journaling:

This is why I'm so glad to be doing the December Daily process. It's a little bit uncomfortable, but it's all worth it in the end to have those little tidbits documented.

Supplies: Bazzill and Coredinations cardstock, BoBunny patterned papers, Prima journaling card and jewels, Sizzix embossing folder, Creative Memories pen, Graphicat Designs snowflake stamp and snowflake embellishments, Ranger and Close to My Heart ink, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, American Crafts Thickers, Hampton Arts letter stamps

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Layout #69 - From Screen 2 Scrap

Well, I'm pretty bummed out about this! I've had this challenge in mind all month, and finally I sit down to do the page at the last minute, complete it, go to link it up, and...the computer's not cooperating! Grrrrr!!! So I missed the deadline. But, I did manage to use some embellies from the prize pack I won from them last month, (they arrived from Australia yesterday, yay, happy mail!) which was a lot of fun! The challenge at From Screen 2 Scrap this month was to use this poster for inspiration:

You're also supposed to incorporate the word "home" in the title, a family photo, and journaling in white. I used this Page Maps sketch to put my page together quickly:

I looooooved the Notebook paper pack from Close to My Heart, so much that I bought both the Level 1 and Level 2 packs and the stickers, but I haven't used much of it. Feels like I've rediscovered it. The die cut butterflies, doily, button, and flower are from the Storytime embellishment kit from Lovelybug Bits 'n' Bobs, soooooo cute, loved getting that in the mail! Ah well, too bad I missed the deadline, but I'm glad I have this page to show for it. This is the family photo I sent out with Christmas cards three years ago, and it's remained unscrapped all these years. Looking at it now, I realize we need one for this year's mail out! Do you send Christmas cards and photos each year? And if so, are you ready to send them, or far behind like me?

Supplies: Close to My Heart patterned paper and stickers, Spellbinders die, Creative Memories pen, Sakura white pen, accents from Lovelybug Bits 'n' Bobs

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Layout #67 - October Project 12

Didn't I just finish my September P12 layout? Seems like it! Well, this month I'm managing to get it done right at the last minute, but on time, so that's better, right? Here's the sketch we were given this month:

I changed it a bit more than I normally would, by flipping the right and left pages, then swapping out the 5x7 photo for 2 4x6's. I also had larger sizes for my other photos because I am cheap and the photo place charges more for smaller prints than the standard 4x6. Can anyone explain why this is fair? A 4x6 collage is printed on a piece of 4x6 paper with the same amount of ink as a standard print (at least I'm assuming it's the same amount of ink, there's only so much ink you can put on a piece of paper, right?), so why should it be 8 times the cost? Anyway, that's my little rant, I'm done now, haha! I'm not loving this layout, but hey, at least it's finished. I do like the felt accents, and I managed to put a dent in my brad stash by studding them up like that. I also like the stitching and the photos, and I like the fact that I was able to use up almost all of my Boom-Di-Ada paper pack to make room for more pretty patterned paper, my lifelong addiction! Have a good week, everyone!

Supplies: Close to My Heart patterned paper, cardstock, stamp sets (Giggle Caps and Cottage Floral), ink, and felt, Creative Memories pen, 7 Gypsies brads, Versamark ink, Judikins embossing powder

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Layout #60 for Once Upon a Sketch

I hope you guys appreciate the agony I went through to bring you this layout! First I had this brainwave of an idea to use my new Spellbinders dies to make four mini photo frames. Sounds good in theory, but it involved cutting 16 pieces, then laying them out. Of course, they didn't want to lay flat, so I glued them down lightly (or so I thought) with school glue. After gluing down 12 or so, I realized they weren't going to come off without tearing the paper, so I ripped 'em all off and started over on the backside with no glue and just the hope that all these little bits would stay put long enough for me to Glimmer Mist the heck out of 'em! It worked well enough, I really like the result, but then Brenna decided to rip my background piece of beautiful Bo Bunny! Grrr!!! I didn't give her away, but I felt like it for a second there! Then there's the subject matter. Yes, that is my bare nekkid butt, posted here for all of Blogland to see. You see, when I was going through all my photos a while ago, I noticed not 1, not even 2 or 3, but 4 photos that Jason had snapped of me relieving myself in remote areas on our various travels. Why he thinks this is so hilarious is really beyond me! I mean, he's the one who drags me to these places without toilets in the first place, but whatever! It's pretty embarrassing and that is the prompt for Once Upon a Sketch, use this sketch:

and talk about an embarrassing moment (or 4!) Here's a close up of some accents and me in the snow:

When I showed Jason this layout, he said, "Wow, I didn't realize I'd taken so many pictures of you going to the bathroom!" (Yeah, wow!) And then he said it was a good page, one of his favorites. And it makes for a good lesson for the kids, so maybe the embarrassment is worth it?

Supplies: Bo Bunny, Cosmo Cricket, and Echo Park patterned paper, Close to My Heart and Coredinations cardstock, Spellbinders dies, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Creative Memories pen, and Close to My Heart ink

Anyhoo, it is late, but I promised I would post Ailis's new creation on my blog:

She used my Kraftin' Kimmie Andrea Acorn stamp and my Copics to make this fall scene. Oh, and the word bubble says, "Hi!" - it's just sideways so it's a bit hard to tell!

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Layout #55 - Sketchy Thursdays and Scrapbooker's Anonymous

This has to be a very quick post because Brenna's screaming at me, but I really want to get it in before the Sketchy Thursdays deadline in, like, 30 minutes. So, hope you like it! It chronicles my first solo camping trip with Ailis, and I loooooove this photo of us with our headlamps on! That mess all over Ailis's face is our attempt at s'mores (note to self: dark chocolate does not melt enough to make a decent s'more!) I'll have to make another layout at some point with more of the story, because I played the best crank phone call to Jason on this trip, and I still get giddy when I think of just how good it was! I'm also entering this over at Scrapbooker's Anonymous for one of their mini birthday challenges, Bling! and at Scrapbooker's Paradise for their distressing challenge this week (all my edges are distressed).

Supplies: Fancy Pants papers and sticker, KI Memories sticker, MAMBI bling word, creative Memories pen, machine stitching

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Layout #42 - Project 12

FINALLY, finished with this one! It seemed to take forever, and there were so many times I wanted to put it aside and do something else, but I persevered, and YAY! So glad I'm doing Project 12 this year, it feels really great to be summarizing each month, and if I got nothing else done in the scrapbooking department, at least I'll have these 12 layouts for the family album.

So, what did I do here? Well, I started with the photos, tried to represent the major happenings and the major players (of course, I'm only in one photo, but that's the way it goes, right?) Then chose patterned paper - I had this cool glossy stripe pp from Imaginisce, with polka dots on the reverse, that seemed to go great with everything, but I wanted a blue background and didn't have any blue. What to do? I masked and brayered some Broken China Distress Ink on both pieces of cream cardstock. It's pretty hard to get even coverage, but I kind of like the uneven look anyway! I also sprayed some Electric Blue Glimmer Mist on there to blotch it up some more. After I laid out my photos and papers, I thought it still looked a bit plain, and that's when I had the idea to make little tags for each photo and tie them with twine. Done, but still a bit plain, so then I had the idea of making each patterned paper block into a little vignette: kites, and trees, and owls, oh my! And don't forget about Mr. Hedgehog, isn't he adorable? I find that sometimes my mind is very grounded in reality, and I balk at the idea of a green sky or a red mushroom, so these little scenes are a bit of a stretch for me! Then it was just the title and journaling, but all this stamping and inking and fussy cutting has me drained! I'm done like dinner, hope you enjoy this little look into my creative process!

Supplies: Close to My Heart cardstock, brads, ink, and stamps, Ranger Distress Ink, Imaginisce and Basic Grey patterned paper, Bazzill orange cardstock, Prima journaling card, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Twinery twine, American Crafts Thickers, Creative Memories pen, My Minds Eye acetate border, Courier New font

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Layout #33 - June Project 12

Hey, remember when I posted my May Project 12 and I was all upset because Jason said it looked Christmassy? Well, Davinie Fiero gave me a shout out on the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog, and she left me a message on my blog, saying that my page was definitely NOT a Christmas page! I was so stoked, I think I might've screamed when I saw my name on the SBCT blog!!! Davinie is the most famous scrapbooker that's ever left me a message, I was totally starstruck!

Anyway, onto June's Project 12 page. I loved this sketch as soon as I saw it because it has 5 equal photos, perfect for my family of 5! See?:

So, choosing photos was simple, I just picked my favorite head shots of the month. Then when I went into Creative Accents, my LSS, this Echo Park paper just jumped out at me, and I knew I had to have it! It's one of the best things about this LO, don't you think?

I also really like the Purple Pumpkin button, and how I did part of the title in twine. Here's a couple close ups.

Hope you enjoy, folks! Oh, by the way, I know my blog photos haven't been the best quality lately. My old computer had Picasa, but this one doesn't. I was going to upload Picasa today, but there's that message that comes up saying "this file can harm your computer". Has anyone had problems with that, or do you think Picasa is safe? Thanks for any advice on this!

Supplies: Bazzill, CTMH and Creative Memories cardstock, Echo Park and Basic Grey patterned paper, Hampton Arts alpha stamps, Prima flowers, Queen and Co. flower sequins and brads, CTMH ink and gems, Colorbok die cut letters, Purple Pumpkin and unknown buttons, twine

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Layout #23 for Twisted Sketches

The twist for this week's Twisted Sketch is "result", so I used that word to inspire this layout about how it feels for me to get a decent haircut! It took years of ho-hum cuts and stylists for me to find "the one", the perfect stylist for my head o' hair. Whenever I leave her chair, I feel gorgeous, and although that feeling usually only lasts until I wash my hair and realize I can't get it to look the same way she did, it's still worth waiting to see her every 6-12 months. Now that I'm closer to her shop, I should be able to go every few months. I can't wait to get some colour(s) put in! (As an aside, Ailis had some interesting comments about these photos. She thinks the "before" photo is better because I look like a dog, and she says I look like a raindrop in the second. I guess beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder!)





For this layout I got down and dirty with the Glimmer Mist, using 3 different colours to make the background page. Next, I embossed a bunch of 2x2 inch squares to make the 8x10 black background block, then sanded them to show the white core. Lots of fun playing with that little Cuttlebug! Some letter stickers, journaling strips, and that cool rhinestone arrow finish it off.





Supplies: Close to My Heart cardstock, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Little Yellow Bicycle patterned paper, Memento ink, Making Memories tiny alpha stickers, American Crafts Thickers, Creative Memories pen, Glitz rhinestone arrow, Provo Craft Cuttlebug and Embossing Folders

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Layout #16 for Scrap-tures

Ta-dah, here is the layout in its entirety! What do you think? The photo was taken at Femsport before the first event, and I was really super nervous, but I'm glad I remembered to take this shot. It goes so great with the patterned papers from the Scrap-tures April kit. Just about everything on this layout is from the kit, although I did add the Thickers, crocheted trim, and little star bead from my stash. This month's add-ons to the kit were a beautiful acrylic stamp set from My Mind's Eye, and some Ranger Perfect Pearls (in white), mini mister, and brush, so I used those along with some Ranger Perfect Medium ink (much like Versamark) to make my own PP on the yellow Bazzill cardstock. Don't you love the shine? All of the patterned paper is from the new MME Stella and Rose line, and I really loved both sides of the ledger paper, so I cut a chunk from behind my photo to save for later. Every month's kit comes with an exclusive sketch from Kristine Davidson of Creative Scrapper's fame, so I used the sketch for this layout but flipped it around to suit my photo. Then all I had to do was add some journaling and a couple of accent pieces (some gorgeous brads, a date sticker, and a chipboard piece, all from the Stella and Rose line) and it was a done deal. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, so I hope you like it too. Starting tonight at 8 p.m. I believe, Scrap-tures is having their Retro Road Trip Crop. It's an online crop, and there'll be all sorts of challenges suited to get those old, old photos scrapped. I hope you'll join us in the forum - it is free and open to everyone (meaning you don't have to be a kit club subscriber to join and play along). This might be my last chance to scrap for a while, because the move day is fast approaching and my stuff is getting packed, aaaahhhh! I'll feel like I have a piece of me amputated without my scrap stuff!!!

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Layout #14 - Scrap-tures Spring Challenge

Just a quick post to show you this layout I completed, hopefully in time, for Scrap-tures blog challenge this week: Spring! These moose have been hanging around for a while now, and you can see in the photo of the baby that he's missing a patch of hair. Poor guy, not sure what happened to him. Anyway, it's not very often you can get close enough to a moose to capture a decent photo, so this was pretty neat to see them right outside our fence. Our neighbour isn't too happy, though - they were munching on his willow trees! I don't know about this layout though. It's kind of blah, don't you think? Not sure what I could've done with it to spruce it up, maybe some green around the journaling card? I'd like to hear your opinions! Oh, this is a GREAT Page Maps sketch from the winter issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine.

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket papers, Prima journaling card, Creative Memories pen, TLC letter stickers, CTMH White Daisy ink, unknown date stamp, ribbon, and twine