Spooky Cat

Happy New Years Eve!!

Ok, I know we just got through Christmas, but I had some older Halloween photos that I have been itchin' to put on a layout.  This picture is of my cat Rossi.  Rossi passed away shortly after this picture was taken on December 1st, 2013.  It was a very sad day.  He was my first fur baby to pass away this last year (another of my babies died in Feb. and one of my dog's was put to sleep in Oct...it has been a rough year).  Anyway, Rossi loved wearing collars so when may daughter found this Halloween collar we bought it and Rossi was all about wearing it.  

For this layout I used a paper collection from Little Yellow Bicycle (I am not sure the name of the collection).   I adhered circles of different sizes that I punched from the paper collection through the middle of the page to help ground the photo.  I also used stickers (Cosmo Cricket - Haunted) and chipboard elements (K & Company - Spooktacular) from my stash.

It is hard to tell in this pic, but I matted the photo on a purple colored paper that I punched one of the edges with a EK Success bat boarder punch.

Here is a closer look at the left side of the layout.  I think that black cat at the left corner of the picture is too cute.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful New Years!  Stay safe out there.

Sarah's Bday

Today I have a layout using the My Mind's Eye - My Girl collection that I got from Crafty Steals (I love that site, but they are such enablers...sending me emails all the time :) ).

This is a pretty simple layout where I was able to use scraps from the past layout that I made.  I added the chevron arrow-like pieces under the two square photos and lifted the edges to give them some dimension.  I popped the entire photo cluster up so that the arrows under the photos would stay raised.  My journaling is all around the outside edge of the 12x12 background page.

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I made this cluster using more of those paper strips and a left over stamped skate from my last layout (this was still from the same skating birthday party so it seemed appropriate).  I also added a sticker and a brad from the same My Girl collection.  The font I used for the title is from Doodle Bug - Teensey Type that I have had in my stash for quite some time.

For the cluster to the bottom left of the picture, I used a pinwheel and camera I stamped from the My Girl stamp set.  I also added a brad from the same collection to the middle of the camera.

Hope you all has a wonderful Christmas.  Can't believe another year is almost over.  Like my dad always told/tells me, life just keeps going faster and faster the older you get.  It is so true after having my daughter.  The last 6 years have just flown by.  Crazy how that happens.

Until next time...Bye!

Great Skate

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.  I just wanted to take a moment to thank those of you that have subscribed to my blog.  I appreciate it.  I also wanted to wish everyone the best.  Please enjoy the little moments this holiday season (an always) as they go by so very quickly.

Today I bring you a layout of my daughter's first skating experience.  A little background on the photos/story: The first time she skated was at a birthday party this Spring.  From the pictures she looks like a pro, but they are deceiving.  The party began with a lot of tears and refusing to skate.  We ended up changing out her skates a few times and was able to find a pair that they were able to tighter down so much, she barely rolled on them.  So she was able to cruised around or at least that is what she believe she was doing.  Looking back, it is good that she was able to do that because at the next birthday party we went to (happened to be at the same place the following week) I was able to convince her to use a "walker" (wish they had these when I was small) that they had and the regular skates.  Win for both of us.

This layout is made with all items from the My Minds Eye - My Girl collection which I got for a deal from Crafty Steals.   The title are letters from an Amy Tangerine - Yes Please collection transparent sticker book.

I used the stamp set that came with the collection to make some of my embellishments such as the the skate, pinwheel, hot air balloon, and flower.  The rest of the eembellishments were stickers from the sticker sheet and brads that came with the collection.

The "Let's roll" is from a cut-a-part sheet.  I sprinkled both of the cluster with Heidi Swapp Mist in Seafoam and Sweet Cherry.

Here is a close-up of the left cluster on the top photo.

See you guys later.  Thanks for stopping by.

First Night

Hello and welcome back.  Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my blog.  I keep saying that I am going to start recording process videos, but it just doesn't seem to happen (I say that like it is going to magically happen without me doing anything.).  

Anyway, on to the layout.  The picture is of my daughter sleeping in her "big girl" bed (basically her crib converted into a daybed) for the first time.  This layout was inspired by a layout that Irit made quite a few months ago I believe.  I cut several strips out of the Maggie Holmes - Crate Paper Style Board collection paper and added stickers here and there that coordinated with each of the strips.  

The title is made with Thickers (boy do I have a ton on Thickers - usually get them at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for a steal at $1.49 a pack or Tuesday Morning for $2.49 a pack).  

At the bottom I cut out matching butterflies and added them to the stips as well as the bottom of the layout.  I ended up cutting the entire layout down just a bit and mounting it on another piece of 12x12 paper.  I think it helps to bring your eye into the page.

Hope you enjoyed.  Have a scrappy day.

Say Ah

So the picture itself is not the best quality, but LOVE the moment it captures.  I love when that happens.

For this layout I used mostly product from the Maggie Holmes - Crate Paper Style Board collection.  The layout itself was pretty simple.  Some layering and embellishments.  No mixed media this time or ink splatters.  Now looking back I see that I forgot to add the date...need to go back and do that.  I am notorious for forgetting the date on my pages.  Not good.

  

I used Mini Market letters from October Afternoon and Thickers for the title.  The little pinwheel came from the Style Board dimensional sticker sheet.  Love the gold accent (have I said before that I liked gold :) ).  I also used a transparency on this layout that says "Love".  I cut it in two (part went in this cluster and the other half went to the upper right cluster).  I believe it is from the same collection, but may have been in my stash.  I also attached a little cork butterfly and added some hand-cut paper banners.

In the upper right embellishment cluster I added a butterfly (I think I may have gotten this from the same sticker sheet as the pinwheel and just removed it from the tag it was attached to).  I also added cork hearts (and cork butterfly above) that I found in the dollar spot at Target and more of the trtransparency

Thanks again for stopping by.  Come back and see me again sometime.

Last Crop at Archivers

I really like how this layout turned out.  I think the gold accents and sequins make the layout so very pretty.  Most everything on this layout is from the Crate Paper - Styleboard collection.  I love the gold paper tape, I will defiantly be using this on more layouts to come.  The sequins are a collections from my stash.  I backed the entire layout on another patterned paper (not sure the brand/collection). 

    

Here are a few pictures of the embellishment clusters.  Isn't the "Today" frame pretty?  I think my new love is gold accents.  

I like how you can see the other layers under the acetate shapes that I added.  It really gives a lot of dimensions to the layout as well.  

The title is made up of Thickers and October Afternoon - Daily Flash fonts.  

I really, really love Crate Paper.  It is probably one of my favorite brands of paper and embellishments. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.  Have a great day!

Chillin' with the Family

Hello again.  Here is a 12x12 layout that I made using several papers from my stash.  I think the background paper and the striped paper is from Stampin' Up!.  The circle is chipboard that I covered with a scrap of paper that I think I got from one of my scrapy friend's stashes at a crop that I attended.  I outlined all of the paper to help coordinate all of the scraps.

The puffy astric stickers are from Studio Calico.  I can't quite remember who makes the vellum and acetate shapes.  I usually throw the packaging away and put all of my die cuts in a different container.  

The title is made with a Jillibean Soup - Alphabean cardstick sticker font and a glittery Thicker font.  The flair is from my stash.  I think that I got it in a Scraptastic Kit.  The plastic paper clip star is from Studio Calico.

To finish off the layout, I journaled around the striped paper.

Thanks again for stopping by.  Hope you enjoyed.

Theis Farm

Here is another layout that I made using the Kate & Co collection from My Minds Eye.  I used mostly scraps for this layout and a few of the cut-apart sheets.  A few pieces of washi tape from my stash finished off the layers. I used pink cardstock for the background and sprinkled the layout with a few colors of mists.   The title is made using Thickers from my stash.

Here are a few close-ups of the embellishment clusters.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great scrappy day.

YouTubers - Sharing the Love

Hello Everyone!  Hope everyone had a marvolous Thanksgiving.  Today I wanted to put something a little different on my blog.  I wanted to share the love and let you know about some of my favorite YouTubers that I have been watching lately.

I get so much inspiration from them.  Since watching YouTube I have changed up my style a bit a love what I am doing with my layouts lately.  I have been using a more collage, layered style.  I find it very freeing.  I LOVED mixing paper and ephemera when I first started scrapbooking in my old brown/gray, construction paper albums that I picked up at Walgreens back in the 90s.

(I went to get this picture with the intention of snapping just a few shots and sat and looked at the album for 30 min...ahhh sweet memories).

So, one to those inspirational YouTubers.

What got me (and appears many others) to start watching and making YouTube videos is Nicole Jones.  Her channel is NicoleJones 911 and you can see it (here).  Right now she is working on her December Daily, but she typically shows 12x12 page process videos and hauls.  Here is one of her videos.

Nicole does a lot of paper layering and mix media type layouts.

KittyScrapper (Nancy Sinclair) is another of my favorites.  She does lots of layering and I am always impressed with how much she layers and it looks so good.

If you like playing or want to get into playing with mixed media, check out Irit's channel (Irit Landgraf).  Here is one of her more recent videos.

I recently also came across Banning Lane.  She does very clean layouts.  A great contrast from Nicole and Nancy, but I really like it.  She uses a lot of Ali Edwards stamps (which I am totally in love with).  I would say her style if very much like Ali Edwards as well.  Check her out.

There are so many others that I did not put links to, but here are a few of their channels.

Victoria Marie - https://www.youtube.com/user/VictoriaMarieScraps/videos
Jenny Box - https://www.youtube.com/user/sparkley1s/videos
Ashley Laura - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFyNEg-2_7HdWFoSVTcWavw/videos
Jen Schow - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM_UUQiyIhLpuNLeXOK-T7A/videos
Manda Moore - https://www.youtube.com/user/mandalikadesigns/videos
Meaghan Russo - https://www.youtube.com/user/strynights/videos
Robin Voak - https://www.youtube.com/user/Funkyfunand40/videos
Mercytiara - https://www.youtube.com/user/mercytiara/videos

There are probably a few more, but these are my favorites.  Hope you check them out and give them some love.

Until next time...happy scrappin'

Children Are the Best Gifts

Hello everyone.  Long time, no blog posts.  Well, I have been scrappin' but just haven't had time to sit down and put a post together.  

Here is a layout that I did of my daughter's 100th day of school PJ party back in 2012.  I watercolored the background (used water color paper that I got from Michaels) and mounted it on a green cardstick.  Most of the paper that I used and the embellishments are from the My Minds Eye - Kate & Co collection.  The doily is from my stash.  I cut the "children are the best gifts" with my Silhouette.  I believe the cut file is from Wilna Furstenberg (got it from Two Peas in a Bucket before the closed.).

Here are a few close up shots of the embellishment clusters.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you enjoyed.

Moo, Baaa.....

Here is a layout I made using things that I have had in my stash for F-O-R-E-V-E-R...like I am talking years people.  Especially the die-cut background.  It was cut on one of the older machines that kind of burned the paper as it cut.  I got it from a scrapbook store that is no longer in business :( (It seems like they are all closing around me...I have pretty much been relegated to on-line shopping and some Michaels/Hobby Lobby as well).

The rest of the items on this page are just a hodge podge of stash.  The flowers are from a Stampin' Up! die-cut sheet, the butterflies are from a Basic Gray page kit, the cork arrows (well those are a bit newer) are from Studio Calico.  The background floral paper came with the die-cut white page.  

Close-ups to get a better view of the embellishments.

The embellishments that make up the butterflies body are both brads.  I also added some sequents from Theresa Collins to jazz it up a bit. 

Thank you for visiting.  Until next time, happy scrappin'

Time for Cake

This page is made using items from the May - Daylight Scraptastic kit.  I wasn't completely in love with either of the kits this month, but I wanted to try a kit that had colors different that what I had been getting for a change.  The other kit (The Story I Heard) was cute, but just seemed to work better if I had a teenage daughter.  Anyway, this is a picture of my Cousin on his birthday.  He shares his birthday with my other cousin and he is happy to do so.  They are quite different in age, but it is fun to watch him play with her and my daughter when then get together.  

Here is the view of the overall layout.  I really love the start background.  I think it is a Bella Blvd. paper and it has a great texture.  The inspiration for this layout came from a sketch I have on Pinterest (or at least I thought it was...can't find it now that I am looking for it to show here).

Here are some close-ups of the embellishment areas.

Thanks for coming by.  Have a good day.

Shelbs

I love this sweet picture of my little girl when she was about 5 months old.  For this layout I used the June Scraptastic  - Best Day of My Life kit.  The page I showed you on Wednesday was made using the same kit and it is amazing how different they look.  This one is so much brighter and more colorful.  Really like the versatility of this kit.

I also added inking to the background (totally inspired by Kitty Scrapper).  

Here are a few close-ups of the embellishment clusters (all embellishments came from the kit).

I really like the camera flair and the cork accents.  

Besides the roller inking of the triangles, I also added some stamping "Delightful Little Thing".  I watercolored  (it was white) the die-cut flag/bow with watercolors I got from Michaels.

Hope you enjoyed.  Thanks for stopping by.

Love You

Hello Everyone.  Today I have a mixed media layout to share.  I really love honeycomb patterns and anything nature so I was excited about this Scraptastic kit (it had wood grain, butterflies, bird, etc).  The picture is of my daughter from about 5 years ago when we were coming home from a trip to California to visit friends.  She was such a good baby on the plane and mostly slept.  Let me just say I got lucky!!  

All of the items to make the page came in the June (?) Scraptastic Kit.  This kit came with so many things.  There was a crazy number of die-cuts (both vellum and acetate) - I believe all from Heidi Swapp and such fun embellishments.  

Here are some close-ups.

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrappin'

Laugh - My First Mixed Media Layout

Happy Saturday everyone.  I hope you are enjoying the last few days before the kiddos go back to school.  Mine is already going back on the 11th of August...WHAT?!?!...totally crazy.  I remember when I was little we didn't start until after Labor Day.  It is still summer.  How could school be starting already?  Sniff, Sniff.

Anyway, on to the layout.  This is my first mixed media layout.  I just got back from Michaels and couldn't wait to try my new stuff out.  I used watercolor paper as my base and Moulding Paste and a stencil to create the raised areas of the background. Then, once dry, I used my new watercolors.  

On top of all that, I used some of the scraps that I had left over from the Studio Calico - 2013 Kit.

The butterfly in the top left corner was cut using my Silhouette.  I believe I got this shape directly from the Silhouette Online Store.  I cut it out using watercolor paper and painted it to match my background.  

Here are a few close-ups of the other embellishment clusters.  Supplies are listed below.

Supplies: 

• Studio Calico - September 2013 kit
• Watercolor Paper from Michaels
• Watercolors - Artist Loft
• Chip Board Emblishments: My Minds Eye: Collectable 
• Silhouette Cut files
• Studio Calico vellum
• Wood Veneer - Stash and Scraptastic
• Homemade enamel dots
• Stencil - Heidi SwappModeling Paste - Liquitex
• Other: Studio Calico tidbits, yellow enamel dots from Scraptastic and doodle bug, Wink Of Stella brush, and Studio Calico printables.

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Scrappin'.