Kensington Design

Miss Arts Debut + Get Picky Inspiration!

2012-02-08T18:36:00.001-07:00

Very excited to be debuting a class at Miss Art's Papercrafting School!
It's called Stretch-A-Sketch, and you can see the preview video HERE.
The class features 6 layouts, using 3 sketches...here's a peek:

The class subscriptions are super-affordable at Miss Art's, with lots of fun, inspiring subjects & teachers, so if that's something you're interested in, I hope to see some of you over there, beginning Friday, February 10th!

Now, onto the current Inspiration Challenge @ Get Picky...it's summer there, & winter here, so the challenge is to create a page documenting any holiday, using at least 4 photos!

Here's a picture of the inspiration:

And here's my layout:

I've been hoarding this October Afternoon distressed-wood paper for an Oregon beach layout, and finally got up the courage to part with it, lol.

Used a fun mix of different OA embellishments & Twinery twine...plus some dry-brushing with Sprinklers for a fun, beachy look.

I had fun playing around free-style with paint & twine on this layout...what have you had fun playing around with lately on your scrappy projects?

One last note on my previous blog post...WOW, 111 comments, what a treat! I really appreciate all your kind words as you hopped around with Epiphany Crafts & Echo Park...thanks so much for joining in & leaving such sweet thoughts about my project!

Blog Hoppin' with Epiphany Crafts & Echo Park!

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Echo Park Paper Co. and Epiphany Crafts Blog Hop!

On this hop you'll see the amazing things you can create when you combine Echo Park Paper Co. paper and embellishments with the amazing tools from Epiphany Crafts. Below you will find the blog hop list. Simply hop from one blog to the next to discover entirely new ideas for using these amazing tools with our beautiful products.

Leave a comment on each designers' and company's blog to qualify for the drawing for an Epiphany Crafts Heart Button Tool and Heart Button Epoxy stickers, as well as, two collection kits "Yours Truly" and "A Boys' Life" from Echo Park Paper!

We hope you enjoy all the inspiration created by these two amazing teams. Winners will be announced on Friday, February 3rd on the Echo Park Paper blog and the Epiphany Crafts blog. All comments are due before midnight EST on Wednesday, February 1st to qualify for the drawing.

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Here's my project, featuring Epiphany Crafts heart tools & Echo Park Yours Truly:

Your next stop on the blog hop is: Julie Walton

If you haven't started from the beginning, here's the entire blog hop list:

Start at Epiphany Crafts blog

Audrey Pettit

Aly Dosdall

Then onto the EP team:

End at Echo Park Paper blog

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Thanks so much for joining us!

CHA-CHA-CHA time!!!

2012-01-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's one of my favorite blog posts of the year...
my photo-heavy wish list from the upcoming Winter CHA!

First & foremost...honeycombs:

Hambly


MME

Jenni Bowlin

Next up, favorite papers:

Crate...I can never pass up a nice vintage strawberry print!

GCD Studios

American Crafts...ruffle heaven!

MME...new favorite floral.

MME...woodgrain+doilies.

Can never pass up October Afternoon+Vintage.

Embellishments, stamps, art mediums:

Crate Paper...love the new banner buttons!

Studio Calico...perfect color set for me!

Gotta have my butterfly fix!

Simple Stories...perfect for my Peace, Love, & Happiness tween!

I'm really loving the fresh-vintage, happy, colorful-but-elegant selections this year!
What else has caught your eye from the sneak peeks & reveals you've seen?

Get Picky...1st sketch of the New Year!

2012-01-20T09:40:00.001-07:00

When I saw this month's circle-filled Get Picky sketch challenge, it reminded me of some fun
"toddler-blowing-milk-bubbles" photos that I have of my youngest daughter...great for the circle motif!

Polka-dots, painted background, round accents...from the milk bubbles in the photos to the border punch & looped twine...circles everywhere!

As always, please come join our challenge, get inspired, be in the running for a great prize, & get a layout completed along the way!

Thrilling Vintage News...

2012-01-19T19:05:00.002-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that I'm a new member of the DT at Vintage Street Market!

You all know I LOVE my vintage, and this unique company has a crafting philosophy that I adore:

"Vintage Street Market celebrates memories, and the textures, sentiments and simplicity from times past. It is our intention to not only offer exceptional products and superior customer service, but to also create a community where nostalgia can be shared, creativity explored, and memories preserved."

Vintage Street Market offers a selection of unique vintage-inspired & vintage-reproduction branded products, as well as gorgeous authentic vintage items & kits. Check out their new Valentine's kit!

How gorgeous are the images, textures, colors, and trinkets in this one-of-a-kind, authentically vintage assortment?!
Love it.

So stay tuned for some fun vintage DT projects coming your way!

It's a New Year at Get Picky!

2012-01-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already the second week of 2012, and I've completely neglected to post the current Get Picky challenge!
Get Picky's current inspiration is all about new beginnings...creating a layout inspired by a lovely, hopeful poem you can find HERE.

The lines in the poem that stood out to me were:

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself,
And not be dependent on another's judgement of your accomplishments.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

I chose to create a layout about our family's yearly Solstice celebration...each year we light a candle, review our gratitudes of the past year & our hopes for the new one. Then we go outside to welcome back the return of the sun, and sprinkle crumbs & birdseed for the woodland creatures (from the Winter Solstice episode of the cartoon Little Bear). :-)

Here's my sunshiny layout:

I incorporated both snow and sun by using a yellow palette, star pins, & snowflakes:

Hoping your January is turning out to be a happy one!

January @ Pretty Little Studio

2012-01-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy this month, to be guest designing back at Pretty Little Studio!

Melissa @ PLS asked me to design the weekly sketches for the month, so make sure to check their blog every Tuesday for a new sketch challenge.

Here is the sketch for this week:

PLS has these great, large journaling pennant tags HERE...I so used one as a template, and cut three more out of patterned paper for photo mats.

Here's a peek at the layout:

For the full layout, go peek at today's blog post HERE, and feel free to comment, participate, and maybe even win a prize! ;)

For those interested, they're also conducting a design team call, which ends on the 15th, so check it out!

Top 11 of 2011...

2011-12-31T00:43:00.001-07:00

One of my FAVORITE things to do around this time of year is to check out my favorite scrappers'
"Top Layouts of the Year" blog posts...so inspiring & so fun to see all their favorite work together in one place!

I started following suit last year, & definitely want to join in on the fun this year as well...a great way to reflect on the memories I've documented & the creative fun I've had in the past 12 months.

So here we go...my top 11 favorite layouts of 2011:

Years scrapped in these layouts: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
Favorite product types I notice: trim, twine, doilies, flowers, butterflies, word stickers
Often-used techniques: stitching, inks/paints, punching, distressing
Topics scrapped: holidays, birthdays, vacations, daily life, cousins, thoughts, personality traits

Overall, a fun mix and a great year of making & keeping memories...here's to yet another year of creativity & an appreciation & celebration of life!

A Fond Farewell to Sweet Peach...

2011-12-23T17:43:00.002-07:00

As most of you will have already heard, the kit club I sketch-design for, Sweet Peach Crop Shop, has now closed.
It was a great kit & a WONDERFUL team to work with...I truly enjoyed working with these fabulous ladies:

Angela Gutshall
Corrie Jones
Jing-Jing Nickel
Julie Rainbolt
Melissa Stinson
Missy Whidden
Sara Zenger
Shannon Morgan

As a final goodbye, here are my last two sketches & layouts for Sweet Peach:

Medallions, pennants, & banners are still on-trend in the scrapping world right now, and this sketch uses all three! Here's what I created with it:

Love the little fabric Webster's Pages tag in the kit, and all the gorgeous soft-palette papers.

The last sketch has lots of great photo/paper-blocking options, plus a fun large-circular accent.

I used the gorgeous ribbon from the kit...with the kraft MME background, it makes for a great holiday page:

One last THANK YOU to Sweet Peach Crop Shop for being so wonderful!

And, Happy Holidays to those who will be celebrating this weekend...wishing you ALL a cozy weekend full of love, family, & fun!

Get Picky Sketch Time!

2011-12-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me what happened to the rest of December...it's all a blur since my post on the 1st, LOL.
Lots of holiday happenings...throw in the flu + lots of scrappy assignments = blog neglect.

But, the Get Picky sketch challenge is up HERE...a great one:

I love this design, great use of columns and circles, flourishes and accents...here's my interpretation:

I flipped the sketch so I could use a vertical column of photos...photo-booth strip-style.

Used an eclectic mix of old & new...KI Memories calendar, Hambly, Prima, Tim Holtz, & Maya Road.

Seems like yesterday, when my little one was just 3, with all those cute misspoken words that come along with toddlerhood.

Get Inspired with Get Picky!

2011-12-01T20:18:00.001-07:00

This month's inspiration challenge over at Get Picky is great....it's All About Words!
The idea is to focus on the story, the words, the journaling,
and I just love the image to go along with it:

Love the idea of letting your imagination "take flight" while reading, so for my layout I focused on telling the "story" of how, in the past couple years, I've made more time again for reading in my daily life:

I knew I had to use the Studio Calico Ex Libris paper for this, so I cut out two of the images, then used the 2-space negative left over to house my journaling (seems to have a very cool Jill Sprott vibe, both the journaling AND the idea of words...loved her recent Miss Art's journaling class!!!).

I tucked a tag behind the journaling, to document some of my recent reads.
The two smaller book-stack photos also do a great job of showcasing what types of books I've read in the past year:

To join in on the fun of capturing a story on a layout of your own, check out the details and other DT examples HERE.

Sweet Peach Mini Time + Sketch Challenge

2011-11-30T11:53:00.001-07:00

November's Juicy kit at Sweet Peach Crop Shop is a fabulous mini-album kit, featuring a cool Basically Bare album, and the Dance in Sunshine collection from Glitz Designs:

The Sketch Challenge this time around features a couple of sketches...one for the cover and one for an inside set of pages:

I'd LOVE for you to play along...you're welcome to use a Sweet Peach kit OR your own supplies!
Feel free to modify either sketch for a card, a layout, or a mini-album of your own.
To join us, check out the challenge HERE.
For my album, I fell in love with this transparent accent from Glitz:

Inside the album, I included photos, quotes, and thoughts that highlight those things & moments that I'm so grateful for this past year.

I used some fun Prima masks on the cardboard and canvas pages, as well as Tattered Angels in Aloha Green, Medallion, and Mauve'lous...perfect matches for the Glitz paper.

I used a great little tutorial from the Elle's Studio blog for the faux-instax look...love it.

Inside each of the smaller envelopes, I created these little flip-books. They each contain 8 burst-mode photos of my daughters twirling in the backyard, and are put together slightly-offset to make them easier to flip through.
The kids LOVE how it they can "see" themselves in motion!

Thankful...

2011-11-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Thankful for a wonderful holiday spent with family, food, music, and fun!

Here's my latest layout up on the Epiphany Crafts blog...fittingly titled "So Grateful".

Lots of Tattered Angels misting, glamming, and glazing here, with Inchworm, Bordeaux, Northern Lights, and Pearl:

As always, I'm GRATEFUL for you blog readers...thanks for taking the time to pop in and say hi when you can. Your sweet, kind comments are very much appreciated.

Get Picky with OVALS!

2011-11-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

This month's sketch challenge over at Get Picky is a doozy...check out all these ovals:

For this sketch, I wanted my layout theme to be a complement to the ovals, so I went with photos of a bubble-blowing summer day:

Rather than crop my photos in the classic Creative-Memories-ovals-of-old, I decided to put a little twist on it in Photoshop. I cropped my photos into ovals, making sure not to leave out any important photo detail, and then printed out the photos with a rectangle frame around the oval.

I finally busted out my order of the Amy Tan line from American Crafts, which has some great circle and oval products that worked great for this layout:

To play along, check out the sketch post over at the Get Picky Blog...entries are due by November 28th, Sydney Time. :-)

Epiphany Fest!

2011-11-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last month, Epiphany Crafts debuted their new BLOG...full of daily inspiration from the design team!

Here are the projects I've showcased so far, full of Spooky & Harvest fun:

With the Epiphany Crafts Shape Studio Heart 25 Tool and the Epiphany Crafts Button Studio Heart 14 Tool, I made these cute Oz accents...don't you just love the Magic of Oz collection from Graphic 45?! Perfect for my little Glinda-the-Good-Witch.

Next up, spooky decor & gifts:

This was such a quick & easy addition to my Halloween decor, and a big hit with the kids!
I took an oval frame and outfitted it with a body & legs made from Cosmo Cricket paper.
The Epiphany Crafts vintage settings and layered flowers were perfect for the spider's eyes...for an extra touch, I painted some paper with glow-in-the-dark paint before using it to make the Epiphany eye accents:

This gift bag was the perfect container for some Pumpkin Spice hot cocoa...and quick & fun Fall gift:

Next week is Thanksgiving here in the U.S...definitely time for Harvest table ideas:

This $1 Michaels frame spruced up nicely, with a woodgrain stamp, some Best Creation harvest products, and a great dimensional title using the Round 14 tool again...I'm in love with these little crows:

These blank notecard placeholders are going on our Harvest Table...ready for each guest to fill out with Thankful Thoughts:

Coming up this week on the Epiphany blog, look for some Grateful projects during a cross-promotion with a favorite art-medium company of mine! :)

Winner + New Challenge!

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000-06:00

Hey all, I'm behind but slowly catching up!

First and most important, my Get Picky blog hop WINNER is.........

Kerry, who said:

Kerry said...: Great LO, the colours are bright, the photo's are fun. On my wish list anything I can put on a page is great, I like to try new things.; October 14, 2011 8:38 PM

CONGRATS, Kerry, you're my RAK winner!!!
Please email me with your address so I can send your RAK on its way.

Also, a GIGANTIC thank you to all of you who left sweet blog hop comments...it was wonderful to read each one, and they were ALL greatly appreciated.

The next Get Picky challenge is already up, and its a gorgeous inspiration photo:

Love this...the colors, the sheer fabric, the stack of hatboxes, the large blooming flowers.

I took these elements, and came up with this:

It's difficult to see in the photo, but there is sheer green netting stitched down behind the photo cluster.

I added spool accents to mimic the hatboxes, along with floral fussy-cutting, lots of color, and lots of black-and-white.

If you'd like to play along, go check out the details and other DT gorgeousness at the Get Picky blog.

Blog Hop Time @ Counterfeit!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.014-06:00

Hey there, and welcome to the Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop, sponsored by Momenta Stickers!

I'm honored to be kicking this blog hop off...the challenge this month is all about stickers:
Alter some stickers and use them in an unexpected way on your project.

My Layout:

Can you spot the stickers? Here's what I did...
1. I cut out the SEI butterflies and made them into stickers with my Xyron.
2. I dry-embossing the Crate Paper label stickers with a great polka-dot texture.
3. I changed the color of the pink foam American Crafts Thickers with teal Stazon ink.

To see some more sticker-altering ideas, keep hopping along the Counterfeit DT list!
Your next stop is the fabulous Helen.

Lastly, a big Thank You to the team at the Counterfeit Kit challenge blog! I had a real blast playing along with the Master Forgers this month.

A Sweet Counterfeit Challenge...

2011-10-18T08:46:00.000-06:00

To play along with the Get Picky Birthday Hop, please click HERE.

The monthly challenges & inspiration are in high gear over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog...if you're up for a challenge, please go check out both the candy & blog hop challenges going on now!

Here's my layout for the Candy challenge:

The challenge was to be inspired by candy, and I immediately thought of these favorite sweet accents that my friends & I were recently loving:

To recreate this look, first I scavenged through the pantry for some left-over pieces of summer taffy. Wax-paper or parchment paper would also work well.
After removing the candy, I stamped the edges of the wrappers with Stazon ink, and added super-subtle rub-ons from the Porcelain rub-ons in my Counterfeit kit.
Inside the wrapper is a small rounded-corner rectangle of pink craft foam. Simple, fun, and sweet!

They were the perfect accent for this layout using "sweet" imagery to describe the loving relationship my daughters have together:

It's Birthday Time!

2011-10-14T17:00:00.005-06:00

Welcome to the Get Picky 1^st Birthday Blog Hop!

We are celebrating our first year with a very exciting reveal as we unveil our 13^th Sketch with you today and share the beautiful creations of both present and past designers from our first year! Some of the team members will be offering prizes so you will want to visit all of the blogs to increase your chances of winning a prize. We are also offering a major prize along with the chance at a Guest Designer spot for the month of November if you visit and leave a comment at all of the blogs in our blog hop and participate in Sketch Challenge #13. The Blog Hop starts today and will remain open until midnight (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on October 28^th so this will give you all plenty of time to visit everyone’s blogs and create a layout for the sketch challenge.

Here is Sketch #13:

And here is my layout:

As we mentioned, there are lots of great birthday presents up for grabs along our hop today. Some of our designers will be offering a RAK of their own and of course there is the chance to become our Guest Designer for November....but what's a celebration without that very special gift.

We are so very excited to also announce that Imaginisce has been kind enough to sponsor us with an awesome prize for our very special birthday celebration:

W.O.W. Am I right?!

Get Picky is the first stop of our birthday journey where you will find the complete list of all blogs in case there is a glitch along the way. If you would like to play, just follow along the blog path in order so you don’t miss anyone.

Remember, if you want to be considered for the Guest Designer spot in November, once you have visited all the blogs and uploaded your entry for Sketch Challenge #13, please make sure that you go back to the Get Picky Blog and leave a comment on the challenge post.

The blog hop begins here: Get Picky Blog

Your next stop is here: Kim Jeffress

Thank you so much for joining us for this very special birthday celebration and for your continued support!

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For a chance at my RAK, please leave a comment, answering this question:

What is currently on YOUR gift wish list?

For a 2nd entry in my RAK giveaway, please participate in the above sketch challenge & link your LO both at Get Picky AND here on this post!

October Sketch #1 @ Sweet Peach!

2011-10-11T13:38:00.000-06:00

Check out this month's sketch for Sweet Peach Crop Shop:

It turned out so fun, bold, & funky, I think...which is why it's funny that my layout came out so subtle & neutral, lol:

I really love these Lily Bee Harvest Market papers & journaling cards, especially with the bits of Hambly overlay & the splashes of glaze (thanks for the idea, LG!)

Please come play along & check out what the DT did with this sketch at the Sweet Peach Blog HERE.

Sweet Peach Winner + Counterfeit Reveal!

2011-10-06T09:34:00.000-06:00

First & foremost, the lucky winner of the Maya Road kraft doilies is...

JANET!!!

Janet said...: Your page is beautiful! I love those doilies!; October 1, 2011 8:11 AM

Congrats, Janet! Please send an email to info@sweetpeachcropshop.com to claim your prize.

Thanks SO much to everyone who stopped by my blog during the hop & left comments!

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Now onto some other fun news...I am guest designing this month over at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog!

Now, while I love subscribing to kit clubs, I also adore the idea of using kit clubs as inspiration to make my own kits from my stash! It's such a great way to using existing supplies in a coordinated way with great-looking results.

This month, Counterfeit Kits gave me this kit photo from Little Red Scrapbook as inspiration:

And here is my take on it, using only my existing stash, without spending a dime:

Main Kit: PapillonThe first thing that caught my eye when I looked at Little Red Scrapbook's September 2010 kit was the unique botanical-print butterfly tags, so I decided to name my kit Papillon! In the original kit, the featured paper line is Dear Lizzy Enchanted. I loved the palette & pattern types, and went right to work finding alternatives in my stash.

For the large & medium floral prints, I chose 2 more-muted floral prints from alternate American Crafts collections.

Rather than the green houndstooth, I chose a brown MME houndstooth print. For the blue polka-dot, I chose an Onirie paper in a similar pattern. For my stripes, I went with a Sassafras diagonal stripe. Instead of a pink/white pattern for the final patterned paper, I chose a shimmery SEI butterfly print to complement my butterfly theme.The diecut paper from Making Memories was an easy switch, with a favorite scalloped paper from Karen Russell's Narratives line.In the original, the journaling cards paper is Echo Park Life Is Good...I went with Crate Emma's Shoppe journaling card paper.

Embellishments are up next! I added botanical rub-ons from the Basic Grey Porcelain collection instead of stickers, as well as a package of rhinestones in blues & greens.I'm a trim hoarder, so for the trims I chose a both a butterfly & floral lace.

Here's where I began making my own embellishments! I had a couple smaller yo-yo flowers in my stash, and made a couple larger ones using vintage fabric & clear thread...so easy & fun to make!To match the Prima medallion flowers, I achieved a similar look using folded tape & a decorative brad.Last up, the botanical butterfly tags. After a quick search for a free botanical/butterfly download, I printed out a copy onto a piece of 8.5x11" cardstock. I quickly made them into custom tags with a few punches, some inexpensive reinforcers from my office supplies, & some twine.

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Mini Kit: Chrysalis

I loved how the kit turned out, but definitely needed an add-on to satiate my hunger for lots of accents, so I also forged a small kit using the September 2010 Embellishment add-on as inspiration:

Original kit: Echo Park stickers, October Afternoon alpha in green, Maya Road chipboard houses, Prima mini flowers, Jenni Bowlin buttons, and glimmer mist in Creme de Rouge.

My kit: Crate Paper stickers; 2 October Afternoon alphas, both half-used; Maya Road chipboard butterflies & mini posies; American Crafts buttons, plus a few AC mini-tags & the only product I had from the American Crafts Enchanted collection: some mementos accents. Finally, I made my own spray ink to match the Creme De Rouge...a salmon-pink with lots of gold shimmer.

This creating-my-own-kit thing is REALLY cool! I'm so excited to get to work using my kit, and am so pleased seeing all these stash items put together in such a coordinated way. Thanks so much, Counterfeit Kit team, for allowing me to join in on all the fun.

Throughout the month, I get to participate in the awesome challenges over at the Counterfeit Kit blog, to use up this newly-created kit! To play along with the challenges, create your own kit, and see the Counterfeit DT's kits, be sure to visit HERE.

Before you go, here's a teeny peek at the layouts I created with this kit:

You'll see more projects & challenges this month, along with the full reveal of the challenge layouts, plus a tutorial on the medallion flowers I made, so come on back soon!

Sweet Peach Blog Hop!

2011-10-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi, and welcome to my part of the Sweet Peach Crop Hop Blog Hop!
(try saying THAT 5 times fast, LOL)

During this blog hop, each DT member is showcasing a layout using the October kits...each layout features that design team member's Favorite Thing from the kit!

Here's my layout:

You GO, Mom!!!

As you can see, this Sweet kit is filled with awesome new products from Crate, Fancy Pants, Studio Calico, and Maya Road...the list goes on!

Can you guess what my Favorite Thing might be? There's lots of great embellishments to choose from here, but my very favorite is the Maya Road kraft doilies:

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog during this special Sweet Peach Blog Hop.
Your next stop is:

Melissa Stinson

If you did not start at the beginning please start at the Sweet Peach Blog.
Make sure you leave a comment below by Oct. 5th to be entered to win my favorite thing:

And if you haven't checked out the fun challenges going on over at the Sweet Peach blog please do so and you could win a big prize!

CK Spooktacular!

2011-09-22T13:52:00.000-06:00

October is fast-approaching, much to the delight of my two little Spooks...they adore Halloween & can be found wearing their costumes throughout most of the month!
So needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, I have a bounty of costumed photos each year to scrap.

On that note, I'm THRILLED to have two Spooky layouts associated with the October issue of CK! One in the magazine, and one in an online how-to article. You can check out the online CK article HERE...I'd be so grateful if you'd check it out & leave me some love! :)

To keep the Halloween theme going, here's a layout I made using Authentique Paper's new Glowing collection:

Perfect for a page showing my 2 little witches & their heavy bags full of loot.

Aren't those scalloped-circle alphas great?! And I love the spooky-themed quote accents:

Here's a close-up of the folded harlequin banner. I scored the diamond cut-outs an 1/8" above the middle, so the orange front-fold of the banner would have a slight border behind it:

I have to admit, this year, I'm kind of feelin' the fun Halloween vibe, & liking it!

Peach Crop Time!

2011-09-20T10:05:00.000-06:00

As we transition into Autumn here in the U.S., many of us have been in back-to-school, back-to-scheduled-life mode for a few weeks...and over at Sweet Peach Crop Shop, we are enjoying the change with a Back-to-School Crop & Hop!

You have till Wednesday Oct. 5, 2011 to complete the challenges. You can take on just one challenge during the crop or all 10. You will get an entry for every challenge you complete. You are playing for a 3 Month Subscription to Sweet Peach crop Shop!

The first challenge is my sketch challenge:

For my example, I worked with the September Juicy Kit:

Now that school is back in session & my kids' free time is severely lessened, they are really enjoying & maximizing their weekend playtime. So last Saturday, I found them setting up a "free lemonade" stand on the kitchen table, complete with signs, sugar cubes, and lots of full cups of homemade lemonade.

I've used this green Prima packaging several times on layouts, but I think this is my favorite:

Please come join us at the Sweet Peach BLOG for all the fun!

Sweet Peach Sketch Time!

2011-09-13T10:21:00.000-06:00

As I post this Sweet Peach sketch, I'm eating fresh peaches, yum...
gotta love farmer's market season!

My first September sketch is all about the tags & distressing:

Using the Sweet Peach Juicy Kit , featuring the SEI Corinne collection, here's my layout:

Using my paper-trimmer, I fringed the perimeter of the layout, then masked & misted it:

I had fun with lots of distressing & stitching, and customized the color of the lace trim from the kit:

Love seeing that Disney-joy on my kids' faces...also love creating Disney layouts without themed products...this SEI line was bright, happy, and perfect for our family Disney photo.

If you'd like to play along for a chance at a $10 Sweet Peach Crop Shop gift certificate, please link your layout to the Sweet Peach blog sketch post by September 19th.

Mistable Play...

2011-09-06T11:19:00.000-06:00

As an art-medium lover, you KNOW one of the first CHA items I HAD to order was the Pink Paislee Mistables collection!
Such fun to play with, here's my first layout (another of MANY more Oregon beach layouts, lol) using my favorite of the new patterns, the lattice-resist:

For the background I used Tattered Angles Patina & Studio Calico Piglet...LOVED how the two colors blended to created a periwinkle/purple shade in certain spots.

The new Mistable canvas borders frayed & took color beautifully...added MME alpha & brads, a Crate sticker, & a few Prima butterflies to finish it off.

Goodbye August, Hello Change...

2011-09-03T17:37:00.003-06:00

Not gonna lie, letting go of August has been an especially tough one this year for me...saying goodbye to carefree Summer days, & saying goodbye to my girls each morning as they both head to full-day school:

A new life-phase that is bittersweet...trying to take it all in, to be patient with myself & my kids while we navigate this new daily schedule together. Part of me is jumping up & down with the thought of all this more compartmentalized time, & part of me realizes that for REAL I don't have little kids @ home any more; Time keeps marching... They DO look adorable in their little uniforms, though, don't they?! :)

In scrappy news, I'm looking forward to more regular posting here on the blog. To start, here is Get Picky's gorgeous August Inspiration Challenge:

I LOVE scrapping with yellow, but somehow rarely do, so I decided on a monochromatic layout, to complement the blue sky in my beach photos:

Taking inspiration from the center photo of flourished white flowers, I added the large white doily & the wet-embossed yellow swirl stamp:

With a cue from the scattered-petal photo, I added scattered medallion circles & yellow flower buttons:

Man, I wish I were back at the beach!

To participate in this challenge, link your layout HERE.
You could be next month's guest designer, OR win this My Little Shoebox prize:

Sweet Peach Sketch - August #2

2011-08-24T20:15:00.000-06:00

School starts next week, which means I'm spending every waking minute doing last-minute summer-fun things with the kids! :)

This week @ Sweet Peach, we've got lots of great posts on the blog, including the newest Sketch Challenge!

Here's my sketch:

And here's my interpretation:

Love the combo of silver MR butterflies & gold Hambly rub-ons...check out this Mod Podge Sparkle finish:

You've got until September 2nd to play along, for a chance at a SPCS $10 gift certificate...check out this post for the details and other creative & beautiful DT examples.

Get Picky News + Challenge!

2011-08-14T21:19:00.000-06:00

August is already half-way through, can you believe it?!
Two more weeks until the little ones are off to school, so I'm going to enjoy every last moment of our carefree summer days together!
In Get Picky news, it's design team call time...let me just tell you, Tanya & Nikki are incredibly sweet & wonderful to work with, as is the rest of the rockin' design team!
If you're looking to design for a challenge blog, & think you'd like to throw your hat into the ring, you can find all the details HERE.

That bring us to this month's sketch challenge...this month the sketch was designed by the lovely Carol Monson:

My interpretation took its own little journey away from the sketch as I created, lol, but the general idea is still there:

My girl, so proud of her first tomato "harvest" of the summer...she always wants me to take a photo of the garden food before she eats it! :)

Added a bow:

I love how this turned out, and would LOVE to see your take on Carol's sketch also! Check out the challenge details HERE.

It's no secret...

2011-08-09T20:52:00.001-06:00

...that I adore all the new goodies from Authentique Paper.
Some of my top CHA wish-list items, if you'll remember from THIS post, as well as THIS one, were quickly & happily ordered *smiles*, & I've really enjoyed playing with them.

Here's a layout of DH & Daughter, running along the Oregon Coast just last week:

Her face tells the total story of joy & relation with her Papa...having time just to "be"...

Plus it's so awesome to see her little newly-top-teeth-toothless smile! :)

These new Melissa Frances lilies are great...need more already!

Next up, a card, using the luscious Sweet Peach Sweet kit:

The Hambly overlay turned out with a sweet texture due to the Bazzill underneath:

The Authentique quote & die-cut were perfect for a graduation-theme:

Happy Graduation on FRIDAY, Mom!!! So super-proud of you...you may possibly see this card in person in a couple of days, wink wink. Love you.

Catchin' Up...

2011-08-08T19:51:00.000-06:00

Here I am, transitioning back into reality after some wonderful vacation days with family.
We had a lovely time and took HUNDREDS of photos, so get ready to be overwhelmed with coastal layouts, as well as VooDoo Doughnuts layouts, LOL!
As part of "catch-up" week, here are some close-ups of the current Get Picky inspiration challenge:

Butterflies.


I used Prima butterflies...

Martha Stewart punched vellum ones...

And mini layered-stitched ones...

Moving on to Sweet Peach! Here is this month's 1st sketch challenge...I went with some fun banner ideas when creating this:

And here's my interpretation, using August's Sweet kit:

Check out this kit's awesome mix of Sass, Glitz, & Authentique!

I enjoyed glazing, crackling, & distressing the banner, and love how well the Authentique diction stickers layer over the clear center of the Glitz sticker.

So, if you're in the mood to scrap, and want to try your hand at either or BOTH of these inspiration prompts...I'd love to see your creation!

Fly Away with Get Picky...

2011-08-03T20:58:00.000-06:00

I'm posting this from the gorgeous Oregon coast, enjoying our family vacation 2011!

The new Get Picky inspiration prompt is up, and this month it is gorgeous butterflies!
I went a little flutter-crazy on this one...not too surprising, as butterflies are a layout staple for me, lol.

No close-ups 'til I get home, but I layered and stitched some vellum butterflies for a cool top-border. Finally used up some of my beloved Prima butterflies from last CHA as well!
Speaking of Prima, along with the standard challenge-winner for this challenge, Get Picky is also offering up a second randomly-chosen prize winner for challenge participants. And this time around it's a PRIMA prize package!

As always, I'd LOVE for you to participate! For more lovely DT examples, along with the inspiration prompt and prize details, make sure to check out the latest Get Picky blog post HERE.

CHA Faves Pt. 2

2011-08-01T07:51:00.003-06:00

Ok, ok, I KNOW my first CHA wish list was long enough, LOL, but here's a few more things that have caught my eye post-CHA.

First up, Maya Road embellishments are always a must each season! My faves this time around are:

Also these:

Which can be altered to look like this:

Cool, am I right?!

Some more lovelies from Authentique:

The color of these IRL is just the perfect robin's egg blue!

Echo Park is rockin' it with:

Hambly gets me every time:

More wooden alphas from Pink Paislee:

Prima is killin' me this time around:

MME Lost & Found Two, Sunshine:

WOW...good stuff...I'll stop now. ;)

Sweet Peach July Sketch #2

2011-07-28T14:53:00.000-06:00

It's time for my 2nd sketch over at Sweet Peach Crop Shop!

This time I went with a soft, shabby sketch:

Here's my take, using the Sweet Peach July Juicy kit:

I went with a soft-sherbet type of palette, and had lots of fun with paint, glitter, and Sass foldies.

If you'd like to play along with this sketch challenge, for a chance at a $10 gift certificate from the Sweet Peach Crop Shop, head over to their blog to check it out!

Aaaand, I'm back.

2011-07-22T10:12:00.001-06:00

First road trip alone with the kids? Done and done. :) It was such a great time, much less stressful than I anticipated. My fave kid-quote of the entire trip?

"Oh Mom, that is SO going in my Smash Book!!" Heehee, awesome.

Today, I've got a couple Pretty Little Studio projects for you, using their new Antique Store collection:

I just LOVE the mini bingo cards & the vintage cash register image! Perfect for yet another page about how much my girls & I love to shop Vintage! :)

This second layout is being used as this week's Pretty Little Studio Sketch Challenge, which we'd love you to participate in, wink wink. :)

I adore this floral paper from the Antique Store collection...& the hints of dusty blue in the paper went perfectly with Robot Blue Sprinklers from OA, and resin accents from MR.

The little chalkboard cut-out from PLS added a fun little touch to this school-themed layout.

GP July Sketch...

2011-07-17T21:46:00.000-06:00

This month's sketch at Get Picky is...

I flipped it CCW, added some Purple Pumpkin goodies (this month's sponsor) and came up with this:

Aren't those big circle accents from Purple Pumpkin so fun? You can win a great prize from them this month, as well as check out their search for a few new guest designers on their blog!

As always, please go check out what AMAZING stuff my fellow DT-ers have come up with for this challenge, HERE.

I'm running out the door for my first road trip of the summer with the kids, wish me luck! *smiles*

CHA Lovin'...

2011-07-13T21:00:00.002-06:00

You KNOW it's that time again...time to share my CHA wish list for the season, whoo hoo!

Let's get started with this:

Followed by this:

A little bit o' this:

Plus this:

Lovin' this:

Gotta have this:

Want this:

Discovered these:

And fell in love with these:

*ETA* for my girl Jing-Jing, lol...how could I forget these?!

Already ordered this:

And these:

And lastly, these:

Is this post long enough for you, lol?! What's catching YOUR eye this CHA?

It's Sketch Time @ Sweet Peach!

2011-07-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

So excited to be debuting my first sketch over at Sweet Peach Crop Shop...if you'd like to play along, you can find all the details as well as stunning DT examples here.

Here's my sketch:

And my example, using the "This Old House" Juicy kit:

This is a design I've used before, with a tilted 6-photo grid, scallops, & circle embellishments.

I just love the combo of October Afternoon & Cosmo Cricket in this kit, as well as the delicate trim & mini-flowers...so gorgeous!

But it Wouldn't be Make-Believe...

2011-07-06T18:50:00.002-06:00

...if you believed in me!

Two quick layouts, made with SC's Paper Moon (hence the song lyrics) kit:

This one is based on last week's Sunday Sketch...love that Amy Tan tag. The moon stamp was perfect for sleeping-baby photos...these snapshots are from 2006, way back when my little one still had those sweet big baby-cheeks that I desperately miss!

My 2nd layout is another oldie---felt great to get some more 2006 photos scrapped!

A Pretty Little Studio Sketch Challenge for you!

2011-07-05T12:01:00.000-06:00

Pretty Little Studio's new blog has a sketch challenge this week, based on this layout I created:

In May, we had the chance to celebrate my sweet Grandma's 82nd birthday together...a cherished day for sure.
When I first saw the vintage-birthday paper from the Clowning Around collection, I just knew I had to use it for a page about my Grandma, to whom I owe my love of saving & cutting out images from wrapping paper & cards! :-)

I can't get enough of twine these days, OR these Rainbow Lemon Slices

Hope to see you over at the Pretty Little Studio sketch challenge!

Happy July!

2011-07-04T06:13:00.001-06:00

It's Independence Day around here, and we're off to carnival, parade, and BBQ to our hearts' content!
In honor of the occasion, here's a quick&easy layout from a previous 4th of July:

Just a couple of borders, some layered labels, & a JBS star sticker in each corner of the diecut paper.

To go along with this, here's some bright & festive inspiration that I've got pinned:

http://monicajoy.tumblr.com/

grinandbakeit.com

thesisterscafe.com

Puts me in such a happy, colorful mood...hope it does the same for you! :)

Sparkle & Shine

2011-07-03T21:30:00.000-06:00

Once again, it's Inspiration time over at Get Picky, and this month's prompt is all about the sparkle, the glitz, & the glam:

Gorgeous, am I right?!
As I looked through my photos for this inspiration challenge, I realized that my life-in-pictures isn't all that glitzy & glamourous, lol. I didn't have any elegant photos to use, BUT I came across some photos of a day at the Gem Mines that were perfect for a sparkly layout:

Yes, the layout's quite simple in design, but I added a few glitzy layers to dress-up this 6-photo page.

I started with a sparkle-cardstock base, then placed my photos & glitter border. The gold Hambly overlay framed the photos in a fun way, topped with a few glitter-epoxy accents & title letters. The final gilded touch was a swipe of Saffron glimmer glaze around the edges:

Along with this fun inspiration, we've got several exciting things going on at Get Picky in July.

First, our two new designers are FAVORITES of mine that are sure to inspire you...
Piradee Talvanna & Camilla Eckman! You can see their work with this inspiration, along with our other fabulous designers, HERE.
Also, in addition to our usual awesome prize of a guest designer opportunity, for participating in this challenge you will be in the running for a randomly-drawn prize package of Sassafras goodies!

We'd love for you to join us.

SNR Featured Artist...

2011-06-21T22:59:00.004-06:00

I'm a Featured Artist this week over at Scrapbook News & Review! Here's the layout I created:

Do you recognize the title song lyrics? Appreciating the simple things in life...

And a few close-ups:

White-on-white is a classic favorite for me.

The subtle heart accents were created with the Heart Studio from Epiphany...I was going for that time-worn, faded, photo-in-a-locket look...what do you think?
Also...LOVE that in this photo I caught her mid-leap, airborne, happy as a lark! :)

If you'd like, you can hop on over and see my tutorials using doilies in this article HERE.

I'm Just Peachy!

2011-06-20T11:53:00.000-06:00

I've got so many fun things to share with you throughout this week,

the first being this SWEET & exciting news!

Sweet Peach Crop Shop’s

Design Team

July 2011-December 2011

Angie Gutshall – Design Team Coordinator

Jing-Jing Nickel

Julie Rainbolt

Keri Babbitt – Sketch Artist

I'm so thrilled to be working with this talented team! If you haven't checked out this kit club, make sure to head over to Sweet Peach Crop Shop to join in on all the fun.

Get Picky...

2011-06-16T10:25:00.000-06:00

Join us for this month's Get Picky sketch challenge, and you could win a FABULOUS $50 prize package from the super-cool Wicked Princesses online shop! Seriously...don't wait on this one. :)

Here's the sketch:

And here's what I did with it:

This sketch is a perfect, easy way to include four photos on your layout...all I really added was some paint splatters, a tag journaling spot, and some resin cabochons to complete the look.

The cute little Pink Paislee house symbolizes IKEA, since we were there buying stuff for our home. :)

So please come join us, and don't forget to head over to the Get Picky blog to see what the other designers have created!

Heading to Scrap & Play is Sugar-Sweet...

2011-06-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

Featuring one of my fave photos so far this year, here's a layout made with lots of goodies from Pretty Little Studio, as well as the Round Button 20 tool from Epiphany Crafts:

There's just something about gigantic swirled lollipops...makes me want to be a kid again!

Speaking of all things Sweet...this coming weekend, I'll be snacking on the candy bar at CK Scrap & Play!!! This will be my first EVER Creating Keepsakes event, and I'm beyond excited! I'll be nestled in the hills at this gorgeous resort:

So...if you're local, register and come join me, lol! And if you're not, I'll definitely be back Monday with a post all about it. :)

MME and SC love...

2011-06-08T15:56:00.000-06:00

As I try to get back into the swing of creating new posts for my blog, I came across a layout I haven't shared yet...made from the March Studio Calico kit, featuring my FAVORITE woodgrain/faux-bois paper from My Mind's Eye:

Used the bee stamp as "photo-corners" for the entire page.

Loved that veneer journaling card with the little mushrooms on it.

Had fun making a crumply frame out of the woodgrain fabrip!

When Life Gets Crazy...

2011-06-06T11:58:00.001-06:00

...my blog is neglected, so sorry!

I'm enjoying the transition into a Summer Break schedule with the kids...so much fun, sunshine, opportunities to be together doing things we love!
So...what have I been up to scrapbook-wise?! Here's one thing...

This month at Get Picky, the inspiration quote was right up my alley:

I'm sure that most of us at one time or another, feel that we're not fully living, and are caught in the rut of just "existing"...just making it through the day-by-day.
The subject was great for a self-portrait style layout, in which I included a hidden journaling tag detailing my goals on how to remember to live the "width" of life more often.

Love the black Scrapmatts notes and oval frames...so delicate and intricate!

With this layout, I made sure to get plenty of "art-therapy" time in...making handmade flowers out of paper and lace, and crumpled "ribbon" out of Hambly washi tape...so fun!
If this inspiration prompt speaks to YOU too, you've got until the 13th to create a layout entry for the Get Picky challenge...and be sure to check out the GP Blog to see the ways the other awesome designers used this prompt!
I'll be back soon with more layouts and projects to share!

Epiphany and Vintage Street Market Team Up!

2011-05-20T09:46:00.001-06:00

This week, to my great enjoyment, I had the chance to work with all my new Epiphany Crafts tools, along with vintage goodies from Vintage Street Market!
I worked with the Party Games kit, along with the awesome Tinted Tape from Vintage Street Market.
Here's my first project, featuring the Felt Flowers and the Shape Studio Tool Heart 25:

LOVE the vintage images, and the ability to customize perfectly coordinating embellishments with the Epiphany Crafts tool is HEAVEN, I tell you.

On to the second project, which is a mini-album featuring the Vintage Settings, Shape Studio Tool Round 14, Mint Star Flowers, and Button Studio Tool Heart 20:

My sweet Grandma instilled in me the "saving & cutting-out-of cute wrapping paper images" habit, so using these oversized glossy sheets of vintage images from VSM was 2nd-nature to me, and I loved it.

I covered a Basic Grey eclectic mini-album with the Party Games papers, and had fun using some embossing and decoupaging techniques with the foil and crepe papers included in the Party Games collection:

The Aged Tinted tape was PERFECT for softening and distressing many edges in the album, and the foil-backed Ephiphany hearts make me HAPPY!

This album is SO my Grandma, and will make the perfect gift for her 82nd birthday today...Happy Birthday, Grams!

My final project with the Epiphany Crafts tools and Vintage Street Market products is another layout:

Again, I'm in love with the vintage images, and I can see an obsession with Epiphany Crafts vintage settings developing at an alarmingly fast rate!

Love the look of these navy-blue settings paried with the vintage-text paper from VSM:

Be sure to check out Facebook and blogs for both Ephiphany Crafts and Vintage Street Market for MORE awesome projects from the combined design teams...it was a great pairing and LOTS of fun!

Time for the May Sketch @ Get Picky!

2011-05-16T15:05:00.000-06:00

This month's sketch at Get Picky is a fun one:

I love the idea of the title in between the photo, and the scattered embellishments.
Here's my interpretation:

Originally, I meant to follow the sketch a bit more closely, but accidentally printed the photos out too large...so I just went with it! :-)

I just love these delicate little dragonflies from Scrapmatts, our sponsor this month.

Happy Birthday to my Baby...

2011-05-05T19:03:00.000-06:00

Spent the day with this sweet girl:

She's SIX today, sometimes going on 16, that's for sure:

Love her feisty, confident, silly, cuddly, stubborn, happy, healthy personality!

(Studio Calico March kit)

Ready for more Get Picky Inspiration?!

2011-05-01T14:32:00.000-06:00

This month's inspiration over @ Get Picky is a fun one:

I don't often use a blue/yellow color scheme, so this was SUCH fun! I was really inspired by the stone wall, the little candies, and of course the banner...here's my layout:

I just had to add some fun summery butterfly accents, like the veneer from Studio Calico and the tissue tape from Tim Holtz. The banner and journaling tag are from Pretty Little Studio.

So, come play along for your chance at a Get Picky guest spot! Can't wait to see what inspires YOU about these colors and this fun party inspiration!

Designer Feature & some LB...

2011-04-27T09:29:00.000-06:00

Today is my Designer Feature over at Pretty Little Studio...so go check it out to learn a bit more random stuff about me, heh. :-)

For some quick eye candy today, here is a layout featuring some classic Lily Bee:

I used some fun masking/misting/stitching to highlight the birds.

I tried hand-dying some seam binding...such fun, I'm definitely loving the crumpled binding-bow trend!

Time to play along with Get Picky!

2011-04-20T09:12:00.000-06:00

The April sketch challenge has debuted over at Get Picky!

Go check out the sketch (as well as the other designers' FABULOUS interpretations) and play along! Here mine:

I flipped the sketch upside-down and enlarge the accent cluster to include a 3rd photo.
I also included a tucked-in tag with the recipe for this sweet April Fool's sushi dessert. :-)

I added interest with more of these cute Sassafras critters peeking out, and made sure to use circles in several ways.

To play along, upload your layout over at Get Picky and you could win a prize pack from Scrapville...challenge ends next week.

Yummm...

2011-04-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

I know I've been a bit slow lately with this ole' blog...lots of creating, just no time for posting!!! :-)

Here's a challenge I LOVED that I was finally able to get to...October Afternoon's Shape Challenge from last week:

Kinsey Wilson's example was flawlessly amazing, of course! She used circles as her shape to focus on...I went with apples:

Such a fun challenge, using up little apple tidbits from here & there & everywhere...

Lily Bee Challenge...

2011-04-05T10:19:00.000-06:00

For the current challenge over at the Lily Bee Blog, I created a super-neutral layout with some photos of my little one in her just-woke-up state, heehee:

Love that sweet little tired face, LOL.

Masking with Prima & Mr. Huey

Used up the last bits of my fave LB bird paper; created the flowers with my fave LB paper from Domestic Bliss.

Fool Me Once...

2011-04-01T12:18:00.002-06:00

So, my children are at an age where they're ALL about April Fool's Day...pranks, jokes, & silly foods top their Fun List on this crazy day!
Last year, I tricked them with gummi-worm filled apples, frogs in their sandwiches, and jello set-up in their cups to look like juice...they were totally FOOLED!!! :-)

Here's a layout to commemorate this silly, fun day:

Do YOU celebrate this day in any way? Any good jokes or recipes you'd like to share will be put to good use at my house! :)

In other news, I've got a layout featured over on the Glitz Designs Blog today...am so in LOVE with their latest releases, I can barely stand it!!! :)
Here's a peek at the layout:

To check out the entire layout, head over to Glitz...these papers & stickers were perfect for photos of my daughter's first violin recital...love the grunge-chic look!

Just For The Record...

2011-03-30T10:06:00.000-06:00

Had fun this past weekend playing with Echo Park For The Record...it went so well with these wedding photos of my cute little ones serving cake:

I just LOVE the variety of alphas & stickers in this EP collection. :)

Monochromatic Monday...

2011-03-28T12:21:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while I really lean toward monochromatic layouts, & I keep looking at this one I created with my Crate stash back in December, but never shared on my blog.
I began this project by pulling out my ENTIRE Crate stash & separating everything green:

Some of this product is beloved Crate from their 2008 collections, felt awesome to finally use those final hoarded bits on a project!

I made a couple quick-quilled swirls using the paper strip that tells the collection info.

The bracket-border is the B-side of a Crate diecut paper, which I promptly splattered and smeared with spray ink and crackle paint! :-)

Finally, I used some packaging chipboard, ran it through my diecut machine with some embossing folders, & painted them with distress ink and green & gold glimmer glazes:

When's the last time YOU created something with a monochromatic look? I'd LOVE to be linked up to see your single-color creations!

Belated Crate Challenge...

2011-03-19T21:31:00.000-06:00

I realized I never posted my March Crate Color Challenge, hostessed by the fabulous Lucy Edson:

The grey-kraft-yellow palette is just so appealing to me right now...

Love all these Crate and trims tidbits...PLUS I'm already needing a refill on my Mr. Huey Calico White, heehee...

Super-Happy News Pt. 2!!!

2011-03-17T09:11:00.000-06:00

I've had an epiphany...well, that is, I AM an epiphany...an Epiphany Crafts Design Team member!!!!
I've been waiting to share the news until I had a project or something to show...but I'm just too impatient so I had to SHOUT it out!

Epiphany Crafts makes THE coolest make-your-own-custom-embellishment tools...a huge hit of this past CHA and selling out like crazy! :-)

If you haven't seen these tools in action, check out their cool interactive how-to HERE.

OR this great video tutorial by April Foster of Studio Calico HERE.

You can make your OWN coordinating epoxy buttons & embellishments, and they've got FABULOUS new products like flowers, hearts, & vintage settings that I can't WAIT to get my hands on!
Don't you just want to make a whole bowl of your own embellishments like this?

Seriously.

So excited to be part of this amazing & talented Design Team!

Jenni Bowlin Studios Projects...

2011-03-16T08:59:00.000-06:00

This past week I had SO much fun participating in the JBS Mercantile March Crop!
Her products always bring out a relaxed, nostalgic, free-spirited style in me that I love...so rewarding.

Here's the layouts I completed for the crop...I was able to get through SEVEN of the challenges, whoo hoo! You know what that means? For the first time ever, I pretty much used up my JBS stash, which means I can order some of her new release stuff! :-)

For the Oval Challenge, I came up with the fun border/cluster at the top.

This page definitely makes me NEED a triple scoop!

Daddy & girls LOVE their Rock Band time together!

I know one blog reader who'll recognize this girl! :) Loved used bits of JBS accents on this one.

LOVE these two people with all my heart. :-)

Finally used my beloved JBS bird paper!

Love this photo, but never knew how to scrap it, until now...

Thanks so much for the talented JBS Creative Team for these inspiring & fun challenges!

With a Full Heart...

2011-03-14T09:11:00.001-06:00

Today my thoughts and my heart are with all those affected by this tragic string of events in Japan. Much love to you at this unthinkably difficult time.

This morning the sun was up late...due to the Daylight Savings time change.
So, as I drove home from dropping the kids off at school, the sun was *just* beginning to peek over the mountain and the sunrise was beautiful. A song favorite of mine, Adagio appassionato by composer Max Bruch, happened to be on the radio...and filled me with the air of Spring, of renewal & hope & all those positive things that we as humans sometimes have a hard time holding on to.
It felt so good & so rejuvenating that when I got home I poured a cup of peppermint tea and watched the rest of the sunrise while listening to the song again...a good start to the day & week...one I needed & hope to carry with me through the bustling week...

In other Spring & Scrappy news, each day this week Pretty Little Studio will be featuring Easter projects I made showcasing their new Hopscotch Collection...plus they're having a fun 17% off St. Patrick's Day sale all week, so be sure to check it out if you've been wanting to purchase some of these adorable products!

Here's a peek of my first Hopscotch project:

I am just in love with these gorgeous vintage-bunny images...in LOVE.
For the full layout, check out Pretty Little Studio's blog HERE.

Super-Happy News Pt.1!!!

2011-03-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm behind in sharing some fabulous news, so I'll shout it out now:

I'm a new member of the Get Picky Design Team!!!!!

Holla!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

I'm thrilled to be working with this great Creative Challenge blog, co-created by Nikki Antonello and Tanya Tahir.

If you haven't checked it out yet, they offer fabulous sketch & inspiration challenges each month, focusing on ways to get MULTIPLE photos on your layouts in meaningful & fun ways. Anyone who knows my scrapping style knows I'm totally on board with that! :-)

The March challenges are going on now, so go get inspired, and you might even win a prize or a Guest DT spot along the way!

Joining me on the team are some fabulously talented designers...the entire DT announcement can be found HERE.

A big Thank You to Tanya & Nikki for allowing me to be part of this inspirational team!

Floating on a Song...

2011-03-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

is the name of the March kit at Midnight Rooster! Lovely, don't you think?
Working with Midnight Rooster this past year has been a delight...I SO enjoyed becoming friends with the other amazing designers, and have loved the unique kits. My DT term with them is now over, & here are my final projects:

My favorite kit items on this layout are: the fabric, the exclusive diecut butterflies, and the delicate little Prima blooms...perfect for this baby-photo of my now-5-year-old!

Next up, a great moment featuring Daddy & Daughter...perfect with the cute Cosmo chipboard:

Today IS a gift, no doubt...

Third, a quick-and-easy multi-photo spread with just a few fun pinwheel & button touches. Love the Sassafras Month card:

My FAVORITE layout is coming at ya next:

Seriously, their faces crack me up! Love this October Afternoon background too...gorgeous.

Last but not least, my card for this month...featuring "Elvis" the Rooster stamp:

LIVE LOUD, everybody!

PLS Project & Sale...

2011-03-01T16:46:00.001-07:00

For those of you who've been emailing me about how much you LOVE Pretty Little Studio, here's a sale you won't want to miss:

FREE SHIPPING!

You've got until March 10th, so be sure to grab all your favorites, including the new Hopscotch collection:

Here's a summery layout I created before I was on their DT, using Summer flashcards and mini-buntings:

Have fun shopping!!! :-)

Graphic 45

2011-02-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

I am a longtime customer of Graphic 45, & have decided to have a go at their 2011 Design Team Call.
Those who know my work know of my love of well done, vintage-inspired products...as well as my love of striking color palettes. Graphic 45 does both flawlessly, & I am happy to show my fifteen favorite Graphic 45 projects below:

1. Let There Be Wonder

2. Le' Romantique

3. Domestic Goddess...Not

4. Springtime Notebook/Treasure Box Set

5. Domestic Goddess: Mom

6. Beach Zen

7. O'Malleys

8. Hallowe'en Canvas

9. Hallowe'en in Wonderland

10. Alice

11. My Gramcracker

12. Workin' The Stache

13. Portraits of You

14. Once Upon A Time...

15. Springtime Mini Album

A slideshow including project detail-shots is available HERE.

Giveaway at Pretty Little Studio!

2011-02-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Spring is on its way in these parts (although the weather hardly feels like it yet, heee).
Just in time for Easter, Pretty Little Studio is releasing the Hopscotch collection:

For a chance to win this loveliness, leave a comment on the PLS blog HERE.

Here is my latest project showcasing PLS products:

How adorable is this Tea Party Collection?!
I love the garlands, the delicate tea set, the flashcards, the diecut papers, AND the gorgeous vintage-girl images!

It's Party Time!!!

2011-02-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Where have I been?
Busy hosting back-to-back Tinkerbell parties for my growing-up-too-fast TEN-year-old!
Wow, time flies...I'm cherishing this year as possibly the last time she asks for a theme party like this.

Sooooo...for the parties I made her a Tinkerbell chandelier. I've been loving the different types of paper chandeliers and mobiles I've seen online lately, and decided to try one of my own!
It's far less elaborate than most I've seen, but I love the way it turned out:

Simple and sparkly and the perfect touch for a bit more "grown-up" Tinkerbell theme.

Here's a little peek at the "fairy food" we had...served on vintage leaf dishes & a cute little serving set I found at a craft store:

Hope you liked this little peek into our party-filled weekend...it was a great time & I'm so grateful to have a sweet girl who still loves Tinkerbell for a little while longer. :-)

PLS and Just For Me...

2011-02-10T09:45:00.002-07:00

First up, go check out Pretty Little Studio to see my first Valentine's Day project!
Vintage images + V-day = true love! :)

Next up, a layout I made last night "just for me"...no specific manufacturer, challenge, kit, etc...just me and some favorite photos & products:

Creating this, I realized how LONG it's been since I started with photos + a story to tell FIRST, rather than product first, for a kit/call/company. Such fun to switch it up, back to my "roots" so to speak. :-)