Count Me In

So ...once again, there is another new release of some wonderful Sassafrass paper. I can't wait to use some of this for homeschool layouts. The colors are great for fall and late summer. Count me in is one of my new favorites! It's just released at CHA.

Meanwhile...

I am busy trying to use up some stash while I await all the wonderful new papers. Today, I challenged myself to make a 3-d pop up. I have not made a pop up page in years...so it was fun to try again. So lift up the tab that says "our shelter" and one can read about our home and see a pop up house...template courtesy of club ck.

In truth, it was a contest at club CK. I love combining challenges, so I used sketch 208 from Scrapbook Challenges. Thanks to a club ck peep, I figured out that the paper is Cloud 9 design. I used some chipboard and a My Mind's Eye transparency frame to reinforce the cover of the pop up. The title was cut on my cricut with Basic George. The idea behind the page is to document our hurricane preparedness. We may not always live somewhere in which a storm like that will come. It will be nice to see an "everyday" preparation.

Bloom

 It's been a long time since I have used my embossing powders.Years, in fact. So when Club CK had an embossing challenge for its summer camp, I pulled out my old heat gun. I ended up using a free paper piecing pattern from Club CK. I stamped the bird with colorbox blue lagoon and then heat embossed some blue powder over the top. Instead of using the branches that came with the pattern, I fussy cut some branches from a DCWV green stack paper. The nest is also from the green stack. I wanted the nest to "pop" so I tried another recommendation from Club CK. I used my crop-o-dile to emboss the dots on the paper. I don't have a cuttlebug yet, so this was a nice easy alternative.You can see a sample of the nest partially embossed here:

 A little tip...if it's a thick glossy paper, don't press too hard or you'll "crack" the finish. I decided to use a Maya road acrylic paisley which I had inked with Stream alcohol ink. I decorated with some diamond stickles, a staple in my supplies...and voila! A lovely bird in nest. I now have the Club Ck nature badge. I'll have to go back to earn the heat embossing badge...but it does help me use up some stash.
   The background paper is DCWV greenstack. I loved the rest of the stack, but until today had no idea what I would use this particular sheet for. The edges are inked in prussian colorbox ink, while the yellow CS is inked in apple green. The inked edges just help define things a little more...at least in my eyes. the title was cut with the AMORE att font on my cricut. This was completed using the sketchy Thursday 7-8 sketch challenge. http://sketchythursdays.blogspot.com/2010/07/78-sketch-challenge.html

For anyone completeing the club CK heat embossing challenge, don't forget to submit your Lo to Practical Scrappers. They are having an embossing challenge this week: http://www.practicalscrappers.com/2010/07/this-weeks-challenge-is-embossing.html

I honestly do not know what the name of the berry is in the photos. Guess I need to do some research...

Love all Serve All

That's the slogan for the Hard Rock cafe. Since one of my photos already had a hard rock sign on it, I felt it would be redundant to use that as a title. The slogan seemed like a great fit. I also had these great stir sticks with hard rock guitars. Alone, though, they seemed to lack dimension. So I added a little more with some fancy pants felt shapes. I also made some shakers boxes by cutting some musical notes on my cricut. I used some leftover packaging, added some star sequins and a little diamond stickles...and there you have it. It earned me the First Aid badge over on CLUB CK.

This is the 3-24-10 sketch from Let's Scrap. It was completed for Let's Scrap Challenge 58 and for frosted designs felt challenge.

Stars and Stripes

Today, I finished another one hour challenge over at Club Creating Keepsakes. At first, I wasn't too sure about it, but in the end, I think I really like the results. The other nice thing...it completes several challenges from several different places. For the one hour challenge, I had to make a 12x12 LO with a Handmade fireworks embellishment. So I cut a star on my cricut, folded it to make it dimensional, then added some unfolded paper clips and some EK success fibers. I had in mind the sketch from the Club CK weekly challenge, so I used that. I cut the borders on my cricut using SCAL. I cut the title using CK's beantree font. I had a few photos that would not fit on the page. So I placed them on my cricut mat and cut the title. The ribbon was from my stash...I loved the striped pattern with the stars.

If you are looking for places to submit your patriotic LO's, try:
http://sketchesforyou.ning.com/
http://www.stuckonusketches.blogspot.com/
http://scrapdivas.spruz.com/groups.htm

I hope you enjoyed your holiday. Happy Birthday, America!

My Mad Martian Maker

I made this layout for the Brads and eyelets challenge at Scrap Our Stash Blog spot. You can check out their challenge here:
http://scrapourstash.blogspot.com/2010/07/july-challenge_03.html

This is one of those pages that I just love. It came together so easily and came out in such a way that I just love it. The bright colors and the photos pop on the black background.

I chose the Sassafrass patterned paper because it reminded me of stars. it also had a retro feel that reminded me of the "my favorite Martian" show. I chose green ribbon from Cosmo Cricket's Jack's world collection as a border. I wanted a space theme, So I used chipboard stickers from K and Company. I made the stars myself. Flat stars would have worked fine, but I really wanted to add dimension. I had just viewed a tutorial about making folded stars on the Scrapbook and cards Today blog. I added brads to one of the stars as an accent.

TIP:
when doing this, make sure your the tabs on your brads are not pointed at a crease...they will poke through if you aren't careful. To adhere the stars to my page in such a way that they would not get crushed, I glued pieces of cotton balls inside of them. I cut the title on my cricut using CK's Jolly Elf font. I love using brads on a LO. They are such an easy way to add a little dimension and interest to your layouts

Owls and BellBottoms

I was recently challenged to scrap a graduation day photo( a challenge over at Sketches for You). I don't have any of my own. My Dad has those. I have a few of DH and none of DS( who is too young for high school). I do have this one of my mom...which caught my eye and got me to thinking. I was thinking, not of her graduation day ( I obviously was not there), but of growing up in the 70's. Seeing her photo brought back memories of Brown and orange furniture, the Macrame Owl she made for the living room, and the outfit she made me wear. It was all white with Blue and orange owls all over it. AN owl T-shirt and white bell bottoms(literally plastered with owls). So, inspired by these thoughts, I created an LO all about her day. I'll have to call my Dad for the specific details(my mom is no longer with us), but I must say, I really feel like I captured the feelings of the era quite well.

I used mostly Sassafrass PP. I fussycut the owl, stitched on his belly and added real buttons for eyes( he had printed ones). I used more yellow DMC floss around the mat.The brown PP is Recollections. I loved how the blue diffused the brown and yellow tone of the older photo. The flowers are also Sassafrass. The title was cut on my cricut using CK Far Out font.

 This was a Scraplift project on Scrapbook Challenges. I am proud to say it was one of today's featured photos.

Diary of a Tadpole

While I did not make it to round two of the last Scrapper Standing contest at Memorable Seasons, I decided to keep participating for a chance to win a gift certificate. Challenge two asked for us to use a black cardstock base and to make at least two handmade flowers. I immediately thought of water lilies. My son and I had found some tadpole eggs...which we promptly brought home in an empty water bottle. Currently, the little guys have hatched and are growing at a wonderfully steady rate. I have been taking photos along the way with the intent to document their stay in our home. This will be the title page for those layouts. I liked the idea of a black background. The photos seem striking against it.

I made the lily pads by cutting circles of various sizes. I cut out a little wedge, giving them the appearance of pac man. I then used my bone folder to crease them. I felt this gave the appearance of leaf veins. I folded the edges of the circle and inked them with colorbox olive ink. I then used various green chalks to add a little variable color to the leaf and to accent the veins. For the tadpole eggs, I used glossy accents and black pony beads. To make the flowers, I cut them on my cricut. They come in two pieces. I rolled up the edges of the top layer and inked them with colorbox ruby satin and royal silk ink. These were the closest colors to the actual flowers we saws and added more depth to the paper flowers. I rolled crate paper sweet branch trim for the centers.
  The title was cut on my cricut. I used CK's sloppy and beantree fonts. The tadpole egg "o" was made from a chipboard alpha. I flipped it over to the white back, added the button and used glossy accents. I am looking forward to making little tadpoles and frogs for the rest of the pages. Stay tuned for those.

I have also decided to post my first project for Last Scrapper standing round one here. The theme was "An American Child." We were asked to use star and stripes. I cut the stars on my cricut...some of which I creased and glued down to add dimension. To help the star hold it's crease, I glued cotton ball pieces inside. The striped ribbon was purchased from the dollar section of target. I chose to keep this LO very simple. I journaled inside a star on my word processor and added it to the border. I added a few small star brads and  buttons.

Have you Ever Had...

One of those projects. You know what I mean. The type which no matter how you play with the elements, you just aren't 100% happy with it. I just had one of those. In the end I am ok with the results...not 100% ok. I am just happy that it's done. I tried out The color room's #11 palette and sketch for an Easter Layout. I never realized what a challenge that orange and pink could present me. I just didn't have the papers in my stash to really rock the design the way I wanted it. I will say though, that there are parts of the Lo I like. I love the Easter egg. I cut an oval out of white Cardstock. Then I used green and pink water color crayons for the base. I decorated it with a Martha Stewart white opaque marker and some diamond stickles. It was a fun easy embellishment. I also liked the cottontails on the rabbits. I found the rabbits as a free dingbat font and used my cricut to cut them out. I thought they needed a little something else...so I used a cotton ball to make little tails for them. I love finding things around the house to make a lay out work.
 I am also pleased to say that I used up some old stash. I had some ek success green fibers that reminded me of Easter grass. they have been in my stash for a few years now. I also used up an old sticker...the title one that says "hopping down the Bunny Trail." The flowers are Sassafrass and the ribbons are Crate paper and MM.
  So while this is not my best ever LO...I will chalk it up to one more completed and will move on. Otherwise I think I'll pull my hair out.

Love my Box Babies

I am really excited to be a guest designer at Scrap Our Stash. Today, My take on their 2nd June sketch posted. it's a challenging sketch...but has wonderful results. I hope you'll stop by and check it out.
http://scrapourstash.blogspot.com/2010/06/scrap-our-stash-sketch-2.html

I used the sketch for the left page.

Summer kick off Blog hop at PPC

I love a blog hop(who doesn't) and I love a color challenge. So I decided to participate in Picture perfect creations summer blog hop. I used Sketch 204 from Scrapbook challenges.

I loved how the color palette from PPC complemented the photos of DH and DS playing at an outdoor restaurant. We often go to the Green parrot. It's a little hole in the wall place, but it has good food and the harbour views are amazing. Not to mention that the sea breezes are great on a warm summer day.

I added a green feather from an actual green parrot. Now in reality, there are no live green parrot's at this restaurant.However, there are green parrot's in the Bahamas...and that is where this feather came from. I figured it was the perfect touch. I did clean the feather before placing it in the layout by gently wiping it down with a baby wipe. One must be careful with bird feathers as they might harbour small bugs or other unpleasant germs. In cleaning the feather, you must also be quite gentle so you don't pull it apart.

I cut the title on my cricut with the CK Jolly elf font.

For My Husband

  My DS tends to dominate my lay outs. It's no secret that he is the center of the universe for DH and I. Add to that, the fact that DH is very rarely a willing subject for photos. DH will turn away or make silly faces. A few weeks ago, I issued a challenge on Club CK to take some must have summer photos. DH has a sunglasses fetish...so I figured I would do my best to capture him with them on and scrap the photos, silly or not. Well, I got those photos. Only they are not at all silly... and the more that I looked at them, The more that I realized this was not going to be an LO just about DH's love of sunglasses. So I waxed sentimental and the journaling became about my love of my wonderful husband. When I saw the 6-17 sketch on Sketchy Thursday, I felt these photos fit right onto it.
http://sketchythursdays.blogspot.com/2010/06/617-sketchy-thursdays-challenge.html

I wanted paper that made the lay out feel warm and special to me. I ended up choosing Basic grey's periphery because it was masculine, while capturing some of DH's favorite colors. I had the matching Basic grey ribbon and buttons. I cut the title on my cricut with the CK invitation font. The border is cut from a free svg file. A freind of mine made it. You can find it on her blog:
http://paperscrapsandpicturepassion.blogspot.com/2010/06/freebie-svg-file-day-5.html
I used some My Mind's Eye rub-ons on page 2.

Glitter...In the Rain

  Playing in the rain is a joy that I think all kids should experience. I have fond memories of puddle jumping with my grandparents as a small child. I take every opportunity to let my son enjoy the rain. So, a few days ago, when the cooling rains came, I indulged my son in just that. It has been so hot lately. We are already near 100 degrees and so playing outside is just miserable right now. Playing in the rain really afforded my son the ability to stretch his legs and burn off some energy. As you can see, I snapped some photos of him while he danced in the rain...while sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the sound of the drops on the roof top.
  Rainy day photos can really capture some great moments, but, despite photo editing, the pictures can still be a bit on the blue side. Color Room palette #10 really offered some great color choices to warm up the pictures. http://thecolorroom.ning.com/forum/topics/palette-reveal-10-his-room-due
The sketch also worked well with the photos I had chosen. I took the practical scrappers challenge to use something from my cabinet on a page...I used a bobby pin as the handle for my homemade umbrella. I cut the umbrella top from an older piece of fabric paper in my stash ( manufacture unknown). Then I slightly bent the bobby pin and adhered it to the back of the Umbrella top.

 I added some Making memories crocheted passport trim. I really am quite pleased with the results. I created the rain drops with waterfall stickles. I doodled a little with the stickles around the word rain in the title to create a puddle.

The title was cut on my cricut with CK's beantree font. The title itself is actually the June 7th quote on the club ck blog.I used my word processor to print part of it for the title.
 http://clubcreatingkeepsakes.com/blogs/quote_of_the_day/archive/2010/06/07/june-7-2010-rain-themed.aspx
I find a lot of inspiration on Club CK.

As usual, I love making two page lay outs. I used the same Sketch from The Color Room for the 2nd page.

I hope that next time it rains, you will let your child dance in it. Maybe you'll even dance a little yourself. Life is too short to miss moments like these.