Drawn to Scrapping

Where have I been?

2011-05-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I just looked at this blog & realized that I have not posted anything in over a month. Life just takes over, I guess. I really haven't been scrapping much, probably because I am on a scrap diet, so I can't get all the new lovely stuff that's coming out. I guess the best way to not be tempted has been to avoid it altogether. I have also been obsessed with a couple new things as of late as well- couponing is what has been taking a lot of my time. It sure is a thrill seeing what new bargains I can get, though. Hopefully once I really get the hang of it, I will save enough to be able to come off my scrap diet and splurge. Until then, I hope to be able to get some new pages done and posted.
My other endeavor that has been consuming some of my time is my new challenge blog: Paper Thrills. I am posting a weekly challenge & we're having lots of fun over there! Come on over and try some of the challenges :)

Pencil Lines Sketch #233

2011-04-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

I know I've been dong a lot of these lately... I love them! This one gave me a chance to use my G45 Le Cirque papers, some ticket stamps from Cloud 9 Design (I've been using these things all over the place!), some vintage lace & rikrak, a metal star from who knows where and this awesome circus chipboard that I got from my sister, but I don't know who makes it...

I haven't had many sketches offered on here lately because I have been trying to step out of my comfort zone and using inspiration from other sources... that means, all those links in my challenge sites section are getting my attention. And, I just haven;t had as much time as I would like. Please check out the challenge sites, though- they're awesome!

Happy Scrapping!

Pencil Lines Sketch #232

2011-04-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

I loved this week's sketch so much I had to do 2 different versions of it!
For this first one, I used plain white cardstock and painted a neon rainbow with acrylic paints, then I misted it with Lilac Walnut Ink to dull it down just slightly. I cut the flowers out with my Cricut using paper from DCWV Rock Star Stack. I stamped the title with some tiny letter stamps I bought at JoAnn's a while back.

For this next one, I wanted to do something totally different, so I decided to go a little cleaner. Everything on here is Echo Park. I used mostly "Playground" with a little smidge of "Springtime" mixed in. I am really loving how all of their lines play well together!

Hopefully be back with more, but until then, happy scrapping!

One of Those Days...

2011-03-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to get more done today, but I guess I was just uninspired today. I did manage to get one layout done... did this one using Sketch #231 at Pencil Lines. For this layout, I used papers & stickers from Sassafras, a chipboard flower from Colorbok, some stamps from Cloud 9 Design (I think), and some Spanish Moss Glimmer Mist. The rikrak and trim are from JoAnn.

I hate it when I get into these uninspired times... hope to get over this block soon :)

Pencil Lines Sketch #229

2011-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

I know this is from earlier last month, but this is the layout I did for this sketch... just took me a while to post it :) I used paper from BoBunny on here along with some BoBunny swirls. The Flowers are Primas that I painted and the frames are from Making Memories. I bought these butterflies at Dollar Tree and am seriously thinking about going back and getting a ton more- I love them! The Sister sticker is from Scrapworks.

Hopefully I will be able to post more later. Until then, happy scrapping!

Some fun

2011-03-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

1. March is National Women's History month. Talk about a historical woman you admire or maybe just a woman in your life.- I really admire my sister because she is one of the strongest and most creative people I know :)

2. Blog about one of these "special" days:
- March 14th - National Potato Chip Day
- March 15th - Dumbstruck Day
- March 16th - Everything You do is Right Day
- March 17th - Submarine Day
- March 18th - Goddess of Fertility Day
- March 19th - National Quilting Day
- March 20th - Extraterrestrial Abductions Day
I don't think I've actually heard about any of these days... The Goddess of Fertility Day should rightfully be Easter, or for us Pagans Eostre or Ostara... look it up if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

3. Saint Patrick's Day is this week as well! Do you do anything fun to celebrate? Do you wear green? Have you made any fun crafts? Why do you feel lucky right now? I really don't celebrate it- it wasn't snakes St. Patrick drove from Ireland, it was witches.

4. If you were only allowed to use a) all patterned paper or b) all cardstock which would you choose? If you could only ever use three types of embellishments what would they be? I think I would choose cardstock because you can paint it and stamp it all you want & make your won patterned paper. As for embellishments, I think that I would stick with chipboard, stickers & flowers. Those are mostly what I use anyhow.

5. Write about your creative process. What part of scrapping do you start with first: the photos? the paper? the journaling? Where do you usually get stuck? My creative process usually starts with the pictures. I choose the paper to match the colors in the photographs and any journaling I do usually comes last because sometimes I feel the pictures say enough.

6. Do you tend to scrap only the happy things in your life or do you try to portray a more balanced picture on your pages? How do you feel about reading personal stories on scrapbook pages? I will scrap pretty much anything. Of course, I prefer the more personal & happy stuff, but we have pages about messy rooms, people being goofy, any of that. It's part of life and I am capturing it. In fact, I even scrap about special objects- I just finished a page about a teddy bear.

Another Pagemaps Contest

2011-03-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

Have I told you how much I love PageMaps? I do! Anyhow, the sketch contest this month involves winnings from Webster's Pages (which I don't have enough of... but it's sooooo pretty!) Here's the sketch we have to use:

And here's my take on it (sorry the pic seems a little pixelated)

I used Webster's Pages for the background (because it was perfect for this!) I used some Prima minis for the flowers and a Fancy Pants journal card, and alphas from Echo Park. To make the butterflies, I used some Perfect Pearls Medium on a butterfly stamp and then brushed it with some of the Perfect Pearls, then cut them out. The journal spot at the bottom is also stamped and then cut out. I got the pretty lace at JoAnn's. It was white, but I wanted a different color, so I sprayed it with some lilac walnut ink.

Pencil Lines Sketch #228

2011-03-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

This layout kind of took off on its own... I used Sassafras Paper Crush for this one along with some Colorbok Chipboard & some miscellaneous pieces of ribbon.

Challenge Blog DT Call

2011-03-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

New challenge blog : Paper Thrills challenge blog is having an open DT call... snce this is a new blog, I thought I would pass it on. Please pass it on as well!

Getting back in the game

2011-03-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't get on the G45 Design Team, sadly. I guess that means that I am just back to scrapping for me. So, here's a cute page that I did from one of the sketches on Pencil Lines (no word on their DT yet...)
I used Sassafras for this one (of course!) With some flowers from Making Memories and a ticket from Jenni Bowlin.

The Grand Finale

2011-02-24T22:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to end this with a bang, and let me say that this project took me the better part of a day to finish... I also made a semi-tutorial for you.

This wreath is almost entirely Once Upon a Springtime, but there is a smidge of Steampunk Debutante in there. On this wreath, I used flowers from the previous Jinky's Crafts tutorial I posted a while back, but I also figured out how to make these beautiful roses! So, I wanted to share how I made the wreath.

You will be folding them in half to use as leaves... I also used a green metallic gel pen to draw the veins in...

The rest of the wreath is attaching to your base. I used craft glue and pop dots to adhere most of my elements.

Enjoy!

Some more Springtime fun

2011-02-24T22:18:00.000-08:00

It is no secret that our family loves the Faerie folk, so I have almost decimated my Once Upon a Springtime stash... time to buy more I guess :)
I also combined some paper from Renaissance Faire and some baby Primas for this gorgeous plaque for my Mother-in-law.

For this layout, I used the butterfly cut-outs to mask the striped paper with Glimmer Mist, then used them as 3-D objects. I painted them with more Perfect Pearls to give them that gorgeous blue tone.

Twisted Wonderland

2011-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that, while I am absolutely in love with G45, I admired their papers from afar until they came out with the "Hallowe'en in Wonderland" line... these designs just took my imagination in a few crazy directions and one trip to Disneyland and 2 kids dressing up as the utterly mad characters for Halloween and I knew I needed them. I posted my Disneyland layouts a few months ago, but these Halloween ones totally rock (and oddly reflect both my kids' personalities as each of the characters they chose to portray).

On this layout, I also used some Alphas from Scrapworks (yep, old...) and Provo Craft as well as a Jenni Bowlin Halloween Bingo Card and Teresa Collins journal spot. I made the flower from ribbon I got at JoAnn.

This one also uses some Co'redinations Whitewash cardstock and some ribbons from Target's dollar spot.

My daughter is Steampunk

2011-02-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

The main reason I instantly fell in love with Steampunk Debutante is because of my very eccentric teenage daughter. She loves everything Steampunk, even to the point that she wears goggles everywhere and happens to also have a sheet of this line hanging on her wall that we need to frame, so it was no surprise to anyone in my household that I used a lot of the photos in her album as a basis for this layout featuring this gorgeous line.

This layout also uses a lot of the Fashionista line, but the flowers were all cut out from Steampunk Debutante. I also used a journal spot from Teresa Collins and a clip from Making Memories. The title and frame were cut from textured handmade cardstock scraps.

Scrumpdiddlyumptious cards

2011-02-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

I know I have posted a card on here from time to time, but I make more than I post. I will try to be better about that because lately, I've been loving the card making.

I have to say, I have no occasion as of yet where I want to give this card up... it may go to my hubby just so I can keep it...
This was using the Steampunk Debutante & Renaissance Faire lines. I love that it is so effortless to blend G45's lines.

Also used on this one were Prima flowers, more of my Perfect Pearls, and some metal butterflies that I took off a necklace that I bought from Claire's on clearance CHEAP, some miscellaneous ric-rac, lace & brads, and some pearls from JoAnn.

For this second card, I was intending on being a baby card, but it would really work for more than that. this is using the Baby 2 Bride collection, along with some baby Primas and some more pearls.

Graphic 45 Love

2011-02-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

I know I have been a little AWOL, but I have a good reason & some great treats to share! Graphic 45 is looking for a new design team, so I have been working on projects for my application. Posting said projects are part of that process, so I have lots to share! You know I am not missing out on this one... the more I work with these yummy, scrumptious papers, the more I love them! Get used to seeing tons more (as soon as I can get more...)
To kick things off, I have this adorable layout of my niece, featuring their Once Upon a Springtime line.

I also added some great butterfly stickers from JoAnn's dollar bins and some bling from Michael's. The flowers were all made from cardstock and then painted with water & Perfect Pearls (my new best friend). I also sprayed everything with Glimmer Mist.

A Little Sketchy

2011-02-03T08:52:00.001-08:00

I meant to get these sketches up yesterday, but it just got away from me, so here they are! I'd love to see your interpretations, so let's see 'em in the comments :) - I have no layouts done for these, either.

I am sooo slapping myself...

2011-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

I realized at about 9:00 last night that it was February 1st already. You may be asking why this bugs me? Yesterday was the cut off for the Sassafras DT call that I wanted to go out for. Damn you January for going so quickly!

Anyhow, I have some time to play with my scrappalicious stash today and have some insane sketches rolling around in my head as well, so, hopefully will have time to post more today. Stay tuned & play along, will ya?

A quick sketch

2011-01-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

Got a quick Sunday Sketch done...
Here's the sketch:

And my layout of it. For this layout, I used some old My Mind's Eye paper and some Graphic 45 for all the vintage signs. The swish is from Heidi Grace and the letter stickers are from Making Memories.

I'd love to see the take everyone has on this sketch :) Post a link in my comments so I can see :)

Happy Scrapping!

HMITM Challenge

2011-01-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

HOP is on a brief few days respite from challenges for the Use Your Stash month (now extended into February!), so I thought I would try the weekly challenge at How Much is Too Much. The challenge is to create a layout using:

1 color (you can use a neutral color in addition to the one color if you want to)
1 die cut shape
1 bird, butterfly or wild animal accent
1 sheet of patterned paper (or less)
0 letter stickers
7 other items

I chose green with my neutral being brown/beige. For my 7 elements, I used rub-ons, stamps, Glimmer Mist, ribbon, a cardstock sticker, brads and a punch. The paper on here is from K & Co. Rub-ons are Colorbok. The Die-cut journal spot is My Little Shoebox. The stamps are from Michael's dollar bins & the Glimmer Mist is Spanish Moss.

Steampunkeroni

2011-01-26T16:46:00.000-08:00

So, unfortunately I have no sketch today, but there are some layouts I would like to share. I did these for the Use Your Stash challenges at House of Paper. One think I really have been trying to do is use my favorite papers, instead of just thinking how much I like them when I thumb past them in my Cropper Hoppers. So, this week I have been digging into my G45 stash & using my Steampunk Debutante...

For this first layout, I used an awesome paper flower tutorial from Jinky's Crafts Blog. This is my variation. I paired the G45 with papers from K&Co. and houndstooth die cuts from Teresa Collins.

For this next layout, I used pretty much all G45, but threw in a little of Sassafras Indie Girl. The metal flowers and chain are from a necklace that I bought really cheap at Claire's (love it when they have dollar sales!) and took apart...

I do have to say, these challenges are really helping inspire me and get me scrapping! I suggest stopping over and checking it out :)

OMG the Goodies Just keep coming!

2011-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know about anyone else, but with all the CHA sneak peeks that are coming out lately, it feels more like Christmas now than it did in December :) So far, some of my absolute favorites are (in no particular order...):

BoBunny's Ad-Lib Line - Love that it all has this very Retro feel but still bright colors!!! And those puzzle pieces! I'm drooling over here!
Graphic 45's Le Cirque - Anyone who knows me knows that I have an obsession for Circuses (or more specifically, the side-shows) and this collection has to be my #1 Must-Have of all of these new releases. I mean, how cool is this! It's all vintage circus banners! By the way, I also am in love with Once Upon a Springtime, but I already raided my LSS and nabbed all those papers...
Echo Park's For the Record - This line is very quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite manufacturers (second only to my beloved Sassafras, of course) - their papers have all been beautifully coordinated & wonderfully versatile! I can't wait to get my hands on these...
Webster's Pages- well, I tired to pick A line to favorite here, but I really like them all! The odd thing with these is they are all so beautiful, and it's easy to get overwhelmed with them and think, "Wow, what do I do, these are totally against my usual style." But really, they're not. As I have been finding by playing with my existing papers of theirs that I have, you really don't need to add much to make gorgeous layouts with them! And please do check out all the coordinating embellishments they have with these! They totally rock!

Now, so far, there have been no Sassafras sneak peeks yet, but I am sure their new lines will be spectacular as usual. Unfortunately, I still have yet to get my hands on Mix N' Mend & Count Me In... nobody around here carries either of those lines, and my usually online retailers didn't, either :( Any suggestions? I'm thinking Ebay...

I think I may have to set up a separate savings account for my scrapbooking addiction...

I'll be back later today with some more layouts and a couple sketches because I am feeling super inspired lately. Must be that after-Christmas energy because lord knows I had no energy between Halloween & New Year's.

Until then, Happy Scrapping!!!!

New look!

2011-01-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

I saw the big banner that Shabby Blogs had changed servers and that I needed to get my blog background again, so I decided to change things up a bit. I am absolutely crazy about damask, lately, so I'm glad they had this... I'll be posting more layouts tomorrow. No scrappy time today :(

Challenge Day #2

2011-01-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

I got two of the challenges done today:
Chiara's 2nd Challenge was to create a layout using ribbon & buttons. I did just the thing with this Easter layout. I used paper from Crate's Restoration line. The ribbon is just plain, white ribbon that I stamped with acrylic paint to create the swirl. I also stamped the "Precious" in the corner and traced it with Stickles.

The second challenge that I got done was Karen's Flower Challenge (#2 for those of you playing the home edition). This one gave me the chance to use some insanely old Daisy Ds paper in my stash as well as really pushing my limits (extra points for using flowers on a Manly layout). I also used some papers from K & Co. and chipboard from Colorbok. To make the flowers n here, I cut circles in three different sizes on my Cricut, sanded the edges, and then attached them together with a brad. After that, I sprayed them with a distressing ink and some pewter Glimmer Mist. While they were wet, I crumpled & folded them to distress them more.

I have also managed to finally finish our vacation album, so hopefully I will be able to post some of those layouts later :)

Happy Scrapping!

And so it begins...

2010-12-31T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Use Your Stash Challenge has officially begun at the House of Paper! I think I really need this, because I have acquired so much product and have scrapped so little with it. Here is my page for Chiara's Challenge #1, which was to create a birthday layout using Glimmer Mist or Stickles. On this one, I used everything Sassafras, but because I didn't want the paper to look too girly for pictures of a teenage boy, I used some Glimmer Mist to grunge it up a little. Shiny, yes, but it had the desired effect. I used Stickles on the chipboard "B" to make it stand out a little more.

I also have a sketch to share :)

I used this sketch for some great pictures from the Pacific Science Center's Tropical Butterfly House. For the layout, I used papers from BoBunny as well as some die cut butterfly paper (not sure of the manufacturer) that I cut apart, layered, and stickled to create some great dimensional butterflies. I also used some butterfly stickers from Studio 112 and metal embellishments from Making Memories. The titles were cut with my Cricut.

Since this is my last blog post for 2010, I wish all of you

Need a little push?

2010-12-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

I know I certainly do! I feel so un-accomplished in the scrapbooking department as of late, so the House of Paper January Use your Stash Challenge is coming at the perfect time for me!

I can't wait! I certainly have enough stash to play with at the moment... today is a play with paper & reorganize day. I may also be posting some layouts and /or sketches.

Wow...

2010-12-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't purposely neglected this blog, just busy. Being a photographer, this is our busiest season, so I have spent my days off just recuperating from my work. I have also had very little time to craft anything for me, as I am working on some presents for Christmas, which I may post after they have been given to their recipients.

I will try to post something this weekend, as I am out of work with pneumonia at the current moment and have the time (though maybe not the energy) to work on some of my personal projects.

Happy Crafting!

Been AWOL & In Denial Lately

2010-11-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

First off, I am sooo in denial that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?!! (And my birthday is Friday, but that's another thing completely). I still have all my Halloween decorations up, and today is too much of a stormy, dreary day to even think about taking anything down at the moment. This is also why I have been a little AWOL lately- no friggin' time! I am making time today, though!

I have a couple new sketches to share as well as some layouts I have been working on. Also, in my blogging absence, I did see that Graphic 45 is doing sneak previews of their new spring line and I have to say- "IWANTIT IWANTIT" (think like a two-year old tantrum). Hop over to their blog & see for yourself!

Okay! On to todays sketches:

This one, I do have an example for... I used papers from K & Co. as well as banner stickers from Sassafras and some stickles (for the title). The shell tag is one I bought at a dollar store years ago and never had occasion to use. These scallops didn;t want to stay stuck to the paper long enough for my glue to take hold, so if you like the idea, I suggest sewing them on (I used my machine). This one makes me miss summer... *sigh*

This is one of those spare, top-of-the head sketches that I really have nothing to scrap for at the moment, but love how quirky it came out! I would love to see some takes on this, so please, post your versions in my comments so I can see!

I had to share this layout... probably my favorite as of late... I used papers from K& Co., a journal ticker & cloud sticker from Sassafras, a sticker from Bella Blvd. and flowers & bling from JoAnn (I think they are all from the dollar spot).

This last one I wanted to share is a attempt at hybrid scrapping, which I don't usually do, but should probably do more often... I printed out Pinocchio. Papers and alphas are from Echo Park, journal spot from K & Co., Stickers & additional papers from Sassafras.

Hopefully, I will be able to share more soon!

Happy Scrapping!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

A scrappy day?

2010-10-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I had every intention of getting lots of pages done today... this kitten has different ideas...

She is sitting on my shoulders or curled up on my arm so I can't do anything... or she has been attacking my letters that I have been cutting on my Cricut and losing them, or sitting on my laptop & making it open random windows. I think she's just happy that someone's at home besides the dog. Anyhow, no sketch this week, so I'm sharing a layout I did for this week's sketch on Pencil Lines instead.

I used papers from K & Co. and DCWV, stickers & banners from Sassafras and a ghost shape from Fancy Pants.

I'll post more layouts later if I'm allowed to scrap more...

Time Flies

2010-10-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

When you have computer problems... My laptop has been suffering some issues and all my layouts and & sketches have been held hostage by it. Luckily, it's fixed! Yay! I have a great sketch to share today, as well as a couple more layouts that I love...

Here's the sketch:

And my version of it:

For this layout, I used everything Sassafras Indie Girl, with the exception of a border from Cherry Delicious and alphas from We R Memory Keepers.

And now for the other one I wanted to share... I am in love with Crate's new Restoration line and found it the perfect complement to this layout:

I also used papers from Basic Grey & We R Memory Keepers, chipboard from Colorbok, tin frames & photo corners from Making memories and flower from Heidi Swapp.

I as gonna share a couple other layouts, but apparently Blogger has other ideas, so I guess I will have to share them later...

Oh yeah, check out my Flickr for some great Urban Exploration pictures that I have been taking.

More fun flowers!

2010-09-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with my ribbon flowers lately and came up with these wonderful roses that I used on this layout:

The ribbon is from Michael's (you know, their dollar ribbon sales). Also on this layout, I used Bazzill Card Stock and papers from K & Co.and Sassafras. I hand-cut the felt rik-rak. The lace is from Walmart, and I think the pearl brads are as well. I think you will be seeing a lot of these little alphabet stamps- I got them at JoAnn in the dollar bins, and I absolutely love them!

Anyhow, on to how to make these roses (they're super-easy!)
Step 1: Cut about 12" of ribbon (mine were about 1" wide)

Step 2: Insert a brad into the end of your ribbon and attach to your paper where you want the center of your flower to be.

Step 3: Using quick-dry or craft glue (I used Helmar Craft Glue), draw a circle around the brad, approximating how big you think your flower will be and fill it in. Let your glue set for a minute or two.

Step 4: Twist the ribbon and pull it around the brad, laying it in the craft glue as you twist. You may need to add extra glue if you didn't put enough. Once you reach the end of the ribbon, tuck it under the roll it is next to.

And voila! You have a great ribbon rose!

Happy Scrapping!

What do you find when you clean?

2010-09-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

I took my last day off to really clean and organize my scrap space. I used to have it in a corner of our unused dining room, but we decided to move the desktop computer in there because we were tired of trying to relax with the kids using it in our bedroom, so the office corner of my bedroom is now my scrappy space. I love that the desk is huge (we bought it cheap at a 2nd hand store & Joe really didn't want to try and move it because it's HEAVY), but the area needed to be organized for my convenience. It's also not quite as bright, but I have plenty of artificial light, now. So, here's my newly-organized scrappy space.

While I cleaned out my scrappy space, I decided that I needed to go through my scraps. I found so many I will never use, so I recycled them. I decided to do a sketch and layout with some of the others, to use them up. So, today's a Sunday Scrap Sketch :)

I used a bunch of papers I forgot I even had on this one... some so old, I can't remember who made them. I also mixed in some Sassafras and Echo Park products on here...

Show me how you are using your scraps!

Some More Disney, a Sketch & a Tutorial

2010-09-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

First off, I would love to thank everyone who is following me and (hopefully) enjoying my ramblings. Please let your friends know about my site and please comment when you can, so I don't feel like the homeless lady in the park that talks to herself :) I will be announcing a contest soon... when I can get everything together for it :)

And now, to the fun part!

I wanted to share my favorite layouts I have done this week.
Remember that ad I posted a couple weeks ago? Well, I finally got my layout done using that ad.
On this layout, I used papers from K&Co. and Sandylion. The flowers are all from Prima, the bling is from Darcie, the bling brads are Making Memories, and the pearl swirls are ones I made (but bought the strands from JoAnn). The other swirls are ones that I cut with my cricut from DCWV Glitter Cardstock.

To make the pearl swirls, you will need to find a store that sells sewing notions (like JoAnn's) and look in their trims department. These ones I found were only $2.50 for 3 yards of them, and they had several colors. To get the pattern, I used the leftover pieces of cardstock from my other swirls as a stencil and then traced where I wanted the swirls with Helmar Craft Glue. After letting the glue settle for a couple minutes, I measured my pearls by holding them over where I wanted each piece and approximated how long I would need for each small strand. Then I layed each cut piece in the craft glue and let it dry. So easy and so much more economical than buying pre-made pearl swirls! As a pattern, you could also use a swirl stamp in a light color- I've done that before as well.

My 2nd favorite layout as of late is this one:

You can tell I stocked up on the Sandylion Disney papers... The brackets are from Echo Park, the "Smile" is from Cosmo Cricket's "The Boyfriend" line, The border stickers and alphas are from Sassafras, and the Pluto is a Jolee's sticker.

And lastly, the sketch. I don't have an example of this one this week, because it is one of my "backup" sketches... I would love to see your takes on it, though!

Post a link to your layouts in my "Comments" section :)

Reliving the fun!

2010-09-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am still working on our vacation album (if you hadn't already guessed- ha!) One of the best things about it is that I get to relive the experience with every photo I look at and every page I put together. On the other hand, I really am needing some inspiration for some of these pages! I am still stumped on some of them.
Today' sketch comes from one of the harder pages I've had.

This is a fairly bare-bones sketch because I was trying to figure out the placement of the 3 photos I had. For the layout, I used papers from K&Co and stickers & felt from Sassafras.

Happy Scrapping!

Help... I can't decide!

2010-09-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Becky Fleck is having an awesome sketch/ card contest that I would lovvvvvveeeee to win! Here's the prize pack & the sketch:

Anyhow, I have 2 different layouts I have done using this sketch as inspiration, but I don't know if I want to use either of them to enter, or if I should try a different one entirely.

Here they are:

Please let me know what you think:

Buzz Lightyear

Hunny Bear

or Try Again

in my comments...

Thanks!

I have another blog

2010-09-05T18:42:00.001-07:00

Please check it out! It' a blog for tasty, timely recipes :) Tasty & Timely

No Sketch This Week...

2010-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Because Life has been so hectic. I am still washing machine-less, so all my spare time has been taken up by doing laundry elsewhere. Ugh!

I figured that this was a great week to start adding other sorts of challenges to my blog, so I am starting this week with an Ad Challenge. Pretty much, I Googled "Ads" and looked at what images popped up to see what caught my eye. This particular ad I guess had been banned for some eyelash controversy, but I love the circles behind her, the way the title was done, everything! Even the color scheme is cool! So, my challenge is to use this ad as a "Sketch" of sorts and see what you can come up with. I will post my own take on it as soon as I get a chance to get it done.

Rickafrackin Power outage... And a question.

2010-08-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

So, the one night where I had time to post some new layouts and sketches, the power goes out. That was Wednesday night. I haven't had time to do anything since then because I've been working late, so cross your fingers that I can get some done tonight.

I also have an idea to those of you that read my blog: Would you enjoy it if I put some other challenges up as well as my sketches? I am thinking of ad sketches, how much is too much, journaling, colors, etc. Let me know in the comments for this post so I can let you in on some of my other creative boosters.

Wonderland Adventures

2010-08-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here's some bonus layouts for today:
On both of these, I used more of the G45 Halloween in Wonderland...

I also used flowers & a pebble from Prima on this one, as well as a random dimensional sticker that I think came from Target.

And on this one, I go these cards in an RAK and thought they would be perfect for this! The tags are 7Gypsies. I also used alphas from the dollar store and a rub-on from Basic Grey.

Major Mojo, reporting for duty!

2010-08-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have been ultra-inspired this week! I like to chalk it up to a blast of creativity, but I think I am also going to credit all my new stuff!I don't have a ton of it, but just a few new papers & I am going through my old stash like mad, now, so I can use it with my new stuff! I also have a (sort of) tutorial for you today as well as some really fun layouts and a sketch!
First off, the tutorial. Unfortunately, it's a written tutorial, because I didn't think to take pictures while I was making this particular item.I am talking about the ribbon flower on this layout:

You will definitely be seeing these on my layouts more in the future because it was so simple to make, and it gives me a use for all those adorable spools of ribbon that I buy because I love them and then don't end up using them.

To make these flowers:

Cut a piece of ribbon about 6" long from your spool
Fold the ribbon like you would a fan
Staple in the center of the bundle you have made
Unfold & fan out the edges.

That's it! I adhered it to my page and fixed the button on it with Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots. I am definitely going to be doing a lot of these... I am also thinking some wide lace would look nice. And can you imagine how gorgeous they would be with a little glimmer mist? I also used papers from October Afternoon and Echo Park, a tag from My Little Shoebox and stickers from Echo Park & Sassafras on this page.

And now, for the sketches!

In the page I did for this, I used papers from Die Cuts With a View (Cardstock) and K & Co. The die-cut journal area is from Lily Bee. The flowers are Prima & Studio 8. The Rub-on is from Basic Grey and the alphas are from Miss Elizabeth's.

Mad for Graphic 45

2010-08-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

I completed my first layout using the Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland line... And I even used one of my sketches!

Here's the sketch:

And here's the layout. I used mostly the G45 papers, but the stripes are from DCWV.

I can't stress how much I love these papers. I've already restocked, though I am disappointed because the one craft store I found that carries them in the area was out of the die cuts:( Guess I'll have to keep checking back, or order online.

I also have another layout to share. This is a double-pager. I used BoBunny's Jazmyne Terrace on this one, along with strips from DCWV & Rusty Pickle and a journal card from WeRMemory Keeepers and brads from Around the Block. This is also my first foray into using the Core'dinations Cardstock I bought. I think this may be the beginning of another beautiful friendship.

Happy Scrapping!

Don't you just love...

2010-08-02T08:54:00.001-07:00

When you have the actual tine to do something and nothing associated with that task cooperates? I wanted to post some sketches yesterday, but none of my art programs would run correctly, so, until I get them working, I can't post any sketches :( - unfortunately, I sketch as I go, so no large notebook full of unused sketches at the moment... maybe I should start?

Two great tastes that are great together!

2010-07-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Although Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite candy, I'm not talking about them :)
What I am talking about is Sassafras & Disney pictures! I have been having so much fun playing with my vacation photos and pairing them with mostly my Apple Jack & Nerdy Bird stuff, that I thought I would share.

I also used some Felties and stickers from Bella Blvd., Echo Park & Making Memories on this one.

This is a 2-pager... the whole reason I bought the Nerdy Bird line was because of these Tea Cups and our vacation that I knew would include some large and colorful tea cups!

Unfortunately, no sketch today because I am needing to relinquish my laptop to the hubby for some research of a different kind... I'll try to post one on Sunday... and maybe even a bonus!

Happy Scrapping!

I MUST have these, too!

2010-07-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the Sassafras blog for today's sneaky peeky!
Besides some awesome new chipboard, they have also unveiled these yummy flowers!

Counting me in now, too...

2010-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

And another Sassafras CHA preview... This would be soooooo perfect for pics of my nieces!

The only thing I wish they had with this collection is a new batch of Felties!

Check it out on the Sass blog!

Oh Goody!

2010-07-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

I love seeing all the new CHA reveals from my favorite manufacturers, but I can't help thinking how much money I will be spending on this stuff! Sassafras has exposed the first of theirs

on their blog... I love the classic Shabby Chic patterns with bold colors!

Go to their blog and check it out!

Let them eat cake!

2010-07-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

This is an awseome giveaway! Melissa at Creating from the Heart is giving away, yes, I said GIVING AWAY, a Cricut Cake machine in honor of the anniversary of her blog and her son's upcoming birth (Congrats, by the way!) So, hop on over there and enter... I did!

I'm so trying this...

2010-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to try Glimmer Mist forever, but one thing that inhibits me is the price. After a quick Google search I found this great tutorial for making your own: Make Your Own Glimmer Mist. I'm trying it and will let you know how it works!

I MUST get these papers

2010-07-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it was possible for me to fall in love with a paper line as much as I have Sassafras, but Graphic 45's newest lines are making me DROOL! Usually I love their paper anyways, but they're not necessarily ones I could see myself using. That has changed. The ones I am absolutely head over heels with are Steampunk Debutante:

And Hallowe'en in Wonderland:

I can't scrapbook my Alice in Wonderland pictures from Disneyland without these.

I plan on ordering some on payday from Scrapbook Express. They have an awesome sale going on right now- the whole pack of papers for $15.99 plus shipping.

Speaking of awesome specials, Chiara at House of Paper is making room for new product and has stuff on DEEP discounts! If she has any left, I'll be ordering from her on payday, too. And if you go there, save some for me, will ya?

Happy Scrapping!

Some Disney Fun

2010-07-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't get any scrapping done today, but I have a bunch of layouts from our vacation album to share :) But first, a sketch for you!

For this sketch, I used pictures from the California Screamin' rollercoaster in California Adventure. For my layout, I used papers from Die Cuts With a View, Sandylion and Me & My Big Ideas, as well as a journal spot & photo corner from Sassafras and a ticket from Jenni Bowlin.

And here's some more layouts to share!

This is one of my favorite layouts in this album so far! I had to hand-cut the shaped paper and the photo corners and also doodled the stars on the photo corners. The car paper is from Die Cuts With a View and the border and decorative pieces under the shaped paper are Sassafras.

I wasn't sure how I wanted to use the paper on this one at first, but I like how it came out. The paper is from Sandylion, and the rest is just cardstock. The chipboard star tag is actually from a shirt I bought (Converse One Star) and I liked it so much I saved it. I think it goes well with this layout!

More to come when I get more time!

Just Call Me The Cleaner...

2010-07-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Normally, I like all living creatures. Yes, I am afraid of big hairy spiders, but the little ones are not bad. I now have an exception to the rule. Since we had such a mild winter, not all the bugs died that would have normally, so we are being overrun with these annoying little black ants! They are inside, outside, everywhere! They swarm anything and everything, like this (not my house- found this online so you would get the idea):

They're just ooky! They smell bad when you squish them, too. Anyhow, these little buggers have sent me on a major cleaning frenzy. I'm pretty sure that I have annoyed everyone else in the house with it. I am bordering on OCD cleaning. We have sprayed all kinds of chemical and natural sprays as well as set out traps, but no avail. If anyone has any great ideas that work to get rid of these pests, I'm all ears!

Summer is Here!

2010-07-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry no updates but the last two days have been too hot to scrap! Our skies look like this:

And, being in the lovely area that is Western Washington, the only real air conditioning is in the stores. It is supposed to cool down a little, so, hopefully I will be able to scrap again soon!

A Fresh New Look

2010-07-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

I got tired of my polka dots and decided to try on some stripes! How do they look?

I will not be posting a sketch on Wednesday this week because I will be going out of town for work for the day. I will get it posted on Thursday. Until then, though, please check out one of the challenge blogs that I have below!

And Life Goes On...

2010-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am sad that this week one of my favorite scrappy communities, Serendipity Scrapbooking, closed its "doors." I already miss all the challenges that she hosted... boy, did they keep me motivated sometimes! I wish Kristen the best, though. I have a lot of the blogs from the other girls listed there. Check them out- there's a huge wealth of talent available. At least i still have the other sites I go to :) Thanks or being there, Becky & Chiara!
Speaking of the other boards, Head on over to Scrap Tastic for the Ms. Scrap Tastic competition. We only are on week 1 and there's still time to join! This week's challenge is to create a layout using the color combo of only magenta, slate and chartreuse. Here's mine:

I used paper from K & Co. and BoBunny. The alphas are from Miss Elizabeth's (which I have noticed are no longer available... too bad, they were great products!)

I am currently working on our vacation album, so I needed a good layout with lots of pictures. This is what I came up with:

For the layout, I used papers from Sassafras and chipboard from Sassafras and WeRMemory Keepers. The Metal accents are from Colorbok.

I'm not sure how much I will be blogging over the next few days, so, hope everyone has a happy 4th of July!

Getting Caught Up

2010-06-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

I finally have a couple layouts and a sketch to share! Just like I promised! Here's the sketch:

For the layout for this, I used papers from KI Memories and K & Co. as well as some stickers from Sassafras and a journal spot from Little Yellow Bicycle.

For this next one, I used papers from K & Co. and My Little Shoebox & Collage Press as well as Alphas from Making Memories.

Hopefully I will be able to share more later this week!

I know... I've been AWOL

2010-06-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

But I have a really good excuse! I have been working hard to print vacation pictures &organizing my album. I have just started scrapping it (got 3 layouts done so far). I will share as soon as I can get them uploaded. I also have some new sketches, so I'll get those uploaded as well. I will try to get this done tonight... hopefully :)

Back from Vacation

2010-06-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

I am soooo ready to go back, already! I told Joe that we need to win the lottery so we could just continue our vacation :) Anyhow, I did bring back some inspiration from the World of Disney. They sell these frames for several of the attractions, but the Haunted Mansion is my favorite, so I had to post this one:

This is something I could totally see doing even as a child's name. Very cool idea.

Anyhow, I go back to the grind of work tomorrow, so I will be posting new sketches and stuff on my usual Wednesday schedule.

Stuck in a rut

2010-05-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

I think I am stuck in a rut... most likely because we are leaving on vacation in a few days and I am just anxious to get going with my vacation (haven't had a proper one in about 3 years). I really really really want to scrap, but, even though I am afraid of using up my papers, the one thing that is hindering me is that, ever since I moved my scrappy stuff into my room, everyone has a tendency to pile crap on my desk! Granted, the paper plate, the books, and the coffee cups from my tea are all my mess, but CDs, my hubby's Beatles Songbook, junk mail, fingernail clippers, tweezers... all not mine. Really, people? Ok, maybe I left the CDs there, but the rest, come on! What's even worse now is that our desktop computer (which we moved out of our room & into the kitchen so everyone could use it without congregating in our room) is not behaving. It won't stay turned on. We have to fix it or replace it.. I'm not sure which. But, that means that not only is my desk being overrun, but people keep bogarting my laptop so I can't cut anything with my cricut unless I am just using one of my cartridges in basic mode. Ughhhh!!!

A Relaxing Day

2010-05-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

I spent today (mostly) with the family. We took the dog to the beach for a little while and he loved it! I can't say that I have ever seen a dog that liked to swim quite so much. He won't even catch a stick, but he'll dive right in to the water. We went to Howarth Park, which looks like this

on a sunny day. Today, it was pretty overcast and not nearly as many people. Perfect for us! So, my inspiration today is from this wonderfully relaxing day.

I also have a couple of sketches to share, since it's Sunday and all... and to make up for the fact that there will be none during my vacation since I will be at the Happiest Place on Earth!!! (Though I may post pictures from my phone if I remember to).

Happy Scrapping!

Since I am ot scrapping at the moment...

2010-05-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I would peruse Flickr while I am updating my album (I know... it's been like a year since I have uploaded any pics to it), I would explore it. Today's inspiration comes from a photo I found:

I love the colors on this pillow and the patterns remind me of Sassafras. I also love how the design is! I could totally see using this as a design for a layout!

For today's sketch, I figured I ought to start planning for my vacation pages, so this one is in anticipation of Mad Tea Cups photos :)

Can you tell I'm excited? You can be sure I will be updating my Twitter & Facebook often.

Have a creative day!

Inspired by my kids on this Mother's Day

2010-05-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day! I know I did! Today, I am inspired by my kids. My son has a very unique perspective on things, and a great sense of humor, my daughter is very original and colorful (What can I say... she's an artist!)

I also have a bonus sketch for you this Mother's Day... consider it my present to all you scrapping moms out there! It was meant to be a round layout sketch, but it shows up as rectangular on my computer, which actually looks pretty cool if you ask me.

Hope you had a great day!

Two Quick Sketches & some inspiration

2010-05-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

A couple colorful sketches for your enjoyment today :) I am playing around with Inkscape lately, so I used that to create these. They are both formatted for 8 1/2 x 11 layouts, but could easily be used for a squared layout or even cards!

Today's inspiration is just to be silly! I had so much fun reading this site in prep for vacation: Disney Lies

Have some fun & be silly today!

See how bad I am...

2010-05-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I already skipped a couple days of Inspiration. It's not entirely my fault, though. I really haven't been on my laptop much. Most of my internet browsing has been done via my phone recently. I did find a nice one for today, though. This one comes from a site called coach4u.net.

I have also made a decision... not an easy one, but a decision. I will be posting sketches, but, until we get back from vacation, I can't do any scrapping, other than finishing my Mother's Day projects and stuff. The reason for this decision is that I don't want to use all my new papers and goodies and then get around to scrapping my vacation photos and find that I already used what would be the perfect paper for those photos. I know, I'm a little batty, but I already used some paper that I was going to use for vacation photos and can't get any more of it, so I'm just playing it safe.

Have an awsome Sunday!

It's all about color

2010-04-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today's inspiration is color... or more specifically, this awesome idea for home decorating. Besides the fact that this is my favorite color (peacock blue), I love the accents in this picture! This would totally be something I would do in my home.

What's inspiring you today?

Spring is in the air!

2010-04-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that my laptop is working! Not only that, but we were able to get Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 working on it :) As you can guess, I am an RCT junkie. I can spend hours playing the game!

As you can tell, I have been Tweeting like crazy... mostly because I can use my phone for it and can access them pretty much anywhere. Expect Tweets from DisneyLand (we'll be there in a month yayyyyy!!!!)

In addition to my weekly sketches, I have decided to try to have Daily Inspiration. This is as much for me as for everyone that reads my blog. Not only is it a great thing to try to do, but it also will let me have all my inspiration in one spot which I can easily access :) We'll see how I can keep this up lol! Anyhow, the Daily Inspiration may be a quote or a picture or it might even be an ad or a magazine layout from somewhere. Feel free to put your own inspiration in my comments :) I love comments!

Today's Inspiration comes from a site called Quotes Arcade

And now on to my sketch and layout for today. I wasn;t able to get a 2nd sketch, but I may post a bonus as soon as I think up a few more.

For my layout, I used papers from My Little Shoebox. This is a company that I am really liking... almost as much as I love Sassafras! I just got some of their newer lines, and I can say that Imaginary Friends is soooo cute I may not be able to use it... but I will try. I also used a different technique on here... I wanted the rainbow letters to look painted and didn't want to deal with using several pieces of paper through my Cricut, so I used some Chalk Pastel Pencils and sketched a block of color for each letter, then I smeared my fingers across them to blend them. After I cut them, I traced each letter with a super fine black pen and filled in the inside with iridescent craft glitter glue.

I also must share with you another layout I did using My Little Shoebox... no sketch for this one because I made this one up as I went along... I cut along the inside of the shaped paper to make the basket, except the part that I left for journaling on. The Flowers are Prima & the felt is Queen & Co. I cut out the chocolate bunny using an Easter font I found (sorry, don't remember the name or where I found it... I think I just Googled it to find it).

Have an inspiring day!

My laptop caught a cold

2010-04-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

So, I wasn't able to post anything last week... at least it was an easy fix, but it had me scared that it wasn't going to make it for a little while there. Nothing to post at the moment, but I will have a lot on Wednesday to make up for it! Hope everyone has been having a good weekend!

For the beautiful blogs out there...

2010-04-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

I got this awarded to me by The Lady Wolf (a/k/a my sister lol!) Thank you, Amanda :) A great end to a great day today :)

Terms of the award: Must list 10 things about yourself, thank the person who gave it to you and pass it onto 10 wonderful bloggers:

10 THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I have a zoo- 4 cats, a dog, 2 turtles, a bearded dragon, 2 birds & a ball python

2. I am living in the house I grew up in.

3. My cat's full name is Rascal Kanga Roo, but we call him Roo Roo for short because he hops when he runs & he doesn't meow, he roos...

4. All of my pets have multiple nicknames.

5. I drive a red Mitsubishi Montero Sport named Ruby.

6. My scrap area recently relocated to a corner of my bedroom.

7. My lawn needs mowing.

8. I love chocolate, but am addicted to sugar free popcicles... even when it's freezing cold outside.

9. I prefer tea over coffee.

10. I am a rock n roll chick.

And now, my turn to pass this on to 10 other wonderful bloggers!

1) The Elf Queen

2) Dalovely Damanda

3)Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

4)My Next 30 Years

5) Loquacity of Latharia

6) Life as a Scrapper

7) Crazier in Real Life

8)Wooo Hoooo!

9)Living Out Loud

10) Mickey's Pics and Scraps

Hope you all keep it going & recognize your fellow bloggers/scrappers!

Cheap storage

2010-04-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me know how I am about being frugal & re-purposing things. My button stash had previously been in some separated condiment containers. I liked them because they kept my colors separated & I could shake out just one button, however, the older the containers got, the more the lid would fall off & spill all my buttons. I decided yesterday to go to the thrift store to see what I could find in the way of storage. I planned on trying to find a spice rack that was empty, but they didn't have any. So, I tried to think of what else could be used as storage and thought maybe finding a mug tree and getting some cute mugs would work, but no mug trees. Then, I found these great glass mugs and decided that because I have plenty of room under my paper shelf, I could use cup hooks. Here's the result:

Not only functional, but taking advantage of all my space, and the mugs and cup hooks cost me less than $5!

Helmar Rocks

2010-04-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Helmar is having a challenge to bring lots & lots of subscribers to their Facebook page & spread the word about how awesome their stuff is, so please, go here: Helmar's Facebook and put a comment on their wall telling them Jill Oriente sent you :)

By the way, I just sent in my application for their design team and I really hope I get it because I am in love with Helmar almost as mch as I am in love with Sassafras!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...

2010-04-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is the month I am a guest designer on Scrap Your Crap! The challenge was to use embroidery floss, so I used it as flowers & fringe. Check it out here: http://scrapyourcrap.blogspot.com/2010/04/challenge-52-floss-it-up.html

Also, if you are a Cricut/ SCAL fan, check out my sister's blog at http://theladywolf.blogspot.com . She has tons of SVG files you can use! I must admit, she does a lot more with her Cricut than I do...
Enjoy!

Today is a Two-fer

2010-04-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to play last night.. hopefully will get more play time today :) There's a couple of design team calls I' thinking of trying out for- My Little Shoebox & Helmar Adhesives- so I want to work on stuff for those. Anyhow, I wanted to share my projects from last night...

For this layout, Charlie helped me... He drew the mushroom & item box & did the journaling. I used Sassafras paper on this & paper-pieced the piranha plant.

And on to the next sketch...
For this layout, I used papers from Making Memories. The tag is one I got in a swap years ago...

I only have about 1/2 an hour before I get to taxi the kids around, so I'll see what I get done...

Hoppity hoppity

2010-04-04T10:23:00.001-07:00

A busy sunny day

2010-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

I may not have any sketch to post today... we'll see how I do with things tonight, but seeing as how it is almost 6 pm, I don't think I will be getting any scrappy stuff done. The kids are on Spring Break this week, so we spent the day together. I still haven't made dinner. I will have something next week, and hopefully sooner than that.

Oh yeah, I added a countdown widget for how many days until we go to Disneyland. I can definitely say this will be a well-needed vacation. And I will be taking lots of pictures.

Reliving my favorite season... and other stuff

2010-03-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

We all know that Fall is my favorite season, Halloween in particularly, so I thought I would share this layout I did today. The nice thing about scrapbooking is that you can scraps things when you want to. We're already planning this year's costumes, but no concrete ideas yet. anyone have any suggestions?

This is one of my layouts in the House of Serendipity Event and I'm so glad I saved it! I used papers from Rusty Pickle and the spiderweb die cut paper is from Creative Imaginations.

Today's sketch is one I used for another layout for the House of Serendipity challenge I worked on today. I was the (un?)lucky person to pick the magic door with the need to create 6 layouts behind it... before Saturday. Since I have today off and work the rest of the days until Saturday, I had to do it today. This was the first one that I did and I love how it turned out!

For the layout, I used some paper that I bought in a miscellaneous pack. The flowers are Prima. The chipboard is from Scenic Route & studio 8.

A different kind of inspiration

2010-03-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks, there's no sketch today. Instead, I am sharing a layout created using one of my favorite sources of inspiration- ads. Our friends in the consumer advertising world have provided us with years of inspiration! I just use Google Image Search to find an ad that I want to use! Of course, now that I am posting this, I can't find the ad I used, but I hope you enjoy the layout!

For this layout, I used paper from Die Cuts With A View and also some tage cut from some BoBunny paper. The stars are actually some mini tree garland that I bought after Christmas a couple years ago.

Have fun looking for some ad inspiration!

Finding inspiration in the odd & (slightly?) (in)sane

2010-03-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

So, not too long ago, I stumbled upon this website- Gublerland - that caught my attention not only because of the odd art, not only because of the animated home page, but because it was, well, fun! I looked at a few things and continued on, but I bookmarked it because it was interesting.

On a short, little side-note, you who know me all know how much of a crime-drama junkie I am... here's the kicker...

As I perused this website, I found that this is actually the website for Matthew Gray Gubler, who plays the very quirky but genius Dr. Spencer Reid on the show "Criminal Minds". How awesome is that? I don;t know what's cooler... finding that out, or turning the volume on while looking at the "Website" section & hearing a recitation of Edgar Allen Poe's "Annabel Lee."

Anyhow, check it out- it's all sorts of awesome.
Here's my favorite:

Playing catch up...

2010-03-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

I dropped the ball on posting a sketch last week, so I am posting double this week :) Yes, I have been playing with my new phone a lot, but it is so much better than my Blackberry was. No more hourglass of death! I gave the BB to Charlie he says his friend Justin is jealous because his phone does more now... except it can't go online.
Anyhow, I don;t get to do a lot of scrapping today because it''s Joe's birthday & I have a list of stuff to do.
It's also week 4 at the House of Serendipity and I'm still going strong! Here's the layout I submitted for last week's challenge (It was a sketch challenge- I think I'm pretty good at those lol!)

I used papers from Die Cuts With a View's Christmas Stack and the journaling card is from Collage Press's "Joyride" collection- sure wishing I had bought more of that when the lss had it! The ribbon is some cheap stuff I bought on clearance last year in the dollar spot at Michael's.

And I also have this week's challenge done as well! This was a Scrap-lift challenge- we had to choose one of the March Kit layouts from th design team. I chose this one from Rebecca. For my take on it, I used more of the DCWAV Christmas Stack. The Chipboard is from Colorbok and the snowflakes were from JoAnn's.

And now my sketches! I did this first one last week... just never to around to posting it (I think I should restrict the kids from using my laptop- every time I needed it, they were on it!)

For this one, I used paper from My Mind's Eye, a journal card from Fancy Pants, a frame from Making memories, Chipboard from Colorbok (again), Flower die cuts from Cosmo Cricket, and alphas from Miss Elizabeth's. the sketch was originally 12x12, but I used it for 8 1/2 x 11.

And now the bonus sketch... I haven't done anything with this one yet...

Off to more errands! Have fun!

i'm a droid now

2010-03-07T16:11:00.001-08:00

Or more accurately, my phone is. We upgraded from our crackberries to Droids. It's gonna take some getting used to, but so far I love it!

PageMaps & Sassafras Card Contest

2010-02-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

I know... I'm crazily entering contests today, but, really, since I am on a spending freeze, this is the only way for me to use up my product I have and get some new stuff. PageMaps is giving away a wee bundle of Sassafras Nerdy Bird, and since we all know that I am absolutely addicted to Sassafras, I have to enter! I went Sass crazy here, too...
Here's the sketch:

And my interpretation of it:

(P.S. Manda, this is the card you are getting for your birthday, so don't look if you want to be surprised! *wink*)

PageMaps February Contest

2010-02-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

And the prize pack for this one is full of goodies!
Here's the sketch:

And my version... I went a little Sassafras crazy on this one, but, really, this is the only paper I could imagine doing this page with. The letters are from Miss Elizabeth's.

A Sunny Sunday Afternoon

2010-02-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry I didn't get my sketch posted on Wednesday. I use Paint Shop Pro for everything and we updated our desktop to Windows 7... I haven't yet re-installed it & have no idea if it will even work with it. Luckily, I have it on my laptop, which also has SCAL & Design Studio on it, so I can use it. Unfortunately, until there is either something good on TV or Netflix sends out the disk so we can stream movies with our Wii, my laptop is at the mercy of being used for movies, since it is the only thing really portable enough to go into th living room. Anyhow, here is the sketch that I would have posted on Wednesday. The layout is also the one that I submitted to the House of Serendipity Event for the second week challenge.

For this layout, I used paper, photo corners & a journal spot from Sassafras (Sweet Marmalade collection), and a ric-rac die cut from Lily Bee and the little felt pieces are stickers from American Greetings that I picked up around Halloween.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to announce that I will be a Guest Designer at Scrap Your Crap in April... stay tuned for my layout I did for it :) I'll be doing some more scrapping today, so there could be some surprise layout and/or sketch shares... if I feel like it.

Cheap entertainment

2010-02-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

I think I have found one of the most addicting websites ever...
Orange

Have fun!

House of Serendipity Challenge #1

2010-02-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

I am participating in the House of Serendipity Event and finally finished my first challenge, which was to create a layout using purple. This one was a little bit of a challenge for me in that I don't usually use purple. Now, don;t get me wrong, I love purple... in fact I love it enough to have amassed quite a stash of it, however, it never seems to go with the pictures I have. Luckily, I happened to have this great photo of my niece, Abby, dressed all in purple, and my layout just took off from there!

The paper on this is from Marianne Richmond. Most of the other stuff is just little bits & pieces I have received in swaps or picked up in the clearance bin somewhere with intent of using it on my pages sometime. The small flowers and wings on the title are Prima. I used my Storybook cartridge to cut out the title and the swirls.

Short but sweet...

2010-02-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

Not much of a post today... I had to work today, so I'm a little tired.
Anyhow, I do have a sketch & a layout to share, as well as a video of my niece having a meltdown on Monday.

For the example of this one, I used mostly Sassafras,but also some miscellaneous chipboard & scraps I had laying around..

And, finally the video- I posted it on my Youtube.

Abby has a Meltdown

The Book of Weird

2010-02-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that every once in a while, I will post a layout that is a little odd. A layout of places and things that are a little off the beaten path. This is because our family has always been fascinated with strange & unusual. We enjoy visiting these places that have a bit of weird to them, or they may even be creepy to most. Two Christmases ago, my sister gave us a book called "Weird Washington" (because she knows that we are like this...)

We decided that rather than just visiting these weird places, we would document them and put them in our own album, hence "The Book of Weird." Since then, we have made it a goal to visit as many of these places as we can, and are even adding some of our own that weren't in that book.

Unfortunately, there is quite a unique challenge to undertaking this... there are very few paper manufacturers that cater to the strange and unusual. You certainly wouldn't have papers with cute little fluffy bunnies for a page about the site of the worst train wreck in United States history. I have been so stumped as to what to do with some of these pages that I was about to give up and just use plain cardstock just to get them done and over with, when it hit me- I do know a company that has some unusual designs: Sassafras!

This epiphany set off a whirlwind of scrapping and I was able to get three of the most difficult pages done! So, I thought I'd share. I'll post links that tell about these sites, so if you are interested, you can check them out as well :)

The Iron Goat Trail (Site of the Old Cascade Tunnel)

(On this layout, I also used some paper from Die Cuts With a View & a Sticker from 7Gypsies- the rest is all Sassafras!)

Rucker's Tomb

And

The Gum Wall (Yes, it's both attracting yet repulsive...)

I'll post more of these as I get them done. The spring & summer are prime times to get out and sight-see, so I'm sure you'll see lots more :) If you're interested in getting your own Book of Weird going, visit Roadside America for ideas near you !

This is what happens when I'm sick...

2010-02-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

I'm still fighting this cold/ sinus infection/ bronchitis whatever it is... unfortunately, I'm not really sick enough to use a sick day from work, but I sure am feeling yucky. I have no energy otherwise, so I started to do a little scrapping, but I can't even concentrate on it. I was, however, able to get a couple new sketches done, so I am posting those at least *shrugs*. Hope you like them & I can't wait to see what you do with them!

Not today...

2010-02-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

I hate it when days off go this way. I ran errands earlier, but I am in the process of fighting off this cold/sinus infection that I picked up somewhere. Anyhow, I have had no energy to scrap at all today, so there is also no sketch. I will try to get one up by Sunday. I'm gonna kick this thing with lots of Nyquil, and a healthy dose of tea & sake.

Late on Wednesday evening...

2010-01-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

I have had a pretty creative spurt today! I did 3 layouts (two I can't reveal because they were done for a DT call). This is in between cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, grocery shopping and making dinner (Yummy! Fajitas!)

Anyhow, today's sketch is a fun one... A little more like my usual stuff, but I still like how it turned out :)

For the layout I did for this, I used some papers from Crate, Sassafras & RitaMarie & co. The ribbon is something I got in a swap and the chipboard is from Colorbok & Imaginisce. This is also the first time that I have used my sewing machine on a layout :)

I have also decided that for a bonus this week, I will share the layout I did for Spunky Scrappers last...unfortunately, this is the only way it will see the light of day other than the girls that were on the DT with me. I'd love to see what you do with it!

Not much chatter tonight... I'm a little sleepy, so until next time!

Fresh & Pretty

2010-01-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Since my blog was acting strange & looking odd, I decided to update with a fresh new look!

Is it just me...

2010-01-26T09:11:00.001-08:00

Or is my blog showing up all discombobulated-like?

Just wondering...

The Big Reveal...

2010-01-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

I have been working on getting the house de-cluttered and so I haven't been scrapping much in the last week and a half. My apologies to anyone who was waiting for my usual Wednesday sketch. Anyhow, it's been a chore. We finished the kitchen and laundry room today. Our plan was to take my little scrappy corner out of the laundry room & give it an area of our dining room (which seems to collect junk from activities not related to dining at all.) We had planned on moving our table out into the garage to be used as a project table out there, but, when I went to move it, one of the legs fell off. This is not a new table by any stretch of the imagination, and this leg had been, in fact, re-attached several times. This time, though,m there was no fixing it. It is now currently sitting on our back patio in the rain, awaiting the fate of being chopped to bits and used as firewood. Before you worry about fumes from the lacquer on it, keep in mind that this table used to belong to my grandma and has been used for so many things, left so many times in different weather, that any semblance of chemical on it are fair to none.

Anyhow, back to the story at hand... I have a large corner of the dining room now. We are contemplating on getting a small cafe table, but right now, I am really enjoying the wide-open space that is now our craft area :) I even took a picture :)

The desk, chair & plastic drawers were already ones I had in my little corner before. We bought the hutch today at Value Village for $30 and I think it's just perfect for what I needed it for! I originally intended to have a tall bookshelf for storage purposes, but I really couldn't find one I liked. This one just stood out to me and it holds everything I need it to and then some! The side table is just a piece of treated laminated fiber board that we had bought for Chloe to use as a desk (and which ended up sitting in her room when she decided she didn't like having a desk. I love having that extra space, though, because it means I can even have my sewing machine out and actually use it! The kids also are loving that extra space because I did tell them that if they needed any extra craft area, they could use that. So far, Charlie is the only one who has taken advantage of that... and he is also addicted to using my Helmar Craft Glue. I think I may have to make him buy his own bottle before he uses mine up!

Now that things have settled down a little more, I should have a new sketch to post on Wednesday again... as well as some fun layouts! Until then...

Late on Wednesday...

2010-01-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

You know what they say, better late than never! Hah! Who is "They" anyways? Anyhow, I am posting now because I have been grocery shopping and scrapbooking all day :) I usually do my crafts when I am doing laundry, but our dryer is still on the fritz, so I am sooo thrown off my game. I can't wait until we can do laundry at home. The laundromat is so expensive. Can you believe we spent $40 to wash our laundry on Sunday? Granted, that was 2 weeks worth of laundry for 4 people, but still... Yikes! I promised the kids that I wouldn't spend any money on scrappy stuff until after vacation (Sooooo hard because everyone is doing their Winter CHA previews! I should only be so lucky as to win some...), but it seems that all the money I would be saving is going right into trying to fix the dryer and doing laundry. It's a vicious cycle. I want off.

I do have a couple of layouts and sketches to share, for all my effort today.

For this first one, I was actually influenced by a clock... I was playing with numbers for this layout and finally came up with this design... and an example that looks pretty close to it.

For this layout, I used paper from Die Cuts With a View and K & Co. mostly, though I'm not totally sure because I used a lot of scraps that I have had for years. There might even be some My Mind's Eye as well. The buttons are also all hodgepodge of ones from various places and articles of clothing. The only thing I do know for certain is that the journal spot is from Sassafras :)

Here's the bonus sketch of the day... I may have to try this one as well. If I have the right photos. Mine always seem too big for this sort of thing!

Happy Scrapping!

How many of these have you read?

2010-01-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. How do you do?

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (on a side note, I detest Charles Dickens)
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott (I've read this 3 times do they each count?)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare- question- why is this on here if the complete works of shakespeare was earlier in the list? Why don't they just list them all separately?
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Well, 39 of them isn't bad... especially since I've read a lot of classics that aren't on that list like works by Poe and The Odyssey.

Wishes Come True

2010-01-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

Serendipity Scrapbooks is having a Wishes come true contest... register for the forum & say Jill sent you :) Also, there is a Project Runway crop happening soon, so check it out!

The Good, The Bad & The Sketchy

2010-01-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week can make! To start off, the good news is always the best! Our family is all a little tired today and it is due to the fact that we were all at the hospital last night where my Sister in Law gave birth to my nephew! His name is Tristan Kale. He was born a little after 11:20pm and weighed 7 lbs. 11oz.

Isn't he a cutie! I can't wait to watch him grow! Charlie is really happy to have a boy cousin now... especially after 13 years of being the only boy.

Now the bad news. We got notified today that Brianna, who runs the Spunky Scrappers site is hanging up her boots. She said she will leave the site up as inspiration, but will no longer be running any challenges. I'm bummed because I have been just loving some of the different challenges! The topics were great, not to mention the fact that it is the first DT I have ever been on & I was just starting to have a blast! I guess I will be searching out some new DT opportunities this new year.

And, finally, the Sketchy :)

I have two for you today!

For this first layout, I used papers from K & Co. and a strip of Sassafras. The journal spot is Little Yellow Bicycle and the title and butterfly were cut with my Cricut using Die Cuts With a View glitter cardstock. The flowers are Prima. To get the bunchy effect on the pink & yellow flowers, I put a dot of Helmar Craft Glue in the center of one paper flower, then held it together until it set and stayed there, then I used a dot of Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to adhere it to the center of the second flower.

This next one is my favorite :)

This one us almost all Sassafras :) The film strip is from Creative Imaginations, the felt is from Blu Eye Dezines and the little metal clips are from Heidi Swapp.

What's inspiring you today?

One Word

2010-01-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone? charging

2. Your hair? auburn

3. Your mother? Sheila

4. Your father? John

5. Your favorite food? Popsicles

6. Your dream last night? dunno

7. Your favorite drink? tea

8. Your dream/goal? fame

9. What room are you in? bedroom

10. Your hobby? scrapbooking :)

11. Your fear? stupidity

12. Where you want to be in 6 years? richer

13. Where were you last night? bed

14. Something you aren't? snotty

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. Wish list item? money

17. Where did you grow up? Lynnwood

18, Last thing you did? eat

19. What are you wearing? black

20. Your tv? off

21. Your pet? many

22. Friends? close

23. Your life? interesting

24. Your mood? tired

25. Missing someone? yes

26. Vehicle? Ruby

27. Something you're not wearing? hat

28. Your favorite store? Import

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. The last time you laughed? yesterday

31. The last time you cried? ???

32. One place you go to over and over? work

33. Facebook? nope

34. Favorite place to eat? Zab Thai

As we step into 2010...

2009-12-31T19:07:00.001-08:00

The last day of 2009

2009-12-31T11:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I could get this done yesterday, but I had some technical issues with my laptop- for some reason the card reader decided it didn't want to work right.

Today, I thought I would do something different! I was a inspired a little by necessity, but also by my sister, who got a Cricut Expression (lucky ducky!) for Christmas and has been crafting up a storm! I think I am to blame partially for creating this crafting monster because a couple months ago, she asked me to bring my Cricut to Mom's house so she could see how it worked. I have the personal-sized one, but it gave her an idea of how they work. I also have Sure Cuts A Lot and the Storybook cartridge, which I recommended, and she got those as well. Anyhow, she started off doing some cards, and I needed a Thank You card for my Grandma, so I decided to do a card sketch this time around!

For this card, I used papers from Die Cuts With a View & Marianne Richmond. I cut the shaped papers and the words out with my Storybook cartridge. The flowers I made by cutting out the flower shapes on the George cartridge in 2", 1 1/2" , and 1" sizes from each type of paper I was using. I inked each one on the edges with a coffee colored ink. For the flower on the left, I glued down the big piece on the bottom and then curled the petals with a chop stick and glued each of them down with the smallest piece last. I did pretty much the same with the other flowers, but because the paper is only printed on one side, I actually rolled the petals inside out.

For my actual layout and sketch this week, I am still catching up on my fall pictures :)

I also decided to do a round sketch this time. I love how it worked with these photos & papers.

I stamped the paper behind the larger photo with a swirl stamp and brown ink and used an edging ruler to tear it, then I inked it around the outside with the same color ink as well. The other papers as well as the journal spot are Little Yellow Bicycle (which is a company I seem to be buying more & more stuff from). The Alpha stickers are from WeRMemoryKeepers. The gold mesh is actually some Christmas ribbon I bought a couple years ago & just love how it adds to my layouts! I'll be sad when I run out because I haven't found any more like that since I bought it. At first, I had issues getting it to stick to my pages, but I've found that if I spray the back of it with Helmar Vellum Adhesive & let it sit for a few minutes, it sticks really well!

Today is the last day of 2009! I don't make resolutions because then I don't feel bad for not keeping them, but I have promised the kids that I will not buy any more scrappy stuff until after our vacation at the end of May (Disneyland !!!), with the exception of photos, adhesives & page protectors (which I buy at the dollar store usually, anyways). That means as the weeks go by, you will see me using up more of my stash, some of which I have been hoarding a good 5+ years now! This could get interesting!

Happy New Year!

The gifts

2009-12-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Since it is after Christmas & everyone has their gifts, I can finally post the pictures of what I made :) I'll start with my mom's present, an altered canvas.

I used Daisy D's paper on this (though it's hard to see through the paint & the flash). I started by decoupaging the paper to the canvas. After that dried, I mixed some paints together to make the pretty lavender color and also mixed it with an opaque iridescent ceramic paint and painted around the edges of the paper and on the canvas (I used a foam brush for this). I then used just the ceramic paint to cover the paper. After all the paint had dried, I cut out the frames and the Title using my Storybook Cricut font and decoupaged them to the canvas.I adhered a quote sticker from Me & My Big Ideas inside the smaller frame after the glue was dry and then painted over that with the ceramic paint and just a touch of the lavender paint. After all that dried, I then used Helmar Craft Glue to create the pearl swirls and to adhere the lace and ribbon. I then used Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to attach the silk flowers (found @ the dollar store) and the butterflies (also cut from the Storybook cartridge). Lastly, I used some glitter glue on the butterfly bodies & put the bling on the small frame.

These are the cookie jars I made for my sister & sister-in-law (and their significant others)- although I should have taken this photo after I filled them with cookies...

I decoupaged both of these. The jar on the left used papers from Collage Press (I love the little cupcakes!), Sassafras (the little duckies), and Die Cuts With a View (the pink & brown plaid... it's also on the lid). I used alpha stickers from American Crafts & the ribbon is from a swap. The jar on the right is 100% Sassafras papers & even a paper whimsy card. I used my Cricut Storybook cartridge to cut the "Sweets", and the ribbon is some old holiday ribbon I got at JoAnn's a couple years ago. The flowers on both are Prima.

The kids and I also used some old photos of my Dad's cars through the years & made him a calendar, but I was in such a hurry to get everything dome, I neglected to document it and therefore am unable to share it. I will share what we used for it for anyone wanting to make their own. We used 13 page protectors and pretty much made 12 8 1/2 x 11 horizontal layouts featuring one car on each month, as well as a theme for each month. We then used 3 1" binder rings to attach the page protectors to a large piece of cardboard that we had painted and we glued the first & last page of them to the cardboard itself. We then made the calendar part in Microsoft Word and printed them out and put them in the proper spots in the calendar and voile! A reusable calendar!

I'll get my scrap on tomorrow and share a couple new sketches :) Just in time for the New Year!