Paper Smooches Designer Draft Challenge Ending Feb 1, 2014

Ok, so I was really inspired both by the colors and papers in my Scrapbook Circle Kit for January and the Paper Smooches Designer Draft Challenge for this week to create some cards. I'll start with the one I'm entering in the challenge as I actually used the sketch for this one.

The Printed Paper is from the Crate Paper Love Notes 6x6 pad, there is some vellum tape by Basic Grey and a chipboard Piece from October Afternoon's Daily Flash set. The doily is random from my stash and the stamp is from one of my trusty favorites from Paper Smooches and that is the Chit Chat set (it was also one of my first PS purchases and I'm STILL using it!!!) The heart shape is from the same paper pad and was cut with my Silhouette. This is kind of a big card, coming in at 6x6 but I love all the color. That cardstock was included as part of my Add-on from Scrapbook Circle and I don't know what kind it is but that color was just so fresh and lovely.

Thanks so much for looking, I think maybe you can tell that my card started as a mini card. It was going to be 4x3 but I just kept putting things under it... so the basic idea of the sketch is still represented. 

Let me know what you think of my take on this.

Hugs!

Craftosphere chatting.

I'm sitting here thinking of a few things and reading some blogs and I wanted to let you know/get some feedback from you on a few things. There were some new companies out at CHA that caught my eye (I mean as far as my eyes go, they were scouring the interwebs for what's coming, what's new... who has what.

This company had such cool: STUFF (not paper but STUFF).

Hazel and Ruby

They have all sorts of what I'M calling paper accessories, masks, washi, sequins... the stuff you need as finishing touches.

ChickANiddy

This company has a refreshing color pallette and some amazing looking specialty papers that I can't wait to get my hands on. I LOVE all these soft colors right now!!

I also heard from the Daily Digi Podcast and Paperclipping that some people are worried about the state of the scrapbook companies. I think they are going to be just fine. Personally I like that it's more general crafting and papercrafting rather than so scrapbook specific. I think it's good for their business that "regular" people get to know about patterned paper and cardstock. The more they buy, the more we have to choose from. AND the more people will want the products to be available. I'm certainly trying to do my part to support the companies that are making things I want to use.

Hugs everyone and don't forget to get your craft on! I'm about to be on an extended overnight petsitting gig and I'm SO excited. I usually get a lot of crafting done when I'm petsitting... I really hope to get some card stockpile going.

A little TAG for VD!

I've decided to join another swap with my buddies from TN and our theme is Valentine's Day. Here are my tags:

I really felt like I was channeling Heidi Swapp before it was over! I used papers from the January Add-On from Scrapbook Circle and everything else was already in my stash. I LOVE using my stash! I love using all the stuff I have in projects to be enjoyed. I used a Stencil from Heidi Swapp for those mini pink hearts on the black tag, the hearts are moulding paste with glimmer mist mixed in. I used some silver paint and stamp from Technique Tuesday. All those trims were in my ribbon holder and then I misted everything with what turned out to be all the rest of my Gold Lame Color Shine... I need to get some more ASAP ;)

Making anything special for February?

Scrapbusting little anytime card for PaperSmoochesSparks Anything Goes!

Sometimes you just want to use up lovely things that you've been hoarding and this card is a perfect example!

Anything Goes is the challenge this week at the Paper Smooches Sparks blog.

Below is the link to Paper Smooches, if you haven't been there before they have tons of lovely stamps and dies and inspiration (they even have digital stamps you can download for free if you want to try them out).

So as I was saying, I had some lovely diecuts and acrylic and mini doilies that I just WANTED to use on a project, so I grabbed my Super stamps and used a Clear Scraps ATC card and some Staz-On ink and stamped that skyscraper skyline. Then pulled out some of the Pier Collection die cuts I've had sitting in a basket on my table and made this cute little anytime square card (the brad is from Amy Tangerine Sketchbook collection... see I'm really digging into my stash here). I adore this little card and am so happy to enter this project into this weeks challenge.

TFL!

December Daily 2013

Finally got youtube to take my video! Here is a video walking through my FINISHED December Daily for 2013! I can't believe It's done... I was going to add more embellies, but I put down all my pics and journalling and was HAPPY... so I was finished.

I owe a special thank you to Heidi Swapp for her Heidi Holiday Photo Find because THAT is the reason I was trying to keep up with a photo a day in December in the first place. AND a special thanks to Scrapbook Circle for their AWESOME December kit!

Please add a link in the comments so I can see your finished DD as well!

This was Amazing

I  scrapping along this year, I have completed another layout using my December kit from Scrapbook Circle and am excited to share it with you.

This is a phone photo of the 2013 Christmas Tree at 30 Rock in NYC. LPapers used are from Elle's Studio, Glitz and Webster's pages. There are two exclusive to Scrapbook circle cards on the page, stamps from Basic Grey and  chipboard and buttons from Fancy Pants. That cream colored metal tag with a tree on it has been in my stash for years and is by Making Memories. 

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look.

Scrapping REAL (meaning not so good but of happy times) photos!

I wanted to do some scrapping with my kit lately and they had this inspiring sketch online that I wanted to play along with so I went flipping through the photos that I've had printed for a LONG time and found photos from when my friend Christi visited Memphis and she took ME to the annual BBQ Fest that is part of the Memphis in May activities every year. We had a BLAST! So I made a page with some of the photos and then because I wanted to keep the rest and because I had some Pocket pages handy... this basically became a 3 page layout! I love how the pocket page (this one is by We R Memory Keepers) made it easy to put TONS of photos next to the layout, and ALSO because  I put all my journalling in there and just played with photos and embellies on the layout.

I added Mr. Huey's mist in the color Hot Dog (there are a few drops of Shine also but it's not showing up really well). I cut the title Memphis in May with my Silhouette and covered it with Picket Fence Distress Stickles. The thick black Thickers were just in my stash already. The "orange" Thickers were included in my January kit and they are the canvas color it yourself kind.

Have you made any pocket pages? I know this will inspire me to scrap even MORE of my older photos to get them "looking" nicer in the album.

I Love Life

I also am LOVING using my kit from Scrapbook Circle this month. My photos from Persnickity Prints are due any day and I 'm very VERY excited to see how they look, I've heard so much about their quality from listening to The Digi Show podcast! Here is a little card I whipped up using the mini heart stencil and other items from the kit, the cardbase is even from the cardstock add-on.

The card on front is a Studio Calico Journal Card, the pink paper is from Pebbles Yours Truly collection, The other is each side of a Crate Paper Love Notes sheet and the Stencil was sprayed with Mr. Huey's in Plum (which is my all time fav Mr. Huey so far...), the I love stamp and the heart stencil are Scrapbook Circle exclusives.

I've not used a ton of flair, but I LOVE seeing it on other people's projects so here I am trying to use it more in my own. That's one reason I love getting kits, it gives me a chance to try things I might not pick up to try on my own and see how I like them :)!

Superstition

So I have been a busy little scrapper lately. This layout is a TWO PAGER :) and I am using a ton of hoarded stash here... there three different thickers and the last three full pages of my Amy Tan Sketchbook line. You can also see a heart cut out from a Cut and Paste 3x4 card and some tiny stickers from the Glitz Design Wild and Free Sticker sheet. Those letters are from Seven Gypsies and the slide frames are from the Basic Grey Capture line. The title I cut out with my Cameo in several sheets of black cardstock. I then layered those together and covered them in Crystal colored Stickles. 

I am also working on different ways to take and edit my photos of my layouts as we've had a ton of cloudy crappy weather lately and I've been kind of unhappy with my photos. Any tips are appreciated. The second page I tried to echo the hand drawn looking border of the first. I LOVED that paper and have been way too intimidated by the frame on it to use it. OH and funny how inspiration happens, but since I made this page and was discussing it with a friend, I'm thinking of another page I want to do to go along with this. Have you dug into your stash lately? There is no project that's not good enough for your precious hoard... it's something I'm working through myself... I'd much rather flip through it in an album than in my storage containers :).

Hugs and happy scrapping!

Miss Your Snow Face

Today is the 2 year anniversary of the day my sweet doggy went to heaven. She had lived a long full life, and that's really all I want to say about that. I miss her all the time, which may seem weird to some people, but especially when it snows, she loved the cold and the snow and LOVED to be out and eating the snow!
I used this sketch by Shimelle Laine  as a guide, I actually saw the sketch and knew I wanted to do a layout for my Kayla, I have a few photos of her that are mostly of her face... and they are just so HER!
I got my kit from Scrapbook Circle this week and took a look at all those hearts and lovely colors...

This is what I came up with.

The mistable Thickers and the Wooden Piece are colored using Santa Baby colored Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist. Everything Else was in the This Life kit or the Love This add on.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a peek. Do you work with sketches? Do you make your own?

CHA 2014 YES! Can't WAIT!! Bring on the new stuff!

I have been scrapping, I made a card for Tuesday's post. I was working on a page to have ready for you today, and l finally gave up last night, I've just felt so icky this week. Not sick, just achy and eh so I finally put it aside and gave myself permission not to finish. It's ok. I love consistantly having new things for you to look at but it was just such a struggle, and that's not what I'm about. So I thought I'd let you know what I've been drooling over in since the CHA sneak peeks have started.

Awesome papers from Cosmo Cricket:

The Free Spirit Collection by Prima (um designed by Tim and Beck formerly of Sassafras Lass fame!)

Heidi Swapp... Favorite Things

Glitz Designs, Carpe Diem and 77

New Albums by ClearScraps (and their new Mascils)!

Lawn Fawn Stamps..

(there are more, this one is just my favorite!)

There's my list, I've been trying to keep it short, there is a LOT of lovely stuff on it's way folks, these are just on my want to get asap list :). 

What's on your list?

January Birthdays... another year begins ;)

What better way to begin the year than with a family full of Birthdays! I have some close family/friends that mostly have birthdays in January (with the exception of one household member who just had his in December.)
I decided I should go ahead and start making cards, that way MAYBE I can get them in the mail on time for their actual birthdays.

I have some acrylic card basis just hanging about in my stash so I pulled out a scalloped card base and what was left of my October kit from Scrapbook Circle. That 3x4 sheet from Cut and Paste has that lovely polka dot background, then I pulled a mini muffin wrapper out of the kitchen cabinet, used my FAVORITE Thickers from Maggie Holmes and that cute hb2u sentiment I've been seeing around. I finished up with a sticker from Pink Paislee and some sequins.

I was afraid you wouldn't be able to see the scallopped base, but you can :).

I think it turned out adorable... now I need two more card ideas!

Crafty Goals for 2014 on Paper!

WHEW! I made my first layout for 2014 and it turned out ok. I really like the products on this layout and most of them came from the main December Kit from Scrapbook Circle. I pulled out my favorite Thickers from this year as I had ALL of the numbers left on that sheet and those Gold Maggie Holmes Thickers worked so well on my NY layout! I enjoy using "holiday" products on projects that aren't for that "holiday. The 3x4 card is exclusive to Scrapbook Circle and I just loved that it said Happy in those lovely colors. A few Fancy Pants Chipboard Stars, some "stamps from Basic Grey a snip of AWESOME Starburst design paper from Webster's Pages and that lovely glittery twill. Accents from journalling cards by Webster's pages and a teeny tiny date sticker.

ooo, see that star stamp, it's also a scrapbook circle exclusive ;)

Here is a more detailed shot of my journalling with my craft goals listed.

Can't wait to go by and pick up my photos for my 2013 December Daily and get it all pretty and posted for you. Did you do a December Daily? Is it finished? Hugs everyone! What are your crafty goals for the new year?

Happy New Year!

I have been playing with the Silhouette on and off today, as today is January 1 and I am off work. I won't be posting this until 1/2/14 so I wanted to just fill you in on a few things.

2013 was a WONDERFUL year. It was full of loads of exciting adventures in this new city that I came to live in at the end of 2012. I had a personal goal this year to complete one layout each month, and I have completed a total of 18 layouts. They weren't all about 2013 but there were several in there that were such therapy for me and I am so glad that I have let that become a bigger part of my life and sharing with you.

I have made some fun trips this year that I haven't scrapped yet and I have some paper pulled out right now from the December Scrapbooks Circle kit ready to put together a minibook to hold all of my photos that I took for Heidi Swapp's Holiday foto find... scavenger hunt, I mean she basically tricked me into doing a December Daily LOL. I've wanted to do one for a couple of years, but I was having so much fun taking photos and making holiday cards that I did not actually make the book then.

I have layout ideas floating around in my head for a Superstition layout, but I'm waiting for some feedback from family members before I get started, the journalling is going to be heavy in this one :).

I've signed up to take this stencilling class from May Flaum and will be taking it very soon... it's so affordable and I LOVE her teaching style.

I have also signed up to take this class from Shimelle which is tips and tricks on stretching a collection pack which is something I have had a great time doing... and Shimelle always has such good suggestions, I love her teaching style and watch her videos over and over again and I really feel like she has helped me improve my own style so much this year. Also it's very freeing to hear a "professional" saying that you don't have to exactly measure everything, I mean I don't usually but it's good to know I have that kind of support :).

I have entered lots of challenges this year, mostly at Lawnscaping and Paper Smooches but as I've scrapped with tons of inspiration from their videos, I finally started submitting some projects over at TwoPeas and I also entered some challenges over at Scrapbook Circle since I started subscribing to their kits. They even had a designer choose one of my layouts to scraplift (that's the link I set back there).

I have tried out for SEVERAL design teams and have gotten a gig guest designing for one of the places I applied to. I got some lovely rejection letters, and I'm not going to let that stop me. I have some goals for this year and they will be scrapped and up later this week.

I appreciate each and every one of you readers and I hope that you see things here that inspire you.
Here's another look at the layouts I did in 2013:

(If you counted 19 layouts, it's because I counted the two-pager as one layout.)

Happy 2014!