Close Family

My father died on May the first. I have a lot of stories to tell. And I've been telling them and I will keep telling them. I keep making more for myself and thinking of more... I placed my first order with Paper Issues right before I left town because my Daddy was in the hospital. When I came home, the stuff I had ordered was perfect for some of the photos I had when I came home from that trip.

I'm really happy that I am not afraid to journal on my layouts, I'm not worried about how imperfect my handwriting is, or if I misspell a word, or if my feelings are right there on the page. I loved working with these papers from Bella Blvd, they were exactly what I needed and I think I'm now addicted to those bows, I just got some more... some red ones... swoon! The photo on this page came from Persnickity Prints and I can't tell you how awesome they are!

Thank You Thursday

Simon Says Stamp has an awesome challenge blog, well they have TWO challenge blogs AND sometimes they throw out challenges on their regular blog, but their Monday Challenge for THIS week was for Thank You Cards, I still have a lot of these to send out, but I've gotten started so...

I'm working through a Deer Lizzy Lucky Charms 6x6 paper pad, so that's where all of the papers came from, I love this Paper Smooches Stamp set, it's one of my very favorite favorites and it's good for pretty much any occasion. This was my first time paper piecing those roses, I've had fun playing with coloring and inking them... but WOW I love them paper pieced. And I'd get that jar paper all over again just to use as a vase on a project, how awesome is that? So this is my Thank you for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge blog! (The washi was from my stash but I don't know who the manufacturer was for that one.)

That's Retirement

I finished that second page. And here it is, my second made with the Clique Kits May 2015 Kit... Carnival. I painted this background paper myself with Gesso and then Doodled with a Sakura Gel Pen that came in my original Clique Kits Agenda kit. I have one other photo from this event, but it's special on a different level and I want it on a page by itself. The photos in the stack, the cake is on top, but the rest of the photos have my Daddy and different family and friends who were at the party.

There are a couple of "blank" labels right now.  I don't remember the year of the party right now I can get close based on the shirt I have on ( I'm not sure if that's good or bad), but I'm going to ask some other family members about the year and so I wanted to have some extra space for the year and possibly a few more words (I know, I have a lot to say sometimes.)

I decided the best way to really let you see these is with a short video.

Here is a link to another two page spread using photo stacks if you'd like to see another.

Welcome to the May 2015 Pep Rally!

Welcome to the Pep Rally! This month's kit is called Carnival and is filled with goodies from the Amy Tangerine Rise and Shine Collection. This month was an "anything goes" challenge and I made a 12x12 layout with a single photo that is going to turn into a double page spread so stay tuned!

I started this layout by painting one of the kraft doilies in the kit with the yellow acrylic paint by Jillibean Soup ( This paint is called Happy Hues and has quite a bit of body to it for a little bottle of acrylic paint, I enjoyed working with it, and have plenty still so watch for it to make other appearances.) I then stared at all the papers included in this kit and decided that I knew I wanted pieces of them so I just started cutting out the labels and cut that chevron paper into a few arrows. Then I decided that this layout might span over two or more pages so I went ahead and pulled some kraft paper from my stash and got out some gesso and inspired by the cutfile and paper from the kit, I used some lids on my desk and painted around them for circles then freehand drew the spsokes. When they were dry I pulled out the blue gellyvroll pen that came in my Agenda kit from Clique Kits and drew some faux stitching lines on top of the wheels and spokes. The chipboard Thickers that came with the kit were kraft as well and to make them stand out, I pulled out my Faber Castell Big Brush Marker in black, swiped over the kraft letters, then added some detail with the same Sakura pen in the form of loose stripes. I LOVE how these turned out! When I had my title words ready, I matted my photo and started embellishing. I wish there were more options for buying washitape in strips like the samples that came in this kit, they'd work GREAT in a planner! I finished off my layout with a smattering of the Amy Tan Stickers included in the kit, I love the look and feel of these epoxy stickers! I like to do my journalling in a Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen. You can get them in many different colors and widths and the ink is India Ink so it's gonna stay there for the long haul!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Tyra is up next and she always takes my breath away, the complete blog list is below.

MAY 2015 Line-Up

Clique Kits https://cliquekits.wordpress.com/

Erica http://ericarosecreates.blogspot.com/

Lacey  http://laceybugcreations.blogspot.com/

******Charity D. www.scrapfaire.blogspot.com****You Are Here

************Tyra* http://justtyra.com/************Go Here Next 

Sarah Moore http://sarahmoore4.blogspot.com/

Janet Zeppa www.janetsjoy.blogspot.ca

Kim A. http://kimsscrappyblog.blogspot.com/

Rhonda Vanginkel www.snapwhiz.blogspot.com

Allie* http://www.magicalmesses.com/

Sandy G.*  http://www.thepinkcamera.com/

Kat B.* http://kraftykat9.blogspot.com

Mariah H.*  www.fun2scrap.blogspot.com

* Design Team Members on Kit Duty

The first of many Thanks

I have loads of thank you cards I need to send, and I love how this one turned out, I made it from things lying on my scrap table. I should just do this more often, use what's left on the table. It's fun!

That doily is from a Lifestyle crafts die I've had for years and never cut. I cut the doily out of a white piece of American Crafts glitter paper that I picked up in a 6x6 pad from AC Moore. The Thank You stamp is from Waffle Flower crafts and the cork butterfly, wood veneer and white tag are from SpiegelMomScraps That Blue Paper is by Heidi Swapp (I'm pretty sure) and I had used it to make my Mother's Day card so it was still lying about on my desk.  Now to mail this one out! Check out SpiegelMomScraps and use code Charity10 for a 10percent discount on your purchase! 

Sending Prayers & Love & Hugs

I was really inspired by the Monday Challenge this week over at the Simon Says Stamp blog. I LOVE my Ugly Sweater stamp set that I got around Christmas this past year and I love that wearing a cardigan sweater feels just like giving yourself a hug. I altered the stamped sweater image using a Faber Castell Artist Pen to make it into a cardigan, then watercolored the sweater with worn lipstick distress marker and stamped hearts from the Sending Happy Thoughts stamp set. I did use both hearts from this set. The Greeting is also from Sending Happy Thoughts. I used a sticker from Bella Blvd and some October Afternoon Alphas and a strip of Washi, a watercolored doily and a tag over background paper from Amy Tangerine to complete my card. It turned out Just right!

Life is Wonderful!

I had decided a while back that after I got married, I'd get a haircut. I have finally found someone that I trust to cut my hair, so I went a few months ago and I got a haircut that I love, I got some highlights that everyone else loves and I guess they look ok, I had to laugh when someone told me they looked "natural." I didn't really want to go get a haircut by myself, so Lila to the rescue! She got her nails done at the same time, and the ladies at the beauty shop treated her like a queen. I'm about ready to go back for a touchup! I loved using my April Happy Everything Clique Kit on this layout. That puffy star just makes me smile. This has to be my favorite kit so far, but I think I say that about every kit. It just goes to show that I chose the right kit club for me! 

Most of this layout is PinkFresh Studios but I layered my photos from Persnickity Prints over some lovely printed Vellum from Webster's Pages, it was in the kit, and that puffy star was an add on. There are some gold rub-ons, diecuts, and enamel hearts and the background paper that are all PinkFresh Studios Up in the Clouds collection. I can't wait to see what Pinkfresh does next, I'm drooling over their May embellishment kit. I'm so glad to share this layout with you today! It's been a rough couple of months, My computer was dying most of April making online classes and blogging very difficult, then I lost my father this month. I've cleaned off a large enough section of my dining room table to start my scrap therapy and I can't wait to share the pages with you. 

Thanks using scraps and a sketch

This is the other card I had made prior to NSD for some festivities. I used scraps laying around my scraproom, some paint for the blue cardstock and some LOVELY cork pieces, tiny clothespin and ribbon from SpiegelMomScraps. Here was the sketch we were given at SpiegelMomScraps Facebook page. Don't forget, before you check out at SpiegelMomScraps, be sure and use coupon code Charity10 to save on your whole order!

And here is what I came up with. I LOVE this card! I hope the person I mailed it to smiles when she sees it! The doodling was done with a Sakura Souffle pen in yellow. I've been using all of my Sakura pens more on my cards and layouts since I started using them in my planner as well. I love those pens! I also broke out some thickers I hadn't used in a while. They are from one of the Dear Lizzy Collections, I just love that fat font!

Thanks to you for stopping by today. I posted a couple of haul videos last week that you might want to watch, my monthly Clique Kits haul as well as a haul from Paper Issues, and guess what, Paper Issues commented on the video with a coupon code for everyone!

                                      

   
                                        

Mother's Day Card 2015

I made a couple of Mother's Day Cards this year, one for my own mother, and one for my Mother-in-Law. I like them both, and they are very different. I used one of the sketches from the NSD activities over at the SpiegelMomScraps Facebook Page for the first card.

The Sequins, White Tag, Ribbon and twine all came from SpiegelMomScraps Shop, That hi clip I made myself using a stamp and die set from Waffle Flower. I LOVE how this turned out. 

This second card I think is LOVELY! I used a 3x4 card from Pinkfresh Studios. Stickers from October Afternoon that I have had for well over a year. Those cork butterflies, the gingham ribbon and the gold foil doily are all from SpiegelMomScraps Shop. I knew I wanted to use one of those 3x4 cards, I'm trying so hard not to be a hoarder, The background paper was a scrap that was just that size, it was slightly longer than my card base so I picked up the first edge punch that I found and it took off a fantastic amount. I decided I liked the way it looked right on top of the white card base and then I used some things on my desk to embellish. I really like the way this card turned out ad it was so quick and simple. Those cork butterflies are self adhesive and I'm loving both them and the hearts from SMS!

Catching up 5-6

I am so sorry to everyone that I wasn't able to participate in the 2015 NSD events. I hadn't scheduled my post to go up for the blog hop, and I had to leave town because my father was very ill. He passed away on May1. I had several projects ready to share with you for the weekend and I'll be sharing those starting today.

This was my take on the sketch you can find at the SpiegelMomScraps facebook page, I really enjoyed using this sketch created by my fellow Sparkler Kat Benjamin. Jody, the owner of SpiegelMomScraps posted this layout on fb the other day for me, but I wanted to make sure you saw it! It's made with the Pinkfresh Studo's Up in the Clouds collection, I also doodled around the edges of the black cardstock with a Sakura Gel Pen and I wanted to make sure it showed up in the photo, that's why you see the floor as well. That vellum is from Webster's pages and the cork, washi and gold doilies are from SpiegelMomScraps. I AM LOVING the cork shapes, I have more projects coming up featuring them. Not sure how many of you might recognize them, but there are some Sassafras Lass stickers on this layout, I dug into my secret stash, I'm trying hard not to be a hoarder.

SMS supplies on this layout:
Gold Doily (I painted over it with pink chalk paint for the effect in the layout)
Cork Butterfly
Cork Heart
Cork Cloud
Washi Tape

What did you do for NSD? I hope you had a blast!