You With Us

Keeping with my depressing themed layouts (well it was a sad reason we were all together, but I don't think that my layouts are depressing.  I was really really happy to have the support of my new hubby during all of the visitation/funeral stuff. It meant so much to me, and I wanted him to know.

I kind of fell in love with the Bella Blvd recent releases, if you can't tell. Those colors were really just speaking to me, and I've used almost every little piece on these two layouts. I also ordered some chipboard elements from Bella Blvd and was LOVING using those. The Bella Blvd goodies I got from Paper Issues, and I have to suggest if you are looking for something and she has it, their shipping is super quick! This is another one of those layouts where I'm saving a memory that is kind of bittersweet, it's not a particularly happy time, but it speaks to the theraputic part of scrapping for me. Do you ever scrap difficult subject matter? 

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

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!

I got a new name!

I was digging all the hearts and lovely pink and navy combo and last week I got all the paperwork turned in so I now have a last name (you say Feit like "fight.") I love getting all my feelings out on paper, it's the best kind of therapy I know. I making pages like this that are just filled with my thoughts and feeling, they are so fun to look back at later and I just put them in my regular book with my pages full of pictures. 

I used one of the glassine bags that some of the embellies came in with my kit to journal on. I also wanted to let you know that I will be doing a review of the pen I used to journal on the glassine, it's something I had bought for another purpose then realized it would write on slick surfaces. I did some stamping on this layout and used the Lovely Thoughts Stamp set by Paper Smooches. The papers and embellies are from my Clique Kit Punxsutawny for the rest of the layout!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Try Again

I've been debating in my head if I should share this layout or not, but I've had it ready to post for a few weeks, I used my September Clique Kits to put it together. I haven't had a lot of sunny days for photographing when I haven't been at work lately so I'm behind taking pics, but I have some more things to post very soon, including a PRIZE WINNING LAYOUT from a crop I attended in Tennessee!

This layout is based around a copy of an email that I was sent about not quite making the cut for a design team, I've scribbled my feelings around it and the fact that I'm going to keep applying! I love how this turned out, and I have to admit I was very sad to not make it, but it's ok, it just means it isn't my time!

Everything in this layout was from the September Clique Kit except the unicorn, I stamped this unicorn from Critters Ever After by Lawnfawn and watercolored it one day when I just felt like stamping and coloring, I had made some New Year's cards from the images but this unicorn was left over so I used it on my layout. I love that unicorn!

Clique Printable HB2U

It's not a secret at this blog that I LOVE my Clique Kits! Someone posted their video today and I'm so jelly that I don't have my kit yet ;). What I do have, is the printables and the cut files. I was off work today so I decided to print the printables and cut them apart to have ready to dive into when my kit arrives, I also went ahead and diecut the cut files out of black cardstock. Then I was inspired to go ahead and make a card. I can print and cut more of these out... and I needed a cool birthday card. I started my card by clustering together a handful of the printables and gluing them all together. Then I dug out some Thickers (pink foam glitter Thickers) and stuck the text version of Happy Birthday in the corner of the polaroid diecut. I needed a good background on my card base, So I pulled out some Altered Orange Studio Paint (really glad I did, it's starting to dry up and was THICK) and got my favorite The Crafter's Workshop Stencil out and Stencilled on what I like to think of as "The Death Star Window" pattern. It took four times of repositioning the stencil and spackling more paint on to get the background covered so that I was happy. Then I took some foam tape and covered the back of my printables cluster with it and added the cluster to the front of the card.
Super easy and I LOVE IT!!!

I LOVE THIS CARD!!!

Sigh...

At the Diner

Diners, love them or hate them... they are everywhere in this area. I really enjoy the fact that they have a variety of food, and that they all look so interesting. The closest diner to my current home is called the Jukebox and it has a bit of a nostalgic rock n roll 1950's-60's type of decor. I love it! I learned a trick with my coffee spoon over the weekend and decided to document a little about the diner. 

I LOVED using the colors in Field Trip to document this diner, because I feel like that pink just fits right in with the photos. That is an ACTUAL slide used as an embellishment and I borrowed the cutest little heart punch from my friend and went to town on a scratch piece of paper from the kit to make those little tiny hearts I then stuck everywhere. Those eggs look yummy right now! They are piled on top of a pile of cooked veggies, broccoli, onions, squash, etc... oh and there is cheese. YUM! Along with paper and letter stickers and cut files cut from the gold paper in the kit, I added buttons from the matching button set by Fancy Pants (the As You Wish collection buttons, Flowers from Maya Road, a postage style coffee stamp and some steam stamps borrowed from a friend, stickers from the As You Wish collection pack and Thickers.

From Mom

Still going over layouts from NSD and Yes, I have done at least ONE project post NSD, LOL! I made this no photo layout that talks about things I learned from my Mom, but not just things she told me but things I learned from observation. I used a pretty little stencil from The Crafter's Workshop and no photo... did all my journalling on a piece of purple vellum I've had in my stash for more years than I've actually been a scrapbooker. The background paper is from October Afternoon and there is also a lovely piece of Cosmo Cricket paper from the Creative Surfaces pad.

The stickers are from October Afternoon and Chickaniddy Crafts. The heart paper is from Crate Paper.

I celebrated NSD2014, did you?

I did go out to see a production of Threepenny Opera on Saturday in the middle of the afternoon... but after that I got home, logged on to Big Picture Classes and played along with their exciting NSD10K! Seriously you should check out #NSD10K... on instagram... it has been AMAZING! I got 8 layouts (ok some were pocket pages and not much embellishing) but I thought that was FABULOUS for 2 days of scrapping. I'm going to share these pages with you, not all today, but the first two. There were 10 inspiration videos for us to watch (released hourly) so there was tons of encouragement, challenges offered and just a TON of inspiration and advice!

This page was inspired by Stacey Julian's video, she advised us to make a pocket page sans pocket...

Papers here from Basic Grey Capture and 3x4 cards and Diecut Card and Beach letters from Crate Paper, Sticker from Basic Grey Capture line. Grey tiny type stickers from Jillibean Soup.

I have already scrapped some of the photos I have from this beach trip last year, but I had these in the pile of photos that I wanted to scrap and I had a bit more story about the trip to tell. 

Then I watched more videos and then decided I wanted to scrap a vintage photo of my grandmother and told a story that she had told me about her and her sister. I dug out some special hoarded papers and so thanks to Crate Paper and Maggie Holmes I have a LOVELY layout of my Big Mama. I also used a TON of Thickers, I even had to make my own "h" and "e" from those awesome gold MH ones... I am getting really low on the amount of words I can make from my favorite Thickers, guess I need to be stocking up on those.

Other supplies used in this layout are an old piece of sheet music, a strip from an old Prima Printables, Some Dear Lizzy Ruffled Paper cut into strips, Crate Paper Washi, Pier Collection diecuts, Woodgrain Paper from the Pier Collection and a few tiny wooden hearts from a Scrapbook Circle kit. Stickers from My Mind's Eye.

The Special Order Baby book!

I have SEVERAL co-workers expecting babies, well two right now, the third one began labor Monday 4/28! NOW I can reveal that I created a baby book for her! (I'm not so nice that I did this as a gift, she commissioned it from me). This was truly a labor of love, and I put all my favorite hoarded Sassafras Lass Stash in here:

This tooth tracker page was a special request and I didn't make it myself, I googled, and found one for free online, it was already in the correct color family for my book so I printed it and trimmed it to size.

The girl I work with is Hawiian and I asked her if it was ok for me to use the word Ohana on her family tree. I then found this awesome palm tree in the silhouette store. I cut loads of butterflies out of coordinating pink and blue papers for her to write names of her family on and glue to the tree... I cant wait to see it when it's all filled out. 

This is the "and all this happened" page, it has a Heidi Swapp inspired photo stack for news clippings and places to journal "things happening in current events" type stuff.

I used the We R Memory Keepers Albums made easy and customized some 4x6 cards, I made most of the book 12x12 double page spreads and unified it by making the background all kraft. I customized some thickers with stickles and used lots of Sassafrass Letter stickers with stickles added as well. There are also some tiny type from Cosmo Cricket.

I think I've said how much I love love love this book, I wish my photos were a bit better, but I didn't want to slide pages out of protectors because I was afraid something would happen, and I kept adding things... seriously this is the book I would want myself and my friend LOVED IT!!! I can't tell you how happy that made me. 

Thanks so much for looking. Have you made anything with your precious hoarded stash???

Sometimes you just have to scrap it out!

From time to time I just need to have a pretty conversation with myself about stuff running around through my head. This layout is one of those. It doesn't have a title, the papers are from Amy Tangerine's Plus one collection. The rub ons and pink foam Thickers in the Kal Barteski font are on here as well. All the journalling and some of the doodling were done with my Sakura Souffle pen in orange. The journalling isn't easy to read, but as this is some emotional stuff that is mostly me working through my thoughts, I'm ok with that.
All products on this layout (that aren't my souffle pen) came from Clique Kits if you haven't checked them out, you SHOULD! Awesome kits, INCREDIBLE customer service! These girls are where it's at!!

I went a bit wild with the layering of papers... and I LOVE that paper with the frames. I'm thinking some frame stamps would be good to have as much as I enjoyed cutting these out and journalling all over them. Do you ever journal out your feelings? Do you use an art journal rather than a layout? Do you just keep a journal/diary?

Working away... mixed media AHOY!

So an additional canvas and added it to my Etsy shop.

I used Art Anthology Sorbet paint to adhere the paper to the canvas. Then using my favorite Rebekah Meier stencil by Crafter's Workshop, added some black gesso and acrylic paint for the painted butterfly. I used Tattered Angels Glimmer mist to paint some Prima Paintables paper and punched some butterflies with my favorite butterfly punches by Martha Stewart. I added some lacy pearls by Prima then trimmed my Thickers so they'd be short enough to fit on my sweet little canvas. I LOVE how this turned out, and I'm loving working in this 3x3 mini size.

TFL... Link to my Etsy store is over at the top right.

Have a fab day!

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.

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?

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?

Get Well Soon!

I don't make many get well cards and I take that as a good sign, that I don't know many people who are ill long enough to get a card. But I needed one recently and got busy with some Cosmo Cricket, Thickers and misc stuff lying around on my table... speaking of which I'm currently trying to clean off my dining room table, it's shameful how much stuff I have strown out over the top of it :).

I think it turned out lovely! I love the pink!! 

Do You Realize?

I seriously love the Glitter Girl Video Series over at the TwoPeas youtube channel!
This week's episode #96, had a challenge that included using a sketch for a layout. I thought this sketch would be perfect for a layout about my going to see Flaming Lips this year with a friend of mine at the Merriweather Pavillion. All things I had never done before:
Gone to MD for a concert.
Gone to Merriweather Pavillion.
Seen the Flaming Lips live.

So much fun...

Here is the LO:

I combined Cut and Paste by Amy Tan with some Wild and Free by Glitz Design and Recorded by Allison Kreft, my fav new thing which is Glitter Tape by American Crafts and some REALLY OLD THICKERS that I am so excited to use. Some various sequins and Art Anthology Mists and boom, I'm done :). I did use a photo collage rather than two 4x6 photos as shown in the sketch and I did turn the sketch on it's side but I love all the movement and color, it really brings to mind everything that was happening on stage in the concert!

Thanks so much and I can't wait for you to see the projects I have in mind for this week.