Winter Fun

I tend to be about a year behind when I scrap about events.  I order a whole bunch of photos at one time (about twice a year) and then don't get around to scrapping until the same time the following year.  I just gotta be "in the right frame of mind" to scrap about a winter scene.  I just can't do that in the middle of summer.  Anyway, this is my second winter LO this month.  The first one I will post much later because I submitted it for possible publication in January.  It's a lot more "glittery" for those of you who like that sort of thing :)

This one came together pretty quickly.  It only took me about 2 hours and a couple of interruptions.  The leaves are from CC "Storybook" and title is from "Winter Woodland".  I'm a little sad that I couldn't find a place for a bigger die cut of a boy on a sled.  Oh, I have it (having gone on a shopping spree this past week) but it just wouldn't mesh with this LO.  I usually don't scrap multiple photos these days either.  But the top photos tell a story of the sled tilting over.  The bottom two photos are favorites of mine.  My son is grinning ear to ear, his cheeks are rosy, his nose is bright red and it's all so precious to me.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Followed a sketch by Sketchabilities #59.  The circles are stitch with the help of a Bazzil template.   I added brads to this LO is honor of my sister, who is a "brad queen".   Snowflakes are from punches.

"No Peeking" really tested my color sense.  I loved the die cut of a little boy popping out of the present.  I also loved the sketch, by mojomonday.  Putting it all together was the difficult part.  The sparkly present doesn't EXACTLY match the Eskimo Kisses pp.  But, it's a slow love.  You have to get to know it first.  Walk away and think about it.  Come back and stare at it some more and admire how it just teases your senses.

As you can see, I stuck with it.  I think I will try to master this die cut with a card at another time too.  It's just begging for a little something . . . else.  It's a slow love.

The little boy is an SVG file provided by MyScrapChick.  I love this site and the complexity of the die cuts provided.  I did chalk around his face, cheeks and hands for dimension.  I also drew the closed eyes and nose with a black fine tip pen.

Thank You

This card is simple, once you get past the die cut.  Now, mind you, die cuts aren't hard to make, but they can seem time consuming.  The other obstacle is whenever I am researching sketches for cards, I usually end up with a sketch for stamped images.  I have to really dig into my buried artistic talent to make a die cut work in place of a stamped image.

My other obstacle, and this is completely personal, is that I seem to have a complete block when it comes to putting ribbon on my cards.  I just really shy away from that embellishment.  So, if you like what you see but feel like like it needs a ribbon, go ahead!!  I won't be offended.  I followed a sketch by mojomonday for this Thank You card.  Hope you like.

The scarecrow is from Cricut Cartridge Simply Charmed.  I also used a Spellbinder Nestibilities (Rectangle) underneath my diecut.  Nothing fancy, just wanted my little scarecrow to "pop".  Machine stitching on all the rectangles.  "Thank You" is a stamp.

Season's Greetings showcases a die cut Santa.  I have lots of them from various sources!!  This one is provided in a package of Christmas Cuddlies by svgcuts.  I know, not a very exciting name in the scrapbooking world.  It is, however, a site where I have purchased several svg files for my cricut to cut.  I'm not going to go into how I do that.  A very good starting place to find that information is at the website mentioned.

I didn't spruce up this die cut in any way.  No chalking, glittering, nada.  SVG files aren't like cricut cartridges.  You need to learn how they go together on your own (the jpg files provided do help).  That being said, once I get the hang of putting together a die cut, the next time around I usually give it some extra "polish".

Card sketch followed by mojomonday.

Little Doggie "Heal"

This card was a special order from a co-worker.  She wanted a "fluffy" dog and the word "heal" on the card.  The dog is an svg file purchased from My Scrap Chick.  It is accented with chalk ink to give it dimension. This card came together so quickly and I'm quite amazed how "cute" it is.  Of course it has machine stitching on the card (one of my favorite things to do). Another thing you may quickly assess, I absolutely love die cuts.  My sister loves stamping!  But she has definitely gotten me to take my cards to a new level!  She's the one who nudged me to get more punches :)

I realize the word "heal" is missing from this card.  I added it right before giving it to my co-worker.  I like to make cards that can be made into the occasion needed, keeping them neutral as long as possible.  The paper is from BG pyrus paper pad.

Apply Thank You Card

November has seen me extra busy making, creating, and scrapping.  October was a very busy month and none of it was spent doing my favorite hobby.  BUT, no worries, I have definitely made up for lost time.  This card is lifted from another blogger that I follow, the scrap farm.  I was so in love with the simplicity of this card I just had to make one for my son's teacher.  She doesn't have it yet, but I'll let you know her reaction!

The apples were cut using the Cricut cartridge "A Child's Year".  The paper is Jillibean Soup - Blossum Soup.  The words are rub-ons.

Me & You

I know I promised lots of boy layouts, but I am particularly fond of this page that I made recently.  One thing you should know about me, I'm in love with neutral colors.  All colors of "brown", including coffee, caramel, hazel, sepia, fawn, and sienna seem to find their way into my layouts.  So it is no surprise that this page featuring my husband and I is using the Et Cetera pages by BoBunny.  By the way, BoBunny and I are very old friends!

We celebrated 10 years of our marriage this year, 2011.  When making a page, it seems silly to not put some kind of journal onto the page.  But me being me, just couldn't because it's too personal.  You will just have to settle for the sentiment that I found.  "In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours.  In all the world, there is no love for you like mine."

The swirls are made using the Cricut cartridge "Storybook" on black paper.  I then completely covered with Distress Stickles Antique Bronze.  It gave it a nice aged look, don't you think?  Butterfly was cut using my SCAL program.

The "bling" is handmade using dimensional paint.  Some paints (and colors) are definitely better than others.  I also really like Liquid Pearls Dimensional Paint in all colors provided.

All three of these flowers were handmade by me.   The small blue rose is an example of quilling.  The flower in the foreground I made using the same technique as the yellow "carnation" in the background, only different base shape. 

Another example of a handmade flower.  The key and heart are from Tim Holtz's grungeboard accents colored with Distress Stains.

Welcome!

Hello, my name is Vivian.  I have been married to my wonderful husband since 2001.  I am also a very proud mother to my little boy, Joscelin.  I have been a scrapbooker since 1998.  My style has changed drastically over the years (for the better I'm sure!!)  With lots of encouragement from family and friends (my husband and sister are my biggest fans) I decided to start this blog featuring my scrap pages and cards.  My favorite subject is my son - yep, I'm biased.   Mostly this blog will be about the challenges that come with scrapping about a boy.  I also have a dog, Sky, and a cat, E.R. who occasionally become my scrappy subjects.  For me, the most difficult subject is myself followed closely by my husband.

But the inner girl in me loves making paper flowers too.  I'm constantly looking for new flowers to make and follow several blogs that I feel appeals to my artistic fingers.  I have also dabbled in the art of quilling and follow many blogs of very talented artists featuring this delicate art of paper rolling.

So, I hope you enjoy my pages and cards and can find inspiration for your own works of art.

Vivian Rose

"Vivian" was made with the BoBunny line Et Cetera following a sketch by Trisha.  The Cricut machine made the scissors, dog, cat, library card and title.  The bling is made from Liquid Pearls dimensional paint.  The flowers are handmade by myself as well as another talented scrapper from which I participated in a flower swap.  There is also hand-stitching (one of my favorite embellishments).

For future posts, I will be taking several pictures featuring different parts of the page.  For now, I will have settle for my first attempt at blogging.