Scrap The Boys: Merry Christmas

Hey! It's December 1st and you know what that means!!! Time for a new challenge at 

Scrap The Boys!! 

I was greatly inspired by Missy Whidden's summer piece from a couple years ago.

I didn't quite pull off her bright design but it's all good anyway.

I added a light layer of white acrylic paint, instead of gesso. With a small chevron stencil, I then

colored in the pattern using metallic gelatos Ice Currant and Gold Champagne.

I followed that up with stitching! Pattern paper is by Teresa Collins: Tinsel & Company.

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Studio Challenges: #Fave

Hello!! Welcome to my blog!

Today I'm sharing with you my interpretation of this week's challenge at Studio Challenges: Recipe Challenge.

Use a combination of the following: Paint, Hand sewing, Fussy cutting, A Frame, Buttons, Pink

I did everything except fussy cutting!! I did "cheat" and use my own interpretation of "Paint". I didn't actually use watercolors on this layout. The page is from the Altenew Reflection Kit in which the whole kit is a watercolor theme. Good enough for me!!!

I scrap-lifted this page from Ashley Horton's design.

This layout is about my family's time in Germany, specifically visiting Burg Elke (or castle). It was one of my favorite spots.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Supplies:

Altenew Reflection Kit: Nearly everything on this layout is from the kit

Thickers: Title

Hand-stitching

Circle template

Twine

Under the Mistletoe

I am getting a rather late start on my Christmas cards!! I'm completely in love with Treasure Box Designs' new Bobble Head series. PERFECT for cards!!!

I mean, who wouldn't want to meet this super cutie under a mistletoe!??

I used sketch #300 by MojoMonday.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Supplies:

Treasure Box Designs - Bobble Head Gingerbread Man
My Craft Spot stamp
Spellbinders Label
PP is Teresa Collins 6x6 - NOEL
stitching

Baby Girl

Hello Peeps! Just a quick hello with my newest baby girl card.

Follow sketch #300 by MojoMonday.

Supplies:

Treasure Box Designs - Bobble Head Bear
Buttons
Metal Diecut from MyCraftSpot
Stamp from MyCraftSpot
Doodlebug Design 6x6 Sugar and Spice
Stitching

WISH BIG

Treasure Box Designs

Hey peeps!! Ready for another bear card!!?? Well, if your not I made one anyway! *snort* 

I got to try out my new Martha Stewart circle edge punch for this card. I like it, but gonna want a different pattern for the future.

Without further ado, here is my card featuring "Beary Fairy" from TBD!! She's pretty cute isn't she??

My Cricut really has trouble with overly small details. So I did not cut out the bow for the wand, nor the heart for the crown or the flower for the dress.  The flower and leaves on the dress as well as the jewels on the crown are all embellishments from my stash. Not only does it add charm, but it really is much easier that way.

I followed MojoMonday sketch #287.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Supplies:
TBD: Tear Bear "Beary Fairy"
Martha Stewart Circle Edge Punch
My Craft Spot "Tiny Tags" stamp
MME 6x6 PP: Tangerine
Jewel Embellishments from stash
Gold Stickles (star on wand)
Stitching

BEST DAY

Treasure Box Designs

In September 2010, my family took our first trip to Disney World. One of the parks we visited was "Blizzard Beach". It was the BEST decision we could have made for our little guy. Disney World itself was fun, but Blizzard Beach was a BLAST!!!

It was the right time to be at Disney World. Plenty hot (still in the 90's) but practically no lines and empty beaches really made for a stress free vacation.

Technically, my son is still three during this trip. He showed no fear and just loved every ride!!!! I'm glad I invested in a disposable film water camera (remember those!!). Not great photos, but the best camera is the one you have with you!!!!

Journaling reads: Disney World's Blizzard Beach was the best part of our vacation. Joscelin went on every ride he could. The park closed at 5 p.m. He was fast asleep by 5:15 p.m. and slept 'til the next day.

This LO didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but I still think it's cute. Thanks for stopping by today!!!

The LO is actually on white cardstock. There is a subtle shadow over it making it
look slightly gray.

TBD Swim bear up close. I used scraps from BoBunny
for the shorts and towel.

TBD's Tiny Treasure Sun and Clouds!! Great for any project!

Supplies:

EP "A Perfect Summer"

--Pattern Paper

--Stickers

Stitching

October Afternoon Buttons

SCAL for the title

Treasure Box Designs die cut files

Brads

Swirly Embossing Plate (clouds)

I think you're Amazing!

Treasure Box Designs

Last year, my little boy graduated from "pre-school". He was just so cute and proud to be wearing his cap and gown. Of course, I have a rather tall "little guy" and his cap was too small for his head!! He was named "super student" cause he was the only one in his class who knew all his sight words.

As his mother, I'm really hoping this is just the beginning of an awesome academic career. He LOVES to learn and often asks us to read non-fiction books over his simpler age-appropriate ones. I find it so AMAZING the information my little man retains.

I found this sketch by Kristine Davidson recently and fell in love with it! Just had to use it for this LO! The tricky part is incorporating TBD die cut files into my LO's. Basically, I just can't seem to go wrong with using the Tear Bears!!

The actual photo of my child is not that "overdone". Taking a photo
of a photo seems to be a lost cause for me.

I was particular pleased with how this cluster turned out.
Using a circle template, I punched another circle around the original
for extra effect.

Treasure Box Designs' Tear Bear: Graduate

Supplies:
EP: This & That PP and stickers
Stars, circles and rectangles cut using SCAL
Circle Template
Stitching with machine
Buttons by October Afternoon
Brads
Metal "clip" embellishment
Dymo Labeler
Coordinations Cardstock

Supplies to make bear's face:
White Gel Pen
Black Faber Castille Pencil
.005 Micron Pen
Blender Pen
White Prismacolor Pencil

A Warm Hello

Treasure Box Designs
Not to brag . . . ok I'm gonna brag just a little bit. My teddy bear cards using TBD's Tear Teddy and its outfits seem to be a HUGE hit. I'm guessing I should make more. . . a lot more!

Well, here is my latest card using a tear teddy and its swim trunks outfit. This was an incredibly easy bear to put together cause he doesn't have a lot of clothes!! I followed Mojo Monday sketch #250.  Thanks for looking!!

Supplies:
MME 6x6: Fine and Dandy Boy
Brads
Stitching
Verve Stamp
My Craft Spot die

SOUS: Die Cut Flower

Treasure Box Designs
Hello SOUS fans! For this Friday's challenge we are to make a die cut "flower" on our project. Today I am sharing with you a card I made for my mom. I know it's a week late, but *shrugs*. I had so MANY ideas for this particular project, I couldn't keep them straight in my head.

Of course, I just HAD to use the Teddy Bear file and Garden Girl outfit from Treasure Box Designs!! I followed one of my favorite sketches at Mojo Monday - number 259. I think I have used that sketch 3 times already!! It just "works" with the teddy bears.

Thanks for stopping by today! Go check out what the rest of our awesome DT has put together for today!!

Supplies:
MME 6x6: Sweetest Thing: Tangerine
Spellbinders Scalloped Circle
Jolee's Flower Bouquet from Joann's
Pearls
TBD: Teddy Bear & Garden Girl Outfit
Stitching

SOUS Die Cut Challenge: Use the word "Mom"

Hello SOUS fans!! It's Friday and time for our die cut challenge! For this challenge, we are to use a die cut with the word 'Mom' or the silhouette of a woman/mom.

I personally found this challenge easy cause I had the perfect picture of my mother to use for this challenge. The great thing about challenges is that they "force" me to work on photos and events that I keep putting off. If you have been following me for a while, you'll know this is my first frilly LO in quite a while.

Now, for the word . . . what to use?? Well, I went hunting! It didn't take much effort to find the PERFECT lettering at SVGCUTS. I was also GREATLY inspired by Melinda Sparks LO at 'the scrap farm'.  I fell in love with the brick background! I did have to fussy cut the bricks - not my favorite thing to do - but it all worked out.

I personally handmade all the flowers except the top pink flower. It came from a woman who talent I greatly admire. You can find her here.

I tried to make this LO with my mother in mind with just a touch of my personal style. My mom is a music teacher (the bricks are music notes), she loves flowers, bling, pink, and furniture that has curves and swirls built into it (hence the swirly frame). My personal touch is that I LOVE negative space on LO's and use stitching on nearly every LO and card I make.

Well I guess that about sums it up!! Thanks for stopping by today!

This photo of my mom was taken by me in May 2012.
This day was the first step of my budding photograph skills.

I used Liquid Pearls' White Opal on the die cut for extra pizazz!

Handmade flowers, bling, stitching, leaves
and a dragonfly charm make up this cluster.

The frame is a die cut from Cricut: Sentimentals.
Again I used Liquid Pearls on the frame to give it more beauty.

Supplies:

Riddersholmdesign.dk paper

     Tuquoise Hill's

         -Tatiana

         -Thirza-2

         -Thea

         -Tegwen

Cricut: Sentimentals

www.svgcuts.com

Pink Pearls

Liquid Pearls: White Opal

Dragonfly charms

AC Cardstock: Chestnut

MME PP - music background from scraps

Leaf punch

Spellbinder leaves

Flower punches

Border Punch

HI There!

Treasure Box Designs!!
MOJO287 from MojoMonday

I'm so in love with the single die cut files at Treasure Box Designs. SO many great uses for these cute characters!! I especially love making cards with them, but I have also used them on layouts!! The mouse is Treasure Pal "Chuck".

I am also entering this on the MojoMonday site with the most current sketch of Mojo287. I also used three Verve stamps from the same collection, which was not required, but fit just perfectly for this card.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Supplies:

BoBunny: Apple Cider Collection

AC Cardstock: Caramel

Verve Stamps

Treasure Box Designs svg file

stitching

Flag Punch

Fiskars Punch

Treasure Box Design Team

Treasure Box Designs, an online die cutting design store, recently had a DT call.  With a little nudging, nail biting (on my part) and a WHOLE lot of encouragement, I decided to try out.  WELL, I was one of 8 ladies picked!!!  I am very excited about this opportunity to work along side such wonderfully talented ladies!

Without further ado . . . here is my first project!!!  I used TBD "Snow Birdie" file on this LO.  I also handmade my own flowers!  The title is from Cricut Winter Woodland Cartridge.  The "blues" part of my title did not show up well . . . should have used a different color of Stickles. *shrugs*

Of course I did some hand stitching as well using a circle template.

This picture is me taken in December 2011.  I've been waiting for over a year for the right PP to come along as well as the right die cut, sketch, etc etc. All the PP is Bo Bunny's "Powder Mountain" line.

There are some brads and small branches on the LO as well.  Sorry, don't have a close up picture of it.

I added puffy paint and stickles to the bird as well as various places on my LO. It's adds such a wonderful touch to anything handmade.

Supplies:

PP: Bo Bunny Powder Mountain

TBD File: Snow Birdie

Cricut Winter Woodland

Bling

Branch Punch

Spellbinders Parisian Accents

Chalk Ink

Stickles Silver Ice

Circle Template

Twine

SOUS: Switch-a-roo Die Cut Challenge

Hello there! It's Friday again and time for a SOUS die cut challenge!!  This week is "switch-a-roo"!!  That means to switch a letter in your title for a die cut. Simple really . . . 

For this challenge I chose to scrap a LO with a picture of my dad.  There are actually several simple die cuts on this LO but the one that counts is in my title. I followed a sketch by myscrapsandmoresketches that I had pinned on Pinterest.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go on the the SOUS blog and get more awesome inspiring ideas for die cuts on your layouts!!

I love layering on my LO's.  Just makes you want to go "poking" to see what all you can find huh?

I used the chicken wire template here for some background stenciling.

Here is a close up of my title. I used SCAL to create it.

Supplies:

EP: This & That paper line (various PP)

Stitching with sewing machine

Chicken Wire template

TH Distress ink: Frayed Burlap

Embellishment from my stash

Burlap from my stash

Various Stickers from the same EP line

Buttons

Alpha Stickers

2" Triangle/Flag Punch

SCAL

Border Collie

A repeat patron of mine asked for a "Heal" card with a border collie.  So, I went digging . . . deep.  I did end up using a Treasure Box Designs file I already had.  Instead of making the dog a various shade of brown, I made him black and white and voila!!

I had two days to make this card.  Now, that's not unusual in itself except the request came on a Tuesday.  *chuckles* I almost never scrap or do anything crafty during the week.

The feedback from my patron was the card was well received by everyone who signed it and by the recipient (none of whom I know).

Thanks for stopping by!!

Supplies:

PP:  LilyBeeDesign Buttercup 6x6 pad
Treasure Box Designs cutting file
Navy Blue stitching thread
SpellBinder's Labels Seventeen
Buttons from stash
Fiskar's Punch
Tiny Alpha Letters

Cutest Pumpkin . . .

Today's diecut challenge from SOUS is to use pumpkin or vegetable.  Well . . . I used pumpkins!!!

By the way, I LOVE being on the SOUS diecut team.  It's suits me very well.  I get to play with die cuts (which I love) AND make layouts, which I prefer over cards.  Not that I'm giving up on cards, but lay outs are my first and favorite passion.

I've dabbled in watercolor pencils, stamping, embossing, and even drawing and painting.  But I truly LOVE working with paper.  I have not gotten bored with making "die cuts" or even paper flowers.

There are many times in this hobby that I'll make a LO and think "it's cute . . . it's alright . . . it'll do".  I'm not particularly in love with what I've done, but I just don't know how to fix it.  Maybe I picked the wrong paper or picture?  Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to really blend it all together?  Who knows, right?

But there are other times that I've fall in love with this hobby all over again. Everything comes together and just looks so fabulous, adorable, or just cute!!

That's how I feel about this layout . . . I just love it and hope it inspires you in some way.

I couldn't find the right 3 picture sketch so I just made one myself.   Many years of scrapbooking have taught me numerous things, including "if you can't find it, make it yourself!"

Many die cut layers here.  I also added some store bought wood die cuts.  The number 4 symbolizes my son's age.  The faces are from Peach Keen Stamps.

Up close of some stitching.

Closer look at my die cut title.

Supplies:

PP:  BoBunny "Apple Cider Collection"

Title: Treasure Box Designs

Sunflowers: Treasure Box Designs

Pumpkins: CC Simply Charmed
Face Stamps from Peachy Keen Stamps
White Gel Pen

Brad:  Bo Bunny Apple Cider Collection

Punch: Fiskers

Stitching

Happy Fall!

Fall is nearly here everyone!! My favorite season simply cause it's cooler and lovelier.  How about I keep my allergies out of this though, huh?

This session I want to start with a trip I took last year with my son's daycare.  It was so much fun and I'm so very glad I was able to go.  My next blog will continue the story even though it is not "technically" a two page layout.  I REALLY don't do two page layouts.  *shrugs*

Sometimes it is difficult to blend the "old" with the "new".  Old meaning die cuts, and new meaning distressing, inking etc etc and also explains why this LO looks so very different from others I've done.  But I love die cuts and will continue to use them where ever I can.

I used a combination of papers from Imaginesce line and others I randomly had.

Here is the sketch I loosely followed from studiocalico.typepad.com:

The scarecrow and pumpkins are from myscrapchick.com The leaves are from a punch.

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

Scraplifted

Scraplifted!

I had a special order for 6 cards.  4 cards were to have quilled horses on them - you'll see that later.  The other two were to be "birthday" cards.  One for a "girl" and one for a "boy".

I was stumped on the "boy" card cause I knew she didn't mean little boys. More like a "guy".  So I finally dug thru my pins on Pinterest and voila!!  I am totally thrilled with how it turned out.  Yep, I completely lifted a card someone else had made.  But that's ok.  Sometimes (a lot of times) you just have to do that in order to get moving on projects.

I changed things up a little bit by adding stitching and no embossing.  TFL!

The PP are all by October Afternoon.  The stars and flags were made on my cricut using SCAL.

Slip n' Slide

Summer is here and all the wonderful backyard fun that goes with it.  This is our first year with a slip n' slide in our back yard.  Usually, I'm at least a year behind when making LO's.  BUT, these were such fun pictures that I didn't want to wait to make a LO about it.  Also, I rarely put more than one photo on a LO so this one was a bit more challenging for me personally.

And yes, putting those new found skills with my camera hard at work.  Taking photos outside doesn't seem to be my problem.  Now indoor pictures . . . another story.

PP by Bobunny's Sunkissed collection.

Sprayed glimmer mist on the Kraft paper for extra effect.  Love the colorful title and have used those particular letters several times with other projects too.

I found the clouds on sale at Michael's while shopping with my sister.  The squares are fussy cut from a 12x12 pp paper.  Yep, machine stitched on this LO.

I fussy cut the splashing water from Bobunny pp.  It took a little bit of arranging to figure out where to put it.  TFL!!

Brand New

New DT member for SOUS!!!

My first card for "Stuck On U Sketches" is a card dedicated to cat lover's.  This cat is from a group file at Treasure Box Designs.  I like to make my cards "generic".  That way, when I need a card in a pinch I can just pull it out and use it for the occasion I need it for.  For example, when I originally made this card, I was only fulfilling my obligation for SOUS.  Now, I can use this card for any person I know who loves cats.  Birthday, thinking of you, etc. etc.  Either I will put a small sentiment down on the lower right or leave the front blank and put something on the inside of the card.

The sketch I was following from SOUS had stitching on it.  Of course, as you may know, I add stitching to nearly every one of my projects.

I am slowly mastering chalking my die cuts.  I hope to show you, my wonderful followers, some amazing details to die cuts with just chalk.

The cat is on pop dots for more visual effects.  The button gives the card a nice added flare.  For me, less is more.  I love what others do with all the pretty embellishments, but can't seem to make it work for my projects.

Daddy is the Best

Daddy Day:

I meant to have this LO done by Father's day.  Well, I was waiting on the print of this very special photo.  So, I finished this LO a week late - but it's still special.  The photo was taken at Cave and Rock by the Ohio River. 

LO made with Bobunny Mama-Razzi and Et Cetera line.  The back ground paper is Kraft paper.  I used a LO on my favorites' board at SB.com for inspiration. 

Here you see me using a template by TCW to make the diamonds.  I used Tim Holtz's distress stain colors walnut and barn door.  The inscription is a rub-on.

Not quite up close look at some machine stitching and various other embellishments.