A Challenging Weekend

This weekend, I made sure that I took time out from the laundry and the grocery shopping and the house cleaning to have a little crafty me time.  I love challenges, and BIRDS OF A FEATHER had a couple that really caught my interest.  First, I completed the Scraplift Challenge.  Now, for those of you who don't know, a scraplift is where you take another person's layout and, basically, copy it as much or as little as you like.  When I was just starting out and trying to figure out "my style" and learning different techniques, I did a lot of scraplifting.  It was the perfect way to teach myself how to get an end result that I liked.  Today, it's still fun to occasionally find a design I like and make it my own.  The best part - like most things in scrapbooking, there is no right or wrong way to scraplift.  The ONLY hard and fast rule - give credit to your source of inspiration!

I chose to lift a layout by the very talented Lisa Wilkinson, which can be found HERE.  I chose Lisa's layout because, like me, she loves to incorporate lots of layers and bits of randomness here and there.  She definitely speaks my scrappy language!  I chose some wonderful new Heidi Swapp papers from her Sugar Chic collection and lots of bits and piecesfound on my always messy work table.  The picture is of my second daughter flexing her beautiful muscles.  Her strength and determination is always an inspiration to me so I thought this picture was perfect for a layout - even if you don't see her face.  The paint is, partly, a happy accident that I was trying to clean up.  I just took a deep breath, convinced myself that messes can be a good thing, and went with it. 

I like the look the two different "fonts" of letter stickers together.  What do you think?

I just kept adding different layers here and there to get my final look.  I stitched and doodled on some layers, and I added pop-dots under others to give emphasis.  And see what I mean about randomness from my messy table?  I see things from at least five different manufacturers on this close-up!

Well, that's it for tonight.  Stay-tuned - tomorrow I will be back with my second layout from this weekend, and I can't WAIT to show it to you!

Project Family

So, a few weeks ago, I was chatting with my BIRDS OF A FEATHER sisters, and we were discussing whether we would be doing any daily or monthly projects for the 2012 year. It was a pre-coffee conversation for me, and I incorrectly called one of those projects - Project Family. After confessing to the other ladies that I had misnamed another popular monthly project and there was no such thing as Project Family - I said to myself, "Well why not? There SHOULD be a Project Family!" And I set about to create my own Project Family....er, project.

I knew it had to have these requirements: Simple, fast (so that we will actually commit to keeping up with it), inexpensive (because I already spend enough money on my scrapbooking supplies), and something that every member of my family can do. This is what I came up with:

First, I took this old wine bottle box that I purchased for 50 cents at a garage sale.

I have nothing against lighthouses (or wine bottle boxes for that matter), but it didn't match my decor. So...I used my January BOAF KIT , full of AUTHENTIQUE papers and other goodies, and turned it into this...

A Few Close-Ups:

Inside the box is a simple file folder accordian album that I created, which is designed to hold my Project Family Journaling Tags (and enough room left over inside the box to hold any extra little mementos I pick up in 2012).

The front of the accordian album looks like this:

It opens up to reveal six panels on each side (for a total of twelve) with pockets to hold my Project Family Tags.

The tags have simple questions which can quickly be answered by each family member at the end of every month. I left the front of my pockets blank as I plan to put my favorite picture taken each month on the front. At the end of the year, we will have the highs and lows of the past twelve months to review - little things that we most likely would have forgotten had we not taken just a few minutes to write them down (on my handy-dandy tags).

Want to download the tag so you can create your own Project Family? Just click on this Picture and save!

Want to learn how to make my file folder accordian album to hold my Project Family journaling tags? Be sure to check back Tuesday for another video tutorial!

Peace Out!

Catching Up on Christmas with BOAF

The December Birds of a Feather KIT is packed with so many Christmas goodies that I was finally inspired to finish scrapping my Christmas pictures from 2010 - and just in time, too, with Christmas 2011 only one week away! In addition to my layout of my two oldest daughters posing together, I also had fun playing with all white embellies on this layout of my youngest daughter, who was obviously excited when I took her picture on Christmas Eve! Can't you tell? I think she is wearing one of the hugest grins I have ever seen!

I used Creative Scrappers Sketch 186 found HERE. At first I was going to use letters and embellishments that were several different colors. But the more I played with the (mostly) white clusters, the more I liked the look.

If the embellie didn't start out white (like my letters and cardboard flower) - no problem! A little paint, and I had exactly what I wanted!

Happy Crafty Christmas!

Birds of a Feather Birthday Blog Hop Winner (and other stuff)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! A few days ago you all left wonderful comments on my blog announcing the BOAF Birthday Blog Hop and Crop, and today (because I am a day off due to yesterday's holiday)using the totally scientific method of asking my 11 year old daughter to pick a random number, I am thrilled to announce that Karen in Houston (who left the 10th comment)is the winner of my blog give-away. What is the prize? That's right, it's the November Birds of a Feather Kit set for release on October 20th! Karen in Houston, please email your address to me at krissy.clark@comcast.net so I can make arrangements for your BOAF scrapbooking kit to be sent to you! You are going to LOVE all the wonderful goodies that come with the kit, I just know you are!

Now, for those of you have been playing along with the BOAF Birthday Crop and Blog Hop, this is NOT the Grand Prize being awarded by Birds of a Feather - just want to clarify. This is simply the Krissy Clark McKee Blog Prize. So don't fret!

Although I have had a busy weekend getting my son ready for a homecoming dance and going to see hubby run around on stage in tights (for a play), I squoze squeezed in time to participate in a couple of the BOAF Birthday Crop Challenges. Here's what I made so far:

and this (which is a lift inspired by M. Bauer - found her layout on Pinterest, of course!):

There are 10 challenges total on the Birthday Crop Forum, so I am hoping to get one or two more completed prior to the deadline. If you want to play along, you have until tomorrow, October 12th, at midnight. So come on! What are you waiting for?!?

Birds of a Feather Birthday Blog Hop!

Happy Friday morning everyone! I am so excited because Birds of a Feather is turning one and is celebrating this wonderful exciting event with a BIRTHDAY CROP and a BLOG HOP!

The gals at BOAF have put together some great birthday challenges and games, including this blog hop! Each stop on the hop reveals one word to a fun quote picked out by our chickie Lisa. The object of the Birthday Blog Hop is to collect all the words to the quote, in the correct order, and report back to the Birds of a Feather BLOG to be entered into the drawing for the BIG PRIZE.

As an added incentive, if you decide to follow my blog and leave me a comment no later than Sunday, October 9th at 6 p.m. to let me know you've stopped here on your hop, I will randomly draw a winner on Monday, October 10th. What will the winner get you ask? How about the Birds of a Feather November Kit set to be released on October 20th?!!?

I love all the Birds of a Feather Kits, but so far, I think my favorite has to be September's Kit because it contained papers from Echo Park's Victoria Garden's Collection, which I am nuts over, and TONS of pretty embellies and bits of ribbon - all wonderfully coordinated with the papers of course! They were perfect for these pictures of my little niece dressed as a garden fairy.

Now, if you are just reading about this and want to join in the Blog Hop fun, you need to start HERE.

If you are already hopping along and just came from Heather's BLOG, you are at the right place! Yeah!!!! So, without further ado, your word from my blog is...

The next stop in the Birds of a Feather Happy Birthday Blog Hop is Linda. Her blog can be found right HERE.

One last thing! Don't forget the Birthday Crop! The prizes are going to be super fantastic, including (drum roll, please) a $50 prize package of Bella Blvd products! To participate, all you need to do is register in the forum (totally free) and start playing! Hope to see you there!

Mid-Week Mojo

Okay, I am combining another two posts from yesterday and today because I am still playing catch-up from last week's last-minute vacay to California and then getting back home with my little souvenir of the WORST. SINUS. INFECTION. EVER. that laid me out flat until a couple of days ago. My house is still one giant sputum infestation and I sound like I've been smoking a couple of packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day for the past twenty years, but I feel human again. And by human, I mean I can scrapbook again. Because - let's face it - scrapbooking is the very raison d'etre of human existance, right? Right??? So, ummm...yeah.

Anywho, I figure the middle of the week is generally one big blur to everyone anyway, so who am I to shake things up and define each day. So - consider this my mid-week blur.

Yesterday was the Wednesday reveal over at Let's Scrap and we got to play with a card design again. I think those very nice Let's Scrap ladies are trying to give me subtle reminders that I really need to get cranking on my Christmas cards so I don't end up stressed out in a very UN-Christmaslike Spirit when I am making 50+ cards on December 23rd and wondering if I can take out a second mortgage on my home to pay for enough express postage to get them to friends and family in time. And so, being the responsible adult that I am, I made a card that is not Christmasy in the slightest. But at least I did use their design as instructed, so I am going to say that's a step in the right direction - ha! Here is the design:

And here is the link to their wonderful SITE so you can check out what our other fabulous DT ladies created as well as join in on other great challenges and the chance to win some pretty cool prizes for your stash!

Over at Birds of a Feather, it was my turn to blog with my first two reveals using the October Kit. Let me tell you, that kit was packed full of so many favorites for me, including Crate Paper's Farmhouse Collection papers and chipboard stickers, Jillibean Soup corrugated alphas (in luscious, yes I said luscious, bright red), Kaisercraft mini-folders, ribbon, and Maya Road wooden buttons. As soon as I opened up the kit, The Archies started singing in my head:

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy
And I feel like a-lovin' you
Love, you're such a sweet thing
Good enough to eat thing
And that's just a-what I'm gonna do Ooh

Thankfully, I didn't actually eat my kit; but I'm pretty sure I did drool over it and laugh a little maniacally a couple of times as I was making my layouts. And here they are, drool stains and all:

First, I made this one of my older daughter, going with a kind of back-to-school theme since Fall IS about back-to-school (even in grad school.

I absolutely L.O.V.E.D. those corrugated alphas that I could sew through.

and all the cute chipboard stickers (cause I'm all about the 3D)

Next up was this layout, still using up pics from my trip to visit my brother and his family last Thanksgiving. I guess that's what happens when you come back with a couple hundred photos from a one week visit.

Oh, yeah, I had to had to HAD TO use those red alphas again!

I added a little Smooch Spritz to my wooden buttons and then wiped the buttons off before the Spritz completely dried to give them an older, worn look. And, of course, I misted and distressed and tore things to my sinus-infected little heart's content.

So there you have it. Stay tuned Friday when I return with more of my LCOM goodies and a few other fabulous finds that I just happened to stumble upon while lurking around the world wide web.