A Few Favorites

Still playing catch-up and wanted to quickly share these layouts - all made with MY SCRAPS AND MORE SKETCHES.  Tammi makes some sketches that, apparently, really work well with my way of scrapping because each layout came together effortlessly and quickly, and I love the results!  I used CRATE PAPER'S STYLEBOARD COLLECTION to create this first layout, which features a photo of the Huntress who is just full of all kinds of attitude but still just as sweet as she can be.

My next layout:

I used an oldy but goody FANCY PANTS collection - Trendsetter - which coordinated perfectly with this photo of Little Lula who, at age 4, is already a little trendsetter with her own style and buckets of personality!

Finally, another of Lula and one of her Lala Loopsy dolls going beddy-bye:

I used my February PAPER BAKERY KIT and some random bits and pieces sitting out on my work table to create this fun layout.

That's it for me today.  Hope your Saturday is full of happiness and spent doing the things you enjoy doing most!  Until next time...

ALL THINGS WOOD BLOG HOP WITH PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS

 

Welcome to the Practical Scrappers/Paper Secrets Blog Hop! We are so excited to have you here today! This blog hop features the wonderful Ten Things Team from PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS and members from the Design Team at PAPER SECRETS. How did I get included with the Ten Things Team which is full of crafty, innovative ladies?  Well...I think it was an accounting error (I always blame the accounting department whether there actually is one or not!).  Okay, would you believe I know someone in high places?  No?  How about...the dog ate my homework!  Whatever, the reason, I am super happy to be included because ***insert drum roll here*** (typing in my best announcer voice) OUR TOPIC FOR THIS HOP IS A FUN, TRENDY ONE SURE TO CATCH YOUR ATTENTION: WOOD! A - n-n-n-d-d, that's not all!  We have a collection of wood goodies from Paper Secrets to give away (details below).

 

You may not realize this but my husband's latest hobby this past year or two has been carpentry - mainly because I keep finding things on Pinterest that I want him to make for me.  And because he cuts wood ALL the time, our garage is constantly littered with little pieces of wood.  I can either choose to be annoyed that the Hubster still has not learned to clean up after himself.  OR, I can view all the scraps as small gifts that he thoughtfully leaves out for my crafty self.  I choose to believe the latter, which tends to make our relationship a lot less strained (and keeps my blood pressure within reasonable levels)!

 

I recently picked up a small scrap of plywood (thoughtfully left in the garage around, but not actually in, the trash container where a less thoughtful person might have put it).  The wood piece is roughly a 6x6 square.  It was perfect for creating my little piece of ar, which was  super easy to make.  Here's how I did it:

 

I used my left over papers from CRATE PAPER'S 14 Collection. 

I placed my wood piece on the background paper and traced the shape, then cut on the traced lines.

I brushed Mod Podge liberally across the surface of my wood and then placed the paper on top, making sure to press out any bubbles.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out my bird shape. and used Mod Podge to adhere it to my paper.

I used various word stickers and some fabric alphas to create my phrase.

I fussy cut banners out from my papers and placed them in the corners, using more Mod Podge to adhere them.

I Mod Podged my button and plastic piece.

Finally, I coated the top of everything with a thick, even layer of Mod Podge and let it dry.

 

Super easy, right?  Here's a close up of my phrase:

 

Are you feeling inspired for all things wood now?  You are!  Well, then, don't miss out on all the other stops on this blog hop!  Here is the list:

Blog Hop List

Practical Scrappers

Charity Hotrum

Lisa Moen

Jessica Arrant

Kristi Biesel

Stephanie U

Patty Selah

Karen Sessions

Kelly Holfield

Wendy Coffman

Deborah Johnson

Krissy Clark

Rochelle Spears

Kerri Yarus

Lee-Anne Thornton

Leslii Wagner

Kelli Fortier

Kim Ryden

Sue Kithcart

Brenda Ragsdale

Charissa Miller

Christine Meyer

Sarah Clark

 Kelly Jean Guzlas

Paper Secrets

And - that grand prize I was telling you about?  Here it is!!!

What can you do to qualify to win?  It's so simple, even my little Chihuahua could do it:

You can do any or all of the following to get entered:

1) Be a follower at Practical Scrappers

2) Be a follower at the Paper Secrets Blog

3) Like our Practical Scrappers Facebook Page

4) Like the Paper Secrets Facebook Page; and very importantly

5)LEAVE A COMMENT HERE TELLING ME WHICH OF THESE THINGS YOU DID. 

 

Of course, if you also want to tell me whether you like my project or not - well, let's just say it would make my day!  Because it "wood." *smile*

 

You have until 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, August 25th to enter. A winner will be announced early next week!

Back to School with Practical Scrappers

Today at PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS, we are showing off our back-to-school themed layouts.  This was a great challenge for me because I usually struggle with fall-themed layouts and that includes back-to-school stuff - maybe because it still feels like summer when the temperature gauge keeps steadily hitting 100+ degrees here in Tejasland!

The Huntress actually has one more week left of freedom before school starts, so I decided to do a little journaling and create a quiz reflecting her current likes (and a dislike) and what she hopes to accomplish in school this year. 

Just like a real quiz, the categories are on the front and the answers are on the back.  Want to know the answers to my 8th grader's quiz?  Yeah?  Here you go:

1.  Favorite movie (A: Scott Pilgrim)
2.  Fave T.V. show (A: Adventure Time)
3. Favorite New Song (A: Wow by BtoB)
4. Besties (A: Crystal and Kamber)
5. A fun activity (A: Getting crafty with Pearler Beads)
6. Can't stand (A: It's still brocolli)
7. Fave Foods (A: Pizza and Spaghetti)
8. This year I hope to... (A: get good grades, have nice teachers, and improve my singing)

My journaling tag tucks nicely into a pocket sewn into the back of my photo frame.

I used CRATE PAPER'S Portrait Collection to creat this layout - an older collection, yes, but it contained the "back-to-school" colors I was looking for without being overly "fall-y" or in-your-face back to school.  In other words, just the right papers for my project!  One thing I love about Crate Paper is that their collections always include a page of paper die cuts, which are perfect for creating clusters or titles - like mine! 

 

I also used this SKETCH found at Page Maps to get me jump started.  My layout doesn't look much like the sketch at all - but it got me going and that's all I needed!!!  By the way, Page Maps is having a contest with this sketch right now which is open for another few days - be sure to check it out!

 

That's it for me today.  Before I go, tell me, what kinds of papers do you prefer to use for your back-to-school layouts?  Do you go traditional and use themed collections or do you buck the trend and do your own thing?  I'm curious...

Happy Birthday, Honey Bunny

 

Today is the Hubster's birthday.  I can't tell you how old he is without him divorcing me, but let's just say he is at the "distinguished-looking" age.  And if you guessed "distinguished-looking" appears to be about 59 years old - well, you just might be correct!  I won't tell, though!  No matter - he is handsome and kind and wonderful.  I wouldn't trade him for anything, and I thought today was the perfect day to tell my honey-bunny exactly that.  And, of course, I posted it all to PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS where I am up today (but don't worry, I didn't tell them my man was 59 either).

 

Here is my layout:

 

 

I used more of my MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK kit that I received as one of the April Guest Designers.  So far, I have created 3 layouts and 3 cards using the main kit, and I STILL have stuff left over!  That's a pretty awesome kit if you ask me!

 

 

I had fun adding these layers.  I started with a border of my yellow paper that I made using my Silhouette Cameo.  Then I sewed a layer of lace on top, making sure to leave the bottom tips of the yellow border exposed.  My last step was to sew these adorable "LOVE" tags on top of everything.  I couldn't resist adding a heart button!

 

And I love this little cluster.  I layered, adding pop dots to some parts for increased depth, until it was j-u-s-t right. 

 

 

Finally, here is the card I made - simple, yes.  But perfect for my best (and only) guy!

 

 

That's it for me today, but I will be back tomorrow to show you a homemade birthday gift I made for my man.  It was simple, it was easy, and it is SUPER cute!  Stay tuned...

 

In the meantime, go check out all the cool stuff going on at PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS, like these ideas for using TWINE or SEQUINS.  That's right, I said sequins!

My Creative Scrapbook - April Guest Designer!

I am one of the Guest Designers this month for MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK - a kit club run by the very sweet Pam Rangel and Delaina Burns.  Delaina is also one of the designers, and I have been a fan of her work for years.  In fact, I am pretty certain that I scraplifted one or two of Delaina's layouts (making sure to give her credit, of course) when I was first learning different styles and trying to figure out what mine was.

 

The MCS KIT CLUB has several different options and add-ons that you can purchase.  I was provided with this month's main kit, which was full of Crate Paper goodies that I am absolutely enamored with!  I had so much fun creating these two cards and two layouts, and I still have sufficient leftovers to get at least another layout and couple of cards done - a very generous kit indeed!

 

Here is a close-up of my Trending Now layout - can I just say it again?  I l-o-v-e Crate Paper:

 

And here is the second layout I created, featuring my sweet Lula-Bug.  I {heart} the Chevron background paper so much, I am going to have to get some more.  I NEED it - like maybe 10 sheets of it!!!!

 

Another close-up.  As you can see, I became a little obsessed with all the butterflies included in the kit - don't judge.  A quick little handmade pennant and a doily fussy cut from one of my papers, and I had this cute cluster (and the perfect place for my journaling):

 

I even got brave and made a couple of cards.  They are nowhere on the scale of CATHY HARPER or ALISSA WELLS (my card heroes...heroines???...the ladies who rock the cards, how's that?) - but you really can't go wrong with a kit full of Crate Paper goodies, now can you?

 

This is the first card that I made (yep, more butterflies were used):

 

...and my second creation - a simple everyday card that I quite like.  (I think I need about 5 or 6 extra sheets of that bird paper - it makes me happy just looking at it)  And, look!  I used a bird instead of a butterfly this time!

 

That's it for me.  But, if you want to enjoy some awesome Thursday eye candy (completely calorie free), head over to the MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK DESIGNER'S GALLERY.

Happy Girls Layout - Using Crate Paper

Happy Monday morning everyone!  With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I have really been focused on the people and things I love - and scrapbooking all about them, of course!  And some of my favorite papers to use have been from CRATE PAPER'S 14 COLLECTION, which is defintely on my TOP 5 Paper Collections List right now.  The papers are saturated with color and a little bit vintage-y and absolutely perfect for layouts such as this one featuring my sweet, lovely daughters! 

 

As my starting point, I used this fantastic sketch from CREATIVE SCRAPPERS.  Seriously, Kristine's crew comes up with so many awesome sketches, I don't know when I will have time to get to them all!

 

Let me tell you a little bit about this layout - because I had so much fun making it!

 

First, this banner was fussy cut directly from a page of - you guessed it - banners!  I just cut a few out and zig zag stitched around my pieces, then sewed them across the top directly onto my layout.  I initially had a second, different banner making a larger swoop below this one but decided it made my layout too busy - after I had already glued it down to my papers, of course!  So, I ripped the second banner off, sewed these little hearts on top of a few of the ripped areas, and decided that the other visible tears in my papers were extra distressing that I MEANT to have on my layout - hahahahaha!  Besides, they compliment my white paint spatters that really were put there on purpose.  (Yes, I am the Queen of Rationalization - that's how I am able to continue buying new scrapbook papers when I will never use up all the ones I already have.)  I left the threads at the end of my hearts long and uncut because I liked the way they looked.
 

I used one of the polaroid frames from a newer MAGGIE HOLMES' Collection (I LOVE her work!)  Obviously, my picture is not square-shaped and not meant to fit in a polaroid frame.  But I wanted to use it so I just angled it across the top as an accent.  The number blocks were originally part of a border strip on one of the 14 Collection papers that I simply cut up, outlined, and pop-dotted on my frame. 
 

Here is another view of the center of my layout and one of the reasons why I chose the Creative Scrappers sketch that I used - LAYERS!!!!!!  I love the layers!  And look how scrumptious these papers look together - almost good enough to eat!  Okay, not really, but these papers ARE perfect for layering...and for sewing on!
 

 

My title, "Happy Girls are the Prettiest Girls" is part of a fabulous quote by Audrey Hepburn.  It's overused now, but I still love it anyway!  And, like my papers, it was perfect for this layout.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out those small letters.  I also cut out a few of the negative outlines left over and used those in place of the letters.
 

And speaking of my Silhouette, I love using it and my small scraps of leftover paper to make little extra things like this tab that I added to my layout. "Waste not, want not," as my Grandmama used to say.  And what a super cute way to make sure my paper isn't wasted!

Last, but not least, is the bottom of my layout.  I didn't have quite enough of the green and white striped paper I wanted to use and I didn't like my picture just hanging off the bottom of my layered papers, so I took some of the thin cut-out strips and placed those under my picture to give the "suggestion" of a continued background paper. 

That's it for me today.  Hope you are staying dry and warm whereever you are!

A Pinterest Inspired Layout with Practical Scrappers

 

Do you love Pinterest? You do?! Well, so do I! That's why I was more than happy to jump into this Practical Scrappers' challenge to create something scrapalicious using some of my Pinspiration. And boy howdy do I have a lot of it! Don't believe me? Check it out HERE! To see what my pinspiration was for this layout, check out today's post at PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS.

 

Of course, I could not resist using papers and embellishments found in CRATE PAPER'S 14 Collection. Here are a few close-ups so you can see just how delicious this collection is:

 

Love all the hearts that came with this collection.  I layered them and sewed on them until they were juuussst right.

Check out the bottom of my layout.  I cut the bottom of my paper pink paper along the zig zag and created a space between the two pieces of paper.  I placed these fussy cut hearts into the open space and sewed several lines across each one.  I left my threads uncut - a technique I've seen my friends AUDREY, HEATHER, and LISA use and that I've decided I like.

Sweet little alpha stickers make up the title of my layout.

That's it for me today. But before I go, did you hear the good news? I am so excited and happy to tell you that, in addition to playing with Practical Scrappers, I am now also on the design team for (insert drumroll here) PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO!!! Whoo-Hoo!!! To find out more info, check out the post right above this one!

Happy Wednesday, and Happy Scrapping!

Love is in the Air Crop with LCOM

Just wanted to share this quick little post and a fun layout I made this weekend.

As you know, Valentine's Day is right around the corner. So, what better way to get in the spirit of things than to play along in the Love is in the Air Virtual Crop with the ladies over at LET'S CAPTURE OUR MEMORIES? I think my Oh How I {Heart} This Girl layout is my favorite project so far. I used an LCOM Sketch found HERE. The object of the challenge was to make a banner using hearts. I used my heart banner as part of my title.

One thing I loved about the sketch (and the reason why I wanted to use it) were the small areas of clusters in the upper and lower corners. All the cute paper embellies from my package of Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe Collection were perfect for clustering.

Hope you are all rejuvinated, relaxed and refreshed from the weekend and ready to start a new week!