You Are So Loved

Boy does it feel good to be back -  I feel rejuvenated, revitalized, reinvigorated!  Maybe my crafty mojo will decide to stick around for a bit...

I often joke that my youngest is the one who will end up giving me every gray hair on my head.  Lately, those "gray hairs" are caused by worry when I see my daughter struggling.  Being a teenager is hard, much more so today than when I was one way back when.  And being a teenager with severe ADD can make things so much more complicated.  So, this layout was created as a visual reminder - to her, to me, to the world - that no mater what, forever and always, I love her.  (Of course, Bailey-Boo, the Huntress' faithful companion is in the pic, too; because wherever the human one goes, the little furry one follows!)

So, let's talk about this layout.  Mojo gone and left you in a pickle?  Then head over to a good sketch site such as this one by CREATIVE SCRAPPERS.  I used this SKETCH to get started.  This past weekend (after my little scrapbooking hiatus), I literally printed out a couple of photos, grabbed my paper trimmer, scissors and glue, and picked up a bag of scrapbooking goodies I had purchased a month earlier but never even opened before heading over to my BESTIE'S house for a little creative therapy.  Luckily, it contained papers and parts by GLITZ DESIGN, which were pretty much perfect for my layout.  

Wanna see the entire layout?  Here you go...

Yep, this layout has all the ingredients to make it a favorite for me:

Hearts - check.
Stars - check.
Arrows - check.

I found some cool Glitz transparencies (I think from the Color Me Happy Collection).  I really liked a garland of circles included in the pack, but I couldn't get it to "fit" on my layout.  Finally, I just cut several of the circles apart and sewed them individually on my layout.  I outlined the edges of my stars and hearts with a black marker to help keep them from getting lost against the patterned paper.  

I LOVED the You.Are.So.Loved sticker but thought it was too small to use as the title, especially since my layout included rub-on phrases.  So, I sewed it next to my photo instead and then repeated the phrase with my title letters.

And that is it, no extra journaling needed.  "You are so loved" says it all.  No matter what issues we face, no matter the hard times, I love this child fiercely.  And I am humbled that God gave her to me.

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!

Practical Scrappers - Summer Layouts and Cards

I have so much fun with PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS- especially when the challenge is to design a layout and card about one of my favorite seasons - summer! I created this using a recent CREATIVE SCRAPPERS sketch from its Sunshine Crop along with a favorite pic of one of my daughters and her guy taken last year when they were at the beach surfing

The sketch really caught my eye because of all the layering, and I am very happy with the end result!

I think muted papers are just about perfect for beach layouts.  And I really, really like the messy ink-splattered effect on these lovely patterned papers by We R Memory Keepers.  As far as I am concerned, a little messiness is always a good thing!

I thought the "name" of this paper - Down by the Sea - was perfect for my title.  So I cut it out and added it to my layout, on my picture.  See?  Some may call it laziness; I prefer to call it ingenuity.

I love summer SO MUCH that I also created a summer-themed card for Practical Scrappers two days ago.  Of course, it was a piece of cake.  I simply used the bright papers and the adorable stickers from my Echo Park Hello Summer Collection.  I added a few buttons and a little bit of baker's twine and I was done.  Quick and cute!

And that's it for the day!  Hope you are having a lovely start to YOUR summer!

Playing with Creative Scrappers

I have really been enjoying playing with Creative Scrappers Sketches lately (try saying Creative Scrappers Sketches five times fast - I dare ya!), including the newest one SKETCH 177, which I used to make this layout. Sometimes I find sketches that I THINK are going to work well but, for whatever reason, I can't make them come to life on paper. You know what I'm talking about, right? The sketch looks like it should work but just doesn't? I have found,though, that I normally have better luck with Creative Scrappers, so that site has now been saved as a favorite on my trusty laptop.

In case you are curious, most of my papers and sweet little embellies on this layout are from the Pink Paislee Nantucket Collection, which I am IN LOVE with! I added it onto background paper from MME's Stella and Rose Collection, but the papers all seemed to get along well with each other so I went with it. I pop-dotted a few of the paper embellies, and I used rock candy crackle paint and outlined everything in marker to add extra dimension. I turned one of the squares from the sketch into a journaling pocket; and, of course, I had to add a cluster of bits of randomness in the upper corner because I am ALL about that lately thanks in large part to my BESTIE'S influence!

Speaking of my Bestie, Alissa - she has just posted an INCREDIBLE File Folder Mini-Album Tutorial, which can be found HERE! I was privileged to be able to preview it, and it is a fantastic, concise video that will have you making a perfect file folder album in no time - think DIY Christmas presents!!!

In other news, I have found that just about everything worth knowing can be found either on Pinterest or YouTube. I have been wanting to learn to create sketches for scrapbooking for awhile and think I have found the perfect tutorial to learn how. Wish me luck and stay tuned...

Happy Scrump Day!

Fabulous Finds Friday

Happy Friday everybody! Whew! We've made it through another week and have just a few more hours (here in Texas) until the weekend officially commences! I don't know about you, but my plans this weekend are pretty simple: to do a little bit of cleaning, a little bit of cooking and a whole lotta scrapping.

My first layout stars my brand new nephew that my wonderful brother and his wife recently gifted me with - well, not really GIFTED since they won't actually give me the baby (although I've asked, trust me)! This picture was taken by my brother just a few minutes after birth and sent to me. Needless to say, after seeing it,I quickly hopped on a plane and headed out to Cali-for-NI-a so that I could hold and coo over him (my nephew, not my brother)!

I used Creative Scrappers SKETCH 172 (that's right; I'm only two behind) and some delicious Pink Paislee papers that my BESTIE helped me find during a little shopping frenzy that she and I engaged in last month.

Annnnddddd....today it's my turn to reveal what I've been making using my wonderful scrappy products from the Let's Capture Our Memories STORE. Here is the layout, using Kaisercraft papers from the Class of '87 Collection (and once again starring my brand new nephew along with his super-sweet big sis)

Close-ups you say? You want to see close-ups? Well, okay, here you go:

(yes, I made those accordian flowers all by myself)

(got that particular banner idea from Pinterest)

(loving those little resin flowers)

For a list of products used and more details, head on over to the LCOM BLOG.

And now, to celebrate the beginning of Fall (and in a desperate attempt to justify all the hours I have been spending on Pinterest lately), I have included a few links to sites I found with some pretty nifty fall-related crafts and ideas that I think you will like, too!

You can learn how to make a pretty fall pillow HERE
You can get the recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip brownies HERE
You can make an orange cinnamon clove simmer to get your house smelling yummy HERE
You can learn how to carve a pumpkin using Cookie Cutters HERE
You can make layouts like these by Kathy Skou, including her SUH-WEET Halloween layout found HERE

Do you have any favorite Pinterest (or other links you would like to share featuring a fall craft or layout that is a favorite for you? Well then hook a sister up and leave a comment with the link!!!

That's it for me. Hope your Friday is Fabulous and Full of Fun Plans for the Weekend!