Working with my First Sketch

For those of you who have been following along, last weekend I created my first sketch. But what good is a sketch if you don't use it, right? Right! So, when I saw a challenge over at LCOM's Scrapping with the Stars Challenge that required me to create a layout using at least three pictures...and my sketch was designed for three pictures...I took it as a sign that it was TIME!!!

I also had to use only patterned papers, lots of embellies, and handwritten journaling. So, with those parameters in mind, I came up with this:

These pictures were taken last summer when we took my Uncle Johnny and Aunt Lucinda to Kemah for the day when they visited us. It was a really fun day-trip, despite the fact that it seemed to be a billion degrees outside. So to keep our fair skin from getting burned, we all made sure we wore our hats. (Actually, the Huntress and I were trying to keep our fair skin from getting burned; Hubby just wore a hat because he knew it looked good on him!)

I used wonderful Authentique papers that came with my BIRDS OF A FEATHER March Kit. I am really loving the weight, texture and, most of all, patterns on Authentique's paper. To think, this time last year, I didn't even know who they were and now they are quickly becoming one of my favorite paper lines!

Of course, what's a layout without layers and clusters...

Another small cluster at the top and a pretty butterfly layered over one printed on my paper for a shadowed effect.

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but Spring had definitely arrived here in Texas. I plan to be outside as much as possible with my camera in tow - taking as many pictures as I can of whatever I can before I get the stink-eye from my kid or a random neighbor. And when I absolutely must come in, I am sure I will be getting as crafty as possible this weekend!

Here's hoping a sunny, crafty weekend is in store for you, too!

I'm Feeling a Little Sassy Today...

...and it's just in time for the Sassy Lil Sketches Week 3 reveal! I fell in love with this sketch when I saw it and had to work on it immediately:

Everything about this sketch is perfect - the clouds, the banner, the strips of paper below the pictures. And if you think my layout turned out pretty nicely, you should check out the layouts by the rest of the DT ladies HERE.

For those of you who may have been wondering where I have been hiding, the answer is - California! Hubby had a business trip in the L.A. area which just so happened to coincide with the birth of my brand new nephew so I tagged along. While he was in godawful boring geeky meetings all day, I spent my mornings leisurely enjoying coffee and breakfast here...

...a place that's like IHOP only better because, well, their food tastes fantastic! In fact, the only thing I didn't like about Coco's was the listing at the end of each menu item advising me exactly how many calories I was going to be stuffing into my body!

After I waddled out of Coco's each morning, I headed over to my brother and sister-in-law's home where I got to visit with my sweet niece and my BRAND NEW nephew (and my brother and sister-in-law, too). Isn't my newest family member adorable?

Can you see the sly gleam in my eyes that says, "I wonder if they will notice if I quietly put him in my purse and take him back on the plane with me?"

I kept trying to convince my sis-in-law to let me take my new sweet nephew back to Texas with me and simply "borrow him" for a year or two, but I guess she was feeling a little entitled due to all the heartburn and stretchmarks and silly stuff like that she had to put up with. She completely ignored my logic that if I kept him she wouldn't have to worry about getting up several times through the night or messy diapers or any of that - some people just can't be reasoned with, I guess. *smile*

She did promise to send me lots of pictures so I guess I will have to console myself with that (and lots of fun baby boy layouts).

So, tell me, what exciting things have been going on in your part of the world? Any scrappy news or links or blogs I should be catching up on?

One Kit, Two Looks

Happy Saturday everyone! I know many of you are probably wondering what's been going on with my posts - or rather my lack of posts. Well, it's been that hectic end-of-summer break/back to school time, and it seems I have been running around with at least 94 new errands to do on any given day - seriously! But I have DT reveals stacking up that I am DYING to share with you!

I just got the September BIRDS OF A FEATHER kit in, and it is gorgeous! Or as my grandmama would say, GAWJUS (normally with the word "honey" immediately following, as in, "now that is just gawjus honey."). And, yep, that's exactly what the September kit is - GAWJUS! It's full of Echo Park Victoria Gardens papers and flowers and ribbon and stickers and rub-ons and mini-frames and chipboard - oh have I got plans for it all, let me tell you! So, without further ado, here are the first two layouts I did:

I have been waiting for just the right papers to come along that I could use for this darling pic of my little niece Audrey who is dressed up as a fairy. When I saw the Victoria Gardens collection peeking out at me from my delivery box, I knew it was time! I fussy cut several of the roses from the papers and used ones from the sticker sheet that was included in my kit. A fairy layout HAS to sparkle (I'm sure it's the law), so of course I had to add stickles to my flowers.

I used Sketch 169 from CREATIVE SCRAPPERS, but I went off on my little flower tangent, so I don't think you can much tell anymore - LOL!

My second layout using my September BOAF kit is this:

I used this sketch from SASSY LIL SKETCHES:

As you can see, I stayed very true to the sketch. I loved the clean-lines look of this and (I think) the results were quite striking when using the EP Victoria Gardens papers. What do you think?

We are celebrating my son's birthday this weekend and finishing up with back-to-school stuff, but that lovely kit keeps calling my name so I am sure I will find a way to sneak in a little more scrapping time! Hope you are able to enjoy some happy craft time, too!