The Paper Bakery Sketch #20 Reveal

Happy Sunday folks!  I am up on The Paper Bakery's BLOG today showing my take on the latest sketch, by the wonderfully talented Juliana Michaels!  This is what the sketch looks like:

Sketches make me so happy!  They allow me to just sit down and get started without having to think overly long about a design.  They are invaluable and allow me to actually have time to get crafty, despite having children, cleaning, work, animals, cooking, and a husband all vying for my attention!  

As you can see, I stayed very true to Sketch 20, only changing a few minor things.  I really like this sketch and could see myself using it several times!

All my papers as well as my bits and pieces came from a couple of older Paper Bakery Kits that I purchased when they were having a huge sale at their SHOP.  I just put everything in a big pile on my desk and started crafting!  Here are a couple of close-ups:

Would you like to play along?  Just head to the PAPER BAKERY BLOG and link up your take on Sketch #20.  We would love to see you use Paper Bakery Kits, but it is not necessary.  And, if you are chosen as our random winner, you get a $10 gift certificate to the shop!  The deadline is March 1st at midnight!

Happy crafting!

MY SCRAPS AND MORE SKETCHES - 2.14 REVEAL

Happy Day of Loooovvveee (typed in my very best Barry White voice).  This is turning out to be quite a busy day for me since I have not one, not two - but THREE projects all due today.  BUT - I absolutely loooovvvee crafting so I am definitely in my happy zone right now.  If you are joining in for the PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS SCRAP YOUR STASH BLOG HOP, click HERE.  If you want to see five darling, adorable notecards I made for PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO, then click HERE.  Of course, I would love it if you would scroll down and check out this post, too!

This is my first take on a My Scraps and More sketch as an official design team member.  I am a sketch-a-holic so being part of this sketch design team pretty much has me in sketchy heaven!  To see the sketch, you are going to have to go to the blog, but that is super easy since all you have to do is click on the link HERE.

This is also the first time I have ever used ELLE'S STUDIO papers, and I've got to say, I really love them!  I am a sucker for simple graphic patterns.  They make layering, which I love to do, a piece of cake!  Of course, I purchased them at the My Scraps and More STORE, which just happens to be having a sale...hmmm....looks like it might be time to buy myself a little Valentine's present...just to show me how much I love...well, ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not always a journaling tag girl.  In fact, I often cut up my journaling tags and use them for something else on my layout.  But, this one was so cute that I couldn't resist!  I love the way it looks like it has a couple of layers of little tags added to it.

The top of my layout includes a mix of "real" layering on top of "faux layering" already on the paper.  Can you tell what is real and what isn't?

I also had fun fussy cutting these arrows and machine-stitching them over the outlines in the patterned paper:

That's it for me.  How do you think I did?  Now, it's YOUR turn to play along!  Make sure you link up your layout on the BLOG!

Farewell Archivers - I Will Miss You

I first discovered Archivers back in 2009, shortly after I started scrapbooking.  The Hubster and I were trying to find a local store that carried a newfangled thing called a Silhouette - it was going to be my birthday present if I liked it - and after checking online, we found out that Archivers carried them.  I remember walking into the store for the first time and thinking I could spend hours, literally hours, just looking at and touching everything.  Sadly, the Hubster wasn't on board with that idea at all!  We found the Silhouette, made our purchase, and left.  But I vowed to go back, and go back I did - frequently - over the next four-and-a-half years.  

I knew nothing - less than nothing - about scrapbooking when I started (despite purchasing a Silhouette), but the sales ladies at Archivers were always there and always willing to answer even my dumbest questions, without once laughing or even batting an eye.  They demonstrated everything from the most basic, "What are brads used for?  How do you put them through paper?" to the more complex questions about stamping and embossing.  They oohed and aahed over my layouts when I went to crops - just like any encouraging mentor would.  They always listened with a smile on their faces as I gushed over the newest collection coming out.  I loved that store; I loved those employees.  So when I heard they were going to close their doors forever, I wanted to cry.  And I knew I had to go to one last crop there.  I spent the weekend with two fabulous ladies who love scrapbooking as much as I do:  Heather Leopard and Majken Pullin.  Before we left, I snapped this picture.  Yep, that's my big ole head taking up most of the pic (due to the short stubby arms I was genetically gifted with which were not able to hold my cell camera further away), but you can see we were having the best time, bittersweet as it was.  I love that picture and I love the memories it brings back - not just of that particular weekend, but of it all.

To create this layout, I started with a fabulous sketch that caught my eye over at MY SCRAPS AND MORE SKETCHES.  I used leftover scraps of LILY BEE papers and other random bits and pieces that were orphaned on my desk after I cleaned up from my last couple of projects.  I changed things around a little.  I only used one photo instead of 3 as shown in the sketch.  And, I used the bottom left space as a journaling spot instead of placing patterned paper there.  To make my layout look a little more like the sketch, I added a "faux photo" spot next to my one and only picture.  

I loved this "Happy" hexagon shape that I found, but it was the only hexagon shape sitting out on my desk.  No problem!  I simply used my shape as a template to trace and cut out a few more from my patterned papers.  I layered my handmade hexagons with flair and wood shapes and called them done!

I think it was quite fitting to pay tribute to my favorite scrapbooking store in a layout, don't you?  I know, I don't actually say anything about the store in my layout.  But I will always be able to look at this and remember how being there made me feel.  And that is really what is important.

2014: The Year of Selfies

You know me, I am cuh-ray-zee about sketches - absolutely love them, even if what I create sometimes doesn't look anything even remotely like the sketch I used!  So, it was icing on the cake to find out that The Paper Bakery has not one, but two, sketch challenges this month.  The current challenge is HERE.  And this is what I created using that sketch:

Now, there is a story behind this layout - oh, yes, there is.  My 13 year old, that once sweet baby of mine who has turned into a teenager (and all that that implies), told me that I was too old to take selfies.  In fact, she said I was too old to even use the word "selfie."  Really.  Too old?  Hmmmm...I am in my mid to upper 40's and everyone knows that 40 is the new 30 so, in my book, that makes me practically a teen myself.  Okay okay, I may be a teen with some parts that are definitely more wrinkled than they were 30 years ago and other, more unmentionable things....  BUT - I now have the means to buy a cell phone with a camera feature AND I was able to purchase my own laptop AND I am the person who pays the bills every month that keep us connected to every form of social media that would know what the word "selfie" means.  Soooo - as I calmly and rationally explained to my daughter, that means I can take and post all the selfies I want.  And then, I did the most immature thing ever - I promptly took a few selfies and turned them into a scrapbook layout.  I also made a proclamation that this shall be the Year of Selfies for me.  That's right, 2014 will be all selfies, all the time!  THAT WILL SHOW HER - HA!

So there you have it - a layout created because of a major snit.  And, I love it - obviously.  

I used my Paper Bakery Love Potion #9 KIT to create this layout.  The feather and "news flash" stamp were included with previous kits; however, they were so cute, I had to include them.  Here are a few close-ups:

Want to play along with the sketch or maybe create a layout using your own selfies?  We would love to see them!  Simply link to the BLOG or the Paper Bakery FACEBOOK PAGE.

And, of course, feel free to leave a comment here.  I l-o-v-e feedback!

December Sketch - Practical Scrappers

Happy Friday the 13th!  Do you like a good sketch?  Well, then, today is YOUR lucky day!  Why?  Because PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS has a fantastic new sketch by our own Liz Chidester that is being revealed today along with several Practical Scrappers' takes on it (including mine)!  I used a couple of different collections by PINK PAISLEE on my layout - I didn't quite have enough papers from the Hey Kid Collection to use, but I did have a sheet sheet left over from the Hometown Summer Collection (the red paper with white stars) that coordinated perfectly.  I love it when that happens!  I gotta tell you, there is something about the combination of red and yellow that I absolutely love!

I also improvised a little with Liz's sketch.  The two photos I wanted to use weren't oriented the right way to work with the sketch, so what did I do?  I rotated the sketch 90 degrees counter-clockwise so my pictures wouldn't be all "squished" together.  

These two photos make me laugh a little every time I look at them.  Little Lula really really wanted to "fly" in the swings like the Huntress but wasn't quite brave enough to stretch her arms and legs out.  She's a little daredevil, though, so I expect she will be "flying" alongside her big bestie before too much longer.

I loved layering all these pieces together into a cluster around my journaling tag.  I added doodling and machine stitching to help tie everything together:

Want to know how I came up with the left side of my layout?  It was definitely not a thought-out process!

So I was pretty sure I wanted to use an arrow or two at the bottom of my layout to help balance out the scalloped circles at the top and to call attention to my title.  There were so many cute bits and pieces, though, that I couldn't decide which I wanted to use.  Before I knew it, I had a line of "possibles" and I decided I liked the way all of them looked together.  I did move some over to the side so that the ends were off the paper (and cut off the excess parts hanging over the edge) just because I thought the arrows looked better staggered that way.  As for my title, I ran out of "L's" on my sticker sheet.  So, I simply pulled out my different alphas until I found another "L" that I liked.  And I really like the end result.  I love it when randomness comes together!!!

Sketch Challenge Time at Pretty Little Studio

It's Tuesday and you know what that means, right?  Okay, yes, it is the day after Monday but it is also sketch challenge time over at Pretty Little Studio!  And with my fantastic WOODLAND CHRISTMAS COLLECTION, I could not wait to get started!

Here is my interpretation of this week's sketch, which can be found at the Pretty Little Studio BLOG:

Although the lines on this week's sketch travel in a diagonal from the bottom left to the top right across the layout, I decided to create lines that mimic more of a starburst pattern - pretty sure there is no need for an explanation why on that choice! *smile*

I used these sweet little Twinkling Star STICKERS that I machine stitched over.

On top of my star stickers, I layered a few sequins and larger stars that were punched from my Pretty Little Studio packaging.  I've got to tell you, only Pretty Little Studio makes packaging that is so cute I NEVER throw it out.  I consider it my bonus material - just the right size for my punches and to make small tags!

Instead of two Christmas trees, I used a couple of journaling TAGS to anchor my cluster.  My Merry and Bright FLAIR and Yule Log TAB were the perfect finishing touches, don't you think?

Have you played along and used a Pretty Little Studio sketch lately?  There's a new one every week, and their clean lines make them perfect for a layout of any size, including December Daily albums!

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.

It's Pretty Little Studio Sketch Challenge Time!

I love sketches, and the Pretty Little Studio SKETCHES are some of my very favorite!  This week's sketch got my crafty mojo revved up in high gear as soon as I saw it, and I could not wait to be able to share it with you!

I have been l-o-v-i-n-g all of the negative space layouts I have seen, so I decided the circles shown in the background of these week's sketch would be a great way to use this technique.  I turned to my trusty Silhouette (because I know I can't freehand draw a good circle, much less cut one out by hand!) and added a few randomly placed circles in different sizes which were then cut out of my white cardstock.  The cardstock was then cut down to an 11 x 11 size. I placed my white cardstock over my pretty heart paper, from the Pretty Little Studio Birthday Cake Collection, which allowed the patterned paper to show as the border and in the holes left from the circles.

Next, I created clusters around my negative space circles.

I was definitely raised by a depression baby grandmother because I am a firm believer in using every single scrap of paper.  I had a few leftover hearts from my previous project, which I put to good use by layering over circle garland tags from the NEAPOLITAN COLLECTION (My little banner pieces in the lower left hand corner were also created from left over scraps left out from my last project - my grandmama would be so proud!)

I turned to my Silhouette again to create this little arrow which anchors the lower left corner of my layout.  More hearts and garland tags were added - because they were so crazy cute together, I had to make just ONE.MORE.CLUSTER.

Can you tell I have a little obsession with hearts?  I guess it's a good thing hearts are one of the new scrapbooking trends...

To play along with this week's sketch, please check out the Pretty Little Studio BLOG.  I would love to see what YOU create!

PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO LAYOUTS

As summer begins to transition into fall (at least for points due north of Houston), I am certainly enjoying creating layouts that evoke thoughts of cooler weather and memories of a summer that hasn't quite yet gone by.  What the heck am I talking about, you wonder? W-e-e-l-l-l, I'm not really sure myself, but it does sound kind of Martha Stewartish and fancy for the two layouts I have up for you to see today!  *smile*

First up is this layout, that I created for this week's SKETCH CHALLENGE at Pretty Little Studio.

The idea for this layout came when I stepped out from our wonderfully air-conditioned home into the crazy humidity that is our summer in Texas to take a picture (or five) of the Huntress.  The transition from nice and cold house to hotter-than-Hades and muggy outside created insta-fog on my lens.  I quickly took care of it but not before I took the first picture, which looked somewhat like a soft dreamy memory.  Since all the stores are stocking Halloween and even Christmas (yikes!) stuff, I thought I would create a layout centered around the idea that soon today will be a memory.  Cheesy?  A little.  Maybe.  But when I have such pretty papers to play with, like these from the PLS SAND CASTLE Collection, even cheesy looks good!

 

Did you know that if you play along with the sketch challenge and win, you get a credit to the Pretty Little Studio store?  It's a perfect way to try out a new product (and I guarantee you will love it!)

 

Next up is a layout I created for PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS yesterday as part of the On Trend Team.  We were making layouts with sunbursts, and this was my interpretation.

 

I L.O.V.E. (say the word "love" about 20 more times and that's how much I love it!) Pretty Little Studio's NATURE WALK Collection, especially this PAGE, called Pine Needles.

As you can see, I didn't have to do a lot with it, just cut it up and put it on a blue cardstock background, stitch a little, and then decorate it a little.  Easy peasy and the result is super cute, if I do say so myself.  And I do!

 

Whew!  Two projects revealed.  I am tired now!  And hungry.  So I will leave you to enjoy the rest of your day and wish you Happy Crafting!

 

Banners and Arrows and Sketches, Oh My!

Today at PRACTICAL SCRAPPERS, we are playing with banners and flags - which is one of my mostest favoritest never-want-them-to-go-out-of-style trends!  I'm not kidding - just this morning there was a poll on Facebook asking what trend we never wanted to go out of style.  And my answer was, of course, banners!

 

I have had the Lula Bug with me all weekend, and the pool was calling our names, so my free time to scrap was pretty much set to zero.  But, you have to live life to be able to document it.  So that is what we were doing - living life! (and maybe getting a lil' bit sunburned in the process)

 

Anyway, what that means is that when I found a way to combine a fun June sketch challenge over at MY MINDS EYE with Monday's Practical Scrappers assignment to create a layout with banners and flags, I jumped at the chance.  In case you didn't see it, the sketch can be found HERE.  And you see my take on it above - a lot "fuller" than sketch, but that's what I love about scrapbooking.  Everything is open to interpretation!

 

I had so much fun creating all the details on this layout.  Want to see a close-up or two?  Why, of course you do!!!  Here you go:

This is my banner that I made with my Silhouette Cameo.  I love the fact that the banner file already included the word "today" as a cutout.  So that the word could be seen clearly, I layered a solid pink eyelet trim behind each cutout. I also machine stitched just about every sheet of paper on this layout, and I added pop dots in several places to further accentuate my layers. 

 

Here is an even closer close-up:

 I absolutely love all the rich detail of MME's Find Your Wings and Fly Collection!!!  And MME always has just the right ratio of shabby chic and trendy.

 

Part of the MME sketch challenge was to use arrows, so I made sure I included several of those in my layout, too.

 

That's it for me today.  Be sure to come back tomorrow to see a new reveal and to find out who has won prizes from this past weekend's blog hop!!!

SKETCH TIME - PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO

Happy Tuesday!  We are another day closer to the weekend and, for me, one day closer to having a little free time to sit down and play with my scrapbook supplies.  We've got a sweet sketch posted over at PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO that will help kick-start your crafty mojo - it's nice and simple so you can interpret it any way you want - whether you take a clean and simple approach or want to use an entire paper and matching ephemera collection.

My layout is somewhere in the middle of clean and simple and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink.  I did add lots of pieces to it, but I kept them small and layered many of them so it doesn't feel quite so busy.

I love these little thought bubbles by PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO. 

When your tween is giving you a "look" that speaks volumes to you but maybe not so much to Aunt Gerta in Idaho, you can use these bubbles to translate what your child would be verbally telling you if you were actually cool enough to talk to.  LOL!  Of course, they can also be used for journaling.

To see this week's sketch and more inspiration, go check out the PLS BLOG - right now!!!  Do it!  Don't make me have to roll my eyes and start pouting...

Pretty Little Studio Sketch Challenge

Good morning!  Are you ready for a fun sketch to get your week started off right?  Well, wait no longer because we have the perfect one at PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO created by the wonderfully talented Keri Babbitt.  She seriously has some of the best sketches!  We would love to see your projects. And best of all, there are no rules. One person will be randomly chosen to win a $10 coupon to the Pretty Little Studio Store.  Although Pretty Little Studio products are incredibly awesome, you can submit any project with any kind of product.  If you want to use Pretty Little Studio products but don't have any, check out the STORE.  

 

I love the lighter pastels of PLS's Sandcastle Collection, which is what I used on this layout of my daughter running down the railroad tracks.  I stayed very true to Keri's sketch, and the perfectly coordinated papers and ephemera made it so easy to mix my patterns to get this fun cluster at the bottom of my page...

 

...and this one at the top of my picture:

 

Sometimes journaling can be as simple as the song lyrics that pop into your head when you see a picture.  That is exactly what happened with this photo.  As soon as I saw it, I could hear Faith Hill singing this old(er) country song!

 

That's it for me today, but I would love to see you over at the Pretty Little Studio BLOG!

Pretty Little Studio - Sketch Play

I had my Saturday all planned out earlier in the week, complete with which crafty project I wanted to work on.  But when I was browsing through Facebook, chatting with my friends, on Friday afternoon I saw a fantastic sketch on the PRETTY LITTLE STUDIO Page that had me quickly revising my scrapbook plans and frantically hunting through my supply closet for some PLS goodies so I could play along.  Want to see the sketch that had me so happy?  Okay!  Just click HERE. 

 

Before I show you what I did, I want to tell you why I like PLS.  Yes, they have all sorts of C-U-T-E ephemera - and we all know how much I luurrrrve pretty paper bits and pieces.  But, most importantly (to me), they are located in my home state of South Carolina - just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my hometown, SUMTER, where I spent the first 19 years of my life (not to be confused with FORT SUMTER, which is actually located off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina and which is famously known as the fort upon which the initial shots that began the Civil War were fired.)  Bet you didn't know you were going to get a geography and history lesson in addition to a few pictures of my layout, did you?  Anyway, how can I NOT like a company that makes me think about my hometown and my roots every time I see its logo?  So - you clicked on the link to see the sketch (you DID click on it, didn't you?) and now, here is my layout...ta-da!

 

 

 I didn't have any of the suh-weet little tags featured on the PLS sketch, so I had to cheat and create my own using my Silhouette Cameo (Repeat after me:  I. Love. My. Cameo!). 

 

 

My papers are all by OCTOBER AFTERNOON (including the slightly crumpled background paper) because they have a similar vintage kind of feel to them as PLS.  Can you tell which OA collection most of these papers come from?  If you guessed the 9-5 Collection, give yourself a gold star.  Yep - proof that you can make just about anything Christmas-y if you set your mind to it!

 

 

My banner was made from some PLS pennant flags that I am almost certain I have had for about two years.  I remember I loved them when I first saw them and so I hoarded bought several packages.  I alternated sewing around the edges of each pennant with straight and zig zag stitches.  Then I added chipboard letters for my title and glued a coordinating button to the tip of each pennant.

 

I also had a LOT of small PLS Bingo Cards (again, that hoarding planning-ahead thing) in my crafty closet.  Remember when Bingo Cards were being used on EVERYTHING a year or so ago?  Yeah, that's when I stocked up.  Then I discovered - I'm not really a Bingo Card kinda gal.  But that's okay, because I AM the kind of gal who likes to use her Star punch.  And these Bingo Cards?  They make some wonderfully bright, festive, FUN stars! 

 

See?  They stand out and create a terrific top layer, especially with pop dots behind a few of them for added dimension.

 

And they, along with a couple of OA brads, compliment my cluster at the bottom corner of my photo perfectly!  Don't you think?

 

 

So there you have it.  The project that I HAD to drop everything for and complete RIGHT NOW.  And now I have a few more plans for those Bingo Cards that I can't wait to get started on.  Be sure to stay tuned...