Love & Laughter - Magpie Sketch Challenge

I have just returned from a whirl-wind scrap weekend with some of my closest friends, and I have got so much to share with you over the next few days! In just 24 hours, I completed 25 (!) layouts - and this is after I just threw the closest available products in a few bags to take to the crop, then having to reorganize the photos that I randomly threw together from my scrap area once I got to the crop. Seriously, that's more than double the layouts I had hoped I'd get done. I'm one happy - and exhausted - scrapper!

Here's the first layout I'm sharing with you:

I was so glad to come across the kiddo's antiquity photos from over the summer - they turned out so great, and much better than their first antiquity photos 4 years ago, where poor Soph was terrified by the photographer and had huge alligator tears and a snot nose. Good thing those pics were in sepia tones! Anywho, this layout uses Bo Bunny papers, Bazzill ribbon, K&Co. alpha stickers, Stampin' Up felt flowers and Making Memories diamond-shape pins.

It also uses this fantastic sketch from Magpie Club, which is an awesome kit club run by an English-born Colorado girl. I love supporting locally if I can, and hope to start her awesome kit club next month. Anywho, here's her adorable sketch for the February challenge. Thanks for stopping by to check it out!

Oh how I love your smile.... Frosted Designs challenge

I'm one of those people who really love their own handwriting. When our challenge- which is to use our own handwriting on our project - was announced this week at Frosted Designs - I rejoiced!

Here's my layout:

I used Close To My Heart's Perfect Pearls paint to write my title, then outlined it in dark brown pen. I used the same dark brown pen for all of my journaling and to trace around the heart accent, which was done with American Crafts paper, layered on chipboard, then covered in Close To My Heart's liquid glass. I used all American Crafts patterned paper (and the solid peachy color, which was the reverse of the green flourish paper), a sheet of brown Bazzill, as well as some to-die-for American Crafts pearl brads. LOVE THOSE! Now, I just need them in every color and triple the amount in brown pearl brads, and I'd be one happy camper. =) This layout also uses pearl flourishes from Prima and some fancy pants layered flowers I created using my flower stash and several 2" circles of tulle.

You also know how much of a sucker I am for a great sketch, which worked well with this week's Sketch Challenge on the American Crafts blog. We had to use one of their sketches they featured last week and at least two American Crafts products. This layout was my inspiration - I just topsy-turveyed it since I didn't have a horizontal picture.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to check out the rest of the amazing work at Frosted Designs this week, too!

Some bunny loves to stamp!

This girl loves to stamp, and in fact, I'm a former consultant for Close To My Heart... plus a frequent supporter of my Stampin' Up friend... so I've got more than my fair share of stamps. It seems like lately, though, I haven't had much of a chance to sit and play. This week's challenge at Practical Scrappers was stamping, so it was nice to get back to my "roots."


I stamped my bunny and sentiment, but I also used a little flower stamp in coordinating colors to stamp my taffeta ribbon. The effect was nice and subtle... I love how it tied in so nicely with the beautiful papers without overwhelming it.

This card uses Close To My Heart and Stampin' Up stamps, plus papers and ribbon from Stampin' Up.


Stamping on ribbon is a great way to complete a project's look without spending an arm and a leg on patterned ribbon at the store - you can make it match anything!

His best friend is a girl... (PS Weekend Sketch Challenge)

BLOGGER'S NOTE: For some reason, some of my scheduled posts for last week didn't post to my blog. Hmmm... very strange. So, this is from last week's sketch challenge at Practical Scrappers. It's a little late to play along with this sketch, but there's going to be another great sketch posted on their site Friday evening, so check it out!!!

My son's best friend has always been a girl. We met Maddi's parents in Lamaze class nearly 11 years ago, and they've grown up together. They were ring bearer and flower girl in a friend's wedding when they were almost 2, have celebrated birthdays and baptisms, gone off to summer camp and shared vacations and barbecues, and they tell each other everything. I'm so glad that he's got such an awesome relationship with such a special girl - and that I know she comes from a great family, too.

This fall I took Andrew and Sophia and their best friends (Soph's best friend is Maddi's sister) for a fun day out, and we stopped along the side of the road to experience the Colorado colors. I've been searching for the perfect papers to use for these photos, because they were so bright and colorful, and most of all - no fake smiles! I finally stumbled upon some old MAMBI papers that I had decided to use when I received this weekend's sketch for Practical Scrappers:I decided that I'd take the swirls that were on the patterned paper and cut them all out so I could manipulate them like the sketch suggested. It took a bit of time, but it was so worth it!

I put the swirls onto plain old vanilla cardstock from Close To My Heart, then added my photos and a doodled frame around the main picture. I used Jenni Bowlin rub-ons for the title and for the brown stars, then some red star brads from Making Memories. For the "girl" portion of the title, I used metallic red stickers from the dollar section at Target (hello good deal!) - though yo can't really see it here. Bummer. Oh - and I used another rub-on from Kaiser for the subtitle.

Be sure to post YOUR version of the sketch to Mr. Linky this weekend on the Practical Scrappers site. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Polka Dots & Plaids birthday card (Frosted Designs)

Polka dots and plaids are kind of a funny combination... it reminds me of an old fashioned golf outfit or something. So when this week's challenge was annouced for Frosted Designs, I was a little worried! Until I came across some really fun, not-too-bright polka dot paper from Deja Views and some coordinating papers from Close To My Heart.

I knew immediately that a wild pattern combo could only be paired with one of my favorite "wild" stamps - my party giraffe (also from Close To My Heart). I added some funky Prima flowers and coordinating buttons, and a little sentiment on a die cut piece from Stampin' Up.

Be sure to check out how the rest of the uber-talented design team took on this challenge this week on the Frosted Designs blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day & blog candy winner!

Hi all!
I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and spend it surrounded by those you love.

We have a *new* blog candy winner - MatildyJaneDesigns! Please be sure to email me with your mailing info by next Friday, Feb. 19th.

Thanks to all who commented & played!

If only they'd stop...

I don't think that new parents truly realize how true the saying is about kids growing up too fast. I know I didn't, until I had my own children. Now Andrew, at 10, is the same size as I am, and Sophia, at 6, is already reading chapter books and starting to develop a style of her own. I can hardly remember when we took them home from the hospital! Gaaa!!!!

This layout is of my Sophie-girl and my little sister, Clare from last summer. They're all dressed up and looking waaaayyyy too old, but they're pretty stinkin' cute.

I completed this layout for the American Crafts weekly challenge on their blog here. This week they're challenging people to use two or more American Crafts products in a layout or project, and since I just got some of their beautiful Letterbox papers and more of my favorites, Thickers (love them!!!), I thought it would be a great chance. Who wouldn't want to win a goody box of brand - spankin' - new products that were unveiled at CHA?

This layout uses American Crafts Letterbox patterned papers, puffy Rainboots and fabric Delight Thickers, plus some Prima flowers and random ribbon & buttons.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Fostering a good love of shoes...

I think I've taught my daughter well. My husband, on the other hand, thinks I've ruined her....
Her shoe obsession started at a young age and it just grows every year. How could I not scrap that?!

This layout is for the brad challenge this week at Practical Scrappers. Yeah - because brads are one of my favorite things to use on my projects. I created a heart with my brads - awkward as it might be, but I love how it turned out. I also used some blingy brads for the center of the flowers that were cut out from Pink Paislee paper. All patterned papers on this are Pink Paislee (this happens to be one of the layouts for my upcoming Love Always scrapbook workshop next weekend); the cardstock is Bazzill, and brads are Close To My Heart (chocolate) and Stampin' Up (blingy). Title is in Salutations Thickers from American Crafts.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment on my SECOND CHANCE BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY before midnight Saturday MST - and check out all of the fabulous projects from the amazing Practical Scrappers design team, too!

Star Crossed

Hi friends!

Our challenge this week at Frosted Designs was to create a project with stars. Minus Fourth of July layouts, I don't usually do a whole lot with stars, so this was a fun take on such a standard shape. Here's what I came up with:

I used some rock star papers from DCWV, some Making Memories star brads and some rock star from Close To My Heart to create a masculine birthday card. I trimmed one of the silver foiled stars from the patterned paper and popped it up; plus used some silver ink for the saying. The cardstock is all Bazzill and it was distressed to go with the theme.

Thanks for looking & be sure to check the rest of the amazing work from the Frosted Designs DT by clicking here.

Second Chance Blog Candy Give-Away

Hi All! Remember my blog candy give away a few weeks ago during the Practical Scrappers Valentine Blog Hop? Well... it's gone unclaimed! And here I thought it was a pretty awesome prize! Dang.

Anyhow....

I'm offering this candy once again. Here are the *new* rules for the giveaway:

You must leave a comment on this post about something or someone you love by 11:59 p.m. MST February 13th.

Winner to be announced on Valentine's Day.

***Only comments to this post will be entered in the drawing.***

Pretty simple, right?

And, if my original blog candy winner contacts me with her address, I'll send out a consolation prize to her, too (not pictured).

Our California Adventure (Practical Scrappers challenge)

A few years ago we took a family vacation to California. I started our California scrapbook soon after we returned, and even (for the most part) had started this page, which is the starter page in the album.

After four years, I hadn't gotten any further than putting the pictures on the page. It wasn't until this week's challenge at Practical Scrappers that the light bulb went off and I was able to finish it. Phew!

Our challenge this week is to use a die cut machine for our project. I don't have one, but I did have the title cut out already along with some other black & white pieces on hand that were going to be great for a Disney-themed page.

I laid out my title and used a die cut scalloped circle - all using a Cricut - for the O in California. I embellished the O with a flower & button and laid chipboard Minnie & Mickey on either side.

For the small pictures, I used the photo proofs that I could print off when I pop my memory card into my HP photo printer. I took my favorite pics from the vacation and laid them out for a sneak peek at the rest of the album.

Love You Much... Non-traditional Valentine

Happy Friday, all!

This week's challenge at Frosted Designs was to create a Valentine project without using red or pink. I don't know about you, but I sometimes get stuck in my comfy little box, so it's a great chance for a little creative exercise!

Here's what I came up with:

I pleated my blue band and scored my folds so they'd lay relatively flat. I popped my little bracket up on pop dots, and added some fancy ribbon and a coordinating button to tie it all into place.

Thanks so much for stopping by & be sure to check out the rest of the amazingly talented team at Frosted Desings for their take on this fun challenge!