A Brother is... (Crate Paper layout)

My three boys are super close and are the most amazing brothers to one another.  When I saw this typography print on Etsy, I knew I had to create a layout using it because it is the exact definition of brother that I hope my boys will always be for one another.  So, when Crate Paper issued the Boys' Rule challenge earlier this month, it was just the inspiration I needed to get this brother photo scrapbooked.

 

For this layout I used products from Crate Paper's The Pier, Fourteen, Snow Day, and (an old one) Seasons collections.  Hexagons have been all the rage for awhile but I decided to cut them up a bit to create more of an arrow shape.  Then I popped every other one up on foam squares to add dimension.  The BROTHER letters are actually transparent but I backed them with patterned paper so that they would stand out more from the background paper.  Then I punched little holes in the upper corners of each letter and strung them on the turquoise string.

 

The brads are from My Mind's Eye Collectable collection.

I already have this quote and photo up in my house in a larger scale but I love that now I have captured it in this layout so that my boys' will have it to look at 40 years from now.

Have a wonderful day!

Hello Summer - Fusion Card Challenge #6

The sun was out earlier this week and we took every moment possible to get outside and enjoy it.  I'm glad we did because the rain has now returned.  However, when I decided to create a card for this week's Fusion Challenge, I thought I'd make my own bit of sunshine.  :)  When I saw the Fusion sketch I knew immediately that I wanted to use one of Crate Paper's slide frames and create a little scene. 

I used Crate Paper's The Pier collection...I just love that floral paper and the cute clothesline (which I trimmed down to work for my card).  The 'hello summer' sentiment was actually one piece but I cut it into two little banners and inked up the edges and curled them up a bit to create a little separation from the background. 

For the yellow polka dot (My Mind's Eye) and pink watercolor (American Crafts) paper, I actually got out my distresser and sanded all around the edges as well as scuffing up the paper a bit to soften and coordinate a bit better with The Pier collection.

I'm hoping for more sunny days soon!  :)

My Favorite Photo Layout - Chic Tags Sketch Challenge

 



I got a chance to do a little crafting this week and was inspired by the Chic Tags February Sketch It Out Challenge to create this layout.

 

I so rarely get out from behind the camera, so any photo of me with my boys is definitely one to scrapbook!  I love this great patterned paper from Crate Paper's Love Notes collection...I am now wishing I bought more than just the one sheet!  :)  I took the photo of this layout before I added my journaling.  I often like the clean look of layouts a little better without all the words, however, the words are SO important in remembering the story behind the photo.  Here is what I said:

"I am so glad that I stepped out from behind the camera to get this picture.  It captures the joy you bring me each and every day.  You are my last little man and I so cherish our time together...just the two of us.  We have lots of snuggles and laughs and I can never get enough of your sweet smile."

Here are a few close ups:

Love the triangle tags from Chic Tags!  And those gold hearts are from Studio Calico.

You Make My Heart Sing

Hello crafty friends!  Are you having a good summer?  We are trying to enjoy every minute and are slowly checking off the items on our summer bucket lists (I am sooo going to do this again next year!).  Just yesterday, I had a fun water gun fight with my boys...although I am not doing too good with catching up on my photos/albums.  Oh well!  :)

Today I wanted to share two cards that I created recently using the go-to sketches from Paper Crafts recent publication call.  First up, is one using some lovely floral paper from Crate Paper's Pier collection and a fab Dear Lizzy die cut card.  Since I just have a Cuttlebug, I love that more companies are including fun die cut accents in their collections.

See those sequins?  I put little pale green pearls in the center of each for a touch of color.  What do you think?

This next card, I actually didn't even submit but I do still like how it turned out.  Don't you just love that popsicle paper?! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  We are still enjoying lovely weather here and are off to play with some friends.  Enjoy your day!

It's Birthday Creations Week!

It's Birthday Creations week over in the Moxie Fab World and on the Paper Crafts blog and I couldn't be more excited!   My happy birthday cake banner is on the cover (my first cover appearance!) and I have a fun All Star Birthday Bash party ensemble published in the magazine.  I already have my copy and I can guarantee you that it is an issue you do not want to miss!  You can have a chance to win a copy over on the Paper Crafts blog today or can participate in fun birthday challenges over in the Moxie Fab World.

And in honor of this fun birthday issue, I thought I would share a birthday card I made recently for Crate Paper's June Creative Weekly - Polka Dots. 

I created this card using Crate Paper's The Pier collection.  I decided to take my scissors to one of the pinwheels (gasp!) but love how it turned out...I think they frame the card/sentiment nicely.  And don't you just love the aqua and gold combination?!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out the new Birthday Creations: Volume 3 and congrats to all of you out there who had your lovely projects published in this issue too!  I kept oohing and ahhhing every time I turned the page! :)

Mom: You are Loved - Fusion Card Challenge #6

 I was needing to create a Mother's Day card so I took a look at this week's Fusion Card Challenge to get a little inspiration.  This time I was inspired by both the photo and the sketch.

I loved the gray background and all the pinks/patterns on the photo inspiration and the sketch worked out perfectly too (although I did tweak it a little...I rarely ever follow a sketch 100%).  I can't wait to give this to my mom tomorrow along with a personalized iphone case that has all my boys on it.

Wishing all you moms out there a Happy Mother's Day!

To participate in the Fusion challenge or vote for your favorites (on Wednesday) click HERE.

Sweet Baby Decor

So, we all have jars of buttons sitting around (right?!...please tell me I am not the only one!), probably getting a bit neglected since there are so many embellishments to choose from these days.  For me, my jars of buttons are almost more décor at this point!  However, for my project today I dug into my jar of Papertrey Ink Spring Mix Vintage Button Collection to create this...

I love the look of button frames so I got to thinking about how I could use the idea of framing with buttons to create a home décor item and came up with this pretty little wall hanging...perfect for a baby shower decoration or baby room décor.

First I die cut 4 circle frames out of chipboard which I then painted white.  I backed them with patterned paper (Echo Park's Love Story Collection) and added the AC thickers in the middle of each circle.  Then I adhered the circles together, punched a hole in the top of the first and last circle frame, and began laying out the buttons until I was happy with how they looked and adhered them.

Next I punched holes in each corner of the slide frame (from Crate Paper's new collection, The Pier), backed the frame with patterned paper and added the sentiment and buttons.  Finally I threaded some ribbon through the slide frame and connected it to the circle frames for a cute wall hanging.  And after I made a sweet card to go with it yesterday (see HERE), I decided it needed a little something more and added those pretty pink flowers (Maya Road) to the ribbon.

Other ideas/tips:
* Fill the circle frames with pictures of the new baby.
* Add the birth date to the slide frame.
* Use buttons to create a frame around a sentiment on a card.
* Instead of putting buttons all around the frames, consider clustering buttons in random spots around the frame to create a more dramatic accent to the frame.

Are you wanting to dig into your button stash?!  If so, Chic Tags' Sunday Challenge is to Use Buttons on a project!  I am entering my project into the challenge and you can too, just click HERE.

I hope you all have a lovely day!  The sun is shining again here in the Pacific Northwest so I am going to go out and enjoy it while it lasts! :)

Shabby Chic Card - Look Who Just Arrived

Oh what a lovely day...the sun is shining, I got some weeding done, played with my boys, and had time to make a card!  Hooray for a good day!   :)

I was inspired this week by the new Fusion Card Challenge (sketch only) and Cath's beautiful Tuesday Trigger (shown above) over in the Moxie Fab World.  When I saw the trigger a few thoughts came to mind...Spring, pretty, soft and sweet, floral, pink, and white.  So, I started digging through my stash and when I came across this gorgeous floral paper from Echo Park's Love Story collection I knew it was the perfect starting point for my card.

The paper inspired me to stray a bit from my normal style and go more shabby chic...

I based the layout of my card off of the Fusion #4 sketch (shown below).  I began by distressing my Core'dinations cardstock just to soften the look a bit.  After adhering my patterned paper I layered some pink ribbon and crocheted lace (Hero Arts) across the card.  Then I added some tulle behind my pink flower (Maya Road) and pleated some pink ribbon across the bottom of the slide frame (from Crate Paper's new collection 'The Pier' {insert puffy heart here!}) and adhered both to the card.  Finally, I distressed a small piece of the cardstock so that a lot of white was showing and stamped my sentiment in Antique Pewter (just a touch of metallic like the Tuesday trigger), trimmed it, bent it a bit to give it more dimension/interest, and adhered it with the button to the corner of the frame. 

Here is a close up so you can get a better look at the distressed sentiment flag, slide frame, and lovely ribbon layers. 

I hope you've enjoyed my project today because I will be back tomorrow with a coordinating gift/décor project!  :)

To play along in the Fusion challenge click HERE or the Tuesday Trigger challenge click HERE.

Hope you are enjoying some sunshine where you are today too!

Today is a Gift - Spring Home Decor

This week I was inspired by the beautiful Spring weather we are having, Crate Paper's Creative Weekly challenge (butterflies), and the Spring Home Décor challenge in the Moxie Fab World to create this...

ETA 4/2/13 - Just had to share that Crate Paper picked this as one of their runner ups for the challenge.  I'm featured on their blog along with several other talented crafters HERE!

Would you believe that I created this bright, spring décor mainly using Crate Paper's Snow Day collection?!  I had a lot of fun creating this and think it will now have a permanent place in my craft room.  If you are considering creating a framed décor item, I highly recommend embellishing at least part of the frame and removing the glass so you can include 3D items inside.  This adds much more interest to your project. 

Also, be sure to take a second look at some of your holiday/season specific papers...you might be able to use them in a whole new way!  In fact, Crate Paper's snowflake paper made some gorgeous butterflies when I was very intentional about where I punched the butterflies.  Although I didn't end up using them on this project, I thought I would still share a picture of them with you. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter!  Remember...today is a gift, so enjoy every minute of it!

First Christmas - Elle's Studio Layout Challenge

Happy Sunday!   Will you be enjoying the day off tomorrow?  I have to go into the doctor in the morning for my gestational diabetes test which I am hoping will come back okay.  Then I get to enjoy the day with my boys!

I found some time this weekend to create a few layouts.  This one was inspired by Elle's Studio Thursday Sketch, which you can see HERE.

Yes, I am making great progress with my son's 'first year' album!  This will actually be part of an 8x8 double page layout but the other page is simply going to be filled with pictures from Christmas (maybe I'll add a coordinating embellishment or two to tie it in a little more). 

This page uses BoBunny clover double dot paper, May Arts ribbon, a Simple Stories journal card, along with some Crate Paper, Creative Cafe, and Papertrey Ink embellishments, American Crafts Thickers, and a little Maraschino twine from The Twinery.

Thanks to Elle's Studio for the inspiration!  If you want to play along in the challenge you still have a few days and can win a $10 g.c. to use toward purchasing their great tags and crafting goodies! :)

Pumpkin Spice Design Team Call

Thanks to my sweet blogging friend Savannah, I discovered a great new online craft store today and they just happen to be having a design team call!  Pumpkin Spice carries some of my favorite brands such as My Mind's Eye, Echo Park, and Crate Paper and they have fabulous prices too!  So, for the DT call the challenge was to create a project using two of more of the paper brands that they carry. 

I am having such fun using these MME playing cards (you can check out two other cards here) and I love the challenge of mixing different papers...such a great way to use up scraps and get extra creative!

Supply List:
Paper:  Crate Paper (Snow Day); My Mind's Eye (Happy Go Lucky); BoBunny (Double Dot)
Bee Card:  My Mind's Eye (Alphabet Soup Playing Cards - Girl)
Ribbon: American Crafts
Alphabet Stickers:  American Crafts
Border Sticker:  Crate Paper
Brads:  BoBunny

Another part of the DT call for Pumpkin Spice is to list my FAVORITE paper company...ack!  I think this is a bigger challenge than actually creating a project!  How can I choose?! :)  Well, frankly, I can't!  I LOVE My Mind's Eye...their boy collections are some of my favorites for scrapbooking my boys (although I love their girl lines too), American Crafts has such fun, colorful collections and I can never have too many AC Thickers or ribbon,  BoBunny Double Dot papers are a staple in my craft room, and I love Crate Paper's eclectic collections.  Honestly there are a few others I could list but I'm sure all of you paper crafters understand!

I hope you all are headed for a lovely weekend!  We will be packing for our big move!  I will be back next week with a layout or two along with some fun birthday decor I've been working on!

December Traditions Layout (Etsy Inspired Challenge #129)

Happy Saturday! Last night I got to enjoy a crafty night out which was lots of fun and long overdue. I just love getting together with other creative women and crafting the night away! :) I'll share my projects from last night soon, but today I have a fun layout to share for this week's Etsy Inspired Challenge!

Our featured Etsy shop this week is Desired Things which if full of lovely, colorful jewelry and mixed media artwork. I was inspired by this gorgeous piece of art. I love the colors but the beads were actually what inspired my layout because they reminded me of all the candy decorations my boys put on our gingerbread house this year.

I used Crate Paper's Snow Day collection and a sketch from their blog to create this layout.
I am including a lot more journaling in my layouts lately, to make sure that I'm telling the stories behind the photos. Even though the photo is just of our gingerbread house, I chose to write about all our holiday traditions like making cookies, decorating the tree, and special family outings.

Now it's your turn to be Etsy Inspired!

- Visit Desired Things and find an item that inspires you

- Create a project based on that inspiration and post it to your blog or online gallery

- Link your project up to the Etsy Inspired Blog by Friday at noon for your chance to win a fabulous prize!

Our sponsor this week is Sparkle Creations and they will be giving one winner this adorable birthday stamp!

I hope you'll take some time to visit these lovely ladies too!

• Angi
• Ashley
• Carole
• De
• Emily B
• Jackie
• Joy
• Kerry
• Libby (March Guest DT)
• Ruby
• Savannah
• Sherry
• Virginia

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy New Year! - Etsy Inspired Challenge #120

A New Year is here...what are some of your goals for this year? Maybe to craft more? :) The Etsy Inspired Challenge is here to help you with that. Every Saturday we have a new Etsy shop for you to be inspired by and there are always great prizes to be won too! This week our featured Etsy shop is MUFFA, which is filled with the cutest little crocheted miniatures...perfect for a dollhouse!

Since winter is in full swing here in the PNW, I was inspired by this adorable little snowman. I immediately took out my Crate Paper Snow Day stash to create this card.

I cannot get enough of this fun collection! And speaking of fun, our sponsor this week, Dude Time Doodles, has some hilarious and masculine images that are perfect for all those Dad, brother, husband, etc. cards.

We'd love to see how MUFFA inspires you! So, stop by her shop and find an item you like then create a project of your own based off of that item. Post your creation on your blog or online gallery, then link it up to the Etsy Inspired Blog by Friday @ noon, for your chance to win a prize!

And to start off the New Year, we also have a brand new Design Team to help inspire you!

• Angi
• Ashley
• Carole
• De
• Emily B
• Jackie
• Joy
• Kerry
• Rachel (January Guest DT)
• Ruby
• Savannah
• Sherry
• Virginia

Wishing you all the best in 2011! I'd personally love to hear if any of you are participating in Ali Edwards One Little Word project. I chose the word nurture and have decided to nurture myself by actually taking her One Little Word class! I'm super excited to see how this word plays out in my life this year and am glad I made the decision to commit to the class. What's your word for 2011? You can read more about my word HERE. And if you are interested in joining Ali's online class (it's only $36 for a year long class) be sure to email me (see under my photo in the right sidebar) because I have a code that I can give you and that code will give both of us a 10% discount for a future class at Big Picture (and they have some great classes taught by several top names in the industry). I'm already thinking about signing up for a photography class too this year! Have a great weekend!

Happy Holidays - Etsy Inspired Challenge #117

Happy Saturday friends! Today we are celebrating my little man's birthday...can't believe he's turning 3! Tomorrow we are getting Santa pictures taken and probably getting our Christmas tree so it should be a fun weekend!

For today's Etsy Inspired Challenge, our featured Etsy shop is Paper Seeds. Paper Seeds features creations with original paper designs and mixed media works of art. I really like all the nature inspired items in this shop and was inspired by that as well as some colors I found in the shop.

So, I broke into my Crate Paper Snow Day collection, which I won from the Paper Crafts blog (Yeah!), and created this card.

I just LOVE this collection by Crate Paper...so fun and the great self-adhesive chipboard accents and stickers made this card super easy to put together! I used Papertrey Ink's kraft cardstock and some American Crafts rhinestone brads as well.

Here are the three pictures/items I was inspired by from Paper Seeds' shop.


Our sponsor this week is Digis With Attitude. What a fun name--and their images are super fun and sassy!

There are two prizes to be won this week so be sure to play along!

**Go to the Paper Seeds, look around, and find an item or two that inspires you.

**Create your own inspired project and link it up to the Etsy Inspired Blog by Friday at noon.

**Please give credit to the shop/item you found your inspiration from and link back to the EtsyInspired blog.

**If you upload to an online gallery, please use keyword EIC117.

These ladies are sure to have more wonderful projects to get you inspired!

Ashley

De

Emily B.

Emily N.

Joy

Kerry
Laurel Beard {December Guest DT}
Savannah

Stephanie

Virginia