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!  :)

So happy for you...

Our neighbors are getting ready to welcome their first child into the world in the next month.  I remember all the excitement that surrounds this time.  But oh boy will their world get even more exciting once this little guy arrives!  :)  Here is the card that I will be giving them.

 

This is a publication reject but I absolutely love it! :)  The yellow patterned paper is just so cheery and I had fun playing around with the journal card and tiny word stickers.  Everything is from My Mind's Eye except for the flair, which is American Crafts.

Wishing all of you in blog land a blessed Thanksgiving week!

Similar and Different - My Mind's Eye February Sketch Challenge

Hello friends!  Are any of you waiting for new CHA crafting goodies?!  I just got a box of some new MME Collectable today...love it! :)  Knowing that my box was on it's way I thought I better start using up some of my MME stash.  So, I created this layout based on this month's sketch challenge over on the MME blog.

When each of my boys were 6 months old I had this same picture taken of each of them.  I think they totally look like brothers and have a lot of similar features but these pictures very clearly show their differences too.  And since each child has traits that are unique to them, I also documented how they are similar and different in other ways too.  While I am not totally in love with the final look of this layout, I absolutely love the story it tells...and isn't that the whole reason for scrapbooking?! :) 

This layout uses products from Follow Your Heart, Alphabet Soup, Lush, Stella & Rose, Quite Contrary, Lime Twist, Miss Caroline, Boy Crazy, and I just had to add some brads and those fun tiny word stickers from the Collectable Remarkable collection that I opened up today! :)

Do you find yourself not adding journaling on your layouts because it might not look 'pretty' or may overwhelm the layout?  Any favorite tricks you use to combat this?  Once I took a class that recommended at least writing the story on the back of the layout in order to preserve the details of the story.  I thought that was a great idea and try to do that when I don't have much journaling on the front.

Enjoy your evening!

My Baby Giraffe - My Mind's Eye Challenge

Well, after having my 3rd little guy almost a year ago, I am finally starting to find more time to scrapbook and of course I had to play along with the challenge this month over at MME (since I have so many of their collections! :)  Here is the wonderful sketch by Ronda:

 And here is my interpretation:

I have been wanting to scrapbook this photo since I took it back in October...I mean, really, isn't he adorable?!  :)  I used multiple collections to create this page:  Follow Your Heart (background paper), Alphabet Soup (playing cards), Quite Contrary (photo frame), Miss Caroline (sunshine), Lime Twist (letter stickers) and even a little 12 days of Christmas and Stella & Rose in the confetti.  I love how easy it is to combine collections from My Mind's Eye!

The journaling reads:  "Your first Halloween and you were so adorable in this giraffe costume.  And that smile...so sweet!"

The ribbon and buttons are American Crafts and 'the story' journal tag is from Elle's Studio.

 

To see all the other great entries or to enter your own project you can check out the challenge on the MME blog HERE.

 

 

Have a great day!

New Beginnings - Unique Crafters Challenge #11

Happy New Year!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are gearing up for a great year ahead!  This month's theme over at the Unique Crafters Challenge blog is New Beginnings.  In 2012, we welcomed our 3rd little boy into this world so I thought this challenge was the perfect opportunity to document that very special day...a day full of all sorts of new beginnings for him and us as a family.  Love you little man! :)

For this layout I used 3 different My Mind's Eye collections...I love that they coordinate so well!  I plan to document some special thoughts/moments on the journal card still but otherwise I am really happy with how this turned out.

So, what new beginnings will you celebrate this year?  Create a project and link it up on the Unique Crafters Challenge blog for your chance to win a great prize!  You have until the end of January and can link up to 3 projects...so use it as inspiration and get crafting! :)

Unique Crafters Challenge #7 - Anything Goes

Hello all!  If you haven't yet joined us for the Unique Crafters Challenge, then this is definitely the month to participate!  See below for details:

Big Chance Giveaway Contest

I am so excited to announce the Big Chance Giveaway Contest for September at the Unique Crafters Challenge Blog. You will have over 20 chances to win great prize packages when you enter this month.

The theme for this challenge is: “Anything Goes”

This month is going to be a little bit different. Instead of commenting on the posts our designers will be focused on discovering great new blogs to be highlighted in our Friday Spotlight Posts. Also check back on September 15 for information about the Designers blog hop where you will have another chance to win prizes. Remember, with an “Anything Goes” theme, you can post up to three links for any paper or digital craft project you have designed during the last three months.

We will be giving away awards for the following categories:

Best Home Decor Project

Best Party Favor

Best Alcohol Marker Colored Image

Best Altered Art Project

Best Digital Craft Project

Overall Favorite Scrapbook Page

Best use of Photos on a Scrapbook Page

Best Theme on a Scrapbook Page

Best Color Combination on a Scrapbook Page

Best Simple and Clean Scrapbook Layout

Most Elaborate Layout

Overall Favorite Card

Best Birthday Card

Best Baby Card

Best Color Combination on a Card

Best Simple and Clean Card

Funniest Card

Most Elegant Card

Most Elaborate Card

One Big Grand Prize

 

 

How awesome is that!  So, start posting your favorite projects that fit these categories and hopefully you're inspired to create a new project or two to enter too! :)  Here is my Anything Goes project:

I love the combination of this My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline collection with the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan banners and thickers.  I wanted this layout to capture the joy we felt when we saw our baby for the first time...definitely a moment to treasure and celebrate!  We are loving life with our three precious boys...I feel so blessed.

I'll be looking forward to seeing all your wonderful projects for the Unique Crafters Challenge!  You can link them up HERE  through the end of September for your chance to win a great prize!

This is what Love looks like...

Hello friends!  I hope your Easter weekend is off to a lovely start!  We headed to the zoo yesterday (4 hours walking around ended up being a bit much for my 8 month pregnant self...but we had lots of fun) and have been having beautiful weather.  I am looking forward to a quiet day at home today and some nice family time tomorrow.

I just wanted to pop in and share a layout I created recently...

Happy Easter!

Unique Crafters Challenge #2 - Paper Flowers

Happy April to you all!  Since it's the start of a new month, Unique Crafters has a great new challenge beginning.  This month the theme is paper flowers.  My favorite way to use paper flowers is to cut them out of patterned paper...that way they totally coordinate with the collection I am working with (plus I don't have to go searching through lots of flowers to find the right ones).  I thought this collection by My Mind's Eye was perfect for documenting my special Mother's Day last year.

Now I hope you are as excited as I am to participate in this challenge...I can't wait to see what you all come up with!  And you have the whole month to submit your creations.  Click the logo below to head on over to the challenge blog site to see the rest of the Design Team's creations and to link up your own for the challenge.  You'll have a chance to win a great prize from our sponsor, Scrapbook Unique!

                                                  http://uniquecrafterschallenge.blogspot.com/

Fall Fun Layout

Hello all!  I am in my last trimester and am full of energy to get things done around the house...yeah!  I have also been making time to catch up on my scrapbooking.  I am using submission calls to really help motivate me with the hope that at least one or two might get picked up! :)  This one, however, did not so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Also, I wanted to remind you all that you still have time to play in the first Unique Crafters Challenge to win a fabulous prize!!!  Check out all the details HERE.
Thanks for stopping by...I'm off to get more done!  :)

You're a true Friend - Moxie Fab World Challenge

Blue has always been my favorite color.  There are so many beautiful shades, it reminds me of the ocean, and is just a peaceful/calming color for me.  So, when I saw that the Moxie Fab World was having a Cure for the Winter Blues challenge, I just had to play along!

I just love this Stella & Rose collection by My Mind's Eye.  All the shades of blue with a touch of mustard yellow...gorgeous!   The stamp set is from Papertrey Ink and I love how the Not Quite Navy ink (from Stampin' Up) looks on the kraft cardstock (also PTI).  The flowers are popped up on foam squares for dimension.  I threaded navy blue ribbon through some Hero Arts crocheted lace to add a touch of texture and a little more navy to the card.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a wonderful weekend!

You are sweet - MME card challenge

I'm back with another My Mind's Eye challenge...this time I created a card.  You can check out the challenge HERE.  With Valentine's day around the corner I was inspired to create this card.

I absolutely love the adorable playing cards from My Mind's Eye's alphabet soup collection...I mean, really, how cute is that cupcake?!  The patterned paper is from the Stella and Rose collection, ribbon and rhinestones are from the LUSH collection, and the pink circles/lollipop flowers I made using pom pom trim from the Lost & Found collection.  The letters are American Crafts' Thickers.

Have a great day! 

Every Day with YOU - My Mind's Eye Layout Challenge

Happy Friday!  Do you have any great plans for the weekend?  We are planning on a quiet weekend (yeah!...last weekend was really busy for us).  Just a trip to the bookstore, playing together at home, and hopefully some good crafting time for me! :)

As many of you have probably noticed, I am a big My Mind's Eye fan...I think my last several posts/projects have all been created with MME.  I subscribe to their newsletter and blog and each month they have a layout and card challenge.  This month the theme is YOU.  (Click HERE to see the challenge/sketch) I had to adjust the layout sketch a bit to fit my smaller 8x8 page but I still tried to keep most of the elements.

Clean and simple...that has been my approach a lot lately.  I am getting many more layouts completed that way too!  :)  This layout was created mostly with the Lime Twist collection...I just love the bright colors in this line. 

Have you seen MME's newest releases?!  I am super in love with the Miss Caroline collection...although Follow Your Heart is a very close second!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Those Eyes... - Elle's Studio Sketch Challenge

Hello all!   I'm back with another layout to share...again I was inspired by the sketch over at Elle's Studio this past week (HERE).  Thanks to the Elle's Studio DT for creating such great layouts/sketches!  :) 

Most of this layout was created with My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose collection along with some American Crafts thickers and Basic Grey letter stickers.

I have been busy crafting but don't have much else to share for now as I am hoping to get a project or two picked up for publication.

 Have a wonderful week!  If you want to play along in the Elle's Studio challenge you still have a few days to get crafting!

Elle's Studio Sketch Challenge - 6 months layout

Hello all!  As I am diligently working on finishing up my son's 'first year' album, I am finding great inspiration in sketch challenges.  A wonderful sketch always gives me such a good starting point and I absolutely fell in love with the sketch over at Elle's Studio this past week.  In fact, I already know I will be using it again on a larger 12x12 layout.

But for today, I have a 8x8 size to share.  I took the sketch and used it on two separate pages to create a cohesive double page layout.

For this page I added Doodlebug Designs chunky glitter around the edge of the MME title card to help it stand out from the background and look more cloud-like to compliment the clouds in the photo.

And here is what they will look like together in the album.

For this layout I mostly used My Mind's Eye products (Quite Contrary, Stella Rose, and Lime Twist collections).  But I also used some Echo Park (blue paper and letters), BoBunny (button), Crate Paper (brad), Doodlebug Designs (chunky glitter) and American Crafts (#6).

I am working really hard on using what I have.  There are always so many great new products coming out, and with all the new CHA releases I am really wanting some new crafting goodies.  However, I have been VERY good and have not bought any new papers/embellishments/etc. for the past 6 months in an effort to really focus on what I already have.  Are any of you trying to do the same?

For those of you, like me, who enjoy a great sketch challenge...Elle's Studio posts a new sketch every Thursday for you to be inspired by.  And if you haven't checked out their products before, you should take a peek.  I currently have my eye on their large journaling cards.  They are 4x6 size so I am thinking it would be a great (and fast) way to add a little journaling/memory keeping to my everyday photo albums and would help me feel like I am capturing more memories without necessarily having to fully scrapbook them all.  I think they will come in handy after our newest little one is born! :)

Have a wonderful day!  I am spending a quiet day at home with my youngest who has a bit of a cold.  Hoping to get some cleaning and maybe even a little more crafting done!  :)

CARDS - Publication

This past summer one of my cards was published in CARDS magazine.  I always forget about sharing published cards because you have to wait until after the magazine comes out.  But as I was looking through my photos from the past year, I came across this one and had to share it as it is one of my favorites.

I just love this fun My Mind's Eye collection (Alphabet Soup).  I think the old school telephones are so cute with the little hearts in the middle of the dial.  In order to get the string to loop like a telephone cord, I used a thin point glue pen to draw the design on the paper (loop by loop) and laid the string down as I went. 

This July CARDS magazine is filled with a ton of great inspiration so if you didn't get it during the summer, it happens to be on clearance now for only $4.95 (normally $19.95).  You can check it out HERE.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!  We are enjoying some sunshine!