2011 Layout Challenge #7 - Holy Smokes!

This will be just a quick post tonight because I need to get this layout linked up over at Design Dollies in the next 35 minutes, and my computer is sooooooo slow - it's slower than molasses in January! I love how this page turned out, and I attribute the entire result to a really cool sketch at Design Dollies. I don't think I would ever try laying my stuff out on a page like this, but I'm lovin' it! The photo is from almost 4 years ago now, and my little guy was just starting to do "experiments" (re. messing up anything he can get his hands on in the name of science!) He's still into science, and I just found out that at school lately, after his class watches a video on a planet (they're doing the solar system for science), his teacher gets him to carry on the lesson by telling everyone the extra things he knows about that planet. I already had the title figured out for this page ages ago, but when Nolan's teacher said that she could picture him being a university professor one day, it just brought the idea back to the forefront.

Holy smokes, we had some excitement here tonight! We were eating dinner, and my chair happens to face the window. I noticed a strange light, took a closer look, and noticed our neighbours' chimney was spewing huge orange flames!!! Jason ran out in his sock feet through the snow to bang on their door and tell them, while I called the fire department. Sad to say I did not have the number memorized or written on my trusty white board I've been meaning to hang up for, oh, 2 and a half years, so I had to look it up. But still, I was right on the ball and despite my panic, managed to even give the correct address. The fire truck arrived within minutes and the fire didn't take long to put out, so hopefully they do not have much damage. Still, very scary, especially to think that it could've happened in the middle of the night.

Supplies: patterned paper by Scrap Within Reach, Pebbles, and Pink Paislee, Hampton Arts and CTMH alpha stamps, Tim Holtz Distress Ink (walnut stain), Cosmo Cricket blackboard, DecoArt paint, Sakura pen, unknown silver ink and riboon

Read More

2011 Layout Challenge #6

I don't know, you guys, this one's a little out there, even for me! I was inspired to create it first of all by the collage at NVS. It is very pale, with a B&W focal photo, some pops of colour, and the title "New Perspective". So that got the gears turning, and I came up with the idea for the photo and basic layout. Then at Candy Shoppe Designs, one of their challenges this month calls for an all-white layout. Whoah, I know I've never done all white! I don't think I would have even considered it! Then Twisted Sketches had a beautiful sketch with the twist "white", which I missed the deadline for, of course (you hush, Jenn!) I used some white mulberry paper, ruffled up some ribbon using my trusty sewing machine and a basting stitch, some corrugated cardboard painted white, and an old library card (I didn't steal it, honest! It must've fallen out of a book!) The butterflies are cut from some clothing tags I hoarded for years, and the hearts are hand drawn and cut from the same mulberry paper misted with Glimmer Mist. I also had to mist up the background cardstock, I just couldn't stand to have it so white!

Now the journaling was even trickier. I was going to get all philosophical on my battles with depression, but I have a hard time talking about that, and I guess I'm not ready to lay it all out there on a scrapbook page. Maybe one day I will open up in an art journal, which is something I've been thinking about starting (if anyone else is interested in doing this, I found a cool site called A Year in the Life of an Art Journal). Or maybe not. It's a mystery right now! I ended up just writing:

"Is the glass half full, or half empty? Usually, it depends on my mood. But this year, 2011, I need a new perspective. This year, I'm only going to focus on whether or not the glass has baked on crud from the dishwasher!"

Yep, for now I'm keeping it lighthearted! Hope everyone has a great weekend! Hugs, Roxy!

Supplies: CTMH White Daisy cardstock, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Creative Memories pens, DecoArt paint, unknown mulberry paper and ribbon, salvaged clothing tags and library card

Read More

2011 Layout Challenge #5 - Simply Stunning!

I know moms are supposed to think their children are beautiful, but every now and then, I look at Ailis with an objective eye, and I still think she is just gorgeous! She has these beautiful long lashes and the most adorable dimples! Now she's getting tall and lean, and her face is changing, losing its baby fat and becoming more angular. Really, she looks nothing like her ol' mom! The best thing about Ailis is that her personality matches her outer beauty. She is so gentle and loving, and she's always singing and playing. Anyway, enough gushing...

I am entering this layout in three challenges: Sketchabilities #39 (awesome sketch!), Design Dollies Elements challenge (have something hand-drawn on your project - that's the swirls under the butterflies) and Stampin' Royalty (something with wings). I have to tell ya, this layout's been giving me grief for, like, a week and a half! I started off by making the pale blue photo mat (I used background stamps, heat embossed with clear powder, then brayered with blue ink, then stitched the squares into a "quilt"), then worked on pleating the red ribbon, then did some misting on the background paper. Today I finished off with stamping and colouring the butterflies, sewing the white ribbon down, and the title. So, voila! Was all that work worth it? Well, Jason and his mom like it, and I'm sure Ailis will appreciate it one day down the road, so I guess it is.

Supplies (all CTMH): White Daisy, Cranberry, and Outdoor Denim cardstock, Petite Perks, The Works Alphabet, Intrinsic Backgrounds and Noted Backgrounds My Acrylix stamp sets, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Outdoor Denim, Crystal Blue, and Cranberry, blending pen, watercolour pencil, Twitterpated patterned paper

Other: Making Memories brads, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Copic marker (YR23), unknown ribbon, tag and star

Read More

2011 Layout Challenge #4

This is a page I put together last week for the Twisted Sketches Design Team call. I found out today that I wasn't chosen, boo hoo, but c'est la vie. I really like how this page turned out! This is one of my very favourite photos of me and Nolan. We had just moved to Dawson City, YT about 2 or 3 weeks before, and we decided to take a drive up the Dempster Highway to see the Tombstone Mountains. It is sooooo beautiful, and eerily quiet. We stopped to take some photos, and a huge storm was rolling in, which is why the sky is kinda bluish. Nolan picked me a couple fireweeds, and then we had to hop in the car and head back as the storm hit full force. This photo was in a frame forever, but I finally took it out to copy it for one of Nolan's mini albums and decided to scrap it. You can't see too well from this pic, but I put some red hand stitching in both left corners. The patterned paper I made with a CTMH background stamp, kind of messed it up, but it adds to the grungey feel of the page (at least, that's what I'm telling myself!) The journaling tag, heart and flowers I received in a blog candy package a while back from Mel, who is alive and relatively well, although she is right in the middle of the flood zone in Queensland and may not be blogging for a bit. Miss you, Mel!

I also miss Dawson City so much that if I think about it too much, I get a bit misty-eyed! This is the only time I ever went up the Dempster, and if I ever go back that way again, I want to see the Tombstones in the fall. The lichens change colour and it's supposed to be just miraculous! Sigh, one day...

Supplies (all CTMH): Outdoor Denim and Colonial White cardstock, Giggle Caps and Noted Backgrounds My Acrylix stamp sets, Exclusive Inks stamp pad in Moonstruck, Blue Ribbon patterned paper (on blackboard arrow)

Other: Basic Grey rub-on, Cosmo Cricket blackboard arrow, Daisy D's ticket, Creative Memories pen, unknown journaling spot, heart and flowers, embroidery floss

Read More

Rock On!

This is my 2nd post for the day, so make sure you scroll down to check out my card! Dang it, I missed the deadline for CPS on that one, so I'm just kicking myself...

I loved the colours over at Design Dollies this week (they've got a new format for challenges this year, so make sure you check it out!) so I went through my stash of photos to see which ones would go with Kraft, Blue, White and Red. I had a few options, but I chose these ones from almost 12 years ago because they would work with the sketch this week from Sketchy Thursdays. My friends and I went to a large outdoor concert, and every time I look at these photos, I laugh - what dorks we were/are! Anyhoo, I really like how this one turned out, even though it is very busy. It features tons of machine stitching, some fussy cut bits, some ribbon photo corners, and I was able to use scraps from 3 different paper packs. See the chipboard journaling spot there? It was the wrong colour, so I inked it up with a sponge to get the two-toned effect.

Well, that will be it for crafting/blogging today. I've got my mom here, and my hubby's uncle is going to show up in a couple of hours to stay over on his way through town, so I've got mega clean-up to do. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Supplies (all CTMH): Colonial White cardstock, patterned paper from Zippidee, Blue Ribbon, and Rough and Tumble paper packs, Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue, and Cranberry stamp pads

Other: Creative Memories pen, Top Line Creations tags and letter stickers, unknown ribbon

Read More

Card for TPE, Dutch Dare, and CPS 200

While I had my pink, aqua, and orange scraps out for the last Pink Elephant layout I did, I decided I should make a card with the same colours. I didn't have any suitable orange patterned paper, so I used some bubble wrap and some Sunset ink from Close to My Heart to make the card background - pretty cool, eh? I found a sketch I liked at CPS, flipped it a bit, then added some machine stitching on my papers to go along with the challenge at Dutch Dare this week. The image is from Some Odd Girl, and she's a freebie over there right now, soooooo cute! I only have 8 Copic markers, so her dress, socks and headband are coloured with a CTMH blender pen dipped in Juniper ink, and I think this works pretty well, especially when I need to match something up to CTMH paper. My question to you Copic experts out there is this: What kind of paper do you print your digi stamps on? I've been using CTMH cardstock, because that's what I have available to me, and I'm having a hard time getting my markers to blend. I'd appreciate any opinions you have!

Supplies: CTMH Colonial White cardstock, Sunset and Juniper ink, blender pen, and patterned paper, Some Odd Girl digital image, Copic markers, Basic Grey patterned paper, unknown trim

Read More

A Layout for TPE and Sketchy Thursdays

The colors for The Pink Elephant challenge this week are pink, orange, and aqua - how awesome is that?! So girly, I knew I had to do it! And the sketch at Sketchy Thursdays this week is just awesome, but alas, I missed the deadline by about an hour. Darn it, I tried so hard, but dinner got in the way, and then there was that crying baby (I told Ailis I was going to bring Brenna to Wal-Mart and trade her in for a non-crying, sleep through the night model - she was not impressed!) and "family time". Life does get in the way of scrapping and blogging, doesn't it? But, I did finish this layout in record time as I only started it today, and I love it! So can't complain, right?

Supplies: CTMH cardstock, patterned paper, and ink, Bazzill cardstock, Cosmo Cricket tag, Creative Memories pen, Prima pebbles, Making Memories flower brads, MME acrylic border, unknown trim, ribbon, and flowers

Read More

Little Girl Card For JUGS and Scrap-tures

I started to make this card for Some Odd Girl's Digi Day Challenge, but I guess I didn't read all the fine print and missed the deadline. Woops! I used a sketch from Just Us Girls, and I used lace for Scrap-tures January 8th challenge, although you can't really see the lace that well in the photo. I really like how this card turned out, and I think it will make a great b-day card for some little girl. Do you like my machine-stitched photo corners? This image is Star-Bright Tia, and she's a freebie from Some Odd Girl. You should definitely snatch her up this month! I think she is so adorable, and very fun to colour!

Supplies (all CTMH): You Rock Level 2 paper pack, Shining Star My Acrylix stamp set, White Daisy and Outdoor Denim Exclusive Inks stamp pad, blending pen

Other: unknown lace, Some Odd Girl image, Ranger Distress Stickles, Copic markers

Read More

First Layout of the Year and My First Blogger Award!

I wasn't quite ready to put away my Christmas papers, especially the new ones I won in Roz's blog candy, plus I really needed to scrap this photo from last year. I remember the kids posing for their photo, and everyone milling around the craft fair saying a collective, "Aaaaawww!" They both looked so adorable with their biggest smiles on! The process of making this page was quite involved, but I love the result, with the Glimmer Mist, sewing, felt, ribbon and twine, buttons...really, what more could you stick on a page? I'll be entering this page is three different challenges:

1. Creative Scrappers - used sketch #137
2. Scrapbooker's Anonymous - use 17 buttons (count 'em!)
3. Scrap-tures is having a month-long challenge for their anniversary - challenge #2 is to have Santa or someone in a Santa hat featured in your project

Supplies: patterned paper by Little Yellow Bicycle and unknown, Close to My Heart ink, stamps, pen, and felt, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, unknown ribbon, twine, buttons, and journaling spot
I "met" Carole from England through the December Daily album process, and it was really nice to get to know her and see how her family celebrates December across the world. Some similarities, but many differences! The other day, Carole nominated me for this "Stylish Blogger Award", and I'm so excited because this is my first award! Thank you so much, Carole!!! The rules of this award are to tell everyone 8 things about myself, and then pass it on to 4 other people. So, 8 things, hmmmmm, I'll try to make it interesting:



1. I have dual Canadian/Australian citizenship, and I'd love to try living in Australia one day.


2. My baby teeth were riddled with cavities and fillings, but my adult teeth don't have any (knock on wood)!


3. I was a competitive gymnast for 9 years. As a kid, I was known to flip whenever I saw wide open spaces, like fields, parks, or grocery store aisles. My poor unsuspecting mom was kicked in the stomach a couple of times, and I drove her bonkers rolling onto and off of the couch compulsively! I still want to do handstands when I see a grassy field, but if I follow that urge, it really hurts (and it's kind of embarassing)!


4. I had hernia repair surgery when I was 13. The doctor was shocked: he'd never seen a hernia that large in a young girl before. I blame it on lifting heavy gymnastics equipment.


5. For the longest time, I wanted to be a stuntperson in Hollywood!

6. My first scrapbook was created with only photos, one pair of decorative edge scissors, and a box of felt pens. It is very funny to look at now!

7. I usually have 2 or 3 books on the go. Right now I'm reading Play Dead by Harlan Coben, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, and A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul. I have a bad habit of reading ahead (my dirty little secret!) that I'm trying to quit. So far, I'm not succeeding!

8. I think if I had to, I could live off of peanut butter toast. That, or pizza!

And now, I'm sending this award on to Jenn, Roz, Alison (who I also "met" through the December Daily album), and Karen B way over in Australia. I think you all rock, and I hope you enjoy your Stylish Bloggger Award! I can't wait to read your 8 interesting tidbits!

Read More

December Daily Day 24 and Some Goals for the New Year!

Happy New Year, and a Happy New You! Isn't that what they say when they're talking about New Year's Resolutions? Well, along with the "New You" philosophy, I tried changing up my blog background and added a new playlist. I'm not entirely happy with the background, or lack thereof, so be prepared to see some changes there as I experiment. Be prepared also if you decide to listen to my music - some of the songs are pretty rowdy, but then again, so am I!!!

This little three page Christmas Eve spread is going to be the last installment of my December Daily album. I had planned to take this project to January 1st, but my printer ran out of ink and my book will be too big for its rings anyway. So once I run off a couple Christmas photos, I will finish with Christmas day and that will be it until December 2011, if I decide to do this again. If I do take the plunge again, I will definitely be making up my foundation pages beforehand, as that will save me a lot of agony! I will also make sure I have plenty of printer ink, and I might go with a larger format. We shall see... Anyway, I'm glad to be moving on to other things, although I've been feeling a little...not uninspired, but maybe...unfocused. Is that a word? If it is, that's what I am, until today, that is! I've found a couple of sketches and challenges that I want to take on, and I should have something to post very soon.

I have joined up with my good friends Jenn and Roz again in a challenge group for 2011. Each member states how many layouts, cards, whatever that they want to create this year, and we support each other with comments, suggestions and tips. These two ladies are awesome, they were my constant cheerleaders throughout 2010, and we're going to have even more fun this year. If you would like to join us, just visit Jenn's blog and we'll link you up! So, my goal for 2010 was to do 120 layouts, which turned out to be a bit much, so this year, I'm aiming for 1 a week. 52 is the magic number, and that will allow me to make some cards, (oh, how about 2 a month, so 24) and finish some mini albums as well. That should be doable and I can't wait to get started!

Now as far as personal goals, I have a bunch, so maybe I'll take a moment to put them in writing, if just for myself. I'm going to compete at Femsport on April 2nd, and training for that will get me in shape and help me lose the last of the baby weight. (Check my sidebar for my fitness blog link if you're interested.) I'm going to give the once-a-month cooking plan another go. Our meals have been pretty blah lately, and this will make it easier if I'm going back to work in a month. I'm going to use my stuff, be it scrapbooking supplies or shampoo stockpiled in the hall closet, and if it's not something I'm going to use, I will get rid of it. I'm going to stick to my cleaning/laundry schedule I worked out in the spring and make it a habit. And finally, my motto this year is going to be, "Don't worry 'bout it!" You have to say it in a New Yawk accent, too. I could've said, "Don't worry, be happy", but I hate that song! I wouldn't say I'm a worry wart, exactly, but I do worry about things that I can't change, like what people think of me or my kids, and why bother. Life's too short to get worked up about things you can't change!

Read More