Layout #29 - ARTastic and Creative Scrappers

Whew, I think I'm going to make it just under the wire over at ARTastic with this one! The thing is, I've had this layout in mind for weeks now, but I didn't get the photos printed until yesterday, so I've been scrambling, but I really like how it turned out! For 6 extra diva points, I've got 2 people in the photo(s), striped paper, and a boat. I also used this sketch from Creative Scrappers

to help me pull it together, only I had to flip it and de-girlify it a bit! I really wanted to use some fly fishing supplies as embellies on this layout (can you just picture some wire curling around and some sparkly doo dads?) only I have no idea where the fly tying kit is! Does this surprise you? It shouldn't if you know me at all, haha! All right, off to link this up and enjoy a glass of nice vino before bed.

Supplies (all Close to My Heart): cardstock and patterned paper from Rough & Tumble paper pack, Outdoor Denim ink, Intrinsic Backgrounds stamp set

Other: Tim Holtz Grungeboard and Distress Ink, Ranger Perfect Pearls, MME overlay, Hampton Arts alpha stamps, Creative Memories pen, unknown sheer clock

Read More

Layout #28 - Get Picky, CSD, and Sketches in Thyme

I've been waiting to scrap these photos for 2 years, so it's kind of exhilarating to finally get them out of my "to be scrapped" box. Using this sketch from "Get Picky":

meant my page came together fairly quickly. I grunged up the background paper with Walnut Stain and Tea Dye Distress Ink, and I really like how boyish it turned out. I changed the upper corner detail to a cute little banner, thinking that usually parades have banners galore. Of course, this one didn't. In fact, it didn't have much of anything! If I didn't have my camera at the ready, or if I blinked, I would've missed the whole thing! It was pretty funny, looking back, that we got all ready, got good seats for the parade, and it was over in 60 seconds, but the kids just loved the candy. I know, I'm the worst mother in the world, I only let my kids have candy at Hallowe'en and parades, but they're the strongest, healthiest kids around (with no cavities or fillings), so go figure! They'll thank me one day!

The girls at Candy Shoppe Designs are back, and one of their challenges this month is to make a "summer" project. Make sure if you join in, tell them I sent you, because it's all about the RAK, right? (Does anyone know what RAK stands for, by the way, or should I say, BTW? I just figured out what LMAO and ROFL stand for, I'm like an old lady with all this lingo!) I'm also entering this page at Sketches in Thyme for their open challenge, which means you can use any sketch. Did you hear me? ANY SKETCH!!! That means, link your stuff up now, chickadees, you could win!

Supplies: Bazzill cardstock, MME patterned paper, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Ranger Perfect Pearls, Sakura white pen, Creative Memories brown pen, unknown baker's twine

Read More

Card #8 - Scrapbooker's Anonymous and CPS 223

My poor auntie, she just had surgery on her foot. Something to do with nerves and/or tendons, and she has to stay off her feet for a while still. I made her this card, even though she might not get it for a loooooong time, seeing Canada Post is on strike.

I still had out my pretty Basic Grey "Sugared" scraps I used for my last layout, and discovered that my measly supply of Copics matched pretty well. (Making a card from these scraps means I can enter the Scrapbooker's Anonymous challenge twice!!!) I coloured up this image of 50's Kaylee from Some Odd Girl, and used this sketch from CPS (flipped around):

I had a heck of a time trying to embellish this card! I really like the paper flowers I came up with, but I still think the card is kind of plain. I tried a grungeboard fluorish and ribbon, but nothing was really working out. Here's something I discovered which was like, a total light bulb moment for me: see how Kaylee is placed on embossed cardstock? Well, she's raised up just the slightest, and my light caused a shadow. I took my C3 copic, and traced the shadow!!! I didn't even have to think about light sources and how big the shadow should be or where it should go, it was just there! So cool, I just can't believe it! Then there's my dumb blonde moment (and I'm not even blonde!): this is 50's Kaylee, but isn't "groovy/grooving" a 60's term? I thought of that after, but maybe my aunt will be so doped up on painkillers she won't notice!

Supplies: CTMH cardstock, ink, watercolor pencil and gems, Some Odd Girl image, Basic Grey patterned papers, Hampton Arts stamps, Creative Memories pen, Ranger Glossy Accents, Copic markers

Read More

Layout #27 - Sketches in Thyme and Scrapbooker's Anonymous

You know why I love playing along with Scrapbooker's Anonymous? Whenever I do a project for their challenges, EVERYONE from the DT stops by my blog to leave a comment (well, maybe not everyone, I've never actually counted, but it's probably pretty close)! That makes a lady feel pretty nice, and appreciated! Their challenge this month is to use 6 or more patterned papers from a mini deck. Well, I honestly didn't think I'd be able to play along this month because I only have one mini deck (Basic Grey Sugared) and I used pretty much all of it on a couple of mini albums. Once I tracked down my scraps (and this opened up my eyes to just how much of a hoarder I am, because I had some pretty tiny scraps), I realized I had enough to join in, as long as I was a bit creative. I think at last count I had 11 different patterns on this page, and I even used EYELETS!!! I know, I didn't think I had any at all, but I found 'em and used 'em! (Now if I could only find my sewing machine!) Oh, I also got to break out my BRAND NEW Hero Arts background stamp I won from Creative Accents, just for commenting on their blog - thanks, ladies!

I also decided to use this sketch from Sketches in Thyme:

I really like it, I think it's very unique. Seems like I can only scrap using a sketch these days, but I'm cool with that!

I know the photos aren't the best quality, but I had to make a page about this, it was too cute! Ailis really worked up a sweat, running and doing a modified long jump, over and over and over. Brenna was there, too, watching, cheering, and learning how to stand (in her own safe area of the rec room)! And I got to scrap, so how much better could it be?

Supplies: CTMH White Daisy cardstock (for base), Blush and Garnet ink pads, and Hemp, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Hero Arts stamp, Hampton Arts tiny alpha stamps, Tim Holtz Grungeboard and Distress Inks (Fired Brick and Walnut Stain), Ranger Perfect Pearls (Heirloom Gold), Basic Grey patterned paper, Creative Memories pen, Sakura white gel pen, eyelets and buttons from my stash

Read More

Photo Fun Day 21 - Micro

My camera has an actual mode for taking photos of flowers close-up in bright light, so that's what I used to get these shots of our front porch flowers and the lilacs I had in the mason jar for Day 16. The trickiest part was keeping my camera steady and getting it to focus, but I did manage to come up with these, the best of the bunch! I think they might look good printed out and framed, don't you?

I think Brenna's napping (fingers crossed), so I am going to forgo the housework to finish the page I'm working on, and I promise there will be a layout on this blog before midnight!

Read More

Photo Fun Day 20 - Water

This is the little lake across the street from where we live. It's really a beautiful marshey thing (aside from the bench and can in there) with lots of birds and ducks, so I asked Nolan if he wanted to go down with me last night and do some photography. He was totally game, and after I took a few shots of the water, I concentrated on getting some candids of him walking through the grass. I love this one:

And check this one out - BOKEH!!!

Read More

Photo Fun Day 19 - Summertime

Once again, I am cheating, but it's my blog and I can do that, so ha! Jason took these photos yesterday, but if I was there, I probably could've taken ones just as good! The first photo shows a little spit of land where the fawn was lying - it is just amazing how close he and Ailis were able to get. Isn't it adorable? And the photo of Ailis by the fire sums up "summertime" for our family, getting out in the great outdoors. Ailis said she will remember this Father's Day forever! (I just realized I've been posting a lot of Ailis and Brenna pictures, I'll have to even it out or somebody's going to get a complex!)

Read More

Photo Fun Day 18 - Eyes

Are you all sick of my photo posts yet? Well, hang on, there's still more to come, heheh! I had a lot of fun taking these photos of my girls' eyes the other night. Ailis was more than happy to comply, while Brenna was a little trickier - she just moves sooooo much! I don't think I'm being biased when I say all three of my kids have GORGEOUS eyes - I just hope they don't need glasses like I do!

Read More

Photo Fun Day 17 - Bokeh?

OK, I'm not embarrassed to admit I didn't know what the heck bokeh is. I thought maybe it was a game like Sudoku! Anyway, googled it, and it's a photography effect where the foreground subject is in focus and the background is blurred. After thinking about it for a while, I remembered I'd taken these action shots of my teammate Danielle at Femsport that I thought looked really cool. Although it was completely unintentional, I think I achieved "bokeh"!

(By the way, those jugs are really freakin' heavy!!!)

Read More

Photo Fun Day 16

June 16th's prompt was Mason Jar/Jelly Jar. The lilacs have been blooming here like crazy, and oh, they smell sooooooooo good!!! So I snipped a few off the bush in our front yard, placed them in a mason jar, and snapped away. It was really fun to experiment with different angles, and I'm not really sure which I like best. What do you think?

Read More

Photo Fun Day 15

The prompt for June 15th is "Action". Brenna has always been fairly active, even in the womb, but never more than now that she's learned to walk. I took these photos while my mom was visiting, and she was showing off all her tricks within a 2 minute time span. This is how it went down: walking, sitting (and sucking), up, down, yoga pose, "nose" - the last one is unfortunately a bit blurry, but I think she was walking while I was zoomed in to get her "nose" face. It's really cute, she says "nose" at the same time she scrumples up her nose and sniffs! And I did NOT put her shirt like that, she did it all by herself!!!

Read More

Photo Fun Day 14

I was supposed to photograph someone I love on June 14th. I already have hundreds of photos of the kids, so I thought it might be nice to take a couple of the main man in my life. Now I know I called him a jerk in one of my more recent posts, but I know he wouldn't take it personally. That's kind of how our relationship is, lots of laughs and bugging each other. I really do love him, and to show my love, I'm posting these pics of him on Father's Day as a tribute. Haha, got ya, Papa!!!

Read More

Photo Fun Day 13

"Reminds You of Childhood" is the prompt for June 13th. I kinda cheated on this one. I took this photo (and a few more) of this Easter Bunny on moving day. I won him in a colouring contest when I was six - first prize! He sat at my parents' house for all those years until my mom showed up with him in Burns Lake one day. I guess she got tired of housing him! I didn't want to keep him any longer, he was kind of a dust catcher, so he got left behind when we moved. But, I did want the memory of winning that prize, and seeing as it was Easter, I thought I would snap a few photos as memorabilia. Isn't he cute? His ears had wire in them so I could bend them around.

Read More

Card #7

I made this card up for three different challenges, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! First off, iCopic Lover wants to see how I can colour with Copics from the E family only, and believe it or not, this entire Tobie image is all done in browns. (Perfect challenge for me, as I only have a few copics, and nearly all of them are E's!) Some Odd Girl wants to see a white or kraft card with only 2 pops of colour. Well, I think this should qualify, with blue and brown being my only colours. Then I based it loosely on this weeks's Mojo Monday sketch - had to flip it, change the shapes, etc. Hope you like!

Supplies: Close to My Heart and unknown cardstock, Some Odd Girl image, Copic markers, Spellbinders Nestabilities dies, Provo Craft embossing folder, unknown ribbon and buttons

Read More

Layout #26 - Project 12 for May

I was scrapping away yesterday and late last night, and when I finished this double pager, I thought, "I think I've got some mojo going here! I don't know where it came from, but this is great!" I took these photos, put my finished pages on the kitchen table, and headed off to bed. This morning, Jason says, "I like your pages!" Oh, thanks honey. "Yeah, they look really Christmas-y!" Grrr, thanks, jerk, I NEVER would've thought of that on my own, I just would've been completely oblivious for the rest of my life, enjoying my beautiful SPRING layout! Sigh, I can never look at it the same now. Should I add a flower sticker or something to that Christmas ornament in the upper left? Your opinions are much appreciated (more than Jason's, anyway!).

You know what can't be changed, though, is my opinion on that photo of Ailis looking over the bridge rail. I think that has to be one of the best photos I ever took! (Unfortunately, this blog photo does not do it justice.) The lighting and shadows were just gorgeous from that angle!!! I'll have to make another page using that photo one day.


Supplies (all Close to My Heart): Perfect Day Level 2 paper pack and My Stickease, Tulip pen, Juniper ink


Other: Bazzill Just The Edge trim

Read More