Home Sweet Home

Happy day after Thanksgiving! I hope you were able to enjoy a day of family, friends, and food! I had the blessing of traveling to my parents home for a large, delicious spread with extended family. Now it's back to work in my craft room working on lots of fun projects that I just can't wait to share with you all. First up are two cards I recently created with Avery Elle's Home Sweet Home stamp set. 

I couldn't resist making my own patterned paper with the four small image stamps included in the set. The background possibilities with the stamps are endless! I stamped the background with Distress Inks pretty quickly; therefore, the individual stamps don't match up perfectly. I'm ok with that! It's simply a sign that it was homemade. The main image was colored with Copic markers and adhered to the card front with foam risers. 

I had so much fun coloring in the last image, that I colored the little camper in the set as well. After stamping a few hearts, I added Black Soot Distress Ink to the white edge. 

The paper behind the image is from BoBunny's Family Is collection and coordinated perfectly with the card theme. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! What projects are you currently working on?

Good Times

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and it's the perfect reminder to appreciate all God has blessed us with. Today, I'm extra thankful for great friends. And that's exactly what the layout is about - Great company, laughter, and friendship.

Let me first point out the funny cards on our foreheads. It's the game of Headbandz, and everyone should play! 

I tried to keep this layout simple, matting each photo and adding a strip of patterned paper to anchor them to the page. The title was cut from American Crafts Dark Kraft paper, and I added a few strips throughout the layout to tie it in. Of course, I couldn't help but add a little faux stitching with my favorite white gel pen. 

It must be fear of writing directly onto a layout, but I always seem to write my journaling on strips of white paper and then cut them up, spreading them throughout the page. They're perfect subtitles to describe each photo and help me remember names and details far into the future. 

What are you thankful for today? May you have a wonderful holiday!

SUPPLIES :: American Crafts White & Dark Kraft Cardstock, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic Element Stickers, We R Memory Keepers Happy Campers Chevron & Chalkboard Collage, Melissa Francis Pearls & Rhinestones

TOOLS :: Silhouette Cameo, White Sakura Gelly Roll Pen, American Crafts Black Basics Pen, Typewriter, Fiskars Scrapbooking Rotary Paper Trimmer, MyStik Permanent Adhesive

Use It Tuesday : Anything Goes

Today at Use It Tuesday, we have a favorite challenge for you: ANYTHING GOES! So dig into your stash of hoarded items, we know you have them, and make something. Anything. Then link up the creation by Friday, December 6th.

For this challenge, I dug out some old papers, embellishments, and STAMPS! Image stamps are not always my go-to supply while scrapbooking, so they often get overlooked. 

The tag and 'cheesin' phrase were both stamped onto white cardstock and cut out to make a fun embellishment. The stamp set, vintage Market Street Stamps, is a travel-themed set. However, the tag worked perfectly for this shopping layout! 

There's lots of paper distressing and stitching on this layout - both machine and doodled. The title was cut from BasicGrey patterned paper using my Silhouette Cameo. The pattern was a little busy and hard to read, so I added some faux stitching with a black marker. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Now it's your turn to create something with those supplies that have been piling up! I can't wait to see what you create.

SUPPLIES :: American Crafts (Cardstock, Dear Lizzy) Teresa Collis Now & Then Floral, Pebbles Sunny Side Content, We R Memory Keepers Travel Log, BasicGrey Fact & Fiction 12x12 Paper Pack

TOOLS :: A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Brother Sewing Machine, Close To My Heart Paper Distresser

Give Thanks : Distress Ink Background

I'm on the Creations Galore blog today with a step-by-step video on how I created this fun Make N Take using Sweet Stamp Shop sets and Distress Inks. I'd love for you to stop by! 

 

Lil Swimmer Layout

Last week I shared a few pages from my 2013 album using pocket protectors to document my summer. It's only appropriate that I share the layout that accompanied them. Here's what the pages look like together inside the album...

I just love pocket scrapbooking! And here's a close up of the 12x12 traditional layout I created...

My nephew is only a few months old, which means I'm documenting EVERYTHING. Everything he does is a fun, new, exciting adventure. I can't help but capture, and document, all of it. That includes the first time I saw him "swimming" in a pool. Can we all just agree that babies in pools are cute?! So cute. 

I choose papers full of yellow and orange to coordinate with the teal of the photo, but to also create a bright summer layout. The small strip of teal paper was added in to tie the papers and photos together. A few splashes of Mister Huey's mist was added to the stark white background. 

All of the other elements were cut with the Silhouette Cameo. The title was the Bebas font, cut from the same patterned paper used behind the photos. Faux stitching was added to break up all of the yellow I gathered together. I couldn't help but stamp a few sayings around the layout with the help of Citrus Twist Kits. Stamping on layouts has become a must for me. 

It's only in the 30's here in Wisconsin, so I'm loving the idea of swimming and summer. Hope this layout brings a smile and a little warmth to your corner of the globe!

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico Mister Huey's Sherbet, We R Memory Keepers Sunshine, Echo Park Lazy Days, American Crafts Cardstock, Citrus Twist Kits Stamps

TOOLS :: Silhouette Cameo, Bic Acid Free Marker, StazOn Jet Black, A Muse Studio Acrylic Block

Card Making Monday

Happy Monday! I had a little fun with some colored pencils recently and am here to share the finished card with you. 

This lovely image is by Penny Black Inc. After coloring the image, I added a bit of Distress Ink to soften the edges of the white cardstock. A simple card to throw together, but it provided lots of stress relief! 

Thanks for joining me for another Card Making Monday... Enjoy your week!

SUPPLIES :: Paper Cut Cardstock, American Crafts Patterned Paper, Prismacolor Pencils, StazOn Jet Black Ink, Vintage Photo Distress Ink

TOOLS :: Tim Holtz Foam Applicator Tool, Acrylic Block, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Risers 

Drill #20 : Feathers

Good morning! It's time for another Saturday with SWAT! For this challenge, we're asking you to use the sketch below from Page Maps, as well as use FEATHERS. 

I started out with some crazy photos taken with my roommate. The feather trend is one of my favorites, because, like arrows and triangles, it's an element that can be incorporated into almost any layout or card theme. 

I chose to use a feather stamp from A Muse Studio. I stamped it with black StazOn onto two patterned papers that coordinated with the layout. I used my fingers to fold the edges, creating some texture, before adhering them to the page. To add just a bit of glam, I added Stickles too! 

For the line on the bottom half of the sketch, I used two strips that I had previously cut off patterned papers. They're the strips along the bottom that hold the barcode and name of paper. These ones had patterns on one side. You would never know that they were meant to be trash! 

The products from this layout are a mixture of November's Studio Calico Scrapbook Kit and Amy Tangerine's Cut & Paste Collection. The tag in the scrapbook kit was a perfect place to add my journaling. I stamped the 'i love this' image onto the top of the tag, also from the kit. 

Thanks for dropping by the blog today and checking out my take on the challenge. Now it's your turn! You have until November 28th to create your own project - using the sketch and feathers - and link it up to the SWAT blog. As always, there's a fun prize up for grabs. I can't wait to see what you create. 

SUPPLIES :: Studio Calico (Cuppa Scrapbooking Kit, Yellow Twine, Mister Huey's), American Crafts (Amy Tangerine Cut & Paste Collection), Tattered Angels (Glimmer Mist), A Muse Studio Stamps, Star Dust Stickles, Paper Cut Vellum

TOOLS :: StazOn Jet Black Ink, A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, Bic Acid Free Writer

The Masterpiece Of Nature : Plum Poppy Studio

I am so excited for today's post. When the lovely and talented DoBea of Plum Poppy Studio asked me to play around with her stamps, my heart skipped a beat. I've been a huge fan of DoBea's creations, along with the stamp she illustrated for Market Street Stamps last year. You can see my creation from that stamp set here. If you haven't heard of Plum Poppy Studio, hurry up and head over to her site - You'll find lots of inspiration and tutorials, as well as her high quality stamps and SVG files. 

For today's post I worked with The Masterpiece of Nature set, partnering it with We R Memory Keepers' Harvest collection. I distressed, inked, and layered a few of the cardstocks in the collection to create the base of the card. The small patterns of the 6x6 paper pad were MADE for these leaves! I simply stamped a few onto different colors, cut them out, and adhered them to the front of the card. 

I loved stamping and cutting the leaves out of patterned paper SO much, I had to do it again. And I may have gone a little crazy for this second card. 

Plum Poppy Studio has wonderful SVGs to cut out these leaves (found here). I highly recommend it unless you're halfway through Season 8 of How I Met Your Mother and you NEED to finish it RIGHT. NOW. I'm going to assume that's not the case. Opt for the SVG files to make this card super easy and quick!

Again, I started with an inked and layered cardstock base. I then adhered the leaves, cut from the Harvest 6x6 Paper Pad, around the outside edges of the card. This beautiful sentiment was stamped on cream cardstock and popped up with foam risers. I loved contrast of the clean sentiment and distressed background. 

Thanks for checking out today's blog post. Please head over to the Plum Poppy Studio blog or Facebook page and give DoBea some love. I'm positive you'll fall in love with her new stamps!

SUPPLIES :: Plum Poppy Studio The Masterpiece of Nature Set, We R Memory Keepers Harvest Collection, Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa Inks, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Tattered Angels Apple Glimmer Mist, Mister Huey's Dark Calico, A Muse Studio Twine, Creative Imaginations Twill

TOOLS :: Inkssentials Foam Applicator Tool, CTMH Paper Distresser, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares, MyStik Permanent Adhesive

One Last Halloween Layout

Good afternoon paper crafters! I have one last Halloween project to share this year. This was one I created a month or more ago, preparing for Halloween, and then I forgot about it! 

The pictures on the layout are not the best quality. They were taken in dim lighting, without a flash, on a cell phone. Therefore, I wanted to incorporate as much white and grey as possible to lighten up the pictures. Most of the papers and embellishments come from the Bewitched collection by We R Memory Keepers. The hexagons were cut from a patterned paper in the collection, opting to scatter them onto a white background than use a chunk of the paper. 

Just a bit of stamping and enamel dots finish off this layout. It was a quick one to put together. 

With that, I say goodbye to October and fully embrace the Thanksgiving season. Stop by tomorrow for a Fall-themed project. You won't want to miss it!

SUPPLIES :: We R Memory Keepers Bewitched Collection, Teresa Collins Enamel Dots, Market Street & Unity Stamps, StazOn Jet Black Ink, Studio Calico Mistables

TOOLS :: Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher & Paper Distresser, A Muse Studio Acrylic Block, Fiskars Scrapbooking Rotary Paper Trimmer

Use It Tuesday : Stick It

Good Morning! It's time for another Use It Tuesday Challenge! We're challenging you to use up all your sticky stuff. That's stickers, tape, and anything with adhesive! 

Just remember, this challenge calls for you to use your hoarded supplies. Link up your own project at the Use It Tuesday blog by Noon EST on Friday, November 22nd, letting us know what sticky item you used. As always, one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to be a featured guest designer for an upcoming challenge!

Now let's get to my creation for the challenge... 

Now, I know we're past Halloween, but I found some old Doodlebug stickers this week and forced myself to use them! I used 3D foam squares to pop up the 'Oct 31' center as well as the banner letters - All stickers. Who said stickers had to stay flat to the page?!

I used one of my favorite adhesives, Glossy Accents, to adhere the baker's twine to the page. It's easy to get a small, invisible line of adhesive, and it dries so fast! I highly recommend it for ribbons, buttons, and more! The last use of stickers were these stars in matching colors. I used my finger to curl up the star edges slightly so they wouldn't blend in with the background. 

Thanks Use It Tuesday! I'm so glad I took another look at those banner and frame stickers. They worked great for this layout! Now it's your turn - I can't wait to see what you create.

Card Making Monday : Holiday Mittens

It's never too early to start your Christmas cards. So when I came across these mitten stamps at Creations Galore, I knew what needed to be done! 

The mittens, from Stamps by Judith, were stamped on three different patterns from BasicGrey's 25th & Pine Collection. It has quickly become my favorite holiday collection this year. With such gorgeous patterned papers, paper piecing my projects trumps coloring! 

I stamped a holiday greeting by A Muse Studio onto a white banner and popped it up with foam risers. But not before stringing some yellow baker's twine around it. The ends of the twine were adhered with washi tape to the back of the mittens. 

I had so much fun making this card... Are you making your own Christmas cards this year?

SUPPLIES :: BasicGrey 25th & Pine Papers, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Judith Left & Right Mitten Stamps, A Muse Studio Happy Holidays Stamp, Baker's Twine, American Crafts Cardstock

TOOLS :: Tim Holtz Paper Distresser, MyStik Permanent Adhesive, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares

Project Life Update : Summer Love

Good morning! I've got a few pages from my Project Life album to share with you today. The photos take place toward the end of July and were taken all with my cell phone. I'm loving the process of Pocket Scrapbooking with every new spread. 

The left side of the spread is a collection of random moments throughout the week, whereas the right side focuses on one event. 

The base cards for the left side of the spread are from the Antiquary Project Life Kit by Studio Calico. The labels and arrows are part of the Capture collection by BasicGrey. They were the perfect combination. Lots of journaling was included in the spread as the photos didn't really tell the whole story. I included pictures from around the house, work moments, a current song obsession, and this month's bus pass. These passes are a fun thing to include for a date marker. 

The right side includes one of my favorite Design G Pocket Pages as well as journaling cards from the Jade Collection by Becky Higgins. 

For the title card, I added an Amy Tan tree sticker and sticker letters. I trimmed a lined journaling card and adhered it to the right side. After a bit of journaling, I finished it with a splatter of Mister Huey's and enamel dots. 

Lastly, the backside of the spread. I was so nervous writing on this photo of my nephew, but it ended up being my favorite piece of the spread. I used BIC Acid Free Markers to include journaling on the photos and label stickers. 

Thanks for checking out my 2013 album progress. I've been working VERY out of order and enjoying the process of documenting my memories. How is your memory keeping process?