All Partied Out

  I hope this post finds you all recovering nicely from a wonderful Christmas, and ready to rock 2014!

I have a simple layout to share with you today, full of paper and embellishments from my Flamingo Scraps Combination Warehouse Box. Did you know that these boxes contain paper and embellishments valued at $150 or more AND are currently on sale for $45 EACH? These medium flat rate boxes are stuffed to the gills and full of all kinds of amazing stuff!

I worked with my staple techniques--a bit of misting & dripping on the background paper (all Pink Paislee, Remarkable), inking the edges of some of the papers, a bit of chalk ink on the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements, some fussy cutting, and lots of layering.

To top it off, I added a couple of Fancy Pants Cork Shapes and doodled around the border.

Thanks for looking, and I wish you all a wonderful and SAFE New Year's Celebration!

Simple Sketches #18 Reveal

Good Morning!

I used this week's sketch to make a cute birthday card.

Head over to the Simple Sketches blog to see the rest of Team B's interpretations, and a special announcement!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Gifting, Gifteroo!

I'm still madly crafting amidst all the holiday baking and get-togethers.  I have two more canvases that I made as gifts today. 

Ok, truth:  I made the first one and loved it so much that I made a second so that I could keep it all for myself.  *blush*

These were so super simple!  I used a couple of 12x12" canvases and put down a rough base coat.  All of the paint used for this project is Tim Holtz Distress Paint in the holiday 2013 collection.  You should definitely contact suzanne@flamingoscraps.com for a SUPER deal on special ordering these bad boys.  I really love this group of colors!!  The top canvas was rough coated with pumice stone and iced spruce, and the bottom canvas painted with evergreen bough.  I wanted just a little more distressing, so I added some bubble wrap stamping; on top, in evergreen bough and the bottom in ripe persimmon.  I let that mostly dry, and then used a ruler to sketch in a 2x2" grid.  I was going for a bit of a distressed look, so I didn't worry about making the lines even widths or even when the marker went through some damp paint.  I found this awesome quote (for those that don't know, I've been a professional studio/wedding photographer for just over 13 years now) and pulled out my Prima wood icons and played with them to determine placement.  I decided on one row of different colored cameras; love the contrast.  The cameras on the top canvas were painted with pine needles and aged mahogany, and the cameras on bottom with ripe persimmon and dusty concord.

I was going for a messy, distressed look, so I didn't worry about getting the paint even or completely covering the wood.  I'm sorry that these detail shots are a little blurry.  Michigan's been in the middle of a snow storm all weekend and I wasn't able to get very good light.  The typewriter font and ink are from my stash.

Thanks for looking, and I'll be back soon!

Baby in Fancy Pants

Have I ever mentioned that every time my husband hears me mention Fancy Pants he puts on his little girl voice and sings "Fancy Pants Unicorn, Fancy Pants Unicorn."  It was from some random cartoon we watched with the girls years ago, and it's stuck in his head.  Fancy Pants and Unicorns are forever linked in my head!

I've got another blast-from-the-past layout for you today.

This little cutie is now 10 years old, and about 4" shorter than moi. She's still that cute, though. ;)

I started with a sheet of kraft paper. I love the Fancy Pants Corrugated Paper, and decided to play with its texture a bit more by ripping it. LOVE! I have really been into layering lately, and used a few sheets from the Fancy Pants Collecting Moments 6x6 Paper Pad and the coordinating Brag Pad. I kept on with my ripping theme for one of the lower layer pieces. I liked how the color tied in with the ripped corrugated (see how I did that?) ;) All of the unripped paper edges were inked with a medium gray chalk pad.

(omg. Would you look at that baby face??)

I add some wood embellishments from Prima, Maya Road, Cosmo Cricket, and some teeny stars from my stash. I completed the layout with a gorgeous oval frame (Webster's Pages, something you might find in a Flamingo Scraps Combination or Embellishment Warehouse Box!) and some Thickers from my stash.

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you next time!

Sketch 14 at Simple Sketches

I really love Melissa's sketches.  Visit Simple Sketches weekly to see each new one!

 

Here's my take on #14:

 

 

I think the best part of sketches is that everyone can interpret them in their own way!  Please head over to the Simple Sketches Blog to see all of Team B's versions!

Was That REALLY Thirteen Years Ago?

Today, I've got a layout to share with you.

I guess I was feeling a little nostalgiac. My husband and I celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary this past October, and it's really hard to believe that we've been married that long (especially since I'm still only 25!) When I received Pink Paislee's Secret Crush line in my Flamingo Scraps Warehouse Sale Combination Box, I thought that maybe...just maybe...I'd finally get some wedding photos scrapped. Ok, here's my secret confession--I am TERRIFIED of scrapping my wedding photos. I do have the negatives, but they are medium format and it's becoming difficult to find a lab who can scan and/or print from medium format negatives. *sigh* Anywho, I decided to take the plunge and and I have to say that I'm really quite happy with how it came out.

I started out by fussy cutting the heart banner from another sheet of the Love Notes paper. I used pop dots to fix it to the paper on top of where the banner originally appeared. Then, I started inking and layering the Paper Good, Photo Frames, and Photo Tabs from the Secret Crush collection. I also used a small strip of the Polka Dance paper.

I finished by adding some Star Dust Stickles to the banner, a few letters and a wee little phrase from my stash, flowers from Prima, and Trinket Pins from Maya Road (all of which might be found in your very own Warehouse Sale Box! They are available in paper, embellishments, or a combination and are chock full of amazing scrappy value!)

I wish all of my American friends a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Thank you for looking, and I'll see you next time! :)

Simple Sketches #12 Reveal

I think my favorite part of being on a sketch team is seeing the many ways each sketch can be used.  I love reveals!
That being said, Sketch #12 is now live on the Simple Sketches blog, and here's my take on it:

I used a Crafter's Workshop 6x6 brick template with some modeling paste mixed with brown paint for my background.  There are some woven strips of pp behind the bricks, and I love how they peek out.  I pop-dotted the photos (regular adhesive wasn't going to work on top of that thick modeling paste!).  I added a few Heidi Swapp rub-ons and stickers (the words and hearts).  I needed a bit more color, so popped in a few strips of washi tape and painted my wooden title letters red.
Please share your take on Melissa's sketch, I would love to see what you've done with it.  Until next time!

My Littlest Love

I recently received part of a Hey Kid kre8v Kit by Pink Paislee. It is so much fun! There are so many cute pieces, and the patterns are so bright and trendy. It's perfect for my little girls!
I chose a photo of my littlest imp; it's one of my favorites because it just captured her 2-year-old self perfectly. She's sweet and sassy, and the mischevious little grin says it all. A complete list of supplies can be found at the end of the post.

I wanted a neutral base because the colors and patterns were so bright, but white, black, and kraft didn't seem right. I finally found this bluish-grey, and I think it's perfect. I fussy-cut along a line of circles in one of the sheets of patterned paper and layered cardstock stickers, another fussy-cut border, and some transparent arrow stickers over that. I didn't like the unrelieved grey, so I splattered a big of gesso on the left of the page. I love how gesso dries; it's solid white, like paint, but it maintains some dimension.
On the top left, I used more cardstock stickers, one of the cute chipboard pieces, and a cardstock speech bubble. I wanted a bit more dimension, so I added some stars and arrows from the Wood Charms by Cosmo Cricket and the Cork Shapes (Hearts & Stars, Arrows) by Fancy Pants.
Thanks for looking, and I can't wait to see you next time!

Products used:
Fancy Pants Cork Shapes, Hearts & Stars
Fancy Pants Cork Shapes, Arrows
Cosmo Cricket Wood Charms
Pink Paislee Hey Kid kre8v Kit
Basic Grey cardstock
ProArt Gesso
GlueDots
Tombo Mono Adhesive

Simple Sketches #10 Reveal

Today's the day, it's time for the latest Simple Sketch!  You can find the sketch, and all of the other fabulous interpretations on the Simple Sketches blog!

Here's my take on it:

 

 

This was pretty simple; I just played with photo size and placement until it fit the photos that I wanted to use.  Even when a sketch shows specific photo sizes, and you don't have those sizes printed, all you need to do is improvise!  :)

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you next time!

 

 

Crafting for Christmas!

Hey, Flock! Genie here, and I'm starting to think about making Christmas gifts for my friends and family. I probably should have started months ago, but I guess I'm just not that prepared. ;)

If I can bear to part with it, this mixed media wood block will go to one of my aunts. I come from a very crafty family, and we have quite a few talented sewists. This idea has been bouncing around in my skull for a while, and the lovely colors in the Webster's Pages Spring Garden collection that came in my Flamingo Scraps Combination Warehouse Box were just what I needed to bring it to life. A complete list of products used will follow.

I started with a 12x12 wood block and haphazardly placed a few pieces of an old pattern on it with Mod Podge (when I use a pattern up, or lose pieces, or whatever, they go into a drawer to be used in mixed media--I love the look!). I tore a few pieces of the Webster's Pages and added those right on top, working them into the patterns for a lovely blend.

I mixed some teal Color Shine mist with some of the Mustard to make a lovely green, which I splattered on the Maya Road chipboard pieces with a paintbrush and then spritzed lightly on the surface of the patterns and papers.

It took some work to get the gorgeousm amazing, lovely, fabulous...(Oh, how I love those Webster's Trims!!) on the page, but with time and a LOT of Mod Podge, they stuck. ;) I wrapped some twine around my chipboard spools, stuck those down, added my text, and a Webster's fabric flower, and I was done. I really love the simplicity and muted color palette of this one! Thanks for looking, and I'll see you soon. :)

Items used:

Warehouse Sale Box--Combination Box

From the box, I used some lovely Webster's Pages papers, trims and twine, from the Spring Market collection.

Maya Road Chipboard Sew Cute Mini

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Tropicana Teal

Heidi Swapp Color Shine Mustard

From my stash: alphabets, wood block, pattern pieces, and art mediums.

Fall Cards

Good morning!  Today I have a trio of fall-themed cards using the new Basic Grey Persimmon.

For the first, I used a sheet from the Basic Grey Persimmon 6x6 Paper Pad. I chalked the edges and added a sticker. I used a piece from the Basic Grey Persimmon Die Cuts and Transparencies pack for my sentiment, and finished it off with a couple of houses from my Prima Wood Icons Sampler and Jenni Bowlin Vintage Feather Tags.

My next card uses several scraps from the 6x6 Paper Pad, some old bling and letters from my stash, another piece from the Die Cuts & Transparencies pack, and a heart from Fancy Pants Cork Shapes, Hearts and Stars (there are also arrows!).



Finally, I made a cute thank you card, using another sheet of the Persimmon 6x6 paper and some Tim Holtz Distress Ink. I chalked the edges of the wooden Studio Calico Wood Veneers -- Triangles and added a Maya Road flower from my stash.

Thanks for looking, and I'll see you soon!

Fall Fun!

Hello Flock! Genie here today with a super cute layout of my littlest niece. :) I played some more with the new Basic Grey Persimmon collection--I really love these patterns and bits and pieces. I love the color combo best, I think--that blue is such a great accent for all these lovely fall colors.

I started with a metallic copper sheet of cardstock that has, literally, been in my stash for EIGHT YEARS. Talk about hoarding! I used some chalk ink and a Heidi Swapp mask to put a little fun on the background (Flamingo Scraps can special order a lot of these masks that I love to use--just ask!). I cut strips from the 6x6 Paper Pad and turned those into arrows. Then I mixed in a border sticker and a die cut from the Die Cuts and Transparencies.

I used a couple more pieces from the Die Cuts and Transparencies package in the bottom left, and then used a piece from the 6x6 Paper Pad to mat my two photos. Finally, atop the bottom, I added a couple of Maya Road Burlap Roses in Lemon and Sunset and tucked in a few leaves from the Prima Wood Icons collections--you can find them in Leaves and Mushrooms or get a variety of all the wood icons in the Sampler. All of the leaves were inked with chalk ink (the Prima Chalk Ink Edgers would be great for this!!)

I hope you enjoyed my cute niece...erm....I mean my cute fall layout. Until next time, Flock...thanks for looking!

Holiday Dress Up Glamour with New Basic Grey! **Flamingo Scraps**

I've been playing with the new Basic Grey 25th and Pine! I love all the little extras that you can get for this collection. The wood veneers and the wax seals are super fun!

I started with a piece of Heidi Swapp color resist paper (that you may find in your Flamingo Scraps Warehouse combination box!) splattered with some Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Sweet Cherry. I started layering some of the Die Cuts & Transparencies with the Printed Chipboard Shapes and Wood Veneer Ornaments.

I scattered a few more of the elements about the page, added some bling and some old Basic Grey chipboard letters.

Last, I added a wood veneer piece to add the date, and colored one of the nifty Wax Seals with plain old markers.

Thanks for visiting!

Trick or Treat!

Good morning!  It's my turn up on the Flamingo Scraps blog today!

 

I'm so excited!! It's fall again! Cooler temperatures, bonfires, pumpkin patches, cider, hot cocoa, colorful leaves, and, best of all...it's almost Halloween!

Flamingo Scraps is carrying the new Basic Grey Persimmon collection, and the fun fall colors and Halloween embellishments inspired me to finally scrap my girls' Trick or Treat photos from two years ago. I went for a simple layout with a fun banner and a cluster based on a journal spot.

The banner was made from 1/2" strips cut from several different Persimmon patterned papers, from the 6x6 Paper Pad, which I cut into triangles. I played with a few different layouts before I decided on the triple-tier banner. I doodled around the edges of each triangle, added a doodled line, and then a few Prima Wood Icons.

Finally, I put a journal spot down from the Basic Grey Persimmon Die Cuts and Transparencies pack and added a banner from the same package and a couple of Basic Grey Persimmon Mixed Brads.

Thanks for looking, and I can't wait to see your fall and Halloween themed projects!

Simple Sketches #4

Sketch 4 is live on the Simple Sketches blog today!  Go check it out, and see the rest of the design team's interpretations.  I have to admit that I love seeing how different people work with the same basic building blocks.
Here's my take on it:

I flipped the sketch on its side because it suited the photos I wanted to use better.  I wanted a Fourth of July layout, but not over the top, red white and blue til you go cross-eyed, so I used more subtle shades and non-traditional patterns.  A little bit of Heidi Swapp Colorshine in Sweet Cherry gives the white cardstock some interest and makes the scalloped circles, cut on my Silhouette Cameo, a big pop.  I finished it off with a glittery, white star border piece and a kraft journal spot.

Thanks for visiting!

Little Star Sweeper

I'm very excited to post my first Flamingo Scraps Design Team project!

When my warehouse box arrived, these Pink Paislee Portfolio papers and embellishments begged me to use them to scrap this photo I had just received of my cousin's new baby boy.

The soft ivories and blue, with touches of mustard, really worked with this gorgeous black and white photo.

I started out by laying down some texture using light modelling paste and a Heidi Swapp mask. While that dried, I fussy cut some elements from the Portfolio papers. I knew I wanted to go with lots of layers and a few banners, and I really loved the play of zig zags and stripes in the papers. I love how the light modelling paste is only semi-opaque when used in a thin layer. It adds such amazing texture without feeling thick and heavy. I also used some of the new Cosmo Cricket Glitter Sheets in my layering here. They are self-adhesive, very easy to cut, VERY glittery, and there is no fallout from the glitter (yay for not having glitter all over my desk!).

I used one of the Pink Paislee Artisan Elements Borders with a little ink on top of some of my fussy cutting. I layered in a little washi tape from my stash, a Pink Paislee tag from my warehouse box (did I mention that not only can you get a combination box, but also a paper box or embellishment box?) The chipboard and wooden stars came from the box and from my stash.

Last (but not least!), I had to come up with a title. Something about this photo made me think of the lullabye from "Lady and the Tramp." I think it was the stars I was adding left and right. Anyway, "Little Star Sweeper" sounded just right, and I hand-wrote "la la lu" above. My final touch was a piece of twine with a bow around the photo.

Thanks for looking!

Simple Sketches #2!

Good morning!
It's my first official morning on the Simple Sketches blog. I'm part of Design Team B, and the new sketch has gone live!  Use this bare bones sketch to make a layout, like I did, or even a greeting card or canvas.  There's nothing like a Simple Sketch to get your creative juices flowing.  :)

Without further ado...

I took some liberties with this sketch.  Don't worry, that's what you're supposed to do!  I wanted to use these photos of my oldest (her aunt put a colored strip in her hair when she got it cut last June and boy, did she think she was cool!).  They were larger photos so I just tweaked the photo placement.  I really raided my stash for this, too--do you remember those paper lace sheets that KI Memories introduced way back when?  I bet I've had them ten years!  I have a huge stack that I've been hoarding.  The embossed cardstock is (I think!) American Crafts, from the Dear Lizzy line, the letters are old Basic Grey (I still love those and wish BG still made them), the bit of trim is Prima, and the flowers and striped pp strip were from my stash.  I used some Heidi Swapp Color Shine on the background, and added a stitched element with the Bazzill stitching guides.

Enjoy, I can't wait to see what you create!  If you create something from this sketch, post a link in my comments.  I'll randomly draw a winner and send out a small RAK of ancient (but still cool!) things from my stash, like those I've created with here.

Simple Sketches #1

Simple Sketches has revealed the first sketch!  Team A's versions of it are posted, and I would like to share my take on it :)

This uses Basic Grey's Hipster.  I have to admit that I love to use a collection because it makes the process so much faster for me--I spend FOREVER trying to find the papers and embellishments that I want otherwise!  I used some Glitz background/distress stamps and Tim Holtz stamps with Distress Ink on some of the papers and in the corners of the background. 

And yes, my dog *IS* a bad dog.  But we love her anyway.  :)

Hopscotch, and other fun things to do

Hello blog-o-sphere!

I made this for a recent DT call; I didn't make the team, but I think I make some of my best work for those calls!  :)

This is a lift of a layout from the April issue of Scrapbook Trends.  Love that magazine!
This background is the Heidi Swapp color resist papers, spritzed with a little Color Shine.

Introducing Simple Sketches

I'm very excited to be part of this awesome new sketch blog--Simple Sketches!
Melissa's sketches are designed to give you the basics without all the frills; so you have a blueprint for your page without having your hand held.
Not only am I excited about the blog, but also to be part of the Design Team!  There's nothing better than being able to work with friends on a new, exciting endeavor!
This is the layout I made with the sketch released for the Design Team call:

I combined some Heidi Swapp color resist chevron paper with some of her zig zag paper and used some Color Shine mists to put a pretty, subtle pop of color behind my photo.  I finished off with a fussy cut banner from a sheet of patterned paper and a few pieces of American Crafts chipboard.  There are also a few scraps of tulle (from the underskirt of the dress my daughter is wearing).  The larger photo is my favorite of this little one so far; I don't think it gets much better than this pout mixed with that posture and those cowgirl boots.  :)
Thanks for looking, and stay tuned for further adventures with me and Simple Sketches!

Christmas in July with Flamingo Scraps--Layouts!!

I chose to make a couple of scrapbook layouts with Christmas photos. I don't know about you guys, but I never seem to get my Christmas photos scrapped. I think the quantity is just overwhelming! So I thought I'd use this opportunity to scrap a few photos that I've had printed for ages! For both layouts, I used the Traditional Christmas kit from the Big Pink Bargain Bin, only adding a little Stickles and some Thickers. :)

We bake a lot of cookies every year, and the ones we make with the cookie press are always my daughter's favorites (although she prefers to eat the other kinds!).

 

I love to use a sheet of paper for a border, but hate the waste. My secret is that I cut out the center of the piece being used as a border. Here, I've added it back in as a kind of photo mat. Here's my other dirty little secret--I am a TERRIBLE journaler! I will add some in on the middle strip once I figure out how old these photos are. I added a border sticker, some of the cute chippies, a row of brads, and a title. This one was pretty simple and came together quickly once I'd decided what I wanted to do.

A few years ago (it was five, if you'd really like to know how long I've procrastinated for), my mom gave me an old photo to restore. I did the restoration artwork and printed out copies for mom and my aunt, uncle, and grandmother, but never did anything with my copy. I decided that this beautiful traditional kit was a perfect opportunity to scrap my vintage photo. I love this photo of my mom as a child! (and how about that wallpaper, with matching valance??)

 

 

I used a different border trick this time; I had about half a sheet of the red and white polka dot paper left from my canvas, but I really wanted this for a border. I cut 2" strips and glued them together to form a square, and then put my border punched sheet on top. I doodled around the page (I used a ruler on the straight sections). Simple embellishments, and a little Stickles, and I'm very happy to be able to add this to an album. :)

Thanks for reading, and many thanks to Flamingo Scraps for asking me to Guest Design for them this month.  :)

Christmas in July with Flamingo Scraps

Good morning!

 

I am honored to be part of  Flamingo Scraps' GDT for the month of July, and I look forward to sharing my Christmas projects with you and also seeing what the other designers will do next!

For my first project, I made a mixed media canvas. This project was inspired by Christy Tomlinson, and uses a 12x24 canvas.

 

For this project, I used the Traditional holiday kit from the Big Pink Bargain Bin, Color Shine mist in Teal, Mustard, and Sweet Cherry, Pink Paislee/Christy Tomlinson vintage doily mask, a little bit of white paint, some We R Memory Keepers baker's twine, Prima wooden accents, modelling paste, and lots of Mod Podge. There are also a couple of inexpensive paper doilies in there.

I don't really have a method to my madness, although I do like to start a canvas by laying down a few layers of paper (in this case, the Pink Paislee Collage sheets and the paper doilies). I used some Color Shine to tint my white paint and then used bubble wrap to apply it. I used modelling paste with the doily mask to create some fun texture, and then layered on A LOT of Color Shine.

 

Once I was happy with my background, I cut a few pieces of various green patterned papers in half (so I had 6x12" pieces) and started tearing my strips. I used various widths and didn't try to control my ripping very much. For each paper layer, I used Mod Podge to affix it, and then more on top to keep it down. I didn't wait for my background to dry, and I love how the paint and mists mixed into the Mod Podge on top of my tree layers.

 

Finally, it was time to embellish. I used Color Shine on the wooden embellishments and Mod Podge to hold down the twine. I waited until morning, when the canvas was dry, to attach the brads.

I hope you are inspired to make some Christmas decor of your own. There's nothing more fun than getting your fingers covered in paint and Mod Podge while your canvas comes to life!

she danced in a rainbow

Spring is finally here, and the rain is over and guess what??  My house didn't float away!  Even though we knew the elevation of the main parts of the house was well over the flood level, watching that water creep up and surround the house was pretty surreal.  But, the water has receded and our basement even stayed dry!
In honor of spring, and spring showers, I'd like to share a cute little 8x8 canvas I made for a swap.

This is a combination of all kinds of pretty things!  The paints and mists are assorted Shimmerz, Color Shine, and Glimmer Mist.  I used a TCW template and modelling paste for the wood grain (just added some brown paint for color).  The papers are from Christy Tomlinson's SheArt collection, the letters are Adornit, and most of the rubons were from the SheArt collection, too.  I added some misc bits of Prima bling and a lovely piece of lace, and voila!  The girl's head/hair/flowers are hand painted.

Here's a detail; love the texture I got from the template and modelling paste!

Thanks for visiting!