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!

Pigtails!

I've been hoarding this set of Canvas Corp banners for months, waiting for the right layout to use them on. I found this photo of my oldest (was she really this little?), paired it with a Scarlet Lime kit and a LCOM sketch, and the banners just begged to be used :)

The banners were stamped with Distress Ink and some Glitz distressing stamps. I love love love how this turned out :)

This photo is really special; with the age difference between my girls, they don't always get along. The baby generally adores her big sister, but big sister often can't be bothered. I love these moments when they get along and have fun with each other. This layout was a lift from a layout I saw on scrapbook.com; you can see the original here.