Challenge Me Happy #27 & a DT call

Hello there, friends!  I'm hopping online today to share the newest challenge at Challenge Me Happy.  This one is a recipe challenge.

You must include the following on your page:

* One or more stamps
* 2 photos
* Twine or ribbon or both
* 2 or more paper clips
* No cardstock
* 3 patterned papers or more

**Mist / paint/ ink / border punches are freebies!

Here is what I came up with.  I used papers from 3 Bugs in a Rug, which were sent to me by the awesome Scrappin' Patch.  I was nervous about using no cardstock, but I loved how it turned out!

The winner of this challenge will win an e-book from the amazing Cathrine Pooler.

Here’s a little bit about her: 

Thank you so much for visiting my website! Rubber stamping and scrapbooking have been my hobbies since the 1990′s and became my JOB in 2003! My many hats include, being the owner and founder of StampNation, author of Life Scraps…how to scrapbook your life through storytelling, and being a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator. Spending my days rubber stamping, scrapbooking and teaching others how to explore their creativity is a dream! I do this through my blog, Youtube Videos, newsletter and my membership site, StampNation. Being a demonstrator has brought me things I never dreamed possible, including being recognized by Stampin’ Up as one of their top demonstrators every year since signing on with the company, including the #4 top demonstrator in 2008 and appointment to the prestigious Advisory Board in 2007. I am ecstatic to be living my dream, working from home elbow deep in cardstock, markers and rubber stamps while raising 3 beautiful daughters with my husband, Randall and dog, Kenly. 

And here’s the link where you can find some more info on the prize, a 136 page book that will help you along in your scrapbooking journey: http://www.catherinepooler.com/pages/lifescraps-2/

Also, if you're interested in trying out for the Challenge Me Happy Design Team, click HERE to read all about it!  It's a really great team to be a part of...always lots of fun and great inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by today :)

Quote Challenge @ My Scraps and More

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend.  It's a beautiful Saturday here in Florida...hot, sunny & humid.  Well, maybe the humid part isn't so nice, but that's just part of our daily weather here.  My husband is outside working in the yard, I just finished yoga, the girls are watching Dora, and it's almost lunch time and then some pool time :)  Sounds like a great day to me!

I wanted to share a page I made for a challenge at My Scraps and More.  It was my turn to do the Wednesday {quote} challenge.  I have been wanting to scrap this picture of my daughter's scribbles on the sliding glass door.  I found this awesome art quote and knew it was a perfect saying for this picture.  You may ask why I was so excited that Reese drew on the glass...well, even though you would never know by looking at her, she is on the autism spectrum.  I knew early on that she was special.  I knew when she was 15 months old that something was going on because she had problems making eye contact, she never imitated anything anyone did, she didn't talk, she had no interest in playing with toys the way they were meant to be played with.  I would try and read to her and she wouldn't have it, and she refused to even hold a crayon, let alone color with one.

Long story short...we have spent the last four years in speech & occupational therapy, trying to help her.  She has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.  She starts kindergarten this year, and that scares me!  We are fortunate to have a wonderful special-needs school nearby that she attends.  She gets her therapy everyday and is surrounded by amazing teachers who love her to pieces.  This is where she attended pre-school, so she is very familiar with everything there.

So this is a layout that showcases a huge milestone for Reese.  Even though she was almost 4 years old before she did this the first time, the point is she finally did it!  After she scribbled on the glass door, she also drew on the walls down the hallway.  Those masterpieces are still there...I refuse to wipe them off :)

The quote I used was:  "Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."  --Pablo Picasso

I love this scribbly circle mask!  It totally reminds me of scribbles & doodles.  I love the look of outlining the edges, too.

A close-up of the misting...

I've had these flowers forever, and the color went with my papers perfectly! Just had to use them.

I based this layout on one of the Got Talent sketches. Kristine Davidson's sketches are SO awesome!

Thanks so much for stopping by today...have a wonderful weekend!

A page just for fun!

Happy Thursday to you!  I am sharing a page I made just for fun today...I rarely have time to do that anymore.  I saw a recent sketch at Creative Scrappers (217) and decided to play along.  I have a lot of July 4th photos that I'm trying to get scrapped, so I made this one patriotic.  These pictures are of Paige in her first bikini two years ago...my little chunk!

I love twine & buttons...I'm always drawn to wrapping twine around a group of papers or photos and "tying" them together.  I just like the look.

I used some chipboard stars as masks, and then misted around them.  I then traced around them with a black pen.

I added a bit of hand stitching here and there.

Here is Sketch 217...isn't it awesome?!

It was great to see you...thank you so much for stopping by! I'll have more to share this weekend :) Have a wonderful day!

One more July page @ Artful Delight

Hi!  I'm finally getting online to post my final July layout featuring the Artful Delight kit this month.  I've been out getting school supplies this morning, and it is SO humid and muggy outside!  We got a ton of rain yesterday, and it's one of those mornings where you immediately start sweating as soon as you walk out the door.  Your hair frizzes out and your face gets oily right off the bat.  I don't mind sweating as long as I'm at the gym, but not when I'm just simply walking to my car.  Ugh!

Anyway, here is my page.  There are still some kits left...hurry on over and grab one! I am so in love with these colors...that orange Authentique paper was one of my favorites in the kit.  Such a rich & fun color!  I love how the blues in the photos really pop against the orange. 

I wanted to showcase these awesome Prima canvas shapes. They are so easy & fun to paint!  I traced around the edges with a pen...there are so many things you can do to these.  I simply rubbed paint all over them, and they absorbed it really well.  I also punched my flower center buttons with a punch.

Thank you for stopping by...hope you have a great day!

Once Upon a Sketch entry + Artful Delight August Kit!

It's Saturday...yay!  I have a lot to share today.  First up, I wanted to share the page I created for the July challenge at Once Upon a...Sketch.  This is only my second time entering over there.  I always feel very intimidated by the level of work I see there...my style just seems so minimal compared to the gorgeous creations I see by the lovely women on the team.  But this time, I really liked the challenge, and I wanted to scrap this picture of me and my sister from back in February.  The theme was "friends," and the sketch provided is just amazing.

The papers I used aren't usually my style, either...they're from the Bo Bunny Country Garden collection.  I saw them in my LSS and thought they were so pretty.  I love butterflies, and I also loved the bright greens, blues, oranges & yellows.  I started with this pretty green page and smeared it up with lots of bright paint and then tore it up on the top & bottom.  I'm usually not a flowery-frilly scrapper, but I wanted to incorporate a few on this one.

Lots of distressing, inking and painting...

Close up of my ribbon and flowers.  I also used a few of the brads that came in the collection.

I also wanted to share with you the gorgeous August kit from Artful Delight...it's being revealed early!

This kit will include:

Bo Bunny - Hello Sunshine collection - 12x12 sheet (1 each) 

Hello Sunshine 

Hello Sunshine Stripe 

Prima Marketing - Doodle-Deux collection - 12x12 sheet (1 each) 

Doodle-Bits 

Lucky Charms 

Button-Up 

Alpha-Bytes 

Basic Grey - Paper Cottage collection - 12x12 sheet (1 each) 

Vegetable Garden 

Backgammon Porch Swing 

Evening Stroll 

Afghan 

Fine China 

Table Linens 

Bazzill coordinating cardstock - 12x12 sheet (1 each) 

Lagoon 

Blossom 

French Vanilla 

Marmalade 

Beetle Black 

Embellishments - size and color may vary per kit 

1 sheet - Basic Grey Paper Cottage collection - Sticker sheet 

1 - FabScraps Bird Cage with Bird chipboard shape 

1 package - Prima Flowers - Lucerne Doodle-Deux flowers 

1 sheet - Basic Grey Paper Cottage collection - 6x12 sticker sheet 

1 package - Kaisercraft - Enchanted rub-ons 

1 package - Prima Flowers - Alphabet Stickers 

Approx. 10 yards - Black Baker's Twine 

1 package - Basic Grey PB&J collection - Chiffon Flowers 

1 mini stamp set - Prima Flowers 

1 package - Basic Grey Paper Cottage collection - Wood Buttons 

1 package - Kaisercraft Jewels - Miss Nelly

Don't forget about the card kit, too! 

This kit will include:

Bo Bunny - Hello Sunshine collection - 6x6 sheet (2 each) 

Hello Sunshine 

Hello Sunshine Stripe 

Prima Marketing - Doodle-Deux collection - 6x6 sheet (2 each) 

Doodle-Bits 

Lucky Charms 

Button-Up 

Alpha-Bytes 

Basic Grey - Paper Cottage collection - 6x6 sheet (2 each) 

Vegetable Garden 

Backgammon 

Porch Swing 

Evening Stroll 

Afghan 

Fine China 

Table Linens 

Bazzill coordinating cardstock - 8 1/2x11 sheet (2 each) 

Lagoon 

French Vanilla 

Marmalade 

Beetle Black 

Embellishments - size and color may vary per kit 

1 background stamp - Basic Grey/Hero Arts - Curl Pattern 

1 package - Prima Flowers - Lucerne Doodle-Deux flowers 

1 sheet - Basic Grey Paper Cottage collection - 6x12 sticker sheet 

1 package - Kaisercraft - Enchanted rub-ons 

1 package - Prima Flowers - Alphabet Stickers 

Approx. 10 yards - Black Baker's Twine 

1 package - Basic Grey PB&J collection - Chiffon Flowers 

1 package - Basic Grey Paper Cottage collection - Wood Buttons 

1 package - Kaisercraft Jewels - Miss Nelly 

And more note of business...the HOOPLA winners have been announced over at Challenge Me Happy!  One lucky lady won a Big Shot and two Tim Holtz dies...go check out the blog to see who it was :)  My winner of my BOM challenge is KELLY FOSTER!  I also had a RAK winner...and she is MARHAMAH!  This was such a fun contest, and there were so many awesome layouts entered.  Congrats to all the winners!!

Thanks for stopping by today...hope you have a great weekend!

DT Projects @ My Scraps & More

Hey there, everyone!  I'm popping on this morning to share my July projects for My Scraps & More.  This month, Tammi sent us some fun Jillibean Soup papers -- two different lines (Chilled Strawberry Soup & Homemade 6 Bean Soup).   I created two cards and two layouts with it.  I'm not that great at making cards, and I don't know why.  I guess because there is no picture to work around...haha.

This line of papers is made of Kraft cardstock, and they are currently 75% off in the My Scraps & More store.  I knew I wanted to use the cute strawberry papers for a "berry sweet" card.  They were just begging to be cut out!

Each paper in this collection is so different.  I wanted to try a sun ray type of design, using all of them.  I'm not sure if I like all the different patterns up against each other, but I do love the colors!  See why I'm not that great at cards?

For this layout, I used the other line...and it's full of fun & bright colors--much easier for me to work with!  I splattered some pink watercolor paint all around the page and added a flower stamp.  I wanted to use these photos because the blue in Paige's outfit matches the blue in the flower paper...how nit picky is that?!  :)

I had to do a pool layout with all of these super fun & bright colors :)  I used a circle mask that I found in the home decorating section of Michael's...where they have all the stencils for painting on your wall.  I had to have it!  I wanted to incorporate the spool circle paper somehow, so I punch out some circles and added them to the misted pattern.

I've found one fun & easy way to use more of your patterned paper is to make a banner. I'm sort of obsessed with them :)

I appreciate you stopping by today! Thanks so much. I will be sharing a few pages I've been working on recently for challenges. I made some time to play this week, and I've missed entering challenges. I hope you have a wonderful day :)

More fun at Artful Delight - Tickled + some awesome news!

Hey there, friends!  I'm here today to share yet another page I created using the July kit from Artful Delight.  There are some Echo Park Sweet Day papers included, and I knew right away that I wanted to cut these hexagons out and use them somehow.  The most fun item in the kit, I think, is the Prima sheet of canvas shapes...oh my gosh!  This butterfly was so fun to paint...you can do whatever you want to them and they really hold the color well, whether it's paint or mist.  Plus, you can use them as a mask, like I did here.
 

A close-up of the butterfly...there are also flower shapes, which I have coming up on another layout soon.

 

And using it as a mask...and don't forget that the mist I used (Mister Huey's) also comes in kit!  It sprays on so well.

I'm so in love with these Artful Delight kits...they just always work perfectly with my photos. And there is SO MUCH included!


I also wanted to share a bit of ScrapFIT news with you!

ScrapFIT and Paper Issues are joining forces to bring you the ultimate tools to keep you in the best paper crafting shape of your life! Starting Augusts 1st , exclusive and unique 'FITkits' will be available each month!

FITkits will be offered up as prizes for each ScrapFIT Workout--and for you die hard scrappers who want to get in to shape ASAP, you can purchase them straight from the Paper Issues store - along with all the other hot new products they have! There will be 2 FITkits each month! The first is a full-size FITkit including the newest papers and embellishments already coordinated to maximize your FIT potential! The second kit is the LowCal FITkit that is jam packed with a mixture of only the hottest embellishments to hit the market!

Here is a sneak peek of the August kit!

We are pumped about these FITkits and you wont want to miss out on the release of these kits! Be sure to follow Paper Issues and ScrapFIT both on their blog an Facebook!

ScrapFIT #72 & and a Bubbly Artful Delight layout

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!  I have a few pages to share today.  I posted the latest challenge at Challenge Me Happy yesterday, so if you missed it, click HERE.

Today, I'm sharing the latest workout at ScrapFIT and another page I made for Artful Delight using the fabulous July kit.  First up is my ScrapFIT page.  Workout #72 is a beautiful color palette designed by our awesome Creative Trainer, Diana Fisher.  I had MME's On the Bright Side just waiting to be used, and the papers were perfect for this color palette!

I finally got my hands on one of those Crafter's Workshop hexagon masks!  I've been wanting one for so long, and I finally bought one.  I used white paint...love how that turned out.  I just love these papers...such cool patterns & colors.

Our prize sponsor for this workout is Paper Issues!  The winner will win a $15 gift certificate!

I borrowed this lovely sketch from Diana Fisher...she can do it all!

Head on over to the ScrapFIT blog and check out the color palette and all the amazing projects created by the DT! Lots of beautiful inspiration there :)

My next layout is one I created with the July Artful Delight kit.  It's amazing (as usual)!  We are required to make four layouts, but I always have extra papers & products, so I tend to keep on going and make even more.  This is one of my extra pages that went up on the blog today.  I still have two more coming up on Tuesday, and another one the following week.

My daughter decided to take her bottles of bubbles to bed with her, so naturally, I had to take pictures :)  This was the last layout I made, so I used scraps & cardstock.  I wanted to create some bubbles, so I used a circle mask and misted with some Mister Huey's (included in the kit), and then I punched some circles out of the bright yellow cardstock and then coated them with Glossy Accents.  While still wet, I dripped some yellowish-orange alcohol inks onto them.  As soon as the ink hit the circle, the color just marbled...it was so cool to watch!  I love the result, even though they are a little bolder than I anticipated.  This wound up being a very different color scheme for me.  The more I look at it, the more I love it!

The Glossy Accents make the paper so shiny and wet-looking...what a great effect.

There are still several kits left, so hurry on over to the Artful Delight blog and grab one...I promise you will not be disappointed. There is so much in these kits. They just keep going and going! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Challenge Me Happy #26

Hello :)  Hope you're enjoying your Saturday.  We've had several little showers come through today, but it's been sunny & nice in between.  It's turning out to be a rather enjoyable evening.

I'm here to share the latest challenge at Challenge Me Happy.  This one is a word challenge, and the word is TODAY.  I was fortunate enough to receive some sponsored materials for this challenge from The Scrappin' Patch.  My papers, twine, chipboard title and clear cuts shapes were all sent to me, and let me tell you, they weren't easy for me to play with at first!  The papers aren't my usual color choices, and the clear cuts were all about winter time.  I live in Florida, so I really can't even use anything with the word "snow" on it...haha!  I got creative and used the snowy pinecones for leaves, and I used the birds as well.

Aren't these clear cut birds so cute?

I used a scribbly-type circle mask and misted the background with some black ink
.

Pine cone leaves? It's a stretch...haha! But I like the result.

The prize sponsor for this challenge is 2 Crafty Chipboard.

Also, the HOOPLA challenges are coming to an end. The DT members are busy visiting blogs and choosing the winners. One lucky lady will win a Big Shot & two Tim Holtz dies! Keep checking the CMH blog to see who wins! There will be a chosen winner for each challenge as well as a random draw winner. Good luck to everyone who played along!

A few pages for My Scraps & More

Happy  Friday!  I wanted to share two pages today that I created for two different challenges at My Scraps & More recently.  If you haven't heard, the My Scraps Got Talent II Contest is in full swing.  It lasts all summer long, and it's filled with awesome sketches from some talented ladies.  Each sketch has a twist added in.  I hosted one of the challenges, and I got to play with this amazing sketch from Julie Bonner.

I wound up flipping the sketch for my page.  I used some photos of my daughter and me from a summer field trip two years ago.  Her summer camp group went for a train ride.  It was our very first time riding a train, and we had a great time!  I misted a circle first and then stitched a few more around it.  I used papers from MME's On the Bright Side.  I just love these primary colors and the denim!  The twist for this challenge was to use at least 3 different punches.

My next page was for yesterdays {play} challenge. It involved using something "wooden" or wood-related on your page. I used three different woodgrain papers from MME's On the Bright Side.

I based this layout on one of the Got Talent sketches from Kristine Davidson. Once again, I flipped it.

You still have plenty of time to join in on the fun & games! You won't want to miss it. Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!