Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Pretty Little Studio + Love My Tapes Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to the Pretty Little Studio and Love My Tapes Blog Hop! We thought it would be fun to combine forces and share with you projects highlighting Pretty Little Studio whimsical goodness paired with the versatility and trendiness of Love My Tapes.


During the Blog Hop, you will be visiting blogs from both Pretty Little Studio and Love My Tapes Design Team members. We promise to bring you a hop FULL of inspiration and creativity.  Here is what I created with my adorable die-cuts from PLS and some tape from LMT.

I used the lace tape on this card...at the top and on the blue hearts.  I simply punched some hearts out of cardstock, covered them with the lace, and lightly inked over the top to give a light blue tint.  Easy peasy!  I love these PLS vintage images...so cute!


I love these really small characters...but they all had so many different colors going on.  I pulled out some black & teal tape, and my white lace tape.  Just like the card above, I lightly inked it pink to pull out the girly colors.


I love this little girl having an ice cream soda!  I wanted to play on the teals & reds, so I stamped several hearts and then painted in some of them with watered down mist.  I added the button, and it finished it off.


What’s a Blog Hop without giveaways? Be sure to visit all the blogs, including the Pretty Little Studio and Love My Tapes blogs for a chance to win some PLS and LMT goodies! When visiting the Design Team member’s blogs, be sure and leave comments as many of the Design Team members will also be hosting their own Blog Hop giveaways.

The Hop will start on the Pretty Little Studio blog and end on the Love My Tapes blog, so head on over to the Pretty Little Studio blog if you are just joining in. We will announce the winners of the PLS and LMT giveaways on May 3rd, so be sure to be watching for the announcements. If you get lost along the way, just check below where you are to get you hopping in the right direction. So let’s get hopping!

Now, you should have just arrived here from Mary Ann's blog.

Pretty Little Studio Blog: http://prettylittlestudio.com/blog/
Aimee Maddern: http://aimeesarmoire.typepad.com/
Annette Allen: http://myclevercreations.blogspot.com/
Annette Witherspoon: http://www.aspoonfullofsugarcrafts.blogspot.com/
Ashley Horton: http://www.ashleyhortondesigns.com/
Candice Elliott: http://truedivinehand.blogspot.com/
Christina Collins: http://dontworry-bescrappy.blogspot.com/
Heather Adams: http://craftyscrapbooker.blogspot.com/
Janice Whiting: http://www.janiceaileen.blogspot.com/
Jenni Calma: http://www.papercardinal.blogspot.com/
Krissy McKee: http://krissyclarkmckee.blogspot.com/
Lisa Spiegel: http://lisaspiegel.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Lisa Wilkinson: http://www.createfor7.blogspot.com/
Mary Ann Jenkins: http://www.maryannjenkins.com/
Missy Whidden: http://littlenuggetcreations.blogspot.com/
Tina Walker: http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com/
Love My Tapes Blog: http://lovemytapes.blogspot.com/

Have a great day, and have lots of fun hopping!

Monday, April 29, 2013

So Many Ways to Love Her {My Creative Scrapbook}

It's Monday again...they just keep on coming, don't they?  I'm sharing my final project featuring the April Main Kit from My Creative Scrapbook.  This one was my favorite of all my projects this month.  I used a lot of the Crate Paper Maggie Holmes washi tape paper included in the kit, as well as a lot of paint.  Lately, I'm loving starting with a plain white piece of cardstock and making it work with what I have.  I watered down some paints here and used a foam brush to spread it around.  Super easy!


I cut this arrow and the word "love" with my Cameo.


These Thickers are originally brown, but I colored them to match my paint colors.  I have a tutorial below showing how I did it.


I just LOVE this butterfly!  I crinkled him up some to give him some interest and depth.


A close up of that lovely washi paper!


Here's a little tutorial on my alpha painting :)


I hope this inspires you to get out your paints and create something unique!  Don't be afraid to get messy...that's the fun in it!  I can't wait to show you what I've been working on with the May kit from MCS...the reveal of that kit is coming on the 5th, so stay tuned!  You won't want to miss it :)

Have a GREAT day, and thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Croppin' at My Scraps...2 pages to share!

 *****If you're here for the My Scraps Spring into Summer Blog Hop, go HERE!*****

Are you looking for some fun scrappy inspiration this weekend?  Well, My Scraps and More is the place!  We're having a Spring into Summer Crop this weekend, and there are a TON of challenges up for you on our message boards!  All of them are Spring and Summer related, but your pages do not have to be about that...they can be about anything!  You really should come over and play with us!

Don't forget about the Hop still going on, too!  You  have until midnight April 28th to complete the Hop!  Go HERE to get started!


Today, I'm sharing the two pages I created for my two challenges.  This first one is for a {Photo Inspired}Challenge.  Go HERE to see the photo :)  I traced some circles and then painted them with some watered down paints.  I added lots of random stamping and lots of fun washi tapes.  I only used one piece of patterned paper behind my photos.  Using paints, stamps & tape is a great way to make a layout when you don't want to use up a lot of paper, or you just want to create something kind of random.


This is the page for my second challenge...it's all about Summer traveling.  I used an awesome sketch by Kristine Davidson.  I used the new Trendsetter line from Fancy Pants...I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  I've never been a huge red or navy fan, but this line has changed my mind!  I love all the elements that come in this collection...the die cuts, the stickers, the tags, the flair! Go HERE to grab it from the My Scraps store.


I hope you'll come visit us on the boards...there are so many fun challenges over there, and a GREAT prize awaits one lucky winner!  And don't forget about the games, too :)

Have a GREAT weekend!


Friday, April 26, 2013

Lovin' Life with Love My Tapes!

*****If you're here for the My Scraps Spring into Summer Blog Hop, go HERE!*****

Happy Friday, friends!  It's the weekend...finally :)  I sure hope you're planning some scrappy time this weekend!

Today, I'm here too share with you a page I created for Love My Tapes.  It features a fun and easy way to use your tapes for embellishing on your projects.  I used the new Vintage Bliss line from Simple Stories.  A few of my LMT tapes coordinated with it perfectly!  I used it in a few different ways.  The teal tape I used as a border strip along the left hand side.  I also used another long strip of it above my arrows.  You can use your tape in place of patterned paper, which is what I did here.
  

I also used a roll of coral colored fabric tape as a border strip here...it looks just like patterned paper that coordinates with the paper line.


The is was the most fun!  I took a roll of white lace tape and covered some paper hearts I punched out.  I tinted it pink by dabbing a small paint brush into some watered down coral colored paint, and TADA!  Pink tape!  You can do this with any color.  I LOVE the texture and dimension the tape gives!


Another angle of the teal washi & coral fabric tape together.  So easy to use!


There are so many ways to use your tapes...try and think outside the box when creating your projects.  A little bit of tape can go a along way, and those little details can make a big difference on your pages!

Thanks so much for visiting us today, and have a FABULOUS weekend!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

My first canvas art + a layout

*****Go HERE for the My Scraps and More Spring into Summer Blog Hop & Crop!*****

Hello and happy Wednesday, scrappy friends :)  I hope you're having a wonderful week, so far.  I wanted to share a project I've been working on for a few months now.  I've been dying to try to make a canvas piece for a long time, but I was never brave enough.  I also wanted to create a piece to hang in my daughter's room.  Her bedding has horses all over it, so I wanted to include a little horsie and create some sort of landscape.  I wanted it to be kind of abstract, yet kind of realistic.

I jumped in headfirst and purchased a 16x20canvas and just went for it.  I gave the whole thing a coat of gesso and then grabbed an old book that had been torn up (thanks to my girls!) and started mod-podging some pages down.  I love the look of text!  Then I grabbed some pieces of colored tissue paper & old patterned paper...and started tearing it and covering it with mod podge...it's like easy brush-on glue.  It's awesome at sealing all those crunchy layers of paper.  Lots and lots of layers of tissue paper.

Then I misted some, used some masks, did some stamping, used some washi tapes....I didn't go for the modeling paste on this one.  Since it was my first one, I was just experimenting.

I've had those cheesy little pink rhinestone flowers since the beginning of scrappy time, so I figured I'd use them for a pop of pink at the bottom.  I used green twine for the stems, and I also used twine inside the sun.  It's hard to see in this picture, but I embossed the clouds with my swirl Cuttlebug folder.

Anyway, this is the finished product, and I think I really like it!  I will go perfect in Paige's room, and now I know that I can do something other than layouts from time to time.  I have another empty canvas waiting...I just need an idea to pop into my head :)


Here's a layout before I go...it was up on the My Scraps blog a few weeks ago.  I'm trying to dig back into my older stash of papers and use them!  I still had a lot left from my Echo Park For the Record lines, so I broke this one out and went for it.  I wanted to use a lot of the colors & patterns, so I decided to use strips.


That's it for today...I thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a GREAT day!  I'll be back later this week for my last page & tutorial using this month's Main Kit at My Creative Scrapbook.  And don't forget about the Crop going on this weekend at My Scraps!

Monday, April 22, 2013

My Scraps & More Spring into Summer Blog Hop!

Welcome to the My Scraps and More Spring into Summer Blog Hop and Crop! Hopefully you have come here from Lisa's blog. If not, start the beginning of the hop here. We are "springing into things" with a blog hop starting today and the official crop will kick off on Friday, April 26 on the message board. You will be springing over to each of the design team members' blogs and seeing a creation they have made using one of the recently released Winter CHA lines.

As you Spring from one blog to the next, make sure you take note of the paper line each design team member used. At the end of the hop you will have a list of 6 design team members and paper lines. Email your list to info@myscrapsandmore.com. A random winner will be drawn from all lists received. Everyone is welcome to play! If you live outside the US, you will be responsible for shipping cost. You have until Sunday, April 28 at midnight EST to complete the hop.

Here is the prize you are playing for...the Fancy Pants Hopscotch line!



For my layout, I used the amazing DIY collection from Crate Paper. It's a little out of my comfort zone of bright and bold colors, but that's what I like about it. I decided to scrap a page about me, and these papers were perfect!  I wanted to add more yellow, so I added some paint.  I really like how the greens, yellows, reds & blacks all go so well together.  And I decided to break out my Dymo label maker....it's been ages since I used that thing!  I was inspired one of the sketches & layouts in Kristine Davidson's Creating With Sketches Vol. 2 Sketchbook.


Now Spring on over to Audrey's blog and see what she has come up with.

If you get lost along the way, here is the order of the hop.

Tammi - http://www.tjsmemoriesblog.blogspot.com/ 
Tracy - http://ascrapatatime.blogspot.com/ 
Lisa - http://lisasscrappyhideaway.blogspot.com/ 
Missy - http://www.littlenuggetcreations.blogspot.com/
Audrey - http://audreysreflection.blogspot.com/ 
Wendi - http://scrappydayinparadise.blogspot.com/ 

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Friday, April 19, 2013

My Scraps Sketch #25

It's the weekend...yay!  I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, mainly because I was up all night with my oldest and a surprise stomach bug.  She vomited every half hour from 11pm until 7:30am...ugh.  I wound up sleeping in her bed with her so I could help her.  I got a total of about 15 minutes sleep, so I'm kind of out of it today.  But I'd trade places with her in a second if I could.  I hate seeing my children sick :(

Anyway, onto something happier :)  I'm here to share the latest sketch from the My Scraps Sketch Blog.  It's a tough one, but definitely one that will force you to get creative.  Our entire DT agreed that it was a hard sketch, and I was also skeptical that I could make something that I wouldn't hate.  But I tried something different, and I LOVE my page!  You should check out all the other DT's pages...they're all so different.

Here's the sketch:


Here is what I created...another ALL washi layout!  It's mostly all MME tape from various lines.  I added some stitched circles and some watered-down paint drips.  I also lightly painted the inside of the pink circles.  I really love stamping on my pages lately...I just love the look of the fun detail!


I hope this sketch inspires you to get creative!  You can go HERE to link up your layout to be eligible for the monthly prize!

Thanks so much for taking a peek at my layout today...I hope you have a great day :)

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Almost 2 {My Creative Scrapbook} + a tutorial

I hope your Wednesday is treating you kindly, friends!  I'm excited to share this page with you today...it's another layout I made using the April Main Kit from My Creative Scrapbook.  It's one of my favorites...mainly because of the beautiful Maggie Holmes papers, but also because I got a little messy with it.  That green doily behind the right photo was fussy cut from patterned paper, and I painted it green...it was white.  I love making things your own!


I also created a little photo tutorial for how I add paint to my pages.  This was up on the MCS blog on Saturday.  You can go HERE to see it.  Hope this gives you a little insight to using paint on your pages!


You should visit the MCS blog when you get a minute...there is SO much inspiration over there.  And there's some kind of tutorial up almost every day!  Each DT member creates one on at least one of their pages!  I did two this month, and I'll share that one later on this month.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!