Tidy vs Messy - Both Can Be Fun!

The layouts that I did today and yesterday are very different in so many ways. Yesterday's prompt for Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party was to use stamps on your layout. I freaked out at first because I own about a handful of stamps. But Wendy Sue Anderson gave us a wonderful layout example where she printed out digital stamps onto different patterned papers and paper pieced them back together for a really cute effect. I immediately knew what I wanted to do.

Products Used:  pp's: Keeping Memories Alive & Hot Off The Press - Glitter Chipboard Letters: Thickers-American Crafts Dear Lizzy - Rain Drops: Cloud 9 Design by Fiskars - Clipart & Journaling Block: Mindy Terasawa

I have had this Sweet & Salty clip art by Mindy Terasawa for over a year and had only printed it out for color pages for the girls. I was thrilled to death to find a great way to incorporate it in my scrapbook pages. I printed out each clip art character on two pieces of patterned paper and cut out part of the art on each and adhered it to the other image. Then I used the rest of the patterned paper to make my background pattern. Such fun and super simple.

This next layout was inspired by a layout Shimelle posted to the party a few days ago. The prompt was to be rough around the edges. If you check out this post on her blog, you find her layout and a video of her process.

Product Used: pp's: Pebbles Inc. & Heidi Swapp - Burlap: My Mind's Eye - Epoxy Sticker: Creative Imaginations - Word Sticker: Making Memories - Distress Ink: Tim Holtz by Ranger - Brad: Bo Bunny - Fabric: Unknown

I scanned the layout, so you don't see how the butterflies are cut out in the patterned paper. I took a close up photo so you could see how it really looks. This Heidi Swapp paper called "Free" is made with the cut out butterflies. I'm not sure if it's available any longer. 

Our weekend should be a super quite one. Cross Country is over and the kids are visiting at their mother's house for the weekend. It will be time to catch up on some T.V. shows that I am DVR'ing, and sit back and relax. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a safe and fun Halloween. Don't be overtaken by any zombies or ghouls . . . . .  

Because when it's close to midnight, and something evil's lurking in the dark. Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart.

You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before you make it.

You start to freeze, as horror looks you right between the eyes, then you're paralyzed.  Thriller - by Michael Jackson

Having Fun At The Pretty Paper Party

I'm having an absolute blast at Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party. I haven't made this many layouts since I participated in Layout A Day in October of 2010. If I keep this up, I'll have to go scrapbook supply shopping soon. 


If you remember a few posts back, I made my own kit of papers for one of Shimelle's party prompts. 

I had only made one  layout with the papers I chose, so I decided I'd better get back to it and use them all up. Here's my second layout that I have created with these yummy papers.

Products Used:  pp's: Daisy Bucket & My Mind's Eye - Sheer Love Frame: Making Memories - Punches: Border- Fiskars & heart- Marvy Uchida - Journal cards: Colorbok & K&Co. - Brads & Cardstock: Unknown

I still have a ton of patterned paper left that I pulled for this kit, so I've got lots of creating to do!

This next layout was made for yesterday's prompt. It is to use only one color, (in various shades), and Kraft. I designed my layout from a sketch/layout that Shimelle created for the class that used three 4X6 photos in a row. So I decided to choose my photos first so I could determine what one color I was going to go with.

Products Used: pp: Scrapworks & Black Market Designs - Kraft Cardstock: Bazzill Basics - Brads: Making Memories - Chipboard Letter: Momenta - Phrase Sticker: Sandylion - Flower punch: Fiskars - Tag: Unknown.

I didn't realize until chose purple for my color choice that I don't have much of that color in my stash. I like purple, I just rarely use it. 

The weather here in sunny Arizona is starting to cool down a bit. We are actually in the 80's today. Wa-hoo! Two days ago we were in the high 90's. I'm ready for a change!

Have a scrap happy day!

Scrap Our Stash and be In Good Company

At Scrap Our Stash, on the 15th of every month, they have a Pagerize This Challenge where you create a project with the featured layout as your inspiration. The design inspired this layout:

Product Used: pp: Graphic 45 - Word Stickers: Ki Memories & K&Co. - Fiber ribbon: Affinity by Paper Studio - Distress Ink: Tim Holtz Ranger - Dimensional Flowers: EK Success - Tag: Avery - Ribbon: Unknown

I'm digging deeper in my stash of products as well as in my collection of photos. It feels so good to have the creative mojo again after having lost it for so long. I love getting these little bits and stories of our lives down on paper. And I'm really excited about using up all my pretty papers in my stash that I have a tendency to hang onto way too long!

And as I mentioned yesterday, my blog friend Susanne at Snaps and Snippets has a challenge going, where on each Friday she picks a new paper crafting company and you create a project with that companies products. It's called In Good Company, and it encourages you to use up your stash. This week the challenge company is Graphic 45. I really thought I had more of their product on hand, but I had very little.  I love these challenges because it's getting me familiar with what product I have, what I like, and the companies style. Please check out her blog and join in! 

Mixing Patterned Paper

I must say I'm getting a bit bolder with patterned paper since joining Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party. And I have really been going through my stash and using up many of the papers that I've been hoarding. I'm truly in paper heaven! Here's my latest layout:

Products Used:  Patterned Papers: My Little Shoebox, Creative Imaginations, My Mind's Eye, October Afternoon, Basic Grey & Dream Street Papers - Bingo Card: Jenni Bowlin Studio - Brads & Cardstock Unknown


I used 6 different patterned papers on this layout! Normally I wouldn't even think about combining that many patterned papers together. But I am ecstatic about the results and may even go a bit more crazy in the near future.


Another way to use up your stash is to check out Susanne's blog, Snaps And Snippets and join in on her weekly challenge called In Good Company. Her featured company this week is Graphic 45. I am so excited because I have some yummy papers from their line. Please come and join in on the fun! I love to participate in this challenge and I love to see what other's come up with.

Now I'm off to see what I can find. Have a lovely day.

Cross Country Champion, Family Fun, & More Pretty Paper Party Creations!

I'm surprised that I got in a little time to scrapbook this weekend. As I mentioned before, we had family down from Las Vegas, so I thought I'd be swamped with things to do. But the men watched college football for awhile yesterday, while the kids made Lego creations, so I popped into my craft room and made a couple of layouts for Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party.


My first layout was from the challenge of putting stripes and polka dots together on a layout. I don't usually do this, so it was a bit challenging. The design is scraplifted from a layout that Shimelle posted to the class.

Products Used: Patterned Papers: Fancy Pants Designs, Pebbles Inc., Hot Off The Press - Love Sticker: Heidi Grace Designs - Journal Card: Creating Keepsakes - Flower: Prima - Epoxy Stickers: Provo Craft - Paint: Apple Barrel


I pulled these photos from my category drawers under the tab I have labeled for my middle granddaughter Hannah. So quick and easy to pull three photos of her to use. 


Another challenge Shimelle had us do, was to pull several patterned papers out of our stash and make our own kit of sorts. I've never done this, although I know I have wanted to try it, but have been a bit intimidated to do so. I fumbled around for about a half hour and was having trouble picking what color scheme I wanted to go with, so I walked away for a bit. When I came back, I just picked a favorite paper and used it as my starting point. Then it was pretty easy and really fun. Here's my paper kit:

And here my first layout using papers from my kit:

Products Used: Patterned Papers: Daisy Bucket Designs & Making Memories - Butterfly: Jenni Bowlin Studio - White Pen: Uni-ball Signo - Epoxy sticker & Ribbon - Unknown


Now I can't wait to get busy and make some more layouts with the rest of my kit. 


And before I end this post, I have to brag that our youngest granddaughter Madyson won the District Championship for 3rd/4th graders in Cross Country yesterday! We are so proud of her! She signed up because most of her friends were going to do it, and she has ended up loving it and being fantastic at it! 

Hope you week starts great and only gets better from there! 

Snow In July, Sketches and Another Challenge

Wow, it's been a busy week for me. We have family coming in from Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend to go to the football game, so I've been busy cleaning and getting ready. I've sneaked in a little scrapbooking here and there when I could. I have worked on this layout off and on since Monday. I'm glad to say it's done. 

Products Used:  Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket - Mitten Weather collection - Epoxy Stickers: K&Co. & Recollections - Letter stickers: Current & Cosmo Cricket - Rub on's - Cloud 9 Designs - Border punch - Fiskars - Brads: Making Memories -  Cardstock & Snowflakes: Unknown.


The design is based on a sketch from Sketch Support. It is Sketch #20. I didn't follow the sketch to the letter, but I did pull out the main design for the layout. 

Normally I wouldn't have used purple or a green for a winter type layout. But I had these patterned papers from Cosmo Cricket that used these colors. It worked perfectly since there is purple and green in my photos. I came across the Cosmo Cricket papers since I was looking for products that started with the letter "C" for the Scrapbookers Anonymous October A-Z challenge. Fiskars "Cloud 9"  and cardstock also work for "C". And of course all my photos came from my wonderful Library of Memories storage binders. Makes life so much easier when I need photos to scrap!


Hope you all have a wonderful, safe weekend. Go out and take some photos and enjoy the nice weather......at least I hope it's nice for you.

Rework Wednesday

Today's reworked layout was inspired by a layout created by Jamie Harper for Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party. In Shimelle's class we are prompted to use our paper stash in different ways. For this second prompt we were encouraged to use an entire sheet, (or most thereof), of patterned paper as our background. I do this quite often, so it felt natural to me. It wasn't too hard to find papers in my stash that could work together. I do have to say that I really admire those of you who can take very bold and different papers and put them together in a very eye pleasing manner. I always tend to take the safe route. 


First, here is my old layout to be reworked:

I'm telling you, these old layouts make me cringe! But I do have to say, I still was pretty good at telling the story. Well, most of the time, anyway.


And here's the reworked layout:

Products Used:  Patterned Papers: K&Co. Inc. & Pink Paislee - Chipboard Letters: American Crafts Thickers - Epoxy Stickers: Unknown


Again, for this layout, the hardest thing was finding embellishments that I felt went well with the layout. I have lots of flowers and butterflies, but I wasn't feeling either for this layout. Then I happened upon the sheet of circle epoxy stickers that I've had forever. And all be darned if there wasn't a couple of kitty cat ones included. Good things come to those who wait.........


Just a reminder of a great challenge that my blog friend Susanne has going on at her blog. 

It's a great way to help in getting rid of some of your stash. This week's featured company is Making Memories.  Just think, if you go through what you've got on hand, you'll have to go get some new stuff to replenish your stash. I'm just saying........

First Layout for Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party

I've definitely been inspired by Shimelle's daily prompts for her Pretty Paper Party. Finding the time today has been another story. But I worked here and there on this layout and finally pulled it together. 

Products Used: Cork Embellishements: Pink Paislee - Foam Letter Stickers: American Crafts Dear Lizzy Thickers - Digital Journaling Card: Karen Grunberg - All other supplies unknown.


Yesterday's prompt was to use those bits of paper scraps that are lying around in our stash. Finding patterned paper scraps was a piece of cake for me. My challenge today was finding embellishments that could work. I found some that I finally was happy with in my stash. I didn't want to make another 12X12 layout with just one photo, (I've been doing quite a few of those in recent weeks), so I went with an 8 1/2 X 11 turned sideways. 


Normally I would know what companies my supplies came from, but the way I store my bits of paper, that information gets lost in the shuffle. I guess that's no big deal unless you want to get your work published. A couple of the patterned papers are from quite awhile ago, and a couple are fairly recently obtained. 


This is how I store my little bits of paper:

It's about a 6X8 double decker container that I throw my smaller pieces in. Once it gets full, I do a quick purge and it's good to go again.


My larger pieces are stored like this:

I keep them in a 12X12 American Crafts binder separated by color. One side is my double sided pieces, and I put them in the color category that I think I would most likely use it for. Then the other side is for the single sided pieces. Any scraps that are multi-colored and do not have a dominant color going on, go in a multi-colored sheet protector.  So far this system works for me. I definitely will be testing out with this class!


I hope you will join in if you haven't already. I'd love to see what you come up with. Today's prompt is using an entire piece of patterned paper for your background. No problem!

Pretty Paper Party With Shimelle

I'm so excited to participate in my first ever Shimelle class/party. The Pretty Paper Party is a four week class that starts today, that will encourage and inspire us to use up all the pretty papers we tend to hang onto and hoard from our stash. Come on and join in, there is still time! 

Our first challenge is an ice breaker challenge where we introduce ourselves on the forum and post a photo of our paper stash. Here's my main hub. I have a couple of other places where I keep my Christmas papers and embellishments, Halloween product, school related product, and baby product. I'm really looking forward to making a dent in the ever growing patterned paper stacks that I've accumulated.
Hope to see you there!

Sketchy Fun and I'm In Good Company!

Today's layout was inspired by two challenges. First, I got the design of the layout from Pencil Lines Sketch #254 created by Anna Bjorklund. Great sketch that was super easy to follow. I stayed pretty close to the sketch, but some of the other scrappers really got creative with their layouts. I so enjoy checking out all the talented scrappers that participate in these sketch challenges.

My second inspiration for the layout was from Susanne at Snaps and Snippets. She has a challenge going on every Friday to use up your stash. It's called In Good Company.

What I love about these challenges even more than using up your stash is that she is spotlighting a different company each week. I missed her first challenge where the company was Cosmo Cricket, but this week is Making Memories. Who doesn't have a bazillion Making Memories products hanging around in their scrapbook stash? I'm sure the possibilities are endless. Here is what I came up with:

Product Used:  Cardstock: The Paper Co. - pp: Making Memories Je t'adore - Flowers and Title: Making Memories Velvet Sayings - Journal Spot: Making Memories Paperie Rouge - Brads: Making Memories - Metal XOXO: Unknown - Circle Punch: Marvy Uchida - Mist: Memories Mist


Almost all the product was Making Memories. Another great thing about these product challenges is that it will help me get familiar with the product I have from each company, so I can decide where my favorites lie. Making Memories is definitely one of my favorites!


So I'd love to see you join in. Let's use up that stash that's just lying around and get some pages done.


Have a great week everybody! 

November Guest Design Team At Scrap Our Stash

Wahoo, Scrap Our Stash chose me to be one of the November Guest Design Team members. They picked my layout as one of the winners of the September Grid Challenge. I'm super excited about this opportunity. I've already completed my first layout for the November challenge that will be posted the first of  November. You will love the upcoming challenge, so be sure to check back.

The October challenge is to use a favorite quote on your layout or project. For this layout I actually opened up my storage binder that holds all my photos waiting to be scrapped, and pulled out the first ones to catch my eye. They are photos of my youngest granddaughter dressed as a little fat mouse and searching the kitchen for cheese products to eat. You will find her often running around the house dressed as one character or another. I then did a Google search for "Mouse quotes". I wanted a whimsical feel to the layout, so the quote that I used fit the bill perfectly. I used digital journaling cards to type out the quote and my journaling on.

Products: pp:Sweet Pea Blossoms by Scribble Scrabble & Barcelona Paper Matarro by 7 Gypsies - Title letters: Black EK Sucess Sticko & Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type - Word stickers: Marcella by K&Co. -  Digital Journaling Cards: Happy Go Lucky by Shabby Princess & Sea Glass by LBD Digital Designs - Kraft Cardstock: Bazzill. 

I don't think to use quotes very often, so it was a great challenge. Check out Scrap Our Stash, you will have a lot of fun with their challenges. I know I am! 


Have a great weekend. Hope it's perfect weather where you are. Our temperatures are hovering around 100 degrees again. At least it's cool in the mornings. Otherwise I for one would go bananas! I'm sick of the heat!!!!!

Rework Weds., Die Cut Challenge And Another Sketch

For this weeks Rework Wednesday, I took an old double paged layout from a few years back and worked my magic to turn it into a single page layout. The idea for the layout was inspired by Scrapbookers Anonymous' October Challenge. The challenge this month is to use die cuts. I have an old Sizzix die cut machine that the grandkids use mostly to make paper dolls.  I do have a few die cuts that I have used occasionally, so it was a good time to get them out and dust them off. I have a star die cut that cuts three different sized stars. So I cut them out from scraps of two different patterned papers and layered them.  I used a pop dot on the smallest to make it stand out. It’s a super simple hybrid layout, but I am much happier with the layout.

Here's the old layout:

And here is my reworked version:

Product: pp’s: Hot Off The Press – Title Stickers: EK Success Sticko – Die Cut Journaling Card: Creative Imaginations Narratives

I made a collage of the photos that I put together in Adobe Illustrator. This is what took up most of my time. All I had were these small, old, cut out photos from 36 years ago. I scanned them in at 600 dpi so that they would be somewhat recognizable. Then I played around with the placement and sizes so that they would all fit onto the 8½ inch space.

I didn’t have enough room on the journaling card to hand write all that I wanted to say, so I made a journaling block and turned the background red. To make the journaling show up better, I turned it white, which fits in better with the color scheme I used.

Thanks to Scrapbookers Anonymous for encouraging me to use up my older product and to inspire me to use an old and neglected friend…..My Sizzix.

Also Scrap Our Stash has a monthly challenge that is called "Pagerize This Challenge". A new project is featured on the 15th of each month by the previous pagerizer, and you try to complete your own project using the provided layout as your inspiration. This is my layout inspired by Wendy, (see this post).

Products Used:  pp: Paper Pizazz - Ribbons: The Robert Stanley Collection and Magic Scraps - Transparencies: Heidi Grace Designs and K&Co. - Digital Journaling Card: Anne Langpap from 2 Peas In A Bucket.

I went to my storage binders to find two photos that I could use to tell a story. It didn't take me long to find two photos I had snapped of my oldest granddaughter the night before she started Kindergarten. The design of Wendy's layout was clean and simple and perfect for my story. I can't wait until the 15th of this month to see what new inspiration is coming our way!

Another Sketchy Thursdays Layout

OK, it would appear that I may be addicted to sketches. Again, Sketchy Thursdays has a wonderful sketch challenge for the November Sketch Design Team. I knew exactly what product and colors I wanted to use. 

Here's the sketch:

Here's my take on the sketch:

Products Used:  Cardstock: Bazzill - pp's: K&Co., The Girls' Paperie, Kelly Panacci Inc., Kaisercraft, Fancy Pants Designs - Leaves: Prima - Burlap Trim: My Mind's Eye - Journaling Card: BoBunny - Tiny Type Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket - Brads: Making Memories

Just received the beautiful leaves and burlap trim that I used on the layout in the mail last week from Scrapbook.com. I didn't know how I was going to use them, but knew they would be used. And true to my new motto, (I can't buy any new product unless I use most of it right away), I put it to good use. 


The thing I love about sketches is that the design work is all done for you. I tend to follow sketches pretty closely, but hopefully the more I get comfortable with them, I can tweak them and add more of myself into them. 


Now I'm off to find another challenge to keep my creative juices flowing. Thanks loads for stopping by, and be sure to say "hi" once in awhile. I would love to hear from you. 

Sketchy Thursday Sketch

As you know, I've been perusing the sketch challenge websites, and this week I found a sketch at Sketchy Thursdays that I absolutely loved! I had just received a recent order I had purchased from Scrapbook.com, and knew immediately that I had to use it. 


Here's the sketch. Love it!

And here's my layout.

The beautiful patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye from the Lost and Found collection. The two circle embellishments are from the same line. This is a beautiful line and now they have a Christmas version also. You must check it out!


(Other product used: Small Letter Stickers: Tiny Type from Cosmo Cricket - Chipboard Alphas: The Girls' Paperie - Cream Cardstock: The Paper Co. from Hobby Lobby  - Journaling Card: Creating Keepsakes - Epoxy word sticker: Creative Imaginations - Border Punch: Fiskars -   Ribbon - unknown.


Hope you all are having a great weekend. Some of you probably have tomorrow off also. Hope it's safe and fun!