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KNK January kit reveal #1

I am sooo in love with the papers in this kit! What's crazy about that is I would never have picked these papers out for myself. They look intimidating. The patterns are big and really bright. But *wow* did I have fun with them! Gerrianne really did an amazing job putting this kit together!

On this first layout I used several of the die-cuts from the die-cut sheet in the embellishment add-on, including some of the negative pieces. Because of the bright and bold patterns in the paper I chose simple photos that didn't have a lot of background clutter, and only one complimentary color. On the second layout, I again chose photos with uncluttered backgrounds; the solid blues of the ocean really pop against the bright papers and black background. I limited myself with embellishments here, since I wanted the different sized photos to stand out and be the focus, so instead I used a little glitter (Diamond Stickles) to add some emphasis.
I am looking forward to doing my next layout, because I have barely tapped the embellishment options in this kit. So much fun!

First Kit of 2010!!!

..... and is a beauty!! Full of rich, bold, vibrant colors and lots of swirly blingy fun stuff!!! Head on over to KNK and check it out!!

KNK December Kit Reveal #2

First, a double layout with what else? Snow pictures of course! All that beautiful BoBunny snowflaky paper most definitely calls for one layout with snow pics. The trees were simple enough, just punched strips of paper with a border punch (this is a Martha Stewart "Lattice" punch), layered them over tree-shaped cardboard, then trimmed the excess. A little Diamond Stickles finished them up. Next is a photo wreath. I apologize for the pic, I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to hang it where the lighting would be right, so on the piano it went. Step-by-step instructions for the wreath can be found on the Message Board.

Thanks for looking :)

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KNK December Kit Reveal #1

This is without a doubt my favorite kit to date! There's just something about pouring glitter all over everything... maybe it brings out the kid in me, who knows, but it sure is fun!!

This first layout is full of distressing, I can't get enough of Tim Holtz distress Stickles!! I used a couple of BoBunny papers and incorporated a few SEI embellishments along with it. Using only two photos is always a challenge for me, but this layout just fell together. The products in the kit are so complimentary to each other. Next is a little holiday card, don't you love the glittery "snowflakes"! The double-sided sticky stickers (by Harmonie) are really fun to play with (more glitter dumping), and the perfect partner to the wintery woodland die-cuts from SEI.

Finally, a heritage layout..... I try to remember to do one heritage with each kit. I don't always, but I do try! As cute and adorable as my children are, even I can appreciate the fact that a little diversity is always a good thing. The center photo is the actual Christmas card my mother's family sent out that year, signed by my grandmother. I love when I can use the real thing (don't worry I scanned it first!). I had to darken this image a bit because the flash on my camera made the metallic silver cardstock (background piece) really bright. The blues on this are a bit lighter than they appear here.
I have many more plans for this kit, and I'm looking forward to sharing! Scrapping is so easy when I truly love the product I'm working with. Thanks for peeking :)

Introducing KNK's December kit

Just look at all the sparkly snowy beauty!! This kit is just too gorgeous. SEI Winter Song and BoBunny Snowy Serenade papers, some Core'dinations cardstock, and plenty of glittery extras! A little wooden cardinal from Harmonie completes the package (you know me and birds). I can't wait to get into it. And wait til you see the add-ons. Just as delish as the rest. Trust me ;)

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KNK November kit reveal #2

My second reveal with KNK's November kit! This first layout is of my son when he was just two years old.... oh my when I think about it, that was 15 years ago! This has always been one of my favorite portraits of him...
Wasn't he such a little cutie!!! To make the fence semi-mimic the fence in the portrait, I trimmed and painted the Nikki Sivils Bread(less) Tabs. I had to use two of them for each fencepost to make them a little taller, but the twine covers the seam pretty well. I also used one of the bigger Maya Road envelopes on this for my hidden journaling, but tucked everything but the flap behind the photo. Of course you can open the flap and remove the journal card inside.
With the few tiny little scraps I had left I made a card! The paper leaf doilie was very thin and fragile so instead of trying to use a traditional adhesive I covered the whole front of the card with Mod Podge, stuck the doilie down, then covered it with Mod Podge as well. This gave the card some great stability and I was able to embellish any way I wanted. As you are all well aware, cards aren't really my thing, so when I finish one and it actually looks the way I want it to I feel like I really accomplished something!

Thankfully, I ordered a bunch more add-ons and extra paper from this kit and it came just in time for the crop at Kit 'n Kaboodles last Saturday, so I have more fun stuff from this kit to share!! Coming soon....

KNK November kit reveal #1

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love the KnK November kit! Here are my first two layouts :)

The photo of the turkey was taken in my parents' backyard last April. This particular bird had three hens he was courting. Of course they completely ignored him and his advances, but because he was so determined to impress them he gave me plenty of opportunity to get a good shot.My second layout is with some photos taken in 2004 of my son and my first daughter, along with their cousin on a pumpkin patch excursion. There's some really fun memories here which I managed to document in super-tiny text (sorry -- I had to make it fit!) as well as quite a few photos of the afternoon. I always worry a little when I'm using lots of photos, the balance between the embellishments and the photos can be tricky!

Looking forward to getting started on my next couple of projects as I have ordered extra of this kit and it should be on the way soon. I can't wait!

Maybe tradition is overrated....

Have I mentioned that I'm a pretty traditional gal? When I think Christmas, I think red and green. Maybe some white. So when I chose these Nikki Sivils papers from her "North Pole Nights" collection, I knew what I was getting myself into. The papers are adorable, with all the right Christmas elements, you know, candy canes, Christmas trees, elves, etc. But the colors. I knew I wanted to challenge myself to really step outside of my little Christmas comfort zone I've had going my whole entire life and do these papers justice!! Hot pink, navy blue, and yellow for Christmas pics were definitely going to challenge me. Then I remembered..... last year the girls wore bright pink and white on their trip to visit Santa (and, amazingly enough, my husband had on a navy blue pullover). Why I had not scrapped them yet, I have no idea...... probably because they were pink and white lol....... but they ended up being absolutely perfect for these papers. I love when I am up against a pretty big mental block with something and then am able to overcome it (remember the purple incident??). Hmmm... I'm seeing a color trend here..... well at any rate, I was very happy with the final result. Another color fear conquered. :) Thanks for having a peek.

KNK November kit -- WOW!!

All I can say is GORGEOUS. I can hardly wait for some quiet time so I can really get to work!! Little Yellow Bicycle, Maya Road, Webster's Pages, and Core'dinations are just a few of the fabulous products found in this kit. And, as always, they coordinate beautifully together. Go to www.knkclub.com for even more coordinating cardstock and embellishment add-ons. Hurry -- these kits are going to sell out quick!

KNK October kit Reveal #2

I have just two more creations with the October kit. I like to try and do at least one double with every kit to maintain diversity and this was a fun one. I matted the pictures onto tags and used the Core'dinations cardstock as pockets so that you can remove the tags if you want. I was able to use a lot of pictures that way, which was a good thing because I had quite a few I wanted to use commemorating the day we got our new puppy.

For this I used one of the 7 Gypsies Book Boards. I have done so many mini-books lately that I tried to think of something a little different I could do with the book boards which come four to a package. So I took one board and created a mini layout on it for a little tabletop easel I had. This is perfect for my husband's desk at work or here on a side table in the living room.
You can see the rest of the design teams' gorgeous layouts and projects created with the October kit in the Hall of Fame at www.knkclub.com !

I got PINK

Our very creative and ever-generous Gerrianne decided to have a "color-kit" challenge, free (yes, free... shipping and everything!) to those of us who were present at kaboodling (a member's chatty get-together online) one evening at Kit 'n Kaboodles. We all picked our favorite color and she sent everyone product based on that color. I received a Kaisercraft mini "Beyond the Page" book, Kaisercraft acrylic paint in Dusty Pink, Kaisercraft wooden butterflies, Imaginisce bling, a chipboard oval and an acrylic tag. There were no rules, "just create!", she said. So I did. I added a little paper and some leather flowers from my own stash, and here's what I ended up with:

The book itself is only 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 .... I really had to think about what I wanted to do with it. As soon as I gave up the idea of thinking I had to put photos in it, it came together pretty easily! My oldest daughter, who is six, has exactly the right number of letters in her name to make each page representative of one letter (not counting front and back covers, of course), so I wanted to make something for her showing all the traits I believe she possesses. I added lots of Stickles -- but what's new -- and had fun with my new Tim Holtz Rock Candy Crackle Paint. I still have a couple final touches to add -- for example the "N" page is supposed to be "Natural Beauty", just haven't decided how to add the extra word. Overall I love how it turned out!

And you should see some of the other projects!! I was totally amazed at the creativity of the others that are posted so far. They should all be added by the 10th, you should stop by Knk and see some beautiful work by some talented crafters.

KNK October kit is up

Knk's October kit features Scrap Within Reach, May Arts, 7 Gypsies, Tim Holtz, Core'dinations, and more! It's a very beautiful kit , but I gotta be honest, I sorta freaked when I saw it. It's purple. Purple scares me. I could have the most beautiful piece of paper on the planet sitting on my table just waiting for me to scrap with it but if it was purple....? I don't know. It's not even a matter of whether I like the color purple.... I do, a lot!! I just have this weird mental block when it comes to creating with it. However, I am very happy to report that after about a week of fretting, I have successfully created four different projects with the kit (come see me again on the 23rd for my first reveal) and I lived to tell you about it. I think I may even have conquered my paranoia over it. I think from now on, I'm going to scrap with purple. LOTS. :) Go on over to Knk (www.knkclub.com) and check it out. It's
F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

KnK September Kit Reveal #2

This layout is my favorite creation from this kit! I used an acrylic sheet that was in a previous kit (May 'o8, I think), the Basic Grey Doily, the super-cute 3 Bugs paper, and one of the big chipboard ladybugs. This is my first attempt using an acrylic sheet as the base for my layout and now I am wondering why I waited so long to do it! I really love how it turned out. The photo is my sweet Katy, on her first birthday. She actually had ladybug themed invitations and a ladybug cake, so naturally when I saw this kit I thought of those photos immediately :)

Next is a birthday card I made for my Granny (whos birthday is September 12th, Happy Birthday Gran!). I used the little ladybug stamp and embossed it (using the red embossing powder on top of that dark rosy color may not have been the best choice -- but you can still tell what they are, right? ) and then I used some black diamond Stickles for the dots. I also embossed the "Y-O-U". Reminded me of how much I love the embossed effect.

This is the cute 7 Gypsies altered purse. The first photo shows the finished product on the outside, and the second is a peek at the album, which I first covered with paper and a few little embellishments and then attached a photo sleeve to each section. Both sides of the album are done this way, so that you can change out the photos as often as you want.

So there you have it! With the September kit I created one double-layout, two single-layouts, a card, and an altered purse complete with album. :) And a still have a few paper scraps left, I could probably manage another card or two! This was one of my favorite kits to date, for sure. Thanks for having a look!