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 :)

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.

52 Sketches, #38

Every once in a while I manage to finish one of Julie's sketches (52sketches52weeks.com) on time!! This is week #38, a real challenge! I love it though, for how un-ordinary it is yet leaves lots to interpretation. Her sketches never disappoint.

And yes, more BoBunny Popscicle -- I have to use it all!!! I have to tell you though, my husband looked at this layout and said, "I don't like it, it looks like you just through it together". So I said, "But what about all the precision cutting?? Look at all the inking and the little custom photo corners and the cute pom-pom trim!! Are you sure you don't like it?" To which he replied, "Well, ok, I can see that you didn't just throw it together.... but I still don't like it." Oh well, I guess I can't win 'em all LOL! I actually really rely on him to give me an honest opinion and I value what he has to say.
This layout is more on the simple side for me as far as embellishing -- I could have dressed it up a lot more -- but the way I see it there's something to be said for simple once in a while. Thanks for looking. :)

Sketch Contest

PageMaps is having another sketch contest!! And in this one there are -- count 'em -- TWO ways to win. Go visit PageMaps at http://www.pagemaps.com/blog.php?do=blog&id=71 for all the details.

Here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it :) Lots of BoBunny and a little Heidi Swapp bling.
You better hurry the deadline is October 11th!!

KNK October kit Reveal #1

Here's the first of two reveals I have for KnK's October kit. The first is a layout showcasing my little Gracie girl with Scrap Within Reach papers and chipboard letters, Core'dinations cardstock, and beautiful little Tea-Dyed flowers by Petaloo.

I made the big flower to mimic those on the patterned paper. I tore the petals from the color-core cardstock and instead of inking the edges (as I am usually inclined to do) I used some Doodlebug Sugar coating. I threw in the 7 Gypsies photo turns to help make the flower center a little more interesting, stitched the stem with embroidery floss, and tore the leaves to also mimic those on the paper.

When it came time to put the title on I realized I had totally misjudged just how much room I would need for what I wanted to say. So after I roughed them up and inked the sides I squished all the letters together until they looked right and glued them to a piece of coordinating cardstock. Then all I had to do was trim around the word. I think it turned out way cuter than just sticking the letters down in a straight line!

My next project is a card. I've really been getting bored with the same old folded cards so tried something a little different this month, and I really love how it turned out.

The sentiment itself has been done time and again, I know, but I personally had never used it and it just seemed so fitting for what I wanted to express. I have also found that when I am making a card, if I make it with a specific person in mind I take a lot more care and time with it than if I was making it just to make it, for no particular reason. This one is for my mom. Not sure when I'll see her next, but when I do I'm going to give it to her.
Thanks for looking, I'll have more to share in a week or so. Happy scrapping! :)

Is this Cute or WHAT?

Want to make one? Join Kit 'n Kaboodles and Creativity Boutique for a class hosted by Nikki Sivils! Go here: http://kreativekaboodles.blogspot.com/
for all the details!!

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!

This is fun....:)

BG Love

Have I mentioned that I love Basic Grey? I have? Well I'll tell you again..... I LOVE Basic Grey. They just have an amazing way of making colors and patterns mesh together like they were meant to be.... in a way I would have never seen on my own. I sure wish I'd inherited "the eye" for stuff like that, like my mom has. Fortunately for me, I don't have to do it alone, scrapbooking manufacturers have done all that work for me. All I have to do is cut it all up :)
I finished this layout this afternoon -- in a rather rushed way actually -- but I'm fairly happy with it. You just about can't do it wrong with such beautiful papers.

I love this photo. Grace was about one month old, and practically fit in the span of Billy's two hands. It's so amazing how fast they grow! I am so thankful for my camera. Makes it certain I will never forget little precious moments like this one.

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!

Studio Calico Sketch Contest

Go here: http://www.pagemaps.com/blog.php for details of this great sketch contest! I had fun with this and while the end result of mine doesn't look exactly like the sketch, I got some great inspiration from it. Thanks PageMaps :)

KNK September Kit Reveal #1

I am having the most fun with this kit! This Heidi Swapp Inkable chipboard was the last thing I used -- I put it off because I only had one sheet and I was afraid I would wreck it LOL! But I finally decided (last night at about nine p.m., mind you) that I should go for it. I loved the result so much that I decided to use this layout for my reveal today instead of the other one I did two weeks ago! The Inkable chipboard comes as a plain white sheet, but if you run your hand over it you can feel a slightly raised pattern on it. This pattern resists whatever medium you decide to use on it. For mine, I used a sunflower doodle template as a mask and then sprayed three colors of Glimmer Mist over the top. When I removed the mask and blotted the excess mist away not only did I have the negative sunflower but also the beautiful pattern on the Inkable chipboard sheet. Really fun!! I had a hard time putting paper and embellishments over the top of it LOL!

The next layout was the first one I did with the kit. I had to use that gorgeous Bazzil embossed cardstock (which is in the cardstock add-on) right away :) I am really happy with how this turned out. The rosy pink color in the patterned papers is understated but, paired with my little Gracie in a pretty pink dress, it really pops! The butterflies and stitching bring a certain motion to the layout which I feel compliments the photos of my little dancing girl.
I'll have more to share in a week or so. Thanks for having a look!

KNK September Kit

... and didn't I tell you that you would LOVE it?! 3 Bugs In A Rug, Basic Grey, 7 Gypsies, Heidi Swapp, and Bazzil, just to name a few. This kit is loaded with fun stuff, even an adorable little ladybug stamp! It's even more beautiful in person, the picture doesn't do it justice. I have a 2-page spread in progress and much more on the way. I guess I better get busy :)

BoBunny -- what's not to love?

I just LOVE all the fun summery papers BoBunny came out with this season! I can't get enough -- I ordered Calypso first and I've got "Popscicle" in my next order from KNK. I managed to get this one layout done before I have to commit to getting some stuff done with the KNK September kit. It should be revealed soon and trust me, you're gonna love it, it's beautiful! Our Gerrianne really knows what she's doing when it comes to putting her kits together. Now..... to find the perfect pictures.........

Remembering when.....

..... my little boy got his first puppy. Course he's not so little anymore, 17 years old already and 18 is closing in fast. I came across these pics the other day and almost cried! He was such a little cutie! I miss those days, when everything in a two-year-old's world is new and exciting. Sometimes I wish I could rewind, just for a minute. Such sweet and innocent days. I picked up Emily from the breeder on Halloween 1994. She was with us for nine years before developing cancer. We've had several dogs since then, but none as special as her. There's just something wonderful about getting a puppy and watching her grow with your child. Now that I have Katy and Grace, it's their turn for something wonderful. Stay tuned........ :)

KnK August kit projects

The KNK August kit has been so much fun! Here's the first of two layouts I have finished with it. I made the tree from Petaloo Mulberry paper flowers (which are in the August add-ons), added a little Stickles and voila! Instant pretty pine tree. Well, kinda. A pretty tree anyway!


This next layout was a lot of work, lots of cutting etc., but I was really happy with the result. Many of the elements are popped up also, a couple of the clouds, some birds and one of the branches, though it's hard to see in this straight-on pic. Of course I love these pictures, all taken in Eagle Point right in the backyard. I love Oregon :)

I have also finished a cute little chipboard book, which features many of the different birds I've been fortunate enough to get photos of. Too many pics to post here, but you can see the whole thing in the Kit 'n Kaboodles message board. :)

Finally.....!

Finally got some pictures of my Granny when she was small. I know so little about her side of the family so to see photos of her childhood in New Jersey really fascinates me! And (of course) I had to scrap some of them right away. Much of Webster's Pages screams vintage so I pulled out my cached reserve and broke out the scissors! Have a look.....


I am really looking forward to hearing some history on these photos so I can write it on the back (hint hint Granny). I must make time for another trip to Fair Oaks soon!

KNK's August kit is UP!

....and I cannot wait to get my hands on this kit!! Birds? Trees? Flowers? Could this be any more perfect for me?? I have my photos all picked out, come ooooonnn mail man!!