Week 4: So You Think You Can Scrap contest

This week's challenges for the "So You Think You Can Scrap" contest at The Scrapbook Site required a lot of thought and a lot of journaling. I liked that about these challenges; they allowed the envelope to be pushed. Here's what I came up with.

Mid-Week Bonus: Create an impromptu card for a person who had been influential in our life or the life of our child.

When I found out what the challenge was going to be, I immediately knew that I would make a card for Alex's tumbling coach, Miss Victoria. Miss Victoria took Alex on, as a student two and half years ago and built her up from a person who couldn't even do a round-off to an elite tumbler. Alex is now executing double and standing fulls!!! For all of you who know cheerleading...that is AMAZING!!! Miss Victoria got Alex to tumble passes that are practically what you see gymnasts do on TV during the floor exercises!!! But not only is she an incredible coach...she is an excellent role model who cares about Alex's well-being inside and out. She teaches Alex to have confidence; to believe in herself; to be the best person she can be. Miss Victoria and Alex have grown to share a very special bond...a bond that maybe people will find once or twice in a lifetime.

Miss Victoria, this card is for you! We look forward to giving it to you at next week's lesson!

Note: This might look like a layout, but it's actually a 6" x 6" card. You can tell by looking at the staples for scale. I attached a ribbon loop to the top, in case she wants to display it.

Supplies: Transparency: Staples; Patterned paper: Basic Grey; Flowers and Ribbon: Prima; Gemstones: Target; Ghost butterflies and rubons: Heidi Swapp; Acrylic paint: Ranger Industries; Pen: Zig Millenium

Week 4 Challenge: A Walk Down Memory Lane. A Then and Now type page.
Create a layout about a childhood memory and how it relates to you now.
Some examples
-something you loved or hated as a child and how you feel about it today
-something you see your kids doing that relates to you and your childhood
-how something random today stirs up childhood memories

The journaling is heavy...I'm not comfortable sharing it here. If you're close to me and want to know more, let me know and I will send you the words. I'm happy to share it with my friends :)

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper and rubons: Basic Grey; Chipboard frame: Fancy Pants; Flowers: Prima; Letter stickers and Brads: Doodlebug; Pens: Tombow and Signo Uniball.

So the contest is now half over!!! 4 more weeks to go. I can't wait to see who wins!!! Thanks for looking. :)

Week 3, "So You Think You Can Scrap" Contest

This week's challenges were a lot of fun over at the "So You Think You Can Scrap" contest at The Scrapbook Site.

Our big challenge was to create a layout with the theme "7 Things that I am Lucky to Have" or having a title very similar to that idea. We had to use 7 photos, 7 journaling strips, and 7 buttons. Here is what I came up with:

Journaling:
1. My girls are my life
2. My loving husband. I'm so very lucky.
3. My job...So nice to love what I do.
4. My creativity. Art keeps me sane.
5. My friends. So very lucky to have them.
6. Our health and strength. So very fortunate.
7. Our freedom...must not take for granted.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: Basic Grey; Chipboard number: My Mind's Eye; Buttons: 7 Gypsies; Rubons: Basic Grey; Paint: Ranger Industries; Gold leafing pen: Krylon; Pen: Signo Uniball; Other: yarn.

Note: I crocheted the fiber trim...just a simple chain stitch.

Our mid-week challenge was to create a bookmark using patterned paper, cardstock, our favorite quote (or a quote if you don't have a favorite), and a flower. This is what I made:

My quote:
"No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope and fear;
But grateful take the good I find,
The best of now and here."
--John G. Whittier

This quote expresses my desire to live in the moment and to stop dwelling on the past and anticipating the future.

Supplies: Cardstock, Patterned paper, and Die-cut flower: Die Cuts With a View; Journaling Die-cut: Daisy D's; Gold leafing pen: Krylon; Other: Fibers, stickers, and eyelet.

So, we'll have to see what next week's challenge is. Can't wait!!!

Fun Picture Swap with a RAK

Good morning, Friends! This month, and for August, as well, because the month is almost over, I would like to propose that we do a picture swap! I've done one with Rhi before and I loved it! Here's how it works: e-mail me a few pictures that you would like me to scrap for you and I will e-mail you some pictures. We then send each other pictures of the layouts and the actual layouts themselves. I am making an album with the layouts that my friends have created for me.

At the end of August, I will post all of the layouts that I've received and randomly pick a name to win a cool RAK.

I hope you guys play along...I'd love to scrap your pictures!!!

Let me know if you need my e-mail address...most of you have it!

Have a great day!

Week 2 Bonus Challenge for TSS's Contest

Today we received our mid-week bonus challenge for the "So You Think You Can Scrap" contest at The Scrapbook Site. It was a lot of fun to do! We had our choice between two scrapbook magazine covers to serve as inspiration for some sort of scrap project. I chose the Scrapbooks etc. cover to create a little card that I want to display at my desk at work.

I just love this picture of Samantha, taken when she was three months old! She looked like such a cherub...I just had to put some Hambly wings on her!!!

Thank you for looking!

I Joined a Super Fun Scrapping Contest

Saturday, I read about a really cool contest held by The Scrapbook Site. It's called "So You Think You Can Scrap". They say that the concept was based on their love of reality TV. Of course I was all over that like white on rice, being the reality TV junkie that I am! For 8 weeks, you have to enter a layout that satisfies that week's challenge. On Sunday's all the contest participants vote for their 3 favorites via private messaging. All design team members have votes as well. Nobody knows the standings and nobody gets eliminated. At the end of the 8 weeks, the winner will be revealed. The winner will receive 3 free kits (awesome!!!) and a Karen Foster calendar kit!!!

I'm not allowed to post my layouts on any other on-line galleries, but I am allowed to post them on my blog, so I will share them with you as I create them.

Week 1:
Old School Challenge: Create a layout using pictures, techniques, and if possible, supplies from the year you starting scrapping. For me, the year was 2005. Of course I was a little disappointed that I had to make a layout reminiscent of my beginning scrapping days! But it was fun! Here's what I came up with:

Back when I started, I was big into Stampin' Up! supplies, as my sister was a consultant. All the paper used here is SU cardstock. Since then I've discovered textured paper, LOL!

The technique for me was all about paper piecing; from the handmade frame to the title. The title was generated from printing in reverse on cardstock and cutting out with scissors. No wishblade for me...

Embossing, chalking, drawing, and stitching round out my circa 2005 techniques. :) The lizard is a stamp; the other designs are hand-drawn.

Journaling: In February 2005, I went to Arizona to visit a good friend who had moved out there. Boy, was I blown away be the beauty I saw!!! The sky was such that I felt as if I could reach up and touch the clouds…I had never seen such large fluffy clouds so low to the ground before. The landscapes were incredible and woven from many gorgeous colors. The cacti were so prolific… they were almost like weeds. Although I heard that these plants are very old and it takes about 80 years for one to sprout an arm.
This East Coast girl will never forget the beautiful Arizonian landscapes!


Supplies: Cardstock and linen fiber: Stampin' Up!; embossing powder: Ranger Industries; Chalk: Colorbox by Clearsnap; Pens: Staedtler

Week 2
Choose an Elsie Flannigan sketch:
This was a fun one! The rules were we had to select a sketch (and there were 28 to choose from!), use patterned paper from at least 2 manufacturers, and use at least 3 photos. Other than that, we had complete artistic freedom. Here's what I came up with:

Journaling: From the moment you were born, Alex, Daddy and I thought you were so beautiful. Then you developed your sweet and loving personality. Beautiful...inside and out!

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: Junkitz, American Crafts, Provo Craft; Flowers: Bazzill Basics; Gems: Darice; Pens: Signo Uniball and Staedtler.

Thanks for looking and stay tuned for other contest editions!

Quite Possibly the Most Flamboyent Layout I've Ever Done, LOL!

This was TOO much fun...I really channeled Andy Warhol with this one!!! It was in response to a challenge: If we were a color, what color would we be? Thanks for looking!!!

A Layout I Demo'd Yesterday Made the Basic Grey Gallery :)

Yesterday I showed my friends at Express Yourself how they might use the cool new die-cuts included in the new Infuse pack by Basic Grey. I entered it into the Basic Grey gallery and they accepted it. :)


I also made this layout from the Infuse line. They did not accept this one. :( Oh well. I love the expressions on the girls' faces.

I just want to give a shout out to all of my cropping friends at Express Yourself! I have soooo much fun spending time with you all. Here are some pictures I took yesterday:

Waves to Pat, the owner...she's so great!

Pam :)

Sandra, Jenn, and I :)

Tabby and Pat :)