First Day

You get some choice in this week's colors over at Dynamic Duos.  (This almost made it harder for me!)

 

 

 

There are so many colors that look great paired with Primrose, but I ended up finding a photo first and decided to pair it with Early Espresso.  Take a look at my page:

  

 

Isn't she adorable?  I can't believe she's now in THIRD grade?!?!  This was an outfit from my mom that she wore on her first day of preschool, lucky me it worked perfect for the color combo.

I started by embossing a retired school font with Espresso embossing powder.  While it is not perfect, it gave the paper some more detail.  The note is embossed with a non SU folder using the Primrose core paper.  I added a button to a paper clip to make my own embelly.  Then I got to work making lots of apples!  Love that framelit set! 

 

Now go over and see what colors the rest of the team has used...and play along with us!

 

 

 

 

Shoulda Card

Ever make a card and when you're done say something like "I should of done that different?"  Well that's my Hand Stamped Sentiments card.  First the sketch:



Now my card:

I wanted to play with this single stamp.  If you haven't checked out SU's single stamps, you really should!

I wanted to create a sun burst behind it.  I started pulling Daffodil papers and it seemed too busy, so I stuck with the Polka Dot paper.  Each piece was cut, but I wish I had left some more space, or alternated with solid Daffodil.  Ugh.  I then hand pierced the rays and stitched with baker's twine.

The center is cut from a window framelit.  I masked off the dots of the image when I stamped it and embossed it with white emboss powder.  I added the banner, again embossing it.  I can't believe how against embossing I used to be!

Now head over and see what the other designers have created, and remember you have 2 weeks to play along!

Snow White in Pink

It's monotone week again at Dynamic Duos and I struggled.  Here are this week's colors:



I know, I know I have two girls, this should be easy.  It didn't help that I had a layout all planned with Rose Red and then noticed on  my calendar that it was Regal Rose...back to square one.  I found a photo and it's one of those that HAD to be scrapped.  I admit I probably over scrap, but this one was too good to keep in a box.  I ended up going to my Pinterest board to find something that inspired me layout wise and found this layout.  I love circles, and I adored the negative hearts.  I didn't do this CASE much justice...I happen to like hers better.  But none the less, it's a photo scrapped and Linnea giggled with delight.  Take a look:

Story first!?!?  Linnea was very Disney Princess obsessed.  She watched Snow White and then we found her in her room with this plastic box and laundry basket over her, waiting for (Daddy's) true love's kiss.  She was constantly acting out these movies!  See why this photo couldn't stay in a box!

Okay, layout.  I started by stamping with my Distressed Dots background stamp, spritzed with some Regal Rose/alcohol mix, and some (other brand) white mist.  While that dried, I punched a few hearts out with the small heart punch, the smallest heart from the framelits, and the owl punch.  After that I used the circle punches to cut around the heart.  I added a heart button and one of the builder brads.  I loved the original layout with the layers around the photo, and I wanted to go with a "washabi tape" look...however I don't think it ended well.  The Fairy Tales stamp is from an OLD SU stamp.  I have too many princess pages to scrap yet to get rid of it!

Now head over and see the pink creations the Design Team has created. 

BEE-autiful

It's dessert week at Dynamic Duos and I was over the moon to see what was for dessert:



...then I noticed the Saffron.  I love ribbon, my husband often asks how much ribbon do I need.  Need?-well that's objective.  Saffron on the other hand is another one of those colors I don't use often.  I found a photo immediately that would fit the bill.  Take a look:

Now I don't want to sound stuck on myself, but I think I'm having some good crafting moments lately.

For Halloween at the girls' school, they have to dress as a book character.  Typically, this never is what they want to be for trick or treating so we try to use what we have.  We had the wings, leotard, and headband, I made a yellow and black tutu and we found some fun tights...and the Greedy Bumblebee was created.  She ended up wanting to trick or treat in this and was posing like her big sister before we went out.

I took out a piece of Saffron card stock and it was clashing with the photo....ugh, why couldn't this be Daffodil Delight?!?!?  Not being one to back down, I took out my Subtles DSP pack and thought this print was perfect, much softer than a solid Saffron. 

I instantly knew I wanted to make a ribbon bunting on the page. TIP:  Do not use bakers twine.  I did, and ended up unknotting everything.  The ribbons didn't lay as nice as they did on this taffeta ribbon.  There are some retired ribbons, but again I have way too much ribbon!  I dyed a trio of black roses-for no reason other than I saw them on a project somewhere and I loved them!

I made my title next-this page is still out because I keep thinking I need to add a dash.  What do you think?  I painted Crystal Effects on all the letters.  This is a great way to have a lacquer look.

So I had everything laid out and I then thought, "I think the word beautiful is in the set Fabulous Phrases."  Sure enough.  Using my Saffron ink, I stamped alternating rows of the word on the DSP.  Project-complete...well maybe except for a dash!

Now head over and see what those talented ladies have created for your viewing enjoyment.

Fly Away

EEK!  Nope no mouse...just lots of butterflies, and a layout that makes me giddy. 

While I check out a ton of challenge blogs, I rarely find time to play.  ...but I couldn't resist this one I saw this morning over at The Friday Mashup!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project using the "Chalkboard Technique".

2. Or Make a project using " 2 or more Stamp Sets".

3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project using "2 or more Stamp Sets with the Chalkboard Technique".

 

Yep, I was all over this one!  I love, love, love the Chalkboard Scrap Page I created last week for my Dynamic Duos assignment (can be found here) so I thought I'd give it a go for the other daughter.  Take a look:

 

See why I'm "eeking?!?!"  I found this photo I took of Linnea last fall at my Dad's house.  She was sitting on this pallet, and quick snapped a shot.

I wanted to do something with the colors of her shirt, but I couldn't think of how to do a rainbow.  I saw my butterfly punch (must of had some little hands playing with it) and decided to go that route. 

I'm a matchy matchy type of person and I couldn't get the right *current* SU colors to mesh in my mind.  I went looking in my retired card stock bin and found Peach Parfait, Ballet Blue, and Glorious Green.  My next concern was coming up with patterns for the green and blue because I had no patterned paper for these.  I used the solid butterfly stamp and used the kiss method with a couple of retired background stamps, and then the light bulb came on!  I went searching for stamps with patterns I could stamp and then punch out.  Take a look:

The lower bottom blue comes from the Wonderful (leaf) set. I also used Circle Circus, Oh Hello, and the Hearts a Flutter sets (the orange stripe using the banner.)

Some layers, dimensionals and the butterflies were complete!

I went back and forth with the sentiment, but for the most part she really is!

 

 

 

 

Just Because

Time as been hard to find lately, but now that my classes are done (yippee)  I decided to sit and scrap a page today JUST BECAUSE!

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love the Design Teams I'm on.  They have provided me the excuse to create more than anything.  Yep, I'm that mom that struggles with carving out me time.  However, I almost found it difficult to not have a challenge to be sticking to. 

I visited my local scrapbooking store this past weekend to pick up a couple of albums for my 2013 pages.  I might have picked up a few pieces of patterned paper. This layout using one:

I fell in love with this polka dot paper, and because I'm so addicted to SU, I decided it would work perfectly with the retired Poppy and Blushing Bride colors...and it did!

I found these photos of my youngest coloring eggs last Easter.  The color worked perfectly...and then I noticed they told a little "how to" story.  Now to get busy!

I love banners, I'm not going to apologize.  I know there many who are so over them, but I'm not.  Lots of embossing-both the banner and letters are embossed with white powder.

I added a little doily.  I wanted to give it some pattern so I cut a 2.5" circle from a scratch paper and used it for a mask.  This way when I stamped using my Distressed Dots stamp, the dots only when in the middle of the doily.  The "this is Awesome" strip came from the bottom of the 12 X 12--you know that part you always have to cut off!  (LOVE THAT!) I added the stamped arrow to mimic.

I love this number set and haven't used it nearly enough-this was a great layout to use it on!

I have a couple of layouts on the burner...just because!  I hope you stop back to check them out.

 

91 Tickets on the Page

91 Tickets on the Page, 91 Tickets on the Page...

It's color challenge week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments and I was *lucky* enough to find the perfect photo to scrap!



I spotted this photo and squealed with happiness!  L's t-shirt and headband where the perfect colors.  Here is my layout:

I took this before we headed out to the State Fair this summer.  She won 4 tickets to the fair by entering a drawing during the library summer reading program. 

I went a bit ticket crazy, but I love the look it gave.  I stamped and embossed some tickets and then used the ticket punch on various DSP.  Since Pool Party came around, Baja Breeze has become very neglected.  I didn't have any of the current DSP collections with this color, so I found a retired pattern.  I know some "tickets" are upside down, I liked the look-but it was the first thing my husband noticed.

Random tickets are popped up on dimensionals--easily the most underrated scrapbook accessory!

A little note, some buttons just for fun, and the remaining part of the ticket and the page was done.

Now head over and see what the rest of the ladies have designed--there are even a few more scrap layouts this week!

Simply the Best

(edited: sorry I forgot to schedule this correctly.  If you were looking for it, thanks for coming back!)

This week's Dynamic Duos are two of my favorites that happen to be leaving soon.  Insert: stocking up and hoarding. 



I was a bit stumped though!  I really wanted to do a layout and finding the perfect photo was challenging but I think I did it some justice.  My youngest is a complete Daddy's girl, find him and you'll find her! Take a look:

Once I had the photo, the layout was the next "huh."  A couple of weeks ago, a card caught my eyes because she paired the colors with black.  I got out a sheet of 12 X 12 black and the light bulb came on--why not do a chalkboard layout.

Now you'll never guess this simple layout took 2 hours!  I rubbed the craft white ink on my paper.  I got a bit out of hand where the title is and was going to put the photo there, but when I went to stamp the title where the photo is, I didn't get good coverage of my Versa Mark and the embossing wasn't going to work!  ugh! I then decided to put a little boarder on using a white broad point Galaxy marker-it's non SU but I like the thickness of this rather than the gel pen.

From there I got busy doing the banner.  I thought I'd do some layering on the doilies. Here's a closer view.

I always am excited with my project and then go and load it to the Dynamic page and then my bubble bursts.  These ladies are uber talented!  Head over and give them some love!

Gator Girls

I don't about you but the first thing I thought of when I saw this week's Dynamic Duos colors was John Deere!



Any other Midwesterners out there? or farmers?  Both my dad and brother work for a John Deere dealership so my girls have had no shortage of John Deere toys, including a couple of very fun ride ons.  I scrapped a photo from LONG ago:

This was spring of 2008!  My dad had bought them this in the winter and they had seen it for months just waiting for it to be put together.  This was the first ride, and I would have loved to have put a odometer on it.  It's probably been around the world!  We still have it, though late last summer we borrowed it to a friend.

I started by doing some splattering with my spritzing bottles.  I knew the layout I was going to use and wanted to add to the background.  From there I got busy making my little triangles.  Afterwards, I questioned why I didn't use the pennant punch, maybe it wouldn't have been the right shape, but it didn't dawn on me until I measured and cut all these. A few of the patterns are retired.  The title is my favorite stamp of the moment-I love that little chevron oval.  The title is also a play on words, as my girls are big watchers of Animal Planet and the show Gator Boys.  The JD brad is from my stash, I picked them up long ago and finally used them up.  Look mom, everything is crooked!  (I guess I've gotten the reputation of straight layouts.)

Simple but I love it!-Just wish I had gotten a better photo.  Be sure to head over and see what the group has created.  I get a sneak peek when I add my project and this week I'm amazed with what they came up with.  I always am, but I would have been stumped had I not had good 'ole John Deere to fall on!