Two Page Layout - "What a Cutie Pie"

It's been a really long time since I've shared a layout of my precious grandbaby, Scarlet. We have so many darling photos of her. I seriously, can't keep up with the scrapbooking.

This layout features pictures from her 3 month photo shoot. Isn't she a doll baby? Okay..so I'm probably a tiny bit biased.=)

I found a wonderful stack of paper from My Minds Eye. It's bursting with chevrons, wood grains, and vintagey floral goodness. I thought it would be fun to tear the corners and add a layer of paper underneath. This was the first time I used my honeycomb screen. I just laid it down and sponged some ink in and around it, then sponged the torn edge with pink.

 The StampinUp paper butterflies were also sponged with pink. The banner is more MME scraps and Kraft stuck down side-by-side with faux stitch marks between.
The torn upper right corner is backed with another sheet stamped with the script from StampinUp's French Foliage. I added some additional banners and ball fringe.

 Thanks for stopping by today. I feel like I'm finally sliding into the weekend! Yay! We'll be heading for Florida on Monday for me to get continuing education credits for my insurance designation, followed by a beach vacation with my whole family! Can't wait!! I guess I'll have even more pictures to scrap when I return. =)

2 Double Page Layouts - "Turtle Farm" & "Underwater Views"

What a crazy couple of weeks at work. I'm so excited to take a minute and share a few layouts with you.

I'm still finishing up my album from our 25th anniversary cruise a few years back. This layout features pictures from the Turtle Farm at Grand Cayman. The turtle and title font are cut with Cricut's "Life is a Beach" cartridge.

 The background paper is pretty cool. The aqua stains and faint writing adds to the pretty/grungy look. I did add a strip of solid aqua to break up the pattern, but then decided to add a faint script background stamp to match the grungy look.

 I added the title to the right side and wrapped it around a picture with the turtle diecut. I inked it up with a little more aqua ink to make it look a little watery. The idea was to not add too much contrast to the page, but to allow the title to blend in a bit.

 Here are both sides together. These turtles are so cute. It was fun to actually hold some of the smaller ones.

Here's another layout from our Grand Cayman excursion. Again, the grungy paper...I can't help myself. =) The friendly fish and cute crab are also cut from Life is a Beach cartridge. The layered circles reminded me of bubbles. I added a bit of Stickles to the fish and crab just for fun.

 The antique boat we were in was really interesting, and we were able to see many different types of fish.

Here is the whole layout, side by side. I still have a few more cruise layoutos to do. My album will be bursting out of the binding!! Such great memories! It's hard to not scrap them all!

Two Page Layout - "Ludington"

It's been a rough week, hasn't it? It's so hard to even watch the news with evil running rampant in our world. I don't think we are meant to understand the evil, what triggers it, or what kind of person it takes to carry it out. This is one of those weeks where I pray hard and keep trusting my father in Heaven who is still in control. My heart goes out to the families of the Boston Marathon victims. I felt like I couldn't just start a new post without sharing a little bit of my heart with you today.

 

I have no idea how to transition into scrapbooking from here, but I think some sunshine and peaceful pictures could do us all a little good. These pictures were taken in a beautiful little town on the shore of Lake Michigan. If I could live anywhere and money was not an issue, I would probably choose to live somewhere on Lake Michigan. =)



 The flowers are made from scraps of denim that I saved. I'm 5'11" and I am pretty sure that this is the first time I've ever had to shorten the hem of any piece of clothing. The jeans were "talls" and apparently there are some who are taller than me. I threw the scraps in with my scrappy treasures. I started with a Gluber circle, laying the denim around the outside edge and working my way to the middle. It looked a little messy in the center because the denim was so stiff, so I used a button to cover it.

 The picture grid is bordered on the top and bottom with scraps of paper cut with several different border punches. To keep the clean look of the page, I journalled along the bottom edge. I didn't feel like much journalling was really necessary because I've used other pictures from this destination in my layouts. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Anybody scrapping this weekend??? I AM!!! Can't wait. I'm hoping to get lots of pages done. Have a great weekend no matter how you choose to spend it. =)

Pinterest Inspired Cards

Any Pinterest lovers out there? Oh my...I probably spend way to much time pinning. I've found some great ideas and it's an awesome thing to sort through all the great ideas when I'm ready to make a card.

1) Butterfly Love

This one caught my attentenion because of the pretty butterflies that popped off the white on white layers. This was the first time I'd stamped first, then dry embossed the stamped image. It's a great effect. Thaks for the inspration: http://www.bellarosecards.com/2013/02/bright-butterflies.html

2)Horizontal Pennants

I changed this one up with the colors, and the punched butterfly, but the inspration came from
http://caline-paperwitch.blogspot.de/ I love the way this turned out and I'll definitely make something similar again some day soon. Pretty simple and lots of fun with layering stamps and pennants.

3) Hello Cut Out

I've been wanting to try using the negative image on a card, and when I saw this one on Pinterest, I definitely had to give it a try.  http://noonuh.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-been-so-long.html . I couldn't find the actual post for this card because the pin was tagged to the home page of the blog. I practiced with a scrap first to know where to set the size dial on my Cricut. I popped up the negative, and punched a layered flower for the embellishment. Fun!

4)Distressed Sun Burst

The inspiration for this came from the printed paper and the sunburst die cut. I didn't follow the technique linked to the Pinterest image. Instead I tore the hymnal page to be smaller than the card face, attached it to card stock, inked my embossing folder, then ran the hynmal page through the press in the inked folder. The scalloped circle punched from glitter paper, gave it a little girly touch. Thanks for the inspiration: http://scrapperia.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/jetzt-muss-es-aber-reichen.html

Two page layout - "LUV Her"

The sun is shining here in Fort Wayne and it's marvelous. I have to share something colorful with you to celebrate the sun!! This is actually one of my faves and I'm excited to share it with you. I tried something new with chipboard....Chipboard+Washi Tape+Ink = Fun layout!!

First of all, the beautiful subject of these photos is my grandbaby, Scarlet. She was 3 months old at the time. She'll be one-year-old later this month. What a precious gift from God!

Now back to the chipboard fun! I picked up these chipboard flowers at a garage sale. They were originally white and as you can see the center circle is removeable. I covered the center with Washi tape, inked the outside scalloped edge with hot pink, and Voila!

A couple of the centers were a bit of a tight squeeze to fit back into the scalloped edge. A gentle sanding around the outside edge did the trick.

 This colorful tape is from Smashbox. I lined it up on the page for some additional color. I added a few colored metallic dots, Baker's twine around one of the scallopd edges, and a button, then journalled around the outside of the circle.

Thanks or stopping by my blog today! Have a fabulous weekend! I'm going to do some scrapping. =)

Bird project

For some reason, I don't have very many Easter decorations. As mentioned before, I'm kind of an owl freak, but I recently added this little birdy to the mix.

Here is the story of this little birdy. I bought him really "cheep" at the craft store. I think it was his cute little wire legs that attracted me.



Once I got him home, I grabbd the Mod Podge, a paint brush, and an old book. Mine is actually an old Hymnal that I rescued. The pages work great for all kinds of projects and it's a great way to give these old Hymns new life in a prominent place in my home.

Tear the pages into strips of different sizes. (Yikes...I know it's hard to tear something out of a book.) Brush ModPodge just over the area where you will be applying the next strip of paper. This gives you a place to hang on without getting your hands all gluey.  Once you have it covered all the way around on both sides and the edges, you can add a little color by smearing ink all over it.

I like a vintage look, so the ink is random. I used leftover strips of paper to smear on the ink. The next step is more ModPodge over the entire bird. Put on a thick layer and let it dry over night.

I used a black Sharpie marker to color two large rhinestones for eyes (see top picture). My pretty yellow birdy has made friends with the other feathered friends on my table. Have a wonderful Easter. 

Isaiah 53:3-6
  ³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Feminine Cards

My husband is away on a business trip this week. This is my first time home alone for several days since we've been empty nesters. Very strange, but honestly, it has also been good. I've been getting some projects done here at home. Solitude can be a refreshing experience when you know it's only temporary.

Here are some cards that I made quite some time ago, but never shared on my blog. I guess I was busy sharing all the new scrapbook pages of my sweet granddaughter! =)

The butterfly was cut with Indie cartridge (Cricut). It's such a pretty shaped butterfly! It was fun to bling it up with a few rhinestones and sheer black ribbon. The sentiment, and decorative label and oval punches are from StampinUp! I love that their punches are made to work directly with their stamps. It makes things so much quicker when you're trying to pull a card together. I'm not a fan of cutting things out by hand, if I can help it.

This one is not quite as flashy, but still very girly. The background stamp is from Glitz Designs. I used several different SU punches and stamps to create the layered flower, then dropped a rhinestone in the center. You're probably assuming I sell SU..LOL! Nope, but one of my best friends does...I'm actually just a big fan.

Now for a little critique...I'm thinking a brighter pink would have "popped" a bit more. =)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Have a wonderful week. =)

Two Page Layout - "U R Here"

The sunshine today has been beautiful. I just took a quick walk with my dog and it's deceivngly chilly out there still. I have faith that spring is coming, and I'm ready.

We took a trip to Lake Placid, New York, in September 2011. You must go and check it out sometime. I was there on business, but we extended a few days to see all the sights. Unfortunately my husband was behind the camera and I was the focus of attention. I much prefer it the other way around.



I do love the colors in this layout. I splurged on a pack of pretty flowers and went to town with them.

We were actually checking out the ski slopes where the olympics were once held. Gorgeous views!! The title is from Graphically Speaking (Cricut)....One of my favorite "go to" cartridges, especially for a quick title.

You can't see it here, but the lacy border strip is actually fuzzy. Wish you could feel it. =) I broke my own rule and didn't really journal, except for the date and place. The view kind of say it all, and this was one of several layouts from the same area.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Have a great weekend!!

Scrapbook layout - "Adore" and Tape Techniques

Every year the insurance company I work for honors our Top Agents from the prior year. It's always a fun and rewarding week. There are two of us who are primarily in charge of the events, and it was another huge success... I'm a little worn out today, but a relaxing weekend and a nice visit from my sweet grandbaby always helps recharge me.

Speaking of Scarlet, it's definitely time to share another layout. This is a rare one-pager for me! But these two pictures melt my heart and are deserving of all the attention. =)

Super simple technique 1: Punched up Washi Tape! Use any border punch on one edge of your tape. If you look closely (double click photo) you will see the scalloped edge of theTim Holtz red-lettered tape under each picture. This particular tape has a backing on it that you peel off. To get this look, cut your tape to the length you want and leave the paper on the back. Simply use a border punch along the edge of the tape, then peel off the paper and adhere to your page.  If you are using the kind of tape that doesn't have a paper backing you can still get this look. Just adhere your tape to a sheet of paper (or Vellum to keep the see-through look of the tape), use your straight trimmer along the edges of the tape, and then use your punch on one edge. You will have to use adhesive to attach it with the second method.

Super simple technique 2:  Inked up Washi Tape! The Tim Holtz tape used here is offwhite. I wasn't sure how it would take the ink, but it turned out great! Super easy...Cut your tape to size, adhere it temporarily to a non-stick work surface like a vinyl sheet that you would use for stamping or gluing. Dab a sponge into your inkpad and then smear the sponge onto your tape. Repeat, if you want more color.  After it dries, adhere it permanently to your project. This will save big money because it allows you to transform the same roll of tape into many, many different colors.

The leaves, bracket matt, and heart were cut with my Cricut. I layered up purchased paper flowers with a decorative brad from StampinUp! and added a little baker's twine to the tag tucked under the picture. The sketch is from Sketchabilities.

How time flies...our sweet Scarlet is now pulling herself up and cruising around the furniture!! We just love being grandparents!! Apparently, this Grandma needs to get caught up on her scrapbooking and post some more layouts. =)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!!

Two page layouts - "Sleepy Head" and "Bundle of Joy"

Hello scrappy friends! I have just enough time for a quick post and today, it's two for the price of one because it's been awhile.

First up is "Sleepy Head". This layout was really out of the box for me. I fell in love with the doodle-look paper and then I had a little bit of trouble trying to figure out how to make it work. In the end, I was happy with it.

Left side:  Most of these doodles were all on the paper. How fun!!I had some leftover glitter tulle for rolling up some fun flowers. They are a little thicker than what I normally put on a page, but super cute.

 Right side: I was not in love with this page until I used the texture folder on the red cardstock. That made all the diference. I freehanded some clouds to match the doodled clouds on the opposite page. The pink and red on one page was a bit of a challenge for me...but now I am pleased with it.

Here's a closeup of the tulle button flowers. I used clear gemstones, but colored them with sharpies for more of an impact.

Here are the two sides together. My grandbaby is such a DOLL!! We sure are enjoying her.

Next up...Bundle of Joy. This layout is from when she was fresh out of the NICU. I believe it was our first visit to their house after they brought her home....so fresh and sweet!!

Left:  Most everything on this page is from the Bundle of Joy paper pack (Echo Park). I added the Tim Holtz washi tape and the lace at the top. These are my two boys lovin' on Scarlet....Proud papa Joel is in the upper right and lower left. Uncle Jacob sure does love her too. =)

Right:  More borders and embellishments from the Bundle of Joy pack. I love these pictures of my son and daugher-in-law standing on the front porch of their home with their new and precious bundle of joy. They were so happy to bring her home!!! It brings tears to my eyes just remembering all of the emotion.

Here are the two sides together.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!! Have a great weekend!

Two page pet layout "Winter Sprint"

I have really been enjoying the light covering of fresh snow we've received over the last few weeks. Today, it's disappearing again. I enjoy winter for the most part. Everything looks prettier when it's dusted with snow!

Our adopted greyhound loves the snow! These pictures are from a year ago. My son, Jacob, was home for the weekend from BSU. He and my hubby took Riley to the dog park and had a blast. I printed some in black and white for a change. It gave me a fun opportunity to embellish with colorful snowflakes. =)

Left: My favorite picture of them running off into the distance. A great shot!! It looks like Jacob had a head start.

Right:  Riley's tongue tells the story of all the sprinting he did that day. He ran so fast, his coat was literally flapping in the beeze behind him.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!! Are you doing any fun crafting this weekend? I am still hoping to get in a few Valentines cards. I have some ideas floating around in my head. As always, it's more a matter of getting all of my stuff out and just getting started. I can do this!!! =)

Two Page baby layout - So Many Reasons

Hello friends! My week has been crazy busy. I believe it is well past time for a little distraction from all things work related and time for some blogging. It's chilly and drafty in our house tonight, so I will have to type fast to keep my fingers from freezing. =]

Today, another sweet baby layout of my new grandbaby. These are her newborn portraits. So beautiful!*

 Patterned paper is My Minds Eye. I love the vintage look of the paper in this MME stack! Lots of wood grains, florals, and chevrons.

Left:

Right:

Here is a closeup of the embellishments including Prima flowers, pearl drops, stick pin, and amazing crocheted flowers and leaves. Thank you so much to my BSBFF who slaved over these crocheted flowers for me!! I LOVE them!!

Here's another closeup of the flower embellishments and scalloped circle frame that I used for a bit of journalling.

Thanks for stopping by today. If it's cold and blustery where you live, be safe and warm.  I'm going to snuggle up with my hubby in front of the TV now.  =)
*Photo credit: Eta Fe Photography