Still feeling challenged...

But in a GOOD way!  I have to say, after only doing a layout or two in the past six months, the fact that I've done three in the past month is HUGE!  Over at Mojo Mama's Creative Corner ("Mojo Mama" being the fabulous Kristy Lee), a new weekly challenge was issued by Erin Colby.  Her stuff blows me away, so to even consider doing something that she issued was kind of intimidating.  :)  Her challenge was to do a take on the "Something old, something new..." phrase.

This is what I came up with:

Something old:  The blue acrylic paint I used was so old that it had globs in it.  Grody.  Something new:  I have never scrapped an Instagram picture before, so that was new to me.  This was also the first time I had cut my title into my background paper.  Something borrowed:  I used a sharp knife from the kitchen to distress the papers.  Something blue:  I used various inks, papers and embellishments with my favorite hue.  :)  

It is so fun to be scrapping again and in a way that I am not used to.  I'm branching out more into the trendy stuff and I'm loving how it's turning out! 

That's all for now!  Until next time...

Occasions...

Happy Friday!  I've been promising new stuff for a while now so I figured it was high time I got my rear in gear and show off some of what I have been working on lately.  It seems like I have had to make a lot of occasion cards lately, for specific birthdays, weddings, etc.

This first card was made for a friend of mine who just celebrated the big 4-0.  She looks amazing and not a day over 30, so I wanted her to know that she makes 40 look amazing.  Here's what I came up with:

    
I thought the card turned out fun and sassy, just like my friend.  I printed the sentiment on a piece of kraft paper, then used my Silhouette to cut out the 40.  Added some washi tape and it was done!  Super fun and easy!

The next card I made is for a wedding that we are going to later this month.  My husband's cousin is getting married and I've been around long enough to remember when she was in her teens.  To be a bit floored that she is now old enough to get married (I'm not old, right?!?), is an understatement.  Here is what I made for her:

 
I decided to go simple with this card.  I used the potty people stamp from Amy Tangerine's Hey There set and then punched a red heart to put over the heart image.  Then I used Lawn Fawn's Sally's ABC's to write the sentiment.  I added red burlap twine and a red button and that's it!  Another fast and easy card.

I made this last card for my Dad, who recently celebrated turning 67 years young.  My Dad is the greatest, and I don't just say that because I'm his daughter.  :)  Here is the card I made for him:

Excuse the crappy picture.  It was snowing (?!?) the day I took it.

I used some My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose papers and some My Thoughts Exactly stamps.  It's been a while since I expressed my love for Pinterest, so I thought I would show you the inspiration for this card:

Sometimes I am lost without inspiration, so Pinterest definitely pulls me out of my creative rut when all I'm seeing is an empty thought bubble above my head.  Especially on days like May 3rd...when it was SNOWING for Pete's sake!  I still can't get over that one.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed taking a look at my cards today!  I'll be back with more soon!

Until next time...

Feeling Funky...

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I used Pinterest frequently to find inspiration when I am making a layout of creating a card.  I thought I'd show you all a layout I created recently using a pretty funky sketch I pinned. (And I use the term "funky" loosely - it's funky to me because this novice brain wouldn't ever think to use a sketch like this.)

Here is the sketch, which comes from colorconspiracy.typepad.com:

And here is the layout I created:

I absolutely LOVE how this layout turned out.  It's so fun and different and yet still kinda me.  :)  I used Echo Park's Everyday Eclectic collection with a mix of various embelishments that I had lying around.

If you look in my stash, these are the colors that I have the most of.  :)  The pink flower was originally white, but I sprayed it with a couple different colors of Glimmer Mist to match my color scheme.  My newest obsession favorite embellishments are flair buttons.  So fun!

I love this cute little pennant.  :)  The canvass flag is from Maya Road, but I switched out the grommets to match my color scheme.  The stamp I used is from Studio Calico's exclusive Lawn Fawn set that was in their debut Card Kit.

Thank you for stopping by again today!  I hope this sketch/layout inspires you to venture outside of your comfortable scrappy zone.  Good stuff can happen if you do.  :)

Until next time...

Thankful

Since today is November 1st, I thought I'd start this month of giving thanks with a card I made at the Scrapbooksteals.com retreat.  You may have seen this card used as an example for Monday Card Madness on their blog a couple weeks ago, as well.

I used a BUNCH of different Paper Smooches stamp sets that all have a "thanks" stamp of some sort and created a background with them.  I thought this was a fun card to give to one of my daughters' teachers.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Until next time...

Showing some Paper Smooches love...

I recently stated that Paper Smooches stamps were solely responsible for reigniting my love of card creating.  I reach for their sentiment stamps for almost every card I make lately.  The Paper Smooches SPARKS Challenge Blog is looking for new design team members, so I thought I would throw my hat in the ring.

I created this first card on Tuesday for my daughter's birthday using the challenge from May 28th (and some Pinterest inspiration):



Here are some cards I've created from some past challenges:

 

Here are a few more cards that I recently created while attending the Scrapbook Steals retreat this past weekend:

And, because I am on a roll, how about a few more that I've created:

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I don't have much of a creative brain.  Heck, I don't have much of a brain left period after talking to short peeps all day for the last six years.  :)  I do much better when I have a sketch or some sort of inspiration to follow.  That is why the SPARKS Challenge Blog is right up my alley.

I hope you've enjoyed looking at my cards as much as I've enjoyed creating them!  

Cards to share...

Wow, I have been on a card making ROLL as of late!  I hate to sound incredibly corny, but Paper Smooches stamps really inspire me to make cards.  (And no, I am not being paid to say that.)  Their sentiments just work for everything under the moon and their other stamps can be used for every occasion as well. Here are a couple cards I made today:

I used Circle of Honor to create this card:

This card was made with Smarty Pants:

And this card was made with a Pebbles flower stamp and a sentiment from Lawn Fawn Sophie's Sentiments.

Sorry this post is so short and sweet, but I hear my girls tearing up the house and I should probably reclaim my post as Queen.  :)  Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

My newest addiction...

If you have to be addicted to something, being addicted to stamps and pretty paper is one of the better ways to go.  :) Although I also seem to be addicted to washi tape (buying it, not using it).  It could be worse, right?

Anyway, I have always been a fan of Paper Smooches stamps since the first time I laid eyes on them.  I think I own all of the sentiments and I also have a few other sets.  I thought I'd make a post to show off some of the cards I've made using various PS sets.  (Side note:  I am also attempting to be a PS Guest Designer, but I'd be doing this post even if I didn't have ulterior motives.)  :)

Here are a few of my latest creations:

:)

 I have to admit, this Great Chemistry card is only my second paper-piecing project.  I love how it turned out, though!

 Maybe I am biased, but this Make a Wish card is one of the prettiest I've ever made.

I think this card is so simple, yet so fun.  It was the first time I ever used washi tape as a decorative background on a card.  I know the Welcome Home stamp is meant for redeployment (in non-military terms:  coming home from deployment) purposes, but I thought it was also fitting for a card that I gave my friend and her husband after they bought their first house.

My absolute favorite thing about PS sentiment stamps is that they can be used for EVERYTHING and they work with all kinds of stamps as well.  They are the first sentiments I reach for when I am making a card because I love all of the fun fonts.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my recent card creations.

Until next time...

A Sketchy Situation...

Many of you who have followed me for a while know that I heavily rely on sketches for inspiration (and you are probably sick of me saying that, too!). :) Let me jump off the path I was going on with this post for a moment to give you some background on myself first...

The reason I named my blog "One Scrappy Novice" was because, in all honesty, I do not have a creative eye. I am really good at faking it and the only way that is possible is by using something like a sketch or another layout/card to create from. I can only think of a dozen or so layouts/cards/projects that I've created on my own, with no help needed. I like to joke that I couldn't craft my way out of a paper bag. Others might get out by turning it into something beautiful, like a landscape picture or fun hat or outfit. To me, all I see is that brown bag. Now granted, I'm learning to appreciate my own work more and I do feel that I am much better at my hobby now than I was even a year ago. Some people are born with the ability to be artistic (my oldest daughter is proving that at 5 years old). Others learn to be artistic. That's definitely me.

So going back to the point of this post...sketches give me a basic jumping off point and get the creative juices flowing. Without them, I am usually totally lost. There are cases where I am totally lost while using them, too. The layout I created for this post is a perfect example.

But first, here is the sketch (found on Pinterest):

And here is the layout I created with it:

Once I saw the sketch, I wanted to use my My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose 6x6 paper pad. I knew all of the soft pinks, greens and blues would go together perfectly. And I knew that a picture I had of my friend's daughter would work with those colors as well. I got it all laid out and only adhered the banner down. The rest I was completely clueless on. I had other flowers that I wanted to use and thought the spacing was off. So I went to a bunch of my crafty friends and asked them for their eyes. I knew they would be able to see this layout better than I could. Their advice totally helped me and I am thrilled with the outcome. I hope my friend likes it as much as I do!

Don't be afraid to admit it if you are a self-professed "novice" like myself. As long as your projects turn out looking good, take all the credit you deserve! (Easier said than done, I know!)

Before I sign off, I want to remind you all of the giveaway I currently have going on! Be sure to check out {this} blog post to see how you can win one Authentique Paper Genuine collection!

Until next time...