Scrap Happy Holidays! (Something New, a Toot and a Sneak Peek)

I hope that you all had a fun family filled Christmas! If you celebrate some other seasonal celebration, I hope it was fun and family filled too!

Now that Christmas celebrations are completed, I am totally into holiday mode. A little R & R means time to catch up on my project postings and scrapping time.  This is a good thing too as I have a fun and exciting scrappy secret that was finalized this week. I will share more once it is officially announced.

I had a chance to finally get this layout finished.




Supplies: patterned papers (Provo Craft), glitter chipboard letters (K and Company), play chipboard (Heidi Swapp), acrylic journal spot (Maya Road), ribbon (Michaels), acrylic mirror snowflakes( Dollarama), paint (Deco Art), wht pen (Signo), blk pen (Sharpie)

I have a habit of starting layouts (gathering the need supplies and photos, and sketching the design) but then running out of time to finish it as I move on to the next need-to or now inspired-to-do project.  Thus I essentially have a whole selection of ready to go scrappy kits/projects.  For me, it is the case of not enough time to scrap everything that I have ideas for.  The good thing is that I eventually do come back to the projects and get them completed.

Did you notice my blog's new look?  I really did like the green leaf background that I had for the last year.  It wasn't lack of know how in changing it.  In my way of thinking, there is nothing more beautiful than nature and its' wonderful creations, textures and colours.  However, it really did not have a "scrappy artist look" so I thought to give this new look a try. Thanks to the wonderful artistry at Shabby blogs.com for the items.  What do you think of it?

Now for the little toot share.  Yesterday,  I had the thrill of heading over to Two Peas and seeing my two Get Picky postings both in the Top 3. 



Even better is that I am joined by my super talented and sweet friend Danni.  Her creative talent consistently amazes me! Check out her wonderful creations and I think you will agree. She is up on the October Afternoon blog today too!

Lastly, here is a little sneak peek of my next Get Picky layout:

I am delighted with how this one turned out. It will be posted in a day or two and then I can share it.


TTFN,

November PageMaps Newsletter

I cannot begin to describe how excited I am about the November PageMaps Newsletter.  Firstly, because I am honoured that I had the opportunity to contribute to it (you all know what a fan I am of Becky) but secondly, I absolutely love how my take on the sketch turned out.

Supplies: patterned papers, dimensional stickers, chipboard, pearl swirl, pearl swirl packaging background, and burlap trim (MME), fabric chipboard numbers (American Crafts), Tim Holtz distress inks (Rangers), blk ink (StazOn), pen (Creative Memories), twine and thread (misc.)

I used the Nook's October Kit and add-ons featuring MME's Lost and Found Two Sunshine collection.  These papers have such a richness to them and with all the textures and layers of the collection products... oh my... how can a girl go wrong?

Here is the sketch that I interpreted:

 

As you can see, I stuck pretty close to the original design. I am grateful for the amazing inspiration that it provided in my coming up with this layout.

A close up shot:

I fussy cut the lace doily, distress inked the edges, stitched it, the layout border edges and burlap trim in a pleated fashion with a golden mustard coloured thread, and used the swirls packaging card as my journal spot after distress inking the top label cut edge to match the other sides. I hymned and hahed over whether to use black and white or sepia photos.  After trying both versions, I went with the sepia as it just went beautifully with the brownish tones and the burlap trim and twine.

If you love the look of glitter paper but not the accompanying mess of glitter virtually everywhere, I used this neat tip I picked up at ScrapFest from the ladies at The Memory Keeper booth.  I lightly sprayed the glittered parts of the paper, layered sticker and chipboard with a nonscented aerosal hairspray.  By george it did the trick and held the glitter in place!  I also discovered that by using a static cling floor wipe like Swiffer sheets, I was able to easily deglitter the plain side of the papers and my work surface. Yeah for alternative uses!

A huge thanks to Becky for letting me contribute.  Be sure to check out her other marvelous sketches and the fabulous sample layouts of my fellow November newsletter contributors here.

TTFN,

Always a first time for everything

It is funny how things work out.  I hadn't updated my galleries for September & October (where did the time go) and had some time on the weekend.  Totally a surprise to go visit Two Peas to do some wish list building tonight when I came across this on the main gallery page.

My first time, that I know of, being in the Top 3 and with 2 very different layouts.  I think that is soooo cool! Can you tell that I am just a little excited? 


TTFN,

Sweet Surprise with Thanks

About a year ago, I remember reading on the My Scrapbook Nook (fondly referred to as the Nook) forum, a thread where someone was expressing frustration that some of their favourite layouts receive few comments.  What stuck with me from that thread, was a super talented and successful scrapper saying that some of her favourite layouts created received the least amount of comments.  Someone else added that that goes for those that get picked up for publication.  Sometimes it is the ones that they least expect that make it.  It was around that time that I started to submit some layouts for publication and this little tidbit of wisdom has been invaluable in not taking nonresponses personally.  So after a year of submitting work and having a fair amount picked up by various publications, that piece of insightful wisdom has come to fruition.  After a round of submissions, two of my absolute favourites were not picked up so I finally posted them both here on my blog over the last two weeks and in my galleries.

Like others, it doesn't take much to bring a smile to my face when someone says something nice about my work.  The layout of the week over at the Nook is posted each Friday.  I happened to check it out today, Saturday, and imagine my pleasant surprise to see one of said layouts posted.  I am honoured.  I do not know how the DT chooses just one as the Nook gallery is unbelievably bursting with superb layouts of all styles.  The irony is that, in Hilde's rationale for choosing "Jake -Perfect Tween", she describes to a T the things that I loved most about it.  She totally understood it and that little bit of validation made my weekend.   For that Hilde and for all the ladies who took the time to leave comments.  I thank you.

A funny little aside about that MME So Sophie paper used in that layout.  When I had proudly showed my then 10 year old daughter (my biggest supporter and thoughtful constructive criticism giver) the finished layout, she was a little put out that I had used that pretty paper on my nephew and not her as she loves those colours. LOL!

TTFN,

Scrap Happy Day!

I woke up this morning and while enjoying my morning tea I thought I would check the Get Picky site for their Inspiration Challenge #9 winners as due to different time zones (it is an Australian site) they post while the eastern part of North America is sleeping.  Talk about starting the day on a high!

Get Picky

While sending in some publications submissions, I got to thinking that the Twilight Beauties layout and I sent if off to Scrapbook and Cards Today on the off chance that it might make it into a Reader's Submission post this summer.  Imagine my surprise when Catherine Tachdjian emailed me back!!! A whole lot of whoo hoo and my daughter came into the kitchen to shush me as apparently my DH was on the phone in another room and had made a displeased face. (Doesn't the man know that it is very exciting to have a layout featured?) Definitely not excitement to be contained, let me tell you. 

Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine

Is it any wonder that it was a scrap happy day for me today?

What better way to top off this super happy post then with a little scrappy eye candy goodness?  Here is a layout that I made awhile back from a Nook kit (August 2010) but had not posted. 

Supplies:
PP, diecut stickers, die cut border strip (Sassafras Lass), flowers and felt (Prima), love definition stamp, ink, and pink CS (CTMH), black CS (Bazzill), ribbon doillies (Basic Grey), fabric chipboard letter stickers (American Crafts), glitter mini alphabet (Making Memories), butterfly (Recollections), jewels (Heidi Swapp) and pen (Creative Memories)

This is one of my all time favourites.

TTFN,

Easter weekend begins on a high!

My Easter weekend started with a very pleasant scrappy surprise.  I was browsing Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine's blog as I often do and imagine my joy at seeing one of my layouts featured in their Easter Themed Reader Submissions blog post!

It made my daughter's day too as she loves being the star of my pages.  Such a fun way to start off the holiday weekend!

I am sending positive vibes for the cold rainy weather to go way by Sunday so that I can capture some outdoor Easter photos for this year.  Fingers crossed.

TTFN,

Scrapbook and Cards Today!!!

I read Scrapbook and Cards Today's blog regularly.  This week, they have been featuring one of my favourite companies Pink Paislee and a My Scrapbook Nook friend, Lynn Ghahary.  So on Wednesday, when they asked for reader submissions using Pink Paislee products, I naturaly fired off an email with a layout that I made with the Bayberry Cottage collection using a Becky Fleck's PageMaps sketch.  This is one of my favourite lines of theirs and it came to me by way of a Nook kit.  Well imagine my excitement when Catherine emailed me back and asked if I would mind sharing it with readers.  Would I ever!!!  So on Thursday, she featured my Absolutely Absorbed layout.  Be sure to check it out here at Scrapbook and Cards Today!

Supplies: Pink Paislee- PP, die-cuts, pleated ribbon, chipboard astericks, BG- chipboard letters, MM- small letter stickers, Scrapbook Nook March kit- blk buttons, Maya Road- leaf pins , CTMH- gr ink,flower jewels, Damcord- blk ribbon, StazOn- blk ink, Dollarama- blk jewels, Staedlter- pen, Fiskars- lace corner punch, Misc.- thread, lace, PageMaps April Sketch

TTFN!

Woo hoo! I'll take it!

I received a Prima BAP sketch challenge Honourable Mention for their August BAP today.  Check it out http://prima.typepad.com/prima/2010/09/augusts-bap-winner.html SO EXCITING!!!  One of my online gal pals over at My  Scrapbook Nook, Camilla, was the winner and another fellow Nooker Nicole P. also received an honourable mention!  Also exciting!

I had posted my BAP entry near the beginning of the month but it now warrants a repost.

Title: My Sweet Friend

Journaling reads: Hannah, who likes to swim, sing and design fashions with me.  For five years we have been summer sisters.  How the time has flown!

I layered the paintable overlay over patterend paper for a great effect and then incorporated the patterned paper text  into the titling.  After fussy cutting the bird and branch with leaves out of the patterned paper, I outlined all of the imaged areas with a marker. For a complete supply listing check here.

Doing a small happy dance!
TTFN!