Sketchy Wednesday

What a strange day! The rain has been coming down since I opened my eyes. We've been to an appointment and the grocery store first thing, only to return to do some laundry and clean up to prepare for a camping trip we are taking, leaving tomorrow returning on Saturday. It's the last blast of the summer for the kids, as they start school next Tuesday. Patryk has been really crabby today...his new thing is to spit in my face when I am disciplining him. It is quite disgusting and annoying! Woke hubby up this afternoon (he's a 3rd shifter) and was surprised to find out he's trading my van for an Expedition! Super psyched, but surprised as I knew he was looking but didn't know he had found one! It's a flat out trade, so we'll owe nothing. More importantly, we'll have room for all of our camping gear and family this weekend! Can't wait to put it to the test :)

I did get up into the craft room today, and played with a Liz Qualman sketch. One of her amazing sketches is the sketch of the month at Colorful Creations, and I liked the design. It is hard nowadays to find multiple picture sketches! Everyone seems to enjoy showcasing a single photo on a page, but realistically, I take so many pictures of one event/moment, I always have a bunch I want to include. This was one of those times, the only problem was I'd had the pics printed out for a week so I didn't want to waste more ink. I had to change up the sketch a bit, mainly the picture placement. I also didn't make it a fancy shape (as I am not a good free hand drawer, and cannot buy any shaped paper as I am in a no-spend challenge this month at Colorful Creations. I love this sketch still, and hope it shows you that you really can make a sketch your own. It is more the layout itself here that is similar. A lot of people seem to have trouble following a sketch, thinking they have to make it exactly the same. Not so!

Here's Liz's sketch:

...and here's my take:

All paper: My Mind's Eye Complete Boy paper stack. Train embellie/"boy" title word/bracket: K&Co. MM metal ribbon slide with strip of MME paper. The circle is cut from the K&Co. sticker pack containing the train and word, I liked the notebook paper look of it, not to mention it is like chipboard as it is thick cardboard.

Happy Tuesday!

The rain has stopped here (for now) and it is going to be a busy day of bread baking and crafting for me. My little man still is not feeling that great. This cold seems to hang on for a looooooong time, making him a bona fide booger machine! I'm secretly glad the new big boy bed has made nap time a thing of the past...that just means I get to hang out in my craft room to make sure he doesn't jump the gate and play with my scissors!

My latest obsession is baking bread. With 5 people here in the house, I'm tired of spending an arm and a leg on loaves of bread! One loaf only lasts a day or so if we all eat a sandwich. I'm in week three of baking my own loaves, and it seems to be going well. They all eat it and say it is fantastic, even though it is smaller than your average loaf of sandwich bread. I'm working on this, a little at a time. Today I will let it rise longer and see what happens. So, off to the kitchen before nap time to start some yummy honey sunflower wheat goodness!

Yesterday it rained, and I was glad to be upstairs in the craft room. I made a few things that I'll share here, except for the DT sketch layout I made for sketches4all...it just isn't up to par. My scanner made it crooked looking, and the eyelets I used ARE crooked. Just can't post a crooked layout!

Anywho, here's one I made for Colorful Creations 4 square challenge, where we had to use 4 squares and a circle. I also used it for the sketches4all August layering challenge. Papers My Mind's Eye, inked with Versacolor Umber pigment ink. Freehand drew the star and cut out, adhered to white paper to make it pop. The silver washer came from my husband's toolbox (seriously) and I wrapped a twist tie from a box of garbage bags around it. Gotta love repurposing! Speaking of repurposing, when one runs out of chipboard circles, what is to be done? Well, I used a Capri Sun box. I cut the big circle out of the box, adhered white paper to it, and inked all over it (Stampin Up Garden Green, Versacolor umber, and a Stampin Up Stampin Spot made little square looking marks all over it, which I loved the look of.) The "genuine" definition is DCWV Rub-On Quote Stack - Boy. The sticker on the circle in the middle is P.Inc. Penstitching around the circle.

For the sketches4all site, as you all know from my previous postings, there is a contest for the Scrap Girl of the Month. Challenge #3 for this award was to make a bookmark using the colors orange and green, a ribbon, and a stamp. It also had to be related to our favorite book/author/magazine somehow. I chose Edward Abbey, my favorite author. I had a hard time at first, wanting to attach all of these 3 dimensional elements, but realized it needed to function as a bookmark, and resisted the urge. Orange flower paper is from my scrap box, from the MAMBI Coastal Culture paper pad. The green paper is from the K&Co Roam paper pad. The stamps are MM magnetic alphabet stamps, stamped in Versacolor umber. The dragonfly sticker is Miss Elizabeth's, and the paper the sticker is attached to was received in an RAK.

Last but not least, I made this card for Colorful Creations. It is Sandra's Card Sketch challenge, and I think I did well. I have been trying to make more masculine cards, as there are a lot of men in my family. It's a little harder, but I'm getting better at it. Papers are from an old PC Scrap Pad - The Den paper collection. It is from all the way back in 1998! The ribbon and buttons were received in an RAK. The oval sticker is Miss Elizabeth's.

Hope to post more later, after bread is baking :) Have a crafty day!

Good crafty morning to you :)

Started the day right, with a layout for sketches4all. This one was Christy's What's in a Word challenge, asking us to use a quote on the page. I had just received the quote I ended up using, along with all of the fabulous flowers, as an RAK from Cindy, a talented designer for s4u, and felt this was a good time to use it. This is a photo of my now 5th grader walking with her now 8 year old sister to her first day of first grade. Rileigh (the younger) wasn't due to start preschool for another month, and was so sad to leave her there. It took a good week for her to adjust to playing alone!

Journaling reads: "You were so very sad when we walked Andraia to school for her first day of first grade, mainly because your first day of preschool was a month away! You cried all the way home and kept asking if it was time to go pick her up yet!" I wish I could tell you who made the paper, as I am also in the Colorful Creations no spend challenge for this month where I cannot purchase a single THING to make layouts. It has been quite liberating! I remember getting this school themed paper in a giant paper pack, one of the not really name brand ones, from Michael's 5 or 6 years ago, and ripping it open to put it in my "occasion" file. Of course I didn't save the info as to the maker of the paper! Another oldie but goodie showcased on this page: the old EK Success Fresh Cutz die cut sheets, these are Rebecca Sower back to school that I've had collecting dust for probably 10 or 11 years! I adhered one with pop dots, and in looking at them, had a great idea for a homemade embellie which I will probably showcase here soon, as I can't wait to try it out on my next page for Rileigh's album, her first day of preschool. The flower embellishments were received from the same RAK I got the quote in. The arrow attached w/pop dots is from We R Memory Keepers Teen Angst scrap pad, along with the sticker letters. The corrugated paper making up the bottom layer of the photo mat was repurposed from a box of Pfaltzgraff plates!

I'm sure there'll be plenty of layouts to come today as I am back in the groove after being sick. Stay tuned, and have a scrappy day!

FINALLY!

I get this layout done...it's about time! I have been working at this one all day long, no thanks to my little man who doesn't like to nap and seeks out adventure (and because of this, danger) around every corner, and the soup I made to make the sick people here in this house (myself included!) feel a little better.

I made this one for numerous challenges. It qualified for the sketch crazy #1 sketch and the use those scraps challenge over at sketches4you. I also am entering it into the Colorful Creations blog challenge, asking you to use a number in the title of the layout. I'm excited about this one, as I worked really hard on it, trying out a new technique with the ribbon and LOVED the results, along with the handstitched freehand flowers. My Mind's Eye papers, all from my scrap collection (they are recent scraps from a card I made. Random ribbon I received as a prize from a contest. MM brads. MM Scrapbook stitches for handstitching. Colorbok rub on letters for title/year.

I hope you like it...it is late, so I must go. Sooooo tired.

Scrapbook Patty's blog candy giveaway...

...and it's HUGE! Check out the pic of the box of goodies...irresistible! ENTER TO WIN!

Summer sickies

So I had a fantastic girls' weekend at Foxwoods last weekend, and brought home my girlfriend's cold. Boooooooo. I then passed it along to my son, who passed it along to his father. Double booooooo. The girls appear healthy as can be, and for this I am thankful. It has been a long week of coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and resting. Currently, the girls are away at my parents' house, enjoying the last time they will stay overnight before school starts at the end of the month, so today (with the overcast skies and off and on rainshowers) is a good day to get crafty!

I made a page yesterday, the first day my head felt like it was part of my body. I tried to get this done to enter in a challenge over at Colorful Creations called "Show me the Bunny." The challenge was to use mainly Bo Bunny products on your page, and as I had a couple of sheets left from a kit I received from Scrappy Jo's, I was happy to oblige. However, with 75% of the page created, it was time to head off to the in-laws for dinner, so it was not completed in time to enter it in the challenge. :( Oh well, that's why I post it here :) The papers are all Bo Bunny...Calypso floral for the background paper (I used the other side of the paper for the side border where the picture strip is, just flipped it and taped it together.) Calypso paper for the matting. Random heart brad on a MAMBI folder tab sticker. Bo bunny red dotty ribbon for the ribbon flower w/a MM square metal brad in the center. The white circles circles came from hubby's toolbox (yes, I sneak in there when I want a different embellie!) Random blue ribbon scraps. Journaling: "Seeing as you were born on Easter Sunday, Honey decided to make a bunny cake for your party at her house this year. It was quite creative -- it had Mini Eggs and M&Ms all over it, and Twizzlers for the whiskers and smile. Sure, it was nice to look at, but eating it was even better!"

Here's another layout I created for Colorful Creations, documenting our yearly pumpkin carving tradition. I just love how this one turned out, diggin' the circles! The paper I've had for a month or so, glad to finally use it. I've been trying to utilize non-traditional papers for holiday papers (you know, not themed paper) and think it worked out well in this case. DCWV cardstock. Glitz Design Sparrow floral paper, the other side of that paper made the red circles. Random bling from my stash. Title cut with Cricut. Ribbon from the dollar section at Target, no real name brand. Can't pass up a good deal! Handstitching w/MM Scrapbook Stitches in orange.

TFL, stay tuned for more creations as it looks like an day to "play" inside LOL

If you like stamps, enter now to win great blog candy over at Kellie Winnell's blog! She has a great assortment up for grabs to celebrate reaching 550 followers. Drawing ends Aug 16, so hurry! What is up for grabs? Well, don't mean to tease you all, but here it is...

Head on over and enter for your chance to win this assortment of stamps, and good luck!

More blog candy...does it ever end?

Not that I'm complaining...I do love hoarding *ahem* I meant to say using new stuff! This time, it's The Hovey Hut. They have a fantastic collection of goodies, go check it out and sign up! Hurry, the deadline to enter is August 7th at midnight, with the drawing occuring on August 8th. What are you waiting for? GO!

Colorful Creations blog card challenge

Just in time, I finished! The sketch from the Colorful Creations blog has been sitting on my craft table, staring me in the face for a couple of weeks now, so I decided to whip it out this morning (which turned into an hour and a half with all of the hand stitching!) I know just the recipient for this lovely card, I hope she likes it!

First off, here's the sketch...

...and what I did with it.

Card cut from Bo Bunny cardstock. Sentiment is on Coredinations cardstock. Patterned paper is from The Paper Loft, the Morning Rain collection double sided wildflowers, used both sides for this. Ribbon: American Craft. Sentiment is from DCWV Vellum Quote Stack Sentiments. Ribbon is all attached to the card with MM Scrapbook Stitches, handstitched. Flowers are cut from patterned paper scraps from cutting the circle and attached with pop dots.

Busy, busy.

I can't believe it...little man actually is enjoying playing in his room. What does that mean for me? Well, it means that my craft room is seeing more action than it EVER has. I got to spend all day there yesterday, not only creating the "horse crazy" layout I showcased a couple of blog posts ago (which has to be my new favorite layout by the way, it took me a good 2 1/2 hours to make), but also a few other nice layouts.

I didn't realize that I was at the same point in each of the girls' albums (I am a chronological scrapper when it comes to the kids' albums!) until I printed out the pics...to my surprise, they were of the same event, Halloween 2006. Every year we trick-or-treat in nearby Rollinsford, NH where my in-laws live. They have a road that is historically known as the most trick-or-treated (don't know or care if that is the proper terminology, I will say it anyway) in the city. Seriously, I mean RIDICULOUS amounts of trick-or-treaters flock to the circle each year, cleaning out candy supplies. I've heard rumors of numbers in the 300's! A lot of houses run out of candy after an hour or two, but don't think they aren't prepared...everyone who lives there knows to buy bags upon bags of candy. It's always fun. Before we go there, we stop in to the Rollinsford Police Department, where my mother-in-law works, to get candy and a glow necklace they pass out each year. These pages are from the PD before setting out for the night. Note the winter hats/ear warmer. Also note how chubby Andraia looks...that's just the 4 layers of warm clothing under her costume! It was FREEZING that year! Downfall of Halloween in New England I guess...

The layout for Andraia's album...Halloween theme papers purchased on clearance somewhere (I think Michael's) in a giant paper pack with themes for each holiday, wish I could tell you who made it, but there is no info available. That's what happens when you rip the package open and file it all in your paper filing place, and then THROW THE PACKAGE AWAY. Shame on me. All papers inked around the edges. Stickers (the mummy and cat) are 3D Studio 112. Brads I got 11 YEARS AGO on ebay from some eyelet ebay store, haven't turned to eyelets in a while...I used to have an obsession! Candy corn embellies inked so they would stand out against the white background paper from Jolee's. Letter stickers are more randomness from my sticker collection.

The layout for Rileigh's album, which I used in Stacy's scraplift challenge and Sharon's monthly recipe challenge over at sketches4all...orange textured cardstock DCWV. All papers are random from my scrap box. EK Success pink/green "Trick" in title. "or Treat" Plaid Alpha Stickers. Studio 112 skeleton 3D sticker adhered to chipboard circle from K&Co, which was blank before I got my hands on it! Inked the edges of the circle to match. Spider cut from my Cricut (Doodlecharms) with MM brads for eyes. Ribbon (which is from the dollar section of Target, no name brand...I think it's simply called "scrapbooking ribbon" LOL gotta love the Target dollar secion!) adhered to page with MM Scrapbook Stitches.

Sharon's recipe requirements were simple this month: layers, ink, and torn paper.

Here's Stacy's layout we were to scraplift:

And here's my take:

Lastly, I made this card which I absolutely adore. I love everything about this card...it is a sensory experience, with embossed handmade paper, flocked paper, ribbon, and bumpy, sparkly glitter! What's not to love about that? This was made for Stacy H-W's stash challenge, asking us to use the colors black and white with only one other accent color and glitter. It is based on a sketch for the Scrap Girl of the Month contest at sketches4all. Embossed paper is from a very old PC Paper Passport Pastel handmade papers Collage Pad. Flocked paper: MAMBI Specialty Cardstock paper pad in black and white. Ribbon is provided by Scrappy Jo's, a great place with great products! Bo Bunny black dot cardstock. Image: Stamp Craft, stamped with black pigment ink. Star is filled with Create A Craft red glitter.

Here's the sketch, which I followed just about exactly. Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone :)

And here's my creation:

I'm sure that today will bring more scrappy fun. I have a bunch of challenges to inspire me, and I have a lot of work to do...I'll be opening an etsy store soon, something I've been waiting a long time to be able to do! Selling to local stores is great, but I'd really love to be able to reach more people and I feel etsy is just the perfect place for me! Stay tuned for the grand "opening" LOL!

More blog candy over at s4u blog!

Check this out...a WONDERFUL kit from Queen Scraps, you can win it if you just head over to the sketches4u blog! Woo hoo! I just love the colors of this kit, head on over and enter to win! While your there, read about the Scrapgirl of the Month contest. It is monthly, and so much fun! All you have to do is participate in various challenges. How easy is that? C'mon and join us in the forums...you'll be glad you did!

Played with a sketch today (what's new?)

Liz Qualman is an amazing artist. I am in love with all of her sketches, first introduced to me by sketches4all. Her sketches are being featured this month over at Colorful Creations, and one of her sketches is the August sketch over at Paper Poppy Kit Co, a site she designs for. I saw the August sketch and just had to give it a go, I had a certain idea in mind. I've been watching other scrappers gather their ribbon strips, and decided this was the sketch to try it out on. I am super pleased with the results!

Here's Liz's sketch...

...and here's my take on it. Papers are K&Company Roam. Title cut with Cricut with white chalk around the edges to make it pop. Ribbon is SEI Claire, stitching is DMC #437. White MM brads to hold it in place. Flowers are SEI Claire, MM brads in center. "Crazy" part of the title is Pinkpaislee chocolate cardstock alpha stickers.

I WANT AN I-ROCK!

Have you seen this fabulous took for attaching bling to your layouts (and anything else you can imagine?) Well I have, and have wanted it ever since I saw it! Here's your chance to not only win an i-rock but all kinds of neat goodies to go along with it! Just head on over to the imaginisce blog and follow the instructions to win a nifty prize package which includes an album they've already covered in bling using this amazing tool. What are you waiting for?

Another great giveaway...

...by a very talented papercrafter, Tanisha Renee. She is giving away all kinds of goodies, so head on over there and follow the instructions to enter to win. She has some great pre-mades to make your album making a snap if you are short on time/heavy on pictures (like some people I know *ahem, ahem*), along with a great collection of candy. If you aren't scrap-savvy, she has a pre-made album that is darling. What are you waiting for? ENTER TO WIN!

More creations for sketches4all and Dirty Scraps!

I was a busy girl today, thanks to the 2 1/2 year old who refuses to nap and can scale his gate like it was a mere speed bump on his road to freedom! Luckily my craft room is right outside his door, the perfect place to stand guard making sure he doesn't get at my Exacto knife or scissors!

I started out making a gift box to warm up with. I love the results, the colors are great! SEI Claire papers/die cut.

This layout was created for Brenda's first August challenge, a DT member at sketches4all. I just loved her sketch, and tweaked it just a little bit. I love the results! As an added twist, she wanted us to use pictures older than 10 years old, which for me is no problem...I have my family's photos, some dating back to the 1890's! The hardest part for me was choosing which photos to use! (Of course, her sketch is shown first.) Papers are all MAMBI Coastal Culture. Flower/journal box/bracket are all SEI Claire die cuts. Title/subtitle created with my Cricut.

This layout was made for the most recent sketch crazy challenge at sketches4all, along with a challenge for Dirty Scraps, a great challenge site that gets you to journal more intimately about yourself. First is a picture of the sketch it was based off of for the sketch challenge, courtesy of pagemaps. Dirty Scraps used the prompt "impact" for the layout to be based around. I like how this page turned out! All papers are My Mind's Eye Complete Boy. Chipboard letters/alpha stickers: We R Memory Keepers Teen Angst collection.

Journaling reads: "Growing up, my family was what you might call "outdoorsy." We camped, hiked, snowshoed, and took various nature related outings such as the beach or lake. Now that I am older with a family of my own, I find myself gravitating towards outdoor experiences. I wonder if these outings will have as much of an impact on my own children as much as it did on me..."