Fantastic Four | Scrap The Boys | Southern Girls

     Hey Everyone!  Thanks for joining me as I share my latest creation.  This is a layout using our nephew's fourth birthday picture.  He's five already!  

     I started the layout with the sketch over at Scrap The Boys and the stripe challenge from Southern Girls.  Both challenges gave me a great jumping off point.

    The paper I chose is the Echo Park Birthday Wishes collection. The main reason I chose this collection was that it was out on my desk from two other creations so it was handy.  I did however work in elements from other paper companies to achieve the look I was going for.

    I have really been working on combining collections to get things used up.  For example, the letters in the paper collection were just wrong somehow.  Instead of used a combination of tiny letters from Jillibean Soup and Bella Blvd's Max collection.  The stars were also Bella products that I have two sheets of and I'm trying to get used up.

    I hope you like my product mash up, and that it gives you ideas of how to combine collections for a seamless layout.  Until next time...stay crafty!

Southern Girls Goodbye

Time for my last reveal at Southern Girls Challenge Blog as they are changing their design team format.  Can you believe I've been with them for 16 months!  I've made lots of cool projects, and appreciate them giving this challenge newbie a chance.
The challenge this go round is to use white/cream - mint green and/or turquoise and coral and/or pink.  I used an old Studio Calico Kit for my paper and embellishments from Doodlebug and the Freckled Fawn April Kit called Oh Deer Me to create this pocket letter.  This is one of my favorite so far...right up there with the beach ones I did.
Today is also hubby and I's ten year anniversary! So...if I can get 20 comments (ten for our marriage and ten more for ten more years) I will give away a prize.  We're so happy today so I want to share that with you.  Until next time...Happy scrapping!

Dots and Spots Birthday Card

Good Morning everyone and welcome to another reveal for Southern Girls Challenge. This time we were asked to create something with dots or spots.  Here is the card I created...

     This is actually one of eight cards I created. I gave a one sheet wonder template a try and was completely stoked with my results.  The paper is a from a Hampton Arts collection called Playlist...the exact paper is called Volume. I used this paper not only for the dots/spots, but because with all the different colors the cards can now be used for a male or female recipient.
     The stamp is from a old CTMH collection stamped with Memento ink in Tuxedo Black.  The punch is a standard scalloped circle, but I believe mine is from Stampin Up.
    I hope you come join our dots and spots challenge, and I'd love to hear if you ever used a one sheet wonder template and what you thought of the results.  Until Next time...Keep Scrapping!

Challenges:
Cards Galore - Anything Goes
Seize the birthday - Anything Goes

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National Scrapbook Day Blog Hop

     Happy NSD all!  We are totally excited that you’ve joined us this weekend for this extra special blog hop.  SpiegelMom Scraps and the Southern Girls Challenge Blog owners and Design Teams have united and are aspiring to inspire YOU!  This hop has such wide variety of paper crafting styles and media being used that it’s sure to knock your socks off.  You should have arrived from Louise's blog.  Didn't you love her project!?  
     For my project I created a family mini album for you.  I created this from scratch starting with plain white cardstock, and will be used as part of a swap for the Facebook swap group a friend and I run.  The papers are ones I've had in my stash for years...really trying to work on using those up! Here is a photo of the outside, and I have a video (here) for you of it all opened up.    

Next up on the hop you should find Neha and her wonderful mixed media page.  Before you go though please follow me using bloglovin, and I'd be over the moon if you'd follow my facebook page too...links are on the right hand side of the blog.  Thanks so much for your comments and until next time...Keep Scrapping!

Girly ATC Set

I've been creating so much for upcoming challenges lately that I feel like I'm neglecting my blogging!  I'm here today with my creation for the new challenge at Southern Girls...All thing girly.

If you've been following me for any length of time you know that girly really isn't my thing.  I agonized as I was making these, but in the end I'm really happy with how they came out.

I started with chipboard and covered in in shabby chic paper.  The heart enamels are from Tim Holtz. The stick pins are from a swap we did on my Facebook group - Scrapbooking Swap Til You Drop...look us up!

Ok - short and sweet post as I'm going back to working on the two page layout sitting in my desk.  Until next time...Keep Scrapping!

Mother's Day Card

Hey Everyone - welcome to another reveal at Southern Girls Challenge. We were asked this time to create something with a little sparkle or shine.  I choose to create a sparkly Mother's Day card for my sister-in-law.  I know it's really early, but I don't usually use sparkle having a boy so I thought this was the perfect chance to make a card for a lady.

The paper is from My Mind's Eye called Indie Chic Nutmeg.  I used this paper to do a layout you'll be seeing in the near future and wanted to use the scraps for something as well.  The wave is cut with my Kiwi Lane templates.  Since the patterned papers were busy on their own I kept my embellishments rather simple.  The glitter washi tape is from Recollections if I remember correctly, and the bling is from Queen and Co.

So will you be joining us for the sparkle and shine challenge?  Do you mainly create one gender projects and struggle with the other?  Inquiring minds want to know!  Until next time...Keep Scrapping!

*Post contains affiliate links.

December Daily Cover for Southern Girls Challenge

     Hi everyone and welcome to my final 2014 reveal for Southern Girls Challenge. Don't worry...I'll be back with more great inspiration for them in 2015.  We were asked to inspire you with projects that had a Christmas theme.  I am here today sharing my December Daily cover!
    I started with the layout sketch over at Stuck?Sketches.  Since they do layouts I'm not sure I can enter it into their challenge, but I'll take inspiration where-ever I can get it and my mojo has been laking lately.  I flipped the sketch on it's side and went from there.
    Except for the red ribbon, bling and possibly the snowman (can't remember which pack he was in) all the products are part of the Simple stories DIY collection.  I can't get enough of this collection.  I think it's one of my favorite Christmas ones of all time. I inked all the paper edges with my prima inkers in green to make them pop off the craft cover.
   So tell me...what is your favorite Christmas paper collection past or present?
    Until next time...Keep Scrappin!

You're Invited Card

     Happy Thanksgiving!  It's time for another reveal at Southern Girls Challenge.  It's their 100th challenge so the theme is Celebration.
     I chose to make a card inviting friends and family to an outdoor celebration.  All the patterned paper and stickers are from the Doodlebug Happy Camper collection.  The letters and washi are from the general Doodlebug line.  I'll tell you I'm in LOVE with these letter stickers.  The font and size are just perfect for cards and accent titles on scrapbook pages.   I thought the paper with the place setting was just perfect for a barbecue invitation card.
   When you're having a gathering do you make invitations or purchase?  Until next time...Keep Scrapping!

Challenges:

Crafts Galore - Anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge  - Anything goes

Southern Girls Reveal - Word Challenge

     Welcome to another reveal at Southern Girls Challenge. This time we are challenging you to use lots of words on your project.
     For my project I started with an older DCWV paper stack called Linen Closet.  I loved this, but have only ever been able to find the mat stack so I used it mainly for cards and hoard it like there's no tomorrow.  Anyone else do that with your favorite papers?
     I then pulled out one of the Stamps of Life sets I purchased the Somerset, NJ Scrapbook Expo.  I am absolutely in love with this set, and it's matching dies.  Having the dies makes the cup, and label, so easy to use.  Click Here to see everything I purchased at the expo.
     I used chocolate ink from Color Box for my stamping...a freebie I got at the expo  To give a little interest I just added three My Minds Eye wooden dots.
     I'm going to make a whole set of matching cards to give to my coffee obsessed sister.  Anyone she sends them too will certainly know it's from her.  Would love to see what you come up with for the words challenge.  Until next time...Keep Scrapping!


Challenges:
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

   

Winter Blue Layout

     I'm been really busy scrapping lately as I have another reveal up.  This time for Southern Girls Challenge with the theme of Winter Blues.
     I used Echo Park's Keeping Cozy collection from the 6x6 pad, and a sketch I found through google images.  I looked it up on my phone though, and haven't been able to find it since so I can't direct you to who created it :-(
     I also used my Epiphany Crafts epoxy machines to create my embellishments.  The star on the right and the deer on the left of the photos are both from the paper pack.
    I hope you'll come join us from the Winter Blues challenge, and create something chilly as we have the last hot days of summer here.  Until next time...Keep scrapping!

Southern Girls Challenge - Christmas in July

     Hi everyone - time for another fun challenge over at Southern Girls.  We're doing Christmas in July.  I didn't have any Christmas pictures to scrap right now so I needed to think outside the box.  
     What I ended up creating was a mini accordion album.  I created a pocket on each page and put a large tag in.  The pocket will be labeled with each of my family members names.  The tag can then serve as a place for shopping ideas.  The patterned paper is also only glued down on three sides so receipts can be slid into the top of each page for that person.  You could make this as large as needed, but just adding another set of accordion pages.  
     To keep the album closed I created a belly band  with a matching card stock and some ribbon.  I kept the decoration simple so that if someone saw it in your purse it wasn't so tempting they had to peek.
     I hope that my creation inspired you to join our challenge, and until next time...keep scrapping!

Southern Girls Die Cuts and Punches Reveal

     Time for another fun reveal at Southern Girls Challenge.  Your challenge this time is to use punches and die cuts...which for me isn't a challenge at all!  
     I completed a two page layout and used a border punch to anchor my photos and die cut circles to bring your eyes around the page.  
     I used a sketch as my starting point, but it's one that has been in my stash forever and I don't know where it came from  :-( I also was challenged by the Lasting Memeories blog to use shades of blue and white. The plain paper is actually subtly shimmery in person so it's a nice contrast to the pattern paper.
   That's it for now!  Until next time - keep scrapping!
   

Dots and Spots Layout

      Time for another reveal with Team Trace over at Southern Girls Challenge. The challenge this time is to use dots and spots.  
     I created these on my layout in groups around the corners where my photos met the middle of my layout.  To do this I used a variety of things so that their would be all different heights and textures.  There are buttons, brads, enamel dots, pearl pens, stickles and drops of color shine.   
     The photos I chose were of our little one falling asleep in various places during our first vacation.  He was/is a horrible sleeper, but on vacation he never slept so well!

     I hope you enjoyed the layout, and that you'll come link up with us over at the challenge.  We can't wait to see what dots and spots you come up with!
Bonus Project - Card featuring LadyBug Crafts digi

Altered wedding picture frame

     Welcome to my first reveal for the Southern Girls Challenge blog! I was so excited to get started and then read my first assignment...flowers...ugh.  They are probably the one thing you will never see in any of my books, except for our wedding album.  Flowers are just not something I'm good at working  with.  Always up for a challenge though, I got down to business, and am darn pleased with what I came up with!
     DH and I will be married nine years this year, and can you believe I have not one wedding picture anywhere in our house!  I decided with this challenge to rectify that.  I got out my circle punch and got business cutting scalloped circles, inking, misting them, and making shaping into flowers.  Yes, you read that right, I made the flowers for this project. Leave me a comment if you'd like me to do a video because they are super easy, and you get great results!

     The lace I used is from Hobby Lobby, and when you are only buying a yard is quiet reasonably priced.  To bring more of our wedding colors into the frame, and add a little more pizazz, I added pearls as the center of of each lace flower.

     I hope you will join us over at the challenge blog.  I especially challenge you if you think flowers aren't you thing.  You may just surprise yourself, like I did, and love what you came up with.

Announcement!

     I have the great pleasure of announcing that I have been chosen to be part of the Southern Girls Challenge design team!  They have a wonderful challenge blog, and I am excited to be bringing you inspiration as part of Team Trace!
    I will be adding a tab to the top of my page shortly so that you can get to know the blogs of each of the fabulous ladies on both teams.
    My first reveal will be March 16th, but I hope you'll check out the blog and join the challenges before then!
 

Happy Valentine's Card

     We had another round of winter precipitation, and a delayed opening at work.  Normally I go in at 8:15…we didn't have to be there until one!!!  I used this opportunity to take on a few challenges.
     I used the wonderful card sketch from Sketch ~ N ~ Scrap for the design layout of my card. I then used three different challenges for the embellishment of my card.  Craftin Desert Divas is having a color challenge.  It's red, white, and pink so I used those for my paper colors.  Cards Galore and Southern Girls are both having a bling challenge so that was very easy to combine. I also stamped the heart inside my hearts with Get Inky Stamps.  I hope you love how it came out because I do.   

Sketch~N~Scrap Picture

Craftin Desert Divas Color Challenge: