SUPER Exciting News!!! Yay!

I am so excited to be able to finally share this news...

it has been really hard to keep this secret!

Scrapbook Circle just announced the new design team for the 

August 2013 - July 2014 term and I am thrilled to be a part of it!  

This is big people!  I honestly think they have the best kits on the market.

Certainly an amazing collection of unique designers ;), wonderful coordinators

and the Owner, Lisa Andrews is just awesome!  

She puts together the perfect kit and I have never been disappointed!  

These are the other new DT members:  

  

Leslie Ashe

me!

Melissa Mann

Adrienne Alvis

Audrey Yeager

Kimberly Garofolo

and returning team members:

Diana Waite

Rebecca Keppel

Jennie Blaser

Heather Leopard – Social Media

Diana Fisher – Blog Coordinator

Tessa Buys – Blog Coordinator

Sara Zenger – Communications

The August kit is AMAZING!  By far, one of my favorites...for serious. :)

The Idea Gallery for the new kit is starting to fill up with the new DT projects!

Check out the DT's blogs as well as the Scrapbook Circle one too!

Come check it out!  

made with love...Scrap Our Stash - July Sketch DT Reveal!

This is my take for the July Sketch Challenge at Scrap Our Stash!

The sketch is below and the other part of the challenge was to use *bling* from your stash!

When I saw the strip of photos in the sketch it made me think of a strip of negatives or instagrams...

And when I decided to use these photos of our garden, I thought about the circle being a pie chart,

or more a color wheel showing the different colors from that early Spring green to Summer blooms.

And what would a garden be without butterflies??  Which is where I used my bling.

I punched the butterflies in coordinating colors to my watercolored "wheel" to
lead your eye around all the clusters.
I used lots of Elle's Studio summer collection 'Saltwater' and lots of other bits and pieces!
 

There is a new layout from a DT member each day on the blog with lots of great inspiration!
It is amazing at all the different takes on the same sketch!
Check it out HERE and share your page with us too before the end of the month for the July prize!

Thanks for checking it out & happy crafting and CHA!!

family...Color Combos Galore Challenge #247

 Just like everything in life these days, I am either feeling a little creatively bored,

 (i.e. procrastinating) or I am literally overflowing with ideas and just want to lock 

myself in my craft room for a couple days...hope that doesn't sound too manic, 

but the bored procrastination is really my need to clean up my craft room!  

It is a complete mess and hard to get comfy with all the piles.

Ok, so I am energetic, bored, messy and OCD all together...is there such a thing?

I am going to go with busy mom of two with the normal crazy business our life entails!

That sounds good!  ;)

Anyway, (there is a point) every so often I get so inspired I do (or try to) drop 

everything and run create something, sketch or at least write out my thoughts...

I saw Stephanie Bryan's DT layout for the Color Combos Galore blog the other day and 

was so inspired!  I wasn't a member of that blog, but the colors were divine and found myself

immediately gathering things together for this Challenge!

I used this gorgeous paper from Pretty Little Studio that is the wood grain hearts as the background.

I'll admit, I have been hoarding it, because I really didn't want to cut it up.  Lots of other bits of 

Dear Lizzy & My Mind's Eye. In fact, honestly, the color scheme screamed My Mind's Eye to me!

The way their challenges work is to use all the colors and then take something from one of the 

photos as inspiration for embellishments or whatever.  I used several pieces from the photos as 

inspiration for my page: twine, doilies, clothes pins, metal, repetitive items, stamping on tags and hearts! 

These are my two nieces and our kids on Mother's Day.  

To get all four of them to look at the camera, without a silly face anyway, really calls for 

an alignment of the stars!!  So, when it does happen, it needs to be documented!

Thanks for stopping by and go check out their blog...it is really interesting!

U & ME everyday...Scrapbook Circle July Sketch Challenge!

I have been playing with the July Scrapbook Circle kit and did this page with their July Sketch!

I have had these pictures printed for a while now, but could never find any paper I liked to go with them.

The colors from the photo are so vibrant and I didn't want to take away from them

since that is what the story is all about...well, the blocks anyway!

The Scrapbook Circle kit "Let's Chat" was perfect with lots of muted colors and neutrals.

I absolutely LOVE this perforated Kraft sheet with the framed cutouts from Jillibean Soup!

I used a few pieces from the July printable to make a "blocky" background for the photos

and kind of repeat the triangle in the photos with the paper from Elle's Studio.

We put the smackdown on "screen time" in preparation for the summer and the fact that our

yard has never looked better, so I wanted the kids outside, which is where they would rather be...

except that has been rainy like crazy...still.  

So, they dug out some of my son's blocks from some dark corner of his room.  Totally forgot about them!

They love building all kinds of towers and bridges, which makes us excited since we are architects.  

They however, usually build them up so they can run toy cars and trucks into them and see how big the demolition will be...Ironic, since my son has been telling everyone that "half of our house is blowed up." 

That story is for another post...when I feeling more patient! ;)

As for my attempt to use up my own stash, I used some CP sticker "tape" from a kit last Fall, 

November maybe?  Not a lot, I realize, but it the colors matched perfectly!  

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today!

STRENGTH...Color-Me-Scrappy DT Challenge #42!

This is my layout for the new Color-Me-Scrappy Challenge!  

Below is the color inspiration and the twist was to use woodgrain...one of my favorites!

{ Challenge #42 - Twist: Use woodgrain }

I used a mix of lots of Crate Paper DIY, Fancy Pants and some My Mind's Eye 

to give me all the colors for the challenge.  I have been loving all the lighter, softer pastels

that I have been trying to use as much as possible, but these colors fit my page & theme better.

I don't do too many pages about myself but try to do a few, usually near my birthday.

Thinking I will be imparting some new amazing wisdom, but it usually just shows me how little I know!

I usually add a list or some deep, meaningful journaling but this cut file I found for my Silhouette 

pretty much summed up everything I am feeling and wanted to convey at the end of my 40th year! (ugh.)

Hence, the clock...I am however ok with being 40, that's life...

But this has been a very difficult few months for me and so I have had to find some inner strength,

usually on a daily basis, and I haven't always found it, as my husband can attest to.

Luckily for me, he is a wonderful person to prop me up and lend his support, physically & mentally.

So, despite the challenges this year has brought so far, I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to have 

the people in my life that help me find and nurture that strength.  I wouldn't make it far without them. 

I know summer is a busy time for everyone, vacationing, spending time with kids, remodeling

half your house while trying to live in it (grrrrr.), but I hope you all get a chance to check out the 

Color-Me-Scrappy blog and participate in the Challenge!  There are some wonderful 

inspiration pages from the rest of the DT as well as our guest designer Paula Flavia!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

MY HEART...(& a little gelato lovin')

My craft room is a giant mess...

I read in a Feng Shui book once that the best way to keep positive Chi (energy flow) 

in your work space is to always clean your desk off and put things away at the end of the day.

The logic being that your energy level is much more likely to be positive if you come into

a clutter free, organized, fresh space...ready to create (or work or whatever).

Coming into a mess of things in process stresses out your subconscious making you less productive &

lowers your Chi!  I always believed that when I worked in an office and really tried to always straighten

things up before leaving...This is much harder, obviously, this is a hobby, and everyday life happens; making me more likely to run out in the middle of something or working in stages, where I can't clean up in between.

But, now it really is starting to become a problem. 

I guess some people might say artists are notoriously messy, part of their work process...

well, I am a little too type 'A' for that.  Soooooooo....there is a point, I promise...

I have been trying to really use up all pieces of kits and products and even tools I bought that 

I haven't used yet!  All in an effort to cull thru this mess!

I had a few gelatos, but bought a lot more colors recently but haven't sat down to play with them yet!

I also bought this gorgeous heart mask from Heidi Swapp and have had it in mind for this photo, but it was buried.  I am not a hoarder, seriously...Anyway, I finally locked myself away in my craft room to play.

I always used gelatos with my fingers and never with water...but I shaved off 3 different colors &

made a little paste that I dabbed onto the hearts in this mask using saran wrap!  It was fun and I

loved the way it turned out.  This was a photo from my husband and I on our 12th anniversary in May.  

We didn't get to do anything special, but we did manage to snap a photo!

In my effort to use lots of bits and pieces of kits, almost all of this came from Scrapbook Circle kits,

from January thru June and a couple little extra things.  I am going to keep going thru my supplies until I 

make a dent in this pile! I will not buy anything else until I do...Muuaaahhh Haaa Haaa...yeah right.

Thanks for reading my perspective on the importance of a clean work space!

Happy Hump Day!!

"But I bought a big hat..." & FIRST Scrap Our Stash Challenge POST!

 

 It feels like forever since I posted anything....

I have been busy creating, just haven't been able to post anything yet :)  Keeping secrets is hard!  

But, this one is out now!  I am a new DT at the SCRAP OUR STASH Challenge Blog 

and this is my first layout for the JULY Challenge!

It is a Red, White & Blue color challenge and to use at least 3 stars or any type on your page!

( You can also use kraft in your project... ) 

Pretty easy challenge to do, especially this time of year!  

 I chose a photo from our trip to the beach last month, and used these red and 

white polka dot doilies that I have had in a drawer in the kitchen for years.  

I kept meaning to pull them out at Valentine's or birthdays or anytime and kept forgetting. 

I finally decided to bring them to a place they would get used!  

(My craft room...duh.  Don't know why I didn't think of that before.)

I didn't really have a "title" for the page but wanted to use this quote from Dr. Seuss about the hat.

I love hats and this one is definitely my "time for vacation to start" hat!  

I loved the quote since these little people can be trouble, but are also the most precious of troubles!

Since I had that quote written fairly large, I decided to use this kraft envelope to tuck a 

journaling tag into. I started with some watercolor on my background and then painted 

some stars I cut out on the Silhouette too.  I couldn't decide where to stop with the stars, 

so I just included them all!  Some chipboard, wood veneer, stickers, even a metal star mini brad!

My latest scrapbooking theory: "When in doubt, keep adding stuff!"  

Real deep, I know ;)

I am really excited about this team, there are lots of great challenges and some great 

inspiration from lots of talented ladies!  Since this is the debut month for the new DT, they have

had the intros to the team members along with that designer's first layout.

They are all pretty amazing so go check out the BLOG and link up your challenge!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Happy Monday!

Goodbye & TOP 5 **Elle's Studio DT Projects**

I love looking back at projects to see things I thought of, or didn't think of, 

to get re-inspired and of course love to look thru the photos!

I do hate saying goodbye to Elle's Studio though.  It was a wonderful 6 months on her DT

and at such a fun time with all the new papers and vellum and monthly kits!  

I cherished every minute and am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a talented 

group that will continue to inspire my growth as an artist!  

Ok, enough sappy...here are my top 5 favorite projects I did during my term!

February 2013  

(probably my favorite piece of paper ever...in the world...ever.)

April 2013

Serendipity collection is so easy to be inspired by!

April 2013 Weekly Challenge

(love, love, love this vellum...no really.  Love!)

May 2013

A little retro vibe from Serendipity!

June 2013 - Elle's Studio & Jenni Bowlin Blog Hop
(Alpha stamps...a close second in favorite products!!  
To that grey striped paper and the vellum and...ok, so I have lots of favorites!)

There is an amazing new DT lined up at and I can't wait to see all the inspiration
& beautiful, new products from Elle!

WHERE THE heart IS. 1st Color-Me-Scrappy DT Post!

July 1st!  Whoa!  So hard to believe...and lots of exciting things happening too!

This is the beginning of two new challenge teams for me:

Color-Me-Scrappy and Scrap Our Stash!  

Today is the design reveal for the first Challenge of July at Color-Me-Scrappy & this was my take! 

It was a beautiful color scheme and a cool sketch to use too!

Instead of doing the banner part of the sketch, I did this little plane with a trail of heart puffs.

I also used this beautiful turquoise paper by Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper. 

 also made a little tag using a piece of this gorgeous wood grain paper from Pretty Little Studio 

that has heart shapes inside the wood grain.  It comes in the most beaustigul colors and that

is probably why I haven't used much of it yet...I don't want to cut it up!!  Mine, mine, mine!  ;)

I love this Challenge blog because I love sifting thru my products and putting together
a little kit for my LO based only on colors!  It is one of my favorite things to do...
I find it always makes me more creative!

Check out their blog for the Challenge details as well as the other inspiration pages
from the rest of the new and some returning design team!