another PUSH? - Scrap Friends March Sketch Challenge!

This is the layout I came up with for the March Sketch Challenge for Scrap Friends!

You can see the sketch below and see the original Blog Post and the DT takes on the Challenge HERE.

I followed the sketch pretty close, but substituted my journaling along the right side

column and stretched the title out a bit along the bottom of the page.

   

I also did some tutorial photos showing the steps to creating this background with Distress Inks.

You can see that post HERE...

This was a free, fun page that let me play and get some creative energy out as well!
I love to multitask, so that worked out! :)

Hope you check out the tutorial and participate in the challenge!
You have until March 31st to load you project up to the Scrap Friends Blog.
The member participation last month was absolutely unreal!
Bring it on...and Happy Monday!

#XOXO & Snowmaggedon...A Closer Look - American Crafts GDT

Happy March everyone!!

Just wanted to share a closer look at a couple of the LO's I did for the American Crafts GDT earlier this week.  

I had said in the description, the soft colors and patterns of any Dear Lizzy

collection seem to be made for a page about daughters and their Daddy's.

 

I loved these somewhat candid photos I caught of a snugly hug between my husband

and Sofia. Eventually knew I was taking them, but he didn't. 

 

 

There were so many of the AC bits that I wanted to use I decided to do just that!

 

 

I started with the photos at the top and then added the embellishments and tags

trickling down towards the bottom.

 





 

I fussy cut a couple flowers from one of the papers to layer on top of the die cut for more depth.

I also added some light pen doodles to mimic the doodles actually in the paper pattern.

 

 

This was a fun LO because this crazy snow happened right when I was working on these projects.

My husband and I can count the number of times we have seen snow in our lives, much less

this much of it.  Granted, it caused a huge problem with traffic, but for the kids, they will never

forget it!  I couldn't choose from the photos I had...so many.  SO, I make this collage with a

mix of Instagrams, phone pics and photographs from my real camera.

 

 

Since this snow/ice storm was so devastating for roads and drivers in Alabama, it lasted for

days, perfect way to use these die cuts from Amy Tangerine.  I also loved the papers of hers

with the bright polka dots and in honor of the snow, I made a few loose circles with my

gelatos on the background to tie in those colors.

 

 

I used a couple phrase stamps in matching colors and stamps different things inside those circles.

I layered some vellum under my photo collage and punched out lots of small snowflakes.

 



 

Ironically, this acetate die cut and the hashtag are from American Crafts new collection called #Summer!

Too funny.  The title is what everyone around here, including the local news was calling this crazy event!

 

Thanks for stopping by for a closer look!  Have a great weekend!

Stash-A-Thon CELEBRATION...Starting March 1st!

It’s been a year since Rochelle and Brenda became co-owners of Scrap Our Stash and to celebrate Scrap Our Stash will be hosting a Stash A Thon during the entire month of March and you and all of your friends are invited!!!  The party kicks off March 1st with the first challenge going live March 3rd and a challenge posted every other day thereafter.

There will be a total of 14 challenges, weekly prizes and at the end of the Stash A Thon,

the SOS March sponsors will awarding 3 BONUS prizes!!!

Make sure you stop by Scrap Our Stash on March 1st for complete details!!!!

Here is a sneak peek at my project which will be posted on March 7th!

It is a super fun idea and SO many chances to win and participate in some seriously inspiring challenges!

Hope to see you all there!

#Silly - American Crafts GDT Mini Album

One of my favorite projects I did for the Guest Designer spot at American Crafts was this mini album!

The post on American Crafts had a collage of all the pages, but I thought I would give you a closer look!

For every photo shoot, formal or informal, that I do with our kids, I have twice the silly photos as I do serious,

or posed ones.  Sometimes these are just ridiculous and for my children's benefit only...

And sometimes, they are they better, an un-posed capture of a giggle or tiny sparkle in their eyes!

I made this little album to combine some of my favorite ones.

I decided to print all the photos in black & white to really let the smiles be the dominant part of

the photo, and to let me highlight the American Crafts 'Bits,' since that was the goal!

I used a script font and die cut this title on my Silhouette from some AC Pow! Glitter paper in black.

I love that Pow! paper...it cuts so well, and has a nice muted glitter...not too glitzy, just enough!

I tried to keep the colors to just 2 or 3 to a page and used one of the circular bits on each

page to tie them together...I love this mint acetate camera from the #Summer collection!  

Some of the embellishments I let hang over the end and some I trimmed off like this pink doily bit.

I used one of the pocket envelopes with a journaling card underneath the photo

on the right to add a little note to my kids...

I also tried to reinforce the embellishments with other pieces I added to tie them

together in a more subtle way.  For example, the vellum heart banner on the right

corner of this photo to tie in the banner on the top of the round 'Bit!'

More hidden journaling on this last page of the album.

I SO love that small camera stamp from the Plus One collection!

Thanks so much for letting me share a closer look into this little album!

You can see a detailed list of all the products I used from American Crafts on the original post HERE.

** American Crafts GUEST DESIGNER!!! **

BIG news!  I could not be more THRILLED to be able to finally share this news!

I am the American Crafts Guest Designer this week and have had the most fun playing

with all these lovely products they sent me!  Thanks so much to Paige for asking me!

You can see more on the post at the American Crafts Blog!

I was so excited and inspired I could have kept on creating...

I made a total of 4 layouts, 2 cards, a mini album and a treat bag!

I will probably share a few more detailed shots & explanations of a

couple of these LO's & the mini album over the next couple of days.

so many SMILES begin with you

#XOXO

Snowmageddon

 

LATE NIGHT

   

Everyday Occasion Cards

#Silly  

A Mini Album

St.Patrick's Day Treat Bag

Thanks you so much for stopping by!

You can see a list of all the products I used, as well more details

about me and my projects on the American Crafts Blog today!!

seven - Scrapbook Circle's One Item Wonder

This is the last assignment I had using the Scrapbook Circle February kit - 'Hello Today!'

The photos are from my son's last birthday, which is right before Christmas.  We were so busy that planning

a party along with school activities and the holidays just didn't work out this year.  So, we let me son decide exactly what he wanted to do for his day!  We went to see The Hobbit, ate at his favorite Mexican restaurant and let him choose his own birthday cake, which had more icing than really should be allowed. He doesn't even like icing!  I think he picked it with his sister in mind...sweet bot! ;)

The assignment was to use these kraft arrow stickers from the DIY Maya Road collection.   

I love projects like this to challenge me to really think outside of the box.  I decided to use the arrows in this

sort of argyle/diamond pattern instead of actually pointing at something like I would normally use an arrow.

The angles in the arrows helped inspire this idea, as well as this piece of the Scrapbook Circle printable that

is the yellow diamond pattern to the right of the photos.  I chose the papers to coordinate along with the 

candles in my son's birthday cake.  I especially loved the pop of gold from that Studio Calico Atlantic piece of paper.  I also tried to highlight the arrows by putting a piece of flair on each.  I did use one arrow to point at

my son's age in the right branding strip from an Elle's Studio piece of paper.

The new Scrapbook Circle kit for March will be revealed today and it is really good!  Full of new release products!  

Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to come back tomorrow...

I will have a most excited project posted!!  Eeeek...can't wait!  Have a great day!

in the blink of an eye - Scrapbook Circle Designer's Choice

This was my LO for a DT Choice assignment for Scrapbook Circle.

It also includes one of my favorite topics for a scrapbook page using the February ‘Hello Today’ main kit. 

‘Then & Now’ themed pages has always been a favorite way to document just how
incredibly time is flying past me!  Especially where my children are concerned.
I seem to do more pages like this around my children’s birthdays and other major moments. 
Not simply to record a specific event, but to remind myself to enjoy this moment just a
little more.  With all the chaos of school activities & work, family life a reminder like
this is a pretty good thing.  That is what scrapbooking is all about, to me anyway!

This bokeh print paper from October Afternoon was an immediate favorite 

for the color and pattern, but also for the title…Focus.  I thought it was perfect 

for this page highlighting 2 photos of my husband and son sleeping together.

The first photo was my son not even 3 months old and they were napping on the couch.

The second was from just a few weeks ago and I had actually already scrapped it in

a previous LO, but not with this earlier photo.  They were too perfect not to put together...

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share this special page!

We are almost into March, talk about time flying, and the February kit is
sold out, but there is always time for April...lots of newly released goodies!  
It is an awesome kit...check it out the Scrapbook Circle Site & Blog for the reveal soon!