optimistic scrappiness

january 2012 scrappy chics stuff...

2012-01-01T15:49:00.001-09:00

this month, scrappy chics teamed up with sketchy thursdays! exciting stuff for me, since i'm already a HUGE fan of sketches, and i loooooove sketchy thursdays' stuff... here's the sketch!

i kept pretty close to the sketch, because i felt it would highlight the photo perfectly. we had to put our dog down in december, and this sketch was perfect for my photo and the quote.

for this layout, i used a sketch from pagemaps. happy is what i try to be, whenever i can!

i actually scrapped and didn't use a sketch for this layout! shocking... :)

instead of cards this month, i made this necklace hanger for my daughter.

that's it for this month's kit. thanks for looking, and hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to the new year!

i'm in loooooove

2011-12-21T16:40:00.002-09:00

with pinterest.

i recently joined, and knowing full well i would become instantly addicted, dived in headfirst.

found a scarf i had to make. found it on pinterest, and followed the link to this creative blogger...

she has so much fun stuff, and i can't wait to try other crafty ideas she's posted.

for my scarf, i used fleece instead of wool, and added a few extra stitches here and there to keep it pinned a little flatter. i love it. love it so much, i'm making another. see attached photo. lol

this was a wonderful distraction for me.

kept my hands busy.

we had to have our beloved boxer dog put down last saturday, and making this scarf kept me busy so i didn't sit and look at her stuff and be sad...

thanks for looking, and go hug your pets. :)

december scrappy chic stuff

2011-12-04T14:54:00.002-09:00

december. already. how can that be?

well, believe it or not, it's here, and here's my stuff for december's scrappy chic kit. very cute stuff this month! i was kinda out of christmas-y pictures, though, so i scrapped what i had.

finally yeah. my kid's over 15 years old, and just learned how to blow a bubble. :)

happy birthday tesa (official cardmaker for the work peeps, i am...)

six reasons why we love this dog this one was fun - i love these pics of my girls...

happy birthday kellie

mardi gras i've been waiting for the right colors to scrap these photos, and this kit filled the bill. perfectly. :)

happy birthday, carla...

that's it for now. i'm working on my little mini about my day on 11-11-11. simple & cute.

november's scrappy chic kit

2011-11-13T13:54:00.005-09:00

fabulous fall foliage - that's what we had this fall... i can't remember a fall this beautiful! living in alaska, we don't have a lot of variety in fall leaf colors, but we had an extended fall this year (meaning it didn't snow at the beginning of october! lol ) and it was just gorgeous.

i made my daughter pose for a few pictures, and that's just what i got. thankfully, i got lucky and snapped one that made me gasp...

then, once i got the november kit from melinda at scrappy chics, i gasped again, because the colors were dead-on perfect for my photos. go get your kit HERE and be sure to check out the blog.

check out the contest (announced on facebook - go and be a fan of Scrappy Chics!) that's being held. here's the details on the little contest...

SC's is celebrating its one year "gone live" anniversary!!! In honor of our anniversary we want to see what you have created with our past kits. Please post any paper craft you have created with SC's kits. We will pick a winner to be a guest designer for January 2012. So send in your stuff!!! We can't wait to see it!!! :)

sweet here's the picture i fell in love with, and the paper that got my creative juices going!

little miss sunshine the title says it all, until you read the journaling... lol

fall color

birthday cards... need i say more?

well, that's all folks - just got word that the december kit is in town & i can't wait to get my hands on it - thanks, melinda, for having me on the team, and thanks, heather, for delivering the kit for me! :)

october scrappy chics kit...

2011-10-02T15:23:00.003-08:00

gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous kit!!!

i LOVE the line - one i haven't had the pleasure of playing with before - it's called authentique. you can find ordering info here... as always, melinda has pulled together an amazing array of product. thanks, melinda - i know this month was crazy for you!

thrifty fashionista my first layout is one of sam, wearing a dress i bought when she was a year old. i used a piece of ki memories die-cut paper (both the die-cut paper and mists are from my stash) as a mask for the background, and sprayed with a couple of mists.

meeting fritz a simple layout, using a sketch from sketchy thursdays - perfect for these pictures of sam meeting her second cousin...

she (mini book) i was thrilled to find a mini in the kit this month - my only problem was deciding what to do with it... i ended up printing out some of my favorite pictures of my girl in black and white, and making a mini called simply, "she" with the inside pages having verb titles. the chipboard pages were painted with a charcoal acrylic, then a variety of painting techniques were used on top of that.

hope you get a few ideas out of my stuff - i had fun with it! thanks for reading...

2011-09-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

september scrappy chics kit... it's stuffed full of simple stories stuff! this is the first time i've played in simple stories, and i'm in love.

live life in COLOR my project this month involved an old broken clock i had laying around in my one-day-i-might-use-this pile. just a cheap plastic wall clock - i painted the exterior (i recommend sanding it first, if it is a cheap plastic one, otherwise the paint scratches off VERY easy. i need to sand this THEN paint!) and saved the paper clock face to use as a template for my layout.

1996 for this layout i used some old photos of samantha and i, shortly after we got to take her home...

words to live by (sketch based on a sketch from sketchy thursdays) i used a mirror image of this sketch, and bumped up the journaling area. used a lot of paint on this one - smudged brown paint on the pink cardstock, then dribbled some grayish-black paint on top of that.

well, that's september's kit. actually, it's a small PORTION of september's kit - the kits are always so full of scrappy goodness that i always have plenty left to use for other projects. i guess it helps that i'm naturally thrifty, though, and like to stretch my supplies!

best of luck to melinda at scrappy chics - she's flyin' the coop and LEAVING alaska! we'll miss her up here, but all you lucky lower 48'ers will get a chance to meet her, maybe - she'll be more centrally located on the west coast! lucky for me, though, we'll keep in touch - and when i visit her area, i'm SO going to pop in & see her!

2011-08-24T05:28:00.002-08:00

look! making memories asked me to be a guest designer for their blog!!! sooo exciting! here's what i did - i couldn't decide on one...

you can go over to the making memories blog to get descriptions of products used and some tips.

thanks for looking, and letting me toot my own horn... ;)

reminiscing...

2011-08-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

i was recently purging some cabinets and found some old pictures of my hubby and i with our (now 15 year old) daughter. i got rid of the picture frames they were in, but was inspired by this sketch from pagemaps to create this layout...

picture of love i had fun with this! the black background rubon i've had in my stash FOREVER - it's dee's designs distressed effects (circa 2005!) and the papers are a mix of basic grey and fancy pants. i just love how it turned out. i have a big clipboard that i'm using to display this layout, i love it that much!

as always, thanks for checking my stuff out. keep an eye out for next month's scrappy chic kit - i'm hard at work on it! i've already got one project done - using something found from around the house that quit working, and i'm wrapping up my second layout... i'm not sure i'm done! :)

feeling sketchy

2011-08-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

i've forgotten how much fun it is to play along with sketch inspiration... she's got some awesome sketches over there, and this one just fit the photo i wanted to work with. this is sketch #231.

i dribbled liquid watercolor on the cs, but it was taking too long to dry, so i blew on it a bit. i like the effect. for a bit of dimension, i glued on some baker's twine around the edges of the shaped pp.

thanks for looking...

scrappy chics * august 2011

2011-08-01T07:26:00.004-08:00

here it is...

Scrappy Chic's august kit!

it's stuffed with everything you need to document your summer activities! i love how the october afternoon and pink paislee products mix it up. as usual, miss melinda does an amazing job choosing product for her kit! thanks, melinda...

here's what i did with my kit...

bittersweet for this layout, i used a piece of white cs from my stash, along with some mists to coordinate with the sea-green patterned paper from the kit. i hand cut a wave and temporarily adhered it to the cs before misting, for a stand-out title accent. for the word sweet, i traced the pink paislee alpha onto the cs, then hand cut it out with my trusty exacto knife, and layered the lace fabric from the kit under it with green cs... i hand cut some of the wave paper & layered that at the bottom, using pop dots for dimension, to mimic the picture. doodling, stitching, and handwritten journaling finish this layout.

10 things i love about summer what a fun little mini! i used red smooch spray ink to color the chipboard, and some green smooch ink for the rind. stazon black ink was used for the seeds - i took all the seeds and the rind out before coloring, then when dry, i put them back in with a little glue to keep them in place. everything is from the kit, except for the green and yellow ribbon i used.

her smile hand cut title, lace fabric background, liz qualman sketch, photo altered at befunky.com = one of my new favorite layouts... :)

go this picture was taken with my phone, using an app called vignette demo. layout based on a mishmash of pagemaps sketches...

can you believe it's august already? sighhhhh... back to work in just 10 short days. to tell you the truth, though, i'm almost ready for it. :)

be back later with a layout based on a weekly sketch inspirations sketch...

thanks for looking!

july scrappy chics kit

2011-07-01T08:39:00.003-08:00

july's kit was full of bright colors with a touch of black. that just happens to be my new favorite color scheme!

here's a shot of what you get in the kit,

and HERE's where you go to get it!

scrappy chics website

my first layout with kit supplies - GOOSED - is a series of pictures of my daughter and i. my dad had my camera, and his job was to take some pictures of us. simple, right? well, i made the mistake of putting my arm around my ticklish daughter's waist, and her shoulder jerked up and hit my chin. yikes. guess i don't have to worry too much about boys gettin' fresh - she'll knock 'em out. accidentally. :)

next layout - my mom - i used a sketch from pagemaps for this one... the flower, twine & the bling on the tiny flowers are from my stash, everything else is from the kit.

i made a few cards with the kit... smooch spray ink (from my stash) was used in all three.

and for my project, i altered an acrylic frame that i'd had laying around forever...

as always, thanks for looking - and have a wonderful holiday weekend! take lots of pics!

june scrappy chics...

2011-06-01T07:16:00.002-08:00

favorite. kit. ever.

yeah, i know. i say that every time, but seriously, wow. melinda has such an eye for putting kits together... i predict this kit will sell out the fastest yet!!! go now, go fast (mention my name when you order) and GET YOURS. :)

for the first layout, i used a sketch from liz qualman. i love her sketches... photo was altered at befunky.com. love that site, too!

next layout, i actually did not use a sketch. felt weird flyin' solo... :)

official cardmaker for my workplace - i made a few thank-you cards, and some birthday cards for my project this month... the end of the school year is hectic!

i made the flowers on these two cards... the flowers below i embellished with brads from my own stash - they fit perfectly!

as always, thanks for looking - and go forth and buy the kit. ;)

cardapalooza...

2011-05-19T17:55:00.001-08:00

i'm the official cardmaker at my work - i make all the birthday cards for the entire staff... i just finished up all the summer birthdays, so i can give them out before my last day of work next wednesday. we go back in august, and i'm sure i'll be a cardmaking fool again then.

this first one is one of my favorites... i made the flowers out of strips of fabric.

this one has a ruffle accent made out of tissue paper i punched with a border punch.

soft and pretty - the flower is misted with a bit of pearl maya mist.

bright and bold - just like the lady it's made for!

it's kind of a stretch to make masculine cards for me - i'm used to all things girlie!

this was the first one in the batch that i made - one of my favorites.

more punched tissue paper...

kind of an understated look here.

the lady i made this card for is very into flowers and flower arrangement - i knew i needed to make an eye-catching flower.

be on the lookout for more cards when i reveal my scrappy chics kit stuff june first!!!

as always, thanks for looking!

may scrappy chics kit!!!

2011-05-02T17:27:00.001-08:00

here's the kit for may!!!

i love the mix of sophistication and pure fun in the paper lines.

scrappy chic's kits have been selling out fast, so make sure you get yours (and mention it was me that inspired you to shop) just as fast! here's the link directly to the may kit. enjoy!

here's my first layout... it's called armed & fabulous. the only extra that i used from my stash was the pink glimmer mist behind the title. i used a sketch from sketch inspiration for this...

just don't sing - inspired by a sketch from sketchy thursdays... i've had some people ask if the butterflies were punched - they are not. they're hand cut from some of the patterned paper, then layered on top of another butterfly. again, the only thing NOT from the kit is some mist - this time maya mist... i used some of the stickers in the kit as masks.

here's my project for the month... it's a piece of chipboard, covered up in pp from the kit, and perched on a giant clothespin i had in my stash. i made this for a friend who needs reminding now and then to just enjoy the moment. :)

there was a tear in her eye when i gave it to her... she loves it. :)

that's all i have for this kit (for now). check back later... might get a wild hair and whip up some more fun stuff from the kit! thanks for looking.

saturday scrappiness

2011-05-01T07:34:00.002-08:00

good morning! happy may (already?!?!?)... yesterday i made two 12x12 layouts, just for the fun of it. seems like lately, because of having to go to (i do love my job, i just like scrapping more)work, i only create for the kit club i design for. not that i'm complaining, i'm so glad to make time to do that! i just haven't scrapped for the fun/relaxation of it...

so here's what i did:

13 years - i made the little ribbon flower, the bittersweet tag is salvaged from one of sam's old shirts, and i used sketch 117 from the scrappiest... she has amazing sketches there!

you don't NEED makeup - this one's based off of a pagemaps 8.5x11 sketch. i rotated the sketch and adapted it to fit 12x12. the hearts are grungeboard (some premade, some i handcut) and colored with alcohol ink and stazon ink... the quote cracks me up!

thanks for looking, as always. enjoy your first day of may!

ps, my scrappy chics stuff will be up tomorrow... stay tuned. :)

Scrappy Chics - April 2011 Kit

2011-04-01T18:54:00.003-08:00

so here's a picture of ALL the amazing stuff you'll get

in scrappy chic's april kit:

so much stuff! go here ~ scrappy chics ~ to order yours!

here's the first layout i made. the mini alpha, the felt alphas, the paper flowers and a few of the buttons were from my stash, everything else is from the kit.

i started this layout with a sketch, but it ended up totally different than what i had in mind. funny how that happens sometimes...

i did not have a chance to finish my altered item, due to a family emergency. i will be working on that this weekend, though, and will post it here and on the scrappy chics blog as soon as it's done.

thanks for looking, and big thanks to melinda at scrappy chics for letting me be part of the team!

scrappy chics - march 2011

2011-03-05T12:26:00.002-09:00

okay, here's the kit for march:

go here to get yours: scrappy chics hurry, though. melinda's kits have been selling out fast!

the march kit is seriously amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing.

there's so much.

i almost got bogged down - i didn't know where

to start!!! :)

the first layout i did was this one - a quote about being happy... it really sums up the way i try to live my life.

the next layout - goofy, crazy, silly us - was fun to make. i hand stitched the title.

there was stickling and stitching going on here. i almost couldn't use the brown sparkly flower - i wanted to hang it on my wall! there's another flower in the kit - a salmony-pink one, and i attached that to a hair clip for my daughter. she laid claim to that right away!

finally, i made a mini - titled "dogs never lie about love" - for my daughter. she's getting pretty sentimental about her old dog (the dog is turning 10 this month, and is really showing her age)... the mini is from maya road and i watered down white acrylic paint for a whitewashed look.

thanks for looking at my stuff. you definitely should go check out the scrappy chics gallery to see what melinda and heather did! their work just blows me away!

february bonus project...

2011-02-19T10:16:00.002-09:00

as soon as i saw these chipboard banners from the february scrappy chics kit, i knew what i wanted to do with them... my kitchen is decorated in shades of green and i thought these would be perfect for making a cute little banner.

february 2011 scrappy chics kit!!!

2011-02-01T16:44:00.004-09:00

ooooooooKAY! what a way to start off with a bang! i got my first kit (february 2011) from Scrappy Chics and oooh la la, what a kit!!!

there was literally so much that when i was done with my layouts, i went back over them to add more. i felt like i wasn't doing it justice, even though i made three layouts!

here's a quick view of the kit:

go here to order a kit for yourself!

better hurry, january sold out FAST!!! :)

here's the first layout i made using the kit, my favorite out of the three.

it's called "tu es ravissante" meaning "you are ravishing"

and i thought it was fitting because (to me, at least)

my daughter IS ravishing,

and she's taking french this year, and is loving it!

this kit was perfect for that...

to make the black doilies go a little farther, i cut them in half to use only part of one on this layout...

this layout is about my senior prom - called "lasting love." :) that's my hubby and i in those pics, twenty three whopping years ago.

i used pop dots to make the title

(cut from one of the sheets of patterned paper)

stand out...

i've had this photo of me sitting around a loooong time - the style of photograph and the colors made it a natural to use with this kit.

can you tell i'm a big fan of hand-stitching lately?

i have one other little project that didn't get done in time for the reveal of the february kit, but as soon as i get it done, i'll add it to my blog - it's kinda cool. :)

thanks, melinda at Scrappy Chics, for the awesome opportunity to design for you; and thanks to everyone for looking at my stuff...

make sure you check out the blog for scrappy chics when you're buying your kit, too!

the last challenge for who's that girl...

2011-01-23T08:38:00.002-09:00

this was the last layout i worked on for who's that girl... bree started a wonderful challenge forum called creative soup that's taking the place of who's that girl! bigger, better, and to top it off, it's a forum!!! go visit!

here's the prompt for this last challenge:

This Year

As the year wraps up, take a moment to reflect on all that has happened. What good things came into your life? What challenges did you face? How have you grown or changed?

Document an aspect of this past year and what it has meant to you as a person.

This is the last of the Who's That Girl Series! We have started a new challenge forum Creative Soup to help inspire and challenge everyone. We wanted a more interactive venue so we could get to know everyone and support each other in our creative journeys. If you haven't already checked us out we invite you to give us a look!

thanks for letting me be part of the WTG team... i really enjoyed trying new things - like scrapping about me! lol hadn't done much of that before i was part of this design team.

january 21st sassy lil' sketch

2011-01-23T08:07:00.000-09:00

it's my last sketch for sassy lil' sketches... i've enjoyed working with cherie and kate and all the sassy girls! thanks for letting me be part of the team!!!

here's the sketch:

and here's what i did with it... thanks for looking!

fun news!

2011-01-20T18:19:00.002-09:00

i am now a designer for scrappy chics!!!

my friend melinda has a very, very cool kit club and it's gaining popularity. she asked me if i would like to help her out by making pages, cards and altered stuff using her kits... uh, easy answer: YES!!!

go look at her site - scrappy chics - and check out the awesome kits she sells (sorry, january is sold out! tells you how good they are!)... i just got february's kit and it's so amazing i want to duck out of work and dive in!

my hubby is going to the cabin this weekend and guess where i'll be - yup, SCRAPPING!!! so don't talk to me. :) i'm busy. lol

have a good weekend!

another acrylic mini

2011-01-09T15:03:00.003-09:00

happy new year! finally got around to finishing my daughter's first homecoming dance mini-book... i think i love acrylic minis. i KNOW i love the smell of black staz-on ink... :)

first one of the year... done!

sassy lil' sketch for december 21st

2010-12-21T08:15:00.002-09:00

here's the sketch for the december 21st group; you can see everybody's wonderful work here! VERY cute sketch, isn't it? love it!

i used some pictures of sam making french food for extra credit in her french class... :) she's getting an A in that class - and i've been told that she's one of the best students her french teacher's had in a while...

paper line was from echo park, the name of this line is a walk in the park... brads are from my stash.

happy holidays to all!

who's that girl #21 - speak to me

2010-11-24T16:08:00.002-09:00

so, for this challenge, i chose a book my daughter loved when she was a little girl... she would ask for this one over and over, then she'd "help" me read it. i miss those days.

a little. :) mostly i'm enjoying having a teenager. really!

here's how the challenge reads:

Every so often we read a book, see a painting, or hear a song that really speaks to us for some reason. For this challenge, choose a movie, book, piece of art or song that makes you feel something strong. Document something about it - either why it means something to you, how it makes you feel, or a memory associated with it.

i made the owls. cute, huh? :) happy thanksgiving, all...

scrapfreak's holly jolly christmas kit!

2010-11-24T11:16:00.006-09:00

scrapfreak has a fun new kit - holly jolly christmas - and i got to play in it!!! go here to get a full view of what's included in the kit and to order yours...

little red rocking chair - i cut the inside of the shaped patterned paper and used just the scalloped border for this layout. other kit supplies used: journaling cards, christmas alphas and weathered wood chipboard alpha, tinsel ribbon and chipboard frame. from my stash: smooch spray ink and cream cs

done i used the inside of the patterned paper for this layout about a tired but happy dog... supplies from kit include: weathered wood chipboard alpha and christmas alphas, journaling cards, and christmas deco pins. from my stash: black cs and punch for notebook edging.

cards just a few holiday cards to showcase some of the kit supplies that didn't find their way onto my layouts...

thanks for looking, and go check out the kit at scrapfreak today!

november 21st sassy lil' sketch

2010-11-23T11:59:00.002-09:00

so sorry i didn't get my layout and blog posting up on time! i've got some sort of creeping crud - coughing, sinus, fever stuff...

anyway, here's november 21'st sketch for sassy lil' sketches...

and here's what i did with it. i used mostly basic grey with a little brown core-dinations cs and generic black cs.

some of my title letters were not black, so i made 'em black with some acrylic paint.

i like the mix of texture in the title...

thanks for looking and have a happy thanksgiving!

hippity hop blog hop!

2010-11-11T20:52:00.002-09:00

sassy lil' sketches is hosting a fun little blog hop! hop on over to see what it's alllllll about...

The hops starts at Sassy Lil' Sketches! You'll need to visit each of the blogs to complete your layout! You will get an element at each of the 5 blogs. Using the elements create a layout or card and post it to all 5 blogs for a chance to win up to 5 times.

good luck, all!

who's that girl #20

2010-11-11T20:47:00.003-09:00

here's the prompt for wtg #20:

Fall Into Change- For me, fall is a time of changes... back to school, the leaves turning, the cooler weather. To go along with the season, document one thing you would like to change. Little or big, it's up to you! Oh and a Happy Halloween!

kind of a bright happy layout this time! :) i based it on a sketch from pagemaps.

who's that girl #18 - lessons learned

2010-10-24T16:08:00.002-08:00

oh... my... god... lol i've been scrapping so much i totally forgot about this layout for who's that girl!

the prompt: Lessons learned. Education takes place both inside and outside of the classroom. Often we learn so much more from our life experiences than we ever could from a book. Document one or more lessons you have learned in life... maybe from a mentor or parent, or the hard way - on your own.

wow... guess i need to start keeping track so i'll post and more importantly, REMEMBER that i've done layouts! i crack me up... and i was really happy with how this one turned out, too... i'm such a dork.

who's that girl #19 (and others layouts, too...)

2010-10-24T15:37:00.004-08:00

the prompt for mid october's layout:

Holiday Blues: As women, and as crafters, I find that so many of my friends set crazy expectations for themselves for the holidays... make handmade, thrifty gifts that will amaze! cook the perfect holiday meal! photograph every perfect cherished moment! It can really be a bit overwhelming. So right now, before the holidays really pick up, take a moment to think about the holidays.
What do you love most about upcoming holidays? What is a realistic set of goals for you this year? The idea is to create a page that will help you keep the important stuff in mind as you enter into what can be a cherished but stressful time of the year.
You can scrap your goals for this year, document what you love most about the holidays as a reminder, or choose one word that represents what you want from the holidays. Your take on the challenge is up to you!

lights here's what i came up with... part of the reason i wanted to document the lights i put up is because our alaska winters are soooooo dark. i'm finding the older i get, the tougher it is to put up with the winters.

good dog for a layout morph i participated in at scrapfreak... here's a link to the thread - you can see the beginning layout and the ending layout - which just happens to be mine. :)

enchanting this is for the october GDT contest at the freak... the theme is vintage. i think i hit it - sam saw this layout and said, "wow. that looks old." lol

aBUNdance i made a sample for scrapfreak's spooktacular crop sketch challenge...
being a little punny... :)

that's it for now. hope everyone had a good weekend! i'm looking forward to next weekend - taking friday OFF!

october 21st sassy lil' sketch

2010-10-22T19:43:00.003-08:00

ooooooh, no! i'm late posting my take on the latest sketch!

i KNEW there was a problem with me getting sketches done early - i forget to post them...

argh. anyway, here's my take on the latest sassy lil sketch. i reeeeeaaaaaaaaally enjoyed playing with it!

my first acrylic mini album!

2010-09-27T20:54:00.006-08:00

holy moly, was i scared to start this! once i did, though, i got SO into it... so much so that my kid is lucky she got dinner. lol i used an acrylic mini from clearscraps, some acrylic paint, and assorted rubons and bling. at first, i was considering adding chipboard pages to this, because i had a lot of pictures i wanted to include. the more i thought about it, though, it just wasn't how i wanted it to be - acrylic is supposed to be CLEAR. so i thought, and thought some more, and finally came up with using flaps after browsing through old classes at scrapfreak. cathy taught a great class on acrylic minis, and bree was the one who taught a class on flaps, but i just kind of did my own thing and made it work for my pictures. turned out FUN! thanks for looking!

left some empty areas for journaling by the actual teenager...

aren't they cute?!

that's sam's friend, getting her makeup done by her momma.

thought that was sooo sweet!

more space for actual teen writing... ;)

close up of some blingy swirls...

i ended the book with a fun quote about dancing.

i put a pc of yellow cardstock under the pages just for photographing the book. shows detail better... :)

sassy lil' sketch for sept. 21st

2010-09-21T17:19:00.004-08:00

time to reveal the sketch for september 21st over at sassy lil' sketches!!!

first, though, a big thank you to sassy lil' sketches' september sponsors... our paper sponsor is memory miser and they are giving away a cricut cartridge!

our digital sponsor is looby loo, and they are giving away a $10 gift certificate...

make sure you take the time to visit our sponsors! great prizes...

okay - here's the sketch - isn't it cool? i knew right away what pictures i wanted to use for this...

my two girls - one furry, and one not-so-furry.

thanks for looking!

time to get schooled...

2010-09-15T20:36:00.002-08:00

so the prompt for who's that girl #17 was as follows:

When we are children, we can't wait for school to end! But as adults, education can take on a new importance or interest. Think about what you would like to learn if you had the time and money to go "back to school". This can range from traditional subjects to more fun or unusual subjects... perhaps you dream of being trained as a chef, want to touch up your foreign language skills, or just want to learn to knit! Whatever it is, put it to paper!

i wrote about my desire for more knowledge, and eventually more camera. :) someday, somehow, i'll get a really cool DSLR and take a class.

you can see the other design team members' layouts here... funny how so many of us want to learn more about photography. ;)

2010-09-05T10:17:00.002-08:00

4teen one of my layouts was featured over at the papermaze blog!!! so exciting! wendy sent me a sketch to work with and this is what i came up with... go check out their blog - it's packed with inspiration!

oh, the places you'll go... found a sketch on the net while i was trolling for sketches - i think her name is rachel ricks... i based this layout on a sketch by her.

paradise 8.20 - Just Create Challenge at the freak - we got to scraplift the person who posted after we did, and i got kari, one of my all time favorite scrappers... you can click the link above to find the layout that inspired me...

faithfully for who's that girl #16... the prompt was to scrap about a song that means something to you. i chose faithfully, by journey. probably one of my all time favorite songs...

hope everyone's having a great weekend! long one here, so i'm taking advantage of it to blog and scrap!

my friend bree...

2010-09-05T10:12:00.002-08:00

is giving away a scrapfreak kit!!! go check it out - you have until the 8th of september to enter, so it's not too late to get in there. scrapfreak's kits are AMAZING. :) i've been lucky enough to get my paws on a few of the kits...

bree's giveaway

prizes! fun! it's a blog hop!

2010-08-22T20:14:00.001-08:00

what: Sassy Lil’ Sketches “Hidden” Treasures Blog Hop
when: August 23rd through August 30th, 9 PM. EST.

We are having a Blog Hop… Sassy Lil’ Sketches style!

We want you to get to know our new Sassies.

There are some pretty fabulous prizes to win, too!

The "Hidden" Treasure Blog Hop starts at

Sassy Lil’ Sketches where there are

two of our sassy sketches and rules for the blog hop.

After visiting Sassy Lil' Sketches you can choose

which Sassy you would like to visit next.

We recommend visiting every Sassy

because we have "hidden" treasure

at four of our Sassies' blogs.

The Sassies:

Aimee (you're here now!)
Amanda
Amy
Brenda B.
Brenda R.

Carla
Cherie
Cheryl
Christine
Deanna

Debbie
Denise
Isabelle (Zabou)
Jessica Bree

Katie
Kelly
Laura
Martine

Nancy

Rebecca
Sandra
Shana

Our awesome, amazing, and completely generous sponsors

for Sassy Lil’ Sketches “Hidden” Treasure Blog Hop:

Xyron
Thoughts 2 Paper
Scrappy Jo
Crop Stop
Apron Strings
Crop Chocolate
BoBunny

now, for the layouts...

there were two sketches the dt members could choose from for the blog hop...

i chose to do both - this first one is my favorite!

this is a picture of my daughter at 12 years of age

(one of my favorite pictures)

and i altered it at this cool site called befunky.

this sketch was perfect for all the different effects i used on this one photo...

i used a ton of different manufacturers for this layout

the most prominent one is american crafts - teen...

this other sketch was perfect for some fun pictures of my daughter

being stalked by the mama-razzi (me! poor kid...).

i used close to my heart and a die-cut paper from DCWV for this one

thanks for visiting my blog, and make sure you stop by all the other sassies' spots!
you will be inspired and you could win cool prizes... a good deal all around!

8.21.10 sassy lil sketches reveal

2010-08-22T07:00:00.003-08:00

my first layout for sassy lil sketches went up yesterday!

sorry mine is late getting posted - i was working on my lawn which had grown to jungle proportions... seriously - we just ended a record setting streak of weather - 31 straight days of measurable precipitation. great for scrapping, and obviously great for the grass. hard on the mower. :) my whole body's sore after spending over 4 hours and three tanks of gas out there!

here's the august 21 sassy lil sketch...

and here's what i did with it...

that's what our dog LIVES for, right there... to go in and wake her girl up.

sassy lil sketches has two generous sponsors for August;

one paper sponsor and one digital sponsor.

our SLS paper sponsor is ScrapFreak.

monica is giving us a great embellishment kit to give away to a monthly winner. i've gotten a few of her kits and they are awesome! love me some scrapfreak!

our digital sponsor is the cutting cafe.

regina has generously supplied our DT with some fun digital stamps (different banners and some sweet treats/sentiments digi stamps).

i haven't dabbled in digital yet, but her stuff looks amazing! makes me want to try digital...

4 layouts and a frame...

2010-08-15T09:59:00.004-08:00

love you 2 this layout was created in response to a challenge at scrapfreak... kari is the one who came up with it:

8.13 Freaky Friday Design Challenge - Penny Pinching Patterns
It is no secret that I'm frugal. My husband would say cheap I love to get the most out of my scrapping dollar. Of course the jaw-dropping 2010 Summer CHA releases means that I'm about to open my wallet again. In order to do that without the usual guilt means using some of what I have first. Many times when I sit down to start a layout I go to my scrap paper pile first. One of my favorite things to do is use my patterned paper scraps to the very edge of their life. Gather similar colored papers and get to work.

Challenge- Create a layout/card/mini/altered project using 10 unique patterned papers. If you want an extra challenge try to use at least 5 manufacturers.

before i can leave my house for who's that girl #15 - neurotic? who me?

Neurotic? Who me? - Most of have some little thing that we are a bit neurotic about. The thing we fuss over and want to be just so. The thing that we spend more time and energy on than anyone can believe. Perhaps its vacuuming the carpet so you get perfect neat "rows", re-organizing your markers into ROY G BIV order, or the way the toilet paper hangs on the roll. Come on, even the most laid back person has their little neurotic habits or obsessive/compulsive behaviors! Spill it!

i had this photo of my house hanging around - loved it, but didn't know how i'd use it. then this challenge came up and it all clicked.

you got mine! just a fun little memory i wanted to preserve... sam hates to be the center of attention, yet she loves flashy clothes. hmmm. that's another layout, i think. :)

girl friends i used the august sketch from scrapfreak for this one...

courage i made this for my friend barb's birthday... :) love that she's doing things she's always wanted to do! and i really love this quote...

hope you all have a nice end to your weekend. i have one last day of freedom (besides today) then it's {gasp} back to work for me!

this is why

2010-08-07T10:14:00.004-08:00

bree asked me to create a sample for the august class over at scrapfreak...

here's the prompt:

August Class - Prompt 7: Relationships
As humans, we seek out connections with others... from our family to friends to mentors. For me, these are the strongest memories I have, the ones I hold most dear.

Quick List of Ideas
A particularly close family member
Best friend as a child and memories that stand out
Mentors or teachers
Neighbors or family friends that influenced you
Current friends and things you love to do together
Spouse or loved one
Pets

Prompts
Mentors: Think about the people that helped make you who you are. Create a list of these people. Now think about why each one influenced you, how they shaped you. Document a particular story that best represents their influence on you or write them a letter thanking them.

Gone but not forgotten: Often, those that we lost are some of the most bitter sweet memeories we have. Consider creating a page honoring your loved one. Focus in on what they meant to you. Who were they as a person? How well did you really know them? What would you ask them now if they were still here? Would they be surprised by how your life has turned out? If you could spend one day with them now, what would you do together?

Partners: What makes your relationship with your partner work? Really give this some thought. Often, I find that strong relationships are build on a foundation of shared values and goals. What do you and your spouse share in common and why are these important things to agree on? Additionally, we often are attracted to people who balance us. What is different about you and your significant other and why is that also important?

Children: No bond is stronger than the love a mother has for their child. Create a page about your relationship with each child you have. Consider using a list if you have several children, like favorite memory, trait you admire most, nickname, etc.

Friends: Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Make a list of your closest friends. What first brought you together? Why are you still friends? What makes this particular relationship unique? Each person in our life often serves a different role. Think about the role each of your friends serve. Document the role they play in your life or why you are grateful to have them as a friend.

here's what i came up with. i loved looking at all these old photos of us.

inside every envelope is a two sided, handwritten letter with

lots and lots of memories of our almost 24 years together.

some of the little things that i did to help tie the whole book together:
colors - black, white/cream, and red;
the main title (words 'this' and 'why') and the teeny hearts
on every page are made from a coffee sleeve;
journaling spots on every page are maya road...
just ties it all together.

:) i enjoyed the process with this one... thanks for looking.

thanks, pam!

2010-08-02T11:10:00.002-08:00

i submitted some pages to ideas for scrapbookers because i love all the ideas they share over there, and today two of my pages are featured!

go look here...

how cool. :)

you, too, can win!

2010-08-01T20:23:00.002-08:00

there's a little sketch place on ning, called sketch inspiration... i try to play along there when i can - trisha always has super cute sketches! this one (i've posted it here before) was based on sketch #134...

not only does she have great sketches, she also has weekly sponsors! guess who won week 30's drawing - yup. me! woohoo! this is the prize, and the sponsor is scrap attack scrapbooking... i'm browsing at their site as i post this blog.

cool stuff, huh? thanks, trisha at sketch inspirations, for the sketches and the ladies at scrap attack scrapbooking for the prize!

dream job

2010-08-01T09:05:00.003-08:00

for this week's wtg challenge, our prompt was dream job...

Who's That Girl #14 - Dream Job

Dream Job - We get paid to work because its just that, work, right? But if you could create your dream job, a job that you would love to do everyday even though it required hard work, what would it be and why?

Consider contrasting your dream job with what you do now or have done in the past.

independently wealthy yeah. that IS my dream job.

i don't want to be a billionaire or anything,

i just want to be comfortable - without having to work.

lol

i enjoy being at home.

i used bazzill swiss dot for the background

and some plastic fern thingie

that i kept around, thinking i'd use someday.

i sprayed some adhesive on the plastic greenery and

stuck it on the paper, then sprayed glimmer mist.

the patterned papers are all basic grey - green at heart.

love that line!

for the title word i used

making memories ready to glitter alphas -

then brushed some perfect pearls pigment on it.

forever young another layout of the dog. :)

she's just got too much character NOT to scrap about her...

i used a sketch by liz qualman for this,

and papers are too varied to list.

thanks for checking it out.

off to assemble my treadmill today,

so i might be working up a sweat

instead of working on my scrappy stuff!

my, oh my, she sure is pretty...

2010-07-30T11:03:00.005-08:00

heehee. i used my two layout titles as my blog post title...

pretty this first one is based on a sketch by kristy dalman -

you can find it at design dollies!

the journaling under the photo reads:
that was mimi's nickname when she was a girl... could be yours, too.

i used two lines of basic grey for this one - nook & cranny and lemonade... the lace paper is ki memories and i sprayed it with glimmer mist, and the flowers are prima (sprites) and i glimmer misted those, too! i don't remember where i saw this wire flower idea, but it's not my idea. i saw it somewhere and loved it.

my, oh my... i must be on a basic grey kick. this is indian summer...

and i used a sketch by liz qualman. she has some pretty awesome sketches!

i made that little tulle flower

after a few attempts to use it as a border

and it wasn't turning out

like i envisioned...

thanks for looking! have a great weekend.

i'm sure i'll be posting more shtuff -

i'm trying to cram all i can in before work starts again...

lucky me

2010-07-29T13:59:00.004-08:00

sassy lil' sketches revealed their july 28th sketch and

i {heart} this one!

this is how i used it... a few nights before sam's birthday i had her pose for pictures. lately that's like pulling teeth! i got a ton that night, though. i guess feeding her mexican food mellows her mood...

i used a lot of scraps for the circles here. i ALSO used my ancient old paper crimper! the trick for that is to crimp then punch the circles...

i'm not done scrapping yet today... :) gotta take advantage of the summer before i have to head back to work!

rain is a good thing...

2010-07-29T09:11:00.005-08:00

well. not all the time. getting tired of being soggy, think i might start molding. eek! no, not really - but my flowers might.

however, rain is good for scrapping... here's some of what i've been playing with. there's more, too, but it's dt stuff that i have to hold off on posting.

some kind of wonderful i used a cosmo cricket mini blackboard album i've had dragging around forever. it was perfect to showcase those be funky photos and picnick pics.

sarcasm made this one using this week's sketch from sketch inspiration... i think sarcasm in a language spoken by ALL teenagers.

home just a little layout of our humble home in the winter sun... yes, it's mostly shop. argh.

it's almost the weekend. hang in there, and stay dry! or cool, if you live anywhere but alaska. (apparently i speak sarcasm too)

cool technique...

2010-07-25T08:33:00.003-08:00

i found this cool idea on the ideas for scrapbookers blog... it's called the circle punch folding demo, and you can find it here. also featured is a sketch from sketch inspiration. she has some great sketches there and a weekly prize!

little dog i used the folded circles on this layout about my daughter and our dog. also used some new paper called a walk in the park (by echo park paper co.), along with my beloved dotted swiss from bazzill and some other cardstock...

thanks for looking, and hope you're having a pleasant weekend. dark, dreary and chilly-ish here... wondering where summer is, and losing hope that it will find its way here.

bummer.

a little bit of everything...

2010-07-15T22:35:00.007-08:00

i quit made for who's that girl #13 - the prompt was to journal about something people don't know about you or something you don't tell people right away... i wrote about my quest to quit smoking. i'm ashamed that i was a smoker, but proud to say i'm a quitter...

you are my sunshine for scrapfreak's july GDT spot. the prompt was to use yellow as your focal color. i sponge painted the background paper, painted the edges black, painted my chippie alphas, painted my corrugated alphas, and used leftover (negative) chipboard alphas to trace the word shine... the photo effect is from befunky.com! love those effects... i also got an extra 25 points for my total by doing a layout for the GDT spot. (i'm currently 3rd or so in points! woohoo! go, scrap, go!)

meeting linda another challenge over at scrapfreak - use any of the topics from this year's daily inspiration column. i used 1.14's DI - markers. use your markers to doodle, draw, whatever. i doodled some journaling spots, linda's name, some flowers, and the border around the photo block...

how 2 B a super hero another challenge - i used 4.14's daily inspiration - watercolor stamping... i stamped the word hero and watercolored it. also used a sketch from valerie salmon.

pixie ish another challenge - 5.11's daily inspiration - using brads. i drew an arrow shape and used brads to define it. this one's based on a pagemaps sketch.

well, that's it for now. tomorrow is my girl's 14th birthday, so i'll probably play in my scrappy stuff till she wakes up, but then i'm hangin' with her. have a good weekend!

you shine...

2010-07-12T20:13:00.002-08:00

i made this one for scrapfreaks' bonus opportunity #2...

Bonus Opportunity #2 - Due 7.14
Find something in the Daily Inspiration forum to copy, create, or try for the first time. For every Daily Inspiration idea you use, you can earn an additional 25 POINTS! Ideas must be used on a card, layout, album, etc. unless it's a project in itself. To earn the points, be sure to upload your creation to the Scrapfreak gallery, link back to this thread AND link in the appropriate Daily Inspiration thread.

i love how the stars photographed! they look like they're made out of metal or something...

here's the idea that i used:
7.7 Daily Inspiration - 3D Star Embellishments

and that's allllll i got done today, because it was hitting 75º around here, and that calls for me being outside. :) tomorrow looks like it's going to be cloudy, so i'll be creative then...

2010-07-10T08:12:00.004-08:00

i am seriously considering giving these people money so i can use their site... be funky

i LOVE all the different things you can apply to your photos! here's just a few of the free applications you can use. i stayed up way too late playing with pics there.

i think this sunburst one above is one of my very favorites...

yup. seriously considering a membership there.

i'm freakin' out at scrapfreak!

2010-07-10T06:55:00.005-08:00

i am getting SO much done! and having fun while i do it... there's some awesome challenges going on at scrapfreak - go check it out!

oh, brother. this one just makes me smile. it was my niece mary's birthday and rachel had had enough of sister getting all the attention (this was after rachel hid under the table while we sang happy birthday, and after she sidled over to give the stinkeye to all the loot mary got... lol ). my sister had mary dancing - and rachel was disgusted.

i used the march sketch inspiration for this layout.

ready another volleyball layout. i layered a silhouette-cut photo on top of another for a 3D look.

used the april sketch inspiration for this.

1988 wow. it really doesn't seem like that long ago... but it is.

i went digging for old photos of me to scrap (i was caught up mostly on sam pics -

had a little photo shoot last night -

will post some of those later)

and found these old pics of my graduation.

the may sketch was perfect for this many photos...

2 dang CUTE! i had fun with this one. i used some old screen material that my husband was going to toss, but i rescued it for scrappy purposes. here's how i used it:

decide where you want your misted area to be and cut out that area

(i used a big rectangle shape)

tape the screen to the back

paper clip the scrap paper and screen to the paper you're using for your layout

protect your work area and spray

this is how mine looked when i was done spraying mist over it

and here's the layout...

i used the negative space from a mme journaling

spot for the base of my title, and i cut out the #2

from some leftover packaging from christmas.

mini mountain climbers the july sketch was my inspiration for this one. i love the bg line i used - green at heart...

this summer freakout challenge goes on all july at scrapfreak! there's all sorts of bonus challenges, too... enough blogging - i'm going back to work. thanks for looking...

6x12 layout...

2010-07-02T08:55:00.003-08:00

i like the size! i made a 6x12 for the title of my blog... i'm also using it as points for the awesome month long challenge over at scrapfreak!

:) have a fun weekend! did i already say that?

who's that girl #12

2010-07-01T17:52:00.003-08:00

imperfect - none of us are perfect. we all have traits or habits we're all less than proud of. document something about you that you sometimes wish you could change.

tender hearted girl i used an old, old template i had to make the puzzle heart (as well as an old, old picture of me! lol )... used some transparent die cuts - modpodged tissue paper over those (a couple of layers on them).

the journaling reads: sometimes i wish my feelings weren't soooo easy to read... i wish my voice didn't tremble when i get upset. i wish my eyes didn't well up... i wish my face didn't get flushed with blotchy color... but then again, i wouldn't be me if i didn't...

thanks again for looking, and have a fantastic weekend!

sassy lil' sketches stuff

2010-06-29T08:59:00.003-08:00

just a couple of layouts and a card, all using sassy lil' sketches...

shared parties using the june 28th sketch. nice hair, huh? still bitter about that. lol i have really curly hair and my mom, having three daughters 7 and under, decided to take care of the problem of me crying when she combed out the tangles... -sigh- okay. whine over. :)
hi using the june 14th card sketch...

look using the sketch from the design team call... my niece, showing off her whistling skills. my daughter's jealous. she still can't whistle worth a crap. heehee.

looking at the card and the 'look' layout, i think i'm liking green these days...

thanks for checking out my little blog!

big news!

2010-06-28T06:40:00.002-08:00

i've been selected by cherie and katie over at sassy lil' sketches as one of their new design team members!!! thanks for choosing me, girls - can't wait to get started...

sassy lil' sketches is a fun sketch site that shares awesome sketches on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of each month... they design layout sketches AND card sketches!!!

in addition, there are monthly sponsors - play along and you could win... i'll be posting just who these sponsors are soon.

so go check out sassy lil' sketches and get inspired!

sassy lil' sketch

2010-06-22T12:48:00.002-08:00

samantha just got back from a visit to california to see her cousin graduate, and she brought back a bunch of pictures... here's some with her noni.

i used the june 21 2010 sketch from sassy lil' sketches!!

i flip-flopped it, and it worked great for the shots i had...

more luau crop stuff...

2010-06-20T10:48:00.002-08:00

the luau crop at scrapfreak is over... i ended up getting seven of the original ten challenges done, plus a few of the bonus challenges!

love this one is for the sand in your toes challenge: it's a white space challenge

class of 2014 banner challenge

she and he this one was fun! recipe challenge: use the recipe for a Blue Hawaii and turn it into a layout!

Blue Hawaii

1 oz light rum - rock candy crackle paint on title

2 oz pineapple juice - title

1 oz Blue Curacao - blue polkadot paper

1 oz Cream of coconut - sheer white ribbon

1 slice pineapple - stars

1 cherry - red patterned paper

that's it for now... off for a father's day dinner at my mother & father in-law's house! enjoy your day.

luau crop and who's that girl #11

2010-06-16T10:35:00.006-08:00

scrapfreak is having a really fun, super-inspiring online crop all week! i've gotten so much done...

shoes for the luau crop - color challenge: use at least two of the following tropical colors - magenta/pink, aqua, orange and yellow

thank you cards luau crop card sketch

blue jeans luau crop - song challenge: use a song title or song lyrics on your layout.

strength luau crop-inspiration challenge: jessica bree (also from who's that girl!) posted some malibu rum ads she found as inspiration...

amazed who's that girl? #11 the prompt was to document something you did that made you feel proud...

go visit the who's that girl blog for a how-to on those tissue paper flowers i made!

and don't forget, scrapfreak has this fun crop going on all week! games, prizes, badges and more...

my heart to you is given...

2010-06-13T07:54:00.002-08:00

this is for our bedroom... the photo was taken fifteen years ago, before we had our daughter. i found this quote when i was looking for a quote for haley's card.

i based this on a sketch from sassy lil sketches... the june 7th one.

it's momentous...

2010-06-09T10:26:00.003-08:00

so, my daughter is on vacation right now, with her grandparents. i'm missing her... working on this layout - thinking about sam, i'm in a bittersweet kind of mood. i miss the baby that she was, but i'm so proud of the young woman she's becoming.

*untitled* based on the june 2010 sketch over at scrapfreak. i've had this picture floating around, and finally scrapped it. the quote was perfect, especially for the mood i'm in. i'm a little geeked out to have her so far away (she's in california, then washington) but she'll be back next week...

make a wish this layout is based on sketch #126 (i think) over at sketch inspirations. i love this picture of my sisters' girls. they're pretty close, and i think the photo captured that.

thanks for looking!

one fine day...

2010-06-01T21:32:00.009-08:00

one fine day this was from the challenge blog i design for - Who's That Girl... the prompt (taken from the blog) I find that my goals for myself and my life change over time. What I dream of most right now might seem less important one day, or perhaps I will have accomplished those goals and now have new ones. For this challenge, document your goals or dreams for yourself! Whether you accomplish them all or not, it can be interesting to look back one day and see what your goals were in that moment in time.

i showed this layout to the husband... maybe give him some ideas. :)

3 lil cousins this one's based on sketch #125 from Sketch Inspirations.

i'm liking the layered title here

obsessed my goofy dog.

i followed the may sketch from scrapfreak for this one

hope you're all enjoying your summer so far... i am ;)

2010-05-24T06:42:00.003-08:00

summer has begun! i'm full swing into my summer mode - spending mornings watering the lawn and scrapping, afternoons with errands or preferably staying home, hangin' on the patio...

the guys this layout was for scrapfreak's june GDT contest - the challenge was to use fabric and sewing on your layout.

happiness is this one is for WTG #9 - finish this phrase: happiness is

i went with these photos of my niece, mary, being silly on her second birthday...

working on more... will post when i'm done!

thanks for looking

scraptique projects

2010-05-08T12:03:00.003-08:00

queen of the presents layout: imaginisce papers, prima flowers, maya road chipboard shapes and heidi swapp alpha stickers

all dolled up layout: maya road envelope and chipboard shapes, imaginisce papers

let's get together card: imaginisce stickers and papers

catching up...

2010-05-06T12:55:00.005-08:00

been ignoring this blog thing lately... here's some stuff i've been working on:

for ScrapFreak's May Be Inspired classes - i was asked to make a sample for class #3 - accessorize

For this challenge, you can only use "basics" (see list below) plus embellishments to create a page. Think about which embellies will best fit the look you are going for! And have fun.

Basics:
Cardstock
Monochromatic/Simple patterned papers (like dots, tone on tone patterns)

NOT Allowed - multicolor patterned papers

Embellishment Ideas:
Ribbons, trim, felt
Bling
Buttons
Chipboard and other shapes
Flowers
Journaling spots

WTG #8: insecurities - we all worry or stress over things. we worry that we are not good enough or that we are making a bad decision. these can be small worries or big ones. document something that you worry about. it can be something you USED to worry about but don't anymore, or something bothering you now. document why you feel the way you do.

WTG #7 - right now - while the core of who you are doesn't change, i find that my interests and activities tend to evolve from one year to the next. take a moment to capture the things you are into RIGHT NOW.

official scraptique design team member...

2010-04-18T20:13:00.003-08:00

:)

the creative ladies at scraptique are having all the dt members decorate an old record for hanging in the store... here's mine.

i used sketch #120 from sketch inspirations for this - i flipped it, and shrunk the size of the photo (i still have a hard time scrapping about me!), and made the base circular. what a cool idea, huh?

march... crazy month!

2010-04-05T16:19:00.009-08:00

march was a busy month for me! spring break was eventful, i got called for federal jury duty, i got braces on my teeth... whew. and still found time to scrap...

that grin this layout was done for Who's That Girl #6 - Distinguishing Features... i wrote about my smile, which is now covered with metal. according to my darling husband, i now look like Ugly Betty. fine by me - i think she's cute as heck! lol

two this one was for a challenge from Sketches! {by tamara} (find her on facebook! awesome sketches AND challenges!) my absolutely adorable niece, mary...

lol! another of that babygirl. she just cracks me up. for this efffect, i printed two of the same photo, one color and one b&w. cut out the part of the photo you want to highlight, then attach to the b&w photo. i realize you can do this in photoshop, but i am much more precise with a pair of scissors IN my hand. :)

here's one i did during spring break: it's my nephew, robert, at halloween. i bet you can't even tell i scrapped this one while i was on vicodin after a surgery i had... lol

i have a couple more done, but they're dt layouts or class layouts, so i can't share yet, but when i can - i hope you enjoy 'em. i know i sure enjoy creating them.

thanks for looking!

aimee

2010-03-20T18:20:00.002-08:00

been scrapping a bit again. this is my niece, mary, singing about the farm that old macdonald has... *for the march '10 sketch at the freak*

i got a little stitch happy with this layout. it's based on a sketch from Sketches by Tamara...

working on some more stuff... i'll add it here when i'm done.

the last bit of february scrappiness...

2010-03-01T17:56:00.015-09:00

here's challenge #4 for who's that girl... rituals and routines.

i scrapped about a typical morning around my house. this is the first layout i've done with no pictures. feels weird. :)

the flower embellishments above and the cloud embellishments in my layout "march" (previous post) were handmade. you can find out how http://jessicabree.typepad.com/whos_that_girl/2010/02/crafty-idea-of-the-month-handmade-tulle-embellishments.html

by clicking that link...

scrapfreak had a month long class in february called "get sketchy." i used quite a few of the sketches - the following five layouts are some examples.

this layout is for challenge #3 for who's that girl - why i don't...

i wrote about why i don't sleep on the couch anymore! it's a wonderful thing...

thanks for looking! have a great day...

weekend warrior...

2010-02-13T15:51:00.003-09:00

that's how i feel sometime - fighting for "my" time to play in my scrappy stuff... lol

here's what i've done so far:

sisters scrapfreak has a february class going on called "get sketchy" - this is based on sketch #10, by tamara...

i used CTMH "topstitch" patterned paper and some tim holtz rock candy crackle paint...

go this is an acrylic frame i altered, based on sketch #110 from sketch inspirations...

that's one of my all time favorite pics of my girl - from a few years ago...

thanks for looking - hopefully i'll have more before tomorrow is done!

2010-02-10T20:25:00.004-09:00

scrapfreak is having a guest design team member contest - the trick to this one: you have to scraplift the person who posts right AFTER you do... jessicabree was the one who posted after me - and i got to lift some of her work! literally a TON of inspiration in her gallery!!!

(you can see her layout - fly - that inspired my layout in her gallery at scrapfreak)

this is me - one day before my eighth birthday...

i used CTMH papers (twitterpated) and CTMH stamps... background was hand stamped, and i was just OCD enough to draw a grid on the paper so the stamping didn't get too awful crooked!

those fluffy clouds were made with a few layers of tulle and embroidery floss.

fun contest! can't wait to see all the entries...

one creative saturday...

2010-02-07T14:02:00.003-09:00

busy saturday! i only had a few layouts i needed to finish to qualify for a blinkie at scrapfreak, so i SCRAPPED. a bunch. all but one of these were done on saturday...

this halloween layout was done for JSYS - 01.26 - going in circles (use three or more circles)

a christmas layout - for JSYS #1 - Punched Shapes (use punched shapes to make a photo mat)

this is for JSYS challenge - 01.24 - lots of photos

i used nontraditional colors for a christmas layout...the quote is from theoatmeal.com

and this might be my favorite from the day... for JSYS - 01.19 - talk to me (use a thought bubble)

i hand lettered the title for this one - JSYS Challenge - 01.17 - Scallop Sweet (use a scallop edge somewhere on the page)

this is another favorite - for JSYS Challenge #3 - Journal Spots (use 3 or more journal spots)

i had fun with this one!

and this one was done for february's class over at the freak - February 2010 - Get Sketchy! - bree asked me to make a sample layout using a sketch from Sketchy Thursdays. this is feb 7's sketch...

the name game

2010-01-30T21:04:00.005-09:00

"This week's challenge on Who's That Girl is to document a story about your name... it can be why your parents chose your name, how you ended up with a particular nickname or any other name related story."

i scrapped about how i was sooo glad to change my last name when i *finally* got married...

used a variety of techniques here: i watered down white paint for the journaling & title blocks; punched a heart out of a coffee sleeve because i liked the texture of it; folded a strip of paper for added texture, then layered it over some ancient magic mesh; hand cut the title; and sewed on some flowers that were salvaged from a pair of flip flops that i wore out...

i really didn't know how i'd do scrapping about me. i'm glad to say that i am enjoying it!

thanks for looking...

mystery lift...

2010-01-30T09:57:00.005-09:00

scrapfreak had their first TGIF crop of 2010 last night - i got to play along a little, since ben was at the cabin and sam was at her nana's! monica posted this challenge:

Your challenge is to scraplift a layout that you can't see. I'm going to give you the instructions which are based on the mystery layout but are still completely up to your own interpretation. I'll reveal the mystery layout on Sunday. It will be fun to see what you create!Here we go...
Use a shaped paper for your background and distress the edges.
Choose one photo to use on your layout.
Use a patterned or solid paper as a matte for your photo.
Place both the photo matte and photo in the mid to lower right hand side of the page.
Place two strips of paper at the bottom of your photo.
Place title on the left bottom of the photo and paper strips.
Embellish the bottom right hand side of your photo with a cluster of journaling shapes, buttons, and brads.
Place a small strip of paper in the upper left hand corner of your background shape.
Embellish with a few buttons. And ta-da...you're done!

this is what i came up with...

what a fun challenge! can't wait to see what the original layout was, and how all the layouts look...

2010-01-24T15:32:00.003-09:00

i've been a busy scrapper... over at scrapfreak they're having a month long challenge called jump start your scrapping! i love it - it's keeping me busy! this layout was done for a page call from pagemaps but i'm using it for JSYS challenge - 01.14 - use photo turns.

this layout is for JSYS challenge #6 - photo inspired embellishments.

this layout is for JSYS challenge #8 - sunshine (use yellow).

JSYS challenge - 01.07 - angle the elements or photos

go check out scrapfreak and be challenged!

a few more layouts...

2010-01-18T17:08:00.004-09:00

i had today off - got to play a little!

this one is just a fun one, done for a challenge over at scrapfreak - the JSYS (jump start your scrapping) challenge - 01.13 point it out... we're supposed to use an arrow or other element to draw attention to an important element on our page.

have i mentioned i LOVE scrapping? i played around a little today. uploaded a few new ones. working on one for the dt - i love when inspiration hits like a brick!

this layout was for JSYS - 01.16 make it pop! i used pop dots to pop up the title and the flower on this page...

hope everyone has a great week!

2010-01-14T19:39:00.008-09:00

Ok, so you girls want to have some fun and win prizes? Get to know the Who’s That Girl Design Team… We would LOVE to get to know YOU! START THE HOP HERE @ THE WHO’S THAT GIRL CHALLENGE BLOG, then hop along to each team member’s blog to see their wonderful takes on our VERY FIRST CHALLENGE! Our first challenge for 2010 is One Word. But not just any word, we want to know the word that describes who you are as a person. For this challenge pick a word that tells who you are and what you are all about! Here is my layout for this challenge!

My word is "optimist" and I had a lot of fun creating this layout! For this, I used Bazzill cardstock for my base, then over that I placed some Basic Grey lace paper. Over that, I sprayed a little Maya Mist to add some depth, then I repurposed some corrugated cardboard - using a template to trace and cut flower shapes, then spraying them with Maya Mist. The title was made with some dark cardstock, sprayed with Maya Mist, then I rubbed some white ink over it to make my Basic Grey letters stand out a bit. I sprayed yet more Maya Mist over some paper lace ribbon, then layered some sheer red ribbon over the top of that, added a Maya Road chipboard accent, and stitched around the main area...

1. One lucky person who leaves a comment on all of our blogs in the DT blog hop will win this collection of goodies:

2. One person who does the challenge and posts in the Flickr group will win this collection of goodies:

Next, hop on over and check out Who's That Girl! ENJOY!

2010-01-13T20:51:00.000-09:00

scrap history...

2010-01-13T18:30:00.006-09:00

how long have you been scrapping? and do you still have "other" hobbies?? i used to have a bunch of other hobbies, until scrapbooking grabbed me, 12 and a half years ago. now i scrapbook and read - that's it.

(my smoke alarms are going off right now - driving me crazy. yep, i'm cooking. lol so if i sound a bit disjointed, that's why!)

i started scrapbooking when my daughter samantha was a year old. that was back in the infancy of scrapbook popularity... there were books on how to draw your own letters, books on images you could copy or trace to add to your pages, and doodling techniques. i'd always been "artsy-fartsy" and this little hobby grabbed me by the throat and still hasn't let go.

i actually have dreams about scrapbooking.

i have a dedicated space for my hobby - we built (when i say "we" i mean my husband) this house 5 years ago, and my mother-in-law was the one to suggest an office area for my scrapbook shtuff. i have a HUGE hanging file drawer for my paper and 4 drawers built in for storage. in addition, i have a bookshelf that houses a lot of stuff... i'm trying to be good, though, and haven't splurged in a while, because i have a lot of "stuff." i'm feeling the itch to oh-so-casually drop by one of the lss's though! resisting so far! anyway, i've been playing with this hobby for a good long while. i lurve it. a lot.

i've been lucky enough to be published in an online magazine, Scrapstreet, i believe that was the june or july '08 issue. i'll be in an upcoming issue of scrapbooks, etc. this summer... pretty exciting stuff for a little hobbyist like me!

thanks for reading...

this is one of my all time favorites...

my "duh" moment...

2010-01-10T17:58:00.003-09:00

okay, so let me explain a little about my husband and daughter... they love to try to sneak up on me, and try to scare me. it's their life goal.

tonight, i was bent over in front of the fridge, getting potatoes out for dinner. thought i heard somebody behind me, so i swung my head around, and totally whacked my nose.

saw stars.

felt throbbing - like the kind of throbbing you'd see when fred flintstone hammered his finger - and was instantly laughing...

i think i'll blame this one on ben.

don't think i'll get a black eye or anything...

i was wondering if i'd have anything to blog about.

2010-01-10T15:11:00.004-09:00

so i finally jumped in and started a blog. haven't told the hubby yet - he'll tease me, i'm sure.

i guess my first post will be about how sad i am that 52sketches52weeks is done - that site really got me hooked on sketches! this layout is based on the last sketch julie put out for the site...

thanks for taking the time to look!