Inspiration for the Week-end.

If you are in need of some sketch inspiration, check out Practical Scrappers every Friday for some great card and layout sketches by design team members. 

Here's a layout I did following this week's sketch by Pia. It's not my usual style, but that's because I used a digital stamp from Squigglefly to make the file for the Elephant. All I did was import the image into SCAL,  resized and cut away on my Cricut. I opted to hand cut the patterned paper for the ears and feet, as well as the toes, just to save time and paper, but I could have done them on the cricut too. I then added a bit of shading using my Copics.

Can you believe that I haven't scrapped any ultrasound photos yet of Ethan or Parker? I have tons of them too, as I usually get one or 2 per visit from my doctor. Let's hope I can still find them! 

I embossed the felt flowers with a Cuttlebug folder, and was surprised at the definition I got in the texture. I also needed something on the top flower to mimic the Flair, so I stuck an American Crafts sticker to a white brad.

Materials: 

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper

Patterned Paper: American Crafts

Digital Stamp: Squigglefly ( Baby Elephant) 

Flowers: Jillibean Soup, American Crafts

Thread: Gutterman

letters: American Crafts, Basic Grey

Sticker: American Crafts

Flair: American Crafts

Brad: Unknown

Markers: Copics

Salvaging scraps

Not only do I find myself saving all kinds of paper and do- dads these days in the name of scrapbooking, my insanity has moved into the realm of clothing. Yep that's right, I've been saving several well used sleepers that were worn by both boys, in hopes I may be able to use them somehow.

Who doesn't love sleepers with the feet attached? I have a weakness for them, especially for a bunch I got from Costco. They had such great colours and designs, I had bought some in more than one size.

Here's a layout for this week's challenge at Practical Scrappers using fabric/felt or tulle. It's all about my favorite pair ( ok! one of fave pairs) of jammies.

I couldn't really save much of the fabric because of the stains, but this embroidered patch was too cute to throw away. I stamped a plain piece of cardstock with the repeated word "dinosaur" to make it mimic the actual fabric.

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Bo Bunny
Chipboard: My Little Yellow Bicycle
( covered in Glimmer Mist and Bic Mark-It permanent marker)
Ink: Studio G
Stamps: Technique Tuesday
Letters: American Crafts
Buttons: Doodlebug Design Inc, American Crafts
Felt: Fancy Pants
(Jammies by Pekkle)

I Tubed!, you Tubed! , we all tubed...

Well I finally got brave and made my first video tutorial for Practical Scrappers. I'm still feeling my way around Imovie, but I think it turned out ok. No genius concepts were divulged in the making of the video, but you can brush up on a simple way to make mitred corners on a layout.  If I feel like I've ever got anything else of value to share with my crafting community, I may just break out the camera again ( This time I'll try and wait until the kiddos have gone to bed, so my soundtrack isn't so Fisher Price inspired).

Patterns are everywhere!

Another goofy title for this week's post I'm afraid. I had a little revelation while lying in bed the other morning half asleep. I'm in love with pattern. I'm thinking I have to do a scrapbook page all about it. It started when I was really little, and loved examining the bathroom tiles in our house for pictures in the abstract patterns. It was reinforced by the crazy wall papers my mom had back in the 70's, and the beautiful quilts made by my grandmother. The designs, the quilting, and the patterns of the fabrics themselves. I remember vividly the pattern on the entryway floor of my paternal grandmother's house, and the flower pattern on her tea mug.

It's no wonder I now have such a hard time refraining from buying beautiful patterned fabric, and have an insane collection of patterned papers. Perhaps I should have continued my courses in textiles and fiber arts, and completely lost myself in a world of pattern...


Or maybe I'll just keep scrapbooking!

Here's this week's challenge page for Practical Scrappers. We had to work with patterned paper this week. I grabbed a few sheets that were still on my desk from a not so recent shopping trip, and this is what I got:

 I'm not really a fan of die-cut titles, but I love the way the stamped images ( bunny and carrots) turned out on patterned paper. What I'm even happier about is having scrapped some photos of this Easter THIS YEAR! lol!

Materials:
PP: WRMK Hippity Hoppity collection
ribbon; Cosmo Cricket
Stamps: Stampendous
Ink: Memento
letter stickers: Sassafras Lass
Font cut with Cricut and SCAL: Howser
pens: Staedtler triplus, Uniball signo

a lost gem

I was flipping through some pages done this year so far, and realized I hadn't posted this one that I completed at an all day crop. It still makes me smile when I see it, so I figure no one would mind if I posted it now.

Ethan never fell asleep in the highchair, and Parker has only done it 2 or three times. I think this was the first time he did,  and he amazed me by continuing to take bites of his lunch with his eyes closed. I used Crafter's Companion templates for the pearl placement, and to make the cloud shape/shadow.

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
PP: American Crafts
Pearls: Dollarama
Felt: Fancy Pants
Pebbles: Prima Marketing
Letters: American Crafts
Ribbon: unknown

Dig out your Punches!

That's the challenge is this week at Practical Scrappers. We spend so much for them, we'd better get our money's worth!

Here's the page I did for the challenge. I used a scalloped circle punch to make the border. Not my favorite layout lately, but it'll do.

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
pp: Sassafras Lass, Bella Blvd.
Stickers: Sticko, Bella Blvd.
Felt: Artemio
seed beads, Diamond glaze, Uniball signo pen
Marvy Uchida Punch


Here's another one I did for a scraptag, that could also fit the punch theme. I love that dino border punch so much!

Materials:
pp: Sassafras Lass.
letters: Doodlebug designs inc., Jillibean Soup
Stickers: Sassafras.
Chipboard: Fancy Pants
stamps: Pink Paislee, Gel-a-tins
Stickles
EK success border punch
Staz On ink

Still Waiting!?

If you remember my post weeks ago about all the things I was using my time waiting for, you may be interested in knowing that I'm still waiting, only now for different things: For the nausea to subside, for my energy to come back, for an indication as to what colour our guest room will be painted, and for the days around November 25th, when we expect to meet our newest addition. ( did I also mention I can't wait for these pregnancy hormones to  level out too? I cry at anything these days!)

I was so relieved to hear a little heartbeat during our first appointment Monday;I think i'm actually allowing myself to start to get excited now... who knows,  there may even be some pink  scrapbook pages in my future...

Catch up.

I just realized I missed posting last week's challenge page for Practical Scrappers, and also wanted to post this week's page.

If you are stuck in a rut in your scrapbooking, I urge you to go give the challenges a try, even if the challenge item is something that makes you groan. I can honestly say, these challenges are keeping me scrapping through a time where I think I would normally have put scrapping aside for a bit. It's amazing how pulling out something old from your stash, and finding a new use for it can help to get you really motivated to scrap- but don't just take my word for it.

 This is my page for last week's button challenge. I used new papers and journaling spot from Fancy Pants Rusted Sun Collection, and got my first page from our Jamaican vacation scrapped -Yay! I like the buttons on the bottom of the page, but I'm happiest with the sun I created using an old Scenic route chipboard quote. I covered the writing with some yellow pp, and glued on the buttons.

Materials:
PP: Fancy Pants
Journaling Spot: Fancy Pants
Buttons and brads: Assorted
letter stickers: Pebbles, Cosmo Cricket
Chipboard: Scenic Route

Here is the page for this week's Sticker challenge. I have TONS of stickers in my stash, so the hard part was choosing which ones to use. I decided on these label stickers which I loved and have had forever. I was afraid I was never going to find a use for them, and that they no longer fit my scrapbooking style. Great reason to use them right away! I love the end result! I used a spritz or two of glimmer mist on the background kraft paper to add to the sandy beachy theme,  and layered the stickers between  the wavy Sassafras paper edges. I couldn't resist adding those Fancy Pants chipboard fish and waves to the mix either.

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper
PP: Sassafras Lass
Stickers: Me and My Big Ideas
Chipboard: Fancy Pants
Letter Stickers: Doodlebug Design Inc.
Glimmer mist: Tattered Angels