Birthday Boy

It was sketch challenge day over at Scraptastic yesterday.  Susan once again gave us a great sketch to work with.

Mr Wilson celebrated 4 years a couple of weeks ago.  Isabelle thought he needed to have a cake, so she made him a "cheese cake" out of cheese slices (held together by toothpicks), and placed a candle in it.  Just love this photo of him licking his chops after getting a little taste of it.  The It's My Life kit and Add On kit was full, full, full of all sorts of great October Afternoon, and Elle's Studio tags, and if you know my style at all you'll know how much I love incorporating tags into my scrapping.

Some great stamps in this kit.

This is Susan's sketch.  So many photo placements and/or journal placement possibilities. 

Hop over here to see what the rest of the team did with the sketch.  And you can go here  to get yourself set up for a monthly pizza box full of scrappy goodness.

Here are some sneaks of what coming next month.

Worth Wandering Kit

Let Me Go

This Life Noted 

So great stuff for you all this month, and the stamps are pretty awesome too, especially the This Life Noted alphabet set.  I can't wait until my box shows up.

Happy Friday friends, hope you're in for a great weekend.  I'm more looking forward to next week, as we will finally be off for Spring Break.  If the weather would only begin to feel Spring-like we'd be very happy campers here. Pin It

Together

Happy Saturday friends,
Sherri here, with some everyday inspiration for you.  I love 'around the house, everyday moments' types of pages.  They are probably what make up the majority of my scrapbook.  They are, afterall the majority of what life is all about in between the big events like birthdays, anniversaries, recitals and such.

So when my daughter grabbed my phone from me while we were just laying together sharing some downtime one day last week and snapped this photo, I knew it would make it's way into my albums.

I used the March It's My Life kit Add On from Scraptastic for this one.

The Home2 Flair set was perfect for this layout.  I've been saving it for just such a layout as this.

I typed up my journaling on an elle's studio tag and tucked it behind my photo.

 The title was cut with my Silhouette Cameo.  

The March Scraptastic It's My Life Add On kit can be purchased here.  There are so many elle's studio tags in the kit, it was hard to even make a dent in them, despite having so many on my page.  Good bang for your buck I'd say.

As for the flair, Shelley has so many flair sets that would be perfect for documenting the everyday including this brand new Chalkboard Day In My Life set.

Have a wonderful weekend friends, now go and make some 'everyday moment' kinda memories.

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Winter Love - Creative Scrappers Reveal

March 2nd, how did that happen?  It seems we've been buried under the cold hard spell of winter for so long here that we didn't even notice February fly right by.  How I wish Spring was just around the corner, but alas we still have several hundred feet of snow (well okay maybe not several hundred, but we have A LOT, let's just leave it at that), and super cold, as in hovering around forty below temperatures here to contend with for the next several weeks.  Cue: Annie's "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" here.

In other news, it's a new month, which not only means a new sketch, but a new sponsor for Creative Scrappers.  Here is my take on the sketch.

This was my first time using this size and this format photo.  It took me a bit to figure out how exactly I wanted to use the sketch.  I knew this was the photo I wanted to use, but was struggling with the design, until I flipped it.  Once I put all the strips on the top everything felt better to me, and I was better able to add embellishments.  I used scraps of October Afternoon papers, and one piece of My Mind's Eye paper, along with some {aflairforbuttons} flair and a Silhouette store cut file to create my title.  

These goofy girls make scrapping fun.  This photo was from Superbowl Sunday.  The weather was milder than it had been in a long time, perfect for playing outside.  The snow is piled up so high it reaches the top of our six foot fence.

The girls were having so much fun taking turns sliding down it.  That is until they got the idea to scooch themselves along the top of the fence, all the way along to the street side of the house where they then, monkeyed themselves down and along the iron fence.

How perfect is the Hashtag Winter Flair set for this layout?  The cut file was created using a black sketch pen (my new love - watch for a tutorial to come)

I used my EK Success Label maker to create my journaling strips.

Another fun piece of flair from the Hashtag Winter set.

Here is Kristine's sketch

I thought it would be kind of neat to mix some ribbon strips in with my paper strips.  Love the texture that it ended up adding to the layout.

You can see the rest of the amazing layouts on the Creative Scrappers blog.  Our sponsor this month is one that's very near and dear to my heart... Chic Tags will be offering up a $35 prize pack to the lucky winner.  So what are you waiting for?  Get to work on this sketch this week, and check back to the CS blog next week for sketch #264, and link up then too.  And don't forget to check back throughout the week, you just never know if your work will be our feature.

Thanks for stopping by today friends, enjoy your day!

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Moments In Between with October Afternoon

Sharing a post I had up on the Paper Issues blog yesterday.

I am fortunate to take over the bi-weekly Product Feature posts for Paper Issues.  It's a challenge to know what kind of products will get people excited as everyone has their "thing".  I decided to jump in with a technique that I used, and chose the manufacturer based on what I wanted to work with and went from there.  Here is the post I shared...

It's that exciting time of year when all the new CHA goodness we've been dying to get our hands on starts showing up in the Paper Issues store.  The brand new Snapshots, Girl Talk and All Boy collections by October Afternoon are already available for purchase.  But what to do with the bits and pieces we still have kicking around from the last release.  For me, that's where my Moments In Between album comes in. Although I often use various Project Life style kits to document my everyday moments, when I have scraps from a collection that I have loved, I find a way to do a spread using that collection alone (no pre-made cards at all).

I've done just that this week with several sheets of October Afternoon's Apple Cider collection, a package of Tin Pins, Pop Drops, coordinating Story Book alphas & label stickers, and the Inspiration roller stamp.  I threw in a few scraps of cardstock, and a handful of embellishments from my stash, including these, then used my Silhouette Cameo and sewing machine for additional visual interest.

Using a simple 3x4 piece of patterned paper with one single solitary embellishment is a great way to fill a pocket when there aren't enough photos, or just to create some "breathing room" on your page. 

Without the help of pre-made cards I used the Story Book alphas, and label stickers to help me create some filler cards with quotes and journaling.  I may or or may not have ordered several colours of these alphas because they're so perfect for this style of scrapping.  You can see our selection in the shop here.  It's hard to pick up but I used my sewing machine to stitch along the chevron lines on that top card for a little more wow factor (you'll just have to trust me that it looks cool in real life).

Now if you don't have an issue clearing out the old to make room for the new, and you're just itching to get your hands on the new October Afternoon goodies here's a little eye candy for you.

I love the soft colours and fun ampersands on this sheet from the Girl Talk collection.

And then there's this awesome coordinating stamp set 

And I'm a sucker for cute flair buttons any day.

All the fabulous October Afternoon products you see here, both old and new can be found in the Paper Issue store.  If you're in the shopping mood don't forget to use code:SHERRI to save yourself 20% off your entire purchase.  

And, did you know that if you're in the US, any order of $60 (after discounts, and before tax) ships for free?  Sweet deal.  

Happy crafting friends!  Pin It

Oh Baby!

Did you know that Chic Tags has some really cute baby themed tags?  They are part of a recently released collection called Oh Baby!  There is a pink line for girls and a blue line for boys.  It's been a while since I have heard the pitter patter of little feet in my home, but I just had to use these sweet tags on a layout.  

This is where sweet, sweet Ella comes in.

This little lady sure knows how to light up a room.  She's so intelligent, and cuter than a button.  Her mom sent me this adorable photo of her loving her new pink tutu, a perfect match for the Oh Baby! collection.

Because I didn't really have the exact shade of pink in any of my patterned papers, I decided to go with a variety of pinks, mixed with some black, white, and off white.  I really like the end result.

If you know my scrappy style, you know how much I love office supply tags.  How cute are these Oh Baby! ones, shown here tucked behind the "Sweet Baby Girl Icon"

That super cute chevron card is also form the collection

See that circle/star cut file?  It's a Chic Tags cut file, you can grab it yourself for FREE right here.

I many no longer have babies to raise, but I am not going to let that stop me from using the adorable Oh Baby collection.

Hope you feel inspired to create something beautiful today!

Tags Used
Oh Baby! Girl Icons
Oh Baby! Girl Mini Tags
Oh Baby! Girl Milestones
Circle/Star Cluster Cut File

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Here & Now

Sorry I've not been around too much lately.  It's just that time of year around here, where Dance picks up for everyone, and many hours are spent on hair, make up, driving, practicing, watching performances, and waiting for results.  I can get a little stressed about it all, but I really do love it.  Love watching my girls shine on the stage as they do what they really love to do.  So please forgive me for my absence around here lately.

It's Sunday so that means another Chic Tags Sunday Challenge.  This week our challenge was to use Arrows.

That background sheet of paper by Studio Calico was perfect to jump start the challenge.

This cute Note Clip Tag and Icon from the new Everyday Life II Collection were also perfect.

Here I've layered a Studio Calico arrow sticker over top of the tip of one of the Everyday Life A/B tags

Another A/B Tag here, partnered with some Stuido Calico chevron veneers.

There you have it.  Pop over the blog to see what the rest of the Chic Tag designers came up with.  You can also link up your own take on the challenge to enter yourself some fabulous scrappy goodies.

Also I'd like to wish wish all my fellow moms out there a blessed Mother's Day.  I hope that you are able to take some time for yourself today indulging in whatever your little hear t desires, and that the people in your life gift you with some YOU time.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'll have a few posts to come for you this week.

Almost forgot to mention that I'm linking this layout up to the Paper Secrets Challenge.  Check out their sketch.

I loved it so much I just had to use it (to be honest I think I'm going to use it again just to see what I can come up with a second time around).   I can't even remember the last time I'm played along with an online challenge.  Thanks Paper Secrets for the enticement.  You can see the challenge for yourself here, you still have a couple of days to link up if you wish too.

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Thankful

Happy Friday friends!

This little hobby of scrapping that we all share is so much more than just pretty paper, and embellishments.  I have really enjoyed meeting some wonderful people all around the world because of it.  The internet is what brings us all together.  Just think how many scrappers were out there 20 years ago off in their corner of the world wondering if they were the only ones who loved playing with photos, and paper so much.

Meet my friends Carla, and Lee-Anne.

I recently had a chance to connect with both of them at one time.  It happened during my trip to Calgary for Spring break a few weeks ago.  They live about an hour apart from one another, they hadn't met in person before, but they knew each other through online crafting sites/blogs.  Of course I had to meet up with them.  It turns out I was staying in the same neighbourhood where Carla lives, so she graciously offered to come and pick me up.  Together we set out to meet up with the ever adorable Lee-Ann at a restaurant around the mid-way point for all of us.  A great meal, and a wonderful opportunity to get to know two sweet women who love this hobby as much as I do.  I am so grateful to the World Wide Web for introducing me to these ladies.  It has been a joy serving on different design teams with both of them.  I have don't doubt that we'll meet up again one day.

Chic Tags Used:
Hollo Months
Road Trip Number tags
Fall Date Banners

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Exciting News

Today I am finally able to let you in on my little secret.  

My work will be among many fabulous layouts all based on the sketches of the very talented Kristine Davidson for her brand new release Creating With Sketches 2.  I had a great sketch to work with, that I paired with Echo Park's Scoot papers.

You may recognize the photos from a previous layout.  I loved them so much I thought they'd be fun to work with again, and this sketch was perfect for them.  Journalling is hidden on the tag.

Sketches are a great way to get the mojo going when you just don't know where to start.  And this book has over 120 of of Kristine's trademark jump starters.

Kristine has very generously offered up a great deal for one of my lucky blog readers.  ONE FREE DIGITAL COPY.  Isn't she wonderful?  In order to get in on this amazing deal all you have to do is make sure you're a follower, and leave me a comment telling me you've done so.  You can increase your chances by sharing, or linking back to this post on any form of social media.  One extra entry per method shared.  Just leave me additional comments with your links.  I'll post my winner on this Friday morning.  Be sure to leave me your contact info so I can get a hold of you personally. 

If you are too anxious to wait on a draw, Kristine has also generously offered up a discount code for immediate use.  Use code CSW2Discount to save 2$ off your newly released digital copy of Creating With Sketches 2 today.  Coupon code will be valid until March 31 at 10pm EST.  If you prefer a paper copy, they are also available right here on Kristine's site.

Thanks for popping in today.

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January Sketch Challenge

Happy Monday friends,

Marjolaine provided Scrapping Everyday Miracles with her very first sketch challenge this week.  Here is my take on it.

That little tab at the bottom pulls out to reveal the hidden journaling.

Here is the original sketch

You can see that for the most part I worked with all the elements, but changed things around just a bit.  Rather than a circle I went with a rectangular shape on which to mount my photo.  This silhouette cut was a free one I discovered at Studio Calico provided by Kinsey Wilson.  (You can download the file here).  I was dying to use it so I pulled it out for this one.  I made the original cut on white card stock, and used the fabulous new Heidi Swapp Colorshine in mint green to colour the mask to better compliment the photo I was using.  Isn't that amazing coverage?  You've got to try her mists they are fantastic, and give a rich, intense colour.  Totally different from Mr. Huey's, not better just different.  I then moved the cluster along the edge to the other side, layering little bits and pieces rather than using the large square blocks.  I am in love with the finished result.  The twist on the challenge was to fussy cut a patterned paper.  There may have been a better way to cut the papers to go behind the mask, if so I don't know of it.  This baby took me a good while to cut out and cover.  A lot of Sookwang tape, and glossy accents at work here.

There is a great prize up for grabs this month.  It is not one, but two packages of flair from Paper Loves Glue.  They are super cute.

You can see what the rest of the DT did with the sketch, and link up your own creation here.  And incase you missed it the main challenge is here.  It's a call to scrap a "sad moment" in your life.  The DT had some really touching stories to share along with some great layouts.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope your week is off to a great start! Pin It