Kawaii Crepe (Scraptastic Sketch)

It's time for another sketch over at Scraptastic.  I decided to modify the sketch to an 8.5x11 format just to change things up a bit.

It was so nice of mom to come into the city to attend Isabelle's Grade 9 graduation ceremony with me, as Darwin was out of town.  After the ceremony we asked her where she wanted to go for lunch.  Thankfully for mom and I she chose one of her favourite places, which wa also a place we had not yet been.  Kawaii crepe is delicious with a variety of crepe fillings to choose from.  Whether sweet or savory they all taste as delicious as they look.  We had 3 different fillings between the three of us: cookies & cream with strawberries, chicken caesar salad, and pulled pork.  It's a place I'll now need to take Darwin, so he can experience the deliciousness for himself.

I loved this card from the July Either Way Kit.  I knew when I saw the sketch, that this was the way I wanted to use it.  And how great is that ripped paper stamp?

A little more stamping and lots of buttons, and enamel dots to finish off the page.  Not too much, but not too simple, a great sketch to work with.

We'd love to see your take on Susan's sketch.  If you play along please come over to the blog and link up here for your chance at a Scraptastic gift card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today friends!

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Moments In Between

I wanted to share with you how I used my June This Life Noted kit(sold out) to complete the week of May 25-31 for my Moments In Between album.

The kit was so great that I actually kept my pages pretty simple, unlike my usual use of several embellishments this time I kept the layout pretty flat.  I found that the colours and designs of the cards, stamps, and rub-ons really gave my photos all the pop they really need.

I actually like the change up from my usual style.  I did swap out just a couple of the cards from previous TLN kits for some that I had been hoarding for the "right" photos, that black and white one for example.  I love that card, and knew I wanted to use it with a photo of the hubs and I.

Kaitlin nailed that "this is magic" card when she designed it.  It's such a perfect fit for the photo of my baby girl with her Hip Hop Dance Scholarship.

 I just love this arrow stamp from the TLN stamp set.

"Captured" is one of the fabulous rub ons by Chic Tags, they go on so smoothly that they actually look like part of the journaling card.  

The envelope and the hot air balloon here are also from that same rub-on pack.  I also cut a slit around the top part of heart on that bottom right photo to add just a touch of dimension to my card.

I may be a little behind in documenting my everyday, but I'm not too stressed out by it.  Using This Life Noted Kits helps to quickly get my photos into albums quickly all while at the same time making my albums that much more fun to look at.

Hope you're enjoying the process as much as I am.  To start your own subscription to the This Life Noted Kits hop over here to see how to get yourself started.

Happy Saturday friends.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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Summer so far

Happy Friday friends,

I certainly hope you will forgive me for how absent I've been around here lately.  It seems like this past year has only gotten busier, and busier.  I thought that things would slow down when Dance Competition and recital were finished.  I was wrong.  I have finally come to believe that this is just the way our life is going to look for the next season.  Summer looks a little different than I thought it would so far this summer, beginning with my heading back to work 5 days a week.  It's been about 10 years since I've done that, and let's just say I'm pooped.  My hats off to all you full time working moms out there, it is no joke spinning so many plates at once.  The girls, on the otherhand are having a wonderful summer thus far.  I'll be picking the youngest two up tonight from their grandparent's home out of town where they've been staying for the past week, as they attended an Art Camp hosted by the super sweet, and maga talented CD Muckosky.  And Isabelle has spent the week with her friend at the lake for the past 7 days.  It has been so quiet around here.  You'd think I would love the quiet, but it's honestly just a tad too quiet, especially these past 2 nights with Darwin out of town too.  No puppy shadow following me around, no fighting, and reminders to pick things up around the house...makes me truly thankful for the sometimes craziness that is my family.  I am blessed to be a wife and a mom, as tired as those roles and their duties make me at times, I couldn't be more happy to fulfill them.

On to my layout.

You may recognize these photos, as I've already scrapped one of them just recently.  Because I get so few photos of this particular child however, I am using every opportunity to scrap and re-scrap the few good ones I get.  That, and they matched the papers from the July Either Way Scraptastic Kit so well.

Had a lot of fun using my new sewing machine on this one.  There are so many lush patterned papers in this month's kit that I had to find a way to use as many of them as possible on one single layout.

With so many patterns, I needed the title to pop off the page, so I used some 3D adhesive to make it happen.

The Scraptastic stamps are always so fabulous, and reliable, no practice stamping necessary, they always work the first time around.

There you have it, a little personal update on my life, and something fun to set you on your way for the upcoming weekend.  Have a great one friends!

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Scraptastic July Kits

A new month means two new Scraptastic kits are now shipping

This Life Noted Kit

My favourite thing about this kit, aside from the great summery colours is the adorable star shaped wood veneers.  If you enlarge the photo you'll their rounded edges, so cute.

Either Way Kit

Filled with paper and elements from my two of my favourite manufacturer - Fancy Pants Designs, and My Mind's Eye.  A match made in scrappy heaven.

Either Way Add On

Those gold glitter alphas, and burlap stickers - love!

Either Way Stamp Add On

Can't wait to use those solid shaped stamps, they look so cool stamped w/alphabet stamps added to them.

Summer Nights Kit

This Simple Stories collection has big a huge hit this summer.  With all it's fabulous brightness, it's no wonder why.

Summer Nights Add On Kit

How cute are those die cuts?  And how awesome to get an entire package of brads.

Summer Nights Stamp Add On

So much goodness to match perfectly with that Summer themed kit.

There you have it friends.  My Either Way kit arrived just the other day and is beckoning me to come and play.  To get your hands on any or all of these kits hop over to the forum and sign up here.  You may also order just about any of the add-on separately (veneer pieces, cut aparts, flair buttons). 

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How To Make The Memories Last

Life sure has a way of getting full, and getting busy, and getting away from us doesn't it?  That is exactly how it has felt around our home for the past several weeks, ever since February to be exact.  The combination of going back to work part time, after 8 years at home, and 3 kids in 16 competitive dances with our Dance Studio made for a fun-filled, jam-packed, constantly on-the-go last 4 months.

My Moments In Between Album needs some serious catch up.  I decided that since I am 12 weeks off schedule that I would start with the most recent week, and work my way back from there.  Maybe.  Another thought I had was that, ultimately I would prefer to have each week chronologically documented in my album, but NOT if I start to feel burdened by getting it all done. I have all my photos organized and ready to go, but if I don't ever make it back the the 2nd week of March, I've decided that I am going to be okay with it.  Documenting our life as a family is so much more about "the moments in between" that it is about any rules I'm tempted to make about the process.

Left side

Here is a snapshot of our week: June 8-14, using craft supplies from the Scraptastic Club June This Life Noted Kit. From hijacked iPhone selfies, to Dance Recital and Year End carnival, a friend's Art Show for her students, to Eden's 11th birthday, and even a little home "tattoo" session, it's all here, documented to last.

The sweet encouragement note I received from my friend after performing with my Adult Tap group, just had to have a place in this weeks pages.

Right side

I intentionally include a lot of handwritten journaling in my album, I think it really adds a personal touch for those who may enjoy looking at these snapshots of our life long after I'm gone.  

Adding details like stitching to my pocket pages makes them feel more like me, I like the dimension, and visual interest it adds, just like in my regular scrapbooking pages.

I love that Eden filled out her own "right now" card listing a few of her current favourites.

Because there was so much going on during this week, there were many photos to fit in.  To get them all in, I added a little insert (using some Simple Stories page page protectors) especially for Eden's birthday photos.

Not pictured here, is the second insert I added that hold the Dance Recital program from the last performance.  I think it will be fun to look back in a few years and remember the dances they did this year, and the friends with whom they performed.

It's weeks like this that make me wonder about putting together another Shutterfly photo book like the ones I did here, of our trip to Steamboat Colorado a fews years ago, and a Summer one I created back in 2009.

I've been thinking especially about putting together a Dance specific book. I literally have hundreds of photos from this year alone.  Three competitions, and 3 recitals in 2 months naturally result in a lot of photos of each of the girls in all of their Dance costumes, performing, and candids of them hanging out with their friends pre/post performance.  I really think they deserve a special place all their own.

I'll have more Moments In Between pages to share with you all soon.  Until then, thanks so much for stopping by today friends. Pin It

Ephemera Accents

I decided to challenge myself with my most recent layout created with the Scraptastic June kit. The challenge was to create a layout using zero patterned paper (with the exception of the background sheet), only the add-ons from both kits, and mostly the gorgeous ephemera Heidi Swap, and Crate Paper ephemera pieces.

Also added some washi tape from the Add-On Kit

One of the things I love most about the Crate Paper ephemera pieces is that they are opaque allowing you to use regular adhesive without the adhesive showing through, making them quick and worry free to adhere.

I think the Oh Darling bows are adorable.  The bulkiness of them, however scared me from using them on my layout.  The solution was simply to remove half of the clip using adhesive on the remaining side and sticking it to the layout that way, problem solved.

Adhering acetate pieces can be tricky.  Here I've used a couple different techniques you can see with the butterfly that I've layered the acetate one onto a die cut shape butterfly, allowing me to use regular adhesive once again to adhere it to the page.  With the acetate pieces I used brads to adhere them to the page.  Efficient, cute, and effective.

These packs were so jam packed with pieces that I have a ton left over, despite using so many on this one layout.  I'm hoping to incorporate more of them into my Moments in Between Album.

Thanks for popping in today friends! Pin It

Inspired by Pinterst

Happy Tuesday friends!

I had this Pinterest inspired post up at Scraptastic yesterday, and thought you all might find a little inspo in it too.  Check out this photo.

Source 

With so many hard angles, and contrasting colours I thought this image would make a perfect springboard for a layout (or even card) design.  Here is what I came up with using the image as my inspiration:

 
I used my Silhouette to cut chevrons into my 12x12 cardstock, and backed each one with co-ordinating patterned papers from the kit, I added a few extra chevrons in various places to create a little more dimension and fullness to the layout.

I like to use my sewing maching to achieve the flipped up sides to the chevrons, but the same look can achieved simply by using very narrow double sided adhesive.



This photo is of Théa, and several of her Kick It friends just moments after they performed their Tap Small Group number at a CanDance Competition in Regina back in April.  It cracks me up to see all that "character" oozing out of them in this shot.  The did an amazing job with the fast paced, very technical choreography they were given.  This is one of my favourite dances of the hundreds (well okay maybe that's a slight exaggeration, though it felt like it at times with all the driving back and forth to class and outside practices, haha) they learned this year.

My friend Susan joined me in the Pinterest challenge.  Please hop over to the Scrapstastic Blog to see her take.

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by, Pin It

Goofballs

Happy June friends!

Today, I have one last Scraptastic Club May Kit layout to share with you before I move on to the June Kit.

These 2 have never known life without one another.  They are the bestest of friends and I just love that.  They couldn't be more different, but when they're together everything just works.  Did you have a friend like that growing up?  

I showed the layout to Belle before it was titled and asked what she thought it should be titled. She came up with Goofballs - fitting.

Loved, loved this flower cut file created by Paige Evans for Studio Calico (no longer available).  I just know you'll be seeing it on a 12x12 layout yet too.

I have just loved this kit, so many great Pink Paislee Switchboard embellishments.  I'm going to be using them up for a long time to come.

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Bring on the June Kits

Feast your eyes on what Scraptastic is shipping for June.

This Life Noted Kit

I've gotten so behind on my Moments In Between Album, really hoping this kit will help me get back on track.

 Best Day Of My Life Kit

This is the kit I chose to go with, love all the brights.

Best Day Of My Life Add-On Kit

I think the Add On Kit is even more exciting than the main with all the Crate and Heidi products.

Sail Main Kit

I would be all over this kit if I had some nice sunny vacation photos to scrap.

 Sail Add-On Kit

How darn cute is that lobster veneer piece?!?

 June Wood veneer pieces

Did you the wood veneer pieces are also separately?  It's so handy especially since they are exclusive to Scraptastic. 

Best Day of My Life stamp set

I am in love with the label maker looking stamps, so awesome!

Sail stamp set

Love that sweet summer quote.  I think that need to go on a card.

You can see all the kits & their content lists here, as well as all the other Add On items available here.  And you can get subscription info here.  These are such fabulous kits, they are jam packed, and always filled with the latest and greatest in scrappy goodies.

Happy shopping friends! Pin It