Sunday Sketch Challenge

Chic Tags blog has a sketch challenge for you today.  I had fun playing along, and created this layout of my girls.

This is another photo from our little photo shoot a few weeks ago.  I could scrap and re-scrap those photos over and over, so don't be surprised if you see them a few more time here on the blog before the snow flies.

And all the tags are from the Happy Place Collection, except for the green file card which is from the School House Collection

I used some of the new Chic Tags patterned paper to create the chevron pennant.  This is one of the rare layouts I've created without journaling.  Because I'm scrapping several of these photos from the same shoot back to back, it seems redundant to keep journaling the same thing each time.  

Here is the sketch that Ashely created for us to work with

Jump in a play along with the sketch for your chance at a Chic Tags prize pack.  Hop over to the blog to see how some of the other designers interpreted the sketch, and to link up your own creation.  You are not required to use Chic Tags products, but you may win yourself some by playing along.

Have a great Saturday friends, thanks for stopping today. Pin It

School House Rock

Here is a layout I shared on the Chic Tags blog the other day.

I was so happy when my girlfriend emailed me these photos of Eden.  This was her first day of Kindergarten 6 years ago.  She has always loved the camera...anybody's camera apparently.  These photos so wonderfully capture her sweetness, and spunk, and most of all her sheer excitement about FINALLY getting to go to school like her older sisters.

I've popped dotted one of the Photo Toppers, right over the File Card here, as well as the Mini Icon. The file cards are my absolute favourite Chic Tags product.  I considered making this one removable so I could include my journaling on it, but decided I liked the look of it sticking out the bottom of my paper strip too much.

 Another Photo Topper here, backed with one of the pennant stamps from the co-ordinating stamp set.

 A couple of the sweet hashtag stamps here.  I love stamping right onto my photo.  I find that Rangers Archival ink is the best ink for that.  And that strip of ruler paper is actually the top portion of a Mini Tag.

And the rub ons...oh the rub ons.  I'll be honest I gave up on rub ons years ago.  I gathered up the whole lot, including my pricy rub on tool and gave the entire bunch away at a crop several years ago.  I was tired of them cracking, and not coming off the backing nicely, and then leaving you with a mess to have to fix up on your layout.  But these rub ons....these are lovely.  They come off so nicely, and cleanly (the red stars and "FIRST DAY" are rub-ons), I found myself wanting to use them more and more as I scrapped the other night.  Veronica and Albert have done a wonderful job providing the industry with top of the line product all along, and these are no exception.  Each of the new collection has a co-ordinating package of rub ons.  Oh and that wonderful atlas flair is from A Flair For Buttons Etsy shop.

I was given these photos in June, and have been saving them until now to scrap them with the School House Collection I think the wait was worth it.  You can find the entire School House Collection in the Chic Tags store.

If you're interested my first post for A Flair For Buttons is up today.  Here's a little peek for you.

You can see the rest here if you'd like.

Thanks for stopping by today, hope you leave inspired to create something beautiful!

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The In Between

....that's where I feel I am.  Not quite where I am suppose to be, but not still where I once was.  Ever feel like that?

My life is moving along fine, maybe it's that the kids are getting older and I can see a glimpse of what it will be like around here once they are all off living their own lives in college or university, or living abroad.  I think I'm trying to find myself still.  In my professional life (or lack thereof to be more accurate), in my home life, as a wife, and a mom, as a scrapper, and friend.  I just feel I have so much more to give, but don't know quite what it is.

So I wait.  I wait on the One who has promised to give me a hope and a future.  I wait on the One who says I am fearfully, and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14).  I wait for His still small voice in me to rise up out of the noise and distraction, and self doubt to lead me in the way I ought to go (1Kings 19:12). And in the meantime I do what I have been called to do at this point in time.  I will fulfill my duties here in the home, on my design teams, in my church, in my Dance class, in the school as I supervise over the lunch hour.  I will do it all to the best of my ability....as I wait for what's next.

It's been awhile since I've pulled back the veil of "me", not because I was hiding anything but simply because there really wasn't much to reveal.  These days there's just an unsettled feeling that I'm dealing with, and I want to be honest and forthright with you as I share not only my scrappy adventures, but also a bit of the person behind the pretty paper and stickers.  I never want to be one dimensional in this space.  I never want to make it seem as though my life is all roses and lollipops. Life just doesn't work like that for anyone.  I want us to be able to identify with one another.  So this is it folks real life, uncensored.  

I do have some pretty paper and stickers to share with you today.  It's not all gloom and doom.  These photos were from a week that was a little less "in between" and a whole lot more grateful for the 'here and now'.  The last week of summer was a fun filled one around here.

 We were hosted by my friend and her girls at their cottage for what I believe were the two most beautiful days of the summer.  Lots of sunshine, boat rides, knee boarding, trampoline jumping, and all around soaking up summer happened during this last week.

I finished of the 100 Days of Summer paper pack by Simple Stories with these two pages.  Such a great collection.

Thanks for sticking with me through this one friends.  Hope all is well in your world, and that you are living with a sense of gratitude for the day.

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These Are My People

I finally got my fabulously, jam packed Chic Tags box the other day.  Veronica and Albert are so incredibly generous.  You would not believe how much product the packed into it.  One of the things was the fun new October Kit, and I finally had a chance to work with in on Friday night.

(please, please excuse the poor lighting on these I had to take them while it was grey and rainy out)

This is one of the 200+ photos I took of us all last weekend.  And boy am I ever glad we went out and did them, because after today's 70 km/hour winds there will not be many leaves left on the trees.

All the tags are from the new kit, except for the yellow pennant tag which is from the tear strip at the bottom of this sheet of paper from the brand new Happy Place Collection.

Here is a close up of the great paper. I used my paper trimmer to cut apart the sheet.

I freehand drew the two hearts, and then used my sewing machine to stitch the blue one.  The red one I hand stitched, just for a bit more texture.

Aren't those flair buttons cute?  I am so glad Veronica has added them back into the Chic Tags product.

There are still a few of these kits available in the Chic Tags shop. 

 You can get yours here.

It's holiday Monday here, so I am hoping to be holed up in my scrap room all day long getting caught up on projects.  I hope you're having a great Monday whatever your plans for the day may be.  Thanks bunches for stopping by today.

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Creative Scrappers Reveal

It's that time again!  Another reveal is live over at Creative Scrappers.

My apologies for the less than stellar photo

I just adore this photo of the girls dressed in their Hip Hop costume before taking the stage at CNDC this past spring for their competition.  They look so much like twins, don't you think?  And their expression is hilarious, hence the title of the layout.  They think they look so hard core, haha.

I created the background using my Silhouette and a Silhouette store purchased file.

I moved the cluster from the bottom right of the sketch to the top left

This pennant cluster came in the ephemera package of the Crate Paper The Pier collection.

Here is the great sketch we had to work with.

Wanna play along with us?  Hop over to the Creative Scrappers Blog to see how the rest of the team interpreted the sketch, and check out our sponsor info.  You have until October 31st to link up your newly made creation here to qualify for the monthly prize. Did you know you can also share your creations with us on our Facebook Page, and even on Instagram by tagging #CSsketches.  We love to see your work.  NB: winners will ONLY be selected from layouts linked up to the blog post using the Inlinkz tool, so be sure to link up there too.  Be sure to pop over to the blog to see how the rest of the team interpreted the sketch.  I am so lucky to work with such a talented bunch!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friend!  May you live in an increasing awareness of all that you have been blessed with, in the good, the bad, and all the moments in between.

source

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Missing Summer

It's a grey, cold, rainy, windy, and all around less than spectacular weather day here in Winnipeg.  A perfect day to share some fun summer Moments In Between album pages, I say.

 I've had this collection by Simple Stories for 3 summers, and barely cut into it.  It was so pretty, I just wanted to keep it in pristine condition.  I did share a layout I created with it back in the middle of summer.  After that, I decided that I was put all those pretty papers and stickers to good use and create some MIB pages with them.  I just love the fun feel they have to them.

Left Side

I created the "enjoy" and "love" frames with my silhouette.

 Right Side

The Selena Gomez concert was definitely a highlight for us, but more for Emblem 3, than for her.

And check this out....

You can get your digital (or a paper copy, while supplies last) for only $6 right now.  These books are loaded with great sketches, and fabulous takes on them by designers from all over the world.  To get yours just hop over here.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone! Pin It

Picture Perfect

Happy Friday Friends!

This week I celebrated my one year anniversary with Chic Tags.  And thought it would be fun to document the occasion using our brand new Happy Place Collection, and a photo from my CHA experience.

I was fortunate enough to be able to use some frequent flyer points to fly down to Vegas for the event. It was like a dream come true meeting Veronica in person, and helping out in the booth introducing CHA goes to Chic Tags products, and meeting so many great people from all around the world.  An added bonus was meeting fellow DT member Malika and connecting with several Instagram friends in person for the first time, like Chiao Tan pictured here.

One of the biggest hits with our new collections is the clear tags.  I've used 2 on my layout and adhered them both by holding them in place with just a teeny bit of adhesive, and them sewing around the inner border.  Love the way it turned out.  I used this idea of "happy" to create the design of my layout.  To me, all the circles give the layout a happy feel.

The Happy Place collection includes 8 - 3x4 journaling style cards, perfect for both traditional layouts, and project life style scrapping.

I think my favourite thing about the new collections are these mini icons, and the perforated strips at the bottom of the 12x12 papers.  I love the little sayings and sentiments, and the fact that they are pre-set to different styles, like this "good times" one shown here.  All I had to do was use some 3D foam dots to pop it off the page, easy peasy.

Hope you've been inspired to create something great today.  Come back on Sunday for our next Creative Scrappers reveal.   Have a wonderful day friends. Pin It