Thursday, March 31, 2011

A few Quickies

Just a quick post to show you a few last minute challenges I wanted to get in on this month..talk about cutting er close!

The first one is for the The Scrappiest challenge. It was a sketch challenge. You can see the sketch here.

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and a close up

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The second challenge was another sketch. This one was from the Studio. You can see the sketch here. They had a twist on their challenge to use ribbon…that I found was kinda hard for me to do, since it was a girly page…that I didn’t really make girly at all. The pics are from when I was 2 months old with my mom. I love the pics, but I’m n0t crazy about the LO. All I can say about it was that it was fast. Anyway, here it is.

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and a close up

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Well, there you go…Hope you like em. Sorry this is so fast…my 10 month old is awake right now too…pretty cool Kieran…being awake at midnight…pray for me that he goes back to sleep soon! lol

Goodnight!

Monday, March 28, 2011

My Favourite Pastime

I saw this challenge on the These are a Few of my Favourite Things challenge blog and I immediately thought of these pictures I took when I was making bread in my trusty Kitchenaid mixer and I had a bit of a mishap! The challenge is to scrap your favourite pastime. I love making fresh bread! There’s nothing like it. And I also get great satisfaction out of creating something with my hands (if you don’t count the mixer! lol) but also knowing that I’m making healthy food for my family. I never thought I’d be one to make bread from scratch, or anything else for that matter, but I love baking! I never thought I’d say that either! When I started going out with my husband I told him that if he was looking for a housewife he’d better look somewhere else! hehehe! Little did I know that 10 years later I’d be a stay at home mom to 3 amazing boys and be glad to be able to do it! Anyway, on with the layout…I’ll explain the pictures first, you’ll get a kick out of them. My mixer can easily knead 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, probably 3, but NOT 4! I found that out the hard way! I was being lazy and wanted to make 4 loaves of bread but I didn’t want to have to knead it by hand, so I thought I’d try it out in my mixer and see if it could handle it…it couldn’t. It overheated and shut itself off…then Kieran who was a newborn at the time, started crying, so I went to go nurse him and forgot all about the bread…until I went back into the kitchen after Kieran was fed…and this was what I found...




And here are some close ups…

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I cut the title out with Tim Holtz’s Vintage Market alphabet and perked up the color with Barn Door Distress Ink, then I covered it all with Glossy Accents so I could make it look all purdy like my Kitchenaid (I’m a little obsessed with that color of red)

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I used the Tim Holtz on the edge scallops for the bottom two scallops. You can’t see it that well, but I cut the middle scallop out of tin foil.

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I cut the bracket out of a piece of cardboard (which btw, is super hard to cut with a craft knife that is semi-dull!), and I painted it with Old Paper Distress Crackle Paint, then used Vintage Photo Distress Ink over it to give it a more antique look.

Products Used: Patterned Paper: LYB, Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, Stampin Up, MME,  and October Afternoon. Bazzil cardstock, Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Distress Crackle Paint, and Dies. Acrylic Paint,  Ranger Glossy Accents, Quickutz Dies,  Fiskars punch, and Basic Grey letter stickers.

I’m also entering this into a few other challenges: I used sketch 147  from Creative ScrappersFrosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge was to reuse or repurpose something from around the house, and I used tin foil and cardboard that was kickin around here. I’m going to add it to the  Do You Stack Up Shine On Challenge. and finally, I’m adding it to the Sketches in Thyme open sketch challenge.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check out my blog! I appreciate all the comments and kind words from all of you!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Graphicat Sketch Challenge (and others)

Well I’ve just discovered that I can blog using Windows Live Writer and it will publish on my blog…so we’ll see how this goes!

Anyway, a friend of mine, Cheri, has just recently opened up her online business, Graphicat Designs where she is selling some pretty awesome Digis that she has created! She’s also doing a monthly sketch challenge and all you have to do is create something based on her sketch and you could win 2 free digis! So, here’s my take on her sketch. You can check out the sketch here.

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I did this layout about the funny things my son Caleb says. The way he pronounces words just cracks me up, and I didn’t want to forget the cute things he says, so I had to scrap about it! The journaling says: Thaanthaan=Ethan, Keeyan=Kieran, Yahyah=Maia, Gaga=Luca, which later turned into “Hooka”, Guckie=Suckie, Dodo=Thomas, Yinnie-A-Pooh=Winnie the Pooh, Sammy=Sandwhich, Cracko=Cracker, Hattoo=Tattoo, Hoakie=Cookie

It’s the cutest thing in the world when I make train sandwiches (using a train shape cutter for the bread) and he sits there eating his “Dodo Sammy”!

I made the title (on top) with Tim Holtz ticket die cut, Vagabond,  stamp, font, and Distress Crackle paint and Distress Ink. ( I really Holtz’d this LO up, as Tara would say! lol) anyway, here’s a close up: You can also see in the close up the fabulous new Tim Holtz pointy finger stamp that came in the set that my awesome bosses at Creative Accents brought me back…um…SIGNED BY TIM HOLTZ!!! Did I tell you guys that I love you?!?! hehehe

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I made the border with my Silhouette, then glued it to some adhesive backed cork (quickutz)

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The stars in the bottom corner are some pre cut Grungeboard stars that I sprayed with Glimmer Mist, and then topped it off with Distress Crackle paint (rock candy), then smudged it with Distress Ink (Walnut Stain).

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I also used Coredinations cardstock and embossed it with a Tim Holtz Sizzix folder. The patterned paper is Fancy Pants Rough and Tough.

I’m also entering this LO in the DYSU challenge. Their challenge is “Shine On”. Now this might be a stretch, but my stars are totally shiny! And the title on the top of the page is so shiny I could barely get a decent pic of it! lol so I figure that should count! It’s also going to be entered at Sketches in Thyme. They’re doing an open sketch challenge. So as long as you used a sketch, you can enter!

Anyway, I really hope you guys go check out Cheri's Digis, they’re freakin AWESOME!! You will NOT be disappointed!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Cute and Twisted?!

Here's a LO I just finished tonight. I made it for the Twisted Sketches challenge. I loved this sketch, and the "twist" is chipboard. I've been thinking about it since I saw the sketch on their site a few days ago, and I started putting this LO together last night a bit, then I came home from work tonight, put the kids to bed, and proceeded to finish it...WITHOUT ANY CHIPBOARD ON IT!! LOL
So after it was all said and done, I realised my severe lack of chipboard, and cursed my memory (or lack thereof). So I brought it back downstairs to my scrap room and thought that if I could find some piece of chipboard that would add to the design I'd put it on...if not, I'd just have to give Twisted Sketches props for their fab sketch, and not enter it...but ALAS, I found this adorable little chipboard "e" to put on it (since it's a LO of my first born Ethan, I found it to be quite fitting!) So, I hope you all enjoy it. I think it's super cute if I do say so myself! hehe ;)



And here's some close ups...I added Glossy Accents to the words in this little tag to jazz it up a bit...I quite like how it turned out!

Here's my little "e". And my banner that I made with my Silhouette, sewing machine and those great little letter stickers!



Most of my papers are from My Mind's Eye from their new Good Day Sunshine collection (which I totally LOVE), except the shaped paper is the outside of a die cut paper from the fabulous Harmonie (love these guys too! and they're Canadian!! wooohooo!)

Anyhoooo...thanks for stopping by!!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Preschool and Sketchy Thursday Challenge

Just a quick post to show you my layout I finished last night. I used a sketch from Sketchy Thursdays, and I'll be entering it in this week's challenge. Here's the sketch I used:
And here's my take on it. I didn't alter too far from the sketch this time, but I really like the way it turned out!
The pics are from Ethan's first day at preschool. He was so excited! I just love these pics with him and his best friend Ethan.
Here's some close ups:
I cut the circle out of chipboard and sprayed it with dragonfly glimmer mist, then added thickers to spell Preschool.

I used pop dots on the small pics to help them stand out more...

On another note, My fab new bosses at Creative Accents are away right now at a crafty thing in Edmonton where they met and took a class by the fabulous Tim Holtz!! Tara just sent me a message on facebook letting me know that she got me an autograph from him!! WOOOHOOO!!! I'm pretty stoked!! It's the next best thing to being there!! I was trying to find a way to fit into their suitcase, but it just didn't work out! lol So, thanks Tara and Julie for thinking of me!!

Anyway, I hope you like my layout! Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Top 3 baby!

Hello all! Just a quick little post to toot my own horn ;) My layout Mr. Mohawk made the top 3 at Frosted Designs!!
Just kinda made my day today, that's all ;)
Have a great night everyone!!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

29 and holding ;)

This layout was inspired by a couple different challenges going on. The one that I made this page for originally was from The Studio. Their challenge this week is to scrap your age. I thought that was kind of fun! It gives me a reason to scrap myself, since I spend most of the time scrapping about my kids. I need to remind myself that when my kids are older and they're looking at these scrapbooks, they might actually want to see something about their mom and not just them...maybe lol ;) The second inspiration for this page was from my favourite LSSCreative Accents. They're doing a facebook challenge to use your 6x6 paper pads. I liked this challenge, because I'm notorious for buying those pads because I love the line, but I'm not a card maker, so I tend to not use them as often as I buy them! I'm into using my stash these days, so I thought I'd do just that!




I made these flowers with Tissue Tape from the fabulous Tim Holtz. I looove that stuff!! They were so easy to make! You can find the tutorial HERE



The journaling reads: "I'm in my last year of my 20's and I must say I'm pretty happy with where my life has taken me so far. I have an amazing and loving husband who loves me (despite me), 3 beautiful boys, and last year we bought our first home! I have been able to stay home with my boys for the last 3 years, and I'm so grateful to be able to be a stay at home mom. The only area in my life right now that I'm not happy with is my weight, but I'm working on that right now, and I hope to be at my goal weight by my 30th birthday!"

Here's what I used to make this page: Cardstock-Bazzil and Coredinations, Patterned Paper-Cosmo Cricket 6x6 pad Circa 1934, Tim Holtz-Tissue Tape and Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Quickutz- "No. 48", and Webster's Pages designer trim.

Thanks for checking it out!!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Holy Candy Batman!!

Hey everyone! My buddy Carla has some serious blog candy going on over at her blog! It's her 1 year blogoversary, so she's celebrating in style!! It's on until March 9th, so you still have a couple days to get in on it!! Head on over to check it out! CLICK HERE FOR CANDY!!

Head on over and check it out!!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

My little Punk Rocker

It's been quite a while since my last post, and I do apologize. Life has been pretty busy. I'm trying to juggle kids, exercise, eating healthier (which does take up a bit more time than just winging it), a new job and trying to become more organized at the same time! But it's been paying off. I've lost almost 17lbs, and my house has never been cleaner! Anyway, I've finally found some time to get downstairs and do some creating, and here's what I've come up with:



here's a few close ups...





And just for fun, I think I scrapbook like a tornado...here's the aftermath! lol


I'm entering this page into the challenge at Frosted Designs. They're doing a recipe challenge. You have to use 3 patterned papers, 2 fonts and 1 journaling tag. It's also being entered into the challenge at Do You Stack Up Their challenge is "Just Green It". It's also going into the challenge at Punky Scraps, another recipe challenge to use 3 out of 5 of these things: distressing, misting, black & white photos flowers or sparkly things.

here's what I used: PP: Fancy Pants, Cosmo Cricket, Echo Park, Bo Bunny. Cardstock: coredinations, Die Cut scallop circle and paint, Making Memories. Tim Holts: embossing folder, tissue tape, mini paper clips, distress inks, grungeboard, die cutting machine and dies (elegant flourishes). Basic Grey letter stickers, Quickutz alphabet (Katie), Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Ranger Distress Crackle Paint, Bo Bunny Buttons, CTMH Sanders, Cropodile, Zig Pen, and unknown journaling tag.

Thanks for checking out my blog!!