Buddies

Edited: Shimelle has something great going on over at her blog today (check it out here)!! Sign up for one of her classes today and she is giving the FULL amount helping girls all over the world!! And let me just tell you, her classes are AWESOME!! Please think about checking it out and possibly signing up for one!!

I am back today with another layout share!! This is completely based off the latest sketch of the week by Shimelle, which you can find here. I am not going to lie...I look forward to this post every week...even if I don't always play along with the sketch. It's something to look forward to on Hump Day...besides the fact that it's Hump Day!!! And really...I work in retail, so Hump Day is usually my Friday since I am typically off on Thursday!! I digress!!! HA!!! On to my layout...

I used more stuff from the May Studio Calico kit on this one, and I did some stamping under the borders. I believe I remember Shimelle doing this, I think for the 4x6 photo love class back in March, but I honestly can't remember when it was..so don't quote me on that! I just know she did this once fairly recently.

Love the embellishment on the top of the photos. That sticker is from one of the Girls' Paperie sticker books (I think it's the Jubilee book). Added a Pebbles flower brad and some punched butterflies. Those butterflies are carried up from my embellishments on the bottom of the page.

The photos are from 2009, when I was visiting my sister and her kids after my nephew's baptism. My neice and I are total buddies...and have been almost from the start (because of where I live in relation to them, I didn't actually meet her until she was two months old)!! Now I really think it's all a ploy on her part because I love so close to Disney!!

I will be back tomorrow with my project share for the Papertrey Playhouse!! I am hosting the next challenge and I can't wait!! Until then, thanks for stopping by!!

Deb

Papertery Playhouse - Multi Mats

Mary's hosting the latest challenge over at the Papertrey Playhouse, and her challenge was to make a project using multiple mats for the focal image...at least two layers. Mine kinda works as it's got two layers but there is really only one mat. Here, I'll let you decide...

I stamped an image from the Mat Stack 3 stamp set onto the Fine Linen die cut. Then I stamped the small rose from Year of Flowers: Roses onto Rustic White cardstock, which I then colored in with some copics. I also used a scrap of Prima paper from my stash to cover the kraft card front. Not sure if this works for the challenge...so let me also share a card I had originally made for the November/December Paper Crafts call...but I never actually submitted it...so I guess I can share that one here too!! Beware...it's Christmas in May!!!

This one fits the challenge for sure...I've got lots of mat layers there!!! Mat Stack 4 with a Fillable Frames window....layer on another Fillable Frames mat with a scalloped circle from the 1 3/4" circle collection, topped off with the focal image. And yes...I stamped all of the diamonds individually!! Was fun to ink that set up again...haven't in a while now!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Deb

Echo Park

Earlier this month, I was surfing my favorite blogs and stumbled on a call from Echo Park for a monthly Fresh Faces challenge, and the winner will get to use their super fabulous products to design projects which will be featured on their blog the following month. It's called the "Fresh Faces" Monthly Designer Call. How exciting!! I decided to take the plung and send in a submission for the first month! Why not right...I LOVE Echo Park!! So, be warned...this is going to be quite a long post as I have THREE projects to share. While I have a few of Echo Park's collections in my stash, I decided to play around with the Playground collection for these projects! Oh and don't forget to check the very bottom of the post for complete supply lists for all the projects I am sharing today!!

First up, I have a two page layout. I had originally thought these two pages would each be single page layouts that would sit side by side in my album, but as I was laying everything out for the left side, the right side came together naturally...and stretched my original idea into a two pager. Ultimately, I love how it turned out!

For this layout, I used photos of me and my niece at the playground near her house. Tell me this collection wasn't fitting for these photos!! She loves to swing and was just learning how to go down the slide...now she's a little monster on the slide...up and down, up and down....you get the idea!! But at this time a few years ago, she would swing by herself in the kiddie swing then wanted to swing higher with her Aunt Debbie...so we went a little higher then she could get in the kiddie swing (only a little higher...I am crazy, but not THAT crazy).

This is the left side of the layout above...punched some circles out of the Double Dutch pattern paper with my 1" circle punch to create the border along the side. Then I punched a few more for the spot next to the photos and added some buttons tied with some red baker's twine for dimension.

Love those buttons (clear from various Basic Grey collections). And the heart pattern paper is divine (I picked up a few more sheets when I was at my LSS a few days ago). That's the Heads Up Seven Up paper (love some of these titles...I totally remember playing that game in elementary school!!).

For the date in the photo above, I got out some circle punches and the Say Cheese, Too stamp set from Lawn Fawn. The whimsy style of those stamps fits perfectly with these papers!!

For the right side (above), I brought the punched circles over, though I used a border from the Simon Says Border sheet. I also used borders from this sheet along the top and bottom of both sides of the layout as well. And my little journaling block is from that sheet too. Love when I can get a lot of use from just a few sheets of patterned paper...love to stretch my supplies!!

This is a shot of my title (Fun at the Playground). I used the alpha stickers for this (you'll see these on all three of the layouts I am sharing today). Love these alphas!!!

And finally a shot of my journaling block and the circles I carried over from the left side. This block has numbers (for list type journaling), but I decided to just hide the numbers so I could use the block for the story rather than for a list.

For my second project, I have a single page layout to share. My sister is in a community band and we spent the morning at a park listening to her band play a concert for Memorial Day in 2008.

For this layout, I used some kraft cardstock as a base, then layered on some more Playground pattern papers and borders. I also made a border from the new May Studio AE Stamps from Technique Tuesday using various inks that matched the patterned papers.

Here is a closer shot of my stamped border. It fits so nicely with the colors from the paper collection. I love the sentiment too...especially looking back on these photos from three years ago. I still can't get over how much my niece has grown!!

I used some Echo Park shapes from my silhouette on this layout too...the sun and the clouds!! I cut out two suns in two different shades of yellow and layered them to create the sun, and then I just used one set of the three clouds to balance out the top with the border strips along the bottom. Added some more alphas (thanks One Republic for the title!!) and added some hand written journaling.

On a side note, I am really starting to listen closer to music for titles and I am really starting to get more into adding hand written journaling to my pages. I still add some computer journaling, but every now and again I go with my handwriting (it's just quicker than the typing and printing and sometime's I am very impatient about getting it done).

Finally onto my last project, another single page layout...made to sit opposite the one above...so of course there will be more Playground!!

Since I knew I would position this layout near the layout above, I went with the same kraft cardstock as a base for the layout. Then, I just layered patterned paper to create my background. I knew I also wanted to use the polariod pattern strip from the borders paper...and it fit perfectly on this page.

I added some Doodlebug bottons with more red baker's twine in the open picture frames to balance out the layout. The right side seemed a little heavy with the layers and photos and the empty frames were just too much white space. I added the shipping tag under the title so it wouldn't get lost in the various patterns that it would sit on...and you'll spy some more handwriting in my title. This was not intentional...I acutally just didn't have enough t's to use the stickers!! HA!!!

For my journaling blocks under the photos I made some stamped labels using the dies and stamp set from Papertrey Ink. The sentiment is another from the Say Cheese, Too stamp set by Lawn Fawn. And, I told you I mix handwritten and typed journaling...I went with typed on this layout. Those heart stamps finish off the block (and they are from the Just My Type, Too stamp set from Lawn Fawn).

This is a great photo of all of those yummy patterns layered together to make the perfect background! Such a fun layout!! I really loved putting all of these projects together!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Deb

Supplies:

Fun at the Playground:

Cardstock: Red (American Crafts)

Patterned Paper: Playground Collection (Simon Says Border Strips, Heads Up Seven Up, Merry Go Round, Monkey Bars, Double Dutch - Echo Park)

Stickers: Playground Alphas (Echo Park)

Stamps: Say Cheese, Too (Lawn Fawn)

Ink: Real Red (Stampin Up!)

Buttons: (Basic Grey)

Other: Multi-liner 0.3 (Copic), Red Bakers Twine (Martha Stewart), various circle punches

This has gotta be a GOOD life:

Cardstock: Kraft (Bazzill), Yellow and White (American Crafts)

Pattern Paper: Playground Collection (Capture The Flag, Merry Go Round, Hopscotch, Simon Says Border Strips - Echo Park)

Stickers: Playground Alphas (Echo Park)

Stamps: Real Life Studio AE (Technique Tuesday)

Ink: Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, Real Red (Stampin Up!), Chewing Gum, Chicken Feed (Jenni Bowlin)

Punch: Double Embossed Dotted Edger (EK Success)

Other: Multi-liner 0.3 (Copic), Sun and Clouds Silhouette Shapes (Echo Park)

Little Miss Sunshine:

Cardstock: Kraft (Bazzill), Solar White (Neenah)

Pattern Paper: Playground Collection (Capture The Flag, Merry GoO Round, Monkey Bars, Double Dutch, Heads Up Seven Up, Hopscotch, Simon Says Border Strips - Echo Park)

Stickers: Playground Alphas (Echo Park)

Buttons: Happy Holidays Assortment (Doodlebug)

Stamps: Label Basics (Papertrey Ink), Say Cheese, Too, Just My Type, Too (Lawn Fawn)

Ink: Marina Mist, Real Red (Stampin Up!), Chewing Gum, Chicken Feed (Jenni Bowlin)

Ribbon: Red Dot from On Holiday (The Girls' Paperie), Red Bakers Twine (Martha Stewart)

Dies: Angled Labels (Papertrey Ink)

Punch: Double Embossed Dotted Edger (EK Success)

Other: Multi-liner 0.3 (Copic); Shipping Tag

Julia & Matt

Ok, so I totally learned from my last few posts that I can not post from my laptop!! Some of the keys are sticky and it causes so many typos!! Ugh!!

But I am back today with another layout. I am hoping to have my latest project for the Papertrey Playhouse done and up on the bloggo this weekend!! I did this layout for the 4x6 photo love class over at 2peas. Loving the free montly classes this year!! For this month's class, we had to create a layout using 4 photos (all 4x6) and create a page flip. LOVE this idea!! I had done it before...a long time ago. Was nice to try it again. Here's what I came up with...using lots of Basic Grey's Lime Rickey Collection.

The title block is my page flip...and here's what it looks like flipped up. I used some more Basic Grey for the journaling spot under the page flip (from the Basics Manilla Collection). I also did some stamping there too.

Here is a better shot of the journaling and stamping. I used the Mini Scrapbook Series: Tabs die for the page flip (so it would be noticable to flip the page when looking through the ablum). I am putting this in the album that I am making for my nephew's first year, and since it will eventually be his, all of my journaling is written to him. That also means I need to keep is girly free (or at least try my hardest too)!! HA!!

Happy Friday and Thanks for stopping by!!

Deb

Waiting For Her

I am back with another layout from my sister-in-laws wedding two years ago. One of my favorite moments o a wedding is the face of the groom when he first sees his bride before walking down the aisle. I had a perfect seat at this wedding to capture that moment. You can really see just how much he loves her!!

I wanted to keep things pretty simple on this one. I used some Teresa Collins papers and some doilies from the craft store. Then I added some American Crafts and Glitz stickers for the title, along with handwritten journaling with a Copic Multi-liner pen (love these).

Thanks for stopping by!!

Deb

O' Christmas Tree

I know, I know...Christmas...it's MAY!!! I wanted to play along with another of Shimelle's NSD Challenges and I knew the story of this particular Christmas tree would be perfect for her challenge about scrapbooking a photo that needs an explaination.

To most, this would look like just a regular, ordinary Christmas tree. But for my sister and I, it's so much more!! This this is a layout of the tree that she and I cut down by ourselves...with pretty dull saws that my Dad gave us when we decided to go on this mission. My parents usually put up an artifical tree, but she and I both wanted a real tree. So we set out to cut one down, and this is documentation of that story (infamous story if you know my family...it's told often)!

Can you tell that I was totally inspired by the 5 Ideas For Border Punches post on her blog too??? Loved getting punchy!! And I used some of the Frosties stamps from Lawn Fawn on the journaling spot and the cream spot on the top. I used Jenni Bowlin's Malted Milk on the cream cardstock to stamp the snowflakes so they wouldn't be too overpowering since I wanted to use it at my journaling spot.

Speaking of journaling, here is the story of this tree...

In 1997, Melanie and I decided that we wanted to go cut down our own Christmas tree instead of using the artificial tree and it was going to be just the two of us going to do this. We went to a lol tree farm armed with two of Dad's saws. The guy who was working looked at the two of us and asked it we were sure that we wanted to cut one down as there were plenty of pre-cut trees available. The look he gave us made us more determined. Off we went to the area to cut your own tree. We spent some time finding the perfect three. Once we found "the one," we began to saw at the base. However, it turned out that the saws we were given were a bit dull. I think we had been working at it for around two hours...second guessing our decision. Then we both just decided that we were not leaving without that tree. So Melanie began to saw while I pushed at the top of the tree...eventually it just snapped. Then we loaded it nto th truck and I held onto the tree as Melanie drove back to the main area. She told me to let the tree go if it strted to drop out the back...I told her I was not letting go of that tree so she's better drive slow. We got back and paid for the tree...the bundled it up for us and relaoded it Mom and Dad were shocked by the size and we had to get a new base because the one they had wasn't big enough. We also had to put itup by the back door instead of the side winow because we needed the height of the vaulted ceiling. I will never forget the adventure of getting that tree!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Deb

Hat Princess

This is my second post for the day. I wanted to get this up earlier, but with all the blogger issues, I decided to wait a bit and make sure all the kinks were out. I put this layout together for the sketch challenge over at the Studio Calico blog (another NSD Challenge). I used more of my May Studio Calico kit for this layout. It's the first time I've used the Fancy Pants filters (which came in the kit) and let me just say that I LOVE them!! Already thinking of picking up a few more of these!! So cute. I must try misting them now!! This layout is based on the sketch of Celine Navarro's "Hello Sunshine" layout. It's not my normal style so it was lots of fun to use this sketch!! I wanted to go outside of my normal comfort zone!!

I am also loving all of the different chipboard elements from Neighborhood Accents sheet (Crate Paper) from the Paper Lanterns add-on that I also picked up. Sneaks for next months kit start at midnight and I can't wait!! It's like Christmas!!! How did I ever wait so long to join??

I will have more to share tomorrow. Until then, thanks for stopping by!!
Deb

My Boys

I had so much fun with my hipstamatic prints and with my May Studio Calico kit that I decided to create another layout using them both!! This layout is of my hubby and our dog Apollo while we were waiting on the vet for his recheck appointment a few weeks ago. Can I just tell you how much I love the hipstamatic prints!! I just got an order of more prints today!! So excited to get scrappy with this!!

I am so in love with the papers in this kit. I have already made a bunch of pages using only kit supplies and I still have so much left! I love challenging myself to really stretch my supplies (I can't even toss the smallest scraps...HA)!!

I put this layout together for Two different challenges. The first is one of the NSD challenges over at Shimelle's blog. This one is for a triangle of embellishments. I made my triangle with the circles at the top and bottom left, along with the strips on the bottom right. All three are made from the same patterned paper. I am loving the little cluster of patterned paper next to my main photo. I have been doing more and more of this on my layouts (totally something I've picked up from all the Shimelle challenges I've been playing along with lately...HA)!! The second is for the multi-photo challenge over at the Studio Calico blog (also a NSD Challenge). I love using a bunch of photos on my layouts and have only recently started making pages with one photo. And these 3x3 hipstamatic photos made it very easy to include a few!!!

Anyway, I am glad to see blogger is back to normal and my post that had disappeared is back!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
Deb

2 cute kids

Bear with me as I work on redesigning my blog. With House of 3 being no more, I felt a bit strange using their blogware. So the blog will be under construction for the next few days as I work on the redesign.

I got my May Studio Calico kit last Friday, the day before National Scrapbook Day. Talk about GREAT timing!!! I broke it out right away and just looked at everything!! I picked up the main kit and the paper lanterns add-on. It's my first month, so I didn't want to overwhelm myself. I am kicking myself now for not picking up any additional pattern papers!!! Next month may be a different story!! Can't wait for the sneaks to start in a few days!!

On to the layout!! I wanted to use some items from the kit and I wanted to keep it somewhat simple so as to focus attention mainly on the photo! So here's what I came up with...

How cute are those kids?? They are my neice and nephew on my husband's side. (My sister-in-law's two oldest). I love this photo of them from my sister-in-law's wedding back in 2009. I had my long lens on my camera and they were pretty close to me, so I just zoomed out and managed to snap the perfect shot. So cute that she has her arm around him with her hand on his shoulder!! Love!!!

And how about that number stamp??? I stamped it and emobssed it directly onto the patterned paper, then stamped it again on one of the pattern papers from the kit, this time embossing it with black. I cut out the 2 to highlight it. And that doily print!! Such love for this paper. How did I not get the add-on paper??? Still kicking myself!! But I will use it slowly and sparingly! Has to be the perfect layout for me to use that paper!! Ha!!

I am really getting back into my crafting groove!! Will be back tomorrow with another share. Until then, thanks for stopping by!!
Deb

Sister & Brother

This layout started because I wanted to play along with the latest sketch over on Shimelle's blog. But then it morphed into one of her NSD challenges instead. Since I hadn't been crafty in a while, I wanted to get back into it with the assistance of her sketch of the week. Love them!! So I kind of merged the sketch with the challenge. You will certainly see hints of the sketch, but I decided to use the border between the two photos since one was a landscape photo while the other was a portrait photo. And I am excited to report that I am finally working on my nephew's first year album (he just turned two in March).

I use lots of Lime Rickey on this layout (an older collection from Basic Grey). I love all the bright, primary colors of this collection and got a bunch of it specifically for this album. I did use the new Studio Calico stamp I picked up when I joined their kit club this past month. Love the kit and add-on I picked up. How did I ever wait as long as I did to join??? I can't wait for the sneaks for June's kit to start in a few days!!!

Here's a better shot of what I did on the top of the layout and the border strip dividing the photos. That little lable to the left is from Papertrey Ink and the sentiment is from Lawn Fawn. Loving that I am using more and more stamping on layouts too!! (Thanks Nichol for your Scrapbook Stamping class over at 2peas!!)

I will be back tomorrow with a layout that I put together using the May Studio Calico kit!! So excited about this still!! Thanks for stopping by!!
Deb

Update and a new layout

It's been quite some time since I've blogged. Sorry for the long absence!! This is quite a long post too!!

Here's the update. A few weeks ago, we took our oldest dog, Apollo to the vet for what we believed to be arthritis in his back hips. We wanted to see if there was anything we could do to make him more comfortable and so it would be easier for him to stand up from laying down. The day after longer walks he would be very stiff in the back end. So we went with the impression that we would get some asprin or something to that effect. But the vet visit started with some bloodwork, which came back great...everything working as it should...or so it appeared. The next test was supposed to be a urinalysis...but since he had just gone to the bathroom, we skipped that and moved on to x-rays. The x-rays showed a mass...on either is stomach, kidney, or spleen. The recommendation was to move forward and call in a specialist to do an ultrasound. Of course we went with that. At this point we were in a holding patter as we waited for the specialist to arrive. She was an hour and a half away, but cancelled her other appointments to come! We waited...and gave Apollo water...which meant they could do the uninalysis while we waited. Let me preface this with the fact that my dog does NOT like to be on his back...so when he had to be for about 30 minutes for the ultrasound, I was quite worried about how he would do. But he did wonderfully!!! I focused on him and keeping him calm, while my husband and the vet watched the ultrasound. Apollo looked at me the whole time, almost consoling me as I was trying to console him!! That's my dog...that's what he does!! He can sense if you're upset and comes to give you a hug even if you don't call for him!! He just knows that's what you need!! Anyway, the ultrasound showed that the mass was on his kidney and they would be shocked it it was functioning at all. However, like humans, dogs can live with one kidney (I've actually read where they are testing kidney transplants for dogs)!!! They took samples of the mass to send off for testing. We got the results back the following week at his recheck. The cells appear to be cancerous masked by inflamatory cells. The only way to know for sure would be to do a biospy and surgery. After a long consultation with our vet, we decided against that. Just putting him under at his age could kill him. Also, if they go in and touch the mass, it could cause it to explode like a firework and spread very quickly to other organs. We've decided to keep him comfortable with anti-inflamatories twice a day and a pain med at night to help him get a good nights sleep. He has been doing great with this...even pulling on the leash a little when we walk and jogging more than he had in quite some time. He hadn't eaten a pig ear in I can't tell you how long, but not he eats quite a few a week (we're on strict instructions to spoil him too). Between the two appointments he gained almost 3 pounds...which was very good since he had lost quite a bit!! So, as our vet told us, he will tell us when it's time...and right now it's NOT time (I am happy to report). The good days far outnumber the bad!!

And now for the layout!!! One very specific reason that I wanted an iPhone was for the Hipstamatic ap! Love the look of vintage photos. So that's the first thing I got when I got my phone a few weeks ago!! Yes, I am slow with the upgrading!! Ha!! And thanks to Shimelle, I am in love with ScrapbookPictures.com!! They make printing these photos so very easy!!! And the shipping is super fast too (ordered my prints on Sunday and had them on Thursday)!!! Here's the layout I put together using this sketch of the week from Shimelle.

Bubbie is actually a nickname that we call him, and he responds to it just as well as he does Apollo. I wish I knew how it came about. It rhymes with wubbie, which is what I call my security blanket (yes, I still have it from my childhood)...so it was fitting I guess. I know that Bubbie is grandmother in the Jewish faith, but I obviously didn't know that when I started calling him by this! I think of it as a term of endearment.

Thanks for stopping by!!
Deb