Thursday, March 31, 2011

LS Scrap our Stash Challenge #4 & The Scrappiest Sketch #113 Layout

Evening my scrappy friends! It's almost FRIDAY! Yeah.  I finished another Spain layout this evening from the Barcelona Cathedral. 
Here is my layout:

It was almost dark, so the photograph is terrible quality, but you get the gist.  I used the Scrappiest Sketch #113 on both sides of the layout.  The sketch on the left is rotated, see the resemblance? Here is the sketch:


I combined this sketch with the Let's Scrap - Scrap Our Stash Challenge #4!  This challenge is to use at least 8 buttons, use at least 3 stickers, and do some type of REAL sewing on your layout or cards. You can do it by hand or sewing machine. Please don't count putting thread in the buttons as sewing.  I am loving the LS stash challenges because I am using up so much of my stash.  I would never have added buttons and the stitching to this layout otherwise.  I used three stickers that are label files, 9 buttons, and I a little bit of stitching in the bottom two corners.

Here are a couple of detailed photos:




Materials Used: paper - CTMH; buttons - BoBunny; journaling block - October Afternoon; file folder stickers - CTMH; ribbon - unknown; thread - Jewelry Essentials Naturals; title leters - JoAnn Craft Essentials and unknown; stamp letters - CTMH Believe Lowercase.

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you enjoyed it. 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Let's Scrap 3-23-11, TPV & Sketches in Thyme Layout

Hello all my creative friends!  I am feeling a bit better this evening, and my friend Shannon is traveling in Kansas City and wanted to Skypebook.  What a perfect reason to start our Honeymoon Album in Spain! Oh and there were a couple of great challenges/sketches that I was desperate to join in on.

First, here is my layout:

I used Let's Scrap Sketch 3-23-11 for this layout.  I loved the sketch and have been trying to get to this layout all week!  Here is the amazing sketch:


I also used The Paper Variety's Tic Tac Toe Challenge!  Here is the tic tac toe board this week:


I chose the diagonal board - to make a layout, use a stamped image or sentiment and use spring colors.  Even though the photos are a bit dark, our trip was at the end of March/beginning of April in the springtime, so I wanted the colors to be reminiscent of that time.  Also, our wedding colors were green and pink, so I used the variation of light teal and mauve.  I even added to the spring theme of butterflies!

Finally, I used the Sketches in Thyme – Thursday Sketch layout Takes #41 Open ChallengeFor this challenge you just had to create a project based on a sketch. This layout worked perfect for that!

I am really enjoying combining challenges.  It really makes me stretch my creativity and stash! I even created a spreadsheet to track challenges that I would like to participate in with the dates the challenges are due.  I know....... a bit crazy, that's the engineer in me coming out.

Here are a couple of detailed shots:



I used a lot of stamping on this layout.  First, I used faux stitching in clover meadow (CTMH) around the tan background.  I also used stamps for the Unforgettable sentiment and the arrow under the main title.  I also used a pearl pin for the first time along with some decorative paper clips.

Materials used:  paper - CTMH (wings paper pack); stamps - CTMH (Togetherness and Picture Perfect); ribbon - CTMH; Pretty pearl pin - CTMH; decorative paper clips - Basic Grey; stickers - CTMH; tag - CTMH; tag topper - Prima Marketing (Say it in Pearls); title - thickers by American Crafts; ink - CTMH (clover meadow and black).

Thanks so much for visiting! I'm wishing you each a fabulous hump day tomorrow!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 12

Welcome to Project Life Tuesday 2011! If you are new to my blog, welcome! I hope you will stay awhile. I'm Jessica and I am participating in Project Life, a different way to record our lives by taking one photo a day. This was inspired by the fabulous Becky Higgins who has put together a wonderful kit to make this challenge easier.


Don't worry, I'm not leaving traditional scrapbooking behind. This just gives me the opportunity to focus my scrapbooking on trips and things that are important to me right now and not get all bogged down with every birthday, dinner, and holiday that comes along.

Each Tuesday, I will post my pictures/journaling from the previous week. Project Life Tuesday was created by Jessica Turner over at The Mom Creative and she hosts a linky for readers to link up their pictures. So if you want to join in or want to see others POTW, just click the Project Lift button at the top of this post.


And finally, my POTW:


Saturday - BBQ at Mom's today, we spent the afternoon laughing at Jakob, Tio Juan, and Daddy Jeff playing in the water with Nana's new water ship.  Her backyard is beginning to look like a child's playground; but the kiddos do love it.  Jakob was a little mimic to Tio Juan as they were putting their face in the water to blow bubbles.  How cute is he?
 
Sunday - I was super excited to see these two cricut cartridges on the clearance rack at Wal-Mart.  I don't have any of the Cricut Lite cartridges.  $15 a piece was a steal.  The lite cartridges do not have a whole lot on them, but they each have a pretty cute font!
 
Monday - My daily baby pills.  Two are prenatal, one is progesterone and the last is singulair. 
 
Tuesday - Today is our 2nd Wedding Anniversary.  After exhanging presents we headed off to dinner.  The second year gift is cotton, so I got Juan two gifts, one for the man I love and one for the little boy inside the man I love.  The cotton gift was an official Barcelona Messi away jersey and the little boy gift was a remote controlled helicopter.  He loved both.  He got me 16 sets of Spellbinder dies!  How sweet is that? We went to dinner at Al Biernet's for delicious crab and corn chowder, salad, filets and carrot cake for dessert.  It was so rich and delicious that I was ill all night.  Yes, it was still worth it!  Love you babe!
 
Wednesday - I'm 11 weeks pregnant today! Yeah.  Baby stats: weight - 219.6 lbs.  I was worried on Monday as my weight was down to 216.4 lbs, two pounds less than my starting baby weight.  I was afraid that meant the baby wasn't growing.  My next doctor's appointment isn't until next week.  This week I definitely felt morning and evening and afternoon sickness.  I think this week was the worst it has been, which surprised me because I thought that should be about over.  My body is definitely doing wierd and random things.  I switched sides of the bed with Juan and I've been trying to sleep on my left side, but it is soooo uncomfortable.  I end up on my back everytime I wake up, but I am trying.  Baby is the size of a fig this week!

 
Thursday - I finished the last two pages of our California vacation albums.  It took three albums and 118 layouts.  We took way too many pictures.
 
Friday - Today we picked up our 2nd year anniversay cake, the same kind that we had at our wedding - Delicious Cakes Raspberry Liqour with Cream Cheese Frosting!  YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!  I had forgotten just how delicious this cake is.


Saturday, March 26, 2011

Project Life February 2010 Layouts

Happy Saturday!  I have a couple of things to share today.  First the completed albums from our California Vacation.  All three, 118 layouts total.  Doesn't it feel great to finish a project? 


I was so inspired that I decided to finish another project that I had started....my Project Life Album from 2010!  I have only completed January, so this morninig I tackled February!

Here are my layouts!





Thursday, March 24, 2011

SC Spring Fling, Creative Scrappers, Apron Strings Birthday Party Challenge Layout

Hi!  Are you as excited for this weekend as I am?  I completed my FINAL layout for our California Vacation Albums... 118 pages total!  Wow! No wonder I am so far behind; but there is nothing like finishing an album or event.  This layout was just a couple of misc. paper guides that I wanted to save.  I combined a couple of challenges to complete this layout.

Here is my layout:


First, I used a sketch from Creative Scrappers - Sketch #145.  I loved the circles on this layout and it seemed to be a good one once I rotated it.  I even added yellow paint and a metal paint brush to create the yellow splatters.  Here is the sketch:
Second, I used the Spring Fling Photo Inspiration Challenge over at Scrapbook Challenges!


This Spring season a lot of designers are using rich vibrant colors and fun graphic prints in their designs. So, my challenge to you is to take some color, print element, or combination from any or all of the following photos and use it on a layout, card, or other papercrafting project. Anything that inspires you counts. And it doesn’t have to be the SAME color or print. Just be inspired.

I saw this and immediately thought stripes and bright orange and yellow colors.  I picked the pattern papers to mimic the clothing in the photos.

Finally, I used the Apron Strings - Birthday Party Day #16 Challenge.  This challenge was to add your scrapbook version of balloons by incorporating round items; at least two pieces must be larger than 3 inches.  My circles are 6-1/2", 3-1/2", 2", and 1".  They worked just perfect with the sketch.




Here are a couple of detailed photos.  I used a brochure holder for the map so that it could be pulled out later and the Wine Tasting passport folds out to read the wineries listed inside. 




I really like how the paint splatters turned out.  I will be using this technique again.

Materials Used:  paper - Crate Paper, misc. scraps; paint - Making Memories lemon; plastic brochure holder - Creative Memories; title - unknown.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you head over to the blogsites linked above and participate in their challenges.  There are great DT examples on all of them!

The Scrappiest Sketch & Apron Strings Challenge Layout

I finished a layout today about dinner in Sonoma.  I used a the Scrappiest Sketch #112 and the Apron Strings: Birthday Party Day #14 Challenge.  The Day #14 Challenge is to do something new to you on your layout:  mists, paint, sewing, decoupage ;), chipboard, hand cutting, building your own embellishments, etc.  I used my new Spellbinders Grand Calibur and the Nestabilities Eyelet Circles for my journaling block.  I have had this for about 2 weeks and was a little leary about using it.  This challenge gave me the nudge to try it out and I loved it!

Here is the sketch:

Here is my layout:

Here is a detailed photo of the spellbinders journaling block:

Materials Used: paper - Flair Designs, Deja Views, and misc. scraps; journaling block - Spellbinders Eyelet Circles; title - Making Memories, Sandylion Essentials; wine tag - Creative Imaginations; embellishments - Jolee's by You Cheese bskt, French bread, Wine.

Thanks for visiting!

2yrs - Looking Back - Wedding Photos

As I mentioned in my previous posts, Tuesday was our 2nd Wedding Anniversary.  I wanted to reminisce a bit and post a few of my favorite photos from my wedding.  It was the most fabulous day of my life.  Our wedding was outside at Arlington Hall under the beautiful arch.  It was my fairy tale wedding!  I wanted everything to be DIY and have that personal touch, therefore my friends were lifesends! We created everything ourselves from the menus, to the embroidered towels in the bathrooms, to the unity candle, to the programs. Our photographer was amazing - Jenny Martell Photography.  I loved how she capured our day!