Sketchabilities Reveal > Sketch 46

Today, Sketchabilities revealed another awesome sketch:

I took some liberties with it and came up with this:

Supplies used:  Bazzill cardstock; Fancy Pants, Cosmo Cricket and Jillibean Soup patterned papers; KI Memoires lace paper; Marvy Uchida punches; Doodlebug Designs alphas; Glue Dots; Creative Memories scalloped ruler; Jenni Bowlin tag sticker, miscellaneous ribbon.

Very simple - not a lot of embellishements, but I really like how it turned out!  The lime green really pops with the red and black!

Here's a close up of the simple accent - just a punched circle and heart, doodled up and adhered with foam tape:

Be sure to check out the rest of the design team's reveal - they are truly talented! - and if you create a layout from the sketch, share it in the gallery here for a chance to be a guest designer!

Leave Your Legacy: Feed Your Soul

Welcome to a new Leave Your Legacy challenge! If you're new to my blog, I'm glad you came! You can learn more about my Leave Your Legacy challenge here.

Okay - ready for this week's LYL challenge?

During our life, we learn things.  We learn our ABCs and 123s.  We learn about the provinces and their capitals.  We learn how to divide and multiply and about sine and integrals and polynomials.  We learn about love and heartbreak and how to chug a beer.  (Well, some of us do...)

But even in the course of a lifetime, for every one thing we learn, there are a multitude of other things that we could learn!  Plato said, "Knowledge is the food of the soul".  

So, what would you feed YOUR soul?  Here's your challenge this week:

Create a layout, listing TEN things you want to learn.  They can be perfectly attainable, or completely incredible.  It's your soul to feed!

Here's my layout:

Supplies used:  Bazzill Basics cadstock; myStamp Box stamps (Pennants, Border Lines); VersaMark embossing ink; Ranger embossing powder; Bic Mark-It! markers; American Crafts letter stickers; Sakura Pigma Micron maker; Glue Dots; The Twinery twine.  Images downloaded from the internet.

Using the Border Lines sets, I stamped and heat emboss 10 squares, and used the markers to colour in the squares. I cut out the centres, using a craft blade.  I then attached them to photos and cut each square out.

I used one side of the box and the circle to create the “10″ in my title, using the same technique as the squares.

The banner was created by affixing an American Crafts letter sticker to cardstock. I then inked my banner stamp with Versamark and stamped over the letter, centering it on the banner. I sprinkled with clear embossing powder and heat embossed the entire thing – sticker and all!

The title was handwritten, and then doubled over again to correct any bloopers - a trick that Donna Downey taught me!

Journaling reads:

1.  To ballroom dance
2.  To play golf
3.  To draw
4.  To milk a cow
5.  To speak Spanish
6.  To fly a helicopter
7.  To snowboard
8.  Sign Language
9.  To surf
10. To drink (and like!) wine

If you'd like to participate in this year long challenge, please share your layout below, using Linky Tools, by 11:59pm EST on December 31st, 2011. Please see the Leave Your Legacy page for guidelines, before linking here.  Winners will be announced on January 1st, 2012.

Why Not Win Wednesday!

Okay, so I'm a day late again...

But look at this piece of gorgeousness:

All that Basic Grey goodness can be yours if you head on over the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine's Facebook page, scroll down until you see the Why Not Win Wednesday post and leave a comment!?

Yep, it's THAT easy...

Happy Hump Day!

Who ever came up with that name, anyways?

Mid-week and we're on our way to the end of tax season - do you have your taxes done?  Luckily, because we are self-employed, we have a bit of time before our returns are due.

But they still want our money early!  Now I ask you, if I'm going to go through the trouble of calculating my taxes to figure out how much I owed the government, why wouldn't I just file them at the same time??

*shrugs*

Anyhow, just a quick note to let you know about a blog hop that is going on, starting at the WeScrap blog on National Scrapbooking Day (May 7th) - lots of prizes to be won!  More details on the blog here...

I also want to share a sneak peek at my layout for the Sketchabilities reveal that will post on Saturday:

Simple layout for me - trying to return to the days of less dimension and clutter... I'm running out of wall space for all of my 3D layouts!

Getting Organized

Today marks Lesson 1 of my "Finally Getting Organized" class with The Simple Scrapper.  Thanks to my friend, Lee, for the heads up on this free class!

My scrapbook studio is all done and sorted, but I figured that this class can't hurt... Maybe I'll learn some new tips on sorting through the hordes of product, or maybe even a little help on purging?

At any rate, I've given myself a goal of getting photos of the studio done and posted by the end of next week so stay tuned... :)

Here's a little sneak peek of my Skribblz wall art to whet your appetite:

Of course it's in black & white, though, as to not ruin the surprise... :)

Mondays...

Need I say more?

Leave Your Legacy: Inspire Me

Welcome to a new Leave Your Legacy challenge!  If you're new to my blog, I'm glad you came!  And you can learn more about my Leave Your Legacy challenge here.  I did post an announcement about some changes to the challenges a few days ago, which will hopefully encourage more people to participate!  

Okay - on with the fun... this week's LYL challenge:

Every once in a while, someone comes into your life unexpectedly and becomes a source of inspiration for you.  It may be their creativity, or passion for life.  Or it may be something as simple as strength and determination to survive.

So here's the challenge:

Complete a layout about someone who inspires you.  Journal about WHY you are inspired by them.  Be sure to include a recent photo.  

For this challenge, I chose my friend, Amanda.  I first met Amanda when she apply for the Just Cre8 design team and showed me her bra... bra book, that is!  Her creativity spurred me to choose her for the team, but as I got to know her, we came such good friends - I felt like I had known her for years!

In late 2009, around the same time as my sister, Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her strength through this difficult time, and the determination she showed was awesome.  When instead of choosing to wallow in self-pity, she and her team of friends raised over $10,000 for the Run for a Cure campaign.  Way to go, team!

She inspires me to be a better person; to give of myself selflessly; to be creative in all I do; to be kind and considerate.  She inspires me every day.

Here's my layout:

Supplies used:  Bazzill Basics cardstock; Bo Bunny patterned paper, letter stickers and journal page; Websters floral trim; Martha Stewart Crafts, Marvy Uchida and EK Success punches; Just Cre8 stamps (Tailg8); Tsukineko VersaMark ink; Embossing Powder Candy Store embossing powder; Maya Road chipboard butterfly and trinket pins; 7Gypsies clear button; Basic Grey and Me & My Big Ideas rhinestones, Glue Dots; ribbon (unknown).  Photo by Barb Riley.

A lot of punching and stitching going on in this layout!  

The title "SHE" was stamped in Versamark on cardstock, heat embossed using Glitter Galore embossing powder, then fussy cut and attached to layout.

Journaling was handwritten and incorporates the title:

"SHE"... is full of creativity.  She has a heart of gold.  She has the determination of a 1000 men.  She loves with all her heart and soul.  She gives and gives, with no expectations.  She... "inspires me"

If you'd like to participate, please share your layout below, using Linky Tools. Please see the Leave Your Legacy page for guidelines, before linking here. This challenge will run all year to 11:59pm EST on December 31st, 2011, with winners being drawn January 1st, 2012.

Wishing You...

[source]

a happy and blessed Easter!

Leave Your Legacy challenges

For those of you who are new to the blog, you are probably wondering what the Leave Your Legacy challenges are...

Leave Your Legacy challenges first came about when I was sorting through some vintage photos of my parents. I realized that while I knew most of the Who's, Where's and When's of the images, there was information missing. Information about what my parents and relatives had been like in their lifetime.

So, with the help of my Just Cre8 design team, we started posting monthly challenges on the blog to encourage blog readers to begin scrapbooking more about themselves, thus Leaving a Legacy for their children and future generations.

At the start of the new year, with a resolution to create more layouts, I started the LYL challenges here on my blog, offering up prizes each month from the entries that were completed.

Starting this month, however, I'm changing things up! In talking to a few people, I've discovered that many people LIKE the idea of this challenge but life, as we all know, has a way of getting in the way of our scrapping time!

In light of that, I will continue to post a Leave Your Legacy challenge biweekly, but instead of choosing a winner monthly, I will offer THREE prizes at the end of the year! 

So how do you win?

It's easy - complete each of the challenges posted (click here a list of all the LYL challenge links) and link up your layout using Mr. Linky tools, in each post. You have until December 31st, 2011 to complete as many or as few as you wish.

At the end of the year, I will allocate ONE ballot for each layout you add to my blog. You may wish to complete some challenges more than once, to increase your chances! On January 1st, 2012, I will randomly draw two winners from the accumulated ballots!

I will also offer a GRAND prize for one lucky winner who completes EVERY challenge at least once and who posts a link on my blog. If there is more than one person who completes them all, I will randomly draw a winner from those individuals.

Doesn't that sound like fun?!?

Stay tuned for another LYL challenge tomorrow...

Sketchy Saturday

Today is Sketchy Saturday at WeScrap and I'm the lucky girl who gets to work with this great sketch from fellow iTeam member, Jennifer Benoit:

My reveal will be posted here tomorrow, as I used it to create my Leave Your Legacy challenge this week!

Can't wait to see what you create from this sketch! Be sure to upload your projects to the gallery and leave a link HERE in the monthly challenges post for a chance to win our monthly prize!

Easter Showcase

Today, in honour of the Easter holiday, we are featuring spring projects over at the myStamp BOX blog!  My design teammates have shared some incredible work - be sure to check them out here!

Here's my contribution to the showcase:

Supplies:  Bazzill Basics cardstock; Chatterbox patterned paper; myStamp BOX stamps (Mini Pennants, Colorful Companions, Straightforward); Stampin' Up ink and glitter, Glue Dots; Martha Stewart Crafts punch; twine (unknown)

Here's a close-up view, to show you the dimension of the card.  I covered the butterflies in Glossy Accents and then sprinkled Stampin' Up's Dazzling Diamonds over them for a sparkly effect:

Bettina had asked us all to use pastel colours for this project.  And it occurred to me, as I rifled through mounds of patterned paper, that I don't use pastels very often!  I finally found some papers that were somewhat reminiscent of a pastel hue - in this old Chatterbox paper!

Say what you will - they may be old papers, but I still think they're pretty!  It seems that sometimes, we get so caught up in all of the new papers and products, that we forget that there was a reason that we bought all of our old supplies in the first place... because it appealed to us!  

So, in honour of Earth Day today, I am making a pledge to use up more of my old product before purchasing anything new. 

Not including the box of goodies that I have coming my way from LCOM... *grin*

Starting today, that is... ;)

Sharing a Sneak Peek

Fellow WeScrap teammate, Sarah Nolan, and her sister, Holly Morris, crossed the border and came over on Sunday to scrap.  I've known them since joining the forum last July, and then joining the WeScrap iTeam in October.  But this is the first face-to-face meeting!

Well, not only are they gorgeous, but a lot of fun too!  Sadly, we spent so much time laughing and getting to know each other that I only finished ONE card in a 8 hour time span! LOL!  Luckily, the girls were more productive than I!

Here's a sneak peek of my card:

I would share it all, but it's for a DT project that will reveal shortly!  It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself - even with that OLD Chatterbox paper!! It's still pretty though...

And I skipped a Leave Your Legacy challenge earlier this month, with ScrapFest but I'll be back on Friday with another challenge!

Seven Sunday Blessings

[source]

But since I missed last week, I'm going to make it Fourteen this week!

Today, I am thankful:

1.  For sunny days with the top down.

2.  For working weekends, that don't seem like work.

3.  For Baileys.  And tea.  Yes, I said tea.  Try it - you'll like it!

4.  That I was able to get not one, but three design team deadlines done and submitted on time already this month, despite my growing list of Things to Do!

5.  That I am on a stamp manufacturer's design team - can I tell you how much I've missed stamping??

6.  For another successful swim meet under Connor's belt - all top five finishes in his races, plus a first for his mixed relay team (with him as the anchor)!  Plus two heat winner ribbons, for a total of 8 for the day... what am I going to do with all of these ribbons, medals and trophies??

7.  For grilled mahi mahi with mango salsa.  Yum.

8.  That I met so many nice people at ScrapFest!  How wonderful (and humbling) to be recognized for my work with the magazine - it's truly been a fantastic five years so far!

9.  For Jackie and Katharina, at Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.  You know why... 'cuz you both RAWK!! :)

10.  For no-homework nights.  Much less stress around here!

11.  That opportunities have arisen for me.  Whether or not they pan out remains to be seen, but thankful just the same...

12.  For a hubby who is rockin' the Mr. Mom thing while he is looking for a job.

13.  For lunch with an old friend.  Time to catch up on our lives, commiserate about our troubles and to giggle over the past.

14.  For Cathie Allan, Christy Riopel and Susan Weckesser.  The Stamping Queen, the Mixed Media Genius and The Artist Extraordinaire.  Or as I like to call them, part of my Canadian Scrapbooker family...

What are YOU thankful for?

Truer Words...

were never emblazoned on a T-shirt:

For some reason, it reminds me of these crazy gals... :)

Back row (l to r):  Sandra, Lorna, Christy, Jennifer, me  
Front row (l to r): Susan, Cathie, Lisa

Thanks to Brad for taking this photo at breakfast (apparently too early, by the looks of my puffy eyes! Eek!)  

And thanks to Christy for letting me borrow the top photo from her blog!  I want to know where that woman got that t-shirt...

Sketchabilities Reveal > Sketch 45

Today is my first reveal with the Sketchabilities design team.  What a talented bunch of designers with whom I get to work!  Be sure to check out their blogs, listed in the side bar, on the right, for more of their amazing work...

Today's reveal is for Sketch #45 - you can view it here on the Sketchabilities blog. For this sketch, I chose to use two photos that my brother-in-law sent us, taken by Mark Woolford.  He's an actor in Toronto (you may recognize him from a Rogers commercial that is running nationwide right now).

Supplies used:  Bazzill Basics cardstock; Bo Bunny patterned paper; Fancy Pants transparency (owl); Heidi Swapp chipboard letters; Skribblz Art vinyl transfers (Favourite/Scroll); myStamp BOX stamps (Itty Bittys); Tsukineko Versamark ink; Stampendous embossing powder; EK Success and Martha Stewart Crafts punches; Glue Dots; Tim Holtz Color Wash; unknown doily and chipboard stars.

I spritzed the white doily with the Color Wash to coordinate with the layout better.  Using three different patterns from the Itty Bittys stamp set, I stamped the cardstock with Versamark ink and heat embossed.  I then used it to cover the chipboard stars:

The Skribblz Art scroll was sliced prior to attaching to the layout, so that it would lay smoothly over the raised photo.

The Skribblz are super easy to use - just peel off the backing, place on your layout or project, burnish by rubbing with your fingers and then peel off!  The look of a handcut title, without the fuss!!

FYI:  If you are interested in the Skribblz Art vinyl transfers for your walls, you can visit Skribblz Art.  However, she no longer creates the scrapbooking transfers.  I have some left in the Just Cre8 store as we clear out of inventory, if you want to take a peek - they fit in an envelope so won't be very expensive to ship.

Now head over to the Sketchabilities blog to view the rest of the team's layouts. And while you're there, be sure to check out our new gallery!!  If you decide to share a layout made with one of the Sketchabilities sketches, you may win a spot as a Guest Designer!

Karan has also started a Readers' Request post - if you have any requests that you would like to see incorporated into our upcoming reveal

Thanks for looking!

Why Not Win Wednesdays...

on Thursday?  Sure, why not?? :)

Canadian Scrapbooker has started a fun new tradition, called Why Not Win Wednesdays!

And it's so easy to win... Just add a comment under the WHY NOT WIN WEDNESDAYS!!!! post on their Facebook page and you'll be automatically entered into the draw!! 

See?  Told you it was easy!

This week, we're giving away this awesome prize pack from Bo Bunny:

So go ahead and enter - you know you want to!

29 Ways to Stay Creative

[source]

myStamp BOX Challenge

Today was my first blog post over at the myStamp BOX blog!

With Spring on its' way in (did I mention I had the roof down on Lola tonight?? Ahhhh....), I thought it would be the perfect inspiration for a colour challenge!

You can see my challenge here - and here's my card:

Supplies used:  Bazzill Basics cardstock; Crate Paper patterned paper and cardstock stickers; myStamp BOX stamps (Neighborhoods); Tsukineko Versamark ink; Stampendous embossing powder, We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy tool; American Crafts Memory Marker.

I stamped the city skyline on green cardstock, using the Versamark ink and heat embossed it.  i then fussy cut the images and affixed them to my card with foam dimensional adhesive.  The sentiment was stamped in the upper left corner, and the pink border was attached on top of the raised skyline.

This card was super simple and quick, and I love the size - it's 7" x 3"!

If you use this colour palette for your project, please add a link in your comment on the myStamp BOX blog to share!

I'm Baa-aack!!

Well, I've been back for several days, but you know how it is when you go away...

Not only did I get very little sleep, but I also came home with a scratchy throat, which soon turned into a full blown cold.  Luckily, I only have a juicy cough left - I'm happy to report that my nose is no longer stuffy!

I wish I had tons of photos to share this weekend, but the truth of the matter is that I barely took my camera out of my bag all weekend! :(  Luckily, my Canadian Scrapbooker teammates (Christy, Cathie and Susan) took enough photos for us all and they are (hopefully) sending me photos soon.

I was so blessed this weekend!  Not only did I get to teach a great bunch of ladies all about one of my passions in life - photography - but I also got to hang with my fun, beautiful, outrageous, silly CS girls!  

It was also a chance to meet new friends:  Christa Uttley, Ann Jobes, Anne Marie Brenner, fellow WeScrap and myStamp BOX teammate, Allison Cope, Kimber McCray, Caroline Lau from Maya Road, Carolyn and Joanne at Two Scrapbook Friends, Irene and her talented ladies at Scrapbook Queens, Karan et al at Scrapbook Memories and Janiece & co. at the Scrapping Nook.


It was a time for revisiting too - I also got a chance to see Holly, Jennifer, Bettina, Vicki, Tara, Michelle, Angie, Virginia, Karen, Catherine, Laurie and last but certainly not least, Lisa and the ScrapFest team - you guys RAWKED it this year!!
I met so many people this weekend, I'm sure I've forgotten to mention a few! :(  Please remind me and I'll add you to the list!

Now I'm off to drink some hot tea and get ready for bed!

Today's the day!

I'm heading into Kitchener early this morning to set up the Canadian Scrapbooker booth with Cathie and Christy for the VIP night tonight at ScrapFest!!  My class starts at 1pm and I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends!

If you are coming to ScrapFest, be sure to stop by the booth - I'll be taking photos at various times throughout the day and printing keepsake photos for everyone to take with them!

And if you're thinking of signing up for my class, maybe this will convince you:  you'll be getting a goodie bag with a retail value of $30, plus I have some great prizes to hand out to some lucky winners... :)

I'll be sure to share some posts of our booth visitors and the after party with Lisa & the ScrapFest crew... always a giggle fest!

Scrappy Sneak Peek!

Ahhhhhhh...

I made myself sit down and scrapbook on Monday.  I've been swamped with deadlines (scrappy, work AND household related) and have been going non-stop, it seems.

But my very first deadline for my new DT position with Sketchabilities is due on Sunday and I know that with ScrapFest this weekend, I won't be back in time to m meet it.  So, a-scrappin' I went!

Here's a sneak peek:

I love this little owl from Fancy Pants - and be prepared to be seeing him a lot.  I had 8 of them in inventory for the store and I liked him so much that I pulled  them all for me!! :)

And can you see myStamp BOX stamps used??  I'll give you a hint - they look shiny... :D

The Sketchabilities new sketch and DT reveal will be on April 15th!

WeScrap April Kit Reveal - Whimsy

This month's kit is soft and pretty and, well, whimsical!  With papers from Girls' Paperie, it's just the thing to scrap your romantic layouts.
.
But there are enough neutral papers to guarantee at least a few masculine pages!  And it's perfectly suited for Easter, which is just around the corner!

You can buy your April kit here in the WeScrap Etsy store - and for a limited time, receive a FREE GIFT with every purchase!

And did I mention it's only $19.99 (USD)??  Crazy, I know....

It's my non-designing month, but this baby is coming my way with Sarah when she and her sister, Holly, cross the border to scrap with me!  Woot woot!

And just a reminder... tonight is the deadline to link up your layouts for the Leave Your Legacy challenges for March 11th and March 25th - one winner will be randomly drawn to win a copy of the Spring 2011 Canadian Scrapbooker magazine and your choice of a standard set or prior kit set of stamps!

One Little Word

Yum

+

Yum

=


Yum Yum.






(Okay, technically two words, but does that count if it's the same word?)

Embrace Life Interviews

 

[source]

Today, I am honoured to be part of a series of interviews that my good friend, Lee, is conducting on her blog each Monday.

Inspired by the Pen & Paper & Proust series by the wildly talented Hope Wallace Karney on Carolyn Rubenstein's blog, A Beautiful Ripple Effect, Lee sent out emails to a group of ladies.  As per Lee, "I'm inviting everyone I love - my friends, design team friends, celebrity people who inspire me - and you (hey, I gotta ask, right?), a great mix of great ladies who make me better. For that I am very grateful every day!"

Honoured to be considered one of these women, I sent off my email to Lee with my answers.  When Lee posted her first interview on March 7th, featuring herself, I saw the wonderful line-up of women who were going to be interviewed.  You can see them here, along with Lee's self-interview.

Today is my interview - hopefully I don't sound like too much of a dork! :)

Seven Sunday Blessings

[source]

This week, I am thankful:

1.  to Holly for introducing me to roasted red pepper hummus.  Oh. My. Heck.

2.  for a safe trip home, following a very late creative session at Holly's following our Donna Downey classes.  Or would 5:00am be considered very early? 

3.  to start working at my second store this week.  Many of the same staff are still there from when I left in 2007, just prior to starting up Just Cre8 and it is nice to work with them again.

4.  for a healthy homemade version of Macaroni and Cheese, a la Rocco DiSpirito - one that even Connor liked!  Aili wasn't too keen on it though, and she's my less-fussy eater!

5.  that I was asked, along with some incredibly talented women, to join not only the WeScrap team for another term, but the myStamp BOX design team as well.

6.  for my new Stampendous stamp.  I can't stop staring at it!  Once my class at ScrapFest is over, I am locking myself in my scrap studio and am going to create like mad!  Or at least I hope to...

7.  for the relatively mild weather that we've been having, compared to the rest of Canada... please stay, Spring - oh how I've missed you!

What are YOU thankful for this week?

More Good News To Share

Glad to be back for another term with these talented ladies at WeScrap!  There's a brand new site up, too - if you're looking for a place to hang out, come and check out our forum and gallery!

ScrapFest is almost here!

So excited to be a part of this again this year!  Not only will I get to see my lovely Canadian Scrapbooker teammates, Cathie and Christy, but I will also get to see and meet some online friends, meet some faithful HOP readers and best of all, SHOP!!  

I have several things on my MUST HAVE list and now that I am no longer ordering for my online store, I have really noticed that lack of scrapping supplies that are available locally.  I spent some of my hard earned cash at Karen's makeshift store during the Donna Downey classes, on beautiful stuff like the 12x12 version of this template (oh, the possibilities!) and this stamp.  But I still have a few items that I simply can't live without!

My class is nearly full and I'm excited to say that not only is Canadian Scrapbooker is a generous sponsor, but I also have Picture Keeper and Heritage Makers on board as well!  There's only five spots left, so if you're thinking about taking this class, don't hesitate! :)  

And while the VIP passes are sold out, there are still Saturday passes available - $10 in advance, $12 at the door.  Get yours and stop by the Canadian Scrapbooker booth to say hello!

Blog Hop!!

Check out the myStamp BOX blog and join in their Design Team Intro Blog Hop!  Not only will you have a chance to win some yummy stamps, but you may see someone you know...  :)