Pebbles Seen & Noted Mini Album

Have I said how great 2012 was for me and my scrapping?  Got published multiple times, got to design for two wonderful manufacturers, got to design for an amazing local scrapbook store, made tons of new friends...but hands down one of the biggest highlights was getting to spend two days at Summer CHA!  I decided it was such a special time I needed to create my own mini about it.  That mini will be used for a sample piece at The Scrapbooking Studio.





I used the Pebbles line Seen and Noted, some SRM Stickers, and some Maya Road Kraft embellishments.  The Library Pockets hold my journaling and are also pages in the album.

I won't be attending the Winter CHA...but someday I hope to get back there again!

My Top Ten of 2012 Plus a Giveaway and Blog Hop!

Welcome new visitors and long time friends!  I am so thrilled that you have popped in today!  So much so in fact that I am doing a fun little giveaway!  I love to look back and pick out my ten favorite projects from the year. Many of my crafty friends also do this and I thought it would be fun to compile one big list for you of where to find all of them so we got together and created a blog hop for you!  Several of us are giving away prizes too!  

I will share my ten favorite projects with you...after that check out the details on how to get entered for my prize!  Click on any of the pictures to see the original post!

First off here's the list of all those participating in this hop!  We've got a huge variety of styles in this hop, I just know you will be wowed!

****************

Top Ten Blog Hop for 2014

Juliana Michaels   

Michele Kovack

Chantalle McDaniel

Christine Meyer

Mendi Yoshikawa

Kelly Holbrook

Laurel Seabrook

Katrina Hunt

Wendy Morris-Saponaro

Becki Adams

Suzanna Lee

Melissa Elsner

Monika Wright

Wendy Antenucci

Jen Matott

Marcia Dehn-Nix

Ashley N Newell

Kathy Skou

Linda Auclair

Kelly Jean

Monique Liedtke

Rhonda Van Ginkel

Jennifer Haggerty

Cathy Harper

************************

This was hard to narrow down!  And there is no way I could order them :)

I made this card as a sample for The Scrapbooking Studio.  I adore the Pebbles "Seen and Noted" line and the wood pieces from Studio Calico!

 

An altered embroidery hoop....and it is all paper!  Love the Echo Park "Everyday Eclectic" line and all the fabulous trends it had!

 

A big trend of mine this year was outlining things with black or doing black matting.  I had so much fun doing the mitered edges on this!

 

Another fave of mine this year was SRM Stickers....love that they are clear, easy to use, and have so many options.  I used them for my sentiment.

I was honored to be on the Cycling Team for Little Yellow Bicycle's "Once Upon a Christmas" line.  I created a lot, but this was my personal favorite.  You can see the other creations here.

This might be my favorite layout ever, I adore Bella Blvd and all their gorgeous colors. 

Amy Tan's creations are another product favorite...that combined with SRM Stickers makes me adore this card!

I enjoyed all the geometric trends this year but found many of them challenging to work with in my whimsical style...triangles however are totally manageable!

I was all about combining patterned papers just as I did on this fun spider web.  This was a design team project for Quick Quotes

I used a fork to create the rays on this...that alone makes me smile :)

This past year I have had the honor of designing for Quick Quotes and Momenta as well as being published several times in CARDS magazine.  Today I would love to share some goodies with you from these companies!  

The prize package includes Design & Print lanterns, Quick Quotes Chipboard, Momenta Metals, Faber Castell Pastel Pencils, and the May issue of CARDS Magazine! Lots of fun goodies :)  To enter all you need to do is become a follower here and leave me a comment telling me which of my top ten projects was your favorite! The deadline to enter is 11:59 pm EST on December 31st and I am able to ship to Canada and the United States. I will announce a winner on the 1st!

Thanks again for visiting, now hop on over to see the talented Jamie!

Little Yellow Bicycle Winterings Class

On January 12th I am teaching a class at The Scrapbooking Studio!  Here is the layout and the cards I will be teaching.  All three projects feature Little Yellow Bicycle's Winterings.  It is full of gorgeous blues, grays, and browns and I have adored it from the moment I saw it!

I had forgotten how much I love creating double layouts!  I created another one at the same time as this and you can look for that one in an upcoming special edition of Creating Keepsakes!  This layout is full of all kinds of great embellishments from Little Yellow Bicycle which means those who attend the class will come home with all the leftover goodies!

 Couldn't resist layering some of the fabulous chipboard embellishments and playing up the blues and grays!

I created some of my own ruffles on this one and then added clear transparency pieces for the top.  Of everything that Little Yellow bicycle makes, I believe the transparencies are my favorite!

If you live anywhere near Bloomington, I'd love to have you along for the class...Just head over to The Scrapbooking Studio website for more info!

Little Yellow Bicycle "Once Upon a Christmas Cards"

Once I got thru with my "Cycling Team" gig, I decided to play a little more with the "Once Upon a Christmas" line and came up with a few more cards.   

 I did a whole bunch of layering on this one using the paper poinsettia & star tags.

I am always on the lookout for how I can create ruffles on a card...this patterned paper worked perfectly for it!  I did lots of fussy cutting to create the ruffles but I think it was well worth it!

Little Yellow Bicycle did an amazing job with this line and I am so glad I had the chance to do lots of playing with it!

Pebbles Family Ties Layout

Ummm is it just me or is Pebbles on fire with their latest lines?  I absolutely adore this Family Ties line also!!!  Their color combinations are just fantastic and the packages of phrases are full of amazing  quotes!  I picked up just a few pieces of it from The Scrapbooking Studio because I couldn't wait to play with it...now to get some more!

I wanted to play with ribbon some more and for this layout I used some wider grossgrain ribbon that I gave fringed ends to.  It adds a different look rather than a banner or slanted edge cut.  I also had fun playing with more wood veneer goodies from Studio Calico.  These are so easy to ink up either with inks or mists...but in this case I decided to keep them natural.  It felt a little strange to do a layout that just includes two kids...I feel like I need to include all or just one.  But these two have a precious bond and I wanted to document that.  My journaling is tucked away on a tag!

Pebbles Seen and Noted Layout

 

I created this layout for The Scrapbooking Studio.  I just love all the bright colors in this fun line and the set of phrases is just fantastic!  Perfect line for creating family or friend layouts and cards.  And super sweet for a bunch of bright eyed little cousins!  If you haven't had a chance to check out this line yet and you love bright colors, you definitely should get on that!

Hairbow holder

This is a Christmas present for Lucy!  And once again I'm straying from papercrafts but still using all the same supplies to make a different crafty item!  Right now all her bows and headbands are in a shoebox sized rubbermaid and sitting on the bathroom counter.  It's efficient but a mess.  I decided to create her something pretty to use!

I picked out some ribbon in pretty colors to use and then cut my ribbon banners in different lengths...I intended the outer two to be different in length from the middle...although I wish I had a big more of a difference on the first one, oh well!  I then created my ribbon loops by cutting all the same size ribbon strips and folding them over...connecting the ends with fabric glue.  I painted a plain wood plaque white and added some Momenta letters and flowers as well as some washi tape from Bella Blvd.  She is gonna love it!

How do you store your kiddos hair goodies?

Hair Bow Flower

One of my favorite things about papercrafting is that the supplies can translate over to crafts beyond paper!  I love making bows for Lucy and playing with different styles.  I recently saw a friend with a a pin on her purse that was made from felt strips and looked like a flower.  Always on the lookout for  new ideas I was immediately drawn in and began thinking about how I could do that with ribbon!  Here's what I came up with!

I cut strips and then folded them in half and connected the ends with fabric glue.  I then attached them to a canvas circle.  I did 16 of these in the same same size for the bottom layer.  I then did a two more layers that were shorter and had less bulk.  I ended up using a whole roll of ribbon...but it was the little scrapping kind that you get for $1. I added the big Jillibean Soup Epoxy button that has some thin pink ribbon in the holes

Something like this would be super pretty on a purse or as a pin on a coat...it has a bit too much dimension to be doable for a card.  Sized down though it could totally work on a card or layout.  I also think it could be gorgeous as part of gift wrapping!


Lucy was quite delighted with it!


Doesn't she look sweet?  I'm going to keep making her bows (or in this case flowers) as long as she'll keep wearing them!

Pebbles Seen & Noted

My samples this month for The Scrapbooking Studio are from the Seen & Noted line that Pebbles makes.  Hokey doodle I loved this line!!!  Amazing embellishments, stunning patterned papers, it seriously might be my favorite ever!  Today I am going to share the card I created.

I just love the charcoal gray combined with all the bright colors!  I am also loving all the Studio Calico wood veneer embellishments lately.  And here's the great thing...I found them at The Scrapbooking Studio!  Honestly I probably wouldn't have used them if I hadn't found them at this fabulous local store.  When is the last time you popped in on your local store?  They all need our support!  I'll be back again soon with more projects from this line!

Clean and Simple Christmas Cards

I am currently knee deep directing the Christmas Musical at my kiddos school.  I am a volunteer and put in lots of hours so I created some Christmas projects early to save and share with you now.  I love to make Christmas cards, probably more than any other subject! These are a couple of clean and simple ones that I made late last summer and have held onto to share.

Both of these use some goodies from Momenta and the Wonder and Wishes Line from Little Yellow Bicycle (their 2011 Chrsitmas line).  I'm noticing that a lot of my cards have a clear focal point.  Be it one big focal point or a cluster of objects...most of my cards seem to have one!  

Quick Christmas Favors

Last week our church held an event called "Advent by Candlelight."  I was a hostess for it and needed to provide a favor for each person at my table.  I am also in charge of the Christmas musical for my kids' school so my time is very tight this month.  I knew I wanted to create a little goody but it couldn't take long.  SRM Stickers has recently showcased several projects where their stickers are put on ribbon and I thought I would give that a whirl. 

 The lighting in the gymnasium was not great for getting a picture...but you can still get the general idea :).  I had a sheet of the SRM Stickers by the Dozen which say "Merry Christmas."  This made it super easy because I knew I had all the supplies I needed!  I attached a Candy Cane Kiss to the ribbon with a glue dot, put my sticker on the ribbon, trimmed it and voila!  The ladies seemed to enjoy it!

Ready, Set, Go...a cheery card!

I love bright and cheery colors and Amy Tan's "Ready, Set, Go" line is a dream come true for me.  I got it and within a couple days had designed multiple cards and layouts using it!  Here is one of those cards!  I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch and centered it over two different colors on some chevron striped patterned paper.  I love how funky they turned out!  I also used some of my favorite clear stickers from SRM stickers.

Once Upon a Christmas with Little Yellow Bicycle

Today I have the ginormous privilege of being a Cycling Team member over at Little Yellow Bicycle.  I had a blast working with their "Once Upon a Christmas Line" and would love for you to check out my projects!  I am going to just give you a sneak peek here :)

 

Now that I have wet your appetite...bounce on over to Little Yellow Bicycle for the full show by clicking here.

Jillibean Soup Tags using Winter Tortellini & Spinach

I created a group of tags for The Scrapbooking Studio that I could use later as either gift tags or on layouts.  This line from Jillibean Soup was perfect for putting together a bunch of tags.  I also used a piece of Pow paper from American Crafts.  I fussy cut the swirl out of the pow paper and used that on each tag to give some unity to the whole group. 

I am really enjoying working with tags to create a series...first a mini calendar and now this.  I may have to attempt an entire mini album soon :)

Supplies Used:
Jillibean Soup Stickers & Patterned Paper: Winter Tortellini & Spinach
American Crafts Pow Paper
Queen & Company Gems

Quick Quotes & Clear Scraps Blog Hop

Hi Quick Quotes & Clear Scraps Fans!  Christne here today to share a home decor creation with you!  I decided to take the tag album a different direction and turn it into a one of a kind frame for my house.

 I used the Cracklin' Rose line to decorate the tags.  It is the perfect match for the earth tones in my house.  I love the way the browns and maroons pop against the acrylic tags and the cream paper. 

 I have a new little 7 week old baby so I had to leave a blank spot for a picture of him.  I tried to keep my design uniform and simple to fit with my own decor style.  Each tag is identical to the next one other than the actual picture.

 I used pieces of scored cardstock to serve as the hinges between the tags.This was a simple project to do that anyone would love as a gift...you could easily put one together for a family member for Christmas!

Quick Quotes Supplies Used:

Cracklin' Rose Paper 

Amaretto Powder Puff Ink

Brown Grossgrain Ribbon

Clear Scraps Supplies Used:

Acrylic Skirted Tag Album

Altered Embroidery Hoop

First off, yes, I need to create a tutorial on how I did this.  It would be more obvious if I had used material...but since it is all paper there are some tricks to it!  I will work on that!  This one was created for The Scrapbooking Studio using the Echo Park line "Everyday Eclectic."

 

Have you checked out The Scrapbooking Studio yet?  They have an online store and two brick and mortar stores!  If you live anywhere near Bloomington, IL or Moline, IL I recommend checking them out!  They have lots of creative classes available, the newest lines from your favorite manufacturers, samples on how to use them, crops...all kinds of wonderful things to offer!  We've got to support stores like this!  You can also check out their blog here...you will even see some of my work pop up there :).

First Birthday Layout

I think scrapping about first birthdays are one of the most fun topics! Today I have a layout to share with you about my little Cooper's birthday. 

 

This layout features all sorts of Bella blvd goodies.  Don't you just love that cute hippo?  And speaking of Bella Blvd, I was one of the winners chosen for their color palette challenge!  Today I received a fabulous package of goodies from them.  Love, love, love everything that company creates!

CARDS Magazine Publication: October

It's the beginning of a new month so I can share my card with you that was published in the October issue of CARDS magazine.  This is one of my all time favorite cards!

 

It uses patterned papers from Authentique and My Little Shoebox. The sticker is from Momenta and the twine is from The Twinery.  I fussy cut the bottom half of the diamonds and curled them up to create a unique kind of ruffle.  I was so thrilled to see this card featured also as the CARDS magazine cover picture on their facebook page!

Echo Park Layouts

Today I have a couple layouts to share with you that I made for The Scrapbooking Studio in Bloomington, IL!  I loved working with the Echo Park line Everyday Eclectic it is full of all kinds of trendy things like chevrons and hot air balloons as well as having bright, fun colors.

 This layout was my first attempt at the trendy Sunburst look.  It is challenging but once I got it done I liked the results.  

 

This layout I did lots of mitering on.  Someone asked me to create a tutorial on how I did that...I will get on that!  I love the bright colors and overall fun look to this layout!

Helmar & Quick Quotes Blog Hop

Hello Quick Quotes fans! Happy blog hopping!!
You should have arrived here from the Quick Quotes blog. If not you can start hopping there!

Did you go out Trick or Treating with your kids last night?  If you did you are in luck because I have a Halloween layout to share with you today.  Quick Quotes has the best Halloween line...I love that it isn't just black and orange but has some green and purple thrown in there too. 

I love the Helmar 450 Quick Dry Ahesive!  It works fast and doesn't warp your paper.  I used it for everything on my layout including those googly eyes.  No slipping and sliding while I waited for them to dry!

Thanks for popping in to visit today and make sure to check out the next stop on this hop: Rhonda

Supplies Used:
Quick Quotes Halloween Collection Papers
Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive
SRM Stickers "Little Princess" & "Make Believe"
Momenta Letter Stickers

Bella Blvd Color Challenge

Stephanie over at Bella Blvd offered up a color challenge.  I didn't expect to have time to complete it, but I really wanted to play with the combination and managed to eek something out.  Here's what the color combo looked like:

You see the gray and you know I love gray...but the rest of the colors are out of my norm which is part of what peeked my curiosity.  Here's what I came up with:

 

As you can see it is a totally different look from what you usually see from me.  As I worked on it I struggled to get a small dose of red in there.  The aqua was easy as was the black.  I think the red hearts do add a little extra pop to it.  

I really enjoyed this challenge and if Stephanie offers up another one I hope I can give it a whirl.

Sneak Peek

I had some leftovers from my work for The Scrapbooking Studio for this month and threw together another card with those.  Since triangles are so popular right now, I decided to play with triangles!

 

 I worked with the Everyday Eclectic line from Echo Park and absolutely loved it.  I can't wait to share the layouts I came up with from that!  I also used some wood buttons from Maya Road.  I also picked these up at The Scrapbooking Studio and have used up the whole pack...I will be getting more!  The sentiment and the scallop border are both from SRM Stickers and the ribbon beneath the sentiment is from Martha Stewart.

Family Layout

I created this layout a while back but haven't had the chance to share it yet!  It is a montage of photos from a vacation last year...collapsing it all into one layout!

 

Used lots of Bella Blvd on this one and played around a lot with their chipboard and washi tape.  I had the idea for the "Family" title floating in my head for awhile and really love how it turned out.  The whole layout is a little out of my comfort zone but that is the fun in playing!

Supplies Used:

All Bella Blvd