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

Calendar for a five year old

My daughter Lucy asks a ton of questions about dates and asks them repeatedly.  I decided I would make her her own little calendar using some tags and calendar stickers from SRM Stickers.

I know those pictures are tiny but wanted to show you a bunch of the album...here's a few closer ups!

 

 As you can see I used basically the same format for each tag but changed it up with patterned papers for colors that are appropriate for each month.  Then on the back of each tag I wrote down significant events that will occur in that month from birthdays to sports that will be going on.  I am sure I will add more to each month as I think of it but I got a good start.  I fully expect she will spend hours and hours looking over this.  My plan right now is to hold it back for a stocking stuffer since the calendar does not begin until January.

Be Merry!

I'm working on several Christmas projects and wanted to play with some of my Christmas SRM Stickers.  I was using POW Paper from American Crafts for another project and decided to use a piece of it for a card as well.  Since the diagonal look seems to be trending I decided to give that another go.

 

I also used some Snowflake transparencies from Maya Road.  They aren't the easiest to photograph but they sure are pretty!  Are you starting to work on Christmas projects too?  I know it's early but I love it!

Supplies Used:

Stickers by SRM Stickers

Paper by American Crafts

Snowflakes by Maya Road

Gems by Queen & Co.

 

Momenta October Projects

Momenta has asked us to post projects to our own blogs now to share as they have closed down their blog.  Here are a few of my recent creations with their goodies.

 I made this to be nursery decor...fabulous until we decided we weren't going to name him Nicholas but Boaz instead (:

This thank you card uses the new metal embellishments from Momenta.  I used alcohol ink to dye it green.

 I love the clear layered stickers that they make and these cute martini glasses worked just perfect for a 21st birthday card.

More clear layered stickers...they are just fabulous for cards!  Apparently I am on a pink/black/white kick!

I can't get enough of Momenta's gorgeous stickers...head on over to check them out yourself!

Exciting News!!!

Last night I got the most exciting email...making one of these teams has long been a goal for me so I am thrilled and can't wait to play with "Once Upon a Christmas."

We are so pleased to introduce our newest wearers of the Yellow Jersey for our Once Upon a Christmascollection.  We have something very special planned for this Cycling Team and decided to invite more designers than usual.  We are sure that they will inspire you for this holiday season, so stay tuned...  
Please welcome our Once Upon a Christmas team:

Michelle St.Clair

Christine Meyer

Wendy Antenucci

Mary Pat Siehl

Marcia Dehn-Nix

Izzy Anderson

Angela Gutshall

Renee Zwirek

Evelin Tee

Traci Penrod

Latrice Murphy

Monique Liedtke

Make a Wish

I'm all about the doilies these days.  I had never used them much until the last couple months and I've been enjoying the soft touch they add.  

I created this card using a combination of papers from Momenta and Teresa Collins.  I also used washi tape and SRM Stickers for my sentiment!  Love that they are clear and so easy to use and make fit right into a project!  I love the way the colors come across as very soft and romantic...definitely not my typical colors as there isn't anything bright (:

Grateful

One of my favorite things about this craft is playing with color combinations.  When I make a card or layout I'm often way more bold with my color combinations than I would be in how I dress or decorate my house.  This color combination has become a favorite of mine...one day I might be bold enough to actually wear it (:

This is the first time I have ever used a pom pom trim...surprising I know!  My patterned paper is all from Echo Park.  I've always been a fan of theirs but my recent design team work (yet to be revealed) has made me really zone in on them again!  The lovely epoxy button is from Jillibean Soup and the twine is The Twinery.  And of course the fabulous sentiment is from SRM Stickers!

SRM Stickers World Cardmaking Day Challenge

I saw yesterday that SRM Stickers was having a challenge and thought I might be able to eek out something for it during naptime today.  The card had to be based on a card from this post.  I chose to mimic the diagonal card by Clare that used Valentine border stickers.

I went with the Halloween border stickers and the candy corn stickers from the Stickers by the Dozen.  This is the first project I have made since little Bo was born...still trying to figure out a routine here but it felt good to get something creative done!

Cards for Boys

No I have not been doing any crafting since Baby Bo's arrival, but I held some atuff back so I could keep the blog going.  Today I am going to share a couple of Boy cards featuring goodies from Bella Blvd.    The first is from the new Birthday Boy line.

And the second is from their sports line.

I added the yellow highlighting to this to put emphasis on the ALL part :)

It feels weird to not have touched a supply in two weeks.  Monday I go pick up my next assignment for The Scrapbooking Studio and I have a feeling it will be hard to resist playing :)