Chronicles of a Flower Girl

I have gotten two layouts done in the last 2 days! Hooray for scrap time!

The first was for the "Scrap That Tune" challenge at Challenge Masters. The challenge this month was to scrap the "Birthday Song" and use the whole song. I have photos from a couple of birthday parties sitting in my stack waiting to be scrapped, but decided to use this challenge to do a pocket page with Rick birthday cards from last year. As I was going through his cards, I found the one on the left side of the page that had most of the words on it! So I used some cardstock and patterned paper across the bottom of the page and used adhesive on 3 sides to make it a pocket. Then I took the card on the left and ran a line of adhesive across the bottom on the inside to make that a pocket as well. I used my Cricut and some stamps to add the rest of the words and voila, it's done!


The next challenge was the Manufacturer challenge. This month we had to use 4 of the following manufacturers: My Minds Eye, Die Cut With a View, Cosmo Cricket, Prima, Kaiser Crafts, Heidi Swapp, Jenni Bowlin. While I have products by all of these companies except Jenni Bowlin, it is mostly bits and pieces so I had to seek out some products that would work together. I used patterned paper by Die Cuts With a View and Cosmo Cricket, flowers by Prima, and a iron on by Heidi Swapp (the word "Favorite"). The sketch for this layout is based on a layout from Scrapbooks Etc. from a couple of years ago. I have used the sketch before for another layout, but it was fun to see how it worked with different photos and products.

Wedding Fun and Birthday Cards

Here are the projects I completed this week.

The first is a layout I did for the challenge at "Scrap Your Crap." The goal of their challenges is to get you to use what you have. The current challenge is to use products from at least 10 manufacturers on a project. This was actually really simple. Here is my list:
Cardstock- Bazzill
Patterned Paper- Die Cuts With a View, Target
Border Strip- Making Memories
Border Punch- Martha Stewart Crafts
Vellum- The Paper Company
Stamp- Autumn Leaves
Ink- Tsukineko
Embossing Powder- Joann Craft Essentials
Flowers- Imaginisce
Pen- Zig, Uniball Signo, American Crafts
Buttons- Oriental Trading
Foam Stamps- Lil Davis Designs, Pebbles
Paint- M. Graham and Co.
Ribbon- Morex
Die Cuts- K and Company
Glitter Glue- Ranger
Brad- American Crafts

The sketch that I used for the layout is from page 35 of the July/ August issue of Creating Keepsakes.

After I completed the layout, I made this card with the scraps:

I made this tag for the September Tag Challenge at Challenge Masters. The challenge was to use dry embossing somewhere on the tag. I don't have an embossing machine, but I did have a sample of Core dinations cardstock that was pre-embossed, so I used that. I put the tag on a baby gift.

Finally, here is the birthday card I made for my 11-year-old nephew's birthday. I was feeling a bit at a loss for what to do that would be "mature" enough when I came by this post on another blog. Suddenly, I felt inspired and made this card. I played a little with some Grungeboard and distressing.

My daughters wanted in on the card making action so they made cards as well. Ellie's (3 1/2) is on the left and Addy's (almost 2) is on the right.

Project 365 Week 7

Here are my photos for the week, I will be posting some projects later today.
9/27 Will smiling at the ducks on his stroller

9/28 Addy at the playground

9/29 Leaves at Lebanon Hills County Park

9/30 Ellie building with Legos

10/1 Will laying on his side

10/2 Baby shower Bingo

10/3 Will trying out the exersaucer for the first time

Published Again!

I have another layout featured in Scrapbooking.com's e-zine. This time it is a Halloween layout with pictures of Addy from last year. You can find it here.

Project 365 Week 6

Fall is in the air, as my photos from this week indicate:

9/20 Addy with her leaf collection at the zoo


9/21 Will taking a bath


9/22 Will looking in his mirror


9/23 Some of my fall decorations that I got out this week


9/24 Addy in her room, I was trying to get a photo of her attempting to dress herself, but I was too slow, maybe next time...


9/25 Ellie building a Jenga tower (notice she hasn't quite gotten the alternating directions with each level


9/26 The leaves are starting to change!

Scrapfest!

A little over a week ago I attended my 4th Scrapfest at the Mall of America. The first year I went, I only did the make and takes, which was fun, but meant a TON of standing in line. The last 3 years I have taken 4 classes, which has really added to the fun! This year I took the Key to Creativity workshop with Tim Holtz,Playful Pages by Dear Lizzy, Olivia Stationary Box with Bo Bunny, and The Power of Glimmer Mini Album. I was there all day Friday and for a few hours on Saturday. Friday was the day I took my classes and I thought it would be the only day I would get to go, but on Saturday Rick surprised me by suggesting that I could go back if I brought Will. So I stood in line and did some make and takes on Saturday. Will was a perfect angel and slept most of the time! Over the two days I was able to do 11 make and takes.

Here is the book we made in the Tim Holtz class.


At the end of class he surprised us by telling us we would get to keep the inks and paint that we used in class and would also be receiving a pack of Grungeboard and some new Texture Fades (embossing folders)!

Here are the layouts we made in the Dear Lizzy class. We actually only got started on these in class. They sent directions home with us and I finished them today while "watching" football.

There were also quite a few leftovers from this class as well!

Here is a card I made today after I completed the layout with some of the scraps.

We only had time to make the box part of this project in class, but it took less than an hour to add the details and make the cards once I got home.

I haven't finished my Glimmer Mist album yet. In fact, it will probably be a while until I do. I want to get a few of the colors we used in class and I need to decide what I am going to use for pictures in it.

Finally, I did this card for the Go Green challenge at Challenge Masters. The challenge was to make a project using only cardstock, no patterned paper. I used some leftover cardstock from a layout a made about a week ago.

Project Scrapbook Weeks 3 and 4

Mikki has been coming up with great challenges for us the last couple of weeks! Last week the challenge was called "Seeing Double". Here are the rules:

This week is 2 page layouts! All layouts submitted this week MUST be 2 page layouts! I hope this doesn't get too confusing. As always, please send PM me with any questions you might have! :biggrin

8.5 x 11 (double layout): 30 points
12 x 12 (double layout): 40 points
Title - 10 points
Pictures - 10 points per picture
5 extra points if you use the same picture twice but in a "different way". Zoom in on a particular aspect, crop the picture, use different filters, add words.
Journaling
50 words or less - 25 points
50+ words or more - 35 points
Embellishments/stickers - 5 points per embellishment

"Make it Work" - Mirror Mirror on the Wall Bonus - 100 points
The pages should mirror each other. Same "layout" but reversed. All embellishments must be in the same place, pictures in the same place.
If you have added a journal block on 1 page it can be mirrored with another picture, but try to make them as similar looking in shape as possible.
If your title is on 1 page and not across both, you can use other "word" embellishments or similar in size embellishments (line of embellishments ect) but please try to fill the space similarly.

I really enjoyed this challenge! I make two page layouts quite often and I tend to really like symmetry, to the point that I usually fight it, so this was a great way to "let loose" and give in to my natural tendency. I did Addy's 6-12 month "Milestone" page for this.


Here are my points:
12x12= 40 points
Title= 10 points
Pictures= 8x10= 80 points
Journaling= more than 50= 35 points
Embellishments= 56x5= 280 points
Make it Work= 100 points

Total= 545 points

This week's challenge was a tougher one. It was called, "You're Being Childish" and here are the rules:
Create a layout about your favorite children's book... the kicker? You MUST do it in the style of the book itself.

8.5 x 11 - 15 points
12 x 12 - 20 points
12 x 12 Double Layout - 40 points
Title - 10 points
Title in the writing style of the book - 15 points
*example: if you choose a Dr Seuss book, use crazy words and fun rhymes
Pictures - 10 points per picture
Embellishments/stickers - 5 points per
*Title stickers count as 5 points
Journaling
50 words or less - 25 points
50+ words or more - 35 points

"Make it Work" Bonus - 100 points
Create a layout using the style of your favorite Children's Book... but the layout CAN NOT be about the book itself.
Example: Is your kid a picky eater? Use the style of Green Eggs and Ham.
Trip to the park. Why not create a layout using the colors of Corduroy?

As I was reading the October issue of "Creating Keepsakes" I had noticed a layout of photos taken by a child using the story "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" as inspiration for the journaling. When I saw it, I knew I wanted to do something similar with the photos Ellie has taken. This challenge was perfect and got me to do a layout I probably would have put off. I chose the book "Bear Snores On" because it is one of my favorites to read to my children. I love the rhyming, it is a really fun book to read. Here is the cover:


Here is my layout:


The journaling reads:
In a dark green house
Along Dana Drive
Lived 3 little children
Under age five.

The oldes one, Ellie
Was such a shutterbug
She took lots of pictures
Even of the rug.

She had toys with which to play
and the flowers all of May,

But Ellie snapped on.

She wandered the house
Looking for "art,"
And someone she loves
With all of her heart.

She looked all around
And captured her toes,
Caught one of "Arthur,"
Her favorite show.

She could tell Mom and Dad
'Bout the fun that she's had.

But Ellie snapped on.

One day her sister,
Wanted in on the fun,
But as for the camera,
They only had one.

So they made a great deal
To learn how to share.
They laughed and they cried
To make it all fair.

Good thing it's not film
For it would be gone.
They've learned to take turns...

And they both snap on.

Here are my points:
12x12= 20 points
Title= 10 points
Title in the writing style of the book= 15 points
Pictures 14 x 10= 140 points
Embellishments= 13 x 5= 65 points
50+ words= 35 points
Make it Work bonus= 100 points

Total= 385 points