1st Layout in Basic Grey Gallery

I am so happy and proud to announce that one of my layouts "Binkey Boy" has been selected to be in the Basic Grey Gallery. This is my first layout ever to be selected for the gallery at Basic Grey. This has been a goal that I have wanted to achieve for a long time. I am just soo excited!!!!!

Here is the link: Binkie Boy in Basic Grey Gallery

Here is the layout which was inspired by Ingrid Lingman's 1st sketch for the School of Scrap! Thank you Ingrid for the awesome inspiration!!!

Fangtastic -Digital Fun

I downloaded a great and FREE digital scrapbooking kit from Fuji films (who would have known!). They had various kits for every season. However, the two Halloween kits caught my eye and my imagination. Both kits had various type of papers, embellishments, tags, titles, and letters to suit every digital scrapper. Fangtastic uses the two Halloween Fuji kits plus some elements from the Shabby Princess kits. The color combination makes this layout eerily pretty.

Shabby Princess "Festival" Digi Pack

Lately, I have been trying to get some experience in the realm of "digital" scrapbooking. At first, I was quite intimidated by the whole process. Once I figured out how use Adobe Photoshop CS2, I have really been enjoying myself in "digital" scrapbooking.

The Shabby Princess website is just awesome. She offers a variety of free "digital kits" that anyone can download. The kits include a variety of patterned papers, embellishments,letters, and stitching/ribbons. This is perfect for any digital scrapbooker.

The newest free digital pack is "Festival". I saw this and just fell in love with the color combination and patterns. The kit includes six different patterned papers, four colored buttons, journaling block, rick rack, brads, alphabets and multiple types of photo frames. What a great pack!!!

Binkey Boy

Lot's of great things are happening over atThe School of Scrap and some great scrappers are actively part of our school. Ingrid Lingman has posted some of her sketches in our School Gallery. WOW! I just LOVE LOVE Sketchz by Ingrid!

This is a layout created from one of her latest sketches - School Sketchz #001. I used Basic Grey Color Me Silly patterned paper. The ribbon is from Stampin Up. The hidden journaling is at the top of the page. Hidden journaling is a fantastic way to add journaling without it being seen by everyone who looks at the layout.

Thanks Ingrid for the GREAT sketch!!!!!

More Club Scrap........

This layout was a lot of fun to do. I loved these pictures of butterflies but couldn't find the proper paper for a layout. This month's selection of Club Scrap's"Refresh" changed my mind. I thought the bold spring-like colors would make a great layout. It was a lot of fun to create the triple mats for the photos. The butterfly embellishments were handmade using the paper from the Club Scrap "Refresh" line. I added the "Fandangles" on the wings to add some shimmer. Plus using the "pop-dots" for adhesive helped make the butterflies appear to be floating on top of the page.

Club Scrap = Bright Spring Colors

The bright colored patterned paper that come in the Club Scrap "Refresh" kit are so easy and fun to work with. They are the PERFECT foundation for spring layouts. So it wasn't hard to select the photos that went with this patterned paper. The layout "Simple Beauty" was an easy layout to create. The beautiful green patterned paper adds color and design that co-exist with the three pictures of the beautiful roses.

Thank you Club Scrapfor the great kits for the Design Team at The School of Scrap.

Club Scrap = Awesome!

Club Scrap is one of The School of Scrap sponsers. The School of Scrap is so proud to have the pleasure of working with Club Scrap and their fabulous kits. One week ago, I had the absolute joy of receiving the Club Scrap kit- "Refresh". OH MY GOSH! I can't tell you how awesome this kit is. So many items, such vivid colors, and great tips on how to use the spritzer bottles and stamp.

I received the following in my "Refresh" kit:
(8) 12x12 Prints/2 ea. Dark Green, Light Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue
(10) 12x12 Plain/2 ea. Dark Green, Light Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue, Translucent
(4) 8.5x11 Prints/2 ea. Dark Green, Light Blue
(6) 8.5x11 Plain/2 ea. Light Green, Dark Blue, Translucent
(10) Delicate Forest Paper Leaves
(2) Spritzer Bottles
(6) Manila Square Tags
(1) Packet Fresh Fandangles
(1) Sheet CS Rejuvenated Stickers
(1) Sheet CS Blank Canvas Mosaic Stickers
(3) Idea Recipe Cards - Fonts, Layouts, Backgrounds & Borders
(1) Scrap Rap Newsletter
(1) CS Side Order (Stamp Set)
(1) CS Side Order (Embellishment Pack)
(1) CS Side Order (Greetings to Go)

This week I will post a new Club Scrap layout that I created using this amazing kit.
If you haven't tried it yet, run over to Club Scrap and order this "Refresh" kit today. You will be so glad that you did!!!!

Using Buttons in Your Layouts

In my Shop class at The School of Scrap.com, I recently challenge everyone to use buttons in their layout. But wait...there is a catch! I wanted them to ONLY use buttons as their embellishments. No other type of embellishments were allowed. It was amazing to see how many people used the buttons in such extraordinary ways. See all the wonderful layouts at the School Gallery. Based on the great response, I am extending the challenge out to you. How many creative and extraordinary ways can you use buttons? Post the layouts in the comment section...Can't wait to see your creation!

Interviews in Scrapbook Layouts

Quite often in scrapbooking we are trying to create a "snapshot" in time to capture a specific moment in our lives. As a mother, I often have the "if only I can save this moment" thinking when my children do something silly, fun, or exciting. One way to capture thoughts of a child (or anyone else) is to do an "interview" that the person. It only take a couple of minutes to write down some questions that you want to ask the person. The type of questions is up to you. The question can be something serious like "Who do you admire the most?" to something silly like "What you rather be a buffalo or a horse?" The idea is to capture the person's thoughts in that particular moment in time to reflect the person's age, situation in life, mood, dreams, goals, desires, etc.

For this layout, I wanted to capture the thoughts of a 4 year old boy who is my oldest son. His mind is so interesting and his thoughts just amaze me. Kids are just so honest. The point of the interview was to capture his innocence and honesty. So I asked him some serious questions along with some silly type questions to get a good range. This interview was a great experience for the both of us because he had an awesome time answering my questions and I loved hearing his responses.

The layout that I created to go along with the interview used photos taken this year as well. I wanted the pictures to make his personality and his innocence as much as the interview. I used some flourish rub-on's on the bottom corners of the pictures to add some color detail. MME Bohemia "Just be You" and "Imagine" lines were selected as the paper as well as chipboard flower with buttons. The stripped paper going across the page which looks like ribbon is accented with the "Spirit" MM metal ribbon embellishment. The title is hand sewn on one side using Stampin Up silver cord for a nice special touch.

1st Birthday Today!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little R!
Happy Birthday to you!

Your first year has been awesome and your little personality is just shining through like never before. You are soo loved and adored.

Using Music Albums as Inspirations for Layouts

As many of you know, I am a proud teacher at the School of Scrap. This quarter my class is Music Inspiration. As I parused around the Internet, I found the most fabulous album art that just practical leaped off the screen at me. So I challenged the students at the School of Scrap to use the fabulous album art as inspiration on one of their layouts for the month of January.

After I went home for the day and was printing pictures for my layouts, I noticed a picture of my little one's first tooth. Like a lightening bolt out of the sky, the idea struck me. I can use this photo for the album art layout! The hardest part of this layout was cutting the 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch squares and then placing them on the layout. The rest of the layout just fell into place.

Here is the album art:

Using Non-Scrapbook Items in Layouts

Up until recently, I had always been a bit intimidated about using "non-scrapbook" items on a layout. I was worried that somehow it would ruin a page or make it "not as good". So I purposely branched out, and used these leaves from Michaels on this layout. I LOVE the added depth that the leaves added. Try to add some "non-scrapbook" items to some of your pages...You will be surprised at the outcome and look of the layout!

Altered Christmas Tree

I saw an "altered" Christmas Tree on Two Peas and decided that it would make the perfect Christmas gift for my oldest son's teacher. This tree took about 2.5 hours from start to finish. You can coordinate any type of paper or ribbon with the design to make this tree.

Directions:
1. Take one sheet of cardstock and create a large circle and cut the circle out.
(I used a big plate to trace around)
2. Cut the circle straight up the middle and then twist the circle to create a cone.
3. Cut 1 inch stripes out of patterned paper (or cardstock).
4. Loop the 1 inch stripes and secure it to the cone using staples or adhesive.
5. Work your way around the cone placing the 1 inches stripes on the cone until it is full.
6. Get a large flower and place it on the top (to look like snow and to cover any staples) and secure it to the cone with adhesive.
7. Take ribbon and make bows and secure them onto the tree using brads.
8. Top the tree with a cut out of your choice.

Black and white photos

There are some layouts that just call for black and white photos. Bright colored paper and busy designs on paper make it quite easy to use black and white photos. Not only does it make the photos stand out but the look is timeless.

I created this layout for the 2 Scrappy Chicks DT submission.

Made another DT

Great news! I have made another Design Team...on 2 Scrappy Chicks.com. I am just super excited to have been choosen amoung the many applicants.

Sketchz by Ingrid

I have found a fabulous website for fresh and funky sketches- Sketchez by Ingrid . The layout "Mr. Hobbes" was created from sketch # 022 and was an October challenge from 2 Scrappy Chicks.

In this layout, Scenic Route Capetown paper was used along with coordinating Bazzill cardstock. The Alpha stickers on the tags are American Crafts. I really love using green, brown and red together. It just makes the black and white photo really pop out of the page.

Simple Pleasures

Share at 2 Scrappy Chicks gave us a blog challenge to think about the Simple Pleasures in life.

Here is my list of my "Simple Pleasures":
1. Baby cooing
2. Hearing "Mommy" from your child
3. Finding more than 2 hours in a day to scrapbook
4. Feeling your hubby's hands in your hands
5. Cat purring
6. Playing in leaves
7. Pumpkins
8. Halloween
9. Having someone praise you for a job "well done!"
10. Hearing "you are pretty" from your child
11. The smell of freshly baked cookies

Accomplishments for the rest of 2006

The "Ralphie" layout was inspired by the Amazing Scrapping Race challenge on 2 Scrappy Chicks. We were challenged to create a layout using something that we don't normally use. So I decided to use fiber since I don't use it that often. I really like the softness that it adds to the circle.

I have been challenged by Share from 2ScrappyChicks
to list five accomplishment I was to achieve before the end of 2006. So here goes:

Scrap previous years Christmas events

Make Halloween costume

Make everyone Thanksgiving cards

Make my dh a card each week and hiding them in places that he will never expect.

Help Colton make Christmas gifts for everyone this year

Sweet Simple Love

The site Two Scrappy Chicks is having an Amazing Crop Race contest. It is really a lot of fun. The challenge for last week was to alter a photo and then use it in a layout. "Sweet Simple Love" was created for this challenge. In Photoshop, I changed the intensity of the various colors to make it appear black and white yet still bringing out the "Blue" in the photo. Next, I had to find the perfect paper for the photo. Deciding to use My Mind's Eye Blue Bird Bohemia was relatively easy because of the exact match of the blues in the paper to the blues in the photo. Journaling was done on blue vellum and secured with bronze brads. The title was created by using a tag from the Blue Bird collection along with Heidi Swapp She Letters. The letters were sanded and then inked brown to make them appear worn.

Cosmo Cricket...

This layout was inspired by two locations
2 Scrappy Chicks and The School of Scrap. For 2 Scrappy Chicks, it was the for the Amazing Scrap Race challenge. The challenge was to use a specific sketch from Sketchez by Ingrid. From The School of Scrap, I incorporated Donna's Economics assignment and Kerri's Definition assignment on Laughter. Don't you just LOVE multitasking? LOL!

I have just fallen in love with Cosmo Cricket...Love the paper..Just LOVE IT!! I especially like the Storytime collection. I thought the sketch lended itself to work fabulous with this collection.

I've been tagged!!
Have You Ever...

Worn braces? Yes but only for six months
Broken a bone? Yes, this past year.. my wrist
Had stitches? Yes...
Gone SCUBA diving? No but really want to learn
Been stung by a bee? Oh yes many times! EEK!
Thrown up in public? Unfortunately yes to this one too
Been to overnight camp? Absolutely!!
Written a letter to Santa Claus? As a child yes
Been sent to the principal's office? NO WAY!! I am too perfect ..HE HE

Who/What was the last...

Person to call you? my MIL
Last person you hugged? my oldest son
Thing you touched (before your keyboard!!)? my glasses
Thing you ate? chicken fingers (lunch)
Thing you said? Love you
Website you visited (before this one !!) School of Scrap / 2 Scrappy Chicks