Happy Canada Day!

Wow - its already July 1st and there are so many amazing things going on today that I don't even know where to start!!

#1. Its the official start of my DT Term at Scrapbook Star and my Challenge is up on their blog.

July DT Challenge: Cut it OUT! Embellish your layout using cut outs from patterned paper!

Scrapbook Star's July kit is packed full of amazing patterned papers that you can use in so many different ways! I want you to discover the 'possiblilty of embellishment' by looking no further than your patterned paper to embellish your layout.

Here is my example using the July kit featuring amazing papers from Scribble Scrabble's Georgia Collection.

I cut out butterflies and flowers and added the pearls for a finishing touch - all from the kit!

The stamp was my own, but I used the ink from the kit, stamped onto the green cardstock included in the kit, cut out and then added more pearls!

Happy cutting!!!

NOTE: It is MUCH easier to do 'fussy cutting' with detailing scissors rather than the ones in your kitchen!

#2. I am over the moon to announce that I have been chosen as the Guest Designer for the month of July over at A La Carte Challenge blog where you pick your own challenge from their menu! Menus will be changed on the 1st and 15th of the month.

#3. My layouts "Right Where I Belong", "Love You And All Your Moods", and "So Happy Together" have been published in Scrapbooking.com Magazine.

I think that's all I can fit on just one post!! Check back tomorrow for some more amazing stuff!!!!!

Scrapbook Star's Got Talent!

We know Scrapbook Star has talent but its time for you to share it with us! Show off your talent over the summer and be eligible to win some fabulous prizes!

For the months of July and August the DT will be posting challenges, games and mini challenges. There will be points for each challenge/game/mini challenge completed as well as points given for completing the daily challenges and the online crop challenges. There will be a prize handed out every week and at the end of August the points will be tallied and the grand prize winner will be announced.

So get your Trimmer and Glue ready to scrap your heart out and show us just how much Talent Scrapbook Star has!!!

Best Buds

Ok, so I've been feeling a little guilty that I haven't been posting more layouts for all my wonderful readers. Its not that I haven't been doing any - its just that the ones I have been working on are all top secret Design Team layouts which I cannot show you until July.

BUT - today I managed to sneek out to a girlfriend's monthly crop and finish a page that I CAN show you. I wish I had more time as I would probably have added some stitching perhaps (I may still do this) but this is what it looks like for now...

All the papers are from Stampin' Up! and the adorable tag is from MyKi.

Stay tuned for some exciting news I have to share with you all AND a heap of new layouts to post as well!

NEXT WEEK!! NEXT WEEK!! NEXT WEEK!! NEXT WEEK!!!

Sneak Peek!

Take a look at how yummy the July Kit is over at Scrapbook Star! OOOHHH! Pearls, flowers, butterflies - what else can you ask for?? AND...each kit also comes with a custom stamp(plus way more stuff, but I don't think I'm suppose to say quite yet)! Keep in mind, this is only from ONE layout (I did 5 in total with loads of paper left over).


Also, if you're interested in the NEW BASIC GREY papers, embellies, alphas, etc. from the June Bug & Lemonade Collections... they just got a LOAD of the stuff in at the store... Better hurry and get some before they're all gone!!

Mama's Boys ** New COLLAGE PRESS **

Here is a layout I did using the awesome new die cut paper from Collage Press - so Yummy, so Yummy (Gabba, Gabba)!

I incorporated elements in my layout based on Challenge #2 over at A La Carte Challenge blog where you pick your own items from the menu and add to your project. I used distressing, metal embellishments and the word Father in my hidden journaling.

Hidden journaling is tucked behind the photo and the arrow acts as a pull tab.

Journaling reads (on other side): June, 2009: It wasn't easy, but after much work and dedication, you are both complete and total mama's boys - much to your Father's dismay! Love you both more than the sky!

I felt that the layout was missing some finishing embellishments and of course, I didn't have the right ones in my stash. But...I glanced upon this box of kleenex and thought - wow, wouldn't those trees totally match and fit perfectly with the theme?!

What do you think??

I'll be back a little later with an updated materials list. Have a happy Tuesday!

Materials Used:

Patterned Paper: Gretel Collection, Fairy Tales (Cosmo Cricket)
Patterned Paper: Weathervane Collection, Cozy Home (October Afternoon)
Patterned Paper: Truthful (Fancy Pants Designs)
Patterned Paper: Bohemia Collection, Bliss "Love of my Life"/Blue (My Mind's Eye)
Patterned Paper: Sprink Fling Collection, Bark (The Paper Loft)
Die Cut Paper: Dollop Ledger (Collage Press)
Brads: Boy Brads (Around the Block)
Brads: Random
Tree Embellishments: Kleenex Box
Ink: Distress Ink, Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz)
Edge Distresser: Making Memories
Alphas: Fascinating (pink paislee)

Age of Innocence

Just adore this photo of my daughter after her bath - oh those eyes!! I started out with a sketch I had done myself, but the layout took a totally different direction - LOL!

Cut out the flowers from K & Co's Designer paper pad, Cut & Paste and used Prima's Iron Orchid Designs patterned paper and My Mind's Eye paper in their Bohemia Collection.



The awesome tag is from MyKi - Thanks Paula so much for sending me your goodies! Sorry it took so long to create with them - just busy as a bee with my DT Work! Hope you like!

Materials Used:
Adhesive: White School Glue (Selectum)
Adhesive: Glue stick (Selectum)
Adhesive: Foam Risers
Alphas: Tiny alphas, Sabrina (Making Memories)
Edge Distresser: Making Memories
Glitter Pen: Clear (Too Marker Products)
Ink: Jet Black (StazOn)
Patterned Paper: Nursery Boy, Floral (DCWV)
Patterned Paper and Flower Embellishments: Designer Paper Pad, Cut and Paste (K & Co.)
Patterned Paper: Iron Orchid Designs, Angelique Collection, Wings (Prima)
Patterned Paper: Bohemia Collection, Bliss “Friends” Flowers/Pink (My Mind’s Eye)
Pearls: unknown
Tag: MyKi

Another Basic Grey Layout!

Just received another email from Basic Grey to let me know that my "Back to Nature" layout has been accepted into their gallery. I was hesitant to post it at first, due to the... nature of the photo... but then I realized that its just their little bottoms!

Back to Nature

The weather has been wonderful lately - so beautiful that it feels like summer! Balmy, sunny, gorgeous!! I snapped this photo of my darling boys catching a drink from our sprinkler. So cute sitting together. They prefer to run around our backyard - especially when its hot and there is water involved - 'in the buff' so they 'don't get their clothes wet' - makes sense I suppose!!. Used Basic Grey paper in their boxer collection.


Mesh is from a laundry bag I purchased at the dollar store.

Toot Toot!!

Just found out that 4 of my layouts (Now I Know, Sometimes I Forget, Tree Hugger and These Things) got accepted into the Basic Grey Gallery!!! Oh yea baby!

Debut Layout at Butterfly Crafts

Are you afraid of the DARK?? What about what was in your closet when you were asleep (or not!) at night??



The wait is over! There's a new challenge up at Butterfly Crafts! Your challenge this month is to scrap a childhood fear. Maybe it's something silly from your past that makes your giggle now or something that still haunts you.

Please upload your LO's to the gallery, leave us a link in the comments or e-mail them to Butterfly Crafts by 29th June to be in with a chance of becoming our July guest designer and this month the winner will also receive this gorgeous ribbon Kit from our June Sponsor Angel Crafts!

Close up of hidden journalling which reads: A universal fear among all children I'm sure - the dark and what is lurking around us when all the lights are out! I must have slept with over 20 stuffed animals in my bed to 'protect' me. I remember watching the movie the Exorcist and being scared for days later. My sweet little Owen, we are so alike. You too sleep with your army of toys and of course your beloved "Goddy". I have to admit, although my fear has waned over the years, I am still scared of the dark !"

Love the curled up paper technique to add a little dimension to your layout!


Close up of anchors, distressing, inking.

Materials Used:
Grungeboard swatch, Tim Holtz
Ink: Jet Black, StazOn
Anchors: unknown
Patterned Paper: Wassail Collection, Spruce (Basic Grey)
Patterned Paper: The Fall Stack (DCWV)
Patterned Paper: Grunge Collection, Rebel (KaiserCraft)
White Journaling Pen: Gelly Roll (Sakura)
Alphabet Stickers: Tiny alphas, Whiteblack (Making Memories)
Adhesive Paper Ribbon: Que Sera Sera, K & Co

What a Weekend!

And what a horrid time to suffer from scrapper's block!! UGH! I seriously sat most of Friday night and the start of Saturday morning staring blankly at this one particular photo I wanted to scrap and this one piece of wonderfully coloured paper (BG, Lime Rickey collection) that I NEEDED to use and it just wouldn't come together for me! It took my mom to say - 'why don't you just use a totally different photo and different paper then?". So this is what I did and within about 30 min the bulk of my layout was done. I hate when that happens! Mothers always know best.

Anyhow, here is the first layout I managed to complete this weekend using the Cosmo Cricket line in Get Happy.

Close up of some trees cut out from My Little Shoebox Paper - Turtle Lane collection. Awesome paper!
The second layout actually looks better in real life. I guess it was camera shy?! I did the layout for Scrapping Out Loud's Challenge blog where I used the sketch of the week (below)

and incorporated their weekly theme: FIRE! "Your house is on fire, your family and pets have escaped and taken your scrapping stuff with them.... including albums and photos. What is the one thing you would grab to save from the fire? and why? Now scrap it!"

The 2 things I chose to save were my sons' beloved 'pets' - Goddy and Red Puppy with whom they would be lost without. They have been around since my sons' birth and are 4 and a half and 3 respectively. The are truely "Part of the Family". I didn't have a chance to squeeze in their word of the week which was Jump. Next time ladies!

Lastly (yes, I only managed to complete 3 layouts) for one of the crop challenges at Scrapbook Star, your layout was to include ONLY the following items: 1 piece of cardstock, 10 buttons, 10 flowers, 2 photos.

This was actually quite challenging for me as I am totally addicted to patterned paper and cutting out embellishments lately.

Thank goodness for doodling (although I think I went a titch overboard)!



Anyhow, had a crazy busy weekend with a soccer game, family barbque, house cleaning, 100 loads of laundry (not exaggerating), etc. but did manage to get in some time for scrapping thanks to DH who took the kidlets out this morning for 2 hrs. Its no secret I love scrapping - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! I'm on the verge of obsessed (lately). Can't get enough of it! Apparantly, my family agrees. Once the kids go to bed, I'm off to scrap (my poor DH never sees me anymore - LOL). My mom sent me this email earlier today - after numerous emails to which I did not respond and to a phone call to which I did not answer... "Where r u? stop scrapbooking!!!" GULP... Maybe I need a night off?

ONLINE CROP THIS WEEKEND!

The online crop at Scrapbook Star has officially started! Get on over to the forum for some great challenges and fantastic prizes! I'll be busy this weekend trying to complete as many layouts as possible - the theme for this crop is AMAZING RACE! Happy Scrapping!

Just Can't WAIT!

WOW! Just wanted to say how thrilled I am to have received the July Kit over at Scrapbook Star eariler this month! It is so amazing and packed full of awesome papers. I just finished my 4th layout with the kit last night. On to my 5th today and I can easily create one more with what's leftover. SIX layouts with ONE kit - unreal!! I cannot wait to show everyone my creations! July 1st!! Stay tuned!

If you cannot wait quite so long, I will be revealing my debut layout as a Design Team member from Butterfly Crafts on June 15th! Patience is a virtue my friends...

Wonder Boy

Just inspired so much by this amazing weather we've been having lately and how it makes the kids oh so happy to play outside.

I felt the page was missing something and none of my stash seemed to fit well enough as an embellie. SO.... I just made my own! Hand-cut the circles from the die-cut page and glued them together and then curled up some thinly cut paper as you would the ribbon on a gift and the effect kinda just works with the page.

Cut out butterflies from Basic Grey's ambrosia collection - winsome. I have had this paper forever and keep using it over and over again - its the perfect embellishment 'go to' paper when you need just a little something.

The patterned papers are from We R Memory Keepers - Grandma's Kitchen collection which I am totally loving! The die cut is My Mind's Eye which I got from Scrapbook Star - awesome stuff and an overwhelming selection of products and my favourite, PAPER, in store and online!

Materials Used:

Patterned Paper: Ambrosia Collection, Winsome, Basic Grey
Patterned Paper: Grandma's Kitchen Collection, We R Memory Keepers
Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Vintage Photo, Tim Holtz
Alphabet letters: Fascinating, pink paislee
Edge distresser: Only Smiles, Seeing Stars, Making Memories
Adhesive: Scotch craft stick Selectum
Adhesive: White School glue, Selectum
Paper Trimmer: 12 inch portable trimmer, Fiskars

Mail Call with Loads of Goodies!

Hope you're all having as good of a Wednesday as I am! I just wanted to share with everyone a package that I received from a wonderful friend Paula, co-owner of MyKI - an amazing online store featuring scrapbooking embellishments, handbags & totes, diaper bags for babies and tons more! She asked if I could help promote her store by creating some layouts using some of the products featured at their store. Of course I said YES and to my delight, this is what I received from her...


HOLY COW! Thanks so much Paula - I can't wait to get started on some layouts for you! PS - I'm loving the personalized headbands you sent for Miss 'E'!!

Better Late Than Never

UGH! There are so many amazing challenge blogs around with so many wonderful challenges to get your creative juices flowing! I had intended to do 2 last week but unfortunately, life kinda got in the way. Nevertheless, I did end up completing one of the challenges for Scrapping out LOUD (eventhough it is late and doesn't qualify for the amazing prizes). The challenge was to use the word SUN in your title and to use a rub-on directly on your photo.

I am very pleased with the way it all came together in the end. I am completely loving K & Co. Designer paper pads - so many awesome things to cut out and use as embellies! The flower centres and pinwheel are from the Cut & Paste series. To add some dimension without overwhelming the layout with too many colours, I curled up some paper strips and attached in a row along the bottom of the photo.


Materials Used:

Patterned Paper: My Little Shoebox Apple Pie
Patterned Paper: K & Co Designer Paper Pad, Daydreams
Patterned Paper: K & Co Designer Paper Pad, Cut & Paste
Cardstock: Chocolate Box, Core'dinations
Alphabet letters: Mini shimmer alpha, black school house, Making Memories
Edge distresser: Making Memories
Adhesive: Scotch craft stick Selectum
Adhesive: White School glue, Selectum
Various brads, ribbon
Paper Trimmer: 12 inch portable trimmer, Fiskars

Toot Toot!

Just wanted to thank everyone who voted for my layout over at Scrap the Boys! It came first on the online poll and as a result, won second place for the May layout contest (1st place was chosen by the Creative Team)! Yippie!!

AND

The same layout won 3rd place for Scrap'N'Win's monthly layout contest in May!

Thanks everyone - much appreciated!!

Bad Blogger!

Sorry I haven't updated for awhile! I've been busy, busy, busy creating layouts for my design teams and I cannot reveal them until later in the month !! I'll try my hardest to get a 'regular' layout on here for your viewing pleasure! (LOL) Thanks for staying tuned! Here's a sneak peak at a few layouts to come...

Close up of a layout I did for my Design Team reveal on June 15th at Butterfly Crafts!

Sneak peak of my "Regular/Non-DT" layout that I will share with you hopefully by the end of the day!

I've Got a Crush on YOU!

It's time for Challenge 13 at Butterfly Crafts.

Here's the Challenge:
Create a lay-out about a past or present celebrity crush. Please upload your LO's to the gallery, leave a link in the comments or e-mail your projects to Butterflycrafts1@aol.com by 29th June for a chance of becoming the Guest Designer for July. The winner will also receive a gorgeous ribbon Kit from Angel Crafts!

Here is my celebrity crush from the PAST! I must be very clear on this as he is a total headcase now!! However, during the days of Top Gun, I couldn't get enough of my MAVERICK! *sigh*

Close up of some buttons and mesh that I purchased at the dollar store. It was actually a laundry bag and I just cut it into a square - tons left over!

Materials Used:
Designer Paper Pad, Daydreams(K & Co)
Obscure Collection, Isolate (Basic Grey)
Get Happy Collection, Crush (Cosmo Cricket)
Mesh laundry bag (dollar store)
Red cardstock
alphabet stamp set (Studio G)
Forever in Time Buttons
Making Memories Edge Distresser
Marvy Gel Excel Black journaling pen

I'd Love Your Vote!!

Last month I entered my layout into Scrap the Boys' monthly contest where you were to use the word 'time' in your title and use an embellishment referring to time (ie - clock, measuring tape, etc). There are 4 days left to vote on your favourite! I'd greatly appreciate your vote - if ya have a second or 2 to spare?? Its on the left hand side - just click Tara Orr - THANKS!!!

This was the layout I entered... Sometimes I forget... to Stop and Smell the Roses