feeling scrappy.

I love pinterest for some good old inspiration, love blog hopping for the same reason.  there have been many things that have caught my eye, I have pinned them, totally planning on doing something with them sometime…

I finally crossed off a couple of those ideas last week.

#1 – wood grain.

now I have used it here and there, but I wanted to use it in a funkier way.  not in your traditional woodsy tones.

splendid fiins came out with another “knock-out” misting mask, and well, the rest is history:

(click on layouts for full cred.)

I have admired the look of title work cut from the main background paper, with a fun patterned paper placed behind, peeking through.

here’s me favorite example from elizabeth kartchner.

I mean, sure, you could get stickers, or cut the letters out of the patterned paper, but there is something about the look of it…

I can admit, that it took me awhile to get the drop shadows on this kraft background just right, and still, I look at it and wonder if it should be tweaked more…

I adjusted those darn drop shadows, merging layers, duplicating them, tweaking the shadows, multiplying and tweaking so many times, I lost track of how many times I did it!

my eyes, seriously, were on the verge of bleeding.

but that is what happens when you get passionate about an idea!

kickin’ it.

(as per usual, click on image for full list of credits.)

this kit is absolutely charming I tell you!  we have a budding little soccer player on our hands, and lots (tons!!) of pictures of her playing, or laughing on the field while others are playing, and lots of pictures of her running hard.  this kit is without a doubt what I needed to motivate me to scrap these cute pics.

it is on sale today. :)

as for the rest of what goes on around here, lots of knitting and crocheting, peyton thinking she can crochet (putting a couple of hooks in a polly pocket dress and moving them around), and it’s quite cute.

and finally, snow!!  (like snow that should hopefully stay, not get rained away, or melt.)

and with that snow: cocoa.

and more baking on top of it all.  seriously.

and then there was august..

I don’t want to depress you..  I don’t want to depress myself, but did you know, were you aware, that august is almost over?

really.

next week, and that’s it.

hello september.

see, I depressed you.

shame on me.

I really am sorry.

maybe what I have been working on, catching up on (because I’ve been enjoying the last bit of my summer and playing a lot), will help to cheer you.

they just make me long for summer…

(click on image for list of full credits + links.)

a layout or 5..

I have been getting a lot of scrapping done.

(sadly it is all digi scrapping..  heaven knows how many pictures i have that are printed off, waiting in the mess that is now known as my craft room in the basement..  don’t even get me started on the stash of supplies that keep those pics company..)

I am not sure if this surge of digi scrapping is because of the re-discovered passion my girls have for playing polly pockets or  for watching jurassic park.

(both of which seem to take place in the loft, upstairs where the computer is..)

but anyway..  here’s a few:

(as always, click on layout for list of full credits.)

new today:

“chemistry” by cosmo cricket:

and i was way too excited about these brushes by liv:

and well, then there is all of this other stuff, that was basically just for fun…  our summer has been well-spent, and i have some cute pix to prove it!

(cute pix = more scrapping motivation!!)

hope you are enjoying your summer as well!!

the perfect monday.

it’s a cool, overcast, sometimes stormy monday here.

there’s stuff to be done, stuff that i want to do, but the weather is perfect for me to snuggle up with the monstrous book i started last week, and really want to finish.  at first it was so i could move onto the second book in a series i started, but this one, it was just hanging over my head.  now i am genuinely into it and want to know what happens!!

well, then there’s the many pictures i want to edit, and scrap.  so many new products i want to play with.  a couple of new sewing patterns i want to make multiples of..

and then there’s my room…

i really want to work on aspects of that, but that would also involve playing musical light fixtures with..  i think 5 lights?  i keep losing count.

so many fun things!!

so for now, i will just show you the fun stuff i have been working with this last week…

(click on image for list of full credits k?)

echo park’s new collection: “splash”.

and elle’s studio cupcake flags.  any excuse to make a cupcake!!  when i saw these, i immediately saw a banner.  add a little of my own bazzill from my stash, some double-sided tape and twine and there it is.  pretty darn cute if i do say so myself.

the recipe for these guys is here, i omitted all coconut to make them a delicious vanilla.  i would have to add, that in a pinch, soured milk to replace the buttermilk which is called for, does not (IN NO WAY!!) work.  they weren’t nearly as tasty or light and fluffy and thus, ended up in my garbage can.

(after we ate most of them.)

the only other thing that makes this monday not as perfect as it could be is that the birthday sale at jessica sprague has been delayed by a day.

so just hold on!!  it will start at midnight.

(hopefully links to the new products used above will be updated then too.)

7 days challenges.

so this week hasn’t exactly been the ideal week for me to sit and get everything i want to do, done.  that would be the life..

but i have managed to get a couple challenges tackled!

this one used a freebie created my linda of “in the making design”.  so sorry, if you didn’t grab it, you didn’t get it. :(

the frame is from liv.edesigns (here).

the stitching is from splendid fiins (here).

the font is “lobster” (here).

paper bits are a freebie (upcoming) that i need to tweak before i share…

(so watch out.)

i recently took pictures of ashley, to document her “student of the month” status (so proud of her!!) and this theme, “this is love”, was the perfect fit for just a couple of these pictures.

the paper is from kitschy digitals (here).

frame is also from kitschy digitals (here).

there’s that stitching again (here)…

the staple i extracted from the frame in the above layout (frame here).

the fonts used on this layout are: “pea carrie script” and “never let go”.

(i distressed those too, just a little, so they would look chalked and aged.)

i am hoping to get my craft/studio/sewing room all done (as far as paint goes) so life and programming can return to normal soon.

Today!!!!

Just a reminder: seven days in may begins today!

(How’s that to start you week?)

Go check out the general forum to play along.  I know that I will be there..  well, in between the coats of paint drying, making teacher year-end gifts, going to the dentist..

So come and hang out with me there!

I did last year and had a blast, got addicted, quite frankly, but it was entirely too much fun.

(And you’ll score some freebies!!!)

As for new product, I have a few…

(They are all delightful.)

Splendid Fiins:

(Click on layouts for list full credits.)

Carina Gardner:

Be watching for a post about baby hunger…

Last, but certainly not least, Cosmo Cricket:

I have many more project ideas in store with this collection.

So, will I see you in the forum, or what? ;)

Thinking Summertime..

Even though the weather forecast is talking rain, and threatening snow, Carina Gardner has me thinking summer.

(Click on image for list of full credits.)

All this lovely floral is from Carina’s newest release, “Fresh Picked – Summer”.

I love the gentle feel of it, but there are some fun vibrant colors!  Perfect to showcase this pic of Ashley.  (One of my favs.)

I’ve been hunting around for Carina’s fabrics and patterns too.  She is certainly a woman who inspires!

A little Spring for your Monday. *UPDATED WITH LINKY*

At my house, right this minute, it is snowing.  There is a little thunder and lightening mixed in with that snow too.  Out my front door, when I took the girls to school, there was the sun shining, but in the distance, dark, dark clouds.  We could hear the thunder and knew what was coming.  When we looked out the back door, it was so deceptive!  There was full sunshine, a little blue sky, some light, white clouds, but a totally different world out that back door.
The point in all of this..
It is springtime in Utah.
This is how I have to get my fix for Spring on days like today:
Echo Park has a new line out today, “Sidewalk Chalk”.
(Click on image for full credits.)

Spendid Fiins has Baker’s Twine, new in store today.  I love the stuff already!!
(Click on image for full credits.)

Hope you have a little Spring wherever you are!
(Hope you can find some if you are in the same boat that I am..  or sled.)
Just for kicks and giggles, here’s the templates I made for these layouts, for you, for FREEEEE!! 
If you use them, link up to this post, show me what you did with them.
Swooshy squares template.
Simple Circles template.
**I wasn’t sure how difficult/time-consuming it would be to add a linky to this post, to, you know, link up what you did with the template, but turns out it’s not so hard!
So link away ladies…
Link away.**

More in Store Monday.

Just a smattering of the new goodies available today at Jessica Sprague.

First up, “Essential Masks v. 3” from Carina Gardner.

Other credits for this page:

Papers & accents:  Carina Gardner “Affection: Mega Kit”.

Font: Antipasto.

New from Splendid Fiins:

“Think Spring Borders”

 

Other Credits for this page:

Paper: “Brilliants” Splendid Fiins.

Staple: Crystal Wilkerson

Photo Frame: Brush from Deviantart.

Font: Firefly Castle.

(I just discovered some awesome staples, and other office supply essentials of Splendid Fiins here.  Love these!)

This layout features products entirely from “In The Making Design”.

“Moments” papers and elements.

Template: “It’s a Start – Templates 2”.

quite excited to get started on my new class this week too.  I got my kit in the mail this last week..

Look at how fun!

All tied up with that darling welcome tag..  all of that fun stuff!  Who wouldn’t be excited?

Did you sign up for Mouse, Paper, Scissors?

Only while digital scrapping..

Only while digital scrapping can I:
- Eat cookie dough.
(Without a spoon.)
-Hold Peyton on my lap as she falls asleep to thunder and lightening.
-Leave it alone, to read, play, or get a snack, without worrying about someone getting into the glue dots, or adding their own “journaling” to my layout.
-Click “undo” too many times to count, and not feel bad about it one bit!

Today’s Spraground challenge was to use only these colors.

(Why could I only think of food..  hot dogs, namely?)
And only one font for the title, but in different sizes.  You could use a second font for journaling, if desired.

Pretty Girl.

I loved these pictures!!
This girl is my best little model lately.
(It also helps that I have started using a rad method of bribery.)
I made the background paper.  The button, and letter “a” are made with paper from Crystal’s {Funky Fresh} collection.  The label is from her “Artisan Labels”.  The staple is from November “eye candy”.  The green scalloped border is from the “Doodley-Doo” borders.
I used stitching from Brittish Designs.
Fonts are: Pharmacy, Helterskelter, and Pea Matt & Kari.

Free Spirit.

I saw this “free spirit” template by Crystal Wilkerson at Jessica Sprague for one buck Wednesday and was so excited to play with it!!
It is so fitting for Ash, she is my little “free spirit”.
I also got her “doodley-doo” brush set for one buck!!
Head on over, it is one buck today only!!

I've been busy...

Editing pictures and creating more digital pages, all to get my free Shutterlfy book...
Ahhh..
Then I realized they can count as layouts too!!!
All digital this time. :)
Let's count:

13!
But copies of them for all the albums I need take me to...  38.

What does that put me at..  um...  DONE!!!

I should be...

Working on the craft room..
I am not feeling it..
But I am feeling this..

It started off as a collage for the other blog, pics to go with the post, but it just kinda went..  and I thought, if I am enjoying this, shouldn't I just keep on?
Yes..  yes I should! :)
So now there's two for November..

Gettin' it done..

Silly me, wondering where the hey the month of July has gone..
Figured I had better get some more done.. I have been busy crocheting a scarf of ALL things to be doing in July!

silliness..

i am certainly loving this basic layout.. yesterday's was quite similar :)
i learned hoe to use torn paper elements today, courtesy of "YouTube"..

Word Up!

It's "Word Girl"!!
I downloaded a FREE kit from here, and wouldn't you know, the colors are perfect!!