National Scrapbook Day!

Hello!

This past Saturday was National Scrapbook Day.  Did you celebrate?  It was a super busy day for me but I couldn't let the day go by without creating at least one layout.  I pulled out the Inked Rose and Sheer Metallic collections from We R Memory Keepers and created this fun layout of my son and his girlfriend going to Senior Prom.

I can't believe I am on my third child to graduate from high school!  Just one more to go.  Sniff.  Anyway. ;)

The clouds are punched out of text vellum from the Sheer Metallic collection and the rest is from Inked Rose.  I thought Chalkboard was my favorite We R collection so far, but I love Inked Rose too!  We R papers and collections just keep getting better and better!

The silver "dots" are just extra punctuation from the glitter alpha sheet that are in the Inked Rose collection. And the enamel dots are from We R as well.  To finish it off, I did a little stamping (I used two different date stamp wheels from Stampin' Up! which you can order through me.) and then a tiny bit of writing.  I'll do another page later about their relationship and how his Dad and I got to chaperone Senior Prom ;).  But this one I just wanted to keep basic.

I hope you had a fun National Scrapbook Day and keep scrapbooking.  May is National Scrapbooking month!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

SUPPLIES USED (All supplies We R unless specified):

PAPER:         White card stock 

                        Inked Rose Patterned Paper

                        Sheer Metallic Silver Text Vellum

STAMPS:      Make Note This and That Rotary Stamp – Stampin’ Up!

                        Remember This and That Rotary Stamp - Stampin' Up!

INK:               Basic Black – Stampin’ Up!

OTHER:        Inked Rose butterfly, flowers and hello stickers

                        Silver Glitter Alphas

                        Warm Enamel Dots

                        Cloud punch - Fiskars 

                        Sewing Machine, white thread

Enamel Dots at CHA!

Hello, hello!

So what new product does day 3 at CHA bring?  Enamel dots!  But not just dots.  Oh no.  There are dots, of course, but there are also trendy triangles, geo tags, and hearts.  I love them all!  I had a little bit of fun. ;)

See that jar?  It's a new Lifestyle Crafts die.  Super cute!

I fussy-cut those butterflies from one of the beautiful patterned papers from the Inked Rose collection.  Swoon.

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

New Washi Tape at CHA

Hello!

It took me awhile to embrace the washi tape trend.  Now I'm a hoarder collector of washi of all kinds and styles. ;)

We R Memory Keepers is coming out with a bunch of fun new washi tapes.  I'm loving them all!  If you look at the layout, you'll be able to see a sneak of another new product We R is coming out with. So excited!!

Don't you love them?  I especially love the silver.  There's also gold and a bronze/copper one as well. As if all those aren't good enough, there is going to be some metallic chevron shaped washi too!  Woot!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Game Day at CHA!

Hello!

Guess what time it is?  It's time for CHA Winter 2014!  I was privledged to be able to make some samples to hang in the We R Memory Keepers booth.  Dang I wished I could be there to see the booth in person and feel the excitement of new products that are being introduced to the crafty world.  Sigh.  Someday.  Maybe.

Today I'm sharing the samples I made with the Game Day collection.  I have 3 boys and a husband which means I'm very familiar with home plates, 50 yard lines, and free throws.  And lets not forget the soccer lover in your life.

And here you go.  I promise you're going to love the colors and patterns as much as I do:

photo courtesy of We R Memory Keepers

photo courtesy of We R Memory Keepers

photo courtesy of We R Memory Keepers

Make sure you stop by the We R Memory Keepers blog to keep up on all the latest and greatest products!  There's a new punch board that you definitely want to check out!

Thanks for stopping by the Table today!

Pocket Journaling Cards

Hello!

I'm back today and sharing some Albums Made Easy (similar to Project Life) journaling cards made with the Chalkboard collection from We R Memory Keepers and some fun new dies from Lifestyle Crafts (if you didn't hear the announcement about We R and Lifestyle crafts, you can read my post HERE).

One of these 3 x 4 cards will be a Make and Take at Scrapfest so I hope everyone who gets to make one has as much fun creating as I did!

I'm not sure which one they'll decide to use, but if I were to choose, I'd pick the one in the top right corner.  That's my favorite.  I also love that the little washi tape arrow looks a lot like colored chalk on a chalkboard in real life.

Do you do PL-type scrapbooking?  I have only done one "layout" that way using the Albums Made Easy system from We R and I have to say, I was kinda diggin' how fast it came together.  I may just have to try out some more AME layouts.  And now that WE R/Lifestyle Crafts are coming out with dies intended for AME scrapbooking, I'll have even more fun. :)

SUPPLIES:

All supplies from WRMK/LC

Patterned paper from the Chalkboard collection

Pocket Scrap Dies

Other embellishments:  Shape N Tape

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Combining different collections to create one layout

Hello!

I've had this photo for, oh, about 16 years that I've wanted to scrap.  I've told the story to my daughter many times, and I thought it was about time I actually put it down on paper for her kids to read someday.  Here's the finished layout:

Honestly, though, it wasn't until I saw the star background paper from the Country Livin' collection by We R Memory Keepers that the desire really started to beckon to me.  I seriously love that sky blue color and the cream stars.  So dreamy.  And you would never know that the other colors in the collection are more bold and have a State Fair/Farm type of feel.  Just goes to show you how versatile patterned papers within a collection can be!

Stars and sleeping go hand in hand and as I thought in my head about a color scheme, pink, yellow, gold and white kept coming to mind.

I used the yellow (punched with one of the Tab Punches also by We R) from one of the other Country Livin' papers and then added a second collection with the pink.  The pink comes from the Simply Spring collection.  I love how the pink and blue help to tone down the bright yellow patterned paper.

I used the Simply Stars stamp set from Stampin' Up! to add gold accents to the background.  The pink glitter chipboard letters are also from the Simply Spring collection from We R Memory Keepers.

Then I just used other stamps and embellishments I had in my stash to add to that dreamy feel.

Here's a close-up of one of the embellishment clusters:

The butterfly is also from the Simply Spring collection

I love, love how this layout came together.  It really conveys the feeling I was going for.  I also love how you can combine two totally different collections to make a single layout!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

For the Record....Brothers

Hello!

I'm popping in today to share a layout I made using the For the Record collection from We R Memory Keepers.

This collection has some great colors and patterns.  Here's the layout:

These are my two handsome nephews who live in a different state than me.  When my sister sent me photos of her boys, I knew I wanted to actually put them on a layout instead of just on the fridge. :)

I love the grid chipboard alphas that come with the collection.  The font is really great!

Here are a couple of close ups:

All the stickers are embossed giving them automatic dimension!

I've got a few more projects to share so check back soon!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

XOXO....one more Crazy for You Layout

Hello!

I thought before February fades away with the snow (at least I'm wishing the snow will fade away soon!) I would share one more layout using the Crazy for You collection by We R Memory Keepers.

This one isn't a Valentine's Day layout, but these papers can also be used for general "love" layouts.

My daughter L.O.V.E.S our dogs.  She just can't leave them alone.  She's either picking them up to cuddle them (which our 50 pound Cockerdoodle usually has something to say about that one. Ha!) or dressing them up in random stuff, or blowing on them.  Sometimes they play along and sometimes they growl but they always come back for more "torture" with their tails wagging.  I wanted to document that so that when she's a mom who tells her kids to stop bugging the dogs, I can pull this out!

I used one of the Tab punches to accent the side of the photo and the top of the layout.

This doily stamp comes with the Crazy for you Collection.  I used it to add "texture" to the kraft XOXO and to add a pattern to the main 12x12 sheet, as well as a couple of accent stamps on the body of the layout.

And some more close ups: (you can see that I still had a few more of those little hearts left but I put those babies to good use)

So just because Valentine's Day is over and February is about to wave bye-bye, doesn't mean these papers are obsolete.  You can use them for lots of projects!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Celebrating February 14th

Hello!

Since this is still the month of L.O.V.E. I thought I'd share a layout I did about how we had a family Valentine's Day dinner one year when my kids were little and we didn't have a babysitter.  I've been wanting to scrapbook these photos for about...oh...10 years.  I'm kind of embarrassed that it took me this long, but I guess better late than never and now I have the memory documented. :)

I used the Crazy for You collection again from We R Memory Keepers.  The colors fit perfectly with my photos.  I didn't add too much embellishment because I really am a simple scrapper at heart:

And a couple of close-ups:

The "February 14th" chipboard sticker has a little bit of sparkle.  So pretty!

I punched 3 little hearts out of the black/white chevron paper then finished the line off with one of WRMK great metal "flair" buttons....love those things!

I'm working on one more that I'll post soon.

Are you still working on Valentine's layouts?  If you are, put a link to yours in the comments.  I'd love to see!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

No Place Like Home

Hello!

I was so excited to show you the mini album I made with the Country Livin' collection from We R Memory Keepers but as I pulled up the photos, I remembered the deadline was closing in fast and I was panicked that I wouldn't complete it in time so there are only two pictures.  So bummed, because I loved how it turned out.  Ah well.  I'll show you what I can.

This first photo is the cover.  It kind of gives you a feel for the collection.  Such a fun mix of colors and patterns, right?

Here's one of the inner pages.  The Mama's cookin' label looked like a retro restaurant sign to me so I made a little post and base for it to stand on.  The base was made using another style of File Punch.  See the tabs on the right there?  That will give you a little more into what the collection is all about.

There are some really fun papers in there.  See that tab at the top of my album, the one there that says "EGGS"?  well that's part of a cut-apart sheet.  It has all sorts of old-timey newspaper ads and coupons that are really fun embellishments for layouts.  There was one that said something about "Haircuts 50 cents. Save this coupon!" so I used it on a before and after page of my oldest getting a much needed haircut.  There's also one that says something about seeing the circus so I used that on a page about my husband and kids wrestling in the living room.  Another one advertises a Dog Show so I cut that one out and put it on the page that shows how my daughter used to train our dog to jump through a hoola hoop!  So fun!

Go check out We R Memory Keepers for all their fun collections and tools!  Also, if you are obsessed like Pinterest, go check out my We R Board and see the cool new tools they are coming out with!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

It's My Party and I'll Blog if I Want To!

Hello!

Well, it's been quite a while since I've checked in here and since today is my birthday, I thought I'd share a layout I finished yesterday.

I signed up for a Studio Calico/Silhouette class a few months ago.  I purchased my kit, downloaded the class Silhouette shapes and PDFs to my computer and then did nothing with it.  Then the other day, I got the bug to make something that wasn't Stampin' Up! or We R related to add to my own personal scrapbook library.  And, uh, yeah.  These photos are from 10 years ago.  I'm just getting around to scrapping them.  Oh well.  Better late than never, I guess. ;)  I love the colors and how it all came together.  I used some of the Studio Calico Silhouette shapes and papers and embellishments from My Mind's Eye.

Speaking of Stampin' Up!, three years ago today (yes, a birthday present to myself) I signed up to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Not that my business has really grown, but I've met some really wonderful people because of that decision and I like to celebrate milestones!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

I'm In Here!

Hello!

I'm doing a happy dance today because one of my layouts has been published for the first time here:

And it hits the newsstands today!  I'm in the Tips and Tricks section showing off the Doodle Stamper from WRMK on this Christmas layout. 

“As seen in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.”

It seems like forever ago that I mailed that baby in.  Time does have a way of sneaking up on ya, doesn't it?  I feel so honored/happy/lucky/blessed/amazed to be having the fun creative experiences that I'm having right now.  Don't know how long it will last, but I'm soaking up every minute of this crafty ride!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Pinterest Party

Hello!

Time for another Pinterest Party installment.  I took my inspiration from a quote again.  I like how quotes can make you laugh, think, or stop you in your tracks and refocus your priorities.

This quote, however, is of the humorous sort.  Most days, those are my favorite.  I love to laugh.  My kids love to make fun of me when I laugh.  Not because I have a particularly ridiculous laugh, but when I really laugh, like a full-on belly laugh, I sound like I need to cut back to 2 packs a day.  Either that or someone might think they need to run and find an inhaler.  I think it must have something to do with all the many wonderful occasions when I had bronchitis.  Mostly in my elementary school career, but as recently as 2 years ago.  But I digress.

So here's the quote I pinned:

Now, before I show you what I did with this quote, 1) remember I love to laugh and 2) the glasses were a day activity gift from a business trip I took with Superman a few years ago.  Most of the people on the bus didn't appreciate them until they had knocked back a few.  Me?  I didn't need the liquor to appreciate the novelty.  Only ice cream.

So here ya go:

I actually used those glasses that same year for a Halloween costume.  Aren't they crazy?!  They still make me laugh. :)

I'm pretty sure my grandkids will one day find these pictures funny and oh so telling into who Granny was and how she made Gramps behave.

So go to your Pinterest boards and let yourself be inspired.  You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Hall Pass - 3 layouts and a card

Hello!

I'm pretty sure I posted these before but the Hall Pass collection from We R Memory Keepers is now available for sale!  You can get the collection at Two Peas in a Bucket, Scrapbook.Com, or your local scrapbook store.  I love the rich fun colors in this line and the embossed stickers are awesome!

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!

Copy Cat Thursday and a lesson learned. {UPDATED}

You can go to the Story Saving Blog to see how Kelsey made this photo collage for me!

Hello everyone!
{NOTE: This is a long post so bear with me please!}

It's been a looooong time since I did a Copy Cat Thursday post!  Today I'm copying a fun summer layout by Nichol Magouirk.  She is SUPER fabulous and you can see her original layout HERE.

Here's my copy.  Have I said how much I love the Simple Stories Summer Fresh line?!!:

And some close-ups: {If you'd like to know how I created the firework, let me know and I'll do a mini tutorial}

I don't have all the same elements that Nichol had {I'd have to have a whole room to have everything that all those great designers have!} but it was fun combining stamps, stickers, die cuts, buttons, card stock, etc. to make all the elements on the page.

Now to the lesson, or what I thought was going to be the lesson:  After finishing this layout, I thought to myself that while I love Nichol's style, this just wasn't for me.  It didn't look as cute and finished as hers and it was a lot of work!  So I thought that the lesson I had learned was I'll admire her creations but stick to super simple and be happy with it.  Then I promptly put it in an album and stuck it on the shelf.

Fast forward to today when I pulled it out to photograph it.  Guess what?  I loved it!  I was looking at my own layout.  Not comparing every detail to Nichol's layout.  That made all the difference.  And the result was totally worth all the time it took for me to put everything together.  Will every layout be this detailed?  No.  But will I make my own elements in the future and experiment with things I love about other people's creations? Most definitely!

So I guess the real lesson I learned is this:  It's great to expand your horizons and step out of your comfort zone to try the styles of other scrapbookers.  What's not okay is to compare your results and tell yourself you don't measure up.  Your loved ones will not be looking at the original layout and saying "well, why didn't you use that same patterned paper as so & so?  It just doesn't look as good as hers".  Seriously.

And the photo collage?  Don't ask me how to do it.  I don't know how.  Maybe you all do?  My talented niece Miss Kelsey from the Story Saving blog did it for me.  She's going to do a video tutorial on it soon......right, Kels? ;)

Thanks for joining me at the Table today!