Do you wanna build a Snowman?

I couldn't help but try and use a line from "Frozen" at some point on my blog this winter.  So here it is.

When I asked the kids this, their answer was YES!  But guess who did all the work?  Momma.  They helped pack in the snow a bit and put some of the pieces on.  And Charlotte helped me find sticks for arms, and while we were doing so, noticed the Holly bush.  So we picked a piece (which somehow ended up in the snowman's armpit) and it also became our snowpersons' name: Holly!  :)

This is yet ANOTHER page for the Sketchathon going on at My Scraps & More!

I started by washing over the background with some gesso and a dry brush to tone down the pattern a bit.  Then I machine stitched a circle with white thread in the upper right corner to draw more attention to the photo up there.  A trick I used on a previous page that I will probably use again and again, is to use a white pen and draw in some lines along the white threads to make the circle stand out more.

I splattered some blue paint on the background, too. Then I just placed my photos, and built up the one in the top right a bit more with some papers and embellies.  For my title, I just decided to use the words right on the die cut...it was perfect!

Finally, I bit of layering with some labels, brads, chipboard, and pre-stitched pieces.  Working with a whole collection makes it so easy to put things together!

Would love to see you join in at the Sketchathon!  Check it out HERE:

http://myscrapsandmore.proboards.com/

Stay sccrappy my friends!

Muddy Mess!

When the snow starts to melt, we get mud.  Lots of mud.  Why is mud so fun?  I have no idea....but it keeps my kids entertained and I don't mind throwing their clothes in the laundry!  So I let them play!

I don't usually mix and match lines, but I did a LOT on this page!  I used products from the Amy Tan Plus One, Dear Lizzy daydreamer, Crate Paper Styleboard, Studio Calico Lemon Lush and Wanderlust collections!  I love how the background paper looks like rain drops!  That's why I chose it!  :)

For each photo, I just added some bits of paper behind and clusters of embellies on top of each.  I layered vellum, chipboard, die cuts, stickers, and even some wood veneers. Then topped it all with some machine stitching in black.

On my title letters, the black alphas were just too dark, and I wanted them to look more muddy, so I used white ones and stamped them with some grey and brown inks.  And I LOVE those gold foil leaves from Studio Calico!

I kinda like the bright springy colors of this page contrasting with the MUDDY photos!  :)  And there is a lot more mud out there still!  :)  but at least the flowers are starting to poke through in some spots!

Stay scrappy my friends!

Snow Fall- My Scraps Sketchathon!

Have you stopped by to see all the awesome things going on with the Sketchathon at My Scraps & More???  There are some seriously fantastic sketches by the DT members!

I am sharing one today that is a favorite of mine lately!

We had a LOT of snow this winter and there were literally MOUNDS of it everywhere, espeically after shoveling.  The kids liked standing in front of a pile and falling back into it and then looking up at the falling snow!  I used the wonderfully colorful and fun Bundled Up collection from Crate Paper.

On my background, I started with white cardstock and then stitched a transparency on it from Webster's Pages.  This embellishment is from the Crate 3D embellies pack.

I die cut a whole bunch of snowflakes and then just scattered them on my page.  I dusted off my Stickles and added some glitter sparkle on them.

Finally, I just tucked some tags and a few other embellies on the page and it was done!  The only patterned paper on the page is that strip in the middle!

It is still early in the month and you have plenty of time to play along with the sketches!  Check out the forum HERE: http://myscrapsandmore.proboards.com/

Stay scrappy my friends!

Let's Be Explorers!- Scrapbook Circle sketch

Hello all!  Back again with another page using the April Scrapbook Circle Kit!  I played along with Diana's sketch today on the SBC blog AND used the exclusive cut file she created on my page as well!

A few weeks ago, while at my parents, the kids and my dad and I went for a little walk and did some "exploring"!  Charlotte picked up some pinecones and sticks, and Kyler a big pile of leaves....all of which ended up in my pocket because we had to "keep" them!  :)

One of my favorite items is the pack of die cuts from the Fancy Pants "As You Wish" collection.  So using Diana's circle cut file as inspiration, I pulled out some of the circular elements from the die cuts and also the buttons, too.

 For my journaling area, I just left one of the circle open to write in!  A pretty simple page for me, but I loved using that circle cut file!

Be sure to share your take on the sketch on the Scrapbook Circle FB page and blog, too!

Stay scrappy my friends!

The way she dresses...with a SKETCH and little tutorial....

Hello everyone!  Back again today to share a page with the lastest Scrapbook Circle kit and a sketch that I made exclusively for the My Scraps & More SKETCHATHON going on this month!  

So Charlotte has started dressing herself almost everyday (unless its a school day, then I pick out the outfit).  She has NO concept of patterns and colors!  :)  She just picks what she likes and puts it on.  I have been trying to teach her that if she picks a shirt that it is solid color, to choose pants with a print....it's a work in progress!  :)  But I have to hand it to her for actually wanting to get dressed and DOING it!

I used this month's Bucket List kit from Scrapbook Circle, and created a sketch for this page for the SKETCHATHON at My Scraps & More!

Do you know I also have a whole bunch of other sketches on the "Sketch" tab above?  Check 'em out!

So let me show you a little tutorial on how I made the #4 circle element on the bottom right of my photo using the Crate Paper Oh Darling! acetate alphas.

First, I chose some random numbers, letters and symbols and made a pile of Glossy Accents on my non-stick craft mat.  Then I layered the pieces on top of each other, making sure to really press it into the glue so the glue would get between the layers.  If needed, I added a few drops of the Glossy Accents here and there between the letters.  Then I let it dry COMPLETELY overnight.  

Once dry, I traced a circle shape onto the numbers and cut it out (I tried to use a punch, but the acetate was too thick with the layers of letters).  I inked the edges a bit in black, then added the #4 with a pop dot on top!  You may notice that the #4 is white behind it and not clear: that's because I painted the back of it with white paint to make it stand out more.

I used some more of the letters as part of my title and just stapled them to the page.

 A few hearts, a 3x4 card from Fancy Pants (that says :LIFE), a couple banner pieces, and some stitching to top it off!

Hope that you use this sketch!  If you do, please SHARE and link it up at the My Scraps forum!!

Stay scrappy my friends!

Cupcakes from Carol! My Scraps Sketch...

Friday is sketch day on the My Scraps & More Sketch Blog and the first sketch is up for April!  

Hubby's step-mom was in town and stopped by for dinner. She NEVER comes empty handed and brought the kids some adorable cupcakes (and use a fruit tart!  Yum!).  They had so much fun eating them, but there was a LOT of frosting!  They loved it!

When I saw this weeks sketch, I immediately thought of the thin Amy Tan washi tape from the Plus One collection, so I started with that to make the blue and pink lines in the center of my page.

On the four squares, three are photos and the fourth I decided to use an an embellished area with this cupcake from Crate Paper Party Day collection and silver glitter pennants from Studio Calico Lemonlush. On the cupcake, the yellow was a bit dark, and if you look closely, you can see that I used some of the thin yellow washi tape to create a bright cupcake wrapper.  Also, for the "faux" tag where my journaling is, I traced a tag, punched the hole for the twine, and then cut a thin slit on the edge to pull the twine through.  It almost looks as if it is a real tag!

Just a few splatters of black paint, some enamel dots from MME, rub on arrows from the AT Plus One, and a chipboard heart from Studio Calico (and those awesome black thickers, too!)

Hope you can find some time to play along this month with the sketches on the My Scraps Sketch Blog!

Stay scrappy my friends!

Should I go with xxPro or Valencia?

Have you heard the #selfie song by The Chainsmokers?  The girl talking reminds me so much of the girl in the song "Baby Got Back".   I don't take many selfies. But we happened to be outside on a nice, spring like day, and I was with the kids and we were having fun and the sun was setting, and it was just such a nice night, so I thought I would document myself enjoying it! Plus the quote "Not all who wander are lost", is one of my favorites so I have to include that on my page. I used the Scrapbook Circle April kit, "Bucket List" and a few of the add ons.

I started with a kraft background and went over it with some white gesso with a dry brush.  The Fancy Pants papers in the kit are SO bold and have great patterns, so I just used small bits of them to add a LOT of color.  I also layered some of the Elle's Studio die cuts (seen here) and ephemera from Fancy Pants as well.  Oh, and those little wood veneer triangles come in the kit....they are AWESOME!

Around the outside edge of my page, I used the Studio Calico stamp and stamped a border with dark grey ink.  Then I stitched the frame with teal thread and added some stitching to my die cuts, too.  I added some chipboard buttons and put black BRADS from my stash in them (I need to use those things more!)

There are some awesome things happening at Scrapbook Circle this month, so stay tuned there!

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On another note, we are having a SKETCHATHON the entire month of April at the My Scraps & More forums.  All the sketches have been EXCLUSIVLEY designed by the DT, and they are awesome!  Stop by and check it out HERE:  My Scraps & More Forums.

Stay Scrappy My Friends!

This Lovely Lady & Forever Friends

I guess these two titles could have been used on either of these pages today!  Of course, I use the new Crate Paper collections, which are MY FAVS!

About once a month, I am lucky to get to go out to dinner with some friends.  It's great because we each bring along other friends who may not know each other, and we ALWAYS have a good time.  But the friend I go out with all the time is my good friend Lisa.  She paid me the nicest compliment about being the type of person that is easy to go out to dinner with (in many more words than that), and I just love her humor, honesty, and her always open ears.

This isn't the best photo of us in the dimly lit restaurant, but we haven't taken a photo together in a while, so I changed it to black and white and upped the contrast a bit!

I used the new Crate Paper Maggie Holmes Styleboard collection, which you can see HERE in the My Scraps & More store!  At first, I wasn't too sure about this line, but when I saw it in person I was SOLD!  I love the colors and prints of the "ticket" looking paper, so I knew I wanted to use that on my page.

My page design is based on one of the weekly sketches at My Scraps & More Sketch blog, which you can find HERE!

The polka dot paper actually has gold foil dots on it that add a great shimmer.  I painted over it with some gesso and a dry brush.

For the circle on the sketch, I decided to stitch with white thread.  It wasn't showing up as much as I had hoped, so I added a few white lines with a white gel pen to help make the circle stand out more.

Next up I went all girly on this page!  Pink, doilies, butterflies, and hearts!  Another mix up of Crate Paper Styleboard and Oh Darling.

Charlotte has a couple close girl friends from school.  They are just all so cute together!  They always like to do "group hugs".  We were walking back to our cars after a lunch date at Red Robin, and they were all holding hands in the parking lot.  I snapped this picture with my phone.

I stuck with some light colors, and then added some color with the blues and pinks, inspired by the color combo at ScrapFriends/Kreative Koncepts.   ( I guess my teal is a bit darker than the combo....it is what I was thinking in my head at the time....oh well!)

To keep with the "lightness", I used some of the vellum doilies and other die cuts (like the hearts and butterfly). The ribbon embellishment is a piece of chipboard, and it had some writing on it that I didn't want for my page, so I just added another small doily chipboard piece and a chipboard heart, too, to cover it up.  

I LOVE all the gold foil accents in these collections!  It's on the chipboard, the vellum, and the die cuts.

Thanks for stopping by to see my Crate Paper goodness today!

Stay scrappy my friends!

My Scraps SKETCH and Scrapbook Circle: Pizza Night!

The new Friday sketch is up at the My Scraps & More sketch blog this week!  When I saw the arrows on the sketch, they reminded me of triangles. And it just so happened that there were LOTS of triangles in the Scrapbook Circle kit this month, Portobello Row!  THEN, I was looking through my photos, and how perfect are photos of PIZZA NIGHT for triangles.

On the background, you can make out some yellow spots that I stamped through the hexagon stencil in the kit. I added the patterned paper with the small triangles first, then some strips of grey star paper running behind the photos.  To draw your eye towards the photos, I cut out some large triangles.  I actually used the "The Best" sticker from the Basic Grey sticker sheet as a template to trace my triangles.  At the end of the last triangle, I placed one of the Crate Paper triangle brads.  It is actually a dark pink color, so I painted it to match the reddish shade on my page.

A few stickers placed here and there, plus these AWESOME Crate Paper acetate letters and a piece of exclusive flair to "top" it all off!

This kit is SOOOO awesome to work with!  Some great colors and patterns!  Will be sharing more over the next few days!

Hope to see you join in on the sketch this week at the My Scraps & More sketch blog!

Stay scrappy my friends!

Inspiration Elevator Guest Designer and My Scraps & More GIVEAWAY!

You may recall that the purpose of this challenge group is to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and extend ourselves. You can view all of the challenges our Inspiration Elevator Blog, here. We are thrilled to welcome back Audrey Yeager this month as a guest designer. Audrey recently came into ownership of My Scraps & More online store, and has graciously offered a prize this month! Read on to find out how you could win!




My Scraps & More is celebrating Valentine's Day this weekend with a special crop and sale!  Visit the message board to see all the wonderful inspiration!

And there are a TON of new products in stock from manufacturers like American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico, October Afternoon, Simple Stories, Echo Park, and Bella Blvd.

Save 30% off your order this weekend ONLY (until midnight Feb. 16th EST).  Use the code:

ILOVEMYSCRAPS30 

at checkout!

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Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Michelle Hernandez. Here's how she expressed this month's challenge:

"Inspiration Elevator Challenge February- Phoenix Rising.
I'm going through one of the toughest times of my life right now. Huge changes, dashed expectations, embarrassing set backs- it's all overwhelming, all the time. I have the love and support of my family and my health- so it could be worst but still - it sucks.

Michelle's challenge for February:

Tell a story visually or through your journaling that speaks to your greatest challenge and most importantly how you dug yourself out. This should be a celebration of your faith, personal resilience and/or creativity. A story you'd like to tell your kids, grandkids or yourself when things get rough. "
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This was a tough one for me, but I was thinking about what challenging things I have been through the past couple of years, and the thing that stood out was our move from Texas back to NY.  We thought is was a perfect oppurtunity, but it didn't turn out as easy as we hoped!  It's a LONG story, as you will see on my page!

I used a sketch from Sketchabilities and papers from Crate Paper Flea Market.  I knew I was going to have a lot of journaling, so I added an envelope to my page to tuck in my thoughts.

I began by spraying some mist on my background and letting it drip.  Then I splattered some white paint and stamped with a polka dot stamp and navy ink.  Then I stitched a circle with white thread.

Based on the sketch, I made a banner of sorts with a doily shape I due cut with my cameo, a pennant piece, and the envelope.  Then I layered some other bits and pieces along the banner, too.  I have a few packs of tiny clothespins but rarely use them, so I am glad I go the chance to on this page!

And for my journaling, I just typed my text in sqaures that would fit into the envelope and taped them together with washi tape.  I added a washi tape "tag" to pull it out from the top.  I told you there was a lot of journaling!

Now hop along to the other wonderful blogs to see some great stuff!

Michelle Hernandez
Ann Jobes
Laura Whitaker
Lisa Moen
Christa Uttley
Cathy Harper
Lisa Spiegel
Joanne Burton
Jodi Wilton
Guest designer: Audrey Yeager


We would LOVE to see you take up Michelle's challenge this month, so if you do, please share it at our linkup on the Inspiration Elevator blog.

So, how do you win the My Scraps & More prize? It's simple - leave a comment! I will choose one random comment from one random blog to win the $15 gift certificate to My Scraps & More!

Stay scrappy my friends!