Paper Loft July Guest Designer!!

I am so excited to be The Paper Loft's July Guest Designer!! 

I LOVE their paper and accessory sheets!!  Here is one of my layouts, titled "3".  It features a photo of my youngest son, Benny.  How adorable is he?!! 

I used a Crafter's Workshop stencil on the background paper along with some white PanPastels, then started layering the paper & accessories.  I was totally inspired by this layout by Melinda Spinks.  I punched out circles of paper and scattered them around the photo, popping some up with foam dots.  This technique complements the dappled sun peeking through the trees in the background of the photo.  You can have a look on The Paper Loft blog today to see the exact papers & accessories I used!!  Here is a close up:

Thanks again to the fantastic team at The Paper Loft!! 

Paper Loft May Challenge

I just got back from Scrappin' Great Deals Spring Scrapbooking Retreat at The Oakwood Inn!!   WOW, what a weekend!  So much fun!!!  While I was there, my friend Kim convinced me to make a layout for the Paper Loft May Challenge.  All I had to do was follow the sketch they provided and use Paper Loft product!  Here is the sketch to be followed:

And here is my take on the sketch, a 12x12 layout, titled 'forever':

I used the Shades of Grey paper line from Paper Loft, Tim Holtz tissue paper and film strip, Queen & Co. washi tape, Heidi Swap title sticker, Crafter's Workshop Stencil, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punches, distress inks, gesso, stickles....  That's about it!! 

Thanks for having a look, and have a fantastic day!!! 

National Scrapbooking Day!!!

We are celebrating at SCRAPPIN' GREAT DEALS!!

 

Saturday May 4th!!

  10am - 2pm  

 

Join us for a creative celebration!!  Our amazing Divas will be on hand to show you how to make a gorgeous decorative floral box!!  This is a FREE customer event and there is no need to register!!  Our busy Divas are prepping for 100 projects!!  

There will be door prizes every half hour, a fabulous raffle table + we are giving away a Big Shot Machine!!  In lieu of any fees, we are asking that you bring a toonie (or two or three!!) to donate to Breast Cancer Research!  Scrappin' Great Deals will match whatever we collect!!  

So mark your calendars & join us Saturday, May 4th!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Just some random layouts to share with you today!!!  Tomorrow I can share another with you, that was published in the October 2012 issue of Scrapbook Trends!  Happy Halloween!!

My Inspiration

Where do you draw inspiration from??  I just returned from an incredible week up in the Muskoka region, a lovely resort called Cedar Grove Lodge on Penninsula Lake, between Huntsville and Algonquin. Cedar Grove has been the home away from home for vacationers since 1927!  It has been our home away from home for the last 8 years. The view from our cabin:

 

It was a week filled with nature, kids, fun and relaxation.  A week to recharge and be inspired by my surroundings.  I love the area, the sunsets, the landscapes, the mix of rocks, water and trees.  Pure heaven in my opinion. 

I also had the opportunity to take in a watercolour and wool workshop, offered by a very talented artist, Pam.  Pam owns and operates the Morgan House Bed & Breakfast and Woolworks.  Pam raises her own sheep, shears them and then dies the wool.  My friend and I created a "watercolour" canvas using wool.  It was such a relaxing, remarkable morning.  Up in an old barn studio, surrounded by every shade of wool imaginable, letting the canvas take shape as it will;  here is my creation:

 

You can click on the picture and see that everything is died wool, we created the background first, then added layers on top.  I choose to do a landscape, my friend an abstract.  I cannot wait to try to incorporate some of the techniques I learned up in that barn studio into my scrapbooking and altered art/mixed media designs. 

Pencil Crayons or Distress Markers???

Pencil Crayons with odorless mineral spirits on the left, Distress Markers on the right.  Which do I prefer...hmmmmm.  This question will go unanswered today!! 

Cousin Time

Wow, almost a month has gone by without any creative time!!!  How sad is that!?  My family arrived this week from Manitoba, and they are staying with us for the week.  I have been frantically getting the house into a cleaner, more organized space.  Our spare bedroom had sadly turned into a "lets put it in here for now" room.  The bathrooms got spruced up with new paint etc., and the whole house got a good cleaning.  That took up a LOT of my spare time!  But my brother, sister in law, niece and nephew have arrived and the 4 kids are having a blast together!  Loving this week!! 

Let's hope September is a craftier month!!  Have a great day!

Wild Ones!

This is a kit I put together for Scrappin' Great Deals.  Perfect for those dinosaur lovers out there!!  Everything you need to complete the above layout, except adhesive, is included in the kit! It will be available soon over at Scrappin' Great Deals, both in store and online!! 

Real Boys Play with Trucks

It's true you know!  My boys love their trucks, and the bigger the better.  Monster Truck Big!  Here is a layout made with BoBunny's "On the Go" Line, perfect for my boys!

Nothing too technical about this page!  I used the 12 x 12 chipboard shapes, the brads and the paper, all from the one line. I also matched up some of the Double Dot Cardstock.  Some fussy cutting from the cut-outs paper, and the banner trend is still big right now so I layered some 1" strips, folded them and made the banner below the title.  Love the colours, so bright and happy!

 

My Sunshine

Good morning everyone!  Looks like we have another heat wave heading our way here in Southwestern Ontario!  I will enjoy today's temperatures while it lasts - hot but not as much humidity!

I have another layout to share today - created with Scrappin' Great Deals July Scrapbooking Kit.  Sadly, it is also the last of the monthly kit program.  Happily we are still creating kits - just in a new direction.  We are making DIVA kits.  Layouts, cards, altered items;  kits with full instructions to create one layout, or a group of cards or even an album.  I will post more details as we get them underway!!

Right now here is:  "MY SUNSHINE"

I had fun playing with a new Ranger stamp set, Dylusions - that is the flowers along the left side, stamped in Tattered Rose Distress ink, hilighted with my Distress Markers.  I used an EK Success border punch on the Authentique patterned paper, and then used a Prima flourish mask to add some dimension to the paper.  The rest of the embellishments are in the kit - the wood butterflies by Maya Road, a lovely little folder by Simple Stories, ZVA roses, pearls, ribbon, twine.  Loving the orange & pink colour combo!

Have a fabulous day!!

Sunshine Makes Me Happy!!

It is that time again!  The beginning of the month means it is time to present Scrappin' Great Deals July's Scrapbooking Kit!! Look at all that yummy paper and embellishments, and the theme this month is "Dreams Create the Future" courtesy of a Unity Stamp that is included in the kit!

Tons of summer colour; paper by Echo Park, American Crafts, BoBunny and Authentique; May Arts ribbon, Darcie twine, ZVA flowers, Favourite Findings Buttons, Maya Road Butterflies, Simple Stories Memo Pockets; etc, etc, etc!!!  STUNNING!!

I have one layout to share today:  "Sunshine Makes me Happy"

Tools and Media I used to create the layout not included in the kit:

Studio Calico Bubble Mask
Donna Salazar Bubble Wrap Stamp
October Afternoon Mist
Glimmer Mist
Sew Easy and Embroidery Cotton
Distress Ink and Stain
Dylusions by Ranger Stamp Set

I love building layers upon layers using my paper and media, love texture, fussy cutting, stamping and misting!  I just can't seem to keep it simple!!

Hope you have a fantastic day, keep cool and enjoy the sunshine!!