Gelato detox...

Brace yourselves...no gelatos were used to make these layouts  ;-) I've been using so many different mediums on my backgrounds lately that it was beginning to get hard to convince myself that the page was done...without a drop of ink, gelato, paste or gesso (my four new best friends).  A good friend told me that it would be good for me to challenge myself to abstain from gelatos and the like.  Well, I never back down from a challenge.  But have to admit...I still feel twitchy.  ;-)

These layouts aren't for any design team work or challenge.  They're purely for fun and for capturing the little lady on some recent outings.  One thing I want to start doing more often is getting the funny little things she says down on paper.  That's what this first layout is all about.  Hope you enjoy!

Okay, so there's a eensy weensy amount of mist on this first one.  I misted a heart mask with some trusty HS mists and then ran the masked page through the typewriter to decorate the hearts.
(And yes, there was a snafu with a stamp.  Pretend you don't see it.  ;-)  )

I have another good friend to credit for the title of this second layout.  I had shared this photo and she captioned it perfectly.  Thanks for the title inspiration, girlfriend!

Case File #90...35.

It's my birthday this month...turning 3-5.  I know there's a couple ways I can look at this number, and part of me is none too impressed with getting another year older.  However, the last 2 years have been full of tough lessons and challenges so instead of dreading the big "35" I've decided to embrace it.  It's going to be an awesome year.

Here's this week's awesome CSI case file:

And here's my layout.  I can't get enough of these gelatos. :)

This and that

.I am so not a fan of Mondays...yet, here we are again.  The start of another work week.  Had a fabulous weekend full of relaxation, crafting, and good food with good friends.  Wish it could have lasted a little longer!  Hope you all enjoyed the weekend as well!

Posting a layout I did awhile ago, but never posted...I had a craft night with some friends who were new to scrapbooking, and gave them a color scheme and sketch to work from to create their first layouts.  This was my sample page using the sketch and colors (Unfortunately my color swatch and sketch are on another computer so I can't post them here.)  Also posting a fun "just because" card I made experimenting with gelatos, distressed inks and stamps on canvas.

(sorry about the bit of glare - had a hard time getting a good shot of this layout!)

And here's the card I made.  This was really fun to play around with.

Enjoy the week everyone!

BOAF DT Reveal #2 - September Kit!

Happy Sunday everyone!  Time for another reveal over at Birds of a Feather kit club!  This time, I tried out a couple of cards in addition to a layout.  I had forgotten how fun cards are to make...and how much easier they are because you don't have to coordinate with the colors in a photo! ;-)

Here is my layout and below it are a couple of cards.  The "thinking of you" card isn't really my style and I'm not super crazy about it, but it's been forever since I have embossed and I had a lot of fun revisiting my go-to techniques of yesteryear! Enjoy your day!

CSI Case File #89 - B is for Bright...

Man, I struggled with these pastels!!  Started with some gelatos and mists over gesso, then decided I didn't like the drippy look so gesso'd over that a bit, then decided the colors were too bold, so gesso'd over that too!  Holy moly.  How's that for an opening paragraph?  LOL

Anyway, this week's CSI Case File (which, as does every 2nd week of the month, featured a fabulous sketch by Em Stafrace) featured some muted pastels that I found incredibly challenging (ahem, see above...) but that is what I love about CSI.  The challenge to step outside your comfort zone, experiment with color combinations, but still get your journaling in so you preserve your family stories.  And despite the struggle of putting this one together, I am happy with the end result.  Afterall, how could I be anything less than happy with a smile that bright beaming up at me from the page?

Here's the case file and sketch:

And here's my layout and some close-ups:

Thanks for looking and TGIF!!!!  :-)

DT Reveal - AAG Lots of Flowers Challenge

Is it Monday already?  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are enjoying the cooler fall weather!  We filled our weekend with fall-themed events and I can't wait until the work week is over so we can do it again!
Today's layout is for About a Girl's mid-month challenge.  The challenge is to use lots of flowers.  Sounds easy, right?  Well, if you are like me and don't often use flowers, it truly is a challenge.  However, I have a handful of photos from my daughter's ballet recital that are perfect for a flowery layout, so those were the ones I chose to scrap for this page.  I used a mixture of gesso, mists, gelatos, and modeling paste to create the background and color the patterned paper and doilies.  Then I added some perfect pearls and mists to the flowers and layered some tulle behind the patterned paper under the photo.  A very foo-foo, flowery layout perfect for my little ballerina. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Design Team Reveal for Birds of a Feather Kit Co.

Hey everyone!  Today is my very first reveal as a design team member for Birds of a Feather Kit Co.!  I received my September kit and was amazed at how many materials are packed into just one kit...gorgeous materials with endless possibilities!  I created two layouts for my reveal - the first primarily using the different patterned papers, and the second using primarily the embellishments (homemade background paper using mists, gelatos and a mask).  Here are the layouts.  If you are interested in seeing a full list of materials included in this amazing kit, click here!  Have a fabulous day!

Hey all!  Happy September!  For many of us, that means back to school time for the kiddos and plenty of scrapping inspiration online.  Case and point.  This week's CSI challenge.  Gorgeous colors perfect for fall, and of course perfect for those back to school photos!  Scrapfriends has a great sketch challenge this month as well, and I used that as the framework for the layout.  Here's the sketch and the Case File:

And here is my layout featuring our big girl on her first day of school this year.  Happy September everyone!

Mind Mapping - CSI #87

Happy Friday!!  There's an amazing case file this week over at CSI...one of the testimony prompt suggestions is this very cool concept called "mind mapping."  It inspired my inner wanna be artist and I do think maybe I will give art journaling a try after this.  That's the thing about CSI...it pushes your limits and encourages you to try things that you might not have otherwise.  :)

If you go check out Pinterest you will find tons of different examples of how to create a mind map - many involve a flow chart or graph type of a structure.  You can click here for some examples. I saw the map a bit differently though, using a foundation word as the trunk of the tree, supporting the branches/areas where I need to find balance in life.  I used a mix of mists, gelatos, and chalk to create the  background, and the rest is simply pen and molding paste. Below is the final result.  I'm pretty happy with it...kind of reminds me of an old Smashing Pumpkins album cover!

And here's the sketch I started with, and some close-ups.  PS.  I went through an obscene amount of molding paste to do this layout.  If you haven't tried molding paste to add dimension to your pages, give it a try.  It is so workable and if you goof up, you can actually scrape/wipe it off before it dries.

Thanks so much for stopping by and having a look!  Have a fabulous weekend!