I am thankful...

It's an "anything goes" month over at Once Upon a Sketch, with a fabulous sketch, and the freedom to pick whatever journaling subject you choose.  Usually, they'll give you an inspiration phrase to spark your journaling (which I actually love  because sometimes I get a total mental block), but this month you can journal about anything your little heart desires. ;-)  I'm so glad I found the time to play along with a couple of challenge sites this month, aside from my normal design team work.

Here's my layout.

(So bizarre how the striped paper behind the photo seems to show through in my skin...you can't see it in real life.  Ah, well.  lol)

And here's this month's sketch inspiration.

While I followed the general shape of the page, I did move my title and my journaling is spread around the page.  I started out swiping some gesso across the page horizontally, and then added some mint green Heidi Swapp mist.

I crumpled some vellum paper (Recollections and Maggie Holmes) and used it to give texture above the gesso and mist.  Then I worked some ribbon in and added some of the great papers and embellies that came in this month's Citrus Twist Kit.  Don't you just love those wooden scallops?!

I used the gesso in random spots around the page to tone down the background paper and to serve as journaling spots, and then I made a list of all of the things in my life that I am thankful for right now.  

Big thanks to Once Upon a Sketch for the inspiration.  Happy Monday everyone!

xoxo,

Shawna

Laugh.

Happy Monday, friends!  Today I'm sharing a layout I created for March's sketch challenge at Once Upon a Sketch.  Just squeezing this in in the nick of time, since today is the deadline!  Here is the sketch and the journaling inspiration:

And here is my layout.

I used my Faber Castell gelatos (the Tropical set) and applied them with a paint brush in a watercolor fashion.  Then I doodled underneath the photo and layered up some papers and jute.  My journaling says:

True friends make life worth living.  Watching your friendship with Addison grow, as each of you grow, has been a joy. I hope that when you are both adults, you will have a friendship as special and as strong as my friendship with Addi's mom.  Love you girls so much.

Here are a few closeups:

Thank you for visiting.  Stop back tonight when a special Scrap 365-CSI challenge is revealed!


xoxo,

Shawna

Coffee, anyone? ;)

Late night post to share my layout I created for the current sketch and journaling challenge at Once Upon a Sketch.  This is my first time playing along with the girls over at OUAS but I have been seeing their name all over blog posts so I had to go over and check it out.  I love it!  Although you are given a sketch and a journaling theme, there is so much room for interpretation.  Definitely check them out if you haven't already.  Here is the sketch.  The journaling prompt is "Totally addicted to _____."  And yeah.  Lattes.  Sweet, delicious, lattes.  Yummmmmmo!

This layout is another "a little bit of everything" layout.  I started out with black cardstock, and misted the Heidi Swapp sunburst stencil with Plain Jane Baseboard semi-matte mist in Ivory.  Then I just started layering a bunch of scraps-paper, cardboard, burlap.  The heart and arrow wooden piece is a Citrus Twist Kit exclusive, and there is some random Studio Calico ephemera, and two Recollections buttons.  I LOVE thew chalkboard one with the cardboard circle around it.  I stamped one of my favorite Citrus Twist Kits stamps (cutest little steaming cup of joe ever!) on the chalkboard circle and wrote "Latte Love" using a white gel pen (also used for journaling).  Up at the top, the cork board exclamation point is Studio Calico and the "Ultimate" is Heidi Swapp.  And I think that's it!  I hope you enjoy the closeups below.  Thanks so much for stopping by!


xoxo,

Shawna