Citrus Twist Kits Guest Designer for February!

Hope you are all enjoying the Citrus Twist Kit blog hop!  As you've probably figured out by now, I have the honor of guest designing for Citrus Twist Kits this month!  Here are some closeups of my first layout - featured in my Q&A/Intro post, which you can read by CLICKING HERE.  February's kit is fantastic and so versatile...the colors and products are perfect for so many different kinds of layouts and I'm excited to share with you throughout the month all of the layouts I made from the kit.  Anyway, here's my first page showcasing one of many reasons my hubby is awesome. :)  Hope you enjoy!

xoxo,

Shawna

# UR My Happy - Heidi Swapp Mixed Company Ephemera package

It's a double post kind of day today!  Finished this layout last night and it's a "just for fun," which I don't often get to do these days.  I didn't work from a sketch or a color scheme, I just gathered up a good chunk of my Citrus Twist goodies from prior kits and started throwing them together.  NOTE:  If any of you have been considering Heidi Swapp's Mixed Company acetate and vellum ephemera pack...GET IT.  CLICK HERE to check out the entire line...I have used the heck out of this line (see my Mama Drama layout for ideas on how to use the papers) and with so much product packed into each package, I still have a ton to work with.  My favorite thing about the ephemera pack is how versatile everything is - you can use all of the embellies on just about any type of page and the little hashtag words are so much fun (if you look closely, there are 3 hashtags embellies on this layout).

I am disappointed that the dimension didn't photograph well in this layout, but it really is just a fun sunny page featuring my girl's megawatt grin.  Perfect smile to brighten this chilly winter day!

(Don't mind that little glue smudge...ugh) ;-/

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Shawna

Mama Drama!

Hello friends!  I hope that 2014 finds you all ready for the awesome year ahead!  Today I have a layout for the most recent CSI reveal...the color scheme this week is so much fun!  I chose this photo of my little mini taking her babies for a walk...it totally cracks me up every time I look at it!

Here is the color scheme and case file that I worked with. CLICK HERE to play along!

The journaling tells the real story and reads as follows:

This photo cracks me up...truth be told you were just talking to your babies, but you totally look the part of a frazzled mom giving her babies a stern talking to...something along the lines of "don't make me pull this stroller over!"  hahaha!

Thanks for stopping by for a look!  Enjoy your Sunday!

xoxo,

Shawna

My favorite snow star

I'm on a scrappy streak lately!  Loving winter vacation where I can stay in my jammies and just play. :)  This layout is for Scrapfriends' December sketch challenge and I will readily admit, I got a little carried away and this page MIGHT be slightly gaudy LOL...I had this page of woodgrain paper with some modeling paste on it leftover from a page gone bad awhile back and for some reason I didn't throw it away.  Worked out to simulate the snow on this page.  I added some blue gelatos and let them drip to the left, and pulled out the modeling paste again for some little circle dots and to make the snowman.  (These photos were taken of my little one making a snowman earlier this winter.)  I couldn't find a good spot to put my journaling so I will likely add it to the back of the page to tell the story of her silly faces.  You see, Frosty the Snowman came to life when the top hat was put on his head and the first thing he said was "Happy Birthday!"  This is my daughter's replay of that scene, so gaudy or not I love this page. :)

Here's the awesome (and challenging!) sketch from Scrap Friends.

I love your visits and comments so thank you for having a look!  Have a wonderful Sunday!

xoxo,

Shawna

You & Me

Another favorite photo from our Christmas tree hunt scrapped using the Citrus Twist Kits December main kit  (and a little bit from the November kit)...I can't get enough of these gorgeous papers.  At first, I was a little unsure about the mounted deer heads (I'm a lover not a hunter!) but they just work so perfectly with these photos!  I used an older CTK sketch from November of this year to put this one together and stuck mostly to paper and wood embellishments.  I did put a quick spritz of mint green Heidi Swapp mist behind the papers to pull it all together.  I hope everyone is having an awesome and creative Saturday Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,

Shawna

Believe...

Happy Friday!  I hope today finds all of you well, and looking forward to a weekend of peace and relaxation!  I will be finishing up my shopping this weekend and working on some fun gift tags for my Christmas gifts.  Today, though, we have another CSI case file up and ready to solve.  Since Christmas is just days away, it seems appropriate that my page this week highlights the big guy himself, Father Christmas. Here he is, with his fancy cranberry wreath, meeting my daughter a couple of years back. (She is completely awe struck, in case you couldn't tell!)

And here is the case file that I used to create the page.  You can play along with us by CLICKING HERE!

Whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, I hope it is a fabulous one, filled with love, family, friends, delicious food, and peace and togetherness.  Enjoy, my friends!

xoxo,

Shawna

Beau is on the blog today!

Happy Sunday, friends!  Today I have a layout featuring the Beaubster, getting into the spirit of the holidays with a handmade Native American headband.  He is such a good sport!

Of course this layout comes to you courtesy of CSI's latest case file, and an awesome sketch by Em Stafrace of Page Drafts.

All of the colors are there, and for my evidence I chose gold accents, feathers and doodles.  I chose the Testimony prompt to journal about a holiday and just added a little blurb about how even Beau gets into the Thanksgiving spirit. (he loves him some turkey too, folks!)

This week's colors were a real challenge for me and when I can't find papers in the colors needed, I usually resort to my trustee Faber Castelle gelatos, as I did here.  I also used some more of the feather printables from ScrapFriends and colored them with gelatos.  Here are a couple of close-ups.

I layered two sets of Thickers to make the title and really like the effect that it made with the shadowing.

Thanks for stopping by and having a look!  I hope you will come play along with us this week over at CSI.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

Shawna

Challenge YOUrself - Behind the Lens

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, there's a new blog on the block!  It's a fabulous challenge blog that invites you to step out from behind the lens and step in front of the camera!  It's so difficult for many to scrap themselves, but it must be done!

I have the pleasure to be working on the design team for Challenge YOUrself and am here with a reveal of our very first challenge!  It's simple.  Create a layout of yourself - a selfie even - and list 3 random facts about yourself.  Easy peasy.  And good news. You have a MONTH to agonize over which photo to use (hehe) and to create your layout!  Even better news?  The PRIZE!  Not only will the top 3 layouts based on design team votes be featured on the blog for the month, but one lucky participant will be randomly chosen to win a $20 gift certificate from our December sponsor, Paper Issues!  So what are you waiting for?  Turn the lens around on that iphone and get to snappin'! :)

Here is my layout for the challenge.  Cannot wait to see what you all come up with!  

Hello Kitty...

I've been holding on to this photo of a lynx at our local zoo for ages waiting for the right color scheme to scrap it!  Finally, it's here! :)  This week's CSI case file has a drop dead gorgeous winter color scheme and was the perfect opportunity to scrap this magnificent animal and the story behind the photo.  Here is my reveal for CSI case file #101, and details on the case file scene, evidence and testimony prompts.

Here's the amazing case file I had to work with.

All of the colors are there, and for evidence I have ribbon, something shiny, silver accents and circles.  The black framing of the photos and the black ribbon on the top are cut from velvet and photos don't do the softness justice.  For testimony, I journaled about the day I took this photo, which earned honorable mention (3rd place) in our Winter at the Zoo photo contest a few years back.  The journaling is on the white tag behind the photos and reads:

"Sometimes you have to brave the elements to get the perfect shot.  A few years back, I entered the Winter at the Zoo photo contest, and spent a day wandering the zoo in low temps, as the snow fell around me.  I was surprised to find that the animals were all super active and seemed to be loving the zoo…or maybe it was the empty zoo free of most humans that made them so happy.  I was lucky enough to catch this shot of a lynx with a snow covered head, and got an honorable mention for the photo.  What a gorgeous animal…he stood there snow covered and perfectly posed while I photographed him, and then, as if he knew his photo shoot was over, he sauntered away as soon as I put the camera away."

   

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  xoxo

Shawna

A new Scrap 365-CSI case file is up!

Time to reveal CSI's third special Case File created in collaboration with Scrap365,UK's biggest and best scrapbooking magazine. This special Case File will be open for investigation for the entire month of December. We will have a new Scrap365 Case File every other month, with the publication of a new issue of the magazine.   Here's the case file:

And here's my take on it:

This soft pastel palette was a dream to work with and I am really happy with the way this page turned out.  I loved the combination of the texture paste with the liquid pearls and the enamel dots.  

I hope you will come play along...remember you have the whole month of December to get your entries in, and we will choose 5 favorites to guest design in a coming month.  Good luck!

Holiday Cards

'Tis the season for holiday cards!  I had a blast putting together these simple holiday cards using the Heidi Swapp holiday line of papers and some My Minds Eye embellishments.  Can't wait to share them with friends and family.

On another note, while we are on the subject of the holiday season, the season of giving, please remember the Patterson family in your thoughts and prayers.  If you are able and haven't already, please CLICK HERE and donate to the fund that has been created to help their family through this incredibly difficult time.  There is nothing I wouldn't give right now to be able to send one of these cards to my sweet friend, Meagen.  I miss her very much.

Happy Holidays, friends!

Shawna

Hello Handsome...

Well, if you are one of my American friends, you have hopefully by now recovered from the food coma that is Thanksgiving!  We had a wonderfully filling, quiet day with family where we all reflected on the many blessings we are thankful for.  I hope that each of you, whether you celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday or not, had a fabulous Thursday surrounded by those you love.

CSI has another great case file for you to solve this week, featuring a really unique color scheme that I found perfect for a more masculine page featuring none other than my better half. ;-)

Here is the case file:

And here is my take on it:

The journaling strips are actually straight, but because the strips are adhered to cardboard,
they curved the paper a bit making the strips look crooked. :-/

I started this page by cutting different patterned papers into various sized strips and then inking the edges.  I laid them all over a 12x12 piece of cardboard and adhered them to the page/covered them with Mod Podge.  Then I laid some more paper strips down horizontally, covered parts with Gesso and started layering stamps, fibers and scrap paper.  Really love the way these colors compliment the grainy black and white of the photo!

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the design team came up with for this challenge, and come and play along with us!

Enjoy the weekend, friends. xoxo

Shawna