4 Days Left.

There are only 4 days left in February and I am desperately trying to get a few more projects done before I run out of time!  I decided to play along this month over at Let's Get Sketchy.  My scrappy sister and fellow Stick It Down Design Team 2 member, Brenshevia, is the creator of the sketch challenge blog.  There are some amazing sketches over there, including this one that I decided to try:

Easy enough, right?  Wrong...it took me quite some time to find the perfect papers that would work with the pictures I knew I wanted to use.  I decided to use the DCWV Ultimate Sports Stack to create this clean and simple layout:

Here is a layout of my son the day he got his jersey with HIS last name on it.  To make a long story short, we registered for flag football after uniforms had been ordered and it took the organization virtually all season long to get his name plate for his jersey.  How proud he was on this day!

For this layout, I wanted to keep it pretty simple & subtle with the patterned paper, but still incorporate orange and blue, the team colors.  The MAMBI football play stickers did exactly what I wanted...added life and "action" to the layout!  I really wanted to add stitching to this layout as well, but unfortunately I couldn't find "C" batteries for my little machine.  Who uses C batteries anyway, right???  Couldn't find 2 around here for nothing!  Maybe next time.  LOL...thanks for looking!

SMOOCHES!

Getting It In...

February is probably the busiest month of the year for me.  I typically have 3 big events I have to attend...one being my boy's birthday.  Last year we had a slumber party with 12 boys ranging in age from  5-9 years old at our house.  It was the most work I had ever done for a party and I vowed never to do it again!  Boys who attended this party were so impressed that we were invited to 3 slumber parties this year.  I bow down to those moms.  It is ALOT of work.

  This year his request was a movie party for 6 friends.  Sounded easy enough...The release of the Lego Movie was perfect and that is exactly what we did!  Afterwards we went to GattiTown for some impromtu fun and pizza.  He was then allowed to have ONE friend spend the night...he chose his cousin.  SWEET!

With February being the shortest month of the year as well, it seems as though you blink and it's over.  I had quite a few projects I needed to get done this month, and because my first 3 weekends were consummed, I am now hustling to "get it in" and get them done.  Thank goodness I worked ahead for my DT projects this month:

For my Unscripted Sketches DT project, I did a layout.  There are only 2-3 ladies on the team that submit layouts over at the blog so I am often really proud to have a different type of project highlighted.  Check out everyone's work for the week here.  I used my cricut and the Robotz cartridge (which you HAVE to own if you have a boy) for my title work.  Not only does it have amazing robots, but the fonts is super cute!  If you don't already follow the Unscripted Sketches blog, be sure to do so!

For my Stick It Down DT work, I was able to churn out another wedding layout (I still have a lot to do, so bare with me, please!)  I loved being able to use paint and chevron together.  You would think that would be a bit busy, but it wasn't!  I absolutely LOVED the way it turned out. Check out the other submissions here.  Stick it Down is fast moving blog that is FILLED with different weekly challenges.  From 2 page layouts to cards and then the single page layouts, of course, I am postive you will find some motivation!  Be sure to follow the Stick It Down blog and play along with us!  There is an opportunity to be a guest designer weekly!

Off I go to finish up some other projects February projects!

SMOOCHES!

OOPS! I did it AGAIN!

After seeing my layout amongst the DCWV top 10 in December, I decided to give it another try for January.  Here is what I came up with: 

...And wouldn't you know it!  My layout was selected again!  You can't even begin to imagine how very excited I was!  I spent 2 weeks off and on working on this layout.  I knew I wanted to make it a masculine layout, but sometimes masculine layouts can appear "plain."  The challenge with masculine layouts is trying to embellish them without flowers and fru!  I think I did a pretty decent job of using The DCWV Guy Stack on this layout!

For the February Stackaholic challenge, I decided to go WILD:

There was no second guessing the use of the DCWV Gone Wild Stack for this layout of myself and my girlfriends at my wedding in the Riviera Maya, Mexico.  I love all of the vibrantly colored animal printed papers agains the all black zebra printed paper from the stack as well.  Fingers crossed for the 3-Peat!

Here are a two other layouts I worked on this month:

This one was inspired by a layout that I had filed away in my favorites over at Scrapbook.com.  I created this for the Scrap Your Favorites Challenge and the Use Your Scraps Challenge.  I LOVE the way this turned out...bright and full of personality, just like the subject!  He has a birthday this week, by the way!

 

This one was done for the Round Robin Challenge over at Scrapbook.com.  Even though it is a Christmas picture, I totally gave it a Valentine spin!  I used my Cricut to cut the word LOVE, utilizing hearts as the "O."  I've gotten very comfortable with tearing papers...here I layered it on top of a sheet of printed paper from one of my K & Company stacks that I've hoarded for some time now!

Be sure to come back to check out some of the FABULOUS swap items I received.  I am in the process of closing out 2 swaps on sb.com, then I am going to take a bit of a swap sabatical, to focus solely on my layouts and mini albums.

SMOOCHES!

Circlemania?

Happy New Year, everyone!  I've been busy "winter cleaning" and purging this week.  It is my last week of "vacation" and I wanted to feel like I accomplished a lot while I was off.  The result?  A cleaner house and TONS of things to donate to Goodwill!

I've also been busy scrapping.  I set my layout goal for the year as 52 again.  Even though it seemed as though I did a lot of scrapping and creating in 2013, I did not meet my goal. Enter sad face here.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that I will exceed my goal this year.  All I have to do is commit to doing a minimum of 1 layout a week and I am in there!  Now that I am on 2 design teams, that is going to be a breeze for me.

In the meantime, I've been sharpening my sketch skills.  Not creating sketches (which I must admit, I'm becoming more and more interested in that,) but following them to produce layouts like this:

Here is a layout of my son and I on my wedding day.  He is walking me down to the cart that whisked us away to the wedding destination.  I absolutely love this picture, so when I came across the perfect sketch, I jumped at the opportunity to use it...along with this paper from MAMBI.  It's perfect!

Then there is this one.  Aren't those pictures hillarious!  My husband had been drinking since early that day.  I didn't realize it until the reception.  He was definitely on "10!"

As you can see, I had a little bit of the circle fever this week.  LOL...banners as well, apparently.  I was too excited to be able to use my "old school" Creative Memories circle punches, blades, self healing mat and templates to make these circles!  That just goes to show, a combination of "old" and "new" techniques can definitely manifest into masterpieces!  OH, and a great sketch is just the beginning!  Like this one:

This is the starting sketch being used on Scrapbook.com for JusLyn's Round Robin Challenge.  We are supposed to take our inspiration from this sketch.  I interpreted that as not having to use the entire sketch, which I didn't want to do because I had already created a sketch using a lot of trees.  Instead I decided to use the top right hand corner of the sketch to create this:

This is my first layout for 2014.  It is a layout of my son and my husband's best friend at the reception.  He had obviously had enough!  He slept through the final 2 hours of the reception on two chair put together and a suit jacket over him.  That is one of the things I love about this child...when he is sleepy, he goes to sleep AND he can sleep through anything!  The sketch had just one circle and one banner, but as you see, I went nuts with it!  I also accidently tore my paper when I was distressing it, but fixed it easily by tearing it all the way out and adding little "peeks" of lighter color there.  I absolutely LOVE how it turned out.

Look for more circles and banners in my layouts as I follow more sketches to create.  It does seem to be the craze, doesn't it?  Be sure to catch on!

SMOOCHES!



Random Acts of Kindness

Back in January of this year I responded to a Facebook post where the poster was to send the first 5 people to respond to the post a random act of kindness sometime throughout the year.  The catch was that I had to post the same "challenge" and pay it forward.  I remember getting envelopes ready for the ladies who responded to my post and making them cards, never to send them.  Why not?  I was waiting on the "perfect time," a time where they would have forgotten and would really be suprised when they received my gift!  Well, now I'm racing against the clock...lol!  There is no doubt that those ladies forgot.  I know other people who initiated the challenge probably forgot too...it's easy to forget.

Outside of this Facebook challenge, I can't even tell you how many random acts of kindness I have performed this year.  I've used my giftcards in stores and passed the rest off to the person behind me.  I've bought and mailed items for people that I thought they would like, just because.  Why?  Because it makes me feel good to give or do things for people...something to put a smile on their face, make them feel special or let them know I am thinking about them. 

Seems like my son is catching on as well.  He had been asking me to make clipboard for his teachers for a long time!  I got up this morning and decided to finally make them.  I guess it's his random act of kindness.  I'd be broke if I acted on every demand he has to buy something for his teacher...he absolutely adores them! Here they are:

One teacher LOVES monkeys and the other has her room decked out in a Rock Star theme.  Both were very easy to find paper and embellies for!

Here is close of up of the monkey topper.  Is that not the cutest monkey you have ever seen?  I went into my stask of chipboard and found this in a K & Company pack.  I also added some silver stickles to the zebra ribbons around the Rock Star one...to add a little more pizazz.  I churned these out in about an hour...modge podged them and everything!  It's something I know they will use over and over again.  I can't wait until he gives it to them!

For 2014, my goal is to perform a random act of kindness every month, minimally.  Imagine, if 12 people payed it forward 12 times each...that's 144 other people blessed!  Blessings were never meant to be kept...I'm going to share mine!  I challenge you to share yours as well.

Smooches!

2 Days to go!

It's Christmas time again!  In Texas, that means 60 degree weather and 2 weeks off of work (for me!)  I am so excited about my time off.  It gives me plenty of time to rest, scrap, and do some winter purging.  I started last week cleaning out things that I probably won't ever wear again.  My checklist for what to keep and what to give away goes something like this: Can it fit?  Should someone's mom be wearing that?  Will I ever be that size again?  Should an almost 40 year old be wearing that?  If the answer is no to all 4, it has to go!  I already have a big trash bag full of things to be donated to Goodwill.  It will probably be 2-3 when I am done purging my son's, my stepson's and my stepdaughter's closets as well.  In with the old to make room for the new...I mean, it is Christmas and everyone will be getting new things, right?

Speaking of Christmas, check out the most recent layout I worked on for a challenge over at Scrapbook.com:

This is a layout of my youngest last year for Christmas.  He cracks me up...the things that were on his list this year were crazy!  First of all, I didn't even know what some of that was.  Then he hit me with, "I want a crazy cart."  A crazy cart is a go cart that costs $399.  Needless to say, he won't be getting that!  I was able to talk him out of 2 things that I couldn't even find.  Parents are ON IT this year with these toys.  Somethings were sold out 2-3 weeks ago when I started investigating.  I thought I was getting a headstart, but no.  Good thing I was able to snatch that Skylander Swapforce starter pack during Black Friday!  Hope he is excited about that.  I guess I need to brace myself since he is getting older!  He also lost his 4th tooth last week.  Stay tuned for a layout with that cute pic...all he wants for Christmas are his 2 front tooth (which are both missing, by the way!)

Here is a layout of him that I did for the debut layout on the Stick it Down blog:

 

Here is the sketch I used to create it:



It was a lot of fun to use paints on this one!  The red and aqua "drizzle" makes the colors in the pics POP!  Quiet as kept, I love stepping out of my comfort zone and adding paints and mists to my creations.  However, my papers tend to warp a little if I use too much.  Right now, I have this layout sitting beneath some stacks in hopes that it'll smooth it out a bit.  Be sure to check out the Stick it Down blog and follow!

Smooches!

Too much good news NOT to share!!!

December has completely snuck up on this chic over here!  Not only is Christmas in 2 weeks (and I haven't even put up my tree yet,) but I also need to get myself in gear and get out there and start my Christmas shopping as well!  I know, I know...I'm pretty trifling right about now.

Anywho, I have 3 pieces of wonderful news to share with you!

First off, I received an invitation to join the Stick it Down Design Team!  Yes, I am now a member of the new sketch challenge blog that promises to provide WONDERFUL card sketches as well as one and two page sketches.  Check out the Stick it Down site and be sure to play along with us!  There are some REALLY talented ladies who will be creating over there and I am so very excited about being on the team with my scrappy friend Brenshevia Baker who will be creating the sketches!  She has a few wonderful sites herself.  Check out her personal blog here.

.  I don't know about you, but if it weren't for sketches, I'd probably still be using construction paper to create scrap pages...well, probably not.  HA!  I have come a long way though...there is no disputing that!

Secondly, I've been stalking the DCWV blog all week to see the top 10 scrapaholic picks for the month of November and guess what???  My submission was chosen!!!

Here is the DCWV sketch:

and here is my creation using the DCWV Teenage Dream Stack:

I really enjoyed this sketch!  It allowed me to use so many different papers from the stack which went PERFECTLY with the picture I chose to scrap of my boy!  Isn't that paper with the sneakers all over it the best ever!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE DCWV papers...there are my absolute favorite!  Now that I've made top 10, I'll be playing more often.  I think this is maybe my 2nd submission ever.  They sure do know how to make a girl feel special!

Last, but not least (and I don't know how much of an "announcement" this is, but) I've found a new crafty hobby!  Paper crafting will always be my first love, but I have taken on the task of making my own deco wreath this year for my door!  I know that's not "big news," but it is something I am very excited about!  I've bought many rolls of deco mesh and beautiful ribbons to make a few wreaths this year.  If this goes well, I'll be making wreaths for my school and probably every year for my son's teachers!  They are so beautiful!

Have you been checking out the Unscripted Sketches blog?  I am still so very excited to be a part of this design team!  This week I chose to make a card.  Those of you who know me know I am NOT a card maker.  Sure I buy cards, but I use them to create mini albums! 

Here is the sketch:

 and here is my creation based on the sketch...just in time for the holidays!

I used the MAMBI Holiday paper pad to make this card.  I cut out the mittens using the Simply Charmed cricut cartridge.  One trick I've discovered (which you might have already figured out) is to turn the paper backward (printed side down) to cut the 2nd mitten so that the thumbs are "pointing" different instead of cutting duplicate images.  I hope that makes sense.  I completely messed that up with the backsides of my onsie album so I just wanted to share that tip!

As you can tell, all is well in my scrappy world!  OHHH, I almost forgot...I'm debating on whether I should put the Cameo on my Santa list.  I don't know enough about it to determine.  What are your thoughts?  On another note, I picked up the cricut mini from Michael's for $69.99!  I thought that was a steal!!!

At any rate, be sure to check back for more scrappy projects and dt work!

SMOOCHES!