One Small Miracle

This is a precious photo of Justin with his dad.  When I saw the photo I knew right away that these K and Company papers would be perfect for it.

I used this wonderful Let's Scrap 12-29-10 Sketch by Cheri O'Neil as inspiration.  This paper has the linear lines in the sketch and I used a scalloped oval around the photo:

Justin had a close relationship with his dad and I had to include the quote by Jim Volvano.

To meet Scrap UR Stash Challenge #4 to use 3 pieces of naked chipboard (I used 6 pieces to make these), I created these lovely sunflowers from chipboard coated with Ranger Perfect Pearls, and Ranger Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel.  The shiny texture goes with the embossing on the paper.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look!

~ BLESSINGS ~

Merry Christmas

Wishing each of you a blessed and joy-filled Christmas celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Christmas Stockings ~ ScrapFit Christmas Tradition Challenge and Bo Bunny Layout Challenge Friday

I was so excited to see the ScrapFit challenge to create a layout about a Christmas Tradition. Our family has hung and filled stockings every Christmas for 28 years and counting. My family didn't do stockings growing up, but it was an important tradition in my DH's family. So important that my MIL, Vicky, hand crafted these gorgeous stockings for each of us.  Gary really likes this page!  If you would like to see some of the details more closely, just click on the photo and click again to get a nice close-up look.

I used these gorgeous Bo Bunny papers from the Noel collection using the Bo Bunny Layout Friday Challenge Sketch:

Noel Cheer - Red patterned background block and frame around photo - both stitched and distressed

Noel Joy - Green patterned circle - edges punched with Martha Stewart Rain Drops  Corner Punch and glittered

Noel Ornaments - Fussy cut around ornaments and pine boughs and used gold Stickles on the bulbs with edges stitched and distressed.

Noel Rejoice - Background paper and fussy cut Twas the Night Before Christmas and added green pearl accents.  Title lettering cut from back of this paper on my Gazelle and inked with white ink, then topped with Star Dust Stickles.

I used walnut ink to stain some lace from my stash to go below the photo.

Thanks to the ScrapURStash Challenge #12 at Scrap-Friendzy - I used the punch and my Gazelle in creating this LO.

The technique to use a corner punch around a cut out circle came from one of my favorite scrap artists, Lisa Nazario-Gregory.  Here is her video tutorial.  What a fabulous and gorgeous way to get extra miles out of those corner punches.

Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look.

Wishing each of you a blessed and joyful Christmas.

~ BLESSINGS ~

Justin at the Canfield Fair ~ Let's Scrap DT Challenge #80

I just love how Justin has his arms outstretched, embracing life, in so many of the photographs of him.  This one was taken at the Canfield Fair. 

The DT Challenge at Let's Scrap was to used stamps in the layout, and I also had a challenge over at Scrap-Friendzy for Scrap UR Stash #10 to use foam stamps with paint, so this is for both challenges. 

Here is the wonderful Let's Scrap Sketch from Sept. 9, 2009 that I used for inspiration:

 

The foam stamps came from a drawing at a crop I attended a couple years back.  I embellished the stamped flowers with some stick-on pearls I just happened to have in my stash that matched the paint. 

  

I used a Bazill In Stitch'z template for my stitching. I traced the large scallop edge and cut it out by hand.  I keep a variety of papers with designed edges that I can trace and cut on whatever paper matches the layout I am doing.  The circle border was cut with a file from the fabulous designs created by Monica Björk.  She has a ton of gorgeous free cutting files in a variety of file types.  I placed the circle scallop on a neutral cardstock and cut around the edge with my scissors.

Thanks so much for stopping by to look.

~ Blessings ~

Flurrious Fun ~ MCS December Big Sketch Submission

Here are Joseph and Grace sledding on the huge hill at the East Canton Driving Range the first winter we moved back to Ohio.  There wasn't much snow when we lived in North Carolina, so this was a real treat for them - back then. 

 

Here is the sketch for the

My Creative Scrapbook December challenge:

I had fun learning some new techniques to put this layout together. 

The Scrap-Friendzy - Scrap UR Stash Challenge #3 was to use plain white cardstock on a layout.  I used Distress Ink with Tim Holtz techniques to create the textured blue paper from good old white cardstock, and topped it with a background stamp and white ink to look like falling snow.  I then scalloped, distressed, and inked the edges, as well as machine stitched around the border.  I also used my trial scrap piece to cut the title letters on my Gazelle. It's great to use up those scraps!

Thanks Cheryl for choosing this layout as the Scrap-Friendzy Pick of the Day! 

To keep with the winter theme, I found a photo of winter berries covered in ice.  I sketched the berries onto red cardstock, inked in some details, covered them with glossy accents and microbeads.  I also used the sketch as a guide to sketch out the thorned stem to place the berries on.  I also used some of the berries right on my photos below the jute bows. 

 

The poinsettia flowers started out white.  To add dimension I brushed them with red and black chalk, inked the edges in a darker shade of red, then topped the brads with some burgundy Stickles.  The green on the leaves was too light, so I chalked them as well.

The "stitching" around the red square is actually hand drawn and accented with holes punched with a pin.  Here is a tutorial on the Bo Bunny site by the talented Romy, their December guest design team member.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Blessings ~

Cool 16 - ScrapFit #33 Challenge

Maria has decided that she doesn't like to have her picture taken, so this was the best that I had from her 16th birthday party.  It is actually quite a fun photo that shows her quirky personality.  

ScrapFit Challenge #33 is to find inspiration in this wonderful retro Slinky ad:

My inspiration is the fabulous retro feel.  With the photo I was scrapping, I decided to go with a 60's retro feel, and notice the "Slinky" effect I got by coiling teal wire and putting the "cool" "16" on either end of it like the toys in the Slinky ad.  I also enjoyed using the vintage buttons from my MIL's button stash that are from the 60's era as flower centers.  These great 60's rub-ons were also lurking in my stash.  This was a great challenge that got me out of my box to try a different style than I typically use.   

 Here's a close up of the "Slinky" feature"

And of the journal box and rub-ons:

I was also thrilled to find a great 60's dingbat file to cut the journal boxes on my Gazelle and used Bell Bottom Laser for my font.  Here's a hint if you use dingbats for cutting files.  I have created a Word file with every letter, upper and lower, and every key stroke.  I highlight it all then select the dingbat as the font, and put it in a large font size to be able to see all the options.  When I see a ding image I want to use, I highlight it then select a normal font.  That will tell me what letter I need to use to get the  desired image.  I copy and paste that word document for each of my ding files which I keep organized in folders.

Scrap-Friendzy's Scrap UR Stash Challenge #9 is my inspiration to use the great vintage buttons.

My sketch inspiration came from the talented sketch artist, Ingeborg Dijkstra-Verbeek:

~ BLESSINGS ~

Zoo-Gether for Challenge #78 at Let's Scrap

This layout is done around a precious older photo of Gary holding up Elizabeth to see animals at the zoo.

I also entered this in the gallery at Scrap-Friendzy for a Scraplift challenge and it was selected as the Pick of the Day. 

The challenge at Let's Scrap was to create home made flowers.  I made these flowers based on a tutorial from one of my favorite scrap artists - Gabrielle Pollacco. 

I used the Let's Scrap 5-5-10 left side sketch for my inspiration.

 

Here is a close up of the larger flowers in top corner of the layout.  The leaves were cut on my Gazelle from a dingbat file, then inked. 

 These are the smaller flowers from the bottom corner.

And this is a close up of the title and circle of rhinestones.  I made a template for the rhinestone circle on my Gazelle and adhered them with my i-rock stetting tool.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look.  Please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

~ BLESSINGS ~