Check out this great sale going on at Really Reasonable Ribbon:

We're rolling in with a BIG 6-Day SALE here at Really Reasonable Ribbon. 

It's time to get started on those Holiday craft projects!!

 Now through midnight Eastern Time  on Sunday, 10/27/13 we have a terrific SALE going on. The more you buy, the more you save!!Please use the applicable code found below in the promotional code area on the first page at checkout.

The codes are good now through midnight Eastern time on Sunday 10/27/13.

Be sure to stop by the Really Reasonable Blog to pick up your code before heading to the RRR Store to place your order.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I would also like to congratulation the new and returning design team members at Really Reasonable Ribbon. You can read all about the team here.

I have had an amazing time working with Bonnie's fabulous products, but will not be returning for another term. Be sure to stop back by on August 31 for my final project for RRR!

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Beautiful for Scrap Around The World with Donna Salazar Designs

Donna Salazar is the October prize sponsor for Scrap Around The World and her design team has joined up to offer inspiration for this month's SATW challenge. When I saw the mood board, I was immediately drawn to these wedding photos of Elizabeth.

"Beautiful"

Here's the inspiration designed by SATW DT Jesse Christopher:

I used the gorgeous sketch and was inspired by several aspects of the mood board. The shoes and bag placed on the bed reminded me of Elizabeth's wedding day preparations. The small photo is her perfume and flowers while the focal photos show her getting ready for her big moment. I pulled my colors from the board as well as inspiration from the doily wrapped vase of flowers.

Tips and Techniques

I used Donna's Spellbinders Grand Peony and Bitty Blossoms dies for this handcrafted flower. My Crushed Voile Peony Tutorial can be found here. I just used fewer fabric layers for this one. On the background you can see Donna's Dear Sir Art Gone Wild Stamp and Clearsnap Smooch Spritz. 

The frame was bright baby pink. I painted it, then touched the raised portions with Jasmine Mix'd Media Inx and heat embossed with Jasmine Mixed Media Embossing Powder. 

I think we all have old supplies in our stash. I transformed this old brad into shabby chic goodness with more inking and heat embossing. Donna's products are perfect for updating those out of date embellishments in my stash. 

Gorgeous Bitty Blossoms flowers atop strips of gessoed, spritzed Natural Beauty papers. 

I love to add dimension with layers of mixed media. Here I stamped and spritzed the background, then spread molding paste over Donna's Want2Scrap Heart Stencil. I inked and sprinkled on two colors of embossing powder which I heat embossed, then spritzed again. 

A tutorial for my Shabby Layered Rose can be found here. It's created with Donna's Grand Peony and Bitty Blossoms Dies. 

Another View of the Shabby Layered Rose.

Donna's Want2Scrap Canvas cut with her Spellbinders Wonderful Wings and topped with Want2Scrap Wonderful Wings Bling. To color the background, I rubbed the canvas with Mix'd Media Inx. 

Paper

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Family Jeans, Family Eyelet A & B
GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Family Jeans, Houndstooth B

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Natural Beauty, Soaring A

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Natural Beauty, Blue Fence A

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Natural Beauty, Twiggy A & B

Inks/Mists/Embossing

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx - Jasmine, chiffon, Patina, Truffle

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx Embossing Powder - Jasmine, Leather

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx CHOX - Sparrow, DriftwoodClearsnap ~ 

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Smooch Spritz, Sea Breeze

Clearsnap ~ Top Boss Embossing Powder, Clear

Dies/Embossing Folders

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Grand Peony

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Carnation Creations

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Wonderful Wings

Spellbinders - M-Bossabilities, Flora

Stamps

Art Gone Wild ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Dear Sir

Stencils

Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Small Heart Stencil

Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Build Your Own Bling
Recollections ~ Adhesive Rhinestone Hearts

Bling

Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Nestabling, Wonderful Wings

Embellishments

Prima ~ Junkyard Findings - Industrial Lamps
Prima ~ Shabby Chic Treasures - Resin Corner and Window
Around the Block Flair ~ Big Metal Brads
Pink Frame - Stash
Tim Holtz ~ Tissue Tape
Darice ~ Washi - Newspaper Headline
Doily - Stash

Fabrics
Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Canvas
Crushed Voile, Ivory

Mixed Media

Liquitex ~ Gesso
Golden ~ Light Molding Paste
DecoArt Americana ~ Driftwood
DecoArt Crafter's Acrylic ~ Yellow
Folk Art Enamels ~ Butler Magenta
Drywall Mesh ~ Stash

Tools

Zutter ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Distrezz-it-All
Spellbinders ~ Artisan X-plorer

Adhesives

Helmar - 450 Quick Dry Adhesive
Helmar - Fabric Glue
Helmar - Tape Runner
Helmar - Zap Dots

I hope you've been inspired to hop on over to Scrap Around The World and link up your project.

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Fall Leaves for RRR Fall Leaves Challenge

Fall is in the air here in northeast Ohio. We live atop a large hill in an open field completely surrounded by forest. As I look out my kitchen window each fall day, I see such gorgeous colors that change day by day. The photos on this page were taken just last week, and my view is much different only a mere week later.

These photos are just perfect for the Really Reasonable Ribbon challenge starting today ~ Fall Leaves. I got to combine some of my favorite products on this page including ribbon, lace, cording and WOC flowers from RRR, Clearsnap Smooch Spritz and Mix'd Media Inx by Donna Salazar Designs, 7 Dots Studio 9th Wave collection, Prima Stencils and Helmar Adhesives.

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #82

Fall Leaves 

And of course include some ribbon, lace or cording on your project! 

"Enjoy Fall"

To enter this challenge, create a card, layout, or any handcrafted project. Just be sure to follow the theme and use ribbon, lace, or trim somewhere on your project. 

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products

Seam Binding, White, 1/2"

Jute Rope ~ Natural

May Arts Netting ~ Champagne, 1.5"

Chloe Natural Crochet Lace, 5/8"

Wild Orchid Crafts Mulberry Flowers ~ Sweetheart Blossoms, White

Wild Orchid Crafts Mulberry Flowers ~ Cosmos Daisy Stem Flowers, White

Wild Orchid Crafts Mulberry Flowers ~ Cherry Blossoms

Tombow 3D Foam Tabs

Scor-Tape 6" x 6"

Zutter Bow-it-All

I used the Dusty Attic October Sketch as inspiration for this layout:

Tips and Techniques

I created this beautiful five-loop bow using White Seam Binding and the new Zutter Bow-it-All. this new bow tool is so handy and Bonnie has put together a fabulous video tutorial on making basic bow which can be found here. The Bow-it-All is so easy to use and creates tiny to large bows. I love how quickly I can put together a multi-loop bow and know that all the loops will be nice and uniform in size. There are a few hints to using this tool which Bonnie does a wonderful job explaining. 

After tying the bow, I brushed some Sea Breeze Smooch Spritz across the bow, heavier in some spots than others to get a mottled appearance. Then, I dry brushed the bow in spots with gesso. 

I also dry brushed many of the elements like this metal piece and flowers with more gesso. All the pale blue flowers tucked in around the larger orange flower are white WOC flowers tinted pale blue. A close-up and details follow. 

Bonnie sells a wide variety of gorgeous Wild Orchid Crafts flowers in the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store. I like to keep white flowers in my stash so that I can color them as I did here on this layout. I had a mostly used bottle of Donna Salazar's Sea Breeze Smooch Spritz. I added a little water and poured the colored liquid out onto my craft mat and with a fine tip paint brush, applied to these flowers. (I always save those nearly used up bottles of mist until I get every last drop from them. lol) Of course when dry a bit of gesso was brushed on. 

The rolled flower is created with Natural Jute Rope and the tutorial can be found here. Instead of dabbing with black ink, I brushed on gesso and dabbed with pale blue ink. You can also see the beautiful Chloe Lace I tucked into the layers surrounding the photos. 

 A side view of the focal cluster.

I adore texture and the May Arts Champagne netting was roughly cut along the edge and tucked under the edge of the painted corrugated board and photo. I added some blue ink under the tucked in flowers and butterfly, the netting took this color so beautiful giving a crackle appearance. 

This sweet butterfly came in a Bits and Pieces prize I won from C'est Magnifique earlier this year and is handcrafted by Cathi O'Neill. Yes indeed, I brushed it with the Sea Breeze Smooch as well. 

This Dusty Attic Foliage piece represents my fall leaves. I painted it with Super Heavy Gesso to apply a base of texture. I then brushed on several layers of ink in yellows, golds, orange, and red. It is raised and adhered using Tombow 3D Foam Pads. 

This Dusty Attic Wrought Iron piece is painted in metallic cobalt blue and dry brushed with gesso. Here you can see some of the mixed media background - stamping, molding paste, misting and paint. 

The title was created with the DA UPPER mini ABC chipboard letters on a background cut with Spellbinders Decorative Labels Twenty-Two, then inked. The letters were painted with DA Sunshine acrylic, then dabbed with Mix'd Media Inx. Finally, I sprayed them with Helmar Crystal Kote Glossy Spray to set the color and give a glossy shine. 

I hope you've been inspired to create a project for 

Really Reasonable Challenge #77 ~ Fall Leaves

Be sure to stop by the RRR Blog for all the details and prize information.

The Really Reasonable Ribbon Store is a fabulous place to find that special ribbon or fiber to fit your paper crafting needs! 

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Treasured Memories for the October Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop

Good morning and welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon October Blog Hop.

  

If you've just been inspired by Jeannie's fabulous work, you are in the right place. If not, you can join us for some autumn inspiration with the gorgeous October RRR Ribbon Club Assortment by hopping on over to the RRR Blog to start at the beginning. There you will find all the blog hop and prize details.

Just look at the gorgeous ribbons in this month's RRR Ribbon Club Assortment! It's time to start thinking about Christmas projects and cards. These holiday ribbons in nontraditional colors are perfect to get those holiday projects going!  Are you a Ribbon Club Subscriber? If not, you can sign up here and start receiving one of these gorgeous assortments each month. 

"Treasured Memories"

Yes, in my typical style, I decided "not" to create a Christmas project. Of course these collections are so versatile, they can be used a lot of different ways. This is an anniversary card for our son and his wife who will be celebrating their second anniversary soon. 

Tips and Techniques:

The October Ribbon Club Shimmer Turquoise ribbon was a little bright for these Donna Salazar Spring in Bloom papers, so I misted it with Cork Glimmer Mist. Here's a tip for transforming your ribbons with mist. Trim off a small piece of the ribbon and spritz it with mist, then allow to dry to see if you've achieved the desired color. I created this triple loop bow using Ginny's Double Loop Bow Tutorial found here. Bonnie is now selling the Zutter Bow-it-All which makes very fast work of gorgeous bows. 

I just adore the sweet Wild Orchid Crafts Mulberry Flowers in the RRR Store. Here I've used a 25mm Cottage Rose in Mixed Purple/Lilac. I added a berry sprig and raffia from my stash. The sweet Catherine White Crochet Lace is part of the October Ribbon Club Assortment.

I also the Double Faced Light Silver Ribbon and White Lace from the October Ribbon Club Assortment as a border here on the inside of my card. I just adore how the silver ribbon plays off the other colors in the papers! 

I printed the Happy Anniversary sentiment using Chopin Script Font from the internet. I then stamped the heart flourish around the printed sentiment. (I did size the sentiment to fit the stamp.) 

A quick and easy sentiment using these K & Company metallic stickers that goes perfectly with the anniversary theme.

I was inspired by the beautiful work of Andrea Ewen.

Really Reasonable Products used:

October Ribbon Club Assortment

WOC 25mm Cottage Roses - Mixed Purple/Lilac

Scor-Tape ~ 6" x 6"

I hope you've been inspired to grab your October RRR Ribbon Club Assortment and start creating!

Your next stop on the RRR October Blog hop will take you to 

to some amazing inspiration from Cheryl. 

Thank you for hopping through the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop with us today.

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"Smile" for Donna Salazar Designs

Oh these cooler fall days are so pleasant and the hints of color in the trees are becoming more robust. By next week, there should be lots of gorgeous color.

I decided to go fun and funky with this page of my sweet niece for Donna Salazar Designs. Doesn't she have a contagious smile? She was sitting outside on a retaining wall that beautiful sunny day, kind of like the one I created here. 

Of course I featured Donna's Fun & Funky paper collection by GCD Studios and lots of fun Clearsnap inks and mists.

"Smile"

Tips and Techniques:

I enjoy creating these sweet Bitty Blossoms roses. Here I used a mix of different GCD Studios paper collections designed by Donna along with a couple mulberry Bitty Blossoms created with her Mix'd Media Stax 2. 

I tied the sweet denim bow using the Zutter Bow-it-All and added a crystal flourish by Want2Scrap. 

Each of Donna's paper pads come with a sheet of embossed images. I cut my "Smile" title and stars from the Family Jeans sheet. I get so much mileage from my 6"x 6" paper pads. I cut this fun banner from one sheet out of my Fun & Funky pad and added a little doodling at the edges. 

I did a fair amount of fussy cutting for this layout, from the photo of my niece to this gorgeous flourish cut from the image sheet in my 6" x 6" Natural Beauty paper pad. A tutorial for my Twine Flower can be found here. I altered it by wrapping around the loom 4 times instead of 2 and then cut the ends to make a fuzzy daisy instead of loops. 

I created these bricks with Donna's Want2Scrap 8" x 10" Small Bricks Stencil and light molding paste. I mixed and watered down Donna's - Caramel Latte and Wood Stain Smooch Spritz and brushed it like a wash over the bricks allowing it to pool and drip between the bricks. 

The scrollwork piece is die cut with the Spellbinders Garden Weave die. More hand cutting to create the grass, which is all one piece with the base tucked behind the torn corrugated board. 

For the wispy sky, First I spread Super Heavy Gesso across the page with a credit card and allowed to dry. Then I used my finger to swirl molding paste above the bricks for the sky. After it dried, I added water to Donna's Sea Breeze Smooch Spritz and brushed it across the molding paste to color. 

I cut this sun from chipboard using a Spellbinder Blossom Two die. It's easy to transform a chipboard flower into a sun by adding texture and bling, Here I layered on gel medium mixed with gold micro marbles, dabs of Clearsnap gold reinker, and Gold Glow Smooch Spritz. Most of the color comes from Donna's Vintage Mix'd Media Inx and shimmer from her Pralines & Cream Fairy Dust Glitter. The sun rays are stitched, adding gold seed beads as I went. 

Product List:

Paper

GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Fun & Funky: 6" x 6" Paper Pad, Funky Flourish Front
GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Family Jeans: Image Sheet, Denim Stripe B, Family Clouds B, Houndstooth B, Heirloom B
GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Natural Beauty: 6" x 6" Paper Pad, Blue Fence A
GCD Studios ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Stax 2

Chipboard

Want2Scrap 8" x 10" Corrugated Board

Colors/Inks/Mists

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx: Patina, Peridot, Truffle, Vintage
Clearsnap ~ Color Box Pigment Ink Refill: Gold
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Smooch Spritz: Wood Stain, Caramel Latte, Sea Breeze
Clearsnap ~ Smooch Spritz: Gold Glow
Americana Acrylic Paint - Driftwood

Dies

Spellbinders ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Bitty Blossoms
Spellbinders ~ Blossom Two
Spellbinders ~ Garden Weave

Stencils

Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - 8" x 10" Small Bricks Stencil

Bling

Want2Scrap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Say It with Bling Finesse Swirls: Clear Rhinestones

Embellishments

Darice TOHO Beads - Round Galvanized Gold

Ribbons/Fibers

Hemptique Baker's Twine ~ Blue/White
DMC Embroidery Floss ~ #726
Cheese Cloth

Mixed Media

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Emboss Gloss
Clearsnap ~ Top Boss Clear Embossing Powder
Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Fairy Dust Glitter: Pralines & Cream
Gold Mini Marbles
Helmar ~ Crystal Kote Gloss Varnish Spray
Golden ~ Light Molding Paste
Liquitex Super Heavy Gesso
Liquitex Gesso

Tools

Zutter ~ Bow-it-All
Spellbinders Artisan X-Plorer
Bazzill In-Stitch'z Piercing Tool and Foam Mat
EK Success Honey Bee Scissors
Adhesives
Helmar ~ 450 Quick Drying Adhesive
Helmar ~ Premium Craft Glue
Helmar ~ Scrap Dots

If you have time, stop by Donna's Blog to leave a comment there. Thanks!!

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Pillow Gift Box for Really Reasonable Ribbon

What beautiful fall weather we are having here in Ohio with cooler days and gorgeous fall leaves. 

I have something a little different to share with you today. You know those clear plastic pillow boxes that some embossing folder sets come in? I decorated one as a pretty gift box featuring Really Reasonable Ribbon along with Donna Salazar Designs Antiquities paper.

Pillow Gift Box

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products:

Silky Crush Ribbon, Champagne 1.5" by May Arts

Juliet Natural Crochet Lace 5/8"

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ 15mm Open Roses, Deep Ivory

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ 25mm Cottage Rose, Mixed White/Cream

Wild Orchid Crafts ~ Chrysanthemums, Mixed Pink/White

Bow-it-All by Zutter

Scor-Tape 6" x 6"

Tips and Techniques:

Bonnie is now carrying the Zutter Bow-it-All in the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store. I used it to created this gorgeous double loop bow using Silky Crush Champagne Ribbon. I scrunched the ribbon and tacked into place using Helmar 450 Quick Drying Glue. The portion of the ribbon wrapped around the box is adhered with Scor-Tape. 

I trimmed the top of the gift box with gorgeous Juliet Natural Crochet Lace. This lace has a lot of give and curved around the "pillow" top beautifully!! 

I used my new Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Two dies. The slots in the sides of these dies is just perfect to thread this gorgeous ribbon through. 

I have a thing for beautiful jewelry findings and this beautiful black piece by Tori Spelling is a recent find. I love the dangling chain segments which add so much motion to this piece. 

These Wild Orchid Crafts flowers make such a lovely cluster above the bow. I added a berry sprig from my stash. I inked the edges of the die cut pieces to help them pop. 

I hope you've been inspired to pull out your stash of Really Reasonable Ribbon lace, ribbon, flowers, tools and adhesives to transform some packaging into a beautiful gift box. 

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Scrapbooking Everyday Miracles DT Call

Scrapbooking Everyday Miracles is having a design team call. If you enjoy sharing your faith as you scrapbook, I hope you will consider applying for this amazing team. Here are the details:

SEM Design Team Call!

We would love to have you apply for our January 1 to April 30, 2014 Design Team! All e-mail applications are due October 25th by 11:59pm, EST.

We are an inspirational challenge blog. We want you to consider what God is doing in your life and all around you and scrap about it. He has blessed us with such wonderful talents, and we believe we should glorify Him with what we create. We feel many are experiencing God every day and may not take notice. We have two challenges per month.  Our main challenges inspire you to spend time with God as you scrap.  Our second challenge is based on sketch!  We have a lot of fun at SEM and would love to have you join our team!

Requirements
1 layout per month as an example for our Main Challenge 

1 layout per month for our Sketch Challenge

**Posting those layouts on our design team blog (We can help you!)

*Plan and post one of the Main Challenges or Sketch Challenges during your 4 month term.

*Post 2 additional posts during your 4 month term. (To be assigned ahead of time)

*Participation in our DT private Facebook Group 

*Participation in our Scrapping Everyday Miracles Chit Chat group on Facebook 

*Participation in events such as blog hops, Facebook group games, crops, etc.

**Experience/ease posting to a Blogger blog and scheduling posts. (This would be helpful!)

*Please consider being willing to supply 1 prize pack for 1 of the challenges during your 4 month term.  This prize pack can be from your personal stash, something newly purchased, or product from your personal scrapbooking business! 

*Become a follower of the SEM blog

Apply for the DT by October 25 by sending an email to Roberta at mrsme6th@bellsouth.net with DESIGN TEAM CALL in the subject line.

Please include:
1 - Name, country of residence, and a little bit about yourself.
2 - Brief statement of faith
3 - Link to your blog

For additional details stop by the Scrapbooking Everyday Miracles Blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Blessings ~

Once Upon a Sketch Design Team Call

Nadia has posted a call for her 2014 Design Team at Once Upon a Sketch. I hope you'll consider applying. The requirements:

• A personal blog
• A facebook account
• One layout per month based on the challenge
• Commenting on assigned entries
• Voting for challenge winners at the end of each month

The call is open until October 28 Sydney Australia time, but why wait?

Nadia will not be confirming applications, this time around (You know how it can be with a new baby in the house!!). However, she has set up an email dedicated just for this call to make sure she receives each and every application.

Send applications to Nadia at:

ouasdtcall2014@hotmail.com

Be sure to include a link to your blog and online galleries.

Additional details can be found at the Once Upon A...Sketch blog.

Best of luck to those who apply. I can't wait to see who makes the new team!!

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Published and Featured Layouts

I'm so honored and excited to share that I've been published this month at Scrapbooking.com Magazine. It is always a thrill for me to see my work published. Thank you, Stefan Harlan and the Scrapbooking.com team for selecting and showcasing my work!

I hope you'll stop over to see my layouts and all the inspiration they have put together for you in the October Issue:

My work is showcased in two Featured Articles where you will find photos, close-ups and step by step instructions on how I created these pages:

Men in Black

Celebrate

I am also honored and thrilled that "Celebrate" was selected as the winner of the Bird Is the Word Celebrate Challenge. Thanks so much, Wendy and the BITW DT for selecting my layout!!

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

Pay It Forward to honor Keaton

I don't often share giveaways on my blog, but this is one I hope you'll participate in.

This "Pay It Forward" by friend, Pam Ellis, is to help bring focus to 2-year old Keaton aka Kiki who is battling cancer.

Isn't she adorable? To learn more about Keaton and to enter Pam's Pay It Forward Giveway, stop by her blog, Lillybean.

Here's what you could win:

Thanks for stopping by! I treasure your comments.

~ Blessings ~

"The Journey" Once Upon A...Sketch October Challenge

Hello everyone!! This is my second post of the day. If you would like to view my Grungy Jute Rope and Burlap Ribbon Flower Tutorials for Really Reasonable Ribbon go here.

Today I'm here to share my first layout for Once Upon A...Sketch. What a delight to be working on Nadia's team. This month's sketch and journaling challenge gave me the opportunity to create a page I've been wanting to put together for a couple years now. I knew what photos I wanted to use, but locating them was quite a challenge since they are from 2000 to 2008. One of them had been mailed to me and misplaced 5 years ago. I'm so excited that I was able to locate it. Do I have your curiosity up? Here's my page about our daughter, Grace, and her dog, Ellie.

"The Journey"

Journaling theme: "The Journey . . ."

You are free to interpret our theme ANY WAY you like. It is for your inspiration and this theme word DOES NOT need to be part of your title or journaling. But please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes journaling (hidden journaling is fine). Acceptable journaling is MORE than just a sentence, or generic writing such as date/place etc. It need to be present and at least 3 lines long. Remember, hidden journaling is perfectly fine but please DO let us know in your post where your journaling is! 

The Once Upon A...Sketch Challenges are designed to encourage us to journal. Sometimes the most important pages we create are not those with the most beautiful photos, but those that document important life events. That's the case for the page I created this month. I shed tears as I wrote up my memories of the amazing journey traveled by Grace and Ellie, reflecting on their special relationship as they achieved some pretty remarkable accomplishments together. Since I provided transportation, I was there for much of the training and all the dog shows. Ellie is no longer with us, and Grace now has a new Border Collie pup, Breezy. God has given her an amazing gift to read and train dogs. She will be teaching her first dog obedience classed this fall. Those who take her classes are fortunate indeed. I can't wait to see the journey you document in your scrapbooking this month for Once Upon A...Sketch.

Tips and Techniques:

My journaling says: "What started as a dream turned into an amazing journey just because you believed that you could accomplish great things with Ellie"

I have included this small amount of journaling below the photos, and wrote a "book" to include on the back:

I didn't include a close-up but the stamping in the corner says: To be all that is possible we must attempt the impossible. To be all that we can be we must dream of being more. A subtle reverence to this journey. 

A mix of Prima and Really Reasonable Ribbon Wild Orchid Crafts flowers. They were misted with glimmery lavender and gold. 

The clock in the background is a Tim Holtz, Sizzix die cut from chipboard. It was dry embossed with a crackle design, then painted and inked. 

I enjoy using jewelry findings on my LO's. This sweet butterfly charm was gessoed and then misted.

You can see some of the mixed media texture below the butterfly with sheetrock mesh, molding paste, and drippy mist. 

I laid out and penciled in my design, then stamped around the design as seen here. This prima clock face was gessoed and inked. 

A close-up of he prima Typo Bulb, flower and Dusty Attic chipboard border. You can also see a hint of the washi tape I layered onto the page. 

More stamping around these Prima metal findings. I applied gesso, mists, and rhinestones to these lovely pieces!

Here you can see more of my mixed medial texture achieved with Golden Glass Bead Gel applied through a Prima stencil. The Dusty Attic border was dabbed and painted with a mix of metallic paints using an ombre effect. 

I hope you'll play along with the OUAS October sketch challenge and create a page about a special journey in your life and document that journey in your journaling. Don't forget to share your layout on the OUAS Facebook Page.

Product List:

Paper

Maja Vintage Spring Basics ~ 1st of March, 2nd of April, 9th of April

Chipboard

Dusty Attic ~ French Garden Border 

Flowers

Really Reasonable Ribbon ~ Wild Orchid Crafts: 25mm Cottage Rose - Mixed Purple/Lilac

Really Reasonable Ribbon ~ Wild Orchid Crafts: Cosmos Daisy Stem Flowers - Purple/White

Really Reasonable Ribbon ~ Wild Orchid Crafts: Sweatheart Blossoms - White

Really Reasonable Ribbon ~ Wild Orchid Crafts: 20mm Open Roses ~ White

Prima ~ Troika, White #566869

Embellishments

Prima ~ Sunrise Sunset Vintage Trinkets #960278

Prima ~ Sunrise Sunset Vintage Trinkets #960346

Prima ~ Pebbles #655350

Recollections Resin #205888

Tim Holtz ~ Tissue Tape

K & Company ~ BW Neopolitan Adhesive Rhinestones

Butterfly Charm ~ Stash

Inks/Mists/Embossing Powder

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx: Berries

Clearsnap ~ Donna Salazar Designs - Mix'd Media Inx CHOX: Driftwood, Sparrow

Ranger Distress Ink ~ Shaded LIlac, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Dusty Concord

Heidi Swapp ~ Color Shine: Gold

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist ~ Purple Pansy, Blackberry Cordial

Zing ~ Clear Embossing Powder

Mixed Media

Golden ~ Light Molding Paste

Liquitex ~ Gesso

Liquitex ~ Glass Bead Gel

Lumiere Metallic Paint ~ Halo Violet Gold, Pearlescent White

DecoArt ~ Dazzling Metallics Paint: Splendid Gold

Stamps

Tim Holtz ~ Purely Random, Lost and Found, Flights of Fancy, Nature's Elements, Life's Possibilties

Stencils

Prima ~ Lattice #564766

The Crafter's Workshop ~ Ledger

Dies/Embossing Folders

Sizzix ~ Tim Holtz Clock Die, Gear

Darice ~ Crackle Embossing Folder

Adhesives

Helmar ~ 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Helmar ~ Premium Craft Glue

Helmar ~ Zap Dots: 1/2" Square White

Helmar ~ Zap Dots: 1/4" Clear Square

Tools

Tim Holtz ~ Grid Blocks

Darice ~ Heat Tool

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~ Blessings ~