Photo shoot gone bad . . . VERY, very bad

Summer is here and my kiddos are out of school starting today.  That means sleeping in past 6:00 am (yay!), lazy days, lots of swimming, and whatever other fun activities we can drum up.  That also means juggling my work schedule and trying to complete business calls and emails from home while the girls play quietly (hopefully!) in the other room.  Working from home for a couple hours a day with the girls occupied doing something else usually works out fine.  However, my girls are at the age where they're bickering and fighting over little things.  A lot.  Although most of my layouts are all sunshine and rainbows, I don't pretend that my sweet little angels are perfect all the time.   Here's a layout I created for Creating Keepsakes a while back that captures one of those "non-perfect" moments in photos.  Disclaimer: No children were harmed during the taking of the these photos or the making of this scrapbook layout. :)

As seen in the January/February 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Posted with prior permission from the publisher. 

I created this layout for the Supply Savvy article, which featured creative uses for sequins on scrapbook pages.  I used loose sequins and sequin trim to make the large flower centers.  Here's a close-up of the sequin technique and the journaling.

This layout is one of my personal favorites primarily because of the subject matter and the photos.  My girls crack up every time they look at it.  I think it's great to document these "less than perfect" moments on a scrapbook page.  In fact, I decided to make another version of this layout so that both of my girls could have one for their scrapbooks.  I made this one-page version for Prima's CHA booth earlier in the year.

Wish us luck that they we don't have too many of these squabbles this summer!

Colorful Creations Guest DT work + pics of New York

I had the pleasure of being a guest designer for Colorful Creations a few weeks ago.   I was given a beautiful sketch to use.  Here is the layout I created based on the sketch:

On a non-scrapbooking note, I just got back from a very fun filled trip to New York.  My mom, my girls and I went to visit my brother who just moved into his new place in Greenwich Village.  We hit a lot of the New York City tourist spots like Central Park, 5th Avenue, the Natural History Museum, Time Square, China Town, Little Italy, etc., and I took a lot of pictures. 

The first day we decided to take a double decker bus tour around Downtown Manhattan. It was a great way to take in the sights of the city.

All was well and good until it started raining.  Fortunately, our tour guide handed out these stylish little rain ponchos.  We all got quite a laugh out of it.  Here's Danielle and my mom:

They look like little ghosts, don't they?

This is me with my brother.  No, I'm not super short . . . he's just super tall.

We took a stroll through Central Park:

 
Some of the best views we saw of the city were from my brother's deck.

 

The city lights:

I took this picture with my cell phone and accidentally got a lot of camera shake. Cool effect, huh?

It was a great trip!!

Stampin Up! 2012 Catalog

Stampin Up! just released their new 2012-2013 catalog, and they sent me some of their fabulous new goodies to try out!!  I used to think that Stampin Up! was primarily a stamp company, but they offer SO much more for both cardmakers AND scrapbookers.  Check out the new catalog to see all the great stamps, ink, paper, ribbon, embellishments, die-cutting tools and dies, punches, fabric and more! 

Here's a page I made using some of the new Stampin' Up products. 

I love to make paper pinwheels.  I used to just make the accordion folds by eye-balling them but my pinwheels often came out looking a little wonky.  I made these pinwheels with the help of Stampin Up!'s Simply Scored Scoring Tool.  It was so much easier to get perfect folds and flawless pinwheels.  

Here are a couple cards I made.  Stampin Up! has some beautiful new fabrics, which I used to make the ruffles on this first card. 

Everything you see on these cards is Stampin Up!  Well, with the exception of the of the "Happy Birthday" strip which I typed using my vintage typewriter (my fun little new toy that I got for Mother's Day) 

 

 
If you haven't already seen it, be sure and check out the new Stampin Up! catalog:

Just click on the link or photo above to take a look-see at all of the great new products!!

Big Pictures Classes winner and a goodbye

Thank you to everyone who left comments on the Big Picture Classes giveaway post.  It was great to read the responses.  I really wish Blogger would allow me to email people directly in response to their posts (usually I get the "no-reply" return email address when I try to do so).  The Random Number Generator chose:
 


Commenter number 4 is . . . Faygie Fellig!  CONGRATS Faygie!  I'll contact you shortly to let you know the next step.

On another note, it's time to say a goodbye and a thank you.  You can read the lovely announcement here on the Prima blog.  My two years on the team have been an absolute pleasure from day one!  Anyone who knows me or has followed my blog knows how much I love Prima products, so being on their DT was a dream come true.  One of the added bonuses is that I made some wonderful friends along the way.  Working with Sharon Laakkonen (DT coordinator "extraordinaire") and the other talented and supportive ladies on the team has been a fantastic experience.  I'm truly grateful for everything.  Thank you, Prima! 

Best of luck to all the Prima girls who re-applied for another year . . . you all deserve it!  I can't wait to see who's on the new team! 

Prima - "Simple to Stupendous" Feature

Prima started a great new monthly feature called "Simple to Stupendous" where one of the DT members shows a dual approach to creating a layout: one version that's somewhat simple and the other with more product and techniques.  I had the honor of the doing the DT feature this month.  You can see the post here on the Prima blog.  Here are the Cliff Notes . . .

Personally, I don’t have a single set-in-stone scrapbooking style. To keep things interesting for myself, I like to play around with different styles. Some of my pages are very simple with minimal embellishments, and others are filled with techniques and lots of products.  For my post on the Prima blog, I created one-page variations of the two-page layout I did for my class a couple months ago. 
 
Here is the first version.

Pretty simple, huh? I created a quick and easy base for the photo by punching squares from the Songbird Collection papers.  I kept the rest of the page pretty simple by using a minimal amount of flowers (just enough to “pretty up” the page a bit).  Then I added my title and handwrote my journaling on a doily. This is a page that could easily be completed in half an hour and with minimal supplies.

Here is the second version.

As you can see, I added more embellishments and details. For example, I beefed up my cluster of flowers and embellishments. I added some details, like machine stitching around the page and I added tiny drops of Liquid Pearls around the center section.

Instead of a simple punched square design, I added a more eye-catching patchwork design adorned with pearls.

I first learned how to do this cool paper quilting technique here: Davinie’s quilting tutorial

To add a bit of sparkle and pizzazz to my embellishment clusters, I coated some of the flowers and the butterfly with translucent white glitter.

In case you missed it, here's my 2-page version.

Oh, before I forget, the winners of Maggie's Photography Workshops are posted on her blog here!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Big Picture Classes -- "Living the Dream" online workshop giveaway!

I have some exciting news to share today!  I had the opportunity to participate in the creation of an online scrapbooking class for Big Picture Classes.  The Creating Keepsakes Dream Team members have teamed with Big Picture Class ("BPC") to create the Living the Dream online workshop.

 

 

Each DT member has focused on a different topic within the theme of "Living the Dream" and we have each created our own separate layouts, instructions and inspirational materials.  So it's like getting 10 different classes from 10 different instructors for the price of 1!  Here's a little bit of info about the class:

We're willing to bet that much of the life you're living to day began as something that you only dreamt of yesterday. Big Picture Classes and the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team, have joined up to help you acknowledge the dreams that you've had in the past, while discovering and documenting the way that your dreams have been fulfilled (…not always in the way you thought they'd be fulfilled!). In this new workshop, the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team will inspire you with 10 days of emails with a photo and journaling prompt. This will be followed by 10 days where you will receive a handout from each Dream Team teacher that will give you instructions and inspiration to complete a layout that documents the different ways that you're living your dream.

The class will go live on June 28th, but registration is open now.  Please check here for registration information:  Living the Dream.

Good news . . . I get to give away a spot in this class to one of my lucky blog readers!  To be entered to win, simply leave a comment here before the end of the day on Sunday, June 3rd and I will draw a random winner.  Optional (just for fun):  Share a dream of yours that has been fulfilled in the recent years OR a dream that you have for the future. 

For more chances to win, go visit and leave a comment on the blogs of these talented ladies (please be aware that if a single person wins more than one spot in the class, another name will be drawn).

• Autumn Baldwin
• Suzy Plantamura

Back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

After a couple recent blog hops and giveaways, I'm back to my regularly scheduled programming here on my blog.  My DT term with Prima is almost over, but I still have many Prima layouts and other projects that I haven't shared here yet.   I better hop to it!  Here's a layout I did using April's PPP (Prima's Product Pick):

I used Prima's oh-so-lovely Meadow Lark collection.  I couldn't resist using my new favorite page accent: doilies!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Washi Workshop Winner

Washi Workshop Winner

{Try saying THAT ten times fast!}

According to the Random Number Generator, the winner 

of a spot in the Washi Workshop is . . . Christa! 

Congrats Christa!  I'll contact you to get your full info.

Maggie Holmes Photography Class Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Would you like to take your photography skills to the next level?  Then you absolutely must check out Maggie Holmes' online photography workshops!

Maggie Holmes has been a professional photographer for 7 years and has created two online workshops in which she gives you all of her tried and true secrets, tips and tricks with you. She shares her knowledge in a format that is candid and easy to understand. Past students rave about how much they learn in such a short amount of time and that the workshops more than pay for themselves because the progress they make is invaluable!  Maggie's photography skills are nothing short of AMAZING!! You can see some examples of Maggie's beautiful work in her online gallery.

Maggie will be offering two fabulous workshops:

Photography 101: July 9th - August 18th, 2012 -- This is a 6 week online course that will cover the basics of photography. You will learn things like aperture, shutter speed, iso, exposure and how to shoot in manual mode. You'll also explore creativity, style, composition and lighting.

Advanced Photography: August 20th - September 29th, 2012 -- This is the perfect follow-up to photography 101.  You will take your skills to a higher level and learn how to edit your photos so they are magical!  This 6-week course also covers things like advanced lighting and when/how to use your external flash. Video materials are included so you can see exactly how Maggie edits her photos.

Registration for these classes has just been posted here. These are the last two classes Maggie is offering in 2012 and class size is limited, so  register now in order to guarantee your spot!  Maggie is offering an early bird discount of $50 if you register before May 31st.

Now for the GIVEAWAY info!  Maggie is giving away a spot in each of these classes on her blog:  Maggie Holmes Designs.  PLUS, a bonus spot in Photography 101 will be given away to one lucky winner who will be chosen at random from one of the blogs on the hop. To be entered to win the bonus spot, leave a comment here before Wednesday, May 23rd.  Note: If you purchase a class and then are drawn as a winner for that class, your registration fee will be refunded. Does not apply to purchases made for previous classes. Be sure to visit and leave a comment at each blog on the hop to increase your chances of winning.  The next two blogs on the list are Megan Hoepnner and Kim Watson. Good luck!

Washi Workshop Blog Hop!

If you've come here for the Washi Workshop Blog Hop, then you're in the right place! If you haven't heard about the Washi Workshop, you'll definitely want to check it out!

This workshop is all about -- you guessed it -- creative ways to use washi tape.  Megan Hoeppner of Creating Keepsakes magazine is full of ideas to share for digging into your stash to make amazing new projects. She'll be joined by a gaggle of talented contributors, including Nicole Samuels, Kelly Purkey, Allison Waken, Sasha Farina, Julie Ebersole, Tina Aszmus, Lisa Truesdell, and Amy Tan.

They'll be providing brand new layouts, mini albums, cards, and other great projects.  You can get more information and sign up for this class on the Studio Calico classroom page.  At the end of this post I'll tell you how you can win a spot in this class!

I have to confess.  Up until about a week ago I was a complete "washi tape virgin".  I had never even touched the stuff!  But all changed when the lovely owner of Queen & Co. (for whom I sometimes do design work) sent me a box of her adorable new Trendy Tapes and asked me to make some cards for an upcoming trade show.  I said, "but of course!" and jumped right in.  After playing with it, I totally get the whole washi/decorative tape craze!!  This stuff is awesome!  It's perfect for an indecisive scrapper and cardmaker like me who moves things around a gazillion times before finally settling on where to put things.  You can remove and reposition it many times.  How cool is that?!?

Here are a few of the cards I made using the the Trendy Tape (aka Washi Tape):

 

{Credit for this washi tape pinwheel idea:  Virginia Nebel}

  

 

I am now officially hooked on this sticky stuff!!!

Megan's Washi Workshop will be filled with many more ideas and lots of inspirational projects.  I get to give away a spot in this class to one lucky blog reader! To win, simply leave a comment here by next Wednesday, May 23rd.  For additional chances to win, visit the the Studio Calico Blog and the Creating Keepsakes Blog.   Then continue along the Blog Hop and leave a comment on these blogs for even more chances to win . . . 

Allison Waken: http://allisonwaken.squarespace.com/
Tina Aszmus:  http://lifelovepaper.com/blog/

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope all you moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I'm so behind on sharing layouts and projects I've made this year.  I probably have several dozen projects that I haven't posted here yet.  Here's a pair of paper shoes that I made for Prima's CHA booth back in January:

I made these using my shoe template.   Follow the link for the downloadable shoe template and full instructions.

Have a wonderful week!

More "Clean and Simple" scrapbook pages

Today I'm sharing a couple more layouts that I created for Creating Keepsakes' Simple Scrapbooks issue.  Going "Clean and Simple" is a little bit of a challenge for me.  I have to resist the urge to put more "stuff" and layers on my pages.  But I do like to play with different styles from time to time, so I enjoyed stepping out of my box and creating layouts that were a little different for me.  

This first layout was for an article about using a limited number of supplies -- same as the two page "Age of Innocence" layout I shared earlier (two blog posts down).  Part of the challenge was that I couldn't use any  patterned paper on this layouts.  I made up for the lack of patterned paper by using textured cardstock and colorful premade embellishments.

This next layout was created for an article about scraplifting.  I was given a layout made by the very talented Suzy Plantamura, and I was asked to simplify her layout.  Suzy had made a very lush pool-themed layout with a large wave behind the photos.  This was my simplified version:

Hope your day is "simply" wonderful!

Simple Scrapbooks winner and Creating Keepsakes' NSD Celebration!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of Creating Keepsake's special issue: Simple Scrapbooks. Without further delay, the winner is commenter #24 . . . Patricia!  Congrats Patricia!  I'll email you to get your mailing info.

We are celebrating National Scrapbook Day on both the Creating Keepsakes Blog and the Club CK Blog.  The theme is "scrapbooking around the house."  There are activities, tips, challenges, and prizes, on both blogs.  Each day this week we have been focusing on one room of the house.  I volunteered to do the Living Room challenge on the Club CK blog.  My challenge is to decorate a frame with flowers.  I decorated my frame with a plethora of handmade roses that I made from gorgeous Melissa Frances patterned paper:

Supplies:  Patterned paper and resin frame: Melissa Frances; Small paper flowers and alphabet stickers: Prima; Die-cutting machine: Silhouette; Flower die: Lifestyle Crafts; Punches: EK Success and Family Treasures

I started with a $1.00 naked wood frame from Michael's, painted it white, then covered it with the paper roses I made.  I filled in the empty spots with small white Prima flowers.  You can find this paper rose tutorial (and the original source of this great tutorial) back on my blog post here: paper rose tutorial.  The tutorial shows how to make the roses with flower punches, but I also used a flower die to make some of the roses seen here.

The challenge on Club CK is to Decorate a frame using any type of handmade or premade flowers (or a combination of both).  Because flowers are my favorite embellishment, and I tend to go a little "flower crazy" with my projects.  But you don't have to use nearly as many flowers as I did!  For the full details about the challenge and the great prize you can win, be sure and check out the NSD Countdown/Living Room on Club CK.


What are you all doi

Doilies, doilies, doilies

I have a post up on the Creating Keepsakes Blog about my favorite trend right now: doilies.  From crafts, to home decor, to clothing, doilies are popping up everywhere. Here's a layout I made using doilies that I cut at home using my favorite doily die, made by My Favorite Things (Die-namics High Tea Doily die).

I used products from Crate Paper's lovely and adorable Pretty Party collection (one of my favorites from CHA!)

Be sure and check out the CK Blog to see some inspiring photos showing different ways to use doilies!

Creating Keepsakes: Simple Scrapbooks giveaway!

Creating Keepsakes' newest special issue is out!  Check out Simple Scrapbooks:

Make scrapbooking faster and easier than ever with the hundreds of ideas in this new special issue from Creating Keepsakes, dedicated to scrapbooking simply. Discover quick tips for simplifying your layout designs as well as ideas for scrapbooking with limited products. Plus, with plenty of 2-page layout options, you'll get more photos scrapbooked in less time. It's all in Simple Scrapbooks from Creating Keepsakes.

I don't normally scrap "clean and simple", but it was fun to step outside of my box for this issue and create some pages that were more minimalistic. Here's one of the simple layouts I made for this issue.

As seen in Creating Keepsakes special Simple Scrapbooks issue. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

You can find a copy of this special issue at your local newsstand/bookstore, or you can purchase a copy  from CK's online store:  Simple Scrapbooks.  Here's a link to the online extras where you can find the  downloads, sketches, techniques, etc. that compliment this issue: Simple Scrapbooks Extras.

As usual, the generous people at Creating Keepsakes are allowing me to give away a copy of this special issue.  To be entered to win, simply leave a comment here before Sunday night, May 5th, and tell me what your scrapping style is.  Clean and simple? Shabby Chic? Artsy? Fun and playful? Or something else?  I'll announce the winner next week.

Check out these blogs for more chances to win!

Piradee Talvanna
Patty Cieri 
Megan Hoeppner