CAPT THOMAS

Today's layout is a photo from my younger son's 7th birthday party at the submarine USS Ling.  I chose my papers for the challenge over at Child's Play for the art supply toy Spirograph which I loved playing with growing up.  I used this weeks sketch from Let's Get Sketchy and the technique of the month - layering, distressing, inking from Paper Secrets.

Here is the toy:

and the sketch:

and finally - the layout:

Your comments are so appreciated!  Thanks for stopping by!

FROM A FAVORITE VACATION

In the summer of 2010 my youngest son Thomas and I took a road trip.  We left New Jersey stopping first in Virginia Beach.  We stayed there for the Sandstock Festival then headed to South Carolina where we visited Fort Sumter and the South Carolina Aquarium and then it was on to the real highlight of the trip - a week in Walt Disney World which included 4th of July.    Challenge #19 over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles was to do a page from a favorite vacation and to include masking or stenciling.  I was afraid that I had already scrapped all of this vacation but came across another pile of photos from the WDW part of the trip today and was able to play in the challenge.  Here is my entry:

And, while I am talking about Scrapping Everyday Miracles I am thrilled to add that I have been invited to be a guest designer probably for the month of December!

THANKS!

Today I loved the color palette I discovered on The Play Date Cafe Blog - challenge #146.  I decided I would like to make a clean and simple thank you card.  I went into my scrap basket to choose some of the right colored papers and I was so happy to find some corrugate in black and some banana skin in green.  I found a black and white print that I love and I was ready to roll once I grabbed my distressor and some ink.

Here is the palette:

Here is my card:

and Thanks! for stopping by!

BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD

Here's another layout of our new little furballs now affectionately called Beavis and Butthead.  I used a sketch from Scrapping Everyday Miracles.  The twist was to use a star on the layout so I chose the center panel to be embossed with a star embossing folder.  I used this month's color challenge from A Homespun Affair.  Here is the sketch:

and here are the colors:

and finally here is my layout:

Hope that you have enjoyed seeing another photo of our cute new pets.

GRADUATION DAY!

Tomorrow I am going to a graduation party with my boyfriend and wanted to make a card.  I have been having fun with pocket cards and had a bunch of inspiring stamps that I thought would make good messages for a young grad.  The pocket is embossed which is one of the challenge topics at Card-a-Day blog so I will enter this card to their August challenge.

Here is the card:

and here are the tag inserts:

Since they are so tiny in the photo I thought I would share the sentiments:

Red - In a world where you can be anything, Be Yourself.

Yellow - Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you've imagined.

Blue - Imagine what you could do...If you could do what you imagine!

Green - Imagine with all your mind.  Believe with all your heart.  Achieve with all your might.

Thanks for stopping by!

HAPPINESS IS...

Today's layout was done with a sketch by Let's Get Sketchy as well as some inspiration from Child's Play Challenge Blog's game challenge - Hungry Hungry Hippos and the Say it with Words Challenge over at ColorfuCreations.

The word was 'Happiness'.

Here is the sketch:

and the game:

and here is my layout:

Hope you have enjoyed seeing the first layout of our new happiness - 2 sweet little balls of fur!

YOU'RE THE BEST!

This week's CYAO challenge over at Paper Secrets was to use the Mojo Monday sketch #255 as well as 3 of the following:  dry embossing, border punch, chipboard, rubons, 5+ brads.  For my card this week I decided to go with some masculine colors and paper selection and dry embossing, a border punch and chipboard.

Here is the sketch I worked with:

and here is my card:

It was nice to do a masculine card for a change.  Hope you liked it!

HELLO FRIEND!

Tonite I decided to make a note card for a friend back in NJ that I haven't heard from in awhile.  I used a sketch from the SNR blog  and an idea for a pocket I had gotten when doing a challenge over at Colorful Creations.  I started by using Distress Ink to make a background in shades of blue.  I used the same colors to ink a shipping tag to use as an insert. I rotated the sketch horizontal and made the block on the front (which I embossed and sanded) into a pocket.  I inserted a tag with a message and the inside of the card is blank so I can write a letter.

Here is the sketch:

Here is my card:

and here is the tag insert:

Off to write my letter so the postman can pick it up tomorrow and send it on it's way!

ANOTHER PAGE FROM THE NJ STATE POLICE MUSEUM

Today I finished up on a layout I was working on using the Paper Secrets Sketch Challenge for this month.  They are photos of my youngest son checking out a real police car at the NJ State Police Learning Center.  Here is the sketch:

After selecting my photos I changed the sketch by rotating it 1/4 turn clockwise.  I didn't have any special embellishments and it really wasn't a page for flowers so I opted to use a stencil and some inks.  Here is what I came up with:

Thanks for stopping by!

My Play Date at the Cafe

Today I completed a challenge for the Play Date Cafe Blogspot.  The challenge was to create a card using this fabulous color palette:

I searched through my scrap basket for pieces of the appropriate colors.  I also spotted a great little piece of ribbon on my desk that worked.  I opted to make a Thank You card as they are always good to have around and I started cutting everything up.  I have been itching to use my new MS punch anywhere on the page punch and I thought the upper corner would be perfect.  After I pieced everything together I decided that I would like to color in the spots I punched for a little more of a look to it and I found some perfect markers in my set of Spectrum Noir just waiting to be used.  Here is my creation:

Hope you have enjoyed my Play Date at the Cafe!

SCRAPS TO TREASURE AUGUST HOP DAY 2

Welcome to the Scraps To Treasures August hop Day 2!

This weekend we have several amazing crafters lined up to 
show you their interpretation of this sketch.

If you have arrived here from So Many Crafts! you are
where you should be. If you found your way here on your own, you
may want to start back at So Many Crafts to make sure you do not miss a thing.

Now before we get to our fabulous projects Robin is giving away some Blog Candy so be sure to check out her blog for directions on how to enter to win.   Robin's blog - http://scrapandchat.blogspot.com/ 

Now on to my project! (made only using scraps)!!!

I know it's amazing but I had so many scraps of different sizes I did not even need to use a base page!  The two larger scraps were glued together and then measured off to be 12x12.  The dimensions are not exactly like the sketch because when using scraps you have to use what you have.  Hope you can still see the sketch in my interpretation.

Thank you so much for hopping along with us

Your next stop is Ellen at CardMonkeys Paper Jungle.



Just in case you need it, here is the full line up. Team B is Sunday posts.



Team B

Lissa - www.somanycrafts.com

Paula - http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/

Ellen - http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com/

Jearise - http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com/

Lucy - http://www.love2createitall.com/

Liz - http://tryin2craft.blogspot.com/

Tahi - http://tahisscrapcorner.blogspot.com/


Thank you so much for hopping with us, remember to check back next month!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECCA!

Happy Birthday Becca!!!

(Even though her Birthday was Monday....lol) To celebrate we are doing a Birthday Themed Blog hop!!!! We would love for you to hop along with us!!! One lucky Winner who follows all the way through will win an awesome Prize Pack... I also know there are prizes along the way! 

You should have come here from Mandy, but if you just popped on by to see me today then head on over to Rebecca at blog.scrapprincess.com to start the hop from the beginning. You won't want to miss any of these amazing projects!!! 

For my project today I opted to make a simple but fun card using my pack of Birthday Bliss papers. Here it is:

And your next stop on the hop is...

Maria

In case you get lost anywhere along the way here is the full line-up in order for the hop!

Rebecca - http://blog.scrapprincess.com/ 

Ashley - http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

Jamie- http://www.jamielindstromdesigns.com

Mandy- http://www.mandydesigns.blogspot.com/

Paula - http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com

Maria - http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com

Tricia- http://mysticalcardcreations.blogspot.com/

Shelly- http://myscrapandstamphouse.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://lisascreativeniche.blogspot.com

Suzanne - http://www.zannieberry.blogspot.com

Happy Hopping!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE!

Today is Jamie's birthday and we are celebrating with a special hop to celebrate.

If you have arrived here from the Joyful Stamper  you are in the right place!  If you have just stopped by to see me and came upon this post you may want to start back at Jamie's blog to be sure not to miss out on anything!

Since this is a birthday hop I decided to create a birthday card.  I opted to use this week's Mojo Monday sketch # 254 to start and a package of Birthday Bliss paper and buttons!  Here is the sketch:

and here is my interpretation of it:

Your next stop on this hop is Lissa Marie at So Many Crafts!

There is some wonderful blog candy being offered to one randomly chosen entrant who leaves a comment on all the blogs in the hop and stops by Scraptastical Kreations Facebook page to say hi!  The candy is a $15 gift certificate from Scraptastical Kreations for some fabulous paper piecings.


In case you get lost anywhere along the way here is the full line-up!

Jamie - http://www.jamielindstromdesigns.com

Ellen - http://cardmonkey-business.blogspot.com

Ashley - http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

Jill ~ http://craftwithanangel.blogspot.com/

Maria - http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com

Paula - http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/

LissaMarie - www.somanycrafts.com

Jessi http://mylifeinartsncrafts.blogspot.com/

Tahi http://tahisscrapcorner.blogspot.com

Sandy http://simplycraftycreationsbysandys.blogspot.com/

Nancy - http://alwaysastorycreationsbynancy.blogspot.com/

Miranda - http://www.nanasscrapspot.com/

Thanks for hopping along with us! Hope you have enjoyed my stop!

It's CYAO time!

This week Paper Secrets CYAO challenge was to use the Mojo Monday Sketch #254 and three of the following:  3+ patterned papers, pearls, corrugated cardboard, ribbon/trim or machine stitching.  I chose to use 3 patterned papers, pearls and ribbon.  It may be hard to see but the ribbon is light aqua and is under the string of pearls.  I turned the sketch vertical for a different twist.

Here's the sketch:

Here's my interpretation:

Hope you have enjoyed your visit.

NEW MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY!

I know my normal posts are of my creations but I felt that this was a special occasion and I wanted to commemorate it with a blog post.  On Saturday our family grew by two!  Yes two little fur babies.  They are cute little Guinea Pigs that a wonderful family in Maryland gave to us because the Mom was allergic to the Timothy Hay that they eat.  Soon I will be sharing layouts of us playing with them but I wanted to get some photos up so you could see just how cute they are.  Their names are Scrappy and Peshawn but are now affectionately referred to as Beavis and Butthead by my son Thomas who is their primary caretaker.

Here are some photos of Thomas when we went to pick them up:

and here they are waiting for their cage to be all set up in their new home.

and in their new home and with my son Thomas:

I never had pets growing up and other than fish this is Thomas' first venture into pet ownership too.  My son Robert is not quite as happy about them and calls them 'stinky'.  (but I do catch him in there talking to them from time to time and I'm sure he will come to love them as much as Thomas and I already do!)

My Grandfather and his Horses - early 1900's

This was such a special page to scrap.  It is one of two photos I have of my Grandfather whom I never met.  I used all the elements for the Use Your Stash challenge over at Colorful Creations as well as basing it on  sketch #220 at Creative Scrappers.  It also qualifies for entry to the Cherry on Top Heritage challenge which called for using an older photo of someone wearing a hat.

Here is the list of the stash:

Pattern Paper

lace

flowers

bling

doily

a banner

Here is the sketch:

and here is my layout:

Hope you have enjoyed my family trip back in time.

If you are looking for the Friendship Week Blog Hop Day 2 please click HERE:

WITH SYMPATHY

I found a new challenge blog called Perfect Sentiments today and challenge #PSC44 was to create a sympathy card.  I love John 14:27 and I think it is especially appropriate for a sympathy card or a difficult or trying time.  Here is the card I put together:

Thanks for looking.

FRIENDSHIP WEEK BLOG HOP! DAY 2

Welcome to the second day of the Friendship Week Blog Hop!

We are starting the week out with ideas so you can finish the week

by making friendship cards or gifts to send to your friends

We are so excited to share what we made for our friends!

If you have arrived here from Pam http://mzlavr2.blogspot.com/ you are in the right place. If you popped in to see what your friend has on her blog you may want to start at the beginning, Jessi's blog: http://mylifeinartsncrafts.blogspot.com/

Today I have this card I made for my friend:

I started with a white card base which I inked around the edges. Then I took some Coredinations cardstock and used a Cuttlebug flowered embossing folder. I sanded the cardstock to reveal the core color. I used a friendship stamp with some blue ink and stamped onto a light blue patterned paper which I also inked along the edges. I adhered this to the embossed card with pop-tape to give it some dimension and then I finished it up by adding a small flower in the corner.

Thank you so much for stopping by to see my project!

Your next stop on this hop is Ashley http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

In case you get lost anywhere along the hop here is the complete line-up:

Jessi http://mylifeinartsncrafts.blogspot.com

Pam http://mzlavr2.blogspot.com/

Paula http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/

Ashley http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

Maria http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com

Melissa http://melllisssa.blogspot.com/

Lissa www.somanycrafts.com

Lucy http://love2createitall.com

Jearise http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com

Tahi http://tahisscrapcorner.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for hopping with us!

I hope we have inspired you to create something beautiful for your friends.

PINK BY DESIGN CHALLENGE #10

The challenge this week at Pink By Design was all about color - cool color like blues, greens and violets.  I had some perfect Distress Inks for this and decided to take the challenge.  I started with a black and white patterned paper which I inked up with all of the colors.  I then chose a scripture stamp, distressed and inked my edges and double matted it.  Here is my card:

I had a lot of fun designing this card.  Hope you have enjoyed looking at it.

For the Friendship Week Blog Hop day 1 click Here!

MESSAGE IN THE POCKET!

I just loved the colors over at the Play Date Cafe this week.  I had some great Distress Inks in those shades so I started by inking my cardstock with all three colors.  I then used a background stamp on top to give it some interest.  I wasn't sure what to do next when in my pile of scraps on my desk I spotted this great little pink pocket shaped polka dot paper.  It was the perfect size to fit a tag into and the perfect size for the card so I decided to make a pocket card with the sentiment in the pocket and the inside of the card blank for a personal note.

Here are the colors I had to work with:

And here is the outside of the card:

For the tag insert I used a manilla shipping tag which I inked with the Yellow Lemonade Distress Ink.  Then I took my favorite Crafters Workshop template and the Persimmon Distress ink and made a pattern.  Last I stamped my sentiment which was the quote 

Life is measured in moments

Live every moment

Laugh every day

Love without regrets

I followed that up with Happy Birthday! added some ribbon and the insert was complete.  Here it is:

I was also excited about the idea of a pocket because there is a fun challenge over at Colorful Creations for a pocket so I will be entering it there too!

Hope you have enjoyed viewing my latest card creation!

FRIENDSHIP WEEK BLOG HOP!

Welcome to the Friendship Week Blog Hop!

We are starting the week out with ideas so you can finish the week

by making friendship cards or gifts to send to your friends

We are so excited to share what we made for our friends!

If you have arrived here from Pam http://mzlavr2.blogspot.com/ you are in the right place. If you popped in to see what your friend has on her

blog you may want to start at the beginning,

Jessi's blog: http://mylifeinartsncrafts.blogspot.com/

Today I have this card I made for my friend:

I started off with a sketch #253 from Mojo Monday.

I made sure to include 3+ papers, woodgrain (a stencil I did on the striped back paper) and heat embossing (the circle with the sentiment) for the Paper Secrets CYAO Week #27 contest.

Thank you so much for stopping by to see my project!

Your next stop on this hop is Ashley http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

In case you get lost anywhere along the hop here is the complete line-up:

Jessi http://mylifeinartsncrafts.blogspot.com

Pam http://mzlavr2.blogspot.com/

Paula http://preciouspagesbypaula.blogspot.com/

Ashley http://thebloghopprincess.blogspot.com

Rebecca http://blog.scrapprincess.com/

Maria http://JoyfulStamper.blogspot.com

Melissa http://melllisssa.blogspot.com/

Lissa www.somanycrafts.com

Lucy http://love2createitall.com

Jearise http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com

Tahi http://tahisscrapcorner.blogspot.com

Be sure to come back by on Tuesday to see the rest of our projects!