Retirement Layout

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days - been busy with a scrapbooking party and church events. Here's my latest layout. We have a good friend who was lucky enough to retire at 55, and I took these pictures at his retirement party. I created this layout using the Cherish pattern Dramatic Fashion, and once again I discovered I didn't have the color of cardstock I needed. I really need to order some more cardstock soon! To create the color I needed (Ponderosa Pine), I used the same brayer technique I demonstrated in my Easter Sunday layout, but this time I wanted a patchy effect, so I rolled my brayer in several different directions. This created uneven coverage, exactly what I wanted. The embellishments were created using a variety of stamp sets, including one of my favorites, He Said She Said (used on the innermost circles). I had finished the layout, but it still needed something, so I took my paper piercer and a spongy mat (similar to the Versamat) and poked holes all around the journaling box and one of the bottom photos. I tend to forget about this technique, but it's a lot easier than sewing! Just in case you're wondering, in the bottom right photo Gerry is demonstrating his golf swing.



Recipe:
He Said She Said, Solos O, Starstruck, Classmate Alphabet, Hodgepodge Alphabet stamp sets
It's a Guy Thing papers
Bamboo & Colonial White cardstock
Ponderosa Pine, Barn Red & Desert Sand ink
Ponderosa Pine marker
Foam squares
Brayer
Paper piercer

ACL Surgery Layout with Masking Tutorial

My poor hubby was involved in a mid-air collision while playing volleyball, and ended up with a torn ligament in his knee. He had to have surgery, so he spent a lot of time lying down, both before and after the surgery. He ran out of reading material, and was desperate enough to read one of my scrapbook magazines, a memory I will chuckle over for years to come. The funny thing is, he is more of a critic than I am regarding the artwork. He will totally analyse a layout and tell me why he likes or dislikes the work of the designer. Must be his engineering brain at work! I snapped a few pictures of him during this time and created this layout I want to share. I used the pattern Designer's Eye from Cherish, and random stamped on Bamboo colored cardstock to create a background paper. Since I wanted the thread to go through the eye of the needle, I masked part of the needle and stamped the thread over it, then removed the mask for my completed image. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I created a simple tutorial to show the steps to follow.
Enjoy!







And here's the layout!


Recipe:
Simple Stitches & Extreme Caps Alphabet stamp sets
Cranberry, Cocoa, Bamboo, Desert Sand, Moonstruck cardstock
Greg Wool, Coca & Cranberry ink
Versamark stamp pad
Embossing powder
Moonstruck marker
Embroidery floss (Making Memories)

10 Things I Love About You

I created this layout a few months ago, but I thought I would post it since it honors my favorite dad, my dear hubby Greg! (Sorry, Daddy, I love you, but I have to love Greg more!) I chose to use the Cherish pattern "Beauty in Repetition" because it features 10 photos to go along with my 10 things theme. Most of these photos were ones I had printed up for other layouts and ended up not using, but they showed different facets of Greg: father, husband, nature lover, coffee drinker, handyman, and all-around fun guy. By combining them, I was able to show sides of Greg that many people don't see. This is a really fun technique. I challenge you to try it the next time you are celebrating a special event with a loved one (birthday, Mother's or Father's Day, etc.). I guarantee they will get a kick out of seeing 10 reasons you think they are special! It was a fun challenge as well to put together the word cluster that I used for my title. I mixed 5 different stamp sets (but you can use as many as you like) to get this effect, and I loved how it turned out. For more ideas on how to create a word cluster, check out this episode of CTMH TV.



Recipe:
Alphabets stamp sets = Classmate, Friendship Large & Small, Homestead
Simple Stitches & February Word Puzzle stamp sets
Magic Moments paper pack
Sweet Leaf, Indian Corn Blue & Colonial White cardstock
Indian Corn Blue, Barn Red, Hollyhock, Honey & Cocoa ink
Winter & Autumn craft buttons
Indian Corn Blue marker

Easter Sunday

I just finished this Easter Sunday layout using the Key to My Heart papers from the CTMH January special. It features our newest colors of Creme Brulee, Tulip, Juniper, and Sorbet (I only used the first two on this layout). The pictures I used weren't of the best quality, but I wanted to scrap them anyway in order to remind myself of this day. They were taken after we had eaten lunch, and Elliot was dashing around to avoid having his picture taken, while Adrian would only pose if we let him hold his new dinosaur. I know I will always think of that whenever I look at this layout, and isn't that what scrapbooking is all about? Preserving those treasured (and sometimes comical) memories. As I was working on this layout, I realized I had run out of the Lilac Mist cardstock I needed to mat the picture of Adrian with his dinosaur, so I improvised. I inked up my brayer using Lilac Mist ink, and then rolled it onto Colonial White cardstock. Once it dried, it produced a perfectly matched piece of cardstock. It even has a slightly mottled surface, which coordinates well with the distressed look of the background paper. So if you ever run out of cardstock, don't panic! Grab your brayer and start rolling.



Recipe:
Key to My Heart & Eastertime stamp sets
Key to My Heart paper pack
Garden Green, Creme Brulee, Tulip & Colonial White cardstock
Garden Green, Creme Brulee, Tulip & Lilac Mist inks
Mini-Medley Spring Blossom Photo Corner
Ribbon (source unknown)
Tulip marker
Sponge daubers
Brayer
Foam Squares

You Color My World

As stated in a previous post, I attended the CTMH Regional Celebration in Arizona in February, and we made several layouts over the course of the weekend. Here is one of them that I finally found pictures for. All the layouts were slightly girly, and, since I have two boys, finding the right pictures to use with them was a challenge, but as soon as I knew I would be helping dye Easter eggs at my son's pre-school, I realized this would be a perfect fit. I even dressed both my boys in green so they would coordinate with the layout - how sad is that?! My favorite part of the layout (besides the pictures of my cute kids) is the title. It combines stamped images and the Hodge Podge Color-Ready Alphabet stickers. On other projects, we colored the stickers, but here they looked best in the original white. A fun technique we used was to emboss a rectangle around the two large picture frames and the journaling block using an embossing stylus and the channel in a paper trimmer. It created a raised border that really adds to the finished look of the layout. All the details made this a fun layout to complete!



Recipe (all CTMH):
Rustic Alphabet, Priceless Love & Connections stamp sets
Daydream patterned papers
Sweet Leaf & White Daisy cardstock
Sweet Leaf & Hollyhock ink
Hodge Podge Color-Ready Alphabet stickers
Hollyhock marker
Pewter brads
Clear sparkles
Foam squares

Lovely Blog Award

Woohoo. I received two blog awards! Thanks so much to Janelle from www.jaksscraps.blogspot.com and Amy from clearlystamping.blogspot.com for giving me my first blog awards!

The rules for this one are:1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.Here are my picks for this award (in no particular order):

Jennifer
Aaron
Roxann
Rachel
Cindy
Patti
Erica
Tonya A brand new blogger but off to a great start!
Dena
Pamela

I didn't make it up to 15, but this was all I had time for in my busy day. I tried to pick blogs that hadn't already received the award, and that featured CTMH artwork that I would like to scraplift. I had so much fun finding all these blogs. A couple of them I had seen before, but most of them were brand new to me, and chasing them down was a blast! Thanks for the challenge, Jan and Amy, and to the wonderful ladies who share their talents with us through their blogs.

Retirement Card

One of the teachers at Elliot's pre-school is retiring this week after 29 years of service. Needless to say, we are all sad to see her go. I made this card for her using the Wishing You Well sentiment from the Say It in Style stamp set. We really will miss her, but I'm sure she will continue to touch people's lives in whatever she chooses to do next. Thanks for the years of service, Mrs. Shaffer. The colors on this card were inspired by CTMH founder Jeanette Lynton's Color Me Monday challenge on her blog. This week, the colors she asked us to try together were Juniper, Creme Brulee, Hollyhock, and Blush. I admit, I wasn't crazy about the combination when I laid out my papers on my scrap desk, but with a little work and the addition of some White Daisy cardstock to tone it down, I am now very pleased with the results. I had fun with the flower. Only the center is adhered down and secured with a brad. I allowed the petals to float free, and even curled the ends up a little to get the effect of a real flower. I don't know if they'll still be curled when she takes it out of the envelope, but hopefully they will. Thanks again, Mrs. Shaffer, and Jeanette for your inspiration.





Recipe (all CMTH unless noted):
Say It in Style & With Love stamp sets
Boom-Di-Ada paper
Juniper, Creme Brulee, Blush & White Daisy cardstock
Juniper, Creme Brulee & Hollyhock ink
Juniper brad
Creme Brulee Ribbon Rounds
Scalloped border punch (Fiskars)

Father's Day Card

I always have a hard time coming up with cards for my dad, but this year, I was inspired! One attribute of my dad's that really stands out to me is his work ethic. He is the most hardworking man I know, so I decided to make a card that celebrates this characteristic in a fun way. I used the pattern Upright from the Originals card book. I don't usually make 8" x 3.5" cards because I never know how to send them, but I just realized that they will fit in a standard letter-sized envelope - duh! Here's the outside of the card, which is very serious and classic looking.



And here's the inside, which hopefully will make my dad laugh.



Recipe:
Tool Time, Say It In Style, Friendship Alphabet Small & June Word Puzzle stamp sets
Autumn Terracotta, Desert Sand, Bamboo & White Daisy cardstock
Autumn Terracotta, Desert Sand, Lilac Mist & Chocolate ink
Pewter brads
Edge Distresser

Soccer

I finished most of this layout a while ago, but never got around to journaling on it. While I believe a picture is worth a thousand words, there are still some pictures that require explanation (like these ones). Now the layout is finally complete, and I wanted to share it with you. My son started soccer in March for the first time, and I wanted to capture his excitement over his first practice. Actually, he remained excited for the whole season, which doesn't always happen, so we were grateful he has found something that he really loves to do. The pattern for the layout is Duplicate Patterns (right hand page) from Cherish. I used the Best Shot stamp set to create the title and the little picture squares. Love this set, and I'm thinking I'll get a lot of mileage out of it! The circle patterned paper is discontinued, and I'm not even sure of the name, since it was a freebie from before I became a CTMH consultant. For the title, I wanted to use the mesh stamp, but I also wanted the word soccer to show up well, so I second generation stamped the mesh. Basically, I inked up the stamp in Cocoa ink, stamped it on a scratch piece of paper, and then stamped it on my cardstock. This is a great way to get a perfectly matched color but in a lighter shade. How's that for my tip of the day? I'm sure you will see more soccer layouts posted by me, but I'm really happy with how this first one turned out.



Recipe (all CTMH):
Best Shot stamp set
Blue Ribbon papers
Cocoa & Bamboo cardstock
Cocoa, Cranberry & Sweet Leaf ink
Cocoa Marker
Chocolate brads

Teacher Thank You Cards

This has been another card-oriented week. My oldest son finished first grade on Friday, and I made cards for his teacher and full-time teacher's aide. Both cards were inspired by CTMH consultants. The card with the "A" on it uses one of my favorite products: White Daisy textured cardstock. I had already used the large A on my Dimensional Elements Monogram A (see page 96 in the current catalog if you have no idea what that is!), so I used the negative space as a stencil, traced it onto my cardstock, and cut it out. I then brushed Outdoor Denim ink onto it directly from the pad (you could also use a brayer to do this). I love how you can still see traces of the white cardstock, thus making the most of the fact the paper is textured. I have to share a funny story regarding the delivery of these cards. I finished them on Thursday night and placed them in my son's homework folder in his backpack. I figured the teacher would get them since she usually checks the folder in the morning. My husband got my son ready for school Friday, and made no mention to him about the cards. So when my son came home from school and I looked in his folder, the cards were still there! EEK! I made a mad dash back to the school and fortunately his teacher was still there, so I was able to give her the cards. We ended up having a nice talk, but I was a little stressed out by this, to say the least! The funniest part of it was the conversation I had with Adrian about it.

Me: Did the other kids in your class give teacher cards or gifts?
Adrian: Yes
Me: So didn't you think to check your backpack for your card for teacher?
Adrian: Umm . . . no.

Kids!



Recipe:
Thanks, Classmate Alphabet, July Word Puzzle & September Word Puzzle stamp sets
Animal Cookies paper pack
Clover Meadow, Outdoor Denim, Honey & Cranberry inks
Outdoor Denim, Honey, Cranberry & White Daisy cardstock
White Daisy textured cardstock
Outdoor Denim & Chocolate markers
Foam Squares



Recipe:
Thanks & Tiny Typewriter stamp sets
Watermelon B&Ts paper (retired)
Sweet Leaf & White Daisy cardstock
Chocolate ink
Foam Squares

Graduation Cards

Just finished graduation cards for four gals at our church who are completing high school. We've known one since she was a baby, so it seems a little weird that she's old enough to graduate - yet another example of how time flies. I'm totally excited with how much money I just saved myself by not having to buy graduation cards from the store! I used the same pattern for all the cards (Winning Combination from Originals), but I wanted each one to be a little different since these girls all know each other and might see the others' cards. I was inspired by the little bird stamp from the June Word Puzzle stamp set, and I took it from there. All the patterned paper is from the same kit: Boom-Di-Ada Level 2. Isn't it cool how you can get so many different looks using the same color palette? The inside of the cards says, "Happy graduation."







Recipe:
June Word Puzzle, Party Invitation, Rustic Flowers, Hodge Podge Alphabet & Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamp sets
Boom-Di-Ada Level 2 paper pack
Buttercup, Olive, Barn Red & Colonial White cardstock
Buttercup, Olive, Barn Red, Autumn Terracotta, Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf & Blush ink
Black Marker
White Grosgrain Ribbon
Pink & Green Grosgrain ribbon (from Michaels)
White Brad
Blending Pen
Circle Punch (CM)

Women's Extreme Experience

I invited some friends over last night to scrapbook with me, and it reminded me why I scrapbook best alone. We were so busy talking that I only completed one layout in four hours! Oh well, at least we had fun. Actually, I would have finished more except I had a hard time finding my mojo for this layout. I tried one background, and even had the photos adhered, but my friend Patsy didn't like it. Sadly, I agreed, so I started over and am much happier with the results. I used Becky Higgins' sketch of the month from the June issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine as the base for my layout design. I love the Bella paper pack from CTMH, and was so happy for a chance to use flowers on a layout. I didn't have any matching embellishments, so I created my own. I cut out flowers and a vine from a piece of the Bella papers, coated the smaller ones with Liquid Glass for sturdiness, and adhered them to the pages. I then added brads to the centers of the flowers, and I was done!







Recipe:
Friendship Small Alphabet, Express Postage, & Journaling Jots stamp sets
Bella paper pack
Desert Sand & Cocoa cardstock
Cocoa ink
Pansy Purple marker
Liquid Glass
Brads

One way to keep current with your scrapbooking

One of my goals the past two years has been to keep up-to-date with my scrapbooking, and I'm so pleased that I'm already scrapping March 2009 pictures. Of course, I haven't finished 2 months of 2006, and I skipped 2007 altogether, so I'm not totally caught up, but enough to make me happy. I realized this year as I looked at my scrapbooks that I can't include every event in my scrapbooks. With 24 scrapbooks already completed, I just don't have enough room in my house! So I am trying to pick out the most memorable events from each month and scrapbook them. Some months, we have a lot going on, so I may end up with 7 or 8 layouts, but most months I can keep it down to 3 or 4 double page spreads. As a chronological scrapper, I have always had a hard time omitting events from my scrapbooks, but let's be real: how many pictures of church picnics do I really need, and why in the world did I scrapbook 7 layouts of just the San Diego Wild Animal Park? So give this technique a try. As you look through your pictures, pick out the best shots from each event (just because you took a picture doesn't mean you have to use it), and try to stick to just a few layouts each month. The other pictures can go into a traditional photo album, or just burn a CD with the leftover digital pictures. Good luck, and happy scrapping!

CTMH Regional Celebration

Hi everyone. After taking a weekend off in San Francisco with my wonderful husband, I'm getting back into the scrapbook grind. Okay, it's not really a grind because I love it, and I have been cranking out some layouts. The subject of today's layout is the wonderful Regional Celebration I attended with my CTMH Upline, Jenni. You can read all about the event in my journaling, so I will just mention one more time how great it was to be with all those consultants, learning, crafting, networking, and eating! Of course, meeting CTMH founder Jeanette Lynton was a privilege - sorry I spelled your name wrong in my journaling, Jeanette! I can never remember if it's one "n" or two. For this layout, I used the pattern Personality Presence from Imagine (revised, of course). The patterned paper is from the Emporium collection. I love all the colors in this paper, which make it easy to pair with so many different color schemes. To create my title tag, I used a scanner to scan the Regional Celebration logo banner, and then imported it into my Wishblade program so my machine could cut it out. If you haven't seen a Wishblade in action, it's an amazing machine. It cuts any true type font, plus you can scan something and create an outline for it to cut. Much easier and way more precise than hand-cutting! I combined the banner with hand-drawn lines, stars, and journaling to complete the title. All the circles in the Connections stamp set coordinate so nicely with this paper, so it was easy to finish up the layout.







Recipe:
Connections & Picture Perfect stamp sets
Emporium Paper Pack
Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, Crystal Blue & Buttercup cardstock
Sweet Leaf, Cocoa, Crystal Blue & Vineyard Berry ink
Crystal Blue & Vineyard Berry markers
Cocoa grosgrain ribbon
Foam squares
Staple