Some Serious Power Scrapbooking This Weekend!

Whew, I did a lot of pages in a very short amount of time! I spent a couple hours Saturday, and another couple hours on Sunday scrappin' and I got about 20 pages done.

At the moment I don't have photos to share.  They aren't my fanciest ever by any means.  I am relieved I am getting caught back up though!  I did an 80 page book for my daughter's first year, so I'm doing the same for my son.  After that I figure 40 pages per year is good, and I'm doing a sibling album for them now, and starting a family album next year.  So... I have a TON of pages to crank out.  They can't all take me forever.

Here's a few tips for those crazy power sessions -

*Put it in focus!  WHY are you scrapbooking?  For me it's to preserve precious memories, a crooked sticker is not going to be noticed much in a massive 80 page book of adorable pictures and special moments.  Most people never accomplish this, so I try to look at the good of doing it, and take focus off being too perfect about it.  I'd rather have the cherished book full to the brim for later than not get done over fear of messing it up.  Someday if I REALLY want I can always get a photo printed again and re-scrap it.  However, the further behind one gets, the harder it is to catch up!

*Plan to make a mess, just keep moving, don't stop to put everything away just to get it back out.

*Purposely dig through supplies that have been sitting around and try and find ways to use them.  When you are truly trying to finish things you might not be using your ideal patterned paper that you envision in your head anyways, so just get something that works, don't be obsessive about how perfectly things match (which is hard for me.)

*Don't over complicate things.  Most of my pages from yesterday are things like a single die cut and a title, or a nice patterned paper & a journaling space, or some have some strips of paper for color & a bit of pattern.  When you keep your pages simple they come together faster.

*Make decisions quickly. Don't think over the design in your mind too long. Hold a photo up to a paper, if it doesn't strike you as a really awful match, just use it.  If the second you hold it up you think, hmm... maybe not, set it aside and look at something else.  Quick choices make quick scrappin'!

Thanks for visiting today!  As much as I love beautiful details and such, sometimes done is better than creative when it comes to the things I truly feel a need to have scrapped.  The pictures matter more than my "art" on the pages anyways.  Have a fabulous and very crafty day!

Where's Tiffy Layout

I just had to do a page dedicated to my daughter's love of running around covered in a blanket.  I would laugh so hard at her running around, bumping into things, & giggling under this thing.

I decided to do this and submit it for 2 different challenges.  The first challenge is over at Made by Momo, and it's a Spots & Dots challenge.  I think this qualifies.

The second is over at My Creative Time and it's a challenge to do a layout for Throwback Thursday.

I used George for this one.  I cut the letters at 2 inches and the polka dots at 2 and 1/2.  I was able to finish it quickly even with my 2 year old daughter "helping."

My Cute Critters Page

Goodness I need to catch up on my scrapbooking!  I just got this page of the kiddos on Halloween completed.  I kept it really simple.  I really prefer fast pages since I would rather have nice, full books to look back on later & I can't seem to find time for the real fancy ones.

The paper is by Die Cuts With a View, Generation Tech Stack.  The critters are from Create a Critter.  I cut the penguin at 3 inches and the ladybug at 3 and 1/2.  The ladybug looks smaller than the penguin even at a bigger size because her little antenna add to her height.  I totally messed up the layering!  *LOL*  Still cute, but not correct.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous, crafty day!

Summer Time Tag

I made this project for two different challenges.  The first is at The Cuttlebug Spot.  They have a challenge to do an embossed tag.

The second is at The Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.  They are having a Summer Time at the Beach Challenge.

I used Very Merry Tags to make the base.  I welded two of them together with a little square from Planin Schoolbook.  I could also use this as a tiny card if I wanted to.  Sand is cut from Plantin Schoolbook.  The sun is from Create a Critter & the sunglasses are from Forever Young.

I used the embossing folders Spots and Dots (which my husband informed me makes my sun look as though it has chicken pox! *LOL*) Swiss Dots, & D'vine Swirl.

If you would like the cut file to duplicate this project quickly you can download it here.

Sweet Card w/ a Video & cut file

 I made this very special card for a friend of mine.  You can watch the video for all the details if you're interested.  Thanks for stopping by :)

If you want to download the cut file so you don't have to do the hide contour stuff yourself.  I have it available for download here.  I used Gypsy Wanderings - but only for the circle & scallop, so you can change that if you need to.  Other than that I used Create a Critter and From my Kitchen.

Sweet Little Baby Card for a Color Challenge

I am really trying to push myself lately & do more challenges.  I have had some great ideas come out of them lately.

The challenge is Kristina Werner's Reader's Choice Color Inspiration Number 4.  I really wasn't sure what to do with those colors.  I kind of wanted to do a carnival themed thing, but I needed to get a baby card made ASAP, so I decided to try that instead.  The stamp set used to create the rattle & for the sentiment is Stampin' Up's Something Sweet.  I used one of their Sweet Treats cups and filled it with jellybeans that matched the colors of the card. 

Although this isn't what I had in mind initially, I think the colors make an interesting palette for a baby boy card.  A little bit of pastel & then some bolder "boy colors."

Hopefully I'm able to get to the rest of the challenges I want to do this week :)  Thanks for stopping by & look for lots more.  I'm going to try to start posting 5 days a week consistently.

Giraffe Baby Gift Bag

I made this bag for a challenge over at My Creative Time.

The guidelines were pretty simple.  Use an older Cricut cartridge and either alter something or make something 3d.  I went with a simple gift bag using New Arrival.

The patterned paper is by Die Cuts With a View.  I punched the top & bottom edges with my Scallop Border Punch from Stampin' Up, & of course I added googly eyes.  I think for a really quick project this came out super cute!

Grill Master Father's Day Card

My Dad makes the best steaks ever.  I tell ya, just thinking about the marinade he puts them in makes my mouth water.  I've been seeing cute cards of men grilling for Father's Day on the messageboards, so I decided to try my hand at one.

This is a FULL 8 and 1/2 by 11 sheet folded in half to make a nice large card for assembling all these pieces on.  I did the designing in my Gypsy.  The grass is from Plantin Schoolbook & I used the actual size button and selected a width of 8 and 1/2 to go across the entire card.  

The grill was cut with the From My Kitchen cartridge at 3 inches.  The steak was also cut with From My Kitchen at 1 inch, and I drew on the white detail in the center because it was too small to cut.  The spatula is From my Kitchen also, but I don't know the size (deleted part of the file by mistake.)  

I created the smoke by manipulating a puff of smoke coming out of a genie lamp on Paper Doll Dress up, I stretched it out and then flipped it, and I made the center one a bit larger.

The rest of the cuts are from Everyday Paper Dolls, the doll & accessories are cut at 5 inches.  I lost the size of the sun in the part of the file that was deleted.  I placed the sun hanging off the card, & then trimmed it down to fit.

For detail I sponged the grass, drew on the apron, & created salt and pepper hair by cutting the hair in black, drawing lines with a white gel pen & then blending with a metallic silver ink with a wedge of sponge.

Thanks for visiting!  Have a wonderful & very crafty day!

Color Challenge Cards

I wanted to participate in THIS COLOR COMBO CHALLENGE AT SCRAPMASTER'S PARADISE.

I ended up making 2 cards, one to submit & an additional one just because.  I am submitting the first one with the rose.  I used the Stampin Up set "A Rose is a Rose" I did use "Greenhouse Garden" just for the stem.  To get the two tones on the leaves I stamped off so that I could stick with only using the Mellow Moss, since it was the challenge color.  I used the sentiment as a tone on tone background.  Only the top one isn't partially covered.  Then I sponged around the edges.

The second card uses the Stampin Up set Something Sweet.  I used Crystal Effects to add shine to the gumball machine.  The candies are from a Martha Stewart Border punch & the embellishments are just random things from my stash.

Thanks for visiting today!  Have a fabulous & very crafty day!

I Have An Announcement!

I made the design team for Scrapmaster's Paradise!!!!  I am SO excited!  I've applied for several design team positions before, but there is always steep competition. It's such an honor to have made it.

Samantha is doing awesome things with her blog, she posts daily with great inspiration & projects, there are great weekly color combo challenges, a newsletter, she has a gallery for all her visitors to contribute to, a forum, the new design team, & is producing fabulous kits!  She also has ribbon shares, great free gifts with purchase, & other fabulous promotions.  It's a great daily stop to be inspired, share your own projects, & get to know other crafters.  She's truly got a little bit of everything now!

Be sure and pay her a visit!  I am honored to be chosen and look forward to designing for her.

A Super Simple Father's Day Card

This was pretty stinkin' simple.  I spent more time on the inside than the outside!  *LOL*  I think it turned out nice looking & plenty masculine.  I tell ya, sometimes spending more than a few minutes on a card isn't really necessary.  Sometimes I get all behind & frantic, which was the case this weekend, and I decided to make one of my projects simple.  All the embellishments & paper are 3 birds I've had in my stash for awhile & the inside quote is from a single sticker sheet by Miss Elizabeth's.  It's always great to use up the things that have been sitting around forever.  I like to de-clutter when I can!

Woman Ready to Walk - FREE! Cut File Download Available.

I know a lot of you have been waiting for the Pink Journey Cricut Cartridge to become available on it's own. Some of the images and phrases can be fairly easily found or recreated on other cartridges, but one image that stood out to me was the side silhouette of a woman walking.

Now that I have the hide contour feature on my Gypsy I found I was able to re-create this image in a new way. It is not an exact replica by any means. I feel she looks more as if she is standing & taking a rest than actually in motion, but she certainly looks ready for such an event in a baseball cap, shorts, and tennis shoes.

I only used 2 cartridges for this, Forever Young, and Everyday Paper Dolls

I hope that some of you will be able to use and enjoy this image for Breast Cancer cardmaking and scrapbooking, as well as for other types of projects as well.

The cut file includes 2 sizes already ready to go, one geared towards cardmaking, and the other geared towards scrapbooking. I test cut both sizes and they cut well. Above is a photo of the smaller sized image.  You can just delete the one you aren't using at the time of cutting, just don't save the changes & then you'll have both sizes easily available at all time.

Download the cut file here!

My New Gallery

I am constantly striving to improve my blog to make it pleasant to look at and easy to navigate for all of you. I know we are all busy, so being able to find what you want quickly is a big plus.

Being a HUGE fan of My Pink Stamper herself, Robyn, I have enjoyed her new gallery and found it a pleasure to navigate, so I decided to start my own Picassa Gallery with my creations. I hope it will help keep projects from getting "lost" as they get older and even my newest followers and friends can see them easily without a lot of extra clicking and searching.

I hope you enjoy this new feature on my blog. I worked really hard on it today to ensure everything is organized nicely and there are links provided with the photos to appropriate blog posts when appropriate, or at least the basic brand info for stamps and cricut cartridges used posted with the photo.

There is now a link to the top right of the blog for the gallery, and I plan on updating it frequently. You can click the new button to the side or just CLICK HERE TO SEE MY NEW GALLERY.

You Are My Sunshine Card

Yet another card for a color challenge.  This one's over at The Scrapmaster's Paradise  The combo was Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, & Only orange, but I used Pink Passion in place of Melon Mambo.  I used nearly all Stampin' Up for this card, since it's my demo's challenge blog :) She doesn't require it, but I enjoy using the products anyways.

The card is 4 inches square, with a 3 and 1/2 inch square mat, followed by a 3 inch square mat in the center.  I used the Eyelet Lace Border Punch along the bottom of the smallest layer with some striped paper.

I used Cheep Talk as well as Something Sweet.  I was excited the image from Something Sweet had a curvature similar to the branch from Cheep Talk.  I did modify the branch a little by omitting parts of it when cutting.  The sun was drawn by hand (which I'm sure shows!  *LOL*)

At first I felt pretty iffy about doing this combo.  The two bright colors inspired me, but I wasn't sure how to incorporate the Chocolate Chip, but in the end I think that I ended up with a fun, cheery little card I wouldn't have thought of otherwise!  I am getting seriously addicted to doing challenges, they keep things fresh.

Little House In the Woods Card

I created this card for Kristina Werner's latest color challenge.  You can view the challenge and participate here.

I am so proud of this card!  I took a piece of green woodrgrain looking paper and drew my rolling hills on the backside of it with pencil, then I cut them out and sponged the edges with ink.  I just love how layering them gives the card so much depth, without the added bulk of pop dots.

All the trees are from Stampin' Up's Trendy Trees Set, and the house and clouds are from Stampin' Up's Good Neighbors set.  I used the classic ink colors Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Certainly Celery, Mellow Moss, & Chocolate Chip.  

Although this card isn't complicated it was a bit time consuming stamping everything properly and doing the cutting, but I think it's something different for me, and I always love the look of other people's scene cards, and I enjoy attempting to re-create styles I like and "Amber-ifying" them :)  Yes, in my world that is a word.  I am a nerd!

Video of Putting Together 3d Paper Shoes

Not to long ago I made THIS POST WITH A GIRLIE SET FOR TRACY and I created a pair of adorable 3d shoes using a free template I got online HERE. 

A couple people said they thought a video of assembling the shoes would be helpful, so here it is.  In the video I just show the cutting and assembly of one shoe.  I don't do any embellishing, but in the beginning I show the set I made previously for inspiration.

Simple Card For SPCC Color Combo #50

I made this card for the color challenge at Scrapmaster's Paradise.  The color combo this week was Blush Blossom, Pretty In Pink, and Creamy Caramel.  I wanted to create the look of an embossed background paper.  I used the Always stamp set from Stampin' Up.  Then I went over the Blush Blossom colored flowers with Crystal Effects to give them dimension, very much like the embossed paper you can buy at the store.  I added a simple ribbon from my stash and this super simple card was complete.

Very Blingy Strawberry Shaped Card w/ A Video

I had a real blast with this one.  I created the shaped card in my Gypsy, and the green is actually glittered paper I did myself because I didn't have a green sheet of glittered paper.  You can check out the video to see it come together.  It's just under 5 minutes - I know we are all busy :)