Gimme Some Love *The ScrapRoom*

Several years ago when my sister and niece were here visiting from Tennessee, the girls decided to make valentines projects. My sister (not interested in crafting) decided to goof around with the kids, giving hugs and kisses much to Matthews dismay! Now that my kids are older, finding Valentine photos is getting harder and harder. So I pulled out these goofy photos and scrapped away. 

The ScrapRoom's February Flavor of the month kit has the most adorable valentines kits in it! The oxox line is one of my favorites, because the pops of mint green. Most valentines paper is made up of the traditional pinks, reds and white and you know me and colors, the brighter the better :)

I had a lot of fun cutting out hearts with my  Cricut. The Doodlebug and Paisley cartridges have several shapes of hearts available.

 

I can't seem to do a layout without spray ink or splattering lately.It adds so much texture!

Aren't these layered heart stickers perfection?!

I finally used washi tape on a layout! The kit comes with an entire roll.

Full sheets of Cosmo Cricket letter stickers & October Afternoon journaling spots.

Hearts, hearts and more hearts!

Journaling. I'm really loving had writing my journaling and not having to mess with the computer.

Come back and visit throughout the month for more layouts from The ScrapRoom's February kit!

 

The Good Life and Beauty and the Beast *The ScrapRoom* (Out for Publication)

I couldn't resist scrapping some more of these photos of my son playing his electric guitar! I love his "Rock N Roll" t-shirt and improvised fingerless gloves, "To keep my guitar clean Mom!". Not for the cool factor I'm sure :) I used a sketch from my favorite sketch designer Allison Davis and the The ScrapRoom January Flavor of the month kit.

and the sketch

Unfortunately Sketch Support is no longer an active site so you are unable to access the sketches.

I'm really in love with splattering right now!

The bright graphic patterns of "The Good Life" by Fancy Pants are right up my alley.

It only took me 3 tries on the Cricut with the United We Stand cartridge to get the right sized star :)

The Traditions line by Carta Bella was a little harder for me to work with as my style has moved away from soft, traditional prints but this photo of my son and his (no longer :( ) girlfriend had the perfect color scheme.

More Cricut cuts from the Jasmine, Stamped and Flower Shoppe cartridges. Somehow I failed to do any close ups of this layout. Used Glossy Accents on the "Beauty" part of the title. More misting and inking to complete the feminine feel.

It's almost time for the February reveal! I'd better get on the ball!

For You Santa *The ScrapRoom*

Leaving cookies out for Santa is a tradition I really miss. No more wide eyed wonder at the empty plate in the morning or arguments about which cookies were Santa's favorite. The truth came out this year during a conversation we had while I was looking through photos and the kids were peeking over my shoulder. Matthew admits that in his later years he would sneak downstairs and eat some of the cookies! (and I thought Eric was the one!) He looked so guilty admitting this even though he knows now that Santa wasn't eating them :)

More Christmas goodness from the December Flavor of the Month kit from The ScrapRoom.

Fussy cut the banner from patterned paper and added some Thickers :)

This Santa is from the Winter Frolic Cricut cartridge, I love that I can reverse the image with the Expression. Added some Stickles for that extra bling factor.

Now I'm off to "snuggle" with my teens and watch a movie. Christmas was my holiday off this year and starting tomorrow I have to pay the price for having 4 days off (if you don't figure being on call and called in) with a 4 day stretch over New Years. Adding in Wednesday and a 12 hour call slot on Thursday :( I really need to look at the big picture when I'm signing up for call and not do that to myself!

Merry Christmas to all!

Magic *The ScrapRoom*

No. Not Magic Mike. Christmas magic. The magic you feel when you see the Christmas tree lit up for the first time each year. When I was little I would lie on the couch or on the floor in front of the tree and stare at it for hours. I can't resist taking photos of the tree each and every year. This was the year of the mirrors.

It started the year before when I decided the wall in the front room would look really cool covered with antique mirrors. I have a wonderful friend that loves to frequent auctions and estate sales. He loves to scour the corners for cool items and doesn't mind looking for my collectible of the moment. I requested oak mirrors with beveled edges and one year later, voila! A wall of mirrors! Imagine my delight when I turned the lights down to gaze at my tree and this gorgeous view appeared :)

This layout is one of the rare ones that didn't start with a photo. When I pulled out my Flavor of the Month Kit from The ScrapRoom and saw this paper, I knew immediately what photo I wanted to use.

The birds are fussy cut so that the photo and mat slide underneath. Doesn't it appear as if the birds are looking at the tree too?!

A little spray ink with some "magic" masking to help it stand out.

The brads included in the kit are so beautiful. I love the vintage feel of this collection.

I hope you feel the magic too!

Welcome... *The ScrapRoom*

home baby Mariel! Only 14 years later :P I started Mimi's baby album when I first began scrapbooking but quickly became sidetracked. It was hard to stay motivated with such a small selection of baby patterned papers. Over the years I've learned to adapt other collections for my needs. The Dear Lizzy "5th & Frolic" collection is a perfect example. Grey + bright pastels = baby!

Inspired by a Susan Stringfellow sketch.

The splatters remind me of confetti and add some softness.

Inked the edges of all the patterned papers.

Mimi's first nurse was one of my best friends, Brenda. Love the photo of Eric holding her for the first time. I was able to crop out most of the dark background.

Is this garland stinkin' cute or what!?

Love this "Polaroid" paper, perfect for journaling.

Some of the lovely chipboard included in the kit.

Pop on over to The ScrapRoom and look through the store, Tammy has past kits for sale and more!Then head on over to the blog for even more inspiration :)

On the Go!

I'm happy I can check off another couple of random photos from my scrap list. Do you have piles of random photos too? These are photos from when my kids were little and before I was a bona fide scrapbooker :) A picture here, a couple there...what was I thinking!?

Matthew was only 10 months old and cruising his way around the room. You can get a sense of his size by the fact that he can reach the doorknob. Cruising with the ever present binky :)

Used some more Amy Tangerine from my ScrapRoom Flavor of the Month kit. The peachy color of the paper matched an antique bowl in the picture. What better reason do I need?

 The day was a Wednesday, hence the Wednesday flair. Went a little crazy with the ink!

 

Finally used that one Sassafrass brad left from a long ago, doesn't it make a cute hanger :)

Layered all the little goodies from the kit for my title.

Journaling to finish it off.

Back to Kalamazoo we (Dad and I) go. Tomorrow he is having the non working subclavian catheter replaced. We have to get up at the ungodly hour of 4am to be ready and there by six. Seriously! Hoping to get home in time to take Mimi dress shopping for the teen contest. I'll fit some sleep in there somewhere, it will be worth it to see my girl playing dress up again :)

Happy Fall *Thinking Through Design*

Fall...my favorite time of the year. I never tire of taking photos of the beauty it brings. It must be Mother Natures way of  making up for the dreary months to come. These are the photos from a stroll around my yard. 

What better way to accent nature photos than with burlap, a natural fiber. Burlap just happened to be our "thought" at Thinking Through Design this week. I actually purchased a yard of burlap a couple of weeks ago thinking it would make some cool flowers, so I was excited when I discovered that it was the focus of our assignment!

 

I used Simple Stories paper and stickers from my "Flavor of the Month" kit from The ScrapRoom, it was perfect for this layout.

  

I had to photograph this layout at night so please forgive the different colors. The little house and tree represent my house. We have a tree with a swing in our back yard :)

 

The border punch is Martha Stewart and the dot paper is Bo Bunny Double Dot. Love it!

 

Cut these out with the Sizzix and spritzed them with Smooch spray ink in two colors. Topped with a vintage button. I bought the bleached burlap because I wanted to be able to color it with other mediums.

 

Punched holes in the banner stickers, added Stickles, then threaded them and popped them with...say it with me "FOAM SQUARES"!  Sometimes I crack myself up :}}

 

Used a journaling stamp and it didn't quite cover so I stamped over it. I'm still trying to embrace the distressed look it created  :P

 

A closeup of the cute house. After reading through my post I've determined I shouldn't compose posts when it's late and I'm tired ;)

Well...everything was going well with my Dad until Wednesday. His Subclavian catheter isn't working properly and now he has to go back to surgery next Tuesday to have it replaced. Three surgeries in less than 4 weeks. Enough already! Calgon take me away...

The Hartford Indian Emerald Vanguard (the band) made a Division 1 rating at their competition on Wednesday, I've discovered it's really fun to watch all the bands perform and nerve racking watching my daughter weave in and out, spin and throw a big stick with a flag on it!

Matthew's football game didn't go quite as well but he did recover a fumble and broke up a 2 point conversion, I was at work but Mimi texted me to keep me updated.

Tomorrow is Homecoming and the kids are excited. Both will be in the parade. Matthew as a Prince candidate and Mimi in the band. Some of the other girls in the color guard begged me to chaperon so we could do the "Wobble" at the dance. They were quite impressed when I joined in as they danced in the band room after the performance. I convinced them that Matthew would have a heart attack if I showed up at the dance :}} Much less at the dance "Wobbling". In case you were wondering how I know how to "Wobble", a patients' family taught me during a particularly long induction. No, she wasn't in labor yet. We had a blast and they said "This white girl can dance!"

Have a great weekend!

Leaving On a Jet Plane *The ScrapRoom* {Out for publication}

The Peter, Paul and Mary version just popped into my head when I came across these photos. You younger gals won't have any idea what I'm talking about, I'm showing my age again! The Amy Tangerine line "Ready, Set, Go" was part of my Flavor of the Month kit from The ScrapRoom and it worked perfectly for this layout. This was the the first time we'd ever flown as a family and the first time ever for the kids.

 

Cut the giant "United States" with the Stand and Salute Cricut cartridge. It was the 1st time I've used the 12"x24" mat and it was pretty easy. Deciding where to position the paper is another story.

Smooch spray ink in the background. I can't believe I'm using this stuff on almost every layout. There was a day when I said I hated it!

 I love it when a collection comes with lined or grid paper, it makes journaling a snap :)

Fun icon stickers and cute little puffy stickers

I was a little nervous about flying as a family and I think Matthew was too :)

I know these Thickers are from a previous Amy Tangerine line but they worked perfectly.

Check out the The ScrapRoom Blog for more fun ideas!

He's a Future Heartbreaker! (Out for Publication!)

My little hunk when he was 2 years old. You can't see in this photo but my husband was pushing him around in this Little Tykes Coupe, he loved that car :)

Cut a heart out with my Cricut and used it as a mask for the spray ink and paint splatters. A little tracing with a marker helped it stand out a little better.

  I never imagined that he would grow up to look like this...

 

Destined to break a few hearts. Sorry in advance to the parents of those ill fated girls.

Dug through my old chipboard stash and found this perfect little stoplight.

Inked the Thickers and accented the bottom of the red letters with some of the blue ink. 

This boy themed collection from Echo Park  is one of my favorites.

I know I've been a sporadic blogger lately. Unfortunately I can't promise to be better. Someone has to take all these photos to scrap. In addition to this job and my full time nursing job, I'm also expected to find lost articles of clothing, keep everything washed and ready, run up to the school umpteen times a day to bring forgotten items, come to games or pick up the persons responsible for this list from practice. Oh and I forgot...bake cookies for the bake sale, come to meetings and be a "Band Mom". I'm sure you all know what I mean...but that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!

My Inspiration *thinkingthroughdesign*

Our topic for this weeks' thought was list journaling. Boy am I list maker! Grocery lists, lists to guide trips for errands, lists of what the kids need for school, dream lists and I could go on. Lately I've fount that I tend not to use embellishments with sayings on them, they just sit in my stash untouched. This one from My Minds Eye begged to be used and I was dying to scrap this photo of my beautiful daughter (can you believe she is 13 going on 14!?) from a recent "photo shoot".

 

Stuck with a very traditional style because I wanted the photo to be the focus.

  

 

Used Pink Paislee canvas resistables. Antique tatted lace and buttons I found in an antique stores. I love combing through all the little nooks and crannies for treasures like these.

 

Journaling done on a Hambly screen printed transparency. This led to the layout being staged on a display stand, every time I tried to photograph it flat it created a glare.

I hope you take my link right over to *thinkingthroughdesign* and check out all the amazing layouts my team members created using lists! Thanks for stopping by :)

P.S. The surgery went well. Pretty painful the first day but getting better.

 

Delightful and She Loves the Beach *The ScrapRoom*

The second half of the Doubleshot kit from the ScrapRoom was a selection of My Minds Eye Indie Chic loveliness. I'm so in love with this line! I'd actually purchased some of this line a couple of weeks before on my 1st trip to Archivers but amazingly enough, none of the same items!

I love these photos of my daughter playing at Lake Michigan but they were very bright and I wanted a soft feeling for this layout. Desaturating them in Photoshop, leaving just a hint of color accomplished my goal.

Used 3 sizes of scalloped circle punches to create the flowers.

Promise I'll add the journaling later :) Used the new sticky Thickers and glitter for "Beach", love the soft effect.

Used Aphra's sketch of the month for Delightful.

Added misting, bling and butterflies to to compliment this beautiful paper



The Flower Shoppe Cricut cartridge was perfect for creating these flowers, tried to mimic the ones in the paper. Bling from Zva Creative (not in kit).

I used everything in this kit but a few scraps of paper,1 sticker and 1 button! I plan on making a couple of cards with that :)

For more inspiration and to check out the August kits , head on over to The ScrapRoom and the ScrapRoom blog !

You Are Just My Type... *The ScrapRoom*

These adorable little wooden typewriters came in the July Doubleshot kit from the ScrapRoom.

I have to admit I was stumped with these little wooden embellishments at first :) Now I love how versatile they can be! They look great with a spritz of spray ink, it makes them look just like stained wood. Added some of the same Smooch ink to the cream lace to create a vintage look.

This is my niece Grace.She truly makes me happy when skies are grey. I'm really sad she won't be able to visit us this summer :(  One of the lines in the July Doubleshot kit is the Sunnyside line from Pebbles Inc. The colors were perfect for these photos and aren't those butterflies stinkin' cute!

Hand stitched the scalloped border

Jillibean Soup journaling sprouts

Stay tuned for more projects from the July Doubleshot kit and pop on over to The ScrapRoom http://scrap-room.com/ and check out the other kits and the ScrapRoom Blog http://thescraproomblog.blogspot.com/ to see more amazing projects created by the design team. Thanks for visiting :)

Do You Remember...

Is the title of my sneak peek layout using the Pebbles Sunnyside line for the The Scraproom. I was thrilled when Tammy contacted me and asked me to be her Doubleshot guest designer for July, August, and September! Stay tuned for many more projects from this awesome kit :)

A litttle misting, a little confetti, plus some stiching = festive!

Have a great holiday weekend!