Soul Scrappers Design Team Member

I have the greatest news!

I have been chosen as a member the Soul Scrappers Design Team and will be running their monthly Quote Challenge!

I am beyond excited and a little nervous too.  This is something that I've never done before.

But I am ready to dive in and enjoy the ride!


:)

Enjoy The Little Things

Good morning!

I hope you are all having a great day.  If it's not blistering hot in your area I encourage you

to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.

Soul Scrappers is having a Quote Challenge (QC13) and I knew I wanted to play along.

http://soul-scrappers.ning.com/
The deadline for submissions is August 13.

One requirement, that's all.  Use these words somewhere on your layout:
"Enjoy the Little Things"

 I chose a sketch from Let's Scrap ((5-13-09) and rotated it clockwise.  This worked

much better with the photo I had.

Here's the direct link to this sketch:

http://letsscrap.ning.com/photo/ls107-1?context=album&albumId=2186252%3AAlbum%3A630432

 For this layout, my title is in a different spot than what the sketch showed, and 

I think this looks much better.

The gold bar is something I pulled out of my stash and placed it just below my

journaling block.  The embroidered butterfly is actually an iron-on and since I knew I 

wasn't going to iron it to anything, I only adhered the body of the butterfly, 

leaving the wings to "fly freely."

In the lower left, the punch is actually from the border punch.  I cut out the section

I wanted to use and squared it so it fit in the corner.

Two different ribbons were used along the bottom of my layout.  I tried using the border

punch in this section (as shown in the top portion of the layout), but it just didn't look right.

Even though it took me longer than anticipated to finish this layout, I'm pleased

with how it turned out for this challenge.

Supplies used:

Paper: Ki Memories, DCWV, White Textured Cardstock: Colorbok

Misc. Flowers

Iron-On Embroidered Butterfly

Gold Bar

Fiskars Border Punch

Ribbons

Cricut

Font: Cricut Stamped

Sharpie Marker (for journaling)

Rhinestone Gems: Forever in Time

Ink: Vivid! Raspberry

The infamous "gold bar" that I keep mentioning.  We all know it isn't real (what a bummer)!!  :)

Now you can also get a closer look at a piece of the border punch that I cut to

place in the left corner and the ribbons used along the bottom.

These butterflies are the cutest!  I purchased several colors ($1 each package of 4).  What a

bargain!

A close up of a portion of my title.  I played around with where to place this word

all over my layout and finally decided it looked best here.   

A couple flowers were layered but the tiny flowers were left as is

with gems added for the centers. 

This photo shows another portion of my flower grouping as well as

the border punch used along the top of the layout.

Have a wonderful day!

Polly  :)

Dog Sledding

Good morning!

I was finally able to get into my craft room and create yesterday.  What a great

feeling to just relax and play with all my scrap papers and other gadgets.  

Today's post is from the Soul Scrappers Sketch Challenge (SC54).  Below is the sketch and the 

direct link to their sketch site:

http://soul-scrappers.ning.com/forum/topics/sc54-sketch-challenge

The challenge is to not only use this sketch but to use up the mountains of patterned paper

off-cut strips that we all have in our stash.

The sketch is designed around a 5x7 photo and other options are also available.

A montage of photos can we used or two 4x6 photos side by side.

I chose two 4x6 photos side by side.  Since I really liked this sketch, I decided to keep

my layout as close to the sketch as possible. 

Here's my take on the sketch.

I never thought I would ever have experienced dog sledding in my lifetime!

My father-in-law, Gary, had a dream to have teams of dogs and become a dog sledder.

He bought dogs, and dogs, and more dogs.  They were the most precious things..... so

friendly, soft and great runners too.  All they had to do was see us walking near the 

dog sleds and they went crazy jumping and barking, so eager to RUN.

Harnessing up all these dogs was quite a chore.  We had to be sure to match the

dogs' personalities or they would "bicker" while running.  Just like a bunch of kids.  If we

did harness a couple of them wrong, we had to stop along the trail and rearrange them.

The first run for the dogs is a burst of speed like nothing you've ever experienced.

HOLDING on is all you could do until they leveled out their energy.

My first time dog sledding, I was so eager to try this and so nervous too.  I got vague

instructions, because that's how Gary rolled.  I had to learn from experience whenever I

was around Gary.

So....... take off......... I lose my grip and fall off the sled.  The next time, I fall off again.

Then I was told, "Don't ever let go of the dog sled!"  Ok, I finally find a spot to place

my hands where I can hang on better.  And we're off!  Sharp turn coming up...... I can do this, 

lean...... and then it happens..... I fall and get dragged all over the field, but I don't let

go of the sled!  The dogs are not accustomed to my commands and only listed to Gary.

Thank goodness he was never far ahead of me!  He got them stopped and I was

able to get all the snow off me.  Let's do this again and again and again.

I never got over that rush of when the dogs first take off running.  There's is such an

absolute surge of power there..... truly amazing.

Let's talk about soreness for a bit.  I don't think I've ever been sore from my neck to the bottoms

of my feet.  It was amazing how sore I got and in places I never would have dreamed.

This was a total body workout for sure!

Oh the beautiful country we saw while dog sledding.  You're sliding along on the snow

and it's the most peaceful thing ever.  I could look around at the scenery and enjoy all

that fresh winter air.  It was wonderful!  Sometimes I would even take a day or two off

work (when I was working full time) and Gary and I would go dog sledding for the

day.  Sometimes we would bring a light lunch with us.  He would always have a team of

around 8-10 dogs while I could only manage a team of 6 dogs.  Wow!  Even six dogs was

quite a handful for me, but I somehow managed it.

And what a job once we got back home!  Both of us would be so tired but there was still

work to do.  The dogs needed to be unharnessed and brought to their "correct" houses.  I always

needed direction with that because I could NEVER remember which dog went where!

Once the dogs were all hooked up, then we had to put away the harnesses and the sleds and

feed and water the dogs.

Truly exhausting, but when Gary called and wanted to go dog sledding on a specific trail he

picked out, I was there, ready to go. 

Wonderful memories that will never be forgotten.

Supplies used:

Paper: Momenta, DCWV, White Cardstock, Other

Circles: Traced with random objects and hand cut

Ribbons, Ric Rac

Font: Cricut Stamped

Cricut

EK Success Circle Punch

Staple

Sharpie Marker (for journaling)

Pop Square

Ink: A la mode Turquoise

One of the many dogs in their "cubby holes" during transportation, patiently waiting

to finally be able to RUN.

A pop square was used under the photo of the dog to give more definition and hopefully 

make it stand out more. 

The ribbons I used on the layout, which match the papers so well.

I went through my scrap stash and found strips of various papers that matched.  It felt

good to use up some of my stash because it "grows" faster" than I can use it up!

This spot fit so perfectly for my journaling spot.  To make it more recognizable, I punched a half

circle in the strip of paper and added ric rac above.  I snipped off the edges of the tag and added 

ribbon with a staple.  I lightly inked the edges of the tag. 

This is my journaling block.  I don't usually show hidden journaling, but it felt

right this time.

Have a wonderful day!

Polly  :)

Wearing Their Uniforms PROUDLY!

Hi there!

My layout for today uses a Let's Scrap Sketch from their site.  Here's the link:

http://letsscrap.ning.com/ 

This sketch was fun to work with.  I don't normally overlap photos on my layouts.  I guess

it must be because I want the whole photo to be seen.

But, when photos have this extra "space" to work with and can be overlapped, 

this layout is a great one to use!

Here's the direct link to this sketch:

http://letsscrap.ning.com/photo/insm12-6-5-5-12-scrap-yourself-scrapping?context=album&albumId=2186252%3AAlbum%3A681669

This was a special year for parades.  All of my family is marching in the parades, all in

uniform.  This year is even more special because just the year before, my hubby was deployed with the Navy in Iraq and not home, the following year our daughter entered the Air Guard and was completing her basic training and AT schooling.  Last year our grandson decided he didn't want to be in Cub Scouts anymore.  (I'm patiently waiting for him to decide to join Boy Scouts, so we can have some fun together).  And, the end

of last year, our son joined the Air Force (active duty).

2010 was the last year they were all able to march together.

In this photo, Lynn (along with her friend who is in the Army) has recently returned from AT school and wanted to march in the Memorial Day Parades with her dad.  Scott has marched in the Parades for

years and she was so excited to march with him.  Cub Scouts always march in this parade and 

since Dylan was a Cub Scout, he marched also....... with one stipulation, he wanted to march

with his mom.  Andrew was marching in the high school band and he and his friend 

were asked to play the TAPS.

Since Boy Scouts only march in the July 4th Parades, I was able to follow them to all the

parades and take a bazillion photos!  It was so fun!  I only wished I could be a part of wearing

a uniform!  I felt a bit left out!  But, all is good!  :)

I am also patiently (well, not really) waiting for my family to once again come together to march in the Memorial Day Parades!

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, White Cardstock

Swirly Doodles: Hot Off the Press Template

Flowers

Brads: Stampin' Up!

Recycled "Flower Parts"

Sharpie Marker (for journaling)

Font: Cricut Stamped

Cricut

Sorry for the overload of photos from this one layout.  I was trying to get a good shot

of the flower parts I used.  If you look closely, you can see the different parts I used.

The flowers.  I recycled the centers of flowers that I tore apart.  The clear plastic

parts that are found between the layered flowers, look like a flower in itself, so this 

also got layered for my own style of flowers.

My journaling using a Sharpie marker.

Another flower grouping.

I decided to place this portion of the title over the swirl.  I traced it with the

template and then it was hand cut.

In this photo you can see the plastic "flower" I used on the lower left flower.  I finished

it off with a really cool brad.  For the flower in the upper right I used the yellow part for the center

of this flower.  I trimmed the bottom to flatten it a bit more before adding it to the center.

In these two photos you can really see the plastic "flowers" I used.  I turned one 

upside down so it didn't stick up as much and the other I left alone and it really turned

up a lot after adding the brad.

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks for taking a peek at my Blog!

Polly  :)

A Boy And His Dog

Hi there,

Beautiful day out here today.  This was a day for doing "this & that" which had to

include getting out there and enjoying the sunshine for awhile too!

Here's my layout for today.

Love these photos of our grandson with his dog, taken in 2008.  Dylan is a bit

older now (but still cute)!

No large title on this layout as I wanted to keep the focus solely on the photos.

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, Other

Crochet Lace Ribbon

Sharpie Marker 

Sketch: Unknown

A close up of the lace ribbon.  Another great find at garage sales.

Thought I'd share a couple photos of the "fruits of my labor."  My garden is doing

fantastic this year!  My back can attest to garden with no weeds! 

My peas are blossomed and I actually found some pea pods.  I can hardly

wait to just stand in the garden having my daily snack of peas, while Zoe (our dog)

sits along the edge, drooling, waiting for me to throw her some peas too!

Zoe loves peas, beans, strawberries, carrots, corn on the cob and I boil my spinach

and when that cools down, she eats that too, mixed in with her food!

This is a portion of my garden.  Peas, strawberry patch (a portion of it, off to the right),

green and yellow beans, broccoli and cabbage, carrots and in the upper right even 

further (which you can barely see) is my zucchini plant.

Have a wonderful day!

Polly  :)

Soul Scrappers THC51 "Sport" Challenge

Hi there,

I hope you're all having a fantastic week.

Soul Scrappers http://soul-scrappers.ning.com/ is having a "Sport" Challenge and I knew 

exactly what I was going to use for photos.  

I have LOTS of photos of Andrew playing soccer and the hardest part was choosing only

these for my layout!

Any sketch can be used but the layout must be something to do with Sports.  

The challenge ends July 30, 2012.

I chose a sketch from Let's Scrap (1-13-10).

Here's the direct link to their sketch gallery.

http://letsscrap.ning.com/photo/11310-2?context=album&albumId=2186252%3AAlbum%3A629755

This is my take on the sketch.

Taking pictures of every single soccer game, I have so many photos!  I have a 

soccer scrap book for each year Andrew played. 

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, Black & White Cardstock: Colorbok

Title and Subtitle Font: Cricut Alphalicious

EK Success Border Punch

Sanding Block

Sharpie Marker (for journaling)

Arrow: Plaid Stencils

Hinge & Brads

Black Shoe Laces

Rawlings Tag from purchase of cleats

Soccer Sticker: Paper House Productions

Pop Squares

Black Paint

Love this photo!  

I'm not always sitting close enough to get an action shot (or if I do, they come out blurry), so I was

pleasantly surprised to actually get a "good shot!"

I needed space for journaling so I attached a hinge with brads to the main photo.  The hinge and brads were different colors (shiny silver and antique silver), so I painted them black.  I just dabbed my finger in the paint and "finger" painted the hinge and brads.  It worked..... now they match!

Just had to add No. 13, as this was Andrew's number throughout high school.

And to clarify which one was Andrew, I decided to add the arrow pointing to him.

This is my journaling.  I added an actual shoe lace to the inside of the card.  Thought this

would add to the theme of my layout.

A couple close up shots of my subtitle and the border punch.

This is the first time I used this punch and I love it!  

There was no hyphen in the Alphalicious Font, so I used an "i" and cut the ends off.

The dots between the words are from the "!"  I had to be a little creative because 

these were not in this particular Cricut cartridge. 

I sanded the edges of the border punch, which crinkled and bent them, distressing

as much as I wanted.  The idea was to lift some of them up so there would 

be a bit of dimension on the layout.

The "o" in Soccer was cut out, and then I found this super cool sticker.  Instead of actually 

"sticking" it, I just cut around it, adhered it over the letter and used a pop square under it.

I knew I didn't just want to use the sticker, so I layered the ball over the letter "o" with just

one side showing. 

The tag was attached to the pair of cleats that I purchased for Andrew.  

It was larger and folded in half and heavy cardstock.  I simply cut out only the portion I wanted to

use on my layout and used pop squares underneath to add dimension.

I started this post before our Boy Scout Meeting, thinking I could finish it before then.  Well, that didn't happen, so three hours later here it is!

Hope your day was wonderful!

Polly  :)

Father & Daughter Layout

Hi there,

I sure hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday!

Beautiful weather, so I've been in my garden most of the day weeding.... at least until my 

back said, "Enough!"

I am so anxious to to eat my peas and beans!!

The rhubarb has been picked, ready to cut and freeze.

The spinach has been cut.  Now I have to rinse it out and cook it!  Yum!

And I've picked just a portion of my lettuce.  I obviously planted a little too much lettuce!

Here's my layout for today.  Hope you like it!

Scrapping some of my old photos.  This photo is from 2006.  Better late than

never, right?

It was Scott's birthday and Lynn wanted a picture with her dad.  This had to be

a "quick" photo because Scott hates to have his picture taken!  That's the reason why he isn't smiling.... 

and, the reason why Andrew is in the background being silly.  

It doesn't matter to me, I love this photo!

Supplies used:

Paper: Ki Memories, White Cardstock

Flowers

Brads

Flower Brad

Ribbons

Twine

Leaves: Hand Cut

Prima Flowers

Wooden Flower

Paint

Stencil holes on a roll 

Paper Tearing

Font: Cricut Stamped

Sharpie Marker (for the journaling)

 The leaves were hand cut from cardstock.  I layered the Prima flower, a bow made with twine,

lei flowers (from local Dollar Store), and a square brad.  I strung a piece of ribbon through the

holes in the flower brad and knotted it.  The top right flower is wooden and I layered

a flower on top of that and finished it off with a brad.

The stencil is from a random piece of paper that was in a roll in which a layer was sticky 

and peeled off to use on a layout or card.  The brand is unknown.  

I had kept the back piece, after peeling off the top part (in the event I might want

to use it for something), and decided it would add something really cool to this layout.  I like

how it turned out.  I also used it randomly on the top orange flower.

A close up of the painted dots and the flower groupings.

My favorite Cricut Font and more of my painted dots.

Have a wonderful day!

Polly  :)

Dad's Girl

Hi there!

Here's what I think is my "cool layout" for today.

It isn't very often that I'm able to get a photo of Scott and Lynn together, which

makes this photo extra special.

I have no idea where the sketch is from, and I really like it, so I may use this again.  :)

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, Other Unknown, White Cardstock

Prima Flowers

Brads

Fiskars Border Punch

Circle: Trace and hand cut

Font:  Cricut Stamped

Love this Cricut Font!  You'll probably get tired of seeing it, but I doubt I ever will!

It's such a versatile font and "fits" with every layout.

I used various Prima flowers in each grouping, layering and adding brads.

Border punching along edges really gives the layout some character.  I gently lifted

up the edges of the border to lift it off the page a bit.

Have a wonderful day!

Polly  :)

Let's Scrap Challenge140

Good morning!

I hope you're all having a wonderful Monday.

After being gone for a week, surrounded by hundreds of Boy Scouts at Scout Camp, I am

so ready for some crafting!

Let's Scrap is having a challenge and I couldn't wait to enter!  Here's the link to their site: http://letsscrap.ning.com/

  

Here are the rules for their challenge:

1.  Use a newspaper clipping on your layout

2.  You must use a Let's Scrap sketch

3.  Must be a layout, no cards

4.  This challenge cannot be combined with the weekly main page sketch

5. The layout must be something you scrapped new for this challenge

The deadline is July 26, 2012.  If you like challenges, hop on over to their site

and check it out.

This is the sketch I chose.

Here's the direct link to the sketch from their site:

http://letsscrap.ning.com/photo/2186252:Photo:418352?context=album&albumId=2186252%3AAlbum%3A628950

And this my layout based on the above sketch.

I knew I had to participate in this challenge as soon as I read that you had to use a

newspaper clipping!  It wasn't hard for me to locate an article because I keep every

article pertaining to our Boy Scout Troop.

Each year the boys are excited to plan our one-day Troop fishing trip. 

We have always gone on New Year's Day, except when the ice isn't thick enough, then we

have to wait to go during school vacation.

The boys have so much fun setting up their ice fishing traps.  Then we wait..... and when 

that orange flag pops up, everyone runs to see what was caught!

We roast hotdogs over the fire, have a variety of  fruits available and you just gotta have 

hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.

If the fish biting is slow, then we play "Fox and Geese" out on the ice.  Some boys climb

the trees and wait for me to take a picture of them!  Being boys, they can always find

something to do while waiting for those flags to pop up!

Supplies used:

Paper: DCWV, White Cardstock

Stars: Traced with templates and hand cut

Rub On: Provo Craft - Boy Toys Sentiments

"Fishin" Sticker: Paper House Productions

White & Silver Mesh Ribbon

Sanding Block

Ink: Studio g Black

Green Raffia

EK Success Corner Rounder

This mesh ribbon was included in a huge pile of ribbons I purchased at a garage sale!

I didn't think I would ever use it, but it fits well with this layout.  I thought the silver spots on

the ribbon looked kind of like snow.

The sticker was placed on cardstock and the ends were cut to resemble ribbon.  I also used a

piece of mesh ribbon to place under this.  Several pieces of raffia was glued together and used

under it all. 

The greed stars were sanded along the edges.  I also curled the tips of the stars up to give some definition.

I thought this rub on fit well with the layout, since we always have to much fun ice fishing! 

Something was needed in this empty block, so I knotted a couple pieces of raffia 

together and placed it under the newspaper article.

Have a wonderful day!
Polly  :)