Sunday, September 30, 2012

fun at HOBBY LOBBY

Hi there,
A very rainy day today.  And a stay-inside kind of day.

So here's a fun layout to brighten your day!  I submitted a challenge at Colorful Creations http://colorfulcreations.ning.com/... just today actually.  Sept 30 was the deadline!  Nothing like
waiting till the last minute, right?  :)

The challenge was a color palette (shown below) to create a layout from, matching your colors as closely as possible to the palette... PLUS adding the following items on your layout: 
1.  Stitching
2.  Die Cuts
3.  Stamping

Here's the color palette:




2-2-11


Here's my take on the sketch:

These photos were taken when we visited Nebraska a couple of years ago.
Oh my!  Did we have fun at Hobby Lobby on this day!  We walked through every inch of the store
looking at everything and then we started to get tired..... and silly!  It's a good thing I
had my camera with me!  We laughed so hard we were close to peeing our pants!!  :)

Supplies used:
Paper: DCWV
Stamp: Stampin' Up! Fresh Cuts
Ink: Vivid! Brown
Stitching Stencil: Bazzill Basics
Martha Stewart Border Punch
Fiskars Border Punch
Paper Lace Doilies
Fine Glitter
Font: Cricut Opposites Attract
Cricut
Sanding Block
Paper Ribbon
Sheer Ribbon
Mesh Layered Flower w/Pearl: Webster's Pages
Ribbon
Folk Art Paint
Die Cuts: Stems & Leaves (unknown brand)
Embroidery Floss: Making Memories 
Paper Piercer


 Here's a closer look at each page.




A stitching stencil was used for the pattern.  I used a paper piercer to poke all the holes before
stitching.  


Fun title letters. 


Several corners were stamped with brown ink.  I also used a couple of different
paper punches. 


Isn't this the sweetest flower?  I received it in a prize package that I won!  I love it!
I finally located these die cuts to add to the flower.  The edges were sanded and the leaves were
folded and sanded also.


After mixing several paints together... to try and achieve the right color from the palette,
I added glitter to the wet paint.
The tabs are made with paper ribbon, folded in half with a ribbon knotted on the ends. 


More border punching and tab knotted with a ribbon. 


Trying to get another photo so you can see the glitter.  It really is beautiful glitter... but
very messy... because it's so fine. 


I hand-stitched two rows on each lower inner corner of my pages. 


 A better photo of all the layering on my layout, as well as the border punches.

Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for checking out my Blog!
Libby  :)

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Oct 31st - Many Shades of Me

Hi there,
Really cool out there today!  Brrrr!  I am so NOT ready for winter!
But I go through this every year.... I dread it, and after the first FEW snowfalls hit, I'm 
settled in for the cold weather season.

I have a double layout for a challenge at Colorful Creations http://colorfulcreations.ning.com/.
It's a Use Your Stash Challenge (tag: useyourstashsept) and here's the challenge:

1.  Use solid paper
2.  Use patterned paper
3.  Use at least 3 buttons
4.  Tags
5.  Your title must have a mix of numbers and letters
6.  A punched border
7.  Wet medium (mist, Gesso, ink)

That's it!  

Here's what I came up with.  The layout is my own creation.
A lot of elements going on means a lot of photos... so sit back, relax and enjoy the photos!  :)

Halloween was always such a fun time at our house!  Then it carried on to the workplace.
Each year a few of us girls would come up with an idea, then we would get to work making them and dressing up for work!  There wasn't much work completed on this day, but there sure were
LOTS of laughs and our costumes always brought a smile to everyone's face!

Supplies used:
Paper: DCWV, Colorbok, Other
Buttons
Tags
Font: Cricut Opposites Attract
Cricut
Trims: Making Memories
Smooch Spritz
EK Success Border Punch
Inks: A la mode Black and ColorBox Tangerine
Ribbons
Brads: Stampin' Up!
Flowers: Hand Made
Sharpie Marker 
Big Shot
Cuttlebug Embossing Folders


Here's a closer look at each page.

In these photos, I've been a clown (a couple of times), Raggedy Andy, Jailbird,
Tin Man, and when our son dressed up as the Tin Man too, there were 2 Tin Men,
and one of the Three Musketeers.




My cute little bows!  :) 


Each of the tags were embossed with various embossing folders then spritzed with
smooch mist, the edges inked and a brad finished off the tag.  The date on each tag represents the
year I dressed in each costume. 


The layout title. 


My journaling block.  I punched the bottom portion of the block, then layered another paper under
for this cool effect. 


With the left over decorative trim, I wrapped it into a circle, onto a small circle cardstock and wound it around until I had the size I wanted, then added buttons for the center. 


I kept the negative punches and used them randomly on my layout. 


I had to dig out some orange and black buttons.  Not something I do very often!
They are cute on this layout though!  :) 


Not only are you seeing our "posed feet" but you're also getting a closer look at
the border punch and more buttons! 


On the upper right I added a green bow. 


I was just playing around with this trim and finally settled on this cute flower!   After all the petals 
were made a larger button served as the center. 


My sub-title and what I did with the remaining trim. 


A better look at the tags and negative punches.  Four of the tags were inked with black ink
and the other four with orange ink. 


Love these cute little punches!  They fit in so well with my layout!

Thanks for taking a peek at my Blog.  Hope you enjoyed your visit and will stop in again!
Libby  :)

the Runny Nose

Good morning!
A cool and rainy day today.  Perfect to get some stuff done inside.... like crafting!  :)

I have a sketch that was submitted in the beginning of September at Soul Scrappers 
http://soul-scrappers.ning.com/, for their Negative Space Sketch Challenge (NSC14).

Here's the sketch:



And here's my take on a the sketch:

This was such a fun layout with such a funny photo of our son, trying to stop his runny nose!
This boy sure knows how to make me laugh!  And he even let me take this photo!
This is a trend that we've all used at our house, when that rotten nose won't stop running and 
can't be turned off!!  It provides us with some relief.  :)

Supplies used:
Paper: DCWV
Sheer Polka Dot Ribbon
Yellow Ribbons
Tissue
Font: Cricut Stamped
Cricut
Sharpie Marker (for journaling)



I decided that the title needed to be "different" so I slanted the "Runny" to get a better
feel for "runny noses!"  Thought it was cute!



Yes, this is an actual tissue!  I scrunched up the ends, to look like the tissue was actually used.
I scrunched it up and tore some off the bottom because it was a bit large for my layout.

I have to tell you a little story.  When my grandson was looking through my album about a month ago, he came across this layout (and I was watching his face for the reaction).  It took him a few seconds, then he said, "Oh!  This is the tissue!"  I had to laugh and tell him it wasn't really Andrew's actual tissue!  So cute!  He didn't even want to touch it!  :)


Journaling reads:
We all know that having a cold is no fun and when your nose runs it just makes you feel miserable!  When Andrew got to that critical point with his cold and he was exhausted from blowing his nose, he just stuffed the ends of a tissue in each nostril and for awhile he had some relief!  Oct 5, 2008 



This shows a portion of my journaling and the ripped tissue, as well as the ribbons I used.

Have a wonderful day!
Libby  :)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Bath Time

Good morning!
The sun is shining, which means it's gonna be a great day!
I still have lots of "moving" to do... transferring boxes from one room to the upper
level of our garage!  So thankful that's a HUGE area!  It actually fits all my stuff in there
with LOTS of room to spare.  One happy girl!  :)

Today, I have a two-page layout to share with you.

Let's Scrap http://letsscrap.ning.com/ had a Sketch Challenge (9-12-12).
I loved this sketch!  It was so fun to work with.

Here's the sketch:

9-12-12


And here's my take on the sketch:

This is my sister's pet guinea pig.  It was bath time!  Something that's quite an ordeal for
Piggy!  All the excitement of so many people in the bathroom to see him getting
bathed took it's toll on him.  He kept trying to escape and was successful a couple
of times!
In the end, he got his bath and smelled so much better!  :)

Supplies used:
Paper: DCWV
Ribbons
Flowers
Beads/Letter Beads
Sanding Block
"LOVE" Brad
Computer Font: Pea Melissa
Border: Creative Memories Decorative Cardstock, traced and hand cut
Embroidery Floss: Making Memories
EK Success Circle Punch


Here's the left side of my layout. 



 These beads fit so nicely with the layout.  A little small, but that's ok... I think it
still looks cute!  I used embroidery floss to string through the beads.  I found the little heart on one of the beads and used it as the center between both words. 


A couple of my flowers.  I punched circles and sanded the edges.
Beads were added to one of the centers and a LOVE brad to the other. 




The border was traced and hand cut.  So cute!

Journaling reads:
Bath time for the Guinea pig was an amusing event!!  He kept trying to escape from this utter humiliation and "torture."  But... he needed to smell lots better... so in the water he went, then came the soap and finally the rinse.  He was quickly wrapped in a towel, looking so sharp... and clean!  Now to dry him off... out came the blow dryer and there he sat until he was all dried off!
Just look at the most beautiful pig in town!   July/Aug 2010


 a closer look at the other flower with the sanded center circle and beads.



I layered a couple of flowers before adding a bead for the center. 


Here's a better view of the right side of the layout.

Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for taking a peek at my Blog and I hope you enjoyed it!
Libby  :)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Thanks, Mom!

Hi there,
I've been rearranging rooms today.  What a job!  Before you know it, the day is done!
It will be well worth arranging all those thoughts in my head and putting them to use.

Today, I have a layout that I've submitted to the Fiskars Fuse contest http://www2.fiskars.com/.
Submissions were due by September 2nd and contest voting ended September 25, 2012.

I so wanted a Fiskars Fuse!  That looks like such a cool crafting machine!  
I didn't even make it in the top 20!  :(

Here's the layout I entered in the contest:

The pink cardboard circle (and a yellow butterfly) were included in one of my 
scrapbook magazines along with the rules about the contest.  So, I hopped online and
checked it out!  One or both of these HAD to be used on a layout or card.
At first, I didn't have any idea what I would create.  Then I came across this
photo of Zoe with her "new" stuffed animals.... and it all came together from there.

Zoe has always loved her "toys!"  It doesn't even need to have a squeaker in them, although
a squeaker keeps her occupied for longer.  I usually pick up a few stuffed animals
at garage sales each summer.  She absolutely loves them!  She keeps carrying them around
with her and biting it (to try and find the squeaker).  She wags her tail and keeps "showing" us
her new toys!  When she finally settles down, she has to make sure they are right near her and then she lays her head over them.  It's really quite entertaining!

I chose a sketch from: www.scrap-a-little.com (Sketch #1 by Helen Croft) http://www.scrap-a-little.com/.

Supplies used:
Paper: DCWV
Folk Art Paint: Country Gray (applies to the edges of paper with a cotton ball)
Flowers
Pink Satin Cording
Ribbons
Fiskars Rotary Blade Paper Cutter
Leaves: White Ribbon lightly inked with Green, Hand Cut
Inks: A la mode Pink, A la mode Green
White Brads
EK Success Corner Rounder
Font: Cricut Stamped
Cricut
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Big Shot


I dabbed a cotton ball in ink, getting rid of the excess paint, then gently brushed it
along all sides of the cardstock.  Three brads were added in the top right corner. 


I guess I need to use a ruler to make sure my letters are STRAIGHT!  
Every time I look at this all I see are the crooked letters!  Ugh! 


I embossed this strip of paper.  A brad was added as the flower center.


Here's a closer look at the cardboard circle, which I had to use somewhere on my layout. 
I used a large flower to place under the circle.  The leaves were hand cut, folded and the edges
inked and place under the flower.  I also inked the edges of the pink circle.  Finally, I added
a flower and made a bow with satin cording.



Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!
Libby  :)