Sunday, November 24, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Day 6

Hi there! It looks like Blogger is going to let me post my picture now. I am so sorry for the delay! 

For our last color combo, I picked this one from Design-Seeds, and we are using Wplus9's Fanciful Feathers stamp set.


Here is my take:

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Fanciful Feathers. (Papertrey Ink) Rustic Wreath, Fillable Frames Sentiments. Ink: (PTI) Terracotta Tile, black. (Stampin' Up!) Crushed Curry, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler. Other: Buttons, enamel dots.)

I had so much fun creating cards for our color challenge this week. Make sure to stop by Leigh's blog and check out her take. Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Delay

Hey guys,
I have my card ready for today's challenge, but I am having issues with Blogger. My card won't publish correctly. I am off to another soccer game this afternoon, but I will try again when I am get home. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon!

Thank you so much for understanding!
E

Friday, November 22, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Day 5

Good morning! Today's color scheme is bright and summery, and we are using Papertrey Ink's Lovely Layers stamp set. 

And here is my take. Leigh and I both have a set (or two!) of Crate Paper's The Pier slide frames, so it doesn't surprise me that we chose to use them this week. They are the perfect embellishment for my card!


 Make sure to stop by Leigh's blog to see her take on the challenge! I will share my last card for our color challenge tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!


Thursday, November 21, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Day 4

It's day 4 of our color challenge, and Leigh and I have each created a card based on this color combo:


And we are using Wplus9's Fresh Cut florals for today's challenge. I die cut a variety of flowers and stamped them using Papertrey Ink's Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Spring Rain, Fine Linen, and Sweet Blush inks. The sentiment is also from Fresh Cut Florals.



I am also entering my card in this week's Sketchbook Saturday, Challenge #109.


Make sure to hop over to Leigh's blog to see her card!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Day 3

Hi there! 


It's time for day 3 of our color challenge. Today I am featuring Waltzingmouse's Simple Sprig stamp set and this beautiful color combo:




I stamped the leaf image in both Hibiscus Burst and Winter Wisteria inks. I die cut leaves (Turning a New Leaf from Papertrey Ink) from vellum paper and adhered them to the front of my card, overlapping the stamped leaves.  I added a few buttons and enamel dots, and the title was die cut from Wonderful Words: Hello (also from Papertrey Ink).


You can check out Leigh's take on our challenge by hopping over to her blog!

Check back tomorrow for a new color challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

E & L's Color Challenge | Day 2

It's day two of the color challenge with the very talented Leigh Penner. Today we have chosen to work with a beautiful fall inspired color combo and Papertrey Ink's Mighty Oak stamp set.



And here is my take. In real life, the "purple" leaves are actually PTI's Autumn Rose ink. We had a very dark and dreary day here and I had a hard time getting a good picture. My office usually gets great afternoon sunlight, perfect for photographing my cards, but that was not the case today. 

**Edited with better photo. :)



Make sure to hop over to Leigh's blog and check out her take on today's challenge!



And to those of you who left comments on yesterday's post(s), thank you so, so much. I read each of them and appreciate the support! 

Have a wonderful day!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Two Announcements

I am delighted to announce that I am an Honorable Mention for this year's World Card Making Day contest! You can read all the details here. And my card will be featured in the March 2014 issue of Paper Crafts magazine!

I am also the newest member of the Paper Smooches Sparks design team! My term starts December 1st.

** This is my second post today. To see Day 1 of E & L's Color challenge, click here!

Have a wonderful Monday!



E & L's Color Challenge | Day 1

Good morning! 

Back in September I e-mailed Leigh Penner with the idea of doing a color/stamp challenge. Leigh and I were on the Fresh Squeezed Stamps design team together, and I thought it would be fun to challenge ourselves to use a specific color scheme and stamp set each day for a week. We picked out color schemes from the website Design Seeds and matched them with a coordinating stamp set that we both own. Fun, huh? I am super excited to kick off the week!

For the first challenge, we are using this color scheme and Mama Elephant's Trifecta stamp set. 


I used the small triangle background stamp from Trifecta with Papertrey Ink's Soft Stone ink to create my background. I stamped it repeatedly at an angle, leaving a subtle pattern. I cut a large star from Stampin' Up's silver glimmer paper, then used a smaller die to cut a star from the middle and adhering a piece of Hawaiian Shores cardstock behind the opening. I created the garland with PTI's Confetti Garland stamp set. The label is from Label Basics and the sentiment is from Flower Fusion #3. 



Hop on over to Leigh's blog to check out her take on our first challenge. I will be back tomorrow with a new color scheme and stamp set! Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Digital Layouts | November Edition

Happy Friday! We had a l-a-z-y afternoon here. The boys watched Monsters University and A Bugs Life (oh how we love Pixar movies on our house!), while I did some scrapbooking. We can be so busy that sometimes it's nice to just relax and watch a good movie (or two!).

I have been busy creating layouts for the designers at Pixels and Co., Karla Dudley, and Scotty Girl Designs. It's been a while since I've posted layouts, and I have quite a few to share today. You've been warned... this is a photo heavy post!

Our sweet kitty, Lilly, is making a couple of appearances today. She is just so darn cute, and has a habit of being underfoot (or on the table, or in the cabinet, or on the couch, or wherever else I am. All. Day. Long.). She is a very social cat and manages to be photographed often. We have another sweet kitty, Gabby, who is skittish and anxious, so I only have only a few photographs of her... and non in the presence of our kids! They tend to overwhelm her. Gabby's favorite spot is sleeping behind the couch in the master bathroom closet (Mark's "man cave"). It's hard to photograph a cat who sleeps in the most secluded part of the house all day!

Anyway, when Lilly was just a kitten, she followed Jack around the play room, fell into the toy box, and was very mischievous. Jack adores her.


Up next is a layout featuring Evan and Jack, and their friend, Nick. Getting three boys, ages 6 and under, to sit still and smile at the camera is nearly impossible. But I actually like the goofy shots... these photos show the true personalities of all three kids. And I'm shocked that Evan is the one kid smiling at the camera in all three photos... with his good smile! Not his "I would rather be eating worms than smile for one more freaking photo, MOM!" look that I have been getting a lot lately. Sigh. But for now, I get these three adorable, and completely goofy, shots of Evan, Jack, and Nick.


Bikes! Our weekends now include lots and lots of bike riding. Evan and Mark riding to the school and back (9+ miles round trip!). Jack and Mark riding to the park (.5 miles round trip!). Jack falling and scraping his knee twice while walking his bike across the street. Oh yes. The tears. The wailing. The sheer agony my poor, wounded child was in. Yes, it was very sad and I'm sure his knee hurt. He was bleeding some and required neosporin and a band-aid or two, but his carrying on was something for the record books. Jack is a wee bit on the dramatic side (which is one of the things I love about him the most).


Flashback to Jack, circa 2011. Baby cheeks! Chubby hands! Curly, blond mop of hair! Man these kids grow up way too fast. And I love, love, love this photo of Jack. So much so that I might get it blown up and framed. He loves digging in the sand with his beach toys. And only wearing swim trunks. And in this photo, he is so excited the by bird/boat/plane he has spotted in the distance. I miss Jack @ 2 years old. But Jack @ 4 is pretty cool, too.


Now we are going w-a-y back in time. Specifically, 2006. I remember this day vividly. Mark and I really wanted a family photo for our first family-of-three Christmas card. We drove onto the WSU campus (which was 2 miles away), set up the camera on a tripod, and took 100+ photos to get the perfect shot. Which never actually happened. Evan was too distracted by the grass! And the people! And the shiny object to our right! to actually look at the camera. But it was a really fun afternoon. (And this photo makes me miss Pullman like crazy.)


Is there anything better for a kid than baking Christmas cookies with Grandma? According to my kids, the answer is no. And Jack is very fond of sprinkles. :)


The photo template is, well, perfection. I used 7 seriously silly photos of Jack with a few anecdotes about my favorite 4 year old.  


And we are back to cat photos. When I work in my office, Lilly likes to sit on my computer. Or in my box of inks. Or, even more helpful, on my printer. So finding her resting on the spare desk is a welcome change to her usual (obnoxious) ways.


The final layout I have to share features a trio of Jack photos, all adorable (if I do say so myself). In the center photo he has his favorite accessory of the year... his very first mohawk. It's actually a faux-hawk, but he was damn proud of it. And had no problem telling the stylist at Super Cuts when he walked in the door that he wanted "a blue mohawk" after his hair cut. And she sure delivered! Jack sported the look for two days and was devastated when we finally had to wash his hair.


If you've made it this far, thanks for looking! So many wonderful memories captured on these pages. 

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by! 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Wplus9 | Monday Mood Board #23

The Wplus9 Monday Mood Board is one of my favorite challenges... I love the mix of colors and patterns! This week's is a gorgeous collection of peach, green, cream, and kraft and a mix of flowers, buttons, and twine.





And here is my take:

(Supplies - Stamps: (Wplus9) Paisley Patterns, Sweet Nothings. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Daffodil Delight. Cardstock: (PTI) Rustic White. (Stampin' Up!) Pistachio Pudding. Patterned Paper: (PTI) Melon Berry patterns pack. Enamel dots: My Mind's Eye. Gems: Recollections. Ribbon: (PTI) Melon Berry satin ribbon. Die: (PTI) Pinking sheers edger die.)

The paisley image is 5 separate stamps that layer together beautifully. I just ordered this stamp set last week and I already love it. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

CAS(E) This Sketch | Challenge #53

Hi there! I have a CAS card to share for this week's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge:


I added a third section of cardstock so my sentiment tilted up instead of down. The wood letters are from Studio Calico... I think from last year's December Daily kit. Aren't they awesome? They add a fun texture to the card.

 

My post is short and sweet tonight... I have a date with Hulu to watch The Witches of East End. It is a completely silly, ridiculous show, but I like it. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Moxie Fab Thanks Blog Hop


Good morning! Today's post is bitter sweet as the host of the Moxie Fab blog, Cath Edvalson, is stepping down from her duties. The stamping community has come together to celebrate Cath with a huge blog hop in her honor.

I have two fall cards to share for today's hop (because fall is my favorite season!):




Make sure to check out the Moxie Fab blog for a complete list of blog hop participants.
You should have come from Karen Akesdotter. And up next is Jen Carter!

I wish Cath all the best in her future endeavors!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Paper Smooches Sparks | Trend Watch Challenge - Stripes

This week's Paper Smooches Sparks Trend Watch challenge is... stripes! 

I went a little crazy and created three cards for the challenge. For the first card,  created horizontal stripes with 1/2 inch strips of cardstock (kraft, orange, and yellow). Then I used Score Tape on the orange stripes to adhere clear glitter. I twisted the baker's twine and used small drops of glue to adhere the twine to the cardstock. 

(Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Leafy Greens. (PTI) Nuts for You. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Cajun Cajun Craze. (Papertrey Ink) Terracotta Tile, Harvest Gold. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Kraft, Terracotta Tile, Harvest Gold. Baker's Twine: American Crafts. Other: Enamel Dots.)

Next up, a card featuring bold black and white stripes. I used Paper Smooches' Zoo Crew stamp set and stamped each image onto white cardstock. After coloring them with Copic markers, I cut them out and popped them up with pop dots. The sentiment, from Knick Knacks, was embossed with white embossing powder. All three enamel dots are green in real life... I'm not sure why the two smaller dots are showing up blue! The white and black cardstock strips are matted onto small striped patterned paper.   

(Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Zoo Crew, Knick Knacks. Ink: (Memento) Black. Cardstock: (Papertrey Ink) Black, White. Markers: Copic. Patterned Paper: (Papertrey Ink) Black Patterns Pack. Ribbon: (Stampin' Up!) Going Gray. Other: Enamel Dots, embossing powder.)

My final card uses Bee Mine and more striped cardstock. The bees were stamped, colored, cut, and adhered to the card base with pop dots. I colored the wings with a light gray Copic marker, then applied clear stickles to them for a little shimmer.  

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Paper Smooches) Bee Mine. Ink: (Memento) Black. Cardstock: (PTI) White, black. Heart Dies: Simon Says Stamps. Gems: Hero Arts. Twine: American Crafts.)

 That's it for me today! Have a wonderful week. :)

Sunday, November 3, 2013

CAS(E) this Sketch | Challenge #52

I am super excited about today's card for this week's CAS(E) this Sketch challenge. I love receiving my Simon Says Stamp kit in the mail every month, and last month's kit was fantastic! Super cute paper and sequins from Lawn Fawn, an adorable stamp set, and some fun embellishments. I used mostly this kit, plus some enamel dots, for today's card.


I used the rock and roll technique on the leaves, inking them in Papertrey Ink's Orange Zest then Terracotta Tile. I used glue dots to adhere the sequins down, then placed an enamel dot in the center of each. 

 (Supplies - Stamps: (Simon Says Stamps) Giving Thanks. Ink: (PTI) Black, Orange Zest, Terracotta Tile. (Memento Luxe) Espresso Truffle. Cardstock: (SSS) Wood grain. (Neenah) Desert Storm. Patterned Paper: (Freckled Fawn) Into the Woods. Sequins: (Freckled Fawn) Into the Woods. Letter stickers: Kelly Purkey. Die: (PTI) Tiny Tags. Other: Enamel dots, twine.)

I have one more card to share today, using a new die I just purchased from Simon Says Stamp: Big Hello die. And it is awesome. When JJ Bolton created this card back in 2012, I was in awe. It's totally gorgeous and the 3D look is amazing! And I wanted to create something similar with my new Hello die. Here is what I came up with:

(Supplies - Stamps: (PTI) Rosie Posie and Rosie Posie additions. Ink: (Stampin' Up!) Pink Pirouette. (PTI) Berry Sorbet. Cardstock; (PTI) White. Die: (Simon Says Stamp) Hello Big. Other: Enamel dots, stickles.)

Choosing two step stamping made the technique a little more complicated, but the overall results are pretty cool. I added stickles to the dark pink sections for a little more dimension. 

I am also submitting both of these cards to this week's Simon Says Challenge: Anything Goes

That's it for me today! Evan and I are watching the Seahawks... and hoping for a comeback against Tampa Bay. :)

Have a great week!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Pixels & Company DSD Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pixels & Co. DSD Blog Hop! 

First up, a quick tip for those of you who like to upload your layouts to different galleries. When I first started sharing my layouts in galleries, I had a hard time keeping track of all the different products I was using. I am the type of scrapbooker that likes to hop around between different kits, designers, and stores. I like to use a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Then I would try to upload my layout to a gallery and not have a clue where each product was from. It was so frustrating! I tried opening up a little sticky note on my desktop, but remembering to add each new product (and delete products that didn't make the page) was annoying.

A couple of years ago I realized I can simply add the designer and the kit name in the layers palette in CS6. Each time I open a new element/paper, I rename it in the layers palette to include the info I will need when I upload it to a gallery. Simple, fast, easy, and if I need to wait a few days or weeks to upload it (due to an assignment or delayed release), I can simply open the PSD file in CS6 and all the information is there. 

Here is a screen shot of a layout I'm working on right now:


This layout is for Scotty Girl Designs' new F-Stop collection, so most of the products are from her. I will admit that sometimes I do forget to update the layers palette with a new brad or tag, but for the most part, it works great. I hope you guys find this little tip useful! It has made my digital scrapbooking work flow so much easier. 

The P&Co. designers have created a gorgeous new collection to celebrate Digital Scrapbooking Day, called Piccadilly. I had the opportunity to work with this collection tonight and I've created a fun little freebie frame for you. You can download it here

And here is what my freebie looks like. Isn't the wood grain frame fantastic? And I love the transparent banner (both by Karla Dudley Designs).



And finally, I have a double page layout to share using a new release from Scotty Girl Designs called F-Stop. It might be my favorite Scotty Girl Designs collection yet! So versatile, and the colors are perfect for scrapbooking my two little boys. (And I think this might be my first digital 8.5 x 11, two page layout ever... and I love it. I must do it again soon!)


Next up on the hop is Sarah. And in case you get lost along the way, here is a list of all the designers:


Pixels and Company http://pixelsandcompany.com/blog/
Mandi - http://ryanmandi.blogspot.com
Jennifer H http://jenniferhignite.blogspot.com/
Anna - http://scrapownia.blogspot.com
Lynette - http://scrapping-is-life.blogspot.com
Mary - http://justus-photographyanddigistuff.blogspot.com
Becca http://beccanicole05.blogspot.com
Jen F http://jenflaherty.blogspot.com
Erin T http://erintaylor718.blogspot.com/
Sarah http://pinklimeproductions.com/
Jen E https://www.facebook.com/JensCre8tivity
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Digital Scrapbooking Day!
Erin. :)