Put a Bow On It

I am getting into the Christmas spirit by making cards with wreaths on them.  I just love 3D elements on cards and like to create my own.  Here is a card I designed for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L using the pretty "bow" designer shape from their new "3D Foam Christmas Mix" set.  

I have a tutorial on the Crafty Power blog where you can find out exactly how I designed this and the supplies I used.

Click HERE to visit the Crafty Power blog.

More Christmas projects to come!

My New Double the Fun Sketch

I am hesitant to announce this, but I have a new Double the Fun layout sketch up on the Canadian Scrapbooker website….for SUMMER 2014! Ha ha.  That is how the magazine industry rolls.  Everything is planned waaaaay ahead.  While working on my Christmas cards and crafts, my creative mind is also thinking about Spring and Summer.  

Here is my new sample layout…

 After weeks of harassing my teenagers, I finally wrangled them together for our annual fall photo shoot.  Ok, so the picture snapping only lasted 4 minutes just before our Thanksgiving dinner last month, but this is better than nothing! 

Here is my new sketch, which I hope you'll try using for one of your layouts…

I used the gorgeous DCWV "Industrial Chic" Stack which is full of deep, rich patterns and colours, perfect for fall, vintage, masculine and so on.

Plus, the larger photo in the centre has a burlap mat, from the DCWV Burlap Stack.  I love the texture that it brings to the layout.

Some close-ups…

The small black type alphabet stickers are Glitz Design and the heart and 'ticket' and key are all cut from the patterned DCWV papers.  

The hearts are just cut freehand from that red paper, and I inked the edges with Clearsnap black chalk ink.

My journaling tag is cut from the DCWV paper as well.  Then I punched two holes at the top corners and wrapped my twine through.

The bottom border of the layout has a May Arts twill ribbon running across.  

I hope you enjoy this new sketch…and you have LOTS of time to submit your layout before the deadline: February 15, 2014!

Brother's New ScanNCut

It's always fun to have a new product or scrapbooking tool to play with, isn't it?

I have just started working with the new Brother ScanNCut Machine and have designed this Christmas card:

I used Core'dinations Colorcore card stock for the wreath and "Noel" and the card base with patterned papers are from Graphic 45's new Christmas Collection "Twelve Days of Christmas."

It is being featured on the Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine blog, with lots of step-by-step photos showing the ScanNCut and design details.

Click HERE to visit the Canadian Scrapbooker blog to see more.

Click HERE to visit Brother's ScanNCut website that has more information, plus video tutorials. 

Stay tuned for more ScanNCut projects!

A Little Bit of Christmas

Are you busy planning and making your Christmas cards?  To be honest, I only create a handful for a few special people and actually snail mail about 80 more store-bought ones with our family photo and annual Christmas letter.  Yes, I have a big family!

Here is one card I designed using some wonderful Sizzix products:

This is being featured on the Canadian Scrapbooker blog today, so for more details and some step-out photos of how it came together, click HERE and find out more.

November Sketchy Challenge

I'm doing a little better than last month's Canadian Scrapbooker's Sketchy Challenge in terms of posting earlier.  Who knows?  I might get December's challenge done on time!

After a ridiculous amount of begging and crying (and exaggerating), I finally got DramaQueen outside for her Fall photos.  Does she like them?  Probably not.  Honestly, I avoid showing her my layouts because she usually hates all of the photos I choose.  

Here is Sue Sykes' sketch:

I have to tell you, those circles in the background confounded me for awhile…until I looked through my DCWV "Cinnamon Luster" Stack:

I knew the colours and patterns in this stack would be perfect for these pics of DQ.  And then I added a few cut-out embellishments from the DCWV "Industrial "Chic" Stack. These stacks make designing layouts so quick and easy, with all the matching papers in one big handy pack.

Can you see that May Arts ribbon sparkle?  I love their glitter ribbon! This butterfly is cut from glitter paper using one of my absolute favourite Spellbinders die:  Donna Salazar's "Wonderful Wings."

If you love your Spellbinders and die cuts, then this is one set you must have!

I'm still hoping to scrapbook some more Fall photos, even though our landscape is looking much more like winter and Christmas!

And look what I saw in the mall downtown!  Yikes!

Can you see 'tiny Kelly' in that gold ornament? ha ha! Didn't plan that.  Hmmmm….now I'm getting an idea for Christmas photos this year! 

Yes, inspiration is everywhere…including the gallery over at Canadian Scrapbooker!  Hope to see your layouts posted there.  Click HERE to visit and see what everyone else is doing with this sketch.

A Christmas Class

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I've been having a wonderful time designing classes using Kaisercraft paper and products.  Here is my latest creation, a 12" X 12" Christmas photo display frame:

I used the beautiful vintage "St Nicholas" collection:

There are some fun techniques involved….like the 3D metallic heart, the frosted glass window and the doily tree.

If you're in the area, I hope you can join me! Click HERE to visit the Treasured Memories blog, learn more about this class and register.  

A Winter Scene

I love being on the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Design Team.  I have the opportunity to work with a huge variety of manufacturers' product and, of course, the best adhesives around.  With the new release of 3D Foam Designer Shapes, I've been having fun creating projects and here is a card featuring three of the shapes:  a 3D Frame, Star and some Trees.

There are lots of ways to alter the foam shapes, and I used glitter and embossing powder.

There is a step-by-step photo tutorial on how I designed this card on the Crafty Power Blog, so click HERE to stop by there and check it out.

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L also has a brand new website… it looks awesome! Click HERE to head over there. Thanks for stopping by.

Exciting News!

I'm so excited to announce that I was invited to be Simple Stories' Guest Designer for November!

Simple Stories is featuring my "Journey" Mini Album, a project I designed using their 6x6 Urban Traveler paper pad and coordinated chipboard stickers. Inside are photos from my family's European vacation in 2007.

 Click HERE to visit the Simple Stories blog and find more inspiration!

I had so much fun teaching this mini as a class at ScrapFest Oshawa a few weeks ago...

Here's my wonderful volunteer Teaching Assistant, Anne Marie...

And more exciting news...my first webisode with Canadian Scrapbooker magazine is LIVE! When Jackie Ludlage asked the Design Team to help film some webisodes, I said, "YES!"  

Click HERE to watch the video on YouTube!


It was so much fun, but I was pretty nervous.  We will be filming more webisodes in November, and I can't wait!  Hopefully, this month I'll get back to making my own crafty videos, which have been on the back burner while I was travelling and teaching.  

Maybe by next week, I'll upload a video to my YouTube channel....stay tuned!