Good Bye September

This month has been a blur, and on the last day I am squeaking in my September Sketchy Challenge for Canadian Scrapbooker magazine.

Here is Sue Sykes' wonderful sketch:

I used the RSVP collection from Basic Grey, including the sticker sheets.

The butterflies were cut using this pretty Spellbinders die set:

I added Crystal Stickles to make them sparkly.

The sparkly leaves were created with Hampton Art green glitter and new Designer Shapes from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.  

This layout is actually being featured on the Crafty Power blog, and you can click HERE to see how I made these pretty glitter leaves.

My layout doesn't really look much like September, does it?  That is because I went to Phoenix, Arizona, for 5 days with my dear friend, Michelle Marks, a couple weeks ago. 

We visited the beautiful Desert Botanical Gardens and were delighted to walk around and see so many incredible desert landscapes and vegetation. This is where I took the photos of the cactus flowers on my layout.

I never knew that cactus could be so pretty!

Our other memorable part of this trip was visiting the Grand Canyon.  This was Michelle's first time here and my second. 

Words cannot describe the breathtaking panorama of this wonder of the world.

Along with lots of shopping and sunshine, this was a fantastic, relaxing getaway.  

I definitely needed some down time with the two Great Canadian Scrapbook Carnivals taking place in September too.  

My cropping cowgirls: Michelle, Roni and Sandra

I taught a "Double the Fun" layout class in both Edmonton and Calgary and had a great time meeting lots of wonderful scrappers. 

My Calgary class

Of course, it's always tons of fun to hang out with the Canadian Scrapbooker team. 

Katharina Doyle and Connie Nichol

Never a dull moment with this bunch!

Jackie and Madeline Ludlage

Jayme Loge and Cathie Allan

Christy Riopel

So good bye September, it's been a blast!  Next up...the October Sketchy challenge! Hope you play along and upload your layout to the Sketchy gallery....click HERE to check it out.

Hola!

It's February 1st...which means a couple of things.  It's a new kit release and staff challenge at The Urban Scrapbook, where I teach classes...and it's time for a new Sketchy Challenge over at Canadian Scrapbooker magazine!

Today I'll post my Urban staff challenge layout and next week I'll show you my CS Sketchy challenge.

I promised myself to use some of my Mexico photos (WITHOUT the teenagers in them!)

HOLA!  and POW...how's that for colour???

Aren't those flowers gorgeous? I cannot believe they are real and growing outdoors there...amazing.

This month's Urban kit has the wonderful new Basic Grey "Kissing Booth" papers, alpha sticker sheet and die cuts package....plus a bunch of other lovely embellishments.  I'm usually not a big fan of large floral patterns, but this one I LOVED and knew right away I wanted it to be the background.

Here are some close ups....

Metal lock and key courtesy of Tim Holtz and Martha Stewart butterfly border punch.

Really cute tiny alpha stickers are on the Kissing Booth Alpha sticker sheet.

Banners are in the Kissing Booth die cut package and ANOTHER alpha from that sticker sheet!

The Prima "Say It In Crystals" have beautiful facets that catch the light. The green ruffle is ribbon tucked behind the paper layer.

I created a circle of yellow butterflies with another Martha Stewart punch.

I have a little tutorial on how I made the two pink flowers for the layout using 7Gypsies tape (a technique I saw Tim Holtz do).

I coloured the tulle flower below with alcohol ink and mist.

It is so easy to alter the colour of the tape to suit your project. I find that alcohol ink works best.

Here is what you need....

Tissue tape, Blending Tool and felt pad, Blending Solution, Snow Cap Mixative and Red Pepper Alcohol Ink

First you cut a circle roughly out of scrap paper...the size of the circle depending on how large you want you flower to be....

The Snow Cap Mixative (white) makes the alcohol ink more opaque. I also used it to change the Red Pepper to Pink Pepper!

You need very little Snow Cap on your felt to adjust the colour of the red.  The piece of tape should be MUCH longer because you will be pleating it (as shown below) but for the demo I used a short piece here.

Start anywhere on your scrap circle and just fold and pleat around the centre. 

For this flower, I put 2 layers of pleating, to make the flower fluffier (more dimensional).

The centre can be anything, a pearl, a gem....here I used a Prima light pink crystal.

So come on over to The Urban Scrapbook (or order online) and pick up your wonderful February kit! You'll also see all the layouts the Design Team has created....so many talented scrapbookers!

And remember....if you can't go to Mexico to see the beautiful flowers, then you can make some at home in your studio!

October Sketchy Challenge

GULP!  It's October!! I quickly figured that out because BabyOfTheFamily started asking about her Halloween costume. Honestly...it will be VERY difficult to top last year's costume.  Take a look....

The Mad Hatter!

This year she's in Grade 6....and wants a costume with MAKE-UP that will make her look beautiful.  Don't we all??

Another reason I know it's October is because there is a new Sketchy Challenge over at Canadian Scrapbooker!  Woohoooo! 

Jill Sarginson designed a fabulous sketch once again...

 And here is my layout....

Every Halloween I take a photo of the Jack O'Lanterns my kids carve :)

The black background patterned paper and the pumpkin patch are from the new FancyPants "Oct 31" collection....

Confession time....I had this layout design sketched for last year's Halloween!  EEEEK!! Now that's scary!  I even had altered that Dusty Attic tree and printed out the vintage seed packet from Graphics Fairy.  Better late than never, I guess ;)

Vintage seed packet printed from Graphics Fairy, held with Tim Holtz Memo Pin.

Dusty Attic tree altered with Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam in Stiletto (Black)

My sweet scrappy friend from Newfoundland had sent me that border punch awhile ago (edging the brown Basic Grey strip) and she very kindly gave me that gorgeous yellow moon paper, which is Basic Grey "Curio."  I barely had to ink the edges, it has such perfect shading on it...thanks Michelle!

The "Boo" chipboard title and bat is from an older Basic Grey Halloween collection, which I believe is called "Eerie."  I picked it up in a sale bin last year ...yay!

Love this set of Basic Grey chipboard stickers!

 I went a little nutso with my Big Shot and Sizzix dies to create that pumpkin patch!

 

I used 3 different dies for the leaves and vines, plus stamped more leaves with a Magenta stamp and cut them out...

I used 2 shades of Distress Ink:  Peeled Paint (dark) and Crushed Olive (yellow-green).

I die cut the "spooky fence" out of grunge paper, painted it with Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint, and finally inked it with Weathered Wood Distress ink....

I added a little shading to the pumpkins and leaves with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

Now..."Trick or Treat" over to the Canadian Scrapbooker website and upload your layout for the October Sketch!

Speaking of "Treats", Sony has a special offer on right now for a VERY cool new Digital Frame...that doubles as a 4x6 photo printer!
 
It prints gorgeous 4X6 photos right at your scrapbooking station, and you can take it easily with you to crops!  What more can a scrapper ask for!!!!!


Sony is offering Canadian Scrapbooker Readers an awesome opportunity – take advantage of these coupons to get your Frame/Printer and printer paper today!

Visit Sony  for all the details!  Click HERE to get started!