Head Over Heels with BoBunny

There are few Valentines collections that I design with, but when I saw the Bo Bunny "Head Over Heels" release, I wanted to have it!

This is one of my projects that was on display in the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L booth at the CHA tradeshow a few weeks ago.  

Today my layout is being featured on the Crafty Power blog, so click HERE to visit and see more close-ups.

This photo of my daughters is from 10 (gulp) years ago.  It is definitely one of my fave photos of them of all time.

Actually, I created a layout 10 years ago called "Sisters" with a timeline of photos. Here is the right page of the double layout (Don't laugh)

Their relationship has changed and evolved just like they have.  Sometimes they seem distant from one another.

And sometimes I can see how close they really are.

I've always wanted a sister, but I do have a pretty fantastic brother who means the world to me!

I've witnessed my mom's close relationship with her sister, and they don't live in the same city but talk on the phone every day.

They try hard to get together to celebrate birthdays and understand that their time together now is precious.

I hope my daughters will cherish each other like this in their twilight years.

For now, they cherish their iPhones and friends, but I'm confident that will change.

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!

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.

Back To School !

It's that time of the year when all parents are kicking up their heels because it's Back to School! This summer I did enjoy not rushing around in the morning, worrying about missing the bus, forgetting books and lunches and telling the girls, "No, you can't wear  THAT to school!" ha ha

But routine is good for us, too, and now I will have more of a routine time to blog and scrapbook.

Here is a layout I designed for the Create & Connect trade show in Vegas, and it's up on The Crafty Power blog. I used 4 of the 3D foam Designer Shapes:  wings, stars, heart, and rectangle/frame:

I have a simple tutorial on how I made those red stars....so click HERE to visit their blog and check it out.  The papers are FancyPants Designs and the stamps are Stampin' Up! and Graphic 45 (alphabet). The silver glitter is EK Success/Martha Stewart.

Confession:  The photo is from last year's first day of school.  Here is this year's pics from last week:

BabyOfTheFamily is in Grade 8

DramaQueen is in Grade 11

BoyGenius heads off to University

Oh well, two out of three isn't bad. Ha!  

Motherhood

I went to a funeral yesterday.  Colleen was 49 when she passed away last week after battling cancer for a year. It is beyond tragic.

I hate funerals, but this one was especially tough....because she is a mother, and her two daughters are teenagers.   Her younger daughter is my youngest daughter's best friend.

It makes me realize how precious my children are...

and many days I wish they were little again...

Playing with blocks and not driving cars....

Not graduating from high school....

or wearing make-up...

Just sitting on the floor....

...and not walking away from me yet.

I joke around a fair bit about raising children, especially teenagers, but I'm the one with separation anxiety now, and I'm not ready to let them go.  I hope they are patient with me....it could take awhile....and a lot of scrapbooking.

L-R: BoyGenius, BabyOfTheFamily and DramaQueen with their Mama.

Double the Fun with Kaisercraft

The Summer issue of Canadian Scrapbooker has hit the newsstands and the Fall call for submissions is over....which means that I have a new Double the Fun sketch and layout for Winter 2013! [I know, I know....the "W" word should not be uttered at this time of the year]

Here is my sample layout and sketch, which you will see on the Home Page of the Canadian Scrapbooker website:

I used the beautiful "Elegance" collection from Kaisercraft for these photos of DramaQueen and one of her best friends, Lauren.  They were all dressed up to go out for dinner together.  Ah...to be sixteen again!

This layered title is actually a combination of sticker elements from a few different Kaisercraft collections, along with the pretty leafy wood embellishment.

I added some Kaisercraft pearls to highlight the journaling stickers.  Don't you love these 'faux' Dymo label stickers from the Kaisercraft "Pickled Pear" collection?

The feathers are fussy cut from a piece of "Elegance" patterned paper called "Paper Pure."

The gold doilies are from The Dollar Store, and the border punch is EK Success/Martha Stewart.

You have lots of time to work on your double layout and submit it for publishing! Have fun :) 

Altered Kaisercraft Photo Display

 I have long admired the beautiful photo displays that scrapbookers design to showcase their family photos.  Kaisercraft has a number of wonderful photo frames, and I decided to alter their "Swap Card Photo Display."

Click HERE to visit their website and see other finished Photo Displays.

The Pickled Pear collection is gorgeous and was perfect for my design...

I chose 3 photos of my children from our Fall photo shoot...

The background is ONE piece of paper...un-cut!

"Pistachio"

And the embellishments are from the Pickled Pear Sticker, along with Kaisercraft black Paper Blooms and Pewter Pearls...

I also used some copper wire and scrap pieces of corrugated cardboard...

I painted the raw frame with Ranger's Claudine Hellmuth Black Gesso.

Here is a video tutorial that shows my quick and easy painting technique along with a closer look at the finished tray.

Click HERE to watch this on YouTube and visit my Channel.

I love how this turned out...especially because it took no time at all!