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!

Graphic 45 Happy Haunting Mini Album

I have waited awhile to post this Halloween Mini album on my blog after teaching it at the Canadian Scrapbooker Carnival in September and then another version of it at The Urban Scrapbook last weekend. A big thank you and shout out to Graphic 45 for sponsoring my class at the Carnival!  Everyone really enjoyed making the album.

Lots of photos coming up...so grab your pillowcase filled with candy, munch away...and enjoy :)

The full moon is embossed with a Tim Holtz Sizzix folder and then lightly inked with Vintage Photo Distress ink.

  The bats are cut from Clearly For Art black modeling film, using a Sizzix die.  When you heat the bats with a heat gun, you can curve their plastic wings.

The cheesecloth fabric clouds are coloured with Black Soot Distress Ink (you can also use Stain)

Now let's look inside... 

I cut the stars with a Sizzix die and also embossed them.  The Oct. 31 is a Graphic 45 stamp.

This pocket insert has a fussy cut moon tab.

 Each page is made from a 6" x 12" piece of black cardstock folded in half into a pocket.  The pages alternate pockets opening at the top and at the side in the album.  A big thanks to Michelle who advised me how to make these pages!  Click HERE to visit Michelle's blog, where you will find more fabulous mini albums! One of my favourites is her travel mini album designed with Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue.

Pages 2 and 3

Page 2 has a slide out pocket as well.

A paper pieced pumpkin I designed using Bazzill cardstock in Raven and Marigold

Space for photo and journaling

Page 3 side pocket has this clock pull-out

Pages 4 and 5

The clock is also a Sizzix die and the corner webs were stamped with an Inkadinkado set called "All Hallow's Eve" (and embossed with Clearsnap)

The clock is on a paper hinge and flips up.

The page 5 pocket has a tag with stamping on it.

 The black manila tag is stamped with more Graphic 45 stamps, pumpkin and vine border.  Then I used Clearsnap Donna Salazar Mixed Media Inx in "Leather" to achieve this copper effect.

The reverse side also has Graphic 45 stamping.

Pages 6 and 7

The spider web is cut with my Cricut from the Teresa Collins Halloween cartridge "Chic & Scary"

The web flap lifts for more photos.

The doors open with paper hinges.

I used Black Soot Distressed card stock and embossed it with a Sizzix wood grain Tim Holtz folder.  Then I sanded it and lightly inked with brown.  

The door knobs are Graphic 45 brads glued onto grunge board pieces that are painted with metallic Gold Adirondack dabber by Ranger.  I clipped the corners of the grungeboard piece with a hole punch and inked a little with black.

Page 8 and the inside back cover

The fence is a pocket, and this page is a side pocket that holds 2 tags.

 The tags are tied with black ribbon and black tulle.

I cut some words from one of the patterned papers to add to both tags.

The crescent moon is cut freehand and then embossed in a Sizzix folder and lightly inked.

 This beautiful black cat is another Graphic 45 stamp.  Did you know that this Happy Haunting Halloween collection has THREE amazing stamps sets?  Beautiful images and all rubber cling mount!

I cannot wait to fill up this album with photos of Halloween....I was able to snap pics of all 3 teenagers before they left for school this morning in their costumes.  

BabyOfTheFamily is a 1950's Diner Waitress...

Serving up a bloody finger hot dog...

DramaQueen is Annie....well, a more "grown up" version of Annie

She spent ALOT of time curling her hair

And BoyGenius...uh oh.  Please don't judge me as a mother for his politically incorrect costume [or send me hate mail].  

Oh look. It's Bob Marley.  [eek]

Happy Halloween!

Christmas Classes

This time of year is a busy one for classes at The Urban Scrapbook.  I'll be posting my Graphic 45 Happy Haunting Halloween mini album later this week, but today I thought I'd share what I've designed for Christmas classes coming up soon.

First, here is a set of 5 cards I created using the gorgeous Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet collection.

After this class runs on November 22, I will share the techniques and details on these cards here on my blog.

The next class is a Holiday Recipe Mini Album, perfect for a gift or family keepsake.  My friend Sandra and I collaborated to design this mini album  using Simple Stories.

Once again, after the class date of December 15, I will post photos and techniques used in this album.

Click HERE to check out the classes at the Urban website and register!

And now....to prepare for Halloween!  Look out candy, here I come!

Halloween Mini Albums

Here's a shocking announcement:  I designed 2 Halloween mini albums!

The first album I made was for the Canadian Scrapbooker Carnival in September, using the Happy Haunting Graphic 45 collection.  I will post this album on my blog at the end of the month after I teach a similar mini album class at The Urban Scrapbook on October 27.  I think you can still register for this class...

The second album just sort of happened... after I received my October staff challenge kit from The Urban Scrapbook.  Most of the kit consisted of the spooktacular Halloween collection from We R Memory Keepers called "Black Widow."

I don't have any Halloween photos in the album yet, but I thought I'd share the pages as is...

This October kit also includes black, silver and orange card stock, some gems, ribbon, tulle, a little WRMK "Cobwebs" stamp set, raw chipboard pumpkins and "Black Widow" chipboard stickers. 

The pumpkin is raw chipboard cut from a Sizzix Tim H. die.  I inked it with Distress inks.

One of the 3 stamps in the WRMK "Cobwebs" set, stamped with Versafine Onyx Black.

The little wrought iron fence is cut from black card stock with a Memory Box die.

The bats are stamped onto the photo mat.

The witch is the 3rd stamp in the set.

I adhered a half circle of black card stock to both the front and back inside covers of the album so they would be more durable.

Some of you already know that I'm a very sloooow scrapper.  But these papers lent themselves so well to this mini album that I created it in one evening....actually during the first night of the scrapbook retreat/crop in Newfoundland last month!  I think I was inspired by all the talented scrapbookers surrounding me :)

Click HERE to visit the Urban blog and see the other wonderful projects from the Design Team. 

There's still time to pick up this October kit at The Urban Scrapbook.  You'll love it!

A Prima Songbird Mini Album

As some of you know from a previous blog post, my older daughter [DramaQueen] finished Grade 9 and is moving on to high school.  

At the end of June, we celebrated at her school with a special Farewell party...which almost seemed to morph into a Prom event! yikes!

After saying NO to a spray tan [among other beautification requests], I gave in and bought DQ a lovely new dress, high heels, a wrap and a clutch.  

To commemorate the event [aside from paying credit card bills] I made DQ a Prima mini album, which I taught as a class at The Urban Scrapbook last month.

These album covers are originally a plain white canvas with a white resist script that stands out when you colour the canvas. 

 I sprayed the canvas album covers front, back and inside with 3 Lindy's Stamp Gang mists:  Tainted Teal, Wild Honeysuckle Coral and Cactus Gold.  Then I inked the edges with some Vintage Photo Distress Ink and misted with water so it would bleed a little away from the edges.

TIP:  A little spray and a little ink goes a LONG way.  Start with small amounts and add more if you prefer darker shades.

The flowers are also sprayed with Lindy's.

Prima crystals & pearls flourish, I am Roses flowers and leaf, die cut bird and window and cheesecloth.

The bird is from a Donna Salazar Spellbinders die, cut from patterned paper and covered with Clear Rock Candy Crackle Distress paint.  Then I inked it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

The window is cut using a Poppystamps die "Grand Madison Window", and I cut it out from the Prima album packaging instead of chipboard.  It's dry brushed with a little gesso and inked lightly with brown chalk ink.

I used these beautiful Prima papers for the album pages inside...

Songbird "Collage"

Sunrise

Zephyr

Mosaic

Lineage

Tag-It

Here are the inside pages...

Page 1

The pull-out photo (and another pic on the back)

Pages 2 and 3

Page 2 has a little flip book with more photos...

Pages 4 and 5

I made these feathers...I'll show you how at the end of this post

I will add my private journaling offline :)

Pages 6 and 7

A little lacing adds an elegant touch...

Page 8

I plan on adding a vellum envelope to the back inside cover (thanks to Pat's suggestion) and include the rest of the photos from that day.

Here is a quick tutorial on how I made the feathers...

Supplies:  Tim Holtz Tissue Wrap, Scissors, Brown ink, Glue n Seal

Fold your strip of tissue wrap to create 3 layers

Adhere the folded sections together

Cut out your feather shape

Starting at top of feather, snip inwards towards centre at 45 degree angles.

TIP:  Try to snip as narrowly as possible, without cutting off the feathery fringes.

Ink edges with Brown chalk ink or Distress Ink.

Here is the finished feather!

Whew...that was a loooong blog post!  Thanks for dropping by :)