A Vintage Collector Valentine

I got very excited when I saw the new DCWV Vintage Collector stack!  It's right up my alley…the colour palette, the patterns…

Here are the DCWV products I used…

I have a short step-by-step photo tutorial on how I designed this card on the Canadian Scrapbook Magazine blog.  Click HERE to check it out!

January Sketchy Challenge

Once again I'm squeaking in my January Sketchy challenge layout.  Hmmm.  Maybe I should make a resolution about getting that done on time!

Here is Sue Sykes' awesome sketch, which I rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise:

Winter layouts are almost becoming a thing of the past for me.  That's because my teenagers don't really go outside much in the winter anymore.  If they do, it's only to take a bunch of goofy selfies. ha ha! Luckily, BabyOfTheFamily agreed to some pics a couple months ago.  I LOVE winter photos!

For my frosty layouts, I often use Bo Bunny, and each winter I'm excited about seeing their new papers.  I just love the colours and patterns in the Woodland Winter collection:

I put baby powder on the backs of my snowflake stickers so the edges would lift off my background.

BoBunny's matching embellishments and stickers always make designing so easy.  I must admit, I'm kind of a matchy-matchy type of girl :)

The navy twine is May Arts.

Every season I say how much I don't like winter, but I love creating winter layouts! 

I hope you have a chance to design a layout for Canadian Scrapbooker's Sketchy Challenge!  In a few more days, the February sketch will be posted.  Click HERE to visit the Sketchy Gallery and be inspired!

Stay warm...

Kaisercraft Christmas Cards

Although I'm finished making Christmas cards, I thought I'd share a trio that I designed for the Winter issue of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine:

I used the gorgeous St. Nicholas collection from Kaisercraft.  The wood elements and ribbons are also Kaisercraft.

This card is my favourite, but the fussy cutting was not my favourite!

Have you picked up the Winter 2013 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker yet?  There are many more Christmas cards and layouts in there to inspire you!

Nordic Pines from Bazzill Basics Paper

I have come across a winter collection that I really love…. Nordic Pines by Bazzill Basics Paper… and was inspired to design a layout for Canadian Scrapbooker's December Sketchy Challenge.

BabyOfTheFamily and her sweet friend surprised me by asking for photos outside during a blizzard! What?  I don't have to beg? Ha. 

Here is Sue Sykes' wonderful sketch:

I sure don't like winter, but strangely I always enjoy creating winter layouts! I think I was also inspired by the amazing landscape at the scrapbook retreat where I was working on this layout.

Isn't the Nordic Pines colour palette awesome? 

The Bazzill package of paper snowflakes worked perfectly as embellishments, along with the Kraft "Edge" card stock strips:

There were 3 different snowflake shapes:

I outlined the title with my American Crafts white Galaxy marker to make it stand out more on this cool piece of chalkboard patterned paper and added some stitching with red embroidery thread.

 My Stampin' Up! paper piercing set helped with all my stitching:

I also did some cross-stitching to enhance the homespun patterns and the tiny cross-stitched stag heads:

I stamped and cut out this stag using a Sizzix stamp/die set.

I just love that Bazzill pleated paper ribbon!  Just pull it out of the package, and you have a really pretty embellishment.  Easy!

At this busy time of year, it's so nice to use a collection that helps your layouts come together quickly and easily.  

If you need some inspiration with your designs, click HERE to visit the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Gallery.

A Christmas Card for a Teacher

I am definitely on a Christmas card roll and just hope I can get them into the mail on time.  I still haven't written my annual letter but have set a deadline for this week.  We'll see what happens!

Here is a card I designed using the new Brother ScanNCut machine. 

SUPPLIES: DCWV papers;Brother ScanNCut;May Arts twine;Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L;American Crafts Galaxy marker

This card is being featured on the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine blog today along with a video tutorial I made to demonstrate how I used the ScanNCut to design the chalkboard word art, cork tree and chalkboard star. 

Click HERE to visit the Canadian Scrapbooker blog and watch the video.

Click HERE to visit the ScanNCut website and watch more video tutorials.

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!

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.

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!

Simple Stories Meets The Sketchy Challenge

Is it okay to post a Back To School layout at the end of October?  Of course it is!

BabyOfTheFamily first day of school Grade 8

This design is based on Sue Sykes' Sketch for October over at the Canadian Scrapbooker magazine Sketchy Gallery.

I've been itching to use these wonderful Simple Stories papers as soon as I saw them.  I mean, who can resist a collection called "Smarty Pants" ?  Not me...especially because this term describes BabyOfTheFamily perfectly.

The layered stickers are from the Simple Stories 'I heart Summer" collection...

That's what I love about Simple Stories....I can often combine collections and everything works so well together.



This fun title is cut out from one of the patterned papers.

I added stitching to the edges of my banners to make them pop a bit.

Not only am I happy to get a Back To School layout done, I'm happy that BabyOfTheFamily will still agree to pose for one!