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.

A Card and a Class

Once in awhile, I do a blog post for Canadian Scrapbooker called "Tuesday With the Team."

Last week, I shared a card I designed using Sizzix dies and embossing folders with Core'dinations ColorCore card stock.

There are more close-ups and a video tutorial on how I made this card on the Canadian Scrapbooker blog.

Click HERE to see that post and watch the video.

I also have some exciting news about a class I am teaching on June 13 at Treasured Memories.  There are limited spots, so register now if you are interested.

I have had such wonderful feedback about a similar Kaisercraft photo display that I designed a few weeks ago, that I decided to make it into a class.  Click HERE to see my other Photo Display project.

If some of you are wondering where I will be teaching in the future, I wanted to let you know that I will now be an independent instructor.  So I will have classes at a variety of stores and events, which I will announce here on my blog and on Facebook.  

I have lots of class ideas and opportunities coming up, so stay tuned.....

A White Valentine

As some of you already know, I have a very dear friend who lives far far away on the eastern coast of Canada in a magical place called Newfoundland.  A few months ago, Michelle invited me to join a Facebook group called "Crop Circles" where mostly Newfoundland scrapbookers meet and share.  Natasha Connolly set up this group, and I had the good fortune of meeting her last September as well. If you're a lucky Mainlander like me, you can manage to squeeze into the group and join in the fun.

This is Michelle's January Sketchy Challenge layout depicting my Screeching In when I visited her in Newfoundland.  And YES, I kissed that REAL fish!

There are lots of wonderful challenges at Crop Circles, and Michelle announced an all-white challenge for January.  Uh oh!  I've never designed anything with one colour, and card stock isn't always my first choice for scrapbooking.  I guess you could say I'm a colourful kind of girl.

Here is Michelle's all-white layout and a link to her blogpost where you will find a tutorial on those beautiful embossed flowers she made...

Click HERE to visit Michelle's blog.

But I'm up for a challenge and eager to try new ideas, and before the month could end, I promised myself to make something all white.

A layout was daunting, so I decided to make a card, a Valentine card actually....

The doily and heart dies are all Stampin' Up/Sizzix and the XO is from a Tim Holtz Sizzix die.  The ribbon is May Arts and the card stock is Bazzill.

The pearls are Stampin' Up!

Here are the 3 Stampin' Up dies I used. I just LOVE embosslits!

I had this XO die cut in Kraft paper left over from another project, so I painted it white with gesso and sprinkled it with Iridescent Diamonds Craft & Glitz glitter.

When I began making this card and pulled out all the white card stock from my stash, I quickly realized that there are many shades of white! Surprise!  So that's why my embossed hearts look a little grey, even though I used white card stock.  It's what I had on hand, and if you know me, I didn't want to start all over again! 

Do you think my husband will notice the different shades of white anyway?  uh. No.

So thank you Michelle for pushing me out of my creative comfort zone!  I should probably mail YOU this card instead (or maybe the Cod that I kissed :)

Winter Wishes from Echo Park

This year, Urban Scrapbook is going to create monthly kits with paper collections that correlate with a calendar theme.  So, January's kit is featuring the cutest collection from Echo Park called "Winter Wishes."

To get my scrappy brain in gear after our 2-week Christmas break, I turned to a PageMap sketch, from November 2012.

I was also inspired by Tracey Gregory's layout from this month's ScrapThat! kit club that has cut out circles in the design.  You can click HERE to visit Tracey's blog and see her wonderful layout.

Here is what I came up with...

There are a couple of ski hills right here in our city, and we sometimes go to the smallest one for some serious sledding action.  I took this photo of BabyOfTheFamily during on of our trips to the hill.  Sad to say, most of my sledding pics did not turn out great that day.

The kit includes this awesome sticker sheet, along with patterned papers, Bazzill card stock, ribbons, bling, glitter paper, vellum snowflakes....

A close up of the vellum snowflakes, cut with the new Tim Holtz die...

Here is a closer look at the cut-out circle windows...

I designed a winter scene with the stickers to create a title element...

I thought I'd share how I designed those circle windows..

My 'old school' Coluzzle....to cut out the circles.

Scrapbook Adhesives 3L 'Crafty Foam Tape' works really well to lift the entire piece.

Square pieces of Winter Wishes patterned paper.

The white paper with circles is placed on top.

A closer look at the circle windows

Then I just took my sticker sheet and went crazy adding sticker elements to each circle.

Prima Crystals are also in the kit...which I added to each circle window scene.

This January kit is now on sale at The Urban Scrapbook, so drop in or shop online to pick one up.

You can click HERE to visit the Urban blog where all the staff January layouts are on display.

December Sketchy Challenge

Winter might not be my favourite season, but I do love designing winter layouts! 

Here is the December sketch by Sue Sykes for the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Challenge...

You can also participate in the Sketchy Challenge on Sue's blog HERE

And here is my layout, featuring Bo Bunny's "Snow Day" collection and photos of BabyOfThe Family playing outside about 8 years ago...

"Let it Snow" 

Now it seems the kids hardly ever go outside in the winter, unless it's to ski or to shovel (begrudgingly). 

I loved going to the park with my children in winter, where we would toboggan, make snow angels and forts.  I miss those rosy cheeks and lips and snowy good times!

Actually, BoyGenius and a huge group of friends went tobogganing one Friday night not too long ago.  I thought "Yay! He's 17 and still plays outside!"  Until his friends' neighbours called the cops because they were being too loud.  Sigh.  

For my layout, I used my Big Shot and a fantastic Spellbinders die set, as well as a Tim Holtz Sizzix die,  the new accordion snowflake....

This die set of snowflakes is AWESOME! 

I used the Sizzix die for my title, and added a little sparkle with American Crafts Wow! Glitter...

Harmonie Mosaic Tiles are glued along the edges of the title...

I punched holes and threaded May Arts ribbon along the top of my large banner background...

The ribbon is also tied into a bow on my journaling tag...

I think this Bo Bunny collection has a wonderfully unique colour palette....the surprising yellow and green look awesome with the teal, blue and cream.

I don't think I've ever made a winter page with a green background, but I'm glad I did!  

I hope you're going to play along with this month's Sketchy Challenge!  Click HERE to visit the gallery for lots of inspiration!

Hope you're enjoying the snow a little in your part of the world :)

November Sketchy Challenge

The beginning of the month means there is a new sketch by Sue Sykes over at the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Gallery.  This time Sue designed a double page sketch...

Here is what I created using Pink Paislee's "Indigo Bleu" collection...

This year BoyGenius was agreeable about our annual Fall photo shoot, and I managed to get some decent pics of him.  I had been thinking about designing a layout about him to document the significant transformation he has undergone in the past year.
  
Gone is the selfish moody teenager.  His view of the world has dramatically changed, and he has embraced a new philosophy of peace and love, wanting to take action and make a difference somehow.

I am so excited about the possibilities ahead of him and finally feel confident that he is finding his way in this confusing world.

Here is the journaling spot...

These layered journaling spots on the two pages are actually speech bubbles in a package of die cuts, but I cut off those little pointy things to change the shapes.

I cut the title with a Sizzix Tim Holtz alphabet die from grey Bazzill card stock.  

The Itty Bitty alpha stickers are Pink Paislee. The twill measuring tape ribbon is Harmonie.

The Indigo Bleu tags come in a package of 6...and I used all of them for this sketch!

The little wood man is Studio Calico.

This quote by Jimi Hendrix is exactly how BG is thinking these days.

Sue Sykes surprised us with a 2-page sketch, and at first I was worried about the number of photos I needed, but now I do think this layout seems to capture a really happy time in the life of BoyGenius.

Click HERE to visit the Sketchy gallery at the Canadian Scrapbooker website and join in the challenge! 

Fun with Fancy Pants

Today I thought I'd share a couple of layouts I designed for the Fall issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine, using the playful collection from Fancy Pants called "Childish Things."

This collection comes with wonderful embellishments, which I used on my two layouts:  ribbon, rub-ons, stickers, alphabet, and glitter cut-outs.

"Wish Upon a Star"

  I thought these fun bright papers were perfect for some photos of Disneyland.  Here is BabyOfTheFamily in Toon Town, a trip we made a few years ago...when she was still interested in playing with fake TNT.

This flower "glitter cut" serves as my pinwheel centre.

Another glitter cut for my journaling spot

I outlined the title with a black marker so it would stand out more.  Isn't this "Glitter Girl" adorable?

The next layout is actually about one of my passions in life:  community service.  But the photo is not me! ha ha ha!  It's the teacher of the preschool on the first day of class.

"Amazing"

  Since we moved into our neighbourhood 12 years ago, I've been involved in our community league and a number of projects. Organizing a preschool for our neighbourhood is something that was near and dear to my heart.  I am passionate about Education!

Some close-ups...

Love this quote!  It's a rub-on.

A sticker layered on top of Sizzix Accordian Flowers (Tim Holtz collection)

 It's funny, but I haven't created with Fancy Pants papers in quite awhile...but I used to use them ALL the time.  

I think you can relate:  Too many papers....too little time!

I even felt a bit like a preschooler myself, working with this bright colour palette, cutting and pasting. Ahhhh....to be a child again! 

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!