December 2011 Scrapbook Kit Week 4 Challenge

This is my last week for guest of the month at Scrap~tures. For my final challenge I designed another sketch to use. Please don't laugh at my sketch as I am still very new at this whole designing thing....so here goes

Here is the sketch

And my layout done using the Bo Bunny Blitzen line that is in the December 2011 scrapbook kit from Scrap~tures. ***I haven't added a title yet as I don't know what picture I am going to use

Thanks for looking

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish all my friends and followers a "Vary" Merry Christmas. Hope you all have a wonderful day with your families.

Our Tree

Just thought I'd share some photos of our tree.

I took some bokeh pictures of my tree. Don't know what bokeh is? In photography, bokeh is the blur or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of the photo (or the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light). Still don't understand? Here, have a look...

You can even place an object (or person) in front and achieve this...here is one with my Christmas 2010 Royal Doulton

Want to know how to achieve this effect (great for Christmas lights), try this tute on Photobucket (this is an easy one that explains it for both DSLR cameras and point and shoot cameras) or here (a video that explains it). Give it a try....it is not hard at all. I even want to make shapes for my lens and try it...like here or here.

Let me know if you give this a try!

Thanks for looking!

Scrap~tures December 2011 Scrapbook Kit Week 3 Challenge

Here's a card that I did using the December Scrapbook kit from Scrap~tures

Here is how I did it;

• I just cut four 1 inch wide strips of paper and punched four 1 inch circles out of the same paper.
• I then cut a scrap piece of paper smaller than the combined width of my strips and a little shorter than the strips and adhered the strips to that
• Then clued the circles to the strip.
• Punched a border with a scrap of red cardstock
• Adhered it on top to hide where the circles meet the strips
• Wrapped my ribbon around the cardstock then glued that whole piece to the front of my card
• Stamped my quote and glued it so that it was under the flower....and viola you have a card! 

Go ahead, give it a try!

Thanks for looking!

Scrap~tures December 2011 Scrapbook Kit

I am the designer this month for the December scrapbook kit over at Scrap~tures and I wanted to share with you 2 challenges that I have done this month with the December SB kit featuring the Bo Bunny Blitzen line.

This is the sketch (that I designed) and layout that I did for week 1. Everything but the Stickles, Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Cricut cartridge is from the kit.

Supplies used: Pattern Paper~Bo-Bunny Blitzen (Blitzen Stockings; Blitzen Stripe; Blitzen; Blitzen Gifts; Blitzen Sentiments); Cardstock~Bazzill Cardstock (Pomegranate Splash; Crush); Brads~ Blitzen Brads (glitter red; glitter green); Stickles~Golden Rod; Xmas Red; Green; Ink~Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Festive Berries); Cricut Cartridge~Plantin SchoolBook

And here is the tissue box cover that I made from a Splitcoast Stampers tutorial. I love it and may have to adapt it to fit a standard tissue box. Everything on it (aside from the cream coloured cardstock) is from the kit

Supplies Used: Cardstock~Bazzill Cardstock (Pomegranate Splash; Crush) and Recollections (Cream); Pattern Paper~BoBunny Blitzen (Blitzen Gifts; Blitzen; Blitzen Sentiment; Blitzen Stripe); Flowers~Girls Paperie (Tinsel and Twig Poinsettias); Rub-Ons~BoBunny Blitzen

Thanks for looking!

I can sew....kind of!

Ok...this post is not so scrapbook related but is about some of my scrapbook tools!

My Mom was here last weekend. It is kind of our tradition to have her come here and we go Christmas shopping together. When she asked what she could bring, I answered "your sewing machine". See, I bought some beautiful fabric at Wal-mart (of all places) back last year with the intent of making a dust cover for my Cricut Expression. Well after I moved some of my scrapping stuff around last winter I realized that I needed covers from my Xyron 510 and now for my brand new Big Shot (that was an early Christmas present from my loving husband! MWAH!). Thankfully, there was enough fabric in the bundle to make covers for all 3!

So on Saturday Mom and I got down to work. I cut and pinned the fabric for the Cricut cover, while she sewed it for me (I was too chicken to use her beautiful, brand new Janome sewing machine). I used a PDF pattern from Custom Crops, found here but tweaked it a little from my tastes.

On Sunday, we were going to do the other 2, but Mom said that she trusted me to use her machine, so I did both the Big Shot (that one was tough sewing the sides) and the Xyron on my own. I basically just lid both on their sides and traced the outline on to paper, then added a 1/4 inch seam allowance...and viola, you have dust covers!

I am so happy with the final result. I even have some scraps left over that I am thinking of using to make a strap cover for my DSLR. Who knows....I may have found a new hobby (sorry Honey )

Thanks for looking!

Some Recent Cards

Here are some cards that I have done lately.

Scrap~tures November 2011 Scrapbook Kit

Can I be honest? When I received my November Kit from Scrap~tures, I wasn't all that thrilled with it as I am not a big fan of Halloween paper. Never really have done many Halloween Layouts. Well was I wrong. I managed to create 6....yes 6 layouts with this kit.

Here is a listing of what is included with this kit

• 1 Sheet of each Echo Park Apothecary Levitation/Zodiac, Under Your Spell, Hypnotic Stripes, -Full Moon, Skull & Bones & Labels 
• 2 12 x 12 sheets each of Bazzill Card Stock Blackberry Swirl, Kraft & Festive 
• 1-12 x 12 sheet of Apothecary Element Stickers 
• 1-12 x 12 sheet of Apothecary alpha Stickers 
• 3 pieces Bingo Board/Calling Card 
• 3 Strips Recollections Halloween Paper Border 
• 1/2 package Boo Crew Buttons 
• 1/2 package of Splendor Fall Mix Leaves 
• 1 piece Black and orange Gros Grain Ribbon 
• 1 Yard of Creative Impressions Trick or Treat Ribbon 
• 1Fancy Pants Artist Edition Metal Frame 
• 1 12 x 12 sheet of Technique Tuesday Tiles

All I have left of the kit is scraps!!!! I have never gone through a kit so fast...but I'm happy I did.

Thanks for looking!

3 Scrappy Friends at Made By Hand Show

Yesterday, 3 Scrappy Friends were in Mississauga at the International Centre for the Made By Hand Show. Thought I would share some pictures (That I pinched from Chelle :P since I forgot my camera...imagine that...a scrapbooker forgetting her camera. Bad scrapbooker, Bad!) of our day

Here is the display table with our altered journals, altered clipboards, altered paint cans, mini journals, purse calendars, holiday organizers and more!

Here is our display of Christmas card packs, giant clothes pegs, gift card holds and more!

This is myself with Chelle, and Christa posing with our new shirts and banner!

Here we are with Jackie Ludlage, Co-Founder and Editor of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!!!! (in my best Mike Myers)! That was the highlight of my day. I only wish that I had my tool tote for Jackie to sign. Oh well, maybe at ScrapFest in April.

Our next show is at Maywood Public School in St Catharines. If you are in the area that day, please consider coming out to support a great little school!

Recent Layouts

Here are some recent layouts that I have done.

This layout is of my son playing with his band at a local bar. It was mad using Die Cuts With a View Rockstar stack and chipboard embellishments.

This layout was done for a challenge at WeScrap. I used Scrap~tures October Scrapbook Kit (Bo Bunny Forever Fall pattern paper and embellishments)

This layout is for T's October Impromptu Challenge over at Scrap~tures. It was a challenge to do a layout entirely pink.

This was a Finally Friday Challenge at Scrap~tures using the October SB kit as well

This was also a Finally Friday layout for October 14. It was done using the August Scrap~tures kit (American Crafts Margarita pattern paper and Bazzill Basics Limerick cardstock) 

And lastly...another Finally Friday (October 21st) layout from Scrap~tures done using the July kit (Echo Park)

Thanks for looking!

A Birthday Card

Today is my bestie, Christa's birthday. She hit the big 40!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!

Here is the card that I made for her today

Happy Birthday Christa!!!!!

World Card Making Day

Well, World Card Making Day (hereafter know as WCMD) was this past Saturday and I was able to spend the better part of the day creating cards (aside from a trip to the arena, getting dinner and taking my son to his band practice and picking him up!).

All the cards that I did were done for challenges over at Scrap~tures 

This first card set was a monochromatic challenge. Loved doing it!

 This card was a number challenge ~ using a number on the front of the card. I did this one for my nephew's up coming birthday.

 This challenge was to use non-traditional colours on a Christmas card. I made a set of 4 of this card. I love it so much i may just have to make more!

 This last challenge that I did on Saturday was to create a simple, elegant card. I made 4 of these as well.

Hope some of you were also able to make some cards on WCMD!

Thanks for looking!

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

Well scrapbook friends, it's that time of year again. What time is that you say??? Well...it's time for Vicki Boutin's garage sale tomorrow morning. WOO HOO!!!!!!!! Go check out Vicki B's blog for the details.

Trust me when I say it's like Christmas morning for scrapbookers.

Also, here is a challenge that I did for Scraptures as I am the scrapbook kit guest of the month. Here is a link to the challenge

Ciao for now my friends!

Maybe we'll see you at Vicki B's tomorrow!

Cards

Here are some cards that I worked on yesterday.

This one is for a shower for my cousin.

Today is our wedding anniversary and I made this card for my hubby!

My Mom needed a card for her friend's birthday so I did this one

Then I thought I would try out my new stamp set from Stampin' up! with my Copic markers. Still not very good at the Copics. I need more practice.