Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Men In Your Life January Blog Hop





It's 2024! I can't believe that January is more than half over already! We got our first snowfall of the winter Sunday and Monday, 3 inches of snow. We are expecting another inch of snow tomorrow. And it has been so COLD! I'm not a fan of winter, I get cold so easily. 

 Days like these have been perfect weather to scrapbook though!  Any excuse, right?

Tina Parsons picked out theme for this month, Men In Your Life. I've been needing to do these pages since 2019 so I appreciate the motivation.

I ordered this Trusty Toolbox DSP as a free Sale A Bration gift. It is perfect for my layout. I used a Very Vanilla 12x12 base and a little Lost Lagoon for the top of the page where I put my title and journaling. The ruler paper made a nice touch at the top and I cut some of the tools out and raised them on Stampin' Dimentionals to give them emphasis.

You really need a pack of this paper, don't you?


Now, go to the next blog in the hop, hopefully I can get the link right. For some reason I always have trouble with this. Julia Quinn from Queensland Australia

https://www.handmadebyjuliaquinn.com



Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Traditional Christmas Layout

 




I am participating in the December Scrapbooking Global Blog Hop!  Thanks for visiting my blog. The theme for this month is "Traditional Christmas. "


As you can tell, these pictures were taken a few years back. 1970 to be exact!  Good gravy, I can't believe they are over 50 years old!  I need to see about getting them restored some so they are more clear. 


Here is the layout before adding a 1/2" strip of DSP at the top and bottom. Doesn't it make a big difference in the appearance of the layout? Im glad I thought of doing that! 


I started with a Garden Green base and stamped it in Garden Green using stamps from the Timeless Arrangements set. The banner pieces are made with the Walk In The Forest DSP. I pulled the Old Olive color from the DSP to cut the accents around the pictures with the Christmas Classics Dies. I also used the dies for the wreath. With a combination of white bakers twine and silver trim I wrapped the bottom of each banner piece, as well as the journaling box. After assembling the page and adding lots of Real Red Faceted Gems and some In Color Dots I was feeling it needed something else. It was just too green! Nothing against green, it's my favorite color, but I decided a pop of red would brighten it up some. 

I cut just the berries with the Christmas Classics dies and added them here and there and matted the journal box in Real Red as well, just the touch it needed, along with the strips of DSP at the top and bottom.

I enjoyed remembering that Christmas from so long ago as I created this layout. Merry Christmas  everyone!

Next up is Sharon, she got creative with some fun techniques this month. 


https://studioshabazcreativeme68.blogspot.com


Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Sketch Challenge with Night Divine Bundle


Hi, welcome to my blog! The Scrapbooking Global blog hop for August is using a sketch that I really liked.  I also got my pre-order from the Sept-Dec Mini catalog and loved the Night Divine bundle items.  I had some pictures from a few Christmas' ago that needed to be scrapbooked so I decided to use the bundle even though it is only August.  The Design challenge was chosen by Sharni Haines. 


She picked this very cool sketch.


Sketches make designing a layout so much easier!  I rotated this layout and took a few liberties with it so I could make a double page layout with 5 photos. I like the sketch so much I think I will design another layout without rotating it and using different paper, stamps and embellishments.


Isn't the "O Holy Night" Designer Series Paper beautiful?  It made creating this layout so much easier.  It has 12 sheets of 12X12 paper, 2 designs on each sheet. It is gorgeous paper! I used Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Copper Clay and Pebbled Path cardstock for the animals and other page elements. 

I love the idea of stitching on a layout and I haven't done it in a few years so I got out my sewing machine and stitched away on the trim across the middle of the pages.  To add more texture I couldn't resist adding die cuts from the Share A Milkshake set.  I cut them from Crumb Cake so they wouldn't be too distracting but just add a bit more texture.  I also die cut extra animals from the Night Divine dies to embellish the page.  


The title was from the stamp set in the bundle.  It is all word stamps and they are beautifully designed.  I trimmed own the stable and just used the roof part over the stamped title that I cut out with the largest of the Scalloped Contours dies. 


 I also used the scalloped border die to stitch to the ribbon.  Don't you love both of the ribbons I used on the page?  They are from the Copper and Natural Ribbon Pack, another item in the new mini catalog.

The small journaling strips below the pictures are from the Labels Aglow dies.  I used a LOT of dies on this layout, didn't I?

Every year we have a Festival of the Nativity event at our church and the Night Divine bundle was perfect for the pictures I took.  I actually took lots more pictures so I need to get busy on more nativity layouts!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Click below to go to the next blog.  Because I'm not that good with technology you may have to click on this link to go to the next blog in the blog hop. Or copy and paste it into your browser . . .
https://www.sharnihaines.com/post/scrapbooking-global-blog-hop-august-2023-sketch 






Thursday, January 19, 2023

From A Card To A Layout Challenge


I took a challenge to find a card I like and use it as inspiration for a scrapbook page.  Here is the card that inspired my layout.  It's just the upper left corner that actually resembles the card somewhat but the card inspired me enough to get a 2-page layout done in no time at all!  


I used the super cute (dare I say adorable?) FREE Sale-A-Bration Adorable Owls stamp set and stamped 2 of each owl.  The Stampin' Blend alcohol markers are great for coloring in images like this.  I'm not the greatest at blending yet but I'm getting better the more I use them.  I love the even color they give and how completely they fill in the image.


After coloring and cutting out the owls I took 2 sheets of Basic White 12X12 cardstock and stamped the new Hand Drawn Dots stamp around the edges.  This is a great background stamp from the new Jan-April mini catalog.  I'm sure I will be using this stamp quite a bit!  Narrow 1/4" strips of one of the papers from the FREE Sale-A-Bration Dainty Flowers DSP package edged the top and left side of the left hand page and 2 strips bordered the right hand page of the layout. Another paper in this package has 2 wide borders of pretty and colorful spring flowers.  I cut one of these across the top to scallop over the flowers.  Then I sponged Mossy Meadow ink around the flower piece as well as around the outside of the entire 12X12 layout.


I cut lots of the viney die from the Delicate Edges Die set using Mellow Moss cardstock.  Placing them over the blue strips of DSP make trellis-like borders.  More Mellow Moss cards tock was used to cut the title and background half-circle.
The front part of the circle with the cool holes design was cut with the Labels Aglow die.

My grandson graduated from High School the spring of 2020, therefore, it wasn't much of a graduation and I wasn't able to go.  I have to get some of the pictures my daughter took developed so I can add them to the layout.  That was definitely an interesting and disappointing year to graduate. I might need a bigger journaling box!

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Snow Day Layout

 I like to try to make a scrapbook page from my Paper Pumpkin kits before I use them for the cards. This is from the November kit. I added Mint Macaron and Shaded Spruce cardstock and the Gnome DSP.  Die cuts are from the Share a Milkshake and the new Alphabet Al A Mode dies. I love this new alphabet!  I cut the letters from the leftover glimmer paper from the snowflakes and the area of the banners behind the circles.


I also stamped the background with a stamp from the Painted Poppies set. 

I haven't gotten my snow pictures from last week developed to put on the pages yet. I'll definitely be journaling about surviving that horribly cold week!

If you haven't subscribed to the Paper Pumpkin kits you should give them a try! LMK if you want me to help you set up an account. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Non Traditional Color Challenge



Our blog hop for December is a non traditional color challenge. We are to design a Christmas layout using the 2022-2024 In Colors'  Starry Sky, Tahitian Tide, Orchid Oasis, Sweet Sorbet & Parakeet Party.


This challenge was chosen by our Stampin Up Global Scraobook design team member, Sharon Dalten.  They are great colors so I knew it would be a fun challenge. I had a pack of the 6x6 glimmer paper in the In Colors so that added to the fun!  Look at these great colors!

There is a bright red (Sweet Sorbet) and green (Parakeet Party) in the 2022-24 InColor collection so it's already perfect for Christmas.  Adding in the blues makes it even better!  I had to use the Gnome Dies that coordinate with the Happiest Gnomes stamp set although I didn't use the stamp set for this page. I cut the gnome hats and feet from the glimmer paper,  It's hard to tell how much they sparkle in the pictures.  The title is cut with an old Sizzlet alphabet set.  The wavy strips of DSP are from the Dainty Flowers pack that will be in the Jan-April 2023 mini catalog.   


I used the Hand Drawn Dots stamp in the background though in 3 of the InColors.  Then I used the Blending Brushes to soften the edges of each strip of dots. I had to blend around the edges of the white cardstock of the layout too while I was at it.

  
I hope you enjoyed my layout of our 1990 Christmas pictures.  These kids are grown and in their 40's now!  Even some of my grandchildren are officially adults although they don't look like it.  I guess they never will to me!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy Courtenay Heuston's cute layout on her blog next.

https://bagsthatone.blogspot.com/2022/12/non-traditional-scrap-page-scrapbooking.html?m=1





Monday, September 12, 2022

Sketch Challenge

Welcome to the September Scrapbooking Global Blog Hop!  As we are getting a bit of a chill these fall nights in the northern hemisphere it's hard to imagine some of our blog hop members are entering spring!  


Our challenge is a sketch designed by our very talented Courtenay Heuston. 


I love working with sketches!  I seldom follow them exactly but like having a guide as I plan my layout and add my personal touches.  Usually the sketch is only for one page and I have to use my own brain for the second page. That can take hours so I was glad I found a sketch that would coordinate well in one of my Pinterest boards. What a time saver sketches are for me! I love Courtenay's sketch. There is something about circles in layouts that speaks to me!


Isn't it a great sketch!  Here is my take on it:


The DSP I chose to use for my layout is called Celebrate Everything. It is such a great paper pack that has 48 sheets of gorgeous paper! It is a hostess reward so you can get it for a great price!

The stamp set and dies are from the Perched in A Tree bundle. That tree trunk die looks so great on cards I knew it would be a great addition for a scrapbook page too.  I also used one of the leaf dies from the Forever Fern die set. 

I used a sponge to color the birds. And the Pumpkin Pie marker for their beaks and feet. 

I hope you enjoyed my layout. It was a fun one for me. Now you can click on the "NEXT" graphic to move on to the next blog and see what Autumn Wiste has created with the sketch.  I usually have trouble getting the link attached to the "next" button so if it doesn't take you to Autumn's blog, click on her name below. Thanks for stopping by!



http://www.stampingave.com




Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Tic Tac Toe

Welcome to The Scrapbooking Global Stampin' Up monthly blog hop.  

Our challenge for August was a tic tac toe challenge from design team member Sherry Roth..  

I chose to work from a sketch so the upper left corner was where I started on the tic tac toe board.  I decided to do the upper row so had tags and baker's twine in my mind as I worked on the sketch I chose.  

I always do double layouts but only got one side done. I've been watching my 6 year old granddaughter (who is doing virtual school) while her parents take her big brother to PA for college so that has taken a LOT of my time!

I used sketch #186 from Creative Scrappers.  As you can tell, I changed it up quite a bit but that is the purpose of sketches, to give you and idea that will work with the pictures you have but then you do what you need to make it your own.  

This fabulous paper is from the Sun Prints DSP pack, isn't it beautiful!  I used Sahara Sand, Night of Navy and Basic White cardstock to compliment the DSP. The stamp sets I used were In The Moment and Friends Are Like Seashells.  In the Moment is a beautiful set and I am getting a bit better at using the blends to color images but I still need a lot of practice!  I really love the Friends Are Like Seashells bundle.  It has a stamp set, die set and an embossing folder.  All used together like I did with the seashells on this page it gives a nice dimensional effect to the layout.  I also put Stampin' Dimensionals under most of the shells to add even more dimension.


 The Sahara Sand seaweed behind the girl are also from the diecuts.  If you look close you will see that I also added some of the Faux Sea Glass embellishments in the title.  The dies I used for the title are a mix of a retired Stampin Up set called Hand Lettered Prose and a non-Stampin' Up set called Mac N Cheese.  It's a really old set, I don't know how far back!

The dies I used for the tags at the top of the page are Trio Of Tags, another retired set.  I needed the tags to be fairly small and that set had one that seemed to be the perfect size. I layered 2 tags with 2 different images from the Friends Are Like Seashells stamp set on them and tied them together with a little piece of white baker's twine.  



I hope you can get a little inspiration from my page.  Enjoy the rest of the hop, Denise Cox from Canada is up next with more ideas!  If the "Next" button doesn't work please click on Denise's name in the list below to continue on in the blog hop.





Thursday, July 21, 2022

My Favorite Color???


My favorite color has always been green. Although I like the mint macaron I used on this page a lot it isn't my favorite shade of green.


I think maybe Soft Succulent or Evening Evergreen would be my favorite Stampin' Up color right now. I made my own dimensional DSP by die cutting a lot of the forever flourishing die cuts and gluing them on the background cardstock. Using the same color mint macaron on both the die cuts and the background is a very interesting technique.  I also used the gorgeous Splendid Day DSP from the new mini catalog.  The iridescent sheen is so beautiful on this paper, I'm sure the sheen won't show up on your computer.


I kind of feel like this layout isn't quite complete, what do you think? 

I cut the title with some very old sizzix dies that I've had a long time. I wish we had a good alphabet die cut in the new catalog.  No stamping on this layout but lots of journaling in my very sloppy hand writing. It seems to get worse every year! It was fun to look back to 1978 when my kids were so little and I only had 2 of them.


Friday, June 10, 2022

Uniquely Artistic stamp set


I only used one of the stamps in this stamp set for my card in a swap last month but it is a pretty versatile set. I used the masking technique for the green border as I added a strip of green ink with the blending brushes.  The flowers and label behind them are from the Pretty Pillowbox die set. I always enjoy participating in swaps, of course, the best part is seeing all the great cards I get from all the other swappers!