Things Are Always Better Than They Seem

I'm back with another layout - I really am trying to live up to (at least) one of my New Year's resolutions and take some more "me" time and get some more scrapbooking done! This week I've done a layout to play along with Case File #3 at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration and I've also used the January 15th sketch at Once Upon a Sketch. I'm also going to submit it for the Scrap it with a Song New Year's challenge! I love using challenges as a way to jump-start the creative process; when you have so little time to scrap - it is great to have a little outside inspiration!

The CSI Case File "evidence" I used for this layout includes: sheer ribbon, tags, a doily, and circular elements; for the "testimony", I used tags and repetition. The journalling prompt at OUAS was to focus on "Goodbye 2011" or "Hello 2012". Another resolution I made for this year was to try and focus more on the positive - 2011 was a year of ups and downs and it is far too easy to let the bad stuff keep you down. So, I need to remember that Things are always better than they seem -- and one look at my sweet little boy is a reminder that I can face anything in 2012! I journalled using lyrics from the song When I See you Smile by Bad English (wow - I'm dating myself) because they were so appropriate for this picture and this layout's message: "When I see you smile, I can face the world; You know I can do anything, when I see you smile."

I've used patterned papers by Webster's pages and Glitz Designs for this layout and edge-distessed and inked all the papers with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The base page is from Webster's Pages Nature's Storybook collection and it has been in my stash for quite a while. I layered strips of paper from Glitz Design's Beautiful Dreamer and Laced with Grace collections and added some lace trim to edges of the top strip. I then layered a circle of Glitz Designs (Beautiful Dreamer) paper with a Doily for the central circular element of the page. The three layers under the photo include a Glitz Designs paper layer, and patterned papers by Webster's Pages (Country Estate) and Glitz Designs (Laced with Grace). I also added a couple of embossed photo corners to the photo. To complete the layering, I used two floral pieces of Glitz Design's Whatnot from the Beautiful Dreamer collection and fussy-cut another floral element from the Webster's pages Country Estate paper.

I used a Melissa Frances Vintage Tag as the title element for my layout. I didn't like the embellishments that were on it - so I removed them and added some eyelets (circular) from my stash and criss-cross threaded some sheer ribbon through them. There was a picture of a creepy little girl on the tag - so I took the frame off the tag and cut a piece of the Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer - Floral paper to fit in the frame on the tag (flowers = not creepy). I added clusters of flowers around the tag and at the edge of the picture and finished off the embellishing with a Dusty Attic Leafy Stem chipboard piece.

I did a really simple treatment on the Dusty Attic chipboard piece - I inked the entire piece with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and then coated it with a fairly generous coat of Ranger Crackle Accents. 

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. I love your visits and truly appreciate your comments!

Materials Used:
Patterned Papers - Webster's Pages: Country Estate - Breezeway, Nature's Storybook - Violette Wings; Glitz Designs: Beautiful Dreamer - Whatnot, Houndstooth, and Floral; Laced with Grace - Paper Layers, Stripe; We R Memory Keepers Paper Doily; Melissa Frances Vintage Tag; Martha Stewart Embossed Photo Corners; Dusty Attic Leafy Stem #3 (Small); Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Ranger Crackle Accents; Prima Mini Roses; Recollections Boutique Fleurs - Lace Borders and Mulberry Paper Flowers; Offray Ribbon; Tags and Eyelets from Stash; Memory Taper Runner XL; Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam; Glue Dots (Craft and Mini).

12/22/2011 -- William v. Santa Claus

There is a new challenge site called "CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration" that has wonderful, creative and fun challenges. I've decided to play along with Case File No. 1 at CSI and came up with this layout based on the case file requirements. I also used the Stuck?! Sketches January 1st sketch as the inspiration for this layout.



CSI: Case File No. 1



Stuck?! Sketch - January 1, 2012

I was inspired by the format of the CSI challenges and created a "Case File" of my own for this layout. My son was not too happy when we put him on Santa's lap this year - so I've called this layout 12/22/2012 - William v. Santa Claus.

I've used all the colours (or as close as I could get from my stash) from the CSI Case File. All the papers are by Bo Bunny and are from the Noel and Welcome Home collections. The base page has some blue-ish-grey writing to bring in that tone and then I layered the red and green pages. I used a manilla folder as the yellow tone and handwrote my title on the file tab.  I added a cardstock cut-out by K&Co. under the file tab because the sentiment was so appropriate -- this was my son's second Christmas and it truly was a December to Remember.

I have used distressing and a bow as my "evidence" elements. I distressed all the paper and embellishments (no inking though - I was SO tempted but thought it would make the layout too dark).

For my journalling, I have used a tag and a numbered list for the "testimony" elements. I had a little fun with this tag - and used some quotes from The Family Guy and the movie Elf as inspiration for some of my list items. I cut the tag on my Silhouette and printed it on my printer using a font called Grinched. I added some twine, which I wrapped around all the layering elements and tied the tag with a simple bow. I also tucked in a couple of cardstock cut-outs by K&Co. with the tag.

That's all for today. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Materials Used:
Patterned Papers: Bo Bunny - Noel Collection: Joy, Traditions, Noel; Welcome Home Collection - Key; Manilla Envelope; K and Company - Yuletide Collection - Cardstock Elements; Hungarian Hemp Twine; Memory Marker (Black); Memory Tape Runner XL; Glue Dots - Craft.

Wonder & Promise - Updated

Well, this is my first layout of the New Year! It is a fairly simple layout - but I love the colour combination of blue and gold and the pops of white. I'm playing along with a few different challenges with this one -- I used the January 1st sketch at Once Upon a Sketch as the inspiration for the layout and the Glitz Design January 2012 Blog Challenge photo for colour inspiration. I'm also playing along with the Bird is the Word challenge for the word "Wonder". Phew...this layout is very "challenging"!

There is a lot of white space on the layout sketch so I wanted to use something a striking background page - I love this paper from the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found Two collection. It coordinates so beautifully with the blue patterned papers are from Glitz Design's Vintage Blue collection, which I used for the photo mat, envelope and punched horizontal paper strip.

*Update: I really wasn't in love the layout the way it originally turned out - so I trimmed the glittery background page and edge punched it with the same punch I had used on the horizontal paper strip. I then added Glitz Designs Vintage Blue Motif paper as the base page. I am much happier with the layout now - and apparently have "shown my crazy" (as my sister would say) to all my blog visitors.

I matted the photo as a "stamp" by trimming the Vintage Blue Stripe paper and white cardstock with the We R Memory Keepers Magnetic Twist Trimmer "stamp" blade. I inked the edges of the blue papers with gold-toned liquid chalk (which does not photograph well). I added a die-cut post mark to the photo itself. The lettering, which doesn't show up wonderfully in the photo, says "1 yr". 

I cut the library-card envelope from the Vintage Blue Stripe paper and lined the inside with Vintage Blue Rose paper. The horizontal strip of punched paper is also Vintage Blue Rose. The journalling challenge at OUAS was to journal about your feelings this time of year (i.e. New Year) - the ticket in the envelope has a short note from me to my son; it states:

Dearest William, I can't believe how much you have grown and changed in the past year. You amaze me daily - you're learning so many new things so quickly. I look at you and my heart is filled with love - and with the Wonder and Promise that you bring to my life. Love, Mommy (January 2012)

I cut the envelope, journalling ticket, title letters and all the snowflakes on this layout using my Silhouette.

The large snowflake has a bottom layer of dark blue cardstock (which coordinates with the title lettering) and a top layer of white cardstock. To get the glittery "snow" effect, I painted the snowflakes with mod podge and then sprinkled them with Twinklets Diamond Dust.

That's all for today! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Materials Used:
Patterened Paper: My Mind's Eye - Lost and Found Two Collection - Sunshine "Two of Us" Lovely Paper; Glitz Design - Vintage Blue Collection - Vintage Blue Stripe, Vintage Blue Motif and Vintage Blue Rose; Bazzill Basics Cardstock in White and Dark Blue; Twinklets Diamond Dust; Martha Stewart Edge Punch and Liquid Chalk in Gold; Mod Podge (Matte); Aleene's Tacky Glue; Memory Tape Runner XL; Xyron Sticker Maker; Silhouette Die Cut Machine; We R Memory Keepers Magnetic Twist Trimmer.

Top Five Projects of 2011

Happy New Year!

Well, it was a busy year for me in 2011. I didn't get nearly as much crafting done as I would have liked - but I guess that's what happens when you have a new little one! One of my resolutions this year is to take a little more time for myself and get some more scrapping and crafty projects done! I have thousands of photos (literally) to go through and so many ideas for layouts and projects! And I love challenge blogs so I'm hoping to play along with some of my favourites a lot more often.

But before we get to posts of new projects for 2012, I thought I would do a quick recap of my Top Five Projects of 2011.

1. Time in a Bottle
I think this is my favourite layout of all time (no pun intended) - mostly because I have an emotional response every time I look at it. . . it reminds me to treasure the little moments with my son. . . he is growing up so fast.

2. Advent Calendar with Reversible Boxes
I am so happy with how this calendar turned out - and my son just loved having the little treats from it every day in December. It is going to be so much fun to get this out every year and have our Christmas countdown!

3. Altered Witch's Hat
I fell in love with Graphic 45's Wizard of Oz Collection as soon as I saw it. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with it, but when I saw a plain, kraft, papier mache Witch's Hat -- I knew I had found the perfect project to use the Oz papers. I LOVE this hat!

4. First Visit with Santa Claus
I just adore this picture of my son with Santa Claus - he looks so tiny on Santa's lap! This was my first published layout - and I think it was my handmade "distressed poinsettias" that got me the spot in Canadian Scrapbooker magazine. I was so thrilled to be published!

5. His eyes - how they twinkled; His dimples how merry!
It was so hard to pick my final favourite but I finally settled on another Christmas layout (other contenders for the 5th spot were my layouts entitled Hope, One Kiss or Baby Boy). The reason I picked this layout is that I think this is the cutest baby picture I have ever seen (how lucky for me it's my son). I also really love how all the layering and distressing on this layout turned out.

That's all for today! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Advent Calendar with Reversible Boxes

I just love the Kaisercraft Advent Calendar and had been dying to make for my son for Christmas this year. I finally got it done on December 2! Only a day late...I'll guess have to eat the first two candies.... :)  I made the boxes for the calendar reversible, so after you finish each day you can turn the box around. I'm so happy with how this turned out. I hope it is something my son will treasure for years to come.

I assembled the calendar (my dremel tool was super handy to sand off all the extra tabs) and painted it with a basecoat of Adirondack Espresso acrylic paint. I then added a couple of coats of DecoArt Spun Gold acrylic paint - it wasn't quite the tone I wanted, so to get the "old gold" look I was going for, I treated the entire surface of the calendar with Distress Ink in Vintage Photo. I used the same paint treatment for the calendar numbers.

I used two Graphic 45 paper collections, Christmas Past and Christmas Emporium for all the paper on the calendar and just love these collections and they go so perfectly together! I wrapped each box with paper and added a ribbon "pull tab" at the bottom on the reverse side of the boxes.  I then covered the bottom of each box with coordinating paper. I inked all the edges of the boxes with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I cut the "stamps" and small images from the G45 papers and distressed/inked the edges before adhering them to the boxes. I also added some Recollections Dimensional Stickers and K & Company Adhesive Chipboard and Stickers to several of the boxes.

I cut the central image from the G45 Christmas Emporium paper. I added the cream/gold cording around the edge of the image to give it a more finished look. I wanted to add something "extra" to the centre of the calendar, but I didn't want to obscure the image on the paper -- so I added a few simple handmade gift-boxes to the corners. I created the "boxes" by cutting and gluing pieces of cardboard together. I then wrapped the boxes with some of the G45 papers and inked all the edges. I added some ribbon to finish off the mini-gifts.

Thanks for visiting my blog - I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Only twenty-two days until Christmas!

~Sarah

Materials Used:
Advent Calendar by Kaisercraft; Patterned Paper by Graphic 45: Christmas Past (Victorian Greetings, The Night Before Christmas, Glad Tidings, Christmas Past Frames, Holiday Spirit, The Holly & the Ivy, and Letters to Santa) and Christmas Emporium (Christmas Emporium, Believe! and Special Delivery); Adirondack Acrylic Paint in Espresso; DecoArt Acrylic Paint in Spun Gold; Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo; Recollections Signature Dimensional Stickers; K & Company Yuletide Adhesive Chipboard and Snow Globe Stickers; Celebrate it Holiday Ribbon and Cord; Craftsmart Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks; Memory Tape Runner XL, Xyron Sticker Maker and Glue Dots.

I'm Published!

Check out my "First Visit with Santa Claus" layout on page 29 of the Winter 2011 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker!

Here is a scan of my layout in the magazine.

You can see the original blog post and close-ups of the layout at: http://sarahs-scrapbook.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-layout-first-visit-with-santa-claus.html
TFL,

Sarah

Nevermore - Halloween Wreath

Just a quick post tonight of a wreath I threw together today. I got the idea from someone at work to use some inexpensive feather boas to create a very cool wreath -- in deference to the raven and feathers, I'm calling it a "Nevermore" wreath.

This was a really inexpensive project. I used a grapevine wreath from Michael's and wrapped it with four feather boas that I got at the dollar store. I then added a dollar store raven. Some hot glue and floral wire and I was done! The whole project cost less than $15 - and it looks fabulous on my front door!

TFL!
~Sarah

Halloween Advent Pumpkin!

So, my new online addiction is Pinterest (check out my Pins) and while I was browsing I saw the coolest Chalkboard Pumpkin. I just LOVE Halloween (second only to Christmas in my books) - so I used this as inspiration  for my very own Halloween Advent Pumpkin.

This was a pretty easy project. I started out with a black acrylic pumpkin that I painted with spray chalkboard paint. I added some glitter to the pumpkin stem and some decorations from Michael's and the dollar store. The metallic-green skulls were originally bone & black - so I painted them with acrylic paint. The letters are Chipboard Letters by K&Company. Here are a few close-ups!

That's all for today!

TFL,

Sarah

Materials Used:

Celebrate It Products: Black Acrylic Pumpkin, Glitter Pumpkin Picks (Black & Orange), Glitter Raven, Glitter Skeleton; Krylon Spray Chalkboard Paint; Martha Stewart Sparkles in Onyx; K&Company Chipboard Letters; Dollar Store Plastic Chain, Plastic Skulls and Chalk; Folk Art Metallic Peridot Acrylic Paint; Adtech Mini Glue Gun and Hot Glue Sticks; Aleene's Tacky Glue Fast Dry Glue Pen.

Feature on Graphic 45 Community Site!

Just a quick post today! My Altered Witch's Hat (below) was featured on the Graphic 45 Community Site!  I adore everything G45 - so this is a big thrill for me!

Have a great day! And thanks for visiting my blog!

~Sarah

Altered Witch's Hat - Graphic 45 "The Magic of Oz"

Ahhh...Poor neglected blog. It has been such a busy summer and I hadn't been feeling the crafty-mojo for a while - until I got the new Graphic 45 "The Magic of Oz" paper collection. I LOVE it! When I saw a paper mache witch's hat at Michael's I had to have it to use with the G45 papers; so here is a first for my blog - an altered art project! I am SO happy with how this turned out - for my first foray into altered art I think it is pretty amazing. I've got lots of photos and close-ups of this one for you!

I started out with a plain brown paper mache Witch's Hat. I painted the entire surface of the hat with Pure Black acrylic Paint. I then covered the peak of the hat with the reverse side of the Goblin Gazette paper - I love the black paper with "Oz" all over it as the background for this project. I wanted this project to show the duality of Oz (i.e. Good vs. Evil) so I created a "Wicked" Side and a "No Place Like Home" side. I also wanted to be sure to include images of all the major players in the Oz story. The series of photos below shows the entire circumference of the hat so you can see how the sections flow into each other.

I love how the floral embellishment for this hat turned out. I used a combination of satin flowers, feathers and floral swirls to create the embellishment - which I attached to the brim of the hat with hot glue. Below are a few alternate views and a close-up of the floral embellishment.

TFL,
Sarah

Materials Used:

Celebrate It Paper Mache Witch's Hat; Folk Art Artist's Pigment in Pure Black; Patterned Paper from the Graphic 45 "The Magic of Oz" Collection including: Emerald City, Journey to Oz, There's No Place Like Home; Wicked!; Poppy Fields, and Goblin Gazette; Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Black Soot and Vintage Photo; Ranger Stickles in Ruby Slippers and Patina; Studio 18 Rhinestones; Finishing Accents Rhinestones; Celebrate It Halloween Floral (Roses and Black Sparkle Swirls); Ashland Feather Picks (1 Purple, 1 Green); Mod Podge (Gloss); Glue Dots minis; Hot Glue Gun

His eyes - how they twinkled; His dimples how merry!

I decided to play along with the July 15 Challenge at Once Upon a Sketch and created this layout using a photo I took of my little guy in December of last year. I absolutely adore this photo - so much so that I used it for our 2010 Christmas cards!I used the Graphic 45 Christmas Past papers for the layout. There aren't a lot of techniques in this layout - just lots of edge distressing, inking and layering. I added some creases to the background paper and inked them to add some extra dimension in the "white space".

I fussy cut the black and cream strips of paper and the rose squares from one sheet of the G45 paper and used several tags in my layering. I used adhesive foam to add dimension to the layers and make the pictures really "pop" on the layout.

The journalling challenge at OUAS was to use a quote - and how appropriate is this quote from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas? I love that the quote suits the Christmas theme of the layout and, at the same time, is so descriptive of the photo too!

TFL!

Sarah

Materials Used:

Patterned Paper - Graphic 45 Christmas Past Collection - We Wish you a Merry Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy, Holiday Spirit, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Glad Tidings, Tags; Recollections Cream Cardstock; Glam Art Rhinestone Swirls; Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo; Keepsake Memories Foam Adhesive Squares; Memory Tape Runner XL.

Hope

In June, my dear Mother-in-Law passed away unexpectedly and my husband's family gave me her memory book to scan and preserve the photos for the family. On the cover of her album was the most beautiful photo of her that was taken when she was quite young (c. 1959). I've entitled this layout Hope - because I think that's what it portrays - the innocence and hope of a young girl who is dreaming of what her life may bring. I've included a verse from a poem by Emily Dickinson as a tribute to my Mother-in-Law's indomitable spirit; while she didn't have the easiest life, she never stopped searching for her happiness and never lost hope that she'd find it. The poem reads:

"Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul. 

And sings the tune -- without the words,

And never stops at all."

I knew when I saw this photo that I wanted to use Glitz Design's Laced with Grace papers as they complement the tones in the photo so beautifully. The base sheet was originally plain orange; I've embossed it using a background stamp and gold embossing powder. I then distressed and inked the edges of the base page with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The floral sheet was trimmed with wavy scissors and then water-distressed (also with Vintage Photo ink). I made sure to add some larger tears to the page so the embossing on the base page could peak through. The photo was matted on brown textured cardstock that I punched with a Fiskar's edge punch. I layered the matted photo on top of some distressed Glitz Design Plaid paper - I used both sides of the paper - the dark orange and the plaid.

The floral cluster is a combination of Prima, Recollections and A Bride's Wish paper flowers. The dark, mossy-green flowers were originally white, so I misted them with Smooch Spritz in Mossy Mist to complement the green tones in the paper.  The Dusty Attic flourish that I tucked into the distressed peek-a-boo was inked with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink and then embossed with the same stamped image as the base page (the image isn't really defined on the chipboard though) and then inked the flourish with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I also added some glossy accents to the flourish to make it stand out.

 I cut the title on my Silhouette and embossed it with gold embossing powder to match the embossing on the base page. I added a Maya Road kraft envelope, which I also stamped/embossed in gold using the background stamp.  I then inked the edges of the envelope with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The close-up also provides a good image of the embossing on the base page under the peek-a-boo. I printed the poem verse on kraft cardstock and then crumpled the paper slightly and distressed and inked the edges.

TFL,
Sarah

Challenges:
Get your Glitz On Challenge #4

Bird is the Word "Hope" Challenge

Materials Used: Patterned Paper: Glitz Design Laced with Grace Collection - Floral, Rose and Plaid; Bazzill Basics textured cardstock (Chocolate Brown); Recollections Kraft Cardtock;  VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad; Prima Clear Stamps; Stampendous Embossing Powder in  Detail Gold; Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo; A Bride's Wish Wild Open Rose; Recollections Mulberry Paper Mini Roses; Prima paper roses (from ScrapThat Kits); Maya Road Kraft Envelope; Dusty Attic Flourish #7; Ranger Glossy Accents; Memory Tape Runner XL; Glue Dots - Mini and Memory Book.

Guest Designer at Two Scrapbook Friends

Head on over to the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog for my Guest Designer write-up!
TFL~
Sarah

Anticipation - Stuck?! Sketches

This is a layout I've had planned for a while - it is meant to be a companion piece to my "Adoration" layout. I decided to use the Creative Team Call Sketch from Stuck Sketches as the inspiration for my layout. I'm not sure if my layouts are quite up to Creative Team standards - but I really liked the sketch and it can't hurt to try!

As you can see, I rotated the sketch 90 degrees to the right and shifted the title position and added a couple of extra layers. I used the Bo Bunny Timepiece collection papers (and some Back to Basics Double Dot paper) for the layout. Lots of distressing and inking on all the papers for this layout - I used Walnut Stain ink on everything. In the top left corner of the background page, you can see a bit of fussy cutting in the large flower with some brown paper set in behind it - I also added a Prima Say it in Pearls flower centre to this flower to accent it.

The title is a chipboard piece by Maya road; I painted it with Antique White acrylic paint and then misted it with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist in Latte - I then wiped the mist off as I just wanted a hint of the colour on the title. To finish off the title, I lightly spread some Liquid Pearls in Gold Pearl over it. I cut the larger flower beside the title out of the Timepiece Stripe paper and then added a handmade lace ruffle flower and a Prima flower centre.  On the right side of this photo, you can see some accent stitching, as well as a distressed peek-a-boo with the striped paper in the background and a mini-rose accent.

The large flower to the left of the title was made using a Cosmo Cricket Gluber. I cut 2.5 inch brown ribbon into strips and frayed the edges and then finger pleated it to form the first layer of the flower; I then added a handmade lace ruffle flower, another layer of the frayed ribbon and a Prima flower centre to complete the flower. The smaller paper flowers are by Prima.

The chipboard key is a Bazzill Chip. I misted it with Maya Mist in Metallic Silver and then added Distress Stickles in Walnut Stain - I was aiming for a rusted key look and I like how this turned out. I added the mini rose to the key to dress it up a bit more. You can also see more of the accent stitching to the left of the key.

TFL!

Sarah

Materials Used: Patterned Paper - Bo Bunny Timpiece Collection Stripe, Home and Moments; Bo Bunny Back to Basics Double Dot paper in Coffee Dot; Maya Road Chipboard Title, Bazzill Chips Chipboard Key; Cosmo Cricket Gluber; Offray Ribbon in Dark Brown; Hero Arts Hero Hues Woven Lace Ribbon; Prima Say it in Pearls Flower Centres; Recollections Mini Roses (cream); Prima Paper Flowers (Cream/Brown); Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Latte; Maya Mist in Metallic Silver; Tim Holtz Distress Ink and Distress Stickles in Walnut Stain; Liquid Pearls in Gold Pearl; DecoArt Acrylic Paint in Light Antique White; Sew Easy Blanket Stitch Piercer; Dark Brown Embroidery Floss.