Beautiful Day - The Paper Mixing Bowl March 2013 Recipe Challenge

Hello Scrappy Friends! I'm back with a new layout for The Paper Mixing Bowl Challenge Blog! This month's recipe celebrates St. Patrick's Day - and has some fun design elements inspired by all things Irish. Here is my layout, entitled "Beautiful Day" (after the U2 song) and the March 2013 Recipe Card that inspired the layout (note: wherever you see bold italics in this post indicates an element from the recipe). The three small photos were actually taken last St. Patrick's Day (March 17), which was a beautiful early Spring day - all the snow had melted and my son was able to play in the yard in his Spring coat and rubber boots!

I had an older Basic Grey (BG) collection - "Origins" - that had the perfect colours for this recipe. I've used lots of distressed layers and hand-cut out the large shaped page from one of the BG papers. I added in a square doily as a lace layer as well and a die-cut that I cut using my Silhouette. I also double-punched a border using a Martha Stewart deep edge punch. I added a kiss of colour to the layout by lighting spritzing around the edge of the layout with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Sweet Clover. Here is a close-up of all the layering.

I used some miscellaneous flowers from my stash (mostly leftovers from old kits or RAKs) as well as a green  feather pick from the dollar store to create the flower cluster. I also added a gold lace bow to the cluster to bring in another recipe element.

I hope you'll stop by and play along with the March Recipe Challenge at The Paper Mixing Bowl.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today!

Those Eyes - Details and Close-ups (ScrapThat! March Kit)

For my final layout with the ScrapThat! March Kit, I scrapped another of my son's "School Photos". He has the most beautiful, soulful blue eyes - which just melt my heart, so I've called the layout "Those Eyes".

I have to admit, this is my favourite layout that I created from this kit. I just love this photo and how the torn/punched layering turned out. I used two different Martha Stewart edge punches and alternated the punched layers with torn layers, also tearing the ends of the layered papers at the top and bottom.

The flower clusters are a combination of flowers/leaves from the main kit as well as from the February Kit Flower Add-on - I also added in a couple of corkscrew swirls created from the stems off the white roses. I just love the crinkle ribbon that was included in this kit - it creates such a pretty bow!

Another bow and some white roses to help frame the title of the layout.

I wanted to show you one more close-up of the photo. I got the digital files for my son's pictures and played with this photo in Photoshop to create a vintage black & white photo effect, but then re-revealed the eye colour. I'll be sharing a tutorial on how I did this later in the month!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate your visits and sweet comments so much!

Are You Ready? - Details and Close-ups (ScrapThat! March Kit)

Today, I'm sharing my second layout with the ScrapThat! March Kit. The photos are from my wedding day and are of me getting ready for my wedding, hence the title "Are You Ready?"

This is a very paper-heavy layout because I wanted to really feature how beautiful the Meg's Garden papers are. I tore two of the patterned papers to form the base for this layout - I wanted the scroll design on the papers to frame the layout - so used part of the green floral and part of the pink floral page to create this effect. I cut the striped paper using my Silhouette Cameo and then tore off the left edge of the die-cut and doubled up the fancy edge on the right side of the layout.

I used the white cardstock in the Kit to create a double-ended banner as a mat for the fussy-cut perfume label. I then used the leftover pink/green patterned paper (from creating the base page) to create the banner across the bottom of the layout.

I used the cream ribbon to create the ribbon swirls around the photos to help frame them and added a beaded flower from the Flower Add-on - I love how well this flower coordinated with the striped paper! The beautiful girl helping me get my necklace on in the photo is one of my very best friends - Amy!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate your visits and sweet comments so much!

Our Boy - Details and Close-ups (ScrapThat! March Kit)

It is time to share some of the details and close-ups of my ScrapThat! March Kit layouts! Over the next few days I'll share the details of each of the layouts I created with the March Kit "New Blooms". I was so excited to get this kit, which features gorgeous Meg's Garden papers. These papers are so beautiful and have wonderful details with so much fussy-cutting potential, as you'll see on this first layout I'm sharing, entitled "Our Boy". The photo is one of my son's first "School Pictures" (his daycare does pictures) - and I was so pleased with how the photos from One for the Wall photography turned out.

I started out by fussy cutting the pink floral page around the edges. I added in some doilies that I inked with green chalk ink around the edges and used the light green cardstock as the base page. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the green 'trellis' from one of the sheets of patterned paper and fussy cut the leaves from another sheet.

The title is a Chipboard phrase by Imaginarium Designs. It took me several mediums/techniques until I finally got a colour/effect I liked on it. When you're working with chipboard, don't get discouraged - just keep adding paint, ink, chalk, gesso until you get a result that you like! This piece started out with a coat of gesso, green and white pastels and then Distress Crackle Paint in Hard Rock Candy. I didn't like how it turned out, so I tried inking it with Distress Ink in Vintage Photo (to pick up the brown in the paper). That turned it into a muddy-green failure. So, I rescued it with another coat of gesso, which ended up looking great!

In this close-up you can see some of the fussy-cut leaves, as well as the natural skeleton leaves that came in the main kit. The green/white flowers are from the Flower Add-On and the large White flower is from the February ScrapThat! Flower Add-On.

Another close-up of the fussy-cut leaves and green/white flowers. You can also see two of the three Imaginarium Designs chipboard butterflies on this layout. I used gesso and three different colours of smooch to create the three different butterflies.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate your visits and sweet comments so much!

Inspirational Tags - Imaginarium Designs

This is my second project for Imaginarium Designs this month - a pair of "Inspirational" Tags - loosely based on Tim Holtz's January/February Tags from the 12 Tags of 2013.

I cut the tags from some 7 Dots Studio paper from the Domestic Goddess collection. I started out my using a Crafter's Workship template (Mini Antiquities) with Martha Stewart White Texture Paste. I used Imaginarium Designs Edward Relief Chipboard collection for these tags. To coordinate with the background paper, I first coated them with gesso and then used a blend of three colours of Gelatos - Guava, Bubble Gum and Butter Cream. This was my first time working with the Gelatos and I loved the creamy texture and easy blending! 

The sentiments were created with Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Stamps and some Memento Dye Ink in Rich Cocoa. I really wanted the sentiments to be prominent - so I stamped on some white paper (to match the stencilling) and mounted them on 3D Foam Adhesive. I created these tags as part of the 7 Dots Studio February challenge as a little gift to myself to display in my craft room - often need a little inspiration to get the crafty mojo going. Here are some close-ups of the tags!

I used three of the small Edward Relief and part of the Edward Relief Border chipboard on this tag. I added a Prima Wooden Clip, Making Memories leaves and some ribbon, lace and a rose from my stash (I misted it with Tattered Angels Glimmer mist a long time ago and can't remember what colour I used...)

For this tag, I added some May Arts Baker's Twine, a We R Memory Keepers Cameo and some ribbon from my stash.

Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Pieces Used:

Edward Relief Border (IDB0010)

Edward Relief (IDC0009)

Edward Relief Small (IDT0032)

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate your visits and sweet comments so much!

Other Materials Used:

Patterned Paper - 7 Dots Studio Domestic Goddess Collection - Raspberry Pudding; Martha Stewart White Texture Effect; Crafter's Workshop Template - Mini Antiquities; Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Stamps; We R Memory Keepers Cameo; Making Memories Leaves; May Arts Baker's Twine; Prima Wood Clip; Memento Dye Ink - Rich Cocoa; Gesso; Faber Castell Gelatos - Guava, Bubble Gum, Butter Cream; Flower, Lace and Ribbon from Stash; Aleene's Tacky Glue; 3D Foam Adhesive; Memory Tape Runner XL.

Adventure - Imaginarium Designs

Hi There! I'm so excited to share with you my first projects as part of the Imaginarium Designs 2013 Design Team! This month I've got a layout a pair of tags to share with you! This post features my layout and I'll have a subsequent post with details/close-ups of my tags!

This layout, entitled "Adventure" and based on the Prima BAP for February, features a sweet photo of my little guy making a dandelion wish! I've been learning to use different features in Photoshop lately and so I altered the colour saturation of this photo to get the muted, dreamy colour tone. I also sanded the edges of the photo to give it a more vintage/rustic look.

I used the Prima Craftsman Paper Collection for this layout - I sanded the edges of all the patterned papers and distressed them. I also did a little water distressing to get the rolled peek-a-boos at the top and bottom of the layout.

I wanted the chipboard pieces to look like rusted wrought iron - so I first embossed them with Distress Embossing powder in Black Soot; then I used a combination of Distress Crackle Paint in Aged Mahogany and  Antiqued Bronze and 'pounced' it on areas of the chipboard with a stencil brush to create the 'rust'.

I used the Steam Punk Clock and cut it in half to frame the photo matting. I LOVE this chipboard piece - it is so cool and I could totally see using it again a different way!

I used the 6x6 Honeycombe chipboard piece in two ways; first, the honeycombe around the outside of the layout and, second, I used a couple of the punched out hexagon pieces and scored them to make them look like screws.

I love how the cluster turned out in this corner of this layout! I used a Prima Craftsman Wood Clock and Wood Buttons and some older Prima Flowers (Artful Collage). I added some paper raffia to the wooden buttons (saved from some toy packaging). I also used a Prima Junkyard Findings Lightbulb as the title element for the layout. I fussy-cut a lightbulb from the Craftsman Engineer paper and coated it with six coats of UTEE to give it dimension and shine and to bring another lightbulb element to the layout.

Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Pieces Used:

Steam Punk Clock (IDS0030)

Honeycombe 6x6 (IDS0054)

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I appreciate your visits and sweet comments so much!

Other Materials Used: 

Patterned Paper - Prima Craftsman Collection - Engineer, Architect, Mechanic; Prima Craftsman Wood Buttons; Prima Craftsman Wood Embellishments - Clocks and Tickets; Prima Junkyard Findings Vintage Trinkets - Typo Bulbs 2; Prima Flowers - Artful Collage; Corrugated Cardboard; Paper Raffia; Metal Brad; Melt Art Clear UTEE; Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder - Black Soot; Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint - Aged Mahogany and Antiqued Bronze;  Aleene's Tacky Glue; Aleene's Jewel-It Glue; 3D Foam Adhesive; Glue Dots- Craft; Tim Holtz Sander.

ScrapThat! March Kit Reveal and Blog Hop

Welcome to the ScrapThat! 

March Kit Reveal and Blog Hop!! 

You should have come here from the

ScrapThat! Facebook Page

If not then head back to Scrap That! to start the hop!

We are so excited to show you this beautiful and fresh kit! Not only does it feature papers from Meg's Garden, but Meg's Garden is also joining us on our hop and offering this gorgeous Spring Paisley Card Makers RAK on their blog!

The individual papers are the same as the 12” in design but are reduced to 6” for use on cards, OTP, tags etc. Can also be used as part of a LO. The pack comes with mini pics approx 2” which are perfect for the front or inside of a card, tags, OTP, as well as scrapbooking."

We are so thrilled to welcome the fabulously talented artist

Limor Webber

as our March Guest Designer!

Limor is known for generously sharing her amazing mixed media techniques. Her YouTube Channel with all her fabulous videos can be found here, and her fabulous blog is here. She designs for a number of companies including FabScraps, I Am Roses, Lindy's Stamp Gang, and guest designs for Faber-Castell. She has made some glorious creations with our March kit and will have a tutorial for us all as well!

We are saying goodbye this month to one of our amazing
ScrapThat! designers, 

Sandi Smith.

Sandi, you have been an amazing inspiration in both your stunningly creative projects and your sweet spirit. We wish you everything wonderful and know that you will succeed with everything you do! We were blessed to have you!

Our farewell to Sandi brings the excitement of introducing our new ScrapThat! designer and

Social Media Coordinator, 

~ Laura Gilhuly ~

Here is a little about Laura:

I am Laura (often know as AngelBear). I live in a small town in south-western Ontario with my family. I love to ink, tear, layer and distress my projects! The dirtier the better. I like to blog too which you can find at http://angelbearscraps.blogspot.com/ and you can see some of my layouts at scrapbook.com. My family is the focus of my life, my inspiration, and my motivation to scrapbook. 

For the full bio on Laura see our March Sneak Peek post!

Welcome to the team, Laura!

Now, without further ado,

introducing our fabulous March Kit, 

"New Blooms"

Featuring the oh, so lovely, Meg's Garden Spring Paisley Collection and loaded with Prima goodies, this kit boasts the most beautiful shades of green and pink, just perfect to bring a little spring into our winter! There are also neutrals and some funky accents to allow for creations from shabby chic to masculine to mixed media. Take a look:

Main Kit

Embellishment Add-On

Flower Add-on

Paper Add-on

More details on this romantic Collection can be seen here: 

ScrapThat! Store

We are currently accepting new

Kit Club Members.

For more information,

complete the form on the link below:

New Subscriber

Look at the beautiful sketch Amarilys has created for March:

See details about the challenge here: Sketch Challenges

Be sure to also check out the details of our monthly DT challenge

hosted by Laura here: DT Challenge.

Everyone is welcome to participate, 

all entries for both challenges due by March 27.

Something new! All winners of our challenges, including Layout of the Week, will be eligible to receive 10% off any 2012 Kits-includes Add-ons!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the projects I created with the gorgeous ScrapThat! March Kit. I just loved everything about this kit and was SO excited to get to work with the stunning Meg's Garden papers! Be sure to check back throughout the month of March for details and close-ups of my layouts

Our Boy

Based on the March Sketch

Main Kit, FAO; plus Imaginarium Designs Chipboard

Those Eyes

Main Kit Only

Are You Ready?

Main Kit, FAO

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Blog Hop features 11 fantastic hop sites including our Design Team blogs. 

We have been scrapping away and are so excited to show you our creations!

Our SPECTACULAR March Blog Hop Prize

is a ScrapThat! July Main Kit,

"Summer in My Garden", featuring Fabscrap's Organic Collection:

To qualify for this month's FABULOUS Prize, 

you must complete the following:

* Visit each blog listed on the hop to see what each designer has created using this month's kit and sketch(comments are very much appreciated).

* Each designer's blog hop post will feature a word to make up a secret sentence, collect these words along the way.

* You must become a FOLLOWER of each blog along the way and LIKE us on our Facebook Page!

* Post the ScrapThat! Blinkie on your blog.

* For your last stop on our Blog Hop return to the ScrapThat! Chat Blog.

Leave a comment letting us know you have

completed the hop.

(Please do NOT include the secret sentence in your comments.)

*Email the secret sentence to Tracey Sabella:tracey@scrapthat.ca

The Blog Hop ends Sunday, February 24 at Midnight EST.

The prize MUST be claimed within 3 days of the forum announcement which will also be made on the ScrapThat! Blog.

~ If left unclaimed a NEW winner will be chosen ~

**Winner will pay actual shipping costs for sending the kit from Canada.**

Shipping costs will be invoiced via PayPal unless you are a kit member, then your prize will be shipped with your monthly kit.

Prizes won during the month will be mailed out the first week of the following month.

Due to Customs clearance, International mailings sometimes take 30-75 days to receive.

My secret word is: 

Everyday

Next hop over to :

Tracey Sabella

Should you lose your way, here is the Blog Hop order:

Scrap That!

Limor Webber

Meg's Garden

Sandi C.

Laura Gilhuly

Amarilys Doria

Tracey Gregory

ScrapThat! Facebook Page

Sarah Routledge

Tracey Sabella

Sandi Smith

Scrap That!!

For your final stop, return to the ScrapThat! Blog 

to let us know you have completed the hop.

Remember ~ only send the secret sentence to tracey@scrapthat.ca

Happy Hopping!