The Scrapbookers Blog Tour

The Scrapbooking Blog Tour is a little different than a Blog Hop, which usually connects all at the same time and runs for a limited time. This Blog Tour has postings weekly and connects blog sites to inspire and share our hobby. Hopefully, your list of blogs used for scrapping inspiration will be longer after touring! I was honored to be asked to join by Steffanie, so be sure to visit her blog!


1. What am I working on right now?

I am starting a mini album for a new relationship--my boyfriend Jeff and I. It's a 6x8 burlap album with a red chevron pattern by Simple Stories. He's official now that I'm scrapping him! LOL

 2. How long does it take me to create a project?

 

I can usually complete a 12x12 page in just over an hour. Picking out my pictures and paper takes the most time, but once I've decided, I use the stick-and-go approach. I try not to take to long in the placement process. I use my adhesive in the center of pictures and paper so I can add layers behind them if I decide to later on.

 

 3. What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?

 

Looking back at my latest layouts, the dominant product is stickers. I keep a stack of embellishments "to use" on my table. I have others organized in the room, but this is my "go to" pile and I think it helps and challenges my creative process to narrow my selection to this pile. 

 

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

 

My creative process has changed over the years. I used to be a chronological scrapper, and my process started with the pictures. I used the photo colors to guide me to the papers. Now, I enjoy the creative part more than chronological. I often start by touring blogs for challenges that include colors or sketches as a focus. Then, I find photos that fit the challenge. If I don't find a blog challenge, or I don't feel like I have the time to look at a bunch of blogs, I have been grabbing a kit class or a previously used sketch out of my stash to get started. 

Here are two layouts using a CK kit I purchased at the convention:

 

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

 

I get inspired to scrap by my photos first--vacations, recent and random happy times, proud mommy moments, and love. In second place, I get inspired by new products and techniques. I think I stay inspired by challenging myself--either by using a "challenge" or creating my own.

 

I just rejoined Paper Wishes' scrapbooking membership. My kit included a template for Iris folding. I have never tried this technique. Luckily, they included an online tutorial!

I used the jar on the template with two papers: an embossed burnished gold and a rich brown paper that reminds me of chocolates! I used a chocolate chip print for the center. Here's the result of my folding:

 And the layout for my mini album:

 

6. What is my signature style?

 

This question is tough for me.  I am drawn to bright colors, a little bit of whimsy, curves, inking and misting, and some handwritten journaling (most of the time). I think it might be easier to eliminate styles--I'm not Graphic or Shabby Chic, but I use some of their elements. I'm not Freestyle/Artistic, but I like to try new methods. After googling for style articles, this one would describe me as American. I've also seen it described as Adaptive.

 

Here's a favorite from the Queen & Co class at the CK Convention:

 

I hope you enjoyed this stop on the blog tour! Circle back to Steffanie's blog and visit other stops on the tour! Thanks for visiting!

Happy, Happy Happy!

Hey, Friends! I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything on my blog. I took a break from completing challenges and assignments, and I've just been scrapping whenever I feel like it. I've been using some sketches and kits as my inspiration instead.

This weekend, I visited Paper Secrets' blog and there is a great sketch/recipe challenge using items for L.A.B.O.R.

Here's the sketch:

And my resulting layout using the sketch turned:

Items for L.A.B.O.R:
L: lined paper
A: Arrows
B: Banner
O: orange flowers
R: ruffle

Using supplies: papers: Authentique, Pebbles, crate paper. cardstock: Hot Off the Press. ruffle: Maya Road, ink: Quick Quotes, spray ink: Ranger, letters: heidi swapp, doodle bug. flowers: Queen & Co, sticker: Hot Off the Press. banner sticker: MME. pen: Bic.

Thanks for stopping by, and excuse my slightly crooked picture!

Color Me Scrappy Challenge #62

This will be my last posting as part of the design team for Color Me Scrappy. Due to recent events in my personal life, I had difficulty creating pages. I just wasn't into it for the past 6 months or so. I think I need to take a break from assignments and scrapbook when I'm in the mood.

Here's the latest challenge:

These colors are so versatile!

Here's my layout:

 

This was a picture I found after JJ was playing with my phone and his portable DVD at the same time!

Thanks for stopping by!

Bloom In Las Vegas

Spring is my favorite season in Las Vegas, Nevada! It is very short, but so pleasant! The purple and pink color combination on Color Me Scrappy for May was perfect for this layout.

 

I rarely get to use pink on layouts due to having a son, so this was a lot of fun! Hope you can join us in the challenge on Color Me Scrappy!

me & you

Here's another great color scheme on Color Me Scrappy for challenge #60.

I love these colors together!

This time I created a layout about my special friendship with Lisa.

And here's a close-up of the journaling:

Hope you can join the challenge at Color Me Scrappy!

All New

Color Me Scrappy has challenge 60 up! It's a great color palette, so join us in the challenge for the month of April. You've got plenty of time to participate!

 And myself on a page:

Thanks for stopping by!
I had to cover my journaling. I found someone had fun pointing to it and making it a joke. Not funny.

Forever Friends

This year is flying by already! Mid-March! Well, that means it's time for another challenge on Color Me Scrappy!

Check out this great color scheme!

It's nice and bright for an early spring layout, or it can be used so many other ways as you can see by our design team.

Here's my take;

It's nice and bright for the happy feeling I get being with my friend! Thanks for stopping by!

Smile!

Dentist visits have always been tough for JJ. He surprised me on this last check-up though! His  behavior was 100% better; he listened to the dentist and followed instructions without needing my help. I managed to watch from the doorway and take some pictures! That's a first!

I used the sketch from the Paper Secrets challenge; My SPRING: Smile title, Punched border, Red chevron paper, Ice accents, Number tape, Gems.


Here's my layout:

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Before and After (JJ's Bed)

Making a bed has different definitions based on each person's perception. Namely between my son and I! Most of the time, he doesn't make his bed. He graduated to a nice big Queen sized bed in September 2013. I dressed it up really nice for him. The next day, he made his bed after getting up in the morning! I was so excited! Here's my layout commemorating the event. It's March 1st, so this layout was based on a new color challenge at Color Me Scrappy! Please join us and link your layout for a chance to win a wonderful prize!

 Journaling:

 The arrow above is kraft, sprayed with silver mist.

Thanks for looking! Be sure to join us at Color-Me-Scrappy!

Good Times--JJ's 16th Birthday

For the past few years, if JJ has balloons for his birthday, he sets them "free" in the backyard. He loves seeing them soar up in the sky. I've learned to just buy 1 single balloon since it doesn't last long! I created this layout to celebrate our new tradition.

This page was inspired by a sketch on Scrap Our Stash. My prepackaged hearts for the challenge are the die cut string of hearts and the heart eyelets. Boy, I haven't used eyelets in a very long time! I had to find my setting tools!
Since it was a festive day, I included a vellum bag filled with confetti. That was inspired by Paper Issues' Filler Up challenge.

Complete supply list: AC cardstock, Heidi Swapp spray inks, SC mask and confetti with bag. Glitz tape, Plain Jane arrow, pp: Hot Off the Press, AC. LYB banner. punches; EK Success, Armada. eyelets--unknown.

Talking Tom: CMS Challenge #56

I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day! We have the perfect color palette to scrapbook a page about your special day at Color Me Scrappy.

With so much pink, I thought this would be a tough challenge for me! To my surprise, I actually ended up using the dark pink as my primary color! My wood twist is the Cool and round arrow wood vaneer pieces.

This page celebrates the joy in JJ's face when he got Talking Tom for Christmas. He loves the phone application, so seeing it as an object thrilled him!

I combined this Design Team assignment with a sketch I found on Paper Secrets. A KISS layout: Kraft arrow, Ink, Stitching, and Stickers.

In selecting my embellishments, I turned to Scrap Our Stash's SWAK challenge: Stitching, Washi, Arrow, and Kraft arrow.

Here's some close up shots:

 You can see some silver spray ink misted here.

 Love stitching templates!

I layered Washi, the kraft arrow, and then sticker on top!

Thanks for stopping by! May inspiration strike you as it did me!

Perfectly Imperfect

When looking for inspiration on Facebook, I turn to the "All Our Challenges Here" group. I found a few blogs that are new to me: Scrapstuffz, Challenge Yourself, and Scrap Around The World.

The inspiration from Scrapstuffz: polka dots!

The inspiration from Challenge Yourself: the palette

The inspiration from Scrap Around The World: ombre and pinks (see enamel dots in title)

My layout:

I had a lot of fun pulling inspiration from these blogs!

Cheerleader! for Challenge #55

It's February 1st, which means it's time for a new challenge over at Color-Me-Scrappy!

Here's the new color scheme:

with a sketch twist:

and here's my layout:

It celebrates my niece Danyelle in her JV Cheer team. Her team won a Championship and is on their way to State!

Play Time

I created this layout today to celebrate my hobby scrapbooking! There are two challenges that apply to my theme: Paper Issues "List-ening" and Scrap Our Stash's Countdown challenge. I listed my favorite aspects of scrapbooking on my journaling card, and I used 5) enamel dots, 4)  patterned paper pieces, 3) flair, 2) washi strips, and 1 rub-on!

Here it is:

I also used two of my favorite techniques on the page--spray misting with a mask and embossing paste using a different mask on the dried yellow and blue ink.

Thanks for stopping by!

Neutral Palette Challenge

Hello! It's the 15th of the month, so that means it's time for a new challenge on Color Me Scrappy! Join us with this very difficult challenge, or at least we thought so at first! We each took a different take on it, but we all had fun! Here's the color palette. The twist is to add a tribal element (arrows, feathers, symbols).

Here's my layout. I chose to use a color photo, but he's in gray clothing, too! I used black embossing paste to add some rough boy texture. I love that stuff! It's so easy to spread on a mask, and it dries so fast!I added a spray misted mask, too!

Some technique close-ups:

Thanks for stopping by! Please join the challenge!

Hey You! Happy New Year!

Ring in the new year with a new challenge on Color-Me-Scrappy! We've got a great color scheme of peppermints! This was quite a challenge for me ---bright pinks! I typically don't use pink on my pages because they tend to be all about my son. I found a creative way to add it though. I used a burlap star and misted it with pink ink! I got the rough texture of a boy with the pink, and I think it really works to convey the meaning on my layout. I also chose a picture where JJ was wearing the colors on his shirt.

This challenge also comes with a great sketch:

Here's my layout:

Thanks for stopping by! Have a very happy new year!