Scraplift

Isn't it wonderful how much inspiration a single layout can provide? Take, for instance, this layout:

This layout really isn't my style. I rarely use a white background and even though it has a lot going on, it still seems kind of plain for me. But, I was attracted to the red hounds tooth pattern running vertically and thought I'd give it a go.....

The result was this layout, of Ryan's birthday cake! I used a mix of Sassafrass and Cosmo here, as well as some puffy stickers from Wal-mart.
3 things I like:
1) This layout was really fast to complete - thank you sketch!
2) The title - I feel fancy when I mix multiple letterings in one title.
3) I used a few supplies here I had been hoarding because I loved them so. Example: the music note paper :)

Then, I took a class of Crystal's at the scrapbook store. One of the layouts we made was this one here (click to see). The first half of the layout is based on the same sketch! All 3 look so different!

Winter!

I really do like winter. I love snow and I love to watch it fall. I also like to shovel it, although, with Ryan being home this year, I did pass it off to him mostly. :) The heap of snow in front of our house this year is MONSTROUS! (Layout to come!) I must admit, now that it is nearly the end of March I am a bit tired of snow, and would like to see some sunnier days. This part is the worst for me, all the melting. The dogs get messy, and walking to work is dangerous! I only made it half way today, and then I called my boss and said "If you want me to make it to work alive, you're going to need to come get me". Lucky she likes me!

Here are some layouts of our favourite winter activities:

I struggled on this one for a bit. Lynette at our local scrapbook store suggested I add the brown dotted paper and that kind of connected it all and toned it down for me. Thanks Lynette!
3 things I like:
1) I used REALLY OLD paper - some of this is from like 2008!
2) I used a lot of photos
3) I used a bit of ribbon which I have been ignoring lately - although this ribbon came from June's stash, so perhaps that doesn't count.....

This is one of my most favourite layouts in a while. I love the colours and the textures. I also love how different it is from Crystal's version. We used the same photos and sketch, but so different!
3 things I like:
1) New stuff! Don't you love when you get something and are instantly inspired to use it? That way, it doesn't collect dust for, oh, 3 years until it sparks your interest again.
2) Tim Holtz distresser - it's this tiny circle with notches. In the notches are mini blades that rough up your paper. Love it!
3) Scrapbooking friends - thanks Crystal for the second "Snow" border sticker!

A day in DC and homemade rootbeer....

Today was a day spent mostly devoted to scrapbooking. My friend Jen picked me up at 10 this morning and we drove to Dawson to check out the scrapbook store there, Chocolate Clover. I like that she has a very different selection from in town, although not nearly as much to choose from. I got a few good finds, including Cosmo's Circa 1934 and some of Sassafrass' Indie Girl as well as a few other random bits and pieces. I was very pleased to find a magazine June has been searching for in the $5.00 clearance bin.
After a quick stop at the mall to pick up a lunch bag for Ryan from Marks (we were sold out in my store) we decided to be adventurous and have lunch in this 50's diner. (When I say we, I mean Jen, I was slightly nervous about what we were getting into entering a giant metal box). It was very cute in there and the food was inexpensive and fairly tasty. Luckily, Jen had her camera and she took some photos. (Layout to follow - I've already selected some pieces for it!)
We stopped at B&T, but that was a major disappointment. Everything was old, and the sales lady was clueless. Why ask me if I need help if you have zero concept about scrapbooking?
On the way back we went to Crafty Folks in Taylor and I got a few more things. I got a Christmas line from Echo Park that has ornaments all over it. I took some photos of my favourite ornaments this Christmas, so I will use it for that.
When I came home, I finished up this page that's been sitting around for a week or two. I was hung up on what to add for embellishments. After a while of whining and being generally non-productive I started to dig through my (fairly extensive) stash and found I had more than enough to finish it off. Here is the finished product:

I used a mixture of Earth Love and Nutmeg for papers - both by Cosmo Cricket. Three things I love about this layout are:
1) I used chipboard letters - I have been very bad about using those lately. I coloured these ones with brown Copic marker and heat embossed with clear powder to make them shiny. I was trying to go for the effect of the bottles.
2) The tiny bottle cut from my Cricut - it kind of looks like a wine bottle, but close counts. :)
3) Lots of journaling! I told the story and gave instructions for making your own root beer.

I said a while back that I would post the layout of us snow shoeing. That will come next as long as many other layouts I've been working on recently.

I still exist.

I've actually had a bit of a life lately and I have done a few layouts. I'll post soon. In the meantime.....

Snowshoeing

We went out to Beaton the other day to snowshoe. The weather had warmed up enough to make being outside tolerable. It was a good time, other than when I slid down the hill and pulled my groin. There was no one there, so we were able to let the dogs run free. They loved it.

This photo does NOT make the scrapbook page. What a nerd.

The snowshoes. The scrapbook page is in progress and will soon follow.

Best of 2010

Okay, so we are going to ignore the fact that my practicum caused me to not scrapbook or blog for a good 3 months. In fact, I was a terrible blogger for all of 2010, lets try and fix that this year. I am back. So here is a recap of my favorite scrappy project from each month of 2010 (excluding Oct and Nov when I had no life). Some of these I haven't even posted before!

January
This is a terrible picture, but I was too lazy to take it out of the album again.

February
Ditto.

March
This one just reminds me that we need to bake more dog cookies. Good mix of dog papers and Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry.

AprilJune's wall canvas. I love love love this! So much fun to make and not worry about things laying flat. Dimension is wonderful.

May
It appears I did not do anything in May. Whoops.

JuneIt was a tossup between this and my "Create" wall banner. The picture of this was better, so I chose this.

July
August
So many good ones for August. I recommend you revisit that month.

SeptemberThis is basically all the crafty time I had in September- Ryan's scuba birthday cake with Cricut paper embellishments.

DecemberThis is the December page in Mom's calendar. The flower is a little blank in the photo, I embellished it up afterward.

Here's to 2011, a year with more scrapbooking and blog posting.

Scuba Cake

Ryan's birthday was at the beginning of this month. I wanted to make him a fun cake, but struggled with that because I couldn't find any cool props for his interests..... the closest we could find was a surfer Ken doll, and I was not going to jam that in his cake no matter how much Carly wanted to! We ended up cutting stuff out of my beach Cricut cartridge and sticking it on the sides. It is a good idea for quick cakes, it couldn't sit out that long before the paper gets all greasy but it worked for us.

The top of the cake with sparklers for fun! The dive flag is about as complex as my cake decorating skills get. :)