You are my Sunshine

 

There is a new sketch this week at Let's Scrap and this is my one page take on it. I started out thinking I would do both sides of the sketch since I have so many pictures from this trip but then I got the sunshine idea from C's shirt. I used Bazzill Kraft and Sassafras papers for the layers and the flowers.

Here is Cheri's beautiful sketch: 

  

Some details you might be interested in:

 

The yellow daisy is felt, cut with my Sizzix. The orange and yellow flower is also cut with my Sizzix, then inked and layered. The pink, blue and yellow flower is a folded creation that I learned from the amazing Helen Croft. You can find Helen's tutorial here. 

 

I also used some fun and very bulky trim that I got at Joann's. Getting it to stick was quite the project but finally, with a little Beacon's felt glue, I won the war. I just went around the square turning and folding my edges at the corners.

The photos of C were taken last summer at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. We really enjoyed our visit and I took the opportunity to take just a couple ;) photos of the kids. Here is my favorite layout from the trip:

 

I was so tickled with the MAMMOTH size of those chipboard letters!

Happy Scrapping! 

SCRAPSTREET Discovery Drive!!!

So far, 2010 rocks! I woke up on New Year's Day, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to check my emails. The very first one was from Lindsey Krauss at Scrapstreet Magazine. It began like this, "Dear Kristie, You've been discovered." Talk about a jaw dropping start to the New Year!!! I just kept re-reading the email and thinking, "Really? On New Year's Day? Really?" So head on over and check out the super sweet article that Lindsey Krauss wrote about me over at Scrapstreet. It still feels like a dream but every time I pull up Scrapstreet, the article is really there! What an honor, thanks again Lindsey!!!

Tuesday's Tips & Techniques: Spellbinder Storage

I have just recently discovered SPELLBINDERS Nestabilities! {I hear some of you laughing out there!!!} What a fabulous tool for card making AND scrapbooking. Once I bought my second set I realized I was going to need a safe and sound storage system to keep them handy and flat.

Here is what I came up with:

 

This is a heavy duty binder that I picked up at Target for a totally different purpose. I love that it is pink, transparent and TOUGH!!!

I keep my Spellbinder dies in DVD pockets that I had leftover from my clear stamp storage system. I got those pockets at Office Depot where I found a great selection of storage products for binders.

  

This system worked great for me ---and then I noticed out there in cyberland that several others use magnetic paper behind their dies. I was undecided about whether or not to bother. Then I ran into some magnetic paper at Hobby Lobby and I had my 40% off coupon. {Do you all know how to find and print the weekly coupon? Go here} So, home I came with the magnetic paper, which I quickly chopped down to size.

 

Super ssimple and now my dies stay perfectly nested.

  

 They slip right out of the pocket

 

and I can quickly and easily choose just the right size for my project. 

New to YOU!

There is a new contest this week over at Let's Scrap. This time the challenge is to try a technique that YOU have never tried before. It can be super simple, just as long as it is something that you have never done before. Here is my example:

 

I created a very simple layout using one of Cheri's sketches so I could showcase the techniques that are new to me.

I laced ribbon through my punched border:

  

This took a bit of time and I had to be careful about getting the ribbon twisted but I love how it looks.

Then I tried using some of those ten million eyelets I have in my stash to dress up some plain chipboard letters:

 

 So come on over to Let's Scrap and join in on the challenge this week. Up for grabs is a RAK of Rusty Pickle goodies from my stash!

AND!

 

Okay, how saweet is this!!! Julie Bonner, yes, THE JULIE BONNER, sent me this lovely blog award. Thanks Julie!!!

Please allow me to pass it on to three of my favorite blogs:

Tara

Sally

Julie

Many Thanks to Scrapbook.com!

Today is my ONE YEAR Anniversary over at Scrapbook.com.

This was the very first online community that I joined and I am so glad that I did...and for so many reasons. I began my time at SB.com looking at all the amazing scraprooms and using some of the great ideas that I found there.

I was still happily scrapping the CM way and then I started to look at the SB.com gallery. WOWsers!

In May of 2009, I attended CKU, Creating Keepsakes University. THAT was THE turning point. I began to shed the CM way and branch out into all the fabulous new techniques and products available from all the amazing scrapbooking companies {that I'd never even heard of a year ago}.

They also have challenges and contests over at SB.com. The first one I joined was the 2009 Album Contest.  The prize was a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR gift certificate to the store! That seemed worth the time and effort to create and upload 50 new layouts!!!  A few weeks ago, I got the word. I WON!!!!! The timing was impeccable. It was right after the HVACatastrophe aka, halt on all unnecessary spending. I held on to my gift certificate until the CHA releases that I "had to have" were in stock. Then I hit the order button. A few days later, the UPS guy showed up with my haul.

Just look at all this goodness:

2 complete lines from Cosmo Cricket, assorted Jenni Bowlin including the new banner stickers, Dear Lizzy, Graphic 45, Pink Paislee, KaiserCraft...

What a dream come true. Thanks Kels and the rest of the team at Scrapbook.com. You can bet I have my 2010 album started!

Tuesday's Tips & Techniques-Quick Tip: Scraps & Punches

 

Here is some more DT work for Let's Scrap. This is my oldest dd getting her very first salon cut with our hairdresser, Megan. My favorite part of this layout is the lock of hair nestled inside that clear envelope. I wanted to include scissors on the page too but I didn't have any in my stash so I improvised with a couple Maya Road pins and a piece of floss. Oh, and see those tabs...well I really wanted to use a scrap of yellow that I had in my scrap folder but the piece was just a bit smaller than my file tab punch. I looked through my scrap folder for some more but nothing matched the AC paper buttons quite like this little scrap:

  

Then it dawned on me...would I even need a whole piece of the punch?

  

Perhaps this much would be okay since I was going to fold it in half anyway...

  

So I punched it out

  

And yes, it worked just fine!

  

My layout is based on another one of Cheri's amazing sketches over at Let's Scrap. 

Isn't the sketch just beautiful?

Happy Scapping!

BINGO!

 

Here is my entry for Sally's challenge over at Let's Scrap! I went across the first row (Pink, Hearts, Black, Bling). I thought about going for a black out  but once I got to this spot on the layout I just decided...DONE!

  

I used lots of die cut hearts that I made with my Sizzix, punched some more hearts with my CM heart punch and my MS heart punch. I also used a few transparencies...something I don't do too often but I thought they added a perfect splash of red. 

  

I also used quite a few pop dots to give dimension to my "wreath of hearts." So, come on over and play along -you've got until Friday!