December Challenge At Creative Embellishments

Hello friends! Can you believe it's December? Time goes by so fast and it is now the last month of the year.  I know it's going to be busy with holiday preparations this month, but hope that you can take some time out of your busy schedule and take some time to join the December Challenge.  Below is the  photo for the December Challenge.

I was inspired by the Christmas tree, the fireplace and the colours.  Here is what I came up with:

I used several items from the Creative Embellishments store such as the Grid Background Stamp and the Snowflake Background Stamp on the white card stock background, the chipboard Flourish Tree 2, the wood veneers Snowflakes and the chipboard White Christmas Title.  I heat embossed the tree, the snowflakes and the title.  I really think this layout looks better in person.  It shows the sparkle and texture. For the sketch, I was inspired by a sketch of Laura Whitaker.

There are great prizes for this challenge so why don't you take some time out of your busy month and take a break from the hustle bustle and participate in this challenge.  You could win a $25 Gift Certificate from Creative Embellishments.  All the details are here. 

 Check it out.  Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Page Drafts Christmas Release 2014

Hello friends! Well it's another Page Drafts Christmas Release and I am honoured that I was asked to be guest artist again this year.  I love Emmy Stafrace's sketches!  I used Release #37 Sketch #3 to create this Christmas layout of my three kiddos.  I took these photos last Christmas.  The layout below was  created with the Pink Paislee Merry & Bright Collection of papers and embellishments, some enamel dots from Simple Stories, some wood veneers from Creative Embellishments and some flair buttons by A Flair For Buttons.  The pine branches, poinsettias and the title were created from Silhouette America files on my Silhouette Cameo.

I also used the same sketch and created a winter layout.  I used the Fancy Pants Designs Timbergrove Collection for the papers and tags and some snowflake embellishments from Creative Embellishments.

Here is the sketch that inspired me.

To see the entire Christmas Release, sketches and the designers that participated, please go here.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are inspired with these sketches  Have a wonderful day!

Oh Deer, Oh Deer, Oh Deer Layout

Hello friends! Today I am sharing a layout I created for Creative Embellishments of this cutie that I photographed eating outside my parents kitchen window.

I used the lovely Snowflakes Stamp for my background and heat embossed it with some gold embossing powder to give it some sparkle.  I also heat embossed the Snowflake Wood Veneers with some gold embossing powder.

I am in love with the Reindeer Chipboard and dabbed them with some Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Espresso and Pitch Black and once they were dry, I lightly sprinkled some gold embossing powder and heat embossed them to give them some extra pizzazz.

I used the Fancy Pants Oh Deer Collection of patterned papers, frames and stickers and also a cute little flair button from A Flair For Buttons.  I was inspired by a sketch designed by Allison Davis.

I hope I have inspired you to create a winter layout.  The Reindeer Chipboard, Snowflake Wood Veneers and the Snowflake Rubber Texture Stamp are all available in the Creative Embellishments Store as well as hundreds of other amazing items.  Thanks for stopping by!

Featured Layout At Creative Scrappers

 Hello friends! I wanted to wish my American friends a very happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday full of love, family and food.  As I am Canadian, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October.

Today I was very flattered to see that my layout was featured over at Creative Scrappers.  Thank you Becky Springer for choosing my layout.

I was inspired by the  Creative Scrappers Sketch #282 which I turned upside down.

Here is the sketch right side up

I loved the sketch and had to play along.  Have a wonderful day!

My Layouts Published In Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine Winter 2014 Issue

Hello friends! It's been a week since I have posted anything on my blog and I thought I would share two layouts of mine that are published in the Winter 2014 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine.

This should be arriving to subscribers now and also should be on magazine stands in Canada very soon.  I have seen it at Safeway, Shopper's Drug Marts, First Canadian Superstores, Chapters and Walmart before so if you aren't a subscriber, they can be found at these stores but even better would be to subscribe to this lovely magazine.  It is subscribed to worldwide and is the only printed scrapbooking magazine in Canada.

I am so excited to have two layouts published in this magazine.  The first is this one on Page 51

Hairstyles Then & Now
Cardstock - American Crafts
Diecuts - Silhouette America, The Cut Shoppe
Flair - A Flair For Buttons
Patterned Paper - Burlap And Bouquets - Fancy Pants Designs
Stickers - Fancy Pants Designs
Twine - Lawn Fawn

and the second one is on Page 108

T'is The Season To Be Jolly
Chipboard - Studio Calico
Diecuts - Silhouette America
Patterned papers - Believe Collection by Heidi Swapp
Wood Embellishments - Studio  Calico
Machine Stitching

It never gets old being published in print.  This will be my 8th consecutive issue being published in this fantastic magazine.  There are so many designers that I recognize and a few new ladies that I'm sure are just as excited as I was when they saw their first publication.

Thanks for stopping by and here is a link to Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine.

Bella Blvd. November Newsletter

Hello friends! Just wanted to let you know that Bella Blvd. "Bella Buzz" is now live and ready to be downloaded.  There is lots of inspiration and a giveaway.  I have a layout of my daughter in this newsletter and was so honoured that Bella Blvd. spotted my layout and asked if they could include it in their newsletter.  You can sign up for the Bella Buzz newsletters and receive it by email so that you don't miss an issue. The link to sign up is here.

Here is the link to the November 2014 Bella Buzz:

http://www.bellablvd.net//CMSUploads/226_THE%20BELLA%20BUZZ%20NOVEMBER.pdf

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Remembrance Day Layout

Hello friends! Happy Sunday!  Today I wanted to share a layout I created for Remembrance Day.

I wanted to honour all the men and women who have sacrificed to keep my country,  Canada free. Freedom is something I never take for granted.

A few years back, I photographed a Red Poppy in a friend's back yard and this is what inspired me to create this layout.

I began with a piece of white card stock and added some clear gesso and then added some blue acrylic paint.  I applied some modelling paste to a stencil to give it more texture.

I used my Silhouette Cameo with the Flower Power Cut File from The Cut Shoppe and cut out the flower background on some red card stock and took my scissors and carefully cut a few of the flowers as I wanted to only use about four of them on my layout.

 I added some red watercolour paint below some of the flower petals and in random areas and then added some black paint splatters.

Next I cut my title on my Cameo on some black card stock and then adhered the papers, flowers, flair, tags, and twine. Finally I added some zig zag stitching with my sewing machine below the title.

I journaled on the journaling card and voila! It is completed.  This layout was inspired by a sketch I saw this morning at Creative Scrappers.

I rotated the sketch like so...

This felt special to creae this layout and it made me proud to be Canadian.  I hope you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for stopping by!

My Creative Sketches November Sketch

Hello friends! Happy Saturday! Today is the November Sketch and design team reveal at My Creative Sketches and this sketch was a little challenging for me.

I decided to cut a design with my Silhouette Cameo and back it with some patterned papers from the Fancy Pants Designs Me-ology Collection.  I then machine stitched around the design.  This layout is close to my heart because it is about my journey.

As always, Pam always has a wonderful prize from My Creative Scrapbook so be sure and link up. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! 

Stuck?! Sketches November 15 Sketch And Reveal

Happy Saturday! Today it's the Stuck?! Sketches November 15 Sketch Reveal and I can't reiterate how much I LOVE working with Laura Whitaker's sketches. She is the queen of sketches!  This sketch was fun to work with.

Here is what I created with the sketch.  My youngest son and his visit to Santa and Mrs. Claus when he was 3 years old.

For my layout, I used the Merry Little Christmas Collection by Fancy Pants Designs for the patterned papers, corrugated paper and stickers.  For the chipboard title from Creative Embellishments, I heat embossed the words with black embossing powder that has a fleck of sparkle, and I painted and stained the wood veneer snowflakes (also from Creative Embellishments) to coordinate with the layout.  I also added some hand stitching with gold embroidery floss. Finally I added some mist splatters and some chalkboard flair from A Flair For Buttons. 

I hope you are inspired to create with the sketch.  If you link up at at Stuck?! Sketches for the November 15 sketch, you have a chance to win a $25 gift card from Creative Embellishments

 as well as a $15 gift card from Freckled Fawn

Thanks for stopping by and happy scrapping!

The Bella Buzz Newsletter Coming Monday!

Hello friends! Today I must admit is a rough day for me.  My younger brother passed away suddenly eight years ago today and he was only 38 years old.  He was happily married and had such a cute little family.  His daughter was only 4 and his son 2.  He came down with some sort of infection and four days later he passed away.  Antibiotics didn't save him.  Honestly, some years are more difficult than others and I have tried to be there as much as I can for my parents.  I miss my brother dearly, but I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a husband or a child.

I don't usually share my private life too much and keep my posts mostly about scrapbooking, but realize that many of us grieve and I realize that it is so important to not take loved ones for granted and to tell them often that you love them.  I suppose I am keeping it real.

Now onto some happy news.  I have a layout that will be in The Bella Buzz November 2014 Newsletter that will be online November 17!  This is very exciting for me and I hope you will share in my excitement and check it out on Monday.  I will post a link on my blog when it goes live.  It should be jam packed with lots of information and inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend and I hope you do something you love and be sure to check back Monday!

All Boy Layout

Hello friends! Happy Thursday! Today I am sharing a layout I created for Creative Embellishments.

For my layout, I wanted to create a masculine layout of this handsome little guy using lots of stars as my main design element.  I painted the Stars In My Universe Frame with several acrylic paints that coordinated with the star patterned paper.

For the background, I used the Grunge Stars Stamp with some black archival ink to give the background some texture.  I also used my electronic die cutting machine to cut some stars from silver foil paper.

Finally, I finished my layout with some stickers, letter stickers and a flair button.  I used the Max Collection by Bella Blvd. for the patterned papers and stickers and a flair button by A Flair For Buttons.  The silver foil paper from Fancy Pants Designs was cut on the Cameo.  I used a cut file for the stars from The Cut Shoppe and cut it apart.

I hope you enjoyed your visit.  Have a wonderful day!

Layout Published In Create Magazine!

Hello blog followers! Today I have some exciting news to share with you.  I have the layout below published in the November 2014 Issue Of Scrapbook Generations Create Magazine!  

Fancy Pants Designs is one of my favorite scrapbook paper companies and this layout is created with the Everyday Circus Collection. My layout is on Page 230. There is lots more inspiration so be sure and check out the entire issue here.  Congratulations to all the scrapbookers in this issue.  There are several names that I recognize.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a creative day!

Peace Love Joy Layout

Hello friends! I hope you had a good weekend.  I enjoyed my weekend as it was my birthday and my family spoiled me with cake and dinner so I had time to create this two page layout of my parents, my husband and three kiddos from last Christmas.  Last Christmas was pretty special because my two older children both work shift work and it has been about ten years since we were all together for Christmas.

It has been at least a year since I have created a two page layout, but I was inspired by a sketch designed by Debbie Sanders that I saw in the October 2014 issue of Scrapbook Generations Create.

This is my third layout with the Oh Deer Collection by Fancy Pants Designs.  I'm pretty sure I will use every morsel of this collection.  I pretty much followed the sketch and added some machine stitching, some flair from A Flair For Buttons and some cute little holly wood veneers from Creative Embellishments.  I chose kraft card stock as a background because I love that it coordinates nicely with so many colours.  Here are some more closeups.

This post if photo heavy because it is difficult to photograph a two page layout and see the details close up.  I hope you enjoyed your visit.  Have a wonderful day!