Adore & Cherish (KaiserCraft Saturday Sketch Challenge)

WOW! July is almost here! It's slowly starting to feel like Summer here in Eastern Canada.  A very special Summer it will be for Yves and i as we are gradually preparing for our big move at the end of July. I can't wait to start arranging furniture, choosing wall colors, setting up my scraproom, mowing the lawn (not so much!) - hehe

Today, i'm sharing with you a double-page layout that was inspired by 2 different Saturday sketches at the KaiserCraft blog.  

The left side is based on Sketch#2

And the right one is based on Sketch #1

I decided to incorporate the 2 sketches into one double-page, but creating each page so that they could easily stand on their own. That way, i get 2 chances to win a fabulous KaiserCraft prize!

The KaiserCraft line i used is called Love Notes (perfect for the theme of my layout) mixed in with a little Argentella.  All wood flourishes (which i've covered with Glimmer Mist followed by a touch of Glossy Accent) are also from KaiserCraft.

Here are a few close-up shots:

Until next time... may you have love in your heart... and sand in your toes! :)

Time in a Bottle (Prima's June BAP)

*** This is my 2nd post today so be sure to also check out my 1st post HERE!

This month (like every month) for its Build-A-Page contest, Prima gave us this lovely sketch...

 

which inspired this layout...

Jim Croce's song "Time in a Bottle" is one of my all-time favorites and i had been wanting to use its lyrics on a layout for a while.  The picture is of Yves and I at the Hopewell Rocks, famous nature reserve here in New Brunswick, during our first year of dating. It was a candid shot taken by my friend Christine and to this day, it is so very special to my heart and it embodies all the deep emotions of love that were quickly blooming in our hearts :)

I used mostly Prima products on this layout which include a mix and match of different paper collections, Botanical "Beloved",  Jack n' Jill "Sunny Meadows", Melody "Melody", Madeline "Rosalee", as well as Baroque Blooms, Petunia Chopin flowers, Botanical Glittered Cardstock Stickers, Lace & Pearl Borders, Mini Roses, and the use of a Prima Clear Stamp on the corners of the background paper. The "Time" title is from The Dusty Attic.

This layout is part of this double-page of which the second page was made for the June 15th challenge at Once Upon a... Sketch.

Once Upon A... Sketch June 15th Challenge

Yes, I know!  It's been way too long since my last post!  I have no better excuse than... life happens!  hehe  And, fortunately, inspiration too!

My new favorite place to play is on the Once Upon A... Sketch challenge blog!  They have amazing sketches and always encourage a focus on journaling which i have to admit, i don't do enough of.  Me, an English Major, can you believe?!  

Here is the sketch for the June 15th Challenge which asked us to use the theme 'A Moment in Time' and to add at least 4 sentences on why our photos are memorable.

Here is my layout...

The pictures are of Yves and i during our first year of dating. Our relationship started off as a long-distance one with each of us in a different province for almost a year. All the moments we were able to spend together we absolutely cherished.  They say 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'... for us, it was absolutely true!  And now, after 5 years (it feels so much longer!), our love is still as strong as those first fleeting moments together :)

The journaling reads: 
"On that special day, after only a couple months of being together, I had no doubt that, by your side, I would know a lifetime of happiness.  As i was falling more in love with you every perfect passing moment, my life gained a new meaning... and my soul finally stopped searching."

Most products used are from Prima; the complete list can be found on my next post since this layout is part of the 2-pager seen below (for more info on the other layout, make sure to click HERE!)

Ally Scraps June Sketch Challenge

First of all, let me wish a very Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!  I lost mine 7 years ago to illness, but i do have a special thought for him in my heart each and every day! 

Speaking of which, the first project i'm sharing with you today is a Father's Day card i made for Yves' dad, my future Father-in-Law.  It was inspired by this card sketch from Ally Scraps for their June challenge which required me to made 2 cards, one using the sketch as it is and a second one using the sketch mirror image, backwards or upside down.

As you can see, I decided to flip the sketch vertically. Here is a close-up shot...

The other card i made for this challenge, using the sketch as is, was for my cousin's baby girl who i met for the very first time yesterday. Sooo precious!

I used different punches, Spellbinders, Cuttlebug embossing folders, stamps to make the different elements on this card.  I'm pretty happy with the finished result. :)

On the inside of the card, i used a rub-on sentiment from KaiserCraft.

Thank you Ally Scraps for inspiring me to create once again! :)

Whooo's 4 (The Paper Variety Challenge 38)

This week's challenge at The Paper Variety is all about the ABC's, that is, alphas of all kinds (stickers, chipboard, die-cut, glitter, thick, chunky, etc...)

Now i have TONS of different kind of letters in my huge scrapbooking stash... probably way too many that i could ever use, so i could have easily made dozens of cards for this challenge!  Because of time restraints though, i had to pick and choose, so i finally opted for 2 of my favorite kinds of alphas, cricut-made and chipboard.
  
I made this very easy-to-do card for a special Birthday girl who's turning 4 soon!

The 'whooo's' was made on my Cricut using the Jasmine cartridge and the number 4 was a plain chipboard letter that i covered with pattern paper. 

As E-Z as 1-2-3! :)

Beautiful (My Mind's Eye Blog Challenge 24)

Like every month, My Mind's Eye is hosting another great blog challenge. This time, they're asking us to create a layout or other project using the theme 'Song Lyrics' and this awesome sketch by Anam Stubbington:

Everyone who knows me knows that i absolutely LOVE music, to listen to and to sing along with! I found this theme to be such great inspiration, so i immediately started browsing the extensive song library in my head for the perfect lyrics to scrap.  Although i'm not particularly a big fan of pop music (i'm more of an alternative girl), one song 'pop'd into my head from the very beginning and wouldn't go away... 'Beautiful' by Christina Aguilera.  It's a very heartfelt song and it seems to speak directly to me. I have had to battle with a weight problem all my life, and thus always have to work on my confidence and my self-acceptance. Recently, i have learned that creating beautiful layouts about myself always helps to give me a nice boost of self-worth.

This layout, framed and hung in my new scraproom (when we move into our new home in August!!!), will serve as the perfect reminder that i AM indeed beautiful... in every single way.  :)

"Every day is so wonderful

And suddenly it's hard to breathe

Now and then 'you' get insecure

From all the pain, feel so ashamed

...

You are beautiful no matter what they say

Words can't bring you down

...

You are beautiful in every single way"

The beautiful paper you see comes from MME So Sophie (still one of my all-time favorite collections!) and the lovely brads are from Stella and Rose.  The chipboard title, corners and dress form (close-up below) are all from Dusty Attic.  I turned them gold using Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink.

I hope you enjoyed looking at this layout and that, like me, you are inspired by the lyrics from 'Beautiful'.  Cut yourself a little slack, recognize your inner AND outer beauty... and scrapbook a picture or two about yourself :)

The 5lb Mystery Box from SCT...

... is no longer a mystery! Remember? I had won it on the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog just for leaving a comment and being a follower.

I was super excited when i came home from work today to find a big package on my doorstep.  At first, i was a bit frustrated at the shipping company for just leaving it there to either get stolen or get ruined by the pouring rain, but fortunately it wasn't, so my frustration dissipated pretty quickly. After weeks of anticipation, I was finally about to open the Mystery Box!

I wasn't disappointed! Here are the many treasures that i found inside...

 

SCT CardMaps Today Spring 2011 & SCT & PageMaps 2011 Sketch Calendar

We R Memory Keepers : "Fiesta" (6 sheets), Glitter Brads, Chipboard

Fancy Pants : "Happy Together" (16 sheets), Hot Chocolate Alpha, 

BoBunny : "Peacock Lane" (10 sheets), Flowers

Bella Blvd : "Lovey Dovey" (6 sheets & 1 sticker sheet), Ciao Chip, Sophisticates

Shabby Green Door : "On the Wings of a Dream" (8 sheets)

Studio Calico : Rub-Ons, Mister Huey's Color Mist, Wood Veneer Alphabet, FabRips

American Crafts : Thickers, Medium Jewel Brads

Maya Road : Tiny Banner Chipboard Bits, Portrait Mini Chipboard Set, Mini Tag Canvas Pieces, Kraft Journaling Tags, Lace Flowers

My Mind's Eye : Lush Brads

S.E.I. : Designer Brads

Doodlebug Design : Boutique Trims

Scrapbook Adhesives : E-Z Runner

Thank you so much SCT for making this rainy Monday not so gloomy after all! :)

Yummy Blog Candy @ Scrap With Stacy

Stacy is hosting a fabulous giveaway on her blog in celebration of her 1st blogiversary! See how you could win HERE.  Now i've been wanting some Copic markers for a while (they are SUPER expensive!!!)... maybe this is my chance!

Artful Delight's Awesome Giveaway!

One of my favorite blogs that i visit every day is Artful Delight! They always have fabulous challenges and offer the best scrapbooking kits out there. There is one up for grabs right now... the April kit which looks SO sweet! Click HERE to see how you could win.

Prima's June PPP (and a new Home Sweet Home for us!)

Prima has done it again! Gathered up a bunch of wonderful products to make their Product Pick and Palette for June! Look at these amazing Summer-y colours!  I would be SO happy to be able to win some of these!

I am so sad that i probably won't be able to participate in Prima challenges for the next couple months along with all the other blog challenges that inspire me to create every day, but i think i have a good enough excuse. I will be busy packing, furniture shopping, moving, renovating!!! All my scrapbooking stash will most likely be in boxes in a month's time. 

Yes, you guessed it... we bought a house!

We just can't wait to move in at the end of July (i have a feeling the Summer is going to just fly by!)  I will be sure to keep you posted! :)

Scrapperlicious' Million Hits Celebration

One of my favorite designers, Irene Tan, is celebrating a 1,000,000 hits (yes you read that right ONE MILLION!!!)  on her fabulous blog, Scrapperlicious! And because she is the greatest, she is celebrating by hosting an amazing giveaway (full of BoBunny and other cool products!) for all her readers. Be sure to check it out!!!

Baby Tristan (Sketchy Thursdays 6.2)

Back in March, a good friend and scrap buddy of mine gave birth to an adorable little boy who she named Tristan... and she gave me the sweetest pictures of Tristan along with 'carte blanche' to scrapbook them at my own leisure, and at the same time, help her fill up his baby album. Last night, i did just that!

Using Sketchy Thursday's Sketch 6.2, a mix of Creative Imaginations and BoBunny papers, some KaiserCraft wooden flourishes and chipboard alphas, i made a single layout which, i'm very proud to say, will be the first page of the album.

I love the monochromatic tone of the layout - it goes so well with the picture. Isn't he a cutie in that little knitted hat?
The scalloped circles were done with Spellbinders and my Cuttlebug.

The quilted design on the background paper is part of the paper itself, by Creative Imaginations. 

Once again, all the stitching is hand-made. I have recently purchased the We R Memory Keepers' Sew Easy tool with different stitch piercers, but i haven't gotten the hang of it just yet. I have a very hard time doing anything in a straight line so i still prefer to revert to my good ol' ruler. I will have to browse tutorials to pick up pointers on how to best use the Sew Easy.

I can't wait for Nat to see the layout - she was with me last night when i started it, but she hasn't seen the finished result yet!

Anytime you are in need of inspiration, go check out the amazing sketches at Sketchy Thursdays! They are sure to satisfy all tastes, and plus, they have awesome prizes to win!

Scrap It Girl: Blog Candy~ Tim, Cosmo & Maya!

Check out this amazing giveaway @ Scrap It Girl... full of Tim Holtz, Cosmo Cricket and Maya Road goodies!!!  All you have to do for a chance to win is to become a follower of  Kimberly's blog, post her blog candy on your own blog and then leave her a comment. Click HERE for more info!

Bo Bunny Card Challenge Tuesday

This is my 2nd post today so scroll down to see another project i shared earlier.

I love every chance i get to play with BoBunny products, and this afternoon that's what i did! Once again, i delved into my scraps (and i have LOTS!!!) of the Gabrielle collection. I was asked to make a card for a co-worker who's retiring soon, and i chose to make her an easel card based on Sketch #2 of the current BoBunny Card Challenge.

Just in case you're wondering, "Bonne Retraite" is french for "Happy Retirement" :)

Other products used are BoBunny jewels, Prima flowers (to which i added a little colour by dabbing them with powder chalk) and ZVA Creative bling.  

I hope she likes it! :)