I Will Always Love U My Boy (multiple challenges layout)

I am sharing with you today a double-page layout that i have made for my friend.  I went all out and got to play with different challenges to create this layout so i had loads of inspiration coming from some of my favorite blogs and i totally love the result!

The left page is based on the Authentique Paper April sketch:

I used the beautifully blue collection "Genuine" from Authentique.

I was also inspired by this fun Tic Tac Toe challenge from Granddiva Creative Corner shared on Rochelle Spears's blog.  I used the right vertical line: mixed alphas, doily & 3 or more buttons.

I also chose my title according to a new playlist challenge coming soon at Scrap It With A Song.  I am honored to have been chosen as one of their guest designers for May so be sure to check it out!

The right side of the layout was inspired by adorable Sketch #205 at Creative Scrappers.

So as you can see, there is not a lack of creative inspiration on the web!

Now before i call it a night (it's way past my bedtime!), here are some close-ups:

Hope i have inspired you to check out the many awesome challenges out there and start creating!

Our Home (OUAS April Challenge)

I'm not posting as much as i'd like to lately, and i'm also not scrapbooking as much as i'd want to.  You could say that Spring has finally sprung for me since i find myself being busier with outside activities and a little more energetic and wanting to take better care of myself (i started ZUMBA!  hehehe).   This weekend, though, i promised myself that i would find a little time for scrapbooking!

I was finally able to finish a layout that i had started 2 weeks ago.  It is inspired by the April challenge at Once Upon A ...Sketch.  The theme of this challenge is HOME and one requirement was to use this beautiful sketch by Nadia Cannizzo.

The journaling is on the tag and hidden behind the picture.   

It reads:  "As a young girl, I dreamed of finding true love and living in a beautiful house.  I waited and waited, never losing hope that one day I would find such happiness.  At 33, I met my soulmate...  5 years later, we found our home sweet home!"

I mixed and matched a lot of products to create this layout.  The pattern paper is from the Fancy Pants' Happy Together collection, the chipboard title and fence as well as the dragonfly trinkets are from FabScraps, flowers and alphabet stickers are from Prima, and the metal key is from BoBunny.

Living in this house with none other than Yves is definitely a dream come true for me!

I was happy to share a little part of what makes me happy with you! :)

Beautiful Day (Artful Delight Sketch Challenge)

YAY!  After a week of barely no creativity, i was finally able to spend a little time in my scraproom today!  I have a LONG list of projects to do and challenges to participate in before the end of the month, but i'm afraid that i won't have time to reach the end of the list in a week.  I SO wish i could quit my job!  It greatly interferes with my crafting time! 

But no job = no money = no scrapbooking!

All that aside though, i  was happy today to play with the April sketch from Artful Delight.

Apart from this wonderful sketch, i was also inspired by the weekly challenge on the BasicGrey Blog that required me to use patterned paper as my layout background.  I love Basic Grey paper - they always have the most eclectic and intricate patterned papers so i went through my BG stash and i came up with a mixture of different papers to create my layout:  Cappella "Libretto" coupled with Origins "Refresh" as the background along with Scarlet's Letter "Night" and Cappella "Dolce" as accents.

This picture is a very special souvenir from my University graduation way back in 1996.  I really enjoyed my 5 years at University studying as an English major, but i was SO excited to finally graduate and start a new chapter of my life.  They often say that no matter the experience, most important are the people you meet and the friends you make along the way...  Well, i was truly blessed to have met Line during my 2nd year at University and for the next 4 years, we were almost inseparable. She quickly became one of my dearest friends, my 'Partner in Crime' as we liked to call each other back then.  Nowadays, we don't get to see each other or talk that often, but she will always hold a very special place in my heart and will always be at the top of the list, where best friends are concerned!

I also wanted to participate in the Scrap it With a Song challenge by using one of their playlist songs as inspiration on my layout.  You'll recognize the title as being one of my favorite U2 songs, "Beautiful Day".  On that note, i am happy to announce that my layout 'You Are My Song' was chosen as one of 3 favorites for the March playlist, so i will be one of the Guest Designers at Scrap It With A Song for May!  :)

Here are a few more close-ups of my layout:

Other Basic Grey products used are: Bling it On Rub-ons & Rhinestones, Rub-ons Transfers 'Wholy Cow', Ribbon Doilies, Micro-Chip Stickers 'Milk Chocolate Chip'.

Other products used are: Petaloo flowers and leaves, Quick Quotes chipboard, Dusty Attic chipboard, American Crafts brads, Glimmer Mist, Distress Stains.

Card & Env Set (TPV Be Inspired Challenge)

 

That is the latest challenge at The Paper Variety!

Because i wasn't able to participate in the last challenge whose requirements was to create a card and envelope set, i decided to now use that challenge as inspiration.   I was especially inspired by Jenifer's beautiful set found HERE.  It is so pretty and classy.  I have to say that the butterflies did me in! :)

So i created my own set... along with popped-up butterflies!

I used the beautiful new Bo Bunny collected entitled 'Country Garden'.

Thank you for your visit and be sure to stop by The Paper Variety to get your daily dose of inspiration too!

Flashback Friday Challenge 22.0

Oh my!  I almost forgot to link up for Challenge 22.0 on the Flashback Friday blog!  And it's such a fun one too!

So without any further ado, here is my First project using a die cut!

I have to admit... i'm not sure if this is the very first card on which i used a die-cut, but looking back on my blog, it is the very first one that i posted.  I used my Cuttlebug and a Spellbinders die to cut out the scalloped oval shape.  The card was made for my niece's 6th birthday last year, February 2011 to be exact...  A cute PRINCESS card for a real PRINCESS!

Click HERE to see the original post if you're curious :)



And make sure to go see the die-cut cards on the Flashback Friday Challenge Blog!

Tranquility (My Creative Sketches)

WOW!  I cannot believe that it has already been more than a week since i've posted.  I have been quite busy with household responsibilities, family gatherings and a few chocolate-eating binges here and there - hehehe  (On that note, i hope everyone had a very nice Easter!)

I was happy to be able to escape in my scraproom for a couple hours after work the last 2 days and play with the current sketch challenge at My Creative Sketches.

 

The title for this layout "Tranquility" is so perfect as i do feel a sense of peace when i look at it, what with its soft hues of sky blue and pearly white and the earthy feel and tone of burlap and chipboard...  Aww, i can just feel the ocean breeze on my face right now :)

Some of the products i used are FabScraps (chipboard title), Dusty Attic (all other chipboard), Maya Road (flowers), ZVA Creative (bling), KaiserCraft and K&Company (paper).

 I hope you like...  :)

Always Remember (SCT Sketch Challenge with Becky Fleck)

Happy 6th Birthday Scrapbook and Cards Today!!!

To celebrate this special occasion, there has been lots of fun at the SCT blog this past week full of amazing ideas, endless inspiration and awesome giveaways.  On day 3 of the festivities, Becky Fleck, the Queen of Sketches, challenged us to a sketch challenge.  We could use any sketch from from Pagemaps 1 or 2, or even from the brand new SCT Spring issue that you can view HERE.  I could not for the life of me choose my favorite (i love them ALL!) so i picked Becky's favorite:

This photo is definitely a fave from 2011.  It was taken when my nieces came to visit Yves and i for the very first time in our new home.  We had taken them for an autumn stroll on the ocean boardwalk in our city and they were so excited.  You can barely see them on the picture as they were running ahead of us, their hair blowing in the wind, carefree and happy... as i'm so hoping they'll stay as they grow up.  And boy, do they grow up fast!

I love this quote from Winnie the Pooh and it fits the sentiment of my photo and layout perfectly.

The main products i used are from Bo Bunny (Country Garden collection paper, trinket and chipboard stickers) to Basic Grey (yellow paper), Dusty Attic (butterfly chippies and title), Bazzill Basics (cardstock and flowers), Prima (leaves that i covered with Stickles and alphabet stickers) and ZVA Creative (bling).

Thank you Becky for the wonderful sketchy inspiration!

... and long live Scrapbook and Cards Today!  :)

You Are My Sunshine (Crafty Sketches April Guest Designer)

Because of having won their January Sketch challenge, I am SO excited to be a Guest Designer this month for Crafty Sketches!  

I was sent this darling sketch to play with and i immediately started creating, and i was just anxiously waiting for April to arrive so i could finally share it with all of you!

I don't normally create many layouts that display big open backgrounds and smaller pictures, so this sketch was definitely a challenge for me, but i quickly realized that i enjoy these types of layouts...  

CLEAN, SIMPLE, CUTE!

The cute little girl is none other than my oldest niece on her kindergarten picture, now dating of a few years ago.  They don't get any cuter than that, let me tell you!!!

The striped pattern paper and the stickers (sun and title) are from Echo Park Paper.  And peaking from the strip of ribbon is a little piece of Prima.

The pretty blooms are from Petaloo, chipboard from Dusty Attic and corrugated shapes from Magenta.

  I used Liquid Pearls to accentuate the chipboard and corrugated cardboard.  Then, just a little punch work and some stitching and voilà!  As easy as that!

I'm so grateful to Crafty Sketches for giving me this GD spot this month!  Make sure to visit their blog to see their DT's take on this pretty sketch and let yourself be inspired!!!