TPV Challenge #49 (& The Scrappiest Sketches)

It was my Team A's turn this week to submit projects for a brand new challenge at The Paper Variety.  I had so much fun creating a layout for this challenge and i have no doubt that you will too!

I love birthday layouts and i LOVE banners so this challenge was made just for me!  :-)

I mixed up two of my fave paper collections of the year, Simple Stories' Happy Day and 100 Days of Summer.  The title "Happy Birthday" and the buttons are from Dusty Attic while the smaller chipboard flags (that i covered with paper) are from Maya Road.

I really love how my banners turned out. I cannot wait to see yours!

If you're like me and you can't resist a good challenge, be sure to visit The Paper Variety to link up your Birthday Banner project by Sunday September 4th for a chance to be spotlighted on the blog and by noon on Tuesday September 6th for a chance at this fabulous prize sponsored by none other than Abby, co-founder of TPV!

My Mind's Eye "Hip Hooray" Boy & Girl paper kits

100% Girl (Dusty Attic August Sketch)

As you might have read in a previous post, i had a bit of bad luck with my favorite Martha Stewart punch on the weekend.  My Doily Lace Punch broke on me so i couldn't quite finish a double-page layout i had been working on all Saturday night in hope of reaching an early Sunday deadline.  Luckily enough though, i was able to finish half of the layout while the other half only had to be finished by August 31st.  So after a quick trip to my LSS today, i came back home with a brand new MS punch and was able to complete my work... and here it is...

As already mentioned a few days ago, the right side of this layout was based on a sketch at Get Picky and if you click HERE, you can read more information about it and see more detailed close-ups.  

The left side was inspired by Dusty Attic's August Sketch as seen below...

How beautiful is that sketch?!  If you've been a regular follower of my blog, you must know by now that i am totally addicted to Dusty Attic's laser-cut chipboard.  Just look at some of their newest releases HERE - and i challenge you to not fall head over heels yourself!  If i had unlimited resources, i would gladly include some on every single layout i make! 

There are many ways to distress and alter DA chippies, but this time around, i decided to just dab it with the desired color distress ink and, for the title, add a little paint to give it a polkadot look.

The paper used is from My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose and the cute little girl on the pictures is none other than my oldest niece Ella who's growing up so fast to become such a lovely little lady :-)

Prima August PPP

Every month Prima's Product Pick and Palette is more and more beautiful!  This month, it's full of bold and bright colors, simply DELIGHTFUL and perfect for the teenager in your life perhaps or for your more sassy pictures :-)

Prima's Design Team did wonders with it so go get inspired right HERE!

100% Original (Get PIcky Aug Sketch 11)

I'm just in the nick of time to enter this layout for August Sketch Challenge 11 at Get Picky!  I was so worried that i wouldn't get it done on time after having worked on it all night and having had some major technical difficulties!  This layout is part of a 2-page spread, but i wasn't able to finish the 2nd page (inspired by Dusty Attic's monthly sketch) since my Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch totally broke on me at the last minute! I will be off to Walmart later on today, hoping that they have it in stock!  If not, i'll have to start going through my list of scrappy friends to see who's nice enough to lend me theirs :-P

Anyhow, this part of my double-page layout is completely done and can easily stand on its own (good thing since the deadline at Get Picky is in less than an hour!!!) so i can happily share it with you.

Here is the sketch that inspired me:

And here is my layout:

My niece Ella is definitely unique at 6 years old.  She has just started to pose for the camera and was in her serious phase at that time. A few months later, she lost her two front teeth and then, low and behold, entered her full-fledge smiling phase.  Makes for interesting pictures to come soon! hehe

The paper collection i used is My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose.  Flowers are Prima, bling is from ZVA Creative and all the wonderful chipboard pieces are from Dusty Attic, no doubt one of my best discoveries in the scrapbooking world this year!

Now i'm off in a jiffy to link up my layout right HERE, with only a few minutes to spare!  Wish me luck! :-)  I will be back soon with the 2nd page to this double-pager!

Thank You (OUAS August 15th Challenge)

After almost 2 months of borderline non-productivity due to the big move into our new home, I can now say that I am 99% up and creating again :)  My scraproom is still in shambles though, but give me another week and it should be all organized, functional and pretty!  Pictures to come soon!

When i saw the August 15th Challenge at Once Upon a Sketch, i knew that i absolutely had to participate!  Apart from DT work, this was my first project since the move.  The journaling criteria for this challenge is to add at least 2 sentences from my favorite song and take inspiration from this gorgeous sketch!
 
One of my all-time favorite songs is "Thank You" by Led Zeppelin.  Most people would not even know that such a rockin' band could make such a romantic song.  The lyrics are so sweet and speak directly to my heart.  Every day, whether out loud or deep down in my soul, i thank Yves for loving me and thank the higher powers to have put him in my path after years and years of searching.  He is truly now my #1 inspiration in all things beautiful!

Here are a few close-ups of the title and the journaling:

The collection used is Fancy Pants' Happy Together which is so pretty with its different hues of blues and greens. The aqua blue flowers are from Prima and the rest were hand-made using various punches. The leafy scrolls are from Dusty Attic and the bling is from ZVA Creative.

Thank you so much for looking! If you like my layout and want your heart to be inspired by this beautiful song too, click HERE and take a listen :)
 

The Paper Variety Challenge #48

My fellow Design Team pals from Team B at The Paper Variety have been very crafty again this week, bringing you projects that 'go places' for Challenge #48!

Be sure to link in your project HERE before the end of Sunday August 28th for a chance to be spotlighted on the TPV blog, and before noon on Tuesday August 30th for a chance to win!

To one lucky random winner, The Paper Trail is offering an assortment of Graphic 45's "ABC Primer"! Perfect for back to school season.

By now, I'm sure you have seen the blinkie on the top right corner of my blog announcing The Paper Variety's blogaversary, blog hop, daily challenges and prizes (i will even have my first ever blog candy here at Scrap-Utopia just for the occasion!) extravaganza only a few weeks away! Click HERE to find out how you can win just by posting that very same blinkie on your blog!

 

 

The Paper Variety Challenge #47

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that i have been addicted to hand-made stitching lately. I can barely make two projects in a row without taking out the thread and needle!  Well, this week's challenge at The Paper Variety was perfect for me!

For a chance to be spotlighted, submit your project right HERE by Sunday August 21st and by Tuesday August 23rd to be included in the drawing for this amazing prize :

 

This prize package includes:
3 Cosmo Cricket Mini Decks (Social Club, Salt Air, Upcycle), Social Club Ready-Set-Chip, Upcycle Ready-Set-Chip and Salt Air buttons. 

For my project, i incorporated many different thread-related elements such as ribbon, twine, floss...

I love the soft colours of this layout (although the pictures do not do it justice at all, believe me!) and all the added texture that the stitching and twine add to it.

Hope you enjoy! Come and play along with us at The Paper Variety and see what my fellow DT members did with this challenge. Like every week, there is amazing inspiration to be found!

And don't forget, if you would like to be an upcoming guest designer for TPV, share your project on their Facebook wall (with GD in your comment) before Sunday 6pm EST!

The Paper Variety Challenge #46

In the mood for a little bit of Summer Colour Fun?

This week, The Paper Variety is challenging you to show your true Summer colours!  You can use small amounts of other colours, neutrals, etc., but your paper project should be primarily 

And what other better sponsor for this citrus challenge than... the Citrus Tree Studio!  

Like every week, link up your project HERE before the evening of Sunday August 14th for a chance to be spotlighted on TPV blog and before noon on Tuesday August 16th to be eligible for the prize!
 

Want to be a guest designer? 

 

Also add your project to the TPV Facebook page!

 

I cannot wait to see your Citrus-y projects!!!

The Paper Variety Challenge #45

I absolutely LOVED creating my project for this week's challenge at The Paper Variety, since i love circles and that is what it's all about!

Submit your project HERE by Sunday August 7th for a chance to have it appear on the blog spotlight or by Tuesday August 9th to be eligible to win this week's prize sponsored by none other than the Scrapbook Circle... a $30 Gift Certificate to their store!!

Want to become an upcoming guest designer? Share your project on the TPV Facebook wall (with GD in your comment) before Sunday 6pm EST and you may be chosen to be a guest designer! :)

As you can see, i really did go crazy on the circles! I challenge any one of you to actually count the amount of circles my layout has! hehehe

My DT partners and our guest designer Maria at The Paper Variety went circle-crazy too so be sure to check out their project for inspiration.  I can't wait to see how many circles (at least 4) you can fit on yours!