No More Dirty Dog

I used Sketch #70 at The Scappiest & did this cute little layout of Joseph & Daddy washing the dogs (Zo'e in the photos).  Also watch for an upcoing Frugal Friday tip using this layout on Scrap Our Stash this Friday (7/2).

Fun Sun

This sketch is from The Scrappiest and I used Fancy Pants Rusted Sun line.

Rocks in your ARRR?

June challenge at Scrap Our Stash is to use STITCHING.....

This layout tells a really funny story....click on the layout to enlarge and read it.
OMG---I just realized an error in my dates...the conversation was MARCH (not May)...  Oh....how to fix that?  Anyway....

This story is from a few months ago, but I finally got the photo I needed to document it. I had blocked (no layering) all my pieces and finished the layout and realized it just needed a little "extra umph". So I hand stitched XXX's in 2 different spots and it adds a little touch to pull all the pieces together without overwhelming the photo or story. I just punched 4 holes for the top and 4 holes for the bottom of the X's (yes, I used a tool from Timeless touches that has evenly spaced holes, but you can just use a ruler, or do it by eye) ...and used embroidery floss to make the stitches. Here's my tip when doing this...instead of making knots on the back of your layouts, I just scotch tape the end when I start and then scotch tape the end of the floss when I'm done (using that second tape to usually tape as many of the stitch backs as I can...just to keep them there!!)

Love Summer Days

So, this is not really my week to contribute at Frosted Designs  but I just love doing the challenges, but I actually considered skipping this week ... who came up with these colors anyway...orange, yellow, green & turquoise?   Yep, this week its a COLOR CHALLENGE!!!

Then as I'm staring at my WeRMemory Keepers paper, I kinda go "duh"... these match perfectly (and no one said they had to be the ONLY colors we use)!! Now, the paper line is called 72 & Sunny and honestly, that'd be cold for us!! It's 102 here in Phoenix everyday now & it was 92 the day I took that picture during the.first week of June.
So, thanks to whoever's idea these colors were for reminding me to keep my mind open and thanks to WeRMemory Keepers for having those colors on their papers. Now, I'd almost call this cheating, since I didn't really put the colors together myself. So I added the brads as the butterfly path so I felt better about that...and since I like butterfly's to have "flight paths" ...lol!!

Our All Star

I used sketch #68 from The Scrappiest for this layout.  It was also a challenge at Memorable Seasons to to an "all american" layout using Stars & Stripes.
I masked the Mar/Apr/May months on the left border strip and then misted "grey" the other months.
Also used a Tim Holtz magnifyng glass to highlight the number 6 along the bottom (Joseph is 6 and that was also his Jersey number)

1 sketch - 2 layouts!!!

I did 2 layouts this week using the sketch from Sketchy Thursdays : 

This first one is quite different for me as I don't usually do pastelly layouts.  But it was fun... I folded, crumpled and messed with strips of pp to get that pink border under my photo.  This was also done for the H - Heart challenge this week at Alphabet Challenge Blog.  I used Basic Grey Capella from my monthly Basic Grey kits.  Jillibean Soup letters that I added a little of the same paint I used on the big heart so that they would match.

This second layout is October Afternoon & Cosmo Cricket.  (my own challenge to use 2 of my newest fave paper lines that I have A LOT of and I'm getting tired of already)

You are Number 6

This month at Scrap Our Stash the challenge is to use stitching..

I had picked out this photo and was ripping pieces of yellow fabric that I was intending to use like ribbon....but when I was done ripping and looked down at my cardstock, there was this cool random design. So, how to adhere it and keep the design?? So, I layed a blank 8x10 transparancy over the fabric strips and took it to my sewing machine.... I randomly stitched on the yellow trying to be sure to get lots of places that overlapped. Then I "ripped off" the transparancy off from the stitching. I had to cut in some places to get it off, but it worked well to keep my original design. I kept the stitching yellow so it may be hard to see, but I wanted to share this example of stitching that wasn't really showing...but rather was used like an adhesive element.

I also used a sketch from The Scrappiest (#67)

Erika & I "in the spotlight"

The layout that I did last week and posted a few back - June 11th post &  called E-Erika on the sidebar ....
(or CLICK HERE  to go directly to the post...)

Anyway... this layout was highlighted on Scrapbook Circle..who's June kit was used for the layout and was also selected as a FAV for the week on Sketchy Thursday!!!  Both are huge honors for me...  Maybe I should start scrappin' pics of my friends instead of my family...lol!!!

Non-Scrapping Stuff on layouts - Frosted Designs

I'm the featured Designer this week at Frosted Designs.  Each week they are "spotlighting" a different member of the DT.

This week's challenge is to "use something from around the house" as an embellishment. Well, I jumped at this one because I'm always "upcycling". Whenever I'm "cleaning out" stuff that Joseph has "outgrown", I try to figure if I can use it somehow. Sometimes yes and sometimes I'm just hoarding...lol!! Anyway, I use old puzzle pieces, games, books, anything that my imagination can turn into something on a page.

So, I'm actually going to show a couple projects this week:

This is using an old card game called PIT... (I photo'd the CORN card next to my layout so you can see how I altered it and used it on my layout).

And my husband brought home these flyers for some event because Joseph LOVES monkeys. So, I turned one into a bookmark for him by covering it with a little pp & punched cirles w/brad accents.

And on this one I used an old Kids Puzzle (one with those HUGE pieces)

2 of my layouts featured on Nikki Silvis Blog

Well, I'm sooooo honored to have 2 of my layouts featured on the Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker blog again this month!!! 
Here are 2 layouts I did with my favorite collection (an oldie but goodie...) Henry's Brilliance.  It's the perfect BOY line!!!

Well Worn

Julie Tucker-Wolek has this awesome challenge blog called These are a few of my Favorite Things .  It is quite cool and she is one of the funniest people that I've not met yet!!  So the current challege is Favorite Shoes.  Well, I thought about which of my shoes are the nicest and would look best on a layout...and the I remembered why I'm doing this....  so here is the real story!

All paper is Tim Holtz.  Tag is Jillibean Soup, Alphas are Creative Imaginations.  Stampin Up punch for bottom border.  I distressed most of the edges & used random cardboard scraps to keep the "worn" feel.  Also, I printed the Skechers logo from their website and popped it (which you can't tell in the photo) and it kinda blends in with the tag paper, which I love how I did that (mostly because it wasn't my intention...it just happened...lol!!)  Oh, and I used a sketch from Susan Stringellows blog called Sketch Savvy.

And my son Joseph did this challenge too.  Please go to his blog by CLICKING HERE to see his layout...it's called NOO SHOOS!!!

E - Erika

I used my June Scrapbook Circle kit & a sketch from  Sketchy Thursdays.

This is Us & We Rock

This week our challenge at Frosted Designs is GLITTER!!!  It's not my DT week to contribute but I did the assignment anyway!!  See the June prize in my sidebar.....yipee!!

Everything on this layout is Basic Grey Lime Rickey except for the glitter transparancy which is from Fancy Pants. This worked really well because there was a little blonde girl behind my son that I couldn't crop out of the photo, so the glittery transparancy flowers covered her up nicely.

AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE....Joseph has started doing challenges... if you will, please click on THIS LINK and check out his "glitter" layout and leave him a comment. 

Another "made by Joseph" layout

Ok, so last week I posted a really cool layout that Joseph (age 6) had done.  Here is the one he did first ....so technically his first layout of this recent "scrapping" jag... (he messed with scrapping a couple times in his past, but never 2-3 layouts in a row).  He has told me he wants to start doing contests...(challenges)... 

So he actually did another one, but it will post for an upcoming challenge...(oh my, do I need to get him his own blog and email???  --- )

On this one, he wanted to cut the striped paper in the shape of an egg...then he decorated it with Smooch.

This is what a little boy does when you're done coloring Easter eggs and there is still dye left!!!

Chill - Sweet ?? (this layout doesn't really have a title?..lol!!)

Two sketches .... one layout!!!
Sketch this weekend posted at Practical Scrappers -- & Sketchy Thursdays

Desert Blooms

This month at Scrap Our Stash the challenge is STITCHING....  There is a prize too....see it at the right in my sidebar.  Here is my first DT layout:

"The foreground (yellowish paper where photos are matted): I misted some 8.5x11 embossed floral paper, decided where my photos were going to go and then hit the sewing machine. I stitched in yellow...all around the oustide of the embossed paper and in a pattern under where the horizontal photo was going. But it did not show up very well, so I went back over it in the maroon color...just went crazy and let the machine go and had fun playing.  

Background: Then I decided I wanted to distress and "peek a boo" the background paper, so I calculated where the V-tears were going to go and stitched the background floral under the solid maroon, making V stitches where I planned (in pencil). Then I distressed & tore all around the outer stitching....

NEW LOOK AT FROSTED DESIGNS

FROSTED DESIGNS has a NEW LOOK...you should really go check it out!!  Our challenge this week is BUTTONS....  and there is a PRIZE!!!  Here is what I did... 

I used a couple regular buttons and 4 "ribbon" buttons (ribbon slides) on my layout featuring Little Yellow Bicycle's Vita Bella line. Before I put my stash of papers away...I also made 2 cards (one with buttons, so I'm sharing a second project!!)

Here is the prize for June:  So get over to Frosted Designs and join in the fun!!!

Super Slide - 6x12 layout & A PRIZE

Well, I missed this post the other day since it posted on the last day of the month and I'm just plain ol' lame-o!!!   Our challenge at Scrap Our Stash last month was to do something "out of our box".... The last project I sent was this 6x12 layout...not my normal size.    But it was fun and I think I may do a few more of these.

Now the "out of your box" challenge was in MAY....BUT.... the new challenge at Scrap Our Stash for JUNE is to use stitching on your layouts...   So, I'm donating the prize this month...and here it is:

Birthday Themed -- All-in-One Album Kit from AdornIt with Carolee's Creations

Contains: 8x8 album, 12 page protectors, 24 printed 8x8 papers, 1 sticker sheet, 2 die cut sheets, 3 printed ribbons, 1 sheet of epoxy accents & Metal Embellishments
AND a coordinating Birthday Bash Kit - also by AdornIt with Carolee's Creations
Contains: 89 pieces of cardmaking and scrapbooking supplies

So get over to SOS and submit your stitching layouts for June...