Design Studio Collage Template **FREEBIE**

Hello friends! Been awhile since I have posted anything with any real substance. Life just gets in the way at times.

Anyway last night I was playing around with Design Studio and worked up this cute little collage template. The whole template is made with the George Cartridge on a 12x12 mat.

I cut the template out on this wonderful metallic black card stock, then I added a background and photos that would really make the template shine. The template is perfect for 2 4x6 photos and 3 2x3 photos in the circles. There are so many ways that this could be used....just use your imagination!

So do you like prizes? Sure you do. I am headed to the Portland Scrap Expo this weekend and will be looking for a fabulous prize. What would I like you to do?

1. Download the above template. here

2. Create a layout using this template and post it below using Mr. Linky

3. Follow this blog.

4. Share this with your friends on your blog or on Facebook for an extra entry, even if you can't participate in the challenge.

I will choose a winner from from all the entries using Random.org. Contest will end on September 30th at 11:59pm PST. Good Luck and I can't wait to see all your wonderful creations!

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Half Way

Last night I scrapped my 50th layout of the year. I am now half way to my goal of 100 layouts for the year. This is only personal layouts. I have completed more in client albums as well, but for my own albums this is great. Last year I completed 75 for the year, and I am hoping that with my vacation layouts that I will hit that within the next couple months. It has been a hard and stressful 6 months for me, and I have found it hard to get motivated to scrap.

I am having a great time reliving my vacation through scrapping the photos. Here are few from the past week:
Thanks for stopping by!

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Sketchy Thursdays --- A new-to-me Sketch Challenge Blog

So today, I log on to Facebook, and I have an invite to join a group. Most of these I just delete as they are pointless, like, "I hate tomatoes, but love ketchup." IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE!!! But this one was from a fellow scrapper, blogger and friend, Jenny. You can visit her blog here. The site that she introduced me to is called Sketchy Thursdays. You guessed it every Thursday there is a new challenge sketch. I immediately fell in love with this weeks, and got right to work.

My take on the sketch:
The layout is done on a transparent overlay from KI Memories. The black background is just there for photographing purposes. I used Basic Grey "Lemonade" papers, Prima flowers. and the journaling block is a transparency from Hambly.

This has been a very productive week for me. But I should mention that I have so many new goodies to play with that this has been a very easy week to be creative. CKC Portland was last week, and I got some great deals on paper and embellishments, not to mention THICKERS! I love them! The day before I found out that Tuesday Morning sells scrapbook stuff, and bought a TON there. Then to top my week off, our Tax Return came yesterday, and my hubby treated me to the Cricut Expression for Valentine's Day. Love you sweetie!

So you want to see what else I have been up too? Here ya go!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Go Junior, Have a great day at Daytona!!! #88
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Let's start over!

Yep, that's my motto for 2010! Let's Start Over. I am starting a lot of things over. First I am healthier in 2010. I quit smoking!! Yay me!!! I am working out. I finally kicked depression's ass, and found meds that really work. I have never been happier! I have started scrapping for others, and actually making money at it!

I am actually scrapping again. In the first 21 days of the new year, I have completed 11 layouts for me, 3 for a client, and one card. It feels AWESOME! I am learning some new techniques. I am using a lot of sketches. I am participating in challenges. I almost feel like the old me.

I am still unemployed, but not beating myself over it....I kinda like it. And it gives me more time with my favorite little person, CJ.

So, you want to see what I have accomplished in the last 3 weeks? Here ya go!

Layouts:

Card:
Thanks for stopping by!

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Fall is in the air!!

Though the weather has still been kind of warm here, and will be for the next week or so, I can just smell the seasons changing! I love the brisk winds, the cooler days, and the ever changing colors of Autumn! Filled with food, fun and holidays, fall is one of my favorite times of the year!

Lindsay is certainly getting in to the spirit of Fall with the new set of stamps that she has out this week. And if you check out her blog, I am sure that you will find an awesome FREEBIE to go with this set! The set is available here for just $5!!!
Also new in the shop are these adorable cupcake wrappers! Tell me these would not be fun for the kiddos to decorate!! And the best part??? They are only a BUCK! Yep, $1.00!! You can't beat that!
My husband came to me the other night and asked me to do him a favor. Never ever has this had anything to do with my paper crafting hobby. But the other night he said the wife of one of his co-workers passed away. So he asked me to make a condolence card. I thought that Lindsay's Cattails would work well for this card. Here is what I came up with:
I also managed to get a layout done this week. Amazing considering my Mojo has left the building. If you find it, can you please return it!

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ONE

For the August sketch challenge over at HYWWP:This sketch was designed by my dear friend, Trisha, over at txpaperdoll.

My interpretation of the sketch:
*** "one" was cut from the Graphically Speaking Cricut Cartridge.

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'Owl" always love you!!!

It's Thursday, and that could only mean another creation using the wonderful digi-stamps from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff. For this weeks project, I used this stamp, Owl On Branch. You can get this little guy for only $1.00. And for the rest of May at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, if you spend $5.00 on stamps you can choose any other image in the gallery for FREE! Yep, FREE!! What are you waitng for?? This little guy needs a home!
For this layout, I printed the image on a white CS circle, cut from the George Cricut Cartridge. I also cut 2 more circles out of the green and black. I colored the owl, leaves, and branch with Bic Mark-its and inked the edges. After drying, I lightly wet the image down and crumpled it up. then unfold and lay flat to dry on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. When it dried, I attached the black CS to the back and cut a slit to fold over and adhere with brads. I finished the image with brown, black and green chalks for a blended background, and used stickles on the leaves.



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quack quacks

One of this month's challenges over at Have Your Way With Paper, was a Mystery Item challenge. Well, I was certainly surprised when the mystery item showed up in my mailbox. What was it?? Feather? I was certainly stumped......for all of 5 seconds! That's when it dawned on me that I had the perfect pics to go with these special embellishments. Our pics from out visit to the Bonneville Dam. CJ spent the afternoon feeding the "quack quacks," his word for ducks.

Now was the challenge of actually designing a layout based on this. I had a little difficulty at first, but then everything came together.

quack quacks:
***"quack quacks" was cut from the Cuttin Up Cricut Cartridge

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Happy New Year '09

I made the following layout using the Easy Scrapbook Calendar.

So, what is the Easy Scrapbook Calendar? It is a box calendar that I bought after the 1st of the year at one of those calendar stores. It was 75% off, so I paid like $3 for it.

Anyway each day has photo mats and some embellishments, and each week is themed. Here is an example of a week.
And HERE is a link to where you can purchase one like it!
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Back to Basics Challenge

Looking for a great challenge? Head on over to Have Your Way With Paper and check out the challenge forum. There are some great challenges this month.

The one that I want to talk about here is the Back to Basics Challenge. This one sort of came about by accident. The question of the day there a few days ago was, "You are sitting down to scrap. All you have to use with your three photos are a pack of cardstock in various colors (no patterns), a handful of colored pens plus black, one pair of scissors. That's it. What do you do to pull together a nice LO. (you do have adhesive, btw)." Well, the moderator for the challenge forum decided that this would make a great challenge.

So I set out to get this one done thinking it would be pretty easy. Uh-uh. Not even close. I don't think I have ever really realized just how much I depend on embellishments. To only use paper and pens......well not an easy task. But I got it done and I only used Card stock and a white pen.

Flock to your craft store!

So I was out and about last night, and headed to the craft store in search of some inspiration for the Christmas pages I wanted to work on. I knew I wanted some new Christmas papers, but what else did I need to do these pages? I had no clue. Just that I was sick of using the same things over and over. So I walked around. I headed over to the card making and stamp area and found another new product for me to try. Fun Flock by Stampendous! (click on the link to watch a video!) This stuff is so fun and easy to use. And the texture you get is just wonderful!

For this layout I used the Fun Flock on the letters for "Santa" and the tag that reads "here." These pieces were plain chipboard that I painted red. Then I ran through my Xyron Sticker Maker, face down. After covering with adhesive cover with Fun Flock like you would glitter and tap excess off. The result is a beautiful velvet like finish. For the tag, I adhered letter stickers just before using the Fun Flock.

Back in the Game!

Happy New Year Everyone!
May 2009 bring you everything you need and hope for!

Well, as noted in my last post of 2008, the end of the year was a little rocky for me to say the least. I am feeling better and ready to start off 2009 with a BANG! Ok, maybe not a bang, but with a crash of bowling pins. Me and my hubby brought in the New Year with a fun-filled evening of bowling, champagne, and a mid-night kiss. I am sure this year will be better than the last.

So I have started scrapping again. Yep, it had been a month since I graced my desk with my presence. But I was determined to get back into this hobby (ok, obsession) that I love so much. So I started simple. (Did I mention that I got to go get some new scrap goodies?? I bought myself the Home Accents Cricut Cart. YUMMY! Love this cart. ) So anyway, I started simple and made a couple easy picture frames for a co-worker.
** "LOVE," "Family," and flourish were cut from the Cricut Home Accents Cartridge

Then, I knew I had to scrap a layout. This was no easy task. But I grabbed some of the new things that I had purchased, (some great rub-ons, chipboard shapes, chipboard phrases, some plastic embellies,) and sat down. I have had this picture that my sister sent me to scrap. I loved the picture, and I don't get the chance to scrap a lot in pink. So here was my chance and I ran with it.


** "Live, laugh, love," Leaves, and flourish were cut with the Cricut Home Accents Cartridge


And last but not least, I took part in the January Card Challenge at Have Your Way With Paper. Here is a card I did for the Spirelli Challenge for Valentine's Day.
** "I heart U," and the scalloped circle were cut from the Cricut Mini Monograms Cartridge


I am so back in the game and look forward to playing some extra innings!