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The May Challenge at Scrap Our Stash is a Patterned Paper Party!  Create a layout using THREE or more patterned papers from DIFFERENT collections.

Here is my layout:

Good Morning Layout by Wendy Kessler

Supplies used: EK Success Overton House Designs paper, Heidi Grace Designs paper, unknown stack paper, Making Memories Simply Stated Heidi Large White Alphabet Rubons, Stickabilities Alphabet Stickers, Prima Flowers, Michael’s rhinestones, and ribbon.  Sketch from Imagine by Close to My Heart.

At first I thought it was going to be difficult to mix patterned papers because I have switched to buying packs because they are so much easier to coordinate.  But what do you know…I have some really old paper!  This challenge was a good thing because these papers would normally be my last resort.  So single sheets here I come and this is what I came up with.  The best way for me to mix pattern papers is to choose one multi-colored paper as a starting point, then find mono-toned or less busy papers to go with it.  You can see this from my layout.  I have the striped paper and polka dot papers (mostly covered) as my busy, multi-colored sheets.  Then I added the pink flowered sheet, brown flowered sheet, green polka dots, and pink/green flowered sheet.  I have a large supply of Making Memories alphabet rubons making those the first that came to mind.  Even though I have a large stash, I do use them often.  They are good quality and make a quick way to add a title, similar to alphabet stickers but with more letters to use.

Now I will share the funny part of doing this layout.  I was as far as the pictures on the paper, just had to add a title and embellishments, when I realized that these are Christmas pictures – not birthday.  I certainly wasn’t going to start over at that point.  I decided that I did use pink and green so that’s close enough to Christmas colors.  I was just focused on how well the paper matched her outfit and I guess that’s what happens when your child has a birthday so close to Christmas.

What will you create? Go to Scrap Our Stash to submit your own layout.  You have until May 29th.

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Update 1/29/13: I am disappointed that Crafter Mania decided to not use my book as planned and never informed me.  I spent many hours on this project and was not reimbursed as per our agreement.  I was also looking forward to using my smashbook this year and still have not received it back as promised.  I will not do business with them again and do not recommend them.

Update 2/15/13: Received my smashbook. 🙂

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I want to give a big shout out and thank you to Crafter Mania and EK Success for sending me this package to try out.  Its a SMASHBOOK and a bunch of coordinating embellishments that go great together.

Some pretty awesome stuff, huh!?!

I had a lot of fun with this book.  I used it to create a motivational To-Do 2013 Book.  It contains ideas and goals for my scrapbooking, weight loss, family, and home life.  I will be using the stamper to date things as they are completed throughout the year.  There are SO many pages in this book and so many things that you can do with it!  I think I will get another one and just SMASH in all the stuff that I have in one of my file drawers….ticket stubs, kid’s programs, etc. that didn’t make it in my scrapbooks or that I don’t have pictures for.  It will be a great way to get it done.

I will share the entire book with you but I’m going to break it down into multiple posts because it is so awesomely huge!  I will also say that this is the first Christmas gift I have done this year and it is a gift to myself!  How awesome is that!

Here we go!  Part 1 – Scrapbooking & Me Time.

I’ll start with the front cover which has a beautiful embossed design.  Of course, I had to personalize mine a bit by adding some color and bling.  I used colored pencils and Stickles.  You could use anything you have on hand in your stash (markers, glitter glue, rhinestones, etc.)

Before:

After:

 

This is the inside cover.  It’s pretty bare now and I like it that way but may add more to it throughout the year.

A cool first page and I’ve left it as is (unless you can notice where my toddler got a hold of my pen)

My reason for creating the book and motivational quotes.  My favorite is: “Either you run the day or the day runs you.”  (Jim Bohm) This is so true!

Some of my scrapbooking goals (room for more)

Scrapbooking and craft projects (I am always adding to this list)

Ways I like to spend time relaxing.

Quotes on making time for me.

Motivational quotes.

Be sure to come back and see the rest of my book over the next couple days.

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When I found out the theme for the August Scrap Our Stash Challenge was to “re-do” something I thought I was in trouble.  I am not one to go back and redo any of my layouts.  I’m just glad they got done in the first place!  Plus, it’s interesting to see how my scrapping style has changed over the years.  It’s also funny to hear compliments for some of the layouts that I don’t really care for; we all have different tastes.  So back to the challenge….my second child turned 10 this year and this ended up to be the perfect opportunity to get something completed in a timely manner.  For my first, I had created a 10-Years of You album that featured a photo of her each of her 10 years.  So I decided to “redo” that same project for my second 10-year-old.  Let me tell you it was much easier the second time around!  I simply used the same album and layouts, choosing different papers and embellishments to suit a different personality.  The only trouble I had was that I stamped all the numbers and did the album backwards and when it came to doing the title it did not match my front cover paper.  Not a big deal to switch it up and I even used a number 3 in place of a the letter E.  The cover paper did just happen to have a nice lace/ribbon border that looked great on the front cover.  Here is the outcome:

 

Supplies used: CTMH All-Sorts Mini Album, DCWV patterned papers (stack), CTMH White Daisy Grosgrain Ribbon, Kaisercraft Rhinestones, Mark Richards Crystal Stickers, EK Success Precious Finds Adhesive Gems, Colorbok Gems Adhesive Accents, Miss Elizabeth Foam Letter Stickers, Basic Grey Bling It, and rhinestone border and ribbon from my stash.

If you’d like to see the first album I created, go to this post.

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ScrapSketch is back up and running! I am so excited! These are the first 2 sketches for January and my layouts:

Products used: CTMH Stardust paper, CTMH Stardust Stickease, Lyrical Letters Cricut cartridge, Accents Essentials Cricut cartridge, Queen & Co. felt fusion, and Kaisercraft rhinestones.

2010 Layout Challenge: #14 of 210

Products used: DCWV Luxury Stack, Disney Jolee’s boutique by EK Success, Cricut Mini Monograms cartridge, Sandylion vellum Disney stickers, Kaisercraft Pearl Strips (pink), and unknown 3D butterflies/flowers and organdy ribbon.

I am very pleased with this layout.  I used the Diecuts with a View paper from a stack that I bought online and I didn’t like it as well when I got it so it became buried in my stash.  It was the perfect colors for these layouts and I don’t think I noticed before that it had a sheen shine that is very pretty.  The pearls I used come in strips and I used them to create my own flourishes and used the remaining pearls as centers for the flowers.  I’ll have a layout tomorrow using ScrapSketch #3.

Challenges:
Flutter by Wednesday – any butterfly, fairy, or angel
Cupcake Craft Challenge #73 – Going Girly
SSDS Week 23 – Girly
Raise the Bar – Debut Day!

2010 Layout Challenge: #15 of 210

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Products used (all CTMH unless otherwise noted): Evensong Level 2 Paper Packet, Evergreen stamp set, Chocolate Alphabet Large, Evensong Stickease, Cranberry Ribbon Round, Liquid Glass, Holiday Fabric Tags, Jolee’s dimensional stickers by EK Success, and Kaisercraft Pearls.

I started these layouts before Christmas using the Evensong Workshop on the Go guides.  Then I made more pages with the paper that was left.  Today I finished them up by adding pictures, journaling, and embellishments.  I had to take the Santa and reindeer sticker apart to make it fit the way I wanted. It originally came to be adhered up/down the long way. I wanted mine to go across the top of the page. In order to make it work I took the middle reindeer off the reins and turned it around. I cut the reins in the middle because they were too long and hid the seam under the middle reindeer. It worked great. The only thing I regret is not taking the entire sticker off the backing. You can see how the middle reindeer doesn’t have the transparent sticker behind it. I just added my own adhesive and I think it looks much nicer. I didn’t notice it until it was already down and then there was no way it was going to come off nicely so it’s staying where it is and I’m calling it done.
Something I like to do is try to use up an entire paper packet.  I did that with the Evensong paper after I made my layouts by making the cards HERE.  It’s a great feeling of accomplishment to use it all up and it is also amazing just how much you can get out of one paper pack.
These are my first layouts of the year so I am starting at 5 of 210 for 2010!