Dave's 44th

Boy, I have been busy this weekend! Here is a layout that I made today. This brings my weekend total to 3 layouts and 5 cards.  I am going to spend the rest of the evening tonight working on my Smash Book from our recent trip to the Florida Keys....I will share some of that at the end of the week.

In April we celebrated Dave's 44th birthday a week early because his brother and family were in town. It was so much fun have some little ones at the party. I used the DCWV Celebration Stack which is the ultimate birthday collection. I use it for cards as well as birthday layouts. I also used this wonderful Becky Fleck sketch from A Cherry on Top:

When I saw this sketch, I just fell in love with it....especially the little pocket in the upper left.  I filled it up with additional pictures from the party.

Thanks for checking out my blog....hope ya'll had a wonderful Memorial Day.

Birthday Wishes

Here is a card I made today for an online friend of mine who recently had to go live in an assisted living facility.  It is her birthday this week and although she cannot be online anymore I still think of her often and want to keep in touch.

I used this sketch from Card Positioning Systems:

I am entering my card in Moxie Fab World's gingham challenge.

And

ScrapFit Workout #67 Decorate With a Doily

I am also linking this up to Paper Issues Picnics and Patriots challenge.

Father's Day card #4

I finished making the last of my Father's Day cards this weekend and this is the final one that I have to share.  I recycled some corrugated cardboard that was packed in with a recent online purchase.  I just  *love* the way it looks on this card.  The sentiment is from Unity stamps and heat embossed.  The mustache is from THIS Stampin' Up set which I heat embossed with clear embossing powder on black cardstock and cut out.  The twine is from The Twinery and is called Charcoal. The navy blue background paper is from Echo Park's awesome masculine collection called Times and Seasons.

I am linking this card up to the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Father's Day Challenge

Go Fish Challenge #17

Thanks for checking out my blog.

The Best Dad in the World

I have another Father's Day card to share.  For this card I used one of my favorite DCWV stacks -- The Guy Stack.  I used used their May card sketch:

There is still a few days left to enter their challenge AND they have a layout sketch challenge also.For details go HERE.

Paper Smooches card challenge

This card was inspired by the Cool Shades color challenge at Paper Smooches.  I used Bo Bunny paper and a layered sticker on which I stamped my Paper Smooches sentiment.  I used Maya Mist on the cardstock for the background to make it just a little more fun for this brand new teenager (Dave's niece).

Here is my inspiration from Paper Smooches:

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

Moxie Fab Spatter Challenge

and

The Sampler Kit Club Use a Number Card Challenge

Mustache Card

Anyone who is familiar with my papercrafting of late knows I LOVE mustaches.  They are trendy, great for masculine projects and just plain FUN.  So when I was looking through a Stampin' Up catalog recently and saw they THIS stamp set....I just had to make it mine!  I heat embossed these mustaches on black cardstock with clear embossing powder and cut a couple of them out. 

The background paper is dry embossed with distressed stripes, the sentiment is heat embossed with opaque (white) embossing powder and the sentiment is from Unity Stamps.  The vintage newsprint designer paper is from Echo Park's Time and Season's collection. (The PERFECT masculine collection!) The burlap and kraft cardstock is from my stash.

I used Sketch #167 from Card Patterns:

 Besides the sketch contest at Card Patterns I am also entering this card at:

Paper Issues Canvas and Burlap Theme

Cas-ual Fridays Masculine Card with designer paper

Lawnscaping embossing challenge

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Love Shack

I rarely create a scrapbook page without using a sketch.  It is like a road map....it gives me direction when I am starting a page.  Often however I will totally veer off course and change up my page to suit me and my project.  I followed this sketch pretty closely however.  Some of my favorite sketches are from Creative Scrappers and I used their current Sketch #208 for this page:

I also used my American Crafts Amy Tangerine Sketchbook collection and Thickers for the title and date.

On another note, my DT term on The Paper Variety is coming to an end with the upcoming June 1st project.  I recently a new to me challenge blog called Go Fish and they are having a DT call so I decided to throw my hat in the ring with this layout.

I am entering this layout in ScrapFit's Workout #68 -- Misty's Mist Mania

Artful Delight Sketch challenges

I recently won an awesome kit from Artful Delight.  It arrived yesterday and I was lucky enough to have a shortened work day today.  I came home with enough energy and ambition to create this layout of my granddaughter Abigail (Abby) meeting her brand new one day old sister Isabelle (Izzy).  I love the look on Abby's face in the upper right picture...you can prepare a child for the birth of a sibling but obviously from the look on Abby's face she was surprised by her little sister.

Everything on this page is from the May Artful Delight kit with the exception of the Caribbean blue twine from the Twinery.  I used the May sketch as well in hopes of winning the June kit.  Here is the sketch that inspired me:

Then for an extra chance at that prize I also tried my hand at using this beautiful card sketch:

Here is my card that I made following the sketch:

The light pink cardstock and the rose is also from the May kit, the embossed background is from one of my friends when we had an embossing swap, more twine from the Twinery and the sentiment is from SRM....love their sentiment stickers. To get more info on entering these sketch challenges go HERE for more details.  You have until midnight tomorrow May 23rd to enter.

I am also entering this card in the Lawnscaping embossing challenge.

Winner, winner.......

I went to random.org for a winner from my May 1st blog post.  And the winner is:  April!

You have won the vintage sewing pattern, clothespins and scrapping goodies!  Please contact me.

Yay, April!

The Paper Variety Sketch Challenge

At The Paper Variety this time we are featuring an awesome sketch challenge.  Isn't this sketch inspiring?  I absolutely LOVE Diana Fisher's sketches and this one was SO much fun to work with.  Here is my take on it:

The picture is of hubby and me at Mile Marker 0 down in Key West on our recent trip there.  We were celebrating 9 years of marriage and had a wonderful time.  I used my Bella Blvd Sunshine and Happiness collection which I am wild about! Such bright happy colors....perfect for vacation photos!

I really hope I have inspired you to try your hand at this sketch.  Here is the prize that is up for grabs:

How's that for another bright and beautiful summertime collection? You can't win it if you do not enter....so c'mon!  Get busy and enter! You have until midnight on May 27th and you can enter HERE.

On another sad note, after this challenge I only have one more project to create for The Paper Variety and then my term will be over.  I have been on the design team for nearly a year and can honestly say that I have loved every minute of it.  Suzanne and Abby are the best challenge blog owners and so sweet and easy to work with.  If you have any inclination at all, I would encourage you to apply for the next term on the DT.  You can see all the details HERE.

A Little Bird.....

I made a simple little birthday card for my sister today.  I used alcohol inks in water to color the tag and some rubber charms from October Afternoon.  The sentiment is one of my favorites.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays Feathered Friends challenge

and

Simon Say Stamp Favorite Stamp challenge

Boys Rule Layouts

Well here I am working at nearly the very last minute to enter some challenges.  But I absolutely love the sketches at Boys Rule Scrapbook kits and would love to win over there so I worked with both the sketches today to get them entered before tomorrow's deadling.  Here is the first sketch:

And here is my take on it:

Dave and I just returned from an awesome trip to the Florida Keys and I just couldn't resist scrapping some of my brand new pictures.  I also used some Keys pictures for the next layout using this sketch also from Boys Rule:

 And this is what I came up with:

So check out Boys Rule by clicking HERE for awesome sketches and great scrapbook kits.

Fort Pulaski

These pictures are from our honeymoon in 2003 ..... I know shame on me for not scrapping them sooner!  But I am working on scrapping some older pictures and finishing off some albums so you will be seeing some older as well as newer pictures all this year on my pages.

I used this great sketch from Frosted Designs:



Flashback Friday Challenge 23.0

Flashback Friday has the coolest challenges.  The current challenge is to post your first project featuring butterflies.  This is the Mother's Day card I made just after buying the Martha Stewart butterfly punch and I made it for my mother-in-law two years ago.  Check out their challenges (and the awesome prize this time)....you have until May 18th to link up your first butterfly project.  Your project doesn't have to be new....just your blog post.

Bo Bunny Birthday Card

Bo Bunny's card challenge this month is to use 3 patterned papers, 2 stickers and one button/brad.  I followed the recipe and created this birthday card for my niece Frances.  I used a 3 different papers and a layered chipboard sticker the Sweet Tooth collection and the other sticker "Party Time" is from the Ad Lib collection.  Don't you just love the beautiful Bo Bunny button in the lower left corner, also?  The brown cardstock and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up.

I am also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Birthday Theme challenge.

The Paper Variety May Flowers Challenge and a Giveaway!

We have another great challenge and prize at The Paper Variety -- show us your homemade flowers.  There are so many ways to make papercraft flowers and they add so much to your project.  I decided to use some vintage sewing patterns for my flowers:

I am a thrift store junkie and picked up a few vintage sewing patterns and a bag full of vintage wooden clothespins which I used to make these magnetic memo holders..  The tissue paper sewing pattern holds up beautifully to misting and it ruffles nicely for the flowers.  Here is our awesome prize:

 I have some extra clothespins and an extra vintage sewing pattern that I am going to give away to a lucky winner.  I will even throw in some sweet little scrapping goodies.  Just follow my blog and leave me a comment by May 14th and I will pick a winner on May 15th.