Collector vs Hoarder

What is the difference between a collector and a hoarder?  Perception!!!

One of the things I've come to enjoy since retiring (and there are many!!) is time!!!  Time to organize my craft closet, to ponder over things I've saved and find things I didn't know I had.   Time to play with my collection, and pull out some newly found items.

Michelle from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge has a great sketch this week.  

 It's right up my alley so I followed the sketch pretty close.

I love how this card turned out - perfect for my sewing mom!!!  We often joke about how much fabric she has in her sewing room compared to how much paper I have in my craft closet.  I think she wins by the way!!!!

Newly found items include stamp sets, Tailor-Made and Mother's Day Sillouettes, Stella paper, and wooden buttons from CTMH. (all retired)  I also found a stamp set of a sewing pattern that I used.  I embossed the scissors, thimble and thread spool and used foam tape to pop them off the card.  

I knew I was saving these pieces from my collection for something..... see I'm a collector.

Enjoy,

Jennifer 

Color My Heart Dare

I am sneaking in a second post today, just in time for the Color My Heart Color Dare #181.  This week the challenge is to use the colours colonial white, honey, pear and cranberry.  Tough one ladies, but I accept the dare.

I used Paper Garden, the January stamp of the month, which was/is one of my favourites!!!  The flowers are stamped in cranberry, second generation honey for the centres with bitty sparkles to highlight.  The leaves were also stamped second generation pear, fussy cut and tucked behind the flowers.  The sentiment "It's Your Day" is from You Mean the World to Me in pear.

The colonial white background I embossed with Qutrafoil folder, and square diffuser, both from CTMH and left a small border to adhere to the colonial white card base.

Pop by Color My Heart Color Dare Blog and take the dare.

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Party Animals @ Heart 2 Heart

What a fun challenge Heart 2 Heart Challenges has for this week.  The theme of your project is Party Animals!!!

Baha ha ha ha - Party Animals is right!!!  I still love this retired stamp set from CTMH appropriately titled Party Animals. It is a group of goofy monsters with cute sayings.  The paper pack is also long retired from CTMH but I still have lots in my stash.  The inside piece reminds me of pac man!!!

This is a shutter card - held closed with the belly band which when removed opens to reveal the message inside the shutter.  I decorated the outside with the felt monsters and aqua dots.  These are really fun cards & I hope you'll give them a try.

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Cabbage Patch Card

If you're of a certain age - you may remember the craziness of Cabbage Patch dolls.  These dolls were developed in 1978 by a young art student, and became one of the most popular toy fads.  

So, when I was asked to create a card this week for a little lady's first birthday featuring Cabbage Patch I was in.  

Happy First Birthday Briah!!!

The image is from a free download colouring book, printed on Xpress It Copic paper and coloured with Copic markers.  I fussy cut the image and used foam tape to pop her off the page.

The sentiment comes from Birthday Bash, and the balloons from Artistry cricut cartridges.  

I continued the balloons inside the card and tied with some retired waxy flax.

The patterned paper is from Confetti Wishes (retired) from CTMH.  Every little girl likes bling so I added purple sparkly hearts to her cupcake and balloon.

I decided to only colour in the "1" on the card to not make it too busy.


I couldn't be happier with the final project and it is now Gramma approved and off to the party!!!

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Charlotte My Way

In a previous post I shared the Charlotte Workshop Your Way completed pages without photos.  I often post layouts without photos because I want you to imagine your photos on those layouts.  In fact, that is often how I work - - do the layouts - - then add photos which is in contrast to how many other scrapbookers work.  I may add additional embellishments or (carefully) move things around when adding my photos, journal and done.

Case in point is Charlotte:

I used Charlotte Workshops Your Way to scrapbook my nephew's wedding.  The soft colours of this paper package were perfect to highlight the photos without overpowering them.

Great family photos are perfect for the "Lovely Day" which was the exact sentiment of the moment.  I did change the layout moving the PML card, and changing to a 4" X 6" photo mat.

With a large family, there are often a number of "takes" to get an almost perfect photo.  Flip flaps add extra spaces for additional photos without cluttering the layout.  It also adds the perfect spot to journal the great story behind these photos.

I have no problem sizing my photos to fit the layout - aka cut them up!!!
When family gets together don't worry about getting the perfect photo - capture those candid, fun, goofy pictures and treasure the memories!!!

I love how the Workshop Your Way gives me the tools to complete layouts quickly for large events where I have a lot of pictures.   Now to finish up, I'll pull out my How-To books and the "professional" wedding photos and get scrapping.

Enjoy,

Double Challenge

It's a double challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges and Color My Heart Colour Dare this week - to use black white and red in your project.  The red can be cranberry, pomegranate or ruby.

I love this floating flower card which was inspired by France Martin.

I cut the flowers in all three reds, using the Springtime Wishes thin cuts.  I didn't know how many flowers I would use and just cut a bunch.  I stamped in black using the co-ordinating Springtime Wishes stamp set.

The black and white paper is from For Always a retired paper package that I'm still hoarding scraps from.

This is what the card looks like when opened.  It's hard to show in a photo how 3-D and full this card is.  So much fun to layer up the flowers.



Now I hope I haven't disqualified myself, but I had to add leaves to my flowers which were cut from fern cardstock and again stamped in black.

I used some pearls for the centre of my flowers and was really pleased with how this turned out.

I hope you'll give this type of card a try - it is a standard 4 1/4" X 5 1/2 when folded and fits in an A2 envelope.

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Favourite Paper Package

Favourite?  You want me to pick my favourite?  Like only one?  Yep that's the challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges.

Maybe it's because I have been working with this paper package (a lot) lately.  As a baby gift for each of my & my husband's nieces and nephews, I have completed a baby album.  This tradition started way back, and little did I know it may come in multiples at times.  In the last few months I have completed five!!!!  So far we have welcomed great-nephew, Kaden, and great nieces, Fiona & Mae.  We are still waiting for #4 and #5 expected in April and neither parent know the sex of their baby.

So, my favourite paper package is...

GEORGIE!!!!!

I am in love with the elephants and cute baby animals in this paper package.

This is the layout from the Workshop on the Go. So cute and fun to assemble.  Mommy will love have each month of baby's year documented on one page.

Additional layout from the WOTG - cute banners, stars, elephants - what more could you ask for.

I also completed the layout from Babycakes WOTG which looks totally different in Georgie.  Keep those instruction booklets - they provide a great resource for further layouts.

Additional layout from Babycakes WOTG.
I used the adhesive backed grey enamel gems throughout the layouts along with the aqua shimmer trim.

I used the Picture My Life cards to cut out the rocking horse and bunnies to add to the layout.  Giggles and Grins cut from the Cricut Cartridge.

I cutt down two PML cards, and used the Georgie complements for the title and additional embellishments.  The flowers were cut from a PML card and pressed in a punch.

Sugar & Spice and all things nice is what this layout is about.  I poked a hole in the elephant and moon chipboard complement and threaded grey thick twine to create a mobile.

Lots of room to add more pictures and layouts of baby in coming months.  I can't wait to see these albums complete with pictures and watch all these beautiful babies grow!!!



So, now I'm caught up on my baby albums - - unless.....

Enjoy,

Baby Zoo

I am so excited for this week's sketch from Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog.

I've been working with Georgie paper package, complements and assortment creating albums, which I give to my nieces and nephews on the birth of their baby. They then have a fully completed album, and just have to add pictures and journal their stories.  What I didn't count on was having FIVE new babies in the last few months.

When I saw the sketch for this week, I knew exactly what I was going to do.  The sketch reminded me of a patchwork quilt.

I stamped each of the animals with Baby Zoo and fussy cut them out.

The lion was stamped twice and I cut out around his mane and popped up on the first stamped image to give her more fluff!!!   I know female lions don't have manes but in scrapbooking we are given artistic licence to change things up as needed!!!

Each of the patterned paper blocks are ink distressed with whisper.


I was excited to have brunch with Mae and her mommy and grandma last week and she loved her card & album!!!

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Introducing Penelope

Not all things appeal to all people.  True statement?

That is also true in scrapbooking - not all paper packages, patterns appeal to everyone, until they see a completed project that is.

 Meet Penelope!!!  I admit I was not a fan - I don't have little girls and wasn't struck on the patterns.  Not my cup of tea as they say.  Until.... I completed the project in the Workshops your Way.

 If you weren't thinking Spring before you will be now.  This paper packages has cute bunnies, frogs, flowers and more - it just screams SPRING!!!!

 I added the thistle cardstock and ink distressed the edges of all pieces.  Running the velum pieces through the Xyron is perfect - you don't see any adhesive marks on your layout.

Picture My Life pages are used throughout the three layouts and again on a pocket page.  They are easily used either horizontally or vertically simply by flipping the card over.


I think I'm in love with the silver purffy embellishments!!!

So, I guess all things may appeal to all people with a twist in perspective.

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Heart 2 Heart - Two

The challenge for Heart 2 Heart Challenges this week (well last week) is to use "2", "two"or inspiration of two in your project.

Phew, now grammatically speaking... how to use two without going too far.... ha ha ha ha - couldn't resist.

This is what I've come up with.

Cheers to the new Mr. & Mrs.!!!  What could be more "two" than a couple - - and, of course, a couple of sparkly champagne glasses to cheer the new couple.

My nephew is getting married later this month & a wedding card seemed the perfect project for Heart 2 Heart.


Images were cut with Artistry Cricut cartridge with new gold glitter paper.  The cardstock is peacock and ribbon organza is from my stash.

Cheers to Brittany & Geoffrey!!!

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Charlotte Takes the Dare

Happy Monday!!! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Color My Heart Color Dare for this week is to use the colours of the beautiful Charlotte paper package.  This paper has become a favourite of many and I'm no exception.  The colours and patterns are subtle and soft - perfect for any project.

My mom is a quilter and we often joke about the number of hours we were dragged through fabric stores and, of course, our never ending complaining about how long she was taking.  Funny thing is now I get it because I spend hours in scrapbooking stores lovingly gazing at beautiful patterned paper, gorgeous embellishments,and flowing ribbon.  She will often look at a sketch or pattern and say that is so much like such and such quilt pattern.

So, today's card is for my mom.....

Lesson for today - - never, ever throw away your scraps!!!  

This card is from 1/2" strips of various pieces from Charlotte - zip strips, Picture My Life cards, and patterned paper.

I added the gold puffie embellishment and black and gold ribbon from the remaining supplies from the Workshops Your Way kit.

 Charlotte paper package is a must to add to your stash.  Use it, and love it.  Great patterns of stripes, flowers, hearts, arrows.... it's going to be your favourite too.

Try out the colour palette for Charlotte!!!

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Easter Color Dare

I'm squeaking in under the wire for the Color My Heart Color Dare this week!!!

I don't know why but the colours for Color My Heart Color Dare this week made me think of jelly beans!!!

You know what that leads to ..... well besides being the favourite snack of choice for scrapbooking.

Jelly beans lead to Easter!!!!  I have been playing with the Artfully Sent cricut cartridge and couldn't wait to cut this Happy Easter card. The card is cut from glacier cardstock, with a white daisy interior.  I added some cute thistle hearts and diagonal striped ribbon.

For the inside of the card I cut two bunnies from Pixie, and added cute thistle cards.  I also backed the inside piece with Thistle cardstock and used wink of stella to add some glitter.







I'm not sure about the googly eyes.... they seem to be looking a bit shifty!!!  They better not be after my jelly beans.




Enjoy,

Jennifer

An early Spring?

Well what do you think?  Are we going to have an early Spring?  Doesn't seem like there was a consensus among the groundhogs yesterday.

Today certainly feels like Spring with record highs of 10C expected.  Crazy, crazy Mother Nature.  So with thoughts of Spring in the air, there is no better paper package than Penelope to share today.

I'm in love with these cute images created with new Spring Critters thin cuts and Spring Critters stamp set.  They were so much fun to colour with watercolour paints.

The cards come together with silver playful puffies and, of course, my favourite foam tape to pop them off the card base.






You can choose the Penelope paper package, and add the assortment or choose Penelope Workshop Your Way and receive both the paper, assortment and the silver playful puffies and limeade washi pack to complete 4 two page layouts with enough left over to complete the 4 cards shown.

Whichever you choose Penelope will make those Spring pictures pop!!

Enjoy,

Jennifer

Loads of Fun - AHSC #145

As part of my 2016 goals (aka resolutions) I wanted to challenge myself, to participate in some challenge blogs - to stretch my creativity and step outside my comfort zone.  So, I selected a few blogs, to dip my toes into the water.  The next thing I knew I was jumping....

I'm so excited to share that I have been selected to be a part of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Design Team!!!!!!

It's going to be an exciting road ahead, with many firsts, and lots of creativity to share.  I'm ready!!! So, here goes, my very first blog post as a design team member.

I loved the great patterned papers of Urban paper package and knew it would pair perfectly with the stamp set Loads of Fun.  This stamp set has three different construction vehicles, with great sentiments for a fun project.

I used saffron, black, slate and cranberry inks,  paper piecing the images where necessary.  Continuing to use up my stash I added some pewter brads for the tracks of the grader.

Cranberry inked pylons lead the way for construction to begin.

I am already imagining how to use this stamp set on my scrapbook layouts.  I remember many hours my boys spent in the driveway with trucks like these.

Enjoy,

Jennifer