Welcome Baby

I created this layout for some friends of ours with the birth announcement that they sent to us when their son, Cooper, was born.  The birth announcement was so cute, I just couldn't throw it out.  We finally got to meet Cooper last weekend (what a sweetie!) and I was able to give this layout to them.  I realized that I had never shared the layout here, so here it is:

I used the July Studio Calico kit, Mind the Gap, along with some letter stickers from an older kit.  I used a lot of Zing! on this layout!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Gone Fishing

I love getting my new Studio Calico kits in the mail.  I look forward to it every month and can never wait to open it - I have to open it immediately!  The problem with getting my new kit is that the previous month's kit gets set aside and doesn't get as much attention as it should.  That is why I try to make as many layouts (that's usually 2 or 3 for me) as I can before the new kit arrives.  

I had some photos of time spent fishing this summer on my vacation in Wisconsin.  I was trying to make something work with the current month's kit and it just wasn't happening.  I went back through some older kits and found the perfect embellishments and paper for my page.  The kit I ended up using was from January 2011, Who's Who.

Everything on my page came from the kit except for the chipboard letters were from another kit.  I had to cut the tail off of a couple of j's because I had run out of i's in this set of letters.

The lake that we are fishing on, Potato Lake, is where my husband and I had our wedding more than eight years ago!  

I always feel good about using up some of my older supplies, so this layout made me happy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Brenda

Mixed Media project

My husband and I were lucky to sneak away to our condo in VT for Columbus Day weekend.  The weather was amazing - near 80 degrees and sunny every day!  When we spend a weekend up there, I generally have a lot of down time, which I enjoy immensely.  I read book and magazines, nap, take walks, head to the fitness center for a swim or a hot tub, and cook a lot.  I would love to spend the time scrapbooking, but I could never be organized enough to figure out what I need to bring with me. I have, however, been able to work on mixed media projects.

I am a complete newbie when it comes to mixed media.  All of my inspiration comes from Kelly Rae Roberts.  I bought her book, Taking Flight, and there are a lot of interesting techniques in there.  

For this project, I first covered a 12x12 canvas with layers of old dictionary paper, using multi-medium to glue it on.  All of the patterned paper is from Crate Paper's Pink Plum collection.  I cut out the shape of the skirt on one of the pieces of patterned paper and then layered the other pieces on top of it.  The legs are just Making Memories paint (the color is cantaloupe.)  The flowers on the blouse were cut out from a border sticker in the Pink Plum Collection and the "Life is Pretty Wonderful" title is a rub-on.  I use a Stabilo pencil to outline it and add any detail, such as the belt.

The orange dots were made with a combination of Studio Calico's Mr. Huey in orchard and multi medium.  I "stamped" it with bubble wrap.  Initially I tried to stamp Mr. Huey directly onto the dictionary background, but because it was covered in a layer of multi medium, it didn't dry (at all, it really just pooled.)  I posed the question of the Studio Calico message board and Davinie from the SC design team suggested mixing the multi medium with the spray mist first and then stamping it.  Since the multi medium dries clear, just the color shows up.  It worked perfectly!

Thank you Davinie for the tip!  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Brenda

He Plays Guitar

My husband loves to play guitar and he usually does 3-4 nights a week.  He usually plays with a friend or two, so it gets a little loud at our house some nights!  I really enjoy listening to them though.  They play a lot of Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, and Pearl Jam.  I usually hide away in my scrap room on these nights, so it's all good.

A couple of weeks ago, he came home on a Friday night, started a fire and played all night outside.  He so enjoyed himself!  I love the way this photo turned out with just the fire as the lighting.

I used the September 2011 Studio Calico kit for the layout.  I really had a hard time cutting into some of those papers - I liked them so much!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!  

Brenda

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

I don't know if I will be making any cards today to participate in World Cardmaking Day, but I thought I'd share a Halloween card that I made a little while ago.  

 I opened a box of goodies from Northridge Publishing this summer for being published in Scrapbook Trends magazine.  When I saw the mini Maya Road chipboard trees and I immediately envisioned one on a Halloween card or layout, covered in Tim Holtz crackle paint.  This is the card I ended up making.

The patterned paper is from Memory Box.  The "BOO!" and the bat were both cut from my Slice.  I used black Coredinations paper with an orange core and sanded just a bit of the black away.  I inked the edges of the card and I also inked the entire tree in black before applying the crackle paint so that the black would show through the cracks when it dried.

Happy World Cardmaking Day, everyone!

Brenda