Pretty Little Things

Graphic 45 Design Team 2012 Audition

2012-02-24T00:36:00.000-05:00

As most of you probably know, Graphic 45 is having a design team call. I was so excited and decided to give it a go. I looooove everything G45, especially their vintage designs, vibrant colors, and nostalgic themes! All of their paper collections are timeless classics!!

These are the projects I'm submitting for the call, some are new and some will look familiar. Enjoy!

#1. Layout using Once Upon A Springtime

#2. Layout using Le Cirque

#3. Layout using The Magic of Oz

#4. Shadowbox using Curtain Call

#5. Desk Calendar using Steampunk Debutante

#6. Altered wooden box using A Proper Gentleman

#7. Spring tag using Once Upon A Springtime

I hope you've enjoyed this long post, LOL! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed but please wish me luck, I'm really going to need it!

Hugs,

Jolaine

Prima Sketch Contest

2012-02-17T15:08:00.001-05:00

My Creative Scrapbook.com is having a month long Prima contest. We love Prima flowers so we are giving a package of Prima flowers away to every new kit member during the contest (limited to the first 50 members). For our current members just invite a friend to join the club and you both will receive Prima flowers in your kit the first shipment of the promotion, what could be more fun! We also are having a sketch contest with a Fantastic Prima Prize. Come join in the fun by visiting My Creative Scrapbook.com visit our message board for details... here....Begins February 16 and ends March 14, 2012. We look forward to seeing what you create!

Here's my sample for the contest:

I used the gorgeous Pixie Glen collection by Prima along with lots of flowers. The picture is Emily when she was four years old, I thought it was fitting to use an older photo with the title.

I really hope you take the time to play along, the sketch is beautiful and easy to follow and the prize is just fantastic, check it out...

Love Banner

2012-02-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I’m super excited to share with you all my first post for Pion Design. First of all, I like to thank Jenny and Theresa for the generous box of gorgeous, gorgeous paper I received at my doorstep, I’m grateful and honored to be given this opportunity!

Since Valentine’s Day is practically here, I played with the From My Heart II collection to create a home decor project. The shabby chic images and designs in this collection were absolutely perfect for a love banner so I altered an old Maya Road chipboard banner to decorate my fireplace mantle.

Here’s a closer look at each pennant…

The frame around the letters were cut out of chipboard using a Sizzix die and the doily was cut out of the design paper with a Cheery Lynn die. I hope you feel inspired to create a Valentine's Day project of your own. Thanks so much for your visit today!

Happy Valentines day!

Hugs,
Jolaine

Valentine's Day Card/Treat Pocket Tutorial

2012-02-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

As promised yesterday, I prepared a tutorial for my Valentine's Day card/treat pocket. This was very easy and quick to create and make a great teacher gift. Enjoy!

Before we begin, please excuse the bad lighting, I normally scrap late at night :) I began by scoring a glassine bag an inch from the top, then measuring the rest of my bag. I knew I wanted my bag to stick out a little bit for a more handmade look. The bag I'm using is 7X4.5 and was purchased on Ebay.

I then cut a piece of brown cardstock that measured 6X10 and scored it at 4 inches. That will create a pocket that is 6 inches tall in the back and 4 inches tall in the front to nicely display our bag of treats.

Next, cut two pieces of coordinating pattern papers a quarter of an inch smaller for each panel. That means we'll need a piece of paper that measures 3.75X5.75 for the front and a second piece of pattern paper that measures 5.75X5.75 for the back panel.

I inked both pieces of paper with Tea Dye Distress Ink before adhering. I also used hot glue to attach some lace to the front border.

Instead of glue, I used my sewing machine to stitch around the bottom and sides of my pocket.

Our pocket is ready! We can now decorate as desired. I used pearls, rub-bons, flowers and Prima metal frame. The sentiment inside the frame was printed onto pattern paper by combining two different font styles from my computer. I also decorated the bag after filling it up with Dove milk chocolates.

I hope you liked this tutorial. I really enjoyed creating this fun pocket, and I hope you give it a try!

Sweet Nothings

2012-02-07T18:42:00.003-05:00

I'm back to share my projects with the Limited Edition kit from My Creative Scrapbook but first, I want to thank all of you who visited and left sweet comments on my post yesterday. I really enjoy reading your encouraging words :)

Now on with the kit, this months's LE kit features the GORGEOUS Sweet Nothings collection by Kaisercraft and tons of Prima goodies! These are the projects I created...

This page took me forever and a day to create as I did so much fussy cutting (that bird cage is no joke!) but I really wanted the photo to peek from behind all the greenery.

For this next page, I dug up old baby photos of Emily. She was only two months old here. She actually had black hair and grey eyes then, I can't believe how much she's grown. I really miss those days...

The images in this kit are gorgeous and can be cut out and used as additional embellishments.

I also managed to find this other photo. It's a bit grainy because the quality is not that great but I thought these papers worked well with the garden in the background of the photo.

I was inspired by my friend Nadia to punch my background paper behind the photo. Thanks so much for the inspiration Nadia, love your work!

Another quote from Pinterest, can you tell I'm hooked?!

And finally a card/treat holder. I'm in love with glassine bags and the many ways they can be decorated so I created this gift card/treat for Emily's teacher.

I filled up the bag with more Dove milk chocolate hearts, and I do have a tutorial that I'll share shortly.

The sentiment inside the frame was printed on the computer right on pattern paper combining two different font styles.

That's all for today friends! Thanks so much for your visit, have a happy scrappy week!

Hugs,

Jolaine

Love Is In The Air

2012-02-05T23:24:00.002-05:00

It's reveal time over at My Creative Scrapbook and I get to finally share the layouts I created with the February kits. Today I'm sharing my creations with the Main kit which feature the sweet Paper Hearts collection by Crate Paper, just perfect for lovey dovey projects to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Here's my first project with the kit,

If you have young kids, then you know how hard it is to get both kids on the shot to pose, so this is what I get. It' life, and love it! This photo totally reflects my children's personalities at the moment, Emily is a ham and Dylan is funny beyond belief. LOL!

The quote is something I found on Pinterest and I edited it slightly.

The next page came together incredibly fast, for me anyway, because this kit was so easy to work with. Just some stamping, some punch work, and a little bit of detailed cutting and it was all done! Sometimes the designs in the paper call for simple!

Here's a closer view,

For my third page, I got a little bit artsy as I played with modeling paste with this masculine page.

My final project with this kit is an altered project. I altered this little paint can from Michael's with heaps of embellishments from the kit!

Another quick and easy project thanks to all the stickers and punch-outs included in the kit. After altering, I filled it up with Dove milk chocolate hearts and it's now ready to be gifted!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'll be back tomorrow to share my creations with the Limited Kit. For now, be sure to check out MCS DT gallery for more beautiful inspiration!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2012-02-01T21:56:00.000-05:00

Before announcing the winner of my Valentine's Day Giveaway, I like to thank all my wonderful blog followers, old and new. I feel so lucky to have 'met' so many fabulous people. I'm happy to continue to make scrappy friends who inspire me everyday. Your comments and visits mean so much to me!

And now, drum roll please................

The winner this time around is Holly Young!!!!

Congratulations Holly, be sure to send me your addy at jolaine.frias@gmail.com so I can ship your goodies!

If you didn't win, don't be discouraged, with all the new CHA stuff coming out I need to do some serious purging and I have a feeling there's another giveaway in the horizon, a BIG one!

I'll be back soon to share some scrappy goodness. Enjoy the rest of the week!

Glitz CHA Projects

2012-01-31T00:15:00.000-05:00

Hello again! I am so excited because for the first time, I was invited to send in my layouts to CHA! Although I was not able to attend, the next best thing was playing with the luscious new collections from Glitz and today I get to share them with you!

We were asked to create two layouts with each collection, one 12x12 and one 8x8. First up, the beautiful French Kiss. I really love the neutral colors and vintage imagery in this collection.

Next up, is Pretty In Pink. This collection is so sweet and easy to work with. I love that the embellishments range from sweet and bright to grungy and vintage.

And finally, the Happy Travels collection is just darling! There's muted creams and blues but also rich brown and sienna tones, LOVE it!

So what do you think about the new collections? If you're anything like me, I know you can't wait to play with these papers and embellishmens! Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek today, have a wonderful week!!!

Photo Inspiration with Glitz Design

2012-01-25T04:00:00.001-05:00

Hello again! As you probably know by now, Glitz blog challenge this month is to draw inspiration in the photo below for our projects. Easy task I thought as the photo is simply gorgeous!

For my first layout, I used the photo as a sketch and tried to recreate its design features.

The Peek-A-Boo frame made it easy to include the round element in place of the mirror and all the fussy cut flowers helped me re-create the garland on the mantle. Here's a couple of close-ups...

For my next layout, I wanted to create a wintry page using a monochromatic palette, just like in the photo. Though Glitz doesn't have a winter-themed collection, I thought blue, cream and ivory would help me scrap this photo of my daughter wearing a Santa hat (though I cropped the red part off).

I used a mini album page and a doily die for my background. I also stamped a couple of images onto my page.

Thanks so much for visiting today. I hope you found inspiration in my post. And don't forget, Glitz Blog challenge of the month is still going on!

"Beautiful" LO by Jolaine Frias

Glitz Design "Dance in the Sunshine" Floral paper
Glitz Design "Vintage Blue" Rose paper
Glitz Design"Beautiful Dreamer" Stripe paper
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" Peek-A-Boos
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" Whatnots

"A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words" LO by Jolaine Frias
Glitz Design"Beautiful Dreamer" Polka paper
Glitz Design"Beautiful Dreamer" Toile paper

Glitz Design "Dance in the Sunshine" Chipboard Album
Glitz Design"Vintage Blue" Stamp set
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" Peek-A-Boos
Glitz Design "Beautiful Dreamer" Whatnots

Pion Design Giveaway

2012-01-21T16:03:00.001-05:00

Today is Pion Design 1 year blog anniversary and we would like to celebrate with some wonderful blog candy! What you need to do to have the chance to win the entire collection of From My Heart ll and From My Heart ll 6×6 is…

•become a subscriber to our blog (under “Follow Us” in the sidebar)
•write about our blog candy on your blog with our logo and link back to Pion Design
•last but not least, write a comment to this post and tell us your favourite collection from Pion Design.

The winner will be announced 14 th of February, on Valentines Day.

Good luck!

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

2012-01-19T09:18:00.001-05:00

Hello again! Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I decided it was time to share some love with all of you, my sweet friends. One person will win this awesome kit with shabby chic papers perfect for your Valentine Days projects. I also included a laser cut sheet, pink roses, Prima mistable flowers, bling, ribbon and doilies.

You know the drill, become a follower (if you aren't already), leave a message under this post and I'll choose a winner on January 31st to give you enough time to get your projects done by Feb 14th.

Good luck everyone!

MCS January Sketch Challenge

2012-01-17T11:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday all! My Creative Sketches is hosting its first sketch challenge of the year and the sketch is beautiful and inspiring. This is my take on the sketch...

I used the beautiful Prima Romantique collection with lots of flowers and Dusty Attic chipboard mixed in. Here's a closer look:

These flowers are so exquisite, I just love them!

I painted the chipboard frame with crakle paint and inked the edges for a soft look.

As you may know, Pam is always very generous with her prizes, take a look at the amazing goodies up for grabs this month!

I do hope you have time to play along! Head over to My Creative Sketches to be inspired by the other DT examples and join in on the fun!

Pion Design!!!!

2012-01-13T15:03:00.001-05:00

I have been bursting with excitement for a few days now and I finally get to share the news...I was lucky to be selected as a guest designer for Pion Design's 2012 team!!! I absolutely adore their shabby chic papers and the DT is truly amazing, SOOOOOO happy! Here's the rest of the talented ladies I'll be working with:

I hear there's a box of goodness on its way from Sweden to my home. I can't wait to start creating with their beautiful collections!

New Glitz!!!

2012-01-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

Are you ready to check out Glitz Design new collections?! These are amazing!!!!

You likey? I can't pick a favorite as I love them all but I'm not gonna lie, I have to say I'm pretty excited that burlap paper in the French Kiss collection! And what about those 6x6 papers?

Be sure to "Like" the Glitz Design Facebook Page and visit the Glitz Design blog to win goodies during CHA!

January Limited Edition Kit Reveal

2012-01-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

Hello again! Today I'm sharing my projects with the wonderful LE kit from My Creative Scrapbook for the month of January. The kit features the beautiful and whimsical collection, Winter Fairy Tales by Webster's Pages along with heaps of gorgeous embellishments.

Magic All Around. Though it's a winter collection, it really is very versatile so I decided to use this fun photo of Emily I took a couple of months ago while playing in the backyard.

A few close-ups...

I did lots of fussy cutting and detailing. The fairy above was treated with Stickles on its wings and the medallion below was covered with Crackle Accents.

Winter Joy. My next page was also very fun to create. I actually took my paper and cut out all the stars while watching a movie.

Here's a closer look...

The Place... I'm slowly scrapping the pictures from our trip to Disney World. I thought this collection lends itself for the theme.

Sweet Smiles. My last page came together very quickly. I just did a little masking and then I placed some embellies around my photo.

I love Webster's story teller stickers and the kit came with three different colors of them!

There's tons more inspiration in the MCS DT gallery so be sure to check it out! Thanks so much for stopping by today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

January Main Kit Reveal

2012-01-07T04:00:00.001-05:00

This month's Main Kit from My Creative Scrapbook is just perfect for the cold season and snowy days. I love all the different colors and embellishments in this kit featuring Fancy Pants Winterland.

Rosy Cheeks. My first LO with this kit uses lots of distressed layers in unusual colors for winter.

I just recently purchased this snowflake punch by Martha Stewart and I love it, it's a must have!

The kit includes a few wooden doilies my Maya Road and those are fun to alter. Here I chose to paint one and ink the edges.

Winterland. This next page has a totally different color palette. I just adore the blue and white color combo with a hint of tan.

Delight. I know not everyone lives in a place where they get snow so I decided to create an everyday page to show how this kit can be used to fit any theme. I fussy cut all of the flowes and tucked them around the ripped paper to create this design.

This awesome chipboard frame included in the kit is by Leaky Shed. To create this look, I painted and inked it, then applied a coat of Rock Candy Crackle paint.

Chill Out. I have never created a clear layout so when I saw the Hambly Screen Prints transparency included in the kit, I decided to use it as the base of my page. I really like the result. If you decide to try this, I recommend adding a piece of pattern paper to provide some stability to your layout.

Here's another one of those wooden doilies. Though it's hard to tell from the picture, I covered the entire thing with glitter after painting it white.

I just know you'll love this kit, the DT did an amazing job with! Pop over to the MSC gallery for additional inspiration.

Thanks so much for joining me today, my LE kit creations will be up soon! Have a wonderful weekend!

Top 5 Altered Projects

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

As much as I enjoy making 12x12 layouts, there's something especially rewarding about creating mini albums and altered art. With altered projects, I feel like I can let my imagination go wild as I will not be restricted to an album or page protector. Here's a look back at my top 5 altered projects and mini albums.

1. Christmas Wish Mini Album

I hold this album very dear to my heart as it houses photos of Dylan's first Christmas. It was fun to create tons of pockets and tags to make it very interactive.

2. Toybox Printer's Tray

I used some of my favorite photos of Dylan to make this fun tray and I love how it turned out.

3. Bliss Mini Album

When creating this over-sized tag mini album, I experiments with many mixed media elements, so much fun!

4. Altered Purse and Brag Book

Another quick one but very girlie!

5. Altered Santa Sleigh

This one is very shimmery in real life because I painted it with pearl paint, misted all the papers and added Diamond Dust on the bottom.

Top 15 of 2011

2012-01-05T10:47:00.001-05:00

The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to look back at all different facets of our lives. 2011 was my most creative year yet and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was hard picking my favorite layouts but I narrowed it down to 15 (I just couldn't do 10!, LOL!)

1. Once Upon A Springtime

My favorite LO of the year is this is this one using Once Upon A Springtime by Graphic 45. I love how this photo and this collection complemented each other.

2. Little But Tough

Another fave was this one using Prima for a boy page. My self-imposed challenge here was not to use flowers.

3. Beautiful

I was lucky enough to be invited to join the DT for Glitz Design and was excited to create with their latest collections but this one, Beautiful Dreamer, was definitely my favorite.

4. Grateful 4 You

I can't seem to get enough of Prima, this page is Prima all around!

5.Beautiful Time

Of course, I had to include Webster's Pages in this list. The All About Me collection's soft colors and sweet designs were perfect for all kinds of pages.

6. Expand Your Horizons

With this next page, I had tons of fun misting and masking on the canvas sheet.

7. The World Is Your Playground

This is one of my favorite photos of Dylan and I enjoyed fussy cutting to complete this design.

8. Enjoy the Journey

This next page was kind of different for me. Though I did lots of layering, masking and fussy cutting like I normally do, I went for a more 'adult' look with this photo of my sister.

9. Love This Happy Boy

My Mind's Eye came out with some great collections this past year and I played around to create this fun layout of Dylan.

10. Write Your Own Story

I have a soft spot for vintage and when Cosmo Cricket released their Circa 1934 collection, I knew it was time to scrap this old photo of Emily. This one is was soooo much fun to create!

11. Celebrate Freedom

Once again getting grungy with it! LOL!

12. Wishful

I try to make shaped layouts whenever possible to brake the routine a little bit. This one uses Melissa Frances.

13. Mother & Daughter

The Gabrielle collection by Bo Bunny was another one of my favorites this year.

14. Sweetness

I love the pink and floral patterns in the Sweetness range by Pink Paislee and this photo of Emily just makes me smile. I tried hand stitching on my pages for the first time while creating this layout.

15. Lovely Smile

I do love to see my sweet girl smile and this page created with Crate Paper Portrait collection took me forever to create because of all the fussy cut flowers but I love how it turned out.

Thanks for coming along for this look back. I'll have my top 5 altered projects for you tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Wishing you all a wonderful year with much health and joy!

I also want to thank you all for your continued support this past year. I'm so grateful for all those who visit my blog or my gallery at sb.com and encourage and support me so. I'm also thankful for the friendships formed through this wonderful medium, having creative and kind people in one's life is a true gift!

Have a wonderful 2012 everyone!

Getting Ready for the New Year

2011-12-28T13:24:00.001-05:00

2012 is almost here; are you ready? For my post today for Glitz Design, I decided to pull out some photos from our last New Year's Eve. I used a mix of from the three latest collections to create this fun page.

These photos crack me up, Emily thought she had to blow till her cheeks hurt for it to be loud enough, LOL! Here's a couple of close-ups,

Next, I created a journal as a very special gift for a friend who likes all things shabby and girlie. To create my journal, I cut two pieces of chipboard, regular copy paper and a few sheets of pattern paper to 8.25"x5.25" and bound everything together with my Cinch.

I used the Beautiful Dreamer collection and added a Tim Holtz book plate and rosette trim with lots of images cut out of the paper collection.

I kept the inside very simple as I want the recipient to be able to journal and maybe adhere ephemera or photos throughout the book.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I wish you all a happy and healthy new year filled with many blessings for you and your family.

Hugs,
Jolaine

Celebrate Layout
Glitz Design - Dance in Sunshine Collection - Transparency Pieces - Peek-A-Boo

Glitz Design - Dance in Sunshine Collection - Cardstock Pieces - Whatnots
Glitz Design - Dance in Sunshine Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Birds
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Houndstooth

Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Toile

Glitz Design - Vintage Blue Collection - Epoxy Stickers
Glitz Design - Vintage Blue Collection - Transparency Pieces - Peek-A-Boo

2012 Journal
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Epoxy Stickers

Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Cardstock Stickers - Journaling
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Transparency Pieces - Peek-A-Boo
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Trim
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Cardstock Stickers - Titles
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - Cardstock Pieces - Whatnots
Glitz Design - Beautiful Dreamer Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Stripe

Holiday Wishes

2011-12-27T11:20:00.001-05:00

Hello dear friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend filled with blessings, family and loved ones. I couldn't have asked for a better holiday and now I get to enjoy a whole week off from work at home!

Here's a few photos to share...

I managed to get this one of the kids outside wearing their Santa hats. It's soooo hard to get a good shot of both of them at the same time! LOL!

I had to bribe Dylan to sit on Sata's lap for this one at the mall, he was so afraid of him!

Cookies and milk for Santa. They couldn't figure out Santa's favorites so we went with shortbread and chocolate chip :)

Oh the anticipation! I had them hold still on the staircase on their way downstairs long enough to get this adorable shot. Dylan smile's as funny as it gets!

That's all for today. I do have lots of crafty projects to share in the coming days, in the mean time, have a healthy and creative end of the year!

Photo Redo

2011-12-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

Hello again! Just a quick post today as life seems to get busier as Christmas appraches. Only 10 days away!!!! Anyway, I'm sharing a layout I created for last month's Prima BAP. I totally forgot about it until I saw featured on their blog along with other beautiful projects.

I hardly ever scrap myself but I LOVE this picture of Emily and I. This is a redo of this other LO created some time ago.

I used the gorgeous Printery collection with a new vintage treasures and resin piece. Here's a closer look...

Thanks for stopping by today. Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!

MCS Main Kit For December

2011-12-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hello again, as promised, today I'm sharing my projects with this month's beautiful Main kit over at My Creative Scrapbook. I have a feeling this kit will be very popular since it has a great mix of some of the best holiday collections out there. You'll find papers from the Authentique Wonder collection as well as Echo Park Seasons Greetings and Bo Bunny Blitzen collections, so beautiful!

Here are my creations with this kit,

Merry Christmas To All

You Better Not Pout

Favorite Present

and my second holiday card ever! These papers were so easy to work with!!!

And lastly, an altered Santa's sleigh using an unfinished wooden sleigh I picked up from Michael's last month.

Finally, take a look at the kit, simple beautiful!

I really enjoyed working with this kit and the other DT girls did too, check out what they created here.

MCS December LE Kit Reveal

2011-12-08T19:28:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Just a quick post today to share my projects with this month's LE kit from My Creative Scrapbook. With Christmas only a couple of weeks, I'm sure you're in the mood for some holiday crafting. You'll love this beautiful kit which includes a wonderful mix of My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas and Simple Stories 25 Days of Christmas. I really enjoyed working with it and here's what I created...

Merry & Bright

Merry Christmas

December 25

I'm new to making cards but it's the holidays so why not, right?

And finally a couple of candy wrappers for Hershey bars. These make great gifts for teachers and coworkers!

This amazing kit is packed with goodies, I still have a ton of leftover supplies! Here's what the kit looked like right out of the box,

Don't all those goodies look fun? Now head over to the DT gallery and check out what my team mates created, so many beautiful projects to be inspired!!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and come back tomorrow when I'll share my Main kit projects!

We Have a Winner!

2011-12-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all of you who entered my recent giveaway. I picked a random name and the lucky is winner is...

Melissa!!!

Melissa said...
What a great giveaway! Following you now and loving your blog.

November 16, 2011 9:23 AM

Melissa, please email me your addres at jolaine.frias@gmail.com so that I can send you your new goodies.

My Creative Sketches Round 3!

2011-11-26T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hello there! I hope you're all enjoying a happy and restful Thanksgiving Day weekend. If you're home and looking for some crafty inspiration, head over to My Creative Sketches and take part on the third and final round of our Big Fall Sketch contest. Here's sketch #3...

... and here's my take on the sketch,

I used gorgeous Prima papers and embellishments to create this page. I was able to coordinate older papers from the Reflections collection with the new vines and the little resin bird to give this layout all the dimension I love to see in my pages.

I really do hope you join us over at My Creative Sketches, we're having so much fun with the sketches and the grand prize winner will get a 3 month subscription to the always gorgeous Limited Edition kit. And one more thing, take a look at this round's prize pack, can you say YUMMY?!

I leave you with a few photos I snapped of my kids before Thanksgiving dinner. I can't believe how much they're growing and how much joy they bring to my life. I am so thankful to be their mother!

Thanks for your visit today, have a wonderful week!

Beautiful Dreamer

2011-11-23T19:58:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! For my Glitz Design assignment today I thought I'd go over the top girly and shabby with the Beautiful Dreamer collection. Here's what a created...

Timeless

For this layout, I did lots of heavy distressing and a bit of layering but the design is pretty simple. I love the combination of dusty pink and grey, so pretty!

And a few close-ups,

Believe

For my second layout, I decided to use an old die cut paper to create a shaped page. I also did some masking along with lots of layering and fussy cutting.

Take a closer look,

Thanks so much for joining me today. Have a very glitzy day!!!!!

Supply List

Timeless
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Floral paper

Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Houndstooth paper
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Whatnots
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Paper Layers
Other: Ranger crackle paint, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen, Recollections flowers; Prima flowers and pearls, Dusty Attic chipboard
Believe
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Toile paper
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Whatnots
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Paper Layers
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Peek-A-Boo
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Trim
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Cardstock Stickers - Titles
Other: Ranger Liquid Pearls, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen, Prima mask and butterfly

Time For Another Giveaway!!!

2011-11-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a great weekend. I used my extra day off to look around my scrapbook room and decided it's time to share some scrappy goodness with all of you wonderful friends who take the time to visit my blog and leave sweet comments, I appreciate it more than you know!

In this fab pack, there's a Maya Road mini album, Pima flowers, pebbles, bling, a stamp, and even a couple of masks! Also included is the entire Fly A Kite paper collection by October Afternoon, Pink Paislee embellies and ribbons.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is become a follower (if you aren't already) and leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a random winner by the end of the month.

For extra chances to win, help me spread the word via Facebook or post it on your own blog, just let me know where you posted so you can get an extra vote.

Good luck everyone!

More MCS Projects

2011-11-09T01:13:00.002-05:00

Hey there! I'm back to share the rest of my projects with My Creative Scrapbook's Limited Edition kit. This kit was full of pretty, femenine things such as Glitz Beautiful Dreamer papers, Petaloo flowers, vintage lace and Prima resin pieces.

For my first LO, I created a whimsical page by cutting up one of the Glitz Whatnots and using it as my title/journaling.

I cut up a smaller photo to give the appearance that Emily was about to cross the resin bridge. These embellishments are just so much fun!

The next page came together super quickly thanks to the clear frame included in the kit. I just added a bunch of flowers along with some stitching and a bit of layering.

Here's another one of those Prima resin pieces tucked behing the flowers.

I applied Diamond Stickles on this butterfly to enhance it a little bit.

My third page is full of all things femenine like the Dusty Attic dress form, pretty flowers and pearls.

I gathered the paper here to hide some lace behind the top layer of paper. There's also a touch of crackle paint on the roses.

I also painted the dress form with Crackle Paint in Tattered Rose.

For my last page with this kit, I used a few sheets of My Mind's Eye Lost and Found 2 papers, so cute and fun!

I added some texture and interest with a Prima mask and Golden Molding Paste.

Here's a look at the beautiful LE kit.

Thanks again for your visit. I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and leaving sweet comments. Have a wonderful, scrappy rest of the week!

November Reveal at MCS

2011-11-08T00:41:00.001-05:00

Hello friends! It's time for another reveal over at My Creative Scrapbook. Today I'm sharing with you my projects created with November's Main kit which features the Welcome Home collection by Bo Bunny with some My Mind's Eye papers thrown in for good measure.

My first layout is titled 'You Are My Home'. It includes a photo taken recently of my husband and kids while apple picking. I did lots of masking here with lots of lace included in the kit.

My next page's 'Happiness is Homemade'. I did more masking here and I punched a few butterflies and trims using my Martha Stewart punches.

I love Liquid Pearls and I used it here in baby blue to enhance the butterflies.

The following LO was created with the MME papers included in the kit which I love! The prints here are so beautiful so I mixed them all together.

Lastly, here's another Bo Bunny page featuring the Dusty Attic frame included in the kit which I painted with brown and blue acrylic and rubbed some Stickles on it.

Here's a picture of the beautiful Main kit.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit today. If you want more inspiration, swing by MCS DT gallery to see the other gorgeous creations made by our talented girls.

Giveaway Winner!!!

2011-10-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

As promised during the October reveal from My Creative Scrapbook, we have a prize for the person who guessed the number of projects in the DT gallery this month. It was hard work for sure as there are sooo many but Maria had it correct!

Maria Castillo!

Congrats girl! Email me your address so that your pack of Prima goodies could make it's way over to you! jolaine.frias@gmail.com

Femenine and Masculine Layouts with Glitz Design

2011-10-26T10:49:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! I'm excited to back today to share a couple of pages I created using the beautiful new collection Vintage Blue. I adore the bold colors on this line and thought it was perfect for a grungy LO with a soft edge.

This first page you saw before as I created it using sketch #2 from My Creative Sketches sketch challenge.

I used my Big Shot to cut out some gears with chipboad and embossed them using Distress embossing powder. I also added a few flowers but since they have a newsprint design, I thought they could be somewhat manly, what do you think? Did I get away with it? LOL!

The photo here is my husband and son embracing each other. I thought that was a sweet moment to document and the tulle trim was used to add some softness to the overall feel of the page.

For my background, I used a Crafter's Workshop brick template and misted with Glimmer Mist. I love the new stamps which I added in the corner here.

For my next page, I created a more femenine design with the same collection. I wanted to show how versatile Vintage Blue can be!

I did some detailed cutting and layered the images around my photo.

Some of the cut out elements were poped up with dimentionals. I also inked the edges and stitched around my background paper.

I hope you feel inspired to work with this beautiful collection. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Safe and Secure

Supplies:

Glitz Design Vintage Blue Motif paper
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Stripe paper
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Polka paper
Glitz Design Beautiful Dreamer Paper Layers
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Clear Acrylic stamp
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Trim
Glitz Design Teeny Alpha navy
Other: Tim Holtz Gadgets and Gears Die; Recollections flowers; Prima flowers, bling and alpha; Glimmer Mist, EK Success border punch

You Are Adored

Supplies:
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Motif paper
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Toile paper
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Polka paper
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Floral paper
Glitz Design Vintage Blue Rose paper

Glitz Design Vintage Blue Cardstock Stickers Titles
Other: paper doily; Recollections resin flowers; Prima flowers, Glimmer Mist, Tim Holtz Distress ink, Martha Stewart punch

MCS Sketch #2 of the Big Sketch Contest

2011-10-21T01:52:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone....It's time for Sketch #2 of our Big Sketch Contest of 2011... We have more fabulous Prizes to give away!!! Anyone, Yes, Non-Kit Subscribers are encouraged to play along too.

Each month for 3 months beginning Sept. 17 we will provide a sketch (designed by Kim Keane) for you to create a LO. This means you will get a different Sketch in Sept., Oct., and Nov. to create a LO. There will be a different blog post for each month to load your LOs for judging. There will be 3 winners and 3 prizes each month. The first winner will be judged and chosen by the Design Team and then Pam will draw 2 random names for a prize... yes, each month. We ask that you only have one entry per month or per sketch. Everyone that creates a LOs with all 3 sketches will be eligible for another PRIZE...yes...even another PRIZE......the "GRAND" Prize....and the winner for this will be randomly drawn. BUT to qualify for the Grand prize, you must upload all 3 of your LOs on Your Blog or in the MCS contest gallery and link them here in the Link attachment on the MCS blog. Yes, the Grand Prize will be a random draw so it's any one's game at this point. So that means if you have missed a month of playing along then here is your chance to catch up and still qualify for the Grand Prize…Deadlines for each month will be given as we go along each month...Awesome Contest, right???

And here's my take on the sketch using Glitz's brand new Vintage Blue collection:

Isn't this sketch fun?! I loved working with it but if you need a little nudge to play along, here it is... a prize pack full to the brim with Dusty Attic, Webster's Pages and of course, lots and lots of Prima!!!!

Now hop on over to My Creative Sketches and take a look at the other DT examples. I hope you get inspired to play along!

More MCS October Projects and a Giveaway!

2011-10-12T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I'm back to share with you my projects with the October LE kit from My Creative Scrapbook. I was so happy to find brand new Webster's Pages (my fave!) goodies in this month's kit. The featured paper collection is All About Me, looooove this range so much!!!

Here's a photo of the kit, no idea how Pam was able to fit so many gorgeous stuff in one package...

Beautiful Time. For this LO, I edited the photo to coordinate with the soft brown/grey hues in the papers. I also used a fabric ticket along with the butterfly stick pin to embellish.

Isn't that clock awesome? It's a brand new Prima vintage mirror included in the kit. I did lots of machine stitching as usual and added detail with Liquid Pearls in powder blue.

The World Is Your Playground. I just adore this photo of Dylan at the lake and thought it was just perfect for this collection.

Webster's Pages is the best for detailed cutting so I cut lots of images from the papers and popped them
up on dimensionals.

The new Webster's bling is so fun and easy to use! I cut mine apart to get more mileage out of it.

You Love The Camera. This next page has a pretty simple design with some layering. I was happy to see it featured as one of the layouts of the week at Inspire Me .

We received so many embellishments with this kit, two bloomers trims, stick pins, feather flowers, and so much more!!!!

Holding Hands. For my last page, I used the die cut paper included in the kit and attached a paper border using the tutorial I shared earlier here.

The new Prima Shabby Chic resin pieces are just beautiful and add so much to a page.

Also, don't forget to check out MCS DT gallery then come back here and leave a comment letting me know how many projects we have this month for a chance to win a Prima Flowers prize pack, how fun is that! Good luck everyone!

October Reveal At My Creative Scrapbook

2011-10-06T01:23:00.001-04:00

Hello again! Today is reveal day at My Creative Scrapbook. I had the pleasure to work with this month's Main and Limited Edition kits. Today I'll share with you my work with the Main Kit. This kit has cuteness written all over it and it's jammed packed with fun papers and embellishments in the most beautiful autumn colors. The featured paper collection is Farmhouse by Crate Paper, take a look... and read on for a FUN GIVEAWAY!

Here are the projects I created with this kit. My first layout is titled Home Grown.

Though an older photo of Dylan, I just had to scrap it! The colors in the paper collection are the same ones as the ones on his sweater, I love when that happens!

For my next layout, Leaf Collector, I created my own burlap banner inspired by the cute wooden clothes pins included in the kit.

The chicken wire chipboard piece was a great addition to this kit. I embossed it to give it some texture.

The colors were perfect for a pumpkin picking LO so I totally went for the obvious, LOL! This one is titled Today Is Worth Remembering.

Did I mention I love this kit? LOL! I think my favorite part was the stacked tea cups, so sweet!

Lastly, I created the following recipe book by binding together some recipe cards and dividers with chipboard panels I cut using my Fiskars trimmer.

I really enjoyed creating with this kit and I know you will too!

And now for a fun Reveal Day Giveaway! Visit My Creative Scrapbook's DT Gallery and check out all the beautiful creations with the October kits; then come back here and leave a comment letting me know how many projects we have for this month. I'll draw a winner from the correct responses to receive a fabulous Prima flowers prize pack courtesy of Pam, MCS owner.

I hope you play along, who doesn't like Prima flowers, right?! Good luck everyone!

September Challenge At MCS

2011-10-02T22:37:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! It's my first time hosting a challenge over at My Creative Scrapbook and I'm so excited!!! I sure hope you have time to play along!

You probably have noticed that I love circles. I think they're a great way to create a focal point around your photo, especially when the rest of your layout may seem a bit busy.

So, your challenge this month is to create a new layout that incorporates circles in any way. The sky is the limit here, you can cut your background paper, or even your photos in the shape of a circle. You may try adding a stitched circle or just cut some pattern paper to add to your design. I'm sure you will wow us all with your creativity.

And if you need an incentive, take a look at the amazing prize package Pam has in store for the winner; Teresa Collins papers with Chipboard, Buttons, lots of flowers and the new Jenni Bowlin Paint dauber, Now that is fun!!!

This challenge runs till October 15th. You don't have to be a kit subscriber to play along but you do have to be a member. Sign up here and join the fun!

Glitz It Up For Fall

2011-09-21T11:02:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I was so happy to get the opportunity to play with the beautiful Dance in Sunshine collection. I just love the yellow, grey, teal and purple hues in this collection with a hint of girly grunge, totally reminds me of autumn!

I created this LO with a photo taken last year while pumpkin picking at a nearby farm. Dylan is so cute here with his head full of curls!

I used a screen to mist the paper with brown mist in opposing corners to add interest. I also added flowers, Stickles and machine stitching.

Supply List
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Damask
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Birds
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Polka
Glitz Design Dance Dance in Sunshine Whatnots
Glitz Design Dance Dance in Sunshine Glitzers
Glitz Design Dance Dance in Sunshine Cardstock Stickers - Titles
Glitz Design Dance DanceVintage Blue Trim
Other: Petaloo flowers, Recollections flowers, Prima flowers and leaves, Dusty Attic chipboard, Ingvild Bolme chalk ink, Stickles in Cinnamon, thread

Next, I created a page with a totally different color palette. This is an older photo of Emily but I just love it and the colors coordinate perfectly with this collection. I'm not normally a 'purple person' but these patterns are absolutely beautiful and so much fun!

I layered a ton of beautiful embellies from the Dance In Sunshine collection along with flowers, chipboard and punched borders accented with Stickles.

Supply List

Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Raindrops
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Polka
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine paper: Floral
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine Peek-A-Boo
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine Whatnots
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine Paper Layers
Glitz Design Dance in Sunshine Trim
Other: Petaloo flowers, Prima flowers, Dusty Attic chipboard, Martha Stewart border punch, Stickles, Ingvild Bolme ink, thread

Thanks so much for your visit today! Have a happy, scrappy time!!!

Toy Box Printer's Tray

2011-09-19T22:20:00.001-04:00

Hello again! Today I'm sharing something completely different from what I've been doing lately. I wanted to make an altered project just for fun and I've been wanting to use the fun Toy Box collection by Crate Paper, this is what I came up with...

I love, love, love this fun collection and its nostalgic images just perfect for fun-loving little boys like Dylan. This printer's tray will be hung on our playroom, the kids loved it so much that Emily already asked for one of her own so I think there's a girlie one in my near future!

I sprayed the entire printer's tray with Suede Glimmer Mist to give it a brownish-golden tone and just added chipboard pieces, tags and paper from the collection along with a few photos. Here's a closer view:

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate you taking the time to visit and leaving sweet comments. Have a great week!

MCS Big Sketch Contest

2011-09-18T23:41:00.001-04:00

It's time to annouce Creative Scrapbook's Big Sketch Contest.

Each month for 3 months beginning Sept. 17 we will provide a sketch (designed by Kim Keane) for you to create a LO. This means you will get a different Sketch in Sept., Oct., and Nov. to create a LO. There will be a different blog post for each month to load your LOs for judging. There will be 3 winners and 3 prizes each month. The first winner will be judged and chosen by the Design Team and then Pam will draw 2 random names for a prize... yes, each month. We ask that you only have one entry per month or per sketch. Everyone that creates a LOs with all 3 sketches will be eligible for another PRIZE...yes...even another PRIZE......the "GRAND" Prize....and the winner for this will be randomly drawn. BUT to qualify for the Grand prize, you must upload all 3 of your LOs on Your Blog or in the MCS contest gallery and link them here in the Link attachment on the MCS blog. Yes, the Grand Prize will be a random draw so it's any one's game at this point. So that means if you have missed a month of playing along then here is your chance to catch up and still qualify for the Grand Prize…Deadines for each month will be given as wego along each month...Awesome Contest, right???

OH, I almost for got to tell you what the "Grand Prize" will be...The lucky "Grand Prize Winner" will receive.......drum roll....please...... The Extra Lucky "Grand Prize Winner" will receive a ((( 3 Month Subscription to the Gorgeous Limited Edition Kit!!! )) You heard me right....3 months of beautiful Limited Edition Kit gorgeousness!!!

Pop on over to the My Creative Sketches blog, check out our examples and take some time to play along, the prizes are just AMAZING!!!!!!

Good luck everyone!

My Creative Scrapbook Guest Design Team Call

2011-09-12T22:52:00.000-04:00

My Creative Scrapbook is happy to announce:

The GDT call is open from Sept. 17, 2011 through Oct.28, 2011.

We will announce the new Guest Design Team on our blog and in our forum on Nov 5, 2011.

We are looking to fill spots for Guest Design Team positions but hint, hint, we have chosen our permanent DT members from our past Guest DT members.

Within these positions we are looking for skills in creating layouts, mini albums, cards, altered items and sketches.

Once we have made our choices then we will announce it on our blog and contact you.

We want you…”if”…you are a creative, energetic, and ambitious and want to have fun creating with us.

Our Expectations of Guest Designers:

- Open communication skill.

- Consistent style and range and ability to design and showcase our kit supplies.

- Teamwork, cooperation and the ability to meet deadlines.

- Ability to create layouts, cards and altered projects on a more experienced skill level.

- Ability to teach techniques with written instructions and/or step by step photos or video.

- Photography skills to produce clear and accurate photos of your projects.

Guest Design Team Requirements:

- Active participation in our forum including the message board and galleries. (This is a must for all.)

- 3 Layouts and 1 card/altered item per kit per month.

- Step by step picture or video tutorial to share with our members in our forum on a rotating basis using a kit.

- Head up challenges for our members in our forum on a rotating basis.

- Give a tip each month from a project you created using our kit.

- Note: We ask that you “not” Design/Guest Design for another kit club while with My Creative Scrapbook but MFG teams and Online Sketch sites…etc. are fine.

What’s in it for you?

- Each month you will receive a kit packed with the latest and greatest products to create with.

- We will post your projects in our Main DT Gallery.

- We will submit your DT projects to the Manufacturers for appreciation and exposure.

- We have a drama free environment and have lots of fun.

- You will be working with a great group of friendly and talented designers that work together to inspire and uplift one another.

Please submit:

- 3 Layouts and 1 card/altered project that bests represents your style. Files should be 500 pixels.

(Please share any specialties, such as mini albums, sketches…etc.)

- Your Name

- Email address

- Address

- Phone Number

- Link to your Online Gallery

- Link to your Blog

- List of Past and Present Design Teams (list all requirements for the present teams you are on).

- We would like to know a little about you and why you would like to join us here at My Creative Scrapbook.

You need to register in the forum while the call is going on if you’re not already a member. Please make your presence known in the forum in the Introduction Thread. We would like to get to know you and allow you to get to know us.

Site Link: http://www.mycreativescrapbook.com/

Please send all submissions to: mycreativescrapbook@yahoo.com

International designers are welcome to apply.

Good luck everyone!!!!

September Reveal at My Creative Scrapbook

2011-09-07T00:06:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. It's time to share with you my designs with My Creative Scrapbook's gorgeous kits. I was lucky to work with the Limited Edition and Main kits. Both kits are gorgeous and packed with the most beautiful papers and embellishments.

First up, I'd like to share my Limited Edition work. This month's wonderful LE Kit included a gorgeous Prima canvas sheet. I wanted to make a 'fabric' layout so I thought I'd create depth with color and limit the use of paper. Here's my LO...

To color my canvas, I layed down a couple of Prima masks and sprayed the entire surface with two different colors of Glimmer Mist. I used GM in Hoola Hoop and Chalkboard in Apricot Nectar. I found these two colors complemented the papers I chose to add to my layout as well as the beautiful flower spray included in the kit.

I also frayed the edges by pulling some fibers. Next, I sprayed the threads/fibers I had left over from fraying with spray adhesive to make them sticky and add them to my project for more texture.

For my next layout, I wanted to create more of an adult look to scrap this photo of my beautiful sister. She decorated her new bedroom red and black and I promised to make a few layouts for her to place in shadow boxes and create a collage. I thought these pretty Creative Imaginations papers were just perfect for the job!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you probably noticed that I love quotes. I ran the paper through my printer using removable adhesive to include some inspiring words for her. The quote reads "Always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

For my next page I worked with monochromatic colors and a few splashes of burgundy. The colors and textures in this kit are beautiful and work wonderfully together.

For this next page, I tried to keep things soft by adding splatters of paint, ribbon and a whimsical banner.

To create this banner, I simply cut a few rectangles in two different sizes and used a square punch at an agle to make the fish-tail ends. I also dressed up my banner with black ink and liquid pearls in soft pink.

This month, I also worked with the beautiful Main kit which features the Victoria Gardens collection by Echo Park. This kit is so pretty an easy to work with!

In this page, you will notice two picket fence embellishments I created to enhance the leaf vine trim included in the kit. A tutorial on how to create this shabby picket fence will follow shortly!

I love all the soft pastel colors in this kit! This funny photo of my husband and Dylan (while he was going through his yucky-face phase) worked really well with the yellow and black elements in the kit to create a simple and efforless LO.

Finally, I used my printer and the Echo Park journaling cards paper to create lunch box notes for Emily who started first grade today. I got the idea from Pinterest. This idea can be adapted to suit any theme your little one likes.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit today! Head over to MSC's DT gallery to see what the other talented DT girls created and also check out the Tips and Tricks thread in our message board for awesome tutorials.

Have a wonderful week!!!!!!!!!!

Love Games Layout

2011-08-24T02:13:00.005-04:00

Hi there! I'm so happy to share with you my first post as a Glitz DT member. As the fall draws near, life around here finally seems to slow down and go back to normal. I know you all must be as excited as I am to get your hands on the new Glitz releases. As I wait patiently for my DT box full of new CHA goodies to arrive, I will share an older LO I created using one of my favorite collections, Love Games.

This is my beautiful sister. I did lots of machine stitching and misting here to go along the collection's fabulous girly grunge look.

Love the 'Play Fair or Lose' sentiment so I covered it with crackle medium to make it stand out. Here's a few close-ups.

Supplies used:
Glitz Design "Love Games" Paper: Polka
Glitz Design "Love Games" Paper: Scorecard
Other Supplies: Black Cardstock, Petaloo Flowers, Red Acrylic Paint, Raven Glimmer Mist, Ranger Crackle Medium,Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink, Lace from my stash

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a Glitzy scrappy time!!!

Jolaine

New Blog - My Creative Sketches

2011-08-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

My Creative Scrapbook is happy to announce a new addition... My Creative Sketches! On this blog we will run monthly sketch challenges and contests and award prizes! We are so excited to bring this blog to you.

These challenges and contests are open to everyone. You do not have to be a Kit Club Member to play along. We just want to see everyone use our sketches. The Deadline for this month's challenge is Sept. 15 (midnight est time).

There will be 2 Random Draw Prizes for this Challenge...Yes 2...and both Random Draw!

This is the first sketch, so fun and beautiful!

Here's my take on the sketch... I used all Prima on this one. I pulled an older collection, Strawberry Kisses, which is vibrant and colorful!

Here's a couple of close ups of the beautiful embellishments.

Be sure to visit My Creative Sketches, there's lots of inspiration and great prizes to be won! Have fun scrapping!!!!

Preschool Mini Album

2011-08-16T18:11:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe summer is almost gone! Spending the entire day with my kids has been great, we've had so much fun! I'm kind of dreading the arrival of the fall because it means that I will go back to work and the daily hour-long commute that comes with it! Most importantly, Emily will be starting first grade!!! It seems hard to believe but kids do grow by the minute!

With that said, I thought it was about time I finally scrapped Emily's preschool photos so I created a mini album. Because most photos of Emily's preschool years I have include lots of other children, I photographed the mini before including those photos.

I used the Learning Curve collection by Bo Bunny along with a few bits from Cosmo Cricket, Maya Road and 7Gypsies. The cover of the album is a small three ring binder by Close To My Heart I had in my stash for ages. I thought I'd keep things simple so I can actually get it done before Septembe, not too many frills here!

Thoughout the book, I included a few pockets and envelopes with cute library cards inside for journaling or photos.

The yellow double mat above opens to reveal space for two more photos.

The striped Bo Bunny trim frays like crazy so I burned its edges with a lighter.

The cute pockets are by 7Gypsies. They are such and easy way to include some interactive fun to your minis!

I removed part of the adhesive of my chipboard pieces with baby powder. This will allow me to slip a photo on the mat later. Good tip to remember whenever you're making a mini without photos.

I plan to photograph Emily's diploma and graduation ceremony program and print them onto cardstock so I can store them in this cute Maya Road craft envelope.

Ever go home with a few too many pencils from Ikea? I sure do, here's what I did with them! The trifold next to the pencils opens up to provide space for four photos where I'll have Emily's pictures with her teachers.

I have three journaling cards here which I adhered with an eyelet to be able to swivel them and have more space to journal and place photos. The little report cards are by Kaissercraft and I thought they would be perfect for writing the names of Emily's best friends.

The adorable light bulb charm (along with the two others in the front cover) came from an Industrial Chic set from Michael's.

That's all for today! I hope I have inspired you to scrap some back to school memories. Happy scrapping!

2011-08-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

I have exciting scrappy news to share with you from My Creative Scrapbook, if you love sketches and amazing prizes you are going to love this!

My Creative Scrapbook will be having a new blog reveal on August 22nd at http://www.mycreativesketches.blogspot.com/. Check back so see our first sketch and design team layouts and the prizes you can win......we have prizes, prizes and more prizes to give away.

Here is a sneak peek............shhh don't tell......of one of our prize packages......NEW CHA product from Grants Studio's.

We just can't wait......see you on the 22nd!!!

Corrugated Cardboard Two Ways, a video tutorial

2011-08-13T01:21:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone! I'm back to share with you a tutorial on how to incorporate corrugated cardboard into your projects and layouts. I used cardboard in two of my main kit designs this month and created a video to show you just how I did that.

I hope you enjoy watching!

MCS Augut Main Kit Reveal

2011-08-13T00:46:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday to you all! I have for you today the layouts I created with My Creative Scrapbook's August Main Kit. This kit was full of beautiful, bright papers and fun embellishments just perfect to document summer memories.

My first layout includes lots of images I hand cut out of the patten paper as well as some chipboard stickers. I really like that some of the papers in this kit are bright and fun while others offer a more vintage and softer look. Here I have a couple of photos of Dylan I took while he played in front of an old building across the street from Crayola Factory last month. He was so excited so I titled the page Ready 2 Play.

I used white paint to ink the edges of the blue pattern paper, corrugated cardboard to mat the photo and some machine stitching.

Next, I scrapped a photo of Emily and a friend at a recent playdate. They were enjoying the pool and sunshine. I just love their toothless grins! As usual, I did lots of machine stitching and distressing to create texture.

A tutorial on altering corrugated cardboard for the circle in the background will follow shortly. I also used puffy paint on the flower for an added touch.

For my next layout I used the die cut paper included in the kit along with Glimmer Mist in Sun Sisters. I seem to be reaching for that color very often lately, so sunny and bright! I love polka dots and this red pattern paper was just perfect for these photos of Emily munching on juicy watermelon.

I used a large EK Success border punch for the scallop borders, hand stitching and lots of paper distressing.

My last layout uses muted colors in the kit. I love this photo of my kids feeding the ducks, so serene! I really loved the Simple Stories papers and embellishments included in this kit, the perfect combination of vintage and soft.

My did some really light masking using a punched paper border and a bit of layering.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have fun scrapping!

Quick and Easy Frosted Flowers Tutorial

2011-08-07T21:22:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you but I love frosted roses. This month's LE kit at MSC included a package of beautifully frosted Prima flowers. I wanted to recreate the look to add more sparkle and dimension to the other roses. This is what I did:
Supplies:

-Nonstick mat
-Flowers to be altered
-Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer
-Diamond Dust (found in the floral section at your local craft store)
-Ink
-Glossy Accents
-Heat gun

1. Ink the edges of the flower very lightly. Leave stems on for easier handling.

2. Spray your flower with Vanilla Shimmer spritz. This will give your flower a wonderful, colorless shimmer and will cause the edges to 'bleed' adding a more natural two-tone effect. Dry your flower with a heat gun.

3. Apply Glossy Accents in random spots.

4. Roll your flower on the Diamond Dust and let air dry. This may take 20 - 40 minutes depending on how much Glossy Accents you applied. Try and be patient here if you use the heat tool, the crystals can burn and become opaque.

5. This is what the finished roses look like. Love it! Hope you guys try it!

August Limited Edition Kit Reveal At My Creative Scrapbook

2011-08-05T15:35:00.001-04:00

Hello there! It's reveal time at My Creative Scrapbook and today I'd like to share with you my work with the gorgeous Limited Edition kit. This kit was an absolute pleasure to work with. It features the beautiful 5th Avenue collection by Melissa Frances and of course, tons of beautiful flowers.

For my first layout, I decided to cut the background paper into a circle. The masking was created using one of the masks included in the kit along with Wheatfields Glimmer Mist. I also outlined the masked image with a light brown pen. I really liked the result.

I loved one of the acetate sentiments included in the kit but the colors didn't coordinate with this layout so I printed it onto one of the die cuts and placed it behind this beautiful resin frame, my favorite!

For my next layout, I pulled the blue, green and cream colored papers and embellies to create a baby layout for Dylan. I know this is not a baby themed collection but I just couldn't resist. The images are so shabby and delicate that it reminded me of baby clothing.

There's lots of hand stitching and fussy cutting on this page, fun!

For my next page, I scrapped this beautiful photo of Emily while searching for rocks to throw into the pond. Again, the beautiful papers didn't need too much to create this page. I just did some layering, machine stitching and distressing.

The pretty vintage lady was actually cut out of the Melissa Frances packaging. I also framed the tag here with liquid pearls.

My last page has a bit of a victorian look to it, don't you think? All the stitching here was done by hand using my Making Memories ruler for the straight stitch and the Sew Easy for the stitching on the left side.

Here's few close ups of this one...

I also want to let you all know that My Creative Scrapbook will reveal a new blog on August 15th...
Do you like sketches? then you will love this blog... and wait until you see the prizes! Dont miss out on all the fun Pam has in store, you don't have to be a kit subscriber to be a member on the message boards and have fun with us!
I'll be back tomorrow to share my projects with the super fun Main kit!

Hugs,
Jolaine

Wait until you see the prizes ..

Altered Box

2011-07-27T13:42:00.001-04:00

Hi there! It feels like forever ago since I blogged. Whoever coined the phrase 'lazy days of summer' obviously didn't have any children, LOL!

Today I like to share with you an altered project I created using My Creative Scrapbook's Flower Kit for the month of July. I received a gorgeous assortment of flowers and this is what I came up with.

I painted my box and used paper from the Country Estate collection by Webster's Pages. I created a mini tag album designed to hold wallet sized photos and perhaps some journaling. The mini tucks nicely inside the box.

Here's a couple of close-ups of the gorgeous flowers I used.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you're having a wonderful summer day!

Dreamy Photo Effect Tutorial

2011-07-10T00:28:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Just a quick post today to share a tutorial. I love to give my photos a 'dreamy' look with white paint. I think it adds a unique softness. This is how I create that effect in the photo I used for my 'Love' layout I shared in an earlier post.

You will need:

-a nonstick mat
-a paint palette
-scissors
-white paint
-a stencil brush
-the photo you want to alter

1. Run the blade of your scissors along the edge of the photo to mildly distress it. I don't recommend the edge distresser for this step as your photo may tear.

2.Pour a little bit of white paint on your palette and spread it around so that your brush will only get a light coating of paint on it.

3. Start applying the paint on the craft sheet and slowly work the brush toward the photo. As you do this, hold the brush at an angle and apply lightly. This is very important in order to avoid harsh straight lines.

4.That's it! You're done! The paint 'frame' can be as wide or narrow as you desire.

I hope you found this tutorial useful and that you give it a try! Now, I'd like to invite you to head over to My Creative Scrapbook to watch a video tutorial created by my team mate Delaina. In the video she shows you how she created a beautiful layout from start to finish using the fabulous July Limited Edition kit. Watch the video here.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day!

My Creative Scrapbook July Reveal

2011-07-06T23:23:00.001-04:00

Two posts in one day?! I know!!!! Bear with me, I have lots to share so here I go...

This month's Limited Edition kit at My Creative Scrapbook is drop dead gorgeous. It's LOADED with beautiful Webster's Pages Country Estate and Prima flowers, bling and lace. I was in girly crafting heaven when I saw it yet I managed to create this boy page. I think I can get away with it because Dylan is still a baby in this picture.

Lots of fussy cutting here. I also used a lot of my favorite Ranger Pop It shapes to add dimension to my cutouts. Take a closer look...

For my next layout, I used softer tones and went totally romantic. This collection is full of soft floral patterns which I love!

I did a lot of machine stitching here and put my Martha Stewart border punches to work, some of my favorite tools lately!

Next, I wanted to create a totally vintage, yet shabby chic page with this gorgeous gazebo image. I used a Photoshop action (free from Pioneer Woman) to edit my photo and get just the look I was going for. I heavily distressed and inked the papers and layered lots of cutouts from the collection to achieve this look. I really like how it turned out, it's much prettier in person.

Here's a close-up...

For my final layout with this kit I tried to create a scene of tranquility to go with the picture. I caught Emily just sitting quietly and dangling her legs, such a sweet childhood moment.

Once I was done with the LE kit, I got to work with the Main kit. This month's main kit is fun and femenine. It features the beautiful Emma's Shoppe collection by Crate Paper and Life Is Good by Echo Park along with pretty Prima and Petaloo flowers. I had so much fun creating with this kit!

My first page was created by tracing an old die cut paper and cutting it out using scallop scissors then punching each scallop with a tiny hole punch. I got the awesome tip from the super talented Gerry. I also did some masking and lacing.

For my next layout, I tried to create a fun and playful design while maintaining my usual layers and distressed look.

As you could probably tell, one of my favorite things to do is to use my border punches around die cut shapes. I created a tutorial on how to do this which you can view here.

I tried Puffy paint on the pink Prima flowers and loved the effect! I think there's a lot of Puffy paint in my future!

On this layout, I pulled some of the fun and bright Echo Park papers. There were so many stickers on this kit that it was hard to stop myself from adding more!

My final layout couldn't be simpler. I just punched the borders of some layers and accented the photos with flowers, easy peasy!

Thanks so much for joining me once again. Please take a moment to see what the other DT gals created with this month's kits and check out MSC's awesome DT gallery.This was a lengthy post, I hope you found some inspiration today!

Celebrate Freedom

2011-07-06T14:14:00.002-04:00

Thanks so much for all your sweet congratulatory words yesterday about me joining the Glitz Designs DT. I'm really excited!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July holiday. We sure did! We were able to catch our town's fireworks display right before getting away to visit the Crayola Factory, Hershey Park and Chocolate World. It was a blast!!! Now that I'm back I couldn't resist playing with Bo Bunny's layout challenge which asked us to create a layout inspired by an ad. This is what I came up with...

In the spirit of the holiday, I drew inspiration from this ad...

Love it's grungy appeal which goes perfectly with my style of scrapbooking. All the distressed blues and reds with a touch of white immediately reminded me of Bo Bunny's Liberty collection and I knew I had to scrap this awesome photo of Emily last year right before the fireworks display.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Does the design look familiar? It probably does as so many people are playing along Nadia's fun sketch challenges twice a month over at Once Upon A Sketch. I was honored to be featured last week and couldn't resist using another of her sketches, they're so easy to put together and beautiful! Here is the design she provided:

Thanks Nadia for another amazing sketch to play with! And thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Have fun crafting!!!

Super EXCITING News and A Winner!

2011-07-05T18:12:00.001-04:00

I have been keeping a little secret for a few weeks now and I am finally able to share it with you all! I have been invited to join the amazing Glitz Designs DT!!! You can read the original post here. Isn't that one amazing design team! I'm so honored to be working with these super talented girls!

I actually did the happy dance when I read the email I received from Lea Lawson some time ago asking if I wanted to work with Glitz products. Do I ever?!! Their collections are fabulous and I can't wait to receive my DT box and get started. Look at what they will be releasing this CHA Summer:

Ahhh! These are all gorgeous and the colors and embellishments look awesome!!!

... And now I'd like to thank you all for joining me on my summer giveaway. I feel truly honored you take time to read my blog and comment on my work. Your encouraging words motivate me to continue to create and post. This is a wonderful hobby and it's great to be able to share it with you all, my scrappy playmates!

I used Random.org to generate a random number (#16) and the winner is...

Jaime!

Just Jaime said...

I'm a new follower! Thanks for the chance to win! Looks like a great haul!

Congrats Jaime! Email me your address so I can get your goodies on the mail! My email address is jolaine.frias@gmail.com.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow! I'll have MSC July reveal for you!

Time For A Giveaway!

2011-06-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you're having a great week and enjoyed this past weekend with the fathers in your life. I have an awesome package of goodies up for grabs perfect to scrap fun summer photos. I love the cute patterns on these papers, think banners, barbecues and good times!

Included in this package:

Creative Imaginations paper kit

Creative Imaginations cardstock stickers

Creative Imaginations Chipboard stickers

clear stamp set

Prima e-line flowers

2 packs of Prima flowers

BoBunny word album

Jenni Bowlin paint dauber

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and become a follower (if you aren't already). I'll draw a random winner on July 5th.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Wish

2011-06-09T10:01:00.001-04:00

Hello there! I'm back to share with you another layout I created using the gorgeous Gabrielle collection by Bo Bunny. The sweet photo is of my daughter making a wish while throwing a coin into a fountain in Cinderella's Garden in Disney World, Florida last year.

This week's layout challenge in the Bo Bunny blog was to create a layout inspired by a piece of clothing or fabric. I was inspired by the halter top Emily is wearing in the photo. I tried to recreate ruffled edges all around my page to mimic the ruffles on the front of her top. I also thought its color coordinated very well with the teals and browns in this beautiful range.

I was also inspired by another wonderful sketch designed by the talented Nadia Cannizzo from Once Upon a Sketch blog. Please check her out, she's not only super creative and gifted, but also absolutely sweet and friendly!

Because I love this paper so much, I decided not to add as many layers as I normally do, instead, I made a slit on the paper and tucked a punched trim in between. I'm very pleased with how this turned out. Here's a closer look...

The gate behind the photo is a Dusty Attic chip piece I bought from Vicky Alberto's etsy store, another super sweet and talented crafter. To get the old patina look, I first sprayed it with Tattered Leather Glimmer Mist, then lightly brushed a thin layer of turquoise blue acrylic paint and followed with another layer of Glimmer Mist. I call this, 'easy peasy patina squeeze'! I know, so corny! LOL!

I hope you have enjoyed my post today. If you like to play along with this beautiful sketch, head over to Once Upon A Sketch, the deadline is June 15th.

Hugs,

Jolaine

My Creative Scrapbook!!!

2011-06-05T10:44:00.003-04:00

Good morning friends! I'm so excited to share with you some really awesome crafty news. I will be joining the Design Team over at My Creative Scrapbook! YAY!!!!!!! I have been a fan of MCS's kits for many years now. Pam (MCS owner) is always very generous with her kits and fills up each shipment with tons of paper, flowers, trim, and all kinds of beautiful embellishments.

For the month of June, I had won a spot on My Creative Scrapbook GDT call and received the Limited Edition kit to play with. This kit was amazing with so many variations of paper styles and colors. To my excitement and suprise, I was invited to join the DT full time! I can't wait to work with so many talented crafters and play with the best products around! Thank you so much Pam for all your kind words and for this amazing opportunity!

These are my creations with the June LE kit, which included all of Crate Paper's Portrait collection plus papers from My Creative Imagination, Glitz Designs and My Mind's Eye as well as gorgeous Prima flowers and pearls. For my first LO, I chose pastel colors to make a summery page. This photo was Emily was taken last year, with a little bit of tweaking in Elements, I turned it to BW. I just adore her smile here.

Here's a couple of close-ups. The pink background was created with a Martha Stweart Punch Around the Page punch. I also used Liquid Pearls in the center of each flower design. The letter stickers for the title were given a hint of color with Tattered Rose Distress Ink. The ruffled border was created by pleating a strip of paper I punched using a Martha Stewart border punch. I really liked the perfectly imperfect effect!

I did a lot of fussy cutting here, there were two sheets of this gorgeous paper in the kit!

For my second page, I used the doily die cut paper included in the kit and enhanced it with a punched paper border. You can see the tutorial here. For this page I went with black and cream to complement the colors Emily and I were wearing in the photo, which was taken this past Easter.

I did some corset lacing here. The key to this technique is to punch an even number of holes and thread your lace or string 'one X at a time'.

The kit included an entire sheet of chipboard elements where I got the birdhouse and little clock. I just inked them and painted them some Crakle Paint in Rock Candy.

I wanted my next page to be subtle and elegant so I white-washed the green and yellow floral papers here.

This was my first time using my new sewing machine, I can only hope to get better! LOL! Aren't these flowers just gorgeous! They really make your pages look elegant. This would be a perfect wedding or communion page as well.

The stitched border was created with a Sew Easy tool and floss. I also did a little bit of stamping in the background using white paint bubble wrap. When trying out this technique, use a paint brush to spread your paint around your palette as you will get a better effect if you only have a thin layer of paint on your bubble wrap.

My last page with this kit uses papers by Glitz Designs. I scraped a photo of my beatiful sister which I printed twice and stacked them like you would playing cards to go with the theme of the paper.

I really distressed the edges a lot here adding straight and zig-zag stitching with my sewing machine. I also covered this design in the paper with Rock Candy Crackle Paint to highlight it as I decided to keep things simple as use that as my title.

I misted the background with Raven Glimmer Mist and added a few droplets of Candy Apple Glimmer Mist for contrast.

Lastly, here's a photo of the kit contents. I wasn't kidding when I said it was PACKED with gorgeousness! As you can probably tell, I only used kit contents, there was no need to add anything from my stash. I made four layouts and I still have a TON left over for cards or more layouts. These kits are an awesome value indeed!

Thanks so much for visiting today. I hope I have inspired you to create something! Have a happy scrappy week!

Punched Paper Border Tutorial

2011-06-05T10:43:00.000-04:00

In this tutorial, I will show you how I created the punched paper border on my 'Memorable' layout. This quick and easy technique can be used on all kinds of die cut papers to add a 'finished with lace' look to your projects.

1. Start by punching the border of a 12x12 piece of cardstock using your favorite border punch. I used Swirling Lace by Martha Stewart.

2. Now cut out your punched border allowing about a inch of space. To go around the circle paper included in the LE kit, you will need just a little more than 3 strips but I cut out 4 strips of paper just to be safe.

3. Use your scissors to 'fringe' your paper strip on the side opposite of the decorative border. Each slit does not have to be cut at the same distance, we just want our cardstock to be more flexible and follow the contour of our die cut paper.

4. Apply adhesive to the edge of your circle paper or any other die cut paper you choose. The adhesive I'm using here is ATG tape by 3M.

5. Now you're ready to 'mold' your fringed strip of cardstock around your die cut paper.

Here's what the whole die cut paper looks like on its back side.

And here's what the front, finished layout looks like...

I hope you give this technique a try! Have fun playing!!!

Two Is Better Than One!

2011-05-31T20:35:00.001-04:00

Hi there! Today I'm sharing a layout I created for Webster's Pages Digi challenge. Steph challenged us to use Webster's digital brushes in a layout. Even though I have never worked with digital elements, I really wanted to give it a try. To guide my design, I used Nadia's gorgeous sketch for the challenge blog Once Upon A... Sketch. This is what I came up with...

I used a Country Estate digital brush which I printed onto design paper and painted using my Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist.

Here are a few close-up photos.

Before I go, I'll also share a few photos of our Memorial Day this past weekend. We had so much at a nearby lake and marina; it was really great seeing the kids enjoy every minute of it!

I hope you all had a great weekend too. Summer weather is finally here and I can't wait for the school year to be over so I can spend more time with my children!

Thanks so much for your visit, I really appreciate you taking the time! Have a happy, scrappy week!

My Studio

2011-05-20T13:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday all! Since I can't reveal my latest layouts just yet, I thought I'd share with you my craft studio. I've been thinking about changing things up a bit, this is the way it has looked for the past two years so I think it's time! I'm now more into the shabby-chic look but I still LOVE my room. I finally got things organized perfectly for the way I scrapbook and everything is easy to find.

Here we go (please excuse the shade-less lamp, LOL!)...

View from the door.

My main workspace.

Love this cute dressform where I keep gorgeous bloomers, lace and seam binding too delicate to wrap around a ribbon card.

Glimmer Mist, Distress Inks and embossing powders are always close by. The wooden letters were altered years ago!

The embellishments and tools I reach for most often sit right on my desk.

On this side of the room is where I keep most of my paper, punches Stickles, stamps and a box full of lace and trims. Other supplies and tools are stored in the drawers.

Look at all this yummy lace! Prima,Webster's, May Arts, Maya Road, just to name a few!

My punches on Ikea rods. I actually need to get a couple of more rods to accomodate my new punches.

Magnetic board and a couple of altered projects and mini albums I keep on display.

I store my clear stamps in a binder.

My layout display right above a sideboard where I keep all my die cut machine and related supplies.

My closet is where I store photo albums, raw chipboard albums, projects waiting to be altered, ribbon rings, cardstock, and tote bags.

My favorite part of the room, my embellishments shelf! I bought these inexpensive baskets at Walmart and spray painted them to coordinate with the rest of the room decor. Here, I have my embellies separated by categories such as Tim Holtz, Webster's and Maya Road, small Prima flowers, bigger Prima flowers, leaves and vines, etc.

So very accesible!

These two wall shelves are located above a second desk which is used as a work space for my daughter or myself.

Flowers and more flowers!

This shelf houses my mixed media supplies, some ribbon scraps, buttons and metal embellies.

Hope you enjoyed my studio tour! Thanks for stopping by today, have a great weekend!

Bliss Mini Album

2011-05-14T14:51:00.001-04:00

Hello eveyone! I hope you all had a lucky Friday the 13th yesterday. I'm back to share a beach/pool mini album I created recently. I used an older collection by Webster's Pages, Seaside Retreat, and a tag chipboard album I bought at Michael's a while back.

The photos were taken last summer in Florida during a family vacation. It was Dylan's first time traveling by airplane and he had such a blast playing in the water, I just had to document this memorable time. For this mini, I used burlap, sand, crushed shells, sea shells, netting, paint, embossing powder and other fun mediums. I had a blast creating it! Here are the inside pages, enjoy...

Warning - Photo Heavy!!!!!

The Jenni Bowlin bingo board inside this pocket pulls out to provide space for journaling...

The little bingo board pulls out from behind the frame to reveal another small photo.

The trifold above includes three 2.5x2.5 photos.

Lastly, the journaling card from the paper collection pulls out with a cute sentiment and more space for journaling in the back.

I also created a video describing the techniques I used...

Phew!!! Told you there were lots of photos! LOL! Thanks for sticking around!!!! I really appreciate you stopping by, becoming a follower, and leaving sweet, encouraging words. Have a fantastic weekend!

On Fussy Cutting Heaven

2011-05-10T23:19:00.001-04:00

Hi ladies! Just stopping by to share my latest layout using Graphic 45. I have to admit that I haven't had this much fun creating a LO in a long time. I might have gone a bit overboard but with so many beautiful and fun designs, it was hard to stop myself from cutting and embellishing. I used G45's Le Cirque collection and this is what I came up with...

Though the papers have a circus theme, I thought the fun designs would perfectly complement this photo of my little ones goofing around. To keep my photo from getting 'lost' among all the graphics, I matted it using a Martha Stewart Punch Around the page punch and paper in a bright color.

One of the things I love most about Graphic 45 is that you can easily come up with a beautiful page without the need to apply time-consuming techniques. This particular page came together very quickly though if you like fussy cutting as much as I do, you will need the right tools. I highly recommend getting a glass mat ( I love my EK Sucess one) and the Fiskars Fingertip knife.

All of the cut out elements were adhered to the page with Pop Dots to add dimension.

Thanks so much for your visit today! Have a happy scrappy time!

A Spring Wish

2011-05-08T22:57:00.002-04:00

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day today and a great iScrapbooking Day yesterday; it sure was a nice weekend to be a crafty mama!!! My husband and kids were way out of their way to make today absolutely perfect so this post is a bit delayed.

I'm very excited to share with you that this week I'm a guest designer over at Creative Scrappers, a weekly sketch challenge blog. I was fortunate enough to work with a fabulous sketch designed by Amarilis Doria and created this layout:

This photo of Emily was taken last year on Easter. I titled the layout Wish because every year she has the same wish, to be able to peek at the spring fairies. I wish I could bottle her innocence! I used Pink Paislee's new Butterfly Garden collection along with lots of Dusty Attic goodies, which I distressed just enough to maintain the shabby-chic look found in the design of the paper as well as lots of hand stitching. I'm really loving my Sew Easy tool by We R Memory Keepers and I use it any chance I get!

The sketch we're using this week is #155, check it out,

I hope you find the time to swing by Creative Scrappers and play along with this fun sketch. There is a prize package sponsored by Scrapbooking Sussies up for grabs!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great scrappy time!!!

Prima BAP for April

2011-04-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

Good morning dear readers! Today I'd like to share with you a layout I created for this month's Prima BAP using the luscious Reflections collection. I loved the earthy and rich colors and designs in these papers and thought this photo of Emily and Dylan went perfectly well with it. Since the background was a little distracting, I printed the photo in 5x7, cut it out and adhered it using pop dots. I also did some stamping in the background.

To highlight the beautiful flowers in the design and add texture, I applied some Distress Stickles to the centers.

I also outlined the butterflies in the design paper with Stickles in the cinnamon color. This paper collection also lended itself to some fussy cutting so I cut out some images and used them as embellishments.

For my title, I printed the words 'Strong Bond' onto cardstock and cut it out in the shape of a strip. The banner look was achieved by punching the corners at an angle using my square punch. I also distressed the edges with my Tim Holtz Distress tool and inked it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

If you want to play along, get your Prima stash out and head over to the Prima blog, the challenge ends at the end of the month.

Thanks for visiting me today! Have a happy, scrappy time!

MME Monthly Challenge

2011-04-20T10:48:00.003-04:00

Good morning ladies! Just a quick post today as the whole family is getting ready to go spend the rest of the week in beautiful Lake George for the spring break. The kids are very excited to go to an indoor water park and do some horseback riding. I'll definitely share some photos when we return.

In the mean time, I didn't want to leave before sharing my entry for this month's My Mind's Eye sketch challenge. I titled it Love This Happy Boy. Aren't these photos of Dylan just adorable? (if I may say so myself) I really like the Stella and Rose collection, it's just perfect for those not-too-fussy boy layouts...

And here's the fabulous sketch I used to guide my design. As you might be able to tell, I always tweak the sketches to fit my personal scrapbooking style and photos. In this particular challenge, we were to use the 'April Showers' theme and I channeled Kim Watson's (one of MME DT members) idea of incorporating showers by splatting paint over my page, one of my favorite things to do!

Here are a couple of close-ups, enjoy...

Thanks for stopping by, have a fantastic Spring Break!

Hugs,
Jolaine

Precious Time Together

2011-04-17T17:41:00.003-04:00

Happy Sunday friends! It feels like forever ago since I last blogged but I have a good excuse, pneumonia! Ugh! It was so bad I couldn't even hold my head up! Not good at all but I'm feeling better now. I just couldn't wait to go back to scrapping and use some of my new scrappy supplies.

Here's a layout I created using the new Bo Bunny collection, Timepiece.

The photo was taken a couple of weeks ago when Emily's Girl Scouts troop held their annual Father-Daughter Spring Dance. They were so cute walking hand in hand and wearing their formal outfits. And did you notice Emily's toothless smile? I can't believe she lost two teeth already! For my design, I used Bo Bunny's layout challenge sketch by Juliana Michaels.

I had lots of fun designing with this collection, the theme make it perfect for heritage and family photos. I used a black and white photo and a color print of the same shot to highlight a timeless memory. Here are a couple of close-ups.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you enjoy the rest of this beautiful day!

Little but Tough

2011-03-31T23:01:00.002-04:00

As you may know I absolutely love Prima. I love their papers, their flowers, their pearls, rhinestones and metal embellishments...All so very beautiful! I normally use photos of my daughter when creating with Prima products but this time around, I wanted to make the Botanical collection work for photos of my son. For this y' 'bolayout, I used Prima's March BAP sketch.

I almost didn't and any flowers, but I couldn't help myself! Ha Ha Ha! I thought I could get away with it though as the blooms here are tiny and tattered. I added open stitched burlap for a more rustic feel. I also did a little bit of masking/misting with a Prima screen and Glimmer Mist.

Thanks so much for your visit today! Have a wonderful, scrappy weekend!

Hugs,

Jolaine

Just Another Beautiful Day

2011-03-27T12:48:00.046-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today I'm sharing a layout I created for Gerry's shaped layout challenge at the Webster's Pages ning site. I had a ball fussy cutting and designing with the Spring Market collection. The colors and patterns are fresh and bright so I went with a yellow, green and red color palette, no grunge here!

This picture of Emily is a couple of years old but I thought the colors and the expression in her face went perfectly with this collection. It took me forever to fussy cut the bird and hanging sign image but thought it was worth it. It almost looks like Emily is gazing at it! Here are a few close-ups:

I cut a lot of the images in the design paper out and highlighted the cutouts by adding Rock Candy Stickles, layering them and adhering some with Pop Dots.

I remembered to take pictures as I created that paper border so I should have a tutorial for you soon. Thanks for joining me today, I hope you have a beautiful day!!!

Hugs,

Jolaine

Mother and Daughter

2011-03-23T18:41:00.007-04:00

Hello there wonderful blog readers! I just have a quick post today to share a layout I created using the beautiful Gabrielle collection by Bo Bunnny. I could hardly wait to work with these papers, the colors and beautiful designs attracted me instantly, not to mention the butterflies!

I used the sketch Bo Bunny posted in a recent challenge.

The picture of Emily and I was taken last summer at Disney (now you know why I look so tired and without make up! LOL!). Everyone says we look identical here so I thought I would dedicate the page to her. I cut out the damask design out of the design paper and used the framed area to include some journaling. The title is a chipboard piece from Dusty Attic to which I applied acrylic paint and glimmer mist to create this metallic effect.

Thanks so much for joining me today! Enjoy the rest of the week!

Hugs,
Jolaine