A Fun Little Sketch Challenge

Have you seen the New Sketch Challenge over at the Hero Arts Blog?  They have put up three sketches and you can enter from now until May 25th (you need to use any stamp of theirs).  You can take a good look at it HERE for all of the details.

The three sketches look fairly versatile, so I pulled out some of my Hero Arts stamps to give one a go.

I really like the white space on #3, so that will be my first place to start.

Supplies:
white card base
scrap white paper/brown paper
Echo Park 6x6 This and That Paper Pad
Hero Arts Friendly Flags
Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Close to My Heart Ink : Chocolate, Blush, Sweet Leaf
sequins

I really like the Just Saying Hello stamp, but it did take up too much space to place it lower, like I wanted.  I think filling in with sequins was just the right touch.

I hope you consider playing along with this sketch challenge.  If you do, be sure to link me up in my comments so I can see what you made!

A little non scrappy fun!

Most of you may not know this but one of my other loves is Needlework.  My Grandma taught me when I was 4 do some some simple cross stitch and I have been hooked ever since!  Grandma has even written (and had published) a needlepoint book!  How cool is that?  She teaches classes on it and does all sorts of fun things.

I am a multi-tasker, even in this hobby.  LOL  I like to bounce around with my projects when I get a bit bored or cross eyed.

Here is a project I have been working on for *uhem* years.  LOL  I still love it, but kids sort of changed my priorities and it has traveled, uncompleted, from house to house for awhile.  I try not to stress about it...this is supposed to be fun, right?

Recently I found out about a wonderful store, The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  I feel in LOVE with the their sampler of the month and jumped right back into it!  The concept is that you purchase the sampler pattern and each month they e-mail you the next block for you to stitch.  This year the theme is Fairy Tales and my daughter BEGGED for me to make it for her.  Of course, I am happy to sacrifice.  (AND, I might add, I am RIGHT ON SCHEDULE WITH IT!  So HA!)  How cute is that frog tin in the photo?  I bought those chocolates on Valentines Day JUST for the tin.  It is storing my needles, scissors and some other bits I need to stitch.

I fell SO much in love with this store and their patterns that I am also making their sampler from last year....for ME!

I am finding that I can easily finish up both in time for the next month's block.  In fact, I might throw in some ornaments this summer, too.

Do you love to do any needlework?  What project have you been working on?

A Scrapbook Video like no other...

If you are looking for some great scrappy talk to listen to while you create, then you really should check out Paperclipping.  You can get a subscription to watch some really worthwhile videos, but they also have their podcasts (with various scrapbooking superstars...including our own former DT member Melissa Stinson) for free.  They are really fun and extremely educational to listen to.

Here is a video they posted recently that they dubbed, "The Most Useful Scrapbook Video of All Time".  I totally agree and wanted to share it with you!

Enjoy!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #1: Blog Design Challenge

Look at me, getting things DONE this month!  LOL  (Actually, I worked ahead so I can play along this month as I am in a flurry of preparations for May at this time!)

I picked Stephanie's Blog to give me some inspiration for a layout about a night out with my hubby.  He surprised me for Valentines Day with a trip to paint some pottery, have some dinner at a new place and then come home (picking up the kids on the way) for dessert and a movie.  Since he is FAR from crafty, this was a great surprise (and the fact that he loved painting pottery was even better!).

Once I saw the skyline on Stephanie's blog header I knew exactly what I wanted to make.  Sometimes inspiration really does dictate what your project will be.

Picking the paper was the hardest part of this layout.  LOL  I was looking for just the right shade of blue and found it in a sheet of Studio Calico paper.  I love how it goes from lighter to darker (hard to see in the photo).  I took advantage of some of my Color Shine mists to make some splatters (I never get tired of doing that).  The only thing I am not really loving is the large paper clothes pins.  I wish I had cut them smaller, but was afraid that I would lose some of the details.

Whew!  On to another project!  I hope you will post your creations on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog!  And don't forget to save a special challenge project of your choice for our blog hop!

April Counterfeiting Fun!

April is when I am feeling fairly certain that Spring is here to stay.  March has a tendency to trick us a bit.  Building up the anticipation of short sleeves and sandals and then throwing in some very cold weather just because it can.  Still, we never know whether our son can have his birthday party inside or out.  Tempermental Indiana weather.  LOL

It has been awhile since I have been able to actively participate in a counterfeit.  I miss it, but actually making one goes down on my list far after getting the blog posts set up for it.  I am happy to be jumping in this month.

Let me start with our little game that we are going to play this month.  It is an April Fools inspired truth game.  I am going to give you 3 facts about myself and need to decide which one is NOT true.  To play along and enter to win this prize:

1.  Look at my 3 facts and guess which one is NOT true.  Post your guess in the comments of THIS post.

2.  You have until April 16th to enter.  Only one guess per person per blog will be counted.

3.  To pick a winner, I will go to each blog on our hop and compile the names of each person who guesses (you will have 11 chances to win if you comment on each blog).  I will use a Random Number Generator to pick the winner.

4.  The winner (and the correct guesses) will be announced on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog on April 18th.

Bethany's 3 facts:

1.  I met my husband on a trip to Africa.  We did not hit it off at first.  LOL

2.  I was once stranded at a train station in Amsterdam and went home with a complete stranger so I would have a place to stay.

3.  I learned how to scuba dive despite not being able to swim and having a big fear of water.

Mull these over while I share my kit with you.  Hopefully I did not make it easy.

This month we tried our hands at using CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration to make our kits.  I love having the freedom to build my own kit.  I know it can feel scary if you are wanting more direction, but it is not to not get mentally blocked in by specific papers.  If you have not tried to branch out on your own before, never fear!  CSI gives just enough guidance to make it feel okay.

Here is the Case File we are all doing.  I LOVE the color combination, but it is WAY out side of my comfort zone.  I generally go for a brighter feel for my kits.  I am excited to give it a try, though.  If you have not joined the CSI site, I would encourage you to do that.  It is free and FULL of really wonderful ideas and a lot of great people.  Maybe I will see you over there!

The first thing I did was start pulling ANY Papers with these colors.  I tried to stick with the same paper companies so the tones would be similar.  I ended up with a lot of Studio Calico paper because of the really fun designs.

Next I just went down the Evidence list and started pulling embellishments that fit.  I did not try to direct it to a certain theme.

It was pretty fast and easy to pull this kit together.  Something puffy was my biggest challenge, believe it or not.  I guess I don't do puffy.  LOL  I think I pulled some fun and out of the box papers that I normally would not use up, so this kit should really get me thinking.  In fact, I have already dug into it.

Thanks for joining us this month!  We have a lot of great inspiration planned for you.  To make sure you didn't miss anyone on the hop, here is the complete list (backwards, of course, it is April Fools Day!):

Guest Designer Maggie: http://maggiebscrapblog.blogspot.fr

Bethany: http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com

Stephanie:  http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca

Lynnette: http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com

Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com

Lesley: http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.co.uk

Jemma: http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com

Angela: http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk

Hop on over to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog to see how you can participate this month and don't forget to comment on this post with your guess as to what I am lying about.  LOL  Now that just sounds awful!

Continuing the "day off" fun...

I LOVE Pinterest for inspiration for everything, not just scrapbooking.  It can feel a little overwhelming sometimes, though.  I like to narrow down what I am visually seeing by picking a category to browse.

My BSF (Best Scrappy Friend), Pam got me the adorable Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month, Wild About Love.

Cute, right?  I decided to find some Foxy inspiration on Pinterest and found this adorable wall art:

Since a big joke around my house is the What Does the Fox Say song (I find it irritating, but the fact that my hubby hates it makes me want to sing it over, and over, and over...).  In fact, I encourage the kids, nieces and nephews, my sister...to all sing it to him, too.  I see a clever card coming up!

Yes, I am writing this post AS I am working on the card.  I'm having fun blogging in "real" time.  LOL

I love this!  The patterns are busier than I would usually use, but I think it is fun!

Where will I get inspired next?  How about Etsy?  See you soon!

More "day off' fun...

Blog lovin' lead me to a wonderful sketch that I had marked liked so I could try it when I had some time.

Chickaniddy Crafts is a new company that has some fresh new products and ideas for the scrapping community.  I fell in love with this sketch and think that YOU should give it a try, too!

Head HERE to see a great example of what you can do with the sketch!

This one took me awhile!  Mostly some interruptions that were breaking my train of thought.  LOL  I was able to pull in a Project Life card (with the navy polka dot border).  To be honest, it is two cards layered on top of each other...I sort of messed up the bottom card.  The base paper is a MME pad and the fun patterned papers is Crate Paper.

Next Inspiration stop?  Pinterest, please!