Christmas Projects

I found a wonderful idea on Pinterest not too long ago. A lady had taken picture frames, put nice scrapbook paper behind them and made dry-erase memo boards. She had a big multi-frame piece for a menu board and 8x10 frames for individual boards.

So, I copied and added some embellishments (cause we all know it's all about the embellies, right?) and had elf-pack gifts for the ladies of the family. What is an elf-pack you ask? Well, several years ago, my creative sister-in-law decided we all needed some fun little goodies at Christmas. And instead of going the stocking route, she made little packs for each person and the "elves" help fill them. This elf tries to make something fun for each of the ladies in the family. (The guys get food and weird tools and slinkies and playdough and legos.)

So, here's what the ladies are getting:

And here is what the head elf (whose name my daughter drew in the family gift-giving drawing) is getting.

I saved the box for this one to make wrapping easier.

Lessons learned, the other frames came from Dollar Tree and aren't the best. 3 D elements aren't a good choice if you have a cheap frame that doesn't have all the little tabs that hold the back in place. A frame with a little more depth to it would work better. The multi-frame came from Big Lots and was much easier to work with.

Excting Challenges

I've been wanting to do more challenges this year and I'm excited to share a few. The first is of course the Scrapwhisper challenges that you've seen me do. The next is from Triple the Scraps. I did one of the first Scripture Challenges that Patter led several years ago and it sure was a wonderful way to combine Bible Study and scrapping. I'm looking forward to this one since it adds wonderful old hymns into the mix.

Check out Scrapwhispers at: http://www.http//scrapwhispers.blogspot.com/

And look in on Patter at: http://triplethescraps.blogspot.com/2011/11/announcing-hymn-scripture-challenge-for.html

I hope some of you will join in on the fun and let us see what you create in the upcoming year.

Back to Work

This has been a hectic year so far. No time to scrap. So today I had an afternoon and a Scrapwhisper Challenge and got a couple done. The first I can't show, it's part of the main whisper at Scrapwhispers. This challenge was a great sketch.



This is my take on it. I used a flower I'd held onto for a long time waiting for just the right layout. This one was it! The pictures were of course part of the set taken by Christa Holland.

Page Maps Freehand Scraps Contest

This layout is another Page Maps Blog Contest Entry. http://pagemaps.blogspot.com/2011/07/freehand-scraps-sketch-contest.html

It used the following sketch.

Again, I'm using some of Christa Holland's incredible photos to continue Kat's album. (There's just so many awesome ones to use!) I love the glimpses of the old tin ceiling at the top of the stairs and the hexagonal tile at the bottom in these. With Kat's outfit it becomes and old meets new. So I kept to clean lines in the layout and added some distressing and antique buttons to match that feel.  The background is textured cardstock by Best Occasions. The patterned paper is by Life Stories and the strip is a scrap from K&Company's Life's Journey collection. The felt ribbon and gold ribbons were from my stash. The chipboard ribbon slide came from Bazzil and the paper I covered it with is a scrap. I inked everything with Tim Holtz's Brushed Corduroy distress ink (Kat insisted!) and added antique buttons from my stash. The quotation is, "To be able to look back upon one's past life with satisfaction is to live twice." Marcus Valerius Martial

Page Maps Punky Sprouts Entry

This layout is for the Page Maps Blog's Punky Sprouts Contest. http://pagemaps.blogspot.com/2011/07/punky-sprouts-sketch-contest.html

Once again I'm going back to working on Kat's senior album. I have to get it finished so that I can start Arch's before school starts for HIS senior year. So what if she's been in college a year already? Good things come to those who wait, right? Okay, first the layout.

These pictures are once again from the wonderful Christa Holland's senior photo shoot. I love the black and white one!

I used off-white cardstock from Paper Studios for the background and the the patterned paper is from Life Stories Celebration Tracker Family History stack. I used remnants for the ribbons. I've been hanging onto that crocheted one for a very long time, looking for just the right place for it. The others are from Basic Grey. The wooden accents are from K&Company. I colored the peacock with Galaxy markers. The quotation is from a family history stack. It says, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." Rose Kennedy. Since this album celebrates moments of a milestone year, it seemed to fit.  Here's a detail shot of the peacock. I thought I'd ruined it, since it smeared and I tried to even it out with alcohol. Kat loves it so it's a happy accident!

June Circle Journal: Tea Time

This month, I had April's journal. She focused on tea. She had each of us create a 2 page layout about tea and include some bags of our favorite teas to share with the others. This one was really fun! I used my Cricut Nursery Rhymes cartridge for the die cut and title. It's such a sweet cartridge!. I added in a journaling block from Making Memories. Then I used clocks from the Flea Market line from Making Memories, pearl brads from K & Company and Prima flowers with tiny button brads. The background paper is from Ella Blue Collection by GCD Studios. The journaling reads: Tea--comfort in a cup--coolness in a glass. I remember my mother giving me a cup of hot tea when I was a child and felt bad. There was always a pitcher of iced tea read for guests. Now, I keep several varities of tea around. I drink green tea for breakfast most mornings and have many flavors of hebal tea around. I love citrus and fruity teas. And on a hot day--a tall, cold glass of iced tea with a dash of lemon or cranberry or lime...mmmmm. 

 Oh, and the tea I tucked in? Two bags each of Tazo's Wild Orange and Passion flavored teas. Two of my absolute favorites.

PageMaps My Little Shoebox Contest

I love PageMaps as you can tell. I use the sketches from this site over and over, so I was very excited to find their blog and Facebook page. On the blog this month is a sketch contest using this sketch:

I had these great pictures Archie took of his senior ring back in April just sitting on the computer and they just seemed to fit. So I'm entering the contest.

First the layout:

 The background is from Basic Grey's Basics collection. The transparency and oval are a set from my stash as are the journaling spot and deminsional stickers. All the rest are scraps and leftovers from my stash.

The journaling reads: It's offical! With the arrival of his Senior ring, Arch only has 1 more year of high school left. He designed this ring with his birthstone (emerald), National Honor Society emblem, cross, star and date on one side and Phillipians 4:8, trombone, music, star as the other. Yeah, he likes it. April 2011.

The rectangular tag reads: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...think about such things. The circle tag has the reference: Phil. 4.8.