Baptism Layout

Good afternoon fellow scrappers!  It's a cloudy, cold mid afternoon & I've found some time to post this layout that I made for Authentique a few weeks ago.

For this page I'm showcasing the 'Glistening' line by Authentique.  'Glistening' is actually a Christmas themed collection--but I've used it to scrap a few of the photos taken at my son's Baptism which happened this past May.

My son was 6 months old when he was baptized.  These pictures were taken at the church after the baptismal ceremony was over.  I've been trying to scrap a few of these for quite some time & I thought that the papers from the 'Glistening' collection would do just the trick.  I didn't want to use the traditional white, off white, ivory/cream colors that go with Baptisms.  I was looking for soft hues with just a splash of color--this is where the wooden spool with the orange twine comes into play.

I've used a sketch from Page Drafts for the design of my layout.  This site is a life safer when in the middle of what I call 'scrappers block'!  Sometimes you need a sketch to get those creative juices flowing.  This site never fails me...

 The bright orange twine added that splash of color I was looking for & serves as a visual incentive allowing the eyes to 'flow' along the page.

 The background was stamped with a couple of splatter stamps.  I also randomly added a couple of flat back pearls & dots of Star Dust Stickles.

 This butterfly is a handmade embellishment & will soon be added to my Etsy shop.  You can find this butterfly & many others in my shop here.  Feel free to browse if interested!

 The coffee stain splatters are a combination of stamps from the Prickley Pear & Stampers Anonymous. 

 Mushroom birds seem to be a little of a guilty pleasure with me.  I love to have one randomly appear on my pages & tend to tuck them into my clusters on just about all my pages. 

This is actually a mini accordion journaling booklet that I created for my page.  As usual I had several thoughts & memories I wanted to capture about this special day & I needed a place to write down my lengthy story telling.  This booklet served it's purpose & added a unique embellishment to my page at the same time.  I've created a tutorial on how I create these mini journaling booklets.  If interested, you can find the tutorial here.

I also have an extra journaling booklet that is currently for sale in my new Etsy shop The Kraft Nook.  You can visit my shop here.

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week!

Change Can Be Bittersweet Layout

Good afternoon fellow crafters!  Today I'm sharing my page for the November Berry71Bleu challenge.  The theme for this month is "Change is Beautiful" hosted by fellow team member Marilyn. 

As stated in the Berry71Bleu blog--yes change can indeed be a beautiful thing. It can be something that one can even fear or be intimidated by.  Based on my own experience--change does always turn out for the best even though when it's actually happening you may not embrace it.  With time you realize that things do happen for a reason.  However, change can also be bittersweet & bring about different emotions.  This was how I interpreted this months challenge.

My son turned 1 year old this month & for me it was such a bittersweet celebration.  I'm very happy to see him grow & observe in wonder how his personality is developing but at the same time I want him to remain as he is now for as long as possible!  Is this so wrong? Although I'm sure I'm not alone with my feelings. He's my little guy, my baby--he's innocent and I can protect him from whatever bumps that this journey called life has in store.  Somehow a year has escaped me already.  I still remember very clearly holding a 7 lbs wiggling little part of me in my arms this time last year.  Now I'm holding a 20 lbs toddler in the making.  He's still a part of me & always will be--but he's growing & growing...let's just say I'll be holding onto these few precious years for dear life!

The majority of the thoughts expressed here plus a bit more emotional ones were stored in this scroll.  As customary with my pages...I had many thoughts to express and I find these scrolls to be the best way to store my thoughts.  If interested, I have a tutorial for these scrolls here. 

All papers used are by one of this months Berry71Bleu's sponsors 7 Dots Studio.  I combined two of their paper lines.  I've used mostly papers from their 'Love is in the Air' collection but also used bits n' pieces from their 'The Queen of Hearts' collection.

The design of my page was based on a sketch from Page Drafts.  This site has become a life saver for me recently.  I've been in a crunch to get certain projects done & sometimes there's no time to conceptualize your own design--it's such a help to be able to go to this site & get ideas.  Once the idea is there--the scrapping just flows!

Oh how I love these little flocked teddy bears!  I can't get enough of them.  I have these in my stash & use them for my pages as much as I can!  lol  They're great for baby themed projects.  I tucked a little metal clock in the mix to represent the concept of time passing.

My title was printed on a transparency, cut out & adhered onto my page with clear dry adhesive.

This fabulous tag was made by Berry71Bleu's very own owner Marivic.  Her handmade tags will be available soon in her Etsy shop ZeusandZoe.  The sweet elements on her tag went along with my 'bittersweet' concept.

I've displayed both a before & after photo of my son.  He's barely one month and 1/2 here.

Here he is at 12 months.  Not only has he grown but he's physically changed a bit as well.  He definitely has a lot more hair & curly locks now! 

Those small yellow ribbon flowers are from my own stash & are currently up for sale in my Etsy shop here.  These small ribbon flowers make for great embellishment fillers for any project.

Make sure to stop by the Berry71Bleu blog to check out the other DT's interpretation of this month's challenge & play along if you can for a change to win some fabulous prizes!

Thanks for stopping by & I hope you enjoy the rest of your week.

Altered Wooden Christmas Trinket Box

Good evening fellow crafters!  With yet another Holiday season right around the corner--I thought I'd share this altered wooden Christmas themed trinket box that was recently posted on the Authentique blog.

Authentique & Petaloo teamed up to bring you a variety of projects made with products from both companies.  I decided to alter this little wooden trinket box.

The entire box is decked out in papers from Authentique's 'Joyous' collection.  All flowers & trim used on the box are by Petaloo.

In addition to the flowers & trim I used a couple of mini presents, a metal snowflake & a mini candy cane to embellish the box.  All these items are actually ornaments that I found at my local craft store.  They are designed for miniature trees & decoration--but they work great for embellishing boxes, frames, layouts & just about any other altered project!

 Dots of red Stickles were used to accentuate the centers of the snowflakes on the patterned paper along the sides of the box.

One of my habits is that I'm always buying items that are not necessarily meant for scrapbooking.  These mushroom birds in a nest would be one such example.  I've had these in my stash since the beginning of time & finally a project came along where I could use them.

Here's a view of the inside of the box.  It's lined with papers from the 'Joyous' collection & one of the sticker elements also part of the same collection.

This box is available for sale in my new shop The Kraft Nook.  If interested, feel free to visit my shop here.

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week.

Sweetness Easel Card With Two Drawers

Good afternoon fellow scrappers!  So I wake up today to find snow flurries slowly coming down.  What happened to Autumn I ask!?  It's like we skipped right over it.  Tsk, tsk, tsk...I'm also going into the stores & all I hear is Christmas songs...EEEEKKK...talk about rushing the end of the year!  Whatever happened to just taking time to smell the flowers?  Hmmmm...

Today I bring you a 'sweet' easel card.  This was my very first time creating an easel card.  After browsing Pinterest and seeing how basic easel cards had evolved, I decided to make a more intricate version of an easel card & created one with drawers.  It took me some time to create this--but I got the drawers to work & they actually slide in & out like an actual little dresser!  :-)  Gotta admit I enjoyed making this one.

I've made a tutorial on how I created this easel card.  If interested, feel free to check it out here.

I've used papers from Authentique's 'Sweetness' collection in collaboration with card stock from Core'dinations Whitewash collection which I have dry embossed & sanded down to show off the embossed design.

Here's a top view of the easel card.  The card itself measures about 4" x 6" inches with one drawer measuring 4" x 4" inches & the other measuring 2" x 4" inches.  I've used brads for the drawer knobs.

The digital image is by Tiddly Inks.  She's one of my favorite characters; Wryn.  This image was perfect for the overall theme of this easel card.  I've used the Lacey Ovals die by Spellbinders to frame her along with a string of light pink pearls.

Both the white butterfly & the organza pink start flower shown on the cover are items that are currently available in my Etsy shop.  If interested, you can visit my shop here. 

Those spots & splatters of white that you see on the embossed whitewash card stock is Chunky Embossing Powder in White by Stampendous.  I'm really liking the effect this chunky embossing powder gives.

With such an intricate card there really wasn't a place to write a message for the recipient.  So I created this mini pocket and adhered it to the back of the easel card.  It holds a single piece of white card stock.  Here you can hand write a sentiment or message for whomever will receive this card.

As for some news--I've recently opened up a second Etsy shop called The Kraft Nook. Nook, Korner, Niche...all synonyms really!  Just me playing with different words to achieve a similar meaning & to connect my two shops in some way.  The Kraft Nook will house any & all ready-to-ship items that I have up for grabs.  This shop will consist of just about everything & anything that I can come up with--cards, altered boxes, mini albums, canvases, wreaths, altered picture frames...it's really limitless.  I barely have three items listed so far--but I plan on adding items as I create them.

This easel card was recently listed in my new shop.  You can find it here if interested.

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week!

My Happy Place Layout

Good morning fellow scrappers!  It's a chilly crisp Autumn morning here in the North East Coast...my kind of weather!!  Am sitting here at the office drinking my morning cup of coffee.  Shhhhhh, don't tell the boss that I'm writing up this post at work!  Tsk, tsk, tsk...however, if I don't take the time now--this post will never go up!

It's a new month & with a new month comes a new challenge over at OUAS.  The theme for this month is 'My Happy Place'--which can be interpreted in many ways.  I interpreted it as my 'happy place' being right next to my three special guys--my family.

A couple of weeks ago we took a nice Sunday stroll through the park by my house & it was the perfect weather for some photos.  Luckily I was able to capture this one with all three of my boys.  Catching Toby without his tongue out is just about impossible!  :-)  If he's less hyper he gives his 'doggy smile' but this one such day he was so happy to be outdoors & in the park no less that he was panting up a storm.

So my happy place is next to my husband, son & fur-child Toby--wherever they are is where my happiness is...simple as that.

I've used papers from Authentique's Strong collection & a large acrylic frame by Clear Scraps.

Here's the sketch provided by Nadia that I based my page on.  I tend to use sketches more as guidelines and interpret the various elements on them in my own way while still keeping the basic flow of the sketch.

 I recently got my hands on Tim Holtz's Ornate Frame Bigz die and of course used it right away!  lol  That's the black frame you see in the upper right hand corner.

In this closeup you see how I gave the acrylic frame it's color.  I used a mixture of Ginger & Meadow Green alcohol inks and applied them to the acrylic with the applicator tool.

 With a medium sized paint brushed I randomly splattered a bit of green & black mists along the background.  At the very end I go over some of these splats with clear Stickles.

 This chipboard butterfly is by Imaginarium Designs.  I simply inked it with some embossing ink & heat set it with Marcasite embossing powder by Stampendous.

 Here's my traditional & favorite form of journaling...I've once again stored my thoughts on a scroll & tucked it underneath my photo.  I have a tutorial on how I make these scrolls here if interested.

 The large black flourish die is by Cheery Lynn.  This is their Mega Fanciful Flourish die.  I've highlighted some of the scrolls on the flourish with dots of Bisque Liquid Pearls.

The gold & pearl button are leftover trinkets I have from the Zeus and Zoe Etsy shop.

The two small yellow ribbon flowers in the upper right hand side are flowers from my stash.  I have many of these & have a few bunches up for grabs in my Etsy shop.  I have several of these ribbon flowers in different colors.  Feel free to take a look if interested.  They make for great embellishment fillers. 

Make sure you drop by the OUAS blog to see the other talented DT's take on this month's challenge.  Take the time to play along if you can.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of the week!