I Believe In Me Layout

There's no greater feeling than the feeling of accomplishment one feels on graduation day.   I am blessed enough to have met two educational accomplishments--the first one in my family as well!  I have both a Bachelors & Masters degree in my name & I'm quite proud of them both.  I can't say it was easy--I put in much energy, time, sweat & just plain ol' hard work into both degrees.  While I went to school I was also working & have no issues admitting that I'm still paying out my student loans--but it was all worth it in the end.

So when I saw Authentique's latest collection titled 'Accomplished' I knew this was the perfect paper for my Bachelor degree graduation photo.  I don't think I ever smiled as big as I did for this particular photo.  I was just so happy to have that degree in my hot little hands!  :-)

The collection itself is full of wonderful kraft tone papers--this gives the perfect opportunity to add a splash of color in any other tone.

 For a much needed mojo jump start on the design of my page--I went to Page Drafts once again.  I found this sketch in Page Drafts Pinterest page & felt that it would fit the vision in my head just right.

You'll notice a couple of gold stars scattered around my page--this was actually a vine from Prima that I took apart.  This way I was able to spread out the gold stars onto the background of my page.

For my mini diploma embellishment; I just rolled up a piece of scrap white paper, glued it closed & wrapped a piece of black ribbon around it.  Voila!  Instant diploma embellishment.

This wise owl is a stamp by Tattered Angels--I used owls twice on this page because of their symbolism for wisdom & knowledge. 

Layers with dimension--I enjoy making the layers pop on my pages.  It gives off a more interesting visual effect. 

The light bulb mask was used to accentuate the pattern on my background paper which is composed of mini light bulbs.  I used Black Soot Distress Ink with my stencil and then highlighted the border of the image with a fine tipped Sharpie marker.

My journaling is in the form of my favorite way of storing my thoughts--a journaling scroll.  You can find a tutorial for this scroll on my blog here. 

All the sticker elements used on this page are part of the 'Accomplished' collection--they're great for adding interest to your project or for dressing up clusters.

The best part of this page was the fact that it finally gave me a chance to use a couple of these mini wooden rulers!  I've had these rulers in my stash since before time & I finally found the right theme to bring them out & use them.  See, this is why scrappers don't throw anything out.  You never know when the right theme will pop up!

Supplies: Paper - Authentique, Stamps - Tim Holtz, Unity, Tattered Angel, Stencil - UmWow Studio, Flowers - Prima, Embellishments - Prima, Freckled Fawn, Ink - Ranger, Glitter Glue - Ranger (Stickles), Mist - Heidi Swapp, Other - Mini Wooden Ruler, Spiral Clips, Doily

Thanks to all of you who stop by for a visit--your time is always appreciated.  Have a great weekend!

Delight Layout May Berry71Bleu Challenge

Good morning!  I'm up today with my interpretation of this month's Berry71Bleu challenge which is 'Simple Pleasures'.

Oh I had so many to choose from for this challenge.  Reading books, my morning cup of coffee, taking in the morning air on a crisp Autumn morning, walking around craft stores or antique shops, taking the day off & going into New York City simply because it's there!  :-)  These are just a few of the things I like to do that bring me pleasure.

So as I sat there wondering which subject to scrap about, my Toby came up to me, gave me one of his wet kisses on my nose & proceeded to lay down on my lap which is his favorite 'resting' place.  I instantly felt loved & a sense of happiness to have this furry little guy shed a bit of love on me.  Right there I decided that my subject would be Toby or better yet--wet kisses on the nose from my little Toby!

I'm a fan of all animals but Toby has been my first dog & has taught me the wonderful lesson of unconditional love.  My Toby gives me kisses no matter how I look or feel.  He always warms my heart.

Here's the inspiration board for the challenge.  It's a soft, delicate palette--I took a queue from the colors found on the board for my layout.  I don't usually work with pastel colors--but they seemed to work out nicely this time around.  Plus pastel colors give you the option to throw in a bold color or two in order to add some 'pop' to your project.  You can find all the details for this challenge here.

 Layers, layers & oh yes, layers.  Along the background of these layers you can see paper elements peeking out from one of our sponsors Darkroom Door. 

 I'm starting to enjoy sequins more & more lately.  I like how you can add a touch of bling to your background with the use of sequins.  To me, they work along the lines of rhinestones which I've also used to dress up the background of my page.

 As is customary on all my pages--I've got a story to tell.  This time I documented my journaling onto this tag which is peeking out from behind all these layers & stored inside a white glassine bag.

 This chipboard is by Molossi.  I kept the embellishing of the chipboard simple.  I inked the chipboard with embossing ink & then spread Star Dust transparent embossing powder by Stampendous & heat set it.  I didn't add color to the chipboard & kept it in the raw--just added a bit of glimmer to it.

The pink organza ribbon star flowers seen on my page are supplies from my own stash.  I have these & a few more in different colors up for sale in my Etsy shop.  You can find them here if interested.

There's still time to play along with the Berry71Bleu May challenge.  Think about what small gesture or things put a smile on your face & pay a bit of tribute to it!  There are also some great prizes up for grabs this months...so play along if you can!

Supplies: Paper - Darkroom Door, Chipboard - Molossi, Rhinestones - Molossi, Stamps - Technique Tuesday, L'Encre et L'Image, Flair Buttons - Panda Eight Designs, Flowers, Kay's Kreative Korner, The Felt Shoppe, Mists - Heidi Swapp, Embellishments - Prima, Freckled Fawn, Heidi Swapp, Wood Veneer - Studio Calico, Other: Tulle, Doily, Spiral Clips, Sequins

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

Altered Mini Wooden Dresser (Jewelry Box)

Good afternoon!  Today I have a mini altered wooden dresser/jewelry box that I created late last year.  This was a project I sent in for Authentique's CHA booth. 

This wooden box was purchased completely unfinished. It was sanded, primed & painted in white & then embellished with designer paper & trinkets.  I've used papers from Authentique's 'Flourish' collection which turned this box into an ideal keepsake for a little girl.

On top of the dresser I have a little mushroom bird sitting on a nest along side a few flowers by Prima & a few from my own stash.  I also included a small glass vial filled with seed beads.

All the embellishments on top of the dresser are adhered except for the mini frame.  This frame is removable & it can be used to hold a quote, sentiment or even a small photo.

The chipboard vine going across the drawers was painted & then heat embossed with translucent Star Dust embossing powder which gives it a nice shimmer in person.  I positioned the chipboard strategically across all the drawers & then snipped it right where the drawers open & close.  Therefore, the drawers can open & close & the chipboard vine is not an obstacle. 

The insides of all the drawers were matted with solid paper from the 'Flourish' collection.

Here's the back of the box.  The box measures approximately 8" inches high, 6" inches wide, and 4" inches deep.

In this photo you can see tiny butterflies fluttering along the side.  These are punches made with a Martha Stewart butterfly punch.  I added a few butterflies on both sides of the box to dress it up a bit more.

Since I have a son this jewelry box is just sitting in my scrap room with no one to use it.  Now we can't have that right?  So it's been put up for sale in my new Etsy shop The Kraft Nook.  I'm hoping it'll be purchased for a little girl whom I'm sure will find lots of uses for this mini dresser/jewelry box!  :-)  If interested, please feel free to visit my shop.

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

Lil' Pirate Card With Matching Card Box Envelope

Hello again!  Today I'm sharing a card I made showcasing Authentique's 'Anchored' collection alongside dies by Top Dog Dies.  I created this card during a cross promo event that Authentique had with Top Dog Dies a few weeks ago. 

The paper is a mixture of reds, whites & blues which can not only be used for nautical themed projects but for patriotic themed projects as well.  I decided to go with a nautical themed card where I also got the chance to use one of these cute little 'pirate' stamp images that I have in my collection.  :-)

The majority of my cards are created with lots of dimension--so they do not fit in regular sized envelopes.  So lately, I've been creating coordinating card 'boxes' to house my cards.  As you can see, I created a matching card box envelope--my card fits perfectly inside this box which measures approximately 6" x 6" inches & about 1" inch in height.

The base of the card was created by a Top Dog Die (Circle Mini Album Die).  The die is meant to cut out mini album covers but I've used it as the base of my card.  I folded a piece of card stock in half & ran it through my Big Shot along with the die--I just didn't cut one edge of the die completely out & this created the base for my card.

This cute little pirate is a stamp that I've stamped onto a piece of acetate/transparency.  I wanted my little pirate on the cover of this card but I didn't want him to block any of the designs seen on the background of the card--so I made him transparent.  All I did was highlight certain areas of him with Star Dust Stickles to dress him up a bit.

My flower cluster is composed of Petaloo flowers & the burlap flower is one from my own stash.  Actually I found these at my local Michaels.

Both doilies seen peeking out behind all my layering and this little blue bottle die cut were all made with Top Dog Dies (Cherish Doiles & Tags, Bottles #1 Set) .  That bottle die was just too cute--what a great element to tuck into clusters!

Here's my card being stored away nicely in it's coordinating box envelope! 

Supplies: Paper - Authentique, Flowers - Petaloo, Dies - Top Dog Dies, Stamp - Stamp Enjoy, Other - Burlap Flower, Spiral Clip, Flat Back Pearls

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

Loving Life (With You By My Side) Layout 'One of a Kind' Page Drafts Challenge

Good morning fellow scrappers!  It's a very wet morning here in the North East--it's been raining non-stop for the past 3 days and I'm starting to forget what that big bright round yellow thing in the sky is.  We haven't seen the sunshine in ages it seems.  So here's hoping for a bit of sunshine soon.

That brings me to my current page & why I picked such bright colors for it.  I made my own sunshine with this layout!  Plus the theme of the layout is one that is close to my heart.

I've used papers by Basic Grey--Lemonade collection (papers that I've had in my stash for an eternity it seems) & based my design on a fabulous new sketch by Page Drafts. In fact, Page Drafts is having another one of their challenges--more on this in a few.

Here I am holding my son when he was approximately 3 months old.  Why does this seem like it happened eons ago when it was only barely early last year?  Sigh....time is passing by just too fast for my liking & I simply don't want my little peanut to grow.  :-(  I'm loving this stage in his life where he's small & I can keep him safe by my side at all times.  I'm guessing many moms feel this way at some point in our children's lives.

Here's the sketch I've based my design on.  Page Drafts is having a "One of a Kind" themed challenge that will be going on for the entire month of May.  It's centered around Mother's Day but it's not limited to Mother's Day.  One can create a project based on anything that you consider to be "One of a Kind'--any event, person or experience that has a special meaning to you. You can find all the deets here.

I have the pleasure of playing along for this challenge since I'll be guest designing for Page Drafts later on in the month.  I'm quite honored since I've been a fan of Emma & her work for a very long time.

 I've done a bit of stamping & some masking to create the background of this page.  There's lots of layering going on & the usage of foam tape & pop dots are noticeable especially in this photo.  I really love giving the elements of my page a bit of dimension and foam tape/pop dots are the way to go for me.

To create these hearts I used a template by Crafters Workshop (Grunge Hearts).  For some of the hearts I outlined them with a thin black pen, on others I only inked them with Shabby Shutters Distress ink & on others I combined both the outlining and inking.

 I'm so in love with my stamps!  lol  Just a random thought...I used stamps to create the sentiment going around the entire border of my layout and to give my layout it's title.  The floral flourish seen here is a rub-on by Basic Grey.

 What layout would be complete without some sort of floral cluster?  My latest fave embellishments are flair buttons!  Ohhhh, I'm so enjoying these lately.  They are great for tucking into clusters which is what I've done here.  These particular ones are from a fabulous Etsy store called Panda Eight Designs.

 There's my mini flocked teddy bear again!  These little guys seem to make a cameo appearance on just about all my pages that involve my son.  To me they represent childhood which is why I use them so much when scrapping about my son.

 My journaling stored in a scroll which is my fave way of storing my thoughts.  You can find a tutorial for these journaling scrolls here.

Supplies: Paper - Basic Grey, Flowers - Petaloo, Prima, Stencil - Crafters Workshop, Flairs - Panda Eight Designs, Stamps - Technique Tuesday, Stamping Bella, Rub Ons - Basic Grey, Buttons - Basic Grey, Glitter Glue - Stickles, Wood Embellishments- Studio Calico, Prima, Other - Mini Flocked Teddy Bear, Doily, Banner

Thanks for stopping by & make sure you stop by the Page Drafts blog & play along if you can!  There are some fabulous prizes up for grabs...but you gotta be in it to win it!

Enjoy the rest of the week!

First Haircut Layout Berry71Bleu April Challenge

Good morning fellow scrappers!  I'm here today presenting my interpretation of April's Berry71Bleu challenge hosted by Tracey.  I've used several products by a few of our generous sponsors on this page.  All the paper used is from 7 Dots Studio 'Illumination' collection.  The chipboard circles, the two flair buttons & the circular stencil I used to create some texture onto my background are all by Um Wow Studio & finally I used a couple of paper images by Dark Room Door.

This is my son getting his very first hair cut.  How time flies!  The four photos showcase his journey through his first cut.  He was a brave little man & shed no tears--he just went along with the flow.  :-)  So the first photo was how he came in, the next two photos were taken as his hair was being cut & the last picture was the end result.  We took forever in making the decision to cut his hair.  You can't tell in the first photo because he was wearing a hat that day & his hair had flattened out but he had these lovely long curly locks of hair.  Many people told us that once we cut his hair he'd lose all his curls.  Everybody except for my mom that is...she insisted that I didn't lose my curls as a baby when she cut my hair and that my son inherited my hair so why would he lose his curls?  Well, I'm glad to say that my mom won!  LOL!  My son did not lose his curls...now that his hair is shorter it's wavy & as it grows again we can tell that those curls will be making a comeback.

 Here's the inspiration board created by Tracey.  It's full of colorful & unique handmade flowers.

 Once again I turned to Page Drafts for a quick mojo jump start on the design of my page.  I knew I wanted to use at least four photos & that I wanted to store a lock of my son's hair somewhere on this page.  Well this sketch fit the bill for the vision in my head.  It worked out perfectly!

My cluster of flowers includes three handmade flowers.  The large purple marigold and the two vellum flowers were handmade.  The rest are all pre made flowers.  The vellum star flower seen in the upper right hand side is a hybrid.  The bottom layers were made by me & I placed a pre made pink organza ribbon flower in the center.

This is my version of a marigold.  I have a tutorial available on my blog for this flower.  If interested, you can find the tutorial here. 

Both vellum flowers were created by stamps.  I stamped the images onto vellum with Staz On which is a permanent ink. TIP: When stamping on vellum it's best to use a permanent ink such as Staz On--using a non permanent ink such as dye or pigment based inks may cause your image to smear.  For the vellum flower shown in this photo, I cut out the flower images and layered them with a pop dot in between in order to give the flower a bit of dimension.  Finally I decorated the outer edges of the petals with Black Diamond Stickles & the center of the flower with Star Dust & Black Diamond Stickles--the finishing touch was a clear rhinestone that I adhered to the center of the flower.

The background has a bit of texture to it which I created with the use of a circle stencil & molding paste.  I also randomly spritzed a bit of white & patina mists onto the background.

Some of the circular chipboard I covered in small light yellow beads.  I applied Glossy Accents to the chippie & then dipped it into the beads & let dry.  You can also use any clear drying adhesive for this technique.

Lots & lots of layering!  How I love my pop dots & foam tape!

As is customary with my pages, I've included journaling & have stored it in this scroll.  If interested on how I make these journaling scrolls you can check out a tutorial I made for them here. 

As previously mentioned I wanted to store a lock of hair from my son's first haircut somewhere on this page as a memento.  So I created a small sliding box that did the trick!  With a circle punch I made a window on the box & placed a small piece of transparency behind the circle to create the window.  So his lock of hair is visible on my page.

Here's how the box opens.  The little drawer inside just slides out & I can take out his hair if I need to or want to.

Supplies: Paper - 7 Dots Studio, Chipboard - Um Wow Studio, Stencil - Um Wow Studio, Flair - Um Wow Studio, Embellishments - 7 Dots Studio, Dark Room Door, Hambly Screen Prints, Mists - Heidi Swapp, Ranger, Other - Handmade Flowers, Mulberry Paper Flowers, Organza Ribbon Flowers, Mini Flocked Teddy Bear, Seed Beads, Molding Paste

Thanks for stopping by & don't forget to check out the other DT's interpretation of the April challenge on the Berry71Bleu blog.  Also, play along if you can--there are some amazing prizes up for grabs!

Take care & enjoy the rest of the week!