Happy Friday!

The end of April already can you believe it? Not me - but happy to see May:)

Today I wanted to share the layout I made for the challenge that is going on right now.  My end layout ended up different from what I envisioned.  The frames were always going to be there - I just thought that for every photo I would have a letter of my name - hence the reason for there being 8 photos.  But it ended up entirely different because it just didn't look right to me.  And I like the way it came out. 

I cut all the frames using my silhouette and all of the designs were downloaded from the silouette site.  Some I used more than once.

The grouped colors also didn't happen on purpose.  I had orginally wanted to mix them up - but in the end wound up liking them grouped better.

I think using these frames in a layout with progressive photos of your child would be really cute as well.  I could have tried to do it with myself by I don't have that much room on the layout - hehe.

Well that is all I have this week!  Have a great weekend!

Michelle

My Name Challenge Page

Can't believe that this month has gone by so quickly!! I've had a blast playing with my Sonoma County kit. Thanks Noel and the rest of the team for your hospitality. ;)

As you know, the latest challenge was to create a page about your name. Well, I had a lot to say since I don't like my name! At first this page just wasn't coming together. But, then I realized that it would be fine not to include a photo and it was easy from there! I love the little girl from the Cosmo Cricket paper, so I thought she could be my stand in.



I created the fun flower banner by punching out some flowers and running them through the the sewing machine. Then, I added them to the page. Some were adhered with foam adhesive for dimension.




There's another one of my doily flowers. Remember them from last week's post?


In case youre interested, here's my journaling:

I’ve always hated my name. I endured years of teasing as a child. They called me “Liberty Bell”, “Cowbell” and “Doorbell’. People would actually snicker when I told them my name.
I asked my parents many times why they ‘blessed’ me with this name.
The story was that I was going to be Elizabeth until the day I was born. Then, for some unknown reason, my mom changed her mind and decided on Anabelle, after the Anabelle Lee poem. My dad went along with it and that’s what ended up on my birth certificate.
I suppose I could have shortened it to Ann or Ana, but that just never happened. I’ve come to grips with my name now, but I still wish I could have been a Mary or Sue or Jane, like so many of the girls born in the 60s. But, at least people don’t confuse me with anyone. I’m the only Anabelle I know!
This was a super fun page to do. Can't wait to see what you all do with this challenge.

Have a great day,
Anabelle

Tip & Technique: Creating "Dirt!"

On the message boards many of us gals participated in a Project Runway challenge hosted by Greta. We were to provide our partners with a sketch and they provided one back! My partner was Mia. She provided me with a fabulous sketch (Which apparently, I lost due to my computer troubles......) that this LO was created by! (Thanks Mia!) I chose these pics of my pup getting caught digging in the backyard. Instead of getting mad.....I grabbed my camera!

I wanted to emulate the mud that he had allllllllllll over his white furry body.....so I played with some supplies to recreate the look of mud.

Here's what ya need.......

This could also be great for creating "chocolate" for a chocolate inspired LO!!!!

One of the things I love about art...is the constant experimentation it provides! And sometimes you stumble across something wonderful!

For all of those muddy dogs, kids, husbands.....let me some LO with some "dirt" on em! : )

Scraplifting Jill Cornell

I knew as soon as I saw this page by message board member Jill Cornell (using the Seaside Cottage kit) that I MUST MUST MUST scraplift it!

It is so beautiful- the design and the meaning behind the page.

I wanted to be able to use some sweet pictures that would do the design justice, and when I caught our sweet baby girl playing with her chubby legs next to her daddy on Sunday afternoon, I knew I had to use those pics!

(I used mostly products from the Sonoma County kit, along with a touch or two from the Seaside Cottage kit.)

I also have a layout to share for our latest challenge- about the origins of our names! I used the Playdate kit to make this one, with a picture that I had from when I was a little girl as the background.

The Story of My Name & Ad Inspiration

There's a new challenge posted on the Noel Mignon Challenge Blog today, The Me, Myself & I challenge. For this one we were challenged to scrapbook about our names and any special stories behind them. It's not often I take the time to scrapbook about myself, so this was lots of fun!



I used the Playdate kit to create my page. I am in LOVE with the Jillibean Kraft cardstock included in the kits lately. I used the Bed of Roses Spritz by Shimmerz paints (one of my very favorite Spritz colors!) from the kit on the background.

Wondering how to get those delicious, giant drips? Simply shake up your bottle, then unscrew the mister. Take the mister out and use the tube as a "dropper" to place your drips exactly where you would like them. :)

{Detail Shots HERE}

I liked the way the background looked and didn't want to cover it up. I decided to stitch a border to contain my page elements where I would normally add a layer of paper. It worked out great and was a fun change of pace.

Head on over to the Noel Mignon Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the team created. I hope you'll play along!


The second page I wanted to share with you today is a page I also a page I created using the Noel Mignon Playdate kit along with a sheet of Cosmo Cricket Coordinations cardstock as the background .

I used this Dr. Pepper Print Ad as my color and design inspiration.





Have a great week!
Jana

Maximizing chipboard

Have you ever mentally decided how many letters of each chipboard you needed for a title and then realize once you started sticking that you would not have enough?
Yea..me too.. grrrr!!!! It just happened to me.

Here is a quick tip I saw a while back to solve that problem

Peel apart some layers of the chipboard to make them thinner and VOILA!

You could paint, mist, or ink them..even run them through your cuttlebug for texture...whatever floats your boat.

So next time you are in a bind remember this quick fix or heck even if you aren't in a bind that is a sure way to make your chipboard letters or shapes last longer.

Here is a page I did using the Sold Out Sonoma County Kit.

and one I did using the Playdate Kit (Sold Out)

This was Mason's 1st day of Kindergarten...now he is goin in the 3rd grade...eeekkk... I'm trying to catch up :)

Last but not least if ya'll are still hanging with me... I saw a tutorial a long time ago on a purse made from a book and for whatever reason i remembered it. I cut out the pages of a Sue Grafton Book that I had double copies of and made this little purse for Melana...she thinks she is hot stuff now :)



After I took these pics I realized a few things needed fixing so I did that and also I know what not to do next time i make one. Which i am in the process of now because her little bff in the neighborhood wants one. We'll see if that one turns out a wee bit better in the inside...

Happy Sunday!! I wish i had some football to watch :(

Sketch and a layout!

Here is a sketch that I worked up using the layout below... I used the "Sonoma Country" kit from Noel Mignon... I just love this kit!



Here is my take on the sketch!



I'd love to see what you can do with the sketch!
Thanks for stopping by!

Shining our Spotlight

Here are this weeks sightings! Way to go gals!
Monica Ferri (Playdate, plus some extra goodies from the shop)

Mia Clarke (Sonoma County)

Lacintha Naidoo (Rise and Shine)

Elizabeth Manna (Playdate)

Angie Gutshall (Sonoma County)

Interview Journaling

Hello there and happy Friday!  The other day while organizing I came upon an interview I had done with Alyson when she was 3.  I am not sure where I got the questions but I loved the answers she gave - so I decided to scrap them.

I printed the journaling on cardstock and added it to the layout - so easy.

It was an easy way to get journaling done and to mark her growth at that time.  I am going to do the interview again - I would love to see how she answers now.

Here are the questions incase you want to try this as well.  I know there was 2 one for mom and one for dad -  but the same questions apply.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
2.What makes mom happy?
3. How does mom make you laugh?
4. What was mom like as a child?
5. How old is your mom?
6. How tall is your mom?
7. What is her favorite thing to do?
8. What does mom do when you are not around?
9. If your mom becomes faous what will it be for?
10. What is your mom really good at?
11. What is your mom not really good at?
12. What does your mom do for her job?
13. What is her favorite food?
14.What makes you proud of your mom?
15. If your mom were a cartoon character who would she be?
16. What do you and your mom do together?
17. How are you and your mom different?

That's it - have a wonderful weekend!
Michelle

Doily Flowers

Doilies are all the rage right now. I love them. They are so girly and so vintage - both things I adore!

I made this card to share with you today using the Sonoma County kit (sold out) and some doilies from the craft store.



The flower was really easy to make. First, I cut the center out of the doily. Then I fan folded it.




I secured it with a glue dot.



Then, I added one of the Crate stickers for the center. I cut the flower of the BG crystal and added that, too. I used the stem part as a border. I adhered the whole thing to the card using some double sided tape.



Quick, easy and pretty!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day. :)

Color Scheme & a Bathing Beauty!

Good morning and happy Wednesday to you!!! I have a summery color palette to share with you today. So many of these delicious colors can be found in the Sonoma County kit and I just had to use 'em with this LO of my sweet girl in her itty bitty bikini!

My girl was only 3 when this picture was taken......my how they grow so quickly! (She is 15 now!) I used lots of layers and tags to create this LO. I dug up this old EK Success paper doll girl......do you remember those from like 10 years ago? Yep...still have 'em! I dressed her up in a bikini too! It felt good to use up something from my old stash! Everything here is from the Sonoma County kit (sold out) except the American Crafts Thickers, Doodlebug flower strips, and of course the ancient paper doll!

: )

I am so in the mood for warmer temps and summer to begin! So until then, I will be scrappin' some of those summery pics! (I'll live vicariously through those for now! LOL)

Be sure to check out Noel's Limited Edition kits!!!

Have a great Wednesday!