Sizzlin' Summer Sketch#1

Well I warned you that we've got some great sketches coming your way this month...

five {5} a week as a matter of fact! 

So here's our Sizzlin' Summer sketch#1

Fun huh? Now I do promise to show photos other that Hawaii this month too...but this ones of my daughter at the Luau we went to on Christmas Eve...I'll end up adding this layout to her personal album as I am trying to finish up our holiday album I'm discovering that I have a lot of photos...who'da thunk that huh? Anyways, seeing as I have lots of photos to put into the family holiday album, I've decided to put some of the solo layouts of my kids into their own albums.

I just recently picked up some of the new My Mind's Eye 'Find Your Wings and Fly' paper collection, brad assortment and sticker sheet...love these soft colours! I've dug into my stash of Washi tape as well and added it along the top.

Thanks so much for stopping by and make sure you head on over to Scrapbook Challenges and upload your creation from this sketch to the gallery! More to come tomorrow!

Use your own stash...

Well some of you remember the layouts I've posted previously from a class I took called 'Use Your Own Stash', a 20 Layouts Workshop...I am just plugging away on putting the finishing touches and photos on some of these layouts.

The mastermind behind this class is Jennifer Edwardson, she owns a Scrapbook Store on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada...for those International followers out there...and she comes to events and other stores and teaches her class.

It is action packed, by this I mean you need to be organized (she sends you a class kit list) and ready to get things done! Now at a super-charged pace of about 20-30 minutes per layout, I only ever get the 'guts' as I like to refer to it, of a layout done. So that means I get the base papers done, photo matting if needed and photos down. All of the embellishing and title and journalling work gets done after or much later on my own time. Seeing as the embellishing is where I like to take my time to ponder placement, for those of you that know me {wink}, and those of you that don't know me so well...I've been known to take a minute or 10 or...just to put a brad or button in its final resting place! So this class really gets me stickin' er down and movin' on!!!

Now she is teaching this fun 20 layout class at a Fundraising Event here to benefit BC Children's Hospital, click here to see the details of this worthy event on May 5, 2012.

The wonderful thing about this class is you build your kits from your own stash of papers and embellishments. So each person ends up having their own individual layout based off her sketch. 

The colour in these photos aren't the greatest, but you get the idea :) I wanted to make sure to include a photo of my Mom and my daughter as well as the beautiful gift she bought her for her 16th Birthday. A friend of my Moms' makes these lovely reclaimed silver teaspoons into bracelets! Such clever people in the world :)

Yeah! another layout finished and more of my stash used up! Mission Complete!

Sunshine is all around this long weekend

I thought I'd take a minute to post a few layouts I created on my ultimate 'Ultimate Scrapbooking Retreat' retreat :) at the end of April...four glorious days and three nights to eat, drink, relax, sleep in, stay up all night and of course SCRAPBOOK!

I have to say that out of all the years I've been treating myself to this escape...I have been the most productive ever this past time in April...now I could easily say that it was because I was away for four days VS. the usual three days retreat...but that would simply NOT be the truth...honestly...this was the most organized I've EVER been...I could have been more organized, but wanted to leave some of the creativity for when I was actually there...

Firstly, I made a list of the events/pictures I wanted to scrapbook...seemed easy enough, but still took time.

Secondly, I looked through various Map/Idea Books...I went to my CTMH books, like Magic, Imagine and Cherish...as well as Page Maps and Scrapbooks Etc. Maps...once I found some maps that looked like they'd work for my event, I made reference to that on a sticky note...listed off what resource (MAP location), page or design title...this was stuck to my printed picture when I got them home from printing.

Thirdly, I sent my final cuts for photos to my Desktop, I find that clicking and dropping the pictures I want to print onto my Desktop, saves me loads of time later at the upload stage as I can then later grab and drop my chosen pictures into my Upload Photos page of the Costco online photo page (I like Costco's print quality for the price here where I live)

Fourth, when I was in the photo ordering page in Costco online photo site, I made sure to tag each photo with the actual crop size and location in the layout...I know this seems excessive or maybe a little OCD...I know, but when I got to my retreat...I knew exactly what my plans were with the photo as it was printed on the back of each picture where I wanted it to go in the layout as well as the layout Map...this saved me time.

Lastly, when I got to the retreat, the only thinking I needed to do was pick out paper...which, for those of you that know me...takes me some time :) Once I had some paper in hand...grabbed my photos which were seperated with my sticky notes with the layout design I was planning on working with and the printed photos/enlargements when needed...and...away I went!

The prep ahead of time saved me from 'creators-block'...just made that one up...and allowed me to whip the layouts up! In Kristine-time...probably much faster in your own-time...I am still reeling in the pleasure of how much I accomplished...maybe you have some great tips for making the mnost of your scrapbooking time...I'd love to hear them, just leave a comment below !

Here's a couple of layouts that I did on that retreat weekend...thanks for stopping by and enjoy your Long Weekend, hopefully the sun is shining where ever you call home :)

Birthday Beauty

Well yesterday my second baby girl had a birthday...15 years ago she was alot shorter  but just a beautiful as she is today :)

She is so lovely and the kindest soul...she has started her countdown now to driving, much like her older sister did at 15 years old...Happy Birthday baby!

Here's one of my creations from my last scrapbooking retreat at Loon Lake...she is the best cousin...she sure loves her little nieces and is a great sport with playing around, icecream and puzzles!

Close To My Heart booth#519

I thought I'd post some pictures of my CTMH booth at the Abbotsford Tradex this past weekend. The 19th Annual Arts & Crafts Show sponsored in part by the Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine was held on April 1st and 2nd and was fantastic! The Scrapbook Carnival end of the building was a buzzing with creativity, classes, makin' & takin' and fun. I hope that all attendees enjoyed the weekend as much as myself and my wonderful team of helpers.

playing around with my daisy pens...great way to keep all your pens at an event like this...not many people slipping a daisy in their purse :)

various small items for purchase...edge distressers, waxy flax and sanding kits were popular...thanks to my assistant Tania :)

Olivia and Tania, Assistants Extraordinaire! Couldn't have managed without you!

Marissa and Tania workin' the makin' & takin' table...the Enjoy Life stamp set was a hit with this great masculine card...many thanks from our customers on the creation of something masculine...my pleasure ladies!

Me and my girls...thanks again for all the help!

Great corner booth...we were rockin' our 10' x 10' space...thankful for the shag carpet...special thanks to Katherina Doyle, Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine for the digs :)


We sold a few of the Hope for Japan stamp sets this past weekend but they are still available for sale until the end of April, so if you are interested in purchasing one, drop me a line as I will be putting another order through by the end of next weeks Clubs...I should be getting my own set by next week, fingers crossed, can't wait to play with it!

Keep your eyes open for May's National Scrapbooking Day special...new paper collection kit...that's all I'm saying for today :) You are going to LOVE it...

New layouts

Here's a 2 page layout I completed using the Emporium paper with CTMH. I also thought that this Bella paper was the perfect fit for these old photos of Marissa...I hope to take a better picture of both these layouts tomorrow. Thanks for looking