More layouts to share...

Using up more stash...really old papers and brads 

Sketch by PageMaps

bought like a zillion of those journalling bits...still have half a zillion in my stash!

Ok, so this was really creepy gross, but super cool at the same time! This Edible Garden was on the Xcaret park site, where they grow these specialty mushrooms and harvest them for their on site gourmet restaurant! Beautiful to look at though.

sketch by Scrapbooks etc.

So glad to have our 'use up those brads' challenge with my scrappin' sister Sandra at the Ultimate Scrapbooking Retreat weekend...

Super stunning site...the Chapel of Guadalupe was underground! at the very bottom you can enter a cave where they stored their wine for the restaurant next door...loved all the cool cupboards with all the antiques bottle openers and the carved tree on the main wall...I'm assuming it was of Guadalupe herself!

Sketch by Scrapbooks Etc.

thanks for stopping by!

it's all about Stella...

It's all about Stella next month...the paper collection by CTMH that is :)

I love the colours in this pack...it so happens to work well with photos from our recent trip to the Maya Riviera, turquoise water and bright flowers and swimsuits!

The Workshop layout for this kit highlights multiple photos, a new sketch by Jeanette Lynton, which is shown here:

CTMH Workshop on the Go layout

Now I wanted to show you how well this layout also works with these photos of my son Cliffdiving...with what looks like a feminine layout by CTMH's artwork,

 I've created a great holiday page featuring my son...

I don't like to be directed by stereotypical concepts of colours...I scrap what I like in conjunction with my photos because I need to love my page...

'Moments to Share' stamped with the Exclusive stamp set that comes in the WOTG kit 

I've also completed the second layout in the guide which I will preview later this week :)


With the scraps from my first two layouts I created this page and I added some of Stella Compliments Canvas Shapes and some Thickers that are just the right colour for a nice and easy title...

Let's Scrap sketch 10-13-10

nice and easy, using some scraps from the first two layouts and adding some of the canvas shapes and trimming the zip strip off one of the patterned sheets...I love that CTMH has zip strips on their new papers, it's like adding more paper to the pack!

Stella Compliments Canvas Shapes (bird & tree) and the crocheted flowers and buttons are from our new Bohemian Asst. 

Off I go to try and use up the rest of this paper!

I'm taking the LOAD challenge!

I am taking the LOAD challenge over at Let's Scrap...the goal is to create a layout a day! 

 I've also signed up to join the 100 layouts in 2012 group over at Let's Scrap ...

Now in theory this would be quite a challenge for most of us...but the rules are:

LOAD: You can count both cards & LO's. A double LO counts as 2 LO's

100LO's in 2012: Only LO's count! A double LO counts as 2. You can keep track of your cards, but they do NOT count in your total.

So far this month I'm at 25 layouts!

Now they are not all Let's Scrap layouts, I've used Close To My Heart, PageMaps, Scrapbooks Etc., and Valerie Salmon sketches.

 I can only add the LS sketches to the LS gallery, but all the other ones count too! The tracker in the top left hand corner of my blog will keep my tally going...I'm kinda excited to see how many I'll actually create in 2012! 

A couple more creations...

Here's a couple more layouts from my scrapbooking weekend away.

I've created this layout a few times using another Let's Scrap sketch...the circles were bubbles for me and the paper was found in the wee hours of the night, while most ladies were asleep...

Marissa was driving us crazy asking over and over again if she could get a turtle! NO was the answer every time, but she was persistent...

Check out those little wee bubbles! Those little turtles were so cute...all four inches of them :)

OK, this one was fun...we were trying to find spots to see this horse show, Matthew gave up and decided to climb a tree...I thought he was busted when a Security lady was approaching where he was but instead she told these kids to get off the fence...apparently hanging in a tree is safer than climbing the fence!

 It was great to use up older papers, embellies and journalling bits...those Maya Road kraft envelopes are perfect for hiding journaling too!

Now the monkey see...monkey do comes in when my nephew decided to find his own tree! My brother was either guiding him or trying to talk him outta the tree...I'm still unsure :)

It's been a while since I've shared some of my layouts for the fun of it! 

After my weekend away at the Ultimate last weekend, a very snowy weekend away, I had a great time and I also did a little scrapbooking ;)

All the photos are from our recent trip to the Barcelo resort south of Cancun, the Polé ruins are located on the Xcaret grounds. Xcaret was a fun place to explore with lots of natural and cultural activities to see and do! I've use a Let's Scrap sketch for this one (5-4-11).

I am still loving CTMH's cork alphabet...inked in Cocoa above...

I had to do a layout with photos of all the Iguanas we saw at Xcaret and everywhere we went! These are just six different Iguanas we came across here and there at the Xcaret park...the guy on the far left actually charged at me! 

One of the challenges my friend Sandra and I had for each other this past weekend was to try to use up random items in our stash...add a brad to each layout was one of the challenges we had for ourselves...myself, I don't feel like the layout is complete unless it contains a brad or button, twine or ribbon or fabric of some sort (crocheted flower)...lots of layers :) The Iguana-Ville layout was inspired from a Valerie Salmon sketch I came across.

Using up some of the CTMH corrugated shapes...inked again in Cocoa :)

I love the texture you get when you layer different products; crocheted flower, paper stickers and epoxy brads.

Pemberley's In!!!

I wanted to post some photos of the new Pemberley papers and embellies in the flesh! So to speak :)

Ok, so the new Bouquet Assortment (Z1694) and the Garden Wooden Shapes (Z1718) are only $5.95 each! The Wooden Shapes are inkable and stampable! How cool is that!!!

Great detail in these close ups of both...

Now how about a look at the new Footloose papers!

These Seaside Wooden Shapes are also inkable and stampable and are priced at $4.95!

Now these chipboard bits come in two 12"x6" sheets...I punched a small few out so you can get the idea and took a close up for some greater detail :)

This is the reverse of the Footloose paper collection...can't wait to create with these papers...perhaps our recent holiday to Mexico...I might have a couple photos around here somewhere ;)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

I thought I'd add some cute pictures of my Daddy and my daughter seeing as it is his Birthday today and what better way to advertise this than by posting a silly photo of him for everyone to see! 

As I'm sure you are able to detect, they are dancing on the beach! 

I love that my Dad can still be silly!

We spent two weeks in Mexico with my entire family over the holidays and as you can see we had fun :)

These two beauties will be doning the pages of my scrapbooks soon enough!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Another look inside...

Seeing as I'm still waiting patiently for my box of goodies from Close To My Heart's newest catalog release, I thought I'd share with all of you some more artwork from one of our newest paper collections :)

'Pemberley'

Pemberley papers work well with Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim, Bamboo and Indian Corn Blue cardstock as they are included in this Level 2 paper pack for $9.95 cdn

Or grab the whole Workshop On The Go kit for $29.95 and create this wonderful project

This exclusive stamp set, Level 2 paper pack, 2 extra sheets of Colonial White cardstock, the new Bouquet Assortment and Bitty Opaques in Pearl are all included in the Workshop On The Go kit!

Contact me today for a catalog or for more information on how you can order this Pemberley Collection today!

I'm Organized and I'm Outta Here!!!

Well I'm packed for my weekend at the Ultimate! Record time and organization considering we just returned from the Maya Riviera in Mexico on Sunday...

I thought I'd touch base on my preparations 'to go' with you in the event you get to have a night or weekend of scrapbooking from time to time. You can also take these steps to organize layout kits ahead of time so when you have limited time, you are already to go!

I have learned from my years of retreats what works for me. Back in the day I would literally pack it all! Now I go with a plan...that is to literally plan each page :) It takes some time, I'll admit...but when you arrive and are ready to go...you do!

I'd love to tell you that I'm creatively designing original layouts when I am away on these weekends, but that is not so...I am the slowest scrapbooker I know when I'm busy dreaming up my own layouts...spending far too much time on the exact placement of brads and papers and photos ;( 

My solution to this is to come prepared with sketches!!! Now you've seen many layouts here and elsewhere featuring Close To My Heart, Let's Scrap, Page Maps, Scrapbook Challenges, Mojo Mondays, Scrapbooks Etc., Canadian Scrapbooker...you get the idea. There are so many FREE resources out there as well as books you can purchase that help get your ideas flowing. 

Close To My Heart sketch books

Sketches are fantastic when you're sitting with 7 photos in your hand that you really want to use and you don't know where to start! At a retreat or evening crop, your time is valuable and you'd like to get as much done there as possible because you have an opportunity to work uninterrupted!

Page Maps PDF's printed off website

I've printed off sketches, slipped them into page protectors and put them in order into a 3 ring binder, I have many Page Maps PDF's so it has it's own binder!

Scrapbooks Etc. sketches printed off website

Let Scrap Sketch site, printed off website gallery

• I start by looking at my photos on my computer
• I 'flag' only those photos I would like to use, this way I can refer to only the flagged photos when I'm looking at sketches...it's less overwhelming if I have oodles of photos on one event:)
• I'm usually thinking of layouts when I flip through my photos.
• Before I order photos to print, I look through my sketch binders/books and record the sketch name/number and which photos/layout I am using for them into a notebook which I will take with me.
• I only print out the photos I want to use for my layouts. If the sketch has a size other than the normal 4x6 I print out, I'll make a note of which photo I want to use in that spot and make sure to order only that photo for another size.
• When I'm planning one layout, I'll usually write in my notebook which photos I was thinking of putting where...this will save me time remembering what I was planning when I get to this layout.
•  I will also record some potential titles or info into my notebook so I can refer back to them while I'm working on the layout...sometimes I can think of several fun titles when I'm sorting through photos and I know I'll forget by the time I'm at my retreat ready to work :)
• Lastly, once I know my photos and hopefully my sketch too...I'll start looking at my papers and embellishments and try to pack up only items that are going to work with my photos and sketches

I have found that if I take the time to prepare for my weekends, not only do I exceed my own expectations of my productivity, but I also am not printing out photos that I won't use! I have wasted a lot of $$$ over the years with printing off way more than I ever use, and I don't know about you...but I have a very difficult time throwing them out...don't know why...I'm just freaky that way :)

Want to have a sneak peek at 'Stella' ???

Good morning! 

It's that time again at Close To My Heart to reveal a new 6 month catalog! Yippee! email me today to get a copy! 

So to start off February's Workshops we are going to be creating with our newest paper collection 'Stella' which is also featured on the front cover of the new catalog!

Below is the sample artwork for the Workshop layout...I am patiently awaiting my mini-jumbo order with some of our newest products...so you'll have to be satisfied for the time being with this picture :)

 If you are interested in getting your own kit, or joining my drop-in Thursday Workshop, email me HERE

Here's some more creative artwork from Close To My Heart featuring this great paper!

I'm Back'ish....

Hello! I'm so glad to be back on board the Bloggin' and Scrapbooking train! 

After two glorious weeks of white sand, turquoise waters, food galore and lots of time spent with family...I am finally home and in the Studio...lots to share, but for now I wanted to say hello and start with sharing the January stamp of the month at Close To My Heart in case you wanted to take advantage of it while you can...

Here's some CTMH artwork  featuring this month's 'Little Reminder' stamp set which is only available until January 31st...see the image below for all 25 images included in this fabulous set!

This is really a fantastic stamp set that you can use over and over again to help you document the date in your scrapbook layouts or to feature the day for a handmade card!

Now to see loads of artwork created from this set click on Helen's link HERE and follow her monthly BlogHop with many more Consultants...I usually like to be part of this Hop but due to my holiday over December and January, was unable to participate this month! Just find the next name on her Blog and keep going from Consultant to Consultant to see everyones work!