Captain Pigtails - Sketchabilities #54

Hooray! Today is a new reveal for latest Sketchabilites sketch and the team has some really pretty inspiration for you! Here is the page I created...

This is Miss Leah learning to steer the boat with Daddy. She was quite excited about it and did a great job - I love seeing the joy on her face. She was the only one of the kids who could change direction nice and slowly without whipping from bank to bank. Such great focus, this girl has.

I used some My Little Shoebox that I received from a page that published in Simply Handmade. It definitely isn't paper that I would have purchased myself (I don't even wear argyle on a sweater) but it was fun taking it as a challenge to turn it into something that I liked anyway. Especially enjoyed making the flower embellies with Nestabilities dies for the first time.

And that's all for today. If you have a turn with this sketch, be sure to link it up on the Sketchabilities page right here.

Inspire - CPS

This month Clearsnap is sponsoring the Card Positioning Systems blog (CPS) so I thought it would be fun to play along with their sketch #233. I created this card for the twins' preschool teacher (and of course forgot to bring it along for our first day today) that is more pretty than back-to-schooly.

I used pretty papers and die cuts from Grant Studios, Colorbox's NEW Mix'd Media Inx in Jasmine - no it doesn't smell like the flower, my favorite scent, but I just keep sniffing it anyway :) - and Clearsnap Molding Mats in Moorish Tiles as the stamp.

In case you would like to play along too, here's the sketch. Hope your day is great so far!

Learning Curve - Favorites

Evenin. Since September is just around the corner and little ones all over the country (world? does everyone start school now?) are heading back to school we are linking up projects with a school theme over at Paper Issues. We start preschool tomorrow, so I thought before the kids officially started I would do a little interview to see what their favorite things are at this moment. Will do another page at the end of the year and then we can come back and compare.

First up I asked the twins what their favorite things were, jotted their answers down and had them write their names at the top. Even though they share quite a bit of DNA, their answers were pretty different and it's fun to see the differences together on the same page.

Also did a page for miss Rora and even though I interviewed all the kids separately, all her answers but 2 were the same as her brother's. What a goon. She is just the right mix of girly girl and tomboy. Love it.

For both of these pages, I used some brand new Grant Studios and stamped a little with Colorbox Pigment ink in Black and Peony and also the NEW Mix'd Media Inx in Denim, Peridot, Truffle and Cashmere. Yum. You can see all the new colors and products from the summer CHA release on Clearsnap's newly updated website.

Well that's all for today. Please link up all your learning related paper projects at Paper Issues and even you have a few extra minutes leave some love too. Cause you know everyone can use a little more love. &#9829

Chevron Quilted Pillowcase

In case your not tired of the chevron trend just yet, take a peek at this pillowcase I pieced together last week for the living room. It's so cheerful in yellow!

Here is the tutorial I used at Bee Square Fabrics. Just cut out some squares, cut those squares in half and piece together. Easy peasy! I machine quilted around the edges of the yellow to give it extra definition and pom pom trim on the short sides to make it extra fun.

A bright striped fabric on the back for a little surprise.

And an opening to insert the pillow and remove for washing.

If you find a couple spare hours this weekend, you should totally make one too. Have a good one!

Streamlining Household Chores - Grocery List

Source

For a while now I've wanted to share a few of the things that help our busy household run a little smoother. There are 6 people living here, 3 of them under the age of four and let me tell you, things can get a little choatic. Keeping track of what I need to do around the house can easily get lost in the mix if I don't keep written reminders and check them daily. Having a plan and streamlining all the little things makes life so much easier and leaves lots more time for what's really important - having fun!

To begin with, I'm sharing our Master Grocery List. It's a list of everything we regulary purchase at the local grocery store, not including toiletry items. I print a copy each week and keep it in the kitchen to check off items as they need to be replenished. This ensures nothing is forgotten and I can do a quick check through the list before leaving to shop.

Grocery Master List (download via Scribd)

Of course this is just a starter - I add extras to it each week, and surely there are some things you buy that I don't and vice versa. Use it and edit it however you wish. Whatever you need to make life a little easier.

Summer Fun Blog Hop with Clearsnap & Scor-Pal

Good morning and welcome to the Clearsnap and Scor-Pal blog hop!! Our lovely Design Teams have created some wonderful summer fun projects with the Scor-Pal, brimming with inspiration and of course lots of Clearsnap inks! Visit each Design Team member's blog to see what inspiring projects they have to share. Leave a comment on each blog. We'll choose one winner from all of the comments posted to receive a prize pack from Clearsnap and another from Scor-Pal.

Clearsnap Blog
Scor-Pal Blog
Mary Dawn Quirindongo
Diane Zechman
Sabrina Alery ==> you are here!
Gini Cagle ==> go here next!
Jean Okimoto
Lisa Andrews
Daniela Dobson
Katie Tate
Charlotte Jenkins
Stephanie Ackerman
Tami Sanders
Robyn Weatherspoon
Tami Mayberry
Jennifer Priest

Today I am sharing with you how to create a fun and glitzy pleated background using the Scor-Buddy and Clearsnap's Design Adhesives with Sparkling Amethyst Glitter. It's girly and perfect for documenting these photos of the girls' too-hot-to-play-outside summer tea parties. Please check out my video below for the complete instructions on recreating this background!

I also used the Scor-Buddy to create some cute layered embellies - just trim 1.5"x12" strips of cardstock, snip the edge with your decorative scissors (come on, I know you have them lying around somewhere too :)), score at 1/4" and accordion fold to complete. So simple!

The title layered on these stamped cake stands just makes me smile! To stamp the stands and the banners in the background, I used Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks in Blackbird and Gray Whale to give a soft finish appropriate for this topic.

Supplies: Design Adhesives - Ornate Border, Butterfly Swirl, Celebrate; Glitter - Sparkling Amethyst; Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink - Gray Whale, Blackbird, Rouge, Dark Peony; Scor-Buddy by Scor-Pal; Stamps - Pink Paislee Soiree; Cardstock - Bazzill Basics, SEI; Letter Stickers - American Crafts, October Afternoon; Punches/Decorative Scissors - Fiskars; Other - Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to leave a comment before hopping onto Gini.

Monster Mash!

Edited to add: I would love it if you would vote for my page on the American Crafts FB page right here: I am so hoping for the chance to win the new Amy Tangerine line!

Oh my gosh. I go absolutely nuts for Monster Truck shows. Those great big trucks, all that raw power and dangerous stunts. Something just comes over me and I start hooting and hollering like a lunatic. Maybe it's some kind of testosterone surge in the crowd that sweeps me away; I'm not really sure?

But I'm not the only one. This little fella got caught up in it too. He attended his first show this summer in Burlington and has been all about monster trucks ever since. His toy trucks are doing tricks off the picnic table, flipping over end to end and of course crushing smaller, less superior toy cars. Love it!

Believe it or not, there was actually a 7 year old kid driving his own mini monster truck at the show (photo to the right). He jumped over some little hills and revved his engine up. It was adorable. The bigger trucks jumped buses, crushed cars and several landed upside down, requiring a tractor with even more horsepower to lift them back on their tires. Yee haw!!

The track was pretty dusty and we weren't allowed to stand by the fence during the show so the pictures didn't turn out great, but that is more than okay.

I used these chipboard suns as gears after seeing Lisa T do it in her April Studio Calico gallery. Of course my husband informed me that these gears wouldn't actually fit together in real life. Pfff. Only a boy would even notice that.

And of course my favorite part, the little banners used as flags. As soon as I saw those I knew they would be used for this purpose on this page.

So am I the only one who loves monster trucks this much?

August Photo Challenge: Week 3

Photo prompts courtesy of Oh So Lovely.

Day 15: My Shoes
the sandals we live in all summer

Day 16: Someone I Love
had to sneak this one, he doesn't like to be photographed

Day 17: On The Shelf
just a small selection of my craft stash

Day 18: After Dark Travel
bags packed for the weekend trip to Minnesota

Day 19: Where I Slept
it's so nice to see this side of the bed unmade

Day 20: What I Read
current favorites

Day 21: Pretty Pattern
an old quilt we have hanging as a curtain

Off to enjoy the rest of the weekend (and finish up some scrappy assignments too)!

Boating Friends, Fly High - MME #26

Wowza it's hard to believe summer has nearly come to an end! We had a lot of fun camping, boating, fishing and swimming but it seems like it went by in a flash. I suppose that's life with toddlers. :) To commemorate the fun we had on the pontoon boat, I created this page of the kiddos enjoying the ride, using the 26th blog challenge sketch at My Mind's Eye.

Mixed it up with some of my fav papers from Good Day Sunshine, Stella Rose and Alphabet Soup. Also got my hands on one of the new stamp sets from Lost and Found 2 and went a little wild. Count in some luscious twine and a few die cuts too. I had already used the sun embellie from the Good Day Sunshine but cut out the negative just so I could use it again :)

The background is spritzed with Smooch Spritz in Ice Rink and Gingersnap. Used the new Mix'd Media Inx for all the details.

Also partook in the card sketch this time using Good Day Sunshine and Alphabet Soup. Not sure I will ever get over the cloud trend :)

And here are the sketches in case you want to play along too. I believe this challenge ends on Sunday.

Hope your weekend is great!

Smooch Spritz Texture Bouquet

Hello! Hop on over to the Clearsnap blog to check out my tutorial on using Smooch Spritz with lots of different textures. It is definetly the funnest, most colorful project I have made in a long, long time. xo

Resources
Pom Pom
Ranunculus
Carnation
Daisy
Bud
Dahlia
Poppies
Tulip
Oak Leaf (felt)
Leaves (book paper)

Let's Ride It - Paper Issues

Did you go to Sturgis this year? Little one learning to ride their bike or big one just got his first car? The theme this time at Paper Issues is Ride It, so any projects you have made that you can fit into this theme are eligible to be linked up. Do it!

I have nothing new, but you can check out this layout about Bike Riders.

Out of the Colorbox - August

Skip on over to the Clearsnap blog today to participate in the color challenge for August. We are using the colors Deep Lagoon, Berrylicious and Butterscotch ( in the Big Top Queue set) but you can use any similar colors you may have on hand. Link up your creations for the chance to win a great prize!!

Supplies: ColorBox Cat's Eye Fluid Chalk Queue: Big Top, Top Boss Embossing Powder Black, Clearsnap Colorbox Archival Dye Cat's Eye Pad-Wicked Black, The Stamps of Life, Studio Calcio, Basic Grey, Pink Paislee

Three, XYZ - Sketchabilities #53

Hello Monday! Today is the reveal of a brand new Sketchabilities sketch! I created this page about three important things in my life at this moment, inspired by a prompt at the Scrapbook Trends blog. Those 3 things are: being a mother, taking time to create and to keep on working towards my dreams.

The photos were taken in Instagram and matched perfectly with this color scheme which is rather atypical for me. Lots of American Crafts and a few other goodies from my July SC kit, but absolutely no pink. Feels a little 70's maybe?

It def looks different than the original sketch, but if you turn it to the side and look closely, you'll see all the major elements are present, even the flowers!

Anyway here is the sketch so you can plan along too! Be sure to link up your creations on the Sketchabilities blog so we can stop by to leave a little love and so you can have a chance at being the next guest designer. Have fun!

August Photo Challenge: Week 2

So has anyone else noticed that this is a 30 day challenge but there are 31 days in August? It totally took me two weeks to even notice. Odd numbers are just harder to deal with I guess :) Prompts courtesy of Oh So Lovely.

Day 8: Self Portrait
daydreaming

Day 9: Technology
I would be lost without my gmail account

Day 10: Flower
we didn't plant any this year, but this little gal is the next best thing

Day 11: What I Wore
two weeks worth in fact

Day 12: What I Ate
who says you can't have banana splits for dinner

Day 13: Childhood Memory
climbing on the jungle gym never gets old

Day 14: Something New
eyed this cake plate month's ago, today the hubby surprised me with it

Tuesday Trigger - A Warm Hello

Like most things, I am the last to discover Moxie Fab World and the fantastic challenges and inspiration they host there. But I did make it in time to take part in this week's Tuesday Trigger -  Luminous Layers.

I see a dress sewn from scraps in the pretty, bohemian colors of fall. And so I made a card with layers punched from scraps in pretty fall colors and an array of patterns.

The buttery yellow cardstock has me feeling anxious for the weather to cool down and ready to unpack the fall clothing so I chose a warm sentiment to go along. And where would we be without a little glitter on top? :) The result makes me smile.

This challenge is open until Sunday the 14th if you'd like to play along too, just click here to link up.

Supplies: Colorbox Mix'd Media Inx - Leather, Smooch Spritz - Silver Foil, Hot Off The Press, Bazzill, October Afternoon, Maya Road, My Mind's Eye, Sassafras Lass, American Crafts

Jailhouse Rock

Oh my golly am I ever in love with this satiny stripe fabric! But it was definetly the most finicky fabric I've ever worked with and snags easily. Guess that's why it was on the clearance rack : / The only thing I could think of while making this skirt was jailbird stripes and so took a little inspiration from Elvis's Jailhouse Rock video + Guess girl ads for the styling.

Yes, its super silly but try to enjoy my dance moves. ;) The skirt is made from Cynthia Rowley's Simplicity pattern 2512. Love the design of the skirt but it didn't quite work out for me. The waist is baggy and the seams are bulky. It may be the fabric or it may just be me. Will def try this one out again with a sturdier fabric.

Also love the tie in front but would prefer it to be long enough to make a bow. Or maybe even a built in bow, that's just there to look cute. This was my first time adding piping. Love it. Next time I'll buy two packs so I can add it to the side seams as well. It even has pockets but one was sewn towards the back. Oopsie.

The result is wearable, but only with a jacket. Not a success but not a total failure. Heh. I blame it on the fabric. Yep, it's all the fabric's fault.

Thanks for stopping!