It's my life

Candy Cane Tilda

Last night I had the pleasure of teaching a Copic class to some beautiful and wonderful women.  The Copic craze has bitten them and when we meet once a month they have fun refining their coloring skills.  I always try to add a new technique each time so that they are always learning.  This month we worked on deeper darker shadows.  I also had them cut Tilda out for the first time too instead of "leaving" her on white paper.

Here is the card that I designed for the class.

 

I had a little fun with this one and broke out my electronic cutters.  The tree is from a Cricut Cartridge and the window frame which I popped up with foam tape is something I made in my Silhouette program.  The presents were also cut with my Silhouette.  Yes, I have both, and yes, they help me do very different things.  I am a tool lover anyway so why not.  I bet there is a whole bunch of you that have multiple die cut machines. LOL!  

Here is a closeup of Tilda.

 

I wonder if you can see the shimmer on the tree and background.  I sprayed the entire card before I put the window frame on it with Clearsnap  Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer.  I love this spritz.  I have tried many different glitter spritz and I have to say that it is my favorite.  I also used the Clearsnap Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink in Siren Red on the Candy Cane stripes.  It looks really cool in person.  

 

Here are the markers that I used to color Tilda.

Did you know that you can color clear gems with Copic markers to create gems in the colors you need.  I already had some pink gems but not red or blue so I just stuck them to the tree and colored the top of the gems.  It's really easy.  I may never buy colored gems again.  

You can get all of these products at Scrapbook Mania.  SM is the only scrapbook store in Alabama that you can get Copic markers, Magnolia stamps, Whiff of Joy, and All That Scraps stamps.  

I would also love to invite you to one of my Copic classes.  We have classes for all different levels.  Beginner, intermediate and then my Creative Cards classes.  My next beginner class will be on the 21st of November.  We have a few spots left so call the store, 205-424-4246 to reserve your spot.  It's a lot of fun and I am always excited to introduce new people to this wonderful art form.

I'm a little behind on my blogging so I have lots to show you in the upcoming days.  See you again soon.

Embellish-Online Wednesday Spotlight on Polar Expressions

Often when I scrap I am conditioned to think about design elements, techniques, color schemes and many other details but today when I sat down to create my layout for this post I had an idea and just went with it. I started using any product that I thought would create the effect I wanted and I worked without thought to traditional design concepts.  I really had fun.

Polar Expressions by Imaginisce was a joy to use.  I loved all of the fun patterns and colors of the paper.  The 3D stickers were perfect embellishments for my snowy scenery.  Don't you just love the wreath?  I do!!

 

I love the texture of the Liquid Pearls that I used to create snow caps.  I also used some Flock on the snow ground as well.  

 

Do you see the snowflakes?  Those are actually pieces cut from some adorable ribbon.  As a final touch, the green glitter Thickers were perfect for my title.  

Most all of the supplies that I used on this layout can be found at Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking.

Paper:  Jolly Jingle, So Beary Merry, Sugar Sprinkles, Flannel PJ's, Fun Drops, Comfy Cozy

Thanks for stopping by today.  Don't forget about my card sketch challenge.  You will be very happy with the prize if you win!

Bo Bunny Christmas Card Sketch Challenge

Would you like to win some great Bo Bunny holiday paper and get some of your Christmas cards done at the same time.  Well all you have to do is participate in the Bo Bunny Christmas Card Sketch Challenge.  Here is all the information.  You have until November 15th to participate.  Here is my card for the challenge.  

 

I just love the bright and cheery look of Tis the Season from Bo Bunny.  Their cardstock stickers help make your Christmas card making a snap.  

To sweeten the deal a little I am also offering up a prize pack to anyone who participates and links their card on the Bo Bunny blog and leaves me a comment with a link too. Contest ends November 15th at 11:30 p.m.

I can't wait to see what you create.

Brrrr... Baby it's Cold Outside

Well maybe not yet but the cold is coming and that means falling leaves, lots of hot chocolate, and warm fireplaces.  I love the winter holidays and the cold so this beautiful paper called Polar Express from Imaginisce was exactly what I needed to get into the holiday spirit.  I absolutely love the little polar bear dimensional sticker. The Cozy Sticker Stackers sheet is filled with adorable images that you can use to create a holiday card in no time.  

The patterned paper is also so sweet.  There are so many papers and patterns and they are all embellished with glitter.  I used this paper for my card base but why not just get the whole collection pack.  Each paper is so cute you will want more.  You can get all of these supplies and more at Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking. 

 

I can't wait to share more projects using this fun Imaginisce line.  It is Danni's turn this week to name the special so from Oct. 30th to Nov. 6th you can get 20% off all Cosmo Cricket products.  Be sure to stop by her blog to see the wonderful things that she has created using the Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly line. I just love her work and I know you will too when you see this post.

Don't forget that you can also get these wonderful perks at Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking every day.

Get Free Shipping on domestic orders of $50.00 or more! Enter code 4SP9HD in the coupon box at checkout! (One discount per order)

New Frequent Buyer Club! For every $5.00 in purchases you'll receive 1 point. Collect 30 points and you'll receive a voucher for $15.00 off on your next purchase!

Stay Warm!

A Little Bit of Everything

I just wanted to let you know that I posted a review on the Fiskars Border Corner Combo Punch on Craft Critique today.  I even included a video on how to use it.  I love that punch and really hope that they make more styles.  Here is the project that I made with it.  Please check it out if you have time.  You will be amazed at how easy they have made it.

 

Supplies:  Bo Bunny Delilah, Bo Bunny flowers, Fiskars punch, Stampin Up! oval punches and stamps

Well, just a quick post today.  I am flying back home from Grafton, Wisconsin after a week long trip working for Provo Craft.  It's been a fun time but I am exhausted.  I have lots of projects to show so I hope I can get back to posting more often.

I know.  It's been a long time since I posted.  I have had some extra "job" opportunities which have taken me out of town working very long hours each day.  It's been fun but I have little time to do my blogging.  

I didn't realize that I hadn't yet shared the projects that I made for Scrap Mania's kit of the month.  This month I used some Bo Bunny products.  The line is called Kitchen Spice and it is from their last Summer release.  I just love the deep rich colors.  It's perfect for fall and would make a great recipe book as well.  I have spotlighted this line before here if you would like to see some other projects that I made for the bo unny blog.

I have recently gotten excited about making these paper flowers.  This time I also incorporated some of the stickers from the Bo Bunny 12x12 sticker sheet as well.  

 

I always make a layout and a card for each kit.  Here is the card that I made.  I pop dotted the flowers and added some buttons and bling for a extra touch.  

 

All of these projects can be made with the supplies in Scrap Mania's October scrap kit.  They are only a few left so if you are interested in getting one contact Scrap Mania right away.  205-424-4246  or www.scrapbookmania.blogspot.com

Hopefully I will have another post soon.

Embellish-Online Wednesday Spotlight

I love Wednesday's.  The Monday blues are gone and by Wednesday evening you are half way home to Friday.  Wednesday's are especially fun on my blog too because that is the day that you get to see all the great specials that Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking has to offer.

This week it is Danni's turn to name the special of the week.  Isn't that cool that they are letting us pick the sales based on product that we love.  Danni's sale will be 20% off on all Cosmo Cricket.  You can get this special starting Oct 30th until Nov 6th.  So get to go shopping.  Don't forget lists always help me remember what I want to buy.

Today I am going to share some more fun things using Pink Paislee's Twilight line.  I started with a little clear gift card holder.  If you are wondering where you can get one I have a link for you here.  I actually put candy in there instead of the gift card because M & M's are my favorite.

 

Then because you really can't give a gift without a card, right??, I made this.

 

I used the same purple ribbon again on the card.  That ribbon is so pretty and soft.  Did you know that Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking has ribbon by the yard and this is just one of the many pretty ones.  It's hard to tell in this picture but I used some purple stickles on the outside of the oval to match the ribbon.  

Then I started looking at the supplies I had left and realized I had a full sheet of paper that I hadn't touched.  The rest was just strips or scraps of paper.  Sometimes these kinds of paper are hard to scrap on because you don't want to cover up the picture on the paper so I came up with a way to incorporate the picture and the left over scraps and punchouts.

Did you notice the Pink Paislee brads on the gift box and the tag on this layout?  I didn't want to pierce the paper to attach the brad so I just broke off the little prongs and used a jumbo glue dot instead to attach it instead.  Sometimes that's easier than punching a hole especially when the prongs would show through like in the case of the gift card box.

You still have time to get ready for your Halloween layouts.  You can CASE mine if you want and then just wait for the pictures to arrive.

Here are some other specials at Embellish-it Online Scrapbooking that you might want to know about.  Talk about getting some fun on sale.

Current Specials

Get Free Shipping on domestic orders of $50.00 or more!  Enter code 4SP9HD in the coupon box at checkout! (One discount per order)

New Frequent Buyer Club!  For every $5.00 in purchases you'll receive 1 point.  Collect 30 points and you'll receive a voucher for $15.00 off on your next purchase! 

Great Sale on Select Basic Grey 12x12 Collections, Select Pink Paislee and Imaginisce!  Prices from 20 to 35% off!

While supplies last!  Get a free Hocus Pocous Chipboard Thicker Accents when you order any Hocus Pocus Letter Thicker!

New Magnolia Card

Ok, I know it's the fall season and my leaves are turning colors but I wanted to share a card with you that might bring back the sunshine, just for a little bit.  I really love the bright colors on the papers that I used by Nikki Silvis's line My Sweet Cherry Pie. The little 6x6 paddies are perfect for card makers.  The designs are scaled down so that they look just rite on a card.  

I also used a really cute little Magnolia stamp from the latest Fall collection.  Scrapbook Mania in Birmingham, Alabama carries a whole bunch of Magnolia stamps and is actually expecting a new shipment in tomorrow.

  

Isn't she just the sweetest.  You probably can't see it but I colored her shoes with a red Atyou Spica pen from Copic so that it would look like she was wearing Dorothy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz.

 

Just a couple of Copic markers were needed to make this card.  It was nice and simple.

Okay, because I was thinking about Cherry Pie, I remembered seeing something that really disappointed me.  I saw it in my grocery store yesterday.  I love making pies but I especially like making pumpkin pie, muffins and bread.  I have a awesome recipe for the most delicious Pumpkin Muffins and most people are eagerly awaiting their arrival.  But in the store there was a sign hanging that said something to the effect that Libby, the company that makes mashed up pumpkin in a can, was having difficulties with their production and is sorry to say that there will be no pumpkin products until further notice.

What???  Okay, so maybe I start baking fall treats a little early but I am telling you in one week it will be November and Libby better start producing some cans of pumpkin or else there are going to be some very angry women out there. :)

We may just have to have cherry pie for Thanksgiving dessert.  Leave a comment and tell me your favorite Thanksgiving dessert.

Got Sketch #91 and Bo Bunny Blog Candy Winner

I was thrilled to be asked again to contribute to the Got Sketch blog for this week's sketch.  The double page sketch class has ended so Valerie will be resuming her normal weekly sketch challenge.  If you have never used one of Valerie's sketches before you really need to.  They make scrapbooking easy.  Just pick your favorite papers and cut.  I also love that you can always put your own spin on your layout as well by just replacing some of the elements with other things or rotating the sketch.

Here is my scrapbook page.  You can see the original sketch on Valerie's Got Sketch blog.  On this layout I used the new October Afternoon paper and embellishments, On the Farm, which you can purchase at Scrapbook Mania if you live near me.  I absolutely loved this line.  Such fun bright colors and simple designs.  

Here are a few tips about this page.  The flowers were hand made using paper diecuts that I cut out with my Cricut.  Plantin Schoolbook has a great selection of flower cuts in the back and I just ran some cream paper through it cutting out flowers in a couple of different sizes.  Then I inked the edges and with the end of a paint brush I curled up the edges of the petals.  Then I layered them on top of each other and attached them together with a brad.  This way of creating flowers is very easy and is all the rage right now. 

You might also notice the journaling inside the cows speech bubble.  It is very easy to write your journaling up in a word processing program, print it out and then attach your journaling card to that paper and run it through the printer again.  I usually hold up both pieces to a bright light so that I can see where to best place the journaling card.  

Well I have been waiting a long time for this weekend to arrive and yeah it is finally here.  Cheryl Mizzetti is coming to Scrapbook Mania this weekend and teaching 3 classes plus will be the guest of honor at our Friday night crop.  You should see the beautiful mini books that she will be helping all of our class participants to make.  I think that there may still be room at the crop so if you would  like more information on that please contact India at Scrapbook Mania.

I would also like to announce the Bo Bunny's Blog Candy Winner.  This was so much fun that I am sure it will happen again.  Tracey please contact me at christineousley@mac.com with your address.  

What an adorable jar! I am loving the peeks at the new collections. So cute!

Posted by: Tracey | October 19, 2009 at 12:09 PM

Amber Road Embellish-it Scrapbooking Spotlight

Today is Wednesday so that means it is Spotlight on Embellish-it Scrapbooking day. Yeah!!  Each week I will highlight some of my favorite products offered in the store.  

I hope that you stocked up last week on the Pink Paislee special offer because today I am using some gorgeous paper and embellishments from the new paper line Amber Road from Pink Paislee.  The new Amber Road line is incredibly beautiful.  Deep rich colors and timeless patterns that touched my heart as soon as I saw it.  

I also had a few chipboard embellishments in my scrap stash from the Fetching Line by Pink Paislee.  I loved that I could use elements from these two lines together.  Be sure to stop by Embellish-it Scrapbooking to find out what the new weekly deal will be.  

I also want to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog in the last couple of days and left a comment.  Everyone has been so sweet and kind and I have so enjoyed reading them all.  You still have until tomorrow to leave a comment to win.  See this post for more details.

My next post will feature a fantastic new sketch by Valerie Salmon so please check out the Got Sketch blog on Thursday morning to see my layout and the others.

New Releases from Bo Bunny and a contest

I am so excited to announce that Bo Bunny is releasing more new paper lines.  You can get a sneak peek at them on the Bo Bunny blog plus you will get a chance at winning one of their 3 new releases.  So if you are coming from here via the  Bo Bunny blog, great, you probably know what to do but if you are coming just to say hi to me please make sure you click here and read all about how you can be entered to win.  

Also if you post a comment on my blog you will eligible to receive a Bo Bunny prize pack from me. My prize contest ends Wednesday at 9:00p.m.  Winner will be announced shortly after.  So get to hopping from my blog to all of the Bo Bunny Design team members to gather clues to win the big prize.

Here is a little project that I put together using Boo Crew.  I just love this line.  It's been wonderful to work with.

 

I used all of the rubons on the sides of this candy jar.  The characters are just so cute but yet spooky at the same time.  Love it!

 

A little Bo Bunny flowers and Double Dot ribbon and it's a great gift idea.

He is so cute.  Okay so get to hopping along to the other DT members site and gather your clues.  Start here at the Bo Bunny blog website and have a wonderful day.

Halloween Decorations with Pink Paislee

Well it is Wednesday which means it is Embellish Online Scrapbooking spotlight day.  I will be showcasing some of the wonderful Pink Paislee products that they sell and to make things even better it is my week to name the special.  So this week at Embellish Online Scrapbooking all Pink Paislee papers are buy 3 get 1 free.  What a deal.  Make sure to write in the comment section the free paper that you want.  Please do not put it in your cart.

Let's take a look at my project that I created with Twilight and some of the accessories in that line.  I've had these Memory Makers cubes forever now and always meant to buy more but never got around to it. I only had two. Most of the time you decorate you use things in odd numbers.  Like three of something or five of something.  Or you spell a word but since I only had two I had to get a little more creative.  Sure I could have made another block from paper but I went with the tower look instead.  

 

I think this is going to make a very special decoration on my fireplace mantle next to all of my candleholders.  I love candles and have tall and short candle sticks as well as a beautiful candelabra on my mantle.  Of course if I ever find more blocks I can change things around a little.  Photo cubes are really fun and easy to make.  I loved using this Pink Paislee paper called Twilight.  It's just the right amount of spooky.  Here is another view of my project.

 

I really don't know how I did it but every picture I took has the same view of the cube below.  I must have turned the top one so you can't see the pictures on the other side.  Well since I am in Chicago right now and no where near my camera or my home for that matter these will have to do for now.

So if you like my tower let me tell you a little secret about a wonderful sale going on at Embellish Online Scrapbooking where you can get any Pink Paislee paper they have in stock Buy 3 get 1 free.  That is a huge savings.  Be sure to leave the free one's name in the comment section to receive it.  Do not put it in your shopping cart.  

There are many lines to choose from so even if you already have your Twilight be sure to check out the other Pink Paislee products that they stock.  I will be back next Wednesday with some Amber Road goodness so be sure to stop by and see what I have created with that line.

I have also had several other posts using this line so if you would like to see more Twilight projects please click here and here.

Oh Christmas Tree

This project took me awhile but I finally finished it.  I am really happy with the way it turned out.  I saw this chipboard tree album from Maya Road decorated at their booth and wanted to recreate it. Thanks for the inspiration goes out to whoever it was that made the original.

 

 

 

 

I will tell you that the Basic Grey Precision file set came in handy for the inside of all those little scallops.  I was also able to use my 1/8 circle punch as well as my Crop-a-dile for the holes.  These pictures aren't the best but I put white ink and glitter on the snowflakes and also used some Ranger Silver acryllic paint dauber.  I was extremely happy with the shine that the silver paint had after it was dry.  On the bottom of the tree I used some Marvy Uchida snow pens.  Those are a lot of fun.  Paint it on and use your heat gun on it.  It puffs up and looks like snow.  

You are going to see this stand again in a future project.  I actually just used it because it was tall enough to hold my tree hanging but this 7 gypsies product is actually made for something else.  I hope you will come back and see it when I finish the other part.

Have a great weekend.  I will be away next week and probably won't blog but I'll try.

Spotlight on Pink Paislee at Embellish-it Scrapbooking

Do you like a sale?  Well of course you do.  So do I.  That's why I want to tell you about a sale that is going on at Embellish-it Scrapbooking right now.  Select lines of Pink Paislee are now 30% off including some of my favorites, Enchanting, and Fetching from the Winsome collection.

When I took out these pictures of my daughter I knew that the Enchanting line was going to be perfect.  I also used a little bit of paper from the Captivating line too.  

One of the parts of this layout that I love the most is the green strip of paper.  I wanted to use some dry embossing on my layout but it just looked too plain after I put it down, so I took my ink pad and rubbed it all over the paper.  The Cuttlebug folders make such a deep embossing impression that the ink just slid along the top.  A little trick that I use is to distress paper with a dry ink pad.  I have an old extra Chocolate Chip ink pad and I use that one when I want to do some distressing because the dryer the pad the more control you have. In this instance it worked perfectly.  

Let me tell you about an extra bonus that you can get at Embellish-it Scrapbooking.

You can get Free Shipping on domestic orders of $50.00 or more!  Enter code 4SP9HD in the coupon box at checkout!

Also, Embellish-it Scrapbooking now has a NEW Frequent Buyer Club!  For every $5.00 in purchases you'll receive 1 point.  Collect 30 points and you'll receive a voucher for $15.00 off on your next purchase! 

So if you like these Pink Paislee lines as much as I do then you will want to run right over to the website store and order some and maybe you will also find some other great items that you want, I mean need. :)

You might also notice the bracket chipboard frames and swirl.  They are from Bo Bunny and I painted them and then clear embossed them to seal them and add a shine.  I just love making my own custom chipboard embellishments.  

I'll have another project to show you tomorrow using Eskimo Kisses from Basic Grey.  It is something I have been working on a long time and I finally finished it today.  I really loved how it turned out.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Recycle and Reuse

Today on the Bo Bunny blog some of the DT, including me, were challenged to recycle or reuse an item and create something new.  I have to say that the challenge was a little tough for me.  I don't always see the diamond in the rough, if you know what I mean.  I was racking my brain about what I could use and not coming up with much when I sneezed.  I reached up to grab a kleenex to find out that the box was empty.  At that moment it popped into my head.  A treat box.  So I grabbed the box, cut the top out of it and started decorating with The Boo Crew from Bo Bunny.  This Halloween collection is so much fun to work with.  Bright colors, very cute characters and love, love, love those goggly eyes.

 From this

 To this.  Pure fun!

 

I've used a bunch of different products on this treat box.  Rubons, cardstock stickers, stamps and paper.  A trick that I learned from Carole on the Bo Bunny DT was to cut the cardstock stickers apart sometimes to give it a cool 3D look.  A little bit of pop dots underneath and you get lots of fun depth and dimension.

I would love to see what you can create from a recycled product.  Leave a comment with a link to your project to win some fun Bo Bunny cardstock stickers.  Challenge ends Sunday Oct. 11th at Midnight EST.

Supplies: The Boo Crew Collection, Boo Crew Stripe, Boo Crew Goblins, Killer Costumes and Time for Treats Cardstock Stickers, Boo Crew Combo Sticker, 2 Cute 2 Spook rubons, Mr. Bones Stamp Set, My Eye on U iCandy Jewels, 5/8 Licorice Ribbon

Rainy Monday

It rained all day yesterday and today it doesn't look much better.  I don't mind the rain when I can stay at home but when you have to go out in it, Yuck.  Plus the temperature has dropped and so it's cold outside as well.  

Besides yesterday this weekend was  filled with tons of fun.  The kids and my hubby went to the high school football game on Friday night. The big rival game between the two high schools in our school district.  (That meant a nice quiet night for me)  My daughter's school made a great showing in the first half 21-0 but then lost 24-21 in the end.  How does that happen I ask?  Oh well, it gave me some time to work on my crafting projects without guilt while they were gone.

Then Saturday night my husband and I went to see Alan Jackson in concert.  I love the little venue that we saw him in.  It's an outside amphitheater and the weather was cool and perfect.  It's only about 7 minutes away from our house so it's so easy to get to.  Even after all of these years his voice is just fantastic.  It was a really great concert and $10 tickets weren't so hard on our pocketbook either.  It was kind of sad to see that the place was not filled.  Maybe it was the college football games that everyone was watching but I think it is more the economy than anything else.  I just hope things start picking up.

So today I am going to show you a card that I created for a sketch challenge at Bo Bunny.  I am proud to say that I created the sketch and if you click here you can see it and all of the other cards that the DT made for the challenge.

 

I can't help loving the Bo Bunny cardstock stickers.  They are very well designed so that the images look 3D.  They are also very easy to create cards with.  Try cutting them apart too for an extra 3D effect.

I hope that you all are having a wonderful Monday.  

xoxo, Christine

School Days

I think I have finally found a school paper that I like.  It's actually not school paper but Cosmo Cricket's The Boyfriend line, but it's got some very cool school themed papers in it.  I think I like the red testing paper the best and that background paper is very cool.  You can find these papers and more at Embellish Online.  

They also carry tons of American Crafts Thickers. Click on the link to go to the Embellish-Online store to see them all. I have used two different sets on this layout.  The brown felt numbers and the yellow vinyl letters that spell "School".  There is just something about that little bit of dimension of Thickers on a page that make me like them so much more than sticker letters.

You might also noticed the stamping on this layout.  The numbers in a row is a stamp block called Numbers from Unity Stamps.  I love their stamps.  They really have a wonderful unique selection.  Just perfect for both scrapbookers and card makers.

Do you also see the tiny little staple?  That is from Tim Holtz's line and is called the Tiny Attacher. It is so cute and fun, you are sure to want one.

World Card Making Day is almost upon us.  I will be teaching a "Mystery" card class.  I would love it if you could attend. Please email me for more information on time and place.

This Weekend I...

This past weekend I taught some very nice ladies how to use their Copic Markers.  They were so fun to work with and very talented with their markers when they got started.  We spent most of the day together and we talked about the markers themselves, how to refill them, how to blend them, techniques of blending and what colors work well for skin tones, hair and clothing.  I love showing people new things.  I love their faces when they realize, Yeah, that's pretty cool!  I can do this."  If you are interested in taking a Copic class from me please email me and I will let you know when the next class is.  If you have a group of friends, 5 or more, that are interested we can schedule a special Copic party for you all on a date of your choosing.

I remember when I first started using Copic markers.  It was such a thrill to use them.  I remember wanting all of them and wanting them now.  Well I do have a pretty good stash going but I am no where near to having them all.  At this point I am focusing on purchasing the refills as some of my favorite colors are going dry.  

Besides teaching Copic classes I have been working on all kinds of different things.  One of these you might have seen on the BoBunny blog.  Our challenge and the one we are extending to you is to create a 2 page layout.  Now many of your might do these often but I tend to stick to the one page layouts more.  The 12x12 space just seems easier for me to design with.  This 2 page layout is based on a sketch created by design team member Rita.  Using a sketch made it a lot easier and I really love how it turned out.

Here is a closeup of each page.  These pictures were taken by a dear close friend who first encouraged me to learn more about photography and to start my own photography business years ago.  Her daughter and mine are close in age and they have been friends since they were very young.  

Isn't that flower rub on gorgeous.  I also added some bling too.  I love how my pictures look great with this paper line.  I took the original files and applied an action from the Pioneer Woman action set to give them that soft and faded look.

I hope to post a card or two soon.  World Card Making Day is this Saturday.  Are you ready?

Embellish-Online September Trick Or Treat Blog Hop

Halloween is just around the corner! 

Think way back.....way back when you were a little kid. Its October 31st and its time to do some serious trick or treating. After 6 months of Mom fussing over your Halloween costume, which streets are safe and how big your candy sack should be, you are finally on your way! Time to score some serious candy!

Yep, trick-or-treating is finally here! 

The Embellish-it On-line Design team would like to do a little trick or treating of their own.

Each of the Embellish-it On-line Design team members are creating some wonderful treats for you to see and will share a trick/tip with you as your hop along our September Blog Hop. Not only do you get to see their special eye candy/treats and get a trick/tip or two, but you also will have the opportunity to win a REAL treat! 

An Awesome Prize Package! 

Hop along the blogs and you will have two chances to be entered in a random drawing for the prize package. You can...

1~ Copy and Paste a blurb/banner about this Trick or Treat Blog Hop on your blog and leave us a link in Mr. Linky on the EIO Blog Hop Post.

2~ If you don't have a blog, that's okay, please still play along with us, create a project and upload it to our forum here.

So here is my treat for you.  Actually I have two.

If you are having a Halloween party you will need to have some ideas for treat bags and decorations.  You can quickly put these cute little gable boxes together and decorate them with paper.  Place cards with the kids names or fun Halloween sayings like the one above will look great as accents pieces.  I just loved the fun colors and patterns in the new Halloween line from American Crafts.  Don't forget to use the code word Glitter when you purchase your product at Embellish-it Online for a 20% discount.

Then after the festivities you will want to document everything with a layout.  Here is a quick layout for you to put together using the amazing American Craft Halloween papers and American Craft Hocus Pocus glittery chipboard letters.

So here is my trick.  To save on cardstock, especially when I only have one piece left of the color I need and I want to use it as an accent piece, I cut out the middle of the paper and then lay my patterned paper on top of the cutout.  Usually I cut out of the middle a 10x10 piece so I have a big enough piece to work with if I want to make a card or run it through my Cricut or Silhouette which I did here to make the pumpkins.

I hope you like my trick and will use it on your next project.

If you are coming to my blog first please be sure to start at the beginning at the EIO blog.  Then go to down the list.  Next is

Danni

A Little Video

I made this box and now realize the video is working so I will be back to edit this post with dimensions and more details. 

Box Tutorial