It's my life

Papercrafter's Corner Creative Squad Team Announcement!

I am so excited to share that I have been chosen as part of the first Papercrafter's Corner Creative Squad. This is going to be a great adventure and know you will be so inspired by all of the talented ladies on the team.

Our fabulous new squad of 8 is here to help you get the very most from your favorite hobby — paper crafting.  The Creative Squad will be creating brand-neutral projects featuring photos, hints, tutorials, how-tos and more to give you the feeling: “Yeah! I can totally do that!”

The PCC Squad is here to coach & cheer you on. With their guidance & encouragement, you’ll learn new techniques, be inspired, find ways to get the most from your stash, discover new products, push yourself, and have a great time doing it.

Be sure to stop by Papercrafter's Corner to meet all of the ladies!

Simon Says Stamp's Challenge Day - Anything Goes in May

Welcome to this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog day!!  This is always the best week of the month because it is always our Anything Goes Challenge.  Easy peasy, right?  Just create something this week, share it on your blog or online gallery and link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog.  I love seeing the Anything Goes Challenge entries because there are always so many beautiful, interesting and unique creations!!

So this week, the design team is also spotlighting all kinds of twine, string, and hemp.  Simon Says Stamp carries a ton of it and I scored big time when I found this Hemptique hemp cord.  It matches perfectly with this paper pad from Simple Stories.

Simple Stories has great 6x6 paper pads.  Not only do you get all of the regular sheets of paper but you also get some of the special papers which you can cut apart and use on your card like I did here with the journaling spot.  

Here is a closeup picture of the hemp cord and some beautiful Prima flowers that matched very well to the paper too.  Love the size of these flowers.  They are great for cards.  You can also see part of the stamp set that I used.  It is a great mini stamp set from Unity by Jillibean.  It has this great banner image and then three sentiment stamps that fit inside the banner image.  

The butterflies were cut using a Martha Stewart punch and the small white flower is from Maya Road.  I also added a small strip of Bella Blvd Washi tape and some gems from Kaiser Craft.  

 

I can't wait to see your cards.  Please make sure to link it up for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store.  I have listed all of the supplies that I used to make my card below.  Just click on the link and it will take you straight to the store!

*Simple Stories FAB-U-LOUS 6 x 6 Paper Pad Fabulous FAB2101	*Hero Arts KRAFT PAPER 65# Card stock ps627	*Hemptique SPRING BLOOM 2 Natural Hemp Cord Set 2916	*Prima Flowers FAIRYTALE Mini ROSES CORAL Peach 538651
Maya Road Vintage paper posies	*Martha Stewart ROYAL BUTTERFLY Craft Paper Punch M283011	ANM Mini Pop Dots Foam	Tombow Mono Adhesive Permanent Dots Refill
Tombow Mono Adhesive Permanent Dots Dispenser	Glue Glider Pro PermaTac Adhesive Apllicator	Glue Dots 3/16 Mini Dot N Go Disposable Dispenser	Memory Dot N Go Glue Dots
*Tsukineko Memento Ink Pad RICH COCOA Brown

InLinkz.com

Operation Write Home

Today is the Operation Write Home blog hop and I'm sharing some cards that I made for the SRM Stickers stop along the blog hop.  There are some fantastic cards to see along the hop and some great prizes too.  So if you have time please make sure you stop by.  You can start here, at the Operation Write Home blog.  You can also learn more about this project and why it so important and how you can get involved.

Here is just one of my cards. I used Sketch #2 for this card.  You can see the others that I made on the SRM Stickers Blog. 

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave comments,at the SRM Sticker blog, hint, hint, along the way to win special prizes on selected stops.

 

Simon Says Stamp's Challenge Day - Father's Day or Masculine Card

 

Welcome to a new challenge from the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog.  Today we are challenging you to create a Father's Day card or Masculine card.  The girls on the design team a fabulous job and I know you will too.  I can't wait to see your cards!

 My card using supplies from the Echo Park Charming collection kit.  In the kit you get double sided 12x12 papers, a 12x12 shape sticker sheet, and a 12x12 alphabet sticker sheet.  There are also journaling cards on one of the papers and some lovely border strips.  This is hands down my most favorite masculine collection that I have seen in a long time.

Please join us this week for a chance at the $50 gift certificate that is given away each week to challenge participants. It's a fantastic prize and just think you could buy an awful lot of card making supplies with that gift card!  Hope to see your card in our Linky line up!

*Echo Park CHARMING 12 x 12 Collection Kit This & That THC26016	*Glue Arts GLUE GLIDER PRO PermaTac Adhesive Applicator	*Glue Arts Glider Pro VALUE 2 PACK 1/4 x 40 PermaTac REFILL Adhesive Applicator	*Therm O Web 3D MOUNTING SQUARES White Foam 3777
*03441 Fiskars PREMIUM CUT LINE Paper Trimmer 12 Inches

InLinkz.com

My Newest Adventure - Simply Scrapbook Pages

I am so excited to announce that I have officially opened Simply Scrapbook Pages, a designer layout kit business.  

Each of the layout kits that I design will feature beautiful designer paper from the top companies in the scrapbooking industry, matching embellishments and a few extras including handmade titles and embellishments.  You will also be provided with detailed instructions and color photos of the layouts.

It is with extreme pleasure that I introduce you to my first two kits.

 

I LOVE SUMMER

This bright and fun double page layout kit features Bella Blvd's newest line, Sunshine & Happiness.  Cutouts, paper, stickers and more will make this page fun and easy to put together.  You will love the six spaces for pictures and the accents using Washi Tape and twine from The Twinery. 

 

IT'S FUN BEING A BOY

Nothing says BOY more than this awesome collection from Ruby Rock It! called Paper Boy.  The colors are fun and just a wee bit distressed.  This double page layout kit features papers and embellishments from the Paper Boy collection, space for seven photos plus my own handmade title.

Until I can get my website up and running I will be selling my kits through Etsy.  You can link the link on my left hand sidebar or go here to my shop.  Please email me with any questions that you have and if you live close, Birmingham, Alabama, please let me know and we can arrange a pickup.  You can also find them at The Scrapbook Princess Scrapbook Store.

Simon Says Stamp's Challenge Day - Clean and Simple

Wow, I love clean and simple cards but sometimes struggle with the process of creating one. I always think that maybe it needs more here, more there.  Clean and simple is not always simple but using the right kind of stamps and paper sure helps.

This week, on the Simon Says Challenge blog, we are challenging you to create a clean and simple card.  Remember less is sometimes more.  

For my card, I used stamps from Lawn Fawn.  Lawn Fawn's simple and bold illustrations are perfect for the clean and simple look. I stamped the airplane stamp on white cardstock and then colored it in with Copic Markers and cut it out.

Look for it in the July issue!

Paper choice is another thing to consider when creating a clean and simple card.  The bold patterns of the Echo Parks Hello Summer papers are great for this look.  Just to add a little interest to my card, I die cut some clouds out of felt from a die by Memory Box called Puffy Clouds and added a colored brad to my banner from the Hello Summer collection.  The sentiment is part of the Lawn Fawn stamp set.  You can find all of the supplies that I used in my card in the links below.  

Thanks for stopping by today and don't forget that all you need to do is make one card, post it to your blog or online photo gallery, and link it up to the challenge post here.  You could be that lucky participant that will win a $50 gift certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Online store.  I hope to see your card in our line up!

Lawn Fawn BON VOYAGE Clear Stamps	Echo Park HELLO SUMMER 6 x 6 Paper Pad	Echo Park HELLO SUMMER Decorative Brads	Memory Box PUFFY CLOUDS Craft DIE
Copic Markers	Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad and Refill	Glue Glider Pro PermaTac Adhesive Apllicator	ANM Mini Pop Dots Foam

InLinkz.com

Got Sketch Challenge 143 with the Noel Mignon team

Have you seen the newest Got Sketch Challenge?  It's a really good sketch and the really cool part is that this challenge is sponsored by Noel Mignon Kits and they have generously donated a $20 gift certificate. 

To get more details about the challenge and to view the sketch please click here to go to the challenge Got Sketch blog post. 

My layout uses papers from My Mind's Eye.  I stayed fairly true to the sketch omitting and adding a couple of elements.  I loved the banners in the corner.  Banners are so hot right now and My Mind's Eye cardstock embellishments were right on target.  

I also really lucked up with my twine colors from The Twinery.  The colors I had were a red and grey which matched exactly to the colors in the paper.  I took the two pieces, tied them together in a knot in the middle of the two strands and then stretched them across the page adhering them to the back of the layout.

The layout has pictures of my middle son Brett who is now 13. I still have so many pictures of my two oldest kids that I haven't scrapped yet that I am trying to use them more than the recent pictures that I have.  I know that I will probably never "catch up" and to tell you the truth, I don't really care if I do or not, but there are still quite a few pictures from the earlier years that I have been holding onto waiting for just the right inspiration or paper and embellishments.  

Do you see the cute little red polka dot washi tape by Bella Blvd.  Oh, I love it!!  Not only is it a fun embellishment, I love that you can pull it up easily if it's not in just the right place.  I only have a couple of rolls of it right now but I can surely see a huge stash of it in the future.

The beautiful yellow flowers that you see are from Petaloo.  The newest Flora Doodles are hands down my favorite line.  They come in different sizes within the many color groups, dimensional and ready to place on your page and the match the beautiful Core'dinations cardstock!  

I hope to see your layout in the challenge in the InLinz box.  Deadline is Sunday, May 27 at 11:59 EST

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I also want to remind you of Valerie's new Got Sketch Express 3 class that will be starting very soon. 

I will be there.  I hope you will be too.  We have so much fun and the inspiration is amazing!!  Sign up by May 20th, 2012 to be eligible to win a scrappy prize package!

Get the details on the Got Sketch Express! 3 Info Page.

Garrett's First Weeks- Simple Stories

This was a scrapbook page idea that I lifted from a layout that I saw on the Scrapbook Generation site.  They had created one similiar with Simple Stories's Year-o-grahy line and I thought that Simple Stories baby line would be great for Garrett's new baby pictures.

I usually don;t scraplift layouts so closely but this layout idea was so sweet, I just had to.  Basically it is just a lot of stickers and the journaling cards on one of the pieces of patterned paper.  So easy to do but the concept is brilliant.  

There are so many spaces for pictures and journaling, (which I still need to do, slap hand).  Wow, Garrett has changed so much.  The time has gone by much too fast.

I think this layout is a great way to showcase a month or two at a time and I know that I will be using it again and again.

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Mother's Day! It's a day that we can all celebrate whether we have a mother or have become one!!

Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly. 

Sarah Malin 

 

Mother's Day Gift Set- Petaloo and Little Yellow Bicycle feature

Today my post about the Petaloo and Little Yellow Bicycle cross promotion went live on the Petaloo blog.  I'm showing a picture of my project here but you can learn a lot more about it and see more pictures if you head over to the Petaloo blog.

They are also having a fantastic giveawayon the Petaloo blog!  Little Yellow Bicycle too!  So be sure to stop by both blogs and leave a comment to win!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Basic Grey's National Scrapbook Day Sketch Challenge

Well, I've completed another sketch challenge.  This sketch was created by Valerie Salmon from Got Sketch for one of the Basic Grey's National Scrapbook Day Challenges.  I instantly loved it and couldn't wait to get started, but because baseball, diaper changes, and laundry took precendent over scrapbooking until yesterday, I wasn't able to give it the earlier start that I wanted.  But as you can see I did finish in time to submit it for the challenge so I'm happy about that.

For my layout I used Basic Grey's What's Up? paper and embellishment collection with a little washi tape from Bella Blvd and stamps from Paper Trey Ink.  Other than that it is all Basic Grey baby!!  :)

I really love these papers.  I really don't think my photography does the paper justice.  It looks flat to me and it is really more vibrant in real life.  I used a lot of the cardstock stickers and a couple of flags.  My favorite embellishment, though, is the stitched felt and puffy cloud.  Too cute for words!!  Here is a close up of those embellishments.

This photo highlights something I'm pretty proud of.  I recently got my Cameo Silhouette and I am loving it.  Not only for the shapes that I can buy but for the ones that I can make myself.  The fancy open bracket border, we'll just call it that for now, is a Studio file that I created myself.  I am hoping to share some tips of how I did that really soon.

Another closeup of the embellishments on the top of the layout.

Loved the sketch for this challenge and even though the deadline is near, tomorrow, eeks, you still might be able to join me if you hurry.  

Thanks Valerie for a wonderful sketch and thanks Basic Grey for the challenge.