3-2-1 Go!

The last challenge this month for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog was more or less a recipe challenge.  I love these types of challenges because it tells you exactly what to use - you just have to figure out how to use it and make it work!

So here is what this recipe called for:  Three (3) Embellishments; Two (2) Patterned papers; and One (1) Photo.  Now, if you follow my blog, you know that one photo is a pretty hefty challenge for me.  But lucky me I happen to have a project (that I think is going to be ongoing for a while, unfortunately) that this challenge worked perfectly for!  Here is my layout:

 I took one of the borders from my Pink Paislee mistables package and decided I was going to try some Perfect Pearls on it.  So I broke out the Black Perfect Medium ink pad and inked it up then went over that with the Pewter Perfect Pearls.  I love how it came out.  I fussy cut a few flowers from the patterned paper.  With what was left, I used one of my EK Succes rolled flower punches and made a flower to go in the corner.

 I had a few scraps left to make these pennants and then I also "stole" some paper from behind my photo to make the other two pennants.  A little ink and some pop dots and they "pop" right off the page! LOL!

 Finally, I took these wonderful wood letters, inked them up and created my title.

My supplies:  3 embellishments = wood letters, sticker, corner border; 2 patterned papers = background paper and flower paper; 1 photo = um, kinda obvious.

Once again, I used a layout from the Basic Grey blog that I saw during NSD as inspiration.  This one was done by Kelly Noel.

Are you up for the challenge?  I think you can do it!  Give it a try.  Until next time, happy scrappin'!

Sketchy Saturday: Retired

Sketchy Saturday is a monthly feature where I turn the tide on myself and actually attempt to create my own sketch to scrap by, rather than using a sketch I find by another source.  I am no sketch artist so these sketches are often times comical but you get a rough idea of where I'm trying to go with it. 

For today's sketch I started with the pictures and sketched around that.  Here is what I came up with. 

 I used 3x4" pictures of my Aunt's retirement (well, my husband's Aunt, but after 15 years of marriage, she's my aunt too!).  As usual, my layout differs slightly from the sketch - even though I created the sketch (go figure)!

 I decided I will probably journal on the back of this layout rather than the front as I want to get some information from my aunt and it might turn out to be quite lengthy.  She was an Accounting Teacher at Baylor University and really, truly loved her job so I know she will have lots of wonderful things to share.

For the title I used these wonderful wooden letters from Pink Paislee.  I really like how versatile they are.  I just inked them up with Broken China distress ink and they are perfect fit for this layout.

Here's another little variation from the sketch.  I had this ribbon laying on my work area from the Prima Vines that I used in these two layouts here and here.  Well, I decided I would add it in here between the pictures along with these beautiful metal butterflies to signify my aunt's change from one life to another.

I think it was a nice touch and worked so well with the whole layout. As a bonus, this practically used up the rest of my May Counterfeit kit, with the exception of my embellishments and a couple of sheets of cardstock.

Until next time, happy scrappin'!

The Bunny and the Internet dilemma

Do you use Google Reader? If so, do you have the same problem I do?  Every now and then, I get hold of a blog that I follow that just doesn't seem to play nice with Google Reader.  Or maybe Google Reader doesn't play well with it.  Whatever the case, I have this issue with the BoBunny blog.  Don't get me wrong.  I love Google Reader.  I love that I can go to one place and see all the glorious blogs I want to keep up with in one spot and just scroll for miles until my heart is content.  But for some reason, whenever I hit the BoBunny blog, all I see is text - no beautiful pictures - and sometimes I don't even get all of the text. 

Okay, so what does that have to do with today's post?  Well, BoBunny has a monthly sketch challenge on their blog and have had for some time.  I do not participate because I'm lazy.  I 'm too lazy to break my rhythm with Google Reader to switch over to their blog when the sketch is posted to check it out.  But today, I have stretched my limits - and their May sketch!  I couldn't help myself afterall - it is a sketch and we all know how much I love sketches!

Without further ado, here is the inspiration behind today's layout, brought to you by BoBunny's May Sketch challenge:

 There are many ways to stretch a one page sketch into a two page sketch, but here's what I chose to do.  I split it just about down the middle and stretched it.  By doing this I added the multiple smaller pictures to the middle section that I added in.

 Here's a closer look at the left page.  This layout is about a girl's crop night - my mommy's first!  She wanted to re-do her wall of family pictures of us kids.  So we came up with a scrapbook page for each of the kids, complete with photo corners so that the photos can be changed out.  These will then hang from a curtain rod in her bedroom much like what I have set up in my scrap room for my inspirations.

 I swapped out the stitching on the layout for distressing and added this little journaling card.  I misted one of my little white mini bags to place behind that.

 And here's a close up of the right page.

 This was originally white BoBunny trim.  I first misted it with Sun Sisters, then lightly with Lime Twist.  When that was dried, I flipped it over and on the backside I misted it with Sapphire.  Then I trimmed off the excess netting.  I also used a stencil and misted the backgroun with Perfect Pearls in Forever Blue to swap out for the circle cluster in the sketch.

 I really like how these little tags came out.  I stamped on one and misted the other.  Then attached them together with a brad.  That corrugated tag?  Made from a Starbucks sleeve!

I also have another layout I made while I was on a roll.  Lexee just happened to have brought home her class picture while I was scrapping so I decided to fix that layout up as well.

 Just a few scraps and some Weathered Wood stain and my stencil.  I also used a sticker border and one of the Pink Paislee border trims. 

Easy Peasy and all done.  All of this from my May Counterfeit Kit!  I'm starting to get down to the bottom of this kit - and its a good thing as June is right around the corner!  I still need to finish off April's kit too!

Until next time, happy scrappin'!