It's Been Too Long

I Have been doing a lot of layouts lately and cards for challenges. I have a little time this morning but not too much. Jeremys' parents are visiting from Michigan and they are coming for a swim and bar-b-que this afternoon. I've also been putting together a journal class for the seniors which meant making a couple journals for samples and wouldn't you know it I don't have photos right now. I'll have to get to that next week and remember to take my camera to the class on Thurs. Anyway I hope you enjoy what I can post today. The first piece is of KayLynn. The photos I took a few weeks ago when I was trying to figure out the new camera but the page came from just a few nights ago. I saw a page sketch on a web site, 52 Sketches for 52 Weeks I think, and had to sit down and do it. I knew exactly what I wanted to do the minute I saw the sketch. I love the black and white and the color accents on the butterfly was purple, to match the purple glitter circles, when I started but it turned pink as the very thick layer of crystal effects dried. Oh well! I still like it.

This layout I did for a contest for Bo Bunny. It is a paper piecing contest. I love the way the Tree turned out. I used all Bo Bunny Papers from the Holiday Cheer and Dot paper collection and then for the tips of the branches I layered on vellun and used glitter paint and puff paint to make the snow. Add pictures of beautiful kids on top of a pile of packages, a dog under the tree a few beads and you got a page.

This next piece I made for A Serindipity Scrapbook Contest, Let them Eat Cake. I used a whole bunch of Bo Bunny paper, a lot of rinestones and glitter and the best photos of KayLynn from her third birthday.

IMade some cards for some challenges and I really like the way they turned out but most of all I like the Frogs. This is Basic Grey paper again, The Giggles and the Lollipop Shop Series. I like the layout of Logan best. I layered all the papers under the Letters and then punched some circles out and put tape on the back and then gold glitter in the open spaces. The pieces of the circles that I had punched out, I added some buttons and added those along the top. I added beadwork to the letters, some googleie eyes to the frogs an WOW! what a colorful page.

I Finally finished these two pages. I used the Monthly kit contest from Serendipity Scrapbooks for the month of August. In the last post I showed the contents of the kit and the start of the pages. I can't believe how much stuff was in that kit and it was great stuff too. I still have a ton of it left. Here's a list of what I used for these layouts. Basic Grey Papers: The Euphoria Collection: Bless, Delirium, Cool, Fields, Arcadia and Utopia. DCWV paper, wildbutterflies. Thickers Chipboard alphabet, Heidi Swapp: Mirror Bird Stickers, KI Memories, Bloom titles rub ons. Auqua marine pompoms, Basic Grey: Rub Ons, Euphoria Chipboard and Buttons. I also used a lot of glitter, rienstones and puff paint. These were so much fun to do. Again I made a lot of paper flowers that I punched with the SU punches and then layered and added glitter and beads. I love those things. the are such a nice addtition.

I will post sooner next time. Hope you all have a great week! Melissa

New Card Designs and a new toy

Okay, here's the new toy. It's A Pretty Red Camera. George has been wanting a camera for his own for a while now so this morning he saw this advertised and asked my opinion about it. I told him it was a great camera and a very good price and if it was too difficult for him I would just trade him my old Cannon. He thought that was a good idea and said I could just use the new one if I would go get it. How fast do you think I was dressed and out the door? It is very nice but now I have to learn how to use it. Oh well life is hard. The next few pictures are of the garden. Every time I turn around some new thing turns up. And George does a good job. It is always fun to take a walk in our garden.

Zia and Pearl played really hard last night and Zia got really tired out. She finally got the tug toy away from Pearl and layed on it.

I made this card for a challenge at Our Creative Corner and I just happened to use the Day 12 Challenge for the Verve Anni-VERVE-Sary. I used StampinUp's new In Color, Pacific Point for the base card (Layer #1) Then I used a piece of paper that I painted on glossy paper for the (2nd Layer) I stamped the birds by Inkainkado and colored them with colored pencils. The flowers across the top are stamped with a Clear Stamp I bought at Michaels for a dollar, how cool is that? I punched the holes on the right and for the ribbon across the bottom I cut a stencil and pounced the color on the paper with Pacific Point and drew in the stitching with a gel pen, then I added a brad. All of that was done on (Layer #3) The sentiment is stamped and embossed on a piece of paper that I punched out with the SU Scallop Punch then I cut a stencil for the center and pounced Almost Artichoke around the outside edges. That would be the (4th and final Layer). Ha! That only took me a few hours to figure out and make especially since on the first card when I was putting everything away I dropped and bounced a Staz On open ink pad right across the white front. I had to start the whole thing over. The rest of my day kind of went the same way all day. I'm still not finished for the day and it's 8:40. Things could still turn around.

The Butterfly Card is for two different challenges. The day 7 of Verve anniversary challenge and the Meet the Divas Challenge #5. I like this layout and I really like the Butterfly image. I used StampinUp's Rose Red and Blue Bayou for the solid papers and paper from Basic Grey, Pheobe Collection and the background paper is done with alcohol inks on acetate. I even dyed the brads with the ink. I've had this butterfly forever. I don't remember where I got it and there is no brand on the wood block.

I made this card for the Anni- VERVE- sary challenge over at Verve Designs. This is for Day 6. I used StampinUp's Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red for the solid papers. I used a piece of paper that I painted a couple weeks ago for the background and I used We Are Memory Keepers , the White Out Collection. This is so bright and Fun.

The first photo should be the last in this series. Oh well! This is what is still left after I worked on the two page layouts on Sat. That would be the second photo. The adorable kid on the left is KayLynn a couple years ago and the little cutie pie on the right is Me, about 54 years ago. Do you think we look a little bit alike. The last 3 photos are of the monthly kit that I ordered from Serendipity Scrapbooks. Look at all of that wonderful Basic Grey Paper. This is going to be so much fun.

I have a ton of stuff to do this week so I'll get to it. Now I have to add Learn how to use a new RED camera. Oh, How sad. Not. Have a good week everyone.

Another Week Come and Gone

I am so Happy to say that Logan and I won! I entered "The Man" contest at Serendipity Scrapbooks last month and I won the Grand Prize. That is so exciting for me. I read about this contest last month before I went up to Oregon so while I was there I started this project. I heard about this company when my favorite designer, Scrapperlicious, won the June Contest. I am really glad I found it. The company has a lot to offer and the owner is very nice. I still don't know what the prize is but I do know that Cosmo Cricket was the sponsor for last month. I should get my prize in the mail tomarrow and if not then Mon. I'll let you know when I get it. I will also photograph the contents of the Serendipity Monthly Kit that I ordered. I am going to get started on that project tonight and I have to start thinking about the monthly Contest. It is titled "Let them Eat Cake" and you have to design and make a cake out of paper. I have some ideas I just have to decide on which paper to use. I also wanted to send a great big huge Birthday Hug to Logan! My Little Man is going to be One on the 14th. I can't believe it was a whole year ago. It seems like just yesterday that I was getting on that plane to go be with Sam for the big day. I wish I could be there this year.

It has been a very long week, but a fun one. I have made a ton of paper. Okay I haven't made the paper, I've altered a lot of paper. Paint, ink and even color crayons. The melted wax is really neat but I don't think it would be very permanent. I can just see if you left for work one day and the air conditionar went out and it got really hot in the house, you'd end up with melted wax running down the walls and no picture left. Now that I have all this paper I really need to get busy and get some projects finished. There is a company that I really like called Verve Designs and it is their 1 year anniversary on the 12th of Aug. Consequently they have all of these sketches this month (12 in all) and if you enter one for each of the sketches you have a chance to win the new stamp line that they are unveiling on Tues. I do love their stamps so I think I will spend the weekend making cards. I also have to get started on my Kit design and a sketch for Basic Grey. Anyway here are the papers I altered this week. I think showcasing them in this format is intresting and it doesn't take up so much space. Let me know what you think.

This is a piece that I did a few months ago. It was my first collage piece auctually and I have not photographed it before. I do really like this piece.

I look forward to another packed week and I can't wait to see my prize. I hope everyone has a great week.