Murphys

Just noticed I haven't posted anything since St. Paddy's Day. Doesn't mean I haven't been doing anything but, wow, with the final weeks of PSL, it was all I could do to get things completed and uploaded to Club Scrap. Anyway, this layout was created for a challenge over at PaperArtistsOnline for a layout using three shades of green. This one uses all Club Scrap materials from the Celtic kit (which is actually Asian Artisan and Evergreen) with some mats from Dream in Color. The borders are punched with the Martha Stewart Garden Gate punch. The shamrock doily is from Michael's (courtesy of my little Sis) and the journal tag is from a Smash pad. Covers a day trip up to the gold rush town of Murphys which celebrates all things Irish. Used another one of the Double Take sketches from my Big Picture Class.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I realize my greeting is a little late today but better late than never. Card made with all Club Scrap supplies with the exception of stamps from Stampin' Up. Hope you had a lucky day!

PSL Continues

This week for PSL, our projects must include Club Scrap stickers from their kits. I struggle with this one every time as I'm not a huge fan of stickers. However, I did find a couple of layouts which could accomodate the challenge so I post them here for your viewing pleasure. All supplies are Club Scrap.

This first one illustrates photos taken of a freshly groomed Denni in May of 2005. Stickers on both sides are from Collections, as is the tag. The blue base is from Framed. Blue mats from Concrete Jungle. Orange chevrons from Tilescapes cut with punch and outlined with black pen. Base page sprayed with Vivid Yellow Memories Mist for texture. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE have as much trouble with those mists as I do? Oh, I'd like to throw them all in the trash except I love the colors so much. They are a lesson in frustration. I had to switch tops for another color to get this one to work.

This second layout covers more photos to my visit to my brother's beautiful home. The stickers on both sides are from Pure & Simple. Layout on Lotus Pond base with purple from Sonoma and green strips from Painted Desert embossed with Tim Holtz folder and inked with Forest Moss Distress Ink. All other edges inked with Seedless Preserve Distress Ink. Stickles on lilies though the photo doesn't really reveal it. Twine from stash and handwritten journal strips on right. The Sketch from Big Picture Double Take class. 

Squirrely Challenge - Layered Masking

This week's Squirrely Challenge from Nancy is Layered Masking from the January/February Technique Junkies newsletter. As has become my routine, I struggled with this one, primarily because I wanted it to have a St. Paddy theme AND (ever the multi-tasker) it had to be monochromatic to fit in with Club Scrap's PSL challenge this week. This is the result. The background image is from Club Scrap's Celtic kit from 2006. The bold stamped images are Stampin' Up. The cardstock and ribbon are all from Club Scrap (Let Me Count The Ways, Dream in Color and Serengeti). Thanks for looking.

Be sure to visit all the Squirrel Girls to see what they have done with this challenge. Many beautiful cards have been created.

Club Scrap Sketch Relay

My little sister Chrissie is the hostess this month for the Sketch Relay challenge over at Club Scrap. This month she has chosen a sketch from our Retreat 2010 kit called Connections. We are also still in the midst of PSL and the challenge this week is to make a monochromatic layout. I chose some of my old (1998) photos from Sedona as I slowly whittle away at scrappin' that Southwest trip (before I take another one). This layout depicts the Catholic Church carved into the red rocks overlooking Sedona. More photos of hubby with our little wolf pup Denni. I used the Comfort Zone kit for this one. Thanks for looking.

Week 8, 9 and 10 - Weekly Chronicles Project 366

Ohmygosh, I just finished my Weekly Chronicle layout for Week 10 and realized I haven't posted since Week 7. They are completed so it's not like I haven't been doing my assignments. But I hadn't posted on my blog. So here they are: Weeks 8, 9 and 10. All are created with Club Scrap digi kits and journaling cards from various Internet sites.

Spring Fling Counterfeit Kit

This month's Counterfeit Kit Challenge inspiration kit comes to us from Birds of a Feather Kit Company. My kit-swapping partner Nancy sent me an adorable kit called Spring Fling, pictured here, with lots of blues and yellows and flowers and bird tags and all sorts of delectable goodies. Can't wait to get busy on it. I will have have lots of fun with chevrons and hexagons and kite shapes which seem to be all the rage this season. And I can't wait to play with that OWL paper, using some owl shapes (which are also all the rage).

This combination of sending a Counterfeit Kit to each other and Use.Your.Stash is really making me a happy scrapper. And providing all sorts of crafty inspiration. Not to mention clearing out some of my stash. Well, not really because more comes back in. But it feels good to be using stuff.

Don't forget to visit Nancy's blog to see her Counterfeit Kit.

Smitten Cards from PageMaps Sketches

So I'm still working on the scraps from my Counterfeit Kit and have many more cards and layouts to complete but I did finish these two cards today. Both were taken from the Page Maps March Card Sketches which I love. I don't have the dies they used on their samples but I did have some similar shapes to substitute. That's what the Counterfeit Kit is all about. Making use of your stash. I just love these cards. And they are so different from my usual style. If you can't tell, I am definitely hooked on the Counterfeit way. Thanks for looking.

Another Smitten Counterfeit Layout

Another "naked" layout. As I said, this seems to be the best method of scrapping for me lately. This Counterfeit Kit system is allowing me to free myself to use "everything in the box" and simply create something from what is in front of me rather than scrambling all over my room to find that exact perfect embellishment or piece of paper, etc. I just dive into the box and make what I can from the contents. I should have learned this lesson LONG ago with my Club Scrap kits.

Anyway, this layout was based upon a sketch recommended by Counterfeit Kit Challenge. The source is Creative Scrappers. This layout goes against my grain as I very very rarely make a one page layout. I actually did not in this case. There's another half of layout on my table waiting to be joined for eternity with this half. It is actually identical to this half. One will probably be turned on it's side in the final iteration. Anyway, it was created with more of my "Smitten" kit from Nancy. Loving it.

Smitten Counterfeit Kit Layout

I was starting to panic because I hadn't yet created anything with my beautiful Counterfeit Kit "Smitten" from Nancy. The new kit will be revealed on Monday so I thought it was high time I dig into that box of goodness and create. This layout was made with a challenge in mind from PaperArtistsOnline. It was their February Scrapbook Layout Sketch challenge. The sketch appears to be one from PageMaps. In any case, I missed the deadline but like the sketch so much, I went ahead and used it. Now that it is made, I will be able to percolate some ideas for which photos to use on it. It seems this is the only way I can scrapbook these days. Create the layout and THEN find the photos. Stay tuned for more cute stuff from this kit.