An excuse

Hello peeps! How's your week going so far? Mine is quite good especially that my kids are doing much better, health-wise speaking. Thanks to everyone that inquired about that! :) And since I've managed to finally finish a scrapbook layout, this week is in fact quite perfect for me! :)

The layout started with me wading through my last year's pictures, trying to figure out how many layouts I still have to make in order to be up to date. And I've found those pictures of a trip we made to a Foundation for Dogs-Guides for Blind (that's the name in French, hope it's not too shocking for you). I remember well my daughter in that beautiful, big red flowery dress, walking through the field, how we lunched on the grassy hill and the visit itself. Alas, we were not allowed to touch puppies, I believe kids would simply LOVE it! Anyway, the trip was just an excuse to spend an afternoon together and have fun. And that's my layouts title and that's what journaling says, more or less...

I wanted to create a patterned paper that would match (sort of) my daughter's dress. I stamped the background on watercolor paper, then again the big flower on separate pieces, sprayed those with water mixed with some Perfect Pearl powder, cut out, distressed with some Old Paper Distress ink and colored with some Wild Honey in the middle. Then adhered those to the background with dimensional adhesive, over stamped everything with Envelope Pattern and added seed pearls in the middle. Maybe on this close up you can see the subtle shine on the flower...

...and on this one the dimension. All this for Hero Arts' monthly contest which is (partly) about Fabulous Flowers.

OK, I guess that's all the"blah-blah" you'll get from me tonight! :) Have a good night!

Monday talk :)

Hello hello! So, how was your weekend? Ours was hot, not only because of the weather but also because of our son's fever... He got it from his sister together with a bad cough and running nose. But I believe he's on the mend and will be running and laughing very soon! :)

On Friday I've shared a card that was published in the Card Creations vol.9 issue of Paper Crafts. Now, this was also the day they were sending acceptance emails for A Card A Day issue that is coming up in a few months. And well, nothing got through from me... Too bad! But at least I can share one of those rejects and take part in Dr. Amber's reject blog hop! :)

I used some myStamp Box stamps on it and the watercolor technique for the Sun. It was a bit brighter and cheerier in my mind than IRL but well, that's how it is sometimes.

Now, there's another thing I can share with you. My friend Alexandra is having a huge giveaway in order to celebrate 3 years of her blog Art, Scrap & More. I believe you'd like to participate. And in case you had some doubts, just take a look at the loot!!!

Didn't I say it was worth your while? :)

OK, that's it for me for today! Have a nice beginning of the week!

Friday talk

Hello friends! Do you believe it's another Friday already??? I can't believe I practically scrapped nothing this week! But I still have something to show you today! :)

Have you seen that new issue? (It seems I ask you a lot of questions! :)) Anyway, I got my copy in the mail last week and it's really truly chock full with inspiration and gorgeous creations!!!

Plus, :) I have two cards inside!! And I can show you one! I think this one was my favorite... The little story behind this publication is that I mailed my cards right away (which was right before Christmas) and was absolutely certain they arrived. An then mid- January I received an email telling me that they were still waiting! And then we all waited a bit more. A loooooong bit more. Then they told me to make my cards over again and send them. And we started waiting again. And then, after 6 weeks total, the first package arrived! Yes!!! And the second soon after. Like this they have my cards twice! :)))

With this little card I wish you a very pleasant weekend!

Listen to your voice

Hello friends! Here's the story of the following layout. It all started with this old BG paper (I sort of dig all those old papers in my stash lately, go figure! Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself that I wasn't all so wrong about buying them in the first place...) Anyway, having looked at it, I had an idea for a layout's design, in one word: a sketch was born in my mind. Then I started looking for a story to go with it, was browsing through my pictures and thought: Hey, this one is so cool, I love it! Why not write something about it? The story wasn't long and was going somewhere along complicity lines, big brother was supposed to be the title and was supposed to be where the journaling is now. Then, I read what one of my favorite scrapbookers, Moon Ko, wrote on Write.Click.Scrapbook blog, about finding our own voice (and not being cheesy). And while working on my layout and not feeling completely satisfied with my little story and thinking about what I'd write about this layout here on the blog (and it was all about how much I loved my son's expression on this picture), it hit me. There it was, my voice in my head, telling me what I loved about the picture and I wasn't to listen to it? No way! So I've changed my title, squeezed it in between the papers, wrote my new journaling and well, felt much better... :)

Finally, here it is (and the new journaling reads: I like to track in your faces promises of what you'll be like in the future. Responsible big brother, a dreamer, handsome, that's how I see Jonatan on that picture. And I love what I see!)

Supplies: cardstock Bazzil Basics; stickers Toga & AC; paper BG; brads We R Memory Keepers; punch Fiskars

Or maybe that's cheesy? ;) Anyway, I'll keep the original sketch for another story. But I like this version, too! If not better! Have a nice weekend!

Project 12 - April

Hello there! Yes, I'm already back with the next double layout for the Project 12! In fact, I made a resolution to finish those projects till the 10th of each month. There's no reason to wait!

Here's the sketch by Becky Fleck:

And here's my version with some of my favorite April pictures!

Fortunately there were 9 pictures on the sketch - we did something special each weekend!

As for the January sketch, I used kraft cardstock as my base and used a myStamp Box set to create my own patterned paper. SRM Stickers are back, too! As well as a flowery border.

Here are some close ups:

That's for the Project 12. But today I have two projects on myStamp Box blog. So if you have a moment, please click here to see them. Happy Wednesday!

Another sketch

Hi there again! There's one thing I know and I'm sure you know that, too: I can't resist a good sketch! And I came over another one on Ella's blog, a sketch by Donna Jannuzzi. In fact, they're having another "Stretch Your Sketches" series and I'm on!!! Here's a third version of Donna's sketch as she proposed it:

I find it so versatile (and two other versions, too)! And it definitely triggered something in my head. Maybe because I've done something similar in the past?... Anyway, I had those three pictures of my daughter, taken in December and really, for the love of me, couldn't decide which of them was cuter! But why chose if you can have it all?...

Supplies: cardstock Bazzil; patterned paper MME; letter stickers Toga, AC; Clear stamps myStamp Box; Versamark Tsukineko; embossing powder Stampendous; brads We R Memory Keepers; felt snowflakes HA

The story is about the pink sled that's in our family's winter house's attic. My daughter was absolutely fond of it! And the color was perfect for her wintery outfit! I used again of of those marvelous My Mind's Eye papers and my new myStamp Box snowflake stamps.

Be assured, winter hasn't come back yet. We're still wearing T's, tongs and sun screen (almost everyday). But it's so good to look at this sweet face and remember good time! Have a good one!

After Easter

Hello! How are you doing? Are you all dealing with the post-Easter-chocolatery syndrome? :) We're still eating it, slowly, a bit at a time...

I'm back with a layout made for the monthly Hero Arts challenge. This month, it was all about masculine projects, stamp layering and sketches. I went for this last part but instead of making a card, I made a layout. You can see the sketches HERE, I've chosen number 3. I've simply added a frame around it and the journaling part. The background was created by dividing the space equally and stamping with solid and "usual" images. Lots of white ink... The journaling says: You are strongly influenced by one of "Little Bear's" episodes and it is impossible for you to look at the camera without saying: "Cheese!" Because of that, it seems close to impossible for me to obtain a picture of you without the grin!

Supplies: cardstock Bazzil; all stamps HA; letter stickers Toga, AC; ink Clear Snap; embossing powder Artoz; brad We Are Memory Keepers; white gel pen Sakura; stapler

Now, on Easter Sunday we were at my in-laws. Some egg hunt was involved, we were to find eggs my son was hiding in the garden! While looking for them, I've spotted some marvels of the nature. Just have a look:

And one more thing. I hear there are some great giveaways going on over at Lucy's and Joy's. That's almost as good as the egg hunt itself! See you!