A Double and a Single

Today, I have two layouts to share!!  The first, is for Sketch Support and the fun Nikki Sivils cross promotion we are doing this month.  The second is for our newest Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs.

We were given the choice at Sketch Support, to choose from the 4 new CHA-W releases of Nikki's new lines.  I chose to work with the Audrey collection, since my number of girls outweighs the number of boys that I have.  :)  This is such a fun line and I love the colors that Nikki put together with this one.  I decided to use the sketch pretty much as is.  The layout is based on the Two Page sketch #28, which I did another layout with earlier this week.  You can see it here.

I had fun fussy cutting a lot of elements from the patterned papers, to use for the banner across my layout.  This line ended up being totally perfect for the photos from our girls' double birthday part at Build-A-Bear.

Products Used:
Patterned Paper & Stickers:  Nikki Sivils
Twine:  My MInd's Eye
Brads:  Bazzill
Buttons:  MIchael's
Thickers;  American Crafts

Today also kicks off a new Fabulous Friday challenge at Frosted Designs and this week we are asking you to add LACING to your layouts or projects.  Now, don't let that scare you...it's not as difficult as it may sound!  Here is what I did and make sure you head over the FD Blog to see how the other DT Ladies took on this challenge.

I dug into my stash of October Afternoon goodies for this layout.  It's mostly just a mix/match of their products...I love the way all of their lines coordinate so well together.  For my lacing, I just used some baker's twine and added a little bit of the lacing to my title letters.  I thought this would be a great way to emphasize the title and subject of my layout.  I also used an awesome sketch from Creative Scrappers this week.  Check out Sketch #207 on the CS Blog this week!

 
So make sure you come play along this week at Frosted Designs, for the chance to win an awesome prize from our sponsor this week, One Stop Card Crafts.

Products Used:

Patterned Paper, Stickers, & Mini Market Stickers:  October Afternoon
Thickers:  American Crafts
Font:  Arial Black & CK Girl
Embossing:  Sizzix & The Paper Studio
Ink:  Memento
Baker's Twine:  The Twinery
Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn
Brads:  The Paper Studio

  

Bedtime Buddies

Today, I have a layout to share based on the Two Page Sketch #28 at Sketch Support. I love the two page layouts, because they are great for a lot of photos from an event or they can be scaled down to create a great single page layout!  I just used the left-hand side from this sketch, because I had these two cute pictures of our little boy, using his favorite toy (Pup Pup) as an extra pillow when he fell asleep.  

I love this Bella! line, that I purchased recently at my LSS.  These colors worked great with the colors from my photos and they are just fun papers all around, for little boys.  I also used some lids and acrylic paint to create some random circles on my background paper.

Don't miss all of the awesome inspiration going on this week at Sketch Support.  And I will be back on Friday, with a second layout based on this sketch for the Nikki Sivils Product Challenge we are doing this month at Sketch Support.  I chose to work with the Audrey collection and I have had a lot of fun creating with Nikki's great papers!

AND, last but not least...I need to announce a winner for the Mother's Day Blog Hop.  I used Random.org and came up with commenter #14...which would be:

DEVRA!

Congrats Devra!!  I'll get your mailing info and get your prize out to you this week!!

Products Used:

Cardstock: BoBunny

Patterned Paper: Bella!

Thickers: American Crafts

Font: Eurostyle

Acrylic Paint: Apple Barrel

Decorative Tape: K&Company

Brads: The Paper Studio

Mini Round Gems: Recollections

Baker's Twine: The Twinery

Punch: Marvy

A Challenging Weekend

If your weekend was anything like mine, you are probably glad it's Monday!!!  We had a little bowling party on Friday afternoon, followed by a little date for hubby and I...we got to see The Avengers (totally awesome btw!!).  On Saturday morning, our middle daughter had to go for some lab tests and on Sunday afternoon our Kindergartner had her first Ballet recital.  And if all of that wasn't enough, Saturday was National Scrapbook Day and I was trying to squeeze in time, between all of the other stuff, to get some layouts completed!  WHEW...very tiring!  But I finally had a little time this morning for a break and wanted to share some of what I've been working on.  I am not going to go into detail on these, because it will be the post that never ends, if I do.  So here goes:

BPC - Using a twine technique on your layout, hosted by Megan Hoeppner:

Two Peas - Using Bright Colors, hosted by Amy Tan

BPC - Utilizing kraft in two different ways & Studio Calico - using letter stamps

Studio Calico - using trianlges

BPC - Using any cast off objects on your project, hosted by Mou Saha

BPC - using a sketch

These last two, are for CSI.  The first is for Case File #17.

 

 
The second layout, is my first for May as a Special Investigator at CSI.  I was so honored and excited to be invited to join the DT as a Special Investigator for this month.  So be on the lookout each Friday in May, for the new Case File reveals!!

AND Don't Forget - You still have time to play along with the challenges at Frosted Designs for the chance to win some great prizes.  I am hosting a Recipe Challenge on the Blog and you have until tonight to enter.  Come check it out HERE!

Cooking Up Fun at Frosted Designs!!

**If you are looking for the Mother's Day Blog Hop, please click HERE.**

HAPPY NSD everyone!!  I hope you are finding time to work on some layouts or projects this weekend!  There are plenty of challenges and giveaways going on all over the scrappy world today!  And one of those spots, is at Frosted Designs!!  We are hosting challenges throughout the weekend on the Frosted Designs Blob and on our FaceBook group.  

Right now, I have a Recipe Challenge live on the Frosted Designs Blog.  I hope you will come play along.  Here are the details.

One of my favorite type of challenges, has to be a Recipe Challenge, and I have a fun one planned for you today.  Here is the "Recipe" that I have "cooked up" for you to use on your layout or project:
 
1 Hand Made Embellishment
 
The color Yellow
 
Stripes or Polka Dots
 
At Least 3 Buttons
 
Twine (or ribbon, if you don't have any twine)
 
Punch

 
Your Challenge consists of using at least 4 out of the 6 above.  I went crazy and used all 6, which you are welcome to do also, if the inspiration strikes you!!  :)  Have fun and I can't wait to see what you create!

In order to win my giveaway for the challenge, you MUST visit the Frosted Designs Blog and link your layout or project to the post for my challenge.  I am offering a variety of SMASH products and a few other goodies for my giveaway!  So come play along and enter for your chance to win!!

Mother's Day Blog Hop

Welcome to the Mother's Day Blog Hop!!  I hope you started your journey at Love Joy Paper and you should have arrived here from Jordan's Blog.  We decided to share with you the weekend before Mother's Day, so you could take away any inspiration you might want to use for gift ideas for Mother's Day.  And I know you have found a lot of inspiration along the way!

I decided to do a layout, documenting the changes that have taken place over the past 6 years, when we had our first little girl.  And believe me, there are a lot of changes that take place from being a brand new mom, to making it to a mom of 3 kids!!  But I think the biggest changes are definitely how fast our children grow.  The two photos I used on my layout, show our daughter at the age of 4 months in May of 2006 and the other is of her at age 6 on Easter Sunday this year.  WOW...big difference!  :)

  

I took inspiration from an older Sketchy Thursdays sketch for this page...I have still been missing ST reveals every Thursday, since the Blog closed down!!  :)  So I decided I needed a little "fix"!!

My journaling is in the mini envelope.  I included a little bit more journaling than usual, on this one, so I thought the envelope would be perfect for a little folded sheet of notebook paper.  The journaling reads:  It is amazing to see how much things have changed over the past 6 years.  You were only 4 months old for my first Mother's Day and I was still kind of clueless to all of this "mother stuff".  Now you've grown into a beautiful little girl and being your mom is a privilege.

Thank you for stopping by today...and of course, I am offering a small RAK to thank you for your visit!  You can be entered to win by becoming a new follower and then leave a comment letting me know.  If you are already a follower, just leave a comment on this post.  You can also have another chance to win, by sharing this post on your Blog or FB page.  Make sure you leave a comment letting me know you did!  I will choose a random winner and comments will be open until 9AM (CST) on Sunday, May 6.

Now, you are off for some more awesome inspiration from Devra!  Check out her Blog, My Creative View!!

Products Used:

Patterned Paper:  Pink Paislee & GCD Studios
Stickers:  Pink Paislee
Wood Embellishments:  Studio Calico
Brads:  The Paper Studio
Pearls:  Kaisercraft & Recollections
Doily:  Hobby Lobby
Washi Tape:  SEI
Teeny Alphas:  Glitz Design
Mini Market Stickers:  October Afternoon
Thickers:  American Crafts
Font:  CK Journaling
Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn
Other:  Buttons, Mini Envelope, Wire

Design by Diana Winner & a Busy Blog Weekend!

I want to say a BIG Thank You to everyone who stopped by the Design by Diana Blog Hop!  And thank you for the amazing comments you left on my layout.  I had a lot of fun joining in with these Ladies for a great weekend of inspiration.  But the fun isn't over yet, because I still have a Winner to announce for my giveaway...MME On the Bright Side collection pack and a variety of Smash products.

I used Random.org and #40 was chosen:

 
Congrats to:  LAURA C., who said "I really like the black - it is exactly what this needed".  Thanks Laura!  Please contact me at ashleyhorton010675@gmail.com with your mailing info.  If I don't receive a response within 5 days, I will draw a new winner.

No onto upcoming things!!  This weekend is going to be busy, busy around here!  I will have 3 posts going up starting Friday, going through Saturday.  So be sure to come check in frequently to keep up with all that's going on.

Here is a preview of what is coming:

May 4-5 - Mother's Day Bog Hop (Giveaway included)

  
May 4 - My first reveal for a GD spot that I am doing for the month of May for one of my favorite challenge Blogs

May 5 - National Scrapbook Day hosting a Challenge at Frosted Designs during the NSD Crop at 1PM (Giveaway included for my challenge and giveaways on the FD Blog)

So, you definitely won't want to miss out on all of the fun things going on this weekend!!

May-Berry

Okay, okay I know I've been getting a little corny with my post titles lately, but I worked at a church for 11 years with the Student Ministry and we had to have titles for EVERYTHING!!  So it has been ingrained in me to come up with funny, fitting, or corny titles to fit the occasion!!  :)  And just in case you missed it...today is May 1...hence the "May" in my post title, and I am sharing a layout today from our local Straw"berry" festival for this month's Sketch It Out Challenge, that I host at Club CK!!

I have to say it is SO difficult waiting a full month to do the new sketch reveal!!  :)  I am patience challenged, so halfway through the month, I am ready to post the one for next month.  So without further ado...here is the Sketch and my layout for this month's challenge:

I used Bella Blvd.'s new Sunshine & Happiness line on this layout, and let me just tell you, it makes me happy!!  I always love the fun, whimsical style Stephanie Hunt designs into her collections.  And the patterns and colors in this line are right up my alley!

Now, if you've been playing along for the past two months, you are probably wondering what the twist will be this month??!!  Well for May, it's going to be an oldie, but a goodie!  Your TWIST for the month of May, is to use stitching.  You can use machine stitching, hand stitching, or faux stitching!  And remember, the twist is just an added bonus.  If you can't work it in or just forget (like I sometimes do), it's not a big deal.  Using the sketch, is the most important part of the challenge.

Remember, to be entered in for the RAK at the end of the month, you must post your layout in the May Sketch It Out thread at Club CK, in the Creative Challenges Forum.  **The thread will be up late morning tomorrow at Club CK, because my Blog post is set to auto-post.** 

So make sure you have fun with the sketch and you will have until May 31, to add your layout in the May Sketch It Out thread at Club CK.

Products Used:

Cardstock:  The Paper Studio
Patterned Paper, Stickers, Flag, Baby Blooms:  Bella Blvd
Thickers:  American Crafts
Washi Tape:  SEI
Brads:  Bazzill
Baker's Twine:  The Twinery
Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn
Font:  CK Carefree
Punch:  Marvy