Creating Keepsakes July/August Issue

If you are an avid Scrapbooker like me, and you subscribe to Creating Keepsakes magazine, then I am sure you are on the edge of your seat every two months waiting for the newest issue to hit newsstands!  Well, I am happy to say, that the wait for the July/August issue is over and you can pick it up TODAY!  Every issue is always packed with the latest amazing products and more inspiration than I know what to do with...and this issue is no exception!  You will find several great Feature Articles in this issue:

"My Hero"
"School's Out for Summer"
"Sweet Teen Scene"
"One for the Gallery Wall"

And I must say, that I am even more super-excited about the July/August issue, because I have THREE layouts appearing in this one!!  A big shocker for me!  I was waiting for the issue to come, so I could really make sure they were in there!! HA!  :)  

The first layout, won the Reader's Pick Poll, thanks to a lot of you who are my faithful Blog readers for your votes.  This layout was actually my first DT layout for Frosted Designs and I just wanted to have a lot of fun with it and create a great Summer look.

  

"As seen in the July/Aug 2012 of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Posted with prior permission from the publisher."

These next two layouts were done for an assignment I received from CK.  They both appear in the article "One for the Gallery Wall".  This was a really fun assignment, because I was asked to create two different layouts, using photos from a vacation.  The focus of one of the layouts needed to be about the vacation and the focus for the other had to be family, but used in a frame.  I chose to do a layout for the second part of the assignment and purchased one of the black 12x12 frames.  These are great, because you can display your layout as wall art and most of these type frames have different levels to set your glass, depending on the height of your embellishments. 

 

"As seen in the July/Aug 2012 of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Posted with prior permission from the publisher."

 "As seen in the July/Aug 2012 of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Posted with prior permission from the publisher."

So, this is just a little taste of what you will find in the July/August issue.  If you are not a Subscriber, you'll definitely want to pick this issue up at your nearest store.  Or better yet, become a CK Subscriber and have it delivered right to your door!  

Summer Lovin'

Happy Fabulous Friday everyone!  I love that Frosted Designs posts a new challenge every Friday, because I know we all want to get some scrapping done over the weekend!  Our challenge this week, is STITCHING (you can use machine stitching or hand stitching).  I thought it would be fun, to use my stitching in a little bit of a different way than I normally do.  Here is what I came up with:

 
I thought it would be fun, to hand stitch part of my title.  I hand wrote the word "lovin" and used a paper piercer to poke holes around the outline.  I chose to use yellow embroidery floss and back-stitched over the word.  A very easy technique, that adds a little bit of texture and whimsy to your layout or project.  I also added a little bit of stitching to the chevron border, for a little added interest.

Don't miss playing along with this week's challenge!  You will have the chance to win from our awesome sponsor, Prairie Bird Boutique.  And I hope you will take a minute to visit our Sponsor and leave them a little love.  We are so thankful for our weekly sponsors and their willingness to offer up great prizes to our participants!


Products Used:  Patterned Paper, Stickers, Buttons, Twine, & Word Banner:  My Mind's Eye; Thickers:  American Crafts; Punch:  EK Success; Acrylic Paint:  Apple Barrel; Pen:  Sakura; Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn; Brads:  Bazzill

My Angry Birds!!

This is the phrase that I hear, usually everyday, from the time our just recently turned 3 year old wakes up until the time he goes to bed - "I WANNA PLAY MY ANGRY BIRDS!!!".  He has developed a "slight" addiction to all things electronic...video games, computers, phones, the DVR box - pretty much anything with buttons and lights on it!  Before making it to the ripe old age of 3 last Friday, he already knew how to turn on the computer and open up Angry Birds Rio all by himself.  We usually keep him barricaded out of our room with baby gates, because once he starts playing, it's an ugly site when he has to stop.  Screaming, tears, tantrum all ensue for up to 30 minutes afterwards!!  :)  So, being the life-documenting Scrapbooking mommy that I am, I had to make a page about this little addiction!!

 
Since I am caught up on my DT work...at least for the moment...I thought it would be fun to incorporate some challenges into this layout.  The Weekly Challenge at Studio Calico, was to use 5 or more photos.  I printed all of these as wallets, which made it easy to fit them all on a single page and still have room to embellish the layout.  MME had a great challenge up, to use fussy cutting.  Now, you may be thinking, "what in the world did she fussy cut on this page??".  I cut the hexagon borders and the chevron borders from two of the MME patterned papers.  I know, not my most extravagant fussy cutting...but, fussy cutting none the less!!  :)  And the last challenge on this one, is the May/June Issue Challenge #6 at Club CK.  The challenge this week, was to use TABS.  I traced and cut out the three kraft tabs to use as labels on two of my photos and for the pull on my journaling spot.  The full journaling reads:

"You are an Angry Birds ADDICT!!  It is probably an unhealthy addiction, because you would play all day if we let you!  All day, you say, "I wanna play my Angry Birds!"  You're actually pretty good @ it.  You even ended up beating Daddy's high score on this level by a thousand points!  I guess you are an Angry Birds prodigy!"

If you missed my first layout for Get It Scrapped! Easy Scrapbook Pages, you can check it out HERE.  My second assignment will be going up on June 20.  And be sure to check back tomorrow, because we will have a fun Fabulous Friday challenge going up at Frosted Designs!!  You won't want to miss it!

Products Used:  Patterned Paper, Brads, Stick Pins, Journaling Tag:  My Mind's Eye; Thickers:  American Crafts; Font:  Arial Black; Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn  

First Reveal at Get It Scrapped!

Today, I get to share one of my first reveals for Get It Scrapped!  Yesterday, I shared several sneak peeks of what I will have coming up over the rest of this month and into July.  The layout I have for you today, is posted on the Easy Scrapbook Pages site.  Easy Scrapbook Pages offers you great inspiration and step by step instructions in 8 steps or less, on how to recreate the layouts you see.  One of the quickest ways to create a page, is by using a coordinated product and then adding in a few other items from your stash.  That's exactly what I did with my "Today I Am 3" layout.

  
This layout may look like it took a long time, but it actually came together fairly quickly.  I used Echo Park's Charming collection, and pulled in some buttons from Hobby Lobby, Studio Calico wood veneers, and some Washi Tape.  I usually always start my pages by choosing my photo sizes and then figuring out the design of my background paper.  For this page I used one 3.5x5 photo and two wallet photos.  I placed the photos where I wanted them and then I cut four 3x3 circles and used them to fill in the space beside and below my photos. I stitched around the first circle and then added some buttons, wood veneers, and stickers to "decorate" each of the circles.  I used my Expression to cut the word "Today", the number "3", and the arrow.  I finished up my layout, by adding a little bit of washi tape and some brads and then I covered my photos with scrap paper and sprinkled a little bit of brown Smooch Spritz over my background paper.

Take a little time to head over and check out Easy Scrapbook Pages!  I know you will find a lot of inspiration and easy ways to put your layouts together quickly.  Debbie Hodge has packed a ton on information into all of her sites and you won't be disappointed!!

 

Supplies: Patterned Paper & Stickers: Echo Park; Wood Veneers: Studio Calico; Font: Arial Black; Smooch Spritz: Clear Snap; Punch: Marvy; Brads: The Paper Studio; Washi Tape: My Mind's Eye; Embroidery Floss: Janlynn; Pen: Zig Memory System; Buttons: Dill Buttons

Get It Scrapped! Sneak Peeks

I am SO EXCITED to be starting my one year term with Get It Scrapped!  We just received our first official assignments last Friday...and I've already finished all of mine for the first month as of earlier this morning!  Yes, I am the nerdy, over-acheiver!  :)  Even though I have the first five layouts finished up, I can't share them with you just yet, but I thought I would offer up some sneak peeks today.  These layouts will be going up on the Get It Scrapped! Blog or Easy Scrapbook Pages site over the rest of this month and into July.  So make sure you continue to check in and there will be continual inspiration from all of the talented Ladies serving on the Team.

 

Once they are revealed on the GIS pages, I will share the full reveals here on my Blog with more close ups for each of the layouts!  And make sure to stop in on Friday, and check out the fun Fabulous Friday challenge that will be going up for Frosted Designs!!

"Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys!"

Although it's highly unlikely that our adorable (just recently turned 3) little guy is going to grow up to be a cowboy, it is still fun to make a visit to the Wild West, using October Afternoon's Sasparilla collection.  I really love the red's, yellow's, and blue's in this line and all of the fun western prints.  OA has always been a favorite manufacturer of mine and it is just so hard to resist buying every collection they put out!  :)  I did this layout Friday night at the monthly crop I attend.  Believe it or not, it was a challenge free layout...no challenges, no DT work for this one.  I just loved this photo of our little guy from our recent visit to the Zoo and knew that I wanted to work with the Sasparilla line for this page.

 
I did also mix in a patterned paper from the new 9 to 5 line (the dark wood grain) and one of the new 9 to 5 Washi Tapes.  That is another favorite thing of mine, about the OA lines...you can mix and match the different lines so easily.  My friend asked me Friday night, if there was any patterned paper from the Sasparilla line, that I didn't use on this page!!  :)  I will admit that I am a patterned paper junkie and I just love filling my pages with all of the fun patterns and colors.  I rarely use solids, but I can do that too, when I put my mind to it.  I added some hand stitching and machine stitching to my page, to add some texture and just that little something extra!

Products Used:  Patterned Paper, Stickers, Buttons, Washi Tape:  October Afternoon; Cardstock & Brads:  The Paper Studio; Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn; Punch:  Marvy; Font:  Typewriter

And, in my excitement on Friday, when I announced that I would be joining the Get It Scrapped! Creative Team, I forgot to post the image introducing all of the other talented Ladies that I will be working with on the Team.

 
Several of the Ladies, I already "know" from serving on current Design Teams with them and others are Ladies I am looking forward to getting to know!  If you haven't been over to Get It Scrapped!, I highly recommend checking things out!  Debbie Hodge, has a wealth of information packed into all of her sites and there is so much to learn and be inspired by.  I am already working on my first assignments for the coming month and I can't wait to share them with you!!

Full of GOOD NEWS & June Sketch It Out

Well I must say, that I am super excited to welcome June 1 today, because I have SO MUCH good news to share!!  I will get right to it!!  First off, I am still in shock and disbelief, but I have been invited to join the first ever Creative Team for Get It Scrapped! with Debbie Hodge and Amy Kingsford, along with a mega-talented group of Ladies!!  We will be posting multiple assignments each month, so make sure you come check out the site for great inspiration and tips for creating your layouts.

My second bit of good news involves Publication.  Creating Keepsakes magazine has been my most favorite print publications, since I started Scrapbooking over 6 years ago.  I have been a subscriber ever since, and only dreamed that I might one day have a layout published in one of the issues.  Well, this year has been a banner year so far!  I had a layout in the Special Seasons issue at the beginning of this year and a Reader's Gallery layout published in the May/June 2012 issue.  So I am super excited to share that I have THREE layouts in the brand, spanking new July/August 2012 issue.  I have a second Reader's Gallery layout appearing on page 30 and a double page spread on pages 68-69, in the "One For the Gallery Wall" article.  The layouts for this article were given to me as an assignment and I was really nervous about creating for this, but I ended up loving the end result of both pages.  I will post all of the layouts a little later, once the magazine has had time to hit the store shelves!!

And lastly, in other publication news...I have a layout published in ScrapStreet Magazine.  This is a free publication and you can check out great inspiration each month and I encourage you to submit to the calls, also!

Well, with all of that said and done, I also wanted to share the new June Sketch It Out Challenge, that I host each month at Club CK.  Club CK is a free Scrapbook Community, where you can join in on the Message Board, post in the Gallery, look for inspiration, join in CK and Member hosted challenges. It is a lot of fun!!  If you have never visited Club CK, I highly encourage you to head over and check things out.

Here is our sketch and my sample layout for this month's challenge:

 
There are several great options for this Sketch.  You can use 4 square photos like I used, or you can change them out to 2 portrait photos, 2 landscape photos, or one large photo.  Just have fun with it!  I also like to add in a little TWIST each month to go along with the Sketch.  The twist isn't necessary for participation, but just a fun little extra that you might want to incorporate into your layout.  This month's TWIST, is to use a Solid Color background.  You can use white, black, kraft, or any color that you would like that fits in with your color scheme.  And if you would like to, you can add misting or stamping to your solid background.  I hope you will come play along with us in the Creative Challenges Forum.  The challenge will remain open until June 30 and then I will chose a winner for a RAK.

Products Used:  Cardstock:  The Paper Studio; Patterned Paper:  BoBunny; Thickers:  American Crafts:  Washi Tape:  SEI; Buttons:  Michael's; Embroidery Floss:  Janlynn; Pens:  Sakura & Sharpie; Brads:  The Paper Studio & Heidi Grace Designs; Number Stickers:  The Paper Studio