Ten Things Team: Brads {Practical Scrappers}

This morning at Practical Scrappers, we share with you several ways to use brads and eyelets.  Probably like most of you, I have so many brads but don't always use them in creative ways so this was a fun challenge.  

I used several different shapes and sizes of brads to create geometrical interest to my layout.  

Materials:  BoBunny paper and brads, Stampin' Up! brads, Creative Embellishments Gears

Love Themed Projects {SWAT Drill #26}

Thanks for stopping by today, Love is still in the air!  At SWAT, we have several very cute projects to share with you as we continue to celebrate love.  The things that we love, the people we love and the memories we love to cherish and share so artistically.

This is what I love the most - time with my husband on the beach.  Even the photo looks like we're in the spray of the waves - well - that's because a little distressing makes things look so cool!

I hope that you've had a great few weeks with your families and make many loving memories!

Deborah

Valentines {Practical Scrappers}

Good morning,

Valentine's Day in only one week away!  I've still got time to make Valentines for the kids, right?  At least I'm no longer making 36 for each cutie pie - the boy likes to give out just a few to his friends and the girl is probably in the same boat now that she's in middle school.

I made this min-album for my sweet Valentine!  I also found a very cool keychain that says "I Pick You!" and is in the shape of a guitar pick ... because he plays guitar.  Yup = I'm that clever.

Have a scrappy-happy day!

Materials used:  Tons of scrappiness from my stash.

Where Did they Go? {NAS #300}

Good morning - the Super Bowl is over - Groundhog's Day is over and its time for a new sketch at Nuts About Sketches.  While I usually stay true to the sketch, this time I needed to move things around a bit and I'm really happy with how my two-pager turned out!  You won't find this on the main blog because I modified it a bit too much.  Be sure to link up your interpretation!

Here's the sketch:

Here's my layout!

Have a fantastic day!

Love Your Love

Love Your Love - Challenge #49 at Paper Girls Challenge Blog

Several of my scrappy friends make just the most wonderful banners and I’ve been a bit hesitant to create my own - but you want to know something - they are not as difficult to create as I had feared.  I’m really enjoying creating banners - I made one for Valentine’s Day for our home and one for my classroom!

Have a scrappy happy day!

What's B&W and Red all over? {Drill #25 for SWAT}

Happy Birthday to SWAT!!!

Today is Drill # 25 One Year! 

For this challenge, its all about 1! Use one color (your choice) with Black & White as your base.  

Here is an example:

Here is what I created!

Don't forget to link up your creations with us at SWAT!

Pinecone Pizazz {PGCB #48}

Challenge #48 Pinecone Pizzazz

Good morning!  Our challenge at Paper Girls Challenge Blog is to use pinecones somewhere, somehow on your card, layout or other project.  There is quite the variety of projects on our main blog page - so go check them out.  Don't forget, we give away prizes there, too!!!  

For Challenge #48 Pinecone Pizzazz, I created a layout of the kids with these amazingly huge pinecones.  We were tent camping in Idyllwild, CA and went hiking on several different trails.  The kids were amazed at how large these pinecones were - the pinecones are so heavy that they are nick-named "Widow Makers".

Have a scrappy-happy Monday - and don't forget to enter the challenge!

Adore {Nuts About Sketches}

Happy Monday Morning!!

This week’s sketch from Nuts About Sketches is AWESOME!!  Using an 8 x 10" photo and a few embellishments makes for an astounding layout (if I do say so myself).

Very rarely do I get a photo of my honey AND me!

Here's sketch #301:

I decided to rotate the sketch and I really didn't want to put a title on it -or journal just yet - sometimes I need a while to study the photo before I really have the right words.

Have a scrappy happy Monday!

Side Out {S.W.A.T #24}

Happy Saturday!  At SWAT, we have a great new challenge for you - use the sketch provided from Page Maps and add buttons.  Be sure to link up your take the on the challenge ... here’s what I did with the sketch:

Materials used:  Adrianne Looman's "Plum Seed" from Webster's Pages

January Card Sketch {Practical Scrappers}

This month at Practical Scrappers, we have two sketches for you to "do your thing" with!  I had a great time with the second sketch because after having a garage sale, I found my doilies!!!

Here's the sketch:

Here's my card:

Have a scrappy-happy day!!!

Scrappin Our Stash Blog Hop Winner!!

Good morning - Hope you had fun this weekend on the blog hop!

The randomly selected winner for my blog is:

"Nice layout. I am a new follower - Yvonne"

Yvonne, please email me at scrappin {@} q {dot} com and I will mail out your prize package!

Band - Day and Night {Nuts About Sketches}

Happy Monday Morning!!

This week’s sketch from Nuts About Sketches is a two-pager.  I don’t remember the last time I worked on a two-pager - but this one was truly fun.  The great thing about a two page layout is that you can load up several photos for a beautiful look.

These photos were taken between July, which was the beginning of the marching band season, and November, which was the conclusion of the season.

Here’s the sketch:

Here’s the layout:

Have a scrappy-happy day!

Scrappin Our Stash Blog Hop {Practical Scrappers}

Practical Scrappers - Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop

Welcome to the Practical Scrappers Blog Hop 

where we are Scrapping our Stash.

CHA is this weekend and that means the industry is putting out all kinds of fabulous new product.  So what better time to kick off our new monthly series of Scrapping our Stash!  A special shout out to the sponsor of today's hop: Kiwi Lane Designs!

I used KLD templates on this layout of my best friend and husband!!! I also used Authentique and several gears from Creative Embellishments.  Have fun hopping and be sure to leave a comment - I have some blog candy to give away!!!

Lissa Mitchell (previous stop)

Deborah Johnson  (you are here!)

Jessica Arrant (next stop)

Now, how to get in on that prize! You can do any or all of the following for up to three entries! 

1) Become a follower here

2) Become a fan on our facebook page

3) Become a fan on the Kiwi Lane facebook page and make sure to tell them we sent ya!

Leave us a comment so that we know what you did!  Entries will close at 11:59 PM EST on Monday night!

Wishful Thinking {PGCB}

Challenge #47 - Wishful Thinking (a start for 2014)

Happy New Year!!!  

Hi Everyone - Deborah here for PGCB in our first challenge of 2014.  I gotta tell you that the Paper Girls are back at it!  They are busy creating amazing artwork while working on a theme.  This challenge is asking you to think about "Wishful Thinking".  That's it!  Your challenge is to interpret our theme of "Wishful Thinking".  Is it a resolution?  Is it a goal you have for the next month or so?  Is it just a bit of daydreaming for you?  Check out what our designers have been wishfully thinking about as we start this new year and enter to win a prize!

Materials:  Creative Embellishments, Kiwi Lane Designs templates, from Wester's Pages - Adrienne Looman's "Plant the Seeds"

New Year Layout {Practical Scrappers}

Good Monday Morning!  At Practical Scrappers today, we are sharing projects that have to do with the new year.  Without a sketch - I created this layout in about 30 minutes - which is fast by my standards!!   Earlier in the week, I hopped along with a bunch of scrappy gal pals who were showcasing their favorite layouts/projects/cards of 2013.  I posted my favorites after hopping because its good to reflect and see where you have been before you move forward.

Welcom 2014 - its a new year with so many possibilities!  

Materials:  My Mind's Eye, Mr. Huey's Misting Inks and sticker letters that have been in the stash for far too long!

Top 10 ... er... 13! for 2013

Several of my scrappy friends are doing a blog-hop today highlighting their favorite projects from 2013.  Its a great hop you should check it out (click here).  I enjoyed the hop so much, that I decided it was time to look through past layouts and projects and try to pick my top 10 {more like top 13 for 2013!}

And here they are!

1.  Gesso - this was my first application of gesso on a layout and I really loved the simple look.

 2.  This is a card that I just loved and it was one that I entered in a card contest - made it all the way to the top 5.

 3.  This was my first time using corrugated cardboard and the texture it helped to create was fun - really added to the dirt road in the photo.

 4.  I finally - FINALLY - used this Bo-Bunny kit - after three years of hoarding it!  Ijust loved the colors and my niece's photo - this was a gift for her.

 5.  October Afternoon's line was just perfect for a reflection on my son's first day of kindergarden.  I created this during the summer before he started high school.

 6.  Probably one of the cutest layouts of my little cutie!  The colors just made this layout one of my favorites.

 7.  Simple Stories became one of my most loved collections for scrapping - and I tried something new - using ink to draw on my layout.

 8.  I've always loved the papers from Wester's Pages and this is a layout that hangs in my classroom.  I just smile each time I look at it.

 9.  Without a doubt, this layout of the family on vacation was a favorite from the minute I started working on it.  Lots of shapes, patterns, colors and KLD templates.

 10.  After reading a scrapbooking magazine where this technique was featured, I grabbed a photo from many years ago and tried my hand at extending the photo.  Even my kids think someone else did it - Pure LOVE!

 11.  There's not much I can say about this one - other than I loved the photo and the way the layering came together on this layout.  (smooch)

 12.  Another cute layout of my girlie using Simple Stories.

 13.  All things marching band this fall ... we had such a great time with band and we were certainly busy bees with the preparations necessary to get the band on the field each week.

There you have it - a trip down memory lane.  Cannot wait to see what 2014 will have in store for me and my sweet family.

Hey There, Santa! {S.W.A.T.}

Saturday, December 21

Winter Solstice 2013
Today is Winter Solstice and we've got a great sketch from Page Maps for you to tackle at SWAT.  Santa needs to be somewhere on this layout; either a picture - embellie - or paper.  I was browsing through photos from a few years ago after we finished decorating the house and realized that I had duplicates of visits with Santa.  Gold-mine!  I have all of the kids photos displayed from birth to present - totally fun to see how they change over time.  Santa is the same - he's been the same ever since they were 2 and 4 - best part - Santa remembers the kids!!!  (Well of course he does!)

Anyway - here's your sketch to work with:

Here's what I created with MME's All is Bright.

Merry Christmas!

Deborah