I'm a new Design Team Member at Black with Two!

So excited to announce that I'm a new DT member at the Black with Two challenge blog!! This is a color-based challenge blog, and Eve posts a new "Black with Two" challenge each month. This time around the challenge is to create a LO using DOMINANT BLACK CARDSTOCK WITH YELLOW AND BLUE, and you have the entire month to get your entry in! Here's my "Sunny Days" layout, my first go as a new DT member, hope to see you over there! =) T

The Learning Curve

Time for a new theme at Paper Issues, this time we're looking for links to your "Learning Curve" projects. I've linked up a bunch of my older posts over there (old or new, you can link it all!!) but here's something new that I created:

Oh my sweet little girl on her first day of preschool- and now she's getting ready to head off to 4th grade- YIKES!! This one is going in my school album- I organize my scrapbooks by year, but I have separate albums for Christmas, School and I'm thinking of maybe doing a Halloween scrapbook too. It's always fun to pull out the "School Days" album every September and leave out for friends and family to flip through. Crazy to see how the kiddos have changed when you see all their "1st Day of School" pages together in succession like that! =) T

Challenges:
-Paper Issues learning curve
-Lollipop Crafts recycle it, I used my losing tickets from a fair
-Pile It On girls just wanna have fun
-Crafting for All Seasons bingo, i used buttons, diecuts and tags
-Allsorts Challenge back to school

Inspired By Nature

It's time for my final challenge as a design team member at Lasting Memories. I have been on the DT for 2 terms, and have enjoyed every minute of it, and now it's time to move on over and make room for new inspiration. You can be sure that I'll still be popping on over to take part in the challenges, Karen always has great ideas to get your mojo going!

This week at Lasting Memories the challenge is "Who Inspires You". In scrapbooking (and in all of life) I am inspired every day by my children. I am inspired to look at life through their playful eyes. I am inspired to always be the best mother I can for them. And I am of course inspired to capture as much as I can through my camera and record their memories in our scrapbooks.

This is an annual ritual my daughter loves- to search through the milkweed plants for a lovely plump caterpillar and watch it transform into a butterfly. Last year she even recorder her findings in a notebook- so sweet to read her daily entries in her "Monarch Journal".

To see what inspires the rest of the DT, please visit Lasting Memories, and don't forget to share your own take on "Who Inspires You"! And thank you Karen, for the opportunity to be part of your Design Team, I have had a great time!! =) T

Challenges:

-Lasting Memories who inspires you

-Sisterhood of Crafters flowers

-The Scrappiest sketch

Boys and Their Toys

This week's challenge at 2 Sisters is Boys and Their Toys. I used a cute little scooter stamp I had from Stampin Up to create my card:

To create the look of the scooter "zooming" along, I inked the stamp once, and then stamped repeatedly starting on the right and overlappig each impresion to the left. I also inked and stamped it once on red CS and adhered it with dimensionals. Used my spiral punch to create the notebook edge, wrapped a bit of twine around and my cute and simple card was complete! =) T

Challenges:

-2 Sisters boys and their toys

-DYSU just for boys or men

-Our Craft Lounge dots

-Polka Doodles polka dots

-Sew Many Challenges use an edge punch

Open Challenge at Sketches in Thyme

It's that time again, time for an Open Challenge at Sketches in Thyme. Here's the layout I created for the challenge:

I decided to use the sketch from Once Upon a Sketch, always love their sketches and their xtra journaling challenge that's included with it.

For this sketch you had to include 2 lines from a favorite song. I chose the line "hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away" from a Pearl Jam song. It fits well with the mood and the personal nature of this layout I created. For my color scheme, I incorporated the challenge from Black with Two and used only black and green.

I hope you'll have a chance to use a favorite sketch and link it up with us at Sketches in Thyme, we'd love to see what you create! =) T

Safety Goggles and Monkey Slippers

Time for a fabulous new sketch at Twisted Sketches and this time the twist is METAL any how, any way! Here's what I created:

I had these 2 cute little pics of my nephews leftover from my Super Bowl Sunday layout, they just didn't fit on that page, but they were too cute not to scrap! I decided to flip the sketch a bit to make it work for my pics- you'll have to go on over to Twisted Sketches to see what I mean! For my METAL I used silver embossing powder on the title, added silver brads, silver photo corners and see those little silver stars? I punched those out of the top of a yogurt container, reduce, reuse, recycle right?

If you're feeling in the mood for a little heavy metal, go link up your take at Twisted Sketches. I can't wait to see your LO!! =) T

Challenges:

-Twisted Sketches sketch+metal 

-Crafty Calendar Challenge hot colors

It's All Fun and Games

Tuesday is here and it's time for another Triplicate Trials Tuesday challenge! This time around it's another 3-parter designed by yours truly! We have colors (red, crumb cake and eggplant), a cute sketch and a "fun and games" theme to get you started:

and here's what I came up with:

Pretty quick and easy LO to put together- it's easy when the colors theme and sketch are all there for you, but still so fascinating to see all the different takes! Hop on over to Triplicate Trials Tuesday to see what the rest of the DT has going on, and join in the fun too! =) T

Challenges:

-Triplicate Trials Tuesday fun+games; red, crumb cake+eggplant; sketch

-ScrapFIT scallops

-Scrapbookers Paradise punches

What's Your Secret?

There's a new challenge at Lasting Memories, "What's Your Secret". Do you hide your journaling, maybe hide one photo under another or sneak a little journal tag under that fold? Here's the layout I created:

and here's my secret...

Hidden journaling! This is a great technique when you have a lot to say (as I did in this LO) but not the space to put it! There are lots of tricky and sneaky ways to hide your journaling, I went the simple route- just folded a piece of CS in half, adhered the pics on the outside, journaling on the inside!

I hope you'll have a chance to see all the rest of the secretive projects from the rest of the DT at Lasting Memories, and then link up your own project, we can't wait to see what kinds of secrets you have up your sleeve! =) T

Challenges:

-Lasting Memories what's your secret

-Scrappin' Chicks banner

A Note to School

Happy Saturday everyone! Time for another challenge at 2 Sisters, this week's theme is "Back to School". Our sponsor this week is Robin's Fetish, and we were able to use some adorable Back to School digital stamps from the company. Here's what I came up with using the backpack stamp.

I decided to print my backpack as a 1/2 sheet of 8 1/2x11 paper including all the pertinent "note to school" info. I printed one sheet, colored them with watercolor pencils and then had color copies made of my creation. Then I cut them all, stacked them and attached together with a ribbon to create a fun little notepad. Perfect for the busy school mornings- just check off the approproate box, wirite in a few details and your note is complete- and so cute too!

I hope you'll hop on over to 2 Sisters and see what the rest of the DT has come up with, and be sure to link up your own Back to School creations- we'd love to see your projects! =) T

Challenges:
-2 Sisters back to school
-Delightful Challenges back to school +primary colors

-Cupcake Inspiration cupcake

Teachers Open Our Eyes to the World

It's Thursday....sketch day at Sketches in Thyme! Here's what I came up with for this week:

My little trick for this layout? The PP I used is double sided, light blue on one side, crazy pattern on the other. I used my Creative Memories to cut out a circle just where I wanted it, then flipped the circle over and used good old Scotch tape on the back to keep it in place. A cool way to use both sides of the double sided PP on one layout! I also stitched Xs all around the circle- just for fun, but it does strengthen it a bit too. See the strip of notebook edge on the top? That's just a sheet ripped out of my handy-dandy journaling notebook. I used the edge along the top, and the rest of the sheet was used for my journal strips and title.

I hope you'll go visit the rest of the Sketches in Thyme DT and see how they put the sketch to good use, oh and don't forget about my blog candy giveaway here. =) T

Challenges:
-Sketches in Thyme sketch

-Paper Variety threads

-Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge back to school
-Desert Island Crafts Challenge stitching, stickers, office stationery

-Flutterby Wednesday punches+butterfly
-Fab'n'Funky stitch in time
-For Fun Challenges scrapbook page

Ooops- I missed last week's sketch!

Just realized I forgot to post last week's sketch at Sketches in Thyme, and how could I possibly forget, it's MY sketch!?!?

Had a ton of fun putting this one together using nothing but scraps! See that orange strip with the punched circles? I just felt like it needed a little something more, and that scrap was sitting on the top of the recycle bin just begging to be used! So...even though I'm a week late in my post, you have till the end of August to link up your take on the sketch, so hop on over to Sketches in Thyme! =) T

Time for Fun, Fun, Fun at Scrap It With a Song!!!

There's a new song to inspire you to get crafting this week at Scrap It With a Song, this time it's "Fun Fun Fun" by the Beach Boys!! Here's my contribution:

I decided to use the line, "Cruising just as fast as she can now" and just changed the "she" to "they" for my title! Had these great pics of the kiddos on the Goat Karts (yes, I said Goat) at Davis Farmland- one of our must-go places on our list of summer fun. If you're ever in the area, you have to go!!

I hope you'll join us and get in on the Fun Fun Fun!! Hop on over to Scrap It With a Song to see the rest of the DTs projects, and link up your own take by next Monday at midnight!! =) T

P.S. I have a bit of blog candy to give away when I reach 200 followers, go here to enter!

Challenges:

-Scrap It With a Song fun fun fun

-Really Reasonable Ribbon keep it clean

-Paper Issues lets ride

-Unstampabelles wheels

-Challenge Up Your Life no pattern paper

-Creative Craft Challenges anything but a card

Ready for Some Candy???

Been a while since I've done a weekly "Blog Candy" post with some favorites I've stumbled across. Here are some delicious selections for you this week, click on each link to view some fabulously creative bloggers and find out more about how you can get in on the blog candy action!! Good luck my friends! =) T

Wow- look at this amazing stash from The Crafter's Cafe! 

Sherrie is celebrating her 6 month blogoversary by giving away this great Cricut cardtridge!

Stamp-Happy Tammy has exciting news to share, and some yummy candy too!

Tatertots and Jello has a fabulous giveaway from everyday lettering:

And last but not least, I have a bit of blog candy I'm giving away when I reach 200 followers, and I'm soooo close! Go here for more info to enter to win a package of my fun Paper Posies. =) T

Try Something New at Lasting Memories

This week at Lasting Memories the challenge is to leave that comfort zone and try something new. Maybe try a new technique or give a new product a try. I decided to get out one of my empty misters and fill it with bleach to see what the result would be. Here's how it came out:

Kinda cool huh? Now let me tell you that not all cardstock is created equal. Apparently not all CS will react to bleach in the same way. I first started with a sheet of chocolate brown super heavy CS from Club Scrap and there was no reaction; once it dried it was as if the bleach was never there. For my LO I used a sheet of navy CS from Stampin Up, which happened to react really well, a little spray bleach went a long way! I love how the navy bleached to a kraft color, can't wait to try this with other colors and see what happens.

Oh, and see that sweet little fabric butterfly? You can get some of your own from my Etsy shop- I have a few different colors to offer...like these in turquoise and red:

Pull out your bleach and give it a try, or come up with your own "something new" to work with. Be sure to share with us at Lasting Memories so we can see what you come up with!   I also have blog candy I'm giving away when I reach 200 followers, find out more about that here. =) T

Challenges:

-Lasting Memories try something new

-Creative Stamp Friends create your own background

-Alphabet Challenge navy+another color

-Off the Wall Craftiness inspiration photo:

-Flutterby Wednesdays things with wings

Let's Ride

There's a new theme to link up to at Paper Issues, we want to see your "Let's Ride" projects! Here's a layout I made of my daughter last spring, FINALLY making the leap from training wheels to a two-wheeler!!

Now it's your turn! Link up your "Lets Ride" projects at Paper Issues; cards, layouts, altered items...anything! If you used paper, you are in. You can link as many projects as you want. You have until August 27 to link up! Oh, and don't forget I have a bit of blog candy to give away when I reach 200 followers...go here to find out more! =) T

Good Day Sunshine!

Before I get to today's post...did you see I have a little bit of blog candy to give away here?

Oh such a great song from my all-time favorite band, The Beatles. It's just impossible to be in a bad mood when you hear "Good Day Sunshine"!! Anyway....that's where my inspiration came from for the sketch challenge this week at 2 Sisters. Here's the sketch...

and here's my card...

Very quick and easy, just inked and layered 2 scraps of PP, along with a spiral punched scrap of black CS. Printed a cute saying along with the fabulous sun digi from Patties Creations, and there you have it!! =) T

Challenges:
-2 Sisters sketch
-Creative Craft Challenges summertime

I'm almost at 200 followers- time for some BLOG CANDY!!!

That's right, I'm almost at 200...so i thought it time for a little giveaway! Read on for more info....

Time for a new sketch with a twist over at Twisted Sketches, it's a good one, so you'll have to go over there to check it out!! Here's the LO I created for the challenge:

Few fun things to note about my layout: First up, check out my crazy husband on the tiny bike!! When I found out the twist for the Twisted Sketches challenge was TINY, I decided these pics just had to be scrapped... See my crazy messy scallops along the border? These of course were DOODLED for the challenge at City Crafter. I kinda like the scallops, but I have a feeling my son (who always asks, "why do you have to make your projects so messy") will NOT agree.

The border across the top of my title is made with JOURNAL SPOTS chopped in half- makes a fun kinda uneven border, and a great way to use up that stash (for the Scrapbookers Anonymous challenge). Now do you see that jumbo flower? Well, first it's for the FLOWER challenge at Scrap Fit. Secondly, I upcycled that sweet little flower from kraft packing materials, and enjoyed making it so much, I made bunches and bunches of them in all sorts of sizes!! I posted them for sale on my Etsy Shop (beware, I am in the middle of creating a ton of goodies, so it is VERY slim pickings there, more to come soon, I promise!!) and I have a set to give away too!!

So...would you like a chance to win a package of my Paper Posies? Just be a follower and leave a comment for me. I will select one commenter at random once I reach 200 followers, bonus entry for you if you post the pic of my Paper Posies on your blog and tell about my little teeny tiny blog candy!! Thanks for stopping by today! =) T

Challenges:
-Twisted Sketches sketch +tiny
-Scrapbookers Anonymous journal spots
-ScrapFIT flowers
-City Crafter doodle
-Tater Tots and Jello linking party
-Paper Issues let's ride

It's a Sunshiney day at Triple Ts

Time for another challenge at Triplicate Trials Tuesday. This was my 2nd chance to design a challenge here, so much fun! It's a 3-part challenge, here's what you have to do:

And here's what I came up with:

One of my favorite things about participating in challenges is the way it pushes you out of your comfort zone. My own personal comfort zone is blue, kraft and red, definitely NOT black, grey and yellow...so just choosing papers and embellies was tricky for me! Then came tricky part #2- I didn't have any summertime pics printed yet, so I just decided I would "make it work" with the last day of school pics and focus on what we were all thinking on that morning, so excited for summer to start!!

Few fun things to note: I drew in the frame with a white gel pen on the black CS, and I distressed my grey CS with a sanding block to reveal the white core. My 3 yellow ribbons were all from the scrap bin, and none were long enough to go across the entire LO. To solve this problem, I trimmed about 1 1/2" off each piece and tucked just behind the photo. The rest of the 6ish inches I had left was tucked on the other side of the photo mat, and you have the illusion that it spans the whole way across!

The colors weren't what I would normally use, and the pic wasn't neccesarily a "sunshine" photo, but as I worked on posting the layout on my blog I decided that the end result, while unexepected, was good. Then...I looked closely at the photo...how silly of me. I never even noticed that my kiddos were wearing their BLACK and YELLOW Boston Bruins Tshirts that day (they had just won the Stanley Cup)...perhaps this was all "meant to be"?!?! =) T

Challenges:
-Triplicate Trials Tuesday sketch, color combo, sunshine theme
-Do You Stack Up black +pop of color
-Dream Valley Challenges distressing
-Scrap and Stamp Saturday friendship

Fetch!

This week's challenge at Lasting Memories is a fabulous sketch, with the added challenge of adding buttons. Oh, and I can't forget to mention...there's a DT Call too!!  Here's the sketch:

And here's my layout:

Such a fun sketch to work with! I chose to cut out my circle as a frame, rather than the whole thing. It just covered up too much of the fun orange polka dot PP with the full circle! See the strip of tiny dotted PP on the left? When I trimmed the 12x12 sheet of orange, this strip was left and I flipped it and used the reverse. great way to incorporate scraps and use both sides of that double-sided PP! For my button feature, I threaded a few on to land right on top of the polka dots- I think I may add a few more, after looking at the pic it could use a few...maybe 3?

I hope you'll visit the rest of the Lasting Memories DT and see what they've come up with using this sketch, and be sure to link up your own take for a chance to be on the new design team!!! =) T

Challenges

-Lasting Memories sketch +buttons

-Play Date Cafe color scheme

-Wee Memories 4+ colors

-Truly Madly summer colors

-Paper Issues make a splash

Color Challenge at 2 Sisters

sweet color challenge this week at 2 Sisters, don't ya think? Here's the card I came up with:

Be sure to pop on over to 2 Sisters and see what the rest of the DT has come up with, and then link up your own take on this lovely color challenge too! =) T

Challenges:

-2 Sisters color scheme

-Color Create photo inspiration

-Cupcake Craftroom soft and sweet

-Little Darlings girlie

-Frosted Designs color a digital image

-Cute Card Thursday no designer paper

-Dutch Dare for the kids

-Moving Along with the Times don't be square

I'm a Twisted Sister!!!

So excited to share the news that I've been chosen to be on the design team at Twisted Sketches!! This is such a fabulous sketch site, with layout and card sketches each week, there is ALWAYS something fun to play along with. Here's the layout I created for the DT call:

Let's see...no special techniques to tell about in this one, but I do have some fun goodies on this LO I can tell you about! The office labels are from the lovely Speckled Egg; gorgeous corrugated flower from my favorite, Precocious Paper and the jumbo felt circle is from my friend Jessica at Close to My Heart. The tickets? Those came from our library, the kiddos are participating in the summer reading program and keep earning tickets for the books they read... these are the leftover stubs!

I would love love love for you to pop on over to Twisted Sketches and say hello to the rest of the new (and old) DT members, check out the other layouts, and hopefully link up your take on this week's fabulous sketch! =) T

Bold Bright and Loud at Craft Garden

The August theme at The Craft Garden in "Bold Bright and Loud". I decided to use pics of a crafty afternoon we had a few years back, what can be brighter (or louder) than a big old family gathering around the dining table for a few hours of crafting madness?

Started with a white CS background (um, not particularly bright or loud Tiffany...) and added a bunch of lipstick red glimmer mist, and then topped with a sweet little banner stamp. Then I did my 2 rows of wallet-sized photos and added a 1/2" strip of turquoise CS on each side. Neon green CS for my journaling block, along with neon green felt stars, yellow buttons and a simple hand-drawn title finish up my messy and bright LO.

Want to join in the Bright Bold and Loud fun? Link up your project this month over at The Craft Garden, and be sure to see what the rest of the DT has come up with too! =) T

Challenges:

-The Craft Garden bright bold and loud

-ScrapFIT banner

Step by Step at Scrap It With a Song!

Time for a little New Kids on the Block! This week's song at Scrap It With a Song is Step By Step. I chose the "step" part of the song to go with a pic I had taken of myself in my craft room- poking a little fun at myself and my obsession with scrapping! =) T

Challenges:

-Scrap It With a Song step by step
-Quirky Crafts numbers
-Creative Scrappers sketch

Christmas in July at Lasting Memories

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Lasting Memories....dig out those Santa pics, your red and green papers, maybe a bit of glitter and tinsel and get in the holiday spirit! Here's my layout for the week:

My sweet little nephew and his new trike we gave him for Xmas; he was so thrilled just ringing the bell!! This was one of those "Made in Minutes" layouts for me, just a couple layers of CS and PPs, one torn and one punched with my notebook punch. I pulled out a scrap of holiday PP and punched out circles to use as a border, adhered on pop dots for a bit of dimension. The scallop was a leftover from packaging, too pretty to be thrown away! I dressed it up with red Xs I stitched in the holes. Added a quick titlem journaling and there ya have it!

I hope you'll join in the Christmas fun and link up your project at Lasting Memories this week. See you there! =) T

Challenges:

-Lasting Memories christmas in july

-UnstampaBelles wheels

Guest Designer at ARTastic Scraps!

woohoo- I was chosen to be a Guest Designer at ARTastic Challenge Blog this month! Shazza has a lovely painting for your inspiration, 'The Playing Claude Renoir' by Auguste Renoir:

Diva Demand for an extra 6 bonus points try and work the following into your layout: Ribbon = 1pt; A photo of a child or child playing = 2pts; Paint or create your own background = 3pts. Here's what I came up with:

A few fun things to note about this layout: I used white acrylic paint to paint cross-hatch lines on the background CG, and then stamped the leaf stamp in 3 different shades of brown down the side. I also embossed a puddle of copper embossing powder on the top left and pressed the leaf stamp into the melted powder to create a "debossed" look. The copper embossing also shows up on the leaf next to the title, and arouns the edge of the white CS.

Be Sure and link up your own take on this ARTastic challenge, there are some wonderful prizes to be had, one of them from yours truly! =) T

Making a Splash at Paper Issues

Happy Monday! There's a new theme over at Paper Issues, Make a Splash! You can create anything splash-related, just be sure to include paper in your project!! For my contibution, I created a piece of wall-art that is hanging in my bathroom to welcome summer:

I first painted a canvas with a few shades of rust and brown; layered a roughed-up sheet of chocolate cardstock and a sweet photo of my kiddos splashing in the waves. I then pulled out my stash of Magnetic Poetry, and added the words, "beautiful with the promise of sun, water and play" (just love how those little boxes of words can make me feel all poetically taletend!!). Clipped it all onto a fabulous jumbo clipboard painted with chakboard paint, and wrote "hello summer"!

Now it's your turn! Hop on over to Paper Issues and link up your splashy projects- as many as you want, old or new, and maybe you'll be featured in an upcoming post! =) T

Challenges:
-Paper Issues make a splash
-Creative Inspirations summer
-Critter Sketch Challenge summer fun
-Make it Monday anything goes
-Pile It On stay cool
-If the Shoe Fits summer