Nola

It feels like a lifetime ago that I was in New Orleans for my birthday, but it's only been 5 years.  I was there for just a day, and man, it left such an impression on me I've been itching to go back with John since.

This layout is for a Swirlydoos challenge, Places Not People.  I decided to do New Orleans.  I used a lot from the Bohemian Spring kit.  The main paper was from my stash, and some stickers I bought specifically for any layouts I did about my trip.

I love the embellies that came in this kit.  The light bulbs from Ingvild Bolme, and the lovely garden fountain from Prima!  LOVE, and it fit perfect with the layout :)  I fussy cut some of the flowers from Kaisercrafts paper in the kit, the flowers are Petaloo.  As I said, some where my things, the stickers and black flourish.  I also made the little dots from my glue gun and just stickled them a bit. Martha's scallop punch and some distressing for effect, my chippie leaves that I cut.

Product List, Items 2-6 From Bohemian Spring Swirlydoos Kit

Creative Imaginations - Christine Adolph
Kaisercraft Kaleidoscope Collection - Collage, Layers
Petaloo - Botanica Collection
Prima Junkyard Findings - Ceiling Light Bulbs
Prima Shabby Chic Treasures - Antique Garden Sink
Prima Note Cards
Want To Scrap - Black Flourish Bling
Creative Imaginations Art Warehouse - Stickers
Stickles - Icicle, Cotton Candy
Distress Ink - Black Soot, Brushed Corduroy
Bo Bunny Acrylic Texture Stamp - Wall to Wall

Flourish Stamp - Stash

I journaled on the back of the note card sticking out on the right.  It reads - There is a place that is filled with magic.  What a beautiful place it is.  The sites, the smells, the people.  You can't find anything like it anywhere else.  Nola, she'll steal your heart.

And she does, I promise.  Hope you liked, thanks for the visit :)

Divine @ 49

Hi friends!  How's the week treating you so far?  I have found a new challenge site through a friend and fellow scrapper, Val, of Val-Belle's Ramblings.  This lovely lady who calls South Africa home finds the neatest challenge sites!  What's the deal with this one?  Well it's called Challenge YOUrself, so often as scrappers we are always behind the camera, rarely in front of it.  This challenge site changes that. Like it our not, you have to be in the pic!  This months challenge is Celebrate Your Age.  Just click on the title to check it out.

Onto my layout.  I used my Swirlydoo's Kit Rose Bouquet from June.  Just delightful and gorgeous. Packed with beautiful Kaisercraft papers and awesome embellies, I had a blast.  Please visit them, there is a boutique, a sketch challenge, actually several challenges and you don't need to be a subbie to play or join the forum! I also used a sketch from the very talented Miss Emma Stafrace of Page Drafts. Give a click my friends, she is bringing back the mojo, no joke!  Here is the sketch I used, #33.2

LOVE this sketch folks!  So pretty. I riffed on it a bit to make it my own and am darn happy.

A couple of pics of the process -

First I cut out the middle of this frame paper from Kaisercraft and placed it on top of the floral paper.

Then I start laying on my embellies to see how I want them to go.

Last is the gluing on when it's all where I like :)

Here is the finished piece -

Such gorgeous papers here.  Just loved this kit!  I used some lovely Blue Fern Studios chippie from my stash that I snazzied up and cut in two for tucking in.  Can you see the little gold micro-beads on some of the foliage?  Got some inspo for that from Di Garling.  An amazing artist for sure.  The other leaves I cut on my cricut as well as the title.  The pretty rhinstone mat was in my kit, I cut it to put under the pics and still have more left!  The wood veneers are from Prima, yup in my kit.  So was the coral lace.  Some Lindy's and a bit of stickles and this puppy is in the can :)

Edit- *GASP* I forgot to put my journaling which is on the back.  It says "I am 49. In two months I will be a half a century old! I don't feel it, I don't act it.  Almost fifty years I've been here gaining wisdom, raising children, enjoying life, living!  I hope the next fifty is just as good.  Yes I plan on being here ;) but for right now I'm divine at 49! 

Product List (1st 5 products from kit)

Kaisercraft Storyteller - Vintage, Confession

Prima Wood Collection - Time Travelers Memories Collection

Ruby Rocket Stickers - Heritage

Rhinestone Mat

Coral Lace

Blue Fern Studio Chipboard - Organic Vine Corner

Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray - Pink Ladies Pink, Mad Hatter Mint, Rusty Lantern Lime

Distress Stain - Spiced Marmelade, Barn door Red, Antiqued Bronze

Distress Ink - Brushed Corduroy, Black Soot

Micro-Beads - Gold 

Stickles - Yellow, Cotton Candy, Candy Cane, Blue

Why don't you check out the challenge site, and of course Page Drafts :)   Thanks for visiting,

The Up-Cycle!

Ok, be honest, as a crafter do you not now look at stuff that was once trash bound and say "Hey, I can make _____ outta that!"  I know I sure do!  Now I rip off pieces of shipping boxes to use in layouts, bottles and boxes sit in my closet just waiting to be made into something pretty.  Well if you have something just whispering to you "recreate me", this challenge at Craft Hoarders Anonymous is a perfect one!   Click on the title to go check it out and see just what you need to do and you might even win a great prize!  Lookie, Canvas Corp was generous enough to donate this awesome pack -

Pretty neat huh :)

So, as I said I have several items just waiting to be re-made into something stunning and here's what I came up with.  It started out as a plain blue box from a local bakery -

I gesso'd it so that any blue doesn't peak through.  Then the fun starts, I mod podged all the paper on and went wild with a major stash raid for embellies.

So, what do you think?  I love how this came :)  What a pretty little box it is.  Nothing was bought to put it together, as a matter of fact, some of the embellies like the little metal quote and word tabs were from a swap many, many moons ago.  The paper is from Prima's Fairy Belle A4 paperstack that I've had for eons now, but still adore, and then just bits and pieces of my stuff.  Those butterflies came darling.  I cut them on my cricut in 2 different sizes, inked the edges, then used glossy accents along the bottom edge of the wing and poured some micro beads on it, the one popping at the top I used diamond glitter on. The floral moss I have had since I make my own arrangements.  The tiny blue flowers are from I Am Roses.  I dragged them through Lindy's mists for the blue. So are the teeny leaves. Take a minute to check them out, great stuff, great prices.

Product List

Prima A4 Paper Stack - Fairy Belle
Lindy's Stamp Gang Flat Fabio Spray - Pink Ladies Pink
Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray - Clam Bake Beige, Rusty Lantern Lime, Mad Hatter Mint, Carpathian Blue Bells
Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powder - Oak Leaf Olive
Invild Bolme Chalk Edger - Garden Grass
Distress Ink - Brushed Corduroy, Black Soot
Silks Acrylic Glaze - Pretty Peridot
Tim Holtz Grunge Board Die Cuts - Hinges
Stickles - Icicle, Crystal, Cinnamon
K and Co Borders - Metallic Flower
Creative Embellishments Chipboard - Flourish #'s 10, 14
Various stash items owned for ages and finally put to use

Please go check this great challenge site out!  What an awesome way to go digging and finding treasure you forgot you had.

Well folks, my summer vacay has come to an end.  How do 2 months fly by so quick?  My youngest is in his last year of elementary.  Fifth grade and then middle school for him. Both girls are in High School now, MaryAnn in 11th, and Sophia a freshie :)  Time does fly whether you're having fun or not ;) so make the most of it.

Thanks for coming by!