Summer Fun!

Hi friends, I have a layout to share filled with a lot of pics! Swirlydoo's round robin challenge this month is What I Did This Summer, well we were at the beach almost every week. As soon as I heard it I knew I wanted to scrap our time there. It's really special and the kids have so much fun. We stay for a good six hours, our cooler packed with food and goodies. They can swim forever. We go to Corona Del Mar which is beautiful.

I really don't do multi pic layouts, and this is a first because I managed to pack 8 pics in friends and it doesn't look like a mess!!

Take a look -

I used the Artful Blues kit with lovely Kaisercraft and Authentique papers. The chippie is from my stash, a beauty by Creative Embellishments treated with gesso then Lindy's mist. The twist was something you've had for more than a year, and that's the cheesecloth, the twine and the shell border. I cut the title with  my cricut and the little skittles I made myself with translucent beads baked in the toaster oven :D

The pic on top of my son and daughter with just their heads out had me a wreck! I don't swim and I was using my camera like binoculars so I could see them, they were so far out there was a little fishing boat about 15 feet behind them!

thanks for visiting!

Be Mine

Hi friends! Oooo, Friday the 13th! Lol, I've never been one to get up in arms and superstitious about that stuff :)  I'ts Valentine's weekend, I love when it falls on Friday or Saturday.  Got any fun plans with a loved one?  I'm making my family's favorite, bracioltinis and fettuccine alfredo with yummy chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert :D

Over at Swirlydoos this month the card round robin is a great one! Click their name to check this challenge out.  I'm in the Anything Goes card group, I was up at bat first and this is my fun Valentine card.

I used Authentique's Lovely line from a couple of years ago.  I love this line.  My cricut carts for the corner pieces and the hearts.  I just layered them on top of one another and pop dotted them for dimension.  Inking along the edges for more definition.  I sprayed some Lindy's and did some stickling and added flat back pearls.  What do you think? Cards aren't my go to design fave, but I do like making them when I sit and give it a go!

Thanks for stopping by, have a Happy Valentine's Day and weekend!

CSI Case File No. 130

Howdy there friends and a happy Sunday evening to you! Hope you're all doing well, keeping cool and enjoying the lazy days of summer.  Today I come with a CSI challenge.  Do you know of them?  It's run by Debbi Tehrani and it has a really interesting premise.  You get a case file and you have to crack it.  Hhmm, what does that mean?  Well you get a color palate, evidence and testimony to solve your layout with.  It's fun, but I'll be honest, this is only my second go at it.  I love all the cases, the prompts are always fun, the colors are always pretty, but I just never get to it for whatever reason. Not this time!  The colors and theme moved me so because of my dad and my love of country and patriotism.  Check out the case, oh and of course, just click on the challenge title to go right to it.

Isn't it fantastic!  It screams 4th of July :)  I really employed a stash raid for this baby, using Authentique, Creative Imaginations, and Bo Bunny's past patriotic lines, combined with some K and Co borders I snagged from Mike's gosh, at least 3 years ago on clearance.  Here it is -

I did a bit of fussy cutting of the stars from Bo Bunny, some punching of stars with gray metallic paper, splats with Lindy's lots of fun.  Let's break it down, colors, red, lime, white, gray, blue are all there in the paper, stars, embellies and such.  Evidence needed is at least two, I've got it covered with the flag, splats, stars, and ribbon.  Testimony is patriotic holiday. Hm hmmm, yes and I journaled about my patriotism on the back.  It says -

"My dad is who taught me love of country.  He was the ultimate patriot.  He was proud of our country and loved America very much."
I also put a little piece of Lee Greenwood's song in the corner there. That song is a fave of mine, it truly represents a great love of this awesome country of mine.  The pic is of my porch and rocking chair with our flag that we retired since it was beat up. I covered all the bases, and I say this case is cracked!

Product List

Authentique Pride - Triumph, Privilege
Creative Imaginations
Bo Bunny Liberty - Cut outs
K and Co Patriotic Borders
Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray - Frozen Jack Frost
Distress Ink - Brushed Corduroy
Glitter Chipboard Number
Chipboard Leaves
Ribbon

Now remember, stop by and take a peek at all the awesome inspo going on at CSI, you won't be disappointed!  Oh, and stop back tomorrow and see what is up, I'm a guest designer over at Craft Hoarders Anonymous!

Page Drafts...Bringing Back The Mojo!

Hiya folks!  How's the start of your week been so far?  July 1st, my oh my, the summer has officially begun, and I am HAPPY!!!!  Mama is here with my two nieces visiting from N.Y. and we are having fun :)  We've been to Newport Beach, tomorrow we'll be tourists going on a Hollywood bus tour, Mann's Chinese Theater.  Can't not go put your hands and feet in the stars prints, hitting the Santa Monica Pier, maybe some Universal City Walk too.  I sure hope we seem some famous folks!  I also want to bring everyone to a Mission.  Since Cali is so well known for them, figured it would be some great educational exposure too.  Either San Juan Capistrano or Oceanside's San Luis Rey.  Either way, having mom and the girls here has been just wonderful.

Now, have you heard of Page Drafts?  This is a wonderful site owned by Emma Stafrace of the Nifty Pixel. Go, hurry up, go see and then come back real quick, I'll still be here....

Well, whuddya think?  Pretty stinkin cool huh :)  Emma has about the best sketches out there hands down.  I don't mean others aren't as good, but man, this gal can rock the sketch!  What dimension and detail she packs into her pieces.  Lovely my friends, awesomesauce!  I've been a lurking around her blog, stalking her facebook page, but never jumped in, till now that is.  And now I am nevuh looking back!  I love her stuff and will incorporate them into my work when I need a boost and don't want to think to hard, or just want to know it's gonna rock.

I did a layout of my boys John and Santino from Desirae's wedding.  Yes I know, ya'll are getting sick of all the pics from that great day, but hey what can I tell ya, there are about a gazillion pics and I gotta use em ;)  It's kinda funny because there are so many years between them, but they are two very handsome men and I gotta show them off.  I used papers from my Swirlydoo kit for the month of May, Bohemian Spring with a touch of April's Tiffany Kit.  Both were Authentique lines. Have a look, oh and it was sketch # 31/1 -

Truth, isn't the sketch gorgeous? This is the one that called to me the most and that's what I love about Emna, she gives you several to choose from, you're bound to hit one that just gets you.  I also used some bling from the Tiffany kit and a chippie flourish from Creative Embellishments. Some of my own embellies cut with my cricut too.  Did some misting and inking for effect.  Here's a list -

Product List

Authentique - Suave, Classique
Creative Embellishments Chipboard - Flourish set # 14
Lindy's Stampgang Starburst Spray - Tiffany-lou Blue, Frolic in The Forest Black
Lindy's Stampgang Glitz Spritz-Steel Shimmerz
Silks Acrylic Glazy - Pretty Peridot
Distress Ink - Black Soot
Swirlydoo's Kit Club - Shiny Bling
Cricut - Leaves, Flourish Clock, corner accent piece, #2.
Glitter Stickers - Black
Liquid Pearls

Instead of butterflies, I used these little corner like emblems from the Picturesque cart just to man it up a bit. It's a nice page dedicated to two brothers on a very special day indeed.

I hope you liked it, I'm glad you stopped by, now click on Emma's blog and go check her out and have some fun!

Oh, before I forget, my piece has gone live in the online mag Scrap n'Art.  Sadly if you don't have a subbie you won't be able to see it, but if you click my little toot button, it will take you to the mag just the same. I am very happy my layout is in this month.