This must be my lucky weekend!

 No, I didn't win the lottery. Its even better. Ok, I guess that depends on what you value!  I'm very happy with what I DID win! I became a blog follower  of the velvet lemon, who's creator is Norine, a great scrappy friend of mine from Love Is in The Details.  She had this thing going on that if you became a blog follower she would put your name in a draw to win a prize!  Guess What?? I won!!! [doing the dance of joy]  It's been ages since I've won anything!  Can't wait to see what Norine sent me!  Thanks again Norine!


The goodness doesn't stop there.  I opened my email last night and found out that I won a 1 year subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine!  This is soooo exciting! This is an online magazine which I am sure is awesome, I know some great artists that have had alot of work published there and are on the creative team.


For me, this is better than winning the Lottery!

Timeless Beauty

These papers by Glitz Vintage and g.d.c Studios where crying out for this photo of my Mom, and I would have to say that the photo was crying out for those papers!  They go together like milk and cookies, cheese and crackers, and love and marriage!  Now that I have more scrappy experience I felt I could do this photo the justice it deserves! Also, this layout is done based on a sketch by Amarilys "Flying Unicorn."  Thanks so much for making such wonderful sketches, Amarilys!

Once again I used one of my favorite scrappy tool, my Cricuit/Gypsy !  I cut out the large circle and scalloped frame, leaves and petals for the flowers out of pattern paper. I cut the hinges, key and part of the title out of Grunge paper and inked it with Distress Ink and did a bit of Distress emobossing as well, to help make them look old.

I made the 3 large flowers with a flower tutorial  by Lisa Gregory over at Swirlydoos.  I put my own spin on these flowers, using a 5 petal flower I cut out with my Cricut, inked and misted.  I used my Retro flower punch for the small white flowers.

I used my Martha Stewart Lace Doily edge punch. I sure love that punch!

I used a water distressing technique on the outer edges of my background paper [ I used this technique on my From this Day Forward layout] I also inked and distressed the edges.  The clock is a laser cut chipboard clock made by Dusty Attic.  Check out their website!  They have amazing diecut's that are so intricate, its almost unbelievable!   I inked the clock with distress inks, used Rock Candy Distress Paint and then used a bit of Patina Stickles on it.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and checking out my latest layout! Be Blessed!

How sweet!

I just received another "Sweet Blogger Award" from Archiving Angel! Thank you SO much!!

And now to share it with 10 other bloggers! Whom shall I choose?? You are all So wonderful!

1.Melissa @ Scrapz N Stuff

2.Scrappergirl @ Velvet Lemon

3. Craftysprinkles @ For Scrapping out Loud

4. Lisa aka Raining @ Living in Color

5. LG @ My Scrapbook World

6. Liz @ My Little Sketch Book

7. Lisa @  What a Beautiful Mess

8. LaBonita @  Scraps of my Life

9. Tara Orr @ Each Moment, Only Once

10. Janis @ The Reluctant Scrapper

There you go! Enjoy your award, girls!!!

Sweet Connections - Swirlydoos Butterfly Whispers Kit

This spring we had to clean out my in laws apartment, as mom was joining dad at Salem, which is a home for Seniors.  It was a bittersweet moment, closing another chapter of their lives, but also an exciting time, as mom was getting "reunited" with dad. She was quite excited about that part! Next month, on July 10, she will be celebrating her 90th birthday!  I found this picture of mom and Cassidy, one of my Great niece's, and  just knew I had to scrap it!  I just loved it!  Cassidy's mom took this photo.

This particular design was inspired by Lost Coast Scrapper and her layout called 'A forever Love'.  To make the hearts, I used my Cricut/Gypsy and cut them out of Grunge Paper. It was my first time using it.  One thing I learned is that it takes a LONG time to dry when it has been inked! I had to make a number of copies of the photo!! OOPS!  I used some more of the papers that came in my Butterfly Whispers kit from Swirlydoos.  I love those papers!  I love butterflies!

I used my cricut/gypsy to cut out the branches, and I layered them with ink and then with Rock Candy Distress Paint.  I love the effect it gives, plus it also strengthens the paper they are made from. I sprayed the pink Prima flowers with a clear Smooch spritz for shine and inked the other ones with a bit of distress ink.

I layered distress ink on the tag and then used a mini mask by Tim Holtz and masked it with Vintage Photo. I printed the journaling of the computer and embellished the tag with a tiny Prima rose and little pearl flourish.

I distressed the papers with my TH distress tool, and inks {love them!!}  The butterflies came from Lisa over at Swirlydoos and I fussy cut them and inked and coated them with Rock Candy Distress Stickles. I used pearl flourishes for the butterfly trails.

For the title, I used some Doodlebug letters from my stash and inked them with Vintage Photo just so they weren't really bright and blended in better with the other blue in the papers.

Thank you for looking and I hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed making them!

LIITD'S Summer Cruise Crop!

June 12 was the big day for the Cruise Crop that Lori from Love is in the Details put on for us! What an awesome day!  The food was to die for, the decorations adorable, and the demo's were lots of fun!  LIITD also had an online crop happening that weekend for the ladies who couldn't make the cruise.  The creative team put alot of work into the cruise crop and some special members worked hard making challenges for the online crop as well.  We had some challenges to do at on the cruise that the online girls where doing too. Here is the one I did for those challenges[yes I mean one. I'm a slow scrapper!]


                                                                      SHINE

This was for Melissa's Sketchy Sail Challenge.  I had is neat photo of Jerica with her head sticking out the window while riding the Gondola at Banff Canada.  I used some Mama-Razzi pattern papers by Bo-Bunny, and Kraft cardstock as my base.

I did alot of inking and distressing on the edges of the papers, and I did some masking and spritzed the layout with Smooch Spritz in Spun Sugar. I inked the chipboard butterfly and then used Diamond Glaze. 

I painted the brackets with Distress Crackle paint, and inked the edges once it was dry.

I inked the tag with TH Distress in in Tumbled Glass and then used a mini mask with Vintage Photo. I used my Cricut/Gypsy to cut out the word 'shine', inked it black and then heat embossed it with sparkle embossing powder.  I then added some chipboard hearts that I had inked and then used Rock Candy Distress Stickle on.

I used Tumble Glass Distress Ink on the Prima flowers, and added a cute rub-on to the photo. Thanks for looking!

Guest Designer at My Little Sketch Book!!

This is a first for me and VERY exciting! I was the Primary GD this week, and will be a secondary GD on two other occasions later this year. I've worked with Liz Qualman's sketches when she was designing for My Creative Scrapbook, and always found them a great inspiration, and they continue to be so!  Here is the sketch that she sent me to work with over at My Little Sketch Book.

Here is my interpretation of her sketch:

 This is my great niece Nila, [you've seen her before] and I thought the combination of this photo and Liz's sketch and the Basic Grey papers, Green at Heart were perfect for each other.

I used my Gypsy/Cricut to cut out the cupcake, title, and large scallop. I used some Distress Embossing powder by Ranger on the top of the cupcake as well as Stickles to give color and texture. Yummy chocolate icing!!

I used some Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels in the color Pashmina, in the upper right hand corner of the white cardstock.

Thanks for looking and sharing my excitment! Feel free to leave a comment!

Antebellum Beauty- June Kit from Swirlydoos~!

Oh how I love this months kit! I normally don't care for blue, but the light blue/brown combination is really growing on me!  I knew the photo I was going to use had to be in Sepia tone, and the papers cried out for a vintage feel.  I hadn't scrapped a photo of my Mom for a while and felt it was time, and this photo was the winner!   This layout is for the sketch challenge  made by the talented Begahunna! Let me introduce you to 

                                                            Modern Woman

 

Here are some close ups:

I used my Gypsy/Cricut to cut out the scalloped circle w/attached swirl, and leaves.

I used dimentional liquid pearls by Ranger to ad dots around the scalloped frame and one the swirl, and I used a white gel pen to add dots around the matting of the photo.  The paper flowers were from my stash, and are by Prima.