Sneak Peaks

I  just can't help myself!  I thought I'd give you a few sneak peaks of what I have coming up on Scrapbook News and Reviews!  Hope you enjoy them!

Srapbook News and Review!

I have some exciting news to share!  I am having 3 of my layouts published in Scrapbook News and Review!  This is an Ezine, and they have an awesome messageboard, a Faith- based Blog [which I personally think is AWESOME!] and tons and tons of inspiration!  My layouts will be in the August edition that is being published on the 30th, if I am right, and this is a first for me!!


Can it get any better than that? Well...... YES IT CAN!!!! They have also asked me to be a Featured Artist on their front page and I will be debuting with a totally brand new layout AND a tutorial of an embellishment you have not seen before!  Something totally new, but super easy to do!  The date for this wonderful event is Sept 15/10, and I hope you all will take a look!  I will be putting it on my blog when I get the "OK" and you will be able to find it here too, at some point in the near future!


Woo Hoo!  I am super excited!!

ATC's!

I was involved in my first ATC Swap over at Love is in the Details! For those of you who don't know what ATC stands for, it stand for Artist Trading Card.  They are super fun to make, and pretty quick too!  Our theme was Butterflies, and our Hostess was Beverly T,  and she did a great job of explaining the whole thing to us newbies!

I used lots of Maya Mist, Tim Holtz stamps, Distress Inks, Distress embossing powder, and clear embossing powder.  For my first ones, I think they turned out pretty good!  I need to work on my stamping skills, as I haven't done alot of that.  Thanks for looking!

Guest Designer at My Little Sketch Book!!

This is my 2/3 time as a Guest Designer over at My little Sketch Book. Here is the amazing sketch that she sent me, as well as 2 others, to work with. Liz knows my preference is to work with single photos on a layout, but this time I thought I'd surprise her and use 2!  I loved the fact that the sketch has lots of layer of papers.  I knew what photos I wanted to use, as my sister took family photos of us at our son's High School Graduation at the end of June.

Here is what I came up with!

Smooch!

I used my Summer Serenity kit from Swirlydoos.  I thought it had a good combo of feminine/masculine  papers, and, because I just love Basic Grey!

Here is something I hadn't tried before!  On the photo on the left, I folded back the corner on the right edge of the paper without making a crease and secured it with a brad.  I then added the rose pin w/lace and some paper leaves peeking out from underneath. 

I made my twisted camelot doop flowers, minus the mini rose for the middle.  Instead I used the buttons that came with the kit, and spritzed the flowers with Shimmers Spritz Vibez in Red-y or Not, then Stickled the edges.

I rolled the bottom edge of this strip of paper, showing the reverse side of the pattern paper.  The Thickers letters came with the kit as well, but they were white.  I spritzed them with the Shimmerz Vibez Red-y or Not Spritz, giving them the pink speckled shimmery effect.

Just a different angle on the flowers, The rub on that reads, "Love is what makes the ride worthwhile".  I used my MS butterfly punch and some Prima 'Say it in Pearls' from my stash.


Thank you so much for coming to visit me, and please, leave a comment! I love hearing from you!  Don't forget to check out Heather and Lisa's  interpretation of Liz's sketch over at My little Sketch Book , and leave them some love too! Liz, thank you for another opportunity to share my work with you!

Tutorial- Twisted Camelot flowers

This is my version of the Camelot Doop tutorial I found on Youtube by Jadedstudios.  

Here is the list of supplies I use:
distress ink
blending tool
crafting tweezers
heat tool 
adheasive
water
any kind of shimmering spray
small retro punch for mini rose
2 -5 petal flowers at size of your preference. I used my cricut/gypsy, cartridge Wandering gypsy
2.44 in/width, 2.38 in/hieght
1-5 petal flower approx one inch smaller than the 2 larger. I used the same flower at 1.48 in/width, 1.44 in/height.
5 small retro flowers for the mini rose for center

I like to ink all the edges first with distress ink with my blending tool, and on the 5 retro flowers I do the backs as well.

I then spritz with water and the ink bleeds, giving it a soft blended look. Then blot of excess water.

Next, take your tweezers and twist each petal in the same direction.

It should look something like this.

Here comes my little twist that makes them abit different.  With both hands I use 2 fingers and push the flower towards the center and give it a little twist. If the petals tear a bit, its not a problem as you don't see it anyways.

Then it looks like this!  Now take your heat tool and dry it.

Do this to all three flowers.

I then make the mini rose, following which ever tutorial you choose, or using a Primi mini rose, inked, and remove the leaves.

I then spritz them all with a Shimmer mist.  On this flower I used Smooch Spritz in Spun Sugar. Dry with your heat tool.

I then assemble, alternating the petals and glue down with either Zip Dry adhesive or the glue gun.  This is the finished product!

Layout of the week!

Today is another exciting day for me! My layout Embrace was chosen Layout of the week over at Swirlydoos! This is such an honor as the talent there is amazing, and there is LOTS of it! Thank you all for all the love you give! It is very much appreciated! You all ROCK!

Embrace your inner beauty

I got my July kit from Swirlydoos called Summer Serenity, and is it ever a beauty! I was waiting for just the right papers for this special photo I had of my sister who is a budding photographer.  She took this photo herself!  She specializes in boudoir photography , but does do some other styles.

The papers that came with the kit were by Basic Grey, called Capella, as well as some Anna Griffins.  The sketch we had to follow was by Beggahuna, and was one I had already used on my 'Sisters' layout.  I did lots of different kinds of distressing on this layout.  I ink distressed, water distressed and used my Tim Holtz distresser as well!  I love distressing!  

I used some Maya Mist in Avocado Metallic and misted in the upper left hand corner of the layout. I also 'ruffle cut' the lighter back ground paper as shown by Gabrielle P . For the main part of the title I brushed some Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick on the white Thickers letters.

Here i rolled up the ends of the strips of paper and glued them down at different hieghts, I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch to make the small butterflies out of the paper that came with the kit, and a MS butterfly border punch for the matting of the photo.  I inked the edges and then coated them with Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  I placed pearls around the circle.

I made all the flowers, minus the tiny white ribbon flowers that came with the kit.  The lace flower I amde with some lace I found at my MIL's and I spritzed it with a brownish Smooch Spritz, and also tucked a piece in behind the corner of the black pattern paper.  The other flowers I made with the pattern paper from the kit and used my own version of the Prima Camlot flowers based off a Youtube tutorial by JadedStudios.  I have my own special little twist, literally, that I do, and will make up a tutorial of my own to show you!


I took my Cuttlebug out of the cupboard and used a script embossing folder on the pink strip  of paper.

I used a Prima crystal/pearl flourish that went perfectly with the colors in the papers, and the word Imagine was a rub on that came in the kit as well.  Thank you for taking a peek, and keep a look out for my flower tutorial that I will be making! Please feel free to comment!