CraftGossips.com chose my layout "Finding You" as Inspiration Du Jour!

Imagine my surprise when I received a note from Two Peas in A Bucket gallery asking if Craftgossips.com  could publish my Finding You layout. I had created it using Authentique for a Practical Scrappers Design Team assignment. I am honoured to be featured there and hope you'll all pop over for some crafty inspiration! There is always something new to learn there! Be sure to leave a comment too!

Thank you Craft Gossips.com! I am thrilled with your post! It's nice to be able to DO WHAT I LOVE!
Christa

It's Time! It's Here!

Well, tomorrow is the big day. NO, I am already married and I already had my kids..tomorrow is the BIG Scrapbooking Fundraiser for Encore Dance. Ann has been madly getting organized and administrating and I have been..running around in a circle squawking like a chicken! Really. She is the mastermind behind the great things in store for our attendees and in fact she is out there right now getting food and doing last minute things. I am grateful for all her hard work and I know we will have a super entertaining day tomorrow.

It will be the best fundraiser we have organized to-date with over $1500 in prizes and raffle items. We are serving a lovely lunch with the help of Sysco foods (thanks Brian), Sobeys and No Frills. The dinner, catered by Bon Choix in Kitchener, includes Lasagna, Caesar Salad, and garlic toast; not to mention gourmet cakes!We have a total of 42 paid attendees tomorrow who will go home with wonderful grab bags, full tummies and loads of creative projects!

We even had the local newspaper pop by and interview us earlier this week. Check out the article here. Here is the photo from the newspaper, I think we look divine!

So, if you haven't signed up..we have one or two spots left..be sure to check the blog for last minute information and fun news.

Looking forward to seeing you! You KNOW I'll be doing what I love!

Christa

It's On Page 55!!!

Wow! Several months ago Canadian Scrapbooker asked if they could publish one of my layouts in their Fall edition. In spite of the postal strike, my layout was received, photographed and the final copy received in my mailbox around the first of this month. Ann brought her copy down and insisted I autograph it (Such a loyal friend, she is). But in all seriousness, I am proud of my efforts and honoured to be amongst some other great scrappers in that edition.

Here is the layout they chose (and they gave it a full page in their CANVAS feature!)

Thanks to my dear friends at Two Scrapbook Friends for giving me the courage to submit, guru Sue Sykes for telling me to give them all I had, and for my BFF Ann for believing in me ALL THE  TIME.

On another exciting note, the Encore Dance Crop is going on this weekend in Elmira at the Curling Club we have been the recipients of so many wonderful prizes it was difficult to think of creative ways to give them all away! If you are planning to come out, we are looking forward to seeing you...if you haven't got a ticket..I ask you WHY NOT???  Check us out and hope to see you there!

Dow what you love (and as a wise friend said to me this weekend: Love what you do!)
Christa

Simple Stories and some Crop time!

This month I was fortunate to be given the Simple Stories Destinations line by my pals at Two Scrapbook Friends. I must say I ADORE this collection. Here are three layouts I made using this versatile line.

First (and my favourite!) is called EPCOT.

I printed the photos using Picasa and was able to get so many more pictures of my favourite places on a one page layout. I also used some twine and some hardware I had in my stash from Stampin Up! I fussy cut the airplane, cut some circles with my CM circle cutters (still a fav tool after 15 years!) and applied some vinyl letters from American Crafts.

Secondly was a layout featuring my son. We went to Discovery Cove this past May. The weather was hot and this attraction is like nothing I had ever seen before. My hubby and my daughter swam with the dolphins but Max and I were content to swim in the warm pool and play in the sand..(at least he played..I sat and read!)

I used the tiny words on one sheet of the patterned paper and cut them out to form a border after layering a slice of navy, yellow and the designed pattern on the left. I popped the largest sentiment up. A bit of stitching for my journalling and some ribbon.  The title is chipboard is Chipboard letters from Tim Holz. I painted them added crackle paint for some texture and glaze. I rubbed the dry letters with a bit of ink and VOLIA!

Lastly is a layout I did for my daughter's dance memory album. She and her BFF (and one of MY BFF's) went to Niagara Falls for a Dance Competition. After the awards, we went for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and then down to the falls for an up close view.

This layout included some more of that Stampin Up! hardware, and more American Crafts Vinly letters in a different font. I used cream thread against the black for my stitching, as well as some twine and charms.

 I also wanted to share my first layout for the My Sketch World of this term. I showed you a sneal peek but here is the finished layout! I used My Minds Eye Lime Twist and some funky enamel brads. The photo is by the incompareable Angela Smith Photography.

Last but not least I encourage you to pop over to Practical Scrappers and check out their feature today called Update Your Stash. My layout called I Love To See You Blossom is featured there in addition to lots of other great ways to use up the flowers in your stash.

Wow, such great things going on with all my scrappy friends! I hope you'll pop over to the links and let them know you were there!

Watch out too for the Back To School Online Crop beginning September 9th at the Two Scrapbook Friends forum as well as the month long ABC crop going on at My Sketch World..(more on those to come very soon!)

Til next time, keep doing what YOU love to do!
Christa

Two Scrapbook Friends: Friendzy Friday Tie Dye Paper

Recently I was cruising the blogs in my spare time (ha ha!) and I saw a great article by the scrappy rockstar, Becky Fleck.  I loved the look of the tie dye paper but thought I would try my own take on it. Here's a layout I made called EIGHT (BTW I took this picture just yesterday!)

I used:

3 different but complimentary colours of mist. Only the pink has glitter.

A large piece of paper (I didn't use cardstock but instead used paper I had a roll from an seamstress friend)

Some newspaper for misting this large piece of paper

Scissors for cutting if you need them



Here's how I did it:

1. I crumpled the paper up in a tight ball and sprayed the mists on the ball, turning as I needed to to cover the white surface of the paper. Don't be afraid to get close. Splatters are cool!

2.  I then spread it out a bit to be sure it looked like I wanted it too. If you need to add a final spritz now's the time to do it!

4. I then spread it out a bit more to dry. This speeds the drying considerably.

Once the paper is dry feel free to cut it or punch it or fold it into anything you want. I used my paper cutter to cut a mat and them punch colourful tiny butterflies for my layout.  Here's a close-up:

I think the mist captures my DD's funky cool age of Eight and the freezie idea too. I used the colored dots and jewels to bring out the colours in the mist. I also used a monotone white letters so I didn't detract from the colours but it also adds texture and makes the title POP.

I hope you'll try this technique and let me know what you come up with. Be sure to upload your layouts or cards in the TSF gallery too!

Keep doing what YOU love to do!

Christa