Two Scrapbook Friends Designer Product Challenge: If Friendss Were Flowers

This month Two Scrapbook Friends gave their designers 5 items from the Pebbles Walnut Grove collection. We all got the same items but the designs were all so different.

I added bits and pieces of the kit in lots of places on my design. The reverse of this paper is the print side.

My favourite parts of design are the rub on quote "If friends are flowers, I'd pick you" from Daisy Bucket.

And the little banner of bits and pieces.

I hope you'll stop by the other designers from Two Scrapbook Friends and  see what they have created! (you can find their blogs in my side bar on the right.)

Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Youer Than You!

Today at Two Scrapbook Friends I have challenges our friends to be inspired by this Dr. Seuss-ical quote. It's a fav of mine and I used it to create the below design.

Using pale blue background paper I added some paint and a few strips of patterned paper. The white card has water coloured crayons smudged on for a rainbow effect.

My favourite part though is the multicoloured fonts to spell out my title and the quote.

I hope you will stop by the forum, play along, and maybe be a little inspired today!

I also want to share with you the winner of my little blog hop prize: Jayne Morgan!  Thanks to all who commented and were inspired!

Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Oh, My Word! Blog Hop: Connect

It's the beginning of a new year and, we hope, a fresh start to your creativity. The Design Team at Two Scrapbook Friends, plus some special friends, have been busy putting together some amazing paper crafting projects that are sure to kick start your new year of creativity. We challenged our designers and friends to choose a special word that captures what they would like to manifest in their lives in 2013.

To see all the great projects, begin the hop at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog and travel from blog to blog.  If you comment on each blog, you will qualify to be in a draw for a special prize from Two Scrapbook Friends! We hope you are inspired to choose a special word of your own to inspire you in 2013. Once you have completed the hop to all our designers blogs, leave a comment on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog. To receive an extra entry to win, send us an email of your own special word!

In addition, if you create a project representing your word and upload it to our Gallery (by February 28, 2012, 11:59 pm) we will award you 10 Forum Buttons! (See our Forum Button Policy here for more information.)

The hop will remain open from January 18th to January 21st at 11:59 pm (EST). Winners will be announced on January 22nd on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog. So, be sure to stop back at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog and check to see if you are the winner of a fabulous prize!

So remember, in order to be entered to win:
1. Leave a comment on all the blogs as you go and then go back to the Two Scrapbook Friends blog and leave a final comment there.
2. To have a second chance to win, send YOUR special word that inspires you in 2013 in an email to  2friends@execulink.com. Put "Blog Contest" in your subject line.
3. Create your own design based on your special word and upload it to our Gallery and Forum before February 28 at 11:58 pm, and receive 10 Forum Buttons towards gift certificates in the store!
4. Check back at the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog on January 22nd to see if you are the prize winner. (Winners will not be contacted personally.)

Be sure to stop by each of the following blogs and leave a comment!  Enjoy the Hop :)

Two Scrapbook Friends

Carolyn

Ann

Christa (you are here!)

Jan

Amanda

Lynn

Laureen

Jayne

Shelby

Joanne
Two Scrapbook Friends 

I always have a hard time choosing just ONE word to represent my vision for a WHOLE year, perhaps because I have so MANY things I'd like to focus on! For 2013, however, I found one single word came to me quite clearly: CONNECT.  It has so many implications in my life and in my desire to CONNECT with those around me in different ways. 

For our Blog hop at Two Scrapbook Friends, I chose to focus on the SCRAPBOOKING connotations this word has for me. Last year, my BFF Ann Jobes and I began a challenge group called Inspiration Elevator. It was just a group of like-minded artists looking to grow in their own personal journey of creativity through challenges. We contacted friends in the industry; designers who had blogs and wanted to challenge and be challenged.

Here is a design I made using photos of my IE friends for 2012/2013 (I used their FB photos). 

I began with Pebbles Walnut Grove background paper and added white splatters of paint. 

I arranged the photos in this format to represent that Ann and I began this joint adventure and matted each on white card stock. The large patterned chevrons are cut from Pebbles Walnut Grove too.

They represent movement and facing inwards show that I am trying to make a CONNECTION between the two pages of this double.

I also added Studio Calico wooden, boxes, hexagons and arrows which I coloured with ink, and stitched on.

I also thought I would hand stitch the title in hand writing to better illustrate the idea of CONNECT.

I was thrilled with how this turned out and I am so grateful for such wonderful ladies in my life to bolster my creativity and help me grow.

Now, off to Jan's blog and be further inspired! Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Inspiration Elevator #9: 2012 Top Ten

You may recall from last month's challenge that the purpose of this challenge group was to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow.  You can see last month's challenge on my blog here.
Since the start of a new year often prompts usto look back and ahead, we thought we would do the same creatively. This month we were challenged to look back over the last year and share with you some of the designs that reflect some growth or success in our process.

I hope you will take the time to see what my Inspiration Elevator team mates chose as they reflected on this challenge. 

Sue Sykes

Lisa Spiegel

Joanne Burton

Christa Uttley

Laura Whitaker

Audrey Yeager

Lisa Moen

Laurel Seabrook

Ann Jobes

Cathy Harper

Number 10: FEAR

This Inspiration Elevator design was a very hard-won design for me. It does represent what we do here in IE so it HAD to make the list, but I also love the textures and the colours. It came together in my head long before I got the paints out. Over all it was a very cathartic process for me.

Number 9 When Skies Are Grey (American Crafts)

 I love the vellum clouds and the rainbow ribbon. I was not a fan of vellum before this Design Team kit. It really made me create out of my comfort zone.

Number 8: Stop and Smell the Flowers (Basic Grey)

I used one of the sewing machine features to create those vines which I thought was a pretty GENIUS idea. It really was the beginning of my real love affair with my Singer Machine.

Number 7: Calendar Girl (Simple Stories)

 This design was created right near the beginning of 2012 and was the start of my new plan for a journey of self discovery. It represents the seeds of the IE concept that Ann and I developed early in the year.

Number 6: Dig Deep (Authentique)

 This continues to be one my most popular blog posts in 2012.  It was one of the first designs I created for a manufacturers online challenge. It represents the part of my 2012 plan for personal growth.

Number 5: It's A Blast (Authentique)

This crazy out of focus photo really brings back my Disney memories of fireworks. I love the embossed sanded circle and the Mickey made of buttons.It is second design ever using a Balzer template which has become an integral part of growing my art.

Number 4: Hello My Name is Bo 

Using a stencil and watercolours for the first time ever and a favourite photo of Bo got this one onto my favourites list for 2012. I also love the glass bead medium on the chipboard heart and the very first time I used watercolours with a template. Growth, baby!

Number 3: You're A Sweet Treat (My Mind's Eye)

I loved the layers the fussy cutting, the chevron cut border and the little stitches on the circle. This layout made the list because I really loved it and its trademark is that it came together so quickly.

 

 Number 2:  I {heart} You (My Mind's Eye)

I loved the barn board paint, pennants, the colour scheme, and the beautiful skin tones. This is my most looked at design at Two Peas in a Bucket gallery and lands itself in the number two spot as my favourite this year it came together so easily and it helped me really connect with the idea that I need great photos to create.

Number 1: Path Not Taken (Basic Grey)

More great stitching, crinkled papers and some in depth journalling all thanks to Inspiration Elevator.

I would love to hear about your top ten creations this year and will be sure to pop by your blog to say hello. Until next time, keep doing what you love.

IIG and True XOXO Blog Hop: January is COZY

Welcome to the If It's Groovy Birthday Blog Hop! As we celebrate the 4th birthday of IIG we welcome you to sit back, take some time and visit the blog hostesses as each has prepared calendar pages that we hope will inspire you to create your own. The True XOXO Chicks have been invited to play along. (check the end of the post for further details and info on a prize or two!)

When we were asked to play along with IIG we were asked to choose a month of the year and create about what it means to us.  I chose January..and not for the reasons you might think: this month there will be a lot of blogging and creating about resolutions and choosing a special "WORD". But, January around our place usually involves mountains of snow, frosty mornings and bitterly cold nights. I spend most of my time bundling up and un-bundling. So, it seemed only fitting that my creation is called :"COZY"

I wanted to share with you this beautiful photo of Adriane on Christmas Day bundled up in her new sweater and fluffy new blanket. The colours were soft and the light 'just perfectly cozy'.

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I began with a background from FABSCRAPS and added white acrylic paint and glass bead medium over top of the doily..

I also added scraps from my stash in this same palette and added some Studio Calico butterflies and Bo Bunny gems.

More doilies, ribbons, and lots of little bits from my stash. I really love the mono chromatic palette and how it makes the colours in the layout pop.

I hope you will stop by the other ladies in the hop and see what they have created to celebrate the year and IIG's birthday!

Here's the list of blogs and there are gorgeous projects to inspire you. There are also lots of prizes being offered along the way. In fact, if you leave me a comment here and become a new follower (or are one already) I will be giving away a little something to say "Thanks for stopping by". I will award the prize here on my blog on the 14th..so come back and see if it's you!

Representing January we have
Wendy
Christa
Representing February we have
Michelle
Michelle H
Representing March we have
Wendy
Miae
Representing April we have
Heather
Jaclyn
Representing May we have
Lindsey
Deborah

Representing June we have
Brenda
Khristen
Representing July we have
Jean
Tess
Representing August we have
Rochelle
Faye
Representing September we have
Kelly
Tiffany
Representing October we have
Kelly
Alaina
Representing November we have
Heather
Kimmy
Representing December we have
Deborah 

Queen Kat

Thanks for coming by and being inspired by us! Until next time, keep doing what you love.

Crazy Girl

Well, those of you who are regular readers will have heard me complain about my missing Mojo in the latter part of 2012. I am not sure where it went or why it left me *sniff sniff*, but gone it was. Lately though, I have been employing some of my old tricks to get it jump-started and up and running again at top speed (enough motor metaphors?) Okay.

I love to read my favourite blogs (see side bars left AND right) and even those super magazines we all have lying around, SCT, Canadian Scrapbooker, and Creating Keepsakes are just a few.  On a recent perusal through Scrapbook Cards Today (SCT) I discovered Serena Gedlaman. She has a great style and I just had to create something in this style. So here it is: (and thanks Serena and congrats on your SCT design! Be sure to pop by her blog and see her other great work!)

I added lots of rainbow coloured water colours and machine sewn yellow box around the layout. I love this Amy Tangerine line from American Crafts. 

The sun shape and and the litle pink hearts are Studio calico designs coloured with water colours.

A bit of twine in pink and some fussy cut clouds finish the design. I love the sparkle of a few random sequins. Such gorgeous colours and a great photo of my crazy girl.

Until next time, keep doing what you love.

Amazing How You Sparkle

Happy New Year!

The True XOXO blog challenged it's designers to use the IDEA of Fireworks as their inspiration for a design to ring in the New Year.

I loved the idea of creating FIREWORKS using paint and sparkle elements. I chose these 'modelling it up" photos of Adriane that I too while driving (yes, I am a terrible example). There were several more but these ones turned out the best (I mean who can hold their iPhone steady doing 100km/hr?)

I started by using modelling paste and my Balzer template to create a raised star burst pattern. Then added watercolours through the same template in matching colours all over the design.

 I added some wooden circles with sequins on them too.

Finally,  my title evolved and I used the Dymo labeller and some sparkly foil letters from Momenta.

I hope your New Year has been creative and filled with optimism. I hope you'll leave me a comment  and tell me a bit about your creative hopes for 2013! Until next time, keep doing what you love.