I Love To See You Smile

This weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to a Scrapbooking Retreat in Grand Bend, Ontario with my favourite LSS Two Scrapbook Friends. They run such a wonderful event and I was invited for the third time to host their second room. Sixty wonderful ladies joined me for an adventure filled weekend. We played Trashketball and Blindfolded Make Up Artist, and needless to say, hilarity ensued.

In addition the fun and games, I found some time to play along with the MY MIND'S EYE October sketch. It's great dual photo style and some frilly layers really inspired. I chose some favorite Lime Twist to highlight the colours in my new family photos by Angela Smith of Waterloo. Here's where this sketch took me:

I didn't include the second photo as it threw my proportions off a bit but added this large die and mounted it as the title.

I also wanted to make it a bit more masculine so ripped and rolled the edges of my three papers below. The effect of using three differing patterns had more impact for my design than the three matching papers in the MME sample. A cute banner also adds focus to the photo.

But what really caught my interest was the journalling around the outside of the photo. I am not a huge handwritten journaller but this really encourage me to get out my favorite black SMASH pen and add my feelings for Max.

I hope you'll head over and play along with My Mind's Eye, they have a new sketch every month! Until next time, keep doing what you love!

What's Up?

Just a little something to make you smile! I am still loving Simple Stories Say Cheese. I created this little card to brighten someones day!

The balloon stickers matched the  What's up 'card' cut from a 12x12 sheet of paper. Some washi from Queen & Co. and voila!

What's up in your scrappy room?
Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Scrapbooking the hard times and a Sketch at Two Scrapbook Friends

Good Morning! Today I wanted to share with you a sketch and layout I created at Two Scrapbook Friends blog.
As scrapbookers, we often create our pages to tell the happy stories; the memories on pages that share birthdays, or weddings or first days of school. With fall all around us, and feelings of nostalgia strong like the scent of good pumpkin pie, I decided to scrapbook some of life's more difficult moments. Especially for my daughter who feels things so strongly. I want her to remember how she has grown and how she has overcome all the changes in her life.
I designed this sketch as my jumping off point.


I used this selfie Adriane took and then edited it using a iPad app. She did a great job, eh?



The sewn circle really represents all the times in our life when we face challenges (some of them over and over).


I liked the visual impact of the title in cork too.


I hope you'll be inspired by this sketch and layout. Perhaps you will be inspired by the idea of scrapbooking the hard stuff?
Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Bo Nose..he really does.

Hello friends! For those of you have been readers here since the beginning this will be nothing new; for those of you are just finding Do What You Love, this will be an exciting surprise: I adore my dog. Yep! There it is. Not any mild adoration for me and the Bo-Bo. No way. This is a true love situation!

Of course when my Dolly took this really cute pic of Bo-Bo i knew I had to share my "Bo's Nose" love! Look at his big black nose! I love it!

SIMPLE STORIES Say Cheese line worked perfectly and brought the colouring in the photo. Thanks again to Two Scrapbook Friends for another inspiring line!
I layered a 'faux' dog tag over the circle to anchor my cluster.

My QUEEN & Co. washi tape anchors the photo/title combination too.  The large NOSE text is balanced and made more a focal point my the differing, finer text of "Bo".

I used a black pen and a journalling stamp to add a bit of text. Finally the cluster in the upper right balances out what could potentially, be a bottom heavy design. (there is a lot of black down there!)

Don't you love him? Isn't he the cutest dog ever (Joanne, I'm talking to you, ya know!) I hope you inspired to create something about your pet that you love.
Until next time, keep doing what you love.

Inspiration Elevator #18: Feeling Nostalgic

You may recall that the purpose of this challenge group is 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 view all of the challenges our new Inspiration Elevator Blog, here.

We are also pleased to welcome Denise Morrison and her stunning artistic style back to Inspiration Elevator. Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Lisa Spiegel . Here's what she had to say in her very own words: "October is my favorite month of the year. Hands down. The temperatures here in Southern California finally start to drop, we wear a light sweater, maybe even a little boot. We pull out the scarves and the jeggings and put away the capris and tank tops. Leaves begin to change and we prepare for Halloween! My whole house is decorated, from top to bottom, and it is no small feat. I even swap out my dishes and serving ware in preparation for Fall and Halloween and I love to just keep the festivities going all the way through the Thanksgiving and then holiday season. My house will not return to "normal" until January. So, Lisa, tell us, how does this relate to a scrapbooking challenge? Well, what I've found over the years is my scrapping even changes over the holidays. I layer more. Reach for the bling and really dig deep to embellish with meaningful objects. Journal my thoughts and stories and feelings. Fall just make me nostalgic. So here is the challenge. Create a layout that is nostalgic...the feeling should be evident from the title, the visible journaling and the embellishments you choose. Choose deliberately and with purpose to tell your nostalgic story. I can't wait to see how you interpret this challenge!"

Have I said how much I love this group? How the challenges really make me think and connect with my mojo? How much time I spend thinking about these challenges? It's an incredible process whose pressure really adds depth to my understanding of my own process and my capacity to create.

This challenge from Lisa began no differently. I thought I had an idea and as usual with IE challenges I like to let the concept percolate. This time I let it percolate while I basked in the sunshine of warm Florida. Then suddenly at Thanksgiving dinner my mojo took me in a whole new direction and here's the final result:

 

I used my iPhone to snap some photos during out fabulous dinner out at my Mom's trailer. The outside smells, fall leaves, the cooking turkey and being with my family at the close of the Camping season; all bring me back to my teen years when my parents owned Silver Birch Park, Bass Lake in the late 1980's. I met my husband there, and lived my most memorable teen moments there. It's so interesting that this family oriented event really brought out my feelings of those days long ago. Although we don't camp at all anymore, those memories of being out of doors for so much of my day remains some of my strongest ones.

I began with a Studio Calico template and a paint brush wash of Mr. Huey mists. I also added watercolour paints in matching colours.

I also added a colourful title cut with the Cameo. I like how the bright green brings out the green in the Harvest Lane by Simple Stories. While I certainly embraced the challenge an it's nostalgic feelings, I felt that any writing I wanted to add would only detract from the design. I did add the above text on the reverse of the layout to preserve the sentiments.

 I hope you will stop by and see what the  rest of the incredible Inspiration Elevator designers have created:

Lisa Spiegel
Laurel Seabrook

Joanne Burton

Jodi Wilton

Michelle Hernandez

Ann Jobes

Laura Whitaker

Lisa Moen
 Christa Uttley

Guest Designer Denise Morrison

I am so grateful to Lisa for this thought provoking challenge. It really is about growth through process. If you feel inspired to play along with our challenge this month, please share it using the linky tool on our Inspiration Elevator blog and/or our Inspiration Elevator Facebook page. We'd LOVE to see what you made!

Unitl next time, keep doing what you love.

Sharing the Magic with You.

My final design using Say Cheese by Simple Stories (thank you Two Scrapbook Friends for this great Design Team assignment), features Dolly and her second BFF Lauren at EPCOT in Disney World Florida in 2012.

How little they look! I printed the photos in Black and White so the colours blended better and layered and adhered strips and shapes as I picked them up. Can you believe it? I didn't lay it all out first and fiddle with it for hours like usual!

This circle provides a 'visual calm' for my title work and y little Mickey's (cut using the Cameo). I liked the idea of using the two different sticker fonts from the matching sticker sheets.

The little stickers add a sub text to the design and a visual barrier between the photos. I love it as much now as when I created it in under and hour! Do you do that? What's your process?

Until next time, keep doing what you love!

I am Stuck?! on this Exciting News!

I am so excited to share with you exciting news! Stuck?! Sketches has invited me to be a part of their design team! This is an amazing sketch blog with two great inspiring sketches every month. Not only are these sketches a great place to jump start your creativity, they offer an INTERNATIONAL design team and amazing prizes every month. Check out the October 1 sketch!

You may recall that I played along with this cute little design last week.

The prize for this month is three packages of flair from A Piece of Cake Designs in Australia!

I hope you will join us at Stuck Sketches on the 1st and the 15th of every month! Stop by and say hello! (P.S. Please stop by my BFF Ann Jobes blog and congratulate her too!)

Until next time keep doing what you love!

Goldilocks

Sometimes I send these super long emails to Carolyn and Joanne at Two Scrapbook Friends and ask if they can order me 5 or six new lines. New paper really inspires me to scrapbook and they are happy to oblige when they can! This time Carolyn called and said they had a line I was looking for in stock already and that they would like it if I would take it on as my newest DT project! I was thrilled to pop round and pick up Penelope by Elle's Studio. (thanks ladies!)

My first layout features this picture of my dolly and her long blonde tresses. Aptly, I named this page Goldilocks.

The background comes with the clusters of hearts already on them So using a second sheet I fussy cut them out and added a few pop dots. The effect adds some dimension and with a cute pink button, the whole effect is awesome.

I also added a little tab from the extras pack  and this sentiment is so true!

Finally, I layered some little bits from the extras pack and other pieces of patterned paper underneath. Some stitching and more hearts...(I love this photo of her hair..something I'll remember forever!)

I hope you are getting some time to create something beautiful today. Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Be Goofy

I discovered these super cute pictures from 2009. They star my darling Dolly (Adriane) and her good friend Sarah (My Bff's daughter!) while we visited in Downtown Disney. Thanks to the Say Cheese line from Simple Stories (and Two Scrapbook Friends for this Design Assignment!)

I love the happy feel for these smaller photos and the large banner pieces showcase the photos and bring colour to the design.

The little video finder sticker is backed with a trasnparency (I love this!) and mounted on photo squares for depth.

My title is cut using the Cameo and I used a black pen to doodle little dots so it didn't look so white. The little Mickey Mouse heads are super cute and act as my hidden Mickeys!

I used my old Dymo labeller to journal and add so retro feel to the design. Overall I love this design of tow of my favourite Goofy girls! Until next time, keep doing what you love!

Be in LOVE with your LIFE

This month, I used Say Cheese from Simple Stories as my Design Team Assignment from Two Scrapbook Friends. It really worked to inspire and get my mojo flowing. The palette of this was perfect for so many layout ideas and while I did scrapbook a few Disney designs, I was also inspired by my fellow Design Team member Shelby to create this design of me! For our September Craft Challenge she challenged us to scrapbook about ourselves. (You should join us for October's challenge by Jayne. It's a gorgeous colour challenge!)

I began with some splattered paint in palette colours and a photo my BFF took of me at a party. he layers of colour, a chevron sticker and some stitching add some visual interest.

Those stitched parts were actually printed on the patterned piece and I just went over them with the sewing machine. Simple Stories is an amazing company..so intelligent about Scrappers needs. The title is designed using red stickers from the matching sticker sheet and a script font cut with the Cameo in SNF Lollihop.

I used a journalling stamp and a black marker to HAND WRITE my journallig. Yes. I know. You can't believe it. But there it is for posterity! I hope you are inspired and keep doing what you love!

Love That Lasts

Yesterday I received some teaser pictures from our family photographer Angela Smith of Waterloo. It is always like Christmas when they appear in my email and it immediately gets my mojo going. This photo of Rich and I makes me so happy.  After 26 years as a couple it really shows that we are still in love. (Isn't Angela a magical person?)

In addition to a great set of pictures, I discovered a great sketch at Stuck?! sketches. I decided to play along and I created this cleanly simple design (using some donated DCVW paper and last fall's Simple Stories line).

These papers really brought out the orange in my sweater and the fall colours of the leaves. I loved the brown and blue combination too (Thanks to Jayne at TSF for a great colour challenge combo!).

The little tabs are pulled from several old sticker sheets in these matching shades.

Finally my title is SNF Lollihop and cut with my Cameo. It really speaks to how I feel about my marriage. Thanks especially to my hubby Rich, who loves me unconditionally and noticed something special about my photo right away!

Until next time, keep doing what you love to do!

Favourite Spot

Most of you who know me know I love Disney. (Perhaps with the passion of 10,000 fiery suns!) Oddly, I never scrapbook my vacations there and most specifically myself while on those vacations.
When I received Say Cheese by SIMPLE STORIES as my Design Team assignment from Two Scrapbook Friends, I dug out my favourite Disney pics and began scrapping.

This design features a picture of ME standing on the corner of a well known street in Hollywood Studios Disney World  in Florida. In the back ground you can see the palm trees and The Tower of Terror (which I do not ride!) What I love about this spot is the vintage Hollywood feel and all shops and that it leads to my favourite ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith, Every time I stand here it gives me a little happy feeling and I certainly wanted to capture that feeling.

This line does a lot of the work and the colour palette is perfect for Disney (As well as other photos) and I chose a star piece of patterned paper to reflect the Hollywood feel. I also used a circle template and traced a circle on the white background and sewed over it in black. I added the little stickers around the circle to create flow and draw your eye to my photo.

 

The little bits of black washi anchor the focal point too.  Finally the little  sign/title came right from the HUGE selection of patterns available in this line.

 

I hope you are inspired to dig out your Walt Disney photos and get scrapping! Until Next time keep doing what you love to do!