"To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment" (Mansfield Park)

Spring is officially in the air (although today happens to be a bit windy and cold)... But as soon as I feel that warm breeze I can't think of stamping wintery images any more. SOOOO, I HAD to crack out the Springtime Whiff of Joy images in honor of the new season...

 I used this week's sketch over at the Whiff of Joy challenge blog to combine thePrima Madeline papers shown here. And of course, I colored the image with copics (Skin: E000, E00, E11; Dress: T0, T6, R49, R29, R27, B26, BG0000; Hair: E50, E53, E31, E33, E23, E25). Thanks for looking!

"Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim." (Northanger Abbey)

Hello there blogland! :) Just checking in with a Webster's Pages and Dusty Attic influenced project I was playing around with after having taken my daughter and niece to XSRE for a little girlie time this past summer. The girls had a BLAST playing with the hats, accessories, and trinkets, and I had a mini photo shoot in honor of all the fun! :)
 
This page was designed with lots of glitz and glam in mind... the gorgeous Candy Party papers just BEGGED to be layered and laced up... I added a skirt to the wire form's skirt on the paper and then had to add a skirt to the mini wire form chippie from Dusty Attic as well...

THEN I used the water distressing technique to create the rolled peek-a-book look shown here, laced up with some pink ribbon and embellished with Dusty Attic's Lacing Tash chipboard pieces. Those were glitzed up with Glimmer Glam in gold and pearl accents were added using Viva Decor pens in cream. 

The pearls on the bottom were the final finishing touch to add some MORE girlieness to the page (as if it were missing some femininity!) Because of the fun distressing done here, I thought it might be appropriate to submit for the Southern Girls Challenge (So Distressed). Thanks for looking and happy scrapping!

 

Wonder and Awe

I can't believe how LITTLE snow we've had this winter... does it sound like I'm complaining about it? Cause I'm definitely NOT... Ok, maybe a little. I could use a snow day ANY day now! :)

Other than the freak snow storm in October, we had ONE other day where there was enough accumulation to let Elijah at least get the feel of snow for the first time... and he was FULL of wonder... He loved it the whole fifteen minutes that I left him outside to play. Then his nose started to run and it was a wrap...

For this layout, I used the flip photo cases from Close to My Heart to allow me to include more pictures without cluttering the page. I even made space for journaling underneath the flipped photos which was kind of a foreign concept these days!

"Let's Hear it for the Boys"!!!

I don't know about you, but I find it SO hard to tailor my "foofy," girly, shabby shic style into masculine projects. Even my most masculine layouts HAVE to have a flower of some sorts or at least a piece of ribbon! :) But when I saw the Bo Bunny Cambridge Line of papers, I knew I HAD to play with it for my boy stuff... Or Harry Potter themed items! :)

In addition to wanting to create some masculine "fall back" cards, I have ALWAYS struggled with packaging cards for gifts. I love making a handful of cards as Christmas or Thank You gifts, and putting them in attractive boxes or the sorts is always an interesting struggle...

Thus my next card class at Scrap A Doodle Doo! :) We will be making a set of five masculine themed birthday cards for "him" and packing them up in gorgeous clear boxes that will (of COURSE!) be embellished along with the theme.

The sneek peek probably doesn't do the cards justice so I'll definitely post individual pics after the class has concluded, but I got busy with my spellbinders dies and some crackle paint/accents (as always!)... :) And I FINALLY cracked out the bakers twine that I HAD to have when it was released and then did NOTHING with until now! :) 

And these cards definitely ALREADY came in handy since I had not one but TWO masculine birthdays to celebrate just this weekend... Thanks for checkin' out my sneek peek and have a crafty day! :)

"Without music, life would be blank to me" (Emma)

Though I'm definitely NOT the queen of the double paged layout, I knew I'd have to attempt one as soon as I dug out my pictures from our recent trip to see Wicked with this year's students. The show was, needless to say, amazing, and both Melanie and I have been walking around the house singing "Defying Gravity," "Loathing," and "Popular" at random moments throughout the day! :)

To make this layout happen, I was blessed with a Wicked title strip as a gift from one of the scrappers at this weekend's Scrap A Doodle Doo crop, and I took my inspiration from there.

Coupled with this week's sketch from Creative Scrappers, and viola, I had LOADS of fun... :)

I used the Cricut Craft Room software to make the cool circle thingy with witch that appears on both pages and I even made an extra or two for some scrappy friends who peeped the embellie while I was makin' it! :) Have I mentioned that I love being able to weld? I have NOT yet gotten the gypsy I've been drooling over, but the Craft Room is so easy to use (and free!!) so although I'm still lusting over one, I think I can hold off for a little longer...

And there you have it... I totally had fun reliving the play while I scrapped it... I listened to the soundtrack to get into the groove and I just kinda visualized what it must've been like when Joey McIntyre and Idina Menzel played Fiero and Elpheba... Wow. The play was absolutely worth the wait though, and I'd go back any day! :)

Welcome February!!

With the LACK of snow falling in Northern NJ, I'm getting a little antsy... :) I mean, it's OK if the harsh weather chooses to pass us by this season, but I'm just getting worried that we're going to get something HUGE in recompense for the beautiful mild weather we're experiencing... Way to try to be the weather man, I know...

WELL, in response to all this gorgeous weather, I have had a hard time making cozy "warmth" inspiring layouts and had to instead resort to playing with flowers! :) SOOOO... I gave a quick flower making class at the last Scrap-A-Doodle Doo crop and am going to be giving this class again on February 7th for people who were unable to get a spot in the class or who couldn't attend the crop... The layout featured five different flower making techniques and I am LOVING my Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, as most of the pieces are cut from that cart...

I used Graphic 45 papers (Springtime and Steampunk Debutante) and Bazzil Cardstock to make this simple layout, but the fun part was making the flowers... AND playing with Cricut Craft Room to weld the titles! :) I think I love that software...

I'll be back later on today to show some layouts I played with at the crop... Oh no, and I just realized I have to somehow sneak into Melanie's dance school to take a picture of the mirror I made her teacher that I forgot to photograph before giving it away... Geez... Where are my priorities? :) Have a great day!!!