Me and Daddy Fishin'

Another two page layout done! Whew! This one was super fun! Lots of dimension and textures! Daddy and his little man are out on an adventure - although Daddy is very disappointed with his results! But did you notice, these two are not alone? Poor Mr. Bear is lurking in the bushes hoping to do a little fishing of his own. Mr. Squirrel is also out for a day of fun on the little fishing dock next to the bait shop!

The intricate paper piecing of father and son was inspired by a digital image created by Karen Johnson of Karen's Doodles. She creates such adorable images you should sooo check her out HERE. The cute bobber charms, pine cone charm, and can of worms is another fantastic creation by Bridget at Tweety Petie's. Her embellies just give the perfect finishing touch to my designs.

If you would like to see more detailed pictures of this two page layout, it is for sale on Ebay HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

My Addiction

Some of you know I am redesigning my design studio. I needed way more counter space since I tend to spread out a lot as I create. So my wonderful husband is putting in pretty counters for me and a few cabinets. My job - to move things around and make room for the new addition. So all of my paper storage needed to be transferred from one wall to another. Which brings us to (one of) my addiction(s) - paper! There it is - I said it! The skeleton in my closet - lol!

There is just something about the smell and feel of new pretty paper. Taking a stack and flipping through the pad to see all the mesmerizing designs just waiting for you to put in your cart. Glittered, flocked, and embossed - I just melt! So in it goes and home it comes - to the paper shelf. Arranged by company, color, and theme. My true heaven!

So enjoy these pictures of my addiction....admitting you have a problem is the first step....right?

Baby Girl Frames

Don't you just love pink and white? Something about it is so fresh and calming - a perfect color palette for newborn babes. My mom asked me to create two baby girl frames and I just couldn't resist using these gorgeous papers from Melissa Frances! After much pulling and arranging, I decided to use papers from her "Girly Girl" kit and stickers from her vintage baby girl collection.

The wooden frame has been painted with a soft pink undercoat and distressed to give it that aged crackle feel. It really is quite a cinch - the hardest part is waiting for it to dry :o) I then dug out my vintage buttons, baubles, glitter, and lace to add the final touches. Two drilled holes allow the pretty pink ribbon hanger to peep through.

I really enjoy making these frames - sort of a different creative avenue than cards and layouts. Hopefully their soon to be owners will enjoy them too!

Hope you're enjoying you Sunday! Thanks for stopping in today!

Frame One

Vintage embellies - buttons; silk appliques; crystal bead; glass glitter; book paper; seam tape.
Other - MF sticker; butterfly punch; hat pin

Corner of Frame One

Frame Two

Love this paper doll paper by Melissa Frances

The Great Outdoors

Have you ever seen the movie "The Great Outdoors" with John Candy? It is one of my favorite summer movies! There is a scene in this film where raccoons tear apart the trash each night and make a total mess. The coons talk to each other through subtitles talking about their mischief while giggling in the dark. This layout was inspired (somewhat) by these little critters.....although this squirrel and skunk are much cuter and not focused on mass destruction!

There are so many different inspirations and elements that have gone into this layout - I just don't know where to begin! The little girl in the sleeping bag snuggling with her trusty pup were inspired by a digital image by Mo Manning. You may have seen other paper piecings I have created using Mo's images. She is just a fantastic artist and really captures the essence of childhood through her images! I am very grateful that she has given me permission to use her designs in my own creations. You can see her images here at Mo's Digital Pencil Shop.

During the night, Bella and Bronte hear faint noises in their camp. Bella shines her flashlight trying to catch a glimpse of the troublemakers. On the second page, the intruders roast their marshmallows over a bright campfire. They have already made a complete platter of smores to take back to their friends. The smore platter and charm were created by Bridget at Tweety Petie Designs. This gal is incredibly talented in making miniatures out of clay. You must go check out her work!

I added a lot of greenery and flowers to this layout to give dimension. Cosmo Cricket's "Mr. Campy" paper was used throughout the majority of the layout. I just loved the blues, reds, and browns of this paper. Wonderfully earthy and well coordinated.

Not many vintage touches to this layout like my others....but I really had a blast with it!

If you want to see more pictures - or add it to your own collection, it is for sale this week on Ebay. You can view the listing here.

Thanks for bopping in today!

Shabby Chic for Moxie Fab

So did you see that Moxie Fab World is having a Shabby Chic and Vintage themed card contest to go along with their new Card Style magazine? I was so pumped! I just finished designing a few cards for my mother and thought I would enter one!

Come play along too - just click here. There are TONS of gorgeous entries already - so go get inspired! Entries are due by midnight on August 2nd.


Recipe for this card:
Crafty Secrets vintage image
Graphic 45 paper
Vintage lace; doily; buttons, pattern; music paper
Martha Stewart border punch

Thanks for looking!

The Whimsical Daffodil Fairy

So here is my next layout in my new flower fairy line - The Whimsical Daffodil Fairy. I think this has been one of my favorite layouts to design. Choosing the right papers may have taken me longer than the entire layout - lol! But I really love how it all came together. I used papers from Basic Grey, Die Cuts with a View, and American Crafts. I also used many layers of papers and greens to create texture and dimension.

For my vintage touch I added music paper from a local estate auction, vintage yellow buttons, and the vintage daffodil image. Oh and a pink floral applique to one of the tags!

This layout is for sale on Ebay where you can see many more detailed pictures!

I am not sure which flower fairy to design next - there are so many to choose from, my mind is spinning! Any thought or requests just add it to the comment area!

Thanks so much for stopping by! And Happy Monday!

Gelato!

Time for another challenge at The Pink Elephant! This week's challenge is to create a color themed layout! Ella wants you to use pink, green, and black throughout your design. So come on over and play!

For this design I used a combination of collections from the Shabby Princess. During our recent vacation to Las Vegas, we were met with a rainbow assortment of gelato and sorbet - litterally everywhere we turned!! Gelato is Italian ice cream that is super smooth and creamy. Soooo different from ice cream and in a variety of unique flavors. My mom and I (pictured in this lovely photo) were inundated with the myriad of flavors to choose from! My favorite = chocolate + coconut. And boy do I miss it! They even give you teeny tiny spoons to eat it with so you can savor every morsel.

Ciao!

English Rose Fairy

So I had an idea! (normally when I say this there is grunting from my husband) I just love flower fairies and thought - "Why don't I make a collection of layouts depicting the fragile world of garden fairies!" So here is my first creation - The Wild English Rose Fairy. I think she turned out pretty darn cute and was a delight to create!

I just loved layering her delicate rose petal skirt. I used a white petal but then lightly tinted the edges to give that "blushing bride" look. Her little house is an overturned watering can with vines of roses creeping up it's sides. I added many vintage baubles and bits to this layout - a little out of control compared to my normal layout style - lol!

This adorable flower charm was created by Bridget Aul from Tweety Petie Designs. She is a miniature artist and does AMAZING work. I had the pleasure of working with Bridget recently and just love seeing her creations. You can visit her blog here and her online store here. Be sure to check her out! You won't be disappointed!




For my next creation I think I will do a butter daisy or daffodil (something yellow).

You can see more pictures of this layout here.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for looking!

Ages...

Well I am finally back...well sort of.

After a much needed, relaxing vacation, I am back in the blogging world. My husband and I took some time and visited Las Vegas and Sedona, Arizona a week or so ago. We had such a splendid time. Vegas has really expanded since we were there ten years ago. There is so much more to do than I remembered. Thank goodness for that because a "gambler" I am NOT. After putting $20 in a cute little fish game and losing it in less than 10 minutes - well let's just say I was DONE in the casino. I was able to find an adorable scrapbook store in Vegas, though. It was chock full of papers that I have been admiring online, but couldn't find locally. I decided my $20 would go a lot farther in this store than in a slot machine.

From Vegas, we drove to Sedona and visited the Grand Canyon. Wow! I knew that this natural masterpiece was going to be vast, but it was much much more "grand" than I anticipated. It almost looked "fake" - like a canvas backdrop. Simply breathtaking.

So once we got home, my husband helped me plan my new scrap space. Well not really new - just updated! At the moment, my room is a little bit of a construction zone. I finally cleared an area to get started on a fairy layout that I sketched a while back. So today is the day to get back in the swing of things.

Here are a few pictures of my husband and I horsebackriding in Sedona.

Hugs!