Sunday, July 31, 2011

Every Great Photo Shoot Needs ...


    Holy hot and humid! It's been a toasty week here in Montana! I'm trying to keep a good perspective on my lack of air conditioning by remembering what January will feel like. (June-uary = never-ending winter that extends well into June, or so it seems.) Summer evenings are gorgeous here, and they really do make it all worthwhile!

     It's been forever since I've posted, but things have been a tad bit crazy in my life, which creates a serious ebb in my creativity. My husband is once again on a job search, which makes our summer a bit ... stressful! I'm just grateful that we have all we need to make it through each day.

   I'm finally getting around to posting a layout I did earlier in the summer. I tend to be a portrait scrapbooker, which tends to make my pages a tad one-dimensional. What to do with all those less-than-stellar snaps where the kids just aren't cooperating? Scrap them, of course! Life is messy, and a little humor goes a long way, even in scrapbooking.



     I created this two-page layout with left-over shots we took earlier in the spring.  These were the Mother's Day rejects, but I decided they would make a fun layout with a little added satire.


     These photos make me chuckle, and the whole spread helps me count my blessings and remember what an amazing family I have whatever else life might bring.


Materials:
Paper: Paisley Petals Designer Paper (Stampin' Up), Very Vanilla Cardstock (Stampin' Up)
Tools: Top Note Die (Stampin' Up), French Doilie Edge Punch (Martha Stewart), Clock and Gears Mask (Tim Holtz)
Text: Tiny Type (Pink Paislee), Cricut (Storybook Cartridge)
Ink: Tea Dye Distress Ink (Tim Holtz), Old Olive (Stampin' Up), Glimmer Mist in Gold and Peach (Tattered Angels)
Embellishments: Pins (Maya Road), Flowers (Prima), Doilies (Winton), Journaling Tag (Webster's Pages), Misc. Number Stickers
Stamps: Elements of Style (Stampin' Up), Botanical Bliss (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Rare Beauty


     I've been saving this Prima paper up for something special, and this picture of my daughter Sophia was just perfect! Sophia is my artistic, dreamy kid who never fails to put things in ways I've never heard before. She's also super photogenic!


     I crammed this layout full of goodies: Tons of flowers, Gold embossing, butterflies, and artisan elements. I hope my daughter sees how much I love her every time she sees this layout. Isn't that what scrapping is all about; telling love stories with paper and ink?

Materials used:
Patterned paper: Prima
Ink: Distress Ink (Ranger) Tea Dye, Staz-on
Cherry Cobber and Basic Black Cardstock, Stampin' Up
Embossing Folder, Sizzix
Music Note Mask, Tim Holtz
Rub-on, K & Company
Grungeboard Flourish, Tim Holtz
Cameo Sticker, Prima
Flower Swag, Prima
Acetate butterflies, Melody Ross
Pink Paislee Artisan Elements
Black, red, and gold acrylic paint
Gold embossing powder, Hero Arts
Storybook Cricut Cartridge
Vintage sheet music