More from the Mega Challenge - En Francais

Um yeah, I'm not writing this blog post En Francias - but it's all about the Prima paper line En Francais collection!  This is part three of my projects created with this line - and I'm still not out of paper or inspiration.  It truly is a versatile collection.

Lost A Mitten

 

 

I used some gesso to create white space then stamped over the gesso with the script stamp from this collection. Some Tim Holtz tickets in the corner, and a combination of Prima alphas and Thickers for the title.  Sepia photos are particularly perfect for this line.

 Mr. Serious

  

 

I used a Prima mask on this layout with modeling paste and Pan Pastals to give texture to the feather in the corner.  I used another mask and tinted gesso with gelatoes and then painted with gelatoes for the bricks.  You see that folk - more BOY layouts, LOL and flowers on every single one of them too *grinz*

Projects from Prima's En Francais line

So the Mega Challenge has proven to be pretty big for even me.  Emma provided two members of her Design Team with 8 sheets each of patterned paper.  My collection is the En Francais line from Prima.

I still have heaps of it to get to, I think 8 sheets is a lot.  This line is great for boy photos, and if any of you watch my blog, you will know I tend to scrapbook my daughter way more than I do my son.  So, here is perfect opportunity for me to scrapbook The Boy!!  I love the rust browns and the greys and blues in this collection.

So here you go ... so far ... more to come, so stay tuned!

 

 

What's a little challenge amongst friends?

At Auntie Em's Scrapbooking we are all about the challenge.  So when Emma asked me to put together as many projects as I could out of 8 sheets of patterned paper I was all for the challenge.  What's even more challenging is the fact that she gave Sara (fellow Design Team member) 8 sheets of patterned paper too! *rubbing hands together* I love it!

I received the Prima line En Francais - filled with cool grey/blue, rusty brown and taupe ... very boy, but very French as well, and well ... I don't have anything French about me, unless you count the mean French toast that I make periodically on a Sunday for my family LOL!

I also have entered this into the Prima Marketing - Build-A-Page contest, each month they supply a sketch and you build a layout using Prima product based on, or inspired by the sketch.  Email it off to Prima and wait to see if you are featured on their blog or better yet, win a prize package!  I did this last month as well, and was featured on their blog!!

So ... here we go!  The sketch was this:Prima's BAP January 2013

 

And here is my entry!!

 

 

So, tell me what do you think?

 

 

Stretch a sketch

Stretching a one page sketch into a double is something I've been doing more frequently recently.  I have such a difficult time using multiple photos on a single page.  I think I like my photos too much and don't want to crop them so small that you don't see everything.  Emma provided the Design Team the Winter Fun collection from Carta Bella for this month's challenge.  The challenge portion of is to use the reverse negative from a die-cut title.  Typically we use the paper we cut *out* by a die cut machine - so, piecing together different papers underneath the negative can be a great way to add dimension and colour into your layout.

 

 

 

If you would like to see this layout in person please come to visit Auntie Em's Scrapbooking.  We would love for you to play along with the challenge simply bring your layout using products you have purchased at Auntie Em's based on this sketch to the store!

I would love to see your interpretation!

Making Christmas Memories

I love a paper line that can be both girl and boy all at the same time!  The Winter Fun collection from Carta Bella is just that.  And as mentioned in a previous blog post; I love the paper from Carta Bella, the texture is simply fantastic and it's THICK - which is great for distressing.  I recently had some photos taken of the kids by the ever talented Sue Belanger - if you are in the Cornwall area take a look at her work.  Not only does she make the most amazing jewelry I have seen, she also does children's photography. 

For this layout I kept the paper simple by using some simple circles and again with the peek-a-boo flowers and zipper pull, I love this look!  A Prima vine from - oh gosh I have no idea how long ago I bought that at Auntie Em's - years I would say.  And a bunch more Prima trinkets and flowers, Thickers for the title, and just look at the results!  You can purchase this Carta Bella collection at Auntie Em's.  Keep an eye on this and Auntie Em's blog for more projects using this line coming up January 1st.

 

 

Keep those comments coming, I love to read what you have to say!

Thank you for looking,

Auntie Em's September challenge - Hello Fall by Little Yellow Bicycle

One of the two favorite seasons in my home is fall (the other is spring) we love the warm "second summer" that you get in late September or early October, and love the pumpkins and the beautiful leaves turning colour. This month Emma challenged the Design Team to make their own titles, and while I typically will use my Cricut for something like that, I decided to use a cut out and hand write the remainder of my title. I don't do enough journaling on my pages. The sketch was very circular, and since this paper from Little Yellow Bicycle had the perfect pumpkin orange in it, I decided to make a pumpkin out of one of my circles.

I managed to squeeze out a second layout out of the leftover papers - this one was not based on the sketch. I entered it in the Newington fair and received a blue ribbon (that's 2nd place for us Canadians!) I was very pleased how this layout turned out.



If you would like to see either of these layouts or any of the others that you see on the blog in person they are all displaying proudly at Auntie Em's Scrapbooking in Cornwall.

You too can play along with this challenge, create a layout using product purchased at Auntie Em's based on the sketch from Scrapbook & Cards Today calendar (September) and your challenge is to make your own title! I can tell you that the prize from last month was amazing - over a $45 value!!! Who knows what Emma is going to give away this month, you still have two weeks to bring in your layout - you can't win if you don't play!

Auntie Em's Design Team - August project

August is here ... which means my daughter is going school in a month ... she is FOUR, when did she grow up that she is going to school?  Wow, the time sure flew by.  I'll be honest, it was right around July 7 or 8th that I went into a Walmart in the City and noticed they had their 'back to school' stuff all displayed where the Canadian flags were hanging out just the week before .... that's when it hit me .... my daughter is going to be going to school ... I too will be one of those shoppers prying the last pink, Hello Kitty pencil case out of the unsuspecting hands of some other mother who is trying to make her own daughter happy to be going back to school.  I have to buy her 'gym shoes', she doesn't have different shoes at home, heck sometimes she doesn't even wear shoes, she loves running in the grass and sandbox barefoot. 
OK, back to scrapbooking!  Emma provided the Design Team with the Prima Songbird collection.  I instantly had in mind some photos of a beautiful sunset in the backdrop of my daughter eating S'mores at a lakeside home.  We were visiting one of my Bestie's Mandy - she has a beautiful home on the lake and the kids were in heaven when she offered to put a fire in her chiminea so we could make S'mores!  The sketch I was working from has three photos, and you know me and my difficulty with multiple photos!  Well I took the opportunity to use different photos to create an extended look of the marshmallow on the stick and printed them in sepia while I kept the peaches and blues in the colour photo of my daughter eating her smores, perfect coupling for the colours in the paper line.  I turned the sketch on it's side as I liked the vertical lines in this paper rather than horizontal, I loved the birdy totem pole!

Let me know what you think!

Please visit the Auntie Em's blog to see what the other DT members have done with this paper line and the Page Map's August sketch.  You too can play along in this adventure - all you have to do is create a layout based on the August sketch ensuring you use either banners, flags or pendants.  I used mine in the title.  Your materials for the layout must have been purchased from Auntie Em's and you must bring your layout to Auntie Em's Scrapbooking before the end of the month.

~Lorena~

Altered Clock - before & after + a big piece of Copic news!

As most of you know I have just re-vamped my Craft room.  I am a big fan of clocks - in every room I have at least one.  I like to be able to see what time it is from anywhere in the house.... yes I even have a clock in the bathroom (it's probably my most important one actually)  I love the vintage roman numerals on a clock - I love the Westminster chime (I have two that chime Westminster but Hubby won't let me turn the chime on 'too noisy' LOL) and I love the gentle tick tick in the background - it reminds me I have a pulse.  Anyway, I had been looking for the perfect clock for my room - because the one on my vintage radio + the one on the phone + the one on my computer were not enough for me ... I needed something big on the wall, something that you can see anywhere in the room, and something vintagy.  So... after looking at Kijiji and not having much luck, I went to Winners/Home Sense and found a decent looking one. (for NINE bucks I might add).  It was, however, black with *silver* highlights or distressing, and made of plastic (isn't everything in our lives?)  I decided I was going to paint it ... so I covered the face up with painters tape and paper and took out a can of white spray paint and went to town on it - three days, three coats and no longer was it black it was this off shade of white - but the paint wasn't really adhering, it was not quite blistering, it was crackling!  Perfect!  I have so many scrapbooking products that I use to make things crackle and here my clock was doing it all on its own! Awesome!  After which I mixed up some acrylic paints (brown, white and yellow) to make a beige and put it into the grooves of the clock (Hubby calls that the 'dust' look) he may be right LOL!
Anyway - here are some before and after shots - please note that the before shot I had already covered up the face - sorry about that.

OK, maybe you can't see my beige distressing or the crackles - I'll try and get a better photo for you, maybe take the clock outside in the sunlight tomorrow.  Cheapy clock turned chic!

And for my other news - my big news - I am proud to say that I am now a part of the Copic Markers Scrapbooking Design Team!  You are going to love Copic Markers Scrapbooking site - they have many different digital stamps - including some freebies right now.  Every release of digital stamps they tend to put out a free stamp.  They also sell Copic markers on their site - at a very decent price I might add.  I'm stoked to be a part of this team, to be able to showcase my Copic colouring for a stamp company.  I'm excited to be part of the team.  Be sure to keep an eye on the Copic Markers Scrapbooking blog to see my colouring creations and each of the other DT members too!

Well that's it folks, as always I welcome your comments - actually I'm begging for them - let me know your thoughts!

November Page Maps Reviel

Here is my take on the Page Maps sketch for November for Auntie Em's Scrapbooking and Beading in Cornwall.  Emma gave us the totally amazing, fantastically desirable Et Cetera line to play with!  I was a pig in poop with this!  I love this line and was stoked to be working with it.  Also you will notice some Prima floral rosebud trim and Bo Bunny buttons from the Welcome Home collection - proof that you really can mix and match!  Be sure to check out Auntie Em's Scrapbooking blog HERE for more inspiration and an inspirational sale going on for the month of November at the store!

So Hungry I Could Eat My Socks

3 Cards:

Supply List:

Bo Bunny - Et Cetera collection: patterned paper, wraps, trinkets

Bo Bunny - Welcome Home collection: buttons

Prima: Floral Rosette Trim

Basic Grey: brads

Core'dinations: cardstock (love that stuff)

First Christmas Layout of 2011!

Well there is less than two months to Christmas .... yes, believe it or not, you have less than 60 shopping days left to get all of your gifts bought, wrapped and under the tree.
Traditionally I put the tree up on December 1st, but I'm just not feeling the spirit ... maybe I will in December, but until then I have my craft - my art - my scrapbooking.

Tina gave me some Little Yellow Bicycle "Wonder & Wishes" to design with. I used an old photo of my daughter.  This was her first official photo shoot.  I think it was November 2008.  All I remember is she has a really snotty nose, and it was just after my father had passed away.  It really wasn't a great time in my life.   But she was such a good sport, she smiled so big for the camera ... I was one proud Momma that day.

I used the Scrapbook & Cards Today 2011 Sketch Calendar  for this layout.  I always love a single photo layout, and December was perfect for this layout.

My Joy

  

Supply list:

Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle

Cardstock: Bazzil

Extras: Little Yellow Bicycle chipboard, Basic Grey letters, button, and brads, Bo Bunny Trinkets, Misc. ribbon.

I white washed the "joy to my world" patterned paper at the top, it was just too distracting, not that the poinsettia paper at the bottom wasn't, but I could cover most of it up with the photo, journaling and Copic image.

I'm also thinking of applying for a new DT position. This one with Copic Marker Scrapbooking. They get alot of exposure and I think I might be a good fit.    Sometimes I doubt my ability. I think that everyone is so much better than me. What is the worst thing that can happen/be said? Well they can say "thank you for your interest, but we have selected others" and then I look at who they have selected and say "wow, they are good, damn good, you made the right decision" but if you don't try you never will get rejected, nor will you get selected huh?

So, anyway, the cardinal is from Copic Marker Scrapbooking.  I'm still sitting on the fence weather to send this to them or not.  Notice the Puffy Velvet on the branch? It's suppose to look like snow .... hubby says it looks like bird poop.

That's it for this round, enjoy!