Grateful For You - My Mind's Eye

Happy Friday blogging friends!! I have a ScrapTownLady layout to share with you today that I made with the gorgeous My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection. I just love the colors and textures in this collection. The blues and yellows are fabulous together. Since blue is my hubby;s favorite color I decided to scrap this photo of the two of us taken at a fundraiser a few years ago. I love this photo because my husband is actually smiling! He rarely smiles for the camera.

This layout is based on Heather's latest sketch up at Bird is the Word. The new word is Always. I would love to see some of my blog readers play along.

I am using some wonderful dies from the ScrapTownLady store. The Cheery Lynn corner dies, birdcage, and doily give my layout a romantic touch. These dies are so intricate and beautiful!

I am also using the My Favorite Things Banner Day dies. These dies make creating a banner quick and easy.

ScrapTownLady Supplies:
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Chipboard Elements
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Collage Paper
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection White Floral
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Multi Plaid
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Garden Gate
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Mixed Floral
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Oliver collection Blue Lace
Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily, Bird Cage, Lace Corner Deco
My Favorite Things Die-namics Banner Day
Want2Scrap White Pearls
Ranger Distress Ink in Tea Dye, Pumice Stone, and Wild Honey
Inkssentials Foam Shape adhesive
Scotch Quick Dry glue
Glue Dots 3/8"

Other Supplies:
Silhouette
Doodlebug Alpha stickers
Cardstock in white
Sakura Micron pen in black
Martha Stewart Heart punch

I am linking up to the My Mind's Eye November Grateful challenge

Thanks for stopping by today,
~Marcia

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas - Scraptown Lady

Ok, I know its not even Halloween yet. I just couldn't help myself when I saw the gorgeous Authentique Peaceful collection that Cheryl at Scrap-Town-Lady sent me. Those papers reminded me of the first snowfall of the season. Fresh white snow where you can still see the green grass, just a little. And a little snow in December just gets me in the mood for all things Christmas; shopping, baking cookies, decorating the house. Does it inspire you in the same way?
I wanted to scrapbook a photo I took last winter of the first snowfall; the view out my front window. This was no ordinary first snowfall, we got 14" of snow here in Minnesota. BTW, it still looked like this in April.
I thought spring would never come.

I played up the snowflakes and the pine sprigs to embellish my layout. The snowflakes are a Tim Holtz die and the pine sprigs were a Silhouette cut. I used this sketch from Heather at Bird Is The Word. I flipped a portion of it to suit a horizontal photo. The latest word is Inspire, which I used in my journaling.

There are a lot of background details. I created negative space with a punch, and then used those punched out snowflakes to layer on top.

Some little wood veneer birdies were a must too.

Then I made a Z-Fold gift card holder with my scraps...

It's tied shut with this pretty Hug Snug Ribbon. When its open, it looks like this. Each section is a 4x4 square. Super easy to make.

I used a blanket stitch around my gift card insert to keep that card secure. A hole punch in the middle makes it easier for the recipient to get that card out. Instead of a gift card here, you could place a photo instead and use it as a Christmas card.

ScrapTown Lady Supplies:
Authentique Peaceful Frost
Authentique Peaceful Solitude
Authentique Peaceful Chill
Authentique Peaceful Cozy
Authentique Peaceful Freeze
Impression Obsession Bare Tree
Bazzill cardstock in Black
Ranger Distress Ink in Peeled Paint
Prima Chalker in Black Coal
Hug Snug Ribbon in Black
Glue Dots  
Scrapbook Adhesives  Foam Squares  
Scotch Quick Dry Glue

Other supplies:
Martha Stewart Snowflake punch
Tim Holtz snowflake die
Spellbinders scallop die
Silhouette
hemp
Prima wood veneer birds
Crafter's Workshop template tree
Cosmo Cricket alpha stickers 
Sewing machine
gesso
Core'dinations cardstock

Are you ready for some snow yet? Be prepared. Stock up on scrapbook supplies in the Scrap-Town-Lady store so if you are snowed in, you can scrap away :)
~Marcia

Our Romance - ScrapTown Lady BoBunny and Blue Fern Studios

Happy Friday my friends! I am so glad its finally the weekend. I thought it would never come.

This week I played with some gorgeous Bo Bunny Prairie Chic papers and Blue Fern Studios Chipboard from ScrapTown Lady. I've been wanting to scrap a wedding photo. This past July my hubby and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. Our romance started at a high school dance. It took him the whole night to work up the courage to ask me, lol. It wasn't until the very last dance ( a slow dance ) that he made his move, prompted by the fact that another guy was headed my way. I was 16. We've been together ever since.
My hubby had emergency surgery after injuring his arm Labor Day weekend. He ruptured his bicep trying not to fall off a ladder. It's been 2 weeks and he still has a lot of pain. I feel so bad for him. He is going bonkers not being able to work. It's a long slow recovery. Once healed, he will have to work to regain his strength in that arm. Dr's say 4-6 months before he is fully recovered. It was his right arm too. Now he is forced to do things with just his left hand.

This paper with its pinks and blues reminded me of our wedding colors. I love the garden feel to the layout, as if when you step through those doors in the photo, beautiful things awaited.

I painted the chipboard pieces with some crackle paint and then used my chalk ink pads to add shading. Crackle paint is my favorite way to finish chipboard. I love the texture.

The gorgeous Prima flowers are enhanced with a Cheery Lynn Flourish.

ScrapTown Lady Supplies:

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic Chevron

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic Calico

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic Chic

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic Garden

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic Laundry

Blue Fern Studios Chipboard Fancy Bird Cage

Blue Fern Studios Organic Vine

Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish
Cheery Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourish  
My Favorite Thing Die-namics Fishtail Flags  

Glue Dots Mini

Ranger Distress Ink in Tea Dye and Crushed Olive
Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive
Therm-o-web Zots Medium

Glue Dots Mini

Inkssentials Pop It Foam tape

Other supplies:

Quick Quotes Powderpuff Chalk in in Java and Coconut

Prima flowers

Ranger Crackle Distress Paint in Antique Linen 

Gesso

Bazzill cardstock in ivory

I am linking up with Blue Fern Studios September challenge. My layout is based on their sketch by the talented Michele Singh.

So pick up some Blue Fern Studios chipboard for yourself in the Scrap Town Lady Store and you can give this challenge a go too :)
Have a great weekend!
~Marcia

Tybee Island - Quick Quotes / Sketchabilites / Bird is the Word

Hello blogging friends. I have another Sketchabilities reveal for you today. This reveal Quick Quotes is sponsoring, so I got to play along again :) Karan's sketches are fabulous. She doesn't disappoint with this latest sketch either ...

I used my favorite Quick Quotes collection, Stowaway, for this beach layout of some of my Girl Scouts. I chaperoned these awesome girls on our Savannah, Georgia trip about 7 years ago. We spent a fabulous day enjoying the beach on Tybee Island. They are in college now and I miss them all tons. Here is my take...

I love using fibers on my layouts for added texture, but on this one I also added some sand ( Flower Soft )...

The waves were cut from a Silhouette file and then layered using foam tape.

Oh yeah, the Word at Bird is the Word Challenge is " Explore / Travel ".

Quick Quotes Supplies:
Stowaway 100, 200, 300, 400
Powderpuff ink in Coconut White, Blue Moon, Biscotti
 
Other Supplies:
Canvas Corp clothes pins
hemp cord
Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher staples
Flower Soft sand
Bazzill cardstock
My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Bling
gesso

I hope you decide to play along in either of these challenges :)
~Marcia

Celebrate and Maroon5

Hello blogging friends. I am back from my short vacation. I had a fabulous but hot time in Washington DC. We got to watch the fireworks over the Washington Monument. They were spectacular!! Being able to spend the 4th of July in Washington DC was amazing.  Lots of people, but lots of history too. If you get a chance to go, you really must.

I have lots to share with you on this Monday. It seems like all my posts are doubling up on me. lol. I have some exciting news....

I will be designing for Bird is the Word Challenge Blog. They have a monthly challenge on the 15th of each month. The word for July is .... CELEBRATE
You must use the challenge word somewhere on your layout. They also provide a sketch, but you are not required to use it.

and Scraptown Lady is sponsoring this challenge!!! You could win a gift certificate to the Scrap Town Lady store!!!

I used the Authentique Pride collection from Scraptown Lady as well as a few My Favorite Things Die-namics dies. Scraptown Lady has lots of dies from many different manufactures, chipboard, and so much more. Here is my Lincoln Memorial on the 4th of July layout ....

I used dies to create the star banner that goes across the page as well as for some of my pennant flags. Here are some detailed shots ...

Scraptown Lady Supplies:
Authentique Pride collection - Indepandence
Authentique Pride collection - Dignity
Authentique Pride collection - Unified
Authentique Pride collection - Amend
Authentique Pride collection - Sticker Components
Bazzill cardstock - Red Devil
Kaisercraft cardstock - Navy
My Favorite Things Die-namics Western Star Duo

My Favorite Things Die-namics Banner Day

Ranger Distress Ink in Walnut Stain

Zots Adhesive Medium

Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive

Other supplies:

Authentique Lovely collection - Crush

Imaginisce foam tape

toothpicks

The Twinery bakers twine in Denim

I hope you will join us in this challenge. I would love to see what you create.

I am also sharing a 2 page layout that I created from the Club Q (Option A) Page Layout kit. I just love creating with these kits. They come packed with intricate die cuts and of course gorgeous Quick Quotes papers! 

                              

I used the supplies for the top layout, (sometimes using the B side of the papers) and created this ...

My daughter and a few of her friends were lucky enough to get tickets to see Maroon5 in concert. They were so excited! Can you tell from that photo :)  I love the Polaroid frames, but my pictures would not all fit inside, so I tucked the frames behind some of my photos. The white chipboard pieces were inked with Biscotti and blended with Coconut White. It gives them a grungy feel.  
Designer Tip: To keep your white ink white, dab a bit of ink on a craft mat. Then use a dauber to blend, picking up ink from the craft mat.

Quick Quotes Supplies:
Page layout Club Q
Powderpuff ink in Biscotti, Maraschino Cherry, Coconut White, and Dusty Rose

Other Supplies:
Bazzill cardstock
Sakura Micron pen
Echo Park Alpha Stickers

Have a great week!
~Marcia