just my style

A busy week ...

Hope you are all having a great week! Mine has been a busy work week and I'm looking forward to working in the studio on Saturday and then Easter Sunday with the family!

 My Gram's service was wonderful - it was truely a celebration of her amazing life. The choir was incredible and the memorial garden was lovely. I have plans to go to Virginia with my Mom the end of May to finalize my Gram's memorial service with my Southern family.

I finally finished a fourth layout for my Gram's Album. I seriously struggled with this one ... not sure why. I kept tweaking it and finally finished it ...

I used Viva Colour Glitter Pen in several places, including the canvas alpha ...

And what's a layout without twine ... here's a new color from the Twinery called Copper Shimmer ... Love how this blended with the glitter pen ...

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the week. I see some wine at the end of mine!!!!!

 

Lovin' some Graphic 45

OK - three posts in a row ... are you impressed!! That's because I had a productive (for me) weekend at Crop on the Cape!! No, I didn't get 20 layouts done but 10 ATC's and 3.5 layouts is pretty good for me! More important was the reconnect with some great friends! My goal was to finish some pages for my Gram's album and here is page three - and my FAV! It's my fav because it's bright and has lots of orange. I used Graphic 45's bright and gorgeous Tropical Travelogue collection. Here's my layout ...

I used coordinating chipboard from the collection and some Petaloo vines and a fun orange Candies flower ...

I added some cute birds including this pair and added some orange splatters and, of course, some twine ... 

I love this pic of my Gram and her friends at the beach - love those bathing suits!! My Gram is on the right. Well, I have one other layout but I'm not loving it so I'm still trying to tweek it LOL! Have a great Thursday and save time to be creative!

Two days in a row ...

Good Wednesday Morning!! I'm back again (two days in a row ...) with another page for my Gram's album. I'm so glad I had this past weekend to finish a few pages for her album, which will be at her service this Saturday. I used Creative Scrappers logo as a base for my layout! Check out the previous link and you'll see the logo in the upper right corner of the blog! After my Gram passed, I spent alot of time going through old photos of her and her friends and our family! I love most things vintage. I would say my scrapbooking style leans to the vintage side. I adore older photos. They have always been dear to me, even before my Gram's passing. On this layout I incorporated modeling paste through a stencil as part of the background. My circle base is an 8.0" doily which I then built on. I did tons of distressing and added gesso to the distressed edges ...

Here's a close-up of the stenciled background ...

I love the subtle texture this technique gives to a project. I also used more gorgeous Petaloo flowers which I added some gesso to ...

I have a few more layout to share - one using Graphic 45 papers. I'll be back to share those as soon as they're photographed. I have to say ...photographing projects in New England is the most challenging part of scrapbooking!!! Thanks for all your lovely thoughts about my Gram - she was truely amazing!

Back to the routine ...

I'm getting back into the swing of the "routine" after a nice weekend at Crop on the Cape! It's always great to reunite with friends and be creative all weekend!! I wanted to create some pages to complete my Gram's scrapbook which will be at the service this Saturday. I used a sketch from the new Creative Scrappers~Creating with Sketches Volume 2 sketchbook which is available to order. It is loaded with great inspiration and tons of sketches!! Here's one page using some older Bo Bunny papers and some gorgeous Petaloo flowers. The picture is my Mom and Gram together ...

Here's some closeups of the flowers...

 I'll be back with more pages using these awesome sketches throughout the week! Thanks for stopping by!

 

So Excited!!!!!

Happy Tuesday Everyone! I wanted to share my excitement with you! I am so honored to have a layout in the latest Creative Scrappers ~ Creating with Sketches Volume 2 sketchbook created by the talented Kristine Davidson! Here's a peek at the cover...

There is a TON of inspiration packed in this book ... 125 brand new sketches and some absolutely gorgeous projects!!!! Here is my layout based on one of the many sketches ...

I used Authentique's "Fresh" collection - perfect for summer photos! Here's a close-up of the banner ...

I had so much fun creating this layout and I want to personally thank Kristine for allowing me to be a part of this inspiring sketchbook. Now, how do you get your hands on this book you ask ... well, head on over to the Creative Scrappers store site ... www.creative-scrappers.com/store and you can save $2.00 OFF a digital copy by using this code: CWS2Discount The printed version of the sketchbook is currently at the printers and will be available by March 15th.

Thanks for letting me share this with you and thanks again Kristine for the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this exciting new sketchbook!!

 

 

Great way to end a long, three day weekend!!

I'm enjoying my last day of a three day weekend having just returned from grocery shopping, putting ALL healthy food away (the shopping cart didn't even look like mine) and I'm so glad to have made some healthier food changes. I have lost - not sure how much, but I'm almost down a full size. I'm not doing the scale this time, I'm going by how my clothes fit. I can't wait to get out and walk - also not doing the gym right now, only due to finances.

I'm trying to get back into art journaling - I was stuck for a while trying things that weren't working, getting frustrated and not going back until recently. Then today I picked up my Saturday mail and found that a copy of Scrapbooking and Beyond Spring 2013 was in the mailbox. I have TWO projects in there including a layout and my first ever published canvas. My layout is springy and kinda busy ...

Here's is the 12 x 12 canvas - this was done for Splash of Color using a GORGEOUS collection called Beautiful you by Christine Adolph ...

So that was a nice ending to a snowy, windy and downright freezing weekend! Have a great week everyone and I'll be back soon with more projects.

A Little More Christmas

Hi Everyone! Hope your week is going nicely! I'm still so happy with my job change ... the commute is reasonable and the people I work with are fun and real team players! It was a good choice!

I'm keeping this post quick - I wanted to share another layout I did using Teresa Collins "Christmas Cottage Collection. The layout was done for my FAV LSS Right at Home Scrapboking. Here's my layout ...

For closeups and details please check out my post on the blog by clicking on the above link!! Thanks and enjoy Friday and the WEEKEND!!

I need a creative kick in the butt!!

So cold here in New England! We are up to 25 degrees now which is a heat wave lately LOL!! Tuesday and Wednesday of this week will be better and January is almost over! Come on Spring ... can you tell I'm NOT a winter gal?!? I crave more daylight and being outdoors!!

One good thing about the weather is ...it's a great time to be in the studio trying to get some creativity going. However, I've been starring at stuff but have only done a few layouts lately. My art journaling has eluded me - I see other art journal projects and am amazed and then I can't get my own creative juices going.I certainly have the supplies needed ... just no ideas ... Is it too much on my mind ... new job, My Gram being ill, self doubt ... who knows. My recent diaster in the upstairs bathroom has lead to water stains on the downstairs bathroom ceiling which was just rennovated less than 1 year ago ... you should have heard me after I saw that!!

So ... I'm trying to move forward! I started watching what I eat and making some healthier food choices - a recent motivation ... (it always interests me what can motivate the changes). I can feel a few pounds off - but I'm not a weigh myself on the scale all the time person - I get it, but I find it can be frustrating as well. I will be able to tell by how my clothes feel. I am looking forward to walking again - outside and maybe running again at some later point. Moving forward ...

I wanted to share a layout I did manage to put together for my DT projects over at Right at Home Scrapbooking. I used a collection by Teresa Collins called Christmas Cottage. The papers of the collection are heavy weight and textured making them a joy to work with. Here's my layout ...

For close-ups and details, please stop the RAH Blog. Well, I'm off to see if I can create anything for my next month's projects. Please send creative vibes my way ... I'll  need them! Thanks for stopping by.

 

An Interesting Day ...

Happy Tuesday! Interesting Tuesday!

I was in my upstairs bathroom early this morning and heard a dripping ... under my vanity was a good puddle of water. In the process of turning off the shut off valve I dislodged the hose to the hot water - which was actually already cracked and water was EVERYWHERE - including on me! After panicing I made some calls and a good friend came over and bailed me out! So much for a relaxing day off. However, it's a good thing I was off cuz who knows what I would have come home to :(

I started this post this morning and am just finishing it now (5:30pm). I had a Dr.'s appointment this afternoon but my new insurnace hasn't kicked in so that was a bust. What I wanted to share was a layout I did for Splash of Color showcasing another new collection called Washington,D.C. Thanks to my great friend Kathy Skou for letting me use pics of her lovely daughter when they visited the capital and the surroundings! Here's my layout ...

So, back to work tomorrow ... I wish I could do today over with different outcomes, but I just need to move forward! Hope the rest of the week in easy  peasy!! Thanks for stopping by!

 

51 degrees - in January - in New England?!?!

Happy Sunday! It's warm but windy here ... 51 degrees ...  but that will be changing to extreme cold this week - gotta love New England! Our weather is never boring!!

I visited with my Gram yesterday - she's recently been admitted to a nursing home. She is 100 and 1/2 and is noticeably declining which is very hard to witness. She has been so strong and determined and tough all her life - it's heartbreaking but understandable to see her giving in. Rehab is wiping her out and she doesn't have much of an appetite. I can only hope she is comfortable and that we enjoy the time left with her. I kinda snuck Simba in to see her briefly yesterday and I think she enjoyed that - I'm sure she misses all the chaos of the dog family and being home and eating good food!

Onto arty things - Splash of Color is showcasing new collections on the blog and here is one of my layouts using Debbie Mumm's Home Sweet Home collection ...

This was a fun collection to work with and I did alot of fussy cutting to give the branches, leaves and banner dimension. For a peek at the whole collection and to see all the other lovely new collections stop by the blog. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the warm day - while it lasts and good luck to out Patriots tonite!!