SOS 2nd Sept Challenge - Sketch and 3 School items "Date Night"

In the spirit of "September" being a "Back to School" month - This month's Sketch Challenge at Scrap Our Stash has a little "extra assignment" for you.  Not only do you have a GREAT Sketch to work with - we've added the requirement that you have to "ADD 3 School Items."

Here is the SKETCH  - so put your THINKING CAPS on - as we'd love for you to play along with us!

I've been wanting to use these photos of my husband and I, from a "Date Night" we enjoyed back on September 8th, 2013!!  We went out to dinner and then to a club with a bunch of his friends from work.

Here is my DT Inspiration Layout for you....

I LOVE this paper line from Paper House - Color Ways: Sapphire Collection!!
Blue is one of my favorite colors and I thought it went great with my 2 photos 
from our "Night on the Town!"  

You can see all of the school supply items I used for the challenge in this photo.
They are:
(1) Staples - I used my big EK Success Fastenater Stapler with white and black polka dot staples
(2) Graph Paper for the journaling tag
(3) Black Paper Clip
and an extra (4) Note book edge punch

Here are a few more close ups for you:

One of my favorite necklaces broke, and I couldn't part with it, so I put the beads in my scrappy stash and pulled a few out for this layout.  You can see one of them here - I affixed it to the corner of the photo with an enameled brad.  I love the Silver letters - and decided to make the title "#NEVER2OLD2 Party" since we were the "oldest" couple in the group that night!!

Here is the rest of the title  and another bead from my broken necklace, along with some silver star washi tape and some more "bling!"

We really had a great night! Lots of laughs, good food, a train ride with more laughs on the way home  - and even if we were the oldest ones in the group - I don't think we look that bad for a couple married 31 years!

This is the tag (made with graph patterned paper,) that was tucked behind the photo on the right.  I added the photo with 3D Foam Tape on the bottom and sides, so I could slip the journaling tag behind it.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will play along with us at the SCRAP OUR STASH BLOG!!

((HUGS)) ~ Sherri

"MIM" # 47 from The Memory Nest - "ALOHA ~ Oahu!"

Hello my Scrappy Friends!! 

It is time for the second September Challenge from The Memory Nest Blog!

Wait until you see it!! And if you link up your creation - you could WIN a $15.00 Gift Certificate from The Memory Nest!! 

Here is the AWESOME Sketch designed by Leslie!

Here is my Design Team submission for this FUN Challenge!

I've had these photos since our 2012 Disney Cruise to Hawaii, and figured it was time to finally scrap them!!  We Honeymooned in Hawaii back in 1982, and returned there on a 14 night Disney Wonder Cruise, from Los Angeles and back, 30 years later.  We actually celebrated our 30th Anniversary while on-board, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!! These photos were taken as we were about to pull away from port in Oahu, with the majestic Diamond Head in the background.

I thought the bars on the right of the sketch would look great as banners, so I layered some on top of them too!  I used up a bunch of papers from various paper collections - Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue, Basic Grey South Pacific "Tahiti" an scraps from my stash. 

I am sure you all know my "problem" with "Blank Space" by now... So you will understand how I could not help myself and added the "Aloha" sticker to the top right of the page - ( Plus, I've had that sticker since 2012 too - it is from the Hawaiian Disney Cruise Scrapbook Kit that I bought while on-board our cruise - so it is about time I used it!!!)

I love distressing my paper edges with Ranger's Distress Stains! - the colors are so rich and vibrant, and stay on the paper, not like some chalks.  They are easy to apply and you can even tap a Q-tip on the applicator, to get the stain into the "nooks and crannies" of your embellishments!

I love to "Fussy Cut" out paper embellishments to add to my layouts.  I usually add then to the page with 3D Foam Dots, to add layers.  that is what I did with these flowers from a page of Basic Grey's South Pacific "Tahiti" paper.

How cute is this little "Polaroid" Camera?   This was made using a Die from Freckled Fawn.  I first cut it out in black - and the cut out some of the "parts" in different colored papers - #FUN  :-)


Thanks for stopping by!  I hope this sketch, my layout and all of the layouts from the rest of The Memory Nest's Design Team, encourage you to PLAY along with us and "Get Scrappy With It!"

((HUGS)) ~ Sherri

Challenge YOUrself #22 "Note to Self...." DREAM BIG!

OH BOY -  What a great prompt for a layout about "YOU!"  Who better to write a note to?

The September Challenge over at the CHALLENGE YOUrself Blog asks you to do just that while using this AWESOME Sketch too!

NOTE TO SELF.....

Click on this LINK for all the Rules/Guidelines - and come join in the FUN!!


So - I visited my Local Scrapbook Store SCRAP-A-DOODLE DOO last month, and picked up "Every Bit" of the new Simple Stories Collection "SO FANCY" - and I've been dying to use it!!  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity!  (If you LOVE the line too - you can click on the link above, as they are an on-line store too - and can ship it right to your home!)

Well, when looking through all the papers in the collection - I came across the "Mood Board" page and BAM!!  I thought it would PERFECT for the base page, and for my "NOTE" too!

What do you think?

Here are a few close ups for you:

I had this flower in my stash - "forever!"  I had made it using "Sticky Back Canvas" that I sprayed with Glimmer Mist.  I am so happy that I finally got to use it!   I added some embroidery thread behind it - I like this new "trend" and I plan to use it more often. 

I drew the letters for the "Note to Self" title on scrap paper, then cut them out, flipped them over, traced them on the back of one of the 4x6 cards from the "Snap Cards." I then cut them out of the final paper and inked them.  When I added them to the layout, I really wanted them to "pop" a little more - so I outlined them with a gold metallic pen, and then a fine black marker (as I did with the "dream big" that was already printed on the base page. (See below.)  I still wasn't happy and thought they needed a little more "pop" so I dipped a paint brush in Butternut Squash Glimmer Mist, and went around both sets of words.  Still not satisfied, I dabbed some Fossilized Amber Ranger Distress Stain on a piece of plastic, and then painted around the both sets of letters too.  The final "POP" was to doodle around all of the words with a white gel pen - finally, I was happy with the results!! WHEW!!!

The words "Dream Big" were already printed on the base page.  To make them stand out - I outlined them first with a gold metallic gel pen, and then again with a fine point black marker.  I painted around them just like I did with the "Note to Self" words - and doodled around the words with the white gel pen too.

I painted some more Glimmer Mist and stain around the "ampersand" sign on the base page - to give it a little "pop" too!  I pop dotted the gold and white striped heart.  You can see lots of layers in this photo!!

Here you can see a little more of the embroidery thread - tucked under some pop-dotted elements.  I love the little chipboard flowers too!!

 This photo was a selfie I took while on vacation in Myrtle Beach last December.  I used some kind of app on my phone to add the black doodle frame and "Enjoy the moment" text.  If you look closely into the sun glass lens on the left in the photo - you can see my hubby walking on the beach in front of me :-)

I love all the little paper embellies that come in the  "Bits and Pieces" pack!  I had fun inking them, and adding them to the layout with foam pop dots.!

Well, thanks for stopping by - that is my NOTE TO SELF - I hope you will play along with us at the Challenge YOUrself Blog this month! I can't wait to see what your NOTE is!!

((Hugs)) ~ Sherri



Here are the items used:
Simple Stories "So Fancy"  Mood Board | Besties
SS So Fancy "Snap Cards"
SS So Fancy - Bits and Pieces
SS So Fancy - Chipboard elements
SS So Fancy - Cardstock Stickers
SS So Fancy - Brads
SS So Fancy -Washi Tape
SS So Fancy -Clear Photo Stickers
Ranger Distressed Stains - Tarnished Brass, Fossilized Amber, Peacock Feathers, Picket Fence
Glimmer Mist - Butternut Squash
White and Gold Gel Pen
Black Fine Point Sharpie

SOS September Challenge "Summer of '68"

I really LOVE to do "Double Challenges" and there is a NEW ONE up on the Scrap Our Stash Blog, for our first Challenge of September!!  You can find all the details, rules, and more inspiration on the SCRAP OUR STASH BLOG - so hop on over and check it out, when you are all done here!


The first challenge of the month at SOS is usually a "WORD" Challenge - where you have to incorporate one (or more) items that start with the each of the letters in the word for that month, in your layout.  This month the word is "L A Y E R S."

This month, SOS has joined forces with STUCK?! Sketchesand have added an "OPTIONAL" Sketch to the challenge - sooo... if you incorporate both challenges in your layout - you can submit your one layout into 2 blog challenges -- sweet!!!

Here is the Sketch:

I decided to do both the WORD and SKETCH?! Challenges and this is what I came up with:
Here is my Layout - I am calling it "Summer of '68"

The photos in this layout were taken at one of those photo booths at the boardwalk when my little brother and I were 5 and 7 yrs old. ( Thanks for writing the date on the back Mom!)  I had taken a picture of the photo strip and posted it on my Facebook page about 2 yrs ago. I thought it would be great to use for the sketch.  Of course, I have no idea where I put the actual photo strip now ( one of those "really safe places I'm sure!) - so I downloaded it from Facebook, and re-sized it in PhotoShop.  It came out a bit grainy and a little off square - but I just went with it.  I was only going to use 3 of the photos, but I couldn't decide what one to leave out - so I made all 4 work!

Here is the "STUFF" from my STASH - for this month's word " L A Y E R S"
L - Lace, Lock, Lined Paper
A - Acrylic Embellishments, Arrows, Ampersand
Y - Yarn (paper,) Year, Yellow chipboard flower
E - Enamel Dots, EK Success Long Stapler
R - Ranger Distress Stains and Marker, EP "Reflections" chipboard, Queen and Co "ROX" self adhesive stones
S - Staples, Royal "Sparkles" by Kaiser

Here are some close ups for you:

Here are all of the items used:

BoBunny "Somewhere in Time" - Evening Mist
BoBunny - "Timepiece" - Tick Tock
BoBunny "Weekend Market" - Tapestry | Vintage Labels
Heidi Swapp Stickers (Title)
Prima Pebbles - Acrylic Gemstones
Ranger Distress Stains - Blueprint Sketch | Tarnished Brass
Ranger Distress Marker - Blueprint Sketch
Echo Park Chipboard Accents - "Reflections"
Uniball Singo White Pigment Marker
Queen and Co. ROX - Self adhesive stones - "ice nightfall"
Zig- Wink of Stella - GL Blue

Thanks for popping in - I hope you make some time for yourself this month to get "Scrappy with it!" and that you play along with us at Scrap Our Stash and with STUCK?! Sketches too!!
((HUGS))~ Sherri

The Memory Nest's September Challenge with 2 Crafty Girls!

Hi Everyone - This month we are doing something a little different at 

The Memory Nest...

For our FIRST Challenge for the month of September, we are Teaming up with the Design Team over at 2 Crafty Girls!  Please check out all of the Details and Info over at The Memory Nest Blog, and come play along!!!   LOTS of chances to WIN a PRIZE Sponsored by THE MEMORY NEST!

The Challenge is to make a card, using one or all of the 3 "prompts" below, either the Photo Inspiration, the Technique, or the Sketch.   I chose to focus on just the Sketch.

Here is the Official Challenge Info :

Making a card is pretty much out of my comfort zone, as anyone who has followed along with my blog knows.   Maybe because the space seems so small to me, and I usually like to add A LOT of STUFF to my scrappy projects!! LOL!!

Anyway - this challenge came at the perfect time - as I needed a "THANK YOU" card for a co-worker, and I thought -okay, why not!!

So - here is my card - using the Sketch for the Challenge:

I used scrap paper from my stash - I swear, I've had this paper for about 7 years!! ( You never know right?!!)   The "THANK YOU" is a sticker and I cut the ends of the 2 pieces of Washi Tape into a banner shape.  I then outlined the Washi with a white gel pen to make them stand out a little.

 

I used 2 different scallop punches to punch out the flowers from the patterned paper.  I added the larger center flower with foam dots, to give the card some dimension.  I also added some "DEWDROPS" in the centers of the 3 flowers for a little "BLING" too!

I inked the edges of the flowers with Ranger Distress Stains, and fussy cut 2 leaves out of the flower pattern paper.   I inked those too.  I curled them around my finger a little and only added glue to the base that is tucked under the flowers.

SO - I think I "SURVIVED" this Card Challenge - and - I just might be Inspired to make more cards.... we will see, won't we?! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by and I really hope you will play along with us at THE MEMORY NEST BLOG, and check out all the Crafty Inspiration over at 2 Crafty Girls too!!

((HUGS)) ~ Sherri