Throwback Thursday!

 Having some fun over in the Scrapbook Nerd & Friends group on Facebook today in preparation for the weekend of crafty time!

 

This was one of my layouts from my first ever crop at the Scrap & Crop weekend retreats   at the Festival Inn in Stratford - I used a sketch from Pinterest to help get me inspired and love how it turned out - the little grids are a great way to show a sampling of papers and use up scraps!

 

Does anyone else have a photo of themself sitting on the toilet that their parents took - the good ole days when parents use to try to toilet train at like 14 months old by putting you on the thing every 10 minutes for a half hour thinking that was being trained!

 

Like you can even see my moms hand with a cup trying to force me to drink more fluids in order to get me to pee - hate to break it to you mum but it was YOU who were toilet trained at this stage in my life not ME!

 Happy Stampin' 

Margaret

Live,Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life

Classic Stampin’ Spot Techniques

The new Classic Stampin’ Spots Assortment on page 147 of the 2020–2021 Annual Catalog that goes live this week is the perfect little ink collection for your stampers. 

With eight colors including Basic Gray, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Real Red, Shaded Spruce, the lovely array of colors hits the spot. 

Here are some fun techniques to prove that some of the best things come in tiny packages.

• Block Background: Use the spot as a stamp. Turn it over and apply it directly to the paper for the cutest card on the block.
• Tasteful Texture: To mimic the wood grain of the In Good Taste Designer Series Paper, swipe the spot across the stamps instead of pressing the stamp to the ink.
• Layered Colors: Use the Stamparatus and apply the darkest colors around the edges of the image. Stamp. Then clean the stamp with your simply shammy and apply a lighter color in the center. Stamp again to create the look of a multicolored markered image

You can also create your own 'custom mini spots' using the uninked spots just add your own reinker color choice!

Happy Stampin'

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawak4-life

*this post contains affiliate links

Ornate Garden Scrapbook layout

Having fun with some scrapbook challenges over on Facebook with at Scrapbook Nerd -

 if you have not already please come join us Scrapbook Nerds - Friends Group for some crafty inspiration and fun!

My first page I had created as part of the March Layout tag ... if you have not played Layout tag you MUST come join us - it is so much fun!  The premise is that you form a group of people who want to participate in the game. The organizer sends the first person in the group a private message to tag them with a layout as inspiration to create their own with. They have 3 days to complete their project take a photo of it and return the photo to the organizer privately. She passes or 'tags' the next person with that photo as inspiration and it moves on each person getting tagged privately with the last persons inspiration. When everyone has been 'tagged' and had a turn to play with the person before thems photo inspiration than the organizer 'reveals' the tag layout progression ... it is AWESOME to watch how the layouts progress through each persons interpretation and inspiration of the layout they were given! 

I used the Ornate Garden Suite from Stampin' Up ... the DSP is just gorgeous with the copper embossing threaded through the designs on several of the papers and well look at the imagery in the stamp set and the intricate dies! I had a blast coloring with the Stampin' Blends!

 

 I paired it with the Beauty Abounds and the Prose Alphabet dies .

 

I did sneak some retired fun in there too ... the Grapefruit Grover Foil paper from last years Sale-abration from my stash goes perfectly with this suite - I really wish they would bring that one back! It looks amazing with the Ornate Embossing Folder! 

Happy Scrappin'

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life

*post contains affiliate links

March Paper Pumpkin - Outside the Box Scrapbook edition

I am SO loving this Paper Pumpkin! The embellishments and stamp sets are just adorable!

Plus for their 7th Birthday we also got an additional stamp set in this months kit! 

I was so excited to share my sneak peek when it arrived I did not even bother to edit my video and just uploaded it to Youtube! 

 

 I was eager to whip up my 3 trio design cards in the kit! I mean see how I was not kidding on how adorable are the embellishments here?

Today I have been working o on my Paper Pumpkin Alternatives today for Paper Pumpkin customers virtual class support over on my Totallyawake4-stampin' - double layout! If you are looking to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin please make sure to choose me as your demonstrator so I can support you with lots of 'outside the box' options!

I focused on one traditional with mat for a 5X7 layout - I cut up the card bases and envelopes and on this particular layout I used envelope pieces to create the banners along the top here as well as the stamps from the stamp set to create imagery along the white background and than card kit embellishments to add dimension. 

And than did one pocket with 4 mats for 4x6 photos! I had used the 3x3 cut outs from the card bases for the focal imagery along the 3 4x4 squares in the middle and stamped and fussy cut using the coordinating Under the Umbrella imagery on this layout It’s such an adorable little set 💕💕💕

 

Happy Stampin'

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life

*this post contains affiliate links

January Paper Pumpkin - Scrapbook edition

January’s Paper Pumpkin “Outside the Box” scrapbook edition ... paired the “Bee Ours” stamp set and kit embellishments with two card bases for my DSP strip and than used a dissected envelope for my corner edges along with the Detailed Hearts and Well Written dies coordinating with the Mint Macaroon and Highland Heather inks for this lovely layout I plan to use to journal a girls night out with my BFF!

Happy Scrappin'

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

*post contains affiliate links

Peaceful Poppy inspired layout

2020 crating goal is to stop neglecting my scrapbooking so joined a cropping group on Facebook called Scrapbooking Global - Stampin' Up!  that’s specific to Stampin’ Up! They have monthly challenges and lots of layout inspirations! 

Inspired me to get busy this weekend - so this is my layout from the January 2020 challenge inspiration layout. I reoriented a bit to be able to see the most of the gorgeous Peaceful Poppy DSP ... I shamefully admit that I rarely journal on the actual front part of the layout and am more the type to hide my journal in a pocket behind so I didn’t add that feature and left the space for the poppy’s to show through 💕

I still need to print my photos - I tend to wait until I have a layout all done and then print the photos to fit the mats plus sharing them photo free will hopefully help you to imagine how gorgeous your own photos would look on those mats ... shameless marketing or lazy scrapbooked you decide 🤣

Seriously if you have not checked out the Peaceful Poppy suite yet hop on over to my website and check it out - it’s SO STUNNING! Makes pulling together projects so easy! 

Happy Stampin’

Margaret 

Live well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life 

*this post contains affiliate links

Getting Inspired for Spring

I always find online sketch challenges a great inspiration and recently came across a new one thanks to Anne Granger a Stampin' Up! Mentor I follow who shared one of her challenge submissions! 

So this week I am playing along over at Global Design Project with the following sketch challenge as I needed to create a 'spring themed' card and was looking for inspiration and this sketch provided just the jumping point.

This is my card I created based on the sketch inspiration - I swapped out the orientation because it worked better with the frame I wanted to use.

Featuring the Stampin' Up! Floral Frames clear mount bundle  - I just love this stamp set bundle it is perfect for both card making and scrapbook layouts - I cannot wait to do a layout and use the wreath for photo frame focal point and than all the flower embellishments and the label will make a great spot to journal.

Floral Frames Clear Mount Bundle

I applied Lemon Lime Twist ink direct to the embossing folder before running though the Big Shot. It is easy to wash your folder with a gentle soap and water to remove any ink transfer in next project so do not be afraid to use color with your folders - adds a whole new twist to them!

Lemon Lime Twist Ink

Layered Leaves

The stamped image from the Floral frames was colored using the 2017-2019 In Color Stamp Write Markers Fresh Fig and Lemon Lime Twist and the Brights Rich Razzleberry to highlight

2017-2019 In Color Stamp Write Markers

The ribbon is the Rich Razzleberry Velvet Ribbon - I just love the texture that this ribbon offers to a project. So very soft!

Rich Razzleberry Velvet Ribbon

Had so much fun playing along and look forward to playing along again in future! Head on over to the Global Design Project gallery to see how other's interpreted this lovely sketch!

Happy Crafting

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life