Lovely Day

My Grammy is staying with us for an extended visit. One of the places she wanted to see again was Cape May.

 

We spent a couple of hours on the beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. And we didn't feel the earthquake either, lol.

Her old house is still there and looks great!
It is relatively unchanged. New paint colors and the pool we had to the right of the house is long gone. She also can't believe how tall the tree in front is now.







Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

 

CKC - VF

Just spent 3 days at CKC Valley Forge. I'll be posting class projects and reviews all this week - still have to finish some of them!

But Guess What ?

Every year, at the Friday night crop, they ask participants to make cards
to go to our service members overseas and they make a contest
out of it. You have 1 hour to complete any card of your choosing using
the card stock base that they provide - this year it was orange.

 I won first place!

I guess I can't say "I'm not a cardmaker" any longer. :)

My daughter went up later and took the pictures with her phone so please excuse the quality - she's only 11!

I had no idea what I was going to do. Especially as orange is one of those colors that I don't use often. But I had just picked up the Fancy Pants Love Birds collection pack at a clearance sale. The banner design on the front of the card was cut from a sheet of the paper and then I cut additional triangle from another sheet and used pop dots to add dimension to the card. I had a random paper doily in some supplies I brought with me and the sentiment was also in the collection pack.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Cape May - FtLoS

This week at For the Love of Sketches, Donna used the cover of the Beatles Second Album for the sketch inspiration.
I have received a bunch of old 1970's photos that were taken with 110 film and their quality is not great. I scan and reprint all my photos. Photos from a hundred years ago I have no problem with changing the size but these photos shot with 110 lose quality fast! This layout was a fantastic way to get a bunch of these photos grouped together. I'll surely be using it (or a variation of it) again.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

the graduate - SYAO Challenge #7

I'm still in the 'Scrap Your Ass Off'' challenge at Paper Secret. This is my layout for week 7. My grandad's senior class picture and graduation picture.

Wasn't he handsome?

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

My Little Pony - SYAO Challenge #6

More old pictures of yours truly! For my 3rd birthday Grammy and Grandad got my a pony!!! The papers are from my June Counterfeit Kit.

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

Me - SYAO Challenge #5

This is a school picture of me from third grade. The 'Scrap Your Ass Off' challenges require you to use the specified sketch and at least any 5 out of ten techniques/products specified for the challenge. Since sewing was one of them this week I used this paper that I had in my Counterfeit Kit and sewed directly over the printed sewing.

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

Crazy Days - SYAO #4

I've been participating in the "Scrap Your Ass Off" challenge at Paper Secrets. You are given a sketch and a list of ten products of which you must use five. I used my June Counterfeit Kit to make my layout for challenge #4.

 

A few photos of my daughter dressed for 'crazy days' at school this past year.

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

June Counterfeit Kit

May was a bad month and I'm glad to be getting back to scrapping and the Counterfeit Kit Challenge! I got as far as making a kit last month but never got it posted or used any of it. I'll just keep it together for now and maybe use it for a future month.

Below is my June kit. The inspiration kit is from a new kit club Burlap & Buttercups.

Yes, once again I've pulled massive amounts of product but I'm hoping to get a lot done this month!

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

3

Megan's third birthday party. So stylish -- she was hot stuff!

This layout was done using this week's sketch over at For the Love of Sketches!

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Pals - SYAO Challenge #3

I just adore this picture of my Grandad when he was little. I'm not sure who the girl with him is, maybe his cousin. And someone, probably his brother, is in the car if you look closely.

 

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

You - SYAO Challenge #2

My layout for the second round of 'Scrap Your Ass Off' at Paper Secrets.

This year we got Megan a cell phone for her birthday but we waited until a few days after to surprise her. We always go out to a restaurant on the weekend closet to a birthday and before we did we sat her on the sofa to give her a few little gifts I "forgot" to give to her. I had tucked the phone into the corner of the sofa and while she was unwrapping some Hello Kitty notebooks I pocket dialed her new phone. The look on her face when the sofa started ringing was priceless!

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Goodbye. I'll miss you...

On Friday morning, May 20th, I got the phone call I'd been dreading. My grandfather died around 10:30 am.


I handled calling some cousins to pass along the news and called my boss to let her know. I was already planning on going to visit Saturday through Monday as I was trying to get down there every couple of weeks. I checked with my Grammy and she still wanted Megan and I to come. She asked about the pictures I had just scanned and did I have any good ones for the memorial service. Of course I said, and I'll take care of that project. I started pulling anything I thought I might want and printed the pictures I had in several different sizes. I still ended up running to Michael's for more cardstock and Walmart for photo printing while I was there.

Here is the finished piece:

I had also taken some of my recent layouts along to show my Grammy and she started tearing up when she saw this one so I also picked up a frame while I was at Michael's and gave it to her.

Overall, we had a good visit. Grammy seems to be handling things well and was expecting another one of her granddaughters to spend the day with her Tuesday and her son to arrive from Florida on Wednesday. My family won't be attending the memorial service this Saturday because we have scout camping and Grammy said not to cancel that. She'd rather we come down again in a few weeks after everyone has left and she's feeling lonely. :( So, Megan and I are planning to go down for a few days mid-June after school is out.

~Mar

1946

My For the Love of Sketches layout this week features another vintage photo. This is my grandad with some friends and family taken while he was on leave while in the Navy.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

love my 'at - SYAO Challenge #1

I'm participating in the new challenge over at Paper Secrets -- Scrap Your Ass Off! My layout for the 1st challenge is all about me! When I was little I couldn't say aitches so my favorite hat was an 'at. And I'm told I did not like to go anywhere without it.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

An·ces·tors

This is my layout for this week's sketch at For the Love of Sketches. Be sure to follow that link to the blog so you can get the sketch, make your own layout and have a chance to win a $20.00 gift certificate to Scrapbook Express!

 

More vintage photos! I've got loads scanned recently. This is the other (maternal) side of my family. My grandfather started doing the family genealogy about 30 years ago and was able to acquire many, many photos. I've started to scan all of his binders as many of the documents are becoming quite frail. And  unfortunately so is my grandad, he was recently diagnosed with a blood cancer among other things and is not doing well. 

Thanks for stopping by!

    ~Mar

Soar

This is my layout for this week's sketch at For the Love of Sketches. Be sure to follow that link to the blog so you can get the sketch, make your own layout and have a chance to win a $20.00 gift certificate to Scrapbook Express!

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Scout Trip

It's Saturday and time for a new sketch at For the Love of Sketches. Here is my layout. I used more products from my April Counterfeit Kit.

These are my girls at the National Constitution Center last year. They really liked 'hanging out' with Ben - he always was popular with the ladies!

Thanks for stopping by!
    ~Mar

Counterfeit Blog Hop!

Welcome to the April Counterfeit Blog Hop. If you get lost along the way you can find the complete list here.

Our challenge this month was to pick someone from the design team and get inspired by a project on their blog.
I chose Lisa - if you back to her January postings she did a couple of canvases and those inspired this:

Your next stop on the hop is Emily.

Thanks for stopping by!
   ~Mar

Horseback Rider & Art

I have two layouts to share with you today. 

First is my layout for this week's sketch at For the Love of Sketches.

Be sure to keep checking the sketch blog and get ready to make some layouts - there will be prizes!!!

I have exciting news coming in May! Our first ever month long scrapbook challenge right here at For the Love of Sketches. We have a wonderful sponsor, Scrapbook Express, with a wonderful prize. So be sure to check back for details.

And here's another layout of my daughter at last year's art show at school. Both of these layouts were done using my April kit I did for the  Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

 Thanks for stopping by!
      ~Mar

Easter Egg Hunt

Both of these layouts were made using my April Counterfeit Kit. The first page 'Easter' uses the sketch for the April sketch challenge at Paper Secrets and the second page 'Egg Hunt' was my layout for the April stash challenge at Paper Secrets.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Ponce, Fountain of Lions

My layout for this week's 'For the Love of Sketches' sketch number 8! 

And using my supplies in my April Counterfeit Kit.

 

Last summer we went to Puerto Rico for two wonderful weeks. This fountain is in the main square in the city of Ponce.

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Breakfast in Bed

I used my Counterfeit Kit  for this week's For the Love of Sketches layout. I just love the new Stella & Rose papers from My Mind's Eye and Donna and I did not know we were both using the same paper - but we did use the opposite sides! :) 

Thanks for stopping by!
     ~Mar

Rough Week....

I won the Trifecta this week - Strep, Bronchitis, and an Ear Infection. And it all came on really fast - I had a sore throat just starting when I went to bed Sunday night and by the time I got to the doctor at noon on Tuesday I felt half dead. I'm still a mess but now have enough energy to work a few hours at a time.

Yesterday I was able to pull together my Counterfeit Challenge Kit for April. April's inspiration kit is from Front Porch Kits. I took my inspiration from the kits colors and the birds & butterflies.



The patterned paper in my kit is all My Mind's Eye - I just got some of the new Stella & Rose paper and it's lovely! I've also used various sheets from some of their older lines.



 

I also threw together a huge assortment of embellishments. The blue butterflies on the left were made from lace cardstock that I layered and added details to with stickles.

I pulled a selection of Bazzill cardstock and some My Mind's Eye kraft paper and a Jenny Bowlin diecut that I missed putting in my previous pic.

This kit seems so small compared to March. I've been getting about 10 or so layouts done each month using my kit so I made a 'mini-kit' of some really fun Bella Blvd papers I got recently - just in case I run out!





And here's my layout I did for LAST Saturday's 'For the Love of Sketches' sketch!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

          ~Mar

March Giveaway Winner!

First, a huge 'THANK YOU!' to everyone who stopped by this month.

I loved reading all of your comments - all 171 of them! When I add comments also left at For the Love of Sketches and the new followers (x2) - I need a number from 1-240!

The high-tech answer is:

 The very low-tech way I came up with the numbers to begin with:

And a closer look at the winner...

Congratulations Ruth Ellen!

Please send me an email with your address so I can get your kit sent out next week.

   ~Mar 

Office Girl

Paper Secrets March Manufacturer Challenge was October Afternoon. 

Accck! I'm NOT a big fan of OA/retro.

However, I did have a few sheets of paper I must have received in kits at one time or another. This LO is all OA paper - the only things I added were a button, some Kaiser pearls, and Prima alphas.

Don't forget to stop by the Birthday Bash at Paper Secrets!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

    ~Mar

Paper Secrets & Another Scrap-lift

One of the March challenges over at Paper Secrets is to scrap-lift a layout from the gallery.

I chose this layout by Rachel Wohrlin. I had some of these papers on my desk as part of my March Counterfeit Kit and my daughter brought home spring school pictures last week. It was definitely meant to be!

My layout - I love it!

and I honestly didn't think I'd ever use that big die-cut (or even half of it, lol)

Thanks for stopping by!

       ~Mar

March Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Hop!

Welcome Blog Hoppers!

This is my second month participating in the Counterfeit Kit Challenge and I'm loving it!

This month our kits were inspired by Studio Calico and they have a ton - a main kit and then four add-on kits. I ended up making 4 kits and adding plain cardstock. One kit ('Beachy Keen") I haven't touched at all - I had to reformat my computer this month and I didn't have a chance to go through my backups and pull vacation pictures. Another kit ('Sunshine Flowers') was barely used and some of what is left is going to be added to my giveaway - I just can't see myself ever using the paper. However, I still had plenty to use and I made 10 layouts so far and I'll probably do another two or three before the April Kit is ready.

Our challenge for this month's blog hop was to scraplift ourselves!

I chose this layout I did several years ago. I really liked it then and I still like it! It also had a 'framed' picture that will cover another challenge we had this month. You gotta love a two-fer!







Here's what I did this time. Zabella just 'killed' this toy Thursday night and we had the photographic evidence. The only thing I really changed was that instead of stamping the border this time, I used a decorative tape that's been laying around in a drawer for who knows how long. I had to miter the corners but I love how it looks. I think I'll be using it again!

Don't forget to follow my blog & leave a comment on the post for your chance to win my March Kit Giveaway! You can find my original post with all the details by clicking the Kit picture at the top of my blog.


The next blog on the hop is Stacey's.
If you get lost along the way you can return to The Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

    ~Mar

family

I just finished this layout for a mists and stencils/masks challenge over at
Paper Secrets.

I first painted over the design on the paper with a permanent masking medium so I wouldn't affect those areas with the colors I was going to add. Then I placed a large Prima mask in the center and sprayed over the area with daffodil Glimmer Mist and then in the upper left only with seaglass GM which made a fade to pale green.

I used Prima craft flowers, which I stamped a random design on with walnut stain Distress Ink, and then sprayed with coffee & frost GMs. I used small copper brads for the centers.

I also made the butterfly. It's why this layout took 2 hours to do, lol! One of my 'other art' supplies is india inks. I have several 'scrappy' uses for them, one of which is painting. They can basically be used like watercolors.

Here's a short picture tutorial on the butterfly:

It's Prima Mistable canvas. It was already stamped with several images (they are just outlines, btw), I cut out one butterfly. (I'll probably ignore some of the images and make what I want using the reverse side)

First, I sketched in the details with a marker. These didn't need to be exact as they will end up covered by the inks and painted on again at the end of the process. I used black ink for the body and blended with the blue near the body. I then worked out farther with pure blue.

Closer to the edges where I wanted a brighter blue I began blending the blue ink with white ink - yes there really is white ink, you just can't get it for your printer, lol. I added a darker band of blue near the outside edge.

When I finished the blue on the wings, I painted the detail lines again with black ink.

Then I used white ink to highlight some areas.

To finish it I spread Diamond  Glaze over the entire surface. Then I floated a heavier coat of glaze over the body and flocked it.

Thanks for stopping by!

    ~Mar