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

Snow Day

Trying to use up the March Counterfeit Kit! 

I used this page maps sketch that is the March Sketch Challenge at Paper Secrets. 















I gave the sketch a turn and used a slightly larger photo for the top one. I love how it turned out!

 

Thanks for stopping by! 

And remember it's only a week until I announce the winner of my March Kit Giveaway! You still have time to get more chances. :)

   ~Mar

Pony Girl

My layout this week at For the Love of Sketches is a very old pic of me & the pony I had as child, Pearly May.

 

I used a mirror image of the sketch to create this.

Once again, I used my March Counterfeit Kit, Tweet Spring. I started working on this a couple of weeks ago and had cut the circle out of the lace cardstock. I later used the remaining piece of the lace cardstock on my school girl layout so there was only a tiny bit of waste!

Thanks for stopping by,
   ~Mar

nap time

The patterned papers were from my main Counterfeit Kit. And I got to use some of my oldest products on this one. Those are turquoise Making Memories snaps in the felt. I bought them (and eyelets) in just about every color at least 5 or 6 years ago!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tater Peeling

Why yes! I did use my March Counterfeit Kit for this layout.  :)

Megan loves mashed potatoes and doesn't like stuffing. So, now she gets to peel the taters for holiday meals.

For holiday meals I always make potato filling (I cheat & use instant in these as you can't tell because of the other ingredients) and either cornbread & sausage stuffing or oyster stuffing. Megan doesn't like any of those and just wants real mashed potatoes. Thanksgiving 2009 she was finally old enough to start helping. Peeling the potatoes is her job now!

A close-up of the crinkled dictionary paper flowers I made.

If you haven't made these before they are very easy. Just cut some varying sized circles from thin paper. Wet them well with Glimmer Mist. Crinkle them up while they are wet and when they dry, stack and glue the circles. You can use anything for a center!

Thanks for stopping by!

Zeke & Meg - For the Love of Sketches (#3)

Donna's posted the newest sketch on her blog ~ check it out!

Here's my layout. I used my 'Sunshine Flowers' Counterfeit Kit for this one. I'm not a big user of yellow but I love that checked paper! The pictures are of my daughter Megan with our dachshund boy Zeke shortly before he died. Poor girl saw the layout and it made her cry.  :(

I love the clean design - just a few extra cuts and inking - but it really lets the photos stand out!



Did you know what you could win just for dropping by and leaving a comment?

This kit and more could be YOURS! 

Check my posts from March 6th or the 11th for details.

Sing and a Free Kit!

I made this layout using my March Counterfeit Kit - Tweet Spring.  

I don't think I'm going to have a leftovers from that one!

There have been some really great tutorials posted on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog over the last few days and I'm hoping to try one or two this weekend! If you haven't seen them yet, go check them out. My favorite is the awesome metal flowers Sherri made from a soda can.

Now for the FREE stuff!

This is what I've come up with so far for my kit giveaway - I may find more to toss in, lol!

In case you missed the post last week - here's how you can get a chance(s) to win:

1. Each post of mine in March that you leave a comment on gives you a chance - 1 per post.
2. If you also go and leave a comment over on Donna's 'For the Love of Sketches' blog where I design layouts for her sketches you get a chance - 1 per post.
3. If you use one of the sketches to make a layout yourself (be sure to leave a link on Donna's blog) you get 2 chances!
4. If you become a follower of my blog - 2 chances. A follower of Donna's also - another 2 chances.
5. Yes, I will include comments that have already been left! 
6. Yes, I will ship to an international winner! :)

Just click March in my archive on the left and all the eligible posts will be shown!

Thanks for stopping by!

Music Maker

Another Counterfeit Kit Challenge layout! You can see my March kits here. 

I snapped this picture at Megan's spring concert last year when she was in fifth grade. She started playing the violin in 3rd and then the flute in 4th. She usually has 3 performances each year for each instrument and we NEVER see her. She's always in the center and between the music stands and the conductor we're lucky if we see the top of her head. She really needs to practice more and get 1st chair! Last spring they performed a piece where the different instruments each had a turn standing up while they played - we finally saw her! (btw, we've had two orchestra performances & one band performance so far this year and we haven't seen her again, lol.)

I used the die-cut My Mind's Eye paper from my 'Tweet Spring' kit. I slapped some green paint on the area where I was placing the picture. I slid my journaling tag under end and then just outlined the pic & tag a few times to make it stand out more. I looped and stapled ribbon and pom-poms along the bottom of the picture. I used Making Memories shimmer stickers and placed the title in one of the swirls - I just love how that turned out! There were some little hearts with the alphas so I turned those into music notes for my tweeting birds.  :)

If you haven't already heard about my giveaway please see Sunday's post for details by clicking FREE KIT!!!
I've pulled out a bunch of paper and I'm going thru embellishments next! I'll have a kit pic up by Friday so be sure to check back!

Thanks again for stopping by and happy creating!

~Mar

school girl & a giveaway!

I made this layout using papers from my 'Tweet Spring' counterfeit kit. I distressed the photo by sanding the edges and then inking them. I had the scrap of pink paper on my desk from a project I did a few days ago and the brown print below that is the reverse side of the paper I matted the photo with.

Technically, this is my second my second layout using the kit but I can't share this first one with you yet. Donna won't post sketch #3 until next weekend! And speaking of seconds, this is the second layout I've done using sketch #2. You can see the sketch and my first layout for it HERE.

As an incentive to check it out and because so many of you were so kind with your comments and love the kits - I'm going to make another kit and give it away!


I'll be working on it over the next couple of days and will post a pic on a future post. This giveaway will run for the entire month of March. Here's how you can start working on your chance to win!

1. Each post of mine in March that you leave a comment on gives you a chance - 1 per post.
2. If you also go and leave a comment over on Donna's 'For the Love of Sketches' blog where I design layouts for her sketches you get a chance - 1 per post.
3. If you use one of the sketches to make a layout yourself (be sure to leave a link on Donna's blog) you get 2 chances!
4. If you become a follower of my blog - 2 chances. A follower of Donna's also - another 2 chances.
5. Yes, I will include comments that have already been left! 
6. Yes, I will ship to an international winner! :)

Thanks for stopping by!
 

Insane. It's just insane!

I'm talking about March's Counterfeit Kit! 

There are 5, yes you heard that right.  

FIVE KITS.

This month's inspiration is from Studio Calico. There is a main kit and 4 add-on kits.

I've made up 4 kits and then added some additional cardstock and embellishment items. The inspiration kits are really not my style. So, rather than woodsy I've tried to keep my kits just outdoorsy. So instead of tree bark and squirrels, I'll be more birds and butterflies. And my papers may be a little brighter overall.

Kit #1 - this is a little larger than the others so we'll say this is 

the Main Kit.

Bella Blvd - Family Tree, Growing Up; Pink Paislee - 365 Degrees Collection, Daydream; Prima - Whisper Collection, Sigh; My Mind's Eye - LL, Coastal Comfort, Cuddle Dots; Pink Paislee - Fetching, Rugged; Basic Grey - Sugared, Sweetheart; Prima - My Mommy and Me; My Mind's Eye - LL, Coastal Comfort, Chesterfield Print; My Mind's Eye - Life Stories, Accessory Sheet; My Mind's Eye - LMM, Celebrate, Party Dots; My Mind's Eye - LMM, Hello Beautiful, Butterflies; Hambly- Screen Prints, Out on a Limb; the 2 smaller scalloped pieces are Lily Bee - French Couture; also 2 Fancy Pants - Glitter Cuts, Large Purple Swirl & Label Flourish; 2 packs of Making Memories - Paperie brad combos in Mocha & Greenhouse; plus 2 miscellaneous journaling tags.

The first of my 'add-on' kits - I am calling it 'Tweet Spring'.

 
 My Mind's Eye - Abbey Road: Stomp 'Rock On' Tadpole; 'Round & Round' Scenery; Whirlybird 'Best Friends' Tweet Tweet; Lucky Me 'Hello World' Lucky Lime; and the die cut is Whirlybird 'Sunshine Girl' Birds of a Feather. The other two patterned papers are Prima - Signs of Spring. The floral die cut is KI Memories - Pop Culture, flower child pinata. There is one journaling spot from MME Abbey Road and the other three are Colorbok - Friendly Forest. Basic Grey - Green at Heart  Canvas Tags and another pack of Making Memories Paperie brads in Poolside round out this kit.

The second of my 'add-on' kits - I am calling it 'Sunshine Flowers'.

The Girls' Paperie: Cabbage Rose (Rev. Yellow Check); Green Brocade (Rev. Small Pink Blossoms); Shabby Flower; Vintage Travel; Vintage Patchwork; and Bella Blvd - Plastino ,Bermudas. Die cut papers: The Girls' Paperie, Diecut Wallpaper and My Mind's Eye - Jacy & Jill 'Cute' Beautiful Blossoms. Making Memories - {note}worthy Journal spots, Delaney; the small die cut pieces are also from The Girls' Paperie. There are two Prima Vines - Summer Carnation Lemon & Thistle and another pack of Making Memories Paperie brads in Rouge round out this kit.

The third 'add-on' kit - I am calling it 'Beachy Keen'. 

 The papers are all Scenic Route from the Grafton line: Maxwell Avenue; Wharf Street; James Street; Tyson Street; Kraft Spinner; and Kraft Surf Leaf. KI Memories - Bloom Frosty Lace Cardstock, twirl hazard. Tattered Angels - Bingo Boards and Calling Cards, Beach. Two  journaling spots from Colorbok - Friendly Forest and two miscellaneous pieces of chipboard borders.



I also pulled a selection of Bazzill cardstock, a bunch of journaling spots & tickets, Fancy Pants felt shapes, and Tattered Angels chipboard pieces.

I did not pull a lot of embellishments for these kits. It took hours just to go through all my papers (hey, I'm working on using it up!) to pull these and photograph and blog. I will be adding alphas, flowers, buttons, bling & ribbons as I need them. As always, this kit club retains the right to make substitutions!  :)


Please check out my previous March posts to see the final layout I made with my February kit, the left-overs of that kit and some other layouts I did for my friend Donna's new sketch blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Cake Boss - For the Love of Sketches (#2)

As I mentioned a few days ago my friend, Donna, has started a new sketch blog! She'll be posting a new sketch each week and I plan to create a layout using each week's sketch. Please go check out her blog and while you're at it please follow both of us. :) 

This is my layout for this week's sketch!

Megan loves to watch 'Cake Boss'. So when we were in NJ for our holiday trip to NYC we had to stop at Carlo's Bakery. Nearly 2 hours waiting in the rain just to enter the shop.

February Leftovers

This is what's left from my February Counterfeit Kit.

My original kit supplies can be seen here.


All that's left is:

the hunt - For the Love of Sketches (#1)

 One last layout form my February Counterfeit Kit! I'll post my leftovers tomorrow.

Also I used a sketch! My friend, Donna, has started a new sketch blog! She'll be posting a new sketch each week and I plan to create a layout using each week's sketch. Please go check out her blog and while you're at it please follow both of us. :)   This is sketch #1. Did I mention she's using vintage advertisements to inspire her sketches? This sketch was inspired by a Max Factor ad featuring Judy Garland.

This layout will be one of three or four covering Megan's birthday. I wanted to make her birthday a little different this year so I hid all of her presents and gave her clues to solve in order to find them.

The clues shown on this page are:

"Where dishes get neat after we eat." the dishwasher
"Where work gets done but also fun." the desk in my office - used for work & scrappy play!
"I can be spied where monsters hide." under the bed, of course - and a Webkinz monster was the gift,lol!
"The more I dry, the wetter I get. I'm usually purchased as a set." towels - her gift was hidden under them in the linen closet