December Reveals!

OMG HOW in the WORLD did it suddenly become December 3rd???!!!  It's been an amazing and busy year here at the Alaskan Homestead.  And it's our second winter here too!  Thankfully so far this year we're having a much more normal winter instead of the temps in the teens and 20s with 6 feet of snow on the ground until March!  :)  We've had temps in the 30s and 40s with a dusting or two of snow and rain almost every day.  Good for the water tanks!  :)

So here's what's happening this month...First I want to share the Creative Inspirations Magazine.  This e-zine is chock full of designers from all over the world and I have several layouts and cards in it!  Plus a few of my new signs that I'm starting to sell!  I'm so completely honored!  :)  Here's the link - Creative Inspirations Magazine.

Next is the Creative Inspirations Forum 12 Days Of Christmas Mini Crop that's going on now.  These challenges are geared to be quick and simple and easy so you can get inspiration for your last minute projects.  Here's the link to that section of the forum - 12 Days of Christmas Mini Crop

My challenge for the 12 Days of Christmas Mini Crop is Day 4 - Emboss on Your Card.  Here's my example -

I chose dry embossing with an embossing folder, some Stickles (a favorite way to add bling) and some glitter paper.  (The background paper has gold foil in it.)  I sanded gently over the embossed section and added some Stickles and rhinestones.

Last but not least is my reveal of the December 4 Layout Sketch by Bev Code for Creative Inspirations.  Here's the sketch -

And here is my version of the lovely sketch.  I took an 11x14 canvas and used some Silhouette cut files to create a canvas.  The picture is of my Mom and Dad (now both in heaven) on Christmas Day in 2005.  I printed the photo on textured cardstock (Bazzill) and I added a few drops of Stickles and some brads and rhinestones and pen outlining to make different details stand out more.  This looks difficult but it was really easy because the Silhouette cut files did all the work!  All I had to do was adhere them to the canvas!

Come back again to the Creative Inspirations Forum or to my blog here for my December Mini Crop Challenge.  It starts December 15 and ends December 24 so you can finish those last minute projects!

I'll also have a reveal for the Sketches In Thyme blog sketch around December 25.  There's a new sketch every week and a new example daily from Sketches In Thyme.  And there's always a chance to win a prize there too!  Be sure to check it out and subscribe to their daily emails for inspiration!

I hope these challenges and sketches inspire you to create your own holiday creations!  And I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season!  We celebrate Christmas here so I always say Merry Christmas!  But I have friends who celebrate Hanukkah and others who celebrate other holidays this time of year.  So HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone!  And Happy Scrapping!

Ginni

Sketches In Thyme Design Team Reveal - November

Hi everyone!  WHERE has this year GONE???!!!  It's already Black Friday!!!  Hope your Thanksgiving Day was wonderful!

Today I'm sharing Sketches In Thyme Sketch #302 by Brenda Ragsdale.  Here's the sketch -

And here's my version of this fun sketch -

Our dog Baxter was not very happy when we came home with a kitten!  These are the pictures of when they first met just minutes after we brought Jeff the Kitty home. And I had great fun with these pictures on this sketch!  That's my husband "introducing" them to each other!  Jeff is now 13 1/2 pounds and 13 months old!!!  We think he's part Norwegian Forest Cat!
Materials – Sketch – Brenda Ragsdale; Cardstock – Bazzill; Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye; Circle Cutter – Kreaxions; Hexagon Punch – Creative Memories; Pens – Infinity, Sharpie; Letter Stickers – Echo Park

If you want to play along and possibly win a prize, go to the Sketches In Thyme Blog and post your version of this sketch by Midnight on November 30th.

Happy Scrapping and happy start  to the holiday season!  It's my all time favorite time of the year!!!

Creative Inspiration November 3 Friday Inspiration Challenge

To inspire you today I’ve chosen a layout by Elisa Ablett. I absolutely LOVE her use of mixed media on her layouts and yet in every instance her photos are the focus of the project. I especially loved this particular layout because it’s a masculine one and the colors are amazing! Here's the layout and tutorial by Elisa that I based my own page on...

Boys Rule by Elisa Ablett
Here's the link to her blog post about this layout - Elisa Ablett Designs

For the full tutorial, either go to her blog post or to the Creative Inspirations November 3 Friday Inspiration post by me.
Technique and Product Showcase - To keep with my circular theme on my layout I wanted to show you how I created my grungy background!

Step One - I used Colour Blast Colour Sprays in Caribbean and Lagoon to lay down a small oval of colour in the top right hand corner where my photo would fit over and also a small area on the bottom left hand side of my layout where my corresponding cluster will go.

Step 2 - Using the circular template spray colour sprays directly onto the template instead of your page! then quickly turn it over and press firmly onto your layout, you are essentially using your template as a stamp. Mop up the excess spray from your craft mat with your chosen chipboard, i used a couple of grungy pieces from Memory Maze Chipboard.

Step 3 - once that has dried, spray and splatter a small amount of Roadbase colour spray onto the layout around your two areas of colour.

Step 4 - Ink up your darkroom door stamp with Black archival ink - i use versafine ink as it gives a lovely crisp stamping image. Stamp in a cross circular pattern around your colour area as shown in both photos.

Step 5 - once dry - using a small dots stencil add small amounts of Colour Blast Bling Paste to your layout over the top of your stamped image, once dry you are now ready to layer your photo and embellishments!

Now it's time for my version. I didn’t have exactly the same inks, etc. that she has so I made do with what I had.

This is a picture of my husband on the ferry as we left Ketchikan on our way to our island at last. We’d waited 10 years for this and it was a very important time for us. Plus it’s a gorgeous trip through Clarence Strait!
Materials – Based on a LO by Elisa Ablett; Cardstock – Bazzill; Glimmer Mists – Tattered Angels; Chipboard – Maya Road, Unknown; Stencil – Heidi Swapp; Crackle Paint – Ranger; Pen – Sharpie; Buttons, Chipboard Letters – Unknown; Circle Cutter – Kreaxions

Sketches In Thyme Design Team Reveal - October

Hi everyone!  I'm sharing the Sketches In Thyme Sketch #298 and my version of it today.

Here's the sketch by my dear friend Bev Code -

 And here's my version of her sketch -

These are pictures from the 1980s.  The left one is my daughter in her costume for a school play.  The right one is my Mom’s coffee table in all its fall glory.  I used my Silhouette to create the acorns, leaves, swirls, labels and title. 

Materials – Sketch – Bev Code; Cardstock – Bazzill, Unknown; Patterned Paper – Basic Grey; Corner Rounder – EK Success; Pen – Sakura Gel Roll; Tags cut with Silhouette Cameo using a Carta Bella file; Acorns, Swirls, Leaves cut with Silhouette Cameo using a Sarah Bailey file; Title cut with Silhouette using ZP Hello Boho font; Ink – Close To My Heart

I hope you enjoyed this page and sketch!  If you'd like to create your own layout based on this sketch, go to the Sketches In Thyme Blog and post your version before Midnight Eastern time October 31st.

Happy Fall Ya'll and Happy Scrapping!

Creative Inspiration Challenges

Hi everyone!  It's getting busier as the year quickly draws to a close!  This month I have FOUR challenges to share with you!!!  For the first three you have until October 31st at Midnight Eastern Time to share your versions on the Creative Inspiration Forum.

First is the October 4 Stash Challenge.
I'm challenging you to dig DEEEEEEP into your stash and find something REALLY old to use on your project... I chose to use some REALLY old papers. I've had the 3 different orange papers and the vellum for YEARS! I knew eventually I'd find something really cool to use this shaped paper for and when I pulled it out and this cool pic of my DD hit the paper I knew what I was going to do! (Sorry for the bad scan and stitch... The border is the same all the way around...)

I cut the title on my Silhouette with brown cardstock and then used a gold felt pen to color the letters. The sketch is by Debbie Sanders.

Next up is my Tuesday October 10 Tutorials, Tips and Techniques Challenge.
I challenge you to make an embellishment to go on your project.  I chose to use a Silhouette cut file by Sophie Gallo to frame my photo of my husband, my daughter and I just a few months after we got married in 1990.  

I think I may frame this page!  Even Steve said he wanted to!  But there's a funny story behind it too...  We'd only been married a few months and we wanted to send a picture back to my parents and give one to his parents as well.  We made all the arrangements to sneak out of the house (we were living with his parents at the time) and get to the mall to get our pictures taken.  Got there, got the photo taken and they said if we waited an hour they'd have the prints ready.  So we started walking around the tiny mall in Ketchikan.  We were in the Christian book store when suddenly Steve's Mom appeared in the doorway!  We quickly and quietly hid while whispering to each other trying to figure out how we'd get away without her seeing us.  (The store opened out such that you could see almost the entire place!)  Somehow we managed to sneak away and it was about time to get the prints so we went down to the photo store. 

The lady behind the counter couldn't find them and turned around and said to the other lady "Do you have Gass?"  Our name is pronounced like gas and the poor girl thought she'd let one so bad we could smell it over the film fumes in the front of the store!!!  OMG!  The look on her face was PRICELESS and she quickly realized what the girl was asking her but the deed was done and Michele, Steve and I will NEVER forget it!  We joke about "do you have gas" all the time!  LOL!  And when we finally gave it to his parents we told his Mom the story and we all got a good giggle out of the whole thing... 

ANYWAY, I just HAD to share that with you ladies!  Someday I'll take another print of this picture and tell the story with it.  But in the meantime, we'll just hang it in a frame and tell the story to our grandkids.  :)

And finally here's my October 18 Wednesday Stash Challenge - 

I'm challenging you to use ONLY CARDSTOCK on your project!!!  NO patterned papers!!!

Here's my inspiration page -

This is a picture of a sunset on our way into Craig last year.  I wanted the picture to be the focal point so I just used a stencil with some chalks (talk about throwback!) and created the big sun.  The title was printed with my Silhouette using the Algerian font.

The fourth challenge I have for you will be for the Creative Inspirations October Mini Crop starting on Friday October 20th.  I'll share the project and the links when they're made public on the forum.

And finally I have been playing along with the Scrapbook Generation Scrap Squad's October Pumpkin Spice Crop.  Here's one of the pages I did for their challenges using a Debbie Sanders Sketch...

Yep that’s ME!  It was the summer of 1991 and my husband and I were alone most of that summer so instead of sitting home alone I went with him on his commercial fishing trips.  We had a LOT of crazy adventures that summer!

Materials - Sketch – Debbie Sanders; Cardstock – Bazzill, Fancy Pants; Patterned Paper – Fancy Pants; Stamps – Basic Grey, Unknown, CTMH; Ink – CTMH; Pens – Sharpie, Infinity

I can't wait to see your creations!  Happy Scrapping!

My Latest Projects

Wow!  Does it seem like time is going by faster every year?  I think it really is!  Or maybe it's that life these days is paced so much faster...  Whatever the reason, it seems like I can't quite keep up.  But I have managed a few scrappy projects recently.  And let me tell you there's some REALLY awesome things coming up in November and December!  So get ready to be TOTALLY INSPIRED!!!  LOTS of holiday cards, layouts and projects to come!  :)

Until then I'll share the non-design team projects I've been working on. One of my favorite places to "hang out" on Facebook is a group called Scrapbook Generation Scrap Squad.  They're a brick and mortar store but they have a HUGE following on their Facebook page.  They do online crops every so often which are great fun.  There was one in September and another in October with over 400 "attending" each one!!!  So here are the projects I created for those two crops...

First is a really bad picture of my Mom, my daughter and I on Christmas Day1990. I printed the title on vellum.

 

I learned a new technique when I created the page below! learned how to use my own pens in the sketch pen holder on my Silhouette Cameo!!! That’s how I created the title. LOVE!!! I fussy cut the flowers and outlined them with a gold pen. I also outlined the photo and the whole page with gold pens.  This is a more recent and better picture of my beautiful daughter.

Next is a 2 page layout with pictures of my daughter’s 2 sons making her Mother’s Day breakfast in 2015. Noah had long-ish hair and didn’t want any getting into the food. So he tied a plastic bag around his head and went to work with little brother Garrett’s help and Brett’s supervision. (I've tried everything I know how to make these pages side-by-side but the HTML won't let me so sorry about that...)

Next are the cards I made for the crop as well...

     
     

I hope you've enjoyed seeing all these projects! Happy fall ya'll and happy scrapping!

September Creations...

Oh my goodness what a couple of months it's been here on the new homestead!  We've done a LOT of work on the house - including MOVING the scrap area AND the living room!!!  So it's been a bit difficult to scrap much less post anything here...  Plus we've been working hard on finishing the kitchen.  That means that we're also working on the dining room (AKA scrappy area)...  I'm going to try hard to be better about sharing my projects...  I can try to pre-schedule a bit more.  LOL!  But with all the work going on around here I can't promise! 

I did make a few things in September... I have been playing with my Silhouette Cameo machine.  Here's the things I created with it... 

And here are some cards I created from some old stash and scraps...

This is a 2-page layout that I created for the Scrapbook Generation September Pumpkin Crop on Facebook.  The sketch is by Debbie Sanders.

And finally, I am proud to share that I've got 6 layouts,  and an exploding box project published in the latest Creative Inspirations E-Zine!  Click on the link and make sure you have it in full screen mode!  There's inspiration for all levels and styles of card makers, scrapbookers and altered project makers! 

So that's what happened in September around here!  Keep coming back because the next 3 months are going to be VERY busy!  I already have 4 design team projects to share with you.  Plus Scrapbook Generation is having another Facebook online crop this coming weekend!  AND there's World Cardmaking Day and the Creative Inspirations Mini Crop too!  :)  Busy, busy, busy!  (And I'm REALLY hoping I can share pics of my FINISHED kitchen, dining and living rooms too!  Fingers crossed!)

Thanks for visiting and Happy Scrapping!

Sketches In Thyme Sketch #290 Reveal!

Today I'm sharing my version of Shawn Lahr's Sketch #290 for Sketches in Thyme.  Here's Shawn's original sketch...

 And here's my version of this wonderful sketch!

The picture is of my youngest brother on Deerfield Beach in South Florida when he came to visit us in 2010.  I used lots of different pieces from old kit parts.  The circles were cut with the most amazing circle cutter ever - the Just Imagine Kreaxions Circle Cutter.

If you'd like to win this month's prize which is a Close To My Heart stamp set, use the sketch for your example and post your creation on the Sketches In Thyme Blog!  Happy Scrapping!

Creative Imaginations Monday Layout Sketch

I don't know if you're familiar with Bev Code's amazing sketches, but I've known her for several years and she just keeps amazing me with even better sketches all the time!  And this month's Creative Imaginations Monday August 7 Layout Sketch is no different.

Here's Bev's fabulous sketch -

And here's my version of it -

 I used an old Page Maps University SVG file from a class and lots of scraps to create all the elements on this page about my middle stepson Jeff and my Granddaughter Molly.  The main element in the back was all one piece so I cut it apart and cut the edges off to make my background.

If you'd like to play along with us in the Creative Imaginations forum, please join me at Creative Inspirations.  You have all month to play along!  

Happy Scrapping!

Creative Inspirations Magazine - August 2017 Issue

It's LIVE and it's AWESOME!!!  What amazing talent from all over the WORLD!!!  I'm totally and utterly awed to be a part of the Creative Inspirations Magazine Design Team!  If you haven't already seen it, be sure to check it out at Creative Inspirations Magazine - August 2017

Here are my other projects from July that aren't in the magazine or for a Design Team project that I haven't shared yet...

Hope you enjoyed seeing my creations!  If they inspired you, please leave me a note and tell me!  Happy Scrapping!

Sketches in Thyme #286

It's time to share the next Sketches in Thyme Sketch that I did this month.  Here's the sketch - 

And here's my version of it...

This is the view I would have when I’d go to the library and sit in my car using their free wi-fi.  We spent almost 6 months with this being our only form of communication unless we went to town!  Lots of old product on this page.  I used a stencil and a stippling brush with ink to distress my short strips.

Materials – Sketch – Sketches in Thyme #286 by Sara Mishler; Cardstock – Bazzill; Patterned Paper, Die Cuts – Unknown; Fiber – Adornaments; Brads, Pen – Recollections; Stencil – Crafter’s Workshop; Ink – CTMH; Letter Stickers – Echo Park

And here are 2 of my favorite layouts from the last month.  I did both of these for a special challenge at Creative Inspiration.  The first one is pictures of me in July 1992 in Coffman Cove, Alaska.  I spent one summer fishing with my husband on his commercial fishing boat catching salmon.  I cut the title on my Silhouette.

Materials – Sketch – Debbie Sanders; Cardstock – Bazzill, SEI; Patterned Papers – Unknown; Punch – Kreaxions #920; Title Font – Goudy Stout; Circle Cutter – Kreaxions; Brad – Fancy Pants; Inks – Ranger Distress Mini; Pen - Sharpie

The next one is pictures of my brother Bill and my Dad in the summer of 1980 at Virginia Beach.  Look at those white legs!  LOL!  Everything I used is REALLY OLD stash.

Materials – Cardstock – Bazzill; Pen – Sharpie; Everything Else - MAMBI

I hope you've enjoyed these projects!  Life has been busy and crazy at the homestead.  Summers are always busy in Alaska but when your house isn't finished and you don't have hot water yet it makes things even more difficult.  LOL!  I am very happy to be able to play around with my scrappy supplies and have a good time when I get too stressed.  :)

Happy Scrapping!