..:: this is awesome ::..

Hi Friends! I am up on the {a flair for buttons} blog today with this layout using three pieces of flair from three different flair sets from {a flair for buttons}!  Here is a look at what I made:

There was a virtual crop this last weekend at Paper Issues Facebook Page. One of the challenges was to use stitching -- so I did a bunch of stitching on this layout using metallic gold thread! Here are some close-ups:

This travel flair is from the Hashtag Summer Flair set. It fit the theme and color scheme of this layout.  All of my papers are from the Paper Issues March Scrapbook kit (sold out).

This little sloth ephemera from the kit was perfect for this layout!  And I thought this flair from the Lovely Words 10 Flair set matched his personality well!

And finally, you know I couldn't get by without adding adding a piece of flair from the Sloth Love Flair Set! This is the first of many layouts that I am sure I will do about how Covid-19 is changing how things work these days.

Here are a few more close ups:

I made a video of my process if that's something that suits your fancy!

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope this blogpost finds you and your family safe and healthy. XO o.g.

..:: summer ::..

Hi friends! I am up on the {a flair for buttons} blog today with this summer layout! I am also participating in Audrey Yeager's Summer Scrappin 2019 YouTube fun -- and I'm her guest on day 6 of her 21 days of summer scrap videos.   Here is a look at my layout:



I used three pieces of flair in a visual triangle. The flair is from three different sets, and I think they worked quite well with the Maggie Holmes Sunny Days collection. Here are a few close ups.

The piece above is from the Hashtag Summer Flair set. The pink one below is from the Primary Arrows 1 Flairset.



The last piece is my favorite! It is from the Watercolor Patterns Flairset. I am in love with the watercolor look!



I had a little problem with my title -- but I found a way to fix it. Check out my process video to see what happened!

Here is a video of how this one came together.

Thanks for stopping by!  See you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: colorful you ::..

Hi!  I'm back with another layout and a challenge for you! I am using the Clique Kits iNSD limited edition kit full of Cocoa Vanilla Studio's Happiness collection. Here is my layout:

I fussy cut those butterflies from a sheet of 12x12 paper in the kit. I love how it turned out!  Do you like the rainbow trend? Well, that's my challenge for you! Make a rainbow in some way on your layout and share it with us in The Clique FB group! Here are a few close ups.

I stitched through each of the butterflies with similar colored thread. I also used those threads behind the photo, just for fun pops of color.

This was supper fun to make!  I have a video of my process, if that's something that suits your fancy!

Thank you so much for stopping by!  See you again soon!  XO o.g.

..:: singing in the rain ::..

Hi friends! I am up on the {a flair for buttons} blog today with this super fun and colorful layout. You might think this is a spring layout -- but it actually all happened this fall. :-)  We have had a lot of rain. And my daughter made the best of it, as usual. Here is my layout.

As you can see I used a ton of Shimmerz Paints on this one as well. It was so much fun to make! I actually used ten different Shimmerz products for this one!  I started with this cut file from The Cut Shoppe and made my rain drops, then I added the paint and stitching. I found four pieces of flair (all from the Linen Hearts Flair set) that worked quite well with the Vicki Boutin ephemera pieces. I love how the stitching and color blocking worked out!  Here are a few close ups:

I made a video of my process if that suits your fancy (the Shimmerz Products used are linked in the video comments as well).

Thank you so much for stopping by. Look for another layout and video SOON. XO o.g.

:: sand angels ::

It's new issue Monday on the  Paper Issues Blog!  Our issue is sponsored by SugarPea Designs, and the winner will get a gift certificate to SugarPea Designs (with free shipping)!

Here is my layout for the issue:

The issue, Let's Get This Party Star-ted and Par-ty Heart-y has a long name (which really means there are many ways to interpret the challenge)!  Here are a few ideas (the items I used are in bold):

celebrations of all kinds, graduations, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, use hearts, golfing (par), stars, stamping, use May printable, use SugarPea Designs products



The SugarPea Designs product that I used is a clear stamp set called Build a Background - Basics (pictured to the right).  These stamps caught my eye because I thought they would be perfect for art journaling, mix media layouts, and to use in my planner! For the challenge, obviously, I chose to do a layout.  I used both of the chevron-looking stamps (top two) with paint and with ink!  I even got to use my small Geli Plate when working with the paint and stamps together! So. Fun.  Here are a few close ups, which include the story:

I started with white card stock and a bunch of washi tape! I stuck with mostly pink and oranges, but various patterns.  One of the washi tapes also had a little bit of blue -- and B.'s shirt is blue, so I went with it. :-)

 I used some orange, yellow and red gelatos to create a layer under the photo.  Then I added the stamping over that with orange StazOn ink.

That bright blue chevron was made with paint.  I used my Geli Plate, spread some blue paint on it with a roller, and then I stamped directly onto the Geli Plate.  Once I made the pattern in the paint that I was looking for, I pulled a couple of prints (using plain white card stock).  I placed these behind the photo.  It was fun!  I absolutely loved working with these stamps from SugarPea Designs!

Check out the rest of the Design Team inspiration over at the blog.  While you are over there, stop in at the store, too!  There are so many new things popping up every day!  The Crate Paper is to die for!  Trust me! Oh and the Webster's Pages stuff (we even have a teal planner in)! OMG I totally forgot to mention the Maggie Holmes Confetti Collection.  Seriously.  So much yummy stuff! Don't forget to use the code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase!

:: too hot for blading ::

Today is my last post as a Guest Designer at Scrapbook Circle.  If you are a follower of my blog you know how much I love these kits!  I am so honored that I was asked to be on the GDT this month, and, as always, I have really enjoyed working with this kit!  Each month I am amazed at how beautifully Lisa (et. al) pulls together these papers and embellies to make a perfect kit!

This month a two pager was born!  (I haven't done these for a while, but I have done a few lately)! We celebrated my daughter's birthday (the second celebration) with my extended family on the hottest weekend of the summer!  B. got some great gifts; among them, roller blades!  We practiced a bit at Grandma and Grandpa's house (they are the ones that purchased the skates) and then after returning home, she practiced a bit more!  IT WAS SO HOT!  We even had to have a clothing change in between skating because there was a bunch of water play in between!

The challenge at Scrapbook Circle was all about stitching!  So. Awesome. that I was asked to do that!  I love stitching, as you know. So I got out my machine and stitched all around the page.

But, to live up the challenge I also did a bit of hand stitching!  Here are a few more close ups (and they include a lot of GOLD; I am so loving this trend)!

I would like to thank Lisa and Tessa at Scrapbook Circle for welcoming me in to the Scrapbook Circle Family this month!  I had a great time!!!!

Until next time!  :-) O.G.

Scrap Your Story :: love spring

It's FRIDAY and you know what that means -- a new challenge goes live at Scrap Your Story Challenges!  This week we are working with one of Christy's sketches!  Here's my layout:

The journaling is about how my wonderful family stopped and let me take this photo, even though the weather was bad, we were hungry, and on our way out to eat.  But I just had to get a photo of the grass...it is turning green.  I am thankful for that -- because I am ready for spring.  Aren't you?  Here are a few close ups:

If you follow me on instagram or Facebook, you may have seen that I was letting scrapbooking stress me out this week!  Ever had one of those days/weeks where you waste a LOT of paper because none of your ideas work?  I had that this week!  Ugh.  Good news...I pushed through and I really like how my layout turned out! I got several happy packages in the mail this week, and that helped.  :-) 

The patterned papers and tags are from April's Scrapbook Circle kit, "Happy Place" and I added a couple of things from my stash. Also, I used some awesome washi that I got from a Paper Issues embellishment kit (some of the happy mail that arrived on my doorstep this week)! There is a complete list of supplies used at the bottom of this post.

Here's the sketch (I basically flipped it horizontally):

Come play with us!!!  It's so much fun to see what others create based on the same sketch!

I will also be posting this a Paper Issues.  Their "Current Issue" is all about using instagram photos (which I love)!

Supplies:

Echo Park :: Flower Garden 12x12 Sweet Girl

American Crafts :: Dear Lizzy 12x12 Lucky Charm Paper :: Lucky Coin

American Crafts :: Dear Lizzy 12x12 Lucky Charm Paper :: This and That

American Crafts :: Amy Tangerine Yes, Please :: Capture Embroidery Kit
American Crafts :; Amy Tangerine Yes, Please :: Create Cardstock Shapes

Studio Calico :: Chevron Snippets Wood Veneer
A Flair For Buttons :: Lovely Words Flair

Heidi Swapp :: Clear Pop :: Clear Mint Alpha (love these)!
Tape Works Green Chevron Washi Tape (got this in the Paper Issues "Thrift Shop" embellishment kit)
Elle’s Studio Serindipity Lil Snippets Labels 
Scrapbook Circle exclusive tags

Scrap Your Story :: top of the world tonight

It's Friday!  That means, pizza and wine for supper (at least for us)...but before that, a new challenge at Scrap Your Story Challenge blog!

This week is our "theme" week -- and April's theme is SPRING! The title of this layout is "Top of the World Tonight", which is my daughter's favorite Cheap Trick song! She's been requesting it and singing it since she could talk! On the lovely spring day that I snapped these photos, she was climbing on top of the rocks in our garden and saying, "See, Mommy, I'm on top of the world tonight!"

These photos were taken during our spring break last year - 2012 (This year during spring break, we were sledding and shoveling snow -- that's Iowa for you)! But last year, it really felt like spring. 

I will admit that I had already started with these background papers for a different layout -- then decided I didn't like it -- but I liked the papers. So, now a month later, I grabbed them again and got busy. First I took the PinkPaislee patterned paper and cut a hole out of the middle.  Then I decided that it was a bit too bright, so I spread Gesso over all of it. Then I added the blue paper in the middle -- it has a little bit of pink in it and I loved the two papers together! I roughed up the inside of the square -- quite a bit -- and sewed it in place.

I've been into vellum lately! I used an Elise Blaha Cripe stamp "get excited" and stamped with yellow ink, in a diagonal, all across the vellum. That was the mat for my highlighted photo. But you really couldn't see what it said, so I also added it to the tab of the hidden journaling -- and I embossed it.

I found this American Crafts flair in my stash, and it was perfect for that rock'n roll sorta aspect of the layout - as an added bonus, it's the right colors.  ;-) The yellow letters are Amy Tangerine letters that I inked with a yellow stamp pad. 

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the "Hello" tab (from 8 tabs by Lori Whitlock). I put some clear embossing powder inside the word hello to highlight it a bit more.

I was going for some layers...

Hope you play along with us this week! This is a fun challenge that goes through Thursday, April 11th 11:59 PM (central).

I also linked this one up to Paper Issues!  Their "Current Issue" is Up in the Clouds!   You have until Saturday, April 6th to link up with them!

AND, if that wasn't enough, I am also taking a "Lots of Layers" class over at My Scraps and More (with the great Audrey Yeager). We were working on peek a book layers.  My peek a boo involves the cut out background, vellum, "hello" cut out....you get the idea!

Scrap Your Story Challenge :: my lucky charms

YAY!  It's Friday!  That means a new challenge goes live on the Scrap Your Challenge Blog.  Each month we follow this challenge schedule:

Week 1: Use it (you will be given an item you must incorporate).

Week 2: Theme (your layout and/or photos needs to show this theme).

Week 3: Sketch (flip it, rotate it, tweak it...as long as we can see the basics there).

Week 4: Technique (we will describe/show a technique you must include somewhere). 

This is challenge number three of the month so it involves a sketch! 

Here's Christy's sketch:

And here is my take on the sketch :

I don't do very many themed LOs, I'm more of a every day sorta memory keeper, but this photo from a couple of years ago needed to be showcased!

I found this four leaf clover overlay by Skyber Lowen while browsing the Silhouette online store and was inspired to use it as a mask. Then I decided that I wanted to create something that incorporated the Irish flag. 

First, I copied (and pasted) the 6x6 overlay and stuck them together to make a 6x12 cut. It took some time to get all the settings right but finally I got this:

Beautiful, right?  See why I had to use it??!!!!! Then I got out my mists and a piece of white card stock.  I used a couple different greens and tried to ombre it a bit, then I did the same on the other side with orange. OK, it's true, you caught me. Really, I just wanted to make a flag so I could get some orange in there...but it works for me. ;-) I ended up covering it up with the photograph, but there is a little overspray (very little) in the middle, so you can actually see the mask on the white part, but it still looks white! This is good to know in case I decide to do something like this in the future!  Next, I took out some Heidi Swap color shine (in two colors) for the splotches of paint in the lower left and upper right  corners. I like the shine, but I didn't want it on the whole page, plus this helped the dots of color stand out a bit more, I was thinking.  Then I let it dry for a couple of days. (mostly I needed thinking time)!

I decided that I wanted to try to bring out the gold in B's hat,  and I've been hoarding this Crate Paper Vellum with gold dots since December, so I decided it was time to use it! Next I found some awesome glittery gold card stock and I used that behind the photo. LOVE.  I was really digging all the gold so I found gold glitter and gold washi from my stash.  (The washi was in my stash, but can you believe I didn't have any gold glitter??? What is wrong with me!??!! Thank goodness I am only a few blocks from Target)!

I found some DIYthickers and added the gold glitter for a perfect touch!

I used some foam dots to pop the word "lucky" and added some lilybee design abcs for "my" and "charms". I love how the title turned out!

Speaking of love...I got this awesome flair in a happy mail package from Aimee Maddern! Wanna know a secret? I also got the green arrow washi. It wasn't part of the giveaway, but she used it in the packaging and I reused it! I know, right? ;-) I added some other washi, some enamel dots, and a fabric tag that I misted to complete the cluster.

for some reason some of these photos look like the orange could be red...there is no red...it's all orange

I hope you consider playing along with us at Scrap Your Story! This sketch was fun to use.

Coming soon : some news :-), a PL update, and some other funness. 

Later taters!