Polka Dot Plum Day

Ok it's going to be another hold onto your seats post today. I'm going to show you all of the Polka Dot Plum layouts I've been doing this month (or maybe the last two months). I know I should blog more often so they don't have to be so long, but it has been a hectic month, and it looks like August is going to be busy too. So just sit back and enjoy the layouts.

The first layout is Sharla and Callie and the kit used is Cloud Dancing by NBK Designs. I was asked to do a couple of pages with this kit when she first started at PDP, it is a cool kit, but I don't have many dancing pictures, so I had to adapt.

Next is the same kit, Cloud Dancing, but this time I do have a dancing photo. I found it on my hard drive and it Angela at a dance program. I think Tina had me copy them for her and it was still on my drive, so I used it. I did a little recoloring, but I think it turned out great.

Next up is a layout made with a kit called My Messy Boy and a template pack called My All Clustered Up both by Sweet Berry Designs. The photo is Cooper after he lost a battle with the sprinkler system. Just this past week, Tucker woke me up to go potty and Cooper decided to go too. The sprinkler were on in the back yard and he darted out and tried to bite it, and then immediately ran back inside. I think he has learned he won't win that battle.

Now for a layout that I really love. I got this beautiful kit by Kreations by Kami called Nature’s Canvas that is really pretty, but not in a girly way. I was doing a template challenge and thought it would be great for it, but I needed a one word title. I played with several different words and picture combinations before I settled on Perspective and photos from the Grand Canyon.

I also used the same kit to create a layout for a font challenge. I love fonts, they can really change the feel of a layout. On this one of Tucker and Cooper the font is called Font Moocher, well the tiptoe and bluebonnets part is.

Moving on to a kit by Polka Dot Plum Designs (Lauren and Amy) called Sweet Summertime. This is a great kit, I love the colors and find myself wanting to use it over and over. The first layout I did with it is Sharla and Cooper in the backyard. She was posing for some 4th of July pictures and he came over and kissed her.

My second layout using Sweet Summertime was for a template challenge. It was a great white space template, so I created a layout with Miss Callie in it. I love the sunburst paper and I think it worked well in this layout.

My last layout (for now) with Sweet Summertime is Mecca and Pam (Mecca's sister). It was taken when Pam came recently for a visit. I did this layout for a Font Challenge using the font Accidental Kiss.


Another kit that I've gotten to use by Polka Dot Plum Designs is called Rocky Top Sweetheart and it is a great kit too. I really love the "country" feel to this kit. My first layout is of Angela at the park and I love how her hair is glowing in the sun. You might think she is an angel, well until you got to know her. She is a great kid, but no angel (hehehe).

My next layout using Rocky Top Sweetheart is probably familiar to those that follow my blog. It is from an All About Me challenge where you had to tell what you are. I recently did a similar thing for a contest at STS, so I just modified that layout somewhat for this challenge. I think I like how this one came out better than the first one. But don't get used to layouts with me on them, I don't like doing those.

My next layout is Tom, Mecca, Callie and Cole and I used a kit by Sir Scrapalot called It’s Not Easy…. It is a great kit I love the bingo card in the kit and I just had to have a little fun with my bingo markers.

Am I starting to wear you out???? Well we're almost done. My next one is using a kit called Audrey by Pixel Perfect Designs. Of course since it was inspired by Audrey Hepburn, I had to use Callie in the layout. I found a picture of her and Dolly that we took when Ira came to town with Dolly several years ago. I love the yellows and blacks in the kit and I thought they worked well with the photo.

Sharla is not fond of me taking her picture, but she is a good sport and will let me take one now and then. We were playing around one day, and I took a picture of her taking a picture of me. I immediately thought of that picture when I got a chance to work the kit called Focus a collaboration by Sweet Tomato Designs, Pagefrocks, and Heather Hess. It is a kit that "focuses" on photography.

And drum roll please my last one for today, and yes if you were counting that is a whopping 14 layouts in this post. When I opened this kit, I was in love. I did the this layout in about 30 minutes, and it only took that long because Sharla was talking to me. It is called Daddy's Girls and I did it for a font challenge. The font is Reservoir Grunge and the kit is called Fern by Polka Dot Pixels. I love the colors of this kit, it just reminds me of summertime. I picked a photo taken a long time ago of Sharla, Daddy and I sitting on the couch. Wait do you realize that I've done three layouts in the post alone with photos of me...what am I thinking???

Ok that is it for today, be sure to stop by again soon, because I'm sure I'll have more to show you.

Happily Ever After and Freebie

Once upon a time in a land far away....they lived Happily Ever After. Ok I'm writing a fairy tale, I'm going to show you two layouts made with a new kit by Scraps by Andrea called Happily Ever After. It is bright and cheerful and is good for boys or girls (but my layouts are girls). I'm so excited that she is designing again after having her lovely daughter. She got the inspiration for this kit from her new daughters pajamas.

Ok my first layout is of me...yes you read that correctly me. I've found recently I've done more layouts of me, and boy that needs to stop!!! These photos are quite old. Callie had gotten a dress up set and one day she decided I needed to dress up in her "child" sized set. The hat and the veil were ok, and we just changed where I wore the blue net skirt (hehehe). She had fun dressing me.

And to be fair here is a picture of her in the same dress up stuff. From very early on Callie was a clothes girl, and she still is today!!! And although she made the cutest bride in this photo, she is now saying it will be a long time before she ever marries (we'll see).

Now for your freebie. I made two word arts and put them in the same file. One for a girl and one for a boy. The image is linked so just click and download. And as always I would love to hear from my fellow scrappers.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Happily Ever After soon, you'll have lots of fun with it.

Making Memories & Freebie

Happy Sunday all, I hope each of you had a great day. It was busy at work today, but Monday and Tuesday are my days off so I get to take it easy. But enough about my boring life, it is time to show you a layout I made with a new kit by Digi-designs by Nicole called Making Memories. Making Memories is a fabulous kit for any occasion and any picture!

My layout is of Tina, Samuel and Angela. I love this series of photos because they were having such fun. I also love the color scheme for this kit and the elements are great too, including lots of pretty flowers.

Now for the freebie. I created a word art for you using the alpha from the kit and a couple of the elements. I hope you like it. You can download it by clicking on the preview below. Feel free to leave comments, it is always nice to hear from my fellow scrappers.

Make sure you stop by Stuff to Scrap this week and pick up Making Memories because it is on sale for 30% off and stop by Nicole's Blog to see the links to her other CT members who have freebies for this kit. And I'll be back later this week with more layouts to show you.

DSM Summer Getaway

Ok hold onto your hats, this is going to be a big one!!!! DSM (aka Digi Scrapbook Mania) is have a Summer Getaway, with lots of great workshops and challenges, and the winner will get something like $500 in prizes. But believe it or not I didn't do it for the prizes, not that I wouldn't love to win, I just want to learn more. They started with 10 workshops where you had 24 hours to do them and post, and we are now on our third challenge out of four. So today I'm going to show you the 10 workshop layouts I did.

Workshop one was on shadowing. Ok I admit I often put the same shadow on everything, but this workshop showed me how to make it look so much better by varying the depth, size and angle of the shadows. The picture is Zoey and the kit used is Girlie Girl by Mandy Made Digi Bits.

Workshop 2 is on blending. I don't use a lot of blending. I think it is cool, but for some reason, I just haven't done a lot of it. I used a couple of pictures from our vacation in 2000, one of the lighthouse and one of the kids in front of it. The kit used is Beach Bound by Modern June.

Workshop three covered extractions...sort of a bummer for me since I extracted the lighthouse on workshop two, but I went with the flow. Another technique I wish I was better about using, but I learned from the workshop. The photos are Cole when he was the Puppet Master in Pinocchio. He did a great job and he had the most evil laugh. The I used is Limelight by Connie Prince.

Workshop 4 covered clustering...yes I do love clustering. Sometimes it is easy for me and other times it isn't, so this was a great way to practice some on mine. The photo is Callie, Cole, and Mecca on Mother's Day and the kit is Loopty Loo by Connie Prince.

Workshop 5 covered composition, one technique that I do really try to think about. This workshop explained the rule of thirds and triangle composition. It was a great lesson to over again, because it really does make a difference on the layouts. I used the rule of thirds for this layout. The picture is my Tucker Joe and the kit is the CT Appreciation kit 2010. The great thing about this layout is I entered it into the "Best Pet Layout" for CT Appreciation Week and it won!!!! Yeah me!!!

Workshop 6 focused on templates and boy did I learn a lot in this one. Not because it was anything really new, but the template we were given wouldn't work in PSE 7 or 8, so I had to use the png files and recreate it. Which it was a good thing, I learned so much more than if I would have just taken the template and used it. The whole point of the lesson was to take templates and shift, rotate, etc to make them your own. The photos are Zoey and the kit is The Best Days of Your Life by Connie Prince.

Still hanging in with me???? We're over half way home. Workshop 7 covered selective coloring. This is the coolest technique and can really make the photos pop on the page. I've used it before, but again it is always good to have a refresher. I used photos of Tucker in the reindeer suit so I could leave the nose red. The kit is Holly Jolly by Just So Scrappy.

Workshop 8 was my favorite because it covered white space layouts and I love those. That is my scrapping style. In fact I did one of the examples for the leader because I'm on her CT team. I tried to use it as my layout, but they were real meanies and said no...just kidding they just laughed at me. The example is using the Summer Getaway kit and the photo are the kids on the beach at Nags head.

And my actual layout for the workshop is this one of Sharla and Cole using the kit Inspire by Designs by Christi. Yes I've already shown you that one when I showcased her kit, I had to do some work during these workshops so I just combine this one.

Workshop 9 covered journaling. I thought this would be my least favorite workshop because I suck at jounaling. I understand why it is important, and it is a great way to tell a story, but I still struggle with it. They told us to take a layout we'd already done and add journaling to it. But we had to do it in two ways. At the top were were to list the who, what, where and why of it and then on the layout do the normal journaling. I took my layout from workshop 4 and added journaling to it.

Workshop 10, turned out to be my least favorite workshop. I think lots of great layouts came out of it, but it was so hard for me. It covered collages and that is so total opposite of my style. I played with it and finally came up with one that I liked, but not loved. But then I'm not sure I would love any of this style. The photos are Tucker, Cooper and Zoey and the kit used is the June BAK from DSM.

Did I fool you? Did you catch that I showed you eleven layouts not ten (hehehe). I've completed 3 of the challenges, but I think those will have to wait to another day, because I know I'm tired of typing and your eyes have to be tired of looking about now.

Boys and Crawly Things

It is Wednesday to everyone else in the world, but today is my Monday and it has been a Monday!!! But I would rather be busy than bored, and that has been the case today. In fact I had planned on blogging last night, but I just couldn't get myself to do it, so I thought I would blog this morning and still nothing, but I'm ready now, not really, but close enough. Today I'm going to show you pages made with a new kit by Scrappin' Daisies Designs called Boys and Crawly Things and it is such a fun kit. She does a great job of giving you themed items and a mix of "standard" things so you can do lots of different things with her kits.

The first layout is Cole when he was in the third grade. He performed in a talent show, where he did a karate routine to the song "Still in Saigon" by Charlie Daniels. He wore a muscle suit. It was the cutest thing!!!!

The second layout about Cooper. A former co-worker had a birthday party for her dog and invited Cooper and Tucker. When we got there, the boys they were a little freaked by by all the people and dogs. Cooper shot across the room and jumped in the lap of a stranger. I think he just wanted to see out the window, and luckily everyone there was a dog person.

Make sure you head over to Brownie Scraps and pick up Boys and Crawly Things because it is only sale this week.

So Stacked and More

Happy Monday all, today I'm going to show you pages made with Modern June's new template pack called So Stacked and it is available at DSM, Scrapable, and Ginger Scraps. It is a great set and I really had fun with it.

My first layout is Sharla and Cooper in the backyard. I needed some 4th of July pictures so Sharla put on her new shirts and went out to pose for me. When she sat on the blanket, Cooper ran up to sit with her. I used Modern June's kit DSM as well.

The second layout I made with the kit is Tucker Joe on July 4th. We all piled on my bed that morning, and he was in heaven, he kept going back and forth between Sharla and I getting belly rubs. Normally one of the other of us has to be getting ready, so these days rarely do both of us get to be lazy in the morning. I used the kit DSM with the template.

Ok now is when I normally tell you to head over to one of her stores and pick the template pack, but I have more to show you. She released an add on for her DSM kit last week, as well as some alphas and a word pack to go along with it. I did a layout for it but never got around to blogging about it. So here it is, Callie in the surf at Nags Head.

So make sure you head over to one of her stores DSM, Scrapable, or Ginger Scraps and pick up So Stacked or any of her other cool kits.

I'm going to try to come back later tonight and show you all the great layouts I've made during the workshops at Digi Scrapbook Mania's Summer Getaway.

Template Tempation Vol. 9

A quick post to tell you about a great new template pack by Digi-designs by Nicole called Template Temptation Vol. 9 and it a great mix of single photo and multiple photo templates. She creates great templates.

The layout I made is Cole after his Pass and Review this year. He is standing with some of his buds and the top dog or whatever they call him. It thrills me still that the is the commander of the color guard, but even more it scares me that they gave him a sword. Ok I know his is almost grown and much more responsible than that kid that made ever long object he came in contact with a sword. But I've seen what he can do with a broom handle. I love the stinker. And I love how fast pages come together when I get to use a great template like this one.

This template set is on sale for this week only for 30% off, so head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Template Temptation Vol. 9 soon.

Also the Stuff to Scrap store is having a great Christmas in July sale this coming weekend. See the linked flier below.


I have a big post coming I promise, hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday!!!!!

Inspire

Hi all I hope you're having fun on this hot Saturday. I know that is has hit that time of year when being outside for even a little while is just miserable. But that just means I get to say inside and scrap. I've got a lot to show ya'll, but it will probably be next week, for now I want to show you a beautiful new kit by Designs by Christi called Inspire and it has a matching cardstock. I fell in love with this kit when I first saw it and love it more after using it.

My first layout is Cole and Sharla, take a couple of years ago...ok a lot of years ago. He was snuggling her when I snapped the photo. I love the smile on his face!! I love the touches of black in this kit, because they make even silly photos like this one look almost elegant.

Next up is a layout I did as a scraplift, and I love how it turned out. The photo is Miss Callie and Honey, and I think the blacks in the kit really make the photo pop. I also used some of the greens, which really soften the layout some.

So head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Inspire and Inspire Cardstock they will be a great addition to your stash. And I'll be back tomorrow with more. Just know I've been scraping a lot, so hopefully soon I'll have time to blog all the great pages I've completed.

Bugs & Blossoms plus a Freebie

Happy Sunday all. I'm going to show a new kit by Digi-designs by Nicole called Bugs and Blossoms and also you can get a word art freebie too. The kit is bright and cheery and perfect for so many things. I love all the little bugs, but the ant and grasshopper are my favorites.

I did a layout with Tucker, because he is bug crazy. At night when I let him out to potty, he tries to find June bugs and then he eats them. It drives me crazy, but he is really addicted to them. The bugs in the kit range from butterflies to spiders, so there is something for everyone.

Also Nicole let us create word arts, clusters or such as freebies for ya'll (ain't she sweet) and I created one that says "Bug Off", I thought it would be perfect for those sibling layouts (hehehe). The image is linked.

Make sure you head over to Stuff to Scrap and pick up Bugs and Blossoms this week because it is on sale for 30% off. Also if you go to Nicole's Blog you'll find links to the other freebies by her other CT members. And I'll be back later this week with more.

Lazy Daisy

Hi all, I hope everyone is enjoying the hot July weather...well it is hot here. Hot enough that I decided to chop my hair off, so did Sharla...we had the girls at Super Cut just laughing because we were egging each other on to do it. I'd say I would show you a picture, but I don't like pictures of me. Maybe later. Right now I'm here to show you a very pretty new kit by Scrappin' Daisies Designs called Lazy Daisy. I love the the yellows and greens, they are perfect for so many different types of layouts.

My first layout is Tom, Mecca, Callie and Cole taken on Mom's birthday several years ago. You can tell that the photo is old because Cole isn't taller than everyone else (he is now).

My second layout is Zoey, taken last weekend. We were in the backyard and Zoey just came up to me and was watching me. I thought she might have brought a me a toy, but no, she was just watching me, so I snapped her picture. I love the daisies in the kit, and I thought they looked so good with the yellow paper.

Be back later with more.

Beach Bound

I really wish I was Beach Bound, but alas, that is not possible this summer. However I do have a great new kit to show you by Modern June called Beach Bound. It is available at DSM, Scrapable, and Ginger Scraps and it is great! Beach Bound is a great summer kit with tons of LO potential. From beach LO's to pool, to just hanging out in the yard! You can find what you need here!

My first layout is a little crab found on the beach when we went to the Outer Banks a couple of years ago. Sharla got his photo, and I thought he was cute with the little crab elements from the kit.

Next up is Callie and Mecca on the same trip. It was just before Labor Day so it wasn't really hot out, but they wanted to soak up some rays. And if you stayed out long enough you did get burned (ask Cole). I love the colors in this kit they work so well with just about anything.

So make sure you head over to DSM, Scrapable, or Ginger Scraps and pick up Beach Bound (and it is on sale this week only).

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July, I hope everyone has had a great Independence Day. I know it has been a nice day for me so far, but the worse part of the day hasn't arrived as of yet. I used to like fireworks, but I now have two dogs that really don't like them and one that doesn't care for them. We have to give them medication to help them. But enough of the boring stuff, I'm here to show you a new kit by Becky Young Designs called Let Freedom Ring and it is perfect for your 4th pictures.

My first layout is from 2002 and it Callie and two of her friends as we waited for the fireworks to start. They were having such a good time just being girls. I really love the colors of this kit, the reds and blues are just great.

My second layout is Cooper (the most fearful of fireworks). He is wearing his 4th of July t-shirt, and yes he likes shirts. I love the touches of black in the kit I think they make the other colors pop.

You should head over the Stuff to Scrap and pick up Let Freedom Ring, it is on sale for the next couple of day. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff.

Trying to Catch Up - STS

Ok here is another long list of layouts I've done recently. I'm trying very hard to get caught up and hopefully not get as far behind in the future. Today I'm going to show you challenges I've done at Stuff to Scrap including the ones from "This Scrapper's Got Talent".

First is a layout I did for a motto/slogan challenge and when I saw the slogan, I immediately thought of Cole. He has always had a great imagination, and can turn just about anything (including the dog's "no chew" collars) into something fun.

Now for one I really struggled with, it was for the "This Scrapper's Got Talent" contest. The layout had to monochrome, and I love the look of them, but they are not something I really do a lot. I guess they didn't like it either because I was eliminated that week. :( The photos are from last Thanksgiving.

Another one from the same contest, different week. The challenge was to have layout that was mostly journaling, which was a real struggle for me. You could only have one photo and it could not be of someone or a pet. I'm not sure if you can read the journaling, if not ask me and I'll tell you the story.

Ok the first week of that contest, I had to do something I really dislike and that was scrap about me. And it had to have a picture of me. I started to just use the old one, but thought I'd be good (yes it was hard). I used one of Scraps by Andrea's kits called Unconditional Love which I really love.

Ok, I guess now is as good of time to show you the other entry into that contest. It was a two page layout, and I had to have ten photos. I have never done a two page layout, and rarely do I use more than two photos. So after struggling I came up with the 10 things that make me smile. I'll show you it together and then each side so you can see a little better.



Ok that's it for today, I'll be back soon with layouts I've done at PDP. I hope everyone has a safe and blessed July 4th!!!!!