Bubblicious

Blowing bubbles is so much fun. During our vacation this year my little BFF entertained everyone just by blowing bubbles and giggling at the magic of them all. It reminded us that the simplest of pleasures are the most enjoyable.

The inspiration for Bubblicious came from the December double page sketch at Stick It Down. Those floating hearts reminded me of bubbles and the pages came together from there. I used the bubbles to frame the photos and linked the bubbles together just as they would come out of a bubble wand.

A great big fun coloured title, some bubble wands and buttons for embellishment, and I was done.

Stick It Down also has a card sketch and a single page sketch on their blog.

Maybe you can do all three this month?

It's fun to participate.

You may become next month's featured artist.

Single Page Sketch

Card Sketch



Father & Son

I'm very happy to be November's featured designer at Stick It Down. I hope that something in my work will be of inspiration to you and that you'll play along with us this month.


The little guy in my layout has an abundance of talented musicians in his lineage, in fact both Mom and Dad are very accomplished musicians. It looks to me like he's going to carry that talent into his generation.

The sketch I used for inspiration is the double layout featured at Stick It Down this month. I found it so intriguing and unique. Image a 24 x 12 inch canvas with little suggested for pictures. It opened things up for playing with different media.

I chose ink/stamp and metallic paint. The metallic drew in the gold and silver of the instruments. I first covered the area with an open weave burlap and using a finger ink dauber 'pushed' paint through the burlap here and there. Some musically themed embellishments, stars for his future success, and washi tape, seemed to finish things off nicely.

There's  a great card and single page sketch released today as well.

Maybe you'll 'get your craft on' and play along with all three.

Card Sketch



Single Page Sketch



I'd love to see your work.



at the FAIR

Next to Christmas morning there's nothing children like more than amusement park rides and candy floss.


Here in our small town the Fall Fair is a very big deal. Kids spend time working painstakingly on entries for everything from their own grown tomatoes to making animals out of soup cans. The children work weeks and months on their entries. It's a really big deal in our town.


Awards are great but the real draw for children will always be the rides. My little friends sure looked to be having a great time. The perfect activity for a fall themed layout.

This layout is based on the October Stick It Down double page sketch. It worked so well for the my big title and for highlighting Fall Fair favourites like arcade games and popcorn.

There is also a single page layout and a card sketch up on the site for October.

Complete 1, 2 or all 3 but share each of them by playing along with the challenge and posting them on the site. I'd love to see your work there.

Single Page Layout

Card Sketch

The Bus Stops Here.

The first day of school heralds a new year of adventure for children, renewed friendships and a few sad Mommies.

This year it was a very sad day for little Pana as he watched the big yellow machine swallow up his very best friend. Pana hadn't been separated from his adopted brother since his arrival 6 weeks ago.

My heart broke for him as I looked at the picture of him sitting patiently on the pavement waiting for Joaquin to reappear.


It was a long day for both of them but eventually they were reunited and within seconds of those bus doors opening Pana's little world had turned right side up again.

The sketch my layout it taken from is posted on the Stick It Down blog and was designed by Ali Gage. In fact on the 1st of each month there are three sketches posted; a single, double and a card. Whether a card maker or layout junkie you'll find more than enough to inspire you.

Double Page Layout

Single Page Layout 

Card Layout

I do hope you play along with as many layouts as you can fit into your crafty time. I look forward to visiting your blog and seeing more of your works of talent.

Apple Picking

This was the day that little Xavier had his first apple right off the tree. No more applesauce for this guy.


He delighted in being pulled along the rows of apple trees. He took his role as guardian of the apple filled bags very seriously.

I wanted to keep everything 'orchard' colours so stuck went with red, green and brown as my theme colours. I couldn't resist adding an apple core to my layout as Xavier left quite a few of those in his wake as the afternoon wore on.

The sketch my layout it taken from is posted on the Stick It Down blog. In fact on the 1st of each month there are three sketches posted; a single, double and a card. Whether a card maker or layout junkie you'll find more than enough to inspire you.

Double Page Layout

Single Page Layout

Card Layout

As a member of the Stick It Down Design Team I'm always excited to see everyone's creations.
I'll be dropping by your blogs to see more of your showcased talent.



Loon Lake

For our summer getaway this year we vacationed at Loon Lake. It's only an hour away but it could have been a whole different world.


I enjoyed morning my tea in a Muskoka chair on the dock. I couldn't get enough of that gorgeous view.

My inspiration for the layout is the July 1st Stuck?! sketch. It showcased my photo beautifully. Stuck?! will have another sketch out on the 15th.

Thank you to my Bestie, and constant source of inspiration, Danie for passing along the technique of using the negative of the stencil as a stencil. I think you get what I mean. :) She's got some great layouts and tips on her site. You should drop by.

I can't wait to showcase more photos from my vacation.

Winery

The cellar at Peller Estates is like Wonderland for wine lovers.

I still can't believe they made me leave.

The inspiration for my layout was this great sketch from Stuck!?

The paper itself provided the title.

Wine themed papers and stickers, together with my entry ticket, showed my page to be all about the wine cellar experience.

Wow! 5 months old

Eliya could have been sweeter as she smiled and charmed the camera in her 5 month photos.


Mommy and Daddy are so good to share Sam and Eliya's pictures with me. They give me great fodder for my scrapbooking addiction.


It was especially nice this time as I've recently been invited back to the Stick It Down Design Team. With my role on the double-page layout team I need lots of great pictures and little ones are always the best source for that kind of volume.

I really enjoyed creating the different ways of 'pinning' things to the swags. The swags themselves I sewed on my machine using a bright pink rayon thread. The shine of the rayon thread draws your attention to the pinned trinkets.


The sketch my layout it taken from is posted on the Stick It Down blog. In fact on the 1st of each month there are three sketches posted; a single, double and a card. Whether a card maker or layout junkie you'll find more than enough to inspire you.

Dougle Page Layout

Single Page Layout

Card Sketch

I'm looking forward to see your creations.

I'll be dropping by your blogs to see more of your talent.

Wine Country Vintners

Everyone has a favourite shopping spot during their vacation and mine was Wine Country Vintners. Maybe it was because I got to taste everything before I made my selections. (She smiles wistfully.)

The Stuck?! July 15th sketch was perfect for my lone photo. Another label, from yet another wine I enjoyed, extended my photo horizontally, a substitute for the 4 suggested photos.

More Wine labels, and a few cards, and the circular form was accomplished.

My favourite embellishment was the little VQA symbol cut from one of the labels and glued to the lens of the camera. 

Welland Canal

I couldn't help but marvel at the size of the ships navigating the narrow width of the Welland Canal. Piloting those behemoths among each other obviously takes incredible talent. 

I thought my scrapbook memory should have a distinct nautical theme. I found some great papers in the Bo Bunny Boardwalk and Kaisercraft Sailaway collections. I was most thrilled with the rope patterned paper.

I'm trying hard to group embellishments. It's something that challenges me. I was quite happy with my little collection of a brass circle, brass being synonymous with boats, a Silhouette cut file of an anchor, which every ship needs, and, of course, the ever traditional rope symbolized by a length of jute.

Here's a closeup of my embellishment grouping.

The inspiration for the Welland Canal is the Stuck?! May 1st sketch. I thought it was perfect for my 'ships passing' photo. The suggested banners gave me the opportunity to incorporate a number of nautical themed papers.

There will be another Stuck?! sketch posted on the 15th. Keep an eye out for it. You won't be disappointed.

Garrison House

I didn't just appreciate the bounty of wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake but the food as well.

I was amazed by the number of incredible eateries and dining options there were. I still have the pounds to prove I sampled from a large variety of dining fares.

One of the most fun was The Garrison House. A pub style restaurant with great food and lots of it. I loved how they displayed the beers on tap by having the taps, literally, coming through the blackboard menu. The atmosphere was so great.

For this layout I used the May 20th sketch from Scrapmuch? designed by Laura Whitaker.

Because The Garrison House had such great pub fare, I thought the bottom of the menu could substitute for the suggested contrast at the bottom of the sketch and it worked out just great. The brass coloured bottle cap somehow seemed appropriate. :)

With Niagara-on-the-Lake so steeped in it's British history, I thought a background featuring some red, white and blue would be perfect. I'm very happy with how it all worked out.

Don't forget that Scrapmuch? publishes a sketch every Friday. You should never have a shortage of inspiration.

If you ever get a chance to visit The Garrison House you certainly won't be disappointed.

Honey Bunny

Turns out that bunnies aren't necessarily the cutest part of Easter.
Check out 'Honey Bunny' Brooklynn. 

It seems to me there's three cute bunnies in this photo.

Loved this sketch from Scrapmuch? designed by Laura Whitaker. 

I used an outline of an Easter Bunny in place of the suggested circular component of the design and lots of Spring coloured washi tape to match up with the photo and patterned paper.

Scrapmuch? releases a new sketch each Friday of the month. Be sure to check back often.

Trius Winery

The Trius Winery at Hillebrand was the site of my first winery tour while vacationing in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

 

I really wasn't prepared for the amazing structures, machinery and wine cellars that make up a winery. I was truly in awe. During the tour we were taken through every step of the process from the vines to the completed product. It was Trius that started me on my quest to tour as many wineries as possible, and taste as much of the product as I did, while in the Niagara wine region.

 

 

I love double-page layouts because I always have so many pictures I want to use.

On the 1st Friday of each month Scrapmuch? shares a great double-page sketch. I wait for it every month. Scrapmuch? also shares a single page layout each of the remaining Friday's of the month.

 

This is today's double-page one designed by Laura Whitaker for Scrapmuch?

 

  

It was a great sketch for featuring my favourite Trius photos and the memorabilia I collected during my visit. 

 

Don't forget to incorporate all those "little things" you pick up during your travels. They all add to the memory you're creating of your experience.

 

 

Niagara Apothecary

On the main street of Niagara-on-the-Lake museums can be found forming an integral part of the streetscape.

 

The Niagara Apothecary was one of my favourites. It building and interiors were not only all original, but much of the medicines and powders could be seen in their original bottles and papers. I was fascinated by what I saw and before I knew it two hours had flown by.

 

None of my pictures turned out well in the little shop so I bought this great postcard to scrap for my album.

 

 

I wanted to keep the Victorian feel so embellished with things that were so popular during the period. Things like a birdcage and butterflies fit in perfectly. I added a little brown ink for aging. I came away very pleased with my layout.

 

The inspiration for my layout is from the May 15th Stuck?! sketch designed by Laura Whitker. When I saw the sketch I immediately visualized my treasured postcard surrounded by a variety of pastel patterned papers. Thanks Laura for such a great sketch.

 

 

There's a new sketch at Stuck?! on the 1st and 15th of each month.

 

Wines

There was scrapbooking before there were photos so a layout with no pictures should be considered traditional.

 

Instead of photos I salvaged the labels from a number of wineries I visited while on vacation in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

 

I considered it a labour of love consuming the wine to get to the label. If I were honest that's probably delusional justification but it works for me.

I had such a great time with embellishments on this layout. Sometimes you just need to root through the bottom of your embellishment stash. There are always treasures to be found.

This layout is based on the Scrapmuch? sketch designed by Laura Whitaker. I knew right away it would work for my hoard of wine labels.

 

There's a sketch every Friday at Scrapmuch? You won't lack inspiration if you drop in.

 

Another great take on this sketch is the one done by my mentor Danie. Check out her Little's first haircut. So cute!

 

 

1st Buck'in Shot

Yes, Erica got her first buck in one shot.

 

Not only in one shot, but with her first shot.

This is her first year of hunting and we are very proud of her. She has been well trained and, as a lot of northern women do, hunts for sustenance not sport.

I loved working on this layout. I was able to incorporate a bit of the woods into my page with the use of birch bark and kept things 'earthy' with cork patterned paper, some jute and a wooden flourish.

The sketch for this layout came from Stuck?! sketches and was designed by site owner Laura Whitaker. Stuck?! will be releasing another single-page sketch on the 15th. Watch for it.

I just knew this sketch would work for my photos. The open space at the bottom is what suggested to me that I dig out those pieces of dried birch bark.

 

I've been away from scrapping for a bit but with my trusty mentor, and amazing friend, Danie encouraging me, I've got the bug again. I guess we all take some away time from our projects but fortunately that urge to create always resurfaces.

 

Enjoy.