Elaine's Welcome Sign CJ

Here is my layout for Elaine's Welcome sign cj. It looks very plain, but took a great deal of prep work, really. The base paper is red, with the light brown painted over and the coffee stamps randomly placed on the pages. The actual welcome sign is a matted journaling tag; the title was stickers I used as a mask, with a number of inks blended over top.

And here is the Do Not Disturb tag for her sign in sheet.

I haven't forgotten Paula's sign in tag....I'm just struggling is all. I've got an idea now what to do, now it's just a matter of getting a picture of me that will fit.

The Story of Stella, Marley and Scarlett

In an incredibly unusual turn of events, I have Paula's cj pages finished ahead of schedule! Wow-wee! I've impressed myself! Everything just came together, my top three characters got chosen, the wording came to me and the rest just pieced together like magic. Gotta love it when that happens!

For Stella's page, I left in some imperfections, like the uneven cut on the journaling paper and the leftover dusties from the silver embossing powder (I think Stella would like the stardust effect it leaves!). If you can find this book, which is a challenge in itself, read it. The illustrations are amazing and the story is an important one for adults and children alike.

The other two characters are likely more recognizable and I think the journaling sufficiently explains my choices.

Now, to figure out my sign in tag for Paula's book. Hmmmm....I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day!

Travelling Musts

Here is my contribution to Kathi's Travelling Musts cj. I did this in a narrative style instead of list style. It's just how this layout worked for me. Just in case my handwriting is too hard to read from the scan, I'm including it here:

Once upon a time...there was a young woman named Courtney who was very particular about having her purse with her when she travelled. Inside, she had her wallet, her cell phone, camera with extra batteries and a charger with both a wall plug and one for the car, just in case she was travelling some far-off land with no electricity. She also preferred to bring her makeup, but some destinations were far too rustic for it to be practical!

So, okay....I also have about 7 items listed (and that's if you're willing to count the batteries and charger as one item...) But in my defense, I was originally thinking of just my wallet, phone, camera and charger as being count-able objects....with makeup being an optional fifth. What can I say.....I don't travel light.....and I have troubles following rules....they're more guidelines anyways....right????

Here is another example of me doing things a little differently. For my sign in tag, I used a luggage punch (courtesy of Carrie from a punchie swap) for my name and hometown but adhered my pic onto this fun chipboard piece. The picture is of my son and I playing in the warm, clear water of Lake Huron. I hope this is alright, Kathi. I had a really hard time thinking inside the suitcase!

And now, I'm off to create a layout for Paula's "3 Favourite Book Characters" cj. This circle journal is such a wonderful challenge, and I thank all you ladies for your thought-provoking topics!

Compulsive Creations

Every now and again, I get this compulsive need to create something. A while back, it was wreaths, often it's just the next layout or a card that I "have to do." Well, yesterday, I "had to" alter this clock. Here it is, basically finished just without the glass and front fastened on. I was too focused on taking it apart to think to take a before pic. Originally, I bought the clock to go up in the living room and surround it with pictures. But it never went up and since re-arranging my studio, I've found it quite annoying having to turn around to see what time it is. Laziness can certainly motivate us to do some pretty ambitious things!
When the idea first came to me, I had something quite different in mind. When I couldn't take the clock completely apart, my plans changed. Then when the Glimmer Mist and paint idea started looking more like a gory blood and guts horror film prop I came up with this. Simply put, it's paper and embellie scraps all layered together to make a pretty collage.

This picture shows the clock back together and on the wall over the window, directly in front of my table so I only have to look up to check the time. Ahhh! Much better!

Sign In Pages

So, I need to apologise. The first shot is fuzzy because I scanned it instead of taking a picture and, well, shell beads are just a little too 3D for scanning.....who knew?! The second page is much clearer and contains the only re-purposed item on this layout other than my tag. The ribbon was once the pretty packaging for a pair of pajamas.
In time, this page will be covered in re-purposed items and friendly, smiling faces. And that, in turn, will make me smile back!

Oh, and yes Lisa, that is Elaine's writing on my tag!

My 4 Re-Purposed Items Page

Alrighty, here it is; the first page for my cj titled 4 Things I've Repurposed for Scrapbooking. Hope this helps you ladies get some ideas for your pages. I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with!

Though not repurposed, all the paper I used is from the DCWV Green Stack so at least it's recycled paper, right? The "title" was done on a tag from a cloth shopping bag and the word RECYCLED was actually cut out of the Green Stack cover.

And yes, I've actually got 5 items. It would seem that you put a tape runner in my hand and I forget how to count!

So next post is my sign in page and then I believe I'm up to date.....yay!

Cuddlin' Canine

In response to a pet challenge Elaine found and shared with some of us scrappin' sistahs, I made this page about and from the perspective of our dog Lilah.
She's such a funny dog. She's scared and snarly with anyone new, but from day one was so stuck on our family; especially Cole who never previously showed any interest in dogs. Certainly one of the more curious personalities of all our pets!
Thanks for looking. Don't forget to hug your pet today!