One Manufacturer, Two Different Looks.

I don't usually think too much about scrapbooking supply manufacturers. I like what I like and often take no notice of the label. But one name that often pops up in my supplies is My Mind's Eye. In fact, the last two paper packs I bought online happened to be MME, and arrived within days of each other.
The first layout shown was made with the Be Loved collection; a fun and colourful set perfect for Valentine's or any lovey-dovey layout. It seemed perfect for these pictures of the dogs jockeying for top spot on my lap. Some of the background flowers in the large stripe of patterned paper even look like paw prints!

And then, in a complete turnaround, is the classic black and white styling of the Meadowlark Dawn collection. I've also got the Dusk collection, but this was all made with Dawn (except for the purple circle tag, an oldie of unknown origins, and the cardstock). I like how the patterns worked with the background elements of my living room.

See that strip of black polka dots? That was the sample strip (showing the backside of the paper) from the bottom of the background paper. I've used those sample strips a lot, love the companies that put them on!

On a bit of a side note, I'd like to say that in real life, that bird eyeing me up would be doing so in anticipation of the perfect moment to peck my eyes out. Thank goodness paper birds are not so malicious!

So there it is, one paper manufacturer with two totally different looks, both that I love and I think are sooooo me.

My Studio, Now Improved With Purple-ish Carpet.

Thanks to my fabulous hubby, Scott, my studio is now sliver-free! I found this carpeting at a discount flooring store, marked down ridiculously low because it seems not everyone has an appreciation for purple-ish carpet. The salesman really liked my description of the colour, but that didn't get me any further discounts.


I should have gotten some shots while the studio was freshly put back together and tidy, instead of waiting until I was in the middle of a project....but such is life. This is how it looks most of the time, very lived in, just like the rest of my house!
And this time, I've included a shot of my stuffies, who watch me from the corner in their stuffie-bin. Hmmm.....I never really thought of them watching me.....creepy!

Chairs, they're not just for humans anymore!

Yes, that's the title and sub-title of my latest layout! I was determined to participate in Paula's sketch and colour challenge on the Memory Makers board and this is what came of it:

Originally, I'd planned on making a layout about the kids playing in all the snow we've got, but as I didn't have the pics developped yet and the urge to create wasn't going to wait, I found a common thread in the many, many un-scrapped pics I have of Lilah and used them instead.
Lilah likes to sit on the dining room chairs. It started with her sneaking up on the back of my chair while I played on the computer and has grown to her sitting with everyone, and sometimes even snagging a chair on her own. She is good enough not to try this while we're eating or there's food at the table. Often her interest seems to be the computer; I have another layout that states, "if she had thumbs, she'd use the computer herself."

Fun With Cardstock.

I am a big fan of Core'dinations cardstock. Not necessarily because of it's distressing abilities but more often because of the colour selection. I just find the best stuff from them when it comes to matching to the patterned papers I like.
Yesterday, however, it was about both the colour and the possibilities! Originally, I'd bought this red cardstock for a Christmas layout, but then never used it for that. But it was the perfect contrast for a picture I had where the three fabulous ladies in the pic (my daughter, sister and mom) were wearing mostly grey and black, with a bit of purple in the mix. Oh, and it really made that flower circle pop too!
For some extra fun and interest, I stamped a random pattern along the bottom with Versamark ink, followed by an application of clear embossing powder. After it was heated and set, I sanded over the stamped area. Most of the embossing came off as well, but the original colour was still preserved over the stamped areas.

I'm still working on the finishing touches to this layout, but I'm very happy with the results of this stamping/sanding technique.

Silly Bands

Oh my, I've been a very bad blogger! I can't believe it's been this long; but it's a new year and with it comes the hope of more time to play, create and share!
Today has been a day just for that! I got two layouts done today, including this one. Silly Bands are these fun coloured, funky shaped plastic bracelets and quite the fad right now. Kelsey has an impressive collection of them that keeps growing and growing....and growing (thankfully, they're cheap!). One day, Kelsey was sorting through her collection while Lilah slept beside her.

I'm not sure where she got the idea to use Lilah as a canvas, but it did look really cool so I snapped a couple of pictures...and then made Kelsey clear them all off before Lilah woke up and shook silly bands everywhere!

And just like that, a layout idea was born. I kept things simple, using cardstock scraps and making silhouette cutouts with my Cricut and punches to copy the look of the bands. The colours are a bit off in the photo, but I was excited to get this posted.

So there you have it, quite possibly my first layout of 2011; hopefully the first of many I share here too!

Q & A Time

For as long as I can remember, I've had a cat and an unfinished basement; the perfect scenario for Dusty Cat Syndrome. Think the basement's pretty clean? Think again!
Our current kitty, Spooky demonstrates this perfectly in these pics. Photographing all black pets is tricky. Dusty, all black cats are especially tricky as using a flash not only causes glare from the fur, it will also magically erase all of the details. Not a bad idea if you don't want anyone to know how dusty your basement is, but for me, that was the whole point of the pics! So anyways, the center pic is in focus, the outside pics are both a bit blurry, as cats do not make the most cooperative models when a slower shutter speed is called for. Oh, who am I kidding, cats are just plain uncooperative! Still, I liked the effect and the pictures were printed and used anyways.
Oh, and the q: and a: are Thickers.....puffy sticker Thickers! Another little bit of nostalgia, as I remember collecting stickers as a kid.... and puffy stickers could only be topped by scratch and sniffs!
Thanks for looking; hope you enjoy!

An Oldie, But a Goodie!

I did this layout months ago, shortly after the pictures were taken at Cole's first ball game. It's simple, but a favourite of mine with hand cut waves, some stickers and lots of fun rubons.
Right from that first game, we were all so impressed with Cole's focus and ability to absorb everything he was told about how to play the game. He played hard and with heart; you can't ask for more than that!