I'm Baaaaaack!

It has been more than a year since I have scrapped and I am missing it terribly. It's time to dive back in and start catching up. I have visited my faithful Scrapbook.com site and have uploaded my latest creations and entered a couple of them in their Challenges. I have also joined the Let's Scrap community and entered a couple of their Design Team Challenges as well. Here are two layouts I created for Let's Scrap Sketch Challenges:

I used Sketch 09-12-12 to create this two-pager. Requirements were that it had to contain a picture of me along with a friend or family member, AND it had to contain a quote. Here is my take. I'm sorry for the quality of this picture. I took it with my son's Ipad and the lighting is bad. I went with my ol' faithfuls: stitching, ribbon, and flowers. I chose a two-page sketch since I have so many pictures from this competition and need to get them all scrapped. I'm not thrilled with it but it's a start and I think it will take me a little time to find my groove again.

I like "Live by example" a little better. More stitching, of course, but I used a Nikki Sivils blue envelope that contained tags as a mat instead of tossing it. I love how it curved the side of the picture to compliment the large circle patterned paper that I used. I chose paper/silk flowers, epoxy flowers, buttons, and sticker embellies and I've added the date in the NS journal tag before I put it in the album. This picture was taken the day before Mother's Day. My youngest daughter and her Forestry pageant sister, Abbie, gave out Mother's Day corsages to the residents at White Oak Manor assisted living home in York, SC. I have more pictures from this event and will add more journaling on the upcoming layouts I make with these pictures.

"So proud of you" is my favorite so far. I used machine stitching and hand stitching, stickers, buttons, ribbon, staples, paper flowers, felt banner, and paint. I really like how it turned out ;) Today, I am heading over to a dear, sweet scrappin' friend's blog, Delaina Farr Burns Embellished Memories. She has shared the latest sketch from My Creative Sketches and I am going to try and create a page using it. Check out her take!!! It is FABULOUS!!! Hope I can do it justice. Thanks for all the luv and advice, Delaina, and helping me get my fingers sticky again ;) Be back later this evening with my take ;)

Pageant Pics from OLM World Universal

From a Crowns of America Pageant

A Personal Invitation...

My good friend, Sarah de Guzman, has opened up a brand new Scrapbook Store in the bay area called Our Paper Place and I wanted to extend a personal invitation to all my followers to check out her new store. Be sure to also follow their Facebook Page HERE.

The infamous, Suzy West, is teaching a class on Friday, November 27th on making an Advent Calendar from 1pm to 3pm and another class Saturday, December 18th on a Mixed Medium Mini Album. Both classes are only $40.00 each and that includes all your materials needed to make your projects.

Please help spread the word and make this LSS a HUGE success!!! With competitions around like Michael's and Hobby Lobby's, it's hard for small scrapbooking business to make it out there. Please support your local businesses and help us all continue to make our favorite form of art grow and prosper.

Thanks for your support!!
Nik

It's been a while...

since I have made a post here on my blog. Haven't been scrapping much but have been keeping busy with Brooklyn and her pageants. Here are a few pictures from past pageants:








I am planning on making some Veteran's Appreciation cards tomorrow for our pageant next Saturday. It is a Veteran's Day Pageant and we are donating them to the Veteran's Home to decorate their walls. I will be back to post what I have made.

Happy Thursday!

Nik

More Smoky Mountain pics...

This little damaged-winged beauty sat pretty for me a few seconds for me to capture these in front of our condo.




Here are pics of our view from our condo. Aren't they luscious!!!











Here are pics from Dollywood. It was super hot and the kids didn't enjoy the first day as much as the second day that we went. We didn't ride the train but we did ride the Water Flume ride and got soaked!!! The second picture is Husband and the kids standing in front of the waterfall at the Water Flume ride.









It was a great vacation but now it's time to head back to the grind.

Happy Friday,

Nik

Another Layout To Share

This one is for the July 15th Challenge over at Scrap A While. I SOOOOO LOOOOVE Beggahuna's sketches!! Challenge was to use her sketch, use the color purple, use metal and distress. Hope I did her sketch justice ;) I used a metal flower embellie, distressed edges using my wonderful Zutter Distress-It-All, loads of purple flowers and paper and made the pearl flourishes myself. I punched holes in the shape of the flourishes using my flourish template I bought from Oriental Trader and then put pearls over top of my holes. The transparancy butterfly was purchased from Gabrielle Pollaco at her Etsy Shop. I added pearls and gems to it but it's beautiful on it's own. I made the purple crocheted flowers, myself ;)


Tomorrow is Brooklyn's pageant so wish us luck. She has been practicing (although she hates practicing but loves winning) but this will be the first time she has to make an announcement on stage. Very hard to get a 5 year old to talk slow when she's nervous...lol

Happy Friday!!!

ScrapAWhile July Cyber Crop

I haven't updated my blog in FOREVER and I haven't scrapped but once in over two months so today was just as good a day as any to try and whip out a few layouts.

Scrap A While posted about their July Cyber Crop on Facebook this morning and I popped over and created a couple of layouts for their challenges.

I created SWEET SMILE for Tarrah's Challenge #1 .



This was a color challenge and you had to use blue, brown, and creams. The pictures were from Brooklyn's photo shoot on Tuesday so I couldn't wait to get them scrapped. Loads of Prima flowers on this one and I love the floral bud tulle ribbon. I misted the background patterned paper and added gems for more bling. The butterfly was a Christmas clip and I thought it MADE the layout. I only wish I would have made the floral patterned paper a little longer on the bottom so that it would show more underneath the ribbon border strip. Oh well. I still love how it turned out regardless of the flaws ;)

I created buggy nap for Kellie's Challenge #2--Blind Challenge. She gave specific instructions on how to create the layout and everyone's creations are usually different from one another.



I dug deep into my old stash and used up several of my star brads. The papers are from Scrapdango's June kit. Unfortunately, life and other tribulations got in the way of my Design Team duties and I had to resign from my position last month. I miss all of the Dango girls and hope to find more time so I can return to the board and play with all of the talented women there. More misting (my new addiction) and my usual stitching on this one and painted some chipboard stars red to finish it off.

I hope to get their Sketch Challenges completed tonight because I know I won't have time to scrap again before the crop deadline.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Sure is hot enough ;) And if you're lucky enough to be in Chicago right now enjoying CHA, then go ahead and buy me something pretty. I'll be happy to email you my snail so you can make my day..hehehe.

Happy Thursday!

Nik