playground days

Authentique is quickly becoming one of my favorite manufacturers, and their current sketch challenge is to use this sketch to create a layout.

I turned the sketch upside down and used kites instead of bows. I used a 6x6 paper pad from the Free Bird series (Endless and fair weather).

Here is my layout:

I am also entering this into Frosted Designs hexagon challenge, Artfull crafts Authentique/celebrate challenge, Scrapbook Steals Amethyst #8 which uses the same sketch.

Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop Winner!

I would just like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to join in the Blog Hop this weekend and to comment on my post! It really did make my weekend! I loved working on this project, and I am so glad you all liked it and felt inspired! I must admit I was a little nervous when posting my project as it really was out of my comfort-zone! If I can do it - I know you all can do too!

So - onto my winner - selected by my daughter (I thought it only seemed right!!)

CONGRATULATIONS ...............

KIMBERLI!!!!!

I have just sent you an email to confirm!

Thanks again to everyone who entered and for those of you who have become followers of my blog!

I have more exciting news to announce - but that will have to wait until I have been given the 'green light' to tell you all about it :-)

ScrapbookSteals Blog Hop!

Welcome to the ScrapbookSteals Blog Hop, the best place on the web for scrapbooking ideas and supplies! You should have come here from Stephanie's blog, if not head back over to ScrapbookSteals blog to begin! Don't forget to visit everyone's blogs and leave a comment - some ladies are having their very own giveaway too - so MORE prizes to be won! Scrapbook Steals will draw a name from all of the comments to win a $20 ScrapbookSteals gift certificate. Every comment is a chance to win!

I was so excited when Kristy Lee asked me to join in this hop! There are SO many talented ladies out there - you will have seen some fantastic projects - with still more to come! We were asked to use My Mind's Eye 'Miss Caroline' 6x6 pads - with free reign to create whatever we liked!! Well, my head was racing! Should I do a layout or a card? An altered project (something I must admit I am very new too!)? So I thought I would challenge myself - NO PRESSURE there then! I finally (after walking round Michael's for an hour for inspiration) settled upon the idea of making an altered photo box. The papers were perfect and it is something I love to have sitting on my desk as I work. I made this one of my daughter through the years, the one of my son is still a work in progress (the paper pad I was given was My Minds Eye 'dolled up' - the papers are so versatile they can be used for a girl or a boy).

I started off with a standard wooden photo box, which I painted with cream paint (I knew some of the edges would be showing, and for the girls box I thought it looked a bit nicer). For the boys box I have left them unpainted for a more 'rugged' look!

I then started working on each individual panel in turn. The first panel is when she was a baby. I cut out the papers on my cricut and added the 'pompom' ribbon down the side. Then I found embellishments to fit.

The second panel is from when she was 2 years old - this was a professional photo my parents had taken - she just REFUSED to smile! I love it! Again the panel was cut using my cricut and the flowers were made using the coordinating papers from the pad.

Next is the panel from when we went to Disney and she became 'Princess for the day'! The butterfly was punched from coordinating papers from the pad, to coordinate with the butterfly background paper. I thought the 'Imagine' embellishment worked perfectly.

 The final panel is the most recent picture of her - believe it or not she is only 8 in this picture! Boy - I've got troubles ahead!!! As you can see, the paper patterns get more 'grown up' as she ages. The star pins are backed with more coordinating papers and other embellishments were added.

I finished the lid with a simple design and used  the papers and punches to make the flower. It just finished it off perfectly! I have this box sat on my desk at the moment - but I am sure it will find it's way into my daughters bedroom very soon!

I hope you enjoyed looking at my project and found some inspiration! I think I am beginning to get 'hooked' on Altered projects - not something I thought I would ever hear myself say!

Here is the Blog Hop order. Be sure to visit everyone and leave a comment. Remember - the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win the $20 gift certificate and maybe other prizes on people's blogs! You have until Monday, April 16th at 11:59PM MST to leave your comments.

ScrapbookSteals http://scrapbooksteals.stealnetwork.com/wp/

Misty Buck: http://www.mistylynnwhat.blogspot.com/

Michelle Philippi: http://michellephilippi.com/

Stephanie Umpleby: http://sucw.blogspot.com/

Kerys Sharrock:http://scrappinnhappy.blogspot.com/       <-- you are here!

Jennifer McDermott: http://wonkywares.blogspot.com/

Emily Lanham: http://createserendipity.blogspot.com/

Brenda Smith: http://theimperfectscrapper.blogspot.com/

I will also be choosing a SEPERATE WINNER from the comments on my blog to win a MYSTERY prize! Please become a follower on my blog and leave a comment below saying you have done so. I will choose a random winner on Tuesday morning and post the winner on my blog!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and have a great weekend :-)

Kerys

Paper secrets 3rd birthday bash!

Paper Secrets had a great birthday bash over the weekend! I didn't get as much time to join in as i would like, but I did win one of the games! I spy - where we were given a product from the PS shop and had to find a layout in the gallery using that product!

I was able to complete 2 of the challenges.

First, the card challenge, using the Paper Secrets colors (red, blue and yellow):

I used MME 'On the bright side papers' and the sketch from Scrapbook Steals MCM #78

The other challenge I managed to complete was the card sketch challenge x3. Here are my cards:

We had 3 card sketches to use. The first card uses Echo Parks 'Dots and stripes, the second uses MME 'Fine and Dandy - boy', and the third uses Imaginisce 'If the crown fits'. I'm not sure where the butterflies and owls came from, but the baby sentiment and word block came from The Cutting Cafe - digital stamps.

Bo Bunny & Scrapbook Steals

So when I saw the color inspiration challenge over on Bo Bunny - I knew the papers I wanted - the 'Popsicle' collection! However, I didn't bank on them taking so long to arrive when I ordered them online! The challenge ends in about 20 minutes, and I only received them this morning! Phew - this was a quick layout, but I am pleased with the end result! Here is the color inspiration picture from Bo Bunny:

I paired this with another great sketch from Scrapbook Steals:

Here is my layout:

Scrapbook Steals (MCM #74) & Frosted Designs

I seem to be making an awful lot of cards lately!!! Really not like me, but there are so many birthdays coming up, Mother's Day (March 14th in the UK!) and being Guest Designer at CCT! Here is a card I have made for my brother's 40th birthday later this month (WOW he's getting old!!). I used the following sketch from Scrapbook Steals...

...and here is my card (luckily he doesn't look at my blog, so I am safe that he won't spot it until it arrives in the mail!)

Outside reads "Age is just a number", inside it reads "Shame yours is just SO BIG!"

I am also entering this card into the Fabulous Friday Challenge over on Frosted Designs, which was to use numbers on your card/layout/project.

Bella Blvd & Scrapbook Steals!

This is the final challenge over on the Bella Blvd blog - use patterned papers from 4 or more collections on your project. I used 'Sophisticates' (big blue background paper), 'Hello Beautiful!' (multicolored stripe paper and letter/word stickers), 'Finally Fall' (Red spot and brown woodgrain papers) and 'Midterm' (yellow and grey houndstooth paper).
I also used the latest sketch from the Scrapbook Steals Blog - Amethyst #2:

Here is my layout:

Scrapbook Steals - Opal series

Opal #1

Opal #2

Opal #3

Opal #4

Opal #5

Opal #6

Opal #7

Opal #8

Opal #9

Opal #10

Woohoo! The whole series is completed! Thank you Scrapbook Steals for some great sketches :-)

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #1

Better late than never!!! I FINALLY got round to completing this one! Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it!

The journalling reads "LIFE...is a Bubble Bath - a few splashes but generally good clean fun!"

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #9

This weeks sketch:

This was a toughie for me! I knew the photo and papers I wanted to use, but it took a lot longer to come together than I thought! Not overly happy with the end result, but hey, looking better than it did 2 hours ago!!! :-)

My wonderful husband being super happy as normal at Christmas!!!! He'll kill me for putting this photo on! :-0


I am also entering this LO into the Imaginisce December color combo challenge.

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #8

Here is this weeks sketch:

And here is my layout:

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #7

This week's challenge was a toughie! 11 PHOTOS!!!
Here is the sketch:

Here is my take on it:

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #6

So onto this weeks Opal challenge! Here is the sketch:

And here is my take on it - I rotated it 90 degrees anti-clockwise.

It was SO nice to actually have my son dress up this year - he normally refuses! He HATES dressing up!

Scrapbook Steals - Opal #5

Ok - so I've definitely lost the plot! Another one I thought I'd posted!!!!
Here is the sketch:

and here is my take on it:

One of my all time favorite photos!! :-)

Scrapbook Steals - Monday Card Madness #57

There wasn't a sketch this week, but the theme was holiday or winter cards. Here is mine:

I made a box card and used Echo Park's 'Season's Greetings' collection.

Scrapbook Steals - Monday Card Madness #56

So I needed to make a birthday card for a friend - and what better way to do it than to use a sketch and enter it into a challenge too!!! This sketch is from the fabulous Scrapbook steals blog:

And this is my card! (One of her favorite phrases!!)

The stamp is a digi from Bugaboo stamps which I colored with prismacolor pencils.

Scrapbook Steals - Opal 4 challenge

Ok - so I think I may be addicted to these challenges! Here is this weeks sketch:

And this is my entry :-)

Congratulations to Deb for winning last week's challenge! :-)

Their blog address is: http://scrapbooksteals.stealnetwork.com/wp/