Strawberry Fields Forever

We went strawberry picking for the first time this year and we all had soo much fun searching for the biggest and best strawberries.  I snapped a few shots of the gang hard at work.  Here's the layout I did of my youngest daughter. You'll be seeing one real soon of my oldest girly!

There's this fun contest going on over at Memorable Seasons. It's called Last Scrapper Standing and it's like Survivor, where you play in challenges, you can win immunity and there's a chance you'll get voted off. We're in Week 5 now and the contest is in full swing but you can always play along for the sake of playing but also for a chance to be randomly selected to win super scrappy goodies!

 

Supplies from Memorable Seasons Online Store: Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection.

This week's challenge is to use a MASK on your layout. You can use it to mist on your layout, or you can mist the stencil and then use it as a stamp, paint, doodle around it or whatever your heart desires but you have to use a mask.


Can you see the dimension I added by using a mask template, modelling paste and a bit of mist?  Interested in learning how I did it?  Here's a step x step photo tutorial.  I will be putting it in my standard photo tutorial collage that you have come to know in the next week and will add it to my tutorials page but I'll post it here like this for now so you don't have to wait and wonder if and when I'll get it posted. :)

Step 1: grab a mask, modelling paste (got mine at Hobby Lobby with my mobile coupon, mist and something  to scrape the modelling paste on with (knife, credit card, etc).

 

Step 2: mix modelling paste with color mist. I used Studio Calico Mr. Hueys Gold and a homemade red (I need to pull out the color of the strawberries).

Step 3: Figure out where your photos and journaling will go. That is key. Once you know that, spread the colored modelling paste over the stencil, avoiding the areas you've identified for your photos and journaling.  Apply the paste heavy enough so that you can get peaks and valleys if you want the dimension.

 

Step 4: Pull the mask off before it dries. I pulled mine off immediately after applying the past.

Step 5: Add photos and embellishments!

Did you notice my title is different in my layout than it is in my close-ups? I realized it as I was writing this blog post that I forgot the "R" in Straw" and guess what? I ran out of R's in my sticker sheet. I am going to order another sheet but until then, I added a quick fix.  It is what it is or as I tell my girls, You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

Okay, so I hope this inspires you to maybe try something new with your masks and mists!

Paddington Bear Goes to School

I've posted a challenge over on the Memorable Seasons Forum and I'd love to have you play along.  I'm going a bit easy on the challenge because my LSS challenge, which I'm posting on Friday, is a bit more involved. The challenge I've posted in the forum is two-fold: 1. Wrap at least one word in your title (or subtitle) onto two lines and 2. journal around your photo(s). Here's what I created for my challenge...

Supplies from Memorable Seasons online store: Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection.

I knew I wanted to focus the challenge on journaling around the photos but what I didn't plan out ahead of time was that I would want to add a sub-title. So my lack of planning became part of the challenge. I had to figure out how to squeeze my sub-title in that little journaling card so what did I do? I broke the word up to fit in the space. When I look at it I see CHARACTER DAY but I know others may read it as CHAR ACTER DAY and I'm fine with that. I may go back and add a hyphen but I'm undecided on that still.

The ladies over at Memorable Seasons are so fun and nice. And they have an great sale going on over there right now.  I hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself and play along with my challenge for a chance to win scrappy goodies!

Cup Koozies and Key Fobs

Hello there! I have missed my blog terribly since I last posted but I was away on a business trip, which I extended into a personal vacation. I had a chance to go to London for a presention I worked on for my boss and the hubby and I decided he'd join me on the trip. We had an absolute blast. I think it's the first big vacation we've taken together that didn't involve us being 40 ft under water. You will be seeing lots of vacation photos in the near future I am sure.  Of course, when I returned things didn't slow down at all. I had one sleep at home and then headed to CKC Houston with my mom. We always get a suite at a nearby hotel and spend the weekend scrapping (missed you this year, Audrey). I enjoyed CKC but I was also a bit dissapointed in the selection of advanced classes. That being said, I understand who their audience is and I make the most of it and challenge myself to something different with the class supplies. I'm a rebel like that - LOL. I did enjoy the Smashbook class I took, taught by Annette! That woman cracked me up and shared great ideas! I was a bit dissapointed in the vendors too but it is what it is.


So back to my blog...today I am going to share some things I made with my favorite Imaginisce tools. No doubt about it, Imaginisce has some of the BEST tools on the market and I love that they are always adding to their collection. 


Way before I was an obsessed  scrapbooker I would dabble with sewing, usually making outfits for my then toddler girl.  I kind of got away from it as she got older so when we were asked to create anything we wanted using Imaginisce tools, I immediately gravitated to my fabric stash.

Down here in Texas we drink a lot of sweet tea. My family loves the sweet tea from our Keurig machine. We make it using their Brew over Ice cups, which look fine but I wanted to dress mine up a little so I made this cup koozie.

I cut the fabric using the new cutting mat. Have you seen the cool design of it? The back is a cool pink and black damask. I also used the Lil Snip scissors but I would have used the new rotary cutter if I'd had it yet. Other tools used were the i-rock mini iron and i-top 2.0. 

I made a free pattern, which can be downloaded HERE on Craftsy, where I post all my patterns.  

I cut two strips of fabric from the pattern and a third using felt for the inside. 

I also cut strips to use for ruffles on the top and bottom. The top one is already ruffled and the next is about to get the needle. LOL

 Before I sewed it together, I covered a medium button daddy with coordinating fabric using my i-top 2.0. I hand stitched it to the fabric and then sewed the pattern and ruffles together, adding twine to the opposite end of the button. Once it was all stitched together, I wrapped it around the cup, tying the twine around the button. My ice tea glass is not so boring anymore!

My original idea for this next project was to create a key fob for my keys but I just got back from a trip to London and realized I really needed a set of bag tags for my luggage.  I’m sure you know all how hard it is to find your luggage when they all look alike.  As I was creating mine it dawned on me that my girls could use new tags on their back packs so made them some as well. All we need to do is add the rings and attach them to the bags.

To make these, I used the new cutting mat and snippits again.  I simply cut different shapes from fabric. I used the Clicut tool to cut out our initials. I stitched the initials to one side of the fabric before stitching it all together so that the outline of the initial would not show on the back of the tag.  I added the loop to the inside of the fabric and then stitched it all together. There is felt between the front and back fabric to give it weight. I like the way it looks from the side with the felt peeking between the fabric.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Head over to the Imaginisce blog for a chance to win a set of tools for yourself!

xoxo Heather

Swim with Dolphins

I was pretty excited when I saw the preview for the new collection from Little Yellow Bicycle!  What I didn't realize until I got Splash in my hands is just how cool it really is, especially the new vellum tape strips!!!!! I didn't use them in my layout below because I am saving them for something later this month but I seriously love them!

I did create a layout with some of the other bits from the collection. Last summer, we got to experience an adventure of a lifetime doing something as a family that I've always wanted to do – swim with the dolphins. It took some convincing to get my daughter in the dark water lagoon with mammals whose fins resemble a shark fin to my then 7 year old but once she saw that we were okay in the water, she got in and she had the best time! She's soo proud, she has a framed photo of her and the dolphin in her room.

I knew that I wanted to mimic the waves in the water and the Makin’ Waves paper had a great water rhythm to it so I cut the waves from the paper and just layered them on top of each other until I got the look I was going for.  I secured them with a dab of glue and then machine stitched over them in 5 coordinating colors. 

I kept the ends of the threads on purpose for 2 reasons – 1. I thought they added to the effect of the waves and 2. I didn’t feel right just abruptly ending the waves where they meet the photo but I also didn’t want to extend them across the entire page so I stitched on the right side of the photo to fade out the waves. 

 I then highlighted the other photos and my title by distressing and stitching paper from the 6x6 pad (they’re not just for cards anymore!). Before I added my photos, I splattered blue and white mist over the papers to resemble water being splashed by the waves and dolphins.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Head over to the Little Yellow Bicycle blog to see what a few of the other Biker Chicks did with the Splash collection.

Supplies:

SPL-106 Dune Blossoms

SPL-109 Makin’ Waves

SPL-304 6x6 Paper Pad

SPL-230 Clear Cut Shapes

SPL-303 Mini Flag Kit

SPL-140 Cardstock Stickers Fresh Verse

Studio Calico Mr. Hueys mists

Tattered Angels Mist

Authentique word phrases

Zig black pen .5mm

Best Friends

My oldest daughter is liked by many, according to her teachers, but she chooses to focus on two friends in particular, Maysie and Jane. I'm pretty sure she'd spend every waking moment with them if she could.  Lucky for her (and because of her), I've become friends with their mommas so we decided to get together for a pool party on Memorial Day.  The girls had a great time splashing around and playing games.

I've just joined the Memorable Seasons Design Team and my first kit was perfect for capturing these moments of the girls.  Here's my layout using the Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection.

If you know my style, you know I love to distress, stitch, layer and mist.  I chose to lay low on the layering and misting because the pattern at the top is so busy but I did punch various sized small circles and scattered them on my page here and there to somewhat mimic mist splatters. You can see them on the yellow paper but if you look closely, they are also on the top over the text and chevron print (specifically the green, burlap, and a couple of the yellow parts of the chevron). 

I also stitched around my journaling spot and over the main photo frame. I used the same color yellow that was faux stitched on the denim scallop border that came in my kit. 

I also used my red striped ribbon by layering it behind and around the popped up banner embellishment to make it stand out against the print a bit more.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you've never been to Memorable Seasons or if it's been a while I suggest you pay a visit for two reasons: 1 - The Last Scrapper Standing contest is kicking off this month; 2 - New releases and pre-orders are always 25% off!