Oh the Places You'll Go

I really enjoy creating the sketches each month for Gossamer Blue but I love it even more when I get to play along. Each month, I create the sketch and it gets sent to 1 subscriber and 1 design team member. Stephanie asked me to play along this month. Let's take a look at the sketch and my layout. And you tell me which one I created first - the sketch or the layout.

The sketch...

The layout...

I love using a sketch because you can use them as a jumping off point for creativity, which is what I normally do, with the end result looking similar yet something I can call my own OR, using it as an exact lift, which is what I did today.  Actually, I created the layout first and then designed the sketch. Was that the option you chose?

My hubby snapped this photo of my daughter riding along with him a beautiful Spring day. He just snapped the photo (without aiming since he was driving) hoping he’d get a good shot and I just love it! So when I saw the travel related goodies in the July kit, especially the map paper, I knew it’d be perfect. The whole layout was designed around that geo tag and star in the middle. I built the rest of the layout around that one little detail and this is the end result.

So, will you play along with us this month? Show us your take on this sketch by sharing it in the Gossamer Blue Sketch Challenge Gallery. We will announce a winner with the next Sketch Challenge on August 29 ! The prize will be a $10 Gift Card to Gossamer Blue

Love Birds "Relationship" Altered Project

I was asked to create a project for the American Crafts blog with a theme of "relationships". I thought it would be fun to create a shadow box with 2 love birds perched on a 3D tree. I created this to hang in my daughter's room, which has a playful woodland creatures theme but it would be a great gift for anyone in love.

This was fun to create so I thought I'd provide step x step instructions/how to:

Step 1: Using an electronic cutting machine, cut the bits to form your shadow box.

Step 2: Cut a tree limb and individual leaves and birds. Adhere them to the tree limbs, folding up the leaves so you get a 3D look. Determine where you will adhere the birds and then make holes to stitch a heart directly above them.

Step 3: Stitch your heart and then adhere your tree limb with birds to the background paper.

Step 4: Assemble the shadow box and add additional embellishments as you wish.

Supplies:

TEXTURED CARDSTOCK 12"X12" WHITE (AM710-81), SMOOTH CARDSTOCK 12"X12"KRAFT (AM71-464), Buddy 12x12 paper (366812) – Amy Tangerine Plus One, Skipping Along 12x12 Paper (366761) – Dear Lizzy Day Dreamer, Embroidery Stencil kit (366848) - Amy Tangerine, Thread Kit (366864) - Amy Tangerine

Missing You 24|7

Ring, ring! I am here with a new edition of Pattern Play for Gossamer Blue using the July Main kit and add-on kits. I can't even tell you the last time I heard a telephone ring. All I hear these days is a buzz or some sort of melody.  That said, I am sooooo thankful for technology that allows me to call home and not only talk to my family but to see them too. I don't travel without them very often but when I do, FaceTime is a lifeline between us. So when I spotted the telephone paper in the kit, I had to figure out a way to use it for this month's Pattern Play.

When we're Facetiming, I usually screen shot a couple of photos so I can look back and document it as part of my travels or as just another family moment. I am soo thankful I did because they are such an important part of my life and my travel stories. 

 I decided to use mix and match the various patterns to create a background. I knew it would be a bit busy so I was careful where I placed certain patterns and made sure to bring in a few that had more subtle patterns. I did know though that I wanted to use the journaling paper throughout the page, to write a little something about each person in the photo, including where we were calling from. Since those were rectangles, I placed then first. I then added the patterns around those cards. The other cards were cut at random angles and to my surprise, they were hard to match up the angles. I did have to trim a bit here and there but it was easy peasy for the most part. Then to avoid strange gaps when it came to adding the patterns around the journaling paper, I just left one edge straight and cut the other at an angle. Once everything was in it right place, I stitched down the paper along each edge.

The colors in the screenshot photo were a little wonky so I fixed that. I simply changed it to black and white, which is complimented perfectly with the black in the various patterns. I layered around my photo, as I usually do and then added white cardstock as the bottom layer to help make sure it didn't blend into the background pattern too much. Then I added a few embellishments and the "Missing You 24/7" title, made from the ephemera.

 So...who's with me? I want to see what backgrounds, cards and layouts you are making by mixing different patterns.

Transformation Tuesday

Hi there everyone! You may or may not know this but I have been on a major wellness and meal planning kick since April. I was tired of feeling sluggish and I really needed to shed what I thought were only a few pounds. You can read about why I started the wellness journey HERE  and see my weight loss progress and weekly menus HERE.

I thought I'd share my latest wellness update in today's Transformation Tuesday...

27 LBS TOTAL weight loss since starting the shake/cleanse/clean eating nutritional re-balancing program on April 1, 2014

29 LBS TOTAL weight loss since eating healthier (started on March 24)

I only added exercise to the mix in June (and haven't been regular with it) so I am really proud of the results!

PERSONAL GOALS:
I set a goal on April 1st when I started this program. It was a single goal to lose between 25 - 30 pounds before we leave for Hawaii this month.***See Hawaii disclaimer at bottom of page.

I met my conservative goal of losing 25 pounds and I am just 3 pounds away from meeting my loftier goal of 30 pounds.

What's better is that I am down 3 & 4 dress sizes!

I have found that setting both short term and long term goals are way more valuable than I ever imagined.

My next goal is to not gain much back, if any, while I am on vacay. I think this can be achieved if I balance meals and eat the Hawaiian fare in moderation.

OTHER GOALS:

1. Continue to teach my family the importance of unprocessed, clean and healthy foods.
2. Become more religious about exercise - I really need to tone up!
3. Set a new short-term goal - work on what my next goal will be while I am on vacation.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:

1. I don't need caffeine in my life. I know y'all are all gasping and so was I when I heard I would have to cut that from my daily ritual. I decided to give it a go and I am soo glad I did. Sorry Starbucks but I'm saving what I was spending on you to buy new SKINNY clothes!
2. I was severely lacking energy, which I have gained back 10-fold!
3. This program was so EASY and definitely NOT a diet!
4. It's not just about the weight. It's about the inches lost, the 3 - 4 dress sizes I've lost, and the way I feel about myself!
5. We have barely eaten lunch or dinner out in 3 months and it's saving us a ton of money.
6. I am soo proud of my progress but I need to lose more weight than I originally thought and mostly, I really need to tone up. I am on track to do so with my eating and exercise plans.
7. Eating healthy does not mean eating plain chicken day in and day out! See my weekly menus HERE.
8. Veggies are not the enemy when prepared deliciously and healthily (is that a word?)
9. I will stick to this healthy eating lifestyle for-evah!
10. I love that I have so many friends and family who are saying YES! to themselves and doing this with me (and loving it too). It makes me feel great to know that I am positively impacting their wellness and health. I love hearing how their entire families are benefiting! That's really the absolute BEST feeling!

***HAWAII DISCLAIMER: 

Yes, I am announcing to the world that we will be on vacay and I am also announcing that we have a house sitter who will be staying there with our ferocious dogs while we are away so don't get any ideas to throw a party in our absence. Oh and we also have two police detectives next door. Mahalo!

Summer Fun

Summer Fun | Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine collection

 

I'm happy to say that the sun is shining and the pools and beaches are packed, which means summer is well underway.  

We spend a lot of time in the water during these hot Texas summer days so I thought I'd scrap this photo of my oldest in her water gear - goggles, braid and swim suit. Does it get any better than this?!?!

As I was looking through the papers to find my background, I decided to go a different route and use a strip from the 3x4 Elements paper. I found the perfect cards, cut them out, folded up the edges and stitched them to the rainbow background paper. 

 

I adore the banner stickers and I decided to simply line them across the top of the page and top it with the beautiful cloud paper.

 

The journaling is hidden in the little blue insert card at the top of the photo. Although the 3x4 cards have fun sentiments on them, I added a larger title at the bottom of the page. I love the large yellow chipboard dot. It helps being a definite end to the title statement, like a super-sized period.

 

I hope you are having a fantastic summer (or had a great one if yours just wrapped up).  As for us, we'll be in the pool (with a trip or two to the beach mixed on here and there) for the next couple of months so I'm hoarding this collection so we can scrap our memories.

 

Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine Supplies: 

Care Free 12x12 Paper #5805

Blue Skies12x12 Paper #5804

3x4 Journaling Card Elements12x12 Paper #5810

Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers #5802

Chipboard Stickers #5828

6x6 Paper Pad #5822

Enamel Dots #5831

Decorative Brads #5827

Bit & Pieces #5829