NEW Prima Winter CHA 2015: Bella Rouge Collection {Layout}

Good morning everyone!

As most scrappers know, Winter CHA is just around the corner. Which means all of our favorite companies are showing us their latest must-have collections and goodies! Prima, as always, has a fabulous lineup of products for us. They've been previewing over the last few weeks, and today I'd like to share with you a layout that I created featuring the new "Bella Rouge" Collection.

"Natural Beauty"

Not only is this collection absolutely classy and beautiful, but it's incredibly versatile too. And I am in love with the rich, warm color palette! On this layout, I started by toning down the background just a bit with some gesso. I then watered down some gesso a bit and used a paintbrush along with some very high tech flinging motions {insert sarcasm here} to create the random splatters. There are some new Color Bloom sprays released this time around as well, one for each collection. I've used {2} of them here: Empres Gold and Deep Teal.

Each collection offers a range of new flowers too- including these roses. I LOVE roses- they are always my favorites of the Prima flowers- and you get such a great selection of them here. I've dressed these ones up a bit with some of the new Prima Art Ingredients: micro beads, seed beads, and glitter. 

I may have mentioned in the past how much I love that the new wood icons are printed. This mirror piece here was great for adding my own touches to :) Behind the lovely lady you see one of Jamie Dougherty's new Bloom Collection stencils- isn't it awesome?! And some "Empress Gold" Color Bloom spray.

 More new flowers and leaves, as well as one of the new collection brads. Perfect for that extra special little touch!

Prima Products used:

847111- Bella Rouge Collection "Les Amours"

847319- Bella Rouge A4 Paper Pad

579487- Bella Rouge Tag Me

579357- Bella Rouge Say it in Crystals

579296- Bella Rouge Brads

578930- Bella Rouge 3x4 Journaling Note Cards

579111- Bella Rouge Cling Stamps

580582- Bella Rouge Flowers

580537- Bella Rouge Flowers

580575- Bella Rouge Flowers

580513- Bella Rouge Leaves

579548- Bella Rouge Wood Icons

580315- Color Bloom Spray Mist- Empress Gold***NEW

580322- Color Bloom Spray Mist- Deep Teal***NEW

962579- Art Ingredients Micro Beads- Copper

962586- Art Ingredients Micro Beads- Bronze

962623- Art Ingredients Micro Beads- Grass

961596- Art Extravagance Glitter Set- Luminous

980429- Bloom Collection 6x12 Stencil- Circles

573584- Trim

Thank-you for visiting today! I hope your weekend is off to a great start :)

Once Upon A...Sketch March Challenge~!

Hey everyone! It's time to share with you the March Challenge over at Once Upon A...Sketch~! If you're ever looking for a jump start idea for a layout, the journaling challenges over at OUAS are a great way to go. AND Nadia always comes up with some fab sketches to work with. So if you've been living under a rock and have never had a visit to this amazing challenge site, head on over there today. You will NOT regret it.

"Weekend"

Theme: "Its The Weekend!"

 What does your weekend look like? 

Maybe you work, or run around like crazy taking your kids to activities etc. Lunch with friends? Movies? Dinner? Or maybe you do all the exciting stuff like ...clean the house, tend to the garden , kinds birthday parties. You might like to tell us of an exciting weekend coming up, or a weekend past. Maybe a weekend getaway? Whatever it is that you want to tell us that has to do with the theme "Its The Weekend" we would love to hear it. 

Your layout must incorporate this theme and the sketch below. 

Please make sure that we see some sort of journalling on your layouts and please tell us where your journalling is . You are allowed to journal in any language but please tell us where on your page we will find your journalling. Remember journalling has to be a bit more than a title, or a generic comment. Hidden journalling is perfectly fine.

A very special weekend for me was last Mother's Day, which of course always falls on a Sunday. I got to spend the day with the people I love, doing the things we love to do as a family. It was a gorgeous day, we took out our four-wheeler and Wyatt rode his own like a pro. I spent quality time with each of the kids and just thoroughly enjoyed myself. Priceless memories that I will cherish forever :).

 I got to work with the new Prima "Lifetime" collection here, which I of course LOVE!

 My hidden journaling, on the tag beneath my bottom photo :).

 Blue Fern Studios chipboard, of course :)~ Here I've used bits snipped from the Symphony Border.

I hope you get the chance to play along with us this month~! I look forward to seeing how everyone interprets this challenge :)

And before I go, I wanted to share that the newest issue of PaperHaus magazine is now available~ and I'm happy to say that I have a layout on page 63 :). Lots and lots of talented friends in this magazine and I'm so happy to be a part of it~!

Spring 2013

And thanks so much to those who mentioned my recent publication in Scrapbooking Memories :)~!

Have a great weekend~ and check back soon to see if you were one of the lucky winners of my February Giveaway!!

A Bittersweet Post {Manor House Creations}

**For my February Giveaway, please go HERE**

Hi everyone :). I'm here today to share with you my final two projects for Manor House Creations. I've made the decision to step down from my design team spot there~ it's been a wonderful experience and it's truly been a delight to work with their beautiful flowers. Nerrida and Karen really are some of the nicest, most easy-going team leaders out there and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to design for them :).

But let's not make this a sad post- I have two layouts to share that are both dedicated to my sweet boys~!

"Adore Them"

This photo was taken last summer on one of our many, MANY days spent at the lake. It's a special thing to be a mother to boys. I hope to teach them love and respect and have them grow to be as wonderful of a man as their daddy :).

The multiple photos in book-like fashion was not a result of my intentionally printing several photos in order to create in this way. The bottom two were accidentally printed on the backside of my photo paper- I'd put it in the tray wrong. So after making the mistake once, I couldn't remember which way I'd put it in- and did it wrong again, lol! So typical! But rather than just throwing them or stuffing them into my growing pile of unused photos, I just put them to work here :).

 There were so many beautiful flowers to choose from out of the Spring Collection~! The focal flower used here is the white Lotus flower, which comes in many other varieties as well. Just gorgeous :)...

Products Used:

Lotus- white, Capri- aqua, Powder Puff- melon.

Other Products Used:

Vintage Locks

"Watch"

My boys LOVE to fight...but they also love to play and I just love it when they play NICE. Here we were out exploring one of our favorite destinations and Wyatt had brought some little action figure guys with. Gunner watched patiently as Wyatt played with them in the dirt. Such a precious thing to watch the younger learn from the older...as long as what they're learning is a GOOD thing, haha!!

Such a gorgeous variety of blues and greens. I've used both old and new flowers here to create the perfect mix~!

Products Used:

Ruffles- brights, Mia- green, Powder Puff- blueberry, Springtime- blue, Meadows, Belief, Dahlia- white.

Other Products Used:

Ornate Medallions

Thanks so much for having a look today. Take care of yourself, your families, and I'll be seeing you again soon :),

A Peek at the March Kit from C'est Magnifique~!

**For my February Giveaway, please go HERE**

Hi! Today I'm here to reveal to you the papers and add-ons for the gorgeous March Kit from C'est Magnifique Kits, and of course a layout too! So let's get started~!

"Hey Stud"

I don't know who taught my son how to pose, but it sure wasn't me! This photo was taken last summer of my little Gunner and he used to do this for me ALL the time. I'd just pull out the camera and there he was with a smile...waiting.
I really enjoyed putting this color combo together. It's so much fun to cut apart and piece apart various elements into something that just feels "mean to be". I used some Basic Grey packaging, a few of the closures from the envelopes to accent my punched circles, and plenty of fussy cutting to put this project together.

 From the Flower Add-On:
Prima: Charlotte: Tiffany

From the Embellishment Add-On:
Basic Grey: Serenade: Designer Chipboard Stickers
Blue Fern Studios: Chipboard: Garden Window
Maya Road: Burlap Trim: Sunset

For the month of March, our kit will feature paper from Magenta, a Canadian manufacturer.  We think you will fall in love with beautiful colors!  If you would like to add an extra paper pack to your kit, or order just the paper, you can find it here in our store.

Our Embellishment Add-on, designed to compliment the kit, contains a piece of Blue Fern Studios chipboard, butterflies from Prima, stickers and chipboard pieces/alphabet from Basic Grey, some sweet envelopes from Maya Road, a piece of burlap ribbon, a few dress form clips, and Artisan Elements from Pink Paislee, perfect for leaving as they are, or adding some color.  We have just a few Embellishment Add-ons remaining in the store, so if you want one, get one quickly before they're gone!  Our add-ons ship for no additional charge, with your monthly kit.

The March Flower Add-on has such a colorful collection of flowers for all of you who love to add them to your projects.  This Flower Add-on was SO popular that it has already sold out.

These kits are just selling out faster and faster all the time- so if you'd like to make sure you don't miss out on another one, see how to join HERE.

Have a great day!

"Love" Canvas~ Webster's Pages Composition & Color, Sweet Notes, & More!

**For my February Giveaway, please go HERE**

Hello! :)

I'm checking in today to share with you a canvas I created using the *NEW* Composition & Color, Sweet Notes, & New Beginnings collections from Webster's Pages- PLUS a few "oldie but goodies" in there too!! Mixing collections is always a breeze with Webster's Pages~ So let's take a look!

"Love"

This is my absolute most FAVORITE photo of my husband Josh and myself. We'd just started seeing one another and just looking at this photo brings back those incredible butterflies :). Seriously, I love this photo more than any of our wedding photos!! Such a special time in our lives- we were so incredibly head-over-heels-NUTS about eachother!! (and still are ;) )~ but you know what I mean. It's always so intense in the beginning- I wish you could just bottle that up and take a sip from it every now and again ;)...

ANYWAYS...

Let's take a closer look, shall we?? ;)

I've used a combination of Webster's Pages trim, twine, bling, overlays, doilies, and fussy cut elements to create the border here.

 I completely love the overlays that were released with the Composition & Color and Sweet Notes collections! So EASY to cut and use!

The wooden planks cut from the "Weathered" paper were perfect for layering and setting up my background...

 

 And old favorite of mine, a "Pinwheel Florette". SO glad Webster's still makes these!! :)

My title treatment happened by mistake. I thought that my circle punch would be strong enough to punch it out of the overlay sheet- but all it could manage was to cut the left and right side of the word. But never to be discouraged, I simply threaded through some seam binding and used it to hang my title. Awesome :).

Products Used:

Composition & Color Paper Collection

Composition & Color Damask Overlay

Composition & Color Blue Bakers Twine

Sweet Notes Cards Overlay

Sweet Notes Mini Bags Set

New Beginnings Blue Ruffle {trim}

Neutrals Doilies

Thank-you all so much for stopping in! I really hope you have an awesome day- and make sure you stop by tomorrow because guess what?? There's a blog hop goin' on!!

See you then~!!

C'est Magnifique February Sketch Challenge

**For my February Giveaway, please go HERE**

It's time to reveal this month's sketch challenge at C'est Magnifique! The sketch features the lovely Blue Fern Frame that is in our February Kit, "Royal Tea Party".  Don't have the frame? - it is available for purchase in the C'est Magnifique Store, or show us how you interpret the sketch using something other than the frame.

"New Chicks"

This past summer, one of my hens who had been disappearing on and off showed up with 11 baby chicks she's hatched out in the woods! I had not hatched out my own baby chicks since I was a little girl, so this was especially exciting for me . I thought the colors in my photo were complimented perfectly by the green & cream shades offered in the kit, and it was a joy playing with the gorgeous Blue Fern Studios frame, decorating it with seed & micro beads, and stamping & inking it to create a coordinating, rustic feel :).

The February Sketch, created by the talented Michele Singh:

This challenge is open to everyone, and you may use any supplies that you have.  No need to go out and purchase anything!  Feel free to interpret the sketch any way you want.  Best of all, we have a wonderful prize that will be awarded to one participant, based on a random draw.  Here is the prize package Leslie has put together for February.  The winner of this prize package will also be able to shop in the Cést Magnifique Store and have your purchase shipped with your prize for no additional shipping costs.

Our second prize, a $10 gift certificate to the C'est Magnifique Store, will be randomly be awarded to one of the sketch participants who obviously creates their sketch layout using a C'est Magnifique Kit.

Lastly, we will be choosing 5 (or more) layouts to feature on our Blog when we announce the winners.

What do you have to do to enter our sketch challenge?

1.  You must be a follower of the C'est Magnifique blog.  It's easy to become follower~ see the left sidebar.

2.  Create a layout using the sketch, and add it to the sketch challenge post HERE using the Inlinkz tool at the bottom of the page.  Please link to the blog post where you have uploaded your layout  (not your general blog address). If you do not have a blog, you may link to an online gallery.

 Deadline for entering the sketch challenge is midnight, February 28 (US time).

We look forward to seeing how you use our sketch!

Selected Scrapper @ Skissedilla: Week 4~!

Good morning, my friends~! Sunday is again upon us (well, "us" to whom it applies- I know you ahead-of-it-all-other-side-of-the-worlders have already {or soon will} said good-night to Sunday)~ and what that means is it's reveal day at Skissedilla~! Today's sketch is my last for the month as the Selected Scrapper there, and I just wanted to thank them so much for having me :). It's been a pleasure creating with their wonderful sketches~!

I have a super sweet story behind the layout I created for this challenge. I tell a lot of stories about my kids, and some day I hope to print a book of my blog (I've heard you can do this- should probably check into the validity of it)- and then I will have one place in which all of these stories are documented. But I also like to share them because I think we all find some enjoyment in learning about eachother's lives. I do, anyway. It makes us all seem a bit more "real", if you know what I mean. And being a parent, I understand that most parents never tire of talking about their kids- or at least their kids' stories :)...

"Don't Cry, Mom"

My little Gunner. If you've followed my blog, you know about my little Gunner. He's just as sweet as they come- a wild child too- but inside, he's just a sweetie. I've seen more of this from him as time goes on, and this particular layout was inspired by something I discovered a few weeks back.

But first, here's the sketch, #195:

Of course we need some closeups...and the story :)...

 So one night I'm sitting on the couch and I just wanted Gunner to come and sit with me. When he decides he'd rather continue playing instead, I pretend to start crying- you know, burying your face in your hands and doing your best (obnoxious) crying sounds, body shaking and all...

 (yeah, I was that desperate)...Little Gunners drops his toy, comes on over, pulls my hands from my face and with the most concerned, big brown eyes he says, "Don't cry, Mom."

 My heart seriously melted. And then he took it a step further, climbed into my lap, and wrapped his arms around my neck before burying his face against me. And then he stayed like that for about five minutes. I seriously held him for every moment of that five minutes!

Since then, any time I have any look of concern on my face he will come right up to me, look me directly in the eyes as if trying to read my emotions, and ask, "What's wrong, Mom?" Or- if I'm pretending to be sad again- he tells me not to cry, and won't leave my side until he knows I'm okay. It's incredible. And I hope he never changes :).

Thanks for letting me share my little story with you :). 

I'd love to hear yours! So won't you play along with this week's sketch? When the challenge closes in a week, I'll be reviewing every entry from this month and choosing one lucky duck to win this from me:

Sure hope to see you there :). Enjoy the rest of your weekend~ take care!!