She Sparkles!

My daughter turned 16 this year, and I've been making a few layouts to commemorate this special time in her life.

I used the new Kaisercraft "Remember Me" collection....a beautiful palette of red and black and tan.

The design is based on the Kaisercraft May Saturday Sketch #1 Challenge.  

On the Crafty Power Blog, I shared the simple technique of how to "wear  your adhesive on the outside" by using black glitter with my Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Crafty Power Tape to create a sparkly border along my stamped lace edges.

It's hard to see the sparkle, but it looks so pretty in real life!

Click HERE to visit the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L blog to see my step-by-step photo tutorial on how I made this glittery border.

I created this layout during a beautiful weekend away on a Scrapbooking retreat, nestled in the Rockie Mountains, at the wonderful Bull River Guest Ranch.

This is the main lodge where we scrapped and ate the most amazing gourmet meals.

There is a hobby farm too....and this strange smiling goat.

These lovelies helped embellish my layout with their pretty feathers.

No, I didn't pluck them fresh off the birds....I found the feathers while walking around the grounds one sunny afternoon and added them to my layout.

The "S" is glittered too with Craft&Glitz black glitter.

All of the pretty wood embellishments are Kaisercraft also, and I punched those scallop circles with an EK Success punch. 

The heart pin is Maya Road (kindly given to me from Connie Nichol who was scrapping across the table).

In reality, I said, "Hey Connie, your Diamond Glaze bottle is plugged...so she gave me a pin to clear the tip....and never got the pin back because I popped it onto my layout!"  Ha ha! Thank you Connie for all the wood embellies too :)

When I saw the Kaisercraft Saturday sketch, I thought I'd give my daughter some advice in terms of journaling and found the PERFECT Kaisercraft Rub-ons from the "In the Attic" collection.  I LOVE these quotations!

The 'Remember' arrow is a Technique Tuesday stamp.....and there is a funny story behind that too! Another friend from Canadian Scrapbooker magazine, Katharina Doyle, was sitting nearby, and I cannot even remember why I went to talk with her...but I ended up pulling some stamped arrows out of her trash bin! Yep, dumpster diving for layout embellishments! 

I might as well admit that the rest of the Canadian Scrapbooker team helped me out too:  Jackie Ludlage gave me the Crafty Power Tape and black glitter. Oh, and Cathie Allan let me borrow her stamping block. Oops...the scallop punches weren't mine either (I forget whose!)

I guess this layout is truly a group effort! Don't you just love scrapbook retreats and crops??

January Sketchy Challenge

On January 5, DramaQueen turned 16! 

 Sorry...I just couldn't resist posting her "hand" photo! ha ha ha!

For those of you who are new to following or reading my blog, I should let you know that I refer to my children here using affectionate nicknames. My husband started calling our daughter Drama Queen quite a long time ago although she has been the easiest child to raise thus far and thinks it's pretty funny that we call her this.

Here is Sue Sykes' sketch for January over at the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Gallery...

This sketch was perfect to feature a group of photos taken on DQ's birthday...

"Sweet Sixteen"

I took a risk with this layout...is it too cute for a 16-year-old?  Actually DQ told me that she didn't like ANY of her birthday photos, so I was NOT allowed to scrapbook them.  [oops]

These papers are from a couple of My Little Shoebox collections, along with the stickers and alphabets.

The title is all MLS stickers, plus I add Crystal Stickles to the number 16.

I drew a balloon template and then traced and cut out three.  I outlined them with a white pen and then Crystal Stickles.  They are tied with white embroidery thread.

These Peel-off adhesive flowers from Harmonie are so cool!  They are clear stickers with sticky tops that you can cover with glitter, microbeads, flocking, etc.  I used black Craft&Glitz microfine glitter.

This white flower frame is cut with my Cricut.

A journaling spot. [Dang! I wrote 2012, not 13!]

These 6 cards are cut right from one piece of My Little Shoebox patterned paper....an easy way to create a grid and mat photos!

How about starting the New Year off with a challenge?  Join the Sketchy Gallery and design a page based on Sue's sketch, then upload it to the Canadian Scrapbooker website HERE.

I'll see you over there!

Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet Christmas Cards

I don't design very many card classes, but last year when I began teaching at The Urban Scrapbook, my first class was Christmas cards, using Graphic 45's "Christmas Emporium" collection.  Click HERE to see the blog post about those cards.

Before their 2012 collections were released, I already knew there was a good chance I would be working on G45 cards again this time of year.  When I saw "Nutcracker Sweet" I swooned.  Those lovely ballerinas.....so elegant and beautiful!

Well, the whole ballet theme took hold in my brain and I came up with 5 cards, 4 of them featuring ballerinas!

Here are some close-ups and details about each card...

"The Nutcracker" 

Yeah, he looks a little too serious to be nestled in white and pink chiffon. ha ha!

The base of this card is Tim Holtz Black Kraft Core Coredinations, which I embossed with the Sizzix wood grain embossing folder. I also embossed the green polka dot piece for the card's interior with the Christmas words folder.

Using my craft knife and ruler, I cut a window into the front of the card.

I adhered the embossed green paper inside.

I cut out the Nutcracker and adhered him inside so his head would appear in the window.

Using this Martha Stewart branch punch, I created some greenery below the window.

I coloured seam binding with Fired Brick Distress Stain, crumpled and let dry.  Then tied a bow and adhered with liquid glue.

 "Winter Wonderland"

The background is Bazzill "Pansy" purple card stock stamped with snowflakes, then glittered with "Lavender" glitter using Ranger's new Sticky Embossing powder.

This is the first time I used this Sticky Embossing powder and it's awesome!  But you  have to work fast because it cools quickly and then loses its stickiness.

I cut this American Crafts glitter paper to look like snowy hills.

Diamond Stickles came in handy for adding sparkle to the blue ballerinas...

I also added stickles to the Winter Wonderland tag

These dancers are popped up onto foam squares.

Yes, I know this card does not reflect reality and our ballerinas here in Canada do not dance in the snow like this! [But I do wish our snowflakes were purple!]

"Sugar Plum Fairy"

I cut the mini music sheets from the "Enchanted Journey" patterned paper.

The edges are sparkling with chunky clear glitter

 Here is how I created those glittery edges...

Add Glossy Accents or other clear drying adhesive along the edges of the mini music sheets.

Pour chunky glitter over the wet Glossy Accents.  Let dry for about half an hour.

I fussy cut the Sugar Plum Fairy and adhered her with foam squares, then added Clear Diamond Stickles to her wings and shoes.

Pink tulle is threaded through 2 punched holes in the bottom corners and tied in a bow.

 
"Clara and the Mouse King"

All images are cut from the "Holiday Magic" patterned paper.

To make the little vintage storybook, I cut apart the small book pages from the "Enchanted Journey" paper, misted them with water, crumpled, uncrumpled and then let dry. 

[Why oh why does Blogger insist on rotating my photos???]

After inking the edges with brown chalk ink, I layered the mini book pages using Sookwang adhesive tape.

 The top pages of this book are actually cut out together as one piece, then folded in the centre so it appears to look more like a book. 

I punched lacy borders along the bottom with a Martha Stewart edge punch.

I also misted Clara and the mini book with Perfect Pearls "Biscotti" spray to give them a pretty glimmer.

"The Blue Ballerina"

I used a scalloped edge punch around a piece of glitter card stock, then attached tulle to it before adhering the blue ballerina.  

 

The doily in the background is also misted with Biscotti Perfect Pearls spray. Plus, I added clear Stickles to her headband, skirt and shoes.  

Actually, this blue ballerina card could also serve as a birthday card for a little girl (or a big girl!)

 So tell me, which card is your favourite? I'm having a hard time picking mine! 

Hope you enjoyed looking at my Graphic 45 Christmas cards....I really enjoyed designing them :)