Nikki Sivils October Challenge

The challenge for October was to scrap black and white photos and here's what I came up with. I enjoyed coming up with this paper-pieced house using the "Get Well Soon" collection. I was inspired by the Sew Easy, which I don't have yet, and took out my Making Memories slot puncher, which I haven't used in years, to make the ribbon slots. Coolness!

Materials: Cardstock - American Crafts; Patterned papers, buttons - Nikki Sivils; Mist - Tattered Angels; Fabric die-cut - Pink Paislee; Transparency - Hambly; Ribbon border - Crate Paper; Letter Stickers - American Crafts; Twine - The Twinery; Fabric Border (blue) - Little Yellow Bicycle; Lace - misc

Burlap & Buttercups Oct Weekly Challenge

It's my turn again to host this week's challenge at Burlap & Buttercups, and my challenge is to "scrap at an angle".  I love how putting your page elements at a slant gives it a sense of movement and makes an otherwise ordinary LO, much more exciting!

So if you get a chance to do some scrapping this Halloween week-end, why not head on over to Burlap & Buttercups and join our challenge???

Boo Banner

Here's an easy Halloween project using Glue Dots and Nikki Sivils "Boo-tiful" collection.

Supplies:

• 3 pieces Ghost 6x6 Chipboard Album ( used Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker)
• 3 pcs black 6x6 patterned papers (used Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker Boo-tiful)
• chipboard letters - B, O, O (used Heidi Swapp)
• acrylic paint
• embossing ink and distress embossing powder (used Ranger)
• optional: googly eyes
• Mini Glue Dots

Instructions:

1. Cover chipboard with ghost cut-out made by tracing it onto the back of the patterned papers.
2. Paint the chipboard letters orange. Optional: ink edges with embossing ink and add distress embossing powder for added texture.
3. Attach letters to the ghost figures. Punch holes in hands and string together.
4. Embellish with googly eyes.

I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots design team.

Try this out for size....

Manor House Creations has these unique 7x12 papers, perfect for card-making or just to help you do something out of the box, for a change.
Here I used it to create my annual birthday LO --- I just turned 42 a few days ago. I will be the 1st to admit that I am soooooo old...but as long as I don't feel and look my age, then age is just a number to me :)

I hope you can try out this size and see where it takes you!

Pencil Lines Sketch 256

Here's my LO for Pencil Lines Sketch 256. I enjoyed creating this and playing with the Prima Mistables and Masks I recently got from Lasting Impression, and so happy to have been able to use some old papers and scraps from my stash!

Title: The Little Ones

Materials: Cardstock - American Crafts; Patterned Papers - Webster's Pages; Canvas - Prima; Masks - Prima; Stamp - Technique Tuesday; Mist - Tattered Angels; Ink - American Crafts; Chipboard - Pink Paislee;

Little Monsters from Manor House Creations

Here's a LO I made using Scrap Cake's Little Monsters collection from Manor House Creations. This is a great collection not only for LOs of kids but also for other happy occasions like birthdays and theme park visits.

I used a photo from our recent visit to Hong Kong Disneyland and I bet Pluto here thought that my kids were little monsters with one child pulling his ear, another tickling him and a third pulling out his tongue!

Materials: Cardstock: Wassau; Patterned papers, die-cuts and Flowers : Manor House Creations; Chipboard gears: Scrapworx; Twine: The Twinery; Stamp: Technique Tuesday; Paint: Making Memories; Ink - American Crafts;

Burlap & Buttercups Oct Kit

Here are my LOs for Burlap & Buttercups' awesome Oct main kit...

and the add-on kit...

I loved working with burlap on this LO of my god-daughter Ysabella on her school field trip...isn't she adorable???

This next LO uses the sketch included in the kit and I am so happy to have finally been able to scrap these pics.  This was the last proper Thanksgiving we've had in our home as last year, as well as this year, DH was and will be out of town on Thanksgiving.

My 3rd LO features Nadya in her Alice in Wonderland costume. We went Trick or Treating in my mom's neighborhood and they had a wishing well in the park which was a perfect backdrop for her outfit!

I so want to tell you to rush to get the Oct kit now, but I just learned that we have actually sold out of the October kits so maybe you'll want to take a subscription so you're sure to get the Nov kit???

Back to School Organizer

Here's my 1st project as a Glue Dottess.....a Back-to-School Organizer using toilet paper tubes. This was simple and a lot of fun to do...I knew I was eventually going to use those empty tubes I haven't thrown away...LOL!

Supplies:

• 4 toilet paper roll tubes
• thick cardboard such as bristol or illustration board - cut to 4" x 9"
• acrylic paint - blue, red, yellow green
• Glue Dots Mini and Glue Dots lines
• dries-clear liquid adhesive
• embellishments: ribbon, letters, white pen, sticker, pencil

Instructions:

1. Paint each toilet paper roll in a different color.
2. Use the Glue Dots Lines to attach the painted toilet paper rolls in a row.
3. Tie ribbon around the 4 rolls, keep ribbon in place with Mini Glue Dots
4. Attach the group of 4 rolls to bristol board and add embellishments.

It's not too late to do this, even if school has started a while back, you can use this to organize other things too! Hope you can try it out!

I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots design team.

Introducing Manor House Creations...

Here's my 1st ever LO for Manor House Creations.  I like to think I'm a versatile scrapper and can work with almost anything that is given to me, which is why I tried out for this DT.  I don't normally work with flowers but when they're given to me, I always have a blast playing with them. Check out my DT Intro here.

At Manor House Creations, we are also having our first sketch competition using a sketch created by the very talented Monika Martinson!  Do check it out here and I hope you join us for a chance to win some of our newest flowers! You have the whole month of October to join this contest.

Burlap & Buttercups September Kit Challenge

It's my turn to issue this week's challenge at Burlap & Buttercups and my challenge is "A Stitch in Time"...to use any kind of stitching anywhere on your LO or project.

You're playing for a $15 GC to the Burlap & Buttercups store!  You can take on just one challenge per month, or you can participate every week to increase your chances of winning our giveaway.  (And remember: You have the entire month to participate in any of the challenges introduced within that calendar month!)  Any supplies can be used, but those who use a kit purchased from Burlap & Buttercups will have their names entered twice.  In other words, use a B&B kit each and every week during a month that has four Fridays, and your name will be entered into our drawing eight times.  To participate, simply enter a comment on our Challenge post, including a link to your newly created project.  Now let's see what you can come up with!

Nikki Sivils September Challenge

This month's challenge at Nikki Sivils is to create a LO in a size that you don't normally work with....and everyone knows I am strictly a 12x12 girl so this one was a nice change for me. I started out with an 8x10 canvas and somehow found myself going out of the box...so to speak...but at least, it's not quite 12x12 so it still fits the challenge :)

Title: Laughter
Materials: Cardstock - Wassau; Patterned Papers, Letter and Journaling Stickers, Diecuts - Nikki Sivils; Pen - American Crafts; Ink - Clearsnap


So, we want YOU to play along!!  Just make a layout following the guidelines for "Scrap a Size You Do Not Normally Scrap" and use at least 75% Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker products.  It does not matter if it is an older or newer collection, we just want to see them!

Leave a link to your blog post or gallery here with a picture of your completed challenge entry by October 29th.  We will pick one winner and announce them on October 30th, when we announce the next challenge. The winner will get to pick one of the new collections kits of their choosing!

Color Combos Galore 210

Here's my LO for Color Combos Galore 210.  I was initially hesitant to work on this combo as browns are not really my thing, but I love how this LO turned out. I also love that I was able to use a lot of stuff from my stash that has been there for a while.

Title: Hug
Materials: Cardstock - American Crafts; Patterned papers - American Crafts, Sassafras Lass; Chipboard - Dusty Attic (frame); Maya Road (key), Heidi Swapp (clock); Dimensional stickers - Making Memories; Journal Card - Tim Holts; Stamp - Fiskars; Mask - Heidi Swapp; Mist - Tattered Angels; Ink - American Crafts; Felt Alpha -American Crafts; Acrylic Paint - Fol Arts; Embossing Powder - Rainger; Pen - American Crafts; misc lace; Border Punch - Martha Stewart

Here's the color combo for this week...

Echo Park Class LOs

Here are the LOs I made for the Echo Park Summer Days and Country Drive class I taught with April Lim last Sept. 17.
Thanks to everyone who attended the class...hope you learned a thing or two from me...

Pencil Lines 252

Here's my LO for Pencil Lines Sketch 252...used Nikki Sivils' new "Get Well Soon" line....love how versatile it is even for "ouchless" LOs!

Title: Captured Joy

Materials: Cardstock - American Crafts; Patterned papers - Nikki Sivils; Rub-Ons - Lily Bee; Mist - Tattered Angels; Mask - Prima; Stamps - Glitz, Tim Holtz; Punch - Martha Stewart; Pen - American Crafts; Fiber - misc

Check out the sketch here.

Manor House Creations Giveaway!!!

Check out Manor House Creations flowers here...


All you have to do is get your store to make an order, email us telling us which store you requested our flowers at sales@manorhousecreations.com  & we will send 6 extra packs for you to collect next time you order from, or visit, that store.

This offer is open to anyone in Australia and our international customers as well.

(please note: this offer is open to stores that make their first order from 13/09/11, not to existing customers).

I'm a Dottess!!!

Geez what a big surprise this is...I sent in my application on a whim and am so happy that I was chosen to be part of the Glue Dots DT!

I am so looking forward to this new "job"and I am so happy to be joining this awesome team:

Julia Stainton

Natalie Alexander

Dianna Davis

Sarah Forhan

Monica Benavidez

Joy Dickson

Samantha Peyton

Kenner Road

Jenny Suchin

Danielle Hunter

Laurel Seabrook

Michelle Philippi

Cindy Stevens

Samantha Taylor

Lara Scott

Amy Detrick

Erin Bullock

Elisa Kammerdiener

Jessica Larson

Spam Love!

The August challenge for Nikki Sivils had us doing a LO on a subject that we don't normally scrap about, using the School is Cool collection.  For my LO, I decided to scrap about my family's favorite food for breakfast (or anytime, for that matter)...Spam...yes, the one in the can:)

I know this is weird for most Americans but in places where the US Forces were stationed, particularly during World War II, Spam has become a staple food as they were part of the rations -- like in Japan, Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines.

My husband, who grew up in Minnesota where Spam is made (and yes, ate Spam because he is Filipino) tells me that his American best friend asked him once incredulously "How can you eat that???".  Even my American sister-in-law who has been married to my husband's brother for 20 years, had never eaten Spam and asked me "What is it, anyway?"  Too funny, especially when I've seen people (myself included) buy it by the case when it goes on sale here! 

Well, here in my house, we get our Spam fix at least once a month....maybe even more, and so finally, it has gotten the attention it deserves....a LO of its own...

Title: We Love Spam

Materials: Cardstock - Wassau, DCWV; Patterned papers, diecuts, stickers - Nikki Sivils; Vinyl Alpha - American Crafts; Pen - American Crafts

Journaling: Spam is, hands-down, our family's favorite breakfast food, be it sugared, sticks or plain pan-fried...it goes so well with garlic rice!!!

Burlap & Buttercups Sept Kit

Oh you will love this month's kit from Burlap & Buttercups....as usual, so much stuff to play with.

Here's the main kit...

 and the add-on kit...

Here are the 3 LOs I've created so far...

The 1st LO uses pictures of Nadya from her Recognition Day...she got 3 certificates...yipee!

...and some details shots...

 

This next LO features Bianca wearing Luis' out-grown race car driver costume....so adorable!

And this 3rd LO features both my girls playing around before their ballet class starts.

I loved the effect of the rub-ons here...
 

Hope you can check out the kit and join us for our weekly blog challenges!!!

Woot woot! Manor House Creations DT!

I am so happy  to announce that I was chosen to be part of the Manor House Creations 2011 Design Team!!!  Manor House Creations is a fairly new scrapbook manufacturer of flowers and papers based in Australia.  Here's the list of the whole DT...so happy to be working with many familiar names and faces...

Monika Martinson - Sweden

Linda Lanes - Australia

Melinda Thompson - Australia

Morag Cutts - UK

Ria Mojica - Philippines

Lene Neby - Norway

Yukiko Ochi - Japan

Jeni O'Connor - Australia/Canada

Joanne Bain - Australia

Nerrida Mitchell - Australia

Class Educators:

Mahlin Ellegaard - Sweden (Media & Video)

Gerry Van Gent - Netherlands (Layers & embellishing)

Rae Cooper - Australia (Altered Projects)

Delaina Burns - USA (Video)

Can't wait to to start playing with Manor House Creations!

Makes Waves Challenge!

This week is my turn to host the challenge at Burlap & Buttercups. Since the August kit is still all about summer, my challenge is to "make waves" on your LO using paper, fabric or whatever else you can think of.

Hpe you can join us for this challenge for a chance to win a prize from Burlap & Buttercups!