A wedding, cooking, and Sherlock Holmes!

Hi, all! No, I am not cooking for Sherlock Holmes' wedding! lol! These are the subjects/inspirations for my next batch of layouts! My oldest daughter just got married last month and I have begun her wedding scrapbook album. The first two pages I created were of the bride and groom individually. I have also created a layout about the same daughter when she was a freshmen in high school and participating in an "Iron Chef" competition. The last layout is one that I created for the Screen to Scrap July Challenge with this month's movie poster being Sherlock Holmes. Thanks for looking!

Bride layout. This is my oldest daughter, Janie. She was married on June 27 at the Justice of the Peace. I took the photos for the wedding so they are not the best quality but doesn't she look beautiful? I am using black, white, and baby blue as the colors for her wedding album because the groom, the father-of-the-bride, and brother-of-the-bride were all wearing blue, the bride wore white, and black is such a great accent to both those colors. Made the roses our of sheer ribbon and cut the leaves with the Cricut and added pearls. The paper is covered by a piece of lace from the wedding dress that was left after being altered.

This is a close-up of the ribbon flowers I made of the Bride layout.

Groom layout. This is Dennis, my new son-in-law. He wore blue to the wedding so I saw it as only fitting to use blue in the layouts. I made the roses and the pleated border, punched the black and white papers and stamped some flourishes in the corners. I also added pearls around his photo.

What's Cooking? layout. This is my daughter Janie a few years ago while she was a freshmen in high school. She was in an Iron Chef competition at her school and she and her team won second place! I followed a sketch and the palette colors from The Color Room - Palette #9. I have missed quite a few challenges all ready and don't really plan to enter any but I love their color choices so I have decided to complete the challenges at my pace and for my enjoyment.

Welcome Home layout. I completed this layout for the Screen to Scrap July Challenge which had the Sherlock Holmes movie poster for inspiration. The photo is of my husband and my son reunited after my husband's second tour in Iraq. Lots of Tim Holtz embellishments in this one. I also inked the edges of the paper in Broken China and Weathered Wood. I also covered the grungeboard elements with silver and Turquoise Stickles and stamped a few images then covered them with fragments.

Compendium of Curiosities Week 6

Hello, all! Here we are again for week 6 of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge. Week 6's challenge is to use the Multi-Medium Collage technique on page 66 of Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities book. Let me tell you Claudine Hellmuth's Multi-Medium gel, the main product in this technique, is such an amazing product. you can use it as a glue, make your own paint glaze, seal your artwork, and make photo/image transfers. The versitility of this product is amazing! Below you'll find my use of this technique in a layout. Enjoy!

Here is how Linda at Studio L3 states this week's challenge:

Happy Monday/New Compendium Challenge Day, everyone! Thanks a million times over for making last week so much fun, and for all the stunning art you posted! It's a huge treat to see your submissions popping up on the blog every day, and I so enjoy having the chance to get to know you all through the beautiful work you're doing.


Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 66, where you'll find Tim's Multi-Medium Collage technique! I think this is one of the most fun project in the entire book. Once I start creating these little paper-enhanced pieces, it's hard to stop!


This is another technique where having the right product can really make a difference. I love working with Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium from her Studio line, and can honestly say it's by far the best papercrafting adhesive I've ever used. It dries quickly, it doesn't curl up your paper, and it holds substantial objects together beautifully. If you've never used it before, please consider this challenge an opportunity to fall in love with it. Yes, it really is that good!

That said, I realize that some of you may not have access to Claudine's Studio products at your local stores, so please know that you can substitute other adhesives for this technique (or, you could order some from Eclectic Paperie, this week's sponsor, and get a discount! More on that in a moment...). Do be sure to use a matte finish product for the best results, though. And have a blast with this!
 

I used the Multi-Medium Collage technique on the title letters of my layout. I used grungeboard alphas and covered them with Graphic 45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland papers.

Spooky layout. This is my son on Halloween 2008. He was the cutest little dragon I ever saw (but then I am completely biased. lol)

Exciting New Scrapbook Kit Club

Hello, all! I have wanted to talk about this new kit club for a while now but haven't found the time. But finally here I am to inform you that a friend of mine, Melinda K, has decided to start her very own scrapbook kit club! The club is called Scraps of Darkness! And is taylored to the alternative scrapper; those that love darker colors and themes, those who love grunge and metal, those who love steampunk, are all going to love these kits! The first kit(July) is already sold out but I look forward to the next kit and each one after that. I know I'll be subscribing to Scraps of Darkeness because it is my kind of scrapping! With permission from Mel and the lovely ladies on the Scraps of Darkness Design Team, I will be sharing with you some of their dark and decadent works of art! I hope you will take a peek at what Scraps of Darkness has to offer!

Enjoy these gorgeous layouts from Scraps of Darkness!

Voodoo *Scraps of Darkness*
by Manda_K
Scrapbook.com

Into The Dark - Scraps of Darkness
by MelindaK
Scrapbook.com

Got The Life *Scraps of Darkness*
by Manda_K
Scrapbook.com

Werewolves of London - Scraps of Darkness
by MelindaK
Scrapbook.com

Vicious Traditions ~Scraps of Darkness~
by Craftysprinkles
Scrapbook.com

Compenium of Curiosities Challenge Week 5

Hello, everyone! Here we are in week 5 of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge! It's going by so fast! This week's challenge was to use the Distress Embossing Powder and I must say all the projects entered over at Studio L3 are so creative and gorgeous! You must check them all out.

Here is how Linda puts the week 5 challenge:

Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 43, for the Distress Powder technique!



I get the impression that Distress Powder is something people either really love, or really don't like at all. I fall wholeheartedly into the LOVE camp, and my mission this week is to convert anyone who doesn't. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I consider it one of the coolest products to ever hit the crafting market.

The thing is, it's so much more than just an embossing powder, and as I've played with it I've come to think of it more as "Distress Heat-Activated Texture Enhancer of Wonder." When I want the utmost in grungy, down-and-dirty, been-around-the-block-and-all-the-better-for-it art, this is my go-to product. When I want to create a sandy beach, a gravel pathway, or even a flocked faux fabric, I grab the Distress Powder. And of course, when I want a cool, texturized, completely unique embossed effect, nothing else comes close.
 
Of course, I created a scrapbook page using the technique. Here are the photos of the paper I used the Tim's technique on and the layout I used the paper in. Thanks for looking!
 

Beauty Bird Paper. Used Distress Inks Antique Linen as a base color, Antique Linen Distress Embossing Powder and Ink for the birds, then inked over everything in Broken China. I love how rich the colors came out!

Beauty. layout. I used the Beauty Bird Paper as a backdrop for a vintage photo of my aunt Esmerlinda. I used a variety of flowers, some Thickers that I covered in Turquoise Stickles, and my Cricut Expression to cut the flourishes.

First Tutorial - Loopty Loop Flowers

Hello, all! I am back from vacation. I had a wonderful time visiting family and going to the beach! I wanted to share my very first tutorial with you. I swear I was trying to go to sleep one night and the idea for these flowers popped into my head. I had to get up and make one before the idea faded. I'm calling them Loopty Loop Flowers. You'll see why when I describe how to make them! I've never seen flowers like these but if they bear any similarity to any you've seen, it is coincidental.

This is the finished Loopty Loop Flower.

Supplies you'll need: glue gun, chipboard or other circle about 1" in diameter, and 30" of 7/8" or 1" ribbon.

Add a dot of glue to the center of the circle (I used pre-cut grundgeboard circles because it was easier for me).

Attach the ribbon to the circle by pressing it to the glue.

Add another glue dot and make a loop with the ribbon. Then add another dot of glue on top of that.

Make a figure-eight with the next loop. Keep adding glue so the next loop can be glued down.

Keep making loops in figure-eights in alternating directions.

Once you've gotten five or six loops (depends on preference), one can stop and have a single-layered flower or continue by adding another layer of loops to make a double-layered flower.

Once the desired layers have been completed, cut the ribbon at the last glue dot in the center. Then add a button, flower, or anything you'd like for a flower center. I like to use buttons!

Here is another example of the double-layered Loopty Loop Flower!

Here are some of the Loopty Loop Flowers that I created. You can make these flowers using lace, ribbon, shear ribbon, paper, or fabric and with one, two or three layers!

My Birthday Giveaway Winner!

Hello, all. So sorry that I was not able to announce the winner of my very first giveaway yesterday. I am on vacation and as much as I tried, I had no internet access. So with no further ado....the winner is.....

Jennifer!

Please email me your address so that I can mail your prize to you!

forevervampress@aol.com

Compendium Entry Week 4

Hello, all! I am just popping in to share my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge for week 4 before leaving on vacation. I will be taking my laptop with me but don't know how good the connectivity will be so I'll try and check in whenever I can.

This is how Linda from Studio L3 put it:

Okay, ready for Challenge 4, and another opportunity to win a great prize and strut your artistic stuff? Me, too!



Please open your Compendium of Curiosities to page 49, where you'll find T!m's "Shabby Chic" technique!



This one has a special place in my heart, as it's the first tutorial I tried when I got the Compendium. It's so easy, but the resulting art has such depth and texture. And, it's kind of like chocolate— once you start, it's hard to stop at just one!

This is my entry for this week:

Thinking of You - Shabby Chic card. I really did like using this technique. It was messy but fun! This isn't what I had planned to complete but with the packing and the cleaning before the vacation, this is all I had time for!

Compendium Week 3 Entry!

Hello, everybody! I wanted to share my entry for week 3 of the Compendum of Curiosities challenge at Studio L3. The week 3 challenge was to use TH's Alcohol Ink Monoprint technique. I also combined this challenge with the DIY Challenge over at scrapbook.com that was to make 3 types of flowers based on tutorials provided by several ladies. The tutorials for the flowers are as follows: Fiesta Flower by Lisa Gregory, Prima Camelot type flower by Phsycomom (YouTube video), and Ribbon Rose by Tabbatha. This is what I came up with. Don't mind the embarrassing childhood photo of me...I had no part in choosing my outfit! This was me dressed up for some school pageant when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. Enjoy and Thanks for Looking!

Spanish Rose layout. I used 12 x 12 glossy paper, Alcohol Inks in Watermelon, Red Pepper, Sunshine Yellow, Sunset Orange, and Copper. I stamped the black flowers with Archival Ink then added a photo on a frame I cut out with my Cricut and the hand made flowers.

This close-up shows a Fiesta flower on the left and a Camelot-type flower on the right.

This close-up shows a Camelot-type flower at the bottom and a Ribbon rose at the top.

If you're looking to enter the giveaway, click here!

Happy 4th of July!

Hello, everyone! Just stopped by to wish everybody an awesome 4th of July! I hope your day is filled with BBQ's, fireworks, and fun! And on this day of independence, remember our soldiers and their families. Their continuing efforts and sacrifices should always be in our thoughts.


Image from free vintage clip art site.

Don't forget about the giveaway in a few days! Click here to be redirected the giveaway post!