SCRAPPING NOMAD

Punched squares

2012-01-26T10:03:00.001-04:00

This week's challenge at the Create:Blog is to use punched squares. It was a very easy card to create and it didn't take me long to make it, but boy has it been hard to take a picture of it. I got my new light box yesterday, finished a layout for Practical Scrappers, and the picture looked so great and was so easy to take it was love at first sight. Then, I got this card ready and took a picture, ten pictures, fifty pictures.... none looked right!!!! I tried positioning the lights differently, changing backgrounds, shooting in JPEG and RAW, checking internet sites for tips... nothing worked. This morning I woke up and it was sunny so I decided to just take the card outside and do it the usual way. Not good, either! By then, I started to go &%^%*$)#)# and went back and played with the light box a little longer. This is the best I could do, not totally like the real life version, still not clear enough, the colours still off, but I have spent enough time taking that picture and it is time to move on. Not sure I will make the Create:Blog's deadline, but at least I'll give it a try!

Summer fun on kraft

2012-01-25T10:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's feature at Practical scrappers was using kraft. That was an easy one for me, I love the look of kraft on my layouts and cards, and how it makes the colours of patterned paper just pop. For this layout, I punched out circles from patterned paper scraps; I picked some of them for their summer or beach motives, others just because I liked their colours. I then stitched to the kraft cardstock, and I had a perfect background. As it was a very busy one, I just added the picture with white matting to make it pop a little, and some buttons and letter stickers.

It was a very simple layout to make, but it has quickly become a favourite of mine, just love the way the colours in the circles play with the colours in the photo and give the whole layout a summer fun feel. Want some more kraft inspiration? Visit Practical Scrappers and see the beautiful layouts and cards using kraft that the DT and readers have contributed. See you soon with more projects!

Wooohooooo!!!!!!

2012-01-20T08:33:00.000-04:00

I love reading DT calls. I open each one, check the site, see what's going on. However, I very rarely apply. I know I find it very hard to create when I am not motivated, so there has to be something very special about the products I will be asked to work with. Most of the times, I just close the page and move on.

Some time ago I saw a call by Pretty Little Studio, and though I'd heard of the company, I had never worked with any of their products. When I checked their site, however, I knew this call was right for me. Everything in there is so yummy I could already think of projects I wanted to work on. Today, I am very happy to announce I have been selected to be part of Pretty Little Studio's Guest DT.

Woohoooo!!!!!! Let the fun begin!!!!! I really can't wait to start playing with all their yummy stuff. And if you haven't had a chance to see the site yet, I really recommend you got a visit it. Just click here.

Nutcracker flowers - Using my sewing machine

2012-01-19T19:39:00.000-04:00

Today's feature at Practical Scrappers is machine sewing. I wanted to use a lot of sewing, making it the main element of my page, so I sewed six garlands of flowers going from one side of the page to the other, and crossing. It looked good on the page itself, but when I tried to put the pictures on it, it didn't work. i tried with different pictures in different sizes, and none did the trick. So, I cut a piece of one of the garlands, used the pieces below the photos, and added some pearls to give the flowers a special touch. The photos show my daughter and her friends in the Nutcracker show they did at school last year. Pre-K kids were flowers.

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I finished a card using this week's Let's Scrap sketch today, but didn't have enough sunlight to take a photo, so I'll post it tomorrow. In the meantime, if you'd like to see some fabulous sewing machine layouts, visit Practical Scrappers.

Love birds - Rolled paper heart

2012-01-18T13:15:00.000-04:00

Hi! Today I have a card to share, which I've just made for the Create: blog's challenge for this week: using rolled paper on your cards. I've loved those beautiful rolled paper Christmas tree cards we've seen this year, but I didn't feel like creating a Christmas card right now, so I decided to go for a different shape and made a rolled paper heart. I used all scraps from my "tiny scraps box" so I am VERY happy.

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After I created the heart (and it took me several attempts), I used my Silhouette to cut the beautiful Lori Whitlock birds that I then pieced and embellished, and finally added some very, very old American Crafts ribbon with the word LOVE as a sentiment.

I have several projects that I have finished these days but cannot be posted yet because of DT reveal deadlines and such, so there will be lots of new projects in the following weeks if you'd like to come and have a look.

Back home

2012-01-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

If you've been wondering where I was these days I was here:

Yes, I was lying by the sea on the most fabulous beach, and the only question is: "Why did I return????" The answer is: "To scrap!!!". Even on this paradise island I felt the experience was not complete without a little desk and a kit ready to scrap. I have to admit this has become a serious obsession. Anyway, to make the return easier, I got e-mails from two magazines, one online and one print mag, to say two of my cards will be published in the following months! What a fabulous start to 2012! I have always been very reluctant to submitting work for publication, as it was an unknown area for me, but at the end of last year my friend Christine from Practical Scrappers encouraged me to give it a try and make this my scrappy resolution for 2012. It worked! And so quickly I find it hard to believe, after all the year has barely started. So Christine, and everybody else at Practical Scrappers thanks for your encouragement and for giving me the "push" I needed to do this. And to my fellow bloggers and followers: thanks for visiting my blog and sharing the good news with me!

Christmas ornaments and happy 2012!

2012-01-10T08:14:00.000-04:00

The past two features at Practical Scrappers have been a Frugal Finds feature using what was left from our Christmas decorations, and a feature on 2012's trends. For the first one, I used fabric from my pijamas. As most of you know, a couple of months ago I bought a sewing machine, so this year I decided to make Christmas jammies for the whole family. I headed to the fabric shop and it was crowded Plus, not being a local, it is sometimes hard to get shopkeepers to start helping you instead of somebody who came later, as you do not know the way to get the shopkeeper's attention. So, after waiting A LOT, I finally got a shopkeeper to cut the fabric for me, and I had no idea how much I wanted. Since I didn't want to go back to that shop again during Christmas, and the fabric was cheap, I bought extra fabric just in case. But I miscalculated so much I bought enough for 4 or 5 pijamas por me and my husband!!!!!!!! Here are our jammies:

And here is the layout I made for Practical Scrappers, with hearts made from the fabric in my pijamas. I used pieces of the red fabric, and pieces taken from Santa's beard for the brownish hearts. Now, head over to Practical Scrappers, as you don't want to miss the tinsel heart Christine created for this feature here.

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The paper and the buttons are JBS, I'm trying to think about the stickers but I am not 100% sure right now, will have to check that. The second layout I created is a 2012 layout. We had dinner on Dec 31st as a family, and we had a friend over for dinner who is still waiting for his family to get to Trinidad (moving countries takes time and lots of paperwork!). Our neighbours had a huge party with a fabulous firework display, so fireworks were a highlight of the night.

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I had to include trends form 2011 for this layout, so I included chevrons, twine and lots of embellies from smashbooks, which were a big hit this year. For the photos, I gave each person (including myself) a patterned paper number, and then took a picture. I used PSE to play with the pics a little and make them black and white while keeping the numbers coloured. Lots of fun!

Hope you enjoyed looking at these layouts, have you already scrapped in 2012?

Layout contest at Practical Scrappers

2012-01-07T18:52:00.002-04:00

Practical Scrappers is having a fabulous layouts contest with over $100 in prizes! Read their info below:

Here's the details:

1) Each week we will narrow down the field thru audience voting, voting from the Practical Scrappers design team, or voting from the Administrative team.

2) The contest will have 6 rounds: Those we have chosen for Round 1 will be announced on Saturday, January 14th and each continuing round will be announced on the following Saturday.

3) International entries are welcome, but we reserve the right to modify the prizes according to our sponsors needs should an international participant win.

4) To enter the contest mail us a picture of your favorite layout that you have created in the last two months to practicalscrapperslayouts@gmail.com - you must also include your name, blog address (if applicable), and state or country of residence. We must receive an email with all three of these by midnight CST on Friday, January 13th.

If you want a chance to win, visit Practical Scrappers here.

Denim ramblings

2012-01-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

There were tons of yummy things in this month's kit at Freehand Scraps, Kiss the Cook. But I have to admit my favourite was the denim strip. A denim strip? Yes! I love the fact that it opened up so many possibilities, and ended up using it in four of my DT projects for this month. If you'd like to see these ideas, plus have a look at a denim rolled flower tutorial, have a look here. It would be great if you could visit and leave me a comment there!

Also, we have a party planned at Let's Scrap next month, and you surely don't want to miss it, it will be the biggest hop ever, with tons of chances to win a prize! Put it in your diary, you don't want to miss it!

Brrrrr... winter's here!!!

2012-01-02T11:11:00.003-04:00

Well, winter is actually NOT here. It is about 30°C, or 86°F, as every other day!!!! When I moved, I thought I would not like this unchanging weather, but it really makes life oh so easy, I have changed my mind. I do miss a little bit of winter, though, so today's feature at Practical Scrappers was my chance to bring some snow this way! It is an acrylic card, so it was extremely difficult to photograph, something else I need to learn how to do...

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Another project I'd like to share is one I created using the left side of this week's sketch at Let's Scrap. It is another wedding layout, including family pics. The pics were quite grainy and I couldn't make them look the way I wanted, so I finally went for a vintage look using picnik, and I think it was really the right choice, as the photos now look great.

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I love the fact that I could finally use those feathers I had had for ages!!!! Here is a list of supplies for this layout:

Paper: K&Memories

Paper Flowers: they came in a kit, but I think they are Prima

Ribbon flower: Maya Road

Feathers: Little Yellow Bicycle

Doilies: from a kit

Rick Rack: from a haberdashery in Tripoli

Tag: from a kit

Stickers: My Mind's Eye, Amy Tangerine

Clip: Amy Tangerine

Letter stickers: American Crafts for Studio Calico

Glue: Glue Glider Pro

Finally, a little piece of news. Somebody in this house is finally learning to ride without training wheels (and somebody else is getting fit just by running behind to make sure she does not fall!!!). Little big moments of life. Love them all.

Have a happy new year and kiss the cook!!!!

2012-01-01T19:23:00.000-04:00

I have been cooking so much lately with this 5 day Christmas holiday and 4 day New Year's holiday we've had that I really deserve to be kissed, and hugged, and, especially, taken to a fabulous restaurant to enjoy somebody else's cooking! I have had lots of hugs and kisses so I cannot complain about that part, and I will be lying on a hotel beach chair pretty soon and I will just have to ask for a waiter to bring me something yummy when I get hungry, so I can't complain about that either. So, instead of complaining, I will share with you the projects I have created using Freehand Scrap's A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y S-C-R-U-M-P-T-I-O-U-S January kit: Kiss the cook!

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I got inspired for this one with those yummy Ormolu day swatches, after that it was just a matter of printing the tiny pics and sewing the grid. Easy peasy!

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One of DD's favourite activities at the moment is taking her dolls for a ride in her car. I thought the cute boy, girl and animal figures in the October Afternoon paper were just right for the playful tone I wanted to give this layout.

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Lots of paper strips on this layout, and I love the effect. The kit included a long denim strip that I used in different ways in several projects, and there will be a feature on it at Freehand Scraps' blog coming soon!

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I used part of the denim to create this banner, too. And I also used some more cute little boy and girl figures, I think they make a pretty birthday card.

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These little metal elements are some of the cutest things I've seen in a long time. The funny thing, I would never have bought them myself. First of all, they do not look too good in the online store's picture. And also, I tend to think lot about whether I am going to use the stuff or not before I buy it, and I'm not sure they would have passed the usefulness test considering the pictures I need to scrap right now. But they are SO BEAUTIFUL once I saw them I knew I had to use them up!!!! And I am seriously thinking of buying a second pack. Don't think I can live without them!!!!Oh, and I forgot to say this card is based on a Let's Scrap sketch.

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This little booklet is meant to hold just a few recipes. Sometimes you have a friend over who likes some of your recipes and will ask you for them, I think it would be so nice to include them in this little booklet instead of just printing them out!!!! The fabulous digi stamp is actually a little tennis player I got for free here and modified a little to turn her into a cook. This is my favourite project from this month, I just love the way it turned out and it was so simple, too! I hope you have enjoyed these projects, check Freehand Scraps if you want a Kiss the Cook kit of your own!

I hope you have a fabulous 2012, full of projects, hugs, and dreams come true.

The Look of Love

2011-12-28T10:43:00.002-04:00

Cathy's challenge at Let's Scrap last week was to use a song as the title of your layout. What a great chance to finish another wedding layout!

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The original photo looked really dark, but it was the only picture of that moment when they were getting ready for the wedding, so I really needed to scrap it. I had been postponing it for ages, until I joined Elisha Snow's photo editing class at Big Picture and it really helped me improve this and other photos. Have a look at the before and after pics:

Isn't the change amazing? I am so happy I took this course, I know it will be very useful for years to come!!!

Sneak Peeks!

2011-12-27T17:51:00.000-04:00

I know I say I love Freehand Scraps' kits every month (and how could I not?), but January's kit has to be the one I like most so far. A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y Y-U-M-M-Y! Have a look at these sneak peeks to see what's coming:

Looks scrumptious, doesn't it? If you are feeling like giving these wonderful kits a try, click here. And if you'd like to see some gorgeous layouts, Practical Scrappers has asked all the DT to choose their favourite layouts from 2011. I have to say there are tons of inspiration in that feature!!! My favourite layout from 2011 is this one, based on a Pagemaps sketch, and using mostly Doodlebug supplies.

It is still a holiday here, so everything's been slooooooowwww.... two days to get back to normal before the next holiday begins! As my husband and daughter have been saying (a million times) these days: "A vivir la vida linda!!!" (Live a good life!!!). See you soon!

Ten Fabulous Christmas Ideas

2011-12-14T08:30:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share a couple of things with you today. The first one is a picture I took when trying to take a photo of my pop-up tree card. The weather here keeps changing all the time, but that day was worse than ever. It was a little windy, and the clouds kept covering the sun every few minutes. Every time the sun started to shine I went out, put the fabric on the table (I can't leave it on as the birds would be happy to come and play on it... and leave their mark!), set the card, sprinkle snow on it... and the sun was gone, replaced by very dark clouds that would ruin any picture. Finally, after several attempts, I put the fabric on the table, set the card, arranged the little gifts sprinkled the snow, and shot:

Oops, a little elf popped up from behind the fabric and I had to start all over again!!! Sometimes it takes longer to take a decent poto of a project than it took to make the project itself...

The second thing I wanted to share today is that I have a new post at the Freehand Scraps' blog called "TEN FABULOUS CHRISTMAS IDEAS TO INSPIRE YOU". I have picked my favourite ten Christmas ideas for layouts, cards, and projects so you can get inspired and, why not, lift some of them to make your projects stand out. Click here to have a look at them, and if you feel inspired and create a project using any of these ideas, please leave a comment with a link so I can have a look at it and leave you some love. Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

Pop-up trees

2011-12-12T12:39:00.001-04:00

Today I'd like to share with you a couple of pop-up trees I created for the fabulous a-Christmas-project-a-day feature at Practical Scrappers, one using the Sizzix die, and a simpler one you can print and make without any machines.

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Pin ItIf you'd like to have a look at tutorials and printable templates, please visit my Practical Scrappers' post. Merry Christmas to you all!

Chubby Penguins

2011-12-01T09:02:00.001-04:00

The beginning of the month always brings with it a reveal! This month I am happy to share with you the projects I have created using Chubby Penguins, the absolutely fabulous December kit.

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I love this picture we took when we were staying at the Disneyland hotel in Disneyland Paris. The rooms were not as good as we expected, they lacked that Disney feel, but the Hotel Lobby was magical. It was also a very cold holiday, so these papers were just right for the picture. I created a tree using the tags in the kit and my sewing machine. It is one of my faves from this month. Those glitter photo corners were a great addition to the kit, too!

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And what can be better than starting Christmas morning by hugging Mickey Mouse? This was a very easy layout to create using the die cut strips that came with the kit, but I felt it needed a special touch, so I doodled a string of Christmas lights all around the page using my white marker.

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For this layout I fussy cut the ornaments in one of the patterned papers in the kit, and made shaker boxes with them. They were a very easy way to make the layout stand out.

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This folded tree card was very easy to make using this folded tree template: http://inkspiredtreasures.com/cards/stamping-411-folded-christmas-tree/. And the Christmas lights in the kit can make any tree look fab!

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Love, love, love the extra touches that always come in Freehand Scraps kits. This month's included this textured paper that brought a ton of possibilities to my mind. In the end I decided to leave it unaltered and use it as a snowy background, but I sure wish I had had more to experiment with!

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Last, but not least, Christmas tags. These are double tags, they have one of the kit's tags in the background and a patterned paper tag with a punched out (actually hand cut, my tree punch was not big enough) Christmas tree on the front. They were an immediate success with my daughter, who asked to have them for the Christmas gifts she is preparing. I haven't seen them since.

Hope you enjoyed looking at these projects, you can visit Freehand Scraps to have a look at all the projects in the gallery and get yourself one of these fantastic Chubby Penguins kits!

Joy!

2011-11-30T12:52:00.001-04:00

This week's challenge at the Create:Blog is to create a Christmas card using non-traditional colours. I love the lime green/light blue/pink colour combo for Christmas, so this was an easy task.

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I bought the We R Memory Keepers flocked lace in a Crafty Steals' deal a couple of years ago, and I am so happy I finally got to use it. It was a bit tricky as it is not as white as it seems when it has the backing paper, so I had to use two layers, which took some time and effort to make them match perfectly. Totally worth it because I love the delicate look of the lace tree. The buttons are from my button box and the star is by Teresa Collins. The patterned paper is not Christmas paper, but Watermelon Gazpacho Soup by Jillibean. And the fabric behind the card is part of my new Christmas fabric stash, not sure what I will do with this one yet, just liked and bought it, inspiration will come soon enough! (and that is how my stash begins to grow).

Woo hooo!!!!

2011-11-29T12:36:00.001-04:00

Wooo hooo!!!! I have finally found a fellow scrapper who lives in the area and we are getting together to scrap!!!! I have missed my scrapping buddies (and friends) so much, I am really looking forward to our crop!!!!!!!!! I know, too many exclamation marks, but I am that happy!!!!!!!!!!!

In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a very quick project I made this morning, based on this week's sketch at Let's Scrap, 11-23-11. Just a little bit of cutting, pasting and embellishing, a quick page for my sister's wedding album, which is getting thicker but is not much closer to getting finished....

Lots of Jillibean Soup paper, die cuts, alphabets and pins, together with a BG metal flower and MME buttons. Here is a close up of the layout. Love those buttons, and the pins are totally yummy.

Fa la la

2011-11-28T19:59:00.001-04:00

Christmas is now in the air everywhere. In Trinidad it means Parang sounds anywhere you go, and you can't help getting into Christmas mood. This kind of mood made working with next month's Freehand Scraps' kit SOOOOO easy! It is a yummy kit full of the most fabulous Christmas papers, die cuts and embellies, plus some extra details you'll enjoy for sure. Here are some sneak peeks for you to have a look at it:

For a look at the projects, come back on December 1st. I will have a little Christmas giveaway, too. Now, off to sewing Christmas pijamas for the whole family. Considering that I had never even threaded the needle of a sewing machine until last week, they are turning out pretty fab! And my daughter is so happy she keeps thanking me every time she puts them on. Can I ask for anything else? So I'd like to thank this tutorial, which made it possible, it is easy, clear, and the results are fabulous, don't miss it:

http://mycottoncreations.blogspot.com/2010/07/christmas-eve-pajama-pants-tutorial.html

40% OFF at FREEHAND SCRAPS!

2011-11-25T12:28:00.001-04:00

Now through Monday, November 28th get your scrap on with some great Black Friday deals at Freehand Scraps!!
40% off ALL kits!!
Value grab bags with $30 retail value for only $14.50!!
There are so many yummy things it is hard to resist temptation!!!! Click here for more info. Enjoy your weekend!

Ready to use up your Christmas stash?

2011-11-15T08:59:00.001-04:00

The challenge today at Practical Scrappers is using up your Christmas stash. I bought lots of Christmas stuff a couple of years ago when we did a charity Christmas fair in Tripoli and I was in charge of making cards, so this was the right challenge for me! I took a bunch of die cuts I have had for ages and used only once, and I decided to find a way to use them ALL in a layout. Here is the result:

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Not your usual Christmas colours, but still a good combination. I also used some brads that I've had since I began scrapping, and they look great, too! Now I am ready to use some of my newest Christmas stash, and it is YUMMY!!!

Create:blog challenge - Cards using wood

2011-11-14T10:33:00.001-04:00

Today I'd like to share a card I made for this week's card challenge at the Create:Blog, which asked us to use wood on a card. As soon as I saw it I thought I still had one of those yummy wooden rulers that came with Freehand Scraps' November kit, Sweater Weather. I had so much fun making this card, and I did it really ahead of time, but I then forgot about it and did not mail it :(. Anyway, here it is:

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The badge you can't see says HOME SWEET HOME, which I thought was very appropriate for this image. I am working on lots of Christmassy projects, so there will be bells jingling in this blog very soon!!!!

Thank you cards and Studio Calico Giveaway

2011-11-11T07:22:00.001-04:00

Today's feature at Practical Scrappers is cards saying THANK YOU. I have been having lots of fun with shaped cards in my Silhouette, and so has DD, who tries every card with me and gives them her personal touch. For this card I chose a flowerpot design by Lori Whitlock that I loved at first sight.

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It is so bright and cheerful that it could make anybody happy. The pot is the front and the envelope as well, inside there is another pot with some space to write a message (sorry, I forgot to take a picture when I took this, and it is raining now!).

If you'd like to get some inspiration, visit Practical Scrappers to see all the fabulous Thank You cards featured today. And if you'd like to win a Studio Calico kit (Yes! Isn't it a fantastic prize?), click here to see Practical Scrapper's SC giveaway.

Layouts x 3!

2011-11-08T09:49:00.001-04:00

I am so happy to be scrapping again this week! First of all, I added a double layout to my sister's wedding album. I started with this page, based on last week's Sketch Inspiration's sketch.

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And then I added another page to the left, keeping the banner and the same kind of embellies.

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Almost all the materials I used for these layouts were part of last month's Studio Calico kit. Loved the colours, and all the butterflies. I even decided to use the negative of the kraft butterflies in the layout!

And that was not all! I had some creative time to spare, so I made a layout for this week's fabulous DT challenge at Let's Scrap. I had to use something on the layout that was not a scrapbooking supply, so I used some stars that I got from hair bands. We have plenty of those at home!

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I love the look of the tags as a background. I find it difficult sometimes to open a new pack of supplies and use it up on a single layout, like with these tags, but I think this was really worth it. If you want to play in this challenge, you have time until Thursday at midnight.

30 minute photo banner

2011-11-06T08:25:00.000-04:00

For my Freehand Scraps altered project this month, I decided to create a photo banner. It was a very simple process that took less than half an hour, and if you'd like to give it a try, I have posted a tutorial here.

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I am finally working on a layout! And it is a double pager, believe it or not. I used this week's Sketch Inspiration's sketch for the right side, and I am now working on the left one. I will show it to you later on, once I have finished both sides.

Cards with no sentiments

2011-11-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

The Create: blog had a no-sentiment-card challenge this week. I haven't participated in their challenges for some time (October was a crazy month!) and I decided to make a no sentiment card this morning. I wasn't sure it was going to make the deadline but it did, and it is always an honour to find one of my cards among so many gorgeous examples. You can see my card below, and if you want to drool over some fabulous no-sentiment creations, visit the Create: blog.

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List of supplies:

Cutting file: Lori Whitlock for Silhouette

Patterned Paper: My Little Shoebox, Pebbles Inc

Rhinestones: Doodlebug

Pins: Webster's

Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Markers: Gelwriters, Uniball

Gue: Glue dots

Sweater weather?

2011-11-01T21:49:00.003-04:00

Well, living where we do, it is never sweater weather, and I sometimes really miss the feeling of warmth a sweater brings... that kind of feeling is what I got when I started working with this month's kit from Freehand Scraps. There's warmth in the colours and the materials, and you feel ready for a cozy layout as soon as you open the box! Here are the layouts I've created this month:

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This is my favourite layout this month. I used a Pagemaps sketch, and got inspired by my friends Kathy Perry and Betty Anne Orr, who used these circle/squares for a Let's Scrap challenge, with fabulous results. I just had to lift that idea!

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This one was so easy to make, as the paper itself was like a sketch! Just stick the picture and start embellishing. Don't you just love those rulers?

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And you'll have to take my word for this, but this layout looks much better in real life; I couldn't get a good enough picture of it. Just one look at this splashy paper and I realised I wanted to make a layout about the Splashers' pool at Atlantis Hotel in Nassau. And I even made my own letters with cardstock and glitter. I think this was also based on a Pagemaps sketch, but I can't find it right now to confirm... :(

I also worked on an altered project I love, and I will share it tomorrow. If you want to have a look at all the inspiration in the gallery and the yummy things in the Sweater Weather kit, visit Freehand Scraps!

November kit sneak peeks!

2011-10-24T12:33:00.002-04:00

I have a few sneak peeks to share with you from my Freehand Scraps' November kit projects. I am still working on some of the projects, and it is a pleasure!!! The papers are gorgeous and I have been having tons of funs with the embellies!

You can visit Freehand Scraps' blog later today to have a look at more sneak peeks, and if you are planning to get a kit next month, I definitely recommend this one!!!

Halloween lanterns

2011-10-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

Practical Scrappers had a Halloween feature last week, and I decided to prepare some ornaments for it. I had a very busy week last week, spending time with our visitors, so I am only posting them now. I found a bunch of very cheap paper lanterns in a local shop, and they quickly became my project. I painted them black, orange and white first (yes, I even painted the white ones to give them a more finished look). Here's my little helper doing her job (or pretending to do it for the camera!!!):

As soon as they dried, I started having fun with them, and this is the result:

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I got lots of inspiration from Halloween projects I saw in Pinterest, here is my Halloween board. I think DD's friends will really enjoy having these lanterns hanging above them during the party! I have another busy but crafty week getting ready for the school's International Food Fair. I am in charge of decorating the booth for Argentina and Uruguay, and preparing souvenirs for the 1000 visitors we are expecting. Will give you some peeks of my projects as soon as I finish them!

Exploring the swamp

2011-10-12T08:17:00.001-04:00

It's been a very-busy-no-scrapbooking week, as we have family visiting and we've been showing the island to them. Yesterday afternoon we went to the Caroni swamp, which is an amazing place. Fifteen thousand scarlet ibises (Trinidad's national bird) come to spend the night here, so around sunset, it is a unforgettable sight. Here is my little explorer ready for the trip:

These are some of the other inhabitants we saw on the way there:

Kind of makes you think if the life vests would be useful at all if the boat sank with this kind of creatures around!

And this is when the ibises begin to come and fill up the tree. I found it hard to take a good picture of this amazing moment, but these are my best attempts, not close enough to real life!

So happy I got a few minutes to share this with you! I'll be back with some Halloween altered projects (remember the lanterns I was painting) on Thursday. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Halloween layout and card

2011-10-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

Today I am sharing with you the Halloween projects I created with my Freehand Scraps' October kit. There are some fabulous Halloween papers in there, so I couldn't miss the chance to work on last year's Halloween pics. Here are the pics I took at my daughter's pre-K Halloween party. I wanted to include lots of them, and they were not great quality pics, so I decided to go with a small pic size.

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I also created a Halloween card with this little witch I found at Creepie Cute Stamps.

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I also made a Halloween page for Pagemaps' October newsletter, and you can have a look at it here. It was great to get to contribute to Pagemaps, as I absolute LOVE those sketches. And now, I have some more Halloween projects to finish (remember those paper lanterns?) so I'd better stop blogging and start working. Have a fantastic day!

Giveaway winner and new Freehand Scraps reveal!

2011-10-03T09:02:00.000-04:00

I am so sorry for not having posted this sooner, but it has been a very busy weekend, and I have switched computers, which is driving me crazy! Every time I need to do something I realise I don't have the necessary program, or the one I have is completely different from the one I had before and it takes some time to adjust. Love my new computer, though, so I can't complain!

I just went through my list of comments again making sure nobody was left out, then used random.org to choose the winner. And the winner is JILL!!!!! Jill, please send me your snail mail addy (click on the e-mail link in the sidebar) so I can mail the prize to you. Enjoy it!!!!!

And now I'd like to show you some other projects I've made with this month's kit at Freehand Scraps. If you haven't seen it yet, click here to have a look at it. The first project is a layout based on a Pagemaps sketch, with one of the pics we took when we had lunch with the princes and princesses at Auberge de Cendrillon in Disneyland Paris. It was a magical lunch and my daughter was ecstatic! Here she is with Philip and Aurora (you may notice the photographer -DH- cut their feet off, but the magic is still there!), and the place was very elegant, so I thought these elegant papers and embellies would do the trick. I am very happy with the result.

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As I said in my previous post, lots of glitter this month! I used gold glitter on the frame of the picture as well as the swirls below the title. The chandelier was glittered already, and I used a yellow Copic marker to change the colour of the rhinestones. All the materials I have used came with my Freehand Scraps kit, except for the ribbon (Martha Stewart) and the flower trim (American Crafts).

And I have another card to share, this one using the other chandelier that came in the kit, and the swirls again, this time with black glitter. I love how easy to use and neat looking the swirls are. And they look so elegant in black!

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I hope you have enjoyed having a look at these projects, I have more projects to share with you this week and a tutorial coming soon, so come and visit when you have some free time!

October kit reveal: read.

2011-10-01T09:27:00.000-04:00

Today I'd like to share with you some of the projects I made with Freehand Scrap's October kit. The first one is a layout of my daughter Mia reading to her dolls. Ever since she started reading, she enjoys reading anything and everything, all the time. Since I can only listen to so many stories, she sometimes needs new audiences, and the dolls provide a very well-behaved one. The layout is called LEE: READ, and it is based on a Pagemaps sketch.

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The kit also has a fabulous wooden tree accent by Kaiser crafts, which could be turned into a spooky Halloween one, or be blooming with spring flowers, like the one below:

Add caption

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And if you want to see this tree in fall, take a look at Suz Mannecke's blog here. Another project I'd like to share today is this canvass:

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It is a very simple project, but I love that quote. I am not a person with a million friends, but I have been blessed a with a few very good ones, and they are a very important, if sometimes ver far away in actual distance, part of my life. The actual quote is longer and reads:

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world". ~Lois Wyse

It was too long for this canvass, so I chose my favourite part. It is a very easy project to put together, and there will be a tutorial for it some time this month.

If you took part in the Freehands Scrap's giveaway at the beginning of this month and woud like to know who the winner is, please be patient with me as I am having a very busy Saturday today, and I would lik to double check all the entries to make sue I am giving everybody a fair chance. I will draw the names and make an announcement tonight.

September challenge at Let's Scrap

2011-09-30T11:34:00.001-04:00

Oh, this challenge has been hard!!! It is a great sketch, but somehow I couldn't make it work. Plus, I wanted to work on these pics from my sister's wedding and they are low resolution pics, so I could not print them any bigger. I have been putting it off and finding other things to do for a month. But today was the last day to play for the fabulous Enmarc prize so I knew I had to do something about it. I went through the gallery to see how other people have approached this task, and though I didn't lift any layout in particular, I know I got lots of inspiration from the beautiful work there. I finally managed to make a layout from this sketch I really, really like. I love the look of the fussy cut flowers and hearts.

It is hard to see it in this size, but if you just click on it you can have a better look. And now the close-ups:

Pin ItPlease remember to come back tomorrow, as I will announce the winner of the Freehand Scraps giveaway!

Core cardstock projects at Practical Scrappers

2011-09-29T10:26:00.001-04:00

I am in the middle of a computer switch and lots of connection problems on top, so I am posting this project today, though it was revealed yesterday at Practical Scrappers' Core cardstock feature.

I have had this piece of cardstock for some time, saving it for a special project, and it was time to use it! It was a very easy layout to put together, using the design already printed on the cardstock and adding some details to it. I used a strip of specialty paper and embellished it with die cuts and rhinestones. I also used rhinestones on the flowers that were printed at the bottom of the page and a yummy strip of rhinestones below the photos. Love how the different stripes in the layout mimic the stripes in my daughter's dress.

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List of supplies:

Cardstock: Coredinations - Jenni Bowlin

Specialty paper: Prima

Die cuts: Creative Imaginations

Rhinestone strip: Webster's Pages

Rhinestones: Doodlebug

Markers: Gel Writers

Glue: Glue Glider Pro

Guess the guestie and win!

2011-09-27T11:24:00.003-04:00

It seems I have a new contest to announce every day... guess that's good for you, so many prizes to win! Freehand Scraps is having a "mystery" Guest Designer this week, and Suz Mannecke, DT, is having a guessing game! It's very easy to take part in the giveaway, just post a yes or no question here. You have time to play until Thursday (or until there's a correct guess!), so hurry up!

October sneak peeks and giveaway winner!

2011-09-26T11:35:00.001-04:00

If you want to take part in the Freehand Scraps GIVEAWAY, click here.
If you want to take part in Practical Scrappers' BIGGEST CONTEST EVER, click here.

If you want to know the winner of the "Guess what I've been working on?" GIVEAWAY, scroll down.

I can't believe September is about to end! This week was our one year anniversary in Trinidad, but to me it feels like I've just arrived here. I love this island, so I hope we get some more anniversaries here. And in this anniversary week I have some news to share with you: I will be designing with Freehand Scraps in the months to come, and I am thrilled about it! I loved working with their kit again this month, the October kit has so many possibilities. It is a very versatile kit and it has some great Halloween stuff but could easily be used for non-Halloween projects. Here are my sneak peeks:

Lots of glitter in my projects this month, with those yummy chandeliers, the glittery alphabet, and the swirls that can be customized with any glitter colour -first time I try them, but they are so easy to use and look so neat that it won't be the last one for sure! If you would like to get this kit and play at home with this great stuff, visit Freehand Scraps today!

But, before you go to visit Freehand Scraps, I'd like to announce the winner of the "Guess what I'm doing? giveaway", Kathy Perry, who had the closest guess. I am making Halloween decorations for DD's classroom! Have a look at how the project's going:

Looking more like a Halloween project now, right?Thanks for visiting my blog and remember you have four more days to take part in the Freehand Scraps giveaway.

Very easy photo frame

2011-09-22T11:45:00.002-04:00

If you want to take part in the Freehand Scraps GIVEAWAY, click here.

If you want to take part in the "Guess what I've been working on?" GIVEAWAY, click here.

If you want to take part in Practical Scrappers' BIGGEST CONTEST EVER, click here.

I have a very easy but very cute project to share with you today. It's a photo frame I made for Practical Scrappers' altered projects feature.

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I got this very cheap frame in a crafts shop, and painted it with cream acrylic, then gave it touches of pink bubblegum glimmer mist, and removed some of the excess mist with a piece of cloth. I then used stickers, brads, rhinestones, photo corners, and twine to decorate the frame. It took me less than half an hour to make and I love the result!

Practical Scrapper's biggest contest ever!

2011-09-22T09:30:00.001-04:00

If you want to take part in the Freehand Scraps GIVEAWAY, click here.

If you want to take part in the "Guess what I've been working on?" GIVEAWAY, click here.

Practical Scrappers is having their biggest contest ever! There will be at least 75$ in prizes for the winner, so you don't want to miss it!! All you have to do is submit a pink card. If you are ready to play, click here to read the rules. Can't wait to see the pink creations you come up with!

Card sketch at Let's Scrap

2011-09-21T18:35:00.004-04:00

If you want to take part in the Freehand Scraps GIVEAWAY, click here.

If you want to take part in the "Guess what I've been working on?" GIVEAWAY, click here.
It is time for another card sketch at Let's Scrap and I have a card with a Christmas theme. Funny to be doing snowmen in the Caribbean!

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I used some very old paper, my copics to colour the image I got here, and rhinestones + glass beads to add some details to it. It is a very easy card sketch, so I hope to see your cards here this week!

Guess what I've been working on?

2011-09-19T15:05:00.000-04:00

If you want to takepart in the Freehand Scraps GIVEAWAY, click here.

It is once again that time of the month when I have lots ofthings I am working on but can't show you much! I have cards, layouts, alteredprojects, all waiting to be displayed, but carefully hidden until their revealdates come. In the meantime, have a look at this pic from my scrap room and tryto guess what I am working on today. I will send a small RAK to the closestguess (or draw a name from among the closest guesses if there's more than one).

If you can,please share this with your friendsso they can play, too.

I will pick and announce a winner when I post my Freehand Scraps sneak peeks onSept 26.

Yes, I will be working with them again in October! I'm very happy, andI have had so much fun working with the October kit!

Authentique

2011-09-15T20:21:00.001-04:00

Ready to win some fabulous Authentique goodies???? Who wouldn't, they have gorgeous stuf!!!! If you are ready to win, click here to join Practical Scrapper's giveaway. You don't want to miss it!

Grey, yellow, red!

2011-09-14T09:12:00.003-04:00

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If you want to take part in the GIVEAWAY, click here.

It's Challenge Me Tuesday time at Practical Scrappers and this week's challenge was to use grey, yellow and red. What a beautiful colour combination, anything looks good in these colours! I made a card for it, using some very elegant rub-ons and jewels.

Next week's challenge is using border strips. If you want to play and see your work featured, send a link to your project via e-mail to practicalscrapperslayouts(at)gmail(dot)com

Practical Scrappers' September sketch

2011-09-08T11:39:00.002-04:00

If you want to take part in the GIVEAWAY, click here.

Practical Scrappers' September sketch is ready! You know I absolutely love Pia's sketches, and this one was a pleasure to work with. I used twine for all the squares and some yummy summer embellies. Not very happy with the photo of the layout, I am having trouble getting layout pics I like at the moment, but I love it in real life.

These summer Little Yellow Bicycle papers are gorgeous, love the fruit, the colours, the words mixed with the patterns, everything! Except for the twine, everything in this layout is part of that collection. Delicious.

Already feeling like giving this fab sketch a try? Come over to Practical Scrappers, get the sketch and start playing!

GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

I am so happy to be guest designing for Freehand Scraps this month. I love their kits, their choice of papers just suits my style, and there are so many embellies to play with! And I'd like to share a bit of my happiness with you, so I have prepared a very special giveaway. I have included flowers, stickers, alphabets, chipboard, lace, die cuts, buttons, tons of stuff. But also, I used what remained from my kit (after making three layouts, two cards, and two altered projects, it really has TONS of stuff!) to make some unique embellies for you. I have made flowers, tags and other embellies, and they are my favourite part of the prize!

If you'd like to have a chance to win this pack, all you have to do is visit Freehand Scrap's blog and leave a comment on my post: "Ten Ways to make your projects unique". Then come back here and let me know you did (I have had some messages from people who've had trouble commenting. If you are having trouble, try this: just right click on “add comment” and click on “open in new tab” or “open in new window”. If you still have trouble leaving a comment at Freehand Scraps' blog, please leave one in their Facebook Page instead).

If you'd like to have extra chances you can:

1)become a follower of my blog and leave a comment here (or leave a comment saying you already are).

2) advertise this giveaway in your blog, Facebook and/or twitter and leave a link to where you advertised (one extra chance for each link).

3) "like" Freehand Scraps on Facebook

(and leave a comment here to let me know you did)

4) subscribe to Freehand Scraps'

newsletter (and leave a comment here to let me know you did).

The deadline is September 30, the winner will be randomly picked and announced on October 1st. Good luck to all of you!

Working hard

2011-09-05T11:30:00.001-04:00

I am working hard finishing some lovely handmade embellies with the rest of my Freehand Scraps August kit to include in my giveaway, together with Teresa Collins Blingage, Bella Blvd chipboard stickers, We R Memory Keepers foil lace, stickers, flowers, felt buttons and other yummy things that will go in the winner's pack! If you'd like a chance to win, remember to come back tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of pics with you. The first one shows how hard it is for me to take pictures of my projects, as Mia always wants to be part of the pic! She saw me with the camera and actually ran out of the pool to come and pose next to the journal!

The second one is from our weekend in Bahamas, where we played with dolphins. It was a wonderful moment, and I'm sure you'll soon see this photo in a layout!

Come back tomorrow to join the giveaway, but if you can't, don't worry, the deadline is September 30th!

Freehand Scraps reveal 3

2011-09-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

I have two more Projects created with Freehand Scrap's yummy September kit today. The layout shows a mom and daughter pic in Tobago, and I wanted to emphasize the sun, because most of what we did that weekend was enjoy it! I used yellow and orange as a background, add sunny splatters and included a big sun embellishment made with dyed wooden buttons and clothespins that came in the kit. This one is also based on a Pagemaps sketch.

There will be a tutorial showing how to make this sun at Freehand Scrap's blog next week.

I also created a card with that delicious typewriter. Loved the typewriters everywhere in the kit!

And the last one is this altered notebook, which would make a great little gift, it is elegant and a bit funky at the same time.

Visit Freehand Scraps if you want to get this fabulous kit to play with, see some tutorials or more inspiration. Also, remember I will announce a giveaway next week, don't miss it!

Freehand Scraps reveal 2

2011-09-02T07:00:00.007-04:00

It's time for another reveal today. This layout shows my daughter Mia trying to talk to a giant leatherback turtle which was laying her eggs on Grand Rivière beach in the north east of Trinidad. It is one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life, and if you ever have a chance to come and see it, I recommend it!

I used a Pagemaps sketch again, I loved this one because the semicircles on top of the pictures reminded me of the turtles's backs. Again, all the products used (except for the tiny letters on the girl -do you remember the girls I cut out form my card yesterday?) came with my kit.

I loved that yellow ribbon, so much texture in it.

I used my Silhouette to cut this turtle. So easy and so effective as a title!

The next project I'd like to share is the cover of an accordion mini-album. It is a crazy design, but sometimes I like to go crazy, and I couldn't stop piling things on top of this one. So much goodness in this kit!

If you are thinking of getting this kit for yourself, visit Freehand Scraps and order one! You won't regret it! And remember I will announce a giveaway next ...!

Freehand Scraps reveal - Day 1

2011-09-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

September begins today and to me it brings a magical feeling. For the first 32 years of my life, September marked the beginning of spring, lots of sunny warm days and a different glow in the air. It was always my favourite month.

And with the beginning of September I can finally start sharing the projects I created with my gorgeous Freehand Scraps September kit. The first project today is a layout with a picture of my daughter Mia and some chalk squares she drew on the patio floor. Mia is a very creative and imaginative child but she is also very shy, so sometimes you need to go past her shyness to see who she really is. I am happy and relieved because her kindergarten teacher, even though she's only been at school for a week, has made the effort to break the shyness barrier, and Mia feels special in her class. She woke up at 5.30 a.m. today as she was so excited to get to school - OK, that particular fact does not make me happy, I've had to have extra coffee today!

Going back to the layout, when I saw the card with the quote: "YOU'RE ONLY GIVEN A LITTLE SPARK OF MADNESS. YOU MUSTN'T LOSE IT", I knew it would go perfectly with that picture. I used a Pagemaps sketch for this layout, and the result is simple but I love it. Except for the embroidery floss and the mists, every single product I used for this layout came in the kit. I love the choice of patterned papers, they are not all from the same manufacturer and still they work so well together. And the stickers are just yummy.

Love how that title turned out, don't you? I'd also like to share a card I made using the girl wooden silhouette in the kit (both as an embellishment and as a stencil to cut out the other girls in the card). It took me a very short time to make it but I love the result.

If you want to see the other yummy things in this kit, and the projects created with it by other DTs, visit Freehand Scraps. I will post other projects I created with this kit tomorrow and on Sunday. Also, I will be having a giveaway this week, so don't forget to come back and play!

Time for sneak peeks!

2011-08-26T09:44:00.001-04:00

Woohooo! It is sneak peek day at Freehands Scraps, and I can at least show you a bit of what I've been working on. Can you see those colours and embellies? Aren't you in love with this kit already?

The full reveal will be on September 1st, but you can visit Freehand scraps and have a look at the other DTs' sneak peeks in the mean time! And remember: there's a giveaway coming soon!

Words, words, words

2011-08-22T13:34:00.001-04:00

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Already finished my Freehands Scraps projects, but I can't share them yet! I will have some sneak peeks by the end of the week, and a giveaway at the beginning of the month, coinciding with the project reveal, so come and check!

In the meantime, I have two other pages I made for Big Picture's Big Idea Festival to share with you. They are pretty easy to put together, and I am enjoying doing the journalling. A lot. Here they are:

I will be working on a card based on this week's sketch at Let's Scrap today, so I will post that later today or tomorrow, depending on whether the rain lets me take any pics! If you haven't played with this sketch yet, you still have two days, it is a great sketch and the prize is lovely!

Busy, busy, busy!

2011-08-17T10:55:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not posting much this week, I've not been a lazy bug, on the contrary, I've been VERY busy. I finally got my Freehand Scraps kit and my mojo is flowing like a river! So many yummy things, I really can't tell you what they are, but I can say that the papers have been perfectly chosen so you can use any of them with any other piece of paper or cardstock in the kit. And the embellies.... Well, you'll have to wait for the sneak peeks to start drooling over them!

It is DD's last week of summer holidays, so we have had playdates and pool parties in the afternoon and have been getting everything ready for school in the mornings. Plus, I signed in for the Big Idea Festival at Big Picture classes and I am making a mini album with their daily words. This is something I can share with you. I am keeping the pages very simple, choosing some background paper I like (trying to use PP from my scrap box) printing the template on them, and then embellishing. The main focus is on the journalling, what these words mean to me right now. I love this kind of journalling and there isn't always room for it in LOs, so I'm loving this experience. Here are the two pages I've made so far.

I want to make a mini album with a very messy look, the kind that has bits and pieces sticking out from every page. I will share the pages as I make them here, and then I'll share the look of the finished album once I am done. You still have time to share the Big Idea Festival if you feel you'd like to give it a try!

Home Green Home

2011-08-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

Today's feature at Practical Scrappers is houses. This a topic that means a lot to me and my family, especially since we moved again less than a year ago, so I have two LOs to share.

The first LO talks about the moving process, both the exciting bits and the hardest parts for us. I had a single photo of all our stuff when it was packed, and it was not a very good one, so I played with it a little bit to make it more interesting, and turned it into four identical photos in different tones.

The second LO is about our new home, Trinidad and Tobago, and how happy it makes us that it is so very GREEN. I made these LOs as soon as we moved (scrapbooking therapy) and I've had them for ages, only reminded of them by this Practical Scrappers' feature, so I'm afraid I can't remember whT the supplies were (definitely need to start taking better notes.... And especially, keeping them somewhere where I can find them!).

There are lots of house projects by the DT, even a very cute alter house, just click here to have a look.

Anxiously awaiting my kit!

2011-08-09T10:22:00.001-04:00

I am very happy to announce that I will be one of Freehand Scraps' two guest designers during the month of September. I think their kits are fabulous, so having the opportunity to play with one of them is FANTASTIC!!!

Now, my September kit is on its way. I keep checking USPS (even though I have set up an alert) and I have already told the delivery guy (who gets the package from the skybox in Miami and brings it home to me) to let me know the minute it gets here about three or four times. In exchange for being such an anxious customer, I've picked up a bag of juicy mangoes from my tree to give him when he brings the kit! Will let you know as soon as I get it!

In the meantime, I am also very happy to announce I have finally managed to finish Challenge#13 at Let's Scrap Our Stash!!! Yes, I struggled, but completed a monochromatic LO and actually like it, too!As required, I used patterned paper form 5 different manufacturers, 10 brads+buttons, some ribbon and twine, and six flowers! It is based on one of the yummy August sketches at Pagemaps.

List of supplies:

Patterned paper: Basic Grey, Bo Bunny, Cosmos Cricket, The Girl's Paperie, Fancy Pants

Buttons and brads: assorted

Ribbon and twine: from kits

Alphabet stickers: Basic Grey

Pens: Gelwriters, Pilot, Copic

Flowers: Prima

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories, Glue Dots

Blog hop prize winners!

2011-08-08T14:54:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to announce that the winners of my blog hop prize are Dlwidder and Nicolle K, who said:

dlwidder said...

Cute project! TFS

My scrappin' bud is Nicolle K. :-D

Please, send me your addresses toscrappingnomad@gmail.com so I can have the brads mailed to you. Enjoy them!

To everybody else, thanks for playing, and hope to see you around!

Recipes -notebook

2011-08-08T10:30:00.001-04:00

I used this week's Let's Scrap sketch (left side) for a notebook. People will soon be buying stuff for Christmas (they start the 100 day countdown to Christmas on Sept 24 here and start playing Christmas music and decorating, so people start buying Christmas Stuff), especially those who are leaving for their countries at the beginning of December and need to have gifts to take with them, so I am getting ready for the fairs that will come soon.

List of supplies
Patterned paper: Jillibean Soup
Die cuts: Jillibean Soup
Ribbon: American Crafts
Punch: Martha Stewart
Rhinestones: assorted
Alphabet: American CraftsGlue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories

Practical Scrappers Blog Hop

2011-08-08T07:37:00.000-04:00

***This post will remain on top until Monday, please scroll down for new posts.***

Thanks for joining us for the Practical Scrappers Blog Hop. We're sharing projects that relate to the number two since it's our second anniversary! My project is an embroidery hoop with a burlap background and circus theme. And it includes several "twos": two hanging monkeys, two clowns, and, my favorite - two princess seals!

And, since this blog hop is all about twos, to win a prize for you and a friend, you need to be in pairs. Leave your name and a friend's name in a comment below, and make sure both you and your friend are followers. The same pair can't enter twice, but you can enter as part of as many pairs as you want. You just need to invite different friends over to play! This is the prize:

And now, have a look at the blog list:

Kerri

Carolina You Are Here

Go Here Next Sandi

Aymee

Teresa

Thank you so much for visiting me today! Hop on over to see Sandi 's project next. And remember: when you have finished hopping go back to Practical Scrappers' blog for the main prize: a super yummy SCRAPTASTIC kit!!!

List of supplies:

Embroidery hoop and burlap: from my local crafts store

Patterned Paper: Sassafras Lass

Beads: Darice

Embroidery Floss: assorted

Metal: B'Sue Boutiques

Ribbon: John Lewis

Rhinestones: Darice

Glue: Making Memories

Let's Scrap Our Stash Challenge#13 - Second (failed) attempt

2011-08-07T17:55:00.000-04:00

I am determined to do Challenge# 13 of Let's Scrap Our Stash, because for once I have everything the challenge requires. So I tried again, this time with one of this month's Pagemaps sketch. I started with the orange papers, and pompon trim, and I was doing very well until I realised this page is going right next to a grey page in the album, and I needed to include some grey to match some of the elements in it. I included the grey pp, ribbon and chipboard letters, and... That was the end of challenge #13, as I could only include one colour. So, I will probably have to keep trying until I succeed!

List of supplies:

Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket, JBS

Chipboard shapes, ribbon, embroidery floss, rhinestones: assorted

Chipboard alphabet: American Crafts

Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories

Pens: Gelwriters, Pilot

Believe

2011-08-07T13:33:00.002-04:00

Last week's card challenge at the Create:blog was to make a card using flowers made of gathered ribbon. Interesting challenge, it left so many open possibilities!

I based my card on a cardmap from the Pagemaps archive, and created three small flowers, and a bigger one with a lovely piece form the Parisian Anthology line in the centre. It is a simple design that makes the flowers pop out.

I was happy to see my card in the Create Gallery later in the week, among so many beautiful projects! If you want to have a look at them, click here.

List of supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned paper: Bella Boulevard

Brads: assorted

Bling charm: House of three

Ribbon: assorted from past kits, American Crafts, Reasonable Ribbon July kit

Pen: Gelwriters

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories

From this moment

2011-08-06T16:56:00.001-04:00

I loved this week's sketch a at Sketch Inspiration as soon as I saw it. I wanted to use it for Challenge#13 at Let's Scrap Our Stash, but it was a monochromatic challenge, and that's not the feel I wanted for this photo, so, Challenge#13 is still part of my to-do list.

List of supplies

Patterned paper: Creative Imaginations

Rub-ons: Basic Grey, Karen Foster

Stickers: EK Success

Brads: K & Company

Ribbon: JBS kit

Mini alphabet: Lily Bee Designs

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories

Cotton projects

2011-08-04T09:34:00.001-04:00

Do you know what kind of present you should give someone on their second anniversary? The second anniversary is a COTTON anniversary. Not a very exciting one, the first years never are (my 7th anniversary was in June, and it was a wool anniversary, imagine how useful a woolen present can be when you live in the Caribbean!). But you can bet the Practical Scrappers' team has made some exciting projects using cottons for you to get inspired!

My project is a canvass piece (canvass is made of cotton). It's the fist time I work on it and it was so much fun!

If you want to see the rest of the cotton projects, take part in the giveaway, or this week's recipe challenge (today's ingredients are STICKER(S) and INK), visit Practical Scrappers and join in the fun!

List of supplies:

Canvass: Fredrix

Rub-ons: JBS, 7gypsies

Stickers: Basic Grey, Glitz

Banners: Girls' Paperie

Mist: JBS Ranger, Tattered Angels

Bookplate: from a kit

Butterfly charm: B'Sue

Pearls: Martha Stewart

Tulle: assorted

Ribbon: American Crafts

Glue: Making Memories

Gröna Lund

2011-08-03T10:51:00.001-04:00

Today's anniversary feature at Practical Scrappers is two-page LOs. I find double pagers hard, but this week's sketch at Let's Scrap was fabulous, and just right for my Gröna Lund pics. Gröna Lund is a fun park full of rides in Stockholm and it had a roller coaster for very young children, something DD was desperate to try and could not find in any park at that age.

I wanted to make a banner with tickets to match the theme, so I printed these digi stamps from Lily Pink Scraps. Don't they look great?

I also got another digi (it was actually a colouring page) from supercoloring.com. I have a friend that always complains if we don't take family pics during this trip, and we took this pic as the trip's family pic, which is why I included this embellie.

List of supplies:

Card stock: Bazzill

Patterned paper: Jillibean Soup

Eyelets: American Crafts

Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Trim: my grandma's sewing stash

Thickers: American Crafts

Buttons: assorted

Digi images: Lily Pink Scraps, supercoloring.com

Markers: Copic, Staedtler, Gelwriters

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories ribbon glue

Today's elements for the recipe contest are: button(s) and bling. There's still time to join the fun!

Bingo!

2011-08-02T21:15:00.001-04:00

For today's Practical Scrapper's feature we had a bingo. Fun! Choose one of the lines and scrap using two of each element mentioned in that line. Only two, that was hard! It's not easy to include only two embellies of a kind. My line had: punches, ribbon, buttons.

I based this LO on Sketch Inspiration's sketch #230, and created another wedding page for the album. The title was chosen by my sister, the bride!

Today's elements for the recipe contest are: flower(s) and ribbon. There's still time to join the fun!

List of supplies:

Patterned paper: Studio Calico

Cardstock: Bazzill

Eyelet die cut: Making Memories

Ribbon: TPC Studio, assorted

Pearls: Martha Stewart

Vintage pattern paper: JBS kit

Buttons: assorted

Punches: Martha Stewart

Embellies: JBS kit

Glue: Glue Glider Pro, Making Memories ribbon glue

Pens: gel writers

Ink: Jenni Bowlin for Ranger

Two cards, same sketch

2011-08-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

The party goes on at Practical Scrappers! Today, we are showing pairs of cards that share a common feature, and that feature has to be exactly the same. I created two cards that are very different but share the same Pagemaps sketch.

Here they are separated for a closer look:

Today there's also a fabulous giveaway and the first two elements in the week-long recipe contest have been posted: cardstock and patterned paper. This contest is going to be lots of fun, so I am playing! If you want to know how to play, click here for instructions.

Happy birthday Practical Scrappers!!!!

2011-07-31T21:09:00.001-04:00

This week is Practical Scrappers' second anniversary, and we are celebrating it with a week full of twos! Today's feature shows each DT's favourite projects created for Practical Scrappers. I chose a project I love from my previous DT term and a recent one. I know you've probably seen them, but here they go again, just to join the celebration!!!!

Each DT member has posted her favourite projects over a two-year period, so you really don't want to miss this feature, so much inspiration!!!! There will be more special features, a layout contest and a blog hop during this week, so come and join the celebration!!!!!!

July Sketches at Practical Scrappers

2011-07-27T12:05:00.001-04:00

Today it's time to reveal the LOs I've created for this month's sketches at Practical Scrappers. The sketches were fabulous, as usual, so it was easy to get inspired!

I used some more Stockholm pics for Pia's sketch. It seems that every time I pick one of Pia's sketches I get reminded of the Stockholm album I have to finish... Sort of like getting some Swedish vibes from the sketch :) These are pics of a floating restaurant called Strandbryggan we had lunch in.

I loved the colours of these WRMK's Travel Light Punch card as they went perfectly with the colours of the pics and reflected that green feeling we had during the whole trip, so much green around us as compared to dusty Tripoli. But when I finished working on the LO, I felt the paper was too much about camping, not what my Pics were about, so I got some restaurant icons from the net and embroidered them on the top block. I love the end result.

List of supplies:

Patterned paper: WRMK

Embossed stickers: WRMK

Thickers: American Crafts

Mini alphas: Lily Bee

Embroidery floss: assorted

Restaurant icons: Google search

Glue: Glue Glider Pro

Jannike's sketch had a single pic and a very romantic feel to it, so I decided to use our 7th anniversary pic. This is not a good one, DD took it from the car while we were standing next to it, ready for one of our "jungle walks", but I still want to scrap the fact that these have been the happiest seven years of my life, no matter what kind of pic I had for it. I wanted to keep it simple and focus on the image/message, so I just resist embossed some areas and added Some metal and a butterfly, as well as some doodling.

List of supplies:
Card stock: Coredinations
Embossing powder: American Crafts
Heat gun: American Crafts
Embossing ink: Stampendous
Mist: Maya mist and made at home
Doilies, flowers and butterflies: JBS kit
Chipboard butterfly: assorted
Pen: Gelwriter
Ink: Ink it up!

Hi card

2011-07-26T11:25:00.002-04:00

I still have some fabulous Summer Fun paper on my desk, so I decided to use it for Let's Scrap's card sketch 7-20-11. I loved the sun in the beach LO, so I made another sun for this card. The banner was hand-drawn and cut individually, for a unique effect. And I finally got to use those clothespins I've had for ages. They look cute, too! You still have time to join in the fun and get a fabulous prize at Let's Scrap today.

List of Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee, America Crafts, assorted

Bingo card: JBS

Stickers: Pink Paislee

Pegs: Paperchase (very old stash!!!)

Hemp, embroidery floss: assorted

Pen: Staedtler

Glue: Glue gun, Glue Glider Pro

All about me

2011-07-21T08:56:00.001-04:00

This month's colour feature at Practical Scrappers is brown. I wanted to create a title page for my Book About Me challenges at Let's Scrap, so I combined both. In fact, I had a list for this page long before the BAM challeges started, but it took me time to move from the list to a page! I have had this LO for some time and I forgot to write the list of supplies when I made it, so I can't add one today. All I can say is I used assorted pp from my box of scraps, and I cut them with the Silhouette to make frames.

If you have some time today, check out all the great brown projects at Practical Scrappers. Or click here to start a Book About You!

Dia de Playa!

2011-07-19T12:20:00.000-04:00

I haven´t posted anything for a few days because of a huge mistake I made: I spilled coffee on my laptop!!!!!!!!!! I then had to leave it to dry for a few days, and while we waited, we went to the eastern side of the island to see a miracle: the leatherback turtle hatchlings being born!!! This was the first one we saw: I almost cried!

And this is DD picking it up to take it to a tank with water. They keep them there and release them during the night, to maximise their chances of survival.

And now, back to scrapping, but also by the sea! This is a pic of my daughter I absolutely love, so I´ve been saving it for some special papers. The Summer Fun collection by Pink Paislee is the kind of special paper I needed! The picture is not very good, unfortunately, as we are in the middle of the rainy season and it is hard to find a good chance to take a pic.

I used stitching to give some texture to the waves and sun. And I used the rubber stickers, chipboard stickers, and paper embellies from the collection. Gorgeous!

This LO is based on this week´s sketch at Let´s Scrap. you can still play until midnight, or visit the site tomorrow for a fantastic card sketch!

List of supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper, Chipboard, Stickers, elements: Pink Paislee
Acrylic paint: from my daughter´s stash!
Glue: GLue Glider Pro
Embroidery Floss: assorted

Yellow Tuesday Trigger

2011-07-14T08:46:00.001-04:00

Have a look at this week's Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World:

It immediately made me go and get my yellow papers! And since I had some black and white papers from my previous project on the desk, I used those as well. I also used a mannequin image to go with the "clothing" theme of the trigger. The image is a free digi stamp by Pop "N" Stick: there are some lovely images in the blog, like a beautiful Singer machine that I've already downloaded because I know I'm going to need it at some point the future, so check it out!!!

And here's my project:

There were different digis of the mannequin, and I chose the one with the scarf on. I'm so glad I did, because I love how this scarf turned out. It looks silky!

And before I leave I wanted to share some good news. Another project of mine has been chosen for the CK Club spotlight this week. Two weeks in a row is great news!!!! Here is the spotlight.

List of Supplies:

Notebook: Maped

Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants, Pebbles

Digi Stamp: Pop "N" Stick

Markers: copic

Cream Trim: from my grandma's box!

Die cut, alphabet stickers and yellow trim: from a kit

Embroidery floss: assorted

Flowers: Prima and Maya Road

Glue: Glue Glider Pro and Making Memories

Oh, happy day!

2011-07-13T12:18:00.000-04:00

I am finally scrapbooking again! I was really missing it, but it took me a few days to sit and scrap. I created this LO for Let's Scrap's Fancy Pants challenge, with my new papers from this month's Scraproom kit. The "It's the little things" collection is adorable, I love all the colours and the design.

It's another LO for my sister's wedding album, here they've just become husband and wife. I used the left side of sketch 3-2-11 from Let's Scrap, and flipped it, as my photo is horizontal. I cut the inside of a journalling block and used it as a frame because the couple was a bit lost in the big photo. I wanted to use some pattern paper, as I thought it would look great with the pp's colours, so I ruffled and hand-stitched it behind my banner (I know I've seen this somewhere but I cannot recall where though I've been thinking all morning). Except for the cardstock and some wedding stickers, all the supplies are from the "It's the Little Things" collection by fancy pants. The papers are so beautiful I almost cried when I cut them because that meant I couldn't use the back side!!!!

List of supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants
Chipboard Stickers: Fancy Pants
Stickers: K and Company
Paper embellishments: Fancy Pants
Pattern Paper: from a kit
Embroidery floss: assortedGlue: Glue Glider Pro, making Memories

Party Pics and some news!

2011-07-08T13:56:00.000-04:00

As you've read here these past weeks, I've been very busy preparing a WordWorld birthday party for my daughter. The party was just fabulous and here are some pics:

I don't think I can scrap today.... I'm exhausted and I had to use my scrap table for the party, so everything is on the floor.... I don't think I can pick anything up today!!!!!!!!!!

The page I made for Practical Scrappers' blue feature was spotlighted this week at Club CK. I'm so hapy about it!!!!!!!!!!! You can see the other fabulous pages that were spotlighted here:

http://clubcreatingkeepsakes.com/blogs/ck_community/archive/2011/07/05/scrapbooking-inspiration-july-5.aspx

Hope you have a fantastic weekend, it's going to rain a lot here, so I'm going to relax, rest, and hopefully, pick some stuff from the floor of my scraproom and scrap!!!!

Bows Galore!!!

2011-07-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Today's Challenge Me Tuesday at Practical Scrappers features bows. I made a card with a bow, and inspired about and interview I've read at this month's Cards mag, I added a flower to the bow, a brad to the centre of the flower, and some bling to the brad. Embellish, embellish, embellish!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a simple card but I enjoyed making it, especially as it is not birthday themed and took me out from the birthday preparations for a little while.

List of supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Alpha stickers: Sassafrass

Wood Veneer Die-cuts: Studio Calico

Ribbon: Assorted

Flower: Prima

Brad: Basic Grey

Die-Cut: We are Memory Keepers

Bling: Assorted

I also made another bow for a LO, this time a paper bow. This LO is based on Let's Scrap sketch 6-29-11, a block sketch. Block LOs are something I really can't do, I struggle and struggle, and never get a result I like. Then I see other people's work and say "Why didn't I do that?". That happened to me this week. I made a double pager I hate (it has gone into the album, anyway, but I didn't want to take a picture of it). Then I decided to take only some elements from the sketch, and work from that. So I took the three pics (that I turned into three columns of pics), the line with an embellishment below the pics and the title and an embellishment on top of the pics. And this is the result.

It is a LO about the things DD liked and disliked at 4.8 years of age. I made the paper bow from this fabulous tutorial here.

List of supplies:
Patterned paper: Crate Paper, Pebbles
Dimensional Stickers: Pebbles
Letter stickers: American Crafts
Brads: eyelet outlet, Pebbles
Rhinestones: Darice
Glue: Glue Glider Pro
Markers: Staetdler

Check Practical Scrappers for more projects with bows and Let's Scrap for a new sketch and a fantastic prize!!!!

Wordworld and DT call!

2011-07-02T19:54:00.003-04:00

If you wonder what I've been doing these days, I've been crafting. No scrapbooking, though. I've been working on the decorations for DD's WordWorld birthday party. Pinata, banners, favour boxes, the lot! And I still need to work on the biscuits, the cupcakes, the cake (three tiers) and the piggy hot dogs!!!! I promise lots of photos once the event is over and done with. In the meantime, do you know Let's Scrap is having a DT Call? With over 3000 members, it is a great community to design for! Here's the add, in case you are interested. You still have 15 days to get your LO done and apply for the DT!

Design Team Call - August - November

Are you ready to join our Design Team? Do you love to scrapbook from sketches and love to encourage others? Then we've got a place for you! Please send your take on this sketch to us at letsscrap2011@gmail.com by July 15th, 2011. You are welcome to do one or both sides of the sketch.

If chosen, you will be on a 4 month term from August - November. Here is what you would be asked to do:

1) A weekly layout of a sketch {the sketches are posted weeks in advance for you to work on and you can do one or both sides}

2) Provide a Challenge and Ask a Question

3) Help get sponsors

4) Encourage and Support our members in the gallery

5) Help promote our great site

If you are excited at the chance of being on our team, please email us your take on this sketch and tell us why you'd be a great fit. Please also provide a link to your blog or include other examples of your work. We cant wait to see what YOU come up with!!

June Sketches at Practical Scrappers

2011-06-27T10:37:00.001-04:00

I'm a bit late posting this, but with so many things to do over the holidays and weekend here, plus getting ready for DD's birthday party next month, I have lost track of time! Here are my LO's for this month's fabulous sketches at Practical Scrappers. The first one is based on Pia's sketch. I love, love, love, those circles, and it took me very little to put this LO together.

I've been trying to include as many of DD's words and phrases in her LO's as possible. She's learning to say things the right way and losing more and more of her cute words, so I want to record them now. This one is called "PASTICANDO", which is her way of saying "PRACTICANDO" (PRACTISING). Ever since she saw an episode of Angelina Ballerina about the importance of practising and rehearsing, she's been a fan of the word. And whenever she wants to learn something, you will see her practising for hours!

The second LO, based on Jannike's fabulous sketch, shows another of DD's favourite phrases: "LO IMPORTANTE ES QUERERSE" (ALL THAT MATTERS IS LOVE). Every time something breaks or you have a problem, she comes and says that phrase to you, and of course, you just forget about anything else!

You can see other takes on this sketches and the sketches for July here. Coming back soon with a list of supplies!