Gotta few kits for the crop goin' on

Wooowhheeee!!!

Go me.

The first one was the hardest and has the most stuff

going on. And that's a good thing.

This will be a 3 photo page.

 It's getting serious now.......Have I mentioned that I scrap by the seat of my pants.
And its always a crap shoot.

This one and the next I actually did simultaneously. Boggles the mind I know. Still packing a bunch of choices just in case.

Choices can be a good thing. I know I put more flowers in this one. hmmm...

 This next one I printed an 8.5 x 11 photo

and that will be my background paper. I'm really

jazzed about doing that one.

As I'm kitting my mind, such as it is, is trying to envision wet mediums to bring.

And thickers - how many - as I have a drawful.

And textures. OMG. 

You may notice this one is a bit light. However, from the other kits, I have stuff I can pull in, hopefully.  If not, I'll be in a scrapbook store. Doesn't get any better than that.

I purchased some Halloween paper while I was there the other day and I'm hoping I'll get some pix of my ghouls and goblins in time.....

I'm also throwing in some stamps I used a bit and some inks

I use a lot. I'm also taking a bunch of Studio Calico Stuff.

They're in containers all their own.

I'm currently collecting punches, watercolors and gelatoes.

I'm needing containers.

Lots of containers.

I only get a 4th of a table.

Stay tuned.

I got nothing...

No pages or layouts today.

I am going to a crop on Saturday and I'm

really excited and jazzed.

I get to hang with my pals Brooke, Suzanne and Holli

and make some new friends.

This'll be my third big crop.

The first time I was woefully unprepared.

I made up for that the second time

and even kitted pages with photos and embellishments

and took enough stuff to restock the store.

However.

For some reason I'm in a funk shall we say.

I can't seem to be able to start.

Picking out photos, much less papers and make kits 

And then there's the "what do I take" besides

everything. 

I have a lot of everything.

I'm stalled and overwhelmed and don't that just annoy me.

Suggestions anyone?

I have time - I can do babysteps.

Make a birth announcement the star of your page

Of course it helps to have a talented photographer in the family

and a really seriously cute, adorable baby.

This page started with another photo in mind.

Which I can't find.
I know you're surprised.

It was a heritage photo I put somewhere safe.

My pal April says I need a crystal ball. LOL.

That's totally true.

I've been tearing through everywhere I can think 

several times. So its really really safe.

I do have electronic photos of them, thank God, but I wanted 

the original and I may have already done it and

not remember, however, I don't think so.
Well in flipping through the wayback box - WA-LA and
doesn't the perfect one just pop on out in my hand.
Gotta love it when a plan comes through.

Anyway, I started the Recollections paper off with Tim Holtz spider web stencil.

And the majority is now hidden behind all the laying.

Clever eh?

Tells you how well that worked out.

I did try covering it up with mist and assorted stuff and sundry.

Covering up the majority was the best solution.

There's also some BoBunny, Sassafrass lass, Basic Grey and Trinity.

A QK vine and flowers with punched hearts

and Bellisimo rubons.

DO you know that rubons stick really really well on your fingers?

Studio Calico butterflies and hello stamp.

I think I wasn't meant to find the photo I really wanted since this totally

works out perfectly. I added the lil B&W photo

because that is actually on the back of the card with a 

point to their website and well someone needed to say hello.

Who better than big brother.

Your challenge is to make a page using an announcement.

Poptarts and camping

And even blowing kisses  (I actually noted that on the back of the photo) at his favorite sweet momma who actually remembered to pack the pop tarts.

I know, blow me down.

Anyway that's my Nick. And we went camping. And never did it again.

First off, I managed to get 2 ear aches on that trip and had to break camp early. Ah gee.

I also never understood the appeal of packing a bunch of things that required a lot of unpacking later and doing things like cooking, washing and clean up that takes twice or maybe three times as long to do out in the wilds as it does at home. I also hated not having access to creature comforts such as air conditioning and especially indoor plumbing.

Especially indoor plumbing.

Anyway Nick was way too cute not to document & I had this photo floating about for awhile so another one vacates the wayback box for a snappy new home that includes a story.

I used Studio Calico base paper (shocking I know-at least I'm off the Authentique kick for a bit - I do a lot of kicks-eh) as well as for the wood veneers, thickers (kit), vellum die cuts and then simple stories for the remaining. To get the faux coffee rings, I sprayed some Mr. Huey-shell on the bottom of a coaster and stamped it on. I also splattered some patina glimmermist about.

Blue eyed Girl

I wanted baby on there but I used up all the B's from this thickers package for crabby bird. LOL!!!

This is Amelia and her eyes. Love it. And the page is a lift of Wilna over at 2-peas in the mood videos.

I learned to mix gesso and gel mediums to slap into the evil templates that I used reusable adhesive to keep it in place.

I broke out the gelatoes and smeared them around.

I used the entire sheet of star transfers from Studio Calico - because Wilna was all like why not. Which is cool because now I don't have a half a sheet flopping about getting in the way.

The a mix of Studio Calico; pattern papers, thickers & Tim Beck alphas from this months kit, vellum die cuts & star rubons, then some Dear Lizzy, Fancy Pants and Amy Tangerine going on.

Confirmed child of God

These photos have resided in the wayback box for a long time.

I was hoping my mom would scrap them since 

it is her with her parents in the backyard celebrating 

her confirmation into Christ Lutheran Church

that happens to be right across the street.

My gram went to that church and my grandpop went

to his family's home church in the country.

I thought it was normal. lol - and it worked for them.

In this  photo my mom is 13 years old.

And confirmation back then was nothing like it is today.

You were quizzed in front of the entire congregation.

I would've fainted.

She actually looks way more mature than me at 13.

Her faith was a great foundation throughout her life and also her death.

Used Studio Calico pp & Tim Beck alphas from this month's kit. 

Josephine Kimberling die cuts, Dear Lizzy die cuts

Crafters workshop stencil and thickers.

I also used (and I think its ranger-not sure) but its like 

a glittery mist - that gives it a shine but not a SHINE.

Crabby bird

The continuing story of our camping saga!!!

This juvenile night heron flew right into our camp 2 feet from my chair. (Had to look up the bird in DH's bird book).

My camera was in the RV, of course.

He had a crab in his beak and was concentrating on eating it and hopped away allowing me to use all my ninja skills to get into the RV and grab the camera and get a series of photos of the heron wrestling with the crab. The crab gave a mighty fight.

However, the crab lost.

After turning in for the night and during the wee hours of the morning, the night heron returned to his hunting grounds. There is a mirror reflection just about his height on the bottom of the RV and the heron saw his reflection.

Naturally, in an attempt to ward off the poacher in his hunting grounds, he pounded on the RV to peck the "other bird". It sounded like a knock on the door and had DH and I wondering who would come knocking at 3 a.m.

Puzzled as I looked out my window I saw no one but the little guy as he headed for the bushes, it took us a minute or three to figure things out. Of course, he tried a couple more times in the wee hours and evidence of his early morning knocking was in the crazy amount of bird prints near our door.

You just had to be amused.

And of course make a layout of it.

So breaking into the Studio Calico kit; the kesi art background paper, huey mask - which is totally evil and hates me as I tried once again to use it, thickers, vellum die cuts and journal card. Basic grey, QK dies and netting - that I've used the last of up. WOO HOO stash.....

Camping at Long Key State Park

What a well kept secret this place is and because its a state park - not that expensive. And what a primo spot we had. The end of our camper is bumped up to the water. 

I indulged in some hipstomatic fun. I like it better than instagram. And no wifi or TV. The phones still worked so there were a couple games of candy crush going on.Everything a camp needs - a table, a grill and some critter hiding in the bushes - and they also blocked us off from the other campers.

Love the privacy.

The path down to the water - and we arrived at sunset. There was a drop off to get to the water however, I didn't go there. There was a big rock at the bottom stealthily hidden by water and we all know how graceful I can be.

That is a raft/dinghy out there and it wasn't anchored that far off shore. We were able to relax and watch the hunter's moonrise. I didn't see anything eclipsing and took no photos because a. moons are tricky and I wanted to watch it and not behind a viewfinder. 

We were totally busy watching the clouds roll by and picking out shapes; a couple of dogs, a dragon and a dolphin/whale.

It wasn't all relaxing and candy crushing - 

we did bring our bikes this round and got a 2 mile ride in everyday.

This is also week 4 of my crossfitting adventure and I must say I'm totally addicted. I'm feeling the results and one day I can't wait to wake up and see the results. I feel great and I'm doing things I never thought I could or would do. Like running, lifting weights and squats. My knees are getting stronger everyday.

My goal is to squat down and get back up. I can do that now. 

My new goal is to squat down and stay there for awhile. Practicing.

I even did the warmups while camping. Who knew.

Documenting a not so great photo

My mom loved this photo as its her sitting with her favorite doll. If she told me the house - sadly I've forgotten as I had more pressing things on my mind.

The pressing matter was how to save the photo. This photo was in a glass frame and sat for years in a window or near a window. One day the glass broke and being the keeper of all things past I was on a mission to save it.

Sadly because of "said years" in a glass frame, the photo was stuck to the glass and no amount of undu, dental floss or coaxing could get it out. And if it was to come out - it wouldn't be in one piece.

Therefore, I took a picture of it as it was and tried to photoshop - all to no avail. So I decided since my mom adored the photo - just scrap it as it is. And note in the journaling.

You may also noticed that the flowers I handcrafted here - are being used on this page. Love it bunches. LOL.

Of course some of you will know what a "stoop is". Its a sort of porch or top of stairs where you can sit and while the hours away visiting neighbors.

Moving right aloing, I put a strip across the bottom and tossed and glued the flowers on - because I'm brave that way. Then I had to figure out how to use the rest of the space. And a circle worked. Stamping some Heidi Swapp clocks on the dictionary paper was fun - and Miss Connie over at Crafty Goodies does it a lot. I found a journaling page from Creative Imaginations - really old stash, and split it up (since flowers were already in the way). And a tiny American Crafts label for fun as well as some feathers and birds.

Adventure awaits!

Well like father and mother like daughter.

Adreneline junkies all.

I went with this photo and let the flowers

perculate a bit. See here.

I'm still pushing stuff around on the flower page but
I think I have something going on.

Maybe.

Anyway this one became kindof painful.

I really didn't like the way it was laying out.

However, it all worked out with

some Studio Calico-MME, vellum tags, wooden veneers -

I thought it clever to use a big male and itty bitty female (like 

father/daughter) - well it worked in my head lol!

Frame around photo - Dear Lizzy.

Some Simple Stories pp & title and Bella Blvd journal card.

Got a bit carried away with the ditto mist.

Thankfully I covered up most that looked like a crime scene. 

Flower Power

This is the stamp I used yesterday on my Gram's page. I really liked it a lot so I decided more would be better.

Therefore I stamped a bunch with black ink on some white cardstock and broke out the watercolors.

Being the decisive person I am, I decided that one of every color would work really really well. Remember RoyG.Biv? That's how I remember all of the colors of the rainbow. 

 I painted out of the lines because I wanted to cut them out and it keeps the white from peeking out. However, if it does peek on out - that's what layers are for.

Broke out the Tim Holtz scissors - I love them because the big handles are friendly to my arthritic fingers. In cutting the intricate details in the flowers - that was annoying and tedious but oh so worth it, turn the paper and not the scissors.

Also don't have a death grip on the scissors like my hands kept insisting on because it just annoys any tendonitus you may have going on in your arm. 

And Wa--LA don't they rock on that paper. Hmm.....that was totally a lucky toss. 

And then I printed a photo that has nothing to do with flowers. ooooooo a dilema. 

Stay tuned......................

This is old Gram... (not)

I actually started this page with a photo. 

Kinda sweeps you off your feet doesn't it. 

Anyway I've scrapped this photo before several times;

as a page, in my many heritage albums and journals so imagine

my surprise when I flipped the back over and 

'IN HER OWN HANDWRITING" wrote 

THIS IS OLD GRAM. 

Sadly (for me) that woman could run circles around any one of us

any time, any place, anywhere. 

It annoyed me in a good way. I never beat her though

until she was in her 80's. 

I wanna be like that.

Brought tears to my eyes - because she was really never old

to me. I admired her immensely. 

BUT I have her handwriting - how cool is that AND

I refuted her statement that I used as a title.

I KNOW...

I wanted to use the board paper because she is standing on a board.

Clever eh?

So I decided it needed some texture and stuff, so I whipped out

my gesso and handy-dandy onion bag.

WELL...........

I dumped the gesso on and started smearing it around

and the bag moved.

So then it looked like a white blob.

Thinking rather quickly for me, I whipped out a babywipe

and wiped up as much as I could and then

flinged the bag back down and started to rub over it.

I did get some texture back, but just to make

sure I decided to use a black stamp with circles and used it

over top of the white sortof textured blob.

And then a flower stamp was required because while I was

being not happy with my onion bag I found that

round thingy that I also used as a template to smear stuff such as
paint, gesso, ink around with
on other pages.

AND its okay to swoon here the colors were

really perfect with what I sort of had in mind and it ended

up being NOT the colors I had originally picked out.

I copied the back of the photo and cut it down and then couldn't

figure out where it would work. 

Flowers, my fall back in any tense situation, became

the base for the fancy signpost after 

rearranging everything 13984710928374109847 times.

Well I had to be sure.

And that left enough of a gap for the journaling.

Doncha love it when a plan comes through?

AS if.

Anyway my gram is about 23 in the photo and in the 1930 

census her occupation was laundry and living at home.

She lived on Island Park Rd in Glendon, PA.

I had to look it up because I only know one road

through Glendon and that one wasn't it.

If you know anything about laundry back in the day - it

was a lot of hard work. I remember she had a wringer

washer until I was in jr. high. It worked so no sense

fixing something that ain't broke.

People back then totally knew how to do it.

So I used American Craft-Dear Lizzy, Prima, Bo Bunny and Basic Grey.

Sixxix and QK dies.

M's stamps.

Kaiser Kraft flowers.

You & Me

This page was a long time coming. The mojo just up and left for a bit. So glad it returned even if its a brief moment.

Therefore, I started just by picking the paper and letting it sit on my desk for a bit. Then I thought it needed some mist on it. I was leaning toward an aqua - and changed my mind, using Mr. Huey's metallic copper - and it was the second thing on the page and not the last.

oooooo I know!

My pal Holli and I had some retail therapy at Hobby Lobby yesterday and I picked up a pack of 6x6 Simple Stories that you see as mats, the wooden veneer people and the stamp.  The vellum title is from Studio Calico as is the base paper.

I love how it turned out and I must admit that I redesigned it several times. I was in one of those I can't decide or it really looks stupid that way. Another photo of me and the Mr.

oooooo I know.

Live creatively

I couldn't decide - sweet & silly girl.

Love them both.

And Amelia's a hoot. 

Mama's got her hands full. 

It appears she loves the spiderman mask and

evidently wears it often.

Of course what is a super hero outfit that doesn't

have a tutu, leg warmers and blingy sandals.

You just gotta laugh.

So using crate paper, and lots of other cool things from my

Studio Calico kits makes me love how fun this page turned out.

Cool things: kesi'art templates with some gesso

going on to make the dots.

 Two stamps from the new kit and also using the vellum title

 and badge from the add-on kit

this month. Feathers and cut apart from other kits.

Twine.

A laugh is a smile that bursts

I played on this page with some gelatoes and in real life it looks very girly. I was looking for a girly photo to go with.

That's me in curlers and a homemade flannel housecoat in a behind the scenes look at getting ready for the prom back in 1972 so it doesn't get any more girly than that.

I used my water pen and smeared the gelatoes around on wax paper and then smeared them on the page. I even smooshed the remaining gelatoes from the wax paper onto the page. Love the way the gelatoes came out. I also painted the butterflies using the same gelatoes.

Using my Dear Lizzy labels as a title and some leftover papers as mats from my Studio Calico kits made the photo a perfect pick and that photo has been rolling about in the wayback box for a really, really long time. Recollections pearls and some burlap to add some texture as well as gossimer-looking ribbon.

(I sewed back then and made that housecoat. Made a lot of them actually-got my money's worth from that pattern) I also made my prom dress and there is a photo of it somewhere in the wayback box.

Sweet girl

This page evolved because I bought a new punch - the honeycombed punch by Fiskars.

Love it.

From one of my Studio Calico kits I encountered this hombre colored paper and decided I'd give the ole dump some gesso on it and roll my SC stamp roller through it.

Again.

Worked out pretty good this time beause I didn't dump half a bottle of gesso on it. (you can see my adventures here and inspiration here).

I also purchased some Dear Lizzy chipboard shapes and of course they worked perfectly. And I used the same moss colored vellum paper too. Don't you find you use the same materials?

I put it all toghether and than I had to do something with that gap - so it became a perfect spot for the title. Took me awhile to think of the title - I know. Impressive right??? Geez! LOL!

Anyway I'm really happy and its soooo girly girl. I have another girly girl page in the wings. Waiting on a girly girl photo.

Its gonna be awhile.  :|

Love you to the stars and back

First off, how can you not love this photo.

Upon further inspection it looks like Ms Amelia 

is dressed for warmth.

Check out those sandaled feet.

Totally cracks me up.

I loved this paper the moment I saw in my SC kit.

And it was quite overwhelming.

The colors are perfect. I love that they aren't pastel

or fru-fru....Sort of fall but not quite.

I found some vellum way back in the stash and it was perfect.

How often does that happen.

I picked up a pack of Dear Lizzy labels & tags and

wouldn't you know they were perfect too.

The jillybean soup buttons finally got used.

Had them forever.

They are sewed with twine directly to the page.

The rest just worked amazingly well together.

Bar Harbor, Me

I put this together late at night and isn't that a scary thought. It did come together rather well.

However, I couldn't figure out what photos to put on the page once the base was completed. I happened to drop a b&w strip of photos on it  and it looked okay. Sort of.

Therefore, back to the ole drawing board by going through the way-back box several times as well as other boxes full of photos and nothing spoke to me. Not.a.thing. I then turned to aperture and started plowing through the libraries.

For some reason my long travels and how to do those millions of photos still stymies me. Sad I know. I'm still dithering about with albums, pages, minis oh my. So therefore, I chose these photos that you just saw on the blog of course and scrapped them just to get the ole ball rolling. As we traveled northward toward Canada - I had to go to Bar Harbor. It was calling my name. It wasn't what I envisioned but I'm glad I visited just the same.

Hopefully getting a vacation destination from one of our trips will break open the damn dam :) and the rest of million photos will now flow.

Here's hoping.

The background is creative imaginations, ac thickers, simple stories, and studio calico for all remaining things, except for the metal do-dad. I have no idea.

The adventure begins

And wasn't this page an adventure, which shocks you I know.

It started out on different background paper that is now in the trash because I got clever and drew some lines around it with mist.  (actually felt sorry for it and pulled it out). Its pretty paper and maybe able to be saved but I didn't like the look of it after it was done. Maybe it'll work for the next layout.

I also had another circle too well the circle accent that was a different shade of blue/green and had a saying on it that I liked. Well I painted mist around the edge of the paper of the circle. And it looked stupid. And there was no fixing it. I also didn't like the other colors on there either - it was all very jarring. I broke out the pinking shears to give the mat a different look.

So I tossed everything and started again.

Of course this next set of papers came from Studio Calico kits, as well as the stars, stamp, mist, and the wooden conversation bubble. AND I didn't MESS with anything. The edges are inked some really light prima ink that blends in and added some Mr. Huey copper mist splatters about and called it a day before I could be aggravated again by goofing something else up.

For some reason this day was just one of those days. I managed to power through it by knowing when to quit. LOL!!!

I love this photo and tried to keep this one simple as well with the focus on the two brothers embracing each other. I just love their affection for one another and photos like this are priceless.

enjoy every minute

I love that stamp and have used it often.

Studio Calico of course.

When this photo came over the iphone I swooned.

Its just perfect.

I printed in 3x3 so it wouldn't be too pixilated

and than broke out the deckle scissors

because I remember (and still have some) old B&W

photos that have that kind of edging.

I think its cool and worked perfect in making this photo look dainty.

I tossed it on the background paper it looked perfect.

And it didn't need a lot to showcase it.

Found this big envelope that I had trouble using in the past

(thank goodness) and used it as a mat.

ooooooooo I KNOW.

I wanted to keep things simple so I put a little matching

cluster in the corner and found some

Sassafrass lass that had the perfect colors for the tag

and I actually used up the last of the ribbon in my SC kit.

And then came the title.

Love it.