Find Joy in the Journey Layout

One final piece of Inside Out art...this is my layout for this years convention art contest. I wanted to build the memory ball system from cardstock!

I Cricut cut a bazillion tiny 1/2 inch balls, which I individually  inked, pearlized with Wink of Stella and glittered. I cannot tell you how much I love these memory balls! I lined them up on glitter paper rows, and hand stitched between with silver thread. Then I added a swirl of bigger memory balls over top the rows of neatly stored memory balls. You can imagine the fun my kiddos and I had trying to take these silly emotion selfies!

Here you can see a bit more of the sparkle. My niece is the genius who pointed out to me that JOY is literally in the word Journey. I painted my title letters with layers of watercolor paints before adding the sparkle to make them match the tiny memory balls. I love working on an intricate layout like this. It gives you a lot of time to ruminate on a topic deeply, and I feel working on this layout really helped me to feel better about the moving and change I've experienced my whole life. Scrapbooking = cheap therapy!

I hope you find JOY on your Journey today, Stamping Friends!

Day 336: Valentines Quick and Sweet

Whoo! I'm cutting it so close tonight, but it's been a busy, busy day around these parts. The Tuesday deadline is fast approaching, but I took a moment to whip up a few adorable little quick LaVie En Rose valentines using the Operation Smile stamp set, Animal Greetings. 

I used the same basic design for each card, just changed up how I did the little dudes. 

Don't they just make your heart melt? Cute and supporting a great cause! CTMH is having a contest around making valentines using this pretty La Vie En Rose paper. Check it out and good luck!

Day 141: Convention Contest Layout

Each year at convention there's a big Layout Contest. This year's theme was Make It From Your Heart. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to express that theme, before taking a little bit of everything I love and putting it into one layout.

For the background I cut and sanded strips of Black Cardstock, then created the bold black stripes. I had seen this pic of a wedding bouquet on Pinterest and I wanted to turn that into a scrapbook page. I used this 2011 layout from a now defunct blog as a sketch of sorts, since I basically wanted to create my own B&T bar filled with pics of the artwork that I've made from my heart. I used Blossom and Chalk It Up B&Ts for that picture bar.

I cut the title from Gold Glitter paper using the Artiste cartridge font. I popped up the bigger letters using the Thin 3-D foam tape - this is my favorite foam tape ever! The first time I got it was on accident, because I hadn't realized we were carrying two widths of foam tape, and now I can't live without it. I added a ton of hand stitching in Gold thread using our Stitch Ruler.

I struggled with journaling this page a bit. It's hard to put into words why you love what you do sometimes. For me, I make things not just because it's fun, or glitter is cool, but because this craft allows me to spend time reflecting on the good in my life. Family. Friends. Love. Joy. Happiness. My life isn't perfect, but it's perfect for me. This craft renews my heart and makes me a better mom, wife, sister, and friend. It's like counting your blessings every time I make a page.  

Of course, I also find the process of creating pretty things from nothing but some white paper, ink, and water pretty fascinating. You can check out my Rolled Flower Tutorial for the lowdown on how I did these watercolor paper flowers. I find it so satisfying to create something from simple materials. 

Finally, instead of a banner I actually added my business card to this side of the layout. I usually put my class schedule on the back, but after my move I haven't started a regular schedule again yet. So this time I chose a quote.

I won't lie - this layout took me a while to finish. It was a labor of love, pure and simple. 

Disney Team Cricut Layout

So I'm here in Anaheim, and I'm spending the week with my team learning about CTMH, stamping, scrapbooking, and basically having a grand ol' time. 

I want to share with you today my entry to this year's layout contest. CTMH asked us to make a two page layout of our favorite CTMH moment. I used quite a long list of materials (all CTMH except for the gold thread) to create my two page layout filled with all the things I love...handmade cricut flowers, bling, washi tape, glitter... It's one of my favorite things I've ever made. I'm going to frame it and hang it in my scrapbook room when I get home. 

I put so much time into this layout. I built the background out of 3/4" pieces of Timberline Woodgrain B&T. The black sparkly background was pieced from Black glitter paper and Shimmer Trim, then hand stitched with gold thread. I made the Mickey heads in Cricut Craft Room just welding together our basic Art Philosophy Circle. The yellow B&T papers came from Sarita and Babycakes. I cut a stencil using Artiste for the title and painted it with white acrylic paint for the title, which I then outlined with a black fine tip pen. I added washi tape accents and banners, and then stitched over them with more gold thread. Ooh - and I added that painted polka dot background using our dot embossing folder. Just paint the raised side and press onto your project for a fun effect!

Now asking us to choose one favorite CTMH moment...that's like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. I've had some really amazing experiences with CTMH, from teaching at Extravaganza to going on a Caribbean Cruise. And all of that was wonderful, but the thing that makes me love CTMH isn't awards or recognition. It's connecting with my team and all the awesome consultants who I've only met because we share a love of papercrafting with CTMH. So I chose pictures of my team from one of our convention trips, and wrote some truly mushy (but absolutely true) journaling about how much I love spending my time with my team.

While we've once again this year whooped and hollered for new papers, screamed over new stamps, swooned over the sweet projects, and I even won all the new embossing goodies at general session...again this year my favorite times at convention are definitely the moments I get to spend connecting with my team, meeting my online consultant friends, and just being with people who love CTMH as much as I do. 

Thanks for making me love my job, CTMH Family!

Thank you!

I thought this week I might share the cards I made and submitted to the Paper Crafts Stamping Royalty contest. I didn't get picked, but that's ok - I've been dying to show these to somebody!

On this first card I made the daisies using White Daisy CS and Tommy B&T paper for the centers. I shaped the centers using my Rub On Tool and the mat from the Piercing Tool Kit. Then I popped them up with 3-D Foam tape so they would retain that rounded daisy center look. The leaves and sentiment were cut from Silver Glitter Paper. All cut were from the Artiste Cricut cartridge. I'm linking this card up to the Hybrid Chick's Card Caravan Just Use Flowers Challenge.

As I was stitching around the edges of my card panels I decided the top corner looked a little empty, so I filled it with a glittery butterfly with a small sparkle flourish trail.

I'm linking this card up to the Heart 2 Heart Challenges Teacher Appreciation challenge and the Paper Issues Mother's Day Challenge, because both Teachers and Mothers deserve our thanks every day. Hugs! 

Thanks to you...

Thanks to all of your lovely support and votes, I've made the Top Five in the Practical Scrappers Card Contest! The top five cards are all lovely, with fabulous stamping and interesting techniques. I feel honored to even be in the group, and I really appreciate the weeks of voting and kind comments from all of my Stamping Friends!

Here is the card I submitted for the final week of judging. There's no more public voting, as the lovely gals running the contest get to pick the winner. I made this card for Tamra Pope's awesome MHS swap (don't know her? Get thee to her amazing blog, STAT!) and liked it enough to make it my final assignment card. It's got (almost) everything I love on it = stamping, 3-D layered flowers, swirls, glitter, distressing and sanding...

You can't see it in the whole card photo, but there is a lot of detailed work on the stamping adding just a bit of shimmer to the flowers and sentiment. How did I do that, you ask? With one of my favorite tools, the Jelly Roll Stardust pen first introduced to me by the fabulous Diana Yockey. It picks up the color of whatever your are stamping and makes it every so perfectly shimmery!

I'm linking this card up to the 52 Card Pick up at the Old Back Porch and the Paper Issues Spring Into The Studio Linky Party!

The winner will be announced next Friday. In the meantime I'll be not thinking about it AT ALL while I finish taking care of my three little balls of fire, processing Consultant Kit Orders, prepping Monthly Memories Club for Friday, remaking my Butterfly Album sample for Team Stamp next weekend after sending my original off to CTMH in my Extravaganza application, and playing in the new Jamberry Custom Nail Art Studio. Check out the first sheet of custom Jams I made last week during a consultant preview - all with pics from my current papercrafting projects! How fun is that? Lots of gals are making them with their kid's art...but then I'd be stuck with Jams of Darth Vader and Ninja Turtle drawings...not so pretty!

Anyhow, off to finish updating the Shop my Stash page for my dear Canadian Stamping Friends. Have a fab weekend! 

I made the Top Ten - please vote!

I can't tell all my Stampin' Friends how much I appreciate your support each week as I work my way through the Practical Scrappers Card Contest. With your help, this week I made the Top Ten!

It's the last week for Public Voting, so if you have a sec, please pop out to THIS POST TO VOTE for your two favorites. The theme is black and white with a pop of color, and the top ten cards are fab! Crossing my fingers...and feeling very grateful to all of you!

Sincere Thanks

Here's my entry for the next round of the Practical Scrapper Card Contest. Right now you can vote for my card in the Top 10, and there are some really fab cards there looking for your vote! Each week while you are voting, we get another assignment for the next round of cards. This one was super fun, and I bopped out to the local scrap store by our beach retreat to find a few fun goodies to add to the party.

I knew the new For Always papers would be perfect - such fabulous Black and White elegance! I added a touch of Red with Glitter Glitz on the and stitching with some fun metallic floss. I picked up some fun Super fine glitter paper at the scrap store and used it to cut the swirls, flowers, and part of the layered frame using my Art Philosophy Cartridge. A fluffy Seam Binding bow with touches of Black Tulle is topped off with a Grey Sparkle gem. My sentiment came from the Card Chatter - Sympathy set, which has some really sweet sayings.

I'm linking this card to the CAS-ual Fridays Black and White plus One Challenge, the ABC All Stitched Up Challenge, and the 52 Card Pickup at the Old Back Porch.

If you have a second, PLEASE go out and vote for me or ANY of the fabulous cards in the Top 10. You get two votes and there's some fun eye candy out there!

CTMH Convention Lasso a Stamp Set Layout!

Today's the day! The last day to enter CTMH's Convention 2012 Lasso a Stamp Set contest! CTMH sent every consultant this adorable Stars Shine Bright Postcard. Being the paper hoarder that I am, I tucked it away to add to my convention pages...and shortly thereafter they announced this fun contest!

I love the fun color combo of Creme Brulee, Lagoon, and Sunset, so I naturally grabbed my Dotty For You papers and honed in on the Dotty backsides. I also used a bit of Stella across the bottom...even on a star themed layout I've got to sneak in some flowers! Be sure to click on the photo to see the details up close - there's a lot to see!

The journaling on  my layout talks about my trips to lots of wonderfully fun CTMH corporate events - not everything I've been to (that amazing Caribbean Cruise in 2005 is conspicuously absent, as is my trip to Convention in Las Vegas...since I was teaching Extravaganza that year I somehow have pretty much no pictures...sad...) but it's a round up of a lot of seriously good times!

Here's a closer look at the center cluster of Cricut and stamped images. I cut out the stars and stamped each layer in second generation Sunset ink using the April SOTM called "You are..." Then I sponged them with Creme Brulee Ink and swiped the Edges with Sunset ink. The smaller stars and tickets are from are stamped with images from the Blue Ribbon Stamp Set. I added a pic of my team from 2011's Convention at DisneyLand to a Cricut ticket - that "Fun" pop of lagoon  is cut out and popped up. Along the bottom are smaller tickets with photos illustrating my journaling.

I placed Bitty brads in a ring around my sweet team and added more of the stamped and sponged stars. Bitty brads also underline the Stars Shine Bright Title. Thank you for Bitty Brads, CTMH - I love them so much!

Here's a peek at my journaling. It says:

In '02 I brought Newbie Wonder!
paired with a pic of me and Jeanette Lynton!


In '03 I brought my brand new team!
paired with a pic of me and two of my team of four fabulous ladies!


In '07 we brought in the worlds largest pizza...still LOL!
Ginni, Kelly K and I ordered a pizza, ostensibly just for 2 of us...but when it came they had to turn it sideways to fit it through the hotel door. It was the largest pizza I've ever seen. Pics were posted to the team email loop of me in my jammies laying on the floor next to the gigantic pizza. I still giggle everytime I think about it.

In '08 I brought my 6 mo. old son Ben!
He was an angel for the entire trip...but I forgot his Ergo baby carrier, and that sweet baby weight 20 pounds at 6 months, so my back paid for that error! Ben was there for my gal Cathy's big win at General Session, was babysat by none other than Sonja Cox for Create N Take, and Ginni got him his first pair of Mickey Ears!

In '11 I brought 4 fabulous ladies!
4 of my team ladies and I had such a blast at Convention in Disneyland last year...and apparently we couldn't shut up about it, because...


In '12 I'm bringing 8 of my team of 12... and we cant' wait for CTMH to BRING IT ON!

Thanks for this fun contest, CTMH - and thanks for the years of super, amazing, silly, just plain fun Convention memories! I'm practically jumping up and down in my seat with anticipation, imagining what you might have in store for us... See you in Dallas!

                      

I'm linking this post to Today's Creative Blog's Time to Craft Roundup!