Thursday, December 31, 2015

My 15 picks for 2015

In no particular order.
I've been doing this for a few years
and it kinda gives me and idea how I'm rolling
design wise.
I seem to have an ebb and flow.
However, some made me smile, some were simple
some were wild,  
 and some I just plain love.
Well really all of them since I picked them.




















 I do seem to get on a roll with similar stuff...
Does that happen to you?

Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!!!


Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Mixing up some old Echo Park paper

with some Studio Calico.
I've had the star transparency and paper
for a long time and this photo
just brought out the need to toss them together.
 Nothing says cool like stars and bokah.
Of course there's some layering and love that 
master reel was just waiting for a home.

 Those adorable leaves came in the new kit.
Can't ever go wrong with gold.
Threw on some layers and again, dithered about
where to put the title.
And decided the star was perfect.

Amelia's got some attitude going on.
Love it.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Thanksgiving page that I forgot about

It appears I went into another scrapping frenzy
and really got ahead or behind
in the posts - who knew.
Anyway this page started with this adorable turkey
and a really really old orange Basic Grey paper.
 I did have other papers to go with and they
really didn't work out. Soooo....
plan B.
As if I've ever had a plan B.
But I did lay down some stamping
and then covered  up most of it.
Shocking I know.
(But I felt it was too much)
How about that adorable jar transparency 
with those sweet, cute flowers.
 Wa-la the turkey did make it but it was close.
Mostly because I couldn't make a decision.
About anything.
 I added the big doily because
it did cover up a bunch of the stamping -
because I was still thinking it was too much..
and then I dithered about thinking the doily was out of place
because it made the page a bit more fancy than
I had planned on.
Which is probably how I forgot about this page.
Anyway - after it simmered a bit I decided I liked it
and would go ahead roll with it.
Then I scrapped a few other pages in between photographs 
of completed pages waiting to post
that I didn't keep up with.
It was all the holiday's fault.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Sweet little frames

Made the perfect Christmas gifts.
M's has them for $1.50 -
can't been that and they're the perfect size
for little quotes.
I used different project life cards
added some sentiments
from the millions of stamps in my possession
and tossed a couple of hearts in
because I could.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Mixing B&W and Color Photos

Love this Studio Calico paper - its like
fireworks and so fun.
I did a couple of clusters and I thought I was
quite creative using the B&W
photo with a colored photo.
It happened because I actually liked her
pose and intense concentration
in the B&W better .
(I only wish I could sit like that)
Mom helped her of course - but I really think
Amelia did the majority of the work.
I did do a handwritten title.
I know - quite the creative rebel on this one.
And why oh why am I not that artistic.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!!

from our house to yours!
As I was decorating the tree this year I became very nostalgic
as I pulled the ornaments out and began
decorating the tree.
And in full disclosure, I am a tree nazi. 
I can't tell you how hard it was to let the kids help
when they were younger. LOL.
After they went to bed I would take all the ornaments
they placed on one branch and spread them around.
If they noticed they never spoke of it and
it became our little secret.

As I pulled ornaments out it occurred to that
I have kept every handmade decoration my kidlets made throughout
their school years-and there is always a 
special place on the tree for them.
(I find it hard because I want them all to be front
and center LOL)

My grandmother had beautiful, vintage decorations that graced her trees
and she always loved her trees to look a special way.
At first her decorations passed to mom and then to me.
My mom was totally into Christmas ornaments and made sure
each of us had ornaments that had our names and of course the year
especially marking milestones in our lives.
I believe she single-handedly kept Hallmark in business.
I have not carried on that tradition because
it became uniquely hers.
As I placed each one on the tree it brought
back memories of my mom and gram,  
and how they both loved and celebrated the holiday.
It also brought back memories of those
Christmases when the kidlets were young and starry-eyed.


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Kraft paper and fussy cutting

I decided to roll with 8.5x11 because of
the size I made the photos
even though there are three of them.
 I also remembered that I have had this Basic Grey
paper forever, so glad I kept it because
it worked perfectly for this page.
However, it was a bit overwhelming and when I 
find that to be the case - I start fussy cutting.
 The veggies came out pretty cool looking
and the do spiff the page up.
My DH decided to give square foot gardening a go
and he's doing really well.
We've harvested quite a bit of lettuce for
really cute side salads and the tomatoes are just perfect
to be tossed with some fresh lime juice and oil.
All organic - no pesticides - fresh!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

I have had this moon paper forever

from Studio Calico.
In fact it was in the "get rid of" bin along with
those plastic stars.
 And then these photos hit my messenger and well
I went into the giveaway bag and
retrieved them both.
 I did whack it down to 8x8 because its going to 
be in Jill's album and that kind of
helped with it being so overwhelming.
I cut the plastic star circle in half - one is on the right
highlighting that quote and the other piece
is on the right corner of the photo.
A couple of other whimiscal embellies and I called it a day.
I'm really glad it didn't make it out of the house.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Don't you just love messy stitching

It totally makes a perfect frame for this 8x8 page
and I love how its not the ideal
stitching from home ec. because it seems I don't
hang around with ideal stitching anymore.
LOL.
I even left some danglers.
 I took the cut apart from Studio Calico page "big smile"
and cut it down further so
it works better on the photo as a title.
 I really loved that yellow, white and black paper
and wanted to use it one day on a page - as a 12x12 however,
it has cut aparts on the back and not looking twice I
whacked a cut apart right out of the middle.
Therefore a piece of it was the basis for this page
and I really love it with the orange
and the other layers.
I tucked a leftover transparency in there for the layers
and finally put to use those itty bitty word circles dabbing them around
the page with some word strips.
One line of journaling says it all - Amelia lost her first tooth.