Scraps and Ink

SCRAPTASTIC CLUB Challenge #1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCRAPTASTIC!!!

Over at the Scraptastic site, they are celebrating their 4th anniversary, and they have some really fun challenges going on all week long! 

I have a couple of good friends on the DT who challenged me to play along, even though I don't get the Scraptastic Club Kits.

(I am thinking I really should start though!)

The first challenge is a sketch challenge made exclusively for Scraptastic by my dear friend Susan Stringfellow.

Here is her sketch:

And here is my layout:

JAPAN

Close-ups:

For this layout, I used lots of cute papers and embellies from the Konnichiwa collection by Basic Grey.

I LOVE how Susan has the little strips along the top and bottom of her sketch, so I used brightly colored strips of patterned paper as well. 

I changed up my page from the original sketch a bit- Instead of using the envelope and birthday cake as in the sketch, I chose to do a cluster of images from the sticker sheet in this collection. 

I also stamped Japanese text onto the background using a Hero Art stamp and black ink. I love how the Japanese characters look!  

I used lantern images from the sticker sheet and tied them to skewers using black embroidery floss. The skewers almost look like chopsticks, don't you think?

That is challenge #1, and I have 7 more to go, and since I rarely back down from a challenge (or 8), I will be a busy bee over the next few days!

Wanna play along too for your chance to win great prizes?

You have until August 1oth to submit your work, so stop on over at their site HERE, and join the celebration! 

Thanks for stopping by!

later,

nancy

DOTS & STRIPES

So I have been on a dots and stripes kick lately! They are just soooo perfect together! The next two layouts use plenty of this classic combo. 

GOLDEN

Close-ups:

This layout makes me happy and sad all at the same time.

It is one of Ashley's senior pics that I took this past Spring. 

I love the photo because she is just so darn pretty, and we had the BEST time during her "photo shoot with mom", but at the same time, it reminds me that she will be leaving in just three short weeks for college. See, I am tearing up just typing that! :( 

For the background, I played with a mask and used blue misting spray to add blue polka dots. Then I used that scribbly circle stamp behind the photo, and then again on the larger polka dot circle to the right of the photo. 

BTW, I love that polka dot paper by My Mind's Eye! It is hard to tell in the photograph, but some of the dots are shiny foiled gold! How cool is that? 

I repeated the gold with the title letters by American Crafts, as well as the cut out flower next to the photo and three little scallops at the bottom of the page.

The flower and scallops were cut from a great new collection by DCWV that has pretty foil accents on kraft and ivory cardstock.  

The scattering of buttons kind of mimics the polka dot paper, and I totally didn't even realize that til after I photographed the page. :) 

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The next page is my new fave!

First of all, I LOVE the green, turquoise, yellow combo with this adorable photo of Mr. Milo napping in the window. It is just so sunny and fresh, don't you think? And again, you can't go wrong with dots and stripes!

CONTENT

 Close-ups:

I used quite the variety of papers from different manufacturers on this page.

The background is Amy Tangerine as well as My Mind's Eye. Then there are all of the layered papers behind the photo by Basic Grey, LilyBee, and Cocoa Daisy. Yup, I love me some patterned papers!

The fun part for me is using papers from different manufacturers to create a unique look. Mixing it up can result in some really unique and interesting combinations! This is where my mind starts to race during the process as I combine different patterns and colors. I truly do love the challenge it creates!

Well that's it for now!

On a side note:

I am busy playing along with the challenges over at Scraptastic for their 4th birthday celebration and have all my photos printed and ready to go!

So come back soon to see what I come up with!

later,

nancy