Gettin' By

Everyday Storyteller 2 | Blog Hop

Welcome to the Everyday Storyteller 2 Blog Hop! I'm excited to be a contributor to this fabulous book and to be offering you a chance to win the book before it even goes on sale.

Everyday Storyteller 2 is a brand new idea book offering more than 100 tips, tricks and techniques for scrapbooking. Go behind the scenes with 33 of your favorite memory keepers to see how they capture moments, tell stories and document their best memories. Sign up for the VIP list to be the first to know when the book is released and receive an exclusive discount.

Each book contributor participating in the blog hop is giving away an eBook copy of Everyday Storyteller 2. If you'd like to enter, use this entry link or click the graphic below to complete your entry form. You must enter by 11:59pm PDT on April 30, 2013 to be eligible. You may enter from each stop. Winners will be contacted directly as well as posted at everydaystoryteller.com on May 1, 2013.

And here's a list of the other participating contributors, so be sure to stop by their blogs for more chances to win!

Tangie Baxter
Kerri Bradford
Joscelyne Cutchens
Catherine Davis
Patty Debowski
Karla Dudley
Leah Farquharson
Karen Grunberg
Jenni Hufford
Donna Jannuzzi
Amanda Jones
Mandy Koeppen
Riikka Kovasin
Kami Leonard
Amy Mallory
Amy Martin
Ann-Marie Morris
Celine Navarro
Lynnette Penacho
Kelly Purkey
Krista Sahlin
Linda Sattgast
Cindy Schneider
Wendy Smedley
Elisha Snow
Amy Sorensen
Neisha Sykes
Jill Sprott
Laura Vegas
Allison Waken
Crystal Wilkerson
Jennifer Wilson

Finally, I'll leave you with a little sneak of some of my projects from the book, all of which feature one of my favorite design techniques - grids!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Simple Saturday

This past CHA, Jenni Bowlin Studio debuted a new product that they'd previously never produced - paper tape! And in classic Jenni style, the patterns and colors were chic vintage that perfectly coordinated with all things JBS.

I created the layout below to showcase just a few of the cool things you can do with these tapes:

 

S U P P L I E S :

Beginning with two of the Heart Cards Kit Cuts (cut from white cardstock), I laid out a grid with my photo (printed 3x4) and journaling. The negative space in the die cuts was a perfect place to showcase the tapes. I layered them over the piece of cardstock that was cut from the center of the heart. Then I trimmed off the overhang and mounted it behind the die cut using foam squares.

I repeated the process for the Blessings card, adhering the tapes vertically this time.

To finish the page, I applied several strips of tape along the left-hand edge, adding in a small strip of white cardstock punched with a scallop border and some machine zig-zag stitching.

So the next time I can't find the perfect piece of patterned paper for my design, I might just reach for my paper tapes instead! They are a quick and easy alternative to add color and pattern to a page.

 

Five on Friday.

Time for another edition of Five on Friday, otherwise known as the posts where I list five things I've got my eye on and will inevitably end up buying after all my internet friends tell me how much I really, really need them. So let's get the enabling started!

1.  Skirt Sports Marathon Chick Skirt ($60.00). Spring is definitely my favorite time to run in Colorado. The weather is cool enough that you're not sweating buckets (and, in my case, complaining the whole time) but warm enough to sport bright and cute running attire like this skirt. I am a die-hard running skirt girl because, duh! Exercise is all about looking cute (both during & after!

2.  Calvin Klein Dolly Acid Yellow Pumps ($62.99). For about the past 8 months, I've been coveting a pair of neon yellow heels. Actually, I should say my 12-year old self has been coveting these heels. And my 41 year-old self has sensibly admonished (and squelched) all such requests for trendy neon footware. But after seeing my favorite fashion blogger sporting a similar pair, I may just be rockin' these babies like it's 1984.

 
3. To & Fro Tote ($35.99) Love this coral cotton tote for everything from schlepping library books home to smuggling adult beverages into the community pool, er, I mean healthy snacks for the children! Yeah, that's the ticket!

 

4. Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect Sunscreen ($7.99). I think I've already mentioned this fabulous sunscreen before, but I plan to stock up on this stuff again this summer. It's a really light, non greasy sunscreen that adds a slight shimmer and sparkle to your skin. And the scent is classic Hawaiian Tropic - coconutty, beachy and exactly how a sunscreen should smell!

5.  Bryant Park Scarf ($59.00). It's likely to be quite a few more weeks before it's truly spring here in the Centennial State. So scarves will still be an accessory I'll be reaching for. And what better adornment to go with my neon yellow heels than this fabulous pink wrap? (It also comes in blue, green, poppy and tan if you're not feeling the 80s flashback like me.)

Happy Friday, my friends!

 

Wardrobe Wednesday.

Since we returned from our spring break trip to Mexico, it's been snowing every Monday and Tuesday. I'm starting to get the feeling it's Mother Nature's way of assuring us we didn't miss out on any of the Colorado winter with our little tropical getaway (gee thanks, Ma!)

Anyway, for the past two weeks, my Wardrobe Wednesday posts have been derailed by weather because (1) I can't figure out how to take decent photos indoors and (2) shots of me in snowpants, oversized sweatshirts, and puffy down jackets do not a suitable fashion post make. So I put my Wardrobe Wednesdays on a bit of hiatus until things warmed up a bit.

But this past Monday dawned (deceptively) sunny and warm, so I headed out for a quick shoot to compose this week's post. Despite the building wind, I managed to get in one decent (though slightly overexposed) shot:

And then the gusts heightened, threatening to blow my camera off it's perch, but I donned a smile and snapped on, refusing to let weather ruin yet another post.

Within minutes, the temperatures started to drop. And I was wishing I had grabbed a jacket. But I needed just a few more pictures.  The wind was relentless, blowing my hair annoyingly in my face where (of course) it stuck to my lip gloss and whipping the scarf off my neck and sending it tumbling across the backyard, with me running (in heels) after it.  But are we having fun yet?!

So yeah. I decided to give up and work with the few shots I got. And less than an hour later, my location looked like this:

In the end, I resorted to shooting just the clothes, while I happily relaxed in flannel pants, fuzzy slippers and a giant sweatshirt.  I'm just hoping that next week spring shows its face and I won't have to resort to renaming this blog feature [Wacky, Windy Winter Weather] Wardrobe Wednesday.

 

__________________________________________

Gap Jean Jacket
Old Navy crepe blouse 
Hollister cargo pants | similar
Marshalls scarf | similar
Dollhouse mary janes | similar
Kohls earrings & bracelet
Ray Ban shades

Gardeners' Digest | Two Peas in a Bucket

Welcome to the April issue of Gardener's Digest, a blog hop to feature some of the happenings and projects at Two Peas in a Bucket!  Today I'm giving you a peek at one of my latest projects, sharing an inspiring layout from the Two Peas Gallery, and (to be the good enabler that I am ) featuring some of my recent product obsessions. And I've also got a giveaway for you as well, so let's get started! 

On May 1, a new Garden will bloom and it's all about photos! You'll see a wide variety of inspiring ideas revolving around photography, photo treatments and photo-themed products. Here's a sneak of my contribution, a little ode to my photo collection:

And currently, I've got a new Seeing Double video up that shows how to incorporate a small booklet onto your page using file folders (and it's a pretty cool way to fit a lot of pictures on one page!)

Incorporating paint, ink and chalk into your scrapbook pages has never been more popular, so this layout by orangegearle from the Two Peas Gallery is right on-trend. The chalking combined with stitching creates a colorful and happy background that pairs perfectly with her photo. So inspiring!

I've had all of these things on my desk in the past few weeks and they've been used on multiple pages!

 

These American Crafts Thickers in the Rockabye font are some of my most-used alphas. So today I'm giving away a brand new package of them in white glitter foam from the Maggie Holmes' Crate Paper collection.

If you'd like to be entered to win the alphabet, leave me a comment below and telling me your favorite font (or alpha stickers!) I'll randomly pick a winner on Friday, April 26 and announce it at the bottom of this post.

And now please hop on over to the lovely Corrie Jones' blog for more Gardeners' Digest!

Congrats to Christine, who will receive the pack of Thickers!

Simple Saturday

Patterned paper is probably my very favorite scrapbook supply and I definitely have the stash to prove it.  And because I have so much of this staple, I often challenge myself to incorporate lots of the patterns into one page design.

S U P P L I E S :

The You & Me line from Elle's Studio has so many wonderful papers and they are are particularly easy to combine because of the simple designs, soft colors and variety of pattern sizes. To make things easy on myself, I printed my photo in black & white so I didn't have to worry about it coordinating with the color palette of the papers. Then I layered wide strips of papers across the bottom portion of my page, punching one paper (the aqua pattern) with a scallop border punch.

After selecting several of the tags and journaling spots from the same line, I tucked them in between some of the layers. I chose tags featuring phrases and sentiments that echoed the theme of the page and tried to place them on contrasting papers so they'd stand out. I loved the bold contrast of the black tags with the softer colors, and also for the way they complimented the tones in the photo.

Though I liked the clean white space at the top of the page, it looked just a bit bare. So before adding my photo, I stitched a diagonal grid in white thread across the white cardstock. The stitching adds a subtle bit of texture and pattern to a blank space, giving it interest without detracting from the rest of the design.

I also added rows of stitching across the top of each wide patterned stripe, which is both decorative and functional, as it securely holds the tags in place. My final step was to trim down three sides of the layout and mount it on a black chalkboard paper to frame the design.

If you're intimidated by working with multiple patterns, using papers from a single line is a great way to start. Pay attention to the how the colors, patterns, and scale work together and soon you''ll be mixing patterns like a pro! And for even more tips on combining patterned paper, you can check out the Ella Boot Camp archives. For just $18, you'll get 12 video drills (including one from me specifically on combining patterns) from 4 expert Drill Instructors. So check it out! And happy scrapping!

 

Around here lately...

We are slowly getting the boy's room transformed into a tween-almost-teen suitable room, starting with a funky sputnik light fixture:

We are getting an unseasonable amount (a.k.a unreasonable, ridiculously deep, a whole flippin' sh**tload!) of snow:

And I have been holed up in my office in a creative frenzy, working on several projects, including this one for the Lily Bee blog that's up today:

and a new Seeing Double video that will go live on Friday at Two Peas (here's a sneak of the layout!)

All while one little girl has been spending 90% of her time at home upside down in an attempt to perfect her handstands:

 

So what's up (or upside down) in your world?

Simple Saturday

While I have grand plans to eventually create school-year albums for both my kids that feature their school photos, artwork, homework, and info about each grade, I have yet to actually make those projects come to life. So in the meantime, what's a girl to do with extra school photos that are lying around collecting dust?

Well recently when I was cleaning up my office I discovered one of Hayden's photos from fifth grade (last year) in a pile with his photo from first grade. Seeing the two photos side by side immediately made me mutter that time-worn phrase all parents come to know: where does the time go?

And that, naturally, prompted me to create this page. I scanned the two photos and converted them to black and white (because, honestly, who wants the challenge of color-coordinating supplies with those hideous school-photo backdrops??!) and paired them up with lots of die cuts and Jenni Bowlin supplies:

S U P P L I E S :

Though the design looks detailed, it's really only die cuts mixed in with chunks of patterned paper. I layered the triangle die cut directly over the cardstock background, while the clock I backed with two different patterned papers to fill the circles. Then my title is a combination of stamped lettering and a die cut word. Layering up die cuts this way adds a lot of visual interest to a page but it's super simple to do!

To create a visual triangle with the red circle in my title, I added red polka dot washi tape vertically on the left side of the layout and horizontally on the right. A few circles of patterned paper, vintage tags and some stickers finish it up.

Hope your Saturday is simply wonderful!

 

Finally Friday.

Whew - it's been a week of the dreaded "post-vacation catch up" where I try to tackle things that have been postponed, delayed and otherwise ignored for the all-hallowed Spring Break. And let's just say I'm rejoicing that it's finally Friday, after five days of attempting to get myself and the [just slightly crabby] family past the vacation hangover and back into a somewhat regular routine. So, can I have a beer yet?

We spent spring break with friends in one of our favorite tropical destinations in Mexico. To say it was truly heavenly might be an understatement. There's nothing quite like a sandy beach, crystal blue water, and limited cell service to melt your troubles and stress away. And a few Dos Equis never hurt, either.

So naturally, the vacay centered around lots of quality beach time:

As well as underwater adventures to check out the local wildlife.

And, of course, you can't take a trip to the beach without burying someone in the sand!

To balance out all the action, we made sure to include lots of leisurely swings in the beach hammocks...

 

...and partake in more than a few afternoon siestas on the sand.

Many hours were spent reading (Mike & I finished five books between us!)

For the daily happy hour, we convened at a favorite watering hole, La Buena Vida.

The swing bar was a perfect spot to rehash the day's activities and enjoy a cold drink.

There was way too much Fanta consumed by the kiddos...

and Riely proved she could be a spokemodel for the brand. Muy delicioso!

And you can't forget the chips, fresh salsa and guacamole (with plenty of margaritas to wash it all down!)

The time spent near the ocean never fails to awe, inspire, rejuvenate, and relax!

We flew back into Denver just in time for a snow storm to hit, making our memories of the beach that much sweeter. There's nothing quite as depressing as trading your flip flops in for a pair of Sorels.

Here's hoping your Friday is sunny, happy and stress-free!

Keepin' It Simple.

Today I'd thought I'd share two more layouts I created with the April JBS Mercantile kits. I mentioned perviously how easily these pages came together for me, and looking at them now, I think that's because I kept the designs very simple: a line of photos with a "clothes-line" style of embellishments for one layout and a grid design for the other.

S U P P L I E S :

This colorful striped paper from Studio Calico is a dynamic and energetic pattern, and I didn't want it competing with my photos. So I toned down the area behind my four framed pictures by using the kit stencil with some white paint. When it dried, I added my journaling in black pen:

Below my photos, I strung some white twine between two holes and added bits of tags, banners, pennants, labels, and punched shapes that echoed the color scheme of my background. I love the fun and casual feel this "clothes-line" technique gives a page and it makes it easy to incorporate a bunch of different embellishments.

 

This next page centered around my daughter's middle name - Grace  - and was inspired by the floral card I cut from a Webster's Pages paper:

S U P P L I E S :

I used a grid to divide my page into five areas, adding machine stitching to section off each area. The yellow portion is a piece of cello bag cut into a rectangle and adorned with a half doily, acrylic letter and butterfly sequin.

The light green section of the grid is the JBS kit stamp (stamped onto white cardstock) that I topped with crystal leaf-shaped embellishments.  I love the sparkle it adds and how it reinforces the grid theme with the leaf alignment.

I had to keep myself from adding anything more to this page (though for a few hours afterward I attempted to incorporate more paper pieces and embellishments...sometimes it's just hard to stop!) but finally, I stopped fighting and declared it DONE. After letting it sit for a few days, I think it was a good call. I love the simple, clean lines and that the focus is on the photo and story.

So what's your no-fail way to getting the mojo to flow (and cranking out lots of pages in one sitting?) I'd love to hear your secrets!