Fish On!

This was my first attempt at the Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge, but, Owen's vest was too much of a Honey color to get away with the Buttercup color in the challenge.  I'm not completely happy with it, but, am doing a second page to go with it and hope that will make this one look better in the long run!!

I have to explain the title of this one as I think that the term "Fish-On" is probably an Alaskan thing.  When fishing is good and tourists are thick up here, our rivers become the site of "combat fishing", the Russian River is the most famous for it.  That's when you stand almost literally shoulder to shoulder with the guy fishing next to you.  On top of that, there's usually two rows of fisherman on both sides of the river, one row with waders in the water and another row on the river bank.  Therefore, if you hook a fish, you have to yell "Fish On" and everyone in hearing distance reels their hook in as quickly as possible to prevent getting wrapped-up in your line while you fight the fish...typically salmon up here.  This is an unorganized group, but, you kind of get the idea (the photo is from our local NBC news station www.ktuu.com): 

Paper: Animal Cookies Creative Basics

Cardstock:  Honey, Black, Tulip, and White Daisy

Stamps:  Rustic Alpha, Catch of the Day, Botanical Borders, and Comments

Other: CTMH Watercolor Pencils, Stickles, and Accent Essentials Cricut Cartridge

Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge...Buttercup, Tulip, and Black

Happy Summer Solstice!!! ;O)  I don't know if it's as big of a deal in the Lower 48 as it is for us up here in Alaska....we're maxing out on daylight today at 19 hours 22 minutes and 23 seconds!!!  Of course, right now, it really doesn't ever get dark! ;O)

The Heart 2 Heart Challenge was brutal for me this week!!! ;O)  I went through three different projects before I settled on this card.  I was so excited to play because these happen to be some of my favorite colors, but, in this combination, I really struggled!   It's good to actually be "challenged" every once in a while, otherwise, how do we grow! 

Cardstock: Buttercup, Black, Tulip, and White Daisy
Ink: Black, Buttercup, and Tulip
Stamps:  Small Chocolate Alpha, Rustic Flowers, and Simple Blossoms
Other: Just Blooms Spring Blossom (tulip flowers) and Autumn Daisy, Designer Pewter Brad, Black Diamond Stickles, Martha Stewart Punch, and Casa Collection Ribbon (JoAnns)

One More Got Sketch? 105 Class Sketch Done!!

So, when I chose this layout from the sketches that we were given to us during the Got Sketch? 105 online class, I realized that although they gave us 8 sketches, I failed to save one of the two-pagers!!  Bummer!!!  But, on the upside, I guess I'm one more layout closer to having done them "all"! ;O) See there's two ways to "complete" something...you can always delete part of the requirements!!  Kind of like the dog eating your homework idea! ;O)

I did this page as kind of a companion to the Maui page I used for my Heart 2 Heart submittal last week.  But, I noticed as I was going through the pictures from our trip, we took hardly any of our last few days spent on Oahu and none of the group of us.  My sister went to Hawaii with us and by the time we took the hopper to Oahu, we'd all had enough of each other!! ;O)  Lesson learned the hard way!!

My husband had a shooting competition in Fairbanks last weekend so we made the 6 hour trek north.  I'm so glad to be home and able to peek at everyone's blogs and scrapbook again!!!  Nothing like a long rainy road trip to make you appreciate home! ;O)

Paper: Boom-Di-Ada

Cardstock: Buttercup, Autumn Terracotta, Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf, and Colonial White

Ink: Sweet Lear, Olive, Blush, Hollyhock, Buttercup, and Creme Brulee

Stamps: Extreme Happiness and Field Trip Alpha

Other: Hemp, Stickles, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, Dollar Butterfly Punch from Michael's, Zig Pen, and Cricut (Title Spot and Border around sunset pic)

Heart 2 Heart #10...Maui 2008

This is my first project as a guest DT for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge!!!  I was so shocked and honored to be asked, I couldn't be more excited!!!  The work that I've seen posted by both the DT and the challenge participants has been amazing.  Plus, to make it even better, the challenge this week is to complete a scrapbook page!  

I have fun making cards, but, mostly because they give you some immediate satisfaction.  The real reason I got into all this paper crafting and scrapping craziness was for the scrapbook pages...I love that they give you the opportunity to document more than just the date of the photos.  It's so important to me to remember the little things about each photo and in the case of Owen's book, sneak in the things that the pictures don't show like what funny things he says now that I might forget in the years to come!

The layout for this page came from the Got Sketch? 105 online class I took, so I can't show the actual sketch.  But, I thought it was a lot of fun.  I love the Boom-Di-Ada paper for these Hawaii pictures, it's the perfect color combination.  I also used my one and only creative idea (if you can call it that!) to punch one of my Martha Stewart corner punches all down both sides of a strip of paper to create this fun border!  I like that I'm able to create something a little bit different than what you see on everyone else's work.  It's fun to just use the regular border punch on both sides of the paper too!

Hope you all have a great week.  We're up to just over 19 hours of official daylight here (it never really gets dark though right now), summer is officially in full swing and we are having some amazing weather to go with it!!!

Paper: Boom-Di-Ada

Cardstock: Buttercup, Autumn Terracotta, Hollyhock, Sweet Leaf, and Colonial White

Ink: Sweet Leaf, Olive, Blush, Hollyhock, Buttercup, and Creme Brulee

Stamps:  Extreme Happiness, Comments, and Field Trip Alpha

Other: CTMH Bitty Sparkles, Hemp, Stickles, Martha Stewart Punch, Zig Pen, and Cricut (journal spot)

Unscripted Sketches #55...For You, Happy Birthday!

I made up a card for my grandmother's 89th birthday and was sucked back into using the Emporium Creative Basics paper with the Butterfly Wings stamp set...I just love the combo!!!  I thought I was stepping out of the box however by matting it with black cardstock. ;O)  I used glue dots on the butterfly body and pop-dotted the wings, it looked pretty good in person! ;O)  Hope you all have a great short week....Owen's daycare takes the first week and last week of summer off...must be nice!!  I'll get to spend an extra couple of days with him though which is a bonus for me!

Paper: Emporium Creative Basics
Cardstock: Colonial White and Black cardstock
Ink: Vineyard Berry and Black
Stamps:  Butterfly Wings and From Me to You
Other: Fiskars Circle Punch, EKSuccess Corner Rounder, Prima Flowers, and Recollections and Finishing Accents adhesive gems

Heart 2 Heart #8...Father's Day

I really needed to get started on Father's Day cards and the Heart 2 Heart Challenge this week, "stamp your own background" was just the boost I needed!  I flipped through the Close To My Heart catalog for ideas and kept coming back to the new Splendor paper....problem being, I haven't bought any yet!  But, it was fun to make my own using the same colors: Autumn Terracotta, Heavenly Blue, Moonstruck, and Topiary.



Cards for men always stump me and if I don't use some goofy animal stamp, I always fall back on stars!  I googled Father's Day Cards for some ideas and came across this card created by Darcy Ucily (I think that's her name).  Anyway, I liked the simplicity of it and tried to do something similar.  I really love this color combo and managed to dig up some Topiary cardstock I didn't realize I had, so that was exciting! ;O)

Hope you all have a safe Memorial Day.  Please make sure to take some time to remember the men and women who have paid the ultimate price and those still sacrificing for us today.  I'll be taking flowers out to the cemetery on base to remember my grandfathers, one of which gave his life for our freedom....

Cardstock:  Heavenly Blue, Autumn Terracotta, Topiary, and White Daisy
Ink: Autumn Terracotta, Heavenly Blue, Moonstruck, and Topiary
Stamp Sets:  Say It In Style, True Friends, Wish Upon a Star, Star Power, Shining Star, and Placement Guide (to place the brads)
Other:  Martha Stewart border punch and CTMH Autumn Terracotta Bigger Brads

Ever Seen a Brown Flower???

I mean one that isn't dead and dried out! ;O)  I don't have anything crafty yet, I've been busy working and had the great pleasure of going on a field trip today to the planetarium at UAA with my little man's class!  25 three to five year olds were very quiet and respectful while they watched a movie on how telescopes were invented/made and a presentation on all the different planets in our solar system along with their corresponding moons.  It was like a miracle!! ;O)  Then we made up for it by running around outside in the amazing weather we had today....77 degrees in the shade!!!!  For us that is SOOOO HOT!!!  Anyway, needless to say, between the heat and exhaustion from the field trip, no scrapbooking got done.  But, I did go out and take some photos of the Chocolate Lilies blooming in my flower bed to share!!

Chocolate Lilies grow wild up here and can be found growing in the marshy areas with the iris' on the Palmer Flats.  My camera is not stellar at close-up pics, so the one below is a little bit blurry.  But,  you get the idea!  Hope you are all having the same amazing weather we're having!! 

Heart 2 Heart #7 and Mojo #137

The challenge at Heart 2 Heart this week was a color combo which I tend to avoid normally! ;O)  But, I thought I better suck it up and try it since I've had such a good time with the other challenges. 

It took me right up to the last minute to finish and I wouldn't say it's my favorite card ever, but I'm pretty happy with it considering!  I had SOOO much trouble with this one!!!  I think it was a combination of the sketch being tough for me and the fact that I don't own any Ocean or Topiary cardstock and my Ocean ink pad was still shrink wrapped after at least 3 years!!!! ;O)  I'm so glad I did it though, it turns out, I really love the Ocean color and plan to use it more in the future!

Paper:  Discovery and Paper Garden (Both Retired)

Cardstock: White Daisy and Black

Ink: Ocean, Topiary, Desert Sand, and Black

Stamp Sets: Intrinsic Backgrounds, Spot On Backgrounds, Frogs, Say It In Style, A Birthday Wish (Inside Sentiment), Lazy Days

Other: CTMH Bitty Brads, Stickles, K&Company adhesive rhinestones, Fiskars Circle Punch, EKSuccess Corner Rounder, and Copic Marker

Do It Your Way!

I follow this blog that I believe is written all in Russian, so I have no idea what they're saying, but, I guess that's what is great about scrapbooking...it speaks for itself! ;O)  The layouts, that I believe belong to their DT, are absolutely amazing.  I come across this post and had to try the layout, it was definitely a challenge!

These are not my colors and I had a really time wrapping-up this layout.  But, I LOVE this Lime Rickey paper from Basic Grey for some reason!!  In fact, I've been hoarding it for almost a year, or maybe, just avoiding actually using it! ;O)  I also truly appreciate that it doesn't matter what crazy colors other scrapbook companies put out there, CTMH has a color that corresponds!  The title is a bit muted in this photo, but matches the paper in real life.  I had a really hard time embellishing this one and decided just to let it go and leave it as is.

Paper: Basic Grey Lime Rickey
Cardstock: Sunny Yellow and Citrus Lime
Ink:  Citrus Lime and Crystal Blue
Stamps:  The Works and Typewriter Alphas
Other:  Basic Grey Brads and Chipboard Stickers and Zig Pen

I Was Chosen for the Friday Five at H2H!!!

I'm so excited!!  Do you see my shiny new badge on the right from Heart 2 Heart?  I was picked as one of the Friday Five this week for my Mother's Day Card submittal!!!!  I'm so excited.  The quality of work and creativity of those that enter is just amazing and I never expected my card to be chosen!!!  In fact, if it weren't for a couple really nice comments congratulating me, I probably wouldn't have looked to see who won!!! ;O)  Thanks Heart 2 Heart!!!  If you haven't checked out the H2H Challenge Blog, you really should.  It's so great to see what others are doing with the CTMH supplies and it provides lots of inspiration!!

H2H Challenge #6 and Got Sketch! 105...Perfect Day

The challenge over at Heart 2 Heart this week is to incorporate a technique into your project.  Well, that's an easy one, I think everything papercrafty has a technique behind it!  I can't wait to see what everyone used, I haven't had time to peek at the other submittals yet!  

So, here's mine...I cheated a little as I created and posted this paper on here almost a year ago (see this post for a couple other examples), but am just now using it!  I have hoarding issues! ;O)  I used my absolute favorite technique (it's totally addicting), the Emboss Resist technique, in conjunction with the Random Stamping technique to create the B&T paper below!

Techniques used:

1. Emboss Resist (White Snowflakes)-Stamp 2-3 different images using Versamark on a light colored piece of cardstock (just a couple images at a time, its easy to lose them!).  Use clear embossing powder over the top of the images and set with a heat gun.  Using a sponge, dab your choice of ink over each embossed image starting in the center and working your way out.  Wipe any excess off using a paper towel.  Note:  White embossing powder works too, but tends to absorb some of the color.

2. Random Stamping-Start with your largest image in one corner of the page making sure the image hangs off a little.  Continue stamping in a triangular pattern, making sure to turn the image each time you stamp, until you have covered the whole sheet of paper.  Move on to the next largest image and continue as before making sure to stamp some images off the side of the page so that you don't end up with a bunch of lined up images down each side of the paper.

I used Sketch #4 from the Got Sketch! 105 course I took way back in March to create this layout (I'm not allowed to show the actual sketch for copyright purposes).  Can you believe I still have 4 of the 8 sketches left to complete!!!  I have so not been productive lately!

I used the Versamark and White Daisy embossing powder on Vellum to create the title and snowflakes.  I just love doing that, it makes everything light and whispy and doesn't require extremely precise cutting. I also covered EVERYTHING in silver and startdust Stickles, although, this picture makes it hard to see.  I wanted to get this posted tonight, but will try for a better photo in the morning.  

Paper: Aspen
Cardstock: Outdoor Denim, Twighlight, Creme Brulee, and Colonial White
Ink:  Outdoor Denim, Twighlight, Creme Brulee, and Tuskineko Memento Tuxedo Black (snowman)
Stamps:  Field Trip Alpha, Snow Friends, Warm Wishes, Snowflake Kisses, New Fallen Snow, Winter Reflection, and Feathery Flakes
Other:  Martha Stewart Border Punch, Craft Essentials Clear Embossing Powerd (JoAnns), Stickles, Copics, and Zig Pen