I'm here to live outloud!

JoAnn's chains

I recently was asked to be a part of a cool gig this past week. It was to create signage for the chain store JoAnn's that would be in every store. That is AWESOME! 

I was given a few guidelines:

Everything had to be Core'dinations, NO patterned paper, simple, minimal embellishments, no sanding, no distressing,no inking, nothing "extra".

Was it possible? The last few years I wasn't really true to my style, I conformed to meet the needs of the assignments or product given. Because not one, NONE, zilch of my fave, fave fave layouts were ever published I realized that I had to change my style to be liked by others if I wanted to be published. So now lately I've been trying to re-evaluate what is my style???? Do I know it at all? Or do I need to figure out what kind of style I want.I had only submitted 1 project  for publication since March, and I had even forgotten about it till today. I guess Spellbinder's had mentioned to my Editor today how much they liked my card. So I simply will wait on pins & needles to see it in print. It  felt great to have that little skip in my stomach again. Reminded me of about 7 years ago when I was a part of a Baby Book. 

The timing of this assignment was actually soooo appropriate because I have been changing my life for the better. Improve improve improve. To create something with the very basic of tools took me back to the beginning of my scrapbooking. Where there wasn't an abundance of product, embellishments, paper, etc. So I was excited to accept the challenge, but then immediately nervous to see if I actually could create something I'd be happy with.

As it turned out, I enjoyed myself immensely. It was Freeing. I created a handful of samples and THREE were picked up!!!!!! I was elated. I was hoping for one. So once I see the signage I will share with you.

Here were my entries:

I actually think I will toss a challenge out there. DO you think you can figure out which 3 were picked up? I will send out some Fabulous Adhesive prizes. Maybe even Core, if I can find a full pack that I haven't touched!(my fave thing about this assignment was I could use photos I love, they didn't have to be new & unseen. SUHWEET! )

1.Sweet Sarah

(supplies: Core'dination cardstock, Prima flowers, May Arts ribbon, Recollections alphabet, American Crafts Thickers, Bo Bunny brad, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ runner, Fiskars border punch)

2. our kids

(supplies: Core'dinations Cardstock, American Crafts Thickers & slick writer, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L  EZ Runner)

3. she stole our hearts the minute she was born

(supplies: Core'dinationscardstock, Americna Crafts Thickers & slick writer, Fiskars heart punches- 3 sizes & border punch, scrapbook Adhesives by 3L)

4. grade one

(supplies: Core'dinations cardstock, American Crafts Thickers & slick writer, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ runner)

5.Riley: 7 yrs old

(supplies: Core'dinations Cardstock, Fiskars scallop square punch, Chatterbox buttons, the Twinery twine, American Crafts Thickers & slick Writer, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

6.Taylor

(supplies: Core'dinations cardstock, EK Success punches-border,flowers, Fiskar circle punch, American Crafts thickers, Sakura gel pen, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

7. Beckett (this one just photographed sooo dark, sorry! It is actually grey and navy.

(supplies: Core'dinations Cardstock, American Crafts Remarks stickers & slick writer, Scrapbook adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

8. Moves Like Jager

(supplies: Core'dinations Cardstock, Fancy Pants buttons, Ranger Stickles, EK Success border punch, Maya Road die cuts, American Crafts Thickers, Sakura gel pen, Fiskars border punch, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

9.You three make our life ...Colourful

(Core'dinations cardstock, Pink Paislee alph stickers, Fiskars circle punches- 3 sizes, sCrapbook adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

10. 9 months old

 

Supplies: Core'dinations cardstock, Fiskars border punch & heart punches, American Crafts Thickers & Slick Writer, Scrapbook adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

11. day in the park

(supplies: Core' dinations Cardstock, American Crafts Thickers, EK Success border punch & flower punch, Fiskars border punch, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L EZ Runner)

simple. a refreshing change. although I had fun, I still love how you can spice up a layout with pp. HOWEVER,  Core'dinations cardstock was a fun challenge to use without distressing. lol

Nothing like a good challenge!

 

 

Have a fantastic Easter break

I hope today is wonderful for everyone. Such an important reason why we get it off. Let's remember. :)

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."-- John 11:25-26 

I can't wait to spend this week scrapbooking my assignments, working on my soul restoration album, also I am just finishing up an online course that I have thoroughly enjoyed. And we are out at the lake, the sun is shining, the kids are outside picking shells with Jim. Perfect!

This layout I created last night and LOVE. Maybe because I just love Liz, and think the world of her. 

My Mind's Eye- pp, ribbon

American Crafts- Thickers, slick writer

Prima flowers

Tattered Angels-glimer mist(Mel's Diner), glaze (Paradise Pink)

Bazzill Cardstock

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L- foam squares and EZ runner

 

Have fun today! I know I will. :)

how about a little Echo Park

Jody Hunt, owner of echo Park had asked me to do some design work for Echo Park and it was a Blast!!!! He took a few of my layouts for marketing and photography. Suhweet!

 

 

The following layouts he did not take, I don't have them to take photos of. sorry.

But I did create these last night.

Hope you enjoyed these fun layouts!

 

Camp Croppin 2011

was a blast! as usual. I always have a great time every time I go. Maybe it's because the amount of people I know or have taught is a good percentage of the room. It's like Cheers for sure Barb, where everyone knows your name. So I had so much fun!!!!!!

I really enjoyed spending the time with Mike for American Crafts. I was honoured to have represented them this weekend. Fun.

For the retailer event, I taught a layout and provided samples for tags that you could've made. (I had some demand to make kits to sell for this layout, so I might do that. But enough supplies to create a 2pg, just a thought I am pondering)

 Then for the 2 hr album class, Leslie had asked if I would create a cute album with the Mr. Campy line. No brainer since the event is called Camp Croppin. How fun. And about 90% completed the album. With another 30 min, I think we all would've been done and been able to decorate a little more. But to leave with a good base is awesome. And we had fun and giggles!

So here is the base I taught. Some pages I am going to show you how I stepped them up after the class. I encourage everyone who took the class to really make it your own. Get pictures that suit your book and decorate even more with all the extra embellishments I gave you in your kit!

Cover:

Now this is MY version of the album. I am going to fill it full of my good times I had this past weekend. I know I posed for a bzillion pics, so please please send them to me if you can. THANKS!!!! I can't wait to see the zoolander ones I did with Matt Lanoy from Bo Bunny. Let me tell you, don't leave your camera in site if Matthew and I are around. We were grabbing people's cameras and posing for crazy shots and pulling everyone we could into them. Jim thought we were NUTS!  totally fun though.

 I layered a wooden frame that I made by gutting the inside out. I made little rips along the inside edges and then rolled the paper back. I did ink some edges. A little funky. One of my favourite pages.

 

a few small touches with a concentric circle. One of my most FAVE ways to decorate a page.

here's another version of the last page:

here it is with photo mat placement. 

some pages became pockets.

suped up.

 

 

a version without the accordion flower.

 

did a little more prep on this page.

 

 

Definitely had fun! And thanks for the amazing emails. Mike has forwarded me the ones that have been sent to his office as well. American Crafts is pretty pumped at how much you guys had fun. AWESOME! 

today???

absolutely useless for me.

I am overwhelmed by thoughts, thoughts on sadness for Maureen's family. Reflecting on other friend's I have lost over the years. Thoughts on how I have gotten so busy this last few years and haven't spent enough time nurturing friendships and things that really do mean lots to me, and then also devoting too much time where it did me no good.

I NEED and WANT to focus on my life and my priorities. I spent some great quality time with a dear friend Lynne Mizera this week before the event started. We shared what we learned through a course we both took. Her words to me were such timing. We had such similar experiences with people.  WOW. I LOVED talking with her. I need a weekend with her for just us two. Thanks Lynne. I appreciate YOU.

So today, I said I was just going to scrapbook for me. I had fun judging the Scrapbook & Cards Today sketch challenge, AMAZING! I can't believe how many people came and told me how the handout they gave with their magazine is what they based their layouts on this weekend.  A few ladies were on a roll and said they created every layout on the sheet. So I took one of those sheets home and I am going to do that myself. I am a HUGE HUGE Becky Fleck fan so I am going to look forward to this. Today I opened up SC&T Spring Issue and followed a sketch myself. It is one of the bonus sketches on the bottom of pg.45. I actually used just the r.h. page of a double layout, only because I only had 3 pictures. It only made sense to adapt the sketch to fit me. If you want to see the sketch I did, go here and check out this fabulous magazine online. You can get it in hard copy from your local scrapbook stores for free AND it is online for free as well. What a bonus.  But here is my quick rendition. And you know the best part? I did it to capture the cute memory. Not for publication or assignments, not something I needed to recreate the wheel for. something just to savour Ireland eating cupcakes. And she LOVES it. That is ALL that matters.

fun, easy, I am happy with.

off to create more.

My Core’dinations Creative Frenzy

How exciting, a blog post entirely focused on Core'dinations cardstock!!!! Love it. I decided I wanted to play along in this Core adventure so here are my fave layouts I have done with Core'dinations.

I LOVE layering the different textures and patterns and then sanding off some of the colour to reveal more depth.

I find that because the cardstock is such a strong pattern, you don't always need to embellish with too many things. The following page is predominantly cardstock focus.

I LOVED creating this layout for my niece. She is ADORABLE! The soft colours still shows show much contrast while still being delicate.

For this layout I had fun ripping and tearing to creating lot's of layers of the petals for the flower.

This layout was FUN Pairing with Graphic 45, I really enjoyed playing with this.





Hope you enjoyed!

Leica

one more day till I am off to Calgary...

for Camp Croppin. Now I am pumped. I have attended this event many many times over the years as a consumer and as an instructor. There is nothing more exciting than hanging with scrapbookers that just wanna have fun!  

I am teaching a fun American Crafts mini album. I cannot wait to see everyone's end results. I am going to take lot's of pictures with my amigos and then put them into my album, so I am excited. I will have my memories captured already!!!! sweet. 

So since I will be gone this week, I am sorry I haven't had time to prepare any blog posts. So sorry. A new follower to my blog sent me a cool idea, she would love to see some of my older layouts all in one post and I thought maybe this would be a good time to show some. So here's your wish Janine, some layouts to share the rest of this week.

Some happy news I can share now. Starting in May I am a part of Vintage Street Market Design team.

They asked me a month and a half ago and I was excited. They are taking the mixed media market by a storm. I and most of my friends have been covered in mod podge the last couple months with all the online courses we have been taking. So I can't wait to create with their product! Make sure to check back on Friday for sure for a chance to win a prize from them. The blog hop is going to be fun!!!!! Also, if you are a facebook follower, go "like" them. when they hit 1000 followers, they are going to give someone their entire collection. It is awesome too. I was very excited when I received my box!!!! They have so many new products AND vintage kits. They are cool. My kids were super super excited for the board games collection. Bright and colourful.

 

 

I did really want to share with you this class I took of Vicki Boutin's. I wasn't able to be in it, I wish, I just was sooooo sick at the last Saskatchewan scraps and too many things to do. But I did purchase her kits for all the classes and I have been doing them in my free time (aka 2-3 am) lol. But I am really happy with this one. Jim said he loves it and wants to hang it. That is always really cool.

I also made 3 others to give to my family. Just tiny touches to finish. But I thought these were a nice gift to make.  I only made a few changes to Vicki's class example. GREAT class VICKI!

Here's a few closeups:

I don't even know what to expect for weather when we wake up tomorrow. It is 2 am here and it is freezing rain hard and it is cold and sooooooo windy. I hope it isn't a huge amount of snow. 

On a side note, today was a huge milestone for our little pixie. She got her first "big girl" bike on Sunday and practiced like crazy to ride it, and had trouble. Then the kids and I helped her for lot's of today, and..... drum roll. By tonight after supper she was riding on her own. She wouldn't even come in for bed. She wanted to ride and ride. And of course phone dad to tell him.  Proud moment!

(ps, thanks mom and dad for the kids bikes, they LOVE their birthday prezzies! Riley is glad he waited till now for it instead of in Dec. He goes, I might have got a bike too small you know, cause I grew LOT'S since my birthday.)

I love this pic of both boys helping her. They are so little versions of Jim. I loved watching JIm show the boys how to ride, now they are passing on their knowledge.

 


well, off to put the wash in the dryer. Apparently the laundry fairies didn't visit. :( but at least everything will be dry when I wake up. 

night everyone. 

Graphic 45 Design Team

Are any of you trying out for it? I decided too. I am excited. You can't win anything if you don't try. right?

So one of my favourite pieces I have ever made is this lamp. It is a touch lamp from IKEA. So keep in mind that if you are going to cover touch lamps, that you leave one spot open so that the contact can be made to turn on the lamp. 

To create this lamp I needed many duplicates of the same sheets. For the top I folded it accordion style, inked edges, and then adhered it to the lamp shade with adhesive sheets from 3L.

The lamp base I ripped into many tiny pieces. Then I modpodged them onto the lamp. Once finished I sealed them and then put on the bling and sealed again.

I did intermingle different textures of flowers, all that I glimmer misted. Then dressed it up with Kaisercraft rhinestones. Here's a few closeups.

This handsdown has been one of my most favourite projects I have ever made for a friend. I LOVE this mini album. I loved it when I finished, I just loved it. So it seemed only natural to include it in this dt entry.

a few inside views...

totally my usual style, layering, a little inking, distressing. And Then jazz it up with rhinestones! fun!

 

This book is just a journal, a pretty one. :) we all need and want pretty things right?

This you may have also seen published. It was fun creating this.  It was fun to mix and match companies products for this one. 

I created this to be raffled off, and then I was a bad girl. I LOVED the finished result, so embarassingly I kept it and made 2 different projects to donate to be raffled off instead. Sometimes, you just are proud of what you create and want to see it more. Is that bad?

This was a layout that I taught last year. fun.

This layout I created for one of my magazine assignments. It didn't get published and I think Jim was the most bummed about that.  This was a real letter from his great uncle, one of the last ones he ever sent. He was a fighter pilot that was shot down in the war. He ended up having a lake named after him. I love the true vintage aspect of this layout.

 

This layout was for Core'dinations CHA Winter 2011 booth. I love how they are partnering up with fabulous companies such as G45.


closeup, again lot's of layering, you know me.

This one is just a portfolio. I thought it would work nicely to put all of Ireland's tidbits into. I am going to make one for Riley & Jager too. They work so well.

this one is an actual wall hanging I did. You can't quite see the quote, poor photography.

"Music is what love sounds like" I had soooooo much fun creating this one. I used a lot of mixed media items and had a heck of a good time. I spent like over 40 hrs creating a Kaisercraft cake stand and it was so intricate and detailed and I had resined it so it could be washed. That it was so addicting to keep putting resin on things. So this is completely washable. It is soooo shiny. The piano part actually sits up almost 1.5 inches higher than the background.

closeup. I painted the resin on these flower petals so they will always keep there shape now. how cool!!!! I LOVe how the resin enhanced the embossed parts.


I have so many many more, but they are the "Piece de Resistance".  :) So I will wait till after this contest to show you. I think I have like 30  g45 pieces in total so i guess I do have lot's to share. 

Now go check out Graphic 45 and see some of the fabulous artwork going on. It really is yummy.

Have a fabulous day scrapping. 

have you seen these yet?

a few months ago, I was back in my 2 page layout rage. It was fun to go back into that habit. I have lately been doing only 1 pagers.

 

oopsie, looks like my h was going a walking. off to fix that!

check back tomorrow for more layouts. I am hoping to make my blog filled with art and colourful fun stuff. It has been slacking awhile. Life got a pinch too busy, which is good. but Leica get to work on becoming more SIMPLIFIED. There's my pep talk for the day.

Cheers till tomorrow. :)