Lasting Memories - Christmas in July

For the Birthday Sundaes Blog Hop, click here.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Getting any crafting done? Saturday was a very crafty day for me. I got 3 layouts and 2 cards completed. Today's a busy day, but I hope to get at least 1 layout and my last Christmas card of the month done.

It's time for the new challenge at Lasting Memories. This is a really fun one. It's Christmas in July!! As some of you know, I have been creating Christmas cards all month for the Scrappin'-n-Chattn' Yahoo Group. So I have already been in a Christmas state of mind. To help inspire you, Karen has a very nice video on the LM blog.

For my layout I used Sketch #166 from Creative Scrappers. It's a very versatile sketch, that I really like. My photo is one that I took just before we left to drop David off to leave for Iraq. And I used my Echo Park Merry Christmas paper.


Here's my page.

I am also going to enter this layout into SnC's torn paper challenge for July. The holly paper is torn all the way around.

Be sure to check out the wonderful Christmas layouts the other members of the design team created. I hope you will create a Christmas layout to share with us this week.

Cakes and Cupcakes Birthday - Birthday Sundaes Blog Hop

Happy Sunday morning everyone!!! Today is very exciting day at Birthday Sundaes. We are introducing the design team for the new term. There are a number of us returning, including me (YAY!!). And there are some exciting new members. We are also saying farewell to those members that are moving on. Their inspiration will be missed.

To celebrate we are having a blog hop. If you just happened to be checking out my blog, you will want to start at the beginning of the hop back at the Birthday Sundaes blog. But if you came from Amy's blog, you are right on track.

There is blog candy being offered on the BS blog for those of you who join this week's challenge and stop by and comment on each member's blog on the hop. I am also offering my own blog candy. I will choose someone randomly from those that leave messages on this post. My candy is a 6 x 6 pad of Echo Park A Walk In The Park paper and a package of Prima Mulberry Paper flowers. I will post a photo and a reminder of the the blog hop on Tuesday.

This week's challenge is Cakes and Cupcakes Birthday. I created my card using a birthday cake. I used some dimensional stickers that I had in my stash, both the cake and the sentiment. I love they way they look.


I hope you will show us your Cakes and Cupcakes birthday cards this week. Be sure to include a birthday sentiment on the front of the card. And to be eligible for the blog candy stop by and comment on each blog on the hop.

So to continue with the hop, please visit the wonderfully talented Jen, for some more birthday inspiration. And just in case you are lost, here is the blog hop order....

Kristie
Michelle
Amber
Kimberly
Sonia
Marlene
Amy
Sue - You are here
Jen
Samantha
Tara
Candice
Maribel
Vivi
Cindy
JoAnn
Tracey (last stop)

Christmas in July - Week 4

I'm back to share my cards for Week 4 of Christmas in July at Scrappin'-n-Chattin'. It's been so much fun creating a card every night. I really have been looking forward to it.

Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28

I can't believe the month's almost over. The first thing I do in my room after this weekend is over, though, will be to clean it up. It's a wreck. Thanks for looking.

All Ready To Go

Today we had a 24 Hour Challenge at Scrappin'-n-Chattin'. Actually it started at 6pm last night, but I couldn't get to the layout until today. Each participant lists 3 collections that they have and would like to work with. April, the host chooses 3 sketches. Then April lets everyone know who will choose a sketch and a collection for who. This time, my friend Ann chose Sketch #3 and the DCWV collection dots, stripes and plaids. Here is the sketch, which came from Creative Scrappers.


And here is what I came up with....


This is a photo that I took just before Willie and I left for our first agility trial. He's sitting there with the chair, his cage, the cooler and a bag with miscellaneous things I thought I might need. I posted the photo on Facebook and sent it to my boyfriend before we left. I thought my friends would get a kick out of it.

I am also entering this layout in the current challenge at The Paper Variety. This week's challenge is Tic Tac Toe. I always love that challenge.


I used the column on the right side - Journaling strips, buttons and a one photo layout. You should check out TPV and join the challenge. We have an awesome prize again this week....

She Stamps Blog Candy

Check out the blog candy that Cheryl is offering....



This looks like something I could really use. You have until July 31st to enter.

I Love My Big Brother

I hope everyone is keeping cool during this heat wave. It seems most of the country is sweltering. I hope we all see some relieve soon.

It's time again to reveal a new challenge at Lasting Memories. The challenge is all about the title. Make the title stand out or use an unusual technique to create a memorable title. Check out the video that Karen has linked on the LM blog.

To create my page, I used the current sketch at Sassy Lil' Sketches. I loved this sketch as soon as I saw it. I took me a little bit to find the photos I wanted to use with it.


I love the banner, but I don't have any pre-made ones left, and I didn't think I had the time to cut out all of the triangles. But I was inspired by one of the design team members, Lisa Rounds. Her banner was made with circles folded over the string. That seems easier to me. So this is what I came up with.

I used a variety of alphas to create the title, and a punched heart and heart button for the word love. When we picked out Tessa, we got her from the same place we got Willie. The guy told us that they have the same parents. We hope so. Willie has been nice to her since we brought her home, but a little standoffish. This past week, he has been getting very friendly. He is constantly playing with her, letting her climb on him and pulling on him. He seems very concerned about her, always making sure that she comes back in from outside, or helping to look for her when we can't find her.

I am using this layout as my entry into Scrappin'-n-Chattin's 52 Week Challenge and this month's twine challenge. I used twine for the banner, but you can't see it. I also used twine on the heart button in the title and the buttons on the centers of the flowers.

Make sure to check out the stand out titles the design team came up with. I hope you will give it a try too.

I am also entering this layout into the following challenges:

Sketches In Thyme - Open Challenge
Crafts and Me Challenges - Add a flower
DYSU Challenge Blog - Wings
Flutters By Wednesday - Open Challenge
Paper Cutz Challenge - Anything Goes

Birthday Sundaes Challenge #19

Good Sunday morning. There were so many wonderfully creative birthday cards entered into the Birthday Sundaes challenge last week. I love to see so many great cards. This week's challenge at Birthday Sundaes is a photo inspiration from Martha Stewart Weddings

What an awesomely summery photo. It makes so many ideas swirl in my head.

As I was studying the photo, I felt like I should use my neglected Life's A Beach cartridge. I have only used it a couple of times, so this was a good opportunity to dust it off. And here's my card...


Be sure to check out how the photo inspired the rest of the design team. I hope you will share with us how it inspires you. Be sure to include a birthday sentiment on the front of the card.

And be sure to stop by Birthday Sundaes next Sunday. The new design team will be revealed. And to celebrate we are having a blog hop. Don't miss out on the fun.

Christmas in July - Week 3

I am still hanging in there, creating my Christmas card each day. These are the cards that I created for Week 3 of the Christmas in July challenge at Scrappin'-n-Chattin'.

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

I may have to make this a tradition. It feels great to create something every day.

Christmas in July - Week 2

Here are the Christmas cards I created during Week #2 of the Scrappin'-n-Chattin' challenge to create a Christmas card everyday in July.

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10Day 11Day 12Day 13Day 14

My cards are really simple, but I really like them. My stash is really growing.

Christmas in July

This month on my favorite scrapping group, Scrappin'-n-Chattin', we have a challenge going on to create a Christmas card each day of the month. What a great way to "cool off" during these hot summer days. I have always admired those who can commit to and complete the card-a-day or a layout-a-day challenges. I have never felt that I could. So far, so good though.

I want to share the cards I have made so far. I am going to share my cards from the 1st week in this post. I will create other posts for the remaining weeks.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3
Day 4
Day 5Day 6Day 7

I am thoroughly enjoying creating a card each day. My room, on the other hand, has seen better days. I find that making cards takes a toll on my room, and doing it everyday. Oh boy. Maybe this weekend I can get it back together.

Join Us For A Blog Hop

I can't believe the first term at Birthday Sundaes is coming to an end. It's been so much fun being a part of the team. The design team is so talented and I got so many ideas seeing their work every week.

So say farewell to those leaving on the current team and to introduce the new team, we are having a blog hop. Make sure to save the date - July 31st at 8am. I hope to see you there.

Hi Mom

Happy Wednesday everyone. And do you know what that means? It's time for a new challenge at The Paper Variety.

Our sponsor this week is Paisleys and Polka Dots. They sell awesome scrapbooking page kits, card kits and mini albums.
And here is what they are offering our winner this week.



Isn't that album just too cute?

Our challenge this week is to create a paper project that either includes a grid pattern or every color of the rainbow.


I created a layout for the challenge. The page has all of the colors of the rainbow, and a small grid pattern. This is a photo of my new puppy Tessa. She was checking out what I was doing on the couch last week. I used Echo Park's Summer Days.


This was such a fun page to put together. Check out the awesome projects that the rest of Team A put together. So inspirational. I hope you will play along.

Big Truck

Good morning again. This month I haven't been making too many layouts. I am participating in a challenge at Scrappin'-n-Chattin' to make a Christmas card everyday. It's been a lot of fun and I am really liking the cards I have made. I will probably do a couple of posts in a day or so to show everyone what I have been creating. So between that and gardening, work, the dogs - life, I haven't had a whole lot of scrapping time. I hope to take some more time off from work real soon and get a lot more done.

But it's Sunday and time for a new challenge at Lasting Memories. Our Challenge this week is to add distressing to your layout. There are a number of distressing techniques/tools out there. Karen included a few videos on the blog to get everyone started.

For my layout I followed this week's sketch at Sketches in Thyme. I love the versatility of this sketch.


For my distressing, I tore both of the papers I used for the photo mat. On the cream colored layer, I inked the edges as well and also inked a bit on the mat itself. I also stamped a saying on the cream paper. I had won a stamp set from my friend Brenda's blog. It's a new set from K Andrew Designs. The set is Freedom Isn't Free. She has a lot of wonderful stamps set. Be sure to check them all out. The large star embellishments on the page came from Tessa at Precocious Paper. She also inked the stars for a bit of a distressed look. I knew when I saw these stars in her store that I had to have them to create a page for my son David. Check out Tessa's Etsy shop. She has a lots of wonderful flowers and embellishments.


The photo in this layout is just a random photo that David posted while he was in Iraq. Of course I grabbed it to make a page.

I am also using this layout for one of the challenges this month at Scrappin'-n-Chattin' - Torn Paper. And I am also entering this page into this week's challenge at Frosted Designs to use a quote on the page. The stamp I used says "Serving Proudly. Standing Tall."

Make sure you check out the wonderful pages the design team came up with. I hope that you will try some distressing this week and share a page with us.

Birthday Sundaes Challenge #18

Good Sunday morning. We have had a few perfect weather days in a row here in the northeast. I haven't been able to spend much time outside though. I did get to spend some time scrapping and making cards though.

It's time for a new challenge at Birthday Sundaes. This week's challenge is Anything Goes Birthday. I always love to see all of the creativeness when we have these anything goes challenges. We also have a wonderful sponsor this week. Circle B Enterprises will be providing a $20 store credit. Check out Veronica's store. She has a wide variety of scrappy items to choose from.



I made a simple card this week based on a card Kristina Werner had on her blog earlier this year. I had intended to give to a guy that I used to work with several years ago. Our birthdays are 5 days apart in August and he's always amazed that I remember his. I may make a different card for him though. We'll have to think about it some more.



Hop over to the Birthday Sundaes blog and check out what the design team created this week. Their cards are always so beautiful. I hope you will join us this week.