New Design Team at CSI

 I'm proud to announce that I am on the Design Team over at CSI.  I highly recommend checking out this awesome challenge blog.  They have unique challenges every month to get your creative juices flowing. The gallery is filled with tons of inspiration from scrapers around the world.   To be continued.............

New Month New Theme at Lasting Memories

Hey y'all.  Sorry I've been a little slower with the ole blog this past week.  I recently took on a new and amazing job in my local town.  I can't wait to share it with you in a later post.

Lasting Memories has a yummy theme going on this month, "Food for Thought".  And ladies, I LOVE FOOD!  This week's challenge is #227 "Favorite Recipe or Food".  I knew exactly what I would scrap about:

CUPCAKES!

It took a few years to find the "perfect buttercream frosting" and the "amazing cupcake batter" recipes, and together they made  "The Perfectly Piped Cupcake" for any occasion.

The buttercream frosting is sweet and creamy and melts in your mouth with every bite.  The batter bakes to perfection and tastes like a soft sugar cookie.  It's an amazing experience.  

My son and I made this batch for his class Halloween party.  They were a hit!

What is your favorite recipe or food?  Share with us over at Lasting Memories and join in on this fun challenge.  

What would you call your Scrap Style?

Lately,  I've been applying for a few different design teams.  And usually, on of the questions in the application is, "what is your style?".  At first I struggled with this question because I've only been scrapbooking for a few years. I learned from youtube process video, particularly Shimelle Laine.  From there I started scrap lifting layout I found online so I could practice different styles and techniques.  About a year ago, I developed my own style.  

One word that comes to mind when describing my style: Layered.

I do love tons of white space on my layouts.  To me, it draws more attention to the photo.

I created this layout for the CSI Case File #153:

What would you call your scrappy style?

SBC Scrapbook Challenges Design Team = Awesome

Is it true?  Did Scrapbook Challenges (aka-SBC) really pick me to be on their Design Team?  Heck yes they did and I'm so excited to be a part of their awesomeness.  They have weekly challenges to inspire your creativity.  

This week's sketch is #424: 

Isn't that an awesome sketch?  Their is so much you can do with it. Here's what I did:

I altered the sketch quite a bit.  I kept the basic design of the sketch, but moved stuff around.  For instance:  I used one photo instead of two, tightened up the layers, moved the embellishment clusters, and made it my own. 

To me, a sketch is a basic idea for me to make my own.  Sometimes my creations look exactly like the sketch, and sometimes totally different, but I always get some sort of inspiration in the process.

Do you use sketches?  If so, does your finished project resemble the sketch?

A Scrapbook Page Inspired by a Song

Good morning fabulous people! (sung in my best opera voice)

Is your morning as beautiful as mine?  

I found this awesome challenge blog and just had to tell y'all about it.  It's called Scrap it with a Song and it blows my mind.  Every month they post a challenge involving a Pop Song and a Rock song.  The idea is to create a paper project using inspiration from one of the songs.  Inspiration can come from the lyrics, the title, the theme, or  whatever inspiration strikes while listening to the song.  I think this whole concept is genius.  I mean, music can alter my mood on any given day, so why not look to it for creative inspiration?

This month's Pop Challenge Song is Katy Perry's ROAR.

Here is my creation:

I was inspired by the title of the song. "roar".  Sometimes when my son, Cole, is not getting his own way, he lets out this ridiculous roar.  He is a total actor and does anything in public to get what he wants.  He's so cute though.  

 I also usedStudio Calico's Sunday Sketch for inspiration.  Here's a peek at their layout sketch:

Thanks for reading.  Do you get creative inspiration from music?  

A Very Layered Grid Design and a Life Lesson

Top of the morning to you!  This month's theme at Lasting Memories Blog is Life's Moments.  As a scrapper, I love filling my albums with my perfect little family doing perfect little things.  All of us with smiling faces and eyes full of love.  Well ladies and gentlemen, NOT TODAY!

This week's challenge is Life's Lessons.  I scrapped a photo of my son on a fishing trip.  He learned about the role of a "bait fish"(a fish used as bait to catch a larger fish).  He figured out, in his innocent little mind, that the bait fish would die.  It saddened his sweet little heart, and broke mine.  

I don't know why I don't do grid designs more often.  They are fun and easy.  I used to think they were boring and not my style because the elements were separated and uniform.  But I figured out how to make it more "me".  I layered the photo and the cards with copy paper.  Then stuck in little die cuts and other bits in-between the layers, added the mist and called it finished.

Do you only scrap happy moments?  Share your thoughts.

My idea of mixed media layout

mixed media

pl.n. (used with a sing. verb)

1. A technique involving the use of two or more artistic media, such as ink andpastel or painting and collage, that are combined in a single composition. Found: HERE

I absolutely love mixed media scrapbook pages.  LOVE THEM!  I have so much fun playing with paints, stamps, and texture paste.  It's a whole new world to me.

I have a problem though.  Every time I use my artsy-fartsy supplies on a layout, I never like it.  Before I even start, I click through the CSI Gallery and get tons of inspiration.  For some reason, when I do it, I feel like it looks too messy.  Maybe I'm not a mixed media scrapper.  I want to be.  But maybe I'm not.  I enjoy getting in touch with my inner artist and making a mess, but I hate the outcome.  I'll keep trying.

Here is a "mixed media" layout I created for CSI Case File #CC-4:

I sorta like how this came out.  I used a stencil with texture paste that I tinted with a light blue ink pad, a stamp with black ink, and splotched of silver mist spray.  

Here is Case File CC-4:

I love everything about this layout besides the texture paste.  I think I just love a white crisp background.  I'm gonna keep trying to get this mixed media style to my taste. 

Wish me Luck.  Do you have a hard time with mixed media?  If not, any advice for me?