Sketchabilities #86....

Good morning!  Today, a few days early, is the reveal of Sketchabilities #86......

My lovely Maleia trying to have fun in the sand without looking at me.  LOL.  Little did she know I really just wanted to take pictures of her awesome beach hair!

Can I just say that Studio Calico's new lines from Winter CHA were just a dream to work with?!  Hands down this is their BEST release yet!  I was one of those psychos who haunted SC's site just waiting for their new products to arrive and when they did I hit buy!  I know, not so in line with my goal to acquire less product, but I will tell you that it was controlled buying.  I bought bits and pieces, not the whole lines, that I knew I would use.  And use them I did as you can tell!  (All products minus the AC Glitter Tape and Bazzil Cardstock are from SC's Snippets and Sundrifter lines.)

As for the sketch, I used it pretty liberally.  More as a guideline this time around :-).  The sketch, which you can see here, called for a large scalloped circle in the right hand corner, but I switched it up to better suit me.  That is one thing that I really strive for when using a sketch, trying to keep it "me."  The few, random layouts that I end up disliking are those that I try to fit myself into.  So to prevent any feelings of despair, I switched the scalloped circle out for a rectangle. 

Hope to see your take on the sketch.........

Michelle

Birthday Girl.....

I have recently developed a scrappy crush on Corrie Jones.  Her work is so incredibly artistic and full of product.  Recently I pinned a layout of her's titled My Valentine that you can see here and it inspired this.....

My 3 year old studiously avoiding making eye contact with my camera.  LOL.  Where has the time gone???

 

When creating this I wanted to go with loads of layers, lots of detail, and whole lot of messy paint! I pulled papers that went with the colors of the balloons that are blowing away (when planning this shot I did not count on the wind which is really dumb because it is almost always windy where I live!) as well as the grey in my daughter's clothes.  Placing these on top of the black patterned paper really made them stand out, so I went with it. 

Something new to me this time around was punching hearts out of glitter tape--why had I not ever thought of this before???  They punched really easy, had adhesive already on them, and added a bit more texture to the page. 

Michelle

Hello Salon....

First off, I know I have been using the heck out of "Hello" in my titles.  My justification is that all these "Hello....." layouts are going in different albums, so why not??  Truthfully, I have been in a bit of a title rut, and "Hello....." is all that comes to mind.  LOL.  So on with my next installment of "Hello....."

I have had these pics sitting around since July and have finally scrapped them!  Yeah!! 

Super simple and super quick.  Sketch from Citrus Twist Kit club.  Products from Citrus Twist January kit.  Not too much brain work here :-).

Michelle

Hello Blog.....

I have been in a total non-blogging mode lately.  Not sure why.  Think I might just be a bit lazy.   But I am here to remedy that!

I have been super busy lately.  LOTS of scrapping.  I mean lots.  I have seriously sped up my process.  Not sure if this has anything to do with the change, but I have been really going through my scrap stash.  I am being very honest with myself and getting rid of a whole bunch of stuff I have been hanging on to.  Feels great to have a lighter load.  I even parted ways with American Crafts' Peachy Keen line, which is a huge move for me. 

Here is a layout I finished a few weeks ago....

This was done using the scraps from Gossamer Blue's September kit--a kit that has now been officially killed!  Woo hoo!!  Love that feeling! 

My son took the pictures for this layout.  Love it when he gets behind the camera--except when he goes on to proclaim that he is insanely better than me :-).

Have been reading too. 

Have just started this series and am so far loving it!  (Yes, I know I am a little late to the party on this one, but that is kind of how I roll.  I did not even think about starting the Twilight Series until the third movie was released.)  Fun, fun, fun!  And despite the fact I am now having wierd dreams about it, I look forward to spending a bit of time everyday with the book. 

Well, I have a sleepy, hiccupy baby wanting up on my lap, so off I go!

Michelle

Sketcabilities #85......

Due to the short month, our reveal for Sketchabilities sketch #85 came one day early!  Yeah!!  And to coinside with the day I went with a Valentines theme.....

 Absolutely one of my fave sketches from Karan.  I love multi-photo layouts and that is a major strength of her sketches.  Sketch 85 called for four, but it easily worked for three.  

 

 

I threw in loads of details on this layout.  Layers of vellum, tags, and ribbon on top of patterned paper; Hearts galore; Enamel dots and stitching; and confetti made with a punch.  Lots of fun making this :-).

 

Wishing you a happy day spent with your loved ones!

Michelle

Maleia is 3!........Lots of Love

Three years ago today my husband and I were blessed with this beautiful little girl.....

 This girl is such an incredible source of joy in my life.  The things she says and does can make me smile like nothing else can.   We are absolutely blessed and I remind her of this daily :-).


And here is a layout featuring the other little lady in my life, Allora, whom at 10 months is the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, with my husband.

This layout was so fantastically simple to put together!  I used Studio Calico's Sunday Sketch (2/3) along with their Block Party Kit and I came up with a piece of work that I really love.  And proud of for using an envelope, speech bubble, and wider than normal--sometimes I just do not know what to do with the trends of the moment, so when I can successfully (at least in my mind!) incorporate them into a layout I am way more than happy!  

Wishing you the best of weekend!
Michelle

Today....SC Sketch Challenge

Studio Calico's Sunday Sketch caught my eye and thought I would give it a go this week.......

So happy that I remembered to document this moment! 

I chose to go super monotoney with a tiny bit of color added in.  Had a bit of an accident with the white Mr. Huey bottle and ended up with a bit more then I wanted.  LOL.  I need to remember to check my hands before handling anything after I mist, because it does not come off paper!  Maybe they need a Mister Huey eraser......

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

Michelle