He Said / She Said

This month I've been playing with the new to me lines by Teresa Collins called He Said She Said.  They are on sale right now at the Memory Nest and if you haven't had a chance to play with this line yet, you need to check it out.  It's super versatile and I love how many of the papers from both lines coordinate so it will make using the leftovers together really stretch the kits.  

I created my layouts from my wedding photos.  The He Said line was perfect for the Groomsmen shot and the She Said line was exactly matched for my photo with my Bridesmaids.  And since the colors coordinate so well, they will work great as a side by side 2pager.  Don't forget to check out the Memory Nest blog this month for more new to the design team creations made from kits available.

Thanks for visiting!

♥

The Memory Nest recap

Hey all, back again today to share in the recap fun over at The Memory Nest blog.  All month long the design team has been designing with lots of new to them collections.  Leslie shared some of her favorite layouts from sketches from the month and at the bottom of that post is the list of blog links to visit.  Click the layout below to see what I did with the big collection of school pages with great lines by Studio Calico, Basic Grey, Little Yellow Bicycle, Echo Park and more...

Click the New to Me! image to hop on over

to the Memory Nest to enjoy an 10% extra off

these lines and more at already great prices!!

Thanks for visiting!

♥

School's Out for Summer

The school year coming to an end means that it's time to catch up on scrapping all the school events for the past year.  Lucky for me that's where the school theme pack from The Memory Nest comes in really handy.  Today on the Memory Nest blog I'm sharing what I created with this fabulous kit.  I actually got 4 entire layouts from the kit and have PLENTY of stuff left to do at least 3-4 more or even a few off the page projects.  See all the great papers HERE!

Papers by Little Yellow Bicycle

Papers by Basic Grey

Papers by Jillibean Soup

Papers by Echo Park

As you can see, this kit includes papers from the best of the best when it comes to paper lines and is definitely worth picking up!

Thanks for visiting!

♥

Memory Nest part 2 ♥

I'm back with reveal #2 for The Memory Nest.  As a reminder, here is the color kit I was designing with this month:

I have created three additional layouts to share along with the original one I shared last week.  It's really amazing how far this kit stretched.  And I still have enough left for a project or two!! 

Now the first layout I just pieced together after researching grid styles for days.  I really struggle with that, but I wanted to try it none-the-less.  The second layout followed the sketch below by PageMaps and the last followed a sketch that I found on Pinterest that links back to photographer Kirsty Wiseman.  Not sure if she just shared it, or created it...but it was a keeper for sure!! 



Thanks for visiting!

♥

The Memory Nest

Hi all!!  I'm back with something to share today.  Most of my projects have either been DT work or gifts lately and I haven't been able to share them...yet.  That and it's Girl Scout cookie season in my neck of the woods and as a troop leader that is a time of complete mayhem.  We have been making felt banners, posters, and booth sale décor galore.  Fun fun!!! 

But today I am here with a layout that I made for a DT project that I can finally share!  Hop on over to The Memory Nest blog to see details about the kit that I was fortunate to design with and click over to the Memory Nest store to buy one of Leslie's fabulous kits for yourself including this one.  The kit was amazing and I got 4 solid layouts out of it along with enough leftover to make a few cards this weekend.  Can't beat that!!!  Here is a pic of the kit:

 

 

Here is the first layout I created below.  Check back soon to see the rest of what I did with this kit.

 

 

 

And for those of you that are sketchaholics like I am, I want to share where my layout got it's kick start.  This amazing sketch by Liz Chidester:





Thanks for visiting!

♥

CIU: Christmas in July

Morning crafty peeps.  I wanted to share with you my dt submission for this week's Cut It Up challenge.  We are getting a kick start on our Christmas cards and projects and what I've created is a altered notebook to keep all of our favorite holiday recipes.  Would love to see what you all enter....just remember that you need to follow the Christmas theme AND use a diecut somewhere.

Thanks for visiting!

♥

Father's Day Card

Hey all, quick post today.  Tons going on in the Skinner casa as of late, but I didn't want you all to miss out on the super fun challenge posted over at Cut It Up challenges.  The theme this week is Father's Day and don't forget you need to use some kind of diecut on your project...thus the 'cut' in Cut It Up ;)

I made a card into the shape of a charcoal BBQ grill.  It swings open to show paper under that we all signed. The grill shape is a circle cut in half and the legs are simply rectangles.  The handle is a square cut that I altered a bit and the font is cut from my Cricut.  I am still struggling to give card making a try, but I'm just gonna keep at it!  :)

Thanks for visiting!

♥

SYS: Selfies (and a tutorial)

Hey everyone.  Sorry I'm behind on today's posts...  my littlest fell on the playground at preschool last month and broke her nose and this morning she had a checkup to see how healing is going.  A checkup that I only remembered 30 minutes before it was scheduled...and we live 20minutes away...and we were still in PJs.  Whoops!!!!  So I didn't have time to get all my posts finalized in the race out of door.  On the bright side, however...healing is going BEAUTIFULLY!  ♥

Thanks for the patience.  The layout below is all My Mind's Eye papers and embellies, with the exception of the buttons which were Studio G and the blue letters that are Thickers.  It is my DT project for this week's stamping challenge at Scrap Your Story.  I've done this stamping technique a few times and had comments on how I got it done so below I'll share.  I also followed along with S.W.A.T. Drill #7 by following the top row of the bingo board stamping, doodling and 3 buttons.  My doodling (there are hearts doodled along the top, the right, and the top corner as well as inside of a few hexagons with a white gel pen) goes along with this week's Paper Girls challenge as well.

Now for the promised how-to.  You will notice in several of my recent layouts I had a thick white stamped pattern on the background.  Such as these:

 

Well on my layout this week there is a hexagon stamped with the same technique on some of the patterned paper squares.  How did I do it?  Easy peasy.....  Start with these supplies: 

acrylic paint

foam brush

embossing folder

I like to add glitter in the paint sometimes.  Doesn't show up well in photos, but in person it's a subtle, but awesome touch.  I also like to use paper plates to spread the paint out on if I am adding glitter.  If I'm not, then you can just put a dab directly on the foam brush.  Then you sponge (dab not wipe) the paint onto the embossing folder of your choice.  Just one side.  Keep in mind that whether you choose the embossed or debossed side will decide if you get the outline of the pattern or the solid shape of the pattern.  After dabbing it on, you can turn it over and use it to stamp your pattern on.  If you sponge it on thicker in some places and try to be a little sloppy with your edges it will only add to the distressed look...which I totally dig.  And no worries...if you wash your folder under the faucet in warm dish-soapy water...it comes perfectly clean.  If you leave it for more than half and hour you may need to scrub a little, but if you hop up as soon as you are done..it literally just rinsing right away...even in the little crevices.  :)

If you give it a try, shoot me a link in the comments...I'd love to come see!!!!  :) :) :) 

Thanks for visiting!

♥

CIU: Altered Notepad

Hey all!  This week at Cut It Up we are working with the theme: MAKE IT MINI.  You can make a mini album, mini notecards, alter something itty bitty, tiny gifts, anything that's mini!  :)  For my project I chose to alter a mini notepad.  I covered the stock paper that covers the top edge with double sided tape and then added patterned paper.  Embellished it up and then added a magnet to the backside so it can go up on my fridge.  As always, to play along you have to include a diecut...thus the CUT part of CUT it up.  ;)  See what they did there...lol.  My diecut is the flag on the back of the owl.  They are cut from the Create-a-Critter Cricut cartridge.

I'm also sharing this notepad with the challenge posed by Lynette over at Sketch N Scrap.  This month they are celebrating their birthday with a whole month of daily challenges.  Hers was posted on the 9th and instructed us to alter something.  :)  This started as a notepad...and well it's still a notepad, but it's waaaaay prettier!  :)

Thanks for visiting!

♥

SYS: Another sketch!!!

Hey all, we're back with another sketch week at Scrap Your Story.  Take a peek:

Fun fun, right???  Hop on over to play along and see what the rest of the designers did with this sketch.  Below is my take.  :)

Thanks for visiting!

♥

Cut It Up #18 MOTHER'S DAY

*For my Scrap Your Story DT project click HERE*

Every two weeks a new diecut challenge.  You simply follow the theme and include a diecut (manual or electronic) somewhere on the project and you're in!  Sounds easy enough right?  Well this week our challenge over at Cut It Up is Mother's Day.  I created a layout all about being a mom to daughter's and how special that relationship is to me having grown up without a mom.  There's lots of hidden journaling tucked behind the photo just on the right side.

This is another 8x8 for my favs from Instagram book I'm working on.  

Thanks for visiting!

♥

Sisters

Hey guys.....long time no 'see'.  Well for you it's only been 2 weeks since I utilized the autopost feature, but it feels like I haven't been here in a month.  I've had a sweet little girl who got pretty badly hurt at school on the playground (bad concussion and broken nose) which is no fun anytime, especially when you are only in preschool and your mom has been put in charge of not allowing you to so much as bump your head for 3 weeks.  Yeah..no pressure right?!  LOL.  So, I'm sure you can see why that's not conducive to Mommy getting any happy scrappy time.  But that's okay, because I got LOTS of baby girl snuggly time.  ♥

I'm back this week with a layout for Scrap Your Story's 10th challenge...all about FAVORITES!

Scrap your favorite moment, your favorite picture, your favorite holiday, your favorite item(s), in fact this week's challenge would be PERFECT for a list style layout.

Here is my layout with a favorite photo.  It was taken on a super cold snowy day when swimming just wasn't going to happen.  Queue super cute suits, Mommy's jacuzzi tub and tons of bubbles.  This is an 8x8 page for my 'Instagram favorites book' I'm working on.

I had a terrible time getting a decent photo.  I mean...waiting for sunlight is easier said than done when I'm battling 2" of snow on the ground...in MAY!?!?!  UGH!  I know it's no sunny beachside community, but I live in Kansas for goodness sakes.  Normally by May we are scorching.  :(  

I'm also sharing this layout with Southern Girls Challenges.  This week they asked for projects with quotes on them.  My super long title is one of my very favorite quotes that I've had written on my inspiration board for months and finally got to use it!  :)  

Thanks for visiting!

♥