Happy Hip Hop Hangover!!

Hey there Unity Hip Hop people!

I'm so glad to see you here even though we're missing Angela's HHH blog post this week.

This card is dedicated to the Unity staff with their limited internet access at CHA this week:

Of course, Mr. Quail just had to show up again! I LOVE this little guy!!

The design of the card was inspired by this week's Sketchy Thursday sketch over on Design by Diana:

Details: Unity Stamp Co. stamps (October & July KOTM); DCWV paper (Summer Stack); StazOn ink; Zig Millenium pen; Basic Grey trim.

Here's a sampling of other Unity goodness made this past week (click on the link for the original post):

You're Such a Treat card

Self Portrait layout

Of course, Mr. Quail had to make another appearance!

Don't forget to hop on over to the Unity store for this weekend's awesome sales!! Did you see all the past KOTM's on there??!! Great deals!

Hope you are in for a rockin' Friday and weekend!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heidi

p.s. Join me Saturday 8/1 for a Memories Always-Forever BLOG HOP to introduce the new forum and design team. There will be lots of great inspiration, as well as a few yummy prizes along the way!

Memories Always-Forever is having a Blog Hop this Saturday!!

Memories Always - Forever is getting ready for it's big kick off this Saturday, August 1st! We'd love to see some new faces over there.

As part of the Design Team, I will be participating in the BLOG HOP to kick off the fun.



There will be lots of goodies on the individual blogs, a few challenges, and a GRAND PRIZE!!!

Did you SEE all that stuff??!!

Just join us over on Memories Always-Forever on Saturday morning to begin the hop!! You'll want to make sure you save some time to play along with us! Not a member of MAF yet? Why not??? We are new and ready to go! All we need is you to help make the site rock!!

Have a great day!!

Heidi

Arizona Endless Summer

Today it's forecasted to be 114 degrees with a 20% chance for rain this afternoon (which as past experience has taught means 100%...I just don't get that!!).

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Whoever said, "...but it's a dry heat" about Arizona heat hasn't been in the Phoenix area during monsoon season.

But yes, save July, August, and most of September, it is a dry heat and mostly tolerable the remaining 7 months of summer here. Yes, I said 7 months for a total of 10 months of summer weather. I say that because we really only have about 2 months that are "cold" (in the 50s, 60s generally) and the other months (technically "fall" and "spring") are what I think others would consider summer temps in other parts of the world.

Hence, my tribute to the Arizona Endless Summer:

I combined two Memories Always-Forever challenges to make this layout. The July Summer Challenge calls for the theme to be centered around summer fun (it's always a fun day when you're wearing flip flops in my opinion!!) and should contain red, white, or blue.

The other challenge is from our new MAF Design Team monthly challenges line up: the Use Your Stash Challenge. The challenge this time isn't for the faint of heart! The challenge is to use the following supplies from your stash:

TITLE: Use chipboard letters to create your title (check!)

EMBELLISHMENTS: Use rub ons somewhere in your layout (the entire doodle-y "life is good" circle behind the ghost clock is a rub on!)

JOURNALING: Use a journaling block and embellish it (the rub on is embellishing a Heidi Swapp large round journaling spot)

TOOLS: Use border punches or deco scissors (Fiskars Upper Crest border punch bordering the flag paper on the right side)

TECHNIQUE: Use glitter or Stickles (Stickles covered title)

Whew!

I carried the red, white, and blue theme throughout the layout: the doodles are colored in red, there are red (hot), white (temperate), and blue (cold) brads adorning the clock (which in this case symbolizes the temperature here throughout the months of the year), and there are red- and blue-colored staples anchoring the border-punched edge.

Details: Paper - DCWV, The Paper Co.; Ink - StazOn, Marvy Le Plume II marker, Zig Millenium pen; Creative Imaginations rub on; Heidi Swapp chipboard letters, journaling spot, & ghost clock shape; Making Memories staples & definition sticker; Autumn Leaves stamps; Stampendous embossing powder; brads - Stampin' Up! and unknown.

Thanks for stopping by today! Let me know how you think I did on the challenges. I feel like I combined more like 6 instead of 2!!

Be sure to hop on over to the MAF challenges area to see the other entries for these challenges and maybe participate yourself (they both end sometime this week).

Heidi

P.S. Be sure to check back on Memories Always-Forever August 1 for the reveal of our complete MONTHLY CHALLENGES LINE UP during our Blog Hop!!

My HEART Just Walked Through That Door

My firstborn just started Kindergarten this past week. I know many of you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that it was bittersweet. On the one hand, I'm excited for him to be starting that next phase of his life...his academic career. On the other hand, this new page in his life reiterates that he is quickly growing up and isn't so much my BABY anymore.

As I watched him line up with his class before school and walk into the school building I thought, "My heart just walked through that door." Needless to say, I was surreptitiously bawling. I didn't want him to see Mommy crying when he was trying so very hard to be brave.

The design of this layout is inspired by this WONDERFUL sketch created by my super-talented friend Diana for her Sketchy Thursdays challenge over on her blog Design by Diana:

The embellishment of this layout is inspired by this week's prompt over on The Pink Ninjas: stripes or polka dots?

I created the polka dots on the base sheet with some bubblewrap and paint. (Can you say, "technique a la mode in Heidiville"?) You can't see it very well on the full page picture but as you can see by the detail above, there are manilla polka dots all over the base page in addition to the blue ones.

I'm linking this baby up to my Finally Friday challenge on SPCC...use household items to embellish your creation! Have you joined me in the fun on this challenge yet??!!

I am McLovin' the new DCWV The Mod-Retro Stack!!! I included a sheet from the 8x8 stack on this layout. It's hard to see in the pics but the entire orange-y polka dot area is glazed. It's sooooo pretty.

~main part detail pic~

Well, I have A LOT more pics from the first day of school I need to get scrapped. I'll share as they materialize.

Details: Paper - DCWV, The Paper Co.; Making Memories paint; Joanns letter stickers; Zig Millenium pen; bubblewrap; unknown twine and heart charm.

Be sure to hop on over, support, and participate in these AWESOME challenges:

Design by Diana - Sketchy Thursday

The Pink Ninjas - prompt: stripes or polka dots?

SPCC Finally Friday challenge - use household items as embellishments

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Heidi

p.s. I'm so excited!! This Saturday, August 1, we're hosting an inaugural BLOG HOP to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Memories Always-Forever site. Please join me for the hop to get acquainted with the new Design Team members, learn a bit about all the fun monthly challenges we'll be hosting, and possibly win some awesome blog candy!!

SPCC #8 - Self Portrait & The Most Interesting Quail in the World

Happy Monday!!

The new color combo challenge is up over on SPCC!!!

Don't you just LOVE this combo?

First thing I thought of was my K&Company Daydreams stack. I just KNEW these colors would be in there and I was right! As I've done with many past SPCC challenges, I used the gallon-quart-pint method: Gallon = Dusty Durango, Quart = Crushed Curry, and Pint = Melow Moss (it's in some of the circles and on the ribbon).

I just LOVE these pics my daughter took of herself. You can see the progression of her shots - they kept getting closer up. There was one more shot I printed in the series but it didn't fit on the layout...it's a shot (no joke) of the inside of her mouth and the back of her throat. I just sat there bemusedly watching her take these photos one evening. She's so creative and still unencumbered by the rules we impose upon ourselves artistically as we age. I'm happy to allow her free reign (within reason, of course) to explore her creativity.

These shots remind me of one of my favorite quotes by Pablo Picasso:

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

In the spirit of my daughter's playful creativity, I adhered the vintage dictionary strips with glue mixed with some white paint applied with my fingers. I even left a few fingerprints all over just like little kids tend to leave all over pictures.

Serendipitously, the dictionary page I happened to rip out for the strips contained definitions for words that went so well with the mood of the layout, ranging from the playful and fantastic (such as fairy tale and fanciful) to a commentary on how self portraits aren't always true representations (such as farce, fake, and fantasize). There's also a familiar photography phrase on here - "watch the birdie" - which brings me to...

Mr. Quail from my Unity Stamp Co. October KOTM just NEEDED to make an appearance on this playful layout. Doesn't this little dude just seem to have a blast on my creations? He reminds me of those Dos Equis TV and radio commercials about "The Most Interesting Man in the World." I wonder where he'll pop up next...

Finally, the design of this layout was inspired by THIS creation by Natasja Verbeek over on the scrapjacked blog. That is one talented woman!!

Details: K&Company Daydreams paper; StazOn ink; Unity Stamp Co. October '08 KOTM; Making Memories ribbon & paint; Magic Mesh; Zig Millenium pen; Cricut alpha die cuts; vintage dictionary page; unknown camera eyelets and thread.

You would not BELIEVE the amazing samples the SP Divas whipped up for you this week using color combo #8!! Click on over to check out the talent!!!

This is the first official introduction to the talents of half the SP Divas team. (OK, a little more than half...some of us decided to play along even though it wasn't our "official" week. I just COULDN'T resist this color combo!) The rest of the SP Divas will be officially introduced with next week's challenge.

This week's color combo is sponsored by the wonderful Sammye Jo of 62 Cards. Be sure to take a peek at her AMAZING blog HERE and pop on over to her super creative Etsy store!!

AND, to sweeten the deal, look what this week's winner will receive compliments of the fabulous Sammye Jo:

How awesome is that??!!

We would love for you to play along with us this week with this cool SPCC color combo. Link up your creations HERE.

Hope to see you over on SPCC!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Heidi

Card Tag Memories Always-Forever

Happy Sunday Afternoon!!!

I participated in my first ever card tag hosted by my fellow Memories Always-Forever DT Member Kim. What fun! It starts with an inspiration card which is passed to the first person who makes their take on the card. Then they pass it to the next person on the list, who makes their take, and then so on and so on. The transformation from start to finish is quite striking! It's neat to see different styles feeding off one another.

I was 4th in the line up of 10 and here's where I took it:

In the spirit of my SPCC Finally Friday challenge this week, I made my background paper using bubblewrap as a stamp with paint.

The circle the Unity Stamp Co. lollipops are on is a Sprite coaster I found in the Target $1 section. This also served as my color inspiration for the whole card. (OK. Do you have the "Lollipop, Lollipop" song in your head now? How about NOW? Tee hee! Ooooh, that darn Dell commercial!)

You can see the entire tag from start to finish over on Memories Always-Forever in the challenge section or on Kim's blog HERE.

Details: Paper - Stampin' Up!, The Paper Co.; Stamps - Unity Stamp Co. June & July KOTM; Ink - Stampin' Up!, StazOn; Making Memories paint; Ranger Stickles; Stampin' Up! punches; Joann ribbon; Target coaster; foam squares; bubblewrap.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Heidi

P.S. There's still time to get your SPCC#7 creation in (due tonight - Sunday). Upload HERE.

Did you SEE this week's awesome prize from Elmers Crafts? I'm so jealous I can't play for it!!

P.P.S. Please join me for my SPCC Finally Friday challenge...make your embellishments with household items! Already lots of great ideas posted!!

It's the Finally Friday Challenge on SPCC!!

If you're here for this week's Unity Hip Hop Hangover post...scroll down to the next one!!!

Woohoo!

It's finally Friday which means it's time for the next installment of the Finally Friday Challenge on SPCC! This week's challenge brought to you by...ME!!!

This week's challenge: Make your own embellishments using household items.

There are so many gorgeous embellishments available for purchase out there nowadays. But in these hard economic times, saving a buck here or there doesn't hurt. And the handmade look is so IN! So why not use some everyday household items to embellish your creations?

On my layout "It's a Dogs' Life" my "ribbon" and butterfly accents are made of items you probably have laying around. (Did you also notice the color combo is SPCC #7??!!)

The "ribbon" is made of popped bubblewrap custom colored with alcohol inks. I love the way it kind of looks like grass which mimics an element in two of my photos.

And, after cleaning the alcohol inks off my craft mat, I realized I had another great piece of embellishment fodder on my hands - the used paper towel. I simply cut a butterfly shape out of a nicely mottled area, folded it up a bit at the body, and then doodled on it with some Stickles. Voila!

But wait! There's more! I didn't just stop with these 2 embellishments while I had my inks and my creativity whipped out! I also made these:

Another piece of alcohol-inked bubblewrap (which I think will lend itself nicely to a water-themed project), a dye-inked dryer sheet flower blossom, and yes, what household project would be complete without some good old duct tape? This time it's colored with alcohol inks and fashioned into a flower and a pinwheel. (I'm feeling that pinwheel on a boy-themed layout!)

You could even take any of these items one step further by stamping on them with StazOn. (I can tell you there will definitely be some stamped duct tape embellies on some of my upcoming projects REAL soon!! So cute!)

There are so many possibilities of things you can make with household items. Here are a few more examples I've made recently (click link for original post with details):

Hostess CupCake box flower:

Disposable aluminum serving tray rocket:

Well, as you can see, I had a lot of fun trying to come up with innovative and cost-effective handmade embellishments.

So, come on! Let's see that CREATIVITY!! Link your projects up with Mr. Linky HERE. Even though this challenge is just for fun, we're all dying for you to show us what you've come up with!

And, of course, I hope you're participating in this week's Color Combo Challenge!

Happy Friday!!

SP Diva Heidi

Details: American Craft & Sassafras Lass paper; Ranger alcohol inks & Stickles; Making Memories journaling sheet; Pink Paislee alpha stickers; My Mind's Eye button; DMC floss; Around the Block brads; Quickutz Silhouette die cut; Scrappy Cat alpha stamps; Heidi Swapp stamp; Stampendous embossing powder; Making Memories paint; Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects; Bounce dryer sheet; 3M duct tape; Bounty paper towel; Hostess CupCakes box; unknown bubblewrap & aluminum serving tray.

I feel I would be remiss without mentioning and cautioning that many of these items may not be acid-free or "scrapbook safe". So use caution when attaching them to your projects. If you're concerned, there are some sprays available on the market that de-acidify...although they're quite pricey. In my case, I felt OK about attaching my embellishements to this layout because both are so far away from any actual photographs.

Hip Hop Hangover - Unity, You Inspire Me!

Happy Hip Hop Hangover!!

Hope you all are coming off great weeks and going into even better weekends!

Here's my little ol' Unity offering for the day. I'm sure you all agree with me: "Unity, You Inspire Me." Don't their KOTM's just keep getting better and better??!!

The colors in this card also go with this week's Color Combo Challenge over on SPCC. Come check us out and play along!! (And pop on over today for a fun embellishment challenge by yours truly!)

Details: Unity Stamp Co. July KOTM; DCWV Green Stack paper; StazOn ink; Stampin' Up! ribbon.

And here's my Unity review for the week:

You Are My Sunshine

And, two sneaky peeks of items with Unity that can't fully be revealed yet:

Be sure to check back sometime in the next week for the reveals of both of those.

Thank you so much for stopping by my corner of the blogerverse!

Don't forget to jump on over to the Unity site for this weekend's amazing deals.

Heidi

p.s. If you happen to be lucky enough to be going to CHA next week, pay a visit to my Future Fashionista layout in the Unity booth! (Maybe even snap a photo for me and shoot it on over? I'd be forever indebted!)

CHA-bound with Unity and Some Sneaky Peaks

I am absolutely beside myself that THE Angela Magnusson from Unity Stamp Company (insert choir of angels here) contacted me requesting I ship over my Future Fashionista layout for their booth at CHA next week! I am BLOWN AWAY! Yea, me!

Well, I'm happy to say I've been furiously working on lots of fun projects! However, they're all for upcoming challenges so I can't reveal anything yet. I'm so bummed!! I want to post something new!!!!! Oh, well. You'll get to see them soon enough.

I hope to get my Sketchy Thursday layout done and posted here by Wednesday evening. How cute is this sketch this week? There's still time for you to link up your creation, too! (It's due by Wednesday night.) The prize this week is from the awesome MoMo Stamper Etsy store!

Well, in the meantime, I'm going to give you some sneaky peeks at what I've been working on. (Shhhh...) Stay tuned to this bat channel for their reveals sometime in the next week.

Thank you again for all your support and wonderful comments! I loooooooove to read your comments!

Heidi

SPCC Design Team, Baby!!!!!!!

I am soooooo EXCITED!!!!! I finally get to tell you...

I MADE THE SPCC SCRAPBOOK DESIGN TEAM!!!!!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, SPCC stands for Scrapmaster's Paradise Color Combos. The Scrapmaster is Samantha who is just about the most sparkling, sweet, energetic person I've ever seen. The girl does not stop! She started the SPCC challenge site recently and it has taken off in leaps and bounds!

Let me tell you a little about it...

SPCC Challenges are posted every Monday. The challenge consists of a color combo of usually 3 - 4 colors. All you need to do is incorporate those colors into your crafty creation...it can be a card, layout, altered item, anything you can think up! (You'll note that the colors are usually listed with Stampin' Up! colors. Don't worry! You can use any comparable colors.)

Once you're done, come back to the SPCC site and link up your creation to the Mr. Linky widget. Challenge submissions are due by the following Sunday. A winner and SP Top Five will be posted the next Monday. You'll get a cool SPCC badge to display on your blog like this:

AND did I mention, each week there are AMAZING PRIZES to be won??

For example, this week's color combo is:

AND the winning submission will receive this EXCELLENT prize pack from this week's sponsor ELMER'S CRAFTERS:

This includes one gold metallic and one silver metallic Painters Marker, medium tip. These are permanent and can be used on almost any surface. Also, there's one Elmer's Craft Bond Scrapbook Glue Set. This set includes a Photo Stik (TM) glue stick, a fine tip glue stick pen, a Memory Book Glue Pen (liquid glue pen), and an Extra Strength Glue stick.


HOW COOL IS THAT??!!

In addition to the color combo challenge, each Friday there will be a little extra fun challenge called Finally Friday. This one's just for fun but isn't that why we're doing this anyway? Every week there will be a new, exciting, fun challenge posted by either Miss Sam herself, one of the DT members, a guest designer, OR EVEN YOU!! It could be anything...a sketch, a technique, a theme, ANYTHING! (I have it on good authority this coming Friday's challenge designer is going to have something really fun for you! tee hee)

In the meantime, how about trying out this week's Finally Friday challenge - it's an inspiration challenge:






You can make anything you want and use any or all of it as your inspiration. Just make sure to link your creation up to the Finally Friday Mr. Linky widget by Thursday evening so we can all get a look at your take!

And, of course, don't forget to try out this week's color combo challenge. I'm just loving those colors. I can't wait to work on this one! Just be sure to link it up to Mr. Linkey HERE.

WOW. I've been sitting on this news for a couple of days now and it's been killing me!! I am so bad with secrets! And it occurred to me I'm going to have to get over this FAST because I'm going to have to sit on my creations for the team at least a week at a time before they're revealed. I already have a fun one for you but I can't show you yet. Oh, the torture!


Anyhoo...I am so ABSOLUTELY ecstatic to have been chosen for SPCC's inaugural design team. I have a GREAT feeling about this site - it is GOING PLACES!


Be sure to hop on over to the SPCC blog and read about the other new Design Team members! What an amazingly talented group of ladies. I am so honored to be included among them. You are in for such a treat every week at SPCC!! Be sure to leave them all some love and even hop on over to check out their blogs and galleries!

Thanks for sharing in my excitement!

Hope you have an AWESOME Monday!!

Heidi