My Treat

Hidy Ho Neighbors!

This week on Spunky Scrappers the prompt is Tricks or Treats.  I went the treats route with an ode to one of my fave treats, the Mother's Iced Lemondade cookie.

Doesn't that almost look like a bag of cookies??  I did cut my bag apart to use on this.  Oh, gee, darn, just had to finish off the bag to make this.  Oh, well!!  LOL. 

This is the top of the bag which I stitched to the layout.  The backgroud paper, btw, is an 8x8 DCWV stack paper.  I fussy cut the "most beautiful" words and flowers so I could tuck part of the cookies picture behind it. 

Aren't these little typewriter key letters cute?  They were a RAK from the lovely Miss Monica over on Memories Always-Forever!!!  LOVE THEM!!  Thanks, Mon!

Pop on over to Spunky Scrappers to see what other design team members made for this prompt for your inspiration. 

And, exciting news happening on Spunky Scrappers!!  Brianna is taking the site from a ning to a blogspot so it'll be much easier for people to participate and enjoy all the fun, spunky prompts Brianna brings you every week. 

AAAAANNNNNDDDDD, to make Spunky Scrappers just THAT much more fun and inspiring, Brianna is adding 4 to 6 more scrappers to the design team!!!  Check out her call on the Spunky main page. 

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!! 

Be sure to check back in here later today for my Torendi Round 3 entry.  THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who voted for me to keep me in the running!!!  Round 3 is the last round and at the end, only the top 2 vote getters will make the design team. 

- Heidi

Memories Always-Forever Online Crop Halloween Challenge

Come join me at the Memories Always-Forever Online Crop for my Halloween Challenge!

Using Halloween papers and embellishments, create a layout using "everyday" pictures (ie NOT Halloween pics). 

Here's mine:

Check out THIS POST for all the details and close-up pics.

Upload your layout to the Memories Always-Forever gallery by Monday, 10/19 at 11:59pm EST.  Label your layout "Halloween Crop" for your chance to win this fun fall RAK from me:

There are some Stampin' Up! papers in fall colors, some American Crafts and Prima flowers, and leaves, felt pumpkins, and ribbons from Joanns. 

But, you can't win if you're not a member of Memories Always-Forever.  So, head on over there to sign up and upload your layout!! 

I'll randomly draw the winner from the pool of entries on Tuesday, 10/20. 

While you're over there, check out the other games, challenges, and make & takes posted almost hourly throughout the weekend!  So much fun!!

Heidi

p.s.  Be sure to scroll down to see today's Sketchy Thursdays Second Chance Challenge!!  You won't be disappointed!!!

Sketchy Thursdays Second Chance Challenge

Happy Saturday!!

Lots of fun stuff going on today!!!  On the home front, it's my son's first ever baseball game.  We'll see how that goes. 

Over on Sketchy Thursdays we're hosting another Second Chance Challenge. 

This one is being sponsored by Lil Scrappin Mama which is a kit club. 

They are offering up their October kit for the prize. 

A sneaky peek at what is in the kit up for grabs:

Check out the Lil Scrappin Mama site for the whole scoop.

Let me tell you, our Design Team were lucky enough to get to play with these kits and O. M. G. they are FABULOUS!! Every single piece included is gloriously scrappable. The only problem I encountered with the kit was having to decide which pieces to use first! I can tell I am going to be able to make SEVERAL layouts!!  I truly have never been so excited about a scrapbooking kit before!!

So anyway, the Sketchy Thursdays Second Chance Challenge is to create a layout:

* with a fall or family theme


* with browns and oranges as the MAIN color scheme

* with a pop of either TEAL or HOT PINK added to the color scheme

And, you don't have to use a Sketchy Thursdays sketch, although it is encouraged.

April 2011 issue

This layout is created entirely from pieces from the Lil Scrappin Mama kit except for the teal flower, the thread, and the stamping on the "together" card.  Yep!  That STUNNING orange flower is in the kit.  As well as all the ribbons you see. 
 

 
And now I'm a HUGE fan of Dream Street Papers because of this kit. Would you LOOK at those?? And they're double sided!! AND both sides are gorgeous. I made sure to save my extras, including the bit of the owl paper that was behind the brown and blue polka dot paper. No point in wasting it, especially when it's so YUMMY!
 
Did you notice?  I used the 9/24 Sketchy Thursdays sketch.  It's my fave so far!! 
 
 

So, why don't you join us for this Second Chance Challenge?  You have until Friday night at midnight (EST) to enter your layout!! 

Talk to you soon (and I mean soon...check back here today at noon EST for another fun post).

Heidi

p.s.  OK, I'm really, Really, REALLY going to start begging here...please, oh pretty please would you take the time to bop on over to the Torendi site and vote for my Domo "HiYa!" card?  (You can see it in the sidebar or on THIS POST at the top.)  Thank you!!!  XOXO

p.p.s.  The Memories Always-Forever Fall Festival Online Crop is underway today!!  Head on over there for lots of games, challenges, and PRIZES!!!  Check me out at noon EST for a Halloween challenge! 

Memories Always-Forever Fall Festival Online Crop is underway!

Scrappers (and cardmakers) start your engines!  The Memories Always-Forever Fall Festival Online Crop is underway!! 

All weekend you can find lots of fun, inspiration, games, challenges, and PRIZES!!

Come, join us!!

Check back here or on Memories Always-Forever at noon EST for a Halloween challenge by ME! 

- Heidi

Always In My Heart

http://www.unitystampco.com/

Happy Friday Friends With Flair!!

Make sure you hop on over to the Unity site this weekend to check out their amazing sale!!  (I apologize, I was unable to put a link on the Unity banner above so please click on the link right below it.  Eergh, Blogger!!)

A little card for you this week:

January 2011 issue

 

Recognize the flower border?  I got it off a postcard-like flyer that was in one of my last orders received from Unity!  How cute is that??

Loving the September KOTM, of course.  Can't wait for my October one!!!

Details:  Stamps - Unity Stamp Co.; Paper - DCWV, Stampin' Up!; Ink - Stampin' Up!, StazOn; Michaels ribbon.

Have fun on the rest of your FWF tour!!

Heidi


p.s.  Voting for the Torendi challenge is still underway.  If you enjoy my Domo "HiYa!" card in the post at the top of the page, I am shamelessly pleading for your votes!!  Please, please, please!!!!  Voting ends Tuesday and I would love to show you my next entry if I stay in the competition!  Thank you sooooo much!!!

p.p.s.  Reason #1 to pop back in here on Saturday...I'm hosting a fun Halloween challenge on the Memories Always-Forever Fall Festival Online Crop, noon EST!!!  Please join us for lots of fun, challenges, AND PRIZES!!  See this post for more details.

p.p.p.s.  Reason #2 to pop back in here on Saturday...We're having another Second Chance Challenge on Sketchy Thursdays Saturday and Sunday!!!!!  You WILL NOT BELIEVE the amazing prize that's up for grabs.  It's THAT GOOD.  I'm just sayin...

A sneaky peaky...

Fall Festival Online Crop - This Weekend!!

This weekend on Memories Always-Forever, we're hosting a two day Fall Festival Online Crop!!  There will be TONS of games, TONS of challenges, and TONS OF PRIZES!!! 

Just look what we have in store for you:

    * Sketch challenge

    * Color Challenge

    * Prompt Challenge

    * Use Your Stash Challenge

    * Recipe LO

    * Bingo Card

    * Lots of other card challenges

    * Bingo game**

    * Scavenger Hunt

    * Word Scrambles

    * Flower Tree Make & Take  (This looks like a fun one...I'm just sayin'!!)

    * Oragami Box Make & Take

There will be lots of prizes up for grabs but you can't win if you're not a Memories Always-Forever member.  So, head on over there NOW to sign up so you're all ready to go on Saturday morning, 8am EST!!

** While you're there, click over HERE to pick your words for the Bingo game!!!

I will be hosting a Halloween/Fall challenge for you on Saturday at noon EST!!  Come, join me!!

Can't wait to see you there!

Heidi

Memories Always-Forever

Couple of little tidbits to share today...

This card was selected as the Gallery Pick of the Week over on Memories Always-Forever:

See THIS POST for the details.

Come celebrate World Card Making Day with Memories Always-Forever. 

Tell us HERE on MAF what inspires you the most when creating cards.  A prize worth $75 will be given for the most unique way you are inspired to create. Post a pic of some of your most unique card creations. You will have until noon October 4th to post your creations and response. Winner will be announced October 5th on MAF.  Take a look at what's up for grabs:

Here is what's included: Inspirations Metal Tags, Fiskars "Happy & You Know It" Clear Stamps, Bazzill Mono Mix Brads, Lil Davis Summer Breeze Chipboard Alphabet, Heidi Grace Alphas, Rob&Bob Cards, Junkitz Beach Matz, A Shore Thing Brads, Shaped Ribbon Lil Davis, Karen Foster Lacing Brads, Scrapworks Rubons, KF Mini BradsPC Paper Scraps.

Also, Memories Always-Forever will be hosting an online crop October 17th & 18th!!  Come join us for lots of fun challenges, games, inspiration, and giveaways!!

Hope you are having a great Wednesday!

Heidi

p.s.  Tune in tomorrow for an exciting announcement.  I'm just bursting!!

Just Add Naked Flea

The prompt this week on The Pink Ninjas is "concerts".  "Well, damn!" I thought.  I'm going to have to skip a week because I have not been to a concert in so long, at least not one with pics and paraphernalia.  (I'm guessing Beatlemania at the Indian casino isn't exactly THE COOLEST concert to document and even so, I do not have any goodies to show for my attendance.)   I've just not been much of a concert-goer in recent years.  (I blame my husband...)

However, my youth was peppered with lots of fun concerts, so I began digging for evidence, and came across this:

October/November 2010 issue

Apparently, I attempted a "scrapbook" several years ago (I'm guessing this is cira 1992 or earlier)!   And this page is where I documented the first concert/date I went to with my husband.  I love that I wrote on it that this was the first time I'd asked anyone out on a date, too!  How funny!! 

But would you LOOK at that scrapbook page??!!  (And the DATE on that ticket??  1990!!!  AND THE PRICE??!!  $17.50!  Man, I feel old!!)  I seriously did not remember making this book (granted it's only got 4 pages made), although I now have vague memories of sitting on the floor in our apartment with my new Michaels stamps feeling very artistic and proud of myself. 

So I photographed this page to preserve its memory because I'm now going to scavenge the ephemera off it and retell the stories it told, but hopefully a little more artistically.  (Yes, I know!  There are some of you out there just screaming indignantly that I shouldn't ever change early pages...shush!)

So, now I give you, "Just Add Naked Flea":

October/November 2010 issue

(Hopefully my hubby won't notice the liner notes for the CD are AWOL...)

And, yes, Flea wore his sock outfit for the concert...ya know what i mean?  LOL!

Do you remember the whole torn, holey, "runned" black nylons craze?  OK, so maybe it was an 80s thing, but still, I thought it went well with this layout. 

And the safety pin thing, too.  I have vivid memories of sitting in a class in Jr. High (I think) watching a boy nonchalantly safety pin his cheek.  {shudder} 

My Tuesday Techniques challenge on Memories Always-Forever this month is to use paint on your layout.  I had a blast "painting" the base paper.  The lines are "stamped" with cardboard, the edges are swiped, and I had the best time splatter painting. 

The splatter painting was so much fun my daughter also got in on the fun on her own project:

And then SHE became the project...

But I digress. 

Details:  American Craft paper; Prima Marketing rhinestone stickers; Michaels paint; Barbara Trombley's art glitter; Dymo label; Target feather trim and $1 spot flair pin; unknown flower; nylons, safety pins, RHCP CD liner notes, cardboard.

Be sure to check in on The Pink Ninjas on Wednesday for their next prompt!!  Always soooo much fun!

And, join me on MAF for the Tuesday Techniques paint challenge!

Heidi

Weekend Shout Outs

Hey there out there in virtual world!  Hope you all have been having fabulous weekends!

Nothing new to show you today but I have a few shout outs. 

First of all, I am so honored and surprised to have won the Artist of the Month blog giveaway on Susan Z's gorgeous blog Imagine. Create. Express.!!!  

Look at this adorable haul I won!!!

I've come to know Susan through SPCC and she has been the super Guest SP Diva this month.

And did you know you, too, can be the next lucky winner of this wonderful blog giveaway?  How, you ask?  Head on over to Susan's blog and make a comment.  You will go into a draw to win a monthly prize which will be drawn at the end of every month. Also if the winner has a craft related blog or website they will be featured as as the "Artist of the Month"!  Cool, eh?

And truly, I'm not sending you to just any old blog to win some candy.  Check out Susan's art.  She really is a great scrap and card artist as well as a genuinely sweet and wonderful person!

PLUS, Susan also has a special giveaway every other month just for becoming a public follower!  On the 29th of September, November, January, March, May and July the names of five new followers will be drawn to win a small prize.

AND, just when you thought there couldn't be any more goodness from this wonderful little lady, for every comment made on her blog, 20c will be donated to World Vision Australia http://www.worldvisionaustralia.com.au/!  I'd say Susan deserves a standing ovation!!!

Thanks Susan!!

Some other really cool news this weekend...Sam from SPCC has started up another challenge blog. 

Just Buggin' is a weekly Cricut challenge blog. Every Wednesday you will find a new challenge to help inspire you to use your Cricut machine.  At least one die cut from the Cricut must be used for each challenge entry.  You may enter the challenge as many times as you want. 

Yippee!  I feel like I've been neglecting my Cricut lately.  This is going to be so fun!!

They will be mixing up the types of challenges they are going to be posing -sometimes the challenge will be a word inspiration, sometimes an ABC inspiration, sometimes a color, sometimes a material...you just never know what they will have in store for you!


The first challenge is the word "serene".  The word "serene" doesn't actually have to appear on your project...it's just a starting point.


OK, well, that's all I have for you tonight. 

Be sure to check back here periodically this week.  There's the new SPCC color challenge and the Spunky Scrappers challenge on Monday, I'll have a new Tuesday Techniques challenge for you over on Memories Always-Forever for you on (you guessed it) Tuesday.  The Pink Ninjas "concerts" challenge is due on Wednesday.  Sketchy Thursdays' sketch challenge is due on Thursday.  Friday is the first Unity Stamp Co. Friends with Flair Friday, which is replacing the much beloved Hip Hop Hangover.  And, I'm sure, I'm forgetting plenty of other fun, fun, fun challenges for the week.

Happy Sunday evening!

Heidi

Old Skool

Hey there!
I'm starting to create more layouts just for me and a lot of the prompt challenges I like to frequent work just as well for "me" layouts as the traditional family, kids, vacations, etc. layouts. So, when I saw the prompt on The Pink Ninjas this week, "Old Skool", I immediately thought of MY o-o-o-o-l-l-l-l-d school pics.

This is my FIRST GRADE class picture! Aaaaaaah!!! In the pic I'm only 6 months older than my son is now!!! Wow, really puts things into perspective. This is one of the last school pics until late Jr. High that I think I look cute because I got glasses in second grade and you know how those early 80s HUMUNGO, plastic kids' glasses looked! (Got contacts when I was 13!)

I'm soooo loving the color scheme on this layout, too. It's this week's SPCC color combo:

AND, I used this week's Sketchy Thursday sketch:

(Have I MENTIONED I absolutely L-O-V-E the Sketchy Thursday challenge site???!!!)

And how perfect are the school and bicycle stamps from this month's KOTM from Unity Stamp Co?!!

And, boy, when I started piling on the challenges for this layout, I REALLY PILED ON the challenges.

There's hand stitching for the Memories Always-Forever Stitching Challenge. And there are flipped letters in my title ("o", "d", "k", and "l") for the MAF Wacky Wednesday Challenge. I intended to also get the MAF Stamp Your Layout Challenge in on this, too, but realized 2 of my 3 stamped images are in black ink. Oh, well. I'll try for that one again later!

And, I was FINALLY able to complete a SPCC Finally Friday Challenge - fancy borders. (LOVE these Doodlebug borders, just don't use them that often, go figure.) I've fully intended to participate in the Finally Friday challenge each week as they've all been AWESOME but for some reason they never seem to make it on my layouts in time.

And, since I was already piling the challenges on, OF COURSE, I had to get Pile It On's challenge in there, too!! "Good Things Come in 3s." There are 3 rhinestones in my flower border, the 3 main colors (orange, hot pink, and turquoise) are repeated several times throughout, three wavy lines on the left border, and there are 3 stamped images (school, bike, flourish). Three is such a magic number when it comes to design.

Whew! That's SEVEN challenges in one layout! I'm kinda impressed with myself. Tee hee!

Details: Paper - We R Memory Keepers, Stampin' Up!, The Paper Co.; Stamps - Unity Stamp Co., Autumn Leaves; StazOn ink; Stampendous embossing powder; Pressed Petals chip chatter chipboard alpha; Doodlebug Design Inc. paper frills; K&Company rhinestones; Making Memories clip; We R Memory Keepers cardstock shapes; Ranger Stickles; Zig Milennium pen; Bic Mark It! marker; DMC floss.

Of course, I can't forget to mention (ahem) the AWE-HA-HAWSOME sponsor and prize for this week's SPCC Color Challenge. Once again, iCopic.com has GENEROUSLY donated another AMAZING Copics prize:

Copic Ciao - Set of 8 Craft Manga Muted Colors Marker Kit + 1 Multiliner Pen. This set retails for nearly $40!!

OK, off to reorganize my craft area. I've been negligent in cleaning up after every project this week so the room looks like it exploded. I have soooooo many stamps to clean, too, mostly from my "I Adore You" collage layout. You can kinda see on this layout the price you pay if you don't clean your stamps as you go...there's some black ink mixed in with the orange on the flourish. Shame on me!!

Have a great Tuesday!

Heidi

Dude! Masks!

Welcome to the next installment of Tuesday Techniques on Memories Always-Forever. My technique challenge to you this time around: Make a layout using masks.

Now, mind you, I'm not talking about party masks or facial masques. I'm referring to those items which, when placed on your layout, will mask off an area, leaving it untouched by whatever medium you layer over it.

October/November 2010 issue

Note, the theme of this layout was inspired by The Pink Ninjas prompt this week: "Dudes!".

There are several great masking products on the market these days including those by Tim Holtz and Heidi Swapp (of which I used for this layout). You can also create your own masks by temporarily adhering a die cut, sticker, or other object to your layout.

You can layer several medium over masks, too: Glimmer Mist, paint, adhesive and glitter or beads, ink, etc. You are only limited by your imagination.

Here you can see what the applied flames mask looks like before I've layered Glimmer Mist and glitter over it.

And the after:

I'm going to show you how I used the Heidi Swapp letters masks. First, the letter masks are applied to my layout in their desired position. The great thing about these types of masks is they hold onto your layout with a repositionable adhesive backing.

Once you've applied your medium (in this case, paint) you simply peel off the mask and return it to its backing sheet. There's no need to clean off the mask front for medium can be layered over and over again on it without interfering with the results. Should you get something on the adhesive backing you only need to wash quickly in mild soap and water and then dry the mask upside down.

Here's a little tip I learned the hard way: do not allow the masks to fall upon lightweight, fiberous paper (such as newspaper) for it will adhere itself to the adhesive and prove quite difficult to remove.

So, let's see what you've got! Don't hide your masks! Display them proudly over on Memories Always-Forever.

This installment of the challenge ends Monday, August 31.

Details: Autumn Leaves paper; Heidi Swapp masks; Glimmer Mist; Making Memories paint & letter stickers; Martha Stewart glitter; Stickles; Stampin' Up! circle punch.

Thanks for looking and for playing along with me!

Heidi