I is for iPod

Quite a while ago, I saw something that inspired me to want to do an "ABC's of Me" album.  Essentially, one page per letter of the alphabet, with each letter used to talk about yourself.  I know, it seems kind of vein.  I thought it would be a good keepsake to leave behind for my kids and other generations for them to get a taste of who I was.  I've done a 1/2 dozen pages or so and I've found that I've enjoyed scrapping mostly that which I enjoy.  Material possessions, natures's beauty, food, ha!  :-)  So fitting at the moment.  This weekend I worked on the letter "I".  I chose my iPod to be the subject of this letter.  I recently upgraded from an iPod to an iPhone, but the obsession is just the same. 

I really had a great time creating this layout because as it came together, I got out more and more of my supplies.  It's always a great feeling digging into your beloved scrap stash and actually getting good use out of multiple items.  


For the word "Pod" I used:
Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks in Wild Plum, Purple Twilight, Pitch Black and Silver Mixative
Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution


I used the alcohol inks and blending solution on a transparency sheet that I had.  Once I was finished inking the sheet and let it try, I then sent it through the Quickutz Revolution to cut out the word.  I finished it by edging the cut out letters with white Making Memories paint so that it didn't blend into the background so much.  


The apple is a sticker that came with my iPod. I used a flocked chipboard letter for the "i" from My Mind's E.


I cut the large treble clef and stars and heart using my Cricut and Critcut Gypsy.  I stamped the treble clef with a script stamp that I have and distressed the edge with Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  The smaller star on the right hand side I stamped with a design stamp and then distressed it, finishing it off with outlining it with Ranger's Stickles Glitter Glue in pink.  The two larger stars I also distressed with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink and also finished them with Ranger's Stickles Glitter Glue in Pink and Silver.  I stamped and distressed the heart as well.


The Butterflies were stamped onto black card stock using a Martha Stewart Stamp.  The silver one was using silver pigment ink topped with clear embossing powder and then I took a heat gun to it.  The purple one was stamped using Ranger's Perfect Medium then dusted with Perfect Pearls in purple.  


The transparency under the photo is from me & my big ideas, and the patterned paper is from DCWV (b&w stripped) and also Glitz-purchased at Hobby Lobby (purple and polka dotted papers).  


Thanks so much for taking a peek!  Leave me a comment and let me know you were here.   

The Color Room-Palette #8

Another color palette reveal from The Color Room.  Yeah!  I've been enjoying these challenges so much.  It gives me a little direction with where to begin, I pick my photo, and then away my creativity goes.  This palette I was much more fond of than the last and I found it a lot easier to work with.  

This week's layout features a beautiful picture of Megan and Tristen taken at my Mom's back in September 2008.  She lives on a lake which makes the most beautiful photo backdrop so every time we go there, I make the kids stand out there so I can snap photos.  I edited the photo at www.photoshop.com/express.  They offer an awesome color pop effect, which is how I achieved the look of only the green popping on the photo.  In this particular picture, I picked greens to pop, so it suited the color palette well.  I began this layout by hand drawing two large circles on the white card stock.

(click on photo for a larger image)

Tools used:
Quickkutz Revolution (flowers, vines, small circles)
Cricut (butterfly, large circle)
Fiskars border punch (under picture)
Dymo Label maker (title)


Materials used:
BasicGrey Patterned Paper-Wistoria Collection
Old Patterned paper from my stash
White cardstock
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Pearl (butterfly)
My Mind's Eye Lush flocked chipboard letters (title)
Prima Say It In Crystals (dragon fly)
Pearl Stickers (behind butterfly)
Self Stick Gems
Old Sheet Music found at a thrift store


I love to shop for products at www.scrapbook.com.  Not only do they have awesome product to purchase, but also a very inspiring gallery.  


Another site I like to visit for inspiration is Scrap That!-who also offers an awesome monthly kit club full of beautiful goodies!  I'm expecting my first shipment any day.  Also The Color Room-of course, which is where the inspiration for this layout came from.  


Thanks for stopping by!  I appreciate your visits!  Leave me a comment and let me know you were here!  


Yours in scraps-
Christine

The Color Room-Palette #7

This week's palette was a big stretch for me since I'm not a giant fan of pastels.  I do, however, enjoy how my interpretation came out. 

This layout features my beautiful daughter, Megan.  This photo was taken at my mom's house on the lake.  I really love this photo and thought the natural hues in the pictures would lend itself nicely to this palette.  I apologize for the bad photo.  It's harder than you think to get the lighting right so that the colors show up as they should.  

(click on image for a large photo)

Tools used:

Martha Stuart Edge Punch (on terra cotta strip)

Cricut (circle, bird, butterfly, flowers, title)

Cricut Gypsy

Quickutz Revolution (vine)

Tim Holtz Destresser (circle)

Cuddle Bug Swirl Embossing Folder (bird, flowers)

Dymo LetraTag label maker ("girl" in title)

Materials used:

Tim Holtz Distress Ink to ink all edges

Cardstock

My Minds Eye patterned paper

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (butterfly and bird)

Pearls

I like to shop for materials at www.scrapbook.com.  

Visit The Color Room to see other artist's interpretations of this week's palette and some other amazing work.  Another favorite place for me to visit for inspiration is Scrap That!.

The Most Romantic Week Ever

This is the first page of a series that I will be working using photos from when I spent a week in Dallas in December 2009.  That would be about 6 weeks before my sweetheart would move here to North Dakota to be with me.  These pictures were taken at the Ritz Carlton in Dallas, where he surprised me with a nights stay on the concierge club level.  The week in Dallas was incredibly romantic.  More pages to follow!  

(Click on picture for a larger image.)

I used my Cricut and Gypsy to cut out the silhouette of the couple, the heart, the butterfly and the black border on the bottom.  I used my new Martha Stewart punch for the frame around the photo.  I also used a Martha Steward punch for the peek through paper on the right hand side of the layout.  The peek through with the border punch was a challenge by Karen W. on the "Scrap That!" site.  I simply tore a piece of the paper away, chose another paper to tuck behind and punched that paper with the border punch.  I also used the tear away technique on the top and right hand side of the pages, but instead tucked some old sheet music back there that I found at a thrift store for $1.  Yeah!  I was so stoked to find that sheet music.  I inked the torn edges a bit with Tim Holtz Distress Ink.  I also went crazy with the Stickles glitter glue, which you really can't tell by this photo.  I used it on the butterfly, the black border on the bottom and also the heart and chandelier at the top of the page.  Other tools used included my Quickkutz Revolution for the title, my Dymo label maker also for the title and Tattered Angels Glimmer mist.  I used a bit of ribbon from Hobby Lobby with a metal charm by Making Memories tied around the photo.  I used pop dots on the smaller photo, silhouette and chandelier.  

I found The Color Room!

Blog hopping to some of the most inspiring scrapbookers around, I discovered The Color Room-and WOW!  What a place to gather some inspiration!  Sure, there is loads of talent on the site, just like every other scrap blog or site I visit, but this place is more than just an artist strutting their stuff.  Every week this site puts up a new color palette and sketch to really get the creative juices flowing.  The site just kicked off, and there are already over 1,000 members!  Me, being one of them.  The unfortunate part is that I stumbled upon it 6 weeks in.  I wish I would have been around from the start.  Even so, I'm glad to have found it.  This week's color palette is simply fantastic!  Take a sneak peak of the palette below, along with the sketch, followed by my interpretation.  I hope you'll join the fun!  I've been enjoying seeing what all the talented artists are coming up with out there.   

I used a photo of my sweet, adorable nephew Adrian for this layout. I'm too embarrassed to admit how long the piece of art took me to create. 

(click on picture for larger image)

Supplies used:

Tim Holtz Grunge Board for "precious" and the dark brown heart

Tim Holtz Distressing Ink

Tim Holtz Distressing Tool

Quickkutz Revolution, boarder die cut, circle die cut, heart die cut

Prima Flowers

Cuddlebug Swirls Embossing Template

Xyron Design Runner

Making Memories tiny letters

Tsukineko Walnut Ink

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Patina

Basic Grey patterned Paper

Bazill Cardstock

It's A Boy!

On April 19th, Charles and I had a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound where we would find out if our baby will pee standing up or sitting down.  To our pleasure(especially Charles') we found out our baby will pee standing up.  His name will be Draven Charles Roberts.  Here are a couple of layouts that I did with the photos that we received.  


The first layout is using a photo with a picture of his profile.
I used some Basic Grey chipboard for the word "boy" and stamped and inked it to give it more depth.
I also used Tim Holtz Distress ink,
The clock is a Tim Holtz time piece and game spinners
The paper clip is by Tim Holtz
The "love" ticket is by Tim Holtz
The metal onsie is by Making Memories
The "1234.." rub on is by 7 Gypsies
Patterned paper by My Mind's Eye
I also used a stapler and a Dymo LetraTag maker and my Gypsy and Cricut.

This next layout is using some of the crazier photo's we received.  It was so amazing watching Draven move around in my tummy.  He was very active, and appeared to either be a)chatting up a storm like his daddy, or b)getting ready to let belt out the coolest rocker scream you ever heard.  Also, just like his very musically talented daddy.  Both photos are of his face, but one with his mouth wide open in mid sentence, scream, or yawn.  Charles is so excited to teach Draven how to play guitar and have him take piano lessons.  Charles figures with a name like Draven, he's destined to be a rock star.  No pressure, Draven.  :-)


I used Basic Grey patterned papers form their last Halloween line.  I also used
Tim Holtz Grunge Board for the word "future" and also for the small skull, crown and arrow.
Tim Holtz white crackle paint on both white skulls
Tim Holtz "hope" and "dream" tickets.
Tim Holtz distress ink
Glimmer Mist in Graphite
Rock Star ribbon by DCWV
Heidi Swapp tape
My cricut (indie art and Hannah Montana cartridges) and gypsy and Dymo label maker and my stapler again.
Charles also donated one of his very cool Fender guitar picks to round off the layout nicely.

Shopping Inspires Me

I've scrapped a total of 3 pages in the last few weeks.  For some reason, I had the need to buy more stuff.  Because seriously, I don't have enough.  This hobby, addiction, obsession has become...what's the word....ridiculous?  After 11 years of scrapbooking, I can't seem to resist the beautiful Basic Grey papers, Tim Holtz embellishment or wonderful glimmer mist color I don't have.  I've gone on and on about this problem before, but I found the need to talk about it again, because I simply can't get enough.  It's obvious, shopping inspires me.  Everything from the bright, vivid colors to the deep, rich earth tones gives me visions of scrapbook pages done in my head.  Everything new and fresh inspires new ideas.  Now the challenge is to put it to use along with the rest of my stash.  Scrapbooking weekend ahead.  Yay!  :-)