Junk Mail Mini Album Plus Two

This week I finished my mini albums made from junk mail envelopes. I still have the tags to complete, but I think if I get one done a month and mail them to my step daughters they'll get a kick out of it. I also completed two pages in one day thanks to the progressive challenge.

Here's a video of the album since pictures will never show off the dimension and interactive features of the album.

Cover made by my step daughter. I simply gave her the items and showed her a layout made by TwoDogs as inspiration. Most paper are from We R Memory Keepers - Old Glory.

The only thing I'm missing is a musical greeting card that plays the song "Pocket Full of Sunshine" (like the one from Easy A).

As far as my progressive accomplishments, two pages in one day is very impressive for me. These two pages are a continuation of the story Love you Forever by Robert Munsch and are part of a shower gift for a wonderful military wife expecting twins. A progressive challenge is a great way to get pages created while having fun and being challenged. The hostess announces gives you a few options to do to the page about every fifteen minutes. I play with a wonderful group of scrappers and we chat,joke, and have fun like a virtual crop online. the next one will be August 27 and if your free it'sa great way to complete a page and have fun. Play progressive here.

This layout was completed as a design team challenge at Pages in Time. We were given a card sketch and I couldn't make a card from it so I created this page instead.


Here's a close up of the paper bow and the journaling spot that I made into a shaker box. Not what I planned when I started the progressive. I wanted this small circle to be a spot for another cropped circle, but I must say I'm glad it worked out like this. Here's a close up of the title work

This page is based on a page created by a wonderful scrap friend of mine Anna AKA "Provinca". She sent me a page as a Secret Santa gift and I used that page as my scrap lift.

Close up of the title and mask. I did the journaling only for the challenge this way. I plan on printing a smaller less overwhelming journaling spot for the final work.
Close up of the paper bow, quilled decorative corners, and envelope.

As Long As- The Princess's Baby Album

Here's another verse from "Love your Foerver" by Robert Munsch for my friend Saara's baby album. Time is nearing the arrival of her new little princess so I better focus a lot more on finihsing her album.



This page is based on the Pages in Time sketch of the week.



Here's a close up of the quilled magic mirror. I used Dusty Attic chippes as my inspiration for the mirror. The title is Colorbok Alpha stax. Unfortunately the original color was far too elegant for this page so I painted them in white and added my pock-a-dot stamps to bring them life. To make them stand out they were inked and chalked in blue. I also have a round journaling spot mom and dad can write on to make notes about the picture.


Here's a portion of the wonderful journaling I'm using from the amazing book Love you Forever. Along with my faux mirror chunks (AKA Styrofoam and aluminum tape).


Here's something I never tried before and I will need to work on perfecting- a paper cone wreath as a flower. Those little pieces were not so bad to work with once I used my pencil to make the form. It's the lining up that trouble me and I think I should have added one more cone. When I get better grip on how to make them maybe I'll post a tutorial since all the ones I did find left me bewildered. . I welcome any suggestions if you've ever made one before. I also strung beads around the pearl for a Prima wanna-be center to the flower.

Hop Winner

Have you seen this name picking device?

http://classtools.net/education-games-php/fruit_machine/

I put all the names in clicked the button and it spins like a slot machine. According to the lucky slot machine our winner is

ANDREA!!!!!!

Pages In Time Interactive Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pages In Time Interactive Blog Hop! We call it an “Interactive Blog Hop” because you do more than read a blog, you actually get to create a layout along the way! At each stop you will collect steps for completing a layout!

The Interactive Blog Stop starts at the Pages In Time blog with the Pages In Time Weekly Sketch. From there, you will hop from blog to blog to collect the steps to create your layout! You should have arrived here from Jessie's Blog where she showed you how to make one cool flower. If you stumbled upon the hop by accident, please play along (just make sure you hit all the blogs)!

The step you are collecting from me is adding bling. I'm going to walk you through adding faux bling and with a little creativity I think you can see you can make the bling with about anything. I love the beautiful bling that scrappers incooperate on their page soI ran out and bought the latest and greatest products Smooches so I could make by own blingy pages. Here's my dilema: I don't trust myself to just apply random dots perfectly to a page.

I heard and read and did some research on faux bling. Go ahead run in through google and you'll find plenty of hits- mostly someone try to sell their rendition of faux bling. I personally love transparency and a dimension fabric paint. Bad part is fabric paint in not acid free...good thing it goes ON the transparency.

Well what do you do if you don't have transparencies? Look at all your package wrap and ask yourself if it would work in place of the transparency. I saved the box my son's chocolate bunny came in to use as faux bling. I also used sheet protectors and that's a great alternative because they are cheap and you can create on double the space.

Then decided on your flourish style. You can photo copy store bought flourishes, use any cool flourishes you have in your stamp collection, find interesting patterns on the Internet, or make your own designs.

Simply slide your design inside your sheet protector, lay your transparency or packaging material over it and make the dots.



Now, if you don't have liquid pearls, smooches, or fabric paint, you could consider paint or permanent markers. Have fun bling. When it dries cut carefully and closely around your pattern. The excess can be slightly noticeable so that is why I recommended a close cut.
Dragon fly flourish:

Sometimes I'll add gems and random tiny flowers into the pattern.

Be certain to write down the steps along the way of the blog hop, because you will need to incorporate them into your layout to be eligible for the overall prize! Speaking of prizes, take a peak at the grand prize:



To be eligible for the prize you must incorporate the sketch and five additional steps from the hop. The order of the hop is as follows:



Karen: http://fablady.blogspot.com
Becky: http://manyminimemories.blogspot.com/
Lisa: http://theshabbyhorse.blogspot.com/
Anna C: http://picturesnpapers.blogspot.com/
Jessie: http://disasterouscrafting.blogspot.com/
Stacey: http://ohschwietscrap.blogspot.com/
Andrea: http://dreasscrapsofinspiration.blogspot.com/
Traci: http://scrapsofwhimsy.blogspot.com/
Lili: http://pagesintimestoresite.ning.com/profiles/blogs/pages-in-time-interactive-blog


Finally, you will need to upload your completed layout at Pages In Time. If you are not already a member, you will need to become one. Once you are there, you will find a Forum entitled “June 30 – July 6 Thursday Sketch”. You will have until midnight on July 6th to upload your layout. All layouts that are based upon the sketch and have incorporated at least five of the steps from the blog hop will be eligible for the prize. A winner will be chosen by the Pages In Time Design Team.

You can earn two extra votes!!! If you follow all the blogs listed in the hop and leave a comment on each blog, you will be eligible for an extra vote. You can also earn an extra vote if you incorporate the step listed at each stop in your layout. That means, if you do your layout based on the sketch and include all of the steps, you get an extra vote! Be sure to stop by the forum to see my completed page.

One more surprise!!! I am offering a personal RAK to a random person that is a follower of my blog, leaves a comment, and loads a completed page at Pages in Time. This RAK will include the items needed to make faux bling PLUS a few pieces of faux bling made by yours truly.


Now hop on over to Andrea's Blog to get the next step. Get to collecting those steps. I look forward to seeing what you make and you can check out my completed page in the forum at Pages In Time. But in the mean time here's a few close-ups plus some hints at the remaining steps!!!!





Thanks for hopping by....

Wednesday June 29 WEEKLY encouragement challenge… continued

****** Feel free to post completed pages to the Mister Link at my blog site, but all contenders for the RAK must be posted at scrapbook.com in the daily/weekly encouragement forum.

STEP THREE- - select one of your pictures and do any two to the picture or mat

A) distress the edges of one by rough them with scissors, filing, sanding

B) use paper strips- placed or weaved under pic as mat: [url=http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/527639/view/3126477/-1.html]example[/url]

C) add decorative corners(use punches, stickers, rubons- be creative)

D) Use at least one mat but do not place it directly under the picture. Place it cock-eyed.

STEP FOUR-

Add three or more flowers and flourishes of your choice and number but THREE must be one of the following:

A)[url=http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1743]6 petal rose bloom[/url]

B) [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB_lOpnbJC4&feature=related]Camelot type flowers

[/url]

C)[url=http://simplypaperandcreativity.blogspot.com/2010/07/elegant-ruffled-flower-tutorial.html]elegant ruffled flower[/url]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~or~~~~~~~~~~~

STEP FOUR-

Add any number of flowers and flourishes of your choice and number but ONE must be one of the following:

A) [url=http://flyingunicornllc.blogspot.com/2010/05/tecchnique-tuesday-another-flower.html]puffy ribbon flower[/url]

B) [url=http://wendysscrappincorner.blogspot.com/2011/06/tutorial-grunge-delight.html]Grunge Delight Flowers[/url]

C) [url=http://increations.blogspot.com/2009/02/fringed-flowers-ii.html]double fringed flower[/url]

D) [url=http://foldingtrees.com/2008/11/kusudama-tutorial-part-1/]kusudama flower[/url]

E) [url=http://scrapperlicious.blogspot.com/2011/06/porcelain-flowers.html]Porcelean Flowers[/url]

STEP FIVE- Time to add embellishments. Feel free to add others or more but ONE must be stickles or glitter type of trim or fiber

Wednesday June 15 DAILY encouragement challenge

STEP ONE- select a sketch you want to complete. Add the URL or link to the post so we know which layout you will lift. If you post a sketch without the correct amount of pictures, be sure to note how you plan to alter the sketch to meet the picture requirement. A great site to get sketches is: http://pagemaps.com/

STEP TWO - gather your papers that you will use today paper do any one of the following to these papers

A) add texture to your page... try embossing or any creative measure you can. here's a tutorial on [url=http://kayskreativekorner.blogspot.com/2011/04/brick-texture-chipboard-tutorial.html]brick texture[/url]

C) Use an old book or magazine page as one of your papers

D) Paint on one or more of your papers

STEP THREE- - select one of your pictures and do any TWO to the picture or mat

1) Crop at least one to a shape other than the original

2) silhouette crop at least one picture (to make it fit the area on your sketch or scraplift place it on a mat that is about the size of the original

example:

[url=http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/187619/view/2626557/-1.html][img]http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery/public/2626557_8_187619.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/187619/view/2626557/-1.html]Keep Going & Going- LIFT[/url] By [url=http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/187619/view/2626557/-1.html]Ms.Schwiet[/url]

3) paper roll (or fake paper roll by glue paper behind picture). Here’s a tutorial on how this should be done, but feel free to improvise. [url=http://52sketches52weeks.ning.com/forum/topics/tutorial-creating-paper-curls]Rolled paper[/url]

4) add decorative corners(use punches, stickers, rubons- be creative)

5) do pleating around the picture- [url=http://www.scrapbookcircle.com/2010/01/faux-paper-pleating-tutorial ]Pleating 1 Tutorial[/url]

or here [url=http://bootscraps.blogspot.com/2010/02/making-ruffled-paper-border.html]Pleating 2 Tutorial[/url]

and here too [url=http://ideasforscrapbookers.blogspot.com/2010/07/circle-punch-demo.html]Circle Pleating[/url]

STEP FOUR- The economy is tough so make your own embellishments! Make TWO handmade embellishments but ONE must be:

1. [url=http://razzledscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/05/counterfeit-kit-may-blog-hop.html]Jean bow ties [/url]
2. [url=http://www.scrapbook.com/videos/?m=view&v=1271]Tissue Paper Butterfly[/url]
3. Homemade [url=http://crystalscraftycreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-washai-tape-mini-tutorial.html]washai tape[/url]
4. add [url=http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-decorative-page-pebblesa.html]page pebbles[/url] or [url=http://andreawalford.com/stampin-up-tutorial-tuesday-faux-page-pebbles]more page pebbles[/url]

STEP FIVE- Time to add embellishments. Feel free to add others or more but ONE must be stickles or glitter

STEP SIX-- Title Time with a Twist. It's up to you about placement, product and size, but whatever you use ONE of the following-

D) "bling it up" in some way

E) Glossy Accents: just add some glossy accents

F) make it pop add pop-dots or even cardboard, balled up scrap paper, or anything to make the title the whole or part of the title pop

STEP SEVEN- Add whatever doodles and journaling you want to the page, but you use ONE of the following-

5) at least two lines of journaling on the page or hidden on the page

6) Doodle a flower or florish. Here's some [url=http://www.papercraftjunkies.com/content/2009/01/doodling-made-easy-series-3/]examples[/url]

7) Make an envelop from one of the templates [url=http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/templates.htm]here[/url]and tuck a note into it.

8) Find a spot to create a Zen-doodle

[url=http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-zentangle]Zendoodle[/url]

June counterfeit kit blog hop

For the Girls



Here we go HOP again. It's that time of the month. The good time of the month for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog hop. You should have arrived her from Rinda-if not you might want to start at the beginning at the Counterfeit Kit Site. Again another incredible month of inspiration and fun playing with my knock off kit. Like I said before, I believe the Counterfeit Kit is better than any kit club you could subscribe to because you build your personalized kit with the supplies you already have on hand; those things you obviously liked enough to individual pick out in a store. This month our "kits" were inspired by Burlap and Buttercup.

This blog hop challenge was to created a page about yourself and to use the "I" theme. Considering this month I'm making mini albums for my step daughters the "I" theme was hard. I decided to make them pages using the country song "This One's for the Girls" and give them an "I hope" message.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will come back Thursday June 30th for the Pages in Time's inactive big hop. I'll be doing a tutorial and offering a RAK. Plus there will be many more opportunities for RAKs along the way.

Your next stop today is Helen's blog: http://craftimperfect.blogspot.com

Tuesday June 28 DAILY encouragement challenge

****** Feel free to post completed pages to the Mister Link at my blog site, but all contenders for the RAK must be posted at scrapbook.com in the daily/weekly encouragement forum.

STEP ONE- select a sketch you want to complete. Add the URL or link to the post so we know which layout you will lift. If you post a sketch without the correct amount of pictures, be sure to note how you plan to alter the sketch to meet the picture requirement. A great site to get sketches is: http://pagemaps.com/

STEP TWO - gather your papers that you will use today paper do any one of the following to these papers:

A) moisten the edges and curl a side up

B) crumble, wad, and then unfold and straighten

C) created a ruffled edge by following GabriellaP's tutorial- [url=http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1831]ruffled edge[/url]

D) [url=http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1831]ruffled edge[/url]

E) Use stamps on the paper

F) Use an edge punch

STEP THREE- - select one of your pictures and do any one to the picture or mat

A) Crop at least one to a shape other than the original

B) distress the edges of one by rough them with scissors, filing, sanding

C) [url=http://ideasforscrapbookers.blogspot.com/2010/08/create-your-own-rolled-paper-frame.html]Rolled Frame[/url]

D) use a fan flower as a frame. See Sherry's incredible example [url=http://canadiancandy.blogspot.com/2011/05/friends-forever-new-layout-finally-done_24.html?showComment=1306295884118#c3607987703273774070]here.[/url]

STEP FOUR-

Add any number of flowers and flourishes of your choice and number but one must be:

A) [url=http://kayskreativekorner.blogspot.com/2010/09/dogwood-flower-tutorial.html]Dog Wood flower[/url]

B) [url=http://4crazykings.blogspot.com/2009/04/button-felt-barrettes-disected.html]felt flower[/url]

C) [url=http://flyingunicornllc.blogspot.com/2010/05/tecchnique-tuesday-another-flower.html]puffy ribbon flower[/url]

D) Make a [url=http://gabriellepollacco.blogspot.com/2011/01/video-tutorial-how-to-make-floral-vines.html]vine[/url]

F) [url=http://increations.blogspot.com/2009/02/fringed-flowers-ii.html]double fringed flower[/url]

G) [url=http://foldingtrees.com/2008/11/kusudama-tutorial-part-1/]kusudama flower[/url]

[color:red]New for JULY[/color]

H) [url=http://scrapperlicious.blogspot.com/2011/06/porcelain-flowers.html]Porcelean Flowers[/url]

STEP FIVE- Time to add embellishments. Feel free to add others or more but ONE must be something quilled.

tutorial:

[url=http://www.scrapbook.com/university/stvol1/lessons/overview/19.html]Quill tutorial[/url]

[url=http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1558]butterfly quill[/url]

[url=http://ohschwietscrap.blogspot.com/2010/08/teddy-bear-multi-strip-quilled.html]Teddy bear Quill[/url]

[url=http://blog.whiteracoon.ru/search/label/quilling]Quilling Inspiration[/url]

STEP SIX-- Title Time with a Twist. It's up to you about placement, product and size, but whatever you use ONE of the following-

A)Make your title a game. Use puzzle or game pieces. Use whatever game like quality you can create for the page. Here's a tutorial on [url=http://what-a-beautiful-mess.blogspot.com/2011/01/faux-scrabble-letters-tutorial.html]scrabble letters.[/url]

B) you must include a subtitle

C) Make your title within a shaker box [url=http://www.scrapbook.com/university/stvol2/lessons/stepbystep/12.html]Shaker Box Tutorial[/url]

D) Place title on some type of texture like mesh

E) Make it foreign - use a foreign language as a title

F) Place your title on a heart or hearts

STEP SEVEN- Add whatever doodles and journaling you want to the page, but you use TWO of the following-

A) journal on a tag and find a place (even tucked a little under something)

B) stitch a pattern on the page- if you did this during the embelly stage you must add an additional stitched pattern

C) find an area to do [url=http://scrapperlicious.blogspot.com/2009/01/3d-stitching.html]3-d stitching[/url]

D) Search the gallery focusing on doodling. Find a doodle you want to scraplift. Be sure to include where the inspiration for the doodling came from when you post.