messy background+inky fingers+chevron stamp+ utee=pefect friends

Good evenin' all my crafty pals out there in blog land...I am here tonite to share a layout that I finished late last night, it seems I was bit by the scrappy bug and i just couldn't go to bed without finishing it!! LOL so I was up until 1:30am but I'm totally happy with how it turned out. I got these pics from one of my best friends, and bridesmaids in my wedding, Leanne. she gave me a big bag of stuff the week of the wedding and had a whole envelope of pics she'd printed up for me from this past summer's events and random stuff! Also some christmas stamps and other scrappy goodies, which I can always use!! So i thought it only fitting that I do a layout about me and her...these are from a boat ride we took one summer afternoon in a friends' pontoon boat down Rabbit Creek and Dog River, course I wasn't ready for the first pic, but I had to include it on the layout cause it was funny! Here's my instagram:

 And here are some more pics I took today outside right before the sun went down, and some close ups:

 The first thing I did was 'mess up' my background. This is kind of a new technique to  me, although I have experimented with it before I haven't really dabbled in gesso or anything yet, but would LOVE to! I used a large chevron stamp that I just bought from Micheal's and inked it up good with StayzOn ink in jet black. I went over the same spot several times and then laid my vertical paper strip in place. After that I cleaned my stamp, and inked it with Top Boss. Over that I sprinkled some UTEE and before I heated it, I used some Smooch Spritz in tea party and then heat embossed it. I really like how the UTEE separated the metallic color in the Smooch. To add even more interest, I used one of my tiny Prima stamps which was a perfume bottle and randomly stamped it all over. 

 After I completed the background, I added my pictures and then started building my clusters.

 I used flowers, felt, a TH fragment, washi tape, vintage buttons, dew drops, vinyl embellishments by American Crafts, a resin rose, tulle flower, stickers and ribbon to build several clusters around my page. Here is a close up of the large one at the bottom:

 I also used one of my many Purple Pumpkin fabric buttons. I really like how you can see the background texture through the tulle flower. 

 And here are a few artistic pics

 Ok friends, that's all for tonight! I hope you enjoyed seeing how I made my messy background. Now back to scrapping, grabbing some popcorn first!! Until next time, Peace y'all~VV

Curl UP SUNDAY!

Hi friends. So today is just one of those days...you want to stay inside all day and watch movies and bake cookies-in your PJ's kind of day. It's super wet and rainy out, and staying at home all day is really what I'd like to be doing but, I have my bridal shower this afternoon! So I will have to get out in the weather unfortunatley, but I think it will be worth it! This weekend has been full of scrappy time and girl time, I was at Scrapping Frenzy's convention Thurs, Fri and Sat and I did this page for my own personal book, non-DT related! So that is good...I also was able to complete 2 of the 3 posts that are due for Oct which is good, I need to get ahead and get all my ducks in a row the next 2 weeks, cause we will be getting MARRIED on Oct 19th and I start my 3 1/2 week vacy on Oct 14th so, it will be a crazy next 2 weeks for sure! Ok enough of my blabbering... wanted to share with you a cute layout I did about our kitty, Carmella, these are some instagrams I took of her a while back and I finally had some printed so I thought I'd do a soft, girly layout about her. Here are pics:

okay, well that's all for now! I gotta get going to this bridal shower... guess it's ok cause I get presents, right?! Until next time my scrappy friends, Peace Y'all~ VV

Supplies Used:

Pink paper by American Crafts, Smooch in Tea Party and Pralines n' Cream, Grey cardstock, lemon cardstock, scraps of Basic Grey paper- 'pink lemonade' line. Basic Grey Element stickers 'pink lemonade collection. Prima flowers, vintage buttons, mini pearls, heart apoxy stickers, kitty stamp by Micheal's, Amy Tangerine turquoise Thickers, cheesecloth, Tim Holtz distress ink in antique linen, UTEE and watermark ink.

it's just us, girl. {frosted designs sketch along tues #29}

Good evening, night owls. if you're like me the nighttime is the best time to scrap and get the creative juices flowing! I have been off for a day or two, and finally got at least one half of the house decorated, some gifts wrapped, grocery shopping for the week done, and even a little cleaning! I figured I would reward myself with some quality time in the craft room!! I swear it feels like it's been ages since I posted on here, even though it was less than 2 weeks ago. It also feels like it's been ages since I did a real LO! I have been so busy lately I haven't been able to keep up with all the awesome challenges going on, but I think I might be back in the swing of things! I managed to spend about 2.5 hrs in the craft room tonight and get this LO done for the Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesdays Challenge #29. I am really happy with the way it turned out! Not only did I get to make a banner for the first time ever on a page, but I got to use some of my new paper and awesome handmade embellishments from Purple Pumpkin. I have been drooling over their stuff for months and was finally able to order some things in the last sale of the year a few weeks ago! So this is my first LO ever using their stuff! So exciting because each piece is really unique and adds just that bit of texture and quirkiness to a page that I really really like. So here goes, this was the original sketch:

And this is what I came up with:

 I really like the muted colors in this LO, it makes the photos really stand out. Of course these are 2 of my favorite shots, me and my little niece Zoe Blythe on Easter this year. She is a such a good natured baby, I swear when I have kids one day soon that they all have her temperament! The Purple Pumpkin large vintage girl button and taupe flowered button really add some great visual interest. My most favorite part was making the banner, out of scraps of the same patterned paper I used at the top for the circles and some fuzzy dyed twine I had in my ribbon box. It's really simple to do, and I think the banner really adds a bit of whimsy and fun to this super cute, girly page. Here are some closies:

 Here you can see the title, which I did with some white K& Company letters that I inked and sprayed with smooch spritz, also I used a masking tape sticker which I wrote on for the first part of the title.

 A good shot of the banner and the dimension it adds to the page!

 Close up of the GORGE purple pumpkin taupe med fabric button, I LOVE LOVE everything I bought from them, will def. order more at the next sale in January!

 And of course, we have to have a good closie of the most adorable vintage girl xl fabric button, next to a prima flower. I think it's the perfect combo!! 

I had so much fun digging through all my new goodies to make this page....still so much scrapping and fun projects to do and so little time these days. Oh well, back to work in the am and a busy weekend ahead. Since I'm on day shift though this weekend I only have to work 10-6 for the next 3 days, then lots of fun stuff for 2 days! I hope I can dedicate at least another night or two to the craft room, I love it so much and it really just makes me happy and relaxed, what can I say? It's ME time. 

Until next time my fellow night owls~VV

Supplies List:

background paper- Pebbles paper 'Fresh Goods' collection, "Simple Joys"

pink polka dot paper- Me & My Big Ideas paper pad

smaller circle and banner- Basic Grey 'Out of Print' collection, "Giclee"

Pebbles Co, masking tape stickers

Prima flowers 'Love Note' collection, "Madeline"

white sticker letters- K&Company

Zig fine tip permanent marker in brown

Smooch Spritz in 'Gold Glow'

Colorbox chalk ink in 'Chestnut'

pearl brads & vintage pink buttons

Purple Pumpkin items:

large scalloped pink flower circle

XL Vintage Girl fabric button

med taupe flower fabric button

yellow tickets