A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are enjoying your summer thus far. I know I have really enjoyed the warmer weather and I am trying to get outside as much as possible! Here in the Pacific Northwest we have to grab the sunshine while we can!

My layout today is using the Carte Bella Wildflower collection that is ON SALE right now in the Frosted Designs store. I have used just about every last scrap of this collection and I keep coming back to it! You can get the ENTIRE collection including 12 12x12 double sided papers and matching cardstock sticker sheet for only $11.24!!!! This is a steal, especially considering that the quality of this paper is super thick and it can take alot of ink! As you will see in my layout today.

I started with some light gold cardstock as my base and then started building my layers. I actually used some packaging from some Prima stuff to be the base layer. Over that I put several of the different patterned papers, distressed them first, then added the sentiment block which I also distressed and inked. After those were laid down I went over with my Lindy's Stamp gang starburst spray in Tiffanylou Blu using a mask, I used both sides and smudged with my finger to make sure I didn't waste any ink. I went over that a second time with the same mask in a few spots using the Dylusions Spray in white linen. My all time favorite!! It really makes the sparkle of the Lindys stand out because it's such a contrast.

I laid down my pictures, some fussy cut elements from more of the paper, wood veneers, and had fun embellishing. 

It was alot of fun putting this together and I highly suggest buying this collection before it sells out! It's such a great deal and is perfect for those outdoor photos!! I hope you enjoyed my layout today! 

Products used:

Carte Bella Wildflower Collection

Steampunk Gold Trendy Tape

Lindy's Stamp Gang Try me Set Tiff Blue

Dylusions Ink Spray white linen

Prima Everyday Vintage Sugar Dots

Studio Calico wood veneer hearts & Arrows

Tim Holtz Distress ink Antique Linen & Tea Dye

Ingvild Blome Distressing Tool by Prima

flowers, buttons, cardboard-from my stash

Mediation Monday

Good evening blogland friends! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I know I sure did. I just got back late Thursday night from a trip home to New Orleans &Mobile. It was a great trip and I was sad to leave, so many people to see and things to do while I was home! Hubby wasn't able to make the trip with me, we have been really focusing on our finances this year to try and get in the right position to buy a house in the next 10-16 months. So when we got our tax money back, paying off some bills was top prority and getting an extra plane ticket wasn't. He was sad to not be able to go with me, and visit my parents, but he also would have exhausted all his vacation time for the rest of the year. Here are just a few photos from the days in New Orleans, for my best friends wedding, and then some from home. When I got back hubby and I had two great days enjoying the fabulous weather here, Fleet Week in Downtown Portland then a drive out to the coast to meet a contracter at the beachhouse, we are trying to get the renovations done and his mom moved out there asap!! Enjoy the pics:

Fairhope, Alabama :

Amos my parent's cat

Fleet week:

Oceanside, Oregon:

During vacation I did have alot of time to myself, on the plane rides and such and I was able to think about somethings. An upcoming promotion that I will hopefully be getting by the end of the summer, which is ideally bringing more hours on my plate than I already work but more $$ as well which we need. Also I thought alot about my creative journey and how I would LOVE to one day have it soley as my job. But it takes alot of hard work to get there. I have been on an international design team for over a year now and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on it. Not to mention the inspiration from other ladies, and the exposure it has given my blog. But the more I thought about it, with what lies ahead, I think it may be time for me to take a break. I have so many creative things in the works and I barely get free time to myself in between work, trying to stay fit by planning heathly meals for us for the week, walking as much as possible, and all the other responsiblities of life. So I have decided to take a leave next term from this team, and regroup and refocus and see where I am in 6 months. I had so many people from the wedding (bridesmaids and family members) tell me that I should be selling my custom guest book and wedding signs etsy. Well that is another story. I have alot of ideas and have listed etsy items before, but I guess now with renewed interest I should try again. I hope to head in that direction and at least have a few things listed by next month. That is the goal! Pics to come soon from the wedding of the signs I did, just waiting for the photos to come to me from the bride ;)

 Enjoy your week and I hope you get some creative time to yourself this week! I will be spending the next few hours in my studio and I hope to have lots more to share with you soon!! Until next time, Peace Y'all~

Ladies Own the Night*******

Hello everyone!! I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend & are looking forward to summer! I know I am!!! I'm here today to share a fun layout I did using lots of goodies you can find in the Frosted Designs store! If you know me at all, you know I like to mix and match collections, and that is what I did today!! I used pieces from Basic Grey, Carte Bella, and Bo Bunny to come up with this  layout! Here are some pictures:

  

 Here are a few close ups:

 I used the creme brûlée dauber from my Lindy's stamp gang try me set to pearlize my background for the 'night sky' . 

For the title & other elements on my page I used stickers from the Bo Bunny Zip-a- Dee-doodle combo sticker sheet. I also anchored some of the elements to my page with some Trendy Tape in black chevron & the steampunk gold one. I love how they look together!

I colored the Um Wow layered clouds with a combo of Faber Castel gelato in gold & some more creme brûlée. The tiny stars are wood veneer by Studio Calico, also colored with gelato & a wet brush. I love how it turned out against the pink! 

I hope you have enjoyed this whimsical layout. Here is the list of products I used that can be found in the Frosted Designs store. Happy shopping!!!

Product Used:

( background paper) Wildflower collection by Carte Bella

Bo Bunny Zip a Dee Doodle combo sticker sheet

Studio Calico tiny stars wood veneer

Um Wow layered clouds

Faber Castel gelatos gold & silver

Lindy's stamp gang Creme Brûlée 

Prima everyday vintage sugardots

Trendy tape- black chevron

Trendy tape- steampunk gold

Thataway travel stickers 

Vintage Travel Guestbook

So I'm getting really excited about heading back down south in 2 weeks for my best friend's wedding in New Orleans. It will be a nice break from work, I will be able to enjoy staying in NOLA for 3 days,and then home to Mobile to catch up with friends and fam for 4 days. I can't wait to see everyone!! It will be one of the first times I've traveled by myself, I mean I have flown plenty of times but usually had to keep up with a group (for work trips) or had Jimmy with me. Not that I'm scared or anything, but it will be a new experience for me.

I volunteered to make her a custom guest book for the wedding and I came up with a pretty good idea. I bought a cream-canvas covered Heidi Swapp album about 8x6 and decorated the outside, then made some inside pages that guests can add to. It will be set up next to the photo booth and guests can add pictures and write a message using jars of washi tape and pens! I haven't found the right jars yet but I did finally finish the book and the little sign with 'instructions'. Here are some pics....

And a few closies of the embellshments I used. I used alot of paper from a K&Co travel stack that had these cool stamps. I cut them out individually, inked them with TH Vintage photo, and then heat embossed them. After I had the placement right I added vintage buttons from my stash, flowers, and some cut enamel brads. 

Elephants are a central theme for the wedding too, since it's at the Audobon Zoo and also the wedding logo is elephants. I tried to encorporate that on the front cover as well as using all stamps from places that are part of H &J's story...Mexico, Alabama,  Texas, &  Louisiana.

Here are a few pictures of the inside pages I did for guests to add pictures and write on!

Next is a cute little frame that I found (along with the one used on the front cover). In the dollar$ bin at Michael's...All that's left is to distress it and add the 'instructions' for guests. Also I am letting the Bride-to-Be decide what pic she wants on the front cover!

This is what the mini frame looked like before:

And after! I 'distressed' the detail work with TH ink in vintage photo and some of my Faber Castel Gelatos in gold using a wetted brush, then added the flowers and brad at the bottom.

Here's the 'instruction' part:

And inside the front cover:

Last page of the book,

I had so much fun making this little interactive album that I hope once I bring it down there for the wedding some of my other friends may want one...I could see myself doing any theme. Its basically a scrapbook for the photo booth pics! All that's left to do now is make the jars and buy some washi tape and paint pens in the right colors. I really enjoyed sharing this with you today & love reading your comments...have a great week!

Until Next time~ VV

Sandy's Cards

Hi blogland buddies! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I only had Sunday off but hubby & I sure made the most of it. Went out to lunch, then shopping and coffee on Hawthorne, then an evening walk about 2.5 miles...then home for dinner & a movie all in all yesterday was a pretty good day. I am back at work today, but I wanted to share some pics of a few little things Ive been working on latley. First up are a few mother's day cards that hubby helped me make for his mom. I did mail them out late but at least they are on their way to her!

Here is my card:

I recycled some old stationary that has my maiden name printed on it, I think I have had these since senior year of high school! They are just plain white but I rather like the embossed /framed looking edge so I decided to work with that and just cut my paper to fit the middle. I am really happy with how it turned out and after I added the 'countertop' it looks more realistic too! I also decorated the envelope.

I let my hubby decorate a card I've had in my stash for a while and it was easy, all he had to do was add stickles, which was fun to watch him do! He added his msg to the inside and I got them popped in the mail..

I have lots of new projects in the works for this month,  custom guest book for my best friends wedding, 2 wood canvases, and of course more scrapboooking! I am hoping to spend most of this afternoon crafting after I run up the the grocery store and finish cleaning the house. Its my last day off until Sunday so I've got to make the most of it! Unti l next time scrappy friends, peace y'all!