Glorious 3-Days Weekend...

I've had this layout in my "pocket" for three months now. I first created it to enter an MME blog sketch challenge. I admit that my commitments now are keeping me very busy and I have almost no time to enter challenges any more. My cohorts Aubree and Michelle, once again, want to do 100 layouts between Memorial and Labor Day. We all made it last year. I just don't understand why we must punish ourselves like that!

Back to this... Most of the layouts I sit on don't end up getting posted, but I think this one is okay still to post. In fact, my blog header was inspired by the middle portion of this layout :)  I think I'm particularly in love with the 7Gypsies stamps that I used on this layout :)  I will get on posting another mini-album using these stamps one of these days :) 

AI, SRM, and SEI

Color me disappointed folks. Mamasox did not win American Idol last night... Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, looking like a foo' witchu pants on the ground!  And WHERE was David Cook?!  And why couldn't they get Lady Gaga back?

Okay, enough of that frustrating television experience and onto something fun and fabulous: SRM Loves SEI.  I received the SEI Jocelyn line and it's beautiful! 

Since the stickers are clear, it went nicely onto my photo, and then I added some stickers onto the flower petal.  I quite love that look!

I think the Color Room palette eight will be up soon and I did do a layout but it's not fit for human eyes, so uh, I'm not posting it here :)  but you should head on over in a few to check out the amazing creations by the Color Room DT!!

Summer, full speed ahead...

We had a record high in temperature today, 94 degrees or something...  It was very unpleasant when I went for my jog, but at least I did it.  While there is no point but to concede defeat to the cold, I resolve to conquer the heat and humidity! 

Well, it's a big day for the Midnight Rooster as it officially kicks of the Rooster blog.  Yours truly gets to do its first posting.  Well, it isn't the layout I'm showing here, you'll have to head on over to the Midnight Rooster blog to see the layout I did post based on Becky Fleck's sketch :) While you are there, how about sign up to follow or subscribe in Reader? Not that I'm demanding or anything like that.

I used a doily from the First Midnight Run kit as a mask and misted the cream cardstock.  I really am gaga over misting :)  And the adorable banner, oh yeah, took hours to make, no doubt, by someone else!!!  lol.  It is a part of the main kit.

Lastly, I want to share a sneak peek with you of the upcoming Anthologies kit "Take Flight."  I hope you are ready, because it is a BEAUTY!!

SEI for the Color Room Palette Seven

I did not plan to use these papers for this Palette until I received an SRM Stickers DT package with the SEI Jocelyn papers. It was as if Lydell designed the palette based on the colors of Jocelyn!! It was so perfect, I dug in right away.  For this palette, I used the sketch to create my layout as well.  I still managed to use some stash, those orange chipboard letters are five years old Heidi Swapp letters!

I hope you stop by the Color Room and check out the DT examples and the members creation.  We continue to be wow'ed and amazed by the works displayed on the Wall at the Room!!! Create a project, upload it by this time next week, and be entered to win an SRM stickers package!!  I will see you there!

Just Catching Up...

I thought I would update with a few DT projects that have been posted in the last few weeks...

First up is a mini-album with Cosmo's Material Girl and SRM Stickers. I seriously cannot get enough of these chipboard girls. They are so cute! It's good thing I got three packages, eh? lol. Well, in my enlightened state of hoarding, I decided instead of hoarding and not using what I love, I'm going to buy some extras to hoard so I can feel free to use at least one set. LOL.

Here is a card I made with myStamp Box stamps. You can see the step-by-step here.

Here are three graduation cards that I made for Purple Cows last month. I used Clearsnap's Design Adhesives and glitter for the sentiments.  That stuff is ambrosia!!!  It works like a rub on.  You need to be very careful with it because it is an intricate design made out of glue.  So once I applied the design, I sprinkled glitter on top and voila!! I really love that product!!  Of course Clearsnap makes their own glitters which are extra fine to work with their beautiful design adhesives.  I'm telling you, ambrosia!!  You need it! 

That's it for tonight and I'll be back on Thursday with another Color Room layout!

Putting Myself out There...

A month or so ago, Jeni Boisvert asked me to try out some Shimmerz products and make a little video. Trying out the products went quickly and easily, but making a video took me a while. Ask my BFF Jessy and she will tell you truthfully that what held me back was my hair. What can I say, we all have our own ridiculous hang-ups and I just haven't had the time for a haircut recently and it bothers me...

Thankfully, Jeni sent me a reminder email which meant I gave myself a deadline. A deadline is a very good thing for a results-driven person like me. So I did it, I am now a YouTube star, ugly hair and all. This is the final project I showed in my video, made with Mosh Posh's April kit.

Here are some close-ups with the spritzed background. I really love making my own background PP like this. I should do a Color Room layout like this soon...

I did this video in one take and I am pleased that I did not say "uh" or "mmm..." too many times... I also noticed that I roll my eyes entirely too often. And lastly, good gracious, talk about speaking whatever is on my mind! So here I go, don't laugh, particularly not at my hair please!

On Her Birthday... TCR Palette Six

I scrapped this page on her birthday. No matter how old she gets and how many birthdays will pass, I will always be extra introspective on her birthday. Though it did not snow the day she was born, but Faye Wong's song describes just how I felt ...  你带著一身明媚,离开我温暖的堡垒.  你带著一身光辉,照亮我心底的漆黑.

I really loved this palette, I felt extra inspired pulling my papers together for this layout.  I stamped a border around my picture and underlined my journaling with a line stamp (flower stem) from myStamp Box. Yes, I'm feeling slightly clever :)

Be sure to stop by the Color Room and check out the other jaw dropping layouts by the design team and the Color Room members!  Remember SRM Stickers is the sponsor this month!!! So if you upload a project (layout, card, altered, whatever) based on one of the palettes in May, you will be eligible to win a package of SRM Stickers goodies!!! 

Lastly, thank you for visiting, really, I mean it. Thank you so much! 

The First Midnight Run

Friends, Bloggers, Craftygirls... lend me your ears... finally, here it is... the grand opening of Midnight Rooster and its debut kit "The First Midnight Run." Seriously, does Tobi's humor grab you? It certainly grabbed me. When I applied to the DT call, I told her that she had me at "rooster." LOL! And roosters we have a couple in this fabulous kit.

First up is this die-cut rooster guy included in the kit. I had no problem coming up with an idea for him. Hey, if I can't get my kid to stop playing with her "food," I might as well take some pictures! I stamped the border with a myStamp Box "Funky Flowers" flower stem. I straightened the stem a little bit to achieve the slightly crooked border look I was looking for.

Oh goodness, I inked two layouts in a row, last time I inked the edge of an layout... I'm not sure this kid was born then... So you've heard me talk about Laina's digital die cuts. Well, another layout with frames cut with her stuff from 2peas.

I am very proud of myself for creating the multi-colored tail for this rooster guy :) I have my limits though, I wasn't going to go with more than three colors! LOL. Midnight Rooster has teamed up with Purple Onion Designs to bring you exclusive stamps in every main or add-on kit!!  Seriously, how cute is this rooster?  Ga ga, oh la la, that's how cute.

I have more projects using "the First Midnight Run," but I will post them another day. Meanwhile, be sure to stop by Midnight Rooster to look around and check out the DT projects. While you are there, pick up a kit :)

Cats and Dogs

Once in a while, a theme specific line comes along and I must have it for no good apparent reason, like this Max and Whiskers line by Basic Grey. Not only am I not a pet owner but also I quite dislike pets. I'm utterly terrified of dogs, and scream like a baby if one is let loose on me! However this was a must-have line for me, too cute to pass up! I dug in the day after I brought it home from Archiver's.

I have several shots of details here. I really love that chipboard dog. I used a free digital die cut from Laina's blog to make that label. I am seriously addicted to her digital die cuts, I can't get enough!

I really have been listening to Lydell and Janine. I took the time to punch the circles, inked their edges and used 3-d adhesives to add dimension to my layout. The photos are of my kids fighting over an over-sized littlest pet shop cat. I am not taking as many "fighting" photos as I did last year. The fights escalate into shouting matches too quickly nowadays.

I used myStamp Box stamp to create this border. This little circular guy is meant to be the center for flowers, but I think it makes the most darling border!

This is it for this Saturday. I hope you have a good weekend. I hope to be back with my Midnight Rooster layouts soon when the site is up and the kits are available for sale!

The Color Room Palette Five

The Color Room's new palette is up!!  This one was quite a challenge for me.  So challenging that I did it twice and I still don't think I got the colors right.  This layout is my second attempt where I had decided to abandon using patterned papers and rely strictly on paint to get me the colors in the palette.  I mixed purple with lots of grey to paint my chipboard piece.  One thing I didn't expect was that the paint dries darker than they appear wet!

This month, SRM Stickers is sponsoring the Color Room.  A randomly selected participant of this month's palettes challenges will win a prize package from SRM Stickers!  Exciting stuff eh?  I used Sticker Sentiments - Baby for the outer text box.  The background paper is a new sheet from the Basics line by Basic Grey.  I love those lines!! 

Here is a close-up photo of the paints, hee hee.  The dots are created using a Heidi Swapp mask.

Here is another layout I did using the palette.  Janine immediately noticed these ancient Lil Davis papers designed by Jenni Bowlin!  Yeah baby, I've had them in the stash for five years now, and they look as good as ever, don't they?  I cut them out using my Cricut and Laina's digital die cut files from 2peas to give them an updated look.  I really am addicted to Laina's fancy frame cuts.  They are so extremely versatile.

The Rooster Is Coming

The Rooster is coming... at Midnight ;)

Are you intrigued? I hope so...

Stay tuned, in just a few more days...

Midnight Rooster will reveal its brand new website and first ever kit!!

Inspired Blueprints 47

A while ago, Jennifer asked me to create a layout for Inspired Blueprints, and of course I said yes. I truly love sketches, and I've played with IB sketches before! When DH saw this layout, he asked me: "Do you have enough strawberry layouts?" Well... can I ever tire of strawberry layouts? I don't think so! And given the earlier warm weather this year, our little strawberry patch has blooms everywhere already. These photos were taken at the berry picking farm last June.  Just in case you wonder, I made sure we wore those "matching" colors. 

I dug into my new stash of October Afternoon paper for this layout.  The sun rises and sets with October Afternoon, that is for dang sure!  LOL. 

This little banner is cut with Laina Lamb's files available at 2peas. She has several cuts of banners which make it so easy to get that all-the-rage banner look!  In the new few weeks, you will see many of my projects have Laina's digital die cuts on them.  I am addicted!  If you tried it, you will be addicted too!  Check out Laina's blog for free downloads every Friday.  You won't want to miss out!

Now back to my little project...

I stamped this little strawberry using the masking technique. Wow, I'm reminded why I don't it often: last time was 1999?  I am just so impatient and lazy!  But Lydell and Janine are working on me and/or having me work on my details.  My "good enough and moving on" motto is no longer good enough!  So I am going to take more time, minding the smaller details, getting constructive criticism from them, and hopefully, improving!!