This is What Fun Looks Like

Happy Monday, y'all!  Other than the 90+ degree temps out there, it's been a great summer so far.  I hope you are enjoying it, too!

Today I'm sharing a layout I created of some pics we took in March at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo...it's a family tradition to take the day off and take the kids during spring break.  We had so much fun, and the weather was absolutely perfect that day.  I love the colors in Jillibean Soup's Sightseeing Stew so I decided to use the collection for this layout (though I snuck a little Social Spicy Soup in there as well!). Take a look:

 I based my layout on Scrapbook Challenges Sketch #397:

So, I started with a 12x12 piece of CTMH Colonial White cardstock, and I spritzed the Tim Holtz Layering Stencil - Arrows with Heidi Swapp Mustard Color Shine on the right third of the page.  I cut the blue pattern to cover the middle part of the page, and I cut the arrows paper in a triangle to fit the sketch.  I then inked the edges and stitched along the inside and outside edge of the triangle using red thread.

I misted a piece of Colonial White cardstock with CTMH Pacifica reinker and used that as a mat for both photos.  I layered the arrow paper underneath the left edge and stitched along the middle with blue thread.  

I cut the title, matted it with the Social Spicy Soup paper (which you can also see peeking out from the top left corner and bottom right corner) and lifted with 3D foam tape. I created the journal spot and embellished with coordinating stickers, wooden nickels, and red twine.

I decided to include an embellishment spot in the bottom right and used red ribbon, a Maya Road Geo Tag Love clip, a fussycut @ circle, and an arrow sticker with a blue Studio Calico chipboard heart.

Isn't this collection fun?  Have you used the Sightseeing Stew for any projects?

I hope your Monday is filled with fun (with a dash of chocolate!).

Until next time,
Majken

#favoritebabies - MSAM Sketch 84

*** Go here if you are looking for my layout for the Practical Scrappers June Blog Hop. ***


Hi everyone!

I have lots to share with you in what is remaining in June (Not much! Where did it go??), so I wanted to post this cute layout I created using Jillibean Soup's Spicy Social Soup collection (love the colors!) and MSAM Sketch #84.  I really love how it turned out!

My kids both have a favorite "baby" they travel with.  Presley has Sunny Bunny, which was a baby shower gift (and used to be a creamy light yellow color), and Paxton has Guy Monkey, also a baby shower gift.  I snapped a quick photo of them one time when we were packing for a road trip about a year and half ago.

Here is the My Scraps & More sketch:

I first misted a page of CTMH Colonial White cardstock in a few places.  I next cut three circles using the Jillibean Soup papers, and inked the edges using CTMH Pacifica ink.

I decided on the red people paper for the photo mat, which I also inked.  I layed out the circles, the mat, and used the pie chart circle from the tags for interest, and then sewed around the inside edge of the red photo mat.

I used some Studio Calico Darling Dear chevron vellum (love that stuff!) for visual interest.  I cut a couple of banners and tucked them behind the photo, and used the "Love this" arrow from the tags.

I adhered the photo to the mat, leaving the right side open for my journal tag (I used the "This was Tweet worthy" tag), which you can see peeking out here:

Next, I trimmed a few thin strips for the bottom, and sewed along two of them.

Finally, I cut a title using my Cameo, and opted to include an embellishment group on the top left of the layout:

How have you used this social collection in your scrapbooking or other papercrafts?  I'd love to see what you've created!  I would love to get your feedback and comments.  :)

Thanks so much...have a super, weekend!

Majken

{Sibling Love} | Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop Hosted by Practical Scrappers | Giveaway!

Hello!  You should have arrived here from Erin Morehouse's blog...she does such pretty work! Are you ready to keep hopping with Practical Scrappers??  I am!  I love seeing all the different projects along the way, learning new techniques, and seeing different styles!  And in this monthly hop, we get to use our stash.  And I am *such* a paper hoarder...I love being able to have an "excuse" to use it!   Today, I'm using Bella Blvd's Snapshots collection.  And I have a GIVEAWAY, so take a look at my layout and then scroll down to enter for your chance to win.  Here's my layout:

I am using a sketch today from Creative Scrappers (#271):

I immediately thought of this collection when I was looking at my photos of my kiddos. The bright colors and my daughter's pink shirt really go nicely, but they are also not too girly.  The polka dot pattern was my favorite so I knew I'd use that as the main rectangle in the middle of the layout.  I misted the top left and bottom right with Heidi Swapp Teal Color Shine, then placed the polka dot paper and stitched along the edges.

For the main photo, I layered with a few of the Snapshots papers, matting the photo with white and distressing the edges of the yellow hearts paper.  I cut the "captured" card from the collection and cut it to look like a banner and layered it behind.  I stamped "sibling" in CTMH Lagoon ink and paired it with the Amy Tangerine "Twins" Plus One Thickers (Love).  I love those foam words!  And I added two Maya Road star pins (love them, too!) and a Maya Road sun metal clip.

I added a layer of the camera paper and the stripe paper, and then stitched along the edge to create the lower center stripe from the sketch.  I then journaled on the bottom left:

***GIVEAWAY TIME!***

  

I'm giving away one $15 e-gift certificate to the My Scraps & More online store!All you have to do is:

1. Become a member of my blog with Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin AND
2. Leave a comment on this blog post

Refer a friend who joins my blog for an extra chance (please note it in a second comment or have the referral note who referred them).

Easy, right?  You have until Monday, June 30, 2014 at noon CT to enter for your chance to win.  International entries are fine.  I'll randomly choose a lucky winner and announce it here on my blog on Tuesday, July 1st.  Good luck, and thanks so much for joining my blog!

Next, head over to Christine's blog to check out her project...she always has fun ones!

Have a scrappy weekend.

Majken

The full blog hop list:

Practical Scrappers http://practicalscrappers.blogspot.com

Audrey http://audreysreflection.blogspot.com/

Wendy C www.stampingrules.com 

Erin http://girlpaperscissors.blogspot.com

Majken  http://chocoscrapaholic.blogspot.com/    **** YOU ARE HERE ****

Christine http://scrappingwithchristine.blogspot.com  **** GO HERE NEXT ****

Ruth  http://paperandmusings.wordpress.com/

Lee-Anne http://lee-annelovethejourney.blogspot.com

Bobbi http://vintagemusedesigns.blogspot.com/

Kerri http://kerrikr8tions.blogspot.com

Alison  http://alisondaydesigns.com/

Lisa http://www.snappinandscrappin.blogspot.com/

Cheryl http://patchesandscraps.blogspot.com

Laura http://scrapaddict4life.blogspot.com/

Deborah http://scrappinthelittlethings.blogspot.com/

Suzanna  http://lifestrivialities.typepad.com/

Such a Good Day

Hello my scrappy friends!  It's been a whirlwind two weeks...first I was in Dallas two weekends ago with a couple of friends on a scrapbook retreat.  We accomplished a lot and had great fun!  Then this past weekend was spent at my in-laws celebrating my MIL's birthday.  But I'm back!  And I have one of my very favorite layouts I've ever made to share with you today using the bright and colorful Highline collection from BasicGrey.  It really highlighted this photo we took a few weekends ago at the Butterfly Center, where we celebrated Father's Day a week early.

I used the Sketch-n-Scrap "Inspired by" Sketch #6:

The first thing I did was mist and stamp on the CTMH Colonial White cardstock using the Tim Holtz Splatter Stencil and the Tim Holtz Spills and Splatters stamp.  I used Heidi Swapp Color Shine (Primrose and Coral), Black Glitter Mist, and CTMH Sunset ink.  I loved how it turned out!

Next I cut the 12x12 Ombre paper from Highline in half along the diagonal and stitched on both sides of the diagonal with black thread.

I used Highline photos to layer the photo, distressing the edges of the green patterned paper to give it some dimension.  A Freckled Fawn black arrow paperclip, a Maya Road star pin, and some black stitching balance the left side.

For the bottom right of my layout, I embellished using the Highline Die Cuts & Transparencies and Sticker Shapes.  I created the title using the Highline Sticker Alphas (the "good" was cut on my Cameo using a font created by Nicole Nowasad).

This was such a fun layout to create, and I hope the colors inspired you as much as they inspired me.  If you've created with Highline, I'd love to see your projects!

Have a colorful week,
Majken

#TBT - Graduation Celebration

Hi gals and guys-

Do you ever have one of those weeks where all of a sudden it is the next week?  That happened to me!  I had planned to share my latest TBT post with you last week, and I simply...Ran. Out. Of. Time.  I sometimes wish I could pause real life so I could have extra time to scrapbook!  

So, I have a REALLY old scrapbook page to share today that I've updated.  It is really old and one of my very first "modern" attempts at scrapbooking after graduating with my master's in 1998.  Back then, the patterned paper was just getting started...and embellishments?  Well, I knew I needed to add something to this, so I cut out the school seal from an extra graduation invitation to add.  Here is the throwback with my parents and then-boyfriend (now husband...who was going through his weird long-hair phase):

How I loved to tackle modernizing this page!  And here is my newly created page:

I gently pulled the original photos from the original page as digital photography was not yet around (at least not for me).  I grabbed my new stash of My Mind's Eye Market Street Nob Hill and Ashbury Heights and pulled out the pages with gold foil on them since they are celebratory and very "graduation-y".  :)

I originally attempted to use a sketch for this layout and it just wasn't working for me, so I started to free-style!  I started with a piece of off-white cardstock and misted three corners.  I inked all four edges using black Stazon ink.  I had a large piece of the gold stripe, so I inked the edges and layered the gold dot paper on top (after also inking the edges).  I saw the craft "GO" frame and put that over the photo of me walking back to my seat after getting my diploma.  Because the camera was far away and I appear teensy, I used my Cameo to cut a thin arrow to draw attention to me walking.  I matted the other two photos and included a "today" sticker tab on the left one and a short striped banner coming from the right one.  I cut a small square from a scrap of the gold stripe and cut it in half to get two triangles...popping one up on the top left of the gold dots paper and the other in the bottom right.

As soon as I saw the MME sticker sheets, I knew I was going to use the "celebrate" banner for this!  I popped it up with 3D foam and then used some of the chipboard buttons from the Ashbury Heights collection to create a little hanging banner.  I like the shine on them!  I threaded some black waxy thread in the holes of each one and knotted them.

That's my handsome dad above...I sure do miss that man!

For the top right corner of my layout, I trimmed a spare gold piece to go around the "What a wonderful day" sticker.  

I journaled within the off-white stripe, and included a vellum star and star sequins.  I finished with a few of the gold enamel dots on the page. 

That's it for today's Throwback Thursday!  Have you re-visited any of your previous layouts?  If so, I'd love you to share them with me!  

Happy Thursday!
Majken

Blog-hopping winner!

Hello friends!

Thanks so much for the comments for my "Who's Who" layout from the weekend's Practical Scrappers Scrapping Our Stash blog hop!

Today is winner announcement day...woot!  There were some awesome projects in the hop, so if you missed it, go here.

Today a winner was chosen using random.org, and #6 is the winner! Scrolling down to the 6th comment, the winner of the $20 e-gift certificate to My Scraps & More is:

jenessa

Congratulations jenessa!  Please email me at majkenmarie at yahoo dot com to claim your e-gift certificate!  You have until midnight Central time on Friday, June 6, 2014 to claim your prize.

Thank you to all who participated, commented, and joined my blog...I truly appreciate it as I build this scrappy world.  :)  The next blog hop is scheduled for June 27th, and don't forget that my #TBT series continues this week!  See the first three in the series:

TBT 1 - Celebrate

TBT 2 - Precious Baby

TBT 3 - Too Cute

Enjoy your week!
Majken