M Plus T

Hello and happy Monday everyone!  I hope you enjoyed Friday the 13th, followed by Pi day.  We celebrated with a couple of slices of pie from local bakery we like.  I could've made one, but then I would have kept eating it.  ;)

Well, like most of you out there in scrapbook- and papercrafting-land, I have a few favorite manufacturers.  You probably already know about my My Mind's Eye love.  But another favorite of mine is BasicGrey.  I love their collections...you even see one in my blog header.  :)  

Today I'm sharing a layout using BasicGrey's new Prism collection I got from My Scraps & More.

I fell in love with this photo Tim snapped our first day at Disney World, and rather than make the layout about our trip, I made it about us.  As I was looking for papers to scrap with this photo, I came across a brick wall pattern and got the idea to use a heart and initials just like you see scratched into a wall or a tree.  But as I kept working with the layout I had in my mind, I just couldn't make that paper fit.  And I recently got Prism, and I loved the small bits of blue in the collection that I felt would work with the blue in our shirts.  I decided to download a brick wall pattern from the Silhouette store and cut it on my Cameo to get the right look.  Once I had my background, I taped the template to my base, combined Teresa Collins modeling paste and paint to get the colors I wanted, and spread it on!

While that dried, I found the heart with arrow in the Silhouette Store as well.  I overlayed it on the brick wall pattern until I got the size I wanted, deleted the brick pattern, then cut the heart/arrow out using the black patterned paper from Prism.  With the rest of that paper, I made a frame for the white paper and sewed around the edges.  I then sewed in between the hearts and along the length of the arrow.

This was my first time using texture paste, and I LOVED it.  What great dimension, and you can give it any look you want with paint, inks, glitter, and more!  For my title, I couldn't find an alpha with any plus signs in them, but I came across the Amy Tan Kal Barteski thickers, which has a # sign.  I altered the # to become a +, and I love the look of the black Thickers on the textured bricks:

A few enamel dots, a couple of hearts, some stickers from the collection, and journaling inside the heart...and it came together pretty quickly.

Have you used texture or modeling paste?  Did you like it?  I hope my project inspires you to work with this fun medium!  

Thanks for stopping by today!  Enjoy your week.

Majken

The Good Life -> My Scraps & More Sketch Design Team Introduction!

Hi everyone!  

I'm SO EXCITED I was recently announced as part of the My Scraps & More sketch design team!  I'll be sharing layouts twice a month as part of my term, and I'd love you to play along.  My Scraps & More is a great online retail scrapbooking store with a ton of products from key manufacturers and owned by the very talented Audrey Yeager.

Today's layout was so fun to create - I was so inspired by Audrey's sketch!  I used two black & white photos that my best friend took of my kids in 2012 along with Amy Tan's Stitched collection.  

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew I wanted to use negative space for the icons.  The first thing I did was open Silhouette Studio and lay out the different shapes until they were in the right spots.  I used a rectangle the same size as my photos just for reference, and then moved the rectangles off the cutting area before cutting.

After I cut my white cardstock, I placed various papers behind the layout until I got the look I wanted.  Then I sewed along specific images, starting with the large star.  I sewed along the outside edge, and also the inside to give it texture.

To match the sketch, I sewed along the arrows as well, and I put my short journaling there to mark the date the photos were taken.  

Next, I sewed around the other two stars, along the photo of my son, and around the arrow.  The photo mats are pocket scrapbooking spots trimmed from the Stitched Scissors paper.

To finish the layout, I trimmed 0.25" from the right and bottom and put the entire page onto the green stitched paper so it shows on the top and left sides, and then I framed the bottom right with a corner from the same.  Puffy stickers from the Stitched collection complete the flower centers and accents.  I added black alpha stickers to complete the title "The Good Life".

I hope this sketch and my interpretation has inspired you!  Go check out the full reveal for some other takes on the sketch, and don't forget to link up your version of the sketch to the My Scraps & More Sketch blog before midnight ET on March 31st for your chance at a great prize -> new stuff from the new BasicGrey Prism collection!

And here is the sketch.

Thanks for stopping by today...have a wonderful weekend!

Majken

Giveaway Winner - Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop

Hello all!  Thanks to everyone who hopped along with us and left comments about my Adore layout…it was so fun to make and share.

Today's winner was chosen using random.org again, and today #4 is the winner!  (Note: a duplicate comment was skipped).

Sandy Ross is #4 scrolling down on the list...thanks so much for hopping along with us, Sandy!

Please email me at majkenmarie at yahoo dot com to claim your e-gift certificate!  You have until midnight Central time on Sunday, March 8, 2015 to claim your prize.

Thank you to each of you who participated in the hop, commented on all the great projects, and joined my blog!  Your sweet comments mean the world.

Majken

{Adore} Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop with Another Giveaway!

Hello everyone, and welcome to this month's Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop!  You should have arrived here from Kristy's blog.  Isn't her project pretty?

I love these blog hops because not only do they provide a TON of inspiration, but they also give me "permission" to dig into my stash and use some of these favorite papers that previously were gathering dust while I admired them on the shelf.  Well, that's just no good, is it??  These collections were meant to be used and cherished.  That brings me to today's layout using Pebbles' Birthday Wishes collection.  It's so bright, pretty, and happy!

I loved the flowers with the squared off petals, and it made me think of a punch that I have from Paper Source that is similar.  So I decided to use my Cameo and PixScan mat to create a larger version to cut for a photo mat.  I will have a tutorial soon where you can see how easy this is to do!  Here is my layout:

This is Presley when she was a 2 years old...these photos make me sentimental.  :)  Of course, my old digital camera must've been off on the date, because it assured me this photo was taken in 2003.  However, I know for a fact it's 2004 after confirming with some other photos, so I'll have to fix my journal area!

I used the blue-green polka dot paper as my base and decided to stamp some texture using Gesso on each side around where I thought my paper and photos would be.  The stamp is from my Feb. Cocoa Daisy kit.  While that dried, I cut a large flower with my Cameo from the flower paper.  I inked the edges with blue ink and then sewed inside the flower's edges to create definition.  

Using the B-side of a UPC strip of one of the other papers with the blue-green chevron paper, I adhered that to the very top of the base.  Then I used the pink strip layered diagonally over that and trimmed straight.  I created a similar but smaller strip on the bottom right area of my base using the chevron and blue swirly strip to help frame the layout.  

Then I cut similar smaller flowers in the pink paper, polka dot paper, and CTMH Pacifica blue cardstock, plus two smaller flowers using the punch.  I layered the flowers and topped with buttons.  I included one of the coordinating Pebbles tags to the left of this layered flower:

I matted my two photos using the blue-green chevron paper and inked those edges as well.  Then I placed the large flower and photos on the page, then wrote my journaling.

On the bottom left, I placed another layered flower with a wooden embellishment:

Finally, I used the Crate Paper Oh Darling letters to make "Adore" and stapled them with my Tiny Attacher and pink AC mini-staplers.  I decided to use a wood heart embellishment backed with the polka dot paper as the "O". 

I hope you are inspired by my layout...before you hop along, please leave some blog love!

****Giveaway Time!****

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

• Be or become a member/follower of my blog AND
• Leave a comment on this blog post

Easy peasy!  You have until Monday, March 2nd at noon Central time to enter for your chance to win.  International entries are fine, and I use random.com to choose the winner.  I'll announce the winner here on my blog on Tuesday, March 3rd.  Good luck, and thanks for hopping along with us this weekend.

Next, it's time to hop to Cheryl's blog to check out her awesome project!

Have a fun weekend, and make sure to include a bit of chocolate in it as well.  ;)

Majken

PS...If you have lost your way, the full list is below:

Wendy C www.stampingrules.com

Suzanna  http://lifestrivialities.typepad.com/

Lee-Anne http://lee-annelovethejourney.blogspot.com
Jennifer http://livethemoment-jen.blogspot.com
Charity http://menemenetekeluniversity.blogspot.com/
Sandy http://itsafamilyaffairwithscrappynana.blogspot.ca/
Bobbi http://vintagemusedesigns.blogspot.com/

Wendi http://scrappydayinparadise.blogspot.com
Monica http://scrapinspired.com/

Kristy http://alwaysaworldaway.blogspot.com
Majken  http://chocoscrapaholic.blogspot.com
Cheryl http://patchesandscraps.blogspot.com
Kristina http://http://mamasanity.blogspot.com/
Brenda http://simplybrenhavingfun.blogspot.com/
Ruth http://paperandmusings.wordpress.com/
Alison http://alisondaydesigns.com/
Cathy http://alteredplayground.blogspot.com/

Me & My Hundred Acre Woods Friends

Happy Sunday evening my scrappy friends.  I'm excited to share a layout today that I created using a some of my stash.  Now, let me tell you about my stash.  I have a problem.  I have a **VERY BIG** paper hoarding problem...ahem.  And I know I'm not the only one, but when the copyright year on the barcode strip of your paper is from 4 years ago, you know it's bad.  I have paper even older than that, but I digress!

Today I'm using a sketch from Let's Get Sketchy February Week 1.  In addition, I'm doing the Scrap Our Stash February stash challenge for WASHI -> my layout has: wooden embellishment, alpha stickers, splatter stamp, Hello Fall paper, and ink.  

This was such a FUN layout for me - I got to meet my very favorite characters in the whole world last Thanksgiving!  But with all the colors in the photo - including my purple shirt - I was having a tough time figuring out what papers to use.  Enter Little Yellow Bicycle's "Hello Fall" from 2011!

I only had about 5 sheets of paper from this collection and none of the embellishments.  So I decided to pull out my Silhouette PixScan mat to cut the flower/doilies from the middle of one of the papers.  If you don't have this mat, I highly recommend you get one!  It lets you cut out patterns, stamped images, and more.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind fussycutting sometimes, but this can be a real time saver -- and paper saver, too!  (And if you are looking for help calibrating your mat, I have a tutorial that may help.)  

To start, I decided to flip the sketch.  My base paper has a built-in green strip, but I trimmed a strip from the leaf paper to adhere next to it on the right side of my layout.  Then I sewed along the left side of the strip.

I matted my photo with the green side of one of the papers, inked the edge in dark purple, then matted it again with the orange side of one of the papers (also inked).  I included a tab to highlight the date.  Then I included an embellishment cluster below the photo in line with the sketch.

I wanted to stamp the splatters using the Tim Holtz Spills & Splatters stamp (I trimmed the splatter area next to the cup rings to use separately).  So I put the photo area and the flower/doilies where I knew they'd be and stamped near each doily.  Then I adhered everything to my page to create my title.  I chose Simple Stories Sn@p! Studio Typeset alphas for "acre" and "woods" and stamped "hundred and "#friends" using my oldie-but-goodie Close To My Heart Solo Alpha sets.  I cut "me & my" using my cameo, and popped up the ampersand using 3D tape (hence the pesky shadow...one of these days I will learn how to fix this using Photoshop Elements!).  The doily on the left is also popped up.

After adding some gems, I finished the layout with a small journaling spot to show how special Pooh Bear and Tigger are to me.

I hope you enjoyed my layout today, and I hope it inspires you to reach into your stash - you just may not know what serendipitous goodies you will find!

In the famous words of Tigger, "T.T.F.N.....ta ta for now!
Majken

Selfie Magic

Hi everyone!  

Thanks for joining me this Monday.  So normally, November and December are very busy for me (I think everyone is busy!), but this year, January was also packed with activity.  February is also proving to be busy, but I've decided I must spend more time scrapping than I have the past few months.  I have a 4-day weekend coming up, which I'm very much looking forward to since I work full-time.  And then, I have a scrapping weekend at the end of February with a few friends.  What better way to end February?

Today I'm featuring my very favorite recent photo of Presley.  She just turned 13 (eek!), so selfies are completely "normal" for her - she's grown up in the digital age and saw smartphones come about.  So when we were at Disney World in November, not only did we get great photos with characters from the Disney photographers, but we also got many fun, candid shots.  Presley took a selfie with every character she met.

Isn't this shot perfect??  I am very grateful to whomever was in the Tigger costume...they were the most fun character we met.  The smile his close-up nose gave her was the best gift.  <3  I used My Scraps & More sketch #99 by Audrey Yeager (loving the banners!) and the Say Cheese collection by Simple Stories. 

So I used white textured cardstock as my base and started with the largest banner first.  I used my Cameo to make sure the photo would fit inside.  The journaling banner was created with the white space from the banner cut on the very left, and I backed it with the B side.

Once I had the banners I wanted, I decided on a strip from the Border & Title Strip elements page.  I sewed the banners underneath the strip, sticking closely to the sketch.  I included a camera brad and a tab cut out to put above the photo.

I used a black arrow clip to point to the subtitle, and I trimmed a small square for the journaling spot.

For the bottom right area, I trimmed a triangle using the yellow star paper.  I sewed along the bottom edge, then added letters to create "selfie" and the magic banner for the title. Finally, I stamped a few stars and hearts that I watercolored using red and gold ink sprays mixed with water. 

I think all scrapbooking is fun, but I especially had fun with this one.  :)

Make it a wonderful week!

Majken

Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop Giveaway Winner

Hello all!  So sorry I'm a day late posting the winner - what a week!  Thanks to everyone who hopped along with us and left comments about "Hey, Santa, I've Been Good!".  

There were some awesome projects in the hop, so if you missed it, go here to Cathy's blog.

Today's winner was chosen using random.org again, and today #9 is the winner! 

Karenladd is #9 scrolling down on the list...thanks so much Karenladd for sharing on Facebook!

Please email me at majkenmarie at yahoo dot com to claim your e-gift certificate!  You have until midnight Central time on Sunday, February 8, 2015 to claim your prize.

Thank you to each of you who participated in the hop, commented on all the great projects, and joined my blog!  <3 <3 <3

Majken