Flamingo Scraps

Tonya's Favs of 2011

2012-01-30T07:30:00.003-05:00

2011 was a great year for creative products. These are a few of my favs from Flamingo in 2011. Some of these products are on sale and they have limited quanties so you better gobble them up quick. Also Flamingo is running a special on shipping until February 4, and a give away for the first 5 who spend $30. You better hurry.

Marion Smith’s Trinkets from Prima
OMG – CAN YOU SAY YUMMMY - I think I bought every one of these that Flamingo had in the store. Suzanne called and said – you have to give everyone else a shot at them. YUMMY!

Prima’s Millinery Collection flowers
I love how soft these flowers are with the fabric and pearls. My favorite color was the aqua. I noticed this morning they still have 2 of the Dandy color and they are marked 40% off. You better buy them before I do….

Cosmo Cricket’s Circa 1934
I think I made 4 mini albums from this one paper collection. I loved the retro color and patterns. It could be matched with Black or Kraft cardstock to create the PERFECT layout or mini album. I think this one is a classic that I could never grow tired of working with. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

Pink Paislee’s Butterfly Garden & Daily Junque
Hello - YUMMY YUMMY - I know I have 2 listed here – but I still remember calling Suzanne and hyperventilating over the phone over the butterfly garden and Daily Junque. Confessions - they are both still in the hoard volt – but I have a project that I want to make and you will see it soon. LOVE THEM BOTH EQUAL so I couldn’t just name one. Butterfly Garden was the most elegant paper collection of 2011 in my opinion. And the flags and journal prompts on Daily Junque convinced me to start journaling more. I want to make a smash book from DJ soon. Again Flamingo has a few of these left in the store at a HUGELY discounted rate. Get it quick only a few sheets left.

Prima’s Reflections paper collection
This paper was soooo gorgeous it just took my breath away. There were 12 double sided papers in this collection, and with the rich jewel toned browns and blues OMG I thought i would die. I ordered it twice so that is 24 sheets or 48 designs (if you count the back)I used it on everything from January - June. I really thought Suzanne was going to call me and tell me to branch out more. I mean I think in 2011 it was my go to paper collection for layouts, journals, altered objects at least until summer cha. Flamingo still has the flocked rub-ons left and they are 40% off. I ADORE THEM sooo much – can I list them as my fav too?

Thank you for stopping in today – I need to go wipe the drool off my keyboard.

Valentine's Cards - for Cancer

2012-01-25T07:45:00.005-05:00

I have a friend, Liz, who was hosting a Valentine Day Card drive to send to kids who suffer from Cancer. She wanted to be able to bring a smile to their cute faces. She asked each of us to do 2 cards, and here are mine.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants Designs: It's The Little Things - Headed South; Prima: Fairy Tale roses white, and mini roses - white. Other: Greeting Farm Flutter Anya, Copic Markers, Studio G: Hug Coupon, Bling, Kraft Cardstock, Making Memories: Lace; Tim Holtz: Ticket Die, and Ticket Stamp from 100 Stamp Collection.

I wanted my cards to be themed around love but not the same traditional Valentine’s Day icons of Red and Pink. So I chose Fancy Pants “It’s the Little Things – Headed South” paper. It has these cute I love you stamps and post marks everywhere. There are still a few sheets of it left in the store if you like to use it on your Valentine's Day projects.

I designed the cards like an easle card so that they could be viewed from a dresser or table top. I stitched around the edges for interest and used my Greeting Farm Flutter Anya stamp as the focal point. I love that I can change the look of the image by simply coloring her a different color. Since these cards will be hand delivered, I used the Prima FairyTale Roses and Mini Roses as the easle prop.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Scrapping Another First

2012-01-23T06:00:00.024-05:00

It seems like the first two or three years of Trevor's life I scrapped nothing but his 'firsts.' First bath, first solid food, first tooth, first steps, and the list goes on and on. The firsts happen less often now that he's 5, but there are still plenty to scrap. Here is Trevor doing his very first homework assignment.

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee patterned paper, Crate Paper patterned paper,
Crate Paper letter stickers

Other: Paper Loft patterned paper, ColorBox ink

I used this sketch by Shannon White.

The yellow lined background paper is (appropriately) from the Old School line by Pink Paislee. The dotted paper is from the same line. It was left over from this layout:

I love the way the same paper can read so differently on two different layouts!

Self-Scraplifting

2012-01-20T05:00:00.025-05:00

I've been going through pictures of my old projects recently and found this card. I think it might be my favorite card I've ever made. I made it years ago. There's absolutely nothing unique or special about it, but it makes me happy. The colors are awesome and it is crisp and clean.

I thought it would be fun to scraplift the card- would I like the design as much with different colors and sentiments?

I started with a sympathy card. They are my least favorite type of card to make (and send), for obvious reasons. I do like how this turned out. It's simple yet elegant, and definitely somber enough to convey sympathy.

From Flamingo Scraps: Marks Paper Co. patterned paper

Other: Making Memories rub-on, Marvy punch

Next I made a birthday card. It's amazing how changing up just the colors and patterns can completely change the mood of a card. An interesting note about this card- there was a flaw on the upper left quadrant of the paper that I didn't notice until after I glued everything down. I brainstormed how to save the card and came up with the idea of punching a dot from the scraps and using it to cover the flaw. It worked like a charm, though I then had to spend the next 20 minutes punching and adhering enough dots to the rest of the card to make it look like that was the original plan. :)

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Fiskars and Marvy punches, Stampin' Up and Fiskars stamps, ColorBox ink, Prismacolor pens, unknown ribbon

For my final card, I used the rest of the Fancy Pants paper from the previous card and scraplifted my original design nearly exactly. I like the yellow card better, but this one is fine. The floral pattern is much more prominent in real life.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Marvy punch, Making Memories rub-on, Jewelry Essentials charm, unknown ribbon

I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this design again and again!

One Little Word

2012-01-13T06:00:00.010-05:00

I had a really positive experience with One Little Word in 2011. I've been debating between two words for 2012. As I was cleaning, I found this tiny little metal charm at the bottom of a tub.

And wouldn't you know it... it was one of the two words I was considering. So 2012 is my year to CELEBRATE.

I'm turning 40 in March, so I want to celebrate that milestone in a memorable way. But I also want to celebrate smaller things. I want to take time to appreciate and celebrate everything that makes me happy. Here's my tag for 2012.

From Flamingo Scraps: Glimmer Mist

Other: chipboard, American Crafts rub-ons, Mrs. Grossman's sticker, Fiskars stamps, Stampin' Up ink, embroidery floss

See those balloons? They were my second draft. Originally I'd planned a party hat. It was looking really cute... until I realized it looked more like a slice of pepperoni pizza than a party hat. See?

So I left it off. I like the balloons better. I especially the little strings tied with a cute bow. Much cuter than the pizza hat!

Here's the 2012 tag with the 2011 tag. I'll be hanging these up prominently on the scraproom wall.

Have you picked One Little Word for 2012?

Layout - Bike Ride

2012-01-09T11:17:00.005-05:00

Christmas morning is always so magical with the kids playing with their new toys. My nephew Cooper had to bring his new toy to my house and show off his riding skills. I just love it when he comes up to me and says "Aunt Tonya - do you want to come outside and watch me ride my new bicycle?" OF COURSE I DO - I could watch this kid play for HOURS! They really have no idea how much your heart sings when they ask for you to partake in their world. Well yesterday I found the pics on my camera and decided to make a simple layout.

From Flamingo Scraps: Cosmo Cricket paper; Tim Holz adage tickets, Maya Road Buttons.
Other: Metal pieces, small playing card, twine, frayed burlap, cardstock, and kraft notebook paper,

Thanks for stopping in today,

Scrappy Mess to Master Piece

2012-01-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

Some serious Holiday crafting has been going on in my room the last few weeks. Between Tim's 12 tags of Christmas, Cards, and some last minute gifts, I have had scraps up to my elbows. I wanted to share with you guys today a tip for turning those scraps into a work of Art.

I started with an 8x10 naked canvas (you could do any size). Then I used my Ranger Glue 'n Seal to decoupage the scarps onto the untreated canvas. Just looks like a giant mess right now. But notice the chipboard pieces - they will offer some depth later.

Next I covered the entire canvas with watered down Gesso. This will make all the elements one color and make them look as if they belong together. Be careful not to apply the Gesso too thick - you still want to be able to see the patters from the different styles of paper. I also added a thin coat of White Metallic Acrylic paint and then lightly sprayed Lindy's Stamp Gang's Creme Brulee Cream to the finished piece to give it a sparkle. So you may ask - "Why add all of those pieces if you are just going to cover them up?" - well, it's simple, I'm after texture. While it is hard to see in the photograph - the text and the music notes are still visible in places. But the Mess looks like a uniformed mess at this point.

Next I wanted some contrast for all this white. So I took an old cardstock frame from Daisy Dee that was dated 2004, and I covered it in black gesso and bead gel. When it was dried, I used my finger to rub same white metallic paint over the frame to bring out the texture of the bead gel. Then I spritz it with the Lindy's Stamp Gang Creme Brulee Cream.

Next I assembled a beautiful spray of Prima's Christmas lights Crystal Sprays, White Flowers, and butterflies around my frame. Notice that even though the flowers and frame have covered the canvas - you can still see the textures of the pieces that were adhered to the canvas backdrop. These textures give depth to the canvas and offer something new every time you admire the piece.

Next I decided the frame seemed empty so I cut a Tim Holtz bird cage from black chipboard and embossed it in silver with the music note stamp from Stampendous. During the 12 tags of Christmas, Tim Holtz shared a technique for using shrink plastic with UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). So I cut the bird at 8 inches from the Home Accents Cricut Cartridge from Shrink plastic and when I dipped it into the UTEE it shrunk to about 4 inches making the perfect crystal center piece for my canvas.

To finish the piece off, I used a Dylusions stamp from Dyan Reaveley, that says "A Friend knows the song in your heart" - the rest of the phrase was removed. I stamped it onto thick packaging and embossed it with white embossing powder. Placed it in the bottom right hand corner of the frame and called this Masterpiece finished.

I have a step by step from start to finish video available on my YouTube Channel, click here to watch it.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Make it Work!

2011-12-22T06:00:00.035-05:00

Earlier this year, I shared a layout with pictures I took at 1:11:11 on 1-11-11. Of course, I couldn't resist taking pictures at 11:11:11 on 11-11-11! Because it was Veteran's Day, Trevor was home from school. We were leaving for Disneyland the next morning, so I was busy packing while Trevor was getting started on the work from his Independent Study. I made sure the camera was nearby and set a timer so that I wouldn't miss 11:11. I love this quick little glance at our life when the date and time were nothing but ones.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper (brown), Crate Paper patterned paper (red), Prima patterned paper (cream), Pink Paislee canvas border

Other: My Sentiments Exactly stamp, Rubber Stampede stamp, Staz-On ink, ColorBox ink, Stampin' Up pen, Sketch by Rebecca Peck

I wanted a casual, effortless look for this layout. I decided to stamp the title, starting with a 1 and leaving spaces for the dashes and colons. Only problem- I went through every single stamp I own and not a single dash or colon. Definitely a 'make it work' moment. The dash was easy- I found a smaller alphabet and turned an "i" on its side. I didn't have a single stamp that would function as a colon. I finally thought of something- I used my Crop-a-Dile to punch two tiny holes next to each other, then stenciled the colons.

I had another 'make it work' moment when it came to the banner. Here's how it looked originally:

The "Old School Notebook" message seems really weird to me and not at all what I wanted on my page. But there wasn't a good way to cut off just the alphabet that I wanted. So I ended up using a pen to color the entire top brown, then laid a thin strip of the brown patterned paper over the center to cover the words. The scan doesn't show it well, but I stamped some detail stitching on the brown.

11:11:11 at 11-11-11 captured!

12 Tags of Christmas - Part 2

2011-12-15T07:30:00.002-05:00

Last week's post I shared with you my versions of the first 6 days of Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas. This week I would like to share the last 6 tags. It was a lot of fun playing along this year. I learned some new techniques, and it was fun trying to think of ways to improvise when the products he used were not available.

December 6, 2011

Today I didn't have the embossing folder. So I did the embossing the Old fashion way - with a stylus.

December 7, 2011
Well, on this tag I was missing all the stamps and the Kraft Glassine. I used a wax kraft bag that is often used to line trashcans. I will admit it was thinner and not as waxy as the Glassine that Tim sells, and but it worked in a pinch!

December 8, 2011

I was excited I had about 90% of the things Tim used in this tag. There were a lot of steps to this one, but it was a lot of fun, and I also loved the "steampunk" theme too!

I hand drew the architectural drawing in the white to match the one on the stamp, I substituted a ticket that Tim had given me in a class for the one on the original (I didn't have the stamp), and No red stickles so I used a red bling instead, and I used Lost & Found's Hand.

December 9, 2011
Today I was excited to share my journey with my 4 yr old nephew Cooper. He said "Aunt Tonya you have the coolest toys." And I believe he is right!

I used a stamp from Anna Griffin for the background and did the technique that Tim demonstrated. It is really cool because it has a nice orange peel texture to it. I didn't have the candlestick so I decided to use the lamp post and I think I really like that better.

December 10, 2011

Today's tag was fairly easy. I didn't have the plastic letters, banner die, or the stamps. But I think this one turned out pretty good!

December 11, 2011
I wish I had the glossy paper for this tag. I improvised and used "photo paper". Photo Paper is not the same as the Ranger Glossy paper. Photopaper is designed to absorb ink while Rangers is designed to repel it. So there were different reactions, but I wanted the "glossy" finish. I also added Glossy Accents to my "Merry Christmas". It was fun working with this tag because I never in a million years would have thought to use my melting pot with the shrink plastic - I loved the effect, and will definately be trying this again in future projects.

December 12, 2011
It is sad to see this series come to an end. But wow - it was fun. I learned some new technqiues and enjoyed the challenge of Not having 'everything' needed. On today's tag - I didn't have the 12" tissue tape - so I stamped my image on tissue paper and applied it to the surface of the tag. I love this look, and again you will see me using this technique again. Thank you guys for following me along on my creative journey with Tim this year.

Thank you for stopping in today,

12 Tags of Christmas - Part 1

2011-12-08T12:44:00.029-05:00

This is my first year of following along with Tim Holtz on his journey through the 12 tags of Christmas. WOW - it is a lot of fun. I have placed a personal challenge on myself - to NOT buy anything to do these tags. It really has forced me out of my box, and jumped started the brain into thinking creatively. Some days I may have cheated a bit with Photoshop - but I really wanted my tags to look like his. To follow Tim please visit his blog at http://timholtz.typepad.com

December 1, 2011

Today's tag was a killer for me. I only had the bobbles, seam binding, and pinecone die. I really had to think creatively to make this tag resemble Tim's version. Tim suggested that we use what we have on hand. Don't spend additional money if possible. I think this really helps to expand the creative process.

In my version - I mounted a blue cardstock to chipboard, then embossed it with a cuttlebug jacket that had flowers and swirls on it. I then cut Tim's snowflake dies from the colored cardstock, then embossed it with a clear halographic glitter, and placed them ontop of the flowers that were on the embossed design. I created the Noel using the Blackletter Cartridge and my Gypsy. I cut the word from chipboard then embossed it with silver and covered that with fine clear glitter. (I didn't have silver glitter, because I don't care for the look of glitter. I thought this was a great compromise. I also didn't have the holiday flourish spray die that Tim used for the flower swag. So I used the holly branch, and the holly from the lamp post die. I didn't have the banner either so I took a strip of music scrap paper, and tore the ends to resemble the banner, and distressed all the edges.

I know mine doesn't have the same "dirty distressed look" that Tim's has, but I'm super proud that I was able to achieve a similar tag without spending any money. I can't wait to see what tomorrow's tag looks like.

December 2, 2011
Today's tag was even harder than yesterdays. I spent the entire day thinking "oh no - he used his kraft resist holiday paper - I don't have it". Well I improvised using my Photoshop skills. Also - I didn't have the charm for the top so I used the imagine token instead. I hope you enjoy...

December 3, 2011

Today, I was challenged to find a way to create the embossed look without the embossing folder. I decided to emboss my design with the embossing powders like yesterday's tag. Also - again no I didn't have the die or coordinations paper, but I found a way to duplicate the look of the coordinations paper. I show how to do this technique on my YouTube channel.

December 4, 2011

Today, I was challenged to find a way to create the 25 in the center of the snowman and the Snowflake on the edge die. Also - I was missing the weathered wood distress ink and stain, and the stamps that Tim used. I had stamps that were similar so I used them. For the 25 I die cut the snowman, then added him to my Cricut Cutting mat, and cut the 25 from the Basecamp Cartride. I create the snowflake on the ege die using my cricut and the George and Christmas cartridge.

December 5, 2011

Today, was easy peasy.

December 6, 2011

Today I didn't have the embossing folder. So I did the embossing the Old fashion way - with a stylus.

Next week I will share with you the tags 7 - 12.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Wax-resist vs. Enamel Accents

2011-12-06T06:00:00.011-05:00

Last week I shared my Snowman Gift Tags. As you'll recall, I used black Enamel Accents for the face (a success) and initially used white Enamel Accents on the hats (definite failure). For the final product, I switched to Decorative Snow for the hats.

This led me thinking- how can I use white Enamel Accents? How about as snow? Worth a try!

I took a plain white tag and put little dots of white Enamel Accents all over it, then set it aside to dry. Once the tag was dry, I rubbed blue ink over the top, then used sandpaper to reveal the white dots. Cute! I handcut an itty-bitty snow drift and snowman and glued them on. The finished tag:

From Flamingo Scraps: Ranger Ink
Other: Bazzill cardstock, Enamel Accents, American Crafts pens

I love everything about it except for the long drying time. I thought I might be able to achieve the same look using wax resist, which would have no drying time. I took a white crayon and put little dots all over a plain white tag. I covered it with blue ink and then scratched off the wax to reveal the white snow. I cut out another snowman and added it to the tag. Here's the wax-resist version:

Still cute, but not nearly as nice as the Enamel Accents. The 'snow' is quite irregular and I missed a bunch of spots. While it was easy to see the little dots of Enamel Accents while I was working, it was very difficult to see where I'd dotted the crayon. And it was impossible to make consistently round dots.

If I were in a hurry, I'd definitely use the crayon version, but I think the Enamel Accents is the winner!

Christmas Cards

2011-12-01T09:57:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share with you a card that I created using Graphic 45's Christmas Emporium, and Spellbinder's Poinsettia die.

I rounded the corners of the wreath patterned paper from the collection, and sewed around the edges for a clean looking backdrop. The Santa Clause photo was a panel on the paper and I thought the stamp was a nice touch. The stamp is from Studio G.

I have a YouTube video on how I made the Poinsettias. To me they look so realistic.

I love making Holiday cards for those extra special gifts.

Thanks for stoppping in today.

Fun with Enamel Accents and more

2011-11-29T06:00:00.020-05:00

Back in September, Tonya challenged me to make something from Glossy Accents (which had been sitting on my shelf untouched, as I didn't really know what I could do with it). I made some acorn napkin rings and in the process I fell in love with Glossy Accents. I've used it a couple of times since then. As I was putting it back on the shelf, I noticed the untouched Enamel Accents sitting nearby. Time to experiment!

I decided to make some snowman gift tags. My plan was to use black Enamel Accents for the face and white Enamel Accents for the fur of hat. I was half successful- the face worked perfectly, while the fur looked lousy. I ended up redoing it with Decorative Snow, which looks a zillion times better.

Here are my finished tags:

From Flamingo Scraps: Stickles

Other: Enamel Accents, Marvy punches + pens, Delta Decorative Snow,
Pop Dots, and unknown cording.

And the side view:

I clearly need to do more experimentation with Enamel Accents! How have you used it, especially the white?

Greatful for Family

2011-11-23T12:39:00.005-05:00

This weekend we are celebrating Thanksgiving in the United States, and I know our friends abroad have a similar day in their countries. For me, Thanksgiving is a time to slow down, reflect on my life and give thanks for the blessings that God has given me.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have such a strong family unit. My kids and husband are the BEST! We are all so close. Do we argue and fuss? Absolutely, we are "Real, but we also laugh and play together. My husband Kenny and I have been together since high school. We married 21 years ago, and have two AMAZING children, Brittany 17 and Brighton 15.

I wanted to create a layout that shows my gratitude to them and reflect how blessed I feel. Webster's Pages' Sweet Cherry Pie Fly A Kite Paper was the perfect setting for this layout.

From Flamingo Scraps: Webster's Pages: Sweet Cherry Pie - Fly A Kite paper, Lace; Ranger: Picket Fence Crackle Medium; Maya Road: Love Mini Chipbaord Pieces, Rosette Trim; Prima: Fairy Tale Roses, Mini Roses, and Brown Trim 2

Other: I Am Roses: Sunflowers, and Wild Roses; Doily, Antique Book pages, Flower pearls; Sizzix: Tim Holtz Caged Bird Die; Felt birds.

Scattered around the paper are quotes that depict family. Like "The Secret Ingredient to good living is Family", "Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds" and "Embrace Time with the People That You Love"

I accented the photo with layers of lace and trims from some of my favorite companys, Prima and Maya Road. I scattered lots of mulberry flowers in Sunflowers, Roses and some fabric roses too. I aslo included some Prima packaging for a photo matt, Doilees, Antique book pages, Tim Holtz caged bird die from Sizzix, felt birds, and Maya Road Chipboard pieces.

I hope you have an amazing weekend and you find time to be with the people you love!

Thanks for stopping in today,

December Daily

2011-11-17T07:30:00.007-05:00

Ali Edwards started this holiday journaling concept a few years ago called a December Daily. The idea is to create a journal documenting every day in December. You don't have to write a lot, a simple quote is enough. Just jot down things that represent the holiday season to you. I have been wanting to join in for a few years, but the holidays always get here before I can blink. This year I got my game plan started early, and made my December Daily in Nov. so that I would be armed and ready for action.

I decided to use the Webster's Pages Wonderfall, Waiting for Santa and Sweet Seasons collections for my Journal pages. I used my bind it all to bind it, and printed some digital images on transparencies that I created from digital brushes available at Webster's Pages Website.

I wanted my book to start with the Thanksgiving and run through New Years.

Are you planning to do a December Daily. If so comment below with a link to your journal. I would love to see it.

Thanks for stopping in,

Steampunk Mini Album

2011-11-10T07:30:00.003-05:00

One of my dear friends, Amy Rodriguez, designs unique mini album dies and has shared her Hot Air Balloon and Dress Form Dies with me. I was so excited to get the opportunity to play with these dies. I wanted to share with you guys today the mini that I created.

From day one I knew I would use the Steampunk Debutant Line from Graphic 45 that I got from Flamingo on this mini. I wanted it to be tiered so that behind every dressform there was a hot air balloon. I also wanted the pages to be vibrant, elegant, but most of all interactive!

Here is a video with a complete walk through of the concepts and details on each page.

Thanks for stoping by today,

Cards From Scraps

2011-11-03T07:45:00.003-04:00

It is time to filter out the scraps again, and I wanted to share with you some of the cards that I have been creating.

I used half inch strips of scrap paper in random pastel colors to create the background of this card. It has a Pink Paislee frame on top, and the logo for my Secret Squirrel Swap that I colored with my Copic markers.

This card has a piece of scrap white card stock that was embossed with a sizzix folder. The wreath is made with crape paper, and of course MY Favorite Prima roses of all time, finish off the look of the wreath. The happy holidays is a metal brad from Making Memories (been in the stash for AGES).

This card is made similar to the wreath. For the tree, I made a huge ruffle from crape paper and snaked it around to form the shape of a Christmas tree, then added some bling rhinestones, and finished it with the Tim Holtz banner from the Regal Crest die.

This card is a nice size 6x6 card with an image from "Some Odd Girl" that I colored with my Copics. The stamp on the tag was from Stampendous.

Thanks for stopping in,

Themed Patterned Paper

2011-10-28T06:00:00.002-04:00

I have a problem with themed patterned paper. No matter how cute it is, I rarely end up using it. Either my pictures end up clashing with it, or it is too theme-y for the layout, or it just doesn't work for some other reason. And it ends up sitting in my pile of unused paper. But there's hope for that unused themed paper!

This layout uses paper from Pink Paislee's 'Old School' line. I wouldn't normally go for school-themed paper for a layout about a boy and his pet bunny, but the B-side worked perfectly.

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee patterned paper

Other: Bazzill cardstock, Scenic Route stickers, ColorBox ink

Check out the B-side of some of your unused patterned paper- you might find a way to use it that is much different than the intended theme!

October Cigar Box

2011-10-27T07:30:00.004-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this month's cigar box swap's theme is "Pink It Up".

Last year, during Flamingo Scraps Anniversary month, I won the Pink Paislee Sweetness collection. I love the warm pinks, and clusters of flowers. It reminded me of a garden view outside window. I knew this paper was perfect for the top of the box.

I removed the glass from an ornate frame and add a wedding dress applique. This offered the perfect setting for the hand painted cameo. I created a lovely pink satin dress adorned with a blingy collar for the Tim Holtz sewing room dress form. I then added clusters of Prima roses, and lots of Prima Say It in Lace bling. I think this box screams I'm a woman!

I crackeled the side of the box in small areas and framed the top in layers of lace, ribbon and pearls.

I hope my box reminds my partner to always take care of her monthly checks, and to get her Mammograms regularly.

Thanks for stopping in today,

Stash Diet

2011-10-12T07:30:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine on Youtube, Jan - Whatyoumakeit1, has started a challenge called the Stash Diet. I thought I would try it out. Here is how it works. You list 6 things that are in your stash. for example:

Ribbon/Trim
Vintage Flowers
Purple Bling
charms
Beads
Scrap Paper

Then make a project using at least 3 items from the list, but for every item you use on the list, you must replace that item with something new for the next project.

I managed to use all six items on this layout of my Niece Averie. Here is the project that I created:

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima: Daisies (vintage Prima), Say It in Pearls Purple, Paper "Talavera" from the Reflections Collection, Prima Baby blue Trim; Maya Road: Journal Spot (vintage product)

Other: Lace, Ribbon, Charm, Butterflies, Die Cut.

I used some vintage Prima Daisies, Purple/Pink Pearls from Prima, A Metal Charm, Pearls on a stick pin, Maya Road Journal card (hidden behind the photo), Patterened paper from Prima, and lace/trims that I have had for a while.

The object of this game is to use up product that is sitting around, and save your shopping money for new releases. It was so nice being able to remove items from my stash, and at the same time, produce a nice layout. I am going to try this for a month and see if my stash starts to shrink!

Thanks for stopping by today,

Upcycled Packaging

2011-10-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

I think we have a huge responsibility to protect our environment as much as possible. When I first saw Marion Smith from Prima Marketing, Inc. use packaging in her mini albums and as journal spots on her layouts a few years ago, I began saving mine for the same purpose. I want to share with you today how I have been "upcycling" my packaging in scrappy projects.

In this example I made a mini album using 4x6 photo sleeves as sheet protectors and the Prima packaging was used for photo mats.

Here I used my Tim Holtz & Nestabilities dies to turn Prima's beautiful inserts into embelishments.

Here is a photo showing one of these cuts used on a card:

I also used the blister packaging from Tim Holtz embelishments as a shaker box card.

Watch video on how I made this card

I hope this gives you plenty of ideas on how to turn your trash into keepsakes.

Thanks for stopping by today,

Lucky 7

2011-10-03T06:00:00.014-04:00

At any given time, I usually have 4 or 5 layouts in progress. I go through phases where I am very inspired by certain aspects of scrapbooking and not others. This doesn't bother me- I just set the partially completed layouts aside and come back to them when inspiration strikes. A few days ago, I counted the growing pile of incomplete layouts- there were 18. Yikes! It was definitely time to finish some of them.

Here's my latest layout. Steve and I celebrated our 7th anniversary with a stay in Benicia, CA at the wonderful Inn at Benicia Bay.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima & Fancy Pants patterned paper, grungeboard 7

Other: Bazzill cardstock, Cloud 9 letter stickers, Folk Art paint, ColorBox ink

I'm pleased that I managed to get 12 photos on there without it looking crowded, though I do have to admit that it bothered me a tiny bit to cover up part of three photos with the focal photo! I don't think I've ever done that before. I like the way it turned out though.

Mini Album - 4x6 sheet protectors

2011-09-30T07:30:00.001-04:00

I love mini albums. I love how you are only limited by your own imagination! I have a lot of people ask me – what type of photos do you put in them, because they are so small? Well, most of my books accommodate wallet sized photos. I usually select the collage printing option at my local photo processing center, and I can usually get 9 wallets on 1 8x10.

One day I was waiting for my photos to process, and I noticed a package of 4x6 plastic photo sleeve refills on sale for $.50 a pack. So I decided to create a mini – embracing the "Simple" design of traditional scrapbook pages but sized at 4x6.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima, Marion Smith's Vintage Trinkets, all flowers in the book, Holiday Lights Glitter Spray Crystals, Butterfly, Flights of Fancy Paper; Glimmer Mist: Rose Tattered; Tim Holtz: distress inks in Broken China and Walnut

Other: Tim Holtz - Caged bird die cut and Swivle Clasp Charm; Seam binding, Script stamp, White ink.

I used Marion’s Vintage Trinkets with my “HOARDED” last few sheets of Prima’s Flights of Fancy paper for the cover. When I say hoarded – I mean have had for years refusing to use.

For the inside pages I used Prima’s Melody collection with various Prima flowers, stamps and bling. Last week I shared with you how I used the Prima packaging in this book, and I think you will agree, it turned out wonderful when I added photos.

Sorry for the glare on the following photos. I wanted to show how the pages look inside the sleeves.

I think my favorite part of this album is its simplicity. Also - I love how I can take advantage of the page protectors and incorporate larger more dynamic 4x6 photos with the smaller wallets. The paper collection also gives pleanty of journal space.

Thank you for taking the time to visit.

Goosebumps

2011-09-23T07:30:00.001-04:00

Today I would like to introduce you to a new product from Tsukineko called GooseBumps. It is a clear texture gel medium that acts as a resist while also providing an “orange peel” like texture to the surface of your project.

For my project sample I used it as a resist with a Prima mask to create a great texture on a mini notebook I’m sending to a friend.

I started with a mini Kraft notebook that I got from a $1 bin at a local craft store.

I used Honey Dew Glimmer mist and Peeled paint distress inks to color the background of my album cover.

Once the base coat color has been applied to the entire surface, cover your work surface so that the over spray does not ruin your table top.

I positioned a Prima mask over the notebook cover then sprayed the GooseBumps over the mask making sure I covered the entire notebook. Immediately remove your mask and wash it with warm soapy water to remove the Goosebumps residue.

Allow the Goosebumps to dry (usually 5 – 10 mins on its own), or you can speed up the process with a heat tool.

This is what your project should look like. You can really see the resist on the project, and this would be great left as is. But adding a little more color will really help you see the texture.

I chose a heavy contrasting color – Aged Mahogany distress ink to resurface my notebook cover. I applied the color using an ink applicator tool.

Use a baby wipe to remove the excess color from the top of the Goosebumps.

You can really see the two toned effect now, and the second color enhances the texture of Goosebumps.

From Flamingo Scraps: Various Lace & Trims, Prima: Screen, Flowers; Tattered Angels: Honeydew Glimmer Mist; Ranger: Crackle Accents, Tim Holtz: Distress inks Peeled Paint & Aged Mahogany; Maya Road: Tickets.

Other: Tsukineko Goosebumps

Then I decorated the cover of the book and it is ready to send off to a friend.

I could see me using this product on frames, cards, scrapbook pages, tags, flowers, and so much more. The possibilities are endless.

Thanks for stopping by,

Little Details

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Back in June, I blogged about the zoo-themed birthday parties Trevor had when he turned five. Here is the layout from the celebration with his friends at the Oakland Zoo. I had so much fun putting this together- I love the bright colors of the pictures and wanted the layout to be equally fun and happy to match the spirit of the party.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper, Crate Paper patterned paper, Tim Holtz grungeboard, Stickles

Other: Folk Art paint, Paper Pizazz vellum, Queen & Co. brad and button, Marvy circle punch, unknown ribbon

What I like most about this layout are the little details. With twelve pictures and bright lime/orange papers all demanding the viewers' attention, I needed to keep the embellishments simple, but not so plain they'd be lost. I started with the grungeboard 5. I painted it orange, rubbed it with orange Stickles, and then tied on the ribbon. I used the same Stickles to cover the brad and to fill in the center of the star-shaped button. I edged the vellum circles in Stickles.

I love the way the dotted vellum sets off the 5 and the date. I'd originally used the same dotted vellum for the journaling, but it was hard to read. I switched to a plain vellum and it looks much better.

Such a fun layout and such great memories from a fantastic day!

Cindy's Glossy Accents Project

2011-09-13T06:00:00.004-04:00

Last week, Tonya posted a tip about how to keep Glossy Accents unclogged. In the comments, I said that I needed a post telling me how to use Glossy Accents, since I never use mine! She responded on Friday with a new post which showed 5 projects using Glossy Accents and Crackle Accents. At the end, she challenged me to use Glossy Accents on my next project.

Well, there's something about being called out by name in front of hundreds that motivates a person to accept a challenge! I was most inspired by Tonya's use of Glossy Accents to make a 'dewdrop' on a flower. I was thinking about that as I was walking to pick Trevor up from kindergarten, my feet crunching the zillions of acorns on the sidewalk. I picked up a large handful of acorns and decided to experiment with Glossy Accents on them.

Of course, the second Trevor saw me he noticed that I had a huge handful of acorns. He was instantly curious about what project I had planned for us to do together. I told him we'd be making napkin rings. He said, "Great! What are napkin rings?"

Here are mine:

And here are Trevor's:

They were fun and easy to make. I started by cutting an empty toilet paper roll into 6 rings, which we then painted with fall colors. While they were drying, we stamped oak leaves using Staz-On, added Glimmer Mist, then did a color wash of paint over that. (Actually, that's what I did- Trevor did the first one that way and used crayon on his next two.) After I did the fussy cutting, I coated my leaves and acorns with Glossy Accents. We left Trevor's plain for contrast.

When everything was dry, we tied string/ribbon around the rings and used Glossy Accents to attach the leaves. I used the glue gun to attach the acorn, as I wasn't sure if Glossy Accents was intended to hold that much weight.

Here's a closer look at one of my napkin rings:

From Flamingo Scraps: Glimmer Mist

Other: Glossy Accents, Folk Art paint, Staz-On ink, Stampin' Up stamp, unknown twine/ribbon

What a fun project! Not only did the Glossy Accents work well as an adhesive, but I love the shine that it provides.

Amanda, it's your turn! I challenge you to make a project using Glossy Accents. Can't wait to see what you create!

Glossy Accents

2011-09-09T07:30:00.001-04:00

Last week Cindy asked for a post on how to use her Glossy Accents that has been collecting dust since she bought it. So today I thought I would share with you a few examples of how I have used mine.

Glossy Accents & Crackle Accents are essential mediums in my scrapbooking kit. Glossy Accents is a ultra-thick glossy glue medium that can be used as a sealer or as a strong bond adhesive. Crackle Accents is the same as Glossy Accents except it gives the effect of cracked glass when it dries. Both of these products go beyond simple glue & stick.

In this example: I used the Glossy Accents to add the effect of Dew on the flower. I just dripped a few drops and let it dry overnight.

In this example I had some rub-ons that were old and cracked I wanted to use them on this project but I was afraid that they may rub off over time, so I covered them the letters with Crackle Accents and now they look like I cracked them on purpose. They Accents also makes them appear raised for a glossy embossed look without the messy powder and heat tool.

In this example I used the Glossy Accents to adhere the jewels to the ring base giving them a durable permanent bond.

In this example Glossy Accents was used as an adhesive to glue the paper to the back of the fragment charm.

In this example I used the crackled accents on the face of the clock to give it the look for cracked glass but it also protects the paper from tearing during use.

Cindy I’m going to challenge you to break the seal on your Glossy Accents and use it on your next project.

Keeping Things Fresh

2011-09-05T06:00:00.028-04:00

I never get tired of scrapping egg dyeing, pumpkin carving, gingerbread making, or other holiday traditions. Even though these happen annually and the pictures can look pretty much the same from year to year, I still look forward to scrapping them. I don't worry about the layouts looking similar over the years. Even if they are, they aren't next to each other in the albums, so it doesn't bother me.

It's a bit different with some of our vacation photos. My inlaws own a cabin in Bear Valley, California. 2011 was the first time since I've been in the family that they didn't rent it out during the winter. We took advantage of the free lodging, going to the cabin in January (a winter wonderland), April (just following a record snowfall that nearly covered the 3-story cabin), and Father's Day weekend (still quite snowy).

In my mind, the trips were extremely different from one another. We brought along family friends in January, invited Trevor's godmother in April, and just the three of us went for Father's Day. The weather was different and we did different things each time. However, the photos from all three trips look fairly similar- a whole lot of pictures of us sledding and enjoying the snow. And the trips were close enough together that the pages would be in the same scrapbook. My goal was to make the three pages distinct enough that it wouldn't seem like I'd scrapped exactly the same thing three times.

Here's the page I did following the January trip, which I talked about in this post:

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Making Memories stickers; My Sentiments Exactly stamps; Jewelry Essentials rhinestones; ColorBox ink

Here's our April visit:

From Flamingo Scraps: Stickles

Other: SEI and Provo Craft patterned papers, Fiskars border punch, unknown snowflake punch

And here is Father's Day:

From Flamingo Scraps: Stickles

Other: Provo Craft patterned paper, EK Success sticker, unknown snowflake punch

Even though I used blue for each of the three layouts, I used various shades of blue. I chose pictures that emphasized the differences between the trips, and laid them out differently. The fonts, journaling style, and embellishments are different on each. I didn't repeat any title words. I think the three layouts are as distinct as the three trips were.

How do you keep things fresh when you scrap similar-looking photos from different events?

Weekend Whimsy: Boys of Fall

2011-09-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

I'm not really sure what it is that first attracted me to Football. Maybe it was always the "hot" guys, perhaps it’s the sweat, the passion, the fight, the grit, or maybe even the smell of the grass. Whatever it is, I know one thing - I’m a total football girl. From Thursday - Monday Night from August - January the only thing I think about is FOOTBALL.

It started at a young age, watching my brother play while my Mom & Dad volunteered our Saturdays away. Now I am the one volunteering my Saturday’s away for the local Pop Warner Football league. I often tease and say it’s my Legacy. On any given Saturday from September - November, I can be found lying in the grass taking photos as the kids swoon past me scoring touchdowns, stopping plays, or causing fumbles. I love being the one in the end zone that the kids look at and say "Did you get it?"

That passion carries on into college football. If I can’t watch the local college teams play live, I spend my free time on Saturday Nights and Sunday’s parked in a chair next to my Daddy and his DVR catching up. Call it deep rooted southern tradition. Call it passion for the game. I call it Daddy/daughter bonding time.

On August 25, I watched my son play his first junior varsity game. The pride that swept over me as I watched him score his first touchdown was overwhelming. He has played since he was 7, but every time he takes the field, a part of me steps out there with him. I captured this off his Facebook status as he prepared for this week’s game:

"23 hours I’ll be on the field waiting for that football to be kicked off butterflies in my body but as soon as that ball is in the air they will rush out and the Brighton everyone else knows will leave with them and for the next 2 hours I will be a different person all for my 1 and only true love...FOOTBALL"

Tonight I posted photos from the game, and again my heart skipped a beat when my photos end up as the "profile" photos for the Boys of Fall!

Glossy Accents Tip

2011-09-02T07:30:00.001-04:00

So I had the pleasure of meeting Tim Holtz at one of his workshops back in May. If you have never taken one of his classes - well all I have to say is - WOW! It should be on your bucket list. AWESOME.

I wanted to share with you today a tip that he had for Ranger's "accent" glue lines.
Does your Glossy Accent's Tip look like this?

Are you guilty of trying to unclog the fine tip with a pin or piercing tool? UMM Hand raised - GUILTY!

Well Tim says "If you tap the bottle one time firmly on the table after each use, then gravity forces the glue out of tip and back into the bottle. Your Glossy Accents will NEVER clog again. However, if you pounce twice - then the glue is actually sucked back into the tip and it will clog."

Also do not store your Accent bottles upside down. (I'm guilty) because these glue mediums are designed to be used in large thick quantities, and the glue will dry in the nib.

Hope this tip will ease some of your frustration.

Making Do

2011-08-29T06:00:00.006-04:00

Imagine if you will... I was working on a layout about our July 4th. I had the perfect patterned papers, pictures, and chipboard stickers. It was all laid out- the finishing touch would be three stars, arranged in a visual triangle. I knew just what stars I would use (some funky self-adhesive ones from BasicGrey). When I went to get them.... uh oh. Only two left.

Darn it! Time to make do. I found a random piece of chipboard and cut out a star shape, mimicking the style of the ones I wanted to match. The color was different, so I painted all three pieces "Country Twill"- a color that looks like raw chipboard. I inked the edges and added the stars.

My star isn't exactly the same as the BasicGrey two, but it's close enough. Can you guess which one I made?

From Flamingo Scraps: Moxxie patterned paper, BasicGrey chipboard stars

Other: We R Memory Keepers patterned paper, Bazzill cardstock, EK Success punch, Folk Art paint, Reminisce stickers

Inspired by: Shannon Zickel, scrapbooks etc. August 2011

Mine is the large one. I'm happy with it. Pretty good for making do.

My Many Manufacturer Challenge

2011-08-22T06:00:00.022-04:00

I'm not a very product-heavy designer. My layouts tend to be very simple, with just cardstock, some patterned paper, a little ink, maybe a punch, some letters, and a simple embellishment or two. In that regard, this layout is no different:

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper, Tim Holtz grungeboard

Other: BasicGrey patterned paper, Recollections cardstock, Fiskars border punch, Marvy circle punch, ColorBox ink, Making Memories stamp, Rubber Stampede stamp, Stampin' Up pen, Sketch by Shannon White

But this layout is actually very different from what I usually make. Every component of this layout is from a different manufacturer. In fact, 10 manufacturers (and one sketch artist) are represented on this simple page.

I didn't originally set out to do this. I knew I wanted to work with BasicGrey patterned paper. I happened to have some of the gorgeous Fancy Pants scraps from a previous project still out and I loved how they looked together. I punched some circles from the Fancy Pants using a Marvy punch, then used a Fiskars border punch on Recollections cardstock. As I was picking up my ColorBox ink, I realized that I'd already used six manufacturers without even trying. How many others could I use? I added the Tim Holtz grungeboard and stamped the words "So" (Rubber Stampede) and "Together" (Making Memories). I did my journaling with a Stampin' Up pen. That makes ten!

The layout is based on a sketch from the always-fabulous Shannon White. I rotated it 90 degrees.

I really enjoyed my own little private Many Manufacturer Challenge. I may just have to challenge myself to beat my own record.

Self-Portrait

2011-08-18T07:45:00.000-04:00

I never show photos of myself, and I really don’t know why other than the fact that I’m always the one with camera. So for this week’s share I decided to do a little self-portrait layout.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima: Innoscence 2 flowers, Marion Smith's Trinkets, Bling.

Other: Bo Bunny Razzi Mamma paper, Graphic 45 buttons, Lindy's Stamp Gang, Tim Holtz film strip tape, charms, Houseof3 digital file.

Yep – that is me with the big camera hanging out at a youth sports field taking action shots. I think every child in my area has been photographed by me at least once. For my self-portrait layout I included all my favs.

I used the Bo Bunny Razzi Mama paper for the layout, and then added a spray of my favs. Marion Smith’s Trinkets, Prima bling, and Prima Innoscence 2 Flowers, and of course Tim Holtz’s film strip ribbon.

The transparency at the top was melted with my heat tool to give it a little interest. I got the image from the House of 3 during the 21 day challenge. It has a lot of uplifting phrases to remind me to look at things differently and stimulate creativity.

Have you done a self-portrait? Every now and then it is healthy to let someone else take the photos.

Guest Design Team Summary: Jen & Julie

2011-08-16T07:45:00.002-04:00

We scheduled this to run and it did not.... and I just noticed, so many apologies to Jen and Julie!! In July, we really enjoyed Jen & Julie's blog posts and we hope you did too!! Each month, we post a summary just in case you missed anything and to thank these talented ladies for all their fabulous work!! Up first this month is Jen:

During July, Jen made a gorgeous layout about her Grandma, shared her beautiful cards, showed us an amazing mini album just waiting for photos, and for July's Flamingo Four she made an adorable altered little box!

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel!

This month Julie shared her gorgeous layout of her father's photos, made us laugh with her as she shared her mom's funny story, scrapped her son's love for his sister, and for July's Flamingo Four she made a beautiful fussy cut card!

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?! Go check out Julie's blog!

So we really hope that you enjoyed what Jen & Julie shared with us during July as much as we do! Please go leave them some love if you haven't already!!

Weekend Whimsy: Staying Creative on Vacation

2011-08-13T07:45:00.004-04:00

For the past 11 days, I've been here:

Sea Princess, docked in Victoria B.C.

Dyea, Alaska. Those lumps in the water are salmon jumping.

Tracy Arm Fjord

We had a wonderful vacation aboard the Sea Princess. We traveled round-trip from San Francisco, stopping in Victoria B.C., then Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska. We saw whales, bald eagles, and a grizzly bear. We panned for gold and rode a sled pulled by a team of dogs that included Iditarod veterans. We ate a lot. This was my fourth time cruising to Alaska. I highly recommend Princess Cruises and the Inside Passage in general.

I've never brought crafting supplies with me on a cruise. Taking scrapbook stuff is out of the question- I'd need too many things, I wouldn't have space to work, and I'd risk damaging my supplies. But taking a different sort of small project sounded doable.

For months, I've been wanting to try drawing a mandala. Mandalas are basically abstract designs based on a series of concentric circles. Drawing them is supposed to be relaxing- sort of an organized, calming form of doodling. All you need is paper, a ruler, and a compass. That would be simple to fit in my luggage. And since I wasn't flying, I didn't have to worry that the TSA would consider my compass a lethal weapon. I carried my supplies with me pretty much the entire cruise, so whenever I had a few minutes, I pulled out my stuff.

The first step to making a mandala is to use the ruler to find the center of the paper. Then use the compass to draw a series of concentric circles. There's no rhyme or reason to this- do as many as you want, as close together as you want.

Starting with the inner circle, fill in with doodles. Use circles, triangles, teardrops, waves, whatever, just as long as everything is repeated and symmetric. Keep going until your design is complete. Here's the first one I finished:

And here it is after I colored it:

I have to admit, drawing the mandala was not as relaxing as I'd hoped. I was trying too hard to create something pretty instead of just doodling mindlessly. Coloring it was very relaxing though.

I ended up making two more mandalas. These were much more relaxing. I think that, just like anything, it takes practice before it is familiar enough to be relaxing.

I asked my husband, parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew if they would like to make one and let me show it on the blog. Incredulous looks and semi-polite no-thank-yous. Sigh. Thank goodness for Trevor, who was just as eager as I was to try a new form of art. He'd never used a compass before, so it was especially exciting for him. Here's his mandala:

Have any of you tried mandala? Any other suggestions for staying creative while on vacation?

Dress Forms

2011-08-04T07:45:00.002-04:00

When I was a child I used to love playing with paper dolls. For hours I would sit in the floor and dress, undress and dress again the same paper doll over and over.

Today I have found a new form of paper doll — Tim Holtz's sewing room dress form. I love how a simple piece of chipboard can look so elegant with pieces of scrap material, paper and ribbon. I'm the queen of saving every tiny bit of scrap, and I think you know why now.

When I'm sifting through my scraps I start making these beautiful ladies. I used this pair on altered cigar boxes, but I have used them on cards, mini albums and scrapbook layouts. I think it would be fun to decorate a Christmas tree with them?

Do you play with dolls too?

My Inner Daredevil!

2011-08-01T07:45:00.001-04:00

This layout was done for a challenge over on one of our FAVE sites Sketchy Thursdays! In addition to using the sketch, the project had to use red, orange, and/or yellow, have a summer subject, and have a journaling spot!

I chose one of my all time favorite collections, Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934 (I have been hoarding these last few sheets!), for the colors and the journaling spot. And for the summer theme, I used some pictures from last summer's family vacation to the North Carolina mountains! The flowers were die cut with my sizzix and were stacked with pop tape for dimension. The two smaller pictures are also pop taped for depth!

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps -- Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 collection; Tim Holtz distress ink in Black Soot; Glitz orange bling; Other Supplies -- black glitter alphabets; black cardstock; black paper tape; pop tape; Sizzix flower die.

As the journaling notes, I am a notorious chicken when it comes to thrill rides like rollercoasters and even ferriswheels! But weeks before this trip, my middle brother (who, by the way, is a thrill chicken as well!) started baiting me about going down Sliding Rock!!

When I actually saw Sliding Rock, I really think I was more afraid I was going to slip on the rocks and fall on my face (or other end!) before I got to the sliding part! But just to show my brother, I went down nature's rollercoaster!

Am I glad I did it? -- YES!!!! Would I do it again? -- probably!!!! Will I do the next thing he dares me to do ....... thinking .... still thinking!

But I just may have found my inner Daredevil!!!!!

How about you -- are you a daredevil????

Revisiting the Flamingo Four

2011-07-28T07:45:00.002-04:00

Remember the box and card I made with the supplies from June's Flamingo Four?

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper, Prima ribbon, Prima Say It In Studs

Other: Michaels wooden box, Folk Art paint, Mod Podge

I decided to give it to my goddaughter Kylinn to use as a jewelry box. This meant I needed to make a second one for her sister, my goddaughter Ellia. I wanted it to look similar but with a different color scheme. Here's what I made:

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima Say It In Studs

Other: unknown paper, Michaels wooden box, Folk Art paint, Mod Podge, Offray ribbon

After making the second card and box, I still had a bunch more of the Prima Say it in Studs, plus the rest of the leftover papers and ribbon from the Flamingo Four. So I made some cards. Six, to be exact.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper, Prima ribbon, Prima Say It In Studs

Other:Fiskars stamps, Fiskars border punch, Bazzill cardstock

I used just about every little scrap, as I didn't want any of it to go to waste. These supplies were so fun to work with and I love my new cards.

First Birthdays

2011-07-27T07:45:00.007-04:00

First birthdays are so magical with yummy cake all over such a delicious face. Who could resist these photo ops? Well, not I.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima Madeline Paper Collection - Rosalee, Say It in Pearls & Lace Brown.

Other: Lindy's Stamp Gang Tibetan Poppy Blue & Creme Brule Cream, and Gossamer Gold, Flowers (Received in a RAK not sure where they are from), Tissue Paper, paper doily.

This is a photo I took of my niece Addy at her first birthday party. I wanted to select a paper that would not take away from the photo, so I picked the B side of the Prima Madeline Rosalee paper. I loved how the subtle blues on the borders complimented the blue in the frosting on her face.

I used a paper doily as a mask and sprayed my Lindy's Stamp Gang gently onto the paper. Then I moved the doily to the upper left hand corner to reveal the unsprayed area.

My friend had sent me a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) and it had all the beautiful flowers wrapped in Turquoise tissue paper. The paper was sprayed with a Gossamer Gold and then I cut it into strips and made a bow.

Flamingo Four: Webster's Pages Orange You Beautiful

2011-07-26T07:45:00.001-04:00

Welcome to this month's.... Flamingo Four!! Are you ready to see what we made?!

July's Flamingo Four items are:

1. Webster's Pages Orange You Beautiful Patterned Paper
2. American Crafts Textured Cardstock in Clay
3. Cheep Trims Ivory Crocheted Trim
4. Prima Mini Me Flowers

All items available at Flamingo Scraps (limited quantities on hand!). We all started with these supplies and the instructions to make something using all four items. Any other items could be added to complete the project.

Are you ready to see what we made?!

Jen's take:
I decided to use the chosen supplies to alter a little box that I have had sitting in my craft room forever. First I covered the outside bottom of the box with the solid colored cardstock and inked the edges. I lined the inside with one side of the pattern paper and used the other side to decorate the cover of the box. I put the beautiful lace trim on the inside of the box as well as the bottom edge of the lid. The butterflies were cut from a punch and one was fussy cut from the pattern paper. the inside of the lid as also lined with the pattern paper.

Extra supplies used: Martha Stewart Butterfly punch. Brown brads for the flower centers.

Julie's take:
I did a lot of fussy cutting from the Webster's Pages paper and I used the cardstock as my card base. The only thing I added was pearls, white cardstock for the inside sentiment and a SRM "Congratulations" sticker :):):):):):):):) Ohhhhhh... I also used 3D dots to raise the house, tall flower and butterfly on the front :)

Suzanne's take:

I am busted! The Webster's Pages paper just begged "PLAY with me!!!!" So I did, just play! I made these embellies using all sorts of techniques and mediums -- fussy cutting, paper piecing, UTEE, glossy accents in clear and sepia, Ranger Enamel, pop tape, glubers, glitter and glaze pens, inks, and stickles! I also used some bling and Tim Holtz and spellbinder die cuts! I learned several things -- I do not have a very steady hand as evidenced with the enamel; I need new pens; I need to remember to revisit older techniques more often; and I need practice, practice, practice!!!

But boy, oh boy, did I have a fun day!!!

So here we are at the end of another Flamingo Four and we hope you enjoyed it! We hope that we have inspired you and we'd love to see what you make if you do, so please stop by and share it with us!

Great Friends Think Alike!!!

2011-07-25T07:45:00.064-04:00

From the time Teresa moved to Crescent City in the fifth grade until high school graduation, we were practically inseparable! We lived only blocks apart and did just about everything together! As we grew older, college, family moves, marriages, children, etc. kept us from keeping in touch as we would have liked. But through the miracles of Facebook and a class reunion last August, we reconnected and found that that bond we had forged all those years ago was still strong!! We even found out that we were both scrapbookers!

Teresa and her hubby came through Palatka in May, a few days before my birthday for a wonderful, but all too brief visit on their way to a cruise vacay. I had made a layout for her -- entitled Besties!

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps -- Lily Bee This and That collection paper and stickers; American Crafts Thickers; Tim Holtz Distress Ink; Other Supplies -- vintage book pages, wooden button, embroidery floss, Sizzix die.

Inspired by a Becky Fleck Page Map sketch, the layout had pictures of us together at our High School Graduation and at Homecoming our senior year, along with a picture of us taken in the Flamingo Scraps storeroom last August!

Lo and Behold!!! Teresa handed me a birthday gift and said, "you are not going to believe this!" I opened it and tears came to my eyes!!!!

There we were -- the same picture from August and a picture of us when we were cheerleaders together our senior year!!! She had even used some supplies she had gotten at Flamingo Scraps!!!!!

The This and That sticker on my layout reads "good friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're always there." The journaling on Teresa's LO reads "a touchstone for my soul, a bridge across time, beautiful friend of my heart, I'm so grateful for you, days fly, months become years, and through them all, your friendship is with me."

I am blessed!!!

Shabby Chic Cigar Box

2011-07-22T07:45:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I shared with you the altered cigar boxes that I've been doing for a swap on Facebook. Today I want to give you a closer look at Shabby Chic box #2.

When I think of Shabby Chic I think of pastel colors and a project that looks as though it has weathered time. A softer side of grunge. Most people think of Shabby Chic and they reach for pink, blue, and yellow, but I wanted something different. I decided to use the Hollywood Vogue collection from Webster's Pages. I love the elegance of this paper line and the colors offered that hint of the unexpected I was wanting with its peach, lavender, and green color pallet.

Top View of the Box

From Flamingo Scraps: Webster's Pages: Hollywood Vogue paper, Prima: Alabaster Roses, Rosebuds, and Tim Holtz vintage photo distress ink; Ranger Glossy Accents.

Other: Kiser Krafts: Dressform, Feathers, Tim Holtz: Film Strips, picket fence crackle paint, bling flowers, floral bling sprays, Lindy's Stamp Gang Cockabells Coral.

Side View:

Inside View:

the mirror was cut from the Forever Young Cricut Cartridge, and the Chandelier is a cell phone bling sticker

I know the person who recieves this box will treasure it forever. I just love giving gifts like this.

Guest DT Julie Tucker-Wolek: The Best Brother Ever

2011-07-21T07:45:00.015-04:00

I made my latest layout for Flamingo Scraps using Emma’s Shoppe from Crate Paper! I just love love love this line!

My title reads: “The best Brother ever” and the journaling reads: “Adam made this for Brookie with her old blocks – Easter 2011.”

From Flamingo Scraps: Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe Collection patterned papers and chipboard accents

I had a lot of fun adding the alphas right into the ‘crossword’ paper like I was doing a real puzzle!

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?! Go check out Julie's blog!

Upcycled Gift Card Holder

2011-07-20T06:00:00.003-04:00

When I give a gift card, I like to place it in a homemade card or gift card holder. It helps make an impersonal gift much more personal. Here's one I made during the Fiskateers CHA-in-Spirit crop that I've been hosting this week:

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper, Prima flower, Prima rhinestones

Other: ColorBox ink, Offray ribbon, Chevy's gift card, toilet paper roll

It was quick and easy to make. Even better, it's been upcycled from a surprising item- an empty toilet paper roll! This is not my original idea. I'm not sure where I first heard of it, but if you google it you can find many variations. Here's how I made mine:

Step 1: Use a bone folder to flatten an empty toilet paper roll. Use a very strong adhesive to secure the bottom end of the tube closed. I used the double-sided tape in the picture and it held for a few hours, then popped loose. I tried a few other things and eventually used a glue gun.

Step 2: Wrap the tube in patterned paper. I recommend lots of adhesive for a strong hold. Use a circle punch to create the indentations in the top.

Step 3: Ink the edges and embellish as desired.

Step 4: Create a tag from matching patterned paper. Add a ribbon and insert inside tube.

Step 5: Use a Glue Dot to attach the gift card to the tag. It's ready to give!

Here's one more that I made. This one is for a baby shower.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper and elephant accent

Other: Stampin' Up ink, Offray ribbon, Babies R Us gift card, toilet paper roll

I love how these turned out! I can definitely see making more for future gift-giving occasions.

Guest DT Jen Unger: Just Because

2011-07-19T07:45:00.015-04:00

Sometimes I don’t have a purpose for some of the things I create other than “just because”. The Graphic 45 Once upon a Springtime paper was just begging me to make something out of it even though I don’t know what I will do with it in the future, so this mini album was just for fun. I used the die cut sheet that looks like doors or windows to make my pages by punching out the little window and pasting the frame to some chipboard, then cut the chipboard out of the window areas. I made three pages like this and three plain rectangle pages, bound it with my Cinch and decorated the pages.

From Flamingo Scraps: Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime paper and die cuts; Prima E-line Pearls; Prima flowers and leaves; Prima Say-it-in-Pearls; Glimmer Mist (Vintage Pink, Caribbean Blue and English Ivy) - used to color the flowers

Other Supplies: Organza Ribbon

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel!

HUGS!!!!

2011-07-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!!!!! Today, I want to share a little (literally!) something I made for my Mom! When I was younger, especially when attending an all girls college in South Carolina, I thought hugs were a peculiarly Southern thing. But now I know there is a hug revolution sweeping the country!

Hugs are really important to my Mom -- she sends cyber hugs over the phone, and if there has been a hug card made, she has found it and sent it to me and my brothers! I wanted to send one back, but being a self respecting paper crafter, I just couldn't buy a card, so I made this tag!

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps -- Fancy Pants' It's the Little Things collection, Lily Bee's This and That collection, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tim Holtz Distress Stickles, Pink Paislee Chipboard Alpha; other supplies -- Sizzix paper doll dies, Tim Holtz tag die.

I reached really way back in time to these Sizzix paper doll dies I have had forever and used a combination of Fancy Pants' It's the Little Things and Lily Bee's This and That paper collections!

Hugs to all of y'all and thanks for looking!

Guest DT Julie Tucker-Wolek: Funny Story

2011-07-14T07:45:00.023-04:00

Today I wanted to share another layout I made using Crate Paper’s Portrait collection! I just love this collection it’s not just for weddings! I recently found some old photos of my Mom, when her and my Dad visited Niagara Falls. I thought the photos would look awesome on this paper…then I made a discovery when I turned over the photo with my Mom in it, for she had written something on the back that struck me as very funny! So, my layout took a turn and I turned this into a “Funny Story!”

From Flamingo Scraps: Crate Paper Portrait Collection patterned papers, accent cuts and chipboard accents

My journaling: “She will kill me of telling this story! On the back of this photo, my Mom wrote – “Me with a wig – when you’re camping, you have to resort to something to look good!” I LOVE this story! Must have worked – I was born at the end of the year this photo was taken!” ~~1971 Niagara Falls

Thanks again to Flamingo Scraps for having me this month!

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?! Go check out Julie's blog!

Guest DT Jen Unger: Cards

2011-07-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Sweetness patterned papers and Element Stickers (pink ticket); Prima mini roses and Fairy Tale roses; Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime die cut tag sheet

Other Supplies: Bazzill and Stampin Up Cardstock; Spellbinders nestibility die Labels

One thing I like to always have on hand are cards. You never know when you will need one at a moments notice. I was looking through my paper and came across this line from Pink Paislee called Sweetness. The two papers I used were Sweetest Day and Pretty Lace and I used them on both cards.

For the first card, I adhered the lace paper onto cream colored cardstock, then from the floral paper I fussy cut a portion of the flowers, trimmed it to fit the side of the card and raised the one side (towards the center) on 3D dots and glued the bottom and side edge to the card. The frame was cut from the same cardstock with the Labels Nestability die. I stamped a greeting on the pink part of the floral paper, adhered it to the backside of the floral paper (yellow and brown damask) and placed my frame on top. The finishing touches were roses on the top of the frame and a little bow on the bottom.

The second card I used the trimmed off portion of my fussy cut flowers and adhered it to the edge of my card. I then fussy cut the pink lace from the Pretty Lace paper and covered the inside and opposite edge of the card. The picture I used is from Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime die cut tag sheet that I colored a bit to match my card and raised on 3D dots. Again, to finish it I added roses, a small bow and a ticket.

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel!

Layout Challenge

2011-07-13T07:45:00.000-04:00

I participated in a layout challenge with some of my friends and wanted to share with you what I created.

We had 1 hour to complete the challenge. So I was limited to supplies that I had on hand, and photos that were printed. This layout didn’t work with anything I had on hand. But there was no way I was passing up on a challenge. I bring this up because I want to give you another perspective to this drawing, and show you how you can take inspiration from one, and with a few changes, make it your own.

Prima Layout Challenge Drawing from their blog

Notice how the photo is landscape and the elements on the page work around that landscaped photo. This layout was just not going to work with the supplies I had. My photo was Portrait, and my paper design didn't allow for some of the layering in the same places. So I improvised.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima: Pistachio and Parfait from the Madeline Paper Collection; Monarch Collection - Bling - Flower Center Diamond, Say It In Pearls Collection - Fairy Wings with Flowers - Cream; Glimmer Mist tutty fruity.
Other: Ribbon, Doily, Cricut Home Accents Cartridge "family", EK Success Punches, Martha Stewart Punches for the borders and small paper butterflies, Rosette Trim for the Large Butterflies, and feathers. Sizzix Butterfly die cut.

By taking the same drawing and flipping it I was able to incorporate the elements and still maintain the integrity of the drawing.

When you look at layout drawings don't immediately dismiss them. Try flipping the drawing, or turning it 90 degrees. Looking at it from a different perspective may inspire you and give you more layout possibilities.

Geocaching Evangelists

2011-07-12T10:45:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, geocaching is one of our family's favorite hobbies. We love searching for hidden treasures, getting out in nature, and exploring new places. Since we started geocaching last fall, we've brought 32 people with us for their first geocaching experience. Rather than scrap each and every trip with friends and family, I put the photos in a folder as I took them, then set them aside.

After several months, I went through the pictures and printed six. I chose a variety of posed vs. candid and single family vs. group. Together, the photos tell a more complete story about us sharing our love of geocaching than the photos from any one trip could do.

I refer to us as Geocaching Evangelists:

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima patterned paper

Other: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey letter stickers, Fiskars stamp, Colorbox ink

Anyone else want us to take you out geocaching for the first time? As Geocaching Evangelists, we're more than happy to do so!

Weekend Whimsy: Do you pin?

2011-07-09T07:45:00.001-04:00

Pinning is all the rage.... have you heard?! I'm totally addicted. If you haven't seen Pinterest yet... go check it out!

You'll find great stuff like this:

Source: scrapbookandcardstodaymag.typepad.com via Amanda on Pinterest

And this:

Source: kellypurkey.typepad.com via Amanda on Pinterest

And this:

Source: lovintheoven.com via Amanda on Pinterest

If you already are pinning... let me know, I'm always looking for more boards to follow!

If you haven't joined yet, just send me an e-mail and I'll send you an invite!! :)

Daily Junk and Daily Junque!!!

2011-07-08T07:53:00.000-04:00

If you are on Facebook, you probably got one of these collages of your most frequently used status posting words! When I saw mine, I immediately thought it would be fun to scrap! And when I saw Pink Paislee's FABULOUS collection Daily Junque, I knew I had found the perfect paper! The words and images on the paper like "Write," "Accumulated," and the vintage typewriter, even did my journaling for me!

Supplies used from Flamingo Scraps -- Pink Paislee Daily Junque paper collection, Thickers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink; other supplies -- black cardstock.

This is a very simple layout, but I wanted the focus to be on the status words. The collage is mounted on black cardstock to make it pop. The strip of Daily Junque on the left is scallop cut and inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Soot. I used Thickers for the title.

Check out the Daily Junque Collection! I know you will love it too! (and pssssst!, it is on sale at Flamingo Scraps!).

Thanks for looking!!!

Guest DT Julie Tucker-Wolek: His Photos Inspire Me

2011-07-07T07:45:00.036-04:00

I wanted to share a layout today that I made using Crate Paper’s Portrait collection! I just love this collection and love that it can be used for more than just weddings!

From Flamingo Scraps: Crate Paper Portrait Collection patterned papers, accent cuts, and vintage lace

For my layout, I chose photos that my Dad took back in 1970! He is an amazing photographer, and I have always admired his work!

My title reads: “His photos inspire me.” And my journaling reads: “No digital camera, no DSLR, no photoshop, no fancy editing programs – period. My Dad didn’t need any of that to make beautiful photos, he just made them. He has the eye for this – and for this I truly admire him. Eli Reeves – 10/1970”

I also have recently loved making rolled paper flowers, like I have used on here! Real fun to make and they add some amazing dimension to your pages!

Thanks again to Flamingo Scraps for having me this month as their GDT!

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?! Go check out Julie's blog!

50th Anniversary! Butterfly Garden Part Deux!

2011-07-06T08:17:00.000-04:00

This photo of my dear great grandparents, Mamaw and Papaw, was taken on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1954. John Earl Williams and Addie Lavinia Powell were married on August 14, 1904 and were the parents of six children. I remember, as a small girl, visiting them in Chickasha, OK -- on one such visit the local paper published a picture of my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, and myself, with the caption Four Generations!

Pink Paislee's beautiful collection Butterfly Garden was once again my choice to highlight this treasured photo. I used a Page Map from Becky Fleck as the inspiration for the design.

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps -- Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Paper Collection, Butterfly Garden Metal Charm, Maya Road Crystal and Heart Trinket Pins, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Ranger Stickles, Prima lace trim; other supplies -- miscellaneous bling and ephemera, cat's eye ink.

Butterflies cut and punched from the gorgeous patterned papers highlight the layout. Bling, Black Diamond Stickles, and Dragonfly Black Ink were used to add texture and detail to the flutterers, which were also pop-taped for added depth. The scallop cut strip and photo mat were inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peeled Paint. Maya Road crystal and heart stickpins, a Butterfly Garden metal butterfly charm, miscellaneous bling and ephemera from my stash, and Prima lace trim finish out the layout!

Thanks for looking!!!

Guest DT Jen Unger: Grandma

2011-07-05T07:45:00.019-04:00

Going through my photos I found these two pictures of my Grandma Adrian. One of her in her younger years, surrounded by children and the last formal picture taken of her before she passed away. I imagine the younger picture of her was the way most people saw her with a child in one arm and several children around her as she had 16 children. She was a very creative person and did so many beautiful detailed crafts. I created this page in Basic Grey Curio with her creativity in mind as this style was very much what she loved, floral and lacy.

From Flamingo Scraps: Basic Grey Curio- Camelia paper; Prima Felt Gate; Prima Velvet Heirloom Rose Leaves, meadow; Prima mini roses and fairy tale roses; and Prima e-line pearls
Other Supplies: Martha Stewart punch

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel!

Getting to Know Jen & Julie!!!

2011-07-05T07:45:00.001-04:00

Please join us in welcoming our July Guest Design Team -- Jen and Julie!! Jen will be here on Tuesdays and Julie will be here on Thursdays this month. So we asked them both to answer a few questions so we could all get to know them a little better...

Hi, my name's Jen Unger! I’m a fairly shy person although I have definitely come out of my shell in the last three years. I currently work part time at my LSS in Hague, Saskatchewan, Canada. I am best known to my family and friends as the creative one.

Why do you scrapbook?
I love to scrapbook mostly for the creativity it gives me in recording our memories, I’ve always been a creative person. And even though I have a hard time journaling, looking through scrapbook albums of the past, its so nice to read who the people are and what the picture meant.

What is the one scrappy item you just can't live without?
The one scrappy item that I can’t live without is my ink, I have to use it some way on every page whether its stamping an image or mostly just inking the edges to get an aged look.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I think I would be a green crayon, its not necessarily my favorite color but it is natural and happy and I love being surrounded by the greenness of nature.

Do you like your handwriting and do you use it on your layouts?
When I take the time to write neatly I like my handwriting, but most of the time I don’t like my handwriting although I still use it on my layouts simply because one day someone like my kids or grandkids might find it interesting.

What is your favorite item in the Flamingo Scraps store today?
My favorite item in the Flamingo Scraps store right now is Pink Paislee’s Butterfly Garden paper.

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel!

My name is Julie Tucker-Wolek, and out in the cyber world, I am known as the SMILEY girl as I leave a lot of SMILES everywhere I visit! :):):):):):) I have been scrapbooking for almost 14 years when my son was born, but really got 'serious' about 5 years ago! :) I don't really think I have a style, I can

be clean and simple, to all over the place, I feel that my style is ever changing, and I am okay with that as I am never afraid to try new things! :):):):):):):):) I live in Phoenix, Arizona (home of the brown dirt and HOT temperatures!) and I am married to Brian and I have a son named Adam, and a daughter named Brooke!

Why do you scrapbook?

I scrapbook because I want to carry on my family legacy! :) I want my kids to remember the fun things we did, and also know their past family members, as I scrap a lot of my parents and grandparents photos. :):):)

What is the one scrappy item you just can't live without?
My paper trimmer! LOVE IT! :)

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
PINK! :):):)

Do you like your handwriting and do you use it on your layouts?
I actually love my handwriting! :) I write on all of my layouts, either in full journaling, or at least writing the person who is on the layout and the date. :)

What is your favorite item in the Flamingo Scraps store today?
Anything CRATE PAPER! :) I am totally ADDICTED to Crate! :)

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?! Go check out Julie's blog!

Please join us this month to see their fabulous work... we can't wait!!

And please check back at noon today for Jen's first post!!

Guest Design Team Summary: Monique & Celina

2011-07-04T19:45:00.002-04:00

In June, we really enjoyed Monique & Celina's blog posts and we hope you did too!! Each month, we post a summary just in case you missed anything and to thank these talented ladies for all their fabulous work!! Up first this month is Monique:

During June, Monique made some "Fetching" projects, shared her beautiful family altered art, showed us some gorgeous fussy cutting using some Daisy Buckets paper, and for June's Flamingo Four she made a fantastic thank you card!

More of Monique's work can be seen here on her blog!

This month Celina inspired us with her gorgeous wedding layout, made a sentimental layout of her husband for Father's Day, shared a beautiful layout about lucky ladybugs and, for June's Flamingo Four, she made a beautiful layout about her daughter!

More of Celina's work can be seen here on her blog!

So we really hope that you enjoyed what Monique and Celina shared with us during June as much as we do! Please go leave them some love if you haven't already!! Tomorrow, we will be back to introduce our July Guest Design Team and share their first post for the month!! :)

Altered Cigar Boxes

2011-07-04T07:45:00.002-04:00

Lately I have been participating in a monthly swap for altered cigar boxes, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you guys today. This is what the “naked” box looks like. This box is 8x8 and was in the unfinished wood section at your craft department stores. Flamingo Scraps has lots of yummy products for decorating them.

April - Shabby Chic

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima Annalee Poetry and Romance Papers, rose buds in peach, fairytale roses in aqua, monarch bling centers; Tim Holtz distress ink antique linen.

Other: Tim Holtz – Sewing Room die, Distress Crackle Paint Picket Fence; pearl floral springs, Cricut Cartridge Forever Young (mirror), String pearls, seam binding, vintage hymnal music paper and lace.

May – 1920’s Fashion Couture – color challenge jewel tones

From Flamingo Scraps: Webster’s Pages Hollywood Feather Fashion paper; Prima Alabaster Roses, Trellis Roses white, and pink rosebuds.

Other: Feathers, string pearls, bling, fabric, lace, Tim Holtz – Ornate Plate, Sewing Room Die and buttons.

June – Sewing Box – color challenge modern retro chic

From Flamingo Scraps: Tim Holtz distress ink Broken China, stick pins, Glimmer Mist Tutty Fruity, and trim

Other: Sewing kit, frame, felt, beads, sewing ephemera, buttons, frame, and fabric

These boxes are gorgeous keepsakes, and are great for storing mini albums, or fill them with goodies for a friend’s birthday or Christmas present. Christmas will be here before you know it. Start planning now to alter one of these cute boxes for a special someone this holiday season.

Guest DT Celina Matthews: Lady Luck

2011-06-30T07:45:00.009-04:00

Hi, everyone! I wanted to share this page with you all because it reminds me of summer and all its glory. The photos are of some ladybugs my family and I saw in our flower beds and one that happened to choose my son's hand to land on. In my family we believe ladybugs are good luck and so this was a happy sight for us. I used Webster's Pages' Spring Market Collection for this page because the berry bushels, gingham patterns, and bright flowers remind me of summer.

From Flamingo Scraps: Webster's Pages Spring Market Collection patterned papers, Bloomers, Flowers and Sparklers.

In this close up you can see the fabric bloomers, sparklers, and a flower from Webster's Pages, along with some Yellow stickles I used to dot around the die cut. Webster's Pages coordinates their papers and embellishments beautifully, so I love picking and choosing what I am going to do with their products.

More of Celina's work can be seen here on her blog!

JRR Hill Family -- Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden!

2011-06-29T07:45:00.003-04:00

I am really fortunate to have lots of vintage photographs of my family. And when I first saw the shabby elegant Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Collection, I just knew it would be perfect to highlight some of my treasured old photos!

Supplies from Flamingo Scraps -- Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden patterned paper, Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Metal Butterfly Charms (sold out), Graphic 45 Staples Stickers, Prima Bling, Prima Bronte Blooms in Powder Blue, Ranger Black Diamond and Cinnamon Stickles; other supplies -- miscellaneous bling, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch, miscellaneous glittered alphabet

The elderly gentleman with the long beard is my great great grandfather, James R R Hill. We haven't yet figured out what the two Rs stand for! The man in the long tie and the woman with the braid on her blouse are my great grandparents, Arthur H. and Della Dutton Hill, and the little boy standing to the left of the pram is my grandfather, Arthur Milburn Hill! James and his wife Nancy Knowles had 12 children! Bless Nancy's heart, I have a portrait of her and she looks like she had 12 children -- she is nicknamed the Ugly Lady!

This detail shows the double mat, inked in Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Peeled Paint and a cluster of punched butterflies punctuated with the Metal Butterfly Garden Charm.

This detail shows one of the gorgeous images from the patterned paper that I cut out, inked in Peeled Paint Distress Ink, and highlighted with Prima Bling and stickles!

I loved working with the colors and patterns of the Butterfly Garden Collection and will be sharing another vintage layout in the collection soon!

Guest DT Monique Nicole Fox: I Have Been Cuttin' Up!

2011-06-28T07:45:00.047-04:00

I love patterned paper. When I see some awesome paper my mind starts thinking about cuttin' it up. The minute I saw the Daisy Bucket Posh Posies Collection at Flamingo Scraps, I had to add it to my basket. It was screaming "Cut Me"!

I cut up the "Chic" and "Swanky" papers to make 2 cards and 1 layout. Here it is....

From Flamingo Scraps: Daisy Bucket Designs Posh Posies patterned papers

Other supplies: Studio 18 bling; Misc flowers; Hampton Art/Studio G "Happy Birthday" Stamp

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima Love Letter Roses Jude; Daisy Bucket Designs Posh Posies patterned papers

Other supplies: Studio G "Happy Everything" stamp; Studio 18 bling; lace; ribbon; Halcraft large white blank card

From Flamingo Scraps: Daisy Bucket Designs Posh Posies patterned papers

Other supplies: Greenbrier Intl 8 inch heart doily; Studio 18 bling;, misc flowers; buttons; blue cardstock; Studio G stamp "Beautiful"

More of Monique's work can be found here on her blog!!

Circle Punches

2011-06-27T07:45:00.001-04:00

I don't own a lot of punches. They are bulky and hard to store, so I am extremely selective about the few that I have. If a punch isn't a multi-tasker, there's no way I'm keeping it. A friend once gave me a cow punch. It was cute, but I can't imagine any situation in which I'd need a cow punch, let alone enough different ways to justify keeping it.

I have three circle punches. One is 2.5", one is 1.5", and the last one is 1/2". I use them often. And just as often, I wish I had a 3", a 2" and a 1". I'd definitely be willing to devote the storage space to those, especially since I'm no longer hanging onto things like the little (never)-used cow punch.

Technically, I have a few more circle punches. My Crop-a-Dile punches 1/8" and 3/16". My desktop 3-hole punch is 5/16" and my single hole-punch is 1/4".

Here is a card I made from the scraps from my latest layout.

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Ranger ink, Colorbox ink, Penny Black stamp, Rubber Stampede stamp

I used my 1/2" circle punch once and my 1/4" hole punch numerous times. How many can you count?

Answer: I used the 1/4" inch hole punch 26 times! Now that is a versatile punch!

I love how easy it is to get such different looks from a single tool. I'm sure I didn't even scratch the surface of how a single hole punch can be used on a card.

Weekend Whimsy: Trevor's Zoo-themed Birthday

2011-06-25T07:45:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I love planning themed parties! This year, Trevor chose a zoo theme for his birthday. We always have two parties for Trevor's birthday- an outdoor BBQ for family, then a separate party for his friends.

Unfortunately, this year it was raining on the day of the BBQ, so we had to move the party indoors. We decorated the house with homemade lions, pandas, monkeys, and giraffes. I made a banner using animal alphabet letters that I found at Goodnight Stories.

We played a rousing game of Pin the Banana on the Monkey.

(My husband Steve was clearly not the winner.)

We did a word search that had a hidden message inside.

I made a small error when I created the word search. From now on, "elephany" is a valid word in family Scrabble games.

We played Zoo Animal Memory. I revealed 20 stuffed animals and gave everyone two minutes to memorize them. Then I covered them up and everyone had to write down which ones they remembered.

The kids did two crafts- first, they used zoo stamps and stickers to decorate plain white treat bags, then they made Zoo Animal Shrinky Dinks. I printed out some zoo animal shapes, which the kids traced onto shrink plastic. They colored in their designs, cut them out, and punched a hole. Everyone gathered around the oven to watch the magic!

Next, it was time to break the Zebra Pinata. I'd planned to do this outdoors, but because of the rain we ended up in the garage.

While the kids were breaking the pinata, a few adults stayed inside to hide candy and presents for our traditional candy hunt.

Finally, we all enjoyed some giraffe cake.

For the party with Trevor's friends, we kept things a bit more simple. We played lots of rounds of Animal Bingo.

We played a simpler version of Animal Memory.

We used the same animal alphabet from his banner to make goodie bags.

And we served cupcakes inspired by Betty Crocker.

I had a great time planning Trevor's zoo-themed parties! It was a really easy theme (in contrast to the Maze Party I did last year!) and it turned out really well. Most importantly, Trevor loved them.

Flamingo Four: Prima Coquette Collection

2011-06-24T07:45:00.014-04:00

Welcome to this month's.... Flamingo Four!! Are you ready to see this month's items?!

June's Flamingo Four items are:

1. Prima Coquette Collection "Starlet"
2. Prima Coquette Collection "Vanity"
3. Prima glitter black ribbon
4. Prima Say It In Studs

Squeee! I love getting scrappy stuff to play with and when I got the Flamingo Four items I got really happy! The purple papers are gorgeous and I have a thing for polka dots, so these were so much fun for me to use. I decided to scrap a photo of my eldest daughter since June is her birth month and the colors remind me of her bubbly personality.

I used the Flamingo Four papers along with paper from DCWV's Mariposa Collection and the Pink Paislee 365 Degrees Collection, and some black cardstock. I used turquoise trim and green polka dot ribbon from my stash with the black sparkly ribbon from the Flamingo Four items to make a border.

Then I used the black ribbon to make a Loopty Loop Flower which I have a tutorial for on my blog.

The purple roses are Love Letter Roses from Prima and the fabric roses are bloomers from Webster's Pages. I used green mini roses from Prima as well. And I added some Prima Bling Flower Centers from the Flamingo Four items and some Ranger Liquid Pearl flourishes for some sparkle.

Monique's take:

Monique made this gorgeous card!

Cindy's take:

I was so excited when I opened the package containing the Flamingo Four- purple, silver and black is one of my favorite color combinations!

I started with an unfinished wooden box from Michaels' dollar bin. I painted the whole thing black, including the gold hinges. Then I used Folk Art's Extreme Glitter over the black.

I cut the two Prima papers to fit in the center area and attached the ribbon across the top. I used about a dozen coats of Mod Podge to seal it. Finally, I used one of the Prima embellishments on top. I whipped up a coordinating card.

Here's a closer look at the box. I really like how it turned out!

Other supplies: Folk Art paints, Mod Podge, Michaels wooden box

So here we are at the end of another Flamingo Four and we hope you enjoyed it! Please come back and join us on the 15th of next month to see what we made with a new batch of four goodies from Flamingo Scraps! We hope that we have inspired you and we'd love to see what you make if you do, so please stop by and share it with us!

Guest DT Celina Matthews: Father & Son

2011-06-23T07:45:00.015-04:00

To celebrate Father's Day this June (19th), I wanted to create a page of my husband with our son. My hubby is such a wonderful dad and although our son is our third child, there is a special bond between them. Maybe it's because he's our only son or maybe it's because he is my husband's namesake, but whatever the reason, they are very close.

When I saw this Webster's Pages Time of My Life paper from the Ladies & Gents Collection, I knew it would be perfect for this project. I then chose a coordinating paper (Webster's Pages Framed Beauty) to go along with it. The title letters are from my stash, which I colored with Lettuce Alcohol Ink.

I fussy cut the clocks from the paper and glued it over the second paper then added the rest of the Time paper to the other side.

That side of the paper is inked using various masks by Tattered Angels and Tim Holtz, and Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass. I then stamped clocks using various stamps from my stash and Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, and Broken glass. The turquoise and green trims are from Webster's Pages as are the flowers, which I misted using homemade mist of water, Distress Ink re-inkers in Broken China and Antique Linen, and perfect pearl powders. The sparkler stones are from Webster's as well. I then finished up the page with some faux stitching with a Sharpie marker.

More of Celina's work can be seen here on her blog!

Guest DT Monique Nicole Fox: Gimmie an "S"!

2011-06-21T07:45:00.021-04:00

Gimme a "S" for sweetness. Pink Paislee sure embodied some sweetness when they created the Sweetness line!

This line inspired me to make a mother and son creation with some wood, a Sweetness heart die cut, ribbon and flowers.

Here is what I started out with........

Are you ready for some sweetness? This sweet creation is called "Family".

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Sweetness patterned papers and canvas borders

Other Supplies: misc flowers won from Tara Orr; Ashland spring floral bushes; sheer ribbon; Greenbrier Intl wood word "Family"; Studio 18 rhinestone strass

More of Monique's work can be found here on her blog!!

Fancy Pants -- It's The Little Things with Marion!

2011-06-17T07:45:00.023-04:00

In November of last year, I road tripped to She Scrapbooks with dear friend and Flamingo Scraps Design Team Member, Tonya Gibbs, to take classes with the fabulous and talented Marion Smith!!!! I'm not sure whether we laughed more or scrapped more -- our table was labeled the "bad" table!! It was so much fun to meet Marion and to meet a number of ladies in person that we had come to know online from Marion's Live With Prima Shows!!!

I feel a little like I'm cheating, using Fancy Pants' It's The Little Things to scrap a Prima experience! But I used Prima bling so that makes it OK, right???? And I had been dying to use It's The Little Things, one of my favorite collections of all time!!!!

Supplies used from Flamingo Scraps -- Fancy Pants It's The Little Things paper collection, Prima bling, American Crafts Thickers; other supplies -- black bling strips, Tim Holtz clip stickpin, cat's eye ink.

This collection has such fabulous colors and patterns just begging to be layered and combined! To pick up the shapes of the flowers, I scallop cut the striped pattern and fussy cut the scallop on the center strip. All the edges were inked in a soft greenish blue. The main title is in Thickers and I used a Tim Holtz clip stickpin to hold the small journaling block. I highlighted the pictures with Prima Say It In Crystals corners and some strips of miscellaneous black bling!

It was a really fun weekend and a great scrapping experience!!!!

Suzanne

Guest DT Celina Matthews: Man and Wife

2011-06-16T07:45:00.012-04:00

Hello! This is my first layout as a Guest Design Team Member for Flamingo Scraps and I decided to take it into consideration that this is the month of June; the traditional month for weddings, Father's Day, the start of summer vacation, and my eldest daughter's birthday.

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology collection patterned papers; Antique Linen Distress Ink; Prima bling flourishes and flowers

Other Supplies: doilies; lace; white Perfect Pearls powder; Recollections flowers; Petaloo flowers; Tim Holtz flowers; White Opal Liquid Pearls; American Crafts Thickers in LAX

For my first page, 'Man and Wife,' I scrapped a vintage photo of one of my great-aunts getting married in the early 1950's. I love the cut of her dress and her groom's tuxedo. I got the inspiration for this page from a challenge asking for a crème monochromatic color scheme with a twist of being vintage. When I looked for photos to scrap, this one screamed vintage and softer colors to me. The papers I used are from the Pink Paislee Parisian Anthology Collection, which I then inked with Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then placed some similarly inked doilies under the photo mat. The lace strips are from a roll of lace I bought at a big-box retailer that are misted with a solution of Antique Linen Distress Ink re-inker, water, and white Perfect Pearls powder.

The lace flower is also misted with this solution. The flower was made by sewing a straight stitch on one of the lace trim's edges and pulling the string to make ruffles then adding a pearl button for the center with adhesive. The rhinestone flourishes are from Prima which I cut into sections to use around the page. The other flowers are from Recollections, Prima, Petaloo, and Tim Holtz.

Here is a close up of the lace and the White Opal liquid pearls I added over the doilies and throughout the page.

The title letters are Thickers in LAX and painted with the same White opal liquid pearls to give them a softer finish. I also accentuated the oval frame on the paper with liquid pearls.

This was such a fun opportunity to create a page for my family's heritage album. I hope that it inspires you all!

More of Celina's work can be seen here on her blog!

Guest DT Monique Nicole Fox: Pink Paislee Papers Sure Are "Fetching!"

2011-06-14T07:45:00.001-04:00

When I think of Pink Paislee, I think "fetching". Their patterned papers are so "fetching" that I bought the last of the "Fetching" line from Flamingo Scraps. They do have lots of other Pink Paislee lines though.

Here is a card and a layout I made with the Pink Paislee "Charming" and "Appealing" patterned paper from the Fetching line.

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Fetching patterned papers; Prima Flower Love Letter Roses Jude

Other Supplies: Halcraft blank white card; sheer ribbon; Studio G stamp "Happy Everything"

From Flamingo Scraps: Pink Paislee Fetching patterned papers; Prima Love Letter Roses Jude

Other supplies: sheer ribbon; doilies; MAMBI "sweet" rhinestones

More of Monique's work can be found here on her blog!!

Bling Rings

2011-06-13T07:45:00.002-04:00

Bling rings are all the rage right now, and are fun accessories. When I first saw the Brooch Brads for the Parisian Anthology line I immediately thought about making a ring. If you buy two packs, you can make a ring and matching earrings. The bonus is they come in two different colors smoke, and multi-color. Flamingo Scraps still has a large selection of these in the store, but you better get them while supplies last, because Pink Paislee has retired them.

To make your own you need a blank ring, and earring posts. You can pick these up on the internet, and most craft supply stores that sell jewelry findings, some E6000 glue or Glossy Accents, a hot glue gun, your favorite Parisian Anthology Brooch Brads, and wire cutters.

Using your wire cutters, remove the brad prongs from the back of the brooch brad.

Then apply a liberal amount of hot glue to the center of the ring base. This will keep the stones in place until the glassy accents or E6000 glue has time to set.

Then place the ring base in the center of your stones, and apply E6000 or glossy accents around the rim of ring base to completely seal the stone to the base. Allow to dry over night before wearing.

Follow these same simple steps to create a matching pair of earrings.

Getting to Know Monique & Celina!!

2011-06-12T07:45:00.000-04:00

Please join us in welcoming our June Guest Design Team -- Celina and Monique!! Monique will be here on Tuesdays and Celina will be here on Thursdays this month. So we asked them both to answer a few questions so we could all get to know them a little better...

Hi everybody! I am Monique Nicole Fox (by name), sweet (by nature), ethnic (by design) and blessed (by God). I am a 41 y/o single mother of a handsome son name *Christian*. He will be 8 y/o this month on 3/27. He is growing so fast. We also have a beautiful cat name *Angel* who turns 9 y/o this month. She joined our family in Dec. of 2008.

Why do you scrapbook?
I love being creative and preserving memories for my son. I also love being on Design Teams, and entering challenges and contests.

What is the one scrappy item you just can't live without?
Punches

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Red! My truck is red. My accents around the house is red. My carpet is red. I have lots of red clothes.

Do you like your handwriting and do you use it on your layouts?
I do like my handwriting but I prefer to type up my journaling.

What is your favorite item in the Flamingo Scraps store today?
The 312 items in the Prima Marketing category. Pure yumminess!!!!

More of Monique's work can be seen here on her blog!

My name is Celina Matthews. I am 33 years old, a military spouse, SAHM of two daughters (both teenagers) and a 4 yr old son. I am studying to earn my master's degree in Business Administration and hope to be working in that field soon. I started scrapping about 2 years ago and it didn't take long for it to become a passion of mine. I even converted one of the bedrooms in my house into a scraproom, which my husband calls the local scrapbook store. I love to create and find it relaxing, too! I also love to inspire other crafters, so whenever that happens, I am doubly happy!

Why do you scrapbook?
At first, I would scrapbook just to record family memories but now it has become more than that. Scrapping is my creative outlet; it helps relieve stress, tap into my unusual way of thinking, and makes me extremely happy.

What is the one scrappy item you just can't live without?
Ink. Ink in any form, for stamping, blending, distressing... you name it! My favorite type of ink is Tim Holtz's Distress Inks.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Black. Because I am dark and moody at times but I think I bring the best out in other people (crayons).

Do you like your handwriting and do you use it on your layouts?
I do not like my handwriting, although my daughters tell me its nice. I try not to use my own handwriting on my layouts, and if I do use it, I put it where it is out of the way. Lol!

What is your favorite item in the Flamingo Scraps store today?
I am such a paper fiend that it is hard to choose just one thing! I love the Lily Bee Audrey Collection. I would love to play with those colors and designs!

More of Celina's work can be seen here on her blog!

Please join us this month to see their fabulous work... we can't wait!!

Guest Design Team Summary: Heather & Jeana

2011-06-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

We owe huge apologies to our fabulous guest design team members... I've been overwhelmed with work and can't keep up my end of the bargain here on the blog. So Heather, Jeana, Monique and Celina, I'm so sorry girls!! Now to catch up..... Amanda

Each month, we post a summary just in case you missed anything and to thank these talented ladies for all their fabulous work!! Up first for May is Heather:

During May, Heather inspired us to use lots of sketches with her layouts Splash, Just Add Water and Remember When, and for May's Flamingo Four she made a fabulous layout!

More of Heather's work can be seen here on her blog!

This month Jeana inspired us to make a keepsake banner, shared with us a gorgeous tag made using Websters Life's Portrait, showed us her beautiful mother's day cards and, for May's Flamingo Four, she made an amazing shadow box for her step-mom!

More of Jeana's work can be seen here on her blog!

So we really hope that you enjoyed what Jeana and Heather shared with us during May as much as we do! Please go leave them some love if you haven't already!! Later today, we will be back to introduce our June Guest Design Team!! :)

Dressing Up a Gift Bag

2011-06-08T07:45:00.000-04:00

I love dressing up plain gift bags. Here's a very inexpensive gift bag from Michaels. With a coupon, I paid under $2.00 for a pack of 10.

I didn't like the white handle, so I gave it a quick spray with Peach Delight Glimmer Mist. I also gave the front of the bag a light spray. The colors matched really well, so it mostly provided a bit of shimmer.

With Key Lime Pie Glimmer Mist, I colored some ivory trim. I used the same technique to curl the trim into vines that I did during September's Flamingo Five.

I dug into my scraps pile and layered a green polka dot on some plain white paper. (Actually, the white paper is the back of a very ugly pattern!) I rubbed some Orange Peel Stickles onto a Prima flower, added a button in the center, then attached my green vines.

Here's the finished bag. I think it's much cuter and much more personal than the original!

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima flower; Glimmer Mist; Stickles; Cheep Trims lace

Other: Michaels gift bag; Provo Craft patterned paper; unknown button

Do you dress up your gift bags? If so, put a link in the comments so I can see what you've done!

Weekend Whimsey!! My Bottle Trees!!!

2011-06-04T07:45:00.001-04:00

I am very proud of my deep Southern roots -- albeit put down by poor dirt farmers in the 1700s. As a historian, primarily of Southern culture, and my very Southern grandmother's best student of traditions, superstitions, and folklore, I carry on these beliefs and customs hoping they will survive the passage of time!

For instance, I cut off the point of a piece of pie and eat it last for good luck and I would never let a New Year's Day go by without turnip greens and blackeyed peas for folding money and pennies. My Christmas tree is (almost) always down before New Year's Day, and when I have failed to complete this task, I can hear my Granny admonishing me and warning of bad luck in the coming year!!

When I had my house painted last year, the discussion of colors included the proper shade of "haint (haunt) blue" for my porch ceiling (a traditional method of warding off ghosts) -- alas, it really didn't need painting, so I must trust in other means to keep my house safe!

The porch of my grandmother's house with its properly blue ceiling!

Enter my bottle trees!

Bottle trees have their roots in Africa and the belief is that evil spirits will be captured inside the bottles and trapped forever. Some believe the spirits are attracted by the brightly colored (most often cobalt blue) bottles and slip inside and are trapped, while I have always heard the spirits roost on the tips of bare branches and are prevented from taking up residence by the bottles! Bottles on a window sill serve much the same purpose, preventing evil spirits from entering one's home through the windows!

my kitchen window

I had always known about bottle trees, but became particularly attached to the notion after reading "Livvie," a short story by Eudora Welty, in a college course on Southern Literature. This fabulous photograph of bottle trees was taken by Welty when she worked for the Works Progress Administration during the Depression.

Throughout most of my adult life, my homes have had some sort of bottle tree -- or at least blue bottles in the window sills -- what are some of the cultural beliefs and folklore you keep alive??

Bent Wire Project

2011-06-03T07:45:00.000-04:00

Last week I shared with you my new addiction of bent wire pieces.

This week I want to share a project that uses one.

From Flamingo Scraps: Prima Madeline Paper from the Madeline collection, Rose Buds, leaves,
Fairytale Roses in Aqua, and Butterfly; Maya Road – Chandelier Trinket Charm;
Other Supplies: Making Memories - #5 charm, Tim Holtz Adage Ticket – Wish; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Vintage Hymnal Book Page; Doily; 20 gage silver wire; Ranger – Utee; Cricut Cartridge From My Kitchen - Sweet; and a pink flower bead.

This is my niece Averie at her 5th birthday party blowing out the candles. Her mother hired a clown for the birthday party and he did these awesome face paintings of butterflies on the girls. I thought the Madeline paper complimented the colorful face paintings and the back yard scene.

My cute little ticket holder proudly displays the “Wish” adage ticket. Notice how the spiral pieces clip to the title to hold it in place, and the top coat hanger looks like the charm is hanging from the letter "E".

Weekend Whimsy: Squirrel in the Transformer!!

2011-05-28T07:45:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday morning, I heard a loud popping sound, almost like a small explosion, outside my house. The electricity went out and my immediate thought was "squirrel in the transformer!"

I grew up in a VERY small town in a very rural county in Florida. Every so often, on an ordinary day, the power would go off with a popping, explosive sound and we would invariably know a squirrel had found its way into the transformer. For all my life, no matter where I lived, from the Carolinas to New Jersey, if the power went off with a popping sound, I would say, "squirrel in the transformer!"

Now my more urban friends and neighbors thought this was the silliest thing, and I was assured that that could never happen. Even when I moved back to that rural county, some friends laughed and told me the transformers were animal proofed!

Imagine my glee and sense of vindication last Saturday!! After numerous calls to and from Florida Power and Light, checking all my breakers, and several hours of no power -- lo and behold, I got an AUTOMATED phone call -- "we have determined that the cause of your outage was a small animal in the transformer!!" An AUTOMATED call -- clearly this happens often enough to have a canned reply from FPL!!!!

So, next time your power goes out with a popping explosion, and no other explanation -- consider that there could be a squirrel in your transformer!!!!

Twist it up

2011-05-27T07:45:00.003-04:00

I was browsing the internet trying to find inspiration for jewelry designs and I stumbled across an artist Kayleigh Designs who creates whimsical bent wire jewelry.

Jewelry by KayLeigh Designs

I thought these would make fun embellishments on a scrapbooking page, so I tried my hand at it. Here are a few things I created:

From Flamingo Scraps:Maya Road Trinket Dangle Chandelier Charms
Other Supplies: 20 or 18 gage wire, beads, and charms

It is really easy to do, all you need is a little imagination, a roll of 20 or 18 gage wire, wire cutters, objects to wrap the wire around for great shape designs, and some extra trinkets, buttons, beads or metal embellishements.

For the pieces above I decided to make them fit the Adage Tickets from Tim Holtz. I selected my ticket, made a clip from the wire by wrapping it around a pencil twice, affixed the ticket to the clip, then began to shape the wires around the eges of the tickets, working in beads here in there for interest.

Warning - playing with wire can be very addictive!

I think these are a fun way to display dangled charms, titles, and clip memorabelia on scrapbooking pages, mini albums, and cards.

Guest DT Jeana O'Laughlin-Pigott: Mother's Day Cards

2011-05-26T07:45:00.027-04:00

Luckily for me, May is a quite eventful month craft-wise! There has been something almost every weekend! There's Mother's day, my step-mom's birthday, and my dad and step-mom's anniversary! Today I would like to share some of the Mother's Day cards I did this year. I know a LOT of mom's, between all my aunts, friends, and women who played a big role in me becoming who I am as a mother today, I usually have quite a few to give out!

These were made with the Lily Bee Design Vintage Poppy paper collection, which you can find at Flamingo Scraps for an INCREDIBLE price!! I was surprised, it usually can take me up to 2 hours to make one card but my mojo was working for me the day I made these and ended up creating 6 cards in about 2 hours! What fun!

From Flamingo Scraps: Lily Bee Design Vintage Poppy papers; Prima flowers from Prima grab bag

Other supplies: Prima flower center, stick pin from Tiffany Solorio Morgan's etsy shop, ribbon from stash, flowers from stash, stickers from stash

As you can see these are fairly simple cards, but the paper is soooo pretty I had a really hard time covering it up! I know they also aren't typical Mother's day cards, but sometimes I like to switch things up and highlight a favorite part of someone's qualities rather than the traditional sentiments :)

More of Jeana's work can be found here on her blog!!

Flamingo Four: Prima Urban Cosmos

2011-05-25T07:45:00.063-04:00

Welcome to this month's.... Flamingo Four!! Four people, four products.... four totally different products. Are you ready to see this month's Flamingo Four?!

May's Flamingo Four items are:

1. Prima Urban Cosmos Metro
2. Prima Urban Cosmos Village
3. Prima Lace Trim
4. Prima Damsels Flowers

When I got my package with the Flamingo Four products for my guest design team spot I panicked a little bit! The papers and flowers were gorgeous, but since I normally scrap with bright colors I was a bit intimidated. I've worked on the layout for two days now and I finally like what I've come up with. Thank you so very much for having me this month. I really have had an amazing time!

Supplies: Prima Swaney Flowers, Prima Urban Cosmos Paper "Metro" and "Village", Prima Trim.

I planned this page around the printed swirls on the paper. I just loved the pops of green and I even used my craft knife to cut along one of the swirls so I could tuck the photo into the design. I cut part of the title and the flowers on my Cricut. To add dimension to my flowers I put them on an old mouse pad and used a flower roller tool from Imaginisce to curl and shape them. I also fussy cut one of the flowers out of the Prima paper because I wanted another green accent. Everything is pop dotted up for dimension on different levels! I adhered and stapled the trim and then took another look at my page.

I liked it, but it was missing something! I pulled out some office supply tags and inked them with Tim Holtz Peeled Paint and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I adhered those and added a few iRock gems as well for a bit of sparkle.

Jeana's take:

Hi everyone!!! I was so excited to see the elements for the Flamingo Four challenge! It was so hard to choose which side of which papers to use though, they are all so inspiring! I ended up choosing the one I did because of the use I was planning ahead for it. I made this to go in a shadow box frame for my step-mom. Her birthday was this month and she always goes all out with decorating and planning for everyone in the whole families birthdays, so I wanted to make her something she could use over and over any time of year. The colors did turn out kind of fall-ish, but they match her home decor and I think the brighter colors in the flowers and bling make is versatile :)

My step-mom loves "I Love Lucy" so I was super excited when I found a birthday quote by Lucille Ball! I printed the quote out on some green Recollections card stock and trimmed it down to a make shift tag and inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The orange border strip is also Recollections card stock folded accordion like also with the edges inked in Vintage Photo.

There are some orange Recollections flowers mixed in with all the fabulous Prima flowers. Thanks for all the inspiration, and the challenge of incorporating all four items!!

Suzanne's take:

Like Heather, the Flamingo Four color pallette is not one with which I usually work, but I loved the challenge! I made a card using the Metro paper and overlayed a scalloped cut panel of the Village paper. Edges were inked with cocoa brown dewdrop ink -- the front was trimmed with the Prima lace and flowers -- the inside was punctuated with one of the small Prima flowers and the "Thinking of You" sentiment was cut from the Village paper with a sizzix die! I love that the card is patterned on the inside -- the Metro paper was perfect for that!

Tonya's take:

These are photos of my nieces playing with my camera at Easter. In the large photo Amber, the photographer, said she wanted to take photos just like Aunt Tonya, Adalyn was obviously tired of the flash, she is covering her eyes. I added Stickles in Orange, Yellow, and Burgandy to the yellow paper to make the designs and text stand out more.

Guest DT Heather Landry: Remember When...

2011-05-24T07:45:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone! It's Heather again and I'm back with the last of my guest design team posts. I'd like to thank Suzanne and Susan for having me. It's been a wonderful experience working with everyone here at Flamingo Scraps!

The layout that I created this time was inspired by a sketch from Sassy Lil' Sketches. I used the March 14th sketch. They also create card sketches to share at the site and if you struggle with card making you'll love them!

From Flamingo Scraps: Cosmo Cricket Salt Air paper, doilies, chipboard, and stickers; Prima Sweet Taffy flowers, E-Line gems, and E-Line flowers

I used several different punches to anchor the leaning photo block. I also added a large crochet flower from the Sweet Taffy collection for the same reason. I thought that it would really work well on a page about my grandma because she crochets and is very crafty. I altered the photos by converting them to black and white because the children were wearing really bright colors that clashed with the paper I wanted to use. I like the way it turned out because it matches the vintage feel of the "Salt Air" collection. I also added "Rock Candy" Stickles to the chipboard to give it a bit of shimmer and interest.

In this last post, I'm sharing the links to the rest of the sketch blogs I've found. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

1. PageMaps: Becky Fleck has been creating sketches longer than I've been scrapbooking! She's always up on the latest styles and has amazingly detailed designs.

2. Sketch Savvy: Susan Stringfellow creates really great sketches with clean lines. She does a great job with sketches that include a lot of photos.

3. Inspired Blueprints: This site has an amazing design team! I am always awed by their creations with the wonderful sketches that are available there.

4. Creative Scrappers: I really love that this site features sketches that are made by different girls. If one sketch doesn't fit your style, the one next week probably will!

5. Helen Croft: She has sketches and awesome tutorials on her site as well as really neat giveaways.

6. Once Upon A Sketch: A new sketch blog that is only a few months old. They've attracted an amazing design team. I love going to peek at what they've created.

That concludes my list! If you know of any other ones, feel free to link them in the comments. I'm always looking for more inspiration.

More of Heather's work can be found here on her blog!!

Scrapping CHA

2011-05-23T07:45:00.000-04:00

I took 683 photos during the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) tradeshow back in January. It was really difficult to select which ones I would scrap, but I eventually printed my favorite 30. Those had been pushed to the back of my desk as I worked on other assignments and projects. But when I saw the latest sketch from the Scrapping Stamper, I thought it would work really well for my CHA photos.

Obviously, there were WAY too few photos on the sketch for my 30 pictures. I narrowed down my favorite photos even further and fit 18 on the page. It was somewhat busy, so I removed the matte that is behind the 6x4 focal photo in the sketch. Keeping the focus on the photos, I decided to make my embellishments monochromatic. I also reduced the number of embellishments from 9 to 3.

Here's what I made:

From Flamingo Scraps: Fancy Pants patterned paper

Other: Bazzill cardstock; Scenic Route chipboard; Family Treasures flower punch; American Crafts pens

I was able to use the Fancy Pants "Beach Bum" paper (blue and striped) that I fell in love with at CHA. I love the way it looks paired with the Fancy Pants "Summer Soiree" (orange with red accents).

This was a really fun layout to make! At a glance, it reminds me of all the fun I had at CHA and the fabulous friends I made.