Inspiration Elevator October 2013

Welcome to our October Inspiration Elevator challenge. Each month our group is challenged to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow. Be sure to check out our Inspiration Elevator Blog, to see all of our previous challenges.

We are pleased to welcome Denise Morrison and her stunning artistic style back to Inspiration Elevator. Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Lisa Spiegel. Here is her challenge:

"October is my favorite month of the year. Hands down. The temperatures here in Southern California finally start to drop, we wear a light sweater, maybe even a little boot. We pull out the scarves and the jeggings and put away the capris and tank tops. Leaves begin to change and we prepare for Halloween! My whole house is decorated, from top to bottom, and it is no small feat. I even swap out my dishes and serving ware in preparation for Fall and Halloween and I love to just keep the festivities going all the way through the Thanksgiving and then holiday season. My house will not return to "normal" until January. 

So, Lisa, tell us, how does this relate to a scrapbooking challenge? Well, what I've found over the years is my scrapping even changes over the holidays. I layer more. Reach for the bling and really dig deep to embellish with meaningful objects. Journal my thoughts and stories and feelings. Fall just makes me nostalgic. So here is the challenge. Create a layout that is nostalgic...the feeling should be evident from the title, the visible journaling and the embellishments you choose. Choose deliberately and with purpose to tell your nostalgic story. I can't wait to see how you interpret this challenge!"

Nothing makes me feel more nostalgic than seeing photos of my boys when they were little.  I so miss the days when I was a stay-at-home mom raising our two fun and energetic sons!  I loved taking care of them, teaching them about the world around them, re-discovering things through their eyes.  I miss bedtime stories, cuddle times, and heart-felt talks. I miss everything about those days.  With that in mind, I decided to scrapbook a photo of our oldest son, Tyler.

Tyler was an adorable little boy with a sweet smile and sparkling blue eyes.  I did not choose one specific title - instead I added some words that describe him:  full of smiles, sweet as sunshine and completely loved!

Tyler was 3 years old in this photo, so the patterned paper with 1, 2, 3 on it was perfect!

My lengthy journaling is something I don't do very often.  But Lisa's challenge really made me reflect on my feelings as I scrapbooked this photo.

The hearts and other embellishments I added to my page help to reinforce my journaling.

Thanks for a great challenge Lisa!

Do take the time to stop by and see what the rest of the incredible Inspiration Elevator designers have created:

Lisa Spiegel

Laurel Seabrook

Joanne Burton

Jodi Wilton

Michelle Hernandez

Ann Jobes

Laura Whitaker

Lisa Moen

Christa Uttley

Guest Designer Denise Morrison

If you feel inspired to play along with my challenge this month, please share it using the linky tool on our Inspiration Elevator Blog and/or our Inspiration Elevator Facebook Page . We'd LOVE to see what you create!

Little Red Wagon #206

It is Wednesday and less than a week away from celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada! My menu is organized, the fall decorations are out and I can already taste the pumpkin pie that I will be making on the weekend!

With all of that in mind, I thought it would be the perfect challenge this week at Little Red Wagon to make a Thanksgiving Day card! 

I pulled together lots of different leftover bits and pieces that I found in my wagon of goodies and created this colorful card.

I used a border punch, some stickers and a stamped sentiment that I received at a recent crop I attended.

Why not get into the spirit of Thanksgiving and join us over at Little Red Wagon this week?  I would love to see what you create :)

Little Red Wagon #205

October is here and so is the beautiful fall weather that I just love!  Warm, sunny days with just a bit of a breeze and cool nights that are perfect for sleeping.  It was this gorgeous time of the year that inspired my card for this week's challenge at Little Red Wagon.

Jan has challenged us to create something with a fence on it.   When I saw this die-cut on the Silhouette store, I immediately thought of three sweet kitties enjoying a harvest moon. 

There they are, just sitting on a fence, enjoying a perfect fall evening, with not a care in the world. {sigh}  It made me happy just thinking about it!

To be honest, I don't send out too many fall cards, but the sentiment just seemed to fit the card. Who knows, maybe I will think of someone special to send it to!

I hope you decide to take up Jan's challenge this week and join us over at Little Red Wagon.  I would love to see what you do with a fence on your project!  Be sure to check out the Girlfriends from the DT to see their lovely creations.  I am sure they are awesome :)

Wow!

My DS recently got new glasses and I really wanted to scrapbook a photo of him with them on. Then, when I saw the new Flair line from My Minds Eye, I knew I had found the perfect match for the photo!

The basic design for my page comes from Creative Scrappers Sketch Challenge #251.  Kristine Davidson put together a great sketch that totally inspired me with it's fun feel!  I also added some arrows to my page to qualify for Shelby's challenge in the Around the World Online Crop at Two Scrapbook Friends.

I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to use some of the papers because of the slightly pinkish color on them, but I decided that they were actually a light red (not pink!) and it was OK to use them on my son's page! lol  Plus, I just love the combination of colors!

 I had fun creating clusters of elements that direct your eye towards the photo.

For those who know me, WOW was the perfect title for my page!  It is a word I often use in my speech and it seemed to totally fit his handsome photo.

 A simple title seemed to fit the page and really it says it all.

The glasses and mustache stickers were the perfect addition to this fun page. And the buttons and enamel dots added an additional sprinkling of interest to my design!

Thanks for looking ~

Little Red Wagon #204

Happy Wednesday to everyone!  This week at Little Red Wagon we are going back in time.  Jayne wants us to create something with a 'retro' or 'vintage' feel to it!  How fun is that?

I decided to go the retro route and I created this colourful card:

Some of us actually remember having a TV with antenna on it!  The papers, stickers and sprinkles are from Doodlebug Design's Day to Day collection (love it!!).

We hope you join in the fun this week and create something 'retro' or 'vintage' to share with us!  Check out what the Girlfriends on the DT created - I am sure you will be inspired :)  See you at Little Red Wagon!

Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Challenge

I had a great time scrapbooking at a 12-hour crop this past Saturday.  My friends, Christa and Ann, held a fundraising crop for the dance studio that each of their daughters attend and it was a fabulous day!

While I was there I was able to work on a couple of projects that I have wanted to do for a while now.  One of my goals for the day was to use some of the new feathers that we received in our store a couple of weeks ago.  They are by Bella Blvd. and I just fell in love with them when I saw them at the Craft and Hobby Association's summer show in July.

I decided to create a layout based on the Canadian Scrapbooker Sketchy Challenge for September.  Sue Sykes created the layout and it is lovely!

I was so excited to use a photo of Amelia - my friend Kelly's little girl!  She is the most adorable baby girl and I was so happy when she said I could use her photos on my pages!!

I worked with the basic idea of Sue's sketch, but I used only one photo instead of four.  The patterned papers, tags and decorative bag are all from Fancy Pants Trend Setter and they worked so well with the colours in the photo!

The feathers were amazing to work with and I also added some tulle to go with Amelia's outfit!

I painted some wooden hearts to add to my page along with some hearts I punched out of vellum and paper.  The hearts took the place of the butterflies on Sue's sketch.  Then I added some sequins and enamel dots and a fine splatter of paint to the background.

Thanks for a great sketch Sue! It was the perfect inspiration for my page.  And thanks for the photo Kelly - I am sure I will be using lots more in the future ♥

Around the World Online Crop with Two Scrapbook Friends

Welcome to the Around the World Online Crop with Two Scrapbook Friends!

The Design Team at Two Scrapbook Friends, along with Carolyn and myself, are issuing challenges that have to do with world travel. You can see all the details for this fun crop on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog.  You have until September 29th to complete as many of the challenges as you like and to get in on the draw for some fabulous prizes!

Maps are synonymous with travel. They help us to plan trips, navigate subways, even find our way around a shopping mall, a vacation resort or Disney World!  My challenge for you is to use a map on a layout! You can use any kind of map, but I want to see some type of map on your page.

Here is a layout that I created as inspiration for you:

If you look closely, you will notice that the background of my layout is actually a map pattern paper!

I also used other pattern papers with maps on them to create some of the different elements on my page.

I had fun creating random strips along the edges of my page and adding stitching to my layout using my sewing machine.

To participate in my challenge:

1. You need to create a layout that has a map on it somewhere
2. Your layout must be new for this crop (no recycling)
3. You need to upload your finished layout to the Two Scrapbook Friends Gallery and/or link it up on the Blog.

I can't wait to see how you use a map on your scrapbook page!   Have fun creating!

Around the World With Two Scrapbook Friends!

Please join us over at the Two Scrapbook Friends Forum and Blog to be inspired and connect with other scrappers at our Around The World Online Crop starting September 20th at 3pm!

Our Designers and Carolyn & Joanne (that's me) will be issuing creative World inspired challenges to get your creativity going! There will also be games to play and prizes to be won!

Want to know more? Here are some of the specifics!

1. Each Design Team Member and the TSF will issue an inspiring and creative World/Travel based challenge along with a great example. The challenges will be posted in the Forum and on the TSF blog.

2. Once you have completed a challenge, upload a photo of your creation to our Layout Gallery or use the LINKY tool at the bottom of our blog post (ALL LAYOUTS MUST BE CREATED JUST FOR THIS CROP to qualify for prizes). Each project will count towards only ONE challenge. Be sure to upload no later than September 29th at 11:59 pm.

3. Now for the best part.........PRIZES!!!!!!!! There are three prizes to be won:

*A random draw for participation
*A random draw for completing all challenges
*A favorite overall winner voted on by DT and TSF.

The winners will be posted no later than October 1st on the blog and in the forum.

I hope you will join us and be inspired, I look forward to seeing your creations! Check back on the Two Scrapbook Friends Blog and Forum on Friday, September 20th, to see all the challenges and inspiration from our Design Team.

Little Red Wagon #203

Rosanne has issued a colour challenge this week at Little Red Wagon.  She wants us to use Kraft, black and cream/white on our creation.

This is such a gorgeous colour combination and for some reason (likely the time of year) I thought it would be perfect for a Halloween card.

I love all the variations of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' quote and so I thought I would make my own!

I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo to create the quote and also to cut the bats.  And since I still had some sequins on my desk from my last project, I thought it would be fun to add some bling to the bats (it makes them less spooky!!).

So, there you go!  Why not dig into your wagon full of scrappy supplies and create something fun using Kraft, black and cream/white and then share your creation with us at Little Red Wagon. We would love to see what you make :)

Inspiration Elevator September 2013

Welcome to our September Inspiration Elevator challenge. Each month our group is challenged to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow. Be sure to check out our Inspiration Elevator Blog, to see all of our previous challenges.

Our challenge this month comes from the very talented Cathy Harper. Here is Cathy's challenge:

"I want to know what inspires you to create. As I was driving home the other day from my trip back to Black Hills, I saw a really cool billboard...clouds, the sun, and a few hearts. I immediately thought how great the design was and how I could transform it into a card or layout. (No, I didn't get a picture of it as it was the week of the annual Sturgis Bike Rally and no way was I pulling off the side of the interstate with all of that crazy traffic.) 

Even the other day, as I was walking through Target, I saw a couple of cute baby gift bags that had great design principle that I could use as inspiration to create with too! Then it hit me that this would be a great challenge for my IE teammates. We recently had Sue's challenge where we were inspired by another teammate and lifted their style... but I want to know what else inspires you besides other designers cards and layouts. Are you a Pinterest addict like me? And find great design ideas there or in a magazine with a brilliant ad!? 

Find something that inspires you, pin it or take a photo and create your work from there...you must include a photo of your inspiration and a link (if there is one) with your project for the challenge!"

I found Cathy's challenge really interesting! I think that if I could start over in life, I would love to have gone into interior design work.  I love looking at home and garden magazines, the Pottery Barn website, home décor ideas on Pinterest, etc.  And if I had lots of time and money, I am sure I would be spending it all on my home!

I find that I am very inspired when I am looking at home décor ideas and it is very easy to translate them into design elements for my scrapbook pages. Color, texture, use of space, clustering (i.e. of furniture, art on a wall, decorations on a mantle or shelf)… there are so many ideas that can be easily transferred to my pages!

Here are a couple of pieces of art that I just love and that inspired me in my creation this month:

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I adore birds and I love the color combination of teal and lime green.  So I was inspired to use these colors as well as the idea of birds on a line.  Also, in the first piece, I loved the look of the vertical paint on the background and it reminded me of dripping paint.  So I used that idea on my background.

I started by misting plain white cardstock with some Mister Huey's Color Mists in three different colors.  I then sprayed it with a bit of water and let the color run down the page. I LOVE how it turned out!

Then I cut birds on a line using my Silhouette Cameo.  I added them to the upper corner of my page and I was quite pleased with the look of it.

Next I pulled together some papers in colors that complimented the mists I used and I did lots of layering. I used bits of paper, vellum, some die-cuts, a photo of my niece and a chipboard frame.

My niece's name, Emily, was cut out of a small tag I created with my Silhouette and I tied it to the frame along with a gorgeous feather!  I also added a small bird paper clip to compliment the birds on the wire :)

I cut out some small hearts that I stitched to the page and I finished with some pretty sequins and candy dots!  Thank you Cathy for helping me to realize that my love of interior design and it's principles can actually be used when I create my scrapbook pages!  

I hope you will stop by and see what the rest of the incredible Inspiration Elevator designers have created:

Cathy Harper

Lisa Spiegel
Laurel Seabrook

Joanne Burton

Jodi Wilton

Michelle Hernandez

Ann Jobes

Laura Whitaker

Sue Sykes
Lisa Moen
 Christa Uttley

If you feel inspired to play along with my challenge this month, please share your creation using the linky tool on our Inspiration Elevator blog and/or our Inspiration Elevator Facebook page.  We'd LOVE to see what you made!

Little Red Wagon #202

This past week has just flown by and it is now time for another fun challenge at Little Red Wagon!

Regan has challenged us to create something with a frame.  She really wanted to see a Polaroid frame, but I used a slide frame instead.  (Such a rebel!)  Does anyone besides me remember slide projectors? 

I had fun creating this simple card using some Simple Stories paper and a random frame I had in my stash!

So, why not head over to Little Red Wagon and join in the fun?  And be sure to check out the gorgeous work the Girlfriends on the DT have done!

Little Red Wagon #201

Wow, September already!  September is always bitter-sweet for me.  I adore summer, so I hate to see September roll around.  But, I do like getting back into a bit of a routine where I can be more focused on work and other important things, like my challenges at Little Red Wagon!

This week Tammy want us to do a back-to-school themed creation.  I used a sweet image from Sassy Cheryl called Backpack Max!

  
Isn't he just a cutie?  He actually reminds me of our older son, Tyler, when he first started school.  How I miss those days... {sigh}

Of course I used my Copic Markers to color him up and I used some bits and pieces of paper from Simple Stories that I had in my wagon to make the card.

I hope you decide to play along with us this week!  We would love to see your back-to-school creations :)

I am also entering my card into the challenges over at Crafting by Designs, Crafting for All Seasons, Crafty Creations Challenges, 7 Kids Challenge Blog and The Sisterhood of Crafters.