Journal Your Christmas Day 1/Cover still under Construction

I'm still working on my cover and waiting for paint to dry, so here's a peek at it:

but, my main reason for popping by the blog today is to share my journal entry/title page for yesterday:

I have been wanting to try the sequins in the pocket idea for a while now, but my sewing machine is covered up right now. So, I just taped it with my washi tape, and the sequins are trying to escape in the photo, so, I just glued it shut with a bit of Glossy Accents and restuck the washi, and I am not going to worry about rephotographing it. You get the idea, right?

My Christmas Manifesto for this year: Rekindle the Magic- for myself and the kids. Slowly but surely add the special touches that bring the sparkle and joy to their eyes and happy smiles.

With that being said, I am going to get off the computer for a while, turn on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and clean and work on decorating for a while! I will try to update my blog regularly as I add to my Journal Your Christmas album for this year, and I may just share some previous December minis as time allows, so be sure to check back. Have a lovely, sparkly day!

Have Yourself a Crafty Little Christmas/ Journal Your Christmas Preparations

And, just like that, November was gone in a flash. So many projects going and so little time! But, with Thanksgiving passed and the home reno projects drawing to a close (for this year anyway), I am starting to bring Christmas into my home little by little. And one of the projects that I have enjoyed for the past several years is a December Daily/ Journal Your Christmas style mini album in December. I love recording my Christmas memories, and it is a great way to use up some of that holiday stash that I always have trouble resisting. So, I make a kit of supplies from my stash. This year, I based my kit on a mood board that I made up on Pinterest, full of vintage yumminess:

I loved the whites, creams, sparkling gold and silvers, pink, forest green, red, and little touches of mint green. Crate Paper and October Afternoon make lovely vintage papers, so I knew that that would be the perfect place to start looking in my stash. Here is the kit that I came up with:

Papers and Album:

Whole kit including embellishments:

My kit is ready, as I eagerly await Shimelle's first prompt!

November Counterfeit Kit Reveal (and a bit about my kit-making process)

Welcome to the design team reveal for our November Counterfeit Kits! The kit that was chosen for us to be inspired by this month was this gorgeous kit by Scrapbooks&Cards Today,
"Fabulous Fall":

I love this kit! So soft and pretty,I couldn't wait to see what I had to simulate the kit in my stash. I went a little overboard pulling papers to use, and had to put a few back. But, I love the kit that I came up with, and can't wait to get started using it!

(MY paper choices and how I chose them):

 I knew that I loved the Fancy Pants collection that comprises most of this kit, and I knew that I didn't have any of it. So, I started by thinking of the collections or companies that would give me the look and feel I was going for. I found a couple of gorgeous doily prints, a light blue one from a different Fancy Pants collection, "Wonderful Day", and a yellow one with a more vintage and distressed look, from Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1984. Next I knew I needed a soft and gorgeous floral. I found one that I loved in some new stash, from Crate Paper's Notes and Things. Next up was the orange Ikat print, and the closest thing I could find in my orange papers was the lovely aztec print from an older Crate Paper collection, Acorn Avenue. I decided then that the watercolor floral from acorn avenue would work just fine in place of the bokeh print, and chose a yellow chevron print from Crate Paper's Fourteen collection to replace the yellow chevron in the inspiration kit. I thought the cream leaf print from Bella Blvd would work as a substitute for the cream leaves and birds paper, and from there I just looked for a few papers to round out my kit , some with stripes, feathers, text, etc. I actually pulled cardstock for my kit this month, partly because the inspiration kit has it, and partly just because I have so much of it in my stash, and I have been using it rather frequently to back my layouts, etc. Instead of a sheet of vellum, I pulled an ANCIENT transparency sheet.

Choosing embellishments:
 I loved the texture effect of the embellishments in the inspiration kit, so I tried to stay pretty close. I had some "burlap" letter stickers that I put in first- even though the Thickers are mostly used up, I can still get a few more uses out of the sheet, and I will throw them away at the end of the month.I knew I also had a sheet of letter stickers from Sassafrass Lass that would go with my papers, and was very similar to the Basic Grey Mini Monogram stickers in the inspiration kit. I looked through my stash of flair, and pulled out a few that would go with my kit, and especially if I had an idea for using it on a layout. I don't have the leaf paper clips, but I have some very pretty metal filigree leaves from Freckled Fawn that took their place quite nicely. I had some Maya Rd leaf stick pins, and added one stick pin that I have had in my stash for a while. Maybe I will actually use them! I didn't have the burlap sticker shapes, but I have some canvas ones in similar shapes from Little Yellow Bicycle that work just as well (Maybe better, since they're in a white that would show mixed media a bit more, since I am still feeling inspired by the Art class I took last month!). I pulled some similar stamps and dies from my collection, and some tags, since there are tags in the kit. To finish my kit off, I added a few embellishment packages-from Basic Grey Persimmon, Crate Paper Close Knit (along with the matching 6x6 pad), and Crate Paper DIY Shop, and a package of wood veneer tags from American Crafts.

My kit, comprised entirely from my stash, "Fall Foliage":

I will definitely have to go through my fall photos for this stash-I love the warm, lovely colors, and the prints remind me of sweaters other lovely fall textures!

Are you feeling inspired? We would love to have you join in with us at the CKC challenge! I love it because it inspires me to spend less and create more. We have tons of tutorial posts, and some of our design team and participants do a lovely job "counterfeiting" the hottest new papers and trends from our inspiration kits each month. I don't usually make too many items for my own kits, simply because my own stash is so extensive (said with a blush and a bit of embarrassment) that I rarely even need to make anything, I usually have something that will work in place of each item in the inspiration kits. But it is nice to know I have the option to, and can do whatever I feel inspired to do or use! We would love to have you (yes, you!) join in, and make a creative kit for yourself to play with- and any way you choose to make a kit is alright with us! Be sure to link up, so we can drop by and admire your work!

Binty: http://scrappingpluv.blogspot.com
Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com
Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com
Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.co.uk
Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca
Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com
Lesley: http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk
Angela: http://colestoucan.blogspot.co.uk
Lynnette: http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com
Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com

Friday Favorites...Halloween Edition

Just a few of my favorites from around the web...

Halloween Wreaths:
I decorated my front porch for fall this year, but next year I will be doing Halloween instead, and here are some fun ideas:
The Cutest Halloween Wreath I have seen this year:

This Wriggling Snake Wreath from Martha Stewart is super fun and cool!I think it would be easy to do, too!

I love this Williams' Sonoma Knock Off Wreath:

And this wreath looks much more time consuming, but it's really pretty:

For a glam halloween look, I love this one:

And, hands down the most amazing DIY Halloween Costume I have seen this year is Young Maleficent by Elizabeth Kartchner. I mean wow!

On another note, what are you all making for dinner tonight? I always try to make an easy Halloween themed meal to feed my kiddos before I take them out to stuff themselves with sugar...err...trick or treat. For us tonight, it's "blood and guts" (spaghetti). Here's some more inspiration, if you are feeling more creative than I am:

link(source)

Healthy sweets:

(Recipe and details)

I did these monster teeth last year, and my kids loved it:

Kids love mummy pizzas, too:

Do you celebrate halloween? I think it's a fun excuse to dress up and play pretend! 

Workspace Wednesday/Master Bedroom Update/On My Desk

We are almost finished with our master bedroom! (These projects always take way longer than you think they are going to) We are finished putting in the new bamboo floor and replacing the baseboards:

And Eric ran the wires for the tv down through the wall. We've hung the new plantation blinds:

And the new ceiling fan:

And now, I am getting to do the fun part;putting the rest of the furniture back, hanging curtains, new bedding, artwork, etc... I can't wait to share it all when I am finished!

Now, a peek at what I am crafting today:

I am making a bit of decor for my daughter's room, and trying to use up some of my overabundant flower stash. What are you working on today?

Be Amazing

Just dropping in today to share a layout that I made for Wilna's Art and Design class. It was so much fun to pull my watercolors out and play! The embellishment strip to the left is part of a sheet of printables that Wilna provided for the class to use with watercolors.

I love how mine turned out, and thought it would be the perfect addition to this page. The rest of the supplies for this page came from my September Counterfeit Kit. I used a little pot of paper flowers that my sweet girl drew for me and gave to me as an embellishment, and it just makes my heart so happy to look at it, and know that it is saved and not forgotten or thrown away!

My layout:

Currently...

I am ...

Working on:


Getting the home reno projects tied up for the year;I would love to be able to relax a bit over the holidays.My house looks like a scene from Dexter with everything covered in plastic as we remove wallpaper, popcorn from the ceilings, sand, and paint.We did all of the bedrooms ourselves, but we're getting to the end of the year and want to get it done, so we are getting a little help from the pros to finish the stuff like wallpaper and popcorn removal, and painting during the daytime, and my hubby and I come in and do other projects on the nights and weekends, such as as adding chair rail/trim, updating/changing light fixtures, hanging pictures, putting up new plantation blinds, etc, etc, etc.... I am trying not to even think about next week, when I will have to start removing the drywall dust that is in every crack and crevice!

Inspired By:

I'm still feeling inspired by Wilna's Art and Design class from Big Picture classes. The class is over now, but I keep re-watching the videos. They make me want to pull out a paintbrush and paint!

Scrapping:

 
I am trying to use up a bunch of old kits, and knock out a bunch of layouts at a time, so I have a huge pile of  layout starters on my desk.

Craving:
Salads. There comes a time when you are just so sick of burgers and fries and all manner of fast foods-and while I am thankful for the time it has saved me during our household projects, my pants are not.

Wearing:
Ideally it would be sweaters, skinnies, and boots. But it is still a little warm for them here in TN.

Can Be Found:
Playing chauffeur for my kids most nights, even on the weekend. Does it make me a bad person to be ready for Halloween to be over, so all of the Halloween parties and events can be too? For a month or so till Christmas stuff starts, anyway?

Be sure and drop by on November 1st for a look at my newest Counterfeit Kit Challenge Kit!

Image courtesy of: SnapKnot - Orange County wedding photographers

CKC Challenge #3

Hopping in today to share the project that I made for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog. Our queen for October, Laura, gave us this challenge:

Challenge #3:  Use an idea previously saved!

Do you save ideas about scrapping on your phone?  Make a quick sketch of a layout in a notepad?  Do you pin magazine cut outs to a cork board or do this virtually on Pinterest?  If you do, like me, you'll have a stack of ideas saved for later, but when is later?  I often forget to go back and actually use these gems.  This challenge is to use an idea you have previously saved - be it a scribble on a scrap of paper or a like on Instagram.  Share the idea with us, too, so we can add it to our lists!

So, I took inspiration from a couple of places for this page. I started with my Counterfeit Kit (the one from September, 'cause I'm behind-but who's keeping track anyway ). Recently, I am most inspired by the Art And Design class that I am taking from Wilna F over at Big Picture Classes. She has shared some beautiful cutfiles and techniques , so I used one of them, and had a bit of fun with some Gesso and puffy paint, and just general mess making. I wanted to use some outside inspiration as well, so I drew inspiration from a scrapbook page that I had pinned to Pinterest:

(This layout was originally shared on the My Mind's Eye blog) I loved the flower clusters especially, but I may use it for inspiration again at another date, because I love the colors and stamping, too!

So, the page that I came up with is this:

It is a bit messier than my usual style, but it was fun to make, and I love it. The texture is just so lovely in person!

October Is Here!

And with the start of a new month, thanks to the Counterfeit Kit Challenge and an extensive stash, I always have a new kit to play with! This month, the CKC blog was turned over to our honorary "Queen" , Laura, from Beads, Buttons and Birds blog, and her first task was finding a kit for us to be inspired by this month. Her kit of choice was a new one to me, She chose a soft and lovely kit from Hey Little Magpie:

I knew this kit was right up my alley, so I went to work straight away pulling my kit together. I had many of the same or similar papers, so it was rather an easy task this month!

Here's a look at my papers this month:

And my whole kit:

With soft, girly florals and camera prints, wood veneer, washi, fussy cut florals, stickers, brads, and more, I have plenty of embellishments to choose from this month, and I love the colors of my kit, so I can't wait to start using it! Now, head on over to the other designers' blogs to see the lovely kits that they have come up with this month:

Our Queen, Laura:  http://beadsbuttonsandbirds.blogspot.com 

Julene: http://julenebydesign.blogspot.co.uk

Jemma: http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com

Lesley G.: http://ohblogitifyoucantbeatthem.blogspot.co.uk

Leslie: http://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com

Lisa: http://lisahausmann.blogspot.com

Lynnette: http://www.sassyscrapper2010.blogspot.com

Margie: http://scrappinmargie.blogspot.com

Susanne: http://snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com

Stephanie: http://skylinepaperie.blogspot.ca

Trendy Tuesday-How It All Comes Back To Scrapbooking

In the nearly 16 years I have been scrapbooking, I have seen trends come and go, and have started to realize that fashion is cyclical, and that the same applies to trends in scrapbooking. What's old becomes new once again...for example, gold. It has waxed and waned in popularity, but this year, we have seen a lot of it in all areas of design.

Home Decor:

(photo from For Chic's Sake)

(photo from Centsational Girl)

Weddings/Wedding Cakes:

(Photo from http://www.invitesweddings.com/b/2014-wedding-color-trends-coral-wedding-ideas-and-invitations-blog03.html )

(Photos from Bespoke-Bride)

(photo from Belle The Magazine )

And in fashion:

(from Colin Cowe Weddings)

(from Style Bistro-lots of great runway photos here!)

(from Style Me Pretty)

I have seen these trends show up in the scrapbook world, as well. We have seen gorgeous golden products from Heidi Swapp:

(from BlueMoon Scrapbooking)

Teresa Collins has this gorgeous Studio Gold line, partenered with We R Memory Keepers for some fabulous albums:

Shimelle's new line has gold touches, in the paper and Thickers:

There are really too many to name! One of my favorite scrapbooking lines this past year was the Maggie Holmes Flea Market collection, and it has lots of lovely golden touches in it.

Including this beautiful piece of gold doily vellum:

Here are a few of the pages I have made incorporating gold in the past year:

You will see, if you look closely, that I have incorporated gold into all of these pages, although mostly in small doses, such as mist or 1-3 accents. It can be overwhelming if you overdo it! I love to mix it with creams and corals especially, and I find myself drawn to it at the end of the summer/beginning of fall, especially. I feel it complements and ties into fall decor beautifully, with the rich rusts, burgundys, oranges, and deep plums. What do you think? Do you like the gold trend? Or are you over gold?