Sweethearts

Hi scrapbook friends! Today, I'm sharing with you a layout that I did for CSI. I love how the creativity seems to flow when working on one of their challenges and feel that I have done some of my best work for CSI! If you are looking for inspiration in your scrapbooking, come by and try your hand at one of our challenges.

The subject of the layout is a trip that my husband and I took to a  small, almost unforgotten town in Texas. A few days before Valentine's Day he read an article in the paper highlighting a small candy company there. They made all of their candy by hand and it seemed like the perfect day trip for Valentine's.



Our generous sponsors at CSI this month are:








Now, back to the layout....

When my husband and I were on another weekend trip recently, I ran across beautiful metal frames and fell in love with them. I was happy to find a stamp in my stash that was the perfect size and subject for this lovely frame! 

Here, you can see the distressing work done on the chipboard,  embossing and cheese cloth that give this piece an airy feel. 

Techniques used for this layout include inking, stenciling/texturing, painting, paper tearing, 3-D work, stamping, embossing and distressing. 

Products:

Blue Fern Studios paper, stamps and chipboard Fancy Pants Designs stampMaya Road mist
May Arts lace
Petaloo flowers
Ranger paint
Sizzix metal frame
Stampendous embossing products

From my stash, cheese cloth, sealing wax, ribbon

My journaling reads:

     "My sweetheart is a romantic. He always has been and I love that characteristic of his. For my birthday, Mother's Dan and our anniversary, he always comes home with exquisite flowers! After two years of courtship and forty one years of marriage, he has not changed.
     In February, Hack read an article in the newspaper about a fledgling candy store in a sleepy little town that time seemed to have forgotten, Calvert, Texas. They make their candy by hand and he thought that a day trip to get some chocolate would be a perfect idea for a Valentine's Day outing.
          We had so much fun getting away from the busy metropolitan area where we live. Not only did we go to the candy store, but we visited gift shops and antique stores. Most of all, we had a fun day together. What a sweetheart my hubby is!"

Thanks for taking a peek. See you next time! 

Journey

Hello, my scrappy friends! I'm sharing with you a layout I created for my lifelong friend, Eric and for the CSI design team. The story is about a the journey that a book made over a fifty year period.

You can see for yourself if I met the criteria. Below the challenge you can see our sponsors. 

Back to the layout now...

It may be a little obvious that I have become totally hooked on 3-D scrapbooking. No, I have no idea what could have given you your first clue! 

Other techniques include stamping, fussy cutting, inking, masking, painting and paper tearing

For this piece I decided to place the journaling on the back of the layout. I went to "Curious as a Cat" for a prompt and chose, "Tell about a memorable journey." It reads...

The Journey

There was not a time when I did not know Eric. Our parents were close friends when I was born and I always looked up to Eric who was four years old when I came into the world.  He was a kind boy to put up with a little girl my age. We both grew up, went away to college, and married our respective sweethearts. He came back home to be a landscape architect and I came home to be an elementary teacher.

As a teacher I had many books for the children to read. It was called my classroom library and consisted of books that I earned from book clubs, books from bookstores and donated books.While cleaning up my classroom one afternoon I picked up a book titled, "Tall Tales of America". I had not seen it before and didn't know where it came from. It was well worn, and was not a library book. I was surprised to open the cover and see Eric’s full name written in a child's writing. What a surprise! It had been twenty years since my friend had been an elementary school student. Little did I know that I had been inserted into a JOURNEY that would last more than fifty years.

Through the years, that book followed me from one grade to another, through numerous years of staying home to raise my own children, through different schools and then back to teaching. It had been read by children and read to children. Year after year passed and I eventually retired, taking all of the books from my collection of class library books. I planned to return Eric's book to him, but retirement was surprisingly busy. I soon forgot about my plans for the cherished book stored in a drawer.  During late December of 2014 Eric passed away. The book had to be returned to the family and I knew that Eric's grandchildren were the perfect ages to appreciate the tales of Babe the Blue Ox, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett and Pecos Bill. Eric’s entombment ceremony seemed to be the perfect time to get the book back to his family.

Now, the book is at Betty and Eric’s home and their grandchildren can read the book whenever they spend time with their grandmother. They can all enjoy the stories that their grandfather had read when he was their age. 

Products:

Blue Fern Studios paper, stamp and chipboard
Liquitex modeling paste
Petaloo flowers
Prima stencil
Stampendous embossing materials
Stayzon ink

Thanks for going along on this journey with me. See you next time! 

Hello

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a layout that I created for the CSI design team and for my daughter, Elizabeth. She has had  a loyal little companion named Wit for twelve years. We all love him and I enjoyed creating a page about him. 

At CSI our sponsors this month are:

Our permanent sponsor is

Please check out their websites or blogs if you get a chance. Back to the layout now...

Look closely and you can see the embossing that I did on the bottom layer. I enjoy using that technique as it adds interest to the background. 

For the chipboard, I painted, then stamped when the paint was dry.

Other techniques used here are paper tearing and distressing, inking, 3-D work, stamping, spraying and masking. 

Products:

Blue Fern Studios paper, stamps, chipboard
Crafter's Workshop stencil
Latex modeling paste
Petaloo flowers
Prima ink, paint
Stampendous embossing products
StayzOn Ink

Here is what I said in my journaling:

Hello. It's me, Wit. I have been Elizabeth's constant companion for more than twelve years. I don't remember a time when I didn't live with my person but I've been told that I was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. My person and I share the same birthday so you might say that we were "meant to be".

I was the only boy in a littler of four dachshunds. All three of my sisters had long, curly black fur and I was the only one with silver spots. Being very unique, Liz had to have me! She named me after her favorite basketball star, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. I can relate to Dirk because I am determined and confident. When I went to puppy obedience school I learned to sit, speak, roll over, stay and play dead. I am very smart and graduated "Magna Cum Doggie".

The thing I love to do the most is beg for food until my person gives in to my demands. Then, I jump into her pretty pink bed. Sleeping on pink sheets is not a problem for me because I am comfortable in my masculinity. Usually, I dream about chasing balls, my girlfriend Lulu, the maltipoo and snuggling with Liz. What sweet dreams!

Thanks for your sweet comments!