It's time for another FUN challenge!!!!!

This week at Better Living through Scrapbooking has another really fun challenge!!! You have to go check out the rest of the design team as created!! They are FANTANTASTIC! LOL!
“Inspirational Quote challenge”
Create a layout that is based on your favorite inspirational quote. Need some ideas? Visit http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/ for a great searchable collection of quotes.
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use one 5×7 photo of a place or thing that inspires you.
2. Use a palette similar to this one:

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/1254702/BetterScrap_Ch53

Make this a double 12×12 or double 8 1/2 x 11 layout, with at least 2 photos per page.
4. Place your title on a circular or wavy path.
5. Use a transparency of some sort on your page, whether an actual transparency sheet (Hambly Screen Prints, Fancy Pants) or transparent embellishment (Heidi Swapp Ghost Shapes, Making Memories) that you purchased, or a handmade transparency made by hand or with your computer printer.

Since I have many favorite quotes, I narrowed mine down to my two favorite Summer Quotes. The First is: “Summer is where the girls go barefoot and their hearts are just as free as their toes.” and the second is actually a lyric from a Bob Marley song “Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet.” In this LO I used a transparency and I created a wavy title! The little feet in my LO are my youngest Avery’s toesies this summer playing in the sprinkler in the front yard. She likes to run around barefoot as much as I do!!

Cardstock: Discounted Cardstock: Ocean Blue and Brilliant White

Graphic 45:

On the Boardwalk:

Malt Shop

Summer Crush

Seaside Chic

Hambly Studios: Wood grain

Alphas: American Crafts Thickers

Foam Stickers: Daydream in Black

Fabric Stickers: Dolce in Apricot

Challenge 4 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking is LIVE!!

Post August 22nd, 2010 (please post here by Aug 20th)
“The ugly paper challenge”
Search your stash for sheets or scraps of paper that aren’t your favorites, and use them on a layout!
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use a 12×12 sheet of “ugly” paper as your layout background.
2. Use at least 3 scraps of “ugly” paper somewhere on the page where they can be seen.
3. Use 2 4×6 photos, any orientation.
4. Use “stitching” somewhere on the page. It can be actual sewn stitches, or your stitches can be hand drawn, created with a template, or stamped.
5. Use color mist (such as Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, or a homemade ink or paint mist) anywhere on your page.

This is my DD Avery’s soccer team! This was her first year of soccer and so the coach thought it would cute if they took a “CRAZY” team pic! SO CUTE!! When I did this challenge I found myself feeling guilty! LOL! I love all my papers!! I felt bad narrowing it down to my least favorite papers. I came down to these papers! They aren’t necessarily “ugly”. Hey, one man’s junk and is another ones treasures right!! These papers are not what I usually use in my LO’s, I gravitate towards bright girly colors! While I was putting it all together I fell in love with it!! This challenge taught me to go out of my comfort zone once again and it was so much fun!!

Materials used:
Background paper: Glitz Kismet Kismet dots Floral and Blue paper: Glitz Kismet Floral Other Blue paper: Little yellow Bicycle Generation Z Turquoise Metallic Disk Round Red Paper: Chatter Box Artsy Licious: Fine Illustrated Paper in Ruby Journaling spot: Glitz Kismet Journaling Cardstock Stickers Letters: American Crafts Thickers “Daydream” Foam letter in Chestnut Letters: Pink Paislee Chipboard Expressions in Weathered Wood (Denim) Flower: Sassafrass Lass: In a stitch blossoms-bright red Ribbon: N/A

Head on over to Better Living Through Scrapbooking to see the rest of the Design Teams reveal and play along for some awesome prizes while you are there!!

GUEST SKETCHER AND GUEST CHATTER APHRA BOLYER AT SKETCH INSPIRATION @ 6 p.m. CST!!!

It's time again for another awesome chat and guest sketch designer!! August 15th we are so honored and excited to have Aphra Bolyer to be with us!!! She has a great sketch lined up for us and on August 15th evening @ 6 p.m. CST she will be chatting with us in the chat room LIVE!! Here's a little background about Miss Bolyer!!!


She is the mother of two rowdy boys, ages 3 and 9, and wife of 13 years to an Alaskan oil man. For thirteen years, she taught high school English, but with the birth of my second son decided to stay at home and work part-time. In my newfound free-time, She has become even more obsessed with scrapbooking. She enjoys designing for Imaginisce, Creative Scrappers, Treasured Memories, and Paper Poppy Kit Co.

Challenge #3 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking!!!

Today is the reveal of Challenge #3 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking!! EEk So Exciting!!
Here is the challenge:

"The photoless layout challenge”
Create a layout about a happy memory or event in your life that you have no photos of. This could be a childhood memory, an event that did not allow cameras, or perhaps you just forgot to take pictures that day!
Choose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use memorabilia in lieu of photos. If you have a map, brochure, flyer, receipts, or other paperwork from that day or event, use them on the layout.
2. Create your own photos of the memory or event. Take photos of favorite souvenirs from the day or event. Use your kids or grandkids, pets, or even dolls or stuffed animals to recreate a photo to represent the memory.
3. Use your favorite die-cut machine to create your page title.
4. Use at least two metallic elements on the layout.
5. Distress some element of your page – fray, tear, or crumple paper, or use distress ink or other distressing techniques on your page.

And here is my reveal!!!

Challenge #3 was a just that!! A Challenge for me…. Not using a photo in my Layout was soooo out of my element of scrapbooking!! This was my first photo-less layout, and in the end I loved it!! This challenge really pushed me out of my comfort zone and it was a blast for me!!

I distress the edges of my papers with Distress Inks and the two pins are my metallic elements. I also roughed up the edges some of my patterned papers.

1 sheet Bazzill Sugar Cream

October Afternoon-Near Mint

October Afternoon – One-of-a-Kind

October Afternoon – Collectors Item

October Afternoon – Thrift Shop Word Stickers

My Minds Eye – Cute Sticker Alphas

Vintage Black Pearls Pins – Maya Road

Stitched Florals – K&Co

Acetate Frames – K&Co

Transparent Shapes – GCD

Journaling says: My very first memory was picking strawberries. I remember the sun was going down and we were in the backyard. From the age of 8 weeks old my grandma watched me until I was five years old. These were some of the best times ever!

I also used the lastest Pencil Lines sketch 199.

Go check out what the rest of the AMAZING Design team created!! They are sooo talented!!!

This week at Sketch Inspiration!!

This week at Sketch Inspiration Polka Dot Whimsy is the Sponsor!!! Take a look at this awesome prize they are so generously donating for this weeks sketch challenge!!

Here is my take on this weeks sketch 136!

So head on over to SI and join in on all the fun!!

Will you be my hero? -Better Living Through Scrapbooking Challenge # 2

Are you ready for another awesome challenge at Better Living Through Scrapbooking? This weeks challenge is "Most influential person challenge". You are suppose to chose a person, living or dead, whether you know them personally or not, that has had a big influence on your life, and create a layout about them. This person can be a friend, relative, historical figure, celebrity – anyone at all.

The guidelines are to do/use at least 2 of the following:
1. The photo must be black & white. If you don’t have a black & white version, change the photo to black & white in Photoshop, or take the photo to your local 1-hour photo and have them do it for you. You can also make a black & white copy of the photo at your local office store. If you do not have a photo of the person (if they are a historical figure or celebrity) find one on the internet and print it out.
2. Use at least one major circular element on your page – whether it’s the photo, photo mat, or other noticeable circular element.
3. Use paint or ink in a fun and unusual way.
4. Hand make your own flowers and use them on the layout.
5. Include hand written journaling.


Here is my reveal!

This my Natalie, now she is my step daughter techinally but I have raised her since was three years old so I don’t think of her that way. She has been through so much already in her eight years of life. Her biological mother has put her through all kids of emotional abuse and has abandoned her. But, through all her troubles she is the “sunshine” in my life!! She finds the strength everyday to move past her anger and find the bright side of life. And for that she is my lil’ hero!

For the challenge I used a black and white photo, I used at least one major circular element,I handmade the flowers, and I handwrote my journaling.

My Journaling says: Natalie you have been through so much in your eight years of life. But, even through all that you are the”sunshine” in our lives! You are our lil hero!

My layout was inspired by my friend Jillian Deiling Cassity’s Layout “WOW Flamingos”.
*Thanks Jilly for the inspiration!* ;)

Head on over the Better Living Through Scrapbooking to see the rest of the Design Team's Reveal and Enter your submission to win this month's AWESOME Prize!!

Sketch Inspiration this week!!

Head on over to Sketch Inspiration this week and submit this weeks sketch and you could win this weeks prize!!

This week, I have a special treat for you. Trisha's own local scrapbook store is sponsoring us! Thank you, Cat's Creations Scrapbooks!
"Cat's Creations Scrapbooks--where you will always find the PURRRfect Scrapbook Supplies." Come play with us at the store in Mineral Wells, TX. A full 3400square feet of product, fun and creativity. We carry all the latest and greatest in product that will fit in the store. We have 24 crop tables so each cropper gets their own table at our 14-hr crops every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month. We have classes for the beginner to the advanced scrapper with some great local designers. We also offer retreats in a quiet country setting with lots of room, new product showcased just for the retreaters, make-n-takes and more. If we don't have it we will try to get it for you. See ya at the store, Cat!
Check out our website: www.catscreationsscrapbooks.com for all the latest happenings. Follow us on Facebook: Cat's Creations Scrapbooks to also find out all the latest, see pics of new product and classes.
Cat donated this fabulous prize including a paper stack by SEI:

Here is my LO for Sketch 135!!

This is my cousin holding her nephew Isak!! I left the journaling blank so she could fill in what she wanted to.