~~~Faux Metal Layout~~~"These Two" & Stylish Blogger!!

Hola blogging buds!! I am so excited to post this really dramatic yet simple layout using a faux metal technique! I was inspired to do this page by a layout I saw on face book, you can see it here . Since this was a post of a class project I did not have any real instructions. Well, you know me, last night I had to dig in and give it a go!!! I think I will post a small tutorial on the process in the next few weeks...let me know if you are interested...I am sure there are lots of tuts on similar techniques, but I would be glad to share my trial and error experience! The pieces are simply card stock covered in foil, embossed and then some painting techniques applied....HOW FUN IS THIS!!! So, this is a photo of my sweet son and our pup. I have used several cricut carts and some cuttlebug embossing folders to create this project. The Fleur de lis is cut from Stamping, the findings are cut from Ornamental Iron. I've used lots of little hinges, metal pic hangers and brads.

The font is from Wall Decor and More, each letter is embossed with a different cuttlebug folder.

I've added some eye hooks to the sunburst cut from Ornamental Iron, some buttons and a "forever friends" brad from my stash. The frame for the picture was created by cutting some card stock @ 1x4 1/2 and 1 x 6 1/2 and then mitering the corners. (this was done BEFORE I glued the foil to the card stock)

The clock and compass are both from Wall Decor and More. There is a button in the center of the clock. I've used some nails as clock hands and added a little metal finding over the top of them and another brad in the center of the compass. I cannot wait to do this again...I already have a picture and title in mind!! This technique is just so perfect for a masculine layout!! Yay! I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Sending a special thanx and big hug out to Brenda from Una Crafting

for this luvly award. Please stop by and see Brenda, she has some awesome layouts and cards to share. Her crafty projects are a wonderful inspiration!!

The rules are to list seven random things about yourself and then pass to seven blogs you have recently discovered. I have been unable to do a lot of blog hopping lately and love each and everyone of you dearly. I get so much inspiration from all of you! I have been blessed with several new followers recently. I would like to pass this award to each and everyone of my followers so that I can share the love...if you would like this award and follow my blog please accept it and pass it to those who inspire you!!!

Thanx again Brenda and each and everyone of you!

My seven random things...

I love God.

I adore my children.

My family is very important to me.

I look forward to time to create ( i don't have enough, LOL).

Every child I encounter blesses me and touches me in some way.

I am grateful for all of life's lessons (even the hard ones).

I am looking forward to summer break.

Thanx for stopping by....have a great week!!

~~~~Sandy~~~

It's Life's Little Moments I Love

True to my heart I love the everyday details of life, this is a photo of my 3 oldest boys back in 93 when we lived in Salem, NH. I love the simplicity of them just enjoying the moment. I also love that I can take an old snapshot and play with it in photo impact to add my personal touch to it.
I've used several brands of paper here, K&Co, Glitz, DCWV and some plain card stock. I think the chipboard pieces are from Basic Grey...not sure.

The ticket is cut from Wall Decor and More. My filigree cuts and banner are from Straight From the Nest, I've added some metal findings that I picked up from a jewelry clearance bin @ M's as well as some natural string. It's is cut from CindyLoo, I cannot remember which cart I cut little from...so sorry...if I figure it out I'll add it...I guess that means I have to many carts...lol.

I've tucked pix of the boys faces into some of the flowers...the yellow flowers are from Mother's Day Bouquet and of course the black flower is from my tutorial for SOUS this week...if you missed that pop on over and check it out!

The alpha's for Life are one of Colorbok's sticky alpha stax.

I used my Martha Stewart punch for the edge of the light card stock. Plantin Schoolbook for the hearts and once again my Mother's Day Bouquet for the leaves. After I cut the leaves I used a marker to edge the leaves and add the veins and then added some Ranger Meadow alcohol ink. The tiny alpha stickers are Memory Makers.

Another one of my fleur de plume flowers, the inside of this one is another Mother's Day Bouquet flower, water distressed. The flower centers are beads held in place with glossy accents. There is a glimpse of some more of the Straight From the Nest filigrees.

I've also added glossy accents on the title fonts.

My boysss...what a blessing...miss these days...Here you can see the Offray ribbon I've meandered along the bottom of the photos. (kinda like me meandering down memory lane today)

Hope you are having a happy day!

hugs,

Sandy

fleur de plumes Flower Tutorial

Hey there!! Happy Friday to all! Once again I've been invited to be a Guest Designer at Stuck On U Sketches.

This week I've created a tutorial for all you flower lovers....pop on over and give it a go...and then pop back and let me know how you liked it!

Hope to have a layout up later today using these flowers!

Until then...

hasta luego,

Sandy

Spread Your Wings~~~SOUS Guest Designer~~~

Hola mi amigas!! I hope this finds you as happy and blessed as I am! I am so very honored to be Guest Designer for my fav challenge blog, Stuck On U Sketches, aka SOUS. As many of you already know I used to be a part of this talented group of ladies and it is so fun to be sharing the limelight with them this week. Sandi sent me this super funtastic, sandylicious sketch by Suepup....isn't it just delicious?

I luv, luv, luv the sketch so much that I did not stray far from the original design. I used some yummy K&Co papers (big surprise, LOL). I adored the look of the paint wash over the page so I added that to my layout as well.

The photos are of my sweet little DGN, Madalyn. I changed the pic to b/w, overexposed it to get the subtle look and then added some color back in on her eyes, cheeks, mouth, the wings and a few of the rose petals.

I used PhotoImpact for all of the enhancements.

Spread and Wings are both cut from Songbird and the circle is cut by making a centerpoint circle cut in two sizes, the second 1/4 inch smaller than the first, using Plantin Schoolbook...this is a great way to get the circle accents in the narrow sizes. I've added some pearl adhesives to the circle, butterflies and title. The journal tag is from K&Co and originally read, 'what did you want to be when you grew up?' I used computer generated words to alter it to read, 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'

The bird is from Indie Art and is layered over a peacock feather. The 'wrought iron' cuts are all from Ornamental Iron.

Oh you just have to love the Mother's Day Bouquet cart....so many flowers, so little time...LOL. The frosted lace stickles are just so funderful to use on florals...love the look they give. These leaves are from a cuttlebug die.

Some more yummy MDB flowers anchor the corner of the photo. My tag cut is from Plantin Schoolbook. The bingo card has been miniaturized and layered onto the tag, I then added a frame of adhesive pearls.

Here you can see the funderful butterflies from Sentimentals...I've added some adhesive pearls and made antennae from craft wire. I've added a pin to pierce the 'y' alpa bead in the word your.

Once again I want to thank the SOUS team for the wonderful invitation to join in on this super delicious sketch....give it a go and link it to the SOUS site to share your insipration!!!

Thanx so much for looking, have a great day!

Much Love, Sandy

The Best Is Yet Unwritten

Good Saturday everyone, I hope this finds you and yours well and happy! Today I'm posting a scrappy page of me....I do not consider myself very photogenic and seldom have photos of myself that I like...along with that I am soon to turn fifty in May....I actually like this photo and when I thought about the transition from my forties to fifties I thought this is how I would like to remember being 49. I also think that we can spend a lot of time stuck in our past and lose sight of the future....So, this layout is inspired by the song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield...I tweaked the words a bit from 'the rest is still unwritten' to 'the best is yet unwritten'. I believe that regardless of the ups and downs of life...while we may not be able to control our destiny...we can certainly influence it....we are each born many man, yet die but one. So it is time for me to live my story...What a wonderful time to be me, I am grateful for everyone in my life and the lessons and experiences they have helped me gain...without each of them I would not be me...I am grateful to God for guiding me...he never said it would be easy...he simply promised to be there!
I have once again used K&Co papers, lots of distressing, inking and layering. I have used several new techniques on this layout...hope to remember to give credit where due....and made some fun flowers as well.

So have you seen the wonderful Prima Romani Rose collection? They are the inspiration for my large fabric flower. I had to give it a go on my own and I have to say it was quite easy to make and I am very happy with the outcome. The butterfly is from M's recollection series...as are the tiny rosebuds. Gate is cut from Ornamental Iron and I've added a faux metal technique that I found on youtube, click here to see that video by Scrappinings. Mine turned out a bit different that hers but I love them and will do it again! I just love youtube vids for inspiration and Scrappingings has lots of fun tuts!! The alpha stickers are from Destinations, found them on clearance @ Big Lots.

The paper flowers are all from Mothers Day Bouquet. I have added puff paint to the larger ones, and stickles to the others. I have added stamen to two of the designs. The title font is the diamond cut from Jasmine. The photo corners and the branches are from Straight From the Nest. I have computer generated...Everyone has a story...how mine ends is up to me! I used glossy accents to adhere them to Tim Holtz fragments and then backed them with a frame cut from Heritage.

The is made from the letters that were left from the diamond cut part of the title. These flower centers are made with adhesive pearls and then I covered them in glossy accents.

My feather is from Sentimentals. I cut the peacock feather and then the plume pen @ 2 1/2 inches and then added the pen tip to the peacock feather.

Well, I hope you like it! I really enjoyed making it.

Thanx for stopping by and have a great day!!!!

The Blizzard Of Oz...There's no place like home!

Good Saturday to everyone...Many of you have suffered the onslaught of snow brought by the 2011 blizzards throughout the country. Well, here in Southeast Kansas it is very unusual for us the have a real 'blizzard'. So of course Mcauley, Icah and I had to go for a walk on February 1st when the snow fell up to 3inches an hour, with totals well above 18 inches in our little town by the time it ended....had to save this memory! I used K&Co papers and some of my newest cricut carts!

I computer generated a little newspaper with the snow totals and commented on school being closed for four consecutive days...you can't read it in the photo but it looks really good on the layout. The flowers are from Mother's Day Bouquet cut at 2 inches and 1 1/2 inches with the snowflake center cut from Home Accents. A little pearl accent finishes them off.

The film strip is from Wall Decor and More and I've added a little Jenni Bowlin calendar to document the month. I used my 50 States cart to cut Kansas and marked out location with a little blue bling star.

What would the Blizzard of Oz be with out a hot air balloon....I created this with four cuts of the parartrooper from Stand and Salute...added the basket from Happily Ever After, a little embroidery floss and some pearl accents and viola...a balloon to carry the blizzard away...and of course we are all familiar with the famous line...."There's no place like home!", that I have framed in one of the K&Co metal frames I so adore. The words the and of are from Hannah Montana.

My photo mat is from A Child's Year and the filigree corners are from Ornamental Iron. Snowflakes, branch and skis are from Winter Woodland. I used my new Happy Hauntings cart to cut the words Blizzard and Oz and also cut the shadow cut for Happy Halloween to use as my icicles at the bottom of the page....I wish you could see how the white pearlescent paper and the icicle stickles transform this gruesome font into a wintery wonder!

Well, that's it for now...hope to be back soon! Thanx for stopping by and have a great day!

New Inspiraton On It's Way

Those of you who know me know I love to take pix...well just wanted to share the most exciting news....I have finally decided to take the plunge into the world of DSLR and my new Pentax k r should be here by the end of the week...just can't wait to see the photos I can take with this one!!!