Stress relief

When I'm stressed I can't sleep... so I scrap. Here are two LOs I made last night/this morning. The first one is for the scrap attack sketch contest over at PageMaps blog. Here is the sketch (and the prize):

And here is my take on the sketch:

I used the Girls Paperie paper - On Holiday - from the Mosh Posh July'10 kit. I also used a Maya Road Scallop Envelope from that kit to hide keep the boarding passes. The title tag was ripped from the American Airlines boarding pass cover. Cardstock is Bazzill. Ribbon and plate I got at Big Lots a while back.

The next LO is for the Apron Strings My Croppy Summer Assignment #17: "use scraps only on your layout." I took that literally! I had 3 half used SEI cardstock that I cut into 1" strips and weaved for the background.

I used 2 colors for the vertical lines and the third color for the horizontal, along with a scrap of Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird - from a previous LO. The black cardstock that I used to mat the pictures also came from leftovers of that same LO. I used some Die Cuts with a View - Stitch In Time Alphabet Rub On for the title, and embelished with a SRM sticker, a vellum sticker from an old sheet and a rub-on from a set from way back.

Friends

Here is a layout I made with the DeLovely kit I won at the Cosmo Cricket Facebook page:

Lots of LOs

I've been scrapping quite a bit these last few days... mostly on stolen time. Or maybe I just am trying to move through the rest of the photos from our trip to Brazil because I just got a box of 500+ prints in the mail... In any case Lori's Croppy Summer Assignments over at Apron Strings have been a lot of fun and I'm trying hard to keep up!

This first LO is for Assignment # 15: Christmas in July. I had to get these out of the album, because they were older than the new ones I got in the mail this week ;) The background paper is from the Apron Strings January'10 small kit - Sassafras Lass Sweet Marmalade. Creative Impressions Red Photo Turns are also from that kit. Alphas from the Mosh Posh February'10 kit. The other embellishments are from my stash.

Assignment #16 "is to draw inspiration from any or all three of those phrases: dancing sugar plums, bowl full of jelly and cherry-red nose". The sugar plum phrase reminded me of this 3 bugs in a rug paper - sugar cane. For this LO I used photos from another family gathering in Brazil. Alphas from the Mosh Posh May'10 kit and embellishments from my stash.

And as I'm very much in love with the American Crafts Tree House Collection, I used some leftovers from the Apron Strings June'10 small kit for the following LO and cards:

Birthday stickers from SRM.

UPDATE: the last LO fits the Apron Strings' Croppy summer assignment #18: "scrapbook an everyday event or non-Christmas event of your choice, using traditional Christmas colors (green, red and white)." Maybe I have ESP or something like it...

Croppy Summer Assignment #14

I can't believe I managed all the Apron Strings' assignments for this week! #14 was to make a LO based on this card sketch:

Here is my take:

I used papers from the Apron Strings July'08 smaller kit: GCD Studios - Lost in Paradise. The journaling spot also came from that kit. I added a bit of ribbon, Coredinations cardstock, a BoBunny border and Die Cuts with a View - Stitch In Time Alphabet Rub On for the title.

This was a hard photo to scrap, as my grandfather passed away last October... I wrote more about it here.

Juice!

This layout is for Apron Strings' Croppy Summer assignment #13: crumple, tear, antique or otherwise distress something on your layout.

I used Doodle Bug Design papers and buttons, stich rub-on alphas, and Coredination cardstock.

Reading Classics

I realized I haven't posted on books since May... and not because I am still re- re-reading Twilight (though I just got around to watching the first movie and I might need to revisit some chapters ;) ). What I have been doing is reading some Classics I never got around to reading before - the primary reason is the birthday present I got back in May:
My Kindle DX!

I got it more for work-related purposes - for reading science articles in PDF-format (and reduce excessive printing). I LOVE it! As all books pre-1925 are free, I got all the Classics I've been meaning to read on the Kindle now. I started with Jane Eyre, then The Professor - both by Charlotte Brontë.

Now I'm reading Anna Karenina (by Leo Tolstoy). It will take a while... but I read in this article (after I started) that it is a good summer read - and summer in Florida goes on for a while anyway.

More views

Here are two more layouts from our day on the Corcovado mountain. For the first LO I used the Country Home July'10 kit I won at Color me Miki: The paper is My Mind's Eye - Lounging Around. I also used a Pebbles brad that came in the kit. The Prima flowers, buttons and ribbon were from my stash. American Crafts Thickers from the Mosh Posh May'10 kit. The background cardstock is Bazzil, while the photo mats are Coredinations - both from my stash.

This next LO is for the Apron Strings' My Croppy Summer Assignement #12, which asked to incorporate die-cut paper int a LO. I used Lily Bee Design Hello Sunshine papers, die-cut frame, and chipboard flowers along with cardstock from the Mosh Posh May'10 kit. I used the October Afternoon Mini Market Alpha Stickers from the Mosh Posh February'10 kit and cut the rest of the title using my Coluzzle alpha templates. The red ribbon I got from Apron Strings.

views from the top

Here is a layouts from our day as a tourist - amidst so many family engagements it was nice to get to enjoy the city and it's sights. We went up the Corcovado mountain one day and the weather could not be more perfect!

For this LO I used a leftover piece of Lilybee paper from the Mosh Posh April'10 kit and one of the July'10 Girls Paperie paper - On Holiday collection. Flowers and buttons were from the "dollar bin" at Michaels and alphas are BoBunny. For the ticket stubs you'll need to go to Rio ;)

More to come - it was a gorgeous day!

Party Time

Here is another layout from our trip - so many dinner parties!

I used some old Marcella by K (Birthday pack) and a scrap of Lilybee paper from the Mosh Posh April'10 kit. The umbrella thickers I got from Mosh Posh (April'09), but I had to be creative as I ran out of most of the letters I needed. My Minds Eye journaling tag and Ranger Stickles in Aqua.

In Brazil

Here is a layout from our arrival in Brazil last year:

I used papers from the Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird packet of the Apron Strings August'09 Small kit that I substituted in a more recent kit.The alphas are BasicGray June bug and the tag is K&Co.

Flower card

Here is another card I made with the Near Mint October Afternoon paper from June'10 Mosh Posh kit. This card was made for the Caardvarks July challenge.

I used the Dalia pattern in this Fancy Pants guide and added a SRM birthday sticker.

Box of Cards

I made a set of cards with the October Afternoon Thrift Shop papers in the July'10 Mosh Posh kit. The first one was posted here while the other ones are below. I also decorated a box to put them in, as they will be a birthday present to a friend of mine (I hope you're not peaking!).

I made the flowers following Julie's video tutorial, but instead of cutting 5 petal flowers I cut out the doilies from the  One-of-a-Kind and Collectors Item papers. The sticker on the tag is from SRM.

I made matching envelopes using the off-white paper that came in the page protectors of one of my 12x12 scrapbook albums. I cut them with a Coluzzle envelope template and decorated the flap. The one shown in the box is for the card in the previous post (the others are with their appropriate cards). I also made matching stickers to seal the envelopes, which I ran through a Xyron.

Crepe paper ribbon from the Mosh Posh feb'10 kit and Kaisercraft Rub-on from the Apron Strings May'10 Card kit.

 SRM sticker sentiment.

For this one used I used a red polka dot paper from my stash for background and envelope.

And a Christmas card that incorporates a vintage postcard.