Normal looks like...

I actually finished a scrapbook layout during the Great Scrapbook Carnival this year, and have it posted within the same week! I hope you're impressed because this is a vast improvement over last year.

The photos in this layout were taken during April 2011, which is the last time my family were all under the same roof. Bo Bunny's Family Is... collection was used throughout this layout, from the papers to the chipboard and pearls. 

The Beach... in December

We visited our stretch of sand during December 2010, but it took me almost two years to scrapbook the photos and another year to take photos of the layouts to share with you. It's tough to find a wintery paper collection that also has sandy colours in it, but Bo Bunny came out with the perfect paper - Snowfall. I scrapbooked these photos {finally} at the Great Scrapbook Carnival in 2012, and now you finally get to see them too! Remember how I wrote that I was so very far behind in sharing my projects? This is a rare peek into my finished scrapbook pages so please tell me what you think.

Some snowflakes were fussy cut from the papers in the collection, and others were cut with Spellbinders dies. Fussy cutting doesn't happen very often at my craft table - believe me! - but the effect was well worth the effort. I used chipboard from the set and Dusty Attic, and some inks and glitter. The detail in the Dusty Attic chipboard used as the title shown here is so delicate.

Happy Paper Anniversary!

Hubby and I just celebrated our second anniversary, but since I'm soooo far behind in posting my crafting adventures, you get to see what I made him last year instead of the simple card I made for him this year. The traditional gift for a first anniversary is PAPER - yep, my favorite-est artsy medium - so this was a no-brainer.

Here's the outside of the explosion box, adapted from designs available at the Silhouette online store and a Spellbinders borderabilities die.

Botanical Mini Album

I was going through a box of projects that I had previously used for classes when I came across this little beauty:

This Kaisercraft paper from their Sweet Nothings collection was a wonderful source of inspiration for this mini album.

The class was all about die-cutting. I used Bazzill paper, Kraft-core and metal foil with an assortment of Spellbinders dies, and finished the pieces by embossing, sanding, stenciling or inking. There aren't any photos in here yet (I don't put photos in class projects before the class) but this inspires me to dig through the ones taken during the many trips my Mom and I have made to the Muttart Conservatory during her visits. Here's a closer look at each of the inside pages and what makes them special.

"From the Heart" Scrapbook Layouts

I’m baaaack! 

The cottage was wonderful, and so was all the visiting we did with family and friends. The next two weeks are going to be frenetic… busy, busy, busy so I can spend a week at my Mom’s farm and then bring her to the cottage for a couple of weeks. Yep, I am well and truly blessed! 

 During the short time I’m here, I’m teaching a set of classes: a coordinating set of scrapbook layouts that feature die-cutting materials other than paper. Check 'em out and see how many different non-paper materials you see. 

There’s a feminine version in ivory with glittery cheesecloth and canvas butterflies and a more masculine version featuring denim, cork, and burlap. 

Both versions began with Little Yellow Bicycle paper and incorporated canvas, cheesecloth, denim, Spica pens, Adirondack inks and Tim Holtz distress stains.Even with the very different feel to these pages, it’s easy to spot the similarities, like the same title (“From the Heart”) and scalloped matting. The LYB paper complemented the textures without being overpowering – just like great paper ought to do. So let’s take a look at some of the unique details of each page.

A Quick Thank You

Here's a quick thank you card that lends itself to making a dozen (or two, or six) at a time. I found several pieces for this card while sorting through my stash so I'm procrastinating sharing.

Start with a 5.5" x 4.25" cardstock base, then add two layers of cardstock cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities label and a third label with a sentiment. Emboss and ink the Spellbinders layers as you wish and... tada! All you need is a standard size envelope available at any office stationary store.

Celebration and Remembrance

On a happy note, Canada celebrated its 145th birthday today. Happy Canada Day to all Canadians, home and abroad, actual and hopeful. My boy and I checked out the celebration at CFB Edmonton, and then came home and vegged. It doesn't get dark here until 11 pm at this time of year so we skipped the fireworks (it had been raining on and off all day) in favour of the hopes of a good night's sleep. Needless to say, he's in bed and I'm sitting here typing. Bad Mommy!

On a more sober note, I took time to craft the sympathy card for the family of my son's 15 year old classmate today. The death of someone so young didn't fit any of the sympathy card designs I had previously used so it was a challenge coming up with something that balanced the tragedy of his far-too-soon death with the knowledge that, as a Christian, he was now in the arms of his Saviour. The funeral is tomorrow so I couldn't procratinate any longer over finding the appropriate words or creating a design. Here is the front: