Chasing Butterflies, Summertime Fun, and a Frightful Affair!!!

Happy Friday gang!!! I really hope you enjoyed your Holiday!! We set off a few fireworks here and there between the rain spurts.  Nothing too fabulous but we had a good time all the same :-)

Since it is Friday, that means another fabulous challenge over at Scrap Your Story.  This week's challenge is to create a layout with "childhood" in mind.  Any childhood moments that stand out, pics of children, etc... 

Chasing Butterflies

I decided to scrap a photo of my oldest daughter when she was about 18 months old.  This is one of my FAV photos of her as a "baby"!!!! 

To complete the layout, I also used this month's sketch from C'est Magnifique!!!  Here is their sketch:

And here is my layout:

I had some papers from Inkado lying around that I won from Cest Magnifique a few months ago!  I decided to combine them with papers from the Pink Paislee Cottage Farms collection, as well as specialty "artisan" papers.  I distressed all the edges and inked them with various distress inks.  I added coordinating embellies, flowers, grungeboard flourishes and key, and chipboard.  I also topped it off with liquid pearls to complete it!!!!!  I wasn't sure about this one at first, but it is starting to grow on me!! 

"Hope All is Well" Watercolor Card using Distress Markers

Being that today is also the 5th of the month, it means that Sketch N Scrap has a wonderful new card sketch for you!!!

Here is the first monthly card sketch:

And here is my take on it:

I had some Coordinations cardstock that I just had to play with so I put it to work here!!!

I started by flipping the sketch.  Then, I sanded the Coordinations paper to expose the circles, and layered white cardstock and a little ribbon.  I colored on some watercolor paper with my Tim Holtz Distress Markers, then added a little water, and cut out strips to make my banners.  Of course, I topped it off with some Liquid Pearls to make it complete!!! I was going for "summery" colored type card and I think I achieved it here!!!

"Life's Journey Has Many Paths" Marine Card

I would also like to share with you a card I made for a former Marine and friend for my "Mini Treats" card challenge over at 2 Broke Girls Challenges.  I looked online for ideas on making a card for a Marine and couldn't find ANYTHING CREATIVE!!!!! Are you serious?!?  So, as I was lying in bed that night, it came to me!!! I just LOVE the Marine's Uniform and wanted to mimic it on a card.  So that's exactly what I did!!! 

Here's a look:

I looked at many pics of the uniform, and copied it down to the belt buckle!  I used cardstock by Recollections to make the base.  Then, I used my 1" circle punch and gold paper to make the "buttons".  I looked up Marine Reward Ribbons online and created a few of the simpler ones to add to the "breast" of the uniform. 

This was actually a VERY easy card to make and absolutely wonderful for ANY Marine!!! 

"My Favorite Memories" with The Cutting Café

The monthly challenge for Sketches4All for July is to create a layout with a "Summertime" theme.  We were also given two different sets of digi stamps to work with by The Cutting Café.

  One set of summer themed Bingo cards and the other of summer themed sentiments.  PEREFCT!!!!!! I have sooooo many pictures from our vacations to scrap and not enough time to get to them all so this gave me a reason to hop to it!!!!

I used the Guest Designer Sketch by Colorful Creations to complete the layout.  Here it is:

And here is my Summertime layout!!!

These are pics of me and my husband in the Bahamas during the summer of 2011!!!  I haven't been able to really get around to them so I am happy to have them down on paper!!! 

The bingo cards and the two circles ("bliss" and "sweet summer") were from the stamp sets.  I used papers by Recollections and bg paper by Bazzil.  I painted the chipboard title "Memories" with various paints in a "swiping" motion to sort of match the papers.  I then added liquid pearls to areas of the letters for detail.  I kept this page rather simple (for me anyway!!), adding only a few embellies by The Little Yellow Bicycle and Recollections.  One more vacation page to add to my album... done!!!! 

When I started to make my July 1st challenges, I started thinking about the Holiday, July 4th.  When I thought about that Holiday, I started to think about all the holidays... Which led me to my next page!

"Fright Night" at 2 Broke Girls Challenges

For my technique challenge over at 2 Broke Girls, the task is to create a project (any project) using the "masking" technique.  I recently purchased a hexagon mask by Heidi Swapp and have been waiting to use it... This page was PERFECT for it!!!

Here's a look:

This is me and my babies on Halloween of last year.  Aren't they precious?!?!?

I started this page with some black cardstock by Bazzil for my base.  Then I cut another sheet of "Black Magic" Coordinations cardstock for my second "base". I embossed the edges in different areas using two embossing folders, then sanded it down to show the Orange core.  I used the mask and two different Distress Inks (Black Soot and Rusty Hinge) to create the hexagon background on the lighter colored paper.  I added several Halloween papers by K&Company as well as the coordinating chipboard pieces and stickers.  Again, I finished the layout with Liquid Pearls around the second "base" to make it stand out from the background.  Spooky or what?!?!?!  Hahahaha!!!

Well gang... I think that's all for today!!!!

Thanks soooo much for stopping in and have a LUCKY day :-)