The Scrapbookers' Blog Tour!

Hello, everyone! So happy that you've found me today!! As you are read this, I am probably back at work, after an amazing getaway weekend to Cornwall, Ontario, where I spent a fabulous time with two of  my favourite scrappy peeps at Scrapbook & Cards Today's latest Crop & Create event! Tired, I'm sure, but on one of those natural scrappy highs - I know some of you, if not all of you, know exactly what I mean! Hee!Hee!

I was so happy when Michelle Arseneault Gallant recently asked me to hop on board the Scrapbookers' Blog Tour!! What IS the Scrapbookers' Blog Tour, you may ask yourselves? It's a way for scrapbooking enthusiasts to hop from one scrappy blog to another - like a neverending source of inspiration!! WOO!HOO! I've known Michelle for a few years, now, cropping with her from time to time at local crops. She is an amazing scrappy talent, currently designing for five different design teams (that's how good she is!). I always love to see her finished layouts as they always make her photos stand out in the most beautiful way. And really! She is as big of a scrapbooking maniac as I am!! Hee!Hee! Thanks, Michelle, for including me on this blog hop tour!

1. What am I working on right now?

I just finished a layout for Stuck?! Sketches with a sketch by the amazing Laura Whitaker and a colour combo from Color Me Scrappy. It will be revealed for you to see on October 1st! YAHOO! Hint? It's all about Hallowe'en and the sweetest little pumpkin bum you've ever seen!! Hee!Hee!

2. How long does it take me to create a project?

Besides the occasional one-hour challenge at local crops (I get heart palpitations just thinking about it - right, Michelle?), if all goes well, I'm typically able to design a layout in a few hours. But I have been known to scrap into the wee hours of the morning to get my product choice and placement just right... ;)

3. What are my favorite things to create with at the moment?

The first thing that comes to mind is metallic-based products - like foiled paper and die-cuts. I've also recently fallen in love with incorporating rubons on my backgrounds! Oh! And my homemade "stencils" with all kinds of Gesso - white, black, gold, etc.

4. How does my creating process work?
I usually see a sketch/design I love, then move on to pick a photo or two to work with, to finally go and "shop" in my stash for the perfect collection(s) and embellishments.

5. How do I become inspired and stay inspired?

I L-O-V-E looking at scrappy blogs and galleries to get some ideas. And there's nothing like cropping with friends to get my scrappy mojo going! Scrappy dates are the BEST!!

6. What is my signature style?

It's changed through the years, but I'd say stitching, staples, splats, layers and texture.

And here are a few of my favourite layouts:

Now, I get to make this hop a bit longer as I send you off visiting two of my scrappy peeps. Hope you enjoy their work as much as I do!

Gisèle Julien

Shirley Mascarina

Happy scrapping!

Lime Citron: September Challenge

So happy you dropped by today! September has been so, so, SO busy for me with back-to-school and back-to-work, but I've managed to reserve a bit of time to scrap a bit. And I've actually been scrapping with some of my scrappy peeps which makes it extra nice. The September challenge over at Lime Citron was actually brought to my attention by a friend whom I met through scrapbooking, the very talented Elisa Delora. She facebooked me one day and told me that she had found their challenge that reminded her of me and my style. Here is what was to be done:

- Scrap a layout with a white background;

- Use stars;

- Use thread;

- Use a stencil with texture paste; and

- Use Lime Citron products, flair or stamps.

I was instantly on board, but I invited her to take on the challenge with me, inviting her to come to my house for some some scrappy time. And it was a date! So, here's what I came up with:

Had SO much fun making this layout. Used a Ana Castro sketch (Scrap & Music's #19) with tons of Basic Grey Lauderdale products (patterned papers, stitched brads, die-cut shapes, journalling cards with transparencies, and trim stickers) along with some Stampin' Up cardstock, Studio Calico wood veneer stars and self-adhesive letter sets, Jillibean Soup Beanboard alphas, a Lime Citron stamp (thanks, Elisa!), some stitching using a Bazzill Basics stitching template, a good ol' regular paper clip... and that Gesso? Applied with a homemade stencil - a paint dabber bottle cap and the roll in the middle of pet poop bags. PERFECT!! ;)

Since this is a Lime Citron challenge, can you see the stamp I borrowed from Elisa? Look closer... Yes! You're right! It 's the "Code Barre Coeur" stamp:

HUGE shout out to Elisa Delora for giving me the boost to do this challenge! It was so much fun to scrap with you for an evening (along with my sister!). Hope to do it real, real, real soon!

Happy scrapping!

Stuck?! Sketches: September15th Sketch and Reveal

Hello, everyone! Yesterday was reveal day over at Stuck?! Sketches so I thought I would let you in on what I designed. Here's the sketch by one of my favourite sketch designers out there, the oh! so fabulous Laura Whitaker:

You know me, though. I just had to flip it around a bit for the fun of it. Here's what the sketch looked like by giving it a whirl a few times:

And here's what I designed:

Yes, that's our sweet Éloïse, on a beautiful Spring day this past May. Used tons and tons and TONS of My Mind's Eye on this one, but not just tons - OLD TONS!! Hee!Hee! Yes, that's right! You see pieces from many a MME collections on there - Fine & Dandy, Alphabet Soup, Indie Chic, and Find Your Wings and Fly. Don't you just love it when totally different collections can totally be used together? Awesome! I also splashed some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze on there and of course, stitched me a storm using one of my handy Bazzill Basics stitching templates along with some DMC floss. And who can forget those American Crafts cork butterfly stickers and alphas? Just perfect for my cutie patootie on there, if I do say so myself. ;)

Of course, the rest of the Stuck?! Sketches design team totally outdid themselves with this reveal. If you'd like to see for yourselves, hop on over right here. And that's not all! If you submit a layout based on yesterday's sketch over at Stuck?!, two lucky participants will run away with one of two awesome products - a $25.00 Creative Embellishments gift certificate and a Lawn Fawn free stamp and 6X6 paper pad of that winner's choice! Woo!Hoo!

Happy scrapping!

Stuck?! Sketches: September 1st Sketch, Reveal and Celebration!!

Hello, everyone! So happy you took the time to drop by! Can you believe September is already here? I usually love this month as it's often the start of good things. Everything seems to be able to be started with a clean slate in September. This year, for me, it means my return to work after a year's worth of maternity leave with my sweet Éloïse. YIKES! But, I am ready. I think... ;) Why not take my mind off of what's ahead with a bit of scrapbooking? That always helps! And a Stuck?! Sketches reveal on top of that?! Woo!Hoo!

The uber-talented Laura Whitaker sent us this awesome sketch to work with:

Nice, eh? And if this wasn't enough, Scrapmatts generously sent us tons of yummy products to play with! WOO!HOO! Here are the sets I used on my layout:

And here is what I created:

See the chipboard? Here are some closer looks:

Used tons of Glitz Design's Finnley on this layout (patterned paper, whatnots, giant rhinestones, washi tape, alphabets & words sticker sheet, and titles & accents sticker sheet). But wait! What's that I see? A piece of white Stampin' Up cardstock as my background! Be still my beating heart!! For those of you who know me, you know that this is very rare!! :) But I really do like the look it creates. Besides the Glitz and the Scrapmatts chipboard, I also used a Bazzill Basics circle stitching template with some DMC floss, some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze, as well as a Tim Holtz stencil with some Distress Ink. This time, no buttons from an unknown source, but I did thread my chipboard banner pieces with some baker's twine I received as a gift ages ago. Manufacturer? No idea! ;) Oh! And just about those Making Memories staples. Love them!!

But wait! There's more!

Mm-mmm, that's right! It's been one year since Laura has taken on the wonderful Stuck?! Sketches blog and she is celebrating with TONS of prizes from some amazing sponsors. Curious, now? I would be, too! Here's the list of amazing prizes up for grabs for today's sketch over at Stuck?!:

Scrapmatts: a $50 gift certificate

Lindy's Stamp Gang: a $35 gift certificate

Words or Whatever: 20 pieces of chipboard of the winner's choice

Die Cuts with a View: a paper stack of the winner's choice

Linnie Blooms: newly-released product

Big Picture Classes: a $30 gift certificate towards a class of the winner's choice

Yes, you read right! By scrapping away with this sketch and linking your design to today's reveal over at Stuck?! Sketches, you'll get the chance to be the one of not one, not two, but six winners!! Holy smokes! Get your scrap on right now and... GO! Hee!Hee!

Here's to Laura, Stuck?! Sketches, fabulous sponsors, inspiring reveals, and scrapbookers the world over!! Cheers!!

Happy scrapping!