{crafty} Favorite Layouts this Year

Hello there! It's certainly been a light posting year hasn't it? Life is funny that way! While I haven't gotten around to posting too much, I HAVE gotten the chance to create. I thought I'd take the time to pull together some of my favorites. 

So, that's them! I wish I could say I created hundreds of layouts this year, but well that just didn't happen. And won't any time soon. I am so happy with what I have created though and hope to push it even further next year. I may even be attempting PL. Again. We'll see how that goes!

Thanks for looking!

{crafty} Blog Hop with Neat & Tangled

Hello there! I am so excited to be blog hopping today with Pinkfresh Studio and Neat & Tangled! I just love the stamps Neat & Tangled has to offer and they compliment Pinkfresh embellishments perfectly! You should have come directly from the Pinkfresh Studio blog, if not be sure to head back there to start from the beginning!

 I have two very different, other than my obvious affinity for yellows/oranges, layouts to share today.

For my first layout I really wanted to breakout my gelatos that haven't seen much use lately. I started by stamping the So Very Blessed image on to my cardstock with versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I didn't quite like how it turned out so I re-stamped and embossed with white. The image ended up a little thicker, but I love the added dimension it adds, though you can't see it so well in the photos. Next I spread gesso all over my paper and stamped into it using the Diamonds stamp. Once that was dry I scribbled on a few gelato colors, sprayed it with water and moved some color around. Again had to wait for that to dry and then I lightly stamped using Diamonds again with more gesso. With my background complete I added my pictures and embellishments from the Pinkfresh limited edition kit that I just can't seem to get enough of!!

Supplies Used: Pinkfresh Studio: Puffy Borders, Label Frames and Transparent cards from Limited Edition Kit, Light Gold Glitter Washi, Color Blocked Triangles, Neat & Tangled: Diamonds and So Very Blessed

For my second layout I created a grid type pattern at the bottom with more items from the Pinkfresh kit as well as stamping with Neat & Tangled's Ink Splash and Sunburst stamps. For the upper portion of my layout I used the So Very Blessed as my focal point.

Supplies Used: Pinkfresh Studio: Puffy Borders, Label Frames, Canvas Tag, Transparent Inline Alphas and Transparent cards from Limited Edition Kit, Color Blocked Navajo Arrows, Color Blocked Hearts, Everyday Sayings Printed Veneer. Neat & Tangled: So Very Blessed, Sunburst and Ink Splash

Next up in the hop is Jocelyn Olson. Head on over to her blog for more inspiration! Make sure to visit each blog and comment on each to enter a giveaway including the Pinkfresh Studio blog. One winner will be chosen for each day who will receive $20.00 worth of products from both companies. This is going to be 2 days of blog hopping fun. Winners will be announced on 27th july. Good luck!"

Pinkfresh Blog http://pinkfreshstudio.blogspot.com
Amanda De Jong http://somethingsorta.blogspot.com/
Jocelyn Olson http://redballooncards.blogspot.com
April Joy Hill http://damitaprilurcool.blogspot.com/
Amy Tsuruta http://tsurutadesigns.blogspot.com
Ashley Fowler http://isweatglitter.wordpress.com/
Kristen Foreman http://kristenforemandesigns.blogspot.com
Ashley Horton http://www.ashleyhortondesigns.com/
Joni Andaya http://jonininaandaya.blogspot.com
Clare Prezzia http://bearydocardsinc.blogspot.com/
Taheerah Atchia http://littlemisst-papercraft.blogspot.com/
Neat and Tangled http://www.neatandtangled.blogspot.com/

{crafty} Cambodia layouts

Last August I tackled my first layout to document my trip to Cambodia and since then the rest of those pictures have been sitting and taunting me. I have been squeezing in more and more time lately to craft and create some scrapbook pages and I find that I am reaching for those pictures more often than not. I have started with a few of my favorite pictures but I have so many more! I *think* I might create a few more layouts and then stick them in album together with pocket pages to hold the rest of the photos.

With this layout I wanted to record some of the details of the trip. It is so amazing to look back and recall just how amazing it was to be there and help.

 Thanks for looking!

{crafty} August Social Media Blog Hop

Welcome back! We are so happy to have you back for the August edition of our Social [Media] Butterflies blog hop! This month we thought we would change it up and have a two part challenge for our members. Not only will we be taking inspiration from one of our members, but we will be using this color palette:

This month I took inspiration from Suz Mannecke. I love a good layout of repetitious circles and this one is no exception. The title of her page also inspired me to finally start scrapbooking pictures from my trip to Cambodia earlier this year. Telling myself that a smile is universal is one thing that helped me through when I struggled with the language barrier.

Inspiration piece by Suz Mannecke

I have been wanting to try a color challenge for a while now and this pallete was a fun one. This blue woodgrain paper has been screaming to me every time I go through my paper. I mixed a couple Studio Calico kits here with a few pieces from Echo Park Everyday Eclectic. I wanted to bring more circles to the layout in a more subtle way so I stamped a Tim Holtz grunge stamp and embossed with clear powder just to add a little sheen. I added little bits of the yellow/orange color with the camera veneer, twine, washi and the embossed heart. This is such a special picture to me and I am so glad I have been able to scrap it. I am definitely inspired to create more layouts with the pictures from this trip!

We hope you enjoy our projects this month, and have a giveaway for a lucky blog hopper-- one of our own Social Butterflies is opening a SHOP! We are so excited for Kristin && would LOVE to show you some of the goodies you'll soon be able to purchase [store opens September 1st]

Introducing: Rukristin Papercrafts: The Shop! Offering trendy & quirky handmade memory-keeping supplies. Find her shop here: rukristin.bigcartel.com Before it opens, we are giving away Two Brand New Sets of Journaling Cards: 'Days of the Week' and 'Boy + Girl'. All you have to do is comment, follow or tweet using the hashtag #SMBiGbloghop, letting us know which of those you do-- the more of the hop you complete, the more chances you have :] Chances will end Saturday, September 1st at noon, and will be released later that day! Good luck!

Melissa P / click click 

Ellie 

Angel / akochmcelroy

Suz / SuzMannecke

Patricia 

Erika / erikabardo

Trisha / trishacakes24

------> YOU ARE HERE Amanda / mandadej 

Mary Pat <------ NEXT STOP

Sabrina / vixendeity

Shay / sbookinshay29 

Kristin / rukristin