Mojo is Back!

After a long break from crafting and blogging, it's good to be back with some new layouts, cards and challenge posts!

These last few months have been busy with homeschool and homeschool co-op with my youngest, plus spending time with my oldest, taking him to his new job and teaching him to drive in the process.  I also signed up as a Stampin' Up consultant, which has been such a fun time! (more on this later)

We just took a ten day Spring Break, in which I took the opportunity to go through my scrap stash and purge many things that hadn't been used for eons, and probably wouldn't ever get used.  I grouped what I planned to keep by collection, so it would be easier to grab a sleeve of product and finish a layout when I only had a few minutes.  Needless to say since reorganizing, scrapping has been more fun, and over the Break, I finished MANY layouts, cards and pocket scrapbooking pages! (Videos coming soon to my YouTube channel!)

For this post, I wanted to share two layouts that I completed yesterday for the Make it Monday sketch challenges over at The Memory Nest blog.  (You can find the challenges on the right margin of Leslie's blog)

The first sketch is this one for Make it Monday # 35.

For this layout, I used the remainder of the 2010 Fancy Pants collection on hand called "My Family". The only additions were Basic Grey chipboard letters, along with a few gems.

The next sketch is for Make it Monday #36:

Again for this layout, I grabbed one of my sleeves with what I had left of the 2010 Little Yellow Bicycle's "Twig"collection.  Once I started to follow the design, I remembered this photo and the page took on a different twist.  The back layers are probably the only original item from the sketch, but I am happy with how this turned out.  

In addition to the collection paper and embellishment sheet, I added the chipboard title phrases from K & Company.

There is still time to take part of these challenges, where you could win a gift certificate from The Memory Nest store.  

I hope this post will inspire you to get out those old collections and use them up!

Flashback Friday: Killing Kits from The Memory Nest!

In the past few months as a Design Team Member for The Memory Nest, I have received some awesome product kits for creating!

To close out the month of June and my time as a Design Team Member, I decided to go through all the past kits, gather all those yummy leftover pieces and put together a new double page layout.

The challenge for myself was to only use what was left of these kits without adding anything else from my stash.  Do you think I was able to accomplish the challenge??

Here are the kits that I worked with:

Recollections by Echo Park
PB&J from Basic Grey
Dapper Dan from Glitz
Feels Like Home from Little Yellow Bicycle
RSVP from Basic Grey
Weaving Color Kit (The Memory Nest)

And here are some photos of those yummy leftovers:

While this seems like a lot of goodies, it was still going a little intimidating to mold all these goodies into a cohesive, pleasing layout.

Here is the finish product:

Mission Accomplished! Thanks for stopping by!

Throwback Thursday: Generation Z from Little Yellow Bicycle

This week on Throwback Thursday, I'm highlighting two page layouts with paper and embellishments from Little Yellow Bicycle's "Generation Z" collection  While the sketch is similar for each, the difference in the papers and embellishments make them look totally different:

These layouts will be ready when I come across the perfects photos of my teenager!

What collection from the past can you use this week to finish a page layout??

Scrapbook Process and Video: Today it "Feels Like Home"

Today at The Memory Nest blog, Leslie reveals more pages that fellow design team member Kelli (from Use It Scrapbooking) and I completed with the "Feels Like Home" collection by Little Yellow Bicycle.

For this page, I found some older photos of my kids from 2007.  We were visiting Auditorium Shores in downtown Austin, enjoying a beautiful, autumn day.  Yes, it was still warm enough for short sleeves, even in late November! This layout has an obvious triangle -- three groups of embellishment areas -- which is designed to move the eye around the entire page.   Here is a close-up of the embellishment areas:

And if you want to see the process, you can tune in to the video:

                         

The chipboard pieces and stickers are from the "Feels Like Home" collection, the enamel dots from Teresa Collins and the washi tape is Freckled Fawn. (You could probably use this great Glitz "Hello December" washi -- it would be a great substitution.)  You can find these items at The Memory Nest store, in addition to several other new collections!  And here's a special deal . . . . 

                          

Tomorrow I will share a final, BONUS layout from the "Feels Like Home" collection!

Card Making Process: Cards from World Card Making Day 2013!

It's another World Card Making Day, and in celebration, I am sharing five different fall themed cards that I  made from the "Feels Like Home" collection from Little Yellow Bicycle:

The last three cards were made with the Bazzill card stock color "quicksand."  I used left over printed paper, stickers and chipboard pieces from the Feels Like Home collection that I got from The Memory Nest store. 

Are you planning to make cards today?  As I finish any other cards and/or challenges, I will be sure to share them here.  I have been digging in my paper to find collections that I want to use up and build up my card stash again.  What card themes will you make today?

Scrapbook Process: More from "Feels Like Home"

Happy Friday!  Leslie from The Memory Nest revealed some great design team creations yesterday on her blog using some of the newest collections that you can find at her store.  You can see two more examples of layouts using the new "Feels Like Home" collection from Little Yellow Bicycle from Kelli (Use It Scrapbooking) and myself.

Now is a good time to check out the store -- Leslie has a great Croptober deal at The Memory Nest store!

For more details on the papers, stickers and chipboard pieces that I use from this collection and a look at the page layout process, you can check out my newest YouTube video:

This is the sketch from Pagemaps that I used for this layout:

Tomorrow is National Cardmaking Day!  Are you going to spend some time making cards?  If you want more inspiration, stop back here tomorrow when I will share FIVE sweet and homey cards that I made with this same Little Yellow Bicycle Collection!  

Scrapbook Process: Austin is Home with Little Yellow Bicycle

The new fall collection,"Feels Like Home" from Little Yellow Bicycle, is such a wonderful color scheme and so versatile. This collection is one of the new lines that is now available at The Memory Nest store!  Using this color combination made these fall family photos (taken in October in Texas) really seem homey and cozy (even though we were still in shorts and t-shirts!).

To complete this page layout, I "sorta-kinda" went by this sketch by Becky Fleck, from the August Pagemaps:  

Maybe you can tell that I turned AND flipped the sketch for my page . . plus added banners! With the LYB matching chipboard shapes and cardstock stickers, it made this page come together quickly. (There are also wood shapes available that are really fabulous!)

Here is a closer look at one of my embellishment clusters.  Pop dots were used for the chipboard and flower stickers for dimension, plus enamel dots were added from the Family Stories collection by Teresa Collins, also available at The Memory Nest store!

Now is the time to check out this collection and other new additions at The Memory Nest store where you will get fast and friendly service!

Scrapology Class: Getting Twiggy with Little Yellow Bicycle!

This new line by Little Yellow Bicycle has been so fun to work with for my new class this month!  I took an idea from their website and created my own little birdhouse with the papers and embellishments:

There are also four cards to complete as part of the class also:

Scrapology Class: Flipping for Spring!

Another fun project for a Scrapology class!  I used some new papers, stickers and chipboard from The Little Yellow Bicycle's Fresh Print Clothesline set, which are so springy, sweet and oh so perfect for doing an Easter or flower album!  I used several photos that I took on Easter Sunday of the bluebonnets and other wildflowers here in Texas.

The "springtime" imprint here is on the paper -- I thought this made a perfect album cover!