iREAD, uREAD

Another sketch from Twisted Sketches. This time the twist was to use stamps. I took out my old Heidi Swapp date stamp and also added some stamped scallops. The scallop stamp and the patterned paper are by Jenni Bowlin. The bookplate and the chipboard swirls are by Heidi Grace.

New ice skating season

is here already. This year Lila is again with Preliminary team while most of the girls from the last year Preliminary moved to Juvenile. That means new teammates. After few weeks of watching them during the practices I think it is very nice group of girls.

Thinking about new competition season it is fun to remember the last year that was so successful. I found this video from the first competition of the season in Kalamazoo, MI. November 2008
Enjoy!

WI Edge at Kalamazoo 2008 from Maya Oren-Dahan on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday to Hadas!

Today (it is alsready July 22nd in Israel), my adorable niece Hadas is turning 5 years old.
Happy Birthday sweet Hadas! We miss you very much!

Sugar and Spice

Sketch #5 from Twisted Sketches. The twist was to use fabric. I found this piece of fabric that was in it's previous life a cute t-shirt from Gymboree. Nobody is more sugar and spice than my Ella. :)

Jenni Bowlin April 09 kit

10 months

At 10 months old Eli is:
- a fast crawler and stairs climber - he started to crawl on his tummy but since he learned how to crawl on his knees he never looked back
- a little chatter box - our days are filled with his sweet blabbing - Ah! Eeh! Goo-goo, ga-ga and dah-dah-dah
- shy of strangers - he doesn't want to be held by anyone else except mom, dad or his sisters
- very curious - he just have to know what other people around are doing
- not a very good eater - cucumbers, celery sticks, pieces of tomatoes and grapes are the favorites.
- doesn't know how to drink from the sippy cup
- bites me on my shoulders and cheeks when he is tired and wants to nurse
- loves to play with the cars and remote controls

Here is a layout I made few days ago using Fiskars Jujy sketch of the months. Products used: Jenni Bowlin April 09 kit, Pink Paislee and Doddlebug letter stickers, blue corrugated paper (I think from Target), Fiskars Upper Crest border punch

Lila took this picture yesterday while she was playing with Eli at the new house. I think it's my current favorite. Can't wait to scrap it.

You + me

So many cool challenges, so little time ... LOL So, I decided to combine 2 challenges in one layout. I used this sketch by Becky Fleck for the layout. It is also my response to the challenge at Israeli scrapbooking forum that asked for Love layouts with no pink or red. It is the first time I am using a picture from my wedding. July 18th was our 13 years anniversary. :-)

I used January 09 Jenni Bowlin kit. The border is made with Fiskars Apron Lace border punch. I gathered the ribbon from the kit to make a ruffle.

3 hearts are punched with Fiskars scallop squeeze punches and stamped with matching stamps. It is difficult to see on the picture but they are embossed. I took out the string from the plastic bag that Jenni Bowlin uses to pack the kit embellishments and used it to tie the hearts to the scallops of the punched border.

I used white glaze pen around the letters to add some interest.

Teacher gifts

When I was thinking about teachers gifts back in June I stumbled across a template by Lauren Meader. It is called "From the desk of" and it looked like something cute and useful that can be easily done. I made this card box for Ella's teacher with a set of simple thank-you cards.

I liked the idea so much that I made 3 more - one for Ella's speech teacher and 2 more for the school secretaries. Because Ella will go to a different school next year I wanted to make a gift that will stay with them for a while. Those card boxes were perfect. The template costs just $5. It was one of my best scrapbooking purchases :)

Old pictures + old products = new layouts

This one is not so new. I made it in May using one of the Fiskars sketches (I believe it was may sketch) but never posted it. The photos are from 2005. I used the apron lace Fiskars border punch and colored the scallops with pencils. I used the same pencils to color the white letter stickers. The chick is Fiskars special edition squeeze punch.

This layout is made using Jenni Bowlin August 2008 kit + Basic Grey letter stickers + Heidi Swapp white flowers. The sweet baby in the picture looks like Eli but it is actually Lila's picture from 1999.

I found few sheets of old MME paper with frames and die cut titles. I quickly pulled few pictures from my storage albums that had similar colors and made 2 layouts. It feels good to use some loved but forgotten product :)

Wow

My Making Waves layout is on the Write.Click.Scrapbook. blog :)

And because you, my dear blog reader, were so nice to stop here and read my little self promotion, I am going to show you this picture of Eli from Summerfest.

Turkey leg anyone?

First time in the pool

Few weeks ago we took Eli to the pool. It was OK! :) He wasn't too excited but didn't complain much. He didn't like being on his back but otherwise he was just quiet. My pictures didn't turn very well but I thought they will be fine as a cluster. I used this grid sketch from Write.Click.Scrapbook.

All products are from Heidi Grace line Beyond the Sea except the Making Memories letter stickers (It's my third layout in a row that I am using those letters. I guess I like them)

Ella says...

when I grow up I want to be a zookeeper that works with big cats
:)
Sometimes I feel like I have a tiger at home ....
I used sketch #4 from Twisted Sketches. The twist was to use a transparency. I punched 2 big circles from Hambly Prints butterfly transparency and stitched them to the layout.

The paper and the stickers are by Karen Russell for Creative Imaginations. Letter stickers by Making Memories and Doodlebug. Not sure what are the white letter stickers. I think they are from Jo-Ann's. The little butterfly is done with Fiskars squeeze punch.

Layers

My challenge at Scrappy Times is finally posted so I can share the layout that I did. The Challenge is based on Suzi Blu's layers video.

Here is what I did:

- I started with black embossed cardstock (It was one of my first scrapbooking purchaces few years ago)
- I covered the cardstock with one layer on ivory paint mixed with some glue. You can still see some of the embossing through the paint.
- I added few pieces of the lace cardstock and covered them also with the mixture of ivory paint and glue
- After waiting till the paint was dry, I added my pictures
- I used gesso to fill the gaps between the pictures and in 2 corners to make a background for my title
- I added the letter stickers and covered them with a thin layer of glossy modge podge including the lace cardstock
- I used white pencil to accent the layout borders
- I used turquoise pencil on top of the white and between the pictures
- I added little turquoise leaves for a little interest
- I decided to stop here :)

I like how it turned out but most of all I like the pictures.

World's Largest Crop Attempt

Scrapbook Royalty is hosting the World's Largest Crop Attempt Friday July 31st from 5-11pm. For those lucky people who are going to CHA Summer (or just live in Orlando) it is a great opportunity to be part of the scrapbooking history in making, have fun and help to raise money for charity. As with all events hosted by Scrapbook Royalty the proceeds are going to charity.

Click here to get more info and you can also help to spread the world by bloging about the event.

Just another summer day

I made this layout last night for the challenge at Tapuz Scrapbooking forum

The theme was everyday life. I grabbed few pictures from our last get together with the friends, Jenni Bowlin April kit and made this layout. The patterned paper is by Fancy Pants and Sassafraslass. The die cut flowers are by Sassafraslas and the letter stickers and word stickers are by Making Memories. The only thing that was not in the kit is the Cloud 9 raindots.

Love how it turned out :)