Three more layouts

As promised, three more layouts based on My Scraps & More November sketches.

Sketch 55. I am pretty happy how this turned out! I used Samantha Walker Cool Summer collection for Carta Bella and wooden veneer embellishments from Freckled Fawn.

How cute is that little frame??

Sketch 56. I used some very old products and even older pictures from my pre-digital era photo albums. 

 

The last one is based on sketch 57. More pictures from the same photo album. Here I mixed the old paper with new Simple Stories journaling cards and stickers. 

The circles are done with Faber-Castell gelatos.

That was really fun! Can't wait to see the December sketches!

This is what I like to do

Last week I abandoned my never-ending to do list and decided to make a layout. 

And than I made another one and another one. And it felt so good. This is what I like to do - making scrapbook pages, moving pictures around the page, picking up the embellishments, trying new things.

 

I love doing scrapbooking challenges because they give me a starting point - a sketch, a recipe, a color scheme. For these two layouts I used sketches from My Scraps & More Sketches blog. The first layout is based on sketch 53.

All products on this page are really old - do you remember Doodlebug borders? The green is a regular tissue paper adhered with wet adhesive.

This layout is based on sketch 54. More old supplies here with some new bits and pieces. But the pictures are fresh - from this October!

I added glitter to the pieces of patterned paper and tucked the journaling in the glassine envelope behind the picture.

The buttons and the camera embellishment are sewn to the page with gold thread.

I have three more layouts to share tomorrow and two more in progress. So good to be back.

Turning Fifteen birthday card

Supplies: cardstock (unknown), patterned paper (Carta Bella), pearls (Melissa Frances), ribbon (unknown), Silhouette

Today I am sharing how I made this card on Samantha Walker blog.  It is made using only Silhouette cuts - no stamping involved!

I really like how it turned out. What do you think?

Samantha Walker Creative Team November Blog Hop

Welcome to Samantha Walker Creative Team Blog Hop! This month's theme is Thankful!

You should have arrived here from Aimee's blog. This month's giveaway is the Carta Bella Paper Giddy Up Boy 12x12 Collection Kit!

All you need to do to win this giveaway is to enter below. You can earn multiple entries by following us on Facebook, commenting below, tweeting about the giveaway, and signing up for the email updates. By commenting you will also be eligible for the free SVG/Silhouette cut file.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner will be announced on Monday, 11/18 on Samantha's Facebook Page.

Now to my project.  I am thankful for my parents.

I used this picture of my mom and Eli taken during my parents visit this past August. I wish we would have more moments like that.

I used Samantha Walker Traditions paper collection for Carta Bella.

I took three sheets of 6x6 paper, curled the corners and used them as my photo mat. I tied them together with twine using the pre-punched holes in the paper.

I added few stickers from the same collection, handcut flowers and pearls.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to sign up for Samantha's Newsletter through the Rafflecopter widget to receive your free SVG and Silhouette Studio file!

Click on the image below to head over to Claudia Harvey!

Click on the photo below to go to your next stop!

 

The Sky's the Limit

In the last week and a half I am organizing my new scrap room/home office - unpacking, moving furniture, deciding what goes where.I think I am about 80% done. I forgot how great it feels to have an organized space. The work is not done yet (where are my crafting mats and my Revolution??) but I felt like I have to "test" my new space and make a layout.

I picked a picture that Eli brought from school. His speech teacher Mrs. Peterson took it and sent it home (I already love Mrs. Peterson!). I used sketch 31 from "Yotzot mehakavim" blog and new "Rough and Tumble" collection by Samantha Walker for Carta Bella.

Supplies: patterned paper, chipboard (Carta Bella), envelope (Recollections), stencil (Jenni Bowlin), sparkle texture and paint (Martha Stewart)

I added an envelope behind the picture for hidden journaling. I want to write down how Eli and I are adjusting to the kindergarten and all the conflicting thoughts I am struggling with right now.

I used Martha Stewart sparkle texture medium with some metallic paint to add a little interest to the corners.

Creating does make me happy and with my new scraproom I also feel like the sky's the limit ;-)

Scrap It Girl November challenge

Hello my dear blog readers.Weeks pass by and I still can't get back to that place where I was able to devote few hours a week doing what I love the most - playing with paper. But today I do have something to share. I really stepped out of my comfort zone here and made 4 mini canvases. I was inspired by a special person I know. Her name is Carrie and I made this thinking about her. I am not sure what I think about the final results. I have this strange thing, I always like my layouts but usually I am very critical of myself when I am trying to do something different. But I enjoyed working on this project very much.

This month I host the Scrap It Girl Challenge. The challenge is to use stencils (check the picture of the prize pack on my left side bar!) I used 4 different types of stencils here, one of them (letter C) I cut out using Silhouette Cameo. I used Faber Castell gelatos, glitter glaze and modeling paste, mist, inks and sharpie.

 

I snapped few pictures along the process.

Check what other DT members did using stencils and don't forget to submit your project.

Jack-O-Lantern cards

I have a new post on Samantha Walker blog - two cute jack-o-lantern cards. So easy!

 

On the other front, I finally started to unpack my craft room after our move 3 months ago. Looking forward to scraping again just for fun.

Samantha Walker Creative Team October Blog Hop

Welcome to Samantha Walker Creative Team Blog Hop! This month's theme is HALLOWEEN!

You should have arrived here from Aimee's blog. This month's giveaway is the Booti-ful Cameos JustRite Clear Stamp Set.

All you need to do to win this giveaway is to enter below. You can earn multiple entries by following us on Facebook, commenting below, tweeting about the giveaway, and signing up for the email updates. By commenting you will also be eligible for the free SVG/Silhouette cut file.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We will announce the Blog Hop Winner on Monday, 10/14 on Samantha's Facebook Page.

Now to my project. I made quick and simple Halloween treat bags. I used Samantha's Booti-ful Cameos stamp set (that you can win!) and the coordinating Spider Web Background stamp.

 

To make the bags I stamped three pieces of 3.25"x6" cardstock with spider web background stamp, distressed the edges and adhered them to small gift bags from Target. 

I then stamped the cameos in black ink on white cardstock, stamped the witch/pumpkin/skull in orange in the center, cut out only the inner shape of the cameos and layered them on the top of the cameo image stamped in orange.

I didn't plan to use Silhouette for this project but couldn't resist the cutest bat that comes with the free October cut file. I ungrouped the shape, selected the shape with the bats and clicked on "Release compound path". After that I was able to select the bat shape and delete everything else. The original shape is 1.9" wide. I resized it to 1.6" and 1.3" locking the aspect ratio and cut out all three sizes. 

I added the bats to the bags with black pop dots.

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy Halloween!

 

Don't forget to sign up for Samantha's Newsletter through the Rafflecopter widget to receive your free SVG and Silhouette Studio file!

Click on the image below to head over to Claudia Harvey!

Click on the photo below to go to your next stop!

 

Samantha Walker Creative Team September Blog Hop

Welcome to Samantha Walker Creative Team Blog Hop! This month's theme is Mix and Match Collections.
You should have arrived here from Aimee's blog.

This month's giveaway is Spellbinder's Basic Lattice Die and a Riley Blake Saddle Up Fabric Bundle. 

All you need to do to win this giveaway is to enter below. You can earn multiple entries by following us on Facebook, commenting below, tweeting about the giveaway, and signing up for the email updates.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We will announce the Blog Hop Winner on Monday, 09/16 on Samantha's Facebook Page.

For my mix and match project I started with pink Calico paper from Giddy Up girl collection and from a fun tag from the same collection. The light aqua frame on the tag gave me an idea to add frames to all my pictures. I pulled out all green/ turquoise/aqua papers from Giddy Up girl and boy collections, Cool Summer and Traditions and added thin frames to my 5 pictures in different hues of green. 

I still wanted a little more green in the layout, so I cut out the scallop edge of the pink patterned paper and mounted the page on a sheet of dark aqua cardstock from Cool Summer collection.

I found a perfect journaling sticker in the Cool Summer collection with aqua frame and green banner. The sticker had two cute cherries in the corner that I covered with pink paisley from the Giddy Up sticker sheet. 

The circle stickers were a fun way to add movement to the layout.

Hope you got some ideas how very different collections can be combined together. 

Don't forget to sign up for Samantha's Newsletter through the Rafflecopter widget to receive your Free SVG and Silhouette Studio file!   

 Click on the image below to head over to Claudia Harvey!

Click on the photo below to go to your next stop!

Cows and honey cakes

August came and disappeared, filled with unpacking, school registrations, paperwork, errands and more paper work and more unpacking. My parents came for three weeks and it was lovely. These three weeks were the fastest. It looks like just yesterday I drove to JFK to pick them up and today is one week since they left. The school starts on Monday and I am looking forward to new routine. Summers are always crazy and this one was particularly crazy.

Just one layout to share. All my scrapbooking supplies are still in the boxes but I managed to make this one for Scrap It Girl September challenge. I was checking A.C. Moore store with my mom and Lila when Lila found a cow webkinz. That discovery immediately had to be shared with her friends in Wisconsin and that's how I found this adorable selfie on my phone.

The challenge for September is to use school supplies - perfect excuse for me to raid Lila's stash of post-it notes. The papers and the stickers are from Samantha Walker's Giddy Up Girl collection for Carta Bella. It was a perfect match. I added a paper clip, few jems and two wood veneer birdies to finish the layout

Supplies: patterned paper, stickers (Carta Bella), letter stickers (Basic Grey), jewels (Bo Bunny),wood veneer (Recollections), post-it notes, paper clip

Go check what other DT members did for this challenge and share your take. Who doesn't like school supplies??

This past week we also celebrated Rosh HaShana - Jewish New Year. I tired a new recipe for honey cake from Michal Vaxman's blog. The blog is in Hebrew but if you read Hebrew I highly recommend it - great stories, beautiful pictures and really good recipes.

Unlike other honey cakes, this one doesn't have the usual heavy spices. It is very light and not too sweet. Here is the recipe in English. All credit goes to Michal Vaxman.

Honey Cake:

4 big eggs divided  into egg whites and yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 cups sifted flour  (I used unbleached)

1 flat teaspoon of baking soda

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup strong tea or 1 tsp instant coffee with 3/4 cup water or 1 short espresso with 3/4 cup water (I used instant coffee)
Optional: walnuts for the top

Preheat the oven to 340F  (170C)

Beat the egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl mix yolks, oil, 1/2 cup sugar and coffee or tea.

Add the second mixture to the egg whites mixing carefully

gradually add flour and baking soda and mix till combined

Add honey and mix only till combined.

Spread the walnuts on the top if using

Fill the loaf pans and bake 40 min.

Notes: makes two 8"x4" loaf pans or 6 small loaf pans (not sure what are the dimensions)
The small loaves were ready after 40 minutes, the bigger loaves need few more minutes in the oven.