What Goes Around

Thank you again to all who posted their favorite scrapbooking lines last month on my blog candy post! At around the same time that I did that, Allison Davis of CK fame had blog contest of her own. Her contest involved four days where she shared a new layout each day based on just one sketch. Each layout was so different from the others based on techniques, embellishments and substutions made. She did a very thorough job teaching what she had done to each of the layouts that made them unique. She invited readers' comments each day and gave away a few of her sketch books from a drawing of those comments. I got to be a lucky winner! I had just purchased a few volumes, and was thrilled to have another.

I love Allison's sketches (and those of her mother Debbie Sanders, also featured in the sketch books) because they use a neutral background, help with pattern papers, and placement of embellishments. Yet they are totally adaptable. Here are a few pages I did with one of the sketches. (Yes, I plan to journal, this is a theme album I will journal all at one time to keep the flow continuous)

Thank you Allison! You can find links to her store (Scrapbook Generation) and sketch volumes through her blog .

Crepe and Scrapbook Layouts

Every now and then I stop what I'm doing to actually do a scrapbook page. I took my newly found embellishment making skill to create a felt button for the "K is for kiss" page below. The layout uses some of Jenni Bowlin's chocolatey sweet Town Square line (the brown soda water paper is exclusive to her kits- Love that paper!) and also some of her new circle letter stickers.

Next layout uses one of my friend Lita's sketches (No 7) and one of my all time favorite Basic Grey lines (Urban Prairie). I got to use some of my own hand dyed ribbon, attached to the layout with little French knots, and a bit of vintage millinery. This was also my first time journaling on the computer (mostly cause my handwriting underneath was awful and my pen was drying up, hmmph)

Wonder what the Crown Princess was thinking of?

Lastly, I finished up a collage I had started earlier (I may post the whole thing later, only a sneak now). Can you tell what holiday it is for?

And finally, I found this crepe monster in my photo studio (aka my living room bay window). Looks like it's having a bad hair day. Madness crepe will join the etsy shoppe later today. Cheers, and go make some soup!

Another Lita Sketch

Just wanted to let my friend Lita know that I really AM trying to keep up with her sketches. I was able to kill two birds with one stone with this double page spread- Lita's sketch combined with a challenge from Jenni Bowlin's BPS class using the red and white Dennison labels. I also got to use papers from one of my favoritist companies- Basic Grey. I've heard many say that their Junebug line is too loud, but I adore it!

The photos are of the Princess Royale at her Farm Day at Preschool. "C" was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, and one of her difficulties is keeping her eyes focused on yours (or the cameras) so the photo on the right hand page of her with the hat is very rare and a favorite of mine.

The Amazing Litabells

My sweet friend Melita really has some blog action going on, with part of her latest being scrapbook sketches. I loved her first sketch, this one gets even slow scrappers (me) motivated.

Here's what I did with it. I used the latest Jenni Bowlin monthly kit to save me the effort of coordinating. I snuck an extra photo in, but didn't want to mat them both completely, as I wanted more of the black circle background to show, so I kind of made a "fake" frame.

But I'm not getting away from ribbons entirely. I have THREE new sets coming soon, although they may have to wait til after my vacation next week before I post (we'll see how much I get done). Here's a sneak of one of the sets:

I'm also trying to work on a set inspired by everyone's favorite Vampire book. Anything you'd like to see?

I {heart} Jenni Bowlin

I love her kits! In August she asked for willing participants to send in layouts and other items using that month's kit. I'd never tried something like that before, so it was fun to experiment with the constraints of the challenge. I did one layout of my daughter in a blouse I had sewn for her with her choice of bottoms. I also presented an altered journal.

While I did not win, I certainly had fun trying. I'd never attempted a design spot before, so this was new to me. I hope to try again sometime.