You "Quack" Me Up

Hello again dear readers! Today is Monday and I am happy to say that I am back for another Inspirati♥n Monday! I originally had chosen to jump on over at MoJo Monday for their fabulous sketch but to be a little honest, I just couldn't get motivated enough by the sketch. Even the amazing cards that the Design Team made could get my creative juices flowing. =( So I had to search around and find one that was I felt more motivated towards. I ended up picking Stamptacular Sunday once again. Their challenge today really had me going! (To be honest I think I just tired of going for a sketch.)

As always I will post a bit about the Challenge here but pretty please be sure to stop by and check out their lovely blog! =)

This week's challenge is a…
“ABC’s!”
For this weeks challenge you will create a card or a project that has the color “A”pricot, (shades of orange/peach), “B”ling, and “C”ute “C”ritter (animals or bugs) on it! Oh…and don’t forget to stamp! After all, we don’t call this STAMPtacular for nothing!

Stamptacular Sunday
http://stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.com/2011/08/challenge-125-abcs.html

Are you ready to see what I have created?



I used a baby pink plain card stock for the base, with a thick strip of metallic green down the center as part of the "Bling" for this challenge. (But we all know I couldn't stop there! I am a total sucker for the Bing! LoL) I chose my "You Quack me up" stamp from the 2010 Stampin Up Animal Crackers set. I love love love this set! =) On the green strip I wrapped and tied a apricot colored thin ribbon with a clear rhinestone on the knot. I also got a 4"x3.5" piece of white card stock and stamped a pretty little flower in apricot colored ink to add to the whole layout! I added rhinestones all over my card to add a ton of life to it!! Great card isn't it! =)

A- Apricot card stock & Ink
B- Large and Small clear rhinestones
C- Quacky Duck Stamp

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to have a Happy Crafty Day!
~Virginia E.

From Old to New

Seriously.... Have you even noticed how easy it is to take an old page and create a brand new layout with it, rather then starting a completely new page? I don't know about you but it seems like a breeze to me. Maybe because I've already seen it the one way and know what I want to keep on the page and what I want to lose.

Well here we go. The first update I have for you is a Halloween page from 2007. I titled it Scardy Cat. How fun! My two oldest are so cuddly during this holiday. =) I did do another layout within a layout. I also custom made my title but stamping and image over the top of my letter punches. Super cute and very easy for a quick layout update. (Again, I did forget to take before photos and I'm sorry, I just get in the zone and it never crosses my mind to take a quick photo before I rip into it.)
This page originally had the two photos on a moss green paper with two strips of pumpkin ribbon and a bunch of google eyes glued on it. Talk about dull. =( So happy with the changes that I have made!




The next one that I have to show you is a fun group of Photos that I caught just in the nick of time! TV Gold!! It truly is! =) This one originally was on a black star patterned paper with a multi colored ribbon dividing the page into 4 sections. It was really gross! I have no idea what I was thinking when I made the page! YUCK! But I am proud to say that this layout lives up to my standards! Ha Ha Ha



Now I have another Christmas layout for you. I chose brown holiday themed paper because I was getting tired of all the Green and Red and Blue on every Christmas Layout I have ever done. This one does have some Dark Red and very little green, but the dominant colors are brown and cream. Turned out amazing! This page originally was just 3 photos with different colored mats tilted at different angles on a bright yellow paper. It was crazy dull and had no spirit to it at all. Sad I know! So I absolutely had to change it!



Last to show off is another Christmas Page from that same year. I used scraps from the page above to tryout a page that I have been meaning to try out for a while. I see Scrap Pages everywhere but I have never actually attempted to try one. So today I got up the nerve to try it out and I am quite pleased with the way that it turned out! Originally this page was a white background with two strips of tree patterned paper and two mitten embellishments. Sad, I know. But I do love how it looks now. =) The title is buggin' me but that is easily changed!



That's all I have for you right now but I will be back soon to show off more updated pages.
Be sure to have a happy Crafty day!
~Virginia E.

Scrapbook Daisies

Happy Tuesday! & Happy True Link Tuesday!
This week I would like to spotlight a blog/store that I just found. Its called Scrapbook Daisies and it is just amazing! They have some amazing products in store and you get to see all of their creations go wild! They offer shops and classes to help get you going in the Scrapbooking World!
So stop on over for a peek at new items in the store and new classes coming up!
http://scrapbookdaisies.blogspot.com/

My favorite post from them this week is the new Halloween items from We R Memory Keepers, called Spookers
http://scrapbookdaisies.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-in-store.html
I love the colors and all around feel of this holiday collection! Can't wait to get my hands on it! =) Enjoy!

~Virginia E.

Updates

This week I have been focusing on redoing some of my older pages. I feel that when I did them I was in a hurry and just blowing through pages and photos. So I have decided to go back and re due some of them. So far I have been able to get to 5 different pages. I forgot to take before photos ... ... ... so I'm crazy sorry that you only get to see the wonderful afters. **The before were pretty terrible. I love how far my Scrapbooking and Card making has come.

You might want to settle in because this post is filled with pictures for you to enjoy!
The first I have to show you is a redone page of my little girls first photos in our home. Tia's first few days! How cute! The first page was super cluttered with all sorts of things! I really have no idea what I was thinking. So I decided to cut it way back and make sure it is a very clean and simple layout! It is one of my favorites now!




Cute isn't it! Next up is a redone page of 3 photos of my pretty little princess Valentine! Her page was too dull. It had one paper, 3 stickers, and a painted wood ornament. So I jazzed it up and made it dazzle! I love the way it looks now! My girls really love their Purple!

I decided to take a new approach to another Tia page. Her old layout was very cluttered with Chipboard letters but it was also very dull and bland. Made me so sad to look at it. =( But I am proud to tell you that this is another one of my favorite layouts!

Next, I took a dark and dreary layout of fun pictures and made it fit the mood of the photos! I think that you will really enjoy this layout! Its another layout within a layout which we all know is my favorite! The colors are amazing together!
(Sorry, the glare is bad on both photos.)


This last one is almost done. All I need is to put the title on it, which will go in the center on the penguin paper. This paper all came from the same set and I just love how well it all goes together!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to have a happy crafty day!
~Virginia E.

Double Up Challenge

Monday again!! I can't believe how fast August is flying by! For this weeks Inspirati♥n Monday I have decided to jump on over to CAS-ual Fridays for their Double Up Challenge. They have decided to join forces today with the lovely Clean and Simple Stamping Blog! You can submit you challenge to both blogs for a chance at some lovely prizes!

CAS-ual Fridays
http://cas-ualfridays.blogspot.com/2011/08/cas-ual-fridays-challenge-cfc15.html

Clean & Simple Stamping
http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/2011/08/special-casual-fridayftl-153.html

This week over at Clean & Simple Stamping they are doing their Fall to Sketch, which means they show you a clean and simple sketch to help get your juices flowing. Be sure to make it a simple layout and have tons of fun!

I decided to use brown & yellow as my main colors with the highlights of Green and Black. I love how all of the colors go together! What do you say? Wanna see what I did with the sketch?


Thanks for stopping by and be sure to have a happy crafty day!
~Virginia E.

I made Top 3

For the week of August 7th over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog I was featured as their first listing in the top 3 chosen! I can't believe I has picked! How amazing is that! The past week they were having a photo inspiration challenge, the photo was a beautiful mantel covered in crystal candle holders, cream candles, black stands, a large mirror, and a touch of white. It was so inspiring! I knew I had to jump right in and go crazy! I chose a christmas design so that I could play along over at Simon Says Stamp as well. The wymsical snow flakes and bold reighndeer go so purrfectly together it just takes my breath away! I love this card and can't believe how well it did over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge! =) Are you ready to see the card again??



Unfortunately I did not win any product (which would've made winning this a little sweeter! Ha Ha Ha) but I did win an awesome blog badge that I get to display proudly on my blog! Isn't that great!!! You can see it in my Awarded to This Blog section on the top right hand side of my blog. This is all so very exciting! I owe a HUGE Thanks to everyone over at the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge for picking me and my beloved Blog! A HUGE Thanks to all of my Fallowers, Fans, Friends, & Family!! I couldn't have done it without all of you by my side!
Have a Happy Crafty Day everyone!
~Virginia E.
P.S. I feel so Inspired today and CAN NOT wait to get started on my layouts! Check back with all of you soon!!!!

Scrapbook Crazy

This week I am here to share with you a fun little blog titled Scrapbook Crazy: about Mini Albums! I love love love mini albums but can never find a use for them so I never get around to making them. I have made a few though!

I had the chance to peek through some of their posts and I just love the Diet Coke Album! Might make one for my Father-in-Law. He has a ton of hobbies and would surly fill a mini album and the fact that its made with recycled Diet Coke cans would probably send him over the top. =) How fun!
http://scrapbook-crazy.blogspot.com/2011/04/coca-cola-can-mini-scrapbook.html

Here is the main link to their great Blog! Stop by and enjoy!
http://scrapbook-crazy.blogspot.com/

As always, thank you for stopping by to help show the hardworking bloggers the love they deserve!
~Virginia E.

New Stamp Fun

How fun! I recently won over at the CPS Callenge Blog, I won a 3 piece stamp set and 2 sets of Twinklet Stickers from Amuse Studio and I have been dying to show them off! I knew that I wanted to show them off with a CPS Sketch because that's how I won them in the first place so here I am. To show off the fun sketch and how I made my stamps and stickers work for it! =)
This is what I won!




Really great stuff! I love my new stamp set! Crazy cute!

The CPS Sketch this week is neat and clean and I love love love it!

I also decided to join in all the fun over at Sew Many Challenges for their Foil Challenge! I used a very pretty dark purple foil ribbon strip to finish the card off!
http://sewmanychallenges.blogspot.com/
Are you ready to see the fun stuff I came up with today?



Thanks for stopping by! Have a Happy Crafty Day!
~Virginia E.

Beautiful Christmas

Today is our weekly Inspirati♥n Monday post and I have found two fabulous and very inspiring blogs this week! The first is a very well known and loved blog, Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog.
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/
They are asking for a clean and simple Christmas in August card. How fun! Christmas is always inspiring to me because I have a ton of wonderful memories from that time of year.
Also in this weeks challenge is a photo inspired challenge happening right now over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge!
http://stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.com/
They are showing off this beautiful photo to help inspire you to create!

Are you ready to see what I have created??? I love Love LOVE this card! I have a feeling that you will too!



** I really need to apologise for my black ink! Its running out and I haven't been able to replace it. I'm so embarrassed! =)
Thanks for stopping by to enjoy another day filled with inspiration! Don't forget to stop by the amazing blogs as well!!
~Virginia E.

Halloween in August

I have a fun Halloween layout for you all today. I am still playing catch up with my our albums so these Halloween photos are coming to you clear from 2009!! I really don't know how it all got so stacked up! **But it sure is fun going back and opening the doors to those fun little memories! =)

This particular layout is focusing on some goodies that I made for the holiday! I just love the Pumpkin, and so did my niece! (She's a sugar junkie like me!)




Thanks for joining me for another photo filled post! See you next time!
(It's time to get down and dirty working on the car so won't have any new crafty stuff for a few days!)
~Virginia E.