Life's Trivialities

Catching Up

Returning to my usual routine after Spring Break has been rough... To say the least... I have been swamped at work and that fatigue that ensues as a result just consumes me. I'm determined not to fall into a rut and instead, focus on the wonderful Spring Break memories and capture them in my pages. To begin; a title page!!

Inspired by the latest sketch up at Elle's Studio. If you want to play along or compare, you can find it HERE. I amended a little. My title is up top instead of at the bottom and my blocking isn't as symmetrical as the sketch portrays. I went with the overall suggestion or idea of blocking.

My supply list for this layout is lengthy!! I used a fun PhotoShop action to give the bottom right picture that Poloroid look that seems to be re-surfacing. There is also a great digital element that I printed from Ormolu along with a few other bits and pieces from Ormolu. Some stamping, rub ons, chipboard! Everything but the kitchen sink!!

Ovals, ovals everywhere!!

I was inspired by a challenge over at my friend Suzanne's site, Kitchen Keepsake, to scrap some of the thousands of Easter pictures I took. The challenge was to include a photo of eggs AND ovals of some sort. Well, here you go!! A million ovals and eggs! Eggs went splat all over my desk and this layout! The bunny is made from ovals too! Here's a close up of the little fellow;

Such fun to paper piece again! Haven't done that in a while!! The floss for his whiskers and felt for his ear "padding" and nose were fun little additions!

A ton going on around these parts... Nikolas got is expander removed and braces on his top teeth yesterday. He's a bit grumpy and sore, understandably. It's a tough adjustment to make. Mia was in a wedding today as a bridesmaid. Q and U got married!! LOL! And absolutely adorable event that all kindergartner's at our school and many others in Henrico particapte in.

 

 

 

Dear Santa...

I know Christmas is a while away yet. Although, the way time is zipping by, I'm not so sure it's really all that far away... We talk about Santa a fair amount in this household. Mostly the kids bring him up. Mia speaks of him the most. In regards to things she wants. She knows all too well that she isn't going to get everything her little heart desires. But she does understand that the man in red spoils her. He hears what she wants and usually delivers. Anytime there is a big ticket item that she has eye on, we hear about how she's "getting from Santa" XYZ or whatever the desire of the moment is!

I played along with Basic Grey's latest sketch challenge. I did so using the Nordic Holiday collection. I picked up some amazing deals while at Scrappy Boutique and this amongst those steals.

As little as I've scrapbooked lately, my usual deviations from sketches don't apply at this point in time. I realized when I sat down at my desk yesterday that it's 3 weeks since I completed a layout!! Crazy... Though, with our absence for one and a half weeks for Spring Break amongst other activities, I guess it makes sense.

A little close up! I had fun mixing all the layers of this collection! Now I'm off to start editing all the pictures I took whilst away... Mental note to self, install PhotoShop on the new laptop! I have to re-edit all the pictures I put on the blog...

Thanks for stopping by! Oh, and if you haven't already, check out my earlier post about the blog hop! You have until midnight tonight to enter for the Grand prize that Allison is offering and a drawing by me (and the kids) for one of her two latest sketch books!

Commitment

So... Being a Friday, my day to sit at the computer, sip my coffee leisurely, listen to Eric and Kathy stream live and just do my thing, I came across this;

I have managed to avoid all the "other" scrappy commitments that suck you in, make you pay oodles of money and you complete a week of the year long project. Hell, I can barely finish a mini-album of a week of my life, never mind a month (December Daily, case in point! 4 years running and I've failed)!! But this! This, I can manage. I don't need to buy anything. I just need to make the commitment. Print out the prompts to put in my purse and remind myself of my daily challenge.

Who's taking this on with me?! I'm armed and ready to roll!

Basketball

I immediately knew when I saw the latest sketch over at Sketch Inspiration what I was going to do with it! Those circles screemed sports and that horizontal just had to be the basketball hoop and net. Well,... making that net was not as simple... It took 3 prototypes before settling upon the end product. Several different types of rope, string, and floss later with many a mumble under my breath as knot came untied, this is what I ended up with! LOVE it! Nope, I don't foresee a future in net production!!

The sketch;

And my interpretation; I flipped the sketch 180 degrees.

I have plenty more pictures where these came from so don't be surprised if you see more basketball in the future! This was an exciting game, their final game of the season. More importantly (for me), it was in a gym with some decent lighting. Decent being a relative term... MUCH better than where the bulk of the games were played.

Back up to my old tricks and hand stitching again!

It was amazing to see these boys evolve!! I didn't go to every practice and game, but I went to my share. And they really pulled it together, learned a lot but had fun. You may not have won the playoff's Spiders but you each won individually! Way to go Spiders!!

Call Me Phyllis

This layout is titled as such because that's exactly what I was told. Upon picking The Midget up from after school care and seeing this lovely head topper but not knowing quite what it was, I asked. My reply was something akin to "It's Groundhog's day Mummy! This is Punksa... Punksat... Just call me Phyllis!" And, so, here is Phyllis the groundhog in her colorful glory!

The layout was upon the sketch challenge at Lily Bee with the caveat that one was to use two Lily Bee products. In my case, the Memorandum paper and journal cards from a 3 Scrappy Boys kit. With my own add ons added here and there. Do you see the resemblence? Sort of?! I flipped it 90 degrees to the right and used two photos with my journal card standing in as the third rectangle.

This is one of a few layouts I made at my all weekend crop with my scrappy pals this weekend. I really only had Friday afternoon evening and Saturday as Nikolas and Michael were up in Manassas at the second of his 3 championship meets. Mia being there for Friday and Saturday was plenty sufficient so she and I had the day to while away together.

 

First Day

This one is based on the latest Little Yellow Bicycle sketch challenge. I can never turn a sketch challenge down!! I just love the primary colors in Head of the Class and all the matching embellies! The big white star (outlined in black) is from the packaging of the fabric banners. I love to re-purpose the packaging!

Just a little close up... The punctuation that the black gives the bright, primary colors really makes this page stand out. I still always think of Christine Middlecamp when I do this, it is so classically HER. A trademark of hers, of sorts...

I am hoping to be selected as one of the three finalists!! Fingers crossed, eyes crossed, nose crossed!! LOL!! Maybe?! I don't know... Would be awesome... And IF I am, I'm going to need your vote!! IF...

Thanks for stopping by!

A Girl and Her Granny

When my parents came for Thanksgiving this past year, I got this fantastic shot of Mia and my Mum. The picture speaks volumes to me. And what better way to showcase it than with the lovely colors from the latest Color Combos Galore palette?

The inspiration for this month's palette is a tribute; to create a project focusing on paying tribute to a very special female in your life. It's clear the mutual admiration in the picture. My Mum will always be very special to me. No matter what. As will Mia be. They both inspire me and drive me to be the best person I can be. Each in differing ways.

The bonus inspiration is to draw your own challenge and let you know what I did. Easy enough; there are hearts, just as there are in the picture. The scallop trim is to mimic the edge of the plate.

I love how the dots and the chevron work so well in punctuating the picture with that purple and white vertical stripe in Mia's shirt.

 

Tea For 2

I warned you, I did. I remember! Yup, another layout of Mia's little tea party. This one is based upon the February sketch challenge at Paper Secrets. It's been so fun to be back in challenges again! I love that Tattered Angels mask for this layout. You don't see much of it but the few whisps peeking out of the edges are just sublime!

I tried to find a better font for the title but after an hour of searching, abandoned my quest. I just used a very fine tipped brown American Crafts pen to outline the letters that were in the Simple Stories Year-O-Graphy kit that I used for this layout. It's difficult to tell from the pictures but it mimics the use of typography in the little banners on the 4x6 behind the pictures.

While distressing that lace, I discovered a cool technique that I will have to share another time! The lace is very white. Left "as is" it was rather an eye sore on the shabby, oldy worldy looking kraft and other elements from Simple Stories. I used some distress ink and stain to kind of "age" it a bit. Make it become one with the rest of the layout.

Challenge isn't due until Feb 29th, why don't you play along?!

 

Skylanders

I used the latest Basic Grey sketch to create this layout about Nikolas' newest (and most expensive) obsession. I decided to go with just the right hand side of the page and just use the two pictures that I had. The Life of the Party collection had that celebratory feel that I wanted for this layout. I used some of the packaging and a few bits of Wander to supplement. Oh and the Ormolu!! My latest go to for journaling!

Does anybody else have a child who is utterly obsessed with Skylanders? I know it's popular, I know it was one of THE toys to get at Christmas, but really?!!... Nikolas got his game set as a reward (read, bribe) for doing so well at his first away/travel swim meet. Rather than letting him have the satisfaction of just having swum well, his own reward, I bought him Skylanders. My excuse to give him something I know he wanted. Yup, there's some interesting dilemna's there in and of itself...

I digress! The child is consumed with it. For Chinese New Year each of the kids were allowed to take a quarter of their red packet money to spend, the rest is safely sitting in their money market accounts. Mia bought Barbie stuff and Nikolas wanted Skylander stuff. Well, it's not easy to come by. Especially not the adventure packs, which, of course, he coveted. I went to Target and GameStop near work daily for a week. Michael went to Walmart and our nearest Target every day that stock was put out and after many disappointing trips, I finally found a pack. At possibly one of the furthest stores from home... The next day, our local GameStop had a shipment come in and we stocked up. The kid will do ANYTHING for more Skylander stuff. It has become a very effective bribe...