Life's Trivialities

Top 10 Scrapbooking Projects of 2015

As 2015 comes to a close I'm joining forces with 23 amazing bloggers to bring to you hundreds of fabulous projects from the past year. The talent represented is amazing and I know you will be as blown away by the projects you see as I am. Here are my top 10 layouts which I created in the year 2015;

1.    Chill Out - Simple Stories and My Favorite Things teamed up and I got to scrap about some of my favorite things/people; ice cream and my family! I just love the popsicles and the vellum overlays that add that frosted look.

2.    You Are Stronger Than You Think - I scrap a lot of red, white and blue as our swim team colors are none other than red, white and blue. This happens to be a layout of socks. My sons crazy superhero socks. I'm not one for big titles but I love the tie in with the superhero quote and the superhero socks.

3.    Happy Day -  I am a big fan of the Craftwell/Teresa Collins Cut'N Boss and I love that embossed strip that compliments the My  Mind's Eye goodies seen here!

4.    Homegrown - I have done a lot of different sized projects this year from 12x12 to letter to pocket scrapping. I would have loved to include some of my pocket spreads here but they were difficult to include in the collage. I love the simplicity of this layout. Sometimes, simple is best.

5.    Magic is another Simple Stories layout. There has yet to be a Simple Stories layout I created or collection I used that I don't love. Parring down my selection and only including a few of my Simple Stories projects was difficult for me.

6.    Festive - A fun layout that I created using some Just Nick cut files for Paper Issues. Two companies I just love!

7.    Passion - Bright colors reign supreme in my world. I have scrapped a lot of Mia this year. I think I happen to have the most pictures of her. Nikolas is always in the pool and it's so difficult to get good swimming pictures, especially in an indoor pool. Never mind that they all begin to look the same!

8.    Tasty Treats - I love BIG pictures! They are fun to scrap! I love the movement that the diagonal and the phrases on the patterned paper create on the background of this layout.

9.    Gather Together - Another My Mind's Eye layout with my cut files. I might have a thing for My Mind's Eye and using Silhouette cut files. Maybe...

10.    Walking on Sunshine - It's difficult for me to choose layouts  and not pictures. I love this Basic Grey collection, the Paper Issues sketch challenge that I played along with, Juliana's cut file and the photo. I think the collection and sketch really made this photo shine!

That's a wrap for my 2015 scrapbooking/blogging projects. I had the honor of designing for some great teams (17 Turtles, CREATE Magazine, Imaginisce, Simple Stories and Craftwell) and I'm looking forward to another great year ahead.

The ladies on this blog hop have teamed up to offer one lucky winner a $80 USD gift card to the online store of their choosing. To be entered, you need to leave a comment on my blog by 11:59 pm CST on January 3, 2016. You may also comment at each and every stop along the way, by doing so, you have the possibility of earning 23 entries into the grand prize drawing. You have plenty of   time to hop around to as many blogs as you want! The winner will be chosen on January 4th 2015 and announced on January 5th 2015.

Wait, there's one more thing...I have a little something to giveaway too. I've put together a little stash of scrappy supplies. I know all of you could use a few more goodies in your stash so here's your chance to get a few free supplies. All you have to do for this giveaway is tell me which of my 10 favorite layouts is your favorite.

Now, you're off to the amazing Monique Liedtke. I know her review of 2015 will knock your socks off! 

Just in case you get lost along the way, here's the full Blog hop list:

Christine Meyer 

Mendi Yoshikawa 

Cathy Harper

Nicole Nowosad

Chantalle McDaniel 

Becki Adams

Wendy Antenucci 

Jen Matott 

Katrina Hunt 

Michele Kovack

Kelly Holbrook

Rhonda Van Ginkel 

Jennie McGarvey 

Suzanna Lee <----- YOU ARE HERE!

Monique Liedtke

Jennifer Haggerty

Marcia Dehn Nix 

Rebecca Keppel 

Kelly Jean Guzlas 

Melissa Elsner 

Shannon Morgan 

Juliana Michaels 

Audrey Yeager

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope to see you back here very soon!
Happy New Year!

Scrapping Our Stash September Blog Hop

Hi y'all!! It's fall! Can you believe it? A couple of days in and the weather is just bliss! Welcome to another edition of the "Scrapping Our Stash" blog hop! This month my layout is all over the place, a little of this manufacturer, a little of that. Just coordinating color!

You ought to have arrived here from Cheryl's blog. If you happened up the hop and want to participate, start HERE at Lee-Anne's blog and keep on hopping!

Every layout has a "building block", or the pinnacle beginning point from which I start then things build from there. I knew I wanted to use the patterned paper from Websters as my background with these pictures when I set out to create the layout but the rest, well, that was the unknown.

The next decision was complementary patterned paper. I brought out some 6x6 pads and ended up settling with the two papers from an older Basic Grey pad whose colors worked well with the water color wash background. Same hues.

From there, it's all about the embellishments - the support roles of the layout. I fussy cut the flower from some Elle's Studio and used a coordinating journal tag from the collection. Of course some greenery was necessary so I stamped and die cut with a My Favorite Things set. The picture of me (upper right) got lost on the patterned paper and needed something to make it stand out from the papers so a frame from Simple Stories was called up (not really stash but shhh... it's the only "new" thing there). And other little bits and pieces that completed the look without being overly distracting.

Just another day in our lives, no big occasion, just a walk to school with a beautiful sunrise and great light. My daughter complaining about me walking too fast and just chatting. On September 11th. The anniversary of that fateful day. But I only I knew. And mention of that in my journaling, a little nod to acknowledge those lives lost and never forgotten.

Here is the full list of today's hop;

Lee-Anne 

Alison 

Majken

Katrina

Cheryl

Suzanna

Wendy C

From here you are moving on to the last stop of today's hop and going HERE to Wendy's blog. Thanks for stopping in today! Be sure to "bust" your stash and use up those older goodies! Mix it up with some newer, fresher bling as I have done and you might surprise yourself with what you can do!

Winner!

Hey gang! Sorry for the delay in posting the winner. We had a crazy busy (successful) weekend in Blacksburg at the pool with the kids and it's taken me a while to recover.

So, without much further ado, the real reason you are here, the winner of the Imaginisce goodies is;

Mary Holshouser said:

I "like" you on FB. Don't do Instagram. Spend enough time on FB - don't have time for another site. thanks I love you layout. The gingerbread is a cute idea. thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you to everybody who stopped in and hopped along with us.

 

Mary if you would email me your snail mail addy, I will get your prize out to you. You can use the envelope icon under "Let's Be Friends" to access my email address.

 

Have a great day!

Scrappin' Our Stash July 2015 Blog Hop / Pebbles

Hey there! Welcome to another edition of "Scrappin' Our Stash"! You ought to arrived here from Sandy's blog. Should you have come via another route, be sure to start at the beginning and work your way back here. The whole list is a bit further down in the post.

Today I have a Christmas in July layout to share with you! 6 months from today is Christmas eve! Can you believe it?!

I used the "Home for Christmas" collection from Pebbles for this layout along with a few other goodies. But the bulk of the content is "Home for Christmas". Just love me my Pebbles collections!

The die cuts or "Chips" are so adorable! And just perfect for this moment between Granny and granddaughter. Every year that we are together for Christmas, it is tradition for my Mum to assemble and decorate the gingerbread house(s) with the kids. Nikolas has deemed himself too old for such a thing so just Mia participated. She didn't mind as it meant more alone time with Granny and less fighting over which sweeties she would have to decorate with!

American Crafts foam dots are behind the top candy cane to add some dimension to this duo.

While I absolutely LOVE the candy candy stripped Thickers that accompany this collection, they were a bit big for the space I had remaining for a title. I opted for some very stash busting Sassafrass Lass green letter stickers and some equal stash busting Cosmo Cricket. They are smaller and fit better.

Here's this month's line up;

Christine Meyer 

Katrina Hunt

Majken Pullin

Wendi Robinson

Sandy Ross

Suzanna Lee <---- You are HERE!!

Laura Cox

Lyne Schnable-Blodgett

Audrey Yeager

Wendy Bergeron Coffman

Charity Hotrum

Lee-Anne Thornton

Alison 

And because it's Christmas in July and there are always presents for July, I have a little something this month to give away. I have a complete set of the latest Imaginisce collection, Heartland Farms, for one lucky winner!

To be eligible for the prize which will be determined by random drawing you can get one entry for each of the following (please leave one comment for each entry completed);

- leave a comment telling me how you have busted into your stash lately

- follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/suzlee72/

- like my scrappy page on FaceBook  https://www.facebook.com/SuzannaScraps?ref=hl

Drawing will close at midnight EST on Sunday, July 26, 2015. I will announce the winner here on my blog on Monday, probably sometime in the afternoon. I hate to exclude, but with shipping being as it is, I have to limit to shipping in the US and Canada please.

So, Merry Christmas in July! Thanks for stopping in to see how I busted my stash this month! From here you are hopping on to Laura's blog! Thanks for stopping in this month!

Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop March 2015

Welcome to another edition of "Scrapping Our Stash"! I can't believe that with the close of March, we are a quarter of the way through the year! Crazy! Just crazy I tell ya!

You should have arrived here via Katrina's blog and the goodness she has to share with us this month. If not, please go to Jennifer's blog HERE and work your way to Katrina's blog, then mine.

Today I'm sharing with you a layout created largely from scraps in my patterned paper scrap box. In some way, shape or form, all of the patterned papers, with the exception of the background, can be found in other layouts which I have created. Even the bottom (or top, depends upon your perspective I suppose) of that striped Project Life card at the bottom.

Stretching the stash even further, that hot pink edged heart up there and the one on the left of the picture are fussy cut from the background paper! I took stock of where all the patterned paper was on the front of the layout and scouted out good spots to remove a heart or two to put to good use on the front. It IS possible to use both sides of one piece of patterned paper! Tricky, aren't it?! ;)

There's that Project Life card to referenced earlier. And the blue heart; does anybody remember Sassafras Lass?! Talking about digging DEEP into your stash! In guess in reality it's not that far back, I do have things that are much older. It just feels like eons ago.

And that my friends, wraps up my share for this month. I hope I've inspired you to rediscover and re-use those odd bits and pieces that are gathering in your patterned paper scraps pile! From here you are moving onto my friend Monique's blog. I just KNOW she has something amazing and uber inspiring to share with you! You will find that greatness HERE.

Thanks for stopping in and hopping with us this month!

Scrapping Our Stash February 2015 Blog Hop

Hey there!! Yup, it's that time of month again! The ladies and I are hopping, sharing with you layouts that we created using goodies from our stashes! You ought to have arrived here from Wendy C's blog. If you happened upon this blog post and would like to join in the fun, head over Wendy's blog (she's the start) and work your way back here.

Today I am sharing with you a layout I created using some very coveted Websters papers! When I saw the collection, I automatically knew which pictures were to go with this paper. And indeed, they did!

The bulk of the layout from a patterned paper perspective is Websters, the rest is random things that coordinated - making my own kit! I have notice a lot of coral, teal, gold and ecru in the color palates lately (Simple Stories I AM..., Pebbles Home + Made, My Minds Eye On Trend, etc). I love the pop of navy in there too!

With more than one person in a "selfie" it no longer is a selfie really but more like a groupie. And when that group is at the beach and has been there since 4am (I think that's what time it was) and that group included three little people and 3 adults sans caffeine, it becomes a beachie! That, my friend, is how I came upon my title! And I'm stickin' to it!

A friend of mine while out shopping recommended these thin adhesive sheets of cork from DCWV. I'm so glad she did! Doesn't that star fish (I can't remember it's new PC name...) look fantastic cut out of the cork? Scattered amongst that are some old yet trusty Jillibean and October Afternoon stickers and who knows what else. I just grabbed from the stash and stuck it on it if was the right hue!

Remember that old wooden veneer from Studio Calico? I got that a while back in a 3 Scrappy Boys kit and have been saving them, using them judiciously on projects! Do you have anything like that in your stash? Something that must be worthy of depleting the limited and coveted supply?

Thanks for stopping in today! From here you're moving on to the talented Lee-Anne's blog! Her blog is HERE! Has she got an amazing project for you!!

Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop

Welcome to the first Scrapping Our Stash Blog Hop of 2015! If you've hopped with us before, you know the routine. If you happened up this post another way, welcome and glad you could join the hop. A group of us scrappy types get together once a month and share creations created using old "stuff". We use crafting supplies that have been sitting in our stash a while and aren't the "latest" but still pretty great!

You ought to have arrived here from Wendi's blog. If not, please begin at the beginning of the hop and work your way back here. Cathy is kicking things off for us this month and her blog is HERE.

Today I have a layout to share with you that I created using some OLD October Afternoon. You might have seen that I'm in the process (arduous) of re-vamping my scrappy space. I know I collected (Hi! My name is Suzanna and I have a scrappy hoarding problem) but I really didn't know the extent of that collection until I began wading through the years of stuff... Amongst that goodness was, literally, years of October Afternoon collections that I had just hoarded. Too good to cut into. Too good to put to use... Or that was the mentality then. Anybody else nodding their heads and know EXACTLY what I'm talking about? Come on, I know you do.

So, yeah, I decided to cut into the stash! And this is the result;

Mostly October Afternoon and a little of this and little of that thrown in there for good measure.

A little layering and mixing of collections.

Some chipboard letters added to the title for visual interest and dimension.

That's it folks! Pretty simple. Pretty quick. Keeping the focus on the picture and the story that I want to tell. That's how I roll.

From here you are moving on down the list and going to Lee-Anne's blog to see magic she has to share with you!

Thanks for hopping along with us! Hope you too are Scrapping Your Stash!

Top Ten Blog Hop 2014 / Giveaway

Wow! And yet another year has just zipped on by at lightening speed!

Welcome to all of you newbies and all of you that stop by frequently.  Once again, I was asked to join the blog hop organized by Christine Meyer, showing off all of these talented designers' Top 10 Projects of 2014! You should have arrived here from Becki Adams' blog. Check out my Top 10 for 2014 and at the end of the post details on how to win and amazing giveaway! Then hop through the amazing list of designers and be inspired!  

 

Looking back 2014 was a year of larger pictures, pocket scrapping and 8.5x11 layouts. I definitely took some twists and turns in my style though always keeping it relatively clean and linear. I was blessed to participate in several sketch books, get my first (and second) layout picked up by Scrapbook & Cards Today and design for some amazing teams! It's been quite the year of scrappy feats has 2014.

 

As seen in Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking;

 

 

As seen in Creative Scrappers sketch book, Vol III

 

 

Created for Pebbles. I'm not one for off the page projects so this was a nice change for me!

 

 

Also created for Pebbles

 

 

Imaginisce product for Scrap our Stash Blog Hop in July

 

 

As seen in a Bella Blvd newsletter

 

 

Teresa Collins goodies, just cos

 

 

Pink Paislee, Summer Solstice, just cos. I LOVE this collection as I did most of their releases' this year

 

 

A mother day's post for Pebbles and Kerri Bradford cut file

 

 

Another just cos using Core'dinations cardstock and another fantastic Pink Paislee collection!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my top Ten Posts from 2014!!

PRIZE TIME!! There is a group prize of a $75 Gift Certificate to Paper Issues!

How to Enter: For each designer's blog that you leave a comment for, you receive one entry, that is a possible 24 entries (no more than one comment per blog will be counted). The comments will close on January 4th, 2015 and a winner will be announced on the blog that the comment came from on the 5th.

To win the above prize of a Pebbles Clipboard Mini Album and two yards of complimentary The Twinery twine in the 4 shades shown above you many do any of the following, each is worth an entry into a random drawing;

• comment below telling me which project of mine is your favorite (doesn't have to be something on my list)
• follow/like me on my scrappy FaceBook page and leave me a comment. You can find that page HERE
• follow me on Bloglovin (you can find a link on the top, righthand sidebar of my blog up there) and leave a comment saying you did so

For simplicity sake, I will leave my comments open until January 4th, 2014 at midnight EST and will post the winner here, on my blog, on the 5th as well.

Please sure to stop by each of the following designers' blogs! Remember, for each comment, you get an entry for the $75 Paper Issues prize! From here you are heading on to the talented Melissa Elsner's blog!

 

Juliana Michaels   

Michele Kovack

Chantalle McDaniel

Christine Meyer

Mendi Yoshikawa

Kelly Holbrook

Laurel Seabrook

Katrina Hunt

Wendy Morris-Saponaro

Becki Adams

Suzanna Lee

Melissa Elsner

Monika Wright

Wendy Antenucci

Jen Matott

Marcia Dehn-Nix

Ashley N Newell

Kathy Skou

Linda Auclair

Kelly Jean

Monique Liedtke

Rhonda Van Ginkel

Jennifer Haggerty

Cathy Harper

 

Thanks for hopping in and Happy New Year to you!!

 

The Twinery and CardMaker Blog Hop

 

Good morning and welcome to the The Twinery and CardMaker blog hop! You ought to have worked your way here from Piali's blog. If you happened to have stumbled here, welcome, glad you could join me. Please begin at the CardMaker blog and work your way here. Be sure to leave comments along the way to be eligible for a generous prize from The Twinery (details below).

Today I have a fall card to share with you;

This card, like all cards that I make, was quick and easy to put together. Wrap it all up with a little Twinery solid Cappucino twine and it's easy to pop in the mail to cheer up the lucky recipient!

The Twinery will be giving away 4 spools of twine - Solid Mandarin, Gold Shimmer, Copper Shimmer, and Solid Maraschino ($60 retail value). Please ought to have been by the blog already to see the details on winning. If you haven't be sure to do so as it's a great prize!

Thanks for popping in today and now you're off to Denise Hahn's blog to see what amazing goodness she has to share with you! Happy Fall y'all and happy hopping!

Trick or Treat Smell My Feet / Practical Scrappers Blog Hop

Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween! Welcome to the October 2014 Practical Scrappers "Scrap Your Stash" Blog Hop! Today the ladies and I are sharing fall or Halloween themed projects with you. You ought to have come here from my friend Christine's blog. If not, please head to the Practical Scrappers blog and work your way here.

Today I have a Halloween layout to share with you created using Bella Blvd's Halloween collection from last year, Trick or Treat. I have a **small** problem with Bella Blvd... I kinda hoard these collections. I use them, you can see that from my blog, but I make sure that there is plenty in reserve! Just in case. You never know when you might need it!

I'm not usually one to use A LOT of "stuff" on my layouts. I like the embellishments to be suport to the picture and theme of the layout. Yet somehow, for this picture, there was a need for goodies. Lots of goodies. Perhaps mimicing the energy of the kids, about to head out and gather their loot!

I love the colors that Bella Blvd uses! The teal and yellow with the traditional black, orange and green and occasional purple really pop off the page. And guess what? Not a lick of cardstock on there! Can you believe it?!

Here's this months hop order;

Practical Scrappers

Monica

Wendy C

Wendi

Laura

Christine

Suzanna <---- THAT'S ME!!

Bobbi

Majken 

Lyne

Kristy

Jennifer 

Cheryl

LeeAnne

From here you are heading on to Bobbi's blog to see what fantastic fall project she has to share with you!

Thanks for hopping with Practical Scrappers today! Happy Halloween and may all your candy desires be satisfied!