The Many Shades of Ombre Dreams

Good morning!

I'm here today to share with you three different projects I created this month using the gorgeous Ombre Dreams collection from Blue Fern Studios! I just can't get over how beautiful these papers are, and what a delight to put them to work! There's such a beautiful array of colors available in this range that I decided to spotlight a different palette in each of my projects...

"My Boy"

I LOVE the watercolor-y washed out seashore shades in the "Ginger's Dream" paper, which I chose to use as my background for this photo of my middle child at the beach. And layered in pieces behind my photo are some more blues from the "Susan's Dream" paper.

I chose to feature the Roman Clock Set- Small on my layout as well. This set can be split up into three different clocks (along with hands); I chose the largest of the clocks, cut it in half, dabbed it with white chalk ink, and used them to really set the design of my page.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:
Ombre Dreams: Ginger's Dream

Ombre Dreams: Susan's Dream

Roman Clock Set- Small

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Ribbon, Resin Bird & Clock, Bling, "Memorandum" ATC Card
Webster's Pages: Paper Straws

"Thoughts" Card

Next up, I went with two more fabulous papers that are predominantly purple, while offering hints of many other colors including green, blue, pink, turquoise, and more: Joyce's Dream and Dream Cards. It was very difficult not to use some mixed media on the background of this card, but I really wanted to show off the lovely delicate patterns :)

The butterfly piece you see here is from the "Tattered Butterfly" set, which features 4 butterflies in various sizes. I just love the intricate detail in this butterfly design. I decided to go with a random smattering of embossing enamel which was set with a heat gun. Embossing enamel offers a great mix of color and texture which catch the light beautifully! For even more sparkle, I added a pretty crystal to the center.

Since I had my Roman Clock pieces out, I went with one of the smaller pieces in the set here. First I painted it with a lilac shade of acrylic paint and, while still wet, dusted it with a sparkly white embossing powder to give it a pretty frosted look. 

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Ombre Dreams: Joyce's Dream

Ombre Dreams: Dream Cards

Roman Clock Set- Small

Tattered Butterflies

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Doily Die, Metal Clock Embellishment

"Discover" Card

Finally, we have some orange/peach/pinks to feature! The Shannon's Dream paper is full of tropical citrus colors and dreamy floral patterns. 

The Wild Flourish Bundle chipboard piece was just what I needed to set the foundation for my cluster on this card. It was covered with a pale yellow chalk ink, embossed with clear embossing powder, and accented with some bling.

Blue Fern Studios Products Used:

Ombre Dreams: Shannon's Dream

Wild Flourish Bundle

Other Products Used:
Prima Marketing: Flowers, Metal Embellishment
Webster's Pages: Sticker Sentiment, Resin Leaves

Thank-you for checking out my post today!

We're nearing the end of the month- don't forget about our June Sketch Challenge~ if you loved some of the pieces in my post today, you have the chance to win a couple of them in this month's prize pack! Don't miss out :)

A Card and a Tag for Webster's Pages!

So it was brought to my attention by two separate individuals yesterday that my blog has been very quiet. And it definitely has...for a while now. And when I think back to the way I used to blog and the open honesty I had with you all, I'm feeling like I really need to get back to that.

The truth is, life is more than just busy. As a SAHM, there aren't a lot of opportunities to make money, unless those opportunities allow you to work when your husband is home (meaning evenings and weekends). I take on cleaning jobs here and there to help support my family, and starting in the spring (and especially the summer), those hours really pick up. Which is where I've been for a while now...just about every spare moment outside of my SAHM life, I'm working. On top of that, I manage our hobby farm which consists of nearly 100 animals who house 4 different coops. Meaning lots of maintenance in every aspect. I also run an Etsy shop online which takes a good portion of my time. And of course this time of year, it's gardening galore. We built a massive garden this year which took time in itself, not to mention creating all of the beds by hand, making/mixing all of my own dirt by hand, etc etc etc...basically, there are days where I feel so far in over my head I swear I might drown.

But every night, I remind myself of what must ALWAYS come first: my kids. I'm a mom FIRST. All these things come secondary to that...and my brushed aside hobby and love of scrapbooking sadly has come last. Mainly due to needing to better organize everything and balance it all.

So I'm going to try and balance better. I have projects that I've created "just for fun", believe it or not, that I just haven't taken the time to get on my blog. So...I've created a schedule for my blog to follow so that my posts are more consistent. For myself, if for nothing else. 

And as you all probably know, CHA is around the corner...meaning lots of behind-the-scenes stuff going on that I can't yet share with you. But today I have a card and a tag that I created for Webster's Pages just for fun. :)

"Make Each Day Count" Tag

Here I dug into my "oldies but goodies" stash and had a blast creating with Modern Romance. I love the gorgeous color palette in this collection; all of the romantic imagery, flowers, patterns...simply divine. This tag was a little bit on the larger side, nearly 8" tall which is about 2" bigger than what I typically do, but I loved the ruffled trim at the bottom and wanted to make room for it. I had actually made my standard size tag of 3.5" x 6" and just cut a larger tag that could fit on the backside to peek out beneath the ruffles. So this tag has 4 layers rather than 3, which I really liked.

I've used one of the Blue Fern Studios "Lace Rounds" chipboard pieces for the base of my centerpiece, before adhering the key charm from Webster's Pages on top. I used a Prima White Chalk Edger pad over the top to soften the bronze color a bit, and then added a Growing Up Girl Word Sticker for my sentiment.

"Spread Your Wings" Card

This card features a fabulous patterned paper called "Accessorize" from the Webster's Pages "Growing Up Girl" collection. I loved all of the pretty necklaces and charms dangling on this paper and really wanted to include that on my project. I again used some chipboards from Blue Fern Studios: "Framed Trinkets" and "Spring Frame". After adding some embellishing by way of Prima flowers, Sugardots, and an old favorite charm, I added another perfect sentiment which is always found by way of Webster's Pages stickers, this one from the Growing Up Girl Sentiment Sticker sheet. I used 1/4" foam adhesive to give it some nice elevation over my chipboard pieces.

I hope you enjoyed some sweet projects today :) 

Thanks as always for visiting,

It's a Prima-Style White Wedding: Altered Book Bundle

This week on the Prima blog, it's all about all white, wedding-themed projects! And today I have an altered book bundle that I created as a wedding table piece featuring all white Prima products. It's been quite a while since I've done a monochromatic project, so this one was very fun for me! And Prima has such a great variety of white products to choose from, so creating was a breeze :)

"Altered Book Bundle"

A really fun way to recycle any old book is to create an altered book bundle. I especially love really old hardcover books for this project, but any type of paperback will work too. Simply tear off the front and back covers, including the spine. You can use one or several books in your bundle. Paint the entire surface with a few coats of white paint or gesso. This will seal shut most of the pages; glue can be used to close up any gaps after painting. Use your favorite Prima trims to tie the books together (you might also want to apply some glue between the books to make sure they are secure), then add flowers, embellishments, and bling! 

Prima Products Used:
573478- Resin Angels
573157- Cartographer SIIC
570378- SIIC
567248 - Chantelle- Heirloom
573300- Resin in a Wood Box- Clock
573393- Trim
572068- Wire Thread- Stark White
571283- Nieve- Rose Flower

I hope you enjoyed my project today! Be sure to check out the Prima blog all week long for more wedding inspiration :)

Prima Design Team 2014-2015!! & a Resin Frame Tutorial...

SO excited to be returning for another year on the Prima Design Team!!

Prima is truly a dream team for so many, including myself, and I'm so happy to be realizing that dream alongside so many amazing scrappy friends, and especially to be able to do both years with my sister Kelly...I cannot imagine anything more perfect.

Thank-you to everyone on Facebook who already offered kind, encouraging words. They mean so much and I am so grateful for you all :)

And I could not possibly write this post without recognizing those of you who felt disappointment in this year's results. I know exactly how you feel. I too have applied and not been selected. I too remember the bittersweet feelings of being happy for those who made it while feeling sadness that you weren't there with them. And at the time, when people tried to give me encouragement and say "just try next year", it was hard to feel optimistic. A year seems SO long and far away...

But in truth, it isn't. In the next year you will learn and grow so much! You will make more connections and friends, make other teams, and make beautiful memories on paper and online while you're at it! Truly, you will. And yes, there is always next year. Always another shot if you don't give up. And when your time comes, it will surely feel that the timing was just right.

So please, don't give up :) And hugs to those feeling down...I know your pain.

I leave you now with a project that was on the Prima blog not too long ago that I neglected to share here. 

"Heritage Road" Mini Album Cover 

 

Prima Products Used:

892111- Ingvild Bolme- Oval Frame Resins
892166- Ingvild Bolme- Street Signs
892241- Ingvild Bolme- Metal Corners
891992- Ingvild Bolme- Butterflies
813925- Time Traveler's Memories- Priceless Moments
813857- Time Traveler's Memories- Falling Rose
575069- Time Traveler's Memories- Make Time
574888- Seashore- Sealion 

Thanks so much for coming over. 

Take care, my friends :)

A Sad Good-Bye to C'est Magnifique...

A sad day that I thought would never come...my last post for C'est Magnifique.

I will never forget when I discovered C'M for the first time. My sister received a kit from them as a prize for a challenge site she'd participated in. I was SO jealous of what she got. It was after that that I joined their forums and started uploading to their gallery. And not long after, I received a phone call at my home from the owner, Leslie. From that phone call an amazing friendship was formed and an invite to a team for which I was so proud to design for resulted. I'm so grateful to have been a part of the C'M family for the last few years. So it's with a very heavy heart that I must now say my good-bye. C'est Magnifique has been sold to a great new owner and I'm sure that the sky is the limit for them. But my time has come and here we are.

I leave you today with a card that I created using the June MMM kit...

"Discover"

I started out with the rub-ons on my card base, applying them to the upper-left and lower-right. Next I used a craft knife to lightly spread gesso over everything, but wiping it away from the rub-ons.

The 13 Arts paint in this kit is smooth as butter! I used a mask and a craft knife to create the stenciled design and allowed it to dry on its own. Next I began applying the purple and blue Gelatos along the edges where the stenciled areas were. With a baby wipe, I began to blend them and then discovered that upon doing so, the painted stenciled areas began to blend as well. 

Finally, I added the Blue Fern Studios "Techno Rings" chipboard (cut in half) and the Maya Road wood hearts before finishing it all off with a flower cluster.

One more look at the complete MMM Kit:

Thank-you so much for allowing me to share with you all this time. 

C'est Magnifique is in great hands and I know there are so many exciting things to come! So stay tuned!

Blue Fern Studios: A Card & a Sketch Challenge!

Good morning! I hope your week has gone well (it has certainly gone fast!)!

Today I would like to share with you a "just for fun" card that I created using the new "Ombre Dreams" collection from Blue Fern Studios, as well as their June Sketch Challenge!

"Welcome Each New Day"

I've used the lovely "Charlottes' Dream" paper from the collection as the layers on my card. I love the mix of blues and purples in this one, the stenciled effect with areas of white. So beautiful. 

I've used one of the new Prima dies to create the doily seen here. Instead of punching out all of the little pieces, I've only opened up the edges while leaving the area in the middle intact to create a nice little bed for my microbeads, seed beads, and stars. 

The antique tub embellishment was a new release for Prima back at Winter CHA. Prima flowers and leaves, all new releases, and some Webster's Pages trim were the finishing touches :)

And if you haven't yet seen, Blue Fern Studios has another inspiring sketch for you to work with this month!

Flip it, rotate it, mirror it, or keep it as is- in a layout, card, journal cover, altered project- however you would like to interpret the sketch and get it onto paper!

There's yet another amazing chipboard prize package to be won, all new releases!

So won't you play along with us?? We'd love to see you there!

Have a wonderful day :)