Washi Workshop

My first ever Washi Workshop is up on the Freckled Fawn blog today....go check it out!!!

Have a good one, TFL!

Life Is Better When We Are Together

Happy Sunday, friends!  I normally don't post on the weekends, but I haven't had a chance to get anything up since Wednesday, gasp!  I did (finally) get a chance to work on the Sunday Sketch from 10.14.12. so here it is...

I was very inspired by Jamie Pate's take on the sketch, which you can see here. It's breathtaking so be sure to check it out :)  I was also inspired by the new I Lowe Scrap papers that are now available at Freckled Fawn.  I knew as soon as I saw those triangles that I wanted them to be a huge element on my page.

I was lucky enough to win that awesome "InstaMoment" stamp from www.lifelovepaper.com through the 1000 Words: Capture More photography class I'm currently taking.  I honestly don't think I've ever won anything in my life, so I can cross that one off my list, lol!

I also used some embellishments from this month's SC kit, Roller Rink and that adorable pink tag with the date stamp on it is from the new Dear Lizzy collection, 5th & Frolic.

I love this photo of my three kiddos laughing and joking together.  That expression of my daughter is priceless to me!  They are so funny together sometimes...I really do cherish those moments and I'm just glad I got to capture one of them on film.

Have a great day and TFL!

Remember This

Hi, everyone!  I hope you're having a great Wednesday :)  Mine has been a little rough, but I'm taking it as a sign that I need to slow down and just breathe for a minute....or two....And it will all be, OK, right?

I do have a layout to share with you today.  I made this one for the Scraplift Challenge at SC.  I don't think I've ever participated in this challenge, but when I saw this week's Featured Layout I knew I wanted to give it a try!

I had this photo from 10.11.12. that I really liked, so it was most of my inspiration for this layout.  I snapped it with my iPhone when I was with Avery waiting to drop her off at school.  It was a normal, run-of-the-mill day, but the kids thought because of the "date", it was really special :)  I added the numbers to my photo in my Phonto app.

I recently purchased these super cool vellum arrows from TwoPeas and I knew this would be the perfect chance to use 'em!  The glassine bag with the yellow plus sign is what they came in and I love to reuse cute packaging whenever I get the chance.

I used some of my October Kit +Add-ons from SC, new Dear Lizzy paper, tags, doilies, and washi from Freckled Fawn, and that adorable arrow stamp is from Kelly Purkey.

Here's something new...I actually journaled directly on my page in my own handwriting!  Holla!  LOL!

I used my Cameo for the "For Like Ever" cut from Studio Calico.

Have a great day...I'm going to take that deep breath and hope for the best!  TFL!

Autumn 2012

Happy Tuesday, everyone :)  

Here's a layout I created using SC's October Kit +Add-ons and a few bits from October's ohDeerme Kit from Freckled Fawn...

I used quite a few Silhouette cuts on this one...the "Autumn" title, the triangle strip on the top photo, and the paper dolls on the bottom photo.  All the cuts were from the Silhouette Online Store.

 
The cute yellow paper bow is from this month's ohDeerme Kit from Freckled Fawn.

This was one of those layouts that came out completely different then what was in my head...ha! I messed with this for two days, but I really liked how it turned out :)  My favorite thing about this layout is the color combo.

Thanks for checking me out!  Have a great day!

My Summer Vacation

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you had a great weekend :)  

Just a quick post today...I made this layout for the Weekly Challenge at Studio Calico...

The challenge was to use a summer photo and I still had one left from our vacation back in August that I've been wanting to scrap :)  I used my October Kit +Add-on's from SC and I tried out their new color mist droppers on this one.

I used my Cameo for the starburst cut on the left side and the "We Were Here' stamp (one of my ALL-TIME faves!)  is from www.lifelovepaper.com.

My favorite thing about this layout is the wood veneer chevron pieces.  I could used those on EVERY layout.

Well, there you have it!  I hope you have a great day and TFL!

Laugh A Little Everyday

It's Friday...Whoo Hoo!  I hope everyone is having a great week!  

Here's my take on this week's Sunday Sketch at Studio Calico.  This one is very near and dear to me because my awesome bloggin' buddy, Jamie, is this week's contributor!  Be sure to check out her AMAZING work here.

I used some of the photos from my first photo shoot with my kids for this layout and my October kit +Add-ons from SC.  I also added in some awesome washi from Freckled Fawn!

I layered some washi tape on the back of the "LAUGH" card for some pop and I used the "curious cheveron" cut file from SC in a few spots, too.

The polka dot arrow is a cut from the Silhouette Online Store...I just layered some white card stock behind it and sewed around the edges with my machine.  

I veered from the sketch a bit with the placement of the title and the arrow, but I kept an overall "grid" design throughout the page.  It's a great sketch and very versatile!  I WILL be using it again :)

Have a great day! TFL!!!

Through the Lens - My 1st Photo Shoot

Happy Thursday, everyone!  My kiddos went back to school yesterday after a long break and I've been trying to "catch up" on chores, calendar planning, and laundry (of course!).  We actually got through the break pretty smoothly and did lots of fun things together :)  This, to me, is a sign that they're growing up and can get along with each other longer than five minutes!  We've come a long way around here, let me tell ya!

I've been super inspired by our beautiful fall weather, the changing colors, and the 1000 Words: Capture More photography class I'm taking right now over at Studio Calico so I decided I would do a little "photo shoot" with my kids...first one ever with me behind the camera...

Now let me tell you that I am NOT (obviously!) by any way a professional photographer.  I just purchased my first DSLR back in April and I knew when I bought it that I wanted to really learn how to use it to it's full extent (no auto-mode for this girl) and I wanted to capture great photos of my kids.  I have NEVER, ever, taken a photography class before this one and I know I have A LOT to learn!  With that being said, please be gentle...I'm really proud of myself and I believe these photos really captured my three children wonderfully...even if all the technical stuff is a little insufficient!  The shoot itself is it's own little story that will be documented.  I will never forget the great day we had when "mommy made us walk all over the field in our good clothes and smile till our faces hurt"!

I took 146 photos in two hours using my Canon Rebel T3i with the lens it came with, an 18-55mm.  Using my little ol' iPhoto program on my computer, I edited them down to around 60 keepers.  I have PSE but I'm not very savvy in it yet, so I opted out of three miserable weeks of editing and just did it in two days :)

We started our photo adventure around 2:00 p.m., not the optimum time for lighting purposes, but I knew if I waited any longer they would have been worn out and not as cooperative in the evening.
So here we go on our little photo journey...

This is probably my most favorite shot of the day...I love the way they're positioned and it's what I had envisioned in my mind :)

My oldest son came up with the idea for this shot...he was so proud when it made the final cut!

I love this shot because it really captures the way my oldest son and my daughter interact.  It was totally a candid shot and somehow I got an awesome light leak at the bottom right!

A portrait shot of my oldest son, Garrison.

My daughter, Avery.

My youngest son, Jubal.

I love this shot even though it's not quite in focus...the tug o'war thing was another idea I had envisioned in my mind that I actually got to achieve.  It kind of symbolizes a lot of interaction between them :)

They thought this was so fun and didn't want to stop!  Bonus:  No one got hurt!  

After the tug o' war, I gave them some rope licorice to snack on and it turned out to be the perfect opportunity for some candid shots.

This is so.totally.them.

I like this shot because Jubal (the middle child) is in focus, but the other two aren't.  This was kind of his time to shine :)

I love this shot because of all the colors that came through...the blue sky, the green and yellow leaves, and the brown and red lighting at the bottom.

 This shot happened on accident, but I love it!

I edited these photos so that the colors would be bold.  I know the trend tends to be softer, more subdued hues, but I really wanted a bolder, brighter look.  Call me crazy!

I love this shot because of their positioning and the light leaks...I'll probably end up cropping this down a bit, either from the left or right.

Well, there you have it!  I learned a LOT from doing this.  It was a total body workout and I don't know how real photographers do this on a daily basis!  Wow, is all I can say about that!  The kids and I had a blast and I felt I really captured what I wanted to, although there were things I would've changed or tweaked a bit.  Next item on the list....scrapping them!  Can't.Wait.

Have a great day and thanks for looking!