Beach Comber Book

I've had this idea for a project for a while now, but only when Scrapbooks-Plus had all this Creative Imaginations product left over from the make and take layouts did I began to pull it together. It is not finished yet, as I am still decorating the inside pages. I do plan to do this as a class the last Saturday of August. And I may sell kits - depending how challenged I become in getting it all together. I have two other classes (layouts) scheduled in August, so we'll see if I can get kits together or not! This will be my first "project" that I've taught. Hopefully it will go well!

The book, which is an altered hardback novel, has 30 pages inside that you can fill with your photos and journalling. We are leaving for vacation in two weeks, and I would like to get another one of these together to take along as my photo journal for the trip. That way I'll have two samples for the class - one will be complete with photos and the other blank (the blank one will be the store sample which I will have at the front on display sometime this week - definitely by the weekend!)
Hope you like it!
Sharon

Celebrating our Nation's Birthday

We just got back from the Leesburg Independence Day parade - and what a nice parade it was. The weather was perfect - sunny with a cool breeze and absolutely no humidity - a rare thing in July in Virginia! The boys had a great time and I even managed a few smiles out of my husband! (And don't you just love that tiara!!)

I downloaded my pictures already so I can start on a July 4 layout - although it will have to wait 'til tomorrow since we are soon heading to my mother's house in Lucketts for a picnic and fireworks with my family.

I bought these really cool buttons from Rusty Pickle at Scrapbooks-Plus last weekend and couldn't wait to use them. My friend Debbie, who owns Scrapbooks-Plus, and I cropped all day last Saturday and I had the perfect layout in mind. I was so inspired by Melissa Frances (I took two of her classes at GASC last week), I used her patriotic line to make this subdued Memorial Day layout.

I'm kind of wishing now I had used this paper for today's parade, but I bought a bunch of Rusty Pickle's Rockin' America paper that I can improvise with. Got to run - I think my boys found the fireworks and I need to make sure they don't blow themselves up!

Have a great 4th!!

Summer Soire'e

Summer is here and have I got the class for you! After a busy weekend of taking classes at GASC and 14 hours of cropping at Scrapbooks-Plus on Saturday, I have tons of ideas and projects in the works. I just designed my July Basic Grey class layout - Summer Soire'e - using Basic Grey's new Lemonade line of patterned papers, complete with a jeweled beetle. You can easily incorporate both girl and boy photos or make the mats all blue or all pink. The class is scheduled for August 4 (I know I said July, but all the Tuesdays are booked!) from 6:00 til 8:30. Sign-up soon!

I am also working on my August class using the June Bug line of papers. That class (titled The Dog Days of Summer) is scheduled for August 28. More on that later....

Can't wait to show off all the cool layouts I worked on this weekend - some still need titles and journaling, so I'll post when I finish. Meanwhile, I'll get those make-and-take layout posted.

Make and Take for GASC

Designing "make and takes" is not my greatest talent, so I leave them up to the pros - folks like Louise and Lisa at Scrapbooks-Plus deserve all the credit for the out-of-sight make-and-takes you'll find this weekend at Scrapbooks-Plus and at the GASC. I have incorporated both make-and-takes into layouts that will be on display at the conference and at the store all weekend. Above, you'll see this cute pocket designed by Lisa Housman that I incorporated into a two-page layout (the S-A-N-D letters are my additions to create part of my title - Sand Art ) The layout features Creative Imaginations Christine Adolph's latest South Seas line of papers and stickers. Here you can see how I've cut out the flowers and popped them on the second page.

You can make the pocket for free at the store. There is another make-and-take ( a cute butterfly tag) available to make at the conference on both Friday and Saturday. The instructions for both layouts that I designed will be at the store all weekend. I'll post the materials list and photos of both layouts here after the conference. Here's a sneak peek of the layout that includes the tag that you can make only at GASC today and the store next week.

Can't wait to see everyone this weekend at the conference and at Scrapbooks-Plus. I'll be at the conference all weekend and at the store crop all night long on Saturday. Hope to see you there!

Summer's Here!

Baseball season is finally over and perhaps my weekends and evenings will become less frantic (it tough being a coach's wife!). We finished the season with the party at our house last Sunday - complete with a dunking tank to get the coaches (and the kids) all wet. You can see my husband here about to take the plunge.

This week has been busy too, getting ready for GASC in Chantilly this weekend and finishing the Design Team submission for this month. For GASC, Scrapbooks Plus has two make-and-takes. One designed by Louise that is available at the conference. It's a cute tag using Coredinations card stock. I have incorporated it into a one page layout entitled "Endless Summer" that will be on display at the conference with color instructions (and product from Bo Bunny and American Crafts) on how to create it at the store.

The other is a make-and-take designed by Lisa that will be available at the store only. It's a cute beach-themed pocket made from cardstock and Creative Imaginations paper - complete with a palm tree and little crab on the sand. I have designed a two page, beach layout that incorporates the pocket with matching papers and embellishments from Creative Imaginations. You'll find instuctions for that layout at the store too. Scrapbooks-Plus is filled to the brim with product right now (completely out of shelf space!) so if you are going to GASC, you need to stop in. In addition to product, you'll find tons of ideas and sample throughout the store. More to come......

This month's DT kit created by Leah has a tons of product - Bo Bunny, KI Memories, DoodleBug - so much that I have LEFTOVERS (never you say!). Here's a one-page layout that was made from leftover product after I finished my two page layout - a bonus page that I probably won't display at the store. The theme this month was 'birthday', so here's a sneak peak. This is a fairly simple page - not over embellished or crazy. I used a Page Map from Becky Fleck's book to help with the design.

Back with more on the upcoming GASC conference later....

Sharon