PGCB Blog Hop: Fall Decor

The Paper Girls have put together an amazing blog hop with lots of inspiration.  Take a few minutes for yourself and hop along our blog hop for a little extra help with that “Fall Decor”?

 

A hop wouldn't be a hop without prizes.  The Paper Girls Challenge Blog has a Scrapbook Pal gift card up for grabs...See details below on how to win!

 

Here is the line up:

The Paper Girls Challenge Blog: www.thepapergirlschallenge.blogspot.com <- Did you start here?

Kristy: www.mamasanity.blogspot.com  <- You are here!

Amber: www.allamberallthetime.blogspot.com <- Visit here next!
Erica: http://stampingstarlette.blogspot.com/
Charity: http://menemenetekeluniversity.blogspot.com/
Heather: http://heatherskraftykorner.blogspot.com/
Charissa: http://akihasmommascraps.com/
Jessica: http://errantscraps.blogspot.com/
Michele: http://about-the-paper.blogspot.com/
Cathryn : http://www.catscrapcreations.blogspot.ca/
Becci: http://b-handmade.blogspot.com/
Misty: http://mistylynnwhat.blogspot.com/
Deborah: http://scrappinthelittlethings.blogspot.com/

And here is a fun project to hopefully inspire your thoughts on fall décor:

 
I used my Cricut to cut a BUNCH of leaves (honestly, I don't remember how many, but it is was a lot).  I used Fabrications paper by Teresa Collins, which matches the wreath I made at the beginning of the month.  After inking the leaves - and my hands - I started gluing the leaves down to the paper.  To make sure I had the right sized paper, I simply used the paper that came with the frame, flipped over, of course!

The words are from Stampin' Up.  I got them through Sale-a-bration last year and hadn't used them yet.  By adhering them to the glass, I can create different backgrounds to match the seasons or holidays.

On to the important part - PRIZES!!!

How do you get your hands on the gift card to Scrapbook Pal? Would you like a chance to win?

Get an entry for commenting on each of the blog posts, "Like" the Paper Girls Challenge on Facebook, and being a follower on our blog (all are required for an entry). You will see some fabulous projects and find some inspiration.

You have until Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 11:59pm MST to comment. We will announce the winner on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 9:00 am MST. International readers are welcome to play along but currently we are only shipping prize packs to the US and Canada due to shipping costs.

Now hop on over to Amber's blog!!!

Cheers!
Kristy

Sketch & Stamp Challenges: A Double Dip

Hi All! 

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Ours was the usual craziness, but that is always the way when you have 2 kids, right?

I have to admit, I am combining 2 Design Team projects into 1 today.  Bad Kristy, but hey, it happens to all of us, right?  Right?  Jennifer over at Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration designed a great page sketch for us to use - head on over there to see the sketch.  And Heather asked us to "make our own stamps" at The Paper Girls Challenge.  I thought these would be great combined together!

Here is my page:

Recipe (all items Stampin' Up):

Paper: Winter Frost DSP Stack (#132183), Venetian Romance (#130144), Polka Dot Parade (#126902), Quatrefancy Specialty (#130141), Whisper White (#124302), Strawberry Slush (#131295)

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar (#131174), Coastal Cabana (#131175), Crisp Cantaloupe (#131176), Pistachio Pudding (#131177), Strawberry Slush (131178), Summer Starfruit (#126991), Stazon White (#106960)

Punch: Blossom (#125603), Pansy (#130698)

Etc.: Hung Up Cute Clips (#129389), Pearl Basic Jewels (#119247), Glue Dots (#103683), Clear Block Bundle (#118491)

 

As you can see, I was feeling a little sentimental.  I never do a page about me, and when I saw this picture, I thought, why not???  Go for it!

 

Remember I mentioned that The Paper Girls Challenge was to make our own stamps?  Well, for me that was my SU Clear Mount stamping blocks.  To make the background, I laid out all my ink pads and blocks.  I pressed my blocks right into the ink, and then onto the paper.  (The new ink pads work GREAT for this, better than the old style.)  Oh wait, I have a couple helpers that can show you what I did:

 

 

Note to self when I do this again...don't let the kids use your good SU ink pads.  I may have some Strawberry Slush on all my ink pads now.  But the kids had fun and were so proud of their work - that is the most important thing!!!

 

Cheers!
Kristy

Simple Sketches: Week 3 Project

Happy Saturday!  Today kicks off week 3 at Simple Sketches.  Team A (that's my team) is up with our take on Melissa's sketch:

 

 

 

I love the sketch.  I decided that it was time to actually scrap some pictures of my son playing soccer last year...since his new season starts today.  I've never been accused of being a chronological scrapper.  ;-)  So with a spritz, a stitch, and a few cuts on my Cricut, here is my first layout from Kevin's Purple Gorilla soccer team!

 

And now, I'm off to soccer practice.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Cheers!
Kristy

Stylin' Stampin' Squad: September Blog Hop

 

Thank you so much for joining us for the September Stylin’  Stampin’ Squad Blog Hop! This month we are focusing on the tools of the stampin’ trade. Specifically, each of our favorite stamping tools. It’s amazing the kinds of tools that have been created to help us along in our paper-crafting addictions.  This month’s blog hop will showcase many of the Stampin’ Up! tools that are now available to us in the 2013-2014 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Holiday Catalog and even a couple of products that are so new they aren’t in either catalog. We hope you enjoy seeing how we use the old and new tools and are inspired to come up with some great projects of your own.

You should have just left stop number 14 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – Jamie H of Unique Ink. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Shellie G. of Craft Smashup
2. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!
3. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
4. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
5. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
6. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
7. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
8. Justin K. of JK Cards
9. Heidi B of Stuck on Stampin'
10. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper
11. Bree R. of Craft-somnia
12. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
13. Jennifer C. of Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life
14. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
15. Kristina M. of Mama's Sanity

Without further ado, here is my project.  My favorite tools in my arsenal has to be my punches!  I love how fast you can make cards with punches.  I was able to make 12 copies of this card pretty quickly because all of the major elements on this cards are punches!

Recipe:
Stamps: Six-Sided Sampler (# 130956)

Paper: Venetian Romance DSP (#130144), Subtles Collection (#119704), Whisper White (#100730)

Ink: Basic Black (#126980), Smoky Slate (#131179)

Punch: Modern Label (#119849), Word Window (#119857), Blossom (#125603), Pansy (#130698)

Embossing Folder: Fancy Fan (#127751)

Etc.: Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430),  Naturals Designer Buttons (#127554), Linen Thread (#104199)

 

Layering punched elements gives you a lot of depth on a card.  For added depth, I used Stampin' Dimensionals under the flowers, then tucked in the "my friend" under the flower.

 

If you are interested in purchasing any of these supplies, click the Shop Now button here!

I hope you have enjoyed our hop.  If you missed any stops along the way, make sure you head back to the list an start from the beginning.

Cheers!
Kristy

SSI: September Card Sketch

Today's Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration features a fun card sketch. 

And here is my interpretation:

Recipe:

Stamps: Really Good Greetings (# 130333)

Paper: Winter Frost DSP Stack (#132183), Brights Collection (#131190), Champagne Glimmer Paper (#127885)

Ink: Midnight Muse (#126860)

Punch: Cupcake Builder (#121807)

Etc.: Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430), Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126848), Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126847), Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126845)

 

The clouds are actually the top from the Cupcake Builder punch, using paper from the Winter Frost Designer Series Paper Stack.  See, winter paper isn't just for winter cards.  ;-)

 

If you are interested in purchasing any of these supplies, click the Shop Now button here!

 

Love butterflies?  Check out the bundle Stampin' Up is offering for 15% off!

Cheers!
Kristy

Kiwi Lane September Blog Hop

Hi!  Welcome to the Kiwi Lane Designs' September Blog Hop.  I'm very excited to be a part of this hop!!!  You should have come from Deborah's blog.  If not, you might want to start at the beginning and hop all the way through...leaving comments along the way.  There is a prize just for commenting.  Details at the bottom of this post. 

Here is the blog hop order in case you get lost along the way:

1. Kiwi Lane http://kiwilane.com/here/blog/
2. Staci Jones http://scrapbookingischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/
3. Tammy Smith  http://lifeupdownandsideways.blogspot.com/
4. Erin Colby: http://oursliceofcheese.blogspot.com
5. Deborah Johnson  http://scrappinthelittlethings.blogspot.com/ <- Did you come from here?
6. Kristy MacKeen: http://mamasanity.blogspot.com/  <- You are here!!!
7. Scrappin' Madge- http://www.thescrappinlounge.com <- Next stop, but leave a comment here first!!!
8. Claire Heartburn http://lemonpaperdesigns.blogspot.co.uk
9. Leslie Prinkki http://www.scrapsofmine.blogspot.com
10. Melissa Dehne http://www.abitofscrappygoodness.blogspot.com/
11. Charissa Miller http://www.akihasmommascraps.com
12. Roselyn Riley http://prettylittlepackages.blogspot.com

Now, let me tell you a quick story.  When I started to think about my project for this hop, I was thinking I would use Tiny Brackets to make a wall hanging for my bedroom.  (I will still do this and will blog and post it on the KLD wall.)  But as I was driving home one day, I happened to look at my front door and noticed an empty hook waiting to be filled.  Then my mind kicked into overdrive.  I had an foam wreath in my scrap room, just waiting to be decorated.  Why don't I make a fall wreath for my door?

Using 4 sheets of Teresa Collins' Fabrications and Kiwi Lane designer templates Nature 1 & 4, as well as Tiny Nature 1T & 4T, I began cutting out leaves. 

After wrapping the foam wreath in Chocolate Chip Stripped ribbon from Stampin' Up, I started layering all the different leaves.

 

Isn't the Fabrications collection divine?!? I was able to use both sides of the paper to give lots of pattern and depth to the wreath with just a few cuts!  I love how this wreath looks, hanging on my door.  It almost makes me wish it was fall.  :-)

 

 

As promised, here are the details about the prize:
One random winner from the comments on the participating blogs (including the Kiwi Lane blog), will win this amazing prize pack from Simple Stories.  The winner will be announced on the Kiwi Lane blog on Thursday, September 12th.

Thanks for visiting.  And if you aren't a follower, I would love it if you would click that little button on the right!  :-)

Cheers!
Kristy

Practical Scrappers: Project Life Day 3 in Florida

I'm back again, with another spread about my trip to Florida.  It is fun to relive the trip this way!  Every time I make a new spread, it makes me want to go back!

For this spread, I used a mix of cards and elements from Studio Calico's Project Life kits, Allison Kreft's Composition and Color collection and Simple Stories I Heart Summer.  I hope you like sunsets, because I think I have pictures of sunsets from every night. 



 

Cheers!

Kristy

Kiwi Lane: Last Tuesday Tip Time

Today is my last individual blog post for the Kiwi Lane Design Team.  It has been a wonderful 9 months.  I couldn't have asked for anything more from my first manufacturer design team!  Thank you to all the girls at Kiwi Lane!

For my September Tips, I was lucky enough to work with Simple Stories December Documented collection.  It is a great collection.  So many fun elements.  I can't wait to work with it...when it is a little cooler out.  It is a little hard to be in the Christmas mood when it is 101 degrees outside, but I took a swing at it with some old photos from 2008...

The journaling cards in this collection are simply adorable!!!  I can't wait to use them on my December Project Life pages.  Here is a card I made with one of the journaling cards.  I used Kiwi Lane templates to highlight and cut the tree from the card.  (Did I mention that it was over 100 degrees outside – not very Christmassy weather?!?)

Thanks for visiting me today.  Make sure you head over to the Kiwi Lane store.  The templates I used on these projects (Sunnybrook Lane, Tiny Brackets, and Journey) are 10-15% off in the store this month! 

PGCB #39: Wired Up Challenge!

Hi!  Happy Labor Day to my US friends.  My family has enjoyed a lot of family time this weekend.  It has been wonderful!

I am hosting the challenge over at The Paper Girls Challenge blog - and it is all wired up!  I have had a box of jewelry wire and a wire jig in my scrap room for a few years and I haven't done anything with it - it was bought for scrapbooking, not jewelry.  I figured this was a great chance to finally break it out and use it!  I have two layouts featuring wire up on The Paper Girls blog today:

 

This layout has actually been on my blog before.  It was based off the Practical Scrappers scrapbook sketch in June.  For more details on this layout, click here!

 

This layout was based off Scrapbook Steal's Aquamarine 8 sketch...and there will be a second side to with the boys, but for how, here are the girls.  I used heavier gauge wire on this layout to form the word "Girls", and then held it down with some brads.  The papers were from the my Studio Calico August kit (Marks & Co) with embellishments from my stash.

 

Thanks for visiting!
Kristy