Hi there!
Today is a Trend Challenge over at Scrapbook Challenges... and it's all about cork! I love using cork on a layout! It adds great texture and interest to a page yet none of the bulkiness, as is sometimes the case with some embellies.
So here's the page I ended up doing. It's actually based on
Scrapbook Challenges Sketch 430.
I used cork centers (Pink Paislee) for the layered doilies as well as alphas for part of the title (Little Yellow Bicycle). The title means "Peruvians take their work to heart". They really do... They all work so hard! We saw so much poverty there, yet we barely met any beggars. Peruvians would find some way to work and make money. And hard work too, in conditions that not many here would accept. I was really impressed by the people!
Stop by the blog here to see all the other creations by the talented team! Please join us so we may enjoy your work and you may win a prize! See you there!
Martine
Posted in
layouts,
Peru,
Scrapbook Challenges,
sketches
Hi! It's time for a new sketch at Scrapbook Challenges! It's a fun sketch with a square in the middle with pictures, patterned paper, title and embellies inside.
I kept the basic concept but changed things up a bit to fit the pictures I wanted to use. As you can see, I had fun with this one! ;)
I saw this quote ("You say crazy cat lady like it's a bad thing!") on a t-shirt or a mug somewhere on the internet and knew that I had to make a layout with it at some point! It's just so totally me! lol! I "embrace" my crazy cat lady status! I proved my point last Halloween when I dressed up as one for school! The kids (and other teachers!) laughed their heads off when they saw me! It was a lot of fun! I paired that up with a picture of the real me with my five cats (only for a few months; down to four now that Lexi's gone). I used Simple Stories paper for this layout. I also used up a lot of really old stuff (Around the Block cat brads, Making Memories puffy alphas, metal sticker embellies, paw-patterned alphas and some really old Provocraft black sticker alphas (2004!). I colored the chipboard hearts with gelatos then just dotted them with a black marker. It was a fun layout to make!
Go check out what the rest of the crew did on the blog and join us for some fun and the chance to win a prize! Thanks for stopping by!
Martine
Posted in
cats,
layouts,
Scrapbook Challenges,
sketches
Hi! The March Mood Board is up at Scrapbook Challenges and it's yummy! Fresh and springy greens and yellows, plus some orange and "corky" brown too! And lots of pretty pictures to inspire you also!
This is how my layout turned out. I went with the main colors but added some dark brown.
The title means "Martine with the Monkeys". The pictures were taken in the jungle of Peru, where we were staying at a lodge for two days. One of the highlights of the visit there for me was the trip to "Monkey Island", just across the river from our lodge. It was a big island where monkeys roamed free, but knew to approach when tourists appeared because they brought mini bananas with them. I've always been fascinated with monkeys (wanted one when I was little to guard my bedroom door against my relentlessly teasing brother! LOL!) and read all about Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall when I was growing up. So this was quite the experience for me! I was somewhat conflicted though, as I strongly believe in not feeding wildlife and accustomizing wild animals to humans. They told us that this colony of monkeys (three different species) was started when they rescued an original group of ten or so animals from poachers. They eventually brought them to this island where they've been living freely and breeding. Is the story true? I don't know... but to have the chance to feed monkeys and have them climb up on my shoulders when they felt like it, I was willing to believe it! ;)
I used Basic Grey papers again: "Hey Boy" for main pieces and the cute monkeys, then some preciously hoarded "Mellow" scraps for the punched out circles, along with a few other extra miscellaneous scraps. I had fun with the monkeys: I fussy-cut them and pop-dotted them for dimension. Eventually there will be a second page with journaling and more photos.
Go check out the rest of the reveal on the blog and get inspired to create and link up with us before the end of the month!
Have fun!
Martine
Posted in
Basic Grey,
layouts,
mood board,
Peru,
Scrapbook Challenges
Hi!
There's a new sketch up at Scrapbook Challenges! This week, it features an 8x10 photo! I don't often scrap with big pictures, so this was fun for me. It was also the perfect sketch to remember my sweet girl Lexi, whom I had to put to sleep last week. She was almost 17 and had been battling chronic renal failure for a year now. So although it wasn't unexpected, it's always gut wrenching to have to make the decision that the time to let one of our babies go has come. I take comfort in knowing that she had a full and long life. She was one tough cookie, all of 5 pounds but making the big boys of the house take notice of her and respect her space. She was the queen of the place! lol!
Here's the sketch and my layout.
I used one one my all-time favorite Basic Grey collections, Periphery. I hadn't done a layout with big clusters of layered flowers in a while, but it just seemed fitting for my little princess!
Go visit Scrapbook Challenges to see how the rest of the DT interpreted sketch 431! And please join us! You have until the end of March to play for a chance to win! See you there!
Have a great week!
Martine
Posted in
Basic Grey,
cats,
layouts,
Scrapbook Challenges,
sketches
