Project Baby (Project Life) FREE printables

I've been working pretty hard on Charlotte's baby book and have made some project life inspired printables for the cause. I'm happy with the way they turned out so I figured I'd offer them to everyone. :) Take a look!

For the first batch I decided to go with a gender neutral color so anyone could use them. The second batch is for the girlies out there. There are two 3x4 cards and two 4x6 cards in the first set. The second set has four 3x4 cards The download links are below. Just save, print, and enjoy! :)
- Expecting - Project Baby - 3X4 CARDS
- Expecting - Project Baby - 4X6 CARDS
- It's A Girl - Project Baby - 3x4 CARDS

Happy Scrapping!
 

The Two of Us, You And Me - LAYOUT

I had so much fun putting this together. The photo in this layout is of the hubby and I. Part of the title is printed right on the photo was the other part of the title is made up of Thickers. The journaling is about how we are basically made for each other. I used a ton of papers from my scrap pile. The entire thing is a big jumble of different manufactorers. I actually did some stamping! I don't stamp often but I think this will be the layout that makes me fall in love with it. I really like the 'graphical' effect it gives.

Pretty layers! Building layers is my absolute favorite part of scrapbooking. Notice the journaling on the vellum as well. I've become a little obsessed with it. It adds such a nice place for journaling on any layout.

I painted one of the wood veneer shapes in black, and although I was a little nervous in doing so -  I'm pretty pleased at the way it came out.

SUPPLIES USED: All-A-Bloom 12X12 Happy Go Lucky Paper (My Little Shoebox), Celery Stalks 12X12 Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup (Jillibean Soup), Lime Stripe 12X12 Sweet Summer Time (Little Yellow Bicycle), Bunny Tail Trail 12X12 Woodland Park Paper (October Afternoon), Little Bo Peep 6X13 Border Stickers (Crate Paper), Little Bo Peep Stand Outs (Crate Paper), Target Washi Tape, American Craft Thickers, Freckled Fawn Speech Bubble Wood Chips, Woodland Park Chip N Stick 8X12 (October Afternoon), Pink Smashbook Paper, Love Always Wins Stamps by Ali Edwards, My Minds Eye Enamel Dots, EK Success Binding Edge Punch, Heyday Ephemera Pack Embellishments, Happy Go Lucky Cardstock Stickers

Thank you for stopping by!

January's Guest Blogger - Tina Walker

 Hi! My name is Tina Walker and I am completely obsessed with this art, just like you. :) I would like to thank Christina for allowing me to share a peek into my creative process and for asking me to be a Guest Blogger. I am so blessed and honored to be here.

 I am a working mom, working outside the home. My children are grown, so much of my crafty inspiration comes from my two French bulldogs, Moose & Flikka. They are getting quite the reputation in the scrapbook world. :) I live in snowy (and sometimes sunny) Salt Lake City, Utah, but am a Mid West girl by heart. I created by first scrapbook over 15 years ago, but my latest obsession with scrapbooking started about 3 years ago and I haven't stopped since.

 I often get asked what my scrapbook style is. I would define it as a 'scrapbook chameleon'. I like to try new techniques and styles, so I often mix it up. Scrapbooking also allows me to share my other obsession, photography. They go hand in hand with each other. My phone, (with camera) are always with me and I take a picture almost every day. 

The layout I created for you today shares many of my favorite crafty techniques and styles.

I love to layer! I say you can never layout too much! I love to add little bits and pieces, and little snippets and scraps to my layouts. I love how little pops of color, pattern, and dimension peek out from behind your photos and embellishments. The smallest of strips and embellishments can create visual interest and texture to any project.

Can I let you in on another secret of mine? I rarely use a paper trimmer and usually just ‘wing it’ when adhering/placing my photos, papers, and embellishments to my page. I love the random, not ‘over thought’ look, and the great angles this creates.

 Are you in love with all of the fantastic shapes that are SO trendy in paper crafting today? I am too! For my layout, I cut several sized Chevron pieces {with my Cameo (love this machine)} and stitched them in place. I just love the movement it creates to the page.

And who says your layouts need a large title? Not me….I love to use ‘ready-made’ titles that are incorporated into pre-made embellishments and paper! Why re-create what is fabulous already? For my layout, I loved the little die cut title ‘I Love Us’ – so I am using this as the title of my page! Perfect and easy!

I would like to thank Christina again for this great opportunity! Next time you are afraid of trying a new technique or design, just GO WITH IT! You might fall in love!

http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com/

My Crafty Corner

I don't have a craft room. Instead, I have a very small crafty area in the corner of our bedroom. It may be small but I love it! It's my happy place. I've bounced back and forth with the idea of sharing it with you all because, although I love it dearly, it's not as fancy as most craft/scrap areas. Today, I finally made up my mind to share it!

Where do I start? Hmm. On the very top of the white cubby shelf  I have two of my 12x12 scrapbook albums. On the shelf beneath that I have a pink basket full of ribbons, inks, tools, and other misc. items. In front are two adorable "Charming Tails" figurines. On the shelf beneath that I have a teal basket full of all my scraps, my Instax camera, and a picture of my daughter. The third shelf has another framed picture of my daughter from when she was just a wee little baby. The cabinet part of the shelf is storage for my husband's art supplies.

On my desk I have a paper rack which holds the little bit of pattern paper I have, cardstock, and a plastic container that holds all my stickers, thickers, etc. There is a tool caddy that (obviously) holds all my tools. The two plastic bins and the little ceramic bowl hold punches, washi tape, and embellishments.

See the pretty picture hanging on the wall above my desk? My hubby painted it. ;)
There is also a pretty Marilyn Monroe poster, and a rack have that holds some of my 8.5x11 layouts for inspiration. There is a pretty picture I found on the internet, printed out, and framed. Beside that is a cluster of photos of my daughter. On the window is another pretty printable I found on the internet (trendy Wonder Woman, yay!), a cute little ceramic cupcake, a card I made, and a few of my wooden stamps.

Like I said - it's nothing fancy but it works for me, and it makes me happy.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my craft area! :)

Sketch Saturday #6

Another sketch for your scrapping pleasure! Happy weekend everyone. We'll be spending ours playing in the snow. ;)

Favorite Finds Friday

Happy Friday! Ready to see what pretty picks I have for you?

1. This gorgeous art print by Ariana Perez. I seriously want this framed and hanging in my crafty space. ♥
2. This wonderful DIY pull toy by Merete over at One More Mushroom. She provides a tutorial. I want to make one for Charlotte.
3. This layout by Jana Eubank for My Minds Eye. She created a confetti border with MME's enamel dots, and I just love it!
4. This gorgeous hoop art.
5. This lovely layout by Rahel Manig. I love the way she did her journaling strips into little banners. They are so tiny and cute.

I also have a few 'off the record' sort of favorites this week! The first of the two being Elizabeth
Kartchner's newest blog - "Paper Party". She and other scrapbook designers will be showing off projects, providing tutorials, and chit chatting about all the pretty papers!

She will be throwing challenges every week. In her own words... "Every Wednesday, beginning February, Lizzy or another party animal will post a challenge or a catalyst for a project. You will have the week to work on something and post your project to your blog or facebook. Then link here at Paper Party to your project. We call this our “Linky Party.”  We then can be inspired by everyone’s projects and ideas. A big, fat scrap party."

Doesn't it sound like so much fun? I am very excited about it. The blog already has plenty of pretty content on it so be sure to take a look!

The second favorite find of the week is a TV show. Downton Abbey to be precise. I know the show isn't exactly "new" but it's new to me. I noticed a lot of threads about it over at 2Peas and decided to give it a try. I am hooked! I'm currently a few episodes into Season 2.

It captivated me from the start with it's ongoing story line that pulls you in, and the characters that you come to love (or hate) so dearly. The early 1900s was a beautiful time - especially compared to the gauche 21st century we live in today. I love being able to take a glimpse into the past.
 

"Winter Wonderland" Layout - CMS Challenge #27

I woke up to a (very thin) blanket of snow today.
That's always a nice surprise!  It almost seems fitting since my layout today is about winter

This is the layout I've done for challenge #27 over at Color Me Scrappy. The photos in this layout are from our trip to Busch Garden's Christmas Town in 2011.

 

These are the colors that were issued to us along with the challenge to use a "white background". I was excited about this challenge becuase I knew I had the perfect paper collection for it; Echo Park's Winter Wishes collection.

My absolute favorite bit about this layout is the little vellum pocket. It was so easy to make and it adds such great texture to the page! It's also a nice place to hide journaling.

PRODUCTS USED: Winter Wishes 12X12 Collection Kits, Freckled Fawn Speech Bubble Wood Chips, Freckled Fawn Arrow Wood Chips, My Minds Eye Enamel Dots, Sasparilla 12X12 Alpha Stickers, Martha Stewart Scallop Dot Punch

 If you play along with this challenge (or any of the challenges) this month - you could win a $15 gift certificate to Peace, Love, Scrapbooking!

 So come play along!

Color Me Scrappy is also on the lookout for new Design Team members! Interested in a design team member position? Apply here!

A Very *PRETTY* Announcement!

 I am so pleased, honored, and excited to finally announce...I've been chosen to join the Pretty Little Studio design team! After seeing their adorable vintage/whimsical designs - I knew I had to give it a shot. I never thought in a million years that I would actually make it onto the team. Their product is the thing dreams are made of. Be sure to check them out! You won't regret it.

Keeping it Simple - "Welcome Baby" Layout

I've done a few pages of Charlotte's baby pictures but I've never be satisfied with them enough to put them in her baby scrapbook. I guess I just find the memories to precious, and feel the layouts never do the pictures justice. Over the course of this past week - I've finally figured out how I want to do her baby book. I just want to keep it simple. I want the pictures to be the star of the show so I plan to do a mixture of 8.5x11 layouts, project life-esque pages, and incorporate a lot of memory keeping! I'm excited and determined to get it done.

I do plan on sharing the finished product with all of you but I figured a little sneak peek would be nice. This will be the very first page you'll see when you open up the book. It's going to act as an introductory page of sorts. 
Products Used: Jillibean Soup's "Chicken Dumpling" collection, Crate Paper's Little Bo Peep border stickers, and Crate Paper's Little Bow Peep Stand Outs.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Sketch Satuday #5

Running a little late in the day with this post, but here it is nonetheless....Sketch #5!
Have fun with it! ;)

Favorite Finds Friday - CHA edition!

CHA is over, and the excitement is coming to a close. My wishlist for this winter is huge! There are a ton of products that caught my eye and I really enjoyed checking out the gorgeous booths (virtually, of course). I thought it would be fun for this "Favorite Finds Friday" to do a CHA feature.

1 & 8 - Would you just look at those adorable black rimmed glasses and that "Smile Daily" sign? Heidi Sonboul is a genius! It's a part of her beautiful booth at CHA! And to go along with her booth is her very fun, very unique collection - Special Delivery. I just love the modern designs it has to offer! Photo credit goes to Heidi Sonboul.
2 - A wall full of pretty inspiration from the Basic Grey design team. Photo credit goes to Shimelle Laine.
3 - I am so excited about Amy Tangerine's Embroidery Kits! Photo credit goes to Shimelle Laine.
4 - This washi tape wrapped bike at the My Minds Eye booth is to stinkin' cute!
5 & 6 -  American Craft's Dear Lizzy booth and Lucky Charm collection. Elizabeth Kartchner wins me over every year, with her collections, and her booth is always full of whimsy! Picture credit goes to May Flaum.
9 - The Albums Made Easy 3x4” Card Punch by We R Memory Keepers. While some may say that they don't want to waste the money on this punch (because the same can be done with a paper trimmer, and a corner rounder), I am pretty excited about it. I feel like it would make the whole scrapbooking process a lot faster.
10 - Webster's Pages had this ggorgeous display in their booth. Photo Credit goes to Vicki Boutin.
11 - I love these trinkets from the new Crate Paper line by Maggie Holmes. Photo Credit goes to Paper Issues.
12 & 7 - Saving the best for last, I am most excited about Bella Blvd this year! First of all - just look at that gorgeous bridal gown made out of paper. Next - their new wedding collection is so perfect! I haven't scrapped my wedding photos because all of the wedding themed collections seem to be so 'old' and 'vintagey' looking. Not this collection! It's very whimsical and right up my alley.

I hope you enjoyed this Friday's finds and have a happy weekend!
I apologize in advance if none of it make any sense. My two year old has insisted on staying up until 12:00 at midnight and waking up at 5:30 in the morning...for the past week! I'm completely drained.
 

The winner is....!

The winner of the delicious blog candy that was up for grabs is...ANGELA L.!
Congratulations! Please email me your address so I can go ahead and send you these goodies. You can contact me at c.inezcollins(at)gmail.com.

Once again, thank you to all of my followers (new and old).
You guys put a smile on my face everyday!

"Hello" card // Cardmaking

I've been trying so hard to get into card making. I enjoy it, I really do. I just feel like my cards are...well...not that great. Layouts usually come easy to me because I have such a big canvas to work with. Cards, however, just don't offer enough room for all that I want to cram on there. I guess another problem is I don't exactly have very many 'card making' supplies. The majority of my papers and embellishments are more made for layouts. However, practice makes perfect, right?

The base of this card is a craft card stock, though you can't see it because it's been covered with lovely layers. The layers consist of papers from several different companies/lines - Crate Paper's Fourteen collection, Echo Park's Sweet Day collection, My Little Shoeboxes' Happy Go Lucky collection, Studio Calico's Heyday collection, and a page from my pink Smash Book by K&Company. The scalloped edge at the top is from Crate Paper's Little Bo Peep collection.

The chipboard flower is from October Afternoon's Woodland Park collection, and the wood veneer "Hello" shape is from Freckled Fawn. The enamel dots are from My Minds Eye.

And don't forget you still have one day left to enter in the giveaway I'm holding! Check the details out here!
Thanks for taking a peek!

Sketch Saturday #4

Here is sketch #4! Feel free to use it. I'd love to see what you create! Also, don't forget about the giveaway I'm having right here. ;)

Favorite Finds Friday

I don't know about you guys, but I am ready for the weekend! Especially with all the CHA events that are going on. ;)
Here are my favorite finds of the week.

1. I found these little gems on pinterest (via The Living Gazette). Plastic little dinosaurs (and other animals) that can be found in most stores, spray painted gold. They are so trendy - and affordable!
2. Design Sponge did a post featuring pictures of a couple's home decor. I fell in love with their refrigerator! It's officially my new goal to cover my own refrigerator with lovely photos to be displayed. I love the coral color too!
3. Confetti filled balloons. How adorable are they? Such a brilliant idea!
4. I love the idea of Project 12 and I will be participating this year. It's just like Project Life but instead of doing it weekly - the project is done monthly. That fits my lifestyle much better! The beautiful Project 12 featured on this week's finds is by Angie Gutshall.
5. I'm speechless over how adorable this little Disney "Stache" jar by Jessica Joy is!

Thanks for taking a peek at this week's favorite finds!
Happy CHA weekend!
...And don't forget about my giveaway HERE!

Christmas 2011 Layout - CMS Challenge #25

It's that time again! Color Me Scrappy has another challenge up.

Isn't this color combo fun? A great oppurtunity to get those holiday pictures scrapped! There is also a twist to this challenge.... It's an inspiration word! The word is LINK.
USE 'LINK' IN YOUR TITLE OR JOURNALING.

...And this is the layout I created! It was inspired by Tina Walker's gorgeous work. The pictures are from Christmas 2011. The base is kraft cardstock. The green cardstock is Bazzil Swiss Dot. The green chevron paper, presents sticker, and 'deck the halls sticker' are all from Echo Park's Very Merry collection. The red polkadot paper is from Creative Imaginations' Nautical collection. The striped teal paper and the colorful washi tape are products of K&Company's Smash Book line. The tealish green border is from Crate Paper's Little Bo Peep collection. The woodgrain washi tape is from Freckled Fawn and the twine I used is from Doodlebug. The little scalloped border at the bottom is from October Afternoon's Woodland Park collection. For the journaling - I simply typed it up and backed it with some wax paper.

That adorable little reindeer is also from Echo Park's Very Merry collection. If you look closely - you'll also see a few hidden stars from the sticker sheet as well. The "this" arrow is from Freckled Fawn.

The dark woodgrain letters are from October Afternoon's Sasparilla collection. There are also a few enamel dots scattered throughout the page.

This month's sponsor is Peace, Love, and Scrapbooking! If you play along with us this challenge - you will be entered in the drawing to win a $15 gift certificate from them! 

...So won't you join us? :)