Friends.

I recently got the August Clique Kit - Rio - and finally had a chance to play with it. I think the photos on the CK website were a little deceiving. It seemed like a fun, colorful summer kit.

If you're not familiar with the Millie & June line from Fancy Pants, which I wasn't, it's totally girl themed. I mean BFF/grandmother/#1 mother/etc. Which is NOT what I'm into. So this kit is a bit of a challenge for me, which is fine, I'm going to use it up and prove that it CAN be versatile.

First up, this 12x12 page made with the August 15 Stuck?! Sketches sketch.

Thanks for looking!

summer 2015

Last summer I was single and spent a lot of time at Lake Wawasee with friends. I had many different photos that I wanted to use to document the summer, but none were necessarily worthy of their own layouts. Also, I have the May, June, July, and August Elle's Studio monthly kits which are summer themed so I mainly used those kits to create a pocket page.

I actually didn't do any stamping on this spread but I added some embellishments from Color Cast Designs wood hexagons and Fancy Pants flair.

My inspiration is from the Paper Issues August Take 5 challenge. I used: green, orange, turquoise, silver, and diagonal design (I choose a couple of 3x4 cards with diagonal stripes).

Stitch Fix #12.

I received my 12th Stitch Fix this week. I was more specific with this box than I've ever been. Normally I just ask for casual tops or dresses or maybe a pair of jeans or pants. Once I asked for a dress to wear to a wedding.

For this fix, I asked for colored pants, something green and/or yellow to wear to Packers training camp, and something or date night. This was my first Fix where I've kept ALL five items!

Market & Spruce Careen v-neck dolman knit top medium $48

Level 99 Shauna skinny jean - teal green - 8 $108

 I love the color of these skinny jeans. I think they're a great color for fall. They're super soft and fit great. My only complaint is they are a little long. I have a top very similar to this I received in a Fix last fall, but I like it a lot and I knew I'll wear this one a lot too.

Level 99 Lilah colored skinny jean - burnt orange - 8 $109

Market & Spruce Tulen pleated back knit top medium $58

These pants are another perfect color for fall and they were a little shorter than the teal green pair, so just perfect. This top will be great for training camp. Don't love the deep side split but I will wear a cami underneath. 

Eden Society Armen lace detail blouse - mustard - medium $54

I love this for training camp too, but this is just a great top. The mustard yellow is great for summer and fall and it's bra friendly, which I love. The lace detail is adorable and the length is spot on.

How it works: You pay a $20 styling fee, fill out a fashion survey, and they send you five items. You can keep all or none of the items. If you keep all five you get a 25% discount. The $20 styling fee goes toward your final bill. Thinking about trying it? Use my referral link.

this week's smiles...

I'm linking up with Annie to share this week's smiles...

I got my new 4Runner! Finally. I will share more details later.

graduated.

I'm playing along with Stuck?! Sketches, sharing this page. My mom rescued Griffey last December and immediately got him into obedience class. He desperately needed it and this was on the day of his graduation. Check out his down / stay!

supplies
patterned paper: Studio Calico; Bella Blvd
stickers: Chickaniddy Crafts; Studio Calico
die cut cut outs: Elle's Studio (Good Times);
clip: Maya Road (Man's Best Friend)
stamps: Studio Calico; Paper Smooches;
ink: Memento (tuxedo black)
alphabet stickers: SN@P! Color Vibe (lights);
acetate stars: Freckled Fawn

yes to...

I had time tonight to get one last page done for July and I'm playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

A few months ago a large group from work went to Dave and Buster's for dinner, drinks, and games. If you've never been, it's like a grown up Chuck E Cheese. So much fun!

The paper for my background came in the May Clique kit and I knew these photos were perfect for it. I tried to draw out the navy and use a lot of navy accents. I had the star stickers in my stash from years ago and thought they fit well with my theme.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Basic Grey (Urban Luxe); Elle's Studio (Sunny Days)
stickers: Freckled Fawn
cards, labels, die cuts: Elle's Studio
washi: Studio Calico
stamps: Studio Calico; Elle's Studio
ink: Versafine (onyx black)

Gladys Porter Zoo.

When we were in Texas in May, we made a trip to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. We were there for most of the day, it was sunny and almost hot, which makes the most perfect day for me. I love going to zoos. I love seeing all the animals.

When the Bella Blvd Zoo Crew collection came out, I knew I was getting some of the animal print patterned papers, even if I didn't use them for zoo themed pages. Fortunately for me though, I usually visit at least one zoo a year.

I got the embellishment package with the collection, but I typically don't use cartoonsy/baby/cutesy stuff like these animals. I wanted the word/date/labels but not so much the animals, but since I had the whole package I decided to incorporate the ones that were significant to our trip. We watched the giraffes and the alligators and crocodiles for quite some time and we drank amazing lemon shake ups.

If you ever get a chance to visit the GPZ, it is one of my favorites. They have a gorilla exhibit as soon as you walk in the gate and there were no wires or cages between you and the exhibit so you could see them very clearly. You could reach out and touch the flamingoes. I am terrified of birds, but even the bird exhibit was amazing. I love the patterns on the  zebras and I am amazed by the giraffes. I could go on and on, but here is my page. Everything is from the Zoo Crew collection (except one red label, which is Elle's Studio), which made putting together this page a breeze!

I have tons of vacation photos waiting to be scrapbooked but this one is perfect for The Paper Girls challenge this week!  Thanks for looking!

largest sandcastle.

Starting on my Texas vacation photos from May! We briefly visited the largest outdoor free-standing sandcastle in the US while we were in South Padre Island. It was pretty cool!

Playing along with a Let's Get Sketchy July sketch...

I'm still working my way through my Elle's Studio Sunny Days collection - and I'm loving it - but I added in some My Mind's Eye and Fancy Pants. I bought that Texas stamp set just for this vacation! :) 

supplies
patterned paper, die cut tags, stickers: My Mind's Eye (By the Sea)
acetate ephemera: Pink Paislee (Atlas)
stamps: Kelly Purkey (Texas); Technique Tuesday (Going Places);
ink: Versafine (onyx black)
patterned paper (stripes): Elle's Studio (Sunny Days)
wood pieces: Color Cast Designs
tags: Fancy Pants (Making Waves)

top 9 in 2015.

Sharing a layout I made using the Sunny Days collection from Elle's Studio + sketch 207 from Sketches in Thyme.

At the end of last year, Instagram had a feature where they would put together your top most liked photos of the year. I took a screen shot of the collage they provided me and finally got around to getting it scrapped :)

Stitch Fix #11.

I know, another Fix again so soon?! But it's my birthday month and I told my stylist (Britt) to surprise me! I know she looked at my Pinterest board and got some ideas from there and I loved all of the tops she chose.

41 Hawthorn Moni geo print & camisole blouse size medium $58

I actually have this top pinned and I have recently found it available on eBay for much cheaper, but I am going to go ahead and keep it. I like the color and the pattern and I love the embellishing.

 Pistola Caterina frayed hem ankle zip skinny jean size 29 $88

 

Loved the color of these jeans and the style but the legs were too tight. They fit like leggings but since they're jean material it made them uncomfortable.

 Papermoon Mula knit tank size small $38

I love stripes and I'm keeping this.

Le Lis Lavania lace knit top size small $48

I love little details like the lace in this shirt. It's a small and it's a little big for me but it's a cotton blend so I'm going to keep it and try to shrink it a tiny bit.

DV8 Dena strappy sandal size 9 $65

I've never gotten shoes in a Fix before and these were way overpriced for me to keep. They also felt a little big, but they were comfortable.

Thinking about trying it? Use my referral link.

Stitch Fix #10.

I recently received my summer fix box and was a little nervous about a few of the pieces because they didn't seem like ME. Turns out, that's a good thing.

Papermoon Bennette multi strap blouse size small $44

After my last Fix where everything was too big, I asked her to send me small tops. This fit pretty perfectly - it's a little droopy under the armpits it wasn't too bad and I loved the fit of this so I kept it.

Skies are Blue Lumely embroidered top size small $48

I just didn't love this one enough to justify the cost of keeping it. The colors, the cut, it was all just ehh.

Collective Concepts Katelynn dress size medium $78

I loved this dress. The style, the colors. It's bra friendly. It could be dressed up or dressed down. Unfortunately I hate the way my legs look when I wear dresses that hit at the knee. Also it was a little droopy under the armpits. I really needed it in a size small, but instead of hassling with the return/exchange, I sold it to a girl from the B/S/T board.

Market & Spruce Nic Knit dress size medium $64

I could have liked this but I'm fat right now because when you're working 50+ hours a week, you don't have time to work out I didn't feel like the strips did my hips any favors. Plus, it's too long.

Collective Concepts Neely dress size medium $78

I am probably going to regret sending this back. This is one I thought I would hate when I saw it in the box, but I actually quite liked it. Problem is that I don't have shoes to wear with it and for the price, I couldn't justify keeping it. I also probably needed a size small But this just goes to show how great SF is because it pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you try things you normally woudn't!

Wanna try it? Use my referral link.

July Stick It Down sketches reveal!

We revealed the Stick It Down July sketches a few days early since we took  a break in June. I hope you'll play along!

meeting September.

Sharing a layout today using my new Elle's Studio Sunny Days collection. I am loving everything I bought from this collection and this page isn't even a summer/sunny day themed page.

In December 2014, we picked up our next foster dog, "September." My boyfriend snapped this photo of me bathing her. She smelled so bad we had to stop on the way home at a local dog grooming facility and give her a bath. She was a hot mess. Anyway, fast forward a few months and we named her Bella and adopted her ourselves. When the Timehop app brought this photo back up this past December, it brought back memories, and I shared it on my Facebook page. I wanted to use the photo from 2014 and my post from 2015 in a scrapbook page.

I usually hand write my journaling but I had a lot to say so I knew I was going to have to print it. When I print my journaling, I print on a scrap piece of paper first so I can get the sizing and spacing right. Then I will tape the paper I want to print onto directly over the text on my scrap paper and re-print.

Pretty much everything I used here is from the Sunny Days collection. I shared my haul in THIS video.
 
 supplies 
patterned paper, die cut pieces: Elle's Studio (Sunny Days) 
stamp: Paper Smooches (Lucky Dog);
alphabet stickers: Sassafras; Studio Calico;
ink: Versafine (onyx black); Versacolor (turquoise);
washi tape: Glitz Design;

laugh.

Still working on using my May Clique Kit! This yellow patterned paper from Fancy Pants' Attwell collection was great for documenting our trip to a Pacer game earlier this year. Everything is from the kit with the addition of some stamps and some die cut pieces from Elle's Studio.

supplies
May Clique kit 
die cuts: Elle's Studio (Sunny Days and June kit)
stamps: Elle's Studio; Simon Says Stamp! (Life's Journey); Studio Calico;

Paper Wings Productions: where flowers bloom...

Hey guys! I'm sharing a fun spring card today over on the Paper Wings Productions blog. I haven't played with my distress inks in a while so I got those out today. I used the Mini Flowers rubber stamp set to make my background. I stamped the flowers with Versamark and heat embossed them. Then I used four different distress inks to color my background and make my heat embossed flowers stand out.

Next I stamped the sentiment from Flower red rubber stamp set and heat embossed it with fine gold embossing powder. I wanted 'hope' to stand out more than the rest of the sentiment, so I used some washi and masked off the 'hope' first. Next I masked off the other words and stamped 'hope.' I used a sparkly gold embossing powder on 'hope.'

So my finished card...

Thanks for stopping by!

supplies
ink: Tim Holtz distress ink (scattered straw; mustard seed; dried marigold; picked raspberry)
embossing powder: Simon Says Stamp (ultra fine gold); Sparkle N Sprinkle (EP 434 Cappuccino Star)