Splendid Fiins - One Little Word and February Layouts

I created these two layouts as a Creative Team member for Splendid Fiins.

1.  One Little Word {a digital scrapbook layout}.  This layout features the January Paper Pack from Splendid Fiins and features my one little word for 2013.

Supplies: Splendid Fiins (January Kit - Patterned Paper Pack, January Kit - Journaling and Filler Cards, Sew Crafty - Messy Stitches Vol. 1, (faux)laroids, Border Bits - Brilliant, Life in a Nutshell - Alphabet, Teen (Add-Ons)); iKari Designs (Candy Cover Ups Vol. 1); Simple Scrapper Premium Membership (Sketch).

2.  Love Looks Like This {a digital scrapbook layout}.  This layout features the February Card Kit from Splendid Fiins.   For this love themed layout, I used one of my favorite photos of me and Justin a few weeks before deployment.

Supplies:  Supplies: Splendid Fiins (February Card Kit, (faux)laroids).

If you haven't yet, please make sure to visit the Splendid Fiins Facebook Page and "like" them.  As always, thank you for stopping by!

Project Xyron: Altered Photo Frame

I'm so excited to share my first ever Xyron Design Team project.  Included in our design team welcome boxes (which were jam packed with Xyron and partner products by the way), were old projects from previous DT members.  Our task was to take inspiration from these old projects to create something "new" and "inspired."  

My "old" project was this altered mirror covered in beautiful blue, orange and pink papers.

Since we recently moved and Charlotte's temporary room was lacking some decor, I thought it was the perfect excuse to make her an altered photo frame.  Plus, with Justin now gone, I thought Charlotte could use some photos of her dad in the room.  I drew inspiration from the colors in the old altered mirror - the blues, oranges and pinks.  Momenta has a new paper collection called Chloe's Garden that fit the bill perfectly.  So this is what I made...

The retro tree with the circles is actually imagery that I wanted to mimic from Charlotte's new bedding.  The Xyron products are PERFECT for assembling die cut pieces like this, especially when you know they will be handled a lot.  And that cute little squirrel on the banner is from a Lawn Fawn set (Critters in the Burbs) and adhered using the Xyron 1.5" Sticker Maker then covered with glossy accents.

Here are some closeups of the banner and word sticker embellishments.

Make sure to head over to Xyron's blog to check out their blog post about this altered photo frame.  As always, thanks for stopping by! 

Xyron Design Team Member for 2012

I feel so amazingly lucky.  I started scrapbooking less than two years ago as a way to chronicle my newborn baby's photos and stories.  It quickly morphed into a refuge from the emotional challenges of being a working mom.  And now, it is a passion and form of creative expression I love and embrace fully into my life.  I am a scrapbooker (and gosh darnit, I'm proud of it).  

A large part of scrapbooking is very personal.  I do it to chronicle my family's stories.  I do it to create memories to share with our future grandchildren.  I do it because I love to play with pretty paper.  But now, I feel so amazingly lucky because I have this new and unique opportunity to share my scrapbooking with so many others.

I am pleased and beyond excited to announce that I am one of the six newest members of the Xyron Design Team!  

Xyron is a developer and manufacturer of amazingly innovative adhesive products and tools that can apply edge to edge adhesive on a variety of materials making all of your crafting projects an ease.  (And oh my goodness, their tools do so much more!!!)

Personally, I always reach for my Xyron tools when adhering ribbon or intricate die cuts.  It is also my go to tool for any project that will be handled a lot - there is nothing worse than spending hours on a project just to have the little embellishments fall off over time because of poor adhesive.  Xyron creates products and tools that I love and would recommend to anyone.  This makes it especially exciting that I get to work with them to make projects to share with all of you.  

Please make sure to check out the Xyron Facebook Page!

I feel so blessed with this new opportunity.  So to Xyron, thank you for taking a chance on me.  And to all of you readers out there, I hope I make you all proud.  

Thank you for the support.  It truly does mean the world to me.

The Take Twelve Team with Ella Publishing Company

I've been invited to the Take Twelve Team for Ella Publishing Co.'s new Take Twelve photography and scrapbooking challenge!  The team consists of twelve scrapbookers from around the world to help inspire and guide you through a year long challenge to take take 12 photos of your everyday life on the 12th of each month and create 12 awesome scrapbook pages that feature 12 photos each.  It's the perfect way to celebrate 2012!

I personally get so caught up in the big event layouts that I often forget to scrap the everyday and ordinary.  And as an amateur historian at heart, I know that these everyday moments make up the stories that truly reflect how we live.  So I am super excited to participate in such an amazing and inspiring challenge and hope that you'll want to play along too!  There are a ton of ways for you to participate!

• Get a free email reminder sent to you on the 11th of each month, so you'll never forget to take your photos.  Click here to sign up for the Take Twelve email list.
• Take 12 photos of your everyday life on or around the 12th of each month.  Need ideas for what things to photograph?  Get the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit!  (And as an added bonus, it's 12% off through January 12!)
• Turn those 12 photos into a scrapbook page, using your own supplies and ideas—or get help from the sketches, journaling lists, printable titles, and mini calendar accents in the Take Twelve kit.
• Visit the Ella blog on the 12th and the 19th of each month to see Take Twelve layouts from the Take Twelve Team (that includes me!!) and from other readers too.
• Enter your layout into our linky party on the 19th of each month for a chance to win great prizes from Ella's awesome sponsors.
• Feel proud of yourself for making a commitment to preserving precious memories this year.

I personally can't wait to participate in the Take Twelve Challenge and see what awesomeness 2012 has in store!