Imaginisce Blog Hop and Valentines Day

Today is Day One of the Imaginisce and Scrapbook Adhesives Blog Hop.

Here is layout I made with both:

All the information about this layout and several other fabulous DT projects is on the Imaginisce blog today and each day this week. Be sure to head over there for your chance to win a package of Imaginisce's Hippity Hop line and a Scrapbook Adhesives prize pack as well!

Now I know Valentine's Day is tomorrow so this may be a little last minute (what else is new lol!) but I thought I would share some of the ways we are celebrating and decorating on a budget.

I already had the indoor wreath in place, but I wanted to whip up one for the outside too. This wreath and foil garland are from the Dollar Tree. I added the tulle and called it a day:

So that basically cost me under $3. Next up was an indoor decoration.

The basket I had on hand (but you can get baskets at the Dollar Tree too), the flowers and heart picks were from the Dollar Tree and I added tulle in the middle.

I didnt even attach anything. I tied the picks together with tulle, cut each bloom off the stem with wire cutters and placed them around the outside of the basket, cut a long piece of tool and crunched it up and stuck in the middle. So this one probably cost me about $5. But what would Valentine's Day be without gifts?

Each kid gets a bucket filled with little goodies. I am not big on doing lots of candy so they get 1 box of  candy hearts and one 1.45oz Hershey Kiss. They each got a fun pen, monogram stamp, pack of cards, erasers and pencils. Without the "big" presents both buckets including presents and wrapping probably cost me about $12. Her "big" present was an outfit for her dolls, his was a replica R2D2.

Her big present is wrapped in Dollar Tree tissue paper, tied with Dollar Tree ribbon and I adhered a paper heart doily on top with Therm O Web Large Zots. I tied the bucket with a big tulle bow.

A packet of  12 pencils from the Dollar Tree is split between both kids. Since I had to open the packaging to break it up, I tied each bundle with bakers twine from The Twinery.

Last, but not least, how about Valentine's for the kids classes? I did not come up with the idea for this one. I saw it HERE. She made mini cards and printed 9 on an 8.5x11 sheet. I made mine a little larger so 4 fit on the 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock.  I made my greeting a bit larger. The kids attached the Dollar Tree heart mazes with Therm O Web Medium Removable Adhesive Zots. On the back they wrote their friends names, signed their names and attached a little goody bag with heart shaped fruit snacks and a mini note pad.

So there you have it--our reasonably priced Valentine's Day ;) The truth is, I was never a big Valentine's day person, but making it special for the kids is fun. Hope your Valentine's is filled with love.

♥ Rebecca

Places for YOU to win :)

As it happens, I have a few things to share that also involve ways for someone other than me to win some scrapbook goodies. As far as I am concerned opportunities to win free stuff rule ;) First up?
How about a challenge over at Scrapbook Circle? Challenge #25 is all about POCKETS. Incorporate a pocket or pockets into a layout, load it up to the Scrapbook Circle Facebook page by 9:00pm PST on February 15th and you are in the running for a $15 Scrapbook Circle gift certificate! Here is the layout I made for the challenge:

I used 2 Chevron Pockets from Whisker Graphics that were included in the main kit Remember This and one pocket that was included in the Add On. Both the Add On and the Main Kit sold out this month--I told you they would! This layout included 3 pieces of advice to my monkeys. I simply hand-wrote each piece of advice on an Elle's Studio tag included in the kit and tucked them into the pockets. Here is the last piece:

All the details of the challenge are HERE.

And over at Imaginisce, this week was LOVE week. My LOVE Mini Album is HERE. I used the Sole Sisters line to cover the pages of my Maya Road album:

Looks like the LOVE week giveaway has already been drawn, but never fear, Imaginisce loves doing giveaways and we have a blog hop with Scrapbook Adhesives starting tomorrow. Comment each day for your chance to win!

And how about a little tip? I posted on the Therm O Web Blog my favorite way to attach epoxy brads. I cut the wings off (or sometimes just bend them back and forth until they fall off!) and then adhere them with Therm O Web Zots. This way you don't have to worry about poking through your paper, having them end up misaligned or having the backs catch on another layout in your album. I used that little tip here on another Scrapbook Circle Remember This layout:

Good luck with the challenge and giveaway! Hope you had a wonderful and happy weekend.

:) Rebecca

Best Kit EVER, Imaginisce Sketch and the Faux Hawk

Yipes, here we are in February. My grand plans of doing Valentine's Day up big so far is going to result in store bought Valentine's for the kids classes ;) My Little Guy turns 5 this month and again, anything that I was going to make is now going to be store bought. Sigh. Someday I will get it all together ;) Speaking of the little dude, I had to turn in his kindergarten registration information. I may or may not be handling that pretty well. Yup, you guessed it--not handling it at all. In news that was easier to handle, he finally sat for a real hair cut! We buzz it in the summer but in the winter I let it grow and he always refused to get a professional cut. So this was the crazy before:

and here is the super cute after:

Love this kid. On a completely different note, I am also in LOVE with February's Scrapbook Circle kit called Remember This. I have been madly creating with it trying to get lots done early in the month because most of the design team is just getting their kit. Why? Because it includes LOTS of new goodies including My Mind's Eye Be Amazing papers and buttons. Combined with October Afternoon, Elle's Studio, Crate Paper and the cutest chevron print ever from Echo Park's A Boy's Life and this kit is another MUST HAVE. I had to grab an Add On and I think they already sold out twice! Here is the first layout I made:

The alphas are from my stash, but everything else is from the kit and add on! I did a lot of stitching for the kit and in this layout I stitched three borders (around the My Mind's Eye blue patterned paper, around the Kraft paper and around the yellow diagonal striped Crate Paper.

 And the glitter paper is awesome! It is a little thicker than your average cardstock, but I will still able to punch out sunbursts and the glitter has stayed ON the paper and not everywhere else!

I have a feeling the kit (like the add on) will sell out so if you want one run over to Scrapbook Circle now! 

In other news, the Imaginisce monthly challenge was posted and it is a sketch created by the fabulously talented Diana Fisher. Take a look at this fun sketch:

And here is what I created based on the sketch:

I used the Sole Sisters line and lots of Imaginisce goodies like an i top brad and some layered flowers:

You can see all the details of the contest and the other designers takes on the sketch HERE.

Ok, the one Valentine's project I got done was a wreath, it is up on the Therm O Web blog HERE. I sprayed these Dollar Store flowers with the brand new Therm O Web Glitter Dust which will be available in Mid March--this stuff is awesome, stays put, has a clear adhesive so you only see a nice dusting of glitter:

Ok, so now that I am done with the longest blog post in history lol, thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

♥ Rebecca 

Having Fun

I've been busily finishing up and shipping off some projects for CHA. I so wish I could be there, but it wasn't in the cards this time. Oh, well, not like I don't have a million things to do right here ;) In the midst of assignments, I've tried to do some things just for fun. One was a take on this Jillibean Soup sketch:

I loved the sunburst images but decided to transform them into another circular image....doughnuts!

I had so much fun with this, from stitching the "doughnuts" to adding sprinkles to the "o" in the title:

I wish the actual doughnuts had come out as good! I had trouble keeping the oil hot enough to bubble without burning the outside and so the inside did NOT cook enough. I guess we'll just have to try again!

I also finally had a chance to play with Echo Park's A Boy's Life line. I really love a good Boy collection :)

This was one of those, "I love every paper in this collection, how can I use them all at once" moments.

Well, I am off to to dig into that fabulous February Scrapbook Circle Kit. SMILE. Hope your weekend is fabulous!

♥ Rebecca

Supplies Used:

Jillibean Soup papers, alphas, stickers, Echo Park Papers, stickers, alphas, American Crafts Alphas, Bazzill cardstock, Therm O Web Memory Tape Runner, Therm O Web Zots, Therm O Web 3D Zots.

MUST See

Oh my, you must see Scrapbook Circle's February Kit. It is called Remember This and this photo, while amazing, does not even do it justice...

I can not even wait to dig into this. Oh and Scrapbook Circle is offering an AMAZING add on this month...

I snapped one up today! There are limited quantities so run over and pick one up--you will ♥ it!

♥ Rebecca

Make it Sunday and a Giveaway at Elle's Studio

If you follow the Elle's Studio blog, you know they are doing a fun weekly feature called Make it Sunday where  previous design team members share projects made with current Elle's Studio products. The best part? Each week they give away the products that were used! And the really best part? This week, I got a chance to be featured!! I LOVED my time designing with Elle's Studio and still use their products all the time. I made this layout:

I used five different Elle's Studio tags or cards. I used a couple of Daily 3x4 Tags and an Only Stripe...

several Tidbits and a Pennant...

and a few Collected Journaling Tags:

As you can probably tell, I had so much fun working with the new Elle's Studio products! And the best part is they are giving away a pack of each of the tags and cards I used on this layout. So run over to the Elle's Studio Blog and comment there for a chance to win!

Good Luck!

♥ Rebecca

Introducing Imaginisce's Sole Sisters!

I am so very excited for the release week of Imaginisce's new line Sole Sisters especially because my first Imaginisce projects as a Design Team Member are on the blog today! (Still absolutely thrilled to even be uttering those words!!)  Anyways....I made a couple of layouts and a card using this adorable new line:

Isn't the mix of houndstooth and polka dots adorable?! The chipboard purse and other items are too cute! I added some i rock bling to go along with the polka dots...

More dots, purses and bling here too. I love that the i rock can heat set the bling to chipboard, paper and fabric flowers too...

I hand cut the big heart and tied twine around to attach the little purse...

For my card, I focused on the die cuts, again added i rock bling, twine and some Coredinations Tim Holtz Kraft Core...

Go on over to the Imaginisce blog today and all week to see all the Design Team projects and comment there for a chance to win this fabulous collection. Have a great week!
♥Rebecca