Happiness!

I decided to join in the Berry71Bleu sketch and mixed media challenge this month so used their gorgeous sketch and added some stamping, masking and misting! I love this sweet photo of my daughter Aisling, I just wish she would look at the camera more often, so many photos I have of her have her looking in the distance!

I decided to use my Martha Stewart Texture Effect and my new Prima brick wall mask...I just love the look it has with the mist and the texture! I added some Maya Road birdcages, some Kaisercraft die cuts and some gorgeous Tresors de Luxe lace and flowers to finish it off.

Thanks so much for looking!!

First Communion Preparations

I am so excited to say this layout is being
published in a print magazine, my first ever!! 

I did this layout for the Once Upon a Sketch May Challenge to use their sketch and a number somewhere in the layout. Here is their gorgeous sketch:

I covered my bases pretty well using numbers with a "1" sticker, the title First Communion Preparations and with the date! My journaling is hidden on the back side, where I say: "This is my favorite photo of you on your Communion Day. You look beautiful and I can see a rare smile from you in the mirror's reflection". I am so proud of you my baby girl!"

I used my Scraps of Elegance kit Prima Fairy Rhyme paper and just love the May Arts ribbon and gorgeous die cut doilies from Gina's Designs that are in the kit. I used a stencil and modeling paste, lots of Prima flowers and a trinket.

Don't you just love the Molossi chipboard dress form? So big and beautiful! I applied gesso to it then cream colored acrylic paint. I stamped a script stamp on the dress form in Victorian Velvet and Broken China Distress Inks.

I'd also love to enter this in the Zeus and Zoe challenge and the Berry71Bleu challenge.

Thanks so much for taking the time to look!

Not Just a Hobby It's a PASSION!

 I decided to document my crafting space and my scrapping hobby for this one!

Part of my journaling is a bucket list of things I would love to accomplish in scrapbooking. I am happy to say the few modest ones I wrote in January I have already reached, I am so excited!! Time to dream a little more and see where my hobby and passion will take me :) I'd love to enter this in the Another Freakin Scrap Challenge Bucket List Challenge!

I would also love to enter this into the New Beginnings challenge at Zeus and Zoe. I have recently made my first manufacturer's design team and this year feel like I have a new beginning, new chapter in my scrapbooking life. I truly love doing it, so it is an honor to be chosen to work with a company that likes my work well enough to represent them. It is humbling and very exciting. I feel blessed. The other requirement they had for the challenge was the use of a stencil. I used my Prima flourish stencil and modeling paste, which I further inked and highlighted again with gesso. I have also used distress crackle paint on the chippie and would love to enter this in the Berry71Bleu You Color My World Challenge as well.

I also like to make a few cards with the leftovers from a layout, so I did this card for a little boy's first birthday. I was trying to figure out what to add to it, and a rosette always works better for a boy's card. I remembered there was a rosette challenge over at Quick Quotes, ending very soon, good thing I worked on this card tonight!!

I Love You

So excited to say this layout was featured at Sketchabilities!!

In our January Scraps of Elegance kit we received the 13 arts collection called Frosted Life. These papers have amazing textures and colors and I really enjoyed working with them. I decided to do this layout for the 13 arts love challenge and the Berry Bleu White Space challenge. I have also used a Sketchabilities sketch.

In the tags behind the photo I journal about my passion for my family and the place we are raising them here in Ireland. I feel lucky to be here and to have such a supportive husband and great (though trying!!) kids!! (Do they ever stop bickering, I hear not!!) I am doing this for Another Freaking Scrap Challenge!!

Believe

I'm excited to say this was featured at Berry71Bleu website for the January challenge!

This layout is a very personal one for me...It is about my struggles with my weight and my self confidence and choosing this year to finally break free from the negative images I have of myself and my abilities and soar. The photo behind the birdcage is one my daughter took of me just before I started to work on this layout, and the photo above is a photo of me at a healthier weight and much more content...I can get there again!  I found papercrafting in 2011 and started really focusing on layouts instead of cards this past summer in 2012. I feel I have improved since my start, but am always doubting myself. This year I choose to ignore those feelings of self doubt and continue to follow my heart and find my own style by exploring!

I have done well this first month with my weight loss, but I could still make better choices. I believe I will succeed, but I have to continue to believe in myself. It isn't easy, but in 2013 I am ready to believe in myself!

Here is the gorgeous sketch from Nadia that I used:

I rotated once to the right...

I have used some gorgeous Ruby Rock It Mother Nature papers, lots of fun metal and other embellies from my stash, fussy cut elements, and lovely chipboard lettering... Thanks so much for taking the time to stop and look!

I am entering this into the Once Upon a Sketch challenge, the Berry71Bleu all about me challenge, and the Zeus and Zoe one word challenge.