4 WD Beach Layout

Oh how I am loving the gold trend in scrappin....can't get enough of it! Make it into a piece of paper with DOTS, oh my.....so pretty! Had to use it to showcase one of my favorite days when we were in North Carolina....an awesome day on the Four Wheel Drive beach in OBX.

It was easy peasy to get a pass and was way worth it! Can you see the pass snuck under my photo of the truck? Talk about easy, packing all your gear and dog right in the truck and driving to your spot!

You can really see the gold shimmer up close! Love those flowers too! Make me happy! Those new wood pieces came in my latest Scraptastic kit and remind me of the spirograph! I have one, but I can never make them look THAT GOOD!

Hope your Hump Day is fantastic!

Hugs from NY!

Spring Break Album First Page

Sometimes a little scrappin goes a long way! Totally did not get much scrapbooking done last week at all due to daily craziness. BUT, I did get this previously made page completed with a few added photos.

Nothing HUGE, but hey...it's the very first page of my Spring Break week! Plus it's fun!

I made the base part of this page a bit ago using a file from THE CUTTING CAFE. My happy additions were a scan of a sticker from OBX, a photo of our camper right by the sea (which was literally RIGHT over the bank behind our little Vlite home away from home for the week, and my posse!

And, in other good news, the BIG NEW SILLY arrived today. It's set up and waiting for some serious cutting...can't wait for the weekend already! Poor me!

Hugs!

Casper Clay's Craft Desk

I was in SERIOUS withdrawal. Due to a really busy last week (work, eek!) I hadn't been down to stalk the second hand store. Goodness knows what treasures I might have missed. So I invented an excuse to run down on Saturday with a bag of extra clothes.

Double punch day meant that the store was mobbed. Sadly nothing really excited me until I rounded the corner and spotted this mostly perfect table for $25. 

Mostly perfect involves a bit of sanding...

Casper Clay once sat at this desk. He even made me a smiley! Kinda want to leave it but then I don't....I like sanding...oddly. 

Within five minutes of being washed off with hot soapy water, I had already started using the surface! As soon as it warms up a bit, I'll do some touch up work on the black paint (a little less distressing might be nice) and sand the top down. Can't wait! 

Happy Monday!

Baltimore Harbor: Pratt Street Pavilion Layout

When we were staying in DC, we were looking for something fun to do in the evening. Since it was really too cold for a campfire and the campground did not have wifi, we opted to go into Baltimore and hang out at the Inner Harbor.

It's really a cool place with a huge aquarium, lots of antique boats, and places to eat. I aways like the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company so it was a treat to eat there! Loved layering some flowers around a quick little cell phone photo I took of their logo on our table.

Lots of shopping at the Pratt Street Pavilion, which tickled my fancy hence the photo of it on the top of my layout.

The kids were excited to find this 10,000 lb granite ball that is balancing on a very thin layer of water and that can be turned by your hand. I guess they had heard of it so my science nerds were excited to see it in real life.

Fun times! Hope your Friday rolls you right into the weekend!

Feeling Crabby and Beach Beads: The Spoils of a Vacation

When we were in the Outerbanks, North Carolina, it seemed every other tourist place had hermit crabs. And as much as I wanted one right off, I knew we had to wait until we got home before setting up a habitat and purchasing some. 

Lucky for Lexi, Daddy bought a shovel for the 4WD beach and she was able to bring home a bag of beach pebbles for a tank. Note Luke above modelling said shovel. Also note that the boy who knew he was going to the beach did not pack shorts or his own flipflops, but I digress.....

The Pratt Hermit crabs now have a lovely tank with two different kinds of water, fresh fruit daily, and lots of attention. That is Alpaca that Lexi is holding. No our pets aren't spoiled...

I brought back a much sparklier treat for myself, some beads purchased at a bead shop. I had the whole crew with me so didn't stop to make them into earrings...had to put them together when I got home! Love those dragonfly ones so much!

Happy Thursday! Hope yours was awesome and you didn't feel a bit crabby! 

A Day in DC Layout: Air and Space Museum

We went back to DC and the Air and Space Museum on a recent trip South. The oldest asked nicely if we could fit it in and also go to an IMAX movie. What a great day!

What I find best for a day with multiple cool photos but a common theme is to make a Picasa photo collage. I pick out the best photos and let the program arrange them in a grid. I then take the ones I like the best and choose them for the larger spots.

Really dig that photo of my kids next to a large mural at the Air and Space Museum. They are both huge into space, so it made me happy.

We also went to a couple of other museums that day and the National Arboretum.

One of my favorite parts of this page is my flat gold sticker flower, paired up with some real ones, and then a leaf stencil! I felt all kinds of clever after I made it! Also LOVE that gold banner paperclip!

Those gold letters make me happy too!

Hope your Hump Day is amazing!

Hugs!

A Vintage Round Basket with Pawn Chess Feet & Branch Handle for THE CUTTING CAFE

Earlier today found me admist a wreckage of paper & near tears. THE MAN showed up in the middle of things to boast about the new tooth bar he got for the loader on his tractor. When I explained that my 5 year old Silhouette was near to getting thrown out the door, he uttered the most romantic thing ever...

Get yourself a new one!

I have been having endless trouble getting files to cut correctly for months and today had reinstalled the software & had still ruined about eight sheets of paper....not to mention A GUY at work has a new Cameo for cutting vinyl and if I hear one more time HOW AMAZING it is.......

Thankfully the base file for this basket DID cut correctly so I could make this lovely basket! Honestly though I was just testing the cut on the world's ugliest paper so I counted my blessings and SPRAY PAINTED the whole thing purple and gold. So then I had to have a bit of a mixed media play with some mists, gold paint, and glitter.

I used a scallop that I cut from my Big Shot (that is still working!) to use in place of the really cool file Regina provided for the baskets that makes paper look like it's woven. It's a really cool file and I'm looking forward to giving it a try with my new Silly! If you want to check it out, you can find it over at THE CUTTING CAFE!

And can you see the branch that I hot glued in as a handle? I added glittery green leaves along with a pretty little purple butterfly. The file is very customizable! 

My basket makes me so happy even if I was a BASKET CASE when my Silly was acting up! Counting down the days until my new one is here!

Happy Monday!

Roller Derby Layout with Close to My Heart Paper

This is the sister page to one I made during a lovely Crafternoon with the girls. It's pretty simple (for me) with minimal paint splatters and distressing. The paper does all the hard work, in my opinion!

I just wanted to use this photo of friends and I skating. What a nice time! I stole this off facebook fair and square too! It reminded me of junior high with the lights and the music!

Now my friend Kristy has a ton of photos she took. In fact, she took this one of me in the bathroom even...I am reaching for the paper towels which are at the right height if you are on skates...and my hair has this lovely red tint that has by now mellowed, but it was just several hours after having my hair done..so enjoy this gem of a photo!




I really like the white ribbon flower with velvet leaves! Cut those out on my big shot! Super pretty gold letters make me happy too!

Just a simple page on a Thursday!

Hugs!

Girls Day Out at the Corning Museum of Glass Studio

A while back THE MAN was away for the weekend and THE BOY was off at a friend's house. That meant us girls needed to come up with something fun!

I scheduled a hot glass class for Lexi and a friend of mine Kristy joined us with her daughter & another Mom & daughter. I'd been really wanting to check out the Corning Museum of Glass Studio for a long time, not to mention dinner in the cafeteria is generally pretty good.

The girls made adorable little glass snowman with the help of a trained gaffer & I got to make a scrapbook page. Well, two! One for Kristy as well.

Mine has Lexi in the center of course in that super sweet circle graphic. GUESS WHO MADE ME THAT!

Yes, that is my outdoor voice. Miss Regina over at THE CUTTING CAFE hooked me RIGHT UP. Hopefully she will put it out for sale if you want it!

Love that paper I used. It's extremely old Close to My Heart Paper and I had to stop HOARDING it and use some up!

Fits right in with the newest challenge over at Another Freakin Scrappy if you have some that you are hoarding too! Still half the month left!

Happy Tuesday!

Waves & Rays Layout from OBX

WOOF! WOOF! (that's hi in dog by the wayz). This here is Patti the Pratt dogz. Mum made this page about me! I told her I'd get on her bloggz and tell you peeps all about her page.

Hold tight and I'll get ya the whole thing.

This here is me looking at that huge scary thing that makes a lot of noise and is really wet. UGH. It's for sure overrated. Not to mention getting sand between my toes...

Mum wanted me to hang out there when she took me out for my morning pee. NOT GUNNA HAPPEN BY A LONG SHOT. I'm more of a chase chipmunks in the woods kinda pup.

She did make a pretty page though...check out those fake flowers. Can sniff them and won't get stung by a bee on your nose...

And that paper is super cute! Notice that orange matches my fur coat!

Oh and by the way, I saw the cutest Rottweiler dog at the Campground! Grrrrrrr!

Alright, Mum says wrap er up!

Sparkly Caged Bird Sing for the LESSology Typeface Challenge

I love birdcages! I spotted this one on a scratch and dent shelf with some Christmas stuff and walked out of the store with this sparkly one for $2 dollars! It's been on my mind to alter, but I felt horrible "caging" up my little salt and pepper shaker ceramic birds. I was also trying to come up with a good way to use a real nest in my cage. 

Finally came up with the idea one bird could perch on the top and the other could hang out on the nest. I wanted to imply freedom and had the thought of using the words "Caged Bird Sing" from a Maya Angelou poem. 

Those pretty sparkly words fit in with the Type Face Challenge we are having over at LESSology. 

Getting them to "stick" to a sparkly bird cage was a bit of a challenge. Just like the actual nest that got wired in, some of them had to be attached to the cage with wire. Hot glue also helped out too!

Used plenty of real moss to give both birds a spot to nest. Also a dog wood branch got additional glitter glue to make the flowers a little prettier!

My favorite part of the whole cage was adding the glass feet. I was covered in glitter by the end, but I spaced the four feet out by counting the bars and drilling a small hole in the base. You can see the screws in the photo below where I attached them. 

Fun times! Hope you get a chance to play along with us! Get your glitter on too!

Little Canvas in the Rain

After we got home from the beach it snowed. If that wasn't insult to injury, it has proceeded to rain for what seems a week. I dodged some raindrops to get these photos of the second canvas I made on Spring Break! I cut a hole in the canvas which is why you can see wet concrete below the heart!

I was thinking about adding a photo of THE MAN but then again he might think the whole thing too mushy...

Both canvases match each other nicely so I think I'll hang them together...am contemplating putting them in the camper even!

Pretty pumped about that heart shape...and the forever title that is a hard plastic and gives depth! Super fun!

Hope your Hump Day was super awesome!

A Little Canvas on the Beach

Back from a week away in the Camper! Oh the beach! What fun! I do so miss it, especially since it snowed a whole lot as soon as we got home!

I had NO IDEA it was so windy in the Outerbanks of North Carolina! In fact, it was so windy that I got accustomed to sleeping in our camper with the wind and the first night back at the house, had trouble sleeping in the quiet!

Anyhow, my point being was that any crafting could not be done on a picnic table due to paper pieces blowing away. I did figure out how to use the plastic piece that covers our sink to make a little scrappin canvas inside!

Snuck up first thing in the morning to take a few photos in the lovely sun. Our campsite was right behind the dunes so it was quite easy. ;-)

Made three large tags with scraps of a kit, added some pretty new sticky back lace, flowers, and some pretty dragonflies & a butterfly from Reneabouquets completed the bling!

I have since changed up the bow and added some gesso to tone down the paper on the edges! I'll show you that tomorrow when I post my second canvas I made! I might be taking that photo in the snow though! EEEEK!

Happy Monday!

April Showers Bring May Flowers Vending Machine for THE CUTTING CAFE

I always have fun with Regina's Cutting Files from THE CUTTING CAFE!

This little vending machine file was easy peasy to assemble! You can either cut the top portion out of clear acetate OR cut it out of paper and punch a window like I did!

After making my boxes, I then added all kinds of goodies on top & feet to complete it! Of course I had to add a knob to take the top off with, but then some moss, some flowers, a robin's next, and dragon fly all decorate the top.....and to keep them dry from April Showers, an up-cycled drink umbrella!

Can you see the clear scallop on front in this photo? I need to fill my vending machine with a treat or maybe even some craft supplies! Would make a cute little gift for someone.

That lace I found on Amazon and is already sticky! It's like lace washi-tape. Yes, I'm over the top excited about that! I am more excited about how cute this box turned out though! ;-)

Happy Friday!

Love This Town Layout for Another Freaking Scrappy

Happy April 1st! Really dig this challenge Anne at Another Freaking Scrappy came up with for us:

April challenge is: use paper or embellishments you have had in your stash along time and you can also scrap about something you have you have had for a long time. You can use one prompt or both - up to you!

In fact, she may recognize this paper I used! I won this Amy Tan paper when we were scrapping together in Cornwall, Canada! I have used a little here and there, but hadn't focused an entire layout to the paper!

Those flowers were made from the same paper set and I hadn't use that Tattered floral die in a VERY LONG TIME in keeping with Anne's challenge! The rub-ons came along with the Amy Tan paper and I love how they look like penciled doodles...super pretty!


The other thing kinda old about this page is how long I've loved Corning. It's not our first time living in this area and I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this town. Wandering down Market Street a month or two ago and it was just so pretty...I had to take a photo!

One last photo of this page. Hopefully you can see how I pop dotted that one tag at the bottom where it says NOT SO TYPICAL...which really fits our town!

Hope you get a chance to play along with us Freaking Scrappers! ;-)

Happy Wednesday!