Rejuvenation (I'm Back)

     I'm back from a hiatus from posting to my blog.  I was a little overwhelmed with finishing my Master's degree, but I've graduated and am back to a more calm existence for now.  I must admit that it feels a bit pointless sometimes to continue to spend time posting here with no one reading my posts.  I maintain galleries on both Scrapbook.com and Splitcoaststampers.com, so this feels redundant.  But as I look back at my previous posts, I do feel happy to see my evolution as a crafter.  And I do include some extra details about why I made a particular card, or background to a scrapbook page's creation.

     However, I return now because for some time I've wanted to progress to submitting for publication, or at least to a guest designer spot with one of my favorite companies.  My Favorite Things requires it's guest designers to maintain a blog, and so, I've decided there is no better time than to resurrect mine.  I will not bore any potential visitors with rehashing all of my creations for the last 6 months, though.  I'll just pick up with July.

     I most like sketch challenges, and my favorite challenges to participate in are Verve's weekly Viva la Verve! sketch challenges on Splitcoaststampers.  So I post here this month's entries, in addition to my July entry for the Sketch for You to Try (by Jen del Muro).  She has monthly challenges, and you must participate the whole year (12 sketches) to qualify to win a wonderful prize pack on Christmas Day!  And, well, I really like the card I made this month.  ;)

A Work of Heart for July's SFYTT (Sketch for You to Try)

The sponsor this month was none other than, My Favorite Things, one of my favorite companies.

I used a stamp from their special 6th birthday celebration set, "My Favorite Sentiments."  I stamped it in both dark red and brown, and cut out the "Heart" portion in brown and popped it.  

Papers are Echo Park and Teresa Collins.

I dry embossed the blue paper, and added some BG pearl flourishes.

Happy Birthday for VLV July week 1 sketch

I used a sentiment from Verve's Small Sentiments set in the middle of one of the Four Frames stamps from Stampin' Up, and cut out with SU's Decorative Label punch.  Papers are My Mind's Eye.  The pearl flower is by Basic Grey.  Some additional flat backed pearls in the corners of the flowered paper panel, a small tab of orange seam binding and some paper pierced faux stitching.

You are Fabulous for VLV July week 2 sketch

I used a sentiment from Verve's Fabulous You, and layered flowers from their Joyful Blooms set, cut out with the coordinating dies.  

Papers (and the decorative brad) are Teresa Collins. 

The fishtail banner strip was cut with MFT's Sentiment Strips Die-namics.

Wishing You Sunny Days for VLV July week 3 sketch

I chose to interpret the sketch a little differently.  I first pictured some fun twine wrapped around and meeting under the circular shape.  But an idea took root while looking through my Verve stamps and coming upon the sweet "Wishing you sunny days" sentiment from the Sunny Days set.  

I created angled strips from several of my yellow scraps (BG, MME, Cosmo Cricket, and Fancy Pants!) to act as sun rays.  I used the cute sun Dienamics from MFT, and added a loosely rolled flower using another of their dies as the sun's center.  The blue banner strip is also from an MFT Dienamic.  

Some stitching down the sun's rays and a tiny yellow pearl to highlight the sentiment.

And for good measure, I am sharing my recent scrapbook layouts:

Tag Reader

I cannot say enough good things about LeapFrog's Tag Reader.  My son had a slew of books (featured in the smaller picture), but he had a handful of favorites.  He would recite T. Rex's Mighty Roar by heart at only 3 years old, and learned concepts like compound words from Cars.  I used some fun Nikki Silvis' papers and silhouette the owl from a page of complementary cutouts in the line (cutting out his belly area and lining it with the striped paper behind).  

and Busch Garden's Sesame Street Safari of Fun (2010)

I realize the papers are a throwback (Basic Grey Color Me Silly), but aren't these colors and patterns so perfect for the funky safari feel and bright primary colors of this part of the park?  I'm afraid my son has outgrown these rides (he's much more interested in reaching the height to ride the "big boy" roller coasters), but we have fond memories of our time in the Sesame Street Safari land.  I used the Easy Rosette Cut-ups Die from The Cat's Pajamas (TCP) to form the medallions.  And I found an Elmo image to trace in my Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) software and cut with my die cutter.