Another 12X12, another sketch for Stamping Rooster's YouTube channel

Happy Sunday to all!  I hope you are all having a great day, or had a great day!  The weather here is even crazier than usual - we had 30 deg. C yesterday, followed by severe thunderstorms and torrential rains.  This morning we woke up to 8 deg C.... oh my!  so, we still haven't been able to plant the tomatoes!  

Popping in today to share another layout for Gretchen's challenge.  In case, you missed my last post, here is the link to her awesome YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StampingRooster/videos 

I chose her Sketch number 11 this time, one that could either be used for a 12 X 12 layout, or by just moving the main photo block over to the left, it could also easily be adapted to an 8.5 X 11 format.  I made a 12 X 12 : 

and here is the sketch:

See that blue mist all over the yellow banner? ... Yup I made a huge mess!  It was all over the pink patterned paper as well - so I made another layer of that same paper, distressed it all and then inked over the edges to hide most of it.  As for the stain still showing on the yellow banner ... well there you have it LOL :)

The supplies:  All of the supplies for this one also came from my Scraptastic March Rivers and Roads kit, with very few exceptions :

• The scalloped ribbon is from Stampin' Up in Melon Mambo
• The "watching you" portion of the title are from my stash - they are Dear Lizzy Thickers and matched this kit so well that I used them on quite a few layouts
• The enamel dots and shapes were from my stash
• The mists I used were from Glimmer Mist (Patina) and Mr Huey's (Passport blue and Boss Lady)

The story:  Again, this one just captures a fun everyday moment.  The photo shows our Golden Retriever Oliver watching intently as we work in the garden.  The title comes from the fact that he is actually watching my BIL Ron (his human) a lot more than any of the garden goings on.  Just in case, Ron decided to go somewhere... Oliver is at the ready ... maybe for a  car ride, or a W-A-L-K, or playing fetch, food, or anything fun that Oliver could partake in with Ron... Because, after all, it's all about Oliver :) :) 

Thanks for stopping by and spending some time with me on the blog today.   You still have time to check out Gretchen's challenge - it closed at midnight tonight.  

Hugs, xx

Another challenge layout (12X12) and a great YouTube channel

Happy Thursday scrappy friends!  I hope this finds you well.  I am starting a little mini vacation of four days today so that makes me very happy LOL.  I have quite a few chores I want to get done (I am in a bit of a spring cleaning frenzy, but never fear I will soon tire of that :) ). I will also spend time watching some French Open tennis matches with my mom and of course, find some quality scrappy time.

I am popping in today to share another layout I made in response to another fun You Tube challenge.  This time the challenge is a sketch challenge and it is by one of my favourite scrapbookers (yes I know, I have a lot of favourite scrapbookers LOL) on You Tube.  Here is the link to her channel :  https://www.youtube.com/user/StampingRooster/videos .  Gretchen makes beautiful layouts, sometimes based on sketches that she creates, and her process videos  are lovely and very detailed.  She explains so well the steps and techniques as she goes.  We often get a bonus as well - one, or more, of her kitties will come and visit during the process :) .  If you don't know The Stamping Rooster (Gretchen), pop right on over to her channel, take a break and watch a couple of her videos.  You will be so happy you did.

Gretchen and her husband are on vacation this week - in beautiful Paris; therefore she is making memories as opposed to scrapping them.  She challenged us to use one of her sketches and make a layout while she is away (you can find all of her sketches in the challenge blog post she wrote here :  http://stampingrooster.blogspot.ca/2015/05/sketch-challenge.html )

Here is my layout and the sketch I based it on (it is her sketch 27) :

This was not the sketch I had originally planned on using but the photos just begged for this one.  And I am happy with the outcome.  I am also happy that I used pink - it is not a colour I use often although I love it !

The supplies :  All of the supplies come from my March Scraptastic Rivers and Roads Kit except for :

• the Thickers used for my title are from Dear Lizzy and I had them in my stash but since there is quite a bit of Dear Lizzy in this kit, they match beautifully and I have used them on a least two, if not three, layouts using this kit
• the white splatters are simply watered down acrylic paint
• the pink flower brads have been in my stash for I don't know how many years and I don't remember anything about them LOL.  It sure felt good to get them on a page though
• The enamel dots are from my stash

The story:  For Mothers' Day this year, we decided to have a relaxed family game day at the seniors' residence where my mom lives.  It is a very large residence (3 building, 6 stories each) and therefore there are all sorts of amenities for the residents (pool, exercise room, library, cinema, bowling, billiards, darts, card room and so on ...).  Immediate family members are welcome to use all the amenities as well.    We booked a few of the rooms for different times during the day to make sure that all generations would have some fun.  We started with the bowling thinking mom would just watch.  Well, lo and behold when we got the the alleys, there was this lovely contraption (see my mom using it on the RHS picture in the layout) that allowed my mom not only to take part, but to beat the pants off all of us LOL!

So there you have it.  Thanks so much for stopping by today and spending with me on the blog.  Thank-you Gretchen for such a fun challenge.  BTW, there is still time to participate in the challenge, it is open until the end of the month (check out Gretchen's blog post and her challenge video).

See you soon!  Hugs and have a lovely day xo

A 12 X 12 grid-style layout, a great YouTube channel and a fun challenge :)

Good morning all and happy Thursday!!!  I am so sorry that I have been neglecting you lately - life just sometimes interferes with my scrappy time, or at least my bloggy time.  I have had a lot going on lately.  Nothing dramatic, just everyday stuff with work, an elderly mom, family and so on... But I did manage to put the entire weekend aside for scrapbooking during INSD weekend and made four layouts.  I will get a post up showing them soon (next post, I promise :) ).

In the meantime, I am here today to share a layout I made in response to a fun challenge by one of my Facebook group, and YouTube, friends.  Jen Stokes is a very talented scrapper and a fellow Canadian.  If you don't know Jen, you can find her on You Tube here:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAdrCaIYRPvV1lWjhTe9s9Q/feed 

She started making videos fairly recently - around Christmas time I think, and has already reached over 6oo subbies.  She has an awesome giveaway and challenge going on until June 1st so go on over to her channel and check it out.  Her challenge is a fun one - she asked that we create a layout that is scraplifted, or inspired by, one of her layouts - the first 15 or so that she created on her channel.  So I sat down and watched the challenge video, where she shared each of those layouts again - I made notes on the ones that I thought I would scraplift for this challenge, or the ones that inspired me for colour, or placement, or page design.  I spent a good hour doing my homework.  And then...... I scrapped something totally different LOL.  Jen's first and third layouts were grids, which I don't do very often but always like the end result.  Here is my layout, scraplifted from Jen's third YouTube process video :

The supplies:  The majority of the supplies used on this page come from my March 2015 Scraptastic kit - Rivers and Roads, but there are a few bits from olders kits and from my stash:

• The background paper is from Dear Lizzy's Serendipity collection (One fine day) and the layering paper with the multi-coloured dots is a Scraptastic exclusive (Hooray)
• The 4 X 4 cards that I used in two of the quadrants (to rest my title on, and for the journaling) are from the cut-apart sheet in Shimelle's first collection
• The doilies are from an older kit, as is the bow
• the alphas are from my stash (Simple Stories and Dear Lizzy) and so are the enamel dots (they are MME)

The story:   Well, I wouldn't really say there is a story per se to this layout.  It is more of a fun everyday moment that I captured.  My cat, Chopin, just loves it when my sister's cat Sophie comes to stay.  She was with us for about 10 days in April while my sister and BIL were away.  This layout is pretty much the story of their days together LOL ... Play, rest and repeat !!!  Oh and there is a little eating, and snuggling with me, in there too LOL.  I will have to make another page documenting those aspects.

So there you have it.  Thanks so much for joining me today.  Please leave me any comments, or questions you may have.  I love hearing from you.

Thanks Jen for such a fun challenge!  And, again, if you don't know Jen, hop on over to her YouTube channel (just follow the link above).  She is also a member of the Victoria Marie Facebook group and of the nicolejones911 group.  If you aren't a member of either of those groups, well ... get with it, LOL (said in a true Victoria voice ;) ;) 

Hugs to all xox

A couple of layouts, one 8.5X11 and one 12X12 - both some fun everyday moments

Happy Sunday to all and thanks for stopping by my little blogworld :).  Well, it looks like we may have finally turned the corner and Spring may have actually sprung.  It rained, and rained on Friday, it was crazy windy yesterday and today we have the sun and a forecast high of 15 deg C!!!!  Wow!  It looks like we may be in the teens all week - happy dance :) :) ...

How have you been?  What has been going on in your part of the world? Or in your scraproom?.  I started using my Scraptastic February Counting Stars kit and am having lots of fun with it.  In the latter part of March, I had a cardmaking binge.  I dug out my Copics, stamped away, coloured away and then made a few simple cards.  It is so relaxing.  I will get a blogpost up about that soon.  In the meantime, I wanted to pop in a share two layouts with you today :

An 8.5X11 layout about my winter attire LOL : 

I swear I looked like that every single morning, from early January to as late as last week.  I am so done with the look.  But I do love that big wrap around scarf my great-nieces gave me for Christmas.  Our winter did start late but then was brutally cold!!!  In fact, we broke records almost daily, had the dubious honour of being the coldest place on earth a couple of times during January and had the coldest winter in the last 123 years !!!!  So to finally feel a little sunshine and warmth (well it is all relative LOL) is bliss!!

The supplies:  Everything on this page came from the kit.  I am loving the acrylic shapes we are now getting as part of the kit, as well as the exclusive pattern papers.  I made those little arrow "thingies" from a branding strip.  The only thing from my stash is the flair button which is very old!  It was part of a pack from Studio Calico.  The enamel dots may be from my stash as well.

The second layout for today is a throwback to 2006, during my backpacking trip.  I am in Paris this time, relaxing and having a fun afternoon with friends :

Paris turned out to be a little bit of a hub for me during the trip since I have great friends there and had a couple of teaching assignments throughout the year.  This was my last visit, for a week of teaching, in February 2006.  

The supplies:  Most of the product on this page comes from the Counting Stars kit but there are a few bits that were left from the previous kits - the Heidi Swapp glitter heart, the vellum "favourite moments" piece, the "lovely" sticker which comes from Shimelle's first collection.  The heart enamel dots are from my stash and the numbered strip on the side of the photo is from a branding strip.

So there you have it for today!!!  

My friends and family have been asking me create a place where they can see all of my layouts in one spot.  I have created a facebook page just for that.  You can find it here : https://www.facebook.com/lifescrapsbymoira.

I have created several albums  - by Scraptastic kit, by category (cards, PL spreads, 8.5X11 layouts) and also by theme or subject.  I will be adding more subjects as I go - one for each country for instance, one for the furkiddies, the garden ....  I would love for you to stop on by and to "like" if you so feel inclined.

Have a lovely day my friends.  Talk to you soon!  Hugs xox

Kill a kit, an 8.5 X 11 travel layout and a final moan and groan about winter ;)

Happy Sunday to you all!  I hope you are having a lovely one.  I am staying indoors today - really this winter is just dragging on and it is really time for it to just go away LOL. Yesterday, we were around the freezing mark and had a precipitation cocktail - snow, freezing rain, rain and wind (let's not forget wind!!).  This morning??  it is beautifully sunny (yay) and .... wait for it .... minus a gazillion!  Ok, well that may be a slight exaggeration, but it is minus 16 deg C ... #sodonewithwinter. On the upside, I am staying in my pyjamas, watching tennis and scrapping ALL day :).

I wanted to pop in and share the last layout made with the January mega kit I put together from the Scraptastic October and January kits and add-ons, as well a little bits from my stash.  I got 21 layouts out of that kit and I think I did it justice.  Here is the paper I have left:  

I added that piece of Shimelle pattern paper to my February kit and put the cardstock back into my stash.  As far as the embellishments go, I had just a few bits left and they all coordinate quite will with the February Counting Stars kit so I just added them in there :).

So on to the layout :

I really am enjoying the 8.5 X 11 format lately and, if you recall  my goals for this year, I wanted to make at least one a month.  Well that is one goal I have shattered - I have made 6 so far this year.  This one is not my favourite - it was a lot nicer in my head LOL, but it's done and in the book: 

I almost forgot about this page.  As I was sorting through the bits and bobs left in my kit, I came across a mini page kit I had put together to scrap this photo!!  I tried to channel my inner Tracy (mercytiara) and Jenny (jenny  box) and layered quite heavily behind the photo.  I also popped up some of the layers, in some corners.  It is hard to see on the photo but that is one aspect of this layout that I like.  

The supplies: Every thing on this layout came from the mega kit with very few exceptions.  The yellow letter stickers for the word "buddy" in the title are from Chickaniddy (Scrumptious), and were left over from a previous kit.  The puffy stickers are from my stash (they are "Oh what fun" from Evalicious).  I love puffy stickers, they are my new addiction in the making :),

The story:  The Berlin Buddy Bears are an integral part of Berlin's cityscape and these lovely, colourful and whimsical sculptures can be found all over the City.  They started as an artistic event in 2001.  The goal was to bring art into the streets of Berlin and since the bear is the city's heraldic animal, it was chosen.  In June of that same year, there were over 100 of these sculptures all over the city.  They are quite the tourist attraction.  They now also travel the world on exhibition.

Well, there you have it.  One lovely kit done and another waiting in the wings.  I am so lucky.  Thanks for visiting with me today!! I hope you get some scrappy time today.  Hugs and I will be back soon with the first couple of layouts from the February Counting Stars kit. xo 

12 X 12 layout - New bed (by Oliver, our Golden Retriever LOL) and a couple of extra photos

Hi all and welcome back to my blog.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you are having a fabulous weekend.  The weatherman has told us that we might actually reach 0 deg. C tomorrow... finally.  It stayed in the minus teens all week but that is still a lot better than we had had since New Year's day.  I "retired" my ski pants last Wednesday LOL.  We have had the coldest winter in well over 100 years, a dubious honour I could have done without.

Back to a 12 X 12 layout today, and another one about our puppy Oliver: 

Don't you just love that paw hanging out the side of the bed.  LOL ... That is one deep sleeping puppy.  If you follow my instagram account (mooreilly), this was the second of two photos (just the photo, no layout :) ) I posted on Valentine's day weekend.  

The first photo was of Oliver with quite the scowl - he is normally a very smily puppy, but at minus 30 degrees, even he wanted to go back indoors :

The caption read : "OK human, I've done my business - get me the heck back indoors; it's minus a gazillion out here!" He really does look annoyed don't you think LOL. Unfortunately the photo quality is not great.  I will put it in my February pocketed page but did not make a layout with this photo.  

The caption with the photo that I did scrap was :  "Good human!  this is more like it!"  LOL

About the layout:   

• I have been enjoying pops of black on my layouts lately.  That is quite new to me, as it is not a colour I used at all.  In fact, I did not own any black cardstock but will remedy that fact soon :).  I find it adds depth to my pages and makes the other, brighter colours pop even more.
• I have been using die-cuts, stickers, or vellum pieces on the last two or three layouts as part of the title, as a sub-title, or in this case, as the journaling.  I am getting along so much better lately with vellum and this pack of Maggie Holmes die-cuts pieces is pretty much done and dusted.  Yay !!
• Everything on this page comes from my mega-kit, put together from the October and January Scraptastic kits and add-ons.  The exception are few :  the arrow washi tape is from my stash and I also pulled some Studio Calico Wood veneer from my stash.
• I had a piece of the "crimped" pattern paper left from my previous layout and tucked it in under the photo block.
• I did not do any misting, or splattering on this layout.  It called for black India Ink but I don't have any LOL.  Simple misting would not do  so I chose to just leave it for now.  As soon as I buy some India Ink, I will go back and add a couple of splatters.

Well, there you have it - another puppy layout.  I could watch Oliver, or one of kitties, sleeping all day.  It is so relaxing!!!

I hope you have some fun this weekend, doing what makes you happy with someone who makes you happy!!  Hugs

An 8.5 X 11 layout, a great you tube channel and a fun challenge !!

Happy Thursday scrappy friends!  We have a "heatwave" LOL ... the temperature is minus 10 deg C today but that brought a little snow, just enough to mess up the rush hour this morning but I have the day off so woot woot!

I made my second ever 8.5 X 11 layout and I must say I am really starting to like this format.  Once I got the proportions sorted, it became quite easy and I love the result. This size of layout, and this particular page,  are totally inspired by one of my favourite scrapbookers - Rory Vaillancourt.  She is on you tube as "Kateroar" and is also a member of the Scraptastic Design Team.  Rory is immensely talented and makes lovely layouts and great videos. Her voice is so soothing and relaxing as well LOL.  She is also quite active on our various facebook groups.  If you don't know her, head right on over to You Tube.  As a double bonus, she is hosting a challenge right now.  The requirements are super easy - be a subbie, make a layout and link to it in the comments section of her challenge video. The prize is totally awesome as well !!!

This layout is really a scraplift, not of a specific layout of Rory's but rather more generally of her style, design and some of the techniques she uses often.  I used a monochromatic colour scheme.  The banner under the photo was given texture by using my crimper (gosh I don't even know when I last used it!!) and then distressing, and inking the edges.  I used some vellum behind the photo and then some fun foam to pop both the vellum and the photo up.  All "Rory techniques" LOL.

Here it is : 

The story behind this layout is very simple really.  The journaling says it all:  "My day is always brighter when I meet a kitty or puppy along the way!"

The supplies come entirely from the mega kit I put together using my January Scraptastic kit along with the leftovers from the October main and add-on, as well as the TLN kit.

I must say that I am really happy with this layout - it is one of my favourites so far this year.  

Thanks for the inspiration and motivation Rory.  And of course, a big thanks to all of you who take the time to read my blog, like and comment on my layouts whether it be here, on instagram (mooreilly), or on our various facebook groups.  I am so very lucky to be part of this fantastic community. 

Cheers!