Thwarting would-be internet stalkers. Take that!

Here's a layout about my sister's beautiful growing family, made from my February Counterfeit Kit:

Based on a sketch by Kristine Davidson in "Creating with Sketches" (bottom of page 22)

I know you can't actually see them.  But trust me.  They're gorgeous.

(Also...happy birthday, Mom! xoxo)

Let's just keep this between us, shall we?

So, here's layout four of seven that I completed at the crop in February.  My beautiful ghost-sister and her beautiful ghost-daughter.  I think this is one of my favourite layouts to date:

Based on a gorgeous sketch by Kristine Davidson in "Creating with Sketches" (top of page 19)

Something I forgot to tell you about the crop is that, to prepare, I created a two giant kits based on the Counterfeit Kit Challenge's February challenge.  Multiple benefits of this process:

• I was forced out of my comfort zone with colour (I rarely choose coral or peach, but it worked well here)
• I had far less to cart with me to the crop, but still had plenty of supplies to choose from
• I got to buy more stuff at the crop because "I didn't bring anything in yellow!"

That last one's just between you and me.

I love this photo of Cliff and the dogs.  This is pretty much a standard scene at our house.

Based on Kristine Davidson's sketch in "Creating with Sketches" (top of page 24)

Maggie and Cliff wrestle-cuddling.  Molly supervising.

I'm loving those BG Bloomers with the handmade flower I won from Jen at Scrapping Daze!

Yep.  That's pretty much our life in a nut-shell.

PS:  This was another layout from my February Counterfeit Kit, just so you know.

Childish

You know what's lucky about coming from a big family?

Your siblings will probably have kids that you get to scrapbook and who are stinkin' cute, too.

Based on Kristine Davidson's sketch in "Creating with Sketches" (bottom of page 11)

I mean, these colours would be kind of odd on a layout about Cliff and I, right?

Although, we are kind of juvenile.  I think I even have a picture of Cliff in a swing like that.

The first of seven.

***Editor's note:  I used my February Counterfeit Kit from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge for this layout.  I was just too dang excited to tell you about it the first time I posted.

So, I just got back from a weekend-long crop at the hotel-motel-Holiday-Inn.

It was quite the weekend.  48 hours.  7 layouts. 1 happy scrapper.

Here's a layout of my little sister's newborn:

Based on the first sketch on page 19 of "Creating with Sketches" by Kristine Davidson

This layout was heavily influenced by Jen from Scrapping Daze.  First of all, see that layered-circle flower?  She made that.  By hand.  With no tracing. (And if you get that reference, we should do lunch).

Second, I followed the little do-dad tutorial she posted here.  Notice the way your eye is drawn across the page?

Note the swag from Ninabrook Designs?  I'm loving those BG Bloomers!

Of course you did.

Third, Jen recently posted about this e-book of sketches from Creative Scrappers.  That is one awesome sketch-book, man.  I used it all weekend!

So overall, it was a great weekend.  Thanks to Jen my sister for having a baby for me to scrap.

Umm...that doesn't sound right.

A comeback, of sorts.

Oh, hello.  I didn't see you there.

I bet you're wondering where I've been.  Right?  Of course you were.

Well first, I flew around casting Harry-Potterish spells, and then I belted out a brand-new song in public and got a recording contract, and then I found the best second-hand store where I bought a vintage Coca-Cola cart for $15 to use as a bar in our rec room.

Oh, wait...that was my dream last night.  Ahem.

Anyhow, though I haven't been blogging, I have been crafting.

In fact, check out this haul I recently took home from Ninabrook Designs:

 All this swag?  I paid around $120 or so.  Free shipping.  Boo-yah.

Oh, and this includes two page-kits (Basic Grey's Kioshi and Max and Whiskers), like this one:

It's not quite Harry-Potter-level magic, but I'll take it.

A layout that proves just how classy I am.

So at the crop Adrienne and I attended last month, we challenged each other to try at least one page apiece that was out of our comfort zones.  I actually did two. 

I win!  I mean….ahem.

Here’s the first of those pages:

The journaling says, “Real friends will pose in front of a flying donair with you in a skeevy dive at 2 am in downtown Edmonton.”  Which shows you just what a classy dame I am.

Anyhow, there are a couple of elements here that are out of my comfortable little scrappy-box.

***Editor’s note:  Plan for future project:  Comfortable little scrappy-box.  Copyright 2011.***

First, the misting:

 I defiled an otherwise-pristine piece of paper with splatters of random ink and no regard for the paper’s dignity. Again with the classiness.

The second oddity is the use of American Crafts stickers for the “photo mat”.  Usually I’d go for paper, but here, the muted colours helped me to tone-down the otherwise obnoxious colour palette in the photo.

I’m also still working on the mixing of do-dads, and I used another of Jen and Susan’s embellishments here.  Isn’t that flower so cute?!

I think the flowers and other little do-dads help to downplay the fact that I’m posing with an onion ring.  Don’t you think?