SOS #129: Holiday or Winter

I made 12 of these tags for a Christmas tag swap that Petra hosted on the Cookin' Up Creations forum.  As usual, I waited until the last minute to make mine and I was in such a hurry to get them sent off that I forgot to snap a pic of all the tags.  Luckily, I found this one on my Iphone.  I sent it to my friend Tammy over at Cookin' Up Creations to get her opinion on whether I should use ribbon or twine.  As you can see, the majority chose the twine.  lol.

I am linking this up with the SOS #129: Holiday or Winter challenge over at Shopping Our Stash.
My stash items include: brads, kraft paper and twine.  I also dusted off a Sizzlet snowflake die that I purchased a couple of years ago, a circle punch and a Spellbinders Label Three die.

25 Days of Christmas

Join us all month long as we celebrate the 25 days of Christmas.  Each day over at Cookin' Up Creations the Challenge Team will post a challenge about Christmas and/or anything to do with the holiday season.  So make sure you check out what the team has in store for you this month.!  Let's play!

Also Cookin' Up Creations is having a Challenge Team call so be sure to check out all the details below.   You will need to hurry though, the last day of submissions is December 13th.  Projects do not need to be new but do need to be recent. 

CUC Challenge Team Call

Do you love scrapbooking challenges? Do you enjoy chatting on forums and making new online friends? Are you upbeat and love to blog, scrapbook, make cards or alter things, then you may have what it takes to be a member of our Master Chef Challenge Team at Cookin' Up Scrapbooking Creations!

Cookin' up Creations focuses on our Blue Plate Special Challenges, and we want YOU to be a part of it! We offer a NEW challenge each day except Mondays on our forum (approximately 20-25 challenges posted per month), with a prize drawing at the end of each month. We are currently looking for five to six team members for a six-month term.

Your responsibilities will include:
-Presenting a “Blue Plate Special” challenge once a week
-Posting regularly on the forum message board and initiating at least four new topics each week
-Posting comments regularly in our members' gallery
-Assisting with and participating in special events, such as crops, blog hops and special challenges
-Promoting Cookin' up Creations on your personal blog, Facebook and wherever else allowed

We offer you the opportunity to showcase your work and a chance to expand your creativity through participation on our Challenge Team. Challenge Team members are eligible for the prize drawings. All past and present members are encouraged to reapply.

Submissions will be taken through Friday December 13th, 2013 at 9:00 pm EST. Successful applicants will be notified via email no later than Monday December 16th, 2013. Your position will begin immediately after your acceptance. Your “official” term will begin on January 1st, 2014 and end June 30th, 2014.

To apply:
Send the following requirements to tammy@cookinupcreations.com. Please put "Challenge Team Entry" in the subject line.
-Your name, address, email address and contact information
- A paragraph or two about yourself and your experience in scrapbooking and paper crafting
-Three recently completed layouts and two cards or other paper crafting projects that you feel showcase your best work
-Links to your personal blog and online gallery *do not have to have a blog to be considered.
-A paragraph about why you wish to join our team

Each applicant must be a registered member on our forum. We would like to have the opportunity to get to know each of you before making our final decision, and encourage you to share your work with us here at Cookin' up Creations.

We encourage each applicant/participant to check out our Blue Plate Special Challenge Forum, and familiarize yourself with it, and how it works.

Home for the Holidays!

Join us as we celebrate Home for the Holidays all month long over at Cookin' Up Creations!

Love this sweet face!

It's Back 2 School month over at Cookin' Up Creations and my first challenge for the month is a Technique Tuesday challenge.  My challenge was to use paint on your projects.  I was trying for big paint splatters but ended up with big blotches instead.  lol. 

Anyhoo, here is my layout. You can barely see the paint blotches in the scan but I promise you, they are there.

I'm also linking this up with:

Lasting Memories LM #156 - Animal Antics challenge.

Challenge #39 - Wired Up over at The Paper Girls challenge blog.  I used a bone shaped paper clip on my layout.  

and 

RSC #52 - "Anything Goes" challenge over at Red Carpet Studio.

It's Back To School time!!!

That's right.....in September the Master Chef Challenge Team is going BACK TO SCHOOL!  So grab your supplies and head on over to the Cookin' Up Creations forum for a whole month of fun!

Let's Play!

Join us in August as we celebrate quality time with our family and friends and participate in an old favorite past time - playing board games.  Each day at Cookin' Up Creations the Challenge Team will post a challenge for you, based on a board game of their choice.  So be sure to stop by the forum to see what the Team has in store for you! 

CUC - Toss Up Thursday

It's another Toss Up Thursday challenge over at Cookin' Up Creations, and if you're a member of our forum you also know that the Challenge Team has been working with some inspiring sketches by Liz Chidester this month.  If you're not a member of our forum......my question to you is, why the hell not?  lol.

Here is another sketch I was given to work with.

And here is my layout.

If you want to see more of Liz Chidester's sketches you can scroll below this post or visit the forum to see how the rest of the Challenge Team were inspired by her sketches.

I'm also entering this layout in the following challenges:
Challenge #36 - Watercolors   -  The Paper Girls.  The challenge is to use watercolor in some way on our layouts or cards.  For my layout I used watercolor to add splatters to my background paper.
LM #149 - The Birds and the Bees  - Lasting Memories.  The challenge is to use birds or bees on your layout.  I used a journaling card with seagulls at the top.

July Challenge - It's Summertime!  - Sketches4ALL

Thanks for looking!

CUC Mad About Sketches

Are you mad about sketches?  If so, then stop by the Cookin' Up Creations forum and join us for our 3rd Annual Mad About Sketches featuring the talented,  Liz Chidester!   July 1st through July 25th the challenge team will create an example layout using one of Liz Chidester's fabulous sketches.

Here is the first sketch I was given to work with this month.

And here is the layout I created using the above sketch.

I really loved this sketch so I pretty much stayed true to it.  I did however, use one photo instead of two.  I also used the Hey You and Hey Boy collections by Basic Grey to complete my layout.  I'm participating in the July Slash Your Stash over at My Sketches and More and Turtle Soup so every project I complete this month will be using these two collections.  

Below is the second sketch I was given to work with.

And here is my take on it.

For this layout I decided to turn the sketch 90 degrees, and yes those feet are mine.  lol.  I guess you're never to old to wear a pair of chucks! Again I used the Hey You and Hey Boy collections by Basic Grey.

Here is the third sketch I was given to work with.   

And here is my take on it.

So far I think this one was my favorite.  I had scrapped this photo of my son before but wasn't pleased with the results so I decided to scrap it again, and I am soooo much happier with it.

I'm also linking this up with the Red, White and Blue challenge over at Scrap Our Stash.  Use red, white, blue and the only other color we could use was kraft. We also had to use three or more pre-made stars.  I used three red star eyelets that I've had forevah and an old Making Memories metal star.

And Lasting Memories LM #148 - Country Charm challenge.  Red, White and Blue - my country's colors and a metal star for a charm. 

Thanks for looking!





 

CUC Challege #25 - Make A Bow

We're still celebrating Cookin' Up Creations 4th birthday over at the CUC forum and I'm in charge of 3 challenges this week. With that in mind, I thought I would keep things super simple and easy and expand on the gift wrapping idea a little further.  I had issued a gift wrapping challenge earlier in the month using tags and chipboard letters in place of bows.  So I thought, hmmm why not make a bow!  I knew it could be done because one of the DT Members (Cassy) introduced them last Christmas on the forum but I couldn't remember the measurements.  So I searched Pinterest looking for a tutorial and this is what I found.  Bow Tutorial.

And here is my bow.

Who knew a box of Jello pudding mix could look so cute!  lol.

Cookin' Up Creations turns 4!!!

It's hard to believe that Cookin' Up Creations is turning 4 this year!  I joined the forum about 6 months after it was up and running and it has been home to me ever since.  Every morning I grab a cold Pepsi and sit down in front of the computer and check in to see what the ladies have been up too.  It's a great place to hang out and I feel like I know each and every one of them personally.  If you're looking for a great little community on the web that shares your passion for all things paper, then you should probably head on over and check us out.

This month CUC is celebrating it's birthday all month long with lots of games, prizes and challenges.  From making your own birthday hats to creative gift wrapping, all while using your scrap supplies.

Here are a couple of pics of gift wrapping using old paper, ribbon, chipboard letters and tags........kind of a gift within a gift, would you say?      

I am so pleased with the way these turned out that I don't think I will ever buy another gift bag as long as I live.  lol.

So what are you waiting for?  An invitation perhaps?  Okay, you have now been officially invited by me to come join us for our big Birthday Bash over at Cookin' Up Creations!

I'm also linking this up with the Photo Inspiration - Challenge #89 over at Use Your Stuff.

Thanks for looking!

Sketches4all and SOS - All About Our Guys

It seems we are honoring the men in our lives this month over at SKETCHES4ALL and Scrap Our Stash.  Since Mr. J doesn't like having his picture taken I decided to create a layout of our one and only son, Kyle.
This is the sketch I had to work with.  It's by Kristine Davidson at My Scraps and More. 

 And here is my take on it. 

I loved the sketch and I love the black and white photo of Kyle but for some reason this layout just didn't come together for me the way I wanted it to.  It laid on my scrap table for several days and I added to it, took away from it, until I finally said enough is enough.  I glued everything down and called it DONE!  It's definitely not one of my favorite layouts but I will put in the album and try to forget about it for now.

I'm also linking this up with Use It Tuesday Challenge #56 - Anything Goes.
Lasting Memories LM #143 - Opposites Attract. 

And don't forget about the big Birthday Bash and CT Call going on at Cookin' Up Creations this month.  Stop by the forum to see if it's a good fit for ya and if you like what you see, register.  You can find all the details about the CT Call in the post below.  Layouts do not have to be new for this call but do need to be recent.   

Thanks for looking.

Cookin' Up Creations CT Call

Do you love scrapbooking challenges? Do you enjoy chatting on forums and making new online friends? Then you may have what it takes to be a member of our Master Chef Challenge Team at Cookin' Up Scrapbooking Creations!

Cookin' up Creations focuses on our Blue Plate Special Challenges, and we want YOU to be a part of it! We offer a NEW challenge each day except Mondays on our forum, with a prize drawing at the end of each month. We are looking for five to six new team members for a six-month term.

Your responsibilities will include:
-Presenting a “Blue Plate Special” challenge once a week
-Posting regularly on the forum message board and initiating at least four new topics each week
-Posting comments regularly in our members' gallery
-Assisting with and participating in special events, such as crops, blog hops and special challenges
-Promoting Cookin' up Creations on your personal blog, Facebook and wherever else allowed

We offer you the opportunity to showcase your work and a chance to expand your creativity through participation on our Challenge Team. Challenge Team members are eligible for the prize drawings. All past and present members are encouraged to reapply.

Submissions will be taken through June 16th, 2013 at 9:00 pm EST. Challenge Team members will be notified no later than June 22nd, 2012 via email. Your position will begin immediately after your acceptance. Your “official” term will begin on July 1st, 2013 and end December 31st, 2013.

To apply:
Send the following requirements to tammy@cookinupcreations.com. Please put "Challenge Team Entry" in the subject line.
-Your name, address, email address and contact information
- A paragraph or two about yourself and your experience in scrapbooking and paper crafting
-Three recently completed layouts and/or two cards or other paper crafting projects
-Links to your personal blog and online gallery *do not have to have a blog to be considered.
-A paragraph about why you wish to join our team

Each applicant must have at least 15 posts on our forum. We would like to have the opportunity to get to know each of you before making our final decision, and encourage you to share your work with us here at Cookin' up Creations.

We encourage each applicant/participant to check out our Blue Plate Special Challenge Forum, and familiarize yourself with it, and how it works.

SOS Sketch Challenge #3 and CUC CT Call

As you may remember I'm guest designing over at Scrap Our Stash blog for the month of May and the second challenge this month is a sketch challenge.  And who doesn't love a good sketch!

This is the sketch that I was given to work with.

And here is my take on it.

As you can see I pretty much stayed true to the sketch.  I did however move the title and added a little something something at the bottom. And because this is a "stash" challenge blog we were also challenged to use at least 3 pre made flowers on our layouts.  So if you would like to participate in this months challenge over at Scrap Our Stash you can find all the details HERE.   And oh by the way, this is what you are playing for.

Not too shabby, eh?

I'm also linking this up with Challenge #84 Focused on Flowers over at Use Your Stuff and Challenge #55 You Can't Touch This over at Use It Tuesday.  My hoarded supplies are my Prima flowers and wood bicycle.

Thanks for looking! And just a heads up.  Cookin' Up Creations will be having a CT Call in the very near future, next month in fact.  So please head on over to the forum to look around.  If you like what you see, join it and introduce yourself.  It's a great way for you to get to know the members and to see if it's a good fit for ya.  If you want, you can tell 'em Jan sent ya.

NSD and SOS

Yes I know National Scrapbook Day was yesterday but just like my birthday I will probably celebrate it all week.  Hey, that's a good idea!  Maybe they will make National Scrapbook Week!  lol.  Anyhoo, since I'm guest designing over at Scrap Our Stash this month I thought I would play along with the NSD Stash challenge that they have going on this weekend.  I chose this sketch by Rochelle Spears.

And here is my take on it.

And before you all mumble under your breath about this being another layout of Cooper Pooper, let me remind you that I do have a 2 legged child but he is 23 and doesn't like having his picture taken anymore.  Mr. Cooper Pooper on the other hand, seems to love it.  I don't even have to bribe him with snacks!  lol.  This dog is a camera hound, I tell ya!  Anyhoo, my list of stash supplies include: tags, brads, decorative border punch, wood piece, paint, layered stickers and washi tape....technically the washi tape is a sticker but shhhh, I won't tell if you don't.  lol.  If I could have found some blang blang I would have found a place for it too but those of you that know me, know I don't do flashy.  Ha!


Thanks for looking and if you want to play along you have until midnight tonight.  You can find the challenge HERE.

 Also linking this up to the LM #138 'One Photo' challenge over at Lasting Memories. 

SOS Challenge #3 Pattterned Paper Party!

This month I'm a guest designer over at the Scrap Our Stash blog along side a very talented group of ladies.  And the first stash challenge for the month of May, is a Patterned Paper Party! 

The challenge is to create a layout using 3 or more patterned papers from 3 or more different collections and rub-ons.

Here is my layout for the challenge.

Yes, I know it's another layout of  Mr. Cooper Pooper but what can I say, he is the only one here lately that will sit still long enough for me to snap a pic, hence the title.  lol.

For this layout I used 4 different pattern papers from 4 different manufacturer's - Basic Grey, Lawn Fawn, Echo Park and American Crafts.  The rub-ons - stars, quote, dog and hydrant on vellum tag are KI Memories.  I also matted my photo with vellum so that the patterns in the paper would show through.  And see that little clear star to the left of the photo, I cut it with my Sizzix machine and some plastic packaging from a Sizzix die that I had saved.

Thanks for looking and if you want to play along you can find the challenge here.  

CUC - Spring in to Summer

It's May 1st and that means it's another month of challenges over at Cookin' Up Creations! So grab your supplies and join us as we Spring in to Summer!

CUC What's New Wednesday - SOS Dots & Stripes and LM #135

My husband (a.k.a Mr. J) knows how much I love chocolate chip muffins but I refuse to by them for myself.  So when he does the grocery shopping on his own he will stop by the bakery to see if they have any and surprise me with them. What can I say, it doesn't take much to make this girl happy!  lol. 

For this particular layout I used a mixture of pattern papers from several different manufactures - Basic Grey, SEI Sassafras Lass, My Mind's Eye and Martha Stewart.  Most were scrap pieces that I had thrown in a plastic box.  I also used a piece of vellum to mat my photo so that the pattern paper would show through.

I created this layout for the What's New Wednesday challenge over at Cookin' Up Creations. The challenge was to use the colors white, orange and brown and a new scrappy purchase.  My "new" is the strip of washi tape along the top of my layout.

I'm also entering this layout in the following challenges:

Scrap Our Stash - Dots and Stripes

Lasting Memories - LM #135 Use Your Stash

Use It Tuesday - Sticky Situation
(puffy SEI sticker and American Crafts thickers)

 S.W.A.T -  Drill #5 Dig Deep 
(eyelets, puffy SEI sticker, thickers, vellum and pattern paper)

Thanks for looking. 

   

 

SOS Top 3

Yay!  Mr. Cooper Pooper and I made the Top 3 over at Scrap Our Stash for the month of March!!!

Scraplift a Member and Lasting Memories

This month the challenge team had the opportunity to scrap lift any member in the Cookin' Up Creations gallery so I chose to scrap lift a layout by our very own CT Coordinator, Barb Prendergast.

Barb's layout.

I chose Barb's layout for several reasons.  One, being that her layout was very similar to my own style of scrapping.   She also used one photo on her layout.  Those of you that know me, know that I rarely add more than one photo to my own layouts.  And she also used a lot of layering which is something else I tend to use on mine. 

And here is my layout.

. 
It rarely snows here in South Carolina so when it does I have to document it.  The papers I used for this layout are from Basic Grey's Fact collection.  The title was cut with my Silhouette and the snowflakes were made with a Martha Stewart punch.

I'm also linking up this layout over at Lasting Memories for their Clean and Simple Challenge.

Thanks for looking.

Friday Focus and Kraft It Up

It's Friday, March 15th and that means another Friday Focus challenge over at Cookin' Up Creations.  Our focus this Friday is all about negative spaces, so I chose to do another layout of  Mr. Cooper Pooper.  Here he is sitting on my side of the sofa.  I was trying to get him to move but he wouldn't hear of it, so I snapped a quick pic with my Iphone. lol.     

As you can see, I punched several circles out of a strip of pattern paper and used what would normally be tossed in the trash, on my layout.   Trust me, it's not my idea.  I may be that frugal but I'm certainly not that creative.

I also combined this challenge with the Kraft It Up challenge over at Scrap Our Stash blogspot.  The challenge is to use kraft and 3 types of metal embellishments.  I chose kraft cardstock for my base and the 3 metal embellishments are 2 dog related brads, 1 bone shaped clip and a dogs rule metal bone plaque that I used for my title. 

Thanks for looking!

Sketchbook 365 sketch and layout

I was browsing Pinterest the other morning, just like I do most mornings when I ran across this sketch

by Sketchbook 365.  I immediately fell in love with the sketch and as soon as some free time opened up, I was on it like Donkey Kong!  Luckily, I had just come back from JoAnn's with a bag full of Hey You and Hey Boy papers and embellishments.   And here's what I came up with.

The white paint was part of a challenge over at CUC.  Not my typical style but once it was on there, there was no turning back.  So for what it's worth, here it is.

  

Pinterest and Cookin' Up Creations

Join us during the month of March as the Cookin' Up Creations Challenge Team will be sharing some of their favorite pins with you!

Lazy Sunday....

afternoon sitting in front of the tv with Cooper in my lap.

My obsession is growing.......

for milk glass that is!  It all started last year when I was plundering inside Papa's old workshop.  As I was digging through a box, I ran across 3 pedestal candy dishes and immediately fell in love with them.  I had been looking for something to sit on my desk to hold small embellishments like buttons and brads and knew these would be perfect!.  So I lugged them home (against my husbands wishes) cleaned them up and filled them with my small collection of washi tape instead. 

I heart these so much!  Since then I've been scouring consignment stores and Habitat for Humanity stores for more and I've been lucky enough to pick up a piece here and there. This past Thursday while I was in Hartsville, I stopped by the Habitat store and found another footed candy dish (on top) and 3 pieces of Currier & Ives - 2 square casseroles and a custard cup.....

all for a mere $7.25!  Did I mention I have an obsession for Pyrex dishes too?  Well I do.  When my son moved next door last year I gave him all my clear casserole dishes and replaced them with vintage Pyrex and Anchor Hocking pieces.  Do you have an obsession?  If so, leave a comment and tell what it is.

Do you know what time it is???

It's use your stash month all month long over at Cookin' Up Creations!  That's right, you don't have to have the latest and greatest to participate.  The goal is to make room for new goodies.....and the only way to do that is to use up some of those old supplies that you may have been hoarding, forgot you had or just never got around to using.  Whatever the reason, come join me over at CUC and let's see just how much stash we can use up in January!    

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, it seems 2012 flew by and here we are at the beginning of a brand new year with brand new goals.  This year I decided not to make any new years resolutions.  I always seem to fail after a few short months anyway so I thought why set myself up for disappointment.  This year I am going to LIVE and enjoy life to the fullest!  So come on 2013, let's see what you got!