Art Venture Canada, Cornwall ON

Great news! For all you scrapbookers that were asking, Prima has opened the event for those who are interested in coming just for the day. You have the option to come Saturday or Sunday of both!  Make sure to register soon :)  Email denny@primamarketinginc.com to make payment and save your spot!  I so hope to see lots of you there :)

Family Time

The Echo Park collection Life Is Good is filled with fantastic colour combination of pinks and blues and browns.  I knew the other girls would be pulling the pinks out of this collection, and I wanted to use some winter photos so I pulled out the blue and brown from this collection.

Hexagons are very popular right now, and this sketch lended itself very well to using that instead of squares as was on the sketch.

 

The Theme this month was to use distressing on your layout, I did that in several formats, I distressed the edges of my paper with the Prima Comfort tool by roughing up the edges.  I also used the same tool's wire brush to distress the largest photo.  I used distress ink for the hexagon images in the background.  I used some Core'dinations paper and a sanding block in the center of the layout (blue). And finally I inked the edges of all the little hexagons and some WheatFields glimmer mist on the date.

I used several photos from the same day on this layout.  I apologize for the quality of these photos, as I had an unfortunately life changing event, my mother passed away on October 25th, luckily I was done my layout, however I left my husband in charge of taking some photos.  If you would like to see this layout in person it is on display at Auntie Em's.

I do hope you enjoyed this month's DT creations, it was fantastic to see how each of the girls took this sketch to a different level.  You too can play along for a fantastic prize simply by bringing your layout based on this sketch into Auntie Em's.  Remember that your materials for this project entry must have been bought at Auntie Em's to qualify.

Life is Good - Your Design Team's November Sketch Challenge

The cool weather is now upon us, so it's a great time to get some crafting done! This month, your Auntie Em's design team used the Life is Good collection by Echo Park and our layouts feature distressing techniques.

Lorena's take:

Nancy's take:

I

For the distressing I pulled out a few pages from a notebook that had a nice little bicycle image in the corner. I crinkled it and sprayed some glimmer mist on it and worked it in to give the paper an antique feel I did this twice wetting the paper as well to make it really wrinkled and blow dried it. Layered 2 of those and voila my page was complete.

Sarah's take:

I used clear Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint on all the pattern papers. I distressed the brown vertical band by using the chipboard flowers and sand paper and by distressing the edges. I also distressed the edges of my photos by using a file.

Stephanie's take:

I used brown VersaMark ink on my pattern circles and photo mat, and used a photo from Instagram that had a distressed grainy look to it.  


You too can submit your PageMaps calendar November layout for a chance to win a prize from Auntie Em's Scrapbooking. All you need to do is create a layout based on the sketch using distressing techniques with product purchased from Auntie Em's.  So, bring your layout into the store!

Why, Hello Fall!

That's right it's Fall .... well almost.  The kids are back in school, the air is crisp and your Auntie Em's Design Team has been hard at work with the Hello Fall collection from Little Yellow bicycle.  The theme this month is to make your own title for your layout.  Using the PageMaps calendar the girls have come up with these various takes:

Lorena's Take: "We Love The Fall"

Sarah's Take: What Autumn?

I made my own title by following the instructions in the PageMaps calendar. It was really easy and I was happy with the results!

Stephanie's Take: 

I'm not very good at drawing, and I have terrible hand writing, so I decided to use button to create half of my title, the other half, I cheated and used my Cricut.  

Nancy's Take: 

What a perfect opportunity to create a thanksgiving page with such beautiful fall paper. I loved the sketch cause it used a bunch of images and allowed me to get lots of pictures into just one page.

I decided to get fancy with making my own title and used some chipboard letters I already had and traces them on raw chipboard and cut them out then I roughed up the edges drew some stitching and inked them as well. Love love love the result.



Remember you can play along too, there are fantastic prizes up for grabs each and every month at Auntie Em's when you bring in your layout inspired by the PageMaps sketch - this month be sure to make your own Title!

Let us know what you think!

TOO cute!

This month I knew right away what images I wanted to use with this paper. Recently my sister had asked me to babysit my niece gaby while she ran a few errands. Once my sister left Gaby was whiney and clearly unhappy. But Russel took her in his arms and made everything better they cuddled on the couch and I had to get some photos. The light was pouring through the window and it gave me some wonderful results.

I have made a point to use the things I have so that I can better justify spending money at Auntie Em's on new scrapbooking goodness. So on this layout I decided I should make a small dent in my ribbon collection and it turns out it was just a very small dent as I am the ribbon queen. I should actually work on better organizing my ribbon too it would be more readily available and maybe just maybe the stash would go down.

I also used a bunch of flowers and some beautiful lace like stickers that I had had for a while.

For the flag I used a pin that Emma' had given us for one of the last challenges cause it had the cutest flower on the top that matched I used a bit of left over card stock from my scraps and just wrote TOO and drew some stitching around the flag it was
                                                         that simple and it turned out so cute  :)

Other then that my layout is fairly simple I edited my photos in photoshop as per usual. I made them half sepia which added a bit of softness. Cropped 3 of them to 3x3 and printed my favorite on a 4x6. Added some flowers and a bunch of ribbon and voila a super soft and cute page. I'm so happy with it.

The journaling block reads:
Maman t'a laissé avec nous pour aller faire des commissions tu étais fatiguée et rien ne pouvait te consoler sauf les caresses d'oncle Russel.

Hope you are all getting your challenges done. I just took the time to look back on what I created only for the challenges and it's great to see how much it pushes me to get stuff done.

Nancy

Mother's Day

On Mother's Day 2012, I asked my husband Matt to take pictures of my son Sam, my mom and I together. Like most men, Matt doesn't think of these things on his own. I have to ask. Regardless, he managed to get a few decent pictures to remember the day.

This month, the design team used the Songbird collection from Prima. Let's face it, Prima products are BEAUTIFUL! I thought this soft and pretty paper was perfect for my pictures.



Our challenge this month was to create flags or pennants. Flags and pennants are very popular these days and are easy to make. For my layout, I made flags using scrap pieces of paper, a square punch and toothpicks.



I used a journalling box that came with the collection and added embellishments: Prima wood buttons, chipboard sticker and butterfly. The butterfly came in a stark white, which really didn't go with my layout. I used Glimmer Mist to change the colour.





Check out the Songbird collection at Auntie Em's and don't forget to submit your layout for this month's challenge.

Happy scrappin'!



Double Trouble

I love the look of a well planned and balanced double page layout.  However most of the double page sketches that are out there have too many photos for my liking.  This months pagemap challenge had just two photos on it, which is great.  But I had three photos that I wanted to use. So... I stretched the sketch into a double page.  And using a technique that I saw on "Live With Prima" a few weeks ago, of building your double pages at the same time (can't believe I've never done that before) I thought I would give it a try.  Well I must say it came together very quickly and it does hold it's balance and continuity well.

I didn't put a title on my page (I may later) but I have dubbed it Cake Face.  These are photos of my son at his first birthday party and the next day when we were just hanging out at the local garage getting the oil changed in the car - he wanted to climb in those stacked tires so bad!

Using the Little Yellow Bicycle collection called Saturday's made it so easy to make a boy layout (or two) and the theme of this month's challenge is to use stamping on your layout to create your own embellishments.  I did just that with the previously naked chipboard circles and stars, and I also stamped and fussy cut (I know what were you thinking Lorena?!) a 'little yellow bicycle' .... psst it's actually a Prima stamp!  On some of the chipboard I did three layers of stamping - see the first photo where I did stamping and embossing on top of embossed background on top of a brick wall stamp.


You too can participate in this challenge, simply bring your layout based on the sketch to Auntie Em's scrapbooking by the end of the month and make sure you use stamping somewhere on your layout to enter!  There's going to be prizes!!!


Hope you enjoyed,


~Lorena~

Have you been Inspired?

Your Auntie Em's Design Team has another reveal for you!  With Christmas just around the corner the December Page Maps from the Scrapbook & Cards Today Calendar was a great inspiration to me.   Emma (with a little influence from me) chose the Basic Grey "Jovial" collection from 2010 - I must admit this still remains my favorite Christmas line of all times!  Emma still has a little of it left in the store and this month all Basic Grey Jovial is 10% off when you mention that you have been "Inspired"

For my layout I choose a great photo of my daughter on her first Christmas.  I fussy cut (and those of you who know me, know how much I *love* to fussy cut) some of the snowmen and snowflakes from one of the patterned papers and popped them up on some of the circles.  I also used a Trinket from Bo Bunny and some Webster's Pages Trim.  The poinsettias are about as old as my stash is, they must be at least 6 years old - lets put it this way they are older than when Prima started dating everything on their tins; and since they don't even use tins anymore - they are old LOL!!

The journaling I snagged from an AWESOME 600+ page book available at Auntie Em's called "Inspiration Station" it is just full of verses and quotes and poems.  Also it has a whole section devoted to layout titles!  Great if you are stuck for writing something or just want to add a little bit of sophistication to your page.   You won't be disappointed with this book!

Again I used my sewing machine to stitch around the outside of my layout and inked with distress ink, um... just about everything!

Well that's it, I hope you enjoyed my take on this Page Map - remember to stop by the store and mention that you have been Inspired, and you will receive 10% off all Basic Grey Jovial collection!

Mellisa's take on the sketch:

Up front, I need to apologies for the quality of these photos.  While the convenience of taking photos with my iPhone is wonderful, the loss of a battery charger has rendered my beautiful DSLR unusable.  (I am assuming that I plugged it in to charge a battery somewhere and left without it ... ugh!)  This means that, while I wait for my new charger and battery to arrive (hopefully before Christmas), I have no choice but to iPhone it and deal with the outcome.  (breathe, Lorena ... BREATH!! I promise it'll be okay. *wink*)

Creating this layout was a bit of a challenge for me, I have to admit.  The sketch didn't 'speak' to me like others did but I also found that I just couldn't go beyond what I did.  Simplifying this simple sketch was all I could do no matter how many things I tried and how many embellishments I added (then removed); straight to the point with the title also expressing what my journalling would say ... that there is no place like being at home for the holidays.  By removing the bottom elements of the sketch, the eyes stay focused on what I perceive to be important ... a few elements of Christmas at home (mine & my Mom's) that represents what Christmas is to me ... with just one glance.

 I did a bit of Photoshopping on this photo, adding a red border and 'Season's Greetings' for a different effect.  Unbeknownst to me until I got home, the processing chopped off the bottom of the fancy G's.  Oops

 A few ornamental photos taken from my Mom's Christmas tree last year.  The flashed out photo is actually the dining room table all set for Christmas brunch .. an annual tradition at my Momma's house and my absolute

favourite part of Christmas.

I coloured this chipboard heart with my Fire Brick distress pad and stickled it for dimension before

adhering to another chipboard circle.

While I know that this isn't our last post of 2011, I recognize that things get very busy during this time of year between shopping, Christmas festivities, family and friends so, with that in mind, I would like to take a moment to say, on behalf of Emma, Laura, Lorena, Sue, Michelle and myself, that we wish all of you the very Merriest of Christmas' and the Happiest of New Years. Happy Holidays.