Scissors and Scraps

Collage Art

2012-01-26T15:04:00.004-07:00

Ok so its way over due that I post something, but it hasn't been for a lack of crafting time... I just haven't taken any photos of my crafts to put up. I am very happy with one of my recent creations and have it hanging in my downstairs guest bathroom. I took an old calendar of Ireland and cut it up into a millllllion little pieces and collaged it together onto foam core. Once I had it all put together I made a mixture of mod podge and added in a dab of paint before I covered the entire thing... I went through A LOT of mod podge because I wanted to give it texture. Hopefully in the last photo you can see the texture a little.

Three Rainy Day Bella Cards

2011-10-31T18:59:00.002-07:00

Love this cute stamp from Stamping Bella. The inside of these cards say "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain". I'm also loving this paper... I'm going to stock up on it before I cant find it again. The green circles, crossword print, and yellow wood grain is so addictive. It's from a little boy line from Bella Blvd. called "Mr. Boy" but as you can see it's very versatile and can be used for much more than boy layouts and cards.

Congratulations Cards

2011-08-17T08:34:00.006-07:00

In the past year or so, both of my brothers and so many close friends have gotten engaged! It has been very exciting getting to share in such a great time of their lives. With so many weddings, showers, and parties for the newly engaged/soon to be wed friends and family in my life i needed to make some congrats cards to have on hand. I made quite a few of both of these to get me through this wedding season.

Halloween in July...

2011-07-23T04:01:00.007-07:00

It's no secret that I love Echo Park paper.... this Halloween line from last year may be one of my all time favorite lines ever!!! So what if Halloween is 3 months away... if you can have Christmas in July why not Halloween?!

The stamp set is a past CTMH stamp of the month that I adore and I used the CTMH water color pencils to add a little color to the image to tie it in with purples and oranges in the paper. I embossed the image before cutting it out and then raising it with foam pop dots. I love the finishing detail of the pom-pom trim and orange gems in the center of the spider webs. This may just be one of my favorite cards that I have made ever.

2011-06-14T07:39:00.002-07:00

OK, I know its summer... and I live in Arizona... and all week it will be 105-110 degrees... but maybe a fall card will give us nice cool weather thoughts! Hey its worth a try right?! My favorite part of this card is actually the itty bitty brads. They are so tiny I just love them... but working with brads that tiny can get a bit tricky sometimes... so if you decide to use them on your projects beware!

Many Thanks Card

2011-05-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am really having a blast using up my scraps from my layouts for cards, I feel like I am making my money go so far and it helps me justify buying all the paper I love so much! :) I do more layouts than cards although I know I haven't been posting my layouts much recently... I will try to photograph some of my layouts and get those up on here soon so you can see where my scraps are coming from.

Cherry Card

2011-05-04T22:15:00.001-07:00

These cherry stickers from CTMH were so sweet I had to put them on a card. I covered the cherries and leaves with glossy accents to give them some sheen similar to epoxy stickers and love how they turned out. I layered it on pretty thick so it took a long time to dry but well worth the wait to make these stickers a little more interesting.

Thinking of You Card

2011-04-29T00:37:00.001-07:00

This was one of my first attempts in using the CTMH glitter rubons and it was so easy. I loved them! The silver shows up great on darker cardstocks but not so much on the lighter ones. The paper I used here from American Crafts isn't technically scraps as I did buy it for cards however, this card was made from leftovers from a different set of cards that I made. The cards I bought the paper for will have to wait a little while before I post them on here so that the recipients are surprised when they get them. :)

Sorority Girls Bounce & Clap Layout

2011-04-24T19:11:00.004-07:00

It is kind of funny to think about some of the silly things sororities do during rush... bouncing and clapping to make friends is one of them but it's a tried a true tradition that made for some great memories. As seniors we had the fun of not only bouncing and clapping and jumping up and down all day for a week in heels we got to do it on chairs! Luckily no one twisted an ankle or fell off the chairs! And even though our feet were killing us by the end of rush it was worth it to see the new incoming freshman pledges on bid day.

Another Card from my Layout Scraps

2011-04-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

A while back I got a kit from CTMH that included a few card bases with this bracket cut edge. I made a few as designed by the kit but I liked the card base so much I wanted to play around with using other papers and embellishments. Again these papers are left overs from a layout that I did. I added a detail picture on this post of the flower that I added stickles to. I completely covered the flower by smearing the stickles over it! I wish I could capture the true shimmer of it in a photo but I am sure you can imagine.

Hello Card.

2011-04-16T10:12:00.001-07:00

I recently used this polka dot paper for a layout and I absolutely love the colors in it! Beautiful browns, tans, navy, bright blue, and tealy greens! I happened to have a prima flower that matched one of the shades perfectly so I couldn't resist using it on a card since it didn't make it into the layout... I promise to post pictures of the layout and a second card I made with this paper sometime too.

So Sweet Card

2011-04-11T09:22:00.003-07:00

I am really trying to use up some scraps and I am addicted to thickers so this card was a perfect way to combine the two. I am trying to build up my stash of cards so that I will begin actually giving them out... right now I hardly give out cards but I think once I have a good amount in my stash I won't feel so bad giving them away... we'll see! :)

Recipe Box

2011-04-07T15:20:00.004-07:00

I had so much fun designing this recipe box using the Echo Park papers from their For the Record line. The papers are so beautiful it wasn't hard to get inspired. This recipe box was used for the workshop for the March Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat. We also used one of my favorite tools... the GCD studios chip art tool. I use chipboard all the time and being able to customize and alter it is fantastic! Below there is a close up of the "yummy" i made with the chip art tool. Each person who took the workshop received multiple sets of full alpha stickers and thickers so they were able to make this box into card boxes, photo boxes, treasure boxes, or whatever they could think of! Possibilities are limitless!

Scissors and the City 2011 Retreat Information

2011-02-17T21:53:00.008-07:00

you can visit www.scissorsandthecity.com for more information

Here is what you need to know... REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!! Woo Hoo!

Wanna know the details:
Retreats begin at 10am on Fridays and end at 3pm on Sundays
6ft table space for every participant
24 hour access to crop room
Goody Bag
Prizes
3 meals (Friday and Saturday restaurant voucher and Sunday boxed lunch)
Make and takes
Use of tool center including Cricut
Discounted Hotel rates at Hilton Garden Inn Tucson

Retreat Dates:
March 25-27
July 22-24
November 4-6

Hotel Information:
Hilton Garden Inn
6575 S Country Club Rd
Tucson, AZ 85706
phone: 520-741-0505

Room rates:
March and November: double occupancy rates $89.00/night
July: double occupancy rate $79.00/night
Rooms booked within the group block will include breakfast vouchers for a cook to order breakfast per person for 2, additional guests will be $10 to include

Construction Themed Date Dash and Scrapbook Layout

2010-05-28T17:00:00.006-07:00

This layout is one of my redo layouts that I worked on at the first 2010 Scissors and the City retreat. I originally had done this layout on flowery and striped papers in browns and orange and red tones but then I saw the construction themed paper and knew i HAD to redo it! This was such a fun date dash and I have so many memories of this night. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to really make the layout capture the theme so so well.

Mom's Weekend Layout Using Twitterpated by CTMH

2010-04-11T23:37:00.008-07:00

Ok so this post has been sitting unfinished for weeks now! Blogger seemed to not like me since my last post because it wouldn't let me add photos or post at all! I tried and tried and tried.... about 3-4 times a week but no luck..... UNTIL TODAY! I am really excited! I may get all my other photos added tonight too in case it decides to not like me again! :)

Anyways, this layout from a sorority mom's weekend i had done before in different paper (ugly paper i might add) and a totally different layout too. So it was time to ditch the bad paper and use the adorable Twitterpated paper from CTMH. I absolutely love this paper line. Add in some painted chipboard that i then covered in stickles to add some sparkle as well as a few pieces of puff ball ribbon and ta-da! I wish i had taken pictures of the before layout so you could see how much better it now is... but it was down right ugly before so it didn't cross my mind at the time to photograph it. What a world of difference paper makes!

Layout - Surfing in Hawaii

2010-04-03T16:59:00.007-07:00

My family went to Hawaii a few summers back and of course I havent made much progress at all scrapbooking all my photos from the trip. At the retreat I was actually able to get 2 layouts of Hawaii pictures done, this is one of them. To be honest I had already had this layout completed on different papers but I HAD to redo it using the CTMH moon doggie papers.... aren't they just perfect?!

Surfing is not my cup of tea, in fact ocean water in general isnt for me. I definitely learned I am a pool girl from this trip. My brother on the other hand definitely enjoyed surfing much more than me.

Back in Action

2010-03-30T20:51:00.005-07:00

My scrapbooking has been extremely sparse recently, and thus so have my blog posts, I apologize. At the beginning of fall I took a job in the retail world and so I am going to place the blame on the hectic holiday season for leaving me with very little spare time. But this dry spell is over!!!!

The first Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat of 2010 was just this past weekend and I am very happy to say I was more productive than usual. I will be posting my artwork here this week so stay tuned! I had intended to post today but quickly lost the natural lighting so it has been delayed.

But here are some of the pics i took at the retreat to tide you over while you wait for artwork pictures. :) I have already uploaded allllll of the pics from the weekend onto the facebook page, so if you arent a fan of Scissors and the City yet on facebook you should go and check it out!

Pictures from the September Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreat

2009-10-11T21:23:00.003-07:00

I know you all have been wanting to see the pictures from the last 2009 retreat so here they are! I hope you enjoy them!

Preparing for the Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreat

2009-09-16T02:17:00.005-07:00

So I wanted to do a quick update for all of you who check my blog regularly. I haven't had much time to do any scrapping lately because I have been working on getting things together for the last 2009 Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat this weekend in Tucson! I am really looking forward to spending the weekend with what I am sure is going to be a wonderful group or crafters!

The picture is the mess I found myself working in earlier today. I apologize for the picture quality, I took it on my blackberry. Anyways, if you look closely you can see a few items that will be making an appearance in the workshop at the retreat. I am really loving the minibook we will be creating.

Is it Friday yet??? I want to get this party started! :-P And whats even more exciting is we are finalizing the 2010 dates for SATC retreats! I will post the dates as soon as we know for sure but you can expect the first 2010 retreat to be in/around March!

A CTMH Christmas Card

2009-09-08T23:49:00.002-07:00

This card was fun to make using the new paper line Jingle, evergreen stamp set, felt shapes, and glitter rub ons. Nice and simple and I think the way it all came together is fun and cheery... exactly the mood I want to be in around the holidays.

An Early Dose of Halloween

2009-09-03T17:34:00.005-07:00

If you follow my blog or even just check in on occasion you probably noticed something different right away with this post. I ditched the solid black background for my photos. I wanted to try something new... something fresh. I am not sure if I will be sticking with the colorful backgrounds or not but you can expect to see the next few posts this way. I need to give it a fair run before I decide which way I like best.

Anyway, about the artwork... Halloween is such a fun holiday and absolutely love it! I decided to make a little Halloween treat box with some friends as a workshop project on Sunday and afterwards I made a super simple Halloween card to coordinate with it. I must say, the flourish stamp with bats is probably one of my all time favorite sets and its new from CTMH.

Back to My Love of Layouts

2009-08-20T20:09:00.003-07:00

OK, so the past few posts took a little detour from what I really enjoy, which is layouts! Although I am definitely a sucker for a cute handmade box and I have fallen into the card making routine for birthdays and holidays, scrapbooking is much more fun for me. So here is a layout going all the way back to my freshman year in college. I had to do a layout to commemorate the friendship I had with these girls.
I love these clear buttons that I stitched onto the pages. They are found a few places thought the two page spread. They give just that extra bit of detail but are still "light" feeling and don't make the layout too busy since they are clear.

Whats that you see... why its stickles of course. Really, if you haven't used them yet you are missing out! They are fantastic! I wish the pictures could show you really how fabulous they are but capturing sparkle is not the easiest of tasks.

Birthday Card

2009-08-18T15:37:00.002-07:00

One of my brothers' had his birthday over the past weekend so I needed to make a card for him. I decided to keep it really simple and this was the final product. Everything, other than the staples and ribbon, are from CTMH. The stamp set is the new one, exclusive to the Jingle workshop on the go (WOTG) and the paper is from the Stardust paper pack.

By Popular Demand... Instructions on How to Make the Petite Perks Gift Box

2009-08-16T19:27:00.013-07:00

Wow, I really did not expect so many people to fall in love with my little box as much as they did. I am truly flattered! So by popular demand, here are the instructions on how to make your very own little gift box.

What You Need:

-12''x12'' piece of cardstock

-Strong adhesive

-Scoring Blade

-Paper trimmer

-Scissor

-Ribbon

-Patterned Paper

-Embellishments

Ok here are the cutting and scoring templates for the box. You will need a 4''x5.5'' piece as well as a 7.5''x9'' piece. Click on the images to enlarge them.

-Laying the larger piece so the it is 9'' from left to right, score at the following measurements: 0.5'', 1.5'', 2.5'', 6.5'', 7.5'', 8.5''.
-Now you will need to score from top to bottom. Score at: 0.5'', 2'', and 6''.
-Using your scissors or paper trimmer remove scraps from corners and cut tabs onto corners as shown in the template.
-Fold on score lines.
-Your remaining piece should look similar to this:On your smaller piece of cardstock score and cut according to this template below:
-Score 4'' from the top (leaving 1.5'' below the score line)
-Cut corners to create tab and fold on score line Now you're ready to assemble your box. The larger tabs on both pieces will become the top. Add a strong adhesive to the bottom tab of your larger piece and attach to bottom of the small piece as shown in the following picture:Add adhesive onto the two side tabs that are o.5'' and attach to the opposite side. The side of the box should look like this:Now its time for you to punch 2 hols into the top flaps. I just eyeball where I want the holes for the first flap and then use a pen to mark the spots on the second flap to ensure they overlap.Thread your ribbon from the inside of the box through the holes of the flap from the backside of the box up through the holes of both flaps as shown in the next two pictures. Now you are all set to tie the ribbon into a bow and embellish the front as you wish! Simple, right?! I am planning on making these for many occasions... Halloween filled with little treats, Christmas filled with goodies and small presents, and of course I will continue to make these to give away the CTMH petite perks in too!

Mixing the Old With the New

2009-08-14T00:43:00.006-07:00

I absolutely adore this paper pack from CTMH!!! I always love my projects when I am finished if I use this paper and this project was no excuse! The sad part though, is that this paper is retiring at the end of 2009. I know they will replace it with equally beautiful paper but this one was so perfect in my eyes already!

So you might have guessed by now that the paper is the "old" part of the title of this blog post but are you wondering what the "new" is? Well the "new" is two things... one semi-new and one BRAND NEW! Lets start with the semi-new... the stamp set I used: Thank You. It is new for 2009 although it was released in the summer idea book so it isn't brand new. It's a perfect mix of so many thank you sentiments that no matter the look you want, in this set you will surely find it.

Ok ok, now for the brand new... that's whats tucked away inside this little box. It is a small stamp set that is new in the Fall/Winter CTMH idea book coming out September 1st called Petite Perks. It such a cute set but in order to see it you will need to talk to your CTMH consultant! The best part about this stamp set is you earn it for FREE! I mean really, who doesn't love FREE!??

UofA Dead Day 2005

2009-08-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

As soon as I saw this paper I knew I just HAD to use it! It is so summery and fun and I knew right away what pictures I would put on it. The photos are from the day before finals in 2005... commonly known as dead day at UofA. Most people spend this day soaking up the sun, hanging out with friends and, if they are lucky, they don't have a final the next day to worry about.

I love the felt butterflies on this page, and the felt flower was cut from a strip of felt lace that I have had in my scrap stuff probably just about as long as these photos were sitting around waiting to be scrapped.
Oh and can you guess what my favorite part of this entire layout is? (Besides the great memories of course) I hope by now you all know the answer.... it's the stickles!!! Haha, I think I really am addicted to them. I love adding that bit of sparkle onto my layouts.

Sorority Senior Bar Crawl 2008

2009-08-03T12:11:00.005-07:00

Ok so it is about time I finish some projects from CKU right?! I mean it has been about 2 months since I attended CKU in Nashville so I thought it was time to get some photos onto a few projects. This layout was a bonus class offered during one of the nightly crops. Beth Opel was the teacher and I absolutely love this one! I am not usually in favor of collages on my layouts but this one lent itself so perfectly to my photos.

I decided my sorority senior week bar crawl was the perfect event to go onto this layout for a few reasons. First of all I thought the black, white, blue, and pops of color in the layout went beautifully with the gray shirts we wore and the dark bar and party bus atmosphere we were in. Secondly there were sooooo many pictures from that night and I wanted to include as many as a could in one layout! So there you have it!I am in LOVE with mixing and matching alphabets! The gray thickers and orange stickers were a part of the kit we were given to do the layout, the black stickers that spell crawl in this picture, and spell AEPhi on the other side of the layout were my own addition.

The cutest part of this layout, in my opinion, is the little ribbon bunching technique we learned. Using brads we were able to add just a little bit of texture and added interest to our ribbon strips!

I always love to compare what people do to make a project their own with the original so I thought I would include a picture of the layout being taught and mine so you can see the two different looks and feels accomplished using the same foundation! Neat huh?! Obviously my version is the top photo and the bottom is Beth Opel's version that she taught.

July SATC Retreat...The Monsoons Couldn't Stop Us

2009-07-27T19:45:00.003-07:00

I cant believe another Scissors and the City retreat has come and gone and that the last one for 2009 is coming up in no time! We sold out quickly for September's retreat and we have started a waiting list! There are lots of scrappers on this list hoping to get a chance to join us and if I had super powers I would magically make the crop room big enough for us all! For those of you who haven't joined us in Tucson yet or for those of you who have here are some pictures to ease your curiosity.

Beary Best Card

2009-07-04T15:34:00.005-07:00

When I first saw this stamp set of the bears in hiking boots from CTMH I knew I had to have them! I decided they were perfect for a card for my dad and inked them up right away to make it! I love using the watercolor pencils with the blending pen to color them in! For the background of this card I punched out squares of the different patterns from the Rustic Trails paper pack and quilted them together. Simple brads at the corners where the papers meet and a piece of ribbon are the finishing touches on this adorable but manly card.

Sneak Peak into Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreats

2009-06-18T14:00:00.009-07:00

With our final two scrapbooking retreats for 2009 fast approaching the excitement is building and a recent arrival of Ranger products has made our preparation even more exciting! I don't know about you but I can't get enough of the Ranger products and Tim Holtz's idea-ology line!

I guess you could call me an enabler, but I LOVE getting women hooked on stickles at almost every single retreat and soon I will be getting everyone hooked on other great products. Wanna see? Well, I am not going to reveal all the surprises but here is a look at some of the stuff you just might find in your goodie bag if you attend a Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat. Some of these items will also be prizes and we will be using some of it in workshops too. I can't wait!

Wanna check out more about Ranger, Tim Holtz, or Scissors and the City? Bellow are links to all of the websites.
http://rangerink.com/default.htm

http://www.timholtz.com/index.html

http://www.scissorsandthecity.com/

Roommates Layout Page 2

2009-06-16T00:32:00.004-07:00

I finally was able to finish the second page to this layout. After getting the pictures the right size it came together quickly. If you didn't see the blog post before this one, keep scrolling down to see it. There is where you will find all the info on what I used on this layout as well as a little back story for the layout.

The journaling on the right side of the page is just a few of the quirks of my past roomie that I thought I would like to be able to remember when I am much older. Out of the 6 roommates I had while in college I went 3 and 3.... 3 great ones and 3 awful ones! I don't think I will be doing any scrapbook pages in tribute to the bad ones anytime soon. ;) But I really enjoyed doing this layout, and I think it will be one of my favorites when I am older since it highlights someone who was a big part of my life while in college so, I think I will put one together of my other good roommate situations.

Roommates 2005 Layout

2009-06-15T14:12:00.005-07:00

Right now I only have one page done but I am working on the second page to go along with this one. I have it mainly put together but just need to get a picture or two printed before I can complete it. Don't you just hate when that happens?! I used to have a little kodak photo printer but it is broken (for the 5th time!).

This layout is from of my roomie and myself in 2005 when we moved into the sorority house. This is the only picture we took that day so on the second page to the layout I will be including a picture or two from other times when we only took one.

The paper is Good Times from CTMH and the stripes are the coordinating stickease. For the polka dot paper i just crumpled it up and then ran it through a crimper. The flowers, brads, sparkles, etc are from an assortment of brands including CTMH, Making Memories, Me and My Big Ideas, and many more! The letters came from my CKU trip... they were part of Tim Holtz's inspiration station. I am not sure what brand they are but they are silver chipboard that we distressed by sanding and inking with his Walnut Stain distress ink. And as a finishing touch I used distress stickles around the edge of the paper.

A Little Birdy Card

2009-06-08T01:35:00.001-07:00

I am normally not one to copy other's work... I usually only copy templates or instructions on unique projects... and then I twist them into something much different or more my "style" but then I stumbled upon Nichole Heady's Card and loved it so much I just had to scraplift. I changed the basic feel of the card, hers was a sailboat card that said nephew... mine obviously is a birdy card with a saying to match but her color combo and over all design was too cute not to lift!

This card was difficult to photograph though, so because of that I decided to post lots of pics on my blog. The two directly under this paragraph show that the card opens with the desert sand and cranberry paper with the white circle attached. The blue lined paper, which is from Animal Cookies is actually the inside of the card. Make sense?

This last photo shows a little more of the detail. The birdy is cut out and popped up with foam squares. I then have embossed a white circle and mounted that onto another white circle that isn't embossed. I used a white pen to draw in faux stitching along the edge of the desert sand paper. And the red scalloped trim was made with decorative scissors. Man I just LOVE this card!

Supplies Used (All CTMH unless otherwise stated):
-Cardstock: Desert Sand, Cranberry, White Daisy
-Animal Cookies patterned paper
-June Word Puzzle stamp set
-Cocoa ink
-Red alpha stickers (doodlebug)
-White rub on letters (doodlebug)
-Watercolor pencils: Dutch blue, Holiday red
-Blending pen
-White pen (other)
-Scalloped Scissors (provocraft)
-Embossing folder (cuttlebug)

Sorority Date Dash Layout

2009-06-07T07:23:00.002-07:00

Ok ok, so I still haven't worked on finishing up my CKU projects.... There is just so much to do, but maybe during the week I will work on them. Keep you fingers crossed for me! So until then here is another older layout of mine.

The words are all pop-dotted up, I know you can't tell in the picture though. The silvery/gunmetal paper is super neat. I had it for ages and can not remember who makes it but it has the weirdest feel to it, its kind of soft and delicate feeling. I bought a few other colors/textures at the same time so now that I am thinking of it maybe I will pull it out to get some use out of it! I am also perpetually looking for greek letter stickers, stamps, rub ons, you name it! The greek letters here were made at a scrapbook store in Tucson that has since closed its doors. They used to do custom laser cuts though which was great and luckily I stocked up on the greek letters before they closed down! It's so hard to find greek letters!

The pictures are from my sorority date dash, Under the Sea. Everyone dressed as pirates, mermaids, sailors, and anything else you could think of! My friend Nick even came as sponge bob!

Catalina Island Layout

2009-06-03T16:40:00.004-07:00

So I am finally back from my week in Nashville. I had a great time at CKU and I even got to spend a couple days with a college friend who showed me around downtown. Nashville is a pretty place but the humidity was strange for me... an entire can of hairspray couldn't keep my curls from falling flat! So now that I am back from CKU with tons of unfinished projects I thought I would post an old layout of mine just to keep my blog fresh. This was one of the first layouts that I had completed after the trip to Catalina Island. Once I get some of the CKU projects finished I will post those too but who knows when that will be! :)

Dad's Weekend / Icecats Game Layout

2009-05-22T07:00:00.004-07:00

Here is another layout I completed last weekend while I was away at the Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat. (I also completed 2 more 1 page layouts that I will post as soon as I finish the second page to both of them) The pictures are from my sorority's dads weekend in 2007 when we went to an Icecats (UofA mens hockey) game. I had these pictures all set to scrap for such a long time paired with different paper but, as soon as I swapped out the paper it came together rather quickly. One of my favorite details about this layout is on the left page in the striped paper I place a sticker that has all sorts of hockey words like skate, puck, ice, etc. I like how it is very subtle and only when you take time to view it will you see it!

Sorority Rush 2005 Layout

2009-05-20T00:36:00.003-07:00

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures from the retreat weekend... now for some artwork. This is one of the layouts I completed during the weekend. The pictures are pretty old, from 2005, my pre-digital camera life! So I was stuck with the few small photos that I had. This was the morning before sorority rush started when we were all getting ready and killing time in the kitchen of our sorority house. I actually still had my name tag that we had to wear during rush so I included it on my page. I love when I save memorabilia!

May's Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreat

2009-05-18T20:51:00.011-07:00

This past weekend was one of the Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat in Tucson, AZ. We had so much fun! I know that it is safe to say that everyone left not only with wonderful projects that they accomplished during the weekend retreat but, also with some new friends!

Anyone who saw the room throughout the weekend might not believe us but it did start off very clean and organized. I guess scrappers tend to have a way of creating a mess rather quickly. :)

I have many other pictures from this weekend and I was even able to complete a few layouts too which I will post on here for you to see soon. In the meantime I am getting ready to go to Nashville for CKU at the end of the month! Woo Hoo! Maybe some of you will be there too?!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T01:55:00.013-07:00

So, I know a few posts ago I said I am not a card maker, and then ever since it seems like all I have done is cards! I really think I have made more cards in the past month than I have in the past 5 years! Well I thought that since I am on a card making spree I should go with it and make my mom a mother's day card. I thought about making a really feminine card, and in fact I made one with tons of flowers on it and a picket fence but I just didn't quite like it. So, I went with this 6''x6'' card instead.

What I used (All CTMH):

-Cardstock: White Daisy, Bamboo, Crystal Blue

-Ink: Sweet Leaf, Bamboo, Crystal Blue

-Winter Craft Buttons

-Rustic Alphabet

-So Sweet Seasons

-Intrinsic Backgrounds

-Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds

-Embroidery Floss

-Sanding Kit

-Edge Distresser

Hawaiian Card Set and Holder

2009-05-06T00:21:00.012-07:00

This Hawaiian inspired card holder and card set was what I created for my summer 2009 CTMH idea book party. I love celebrating the latest idea book being released by having over some of the women who my Mom and I scrap with most often and I am always trying to come up with something new for them to do. Sometimes I do a new technique while other times its a new little project.

The card holder was super easy to make with a few adjustments to the template I was using, which I got online from another wonderful CTMH consultant, Vicki. All you need is 3 pieces of cardstock and you have you basic card holder! All you have left to do is embellish it with your favorite paper pack and add some ribbon to tie it closed! The possibilities are endless.

I chose to use the new paper line from Close to my Heart called Moon Doggie as well as the new stamp set that featured the hibiscus flower, Extreme Happiness. When I stamp flowers of any sort I almost always cut them out and attach them only in the center, this way the petals can be bent up and curved, and in this case the stamen too! I love the dimension that it gives to the project. To add a little more detail to this set I also used the texture tools from CTMH. We used the stipple brush to create a sandy look on the colonial white papers.

For the cards, each woman received a set of 4 blank cards and envelopes. I then had them create the 2 cards that I had already made. We used the Extreme Happiness stamp set again with the sentiment from For Every Occasion. On the second card we used the Footprints stamp set. I love how well this stamp set, that features shells of many types, went with the theme and paper. The other 2 cards were up to them to create using left over paper from the set.

Items used (ALL CTMH):

-Moon Doggie Paper Pack
-Extreme Happiness Stamp Set
-Footprints Stamp Set
-For Every Occasions Stamp Set
-Texture Tools Stipple Brush
-Colonial White Crocheted Ribbon-Cranberry Buttons
-Ink colors: Indian Corn Blue, Cranberry, Desert Sand, Garden Green, Colonial White
-Cardstock: Indian Corn Blue, Cranberry, Colonial White

Dinner, Dancing and Silly Faces

2009-04-26T21:48:00.008-07:00

Trying to catch up on my scrapbooking is a never ending project. I have so much from my spring break cruise in 2007 left to scrapbook alone! Not to mention my family trip to Hawaii that I have barely scrapbooked at all and so so so many other things too!

I absolutely LOVE this layout because it combines some of my favorite memories with beautiful paper and then the icing on the cake.... Stickles of course! If you have come to one of the Scissors and the City retreats then you know it doesn't take very long for me to bring out the Stickles.

The pictures are from one of the last dinners on the cruise, when the wait staff and chefs came out to dance and do the macarana with us. My friends all got up to join in and dance along and when the dancing came to an end our fun continued going. We started making silly faces in nearly every picture and then our waiter gave us the idea to use the spoons as eye wear! :-P

Happy Birthday Dad

2009-04-20T20:40:00.007-07:00

Since I was in the card making mode this weekend, and Tuesday is my Dad's birthday, I decided to make a birthday card for him. I have been wanting to use the owl from this stamp set for a while so this was a great opportunity to do so.

What I used (all CTMH unless otherwise stated.):
-Whoo Loves you stamp set
-Classmate alphabet stamp set
-Notebook paper packet
-Leather letters (unknown brand)
-Chocolate, Desert Sand, Holyhock, and Goldrush ink

Welcome Baby - Card

2009-04-18T21:43:00.007-07:00

Not often do I find myself making cards... in fact I almost never make cards. Probably because other than the occasional birthday, I don't often have a need to give cards. I also do not typically enjoy doing the same thing over and over, so the idea of making Christmas cards is low on my list of fun.

This all being said, I have purchased a few stamp sets that I fell in love with from CTMH that I haven't used because they do not fit onto any of my scrapbook pages. To me, some stamp sets are just made for cards, not scrapbooks. So, while I love these sets they sit unused in my collection. Today however, I was able to use one of my favorites because one of my friends' sister just had a baby! She had a boy but, since I was already in the card making frame of mind, I decided to make a girl version of the same card.

What I used (all CTMH unless otherwise stated):
-Nursery Bash stamp set
-Floral Tapestry Paper Pack
-Garden green and twilight ink
-Mauve Mist ink (SU!)
-Brown bag, sunflower, orchid bouquet, and crystal blue water color pencils
-Stickles

Social Butterflies Layout

2009-04-12T20:59:00.013-07:00

Well I can't say that I had the most productive weekend when I was last in Tucson with Scissors and the City, but that just means that I had a fun retreat and I am ok with that. As long as I have something that is finished I am happy.... although I am very envious of those who are able to complete tons of layouts and projects and especially those who manage to get entire albums finished!

I spent most of the weekend working on projects rather than layouts but I did manage to get one layout done. I am newly obsessed with this paper pack, Floral Tapestry, from CTMH. I wanted to do so many things with it and ended up using it on a box that is still in progress as well. As soon as i saw the patterned paper with the multicolored circles I knew it matched a necklace I had worn on a night out with some friends.

The butterflies on the page are a stamp of the month from CTMH, and to be honest I wasn't sure I liked them at first. I ended up putting them on the page because I felt like I have been in a "flower rutt" lately. So many of my pages have flowers on them so I thought to myself "ok it's time to switch it up". Once I stickled the butterflies I loved them! Stickles can make me love just about anything!

I cant take credit for the title of this layout. I had it all put together and then openly asked the entire room of women who attended the March Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreat what they would title a page of girls at a bar but somehow tie in the butterflies so they didn't feel random on the page. At first people thought I should title the page "bar flies" but then one woman tossed out the social butterfly idea and immediately i liked that much better! So thanks Susan! Perfect! Social butterflies was the perfect way to tie in the cute butterfly stamp and stay girly but completely capture a night out with my friends. Not to mention the word social perfectly fit across the page with the chipboard letters that I used.

An Inside Look at a Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreat

2009-04-09T14:19:00.016-07:00

Well first of all I need to say that I wish I had posted sooner. I had intentions of posting mid-week after our return from our March scrapbooking retreat but my computer thought differently. After loading all of my pictures of artwork and of the fun times we had my computer caught a cold. :( I have been having many issues with my laptop in 2009, even had to reformat and start from scratch but it just hasn't ever really recooperated.

Thankfully, one of the people who attended in March was able to send me her pictures from the weekend. (Thank you Donna!) So i thought i would post them here so everyone can see some of the good times and of course the major mess we created!

I had a wonderful time meeting everyone over the weekend and I saw some new and interesting ideas for everything you could imagine from ways to use tools and products to new storage ideas!

Now I am countaing down the days until our next retreat May 15-17. Right now we have 4 spaces remaining at the May event so if you are interested in coming click on the link at the top right side of my blog (right above my picture) or visit http://www.scissorsandthecity.com/city.com/

One Page Sorority Layout

2009-03-20T12:54:00.005-07:00

One week from today I will be in Tucson, AZ for one of my Scissors and the City scrapbooking retreats! I am getting so excited! I hope I will be able to catch up on some of the scrapbooking that I have fallen so far behind on. I'm also looking forward to meeting new scrappers and seeing some familiar faces again too!

In the midst of all the packing and organizing that has been going on in our house, this week I was able to do a one page layout from 2005. Yes, 2005... that is not a typo! The picture is old but that doesn't mean it shouldn't make it into my scrapbook... even if it is 4 years later. :) This was my sophomore year in college and my first time on the "other side" of sorority rush. The final night of rush at UofA is preference night. We were all glad that rush was ending because it can be an exhausting process at times but, what is even more exciting is knowing that the next day our sorority will have new pledges!

Flying Away - 2007 - Layout

2009-03-15T15:54:00.010-07:00

If you know me, you know I do not scrapbook in order. I have to scrapbook what I am in the mood for or else I end up sitting at the table, staring at the photos and paper, stuck and unable to accomplish anything for hours upon hours. While scrapbooking what I “feel like” is good for my sanity, it leaves some things unscrapped and neglected.

I have so many wonderful pictures and memories from a cruise that I went on for spring break with a group of friends in 2007 and have not even come close to getting it all in my scrapbook. We flew out of Tucson, AZ into California and set sail on a 4 day cruise. It was my junior year at UofA but two of my closest friends were seniors and about to graduate. I am so glad that I was able to take this trip with my friends and it will be one of my fondest memories from college.

College Layout - At Championship

2009-03-05T15:48:00.020-07:00

I went down to Tucson earlier this week to visit one of my friends. We spent most of our time together talking about the sorority and how things have, or in some cases have not, changed. We walked around the campus of UofA and both ended up buying some new UofA clothing! We just couldn't help ourselves!

Now that I am back in Mesa I decided to pull out my scrapbook and thought I should share one of my layouts. The pictures are from one of our many nights out at a bar in tucson called Championship. Champs’ is known for one of their drinks called a "trashcan". It is deliciously sweet and pretty green!

On this layout I used:

-Key to my heart paper packet

-Large chocolate alpha

-Creme Brulee, Sorbet, and Juniper Ink

-Colonial white brads

-Stickles on letters and on brads

Everything except the stickles are from Close to my Heart!

Scissors and the City Scrapbooking Retreats

2009-02-26T23:36:00.007-07:00

Deciding to plan scrapbooking retreats in Arizona was a crazy thought to me a year ago. My mom and dad said it was a good idea and that we should go ahead and give it a try. Well now I am officially a scrapbook retreat planner! Scissors and the City is the name of the company that I have begun with help from my parents.

2009 is going well and I am really excited for the upcoming retreats! We have some wonderful companies that have decided to sponsor us and we are also working with some fantastic stores! There are 4 events in 2009 and our first one, coming up in March, Sold out in about 1 month! May seems to be filling up just as quickly too!

I have been able to meet some really wonderful women through these events. I love seeing the different ideas, styles, and techniques that people have for their paper crafting. Not only has the business of scrapbooking been able to introduce me to many new women but it has also allowed for me to see some college friends too as I travel around to scrapbook.

Soon this blog will be the host of artwork from the workshops that I teach at our retreats. I hope everyone will enjoy seeing the creations that I come up with throughout my journey with Scissors and the City.

If you are interested in more information about the retreats visit www.scissorsandthecity.com