Santa Monica Pier

My parents are visiting and it is always so much fun to spend time with them. We were invited by my dad's friend for lunch at Santa Monica a few weeks back. We then ended up going to the Santa Monica Pier. I didn't take my camera with me, but thanks to my iphone and instagram, I got a whole bunch of photos. Since the whole even is so fresh in my mind, I could document it better. Most of the time I end up scrapbooking older events and don't remember the whole deal.
I had a lot of fun making this layout. I got so many new tools over the last few weeks. I finally got my Silhouette Cameo even though I didn't use it on this layout. I can't wait to make some cool layouts with it. I also got my two lucky 8 punches. I did use the Retro scallop punch on this layout. I love the interest and dimension that it adds to the layout. I also was the lucky random winner over at Kiwi Lanes a couple of times, so I got gift certificates to their store. So I bought a bunch of templates from them. I used the Tags templates on this layout. They were perfect for all the documenting I wanted to do. I also got some stamps from Unity stamps. So I did some stamping and embossing. As I said, that was a lot of fun. Now, I totally need to stop buying more stuff. I think I have amassed enough stuff to keep me going for the next couple of years :)

Here is my layout:

 

 

I used the following products to make this layout:

 

• Cardstock : DCWV
• Retro Scallop Punch: Lucky 8 Punch from We R Memory Keepers
• Stamping Ink: ColorBox petal point
• Clear Embossing Powder: Recollections
• Templates for the Tags : Kiwi Lane Design Templates - Tags 1 and 2
• Twine: Follow your heart - MME
• RhineStones: Lush - MME
• Glitter Letter Stickers: American Crafts
• When Stamp : Hero Arts
• Written in clouds stamp : My Little Shoebox and Unity
• He She stamp : Unity

Here is a closer look at some of the embossing:

 

I used the color combination which I loved from Challenge #19 of Color Me Scrappy:



Do check out the gorgeous layouts by the DT of Color Me Scrappy.

I am also entering the Picture Perfect Challenge from Kiwi Lanes which required using 12 photos. I used the Tags templates from Kiwi Lanes. I love how easily the shapes come together with these templates.

I entering this layout for the Paper Girls Challenge #21 - use multiple photos.

I also made this layout for MCM #3 from scrapbook steals. I had to use embossing powders. I stamped and embossed parts of the layout.

100% boy

Yes, Surya is a 100% boy! He is two and half years old and all over the place, so active, and running around all the time. It is hard to keep him in one place!
Having said that, can you believe that the photographer actually got him to pose the way he did in the photos. I was blown away when I saw these photos. First of all they are amazing and on top of that the poses. I totally love them. These were taken at Surya's preschool by a professional photographer from lifetouch photography.

I made this layout for scrapbooksteals - coral 10. I changed the sketch a little bit because I only had a big vertical photo and not a horizontal one.

 

I used the following products:

• Patterned Cardstock: MME - alphabet soup
• Plain White Cardstock: DCVW
• Twine: MME - fun day
• Buttons: Basic Grey
• Sticker: Fancy Pants - Back to school
• Cricut Cartridge - George and basic shapes

 

Here is the sketch by talented Kerys, the designer from Scrapbook Steals:

 

 



 

Thankful

I made this layout for Kiwi Lane Designs - Title fight (Thankful) and for Color Me Scrappy Challenge - 18.

I had a lot of fun using my new templates that I bought from Kiwi lanes - rings and scallops. I cut out the rings from the Kraft and and stuck some green cardstock behind the Kraft to give it some interesting dimension. I also tried another technique for my journaling - I scored the Kraft cardstock so that I have subtle lines as guides for my journaling.

I used Arjun's photos taken all during a visit from one of my close friends and my brother. We went to a bunch of places in and around Santa Barbara. I got to capture the beauty in this area. I am thankful that all of this is accessible to me everyday and I am surrounded by this beauty.

Here is my layout:

I used the following products to may my layout:

• Cardstock - Recollections
• Buttons - Basic Grey
• Cricut Cartridge - Plantin Schoolbook
• Martha Stewart Scoring system
• Kiwi Lane Design Templates - Rings 1 and 2 and Scallops 1A

Here is the color scheme from color me scrappy:

Hope you enjoyed it because I totally enjoyed making this layout.

 

My Sun

I made this layout just for fun and also for submitting to Kiwi Lane Designs DT call. I call this post My Sun because I made this layout with Surya's photo. Surya means the 'Sun'. I simply love this photo. I clicked it with my iPhone when he was looking at himself with it. I then put it through instagram. Did you know that you could apply multiple filters on the same photo. So I put it through the black and white filter first and saved the photo and then I selected this photo and applied another filter(unfortunately, I don't remember the name of that filter). I totally love this effect. It gave the black and white photo a yellow hue.
 I the Abbey Road templates to create the look of rays emanating from the photo - sun you see - get it....
I did a little backstitch with twine along the rays to provide some interest and stuck some gems to carry the eye along the rays. I cut out hearts from a vellum sheet with Sweetheart template and stuck them behind the photo. I didn't want to give them clear definition, I wanted them to have an ethereal look.

Here is may layout:

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it.
 

Pumpkin Patch

I know should have made a layout of our latest trip to the pumpkin patch, but instead I decided to make one of Arjun's first visit to the patch in 2007. I think this was also my first visit to the patch. We never had the concept of a pumpkin patch when I was growing up in India nor did I ever get the chance to go to one before I had kids. So I was as amazed as he was, maybe more. The sheer number of pumpkins and the size of the them blew me away. We went to the patch with the families of Arjun's little friends. I must have clicked a 100 photos or maybe more. It was such a fun experience. I am so glad that I finally got this done. I was wanting to make a layout of this trip for years now.

Here is my layout:

I used the following products to make this layout:

Kiwi Lane Design Templates: Abbey Road and Sweetheart
Patterned paper and stickers : American Crafts - pumpkin patch
Washi sheet : We R Memory Keepers

I had super fun making this layout with 11 photos for the Kiwi Lane Designs - Picture Perfect Challenge for November. Check out the link - I actually won the random drawing for this challenge. I can't wait to spend my loot to get more fun KLD templates.

Coral - layout 8

Here is my layout for coral 8. I made this layout based on a sketch from scrapbook steals.

Here is my layout using Pink Paislee - Prairie hill collection. I couldn't get a very good photo of the  layout. It was quite late in the night. The flash killed it. Hopefully I can replace this with a better photo tomorrow.

 

Here is the sketch from scrapbook steals:

 

Color Me Scrappy Challenge 16

The colors in this challenge were kind of interesting. This is not my favorite color combination. But when I started looking for photos, I think I found exactly the right photos to use for this challenge. I really like the way this layout turned out in the end - if I say so myself.

I have made this pinwheel layout of photos before. But my previous layout consisted of 4x6 photos ( 2 vertical and 2 horizontal) and that took up the whole 12x12 page. This time I wanted to use smaller photos so that I could show off my background. I used Kiwi Lane templates again to make the background and for the journaling block. The background came together so quickly. I also misted it with Mister Huey's Mist.

For this challenge we also had to use the word enter either in the title or journaling. I used it in the journaling as these photos were taken in a cute little nook as we were going to enter the Monterey Bay aquarium.

For this layout I also used hemp as an accent in a few areas . To create the circular element in the center of the pinwheel, I first ran base circular cardstock through Xyron Sticker Maker. I then started twisting the hemp on the base into a spiral. It is hard to start the spiral but once a couple of rounds are done, it gets super easy. Along the way I used paper glaze to hold the spirals in place. At the end I added some paper glaze and held on to the edge with my fingers for some time so that the spiral remains intact.

Here is my layout:

I used the following products to make this layout:

• ColorBox pigment inks
• DCWV cardstock - Neutrals and Summer Bright
• Recollections cardstock
• KLD templates - Abbey road and Sweetheart
• Hemp
• Xyron Sticker Maker
• American Crafts Border Knock Out punch
• Alene's paper glaze
• Mister Huey's Mist - Water cooler

Here is the color combination that we had to use:

Do stop by at Color Me Scrappy blog and check out the wonderful inspiration by the DT members.

Thank you card

The sketch from Annabelle stamps for this challenge was quite interesting. I have never made a card like this before. I really needed the DT inspiration for this one. And boy, did I get quite a bit of it. I really loved all their interpretations. I decided to use fall colors for this thank you card. I also stamped and embossed the sentiment. I used the American crafts knockout border punch to get the scallops. I don't seem to get enough of this punch. I embossed the edges of the card with cuttlebug to give it some interest and dimension.

Here is my take on the sketch:

Products used for this project:

• Cardstock: Recollections - Spice Market
• Embossing powder: Clear embossing powder by recollections
• American crafts knockout border punch
• Cuttle bug - Don't know the name of the border embossing folder
• Stamps - Teresa Collins
• Ink - ColorBox

Here is the sketch from annabelle stamps:

I am also entering this card at Paper Girls Challenge. The theme for this challenge is Thank You. Stop by at both the websites and check out the amazing work done by both the design teams.
 

CAS(E) this sketch - Challenge 4

 

Here is the cool sketch from CAS this sketch. Very simple and clean.

 

Here is my take on it. I used Kiwi Lane templates (Sweetheart) to draw the flowers with VersaMarker on Kraft paper and stamped the sentiment with StazOn black ink.

AC146 - Annabelle Stamps Challenge

Woo hoo! The previous card that I made for annabelle stamps made it to the top three shares - that was pretty cool. Check out that card here.

The DT members of annabelle stamps encouraged me to check out the ning site for annabelle stamps and I did. There are tons of tutorials with regards to stamping there. I totally enjoyed going through them. I plan to keep going back.

This time, it was a color challenge at annabelle stamps. Loved the colors. I decided to do some Prismacolor pencil coloring again. I stamped the boats on Kraft, colored them and cut them and then stuck them on to the main card. For the water I used a template from Kiwi Lane Designs and drew the outline with VersaMarker. I stamped the sentiment with StazOn black ink.

Here is my card:

This is the color pallette at Annabelle stamps:

Do check out the beautiful creations by the design team at annabelle stamps.
 

That's Me

I have been making so many layouts of my kids that this time I decided to make a layout of myself. I found this photo of mine where I was actually dressed in a Saree which somehow does not happen too often.
I used Kiwi lane designs templates and American Crafts knockout border punches to make this layout. I enjoyed using KLD templates for the first time. I could put this layout together really fast.

I made this layout for Color Me Scrappy challenge 15. We had to use a sketch and a color palette for this challenge.

Here is my layout:

 

Products used for this layout:

 

• Patterned Paper: Teressa Collins - Fabrications
• Title Stickers: Making Memories - glitter bling
• Rhinestones: My Mind's eye
• American Crafts border knockout punches
• Kiwi Lane Design Templates : Abbie Road 3A and Sweetheart 4

 This was the color palette from color me scrappy -

This was the sketch by Christina Collins - one of the DT members of  color me scrappy -

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed making this layout. Hope you enjoyed it too.

 

CAS-ual Fridays CFC-76

The challenge at CAS this week is to use Kraft. I just love coloring with Prismacolor on Kraft these days. So here is my take on the challenge.

I first stamped the flower and the sentiment with StazOn ink. I then went in and colored the flower with Prismacolor pencils. I love how the colors look on Kraft.

Products used for this project:

• Kraft cardstock : Recollections
• Yellow cardstock: DCVW
• Flower Stamp:Stampendous
• Thank You Stamp:Stamps etc
• Black Ink: StazOn ink

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it. Check the challenge out at CAS-ual Fridays.

Helicopter Ride

Here is my take on Coral 6. I changed it out a little bit by making it a two pager and using some bigger photos. I also increased the angle a little more. I wanted to use my Pink Paislee - Prairie hill paper that already had slant lines. So I just stuck to the angle of the paper. I had to do a little less measuring because of that.
I continued using the photos from our trip to the Grand Canyon. If I can get two more layouts in, I will be able to finish this series. That will be satisfying.
For this layout, I used two new tools - American crafts - knockout border punches and the Making memories - Tag Maker. I had fun using both of these tools. For one of the tags, I cut out the shipping tags from the paper collection and made it into a tag.
Here is my layout:

 

I used 3 of the 6 new punches because I couldn't stop. But I do love that effect.



 

Here are the products that I used:



• American Crafts - Knockout border punches
• Making memories - Tag makes
• Pink Paislee - Prairie Hill
• Plain Cardstock - Recollections

Here is the sketch from scrapbook steals:

 

 

Another little card

I am not really big into making cards but more into scrapbooking. But don't both the arts go hand in hand.....
Here is another simple card I made to play along annabelle stamps and Paper girls challenge.

I first stamped all the shapes with pigment ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder. Then I stuck washi tape as the vertical element.

Products used:

• Cardstock : Recollections
• Ink : Pigment ink from Color Box
• Stamps: Teressa Collins - Giving Thanks and Kelly Panacci
• Embossing Powder - Clear embossing powder - Recollections
• Washi tape - My Mind's eye - Indie Chic

Here is the inspiration from paper girls:

 

 

Here is the sketch from annabelle stamps:

 

 



P.S. I desperately need to improve my stamping skills....If there are some simple tricks that you know of, do leave me your comments.

 







 

Coral 5

I can't believe this is the last sketch by Kristy Lee for Scrapbook Steals as their designer. I will miss her sketches and inspiration every week. I think I got back into scrapbooking after a long break because of her inspiring work.
I loved her layout this week. Totally inspiring. I love circular elements on a page. We seem to be having a series of them over the last few weeks and I am thoroughly enjoying creating them.
This week I made a two pager out of the sketch. I made a layout of our trip to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. We stayed in Vegas and took a little day trip to the Grand Canyon. Interestingly it snowed there that morning in April which was a very very rare occurrence. It was cold on top of the Canyon and then we went down the canyon for a boat ride in the Colorado River and it was so hot. We also went on helicopter ride... actually that's how we got to the bottom of the canyon. I need to make more layouts of this fun trip.

Here is my layout for this week:



 



Materials used:

• Plain Cardstock : Recollections and Core'dinations
• Patterned paper and Stickers: Pink Paislee- Prairie hill
• Stamps: Hero Arts and Pink Paislee
• Inks : Versamark and Staz On - black
• Cartridges: Graphically speaking and George and basic shapes

 Here is the sketch form ScrapbookSteals:



Kid's card

I made a very very simple card with Kraft cardstock. Right now the thing I love to do the most is coloring with Prismacolor pencils on Kraft cardstock. I have a set of only 12 pencils. It is high time that I get myself a bigger set. For this card I stamped 3 teddy bears with versamark ink and the one with black StazOn ink. I colored that one with prismacolor pencils. I also stamped the 'Happy Birthday' sentiment with StazOn ink. Personally I love the simplicity of the card... hope you like it too. I have to say that every part of this card is inspired by Danielle Daw's work.

Here is my card:

I am submitting this card for the Kid's card challenge at Annabelle Stamps:

 

Love your eyes

I decided to make a layout of little Surya's eyes. I love how expressive they are. I combined two challenges for this layout. Coral #4 from Scrapbook Steals and Color Me Scrappy #14. I decided to use Follow your heart collection from My Mind's eye. I love the subtle colors and patterns. I think these papers really help the photo to pop.

Here is my layout: 

 

Here is the sketch by extremely talented Kristy Lee from Scrapbook Steals:

 

Here is the color scheme from Color Me Scrappy:

 

 

Make sure to check out the work by Color Me Scrappy DT.

 

 

 

 

CMS -13

I have a first here on this layout - I stamped with StazOn ink on kraft cardstock and colored it with Prismacolor pencils. It was super fun. It has been ages since I have colored anything.
For this layout I had a super big photo that I cut down little bit to fit on a 12x12 cardstock. I cut out 2x2 squares from kraft cardstock and stamped images on them and colored them to match the color combination for this challenge.
Here is my layout:

 

 

Here is a closer look at the colored images:

 

I did some shading with darker colors and merged the colors back with the lighter base shade.

Here is the color combination from color me scrappy:

Check out the layouts of the super talented DT of color me scrappy.

At the Beach

Did I already write that I love the 100 days of Summer - Simple Stories collection? Well even if I did here we go again - I love that collection. It is perfect for a summer layout and I love the saturated colors.
I made a layout of my little one with this collection at the beach. It helps me capture the fun moments perfectly.
I did some embossing on this layout. I stamped and embossed the white background with the  blue color and stamped and embossed the blue accents with white color on the top. It is so much fun playing around with colors and techniques.
One of my firsts is to actually use a transparency on the layout. This collection comes with a few transparencies. I attached the transparency on the center photo with some brads. The overlay matched the theme perfectly. I am happy to play along Paper Girls Challenge # 17  which requires the usage of a transparent element on the layout.
I am also playing along the Scrapbook Steals sketch challenge - Coral 3.

Here is my layout:

Here is the sketch from scrapbook steals:

 

Perfectly Pearl

This is my second complete series of 10 mid week mojos for scrapbook steals. Here are my 10 perfect pearls. Hope you like them....

Pearl 1

 

Pearl 2

 

Pearl 3

 

Pearl 4

 

Pearl 5

 

Pearl 6

 

Pearl 7

 

Pearl 8

 

Pearl 9

 

Pearl 10