Call Your Local Scrapbooking Store NOW!

And tell them you NEED them to order the new Sassafras Lass line "Vintage Yummy".

My favorite samples....

Latest Layouts....

Just popping by to show some of my latest layouts... These were created for the Project Catwalk contest over at SIS TV... and I am proud to say I made it into the top 25, so I get to play in the finals! It's honestly been so fun, I wouldn't have been disappointed if I hadn't made it. Ok, maybe a little disappointed! :)

On this page I used Tim Holtz's metal numbers and spray painted them to give them a new look.



This layout features a layer I created by weaving strips of a cut page protectors into a square and sewing the edges.


I used a Goody Brand barrette and a bento food pick as an embellishment too... see!


For this page I cased this amazing layout by my online pal mrschez. It features a little vintage pin that I found at a thrift store... it says "I ride the bus"... how cute is that?

Layouts For Your Viewing Pleasure...

I be scrappin' yo!

This first layout reminds me of the wallpaper in my childhood bedroom... it was all stripy and patterned and WILD. Isn't my kitty cute?

This sweet little birdie is a Martha Stewart Crafts Punch... from Walmart. The little Orange Love Birdies are a Goody barrette.


This is my little friend Scooter. Could be BE any cuter!?!




Thanks for looking!

Anderson starts pre-school tomorrow. Wish me luck in waking up on time... I think this is going to be a bigger test for mommy!

Project Catwalk... Week Three

Ok, I am still playing Project Catwalk over at SIS TV... even though at this point I think it would be impossible for me to win mathematically.

Hopefully you are watching Project Runway... and you know that while Keith's dress was in the bottom three, it would have made a cool scrapbook page. He used a wet newspaper as his inspiration.


So I used a bunch of Japanese newspaper squares as my inspiration... and I Mod Podged them in place with matte finished MP. I used a Dymo labeler to create the journaling.


The picture I used is of me at age 4ish... aren't I cute! I see so much of my son in this picture. Boy I wish I still had that Fisher Price Camera!


Edited to add: how hilarious is this... I was selected as one of the winners for this week! Miss Kayla Aimee chose me for her fave... and I could not be more thrilled! Thanks everyone!

More From the Digi Front...

Yes... it's the scrapblog again. I fear I may be addicted! it's just so easy to put a cool layout together while you are sitting in front of the TV... or chatting on the phone. I used to swear I would NEVER go digi... and well, here I am. Digiing it up all over the place!

What's so rad about SB is that you don't need any editing software... and it's so easy! Here are some VERY basic tips I have learned over there at scrapblog, if you decide to give it a whirl...

1. Drop shadows are the key to making your images pop... but some graphics look great without the shadow... then they look more like a rub on or stamp.

2. Experiment with editing your pictures with SB... My faves are BOOST and vignette... Antique is cool too! Play with using multiple treatments.

3. Stickers can go anywhere! In the layout below I used a photo corner under the word love... in the "baby likes the wall" layout... the journaling is done on a scrap sticker that is really a frame. I just hid the frame part behind the picture. Overlapping stickers can create new looks too... like in the layout below I stitched on top of a scrap of notebook paper to create a whole new embellishment.

4. Play with the opacity of your stickers... let the background show through. Think of how a piece of notebook paper or strip of masking tape would really look when laid over a piece of patterned paper, and mimic that by adjusting the opacity.

5. make your own background papers by layering papers on top of each other. Select a background from the background section... and then choose background STICKERS to lay in full over the top... then adjust the OPACITY of those stickers. In the layout below I used a sticker to create the distressing around the sides... then I took that same sticker, rotated it to vary the pattern and used that as a THIRD layer. In the last layout I used a very bright blue (with stars) for the background... and then layered a light beige background sticker over the top... and lightened up the opacity. to create a blended look.

6. Are you looking for the nifty Audrey Neal Digi kits (as seen in my 2nd and 3rd layouts above) that are availible for free in Scrapblog??? Well, you can ONLY find them if you access Scrapblog via Scrap in Style TV... HERE... look all the way at the bottom for the little button on the left...

What... you aren't a member yet of Scrap in Style TV? well sign up... that's were all the fun is happenin'! And when you do sign up, find me and say hello! I am staramaze (there and everywhere).

Stay tuned for some cool shots of my new fave store... Craft Fancy!

I Be Scrappin Yo!

So I've been bleaching stuff... my hair, T-shirts, paper... The look on this page was created by sponging a 50% bleach solution on a scrolly stamp... bleaching out the image (just wait or use a heat tool to dry)... then I watercolored with a bright pink dye ink.

The other images were stamped in with the same color ink... Positively pink by SU! in this case. Then I used a blue glaze pen and a spica copic glitter pen to doodle on the paper further. Gold Glitter Thickers top it off.

Photo by Kim Brimhall.



This page was created with a kit Martha made for me ages ago... Oh how I miss my little baby! 31/2 is too old!

Scrappy Goodness

Just some proof I have been scrapbooking! I am so in lust with this alphabet set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. It's it the coolest?

This is a 12X12 layout... I stamped my title in black... and used Copics to tint... American Crafts... made the stars... Stampin up! chipboard for the flower and circle... I used Love Elsie papers... and these cute little circle stickers from Borders of all places... they are super shiny and I love a good DOT.

See the corner of my doodled frame peeking into this picture? I doodled it on Velum with Sakura glaze pens... I am very happy with the result.

It's a little busy... but I suppose I'm an all or nothing sort of gal.

I Be Scrappin'

So these new Kitchen Sink Stamps are making me feel all Scrappy! Scrapbooking is how I initially got into papercrafts... and while I feel that card making is my new and permanent love... I have a soft spot in my heart for the scrapped page. I also have BOXED of pictures that constantly call out to me; "put me on paper!"

I love this KSS alphabet... it's actually two stamp sets layered; Playful Alphabet and Playful Alphabet Basics... and because they are clear stamps they layering process is super easy! And the font is so cool and universal... I know I will love it for a LONG time.

I love this picture of my Son Anderson... this was taken at a wonderful Art School/Gallery In North Carolina (I forget the name!) The leaves were perfect, the light was ideal and Andy was running around the yard loving the weather and I thought this bright Orange Chair just yelled "AUTUMN!"

All stamps by Kitchen Sink Stamps except dots which are created with a pencil eraser.Paper; Sahara Sand Base Paper, Patterned Papers by American Crafts. Ink; Really Rust (SU!), Sky Blue, Sunflower, Chocolate, Graphite Black (Brilliance Dew Drops). Accessories: Wide Black Grosgrain by unknown maker.

One last thing... as a little gift to all my regular readers... especially those who leave comments... I have three little holiday stamping kits put together... Some Christmas $1 stamps, KI 8X8 papers and some Christmas ribbons. I thought it'd be fun to pick three comments randomly from all the posts in November and December... and on the 12th I will pick three of them randomly to send a little gifty! You will receive them in plenty of time for Christmas... they would be perfect to make gift tags with! So feel free to leave on a comment on any post on December or November to participate. It's not too late! Again... I will select the winners on 12/12. Be sure to check back to see if you won!

Thanks for reading!

Scrapping Weekend!

I am trying to scrap! It's been YEARS since I have scrapped with any regularity... and I am trying to get back in the swing of things. My pal Martha turned me onto a new Blog Collective; "Category Stories"... and so I am trying to keep up with their challenges to help kick start my creativity. This first challenge was to scrap a CRUSH... so here is my first crush...

OK... you can stop laughing at me now... Yes it's Gopher from The Loveboat. Isn't he dreamy!?!

This weekend I am off on a scrap/stamp retreat at a B&B in Wisconsin with some Splitcoast pals... more on that later... including pictures of Meg Schumaker in her pajama's (just kidding) We are already having a blast... and eating WAY too much!