Lynn Ghahary :: Pieces of Me ...

Two Peas In A Bucket - LOVE you

2012-01-23T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to share a new layout that went up in the Garden over at Two Peas In A Bucket today. The theme this month in the Garden is Valentine's Day so I created this loved themed layout with some recent photos of my hubby and I from a family photo shoot this past fall. While these photos were not taken on Valentine's Day they definitely fit in with the theme as they are a true reflection of the love I have for my husband.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

Most of the products on this layout are from the With Love collection by Pebbles. I love the combination of kraft with the traditional pinks and reds of Valentine's Day. I added some blue in there to spice things up a bit and it really helped my title and journaling block stand out from the rest of my layout.

You'll notice the main embellishment on my page is a large heart made up of lots of tiny punched hearts. I was inspired by one of the patterns of the papers in this collection and decided to recreate it with this large embellishment. To achieve this look I simply die cut a large heart using my Silhouette and lightly adhered the negative (or the surrounding paper) to my layout. I then punched out lots and lots of tiny hearts and filled the negative space with them. Once I was done I carefully peeled away the die cut and voila! My heart filled heart was complete!

My title was also created with my Silhouette. I cut my images twice - once in red cardstock and once in gray cardstock - and then layered them together to give the illusion of a bit more depth and dimension.

No layout of mine would be complete without label stickers from October Afternoon and some bit of stamping using my Technique Tuesday stamps (love those things!). And I just adore the tiny heart button from Pebbles - so cute!

And of course I had to use my favorite "go to" technique with all of the punched hearts on my layout - stitching them down the center and "fluffing" the sides up for dimension. I use this technique over and over again. I just love the way it looks. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Two Peas In A Bucket - Gardeners' Digest

2012-01-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody! And welcome to the first edition of the Gardeners' Digest. The Garderners' Digest is simply a monthly update from the Garden Girls, the design team at Two Peas In A Bucket. It's a place for us to share what we're currently working on, inspired by, using in our projects, etc. A little diary of sorts for you to keep up with all of us on our personal blogs as well as over at Two Peas In A Bucket.

First, I wanted to share with you a little sneak peek of one of my Garden projects for the month of January. I always have so much fun creating my projects each month, but I think this one takes the top spot in terms of favorites this month. I used lots of fun Amy Tangerine embellishments on this layout that I had been holding onto for a while now as well as some kraft tags from Ormolu and delicious red and white baker's twine from Divine Twine. Here's a little peek of my layout ...

This is a really fun and colorful layout - just the way I like 'em - and I can't wait til share the whole thing once it is up in the Garden. :)

I am always inspired by my fellow Garden Girls and I do believe that I have a serious scrappy crush on my teammate Jen Gallacher. That gal can work patterned paper like there's no tomorrow. I especially love this fun layout she created about her goals for 2012. All I've got to say is ... you go girl! Jen was also recently a guest designer over at Pebbles and created this gorgeous layout about her daughter using the Pebbles With Love collection. Just lovely!

Next I'd like to share a few recent purchases I've made from the shop at Two Peas. I'm a bit of a voyeur when it comes to scrapbook rooms and supplies. I always like to see what other people are using, how they are using it, etc. (tell me I'm not alone in this! LOL). So here are my five most recent purchases ...

Jenni Bowlin Tab Large Squeeze Punch (I think this will be GREAT for adding stamped dates, text, etc wherever I want around my projects and will work nicely with the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher)

Oyster Divine Twine (I just LOVE adding twine to my projects and Oyster was one color I had not had the chance to add to my stash as of yet ... not any more! LOL)

Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments Clear Stamp Set (You'll see me using this stamp set in an upcoming Finally Friday video. I love the versatility of the sentiments and the patterned heart and star stamps are just fantastic!)

Pebbles With Love Collection (You'll see me using this collection in several upcoming Garden projects. I love the versatility and the combination of kraft with red, pink, and white is pure heaven!)

It's Okay December Studio AE Clear Stamp Set (Of course you know I'm loving the latest release by Studio AE - I'm obsessed with these stamps! LOL)

Thanks so much for stopping by today - I hope you had fun seeing a little peek into what's been happening here in my scrap studio. Next you'll want to stop by Nancy Damiano's blog and see what she's been up to. See ya soon!

Two Peas In A Bucket - Finally Friday Video

2012-01-21T11:41:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody! I'm so excited to share another Finally Friday video with you that I created for Two Peas In A Bucket. I am still so new to this video thing but I think this video turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. I kept the camera rolling while I was putting my card together which was one of the comments I received on my last card - that people wanted to actually SEE me create. I hope you like it!

This card is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

For this card I raided my paper scrap stash to create a mini card with a mosaic look to it. This is such an easy card to create and you can easily change the look and feel of your card by swapping out different papers, sentiments, and embellishments.

And here's the trio of cards I created - all have a very different color scheme and theme just by swapping out different papers, sentiments, and embellishments.

And here's the video ...

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Basic Grey Oxford Collection

2012-01-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! I wanted to share with you a few projects I created awhile recently using some of my Basic Grey goodies. I used the Oxford collection for these projects. This is the perfect collection for all of those boyish and school themed projects.

For this layout I created a list of my little guy's favorites at the moment - from his favorite TV show to his favorite food. I loved the "what was the question?" sticker and it prompted the content for this layout.

I also created a pair of cards using this collection. These cards have a fun masculine flair to them. I created this first card with a back to school theme. I layered lots of stickers from both the Element Sticker and Titles Sticker sheets to create my focal point and added a Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clip to go with the school theme.

This next card was a lot of fun to create. I loved that "hello, my name is" sticker and just had to use it on a card. My boys are always wearing tee shirts with funny little sayings like this so I thought it only appropriate to create a card using this sticker and spelling out the word "awesome" - what little boy wouldn't want to be called that? LOL!

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Pebbles Sneak Peek - Hip Hip Hooray

2012-01-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! I've got another Pebbles sneak peek for you today. This one is from my favorite of the new releases - Hip Hip Hooray! It's a fabulous birthday/party inspired collection but can definitely be used for those everyday photos as well. SO stinkin' cute!

LOVE it! If you want to win this collection head on over to the Pebbles blog and leave a comment to be entered in a win it before you can buy it giveaway. Good luck!

Pebbles Sneak Peek - Country Picnic

2012-01-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Today I've got a sneak peek for you from the new Country Picnic collection by Pebbles. This collection is so sweet and feminine. Lots of kraft patterned papers with that soft vintage touch to them. I've already worked a bit with this collection for a few upcoming assignments and I am definitely in LOVE!

Fantastic right? If you want to win this collection head on over to the Pebbles blog and leave a comment to be entered in a win it before you can buy it giveaway. Good luck!

Two Peas In A Bucket - Brothers and Best Buddies

2012-01-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Just wanted to share a new layout that went up in the Garden over at Two Peas In A Bucket today. This layout is definitely outside of the scrappy norm for me. I'm a bright color gal at heart but but wanted to try something a bit different. I loved the idea of creating a relatively monochromatic layout so I kept my color palette to just a handful of colors - kraft, vanilla, gray, yellow, with splashes of black. I think it creates a really dramatic statement.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I used the Pebbles Fresh Goods Mom & Pop paper as the background of my layout - I love the tiny grid pattern on this paper. I splashed it with a bit of Mister Huey spray mist by Studio Calico to add a little character and tie the colors of my patterned papers together.

I die cut my title using my Silhouette and some patterned paper from the Little Black Dress collection by Basic Grey. I also added a little faux stitching underneath to really set my title apart.

I love this negative number tag from Ormolu. They are a new brand to the shop at Two Peas but they have so many fun products. This tag was perfect for this layout about my two boys and I embellished it with a few stickers from Cosmo Cricket, button from Crate Paper, and leaves from Amy Tangerine.

And of course no layout of mine seems complete these days without some type of stamped word or phrase from Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. I just LOVE these stamps! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Bella Blvd Sneak Peek - Baby Boy

2012-01-16T09:02:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again! Winter CHA is just around the corner and if you're like me it feels like Christmas all over again (and heck since my Christmas tree is STILL up it kinda does feel like Christmas around these parts! LOL). The anticipation of what new products will be released is palpable. I, for one, cannot wait to see what some of my favorite scrapbook companies have in store for us. I'll be sharing sneak peeks over the next few weeks for those companies I design for right here on my blog starting with the new Baby Boy collection by Bella Blvd. As a mama of two boys I do think I may have squealed out loud when I saw this collection. So stinkin' cute!

Pretty gosh darn cute right? If you'd like to own the Baby Boy collection before it even hits stores head on over to the Bella Blvd blog for a chance to win. Good Luck!

Finally Friday Video

2012-01-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

Yes you read that right ... a video! 2012 is bringing lots of new things to the community over at Two Peas In A Bucket and I have been asked to join in on creating videos for the weekly Finally Friday series. I'll admit that while being super excited about this new adventure I was (still am) crazy nervous. I have never created a paper crafting video before and while I love watching them I definitely have a wee bit of stage fright. You'll notice that I apparently like to talk ... A LOT! And I have a tendency to talk s-l-o-w-l-y and explain EVERYTHING! That can be a good or bad thing. I'll let you decide. ;)

This card is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

For this card I decided to create my own subway art using lots of different stamps from Technique Tuesday. I have done this before on a layout and thought it would translate nicely to a card as well. I chose a fun twist on the traditional Valentine's Day color scheme by including pink, orange, aqua, and gray. I also printed my own graph paper using this website.

And here's the video ...

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Goodies For Sale!

2012-01-05T10:38:00.002-05:00

Anyone interested in a goodie box of supplies? I’m cleaning out the scrap studio to make some room. Most of it is unused (there may be a few stickers missing here and there). Cost is $50 which includes USPS Flat Rate shipping. The boxes are all random but I’ve got lots of great companies that may be in there including American Crafts, Basic Grey, Crate Paper, Echo Park, My Mind’s Eye, October Afternoon, Pebbles, etc just to name a few. Nothing really old either – most product is from the last 1-2 years. If you’re interested just send me an email at lghahary(at)cevant(dot)com.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend. Both my boys and my hubby were home last week so it was just nuts around here. I am still trying to make heads or tails of the post-holiday mess but I figure that's what the (entire) month of January is for, right? ;)

I had a new layout go live in the Garden over at Two Peas In A Bucket today. For this layout I used the fabulous new Farmhouse collection from October Afternoon as well as the newest Studio AE release by Technique Tuesday - It's Okay.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

These photos of my boys were taken at a local arboretum - there were lots of old barns and farm equipment around and I thought they were just perfect for these products. I created a simple grid design for my layout using both a mix of black and white and color photos.

For my title I simply lined up the letter stickers across the top of my photo block. The different fonts and colors are all included in the Farmhouse collection and give a really fun feel to my layout.

I used the Studio AE stamps in a few different places around my layout - on tags, journaling blocks, etc. I am such a fan of these stamps and how easy it is to add these to layouts here and there for that easy splash of color and detail.

In other scrappy news there is a fun announcement here on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. I am just so thrilled to be joining the team at SCT as a regular contributor. Their magazine is top notch and Catherine, Becky, and the other design team members are just amazing. 2012 is definitely starting off with a bang! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Little Black Dress

2011-12-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great holiday weekend! We are still recovering from the post Christmas frenzy here but I am slowly but surely getting our house back in order. I wanted to share with you a few projects I created awhile ago using some of my Basic Grey goodies. I used the Little Black Dress collection for these projects. It's a gorgeous monochromatic collection that is really so elegant yet really versatile.

For this first layout I wanted to scrapbook a sweet photo of my sister in law Fateme and her son Kian. I asked my sister in law to write some journaling for the layout which I printed directly onto a sheet of patterned paper from the collection.

I punched out lots of different sized hearts and adhered them with dimensional adhesive at the top of my layout. I added some zig zag stitching down the center of one of the hearts that I had layered with another larger one. This is one of my favorite things to do and you'll see me do it often on my projects.

The letter stickers in this collection are just fabulous - they have a subtle weave pattern to them and this is by far my favorite Basic Grey font for stickers.

I also created two cards with this collection. This first card is based on a sketch by the amazing Becky Fleck. I loved the idea of using various strips of paper to create a pattern on my card front. The 6x6 Paper Pad is perfect for a project such as this.

For my second card I punched and layered several hearts similar to my layout above. This time I used a sentiment sticker from the 6x12 Title Stickers as the main focus of my card.

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

A very Bella birthday!

2011-12-19T06:00:00.004-05:00

Today is a very special person's birthday - the amazing owner and creative mind behind one of my favorite scrapbook company's ... Stephanie Hunt! The Bella design team decided to surprise Stephanie with a very Bella birthday blog hop. For those of you that are just joining me, you will want to be sure to start your hopping here at the Bella blog.

I created my card using a combination of new and old Bella products. I just LOVE that it is so easy to mix and match products between different collections and releases. It really helps to make sure I use those products that are in my stash while still letting me play with some brand spankin' new goodies.

Stephanie - I hope you have the happiest of birthdays and that all of your birthday wishes come true. I am so very lucky to design for your amazing company and wish you all of the best this next year.

Even thought it's Stephanie's birthday, we have some gifts for a few of you lucky readers as well! We know how generous and giving Stephanie is, and we know she would never have a fun blog hop, without a few giveaways up for grabs too. So we got permission from Robin, who works alongside Stephanie in the office, to pick TEN lucky winners, who will each receive a Bella Blvd collection. All you need to do to be entered in the random drawings, is to leave Stephanie your birthday wishes on this blog post. You have lots of opportunities to up your chances, since you can leave a comment on each blog you visit, as you go through the blog hop. There are 26 blogs, plus the Bella Blvd blog, for a total of 27 chances to get your name in the pot. We will randomly select winners, from 10 randomly chosen blogs, and announce them on Friday!

For the next stop on the blog hop please visit the super creative Julie Johnson here. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Bella Blvd Layout

2011-12-14T14:46:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I have another layout to share today. This one is using the adorable Christmas Wishes collection from Bella Blvd. This is such a fun holiday collection - I love the bright colors and fun, whimsical designs in this line. I created this layout as part of an inspiration challenge over on the Bella Blvd blog. To see the inspiration image and what some of the other Bella Blvd designers created stop by the Bella Blvd blog.

I decided to change my photos to black and white so they would not compete with the bright colors of the papers and embellishments. The inspiration image had lots of banners so I decided to create a border of banners on my layout. Creating these banners are so easy - just a few snips of my scissors and voila! I arranged some chipboard pieces along the bottom of my layout and printed out and cut my journaling into strips.

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

RC CAR love

2011-12-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a layout that went up in the Garden over at Two Peas In A Bucket yesterday. This layout uses the amazing new boy themed collection Chap from American Crafts.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

As soon as I saw these papers I knew they would be perfect for these photos I snapped of Darian this summer playing with his RC car. Darian had wanted an RC car for his birthday after seeing our neighbors playing with theirs every day. I was so happy when these papers appeared in the shop at Two Peas and snatched up the entire collection.

I used a combination of American Crafts Thickers and Silhouette die cut for my a title. I placed my title on the white space in the foreground of my main photo. This is a great way to tie elements of your layout together.

And here are a few more detail images ...

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Out Of Print

2011-12-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! I wanted to share with you a few projects I created awhile ago using some of my Basic Grey goodies. This time I chose to use the Out Of Print collection. Another pretty girly collection for this boy mama, but I loved the black interspersed throughout along with the text patterns found on so many of the different elements. Besides girly papers are a good excuse for me to scrap my sweet little niece Gia right? :)

For this layout I chose an 8 1/2 x 11 design. I like to call myself an "equal opportunity scrapper" and will often create either 8.5 x 11 or 12 x 12 layouts for my scrapbooks. I'm not really driven by the size of the layout but moreso by the design, the photos I am using, as well as the product, etc. I snapped this picture of my niece one afternoon while we were all visiting my mom's house. The black and pink in her outfit were a perfect match to the colors of the Out Of Print collection.

I also created two cards with this collection. I made use of lots of the Element Stickers for both of my cards - layering lots of the stickers together using dimensional adhesive for some pop. Banners are so trendy right now so I adhered the sentiment on my first card to a strip of solid pink paper that I snipped into a banner with my scissors.

For my second card I also used one of the die cuts found in the Pieces package to layer with my stickers. These cards came together so quickly thanks to all of the fabulous stickers in this collection.

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:23:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for each and every one of you and for your love and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Also if you are in the mood to shop today or this weekend Two Peas In A Bucket is having a 20% off sale all weekend long.

Everything in the store is 20% off along with extra special Deals of the Day! Happy Shopping! :)

Basic Grey Design Team Spotlight

2011-11-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Just a quick post today to let you know that it is my turn for the Design Team spotlight over on the Basic Grey blog. Head on over to the Basic Grey blog to learn a little more about me and for a chance to win some of my favorite Basic Grey goodies. I've got a new project to share with you too! Here's a little peek ...

To see the full project visit the Basic Grey blog! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Indie Bloom

2011-11-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! I received a box of Basic Grey goodies awhile ago but finally found the time this past week to dig in and play a bit. The first collection I chose to create with was the Indie Bloom collection. I'll be honest I was a bit scared of this collection when I first saw it - it's filled with lots of pink, purple, and flowers - three things that I are not usually found in my scrapbooking repertoire (hello?!? I have two boys! LOL). But I honestly fell in love with these papers the more and more I played with them.

For my layout I used some images from a recent family photo shoot by the talented Janine Grimm. The color of my sweater went so well with the colors in the patterned papers that it was the perfect excuse to scrap them. And I just love these photos of me and my boys. :)

I love love love the pop of black against the bright colors of this collection. It lends such a rich and sophisticated feel to the papers. These letter stickers are actually from the Capella collection but I thought they went well with this collection and I just love that script font!

This layout is about how blessed I am to be mama to my two sweet boys. I used one of the Die Cut Shapes to house my journaling and added one of the Layered Stickers to accent my writing.

And just a bit more detail - another Layered Sticker with a sentiment sticker and leaves cut from the coordinating sticker sheet included in the collection pack.

I also created two cards with this collection. The first was inspired by one of the many designs on the patterned papers included in this collection. I simply punched several squares of paper and laid them on the diagonal on a sheet of black patterned paper. A few Die Cut Shapes for my sentiment and a flower sticker (embellished with black jewels from my stash) and voila!

For my second card I used one of my Spellbinders dies to cut an oval shape from a piece of black patterned paper. I backed it with some pink patterned paper and adhered it with dimensional adhesive to my card front. I then added the sentiment sticker to a strip of purple patterned paper and adhered that on top. Again the black really makes the colors of these papers pop! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Bella Blvd - FREE Digital Printable!

2011-11-18T09:22:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Just wanted to let you know that there is a FREE digital printable over on the Bella Blvd blog just in time for Thanksgiving. You'll be able to create this gorgeous Thanksgiving mini album perfect for recording what each member of your family is thankful for during this joyous holiday.

Head on over to the Bella Blvd blog to see a step by step tutorial from Stephanie with detailed instructions on how to put your album together. At the bottom of the post you'll find links to download all of the digital printables. We hope you ENJOY them!

S'MORES

2011-11-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

Hey all! So I did not get a chance to post my second Garden layout from Two Peas In A Bucket yesterday. Sorry about that! I had the best of intentions but time just got away from me. Seems like the story of my life lately. sigh.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

My youngest son Brandon had so much fun making (and eating!) S'mores that we made at an end of season barbeque a few months ago and I just had to capture the memory on a layout. I used a combination of older and newer products from one of my favorite manufacturers October Afternoon. I love the plaid patterned paper from the Campfire collection and based my color scheme for this layout on the colors found in this great plaid.

I love these big woodgrain patterned alphabet stickers from October Afternoon. They were perfect for my big, bold title.

This label sticker is from the Sidewalks collection from October Afternoon. I love it. Really, really love it. It's the perfect size for a bit of journaling and has a fun shape and splashes of color.

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

pumpkin patch

2011-11-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I am still trying to play catch up after a crazy few weeks. We lost power for 5 days after a crazy snow storm hit our area the weekend before Halloween and then left for vacation literally the morning after it came back on. We just returned home a few days ago to a super busy weekend filled with a wedding for my cousin, a Flag Football Superbowl for my youngest, and the Jets vs Patriots game for hubby and I. Needless to say I am pooped! LOL! I do have a new layout to share with you today though. This layout went up in the Garden today over at Two Peas In A Bucket.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

For this project I focused on the Autumn Press collection by Studio Calico. These are some photos I snapped of my littlest at the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago. They were just perfect to scrap with this collection. This collection was really easy to work with. The color palette is very warm and inviting and the patterns are great for all sorts of projects not just those with an autumn theme.

I used my Silhouette to die cut my title as well as the file folders used for my journaling and my pumpkin embellishment as well. I've seriously become addicted to my Silhouette lately - I just can't get enough of it! And they've recently released a new 12" version called the Cameo that is calling my name. Hmmm ... maybe if I'm a good girl Santa will bring me one for Christmas. ;)

Well that's all from me today. Sorry for the short post - laundry and housework are calling my name. I'll have another new layout from Two Peas to share tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! First, I would like to thank all of you who left such sweet comments last week during our Garden Girl blog hop. I loved reading them and I really do appreciate all of your kind words. And now the winner of the $15 Two Peas In A Bucket Gift Card is ...

Congratulations! I will be contacting you via email shortly to finalize your prize details. :)

Two Peas In A Bucket Garden Girl Blog Hop!

2011-11-01T00:01:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the Two Peas In A Bucket Garden Girl Blog Hop! A Garden Girl is the title we receive as designers for the Two Peas website. As Garden Girls we create projects, host challenges, teach classes, and participate in events all designed to inspire your creativity. This week the Garden Girls are sponsoring special projects and giveaways on our personal blogs. Be sure to follow the list below as you hop from one blog to the next. Each Garden Girl is hosting her own giveaway so be sure to read the instructions for how you can participate in each contest. If you get lost simply either start at the beginning of the blog hop again or skip to the next blog listed below.

Wendy Sue Anderson
Julie Campbell
Jenny Chesnick
Laura Craigie
Nancy Damiano
Jennifer Gallacher
Lynn Ghahary <--- that's me!
Jen Jockisch
Shimelle Laine
Jen Martakis
Kimber McGray
Becky Novacek
Kandis Smith
Jill Sprott
Shannon Tidwell
Lisa Truesdell
Rebecca Trump
Jaime Warren
Kristina Nicolai-White

For my project I created a layout about a recent experience with my oldest son Darian and his first broken bone. I used the fantastic new Boarding Pass collection by October Afternoon. Now you may be scratching your head wondering what a travel themed collection has to do with broken bones but here's my thoughts on this one. It's okay to use a themed collection for a non-themed layout. Yep it is. Actually it's more than okay - it's awesome! It's a great way to stretch those scrap supplies and make sure that you get the most use out of your stash.

And here's the other thing - my layout is about a journey of sorts. It may not be about traveling the world or visiting some historic site, but it is about my son's passage into the world of contact sports (his first year in tackle football) and accompanying broken bones which was bound to happen sooner or later (or so I've been told by other boy mamas). Hence the title of my layout - rite of passage.

The Boarding Pass collection has a fun and vibrant color palette and lots of great embellishments. I especially love the Miscellany and the Tin Pins. The great thing about many of the bits and pieces included in the Miscellany package is that you can flip them over and use the reverse for double duty. And that's exactly what I did for the tag housing my journaling.

I also used several of the Printed Chipboard Shapes in a fun embellishment cluster near several of my photos. These shapes are so much fun and really easy to layer for lots of dimension and visual interest.

In honor of today's Garden Girl Blog Hop I am giving away a $15 Gift Card to the shop at Two Peas In A Bucket. Simply leave a comment on today's blog post to be entered to win. Comments must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, November 7th. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, November 10th so be sure to check back in to see if you're the lucky one! Now head on over to see what the talented Jen Jockisch has in store for you today. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Two Peas Challenge

2011-10-21T15:08:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I am hosting a challenge over at Two Peas In A Bucket this week and I'd love for you to take a peek and play along.

I don't know about you but my boys' Halloween costumes never seem to fall into the traditional black, purple, and orange color categories that are typical of the many Halloween collections available. Instead we seem to have lots of Spongebob yellow, Spiderman red, and Luigi green! ;) However, being the matchy matchy kinda gal that I am, I like my scrapbook products to match the colors of the photos I'm using. So what's a matchy matchy kinda gal like myself to do?

Of course one option is to simply change my photos to black & white, but there are those instances when I really want to keep my photos in color. So to accomplish this on my layout I simply choose products that represent the colors of my photos. There's no rule that says Halloween layouts must use Halloween colors or products. You can see in my layout below that I was still able to give my layout a Halloween feel through my title and my embellishments, but the "super" colors of my son's adorable Luigi costume definitely shine through.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I just LOVE these pictures of Brandon dressed up as Luigi from Super Mario Bros. last year. And boy was he proud to show off his awesome Luigi jump - "oh yeah!" - and super cute mustache. The colors in these photos were just fantastic I couldn't bear the thought of turning them black and white. So I simply embraced the colors and chose products that really highlighted my photos.

I die cut my title using my trusty Silhouette. There was no specific cut that said "Super Halloween" so I just mixed and matched two different cuts for the title I wanted. I popped up the "super" with some foam adhesive for even more dimension and added lots of star stickers for detail.

I used an Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday stamp to stamp the word "boo" on this sticker flag by Bella Blvd and added some fun brads below my journaling.

Another sticker (this time one that actually IS Halloween themed) and a few more brads added to the white space of my main photo help create a visual triangle and move the eye around my page. So there you have it. A decidedly Halloween layout using non-traditional Halloween colors. If you'd like to play along with this challenge for a chance to win a $5 Gift Card to the Two Peas store check out all the details here! Happy Haunting!

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Boy Mamas Get Ready ...

2011-10-19T14:05:00.000-04:00

Oh boy! This is one of those enabling posts but I just had to share. The American Crafts Chap collection is in the Two Peas store. If you haven't seen this collection yet here's a little peek . . .

Absolutely perfect for the boys in your life. LOVE the colors and so many great patterns. My heart is going pitter patter - I can't wait to play! ;)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-10-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your comments on my layout using the adorable Bazzill Basics Spooky & Kooky Halloween line. And the winner is ...

Congratulations! Just send me an email at lghahary(at)cevant(dot)com with your full name and mailing address and I'll get your goodies sent right out to you! :)

trick or treat

2011-10-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I have a new layout to share with you today. This layout uses the adorable new Spooky & Kooky Halloween line by Bazzill Basics. Yep, that's right, Bazzill Basics makes patterned paper now too! Pretty cool huh?

These are photos of my two boys last year on Halloween. I love that this collection has some yellow in it along with the more traditional Halloween colors of orange, black, purple and green. It really helped to tie in the colors of Darian's yellow Spongebob costume. I grounded my design on black cardstock that I splattered with some White Calico Mister Huey spray mist by Studio Calico. I then created a simple grid design which allowed me to use several different patterned papers from this line without overwhelming my photos.

The Spooky & Kooky line also includes coordinating stickers and buttons. I popped up one of the stickers with dimensional adhesive and clustered it with a button and brad to add a bit of detail to my journaling strip.

The generous folks at Bazzill Basics sent me a whole set of Spooky & Kooky goodies to give away to one of my blog readers. To be entered to win simply leave a comment on this blog post telling me what your child(ren) plan to dress up as on Halloween by Monday, October 17th at midnight EST. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday! Good luck and thanks for stopping by! :)

old school

2011-10-05T10:18:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! The other day a new Basic Scrapbook Sketch went up on the Basic Grey blog. The sketch was based on a card by my fellow design team member Rae Barthel. I was then asked to create a layout based on the sketch. I loved the idea of translating a card into a scrapbook layout as I find it is usually the other way around (layout to card). I used lots of goodies from the Oxford collection and these photos of Darian hanging out in front of an "old school" Dodge pick up we wandered upon while at the pumpkin patch last fall.

To see the sketch and Rae's card as well as some more detail images of my layout head on over to the Basic Grey blog. You can also play along with the sketch and be entered to win a Basic Grey prize pack. Check out all of the details here. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2011-10-04T18:16:00.000-04:00

Hey all! Sorry for the delay in posting the winner of the World Card Making Day giveaway. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and were able to get a little crafty. And the winner is ...

Congratulations Linda! Just send me an email at lghahary(at)cevant(dot)com with your full name and mailing address and I'll get your stamp set right out to you! :)

Happy World Card Making Day

2011-10-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Did you know that today is World Card Making Day? To celebrate I have a card to share with you and a giveaway to boot ... so keep reading! ;)

I created this card with the September Studio AE stamp set "Family Is by Ali Edwards" - this is such a versatile stamp set. I've been able to use it not only for scrapbook layouts but for cards as well. I love that!

I used the gorgeous Random collection by Crate Paper on this card. I just love the mix of patterns and colors in this collection. And that denim paper ... oh my word I love it so much!

To celebrate World Card Making Day and my stint as a guest designer for Technique Tuesday I am giving away the "Family Is by Ali Edwards" stamp set. To be entered to win simply leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you plan to do today (card making need not be involved LOL) by Monday midnight EST. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday! Good luck and enjoy your day! :)

Supplies used (click on images for links):

InLinkz.com

Bella Blvd Layouts

2011-09-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! The brand new Bella Blvd Design Team is being introduced all this week on the Bella Blvd blog and today is my turn. I just adore this company and am so thrilled to be part of their team. Their designs are just so very "me" and it is so easy for me to create with their products. Total scrappy crush that's for sure!

I created this layout using all goodies from one of the newest Bella Blvd collections - Making the Team. Oh how this sport lovin' boy mama loves this collection! The colors are just perfect and I was so excited to scrap some of these photos I took of Darian all suited up in his football uniform. Doesn't he look great? hee! And I know I've said it before but I'll say it again - I just LOVE the font of the letter stickers Bella Blvd has for each collection. It's just so fun and versatile and the perfect size for longer titles.

One of my favorite new additions to Bella Blvd's lineup of products (like my sports themed play on words there? LOL) are their Miniatures Stickers. These stickers are a great size for layering and adding those little embellishment clusters here and there.

This next layout uses a mix of several Bella Blvd collections both old and new. I love that I was able to dig into my stash and find papers and embellishments that coordinated (both in color and theme) with some of the newest products from Bella Blvd. This is a photo of my adorable little niece Gia I snapped while we were vacationing in Ocean City this summer. Isn't she such a cutie? Oh and I'm loving these alphabet stickers as well - again another super versatile font.

If you want to read some fun random facts about me hop on over to the Bella Blvd blog to check it out! Thanks for stopping by! :)

happy birthday

2011-09-26T14:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with lots of football and lots of laundry. Pretty typical of Sundays around these parts in the fall. LOL! I have a new layout to share with you today. This layout went up in the Garden today over at Two Peas. I was asked to use the new Happy Day collection from Simple Stories - this is such an fun birthday collection and I couldn't wait to use it!

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

These are some photos I took of my nephew Eli at his first birthday celebration last year. Isn't he such a cutie? The distressing on these papers is great and there are so many elements and different bits and pieces that putting this layout together was a snap. I especially love the bingo cards and flash cards included in the kit - perfect for layering with photos and stickers.

I used one of the kit stickers for my title and just added a Doodlebug button to the "i" in "birthday" for a little more detail and dimension.

I dressed up some more stickers like this cute cupcake with flag and added Doodlebug jewels as my "sprinkles."

And of course I had to add in a Technique Tuesday stamp somewhere on the layout since I'm currently obsessed with them. The "celebrate" stamp from the "Kids Are Cool" set was perfect for this birthday layout.

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

kindergarten

2011-09-22T12:25:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I have a new layout to share with you today. All this week on the Pebbles blog we've been focusing on "Back To School" themed projects. Even though Pebbles does not have a specific back to school collection it is so easy to create a themed project simply by picking products with a primary color scheme ... namely the Fresh Goods collection. This collection is definitely one of my favorites and it was just perfect for scrapping these photos of my son Brandon on his first day of kindergarten.

I just adore the woodgrain patterned papers in this collection and the kraft woodgrain was a great neutral starting part from this layout. I divided my page in half with my large title using the Typo Thickers from American Crafts. Even after many years and many new Thickers these are still some of my favorites in terms of size and font and I have many (many, many) packages of these Thickers in my stash. ;)

I love the dimensional stickers in this collection and added one near my smaller photos at the bottom of my layout to highlight my son's happy face. He seriously was just so thrilled to go to school and still is ... in fact he told me this morning that he loves school and loves his teacher. It simply made my heart melt.

I added quite a bit of journaling to this layout and printed it directly on the "B" side of the Fresh Goods Local Market patterned paper. It is a great ledger design perfect for journaling or to use as the base of a layout. And finally I added in quite a few of the toothpick flags - these are some of my favorite embellishments and are just so fun and easy to tuck here and there on a layout. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

autumn time

2011-09-19T10:29:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ours was filled with football, football, and more football! It's a good thing I love that sport! ;) I can't complain though - the weather was just gorgeous both days this weekend - crisp and breezy, but with LOTS of sunshine. Fall is definitely in the air which is perfect timing for this new layout that went up in the Garden over at Two Peas this morning.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

For this layout I created a simple photo collage of some of my favorite photos of Brandon on a beautiful autumn afternoon. I used the Farmhouse collection from Crate Paper on this layout - the warm color palette and tone on tone patterns are just perfect! Love, love, love this collection! Definitely one of my favorite releases from this past Summer CHA.

My title and leaf embellishment are cut using the Silhouette. I layered my cut leaf with some vellum and then added a bit of zig zag stitching down the center of my leaf die cut for a little detail and dimension. I think it just adds to the overall homespun feel of the layout.

And just a few more detail images - I added twine to the cute ticket sticker from Crate Paper and used a label sticker from October Afternoon to document the date along with a brad from Basic Grey. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Supplies used (click images for links):

InLinkz.com

love you

2011-09-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to share another layout I created as the September guest designer for Studio AE. For this particular layout not only did I use the September Studio AE stamp set called "Family Is by Ali Edwards" but I also used quite a few of my other Technique Tuesday stamps sets to create a fun and colorful stamped background paper.

This is my little nephew Kian - isn't he a doll? To create the background I simply gathered lots of my favorite Technique Tuesday stamps and several different colors of ink. And then I went to work! I would love to say there was some great method to this by I honestly just kept filling in and switching stamps as I went along. I love the "grafitti" look to my background and how you can read the different words and phrases popping out here and there along the edge.

I kept the rest of the layout pretty simple. I used papers and stickers from Echo Park - they have some of the best tone on tone patterns around and they are just perfect to use for just a subtle bit of detail. I printed my journaling on a journaling card (from Echo Park) and added a final stamp (from "Love Always Wins by Ali Edwards" stamp set) for my title.

Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

bowling party

2011-09-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! I had every intention of blogging yesterday but time just seemed to get away from me. Yes it was one of THOSE Mondays. LOL! In any case I had a new layout go up in the Garden yesterday at Two Peas In A Bucket that I wanted to share with you.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

For this layout I focused on using the new Happy Days collection by Echo Park. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE Echo Park fan. I think I own literally every collection they've ever created. Their patterned papers are just so much fun to work with and this collection was no exception. I loved the bright color scheme and the retro flair of the entire collection. I thought they were the perfect compliment to these photos of Darian at his bowling birthday party this past August.

Since there are so many bright colors in the patterned papers from this collection I decided to use black and white photos for my two main images while I added in smaller color photos for my supporting images. I kept things really fun and playful on this layout and used lots of the die cut stickers and colorful brads as embellishments as well. The chipboard stickers I used for my title coordinate perfectly with the aqua blue on my patterned papers and I stitched them in place to add a bit of detail (and to be sure they wouldn't fall off my layout once I slipped it into my album! LOL).

And here's a peek at some of my journaling and embellishments. You can see I used another stamp by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday (this one is from the Kids Are Cool stamp set). I just LOVE using these stamps to add a pop of color and interest to my typewritten journaling. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

September Studio AE from Technique Tuesday Blog Hop

2011-09-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! Welcome to the September Studio AE Blog Hop. I was just thrilled when I was asked to guest design for Studio AE this month. I am a huge fan of the Studio AE stamp sets (I'm a member so I get them delivered every month! LOL) and the September set is no exception. It has wonderful family themed words and phrases all written in Ali's signature handwriting. They are perfect for layouts, cards, tags, etc. Love it!

Here's what the September set "Family Is by Ali Edwards" looks like as well as the layout I created using this set ...

This is a photo I snapped of my brother, sister in law, and sweet little niece Gia on Easter morning. Aren't they such an adorable family? I used the "family is" phrase as part of my title and then stamped "father", "mother", and "daughter" on strips of paper that I cut into banners and adhered along the bottom of my photo.

Be sure to check the blogs of all taking part in the Blog Hop today . . .

Ali
Lynn Ghahary (our Studio AE Guest for September) <--- that's me!
Daniela
Nichol
Jaime
Sharyn
Laura
Teri

As a thank you for all the comments received during the hop on all eight blogs, we will pick two people to win the Message in a Banner stamp set. You don’t need to leave a comment on all the blogs to be eligible to win. But the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win.

You’ll also want to stop by the Technique Tuesday blog. Tell TT which of the Studio AE stamp sets this year has been your favorite. We’ll pick someone who comments on the Technique Tuesday blog to win the Holiday in a Box by Ali Edwards stamp set. All comments must be made by midnight PST on Sept. 12th.

Tune into the Technique Tuesday blog on Sept. 13th to see if you are one of the lucky winners. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

sweet girl

2011-09-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! All this week and next on the Pebbles blog I'll be introducing each one of our new design team members one by one. I've asked the girls to answer some fun questions to get to know each of them a little bit better and to create a project that is very typical of their scrapbook style. Yesterday was my turn on the blog so if you want to get to know what my least favorite chore is and what I wanted to be as a child check it all out here!

In the meantime I thought I'd share with you the layout I created for yesterday's post. I snapped these photos of my sweet niece Gia on Easter morning and the pink in her dress was an exact match to the pink in the Floral Lane collection. I love using a grid design on my layouts - it's an easy way to add lots of photos as well as patterned paper without overwhelming the overall look of my page.

I used quite a few of the dimensional stickers from this collection to embellish my layout. I love that they make it so easy to add lots of depth to my project. And those Button Candy Dots - oh so stinkin' cute! Here are a few detail images . . .

That's it for me today. I am trying to make sure that we have everything ready for the first day of school tomorrow. I'm excited for them both but getting a little nervous for my little guy all the same. It's so hard for me to picture him walking the halls of that big school but I know he'll do great. Wish us luck! And thanks so much for stopping by! :)

You Are My Sunshine

2011-09-05T11:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you are all enjoying a nice long weekend. We are just hanging out around the house this weekend and getting excited for school to start on Wednesday (some more so than others - hee!). School is already back in session at Two Peas In A Bucket . . . Design School that is! If you haven't checked out this free class you really should. It's a great way to learn about (or brush up on) some basic design principles and see how they can be applied to scrapbooking. Today's lesson is about Rhythm & Proportion.

Proportion usually refers to the relationship between two or more elements in a composition with respect to size, color, quantity, etc. Good proportion adds harmony and symmetry among the parts of a design as a whole, while bad proportion creates a lack of balance. Design elements are said to be "out of proportion" when the balance among the two seems wrong. For example, the elements are equally divided and therefore create monotony or the elements are too unequally divided and therefore create a lack of harmony.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I created this layout about my youngest son Brandon by playing with the proportions of the different elements on my layout - namely my title block and my photos/journaling. Playing with proportions (creating unexpectedly larger elements) is a great way to add visual interest and impact to your layout. While my title block is quite large and draws lots of attention, no one element overshadows the others despite the obvious differences in size - it is still in proportion to the other elements on my page and creates an overall harmonious feel to my project.

I created my large title block using the Silhouette and lots of different patterned papers by Echo Park, American Crafts, My Mind's Eye and Jillibean Soup. I used the striped paper from My Mind's Eye Hip Hip Hooray collection as my color inspiration and mimicked the stripes in the paper with those of my title block again playing with proportion.

I printed my journaling directly on a tag from My Mind's Eye and tucked it behind my photos along with another tag from American Crafts and date sticker from My Mind's Eye.

And finally I added a collection of stickers, brads, and jewels in the upper left corner of my photos thus creating a visual triangle with my title block and journaling. This is another design principle that I adhere to and you will see that visual triangle in nearly all of my layouts. That's it from me today - be sure to check out examples by several of my fellow Garden Girls as well as some very special guest designers here. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Survey and a Chance to WIN!

2011-09-02T11:23:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Summer is winding down around here but it seems like I've been busier than ever (hence the lack of blogging! LOL). The boys start school next Wednesday and truth be told I am looking forward to getting back into a routine and having a little peace and quiet during the day - does that make me a bad mama? Or perhaps just a bad mama for saying it out loud? hee!

In the meantime I have something fun to share with you ... a chance to win a brand new Cricut E2!

All you need to do to be entered to win is fill out this survey. You have until the end of the month and the winner will be notified on October 5th. GOOD LUCK!

Technique Tuesday Sneek Peeks!

2011-08-25T08:37:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! A few weeks ago I received an email from the amazing Teri Anderson asking if I would like to be a guest designer for Studio AE by Technique Tuesday. If you're not familiar with the Studio AE club or these stamps you'll definitely want to check it out. The stamps are just amazing and what's more I absolutely love getting a piece of happy mail each and every month delivered right to my mailbox.

I was lucky enough to work with September's Studio AE kit which I know you will all just love! Here are a few peeks of what I've created so far ...

Be sure to stop back here in September to see the full reveal! Thanks for stopping by! :)

4th of July

2011-08-22T13:58:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Okay so I know it's really the 22nd of August but today I'm sharing a new layout that just went up in the Garden today over at Two Peas. Despite being over a month and a half late I'm actually pretty timely with this layout since I usually forget to scrap our 4th of July photos til next July rolls around. Some might even say I'm early. Go me! ;)

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

The design of this layout was all about the fun subway art I used as a major element on my page and for my title. I cut the subway art using my Silhouette and some kraft cardstock from American Crafts. I then layered it on a piece of vellum and then a large polka dot patterned paper from Echo Park.

One of my favorite ways to include lots of photos on my layouts is to create a collage. I love to mix in black and white photos with my colored images. You can see that I also popped up two of my main photos (one each of my boys) with dimensional adhesive and have them extending beyond the grid of my collage. This is a fun way to draw attention as well as add some dimension and depth to your layout.

The other patterned papers on my layout are from Bella Blvd and My Mind's Eye. I veered a little from the traditional red, white, and blue color scheme by adding in some yellow but the overall feel remains patriotic and of course some star embellishments help reinforce the theme.

And I marked the year (no need to mention the date since it's the title of my layout) with a stamp from Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. Off to enjoy this unusually cool August afternoon - it's low 70s and breezy ... my favorite kind of weather! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

fLat DaRiAn

2011-08-15T15:56:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. We had non-stop rain here which I actually didn't mind - it mind time indoors to catch up on laundry, read some of my book (I'm about halfway through the second book in the Game of Thrones series and I'm loving it!), and played with paper and glue of course!

Today I wanted to share a new layout I have up in the Garden today over at Two Peas In A Bucket. Our August theme was school and I decided to create a layout to document my son Darian's experience with the Flat Stanley project this past year with his 1st grade class. This is a really fun project and we loved collecting postcards that were sent from "Flat Darian" as he traveled across the United States. I collected them all and knew I wanted to add them to a layout about his experience. I used one of the Smash pockets from K&Company to hold the postcards - it was just the right size and the perfect solution.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I went into my stash and pulled out some brightly colored papers from Echo Park and Bella Blvd. These are two of my "go to" manufacturers when I know that I want something bright and cheerful on my layouts. You can see I also added some stamps from Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday underneath my journaling. I am SO in love with these stamps - I just can't get enough - and combined with Jenni Bowlin inks they are just so easy to use.

These letters stickers from Bella Blvd are quite possibly my favorite font ever. No ... wait a second ... they ARE my favorite font ever. LOVE them! They are fun and playful and come in lots of different colors.

And a few finishing touches with stickers from October Afternoon, baker's twine from Divine Twine, and brads from Basic Grey.

Also in case you haven't heard ... the new Pebbles 2011 - 2012 Design Team has been announced over on the Pebbles blog. Thrilled to be working with such a talented group of ladies for what proves to be another amazing year. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Happy Place

2011-08-06T08:50:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a new layout that went up in the Garden this past Monday at Two Peas In A Bucket. I'm late getting this up on my blog but it's been a super crazy week here so better late than never right? ;)

This layout features my youngest son Brandon and really is about documenting his newfound love of the ocean. In the past Brandon would not even step foot in the ocean, but this year he had a completely different attitude. He loved splashing in the waves and it really was amazing to me to see the difference in his attitude from previous years.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I used the lots of papers and stickers from the Splash collection by Echo Park on this layout as well as a few papers from My Mind's Eye. I decided to create an 8.5 x 11 layout to change things up a bit and I kept the design fun, bright, and whimsical to match the mood of my journaling and title.

I just love the font of these alphabet stickers by Echo Park. They really add to the whimsy of the layout and are a great splash of color as well.

I added in a few stickers from October Afternoon - they have THE best stickers for labeling dates, places, etc. And a few scattered brads from different manufacturers as well. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Vintage Vogue Altered Photo Tray

2011-07-30T09:37:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday everyone! First things first, I have a winner to announce from my Echo Park giveaway. And the lucky gal is ...

Congratulations Rebecca! Please email me at lghahary(at)cevant(dot)com with your mailing address.

And now for another project I created as the guest designer for Glue Arts this week. Pink Paislee had some amazing releases this CHA and Vintage Vogue is hands down my favorite of the bunch. I love the color scheme and so many of the embellishments included in this collection. For my project I decided to alter a 7Gypsies photo tray with pictures I took of my brother, sister in law, and sweet little niece Gia at Easter.

I had so much fun creating each altering each of the boxes in this photo tray. Here are some close up images so you can get a better look ...

To see a complete supply list and read my step by step instructions for this project be sure to visit the Glue Arts blog. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Happy Go Lucky Cards

2011-07-29T19:09:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share a pair of cards I created today for the Pebbles blog using the Happy Go Lucky collection. This is one of my favorite Pebbles collections - I just love the fun colors and patterns! I loved the idea of pairing some of the brightly colored patterned papers against a kraft cardstock background. My first card uses the "bonus" strips that you find at the bottom of each 12 x 12 piece of paper. I simply cut the strips to varying lengths and stitched them along one edge.

My second card uses some scraps from previous projects along with one of the embossed flower stickers. I love the font of the lime green Thickers from American Crafts - they are a perfect match to the Happy Go Lucky collection.

That's it for me today. I have a brand new project using the Vintage Vogue collection from Pink Paislee to share tomorrow so be sure to check it out! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Echo Park Guest Designer plus a GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-28T07:00:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone! I am so excited to share some fun projects with you today I created as the July Guest Designer for one of my very favorite manufacturers - Echo Park! I seriously LOVE Echo Park paper. Like big time scrappy crush love. I do believe I own every single collection they have ever released. I just find their papers really easy to use and very, well, ME! LOL!

The first layout I created uses several different collections including Little Girl, Candy Shoppe, and Metropolitan. I snapped this photo of my sweet little niece Gia at her 1st birthday party a few weeks ago. She became completely overwhelmed when it came time to eat her birthday cake and let everyone know just how unhappy she was. I had to document her sweet little crying face on a layout - just look at those pouty lips! I laid my papers out in a grid design and placed them against a bright white background - I love how these colors just POP! A few splatters of coordinating colored mists, some embellishments and bright pink and white baker's twine, and this layout was done.

Summertime means lots of time outdoors enjoying the sunshine. This year we joined the local beach and were so thrilled to find out they have a water park there. On this particular day my littlest guy Brandon spent hours upon hours running through the different water features. He had so much fun! Of course I had to use the Splash collection on this layout - the colors were just perfect for my photos. I used the large wave sticker as the base for my title and popped it all up with some dimensional adhesive. I love the movement and dimension it adds to my layout.

Finally I created a trio of cards using the Country Drive collection. For my first card I used the picnic basket sticker as my inspiration. I cut out the postage stamp border from one of the journaling cards and backed it with the tiny print found on the reverse side. A little red flower to embellish my picnic basket adds a pop of color while the "a perfect day" sentiment (also cut from one of the journaling cards) finishes things off.

For my next card I just loved the adorable raspberry postage stamp sticker in the Country Drive collection so I created a mini card to highlight it's sweetness. The base for my card is a paper from the Splash collection. I love that the colors coordinate across Echo Park collections - makes it really easy to mix and match!

And finally I created this mini card using the cute little birds on a wire border strip. The two birds together and the one bird apart prompted my "miss you" sentiment. The letter stickers are from the very first Echo Park collection in my stash - Sweet Summertime. I love the fun font of these stickers!

So how about an Echo Park giveaway? If you'd like to win the adorably sweet Country Drive collection that I used to create the above cards just leave a comment on this blog post and let me know what your favorite Echo Park collection is? I will leave this contest open until Friday midnight EST and post the winner on my blog on Saturday morning. Good luck!

Glue Arts Guest Designer

2011-07-27T19:11:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! Not too long ago I was asked by the super sweet Julia Sandvoss to be a guest designer on the Glue Arts blog. They are teaming up with Pink Paislee all this week (and last) so of course I said heck yeah!

Truth be told I had never used Glue Arts products before but after designing with them this past weekend I can say without hesitation that they are fabulous. I love the size of the Glue Glider Pro and the U Cut It Foam Adhesive is just perfect for a gal like me that is addicted to dimensional adhesive. I created this altered gift box using the brand spankin' new Nantucket collection from Pink Paislee and lots of Glue Arts adhesives.

To see a complete supply list and read my step by step instructions for this project be sure to visit the Glue Arts blog. And while you're there check out another Pink Paislee project I created using the adorable Hometown Summer collection.

OC Vacation

2011-07-25T12:56:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. I am still recovering from a cold I brought home with me from Ocean City last weekend. It really took a lot out of me so much so that I lost my voice about mid-week last week. That was great fun when I was trying to yell at the boys to stop fighting. Let's just say I got really good at charades these last few days. LOL! Thankfully my voice is back although I do sound like a raspy old man when I talk at times. Kinda fun when I answer the phone and people aren't expecting it. Hee!

Okay enough about that! How about a layout share? This layout just went up in the Garden today at Two Peas In A Bucket. Our monthly theme was summer and since we had just returned home from our annual summer vacation to Ocean City I figured I would scrapbook a few of my favorite photos from the trip. Definitely the highlight of our vacation for my boys is getting to spend time with their cousins. My whole family (sister, brother, mom, etc) all go down to Ocean City together and it's such great fun to spend the week with everyone.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I used a muted color palette on this layout which is pretty unusual for me since I tend to gravitate towards bright colors. I combined lots of different patterned papers from several different manufacturers including Basic Grey, Crate Paper, Making Memories, and My Mind's Eye using the center strip with the surfboards as my color inspiration. The softer colors coordinated nicely with my beach theme and the colors in my photos.

For my title I used a sticker from the Wander collection by Basic Grey as my base. The letter stickers are also from Basic Grey (Nook & Pantry collection) - I colored them with one of my Copic markers since they were not quite the right color for my layout. I do this a lot and it is a great way to customize stickers to fit your needs. I then stamped the word "vacation" right below and slightly overlapping my stickers using Brown Sugar ink from Jenni Bowlin and the Are We There Yet stamp set by Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. I LOVE adding these stamps to my titles, journaling, etc and it's so easy to place them since they are clear.

I printed my journaling on a piece of Making Memories ledger paper that I've been hoarding for a few years now. I have an 8x8 pad of these papers and I will probably give a good, long, hard cry when they are all gone. They are just perfect for journaling! So be prepared and don't say I didn't warn you, k? ;) I added some stickers from My Mind's Eye and October Afternoon to my journaling along with a brad from Crate Paper (Toy Box collection) and a beloved mini clip from Tim Holtz.

And a few more October Afternoon stickers with the date to finish things off! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Pink Paislee Sneak Peeks!

2011-07-16T14:16:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I just returned home from a week long vacation with my family in Ocean City, NJ. We had a GREAT time - the weather was beautiful and spending time with my mom, sister, brother and their families is always a treat. While I was away the good folks at Pink Paislee were busy sharing sneak peeks of their Summer CHA releases. And what an amazing assortment of goodies it is!

If you haven’t already downloaded the Summer 2011 Look Book be sure to do so now. Just CLICK HERE to preview the entire new release including the following collections:

Mistables – shipping this month to stores
Nantucket – shipping in August
Vintage Vogue – shipping in August
Phantom – Shipping in August
Wood Shop – Shipping in August

And as if those collections were not enough to get your mouth watering and fingers itchy to play with paper and glue check out this special sneak of Pink Paislee's mid show release Snow Day set to hit stores in October 2011. Pretty cool huh? (pun intended) :)

school days

2011-07-08T21:54:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I am still so giddy from sharing my fun news about becoming a Garden Girl. Thank you all so much for the sweet comments. I appreciate it so much! If you want to get to know a little bit more about me head on over to the Garden Girl blog - you can read more about my childhood ambitions, wildest dreams, and everything in between.

I also wanted to share my first layout as a Garden Girl. I created this layout using photos of Darian from the first and last days of school this past year. Isn't it amazing how much he's grown? My journaling not only makes note of the physical changes but also how his personality has grown as well. To view this layout on Two Peas in a Bucket click here.

This layout is copyright Two Peas in a Bucket

I used lots of school themed elements on this layout from my primary color scheme to cork, staples, and mini paper clips. Oh and of course I threw in a chipboard apple for good measure. ;)

The letter stickers from Basic Grey for my title were not quite the right shade of red so I used a Copic marker to color them and make them a bit darker. This is one of my favorite techniques since I am a bit of a "matchy matchy" person when it comes to colors on my layouts.

I chose a primary color scheme using papers from Bella Blvd, My Mind's Eye, and Echo Park. The label stickers on my layout are from October Afternoon. I seriously have TONS of these label stickers. In my opinion you can never have enough and I probably use them on every single layout I create! The brads are actually old Making Memories brads from my stash. I love being able to sprinkle in some older products with my newer goodies.

And here's a fun way to add a little detail to your layout. I punched a small tag with my son's initial on it and used the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (one of my favorite tools) to staple it to a star I die cut from a cork sheet. Just something fun and unexpected. Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

New FRESH GOODS collection from Pebbles Inc!

2011-07-06T15:43:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! We've been revealing our new summer releases this week on the Pebbles blog. Check out yesterday's post here to see what's in store for the New Addition collection this summer. Today's release is my favorite of all ... Fresh Goods!

Fresh Goods was inspired by the look and feel of a frontier mercantile store. This collection is heavy on florals, dots and stripes with phrases reminiscent of vintage storefront signage. A bold color pallete and a hint of kraft paper makes Fresh Goods the perfect line for scrapbooking those nostalgic memories of yesteryear.

Here are some of Fresh Goods’ patterned papers and embellishments:

Isn't it just beautiful? And there are a lot more goodies that go along with this collection as well. I can't wait to get my hands on these gorgeous papers. And to top it off there is an amazing giveaway over on the Pebbles blog today for your chance to win this collection before it hits stores. So what are you waiting for? Get on over there and enter for your chance to win! :)

New MISTABLES collection from Pink Paislee!

2011-07-05T19:11:00.000-04:00

Hey all! I wanted to share a fun project I created with you today using the new Mistables collection from Pink Paislee. Here's some more information about Mistables ...

Mistables are high quality craft products that work perfectly with misting sprays and inks. You can convert these "blank surfaces" into a work of art by adding your own favorite colors.
These products were developed to accept misting sprays and paint mediums perfectly! They are great for scrapbooking, card making, general crafting, home decor and more!
When you combine our mistables product line with your favorite colors you will be inspired to create quick, stylish designs that are uniquely yours!

And here's a shadowbox frame I created using this fabulous new collection. And yes that shadowbox IS part of the collection - how cool is that?

And here's a closer look at some of the details ...

To see what two of my very talented fellow design team members created with the same shadowbox frame head over to the Pink Paislee blog and check it out! Thanks for stopping by!

BIG news to share!

2011-07-04T10:23:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I have some BIG news to share today. A few weeks ago I received an email from the sweet Jamie Sorenson over at Two Peas In a Bucket. I read and then reread (about a hundred times over) the message of the email. Could it be? Was Jamie really asking me if I would like to join the Garden Girl team? Two Peas is my scrappy home on the internet. It's the first place I visit each morning and the last place I visit each night. It is the end all be all for me in terms of scrappy inspiration and I have learned so much over the years from the Garden Girls and Two Peas members alike. To be a part of something so wonderful and so inspiring would be like a dream come true ...

And so, dear friends, I am here to say that dreams really do come true. I am thrilled, honored, and still a bit amazed to be joining the Garden Girl team at Two Peas In a Bucket. Now can I get a heck yeah! ;)