Dance of the Bored

Now, I'm no dancer, but like most girls, I took my share of dance classes in my day.  And I still appreciate the art form.  So I jumped at the chance to go to see the Hungarian National Ballet while we were in Budapest, especially since Mark would be going to the ballet for the very first time.  I should have rethought my plans when I saw they would be performing "A Midsummer's Night's Dream," which isn't very much a traditional ballet like "Swan Lake."  Needless to say, I will be hard pressed to get Mark to another performance any time soon.

Just Beautiful

Supplies: 7 gypsies Olana; Scenic Route Paper; American Crafts cardstock; Art-C Silver glitter mist; Studio Calico Mr. Huey Calico Cream; Daisy D's Beautiful rubon; Elle's Studio Collected cutouts, red banners, little tags (Handmade); K & Co Juliene Vintage label diecuts; Recollections Transparency Embellishments; Jolee's boutique stickers

I Never Win Nothin'

Some people are lucky.  My husband can win $300 at a slot machine before I can get back from the bathroom. I don't bother to buy lottery tickets any more because my luck stinks.  On the rare occaison I do win something, it makes me even more grateful for it.  I won a cruise once.  My sister claims it because she actually filled out my ticket, but I'm the one who got the phone call.

Recently, though, I've been on a little streak. The folks at Lensbaby sent me this awesome book:

Yay!  Then, a couple of days later, I won one of the prizes during Ella Publishing's awesome Spring Training event, I won one of the daily prizes!  So not only did I get 2 week's worth of awesome scrap content, I also got a prize?  Who is this girl?

I won a $50 gift card to Ormolu.  I've been wanting to try this company for a while, and well, now I have.  It's great quality, beautiful stuff, and let me tell you, $50 will go a long way in her shop!  And Kaitlin provided fantastic customer service.  So here is everything I got:

Bungalow Fabric strips, Tag Sale fabric tag sheet, Bungalow snapshots

Fact or Fiction flappers and flair buttons, dots n spots, and fabric swatches

Isn't this camera flair so stinkin' cute?

Go negative package tags, Little Labels from Bungalow and Tag Sale

Of course I couldn't wait to break open those packages and use some labels and flair.  I just love the bright colors and the clean look, and I'm going to be placing more orders of Ormolu.

American Idol

Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking vol. 5


Supplies: Studio Calico 6x6 pad, Mister Huey Calico White, Wood Veneers, Badges; Basic Grey Sweet Threads (Must Have),  Hello Luscious stitched brads; Scenic Route cardstock; Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Stain, Tiny Attacher; Pink Paislee Expressions Cushies; American Crafts Remarks; K & Co Smash tabs; Martha Stewart for Avery labels; Elle's Studio cut outs; Jolee's Boutique French General stickers; Ormolu Fact or Fiction flappers, flair buttons, fabric swatches; Queen and Co twine; My Minds Eye Miss Caroline brads

Create with Polaroids Challenge: Here Come the Brides

 One of the challenges Two Peas in a Bucket hosted for National Scrapbooking Day was to create a layout using those oh-so-popular Polaroids.  I love the Polaroid look, and have used the Polodroid app to turn several photos into the Polaroid look.  This time I used some Crate Paper and Silhouette cut frames to frame a print I cropped and some paper.

When we were in Prague, we saw many wedding couples having portraits made in front of the Astronomical Clock.  But one day we were surprised to see a whole group of brides there, and no grooms.  On closer inspection, most of the girls' dresses were being held in with clothespins and clips.  Apparently these Japanese ladies had paid for the opportunity to play bride for the day!

Here Come the Brides

Supplies: American Crafts cardstock, Thickers (Vera vinyl white); WRMK Sewn Cardstock (Buttercup); Lily Bee Memorandum (Payday); The Paper Studio printed vellum; October Afternoon 5 & Dime; Basic Grey Blush (Admire), Junebug; Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, Circa 1934;  Heidi Swapp mask (dots); Crate Paper diecuts; Glimmer Mist; Silhouette shape (Instant Photo Frame Square); Jenni Bowlin Ink (Lemon Drops, Chili Powder, Soap Powder); VersaMark ink; Clear Tops Embossing Powder (Ultra Deep Snow Fall); Lawn Fawn washi tape; Studio Calico Stamps (Adventure); Studio AE for Technique Tuesday (The Observant Traveler, Today You)

It's Astronomical

Happy Memorial Day, readers!  I hope you are having a great long weekend.  I love how right now it seems that many of the scrapbooking lines, regardless of company, have similar color schemes.  It makes it really easy to mix and match lines.  For this layout I used some old (Echo Park For the Record and Life is Good) with newer (My Minds Eye Stella and Rose), and they just came together nicely.

I realize this layout doesn't have any journaling.  I put all of my notes on an insert in a divided protector that goes next to the page.  There were lots more photos than this that I wanted to include.

Astronomical Clock

Supplies: Crate Paper Portrait (Something Blue); Martha Stewart punch; Echo Park For the Record (Apron Strings, Newsprint, Element stickers), Life is Good (The Neighborhood); October Afternoon 5 and Dime (Wax Bottles); My Minds Eye Stella and Rose Gertie Friends Forever Layered Chipboard, Gertie Delightful decorative brads, Miss Caroline Dilly Dally title; Tim Holtz Distress Ink,  mini paper clips; Studio AE for Technique Tuesday (The Observant Traveler); Elle's Studio Handmade Layers card; 7 gypsies 97% complete; K & Co Handmade adhesive gems; Studio Calico stickers (State Fair); Basic Grey Label stickers ; Sassafrass alpha (Krafty); Pink Paislee foam letters (Cushy lemon)

Some Echo Park Play

Echo Park's new line Note to Self is some kind of awesome.  I had a great time playing with this fun, retro line making a page about Ozzy the Cat and his new "friend" that visits our back porch.

 Frenemies

I realized I needed a pop of navy blue at the top of the page, but didn't want anything very wide.  Then I noticed the overprint on the borders on the sticker sheet.  The blue zig zag sticker over ran with the subtle brown stripe of the scallop, and made a perfect little banner to boot!

I used my nonstick small scissors to snip the little parts on the ends that connected it to the rest of the sticker sheet background, and voila!  A new, perfect little border sticker!

Supplies: American Crafts Cardstock, Thickers (Hatbox), Zing embossing powder ; Echo Park Note to Self (Element Stickers, Grid Dots, Arrows, Borders), Dots and Stripes Alpha Stickers, This and That Charming Brads; For the Record (Noteworthy);  My Minds Eye Miss Caroline Dolled Up 6x6 pad; the Girls' Paperie market trims (kitch); Maya Road buttons; Studio Calico Mr. Huey (Calico Cream); Tim Holtz Distress Ink  (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick); Distress Stickles

This ain't Starbucks

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER!  I'm giving away a seat in Ella publishing's Spring Training 2012!  To learn how you can win, visit this post.

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Even though its a bit shabby, everything in Budapest has that European grandeur.  Take this coffee shop for example: gilded elements, painted ceilings, and chandeliers.  And it was upstairs from basically a Barnes and Nobel.

I loved using the one bottle of October Afternoon sprinklers I own with Tim Holtz kraft resist paper.  I adapted a Sketches for Scrapbooking sketch to showcase only 3 photos and a business card, and the element on the resist paper in the center. 

 Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking vol. 5

Supplies: Crate Paper Portrait (Vintage Lace, die cuts, border stickers); Tim Holtz Kraft Resist; Core'dinations Graphic 45; Basic Grey Granola (Trail Mix), letter stickers; 7Gypsies 6x6 paper pad (Venice), 97% Complete stickers (Travel Voyage); Lily Bee letter stickers; My Minds Eye Stella and Rose Hattie "Happy" Label stickers, Gertie "Delightful" decorative brads; American Crafts Mementos ; Imagination Project Cardstock Stickers (Yesterdays Vintage Note); K and Co Die Cut; Bo Bunny  dimensional stickers, brads; Provocraft Etcetera Cardstock Stickers;  Basics by Kaisercraft Pearls; Studio Calico Mister Huey; October Afternoon Sprinklers

***For 12% off any purchase at Stop and Scrap, use the code FEATHERS***  

St. George and the Dragon

The legend of St. George and the Dragon was important in Prague and in Budapest.  I wanted to take home the beautiful jewel-encrusted box/statue at the Hungarian National Museum, but it wasn't for sale!

St. George and the Dragon









Sketch: Scrapbook Generations

Supplies: American Crafts Cardstock; Little Yellow Bicycle Pack Your Bags (Navy Schedule); Scenic Route patterned paper; Pink Paislee (Queen Bee, 365 degrees  6x6 paper pads); 7 gypsies tag kit (Family), 97% stickers (Voyage); Studio Calico Mister Huey; Spare Parts clocks, brads; Elle's Studio tag; Tim Holtz mask, tiny attacher; American Crafts Thickers (Cream Soda); Lilly Bee ABC stickers

Charles Bridge

When I start a scrapbook page, I tend to pull out papers that pull from colors in the photos.  There is tending to be a lot of yellow and red pages about our time in Prague.

Charles Bridge

Sketch: Scrapbook Generation

Supplies: American Crafts cardstock, minimarks, thickers; Basic Grey Porcelain Doulton; Crate Paper Portrait Pearls, Something Blue; border sticker; Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 Ginger, stickers; Studio Calico sticker; Heidi Swapp chipboard alpha; Colorbok diecuts; Pink Paislee wood shapes; foo fa la rub on ; Bo Bunny dimensional stickers; Martha Stewart twine; Tattered Angels Chalkboard Spray 

Grunging it up

Our latest challenge at the Pretty Paper Party is to grunge things up a little.  It may not look like it in my layout, but I've inked and sprayed, and the sticky paper is all frayed along the edges.  I love scrapping all of these old pictures!

Easter 1991














Supplies:

American Crafts Dear Lizzy (and other) patterned paper and flowers, Doodlebug buttons, Studio Calico Mr. Huey, Art-C silver spray, American Crafts number stickers, glitter letters from Target Dollar Spot.