Sweet treat!

Hey everyone it's Cathy here with another post for The Crafty Pickle. I wanted to use some of the wonderful December/Christmas flair badges and sequins and I thought what better way to use the lovely candy striped badges then to showcase them on a layout about my daughter getting candy canes stuck in her hair. I apologize that the photos aren't at their normal quality, I ended up having to take them with my phone instead of my usual Canon camera.

Have Yourself a Scrappy Little Chirstmas

It's time for another sketch from the fantastic Sketch 'N' Scrap!  This sketch definitely got me in the Christmas spirit and the large embellishment made me remember that I had the perfect paper for it!
So here is the sketch

And here is my take on the sketch!  I flipped it vertically since the subject of my photo was facing to the right and I wanted to make sure she wasn't looking off the page.

As always we are having a contest over at Sketch 'N' Scrap so don't forget to pop on over and participate!

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Well, do you?  If there's one thing my kids love, it's building snowmen, and getting to build one in November calls for a layout.  For this layout I thought what better products to use then Crafty Pickle flair and sequins.  I used the Winter Mix sequins as well as two flair badges from the January flair set.  The royal blues were a perfect compliment to my photos and I love the pop of pink and red.  For my layout I dug deep, and I mean DEEP into my stash, there are items on this layout that I bought back around 2009-2010 that I had all about given up on ever using!  There are quite a few items that I would have purged if I had actually ever gotten around to purging, but getting to use up very old stash items just makes me feel accomplished!

The Best Crafting Tote!

If you're looking for a terrific tote for all your on the go crafting needs be sure to hop on over to The Crafty Pickle and check out this sweet offer!

Getting Creative for December

Over at Scrap Your Scraps I have 5 more prompts up to help jump start your creativity in December.  I don't know about anyone else, but I get super creative in December, but sometimes I just need to stream line my creativity, and having some prompts definitely helps me focus!  Remember to pop on over to get your prompts to get your juices flowing, and here in the meantime is my layout.

It's December, and you know what that means!

That means that the December 1st sketch is up at Sketch N Scrap, woot woot! I'm definitely feeling the pressure of the holidays, but I still love to get my scrap on, so here we go :)

Here is the wonderful sketch!

And here we go with my take on the sketch!

For my take I ended up switching the spots for the title and subtitle, it just worked better for my design, and of course I embellished the heck out of it :)

Don't forget to pop on over to check out the other team member layouts, and while you're there why not join our contest!

Feeling Crisp & Cool

Hi everyone, Cathy here with a layout I created using awesome products from The Crafty Pickle!  My layout was inspired by one I saw created by Lilith Eeckels.  I loved the way she cut the large woods paper into 3rds to create interest and divide up the image.  From there I used a variety of embellishments, including flair badges and sequins from the The Crafty Pickle and stamps from Close to my Heart.  I just love how it turned out and I am so happy with my products from The Crafty Pickle.  The flair badges are just fantastic and who doesn't love sequins right?

Blog Hop winners!

Thank you all for taking part in The Crafty Pickle Blog hop! Here are our lucky winners!

First Place goes to Kim A!

Second Place goes to Jenn C!
 
Third place goes to Shari D!

Winners, Please contact Taniesa to claim your prize  TaniesaCTMH@gmail.com and let me know which products you would like with your gift certificates!

Get inspired with Scrap Your Scraps!

Hey everyone, over at Scrap Your Scraps I've started a new series where I give you 5 prompts/ideas to jumpstart your creativity when it comes to scrapping!  Hop on over to see the full post and get your prompts.  Here is the layout I created from the prompts for the month!

November 15th Sketch!

Once again it's the middle of the month so it's time for another terrific sketch from Sketch N Scrap.  Here is a look at the sketch!

And here is my take on the sketch!

I loved this sketch and immediately knew what photos I wanted to use for it. I love when a layout comes together easily!  Remember to hop on over to Sketch N Scrap and submit your layout or card for a chance to win a fabulous prize!

Crafty Pickle Blog Hop!

Welcome to The Crafty Pickle blog hop!
Today our creative team will be sharing with you ideas on using Flair, Sequins, Close To My Heart stamps, and more.
Make sure you leave a comment on each blog as you hop along for extra chances at winning some fabulous prizes.  You have until Friday November 21st to comment and winners will be announced on Monday November 24th!
Prepare to be inspired by our awesome, creative crafty pickle team!

Thanks for visiting. Next up on the blog hop is Elodie
If you get lost along the way here is the order of the hop.
Alicia http://www.sassycardsbyalicia.blogspot.com/
Carrie http://carrieshappyscrappin.blogspot.com/
Catherine  http://catherinegmartin.blogspot.ca/
Elodie  http://scrapydoo.canalblog.com/
Joann  http://jlopezdesigns.blogspot.com/
Julia http://monjolibricolage.blogspot.ru/
Kristen http://memoriesbythepageful-kristin.blogspot.com/
Monika  http://www.made-by-monalisa.blogspot.com/
Stephanie http://www.stephanie-eaken.blogspot.com/
Treasa http://www.popdotsandlollilops.blogspot.com/
And don’t forget to go back to The Crafty Pickle blog when you’re done and comment there too! That’s 11 chances to win!
Happy Hopping!

better late than never!

So I know I'm a bit late, but I've been having a bit of a hectic week!  Anyway, on November 1st the sketch went live from Sketch 'N' Scrap and here it is!

So here is my take on the sketch!

For this layout I delved deep into my stash and grabbed some embellishments dating back to at least 2010, and possibly even older.  I have to say it felt great to use up some of that older stash, especially with all the new stuff I get I sometimes forget to go back into that older stuff.  I know some of it I will never use, and will probably donate, but some of it can be a real treasure!

Do you like pickles?

Well I do, especially when they're crafty.  That being said let me introduce you to The Crafty Pickle.  This fantastic little Etsy shop is home to some pretty awesome flair badges.  I recently did a few layouts for Scrap Your Scraps after receiving some awesome flair from The Crafty Pickle.  I loved the chance to get to work with these goodies, and I actually built two layouts around these terrific flairs!

And now to make things even more awesome I am now a part of the creative team for The Crafty Pickle!  Starting in November I will be contributing layouts and working and showcasing the awesome products featured in the shop!  It's going to be a busy holiday season for sure!

Feeling Inspired? I am!

It's October, so that means it's my month to do an inspired by sketch for Sketch N Scrap, so here is the sketch

Here is my layout using this sketch!

Remember to hop on over to Sketch N Scrap for a chance to win some great prizes!

Also this week I contributed a layout over at Scrap Your Scraps where Solange was talking about inspiration.  So I found a picture on Pinterest that inspired me to create this heart burst background.  To get this look all you need is an ink pad, a pencil with a full intact eraser, and a shape cut out.  You just continuously stamp around the cut out, going thicker closer to the edge and then dispersing as you go outwards.  I really do love how this turned out and will definitely be trying it again.

It's already October!?!?!?

Already? Really?  Well, now that time seems to be flying by like a jet plane it's time again for another Sketch N Scrap reveal.  Here is the sketch for October 1st!

And here is my take on the sketch!

This sketch was a bit of a challenge for me, especially since I didn't have any photos printed that would work for it vertically so I turned the sketch on its side and used some vertical photos I had that were just waiting to be scrapped.

As always there are prizes to be won over at Sketch N Scrap, but you can't win if you don't play, so make sure you pop on over and join us!

September 15th sketch is up!!!

I know I'm a bit late getting this up, but I've been pretty busy lately!  The September 15th sketch is up over at Sketch 'N' Scrap.  Here is the sketch!

And now for my take on the sketch.  For my interpretation I just used one photo for it, and I swear I put circles in it, just like the sketch, though I used doilies instead of circles.  I also flipped the sketch on its side so that it was going vertically.

As always there is a terrific contest going on at Sketch 'N' Scrap, but you can't win if you don't play, so head on over for all the details and guidelines.

September 1st Sketch!

So I'm a little late posting this one, but the September sketch at Sketch 'N' Scrap is now up!  Here is a look at the sketch that was released.

I have no idea but I immediately thought of doing a masculine layout when I saw this sketch, so I grabbed some photos of my son from the end of the summer last year to scrap.  Here is my take on the sketch.

This sketch worked out really well for my photos.  So much so that I pretty much stuck with it all the way, though I think my photo sizes were slightly different.  There is just something about the colours and patterns of this layout that screams "End of Summer" to me, which is exactly what it is right now!

Don't forget as always we are having a contest over at Sketch 'N' Scrap, and the more entries you put in the more chances there are to win!!!

it seems like only yesterday

      I can't believe that next week my little boy will be starting kindergarten.  I'm so excited and scared for him all at the same time.  It seems like only yesterday that he was just this tiny toddler, exploring everything he could get his hands on.  He's already acting like such an grown up that it makes me smile and giggle a just a bit.  Just like every kid he wants to grow up so fast and be a "big boy".  I must say I am loving him at this age.  Now that he is getting older there are more and more activities that we can enjoy together.  There are even shows that we now enjoy watching together that he wasn't able to watch before.  He and daddy play video games together all the time, and I can totally tell we have a bit of a nerd in the making.
       I don't know if it was nostalgia that made me grab for this photo to scrapbook, or if it was simply because it matched well with the papers I wanted to use, but I am very happy with the end result.  I had scrapped this photo previously but I ended up taking that layout apart to reuse some of the embellishments, so I figured it was about time to scrapbook it again.
This layout can also be found at Scrap Your Scraps where I contributed to a blog post about scraplifting.  This original idea came from a photo I found on Pinterest.  All the info and links can be found here

This feels almost fitting

Well since we are closing in on the end of the month, and the end of the summer season, I wanted to share a layout I created for my doodling blog post for Scrap Your Scraps.  I definitely recommend hopping on over to check out all the blog post so far, there are some pretty awesome tips and tricks there.

We are very quickly heading into my favourite time of year.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I love the fall.  I only wish it would last for more than a few months.  I love everything about it.  There is a crispness to the air that just creates nostalgia in me.  The beautiful colours of nature as she quietly goes to sleep are inspiring.  I love that the days are cool, and at night you just want to snuggle up with a cozy blanket.  I love the harvest, and everything pumpkin.  So in other words, bring on the fall!

This year marks a milestone in our little family.  My son Seth is about to enter kindergarten, and I both excited and nervous.  He is a high strung, active boy, and I'm worried he won't be able to settle down when it comes time to learn, but on the same hand I know how much he likes to learn new things, and participate in new activities.  I'm scared to leave him by himself without someone there to guide him, but I look forward to the new sense of independence this will bring him.

Thanks again for stopping by and have a crafty day!

August 15th Sketch is up!

I can't believe that August is half over!  Every time I turn around there is something else I have to do.  I barely have time to think let alone make regular blog posts, but I want to share the layout I created for the Sketch 'N' Scrap August 15th post.  Here is the sketch that I used for creating my layout.

Here is the layout I created using this sketch as a reference.

I stuck pretty close to the sketch for this one.  I replaced a few items here and there and created a makeshift banner from odds and ends.  I changed the location of the title since I didn't want to attempt to glue letter stickers over top of all those embellishments! 

As always there is a contest running over at Sketch 'N' Scrap so if you want a chance to win make sure you pop on over and check out all the details!

Feeling Inspired?

This month is my turn to contribute a layout for the August 10th "Inspired By" sketch over at the blog Sketch 'N' Scrap. I loved the sketch for this month, though I didn't have any large photos to use for it, and now with my printer broken I can't just quickly print out a new photo for every project, so I had to work with the photos I had on hand.  Here is the sketch for August 10th.

So here is my take on the sketch!  It's pretty obvious that I didn't use nearly as large a photo as was depicted in the sketch.  My photo was 4x6.  I turned the sketch on its side and moved the photo placement over so that it was more right justified.  I changed the title and journaling placement to better suit where I was going with my layout.

Remember as always there is a challenge over at Sketch 'N' Scrap with a fantastic prize, but you can't win if you don't play, so make sure to follow my link and head on over to get all the info and enter for your chance to win!

August 1st layout is up!

The latest sketch at Sketch 'N' Scrap is up as well as my contributing layout.  Here is the sketch for August 1st

And here is my contributing layout that I created from the above sketch.

This layout was so fun to create!  I decided on a whim to use a black background so that it would look like a chalkboard.  Instead of several paper layers I choose to doodle hearts on the background and then add my layers on top of that.  It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to embellish this one, but once I got started I really enjoyed adding little pieces here and there. 

As always if you want to participate in the sketch challenge over at Sketch 'N' Scrap you will have a chance to win a fantastic prize provided by our sponsor Lissa at Mighty Crafty.  Remember though, you can't win if you don't play, so make sure to pop on over to Sketch 'N' Scrap for all the rules!

Everyone Loves a Party!

Hey all!  My latest blog post is up over at Scrap Your Scraps.  This month I decided to delve into using party supplies on a layout, so I dug out all of my left over crepe paper and made a fun two page layout for Lily's first birthday!  For the complete tutorial and post hop on over to the blog, but here is the sneak peak at the finished product!

Sweet Haul!

Check out this sweet haul I got from Things That Shine.  A big thanks goes out to Ashley Calder who put together this wonderful assortment of embellies for me from her store on Etsy.  Don't forget to take a stop over at her store and check out her pretty products. She will be the sponsor for August over at Scrap Your Scraps and she is the current sponsor at Sketch N Scrap.  You can also check out her blog.

I will be using these products on an upcoming page as part of her August challenge, so stay tuned to see what I've created for her Pinterest challenge using her fantastic items.

July 15th Sketch is Up!

Hi everybody, so today is July 15th . . . well at least it is for another 2 hours, which means it's time for the July 15th sketch from Sketch 'N' Scrap!  This will be my second contribution as a design team member and so far, I've got to tell you, I am loving this.  Not only am I getting more pages done than ever before, thanks to the two wonderful blogs I belong to, but I'm getting them done with much more ease.  Having a plan of attack going into a layout means I spend less time fiddling with every little detail.  I don't always follow sketches to the letter, but I take great inspiration from them and they really help me in planning what I'm doing.

So here is the sketch from Sketch 'N' Scrap . . .

. . . and here is my take on the above sketch!

As usual I did alter the sketch a little to fit with the size and type of photo I had, but I decided to stick pretty close to home for the rest of it.  Even though this is a autumn layout I didn't use any fall themed paper or embellishments at all.  I loved the bright colours of the new washi tape I had just purchased, and how they made the black and white photo pop even more.  The stitching was done by hand, which is tedious I know, but my sewing machine hasn't worked in close to 10 years, and I don't think I'll be purchasing a new one for awhile!

Remember to check out Sketch 'N' Scrap for a chance to win some great prizes.  You can't win if you don't play.  For more information on the challenge visit the website here.