Challenge #8: Chipboard & Fall Colours

I LOVE FALL COLOURS! Reds, orange, yellow, brown... all such beautiful, earthy tones!

Last year my good friend got married in October...and her colours were so gorgeous! I couldn't resist using them for this week's Lasting Memories challenge... "Chipboard & Fall Colours."

Willow's GORGEOUS wedding photos!

 I printed the text off of the computer in a dark brown shade to matcht the rest of the paper. The leaves are all punched out cardstock, and were actually decorations that were sprinkled all over the tables at the reception. I love to re-use pieces of memorabilia from events... I think it makes the page that much more personal and special. 

 I used a black photo-safe pen to "fake-stitch" are the patch work assembly of pictures on the right page, and around the single photo on the left page. I also added a little bit of dimension (hard to see in these photos) by "pop-dotting" the words to raise them away from the page.

 

I think this is one of my favourite layouts that I have ever done! Thanks Willow!!

What can YOU do with fall colours?? Don't forget to link your layouts at the Lasting Memories challenge this week: "Chipboard & Fall Colours."

Happy Scrappin!

Challenge #4: Simplicity

Can you believe we are already on Challenge #4? I can't...that means summer is almost over! And... I will be home from holidays tomorrow. Boo. I'll tell you all about it later this week...

SIMPLICITY

I think this describes my usual scrapbooking style pretty well. I like my layouts to have straight, sharp lines, simple titles, and not be over-crowded. I actually came up wth this layout when I was working on the last challenge, so it has "stamped" elements as well... but I thought it represented "simplicty" to a T.

The pictures are from October 21, 2007- My Univeristy roommate and I did a photo shoot... she had lately become really interested in photography and needed a model. She actually did my wedding the next summer and I love her photos! Whay to go Laura!

You will note that this layout has stamping incorporated into it... and if you read my posts from the last challenge, you will know about my stamping-in-my-scrapbooks phobia...it must be lessening!!

This page represents simplicity in it's looks as well as in the nature of the pictures... enjoying nature = simple.

This page uses Close To My Heart paper and ink, and Stampin' Up! stamps. I also used my cricut and my "stamped" cartridge.

I started by choosing a blue paper (Close to my Heart paper pack "Sasaparilla") that would compliment the blue sky in my pictures, but not be overbearing. I then stamped the outline of leaves in a coordinating blue ("Lilac Mist" from Close To My Heart) all over the entire page.

Next, I used "Grey Wool" ink to very sparingly stamp the overlapping leaf imprint, adding just enough colour to really make the page stand out.

 I chose a really nice light brown from the same 'Close To My Heart' paper pack and used it for matting pictures, as well as cutting out my cricut images.

 I cut out "2007" and a "happy tag" and then used white paper to cut out the letters for "Autumn." I really love how these simple words bring to life what is happening... the pure enjoyment of autumn.
I then used another "Stampin' Up!" flower stamp for something 'extra'. 

For the rest of the layout I used large blocks of paper, simple matting and cleam cut corners and lines. One circle-cut picture adds some dimension to the page. 

A simple layout, yet very pleaseing to the eye. I love how it turned out!

What can YOU do using simple techniques such as random stamping and large blocky pieces of paper?
Don't forget to check out Lasting Memories to see all of the wonderful layouts my Design Teammates have come up with for this "Simplicity" Challenge!
Happy Scrappin'! And remember, link your "Simple" layouts on the Lasting Memories Blog for fun and a chance to win!

I should be driving home from holidays tomorrow... so I'll let you know all about our trip in the next few days!!

The Thing That Drives Me... Barnheart

I have realized the answer.
The answer to what drives me to read "just one more" page in that self-sufficient-lifestyle magazine before I head back to work, to skip lunch in order to get "just one more" stitch done on that quilt during my lunch break, to yank "just one more" weed before jumping in the car. The tender love that compells me to speak to my garden plants. It is why my heart yearns to have chickens in my city backyard and long for the days when we will own our own farmland. What makes my heart skip a beat when I see a beautiful homestead and breath a little deeper when we leave the city limits. I have a condition... it is called Barnheart! Click on the link below to read all about it. The article is from on of my favourite blogs and author, Jenna Woginrich. She has written a book called "Made From Scratch" and also writes for one of my favourite magazines, "Mother Earth News." ENJOY!

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2010/01/barnheart.html

Rich Black Earth Starts in the Kitchen

Over Easter Weekend we took a drive down to Grande Prairie to go shopping and visit my sister and brother-in-law. Of course our two main stops were Wholesale Sports (where Kurtis bought a new shotgun), and Costco, where I bought a large compost tumbler! Kurt assembled it for me and I already have lots of compost started! It is quite a large tumbler and will hold all of our kitchen waste as well as yard clippings and weeds.

I cannot wait for the next few months to pass so that I can begin my garden. I have several plans drawn up, and Kurt has said he will build me some raised beds to start my plot off this year. Because our home is so new, we do not even have a fence up yet, so I am hoping we can get started on that right away... or my garden might be a little late! I already have lots of lovely plants started, and herbs galore!

Pioneering... just a dream?

My life long dream has been to live "in the bush" and be completely self sufficient...basically I have always wanted to be a "pioneer." Unfortunately, my husband is not of the same mind and the furthest he wants to be "out" is a farm... good enough for me!

Because money is always an issue when trying to buy land out of town (or any significant piece of land anywhere), we recently bought a house in town that we plan to live in for the next several years. It is a beautiful brand new home with Geo-Thermal heat and a decent size yard, and we really love it!

My dreams are still very much alive, however, and I have been trying to get my husband to let me have chickens since we first bought the place. I think I almost have him convinced... but unfortunately I will have to wait until our fence is completely finished before we can really decide. While living in town I would never dream of having more that 3 or 4 chickens... just enough for eggs and personal enjoyment! I would love to have a few Orpingtons (pictured above) as they are great layers and also wonderful meat birds. Well, I guess I will just have to keep hoping and praying... at least I know I will be able to have chickens once we move out of town, and I guess a few years wouldn't be so bad to wait...

Nature at its finest...

Below are some examples of pages that I have done with a "nature" theme...First is my 2009 Garden. The next layout features pictures taken during out time living in the Northwest Territories, what stunning country!

Boating, fishing and camping trips are one of my favourite things to scrapbook! The colours of nature are so vibrant and the finished product always looks so good! Not to mention that my husband is an avid outdoors-man and fishing enthusiast so most of our family pictures include one or more of these events! The first two layout are examples with journaling completed, whereas the last six layouts are before-journaling. This will give you an idea of what the pages will look like when you receive them from me, before you personalize them with your memories!

 Pages can be as simple or as detailed as you want them to be. All of my services are tailored to what YOU want YOUR memories to reflect.