Card Sketch May #5

Are you sure its Wednesday? One thing I dislike about holiday weekends is they really screw my routine up! I totally spent yesterday thinking it was Monday, and today is therefore Tuesday. But it's not is it? Ok anyway here is this weeks card sketch! Nice and easy one! Loved seeing everyones take on last weeks, some great cards! The digital template for this one is available for download here. Have fun with it!

Supplies: Kit: In Bloom by Shelle Pukas; Font: Can't remember, lol!

Supplies: cardstock: DCWV; Paper: EK success; Flowers: Prima; Rub-on: Scrap-ease; other: beads; pen: zig

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Card by Wendy McGlinchey
Supplies: Peach card stock, white card stock, pattened paper, Cuttlebug Divine Swirls Embossing Folder, Versafine Vintage Sepia, gold brads,Tanda Stamp floral image form Flourish Set 1.

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Card by Kelly Nelson
Supplies: Bohemian pp, Bazzil cardstock, American crafts ribbon, versamark ink. Other: Tag, bling and mini popstick.

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Card by Keianna Price
Supplies: PP: Tinkering Ink; Quotes: 7 Gypsies; Alpha: Making Memories; All products in June Color Your Memories Kit

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Card by Cindy Brockes
Supplies: Paper: Self Addressed Kit MAY; Stamps: Studio G (Mike's $1 Spot); Ink/Color: Ancient Page; Coal, Platinum Stickles; Misc Items: Bazzill Brads, MM Metal Photo Corners, SU Ribbon & Cord. Creative Impressions Dragonfly.

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Card by Pearl Liu
supply list : DCWV CS , BG Phoebe pp, Q&Co Bon Bon Brads , SEI ribbon , Melissa Frances rub on , BG cardstock sticker

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Card by Jolene Johnston
Supplies: Die Cuts With a View card, My Mind’s Eye Bohemia paper, StazOn ink, Buttons Galore buttons, DeNami Designs stamp

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Card by Brigitte v.Tienhoven
Credits: papers by Brigette v.Tienhoven, font Showcard Gothic, bow and ribbon Designer's Series Ribbon Overlays by Heather Roselli at www.thedigichick.com

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As always hook me up through comments or email if you use the sketch as I would LOVE to come check it out!
Enjoy!

ps: layout sketch/template coming Friday!

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Want some blog challenges?

My friend Nancy has become the blog challenger extraodinaire! She's posting (almost) daily blog challenges for Treasures to Scrap, which is good cos I should share more coherant stuff on here other than general ramblings! Anyway she asked us to list:

10 things I've learnt from my friends

1. Friends don't have to be in the same neighborhood, city, state or country! You don't even HAVE to have met in person to have a blast! (yep totally stole this from Robin but it's so true!)
   
2. Don't make fun of said friends cos they like glitter and bling, cos 6 months later when the self-confessed simple scrapbooker starts using glitter and bling she will eat her words.
   
3. If you have a problem, share it.. Friends will listen and make you realise it's NOT YOU but others that have the problem!
4. You can have different opinions, religous beleifs and upbringings and still be friends!
5. Despite you thinking you don't need girlfriends you do! Being "one of the boys" is great but nothing beats a good chat with a girlfriend! Or two!!
   
6. You can 'meet' someone who is so like you in all your beleifs and opinions it's downright scary! *Robin get outta my head*
7. When you make mistakes (cos we all do) friends will still love ya!
   
8. When you aren't online for a day friends call ya and see what the problem is? Cos you know we live online nowadays!
9. Sharing information is a good thing! Some secrets are better when shared! And knowledge is power and all that...
   
10. The immortal words of "brb bella" will have you on the edge of your seat awaiting the next "omg guess what bella did now!" moment! Usually resulting in hilarious stories of a 3 (now 4) year old painting herself with an inkpad or some other such comical story.
    

I did find all this quite ironic, after I did a layout at the weekend of Nancy, Robin and myself and our 'story', and how thankful I am for them. Hmm maybe I will draw that digital moustache on Nancy afterall? Maybe a pair of devil horns for Robin?

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Boxer projects for May

Did I mention sometime in May that I got a HUGE box of goodies from Boxer Scrapbooks? I think I did. Well in that box were my assignments for the upcoming months for the Boxer DT blog. Each month Angie challenges us to create an assignment using specific product. She decided to switch things up for the future months and split us into 2 groups. I got to be part of the water group this month. In out pack were: Summer Clear Stamp Set, Fish/Water Papers and Cardstock Stickers, and Alphabet Stickers, Mini Brads, Eyelets and Ribbons.

The challenge was to create a 12x12 2 page spread (I know a rarity for me!) and 2 cards. Now remember this was part of my "oh gosh my style is all over the place" phase in early May. Love the 2 pager. Summer page about our friend Chris during his visit here. I like the design, I jthink it needs 'somthing'. Maybe some distressing? Plus you can't really see that well on the small photo but there is also journalling around the photo's.

First cards is using the fish stickers and papers. You can see here that I'm still in my polka dot loving phase! And sanding! Loving the sanding block too! Anyway I dug out some vellum for this one too!

Second card, themey! Shocker for me but I went all themey. And I'm gonna say its not the first, and it won't be the last! I don't know what happened with the cards really, like I said creative lull after the madness of April. Happy to say the mojo is returning. I like them, I just don't feel I did the product or challenge justice.

You can see more Boxer DT challenge projects on the Boxer DT blog. And so onto Junes projects! I just checked out the June challenge package and its an altered project! Cool! We have to create a 4th of July DVD tin! Ok gonna think on that one!

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One little word... GO!

So earlier this month I stumbled on a new blog called One little word. The challenge blog is inspired by Ali Edwards challenge to pick a word for the year (mine was focus). Anyway each challenge by the OLW blog will feature a word prompt for a layout, card, or project whatever you choose. I love loose challenges like this. They can kickstart my creativity whilst leaving me room to breathe and go with the flow. Which is a good job because when I started to do the "go"challenge last week I ended up a with a completely different layout that was nothing to do with the word GO. Anway I DID finally get some GO layouts done!

Credits: Summer Fun kit by Shelle Pukas; notepaper: Sweet Summer Bliss kit by Shelle Pukas; Font: Bitstream vera sans

Credits: Summer Fun kit by Shelle Pukas; stitching & clip: Sweet Summer Bliss kit by Shelle Pukas; Font: Bitstream vera sans

Gotta say I am LOVING these summer kits Shelle Pukas has! I did all my DT layouts this month AND 2 layouts for next month! The colors SCREAM summer and are perfect for pool photo's! Summer fun comes as a kit and also has an add-on with some little sxtra's

Sweet summer bliss is just so cool! Great summer colors, with the pop of pink! Love the embellishements in this kit! what I love too is that the two summer kits can work really well together as both kits have blue and green as base colors!

You can find details of the kits here at Shelle Pukas Designs. Back tomorrow with some more DT projects!

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Random Stuff, Tagged & Photo's

Well its the last week of the month and you know what that means? Yep it means I'm busy working away on next months DT projects. Wanna know what I'm playing with? Well digital stuff for next month is Kim Johnson and Shelle Pukas, loving the digi right now! Been doing digi for the last couple of days. Paper product I'm playing with Adornit products, Carolee's Creations. I have some stamps and papers (oh and some of the papers are dirtbike themed! whoooohoo!). What else? Ok I got a DT goodie box for the next 3 months, let's see what was in there... WeR Memory Keepers (OMG I am drooling all over that one!), Around the block (pet products yeah!), and Karen Foster (garden themed should be fun!). I have projects to work on for July Scrapstreet too, and also Junes projects for one heart... one mind and Boxer! Hmmm and here I thought I was having an easy week this week too!

This was the photo from Wednesday. Mom had asked (back in January, shhhhh) for some pics of me in my glasses, cos I have glasses for watching TV etc now. And well apparantly I am not allowed to take pics of me without a dog trying to in on the act. This is a shot I have about 100 of. Me (in various hairstyles and outfits) and half a blurry dog. Sky seems to think I need a face wash. I'm serious EVERY self portrait session has Sky trying to lick me clean! Honestly dog I did shower!

Ok and on with the completely random posting for today!

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Well DH is still recovering stuff off the failed hardrive, we have all our photo's yay! Flash drives we would need more than 2, and well thats pretty much the same as a removable drive right? Which is our plan for off site storage. Which is basically the same as using a webservice but we control it.

Seriously though I take a TON of photo's. What I NEED to do is start proofing more, deleting ones that aren't any good. Its just I like to save them all cos even not good photo's can tell a story. Its just that its the boring tedious stuff I cannot stand (cos you know that's scraptime wasted right?). Like labelling photo's in Picasa. YES it would make my life MUCH MUCH easier when searching for a photo but I just don't wanna sit here and do it. A goal for June maybe?

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Sabrina: You didn't leave an email or blog link so I couldn't reply to you personally, so I will tell everyone. Anyone who's been reading my blog over the last 6 months has seen various template changes, lol. My current blog template is customized. By me. (yay go me!) Blogger doesn't offer a 3 clumn template as yet, but there are some available on the web, just google 3 column blogger template! I spent some time browsing them on the web for a 3 column template but couldn't find one I liked that kept the blogger features I liked (the colapsable archieves) and so with a spare afternoon, lots of updating and cursing I finally got it working. However I DO have some preivous knowledge of html, and if you DO go into your template and make physical changes make sure you back it up! (trust me on this one!)

What I haven't done though is continued to update my links etc. Man I need to schedule blog time in my calendar! Has anyone discovered the secret to more hours in the day yet?

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Tagged by Lucy! the little minx! I thought I was doing well on the tagging for a while. lol! Ok Lucy blogged about Six Summer Resolutions. Well I guess summer for me is the same as any season really as I don't have kids. But I guess for me Summer is going to be the time between NOW and my parents visiting in October (nothing confirmed yet, get booking Mom!). So what would I like to do in those 4 months?

1 - Art Journal/Painting & Drawing. Bought a couple of artist journals (watercolor paper) and I am almost ready to go! Might start in July (cos remember I'm labelling all my photo's in June!). This is all culminating from my past 6 months of stalking artists blogs and finding the urge to paint again. I remember back in school, I think I was around 14 I did a painting of a dalmatian (remember that Mom?). One of those assignments to enlarge a small clipping from a magazine. I wish I still had that painting. I see lots of experimenting this summer!

2 - Day Trips. Like Lucy I doubt we'll be going anywhere for a length of time but I want to take some day trips at LEAST. Word is we're gonna have a bad summer here in So Cal, so the pool is gonna get some use too! Yesterday I came home from grocery shopping and found this on next doors roof!



Yep a VULTURE! I was in awe and kinda freaked out at the same time. Definately a sight to see! I still get that "wow thats a real :insert animal here: in the wild" about living in Southern California. And just so you know the vulture wasn't after me, it was after the morning fresh roadkill squirrel outside the neighbors front yard, which it swooped down to snack on later. The pic is terrible I know but best I could do given the location of the bird and the full California Sun. I need to dig out my polariser again and UV filter.

3 - Get that digi kit done! I sear I have this one kit I've been working on for months! I promise that if its not done by October I am gonna just delete the whole thing cos its giving me digital kit designing blues! I have a serious block with it, not sure why cos I love the concept of it. It's just the design in my head isn't matching the design that comes out onto photoshop. ::sigh::

4 - okay without sounding odd, I am gonna get 2 Christmas cards done a week! I figure 2 a week x 16 weeks, I should have a good start on cards by the time Christmas rolls around! This will avoid the usual rush to get the cards done in November (cos I have to mail them early December to get to England!). So if you start seeing Christmas cards over the next few months for the sketches you now know why ok!

5 - Get back on the flylady plan! I love the system I really do, its just I seem to get sidetracked with deadlines. My problem is I'd rather be online, chatting with friends, out doing stuff or creating. Housework is such a chore. Anyone have any tips there?

6 - Work out regularly. I've been slacking and I feel it! Physically I'm not MUCH different from 5 years ago. I could stand to lose 10lbs and well I blame DH for the wrinkles! He makes me laugh too much... But I sleep better when I exercise and well right now my sleep pattern is all over the place, so gonna start on that today! Back on the treadmill, and increase the dogs walks!

Oh and I'm supposed to tag 6 people so: Nancy, Robin, T, Pearl, lisette and Rach! And if you're reading this I TAG YOU TOO! HAH!

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And as I'm sharing completely random stuff with no theme or purpose whatsoever: go check out my friend Renee's latest creations, scroll down to see her layouts using pics of my dogs! Soooo cute!

Ok I think thats all so far for today. I need to get todays photo taken then get the last few days uploaded (including vulture!). Can anyone believe its almost June?

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A close call!

I am going to admit something very bad today. All scrapbookers please sit down for this announcement: I Di Hickman do not back my photo's up to CDs. I know, I know, I hear you all shouting at me!!! Bad Di!!! Bad Scrapbooker!!! My only saving grace is that we DO back up to an external hardrive... which yesterday died.

All MY photo's are on my computer, along with pics from Bobs camera, but I hadn't copied his stuff for a month or two due to network issues, and well I wasn't totally 100% sure we had ALL the photo's now that the external drive had gone poof. I did have a slight panic thinking that if MY computer died they would all be gone, and that has prompted us to really THINK about backing up more regularly, onto MULTIPLE media. Not just relying on the external hardrive! But then what would happen to the back-ups CDs should we have a fire. Yep they'd be in the safe but most likely hot! So we decided we need a removeable drive that Bob could back up and keep at work. So think about that! Where are your back-up photo's? No good if they are just in your house! Get them to another location too!

Now before you all go into a complete hissy fit at me, Bob did come to the rescue! With the aid of some recovery software and some patience, he beleives he's recovered everything off the drive. *big cheer*

So guess what I'm doing for the weekend? Yep someone pass the DVDs cos I'm headed to Back-Up City!

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Card Sketch May #4

Its Wednesday again! Who's ready for another card sketch? I am! I've been working away on digital stuff for that last week that I'm ready for a break. Got some paper stuff done the last or two and enjoying the break. I broke out the basic grey scraps for my cards. I'm totally going through and orange and blue phase right now (again). Anyway onto this weeks card sketch. Digital template is available for DOWNLOAD HERE. Simple on this week, to kick start your creativity!

Credits: papers: Doris Castle; Flower:
Heather Ann Designs; Stitching: Kim Johnson;

Supplies: Cardstock: DCWV; PP: Fancy Pants; Ribbon: May Arts; Flower: Bazzill; Button: Bazzill; Rub-on: Basic Grey

Supplies: Cardstock: DCWV; PP: Basic Grey; Rubons: DCWV (stitching) & MM (alpha); pen: signo; Flower: misc; Button: EK success

Supplies: Cardstock: DCWV; PP: Basic Grey; Rubons: DCWV; pen: signo; Stickers: American Crafts; Flower: Prima; Gem: misc

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Card by Cindy Brockes
Paper: Basic Grey Lily Kate. SU Positively Pink & Summer Sun; Stamps: Clearly Wordsworth (Everyday Greetings); Ink/Color: Ancient Page; Coal, Sakura Yellow Glaze Pen; Misc Items: Creative Impressions Dragonfly, MM Circle Clip, Misc Snaps, EK Circle Punch, Misc Ribbon & Silk Flower (Dollar Store)

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Card by Ruth Trice
Supplies: PP by Anna Griffin and unknown, stamps by Heidi Swapp and Rhonna Farrer, silk flower, duck button and crystal

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Card by Jolene Johnston
Supplies: Die Cuts With a View card and cardstock, DejaViews papers, Karen Foster Twill, StazOn ink, The Paper Studio stamps, Joanne Sharpe stamp, Cricut and “Celebrations” cartridge, Marvy Le Plume II pen

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Card by Angela Shetzer
Supplies: Diecuts with a View’s Birthday Scrapkit; misc brads.

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Card by Pearl Liu
Supplies: Bazzill CS , BG Phoebe pp , Chatterbox ribbon , 7 gypsies photo turn , MM washer word

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Card by Wendy McGlinchey
Supplies: White card base; Teal Card; Cuttlebug Stylised Flowers Embossing Folder; Making Memories Boho Chic paisley patterned paper; Blooms To Go; Cricut greeting and centre flower

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As always I would LOVE to see YOUR take on the sketches so hook me up in the comments or email me (link to the left). More sketches coming soon!

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Review: Doris Castle

This months digital sponsor at Treasures to Scrap is Doris Castle from Scrapbookgraphics. Doris Castle has a shabby distressed style which she manages to bring to every kit. I will admit that I was a little hesitant initially because it is something SO completely different to my own style, and I struggled with most of the kits because I am so NOT a shabby distressed scrapbooker. I got a variety of kits because I wanted to try some new things and knew that some would come in very handy this month with all the ATCs I'd be doing.

Specifically good for ATCs were the Artist trading card set, Belladonna and Mirabella. The distressed papers paired with the vintage embellishments and accents just begged for ATCs.




I realise I've already shared these this month but I really wanted to stress that these kits are AWESOME for ATCs. The vintage artwork used in the kits is just so beautiful.


I made this layout using the belladonna kit and it really reminds me of old K&Co papers. But with the twist of the notebook papers the kit really has a unique twist. The photo is of my Grandmother on her wedding day.

Doris Castle Belladonna kit; Doris Castle Template

I have to say one thing about Doris Castle's kits: her embellishements ROCK. Seriously fun mix of stuff. And the doodles in the "Exceptional kit" are.. well.. exceptional! This kit is full of funky papers and embellishments a total 180 to the vintage shabby look of the kits above, which proves she has something for everyone!

Two of my favorite kits though had to be the soft blues and cremes found in these kits: Original Divas and Windows of time. Such soft subtle colors that really let the photo shine!


I made this layout using the above two kits, and the doodles in the exceptional kit. I love how all the kits can work together! This is also my first (maybe second) attempt at blending technique.

Doris Castle Original Diva kit, exceptional kit & windows of time kit

Another one of my favorites was the "You Complete Me" kit. Initially I got this again for the blues (noticing a blue trend here) and the jigsaw embellishments, but I really enjoyed this one because it worked so well for cards. I also liked the swirled ribbons.

Credits: You complete me kit by Doris Castle; font: SP Wonderful Wendy

In all yes there are some elements I personally won't use, I just don't know how, its not in my style to use them, but there are many many pieces that I will use over and over again. Especially from my top 3 kits: Windows of time, You Complete Me and Original Divas. One things I'm not too sure of is how the heck I missed her dog kit in her store? I would have DEFINATELY used that! Sheesh I think I go around with my eye closed sometimes.

If you want to see more kits and digital products from Doris Castle she has a store at scrapbookgraphics.com More work featuring her kits can be found at the Treasures to Scrap sponsor gallery: May - Doris Castle

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photo-a-day thru May

How did it get to the 22nd already and I haven't done any self portrait sessions? I made time today to get outside and take some photo's. I know I've taken a couple of arm extension pics of me but I don't really count the odd shot taken like that as a 'session'. Every few months (I am aiming for every month) I go out in the side yard and take some pics using the tripod and shutter release. I take A LOT of photo's because I am so very picky about how I look (aren't we all?). Plus I figure it gives me a lot to choose from, once I weed out the eyes closed, out of focus, or blurry shots (plus the shots with a dog head, ear or tail in them). Anyway I had a spur of the moment idea to lean over and look right into the camera, I took 2 shots like this, one totally blurry and this one which I love: 22nd May

Yesterday Sky had a bath, the dogs don't like bathtime. Weather was completely miserable too so no outdoor shots. 21st May:

This is another bargain I got last week, an original roladex. It even has the key and all the tabs still, unused. Cost me the bargain price of $1.98! 20th May:

This one is a texture one, this is a car wash mitt. I've been taking photo's of lots of textures lately, from flooring to fabrics, stucco and woods. Loving textures for digital scrapbooking. 19th May:

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Layout Sketch - May

Happy Monday! How is everyone? I'm doing well. Seem to have shaken off the bug that's been hanging around last week, DH is back at work too! So I do have more ATC sketches and template to come but I'm sharing a layout template today. This is one I created in April for the scrapstreet STAR challenge and I findally got the digital template done for it. You can DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE HERE this one only comes in 12x12 but happy to report that from June onwards I'll be doing both 12x12 and 8.5x11!

Supploes: Imagination project Chloes closet papers; Bazzill cardstock; MM alphas; autumn leaves stamps;

Credits: Shelle Pukas peaches'n'cream kit; Font: steelfish

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Layout by Dawn McDowell
Credits: Shadow actions - Traci Murphy; All else - Monster Munchers by Mindy Terasawa

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Digital layout by Julie Ann Shahin
Digital Kit: Sweet Daisies by Sarah B Designs Gotta Pixel; Cardboard Frame: Teen Spirit Kit by Kim Hill CG Essentials; Font: Susie's Hand; Sanded Edge: Christine Smith; Inked Edge: Jan Crowley

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Layout by Renee' Morris-Dezember
Credits: All elements used were created by Andrea Designs: Cool Breeze and Lovely Kits

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Layout by Kathleen Pitt
Supplies Cardstock - Bazzil; Paper - Chatterbox; Photo Corners, Ribbon, Bling & Flowers - Heidi Swapp; Letters - Provocraft; Font - 2peas Mr Giggles

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Layout by Egle Noel
Credits: Live Out Loud Element Pack by Michelle Bradley (A Cherry On Top); Live Out Loud Paper Pack by Michelle Bradley (A Cherry On Top); Fonts:? Amano, After Hours

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Layout by Lisette A Madsen
Supplies: papers from Crate Paper, Letters and brads from American Craft

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Layout by Brigette v.Tienhoven
Supplies: Designers own paper and doodles! Font: Letterpress Inverted;

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Layout by Jolene Johnston
Supplies: My Mind’s Eye Bohemia papers; Bazzill cardstock; StazOn ink; Technique Tuesday stamps; The Paper Studio brads; JoAnn chipboard; Making Memories paint; K & Co. rub ons; Creating Keepsakes Fraternity font; Photo by Tammy Mullis, LifeTouch Photography

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Layout by Tracy Madsen
Credits: Planes, Trains and pickups, Kim Johnson, DSD; Crinkled Vellums1 pointer pk, Kim Johnson, DSD; Stamped Alpha, Jennifer Trippetti, SBB; Grungy Overlays, Rina Kroes, SBE; font, Kristen ITC

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Layout by Brandy Hunt
Supplies: Pomegranate Margarita By Lauren Grier and Joan Carvalho; Font: Blueprint

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Layout by Angela Shetzer
Credits: Princess Diva by Cheryl Embry; Font: Love Letters & Lithos Pro

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Layout by Dawn Inskip
Supplies: Patterned paper (Pink Stripe, A2Z); Black card (Bazzill); Chipboard alpha (Bazzill); XL brads (Heidi Swapp); Chipboard flourish/corner (Maya Road) Painted and coated in Diamond Glaze (Judikins); White pens (Pentel and Sakura); Heart Brads (Queen & Co); Other: Blossoms, Ribbon, Button, Sewing thread

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Layout by Rachel Tops
supplies: Sweetwater "Go Fish" PP, Bazzill CS, SU ink blue, Sweetwater "Go Fish" round about washers, Asst buttons, asst ribbon, Magistical Memories dot photo corner chipboard, American Craft "Eddie" red Rub-ons, Tombo adhesive

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Digital Layout by Megan Shanor
Credits: Exceptional kit byt Doris castle; Black newsprin alpha & foiled by Doris Castle; Duct Tape by Ashely Olsen; Font: brushed

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