Welcome Spring Colors!

Receiving these papers from Cloud 9 Designs by Fiskars this month was such a wonderful breath of fresh air! Fiskars has put together two wonderful sets that are both easy to work with as well as let you start scrapping those springy photos that we are in the mood to do right now.

This first layout I created with the Findley's paper set. It's full of luscious blues and greens, and the most beautiful floral patterns! I cut out designs using my Home Accents Cricut Cartridge too. This is a layout of a dear family friend and her beautiful family. She asked me to snap their family portrait at a bridal shower and of course I jumped at the chance!

Supplies include:
Findley Paper Set (and matching chipboard stickers)
Velvet Brads from Creative Imaginations and Playroom Thickers in Cucumber

This next layout is an ode to my morning routine. I am so attached to my coffee. :) The wonderful thing about the Cloud 9 Kensington Garden's set is all the beautiful colors it comes with!

There are pinks, greens, blues, and even oranges! It's so springy and fun and will go with almost any photos you have ready and waiting to be scrapped. In the layout above I used:
Kensington Paper set (and matching chipboard stickers), Kensignton Sparkle Stickers (you get SO many!), a bit of color from the Findley's Paper set (the blue, the two sets compliment each other so well!), and American Crafts Thickers in the Dolce Style in Apricot.

And the fact that these papers are double sided make it all the better addition to your scraproom, go snag a set before they're gone!

Hope you are getting a little taste of spring where you are, here in Chicago we were "blessed" with another few inches of snow today, but that's ok... all the more time to stay inside and create right!? ;)

Thanks for visiting with us today, and hope to see you in the forum soon.

All the best,

Jess

Have you checked out our store?

I was browsing a while back in the AC Bailey online store and stumbled over some real gems... I looked in the tab AC Bailey Originals and found some awesome kits enough to do two pages and a few cards all wrapped in a one package. They are great kits for the Seasoned Scrapper as well as the novice. I have to say I was and still am amazed at the awesome paper and embellishments in the kit. So I had to share with you the items I made out of two kits... and I have to tell you I had a blast.

first two are my grandson he is fixing to turn 13 so I have been scrappin' an album of him. her are two layouts I did using the Encourage Kit.





I also made a few other items using the scraps from the Encourage Kit as well as the Inspire Kit.

Cute little flowers I add some bulk buttons and inked the edges... this was a fun project.



I then used some Craft Plastic, Kaiser Pearls and the scraps from the kits and made some cards.







Last but not least I found this little gift box purse on the internet and made it from from the left over scraps from a Mini album I made for the AC Bailey news letter. I added some Flora Doodle and had a cute little gift bag.



I would encourage you to check out these kits they are as beautiful as the are fun!

Have a Happy Scrappin' Day!!

Auntie Em

a little info about the Layout of the Week 3/28

There are a lot of cool things going on over at the AC Bailey forum and one of them is the Pot of Gold Scavenger Hunt. Participants need to search the forum and the store to find clues and add elements on their layouts accordingly. Jay watched his Grandmother and his Mom play and wanted to create a layout of his very own! So hoping that we might have our own Tim Holtz in the making, I thought it would be a great tribute to spotlight Jay's first layout for all to see!

MemberSpotlight-Dana Koerner

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family. I am a 32 year old mother/wife and step-grandmother! My DH is 48 years old and is a manager for an oil company. My DS is 10 and in the fourth grade! I am also a Pack Leader for the Weblos Cub Scouts! Our family are full blown bikers (motorcycles)...each one of us have our own! Not to forget my passion SCRAP BOOKING!!!!
2. How and when did you start scrap booking? How I started scrappin' .......before my DS was born I had all these pics everywhere! And so many more to just develop! I started to put simple pages together while I was pregnant. Now I take pics of anything and everything! From our house pets to the plants in our house! I just can't stop! (My DH has named me the Scrap Junkie') LOL!!!!
3. How would you describe your scrap booking style? Style....I really don't know what you would classify as my style? I go from beautiful patterned paper to hard core skulls and chains! I use distressing on my LO's and real life objects on others!
4. How often do you journal? Is it important to you? To journal is very important to me....because it tells the story! Honestly there are some LO's that get journaling and then there are some LO's that the pics and embellies tell the story! Another thing I do with every LO...I date them on the back with the date I finish the LO!
5. Do you have a dedicated scrap space ( room )? Yes I have my own scrappy little place! Thanks to my DH giving me half of his office! I am a real thrifty person...I want to spend as little as possible! LOL! But we all know how that goes...right? So I purchased 12 file crates and threw a old closet door on top of them! I am a hard core person so I made it a little girly and a little rough!

What does it look like right now? This is a picture that my DS took of my scrappin' room!
6. What are your "go to " tools or supplies when you scrap? Scissors, paper cutter, adhesive! Every girl has to have these!
7. Where do you start when you get ready to create- sketches, supplies, photos...? I jump around with this! There are times that I start with the pics - matching the pattern paper and embellies! Then there are times that I use sketch ideas- like when there are design team sketches. And then there are some times but not as often that I start with embellies!

8. Are you a scrapper or an artist? I am both! As far as I am concerned I scrap because I totally enjoy making LO's and projects! And then when I am old and so feeble that I can't scrap anymore -I can sit back and show my family my master pieces that are going to be passed on!

by: C. Mercer

Spring Cleaning...

It’s finally Spring, and while many people think about Spring Cleaning, I think more about Spring “Catching-Up.” Not so much in cleaning, but more in organizing, throwing away, planning for the rest of the year, etc. I’m doing the same thing with my scrapbooking too! I’ve pulled out some albums that were “almost done” and tried to find ways to finish them. To me, there’s nothing worse than pulling out an album to show someone and getting to the last page and finding a lone picture or a piece of scrap paper with notes on it for “when I get to it.” So my first two layouts are “Reflections of ‘07” which is the last page of our 2007 Family Album, and “Family Ties,” which is the last page of our 2008 Family Album.

Both layouts were created with the appropriately-titled Kaiser Craft “Reminiscing” line of papers. I love the muted beiges, browns and blues because they give my “current” layouts a touch of heritage, which will hopefully be meaningful in the years to come. Coupled with some coordinating Bazzill card stock, Marah Johnson (Creative Imagination) flower brads and fibers, American Crafts Thickers and ribbon, miscellaneous buttons, and a Hambly overlay frame, I put together two layouts in short order!

Although I usually hesitate to make a page with nothing but journaling, lately I’ve been inspired to write a lot, so the “Reflections” page, with it’s perfectly aligned lines was all the encouragement I needed to TALK about 2007 instead of just showing the pictures. I did that in the pages that preceded it, so once again, I opted to sacrifice art for the sake of the story! Next month, maybe I’ll find a way to combine the two.

Finally, this month I created two cards using the fabulous March Goodies Kit and some Stickles in “Waterfall.” The first is based on this month’s card sketch, and I made it for my mother’s Name Day—a holiday mostly celebrated in European countries or within Orthodox religions. It celebrates not the birth of the person, but rather the birth date of the saint whom the person was named after! Apparently, Saint Evangeline was born on March 25^th! The second is an anniversary card for my in-laws, who are celebrating 56 years!!!

Bonus Sketch and Kensington Garden

Everyone loves a sketch so here's a bonus sketch for March! I used the super cute Kensignton garden papers and stickers for this layout. I've also used Thickers, Maya Road velvet ribbon, In Stitchz, and Kaiser bling for this fun and sunny layout. All items are available through ACBailey so go check it out!

Welcome to Spring!

It is official- it is really Spring. Spring arrived at 7:47 am EST, or so said our weather man. I know it is dreary and cold in NH and Dee reports snowflakes falling in NY today, but it is time to at least start thinking of flowers and outdoor activities. Here we are putting away the sleds and getting out the bikes. Nice way to introduce to you my layout created this month with DT products from the AC Bailey store.


Although not the typical "spring color" scheme I think this layout shouts summer and you all know that is right around the corner! Created with Creative Imaginations Day by Day Collection which is a paper set, chipboard, and epoxy stickers. I love this paper set and I bet most of you have overlooked this AC Bailey gem- why?? Cause it is hiding on page 23 of the catty mixed in with the alterable stuff. This kit was designed to be used with calendar themed projects but I love the color and variation afforded in this set and knew it could easily be adapted to regular scrap projects like layouts and cards and for the price ($15 for what I got)...you cannot go wrong. I got 3 layouts, 12 cards and I still have about 1/2 the chips, 1/2 the epoxy stickers and 2 full size sheets of paper and a couple small scraps left! Not bad for $15~what would 12 cards cost you at the box store these days?? Way more than that!
And look how cute...




Hop over and get yours now- I just checked and there are still several in stock!

Saturday Inspiration

Happy Saturday! I {leah} hope you're doing all kinds of things to get ready for spring - and not just cleaning! Things have been crazy around here for a while, since soccer season has been in full swing... next week is our last game, and though it's been great, it'll be one less thing for mommy and daddy to run to!:D

Speaking of soccer:

I've enjoyed watching the lessons our oldest has learned while playing this season... lessons in sportsmanship, working hard, respecting others, fair play... the list goes on... The title was inspired by those great commercials for the NBA - they're a favorite around here. One will come on, and the boys will stop in their tracks to watch! :)

I also love watching the boys as the grow and get older - that sibling rivalry is strong, but D. really watches out for his younger brother!


This is one of my favorite card sentiments lately. I don't think you can tell a person that they're special and wonderful too many times - and I really don't think that it gets said enough.

If you're interesting in grabbing any of the supplies these projects were created with, you can find them here in the ACBailey store!!

some more Cloud 9

This page is hardly a masterpiece but I am learning that as a scrapper some of us expect too much of ourselves...we put this incredible amount of pressure on ourselves to make every page perfect and spend lots of time doing so. I decided that for this page I would allow the focus to remain on the picture of my adorable daughter instead of using lots of fancy techniques and loads of product. So, here it is:




Along with the Cloud 9 paper I just used some buttons, my Fiskars Threading Water punch and some of the American Crafts fabric Thickers. Nice and simple, quick and easy.

Thanks for checking in at the AC Bailey blog today.

Happy scrapping!!
blogged by Becky W.

Cloud 9 Design / Finley Estate

Hi everyone. Wanted to share some vintage cards with you that I made using Finley Estate by Cloud 9. The paper set is very vintage looking and by adding some ribbons, brads and a sentiment tag you have a cute set of cards. The flowers are called accordian flowers. They are very easy to make. You need a 3/4" x 12" paper strip and score it at every 1/2". Then you fold it like an accordian. Form it into the round flower . Adhere the edges ( hold a few minutes to let dry) and put a brad or button in the middle for the center. You can put these flowers on cards or your scrapbbooking layouts.

Both of these layouts were fun to create. I felt like the photos I had went perfect with this paper set. I used the Finley paper set, rain drops and gem stickers - all by Cloud 9 /Fiskars. Bazzill cardstock and some felt border ribbon by Creative Imaginations just added to the fun, vinatage feel of these layouts. I loved the argyle pattern. It reminds me of a mens sweater.

All of these products can be found at AC Bailey's e-store. Hope you drop by the forum and chat with us. We have our Pot o' Gold Scavenger hunt going on all month long. It's not to late to join in the fun!! Have a great day!!
by:C. Mercer

A visit to Kensington Gardens

With such pretty colors, Kensington Gardens by Fiskars was a joy to work with! It immediately made me think of spring and the photos of my grandchildren coloring Easter eggs was just perfect.
I was able to embellish the layout with coordinating
Sparkle Stickers, which have tiny flowers with rhinestone centers and Rain Dots, which are epoxy. I painted a chipboard flower with Distress Crackle Paint and layered it with the other embellishments and used Thickers for the title and a Maya Road Journaling Spot

Yellow is not usually my "go to" color for layouts, but this Coredinations cardstock can be sanded or distressed and a different core color appears. I sanded the area before I adhered the photo and that lighter frame around the photo helps it stand out a bit. Since I used an 8x8 photo, a few scraps of paper, some embellishments, a Distress Crackle Painted chipboard flower and a stapled piece of Maya Road Velvet Rick-Rack and a layout done in about 15 minutes!

I love making Mini Albums and I had so much product left over I was able to do a Kaiser Chipboard Album - mini albums are a wonderful way to use smaller pieces of patterned paper. I used a Maya Road Calendar Turn for the cover and painted a Chipboard Word with Distress Crackle Paint - Jeez, I LOVE that stuff!
These albums are put together with metal rings and afterward I love to tie color coordinated ribbons to the rings. I also used another of those Maya Road Journaling Spots.
If you get a chance, jump on over to the ACBailey forum. There is a Pot of Gold Scavenger Hunt going on with a cash prize and the more that play, the bigger the prize!!! See you there!
Dee

The March kit is up!!

Just in case you hadn't seen the March kit yet I thought I'd show ya. Filled with Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers and coordinating cardstock this kit is perfect for spring pages, babies, girls, All About Me pages and anything else you can dream up. To go along with these cheery papers are some buttons and trims, new Jillibean Soup alpha stickers and felt flowers, a Maya Road stamp, some Stickles glitter glue and buttons. I think I got it all in there! Anyway, you can check it out some more and get your own kit before they are gone by heading over to the AC Bailey store.





Happy scrapping! And, thanks for stopping by our blog.

Blogged by Becky

March sketches for you!

How are you doing on this beautiful Sunday afternoon? Well, at least it's bright and sunny in my neck of the woods, but for some of you it's a cold and snowy day. I guess that's one of the benefits of living in west Texas!! Winters here don't last very long and when it does get cold you just have to wait a few days and it usually warms up.

For this month I kept the sketches really simple. This will leave lots of freedom for you to adapt the design to fit your own style and tastes. My layout ended up really simple as well, something I am not used to. I am not sure if it was the supplies that led it to be that way or what, either way it was fun and I used some Cloud 9 products that I might not have normally chosen for myself, always a good challenge.






Have a great rest of your weekend. And, if you get a chance to work with one or both of these sketches make sure and post them in the gallery for all of us to see!

Happy scrapping!!
Blogged by Becky