October sketch

The October sketch at Noel Mignon is up!

Julie does such a great job with these! 

Cool one, huh??!

So I took this sketch along with the "Union Square" kit and made this...

I changed it up just a little bit since I had so much journaling that I wanted to add.

I put the pics a bit lower than the sketch and that left me some room above the pics to journal.

Then I let my arrows run horizontally instead of vertically. 

Hey, it's a very versatile sketch!

*****

Here are a few detailed shots of the page.

I *love* those gold, glittery Thickers!

Of course I had to use this "sweet ride" paper to make a layout about bikes! 

I am pretty sure Noel put that paper in the kit just for me!

;)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Have a good one!

Sketchy Thursday (on Friday) !

Sketchy Thursday...on Friday!
:)
For this week's edition of "Sketchy Thursday" over on the Pebbles blog, I got to create a project based on this fabulous sketch by Becky Fleck!

This is such a cool sketch and I tried to stay pretty close it!

 These pictures are from a cruise we took last summer with my sister and brother in law.

I like the flags and pennants on this layout because I thought they were very "cruise-y".

I even made my own toothpick flags (on the right side of layout) using the Hip Hip Hooray Flag Banner Kit.

Instead of using the string in the kit, I wrapped a few of the stickers around toothpicks I had at home already and voila!

I made cute, glittery toothpick flags!

*****
Happy Friday folks!
And have a great weekend!
:)
gretchen

Got Sketch?

Hey hey!
This is fun!
The Noel Mignon team got to work with team over at Got Sketch? and use their newest sketch (Sketch #143)to make something with our kits!
How fun is this sketch??!
 
Right up my alley!

And this is what I made!
{this is my friend Lindsay's daughter}

{I made this one using the Primrose Lane kit}

And a few close up pics...

Want to play along??
Use the sketch to make a layout or card.
Link it up at the end of this post on the Got Sketch? blog.
The prize is a $20 gift certificate to Noel Mignon!
Awesome!
 You have until May 27th to link up so get to it!
Happy scrapping!!
:)
gretchen

April PageMaps

Hi!
I was lucky enough to be one of the Bella Blvd team members who got to work with one of Becky Fleck's PageMaps this month.
I love her sketches!
Check out Becky's PageMaps site {here} to see all the sketches this month.
Here is the sketch that I got to work with...

And here is what I made with it!
I didn't end up using the large butterfly in the background, but I went with a simple square background instead.
And I didn't use the hearts either but I did use the stars.

Other than those things, I stayed pretty close to the sketch!
{all products are Bella Blvd}
*****
Make sure to check out all the fabulous sketches and layouts Becky has up this month!
And you can see what the other Bella Blvd team members made too!
*****
Thanks for stopping by!
:)
gretchen

A sketch for cards and layouts

A couple of weeks ago I made a few cards for the Bella Blvd blog.

Initially I was stuck in a little rut, so I ended up coming up with an easy sketch to help me make the cards.

Here is the sketch I drew out...

Here is one of the cards I made from the sketch...

The more I looked at the sketch, the more I thought it might work for a layout too.
So I tried it!
I grabbed my Cabin Fever kit from Noel Mignon and went to work!
Here is the resulting layout...

I like it!
I think the sketch can work for cards and layouts!
I will be keeping that in mind for the next time I get stuck in a rut!

*****

And FYI...the next kit from Noel Mignon goes up for sale on Monday, January 23rd.

It is called "Charm School".

Don't you think it is fabulous!!?!
{click on the picture to see if you can get a bigger & better look at it!}

Eeeeekkk!!
I can't wait 'til mine gets here!!

:)
gretchen

Cards on Thursdays

Every Thursday Bella Blvd features a bunch of cards using their various lines.
This week I have 3 cards up on the post!
And here is the sketch I used to help me make all 3 cards...

Whenever I need to make several cards at a time, I find myself leaning toward the same basic design to knock them out.
That is exactly what I did with these 3 cards:
same basic design, each card with a couple of its own unique features, equals 3 handmade cards completed in no time!

{using Bella Blvd's "Play Hard" line}

{using the "Spring Flings and Easter Things" line}

{using the "Winter Wonder" line}
*****
Whoop whoop!!
Tomorrow is Friday!
Happy day!
:)
gretchen

Saturday Sketches {New Year's Eve edition}

Happy New Year's Eve good people!!
I know I said no more Christmas cards, but I forgot about one!
One more!
Just one more!
:)
This Saturday's sketch is up on the Bella Blvd blog today.

Cool sketch, huh??!
Well I made a card out of it!

Once again I am loving the sheet of Cute Cuts from Bella Blvd.

I mean, how cute are the little penguins (pun intended!)?!
Cut them out of the patterned paper, attach them using foam adhesive, and you have a simple embellishment that adds some nice dimension to your project!

OK that should be the last Christmas card from me!
I promise!
*****
Happy New Year folks!
Have fun and be safe!
See you next year!
{I wear that joke out this time of year!}

:)

gretchen

Noel Mignon SKETCH challenge

There is a new challenge up over at Noel Mignon!

And this is an easy one!

It's a sketch challenge!

Here's the sketch:

I stayed pretty close to the sketch when I made my layout, but I did change a couple of things.

I only used 1 picture instead of 3.

And I really tried to use stars but I couldn't make the stars look right on a "nature-y" layout!

But the sketch was a good jumping off point for me and this layout only ended up taking me about an hour.

{and that's really good for me!}

I used the Study Hall kit for this layout.

{once again, not just for school pages!}

Now come play along with us!
Make something using the sketch and share it with us in the challenge forum over at Noel Mignon.
:)
Have a great day!

gretchen

Sketchy

Anybody scrappin' this weekend?

Need a sketch to get you going?

I put this one up on the Midnight Rooster blog yesterday and I thought I would share it here too.

I used that sketch to make this layout with the September kit from Midnight Rooster.

****
REMOVED

FOR

PUBLICATION
****

Now go get your scrap on!
:)
Happy weekend!
gretchen

Anybody scrapping this weekend??

Need a sketch to get you going??
How about this one!

I used that sketch to help me make this layout with the August kit from Midnight Rooster.

Now go get your scrap on!
:)
Happy weekend!!

gretchen

Forgot

Aw, poor forgotten layout!
I totally forgot to post the layout I did for the June My Mind's Eye sketch challenge!
Here is the sketch...

That sketch is right up my alley, so I made this layout using my Bees Knees kit from Noel Mignon!

Sorry to be so short!
Gotta run!
{pun totally intended}
:)

gretchen

Pencil Lines Sketch #243

So I lucked into a guest spot with Pencil Lines this week!
{for whatever reason they needed somebody right at the last minute & i was in the right spot at the right time!}
Lucky me!
Because check out this sketch:

It is right up my alley!

Using my new Bees Knees kit from Noel Mignon, I made this...

It is such a great sketch that I think you should make something with it too!
:)
And if you do, link it up over at Pencil Lines and link it up here too because I want to see it!

Happy Monday!!
gretchen

Lovin' the sketches

I can't resist a good sketch!
My new Bees Knees kit from Noel Mignon + this sketch from the My Mind's Eye June sketch challenge = the perfect combo for a fun, quick layout!

And this is what I made!

And because this is a late Saturday night blog post,

I am going to leave it at that!
Have a great weekend!
:)

Just a couple of things...

I put up a sketch on the Midnight Rooster yesterday.

I am bad about just sketching out layouts on whatever I find lying around.
That is definitely not the most organized way to do it!

I used a little part of the post office box that my Midnight Rooster Fairy Cottage kit came in to sketch this one out!
{so sorry if this is not the cleanest sketch ever!}

Check out the Midnight Rooster blog to check out the rest of the post & see the layout I made with it!

*****
Also check out the Bella Blvd blog while you are surfing.
{is it still called "surfing" the internet??}

I've got a layout featured there today!!
*****
:)

OK that's all I've got!

Night!
See you tomorrow!

:)
gretchen

Miles with Mom

Have you gotten a copy of the March/April issue of Creating Keepsakes??
I've got a layout in there!

This one is about a 1/2 marathon I ran with my mom last summer.

It was her first one!

And check out that stride!

:)

Supplies: Patterned paper (Basic Grey, KI Memories); Glitter cardstock (KI Memories); Alphabet stickers (Doodlebug); Chipboard numbers (American Crafts, Sassafras); Border sticker (KI Memories); Brads (KI Memories); Bling (Advantus)

As seen in the May/June issue of Creating Keepsakes

CK Sketches article

OK that's all I've got!
I am busy getting ready for some classes I am teaching at The Scrapbook Shoppe in Columbus, GA this weekend.

Gotta go back some kits!
:)
gretchen

Playing along

I played along with the card challenge over on the My Mind's Eye blog this month while I watched Alabama's A-day game and the end of the Nationwide race at Talladega on this most lazy of Saturdays.

{but I did run the Statue to Statue 15k this morning which is deemed "The South's Toughest 15k" so I think I earned the laziness of the rest of this day}

Here is the sketch...

I pulled out my Jump & Jive kit from Noel Mignon (since MME products are a staple in her kits) and made this card...

Supplies: My Mind's Eye patterned paper, chipboard, & die cuts from the Noel Mignon Jump & Jive kit; I pulled the My Mind's Eye bling out of my stash & used my handy Martha Stewart butterfly punch that I cannot seem to get enough of these days!

The challenge goes until the 21st so you have time to play along

too!
:)
And a happy lazy Saturday to ya!

gretchen

Proud

I played along with the Little Yellow Bicycle sketch challenge this month.

Here's the layout I made!
I stuck to the sketch for the most part minus the picture on the left.
{haven't i already mentioned that i have been going a little butterfly crazy lately?!! spring! i blame it on spring!!}

Supplies: Patterned paper, journaling strips (Twig from Little Yellow Bicycle); Bling (Advantus); Alpha stickers (American Crafts); Butterfly punch (Martha Stewart)

Are you tired of seeing wedding pictures yet??!

hehehe

OK!
That's all I've got!
:)
gretchen

Pencil Lines + Noel Mignon

Remember me mentioning that Noel is the guest designer over at Pencil Lines this week??

Well the sketch is such a good one that I thought I would play along!

So I pulled out my Jump & Jive kit and made this...

Supplies: Patterned paper (Pink Paislee, Lily Bee); Chipboard banner (My Mind's Eye), Number stickers (Sassafras); Flag stickers (Lily Bee); Bling (Prima); snowflake punch

Everything is from the Jump & Jive kit!!

OK that's all I've got!
Happy hump day!!

:)
gretchen