Prize Photos of Free Giveaway

 
All that is needed is a comment either on this post, or the prior post and a winner will be selected July 4. Only one entry per person please.

OK, I got the kit ready - just no photo -YET

 I have some goodies for the 4th of July kit. No photos...yet. I did not realize how much I needed to do once I got home. While I knew my Mom was not doing so well, having visited her last week, I had not thought she'd have needed to go to hospital today. So, that meant several phone calls and I'm behind. I still have stuff in my car from my last trip and tomorrow I need to go back to the store to get an over the counter medication they did not have in today. I'm making lists and those are not just to help me figure out what to do. I find that crossing things off the list helps me recognize that I've actually accomplished something. When I have a lot to do, and when I take some time for myself, because my pain is bad or I'm dropping stuff because I'm tired, I do get down on myself for not being able to get everything done. With the crossed off list I can say -"Hey, I really have accomplished a lot." Unfortunately, I expect that I can keep up the pace of when I was younger and have too many things on that list. It really is my life now - frenzied overwhelmed stress alternating with potential boredom. I love that I have crafting. It keeps me  busy in those bored times and reduces my stress when the frenzied moments wind me up tight.
I'm going to give you a written peek at the kit I've assembled. It's not so heavily themed (though it is red, white and blue) that you cannot use it for other things. I did a lot of non-holiday, non-western LO's with red, white, blue and brown recently so I know you do not have to stretch too far to use the products I'm including. So included will be cardstock in basic red, white and blue and some red and blue patterned papers. Glitter, fabric stickers, tiny red and blue flowers with white centers, twines, ribbons, a white pen, white glitter alphas, a tiny stamp will be included. I think there will be a few other items, too. I do not have everything in front of me at my computer so I'm sure there are a few things I've left out. I think whoever wins will find a lot included that they'll find fun and useful.
So how do you enter? Just leave a comment on this post or on the post with a photo and complete list that I hope to have up tomorrow. I'll select a winner on July 4th. So, good luck

Yes, I did pick a winner

 Petrii please send your snail mail info to poirierbrodekaren@gmail.com. You were the one selected last night by the random number generator. Congrats!
I do have another prize lined up but just realized that, with July 4 coming up, maybe I should have a themed prize to help folk scrap their holiday memories. So, later today, I will find some things for a prize and probably post that this evening.
I just wanted to generate a little excitement for summer with my prizes. It's such a laid back time, usually. In our hot climate and at our age, Cal and I only drift around the pool to cool off - no jumping in. Of course, those occasional fireworks and the state fair add a little pizzazz to the calm.
Cal loves his summer harvests. I enjoy the end results; the eating, that is! Right now he is making fresh apricot chutney. Doesn't that just sound delicious?
One of my July plans is to spend the first two weeks of the month doing a daily interview and photo shoot in the garden. Who knows? He may make me love gardening. Unlikely, though I'm sure I'll enjoy recording his enthusiasm.

The Design Team Has Been Busy

 Yes, the deign team (me) has been busy creating with the Graphic Goldy Globes and Flirty Flicks Kit and add ons. Finally, you say, as you are probably tired of looking at paper collections by now, LOL!

I have been using older photos. I've not scrapped the Rose Parade part of the trip we took though I did one of the game. Probably because I took so many photos! I think I may need to print them and just ad them as photo pages to my album. I love so many of the pictures I took. Very hard to select my faves. So glad I finally got around to doing this!
Another LO uses an even earlier photo.

I love the shared smiles. The airmail stamp is OK but would have benefited from a slightly wider strip as I needed to angle the stamp. Nonetheless, always love when a stamp set I chose has the right stamp for a LO. The page is far from perfect but it was fun to remember the moment.

I did do a third page but after taking the photo I figured out what was missing. Need to check if I still want to add the detail or not. I'll be back in a moment and add that LO right here.

I decided not to add the small tag in the bottom right of the spotted paper. It did look like it needed some grounding so I put the twine down. I experimented with frames but none of those attempts "worked". The little bit of twine just seemed to do it.

Now, I did promise another give away prize, didn't I?

I'll be drawing for the winner of these dies from Memory Box on June 24. Just leave a comment on this post to enter. 

If you are not familiar with Dave Brethauer and Memory Box, just check them out here http://memoryboxco.com/. I love Dave;s classes when he is here in Sacramento at The Paper Garden Boutique http://papergardenboutique.com/. Dave's kids also have a stamp company Poppystamps http://poppystamps.com.tempwebsite.net/. Cool dies and stamps at both companies. I also love those cute paper designs. Lately, I've been into cards, and dies and stamps work so well for those.

Another product, that goes well with stamps, is colored pencils. Just got some pencils, Irojiten (means color encyclopedia or dictionary), by Tombow, available at The Paper Garden. Even pricier than steel dies ; so, not likely to be a giveaway here unless Tombow gives me some to give away (I do not think that likely). However, I did buy some for myself and must say, glorious colors, nice flow to these wax based pencils.

Winner!

 Winner of the Dylusins sprays s MORMOR. Please email me your snail mail address at poirierbrodekaren@gmail.com.
Watch tomorrow for a new give away!

A La Shimelle

 Counterfeit Kit Challenge for June used Shimelle Laine's kit approach suggestions as inspiration for June. I designed two kits and add on kits (add-on kits not all yet posted) and now, like the inspiration designer, have created sets of pages to use for creating my layouts.

 I used Shimelle's LO's for inspiration on a number of these paper arrangements; but, not exclusively so. I used a sketch from Alison Davis as inspiration for one of my two page LO's and the other variations are my own creation. Now, what I'll do with them will be all my own creativity and style.
A personal discovery, that I will keep handy for future reference, is that with both page sets I used papers from my add-on kits. 10 pattern papers do not seem sufficient for me. I prefer at least 12.
Don't forget - comment by tonight on the June 1 post for a chance at the Dylusion Spray Inks.

My efforts at the challenge of a June Counterfeit Kit

Today I went and visited the Counterfeit Kit Challenge and was delighted to find the kit direction was more like the kits that I design for myself. I actually was inspired to create two kits.

The first I’m calling -

“Play Girl”

The Papers:

Pink Paislee Starlight Bright

Sassafrasslass Enlighten B side Sunshine Broadcast

Teresa Collins B side Posh Damask

American Crafts Amplified Teal Swirl

Teresa Collins B side Timeless Pink Stripe

Pink Paislee Courage She Art Collection

Pink Paislee Honey Bunch Sweetcakes Collection

American Crafts Amplified  Multi Stripe

Heidi Grace Designs  Pink Plaid

Sassafrasslass Kindle B side Sunshine Broadcast

The cardstock for kit from my stash:

2 each of gold, black, white misc. manufacturers, and a grey crepe by Wausau

(middle tape from stack)

Stamps from stash Kaisercraft and possibly Ki (old)

Letters Black AC Thickers Patchwork and Jillibean Soup’s Wonderful White Corrugated Alphas

Mr. Huey’s Dewey Mist

Cath Kidston washi tape

Pink Paislee teal twine

Journal spots Canvas tags from Basic Grey

Embellies –

Pink and teal paper from Heidi Grace Designs

AC Dear Lizzie Thickers  (relatively old)

AC Pin Wheels (may make more pinwheels myself)

Second Kit  -  “Graphic Goldy Globes”

Papers:

GCD Donna Salazar Xmas Rose and Ribbons Weathered Winter

Jenni Bowlin Ledger

Heidi Grace Designs Dots Wild Daisy Road Flocked Paper

Rusty Pickle Mama Knows Best

MME Laundry Line Lucky Run Coastal Lucky

K & Co Chelsea Pink Glitter Paper  Brenda Walton

Basic Grey Chalk Mortifica Collection

Kaisercraft Lotus Lush Collection

Bo-Bunny Jazmyne Symetry Glitter Series

MME Laundry Line Golden Dots Coastal Lucky

Cardstock for kit from stash:

 2 Kraft, 2 natural, 2 gold, pink, teal

Mister Huey’s Warm Calico

Grey twine

Stamps Girl’s Paperie Paper Girl, unknown from stash

Washi tape numbers stash unknown

Journal spots Basic grey Canvas tags

Letters AC Thickers plain chipboard remarks hatbox, Pink Paislee gold letter stickers

Ebellies-

Tapestry Ruby Lemonade felt stickers

Creative imaginations IOD iron orchard epoxy stickers (relatively old)

Girl’s Paperie Paper Girl paper die cuts (relatively old)

October Afternoon 5&Dime rub-ons

Add on kit papers above -  “Flirty Flicks”

Papers:

Pink Paislee Front Porch

Bo-Bunny B side Persuasion Back to Back

Vellum Kodomo Crane Collage
Webster’s Pages Hide and Seek Seaside Retreat

Teresa Collins Designs Posh: Posh Damask

Also these reverse pages in the add-on:

These kits are the basics I'll use for my pages. I'm sure I'll need to add a few items for add-on kits to really make the pages I want. Nonetheless, I think these are good kits that should result in complete or nearly complete pages. Now, that I have all these kits, I'll need to be my own design team and see what I can create. Will post the pages soon!

Don't forget a comment on the June 1 post if you want a chance to win the dye inks. Winner will be picked June 8 and a new prize to follow.

Creating Kits

 I mentioned in my last post that I love having kits to help me organize my products and produce my scrap pages. I love picking some papers, then cardstock and finally coordinating supplies. It's fun to see how many different pages I can make from the same group of supplies. If you look at my LOAD[512] you'll see a lot in red and blue ones made from a kit of supplies. I just went over to Flickr and there are 6. Two of them DPLO's so a total of 8 12x12 pages so far from the one kit. I was inspired to use a paper pad that had been sitting around forever! I have a few other kits in current use right now, too. Some are page kits and some are Scarlet Lime kits and some MME collections that I've augmented with some products from my stash that seem to work.
One of my classmates in Twelve at BPC is an enthusiastic participant in the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I've checked out the site before and am intrigued to learn more. However, I think it could be a REAL challenge. The June kit challenge is to be something of Shimelle's from Two Peas. It's not up yet. I like Shimelle's work so I'm interested.
However, since it is not up yet I decided to look around the web for a kit with which I could challenge myself. I went over to Studio Calico and looked at the June kit and I'll document here what I put together with materials strictly from my stash. It took a lot more work to do things this way than it does to do my usual style. After all, trying to get the feel and look of a new kit using mostly old stuff is a real stretch. I think the easiest thing is to buy the new kit, LOL! But, I went for it! You can tell me if I came close.

First I looked at the main kit and saw the stripe. I had an American Crafts fabric paper with some similar colors though a bit more vibrant but close enough I thought, next was a golden yellow alphabet paper. No grid on mine, but the one I chose for the kit has glitter, yum! I did not have anything really similar to the fern type tone on tone print but the Nutmeg "Memories" Tapestry paper from Indie Chic by MME was my substitute. (There's a cool chevron pattern on the reverse - I'm not sure that would work but love having it available.) My next choice was Lemon Grass by Crate Paper. I know it has a cream pattern of flowers, not white, but that is the advantage of this particular kit with the gold-yellows and corals I can go for the effect even with the older products and a nonwhite base. I'm sure that color difference is more of a challenge with other kits. I chose another paper from Nutmeg the "Families" Zig Zag. It has a different pattern but a similar color effect as the number paper and the entire collection does feature a lot of chevron designs (a benefit here is the yellow chevron on the B side). Next is a gold based paper with white polka dots from my stash followed by the orange graph paper from Kaisercraft's Hippy Girl Collection. Again, I was going for colors and feel of the inspiration. My last choice was a teal on cream grid paper the B side of October Afternoon's gazebo. The cardstocks were a little hard from stash but I found something pale in orange and a patterned white stripe cardstock (from Club Scrap) and I chose a deeper brown over a lighter kraft as I chose a brighter coral pink than the inspiration.
I used the additional kits as inspiration for the other papers I chose.

 Of course, we're digging into stash so it's even a bit tougher here to find what might work with everything else but I forged on. I did find the Miss Caroline grey dot from MME in another kit I'd made up so I'll need to share. My other choices include the following ( I hope I designated them properly):
Cubicle Office Lingo Collection Pink Paislee
Yellow Quatrefoil B side Style essentials EP
Skinny Pebble Stripe Scrapbook Walls Chatter Box (one of my most fave papers ever!)
Thrift Shop: Last One October Afternoon
Green Woodgrain Martha Stewart
5&Dime B side Root Beer Barrels   October Afternoon
the grey dot (see above)
Is it Any Wonder (chevron) Amy Tangerine fabric paper American Crafts
Saffron "Create" Lattice Pattern Indie Chic MME
Disguise Secret Bird Society Collection  Kaisercraft (showing only A side but grid pattern on B in the green blues works OK also
Wendy dotted Bside Pennyroyale Collection Kaisercraft
Cards B side Summers End Fancy Pants Design
Find A Word in Turquoise Mist and Kachina on Snow Kaisercraft
Last of all I included these 4 patterned papers.

 I thought the Large Floral Flower Patch from Making Memories could be cut into circles, the striped B side of Maple from Kaisercraft could be cut into chevrons, and Cherry Blossom again Kaisercraft would make good hexagons. "Miss Pretty" from Prima just worked with the colors and the scattered butterflies in my inspiration.

Now all these embellishments and stamps from my stash look like they may work to help me achieve some of the effect of my inspiration. I still need to find my mini letters and some cards stock pieces that might work.
I suppose the proof of a successful kit will be in what sorts of pages I can create from my choices.
I also think my collection needs a name. Summer Cool comes to mind, with this combo of rich warm tones and the pretty greens and teals.
An interesting exercise. After this, I'm not sure if I'll try the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/ I'm definitely interested in checking out what folk are doing there!
Don't forget to leave a comment on my June 1st post for a chance to win the spray inks this week!

June is Here

 Wow! Summer around the corner. Hard to believe we're already midyear. Just finished LOAD (layout a day with Lain Ehmann). I feel great having made 31 layouts in one month. Since so many were double page ones and one was a multi-media piece it really was a LOT of work.

I have all the LO's on Flickr at 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46661359@N03/sets/72157630004568950/

 And here is a little collage of my work

I learned a lot during this time. It really is helpful to prepare kits ahead of time or to use a store bought kit. Green Tangerines gave out a few good ones at the NSD celebration. Even if one doesn't like to follow a kit exactly (I don't), the head start is invaluable. Digi quick pages are even faster. However, I am not a minimal scrapper. I like lots of details and found myself going back to layouts I'd made and adding little touches or just going for the techniques straightaway. Even 911 looks simple; but, those numbers were naked chipboard and I added paint and glitter glaze to them. I like to play when I scrap. I also am sure that bold colors, lots of patterns, and dimensional letter sticker titles are part of my style. I seem to favor photos on the left, too.

Still working on learning new things in art and scrapping. It's the best way for this to stay FUN for me!

Now, to celebrate summer, I am having a few give away prizes here on my blog. The first is these 3 bottles of Dylusions ink from Ranger.

All you need to do to win is leave a comment on this post. Winner is MORMOR! Please e-mail me your snail mail address. Watch tomorrow for a new give away!

Thanks for dropping by!