Texas State Fair time is almost here!!

Since I was a kid I have loved the fair. My mom may not have done many things right for me along the way, but making sure we had a good time at the fair was always one. She always filled us up with JUNK, and we loved every minute of it!

I try to carry on that tradition and spend time at the fair every year, remembering the fun and feeling like my sister is there with us in spirit. So, last year during the fair and while the FFA kids were all there busy showing goats, we decided to share our traditions with the group. After lunch we returned to the barn and handed out funnel cakes for the kids to all share. Rachel, a senior and one of the nicest kids ever, had never had one.. we made sure she got one all to herself!!! You'll notice my red head has that 'mom stop taking pictures' face.. I will have you know it did not stop me, and one day when she is grown and can share these memories with her kids, she will thank me. However, she threatened me with my life if I take any more while she is chewing, I might consider the request!



Fletcher's corny dogs, corn on the cob cooked in butter instead of water (horribly bad for you but soooo good!) and yes, even cotton candy, frozen lemonade and funnel cakes! We rode all the rides we wanted, saw a ton of concerts, shopped and looked in through all the booths and were even there for one of the most tragic events that will always be in my brain. the Texas State Fair has had it's impression on me, and I can not wait to try a few of the fried foods that are new this year... the fair opens the last week in September, will you be there?

Flower Explosion!!

So here is another LO using a Page Maps sketch... and a BAZILLION flowers!! This one is one of my favorites and will be lighting up my home eventually in a brightly colored frame!

So, I used the June 2006 sketch page (second row down, right hand side)for this LO, and again some of Jillibean Soup's paper! I just love their paper, punch outs and spots! Oh, and in case you missed it, you will definitely see why I call myself a sticklethickerflowerholic!!!



Those letters are Queen & Co. white letters (SUPER inexpensive version of a thicker!!) and I simply added lime stickles to them to get that look! I added a journaling spot and used the butterflies and buttons from the punch out page I got with my Jillibean Soup paper a few weeks ago!!!



I also found the perfect addition to the LO by using a crocheted flower a friend sent me! I have been hoarding these for the perfect addition to special LO's!



This is a pic of my girlie when she brought home ribbons from the livestock show for showing her bunnies back in the spring of 2010. I love how a portrait can be so fun in front of a cool door!

Sketch Use

I recently learned that many avoid scrapbookers have no idea what a sketch is or how to use them. So, I thought I would take some time to show how I use them, sometimes very closely to the sketch and sometimes just as a starting point.

My favorite site to get sketches from is Page Maps! This site has tons of free content! I typically print the page each month and add it to my stack. That way when I am out at a crop I can easily reference them. I don't use a sketch every time, but I do like to glance through them for ideas and sometimes use them for challenges on other sites/blogs.

For this post I am using two sketches from the October 2006 Side Maps sketch page. One sketch (bottom left corner of the page) I decided to stretch into a double 12x12 LO. I am not crazy happy about it, and may end up adding a bit more to it, to make it less 'minimal' or it may just be one I hand over to my kiddo, since that was the original thought.



The second LO I did from that sheet of sketches is done using the top row center sketch. I really like how this one turned out using some scraps of Jillibean Soup paper/journaling block/spot, a sheet of Co'ordinations canvas texture paper, a scrap from a die cut page, ink, ribbon, blackboard letters, stickles, one 5x7 pic. I like the clean look of it all, very classy! Planning on framing this one and several others from that trip to Nashville!



I really like the way the blackboard letters turned out with the titanium stickles edging them!



I'll post a few more LO's with their sketch start in the next few days... I know they help when I get scrapper's block!

Sticklethickerflowerholic?

Hi, my name is Lisa and I am a Sticklethickerflowerholic. Yes, you heard that right! I am at rehab-needing levels of thicker, stickles and flower addictions. BUT, I love it and while I know I have these issues, I am CHOOSING to ignore the need for help! I love how adding a little sparkle or a few flowers can turn a layout from bland to blamm-o-rific, and of course it only gets better when I can use one of my favorite letter stickers from American Crafts for my title!

This layout has it all! I even altered paper flowers to match my LO because some how I was out of all red flowers except the one huge one? How does that happen, and WHY are there not red flowers available to buy at my fav LSS Scrapville at 11:30pm on a holiday? Seriously, I would have gone and bought them, IN MY PAJAMAS, because those ladies are super sweet and are ok with scrapping in comfort! So to alter the paper flowers I used my versamark cartridge in my stamp roller, rolled across the two paper flowers, quickly dusted them with firecracker red glittery EP, and heated 'em up. Snazzy! I love them! Then I wanted a bit of charcoal swirls so I inked up a different roller and rolled it over my fabric flowers. I took a Timmy-tool with the velcro pads and added some red ink to two of those, and edged my snow colored calendar paper lightly.

So, then I added rhinestones for the small flowers and a couple swirls, but here I was again.. out of something! I need stock in black rhinestones, I swear! So, I grabbed my Gunmetal stickles and went to town, making centers for the two big flowers and swirly-dotted lines.

I love this LO and the red-head on it! That is my kiddo who headed to London with school for a spring break trip last year, and I wanted a LO I could frame that had a few shots from her heading out and a few more of her coming home... this one did the trick!