A GREAT CHALLENGE FROM Sharon at IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE

Well this lil one definately says Happy Spring! Sharon of INTHEBIGBLUEHOUSE created this adorable lamb card. I really love the shape of this card.. what a fun idea! The little green bows and the bell are just too adorable too! Great job on this challenge Sharon! Go on over to Sharon's blog and check out all deets of this card and stay a while and check out all her paper crafting talent!

PASTEL CHALLENGE BY JANET of LadyLuvBug

Here is a great Layout done by our friend Janet over at Ladyluvbug.blogspot.com. Please go on over and check out all the deets on this page and hang around and check out her awesome blog and great talent!!

Welcomes and an award

Good evening all, we are on our second post of the day. We are very busy @ Serenity scrappers. We received this award from Sandra, from across the pond over at http://rosepetalcreations.blogspot.com/

If you have the chance, please go on over and check her out. Her creations are amazing. Sandra makes amazing cards!!! We are passing this along to the following blogs (for some of our new followers and some of our faithful followers):

Kimberly @ http://www.canadiancraftcorner.blogspot.com/

Janet @ http://ladyluvbug.blogspot.com/

Sandy @ http://www.papertransformer.com/

Audrey @ http://cuteandsome.blogspot.com/

Sharon @http://inthebigbluehouse.blogspot.com/

You have to go and check out these ladies, their blogs are awesome, such talent!! Thanks ladies.

Now onto a BIG welcome to our new followers, the last few days we have had a few new followers. I was over at Momo's blog@ http://madebymomo.blogspot.com/ and she had this awesome sign up, anyone that had under 200 followers sign up and you can get to know other fantastic ladies. You have to check our her blog as well. Sorry for all the homework, but there is some amazing talent out there.

A big THANK YOU to all our new followers. We appreciate your comments and we at Serenity Scrappers love to scrap it forward, so any work you would like to show let us know. Take a look around and let us know what you think!! We love comments!!

Kel and Laurie

PASTEL WEEK - day 2

Here is my take on the pastel weeks. This is a picture of my almost 16 year son, who is 5"10!! Freaks me out he was so little. When he was little, he was in Kelly's daycare, and this picture was taken by Kel while he was with her. It was a great feeling knowing my son was well taken care of and loved!!! For this I started with StampinUP cardstock and used a 2" square punch for all the squares. The paper is DCWV Nana's kids, they are pastel yellows, blues and greens.

Here is a close up of the title, I layered it in blue and then ran it through the cuttlebug, swiss dots. I think I cut this from George and the Base Shapes. I cute the parenthesis using Core'dinations paper, and I sand papered that and inked as well.

PASTEL CHALLENGE BY CARRIE of DoubleClickConnections

Here is JUST ONE page of Carrie's GORGEOUS mini travel book. I chose this one because I really liked the polka dots and the flowers..makes me think Spring!! YAY!!.. LOL. Please go on over to her blog at

DOUBLECLICKCONNECTIONS to see the rest of this awesome mini. It has so inspired me to get on making one now before my summer vacation hits so I can be ready like she is!! Thanks for joining the challenge.

PASTELS PRIZE CHALLENGE

Well, we're just about done with all the cold and snow around here and are ready for some spring!!! We would love to see all of your projects that include PASTEL COLORS. Anything bright, cheerful and springlike!! Email your project to Kel at Achildinmind@aol.com The winner, picked by random org, will get the MS acrylic bird stamps and two stamp pads colors OF THEIR CHOICE. These are just for show.. LOL. Here are the rules:

1. Follow if you would like

2. Any paper project

3. Use 2 or more pastel colors

4. Submit by April 9, 2011. Winner posted 4/10/11

5. HAVE FUN! and tell a FRIEND!

SEEING DOUBLE WEEK - Day 5

Good morning ladies and ladies!! Finally Friday is here (sorry Kate, I know you had a lot to do this week and you didn't want Friday to come) but I am happy it is here!!! Kel and I are getting together in the scrapcave tonight to work on our project for our upcoming Blog Hop.

Dawn did this amazing two page layout of her garden for seeing double week. I love this layout and the embellishments she used. Dawn says, "She doubled the photo corners, which are so cute and the little embellishments." The embellishments come from e-cuts. If you have never heard of e-cuts, you have to check them out over at scrapbook.com.

http://store.scrapbook.com/brand/e+cuts.html



They come in PDF file, so you can keep them forever and use them over and over again. The e-cuts are used for the title and ALL the embellishments. They have some really cute themes and they are on sale for .99 cents!! You save to your computer and print them out again and again. So clever.



I love the spring feel of this page. The pictures are awesome. Great job Dawn!!



Have a scrapping weekend.

SEEING DOUBLE WEEK - Day 4

Here is a simple 2 page layout I did. I say simple because it doesn't have lots of flowers and stamps and brads and all that stuff we scrappers like to play with.. LOL. However, the pictures and the story really aren't simple at all. I have jam packed these pages with color and memories. Just by using bright fun colorful paper, It really brings the memory of the pictures to life for me. This is a place that my family likes to visit. Whether we take the road that passes us by Barrell Mill Pond.. or whether we actually get out and go down to the water or stand and just take it all in, we just love it here. It is sort of out of the way, and it doesn't look that exciting.. but it really is a place full of color, nature and history. This place really tells a story of old New England, so I used the 2nd page to journal about it. As Laurie says a lot "its all about the story" So, I took her advice on this one and made it truly more about the story.. and the memory the pics bring than about chipboard and ribbons. Sometimes we just need to think out of the "stash" :)

SEEING DOUBLE WEEK - Day 3

Good morning all! I wish today was Friday! We are so close!!

So for today I decided to show the thank you notes I am working on for my youngest's bday party.

These are all the things that I used.

Here is the finished product. The cards are 3X3. I decided to go with blue and the swirl cuttlebug folder since his party is a swimming party. The WOW is cut from PaperPups on page 127 at 1.5 inches.
The thank you stamp is from StampinUP, Make it count set. Ribbon is also StampinUP.

I now have to put them all together. it will go together easy.

I am going to give each child a pair of goggles and will attach this note to each pair. Easy peasy!!

SEEING DOUBLE - Day 2

Well..here is a pair for you LOL. My two kids being goofs with the goggles on. I always thought these pictures really revealed their senses of humor. I never put it past the two of them to do something like grab snorkle goggles to tend a fire or hula hoop. Doesn't everyone? LOL. Anyway, these pictures are at least over 10 yrs old and I'm glad I came across them and got them on a page and in a book. I basically followed a cool 12x12 template system from Creative Memories. I just LOVE this set. I've been able to get a lot of "collage" type pages done of older pictures I've had stored in boxes done up quickly. They sell two. This one is the Nancy O'Dell collection. I HIGHLY recommend having this as part of your scrapbooking stash. If you do not have a CM rep near you. Please let me know and I will give you the information of mine. She is so sweet.

SEEING DOUBLE WEEK - Day 1

Good morning Lady Friends!! It's Monday yet again, wasn't it just Friday 5 minutes ago? This weekend flew by! I have to admit Monday's are not my favorite!! Ok enough about me, lets move on. Kel came up with great idea of seeing double on a page/card/alteration. It could be a two page layout, two of the same embellishments, two pictures, to altered projects, you get it two of anything.

I did this layout for my youngest guy's upcoming birthday. He is going to be 11.

I used the following, the circle paper is Basic Gray Granola Paper pack. Let me tell you this paper doesn't not play well with the cricut. I tried to cut a few things with and it every piece ripped. It was aggravating. The blue cardstock is StampinUP



The circles are cut (two circles) from Paper Pups (Happy Birthday) @ 2 1/4" on page 92 and the full circle from Graphically Speaking @ 3" on page 66. I ran this thru the Cuttlebug as well.

Close up of of the 11's, I inked and put some of faux stitching around them to make them pop. They are cut from Graphically Speaking, pg 68, cut at 2".

I also doubled up by photo mat as well. I am thinking I will use a 4x6 photo, so the mats are cut at 4.5 x 7 and 5 x 7.5. I love the layered look and never think to do it on a page, so this week's theme helped me remember that.

Have a GREAT Monday!!

8x8 by Kel

Here is an 8x8 I did for one of the 3 albums I'm putting together for friends and family. It's a challenge for me to do 8x8's because you really have to keep the embelly's and stuff simple and few. I'm used to 12x12's where there is sooo much room. I cut the carriage from the STORK'S DELIVERY cartridge by Creative Memories. The doodling of the stars and broken line at the bottom was done with the help of the DOODLING PLATES by Creative Memories. The paper is all DCWV. I haven't permanently adhered anything down yet as I'm still not sure if I'm done witht that photo mat placement and color. We'll see ..lol

Top O' The morning to ya!!

Good morning and Happy St. Patty's day!!! We thought since we are all in the green spirit and since everyone is Irish on St. Patty's day we show you a few cards that Dawn O'Sullivan and Laurie O'McCormack (not really our last names, we have to protect the innocent, but we have to be Irish today after all) did.

This first card is by Dawn. Here are her deets, "All cuts with the Silhouette, including the Leprechaun, who is a Print and Cut. Swiss dots folder for the embossing, PP from the stash. Stamps are Studio G." I love, love this little leprechaun! Such a happy old soul and the Kiss Me stamp is so cute!! Thanks Dawn!!

The next card is mine, I have to say my inspiration came from a card we received in the mail from Kate over at Small Bits of Paper, thanks Kate!!

My deets are, the pp is from a stash I had, and I had an 8x8 piece of paper and only one and I made it work for three cards. The stamped shamrocks are stamped with versamark and then I put PearlX over them. I love these little stamps, they are Dawns as well as the sentiment.






















Here is a close up of the Shamrock. I cut this from A Child's Year and I believe it was cut at 2". I outlined it in white pen, as it was hard to see on the green paper. I also used a glitter pen on the inside to make it pop. Ribbon and bling from my stash.



Thanks to Dawn for the awesome photography of the cards!!

SILHOUETTE FUN by DAWN

Here is a cute heat transfer Dawn did on her daughters shirt using an image from the silhouette.. Totally cute I think! It's great to expand this hobby past paper! Nice job Dawn

Also WELCOME to our new followers Yolie and Buzzy!

HERE's ANOTHER CHALLENGE ENTRY

Hi ladies,, I wanted to make sure Sharon got her props and got to show off her challenge entry here on the blog. I was unable to d/l it before..she resent it.. Great job Sharon! Lovin these PICS so much.. lol.

MORE CHALLENGERS and WINNER

Here are three more challenge entries by ERIN ,RHONDA and JANET.

We put everyone's name to a number and used Random.org and the WINNER IS: #1, JEAN of Jean's Crafty Corner
Congrats Jean!

CUTE AS A BUG CHALLENGE ENTRY by Jean

Well... I thought Jean over at JEANSCRAFTYCORNER was just too clever with this layout.. and the saying...adorable Jean! I'm really loving that font too!. Here is what she had to say about this great layout! "For this layout, the border around the page and picture area is punched with the Martha Stewart Ladybug around the page punch. (I have wanted this punch for a while, but haven't been able to find it. ScrappinGwen on the Cricut Messageboard punched these and sent them to me in a swap, so thank you to her) I used Create a Critter for the ladybug and the grass. I then inked the edges of the grass with cat's eye dark green ink. Finally, I used Once Upon a Princess for the font to cut my title"

CHALLENGE PAGE by Kate

Here is a beautiful page sent in by Kate of smallbitsofpaper . Please check by her site to get the sweet story that goes with it. I just love the soft colors and placement of all the embellies on this page. They really bring out the focal point of this page which is the sweet picture of her and her daddy, which is a treasure..thanks for sharing Kate!

Kate has asked to stay out of the challenge. This is what she had to say
"Although I love to win and really, really do appreciate the wonderful prizes that you've blessed me with, I have won a couple of bigger items in the last few months and want to make sure the joy of winning is shared with other followers of your blog....."

PAGE by KEL

Here's a quick page I put together. I had all the elements in stash. I used a MS corner punch on velum to make that little strip to fill in some space under the picture. I used some felt precut snowflakes on the right and I punched out little flower punches by Fiskar and added a spot of stickles to make them more "snowlike" I inked the velum strip with Quick Quotes Marachino Cherry and I inked the left side with a snowflake punch from SU The word SNOW is all stickers I had hanging around. I really like the memory of this pic and I really wanted to get it on a page and it was fun just opening up drawers and seeing what I could roundup for this!

QUICK QUOTES INKED PAGE by Kel

Here is a page I did last year at the CK convention. This years is coming up soon.. woo hoo. This page is done with a kit from them and the chaulk ink is Tahiti. The white ribbon was dragged through the ink and it picked up the color so well. I also like how they had us chaulk the velum flowers.. the ink also stuck well to this.. Its just great to work with. TAHITI is like a seafoam blue. It is definately not a color I would have chosen on my own, but I have used it in SO many projects. It really goes with everything! Their chalk inks really do blend with more colors than you would think. So, if you win some here.. or get some on your own.. try them with all kinds of color combo's and you would be surprised. Also, a little goes a long long way, so I will enjoy this color for so many more projects.

INK AND PUNCH CHALLENGE - by Laurie

Good morning ladies. What in the world happened to the weekend, it just flew by? I did manage to get some scrapping in. Kel came over to the scrapcave Friday night, we picked our winner and then she helped me make invitations for my youngest son's birthday party. I will post them soon, they came out super cute. Thanks Kel for your help! Here is my take on the ink an punch challenge.




Close up of my journaling tag. I used some bakery twine around the end and the circle punch is 1.5" and I stamped it with at Tim Holtz clock. I also inked all my circles.


I used the Martha Steward around the page punch for the double scallops here. Also a close of up of another Tim Holtz Stamp (I love the saying).

Here is the entire page. These are my two boys, 9 years ago, my little guy was two here. Where in the world does the time go?

The red paper is DCWV Doodlin' around pack. I love, love this pack. The brothers title is from my stash, I inked that, because it was a bright blue. 1.5" circle punch for my circles and StampinUp punch for the corners of the pictures. Quick Quote chalk inks, Maraschino Cherry and Green Tea. I really do love the Quick quotes chalk ink. They are awesome!

PRIZE FOR NEXT CHALLENGE AND CRICUT CART WINNER

WINNNNNNER......

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER OF THE 100th FOLLOWER PRIZE CRICUT CARTRIDGE. IT Is............ Kate of Small Bits of Paper Kate joined us back in the beginning of our Blog journey and we are so thrilled to have her as a friend and enjoy her sweet comments. Kate is married to her dream come true and is busy with 3 great kids and is busy working toward her Masters degree in Education Technology. How she finds time to scrap is amazing! Kate has got some fantastic talent on her blog.. please go and visit! Congrats Kate!

On to our QuickQuote Inks challenge: Rules are

1. Follow if you want.. but you can enter the contest regardless.

2. Create a 12x12 Layout using inks somewhere on the page

3. Use a punch somewhere on the page

4. Email your creation to Achildinmind@aol.com Kelly

5. Have great fun and submit before SUNDAY, March 13, 2011

WOW..LOTS HAPPENING

Hello ladies..Thanks for all the very awesome comments about how our blog's been inspiring you. Laurie and I are getting together tonight to pick out our 100th follower winner. We are messing with the idea of pulling from a hat..dice..cards..random.org... You know we can't just do it plain and simple..LOLAnyway..we will announce winner on Saturday. Also.. Please DO NOT MISS out on a fantastic prize challenge we will announce for Monday. We were so incredibly lucky to have Quick Quotes Instant Journaling donate to us some AWESOME chalking inks.. Laurie and I love love these! These FANTASTIC inks were donated to us so that we can give them away to one of our lucky readers!! We use them a lot and are soooo happy to be giving some away. We will post the rules and regs on Saturday along with the winner of the awesome Cricut Cartridge!! So much happening... so much fun.. so happy your're here for it all !

100 Followers - Wohoo!!!

Good Wednesday morning!! Kel and I are so excited that we have reached triple digits!! We love, love our followers and love the comments we receive and LOVE your work as well. Thank you all for becoming our friends and inspiration!!

We decided it was time for a prize for our awesome followers. We are going to pick a winner from our current 100 followers.

If our 100 followers want an extra chance to win, then please leave us a comment and let us know what your favorite post was from 2011. Also let us know what you would like to see on Serenity Scrappers this upcoming year!

The prize (as you can already see) is a Cricut Cartridge Locker Talk.

We will pick a winner Friday evening. So you have a few days to comment. We love to hear what you would like to see in the upcoming year.

Thanks again for following us here at Serenity Scrappers, we truly do appreciate it!

Kel and Laurie

Vinyl Winner - and other "stuff"

Good morning!! We have a winner, we have a winner for the vinyl challenge. We wanted to thank ALL the ladies that participated. Such awesome work and great ideas for all of us. Kel and I got together quickly last night in the scrapcave and pulled the name from a hat. We are so scientific over here. We are still old school and use a hat! And the winner is......................

Susan!!!

Congrats to you Susan! Please email Kel at achildinmind@aol.com and will will tell you what you need to do. Thanks again to Nick over at http://www.craftvinyl.com/ for sponsoring our challenge.

We would like to take this time to welcome new follower Audrey. Thanks for stopping by, everyone is family here and we LOVE to scrap it forward. If you have a moment please go on over and check our her blog, she has amazing talent. http:/cuteandsome.blogspot.com. Click here.... Cute and Some

Also we have a challenge coming up, with a fun sponsor. Please stop by tomorrow for the details.

One more thing, sorry it is so long, so much to say!! On HSN today 11:00 - 1:00 est is crafting!! Woohoo, they always have great deals. This is important stuff, lol!!

Have a great day!!!