Birthday Bash at If It's Groovy!!! Lasts until January 30th 11pm!

***UPDATE:  If It's Groovy is now on NING!  Go here to join If It's Groovy.ning.com.  Send me an e-mail if you have trouble getting on to the site: nataliescreations@sbcglobal.net*** 

In celebration of If It’s Groovy’s Birthday, I am hosting a challenge and the theme is: “Passing The Scrapping Torch”. For one randomly chosen winner, there will be a prize of really groovy scrapping papers and ephemera for your paper art addictions!

So here’s what you need to do to participate: Make a single or double page LO of any size you prefer in which two elements must be present; 1) Your LO must include embellishments made by a child or children of any age. This can include their school art or something they made at church, other groups, or a home project; and 2) Your LO must include one of the following – a) pictures of the school age scrapper(s) and you making the above mentioned embellishments, or b) pictures of the school age scrapper(s) and you doing an activity of some kind together.

I am confident that this challenge will become a fond memory page in your scrapping album somewhere! Make sure you check out my example to help you wrap your mind around how to go about this challenge!

And wait! I am hosting a bonus contest!!!! I am also having a Birthday on January 7th! Leave me a comment wishing me Happy Birthday or some other funny age related comment and be entered to win a beautiful jewelry set hand-designed and hand-assembled by yours truly! This contest will end January 31st as well! Happy Birthday to everyone who has a Birthday this January!!! To see more jewelry that I make visit my bead blog, Patriot Beads.

Have fun, and please tell all of your friends and post this challenge on your social networks and forums!!!

Natalie the Montuckygirl!

Please use the Mr. Linky tool below to submit your completed challenge projects only. I want to be able to come look at your LO and ooh and ahh!!

Make sure your include the URL for the blog or image gallery where your layout is and your name. If you do not have access to a URL of your layout, please e-mail it to nataliescreations@sbcglobal.net.

Remember, the challenge ends on January 31st so make sure you visit all the design team blogs. You can combine challenges, too! To find the rest of the challenges go to If It's Groovy. 

Here are the most recent participant's projects!!  Aren't they cute?

Jen T

Karen H.

Amy A.

Celina

Jessica J

Groovy Deb!

Christina H.















So in order of submission to the challenge there is:
1. Jen T
2. Karen H.
3. Amy
4. Celina
5. Jessica
6. Groovy Deb
7. Christina H
At 11 pm Jan 30th. PST I will be using Random.org to pick a winner from these numbers.  Good luck! You still have 3 hours left to send me your LO as of this update!
Okay,  I finally figured out how to get the image of random.org and here's our winner

Congratulations Jen T!  You have won the Passing The Torch challenge!!!!!
 and

Congratulations to Lauren! You have won my Birthday Wishes Contest!!!

More Entries to Birthday Bash at If It's Groovy

Here are some more entries from the Birthday Bash over at If It's Groovy.ning

This LO was for Celina's Banner Challenge

The candle is from my 35th Birthday.  I don't have
 any pictures of it, so I put it on this page!
I made the banner with my Gypsy and Cricut

This LO is for Theresa's Add a Birthday Card to Your LO!  This is a card my mother made for Hannah's 1st Birthday!

This LO is for Marci's Challenge which was to Add Pretty Ribbon to a LO.  I added the green silky ribbon with warm red thread running down the middle.

This clear card is for Kristi's challenge.  The inside says, " A little birdie told me it was your Birthday!"
I used my Gypsy and Cricut for the bird.

This LO is for Vanessa's challenge Pick a Cupcake.  I picked sprinkles in Martha StewartTM colors.
I used my Gypsy and Cricut for the shapes and title.

The next images are from a 10 page Mini Album I made out of a $1 chipboard album from Michaels.  It is from the Mary E. Collection.  I used my Cricut and Gypsy to cut out the shapes and title.  This was for Nicole/GothamGal's challenge to make a Birthday Minibook.

I used Tim Holtz distress inks to do all of the edges for the whole album.

The round colored discs are clear domed acrylic discs found in the floral area by the glass cabachons at Michaels.  I colored them with Tim Holtz alcohol inks.  The staples are from Making Memories

The Cuttlebug was used to emboss the purple matting for the picture.  I used my Cricut and Gypsy for the butterfly and the flowers were found on a clearance rack at Michael's in the bridal section.  You wouldn't believe how much cool scrapbooking stuff they have in that aisle!

I cut out the winged heart using Lovestruck 2010 on my Gypsy and Cricut.  The swirls are colored paper clip swirls

Again, used the G and C.  Gold foil on the corners which is 20 or so years old, from an old fingernail decorating kit! The crown has rhinestone bling!

C and G for the star.  Acrylic discs died with alcohol ink again.  And a rick rack type of ribbon at the bottom to slide the photo under.

Tag cut with G and C. Purple and white lace from Wal-Mart.  Silver foil at corners.

C and G for journal area.  The swirls are faux rusty ornament hooks from Target.  The acrylic discs were colored with alcohol ink.

C and G for scalloped journal area.  Brads and silk flowers??? They were bought at Target a long time ago.

The back.  I would have preferred to put another place for a picture, but I didn't have a clear protector for the back. 

This 2 x 2 in tile magnet was altered to fit with a Birthday themed mini project for Ange's challenge.  I bought the magnet at Michael's and used my G and C to cut out the scalloped shapes.  I used Stampin Up! ink in Taken with Teal.  The stamps were from Ms, too!  The colors on the tile are Tim Holtz alcohol inks. I coated the whole thing in glossy Modge Podge to protect it.

This LO was based on Lissa's sketch.  The trees and birds are painted on with acrylic paints.

The next two LOs go together and they are for Amy's challenge to have a party hat in the LO.

This LO was for Groovy Deb's challenge to use pictures from yesteryear and today as well as b&w photo with color!

Well, that's it for now.  I have some more to add later!!!Whew!

Artist Trading Cards

I made these 10 ATCs for a Valentine Swap over at Scrapbooking and Crafting Friends.  Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polaroid pictures without a Polaroid camera!

I just found this great tutorial for Photoshop.  In the tutorial it has a link to a file with picture frame brushes.  One of the brushes was a Polaroid picture frame.   I used it to create the following picture!

A Grand Time!

When I go back to Montana in the summer.  We have a lot of celebrating to do.  My family has a lot of birthdays in June, July, and August.  My husband, daughter, and I went back in 2008 and my mom threw a Caribbean themed party.  It was right around her birthday, my nieces, and my parents' and brother's anniversaries!  Whew!

I used my Cricut Expression, Storybook Cartridge pages 66 and 68 for the marquess, butterfly from Gypsy Wanderings.  The words are cut from Gypsy Font (I believe).  I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the pink and blue cardstock.  I used Tim Hotlz to distress the embossing.  The little white flowers were on clearance at Michael's in the bridal section.  They have a pearly iridescent color. 

Anna - This is only a small fraction of the people that were at this party!!!!

A "Birth" Day LO complete with party decorations, cake, and a cute baby!

Hello,  I made this LO using my Cricut Expression, From My Kitchen cartridge page 62, and actual party confetti from my baby shower that my Mother In Law and Sister In Law held for me.  This layout is of the day Hannah was born.  I almost cried doing this layout.  I love these pictures of her.  She came out, the doctor laid her on my chest and she just looked like a porcelain doll.  She had these pink little lips and just blinked at me.  I remember saying, "Happy Birthday Hannah! I love you so much!"  So far, the best day of my life!

Niki-Ray, is that a great Birth-day or what?!!!!

Birthday Card with Balloons and Cupcake

I've got another fun Birthday Card.  I used my Cricut to cut out the card with the Don Juan card on pg 71.  I used the balloons from Stretch Your Imagination, page 60, and the cupcake is off From My Kitchen page 61. 
I used a piece transparency from Staples and the stamp is from SU!  The ink is Stayz On.  The inside stamp is from Hero Arts, sold at Michaels.

Janeen - I hope you like my delicious little cupcake!  Nikki - I would have saved you a balloon, but they all floated away! 

 

Push Me- Pull Me Funny Birthday Card!

I am so excited that I not only get to be an If It's Groovy Design Team member and participate in hosting a Birthday Blog Challenge, but I get to participate in the other DT member's challenges too.
I combined a few challenges with my card here.  I hope it inspires you as well as makes you laugh!  I got the instructions for the card over at Splitcoast Stampers in their Reference and Tutorials area.

So Peg, this is my Groovy Birthday Card!  Jen M - Have a piece of cake, and piece out!  Jen T - Girl this has to make you laugh it is just so corny!!!!
Good luck to everyone!
Natalie

 

Three New Little Additions To My Gypsy!

For an early Birthday gift, my DH got me the three new Limited Edition Holiday cartridges for my Cricut.
I pre-ordered them from Oh My Crafts and they showed up two days ago.  I can't wait to check them out.

 

Let me know if you have any of these cartridges and what you like about them!   I think they are going to make some great doilies!!

Getting My Craft Room in Order

I spent last week rearranging shelves in my corner of the office/craft room. I also added the embellishment center and some small art pieces.  I will be adding some pink lights and other things as I go, but here's how it looks right now.  It is nothing fancy, but it works for me.  Still playing the lottery to get a big craft room!

 

 

If you'll notice the little containers underneath the shelf here; I used Glad plastic containers from Hillshire Farms deli meat containers!  I had tons of them stacking up and I love to use them for storage.  What I did here was: I drilled a small hole through the inside of the lid, exactly in the middle of the lid, to the outside and into the bottom of the shelf. I made sure that the tab from the lid was facing toward me and I left space of 1/4 inch between the lids.  Then I used a small screw to attach the lid to the shelf.  The containers just snap onto the lids and they work like a charm. They kind of suction on the tub part of the container as the middle is drawn up by the screw.  I have some heavy stuff in some of them and the lids just hold on to them!

I plan to put more up as I get the opportunity.  I also plan to get tins to velcro to the sides of the embellishment center, as long as they are not too gaudy!

Recapping and What's To Come!

First off go to my blog candy post and comment for a chance to win.  At the end of each year, many full-time bloggers do recaps of their favorite posts and videos.  Will I be doing that?  No, not this year.  I just started doing videos and now that I fave figured out how to do them and how much time it takes, I need to iron out the kinks in my process!  So maybe that is a goal for next year!  Anyhoo.... my forte is to share with you some of those bloggers who are doing recaps!

Top 12 Cricut Crafting Videos of 2010 by Above Rubies Studio

Everyday Cricut Best Cricut Projects/Cartridges of 2010

Joy's Life updated Cricut Cartridge Checklist

Pink Cricut top favorite posts of 2010

 Crazy About Cricut

My Creative Time

Creations with Christina start with January and go all the way through all her posts for the highlights of the whole year!

And for the New Year!  Here are some sites which showcase what is to be hot in the fashion world for the next few months and throughout the year of 2011.   I see canaries, birds, best friends, banners, vintage, and small delicate florals as well as tons of other collage designs, distressed pages and tags in our future! 
Scrapbook Update
Color Trends from Squidoo
Fashion Trendsetter 
Fashion Style Me 
Pantone
Fashionizing
Become Gorgeous
Your Memory Connection