Got the "Stay-cation Blues"?

Welcome to the Studio!

It's summer and time for travel and fun...well, not for me. At least not yet. My wonderful hubby is working his fingers to the bone and doing enough {business} traveling for the both of us. Although Mom & I have a scrappy getaway planned for August, CKC Nashville, it's not the same as spending a week relaxing with your significant other. And since he's starting grad school this fall (i.e. three weeks from now), it may be a while before we have time for a real vacation. So for now, I guess you could say I have the "stay-cation blues." The best way to battle those blues? Scrap your last vacation. Or in my case, get a fire lit under my rear and scrap the last six years of vacations. So here's what I've been up to...

We went on a cruise in December 2010. I was off from work anyway for two wrist surgeries, so it seemed like one of those kill-two-birds-with-one-stone kinda thing. We had been talking about going on a cruise for ages and we're glad we did. I didn't have complete use of one hand yet, so not having to cook, clean, or carry anything for a week was bliss. The heaviest thing I lifted was a fork;) Our steward, Joe, did everything for us, including making these cool towel creations. And yes, that was a "towel bat" hanging from the air conditioner. I thought that one was particularly groovy...probably because I'm a fan of all things vampire.

I used some really old Scenic Route paper that is pink and a golden orange. I have no idea why I love this paper collection so much. I found some on a clearance rack a year ago and bought more! Not sure if you can see it in the photo, but I used a Bazzill stitching template and did a decorative stitch on the top and bottom of my main photo area with ivory embroidery floss. It was time-consuming, but I love the look and the texture. It makes me think of a soft baby blanket, or maybe soft, fresh-from-the-dryer bath towels.

Cruises are a scrapbooker's heaven. There were at least five different photo opportunities before dinner the first night, not including them taking our picture when we boarded. I would have stood in every line, but my darling Keith didn't want to spend more on photos than we did for the cabin:) I limited myself to one per evening, not including the photos they took at dinner and each of the ports. We would walk the whole ship so I could scope out the best "photo op" each night before dinner.

I think the paper might be Creative Imaginations. I was buying cruise paper and embellishments for months before we actually went on the cruise.

Muster Drill...you have to do it, so why not make it fun. Here's me and Keith being silly with our life jackets on. Sexy, huh? There's nothing more glamorous than reflective safety orange;)

This is probably the only time other than our wedding day that we took "formal, dressed-up" photos. One reason might be because I hate wearing pantyhose. I think Keith looks really handsome in this picture. I'm not so pleased with my really red cheeks...too much sun, I guess. For this layout, I used ivory and black Bazzill Bling cardstock, vellum printed with a silver scroll design. {I actually bought it for a wedding layout and didn't use it.} To bring in the dark red color, I used Tacky Tape (aka bologna tape) to add a very thin "wave" of glitter up the side. I also Glimmer Misted the two flowers in the corner. The black woven border is actually home dec trim from the sewing department.

I always tell my scrappy friends, and especially new scrapbookers, that there's no such thing as a mistake in scrapbooking...it's just an opportunity for embellishment. I used EK Success decorative corner punches on the four corners of my photo mat. That really pretty flower in the corner...yep, you guessed it...an opportunity for embellishment! That was my last piece of black Bazzill Bling and instead of punching the corner, I chewed it off. What's a girl to do? Add flowers and bling; right?

I'll be back soon with some more card and layout ideas; and I'm still on my flower making kick, so I'll have pics of some of my new blooming creations too.

I hope you enjoyed your visit. Until next time, stay inspired and Scrap Sassy!

Technique Blog Hop - Banners!

Welcome to the Studio!

I'm participating in the Monthly Technique Blog Hop. This month we're highlighting banners. We all love the party atmosphere they convey and they are so stinkin' cute too. This month, we are featuring the banner technique on Page 35 of the current Close To My Heart Idea Book, but with a twist. Our goal was to find something other than triangles to create banners with.

Our blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique. If you would like to start from the beginning, please visit Debi's Blog. While there, you will also find a listing of all participants and their blog addresses if you should get lost or want to reference a blog along the way. The list is also at the end of this post. Let’s get started!

If you are coming from Sheila's Blog, you are on the right track! This technique is highlighted with the Fanfare paper packet in the Idea Book, but you will find variations for its use throughout this hop.

For my project, I was thinking more out of the box than usual. I've been really interested in learning to make flowers for a few months now and I'm still on the flower kick, because they ended up on several cards I've made lately, including this one. That being said, why does a pennant have to be, well, a pennant? Can't a trellis and flowers be the banner? Check out my flowery vine version of this theme.



For the flowers, first of all, they were all made with just plain circles. Nothing fancy about that. The two on top were made by folding the circles in half and overlapping them. The centers are just stamped circles with a dimensional dot. The two larger flowers were made by folding each of the circles in thirds. I inked the edges for a bit more dimension. I apologize for using the Mayberry WOTG kit twice in a row for my blog hop projects, but I just can't help myself. It's my favorite!









If you would like to see details on the technique or my supply list, please continue reading below. If not, please continue onto Neely's Blog, where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

Supply List:
Mayberry Workshop Kit G1022
Inks: Cocoa Z2114, Honey Z2162, Smoothie Z2196, Olive Z2137, & Crystal Blue Z2117
Cardstock: (not included in kit) Honey, Garden Green, & Crystal Blue
Stamps: (not included in kit) D1406, January Stamp of The Month, 2010
Circle Punch, Z1311
Sponge daubers, Z726
Blending Pen, 3174
Misc. items: circle punches, Make The Cut, Cricut Expression

Thanks for stopping by! Continue onto Neely's Blog to continue the hop!

Here is the list of Hoppers:
1. Debi Barber – http://debiistheothersister.blogspot.com
2. Teri Baxter – http://themidnightartist.blogspot.com
3. Judy Faye Garner - http://www.judyfaye.blogspot.com
4. Sheila Wilkerson – http://ezscrapbooks.blogspot.com/
5. Kelly George-www.sassyscrapperstudio.blogspot.com.
6. Neely Dean – http://neelydean.blogspot.com

Independence Day Revelry!

Welcome to the Studio!

It's time to celebrate our freedom and our country once again. Don't you wish every day could be the 4th of July? Ice cream, hotdogs, fireworks, and family fun. Remember to capture all your memories so they can be preserved for years to come. And don't forget to say "Thank You" to a veteran or active serviceperson. They continue to make it a holiday worth celebrating.

One of our family's memories is running a firecracker stand in the mid-seventies. I still have one of the t-shirts that my dad screenprinted to commemorate the bicentennial with Mac's Fireworks, followed by a silly saying. I also remember being just tall enough to reach the "poppers," the little firecrackers that you throw, and when they hit the ground, they pop. I must have popped a few thousand of those when I was growing up. My Grandma Julie would spend hours on the back porch of her house lighting smoke bombs and "snakes" for my joy and delight. And let's not forget my yellow plastic swimming pool on that same back porch that I'd spend most of my summer splashing in. Sometimes the only way she'd get me to take a bath was throw soap in the pool:) Those were the "good ole days."

I've got several years of July 4th memories to get into my scrapbooks, so I'm planning on organizing those and starting on some layouts during the long weekend. I thought I'd share some of my patriotic layouts with you, although some are not 4th of July. Let's begin with the year 1976. It was bicentennial fever here in America and the local portrait studio was no exception.

That's me at three with my Mom. Ain't she pretty?

The next layout I want to share is our visit to the oval office, sort of...


My husband is a history teacher. Even though he's no longer in the classroom, he IS still a history teacher. He reminds me of that regularly;) That being said, he takes us to some fun, albeit, historical places for vacations and getaways. If you like American History, be sure visit the American Village in Montevallo, Alabama. They have a huge to-do every July 4th with fireworks and historical "celebs" making appearances. My husband couldn't resist getting his photo taken behind the desk of this replica Oval Office. The paper I used was K&Co. The vintage little girl with the flag at the bottom was from Crafty Secrets, but check out the Vintage Workshop Blog for some similar freebies to download.

I swore I'd never share any of my "Sticker Sneezes" from my early days of scrapbooking, but here's one anyway. Vellum was a new thing back then and there wasn't any of the fancy vellum adhesive either, so you can see every bit of glue through my title and embellishments. The photos were taken on a visit to the USS Alabama in Mobile. My scrapping has come a long way since then, I HOPE!

Parked in front of Fat Boy's BBQ Ranch here in Prattville, we had an awesome spot to view the fireworks last year. I got some great shots during the evenings festivities. My photo tip...if you have a camera with a fireworks mode, use it. It certainly helped me get some uber shots.

This was our first year in Prattville. Our friends Jimmy & Kim came to visit. Keith fired up the grill and cooked his famous ribs. We then went to the stadium here in Prattville to see the patriotic program and the fireworks. The paper I used in this layout is actually a digital kit that I downloaded. I wanted some cool vintage flag paper and couldn't find anything in "traditional" scrapping supplies. If you print digital paper, it becomes "traditional" scrapbook paper...who'd have thought;) I wish I'd had more photos of the fireworks, but the camera batteries died about 20 minutes into the show.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your visit. Card Class and Crop Info is below.

Card Class:

July 2nd, 2011

9:30 a.m. to Noon

We only have TWO spots available for the July card class. Please be sure to email me (sassyscrapperal@gmail.com) or leave a comment to this post if you wish to attend. We will be making Christmas cards, a fall/Thanksgiving card, and the most recent blog hop card (base & shade technique) with the pleated ribbon. We're going to have so much fun! The cost is $5 for materials. Everything is provided for you and you'll leave with five completed cards. Plus, there's door prizes!

Crop Info:

9:30 a.m. -6:00 p.m.

The crop is free, just please bring a snack to share. We have a ooey-gooey cake, queso dip and chips, and a pineapple upside down cake coming. Trust me, you don't want to miss the fun, food & fellowship with this awesome group of ladies. Bottled water will be provided. You're welcome to bring a beverage of your choice.

Location, Location, Location:

Messiah Church Fellowship Area

2072 Highway 14 East, Pratts Mill Shopping Center

Prattville, Alabama

We are located on the second floor - and yes, there is an elevator. The elevator is located between the stairwells by the gym and the loan company. When you exit onto the second floor, our door is directly in front of you. You can't miss it with all the lime green and hot pink tableclothes;)

If you arrive early and would like some coffee, be sure to stop over at The Special Grind. They have fantastic lattes and their daily brewed coffees are awesome too!

Until next time, Scrap Sassy!

Happy Blog Hoppin!!!

Welcome to the Studio!

We have another great installment of our technique blog hop. The topic is the “Paper Beyond Base and Shade Stamping” Technique as shown on page 11 in the CTMH Spring/Summer 2011 Idea Book! I promise it's not difficult at all. It's simply a two-step stamp process whereby one color is stamped to "color in" the image and the second "outline" stamp is stamped on top. Mostly, this is acheived with a base and shade stamp set and ink. If you want to really jazz it up though, you can use a dark color as your base and use a light colored embossing powder for your outline. It really gives you a lot of options to add character to your stamping projects.

This blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique. If you would like to start from the beginning, please visit Debi's Blog. While there, you will also find a listing of all participants and their blog addresses if you should get lost or want to reference a blog along the way. There is also a list of the blog hop participants at the end of this post as well. Enough housekeeping, let’s get started!

If you are coming from Judy's Blog, you are on the right track! This technique is highlighted with the Bliss paper packet in the Idea Book, but you will find variations for its use throughout this hop.

If you would like to see details on the technique or my supply list, please continue reading below. If not, please continue onto Melissa's Blog where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

I stamped my base flower in Honey and then stamped the outline in Smoothie. I used the same technique with the Garden Green for my little leaves and used Olive for the outline. I added a sentiment at the bottom in Cocoa. For a little fun, I pleated some ribbon. I'm participating in a card swap and all the cards must have pleating on them, so needless to say I'm on a pleating kick for sure;) I wanted to add just a little but of sassy to the card, so I included a rhinestone flower center and a button with twine tied into a bow. It's a super-easy, super-cute card to make, especially if you're pressed for time and need something really nice in a hurry.

Supply List: Friendship Blessings Stamps, D1191; Mayberry Level 2 Paper Pack, X7136B; CTMH Inks in Cocoa, Honey, Smoothie, Olive and Garden Green; Colonial White Button (bulk pack). Other: grosgrain ribbon, brown and white baker's twine, and yellow rhinestone.

Thanks for stopping by! Continue on to Melissa's Blog to continue the hop!

Here is the list of Hoppers:

1. Debi Barber – http://debiistheothersister.blogspot.com
2. Shirley Ross – http://momnmescrap.blogspot.com/
3. Neely Dean – http://neelydean.blogspot.com/
4. Judy Faye Garner - http://www.judyfaye.blogspot.com/
5. Kelly George-www.sassyscrapperstudio.blogspot.com. {YOU ARE HERE}
6. Melissa Robinson – http://mlisrobinson.blogspot.com/
7. Rebecca Sorge – http://beccascreativeplace.blogspot.com/
8. Teri Baxter – http://themidnightartist.blogspot.com/
9. Tonya Whitehurst – http://heartandsoulscrappers.blogspot.com/
10. Sheila Wilkerson – http://ezscrapbooks.blogspot.com/

Angry Birds and Christmas Trees

Welcome to the Studio!

I wanted to share some of the projects from our card class this past weekend. First, I want to share our Angry Bird card. My husband is totally addicted to this game and so are several of our friends. My friend Stephanie emailed me the picture of a card made by SewingStamper06 and posted on the Splitcoast Stampers site. It was so cute, we had to make one in our class. I was able to use Make The Cut software and create a cut file for all of the pieces. If anyone would like a copy of those files, please email me. I'll be more than happy to share them! The supplies used: blue sky paper, Michael's, Recollections; woodgrain stamp, Universal Borders, Close To My Heart; Chocolate ink, CTMH; Bazzill cardstock in brown, black, and Red Devil; CTMH cardstock in Garden Green, Olive, and White; rubber bands. The sentiment was printed with black ink and the cloud is a cut file from Silhouette and inked using CTMH Sky ink and a stipple brush.

This card just wouldn't be complete without an Evil Pig...


Origami Christmas Tree Card Instructions:

The sample of this card I'm using here is different from the color scheme we used in card class. I wanted to try something different from the traditional red and green to show how versatile this technique is. Here are the steps...

First, you will need four squares of paper to make the tree shown above. You can make your tree taller by adding more squares. The sizes are 3", 2.5", 2", and 1.5". You begin with your first square. You are going to fold it in half with the back of the paper on the outside after you fold it.

Unfold the paper, turn 90 degrees, and repeat the step. You will have a piece of paper with a "cross" pattern folded into it.




Next, fold the paper diagonally making sure that the side you want to show is on the outside after it's folded. You want to unfold your paper, turn 90 degrees, and repeat step.

Your paper should look like this:


Then you want to fold the paper so it makes a double triangle kinda shape. I'm not sure what to call it, so here's a pic...



Next, take one side of the triangle and fold it until it meets the center crease. It's hard to explain, much easier to see a photo;)


Repeat this step on the other side. When you do, you will have a section of your Christmas tree.


After you have all your pieces of paper folded, add a bit of glue of the back of each folded tree part and stack them together. It should look like this:

Next, just attach your tree to your card, tag or scrapbook page. You can also make a cute decoration by making two of these trees and gluing them back to back. Just insert a bamboo skewer or wire floral stem and put in a container.

I hope you enjoyed our cards today. Until next time, Scrap Sassy!

More Flowers & Card Class Sneak Peak

Welcome to the Studio!

I wanted to share a few more flowers I made with you guys. The first one I want to share is a shabby chic beauty that I plan to use on a wedding layout. My husband and I were married in 2003 and I'm still working on the wedding album. I had just begun scrapbooking about six months before and wanted to wait until "I was ready" in a skillfully creative sense to scrap what my mind envisioned. I'd like to think that I've come a long way from my early days of "sticker sneezes" and decorative scissors. I really want to get caught up, so I'm going to challenge myself to get two layouts a week done from now until the scrappy August fieldtrip to CKC-Nashville. I'll share some of my layouts too!


Back to the flower... it was made with ivory satin and lace. It was sewn together on the bottom edge for the full length. I then used hot glue and a paper-punched circle (about 2") to create the flower. I just kept going around and around pinching and pleating the fabric as I went and continuing to go into the center of the circle. When I felt the flower was full enough, I glued some pearls and other bling in the center. I wanted it to look really shabby, so I cut the edges of the fabric petals on a diagonal and made sure some of the fabric began to fray.

My next flower is a "loopy" flower. I took some lime green satin and folded it in half to make a tube. I added a stip of lace on one side and sewed the bottom. I then cut the lace and satin "tube" into loops. To actually make the flower, I used the same steps as above. For the center I added a Prima flower and a large pearl. I didn't have a project in mind when I made this one. I just love lime green;)

Card Class Sneak Peak...

I wanted to also share some of the projects we'll be doing Saturday, June 4th {That's this Saturday} in our 5 for $5 Card Class. See details at the bottom of this post if you'd like to attend. We will be working on a Patriotic card, a sympathy card, an all-occasion card, an origami Christmas card, and an Angry Birds card. Several of you have asked if we could do a card for all the "Angry" fans:)

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the origami Christmas tree. I will post the instructions along with photos of the steps after our card class. It is a fantastic way to utilize all those little scraps left over from you Christmas layouts. It's even a great way to turn "non-Christmas" scraps into holiday cards!

Card Class and Crop Details:

Card Class begins at 9:30 and ends right in time for lunch. The cost is $5 and all class materials are provided. You only need to bring yourself. Class space is limited, so please RSVP to reserve your spot by posting a comment to this post or by email sassyscrapperal@gmail.com.

Our crop begins at 9:30 and goes until 6:00 p.m. You are welcome to crop during the card class. We have plenty of room to spread out and lots of outlets, so feel free to bring your techie scrap toys. The crop is free, but please bring a snack to share. Bottled water will be provided, and you're welcome to bring your favorite beverage.

The card class and crop is held at the Messiah Church Fellowship Area, 2072 Highway 14 East in Prattville, AL 36067. It is on the second floor of the Pratts Mill Shopping Center. And yes, there is an elevator, so you don't have haul your scrap stash up the stairs. The entrance to the elevator is between the gym and loan company. When you exit the elevator on the second floor, our door is directly in front of you. Also, The Special Grind is now open for business. I have sampled their coffees and smoothies. All I can say is YUM! The zebra mocha is to die for!

Until next time, Scrap Sassy!

Flower Power

Welcome to the Sassy Studio!


A few weeks ago, I was wanting some unique flowers for a scrap project. I found some gorgeous online made by Prima. They have an awesome selection of all types of flowers made from all types of materials. I really like using them, but they can get a bit pricey...especially when you can't find them locally and have to pay shipping too. That got me thinking though. If Prima can make them, why can't I? So I started looking for some information and ideas. I went to Etsy. Great flowers, equally expensive prices and shipping. My next stop was You Tube. They have more flower tutorials than you can imagine, with more being added daily. Here is my take on some of the ideas I found...


Lollipop Flowers:

These are so easy to make. Basically, it's just graduated sized circles of any material/media you can actually shape kinda like a circle. You can use tulle, netting, burlap, paper (both patterned and cardstock), mulberry paper, satin, organza, cardboard...well, you get the point. Here is what I came up with. I hope you like it.





I made these out of lime green mulberry paper. I used a water brush and "traced" a few sizes of Spellbinder circle dies. I then tore the moistened paper into these ragged circles. I glued them together with hot glue and stuck pearls, rhinestones, or other bling in the center. I then took them layer by layer and scrunched them a little with my fingers to give them some dimension. These are part of my "Oh, Lolly" Collection and the color is "Lime Fizz."

Fresh As A Daisy:

Daisies have such cute, little flower faces. I just love them. And when you layer multiple sizes, you get a cross between a ruffled daisy and petite mum. Here's my interpretation...


For these lavender beauties, I used Bazzill cardstock in a very light lavender color. To get the differing hues, I used a variety of Glimmer Mist and Sassy Shimmer Spritz (my homemade version of Glimmer Mist). For glue, I used either Scotch Quick Dry wet adhesive or hot glue, whichever was handy. To make the petals pop and look real, I bent each one while still damp from the misting and/or spritzing. After they dried, I used a rubber coaster (or a mouse pad would work too) and an embossing stylus with a very large ball. (You can find them with the clay tools in the craft department of your favorite hobby stores.) I rolled the large ball of the stylus around the middle of the flower and the petals begin to pop upwards or "cup." This technique is actually referred to as "cupping" on several videos I watched. I then finished up the flowers with some bling for the centers.

Read All About It...

I have to say THANK YOU to my friend Stacy for sharing some of her stash with me. She gifted me several sheets of this awesome dictionary/newsprint paper from Stampin Up. I totally LOVE it!!! I followed the same steps for these flowers as I did the lavender ones above. I used Glimmer Mist in Walnut Gold and Tattered Leather as well as my "Chocolatte" Sassy Shimmer Spritz. The bling used is the Mocha Opaques from CTMH.

Thanks for stopping by and visit again soon!