Pure Joy

Oh my, it is so beautiful here.  It's been snowing all morning and since I get to spend the entire day inside, I love it!  I'm excited to finally share with you a peek at the February kit from C'est Magnifique Kits.  The colors are beautiful and it was wonderful to work with this line of paper from Maja Designs.

"Pure Joy"

My niece, Callie, is such a sweet little girl, and really is a pure joy to all of us who know and love her.  I know many scrappers say that they can't use purple, but this kit is sure to change your mind.  These shades of purple, combined with the soft neutrals, works perfectly!

The entire line of Maja Designs paper is available in the C'est Magnifique Store:

 

Check back tomorrow when I can show you the entire kit.   Have a great Friday!

~~~Valerie

"Life" for Blue Fern Studios

I'm so very excited to have my first post up at the Blue Fern Studios Blog.   I really like to take a piece of chipboard and transform it into something that will either blend in with my layout, or stand out.  It can go either way.  On this layout, I chose to alter the chipboard to tie in with the dress my granddaughter wore to homecoming last year.

I prefer to prime chipboard with a light coat of Gesso.  I apply it with my finger for a couple of reasons - I hate to clean Gesso from my brushes, and I can control it better with my finger and avoid applying too much.  When I am applying Gesso to chipboard, I typically prime several pieces at one time.  I then applied some Tim Holtz Tarnished Brass Distress Stain.  It was a little heavy, so I used a baby wipe to remove some of it while it was still wet.  Lastly, using my finger, I randomly applied some Stampin' Up All Purpose Ink in Frost White.  It was just the color I wanted.  I used a Viva Pearl Pen to add the pearls. 

The background of this layout is the beautiful packaging from the Blue Fern Frame.  The packaging for this frame is a full 12x12 sheet with a lovely blue design.  Don't ever throw away your packaging because you will want to use it on a future project.  The paper is from the new Kaiser Craft line, Marigold.  

This is the beautiful piece of chipboard that I used on this layout, the Floral Clock. 

Thanks for stopping by!

~~~Valerie

Kiefer Sporting His New Jacket

Here's a photo of my sweet Kiefer wearing his new snuggle jacket from Dexter's Jackets.  These jackets are custom made using a few measurements from your dog.  You can even select from an array of fabrics.  I chose this green plaid flannel for Kiefer, and I think he looks quite handsome.

We've also had several people sponsor a Cavalier from Cavalier Rescue USA.  If you're interested in providing a snuggle jacket for one of our Ohio Cavaliers in Rescue, please leave me a comment or contact me by e-mail and I'll let you know to go about it.

The Lovely Blue Fern Frame

Ahhh, it's my first layout of 2013.  I have been so busy at work that carving out some time to scrap has become almost impossible.  But Monday I managed to set aside some time to create.  I was so anxious to use some chipboard from Blue Fern Studios on layout.

I'm not sure what process you use when you create, or if it's the same each time, but I tend to mix it up a little.  In this case I knew I wanted to use the frame, and I wanted to use one of the Enamelz by Shimmerz.  They come in various metal colors, and I chose Fake Bake.   From there, I chose a photo.  This is my niece, Macy, and I loved the monochromatic colors of the photo, so decided to go that direction with my layout, as well. 

After priming the frame with gesso, it is covered with a couple of coats of embossing powder, distress ink, mist, paint and then stamped with Staz-on.  After numerous layers and several drying periods with the heat gun, this chipboard held up so well! 

After my layout was complete, I gave the entire project a light covering of Forever Red Perfect Pearls, which blended the colors just like I wanted to.  Here's how it turned out:

 

Here you can see how the Perfect Pearls adds just a bit of shimmer to the flowers 

and helps blend the colors.

I love the way the frame turned out.

No wonder it's the signature product of Blue Fern Studios!

 

~Valerie

Who Doesn't Love a Giveaway?

I hope you'll head over to the C'est Magnifique Kits Blog and enter your name for a chance to win Leslie's Bits & Pieces from the sold-out January kit.  This giveaway is only open through January 12th, so don't wait.  Here's what you have an opportunity to win:

I absolutely loved using this kit to create some layouts.  The paper is the Mother Nature Collection from Ruby Rock-it.   Here is my nephew holding his sweet daughter, Callie, on her first birthday.  This paper includes some lovely shades of blue, but I always seem to gravitate to pink.  There are also some beautiful images perfect for fussy cutting!

~~~Valerie

Some Good News to Share

I am pleased to announce that I am the Design Team Coordinator for Blue Fern Studios.  This brand new company has been started by my dear friend, Leslie Kammerdiener.  They have the most elegant chipboard that I have ever seen!  The first retailer to sell chipboard from Blue Fern Studios is the C'est Magnifique Kits Store.  

Michele Singh is the very talented designer of these chipboard pieces.  Visit Michele's blog, Design Honey, by Sunday, January 6th for a chance at winning some Blue Fern Studios Chipboard.

Not only do I get to create with this stunning chipboard, I also get to work with a top-notch design team!   These designers are awesome:

Camilla Ekman

 Eila Sandberg 

Erin Blegen

Irene Tan 

  Irina Gurshak

 Iris Babao Uy 

 Jennifer Snyder 

 Joyce Lawrence

 Kelly Foster 

 Lisa Gregory 

 Mona Pendleton

 Patter Cross 

 Svetlana Austin

  Valerie Serfozo

Vibeke Harila

I'm so excited to get creating with some Blue Fern Chipboard!

~~~Valerie