The March Kit from C'est Magnifique

Here's a look at the March Kit from C'est Magnifique, called "Whimsical Melodies".  The paper is from a Canadian manufacturer called Magenta.  What a great variety of colors!

This one, Macy, is for you.  What a sweet photo, and I love your little pony-tails!

I got a chance to use some chipboard from Blue Fern Studios that was in the kit. 

I just love distressing the chipboard.  Here I used the Glimmer Glaze that was in the kit, along with some Distress Stain.  

The flowers from the kit and flower add-on were such a great combination of colors and styles.

~~~Valerie

Kitty Kisses

Hi everyone!  I hope you're having a great weekend.  I spent the morning making birthday cards at a crop, and the afternoon celebrating my niece's birthday.  Happy 6th birthday Makenzie!  

The C'est Magnifique Kits are selling out so quickly lately, but I wanted to give you just a peek at the March kit.  Even though the kit is already sold out, the paper is still available in the store.  It's a from a Canadian manufacturer, Magenta, and I really loved working with it.  Here's a look at the paper:

I created this layout using a photo of my niece, Abby, sharing a kitty kiss. 

I love these colors!  I swiped a Tim Holtz distressed ink pad over the edges of the flower to add some color. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

~~~Valerie

Blue Fern Studios Blog Hop Winner!

A big thanks to all of you who participated in the very first Blue Fern Studios Blog Hop!  Thank you also for all your kind comments.  I read every one of them.  I hope that by participating in the blog hop you were able to find some awesome ways to use chipboard on your projects.  

As promised, I now want to announce the winner of my giveaway to one of those who left a comment on my blog:

Entry # 19, chosen from the eligible comments, belongs to Magis, from Russia:

Congratulations Magis!  You have won this beautiful collection of Blue Fern Studios chipboard.

Please send me an e-mail at: valerie{at}bluefernstudios.com within the next 7 days to claim your prize.

~~~Valerie

Welcome to the Blue Fern Studios Blog Hop!

Hi everyone!  Thanks so much for joining us for the Blue Fern Studios blog hop.  I am Valerie Serfozo and so proud to be the design team coordinator for Blue Fern Studios.  If you're not familiar with this company, follow along the blog hop and you will fall in love with the stunning chipboard designs. 

What: Blue Fern Studios Blog Hop

When: February 8th-10th, 2013

How: Simply visit each of the blogs below, then leave a comment (and become a follower, if required). There are sure to be plenty of goodies along the way!

Who: Here is the blog list, in order:

{start} Blue Fern Studios

Michele Singh

Valerie Serfozo (Design Team Coordinator) {you are here}

Camilla Ekman

Eila Sandberg

Erin Blegen

Irene Tan

Irina Gerschuk

Iris Babao Uy

Jennifer Snyder

Joyce Lawrence

Kelly Foster

Lisa Gregory

Mona Pendleton

Patter Cross

Svetlana Austin

Vibeke Harila

{back to} Blue Fern Studios

As long as you stop at each of these blogs and leave a comment, you will be in the running for the randomly-drawn GRAND PRIZE:

Additionally, I will be giving away a little prize pack myself!  All you have to do is become a follower of my blog (if you aren't already), and leave me a comment.  I would love to know how often you use chipboard on your projects.  Here's what I'll be sending one lucky winner, selected by a random draw:

I find myself adding some chipboard to all my layouts!  It can be used naked, just as it is, or there are hundreds of ways to alter it.  Here's a layout I created last weekend using a photo of my precious niece Makenzie.  I used five different Blue Fern Studios chipboard pieces/sets on this layout.

This is a piece of chipboard from the "Heart Set".  I coated it gesso, then added some clear glue and some micro-beads.  The beads weren't the color I was going for, so instead of looking at it as a mistake, I chose to let it lead me in another direction.  I added some white pearl paint and a couple of shades of Shimmerz until it was the color I wanted. 

Here is a close-up of the very intricate "Symphony Border".  Here I painted the border white, then added some ultra-fine glitter while it was still wet. 

The "Natural Sprigs Set" is perfect for adding to your flower clusters.  I coated the piece with gesso, then swiped a green ink pad across it.  I also dabbed a little white pearl paint across the leaves to add some definition.

You can see on the "Seasonal Wild Flowers" that I blended several different shades of pink mists so that the piece wouldn't be one uniform color.  There are no mistakes when covering this chipboard because you just keep adding color until you get the shade you're looking for.

And lastly, I used a couple of the words from the "Valentine's Word Set" for my title.  This set is not all about Valentine's Day, and you can get several titles from it.  I primed the words with gesso, swiped some gray Distress Ink over them, and then wiped some white pearl paint over that to give them a somewhat marbled look.

Thanks for taking the time to participate in our Blog Hop.  The rest of the design team has some inspiration to share with you, and you will find more prizes along the way.

**Next stop on the hop is Camilla's Blog**

Have Fun!

Giveaway and a Blog Hop this Weekend!

Hi everyone.  Just a quick post today (but good stuff).  Leslie, the owner of C'est Magnifique Kits is giving away the "Bits and Pieces" from her February kit.  She is super busy so she always has lots of leftovers from the kit and the add-ons.  So head over to the C'est Magnifique Kits Blog and enter your name for a chance to win.  Here's what she's giving away.  Good luck!

I also want to let you know that Blue Fern Studios is having a Blog Hop February 8, 9, 10.  There will be lots of prizes and inspiration along the way.  

Hope to see you this weekend!

~~~Valerie

February Sketch Challenge

TGIF!  I am ready for the weekend.  How about you?  I have set aside some time to scrap this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it.  Of course I will also be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. 

Cést Magnifique Kits has posted a new sketch challenge on their blog.  I sure hope you will play along this month.  Wait until you see how the design team used the sketch!  Here's a peek at the sketch.  You can find all the details HERE.

Have a great weekend!

~~~Valerie

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