sugar and spice

i have been thrilled to see the sun return. the snow and ice are still on the ground. this past week, looked beautiful from the window view. until you walked outside and were stunned to shivering with how cold it actually was. my son had been looking forward to sledding with his class yesterday....then had to have it cancelled due to the cold temperatures. apparently it wasn't a total loss...no outdoor recesses and they had an in-school field trip planned to make clay art. doesn't that just make you want to be a kid again?! oh the simplicity of life. ha!

i haven't been motivated to take many photos either. or learn my new camera. it is so sensitive to focus, that i have totally been failing. there is no reason for bad photos when my camera is good enough to do most of the hard work for me .... but i have managed to take more than my share. ugh!

the week i needed to hand in my February design team challenge at Urban Scrapbook, found me scrambling. i was totally ahead of the game at the start of January. then i got "The Cold". normally i have a day or two of just "bad-cold" syndrome, and then start feeling better. not this time! i took a day off to rest. then another. and another. and....another! one week turned into two. then it was crunch time. i still was feeling awful....and feeling sorry for myself because i was feeling awful! ha! don't feel sorry for me....feel sorry for my poor family who had to listen to my whining.

all that to say....i finished this layout a day after it was due. after midnight! then had only a cloudy and dark morning to take a photo. only 5 minutes to fiddle with my settings. i think i may set up some kind of light box so that i can no longer be hampered by this problem. with some help from Photoshop, i tried to get this into the proper colour and contrast.



we had another sketch. the challenge was to use 2 photos.

my favourite part was our interpretations of the circle from the sketch. you HAVE to check out the designs from the other girls. butterflies, pearls, solids, florals....

my only regret? my favourite paper was the floral side of this paper....

....finished my layout and saw an entire 12 x 10 piece on my desk not used. and the piece i did use was the tiniest strip ever...and it is pretty much hidden. ever have that happen? i was saving it for a certain area andy then forgot about it.



one note about the paper is that it is suitable for a variety of layouts. not just valentines and love. there are a lot of browns, greens and yellows. awesome for layouts for boys.



one product we used was the 7 Gypsies paper tape.

i didn't realize that it had a backing that you had to remove. i was able to tear it in half {lengthwise}, then ink the torn edges without compromising the adhesive. once i was ready to apply it to my layout, i just had to remove the backing. awesome! and....i was able to remove it from my paper....move it....reapply and not lose paper or adhesive.

with the backing, you also can use a die cut or paper punch too. it is a possibility with the Tim Holtz tissue tape too...but a bit more of a complicated process.



part of the kit came with the coordinating Basic Grey die cuts and transparencies. definitely a lot for valentine projects. however, they are a welcome addition to the product line...different for Basic Grey and i liked it! my favourites had the vintage or typographical feel.



enough about that.

i cannot wait to work on the next month. it is on my desk and i'm searching for the perfect THREE photos.