Fun Friday

Let's do something unexpected this weekend...take your scrapbooking supplies and do something with them that you've never done before. I challenge you to create something NEW and DIFFERENT with your supplies. Have you ever altered a journal before? Created a layout for framing? Used your paper to decoupage a tabletop?

Be sure to share your creations with me!

Thankful Thursday

Here is a link that can be a great time-saver. I LUV scrapbook.com but the search feature there, and the sheer volume of info there, makes it hard to find things. If you like sketches, THIS link will take you right to all the sketches that have been posted and tagged as such at their site. Enjoy!

Wordy Wednesday

In honor of the upcoming Mother's Day holiday, I challenge you to do some journaling this week about a special woman in your life. What has she meant to you? How does she inspire you?

Technique Tuesday

Don't be afraid to be bright! One easy way to use bright colors successfully is similar to the advice on mixing patterns...to ground them with a solid black or white background. Take a look and give it a try!
And just for kicks...if I get TEN comments on this post, I will send out a pack of bright papers to one of the commenters!

Manic Monday!

This week, perhaps for obvious reasons, I challenge you to create a card, layout, or altered project with both stars and stripes on it in some way. It does not need to be a traditionally patriotic project in any way...just use stars and stripes. Share what you come up with and I will post here!

Fun Friday

Let's bring spring! (I don't know about where you are, but here in MI it is sloooow coming and seems to be needing a little encouragement!)

Nothing says spring more than flowers...so today I challenge you to make some homemade flowers for your projects. Take some time on youtube and you will find tons of tutorials on different designs. So, whip up a few...don't worry about what you are going to use them for just yet. Just have fun creating them. Then later when you need one you will have a perfect handmade embellie all ready to go!

Thankful Thursday

Here is a great link to be thankful for, from KellyCali over at scrapbook.com:

101 Ways to Use Stickles.

Do you have any more you'd add to the list??

Wordy Wednesday

Have you ever finished a layout, loved it...and then realized you didn't save a spot for journaling? Or maybe you just realized that you have a lot more to say than you allowed room for? Or what if the writing is just going to "ruin" the "look" you are going for? Don't lose hope! Simply turn the layout over and write on the back! You can write as much or as little as you want without worrying at all about how it affects the appearance of your layout...and most importantly, all those important thoughts are preserved for future generations. Give it a try!

Technique Tuesday

Inking is not just for paper! In this layout I wanted to add just a touch of color to the white flowers I had to better fit with the flowers on the background paper. I simply lightly dabbed them with an ink pad and couldn't be happier with the result. What do you think?

Thank You Card

I wanted to share with you this gorgeous card that was made in response to my No Housework Day challenge...thanks for sharing Tina!

Pop over and see some more of Tina's beautiful work at Chignon's 23 Things.

Manic Monday!

I hope everybody had a wonderful and blessed holiday yesterday. To continue the feeling a little longer, this week's challenge is to scrap something...anything...having to do with your spirituality. Whatever that means to you and whatever aspect of it you choose to focus on is fine, but I challenge you to take time this week to preserve some of your thoughts on a layout. Be sure to share with me what you create!

I just want to send a big shout-out to Jenifer and the rest of the ladies over at Creative Soup, who were kind enough to feature one of my layouts on their Inspiration board today. Hop over(did you catch my Easter bunny reference there??) and check them out!

Fun Friday

In honor of Earth Day, let's see a project using something repurposed! If you really impress me I may just feel the need to reward your creativity!

No weekend posts this weekend as I will be out of town at a soccer tournament and then enjoying Easter with my family!

Thankful Thursday

Need a fresh and inspiring color combo? Here is a great site to be thankful for: Colors on the Web ...enjoy!

Wordy Wednesday

One of my very favorite journaling techniques is to use song lyrics. There a plethora of amazing thoughts out there already written down by inspiring artists...so why reinvent the wheel? Next time you are stuck, try using a song title as your layout title, or part or all of a song's lyrics as your journaling.

Technique Tuesday

Probably my number one addiction when it comes to scrapbooking is patterned paper. Many friends have expressed to me that they are a little 'scared' of using a lot of pattern, however, especially when it comes to mixing them. I want to suggest that a great way to use fun, vivid patterns in any combination is simply to use them sparingly and against a very neutral background.

Here are two examples. In this first one I used thin strips of multi-colored paper as a frame around the white background. With all the quite-literal white space, I was able to use a variety of coordinating alphas for my title without overwhelming the viewer's eye, adding a touch of fun without detracting from the photos.

In this next layout, the background is actually a very pale blue. Although the patterned papers are very bright and all different, they are again present in small amounts. The patterns themselves are small as well. The placement of the papers leads the eye to the photos, and the paper in the circle serves to tie the colors together. The brightly-c0lored lines it contains are so very thin that they are hardly noticeable themselves; it is a very subtle pattern.

I would love to see (and share!) your examples as well!

Manic Monday!

Welcome to my first Manic Monday post!

Just a quick-and-dirty challenge for a Monday morning to get your mojo flowing for the week. Today I am going to challenge you to create a layout using

buttons, ribbon, and two or more pictures...

easy, peasy, right?

Email me your finished project so others can be inspired!

New Plans on the Horizon!

I've decided that it is too easy for me to let this blog slide without a PLAN. So, in order to motivate myself to keep it active, I've decided that I will have a daily posting schedule. In the future, this is what you can expect to see here at Marci's Scrapping Spot.

Manic Monday – let’s start the week with a challenge!

Tuesday Techniques – techniques to try

Wordy Wednesday – journaling prompts or ideas

Thankful Thursday – links to inspiring sites (blogs, etc.) that make our creativity easier

Fun Friday – Fun Project Ideas (altered items, layout theme, etc.)

Whatever Weekend – catch up? Throw out a game? Whatever I feel like doing!

Now...this is going to get old fast if I don't have some feedback or some people playing along! So please leave me a comment (or ten!) and let me know what you think, send me your ideas for future posts, send me pictures of your projects that I can share here, etc. Bring a friend!

Remember, I LOVE to send out random prizes at random times!

A big thank-you to all who participated in any way in the blog hop this past weekend...I hope you all took your "no housework" time seriously!

I wanted to share with you this gorgeous Thank You card created by Diana that she was kind enough to share with me. You can visit her lovely (and bilingual!) blog at http://dianaskreativeecke.blogspot.com/. Thanks Diana!

Several more of you indicated that you took me up on my challenge as well...wonderful! Card-making is a great way to use up our scraps and who doesn't appreciate a handmade card?

You may be curious as to who won the random prize. I had my kids choose a random number today and I am happy to announce that the lucky winner is:

VIJI!

Viji, please get me your address and I will get the pens out to you.

Look for more posts coming soon...I have some plans and ideas brewing in my head!

Welcome to the National No Housework Day Online Blog hop!

If you have arrived not knowing until now about the hop, no problem...just go back to If It's Groovy , where this hop starts, and work your way through. You may find games, prizes, projects and how-do-you-dos along the path :)

We would appreciate it if you sign up to keep in touch with us by "following" and would love your comments!

Perhaps you arrived here from Nikki Sivils; if so, great! Hope you enjoyed that stop and the others so far!!!

We celebrate this national holiday by scrapping today and into the weekend with projects that remind us of housework or getting away from it!!! Take the day off, put up your feet and let's hop!

So...I've been thinking about what challenge I wanted to give you all today. What I keep coming up with is that "No Housework Day" or not...some things just have to get done, right? And aren't we blessed to have people in our lives that pick up the slack for us when we need help? It may not be with housework (though it could be.) Maybe the help is at work, or with our kids, or even emotional. But these people are downright irreplaceable in our lives and we love them!

So my challenge to you is to make a thank-you card. If you send it to the person you had in mind, so much the better! Monday morning I will choose a random winner to receive a set of Zig Chalk Writer pens in lovely pastel colors!
















Thanks for your visit, and please head over to see Theresa at Scrapbookers Anonymous next. Enjoy!

For reference, in case you get lost along the way, here is the complete list of stops.

1. If It's Groovy (Groovy Deb)

2. Life With...(Julie)

3. Leading a Craftastic Life (Kristin)

4. Scrappy Side of Me (Jen T)

5. Peg's Crafting Corner (Peg)

6. All Things Crafty (Erica)

7. Scrapping the Guys (Heather)

8. Let's Get Peachy (Laura)

9. Creating Sensations (Vanessa)

10. Everyday Me (Michelle)

11. Basement Chronicles (Maya)

12. Love to Create (Misty)

13. Scrappy Go Lucky (Darlene)

14. Dragonfly Destiny (Jean-Marie)

15. Andrea's Metta (Andrea)

16. Red Car Productions (Krista)

17. Greets N Treats (Becky)

18. Paper Universe (Silvana)

19. The Limitations of Thought (Irini)

20. Step Into My World (Becky)

21. From the Owls Nest (Sharon)

22. Creations with Becka (Becka)

23. Crafty Go Lucky (Valerie)

24. Crafty Diva Lounge (Jen)

25.Just a Glimpse...(Jenneke)

26. Scrap it Girl (Kimberly)

27. These are a Few...(Julie)

28. Really? That Just Happened (Doreen)

29. Nikki Sivils (Julie c/o Nikki)

30. Marci's Scrapping Spot (Marci)

31. Scrapbookers Anonymous (Theresa)

32.Intrepid Thread (Julie)

33. Scrapbooking SOS (Michelle)

34. Flamingo Scraps (Amanda)

35. Scrapbook Abundance (Jana)

36. Artful Delight(Leeanne)

37. Mommy of 5 Kidz (Misty)

38. Designs by Diana(Diana)

39. Polka Cabana(Jeannie)

40. A Day in the Life...(Kelly)

41. MarBare Scraps (Mary)

42. One by One...(Karel)

I'm so excited...

...and you should be, too!

I just received the final list for the upcoming No Housework Day Blog Hop...and we have forty-two blogs participating!

Ladies, clear your calenders!!!

Just a Reminder!

Oh, spring, where are you??

Here's a little irony...my daughter's "spring break" started five days early...school canceled DUE TO SNOW!

Puh-leeze share some spring with me! Send me your new favorite spring line, a layout you've done that is spring-like in some way...anything! And I'll share it here for others who may need a spring fix like me!

Hint #2: Think Spring!

Don't forget to mark your calenders!

As I mentioned, there is no prize up for grabs for this month's "negative space" challenge...but there IS one for the upcoming blog hop! (See right sidebar.) Want a hint?

Hint #1: it is non-consumable.

Mid-month Challenge

Mid-month seems like a nice time to toss out a quick and easy challenge. No prize this time, but just for fun, let's see how many negative space layouts we can get in the next two weeks! Get your friends to join in and let's see how many we can get. Ready, set, go!

I thought I'd share quickly what scrappiness I've been working on. Yesterday I did this layout based on a sketch. I thought these Heidi Grace papers were perfect for the colors and feel I wanted to portray in my son's baseball layout. I also took the opportunity to use a variety of alphas I had around to make a fun mixed-font title.



The other thing I did yesterday was FINALLY pull out my art journal and work on it again! (You are seeing how I have trouble keeping up with a journal, no?) The page didn't turn out at all as I envisioned...but that is okay. I accomplished what I wanted...I played with my materials and had fun. (And the page IS sort of growing on me.) I also started on another page which I'm kind of diggin'.

If anyone is interested I found some great inspiration for art journals from an amazing and inspiring artist whose career I have been watching for several years...Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Check it out HERE.

SAVE THE DATE!

Ladies I am speaking directly to YOU today...

Are you a victim of Household Chores?

Are you Tired of Cleaning for hours on end?

Are you the only one Lifting a Finger to help around your home?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above (or if you just want an excuse for some crafty time!) then THIS online crop is for you and you deserve it!!!

On April 7th we will celebrate National No Housework Day with a fantastic online crop with games prizes and helpful hints for the other half to use while he does the mundane things you usually do!

Scrappy weekend!

I know it has been a few days since I posted here, but it hasn't been because I've been neglecting my scrapping. I attended a weekend scrapbooking fundraiser this past weekend and spent a total of 17 hours scrapping, chatting, and eating! I completed eleven pages AND I won a fantastic door prize...free admission to their next crop!

What scrappiness have YOU been up to?

I know many of you thought I was off my rocker for being so in love with the DCWV "Colorful" Stack, so I wanted to pop in real quick and share my first project with it. I hand cut the bird out of one of the sheets, and also used the background as the base for my card. Simply added a bit of ribbon and some letter stickers, did a bit of distressing, and VOILA, my daughter's birthday card!

Sue, email me your mailing address so I can get you a RAK for playing along last month! I'm busy thinking about what our next challenge should be....

I'm very excited that our first challenge has inspired Sue to create this gorgeous layout! Sue bought this beautiful "Boho Chic" paper last summer from Hobby Lobby but even though she loved it she hasn't had an opportunity to use it. For this challenge she decided to do something just for herself using paper she loves. She even got inspired to step out of her box and play around with a style that isn't her typical one. I'm so glad she did because look at this result!

Thanks for playing and sharing your inspiration with us!

Am I a Stylish Blogger?

Someone (thanks Sue!) thinks so! I was the lucky recipient of the Stylish Blogger award and am proud to display the award over there on the right sidebar. As a requirement of receiving the award I must do two things. First, I must tell you eight things about myself.

1. I'm a CA girl and the longer I live in MI, the more I miss the CA weather. (Were it not mid-winter this might not have made #1 on my list.)
   
2. Paper crafting is where I spend most of my creative time, but I'm a wannabe writer and mixed media artist as well.
3. I love watching ghost/haunting shows on television. Guilty pleasures, anyone?
4. I'm a San Francisco Giants fan (see item #1) and therefore have been a very happy girl since November 1, 2010.
5. I prefer to eat organically whenever possible.
6. I'm something of a homebody...homeschool my children and homebirthed three of the five.
7. Red Vines are real licorice (#5 does not apply here) and Twizzlers are just wannabes.
8. I love to read and panic a little if I get stuck somewhere without a book.

The second requirement is to choose eight more stylish bloggers to share this award with. In no particular order I'd like to share with you:

1. If It's Groovy
2. Scrap a Little
3. Scrapping the Guys
4. The Scrappiness in Me
5. Crop Chocolate Designs
6. This Little Scrapper
7. Be Present Be Real
8. Made Fresh Daily

Go ahead and check them out; you won't be disappointed!

I was a little under the weather last week and then have had my dd, dsil and dgd visiting this week, but rest assured...there are more creative postings coming soon!!

I am about to embark on a semi-scrappy adventure and thought you might want to come along for the ride. This is NOT scrapbooking per se...but it will have a lot of overlap of supplies AND I think it will be very inspirational.

That's where I thought you might come in.

See, as much as I am a verbally-oriented person, I've always...well, just plain sucked at keeping a journal. I've tried. Oh, have I tried. But really...yeah, I've just sucked at keeping it up. So this time I'm trying something a little different. I'm going to do some art journaling. (This is the book I bought but a bit of browsing amazon or a bit of googling will show you, oh, a gazillion or so approaches: Journal Spilling: Mixed Media Techniques for Free Expression.) Now, I understand this is NOT scrapbooking and may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I do believe that we can all use some of these concepts and practices as a springboard to become better, more creative scrappers.

So, my first challenge to you (taken from the book above) is this, a step in letting go of your inhibitions:

1. Start with a blank piece of paper, any color. Grab anything random, don't overthink.
2. Quickly (again, don't overthink this) grab ten or so of your scrap papers.
3. Tear these into smaller peices.
4. Drop them onto your background paper.
5. DO NOT MOVE THEM!
6. Glue them where they landed.
   
7. Grab some paint (crayons, markers, whatever.)
8. Scribble or brush all over the page. (DON'T TRY TO BE ARTISTIC OR CREATIVE, JUST SCRIBBLE!)
9. If you have thoughts running through your head, right them down. Wherever.
   
10. BE DONE!

If you like what you came up with, let it dry and use it as a background paper. Or cut it up and use it as you wish. Maybe it will show up somewhere on the monthly challenge layout? Or heck, crumple it up and throw it away.

But be inspired by the process.

Let me know what you think of the exercise. I'd love it if you share with us your results as well! (Link over on the right, as always.) Here is what I came up with in my art journal.

As promised, here is the layout I made with this month's challenge in mind. I first chose these papers simply because I loved them but had been hanging on to them with nothing in mind. Once I put my mind to it the perfect pictures of my daughter at her choir concert were right under my nose!

I can't wait to see what papers you've been hanging on to and what you do with them!

Amazing clip from Tim Holtz's booth at CHA

You know that thing we are talking about for this month's challenge? The thing where you buy something because you fall in love with it but don't have any specific project in mind for it? I just realized I did it again.

The other night I was having a little pity party...nothing major but I decided on some online retail therapy.

But would you look at this??



If you go here you can see every beautiful stinkin' page.

Now to figure out what to do with it.

I'm seriously thinking about just framing some of it.

RAK winner and our challenge

Wow, ladies, thanks for the great response! I'm excited to see so many of you here and I'm hoping that you will enjoy your stay and continue to share the word. For now...I'm pleased to announce the winner of the random drawing for my RAK....drum roll please...

(I cannot figure out how to insert the web page showing my drawing so I hope you will all trust me.)

.....#8! SUE, please send me your mailing info using the link on the right so I can get you your goodie!

Since the month is still young, let's go ahead and get started with our first challenge, shall we?

One thing I've noticed about myself is that I tend to buy pretty things because I love them even if I don't have a particular layout in mind for them. Nothing wrong with that, we all do it, right? However....the problem comes when I find those very same pretty things sitting in my stash months later. So tonight I decided to switch things up a little. As I was preparing to scrap, and instead of starting with my pictures I chose some papers I've been hanging on to and then went back and searched for some pictures to complement them. I created a layout I'm very happy with and got the bonus of finally using some of the pretties I've been hoarding! I've set aside several more kits to work on in the coming days and will be sharing my results here. (If it wasn't so late I'd share now but that Super Bowl ends late for us eastern time zone folks!)

Which brings us to my challenge for you. This month I'd like you to find some paper or embellishment that you just HAD to have but have never used. Use this as the basis for a layout...find the pictures to go with them after you have chosen them (go ahead and peruse your old photo albums) or even leave them without photos for now until the right ones turn up. Maybe this is a great reason to create a photo op? Email me your layout using the link on the right by Feb. 27th with the subject line "blog challenge share" and I will share them here to inspire us all. Feel free to add a little info about how it worked out for you or anything else that seems relevant.

As for me, I'll be busy searching out some goodies for a random winner.

Can't overlook this beautiful and colorfully fun line Sweet Threads from my old fave Basic Grey.

Imagine all the just-plain-FUN you could have with Die Cuts With a View's Vintage Collage line!

Peeps by Creative Imaginations...why, oh why, did no one think of this before?

Maya Road has really outdone themselves this year; this is just one of my faves from their new line. Be sure to also check out the ledger transparencies and the kraft doilies!

Some of you may know how my dog got sprayed by a skunk a while back...wouldn't this Nikki Sivils Max & Mollie create a great layout and give me a little silver lining to that episode?

Pink Paislee Daily Junque...how versatile is THIS??

Welcome Back!

I know that everyone and their uncle has a scrappy blog these days. And I have a couple of places where I find great challenges and great friends to chat scrappiness with, but I have found lately that I've really missed the creative aspect of presenting my OWN challenges to you like-minded gals, and I've gotten a bit of feedback that you may be interested in "hanging out" with me here and playing along. So....welcome back!

Let's start out with an easy challenge, with one caveat. You need to make this worth my while, so go let our buddies know that we are back, and leave a comment on THIS post to let me know you are here and ready to PLAY! If I get ten or more comments I will randomly draw a name to receive a RAK! So, go tell your friends to pop on over (and sign up as a follower so they won't miss any of the fun!) and leave a comment.

Just for fun, since it is always weird to leave a comment when there isn't much to say...how about in your comment you let me know whose new CHA release you are most itching to get your hands on. I'll share some of mine below.