September 25, 2012

And the winner is...

 
The winner of an Echo Park collection of their choice is:
Madeline
Lovely page...and such great photos of the fun!
September 17, 2012 11:38am

Thanks so much for hopping with me Madeline! Please contact me at the email on the right with your collection choice.

And a quick card I made using the For the Record Documented collection...


September 22, 2012

2Peas HOP!

It's the 22nd! And that means a hop of Garden Girls with news, sneak peeks and giveaways from our favorite spot on the web twopeasinabucket.com

Let's start with a little sneak peek at a page that's coming soon.  Some bats + witches + webs.
This page by Summer Fullerton is just the right amount of graphic + linear with interesting little bits - just my style. I love the title work and all of the little details she added in the honeycomb pattern.  And the fact that the photos and the story are the heart of page inspire me to be a better storyteller. It's one of those pages where every time you look at it, you notice a little something else that makes it special.
Page by Summer Fullerton
Narrowing it down to just five is going to be tough! I love so much and have collected so much this season. So let me just list 5 things that are my desk right now...


And now for a fun prize. How about a $15 gift certificate to twopeasinabucket.com? Just leave a comment and tell me what you favorite new fall collection is and you're entered to win! Don't forget to leave your PeaName too!  I'll announce the winner on Thursday, 9/27/12.

And now hop on over to Garden Girl Jill Sprott's blog for more inspiration + giveaways.

Also hopping are Garden Girls: Jen Gallacher, Julie Campbell, Amy Heller, Lynn Ghahary, Wendy Sue Anderson,  Shimelle Laine, Laura Craigie, Becky Novacek, Amy Tan, Wilna Furstenberg.

September 20, 2012

Echo Park For the Record 2 Detailed

This little one is growing up way too fast. I haven't seen my little niece much since school started and I miss her. Having a conversation with her is so very different from talking to the boys. She can talk nonstop, which is actually my speed so we're a good pair.

Seems that every time I see her, she's lost a little bit more of that round baby face. I did this page so I could really "see" how much she is changing. Same dimples, same pigtails - but my girl is definitely growing up.

To create the page I started with the big colorful picture frame. I love these patterns in the For the Record 2 Detailed collection by Echo Park and what better way to showcase them! The large bow in the center separates the page and gives the layout a pop of yellow. I divided the page into six equal parts so I would have plenty of room for pictures, journaling and a bit of fun. The butterfly sticker on a stick adds some pop and dimension. Putting just about anything on a stick makes it better!

There's a nice sketch of this page over at the Echo Park blog if you'd like a copy.


September 17, 2012

Echo Park Blog Hop

Welcome to the Echo Park Paper Design Team Blog Hop! Today the Echo Park Paper Design Team is showcasing projects from our latest collections. I chose the For the Record Documented line to make this page about my nephew turning four. I love the blues and greens with punches of black featured in this line.
Instructional PDF coming soon at www.echopark.mybigcommerce.com/projects/
The background shape was cut with the Silhouette. The shaped "windows" in this background were filled with patterned paper from the For the Record 2 line. A few layers of embellishments including a ruler sticker, journaling spot and bicycle chipboard add theme, layers and punches of color to the layout. While it's not a traditional birthday layout, the colors and icons add a boy celebration feel to the layout.

For more great ideas, be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. 
ONE winner will be selected from EACH blog to receive an Echo Park Paper collection kit of their choosing. To qualify for the kit, comments will be due by midnight EST, Sunday, September 23rd to qualify for the drawing. The winner will be announced on each blog Monday, September 24th so be sure to check back to see if you've won. Good luck!
Click here for a closer look at the For the Record 2 collection.

September 13, 2012

From Summer to Fall...

It seems like we went from this...
to this...
Layout copyright twopeasinabucket.com.
in the blink of an eye. 

The pictures are from last year, but the layouts are new. The summer one is my last Bella Blvd assignment using the Sunshine & Happiness line. I did decide to step down from the team last month to free up some of my summer. Loved my time at Bella, they were a fantastic company to work for - not to mention they make super cute lines!

The school layout is from the twopeasinabucket.com gallery. It almost all Basic Grey Clippings with a bit of Crate thrown in. I'm so happy that I took some of these detailed shots of Nico's preschool backpack and sneakers. He has grown up so much since then. 

I take a lot of pictures. Like really a lot and sometimes I wonder if its overkill. But then when I look back at Nico's baby pictures, I only regret the ones that I didn't take. I guess the answer is that I'll continue to be that Mom - the one who brings her camera to the bus stop the Lego store and everywhere else life happens (with no regrets). 

Believe it or not, I'm still buried under a pile of laundry and knee-deep in packing away summer clothes. Football practice is in full swing and I'm finally getting back into the swing of making something every day. More to share soon.

September 8, 2012

Video - Simple Stories Harvest Lane

Here's a new video that just went up at twopeasinabucket.com this week. Loved digging into my stash for Fall themed papers and embellishments. It's one of my favorite seasons to scrap. There's just something about the deep colors and mix of woods that call my name.

I mixed a little Jillibean Soup Pumpkin Chowder into the mix and it matched perfectly. Some wood accents and leaf die cuts complete the page.
For a peek at how this came together, you can watch the video here:
For more closeups of the details, click here. 

September 4, 2012

Been Out to Sea

We've been away, sailing with Mickey on the Disney Fantasy...
For the past two years, Nico has been begging and pleading to go on a Disney cruise. Anytime he heard "vacation", he'd say "Disney cruise?".  I think it could have something to do with the half-hour commercials they had running on Disney Junior - marketing at its finest!
It was everything a Disney cruise should be. So glad that we had the opportunity to do this while he is still at an age to appreciate the magical kid stuff...
like having a constellation of stars on the ceiling of your bunk bed. No ordinary constellations either - Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell are hidden among the stars.
A kids' club that brings your favorite movie to life.
A Pirate Night Party, where Dad (and Mom)  can play dress-up with you.
Made complete with an appearance by Captain Jack Sparrow, a sword fight and fireworks.
Two pools, a Mickey slide and a crazy water roller coaster. 
A verandah for relaxing...
and discovering new things.
Framed art throughout the ship that comes alive when you wave your magic badge in front of it. Leading you on a wild chase through the ship until you solve the mystery.
A different Disney show every night.
Crazy towel animals at bedtime.
And pillows that wish you a good night!

We had a great time, relaxed, laughed, explored and all of that good stuff. And now, I'm happy to be home. Buried under a mountain of laundry, photos and the first day of school prep. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into my Fall routine after this crazy summer. I'll share more of my favorite cruise photos over the next couple of days. 

Until then, here's a sneak peek at a video I made for 2Peas. Should be up tomorrow: