SO's Birthday Blog Hop!

Simply Obsessed turns 3 in August and we would like you to help us celebrate! We will be doing a blog hop and want all of you to participate! If you would like to join in on the hopping around sign up now. The blog hop will start Thursday, August 12th and will end with a crop starting on August 13th! You can make anything birthday related for the blog hop! Help us get the word out too! Sign up now! The deadline to sign up will be August 9th. I will have the order sent out by the 11th.
Join in the birthday fun!!

Karry's Queen Bee Reveal

Let me tell you how fun this kit was! I had so many pictures that I could have gone with it. I loved it.
This was the last page I did. My oldest daughter in a photo shoot we did not too long ago. I can't believe how grown up she is getting. :-( She will be getting her learners permit next week. Yuck! This page was so fun, those Prima pearls...they are so gorgeous. Perfect and glamorous. I also used the PP clear border stickers. It wasn't until this LO that I realized the treasure in them. As a whole strip I was scared to death of them, but I cut parts of them out and they make for some cute cute accents. The only thing from my stash are the pearls and the buttons.



This is my Chloe. The picture is from Easter, it was just a lucky shot. She didn't know the camera was on her. (or she would have had her cheesy fake grin on. lol ) She was just walking next to a tree looking for Easter eggs and just in time I called her name and snapped her picture. It turned out so pretty I made all the kids pose there. lol

I love the way this page turned out. Rolling all those papers kind of took forever....but it was worth it I think. I used the add on cutouts on this page. Those journaling cards are all just beautiful. The only thing from my stash are the October Afternoon letter stickers and of course a button. The title I cut with my Cricut, the font is called Not His Angel.





These worms may be pretty, but they are absolutely gross. When you pluck them off the tree they squish this yellow goo on you. A yellow goo that stains. I don't know if you can see my husband's hand in the close up shot. Thank goodness I had my camera and a perfect excuse to not touch them. Ewww! lol Taylor was in heaven though, she loves all things buggy.

I used both of the add-ons on this page. Those gorgeous pleated ribbons and the journaling cards. Don't laugh, but I also used the packaging for the Prima flowers. It was just too pretty to throw away. I used the OA letter stickers again from my stash...but that was all, no buttons this time. lol



My daughter waits until 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave for her BFF's party and she goes snooping in my cabinet looking for a card! Yikes! My kit was laying out so I whipped her up a quick card. I love the colors. The Sprout CS really makes the pale blue flowers pop. I love those pps together! Of course I had to add a button from my stash. It's just not finished if it doesn't have a button on it. lol

Ronda's August Kit Reveal

Haven't you just been SOOOO inspired by this month's reveal from our fabulous DT??? I mean this girls have rocked this kit!! And you can too, because this kit is nothing short of GORGEOUS! It is so versatile and can be used for more than just spring or summer pictures. It's so neat to look at how each DT member takes the same papers and embellies and all of us come up with something totally different! You HAVE to get your hands on this kit!!! Here is my reveal...

"Bloom Where You Are Planted"

"Texas Country"

"For You-CARD"

Have a great week!!!

~Ronda

The Queen Has Spoken... Jenny's August Kit Reveal

When the big brown truck pulled up to my house and the nice driver slipped that gear into park, I went runnin for the door. I just knew what to expect... my August Queen Bee kit and a big old pile of goodies from the SO store, as well. I love this kit. I love that it is just soo pretty and unexpected. It's not at all a typical color palette. The yellow and grey are just gorgeous and that punch of teal just puts it over the top. I made 2 pages and a card with my goodies. There is still a TON of kit left. The first page includes a photo of my younger daughter playing dress up. I used a piece of diecut Bazzill (from the store)and a MME paper as the base. I fussy cut one of the PP papers. Gotta love those flowers. When I glued them down I only did here and there. I like the movement the unattached edges provide. Beneath the photo I layered a diecut and one of those darling clears.


Next to the photo I layered a diecut with a punched scallop circle (on a popdot), a cork piece (flipped over), and a button with some bakers twine. Love all the dimension here. You can also see here that I distressed the black alpha so that it remains visible on the black cardstock. I think the distressing really works well with these papers.


Here where that unexpected comment comes in. I used photos of my DS on the football field for this next one. Lots of cutting and layering with a bit of stitching thrown in here. Isn't he a little hunk?!?

Next up, a sweet little card to welcome my hubby home from Afganistan TODAY!! Off to watch my hubby fly in on his E-2C Hawkeye and see my children run out on the flightline into his arms. Sure hope this waterproof mascara holds up!

scrappinjen

Misty's "Queen Bee" Reveal!!

Oh My Goodness. The August Queen Bee kit is ABSOLUTELY magnificent! It is the QUEEN of Kits...I kid you not!!! I have not wanted to stop working with this kit from the moment that I opened it up!!! I will share a couple of my creations with you today...but only a couple...LOL...the rest will have to wait. =)

Here is "Hope". I caught Skye, my 4 year old picking the flowers off of my crape myrtle trees one day...and I ADORE the way the photos turned out. Here is one where she was actually picking the flower, saying..."It is a Miracle, Mommy! The leaves turned pink!" LOL..She was all amazed at how the leaves had turned pink instead of being green. I explained to her that it was the flowers...but I think I liked her explanation better. ;) Everything s from the kit...the pink flowers are punches that I sprayed with Tattered Angels Candy Appl Red mist.


Here is "My Eyes"...and yes...those are my eyes! I made each frame a slightly different color, and inked all the edges with turquoise StaZon. I wrapped a straw with the "Bees Wax" paper and cut out the little images to make the ends of the rods. All of the flowers are fussy cuts.


And here is just a little "Hello" card. I have a matching project in the works for it...but it is not quite finished. =)


Thank you for taking time to check out my reveal! If you haven't ordered this kit...you SHOULD!!!! You will be the "Queen" of the crop!!! If you did order it...I hope I have inspired you to crack that baby open the moment you get it!!!

Hello Queen Bee!!!

Have you seen the August kit yet???? This kit is gorgeous!!! I can't believe how beautiful the yellows, teals and grays look together. And don't forget about all the embellishments. Wow!! I created two layouts and a card and still have tons left over.

For my first layout I chose this picture my husband snapped of Frances and myself at the riverwalk on Saturday afternoon. I didn't even know he took the picture and when I was looking through the photos later than day this one made me a little teary eyed. She is growing so fast and it is sad knowing I won't be able to hold her like this forever. I punched holes in the cork to make a button and put some twine through and used the diecuts from the add-ons for my journaling. Then I cut up the Prima Pearls so I would have enough for my next layout.



For my second layout I choose this photo of Frances running through the grass. I snapped this while she was running away from me and then edited it in photoshop. I layered lots of the patterned paper and made more buttons out of the cork circles. Then I added the rest of the prima pearls, some of the diecuts from the addons and some stitching.

And for my last project I created this card from one of the diecuts.



There's a few kits left in the Simply Obsessed store and you definitely don't want to miss this one!!

This may be the QUEEN of Kits!!

The colors in this kit are to die for!! I kid you not!! They are absolutely beautiful! If you haven't purchased a kit yet, I think you need to hop on over to the store and take care of that!
Here is what I came up with:
Up first is a layout I absolutely adore. It is a photo of my daughter and I. The journaling talks about how God has blessed me with the privilege of raising such a wonderful girl! She is definitely "The Queen of my Heart"


I used a sketch by Frances Sylvia for this one because well- I liked it! I wanted to showcase the cute little silver crown that came in the kit so I gave it a special place accenting my title. The cute flower is nothing more than one of the punch-0ut journaling tags that I added some adhesive to the back and went around it with the ribbon pleats. Finally, I layered three cork buttons on top and there you have it!

Up next is a layout about my son, Kyle. On vacation I was sitting on the beach watching him in the surf. I noticed how much of a man he has grown into. I grabbed the camera and snapped some photos (not something he stops for often!). The journaling talks about how fast he has grown and how it just hit me here on the beach that he is now a man. I am one proud mamma---
"Because"

This is a very straightforward layout with lots of layering--papers, journaling tags, ribbon pleats. The journaling tag is the packaging from the Prima pearls in the kit. It was just the size I was needing. I decided to use the bling frame to call attention to the photo where he faces forward.

Okay, you know me, I love the vintage feel of this one! I wasn't sure about the Yukon Gold cardstock, but it was the crowning touch here. The photo was taken on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida in June. There were nine of us on the trip (the one missing is our photographer, Kyle). The journaling discusses the number present and how I dearly missed my husband and other two sons who didn't make the trip with us. We always do vacation my my brother-in-law and his family and it just wasn't the same with half of mine missing.
So here is "9"


The one thing in this layout to talk about are those nice big flowers. Boy did they give me a hard time! I used the clear border strips and the creamy yellow side of one of the Queen Bee papers to make strips to fan-fold. Because the border strips are kind of plasticy it was a battle. But I did get it done with lots of glue dots!!

Lastly, is this layout---I am going to be honest---I just don't like! But, I am going to share it anyway (I thought about just keeping it to myself!!) However, even if the photos are not great they capture my third son who is having MAJOR high school growing pains enjoying himself while acting silly! I so rarely see this happy side of him anymore. It makes me so sad to know how unhappy he seems most of the time. So, these rare moments are so special.
Here is "A Glimpse"

Let me explain THE OUTFIT! He was going to ride the four-wheeler and it was cold. After I shot these he even put a pair of jeans over the warm-ups. We just don't have clothes for really cold weather here in tropical South Louisiana! Here I made a few little flowers from the left over ribbon pleats, layered up some of the items from the kit here and there. Oh yes, the cute little fleur de lis at the top right was cut from the border strips. Even If it isn't my favorite, it holds some special meaning!

Okay, not only do I have these four layouts, I also have layout I used for my Sketch Challenge that will go up August 1. i LOVE it too! Then, there is a card I will share later! AND I still have enough to do a few more cards and could probably squeeze out another layout! This kit just keeps giving! One more bit of advise, the bittersweet and yukon gold cardstock are a must have! They can be purchased as an add-on. Don't miss out on yours and be sure to join us for the "Just Beachy" crop over in the forum. Pre-crop is underway and we really get rolling on Friday! Hope to see you there, Susan

August Obsession

It is now available for purchase! Go here to see all the pretty details! I love the colors in this kit so much I can't wait to play with it! Stay tuned for the DT reveals starting soon!

Have a great week!
Heather

Just Beachy Pre-crop has Begun!!

The pre-crop has started with a few games and challenges on the SO Forum HERE! The official crop will begin on Friday, July 23 and end at midnight July 25! Join us for some beachy fun!

We are Sponsoring Sketch Inspirations!

Simply Obsessed is the featured Sponsor over at Sketch Inspirations for ths week's sketch! Trisha has created a fabulous sketch, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to create with it!

Here is this week's sketch....


Here is Jenny's creation based on the sketch....


And Misty's (mine)...


Karry's take...



And Sarah's beautiful layout....


And Susan's...


So, by now you must be wondering what the prize is for participation this month. WHAT is Simply Obsessed offering to the lucky winner of this week's sketch???
The fabulous SOLD OUT Lily Bee "Hello Sunshine" kit, of course!!!!

Did you want one? Did you not get yours ordered before they sold out? Well, here is your second chance to WIN one!!! Make a layout based on the sketch from above and post it at Sketch Inspirations for your chance to win! GOOD LUCK!!!! If you do participate, PLEASE post your creation in the Simply Obsessed Gallery and share it with all of us!

July Color Challenge!!!

Ok...so are you ready? I want you to go WAAAAAAAAYYYY Out of your box on this one. I want to see what you all can do with the colors GREEN and GOLD as your dominant colors...but on a NON CHRISTMAS~Y Layout!!!! That's right..No Christmas allowed!!!
Here is what I came up with....



Good luck! I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Remember to post it into the Simply Obsessed Gallery and to the thread in the DT Dares Section on the board...and you will be entered into a drawing for a RAK at the end of the month!!!!

Ronda's July Title Challenge

It's Summertime!!
My challenge for you, is to create a page with "Summer" in the title!
Here is a page I just completed for my DT Reveal.

"Silly Faces of Summer"
Yes, these are my kiddos. I couldn't get them to just smile pretty for the camera! lol! So these are the pics I ended up with. These are the memories they get to look back on one day! lol! Can't wait to see what you do!! :)

July Make and Take

Today I am going to show you how to make an awesome flower from an old knit shirt. Cheap and super cute!
Supplies:
An old tshirt or knit shirt
scissors
thread
needle
cardstock circle ( I used a jillibean journal spot)
glue gun
embellishments of your choice
(Please excuse the quality of the indoor pics. )
First cut a strip from your t-shirt. Mine is 15 inches long and about 1.5 inches wide.

Next, use a running stitch up the enter of the strip of fabric.

Fold the fabric in half at the stitching.

Carefully pull your thread to create gathers. You want your fabric strip to be about 9 inches long when you finish gathering.

Now you need your circle and glue. Put a nice size dot right in the center of your circle.

Beging rolling the strip from the center out. Keep it folded in half and roll it tightly. add glue close to the fabric as you go.

When you are done rolling, add a dot of glue and tuck under the edge of the strip.

Now, pull apart and play with the strip until you get a pleasing shape.

Here is the finished flower. The one attached to my pin cushion is a bit smaller and embellished with a button, twisted burlap, and a few leaf stick pins. These were taken outside so you could get a better idea of the color. Much better!!

Hope you enjoyed the Make and Take and can find time to create these cuties for some of your crafty projects! Have a great day!

July Sketch Challenge!!

Hello July!!! Is this summer going by fast or what??? I remember just typing Hello June a few days ago. But really I guess it was a WHOLE month ago!!!

If you find some scrappin' in between summer bbq's, fireworks and all the fun festivities this weekend here is a sketch for you.



And here is my take on the sketch- My little munchkin fooling around as usual. I swear she will not sit still for photos anymore! I thought these were funny pics though so I had to scrap 'em!



I hope this sketch inspires you to scrap some of your silly, summer pictures!! Have fun- Sarah!

A Layout Challenge for July

Can I get a Holla!?! It's the first day of July!! Can I get a Holla?!? You know what that means, right? Other than my hubby coming home from Afganistan later this month, that ALSO means it's time for a challenge, or two. My challenge for you this month is to create a LAYOUT incorporating a:

SPORTS PHOTO + A LESSON. Here's my example. My son enjoying a high five with his daddy during his first season playing football and a friendly reminder (lesson) from Momma to always remember his love of the game.

Please link up your take on this challenge. We'd love to see what you have to share with the SO Community!!

scrappinjen

Photo Challenge!

It's July 1st! (Already? Can you believe it?) You know what that means, don't you? New Challenges!! I hope you enjoy my challenge for you this month!

One of my favorite things about summer is camping! One of our favorite camping spots is at Tugaloo State Park right here in Lavonia, Georgia. We have this camping spot that is way out on this little point. When we stay there we are blessed with both the most gorgeous sunsets AND sunrises.

This is what we go to bed to every night:



And this is what I wake up to every morning:



If you haven't guessed already...my challenge for you this month is to photograph some sunsets or sunrises. I sure can't wait to see what take! I bet they are going to be gorgeous!! Post them in this thread, here, in the forum.