No I haven't died, I have just been Scrapping!!!!

OK, I do realize that it has been 2 months since I have updated my blog and while this is really horrible it is also really wonderful because that means I have been hard at work!!! And aside from a couple weeks of illness I have been fairly productive working with my new design team assignments at Rochester Scrapbooking Company here in my hometown and also trying diligently to complete assignments for my guest design spot with Scrap Our Stash.
In fact this reminds me to share with you a neat new challenge that blog-owner Kathy, from Scrap Our Stash created last month. I actually participated and then wouldn’t you know I became bogged down with a migraine and cold the week it was due! The challenge is actually quite simple in concept but will have you grabbing into that stash to create something from an inspiration page. SOS (Scrap Our Stash) is calling this challenge “Pagerize This” and I urge you to check it out. Here I share the page I created last month for the first challenge of “Pagerize This” and when you review the first inspiration page created by Kathy you will see a bit how this challenge works and how to make it your own. This  month's winner, Joni, has a great page to pagerize so I really hope to see some of my readers names out there on the challenge!

Officially I began working for the Rochester Scrapbooking Company’s design team in August…explains how I went M.I.A. as I rose to the challenges which Mary (store owner) provided to me. Her first request was to create not just a layout but also something paper crafted from the Kaiser Crafts, Up, Up and Away paper collection line. She felt, and I agreed, that this might be one of those lines that novice scrappers could feel intimidated by as it is so unique. It was fun to work on and brainstorming with Mary resulted in SO MANY cool ideas for the paper but alas I needed to select just one. The paper has a carnival theme to it with paper names such as ‘Bumper Cars’ and ‘Ferris Wheel’ and the project due date and collection debut just so happened to be taking place during the Minnesota State Fair inspiring my selected design. Anyone who has ever been to or is familiar with the MN State Fair knows that the food (and pretty much everything else it seems) comes on a stick. In fact this is such a big deal that all the local media from paper to television, highlight what is new on a stick each year. And so for 2010 new and exclusive to the Rochester Scrapbooking Company you may find a “Scrapbook on a Stick!” This mini chipboard album was hand-cut using a crafting/X-acto knife. There are lots of cute details including hand journaling the different types of foods/items you can find on a stick at the fair around the edge of a page, an accordion journaling tag made from cardstock and a ticket I cut from the large paper and even several small cut carnival tickets which I added fun fair facts to the back of!

You can view the entire book at the store or check me out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MalinaofReflections. The journal tag tickets in the central photo actually tuck into the ticket pocket also seen here.

After finishing the “Scrapbook on a Stick” I created a layout from the same line using some older (about 10 years old) portraits that were done at one of those ‘Olde Time’ photo booths you find at the fairs or theme parks. I found that the paper and some distressing was just what these photos needed.



I applied Snickerdoodles Smooches to the brown 'Apartment' Thicker chipboard letters used in this design and inked with Tattered Angels mists. If you like the metal flower embellies I used these are from Paper Studio which I picked up at Hobby Lobby.



As you know I was published this past month also! How exciting was that for me??? I submitted 5 layouts to 3 categories for a call and had 4 of them selected. I just really couldn’t believe it and as much as I would love to share with you the page designs that were selected I cannot because they are in this month’s circulation. You can however visit Scrapbook News and Review Magazine to view them. I should tell you that you will need to purchase the magazine (technically a webazine) or purchase a subscription in order to view. I really like Scrapbook News and Review magazine because they have a TON of inspirations in there with more than 400 different layouts to view during a month. I do not like that I am unable to have a copy in print though since it is my first publication.

Well I can show you the layout my own daughter created for a contest held by Creating Keepsakes Magazine for the Teen Talent Contest. No one to my knowledge has heard back about the winners or the outcome of the contest but when the finalists are announced friends and family will be able to vote online for their favorites…I will keep you posted and in the meantime I know Taylor (my DD) would love to hear any feedback from you. She is 13 and fairly new to scrapping so I was SO proud of her when she was inspired by a page she saw in an older book. Her design was a 2 page layout which I know CK really prefers but since she used the 2nd page for inspiration and I helped her with the doodling technique on the 2nd page for her to implement on the 1st page we just thought she should submit the page where she was solo without ‘Mom Help.’ It is getting late so I hope I worded this right.

Yes! My 13 year-old daughter DID make this page all by herself a nd I am super proud of her. I will confess and we shared with CK also, that I did the hand journaling on the page because of her disability. Other than that way to fly solo Taylor!

OK, so I have lots of new work posted and this blog is getting long and I have layouts rattling around in my head :) so I should probably leave you with this. CHECK ME OUT ON FACEBOOK LOL!!! Seriously, LOTS of new layouts/projects I have been completing over the past month can be found here on my artist page at Facebook until I can get my gallery up and running as I want it. Oh, and if you are local to me a great crop is coming up on October 1st with proceeds to benefit Breast Cancer. This crop will be hosted by Mary from Rochester Scrapbooking Company and I am working very closely on this project with her so we would LOVE to see you there. I know seats are very limited as the response has been so strong since it was announced last week that proceeds will stay local benefitting patients and families from our own community. But you know, October is Breast Cancer awareness month so this shop will be doing things all month to benefit BC and if you check it out I bet you will find your own local scrap shop is likely to crop for a cause…if not, here is your chance to help change the world and contact your local scrap shop about a similar benefit.

Blog at ya soon.