Sundays With Lorraine

Hello, my artsy friends, welcome to the weekend! Sundays were meant to be relaxing, so sit back, enjoy, and let those creative juices flow!

Sister Selfies designed by Missy Whidden

It all started with a simple sketch and a few selfies. This sketch is definitely a keeper and one that you will use time and time again. I just love how Missy used the film strips to ground the fun black & white photos while creating a unique one-of-a-kind background using Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink and a few stencils.

This bright and cheerful layout just makes me smile! I hope you’ve been inspired to use this sketch and design a layout with you as the main focus. As scrapbookers we don’t include ourselves in our scrapbooks as often as we should; after all, we are an important part of the journey, too.

If you don’t include yourself in your scrapbooks, you are not alone. I must confess I can count on one hand how many layouts I’ve done about myself and I’ve been a scrapper for over 16 years (ouch). In my defense, I am usually the one taking the pictures so there aren’t many photos to choose from. And you also have the fact that we tend to be a bit more selective before we stick down a picture of ourselves, which again leaves a very small selection to choose from. Am I right? So live on the wild side! Take a few selfies and then have fun creating a layout that highlights YOU. Remember, be yourself and let the real you shine. Happy scrappin’!

You Are My Sunshine designed by Dawn Woleslagle

Who wouldn’t feel the love that was sprinkled throughout this handmade treasure? This beauty is sure to deliver a bit of sunshine to that special person even on the cloudiest of days. I love the fact that even though there are multiple layers and lots of fine detail, you can still send it through good old-fashioned snail mail. We all know there is nothing like going to the mail box and discovering a handmade card. Make someone’s day and mail out one of your handmade cards!

I highly recommend stopping by the Simon Says Stamp Blog and checking out all the great tips and techniques that Dawn used when creating this adorable card. There’s even a great step-by-step video by Dawn herself that you don’t want to miss. At the risk of being referred to as an enabler 😉 I have to share that this too-cute stamp set titled Sending Sunshine is only $5.99! I know, your probably thinking “get out”! Since that’s so inexpensive I’m thinking that means we can also have the matching die Sunshine Layers Die at $25.99. Sounds like one of those “need it in your life” sets to me! Keep up the good work spreading those happy thoughts one handmade treasure at a time.

Hello Friend designed by Mona Pendleton

What first caught my eye when I discovered this shabby chic treasure were the soft warm colors combined with the vintage look and feel. I love using the technique of heat embossing (which acts as a resist), then coloring or inking over the heat embossed image. On this project Mona used Tim Holz Victorian Velvet Distress Ink but you can also use many different coloring mediums – my two newest favorites are Faber Castell Gelatos & Ken Oliver’s Color Burst.

I hope you’ve been inspired to break out your VersaMark, a heat gun,stamp set and your favorite coloring mediums and give this technique a try. You will love the end result. Be sure to stop by and visit with Mona on her blog Cupcakes Creations for complete instructions on recreating this adorable card.

DIY Citronella Candles

There is nothing like a good trash-to-treasure project. With summer in full force you are most likely spending an evening or two outdoors and I thought you might enjoy making these DIY Citronella Candles.

Wouldn’t these come in handy for your next backyard BBQ, to give as a cute hostess gift, or to use during that camping trip that you have coming up? The ones shown here are pretty basic but you can embellish them as much as you like; the possibilities are endless.

Watermelon Lemonade

Summer and watermelon go together like peanut butter & jelly- they’re perfect when paired together. The blend of fresh watermelon and the fresh-squeezed lemons makes for a super tasty and refreshing beverage for your next BBQ.

You are just three simple ingredients away from the perfect summer beverage. Click here and I will take you over to visit Jen, hostess of the Cincy Shopper Blog for the recipe. Not only does Jen share some great tips on how to stretch your hard-earned dollar but she shares many “need it in your life” recipes. But wait, there’s more! If you’re like me, you struggle with picking out the perfect watermelon. Well, hop on over to visit Jen where she shares tips for choosing the perfect watermelon.

Watermelon Sorbet

Since you most likely have extra watermelon, why not give this refreshing watermelon sorbet a try? This easy four-ingredient sorbet is perfect on a hot summer day.

I highly recommend hopping on over to the Cincy Shopper, Jen really has a gift for stretching your dollar while creating some amazing dishes..Thanks for spending a bit of your Sunday with me; I hope that you’re enjoying a wonderful carefree summer’s day. See you next weekend!