Sundays With Lorraine

Hello, my crafty friends and welcome back to the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo blog.  Can you believe that we are half way through the year?  Time seems to be flying by, but not to worry, we still have 14 shows left for the season.  Click here and I will be happy to take you over to our website so you can start planning that much needed creative escape with your crafty peeps.  I hope you’ll enjoy the different styles included in today’s creative therapy.  We have a little mixed media, watercoloring, cardmaking with Photo Play, and we end with a yummy dinner.

Remember the Journey by Rachael Funnell

When mixed media meets scrapbooking it’s a beautiful thing, as shown by this artsy layout.  Don’t you just love all the visual interest that the stamped background brings to the page?  Rachael used 49 & Market – Captured Adventures collection pack.  Since it already has a grundgy feel it wasn’t hard to add a little stamping and a few splashes of Gesso to create the perfect background.  Even though there appears to be a lot going on in the background the photo is still the main focus, which is how it should be.

I hope you’ve been inspired to break out your favorite stamp sets and create your own unique backgrounds, the possibilities are endless. Click here and I will be happy to escort you over to Anna’s Craft Cupboard so you can take a few notes.  Big hugs to Rachael for being such a constant inspiration to her fellow paper crafters.

No-Line Watercoloring with Mama Elephant Stamps by Kristina Werner

Many of you know I have a soft spot for a good watercolor technique and this adorable card is no exception.  I love the soft whimsical look you get with this no line coloring technique.  By stamping the image in a light distress ink like Antique Linen it really blends into the coloring and gives the impression that the lines aren’t even there.

I hope you’ve been inspired to break out your collection of distress Inks and give this fun technique a try.  Kristina has prepared one of her amazing video tutorials so be sure to check it out.  Click here and I’ll take you over to her YouTube channel.

B is for Boy with Photo Play Paper by Audrey Pettit

With a little help from our creative friend Audrey and Photo Play’s About a Little Boy Collection you, too, can create a sweet card in no time.  This collection features adorable images of a bear hanging from a balloon, a banner that says baby boy, giraffes with glasses, and so much more. The package includes 12 double-sided designed cardstock papers and one sheet of designer cardstock stickers that are perfect for all kinds of little boy themed projects.

How cute is this sweet scrapbook layout designed by Sarah using the same line?

For a peek into Audrey’s Creative world click here and I will take you over for a visit.  While you are visiting be sure to check out Audrey’s shop; she has all kinds of lovely handmade items for sale.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parm Meatballs by Kitchn

Do you love Chicken Parm with all that yummy melted cheese and tomatoey goodness?  If so, then you are going to love these chicken parm meatballs.  They may take a bit of time to cook, but they are so worth it.  Since they are done in the crock pot, once the meatballs are put together all you need to do is dump the rest of the ingredients into the pot and back to the craft room where we belong!  Six to eight hours later you’ll have a delicious dinner with minimal effort.

You’ll be happy to know that this freezes well.  I love it when you can cook once but have several meals lined up, ready to go.  Click here and I will be happy to take you over to one of my favorite food blogs, Kitchn.  I don’t know how my family survived my boring dinner rotation before I discovered this fabulous blog.  Big hugs to Christine for sharing her culinary skills with all of us.

Thanks for stopping by today; have an amazing week and I’ll see you next Sunday.