Sundays With Lorraine

Good day, my crafty friends and welcome back to Weekly Scrapper! It’s time for some creative therapy, so sit back, relax, and enjoy. You deserve a little ME time!

Happy You by Nicole Nowosad

Let’s start our session with this adorable layout designed by the very talented Nicole Nowosad. Do you use machine stitching on your layouts? I love how the stitching pulls everything together while adding that touch of handmade charm. When I first discovered this sweet layout on Nicole’s blog, I thought this would be a great design to use up some of my treasured scraps. We’ve all done plenty of those spendy $20 layouts, but’s it’s nice to offset them with an almost free layout, right? 😉

I’m thinking it’s time to break out the sewing machine and scraps and create some magic!  Keep up the great job of preserving those priceless memories one page at a time. Be sure to stop by the Fancy Pants blog or Nicole’s Blog anytime you’re in need of some serious inspiration.

Happy Birthday Card by Lorraine

What’s not to love about a good resist technique? It’s a very showy look with minimal effect as shown on this sweet happy birthday card designed by Lorraine, the hostess of the Lorraine’s Loft blog. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the term “resist technique” it’s when you combine two mediums to create a layered effect while adding both color and texture. Remember, you get the best results when you don’t “over-think” things, so just dive in and have fun with your art!

There are so many products that you can incorporate a resist effect with, such as Embossing Powders, Crayons, Molotow Pens, Masking Fluids, Gelatos, and Ken Oliver’s Color Burst, just to name a few. The possibilities are endless, never mind being oh-so-beautiful. I hope you’ve been inspired to give this fun technique a try; you’re going to love it. Thanks, Lorraine, for being such an inspiration to your fellow paper crafters.

Bon Jour by Dawn McVey

I love how Dawn created both depth and dimension by using the City Scene and City Scene Sentiments stamp sets!  The different layers really add to the dramatic effect – very showy, isn’t it? Someone is going to feel pretty special when they open the mailbox to find this adorable card. Be sure to stop by the Papertry Ink Blog and check out the idea gallery, their very talented design team has some great cards to share using the City Scene Collection.

This collection of buildings, landmarks, and vehicles highlight the special features of three major cities, London, Paris, and New York. There are literally hundreds of combinations you can create based on the different components, many of which use two-step stamping. With the combination of the additional, coordinating sentiment sets (sold separately), there is something for everyone. You truly can cover nearly every occasion year ’round.

Bird Crazy Canvas by Audrey Pettit

There is something about these crazy birds that automatically makes me smile. They have such expression and personality! I don’t know how anyone can resist their charm and when you’re ready to dress up your adorable birds there’s the Crazy Things Stamp Set and dies. Leave it to Tim Holtz to design such an amazingly versatile set; there is something for just about any occasion that comes up.

Your creativity is about to get even crazier with this amazing Bird Crazy Collection, and if you are a cat lover like me, you’re also going to love the Crazy Cats line. They are the coolest cats you’ll ever meet! Each one has its own unique personality. Sizzix Framelits Crazy Cats by Tim Holtz are the purrfect pairing for Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats stamp set. But that’s another post 😉 .

Italian Stuffed Flank Steak

These Italian stuffed flank steaks may look fancy, but they’re not all that difficult to make.  Actually, they are pretty fun to prepare!  As a bonus, you’ll look like the rockstar you are to whomever you serve these to.

Amanda has a gift for taking everyday meals and adding a dash of gourmet. I highly recommend stopping by the Chunky Chef Blog anytime you’re in need of kicking things up a notch in the kitchen. Bon appetit!

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s projects! Have a great week and I’ll see you back next Sunday. If you happen to be in the Orlando, FL area on June 3rd and/or 4th, there will be a Stamp & Scrapbook Expo at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort. I’ll meet you at the Creativity Center.