I Heart Faces: Yellow Challenge

The photo challenge theme this week at I Heart Faces is yellow...and it's made me realize that yellow isn't a prominent color in my life!  I already knew that I have a hard time scrapping in the shade, but apparently I don't photograph it often, either!  Who knew?

So, this really was a challenge for me.  I decided not to go the route of the sweet little dandelion in my daughter's hair or the warm, sunshine-yellow cast over the shot.  Instead, I wanted a really bold pop of the color, right in the center of it all where I can't ignore it...and then I found this:

Splash!

This doesn't read to me as a "yellow picture," but it's certainly there, so bright it borders on obnoxious.  And it totally makes me smile...

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Scrapbook Challenges NSD Blog Hop

It's that time again...woot woot!  If you're anything like me, you've already been steeping in NSD goodness all week!

This year's Scrapbook Challenges NSD Blog Hop is extra special, though...it's also a time we're taking to pay an extra little tribute to our founder Pamela Young.  This is only my first term on the Design Team at SC, but I have very much enjoyed getting to know Pam's heart (not to mention working with her awesome sketches!).  She's put together a fantastic group of women over here, and it's a lovely thing to watch them come together each week to make Pam's vision become reality.

So, for the Hop, we're all doing oldie-but-goodie sketches...a blast-from-the-past, dive-into-the-archives kind of thing!  I've hauled out Pam's Sketch 192:

This one resonates with me mostly because of it's clean, straight lines.  I also appreciate a good mulit-photo sketch and any chance I get to throw a swirl or splotch of something into the background!  So, here's what I did with it (click to enlarge):

Think on These Things digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper: One Love Collab Kit for Haiti by Scrap Orchard; Brush: Fancy Edges by Mels Brushes, Ornaments by Mourista; Sketch: 192 by Pamela Young for Scrapbook Challenges; Fonts: Porcelain, Century Gothic

Ok, so...on to the PRIZES!

1. One member who leaves a comment on all the blogs & in the hop will get Chipboard Borders, 12x12 Collection Kit and a 6x6 Paper Pad from To The Moon by Fancy Pants.

2. One member who does a NEW a layout based on one of Pam’s sketches and posts it in the HOP ON section will receive a package of Tim Holtz goodies.

3. One NEW member over the weekend will get the We R Memory Keepers’ Sew Easy Piercer, 4 Piercers, a mixed assortment of Divine Twine and 15 colors of DMC Embroidery Floss.

Thanks so much for coming to visit!  I look forward to hearing from you!

Your next stop on the hop is with Rene'.
If you're just joining us, or get lost along the way, you can find the beginning of the line at Brynn's place.

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I Heart Faces: Soft and Sweet Challenge

This week's photo challenge at I Heart Faces is "Soft and Sweet."   I had actually picked out and edited a completely different picture to post today... but I've changed my mind.

You see, I have this little boy.  A rambunctious, precocious, bouncing-off-the-wall, always "hungry more" little three (and a half) year old.  A boy, who despite his inability to regulate his volume, is one of the sweetest things in my life.  A boy with the clearest of blue eyes, who gives me dozens of unsolicited kisses and tells me I'm pretty and that he"ll love me forever.  A boy who brought me a fistful of dandelions yesterday and crammed them into a waterglass so they'd live a little longer.

So, even though I had made other plans for this post, I simply couldn't resist.  Because, in my life, it doesn't get much sweeter than this...

For you, Mommy!

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A Look Back: My Final SNR Pages

The April issue at Scrapbook News and Review Magazine was the last one for which I was a staff contributor.  Which reminds me, actually, that I need to check their latest submission calls....

Here's a peek at some of the projects I did for them that month.  As always, you can click on the image to view it a little larger...

DIY digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kits: For the Boys Mega Kit by Elemental Scraps, Urban Wasteland Collab by Angie Kovacs and BZB Designs, Grunge Guru by Ursula Schneider; Template: Chrissy W; Font: Carbon Type

 Looking Back digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Sweet N Sassy by Angie Briggs; Alpha: Vintage Nursery by Keri Schueller; Frame: Sara Peterson; Font: Vaguely Repulsive

Discover digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Little Fishy by Marie Stones; Wave: Brandy Murry; Clips: Gunhild Storeide; Fonts: Rock It, Century Gothic; Other: Pictures from Wikipedia.org

 Flowers digital inchies by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Kit: Garden Gate by Raspberry Road Designs

Une Belle Femme digital ATC by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Paper: Dream by Vinnie Pearce Design; Woman: Vintage Trio of Women by Hero Arts; Frame, Lace, Jewel: Poppy Hill by Raspberry Road Designs; Ribbon: Gunhild Storeide; Pin: Date Night by Faith True Originals

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Springtime Cupcakes

I've made these cupcakes a couple times already this spring, and they're kind of a new obsession around our house.  They are the easiest things EVER to make and still taste perfect with simple chocolate frosting (or even naked!).

Pumpkin-Devil's Food Cupcakes

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

1 small can packed pumpkin

chocolate chips (minis are great, too)

chopped nuts (if that's your thing)

Mix and bake per box instructions.  See?  Told you they were easy!  No eggs, no oil...and the pumpkin has practically nothing in terms of calories and fat.  You'll be amazed at how moist these are.  A word of warning, though: the batter is extremely thick and sticky, so don't get scared that you're doing it wrong.  Also, these won't rise as much as a standard cupcake, so fill that little paper right up.

I gotta thank my mom for turning me on to this recipe, because I'm not sure I'll ever make chocolate cupcakes another way again!

Flower Decorations

1 large marshmellow per cupcake

colored sugar

jelly beans, gumdrops, skittles, etc. for flower center

Cut the marshmellows in thirds and press into sugar.  I've found that it's better to let the frosting set up on the cake a bit before you set the petals on, because they're a bit heavy and can slide!

Enjoy!

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Renovation...

I'm in a season of simplifying.  And consolidating.  And retooling the things in my life so there's less chaos, more space and more time.  It's kind of life under renovation right now!

So, rather than keeping two blogs (neither of which I do with diligence or consistency), I'll be streamlining both my personal postings and my art into one...this one.

Please bear with me as I rework the look and content here!  Talk soon!  <3.

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PageMaps Sketch Contest: Weed?

You know I love a good sketch.  And Becky Fleck at PageMaps turns out a dozen of 'em a month!  I'm never late downloading the new batch on the first of the month, so I was thrilled to see she is hosting a little contest!  The winner receives a gift certificate to A Cherry on Top...woot woot!  Here's the sketch:

And my (fairly literal) interpretation:

Weed? digital scrapbooking layout by Chanell Rigterink Credits Digital Papers: Sunkissed by Kara Dudley, Stormy Skies by Robyn Meierotto; Stamp, Brads: Simply Boyish by Karen Funk; Mask: Mist Vol. 4 by Gennifer Bursett; Notepaper Strips: The Scrappin' Cop; Photo Corner, Stitches, Staples: Gunhild Storeide; Sketch: May 2011 PageMaps Contest by Becky Fleck; Fonts: Hotel Coral Essex, Caitlin

Thanks for looking!

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