sweet dinara

When D came over one day with this lion hat, I was tickled. I had to snap a million photos and of course, scrap them. :) I utilized my MemoryWorks Express Kit from October since the papers fit the colors so well.
I worked in the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found design and "sweet" into the layout as part of the title/journaling. The layout is really quite simple, and loosely based on a card sketch.

Enjoy!

cards

I had the opportunity to share two cards with the wonderful ladies at Center in the Park (CIP) on Wednesday. Thank you Joan and Joan for inviting me this month. I had a great time, despite all the drama of the day. Flat tires, fussy granddaughter, rushing, rushing, rushing. These are the cards we made:


The flowers in the "thinking of you" card were made from hearts punched with a 1" heart punch from Marvy Uchida. They look great on a flourish as a stem.

The second card features first and second generation stamping, as well as flowers stamped and fussy cut.

Enjoy!

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tuesday: Jenn's School Days!

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tuesday: Jenn's School Days!: Wow! August has flown by so quickly. I have enjoyed sharing some of my scrappy projects with you. So here it is, my last entry for the mo...

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tuesday: Mini-Album by Jenn!

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tuesday: Mini-Album by Jenn!: Today I want to share the cutest little mini-album design. You can easily recreate this with what you already have at home. But don't let ...

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MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tuesday: Jenn's Rockin' Express Kit...: "I loved the August Memory-Works Express kit. We celebrate so many birthdays in June & July, I have lots of photos and memories to scrap. ..."

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tues: Tour Jenn's Space!

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MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tues: Meet Jenn Bidwell Edwardson!

MemoryWorks Blog: Guest Designer Tues: Meet Jenn Bidwell Edwardson!: "I’m Jenn Bidwell Edwardson, from just north of Philadelphia, PA. I’ve been married to John for 33 years. Our six children are all adul..."

at the treehouse

I went to the Philadelphia Zoo with Rebekah, D & Eden and we spend some time running around the tree house while Rebekah fed D. I took several photos of her in the play exhibits, especially the flower seat. I have the same photo of Jess in that seat when she was young. Great memories. I can't wait to pull out that photo and do a comparison layout, but for now, I wanted to feature Eden. The layout is based off a sketch challenge at sketchbaby! on Facebook. Actually it was posted before she opened the sketchbaby! page. This is my interpretation.
The papers are from MemoryWorks, October Afternoon Campfire with some Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer thrown in for fun. The embellishments come primarily from the 100 Days of Summer line. All these papers and embellishments came in my MemoryWorks Express kit. Each month MW puts together a kit of papers, embellishments, card bases, and alphas. Anyone can subscribe, not just consultants. You get enough supplies to make at least 5 or 6 layouts, 5 cards and scraps to incorporate in other layouts. I think the best thing about this kit is that you get to see papers from a variety of lines to try out in your scrapbooking. You can get more information about subscribing to this kit club from me, jennedwardson@hotmail.com.

pinwheels

I love this photo of Eden with some of her best friends. It was taken at Rebekah's wedding and the girls all look absolutely adorable, cute, beautiful, you name it!

Since the girls clothing all comes off as white in this photo, I had lots of freedom of color choice for this layout. I had this die cut paper from my MemoryWorks Express May kit and loved the way the red from Helena's dress popped when I started layering. I made the pinwheels to express the youthful joy of these girls. Double-sided paper was made for this technique that I'll be demoing at Michaels Arts & Crafts in Willow Grove on Saturday during the all day crop. Anyone can do this, it's easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. I matted the alpha stickers for the girls' names and some bits of ribbons and rick-rack for fun. I stamped the bees and colored them in with Smooch ink.

Enjoy!

Photo credit: Jon Olshefski http://myfaeriestory.com/

grammy's girl

You know how much I love hanging out with my granddaughter. Here we are on Mother's Day, posing for a portrait for the little adventure album I am making for her. I wanted a photo of us for the first page and asked John to snap this photo. Then I decided I needed to make a full-size page with it. It's simple, not too much stuff on it, but fun.

I used Basic Grey's, Hello Luscious papers here. I tore the edges of the layered panel. I also cut out a space for my photo, and curled in the edges. I added in a tag, a bird, and floral embellishments and some ball trim to finish out the page. The plastic roses in the center of the flowers come from Stampin' Up! I also added a couple of Girl's Paperie pearl and flag pins.
I love these little roses. And the girly page I created using all the pink embellies. And spending time with Eden.

Enjoy!

a beautiful life

I created this layout for the May MemoryWorks challenge, Beauty in Bloom. We were challenged to create a layout that depicted beauty and included blooms. It took me a while to decide on the photo. I kept going back to the idea that beauty and life were connected. I finally decided that beauty is found in a well-lived life. This photo of my mother & father in law surrounded by their grandchildren, two grandsons by marriage and two granddaughters is proof that their lives are full and blessed.

I started with some of my favorite colors, blue and green, featured in this Basic Grey Marjolaine line. I used journaling pieces and pops from the Marjolaine accessories and Sassafrass glitter alphas. I started with layering a solid piece of cardstock on top of the patterned paper and then free-handed some flowers. I pierced holes and then pulled out needle and floss and sewed the flowers into the background. Once I hadded the matted photo I layered in the journaling shapes and popped up some of the flower stickers to finish off the layout. I really like how this layout turned out, and how it celebrates beauty.

memoryworks express

MemoryWorks offers a monthly kit, full of papers, embellishments, cards & envelopes from different manufacturers, papers that coordinate and work together to create layouts, cards and other projects. The May kit included papers from the Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer line, My Mind's Eye (MME) Limeaid, wooden buttons, bakers twine and other fun goodies.

My pocketbook planner was sitting on my scrap table and felt like it needed some updating so I pulled out some of those papers and created a new cover. I painted the wood buttons with Smooch paints, and used the flower die cuts included in the kit to embellish the cover. This layout features Eden and four of her best friends. I loved all the double sided papers and thought the pinwheels showed off both sides. I loved the way the colors all work together.

Enjoy!

springtime cuties

I altered/embellished acrylic frames to hold Easter photos of my granddaughters. I have a winter frame on my mantle and wanted to change it to reflect the current season. I made two, one for each cutie.






I started with basic acrylic frames. I used Basic Grey Hello Luscious paper and chipboard, and American Crafts solid pink paper. I inked everything as usual and created the flowers by cutting circles, crinkling them, inking them and layering. The butterflies and leaves are punches, Martha Stewart and McGill, and after punching I embossed them with clear powder to make them shiny and more substantial. Everything is glued down with Glossy Accents.

Enjoy!

scrapping with grammy

Instead of scrapping the day away on Saturday, checking in with the online crops, creating layouts and a banner, I ended up spending most of the day in bed, and on the sofa. National Scrapbooking Day came and went with me feeling like I couldn't keep my eyes open, let alone make decisions about papers, photos, placements, and pretty embellishments. I did manage to complete one layout. I had the photos chosen, and patterned papers in place--For The Record, from Echo Park--but it took almost an hour to choose the solid colors. That was my first clue that something wasn't quite right. After a 3 hour nap I finished up the layout, and headed to the sofa for another rest.
In addition to the For the Record papers I used the sticker elements from the line as well. I used solid papers from American Crafts (the creamy white) and Bazill (red). I punched small hearts from the red scraps to make the flowers.
I punched a circle from the scraps and put some wet glue down. I then laid the heart punches, overlapping them slightly. After completing one circle, I put more wet glue down and layered on another circle of hearts, more wet glue, and another layer of hearts. I put it aside and let it dry before piercing a hole through the center and adding a brad.


I decided to use journaling strips to list the supplies Eden is pictured using, or seen in the photos. I think that the list really sets the tone for the title, "scrapping with grammy." She had a great time making that scrapbook and ultimately gave it to her Aunt Jessie & Uncle Geoff for their birthday.

Enjoy!

new class

I am so excited to share this new class with you. I'll be teaching at Creative Inkling in Peddler's Village on May 21st, 10am-12pm. This two page layout features patterned papers from Sassafras, BoBunny & October Afternoon and die cuts using those papers and creating burlap flower embellishments. The cost for this class is only $15.00. Call Creative Inkling @ 215.794.1477 to register today.

I loved playing with the papers from Sassafras. I like the vintage feel I get from them and I like how the colors work so well with this layout. You'll learn how to match patterns and colors as well as how to make the most of that paper using your die cut machine, whether it's old school or latest technology.

Enjoy!

eden

This layout features papers from the Memory Works Express April kit, entitled Whimsy. It is filled with beautiful papers from a variety of lines, Basic Grey and Prima to name two, a sheet of Basic Grey stickers, a sheet of alphas and words, solid cardstock, ribbons, and all sorts of fun embellishments.

I have been following the sketch challenges from a local scrapbook store on Facebook. I didn't jump in until the 3rd or 4th week but put the sketches I missed into my idea book. When I was playing with these photos I was actually trying to make them work with another sketch. However, they wanted to come together this way. My final layout is a loose interpretation of the sketch, they usually are. lol I don't take direction very well. :)

I started with a piece of Basic Grey's Hello Luscious paper for the background and layered on a piece of kraft colored cardstock, punched to create the scalloped border. Of course I inked it, then layered a piece of pink ribbon underneath to make it pop. I matted the large photo on a piece of bazill bling that I found in my scrap bag and used snippets to create stripes underneath the smaller photos. No one will know that the stripe doesn't go completely across. That's our little secret. ;) The words describing Eden came from the alpha sheet, as did the letters on the bracket at the top of the layout, also cut from that pink scrap. I used my Spellbinders label die, but only cut a portion of the label, again because I didn't have quite enough paper to make the full label. The words are all inked as well. The bird came right from the embellishments in the kit. These photos show Eden's personality, the words create the journaling, and I have a layout of my granddaughter at 6 years old.

Enjoy!

just for fun

I have been in Michaels every week for the last couple of months, teaching SDU (Scrapbook Design & You) and would usually find myself walking through the aisles featuring the wonderful spring decor. I saw the white wire dress form and immediately wanted to take it home. I resisted her for weeks until her lure and 40% off price tag drew me in. I succumbed and bought her and put on the floor in my scrap room. Every time I'd go in there she taunted me, asking me when she would get some attention. I finally decided to summon my inner clothing designer and play Project Runway with paper. I had a blast choosing just the right papers and trims. She is finally at peace and I can enjoy looking at her. Tim Gunn would be proud of me I think and even Heidi would have a hard time auf'ing me. Michael Kors would think she was a doll in her springtime frock, yes, I had lots of fun dressing my little wire dress form. :)


I used Echo Park's polka dot paper from the Springtime line for her skirt, scallop-punched the hem and embellished with punched flowers and ribbons from my scraps. The sweetheart top is Basic Grey Lemonade and the yellow gingham are leftover scalloped circles from name-tags I made last week. I added a tulle bow and some glitter of course.

So, she's all dressed now, for a springtime garden party. All she needs is an invitation...

Enjoy!

wall art

I made these two wall pieces to finish off the room we've redone for our granddaughters. I used Stampin' Up! papers from their Spring Vintage Designer Series paper line, along with pink foil stickers I found in the clearance bins at Michael's and white wood letters that I altered with green paint. I made ruffles from tulle to finish them off. I used photos of the girls that I printed in black and white.

Enjoy!

cards

I was playing around with sewing in my papercrafts and came up with these cards. I used kraft paper for the background and added some older Basic Grey from Stella Ruby, I think! Some punched butterflies finish them off along with a sentiment.

Enjoy!

3-d

Eden and I went to see Tangled in 3-D back in November. We went opening weekend and I thought it might be crowded or sold out, so we went a little early. We had lots of time to wait before the movie began so we started playing around with my camera. This is the result. I used papers, border strips and journaling spots from Crate Paper's Restoration line. Memory Works carries this line of papers, or at least they did. Memory Works is currently producing their new catalog so I don't know if they will carry it come Spring. The colors worked well with our clothing and the "3-d" is from Jillibean Soup.

Enjoy!

me

I'm not so comfortable doing layouts about myself, taking photos of myself or focusing on myself. So when the challenge came down from MemoryWorks to "Love Thyself" and scrapbook a layout about yourself to make sure you are included in your scrapbooks I had to work really hard to come up with an idea. The challenge leader focused on who she was in a note and I thought, ok, I can list my life, who I am(relationships), my qualities, my profession, my hobbies and likes. I created a background for my photo by writing them out. I was kind of glad to be finished with it so I could now focus on everyone else once again.
Since this is a layout about myself, I chose Basic Grey Marjolaine's collection featuring greens and blues, two of my favorite colors. I also added some solid Bazill. I grounded the title using journaling spots from the collection and some cardstock stickers and borders for embellishments. I punched scalloped circles from one of the papers and folded them to make petals for the flower, added a sparkly swirl and pearly brad and silver beads to finish it off. Who could argue with Popeye's "I yam what I yam, and tha's all what I yam" quote? I did that in Pink Paisley alphas. Enjoy!

my little tennis champ

I didn't scrap for a month or more, other than for classes or crops. My scrap room was more of a crap room, all the holiday wrapping, trash, boxes, stuff just piled up everywhere. One Monday afternoon I finally got up the nerve to clean out the closet in the room, planning to spend a couple days over the weekend to clean out the room itself. A couple of snow and ice storms hit that week and I actually spent most of four days getting it all put back together. I love my new space. I moved bookcases around, picked up three paper racks and reorganized.

With all my paper on display I now can see it and get layouts done faster. I found this paper in my racks and put this layout together in just about an hour. The papers are from different manufacturers but look really good together. Paper from an old K&Co paper pad, Sassafrass Lass, and solid paper from my stash got me started. I made a pennant from some Jenni Bowlin flags and alphas, pieced together with dew drops.
My granddaughter played in a tennis tournament and this layout recognizes that she has the heart of a champ, even though she didn't win the trophy. She won her first round of matches but when she went up against an older, more mature player, she struggled. The scores were very close, but she got knocked out of the tournament. As she gets older and matures I know she'll be a force to be reckoned with.