Pretty paper

Have I mentioned before that I love paper? Notebook paper, construction paper, scrapbook paper, newspaper, gift wrap...I even prefer coffee cups that are made out of paper (with a cardboard insulated wrapper, please). So I guess it's no surprise that I own way too much of the stuff. And sometimes, when it's particularly pretty, I don't really want to cut it up.

But that's what it's for.

And so, eventually, I find that perfect photo -- that story I really want to tell. And it hits me: I have the PERFECT paper for that!

Then it all starts to come together. The journaling, the title, the embellishments...

And I stand back and think to myself: I am SO glad I saved that paper.

A nice suprise!

In the category of "silly things Robyn gets excited about"...

Yesterday, I posted this layout (created this weekend with the Echo Park Summertime kit that I purchased on CropChocolate.com) in the gallery at Two Peas in a Bucket:

And this morning, I saw this:

It's my first time to crack the Top Three at 2Peas! And if you're not into scrapbooking, this means nothing to you, but trust me...it's a big deal! Over 400 projects are posted every day, and most of them are AMAZING. So I'm surprised and thrilled to see mine up there in the top three!

So I can now cross that one off the "Scrapbooking Bucket List."

Inspired

It's been a rainy weekend, which makes for perfect scrappy weather as far as I'm concerned. I've finished three layouts in two days, and it's still early!

One of my projects this weekend was to take on the Ad Inspiration Challenge on the Coordinates Collections blog. The deadline is midnight tonight, so there's still time to put together something fab based on the great ads Lisa posted on Monday!

Here's the layout I created, using papers from October Afternoon and We R Memory Keepers:


And here's the ad that inspired it


I used decorative scissors to mimic the edges of the crackers, and I replicated the grid pattern, adding some bright colors and fun patterns to spice it up a little. And the silly photos of Ceci didn't hurt either.


I'll be posting more of my weekend projects tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

Good news!

It's Friday, and that's a fabulous thing on its own. But...I have even more good news!

I've been invited to join the Design Team for Coordinates Collections! For those who aren't familiar, Coordinates Collections is an online store and a monthly kit club. Each month, there are two kits to choose from. So if you subscribe, you can decide which kit fits your personality and style. Or you can be indecisive like me and order both...plus the add-ons.

There's also a great message board with crops, games and general chattiness, so if you haven't checked it out -- well, what are you waiting for? :)

I'd also like to give a big shout-out to the other Design Team members who have welcomed me with open arms to their team:

Cara Sylvester
Debbie Fitzgerald
Jennifer Dubbs
Jolaine Frias
Kimberly Madrid
Linda Dias
Lisa Cole
Marielle LeBlanc
Sarah Smith
Stacey Kingman
Susie Chadwick
Jamie Joyner

More details, along with a Free Shipping code and a sneak peek of the November kits, are on the Coordinates Collections blog.

And speaking of blogs, don't forget to stop by the Imaginisce blog this week for the Dino-Roar release party! There's a great giveaway to win this fun, new collection. Here's a layout I did with it and the Cricut Dinosaur Tracks cartridge:

Storytime

Over the past few years, I've probably read somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand children's books. But I'd never written one...until yesterday.

As I was deciding what to make with Dino-Roar goodies from Imaginisce, I began to realize that it might be fun to turn them into a story, with the embellishments forming the illustrations. And here's the result:

Disclaimer: This is not historically or scientifically accurate and won't win the Newberry Medal, but my kids love it, and that's all that really matters, right?

Prehistoric Pals by Robyn Schaub

For Avery and Cecily, my fellow Dino-lovers ~Mom
Once upon a time, 65 million years ago, in a wild prehistoric jungle, there lived two dinosaurs...

A tyrannosaurus named T-Rex was a meat eater and loved hunting for dinosaurs
A brachiosaurus named Dino was a plant eater and loved to explore the jungle in search of leaves.

Though Dino and T-Rex were very different , one thing was the same...
They were both very lonely

One day, Dino and T-Rex found themselves in the same patch of the jungle. Dino was a little scared but he didn't run away.
"Are you going to eat me?" Dino asked?
"Of course not!" replied T-Rex.

"I just want to be your friend," said T-Rex.
"Really? asked Dino. "But you're a meat eater!"
"There is plenty for me to eat in the jungle," explained T-Rex.
"What I really need is a friend!"

Dino was so happy, he let out a great roar. RAWR!
The two pals set off along the jungle path, happily knowing the would never again be lonely.

Thanks for joining me for storytime today. And now, we'll return to our regular programming. :)

Remember this?

It's okay if you don't...it's been awhile. But I'm reposting it because it's been gone from my blog for several months. And that's because -- drum roll please -- it's on page 88 of the Summer Idea Book from Scrapbook Inspirations! In addition to being grateful for the publication, I'm extra happy because it means that Avery finally made it into print! No more of the "Why is Cecily in the magazine again?" questions. Phew!!

If you haven't seen this book, it's worth checking out. I have to admit that a lot of the stuff in it (including my layout) is pretty girly (in case the pink cover didn't clue you in), but it has some amazing work from some of my favorite designers, like Shimelle Laine, Jen Martakis and Piradee Talvana.

You can order it here -- this is the only place I've been able to find it. Even though the conversion rate from British pounds to U.S. dollars is a bummer, it's still a fairly good value because (a) it includes shipping and (b) it's jam-packed -- 130 pages of projects with very few ads. And the work is consistently good -- this is a book I will consistently reach for when I need a little creative boost.

On the new projects front, I'm finishing up my first projects with Imaginisce's new Dino-Roar line, so check back later this week for a looksie!

Busy, busy, busy

The past few weeks -- okay, actually the past few months -- have passed in a complete blur. Maybe it's just the back-to-school rush, but I really feel like I've been living in some kind of time warp because it can't possibly be the middle of September already. I even saw Christmas decorations at Michael's last week. Seriously?!

I've been doing a little scrapping in 10-minute bursts here and there. But today, I finally had a good block of time to finish projects and, more importantly, take photos of the ones I've completed. Sometimes that can be a job in itself.

This first one is from Aida Huron's sketch for the September sketch challenge on the Imaginisce blog. Check out all the details here and play along for your chance to win some yummy goodies!


The Apple Cider collection has become one of my favorite Imaginisce lines. So here are a couple more projects I did with these same papers and embellishments.


The journaling is hidden in that cute Maya Road envelope. To embellish the envelope, I used one of the Imaginisce acrylic stamps -- the tree -- and colored it in with Tombow markers. That little birdie is a denim sticker...lovin' those!

The flowers across the top are a combination of Maya Road pleated ribbon flowers and lollipop flowers topped with an i-Top brad and some i-Rock studs.


And finally, I made this little card by hand-cutting the leaves from the patterned paper and the trunk from the backing of the rub-ons.

Might've gone a little too crazy with the distress ink on the edges, but I kind of like it. It definitely adds to the rustic feel.

I'll have more projects to post later this week. I have lots of catching up to do!