Cheri's Christmas Countdown Album, one of her most favorite books to date!!

Hey everyone, I am so EXCITED to share this with you!! I have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER!! I created this album for the CHA booth last summer. So if you did not attend CHA (the Craft and Hobby Association) you would not have seen this so I am excited to share it with you!!

I had my daughter help me take a little video of the book so please take a look if you would like.

I have to admit, this book is one of my most favorite books I have created, the JOY and CARE that I put into it... Details... like every page I added grommets, painted around each edge in cream to match the cover. Then I cut all of my page pieces/layers and painted those edges a lighter creamy white.

I love how it has the look and feel of old world charm with a fresh shabby chique (sp?) feel to it. The crisp white with the cream and pops of red... Like I had been dreaming it.

I don't think I could pick a favorite page if I tried!!

This will be my last post until after Christmas, so I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!!!

Family Stories Layout and video by Guest Designer Tonya Gibbs

We are so excited to have Tonya as our guest designer! She is a great designer and we love her video demonstrations!! If you do not know or follow her, here is more about her:

I am a versatile artist and love experimenting with new techniques and different styles. Because of this, I would consider my personal style to be eclectic. I can do it all - from Shabby Chic to Grunge,  digital to paper crafting, mixed media to altered art. I enjoy the challenge of experimenting outside my comfort zone. I let the art speak to me and dictate the style - rather than me forcing the style. I like that each style fills my need for creativity, but require different mindsets.

I'm happily married to my high school sweetheart Kenny Gibbs for 24 years. We have two children Brittany (20), and Brighton (17). I'm known in the crafty community as Psychomom. I know that is a bit unorthodox, but once you know me, you will totally get it! The name came from my son's baseball coach when he was 7 and it just stuck. I also enjoy photography, and own a small youth sports photography business. The name started from that business.

I am also on Marion Smith Designs Creative Team, the lead educator for FlamingoScraps.com, designer for TeddyBoo.com,  and a blogger for WeAreArtsyAddicts.blogspot.com. I love hanging out on Facebook Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube. I also teach monthly Ustream classes on the first Monday of each month.

Today I would like to share with you a layout using Teresa Collin's Family Stories Line.
Virtual Diva Layout

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A few of the schools in our County put together an event called Bros In Bras where high school boys were dressed in a costume/decorated BRA to raise money for the Breast Cancer Society.  Here is a photo of my Son's bra that we decorated for this event...

There were 12 boys who participated, and the group raised over $550 that night. Each person had to write a paragraph explaining how their "character" was related to the Breast Cancer Society. My Son, Brighton, was the "Virtual Diva" representing Online Giving to the Breast Cancer Society.

I loved that the Family Stories paper collection had both masculine and feminine designs. I was able to capture the signature "pink" for breast cancer, but introduce some masculine elements to my layout.  I didn't want my son to be "too pink!"

I have put together a process video of me making the layout.

As I leave you today, I would like to remind our lady audience to get your yearly exams. "Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman's death is about 1 in 36 (about 3%). Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. These decreases are believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment."~ Cancer.org

I'm so proud of these boys for being a part of something larger than themselves.   This was a lot of fun, and for such a great cause.

Thank you so much for this honor to be a guest designer for the day.  I hope you have enjoyed this post, and look forward to your comments.

You can find links to all my social media outlets on my blog:  http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com don't forget to subscribe!


Thanks for stopping in today,
Tonya A. Gibbs

Thank you so much Tonya!! Please leave Tonya a comment and take a moment to check out more about her here: http://www.psychomomscrapbooks.blogspot.com

"Wicked" Mini Album & Video by Cheri Piles using Masquerade Party

I am just loving this book and all of the fun inside! These papers and embellishments are AWESOME!!

The book was created using the "Your Story" book and binding system. I created all of my pages then inserted them into the hardbound book then cooked the spine which melts the pages into the spine permanently.

For my cover I included one of the larger treat bags and used the packaging for the tag! The chipboard chandelier is so fun!! The Quote is cut from one of the pages, layerd over the die cut frame and mounted on pop dots. 

I created all of my pages around the Banner paper. This is a fold out page!

I love the black foil on the Banner Letters and even on the die cut border strips! This page is one of the mini file folders from the collection.

The orange subway art is on the inside of the mini file folder. 

This page is a pocket page. I only adhered the lower part of the "L" so my orange ledger tag with black damask washi tape can pull in and out of the page. 

This is another fold out page.

 I absolutely love the banner from the die cut paper. Here is another treat bag used as well.

This is probably my favorite page because it folds out several times then has another treat bag.

Here's the first fold out, I lined up the washi tape on the front and back of the flip page which gives a really neat look. 

Here is the last fold out. I am just loving it! The tag in the "Halloween" treat bag is made from the back of the die cut border strip packaging. This page is the largest mini file folder and I just cut the top so it would fin in the book. 

This is the inside of the file folder. I love the grouping with the brad, enamel dot and die cuts. 

This is the large chipboard frame and I just cut out the wing of bat and witches wart circles from the Icons paper. The Beware cat is from the die cut sheet. 

The Brocade foiled paper is so fun!

This is another fold out page for the album. I just love the way folded pages look and that you can add more photos in your books by adding a few here or there in your books!

Like I said, I have really enjoyed creating this book! I hope you are inspired to create one of your own!

Supplies used:
Papers: Halloween Collage, Brocade, Banner, Icons, Webs, Bats, Trick or Treat, Admit One.
Embellishments: Die Cuts, File Folders, Decorative Tape, Enamel Dots, Border Strips, Decorative Brads, Chipboard, Treat Bags.
Other: Your Story book & binder system.

My Blog: www.cherinspirations.blogspot.com

"Snapshots" Mini Book and Video by Cheri Piles using Family Stories

Hey everyone!! I wanted to share another mini album that I created for the CHA booth. This was a fun one to create!!! I have a little video for you to take a look at as well. Fo

What I enjoyed most when making this album was that I mixed and matched so many pieces from the collection to create more of an "Eclectic" book. The front page is a circle that I just cut the left side off of. The larger cream and white circle is from the chipboard elements and I layered it on my circle and cut it off to match.  

This is one of the smaller mini file folders (there are four to a package!) I love the pattern on it! The insides also have a different pattern, I like that because you can turn them inside out if you like one side more than another. 

 I love all of the journal cards in the collection. Oh and don't forget those photo corners, swoon!! This collection is so super bright and cheery and fun to play with!!

This was my toughest pages but it turned out soooo good. If you look closely at the original front photo you will see how I very carefully lined up how I cut this page to incorporate how it would look on the front. I love that you can read the words "the perfect moment" as part of the cover. And down below from the next page do you see how I turned the numbers border strip into a tab? She was 18 in these photos so it again was thought out. I am loving all of the layered stickers too!!

 I also am enjoying playing with the stamps in the collection, you can see the large flower, I think I use it more than the sweet hearts!

 This is a fun flap page I created using washi tape!

 The envelopes are so much fun!! I just added this one to a large "tag" page, I just made the tag and then added the envelope to it.

This is the largest mini file folder, I just love making mini's with these! They are so much fun to create with!!

I just added another page to the middle of the mini file folder and then added a longer strip up the center and folded the top down to create a mini flap page. I love interactive books! 

There you go! I hope you are as inspired as I am to create something with this new collection, Family Stories! I just can't get enough of this one!!

My personal blog