Darling Little Boys

Little boys are just adorable :) In this photo I see sweet children who are ready to have a good time together!!! WTG Rochelle for creating  a very boyish layout, loving the background matting!!!
Deb♥

Rochelle said this: I love love love to do traditional layouts. But every once in a while I come across a digital kit that I just love and need to try out.  So for this layout I used Life Under Construction page kit from DSP (http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.com).  I love the messy paint elements of this kit.  I only wish I could be this successful with paint on a traditional layout! lol  Here's my digital layout:

A lot to be Thankful for!

Although Thanksgiving was yesterday there is always something to be thankful for each and every day as in Brenda's case here. You will see why! Deb♥ There's nothing more precious than a new baby boy! I love creating layouts that announce the birth of the new babies in our family, although they are several years old before I get to the layout! LOL This layout of my youngest great-nephew was inspired by a Heather Leopard sketch: http://thespottedleopard.blogspot.com/. Products used: Echo Park's Mini Collection "Pride & Joy" Martha Stewart doily Martha Stewart Cherish Punch Twinery twine Cricut "Going Places" Cartridge (anchor) Misc buttons. Thanks for stopping by!!!

Oh Baby!

I adore the distressing on Heather's layout! It helps to soften the page and looks like a baby boy being held by his blanket :)
Deb♥

Oh how I love the new pictures I received of my great-nephew Keaton.  Having so much fun scrapping him . . . even though I haven't made a dent on my kids baby pages!

On this layout, I used a light blue piece of cardstock, sprayed it with some glimmer mist and then added some distress ink around the edges.  I used the Simple Stories collection Baby Steps.  A few pop dots and some buttons add a lot of dimension to the page!

I used a sketch drawn by my friend Kelly Mack aka Tallysmacker over at Tallyscrapper! I love how this turned out!

Toot Toot...

When I saw this layout Michelle made I started singing the ever popular Popeye song and seriously laughed out loud at how cute this turned out! Check it out :)
Deb♥

I nick-named my son, Popeye after I saw the photos from his 1st Birthday photo shoot. He had his chin stuck out and lips just so...all he needed was a pipe!

Since there was no Popeye themed scrappy supplies available when I started this page. I went online and found a few websites. Copied a few pictures and One listing Popeye's Stats, which was perfect for my journaling. Not sure if you can read them:
Popeye's reads Luke's reads
Age: 34 Age: 13 months
Weight: 156 lbs. Weight: 22 lbs. 15 ounces
Neck: 8" Neck: None
Forearms: 20" Head Circumference: 46 cm
Chest: 30" normal Forearms: Ample
Chest: 60" expanded Chest: Like A Brick
Spinach Capacity: 36 tons Spinach Capacity: So-So
Height: 5'6" Height: 31 inches
Hair: Red Hair: Red
Biceps: 7" Biceps: Building Them Up
Thigh: 20" Thigh: Getting Ready to Walk
Calf: 7" Calf: Mastered Army Crawl At Top Speed

I put down Neck: None under my son's stats, because we joke my husband has no neck and looks like my son is going to build like him. I added/changed a few items to fit my son and since I had measurements from the Dr. visit!
I printed everything out on cardstock paper that I sprayed with Archival Mist. After they dried I printed everything up. I added the Popeye theme song too!
Off set my matting with read and inked up the edges of the images or journaling with red or blue ink.

Hope you smirk at My Popeye curled lip and off-set jaw!
"Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man."

Making Rosettes

Have you tried making rosettes? I have seen a die for one of the Sizzix machines with Tim Holtz, but they can be done without all of that. Let Michelle share :)
Deb♥


I have made paper rosettes only once before doing them on this page. Not sure why it took me so long to try them out! I love how they came on on this page. I used a Close To My Heart paper kit called, Lucky. There are a few tutorials out there. But I just cut a strip of paper, scored every 1/4", then accordion folded and attached the ends together. Using a wallet photo I had left from Holiday photos. I placed all my embellishments and journaling surrounding the picture allowing for the "negative space".

Pop X3

LOL! LOL! LOL!
Deb♥


Oh how I love my triplet boys!!! Weren't they just adorable at 2 years old? Well, I think they still are but at age 5 they have bigger attitudes too . . . which aren't as cute! haha!

The boys used to put there pacifiers in their mouths and then pull them out to hear them POP!!! They thought it was hilarious! Can't you tell by those huge grins??? I love catching the everyday moments such as these!!!

This layout is quite a mishmash of different products. Kraft paper for the background. The torn paper for the background is Jenni Bowlin. Then I used Basic Gray's Oliver collection for most of the rest of the layout!!

Let's make sure we capture the everyday moments as well as all those special events!!! Yes, it does mean that I have THOUSANDS of pictures to scrap and that I will probably NEVER get caught up completely, but it's worth it when I can look back at layouts like these!

Pink and the Boys ;)

So darling! Michelle has cute babies!!!
Deb♥

Pink is not just for girls! For this page it worked out perfect! I had this cute photo enlarged of my Son and our dog, Skipper napping. Since they had a pillow with pink in it....and my Green, Yellow & Blue need a little pop, in came the Pink! It worked great because I could include the little pink heart on the dog bones and the heart I inked my subtitle on! For the cut outs I used A Child's Year Cricut cartridge and inked up the edges with Chocolate ink to give them some more character! Stamped out the Title "Nap Time" using Poster Board Alpha Set from Close To My Heart, fussy cut them out and attached with foam pop dots.

Friday Night Sketch with Heather and Tammy's Take

Happy Friday! Here is a sketch from Heather and how Tammy interpreted it :)
Deb♥



I loved this sketch! I had already done my son's "sports" book in 8x8, even bought an extra book so I could add more later...unfortunately, in high school the pictures are 8x10!!!! Oh well, it was one of my first books, so I don't mind re-doing this one ;) That being said, this is my now 15 year old when he was 5 and playing T-Ball--a league away from the Little League World Series champs LOL! We live in the same city, but there are at least 3 leagues here that I know of, we still rooted for them and are very proud that they are from Huntington Beach :) I used the colors of his team, with the blue cardstock and purple dot paper. The sports words paper is from Paper House Productions. I wanted to add a little something something, so I went through my scraps, and used my Fiskars triangle punch to make a little pennant banner. So, I work in "two pagers" when I scrap, sometimes I mirror pages, sometimes I just make them flow, and sometimes I duplicate. So I used this sketch a second time, except this time I scrapped an OBJECT :) This is my son's name, it was cut from the T-ball team banner, and each of the boys got their's at the end of season party. I added the team name, and again used my Fiskar's triangle punch to make a little banner, and done! Thanks for looking :) Tammy

Happy Birthday McQueen Style :)

Michelle is here today to show us what she has been experimenting with :)
Deb♥


So, my son turned 2 on September 18th and we planned his party around a gift. He got a Cars Battery Operated Power Wheels. His cake was a racetrack complete with Cars characters racing on the track.

Well, let me just say how excited I was when I found the Cars Cricut Cartridge on clearance at Wal-mart. I found it a week before my son's big day! I made his Birthday card using the cartridge, but boy it took some trial and error!

I ended up enlarging McQueen twice and cutting the same cut three times. I love the details but my machine's speed at it's lowest was still to fast! I used McQueen at 2 3/4" cut and cut a shadow in black but adhered it off to one side, just so all my cuts can be attached as I went along. Afterwards I just fussy cut around to make the shadow look even all around. I also cut out the details in white, but only ended up using some pieces. For example: I ditched the whitewall tires and just colored in the rims with a marker. Also, just colored in the eyes and popped them back into the spaces cut. I placed white behind the lights and teeth because the detail pieces I just didn't like the look!

For the checked flag side piece I used a Fiskers Texture Plate and a textured Black cardstock with white core and sanded away for Black and White Checks. Placed pieces of scraps I had to make the background had a grandstand look.
I can't wait to get picture back and play with his Birthday Party pages!

Firsts with Viji

Here is a special time to share with Viji and her precious sweetheart as well as a great designing tip!
Deb♥

I love doing the first layouts! They are so special. The first bath, solids, haircut, out in the stroller! So many stories to tell...
Today I am going to show you a double page layout I did for my son's 1st Haircut! I love double page layouts..you can get so many pictures on them! I usually don't print pictures smaller than 4X6. I try to crop them to a 4X4 if possible. Although, I am thinking of printing them at home in the future. So I can get different sizes. My layout is based on a sketch by Allison Davis. I forgot all about the certificate he got after his haircut. So as an after thought, I just added that to the layout. I usually pull the colors of my pattern papers based on the colors in the photos. That way they go well together. So, If the picture has a lot of yellow. I won't be using too much yellow based pattern paper. Just a bit, but try to bring out the other colors from the picture and one or two bold colors. I like to focus on the photo and not the papers. To select pattern paper, I would put my photos on the pattern papers and see if I get distracted by the paper or not. I hope you like my layout! Have fun crafting:)

Say Cheese Mommy!

Heather certainly has her hands full with her boys. Are you in the similar situation with young children in the house? Why not fill a child's hands by putting a camera in his hands? Very interesting work will come out of it...
Deb♥


"Jackson ~ When I turn on the camera, I never know what pics I may find! With camera in hand, those gears in your head and mischief in your eyes, I get some great pics! I always enjoy getting a new perspective through your curious little eyes!"

The pictures on this layout is what inspired the whole thing!! The journaling above says it all!! My little man Jackson is always grabbing the camera when we are not looking. Sometimes we never know he has even had it! But when I turn on the camera, I see a bunch of pics that I did not take! Maybe he is a future photograher, maybe God has other great plans for him. Either way, these pics always give me a different perspective (granted a much shorter perspective) then how I normally look at these items on a daily basis! And, he actually is pretty good!!! Curious, rotten to the core and totally mischievous makes for some good pics taken by a 4 year old for mama to scrap!!! Love you Squirt!

So, hand over your camera - though I suggest staying close by! Let your kids take some pics of things that are important to them and then scrap them! If they are old enough, let them write out why they took pics of these items and what they mean to them! Then, tada, your journaling is even done!

Keep Smiling & Scrapping! ~ Heather

Innocence with Sweet Daddy

Here, here!
Deb♥


The pictures in this layout were taken with my first really good digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 8700. I was still learning how to focus and use all the buttons. I took these pictures in black and white for fun and even though they aren't the best pictures I've taken, the blurriness lends a softness to the situation captured in the picture.

Everyday my daughter and I wait with anticipation for Sweet Daddy to come home from work. She had just gotten a brand new, unstained rocking chair from Michaels bought by her grandma and loved sitting in it and watching TV. So this day she sat in her new chair and waited for him to come greet her. I thought it was sweet how she reached out for his whistle and he touched her head against his. Innocence briefly touching the hardened world. A hero in my own home.

Natalie

Heather's Hubby

Have you taken a pic of YOUR hubby this new year? Take one today and create a lo he will not forget :)Heather did!
Deb♥


Sometimes I get so wrapped up in scrapping my kids - heaven knows that there is a lot to scrap and I am WAY behind - that I forget that my kids would probably also enjoy seeing layouts of their father and what an amazing fun dad he is!!

These pictures were taken out at the campgrounds this summer during my nephews birthday party! A spontaneous water gun fight broke out! It was lots of fun! And as you can see, my hubby participated in the fun, but somehow never had to get out of his chair!!!

I took some Timmy stamps and used a white ink pad to stamp the edges of the black cardstock. Loved how it turned out!! Then I cut the shape on my cricut, distressed the edges and then used some silver and black smooch for the lines around the edges. A little distressing of the paper strip and the hearts (with a brad through the middle of one) and ta-da! Fun simple page! Not heavily embellished but just the look I wanted!! (Side note: Hearts and title cut from Don Juan cartridge.)

So, don't forget to scrap those "older" men in our lives, as well as the little ones!!

- Heather

Dressing Up Triplets

Seriously? Are these not THE cutest boys?
Deb♥





I made both of these layouts for a sketch challenge, and I absolutely love how they turned out! I loved the colors and the ribbons and the punched edges and the skull prima flowers! I used the Blackletter cricut cartridge for the titles and then inked them with Distress Inks!

Besides, what's not to love about 3 peas in a pod!! HEHE

Shifting Gears

It is so nice to see a new boy layout! It's been awhile since we had one here on IIG! Heather is definately the one to show boy layouts, having several in her household, so let's see what she has to say today :)
Deb♥


I had sooo much fun doing this lo! I must admit, I would love to be able to do girlie lo's with lots of flowers and bling, but it just doesn't happen very often. I have 4 boys and 2 nephews on my side of the family. I do have some nieces on my hubby's side so occasionally I get to play with girlie scrappy goodness!

Thankfully, though, the scrap world is coming up with more and more things to use on boy lo's besides stars and buttons! Don't get me wrong . . . I love those things but sometimes I also want something more!

Well, thank you, Tim Holtz! As you can see on this lo of my oldest son Payton, I used Tim Holtz new Gadget Gears diecuts, as well as the metal Sprocket Gears on this lo! I LOVE how it turned out! I loved cutting the gears on my cuttlebug! (Yes, the diecuts are made by Sizzix but can be used on the cuttlebug.) I cut small circles to put on the back of the gears - but I glimmer misted them first so that just a little bling came through!!!

I have been using this collection of papers (The Paper Loft - Dude Collection) for a whole series of pictures that were taken at the campground last fall. The colors are perfect for fall and so BOY!!!!!

Hope you enjoy! - Heather

Grab Some Paint!

Paint comes in many forms and it is one of the must underused mediums in scrapbooking. Let me show you some really great layouts made by Sweetheart Designers Jami Lynn, Alison and Heather. If it is a rainy day break yours out! Come by and leave a link showing us what You do with your paint :) We'd love to see it!
Deb♥

Mother's Day Groovy Style!!!

Mother's Day is here! How lucky we all are to have our beautiful children in our lives and so some of us here at If It's Groovy would like to share our children with you :)


I have been absolutely blessed to be a mother. It sometimes rattles my mind to think that I have my two beautiful children. I love them and consider them the biggest blessing that God has given me and entrusted me with. Today I celebrate that love and cannot wait to experience each and every moment with my girls. They have taught me patience and even more impatience at times ;), how to embrace everything little and big, to smile even when it is difficult, and to love like I never knew that I could.

They are always the biggest focus of my scrapbooking and today I would like to share a fun picture we took together that I plan to scrapbook for the challenge this month of using a shadow in your layout :)


Please don't forget to take a picture of yourself for your children! Have a wonderfully blessed and rich Mother's Day with your families!!!
Deb♥


Jami Lynn has some really cute pics of her Sweetheart and I thought it was so cute what she had to say about him. Happy Mother's Day Jami Lynn!

"One thing this little Sweetheart and I have in common is wanting to look good before we leave the house. Most mornings I end up fixing his hair for him, but he wanted to help this morning. ; ] We also coordinate on his outfits regularly. He's only six but he can match shirts & shorts & shoes better than his father can most days, lol!"

Let's see what she is talking about huh?











Look at this cool rendition of pics from Darlene and her little dollbaby! Happy Mother's Day Darlene!!!










My daughter is one of the best gifts that God could have ever blessed me with. I wonder why He chose me to be this angels mother? My daughter, Ally, is my entire world. She is sweetest person I've ever met, and I am amazed at how beautiful, smart, and funny she is at her young 3 years of age. How blessed am I to call this girl, that is capable of making all sadness disappear with just a kiss and a hug, my daughter? She brings sunshine into my life everyday. I love my dearest Ally, with all that I have and I always will.




Vanessa has a large family by the standards of today, let's take a look at what she would like to say about being a mom to her children:



Being a mom is the greatest treasure that God has ever blessed me with. I am especially blessed to be a mom of 3 boys and 4 girls. Every day is an adventure. It is sometimes overwhelming to be “mothering” so many different ages at once. My girls are 21, 16, 15, and 3. They cover 3 decades of my life. But… it is so wonderful to grow through these stages. I am “mommy” to my 3 year old… she is my joy and my youth. Every day her hugs and “I love you’s” gives me strength. She is also my reminder that daily, my faith in God must be lived out before my children. Her faith is so pure and innocent… If I tell her God said, or God does… there is no question! My teenage girls are filled with ups and downs. The happiness one day and the “life stinks” the next… reminds me to have grace and patience. It reminds me how my life was so unpredictable, but that God is faithful… and so forgiving… just how I must be with them. And my 21 year old… well a new joy has come with her. I’ve “mothered” her all these years, we have passed most of the “rocky roads”, and have moved into being friends and confidants. I can never express how much I love these girls. How thankful I am that God chose me to be their mom. My prayer every day is that He keeps us close, and that they continue to grow into the beautiful women God has planned for them to be.




















Happy Mother's Day Vanessa!


Heather has some motherly wisdom to share with us and a great family photo:

My motherly advice is just to love and cuddle them as much as possible! Just because they are boys doesn’t mean that they can’t still be cuddly little boys! I love that my boys climb up on my lap every night to watch cartoons. They are very loving and affectionate boys – full of hugs and kisses! And yet, they play with each other like they are pro-wrestlers.



A special time for us is when I am tucking them into bed at night. Every night to each one of them, I say the following (and now they say it with me J ), “Sleep tight sweet child, while the stars shine above, I love you as much as a mother can love. Good night, (insert name), I love you.”



(It’s from a book but I don’t remember which one)

Happy Mother's Day Heather!!!

Time for the Family!

Sweetheart Designers Jami Lynn and Newbie Heather had a theme this month of Family Time with their little sweethearts. Don't we all wish we had more of that these days? With awesome weather around the corner I hope you find the time to go outside to play catch with a little sweetheart of your own, take in a movie on a rainy Spring day with your big sweetheart or just curl up together reading robot books under the trees at that park :)


Wanna see how these designers have displayed family time? Here ya go...


Jami Lynn




Heather



Be sure to check for Heather's pic here on the blog and click her link to pay a visit to her blog too :)

Sweethearts are Full of Love

Since Valentines Day was our most recent holiday, the girls designing for our Sweethearts team decided to show us some Groovy Love themed layouts. Here they are, first we have Celina and then Jami Lynn:

Awww, Christmas Sweeties!

Are all of your little guys getting ready for Santa? I know they are all impatiently waiting for the big night and filled with Christmas spirirt ;) Here are some projects being shared by our Sweetheart team and showing their sweethearts during the holidays...


Celina


























Theresa

























JamiLynn