Card Sketch #6

Hi everyone! Hope September is perking along for all of you. What a busy and challenging time of year this can be! :o)  Love it, though!

This week we are sharing a Card Sketch. Although I create a large number of cards, you rarely see me share a sketch for one here at S:CY. For some reason, I keep those in a little collection all by its' lonesome! LOL! Anyway, here's one from me. Hope you like it!

 Card Sketch #6 created by
S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald

In this Sketch, there is an opportunity to use ribbon and patterned paper, as well as a rectangular image and unusually-placed sentiment. Let's see what the S:CY Design Team came up with this week..! 





"Let it Snow" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Lindy Rabenstine



"Sending you Happy Thoughts" card created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko 

"Thank You" card created by
 S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald
[Note: Sketch was flipped one quarter turn counter-clockwise for this card and the position  and shape of the greeting was changed.]



"Thinking of you" card created by
 S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald
[Note: Sketch was flipped 1/4 turn counter-clockwise for this card, and positioning of pp strip for the greeting was reversed.]

Hope you've liked this week's card Sketch and DT interpretations.

Feel free to try out the sketch for a card or even a LO... leave us a link in the Comments section so that we can pop by and visit! :) Would love to see what you create!   

Have a super week, everyone! Chat soon!
~

Sketch 15-11

Welcome to September everyone!!
This my favourite month, such a great time of the  year!  Of couse this favouritism has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the fact that the kids are headed back to school, or that I have a birthday coming up.Teehee... Nope, no influence at all... LOL, can you see the innocent look on my face??! ;o)

We have a great month planned for you here at the S:CY Sketch Blog, too.

First up this month is an awesome layout Sketch by our very own Senior Designer, Ann Seleshanko.

This Sketch creates ample room for two photos plus embellishment(s) and accent strips.

Layout Sketch #15-11 created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

There's room for white space too!

What did our designers do with this versatile Sketch? Let's have a peek, and see what looks it inspired.

 "I Adore You" layout created by
S:CY Design Team Member Amy Manis
(Please note that Amy has a new Blog & it has a new addy! Click on her name or the link on your right in the DT list column to access it. Thanks everyone!!)



"Mr Sandman" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Cheryl Casas

"Celebrate 50 Years!" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Tammy Pyette
(These photos show highlights of a visit made as part of Tammy's summer trip across Canada with her family~ Summer 2011.) 

"So Tough" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Mandy Harrell
 (Mandy told me this little critter was her dog "Skidder" when he was a puppy.)



"Great Aunty Cheryl" layout created by
S:CY Design Team Member Michelle Sheehan

(Please join Michelle back at her old Blog... There has been a change. The link is http://michelle-just-me.blogspot.com/ Thanks! )

"A Little Curious" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Patchi Moussatche 



"Summer Carwasher" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Renee Hagler

"The View from the Acropolis" layout created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko
(This LO shows two of the pics Ann and her family took on their dream trip to Greece in the summer of 2010.) 



"Warranted" layout created by
 S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald
 (Journaling reads: Pete was promoted to Warrant Officer on 19 April, 2011 @ the 14 AMS Honours and Awards Parade, with promotion effective 1 April 2011. So proud of him! 
14 Wing Greenwood, NS, Canada.)

Hope everyone is enjoying a great start to this productive and beautiful month. Thanks for popping by the S:CY Blog, it a real pleasure to have you along. 

Remember, if you try Sketch 15-11, be sure to leave a link in the comments section so that our Team can visit your Blog or Gallery, and leave some love!

 See you next week!!
~

Designer Spotlight: Renee Hagler!

Welcome to another Designer Spotlight Feature here at S:CY! We hope you'll enjoy learning more about one of our talented DT members.

Today we're shining our spotlight on self-professed "Paper fanatic" Renee Hagler.



Sketches: Creatively Yours
 DesignTeam Member Renee Hagler

 Renee has been a member of the Team here at S:CY since April 2011. 

In terms of her scrappy style, Renee told me that "I am pretty much a clean, minimalist type of scrapper. I use a lot of techniques and styles in my scrapbooking, but always interprete them in a cleaner style." A quick peek at recent Design Team work created by Renee tells me she is right on the money with her description.

"#1 Guy" Layout created by S:CY Design Team Member
Renee Hagler using S:CY Sketch 14-11

Renee credits a class with Designer Cathy Zielske as having strongly and very positively impressed upon her current scrapbooking style. Renee is drawn to photography and  her love for her children provided a natural segue into scrapbooking. "She is a phenomenal design artist. I learned so much about graphic design and applying it to scrapbooking. I find myself going back to her book, “Clean and Simple Scrapbooking” even now. After that class, I became a consummate student of graphic design and applying it to scrapbooking."


Likle many of us, Renee has occasionally been blocked about a project or LO she has been assigned. Here's what Renee had to say about this..." On occasion, I have had to work with product that truly did not represent my style. Sometimes that would create a 'block' for me. When I get 'blocked' I usually switch mediums, if only for one quick project, and find that I can come back to my assignment with a renewed vigor. My favorite switch-ups are crochet and digital/hybrid scrapping. I also dabble in cardmaking and copic coloring." Renee mentioned that she also makes items for home décor with vinyl. 
Here is a sample of Renne's crafting. She crocheted this Afghan and pillow set for her son who graduated from Grade 8 this past June. (I just love the" 'guy-colours' she chose. Perfect!)

Afghan and pillow set crocheted by
 Renee Hagler for her son

As for card making, Renee has created some gorgeous interpretations with S:CY Sketches by Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko.  Have a peek at these two beauties:

Card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Renee Hagler using the
 August 2011 S:CY card sketch as seen below

August 2011 S:CY Card Sketch created by
S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko



"Enjoy the Ride" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Renee Hagler
using the June 2011 S:CY Card Sketch as seen below



August 2011 S:CY Card Sketch created by
S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

As Renee tells it, her kiddos are her favourite subject to scrap "...of course! I got into scrapbooking to showcase my photography. When the kiddos were younger, they were always up for a photoshoot. Now that they are older, the shoots come a little less often, but they are still my favorite thing to scrapbook." (OH MY Renee, the Moms and Aunties among us sure understand this!! LOL)

Decorative Family Photo display created
 by Renee Hagler

In terms of her camera, Renee says that  she shoots with a Canon 30D Dslr. "I am and will always be a Canon girl. When I 'grow up' as a photographer and decide to work again professionally in photography, I plan to graduate up to whatever Canon’s latest/greatest in the Mark series at that time is. For now, I will just be content with my 30D."
Renee goes through life with her eyes wide open to anything that can be used in her scrapbooking. "I find inspiration all over the place. I always look at everything and think, how can I interprete that in a scrapbook page? I use clothing, home décor, and the pantone color trend predictions for color inspiration, alongside my overall favorite inspiration site for EVERYTHING, Pinterest."
Paper is a HUGE go-to item for Design Team Member Renee. She says "I am a paper fanatic. Currently, I am in love with Echo Park, but Sassafras Lass, and Basic Grey are two of my 'through the years' favorites. I like paper because it is versatile and can be used in so many ways on a scrapbook page, either as the base or accent paper, used to make embellishments or even the lettering for a page."

"Pure Stillness" layout created by Renee Hagler

In terms of organizing her paper stash, Renee says that her "cardstock is stored in rainbow order in vertical storage units. My patterned paper is in flat trays, sorted first by rough “feeling” (eg boy papers, girl papers, adult papers) then by manufacturer. Those manufacturers that I have a lot of, have their own tray."
Renee had a helpful clutter-busting organization tip for S:CY readers, reporting that she is "a huge fan of baskets. They control clutter, are easy to work with and allow you to see what is in each basket. I have my baskets arranged on 3 bookcases in between stacks of books and other supplies."
Renee loves being able to easily see her collection of brads and buttons while working on layouts. She told me that "they are color coded in jars I picked up from Ikea."
Working under pressure is Renee's way of doing things! As she tells it, she does her best work this way."If I don’t have a time frame to finish something, I often won’t even get started. When I am not working on a real deadline, I often set up artificial deadlines for myself to keep me motivated." As Team Leader, I can truthfully tell you that Renee has NEVER handed in a 'late' page at S:CY and has been as organized as can be about meeting deadlines! (THANK YOU, Renee! LOL)

In terms of Designing scrapbook layouts and cards thast 'WORK', Renee advises scrapbookers as follows."Don’t be afraid to use color. Just use a bit of black or white to break apart or “pop” our photos. Also, use the visual triangle to make the eye travel through your layout."

Layering is a skill that Renee enjoys cultivating in her scrapbooking. As she tells it "I like controlled layers. I layer papers, layer embellishments and right now, I like to layer titles for depth."
 

"UESPN: Play" layout created by Renee Hagler

I asked Renee about how she likes to organize her layouts in albums. I think I made her laugh, because she replied "What albums!?! On the rare occasion that I actually sit down to put layouts into albums, they go in however I get them in. The thrill for me is in creating the page. I don’t worry about storing them."

Renee calls herself a social scrapper. She LOVES to attend crops. She feels that her "best work is done when I can feed off the creative energy of the other scrappers. I think the most fun for me was the one I attended recently with a group of people I met online. It came at a time when I really needed a creative getaway and we all really meshed well together even though most of us had only just met each other in real life."

Being caught up in scrapbooking her photos is NOT a goal for Renee. She very confidently replied to my query about how she felt about this "concept" by saying "I never want to be caught up. What would I have to work on if I was caught up? Seriously, I scrap for the creative outlet. I don’t like doing anything that makes my scrappy time feel like a job. I work on what I like, when I am motivated to do it. I get a lot done this way and I can continue to feed my need for creativity."

You can check out Renee's Blog HERE. Enjoy! Renee, you have definitely given us a generous and "real" look into your creative life and philosophy. It's been wonderful getting to know you better!

~


Sketch 14-11

I have a wonderful challenge for you all today!  I found the following Sketch a toughie myself, and *I* created it! (Ahem!) LOL LOL  ;o)

Here we go with Sketch #14-11. Hope you like it!

Ready? OK, here  it is: 



Sketch #14-11 created by
S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald

First we have a FUN interpretation of the Sketch by our wonderful August Guest Designer Rita Barakat!

"Fun in the Sun" layout created by
 S:CY Guest Designer Rita Barakat

"Mr. and Mrs." layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Cheryl Casas
 [Note: These are my parents in June 1960. I have used an August Scraps of Darkness kit.]

 "Last day of School" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member
 Heather Bridges Topich 

"My Beach Boys" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Tammy Pyette



"African Drum Lessons with Aunt Jill" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Tammy Pyette
[Credits: Papers: ateets_sunporch collection label and word art was a freebie from the http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/]



"Happy 2: Davie 2010" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Patchi Moussatche



"Tell me Again..." layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Mandy Harrell 



"#1 Guy" layout created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Renee Hagler 

"A Happy Hello" card created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko



"Big Sister" layout created by
 S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald

[Journaling reads: "Kate, this picture is so gently amazing to your Daddy and me! We lit a '#5' candle on Noah’s donut, which is a fun tradition we started just for him. When we look at this 2007 photo of you and Noah, we can see that not only are you physically close by, you’re also watchful of his safety. You are so wonderful!
We love you, big sister. Noah loves you too, even though it’s harder for him to tell you that in words." Photo~ April 2007; Journaling~ June 2009]

"En Route" layout created by
 S:CY Team Leader Ali MacDonald

[Journaling reads: These are my favourite pictures of our boys, taken in the RV by their big sister as we drove along on our way home from camping in Bridgewater, NS. The boys, who were strapped in on the sofa, were just being generally cute and cuddly, playing together. They were having so much fun that Kate, seated across from them in one of the easy chairs, snapped these pictures. I think they are the best ones ever… they make my heart feel warm! Love all four of those kids so much…

~Aug 2010...in the Land Yacht~ en route  ~Journaling by Mom, July 2011]

And those are our interpretations for the week, for Sketch #14-11. I think our Team really stepped up, especially since I handed them both an UNEXPECTED and tight turn-around time on a rather challenging sketch!

Bravo Team!~ You "rocked it" yet again! Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

A very special thank you to our  August 2011 Guest Designer Rita Barakat, whose beautiful layouts have added some exhuberant "FUN" to our post this week, and to several of the posts we have shared this month!! Thanks for being with us, Rita. It's always a joy to have you share with us. You are (and always will be) a welcome face here at S:CY! 

See you all next week!! ...Guess what? It will be SEPTEMBER then, and we at S:CY have a very special month planned and ready to roll!!!!!!!!! Be sure to join us right here.

Thanks for stopping by!

 ~

Card Sketch #5

Welcome to S:CY, everyone. So happy to see you!

Today we have another wonderful new card sketch for you from Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko. She's my close friend (despite being all  the way across Canada) and "right-hand gal" here at S:CY, and once again, she has come up with a beautiful Card Sketch!

Sketch #5 created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

Ann's sketch provides us with an intriguing design! There's an open area in the centre for an image with space radiating all around for embellies or pp.

What did the Design Team come up with? AMAZING cards of course! LOL Let's move ahead and see!

Floral "all occasion" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Renee Hagler



"Happy Birthday" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Patchi Moussatche 

"Happy Valentine's Day" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Amy Manis



"With Thanks" card created by
 S:CY Design team Member Jackie Primmer-Plank



"Make a Wish" card created by
 S:CY Design Team Member Lindy Rabenstine



All occasion "Cameo" card created by
 S:CY Deisgn Team Member Mandy Harrell



"You know you love me" card created by
 S:CY Senior Designer Ann Seleshanko

Ann, thanks once again for an amazing sketch and sample.

Design Team gals, you knocked this one 100% outta the park!!

 Just LOOK at those cards!

THANK YOU all so much for this beautiful work!

 Readers and followers, see you all next week! Be sure to try this sketch and leave us a link.... LOVE to see what you'll create!

Have a good one!!

~