Round-up for Ocular Distractions

Twenty four pages of layouts were realized from my October counterfeit kit, Ocular Distractions. At times it felt like the most challenging of collections to work with. Thought about abandoning it a couple of times. The combination was not anything I felt comfortable with. But the reality of it would be that if I dismantled the kit, the same papers would still be in my stash. And they would be mocking me every time I came across them.  So I pressed on, buoyed by the daily prompts from LOAD and the supportive comments posted to each layout in flikr. And in the end, I found some lovely layouts hiding in this unlikely (and previously unloved) combination. Most of the layouts can be found through the flikr link above. But just for fun and for your convenience, here are a few of my favorites.

As is my new happy habit, the final bits and snips went into a stack of journal cards.

The left over alphas,

Were given a couple of coats of StazOn ink to unify them.

And reorganized together to give them another chances at being worked into a layout.

All the bits remained from the October kit (die-cuts, mini alphas, pins and eyelets) were returned to the stash.

This weekend has been filled with shopping for candy and decorating the house. Dressing for costume parties and cavorting with friends. Designing loot bags for Mr. Muddle's team at work.

We love Halloween.

Excuse me, I have to go test some more of the candy now.

Morning Breese

Introducing a new esty shop. Morning Breese.

I jumped in the puddle with both feet today. All the whining and procrastinating was tossed aside. "I don't have good pictures. I don't have paypal set up the way I want. blah,blah,whine whine"  Aspiring to one of my favorite mantras, "done is better than perfect" we are now open for business.

And what would I have to share as my wares? I am so glad you asked! Since early this year I have been rescuing old shirts and turning them into shopping bags. At first I was giving them away. And people were taking them! But even more unbelievable to me was that some of them were also passing me a spot of cash to help with the cause.  Then I took them to a craft show and people bought them! We have been using these t-shirts come shopping bags for about a half a year now. The ladies at our grocery store know us for our bags. If we forget to bring them in with us, they inquire where they are?

So now I step timidly into the market, politely offering my little product that is helping save the world, one shopping bag at a time. Just to get the party started, any order on etsy gets an extra bag as a thank you. And just because I enjoy making these bags and I believe they will help make a difference, if you want to email me your address, I will send you one just because we are friends. (I guess I should have some sort of limit on this so lets say the first 20 requests and offer expires Nov 30, 2012)

Oh and if you want to go see the shop? (I am so flattered)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MorningBreese?ref=search_shop_redirect

should get your there. Will have to add a tab at top of this page too.

While you are at esty, Please visit the new shop of Ada, also known as Vintage Sheet Addict.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Vintagesheetaddict?ref=ss_profile

She has been ever the inspiration to me to just get on with things and do it.

Tag! You're it!

Random photo hiding on this computer. (Must transfer photo files to my main laptop.)

I have been tagged by Ada at Vintage Sheet Addict! So you will find out a little more about me, hope it doesn't bore you too much!

The Rules:

Each tagged person must post 11 random facts about themselves.

Answer the 11 questions set by previous blogger.

Create 11 more questions.

Tag 11 more blogs, with less than 200 followers. (I will arbitrarily reduce this number to 5. )

Inform the blogs they've been tagged! 

I am tall (5'9"), left-handed, love cats, like dogs, hate rodents, have a sleep dis-order, played piano in my yonger years, would rather play in the dirt (garden) than play in a pool (don't like to get wet), drink only Starbucks coffee (prefer Guatemala with its chocolate undertones), can drive a stick-shift, love to watch the sun-rise (morning person).

Ada's questions answered:

What's on your bedside table?
Lamp, still on from this morning. Bottled water sitting on coster. Empty pill dish. (good for me! I often forget my morning Rx) Magazine on organizing.

What's on the top of you wardrobe?
The decorative pillows that sit on the bed once in awhille. (usually only when company is coming)

Happiest memory?
Meeting Mr. Muddle. It was love at first sight for both parties.

Favourite toy as a child, or adult?
My dolls and their beautiful clothes that were made by a maiden aunt.

Your perfect holiday destination?
Japer Park Lodge.

Spring or Autumn?
Autumn. Usually it is not wet and mucky, like Spring is.

What's your moto, number one rule, you live your life by!
Nothing lasts forever. The bad times will end. The good times will end too. Enjoy the latter while you are there and hang on through the former.

If you had a time machine, what year would you like to land in? 2100, I would love to meet my great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter(s).

Roast dinner or fish and chips?

 Roast and mashed taters.

What makes you 'belly laugh'?
Rick Mercer's on the street interviews "Talking to Americans!"

Favourite outfit, past or present?
At home: LL Bean fleece pjs. Look like loungewear. Lots of days I don't change out of them. Except to put on a fresh pair for bed. I have four sets, Green, plum, blue and rose.
Out and about: My new clingy top that hugs the curves "just so" and my new skinny jeans.

Whew! ok my 11 questions.

What are your reading right now?

If you could have lunch with any one person that is alive today, who would it be and why?

Now, if you could have lunch with any one person in ALL OF HISTORY! who would you choose and why?

What is one action, or inaction you regret.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

What was your favorite candy as a child?

What is your favorite treat, today?

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

If I gave you a $100 (or euros or pounds or whatever....) with the instruction that you must spend it today, what would you do with it?

What is one item you own, that you really should throw away but probably never will.

What was your favorite thing to pretend when you were a young child?

And finally, who gets to play next! I want to recognize five of my most recent regulars (I don't like the term "followers" It sounds affected)

Carol at Tales from Spring Cottage   (frugal lifestylist)

Julie aka Glory Girl     (Christ centered scrapbooking)  

Michelle of Minky P Noo (textiles and fabric crafts)  

Cari-Jane of Hybrid Handmade (creator of wearable sculpture)  

and Linda  of Odd and Old (eclectic creations and found objects)

Hope you enjoy this game. Change it up how ever you like to make it work for you.

XOX
Sherrie 

Ocular Distractions

Counterfeit Kit Challenge time! This month the inspiration kit is from Gossamer Blue. This kit came together in record time. About an hour and a half. The monthly review of my main paper drawers is  keeping the patterns and colours fresh in my mind, and gets more organized each time I flip through the inventory.

The inspiration kit:

And what I pulled together:
The cardstock and paper

 2 each of four colours of cardstock. Various manufactures. And because my cardstock is stored by colour, I am at a loss as to whom to credit, except for the one with the corner outlined with punched holes. It is Bazzill Basics. I used two of this style last month and enjoyed stitching the outline. What treatment I give them this month is going to be a surprise. Both to you and to me.

Starting from the top left, the papers are:
1. Blue dots, Manufacturer Unknown (muk) This is from my early days of scrapping when I bought stacks of paper from ebay. This month, I finished sorting all that affordable ebay goodness into colours and themes.
2. Honeydew Melon, Lollipop Shoppe, Basic Grey
3. Periphery, Sauvignon, Basic Grey
4. Morocco, All Spice, Cherry Arte
5-9. and a page with an illustration, from an ancient Readers Digest Condensed book. These papers represent the top right page in the inspiration which is a sheet of journal cards from Echo Park. In my selection, the red one is Cuisiner Cooking, DDDesigns7 and the remainder are muk.

Bottom row:
10. Impressed with India, Calcutta Gardens, Zsiage
11. Burst, Marah Johnson, Creative Imaginations
12. muk
13. Picadilly, Home Sweet Home, Basic Grey
14. Play, Dominoes, American Crafts

Then the fun stuff:

Cardstock Stickers, Afternoon Muse and Laced with Grace, Glitz
Hardcover, Thickers, American Crafts. This is the one item that I have that is an exact match. Both the turquoise and the beige sets are well used but together should still get some good titles out of them.
Plastic Rose brads, Dear Lizzy, American Crafts
Substituting for label stickers and digital lables are a handful of assorted labels, randomly pulled from the stash. A couple are Basic Grey, The green scroll die-cut on the lower left is Fresh Beauty by 29th Street Market,  the rest are muk.
Teeny Alphas, White Type and Teal Wood Grain, Glitz
Although it is not in the spirit of the challenge to buy new items for our kits, for the masking tape stickers and washi tape in the inspiration kit, I am waiting on an order of washi tape in the mail. I do have washi on hand to fill in, but it is all browns and blacks (Tim Holtz and Smash Book)
For the "one piece Blue Notions, French General Kit," I am substituting one very cool blue title frame. It's been kicking around for long enough that I don't remember who made this bit of coolness, either.

And then, because this is not nearly enough "clutter" for my layouts, these items were added:

 A handful of buttons and  daisy trim, Gramma's stash
Package of diecuts, Whatnot, Vintage Blue, Glitz
Half dozen paper flowers, Prima Marketing
Paper ribbon, Creative Memories
Brads and eyelets in blue, muk
Tiny fasteners, CTMH
Paper floss, cornflower, russet and grey, Karen Foster
Flat head, quilting pins, H.A. Kidd

And just arrived, can't  wait to use my new chalking inks from Creative Memories, Perfect Plum, Barn Red, and Olive Green

All together they create quite a yummy assortment, presented on this cake stand that was sent to me by Sarah at Squiggling About.  

 Thank you Sarah.

 Finally, I was in a quandary as to what to call this assortment. Mr. Muddle was polled for ideas. He picked up the antiquated book page and read it's text for inspiration. Together we determined the kit's title to be, "Ocular Distractions."

This month is also LOAD (Lay Out A Day) challenge. I did my first LOAD last year at this time and am having a grand time participating again. You can see my uploaded layouts in flickr. Use the button at the top of this page.

This being Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, it is a long one for many and a feasting time for most. We will be making traditional dishes tomorrow. Hope you get to enjoy lots of turkey at your house. Thanks for stopping by. Double thanks for comments.