Cats with Bling

OK - anyone who has seen my work before knows that bling is not my thing.  But we all have to get out of our box now and then.  In this case, it was a matter of clearing off my scrap desk.  It began with a class I took a while back at a scrapbook show.  In the class, we created several layouts including one that was VERY blinged up with crystals, Prima flower sprigs, glitter...you name it.  While I loved what I learned, I really hated the layout itself.  I did, though, like some of the materials.

So after having the layout sitting on my desk for ages, I had a minor epiphany - tear it apart and start all over!  So with the help of a Cricut spatula thing, I pried off all the embellishments and then pried off the paper (not easy - I now know which brand of pop dots to use if I want a truly permanent bond!) .  And I started from scratch using a Pagemaps sketch from this months Sketches4All Guest Designer challenge.  I started with a new background sheet (My Minds Eye Stella and Rose) and cut up some of the papers from the original layout (My Minds Eye Lost & Found 3 Ruby).  I then recovered some of the Prima flowers and one small bling sticker from the layout and finished by adding some buttons, glitter ribbon, and lots of leftover chipboard elements from the class.   While it is still blingy, I am much happier with the results.

So the moral of the story for me - when I take another class (which I'm sure I will), I will use tape and glue sparingly.

Special thanks to my inspirations:

• Sketch - Sketches4All Guest Designer Challenge (Rachelle Olaridge)
• Sketches4All Buttons Bling and Banners challenge by Brenda Ragsdale (only for you, Brenda!)
• Soul Scrapper - Photographing Pets - in addition to the challenge, this had some great tips for photographing pets!
• 2 Broke Girls - Bling