Check Out All Moments Remembered

Put in for the DT for these guys some time ago, but my email never made it. Weird, it didn't get kicked back either. It's a great place. They chose their DT already (pubcalls had the wrong closing date!), so I didn't get to tryout :-(! But that's okay, I've still got plenty to keep me busy anyway. Check out their site under my favs!!

After the Storm

Well, I know it's late, but Merry Christmas!!!! It's a crazy time. Everyone around our house is still sick. I think we're just reinfecting each other now. Luckily the weather has warmed up enough to open up the house and air it out. Broke out the disinfectant cleaners and sprays today too. Gotta get everyone well!!!

Still working on my daily calendar. No pictures yet. Finished making my Christams album. Just have to put in pictures and journaling. I've got the crud too. Gonna go to bed now. See ya soon . . . . .

FriendScraps Design Team

I'm proud to announce my association with FriendScraps. Check out the link under my favorites. I'll be reworking monthly class kits and adding my own twist. Hopefully, these will be well recieved!! Look for more coming soon. . . .

10th Day Challenge, New Techniques, 12 Days of Christmas Challenge, Scrapbook Oasis, December 2007

Introduced my technique on hand coloring black and white or sepia photos.

2008 Scrapbooks N' Stickers Entourage

I'm thrilled to announce my membership on the 2008 Scrapbooks N' Stickers Entourage (www.scrapbooksnstickers.com). I begin my term in January. Their website should be up and running by mid-January. I've seen a preview and it's AWESOME!!! I look forward to my association with Scrapbooks N' Stickers. I'm hopeful my designs will inspire you to preserve your memories.

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!

The kids are finally getting well, it seems. We had the Brownie Christmas party on Saturday. It was great! Everyone brought games and we all learned to play some new ones and replay some old ones. It's hilarious to watch a bunch of nine year olds play twister.

Just finishing up Christmas presents. I did 4x4 mini books for the kids teachers. Did a Texas star with the kids pictures for auntie.

I did this Advent calendar for the kids to help them "see" how many days left to Christmas. I'm going to modify that theme and do a generic calendar where we can post the day, month and day of the week to help my little ones keep track of the days!! More on that when it's done!

Clear Projects, November Contest Winner, Scrapbooker Online, December 2007

Trash To Treasure, November Challenge Winner, Heart In Hand Scraps, December 2007

I Can See Clearly, November Challenge Winner, Couture Scrapbooking, December 2007

Contests

Wow, I feel very lucky! I've entered five contests this past month and won three of them (one, the judging is still out on, so that's really three for four at this point). I'm really proud to have done so well.

Busy Time of Year

This is such a wonderful, busy time of year! Cookies and other goodies to bake, presents to make or purchase and wrap, decorating, Christmas cards, Community Service Projects, School plays and parties (not to mention my princess' Birthday 12/06). This has always been my favorite time of year. I have sooooo many wonderful family memories of cooking and decorating with my Mom and Sister (my BBF).

Just added Say It With Letters link here. Love their site, just missed it the other day when I was updating and changing things. You've gotta see their products - AWESOME!!!

May this be an especially blessed time of year for you and yours. Please take the time to slow down, listen to Christmas carols; maybe sing a few, if you are so inclined - I know my Mom was :-), enjoy the company of those you love and who love you and reflect upon the true meaning of the season. God Bless and Happy Holidays.

Surprise!

Oh wow! Was browsing on one of my fav sites this morning, Heart In Hand Scraps and discovered I won the Trash to Treasure Challenge. Didn't even know it!!! My Quaker Oatmeal container is already up here. Here's my Shoe Box Enchanted Toy Shop! Thanks y'all!!!

The Results

Well, I didn't make the cut in the Heart in Hand Scraps DT call. There were a lot of wonderful entries, I'm glad I didn't have to make that decision!

Everything happens for a reason, though, so I don't sweat it. Besides, I'm happy to announce I am on the Design Team for ScrapBooks 'N Stickers! You can view their store at www.scrapbooksnstickers.com.

My term with ScrapBook Fever has officially ended, though my submissions are still on display and the website. Unsure if that gig will continue next year or not.

Wish Me Luck

Well, I did it. I posted my entries on the Heart in Hand Scraps site yesterday for their creative team call. There are lots of very talented and experienced ladies out there, so all I can do is hold my breath. . . Like my Mom always told me (I miss you Mom), everything happens for a reason. If something doesn't happen the way you wish it to, it's okay ; it was supposed to be, so accept it, happily and move forward! You know, the older I get, the wiser my Mom's advice becomes:-). Best wishes to all.

Mini File Folder Book

Check out this project in the upcoming Ready Set Create Back To School Sampler at www.readysetcreate.com!!!

The Fall Accordian book class from Heart in Hand Scraps was the inspiration for this book. I used three Rusty Pickle mini file folders, which I inked inside and out with Ranger Distress Ink. I sewed them down the middle fold to make a book. Then I embellished and decorated with scrap paper, ephemera, corrogated cardboard, polymer clay, stamps, ink, newspaper clipped words, book tags and brads.

More Treaure Boxes!!!

The cool thing about the Keepsake Drawers class is it lends itself to soooooo many interpretations. For example, here's a couple more "Treasure Boxes" I've created. One for my son and one for me!!!!

Treasure Box

My stepdaugther is always collecting something: from pencils, to coins, to rocks and more. Almost anything can come home with her! She becomes very attached to her treasures too, doesn't necessarily want to share them, just store them away for herself (meaning: keeping them from her baby brother). So based on the Keepsake Drawers class from Heart in Hand Scraps. I came up with my own version.

I converted a Quaker Oatmeal container into a treasure box for My Princess. I used the CratePaper "Crush" Paper and Ribbon Collections. I used only the patterned papers for the container itself. I utilized patterns, solids and chipboard with Sizzix Flower Layers #3 and Sizzilets Flower Blossom for the flowers. Some of the paper embellishments came from the CratePapaer collection too (like the tag and some circles). Other embellishments include small mirrors (Walmart), bling, stamps, 7 Gypsies Congrats stickers and Ranger Stickles.

Inspiration!

Wow these classes I downloaded from www.heartinhandscraps.com are great. I'm going throught the painted tin one. Got a wonderful project I completed a while back that fits this class very, very well. Instead of painting a tin, I decoupaged it! I used the text of an old Latin textbook from high school that I still had. You can use scrapbook paper, as long as it's thin. Cardstock doesn't work well. You apply decoupage glue instead of paint then apply torn sheets of paper until the tin is covered. I then used Ranger Distress Ink to color the paper (I used Spiced Marmalade). Once the ink s dry, you seal it with decoupage medium just as you would the painted piece and then decorate! I used brads making the holes near the edges with a crop-a-dile. the ones in the center of the lid I had to drill using the Fiskars craft drill. Fun project!!!!!!!!!

Creation

I've found some wonderful classes at heartinhandscraps. I'm trying to absorb as much as possible and start to create. Got my Genesis blasting, kids are asleep, husband is out, perfect conditions for creating!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!

I found the neatest sites! One is www.heartinhandscraps.com. They've got dowloadable classes!!!!! Perfect! They're having a creative team search. I've downloaded a couple of free classes to see what's up. I don't have much time to do something. I'll have to burn the midnight oil on this one. Maybe I'll get lucky and actually get a spot on the team. The other site is www.clearscraps.com. They've got awesome clear albums and such, and their actually affordable (as compared to some others out there, that shall remain nameless!)

What can I say. . .

it's really hard to keep up. . . third grade activities, brownies, preschool , mom's club. Way too much going on this time of year. My big girl has really taken off in reading, but multiplication is a stumper. No big deal, we've been stumped before; just means I need to take a step back, slow down and be there! She's such a wonderful child!! I am sooooo blessed. Be back soon.

After Halloween

Wow what a holiday!!! Candy, costumes, sick kids, it's a joy. . . . . My spouse took the kids trick or treating even tho' he views Halloween as the most religiously offensive holiday there is. . . he dressed up as Darth Vadar. .. . . . ...

Happy Halloween

Picture removed for publication in the upcoming Bind It All Idea Book! Coming in 2009!!

The kids are having a blast today. I pulled out the Sizzix, some Halloween dies, Halloween stamps, paint and paper. They're in my studio "creating". I love the opportunity to share my crafting with them and I take the opportunity to do it often!! We carved our pumpkins yesterday and set up our porch. The kids are sooo excited, they're bouncing off the walls (and they haven't started eating any candy yet). Here's the "boo" book I did for a local design team project. I'm working on an acrylic version of this for this year's event.

Halloween

Had to remove this picture! You can see the project and get full details in the October/November 2008 Iusse of Ready, Set, Create!

I love this time of year! The chill in the air, fall colors, football games and, of course, Halloween. I'm lucky, my kids love this time too. My son and I were drawing the other day and he asked me to make a Halloween picture for him. So I drew and colored a spooky scene complete with haunted house, tombstones, bats, spiders, full moon, creepy trees and pumpkins. After I was done, my son looked at the picture and said, "Okay, Mommy make it like a scrapbook layout. Make it real."

Tall order, but I rose to the occassion. I created an easel back page layout approximately 12x16 with foam core and chipboard. I die cut, stamped, embossed, rubbed, stuck, shrunk, painted and glued. I made shingles for my roof, used shrink paper for "bug jars", and transparency paper for windows. I used brads, ribbons, paint, ink, glitter, buttons. . . and on and on. Here's what I came up with. My kids are estatic!

Getting Started

Never had a blog before. Like to create with paper and do lots of other crafts. My family and friends have encouraged me to start a blog to share and showcase my ideas and get input from others!!

For instance, here's my first card. Never had much luck creating cards before. Guess I never tried hard enough. Used various colors of cardstock, vellum and transparency paper. Also used several distress ink colors, a leaf shaped paper punch and five Cricut Cartridges: Animal Kingdom, Doodlecharms, Paper Pups, Plantin Schoolbook and Walk In My Garden. Had lots of fund doing this too.