Irresistable Heidi Swapp

This is my April DT Assignment for Treasured Memories. Whew! It was a challenge! We were given the new Heidi Swapp Invisibles to work with. The line includes chipboard and paper that resists paint, ink, etc. where the invisible ink is painted. It's a little difficult to see the effect on the chipboard on my layout, but you can really tell on the large circle in the background.






In addition, we had to complete four of ten challenges. I chose to curl paper, create a tone on tone layout, use lace, use corrugated chipboard, and create a three-dimensional embellishment. Look closely and you can see all those techniques! And, for step-by-step instructions on making a branch like the one shown, click HERE.

The Martha Stewart giveaway is drawing near! Only a couple hundred or so visitors left. So if you haven't already posted a comment, hurry on over HERE.

Happy Scrappin',

Up for a Challenge?

My friend Frances and I are starting our own challenge blog called a la Carte. It is a recipe challenge blog with a twist. On the 1st and 15th we'll release a new menu from which you make your own challenge. There will be prizes, a forum, a gallery, and more!

Here's a sneak of my layout.



We'd love to have you join us on the first!

Happy Scrappin',


P.S. Over half way to 10,000 visitors. Don't forget about the Martha Stewart giveaway HERE.

Happy Memorial Day

In honor of our troops this weekend, I decided to send in some cards to the Cards for Heroes Organization. In turn, they'll send them to the troops who get free postage when they send them to friends and family. I am so glad to be able to do something, especially something personal, for the men and women who serve.

Cards for Heroes accepts blank cards to be used by the troops and cards written to the troops. They are also having a HUGE blog hop this weekend...with prizes! What a great way to use our craft to honor the service men and women. Click on the blinkie for more info.

Happy Scrappin',


P.S. Almost half way to 10,000 visitors. Don't forget about the Martha Stewart giveaway HERE.

Challenged

This week's challenge over at Scrapping Out Loud is to scrap your crappy pics. Thank you SOL. I took these photos of my kiddos hiding in the linen cabinets back in March 2008, but was sadly disappointed when they came back blurry. Too many moving body parts and not enough light in the hallway. I had big plans for these photos, but I tucked them away. Well, thanks to SOL, I scrapped them with no shame, and I just love the result. The sketch provided by SOL is a good one!




The paper is Crate Paper Orbit collection....how fun? The only coordinating embellishment that I bought was the glitter borders, so there are two of those. The two spaceships are from a pack of Fancy Pants chipboard. The journaling is Dymo, and the ringed planet is just some fancy (ha, ha) cutwork on my part.

Happy Scrappin',


P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway a couple of posts down....I'm at 9299!

Can't wait...

for this to arrive at my house! I got it on clearance at Pottery Barn Kids, and it is all I will need in my new scrapbook room. My husband couldn't stand for me to be scrapping in the 54" by 66" converted half bath any longer when we have a 10' by 12' office that's rarely used. So, he's moving his laptop and file drawer into the old scrapbath and letting me have the office. Sooooo excited. Can't stop decorating in my head. More pictures to follow!

Pleased as Punch!

Well, I'm just blown away at all the visitors to my blog in the last six months! Here I am at 9,000+ visitors. Amazing! Every one of you is truly appreciated. So, in honor of all my bloggy friends, I'm having a GIVEAWAY! I LOVE Martha Stewart punches, so I'm giving away these three--the doily edge border, the pumpkin, and the spider.



All you have to do is (1) follow my blog and (2) leave a comment on this post. As many times as you like. When I reach 10,000 visitors, the contest is over and I will pick a winner. Good luck!

Happy Scrappin'

Not Too Shabby

Well, I broke my promise to not change my blog for one month....like one week in. I've been wanting a white background with bold, bright colors popping off of it. While blog surfing yesterday, I found a blog just like what I wanted. It was designed by shabbyblogs.com.

CUTE! And FREE! Couldn't pass that up. And they have buttons, blinkies, labels, and backgrounds for two and three column blogs. You know what that means. Yep, I'll be widening my blog as soon as I find a wide header. Anyway, no more promises from me......Promise!

Here's another item of interest--Karen is looking for some guest designers over at Pages in Time. Check out all the details HERE. She'll be choosing someone each month, so get on over there and try already!

Scrappiest Reveal and Two Awards

My layout for Sketch #13 at The Scrappiest Sketch Blog. I just love that grid. I kept it fairly simple and let the vibrant oranges, the cute photo, and the great sketch do all the work.

I swear the page is not crooked in real life, and after three tries at reshooting and recropping, I let it go. Sort of.





Now on to some awards. Both of these were given to me by Jamie Harder, a friend of mine from 52 Sketches and a talented designer at Creative Scrappers! Love her.


Anyhoo, the rules of the Lemonade Stand award:

Comment on this blog.
Cut and paste the award logo and use it in your own blog.
Nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.
Link to your nominees within your blog post.
Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.
Link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.

And here's a little about the Friends award:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to five bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Well, I'm giving both of these awards to five of my bloggy friends who consistently stop by and leave me sweet comments. Thanks ladies! Click on their name to go check out their wonderful blogs!

1. Frances
2. My Little Teapot
3. Grace
4. Melissa
5. Jodi

Happy Scrappin',

A Sack and a Sneak

Here's a sneak peek at an upcoming project. It's not due until the 28th, so I won't show you the whole thing until closer to that date. But, in the meantime, I was so excited at my lunch sack vine that I made a tutorial, which is available at Pages in Time HERE. Easy, cheap, and fun! Give it a try and let me see what you make.

Happy Scrappin'

Picnic at the Park

What a sweet picture of my little boy having a picnic lunch with my good friend's two little girls. They were down visiting family, so we met up at the park. The kids were too cute eating their little sandwiches on the blanket. My rough, tough boy wasn't sure what to think of my friends' sweet little girls. He complied quite nicely as any gentlemen would.

This layout features a kit from Pages in Time. Paper is by Adornit, Carolee's Creations, and Making Memories. I used a Jenni Bowlin journal card, and I cut the butterflies from one of her bingo cards. {LOVE that Martha Stewart punch!} And my favorite part....the alphabet stickers from Jenni Bowlin. Wowee, those are nice! The pearls were from my stash.

My First Tutorial--Bling Flourish

I just posted my first tutorial over at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks: Making a Bling Flourish. How fun! Anyway, my layout "Focused" (last post) includes two of these homemade florishes...easy and cheap! Go check out the tutorial HERE. If you make a flourish, let me know. I'd love to see it!

Happy Scrappin'

Baseball and Bling

Here's my layout for sketch #12 at The Scrappiest Sketch Blog. Such great lines in this sketch. Go take a look and give it a try! There's a great prize this month...as always.

This We R Memory Keepers MVP paper was a challenge for me. All that distressing and the dark colors. In the end I liked it though. The pops of red brought it all together, I think.

On Wednesday at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks, I'll be posting a tutorial on how to make those bling flourishes. Super easy on the eyes and the scrappy budget.

Happy Scrappin',

Finished this late Saturday night while scrapping with Frances on speaker phone. Such fun! We participated in a couple of challenges. My layout is for Creative Scrappers sketch #50 and this month's Chinese Proverb challenge at Scrapping Out LOUD.

I finally got around to using Basic Grey's Marrakech....totally worth the wait! I used just about every piece of chipboard that came in my kit--gotta love that! And, of course, I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch AND woodgrain stamp--two new favorites. I stamped woodgrain onto a transparency and punched it out. A little hard to see, but such a fun touch. Now, I'm on the prowl for a larger butterfly punch and a script stamp. Who knew that stamping and punching could be so much fun? Yeah, I know, I'm a little late in this game. LOL

Happy Mother's Day

For Mother's Day this year, I am remembering all the joys of motherhood....the squishy hugs, the sweet smiles, the simplicity of being loved by a child. What a blessing! My two boys give me more joy than I ever could have imagined possible, and I just love being their mom.

Here's my Mother's Day layout. The pictures were taken by my husband while we were in Brenham, TX for spring break. I forget sometimes to be in the picture, so I was glad he suggested I take a photo with the boys.

The paper is Basic Grey Sultry. Pink and purple....definitely a new color combo for me. Pretty much everything else came from my stash. I layered a Maya Road sheer calendar on top of a doilie, put some Crystal Accents on the dots of the butterfly, and distressed some Tim Holtz hinges. To break up some of the softer colors, I outlined or distressed everything in black.

The sketch is #19 by Julie Bonner over at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. Go take a look at the other DTs layouts....beautiful. And the prize is definitely worth playing for!

Happy Mother's Day and Happy Scrappin'

WARNING: Fickle Blogger on the Loose

No, you are not losing your mind. The background changed to this, from this, and back to this. I thought I wanted a three-column blog, but I want these fun colors more. My background changes frequently...I'm trying to quit...really, I am. But it's just soooooo much fun to play around with my blog. I am making a promise right here and now....NO NEW BACKGROUND FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH.

What happened?

Sniff, sniff...Well, my little one....most likely my last one.....turned two today! His turning one was easier to handle because he still looked and acted like a baby. But two? Wow, he's such a big boy now. He talks and can say anything. He can feed and dress himself. In fact, he wants to do everything on his own, including use the potty. They just grow up way too fast. Good thing we scrapbook, hun?

Pages in Time May Kit

Karen has just revealed her May kit at Pages in Time. It is loaded up with some Pink Paislee yummy goodness! Tons of patterned paper and coordinating embellishments. Everything you see in the first photo for only $25.00. Pop over and order one before they're all gone. She also has add-ons available. Can't wait to work with this beauty!

Happy Scrappin'

Perpetual Motion

He spins me right round, baby, right round. Like a record baby, right round, round, round! Nothing like a little 80s jam, hun? Anyhoo, that's how I feel most days when I'm home with this little guy. He is non-stop! Perpetual Motion.

Here we are at Girard Park in Lafayette. That is a big park! We were allllll over it. I took about 100 pictures, and I want to scrap them all. Get used to that striped shirt because you'll see it a bunch.

This is my DT layout for sketch #11 over at The Scrappiest. It was just posted today along with the three other DTs pages. They have some terrific ideas. Go take a peek and play along.

I took a few liberties with the sketch, but that's part of the fun,right? I also think the page is pretty simple and clean for me. It took me about thirty minutes to decide that yes, I was finished with it.






This layout includes a combination of papers from Sassafras Lass and Cosmo Cricket. Kinda random, hun? The black chipboard alphas are Bazzil outlined with a Sakura paint pen--a new favorite of mine because it writes on anything, even pictures. And I'm still loving tiny alphas! These are from My Little Shoebox--love the bright orange. The black gears I made from a page out of a Cosmo Cricket blackboard book because I couldn't find a single one of the oodles I got in a package of their black robot chipboard a while back. Apparently after I'd used half of them I didn't think I'd use them again and threw them away. Humph! Now I'll never throw anything away.

Happy Scrappin'