Thursday, September 30, 2010

sketchy thursdays and great papers


It's Sketchy Thursdays! The next sketch has been posted for you to play along with us, and this week's sponsor is one of my favorite Etsy sellers and design peeps, Heather from {embellish*ology}.

I love what that girl's got cookin' over in her shop! Need Halloween goodies to work with? You have to shop there first.


This page is made with the September kit from My Paper Tree House, which is chock full of Crate School Spirit! Including the chipboard, the rub-ons, the stickers and the papers. Lots to work with.


I hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays playing along with us. You have until 10 p.m. (EST) next Wed. to play along to be eligible to win this week's prize. Can't wait to see what you make!!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

whatcha addicted to wednesday?


Is there something you buy over and over again? I have been buying up all of these Jolee's 3-D Stickers (EK Success) clouds. No foolin'. I literally take the whole stack that's available at any craft store when I see them.


And the proof... probably 5 out of 7 projects lately have these clouds added in. I just love how fluffy and versatile they can be! In fact, 2 of the 4 projects I made last night have clouds! (What's wrong with me, LOL??!!)


I had to make this more cost effective than $2 every time I wanted to add clouds to a project or page, so I had to spend more than that to get set up. (LOL) I recently bought a Big Shot (yay!) and then I followed that purchase up with this die set from PaperTrey Ink.


I just love it! And now I can cut felt clouds to my heart's content. It takes a few passes through the Big Shot to cut the felt, but the clouds look great.

What are you addicted to right now?! I'd love to hear about it!!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

you're invited!

Inspired To Scrap is having a Fall Crop this week on the message board. www.inspiredtoscrap.net/forum


It’s a new forum, so make sure you are registered to join in on the fun. We’ll start posting challenges Thursday, Sept. 30 and you'll have until Tuesday, Oct. 5 to complete them and post.

There will be great scrappy prizes of course!!! Prizes will include a free kit, free classes and other scrappy goodies.

I'm hosting 2 of the challenges, so I really would love to see some of my scrappy friends jump in here with us!!! :) Thanks, girlies!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

tinie odd cards


Hello! I played along with my girl, Kristy, and the Some Odd Girl challenge #7: Tiny Monochromatics this weekend.

For this first card, I used Tiny Tobie and his frog, Buddie along with the My Paper Tree House September kit. (More on that great kit in a bit—lots of Crate Paper School Day.)


For this card, I used Fishin Tobie. Cutie, isn't he? I had so much fun matching the papers from the MPTH kit with the Copics I had and then coloring Tobie. Thanks to my Copics, I have a new-found love for coloring, which is why these digis from Some Odd Girl are so awesome!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your week is starting off great!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

thank you so much to these wonderful sponsors!

Today is the Benefit for Mike Lee, a local young man with a rare brain condition. I came to hear about this cause through Robin at La Bella Mela.

I really wanted to help out with the benefit, so I gathered up what ended up being quite a huge basket of scrapbooking goodies. I want to thank the wonderful people at the following places for their contribution to the scrapbooking basket that is available for auction at the event:


Thank you again! And if you are near Rochester, the event is today from 2-10 at the Hilton Fireman's Exempt Club.

Friday, September 24, 2010

a new opportunity!


I am so excited to announce that for the next 3 months I will be designing and help plan and participate in classes for Inspired to Scrap!

I met Stacey through Sketchy Thursdays and immediately loved the potential in the kits as well as the plans for Inspired to Scrap.

Take a look at some of the classes:
Sept. 16-30: 15/15 – 15 Days of Inspiration
October 8-10 : Weekend Warriors- Card Inspiration
October 15-29 : 15/15 Inspired by Sketches
November 5-7 : Weekend Warriors- “Old School” Tools
November 12-26 : 15/15 – 15 Days of Christmas Inspiration
December 3-17 : 15/15 – 15 Days of Journaling Inspiration

See what I mean? Isn't that just an amazing line up?

Here are the ladies on the design team:

Design Team-
Diana Fisher
Valerie Bishop

Guest Designers-
Angela Gutshall (October)
Nancy Keslin (November)
Ruth Tacoma (December)

I really hope that you'll join me over at Inspired to Scrap. See you over there!!


Thursday, September 23, 2010

my little shutterbug


Time for another Sketchy Thursdays sketch and reveal. This week's sketch is actually a double-page layout, but I used only half of it to make a single. Like we always say at Sketchy Thursdays—take what you can from the sketch each week, but make it your own!


This page is about Nate's love for photos. He loves to smile for the camera as the subject as well as take his own pictures. I just love this little guy!


This week's Sketchy Thursdays sponsor is EverydayScrapbook and the EverydayFrames. OMG, have you seen these? I NEED them! Easily changed frames for displaying your pages. Awesome!!! And there is a coupon for Sketchy Thursdays readers. :)

Scoot on over to the blog today to get the code and learn more about Michelle's Everyday Scrapbook and EverydayFrames.

Thanks for visiting today!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

on my mind wednesday


This is a little sneak peek at what I have for you tomorrow, but I had a thought while I was making this page:

WHEN DO WE SAY "WHEN?"

I have a habit of piling on the embellishments. I have a supply of foam dots and love to keep the embellies popped up and layered. While I made this page for tomorrow's Sketchy Thursdays reveal, I kept this sentence running around in my head for some strange reason.

When do I stop? When is the page finished? When will I have added just too much? What if I get way off course and nothing matches or flows anymore?

OK... talk amongst yourselves! I would love to hear your feedback on this. Do you have a rule you follow? Go with your gut? Use only matchy-matchy pieces so when you run out you know you're done? Do you use anything and everything you can get yours hands on?

Would love to hear from you! Thanks for stopping in today!


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

making charms


I made this cutie of a charm using my littlest scraps from the Scrapbook Circle September kit. Gotta love the Crate Restoration papers!

If you're curious about what I used to adhere the paper to the charm (from Tim Holtz, by the way) head on over to the Scrapbook Circle blog today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 20, 2010

holidays already?


Does anyone else have a desk that looks like a holidays bomb went off? I've been working at putting together my holiday cards and ornaments for La Bella Mela Boutique. Robin is looking to start getting holiday items in the shop in early October, so I am getting ready!

Here are some peeks at what I've been up to.





Hope she likes them! Thanks for stopping by today.

Friday, September 17, 2010

happy day!


What good is a blog if you can't talk about yourself, huh?! Nothing scrappy to share with you today, but it is my anniversary, so I feel compelled to share pics with you.

Six years ago today I married Brad. It was such a fun party!


And here we are this summer. :) Everything is completely different from where it was six years ago. Crazy how that can happen. Not one thing is the same, and in such a short time!

And the best part is this little man! (What would this post be without a picture of Nate, right?)


OK, thanks for listening to me ramble and looking at my pictures. Have a nice Friday and hope the weekend brings great things for you!!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

arrg!! a pirate for labor day?


I love this page! Love it! Not only is it made using the most recent Sketchy Thursdays sketch—which I LOVE— it is also chock full of fun!

My son is not dressed for Halloween, as you may think. He is, in fact, dressed for Labor Day! Nate had won a sword at a festival that weekend, picked this shirt out when choosing new school clothes, and then throw in a treasure hunt hosted by Grandma and you've got one heck of a cute Labor Day Pirate!


(Do you see that the Glossy Accents make another appearance here as rain drops? OK, so I'm not completely over it yet. I may give the stuff another chance.)


I did a lot of fun things with this page. I was able to use a great mix of Basic Grey Eerie and Pink Paislee paper, added Googly eyes to the skull, used some great Halloween embellishments I had left over from last year, and even threw in some "parrots," as Nate is quite concerned that pirates need to have a parrot.


I hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays today. If you missed it yesterday, we announced the new Design Team who start their term in October. Like I said, this week's sketch is fabulous!! At least for me it is—I just love multi-photo layouts.

This is also week two of the Etsy Shop Sponsors bonanza. And, my shop is one of the sponsors! This week's lucky winner will win prizes from 5 Etsy shops, including a set of Map flowers and Mixed Media Blooms from me! Check out my shop here!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great rest of your day!!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Congrats to the new Sketchy Thursdays DT!


Congrats to the latest Design Team members for Sketchy Thursdays. Heidi and I agonized for weeks over the decision, and here are the lucky ladies!

Keshet Shenkar Starr
Tajanee White
Tomomi Hiramaru
Mirjam Hendriks
Jeanet Kuiper
Tessa Buys
Lisa Saunders
Julie Tucker-Wolek


Don't forget to finish up and post your pages for the latest sketch challenge. It ends 10 p.m. (EST) tonight for a chance to win all of those Etsy shop goodies. And tomorrow we launch a new set of Etsy shop sponsors. One lucky winner will receive everything being offered from each shop!

Thanks again to everyone who visits Sketchy Thursdays each week! We truly love playing along with you and seeing your creations.


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

a cute tag and the glossy accents saga ends


I'm pretty sure I've posted before about how I save the nice tags from new clothes and then alter them with scraps. I have a little basket of tags to use, and here is one of them that I altered with the left over pieces from the Scrapbook Circle September kit.



This was also what I was talking about yesterday with my Glossy Accents experience. I had printed out the September digital download from Scrapbook Circle (free with your kit purchase, by the way), and covered some of the elements with Glossy Accents. This little pennant banner was one of the only pieces that dried well and looked good enough to use.

Oh well, live and learn. And when it's digi, print it out and start again! :) Ha!

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Monday, September 13, 2010

win some goodies, some inspiration and a lesson

First off, I had hoped to have something pretty cool to share with you today. However, I have learned a lesson—Glossy Accents does not dry quickly. It doesn't even dry slowly. It dries slower than slow.

So, my pretty little project is probably still in a half-state waiting for me to come home tonight and finish it up.

That was my lesson for you for today: Prepare well in advance when using Glossy Accents. :)


Second, you could win a Teresa Collins Documented Envelope Album Kit or a Teresa Collins Family Matters Clipboard Cover Kit. Scoot on over to the A Scrappy Design blog, where Heather from {embellish*ology} is hosting a giveaway, sponsored by LiveTeachCreate. Good luck!!


And lastly, I need to post a pretty picture to keep your creativity flowing.


Found these lil cuties in an Etsy treasury for fall. Maybe they will inspire you to start working on those fall projects... maybe even dig out the owl embellies! I know I have some hiding somewhere!

Happy Monday!! :)


PS: The DT for Sketchy Thursdays has been chosen and will be announced soon! I want everyone who applied to know that I truly wish I could have picked you all. Choosing a DT is the hardest part of this process. I really do find something great in each and every applicant and it is so difficult to turn anyone down. Just wanted to say that...

Friday, September 10, 2010

noah's ark card


I'm going to a baby shower this weekend for a dear friend of mine. I'm actually taking a chance posting this card today because I know the mama-to-be has been know to read my blog. Amy, if you see this... look away! :) ha ha!

I used a digital image from Squigglefly digital stamps. Thanks to my Copics, I have now been hunting down digital images. The next step is to actually set aside the markers I use so that I can take a picture of them to go with the blog post. I'm getting there, slowly but surely!

Thanks, and have a great Friday!!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

very proud and the next sketch


I'm joining the many of you posting pictures and pages of your little ones as they get ready to go off to school. Here is my only son, Nate, as he gets ready for his first day in his Pre-K class.

The first day of Pre-K was probably pretty easy for Nate because, 1) he's been in that classroom since March with the same teachers, and 2) he's been at the center since he was 6 months old.

The Pre-K program is at the daycare center where he's always been, which is very convenient for us. And halfway through the Preschool program he was bumped up to Pre-K, so he's had these teachers and half of the lessons before.

But that was no excuse for us not to celebrate his first day of a new school year! :)


This page is made for the newest Sketchy Thursdays weekly challenge. This week over at Sketchy Thursdays is extra exciting. We've put together two weeks of all Etsy shop sponsors. Each of the next two weeks, one random winner will receive multiple prizes from a variety of Etsy shop sponsors.

Hurry on over to Sketchy Thursdays and see who this week's sponsors are. And make sure to visit their shops—support your fellow scrappers!!


I used the Scrapbook Circle September kit when I made this page. And *swoon* still in love with it. The background paper and chipboard are from Lily Bee Domestic Bliss and the rest of it is mostly Sassafras Lass Mix & Mend. I just love these colors and patterns.

I believe there may still be a few kits left. If I were you, I would scoop this one up! No better way to get a great variety of all the newest scrapping goodies out there.


And I just had to throw this picture in. Nate got the Fisher-Price digital camera for this 3rd birthday, but I just recently put new batteries in, so he has a renewed interest in it. He was watching me take pictures of this layout, and next thing I know, I look over and he's snapping pictures, too. I love the look on his face. So intent!

Thanks for stopping by today!! :) Hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays this week.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

do not enter! nate's room!


Every little boy needs a sign for his room. You know the kind—the ones that say DO NOT ENTER! NATE'S ROOM! Some day we'll see that skull and cross bones, all-black sign on his door, but for now he has this cute, little door knob sign instead.

It is mounted on thick corrugated cardboard and hangs by a rope-style ribbon.


I had printed out a few copies of Tiny Tobie (from Some Odd Girl digital images) to practice coloring with my new Copics. After I got this one colored just the way I liked it, I knew I needed to give him a good home—and this little sign was born!


I am really starting to get then hang of the shading you can accomplish with Copics. I really liked how well the shirt, jeans, shoes and bone turned out.

Nate was so excited that Tiny Tobie looked so much like him, that he colored one, too! And then we had to make his a door knob sign, too.


Thanks for stopping by! I'm excited to share this post today. Nate and I had so much fun with our impromptu crafting this past holiday weekend. We made a few projects for no reason at all except to have fun. :)

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

altered frame cork board


On the Scrapbook Circle blog today, I'm sharing how I made this cutie little altered frame into a cork board. And of course, I used the September kit when I made it. Still in love with those Crate Restoration papers!

I would love it if you all stop on by the SC blog today! :)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

{embellish*ology} halloween mini album


Heather, from the A Scrappy Design blog, has started a wonderful design adventure with {embellish*ology}. You can find her cute creations popping up everywhere, including a bike tag in the Scrapbook Circle September kit.


I had the chance to work with the new Halloween items in the shop and they are fab!! I made a mini album from a single sheet of 12x12 paper, and I love how it turned out.

It is the perfect quick gift that anyone could put together. You don't need a binding machine, you don't even need a chipboard mini on hand.


Take a look at THIS POST HERE for the tutorial and download the PDF if you like visual directions. And don't forget to check out the shop for all of the wonderful tags and such. Great stuff there!!!

Happy Labor Day weekend to those of you who are celebrating! I don't know about you, but for me Labor Day is the green light for celebrating all things Fall...especially Halloween!!! :)

Friday, September 3, 2010

sketchy thursdays october gdt challenge


The current Design Team for Sketchy Thursdays doesn't usually play along with the GDT challenge, but this week we are. Heidi worked with Gauche Alchemy and their DT to put together a wonderful challenge for all of us.

As my bloggy friend, Lauren, has pointed out many, many times—any Sketchy Thursdays sketch can be a card sketch. And she is so right! I really liked making this sketch fit onto a card, and am loving how it turned out. I used a mix of My Mind's Eye and American Crafts products.


This is the sketch Heidi made, and check out the details about the prize from Gauche Alchemy on the Sketchy Thursdays challenge blog.

The winner gets to work with us at Sketchy Thursdays for the month of October, get the sketches in advance and be featured along side the DT each week. Oh, and don't forget the fab prize (did you head on over and sneak a peek at it yet)!! It's the Nature Calls kit from Gauche Alchemy.

Can't wait to see what you create! You have until 11:59 p.m. (EST) Saturday, September 18 for your chance to become our next GDT. See you over there!


Thursday, September 2, 2010

to infinity and beyond!


My son loves Buzz Lightyear. He likes Woody, too, but he LOVES Buzz.

When the local mall had a meet-and-greet this summer to promote the opening of the Toy Story 3 movie, I didn't even hesitate to take him. We went early, waited in line, and this is the picture as a result of that wait.

Is it just me, or do these giant puppet people look nothing like Buzz and Woody? LOL!! To a 4-year-old, though, they were perfect. :)



This week's sketch for the Sketchy Thursdays challenge is live and ready to go for you to play along with us. Heidi has provided us all with another fab sketch that I know you are going to love.



The sponsor for this week is pretty darn cool, too! Paper Fashions Boutique has provided us with a wonderful DeLovely card kit for one lucky random winner. It could be you!!


Thanks for stopping by today to see my page, and I hope to see you playing along with us at Sketchy Thursdays.