Sunday, May 31, 2009

my layout for sketchy thursday



On Thursday I blogged about Sketchy Thursdays. Here is the layout I did to go with the sketch for this week. Remember to post the link to your layout HERE (Thursday's blog) for a chance to win blog candy. There is already one layout posted so take a look (thanks KarenSue!) and keep them coming.

Leave me a comment if there is something you'd like to see on Sketchy Thursday (single photo, using circles, using grids, etc) and I'll see if I can come up with a fun sketch.

Thanks as always for stopping by!

Friday, May 29, 2009

cards for random but important events


Did anyone watch the spelling bee last night? My friend Laura's cousin made it to the second-to-last round in the National Spelling Bee Championship. Tiana wasn't on TV last night, but made it all the way up until the cuts Thursday morning.

Laura wanted to send her a card that marked her achievement because, let's face it, most of us couldn't make it that far! The card above is what I made for Laura to send her. How cute is that?!

My challenge to you today: Send a card to someone in your life who has achieved even the smallest of accomplishments. Send a smile to someone! (Now that is a great challenge!!)

Supplies for the card: DCWV cardstock, Urban Prairie paper, Making Memories stickers and Miss Elizabeth's card stock stickers.

we have a blog candy winner!


We have a winner from my American Crafts blog candy giveaway on Wednesday. Using random.org, the winner is:

BonnieRose

Bonnie, send me an e-mail at dianadesigns@rochester.rr.com with your shipping address by June 5, 2009. Congrats, and thanks for following my blog.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

sketchy thursdays

When I started this blog I wanted to share ideas and projects with others who love scrapping. So, today I start the first of SKETCHY THURSDAYS.

I like to make sketches of layouts and cards, and now I can share them with you! Here is the first one.

If you do a layout using this sketch, post a comment here with a link to that project. Next Thursday when I post the newest sketch, I will announce a winner from this sketch and send them a prize. If you read yesterday's post you know I have some stash to giveaway.

Thanks for reading my scrappy blog, and don't forget you have until 11:59 p.m. EST to comment
HERE for a chance to win an American Crafts giveaway pack.


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

american crafts giveaway


Over at 2Peas there is an organizational challenge going on right now. I am a neat freak by nature, so I am not participating in the challenge, but it did make me evaluate my stash. I have a lot of stuff!

I will never be able to use all of it and there are people that can, so here is the best part: I am giving away a kit of American Crafts stash. There is double-sided card stock, Flair, Thickers, ribbon and a mini album in here.

Do you want to win? All you have to do is post a comment here about how you plan to clean up your scrappy space this season. Want a second chance to win? Sign up to be a Follower of this blog. I plan on covering some great things in the next few weeks (hint: need wedding gift ideas?). Post your comment and link to follow by 11:59 pm EST on May 28.

Thanks for stopping by! I will announce the winner on Friday, May 29, so check back to see if you won.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

i won the weekly challenge at 2Peas!

I am so excited! This layout won the Weekly Challenge at Two Peas in Bucket this week. The challenge was to use multiple photos. This challenge was so outside-of-the-box for me, but I really enjoyed it.


lime rickey love

I was so excited to get the Lime Rickey line from Basic Grey. Probably because I will always reach for a sheet of Basic Grey paper before anything else. I'd have to say that Urban Praire is my all-time favorite closely followed by Archaic and Mellow.

I seemed to be hoarding my Lime Rickey paper after I got it. I wanted that perfect moment. And then I found it. In 2008 my son got his first ride in a kiddie park. Something about the carnival atmosphere and his first moment without mom or dad at his side just screamed Lime Rickey.




Do you have those moments? You get the paper and want the first time you use it to be just perfect? Now the ideas are flowin'! I'm sure to be reaching for this line of paper over and over again for a few days. Must be summer's here!




Friday, May 22, 2009

loving the crazy hair

My son is 3 today! He is home sick with me (bummer on the sick, yeah on another mommy cuddle day), and we are going to make the best of it. Lots of movies and hopefully some brownies tonight with candles on top. (Thank goodness his party isn't until next weekend.)


Being three, he now has a handsome crew cut to match Dad. But this time last year, he was still a little hairball. I am about a year behind in his scrapbook and did a page this week for Easter 2008.

I just had to focus on the hair and not that it was Easter. Sometimes it is good to do pages later on so that the nostalgia about what has changed comes through rather than the obvious at the time. I guess procrastination has its perks!




Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Happy birthday to my baby boy. I'm so blessed to be your Mommy.
You bring me joy every day!


Thursday, May 21, 2009

zoo day rocks



Yeah, I finally used my Vintage Plum kit from May. I know... I've only had it for a few days, but there were so many great things in there that I had to use it fast. Here is the page that I have done so far.

I'll post more from this kit as I use it. Some great pieces to check out individually if you don't get the kit:
Hambly Animal Rub Ons

Sassafras Lass Anthem paper (Ticket to Freedom)
Sassafras Lass Vintage Yummy Sweet Treats stickers
Jenni Bowlin Brown Chalkboard Alphabet stickers

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

great pictures of the unusual

We went to the Newport, KY aquarium on our way down to NC last week. It made for some great images of animals you don't get to see everyday.

These are some of the really neat pictures I took there. I had to share them, the lighting and angles are pretty cool.








Tuesday, May 19, 2009

good to be back!

I was on vacation for the past 9 days in NC visiting with family. There was no cell reception, no access to computers and a lot of food—good times!

While I was traveling, my mom and I did a lot of craft shopping. I found some great deals at Tuesday Morning (a Fiskars guillotine cutter for $40, marked down from $139), and lots of little scrapbook shops and antique shops. It was a great week for mom and me!


When I got home, I was greeted by my Vintage Plum kit box (yeah!!) I can't wait to dig into this kit. If you haven't found VP yet, take a look now. Lots to do there, great people and best of all, wonderfully different monthly kits.


Friday, May 8, 2009

moms love handmade frames!

Today I want to share with you an altered frame I made for a Mother's Day gift idea. It was quick to make and is a great way to showcase any of the small photos of the kids for mom or grandma.


Supplies: Prima & Making Memories flowers. Basic Grey Phoebe collection paper. K&Co. self-adhesive gems for the bubbles in the center of the flowers.

Not too much time to write today, but I wanted to make sure I shared this frame idea. Mother's Day is almost here! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and grandmas out there!

A quick reminder to
pebblesjns: E-mail me your address at dianadesigns@rochester.rr.com by end of the day May 9 to claim your NSD giveaway prize.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

thanks vintage plum!

Earlier in the week I shared a Mother's Day card that I made.

Well, I had made that card for the NSD challenge at Vintage Plum. And... I won that challenge! The prize is some really cute handmade tags.

Thanks Vintage Plum! You all are a great community with fun, new and fresh challenges. Just wanted to share my joy and VP love!

To add to my good day yesterday, I won the random drawing for the Video Warehouse Walk at 2Peas. Not much involved there except that I realized I should have played the lottery on Tuesday!


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

if my son could shop on Etsy

If Nate could shop for me on Etsy for Mother's Day, this is what I think he would pick out (because he's three and these decisions would be simple and make complete sense to him).


1. A coffee tumbler because mom loves her coffee and Nate is excited when he gets to carry his own tumbler full of chocolate milk.






2. This cute Owl and Tree zippered pouch because that means mom has quarters for the bridges, the Mickey Mouse ride and small toys from the bubble machines.






3. 100 buttons, so Nate could take as many as he wanted to carry in his pockets. There would have to be a lot of pink ones to leave for mom, they are her favorite.






4. A little blue bronto in case mom wants to play dinosaurs with Nate. I would have my own dino that I would of course share with him.





And the best one: Original Nate artwork.

Thanks, Nate! I am so glad I get to be your Mom.






Tuesday, May 5, 2009

mother's day gift bucket

For the mom who has everything and appreciates the sentiment!



This cute little metal bucket is decorated with white rub-ons from Making Memories and American Crafts. Yummy chocolates fill the bottom and make a great base to hold the felt and button flowers. (The tutorial on how to make these cutie, forever flowers can be found here.)

To make your own version of this, look at your stash and see what household items you have lying around that would make a great vase, bucket, glass, etc. It's a quick, fun gift for mom.




Monday, May 4, 2009

mother's day butterfly card idea

Happy Mother's Day week! Moms love homemade gifts, and they have since you smashed your tiny little fist in plaster and called it art.


This week I am going to share with you some cards and gift ideas for Mother's Day gift ideas. We'll start with a cute card. I used Hero Arts stamp sets (Birds and Branches and Anytime Messages), black ink and watercolor pencils. Double-sided foam tape keep the butterflies and birdhouse up popped up off the paper.

Get crafty this week and surprise mom with a cute card! Check back all week for more cute cards and homemade gifts.


NSD winner!


We have a winner. Using random.org, our NSD giveaway winner is:

pebblesjns who said: "Those are very cute cards. I love the one with the little onesie. Being pregnant right now, I love all things to do with babies...thanks for sharing!
"

Pebblesjns, email me at dianadesigns@rochester.rr.com
with your shipping address so that I can send you your prize! Congrats.

Check back later today for another post beginning this week's Mother's Day ideas!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

the 'nsd' whole weekend

Well, I didn't get done as much as I thought I would. I did manage to put some rub ons on a glass bowl, do 3 cards and 1 LO. I had hoped for much more, but I did go grocery shopping and take Nate to the playground. Plus laundry and meals, I think I did pretty good.

I will be showing off some of what I did starting tomorrow as I begin a week of Mother's Day gift ideas.

What I will share today is this page I did for Nate's book. It was Christmas 2007 and the first year he was really able to help with the tree. At a 1-1/2, he was more in awe than helpful. I had to capture that.




Happy NSD weekend, and hope you are also getting some more done today, like I will.

Don't forget, if you haven't already, sign up on Friday's post for a chance to win my little NSD prize pack. I will draw the winner after midnight EST tonight and announce it tomorrow morning. Thanks for playing along!


Saturday, May 2, 2009

happy national scrapbooking day!

There are challenges and crops going on all over today. I plan on participating in a few myself. The techniques I have ready to go are:
  • Use a stamp
  • Flower power
  • a butterfly project
  • handwritten journaling (and hidden journaling)
  • use alphabet stickers
  • use chipboard
  • use punches
  • glitter
  • cupcake it up!
  • use die cuts (out comes the Cricut!!)
  • use my fave brand (ummmm... BASIC GREY anyone?! yeah!)

Some challenges I hope to finish from the 2Peas GG are:

  • Use thickers
  • Do something yellow
  • No patterned paper at all (this should be way fun!)
  • Go circle crazy (another good one)
  • Emboss a stamp
  • A page inspired by fashion (another fun one)
Hope everyone is ready to go! On your mark... get set... YEAH, happy NSD!

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's thread to be eligible to win my NSD giveaway. I will announce a winner on Monday!

Friday, May 1, 2009

hush little baby (and a GIVEAWAY for NSD)

Happy day before National Scrapbook Day! I am so excited for tomorrow that I have some prizes to giveaway.

You'll get everything you see in the picture, which include scroll chipboard, ribbon, puffy stickers, a bingo card, an American Crafts album, a quote transparency, Making Memories stuff and more!

All you have to do is leave a comment about which baby card I showed this week was your favorite. Want a second chance to win? Link up to be a Follower in the box to the right.

Thanks for reading this week. The last baby card of the week is below... enjoy!


Hush Little Baby... Below is the gender-neutral card I promised. I used old skool Marcella by K paper for the background. Machine stitched the edges and then distressed with my fave method of distressing: a gold ink cat's eye ink.

The rub on is from the Basic Grey Sugared Olio set. The moon is cut from more Marcella by K paper from the Cricut New Arrival cartridge. More distressing with gold ink defines the features. Lift it up off the paper with double-sided foam tape.

Good luck with the contest! Post your comment by 11:59 p.m. EST, May 3 and I will announce the winner on Monday, May 4. I hope everyone will have a scrappy day tomorrow!