Sketchy Thursdays {huge announcement}

Here is my layout for this week's Sketchy Thursdays challenge. You can find the sketch on the blog, as well as this week's prize details from ARTchix Studio.

I made my page using the January kit, You + Me, from Scrapbook Circle. The colors in this kit are right up my alley. I love the gray, blue and red all together. The picture in the layout is Nate's school picture this year. The colors in his shirt just went so well with this kit.

I pleated the die cut banner in the kit to give it a bit more dimension and pop. If you haven't tried this yet, give it a whirl. I was pretty happy with how it worked out. It allowed me to curve the banner, too, by doing that.

And here is the huge news…

I am nervous, sad and anxious to announce to you all that Heidi, Julie and I have decided that the 1/12/12 challenge will be the last challenge for the Sketchy Thursdays blog challenge.

Finding sponsors, keeping up this pace for 2 and a half years, and overwhelming lives for all three of us has found us with a decision we needed to make.

I plan to keep the Facebook page live, active and post sketches as I am driven to. I may even come across some random prizes or opportunities that I will post there as well. 

I have already been asked to continue making sketches for other sites and companies. Heidi will also be continuing her sketch work with Scrapbook News and Review.

I promise there is no secret agenda—just 3 very tired, overwhelmed ladies that feel we have hit a threshold for this part of our adventures.

Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with us, and I hope to see you playing along with this, our last, challenge. Much love to all of you that have supported the site for the past few years. I have a special place in my heart for everyone who played, sponsored and stopped on by.

Sketchy Thursdays {RMSC}

Today is another reveal day for Sketchy Thursdays. My sketch for this challenge can be seen over on the Sketchy Thursdays site. Play along and link your page over on the blog.

This week we have partnered with Scrappy Chics. Their DT is also playing along with the sketch, so head on over there to see their reveals, as well as the ST site to see the prize info. We have an additional prompt this week—to use blue & silver for your page. Mine seems to be more like teal and gray.

I made this page with the January Scrapbook Circle kit, "You + Me," as well as adding in some items from a past SC kit. The picture is from this fall when hubs and I took Nate to the Rochester Museum and Science Center. There was a pretty cool climbing thing and I snapped this picture while he was on it.

Thanks for stopping by to see my page this week. I hope you'll be able to join Sketchy Thursdays and our partnership with Scrappy Chics to play along this week.

Sketchy Thursdays {Christmas Eve}

It's time for Sketchy Thursdays! We took last week off for the holiday, but now we're back with a new sketch. This week, some of us on the DT worked with digital files from Digi Doodle Shop. I used three different holiday images for my page: Christmas 1, Christmas Ornaments and Fun with Christmas-North Pole. 

Here is the sketch I made for this week's challenge. I'm sure you have some holiday pictures you are ready to make gorgeous pages with!

I hope to see you playing along with us! Hop on over to the site to see what the rest of the DT made to inspire you. And thanks for stopping by to see my page for this week's reveal.

Sketchy Thursdays {trim the tree}

It's time for another Sketchy Thursdays reveal. Heidi's sketch for this week is inspiring (as always) and a great one for those holiday pictures. Stop by and take a peek. 

There will not be a sketch reveal next week on the 22nd, so this one will last until 12/28 for you to play along. We'll be back on the 29th for a new reveal after that. 

My page is a digi layout. I used some of my favorite pictures of our tree. This year I decorated the Christmas tree in teal and red. I just love how fun it is! It feels more playful for some reason. 

I hope you'll be able to join us sometime over the holidays. I know I'm super busy, as I can guess you are, too. Finding time to scrapbook will be a relief from the busy pace.

Thanks for stopping by today—I really appreciate it!

(Digital Sources: Raspberry Road Designs, Jen Allyson Winter Wonderland, CK Freebie, Verve Stamps)

Sketchy Thursdays {leaves}

Hi there! This should be the last of my leaves and Fall pictures. We had such a long, great Fall season with warm weather and sunshine, that I have too many pictures and moments from the past few months. 

This page is made with the new Sketchy Thursdays sketch I made. You can see my sketch and the DT inspiration on the blog now. As well as meet this week's sponsor, I love it all.

If you haven't scooped it up yet, the Scrapbook Circle December kit (Note to Self) is what I used to make this layout. I love that the kit could be used for just about anything—not just holiday pages. 

If you have a free moment, it would be great to see you playing along at the Sketchy Thursdays challenge. And thanks for stopping to see my page! 

Sketchy Thursdays {silly}

I have been having a fantastic time creating with the December kit from Scrapbook Circle. The papers from American Crafts - Chap line are my favorite in this month's kit. 

And the sketch from Sketchy Thursdays this week worked out perfectly to use this grid-like paper in the kit.

Don't you just love this picture of Nate?! He was getting so cute becoming "over-cheesed" with me and my camera. Last year's fall pictures turned out so well that I was hoping for the same results. Not so much! The sun was more direct this time, and Nate was a bit more punchy than usual. It made for a silly, fun time, though. Great memories. 

I hope you'll be able to join us this week at Sketchy Thursdays! Thanks for stopping in to see my page.

Sketchy Thursdays {lil dunkin boy}

It's Sketchy Thursdays time again! Wow, these weeks fly by. This week's sketch is made by Heidi and sponsored by Lindy's Stamp Gang. They are so graciously giving away 2 prizes for this challenge because you have 2 weeks to play along!

I also used my Scrapbook Circle Nov. Harvest Festival kit to make the page. I love how the page goes from black and white to a burst of color at the end. I'm really happy with how that turned out.

Nate is my little weekend buddy since Dad works so many weekend shifts. Because of this, Nate is no stranger when it comes to stopping for coffee during our errands. Of course, he usually gets juice or chocolate milk, but when Dunkin came out with their Iced Hot Chocolate he begged to try one. 

He looked so cute with the big Dunkin cup, I just had to snap a picture. 

I hope you'll get a chance to play along with Sketchy Thursdays for this challenge. Can't wait to see what you make, and remember, you have 2 weeks this time to play along!

Sketchy Thursdays {Halloween}

Hi there! I'm here to share another Sketchy Thursdays page with you. My sketch is ready for you to play along with over on the blog. And this week's prize from Paper Issues is fabulous. It's a little bit chilly. And snowy. :) You have to stop by and check it out!

I made this page using mostly my Hallow's Eve kit from Scrapbook Circle. Now that you've taken those Halloween pictures, you know you are gonna want one of these kits for your pages!

That adorable little girl with Nate is the most fabulous Madison, who I know I have mentioned here before. Nate and Madison are becoming quite the couple. I'll go ahead and say she's his first girlfriend since they have gone on so many dates already. :)

These pictures are from when we went trick or treating in the mall on the Saturday before Halloween. We met up with Madison, her mommy, baby Luke and his mommy, and had a fun little afternoon.

Thanks for stopping by to see my page today. And hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays for your chance to win the Paper Issues prize!

Sketchy Thursdays {wonderful}

Love this boy! Or little man, as he looks in this picture. I can't get over how grown up he looks in this picture. And, of course, we love his NY Yankees winter cap. Such a fun hat, isn't it? I love this style.

This page is made using this week's sketch I made for Sketchy Thursdays. It's a quick one, so if you are busy with Halloween festivities, you should still be able to get something down quickly to still play along.

There is a fabulous prize from The Paper Bakery that I know you'll want a chance at winning.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I made for this week. And I hope to see you playing along with us at Sketchy Thursdays!

Sketchy Thursdays {the bus}

It's Thursday! Here is my latest layout for the sketch Heidi made for Sketchy Thursdays. I used items from both the Sept. and Oct. kits from Scrapbook Circle to make my page. 

And if you take a peek at Heidi's sketch, you'll notice that my layout is not tilted. I couldn't do it! Not sure why, but I tried and tried, and I could not make a page where you tilt the photos. Now I feel dared to do it. I must. I feel challenged. LOL!

This week Sketchy Thursdays is sponsored by Let's Capture Our Memories. Check out the site as well as what they have at Sketchy Thursdays!

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate it—enjoy the rest of your week!

Sketchy Thursdays {and easy canvas prints}

As many of you who read my blog know, I love to mix in a digital layout every once in a while. Heidi's latest sketch at Sketchy Thursdays was begging for a digital layout because of the large area for journaling off to the side. I have horrible handwriting, so I just knew it was going to have to be digital.

My little man had decided one day to do his own hair. It resulted in a lot of water on the bathroom floor and a pretty cool spike. I loved it, actually. I wish his hair was long like this again. It's shorter now with school pictures coming up soon.

This week's challenge at Sketchy Thursdays is sponsored by Easy Canvas Prints.

I was approached by Easy Canvas Prints to receive a free canvas to review. And am I glad I said yes! I ordered the 11"x14" canvas and it is gorgeous. Amazing craftsmanship, arrived perfectly packaged and is exactly what I ordered. 

The order process is so easy. It is seriously just upload, a few check boxes here and there, then done! Easy peasy! I ordered the print with the grey solid-colored sides. You can select a color or a wrap around photo or even a reflection.

Now to the cool part! One lucky winner at Sketchy Thursdays is going to be getting their own 8"x10" Easy Canvas Prints gift. Play long and link your entry to the Sketchy Thursdays blog before Wed. night and you are eligible to win. Good Luck!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I truly appreciate you all!!

Digital Supplies: Sir Scrap Alot, Michelle Underwood, Jessica Sprague (Crystal Wilkerson, Carina Gardner Inc), Raspberry Road Designs. 

Sketchy Thursdays {wish}

Today is a great day over at Sketchy Thursdays. The new team is ready to go and they all jumped in to show off their talents. My latest sketch is also over there, so get on over and play along for a chance to win a prize from Paper Lovelies.

My page today was made with my Oct. kit from Scrapbook Circle, as well as some of the Amy Tangerine goodies I had left over from the Sept. kit.

My son had stopped from playing his very important baseball game with Daddy to make a wish on a weed. Just love these pics. Soon enough he won't be so little anymore and weeds won't matter.

So glad you could stop in a see the layout I made today. Don't forget to stop by Sketchy Thursdays! Other than the awesome inspiration from the new team, you have to play along for the chance at the prize!

Have a lovely day!

Sketchy Thursdays {real artist}

Hi! It's Thursday and I have a layout to share with you. I created this page using the current sketch I made at Sketchy Thursdays and the October kit from Scrapbook Circle.

I can't stress enough how fun these wood alphas from Pink Paislee are. And the papers in the Oct. kit are amazing. I love that chevron kraft paper.

I love the story behind the pictures I used on this layout. Nate loves to craft with me. His craft area is set up right next to mine, so we often work together on our projects. Yep, he even has his own projects. 

Nate was using some stamps that my mother bought him when he came over to me with his inky fingers and said, "Look Mom! I'm a real artist now!" Melt my heart!

I hope you have some time to play along with us this week. Freehand Scraps is giving away a $15 gift certificate to one lucky, random winner. Can't wait to see what you all make for the challenge! See ya' over there!

Sketchy Thursdays {play time}

I'm going digi again! Even though I work in these elements all day as a graphic designer, sometimes it just feels good to play around for fun with all of the digital tools I have at my fingertips. I used digital elements from Sir Scrapalot and Echo Park at Jessica Sprague.

These pictures are from one of our most recent trips to the playground. Even though it's been starting to cool down here, we are trying to get to the playground as many weekends as we can before the chill sets in.

Hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays this week. The sketch Heidi made is fabulous!

Double the fun {Sketchy Thursdays}

Sketchy Thursdays is double the fun this week. We have joined up with the ScrapFit challenge blog. In addition to using the Sketchy Thursdays sketch this week, use the prompt: F is for Friendship, and you'll have two chances to win. Make sure to link your page to both challenge blogs.

Check out the Sketchy Thursdays blog as well as the ScrapFit blog for all the details and extra prizes. You could win a $10 gift certificate to my Etsy shop just for commenting on Sketchy Thursdays' challenge post. Play along, and you have a chance at a prize from Burlap & Buttercups kit club. ScrapFit has a prize for commenting as well as some fabulousness from Paper Issues.


This is my page that uses the sketch and the prompt. The pictures are from our company picnic at a local amusement park this summer. Some of you know about Madison from past pages, but if you don't, Madison is Nate's future bride. LOL! Madison's mom and I are co-workers and friends, so it was great to have a company picnic where our kids could spend the day together too.


I used some new summer CHA goodness on this page. The paper is from the 6x6 sheets of Pink Paislee Nantucket. The Thickers are Amy Tangerine, and the buttons and tag sticker are new My Mind's Eye. I think I was looking for any excuse to rip into those packages and threw it all down on one page.

Thanks for stopping to see my page today. To re-cap: Play along with the Sketchy Thursdays' sketch and the ScrapFit Friendship prompt. Link your page to both blogs for a chance at 2 prizes. Comment on both blogs and have more chances to win prizes, including a $10 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. Pretty easy?!

Hope to see you over there playing along—you have until next Wednesday to link up.

Sketchy Thursdays {foul ball}

It's another Thursday—one of my favorite days of the week. As busy as things are right now, I know that I will do my best to make at least one scrapbook page a week thanks to Sketchy Thursdays. Isn't it good to have that time set aside?!


My page this week has pictures from when hubby caught a foul ball at the Red Wings game this summer. It was nearing the end of the season, and dang it, we were gonna get a ball! And we did! Nate was so excited, and he keeps calling it his most special baseball.

The papers and most of the embellishments on this page are from the September Scrapbook Circle kit, The Good Life. It's a great one! If you don't have it yet and are in the market for some scrappy supplies, swing on by and scoop one up.


This week's Sketchy Thursdays challenge is sponsored by My Memories Suite. Check out the blog and see what all the excitement is about!

Sketchy Thursdays {mini golf}

So, today's layout is doubly cool. It uses the latest sketch I made for Sketchy Thursdays, and the kit I used to make this page is also this week's fabulous prize for the random winner at ST. See?! Double the coolness, right?!


This kit from Scrapbook Circle is chock full of fabulous brand new items from the summer CHA, including Amy Tan American Crafts papers that are so fun and flirty!


Thanks for stopping by to see my page today. I was so excited to scrap these pictures. I took Nate mini golfing in July and he did so good. He actually got a hole in one his first time ever mini golfing about halfway through the course.

I'd say he's gonna be a great golfer someday, but that picture on the right with him stooped way down low tells me he's got a lot to learn. LOL!

Hope to see you over at Sketchy Thursdays this week! And have a great Labor Day weekend to my U.S. friends if I don't stop back in here before then.

Sketchy Thursdays {ride the canal}

It's amazing when you take a break from scrapbooking, how fun it can be once you start back into it. Heidi's sketch at Sketchy Thursdays this week was just what I needed, too. It's fresh and fun—definitely out-of-the-box for my style.

I do hope you'll join us! This week's prize is sponsored by My Creative Classroom. Check out the details on the ST blog.


Most of what I used to make this page came from Scrapbook Circle. I have a little jar on my desk where all of my favorite little extras and trinkets from the kits end up. And that fabulous wood grain paper is Amy Tangerine from American Crafts, just to give you a peek at the Sept. Scrapbook Circle kit.

Pretty neat idea I recommend: Even if you don't buy an i-top, I recommend buying the punches that go along with it. How fun are those splayed out circles?


I also stamped the wooden butterfly with a Hero Arts cloud stamp rather than using a cloud and a butterfly. Same idea, different effect.

I do hope you'll join us at Sketchy Thursdays! And hopefully you've been saving your allowance for the Sept. kit from Scrapbook Circle. Like I've said before—they are always versatile kits with the latest and greatest.

Thanks for wandering by here today!

Plenty to say, little time to say it...

As you know from my lack of posting here, I've been busy with work lately. But, I have so much to let you know about or to remind you of. So here goes...

Don't forget to play along with the Polkadot Door Inspiration Challenge. You have until the 25th to share your project.


The September Scrapbook Circle kit is about to be revealed soon. Can you say Amy Tangerine by American Crafts? You'll wanna get this one—trust me!

Sketchy Thursdays is having a DT Call! If you love sketches and want to join us each week, give it a shot and send in your application. All of the details can be found here.

And the current challenge is live, too, of course. Play along with this week's sketch for a chance to win a fabulous prize from ARTchix Studio.

PLUS .... I am happy to say that you'll see me helping this lovely little lady celebrate her birthday! You won't want to miss the celebration!


Thanks for stopping by to see my catch-up post. I'm excited to be getting back into crafting. I'll have my Sketchy Thursdays layout for you this week, as well as some new items for the Etsy shop. I've been working at making some new embellishments and flowers.

Sketchy Thursdays

Just when I thought last week's Sketchy Thursdays page was my favorite, I have a new fave. I knew when I made the sketch for this week that I would use it over and over again. And after making this page, I was convinced I was right about that sketch.

I hope you'll scoot on over there to play along with this week's challenge. One lucky winner is going to get a gift certificate from Paper Secrets. It could be you... :)


I love these pictures of my son. We were at the playground near our house (a new-to-us playground we found this summer) when I took these pictures. I think it's the combination of his clothing and the darker wood on the play set that make the pictures so vibrant. Not to mention his amazing smile and attitude in the pictures.

They look like pictures a high school senior would pose for, don't they? He's such a ham!

Hope to see you at Sketchy Thursdays this week. And thanks for stopping in today to read my blog.