Thanks Sketch Card

Some of the Creative Team members actually created sketches for our Sketch Fest at ScrapCity. This is Nessa's card sketch.

This is my card based on her sketch. I used some SEI paper that the Creative Team received from our sponsor, Beatriz. The "thanks" is a $1 acrylic stamp from Michael's. I embossed both panels with the swiss dots embossing folder in my Cuttlebug. The flowers are Petaloo, and I got those as a RAK from the wonderful Wendy! Just an easy, but very cute card. I love these colors. You can click on the card to see it larger.

My girls came home yesterday, and they told me that the name of their Junior High School is changing. The superintendent of our schools is retiring, and to honor him, they are renaming the school. I'm shocked at how angry this news made me. Renaming the school loses the consistency with the three schools (Elementary, Intermediate, and Junior High). They are all named after the town we live in. The school is now referred to as MJHS. The superintendent's last name begins with a B. I think it's same to assume that it will be referred to as BJHS. Uhm, that doesn't sound right, does it? However, what REALLY made me angry is the fact that the economy is in the toilet right now. Yet, the school district is going to find enough money to change signs, banners, get new letterhead, etc. Can you imagine what needs to change because the school's name is changing, and how much it's all going to cost? It's irresponsible to spend any money to make this change. I am so angry, but apparently the school board has already made the decision. Well, I won't be hesitating to let anyone and everyone know that I think this is wrong. I don't have anything personal against this man, and it says a lot about him that they want to honor him in a big way, but seriously. This is ridiculous!

I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Shop 'Til You Drop!

I'm still having a lot of fun creating layouts based on sketches for our Sketch Fest online crop at ScrapCity. The crop is until Friday, so you still have time to join in!

This is Sketch #66 by Stacey Julian, and it comes from the Pencil Lines site. I love two-page layouts!

Here's my layout based on this sketch! I used just six photos, but I staggered them across the two pages, and I also bumped the photos on the second page to a different level than the first page. I love the way that looks! This is DCWV All Dressed Up papers, a couple of stamps, Nestabilities cuts, various felt cut flowers, and some rhinestones. You can click on the pages to see them larger.


Here's just page one which features the wonderful Emily!

Here's page two which features the fantastic Jessica!

I hope you have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #37 & ScrapCity Sketch Fest Layout

This week, I decided to combine my Scrapping Recipe Challenge #37 at Sketches! {by Tamara} with one of the Sketch Fest challenges that are currently taking place at ScrapCity. This sketch is by Julie Bonner from the 52 Sketches site.

The recipe challenge this week was to use the following three items on our cards or layouts:

• flowers
• buttons
• Stickles or glitter

I love all of those required items, so I had a lot of fun using them on my layout! I used My Mind's Eye papers. The die cut heart is also by MME. I created the punched border with my threading water punch. The flower and the button are Making Memories. The photo anchor is a QuicKutz die cut, and I stamped the date on it. The title was created using my Cricut. I used a hole punch to punch all of those green dots, and I applied them one by one to my layout. I love the way it looks, especially on a dotted background paper!! Finally, I added two trios of Stickles dots to my paper strips. I'm very pleased with this layout!! You can click on it for a larger view.

You can still get in on all of the awesome Sketch Fest Challenges at ScrapCity! The Sketch Fest runs through Friday!! I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Sketch Layout & Happy Birthday Emily!!

Happy 13th Birthday Emily!! We had cake last night (and we'll have cake today)!! I've been a mom for 13 years, and I cannot imagine experiencing anything more special, fulfilling, and amazing!! This beautiful girl brings daily joy to my life! I love her with all of my heart! Happy 13th Birthday Emily!!

I'm still having a lot of fun working on the Sketch Fest online crop at ScrapCity! It is still in full swing all this week! Stop by and participate!! Here is an amazing PageMaps round sketch that is one of our challenges!

Here is my layout using this sketch! The wonderful Telah at ScrapCity sent me Vintage Moon papers when I won one of her games on the ScrapCity message board. I've been hoarding these papers, because I love them! Last night, I decided to actually USE them! Shocking, I know! I also used vinyl Thickers for the title. I added some Primas and a large button. I love the way this layout turned out!! You can click on it to see it larger.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!!

Sketch Fest Card

Have you had a chance to check out the Sketch Fest online crop going on at ScrapCity? It's FUN! My wonderful blogging friend, Tamara from the Sketches! {by Tamara} site created an EXCLUSIVE card sketch for us to use this week! Here it is!

Here is the card that I created using Tamara's awesome sketch! I also used two wonderful printable stamps from The Cutting Cafe'. Isn't that February calendar fantastic? Regina just created a ton of cool calendar images! I also used one of the all occasion circular sentiments. All of the papers, flowers, and buttons are Chloe's Closet by Making Memories. I also used my threading water punch on the card front. You can click on the card to see it larger.

Come get your scrap on at ScrapCity if you get a chance! Thanks for stopping by!

Get Your SCRAP On!

Sketch #7 - 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks

I am really enjoying doing the sketches at 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks! This is my layout for Sketch #7.

I used all Making Memories Chloe's Closet for this layout! I love this collection! The papers, the journaling sheet, the tiny alphas, the buttons, and the flower are all Chloe's Closet! I also added three rhinestones. I love the way this page turned out! Just a fun photo of Princess and I. You can click on the layout to see it larger.

I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #36

This is my layout for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #36 at Sketches! {by Tamara}.


The recipe this week was to use these three items on our cards or layouts:

• Something we have been hoarding
• flowers
• bling

I hoard A LOT, so this challenge was easy for me! I had a lot to choose from! I finally decided on a sheet of Jenni Bowlin paper that I have been hoarding for a long time! I love the shape of this paper, and I had a tough time using it!! I only used half of it, so I still have another half to use on another project! The ledger paper is also by Jenni Bowlin. I added a chipboard title, some felt flowers, rhinestones, and an awesome velvet ric rac ribbon. You can click on my layout to see it larger.

I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Sketch #6 - 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks

I'm a week behind with 52 Sketches! Sketch #7 is already posted, but here is my layout for Sketch #6.

This is going to be the first page in my Disney album! I love the Making Memories Passport line! I got some of these goodies from Tobey (she was my Secret Sister at ScrapCity - Thanks Tobey!!), and I also won quite a bit of it from Kelly at Paper Crafts magazine! The girls were writing in their travel journals while we waited for our plane at Midway Airport. We were on our way to Orlando for our Disney World vacation! FUN!

I hope you have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Kids Can Scrap Layouts

I'm always happy to have guest designers on my blog!! I want to show you two layouts that the girls did! The girls love the Kids Can Scrap site! Challenge #6 consists of a sketch by Julie Bonner at 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks!

Here's Emily's layout! GREAT job Emily! I'm so proud of my girls when the create, because they are REALLY good at it!!


Here's Jessica layout! Isn't this awesome?! The colors are so fun! GREAT job Jessica!!

We really love the Kids Can Scrap site! What fun!! I hope you enjoyed my guest designers! Thanks for stopping by!!

ScrapCity Beach Party Sketch Fest!!

ScrapCity is going to have a Beach Party Sketch Fest this weekend, and it is going to be so much fun!! Come join us! You've got nothing to lose! This is going to be a VERY fun online crop! It starts February 20th, and we already have a pre-crop challenge posted!! I would love to see you there!!

Valentine Cards!

The girls LOVED their Valentine Gifts that I made! They really LOVED them! Their excitement was just adorable! Here are the matching cards that I made for their gifts!


The heart shaped card is from The Cutting Cafe'. The Shaped Card Set comes with SEVEN shaped cards, or any of the shaped cards can be purchased individually. I just adore this heart!


Of course, I made two of them! The paper is from Cloud 9, I added some Prima Sprites, a heart shaped Making Memories button, and the "ticket" is from an Autumn Leaves acrylic stamp set that I have. CUTE!

I hope you have a great day! I hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful! Thanks for stopping by!!

Valentine Gifts!

I went CRAZY with The Cutting Cafe' goodies to make these awesome Valentine gifts for the girls!

This is the Greeting Card Folder. I love it, but instead of putting greeting cards inside, it's holding gifts for the girls for Valentine's Day! I added some FUN Making Memories goodies to the front. Aren't those tickets ADORABLE? The papers for this project are by Cloud 9. I also added a Valentine Circle Words on top of a Nestabilities scalloped circle.

Here's the inside! The pockets are designed to hold greeting cards and envelopes. However, I added some candy instead. On the left, there are some peanut butter M&M's, and I love the green M&M lady, so there's no way I was covering her up! I also got both girls some silver heart dangling earrings. I attached them to one of the Journaling Frames, and I wrote a little message. This is attached to the pocket with an office clip. CUTE! On the other side, I wrapped a Hershey's chocolate bar, and I added one of the adorable Valentine Circle Words.


Here are both of them! Aren't they cute? I LOVE THESE! The girls are going to love these too! These were so fun to make!! I can't wait to give them to the girls on Valentine's Day!!

I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Blog Award

I got this award from Dawn! Thanks Dawn!

I'm supposed to:

(1) Say one nice thing about the man in my life . . . well, I just cannot say one nice thing about Dave! He's amazing, I love him very much, he's a fantastic husband and a wonderful father, he works so hard for our family, he's handsome, I love to spend time with him, and he makes me laugh!

(2) List 6 ways you measure success in your life . . . I don't think that I'll worry about the 6 ways, but I will tell you that I am happy woman, I love my husband, and my girls are amazing!! I live a wonderful life, and I know that I am very fortunate! I honestly think about, and am thankful for, the amazing life that I lead every single day of my life!

Pass this on to give fellow bloggers. I pass this on to Chris, Fiona, Wendy, Jodi, and DeeDee!

I need to finish up working on a fun Valentine project! I hope to show it to you today or bright and early tomorrow morning! Have a great day everyone!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Altered Frame

I came up with the February Altered Challenge at ScrapCity. This is my project!


I pick up inexpensive and sometimes ugly frames at garage sales. I would think that you could find a frame at the dollar store too. This one I just so happened to get from my mom. This is just an ugly fake wood grain photo frame. I really hope she didn't pay $2.50 for it!!

Remove the glass and set it aside.

I'm going to paint it, so I sand it a little. The fake wood grain stuff is gross, and sanding it makes a mess!

I wiped it off with a baby wipe, and I get my painting stuff ready.

Painting is fun!

It really doesn't matter if you do a good job or not, because you're going to cover it with paper. I just paint because I hate the fake wood grain, and I don't want it to show through.

While the frame dries, pick out what papers, etc. you want to use. I was in a Love, Elsie Roxie mood.

I measured the sides, and I measured how much I would need to "wrap". The sides were 7 3/4" x 5 3/4", and I would need 1 3/4" to wrap around each side. I cut four sheets of paper.

This is the only tricky part, and let me assure you, I had no idea what I was doing. I needed to cut the paper so that it would wrap properly, and here is my attempt at doing just that.

Just so you know, my attempt to cut the correct size was awful, as you can see here!

I'm not kidding! Really awful! Doesn't matter, you'll be covering that up!!

Get out the embellishments!! BAM! Ugly corners? Where? I don't know what you're talking about!! Ha ha!!

This is a 5x7 frame, but I'm putting in a 4x6 photo. No problem, just keep some coordinating decorative paper behind your photo! Pretty cool, HUH? I love it! So, alter a frame! It's fun and very easy!

It's raining and will be raining all day long. The temperatures will be falling all day long too! I have a great time getting together with my girlfriend yesterday for breakfast. It's always wonderful to catch up and chat with a great friend, don't you think? I hope you all have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!!

FUN Giveaway Alert!

Nicole is having a FUN giveaway! She's a digital scrapbooker, so she's purging her paper supplies and giving a lot of it away!! Visit Nicole's blog, and check it out! Listen to some music while you're there! She has AWESOME music on her playlist!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #35 & 52 Sketches

I doubled up on a couple of challenges today. This is my layout for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #35 at Sketches! {by Tamara}, and it's also based on Sketch #4 at 52 Sketches.


The three required elements that needed to be used on our cards or layouts this week were:

• Patterned paper
• One or more hearts
• Ribbon

I used one of my ScrapCity kits to put together this layout of the girls. I love the American Crafts papers, and I love those Thickers! I did a lot of ink distressing, and I stamped a few images on my journaling panel.

I'm getting together with one of my girlfriends for breakfast this morning. Can't wait! Then, I just might come home and take Princess for a bath. It's going to be in the 60's today! It won't last, so I might as well enjoy it while it's here! I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

ScrapCity Reveals #3 & Happy Birthday MOM!!

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!! We went to see her yesterday! She is 75 years old! Woohoo!! I hope today is wonderful!

Next, we have so much going on at ScrapCity this month. The Creative Team exchanged kits. We made up two kits, and sent one to another person on the Creative Team. So, we used our own kit, we received a kit, and we received goodies from our February sponsor! This is the amazing kit that I received.


I received my kit from Janice Nielson. I received this kit from Janice on January 17th, I emailed her about how much I LOVED it, and she told me that she was very happy that I really liked it. It was shocking for all of us at ScrapCity when we found out that Janice had passed away on January 21st. We are still so sad and shocked at this huge loss. Our reveals take place on the 5th of the month, and I created my layouts on the 4th, because I had such a hard time using the kit. It made me very sad to use it. I just love the kit, and it warms my heart thinking about Janice picking out something very girly for me to use! She was so excited when I received it! We all still miss Janice very much.


This is the first layout that I created. You can't see it too well, but in the bottom photo, Jessica is standing next to her Junior High School locker! These American Craft papers are so gorgeous, and I love the Thickers! The ribbon is gorgeous too. I love it all, and it was so fun to create this page.


This is the second layout I created, and I used the fantastic Sketch #5 at 52 Sketches! I love the Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers! I cut the huge scallop circle on my Cricut Expression. Once again, love those Thickers!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!

ScrapCity Reveals #2!!

I have a couple more layouts to show you that were done for ScrapCity for February. This kit came from our February sponsor, the wonderfully talented Beatriz Jennings. Beatriz has an online store called Dream Designs. Thank you so much for all of the fun products Beatriz!!

My kit consisted of cool SEI products, beautiful flowers, and fun rub ons! Plus I got lots of extra papers and some great ribbon!

This is the first page that I created! I really wanted to use some of the SEI monogram letters, so the title on this page took center stage. I added a bunch of rub ons to the title strip. I also used two quarters of the flower to decorate the page. I also added ribbon strips. The "girls just wanna have fun" rub on was PERFECT for this page! I'm really pleased with how this turned out!

I then wanted to use the red flower (because it's gorgeous), and I also wanted to use some of the solid papers. This is what I came up with. I love this page! I added four buttons and three rhinestones, but everything else was in the kit. I love the ric rac rub on.

I hope you have a great Friday and a fantastic weekend. I have a huge headache that I need to get rid of! As always, thanks for stopping by!!