How Can It Be?

This is for the Last Scrapper Standing challenge over at Memorable Seasons. I got kicked to the curb and didn't advance, but I love the next challenge, so I'm still playing along! LOL! I came across this photo of Emily and Jessica when I was sorting pictures. So, I journaled it with today's perspective. The title is: How Can It Be?, and the hand-written journaling reads: "That ten years go by in the blink of an eye? These girls amaze me on a daily basis! Being their mom is an honor and a privilege! Wow, I love these two!" Photo-11/4/99, Journaling-7/2/2010.

I really love the way this turned out! These two amazing girls are all grown up now! How can it be? I used distress ink, Making Memories papers, a Maya Road journaling sheer, I did some sewing, and added lace and ribbon. The crocheted flower was made by my Emily! Isn't it gorgeous?

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Fashion Diva

This is my sweet Emily when she was little! Isn't she fabulous!? I used the April kit from Scrapbook Kit Club. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love that kit! I also used a sketch that is posted on the Scrapbook Kit Club forum. This page is also for a challenge at Scrap-Friendzy to use a frame around a photo. I used a My Mind's Eye transparency frame. This page is also for another challenge at Memorable Seasons to do something to the edge of your layout. The example given was using a Cuttlebug embossing folder and the QuicKutz squeeze. That's exactly what I did, and I love the effect! I'll be using that technique again! Last, this page is for Challenge #1 at The Color Room. This page has lots of Dear Lizzy by American Crafts, and I did a lot of sewing on the page. I just LOVE the way it turned out! Oh yeah, the beautiful crocheted flower? Emily made that for me, and it's fabulous!! Hard to believe this little girl in the photograph is now 14 years old! ♥

I hope you're having a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

25 Days Until Christmas - Days 15 - 18

Here are more pages from my 25 Days Until Christmas book!


This is a photo of tube sock snowmen. The girls each made one in 2nd grade, and they love putting them out every year. I love when they come out too!


This is another decoration. Dave's dad got this musical mailbox for us on our first Christmas as a married couple. So, I've been putting this on our mantle since 1993! I love it! It makes me smile! You can see another page for Day 16 peeking through.


The main Day 16 page features the photo card that I sent out mostly to family. I love sending out a photo that I took of my girls!


Day 17 features the symphonic band at the Junior High School. The girls had their Winter Concert, and it was AMAZING! They are in both choir and the symphonic band. The concert band also performed. GREAT night of music! The other photo features Jessica holding up her Amelia Earhart photo biography project and on the table is her family tree. She left both of these projects that were due on Friday until Thursday night to finish! Whew!


Day 18 features my festively dressed girls! On the last day of school before Winter Break, the Junior High has two assemblies, and the girls get to sing with the choir and play their instruments with the symphonic band. They love this last day before break! They only have a few classes, and they get to perform in front of the rest of the school, and then they perform a second time for the younger kids that come from one of the other schools in the district. It's a lot of fun for them!

I hope you're having a great day, and I hope you're ready for Christmas!! We are baking today and having lots of fun! I love this time of the year! Thanks for stopping by!

25 Days Until Christmas - Days 1 & 2

I wanted to show you the first two pages that I did for my 25 Days Until Christmas book.


On December 1st, we decorated the fireplace a little bit. I always love hanging our stockings! (If you look in the lower right corner of the photo, you can see Princess! And yes, she has a stocking too!) I used the decorative element that I created and showed you in this post. It's one of the many sentiments from the huge Christmas Daily printable set at The Cutting Cafe'. You can click on the pages to see them larger. Most of both of these pages is Cosmo Cricket. Pretty simple pages, and that's just the way I like them!


On December 2nd, Emily and I ran to Target for some cold pills for me, and she got a much-needed new hat and gloves, so I took a pic of her once we got home. Isn't she cute!?! I also decorated a couple of shelves in the kitchen with my favorite miniatures. I love these shelves. I used awesome tags that my blogging friend Chris sent to me. She stained them and baked them. They're totally cool! I also added a gorgeous crocheted flower that Emily made for me. I thought it was appropriate to put it on a page that features Emily!

Well, I've been sick with a bad cough, and now I have an aching side from coughing all of the time. Hopefully this cough will go away already! I hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving and that you're doing well with Christmas preparations! Have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Imagination

I did this page for a sketch challenge at Paper Popsicles, and I have to admit that I'm not too sure that I like the way it turned out! It's not the way I imagined it!! However, like Edna in the Incredibles says, "I never look back, darling! It distracts from the now." Love that movie! Anyway, I just think these photos are so silly, and it represents my girls' vivid imaginations! Who knows why they decided to put paper eyebrows, moustaches, and goatees on their faces, and it is pretty funny! They're two silly girls!

I hope you're having a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

25 Days Until Christmas 2008

I'm so excited to share with you my 25 Days Until Christmas book! Now, this is an Ali Edwards idea, but I first read about it on my very good blogging friend's blog. Chris made one, I love it, and I decided to do the same. Here is the cover!


I used Basic Grey Blitzen and the entire book uses a lot of Cosmo Cricket Wonderland. The front cover and the back cover and chipboard pieces covered with patterned paper. It's approximately 9 1/4" x 11 1/4". The beautiful blue snowflake paper is Blitzen. The swirl and the strip tease at the bottom are both Wonderland. I stamped that Santa image (one of my all time favorite stamps EVER!) "25" and "Days" are both Thickers. The "until" is chipboard that I just got from Tina, and "Christmas" is Basic Grey letter stickers. I added a Prima Sprite, and it's topped with a crocheted flower that my daughter Emily made for me. Isn't it amazing? I then sewed on a button. I love the cover!


This is the inside front cover and you can see some pages. Jessica created the inside front cover. In the envelope I tucked in scalloped note card that talks about making the book, and I even mention Chris!! The small green sheet is what I used for day 1.


Here is a view of day 1 after I completed it.


Here's a close up of day 1. I just mentioned that we got snow, and on the back of the page, I hand journaled bullet point style about December 1st.


This in the back cover. Emily created this back cover.

So, what do you think? Isn't this an awesome idea! I need bigger clips to hold it together, but I'll run and get those at an office supply store when I get a chance. After I get the bigger circle clips, we'll add ribbon to them. My girls haven't had a chance to help me out with the days yet, but I think they will on the weekends. I will show you day 2 and day 3 later, and I'll probably show you pages throughout December. I'm having a lot of fun with this so far!

It's COLD outside today. The girls, Princess, and I walked to the bus stop in 14 degree weather. Brrrr!! I hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Cake Box Challenge & Big News & Goodies!

This is going to be a long post today! First off, our challenge this week at Bitten By The Bug was to use the Cake Box on the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge. You really need to go see what everyone else made, because the creations are amazing! Also, there is a contest going on at BBTB, so be sure to check it out! The prizes are FANTASTIC!

Here is my cake box. This is one time where the photograph really doesn't do this project justice, because this turned out so pretty, but I had the hardest time photographing it! The paper is Basic Grey, and I added a white Bazzill threading water punch scallop around the top of the box. I then added some dark pink ric rac, and then I wrapped the box with tulle. I inked a Prima, added a gorgeous crocheted flower (which my daughter Emily makes for me -- they're BEAUTIFUL!), sewed it all together with a button, and then added a decorative pin. The cake boxes can hold a small gift or some yummy candy. Very pretty, and I love the way it turned out! You can click on the photograph to see it larger!

NOW FOR THE BIG NEWS!! I wanted to let you know that my Card Design Team time at Sketches! {by Tamara} is unfortunately coming to an end. I will post my last sketch card on Thursday. Luckily though, Tamara is going to revive her Recipe Challenges, and I am going to be on her Recipe Layout Team! Yippee! The Recipe Challenges will list three items that must be used on a layout or a card. There is a layout and card team, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the layout team! Check out the Sketches! site for the full announcement!


Goodies Time! I mentioned a while back that a blogging friend gave away some blog candy to the person who had left the most comments on her blog. It turns out that person was ME! Liz then sent me a $20 Hobby Lobby gift card! I've been waiting for Hobby Lobby to put their paper on sale, and yesterday I finally got a chance to spend my gift card! This is a photo of EVERYTHING that I got, and it was all HALF OFF!

Unfortunately, the area with Hobby Lobby's single sheets was completely empty! It was really kinda strange that they had a big sale, and they didn't have any loose paper to sell! Luckily, their packaged papers were also on sale. I wanted to get some new Basic Grey or Cosmo Cricket packs, but they didn't have new paper. However, they DID have these awesome Creative Imagination packs! The papers are all die cut, and they're just gorgeous! I'm loving these!


Then, stickers were half off! I got a package of vinyl thickers, two awesome Cosmo Cricket cardstock sticker sheets, and two adorable Halloween stamps! EVERYTHING I purchased was half off! If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, you might want to shop this week! Thank you so much Liz! I had a lot of fun spending my gift card!! Thank you if you've read this far! Sorry for the LONG post! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Happily Ever After - Owl Icon Challenge

Our most recent Bitten By The Bug Challenge was to use the owl icon that is on the Happily Ever After cartridge. I've used this cut before, and I love it, so I was happy to create with it again! Be sure to check out all of the other designer's creations on the Bitten By The Bug site. They're a hoot! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!!)


I cut my owl at 5" with Basic Grey Blush papers. She's on a 8.5 x 5.5 card. The card front is punched on the right side with my Fiskars threading water punch. The sentiment "Owl Always Love You!" was created on the computer, printed on a paper scrap, and I punched the top of the sentiment too. I used another sheet of Blush to create the border on the left side of the card. I threaded pink ribbon through one of the border punched holes, and tied it around the card front. Last, but not least, I added large googly eyes, one of Emily's gorgeous crocheted flowers, and a button for the flower center. I'm very pleased with how this card turned out. I love this owl!!

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

BBTB - Joys of the Season - Wreath Challenge

Over at Bitten By The Bug Regina challenged us to use the wreath on the Joys of the Season cartridge. Well, I don't have that cartridge, but thanks to DeeDee, I was able to participate in the challenge. DeeDee sent me the wreath in the colors that I requested! Thanks DeeDee!! Be sure to check out what the other designers created for this wreath challenge! They're all amazing!

When she told us what the challenge was, I looked online to see what the cut looked like, and I thought it would make a GREAT frame! So, I picked out a photo to frame for my mom for Mother's Day, and I asked DeeDee to send me the cut in smoky shades of blue with a black shadow. I used a photo of my girls that I took in November. I just love the photo, and I knew my mom would love to display it as a wall hanging.


I chalked the layered lighter shades of blue a little bit. I added a Prima and one of Emily's crocheted flowers with a glitter Making Memories brad. This flower is actually hiding some of the background too. Because the opening is round, and the photo is rectangular, there was some background showing through. "Grandma's Girls" was done on the computer, and it's also hiding some of the background. I finally used some of the gorgeous Kaiser pearls that Kristy sent to me. I added four of them to the corners of the sentiment. I then set two large eyelets with my Cropadile Mr. Big Bite, and I added American Crafts ribbon so it could hang. My mom LOVED it!

I'll have my Mother's Day recap to share with you tomorrow. My husband and my girls spoiled me, and I loved it! Believe it or not, I didn't take one photo! I always like to get photos of me with my girls, and it just didn't happen! Oh well! It was an awesome day anyway!! I hope you all have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Mother's Day Card

This is the card that I made for my mom for Mother's Day. I love the way it turned out!

I used My Mind's Eye patterned paper for the card front. I added some of the lace that I just got from a garage sale over the paper seam. I made the "Happy Mother's Day Mom!" on the computer, and then I cut a scalloped mat for the sentiment with my Nestabilities. I added one of Emily's gorgeous crocheted flowers, and I used a Making Memories brad for the flower center. I really like the way this turned out, and I know my mom is going to love it!

I keep forgetting to mention that you should check out Judy's site. She is giving away an amazing "Scrapbooking Diva" bag that she made. Go leave her a comment and tell her that Carol sent you!

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

RAK, Gift, and Crocheted Flowers!

I wanted to show you the FANTASTIC goodies that I received from Lesli at Dragonfly Time and Page Plans! I was one of five winners for a sketch challenge that she did on her blog, and then I was the first one that displayed her new Page Plans blinkie on my blog, so she sent me goodies for both of those! Isn't she sweet and generous? Yes, she is!


She sent me hot hues brown envelopes with coordinating patterned print cards, a K&Company mini chipboard book (I cannot wait to play with this . . . it's adorable!), Snag'Em stamps in a flower design (love this!), and for displaying the blinkie first, I got Spare Parts flower brads! I LOVE everything Lesli! Thank you so much! You are very generous, and I appreciate it very much!


Next, I got together with my very good friend Missy on Saturday for coffee at Starbuck's. My birthday was late March, her birthday was early April, so we finally exchanged small birthday gifts, had fantastic coffee, and got an opportunity to chat and catch up with everything! It was FUN! Missy gave me an adorable card and this gorgeous plaque. I absolutely love it! I am so fortunate with the friends that I have the privilege of knowing! I am one lucky lady! Thank you Missy!


Last, but certainly not least, will you just look at what my oldest daughter Emily is creating for me? Talk about one lucky lady! Are these amazing or what? The coral one is just like the one I used on the project that I posted yesterday. I cannot wait to use more of these! I really will have to look into opening an Etsy shop. I would love to sell some of my creations, and I really think Emily needs to sell some of these crocheted flowers! I LOVE THEM! Thank you Emily!!

Well, I need to get in the shower, and then get out the door! I need to run some errands BIG time! I didn't get to my errands yesterday, because I ended up taking my husband to the airport. It's amazing how bad traffic is from noon until 2 p.m.!! Where is everyone going? Oh well! I hope you all have an amazing day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Christmas Cheer - Mug Challenge

I'm so excited to post my FIRST Bitten By The Bug challenge! I love the way it turned out! We were challenged to use the mug on the Christmas Cheer cartridge, and this is what I came up with! Please be sure to check out ALL the wonderful creations for the challenge this week . . . they're all amazing!


I cut and shadowed the mug using DCWV Old World paper. I then created the shopping bag from Tags, Bags, Boxes & More. The perfect touch was adding Grumpabella! I got the Bella image from my SBS2 sister Lori. I created the text for the tag that says, "Some days . . . only a BIG cup will do!" on my computer, and then I cut it out using my QuicKutz. I inked some sheer ribbon and added that to the tag. Finally, I added a beautiful crocheted flower that my oldest daughter Emily made for me!! Isn't it GORGEOUS? She is so talented, and she has since made me more flowers, so you'll be seeing more of them on my projects! I do believe I'm going to have to open an Etsy shop so that she can sell some of them! They're fantastic! I added a button to the flower center. I then added some Starbuck's gift cards to the bag. So, what do you think? What a nice gift card holder! It's my first BBTB project, I'm thrilled to be a new member of the design team, and I LOVE the way it turned out!

I tried to blog hop and leave comments at your sites yesterday, but I pretty much felt like throwing my computer through the window. I'm able to look at sites, but loading the comment window is just crazy! It takes about 3 or 4 tries before I can get it to display. I have no idea what's going on with my Internet connection. Hopefully we'll figure it out. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and thanks for stopping by!