JOY

I created this card for the Moxie Fab Stretch Your Holiday Style Challenge! This is my shabby chic holiday card. Ball trim, glitter, and lace . . . oh my! I used Basic Grey papers, Brenda Walton glitter chipboard letters, lace, a foam snowflake that I painted with Shimmerz Blingz, and ball trim. I also did a lot of edge and ink distressing. I sewed on a button and a jingle bell. I love this card! Shabby chic!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend!! Thanks for stopping by!

Red Ball

Over at Paper Popsicles, we recently played a telephone operator game. We started with an inspiration layout, and the next person had to use something on that layout as inspiration, and then the next person had to use the 2nd layout as inspiration, and so on, and so on, etc.


So, I was the first person in the game, and I received the inspiration layout. The layout I received was monochromatic blue, it had a two word title, a single photo, and it was basically designed like the "red ball" layout that I created! I took this photo of Princess, and it just cracked me up that her red ball was in the photo with her. She's such a silly dog! I used Cosmo Cricket papers, Lil' Davis chipboard letters, Thickers, ribbon from my stash, a Prima, some buttons, and I even stamped a Making Memories foam stamp flourish under the corner of the photo. Fun layout to make, and it was fun letting another layout inspire me!

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

Sketch #16 - 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks

YES! I got a sketch at 52 Sketches . . . 52 Weeks done on time! Way to go! I love the way this turned out! This is based on Sketch #16.


This page is very funny . . . Dave actually took a photo of the three of us girls when we came out of the bathroom in Orlando airport. It was the FIRST thing we needed to do IMMEDIATELY upon arriving in Orlando! My husband is used to waiting for us A LOT! It cracked me up that he was ready to snap our photo! I couldn't resist adding the "go!" This is a lot of Making Memories Passport! I got a bunch of awesome Passport goodies from Kelly at the Paper Crafts site when I won the "name the editor" contest! It's the 2nd page in our Disney album!! I also added some stitching under the photo! It's a current challenge over at Paper Popsicles! You can click on the layout to see it larger. I love the way this turned out!

I hope you have a GREAT weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Kids Can Scrap - Challenge #7 - Take TWO!

A couple of days ago, I posted the layout that Emily created for Challenge #7 over at Kids Can Scrap. Today, I'm proud to show you the layout that Jessica created for this challenge! The girls worked SO HARD on their layouts, and I think you will agree that Jessica also did a FANTASTIC job on her layout!


For her monochromatic layout, Jessica set up a photo shoot of LOTS of her favorite GREEN items, including her green nanochromatic iPod! I stood on a chair above her to snap this photo! She used a lot of fun embellishments on her layout, including buttons, Prima Sprites, awesome Making Memories brads, American Crafts ribbons, the Fastenator, and foam stamps. I am amazed at how creative and talented the girls are when they create! Just wonderful!

I also want to tell you about some awesome blog candy! One of my Sketches! {by Tamara} blogging buds, Joanie, is giving away an awesome selection of spring goodies! Check it out on her blog, and enter for your chance to WIN! I hope you have a GREAT day today, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #28

This is my page for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #28 at the Sketches! {by Tamara} site. I had so much fun creating this page!


The items that needed to be used on our card or layout were:

• use the colors red & white
• use a household item to stamp
• have a heart anywhere on your layout or card

I started off with Bazzill black cardstock, the red and white dotted paper is American Crafts, the black and white dotted paper is Heidi Swapp, and the "take note" journaling card and the 1-10 journaling card are both by Teresa Collins. The "I Love You" journaling card and the two dotted sticker strips on the bottom of the layout are both by Cosmo Cricket. The household item that I used to stamp was a pencil eraser. I stamped a trio of red dots at the top of the layout. I also stamped a red foam heart. I added a bunch of Prima Sprites, Making Memories brads, and a trio of rhinestones. Like I mentioned, I had a lot of fun creating this layout!

We're supposed to get 3 - 6 inches of snow later today and into tonight. I sure hope they're wrong about that! I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #27

It's Scrapping Recipe Challenge day at Sketches! {by Tamara}. This is my page for Scrapping Recipe Challenge #27.


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

• circles
• chipboard
• paint

I used Chip Chatter chipboard letters, Basic Grey patterned paper, tags, and alphabet stickers, and Prima Sprites. I also used my new lace doily border punch. I got it for 50% at Michael's with a coupon! I used one of my Lisa Bearnson KOTM foam stamps on the bottom of my page. This is just a fun page of the girls showing off their driveway chalk art! Love it! Jessica had created a huge "I Miss You Dad" sign on the driveway so that Dave would see it when he got home. It was the cutest thing ever!! You can click on the page to see it larger.

Well, my side is feeling better, but it is still sore. I feel like such a dork for having pulled or strained a muscle. Dave went out and got me a muscle rub cream, and I'm loving the tingly warm feeling after using it! It's definitely helping. So, if I stop coughing, this should go away very quickly. Thanks for all of the comments about feeling better! You are all the BEST! It's yucky and very rainy today. I am going to catch up on my "25 Days Until Christmas" book. I'm way behind!! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #18

The Scrapping Recipe Challenge this week at Sketches! {by Tamara} is to include the following on your project:

1. Paint
2. Distressing
3. Buttons

Be sure to check out the wonderful cards and layouts that were created using this Scrapping Recipe #18!

I used GORGEOUS Cosmo Cricket Wonderland papers. I love that strip tease at the bottom of the page! I added it to two strips of paper that I used my threading water punch on. I actually sewed on six buttons, and I adhered that whole border strip to the bottom of my page. Love it! All of the cardstock edges are chalk ink distressed, including my photo mats and the title piece. The "Together" title is a foam stamp that I used paint on. I just love the way this page turned out! These photos are from 2005. That is my father-in-law in the bottom photo with his gorgeous granddaughters! This was our first Christmas with Princess, and she is proudly standing in front of her stocking!

Well, the Chicago baseball season is OVER! The White Sox lost last night. We're VERY used to saying, "Wait until next year." Oh well!

I'm off to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I hope you have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping Recipe Challenge #16

I just love these recipe challenges! This week at Sketches! {by Tamara} our scrapping recipe challenge was to include these three items:

• sewing/stitching (real or faux)
• ribbon
• paper tearing

Be sure to check out the cards and layouts that were created using this scrapping recipe challenge #16!

Here is my page for this scrapping recipe challenge. I actually used my sewing machine! I sewed along the edge of the Love, Elsie patterned paper on both the top and the bottom. I triple-matted the cute photo of my girls with their cousin. The bottom mat layer has a threading water punched border. I threaded Love, Elsie ribbon through one of the punched holes, and I tied the ribbon around the right edge of the photo. I journaled on the computer, and then tore the journaling and inked the edges. A cluster of Love, Elsie stickers is next to the journaling. The title is foam Thickers that I distressed on the edges with chalk ink. The last detail is a stack of Prima flowers with a glitter Making Memories brad center. You can click on the layout to see it larger. I love this page!

I hope you have a great day! I'm going to be watching QVC paper crafting. I must not spend, I must not spend, I must not spend! Well, I must not spend too much! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

BBTB - Christmas Cheer - House Challenge

Over at Bitten By The Bug, we were challenged to use the house cut on the Christmas Cheer cartridge. It seems to be a gingerbread house, but I designed it as a haunted house instead! Be sure to see what the other designers created! You will be amazed at how creative everyone was using this cut!


I cut the house using some fantastic Rusty Pickle patterned paper. I Cuttlebug embossed the roof and added some black Stickles. The spider web in the corner is a Making Memories foam stamp that I stamped in white paint. The spider is also a MM foam stamp that I detail cut. The "Happy Haunting!" stamp is from a Stampin' Up set. I distressed the edges of all the cardstock, and I used chalk ink on it.

I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

SPOOKY - 2S4U - Laura's Sketch 8

Two posts in one day? I just can't help myself! Be sure to check out my layout that I posted below! I have been wanting to do a sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You for so long now. I don't know what took me so long to get one done! I love the sketches that Laura and Kazan put up on their site! Here is my card for the Laura's wonderful Sketch 8. I love it!


It's been cool the last couple of days, so I'm in the mood for Halloween! Halloween just makes me HAPPY! I used my two new Halloween stamps that I got from Hobby Lobby (thank you Liz!). The "SPOOKY" at the bottom is a fantastic Cosmo Cricket cardstock sticker. I stamped two Making Memories foam stamps (the bat and "eek!") with black paint. The photograph doesn't show it too well, but the bat looks like it's about to fly off the card! The ribbon is inked Twistel. I added a strip of black rhinestones at the bottom, and a trio of copper brads at the top. The brad trio is sitting on a score line that I inked. You can click on the card to see it larger. I really love the way this card turned out! What fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Halloween 2005

I worked on this Halloween layout last night, and I LOVE the way it turned out! This is from Halloween 2005. My pirate and hippie were totally adorable!


I used Bazzill orange textured cardstock and Rusty Pickle patterned papers. I took a gorgeous green patterned sheet, and then I detail cut it like crazy! I mounted one side on the far left side of the left page, and then I mounted the other side on the far right side of the right page. I also detail cut a small portion and mounted it on the center of the right page. (You can click on the layout to see a larger view.) I added lots of tiny black rhinestones on the patterned paper. Then I broke out Making Memories Halloween foam stamps and paint. I love foam stamps and paint! I stamped the title, the bat, the word "BOO!", another bat, and "trick or treat". I then used black paint all around the edges of both pages. I love that effect. I also used a green paint that coordinates with the patterned paper, and I painted around the edge of all of the photo mats. I'm THRILLED with the way this two-page layout turned out!


I also created a card with the leftover papers and stamped images. To create a card with papers that I had just used for a layout was a challenge at 4 Scrappy Sisters. To use paint on a layout was a challenge at ScrapCity. I'm so glad when I can combine challenges!

My girls and I just got back from the Junior High. We were able to get their lockers all set up today. My youngest is starting 6th grade, and this is her first year in the Junior High, so setting up the BIG locker was huge excitement for her today. My oldest is going into 7th grade, so she's "been there, done that" already! It will be so great having them on the same schedule this year. I cannot believe both of my girls are in Junior High!

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

Card Sketch #40

Thursday is card sketch day at the Sketches! {by Tamara} site. I LOVE the sketch this week! This is my card for Card Sketch #40. Remember . . . if you do the sketch, link it back to Tamara's site, and YOU could be her next guest designer! My very good blogging friend Dawn was Tamara's guest designer on Saturday, and she did an amazing job with her card! Be sure to check it out!

I used my Love, Elsie papers on this card. The card front, the stripes, the star, and the man and women are ALL from Love, Elsie. I used my Lisa B. KOTM foam stamps for the star, "you", "&", and "me". I love those Kits of the Month! The white around the paint stamped letters was done with my new Uni Ball Signo white pen. I'm very happy with the way this card turned out!

Well, my Princess is now all clean, and she's so fluffy, soft, and she smells good. She really does NOT like getting a bath, and it's so hard trying to stop her from pulling too hard on her choke chain collar. However, we both survived the ordeal, and I managed to stay pretty dry! Have a great Thursday, and thanks for stopping by!

Hangin' In The Hot Tub

I didn't get a chance to create anything new yesterday, so I thought I would show one of my scrapbook pages that I did a while ago. This is one of my favorite pages!


We don't often get a photo of the four of us together. We need to do that more often! In this shot, we were visiting my mother-in-law in Arizona, and we were hanging out in her hot tub. The best part? This was in February. Believe me, in February, the weather in Illinois is horrible, so how cool was it that we were in a great location, in warm weather, hanging out in a hot tub? Pretty awesome! The background paper is Scrappy Cat, the frame is from My Mind's Eye. I love foam stamps, and I used my Making Memories alphabet with blue paint to create the title. I also used some blue paint to distress the edge of the frame. I journaled on orange vellum, and cut the journaling into strips and attached them to the layout with brads. There you have it, one of my favorite layouts! I just love it!

Thank you for all of the compliments on my hair. My goodness, you're all very sweet! I don't think it looks spectacular or anything like that. I posted a photo because a couple of people asked me to, and I'm just crazy enough to do it. Like I mentioned, I'm just thrilled that it's not hanging in my face anymore!

I enjoyed helping set up for the book sale, but WOW, was it hot in the room where we were setting up. I couldn't wait to be done! I set up the whole kid's area. I found a Calvin and Hobbes book for my girls. They love reading those cartoons! I also found a couple of books for myself. It's nice to set up, because you get to see everything that's there, and you get to shop early! We'll be back there on Saturday to help out again. My girls are going to help with straightening up and packing up when it's over.

I'm hoping to have some time to create today. I started reorganizing a little in my area yesterday, but I have so much more to do! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Last Day of School

I'm trying to get back to my scrapbooking as often as I can. This is the last day of school for both of my girls in 2005! Geez, I'm so far behind!

I love taking photos on the last day of school too, because my girls change so much during the course of the school year.


For my oldest daughter, this was also her last day of school in the elementary school. The following year she would be attending the intermediate school. In our town, the schools are divided with the elementary school for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, an intermediate school for grades 4 and 5, and a junior high for grades 6 through 8. She had just completed grade 3, and she was going to be in a new school the following year.


Because she was going on to a new school, we drove back to the school to get photos in front of the school. My girls look so tiny in the doorway! It also meant that my youngest was going to "rule the school" the following year since she had just finished 2nd grade and she would be in the upper grade the next year! On this second page, I used my Lisa Bearnson Kit of the Month foam stamps to stamp the date and the word "smile". The small tags are Making Memories, and they say, "Summer Break" and "girls just want to have fun".

Here's a close up of the tag and library pocket. I used Daisy D's papers and punch outs on this two-page layout. I love the tag, the library pocket, and the library card. The ruler ribbon I bought at a garage sale, the "awesome" chipboard piece and the "play" red office clip is Lil' Davis.

Hopefully I'll get to another layout today. I'm not spending too much time on them, because I'm in "catch up" mode right now. Thanks for stopping by!