How about another Layout!!

I finished another layout last night using Sketch 150 from Sketch Inspiration!! I also used my new collection from Fancy Pants "Lilac House"!! I'm in love with this line from Fancy Pants!!

Sketch 153 @ Sketch Inspiration!!

As I promised here is my layout using Sketch 153 at Sketch Inspiration!!! Love, Love this sketch!! Trisha never dissapoints!!!

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!!

Happy Holidays!! Man! Time has been flying lately for me!! We have been super busy with schoolwork, Ballet, Nutcracker Rehearsals and just the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life!! We just got our Christmas tree up last night and the inside and outside decorations up. I don't know what my deal has been but I haven't been in the Holiday spirit this season!! I guess because I haven't even had a chance to stop and enjoy any of it. Natalie is in the Ballet of Okc production of "The Nutcracker" again this year and she has two part this time!! So, our lives have been consumed with rehearsals, rehearsals, and more rehearsals!! When I finally find time for me I have been scrapbooking!! YAY!! Speaking of scrapbooking..... One of my layouts was featured on the Miss Fancy Pants Blog!!! I was so honored and excited to even be mentioned on such an awesome blog and to work with such great products!!! If you get a chance to check it out there is some really great articles on their blog!! I have so many layouts to share with you!!! I just got done with the Sketch 153 from Sketch Inspiration!! I lost my daylight to take a pic and will have to share that one later.... I can't believe that Sketch Inspiration is celebrating their one year anniversity!!! I'm so excited to what next year SI has instore!! If you or anyone you know that would like to sponsor SI for the 2011 year please email Trisha @ sketchinspiration@hotmail.com!! I'm going to add a few of our Christmas tree and the girls decorating it!! Please ignore the 7-11 coffee cup on the top of our tree!! My husband put it up there because he said that coffee was the only way the tree got up that night! He was very tired and had to get him a caffine fix to get it all started. lol! ;P

Better Scrap Challenge #4!!!

Posts October 24th (please post project here by October 21st)
“Favorite Recipe Challenge”
Create a page showcasing your favorite recipe that you received from your mother, grandmother, or other relative or family friend.
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Include a photo of yourself preparing the dish, or a photo of the completed dish.
2. Include a photo of the person who gave you the recipe.
3. Make a copy of the original recipe, or hand write the recipe on a card and include it on your layout.
4. Use cardstock as your background, but ink, stain, paint, or color-spray it to make it unique.
5. Use a shape punch or border punch somewhere on your page.”


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Let me introduce to my BEAUTY!!! My Beautiful Gorgeous Banana Cream Pie!! I love this pie so much that I have made two of them for my family….but this one got it’s cameo. I’m so proud about how high my meringue is too!! The funny thing is that I don’t even like meringue!! In fact it reminds me off of cow slobber!!! But, my family loves it and I love them!! They really loved this challenge because I spent all day in the kitchen making pies for them! LOL!!

Sponsored Supplies:

Discounted Cardstock: Brown 12x12

Plaid:

Adhesive: Mod Podge Dimensional Magic and Pop Dots

For the Luv of Art Stamps: Enjoy

» American Crafts- City Park Collection:12×12 sheet Courtland Gardens (Glitter) (2-sided)
» American Crafts- City Park Collection:12×12 1 sheet Lincoln Park (2-sided)
» American Crafts- City Park Collection:12×12 1 sheet Fairmont Gardens (2-sided)
» 12×12 sheet American Crafts Mulberry Cardstock
» American Crafts – Thickers – Glitter Foam Alphabet Stickers – Rainboots – Aqua
» American Crafts – Thickers – Glitter Foam Alphabet Stickers – Rainboots – Raspberry Martha Stewart Crafts – Edge Punch – Optic Dot
» BasicGrey – Opaline Collection – Pearls – Heart Trio Half Pearls

Better Scrap Challenge #3: Recycle!!!

Sorry, I'm a little late with my blog post!! But, I'm here now!! This weeks challenge at Better Living Through Scrapbooking is very cool!! Here are the details:

“Recycle, Reuse, Renew challenge”
Use recycled products that might normally be discarded as part of a scrapbook page.
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use corrugated cardboard or other recycled packaging on your page.
2. Find fun or unusual items around your house and use them as elements on your page. Playing cards, clothing tags, junk mail, broken jewelry, old greeting cards or postcards, buttons and/or material from old clothing, advertising magnets, pins and keychains, and blooms and/or leaves from discarded plastic floral arrangements are just a few ideas.
3. Journal about why recycling is important to you.
4. Use traditional adhesives (Scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, Elmers Glue, staples) on your page in lieu of scrapbook adhesives.
5. Use glitter somewhere on your page.”





This challenge was PERFECT for my Gauche Alchemy kit!!! I used my cardboard for the background paper and then that beautiful lace as my splash of color!! I used Plaid Dimensional Magic glue on my letters to give it an added pop and shine!!

Materials:

Sponsored Supplies:

Cardstock: Discounted Cardstock “Brillant Bazzil White” 12×12

“Key Lime Green” 12×12

Plaid: Mod podge Dimensional magic glue

Stamps: For the luv of Art Stamps “Come what may & Love it”

Corrugated Cardboard and Lace: Gauche Alchemy ACME Kit

Other Supplies:

Alphas: American Crafts Thickers Chipboard Hocus Pocus in Black

Better Scrap's October Challenge #2!!

AND IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!!!! HEHEHEHE!!


Like true to fashion, my layout is very simple and clean lines!! I find it hard to scrapbook just “Me” once again!! LOL!! But, once I sat there and gave into the challenge…..I guess you could say I ran with it and jumped on the ego train!! I used a wooden C from my Gauche Alcemy kit and I painted it with my Apple Barrel paint from Plaid to match my layout colors. Then I used the Plaid Dimensional Magic to give it a 3-D effect or an Epoxy look to it. For the circle I used a baking doilie and glimmer misted it. I used the music notes for the border on my layout from For the Luv of Art Stamps.

Sponsored Supplies used:

Cardstock: Discounted Cardstock Natural Smooth #80 12 x 12

Stamp: For the Luv of Art “My Favorite Things stamp set”

Embellishments: Gauche Alchemy “Acme Mixed Media Paper Crafting
Kit”

Paint: Plaid “Apple Barrel: Very Berry

Adhesive: Plaid “Mod Podge: Pop Dots and Dimensional Magic
Additional Supplies Useed:

Paper: Advantus – The Girls Paperie – Paper Girl Collection – 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper – Green Brocade

Flowers: Prima Fairytale Roses Collection – Miniature Mulberry Flower Embellishments – Coral

Letters: American Crafts Thickers

Misting: Glimmer Mist in Candy Apple red


October Challenge #2

Posts Oct 3rd (please post project here by September 30th)
“About Me Challenge”
Create an “About Me” layout.
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Include at least one photograph of you (and only you).
2. Journal about yourself (i.e., your quirks, something you would like to change, your hopes, disappointments, etc.)
3. Use a traditional office supply on your layout.
4. Use foam adhesives or “pop-dots” to give elements on your page dimension.
5. Use an old book or magazine page as part of your layout.”

Head on over to Better Living Through Scrapbooking and take a look at the other Design team members came up with!! They are AMAZING!!

Sketch 144 @ Sketch Inspiration!!!

Here is my take of Sketch 144 from Sketch Inspiration!!!

We are so excited to have Paisleys and Polka Dots sponsor this week!

Paisleys and Polka Dots is a non-commitment kit club that specializes in unique pre-designed scrapbook layouts, mini albums, and card kits. Each kit is pre-cut and packaged individually by page so there is no guesswork involved. All kits include step by step full color instructions and there is no tracing and cutting involved. New kits are released at the beginning of each month.

Better Scrap 1st Blog Hop!!!!!!

I hope you have found a lot inspiration from our AMAZING Design Team members blogs!! Gosh, I know I have!!!! If you are finding my blog first, then head on over to Better Scrap website and start your hop there!! Here is a list of all the blogs in order!
BetterScrap - http://www.betterscrap.com/
Angela - http://www.theprissypixel.com/
Beth - http://runswithscraps.blogspot.com/
Brenda - http://roseblossomlegacies.blogspot.com
Chelsea - http://scrapbookingtostaysane.blogspot.com/
Kas - http://artloveschaos.blogspot.com/
Kim - http://memoriesinthyme.blogspot.com/
Katie - http://telerobotic.tumblr.com/
Michelle - http://funkyfreshcool.blogspot.com/
There is a Wonderful prize up for grabs too!! $50 grand prize from Plaid including Mod Podge, yummy acrylic paints, Extreme Glitter, and lots more! :)

My style of scrapbooking is very simple and linear.... I love clean lines!!! I also love to use sketches!!! I don't know what I did before I discovered sketches!! I used a sketch from Trisha Hill from Sketch Inspiration. Here is my layout that I think describes my style. And one of my favorite subjects to scrapbook!! You will very often find that all my layouts feature my two daughters Avery and Natalie!! I have this silly fantasy that one day when I'm gone they will get out their albums and sit with their children/grandchildren looking at them. lol!!

( I used all My Minds Eye products and American Crafts)
Please leave a comment and tell me why you scrapbook!!! I would love to know!!(You have until October 2nd to leave comments to be in the running for the grand prize!!) And if you want become a follower of my blog!!! Your next stop is my follow design team member KAS!!! She has such wonderful artistic abilities!! You won't be disappointed!!

Better Living Through Scrapbooking Challenge #4 for September!!

“Holiday paper challenge”
Use holiday-themed papers (Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, etc.) to create a non-holiday themed page layout or mini album.

Choose at least two of the following prompts:
1. Use photos that are at least five years old.
2. Use punches or a die-cut machine to hand-make embellishments or letters out of patterned paper for your page.
3. Use pop-dots to give 3-D dimension to an element of your page.
4. Use numbers in the title of your page.
5. Use rubber or acrylic stamps somewhere on your page

I have never really used holiday themed papers for a non holiday photo!! So, I found this challenge a little hard! But, like I’m finding out with these challenges I just need to get out of my comfort zone sometimes and I end up loving my layouts!! I used the Graphic 45 Hallowe’en in Wonderland patterned papers for this picture of my daughter Avery. She was four years old in this picture and I wish she could stay four forever. That is why I incorporated the number “4” in my title!! I also used pop dots on my layout on the embellishments!! I made the stars out red vellum from discounted cardstock. You have to see what the rest of the design team created!! It's sooo good!! Just head on over to Better Living through Scrapbooking!! Products used:

Kraft Cardstock: Discounted cardstock
Red Vellum

Graphic 45: Hallowe’en in Wonderland; Wonderland Classifieds; Jabberwocky; You’re Late!; The Mad Hatter; Hallowe’en in Wonderland Tags.

American Crafts:
Thickers: Cupid White Chipboard

My Little Shoebox:
Chipboard Stickers-Alphabet-Fire engine

Sketch from Creative Scrappers

ROCK ON!!!!

Sketch Inspiration is totally rocking the kits this month!!! There are two different kits to choose from a Boy Rocker Kit or the Girl Rocker kit!! I of course got the girl Rocker kit! ;) The kits are only $20 dollars!! That's with shipping too!! International would be a little more expensive but still!! $20 is a steal!!!! If you would like to buy one you can leave me a comment on here with your contact info and I will forward the info to Trisha Hill (owner of SI) or you can email her directly to sketchinspiration@hotmail.com!! Be on the lookout for some ROCKING Lo's from me real soon!!

Quick! Call the Fashion Police!!

Oh does Better Living through Scrapbooking have a fun challenge this week!!! I had a blast doing this challenge! Here are all the details!:D

"Fashion disaster challenge”
Create a layout about a fashion disaster, hair disaster, or social faux pas that happened to you.
1. Use an old school photo of yourself on your layout.
2. Use fabric or canvas on your page(s).
3. Use one larger and two smaller photo on your page.
4. Use ribbon in a fun and/or unusual way on your page.
5. Use the following as a page title, or the beginning of your journaling: “Quick, Call the Fashion Police!”

“This is has to be the funniest school pic I have!! This is my kindergarten pic and my mother worked at that time and my father had to get me dressed. He brushed all my hair to one side and slapped a bow on the side of my head. We called it the ‘Swoop back’ hair-do. Then he put me in the brightest outfit ever! Bright Yellow shirt with suspenders and red plaid wool pants, LOL! Poor me. When my mother got the school pics back she was in shock. In this LO I used a old school pic and used the blue ribbon as my frilly accent for my flowers. I also used the saying ‘Quick! Call the fashion police!’ in my journaling. I had a lot of fun working on this layout. The Graphic 45 went great with my old school pic!”

Supplies used:

Cardstock: Discounted Cardstock “Intense Yellow 70# 12×12, Really Red 80# 12×12, Starburst Metallic 98# 12×12; Patterned Paper: Graphic 45 “On the Boardwalk Collection: High Style Holiday, Malt Shop”; Letters: American Crafts; Flowers: Prima and Sassafrass Lass

BAD PHOTO ALERT!!!!

It's time again for another FUN challenge at Better Living Through Scrapbooking!!!

Bad photo challenge”
Create a layout using a photo or photos that you would normally have discarded or dismissed.

Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use rub-ons or stickers directly on your photo(s).
2. Use paint on your page in a messy or unusual way.
3. Use a die-cut or pre-purchased journaling “spot” on which to write your journaling.
4. Use this sketch as design inspiration for your page.
5. Make a handmade flower using Katie’s technique in our August 1st reveal, and use the flower on your layout.

Be sure to see what our wonderfully creative design team has done with this challenge!



I love to recycle and reuse things!! So, this challenge was awesome for me!! I have so many pictures that I print off but never use in Layouts because there is something in the way or it just didn’t come out right. In this Layout I used a picture from last Halloween of my oldest daughter Natalie! There was a huge dark spot/shadow off to the right of the picture. I used a rub-on on that black spot and it turned out quite good if I do say myself! Lol! What a great way to use those pictures you have laying around that you think you will never use!! I used two requirements for this challenge, one I used a rub on my photo and I used a pre-purchased journaling spot for my journaling. I also used one for my title work as well!

SUMMER SEND OFF CROP!!

Well, Summer is coming to a close and while I'm very sad about it ending...I'm also really happy to see cooler temps and changing leave colors!! But, for all of you that LOVES summer we are having an awesome crop over at HYWWP!!


To make things a little easier, how about a FUN online crop?? That's right friends!! Get ready to send off summer with an online crop!!

When: September 2nd through the 7th, Labor Day weekend, extended.

Challenges, Games, Inspiration, Friendship and Fun!!!

Tell your friends!!


Just visit the Have Your Way With Paper message board, register (if you haven't already), and jump on in for the fun! This is the sweetest group of gals you will ever meet...once you join the board, you won't want to ever leave. :) Be sure and register in our online gallery too (link found on message board page). See you there!

It's time for another FUN challenge!!!!!

This week at Better Living through Scrapbooking has another really fun challenge!!! You have to go check out the rest of the design team as created!! They are FANTANTASTIC! LOL!
“Inspirational Quote challenge”
Create a layout that is based on your favorite inspirational quote. Need some ideas? Visit http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/ for a great searchable collection of quotes.
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use one 5×7 photo of a place or thing that inspires you.
2. Use a palette similar to this one:

http://www.colourlovers.com/palette/1254702/BetterScrap_Ch53

Make this a double 12×12 or double 8 1/2 x 11 layout, with at least 2 photos per page.
4. Place your title on a circular or wavy path.
5. Use a transparency of some sort on your page, whether an actual transparency sheet (Hambly Screen Prints, Fancy Pants) or transparent embellishment (Heidi Swapp Ghost Shapes, Making Memories) that you purchased, or a handmade transparency made by hand or with your computer printer.

Since I have many favorite quotes, I narrowed mine down to my two favorite Summer Quotes. The First is: “Summer is where the girls go barefoot and their hearts are just as free as their toes.” and the second is actually a lyric from a Bob Marley song “Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet.” In this LO I used a transparency and I created a wavy title! The little feet in my LO are my youngest Avery’s toesies this summer playing in the sprinkler in the front yard. She likes to run around barefoot as much as I do!!

Cardstock: Discounted Cardstock: Ocean Blue and Brilliant White

Graphic 45:

On the Boardwalk:

Malt Shop

Summer Crush

Seaside Chic

Hambly Studios: Wood grain

Alphas: American Crafts Thickers

Foam Stickers: Daydream in Black

Fabric Stickers: Dolce in Apricot

Challenge 4 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking is LIVE!!

Post August 22nd, 2010 (please post here by Aug 20th)
“The ugly paper challenge”
Search your stash for sheets or scraps of paper that aren’t your favorites, and use them on a layout!
Chose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use a 12×12 sheet of “ugly” paper as your layout background.
2. Use at least 3 scraps of “ugly” paper somewhere on the page where they can be seen.
3. Use 2 4×6 photos, any orientation.
4. Use “stitching” somewhere on the page. It can be actual sewn stitches, or your stitches can be hand drawn, created with a template, or stamped.
5. Use color mist (such as Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, or a homemade ink or paint mist) anywhere on your page.

This is my DD Avery’s soccer team! This was her first year of soccer and so the coach thought it would cute if they took a “CRAZY” team pic! SO CUTE!! When I did this challenge I found myself feeling guilty! LOL! I love all my papers!! I felt bad narrowing it down to my least favorite papers. I came down to these papers! They aren’t necessarily “ugly”. Hey, one man’s junk and is another ones treasures right!! These papers are not what I usually use in my LO’s, I gravitate towards bright girly colors! While I was putting it all together I fell in love with it!! This challenge taught me to go out of my comfort zone once again and it was so much fun!!

Materials used:
Background paper: Glitz Kismet Kismet dots Floral and Blue paper: Glitz Kismet Floral Other Blue paper: Little yellow Bicycle Generation Z Turquoise Metallic Disk Round Red Paper: Chatter Box Artsy Licious: Fine Illustrated Paper in Ruby Journaling spot: Glitz Kismet Journaling Cardstock Stickers Letters: American Crafts Thickers “Daydream” Foam letter in Chestnut Letters: Pink Paislee Chipboard Expressions in Weathered Wood (Denim) Flower: Sassafrass Lass: In a stitch blossoms-bright red Ribbon: N/A

Head on over to Better Living Through Scrapbooking to see the rest of the Design Teams reveal and play along for some awesome prizes while you are there!!

GUEST SKETCHER AND GUEST CHATTER APHRA BOLYER AT SKETCH INSPIRATION @ 6 p.m. CST!!!

It's time again for another awesome chat and guest sketch designer!! August 15th we are so honored and excited to have Aphra Bolyer to be with us!!! She has a great sketch lined up for us and on August 15th evening @ 6 p.m. CST she will be chatting with us in the chat room LIVE!! Here's a little background about Miss Bolyer!!!


She is the mother of two rowdy boys, ages 3 and 9, and wife of 13 years to an Alaskan oil man. For thirteen years, she taught high school English, but with the birth of my second son decided to stay at home and work part-time. In my newfound free-time, She has become even more obsessed with scrapbooking. She enjoys designing for Imaginisce, Creative Scrappers, Treasured Memories, and Paper Poppy Kit Co.

Challenge #3 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking!!!

Today is the reveal of Challenge #3 at Better Living Through Scrapbooking!! EEk So Exciting!!
Here is the challenge:

"The photoless layout challenge”
Create a layout about a happy memory or event in your life that you have no photos of. This could be a childhood memory, an event that did not allow cameras, or perhaps you just forgot to take pictures that day!
Choose at least 2 of the following:
1. Use memorabilia in lieu of photos. If you have a map, brochure, flyer, receipts, or other paperwork from that day or event, use them on the layout.
2. Create your own photos of the memory or event. Take photos of favorite souvenirs from the day or event. Use your kids or grandkids, pets, or even dolls or stuffed animals to recreate a photo to represent the memory.
3. Use your favorite die-cut machine to create your page title.
4. Use at least two metallic elements on the layout.
5. Distress some element of your page – fray, tear, or crumple paper, or use distress ink or other distressing techniques on your page.

And here is my reveal!!!

Challenge #3 was a just that!! A Challenge for me…. Not using a photo in my Layout was soooo out of my element of scrapbooking!! This was my first photo-less layout, and in the end I loved it!! This challenge really pushed me out of my comfort zone and it was a blast for me!!

I distress the edges of my papers with Distress Inks and the two pins are my metallic elements. I also roughed up the edges some of my patterned papers.

1 sheet Bazzill Sugar Cream

October Afternoon-Near Mint

October Afternoon – One-of-a-Kind

October Afternoon – Collectors Item

October Afternoon – Thrift Shop Word Stickers

My Minds Eye – Cute Sticker Alphas

Vintage Black Pearls Pins – Maya Road

Stitched Florals – K&Co

Acetate Frames – K&Co

Transparent Shapes – GCD

Journaling says: My very first memory was picking strawberries. I remember the sun was going down and we were in the backyard. From the age of 8 weeks old my grandma watched me until I was five years old. These were some of the best times ever!

I also used the lastest Pencil Lines sketch 199.

Go check out what the rest of the AMAZING Design team created!! They are sooo talented!!!

This week at Sketch Inspiration!!

This week at Sketch Inspiration Polka Dot Whimsy is the Sponsor!!! Take a look at this awesome prize they are so generously donating for this weeks sketch challenge!!

Here is my take on this weeks sketch 136!

So head on over to SI and join in on all the fun!!

Will you be my hero? -Better Living Through Scrapbooking Challenge # 2

Are you ready for another awesome challenge at Better Living Through Scrapbooking? This weeks challenge is "Most influential person challenge". You are suppose to chose a person, living or dead, whether you know them personally or not, that has had a big influence on your life, and create a layout about them. This person can be a friend, relative, historical figure, celebrity – anyone at all.

The guidelines are to do/use at least 2 of the following:
1. The photo must be black & white. If you don’t have a black & white version, change the photo to black & white in Photoshop, or take the photo to your local 1-hour photo and have them do it for you. You can also make a black & white copy of the photo at your local office store. If you do not have a photo of the person (if they are a historical figure or celebrity) find one on the internet and print it out.
2. Use at least one major circular element on your page – whether it’s the photo, photo mat, or other noticeable circular element.
3. Use paint or ink in a fun and unusual way.
4. Hand make your own flowers and use them on the layout.
5. Include hand written journaling.


Here is my reveal!

This my Natalie, now she is my step daughter techinally but I have raised her since was three years old so I don’t think of her that way. She has been through so much already in her eight years of life. Her biological mother has put her through all kids of emotional abuse and has abandoned her. But, through all her troubles she is the “sunshine” in my life!! She finds the strength everyday to move past her anger and find the bright side of life. And for that she is my lil’ hero!

For the challenge I used a black and white photo, I used at least one major circular element,I handmade the flowers, and I handwrote my journaling.

My Journaling says: Natalie you have been through so much in your eight years of life. But, even through all that you are the”sunshine” in our lives! You are our lil hero!

My layout was inspired by my friend Jillian Deiling Cassity’s Layout “WOW Flamingos”.
*Thanks Jilly for the inspiration!* ;)

Head on over the Better Living Through Scrapbooking to see the rest of the Design Team's Reveal and Enter your submission to win this month's AWESOME Prize!!

Sketch Inspiration this week!!

Head on over to Sketch Inspiration this week and submit this weeks sketch and you could win this weeks prize!!

This week, I have a special treat for you. Trisha's own local scrapbook store is sponsoring us! Thank you, Cat's Creations Scrapbooks!
"Cat's Creations Scrapbooks--where you will always find the PURRRfect Scrapbook Supplies." Come play with us at the store in Mineral Wells, TX. A full 3400square feet of product, fun and creativity. We carry all the latest and greatest in product that will fit in the store. We have 24 crop tables so each cropper gets their own table at our 14-hr crops every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month. We have classes for the beginner to the advanced scrapper with some great local designers. We also offer retreats in a quiet country setting with lots of room, new product showcased just for the retreaters, make-n-takes and more. If we don't have it we will try to get it for you. See ya at the store, Cat!
Check out our website: www.catscreationsscrapbooks.com for all the latest happenings. Follow us on Facebook: Cat's Creations Scrapbooks to also find out all the latest, see pics of new product and classes.
Cat donated this fabulous prize including a paper stack by SEI:

Here is my LO for Sketch 135!!

This is my cousin holding her nephew Isak!! I left the journaling blank so she could fill in what she wanted to.

TOOT! TOOT!

I am glad to announce that I am now on the Better Living Through Scrapbooking Design Team!! There will be a new challenge every Sunday and some really really great prizes!!! For our first challenge we had to "Scrapbook your Scrapbooking"!! This challenge was soooo much fun!! Here is my reveal for the challenge!!

You have to check out the rest of design teams reveal!! It's AMAZING!!! You can find it here: Better Living Through Scrapbooking

ATTENTION: HUGE SALE!!!!!!

Julia Sava from Dragonflies and Daisies has her AMAZING and I mean AMAZING kits 43% off right now!!! This is such a GREAT deal!!! Her kits are JAMMED PACKED full of goodies!!! This sale is a CRAZY GOOD DEAL!!! I just bought some of the kits and the funny thing is that I bought them awhile and back and used them all up and want them again!!! They are that amazing!! Go check it out!!! You will NOT disappointed!!! Believe me!! You aren't going to find a deal like this around anywhere!!

SKETCH DESIGNS CHALLENGE!!

Trisha, from Sketch Inspiration needs your help!! From now to August 1st, you have chance to INSPIRE her and win a prize!! All you have to do is create a NEW, non-sketch related,unscraplifted layout (of any size) and EMAIL it for her consideration!! She will then choose a couple of projects that inspire her to create a sketch based on the design of their layout and they will receive a very nice prize in the mail!!! :)

-A limit of 3 entries per person please.

-Everyone regardless of their location is encouraged to play!!

-Please do not upload to the Sketch Inspiration gallery!! The Gallery is strictly for sketch related projects.
-This challenge is based on strictly design...not what products you use.
-Please email submissions to sketchinspiration@hotmail.com
-Winners will be announced the first week of August!!

Sketch 134 At SKETCH INSPIRATION!!!

Sketch 134 is up and live at Sketch Inspiration!! You won't believe the AMAZING kit that ScrapAttack is giving away this week!! Head on over there and enter your Layout for sketch 134 to be in the running for that AWESOME prize!!!

Sore THUMB!!

Last night as I was scrapbooking for the HYWWP housewarming crop, I decided that I would hand stitch on my layout for one of the challenges. I wanted it to look like machine stitch but be by hand!! Reason being because I can not figure out my sewing machine and two I'm too lazy to drag my sewing machine out!! So, I sat there for THREE hours stitching away!! I didn't have a thimble and in return really tore my thumb up!! It is now purple and very sore!! Never again will I get so ambitious with my techniques!! LOL!! I think it was all worth it though??

Oh and don't forget to stop by Better Living Through Scrapbooking and leave a comment to win an awesome prize of Teresa Collins goodies!! To get even more chances to win become a follower of the blog!!

CROP TIME!!!!!

There is a HUGE Crop going on at Have your way with Paper right now!! It's going to be LOTS of fun and prizes!! I'll see you there!!

Coming out of my hole!!!

My girls have been in Michigan for almost two weeks now and I miss them terribly!! I haven't done what I thought I would while they have been gone either!! All I have done is eat at a lot places that I know they wouldn't eat at and take really long naps!! Just until two days ago I have finally came out of my depression and got some things done!! I started going through all my scrapbook stuff for the garage sale and I think I will be done sorting it today!! I need to clean the house up and get the girls room all organized and clean as well before Friday!! Avery sure has proven all of us wrong this trip!! We thought for sure she would get homesick after two days!! NOPE!! She hasn't even wanted to talk to us on the phone!! She said "Mom I don't want to waste my time talking on the phone here! I could be doing something fun!!" As she jumps in her barbie jeep and drives away!! :( Little punk!! lol!! It's been Natalie that has gotten homesick!! She is our little creature of habit!! She loves her schedule and knowing what to do everyday, she isn't one for spontaneous trips or happenings. Plus, she misses her ballet and jazz classes!! Hopefully, when they get back on Friday they will let my mother in law sit in and watch them practice!! She has never been able to see Natalie perform or practice her dance! Other than be a slug all week I did however get another LO done!! I used Liz Qualman's sketch and my goodies from The ScrapRoom July Kit!!

Today will be better, Oh YES!! Today will be better!!!

Ok, I had the worst day ever (so far) yesterday!! It all started really the night before last..... My dad calls me and asks if I could go check on my maw-maw (grandma). It was around 9 p.m. and she wasn't answering her phone. Which is very odd because she is either in bed or up to answer the phone. She doesn't drive after dark, she shouldn't be driving while its light out either in my opinion. But, that's for another time to discuss... lol! So, I go over there and her car is in the garage. Now, for some reason she has always left the garage door half way up!! I can only assume to left the hot air out??? So, after ringing the door bell a half of dozen times I decide to crawl underneath the garage door with my big butt and Arthritic body!! In the process I smash my right knee against the ground and caught myself with my wrist and hurt it too. I finally get in the garage and peer into the house through the garage door and the house is pitch black!!! So, I crawl back out and go around the back and start hollering for her. Nothing!! I look down in her storm shelter, Nada! So, I decide to call my dad because I know he has a key to the house.... As I'm dialing I look over at the neighbors house!! Guess Who's partying it up with the neighbors!!! Yeah!! Yeah!! Sipping on margaritas, playing cards and listening to really loud country music!! I felt like I had caught one of my kids having a party. So, I march over there and tell her that we all thought she was dead and rotting in the house and next time she decides to party it up with the neighbors after 9 p.m. let someone know. I couldn't but giggle when I left though. I wasn't that mad!! Just needed to represent the whole family and make it clear we were about the break into her house. Okay, so back to my "Black cloud" Sunday!! I wake up to another phone from my dad! This time he says he has taken my mother to the ER!! Now, my mother doesn't complain at ALL!! SO, when she told my dad she needed to go to the ER, we knew something wasn't right. Her blood sugar was all messed up and she said she was all achy. She is a Diabetic and takes really good care of herself since she found she was diabetic. They checked her out and decided that she might of had a heart attack. They want to keep her overnight for observation. So, they hook her up with a beautiful heart monitor and even lovelier gown! lol! So, I go home after she is all settled in her room.... oh I forgot to mention that when I got my knee was the size of a grapefruit and I couldn't bend my wrist forward or back! YAY!!! After, I got home I wet back to bed because I have been super dizzy and laying down seems to be the only thing that helps! So, after a 4 hour nap I get up and get some things done and knock out a scrapbook page. I get up to pull the blinds down and the darn thing falls down and smacks me in the head!! And these aren't those cheapo blinds either!! They are heavy shutter like blinds!! So, I gather them up and try to put them back up and I snap my pinkie finger in the locking mechanism!!!! I mean really SNAP my pinkie in there!! It cut my pinkie open and everything!! I just sat down after all that and cried!! And asked God why he hated me that day!! LOL!!! Ok, so enough of my belly aching!! On a lighter note!!! I found an awesome new scrapbook site that is awesome!! It's called Better Living through Scrapbooking!! It's brand new and on August 1st, they should have their first challenge up!! Can't wait!!! Oh and Sketch 132 is up and live at Sketch Inspiration and our sponsor this week is Simply Obsessed!!! I just love their awesome kits!! Heather does an awesome job picking out the cutest and latest products for her kits!! Here is my take on Sketch 132 and two other lo's I finish awhile back. Oh and I used my goodies from Trisha's July kit for Sketch 132!! Love that colors in that kit!!!

Summertime,Surgeries and STUFF!!

Well, once again I can't believe I have neglected my blog for another month!! Time flies soooo fast!! Where to start........ the past month has been very busy!! My father had a few surgeries this month that were pretty scary at times. One of which was so scary I couldn't go to my Chicago trip with my Paper girls! I was very sad I couldn't go, but family comes first! After, all that my girls left me for Michigan for two weeks with my in-laws!! This is the first time they have EVER been away from me this long!! I balled like a baby when they boarded the plane!! Everybody thinks I should be all happy and having a hay day without them but I don't know what to do with myself!! It's so weird without them!!! Yes, they get on my last nerve sometimes and yes I would like to foster them out to family when they aren't acting right. LOL! But, that take away the fact that I love the little monsters more than life itself! Today they have been gone for almost a week and I'm just now getting in a swing of doing things without them. All week I have been running errands for me and my parents. Today, I will SCRAP!! Like really SCRAP!! Scrap in quiet!! Well, not complete quiet I have my Pandora Radio and my Ishuffle on. But, you get the drift right! lol! And to put a cherry on top of my scrapbook sundae, I think that two of my scrapbook kits will arrive today!! I just got my The ScrapRoom July Kit yesterday!! And I have to say it is the best kit ever!! It has Pebbles Inc,October Afternoon,The Girls Paperie and more!! Speaking of kits!! My very good friend Trisha is selling her July Kit over at her blog TX Paper Doll!! It is only $25.00, that is including shipping!!! AMAZING!!! I have been on a buying frenzy lately for scrapbook supplies that I need to get rid of A LOT of "Stuff" to make room for the new "Stuff". So, I signed up for Trade Days at the LSS and I can sell my "Stuff" there!! So, I'm very excited about going through my things and pricing it and getting it ready for the sale. Whatever I don't sell I'm thinking I will bundle it all up and offer it on here for grabs! But, my hope is that I get rid of most of it at the sell!! Fingers Crossed!! Well, I finally got time to scrap a few layouts from Natalie's Annual Performance!! I used an old Simply Obsessed kit and it was the perfect color combo for my pictures!! I think I hear my scrapbook supplies calling my name!! Yep, I do!!!

JUNE'S GUEST SKETCH DESIGNER AND CHATTER AT SKETCH INSPIRATION!!!!

LIZ QUALMAN!!!!!!

Liz lives in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and she is an educator in real life!! She has been scrapbooking for over three years and enjoys sharing her sketches with other artists. She says feels very fortunate to have some of her sketches published in magazines Scrapbooking and Beyond! She is also on many design teams like Imaginisce, Pebbles Inc,The Paper Poppy Kit Co., and recently Sweet Peach Crop Shop! If you would like to see more of her amazing work you visit her blog My Little Sketch Blog! I give Liz many many thanks!! DON'T Forget that tonight at 6 p.m. CST you can chat with Liz at Sketch Inspiration!!

REWARD!!! LOST MOJO!!

I have lost my Scrappin Mojo!!! I get like this every once and awhile and I hate it!! I don't know if it is because things get a little hectic or that I just need a creative break... Either way I want my Mojo back!! I have all these great scrapbook supplies to play with and yet I find myself just sitting there daydreaming about making a great layout, but my hands don't move. I usually scrap at night and I have been so tired at night the past two weeks that all I want to do is sit in front of the t.v.. Which I hate because I know I could be scrapbooking!!! UGH!!! I'm officially in a scrapbooking funk!! Insert scream here!! This is how I feel right now!!

Sprinkler fun!!!

It is so hot outside that I got the girls bathing suits out and turned on the sprinkler for them!! They had such a blast!!! We have one of those cheap above ground pools that you can set up and take down when you want. But, I was too lazy to set that up for them!! Maybe this weekend though. But, until then the sprinkler have to do for them!! I think they had fun anyways!! What do you think?! LOL!!

Such a Proud Momma!!!!

Now, I know all mothers out there know that their child is the best!!! But, I have to say my oldest girl is the best little ballerina I have ever seen!!!

Natalie had her annual ballet performance this past Thursday!! We were so blown away by her performance that her father and I were in tears!! Josh, couldn't stop talking about how good she was!! I knew she was good because I'm the one that takes her to every practice and rehearsals. But, poor Josh never gets the chance to watch her until nights like that because he works so much to keep her in such a great ballet school! We went out to eat afterwards and we had total strangers coming up to us telling Natalie was so good and one man even said he couldn't wait for to grow up and become one of the company dancers so he could watch her all the time in ballets!

I usually feel so bad bragging so much about our girls, but this time I could scream it off the mountain tops!! Then to put the cherry on top of our excitement Natalie received a letter from the ballet school stating they will be moving her up a division!!!! Which is bittersweet in a way, so happy for her, sad for our pocketbook!! Division 2 means more money!! Eek! But, we will make do, always do.... :) I feel a lot of ballet scrapbook pages coming on!!