three & a half

This layout was so much fun to make, okay it was a bit of work too! All the stiped paper is hand cut, adhered, and placed to match the stripes of my dd's shirt...I know a little obsessive! But, I couldn't find paper that fit the layout just right, so I made my own. I then used my sewing machine to sew along the edge to make sure all those strips wouldn't go anywhere after all my hard work!

• Sketch: actually, my own!

• CTMH Cardstock: Bubblegum, Sunflower, Sunny Yellow, Clover Meadow, Dutch Blue, Breeze

• Font: Quickutz Merry & Bright

• CTMH Dimensional Element "&" sign from Simple Alphabet Uppercase, rubbed on Sunny Yellow Ink Pad to color

• Bling in the flower centers are Close To My Heart's Sparkles and the flowers and leaves are also CTMH Mini-Medley Accents Summer Celebration Collection
  

cropping time!

Here is a little closeup of the layout I finished last night (actually waiting on an enlargement for that top picture.) You can see the entire layout over there --> Its the one of Hailey meeting "Abigail" her CPK doll a couple Cmas' ago. Thanks Uncle Mattie, Hailey still loves this doll years later. But I think we all remember our first CPK doll, I do! This layout was a bit of a challenge to use the yellow base. But it was fun! The flowers are one of the Quickutz Revolution daisies that I foled the petals around a paint brush to round them back and give them some dimension and a little different shape. Whatd'ya think?


Sketch: March'08 PageMaps
Paper: CTMH Let's Get Together L2 Paper Pack
Ribbon: CTMH Garden Green Collection
Embellishments: Bigger Brads Winter Classic, Winter Buttons

Little Dummer Girl

Just finished this layout last night, love it! Thanks, Aunt Mary for the inspiration!!! If anyone wants to scrap on Friday... Hailey and I will be scrapping all night! You are welcome to join us! ;o)

Coming Soon....

The new CTMH Summer 2008 Idea Book Catalog!!! If you are signed up for my catalog pre-ship, I will have my hot little hands on these this weekend and will be sending them out to you asap! If you aren't than email me and let me know you would like one! The catalogs are $4 to cover shipping and includes a little goodie, or free with a $25 order.

Its a ZOO out there!

This is a close up of one of those unfinished "finishing touches" from my last post...you gotta go see the whole page in my gallery. I love how the lions mane turned out! Thanks to the new Reflections book for this inspiration!!!

ET Phone Home!

So, I went to apply for Hailey's passport and the lady at the post office said that she looked like Drew Barrymore in ET, which is too darn funny because people used to say that about my baby pics! Maybe she does look a little like me ;o)

So, I have posted 6 new layouts on the gallery slideshow over there ----> some of them are not complete, but I will let you know once the enlargements are ordered and the final touches done. Which brings me to my next thought...

is anyone out there??? does anyone actually read my blog??? why dont y'all comment???

Hot off the presses...New Scrapbook Layout!

I am so excited, I actually got a layout done yesterday between mommy duties! I just finished Quickutz'ing the title (Merry & Bright font) and flourishes! The pink dots are a regular hole punch. Hey Mom, have I mentioned lately that I love my Revolution?! Thanks!!! The sketch is a twist of one from Page Maps, the purple and pink cardstock are CTMH Textured (the sets that are on sale!), and the pp is from a retired CTMH Calendar Paper Pack. Actually both the pink and purple cardstocks are the reverse side of other colors (bubblegum and petal, I think). That is one of the main reasons I love the textured cardstock packs, not only are they white core, but they are double sided....one side is the true color and the back side is a shade lighter, which worked perfectly for this layout. And the texture is nice on both sides...not concave on one side and convex on the other. Oh yeah, I even stamped on this layout! Along the bottom of the vellum I used our white ink pad and the phrase "celebrate" from a retired birthday set. You have to give it a little longer for the ink to dry, but it is so worth it. Nice and white!

It’s Time to Get Totally Textured!

Keep texture at your fingertips with this incredible offer! When the mood to create strikes, and regular cardstock seems too plain, it’s time to get totally textured! Our Totally Textured sale features a whopping 20% off all our textured cardstock now through February 29.

THIS INCREDIBLE 144 SHEET TOTALLY TEXTURED CARDSTOCK PACK includes four sheets each of the six colors in these four palettes: Spring Harmony, Summer Celebration, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cozy. Also included are 24 sheets of White Daisy textured cardstock. Here’s the best part: only the Totally Textured cardstock pack features four sheets each of never-before-available textured cardstock in six colors taken from our two Basic palettes, Antique and Timeless: Bamboo, Black, Chocolate, Cocoa, Colonial White, and Desert Sand. Purchase the Totally Textured cardstock pack for just $70, that's 20% off the
regular retail price of $87.70!

You can also purchase any individual Textured Cardstock Combo for just $11.96, 20% off the regular retail price of $14.95! Also available is White Daisy Textured Cardstock for just $10.36, 20% off the regular retail price of $12.95. Don’t miss this incredible deal, offer ends February 29th!

Another layout to share!

Happy Valentine's Day!

If anyone wants to scrap on Friday, I will be at my house scrappin' with a friend and you are welcome to join us!

Jsut a few layouts...

I keep forgetting to post these, just a few layouts I have done lately! I am really loving these! Both of these are lifted from PageMaps, I will post the supply details later when I have them in front of me.

Crop Club ***UPDATE***

***Crop Club has been postponed until a later date, please email me with any questions***

Just a reminder Crop Club will be starting soon! We will meet one Friday night each month to crop and I will have free Create & Take for members. The only requirement is a $25 order each month, there will not be any crop fee or project fee. Each month I will focus on a different technique to teach you all how to use all those fun tools in the back of the catalog and to help you all build up your card stash. So each month you will learn something new, make some fun and different handmade cards, and get to scrap! I am also offering to have it others homes and maybe do it potluck style. Plus you can use any of my stamps, Quickutz, and inks that night as well! The greatest benefit is that you will get to be Hostess once during the 6 months and earn at least $25 in free product your month! Email me for date and location.

My Starbucks Baby

So this is not one of my shining moments as a mother, is was just cream though not coffee! But, we were stuck in a 2 hr delay in the DFW airport at 2am and of course the only thing open was Starbucks! After finishing her favorite "organic chocolate milk" she started eating my cream. Needless to say the sugar wore off shortly after we boarded the plane and she slept like a log! We had strapped her in her carseat on the plane and managed to transfer her (still strapped in) off the plane, into a taxi, out of the taxi, and into her bed at the hotel without her even blinking an eye! Did you know that carseats mount perfectly ontop of rolling luggage?! I will have to find that picture to share.
Anyways, the paper is Stylin Paper Pack; Hollyhock and Black My Accents and Photo Hangers; Black, Baby Pink and Hollyhock CS; and the title is cut from Quickutz Daisy Skinni Mini and Quickutz Blossom Grand. The layout sketch is from Imagine: Serenade pg 36

Life Lessons

I love the new Dimensional Elements...they now all feature self-adhesive backing and the top white layer is much nicer! Nice enough to just leave white. I chalked the flourishes and the birds right over the white. The font is Quickutz Lucy Classic, cut from the reverse side of Honey Textured CS (so it is shade lighter) and chalked on the edges. The paper is Sweet Harmony Level 2 Paper Pack. Hand journaled with a black writer. Sooo easy, but I love it! Oh, and I scrap-lifted this sketch from Page Maps. One of my new favorite sites, I have added a link to that site over on the right--->

First Layout of the Year!

These photos are from a trip we took in 2006, but I just recently got the enlargement done and stumbled across the other snapshots in my photo box. They were screaming at me last night to come out and play! The title is from Quickutz, it is called Magnolia Grand Alphabet. The rest is all CTMH. The stripe paper is from the Majestic Blue paper pack and the stamp that I journaled on is from my new stamp set called Ticket Tags. All the colors are Indian Corn Blue, Cocoa, Bamboo, and Colonial White. I also used one of my coveted Edge Anchors on the journaling tag. I used bullet points to highlight the places pictured. Oh, and I scrap-lifted the layout sketch off the quickutz idea gallery, so it was that much easier to put together!

Idea Book Subscription

This year I am doing a Pre-Paid Annual Subscription for the Idea Books ~ $12 for the year. This is only to cover the envelope and postage to you, I am not charging for the catalogs. I will mail you all of the new catalogs the month before they are released... without you having to remember! Along with a special gift each season! If you would like to participate please email me with your mailing address and method of payment (paypal, cash, or checks are fine) and I will send out the first of this years catalogs immediately!

Also, if you have any requests for programs or workshops this year, please let me know. I love suggestions!

Crop Club starting in February!

Starting in February and running for 6 months, we will meet one Friday night each month to crop and I will have free Create & Take for members. The only requirement is a $25 order each month, there will not be any crop fee or project fee. Each month I will focus on a different technique to teach you all how to use all those fun tools in the back of the catalog and to help you all build up your card stash. So each month you will learn something new, make some fun and different handmade cards, and get to scrap! I am also offering to have it others homes and maybe do it potluck style. Plus you can use any of my stamps, Quickutz, and inks that night as well! The greatest benefit is that you will get to be Hostess once during the 6 months and earn at least $25 in free product that month. Let me know if you are interested? First-come, First Serve!

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I realize that it's already the middle of January...but better late than never, right? So, one of the resolutions this year is to get my ipod out and start using it! Which means I really need to download some good music, some to walk to, and some to scrap to of course! So, I have started a list of favorite musicians and would love to know what you are listening to right now..... SOOOOO, SPILL THE BEANS, PLEASE! I just heard Jack Johnson and really like him, and of course Colbie Caillat, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Norah Jones. But surprisingly one of my favorites is Outkast! I am a sucker for that song Hey Ya! What else should I download? ;o)

Beautiful Morning View

So, usually I wouldn't be one to share what is behind those cabinet doors, especially all over the internet. But we haven't had cabinets in the kitchen since we moved in 11 months ago! It is a long story, but I will say that upon moving in those cabinets were too bad, unhealthy, ugly to live with any longer. So, we ripped them out and began a verrrrry long process of picking out new ones and finally....this past weekend, I got my new upper cabinets! So, you see this is a very exciting view every morning as I open my cabinet door to reach for my coffee mug and cereal bowl!!! Needless to say, I was very thankful for my family over the Thanksgiving weekend as they made the voyage to my house to help with projects throughout the weekend. Thanks Dad, Amy, Jordan, Brian, Hubby, and Granny (for loaning me everyone!) We definitely couldn't have gotten all this done without you!

• We also managed to get the travertine install started on the back porch!

• In the master bath we got all new electrical outlets and switches installed, the ceiling painted, the exhaust fan installed, and I, yes... I, installed can lights above the vanity (with a little help from Dad and hubby) but I think they were both a little surprised that I could do electrical!

• We sanded the plaster in kitchen, then primed and painted it my new favorite color, olive.

• We also painted the ceiling in the kitchen, dining room, and hallways!

• Oh yeah, Dad and hubby managed to figure out this key-er thing that our door guy loaned us, so that we could get all the different deadbolts and handle sets keyed to the same key (instead of 7!!! different keys for the 7 different locks!) So, I finally have only one housekey! ;o)

Hopefully I will get the house cleaned up and take some more pics of the other projects, but i just had to share that bit!

Ummmm S'mores!!!

Okay, so this is kind of sad...but, of all the things we accomplished this weekend, this is my favorite! Our logs and log rack! When we first moved into this house we had a number of trees taken out and the ones that were safe to keep for firewood hubby sawed down into logs. We (well, not me!) got all the logs split into nice fireplace sized chunks. I am sure there is a better name, but I like to call them chunks ;o) So, as hubby was taking the axe to the logs, I would heave the chunks up onto the log rack that hubby made this weekend! And, voila all the chunks of firewood are nicely chopped and stacked and ready for a fire! So, who am I to deprive the NEW FIREPLACE of a nice little fire?! and of course, along with our first fire we made our first fireplace s'mores ;o) And yes, I did say New Fireplace...hubby and friend got the old fireplace removed and the new fireplace put in last weekend. Hubby spent much of the weekend getting the trim and siding put back up, but is very reassuring knowing that it is all new and clean, everything including the box, chimney, pipes, cap, it all got replaced! So, now all I have to do is pick out the stone that will go inside on the wall! I am off tomorrow to talk the stone guys into letting me borrow ALL the samples in the store so that I can make a very informed decision as to which stone color I want! So far, everything I have brought home looked much different in my living room than it did in theirs!

We also go the new shingles (Slate), siding (Mountain Sage), and stacked stone(Mojave) for the exterior picked out and now I have to decide whether to go with white aluminum or white vinyl windows?! Anyone have any advice?

Happy Halloween!