Happy Valentine's Day

Wow! I almost missed the fact that it is Sunday already! After my whirl-wind trip to the Rose City for CKC and a super-speedy work week, Sunday just snuck right up on me! This wouldn't be too much of a big deal except that it IS Valentine's Day AND, in my scrappy world, it IS my very first reveal at Scrappy Lil' Sketches! If you remember, I've been a little bit nervous about this as I am actually on their card team. I wanted to start off strong, so I got some gorgeous new paper at the convention. I'm not normally drawn to Basic Grey stuff like other paper lines, but this stuff is just beautiful! Maybe the bright colors are helping me make it through our dreary, wet, snowless winter or something. But whatever the case, this is what I needed!

Here is Cherie's great sketch- just perfect for me!


Here is my take on it! My sentiment stamp is from Technique Tuesday/Ali Edwards with Basic Grey papers.


Gotta love it! Well, I'm headed out in a bit for a "run" with a friend. She's more of a runner than I am (as I'm NOT really a runner!) If I'm not back in a week or so, well, I've died on a trail somewhere!

~Til next time <3

CKC, Here I Come!

I can hardly contain myself, I'm so excited! I am leaving tomorrow morning to head to the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Portland! I know I don't need to explain to all my scrappy friends how exciting this is, but WOWWY-WOW-WOW!! Seriously! This is totally my favorite time of year. Even though I've normally gone to the convention in Bellevue, I've been sucked in with friends to try Portland out this year. I think it's going to be a blast. I don't know if I'll have any scrappy sightings like I've had the last two times, but it's bound to be awesome! I'm staying with two friends from here, meeting up with 3 more friends from the SCRaPDANGo DT, plus hoping to see Erica from Personal Scrapper! I'll be taking scrappy classes and spending my hard-earned $$ on amazing scrap goodies! I'm bringing nearly nothing with me so I will have more space to bring stuff home with me! This is such a big deal for me that I'm actually flying- I HATE to fly!! It's well worth it though! Can't wait to share what I bring back!


~til next time <3

February Pagemaps!!

Ok, so I can finally reveal a little bit of scrappiness! Last month, the DT for SCRaPDaNGo was asked to do the pagemaps for February! This was such an amazing opportunity! If you are a major scrapper, you should definitely know Becky Fleck and her amazing work. She is the creator of Pagemaps-gorgeous sketches for gorgeous layouts! I've learned that she actually has maps for cards and all sorts of other scrappiness. What I think I love most about her sketches, is the detail that she puts into them. I love not having to think about where a patterned paper would go, or where an embellishment would look right. Becky includes it all! You REALLY need to head over to Pagemaps, follow the blog and subscribe to the newsletter!

Here's the sketch Becky chose for me to work with...



I loved it the second I saw it!

And here's my take on it...


All of this is really exciting, but I think my very favorite part is that I got the top spot on the newsletter! I never would have seen that coming in a million years! I was so worried about doing a good job for her! What an honor...

The other Dango gals had BEAUTIFUL work there as well! So inspiring! Be sure to head over there and see it all! If you've never been there, the newsletter gives a little bit of info with each of the layouts. Go to the blog and click on February Pagemaps to see the sketches with the LOs.

Better quit now while my head still fits out the door!
<3

Sassy Layouts

Just wanted to post my layouts for the DT call at Sassy Lil' Sketches... I was working on a computer that didn't have the pics last night, and I was just a little too tired to do anything about it! So, here they are!

My flowers got a little caddywompus on the first one, but they were both so much fun to do! Remember, these are Cheri's great sketches, so head over to Sassy Lil' Sketches to get some more! I can't wait to show you all my debut card on the 14th! Wish me luck! The sketch is just adorable!

I 'm on sort of a scrapping hiatus right now as I'm waiting for the arrival of my SCRaPDaNGo kit. Unfortunately, a well-known company was having some mailing issues which has delayed the kits for all of us. Poor Carrie is fit to be tied! As much as I dream about having a business like this, I don't know if I could handle that side of it very well... {sigh}

That's the bad news, but the good news is that I have less than a week before I fly out to the CK convention! I love going each year, and this year will be a new venue for me in Portland, as I usually go to the one in Seattle. Can't wait to get busy with classes and, of course, getting loads of new scrappy goodies! I'll be helping Carrie at the SCRaPDaNGo booth, and I'm so excited for that too!

Tomorrow is payday, which is truly wonderful (especially since we only get paid once a month!) and there are only 4 days until my next reveal of scrappy excitement! Lots to look forward to and be thankful for!

~For now <3

Scrappy News!

Just wanted to give a quick little update... I've been asked to design for a great new sketch blog-- Sassy Lil' Sketches! They have had such a great following that they are going to do weekly sketches, including one week for cards. Now, I don't usually consider myself much of a card maker, but I do like to try, and I really, really do have lots of fun when I do. So, of course, they would like me to be on the card team!! I'm excited for the challenge though. As I told the hubby, this will at least make sure I make ONE card every month! Cheri and Kate have some "while you're waiting" sketches up for now. Otherwise they go "live" with the new design teams on the 7th of February. Hope you'll stop by!

No scrappy pics to share just yet. I have another exciting scrappy moment to share, but I can't tell you all about it until the 1st of the month. Let's just say it has to do with sketches too! I can't wait!!!

I've been doing lots of thinking about my Design Team statuses (is that a word?) and I'm looking to refocus myself. I haven't decided completely what all that means, but I know that the pressure of requirements has actually put sort of a damper on the whole creative process for me. When that started happening, I knew it was time to relook at what I was taking on... I'll let you know more over the next month. I've got some scrappy decisions to make...

For now~ <3

Scrappy Fun!

Wow... It's been a short work week for me, but I'm just tuckered out! Funny how that can happen...

Last weekend was the big SCRaPDaNGo crop (actually, there's still time to join in and win an awesome scrappy prize!). I had fun with the two projects that I did. The first challenge was one so everyone could join in. Since we were having a Dance theme, my first challenge was "Let's Do Some Line Dancin'". You needed to simply make sure your layout had lines on it! I was so excited to see so many great layouts! Here's my sample...
The next challenge I did was very much a challenge, myself included! Again, going with the dance concept, the next challenge was, "Are You Going to the Prom?" Yep, make a layout with your prom pictures! You could actually use any dance pics and they didn't necessarily have to be from your dance. I was a good dt person and actually scrapped my very own senior prom! Here it is...
That's my beautiful hubby there beside me (ok, so he wasn't really my hubby just yet!) I'm glad I did this though. I made it an 8x8 and put it in my All About Me album. That's a whopping 3 pages completed in that puppy now!

Another project I did was for the PageMaps page call. I never heard back from Becky... That's ok, I just love the layout I finished for it anyhow! Maybe next time, right?


I've got a few other scrappy things in the works, but I can't post them just yet! Hope you'll come back and visit soon to see!

~Til next time <3

Scrapbook Trends!

It happened! My very first publication in a scrappy-magazine came out this month! Now the crazy thing is that, OF COURSE, the actual print copy is literally NOWHERE to be found around my parts! However, I did manage to get a peek at the on-line version! I can't post the page here until next month, but I figure they'd be more than ok with me giving a little shout out to have folks go get there own copy! So if you click on this pic, it will take you straight to ST where you can download your very own copy! I'm on page 91 (memorized that right away:) ), and it will only cost you $5--not too bad, eh?

In other scrappy news, I'm working on a whole bunch of top-secret scrappiness. Some of it will be shared soon (next month, to be exact) and other stuff might just be for nothing. Only time and patience will tell...

Next weekend is a great crop over at SCRaPDaNGo. Everything is "dance" themed- Tango with SCRaPDaNGo. The projects themselves won't necessarily be dance stuff, but the ideas behind them will be! I'm working on my projects now, and I think it will be a ton of fun! (I'm actually really looking forward to my game!) It will be awesome!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Til next time~ <3

Happy New Year to All!

Here it is, 2010... I can't decide if we're supposed to say, "20-10" or "2000 and 10." I'm sure we'll be used to whatever it is in no time. Many blessings to all my cyber friends out there. May your new year be blessed and filled with joy!

I'm in great denial that I must head back to the real world in the morning... That alarm clock will go off MUCH too early, so I'm already telling myself that Desperate Housewives will need to be DVR'd tonight in order to provide a much needed early bedtime! I'm sure I'll survive (note the self-talk here...). I do thrive on routine even if I curse it all the while! Consistency is good. It's what I try to provide for my family, and even my students. I should make sure to provide it for myself as well--even if it means setting the alarm clock!

Heading back mostly makes me sad that I won't have as much time with my family as I've had over the last 2 weeks. I miss them terribly, especially over the first few days. It's hard to not be around them... Along with that, it also gets harder to get scrappy. I know these couple that I post will be the most recent for me for awhile... {sigh}.

With that, here they are-my most recent creations. These two are the last I put together for my SCRaPDANGo December kit. I have one other that was made for the DT challenge for January week 1 at SCRaPDANGo, but using an old Personal Scrapper kit (it's one of my favorite kits-October Afternoon, and I'll probably cry when all the patterned paper is gone!) I realized that I don't have that pic on this computer. I'm having some PSE issues on this machine (anyone know why I have a program error whenever I try to save?). I'll get that one loaded up later this week!

The gift box was a lot of fun to make. I finally cracked out my EKSuccess box maker that's been hiding in my closet for a couple of years and managed to figure out two new techniques. I did an accordian folded flower along with the ribbon curls. Lots of fun!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Til next time <3

Scrappy Goodness on Sale Now!

Yes, on sale!!

After Christmas and Ringing in the New Year Sale at Scrapdango!

Scrapdango has an awesome sale going on! In celebration of the New Year, Scrapdango is offering a whopping 30% off your entire order on anything carried in the Scrapdango Store. Credit card orders only (no paypal) for the sale and the sale price will be adjusted before your order is processed. Minimum order is $25.00 after the sale price adjustment. Quantities in stock not guaranteed. This sale will run through January 7th! Hop on over and take advantage of the sale!

Happy, Healthy House!

Well, we're all better! Actually, I never did catch anything- still can't even believe that one! If the gang gets it, I get it. Definitely believe in the power of prayer! We've had a busy week with the holidays. Loads of fun and time spent with family always make it memorable. We even had a couple more birthdays to add to the mix!





Last week I was in charge of the All About Me challenge over at SCRaPDANGo. I wasn't sure what to do and had a couple of ideas, but they were squashed as I looked through the archives of past AAM challenges. So, the search was on. I decided to do a challenge about your name. It could be how you got your name, or maybe what your thoughts are on your own name. You could also do something with a name change from marriage. I decided to go with the "how I got my name" version and use a baby pic. I've never used a baby pic before and I figured it was about time! The title is "What's in a Name..." Here's my LO...

Sorry for not getting in closer on this one. Something is up with my Photoshop and it won't let me save any changes I make on pics. Very strange...

My AAM album is an 8x8, so that is what I went with for this LO as well. I used some Cosmo Cricket papers. I thought they did a good job of keeping the vintage feel of the 70's baby! I tucked my journaling away since it is kind of long. I wasn't sure about this one until I got it done, and now I just love it! (Hmm, have I said that before?!) I think what really helped were the little butterflies on the left. That is the first time I got to use my cute little Martha Stewart punch! Can't wait to use it more!

Welp, that's about it for now! Thanks for stopping by!

~Til next time... <3