Friday, January 27, 2012

Oops!

I just realized that I posted sketch #20 here on my blog for sketch #10 also!  So here was the real sketch #10
and my layout that I made with my Dec Memorable Seasons kit and Prima North Country:


I used Studio Calico's Mr. Huey in white on the background to give the snowy effect, one tip with this is to make sure that you spray it with a sealer or it will continue to rub off!  You can complete this sketch also and load it at the Memorable Seasons gallery by Jan 31st.

Sketch #20 at Memorable Seasons

Today is the last day of the Memorable Seasons Sketch-a-Thon, you do have until the 31st to complete any sketches and load them in the gallery.  Here is the sketch I created for today:

and here is the layout I made using my December Memorable Seasons kit - Echo Park


If you get a chance make sure you stop by - it will really inspire you this weekend I promise!  Next week will bring the sneak peaks of our February kits and then February 2nd starts the new challenges and they are super fun.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

January Burlap & Buttercups creations

I received a very full box a few weeks ago from Burlap & Buttercups - it was full of sooooo many wonderful goodies.  I just now finally was able to begin to dig in and create and hopefully will get back to my box before anymore goodies arrive!  :)  I'm a little stacked up right now as I am working on some projects that have deadlines, but I'm sure I will catch up soon.

Today I have 2 layouts to share, one fits the criteria of the challenge to use banners I also used the challenge at the CK blog to be inspired by a TV show/movie.  I don't watch TV or movies, but I LOVE the Duggars and have watched since their first debut and read their books AND...  I get to go see them in February which is totally a dream come true!  :)  So here is my layout that I created about family and how the size should never be looked down upon - it really irritates me anymore when people comment about our family size.  I don't get irritated often so this really has been weighing on me - we have been blessed by God and remember that America believes in tolerance - so use it with us too!
Materials Used:  Jan Burlap & Buttercups kit - MME, American Crafts, OA, Maya Rd, Jenni Bowlin
My next layout was for the sketch challenge with a little distressing thrown in - I had these pictures from the 4th of July on my phone.  They weren't very good b/c the camera on my phone was horrible, but they worked with the smaller size I think.

Materials Used:  Jan Burlap & Buttercups kit and sketch - MME, Jenni Bowlin, Maya Rd
Thanks for stopping by and listening to my soap box! :)  I will be back on Friday with my next sketch for Memorable Seasons Sketch-a-Thon.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Sketch #15 is live

Again it is Friday and I can definitely say, TGF!!!  It wasn't a hard week, just long, cold and gloomy.  We aren't having a cold winter here, but the sun seems to have forgotten how to shine which I think is even worse than being snowed in!

Today was my turn at Memorable Seasons to issue the sketch.  Here is the sketch I made,

And then the layout I created with my Dec Memorable Seasons kit.

Materials used:  Prima, Echo Park, Little Yellow Bicycle, gesso, twine
Also, here is a link to the announcement, I have been asked to join Memorable Seasons for a full DT term!  So excited as I already love being at the forum and now I get some goodies each month to play with.  I'm already working on February's stuff and it is WONDERFUL!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

More Christmas layouts

I've been so inspired by Memorable Seasons Sketch-a-Thon that I finally completed scrapping Christmas 2010!  I had purchased Crate Paper's Peppermint line which I totally love and used it to create all these layouts.  It made it so easy just to have one box on hand with all of my supplies!  :)

This was created with sketch #1 and Crate Paper and Echo Park chipboard stickers.


This next layout uses sketch #13 and Crate Paper with some Doodlebug letters.


This last one was for a challenge at the Nook - we were given a recipe of sorts and then set loose.  I created this with my Dec Burlap & Buttercups kit.

Materials Used:  Lily Bee, Simple Stories, Melissa Frances, Tattered Angels, Heidi Swapp, Stickles, American Crafts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Sketch-a-Thon

It's my turn again today at Memorable Seasons for another sketch; I again created my own sketch (resolution - learn a computer program to help).


This was a really simple one, but I love how crisp and clean it turned out.



Hope you all have a great weekend!  I'm definitely ready for some time off the schedule - we did well this week keeping on track, but it wears me down!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Some exciting news!!!

Just found this today, my layout about 2011 was posted here!  :)
http://clubcreatingkeepsakes.com/blogs/ck_community/archive/2012/01/09/scrapbooking-inspiration-january-9-2012.aspx

I have been asked to join the Design Team at Memorable Seasons!

I have another publication with SNR that starts Sunday!

Yay!!!

Now, on to some New Year's type things - organization!  Yep, I love to organize and get totally frustrated when I can't keep things in order.  Now you know that might be a problem with all of our kiddos running around.  For the most part they do a good job cleaning up, but there is still clutter.  Now my scrap room is barricaded from the little guys so it is only my mess in there (yep, it is a mess right now).  Here are some of my answers to the organization challenges that scrapbooking can bring...

I sort my embellishments by color in sterlite containers - love this method b/c I can just go to the color that I am looking for and there is everything I need.

Here is my Cricut area - My hubby made this for me so there is an opening for the paper to roll down the wall and not get stuck.  I store theme papers in the rolling sterlite containers underneath.

And my sewing area!  Love having my sewing machine ready for use at any time.  Again, the counter doesn't go all the way back to the wall so there is room for extra.  Under this counter I store my favorite brands in the rolling carts, sewing supplies, and my Stampington magazines.

This is probably my best trick - I bought these containers from Target for my Thickers.  It holds tons and fits them perfectly.  Course I have managed to stuff 2 of these containers so I am thinking I might need to do a giveaway soon!  :)

Monday, January 9, 2012

Sketching Fun at Memorable Seasons

So now that we are into January I can share a fun secret ...  no I am not pregnant!  but I am a Guesting at Memorable Seasons this month!!!  You should really check it out, the forum is the nicest one I have ever been involved in.  This month they are offering sketches everyday Monday- Friday for some mojo busting fun.  My day is Friday and so here is what I posted:

My sketch

and my layout
Materials Used:  Dec Memorable Seasons kit - Bazzill, Echo Park, Little Yellow Bicycle



We haven't had any laying snow yet this year so I had to go back in the archives for this one, but it just fit so perfectly.  Here's to no snow this year, except maybe for one day for picture purposes!  :)

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Thoughts...

I've done a lot of thinking in the past 2 weeks, trying to get a game plan for 2012.  Trying to figure out what I want to see happen this year and what I can let go of to make this season of my life simpler.  I've thought alot about what I want for me and who I am at this time.

One of the things I really have felt led to do was to keep some sort of book documenting our weeks - I don't want to miss anything that happens in 2012 and with all that goes on in our household I would miss things!  :)  Last month I posted a mini book I had made Remembering 2011, but I even as I finished it I realized I had missed documenting things that were so very important.  So...  with the help of a challenge site called Bird is the Word I started off 2012 with the word Promise and what the word has meant to me this week.  I chose to do an Art Journal this week because I've never done one and I really want to learn to just let go and enjoy and I did!  It was a thrilling adventure documenting my thoughts with some alcohol inks, blending solution and my favorite sharpie pen.

Materials Used:  Brave Girls daily e-mail, stamp, K&Co, Hambly, Glitz, Adriondock, gesso
I also participated in a challenge at Club CK - it was a 1 hour challenge that I actually finished in 30 minutes which is totally impressive for me (another goal).  I documented my decision to use a planner with 3 things for the day listed - to both keep me on track and to be an encouragement that I was accomplishing things.  See when you have 7 in your home there is always laundry to be done, there is always clutter, and someone is always eating so it is nice to realize that these things were finished at one point in the day.




I've also realized that I really like messy in my art, but I also like clean and simple.  It is hard when everyone is scrapping beautiful pages or in pages, or whatever the trend might be to stay true to oneself, but for myself I am a scrapbooker without a style but with a mission - my mission is to use whatever method works to tell the story of my family and I.  So when I write my post at the end of the year and choose my top 10, it will be the layouts that document us as a family the best.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Happy New Year's!

I hope your 2012 has begun well - ours is finally on track, I think!  Our little boys are starting to feel better and we are easing back into our schedule.  I even wrote our Christmas letter finally (this year it will be called a New Year's letter).  I have some things to post, but we are supposedly cleaning right now and as you can tell I'm not getting much done!  :)

Make sure that you come on by Scrapping Everyday Miracles for our January challenge - dreams!  Here's what the challenge is about:  New year -- God has blessed us with yet another year to realize our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations. My bucket list changes every year. Some dreams I've already realized, some are still a work in progress, some I'm still praying for.

"And the LORD answered me, and said,
Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables,
that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time,
but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:
though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Habakkuk 2:2-3

So the challenge is to scrap about a dream. It can be one you've already realized like finally traveling to that one place you've always dreamed about going. It can be a work in progress like maybe saving up for a new house or a dream vacation. Or it can be one you're still waiting for. Whatever it may be we encourage you this month to ponder upon it and scrap it!

Scrap twist: Use the word "dream" on your project. You can use it on the title or the background but it has to be visible on your project ;)
There is an amazing prize from a wonderful etsy store:  This month's sponsor, Monika, is offering one lucky winner a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop ILOVEITALL.

 
Make sure you check out her shop I'm sure you will have fun shopping there!  In fact, use the coupon code ILOVEITALL for a 15% discount on your purchases from Monika's shop.
I created this layout for the challenge: