BHG Scrap-A-Faire opens tomorrow!

The event officially opens tomorrow, with shopping, classes, prizes, and chats with all sorts of people. My scheduled chat time is 5 or 5:30pm...I'll let you know tomorrow, after the doors open and I can verify that. But, I'll be popping in and out of the Lounge tomorrow and Thursday. I'm knee deep in prep work for my classes in Waco on Saturday, and kitting for the 8 classes that I'll be teaching at ScrapFest in Mandeville, LA, next weekend. Fun, fun! :D

Waco, Waco!

I've never been there, but a week from today I will arrive to teach some classes and attend a crop at Crop Paper Scissors :D I've been working, working to be ready for the trip, and I'm looking forward to it!

We are having beautiful weather here - 60s in the day, and high 30s at night. Love that! If this keeps up, my girls will be asking for their shorts, lol. They love to rip and romp outside, and with weather like this, they are thrilled.

What kind of weekend are you looking forward too? We are going to attend some (more) basketball games - our local high school girls' team is hosting the North Half tournament, and it's been fun for the whole family.

Have you seen this?

Scrap-A-Faire is almost here! And I'm including one final peek at my Supply Smarts Girl class - this is one of the 5 layouts presented in the class and my favorite :D Still time to register at www.scrap-a-faire.com.

BHG photo challenge

In the Feb/Mar issue of Scrapbooks etc. I have some photos as part of a photography challenge article (photos of my daughter and our cat). They also included some in the online feature that goes along with it. But, for some reason, those photos look really bad, so I'm posting them here. For this particular challenge, I was asked to pay attention to the frame around my subject. It was a fun challenge, and I got some photos that I love! I hope you enjoyed the article :D

New favorite song

Did you see Medium last week? Well, I only saw 25 minutes, and I still cried at the end. I especially loved the song they played and after some research, discovered it was "Like A Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae. Bought the cd this weekend. You gotta check it out! Got a current favorite song? I'd love to hear what your fav is right now.

Basketball and more basketball

Our high school teams were playing the district tournament here in town last week. We sat (and sat and sat) on those bleachers 3 nights, watching basketball - and loving it! We have a neighbor, a cousin, and a friend from church all on the starting team for the girls, and another friend from church starts on the boys team. Olivia even took her nose out of Harry Potter to watch and root for her teams (another story - but she read the first HP book 2 years ago, liked it, and began reading HP 2 and started having nightmares. She hasn't had any interest in trying them again until now, and in the last 10 days, she's read the first 5 books!) Michaela and Olivia have also been playing basketball on Saturdays, with practices during the week, so we've gotten plenty of the sport lately. Not over yet either. We'll be back in the gym Monday and Tuesday night as North Half playoffs begin :D Scrapping?! What's that? lol No, really. I have been finishing some class designs and kitting for my upcoming dates, but no layouts for myself in a while. I'm also trying to get more organized here in my little space. It's overflowing!

Valentine Treats!

Happy Valentine's Day! I managed to squeeze in some time at the last minute to help Olivia and Michaela create special treats for their friends and classmates. Although Olivia is in middle school now (5th grade) and they don't have parties, she couldn't NOT take something (she said), so we whipped up these little suckers for her friends and teachers. Michaela had the best time putting together her treats (all products by Bo Bunny). The design was inspired by Melodee Langworthy and Linda Beeson (as seen in Paper Crafts). Thank you, ladies!

Hope everyone has a beautiful day!

One Fine Day

That's the name of one of my classes for ScrapFest, and as promised, here are 3 little peeks at the double page spread. I'm going to add some journaling strips to those circle accents you see, but this gives you an idea about the colors and patterns we'll be using :) I like the flowers, but I will also have circles available for those that don't want to add more flowers.

retired fall workshop kits

ETA: All gone now! Thank you so much!

I wasn't sure I would have any, but I've ended up with a very limited amount of kits from the 3 hour workshops I taught this fall.
I have 2 of the album kits (pictured here):
http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1071271
The kit includes product for 6 of the 10 pages, and instructions for the other 4.

and 3 of the layout kits:
http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1066877

Everything is included in the kits, except the stamp used in both (a heart stamp with script writing that you could easily substitute for, or leave off). They include color copies and full instructions, and most all the parts and pieces are precut, for easily assembly.

She Means The World peek

This is part of an embellishment for the double page spread class designed to celebrate a mother, sister, grandmother, or friend that I'll be teaching at ScrapFest. Sepia or b&w photos are perfect for this layout!

ScrapFest questions

I've gotten a few questions about my ScrapFest classes. I promise that I'll post sneak peeks as soon as I finalize the designs. I'm working on the last 3 this week. So soon, very soon! If you have any specific questions - feel free to ask. But, remember I can't respond to you directly from your comment (it's a Blogger thing). So, check back on the same thread as your question to find my answers.

Must Be Summer sneak peek

This is a peek at a class called "Must Be Summer" for ScrapFest in Mandeville. We'll be creating a 5"X6.5" tag book from scratch, and decorating it.

bunches of K&Co samples

These are from last summer and fall. K&Company likes lots of dimension, patterns, and embellishments for their samples :) I think my usual style is much simpler and graphic, don't you? The clipboard was a fun one with the glitter transfers. And, K&Company makes the most beautiful papers and embellishments. People were going nuts over the new Girl Scout/Brownie lines and Amy Butler's line was also a big hit. I can't wait to get my hands on one of those totes!

ScrapFest classes and peeks

I don't think I told you about ScrapFest in Mandeville, LA, and it's coming up FAST. Lisa Stampp, co-owner of Scrappily Ever After in Mandeville, invited me to teach at their yearly festival the second weekend in March. Heather Preckel, along with a large list of instructors from the area, will be joining me for the 3 day event. I'll be teaching a total of 8 (maybe 9) classes. I'll list them below, but you can also click on their link in my sidebar for more information about registration, etc. I'll be posting some additional sneak peeks as I put the finishing touches on some of the new classes developed just for ScrapFest. Hope to see you there!

1) Bloom, Shine, Grow - This class project is bright, colorful, and filled with details. Decorative edges, tags, pockets, ribbon, rick rack, epoxy accents, and rhinestones all make this 6X6 K&Company Neopolitan mini book a treat. $25 Level: Intermediate

2) No Place Like Home - Home can mean many things. This tag book can be customized for photos of your home, things that mean home to you, family members, or even a family reunion. We'll incorporate techniques such as inking, stamping, and distressing as we create a 3.5"X6.5" 7Gypsies tag book with Mustard Moon papers in warm reds, golds, and greens, mixed with black. $35 Level: Intermediate
sneak peek link: http://my-rich-life.blogspot.com/2007/01/no-place-like-home.html

3) Must Be Summer - Learn to make your own mini book from scratch, as we create and decorate this summer or vacation themed tag book with products from Memories Complete. Hemp, buttons, and mini brads along with stamping details will make this a perfect home for those fun summer photos. $35 Level: Intermediate
http://my-rich-life.blogspot.com/2007/02/must-be-summer-sneak-peek.html

4) She Means the World to Me - This class celebrates that mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, friend...that special "she" in your life. Using the Boho Chic line from Making Memories we'll create a 12X12 double page spread with details to make her feel special. Decorative brads, felt flowers, ribbon, and lots of buttons will enhance the beautiful colors of this spread. $25 Level: Intermediate
http://my-rich-life.blogspot.com/2007/02/she-means-world-peek.html

5) Butterfly Kisses - Photos of a loved one will shine in this 5X5 chipboard mini album. Using the Fancy Pants Clair De Lune line (rich browns, reds, greens, and turquoise), we'll create a custom butterfly cover and decorate seven pages with gorgeous patterns, distressed die cuts, Prima flowers, ribbon, and stamped details. $35 Level: Intermediate
sneak peek link: http://my-rich-life.blogspot.com/2006/12/spring-class-peek.html

6) You Gotta Have Friends - Girlfriends, that is. We'll be creating a 12X12 double page spread that puts friendship in the spotlight. Mustard Moon's Sew It Seams line of pinks, reds, greens, and creams will be combined with rick rack and buttons, and we'll incorporate a cool framing technique to show off your photos. Shabby chic techniques and some inking will complete this beautiful spread. $25 Level: Intermediate

7) Spring Bling - We'll create our own 4X6 accordian album with chipboard cover, and decorate it with the flocked and frosty bright pinks, limes, and oranges of Heidi Grace's Bouquet line. Add in lots of ribbon, Heidi Swapp bling, and black and white details, and you have a mini album perfect for your "bloomin' pictures"! $35 Level: Intermediate
sneak peek link: http://my-rich-life.blogspot.com/2006/12/one-more-peek.html

8) One Fine Day - This 12X12 double page spread gets the WOW of color. We'll use Sweetwater's AtoZ line full of primary colors and fun patterns. You'll discover the ease of combining patterned papers with black and white cardstock, and you'll also learn new ideas for adding circles to your layouts. Buttons add the final touch to this spread suitable for boys and girls or any fun event. $25 Level: Intermediate

Headed to Birmingham

I've added a new date to my spring schedule. I'll be at Scrapbook Mania in Bessemer (Birmingham), AL, on April 20th and 21st with new spring classes :D Thank you to India and Nonna for the invitation! I'll be teaching 4 classes - Spring Bling, No Place Like Home, Butterfly Kisses, and a new one that I haven't posted any sneaks of - Titles in the Round. They have very limited seating (10-12 per class), so if you are interested, contact them quickly to reserve your spot. I've posted their link on my sidebar.

I know it's been a week

But, it's been a really busy week! lol
I attended CHA in Anaheim, CA - a large craft and hobby show where all the manufacturers display their new releases for 2007. I was there with K&Company, and we did make & takes for 6 hours a day. Thankfully, the design team members rotated, and each worked 3 of those 6. I was able to see some of the new stuff, and meet old and new friends. That is what makes shows so fun. I can always see the product later, but these shows are a chance to see friends from all over the country! :D It was a great trip (except for that migraine on the first leg of my journey home), but by day 4, I was missing my girls and husband pretty badly. They made it great without me - I knew they would. I couldn't travel and teach if I didn't know how good Rich is with the girls when I'm gone. And my mom and sisters help out if they are needed. I think Mom spoiled them with a huge supper one night and leftovers the next night ;)

I had lots of favorites from the show - products I can't wait to work with for my summer/fall classes :D