favorite HOF layout

Got my HOF issue, and I'm posting my favorite entry layout today with others to follow in the next couple weeks. This was my Product Usage Assignment layout. I did all the layouts 9-10 months ago, and was excited about finally seeing some of them in print. I believe the colors are much more vibrant than they printed. The issue has some gorgeous layouts in it by my fellow HOFers and HMers. I think you'll love it!

poppy ink October gallery

http://www.poppyink.com/documents/gallery.html

My fellow PopArtists did an amazing job! It is fun to see how we each interpreted pretty much the same kit contents. This gallery just makes me smile :D

Didn't make the cut

I'll admit, I would much rather have too much for my students than not enough. After teaching my 2 workshops this past weekend, I learned some things, and I need to make some adjustments in my materials. So, this layout got cut from the lineup in my Designs With "Heart" workshop. Don't worry, there are still 5 layouts to keep my students busy! This BasicGrey paper line matches my youngest daughter really well...the fun, funky, bright colors and patterns are perfect for her.

poppy ink info

I've had several questions about how to subscribe to or how to get Poppy Ink kits. I thought I'd just post Heather's info here for anyone who happens to decide they want to jump into this AWESOME kit club :) Sad news is that October is already sold out, and it is absolutely YUMMY. It was my first kit to work with, and I'm excited about the layouts going up on the site on October 1st.

Here is Heather's post from the site board - which is a great place to get peeks and info about the kits!
October kits are sold out. November kits will be available for pre-order on October 1st. We are not going to start a waiting list, yet. We are going to begin growing slower than we have been, however. When the kits are sold out we will be taking the buttons down, and leaving the pricing up.

Ordering: I have a lot of people asking how to order, and what our prices are. To order you will need to wait until the kits go up on preorder.
Prices: 1 month/ $30
3 month/ $28
6 month/ $26
S&H is 6.50
*end of Heather's post*

And you are going to want add-on info too (those are the extra goodies that you can order to compliment your kit, or just because you want the goodies!) Those go up at approx. 12AM MST on the 1st of each month. That means October add-ons will be available, even though the main kits are sold out. Be warned - they sell out quick!
Let me know if you have any more questions :)

Savannah ROCKS

Truly. And the staff at Savannah Scrapbooking made me feel right at home :D Pictured above is Jamie and her girls (plus me). I had such a great time, and I enjoyed the chance to meet and talk with ladies who love this hobby as much as I do. Thank you to Jamie, her staff, and all the ladies in my classes! I hope they had as much fun as I did!
Also posting a photo of my traveling mates - my sister, Debbie, and my mom, Maedean. I don't know what I would have done without them. They worked really hard to help me prepare the many pieces contained in the kits for each workshop. Hours and hours, without complaint. Thank you, Mom and Debbie! I am so glad we were able to do the trip together.

I am glad to be home though. I missed my husband and my girls.

I'll blink and it will be November, and I'll be off again. Not so far this time - Birmingham, Alabama, is an easy drive. If you are in that area, come see me at Scrap, Etc. on November 11th!

ready to roll

Well, not really, lol. But I need to be! I'm very excited about teaching at Savannah Scrapbooking in Savannah, GA, on Saturday. This is another sneak peek at some of the goodies in the album workshop. I hope my Savannah ladies are ready to SCRAP!! Jamie, the store owner, has been soooo good to work with, and I know we are going to have a great time :D
In other teaching news, I can finally spill that I'll be teaching at Scrap Etc. in Birmingham in early November. If you've never been to Monique's store, you SHOULD GO. Wonderful selection, decor, ideas, and top notch staff. A friend and fellow HOFer, Heather Preckel, is teaching some classes there this weekend, so why not stop by and see her?! And then be sure to plan a trip to see me on November 11th.

Happy birthday, special lady!

Today is my mom's big day. She's my best friend, and I am looking forward to whisking her away to Savannah next week!!
Any weekend plans? I'm taking some little giggly girls to the mall tomorrow - celebrating Olivia's 11th birthday. That should be fun *said with not a bit of sarcasm* ;) No, really. I'm looking forward to it :D
Working on kitting for my classes next weekend...not a lot of glamour in it, but it's necessary. I like to be very organized and prepared so that classes go smoothly - most of all, I want us to have FUN! And we will, I just know it!

meow

This photo makes me laugh out loud! My sister's cat was not very happy about this impromptu photo shoot (picture me dragging him from his carpeted tunnel). Olivia was a bit worried that she might get bitten or scratched. I sat them in a doorway to get enough light, and then I kneeled on the deck and tried to get the shot. The cat kept sliding down, and I asked Olivia to boost him up. This was her idea of a good shot ;) Do you have photos that make you laugh? I think this one will be fun to scrap.

It's official! I'll be teaching in Massachusetts!! Right At Home Scrapbooking in North Attelboro will be my destination in January - I'll be flying on my birthday, in fact. More details later :D And I still don't have a date for my visit to a Southern town, so I can't spill that one yet. Maybe soon!

boxing it up

and moving it out - a box of K&Company projects, that is. I completed 10 projects for the upcoming Memory Trends show (and related packaging and catalogs). Can't talk about any of that though, lol. So, what can I talk about? Well, I can hint about some upcoming travel plans - I'll be teaching my 2 workshops in the South!! I will say I can drive there from my house, so that will narrow it down, huh? I'll say more when I get the exact date, I promise.

It's that day...that day that will never be forgotten. I will say a special prayer for all the families who lost loved ones, and all those affected by the terrible tragedy. I will also say a prayer for peace, for love, and that hearts full of hate would be changed.

fall shows

Not ignoring my blog, I promise. I've just been working on things I can't share right now, and feel like I don't have much to say. So, let's talk about tv, why don't we? :) Are you looking forward to the upcoming fall season of television? What shows are you waiting for?
Prison Break is already in it's new season, and it's good, but I'm missing some of the magic from last season.
Hoping Grey's Anatomy gets better - I was not loving the show at the end of last season. I don't care what happens to Meredith anymore. Funny thing is, as I watched some reruns of early in season 2, I remembered liking her and her scenes with Derrick. Something changed...
I've watched a few new ones - Justice and something about hostage negotiators.
What about Shark? That looks pretty cool.
CSI Miami is a favorite of mine.
I know there is more. Let's hear your favs!

the quiet after the holiday

Hope your holiday weekend was a nice one. Our's was so very nice. Time spent with family, and a bit of scrapping thrown in for good measure. I wish I could show you. Soon! I managed to complete 3 layouts for Poppy Ink. Ohhhhh, the October kit is just yummy. Uh oh, better not let any hints slip ;) When you work in the industry, even loving scrapping as I do, it can sometimes become a job, with all the stresses and worries that go along with a job. Don't get me wrong - I love doing it. But, this weekend I scrapped purely for the joy of it, and I had a blast.
The girls had their last swim of the season :( It is hard to say goodbye to those long hot days. But, the water is getting too cool, and with school and homework, I doubt we manage to swim again.
And, I also watched about half my P&P this weekend! I told ya it was very nice ;)

bet you didn't know

Okay, time for another revealing post about myself. I bet you didn't know I was once hooked on heirloom sewing, embroidery, and smocking, did you? I still love it, but haven't done anything in regards to that hobby in some time. See that baby gown? I made that - from scratch. It has a matching slip, pearl buttons, entredeux, and bullion roses embroidered at the neck and hem. Michaela wore it home from the hospital. This baby album I designed is in Scrapbook Memorabilia by Cori Dahmen. Have you seen the book? It has tons of ideas for incorporating memorabilia into your scrapbook pages. Not my usual thing, but I must admit I enjoyed the challenge and I appreciate Cori for her confidence in me!

I knew you could do it!

Thank you so much for all the nice comments today! I KNEW you could do it! Remember I cannot respond to them (blogger doesn't have that capability)- wish I could. Just know that I appreciate all the hellos today!

talk back

I don't want my kids doing it, but I'd like for my blog visitors to, *hint* *hint*. I'm averaging about 150 unique visitors per day....that's a lot of people who aren't talking back to me, *hint* *hint*. I never thought I would enjoy talking to myself, and I was right. I don't. I know you guys can tell me something about yourself, your day, your life, your scrapbook pages, anything. Thank you in advance, because I know you can take a hint ;)

my movie

That is what I call it. My husband knows what I'm talking about...maybe noone else would. But, I do know there are fellow P&P movie lovers out there :D So I mentioned in a past blog post that I would tell about my P&P "thing". It's not an obsession. It's a love (albeit an unconventional one, for me at least.) It all started last December. I had seen the previews for the movie, and thought it looked interesting. I'm always up for a good love story. I had not read the book, and hadn't seen any of the earlier versions (lots of folks adore the 6 hr. Colin Firth A&E version). I invited my sister to attend with me. We made a night of it - eating Mexican food, talking, laughing, and enjoying the "no kids" part for a few hours :) And we saw P&P (#1). I loved, loved, loved it. She thought it was really good too. A couple weeks later, I convinced dh to attend with me (#2). Even he enjoyed it (but he wouldn't want anyone to know it). The following week, I saw a matinee (#3). You have to know - I live an hour from the movie theater, and I've never in my life seen a movie more than once in the theater. So, it's early January by now, and the movie is leaving this theater in 2 days...so dh rolls his eyes and takes the girls to see something they would like, while I see P&P (#4). That should have been enough, yes? You would THINK. But, my birthday is January 11th, and I found out that P&P was playing in a town 2 hours from me...a town with a large mall, a Target, and a scrapbook store that I had never visited. So, for my birthday, I drove over and spent the day shopping...and seeing P&P (#5, and the last in the theater). It sounds ridiculous - I know it does! But, I didn't (and don't) care. I have the dvd, and I've watched it 7 or 8 times since February. I have the soundtrack on my Ipod shuffle, and love it (so do the girls!) Can I explain it? No. Do I try? Not usually, lol. I just know I'm not alone, and it was worth every penny to make all those trips. To just ENJOY something for the pure fun of it, whether it made any sense or not...it was such a great feeling. So, see the movie, listen to the soundtrack, and fall in love with P&P.

PS. I did watch the A&E version....not so good. I did TRY to read the book...really not so good (and I usually love books much better than movies.) It was something special about that movie, the actors, the music, the settings....

warm days, cool thoughts

This is the time of year that my husband starts saying "It will cool off, right? We won't be stuck in summer forever?" He works outdoors, and the hot, hot weather is hard on him. Wanted to scrap about our little snow this past winter :)

more Masters layouts

Also figured out the slideshow :)

are you guilty?

I am. Of watching Big Brother All Stars. I know, I know! It's trashy tv, but I can't stop watching - and reading the live feed updates which I discovered a couple weeks ago. And if The Amazing Race were to have Will and Janelle as a team, I'd definitely watch that (loved the race with Rob and Amber). So, come one, you gotta tell me about your guilty pleasure :D I don't want to have a blog where I'm the only one talking.

for my sis

She's the best. And she needs reminded of that. This is in the Masters book (I think, lol).

poppy ink

If you haven't checked out the kit club at www.poppyink.com, you are missing a treat! Heather Burch puts together such fun kits, and her design team is top notch. I'm very thrilled to be joining the folks at the Poppy Ink site! Thank you, Heather!!

Thank you!!

A big shout out to all the ladies in the Savannah area (and those who are driving from a bit further away). I just got word that my workshops there are booked up. Very excited about that, and looking forward to seeing you all in September. Thank you to Savannah Scrapbooking and staff for all you've done, and all you are doing to prepare for the September Scraptacular event!!

cleaning out closets

One of my favorites as seen in Ask The Masters. That little rhinestone buckle? Target clearance. Don't you love finding little goodies like that?

Ever clean out a child's closet and just get very sentimental about the little things you find? Ever have a hard time getting rid of older items that are no longer played with? I do. I did. But they are growing and changing, and with small closets, there is no way I can keep it all. That was my Saturday.

new idea book

This one is hitting the shelves. I'm thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful group of ladies - the 2006 Memory Makers Masters. I haven't seen the book yet, but I just know it is full of inspiring layouts by my friends and fellow Masters.

BasicGrey rocks

These projects were created for Creativexpress.com. I'm sure I've said it before....I'll say it again - BasicGrey ROCKS :D If you haven't checked out their August Newsletter - do so. Awesome ideas in the newsletter every month. This month it also happens to have my little nephew featured on a layout :D

for all who post comments

I love getting comments, but I wanted you to know that I cannot reply to them...I do not get an email addy for you. So, if you ask me questions - I can't answer! lol Not sure what to do about that. I often want to reply back, but I can't figure out how.

simple little things like buttons

I tell you, I've searched high and low for Foof Happily Ever After buttons. Seriously - I was convinced they did NOT exist. Nobody ever had them in stock. Just a photo of those yummy buttons with the words "Out of Stock" below. But, this morning, I found those buttons at Rocky Mountain Hobbies (THANK YOU!) and threw some more goodies in the basket to go along for the ride. Can't have my buttons getting lonely now, can I? Have you ever searched for that elusive scrapbook supply that you KNOW would just make your layouts sing? Then you know how I feel about those buttons :D

workshop news

Jamie at Savannah Scrapbooking announced my classes today!

Savannah Scrapbooking
September Scraptacular!
Saturday September 23, 2006
Call (912) 920-4451 to prepay/register.

Designs with Heart - 9am until 12pm
Complete SIX 12x12 layouts while receiving instruction and ideas on adding "heart" to your pages. Each page will feature different techniques and designs with a heart theme. We will discuss ways to add "heart" with journaling, titles, accents, and photos. We'll be using the newest products available from top companies such as BasicGrey and Fancy Pants.

Handmade Blooms Family Album -1:30pm - 4:30pm
Discover the fun of creating your own one of a kind flower embellishments as we create this TEN page 9x9 album dedicated to our families. We will explore techniques such as crumpling, sanding, layering, hand-stitching, and cutting flowers from paper with a craft knife. We'll learn ways to enhance our creations with brads, buttons, ribbon, ink, floss, crystals, paint, chipboard, transparencies and rub ons. This class features the newest Chatterbox papers, tons of embellishments, and Heidi Swapp albums. We are sure you'll have a "bloomin'" good time!

Looking forward to the fun!

long day

of designing here. But, I'm definitely making some progress with my workshops :) It's exciting to see it all come together! I'm waiting on some more product to finish it all up, but here is a little peek in the meantime - and I WILL sew that button, folks ;)

Monday, Monday

Spent the day with Mom, so it had to be good :) I thought Olivia was playing a trick on me today when she came in from school saying "Why wasn't Michaela on the bus?" I even walked to the front door and called Michaela's name...thinking she was hiding outside. And she wasn't there. So, a quick trip up to the school (which isn't far) was in order. She just got confused and got in the "cars" group instead of the "bus" group.

Saw "Step Up" on Saturday night. I can recommend it! Rich even liked it (but don't tell him I told you).

Just plugging along on more class designs. Hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tired tonight. Will post again soon.

recent movies?

I'll admit it. I'm a pushover for a dance movie. Dirty Dancing is one of my all-time favorite movies (I enjoyed Save the Last Dance too, but Shall We Dance wasn't nearly as good). So the previews for Step Up look really good. I'm hoping to sweet talk the hubby into going with me to see it tonight. Keep in mind that to see a movie, we must first drive at least 45 minutes (another living in the boonies perk). It's worth it! I could also stop by Hobby Lobby and Books A Million while I'm there. So do you like movies? Anything else you recommend seeing soon? One of these days I'll get up the nerve to discuss my Pride and Prejudice obsession.....

sneak peek

Just in case you think I've been loafing all week, here is a little peek at a few of the designs I've been working on for my upcoming workshops at Savannah Scrapbooking in Savannah, Georgia, on September 23rd. Can you tell I love color? :D I hope you do too. After standing and scrapping (yes, on my bed) for 4 days, I'm a bit tired. But, I promised my 2 sisters that I would crop with them tonight. It's something we seldom get to do, so I AM looking forward to being with them...just not sure if I'll be able to scrap, lol. We'll be cropping with Heather (southernart) and friends here in town. She says we are getting pizza (which is WAY better than my usual Lean Cuisine dinners). Have a great weekend!

and the RAK winners are

Since I have 2 daughters, I had them each draw a name from the hat. The winners are: Michelle Morley and Danielle C!!! I'll send each of you the same prize package that contains: 1 tin of Die Cuts To Go by K&Co, 1 set of Heidi Swapp white fuzzy rubon alphas, 1 Heidi Swapp paint tube, 1 package of Heidi Swapp chipboard circles, and 1 package of Heidi Swapp punctuation chipboard. I hope you enjoy your goodies :D
Thanks to all that posted on my poll thread and to all of you that read my blog!

RAK poll - last call

If you haven't responded to the poll below, and you want a chance at a great RAK, please do so by this afternoon. At that time, I'll have the girls draw out a name!

not my usual

I'm a "one layout at a time" kind of gal, but not today. Today I tackled 6 at the same time. I'm working on my designs for one of the workshops I'll be teaching at various scrapbook stores this fall, and in order to have the best mix of themes, designs, colors, and techniques, I have to do them at the same time. I'll tell you, it's a job! But, I'm loving the layouts so far. I'm using some new photos and some old, mostly 4X6s. It helps that I have the new BasicGrey, Chatterbox, and Fancy Pants papers :D I even challenged myself to do a cardstock layout...okay, I cheated and used 1 strip of CBX stripe ;) Do you ever challenge yourself? How do you get outside your "box"?

she takes my breath away

For almost 11 years now. How can my baby be so big? This is why I scrapbook...I want to capture these moments and write about them, because in a blink she'll be getting married and having babies of her own. She's planning her birthday celebration this week...making notes of who she wants to invite and what she wants to do, and when and where she wants to go. It's the sweetest thing.
I'm truly blessed.

CHA K&Co display photos

Some photos I took with my little digital of the K&Company booth at CHA. And one of my friend, Valerie Salmon, and I on the last day of the show...so pardon the tired eyes ;) I especially loved the Addison line - blue and green - SO ME. The Twinkle Type glitter chipboard pieces make beautiful decor or craft items.

fun poll with RAK

I enjoy looking thru my stats and seeing the cities and countries of the people who visit my blog. It makes me very curious, you see, to know I have friends in all kinds of places...friends I might not have met yet. I thought I'd post a poll question, and after 3 days (Wednesday afternoon), I'll have O or M draw a name from those who answer the poll. Then, I'll send out a RAK to the winner of the drawing...something good, not sure what yet, but you'll like it :) So here goes! Can't wait to hear from you!

What is your favorite color of cardstock? The color that you always have on hand. The color you reach for over and over, or the color that just makes you happy. If your color is made by a particular company, be sure to tell me the brand.
And to get you started, my favorite is Green Tea (KI texture) by Bazzill :D

HOF layout

This one was posted on the CK site. Not one of my favorites from the entry (check out the HOF book coming in Sept/Oct to see those), but I still like it. KI is one of my all time favorite lines of paper. I reach for it time and time again. We returned to Orange Beach this past week, and I took more shell seeking pictures :)

BasicGrey mini book

This is one of my projects posted at www.creativexpress.com in the Tutorial section of the forums. I used Bazzill chipboard coasters as the base of my mini book. Love, love those! I added BasicGrey papers, alphas, and rubons, MM blooms, and K&Co epoxy accents. When I get the project back home, I'm going to add some personal journaling to each spread. Do you enjoy mini books? I don't do a lot of them, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Let me hear from you - leave me a comment ;)

Teaching in Savannah

So excited to be headed to Savannah Scrapbooking in Savannah, GA, for 2 workshops in September. Will give more details soon, but for now I have to get busy on the designs!

K&Company projects

These are a few of the projects I created for K&Company for CHA Summer, using their new Twinkle Type. That is Jenn Bourgeault's little girl, Lily, on the mini tin :)

first day of school

And I miss them already. Why does our school start so soon? At least both girls were excited and happy about it.

Teaching again

I'm excited about teaching scrapbook classes again! Several years ago I taught classes for several not-so-local stores, and loved it. Last year, I traveled and taught for K&Company to expos and CKUs around the country. I miss it, so I'm going to try it as an independent. I'm about to begin designing my fall and winter workshops, and I'll try to give you some peeks as I go along. If you are a store owner, retreat or cruise organizer, or anyone in need of an instructor, please don't hesitate to contact me for details. If you are a scrapper who would like to have me teach at your local store, please recommend me to your store owners :) I've always said it is the people that make this hobby the BEST!

I wonder if I'll remember

It's been so long since I scrapped. But, with photos like these, I'm sure to get some scrapping vibes soon :) The lighting was perfect, but the beach was crowded. I would have preferred no buildings or people in the backgrounds, but I'm happy that I got what I did.
The girls start school THIS WEEK. Can't believe it. Summer flies by. I will really miss having them with me every day. We are rushing around doing those last minute things. Got school supplies, got back packs. Olivia is still deciding on her first day outfit. M has decided, but Mommy is hoping to change her mind, lol. Wish me luck!

Where do I start?

Maybe with the BEST news?! I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of BHG Scrapbooks, Etc. Creative Team 2007!!!!!!!! They announced at CHA, and I'm still having problems believing it's real. I'm looking forward to working with BHG!!
My fellow 2007 team members:
Mellette Berezoski
Melissa Chapman
Rhonna Farrer
Irma Gabbard
Jlyne Hanback
Amy Howe
Amy Licht
Janna Wilson
Shannon Zickel

I just returned from CHA. I worked 4+ hours a day doing make & takes for K&Co (designed by the mega talented Tracey NieHues), but the rest of the time I was free to walk the show. So, I saw all the new stuff (or most of it), and met some wonderful new friends, as well as hanging out with old friends. Did I mention that I didn't get much sleep? lol And my eyes were reacting to something, so I had very, very red eyes the whole trip. In fact, by Sunday, I was walking around with only one contact lens in. If you saw me with one eye closed and one open, it was because I was trying to read the signs, lol. Driving home the 2 hours from the aiport wasn't fun either, but I made it. Next time I'll remember to throw in the extra pair of contacts.
I met a fellow K&Co dt member, Terri Ginter. We shared a room, and I'm gonna blame my lack of sleep on her ;) Just teasing you, Terri. I love to talk as much as you, I think. My prayers are with you and your family.
My dear friend, Valerie Salmon, drove over from Indiana and waited patiently for me in my room while I had a meeting with BHG. It had been almost 2 years since we had seen each other. I'm so glad I got to spend time with her!
The Mustard Moon girls AND GUY were having a great show (and their papers and rub ons were HOT). Karen McGary, Bill and Vicki Harvey, and Donna Garza, you know I had the BEST time with you all. Thank you for allowing me to work with your products!
My HOFer girls - Kelly, Tiffany, Greta, Jen, Jessica, Marla, Heather, Brittany, Vicki, Laura, Nisa, Jen, and Angi - not enough time, but meeting you all was a highlight of my trip.
New BHG team - Amy, Amy, Jlyne, Rhonna, Janna, and Shannon - It was great to meet you all, and I look forward to working with you this year. Sorry I had to skip out early. I know I missed some fun :)
My favorite new things? You really think I can name just a few?! No way! I am a bit impatient for the new goodies though. Maybe I'll manage to get my house painted before they arrive in my mailbox. I really want to accomplish that task in August. We've lived here for 9 years, and it's due for an update. If I get started, I just know Rich will help me :D
I hope to get some photos up later. My presence is required at a picnic....

CHA bound

I'm excited and nervous all rolled into one. I always dread leaving my family...it's that sick feeling that I have to push past, as I drive to the airport and board a plane. I like to travel. Really, I do, but I'm also a home-loving girl.
I'll be helping K&Company with their Mega Class on Thursday night, and teaching make and takes Fri - Sun. If you are there, be sure to stop by and say hello. Their projects never disappoint and the new products are bound to be yummy.
I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, and making some new friends. The products are always fun, and I enjoy seeing the sample layouts up close and personal. So much better than online, I think.
It's been a busy week. Lots of deadlines to wrap up and family stuff to get ready for my absence. I think I'll take the girls swimming tomorrow, and stretch out with a book.
Here is wishing you all a safe and happy week!

altered lunchbox tin

That red paisley Mustard Moon paper was calling my name. And, I had these die cut flowers (Cricut) that needed a home. This is what I came up with! I was inspired by Mindy Bush to put a ribbon around the side of the box (isn't she awesome?!)

design team news

I'm so very pleased and honored to have been asked to work with Sharon Soneff and her beautiful designs. She has several lines. Among them is her Sonnets line with Creative Imaginations. I just got a peek at the new Anthology series debuting at CHA Summer, and I can't wait to have it in my hands (be patient, Ang, it's gonna be a little while, lol). As soon as Sharon gets the images loaded, I'll link you to her sneak peek. In the meantime, other design team members, Jaime Harper and Suzy Plantamura, have uploaded some wonderful designs into the gallery at 2 Peas. Jaime also designed the make & take (a darling purse) for CHA Summer, so if you are going to be at the show, be sure to stop by the CI booth and check it out.

One More

Mustard Moon CHA Peek

Just one for now. What fun to work with brand spanking new papers! Thanks to Karen and Vicki for these great designs! Be sure to check out their website www.mustardmoon.com for all the new designs :D

Girls Day Out

My girls and I usually spend a whole day together right before school starts back...shopping, eating lunch, seeing a movie, or whatever we decide to do. But, with my CHA trip (more about that later), and a family vacation looming, it won't leave us much time before school starts on the 3rd of August. So, today we did our thing :) They bought new purses, plastic cell phones with lip gloss inside, and several pairs of sandals on clearance at The Shoe Dept. I bought a few t-shirts, some white capris, and some inkjet iron-on transfer paper (more about that later too). Now I'm off to finish some scrapbooking assignments. I'm excited because my friends, Karen and Vicki, are telling me that my Mustard Moon papers will be in my hands by the weekend!! I hope to do a few layouts for their booth at CHA, so if you are going to the show, be sure to stop by and say hello to Karen and Vicki - and BILL (Vicki's hubby). He is working the booth, too, and I'm looking forward to meeting him.

wild eggs and Jack

I needed boy photos for an assignment (August MM Masters challenge), and my friend, Karen Towery, helped me out with photos of Jack getting new glasses. Thank you, Karen and Jack! The yellow layout makes me smile because Michaela loved making her eggs :D Those photos were hard to scrap, until I discovered that yellow made them pop (as seen in The Amazing Page by MM). Rubs by Deja Views and ghost alphas by Heidi Swapp added the right amount of fun. My little girl loves flashy.

Monday all day

But not a bad Monday. A lazy kind of Monday. The kids swam again - in the rain, even. No thunder, and no lightning - just the soft plop plop of raindrops. I worked on some CHA assignments, and read part of a book. Not sure I'm going to like it yet. It' s a new author for me. Rich is reading it in the other room, so I'll have to post the info later. Austin (my nephew) is in town for a visit, and the girls are loving that.

This is another one of my nephews, Joseph. He isn't much for having his photo taken, and in this instance, I was interrupting his egg counting. It's okay, JoJo, I took the shot anyway. This layout is on the CK site somewhere as part of a challenge to gather inspiration from an older layout. I really like how this one turned out. How often can I use ribbon on a boy layout and get away with it? lol And I'm in love with the BasicGrey green papers - there are several...one with Color Me Silly, and one with Oh Baby Boy. I've bought the same 2 papers several times now.

And I'm posting a layout of my husband - he's a dear to put up with me for 17 years now. WOW, it sounds like a long time when I say it or type it. This layout appeared in The Amazing Page by Memory Makers.

Have a great week, and leave me a comment if you pop in :D

finally

See, I knew you were tired of swim photos, so here is a layout, lol.

Seems like a long time ago that I received that HOF call. My favorite entry layout (well, it tied for favorite) is in August CK, on your newstands and in your mailbox now. It can't hurt to post it here, since this isn't Grand Central Station or anything ;) Can you go wrong with Scenic Route paper? I don't think so! If you haven't seen the magazine, it's a good one! (But then again, I would say that, lol.) The other half of the HOF crew will be showcased in October, I think. Stay tuned for those - you don't want to miss them!

And in contest news: About a month ago, I placed in the top 20 in a big contest at Scrapbook.com. My 3 entry layouts are posted here:
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209904/cat/500/ppuser/95771
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209874/cat/500/ppuser/95771
http://www.scrapbook.com/scrapbook_layouts/showphoto.php/photo/209869/cat/500/ppuser/95771

Dots & Stripes is my favorite from this whole year, I do believe.

tired of swim photos?

I sure hope not :D I'm trying to get better at shooting in full sun. The girls and I spent the day with Debbie and the kids. Shooting 5 is a challenge, lol. Especially a wiggly 5. I'm loving the contrast of sizes in the group shot. And getting a great shot of Rissa makes me feel good. Going to have to chase after her more often ;)

sharing

I did these in the spring. The boy is my cutie nephew (I've got 4 of those, and 1 niece on my side of the family, and they all have huge blue eyes). It's fun to scrap boy stuff. In fact, my friend, Sherri, just sent me some boy camping photos that I'm excited about using. She's a talented photographer, AND scrapper :D Thank you, Sherri!! (http://www.sherriwinsteadphotography.com)

great day

Hope your holiday was as good as our's. After dinner at my mom's, we walked uptown for some pictures, and this was their idea of a great pose, lol. I know, I know - busy background. But, they were having fun being silly. Rich says it makes him think of Gene Kelly in "Singing in the Rain", except we haven't had much rain lately. Rich didn't do his usual fireworks show - we are saving for our vacation in a few weeks. We drove over to the Tenn Tom Waterway for a show there, and it wasn't great. On the way home, Rich says "next year I'm doing a HUMONGOUS show" :) What can I say? He likes to blow things up.

Any scrappy plans this week? I've got a few assignments to finish up. I'm teaching the card portion of K&Company's mega class at CHA, but that is designed and ready to go. Maybe I'll be designing with some new stuff next week. I'm excited about the trip to Chicago!! If you are going to be there, be sure to come by the K&Co booth and say hello.

Less than 2 weeks to get those Art for Alex photos in. See my earlier blog post for details.

lovely ladies

I drove to the not-so-local scrapbook store on Saturday, and met up with some new friends. 5 ladies who also read/post on twopeasinabucket.com message board. Scrapbooks and More had created little Kit Kat candy bars, nametags, and a special welcome sign for us. Wasn't that a nice surprise?! I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and hubby wasn't even mad that I was an hour late getting home, lol. Thank you, Tammy, Susan, Barb, Erin, and Gwen, for a great day!