Prize Winner!!!

First off, you see my bowl of names :)

Then the GOOD part - the prizes!

1 mini book kit by K&Co

1 set of clear stamps by Autumn Leaves

1 set of white alphabet rubons by American Crafts

1 set of red alphabet rubons by Mustard Moon

1 set of brown alphabet rubons by DCWV

1 set of white frame rubons by BasicGrey

And the winner in black and white - LISA RISSER, come on down! Email me your address at momtwoangels@yahoo.com so I can get your prize out to ya!

Let me say a HUGE thank you to each that played along with me :) I'm off to finish leaving comments on all the layouts. It is SO FUN to have you share with me for a change! Thanks, again!

I haven't forgotten!

I'm gathering up the prize package and will draw a name in a few minutes. In the meantime, here is a peek at a round title I've been working on - excited about my classes in Birmingham this weekend! This layout will be one of the never before seen samples I'll be showing in class. I want to give my students LOTS of ideas for "Titles in the Round" :)

better late than never

I believe traditions are important. Even silly ones, like dying eggs. The past 2 years, we've traveled at Easter, and it's hard for me to get everything together and dye the eggs early. So, we do it late :) And, it's just as much fun for the girls and I. So you can guess what I'll be doing this afternoon....yes, I'm hiding eggs 8 days after Easter! lol (Although we had a huge hunt on Easter, the girls want to hunt THESE eggs.)

this is blogging

I know I'm not a true blogger. I'm just not that interesting, and I still feel a bit weird about it all. So, I keep it light and post mostly scrapbooking biz. There ARE people who ARE true bloggers. The real thing. And you know who I'm talking about. Just this past week I found a new one for me. Just a link on a scrappy blog that I followed (Thank you, Steph!!). But, since then, I've laughed a lot, shared photos and humorous text with my husband, and laughed some more. You gotta check it out, if you don't already know about her - http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ . Truly a great read.

And, I'm giving my weekend scrappers a little while this morning to show me a layout using some of their favorite products, before I draw for the prize! More on that in a bit.

Friday already? and a PRIZE

Yep, it certainly is. I've been playing catch up all week, after our trip to Nashville last weekend. Taxes, scrappy assignments, laundry. We've been getting some rain, which we needed.

This recent layout has photos from last spring. Some of my favorite things on this layout - Michaela ;), lol, black with bright colors, CI scalloped paper, rubons, velvet rick rack, and PINK :D Do you create layouts with products you love? Have you piled up fun stuff, and grabbed photos that "feel" the same way? Show me! Because everyone that links me to a layout that they've created with things they love will be entered into a drawing for a box of scrapbooking goodies! I'm going to leave this open until Monday morning. That way, if you want to create something new, you have the weekend.

I hope to have some scrapping time myself. My friend, Valerie Salmon, has started a sketch blog (http://www.gotsketch.blogspot.com) and she has challenged me to create a layout using one of her sketches :) She doesn't know it, but I'm going to challenge her right back, lol - to create a new layout with products she loves (and I've seen all her stuff, so I'll know if she tries to cheat!) :D

I look forward to seeing YOUR recent creations! And I promise the prize box will be a good one.

Birmingham, here I come!

Just got off the phone with India (Scrapbook Mania), and I'm very excited that my trip to Birmingham on the 20th and 21st is almost here! If you are thinking about driving in from the surrounding area, I hope you'll just do it! I've been stacking up door prizes - how does brand new K&Company sound? And the classes are full of fun ideas, and beautiful product. I'm attaching a couple more photos from my classes, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at momtwoangels@yahoo.com. All the kits have color copies and full instructions, in case you don't finish your project in class, or if you are unable to attend after signing up. Several of these mini books would make great gifts for Mother's Day, birthday, but if you are like most, you'll want to keep them for yourself :D I'm bringing lots of samples for the "Titles in the Round" class, as well as including ideas on your color copies. Hope to see you there!

Happy Belated Easter!

Sorry for the delay in posting my holiday greetings. Hope you and your family and friends had a wonderful day! We thoroughly enjoyed our Easter. I have a little story for you - while out of town, having my van serviced, I happened on these little bears on clearance at the Hallmark store. $2.50 each, and I thought they were darling. I added them to the Easter goodies I had for the girls' baskets. Later in the afternoon yesterday, Olivia asked me "Mom, how did you know we would love these little bears? They are just perfect!" :D I told her it was my job as a mom ;) And who could resist this little guy anyway?!

On Thursday, Michaela's class had an egg hunt and party at the park. She and I put together these little goody bags for her classmates - I found the bags at Target. Aren't they sweet?

2 more for fun

In a posting mood today!

Spring is here

but very little rain. These are 2 layouts from last year, with photos from last spring. I went out and bought Easter candy today...getting ready for the big day :D

the perfect antidote

for all that pink and black is blue and brown! :D I've loved this KI paper since I first saw it. I'm planning a summer class with this line, and I had fun just playing around with the papers today. I know it's a pet line, but seriously, it's for so much more than pets. Do you fall for paper lines like that? Love at first sight?

finished up

All 3 layouts for "Titles in the Round". Here is a peek at all 3! You cannot see the Scenic Route chipboard title in the middle, but it's there.

going round and round

Or we will be :D This is a peek at one of the layouts we'll be creating in my brand new class. I'll be teaching it next month at Scrapbook Mania (www.myscrapbookmania.com) in Birmingham, Alabama, and it's called "Titles in the Round". We'll discuss all sorts of title ideas, view sample layouts, and create 3 brand new pages with one of my favorite lines - Laurel by Scenic Route. Throw in some cardstock, chipboard and sticker alphas, brads, buttons, and a big Heidi Swapp flower, and you've got a recipe for fun!

Come chat with me!

Coordinates Collections, an online scrapbooking kit club, has invited me to chat with members and guests today from 1-2:45ish CST. While you are there, be sure to check out their HOT design team gallery and their upcoming kits :D Thank you, CC, for the opportunity! To enter chat, just click on the box beside my name. See you there!

it is the little things

Like finally convincing my dh to hang the PB unit I purchased on clearance several months ago. And tonight, it's the unit with 4 large shelves that I got for my birthday 15 months ago, lol. Can't wait! I haven't decorated or organized yet, but if you look closely, you'll see I scrapped last week.

HOF circle journal

Last week Creating Keepsakes notified the winners of their 2007 Hall Of Fame contest. As a past HOFer, it was fun to watch the excitement on the scrapping boards from the sidelines. As our year drew to a close, my fellow 2006 HOFers and I decided to put together a circle journal of sorts - not your traditional "make 100 of each" kind of thing though. Instead, we are creating a page digitally (ACK, lol), or creating a page traditionally and scanning or photographing (whew!) . The pages will be printed in our own copy of a photo book. It was suggested that we do pages based on little quizzes, similar or the same as, shown in the Simple Scrapbooks "Scrapbook Shortcuts with Quizzes & Questions" special issue. I chose "two by two" and thoroughly enjoyed creating this little 8X8 page - using some of my favorite papers from Scenic Route. I can't wait for my copy of the book!

chat at Coordinates Collections

I'll be chatting at Coordinates Collections on Tuesday, March 27th, from 1-3 CST (2-4 EST). Hope some of you will join me there!

from the deep recesses of my albums and AI

Some friends and I are celebrating 5 years of being in the same Yahoo group. Some have been members longer, some shorter, but this week is all about celebrating our memories and friendship together :) In honor of that, I asked each person to post a layout that is 5 years old (or as old as they can dig up). Here is one I posted. Even then, I loved the bling :D

And is anyone else just sick of watching certain American Idol contestants perform under par, while the good ones get picked off one by one? I mean, I can think of at least 3 that are much worse than Stephanie OR Chris! I think I need to stop watching for a few weeks...or more.

Need your help

It's not anything difficult, I just need your input. Yes, and that includes those of you lurking and not posting ;) I'm beginning to put together ideas/designs for my summer/fall classes. I'd love to know what prompts you to take a class at your lss. What sort of projects, products, or techniques are you interested in? What themes work for your photos and stories? Even if you've never taken a class, and never plan to, your input is valuable. I'd love to hear from BUNCHES of you! I've never been a fan of one-sided conversations *hint, hint*

On another note - Crop Paper Scissors in Waco, TX, has a few kits available from my Butterfly Kisses and Spring Bling classes. If you are interested, please email me at momtwoangels@yahoo.com, and I'll put you in touch with Emmalie. Thank you!

leftovers

Do you use them? I'm trying to be better about utilizing my supplies. These are 2 layouts I created with leftovers from a CBX kit. They were quick and simple, as I limited myself to the bits and pieces. But, they don't all have to take hours, right? ;)

I need to get busy creating some new stuff - it seems like forever since I scrapped for me!

April BHG Scrapbooks Etc

I was very excited to see the April Scrapbooks etc. yesterday. I loved working with the Making Memories kit for the Supply Smarts column. The whole issue was beautiful, and I hope my copy arrives soon! And that is my cutie pie nephew in the Make It Yours column :D

Scrapfest wrapup

(click photos for a larger view)

I had a great time scrapping with the ladies who traveled from all over MS and LA to attend ScrapFest in Mandeville this past weekend. My students made the 8 straight hours of teaching each day fly by. Teaching is hard work, but I do love it, and I hope that it showed :D Thanks to Meagan and Lisa for inviting me to teach, and for their hospitality! Loved hanging out with Heather Preckel - we even caught a movie on Saturday night - Lyrics and Music, a lightweight comedy that we enjoyed. Thanks for being a great roomie, Heather!

I do have a limited number of kits leftover from the classes I designed specifically for ScrapFest. You can see them pictured above. If you are interested in purchasing, the double page spreads are $18 each plus shipping, and the tag book is $20 plus shipping and they include color copies and complete instructions. Just email me at momtwoangels@yahoo.com. If you ordered my fall kits (Designs with Heart or Handmade Blooms Family Album), I'm ready to ship this week! Thank you for your patience :) If you haven't heard from me in the next day, please email me again.

ScrapFest is near!

This has been a crazy week - flying home from Waco, and immediately diving into prepping 200 kits for ScrapFest in Mandeville/Covington, LA. I'll be rooming with Heather Preckel :D Going to be a fun weekend...well, once I figure out how to get all of these kits on that airplane ;) Looking forward to teaching and meeting new friends and scrapbookers, shopping, and maybe even squeeze in a movie. Have a great weekend, everybody!

She turns 7

this month, and it's hard for me to remember when she was tiny...she grew up way too fast! She's a stinker and knows it - always has a twinkle in her eye. Happy Birthday, M!

WOWSA, Waco!

Well, I learned one thing - if you are going to teach all day, and I mean all day, Crop Paper Scissors in Waco is the place to do it :D First of all, Emmalie Welstead, the store owner, invited me to stay at her home - and it was beautiful! She loves antiques, and her home was warm and welcoming. The guest bed was SO comfy, lol. Her little dog, Ellie, was a sweetie too. The store was one of those that you wish was right up the street. And the staff was so helpful and they always had smiles on their faces. Those ladies in Waco are so lucky! The crop room had these huge comfy chairs (not that I got to sit in them, you understand ;) ), but what made the trip the best was the wonderful ladies who took my classes. They were so much fun, and they made the day a great one for me. Yes, my feet were hurting after 12 hours, but Emmalie, Matt, and Emmalie's parents took me out for a delicious Mexican dinner on Saturday night, so the feet were forgotten ;)
For those of you that took photos, please email me copies!! Thank you to Emmalie, her staff, and everyone in class - it was a wonderful trip and I look forward to seeing you again someday!

Thank you, Scrap-A-Faire attendees!

Wanted to send out a thank you to all who participated in BHG's first online event!! Another thank you to all who took my classes :D I hope you enjoyed them, and I hope the ideas presented will inspire you to have fun with your supplies, and create many pages for your albums!

Olivia in a bubble

Yes, I'm covered up in kits for my Waco and Mandeville classes - not to mention laundry and dishes and...well, you know :) But, I had to take time out to watch Olivia and her classmates present a very fun program about bubbles! Her G.E.M.S. class (gifted) has been studying bubbleology (sp?), and to finish out the section on bubbles, they did a program that included showing their handmade bubble toys, reading their bubble poems, performing their own commercials promoting their bubble toy, and some wonderful bubble tricks. This photo of Leah putting Olivia in a bubble was called "kid in a bubble". The first graders who were watching along with us parents LOVED the whole show, as did I :D

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