Working on a little somethin'

I caught myself thinking back....had I scrapbooked a layout since the first week of this year???? The answer was "no". I've done a few crafty things, but since finishing up "Kick It Up", I've not scrapped any pages. This past week found me actually scrapbooking :) A layout that will appear on the web tomorrow (I'll point you there when it goes up), AND some special things for another somethin' I've got going on. I'll tell you all about it very soon.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hanging out with my sister and some friends who also like to scrapbook. We ate WAAAAYYYYY too much, and had an all around good time. I stayed up until 2:30AM the first night, but crashed at midnight on night #2, lol. Thank you, Debbie, for your warm hospitality and love. And thank you to Jennifer, Janet, Audrea, and Mom for a wonderful time!

Book and goodies WINNER

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

43
Timestamp: 2009-03-25 12:36:11 UTC

And the 43rd poster is
*** Jackie said...
Congrats on the book it looks awesome, I can't wait to see it!What a great giveaway :)

10:49 AM ***

Congrats, Jackie!!! Please email me at momtwoangels@yahoo.com to claim your prize :D

What a little scrappy stuff can do!

My youngest is celebrating a birthday this week, and she requested that we PLEASE hang one of her Christmas gifts on her wall in her bedroom (isn't that pitiful?! lol). Well, she didn't realize that I was waiting to add some "stuff" to it before I put it up. So, I tackled it this morning with some older, but still favorite, products from Autumn Leaves, Making Memories, Heidi Swapp, and K&Company. I hope she likes it!

Last day to sign up for the book giveaway! Just add a comment to the giveaway post, and I'll post a winner tomorrow morning!

Scrapbook Store Owners ALERT

I've had several requests from store owners for information on ordering my book, Playing With Paper, to sale in their stores. It's easy - just call 1-800-298-0963 to place your order! Thank you for your support!!

Janet won't believe it

Let me explain. Janet is one of my oldest scrapping buddies - no, she's not old, but what I mean is that I've known her since the beginning of my scrappy life. We met when I was driving 2 hours to crop with a group of scrapbookers (something that was hard to find in those days), and she was driving 3! Since then we've shared lots and lots of good times. So, Janet came up for a visit this past week, and she brought along her scrapping stuff. She tried her BEST to get me to scrap something for her....and, I did try. But, I just couldn't! I've not gotten past my book burnout yet. So, imagine her surprise when she sees this album I put together today for a relative. She won't believe I did it ;) I used K&Company embellishments mixed with some buttons and various papers, and the white mats are 4X6 (or close) so that the mother can easily/quickly attach some photos of the little one. She's a scrapbooker, and I hope she likes it.

Playing With Paper give-away

To celebrate the release of my book, I'm going to give away a copy to one lucky blog reader (along with an assortment of scrappy product). To enter, just reply to this post (one entry per person)! I'll draw the winner's name on Monday, March 9th (2 weeks).

If you've seen the book, I'd love to know where and what you think about it! If you are looking for a copy online, Amazon.com is a great place to shop!

Kick It Up last peek

My second book, Kick It Up, with Greta Hammond co-authoring, is FINISHED. I have one last edit to do before it goes to print, and I wanted to share some little peeks of the last batch that went out the door last month.

Playing With Paper is available now at your favorite online retailer (Amazon, Target, Memory Makers), or in stores (although I've not spotted it on a bookshelf yet). I hope you'll check it out!

Catch up and Kit

Oh, boy, I didn't realize it had been almost a month since an update. Our weather has been up and down here, and we've been fighting off one sickness after another. I'm enjoying a cold, but sunny day here in Mississippi. As I prepare for a huge Scrapbook Blowout Sale (sooo many goodies that somebody needs to use, instead of it sitting here in boxes), I'm pulling out all sorts of stuff. I found this kit that I had stuck back to teach, and the right opportunity never presented itself. I taught it once before at a retreat and loved the versatility of it. I decided to give it a "girly" cover option by adding ribbons, 3-d glittered flowers, and some green paper for POP. I added some photos to show how easy it is to customize for your own themes - family, pets, back to school, pumpkin patch, fall, petting zoo, boys, friends, etc.

It is a kit packed with stuff -
8.5 X 5.5 SEI Preservation Album with 10 protectors included
American Crafts white chipboard thickers
7 Gypsies Fortunes rubons (love, love these numbers!)
Lots of papers and all the little buttons, circles, metal rim tag, brown paper clip, mini brads, and ring die cuts you see in the photos.
Color copy of project, and full instructions.

Only things not included in the kit are the 2 big stamps (Play and Smile). Any large alpha stamp will work, or you might even have these Heidi Swapp stamps in your stash.

Blowout Pricing - $22 plus shipping. Buy 2 or more (give the kit as a gift, or make one for a loved one), and they are $20 each plus shipping.

I also have a couple of Boo Albums left at $25 - look for info on an earlier blog post.

Hope you enjoy what is left of February! I've heard from several of you that Amazon is shipping your copies of my book :D Can't wait to hear your opinions and thoughts on it.

Tennis, anyone?

Anybody watching the Australian Open? I've been watching, mostly hoping to catch Federer or Nadal playing. But, in the meantime, I've watched some great matches, and tonight I caught the Delic/Djokovic match. SUCH a great match, and I was really rooting for Amer Delic to win. Federer is on the schedule, but I'm not sure I can stay up to watch, so I'll try to watch the rerun tomorrow. This love of tennis has been a surprise to me. I've watched Wimbledon for several years, but last year I also watched the US Open and other matches on the Tennis Channel, and I really like it! So, when I heard that Federer had committed to play in the Davis Cup matches in Birmingham, Alabama - just 2 hours away - I splurged and bought tickets to go! Olivia and I will be up in the nosebleed section, lol, BUT we'll be watching world class tennis (and hopefully Roger, lol) . I'm so excited! Tickets went really fast, and now they've showed up on Ebay and ticket broker sites for really ridiculous prices. Doing something like this is so unlike me, but I don't think I'll regret it. If you have any advice for a newbie attending her first big tennis event, let me hear it :)

Last call for fall 08 kits

I'm cleaning out the last of my kits from my fall classes. I have a very limited number, and I'm putting a clearance price on these (typically $40-$45, but now only $25). Email me at momtwoangels@yahoo.com, if you are interested. Kits are $25 each, plus actual US Priority Mail shipping. I'm also including free product in each order...could be ribbon, rubons, stickers, stamps, chipboard, etc.

AVAILABLE ** October Afternoon Boo Album - Showing the kit photos and the album. The owl is paper pieced using a pattern included in the kit. You can customize the album for fall, Thanksgiving, or Halloween with the included rubons, chipboard, flowers, rhinestones, transparency, and ribbon.

update *SOLD OUT* Scenic Route layout kit - all the product you see, plus instructions to complete 3 12X12 layouts. I don't have a photo of the layouts, but I do have this ad showing a piece of 2 of them.

update *SOLD OUT* BasicGrey Mini Album kit - I love, love this one, and the kit is packed with BG goodness :) Felt flowers, yummy ribbons, and instructions for adding pizazz to stickers with rhinestones, chipboard, and flowers. You can customize this album for any theme, although the cover says "all about me" (you can flip that over to the white side, if needed).

They did it!

I tell you what, we've had a round of some sort of viral bronchitis here at our house that started in December with me. The symptoms are fever and a terrible cough that keeps you from sleeping. After me, Michaela caught it, and ran fever for 5 days, PLUS a few days later was diagnosed with a double ear infection. Rich was next on the list, and he's still coughing and feeling bad 10 days later. Saturday, Olivia began running a fever, but her symptoms are fever and sore throat....hoping it's not what we've all had, and that it will run it's course quickly. Anyway, we had planned a shopping trip for just us girls, since they were on holiday from school. With her running a fever, that wasn't doable, so I suggested that they might want to make purses today. Olivia has had a couple sewing classes, but it was all new to Michaela. They chose their fabrics from my Heather Bailey stash, and we made the drawstring purse from Amy Butler's "In Town Bags" pattern. I think they did an awesome job, and they had a good time, too. Michaela loved her first sewing experience, and they both want me to plan another day for the three of us to sew :D I'm looking forward to more sewing this year. I've scrapped so much the last 18 months for my books that I'm due for a nice change of scenery, lol.

The purses finish at about 10"x10", and although I cut most of the pieces (to save time)and did the buttonholes, they pinned, sewed, and pressed the remainder of this easy purse. I recommend it for kids of all ages!

In the mood for Playing With Paper?

I think there is something poetic about opening the big box of returned artwork from book #1, Playing With Paper, which debuts in a few short weeks, on the same day that I mail off the last of the artwork for book #2, Kick It Up. I want to tell you - doing a book alone is a HUGE undertaking (and that is one reason why Greta Hammond and I are doing the co-author thing on Kick It Up!). One of the hardest things is creating so many pieces of art and NOT being able share. Most scrapbookers will agree - sharing is THE BEST. I love seeing layouts and reading the stories behind the photos. It's just an integral part of this hobby. So, opening this box and being able to see these layouts again, including my contributor layouts, was a boost to my flagging energy, lol. I still LOVE them, and I hope you enjoy them too. I hope the book inspires you to create more and to be happy while doing it. I hope it turns your "I can't do that" into "I can do that!"

The design of the cover and the interior of the book was totally up to the talents at Memory Makers. They chose the colors, the fonts, the presentation, the cover art, everything. "I Love You" is on the actual cover and "Make Art Everyday" was one of the earlier choices for the cover (you might have seen it at Amazon). Click on the small photos for larger versions, if you want to read the journaling. I'm hoping my advance copy arrives this week!

Kick It Up peeks

These are some little peeks at what I created over Thanksgiving break for my book with Greta Hammond called Kick It Up :D

Merry Christmas!

Yes, I know it was 3 days ago :) But, my tree is still up, I was eating leftovers yesterday, and my girls are still enjoying their gifts, so it's still Christmas to me. I hope your Christmas was filled with love and family and friends, and that the Lord richly blesses you in the coming year!

On the book front, Playing With Paper debuts early next year - early February, I think. They sent me the cover art to share. I have to say that I was really happy with the artwork in this book, both my own and my contributors, and I can't wait to see the completed book! I hope you'll check it out :D
Angelia

Getting in the mood

It's been a few months since I worked on book #2 for Memory Makers (titled Kick It Up). I've been printing photos today in anticipation of a scrappy marathon here at the Wigginton household. I have the week off from teaching school, and I'm going to spend a lot of the week scrapping for the book. This photo is a little peekie of some layouts I did for book #2 earlier in the fall. And, if you search Amazon.com for my name, you'll see my first book listed there - due out in February! That cover is an earlier version. I'll post the newer cover here soon.

Looking forward to Friday

Posting something good for a friend!

crowdSPRING, hire Kelly Purkey for your new Community Marketing Manager!

And, hoping you guys send me some scrappy vibes for next week as I need to crank out some layouts for my book :D One more day of school, and I can sleep late for 10 DAYS! lol

Life out there

Wondering where I've been? I feel as if I've been in my own little world - working and struggling to keep up with all my new duties as a middle school/high school math teacher. On November 2nd, I accepted a position at a local school (until the Christmas holidays). Going back to work full time has been quite a shock to this stay at home momma of 12 years, lol. Did I mention I've never taught school before?! I was a Computer Analyst BK (before kids). And jumping into a school system and preparing for 3 different classes in the middle of the term has it's special challenges. Just so much to learn. I'm teaching one high school Geometry class, three Pre-Algebra (8th grade) classes, and one 7th grade math class. Things have been going good, but I'm working long hours, and I want to be a GREAT teacher for these kids. They need firm, fair, encouraging, and motivating examples...and a little math thrown in ;)

Scrapbooking? What's that?! lol I'm also in the midst of online course work to qualify for my teaching license, and I also have deadlines for book #2 (with Greta Hammond). I'm planning to scrap like crazy next week, and all thru Christmas holidays to meet my book deadlines. What do they say on "Jon & Kate" (which my kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and watch all the time) "It's a crazy life, but it's my life."

Hope your Halloween was a happy one!

We actually celebrated on Thursday night, as mandated by our town. Our church does "Trunk or Treat", and we enjoy it because we get to see so many of the town children in all manner of costumes. Olivia was a witch again this year, minus the purple wig, and Michaela was dressed up for a slumber party :)

I want to give a big shout out to all the wonderful ladies who attended the Lasting Memories retreat last weekend, and to Julie and Barb!! We had a great weekend full of laughter and lots of scrappy stuff too. I arrived home after midnight on Sunday night, and needed to be at school by 7:30 for a week of observing teachers do what they do best - teach (and all that goes along with it)! It's official. I begin teaching Monday morning, and I'll admit to being very nervous. So much to do this weekend in preparation. I'll be monitoring an online Calculus class (until Christmas), and teaching Geometry, Pre-Algebra, and 7th grade Math. It might be Thanksgiving before I surface again! lol Have a happy November, friends!

Are you ready to party?!

Okay, Lasting Memories gals, I'm headed your way bright and early in the morning. I know you must be so excited about cropping the weekend away in Danbury! I'm in the midst of that last minute panic! "did I do this?" "will I have time to do that?" "what am I forgetting?" "what if it doesn't fit in my luggage?!" lol I'll be seeing you soon (and here's another peek at some projects I'll be teaching). If there is anyone interested in kits, I would contact Julie at Lasting Memories ASAP (914-219-5448). These kits are very limited. Back to packing!!

Cannot be possible

25 years?! I know it's true, but I'm finding it hard to believe. Guess the rest of these folks are feeling about the same :) Rich and I attended my 25th high school reunion, and they asked us to take a group photo. I thought everyone looked AWESOME, and I was glad to have the chance to see them again.