Monday, August 31, 2009

busy, busy, busy...

I've been working on so many fun projects...but most of them aren't sharable yet, darn it! 

I'll give you a hint though...I've become quite tight with this baby:

554

We are continuing to spend plenty of quality time together.  I'll share projects when I can!

Here are a few peeks at some projects I made for American Crafts...and you can see the entire project by clicking on each image (for the link):

ac_qk_layout_detail1_sm

and this:

ac_qk_box_open

and this:

ac_blueskies_layout_springtraining_details2 

And I've also been having lots of fun with the boyfriend:

cc_howdy_card

cc_phonetag_card

what were YOU thinking???

...and there is so much more...I'll share when I can! 

Happy Monday! :o)

Monday, August 24, 2009

peek-a-boo...

No, I'm not trying to play games with you...but I would like to introduce the newest kit of the month from Creating Keepsakes!  You guessed it...it's called "Peek-a-Boo" and it's full of fun stuff!

 Peek-a-boo Cardstock Kit - <b>Pre-order your kit, ships Sept. 1!</b>

Here's the information from the KOTM website:

The Peek-a-boo kit includes over 75 sheets of 12x12 diecut cardstock. Add variety and interest to your scrapbook layouts with over 550 pieces, including
• Full 12x12 diecut background sheets
• Diecut shapes
• Diecut journaling spots
• Diecut frames
• Diecut words/captions

Here's a layout I created with the kit:

peek_kotm_layout2

 peek_kotm_layout2_close2  peek_kotm_layout2_close1

and a quick & easy card:

peek_kotm_card 

It is a really fun kit to work with - and there's a TON of product included...it will last a long time - and the colors are really fun - they will go with so many other products I have here at home.  I'm excited to add little bits here and there on future projects. :)

You can check out all of the details here.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

be happy kit winner...

 jo said...

My four grandkids ( 2 boys, 2 girls) make me happy, happy, happy!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:10:00 PM

Unfortunately, Jo, you didn't leave an e-mail address, so I can't contact you directly.  So, if you are Jo - with four grandkids - please e-mail me with your mailing information so we can get your kit sent out to you!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment...even if you didn't win a kit, I hope your week was happy!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

hurry...

...quick - head over to the Creating Keepsakes blog and leave a comment on this post! 

Unless you don't want to win this baby:

tamron-18-270-vc-b003_rgb

If you don't want to win, you should still go over and enter...and if you win, you can give it to me! :o)

Speaking of the September CK...did you happen to see anything interesting?  Like a cute scrapbook room?  Just wondering.  We'll definitely be chatting about the Sept. issue soon! ;)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

be happy...

Not too long ago, I received a sweet e-mail from a gal named Kim. Kim is the owner of Express the Moment – a scrapbook kit club- and she asked if I would join her design team for the month of August and use one of her kits. Of course, I agreed and when the kit came in the mail, I was so glad I’d told her yes. I’ve never worked with any of the product that was in this kit, so it was fun to use something different!

The kit I received is called BE HAPPY…who wouldn’t love to work with a kit called be happy?!?

There was a LOT of product included in the kit – so much that I was able to create four layouts and four cards, and I still have lots of product left for future projects. I’m excited to be able to share my pages and cards here on my blog. I won’t go into detail explaining what I did on these pages…if there’s something that isn’t completely obvious, I’ll note it below the project.  And, of course, if you have any specific questions, ask in the comments section or e-mail me!

Here’s a peek at what I made:

just skip it layout

etm_skip_it_layout

no.1 destination layout

etm_no1_destination_layout

*the border along the left edge is actually something I created by using the die-cut swirl (from the kit) as a mask and dabbing & rubbing my ink pad over the top.

*I added the rub-on flowers to the pre-stamped tag to personalize it a bit

*I ripped the “journey” tag in half for my journaling and inked the edges

newport beach layout

etm_beach_layout  

*I actually used a white sheet of cardstock for my base so I could conserve a bit more of the gray cardstock – I simply trimmed the gray, glued it to the white cardstock, and then added the patterned paper on the right before stitching down the seam

*The border on the left is an example of one way you can use leftover strips/scraps

*See the swirl next to the clock on the bottom? That’s the one I used for a mask on the destination layout

*There is a vanishing ink pen included in the kit - I used it to draw a line so I could place each rub-on letter in the title straight.  I didn't use it on the journaling...but you could definitely use it for that also!

you make me happy layout

etm_you_make_me_happy_layout

*as you can see, I don’t like to limit myself to a specific page size – the other three are 8 ½” x 11”, but this is a 12” x 12” – I like to mix things up a little

*adding buttons in the center of the circles is a fun way to add dimension to patterned paper

*sometimes I like to wrap ribbon or string around my pages or page layers – I’ve found that by using a small circle punch to make little notches on my paper the string stays in place better.

*I stamped “you make me happy” on the chipboard circle and it wasn’t drying very fast – so I sprinkled a bit of clear embossing powder on it and set it with my heat gun so it wouldn’t smear

*I used my small scissors to trim the circles (one flat edge) so I could place them along the side of the photo without having any of them overlap the photo or outside edge of the patterned paper

you make me happy card

 etm_you_make_me_happy_card

*I used a circle punch to make a notch in the top of the patterned paper block – then I simply flipped the punched out piece around and placed it right back in it’s spot – a quick and easy way to add a little bit of interest under the chipboard accent

be happy card

etm_be_happy_card

*here’s the other half of the journaling tag I ripped for the destination layout – it’s tucked underneath the light green stamped block (bottom left)

love card

etm_love_card

*you don’t have to use rub-ons exactly as they are placed on the sheet…I cut apart the words and placed them in a half-circle instead. I also used a portion of the postal cancellation rub-on image on the butterfly wing

thoughts of you card

etm_thoughts_of_you_card  

  {Everything I used on these projects was included in the kit except the stamping ink, one 8 1/2" x 11" white cardstock sheet, the jute, and the white thread.}

Now for the really fun part – Kim has generously offered to send one of my blog readers a complete August BE HAPPY kit!  All you have to do leave a comment telling me something that makes you happy.  And be sure to leave an e-mail address so I have a way to contact you if you win!   I’ll draw a random winner in one week (next Saturday, August 22nd) and Kim will send you a kit of your own.

August_Moments_Collage

Would you like another chance to win a kit? Visit Kim’s blog – she’s giving a kit away from her blog too!

And if you aren’t one of the lucky winners – you can still make yourself happy by bopping over to her store and purchasing a BE HAPPY kit for yourself!

Thanks for stopping by – hope you have a HAPPY weekend!

Friday, August 14, 2009

laundry...

Is it weird that sometimes I actually LIKE doing laundry?  Don't tell anyone.  I guess it's not the actual washing that I enjoy...and it's not the sorting either.  It's the drying.  At least in the summertime.  I love love love having a clothesline so I can hang my clothes out to dry.  Don't worry - I still dry the unmentionables and the towels in the dryer...but everything else gets pinned up on my clothesline.  mmmm...love the crispness and the fresh scent.  Love it.

  cc_fresh_detail3

So when I first laid eyes on this fun scrapbook line, the boyfriend, by Cosmo Cricket,  I knew I needed to make a page all about my clothesline obsession.

 cc_layout_fresh

And so it is with tremendous sadness that I report the loss of my beloved clothesline. 

Early this summer, we purchased this:

DSC00262

And it now resides directly in the path of my old clothesline.  I know the play set will bring hours and hours of joy and fun to the kids...and that makes me very happy...but in the mean time, I'll be missing my fresh, crisp clothes!!

Monday, August 10, 2009

christmas in august...

...Well, at least a Christmas layout in August!  I created this layout for the Scrapbook Trends blog - in honor of their newly released Holiday Idea Book.

I used all new Making Memories MISTLETOE products (so fun!).

The layout:

st_mm_christmas_layout_wendysue

The details:

 st_mm_christmas_layout_detail1_wendysue st_mm_christmas_layout_detail2_wendysue st_mm_christmas_layout_detail3_wendysue

The supplies:

MM Cardinal Mistletoe Paper
MM Pattern STripe Mistletoe
MM Trees Mistletoe
MM Mistletoe Glitter Foam Poinsettias & Bird Stickers
MM Mistletoe Poinsettia Blossoms
MM Mistletoe Journaling Book
MM Love Notes Alpha Stickers
MM Love Notes Tiny Alpha
MM Shimmer Brads
Black/Tan gingham ribbon
black pen
white thread
1 - 5x7 photo
3 - 3x3 photos

You can see some other fun holiday projects here.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

scrapping to breathe...

Last December I was able to get together with a group of amazing girls - you might remember...because I blogged about it, of course. ;)  Some of the gals I already knew, and some were brand new friends.  I happened to sit next to one of the girls I didn't know - her name is Brenda.  I sure enjoyed chatting with her all through lunch - I could just tell she was someone I would be happy to call a friend.  I haven't seen her IRL since that day, but we've chatted on the phone, through e-mail, and through our blogs pretty regularly.  She's super sweet, talented, and fun.  She's a great mom to three cute little kiddos -  and one of her sons suffers from Cystic Fibrosis.  Of course, she wants to do all she can to help find a cure for this fatal disease...and that's why she's combining a few of her passions and organized a fundraiser - in the form of a crop! 

Here's the information

Scrapping to Breathe

date: September 12, 2009

time: 10:00 a.m - 10:00 p.m

Place: Courtyard Marriott

1803 Woodland Park Drive

Layton, UT 84041

Cost: $50.00 or $150.00 for table for four

Purchasing a table is only available until August 24th - after that it will be $50.00 a spot

(if you would like to purchase a table email Brenda - and she  will go over it with you - thanks!)

The cost will include your scrap space for the entire day, dinner, class (product included), and a goodie bag! And know that 85% of your donation goes to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation which is what we are scrapping for - right??

There will also be silent auction items, raffle drawings and store items - 100% of that will go to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation. Her husband's company is generously donating a QK Silhouette! How cool is that!

Brenda asked me to join her at the crop and I'll be bringing some fun ideas to share in the form of a layout demo/class - sponsored by one of my favorite manufacturers -  O'Scrap! 

  If you would like more information, please visit the blog Brenda has set up for the crop - Scrapping to Breathe or you can e-mail her directly with any questions.

I hope some of my friends and blog readers will be able to join us!

small town parade...

Last week was our annual county fair.  The kids were all in the parade...so Brad and I felt like we were on a little date...for about an hour and a half, while we watched the parade from a curb on main street and waited for our kids to pass by us!  I took pictures of almost everything - so the kids could see later...here are a few of my favorites:

wasatch county parade 2009

The three boys were on the UVU float (top left corner and bottom right corner).  Our cute neighbor, Katie, who works at UVU, invited them to ride again this year and they were SO excited!  Meagan is on the fire truck (the center column, 2 bottom photos) with her awesome baseball team...but don't strain your eyes looking for her, she's on the opposite side of the truck.  bummer.  Hopefully my sister was able to get a picture of her to share with me - I heard she was on the other side of main street.  (I think if you click on the collage you'll be able to see it bigger, if you want to.)

It was funny to watch the drill team...they were doing a parade routine that looked eerily similar to the one we were doing over 15 years ago.  And do you see that teeny tiny horse pulling those people in the wagon?  I couldn't decide if that was cute or terribly mean.  Still can't decide.  The other photos are just fun things I thought the kids would like to see - my favorite was the dog in the back of the ranger all decked out with flags and red/white/blue banners.  :o)

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

slip and slide...

I can't think of a better way to spend a hot summer day at home...we love the slip & slide!

These photos are actually from last summer - but don't worry, I have lots more from THIS summer that I'll be scrapbooking eventually as well. (I know you weren't really worried.)se_letters_photo

I thought it would be fun to share this little technique for title letters.  I used my Slice die-cutting machine to cut letters from extra photos.  It takes a little bit of practice to be able to line up the machine with the area you want to cut, but once you figure it out, it's super fun to be able to include the extra little details in this way. 

se_letters_photo_detail 

The word "fun" is also cut from extra photos...I just cut the letters from the actual slip and slide images...so the yellow matches perfectly with the other photos.

se_letters_photo_detail2

(I used this layout to demo how to create titles with something other than letter stickers when I filmed some scrapbooking segments a few months ago.)

In other (scrapbooking) news...I am so excited to be invited back for a full year on the

American Crafts Design Team - the new release looks amazing and I can't wait to play with it all!

Monday, August 03, 2009

free stuff...

Do you like free stuff?  I do.  Especially free ink cartridges for my printer.  I get them from Amazon.com.  And the last several times I've ordered them, they've been free.  Gotta love that, right?  I could get other stuff for free - but my choice has always been Amazon gift cards.  (you can also get Target gift cards, PayPal cash, clothing items, pretty much anything you could want)  Did I mention it's free?  And super easy...as long as you have a computer. 

It's as easy as googling.  Only instead of Google, I use Swag Bucks.  It's a search engine and it's super easy to use.  You simply download a tool bar, and any time you need to find anything online, you use the Swag Bucks search engine, rather than Google (or whatever you use now).  Randomly, you will be awarded points for searching, and when you earn enough points, you can cash the points in for prizes.  It's super easy. 

I've installed it on both of our computers and the points add up SO fast!  It doesn't take any extra effort (once you've installed the tool bar), so you get rewarded for just doing your normal thing.  So...if you're interested in getting free stuff, please follow this LINK and sign up for Swag Bucks!  You can also click on the Swag Bucks image over there --------------> at the bottom of the right-hand column.  :o)