Everything Scrapp'n Blog Hop

Wow I can hardly believe that it's the end of February.  We closed on the house Friday & it was a total miracle with the bank agreeing at the last minute to repair a lot of things.  This never happens on foreclosures so the only explanation is prayer did it - it was even CLEANED FOR ME by an dynamo with Clorox disinfecting everything.  I'll post some photos next week.  My world is utter chaos right now lol.  All my guys are busy painting the insides & getting everything ready for the move tomorrow.

So it's the 28th & that means Everything Scrapp'n Design Team Blog Hop & monthly challenge.  Michelle challenged us to use a holiday themed paper in an everyday way.  The design team will be showing off Pink Paislee Cupid.

"Scrappy Day" is my take on the challenge.  (I know I told you I was finished with CHA summer photos but I lied lol since most of the photos have been packed for a couple weeks pickings were slim lol).  It was fun meeting online friends & spending the day (and night) shopping & cropping.  You recognize last months guest designer Tracy (traychic) along with another friend from Paperclipping Iraida.

 

I got crazed with the hand stitching & making french knots in the center of the lace trim

Fussy cutting the paper to make flowers is inexpensive but doesn't lack style if you layer with gems, other pieces of paper & turn up the edges a bit....  I used similar color thread & one of the decorative stitches on my machine to add depth & texture to the paper. 

Layers separated by pop dots

Supplies:  Paper (Pink Paislee - Cupid Hearts Bloom, Pink Paislee - Cupid Love Potion, Pink Paislee - Cupid Postcards, & Pink Paislee - Cupid Bullseye), Flowers (Pink Paislee - Cupid Hearts Bloom); Trim (Webster's Pages - Olive Trim & Hobby Lobby); Gems (Jenni Bowlin - Pearl Flowers Marashino & Prima E Line Pearls); Letters (Pink Paislee - Expressions Alphabet Stickers); Tags (Martha Stewart for EK); & Floss (DMC); Thread (Coats & Clarks)

My favorite product I used on the page....  Webster's Pages Olive Trim

For my 2nd project of course I had to do a pet page.... but oh not your typical pet page for Miss Gussy.  It's an elegant page fit for a princess

 

Nothing says classy like Maya Road pins, velvet trim & some pearls

Throw in some Jenni Bowlin products & my favorite Pink Paislee papers....

and I got a snazzy page.

Supplies:  Cardstock (Bazzill Basics); Paper (Pink Paislee - Amber Road Bonfire, & Pink Paislee - Amber Road Postcards) ; Tags (Jenni Bowlin - Mini Classic Diecut Ledger Paper Set); Gems (Jenni Bowlin - Pearl Flowers & Zva - Pearls); Bingo Card (Jenni Bowlin); Pins (Maya Road - Trinket Pins) Chipboard (Maya Road); Trim (Hobby Lobby); Paint (Making Memories); Punch (Fiskars & Martha Stewart); Sheer (Heidi Swapp); Letters (American Crafts - Thickers & Making Memories - Glimmer); Staples (Tim Holtz)

My favorite product on this page is by far the Jenni Bowlin ledger tags.  I love anything ledger so these are a go to in my stash. 

Hope you have a fantastic Sunday!

Counting Down....

The house closing is delayed until some repairs are completed by the seller.  I have to say this is a mini miracle in itself as foreclosures usually are sold as is that's it no ifs ands or buts.  So we are shooting for Friday but no work was started on Friday which was a bit upsetting.  We're just trusting all will work out on time.  I'm so ready to get everyone painting the colors I chose & dictating move this here lol... really I love to paint & wish I was going to be able to get my hands messy.

In preperation for the move I was looking for a scrapbook organization book... Amazon took my order & money for one then 4 days later said they couldn't deliver/out of stock.  So that left me looking for something else.  I found a great ebook on scrapbook.com. 

It's marked down to $4.99 for over 100 pages of inspiration & ideas. 

I love ebook since I don't have to wait for shipping, they are much more economical, and have the ability to be current in their information.  You can order here.

I was able to get out of the house a little on Saturday... my son Andrew drove me up to my favorite LSS EMI Scrapbooking to pick up a pile of supplies that Susan the owner has been so sweet to pull & keep for me.  She is getting all kinds of beautiful  new products in weekly.  Teresa Collins, 7 Gypsies, Tim Holtz inks, Little Yellow Bicycle and Jenni Bowlin were flying out the door.  If you live near Cumming GA you should stop in.   They also sell mini album kits that they design.  The kits are filled with everything you need & detailed color photo instructions to make it easy.  Her super talented daughter Jen designed a to die for mini using new Teresa Collins baby girl line... it made me wish I had a grandbaby on the horizon & even tempted me to buy for future of when I do lol.  They ship the mini albums from their etsy store all over the world.

Have a super Monday!

Cold Monday

Well we dodged more snow last night & this morning.  Just some cold rain.

I'm moving kind of slow today.  After the tests on Friday I'm so sore.  Thursday I will go to 2 different doctors so hopefully I will get some news that they can at least relieve some of this pain.  Thanks so much for all the well wishes & prayers - it really means a lot & is keeping my spirits up.

I did get some happy email today... I'm on quite a winning streak lately... first the 2 wall clip it ups from Simply Renee and now a 5 week class (that I so wanted to take but with the move money was going to home improvement things right now).  It looks fantastic - here's the link for more info.

We're counting down the days to the move.  Closing is next week & there is so much to do.  My sons are so great they keep telling me not to worry about doing what I physically can't that they will take care of everything.  It eases my mind but not the level of frustration with myself not being able to do what I want to do.

I finished the last of my design team requirements for the month so that everything can now be packed away.  The page I worked on last night is filled with stitching (both hand & machine) that could be why my arm is hurting so much today... lots of french knots required both hands lol.

So I don't have the photos loaded yet of the snow or the sneak peaks of projects... I think I'll just answer some questions from the last week in the comments.

Viji asked about the font I used on the cat page in my last post... It's my favorite American Crafts Thickers style of letters called Jewelry Box - Chestnut.  I can't get enough of them - the perfect shade of dark brown.  I buy at least 2 packs at a time - it seems when  I have 2 packs they last a lot longer.  It's such a whimsical & interesting font.  With a mix of capital & lowercase letters.  I try to mix my fonts when using the Cricut & this pack does just that.  Everything Scrapp'n has some of the glittery colors (pink, aqua & white) in stock & on sale today.  45% off everything - Code: Valentines

Viji also asked about how I get dimension on a layout.  I use a lot of the "pop dot" style adhesive.  You can buy them prepackaged or make your own using craft foam & some glue.  I go for the prepacked since it saves me time & I think they are acid free. 

They seem to be getting harder to find in my craft stores (Michaels & Joann's) but Hobby Lobby usually has some & I can always find them at Walmart (I think they sell the Ek brand).  The foam adhesive comes in circles or squares and different heights (1/4" or 1/2").   The square size uses every bit of the foam sheet but the circles leave a "honeycomb" of waste when punched out.  I cut of the waste & use it in little pieces on the back of my flowers (perfect for the petals).  Some of the brands are stiffer than others (Ek).  My favorite is made by Zva (makers of gems similar to Prima) and can sometimes be found online at Everything Scrapp'n.

Zots has some dimensional adhesive in their line of glue dot style adhesive.  I tried a box with a coupon I had.  They are big blobs of traditional glue dot adhesive - though not as sticky.  I didn't like them since I couldn't cut them to fit my item & they were lumpy & showed thru paper (even Pink Paislee weight patterened paper).

Here's a couple of the common brands you can find. 

Hobby Lobby usually has the white ones

Archivers has these in their Hot Spot area

Walmart Ek variety (these are example of the circular leftover)

I have also found they are firmer than the other ones on the market.

I'm so excited for Stacey Michaud (her personal scrappy blog is filled with scrappy inspiration) - she did her first post over on the Pink Paislee blog.  She is one of my favorite scrappers who I also call a friend.  Check out her Technique Tuesday post.  She's a perfect addition to the Pink Paislee design team.  I can't wait to buy the new Pink Paislee products - the colors are beautiful & so many budget friendly embellishments will surely fill my basket. 

Well I hope you have a fantastic day.  I hope my computer continues to cooperate today (Andrew erased it & reloaded everything)... I'd like to be able to watch Sudie of Unkit do her live show tonight at 9:30 PM eastern time.

We're Hopp'n' at Everything Scrapp'n

I know we're a day early for the blog hop... no the snow or cold weather haven't knocked us off our rockers.  Heather just figured that many of you would be snuggling up to your honey on the 14th since it's Valentine's Day & not really thinking of scrapbooking.  So we'll be leaving the contest open all weekend either way you will not miss your chance to enter.  What's the prize this time... 5 yards of ribbon - leave a comment on the ES store blog.

I'm the first stop....

I love to watch the Olympics & back in 1996 we were fortunate enough to have the games here in Atlanta.  I still have a couple photos that were scrapped back then but among my water damaged albums so they have been crying out for a redo.  What perfect time then when the Winter Olympics are starting to inspire me to get them scrapped.  I had saved one of the event tickets to put on the page.

I loved watching the sports - especially swimming.  But what I remember the most is being able to walk all around town.  I'm talking miles & miles of streets closed to cars.  It was incredible.  I took the boys & their friends down there several times by myself & felt very safe.

The colors in the photos are so vibrant that I it was difficult finding papers that worked.  My Mind's Eye is always a good choice since "the backs" have simple patterns with pretty colors & every collection has a pretty stripe)

Using the Fiskars punch made easy work of threading the ribbon & string.  It creates a bit of geometrical interest.

I love this My Mind's Eye paper - it's the perfect background

The subtle details really have a lot of style. 

The weight of their paper is similar to expensive cardstock.

Supplies:  Paper (My Mind's Eye - Chasse' Notebook Doodles Paper , My Mind's Eye - Passion - Robin's Eggs Paper, My Mind's Eye - Grow Just Stripes, & Pink Paislee - Facinating Spectacular); Ribbon (American Crafts - Red); String (Coats & Clarks); Letters (American Crafts - Thickers); Journaling Spot (My Mind's Eye - Bloom Accessory Sheet); Bling (Prima - Say it in Pearls Strip Black); Border Punches (Fiskars); Adhesive (Tombow); Pen (American Crafts); Thread (Coats & Clarks)

For my second layout - you know I had to do a pet page.  I like to use unexpected products for my critter layouts.  Webster's Pages is so elegant & just what I wanted on this page with a photo that was just the oposite.  Just look at that pose - not too classy Pom Pom Kitty (yes that is HIS name - when we got him he loved playing with pom poms from the craft store & we started calling him that... shortening it to PPK lol)

I so need a new pen... my favorite brown American Crafts.

Adding a bit of stitching around the border sticker gave a finished look.

I like to stagger paper & ribbon to make a substantial border. 

It adds weight to the bottom of the page and anchors it.

This 12 x 12 sheet of stickers from Webster's Pages is a great value for the money.

Look at all the different images to use on many different pages.  I love the colors & details.

For this layout I used the outside shaped border & the simple circular border strip.

Supplies:  Cardstock (Bazzill - Kraft); Paper (Webster's Pages - Violette Winds, Webster's Pages - Soar Blue Skies, Webster's Pages - Wishes Come True, My Mind's Eye - Love Desire, & Webster's Pages - Grow Dreams); Border Stickers (Webster's Pages - 12x12 Nature Diecut Stickers); Border Punch (Fiskars); Trim (Prima - Trim by the Yard,); Chipboard Letters (American Crafts - Thickers);  Pins (Maya Road - Trinket Pins Clear Jewels); Thread (Coats & Clarks); Pen (American Crafts... I know I need a new one I'm almost out of ink lol).

I'm sure you will want to spend a bit of scrappy money this weekend. ES is having a great sale:  February 13th - 15th, Happy Valentine's Day! 45% off your entire order, Code: Valentines


Well that's all folks from me today.  I'm spending the weekend recovering from my stay in he hospital Friday for tests relating to the fall in December (I'm hoping this will give the docs the info to treat me & relieve all this pain... I want to get back to my old self ...

The next stop is Jana she always has some beautiful creations & the cutest little boy.


I hope you have a fantastic love filled weekend.

It's my Birthday

Another year older and wiser... at age 47 (yikes that sounds old - that is so pushing 50) .  I am blessed with a fantastic husband, loving sons, caring family & dear friends.  That really is what matters in life.  I can't wait to move at the end of the month.  We'll have double the space & I'm treating that as my HUGE b'day gift this year. 

Today while checking my blog email I see something from Bobbie at Simply Renee (the Clip it Up people).  Last week they had a giveaway & I left a comment.  Well it seems I was the winner of 2 hanging Clip it Up products!  I'm so excited since today is my birthday I'm thinking of it as a fantastic gift.  I chose the hanging one & the swing out one.  They will be perfect for my new scraproom.  Their blog has some great topics - not just organization (yes that is there) but lots of techniques & tutorials.  Here's the link if you'd like to check it out.

These are really going to solve a lot of storage/organization issues I have.  Thanks Bobbie & Simply Renee

Now for some updates....

Everything Scrapp'n will be blog hopping a day early this month. We usually hop on the 14th of every month but Heather thought that since it's Valentine's Day & most of us will be snuggling up to our honey we'd post on the 13th. So remember to check back then for inspiration & a chance to win a great prize with just a comment.


Have you entered the Monthly Challenge at Everything Scrapp'n? The topic is "Show the Love" in honor of Valentine's Day I wanted you to do a layout focusing on loved ones.... Here's all the details - remember to post by 11:59 on Feb 7th for your chance to win a $20 gift certificate to Everything Scrapp'n Online Store.

Speaking of challenges... I posted the February Monthly Challenges over on the Paperclipping Forum.  I hope you will join us.  There are some great topics to get your creative juices flowing & the winner will be spotlighted in the newsletter that is read by scrappers all over the world - it's like being "published".

Speaking of Paperclipping. have you been listening to the Roundtable?  I can't believe there are 5 shows already.  Noell Hyman (of Paperclipping) & Nancy Nally (of Scrapbook Update) are the dynamic duo of information.  The shows are so packed with great info, guest celebrity scrapper insights, & keeping us in the know about everything scrapbooking.  I love that it's an audio show as I can listen while I'm checking email, blogging, or scrapbooking.

Well that's all I have for now... hope you have a fantastic day!

Spam... grrrr

I hated to do it but I put the word verification back on my blog.  I love to blog surf & try to leave comments but the word verification to a person with mild dyslexia is a challenge for sure - you should see sometimes with those ones that are really hard to read after 4 or 5 tries I am calling my sons or throwing the mouse.  But it seems I have been bombarded by spam comments lately & I don't want you to have to look at that nonsense so even though I didn't want I am trying the word verification to stop it.

I see that a lot of blogs use the feature where all posts are approved.  Let me know which you use & if it has helped with spam.

A quick update on my health issues... I went to the hospital yesterday for conscious sedation during the MRI tests I needed. Apparently the nerve pain even when heavily drugged breaks thru & made me want to turn on my right side a bit & lift my shoulder to get more comfortable so I wasn’t able to finish even one test. I'm so discouraged by this & normally I can just tough it out gritting my teeth - this pain is honestly worse than labor pain or kidney stones passing (I didn't think anything was that bad). It's the same level of pain as waking up from surgery in both the shoulder & both legs. Anyway now I go to another hospital for total knock out sedation. I feel ridiculous for just MRI but I have to get these tests done & figure out what is wrong. My quality of life right now is really low & it's so frustrating. Especially with getting ready to move.


I've been dying to share... we finally got a signed contract on a house! Searching foreclosures has been a challenge to say the least. I cannot believe the competitive bidding wars that we've experienced during our hunt. But with a lot of work & prayer finally we are under contract. Now we just have to get thru the appraisal & closing.... I can't wait to move in - it has a wonderful sunroom that will be my scrappy space. Here's a photo of the front. (I'll share some others later since they aren't on this computer)

So with all the bad lately there is some good.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Everything Scrapp'n Blog Hop

It's the 28th so that means it's challenge time at Everything Scrapp'n!.  Once again it was my month to choose the topic.  So in honor of Valentine's Day approaching I am calling this challenge "Show the Love".  Scrap about  a relationship of a loved one.  It can be with you or their relationship with another.  Did I mention the prize? Every layout entered gets you a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to the Everything Scrapp'n Store! Check the store blog for more details & all entries are due by 2/7. Good Luck & can't wait to see your take on the challenge.

I went a bit out of the box scrapping the relationship of two of our dogs (lol).  Yes we're those kind of crazy dog people - but if you are a regular reader you already know our critters are family. 

The design team is showcasing Nikki Sivils papers from the Everything Scrapp'n Store.  As always each of us will link you to some products & pull out a couple we like the best.

The whimsy of the "Cherries on Top" background paper was the driving force behind turning up the fun in my design.  Adding the brads on each scallop helped to define the beautiful edges of the paper.  I further defined the frame by stitching next to the brown border.  Nikki's paper is perfect for distressing to make my circle layered "flowers".

Adding the brads on each scallop helped to define the beautiful edges of the paper.

I further defined the frame by stitching next to the brown border.

 Nikki's paper is perfect for distressing to make my circle layered "flowers". To keep continutity with other elements - a bit of stitching adds dimension and the buttons were topped with more brads over one of the border flowers. 

Shhh - don't tell that I was out of the letter "e"... I cut the "&" sign to make it work.  The fun design of the Jewelry Box font by American Crafts fits with the other letters.

I pleated the ribbon by running a basting stitch by hand then gluing with some liquid Tombow Mono Adhesive. 

I always love the dimension that Martha Stewart punched butterflies add to a page - the quick addition of a couple of gems define the bodies.

Supplies: Cardstock (Bazzill); Paper (Nikki Sivils - Cherries on Top, Nikki Sivils - Cherry Strips for You, Nikki Sivils - Cherry Sweet, Nikki Sivils - Cherry Blast, & Nikki Sivils - Cherry Tree); Letters (American Crafts - Thickers Jewery Box & Pink Paislee - Cardstock Alpha Stickers); Ribbon (American Crafts - Backyard Stem 1); Brads (The Paper Studio); Punch (Martha Stewart - Butterfly); Bling (Hero Arts); Die Cut Edge (Doodlebug - Frills); Circle Cutter (Creative Memories); Buttons (Misc Stash); Thread (Coats & Clarks)

For my next project I was in the mood to do some Valentine cards.  I don't have a lot of holiday stamps so I try to make it work with the everyday sentiments I have.

You all know what a Pink Paislee fan I am... This Love Potion paper in the Cupid line is a sure stand out & is very versitile.  LOVE it - I bought several to keep in my stash.

Supplies:  Cardstock (Bazzill - Kraft & Bazzill - Chocolate); Paper (Pink Paislee - Cupid Love Potion, Pink Paislee- Cupid Bow & Arrow, & Pink Paislee - Cupid Bullseye); Lace (Prima by the yard); Trim (Wrights); Thread (Coats & Clarks); Punch (Stampin' Up - Tiny Scallop); Stamps Card 1 (Hero Arts); Stamps Card 2 (Unity Stamp Co); Ink (Ranger, Stazon & Colorbox)
 
I'm sure you will want to see what the other designers did with the challenge... head on over & leave them a bit of love.
 
Jana
Michelle
Tracy
Teresa
 
Thanks for stopping by!

CHA Picks

I'm so bummed not to be in California looking at all the great new products... grrr all these health problems.

Oh well it hasn't stopped me from looking at all the manufacturer blogs & seeing the footage that different scrapbookers are uploading.   Noell of Paperclipping & Christine of Scraptime can always be counted on for CHA videos.  Noell & Izzy Hyman's are very professional & they get awesome interviews with interesting people.

Ok now picks for must have best sellers this season....

Pink Paislee was the stand out Summer '09 CHA.  I used the heck out of 3 of the 4 lines released (the 4th was Halloween & I really liked it but just don't do a lot of layouts for that holiday now that the boys are grown)

Well Pink Paislee has outdone themselves.  All of the releases are gorgeous!  The colors, patterns, embellishments, & price show that Pink Paislees lines have it all.  I'm super excited about the pleated sewn ribbon (sure will take the work out of that on my pages)

I've been buying gaffers tape from 7gypsies for quite a while.  I'm so glad to have these beautiful rolls that will surely be added to my stash for use on pages & mini albums.

Tim Holtz is sure branching out into everything.  I could do an entire post about him... he's sure to be the star of CHA winter 2010.  Tim has a ton of great new products debuting.  He's teaming up with Sizzix with an awesome new diecutting machine, some fantastic die cutting shapes & embossing folders.  Here's some of my favorite shapes that are on my wish list.

Here's all the dies in the collection and a few of the embossing dies

Check out this machine that looks like a suitcase!

Here's a few of my favorite of Tim's new embellishments

Tim's even releasing 3 collections of papers!  Here's my favorite.

I haven't even mentioned the new colors of Distress Ink, Distress Stickles or his fantastic stamps.  Check out his blog for all the new products released.

Sassafras Lass has some of the most colorful & fun papers out there.  I love the diecut edges & I find that is what I use the most leaving the paper to sit in my stash.  Now they are offering packages of only the edges.  I'm doing the happy dance & will be buying these for sure.

Cosmo Cricket is teaming with Core'dinations Cardstock to offer these great embossed cardstock collections.

Teresa Collins is releasing 4 lines this time.  I'm so glad she is back with a bang.  Her elegant papers are double sided & include lots of tags/journaling spots yet they are always among the lowest prices of quality papers out there.  In the past you couldn't beat getting at least 12 journaling spots for $ 0.69!

The ecraft by Craftwell was sneak previewed last CHA.  It's not just another die cutter.  I was impressed by the fact that it DIDN'T USE A MAT!  Just stick a piece of paper (up to 12"x12") in the machine & it will cut anything from your computer.  This is why I haven't bought the Sillhouette.

Prima of course has some breathtaking products hitting the market.  Here's some beautiful flowers that seem to be frosted with sparkles & a beautiful bling flourish that they are famous for.

Tattered Angels has some beautiful new Glimmer Mist colors & is introducing some paint into their collection.  Heidi Swapp has joined their team & has some beautiful colors.

Other companies I will be buying:   Webster's Pages has lots of beautiful lines coming up (in addition to their beautiful paper, vellum & trim we all love they are going to offer unique embellishments, alphas, diecuts & more),  Lily Bee (love the sheet of 4 - 6x6 diecuts), Jenni Bowlin (no one does bingo cards & interesting embellishments better), Fancy Pants (their papers are great - there's a good mix of background & detailed papers).

Well that's enough enabling for today.  Share with me some links to YOUR favorite new products being released.