Finding Time for a Challenge

Simply Scrapping started a new sketch challenge format, so I decided to try my hand at the card challenge this week. I like making cards, but I question my abilities when comparing my work to the likes of Lesley, Clare, or some of the other Simply Scrapping members. However, I consulted with my trusty (and sometimes annoying) assistant, Ace (who you can see in the background "assisting" with my photography, and we rooted around in our stash to come up with this design.



The patterned papers are from Making Memories Mistletoe collection, the rubons are from Cosmo Cricket, I used a few dots of Stickles on the tree for ornaments, and the other stuff (jewels, rickrack trim, fabric) are from my stash. In fact, that fabric is at least 20 years old!!!

This card is for the October Challenge #1, so if anyone is interested in participating, just hope on over to Simply Scrapping, join up, and have some fun with us.

On the procrastination front, I have been working diligently (or not) to get my scraproom/office in order. It looked like a bomb went off in there since about May, and I just could not get myself motivated to get things organized. I did purchase a couple of wall shelves at Ikea in July, but purchased the wrong size brackets. Since Ikea is a 2 1/2 hour drive from me up near DC, I had to find the time/opportunity to get up there to purchase the correct brackets, which I did a couple of weeks ago. Now I am getting back on track and should have everything completed (except painting the room) soon. As far as painting, I decided that I would figure out where I want all the shelves and things that have to be attached to walls to go first, so that if I do any damage to the walls making extra holes, I can patch all that up before I paint. (Yes, I know it just sounds like another excuse to procrastinate, but just go with it for now.) I will post some photos of the space when I get done in a couple of weeks. For now, at least I can get into the room, and can even do some work in there without getting buried in a pile of scrapping paraphenalia.

Where did the time go? (Part Deux)

Wow - almost October already, and my crafty/scrappy efforts have been nil for the last few months. Lots of exciting goings on in my life though - new kitty Ace, business growing by leaps and bounds, daughter started her 3rd year of medical school, son a high school sophomore and playing varsity football.

I did finally make some time for Halloween cards for my little grand-nieces and -nephews though, so here are a couple of shots of those cards. I saw a display at my LSS with Queen & Company supplies, and derived these cards from one of those designs. They were fun to make, and my new asssistant Ace was busily trying to "help". I will probably be finding embellishments under furniture and rugs for the next couple of months!





Ace was a barn cat that would not let anyone pet her. When my son saw her, he knew she was the one he wanted, so he spent over an hour luring her to him. Once we got her home, it was as if she had been born here. She has made herself quite at home.

Here is another picture of her greeting her new "neighbor" the squirrel. I have a pecan tree in my backyard, and this squirrel spends all day, every day, carrying pecans across the deck to his secret stash. Ace just happened to be at the window looking out as he crossed the deck one time, and I just happened to have my camera handy.



Here's another one of the little princess!

Where did the time go???

Okay, it's already July 2nd, and where did June go??? I have been busy the last couple of months with other things, including reorganizing my scraproom, so I have not done any actual scrapping. Plan to get back to it this month.

I also wanted to provide an update that two of my layouts were published in the latest version of Scrapbooking.com online magazine. I am excited and honored!

Scrapbooking.com Magazine

This link takes you to a page where you can sign up for their newsletter. Just click on "Table of Contents" in the left column, and scroll down until you see the article titled "A Rainbow of Ideas".

The article is about these two layouts, "Colors of a Mother's Love" and "Lizzie's Garden". Both of these layouts were previously published here on my blog, but I had to "send them out for publication", so they were taken down for a while.





Thanks for stopping by!

I Got Published on Scrapstreet.com Magazine

Hey everybody! No, I have not been procrastinating, even though I have been absent for awhile. I had to study for an extremely difficult certification exam, so had my nose in the books for the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, the exam is over and passed, so woo hoo! and a pat on the back to myself!

I did want to say that my "Grandma's Gaggle" layout got published on the new issue of Scrapstreet.com Magazine at http://www.scrapstreet.com/mag2009/2009june/fixtures/pet.htm . Of course, my mom (who happens to be "Grandma" in the layout with my son) does not have a computer or internet access, so I asked my niece, who lives near her, to show her the page on the internet. I think she'll get a kick out of that!

No new scrapping projects, although I intend to get busy this week and make something. I am in the process of reorganizing my office/scraproom - if you saw it, you would know why!!! Most people would shriek and run away. I am sorely tempted to, but will get it rearranged and cleaned up and organized, and hopefully that will last at least for a few months! If messiness is a sign of creativity, then I must be really high on the scale - hee hee!

Thanks for stopping by to visit! Y'all come back now!

Aunt Tee's Gang of Munchkins

These are my grand-nieces and -nephews. Lily is the oldest, then Bridget, then Michael (those 3 are brother and sisters), then Anastacia (their cousin), then Isaac (brother to Lily, Bridget, and Michael). I only get to see them a few times a year, but I love them all dearly and enjoy spending time with them.

This layout is the third in my series of color spectrum layouts, in which I have used the same set of patterned papers. The first two layouts are out for publication (yah me!) on Scrapbooking.com, and will be published online on July 1. I have placeholders for them here on my blog.

I really enjoy seeing how many ways I can use those sheets of paper. I don't know what made me think of this design, but it just came to me. I think we used to make these woven paper baskets when I was a kid, or maybe my kids did it when they were much younger???

I cut out the photos as silhouette shapes and used foam tape squares to adhere them to the design.

The base and the white woven part are Bazill cardstock, the papers are an assortment that I chose from my stash for their colors, and most of the embellishments are assorted things I had laying around. The blue gems are K & Company, and the rub-on letters are American Crafts Mini-Marks. The large black chipboard letters are from Colorbok - I painted them black with Ceramcoat black acrylic paint by Delta.

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Grandma's Gaggle

This is my Mom, my son Chris, and just a few of the gaggle of various sorts of ducks and geese that have made themselves my Mom's pets. When my Dad was sick with cancer, my Mom started going down to the pond everyday to feed the ducks and geese - that was her way to get away from the stress of caring for my Dad, if only for a few minutes. My Dad passed away a few months ago, but she still goes to the pond every evening around 5 pm, and her pets scurry over from wherever they are - most of them are usually there waiting for her arrival (or maybe the food's arrival).

I made this layout from my May kit from A Kiss On the Chic. It features October Afternoon papers, Bazzill cardstock, Thickers, Pink Paislee letters, and various other embellishments that came with the kit. The alphabets and the lacing string were the only things I used that were not in the kit.

Here are a few closeups of the details:







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Wheee! (redux)

Okay, so I just wasn't satisfied with the Wheee! layout the first go around, so I had to go back and fiddle with it a bit and add some things. I thought the big green title in the center of the page, with very little other green, just wasn't balanced. So I added some Heidi Swapp butterfly masks with the same green paint, and went back in with some stickles around the masked images and added some Stickle flourishes. I think it looks better now - still not my favorite, but I think the photo saves it! The photo is priceless!!!