My Graphic 45 entry

Here is the page that I made for the May challenge at Graphic 45 - to use strips of their paper. I used strips folded to make the ruffle and I used strips that I wet a little bit to form into the bow. I also used strips to make the vertical piece, I punched and layered them.



Also on this page I used the some products from the june kit at YMBD.

In other news, we are going to Savannah tomorrow for my in laws 40th anniversary. Congrats to Kenny and Phyllis on this wonderful and impressive milestone.

hmmmm, what does it say about our society that we are truly awed by 40 years of marriage. I mean, not that it was ever something to sneeze at, but something tells me that before divorce became so prevalent, it wasnt such a big deal to make it to 40 years. Although at that time I guess it would probably have been a big deal to LIVE to see 40 years of marriage. hmm interesting to think about. Still, I think it is pretty great.

My pre-birthday birthday

Last night when I got home from work, Seth and Ellie had a pre-birthday birthday party all ready for me! (Ellie is going to be at her Nana and Pop's house on my actual birthday and she would have been totally bummed if she missed celebrating)

They made me a cake and Ellie decorated it - with sprinkles and good and plentys and jelly beans and strawberries - lol! and 3-0 candles! Ellie was so proud of herself! and so happy to show me my cake! Seriously that's all the birthday present I needed! But that wasnt all - they got me a bunch of mylar balloons. (at the dollar store - go Seth, you are learning!) And Ellie had to show me that each one said "Happy Birthday" and one was shaped like a cupcake. Then they had a gift for me, that Ellie had helped buy and she even made the wrapping paper! (she colored on a big piece of paper) It is a GC for a massage at a local spa! Yay! something I totally need! Then we had pizza (my favorite kind) They sang happy birthday. And we ate the cake.

Oh and I got lots of photos, some I even let Seth take so I am in them! and in almost all of them Ellie has smudges of chocolate frosting on her face from 'sampling' the icing while decorating! The smudges were almost artfully done so I left them there for a little while.

For all you scrappy types out there, here is a page (I just hate reading blogs with no pictures!)

Its from a page maps sketch (it was supposed to be for their 3rd anniversary contest but I dont know if I am going to enter it) and it is almost all sassafras lass, except the stitching rub-on which is Daisy Ds from Scrapbook Dreamer.



And last but not least, I got an early birthday present from Scrapperie!

Lily Bee Just Be Me contest entry

This is my entry for the Lily Bee Just be Me contest. I chose to make a book FOR myself about my weight loss motivations. Now I can look through the book and remind myself what is more important than candy.

I used the die cut papers to create the base of the album. I glued them to cardboard (from a mailer envelope) then cut them out, and cut them in half to make the pages. Then I covered the other side with a coordinating Lily Bee paper.

In addition to the Lily Bee papers and die cuts, I used YMBD scrapbooking journaling spots, die cuts and corrugated cardboard shapes. The brown frame, some of the brads and many of the trims are from Chatterbox. The flowers are from Prima and cut from Lily Bee paper on my Slice. The book plates along with the small brads are from JoAnn. I also used some Kaiser pearls along with miscellaneous metal findings, and trims.














of course I used copious amounts of ink, and my bind it all also.

All of the titles were printed on my computer, by printing first on a test sheet of paper, then carefully positioning the diecut or journaling spot so that when run through the printer a second time, the text was centered.

My weekend

I had a truly great weekend and I am back at work now feeling refreshed and recharged! That hasnt happened in WEEKS! I went into the weekend thinkign that I had a ton of design team scrapbooking to do, a crop I kinda wanted to attend (online), a ton of laundry, a dirty house and not enough time. Friday DH wanted to go see the new Star Trek. I wanted to go too but I really didnt want to take the time. I went, and I am glad I did. The movie was great and I still had enough time the rest of the weekend to get my scrapping done. Friday night I had a bad case of vertigo, and again, got stressed about getting everything done, but on Sat I was feeling better. I sold some stuff at a kids consignment shop, got a ton of scrapbooking done - I even had time to scrap for FUN! *gasp* We went to a carnival and had some good ol fashioned family fun time together. Then I scrapped some more. Sunday morning Ellie and I met my parents for breakfast and then went to Micheals where I FINALLY found the butterfly punch that I wanted. Then I went home and scrapped more (I still had some things that I had to do even though I had done some pages for fun.) Then at the end of the day I even had some time to watch a little TV!

Here is my favorite page from this weekend. From an ACOT sketch. Sassafras lass papers, a YMBD Scrapbooking label and american crafts letters and rubons.

Fun giveaways and reviews

you have to check out this site /blog vanillajoy.com she reviews all kinds of things including craft room organization, scrapbooking furniture , kids toys and has giveaways on her blog.

She also has tips tricks and unique solutions for all sorts of things, including discipline for children.

Guest Creative Team at ACOT?! YAY!

I can't believe that I forgot to post this. I was chosen as one of the two guest creative team members at A Cherry On Top.com !

I am so excited! being on the DT there is one of my major goals. I guess because it is a really big site and it was one of the first that I started hanging at. So, this is pretty huge for me!

and here is another Sassafras page for you:

Win a Slice! in YMBD's 92 days contest

Here is a quick run-down on this contest from the announcement thread:
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Contest Details
When: June 1st to August 31st, 2009 (92 Days)
Submission Deadline: September 30th, 2009
Submission Location: 92 Days of Summer Contest Gallery

How to Participate
At the beginning of each week (Monday) we will post an inspiration thread with some tips, tricks and a YMBD original sketch. You will be required to take one photo a day each week (7 photos/week). You may choose to use some of the tips and tricks we've suggested and the sketch, or not (that is up to you). Either way, you must take one photo a day each week, and create a layout with your 7 photos (this will result in 92 photos over the summer and 13 layouts).

You must upload your layouts to our "92 Days of Summer" Gallery, located (Deadline for submissions: September 30th, 2009).

You must keep track of your progress and keep your tracking post up to date.
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Seriously, this is not as hard as it sounds! there are going to be sketches and lots of inspirations and I think there are going to be provisions for if you miss a day or two. And most of all there are going to be MAD PRIZES! There are sponsors lined up for first and second and third prizes, and of course there is the Slice. Digital layouts are also acceptable.

But I'm not really the authority on this, stop over to the message board to get all the details. HERE

Ode to Scrappy Goodness

Yesterday was the best scrappy goodness day EVER! First I went to the LSS to drop off my DT projects and pick up my new supplies. The assignment this month is to use Graphic 45 papers. Now I havent yet been a big fan of Graphic 45 so I wasnt all that excited with this assignment, until I saw the new Travelogue line! I had to buy the entire thing! Now I can't wait to get scrapping the rest of those Europe photos! While I was there, I decided to buy myself a Mother's Day present, since Seth doesnt think it's his job to get me one, and Ellie is too little. So I got a few things that I have been coveting for months - Technique Tuesday flower petal stamps,
























7 Gypsies gaffer tape, and a Stampers Anynomous Tim Holtz stamp set.




































Then I got home and found my Sassafras Lass blog candy box containing the entire Vinatge Yummy and Anthem paper and sticker lines! So after taking inventory of what came in that box, I went online to ACOT and used my GCs from the crop to order the Sassafras brads and felties and chipboard that didnt come in the box and a couple prima flowers. Woohoo!

And just for fun, here is a page that I made on NSD weekend, of my nephew Evan, on Sassafras Lass anthem paper. (yes I already had most of the anthem paper that came in the box, but that's ok because I just adore Sassafras, so I can always use more!)

eeek! I won - twice!

Imagine my surprise when I read my blogs this morning and found out that my Sassafras Lass blinkie was spotted and I won a prize pack of Sass Lass goodness! It came just in time because I used up much of my stock on NSD. I just hope they put some Vintage Yummy in there, since I still havent been able to get my hands on any of that! Oooh ooh and dare I hope for the elusive felties?! Ahhhh, seriously though I will be thrilled with anything Sassafras, I adore all of it.

And as if free Sassafras Lass isnt great enough, they put one of my pages up on the blog! woohoo!

Check it out here.

Then, as if my day wasnt already great, my "This Mom" layout was chosen as the layout of the week at ACOT.com! I have never been the layout of the week before and with all the wonderful creations from NSD crop, I just can't believe it. I feel so honored!

Here is the post.

and here is the page, the challenge was to write about a woman you admire or respect.



Bird is from YMBD scrapbooking, paper and sticker is sassfras lass (go figure), paper and pearls are prima, letters are chatterbox and creative imaginations, misc ribbon, lace and paint, foam adhesive, kaiser pearls

Ellie's first layout

Here is a page that Ellie made this weekend for National Scrapbook Day. I am so proud of her, she did it all by herself and I love how she put the ribbon at the top and bottom of the photo! (I did have to put glue on the ribbon for her because her glue stick wasnt working on the ribbon but she put it where she wanted, I didnt even hint!)

New YMBD and Sassafras Lass Page

Here is my first page with the new Sassafrass Lass Anthem papers, and the YMBD scrapbooking April monthly kit. I used a Swirly Bird Cardstock Embellishment, Graph Paper Scallop, Who/What Classic Label, and Chipboard Apple from the montly kit.

I also used paper and stickers from Sassafrass Lass Anthem, paper and letter stickers from Sassfrass Lass Get Happy, Letter stickers from Jenni Bowlin, American Crafts and Making Memories. For the border, I used a Sassafrass Lass die cut border to trace the scallops, then I colored them in with a red Copic marker to give a subtle color difference.



For the apple, I painted the YMBD corrugated cardboard apple red, then added the tiny alphas. Next I covered the entired thing in glossy accents to give it a sort of epoxy look. Finally I added the chipboard '1' thicker.

For the balloons, I cut them out of the Sass Lass paper as one big set, then I cut them apart so I could ink all the edges and layer them on foam adhesive. When I put the set back together I just overlapped them a little bit more than they were before so that you can't see there the balloons are incomplete.


Since I had inked everything else, I had to ink the ymbd die cut swirly bird too. That was a bit of a pain with all the detail, but I am happy with hot it turned out. I only put a little bit of adhesive in the middle of the tail so I could sort of 'fluff' the tail feathers. I added more foam to pop up the cloud sticker. Finally I used a Making Memories brad as the center of the smaller flower sticker for just a bit more dimension.


and here is a little secret (shh dont tell anyone) the 'i' in ride is actually a 'j'. I just covered the tail of it with the flower because I didnt have any i's.

now if only I could finally get my hands on some of that Vintage Yummy and the felties - sigh. I just love Sassafras Lass.

YMBD Gives Back Crop!

It's finally here! Another crop at YOUR MEMORIES BY DESIGN starting tomorrow at 7PM Eastern/6PM Central time. Check out the forum, and come join us in the fun.

and even better than just fun and prizes - this crop is 'giving back' - for every layout you complete some YMBD bucks (which will be converted to cash later) will be donated to a cancer charity. How great is that? get some pages done, have fun, win some prizes AND give to charity! Sounds like a fun weekened to me!