I'm going to be a scrapbooker again!

Good morning friends! I've been wanted to get back into my "scrapbooker" mode. While I was in Germany it was a challenge to get my photos, and since I'm not very quick with the digital aspect yet(but I'm working on it!) I have missed the paper and photos combo! So, I've made a goal to get back to my roots...as this is where I started my papercrafting love affair!

Today I have a layout I made about my daughter. I LOVE these photos from this summer. We were at the park with my sister and her kids while visiting my parents. It was a beautiful summer evening and I the 100% perfection of these photos. Well, perfection is relative isn't it!? Photography isn't my forte, but I am so happy to have caught these shots of my little girl. The pure joy she is having...I love that.
My journaling reads "Lovebird. I'm not sure where that name came from. Daddy started calling you 'Lucy Lovebird' a while ago, but now it is usually just 'lovebird.' You are such a ray of sunshine in our family. You are kind to everyone. You show love to everyone that you know. You are willing to help in whatever way you can. You acutally ask for what job you can do next...what 5 year old does that!? You are a wonderful loving sister and daughter. You help us all to show love. I love you my dear sweet Lovebird!"

I used a sketch from Jana Eubanks for the starting point on this layout. My products are a lot of SU stuffs. Patterned paper: Sweet Pea dsp, some old retired papers. Old Olive cardstock, MS flower bed border punch. MM Paperie Rouge journaling book, AC sticker alphabet. Stiched felt flowers from SU.

I'm really hoping to get more layouts posted...it felt SO good to scrap today...I'll be back in the saddle in no time! Now that I'm all done with my photo project...I finished putting our photos from Germany and Europe into photo albums...14 albums to be exact...that means 4200 photos! All the photos I have in my possession are organized and right where they make sense in my head! Now, I can feel good about scrapping...I know where the photos are that I love and that makes for one happy momma!!

I also did something that made my Lovebird very happy, I gave her all the photos that she took, with our little camera. We learned very quickly that a camera did wonders to keep our little people happy while on their long walks through foreign cities! It's fun to see things through her eyes, and she's excited to "scrapbook" her photos...yea!!

I hope you have a great weekend! Take care and I'll check in again Monday! Make it a great one!

Scrapbook Challenge

Hey friends! Today is a sad day...I've got to pack up my studio! How sad is that!? I've got to say "air shipment" or "sea shipment". The air shipment will be packed tomorrow, which is great, that means that VERY shortly after we arrive in Seattle, we'll receive this shipment. However, that means that I'm having so say goodbye to them all today! I can't bring everything I'd like in the air shipment, so I'm having to choose...how difficult! It's almost like choosing children! (Maybe not THAT extreme, but you catch my wave?!)

So, I've got some things that hopefully I'll be able to share this next week, if everything goes according to my plans! Today, I'm sharing this scrapbook page of me and my sweet little Ruby. I wanted to participate in Jennifer Buck's Clean and Simple Scrapbook(CAS) Challenge. I loved her sketch...so thought I'd hurry and play along!
This photo of Ruby and I has been sitting at my desk for a few weeks-as I've been organizing photos and I love it! She is so big now, walking all over, eating everything, cutting molars, just growing up! Anyway, here is my take on Jennifer's Challenge.

My supplies are all SU. Vanilla(although looks washed out white) cardstock for my background page. I used mounted my photo on basic black, then added an old olive scallop edge. I mounted that all on Real Red cs. The black polk-a-dot flowers are rubons are from "A Perfect Day"(as are all the rub-ons on this page), that I rubbed onto vanilla cs and punched out with my 5 petal punch. I added some red rhinestones and added them with dimensionals. The Real Red bloom is from the die cut bloom set. I used another rub-on(too cute for words), used my 1 3/8" cirlce punch to punch it out, and then mounted it on an old olive scallop circle punch.

Thans for the challenge Jennifer! It was a fun one!:) Thanks for stopping by friends! I hope that you are all enjoying spring weather...our weather can't seem to make up it's mind! Snow, sun, rain, sun, snow, sun...all in one day!:) Have a great day and thanks so much for your visit!

Scrapbooking...oh, it was fun!!

I feel like 2009 is just beginning...I'm finally getting the organized part of me all organized(just in time to start the moving across the world again thoughts...)and put together, and I'm ready to take on a few of my goals. One of my goals is consider myself a "scrapbooker" again. I do love it, but I got out of the mood a while ago, and now, after ordering hundreds of photos, I'm really wanting to use all the products I love and that I hoard...and make a nice place to display and tell my sweet little family memories! Sometimes, it's hard to make it "look" right. I remind myslef, that really, these pages are for my family...so relax Jen! I was reading recently in a Stampin' Success article(a great publication for SU demos.) and was reminded that yes, there are "rules" but my scrapbooks are just that, mine! So, I'm going to enjoy preserving my family memories...and enjoy watching my kids love them too! So, with all that:) here are a few pages I made today, because I LOVE these photos of Ruby! And really, I want that(love of photos) to be my motivation!

I'm working on getting better at photographing the pages, but you get the general idea!:) I was really excited about the ribbon...I've seen similar ways of using ribbon, but hadn't tired it until today...and now, I don't think I'll stop! I ran a strip of adhesive down the seam of the papers, and then just used my finger to make a "loop" and then stuck the next peice down...the last photo of the post shows the ribbon closer. I might be tempted to grab my sewing machine and run a stich or two down the ribbon, but the adhesive is working, so I think I'll hold off on the sewing.

Items used: all SU unless noted

cardstock: Old Olive, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette,

designer paper: Old Olive, (an old retired one I can't remember the name of!)

punches: 3/4", 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" circle punches

rubons: a perfect day, chit chat, greatest moments, the R is american crafts

ribbon: 5/8 regal rose

buttons: SU and misc.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Thank you for all the well wishes we've received...I'm crossing my fingers that we're all getting better...we're all walking around today, so that is a good sign! Hope you have a great day!!

I love having just the right things...

I was really excited when I was asked to make a little book for a co-worker at my husband's office. I was given a stack of photos and asked to make something for her to remember her time at the office, etc.. So, now this is the third book I've been asked to make. I have had these naked chipboard books for a long time (they were a 1$ spot at target find), and it was perfect for this project! I used a scrap-kit that retired from Stampin' Up! this past catalog. I LOVE the colors, bashful blue, wild wasabi, pumpkin pie, real red...GREAT colors. I have really enjoyed using these kits, they make a project like this take just a few hours. So, while my Ruby was sleeping this afternoon, this is the book I finished.

I used my ATG gun to cover the chipboard covers. After I had put the polka dot paper on the front cover, I opened the cover and laid it on my cutting mat and just used my hobby blade to cut the window out, then sanded the edge with a sanding block. I love the self adhesive flowers and flourishes...so fun! And the strips for borders etc...lovely!! CEE stands for the department that my friend works for at the office. I used thickers (AC) for the CEE, so that they really stood out against the wasabi polka dot paper.

Here is one of the pages-just to show how simple I made the book. I used the same "general" format for each page, only making slight adjustments-and that kept my time to a minimal. Oh, I also used the scallop edge punch on each page...just a little bit of fun there!! I had a great time with this project! I love when things just "come together" and you are happy with the result!

Thanks for stopping by!! Make today a great one!!

My Little Birthday Girl!

We have a birthday today at my house...my little girl is 4 years old today!! I completed this layout right before we went to the states this summer. These are some of my very favorite photos of her...they were taken right before she turned 2. But I love them and finished this page for her and wanted to share a little bit of Lucy with you! She took her cupcakes to her class today...and her teacher just emailed me 39 photos of their little classroom party! They decorated the room, the tables...etc...she had SO much fun!
I just wanted to share this little piece of my daily joy...she is such a great helper. She is learning the importance of being obedient, she loves her brother, sister, mommy and daddy "lots of" and she makes helps me feel joy! I truely know that she -as well as my other children-are Heaven Sent, and I thank the Lord daily for the blessing of being a mother. After a few recent events in my extended family, the fact that life is very precious has been on my mind heavily...I am trying harder to enjoy every day and make wonderful memories with my little sweet ones!!

Thanks for stopping by! Make today great!!

Love Always

Here are some of my latest layouts...these pictures were from a beautiful spring evening in the backyard. I can't believe that these three little ones are growing so fast! I do all I can to keep them from growing....we have so much fun together! They love each other so much! I am so thankful for these little ones!!

The second photo is the left side of the layout, the top photo the right side. I found this fantastic Amercian Crafts paper and started from there. I love Old Olive, as you all know, and just am really happy with how the layout came together. It was inspired by one of the sketches from the Got Sketch 101 class. So, old olive background paper, strip of AC paper, and then I turned another smaller strip of it over for the lime green strip. I can't believe I used NIght of Navy! I don't use that color very much, but I love it with the photos and the paper...it really works!!:) I used prima flowers with colored brads for the little accents. I am really loving scallops, and have found them on most of my creations as of late! I just used my scallop scissors for the little strip under the photo of my girls. I used some making memories rubons for my title "Love Always" they are pink, and the photo doesn't show then really well. I then used my marvy uchida circle and scallop circles for the finishing touches on the title. I did also use my corner rounder on the corners...and I'm really loving that little punch right now too!!!:) For my journaling, I used one of my jumbo wheels-I think lots of dots-stamped with old olive ink.

Thanks for stopping by today!! Hope you have a great summer day!!

Got Sketch 101

I'm really feeling the desire to get back into my "scrappin'" mode, and I found a fun online class called Got Sketch 101. I stole a few moments yesterday to play...and this what I came up with!:) I love these photos of my husband and my little girl. They have so much fun together....so here is my "silly" page!

I used pumpkin pie textured cardstock, and the summer picnic designer paper (shocker, I know!), old olive cardstock and ww cardstock. I used scallop scissors, marvy uchida circle punches, the 5 petal flower punch, diecut blossoms, big deal alphabet, sticky circles and clear microbeads. So, here is my getting back to putting my paper to work!!

We're off to Paris for a long weekend...and I won't be home until Tuesday night, but I'll share a photo or two of our trip when we get back! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! And thanks for stopping by!