I'm back...

Got home a few hours ago from my trip and it was wonderful. Very relaxing (except for the tornado warnings! One touched down just a few miles away from us!). Here are the gals that were there...from left to right: Jennifer, me, Kathy, Debbie, Karen, and Jana. Thanks to Jennifer I was able to use the Scattered Showers stamp set that I had been wanting from Papertrey Ink. I did a few cards with it and just couldn't get enough.....

I used Diamond glaze on this card on the umbrellas to give it a wet look.....

and my favorite one..

I will be back tomorrow with some fun stuff you won't want to miss for the month of June over at the Bakery. Stay tuned! :)

I need to vent.....

ETA: I made it! I was surprised with a rental car to get me to my scrapbooking retreat. :)

so yeah, I'm supposed to be in Indianapolis at Cornerstone right now scrapping and having fun with new friends and where am I? I'm at home. I had some major car trouble on the way and had to pull over about twenty minutes into my trip. :( I would just take my hubby's truck but it is a stick and I can't drive a stick. Ted keeps insisting on taking me but that would be a 5 hour trip back and forth. I just can't do that to him but he is oh so sweet for offering!

This has just been one of those weeks...on Monday, my parents had to put down our family dog. she was 16 years old. So sad. I miss seeing her when I go over there. Yesterday, Alex came home to tell me that his sweet friend Jennifer (from middle school) was in a coma due to having TWO brain annurisms (spelling??). A perfectly healthy girl. SO sad. He is completely beside himself. Anyone who knows Alex knows that he doesn't like to see others suffer. He has such a big heart and it is hard to watch him deal with this. My prayers go out to her and her family. I simply could not imagine. And now, car trouble. Not the biggest issue in the world. We are healthy but I was really looking forward to this trip. I decided to go spur of the moment b/c my birthday is on Tuesday and I just wanted to have some fun! Bummer.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Just really needed to vent.

American Crafts Cardstock Challenge

Hi all! Back with another challenge. I seemed to be hooked on them lately! lol

The challenge was to use American Crafts cardstock, which by the way is AWESOME, and create a monochramatic layout. Here is my take on the challenge...This LO is about my trip to Cornerstone last month with the girls. The journaling reads, "Every year the girls and I travel to a scrapbook retreat house for a mini vacation of scrappin’ and relaxation, a crafter’s paradise."

To create the paradise title, I used American Craft's gumbo sticker letters but they were not the right color so I layed them down and brushed some paint over the top and then peeled the letters off. I used the sticker letters as a mask and then outlined the title with a black marker to make it pop.

Supply List:
All supplies are from American Crafts with the exception of the luggage symbol rub-on, clear circle tag, and buttons.

Speaking of my Cornerstone, I am heading there in just a few hours with Jennifer and Jana for a spur of the moment weekend trip. Can't wait! I'll be back Sunday night....

Dawn's and Kristina's Color Challenges

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. I have been busy in the studio creating and thought I would share what I have been up to. I decided to play along with Dawn and Kristina's color challenges.

First up are Dawn's colors....

and my card....I added some Diamond Glaze on the paper butterfly for extra shine. :)

And here are Kristina's colors....

and my card....

and a detailed shot of the clouds. I used Diamond Glaze again on the clouds for a bit of added dimension and shine....That's all I got for today. Thanks for stopping by!

American Crafts Challenge

I was checking out Wendy's blog the other day when I found a link to the American Crafts Blog where there was a challenge to create a wedding layout using their products. It sounded fun so I thought I would join in. Here are some shots of my LO ....

The journaling reads, "This is the moment I realized that forever would simply not be long enough." I was super proud of myself for handwriting my journaling. I need to do that more even though I don't really like my handwriting.

Supply List
All products are from American Crafts except for the Hero Arts stitched stamp. Most of the AC products were from the Amplified line.

Thanks for looking! Be back soon...

Kristina's Color Inspiration #52

Hi! Back again with another color challenge. These are the colors that Kristina had us work with....and here is my creation... How cute is that new owl stamp from Hero Arts?! I wanted to create a watermarked look so I embossed them with clear embossing powder.

Gotta run but I will be back with lots more soon!

Dawn McVey's Color Challenge #6

Hello! Thought I would share the mini card I made for Dawn's Color Challenge. Here are the colors we had to work with. They are so pretty....and here is my card....I know that it looks like the butterfly and the button are orange but it really is a coral pink. lol! I had to edit this picture heavily so I could show the subtle, clear emboosing on the white card. I stamped little butterflies in VersaMark and then embossed them with clear powder. (You can see it best in the upper, right corner of the card.)

I have been in my studio playing so I will share more very soon. Thanks for stopping by!

A Little Red Balloon...

Isn't it funny how a little red balloon can put a smile on your face? I was having a rushed morning and getting into a grumpy mood quickly when I went to take Alex to school and saw something in the front yard and thought, "Great! More trash in our yard!" (We live on a busy street and get a lot of trash because of the traffic) Well, when I came back it was on the other side of the yard so I thought I would get out and get the balloon just to get it out of the yard when I saw that it had a tag on it. I immediately thought it might be from the local elementary school, which is really close to our house until I read the tag.... The balloon traveled here to Cincinnati from Missouri! That just made me smile and got me out of my grumpy mood real quick. I'm thinking of sending a letter to the address.

Switching gears..... I also had a few cards to share:

This one was inspired by Mary Macaskill. I love all of her creations but THIS card she made really caught my eye. Here is my take on her card....

For the next card I created the background by dry brushing pink acrylic paint lightly, in different directions. I really like the result....And last but not least, here is one I did for Dawn McVey's color challenge last week....

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Q&A....

Had a little bit of time so I thought I would share my answers to your fun questions....

1. Do you work and if so what do you do?

Besides running Scrapbook Bakery, I also work with my husband. He has a full time job but I work with him regarding our two rental homes, which take a lot of work. He is the handyman and I do the paperwork and contact tenants and handle payments. My husband also just started a cleaning business and we start our first job in a week or two. So I am a busy gal. :)

2. What is your all time favorite movie?

This one is tough. I guess I will have to say Dirty Dancing. I remember watching that when it first came out a MILLION times! My parents bought me a total of three copies b/c I would wear out the VHS tapes! Remember the VHS tape days?! lol

3. What is the one scrapping product you can't live without, aside from the obvious things like adhesives?

I would have to say it is my stamps. I am constantly stamping on my layouts and cards.

4. Do you prefer sweet of savoury foods?

I like them both but if I have to pick one, I would pick sweet. I definitely have a sweet tooth. :)

5. I would like to know how you organize your scrap space...

Stacie, a video of my scrap space will be coming soon but I will tell you that my space is very organized. I like to have a home for everything and I hate clutter.

6. How often do you scrap? Is it everyday?

I scrap quite a lot. It really depends on what I have going on. Some weeks I will do something creative everyday and then other weeks I will not even go in my studio b/c I just finished a huge project and need to feel inspired again. It probably averages to 3-4 times a week.

7. What do you do on rainy days?

You might think that I scrap but I usually don't. I feel most inspired when it is bright and sunny. (I know, makes no sense. lol) Today it is pouring rain and I have the day off so I will probably spend the day in my p.j.'s, do some cleaning around the house, read more of my Twilight series, and catch up on some shows that I have on DVR.

8. I just watched your video on how to stamp with acrylic paint, and I am wondering how you clean your stamps afterwards?

Great question. I usually just use some baby wipes. However, when using acrylic paint you need to work a bit quicker. If you do not get the paint off right away with a baby wipe and it dries, then you'll need to use some soap and water with a paper towel.

9. I would like to know what YOU think the lasting trends will be? You know how things come and go- what will stick?

A couple of things come to mind. I'm not sure if they are "trends" or not but I do think that scallops are not going anywhere. I think for some reason adding scallops to any project, whether it's a scallop border, scallop circle, or scallop square, gives it a finished look. Also, I don't think that the home die-cutting machines are going anywhere and are only going to get more advanced. I also think that digital scrapbooking will get bigger and bigger. I love my paper and glue but I wouldn't mind learning how to do a few things and that is big since I am not a technology advanced kinda gal. lol

Thanks for asking such great questions. I'll be back soon with some creative shares....

Happy Mother's Day!

I was lucky enough to spend the day with this guy.....He treated me to lunch and was very excited that he could drive me there this year...He was also sweet enough to write me a long letter telling how much he appreciates and loves me (it's making me cry just thinking about it). I was also thrilled to get a pottery piece he has been working on. I just love my new vase and he even picked some flowers from the yard. :)

I would like to thank you all for the GREAT questions. I will answer them in my next post, but for now the winner of the goodies.....Congrats NICOLE! Nicole, you can thank my son for picking number two! Email me your address so I can get your prize out to you.

Off to watch Brothers and Sisters. Anyone else watch that show? I LOVE IT! Have a good night.

Rainy Day...

Since I have nothing to share that is blogworthy and since it is a yucky rainy day here, HOW ABOUT A GIVE-AWAY? Leave a comment on this post asking me a question, any question you want. I'll draw a name on Sunday night to receive some goodies from Scrapbook Bakery. Have a great weekend!

Mother's Day Gift...

Happy Monday. Tonight I thought I would share an inexpensive and QUICK handmade Mother's Day Gift since Mother's Day is just around the corner. Scrapbook Bakery is selling THIS kit for only $9.99 and with the 20% off coupon going on until Wednesday, it's a GREAT value. :)I wanted to play with one and I made this in about an hour and the only thing I used that was not in the kit was green paint and binder rings...... (I put a piece of black paper behind this just for photographing) The second page has a letter I wrote to Alex along with a pic of us....and the last page has a little list of ten things alex loves about me. My heart was melting reading each one......the back.... You could even do other themes such as "Memories with Mom" or "Mom's Best Advice". The Bo-Bunny dot cardstock would go great with this. You can find it HERE.

And since I had LOTS of leftovers I made a quick, simple card..... That's all I got for tonight. Email me if you have any questions. Be back soon....

NSD goodies winner....

Hope everyone had a great NSD day! The winner of the NSD goodies is.........SAMMIE who wrote, "I love the new kit! It's so bright and cheery! I've been participating in a couple online crops today for NSD. It's been fun! Thanks for the chance to win some cute stuff!" Congrats Sammie. Email me your address so I can get some goodies to you.

Before I get ready to watch some t.v., (I just love Sunday night television!) I thought I would share a LO I did about Alex when he got his driving temps....

One more thing...I decided to keep the 20% off coupon (NSD09) good at the Bakery until Wednesday. Happy Shopping!

New Kit and National Scrapbook Day Fun!

Since it is the first of the month, a new kit went up at Scrapbook Bakery. It's called Happiness because the colors just make me so very happy.....and I was also SO happy that sweet Lisa Spangler agreed to be the guest kit designer. Ya'll know what a big fan I am of Hero Arts Stamps and Lisa, being a designer for them, has always caught my eye with her style. So talented. I am in awe of her creations she made with this kit. Here are a few:
Also since tomorrow is NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY, I want to do a give-away. Leave a comment on this post telling me your plans, if any, for NSD. I will pick a winner (or two!) on Sunday to receive some goodies including some of the "ingredients" from this kit! I am spending NSD creating with some friends at a crop. It is starting to become a tradition every year.

One more thing! For all my blog readers, use coupon code NSD09 to receive 20% off your ENTIRE purchase at Scrapbook Bakery...for tomorrow only (5/2/2009). Have a happy day. Enjoy!!