in the middle #2

I CASEd this card from someone--wish I had saved the photo/name to give credit. I love it so much!  I put the butterfly & mat in the top middle of the card to meet the Simon Says In the Middle challenge.

Crafter's Companion Mouse in Yellow

I was excited to be asked to be the guest designer at Crafter's Companion this month.  That provided me with just the motivation I needed to make this little card.  I painted the bows and the dress with some yellow glittery powder that I got from Luminarte after coloring them in with markers.  I made it for Crafter's Companion's sunshine/yellow challenge, Moxie Fab World's splatter challenge (I did splatter some of the Luminarte powders on my card stock before stamping it to make it seem like the sunshine is splattering all over) and finally for my friend Stacy's challenge to add pearls to your card.  I was lucky to have a friend who gave me the beautiful crochet flowers. I popped my pearls inside them.  Isn't this mouse sweet.

I'd like to encourage you to join the Crafter's Companion challenge this month.  The prize is awesome! A $30 gift card to their store. You can pick what you'd like.  You just have to use a stamp that they sell and the color yellow.  Pretty easy, right?! :-)

I'm hoping to craft more next week. So, you may see some layouts next week.

Also, just a note that we still haven't sold our house!  Please send prayers and positive energy our way! Thanks and have a great day!

Thanks for visiting!

Have you been wondering where I have been?

Our family has been very busy lately! We have been getting our house ready to sell. We plan on moving closer to my husband's job which is about 45 minutes away! We just wanted to let our son finish high school where he started! He loves being on the speech and debate team!

Speaking of the speech and debate team! We just found out that our son Mitch
"earned the National Forensic League’s highest degree of student membership, Premier Distinction. A degree of Premier Distinction reflects sustained excellence in classroom activities, competition rounds, and service projects. Students may earn points in six separate categories: speech, debate, congress, service, district and national. A total of 171 high school students earned the Premier Distinction degree between September 2011 and January 2012, placing them among the top half of one percent of the NFL student members."

We are so proud of him! He acted like it was no big deal, but we say it is!!!!

Anyway, this is the cover of a Smash journal I plan to make. I always try to make time for my friend Stacy's challenges no matter how busy I am!! I am also entering it into LESSology Challenge #11: Flights of Fantasy.

Thanks for visiting!!!

My Sister, My Friend

Here is my twin sister in various moods at the Heard Museum in Phoenix earlier this summer.  I was really excited this morning when I found this sketch by Sketchy Thursdays and the combined "friend" challenge at Scrapfit!!!! I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get lucky this week! I play these two challenges all of the time and haven't won a prize on either challenge--now, mind you, I have been very lucky all over blog-land winning prizes, and I am not complaining!  I just love the prizes being offered this time! :-)  My friend Stacy wanted tickets on a layout, too. They represent "ticket to fun" to me.  I've won many of Stacy's challenges, so I play for fun (though I still win a lot) there and hope more of you will play along so she can send prizes out to as many different people as possible!!! She's such a gracious and friendly host!  I did a little spritzing on the layout which is hard to see in the photo but looks pretty good in person!  I'd been hoarding the multi-colored clouds for a while as the company who makes them is no longer in business to my understanding.

Thanks so much for visiting! I won't be posting much in the next few days!!!!

Engrained - Tempe, Arizona - ASU campus

I was really excited when I saw this lovely paper and other goodies from Webster's Pages "box" sale! I knew they would go perfectly with the Engrained photos I took or had taken when my sister and I visited there!  Engrained is all about sustainable, fresh ingredients! And, if you can see the words I left showing through the paper, you can see that it could be Engrained's mission statement! The food was so good there that I highly recommend you make the effort to get out to Arizona State University's Tempe campus and eat there if you are in the area (near Phoenix). It looks really casual inside, and the food is kind of served "cafeteria" style (though it is made fresh and brought out to your table), but it is gourmet food. The prices are pretty reasonable, too, considering you get a drink and don't tip there! Yum! I wish I could eat there right now! I made this for Simon Says.....Who wants some FOOD & DRINKS????

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope your week is wonderful!

Leo and Stuart at the Zoo

I made this cute little layout of Stuart and Leo at the zoo. The alligator is a CTMH fussy cut image which I stamped on green paper and then embossed! I actually have changed this layout a little bit in that I added two fun jungle-type leaves that I punched from a Fiskars spunch that I got from Tania Willis! Too lazy to rephotograph but suffice it to say that it added some cuteness to the top yellow circles!  Thanks again, Tania!  I used a sketch (I think #230) from Sketch Inspiration for this layout!

Have a great day!

My Beautiful Mother in 1963

I made this out of the Heartfelt collection from MLS! I just love it! Erin sent it over to me! I was thrilled to get it as it is my favorite collection from them!  I look at this picture and see so much beauty there! My mother had this made for my dad when he was sent overseas right after they got married! It must have been hard for them to be separated. They haven't been separated since and are still as in love now as they were then!  I'm entering this in a challenge at Sketches 4 All...

Thanks so much for stopping by! It makes my day!

This is Actually Me - Can you tell?

I made this using Sketch Inspiration 221 (?)! My friend Stacy sent me the Imaginisce Roly rosies and tool to make these flowers lickety-split! I love making these flowers anyway, and this tool and precut spirals make it so fun to do! I love the Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends collection. I got it from here! Thanks!

Thanks for visiting!

I've said a prayer for all of those military who are serving us now and in the past! I hope you will pause to think about them, too!

My Mom at Thanksgiving 2010

I made this layout of my mom  in her kitchen at Thanksgiving in 2010 for Scrapfit's latest challenge.  I was so surprised that my mom actually let me take a picture of her.  My dad built the kitchen by hand.  It's hard to tell, but their counter tops look like little cookies to me.  The Lily Bee Design paper couldn't go better with them if they tried! :-   For Scrapfit's challenge, we were to use strips on our layout from 2 different manufacturers--mine are from Lily Bee Design and CTMH.  I also included a row of embellies as instructed.   I used a doily, rhinestones, pearls and a flower for Michelle's challenge at Sketches 4 All.


By the way, most of the layout came together as a result of winning a kit from Scrapcetera.  I was surprised when Sarah closed her kit club.  She offered her very well designed kits at such a reasonable price.  I believe she is still selling her remaining kits on Etsy. Here is the link if you'd like to check it out! http://www.scrapcetera.com/

*These are a Few of My Favorite Pets* :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

I made this for *These are a Few of My Favorite Pets* :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) using a Crate Paper sketch! It is mostly Mia. I used Helmar zap dots to add a little dimension to the cirlces.  The pearls and tiny letters are Kaisercraft.

Meijer Gardens - Textures and Colors

I made this layout from a sketch by Sassy Lil’ Sketches. Every single one of the rectangles are textured with the exception of the darker yellow which is from a Prima tablet I received from a friend. I had all of these tiny photos of some of Chihuly's sculptures as well as some orchids from the gardens when we visited this June. I thought the sketch was perfect for these photos! If you follow my blog at all, you are probably wondering: "Just how many photos did this girl take at the gardens?" Well, too many I suppose! I'm still not finished scrapbooking them!

Vintage Tag

Well, I got out my needle and thread on this. My mother-in-law gave me the beautiful pearl beads! I don't know who the girls are--thought they were beautiful. They remind me of my mom when she was younger (at least from the pictures I've seen)! The gorgeous flower is Prima. Paper and ribbon are from Cosmo Cricket! I was pretty happy with this! I distressed the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I did the tag for Sketches4All/you!

If you like it, please consider leaving a comment! I "live" for comments. Well, maybe not "live," but I sure enjoy getting them!

Grand Rapids -- Meijer Gardens with Chihuly

I made this for the Pages in Time Thur Sketch of the Week July 8. It fits Blue Moon and pearl July challenge at PIT.

I did hand-make the blue flower to resemble the Chihuly in the top photo. I also used some hand-made shimmery mist on the circles and Chihuly label... It's a lot prettier in real life. Wish the photo could show the shimmer and the glitter I used on the Chihuly letters, butterfly and flower!

1969 Twins

A cute little 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" LO of my twin sister and me! I am on the left! We were 4 1/2 in 1969.  The blue background is Marcella by K.  The flowers, circle paper and journaling spot are Making Memories.  The little scallop is hand cut from Glitz Designs.  The little pearls are from Mark Richards.  The green crochet flower was made by my blog friend, Jessica.  She sent it to me all the way from Australia.  Isn't it cute!?  She is now selling the little flowers on Etsy! I love Etsy but wish people could find artists' work easier.  As many of you know, my husband is an Etsy artist. So, I'm also letting you know her shop name (she said it was ok):  http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessicatheodore.  

My Niece Looking Cute in a Feather Boa

Hey, wouldn't you like to scrap-lift this layout to win a prize from Leslie Guerrero of Divine Design Kits?  I know first hand that her kits are awesome!!

  

Go to http://truexoxogirls.blogspot.com for all of the details!  You can scrap-lift as many of the wonderful Lipstick Chick layouts as you want! Hope to see your layout there! The deadline is June 30, 2010! Don't forget to come back and vote for your favorite!

1995 First Swim

I did this for a Butterfly Craft's challenge.  I had to include at least 3 of the following (but I did it all)!!  The prize for the challenge some great Nikki Sivils' products! Her products are so unique! If you have never seen or used them, you should go to her blog to see it!! I am also submitting to Scrapbooking Supplies R Us since it fit so well! I don't think Karen will mind since she is on the DT there!! :-)

Yellow - - (in Nikki’s paper and elsewhere)
Red - (in Nikki’s paper)
Bee's - American Crafts Dear Lizzy rub-ons
Buttons – Nikki Sivils’ burlap buttons; and a yellow button for the sun from my stash
Brown (in Nikki’s paper and elsewhere)
Glitter – Copper Stickles
Pearls – Mark Richards
Banner – American Crafts Dear Lizzy rub-ons
Ink - CTMH
Stamping - CTMH
Any Nikki Sivils product   -- My Sweet Cherry Pie; burlap buttons

Other:  handmade flower (in sun)

            Clouds die-cut from Sizzix

200804 Dream Big

I did this layout for a My Mind's Eye challenge based on the song Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and The RubberBand.  These pictures were taken in 2008 during my niece's sophomore year in high school.  I thought the song fit very well because teenage girls have so many challenges to face these days.  They have so much more to deal with than I did as a girl.  This tribute is a reminder for my niece to always Dream Big!!  If you have never heard this song, I put a link to it on the song title!

Supply list:

Papers:  My Mind's Eye, MMEBK1

D R E A M: My Mind's Eye, Wild Asparagus
Brown swirl: My Mind's Eye, Snowed in Accessory Sheet
Birds: My Mind's Eye, Bohemia "Blossom" card kit

  NOTE:  I used this brown swirl with the birds to show how sometimes you have to shift your dreams, but you should still aim high and keep flying!

Border:  My Mind's Eye, Laundry Line Coastal "Curious" Chipboard Borders
Flowers: Prima
Dream Grommet: We R Memory Keepers
Pearls: Mark Richards
Scallop edge on paper: Fiskars

Altered Egg

I made this for a ScrapFit challenge!  I used Jillibean Soup patterned paper (three different sheets but six patterns).  I had to go to St. Louis--two hours away from my house--to Archivers to get it, but it was worth it!!! :-) I really like the quality and design of Jillibean Soup's papers!
I hope you enjoy my little project!