Boys Rule

This layout is very special to me.  It represents the 100th layout that I've done for Scrapbook Steals weekly challenges.  Every Wednesday a new sketch is revealed and we have until Monday night to create our own version and post it to their site.  I've managed to play along each and every week, completing every layout by the deadline, for going on 2 years now.  Thanks to Scrapbook Steals for all of the motivation and inspiration to do what I love! 

This layout came together super quickly, thanks to my new favorite boy collection-  Awesome by Simple Stories.  I just cut and layered and added some stickers, and completed this layout in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  Here's the original sketch by Kristy Lee that inspired me:

I'm a Guest Sketcher at Scrapbook Steals!

I was beyond thrilled when Kristy Lee invited me to be a guest sketcher at Scrapbook Steals.  I've played along with their weekly sketch challenges for over a year and have been inspired, motivated, and challenged along the way.  In addition to scoring  great deals on scrapbook supplies, I've made some great friends and have received tons of encouragement from the fans and staff at Scrapbook Steals.  Before I found this site, I must confess that I had never ever worked from a sketch.  If you'd look at my old scrapbooks, you'd see what I mean.....I was the queen of busy patterned paper, covered with a zillion matted photos cut into crazy shapes with deco scissors.   Now I've come so far, looking forward to every Wednesday when the new sketch is revealed. 

I was thrilled to learn that I would get to use the Note to Self collection from Echo Park, one of my favorite manufacturers.  The papers looked fabulous on-line, but I was absolutely blown away when I saw them in person.  The colors are great, with neutral browns, camel and creams, along with soft blues and grays, and fun pops of red.  The hardest part for me was deciding which side of the double sided paper to use.  There are so many great patterns!  There are great journaling cards, fun viewmaster images, and super cute stickers to finish off your masterpieces.   My absolute favorite thing about this collection is the emphasis on family, memories, and moments.  That's what I'm all about!  As a busy mom working full time outside of the home, I truly cherish the time I spend with my family.  I love that this collection helps document "everyday life" in such an amazing way. 

I had so much fun creating this sketch!  I love two page multi-photo layouts featuring 4x6 photos, so I knew that I had to go big.  But for those of you who are intimidated by two pagers, never fear!  I created this sketch with you in mind, as you'll notice that you can easily modify this into a single page layout by simply doing either half.   Feel free to modify, adjust photo sizes, and add different shapes to suit your fancy.  Here's the sketch to get you started:  

With all of those beautiful papers, I couldn't help but make a few more things.  I do not consider myself a card maker, but I was able to put some scraps to good use and came up with a few thank you cards.  I love the paper that looks just like cork and  I think this collection is perfect for making "masculine" cards!

Big thanks to Kristy Lee and the fabulous folks at Scrapbook Steals for giving me this opportunity!  I loved the product and had a great time getting crafty.  The hardest part was not telling any of my scrappy pals what I was up to.  I'm so grateful for everyone's support and encouragement!  For those of you finding my blog for the first time, I'd love for you to be a "follower".  I'm planning a bloggy giveaway in July, so you'll want to check back in!

  

Thistleberry Farm

This week's sketch at Scrapbook Steals was another great one.  What I loved was how well it lent itself to being stretched into a two page layout.  I love lots of photos on my layouts and this layout was no exception!

I made my own banner, using pieces of patterned paper from Imaginisce and some die cut leaves.  A few stickers and a little doodling on the border and I called it complete.  It's a simple layout, but perfect for my busy pictures.  Here's the original one page sketch by Kristy Lee:

"you" on the Bright Side

For this week's sketch challenge at Scrapbook Steals, I busted out my Bright Side collection from My Mind's Eye.  The bright fun colors and fun wood grain pattern worked great with my photo of my little guy.  I love the banners and the little elements that work great for boy or girl pages.  I even snuck a little floral print in on this layout and am happy with how it turned out. 

This layout happened to be created while my little guy was sick and we were home from work/school.  After not being able to keep down any food or drink, my poor little guy was feeling terrible.  He layed down to rest in our bed and I snuck to the basement for a little crafty time while he slept.  Ten minutes later and he's calling for me from the top of the stairs.  I told him where I was and I asked what was wrong.  He replied in the most pathetic voice, "You're supposed to be taking care of ME!"  I assured him that I was taking care of him but thought he was asleep.  I asked him what he needed and he said, "You!".  In all of his misery, he didn't want to sleep, didn't want to watch tv, and only wanted his momma.  I love feeling "needed", but an entire day of this was a little much.  Luckily, I convinced him to watch a little Scooby Doo so I could finish up this layout.  And after 24 hours of the yucks, my little guy seems to be back to normal!

Here's the sketch by Kristy Lee that inspired my layout:

Thank you for teachers!

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  If I were to pick another profession, I think I would probably pursue teaching (that is, if I actually had more patience!)  I've helped out in the classroom on my days off, and I have a whole new appreciation for what those teachers have to do each day.  It's a tough job made even tougher thanks to children who are becoming less respectful and more entitled.  I am also saddened by the lack of parental involvement and support for the schools.  Even though I work full time, I still find time to be "present" for school functions, special events, etc.   I truly appreciate teachers year round, but in honor of "their week" I decided to do something special for each of my kids' teachers. 

While I was tasked with baking 10 dozen cookies for the elementary school, I decided to make a few more to do individual gifts for my boys' teachers.  Inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, I started with glass jars that I picked up at Walmart for $3.50.  I decorated them with some fun school themed papers (by Simple Stories and Imaginisce) and added a cute little tag thanking the teacher for helping my son become "one smart COOKIE".  I used spray adhesive to attach the paper to the jar and tied the tag on with a ribbon.  Finally, I filled the jars with 2 dozen of my homemade chocolate chip cookies, ready to be delivered to the school.  Instead of risking a ride on the school bus, I think I'm going to drive my kids to school today just to make sure these make it in one piece.  Thanks for looking and don't forget to thank a teacher!

National Scrapbooking Day!

This week was a very special week.  I made a road trip to St. Louis to meet some scrappy pals and spent the entire day being crafty on Saturday!  It was a well deserved trip, since the last time I left home overnight by myself was over 8 years ago and was only because my dad had heart surgery.  This was a much better excuse for a road trip, if I do say so myself!  I met two lovely ladies for a wonderful weekend.

While we were together, we shopped and scrapped and chatted the night away.  My first project was the MWM challenge from Scrapbook Steals.  It was the first of a new series, and again pushed me way out of my comfort zone.  With the help and advise of my scrappy pals, here's what I came up with:

I also made a few layouts of my own and helped Cristine with a two page layout for her cousin.  It was a very successful weekend, just wishing it was longer.  It's amazing how quickly 12 hours flew by!  Here are the other layouts I made this weekend:

I started another before it was time to pack up for the night.  Now the yucky part- unpacking and catching up on all of the things that didn't get done while I was away. 

Awesomely Amethyst

I'm Awesomely Amethyst...isn't that a mouthful!  As you know, I'm a huge fan of Scrapbook Steals and their weekly sketch challenges.  I have completed every one they've featured, almost 100 of them so far!  This week marks the end of another group of ten, the Amethyst series.  They are giving a way an amazing prize package to a lucky winner who has completed all 10 sketches.  Here are my layouts for this series: