Scrapbook Sketches by Scrapiopath

Creativity comes in many forms

2009-11-02T00:15:00.000-06:00

As the title says, Creativity comes in many forms. For me, this past month has been very creative and only partially has anything to do with scrapbooking. So bear with me if you were looking for a new sketch. But I will show you some new uses for some of those scrapping supplies. Scrapping those Halloween pics is right around the corner.

October is the start of the Rennaisance Festival here in Texas. If you've never been it's truly a magical experience. Almost every year they have several themed weekends and my favorite is the 1001 Dreams Fairy weekend.

Last year I made my costume and although it turned out cute, to me it seemed like it was "handmade", you know that feeling that you could have done some extra things to make it more professional looking, but you didn't? Well, this year I was determined that was not going to happen!

Well I knew I wanted a new corset but I was not in the mood to try to struggle to make one! If you have ever attempted this you know what I mean! So I went to eBay, I love eBay, and I found an awesome maker of fine corsets. Going by the name VonLancelot, these corsets are handmade and are breathtakingly gorgeous! Here's the one I bought, of course, I wore mine without the white shirt thingy underneath and I changed the blue ribbon to braided cord which gave it a more earthy feel, you know like a wood nymph, (see 3rd & 4th pics for braided lacing):

Front

Back

Lacing

Close up of Lacing

So I gathered my ideas, the corset and my money bag ...oops, I mean my husband, and headed to JoAnn's. Turns out he has a great eye for design! He helped me pick out all the materials I used for thee costume.

I knew the type of skirt I wanted but I wasn't sure how to go about making it so I did a search and found a really neat site: You Can Make This.com. I found the tutu skirt I was looking to make, found the instructions, downloaded them and here is my result:

The full tutu skirt

Close up of waistband

Next, because the tutu is see through, I needed an over skirt. This is where things got a little tricky for me. After numerous google searches using every word I could think of for jagged or ripped or torn edged skirts and turning up not one single usable pattern, I knew I was going to have to rely on my limited drawing talents. Luckily my hubby found the awesome blue sheened leather looking material that I used. So I took a white eyeliner pencil, yes I know they make chalk pencils for this but I need a smooth flow and the eyeliner did an awesome job, and I started drawing what I thought looked like a jagged edge. After cutting the first piece out with my cutter bee scissors so I could get all the smalls jags I drew, I had a template to use. And here is the result of the overskirt:

Overskirt

Closeup of jagged edge and material

Now I know by this point you are thinking, "Okay so she has used her cutter bee scissors but I don't see any other scrapping supplies being used." Remember I told you this year was going to be different, more realistic, truly fairylike. And a fairy is not complete without her wings!

Last year I bought some gorgeous butterfly shapped wings, unfortunately, this is the best picture I was able to find that was close to them, although mine are white, or pearly irridesent to be exact.

And here is where the scrapping supplies came in handy. As you can see the wings are pretty but plain. So I decided to glam them up a bit. First, I had my amazing hubby use his artistic talents and draw the pattern on a large sheet of brown shipping paper. I didn't want the ink from the marker to get on my wings when I traced over it. So I covered the entire thing with wax paper and taped the wing down. Next I pulled out my stickles, some bling and some cool leaves I had bought for one of my fall scrapbok pages. After 2 and a half bottles of stickles in Patina, Lime Green, and Mermaid, numerous blue, green and clear bling crystals, and one package of leaves, I had created my dream wings! Here are the pics:

Full wing design

Close up of Wing design

Close up of Leaf pattern

Close up of curly design

Happy Scrapping!

A couple of Happy Scrappy Announcements

2009-10-02T16:41:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to tell you that Scraps-n-Such has reopened, so stop by to chat, share, or just check it out.

I'm also happy to announce that the Scrapbookers Clubhouse has "The Road Home" October Kit ready with yours truly's sketch duet! You have to purchase the full kit to get the scrapbook and card sketches. Trina did an excellent job with this kit, it is just beautiful, I love all the different things to use for journaling. Super fun! Here's a picture of the kit:

Where is all the scrapping time?

2009-09-06T15:14:00.001-05:00

Why is it that work & life always seem to cut into valuable scrapping time? For the past month, it seems like I've had about 15 mins to scrap! But I was able to accomplish something special!

During the month of October, I have been invited to design a sketch duet for the Scrapbookers' Clubhouse. I will be making one scrapbook sketch and one card sketch that will be available in the October kit. Check out the Scrapbookers' Clubhouse or drop by the forum for more information.

And if you haven't seen Gabrielle Pollacco's amazing scrapbook work over at Such a Pretty Mess, then you must feast your eyes on her exquisite works of art! She is a truly gifted scrapbooker! She also just opened an etsy store, so some of her amazing pages could be yours!

A Sad Farewell

2009-07-25T01:21:00.001-05:00

It is with a sad and heavy heart that we said farewell to a wonderful scrapping group, Scraps-n-such.com, this month.

Bethy was a wonderful host and she always tried to bring us the lastest scrapping news, creative challenges and always made you feel welcome right from the start!

Bethy, thank you for all your hard work and dedication that you put into our favorite forum. And thank you so much for allowing me to share my sketches with the group.

Although the forum is now closed, Scraps-n-such.com is still active. There you can keep up with Bethy's new adventures or buy some of the great AC Bailey products that she has for sale in her store. (Try the monthly kits for perfectly coordinated pages!)

My Mysterious Hiatus

2009-06-29T15:15:00.001-05:00

I apologize for my long hiatus. I have had some personal issues that I needed time to deal with. But I am slowly getting back into action and hopefully will start pumping out a few sketches over the coming weeks.

I want to thank each and every one of my readers for not unsubscribing since I haven't been updating. I will be bringing you news about fun scrapping forums, blogs of note, perhaps a few contests, as well as some other exciting scrappy stuff.

Here are a few noteworthy forums to check out in the meantime:

Scraps-n-Such

Serendipity Scrapbooks

Scrapfreak

Paper Passion

Happy Scrapping!

Sketch of the Week Sketch #39

2009-03-19T16:12:00.010-05:00

After being without my computer for a week and a half, I feel like I'm months behind. Luckily, I didn't lose any of my information but I did find out I had a ton of malware and viruses! Thank goodness the IT guys work for doughnuts! They fixed everything right up and got me protected again. Fortunately, nothing was compromised, just slowed my computer waaaaaaaayyyyy down. But I am back trying to catch up on all the posts I missed. Starting with sketch #39.

The Sketch:

B&W Printable Version:

Gina's Example: Adore - The kids, the flowers, the colors, the title, and the hand journaling, it's all perfect! And I love how she does this to her pages. She pulls the colors from her pictures and brings the page together with color coordinating embellishments, hand doodling and pretty ribbons.

Heather's Example: Wishes - I love how she went with a simple design that mimicks here photo subject. The white on the bg really draws your eye to her amazing photogrtaphy skills. Then she added a bold title down the side that leads your eyes around the page.

Bethy's Example: Hot Cocoa - This layout convinced me I was drinking hot cocoa! Starting with the chocolate title that looks like you could eat it off the page, the chronological pictures of her daughter stirring the hot cocoa, blowing on the hot cocoa, and testing the hot cocoa, and then the polka dot bg that has a feel of mashmallows dancing on the page. And that big scallop holding the journailing could very well be another huge marshmallow!

Angel's Example: Baby Sumo - This cute title gets you ready for the adorable picture of this chubby cheecked darling. The greens and blues assure you this the gender of this little guy. As always I love all her coordinating hand doodled embellishments and the finishing touch was added with the green ribbon and safety pin.

My Example: Miranda - The pictures of my Goddaughter, Miranda, really bring back memories of the first time I saw her. As soon as I saw her open eyes through my camera lens I knew she had my heart forever! I sticlked the title and scalloped edges, then added pink pearls to the pink and white glittered flowers that I separeted, inked, and glued back together. I got lucky with the soft pink bg patterned paper as it had the three hearts right beside the title.

My Puter is broke :(

2009-03-01T17:23:00.002-06:00

The past couple of weeks I have been experiencing some computer problems. This week I should be getting my computer fixed. When everything is up and running I will post the sketches that I have missed, starting with last week's.

In the meantime, you can go to the Scraps-n-such forum. Last week's sketch was posted on the forum. Just remember if you sign up for the forum, make sure to fill in as much information as possible so Bethy doesn't think you are a spammer. Happy Scrapping.

Sketch of the Week - Sketch #38

2009-02-19T00:47:00.010-06:00

The design team absolutely loved this week's sketch and I hope you love it too. This easy-to-use 4 photo sketch is simple and fun. This is one of those sketches that is great to use when you are in a hurry. For variations, change the bg circle, reverse the picture positions, change the angel of the photo strip, add more or less embellishments, or whatever it is that makes your page unique. Happy Scrapping!

The Sketch:

B&W Printable Version:

Pat's Example - Making Cards - The repeating heart pattern through Pat's layout really draws your eye to the card Chloe is holding in her hand. I love how the supporting pictures show her in the process of making the card. And the mixed b&w photos help to keep the page from being to busy.

Gina's Example: Beautiful Child - I love how she used the soft boy colors and the hand doodling around the scallop and rest of the page really add depth to the layout.

Bethy's Example: Cheer - One thing I love about this layout is all the purple accents, which really draw your eyes toward that cutie pie holding the pom-poms. And the scalloped journaling circle mimics the circular background pattern.

Michele's Example: Call it Puppy Love - I love the open heart shape and how she used it to frame the main photo. The brown, pink, and white background paper really help that adorable puppy pop off the page.

Angel's Example - Pretty in Pink - The b&w photos against these gorgeous muted colors really draw your attention to the beautiful baby in the center. One thing I love about scrapbooking is getting good pictures to scrap and these are perfect pictures! I love the expressions on her sweet little face.

Alecia's Example - A Cat's Life - Alecia never ceases to amaze me. I love the way she pulled the colors from her photos to match the background papers and the embellishments. And why is it that cat's sleep in such weird positions??

My Example: Family Photos - I love this picture of my cousin Christina. And the supporting photos let you see what's behind that beautiful smile.

Scrapbook Sketch # 37

2009-02-13T13:48:00.009-06:00

This has been one crazy week. It seems like there is never anytime to scrap anymore! I could use an entire week were I did nothing but scrap. But I guess I'll just keep dreaming of that day! So here is this week's 4 photo sketch and examples. The edges are supposed to look torn but I haven't quite mastered that yet in PSP X2.

The Sketch:

Pat's Example: Rock - I love the guitar cutout and the added bling adds that special touch. And look at the concentration on her gd face! So cute!

Gina's Example: Brothers - The way she split the photo, used the stencil for the word brothers, used black, brown, and tan colors really gives the page a masculine feel.

Michele's Example: Toad Suck Bog, what a name for a place! We got a good chuckle about this over at Scraps-n-Such! I love how she added the butterfly to the top of the pic.

My Example: Cat's Out of the Bag - This is my furrbaby Pandora. She loves plastic bags, still haven't figured out what her fasination with them is, but I think it's the noise it makes. And btw, she was in the bag for a few hours! She fell asleep in there!

Sketch of the Week Sketch #36

2009-02-02T20:13:00.011-06:00

The design team had a blast with this week's 2 or 3 photo sketch. Their scrapbook pages look awesome with all the flourishes and bling on them.

The Sketch

Black & White Printable

Pat's Example

Heather's Example

Bethy's Example

My Example

Flashback Reunion Crop at Serendipity Feb 20-22

2009-01-28T18:33:00.004-06:00

Do you remember big hair, rainbow brite, and the rest of the 80s? Well Serenditipy is ready to take you back to the 80s again, with an anniversary crop that will knock your skates off. Celebrating thier 3rd year and calling back all past design team members for a crop to remember. Join in the fun at Serendipity Scrapbooks Feb 20th-22nd.

Shimmerz Design Team

2009-01-28T17:32:00.005-06:00

Think you have what it takes to be on a design team? Shimmerz Paints is looking for a couple of DT members to use their fabulous products. Shimmer & Shine in '09. These water-based paints are so versatile. I feel in love with them the first time I used them a few weeks ago, I made the Fairy doors with them to give the door that special shimmer. I think it gave them that magical shine that can only be found in the Fairy Forests. What do you think?

Here are some Reasons Why Crafts Love Shimmerz

- They're already mixed. No recipe, no mess.

- They're ridiculously shimmery.

- They dry on glossy or non-porous surfaces, so they're perfect for use on acetate or metal.

- They're made in the USA.

- There are 35 spectacular colors of Shimmerz and 9 brilliant shades of Blingz.

- They're non-toxic.

- They're water-based.

Scrapbook Sketch #35

2009-01-27T06:59:00.012-06:00

This week the SNS design team produced some more amazing work with this 3 photo scrapbook sketch. With techniques such as paper tearing, inking, hand doodling, ghost shapes, chipboard, polka dots, flowers, flourishes, buttons, and lots of sparkles these layouts are each truly unique.

The Sketch

Printable Version

Alecia's Example - Our Getaway - I love the polka dot paper against the red. And all the embellishments she added really gave the page dimention. The "Route" journaling tag really makes it a travel page and that font is really cute.

Bethy's Example - Never Stop Exploring - I love all her doodling and the paper she chose was perfect for this page. The three pictures really show the funny and serious faces of her adorable son!

Heather's Example - Cookies - I love the torn edge frames for the pics and title. And those ghost snowflakes really add some sparkle to the page. The mixer and whisk are really cute embellishments for this cute page.

Pat's Eample - Play Hard - I love her long arrows with the 3 brads on them pointing to the title, it really leads you around the page. And the polka dot pattern repeated in the frames and brads really give the page a uniform look.

Gina's Example - Party of 5 - I love the colors she used on this layout. And the hand doodling around the frames really adds a nice touch.

My Example - Out To Pasture - I had alot of fun with this sketch. The wrap around vine pointing to the title, the gold doodling on the circle, frames, and letters really helped to bring out the pictures.

Sketch for the week of Jan 20th

2009-01-20T17:54:00.009-06:00

Sorry for the long delay in getting this posted but this has been a busy week. So busy I have not had time to get my layout of this sketch done. But I will get it done by this wekend and get it posted. So in the meantime here are the design team members that DID have time to scrap!

The Sketch:

B&W Printable version:

Gina's Example:

Pat's Example:

Heather's Example:

Scrapping Sketchfest at Serendipity

2009-01-19T00:59:00.005-06:00

Can't get enough sketches? Need some motivation to get you scrapping again? Just love sketches? Well during the entire month of January, Serendipity Scrapbooks is having a Winter Sketch Fest. How would you like to be the Winter Sketchfest Queen or win a fabulous scrappy prize? Well stop by Serendipity Scrapbooks today to see all about this great Contest!

Back to The Sketch of the Week

2009-01-13T16:12:00.015-06:00

I guess that Christmas break really stored up some mojo for the design team. And they unleashed it on this sketch! They each interpreted the sketch in a unique way. And btw, I am adding a B&w version of the sketch so it is easier to print. I also have a new design team member to introduce Angel Rodrigue. You can check out her blog to see her amazing scrapbook talent!

The Sketch:

Pat's Example - Making "Silly Faces" is something most ppl never grow out of and Pat captures those moments perfect in her granddaughter's face. I love the 3D flower she made and the bg stamp really keeps your eye moving around the page.

Gina's Example - the most perfect subject, Furrbabies! Gigi is an absolutely gorgeous dog but like most she is very "Unhappy" at being wet! I love the way she wrapped the fiber around here subtitle.

Bethy's Example - Wasn't she just precious! And how great to see the amazing woman "Bethy" is today. I love her soft colors, her hand doodling, and the green circle border at the bottom really brings the circles together.

Heather's Example - Heather's daughter is so cute, I love seeing her do all her fun stuff. Here she is decorating rice crispy houses. I really love the 3D snowflakes, they bring out the bg paper and make the pics pop. And the added glitter gives it just the right amount of sparkle.

Michele's Example- What fabulous pics Michele has of her boys looking at this gorgeous bird from the look in the young ones eyes you can just imagine waht a great "Air Show" it must have been. I love how she added star shapes to her title to make it stand out and the firworks paper really makes the top photo grab your attention.

Alecia's Example - What a cute pic to get of all your friends. And who doesn't love hats, especially "Christmas Hats" I love how she made the bg a circle and the pic square to off set each other. And herhandmade embesllishments are really creative and I love that she blinged the 25th of Dec.

Presenting for the first time is our newest design team member: Angel Rodrigue

I first met Angel at Scraps-n-Such and when she joined our group she brought her extraordinary talent to our group. She broke us out of our comfort zone and got us to start hand doodling on our layouts. If you have seen any of her work you will know she is a very serious scrapper and we are so excited to have her on our design team! So here is:

Angel's Example - Again another Furrbaby! And this one is just as cute! From the bg paper and the pink everywhere, you guessed it Sophia is a girl with "Girly Paws". I love how Angel used flowers as the bg matts for her pics. And the white hand doodled rings really draw they eye to the photo. And every girly page needs glitter!

My Example - A little late with the Halloween layout but I had fun with the circles on this sketch!

And remember we love hearing your comments!

Scraps-N-Such New Years Crop

2009-01-12T05:51:00.002-06:00

On New years Day we had a crop at Scraps-n-Such. The girls created some fabulous layouts and altered items. It was my job, along with Gina & Bethy, to come up with some challenges. Here's what I came up with:

Song Title Challenge (Remember I just went to the Blue October concert and got that really great shot, well here's the LO for it!)

Altered Grunge or Chip Board Challenge

Lately I have been looking for a Fairy Door. If you don't know what a Fairy Door is, let me explain. It is believed that by placing An Enchanted Fairy Door inside your house or garden, you are welcoming the Fairy Folk to come out of the forest and meet you. By placing small "gifts" by the door, you entice the fairies to visit and bring you good luck. Just remember all fairies love shiny items and anything that sparkles! So in honor of the Fairies, I made a couple of Fairy Doors out of grungeboard, some glimmer mist, an old earring (the door handle on the silver door), an old pendant (for the "window"), some fibers, a Heidi Swapp Mask, Tim Holtz Mask, Stickles Glitter Glue, Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint, a couple of blingy gems, and some leaves.

Here's the Lo I did for Gina's Reflections Challenge

The title is Thoughts of Me, You can't see the title too well because I used White Felt Thickers for the word Thoughts and added pink polka dots to it.

Here's the mini book I did for Gina's Themed Mini Album Challenge

I choose Twilight as my theme. I had watched the movie a couple of days before Christmas. I loved the movie and can't wait for the next one. All of the pictures are of Edward except the top one in the second set, that's Jasper! Have fun drooling!

So that's a recap of the Scraps-n-Such New Years Crop! Hope my work sends you some inspiration or much need mojo!

Tuesday I will be bringing back the sketches and the design team has brought their A game for you! So check back Tuesday for the reveal! Happy Scrapping!

Christmas, New Years, and more

2009-01-11T02:48:00.002-06:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've blogged but I'm back now. Christmas was happy & jolly, I got tons of new scrappy toys to play with and a few gift cards that I've already spent on more scrappy stuff! So I am ready to play again. It feels like I haven't scrapped in months even though it's only been a few weeks!

Here are a few of the new scrappy toys I got from hubby:

Paper Storage Cart/Cubes

FRED- My Scrapping Buddy

Tinker Bell - Cuttlebug Die,
TinkerBell Cricut Cart,
Tags, Bags & Boxes Cricut cart,
and Cricut Deep Cut Blade and Housing

he said "I was a REALLY good girl this year." And he expects me to use these toys and make some super great projects! Gotta love a supportive husband!

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot! Here are the pictures of our Snowman. We built this little guy the night it snowed back in December, I don't remember which day it was but I do know it was a really long time since it had last snowed in Houston! And of course, since we are in Houston, Go Astros! (Isn't that little hat the cutest, they serve icecream in them at the baseball stadium. BTW, we made him on our third floor balcony with the snow that had accumalated. I think he measured 16" tall! The tall pile beside him is supposed to be a Christmas Tree! LOL

For New Years we stayed home and sat on our balcony for a great fireworks show across the lake. We made it way past midnight! We had a few shots throughout the night and watched a movie and just enjoyed each other's company. Here's a short video of the firworks:

I think I pretty much caught you up I don't want to make this post any longer so I'll start another one to show & tell you about the News Years Crop! And get ready for the sketches to start back up!

Christmas is so close I can taste the eggnog

2008-12-21T03:18:00.006-06:00

Only 4 days left until Christmas. Have you finished your Christmas shopping? I have, well almost, hubby still needs to buy a couple of gifts for his grandpas but other than that, I'm finished shopping. Now to get the baking done! That's what I plan on doing monday and tuesday. I'm going to make some really cute boxes or bags and fill them with sweet treats, I think I need to make about 18 of them.

Since I won't be posting anymore sketches until after the New Year, I have a couple of contests I found for you to enter. If you love cosmo cricket stuff, go over to the Life as Lou blog and check it out. While you're there make sure to check out some of her amazing work, she has some beautiful LOs, albums, and very cute explosion boxes.

Also checkout Serendipity Scrapbooks, starting Jan 1st they will be holding a Winter Sketchfest Contest. I am so excited, I will be designing some of the sketches for this month long contest. So get your scrappy supplies ready to create a new level of masterpieces. Be sure to register at Serendipity Scrapbooks and maybe you can be crowned the Sketchfest Princess and receive a fabulous prize.

Make sure to check back here and at Scraps-n-such the first week of January for the brand new scrapbook sketch of the week. I have some great ideas in store for you for the new year. I also have some great prizes I will be giving away. Until then, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Happy Scrapping!

Featured at Sisterhood of Scraps

2008-12-20T13:21:00.002-06:00

I almost forgot to tell you! I am the featured sketch artist for this week's saturday sketch over at Sisterhood of Scraps. This fabulous blog is run by an awesome scrapper named Deanne. Thanks again Deanne for featuring my sketch. And Linda I love how your page turned out, your kids are just precious!

Sketch of the Week Sketch #32

2008-12-12T11:44:00.010-06:00

I apologize for keeping you all waiting but this has been one crazy week for me! A couple of weeks ago I had a major Black Friday sale at MySwisa.com and I have been overwhelmed with orders! But I have got everything squared away and caught up now and I am ready to get this sketch out!

BTW, this will be the last sketch this year until after the New Year cause I need a break and still have tons of Christmas presents to make! I promise to come back in the New Year with some amazing new scrapbook sketches and maybe even a few card sketches as well. So with no more waiting here is this week's 2 photo scrapbook sketch.

The Sketch #32

Pat's Example Trimming the Tree

I love how she used the Christmas tree instead of the word tree. And those ornaments she are so cute and her granddaughter is just precious!

Gina's Example Just Married

In my opinion if you could only have one page that would portray the entire wedding, this page would be it! Gina really captured the day!

Heather's 2 Page Example Eagles/Live Out Loud

I love that Heather used the actual ticket stubs on her page and those colors she chose really make her pics pop off the page. And the flourishes behind the Live Out Loud title ROCK!

My Example Freaky Frank

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Finished Scrapbook Sketches Blinkies

2008-12-09T01:53:00.000-06:00

For those of you who love accessories for your blogs and siggys, you will be happy to know I finally finished a couple of blinkies for the blog! There are both animated and non-animated versions of it. If you use one of the blinkies on your blog, leave me a comment on this post and I'll stop by and visit! Don't forget to visit our design team members blogs too.

*Remember to save the file to your own photo sharing place.

This Week's Sketch is late

2008-12-09T00:42:00.003-06:00

I promise to post the new sketch soon. Due to the funeral, the concert, and work, I am running behind this week. I had to scrap in the car to get my LO done for this sketch! So I wasn't even able to get the sketch to the design team until wednesday and some of them haven't had time to finish. But I promise I will have them all posted by friday!Until then feel free to visit us at Scraps-n-Such, where Bethy has updated the forum with a beautiful holiday theme! Happy Scrapping!

Blue October Concert of a Lifetime

2008-12-04T02:48:00.003-06:00

As some of you know, I am a HUGE Blue October fan! We'll today we got to go to the new House of Blues in downtown Houston, and see them play in concert! The complex the House of Blues was located in is fabulous! It's like an outdoor mall! All the walkways were open and in some places you could see the downtown skyline, it was such a great view. This place had a mix of clubs, shops, book stores, cafes, and even a bowling alley coming soon!

Before we left to go to the concert I had checked to see if cameras were allowed. Of course not, there were no digital recording devices allowed! So I left my camera but I had my cell phone with me that has a crappy 2 MP camera. Out of about 40 pics I managed to get a couple of really great shots! The third shot shows how close I was to the stage.

Back to the concert, headlining for Blue October were Pain and Hoobastank. "The Reason" is a popular song you might recognize from Hoobastank. When we first got in the doors, we got a place close to the stage. We stayed in the same spot the whole time the first two bands were playing. Luckily a couple of our friends went with us so there were four of us to hold our space, there weren't any seats, standing room only. Well by the time Blue October got on stage we were 5 rows from the stage. I ended up behind some really nice tall ppl who took some pity on my vertically challenged state and let me stand in front of them! (Luke stayed behind with our friends.) So I was 3 rows from the stage, I could almost reach out and touch the band! At one point I know Justin, the lead singer, was looking directly at me! So I guess it goes without saying I had a BLAST!! And if by some chance Justin is reading this post, that was Luke and I holding up the Hamilton Cheerleaders Rock poster!

Sketch # 31 Reveal

2008-12-02T15:57:00.011-06:00

Sorry this reveal is late. I had to attend a funeral for my husband's grandmother yesterday and it was out of town.

I am loving watching each of our Design team members grow in their scrapping styles! This week they have done it again! It's so amazing to see all the different examples from this one sketch! So here they are.

The Sketch:

Gina's Example: I love all her red gliitery flousishes!

Pat's Example: I love her use of the sepia pictures.

Bethy's Example: The bg paper she used is so cute and girly!

Raynette's Example: This is her first week on the sketch team. I love her lo about KaylaJo , it was such a great tribute to her.

Alecia's Example. This is her first week on the team as well and she never ceases to amazing me with her scrapping talent.

And lastly, Here is my Lo. I do love the way this page turned out.

Our Beloved Mea Mea

2008-12-02T14:50:00.003-06:00

When I first married into this family, MeaMea immediately took me in as one of her own grandchildren. She was such a wonderful lady. She would listen to you when you needed someone to talk too. She would assure you that everything would turn out for the best and most of all she would hug you and you knew then that everything really would be alright. She is going to be dearly missed by each and every one of us. But she wasn't your typical grandma, she would tell you like it was!

God took her home last Tuesday November 25, 2008. About 3 weeks before that she had broken her arm and had a minor stroke. She also had COPD, which made it very hard for her body to heal and when she was in the hospital the tube they put down her throat had messed up her vocal cords so she wasn't able to talk. But you could tell by her eyes that she was still very aware of everything. It's really hard knowing that her mind was so sharp and her body just couldn't keep up with her. She knew we all loved her and we all knew that she loved us. But it still doesn't change the fact that she is gone from this Earth now and we will have to wait to see her again. But I know one day we will.

MeaMea you have touched my heart and will always be in it. It has been hard to lose you since you were my last grandma, even though technically you were Luke's grandma, you always treated me like your grandchild. I guess after 14 years of being in this family, I did earn the right to call you grandma, even though most of the time we called you MeaMea. But I know you are no longer in any pain and you really are in a better place. We will love you always. I also loved the fact that I was included as one of the step-grandchildren in your obituary. That touched me so deeply cause I know you always felt like I was one of yours.

Happy 10th Birthday to My Neice Toni

2008-12-01T03:45:00.000-06:00

Just have to say a quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my niece Toni. She is turning 10 years old today. I won't be able to be with her today since we will be traveling to the funeral. But I will at least be able to call and wish her a special day! I love you Toni Marie!

My First Award: Kreative Blogger

2008-11-26T12:51:00.005-06:00

My wonderful friend Pat awarded me this blog award:

The rules of the Kreativ Blogger award:

The winner may put the logo on their blog. (Copy image to your computer)
Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
Nominate 5 blogs.
Provide links to their blogs.
Leave a message for your nominees.

My nominees are:
Bethy, Alecia, Gettin' Sketchy, Valerie, 2Sketches4You,

The SNS Sketch Team has done it again!

2008-11-25T00:20:00.000-06:00

The SNS Sketch Team has outdone themselves again. These ladies have really got the mojo flowing with these gorgeous layouts! This sketch can be used with 2-3 photos and has room for a sentiment or two. Happy Scrapping!

Sketch #30

Pat's Example

Gina's Example

Heather's Example

Michele's Example

Bethy's Example

My Example

Time for another Sketch Reveal

2008-11-18T00:57:00.010-06:00

The new Scraps-n-Such Sketch Design team is really flowing with the mojo and cranking out some gorgeous layouts! They knocked this sketch out with their creative elements and design styles. I'm so glad this isn't a competition because I don't think I could pick just one! Each layout is uniquely created and really shows the versatility of sketches. Remember that's one of the best parts of using sketches, you can alter the original design to fit your page, sometimes that means changing a couple of elements and other times it means turning the sketch a different angle. All that really matters is that you have fun and experiment with different techniques and ideas and of course, SCRAP!

The Sketch for the Week

Gina's Example

I love how she used a scalloped heart instead of a circle for the background. By using the black, red, and white colors she was able to really make the pictures pop off the page! The black flowers help to anchor the layout whle adding extra texture.

Pat's Example

By using a solid background along with the busy b&w swirly paper she really got her pictures to stand out. The rounded photo corners add a soft touch and the round embellishments keep you circling the page.

Michele's Example

The glittery swirls in background paper really add a magical touch to this beautiful Romanesque wedding layout with the red and pink flowers and title adding just a hint of color.

Heather's Example

The colors she chose for this layout really add a touch of whimsy especially with the scalloped edges around the circle. The yellow flowers draw your eyes from picture to picture.

Bethy's Example

With the circle off center she was able to extend her photos so that the main subject was framed just outside the scalloped edge. Then she used strips of journaling that pull your eyes back towards the other photos. The soft pink glittery flowers add an extra girly touch.

My Example

In order to make my title fit, I had to add an extra picture and turn the words sideways. To not overpower the title I used chipboard and rub-ons along with a cute fish stamp. The fishing stickers added an authentic touch to the page. Mimicing the astrological sign for Pisces, the two fish stamped in opposite directions add a personal touch, since he is a Pisces. Maybe that's why he likes fishing so much!

I hope you enjoyed this week's designs from the Sketch Design Team! Be sure to check back next tuesday for a brand new sketch and more fabulous examples. Happy Scrapping!

Sketch #28 with Examples from SNS Sketch Design Team

2008-11-11T00:25:00.009-06:00

The moment everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived!! I am so excited to be showing these gorgeous pages! So with no further ado, I give you the Scraps-n-Such Sketch Design Team BIG Reveal.

The Sketch

Gina's Example

Pat's Example

Michele's Example

Heather's 2 Page Example

Bethy's Example

My Example

The BIG Reveal is in two days!

2008-11-09T22:57:00.005-06:00

Are you ready for the BIG reveal? I am so excited, these ladies have been working hard behind the scenes over here and let me tell you, the mojo is flying and highly contagious! Make sure to stop by SNS tuesday to see the very first unveiling from this talented Sketch Design Team.

For now here is a small peek at some of the examples:

Introducting the New SNS Design Team

2008-11-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone, I am so excited to introduce you to Scraps-n-such's new design team! I have been scrapping and chatting with these talented ladies for about two years. And it's time to show off their fabulous talents! First, we have two weekly designers, Gina Jimenez & Patricia Bishop.

I met Gina at SNS about two years ago and let me tell you there is no greater friend if you ever need to talk. Gina is a very fun loving down-to-earth lady who loves to laugh and have a good time. She has been scrapping for about 10 years and always seems to amaze me with her ideas! You can see her blog here. Here is Gina's bio:

I am married to Louie. We have no skin children, just 1 furkid (American Eskimo Dog) named Gigi. I'm a Close To My Heart Rep and I love stamp art and cardmaking too. For fun, I work as an Office Manager for a Chiropactor in Central LV! Since moving to Las Vegas I have met a lot of cool people, great friends and colleagues who I am very lucky to have show me the ropes. The very 1st month I started, I ran into a Childhood friend, Edith! Wow! Talk about 2 small town/city girls in the same place sooo soon! Turns out she also grew up with my husband! It's a small world all right!

Our second weekly designer is Patricia Bishop. A wonderful lady I had the pleasure of meeting at the ScrapAttack forum. Pat contacted me because she wanted to use one of my sketches at a forum that she frequents called ScrappinMojo. Of course I said yes! She is a very talented scrapper and I love reading her blog and seeing all her wonderful layouts and adorable grandchildren! You can find her at A Scrappin' Nana. Here is Pat's bio:

I am a woman who lives day to day with hopes and dreams. I have seen good times and I have also experienced bad times. We all have life lessons we need to learn and I hope to learn my lessons well. I started to scrapbook 6 years ago, when our first grandchild was born. But, then as I really got into this craft, I found it is just more than saving photos and making pretty pages, this is our lives, our history and our moments, the good and the bad. And it is documented for the future generations to see & feel what are lives were like.

So these are our new weekly designers. Later this week I will be intoducing the four monthly designers. And next Tuesday (11/11/08) will be the BIG REVEAL, so make sure to check back! I will be posting the sketch with 4 examples from these talented ladies!!

No Sketch this week but...

2008-11-02T22:34:00.001-06:00

I have some good news! We have started a design team at the Scraps-n-Such community. Since I have been creating sketches for these ladies over the past eight months, we have decided to share their examples to inspire and motivate you into scrapping! I am so excited to share this group of talented ladies with you. We will have 2 weekly designers and 4 monthly designers, so each week you will not only be getting the sketch but 3-4 examples of each sketch! I will be introducing each of our design team members over the next few days.

SOTW Sketch #27

2008-10-29T03:19:00.004-05:00

For some reason I do not like the way this sketch turned out. To me it doesn't depict what I was trying to convey with it. But oh well you can't love them all, right? So here it is and I have an example to go with this one!

Blog Facelift Completed

2008-10-26T23:20:00.001-05:00

After lots of rearranging, I finally finished the blog facelift. I hope you like the new design as much as I do. Thanks to Lena at Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates for the template. And thanks to The Cutest Blog on the Block for the gray background texture.

I have added a few new things for you to check out. There are links at the top of the blog right under the heading that lead to the sketch and example galleries, as well as one that leads to the Scraps-n-Such community. The other link leads to my etsy store where I have a few handmade cards listed for sale. I have also added several places to find scrapping stores, other scrapping blogs, sketch sites and scrapbook forums and you will find me there as well.

If you like the new look of the blog, leave me a comment and let me know.

Doing a Blog Facelift

2008-10-25T02:41:00.001-05:00

Please bear with me as I update my blog's look. I realize there are a few widgets out of place. I intend to try to have everything back in its place by monday. In the meantime, you can head over to Scraps-n-Such and get some scrappy ideas, chat with the talented ladies, do the weekly sketch challenge that's due on Sunday, or post your creations in the gallery.

SOTW Sketch #26a & #26b along with a Sketch Challenge

2008-10-21T15:07:00.001-05:00

For this week's I decided to do a two page LO.

Sketch #26a & #26b:

My Examples:

Now I know you are probably saying to yourself, "I could NEVER cut my picture in half!" and before I learned the secret I would have agreed with you. The secret is to copy the picture first. I'd be scared out of my head to cut up an original, because if you mess up, that's it! So print doubles or get the original copied before attempting a split picture layout. And you'll have a fantastic 2 pager in no time!
____________________________________________________________________
Ready for Another Challenge?

Here is this week's challenge at the Scrap-n-Such forum. Winner will receive a $10 gift card to the SNS store. You must be a registered member to enter your project.

Build a Page & Card Challenge

Page Instructions: Build a page using the following items with any of these Sketches #21, #22, #23, #24, #25 or #26a or #26b (I have numbered the last couple of sketches so I can start keeping track!) :

Materials:
2-3 Different pp
Photos corners or some way that corners your photo or LO
Buttons/Flowers
Ribbon
Chipboard

Card Instructions: Make a card using the scraps from the LO above & the following items:

Materials:
Scraps from above
Bling
Chipboard
Stamped Image

As with the last challenge, you have until Sunday, Oct 26th at midnight your time to complete this challenge. Happy Scrapping!

SOTW Sketch #25

2008-10-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

I have not finished my example of this sketch, yet. But I will try to get it posted soon. Here's the sketch:

It's Sketch Challenge Time at Scraps-n-Such

2008-10-13T22:32:00.003-05:00

Ready for a few scrapbook sketch challenges before the holidays? I will be hosting a sketch challenge every week at Scraps-n-Such for the next 6 weeks. This week is our first challenge. If you would like to participate in these challenges you must sign up to become a member of the forum in order to post your entry. All entries must be posted in the forum by next Sunday, Oct 19th, by midnight your time. (We will go by the time your entry was posted in the forum.) Winner will be chosen at random by using the Annabet.com randomizer. Winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to the AC Bailey Store at Scraps-n-Such. Please visit the forum for challenge details and to register to enter your scrapbook layout.

Sketch featured at Scrappin' Mojo

2008-10-13T16:19:00.001-05:00

My new friend Pat was nice enough to feature my sketch at Scrappin' Mojo as their challenge this week. She made a gorgeous layout using Oct 7th's sketch. Here is a copy of her layout. I have also posted it under the proper sketch.

Ever Wanted to Sell your Creations

2008-10-08T02:15:00.005-05:00

But just didn't know how to go about it. Well if you're like me, you don't want to create 100s of items and pack it all to a craft fair just to sit there all day in the hot sun waiting for someone to buy your items, or at least look at them. For those of you who do this, congrats to you and I wish you good luck and a nice cool day of selling.

But for the rest of us, there are a few options out there that you can do right from the comfort of your chair! You could always go the eBay or craigslist route, or even start your own website. (I did start my own skincare website about 2 years ago and let me tell you, there was ALOT of work involved!) But if you're looking for a fast, easy, almost free, way to sell your handmade items, you need to check out Esty.com. (They only allow handmade items to be sold on their website.) You can set up your own shop for free, like I did, check out my store here. I haven't posted anything in the store yet but I am thinking about starting with my handmade Christmas cards!

If you are serious about selling your crafts you should definitely check out Etsy.com. You can get paid by check, money order, or paypal, which I think is the safest. You can also ship from your house using a kitchen scale to weight your packages and pay for your shipping online with click-n-ship through the USPS.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, there are people that go to etsy just to buy handmade items! So they are already looking for your type of crafts, you just need to provide them the means to purchase it. Really, what could be better than trying to sell something to someone who already wants to buy it? You say you do custom work? Well good, you can sell that on etsy too, as long as the custom item is handmade that is!

By the way, make sure you take your pictures in good light, indirect natural sunlight is best and if you have a close up setting on your camera try to get the little details of your items too. Remember the customer cannot touch your item before buying it so through your pictures you help them to see and touch it. The more details you give the better. Now I bet you are wondering how to host all those pictures, right? Well that's also free, just go to photobucket.com and sign up for a free account. Now, I have given you the basics on how to sell your crafty items online from the comfort of your home so go out there and start supporting your crafty habit!

New Scrapbook Sketch of the Week

2008-10-07T02:16:00.003-05:00

I have been busy! I made this sketch about a week ago but I wasn't able to make my example then. So, since I was in a hurry needing to post a weekly sketch this week, I decided to go digital! I really am impressed with myself on this one. I was able to learn more skills using my PSP X2 program, which I use to create all my sketches, in case you were wondering. There are so many things I have left to learn about this program. But as I learn these new skills, I hope you enjoy watching the quality of my sketches improve as I progress. And of course I always want to see the work you create using my sketches!

Last night I started a 2 page layout while watching The Sarah Conner Chronicles and Prison Break. But I won't be revealing that one yet. I was able to complete two of Wendi's Challenges at ScrapAttck and create a sketch out of this layout that I tried new techniques on. I can't wait to show you! But I have to wait because I haven't taken the pictures yet and I don't have good light to take them right now. So sowwy, you'll just have to wait with me. But to satisfy your craving for inspiration, here is this weeks sketch along with my example.

ScrapAttack Card Crop

2008-10-05T01:18:00.004-05:00

I stayed up late last night finishing up some card challenges from ScrapAttack Scrapbooking for their National Card Making Day Crop. I wasn't able to finish all the ones I wanted to, unfortunely I have to sleep sometime! The two bottom cards are made using transparencies with patterned paper stapled inside and rubons on the top. I took the pictures this morning before going to Luke's company picnic. Here are my cards:

Luke's Company Picnic

2008-10-05T01:04:00.002-05:00

We arrived at the picnic at 12:30 pm for sign-in and got right in line to eat lunch. It wasn't too long of a line considering there were alot more ppl there than the last year we went. After we ate a wonderful lunch of bbq brisket, sausage, beans, potato salad, and fresh fruit, we went to play a softball game that Luke had organized.

Before I tell you about the baseball game I need to tell you about the service at this ranch. I already told you about the lunch line, so I'll start as you walk into the dining area. Holding your plate as you walk in to a large dining hall littered with tables and people moving about, your eyes take a minute to adjust from the brightness of the outside to the calm shade of the hall. As we walked in Luke spotted one of his friends at a table by himself, turned out his wife didn't make it, so we sat with him to eat our lunch. Luke was antsy to get outside and play softball.

Looking around the hall you see all the tables but in the middle of the main aisle there are 2 pingpong tables, further behind the tables there is a DJ stand with a DJ, and next to us was the bar and drink station. All the beer was free although I was drinking sweet tea. I did take advantage of the free snowcones, I think I had 3, 2 cherries and a grape. They tasted so good on that warm day. Although the sun was shining we did get some cloud cover during the softball game. The also had a rock climbing wall, a moon jump, face painting, water balloon toss, which we missed cause we were playing softball, a tug of rope contest, a sack race and a bingo contest! (Almost made up for the one I missed at ScrapAttack!)

Now for the greatest service ever! The moon walk was on the baseball field, so the manager set us up another one a little further down the road, this is a 37-acre farm by the way. He set up a fence to block the ball from going into the bleachers he had set up, he provided us with, a canopy cover to cover the bleachers, a cooler of water with a tray of cups, and the bases, bats, and balls for the softball game. And to top it off, he drove us all over in the golf cart, he didn't stop until everyone that wanted to go was taken over! He also took us back when the game was over, talk about service!! I was impressed!

The softball game was also interesting, there were both adults and children playing on the two teams. I was cheering from the bleachers and taking pictures. It seemed that during one of my picture taking moments, my loving husband was falling to the ground because he got pelted in the head with the softball! As I turned around to see what everyone else was staring at, I saw my poor hubby doubled over on the ground holding his head. He looked pretty disoriented for a minute or two but he stood right back up and continued to pitch. The game ended after 6 innings with a score of 15-13.

Of course as soon as I could after the game I got an ice pack on the bump. So we sat and played bingo while he held his ice pack on his head. After that we drove home to find we were going to have company. His dad and my uncle. They were working out of town and passing by so they stopped in for a little while. Luckily Luke's dad used to be an EMT so I had him check Luke for a concussion. No concussion but he did have a pretty bad headache. So all in all is was a great day and we both had fun.

ScrapAttack Card Crop

2008-10-03T22:20:00.003-05:00

This crop has been full of challenges and games and good conversation. I have been having fun creating more cards for my card stash. Since I am still pretty new at ScrapAttack, I decided to do some of their old challenges too so maybe I can be charmed! Here' what I have created so far:

Getting ready for Bingo tomorrow night at 7pm CST.

SOTW at SNS

2008-09-27T13:45:00.004-05:00

For this weeks sketch I decided to do things a little different. This sketch can be interpreted a couple of different ways making it pretty versatile. So here is the sketch:

And my rendition of it:

This is Pat's rendition:

SASsy Scrap Pink Crop ay ScrapAttack Scrapbooking

2008-09-26T01:38:00.002-05:00

Tonight and tomorrow I will be at the ScrapAttack Scrapbooking forum participating in an online crop. These ladies have some great challenges and games going on. I went to hobby lobby and got tons of stuff at the 50%off scrapbooking sale! Those are my two favorite words, 50% off! Only thing better than that is 75% off! LOL! I was able to get loose papers, a couple of stacks, stickers, rub-ons, ink, stamps, a punch, flowers, bling, foam & felt shapes, an entire scrapbook kit that is normally $30, I got it for $6! And a few other odds and ends. Since I have been a good girl and not spent any money the past couple of months, hubby let me go a little crazy! And boy did it feel good!! Thanks again baby, that was some really great retail therapy! Now time to get a scrapping!

Recovering from Ike

2008-09-25T13:34:00.000-05:00

After getting our power back almost a week ago we have been working hard to get the house back in order. I was also happy to get my computer back, talk about withdrawals! You never really realize how much time you spend on the computer until you don't have it any more. I am trying to get things back in order I have also made some time for more sketches.

We Don't Like Ike

2008-09-19T02:47:00.003-05:00

Friday night we were prepared for Ike's fury, the sliding glass door and one main window were boarded up and the other windows were taped and cardboarded. At 10pm I put some Stouffer's lasagna in the oven and we sat down to watch Baby's Mama for an hour and a half while dinner cooked. At 11:30pm, with 9 minutes left to cook the lasagna, the power went out. We were half way through the movie but at least we got to eat a hot meal. At around 2 am the tropical winds started. By 3:30 am they were up to 100 mph. I could hear the wind whistling through the windows and doors, the rain pelting the roof, and many unknown objects hitting the side of the house. My husband & I, along with our three furrkids, were safely tucked away in an interior closest of our 3rd floor apartment. In the closet hubby fell asleep on our makeshift bed, the animals had settled into there respective spots, and i claimed my corner in the back where I had my reading table, book and lightwedge all ready to go. I must have read at least 150 pages while I sat there listening to Ike reek havoc on our city. I could not sleep until 7:30 am the next morning when the winds had considerably died down. I would like to thank the man or woman that invented the battery operated fan. Without two of them babies I think we would have been miserable.

Saturday afternoon the storm had finally moved past us onto the next unlucky town. Feeling that it was now safe to go outdoors, we took a look around the apartment complex. Several large trees had been uprooted, most small trees were riped right out of the ground, some strewn into the bushes, broken limbs were scattered everywhere, shingles from the rooves had been torn to shreds and dispursed like confetti, the pool was littered with debris from the trees along with the shredded shingles and who knows what else, leaves & mud covered the drains, sidewalks, and sides of the apartments and all of this was just looking around our complex. The rest of the city we wouldn't see for a few days. Back inside the apartment, we lit candles and set up flashlights around the living room so we could play scrabble and backgammon. Then it was off to bed in the coolest room in the house, the closest we rode out the storm in, we brought the ice chest into the room and set it in the doorway of the closet and taped one of the battery operated fans to the lid, instant swamp cooler! Using blankets we blocked off the enterance to the closest to keep in the cool air. Being able to sleep comfortably without power, and especially a/c, is very challenging to someone who has hot flashes and is used to sleeping in a 65 degree room, but I have to say the "swamp cooler" really worked.

Sunday morning around 10 am we tried to venture out on the streets. We drove to hubby's job and looked at the damage. All and all it looked like it withstood the storm with just a couple of large bay doors ruined and some water inside on the floor of the facility. Leaving there we decided to go a different way home, shortly down the road we learned this was a bad decision as the roads were still flooded, so turning to go down another street we get stuck with no choice except to drive through the high water along the flooded feeder road. We were able to jump two wheels upon a curb as we went drove through the water. As soon as we were past the flooding we made our way back home the same way we started out. At home while we were having lunch and listening to the radio, we heard they were giving out ice just a couple of blocks from where we live. So we got in the car and drove to the designated place and proceeded to wait in the longest organized line with the other hundreds of cars for an hour and a half to recieve 40 lbs of much needed ice. (To anyone who volunteered to help those of us in need, I would like to take this time to say a very heartfelt thanks, without you caring and giving of your time some of us would have lost even more precious food.

Riders on the Storm

2008-09-12T18:11:00.002-05:00

Is what we feel like now. We are just waiting for Ike to release his fury. We have the sliding glass door boarded up and a few of the windows too. I have everything in the closet to survive for about a week. So hubby, me and our 3 furrbabies will be hiding in closet when it gets bad. I'll post when the storm is over if I have power.

Here Comes The Hurricane

2008-09-11T21:09:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Ike is knocking on my door! At 35 miles NW of the place it's forecasted to hit, we have decided we are staying and hunkering down! We have gotten everything you can think of to keep us safe and help us survive when the power goes out! We even have a closet that we can get into should the storm become too servere. So please say a prayer for us. Here's what Ike looks like right now.

ShortCuts Clear & Frosted Card Blanks

2008-09-10T23:31:00.002-05:00

WOW! These Clear Cards Blanks at SheetLoad ShortCuts look cool. Imagine all the time you could save by not having to do all the doodling or rubons by hand. And I heard they are finger print resistant too! Think I'm gonna have to get me some.

SOTW 9-9-08

2008-09-09T18:04:00.004-05:00

I actually did the lo first and copied the sketched from it! I really loved how this page turned out. And BTW they had a blast riding with the professional drivers!

Sketch:

My Example:

SOTW 9-2-08

2008-09-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

Missed last week because of this darn headache again.

Here's this week's sketch:

Bonus Card:

8/20/08

2008-08-20T14:45:00.002-05:00

As promised, here is this week's sketch:

Too Busy to Scrap

2008-07-31T01:55:00.002-05:00

Life is starting to get very busy. I will not be posting any more sketches until the end of August.

Just to let you know the kind of fun I will be having over the next three weeks. First, this weekend we are going deep sea fishing. I'm soo excited! I love the ocean. The following weekend we will be going to New Braunsfels to float down the river for my sil's birthday. The week after that I am planning my dad's 50th birthday party.

So needless to say I will be too busy to scrap or sketch, although I will try to steal a few minutes here and there! ;-}

Back to the Sketches 7/20/08

2008-07-20T02:26:00.005-05:00

Thought I'd try something different. Arrows!

No SOTW 7/15/08

2008-07-15T02:21:00.002-05:00

Sorry, No sketch this week due to severe head pain. My headache has flared up the past few days and really knocked my on my tush. I hope to get back to the sketches next week. Just trying to survive the pain right now.

Sketch of the Week @ SNS 7/1/08

2008-07-01T02:13:00.004-05:00

Come on over and check out my sketches at the Scraps-n-such community. There are monthly challenges, an inspirational layout gallery and a great bunch of ladies.

Bonus Card:

Sketch of the Week @ SNS 6/27/08

2008-06-27T01:59:00.003-05:00

This sketch is great for extra pictures or journaling you don't necessarily want shown on the front of the layout.

MY SNS Circle Journal

2008-06-23T15:39:00.004-05:00

The theme I picked for my album was "What Font Are You?". Me being the fontaholic that I am thought this would be a great idea. I had a great time making it. I used the Die Cuts With A View Once Upon A Time stack lots of skickers and rub-ons and of course, lots of fonts! This journal will not be back in my hands for 7 months and I am excited to see how it turns out! For now I will post the pages I have finished.

Where did the month go?

2008-06-23T15:29:00.005-05:00

Well this month has just flown by! It seems like just yesterday it was my birthday, now it's the 23rd!!

I was able to finish my SNS circle journal, pictures will follow. I also missed one Sketch of the Week. Now I am working on Steph's Words of Wisdom circle journal. I have some ideas but it seems to be hard to pull them all together. Oh well, I'm sure I'll have fun and figure it out before the end of the month!

Here are the Sketches of the Week:

Birthday fit for a Princess

2008-06-01T23:48:00.001-05:00

Saturday I spent the morning finishing cleaning the house. Around 6pm my aunt & uncle came over along with my fil and my cousin and his gf. We had a few drinks listened to some music and just hung out. Hubby surprised me with a gorgeous cake! Here's a pic:

Then he gave me a $200 spa package to use whenever I want! And he also got me a new PC game I've been wanting, Dungeon Siege 2, and he even tried to buy a cricut cartridge for me but couldn't find the right one. Which means I'll be getting the one I want soon, Home Accents!

Then on Sunday, I had to wake up early so I could make it to the first graduation party @ 12:30pm. The party turned out really nice in the church room. Angel was nothing but smiles the whole time and I'm happy to report that she loved the album!

Then on to the next party! This one was for two cousins ( one boy, one girl). Two different schools too! This party was old fashioned in the backyard with BBQ, beer, and bugs! And it was around 90 degrees as well! When hubby and I first arrived. All my aunts sang me "Happy Birthday", it was so sweet and I couldn't take the smile off my face. Miranda absolutely loved her album too. She even made it a point to come and thank me again before she left with her friends. I thought it was the sweetest gesture.

Then we were going to drop my dad off from the grad party, but upon arriving at his house we found out one of his dogs was missing!! So hubby and dad's roommate jump in the car and go looking for her. After 30 mins of no signs, while me and dad are having a heart to heart moment when he gave me my birthday card with $100 in it (had to go to the bathroom and cry and ended up praying for the dog instead). A few minutes later the guys come back without the dog. I decided to send them to the store for some drinks and in the meantime me and dad are talking about the last time this happened she had went towards the park. So I call hubby and tell him to check the park, well he drives down and no dog at the park. On the way back to dad's everyone is thinking she is gone for good, she walks right in front of the car!!! So they grab her and bring her home!! The only thing I can say is there is power in prayer! Because I don't know what my dad would have done without that dog!

So we were finally on our way to Red Lobster. We had a great dinner just the two of us. I found out I do not like my seafood grilled! And their Passions Sunset Colada is a great frozen drink!

Like I said a birthday fit for a Princess, and man do I feel like one!!

Graduation Albums Completed

2008-05-31T14:29:00.004-05:00

I finally finished the graduation albums!! Yaaaayyyy!! I hand stitched each album so that each one would have extra pockets. In each pocket there is a tag with a letter of the graduates name.
Here's the first one:

Here's the second one:

SOTW May 29th

2008-05-29T16:24:00.003-05:00

Been a few days since I blogged. I have two graduations this weekend and those albums need to be finished! Also Sunday is my birthday.

Here's this week's sketch:

Graduation Time & SOTW

2008-05-23T22:44:00.004-05:00

This week I have been busy trying to finish one of the two graduation albums I have veen working on. Three of my cousins are graduation but one is a boy so I don't think he'd appreciate a scrapbook as much as the girls will.

I am also adding this weeks sketch to this post. Here it is:

Scrappin Time

2008-05-18T23:51:00.001-05:00

Well this weekend I really feel like I accomplished something, even though I'm not finished with the project. I am still working on the graduation album for my cousin. I decided to make it a 10 page book but each set of 2 pages is stitched together to make a pocket for extra memorabilia. I used my sewing machine to create the holes and then used a large eyed sewing needle to stitch the floss, sort of like needlepoint. Unfortunately my sewing skills are really rusty and I couldn't get the paper to stay straight or the holes to be far enough apart. So I did it the old fashion way and just spun the hand dial on the sewing machine that makes the needle move up and down while keeping the paper straight! Pain staking but worth it! hopefully I will be finished with this one soon!! i still need to work on my circle journal and I am thinking about making another album for my other cousin that is graduating the same day!! Man am I going to be busy!!

It's Sketch Time again

2008-05-15T23:38:00.006-05:00

Can't believe it's been almost two weeks since I've posted! I have been busy making a graduation album for my cousin. I have about two pages left to finish and the front cover needs some finishing touches. Hopefully I will be done by Saturday night.

Next I'll be working on my circle journal for SNS. I have decided that my topic will be What Font Are You? I still haven't decided how I am going to present it. I have the wording for the intro page but I don't know which paper I'm going to use or even what album I'll be using! At least I have a couple weeks left to decide.

Now for this weeks sketch. This one is a little daring so make sure to make copies of your pictures before trying this!

National Scrapbook Day

2008-05-04T23:48:00.005-05:00

For National Scrapbook Day(NSD) hubby let me spend $100 on my new credit card. We just found out that I have fantastic credit! I was offered a MasterCard and I was approved for it, so hubby took me to Hobby Lobby! I racked it up, so much was on sale! I got about 50 sheets of single patterned paper, two paper stack packs, ribbon, ink, brads, stickers, flowers, bling, refills for my paper trimmer, and a glue stick.

Hopefully the FedEx man will get here early tomorrow! Saturday when we left to go to Hobby Lobby he hadn't gotten here yet. Later that night I checked the tracking and he was here 15mins after we left! So I guess no one was in the apartment office either, so I have to wait for the next business day for the second delivery attempt, which is tomorrow. I am so ready for this rolling scrapbook cart to get here! I already have most of the drawers planned out, so I will be able to free up some space in my 3 drawer cubes for paper storage!

I have 3 projects to work on this month. The first is my cousin's graduation mini album, my mother's day present for my mom and my intro pages to my circle journal at SNS. And don't forget, Tuesday is SNS's Sketch of the Week Day.

Last SOTW for April

2008-04-30T16:35:00.002-05:00

April has been a fun month for Sketches. May is looking like it might be even better! I know you have been waiting all week for this so here it is:

And the bonus card:

Concerts and Parties

2008-04-28T23:44:00.002-05:00

This weekend we celebrated my father-in-law's 50th birthday. Saturday night we took him to a blues concert at a place called the Warehouse. We were going to take him go-cart racing but he ended up with an ear ache. So instead we BBQed and played Texas Hold'em. We were betting with change and I started with $3. We had fun. I gave him a handmade card, that I forgot to photograph and a memory journal I made last week, didn't know it was for him at the time, neat how that works sometimes. Did get a pic of it! Check it out:

Been A Busy Week

2008-04-25T13:51:00.010-05:00

I have been patiently waiting for a wonderful piece of organization, a rolling 12 drawer cart. So I was excited when the FedEx man knocked on the door today. Until I openedthe door and saw the package, it was really small. So i thought I had measured wrong and was bummed out casue it was so tiny. Then after opening the box to make sure, I realized instead of the rolling scrapbook cart I was waiting on, I had received a paper shredder!! So now I am waiting on a reply email from the seller. Uuuurrrggghhh!

Seems like I have been too busy to do anything this week. Although I did manage to make a few more sketches. Keep checking back for more amazing sketches. Here's this weeks SOTW at Scrap-N-Such.com.

Cards, Cards, and more Cards

2008-04-21T22:13:00.003-05:00

I think the title explains what I have been doing. I have been making cards with my scraps. I have made a couple of Princess cards for SNS's Princess of the Month. I also made a couple of Birthday cards as well. I'm thinking about making a few congratulations cards to add to the stash. I'll be coming up with some more card sketches soon, so keep checking back.

Sketch-A-Thon

2008-04-20T23:59:00.004-05:00

I created 3 more sketches today and finished the baby album I have been working on for 3 months! After I take pictures of the last two pages, I can finally send it to the intended recipient. It has been one of the biggest projects I have taken on since I started scrapbooking almost a year ago. I have to admit, my friend Heather is right, scrapbooking is the best therapy!

Sketching Away the Day

2008-04-20T03:39:00.005-05:00

Today I worked on several sketches. I think I have become addicted to it. It's easy and fun and I love that other people can use my creations! Ninety-five percent of the artwork is mine. As for the other five percent, I would like to thank all the digital scrapbookers that have created free stuff for me to use on my layouts. I find them useful for my sketches too. Keep checking back as I will be posting a new sketch every week. Sometimes they will be from other artists, if I use a sketch that is not mine, I will link back to the site where I found it. But of of the ones I post will be my own creations. Feel free to scrapjack or scraplift anything that strikes your fancy. If you do scrap jack or lift shoot me an email with the link or a picture of your creation.

Bonus Card - Sketch of the Week

2008-04-19T11:55:00.004-05:00

Decided to make a bonus Sketch this morning. Just a card sketch to add to your stash.

Continued Organization

2008-04-18T22:15:00.006-05:00

Just more organization going on today. I actually got my scrap shelves organized. I might be able to find my paper easier now. Now, to find some drawer inserts to organize the small things. And buy the rolling cart that has been approved by hubby!

Moments of Organization

2008-04-17T22:43:00.005-05:00

If your like me, you are probably pretty busy most of the time. So when it comes time to scrap you aren't always necessarily in the mood. Instead of sitting there staring at your scrap table, look around and see if there is anything you could organize in less than 30 mins. Don't think you have anything like that? Well then you must be using up all of your scrap supplies as you buy them! Because I find that my table has bits and pieces from my many different projects that somehow worked their way into a drawer or cube or basket. Or that dreaded junk drawer that you are dreading but could use the space. Come on it's not that hard. Just take the drawer out and start taking things out of it one at a time. Start making some piles of like items, separating and sorting until you reach the bottom. Now this should take no more than 10 mins to separate, if it does you may need more help than I am offering here. If it takes you more than 30 mins to reach the bottom of the one drawer please seek out a professional organizer as quickly as possible. After everything is in little piles, start with the common items that already have a place elsewhere and put it back where it belongs. Then your piles should be smaller. Sort, separate, file and throw away until the other piles are gone. Then sit back and see what you got accomplished in 30 mins or less.

Sketch of the Week @ SNS

2008-04-16T20:48:00.016-05:00

Since Bethy has let me moderate the Sketch of the Week on SNS, I have been inspired to start making my own sketches. And here's my first attempt:

And I did get my Creative Xpress order with my new Cuttlebug folders!! I'm so excited now I can really add some texture to my projects. Tonight I was altering a composition book with some paper my friend Gina sent me. Thanks again Gina, I have used several of the Serendipity papers on a few projects. One is the blue letter "L" that is in the scrolling section at the top of the page. I still have 2 pages left for the baby girl album for my friend brandy. She has no idea I'm making it for her, so it will be quite a surprise!

Scrap-less

2008-04-13T01:56:00.006-05:00

Well this weekend was slow and nothing got scrapped. Although I thought about several projects, none actually got completed. I also received my Creative Xpress order but I didn't have the energy to play. Maybe tomorrow.

My First Musings

2008-04-09T00:12:00.006-05:00

Welcome to my blog. This blog is for me to display all of my scrapbook projects. I have been scrapbooking for about a year and I love it! I think pictures displayed scrapbook style are a lot more interesting than in the old magnetic album that have turned yellow. Please enjoy all my pictures and if you decide that something is pretty, just make sure to link back to me if you use it anywhere. Scrapjacking and scraplifting are both perfectly acceptable and require no link back, although I would like to see what you made, so drop me a line! If you don't know what scrapjacking and scraplifting are please refer to the nearest scrapbooking forum to find out. One of the best ones around is called Scraps-n-Such and is run by a wonderful lady named Bethy. Bethy has stretched my scrapbooking skills and could do the same for you, just stop by and say "Hi". On top of challenging your skills you can also make some great friends, I know I have.