my_weblog

Brrrrrrr...

 

  

"Is this for real?" As I was driving to pick-up Ethan early from daycare, this is what was going through my head over and over again. More snow? Seriously? The snow was falling quickly and there was a lot of it. There were snowballs forming on my windshield while driving..the stuff was super sticky and I couldn't see more than five feet in front of me. It lasted all of four hours and the grand total was around half a foot. It was insane, but thankfully, I was able to get us home safely. Thank goodness I invested in good snow tires this year. Jeez. 

So, I spent the last couple days working on projects and getting ready for "Reflections". I coordinated and organized a list of products for the project I'll be teaching at Reflections. It's quite the list...I've taken images of the products and posted them on a large display board in my office. My inspiration for the project is the new Making Memories travel line, "Great Escape", which I absolutely love (soon to be released this June).  I won't be doing a travel album per say, but I will be using the collection's color scheme. I'll be teaching a mini album at the Reflection's event called "Snippets of Hope". I'll share more about the project in the near future..I'll also try to snap a photo of my office display board and post it later this week. 

 

I can't technically say that I'm a hybrid scrapbooker, but digital elements always manage to find their way on my layouts. For this above layout (caught these photos while at Wild Rumpus bookstore), I used a couple digital distressed frames around my photos from "Decrow Designs" at We Are StoryTellers (one of my favorite digital scrapbooking boutiques). I love the look of digital frames. It saves me the work of not having to frame photos myself via cardstock. It's also kind of fun to see digital elements come to life after they've been printed on paper. Guess you could say I'm a newbie when it comes to this kind of thing..look at me, I'm all excited over a few digital frames. Laugh. I really like how these frames turned out though..I looked around for quite a while to find distressed frames that were practical and easy to use. These were perfect and matched my needs exactly. 

Speaking of digital scrapbooking, if you haven't already, take time to check out the many digital layout galleries available for viewing online. Because I'm obsessed with layering and using lots of embellishments, I find that digital layouts are inspiring on many levels. Most digital layouts are heavily layered and embellished. They suit my style and the best part is, the compositions are usually unique and one-of-a-kind. No two single digital layouts are ever the same. With digital scrapbooking, the sky is the limit. You never run out of supplies...ever. Here are digital scrapbook galleries I have bookmarked and visit on a regular basis: We Are StoryTellers,  O'Scraps, Two Peas in a Bucket

 

I "heart" Anna Griffin paper. I actually cut a large flower from one of her pattern papers and used it for the centerpiece of this layout. I outlined the flower with stickles (an affordable alternative to purchasing pre-glittered pattern papers or pattern papers with multi-surface treatments) and curled up the edges using my fingers. I layered it with a medium size flower from My Mind's Eye, a K & Company floral transparency, and a decorated stamped image ("So Tweet") from Imaginisce. 

The bird is new (isn't she fancy?), from American Crafts. I gave her some extra fluff by adding a wooden swirl to her wing feathers. The swirl is from KaiserKraft. It was actually part of a larger swirl, but I removed a section of the large swirl to use it for this project. I adhered the wooden swirl to the layout using Quick Dry Tacky Adhesive from 3M. 

*The large brad for the medium pink flower is handmade. Heather Bailey once had a link to the instructions for making handmade brads on her blog. I lost the link a while ago, but it's not difficult. All it takes is a trip to the fabric store and few small tools. Don't need a machine to make these! 

 

Borders, borders, borders. I have a nice stash of border punches right now. They sure come in handy when scrapbooking. Lately, I've been working a lot with borders (decorative and plain). I combined various kinds of borders on this layout. Some were punched (the little scallop with the holes was made using one of EK Success's new border punches available at Michaels) and some were pre-cut. I also mixed in a few straight cut pattern paper strips for further layering. 

 

Sharing this photo cause it provides a different perspective of the layout. A one dimensional photo doesn't always capture the layers of a layout. This particular layout is heavy on texture.

There's a new tape company in town-TapeSwell "Practical Pretty Tape" It's the prettiest tape I've ever seen. It's sold by the roll (be sure to check out their multi-tape dispenser - wowza! I'd never need a tape dispenser again!). Check out the new tape "HERE". 

 

What do you think of Ethan's "Dog on Wheels"? He actually put this thing together by himself. They're was no preplanning involved and no help from mom. This kids got quite the imagination. Right now, he can't build anything with his lego's without using the wheel cart as a base. Every time I attempt to build a house for him using his Lego collection, he takes it apart and uses the pieces for building alternative modes of transportation. Today, it's "Dog on Wheels". Too funny.

It's a long one....

I'm experiencing another round of grieving. It's no a real surprise knowing that I have a couple big decisions ahead of me in next year or two. They're not easy decisions either and both require a significant amount of thought and introspection.

The first decision at hand is deciding when to sell the house. I desperately want to move into a smaller space and start over. Ethan will soon reach his preschool years and I want us to be in a good school district. I also want to live closer to my folks. They're keenly aware of the challenges I face on a day to day basis and are of great help to both me and my son.  My goal is to get us into a townhome by next Spring (2010). There's a ton that still needs to be done with the house we're currently in and it's going to take some serious team effort to get the house ready for the market. Right now, I'm focusing on getting financing, which presents it's own unique set of challenges, but I'm learning as I go. Luckily, I have lot support and good people helping me out..which makes all the difference in the world.

The next big decision is deciding whether or not to go back to college. In all likelihood, I'll probably be hitting the books once again come next Spring/Fall (2010). I'm researching options at the University of Minnesota and would love to go back to school for graphic design. Now that I have extra time and energy to research my long term career goals, I'm taking full advantage of the option to go back to school. I think going back to college will be a positive experience for me and will result in long term benefits for our "small family".

On another note, I did some scrapbooking over the weekend. There's no better therapy than sitting at my scrapbook desk in the late hours of the evening and forgetting about my daily woes. After reading "Computer Tricks 3" by Jessica Sprague last week, I worked on a digital scrapbook project and created the following photo line-up using masks and Photoshop. The photo line-up tells the story of Ethan and his renegade, remote control motorcycle. He loves to chase the thing while driving around his red car in our kitchen/dining room. We've been playing this game for the last couple weeks. He either runs the motorcycle over with his car or knocks it down with his hands. 

 

 

The clouds are from Cosmo Cricket..they're my favorite element on this layout. I combined the chipboard clouds with a large "B" from Lil' Davis, a chipboard ring from Junkitz (which I backed with pattern paper), a few felties from American Crafts, Elsie alpha rub-ons, and other misc. embellishments. I framed my photo montage with 6" x 12" piece of white scallop Bazzill cardstock. The yellow circle background paper is brand new, from Crate Paper.

 

Now for something totally different..some of you have inquired as to how I organize my scrapbook supplies. Well, I'm going to give this a quick go and show you my space up close and personal.

 

(Photo Credit: Pro Photographer and good friend Krysten Halek. These turned out wonderful Krysten!!)

I swear by baskets and drawers when it comes to organizing my scrapbook supplies. I can't live without either. Both make the creative process easier and practical. If you look in the photo above, you'll notice the many baskets behind me. I purchased these baskets at Ikea along with the black shelf unit. Each basket holds a single category of supplies. I've taken a photo of each basket. See them below:

 

Rub-ons (Grouped by Manufacturer).

 

Note cards, labels, and anything journal related (by manufacturer).

 

Border die-cuts & stickers (one big pile).

 

"Word" stickers (by manufacturer).

 

Anything too large to fit in the basket sits on the shelf, next to the corresponding basket.

 

Epoxy stickers (I usually remove them from their packaging to save on space and waste). It also makes it easier to see the stickers. I keep them piled flat within the basket (in no particular order).

 

Small alpha stickers & rub-ons (by Manufacturer).

 

Rhinestones/Pearls (by manufacturer).

Flat packaged flowers (by manufacturer).

 

Three dimensional stickers (no particular order).

 

Die-cut chipboard pieces (no particular order).

 

Large alpha stickers & rub-ons (by color).

 

Glitter, paint, & stickles.

Next, I have drawer units that sit directly on my desk. Each drawer unit holds a different type of scrapbook supply item (sorted by color).

 

Small Chipboard Elements (three drawers/sorted by color).

 

Small transparency elements (three drawers/sorted by color).

 

Buttons (six drawers/sorted by color).

 

Small paper die-cut & shapes (six drawers/sorted by color).

 

Misc. Embellishments (three drawers/no particular order).

Recently, I added three more drawer units to my desk area and I'm using each of the drawers to store items used for creating dimensional flowers (via chipboard, paper, and transparencies).

 

The red flower drawer (anything usable for creating flowers/eight total drawers/sorted by color).

I store most of my flowers in glass jars (especially those from Prima) that sit on top of my black shelf unit. I categorize them by color and size.

When I say "drawer unit", I'm referring to the drawers shown below:

 

I store my paper in a Cropper Hopper cart that sits below my desk. I pull it out whenever I need pattern paper. Note: in order to store my pattern paper this way, I have to purge my paper collection every six months. I keep what I use and that's it.

I store my cardstock in large baskets that sit on the bottom section of my shelf unit.

 

My stamping supplies sit in a large drawer unit located to the right of my desk. This is where I also store Sassafras and Crate Paper wares.

 

A small basket holds acrylic stamps. I only keep stamps that I know I will use on a regular basis. This basket sits on my desk for easy reach.

 

This is the system I use to store my supplies! It's efficient and works well for the way I create while sitting at my desk. I don't always have to get up to reach for things..I pre-pull everything before starting a project. I enjoy having everything near by. Allows me to relax and finish the project at hand.

Cluck, Cluck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took Ethan to a local, independent bookstore this weekend called "Wild Rumpus". It's a well established children's bookstore located in the quaint, trendy district of Linden Hills. Linden Hills is a hidden neighborhood of Minneapolis, MN. There are a number of shops I enjoy frequenting while in this area of the Twin Cities. It's a tad bit "spendy", but it's a great get-a-way for some fun shopping and fine dining. I visit the area every six months or so...or, whenever we're in the mood to hang out with a cluck, cluck chicken & books galore.

This was my first time bringing Ethan to Wild Rumpus. I'd been there previously with my nieces, but it was Ethan's first time to this particular bookstore. Upon arriving, Ethan wasn't too keen on the idea of our being there. He's not a big fan of what I refer to as "unfamiliar territory". Luckily, the bookstore is half "jungle" & half books. They have animals, small toys, old antique chairs for climbing, special play areas (including a playhouse!), and other things to do during one's visit. Within minutes, I lost Ethan to the cats and the free roaming chicken. After running around and chasing animals for a solid ten minutes, he finally slowed down and made himself at home in one the old chairs near the front of the store. He cozied up with me and a cool interactive cat book for a period of time. He then went on to play with the animals some more until his curiosity got the best of him..the magic, tiny door that serves as an entry and exit for little ones was the next big attraction for Ethan. He devoted another chunk of time to working the little door's lock and handle. Between him and another two year old, there was some disputing about who was in charge of the tiny door. I reminded Ethan that the small door was for all "small people", not just him. Laugh. Of course, he looked at me blankly and went about his own business doing something entirely different. I love this age. By the time we left the store, both of us were zonked! A nap soon followed....

I'm keeping it short tonight. It's been a long weekend..tomorrow, I'll post a new layout and share my scrapbook supply organization system I have set up in my scrapbook space. Some of you have inquired about it, so I figure it's a good time to revisit the chaos I call my "scrapbook room". Laugh.  Actually, it's not that bad...when it's clean and my bed is made. More about it tomorrow :) Bye!

Just Us..sort of.

 

I've been anxious to get my hands on Sassafras's new stuff. I have it stored in a large drawer that's been designated for Sassafras product only. I keep all my design team product separate from the rest of my scrapbook stash. If and when I need it, I simply open one of the drawers and get to work. 

Last night, I started working on the above layout using various items from all three of Sassafras's latest collections. This layout was very slowwww going. I don't know if I've run out of ideas or if I'm just not feelen' it creatively, but it took quite a bit of idea  generating and experimenting to finish this layout. I must of sat and stared at the thing for hours. Laugh. After the layout was nearly complete, I almost tossed it. I then took a big'ol breath and relaxed some. No need to get uptight about a layout. It's just a layout after all, right?! Laugh. Well, no going back now..it's done.

 

 

 

Lately, I feel like I've been neglecting my button collection. I miss seeing lots and lots of buttons on layouts. I remember when Danielle Thompson and Elsie Flannigan were regular contributors to CK. One of things I loved about their work was their obsessive, compulsive use of buttons. Even though I don't use them as frequently as I used to, I still adore buttons. They're whimsical and ever-so-cute to look at. I like seeing them used in multiples or as a group on layouts. They're pure eye candy. 

Speaking of eye candy, Danielle's digital elements at Two Peas are scrumptious. Seriously. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely mine! If I did more digital work, I'd be buying her stuff like crazy. Thinken' about them "Deux" picture frames. Maybe. Just maybe.  Like how she's linked up instructions for changing the frame colors..great idea! Thanks Danielle!

Layered Flowers 101
A brief tutorial from the "Just Us" layout

 

• Start with a large circle journal sticker for the base of the flower. 
• Hand-cut two large circles from cardstock; Pink & Yellow.
  
• Punch holes from yellow circle as shown using a standard hole punch.
  
• Layer and adhere Pink & Yellow circles to center of journal sticker. 
  
• Add buttons as shown. 
• Hand draw small circles inside punched holes using a souffle gel pen. Fill in drawn circles with Stickles.

 

• Curl petals of pink flower towards you. 
  
• Adhere as shown. 

 

• Add medium and small rhinestones to Pink flower petals as shown.
  
• Curl petals of green flower and adhere to top of Pink flower.

• Add two more flower layers & top off flower with a large fabric brad. Flower is complete! 

If you haven't noticed already, I've added something new to my sidebar. I'm getting ready for another teaching event and once again, I'll be in California (for all you East Coast folks, I'll be heading your way soon also! More later.). If you haven't heard about this new event, it's huge!! Seriously, I sort of want to be student at this event, even though I'll be teaching there. Laugh. The hosts, Karen & Susan (in association with Scrapbook Oasis), have organized a great line-up of teachers for two days of technique driven classes and special events. Check out the list of teachers that will be there:  Shannon Tidwell, Mara-May Baca, Theresa Collins, Jamie Waters, Melissa Phillips, Maggie Holmes, and myself. Also, there's a fantastic group of sponsors that have come together to contribute to this event. Sponsors include Cosmo Cricket, Hambly, Sassafras, Creative Imaginations, Websters Pages, and more.  For more info about Reflections, visit the official "Reflections" website. We would love to have you join us!

Pink.

 

So here's the deal, I don't follow the "no pink" rule when designing layouts about Ethan. Never have. Never will. Actually, I pay very little attention to rules pertaining to color and subject matter. Usually, when I'm working with color, I follow my instincts and select colors that appeal to me. The colors I select will often still correspond with the subject matter, but in a more playful, unpredictable fashion. I don't rely on traditional color schemes when combining colors for projects. There's an element of surprise that results from doing things outside the norm. Breaking rules and leaving behind tradition is not always a bad thing.

One color rule worth considering; when using bright colors or a varied color palette, break it up with neutrals, such as black, brown, or cream. For the layout above, I used a dark burgundy brown to offset the strong, rich hues surrounding the photo. I also used a vanilla color background as a base for the layout.

    

Do you have a nice size collection of paper die-cut flowers? I'm an avid fan of die-cut flowers. There must be a cuteness factor in owning so many of these things. My Mind's Eye is always releasing new die-cut flowers to go with their pattern paper collections. I collect them like candy. Lately, I'm starting to think I should store these things in separate containers. Right now, I have them muddled in with the rest of my die-cuts, which are sectioned off by color. I use them often. I combine them with silk flowers, die-cut circles, label stickers, stamped flowers, epoxy stickers, buttons, rhinestones, etc. I'm always testing out new combination's using die-cut flowers. For the flower above I used:

• Burgandy Brown Cardstock

• Hero Arts Woodgrain Circle Stamp

• My Mind's Eye Medium Size Die-Cut Flower (New Penny Lane Collection)

• Fushia Cardstock

• Crate Paper Brown/Blue Glittered Die-Cut Circle (Prudence Collection)

• Vintage Button

Speaking of Hero Arts, I had to give these a try. When I bought them, I wasn't really sure if I'd use them on a layout. Well, I surprised myself. Not only did I use them, I colored them too! I wiped the dust off my artist quality color pencil storage unit and did some coloring...serious coloring. Laugh. Haven't used'em in a while, but like meeting an old friend, we reaquainted quickly.

Going to end this post with three layouts I completed for Crate Paper's booth at CHA. I managed to finish three layouts in one evening..I didn't get much sleep, but I didn't mind. Their three new collections are beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed working with each one, especially Lillian.

 

 

 

I finished the last page of the "Remember Autumn" mini album this afternoon. I've been working on this album for nearly two weeks. Each page is coated in layers of detail and a splendor of Autumn colors. I ended up using a 2" ring binder to hold the pages together. I tied a small length of vintage olivine velvet ribbon around the ring. The album is only a total of seven pages. Each page holds one to four photos. It tells the story of our trip to the local apple orchard last Fall. I kept the back part of the album blank, for easy holding. I'm going to add more journaling to the album in the near future. Right now, it's complete "as is". 

Here are the last two pages of the album:

This photo has taken on a funky, grayish tone, but I want to show you how I created the green/blue clear embossed scallop chipboard circle. Below, you'll find photo images and instructions for this part of the page.

These are the supplies I used for creating the scallop chipboard circle. First, I chose two colors of pigment ink. Both from the same color family, one being lighter than the other. 

The scallop chipboard circles I used are from Technique Tuesday. There are two die-cut chipboard sheets per pack. 

I used the lighter shade of turquoise ink for painting the scallop circle chipboard shape. I painted directly on the circle using the ink pad. I repeated this step three to four times for a nice even coverage of color. 

I used a darker shade of turquoise to stamp a dot pattern on scallop circle. 

I then added clear embossing powder to scallop circle and melted the powder with my heat embossing tool. It may be difficult to tell from the photo, but the scallop circle takes on a "shiny" appearance after the application of embossing powder. I brought the shininess of the scallop circle down a notch by coating the circle further with Ranger Distress Ink, using a round orange sponge. I then added more clear embossing powder (Distress Ink stays wet for a long period of time) and once again, melted it with my heat embossing tool. The scallop circle is complete.

I want to start working on a layout now that I've completed the mini albumt. I'm going to play around some more with Sassafras's nummy products. For some odd reason, I failed to notice these three sets of stickers while rummaging through my Sassafras box yesterday. Not sure how I missed them, but wanted to give you guys a closer look at them today before I start using them on projects. I love the fact that they're on a white background. Makes them easier to see and use. My fave from the bunch are the pink/red stickers on top. The circle sticker with the dots..oh myyyyy. He,he. I think I'll be using that one real soon.  

I'm leaving you with a pic of the new Cosmo Chipboard. I placed an order for product a week or so ago and the order arrived today...these were the first to catch my attention. Hello Mr. Ladybug!

We've no big plans for the weekend. I still have some misc. paperwork to finish up and of course, the usual weekend errands. I've been hearing all about Valentine's day for the last two weeks..sort of avoiding it. My sister's invited us over tomorrow night for a small Valentine's celebration. We might go..depending on my mood. Still not used to being solo on Valentine's day. Eric would normally go out and buy me roses and a card..maybe this year, I'll run out and buy a big box of chocolates and rent a not-so-romantic movie for myself. I'll definitely be avoiding hallmark and every grocery store with a florist shop. Don't need the reminders. Laugh. 

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Valentines :)

Vroooooom.

  

A couple weeks ago, Ethan decided that he couldn't leave his outdoor play car sitting in the garage. Instead, he had me bring it inside the house. Since then, he's been driving it around our kitchen/dining area almost daily. I keep looking at my wood floors and thinking I must be crazy allowing him to drive this thing inside our home. Every time I see him in the car though, I can't help but laugh..hysterically. It's the cutest thing ever and he really loves the car. He's been using it so much lately that the plastic door is falling off it's hinges. I keep having to put the door back on after Ethan opens and closes it a couple times. Every five minutes, I hear this "oh, oh...the door mama." Laugh.

Sassafras's latest releases are making their way to your local scrapbook stores!! I received the pattern papers, game cards, and die-cut flowers via usps this afternoon. After having the opportunity to play with some of the papers already, I've been anticipating the arrival of the cards and flowers. The whole "card" concept conjures up all kinds of new scrapbooking ideas. Use'em for creating small mini albums or add them to larger size mini albums. Treat them like regular pattern paper and cut them up for embellishing projects. Use them as frames for small photos or journal boxes. The possibilities are endless..which is what makes them perfect for just about any project.

Didn't take long for Amber to locate the Sassafras box of goods. She managed to plop herself on top of the pile of Sassafras product without me catching her right away. Cats are notorious for stealing boxes, including this cat above. Once she spot the box, she put herself in it and took a nap. Sneaky. Sneaky. She looks guilty. Totally.

Ok, still trying to resolve the photoshop/color issue. I haven't had a single problem with color until yesterday. I've been doing a lot of online research and I've yet to find a solution that actually works..thinken' I'm better off using my PC to update the blog until I get this problem figured out. It may possibly be Typepad..not sure. Sorry about the lack luster images. Working on it.
 

Carnival Preview

I've been a little "off" since returning from CHA. Not really sure what's going on, but I've had to make some big decisions these last few weeks. As some of you may have already noticed, I made the difficult decision to resign from my position at October Afternoon. The decision was necessary after reviewing my long term goals. There's not enough time in the day to make everything happen, so as I go about making new plans for the future, I'm realizing there are a lot of possibilities that lay before me. I'll have more time to dedicate to my creative passions. In doing so, you'll see more projects, layouts, and project kits available here on my blog. I'm already working on a new kit for the Spring. I started planning this kit while roaming the halls of CHA. There's a lot of great product out there to choose from, but I sought out the quirky odds & ends for my next project kit titled "Carnival". Below is small sampling of what's to come:

 

 

Something is going on with the color of my images..I've tried to remedy it several times, but with little success. I need to review my color settings once again..though, I've not changed anything recently..any tips on how to correct color dullness in association with photoshop, typepad, and Macs would be greatly appreciated. Arg.

Still working on the ol'mini album. I have a couple pages left to complete and soon, I'll be on the hunt for the largest ring binder in the world. I've ordered a 2" red ring from the Creative Cafe collection for this album. Lets hope it's big enough to hold this album together..the chipboard pages are extremely thick. Yikes!

I've been thinking a lot about the amount of product I already own for scrapbooking. Most of us have enough scrapbook supplies to keep us going for five lifetimes. So, while attending CHA, I spent a signifigant amount of time looking at tools, adhesives, inks, markers, etc. I've been seeking new ways to utilize my scrapbook supplies. It's hard not to feel like I haven't tried "everything", but in reality, I know there are still a lot of creative possibilities worth discovering. The "Ranger" booth is one of those perfect places to go when seeking out new, inventive techniques. I watched a few demo's and grabbed a few samples of product. One product I picked up was Ranger's "Crackle Accents", a cool crackle medium that can be applied to just about anything. I don't think it's new, but the results are really cool. I applied a thick coat of the medium to a heart shape sticker. The sticker didn't curl and the Crackle medium dried overnight. Think I'm going to need a bigger bottle of this stuff...Can't wait to try it on other materials and objects.

Soon, the little one will be up from his nap..thank you to all of those for wishing Ethan a speedy recovery from his cold. We're on day five and it's still going strong. Today, we're home and keeping things simple. Nothing super exciting going on, accept for a haircut and homemade muffins. Num.

A Mini Start...

This week, I've been working on a new mini album. You saw the start of it in the last post and just recently, I finished the first three pages of the album. Thought it might be kind of fun to share the pages early.

Last Fall, Ethan and I visited a couple local apple orchards with my sister's family. I've been meaning to get these photos in a mini album and thought some of the new Sassafras paper and stickers would be perfect for the project. It feels great to scrapbook these photos..finally.

For this page, I backed a piece of felt with pattern paper. I layered both pieces with dark brown cardstock and adhered them to the page as shown. I then layered a journaling cardstock sticker with dark orange cardstock. I gave the cardstock a picked edge on top and bottom using a Fiskars scissors. Lastly, I embellished the journaling sticker with an assortment of items. The chipboard frame is backed with black print transparency & #6 sticker from Sassafras.

I did quite a bit a layering on this page. First,  I adhered green cardstock paper (top section) & photo to page as shown. I then adhered a Sassafras scallop edge and orange cardstock strip to top section. Finally, I added ribbon, word stickers, and buttons.

The large embellishment was made using two different size frames cut from Sassafras's Vintage Nummy pattern paper line. I layered the small size frame with blue & black cardstock. I applied two American Craft flower stickers to complete the center of the small frame, along with a Heidi Grace Epoxy flower and a single orange rhinestone.

The sneak for the next kit has been pushed to Monday or Tuesday. Still working on the images :)

Off to snuggle with a warm blanket & maybe some hot tea. Ethan's not feeling so well right now, so I'm working on relaxing while he sleeps. I brought home a really bad "cold" from California and sure enough, he got it! You should of seen him this afternoon...his cheeks were cherry red and his eyes wouldn't stop watering. We've already been to the doctor and was told he has a virus. We've been cuddling lots and I've been monitoring him closely. Feel sooooo sorry for the little guy. Hope to get him better by late next week (these viruses seem to never let go). -More later.

Last CHA Post...

There are a couple more CHA favorites I want to share before moving on. One booth I really enjoyed while attending the show was the ever-so-colorful Doodlebug booth. It's the sort of booth that can't be missed. You could be standing five hundred feet from the booth and still be able to spot it within seconds. It's actually fairly large in size, but it's the displays that are easily noticed and grab the most attention. Below are some photos of their booth from show:

The new chunky glitter from Doodlebug...nummy. How many little jars of glitter does it take to fill one of these large jars? I don't know, but I'd love to have these sitting on a shelf in my scrapbook room. Also, the labels on the jars are just too cute. Wonder what happened to them after the show..I bet the creative marketing directors took them home. Heck, I would. Laugh.

So the small jars aren't as much fun as the big jars of glitter...at least they're more affordable, right?! This is what I'll be buying....

Doodlebug is mixing things up a bit with their newly designed cardstock stickers, along with new border stickers...plus, they're glittered...at this point, I'm sure you know how I feel about glitter?! Count me in for sure.

From the Fancy Pants booth:

From the Petaloo booth:

These are actually really cool! They're small pads of glitter coated paper.  Each pad includes four colors of glitter paper. Use them for creating sparkly die-cuts or hand-cut embellishments for your projects.

From the Pink Paislee booth:

hmmmmm...is that Mara May?! I love this girl's eclectic, colorful style... her layout is gorgeous!

The color on this is a little off because I forgot to save it in the right color format. Still wanted to post it though..like the blue/orange combo.

I went to check my mailbox yesterday at around four in the afternoon and didn't find any mail. At around eight o'clock last night, I heard a cur'plunk near my front door and then the slamming of my mailbox. Turns out, the mail man was seriously late in delivering my mail yesterday. When I went to open my front door to finally get the mail, I found a small box on the ground. I brought the box in and opened it up right away...my first encounter with Unity Stamps was six months ago at CHA Summer '08.  I remember visiting their booth and checking out their stamps and acrylic/wood blocks. If you're not familiar with Unity Stamps, you'll be surprised and intrigued by their stamps and "wood slides". I certainly still am and it would explain my excitement in finding these at my front door. I'm going to play around with them and see what I come up with. They're totally cool! They're also "big", which makes them ideal for the standard 12" x 12" layout. I would like to send a huge thank you to Christy Snow for providing me a few of these. You are so very kind and I love the card. Thank you!

I'm starting a mini album about a trip we took to the apple orchard last Fall. Yep, I'm behind..then again, I never scrapbook anything in chronological order...so, technically, I'm never behind (at least this is what I tell myself).  I'm making this album "just for fun". It's been a while since I've worked on a mini album like this. While working on this album, I'm going to use some of Sassafras's new product. Can't wait to use their new funky cardstock stickers...woohoo!

For this album, I'm using Kaiser Craft's rectangle chipboard album (budget friendly). The pages are thick and sturdy. I've started painting each of the chipboard pages last night. I used a combination of cream acrylic paint, green-blue acrylic paint & clear gesso. I mixed all three together very loosely on a non-absorbent surface (I use old glass plates for mixing and holding paints). I took a large (1.5" wide) natural hair brush and applied my paint to my chipboard pages in a sort of messy, nonsensical fashion. A second coat of paint was added after the first coat dried. Starting tomorrow night, I'll start working on the first couple pages of the album. I'll post pages from the album as they're completed.

This weekend, I'll share a sneak peek of a kit I'll have available this coming May. This kit is especially unique...formal meets vintage with no shortage of color.