Everyday Moments

Bella/Ruby Rock-It Paper Boy Banners....

2012-02-11T18:44:00.004-06:00

Good morning everyone! Today I want to show you something really fun I made with the Bella/Ruby Rock-It Paper Boy line. If you were all following the Ruby Rock-It blog, which I know you were...you saw some of the photos our wonderful team leader Rachel put up from CHA. The Ruby Rock-It booth was completed with a wonderfully cool bird cage like gazeebo fully decorated with banners we all made. Today I would like to show you one of mine... I am one to save everything and anything that I think can be used in some sort of crafty way. These old blue jeans were the perfect touch to show off this wonderful line....

Up close you can see all the fun elements this line has to offer and let me tell you...it was so fun to work with!

A little peek...

2012-02-07T10:52:00.003-06:00

I don't normally put sneak peaks of my projects up but I have been working on a reveal for A Cherry on Top all week so this is what you get! You can't see it all so this little peek is gonna have to do....I hope you come over to A Cherry on Top when the reveal goes live to see the rest!

A Rainbow of Happiness!

2012-02-04T10:14:00.002-06:00

Well, it is the end of the line for me over at Practical Scrappers. It was fun and I am happy I made it as far as I did...Top 15 out of 122...not too bad. Anyways, for this contest we were to have a layout ready to go for the next round if we did make it so since I didn't make it, here is the layout I had if I did. We were to use black and white with a splash of color. I turned my photos to black and white and just kept the colors of the words on my daughter's sweatshirt and pulled the colors from there...

Round 3 with Practical Scrappers...and ME!

2012-01-28T09:34:00.002-06:00

Wow! What a week, but I think I am finally starting to feel better. I have been working non stop to catch up. I can't believe how far behind I got in just 3 days, although sometimes I feel I work a little bit better with more pressure. Well, if you have been following, I recently entered into a contest over at Practical Scrappers. A 6 round elimination contest. I can't believe it but....I have made it through to round 3! For this round we were given 3 photos of quilts. We were to use one of them for our inspiration....wait, it doesn't stop there...we were also given a list of "requirements" where we had to use at least 4 of the elements on our page. You can read more and see the inspirational pieces we got to choose from here. This is what I have come up with...oh and don't forget to head on over there and give my layout a vote! For this layout again, I used lots of Momenta products....

Thanks for stopping by and hope you all have a great weekend!

Playing catch up...

2012-01-26T09:35:00.003-06:00

Wow, it is amazing how behind you can get just from being sick for 3 days. I have so much to catch up on so I will just get to it...
This week at Ruby Rock-It we were challenged again to use the Vintedge line, we needed to use it for something other than "travel". We were also challenged to use the sneak peek ad for inspiration on one of our projects.
My first layout I wanted to use these cute photos of my daughter playing around with her new hat she got at Christmas. The grungy white and black background paper which is the backside of the Tokens paper was just perfect. I also really wanted these photos to "pop" off the page so I used the Vintedge Glam paper. You really can't see it in my post here but this paper is nice and shiny and slightly embossed really giving my photos that extra "pop" I was looking for.I added some Vintedge borders and word stickers and my layout was complete!
For my second layout, I used the keyhole on the ad for my inspiration. I created a "hollow" heart in the background and put the picture inside as if looking through a keyhole.
Remember to win this line....you must complete the challenge and post to any one of the posts on the Ruby Rock-It blog for this week. Can't wait to see what you come up with!
Also, I have been lucky enough to be chosen to be on a new team over at Momenta! I am very excited about this. Can't wait to get started....

On to round 2 with Practical Scrappers!

2012-01-23T07:20:00.003-06:00

Good morning everyone! Wow, what a weekend we had here in Chicago. Friday started it all with about 12 straight hours of snow, when all was said and done we had about 9-10 inches. Saturday started out with lake effect snow, wind and some icy rain, and then Sunday the temps climbed all the way up into the 50's and to end the night we had major downpours of rain, thunder and lightning! Can you believe this...a THUNDER and LIGHTNING storm at the end of January. Now today, the 9-10 inches of snow is completely gone and you can see the still green grass. Oh, and to top off all the weird weather...I am sick...yuck! On a better note, I recently stumbled across the blog Practical Scrappers. They were having a contest and so I entered. There are rounds that you advance to by votes and blog member picks. Yep, you guessed it, I made it through to round 2! The second round you had to do a layout with one of the provided sketch. Below is the sketch I used and my layout. You can hop on over to the blog and vote for me if you like....voting is going on until Wednesday night....

For my sketch I used all Momenta products...I mixed and matched a couple of different lines. Just one of the many things I like about Momenta, their products mix and match so easily.

Ruby Rock-It and Sketches....

2012-01-11T10:02:00.006-06:00

Okay everyone...I hope you are all enjoying the new Ruby Rock-It previews as much as I am. The girls over at the blog have been working hard to show you all of these wonderful new lines I hope you stop by and take a look at all we have to show you. Every week there will be challenges for you to take part in...and guess what...there are PRIZES! Yes, prizes. Each week you will have the opportunity to win one of these gorgeous lines all you have to do is partake in the challenge offered up for that week. This week Amanda gave us the challenge of working with sketches. I love sketches. They really come in handy when you are in a rut and the best part of them is there are NO rules. You can take one element, two elements, you can copy it completely or you can turn it on it's side....the possibilities are almost endless. For these sketches I got to work with the Nostalgia line...let's take a peek and see what I did...

Okay, you seen what I did now hop on over to the Ruby Rock-It blog and show me what you did!

Come party with Ruby Rock-It!

2012-01-02T10:06:00.002-06:00

Okay everyone....I promised you a party...so let's get to a party! An English Tea Party is where you are invited to today over at the Ruby Rock-It blog. Sandy has put together all the fixings and boy did she put it together! Make sure you stop by the Ruby Rock-It blog and make sure you RSVP.....

Let's get this party ROCKING!

2011-12-31T13:04:00.003-06:00

Well 2011 has been quite the year! I entered into new adventures, had good times, had great times and yes, even had some bad times, but all in all 2011 was pretty good to me. As we see it come to an end, I am saying goodbye to somethings and welcoming a whole new set of wonderful things to come. Stick around and you can follow these adventures with me...starting with an awesome "pre" CHA party with me and the girls over at Ruby Rock-It. We have so much fun up our sleeves for all of you...challenges, sneak peeks, and what kind of party would it be without PRIZES!!! Make sure you stop by their blog along with all the Ruby Rock-It girl's blogs to see what they all have in store for you! I will give you a day by day itinerary so stay tuned.....

Christmas Traditions and a Sneak Peek with Ruby Rock-It!

2011-12-26T10:36:00.004-06:00

Whew! I made it through the last couple of days. Can you believe all that prepping and shopping and baking...and now it is over? This year was so crazy for me, somehow the days just totally got passed me. As much as I hate to say it, I am almost glad it is over. I made so many cookies and wrapped so many presents I am glad there is 364 more days until the next one. I did manage to get a few layouts done though. I wanted to show you my Christmas traditions that I shared with you earlier this month scrapped...not only did I showcase the photos in layouts, I was able to show how you can use these wonderful Ruby Rock-It girl and boy papers in a very non traditional way. The first layout I did for you is my daughter with her new Christmas pajamas. I used the Paper Doll line for her and for my son I was able to use the Paper Boy line. I really hope you enjoyed these projects as much as I enjoyed making them for you...remember....you don't always have to stay in the box with your lines, and I hope I was able to show you that.

Also over on the Ruby Rock-It blog they announced the winner of the Christmas Traditions Giveaway AND revealed yet another AWESOME sneak peek of the goodies you will soon be seeing at CHA so head on over there and check it out!

Ruby Rock-It CHA Previews.....

2011-12-20T11:39:00.001-06:00

Ruby Rock-It is ready to roll out a few sneak peeks for upcoming Winter CHA Anaheim in January. We are very excited to fully review these ranges to you a little at a time starting in January as we work to make our way to Anaheim for the big release. We will be in both #3177 so please make sure to stop by to see all the vintage inspired goodness in person. Above is simply a peek of what's to come.

Also, stay tuned for all that the Ruby Rock-It design team has up their creative sleeves to show you how they will be using the new goodies in their designs. As such, if you are not attending CHA in Anaheim don't worry, make sure to stop by the blog here weekly in January as we will be having parties, doing giveways and sharing inspiration.

We hope you will join us on our adventure.

Gift Box Tutorial

2011-12-08T09:32:00.020-06:00

Hi everyone happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far. I just celebrated my birthday and now I am getting into the holiday spirit! A while ago I had made these cute little origami gift boxes and I got an over whelming response on how to make them. I thought this would be the perfect time to share that little secret. I am always looking for new ways to package gifts and these little boxes are perfect...they take maybe 10 minutes to make and are perfect for gift cards or any special little gift.

First you are going to start with 2 12x12 sheets of patterned paper. They can be single sided since we are going to fold them. Choose which sheet you want for your bottom and cut that down to 11.5 x 11.5 inches.

Next you are going to fold that in half one way and then fold it in half the other way. You can use a bone folder to sharpen the creases. Open it back up and fold each corner in.

Once you have all 4 corners folded you are going to fold one side to the center and then fold the other side to meet your first fold. Repeat the other way.

Open your last 4 folds to look like this:

Now you are going to pull the top and bottom triangles out and fold the edges upright.

Now, holding the sides in place, pull the top triangle up and tuck inside...you may want to secure it with some double sided tape. Repeat on the other side.

This is what your bottom should look like:

For the top of the box you are going to do the same exact thing. This one will be a little bit bigger than the bottom part. Now you can decorate your box any way you like. I chose to make a bow to match my box. To do this you need to cut 7 1.5 x 12 inch strips. Fold 6 of the strips in half securing with a staple. Once you have all of your strips cut and secured layer them to form your bow. With your last strip fold it to form a circle big enough to fill the center of your bow. You can make smaller bows if you like, just cut the length of your strips smaller. Attach your bow to the top of your box and you are ready to fill it up and send it to that special someone!
Products used: All Through The Year 12 x 12 Super Pad-PA-1991 by Momenta

Ruby Rock-It giveaway!

2011-12-01T15:16:00.003-06:00

Happy December everyone! I hope everyone is in the Christmas spirit because Ruby Rock-It sure is. Stop by their blog and see what they are up to. There is a giveaway going on...just in time for the holidays!

Cards, cards, and more cards!

2011-11-23T08:43:00.004-06:00

Well, Happy day before Thanksgiving! I remember in my younger years this being the busiest bar night of the year. Waiting in line outside for hours just to get inside to be stuffed into a room where you could not even move...well now that I am older, I find myself still standing in lines to get in some place that is so over crowded, only this time it is the grocery store! My how times have changed. This year I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time...yay...can't wait....not really. I am going to be so busy prepping and cooking and pulling my hair out...okay maybe not that but who knows. I know these cards have no relevance to Thanksgiving but I wanted to get them out there before they got lost in the holiday shuffle. I hope you enjoy and I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving...I will be back after my Black Friday shopping!
This first set of cards are all made from one kit...Momenta has these really cool card kits. Everything you need in spot...plus get this, the box they come in is a decorative box with a magnetic enclosure. How cool is that. When you finish making all the cards you can embellish the box and you have an instant gift for someone. Each kit comes with 4 designs with 3 of each design for a total of 12 cards. I only did one of each of the different designs I am still trying to decide if I want them all the same or if I want 12 entirely different cards...so see, the possibilities are endless with these kits.

This second set is the cards to go with the accordion purse I made recently using the We R Memory Keepers "Retro Galm" line....

Again, wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving...see ya soon!

Momenta and Epiphany Crafts!

2011-11-22T07:28:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! In case you missed it, this week Momenta and Epiphany Crafts have teamed up to bring you some wonderful projects.
I made a few different projects for you today just to show how adaptable the Epiphany Craft Shape Studio Tool can be. It was so easy and fun to be able to create my own customizable embellishments to go along with my Momenta products.
For my first project I created a layout. I used letter stickers from Momenta and added them to some Momenta patterned paper slid them into the Epiphany Crafts tool and instant bubble letters!

For my second and third projects I made you a beautiful card and altered frame using the Epiphany Crafts tool to make beautiful flower centers.

I really enjoyed this cool tool and can't wait to go out and get me some more! Thank you Momenta and Epiphany Crafts!

So how would you like to win some of Momenta's amazing products?

They've generously offered a prize package worth over $40 (picture papers, stickers and more!!) and Epiphany Crafts is going to tuck in the Round Shape Circle 25, Bubble Caps and a pack of Vintage Setting to get you started off with a bang!
Head on over to Epiphany Crafts and leave a comment and then head on over to http://mymomentablog.blogspot.com/ for more details and more chances to win.

Products used:

EC Shape Studio-Scalloped Circle

EC Bubble Caps-Scalloped Circle

EC Star Felt Flowers

Momenta ST-3953 Sticker Kit

Momenta ST-4833 Sticker Kit

Momenta ST-3951 Sticker Kit

Momenta ST 4909 Puffy Messages

Momenta ST-4765 Puffy Flourish Stickers

Momenta NC-1360 Kaleidoscope Card Kit

Momenta PA-2263 Free to be Me 12x12 Super Pad

Momenta PA-1991 All through the Years 12x12 Super Pad

An Accordian purse card holder with tutorial

2011-11-15T13:40:00.009-06:00

If you are like me, there comes times when I am in a bind for a quick gift. This handy little project will be just the thing you need. It is quick and easy to make. Once you get the hang of it, you can be whipping these out in about an hour. I actually have 3 of them I have made already for teacher's gifts for the holidays.

So, if you are ready let's get started!

First, you are going to need the following supplies:

CARDSTOCK: One 6"x11" - One 6"x7" - Two 4"x10" - Four 4"x5 3/4" - One 1 1/2' x 11"

PATTERNED PAPER: Two 3 1/2" x 10" - One 5 1/2" x 9 1/2" - One 3 1/2" x 51/2" - One 1" x 11"

ROUND CORNER PUNCH

GLUE or DOUBLE STICK TAPE

VELCRO

SCORER

ADDITIONAL EMBELLISHMENTS

Alright, here is your first step...

Now, attatch the strip you just made to the non adhered part of the 5 1/2 x 9 1/2 paper to make the handle and then finish adhering the rest of the paper down:

Apply glue or tape to the left and right outer panels of the folded 4 x 10”card stock...

Adhere one side of the 4 x 10 cardstock to back 4" panel of the main piece and do the same for the front of the main piece. Repeat for the second 4" panel.

You can then decorate the fron any way you like. I will post the coordinating cards tomorrow.

Her Halloween Transformation...

2011-11-11T07:22:00.002-06:00

Okay...this is really a first for me. I actually got a Halloween layout done within a week after Halloween! Yay me! When I did this layout I wanted to keep it pretty simple focusing on the photos. I used the back side of the Momenta 12x12 Snake print cardstock for my background and went from there. I used an orange print and a black print from the Momenta Kaleidoscope 12x12 Super Pad to add that "punch" of color to bring out the last picture. I added an awesome flourished boarder and Momenta Pure Puffy Black Polka Dot Alphas to make my title. Quick and fun page...in about 30 minutes.

Products used:
ST-2561 Pure Puffy Alphas
PA-2350 12x12 Snake Animal Print Open Stock Cardstock
PA-2329 12x12 Super Pad (Kaliedoscope)
PA-0659 12x12 Textured Cardstock (Earth tones)

A couple of Halloween photos!

2011-11-01T15:22:00.003-05:00

Ah, Halloween! My favorite time of the year. Well most of the Halloween season is with the exception of going to pick out my daughters costume. Usually we for some reason end up waiting until the last minute to go and get her one...maybe because she can never decide on what she wants to be...you know, changing her mind every other day. Well this year was no different except that when we got to the Halloween store we didn't have to set up camp in there. She found a costume within the first 5 minutes and she was super excited about it. We got the costume and also purchased all the "extras" and home we went. She chose some sort of owl costume so she immediately went online and searched for owl face painting. Of course she had to choose one that was not that easy and if you know my daughter you know that once she gets an idea in her head...she stands strong and it must look EXACTLY the way she sees it in her head. We know how she gets so we had to threaten her with Trick-Or-Treating (or at least she thought we were)so were a bit nervous...ya know...no pressure! Well the morning of Halloween the face make-up and wig were broke out...to our surprise...she liked it better than the tutorial!

Exciting news.....

2011-10-31T12:06:00.004-05:00

A little while back I stumbled upon this neat scrapbooking company. Based out of Australia, they were bringing their wonderful products to the US. I started following them...got some of the products (which are very high quality and fun to work with) and then tried out for the first US Design team. Well I am happy to say that I made the team!!! Yay! I am so excited to get to work with these wonderful products and with the talented ladies on the team.

Birthday fun with Candy Tubes!

2011-10-29T10:48:00.002-05:00

Recently I got to play with a new product that A Cherry on Top is carrying. Boy were these fun! The possibilities are endless. I decided to make a fun little birthday gift. I made the tube holders with my Scor-Buddy and some bigger scraps of cardstock. They were really quite easy and fun to make. Once I got the box done I decorated it and filled the tubes up with some candy and my little gift was ready to go!

Products used:
Ruby Rocket Designs-Bella-Paper Doll Collection(Tube holder base)
Creative Imaginations Birthday Bliss (Embellishments)
Candy Tubes-8 inch clear craft tubes
Scor-Buddy

Altered Composition Book...

2011-10-28T08:39:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, today I am going to show you a fun altered composition book I made for my daughter. My daughter loves to draw, write stories and poems. She will write them on anything she can get her hands on. I noticed this weekend as I was cleaning, her poems and drawings were everywhere! By the time I was done cleaning I had a pile of mismatched paper with all of her wonderful work. I thought it would be nice for her to have a cute little book where she can compile them all in one place. She would also need a pen to go with this neat little book. I came up with an idea to cut a pocket off of one of her pairs of old jeans. I decorated the front cover and glued the pocket on when I was finished and tada.....she now had a place to keep her pens and pencils and would always have one when she got the creative bug!

Products used: MOMENTA
PK-1892 12x12 Simply Perfect Boxed Scrapbook Kit/Raspberry Pop
ST-3838 Clear Layered Stickers/Emily's Garden

Countdown to Santa Clipboard

2011-10-17T19:56:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I know we just began the fall season, but it isn't that often that I am ahead of schedule. A Cherry on Top just had their fall online crop and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to do something to get me on the track to Christmas. I have always wanted to alter a clipboard so I decided to do a class on it for the crop. This Bo Bunny Father Christmas line was just so elegant and so full of rich non traditional Christmas colors I knew it would be perfect to make a countdown to Santa altered clipboard. I love how it turned out although I think my kids might miss getting that candy every morning!

Tri-Shutter Mini Album Turorial....

2011-10-12T09:52:00.004-05:00

I love making mini albums. They are perfect for when you have a lot of pictures from one event but they are also perfect for when you don't have enough pictures to make a layout and they make the perfect gift! The mini album I am going to show you today can serve two purposes...it can be a mini album and it can also be a mini album card. I actually made this album by attatching two tri-fold cards together and adding a cover. Once you see how easy and fun these are you will be making them all the time. So let's get started....

First, you are going to start with a 12"x12" sheet of cardstock and you are going to cut into 2 - 6"x12" pieces:

You are then going to take each 6"x12" piece and score them on the 12" side at 2-4-8-10 inch marks

Cut 1 and a half inches in on the long side from the 2 inch mark to the 10 inch mark

The folding is the trickiest part, but once you get it figured out this is what you will end up with

You are now going to take more pieces of cardstock and cut 2 - 4"x6" pieces and 2 - 6"x6" pieces

Taking the 2 tri-fold pieces, match up together and attatch the 4"x6" cardstock to the front and back

Now take the 2 6"x6" pieces of cardstock and score them both at the 2 inch mark

Add these 2 pieces to the right and left sides. These will be your cover.

As you can see, I wanted to add a few more pictures so I took the first photo and added a folded strip so I could make a little flip up of photos. I did this on both sides where you first open the album...To acheive this look...use a 1 inch strip and attatch halfway on the back of your photos and then attatch cardstock over the back of each photo

You are now ready to decorate your album...be creative, and most importantly...have fun! This album was a little hard to photograph, but here is my finished product...

These photos are from the begining of the album to the end:

Flashback Friday...16.0

2011-10-11T09:57:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine posted this really cool challenge she spotted. It is over at Flashback Friday Challenges. Paper Issues is sponsoring this challenge with an awesome prize...awesome enough to risk the embarrassment of posting this project! The challenge is to post the first tag you ever made. I think this is about the only tag I ever really made, the date on the post is from June of 2008...how's that for a Flachback!

A little sneak peek...

2011-10-05T12:50:00.004-05:00

October 14-16 A Cherry on Top is having another one of their wonderfully fun online crops! I hope to see all of you there. Lot's of fun, games, challenges, inspiration and classes will be going on. I am teaching a Countdown to Santa altered clipboard. Here is a little sneak peek....you will have to come to the crop if you want to see the rest! In case you are interested in taking this class you will need a clipboard, an empty cracker box(or whatever you have on hand, I used a Club Cracker box), 2 of those 12x12 chipboard backings we all hoard when we get our online orders, misc. cardstock, ribbon and I used the Bo Bunny Father Christmas line.

Autumn Splendor with We R Memory Keepers....

2011-10-03T11:08:00.000-05:00

I am sure many of you are feeling the same way that I am...sad to see summer come to an end. Although I am sad, I am happy to see fall arrive. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Not too cold, not too hot. I love the crisp air and that certain smell that fall brings, not to mention how beautiful the trees look with all the leaves changing colors.
Fall brings me back to my childhood and all the fun times I had. My mom would almost every weekend take my sister and I driving around just to see the beautiful artwork that nature produced. Along those rides we would look for the forest preserve that had the most leaves on the ground so we could stop and collect them all into a huge pile and jump right in them! When I saw We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor line, all of these memories came flooding back to me.
It is full of those rich wonderful colors that I would see on our nature adventures. The patterns were so fun to work with so I wanted to create some fun layouts to show them off. For all of these layouts I used the Autumn Splendor 12x12 Scrapbook Pad. This pad has everything you need...heavy duty patterned cardstock, die cuts, alphabets and chipboard. Tie this in with the Autumn Splendor 12x12 Cardstock Pad and you have the makings of some awesome layouts. I love that We R Memory Keepers makes these cardstock pads with pretty much all of their lines - really takes the guess work out of picking the right cardstock!

For my second layout I wanted to show that this line is just not for fall layouts. In sticking with the fun memories, I chose to do a layout of me and my sister. I don't think we have many good photos of the two of us...but we sure do have a bunch of fun trying to get them!

My third layout is an older group of photos. I have such vivid memories of the fun I had with my mom going on these adventures, I decided to carry on that fun and wonderful tradition with my kids.

National Card Making Day Blog Hop with Momenta!

2011-10-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! If you are here for the Momenta World Card Making Day Blog Hop you just came from Aymee's blog and you are on the right path. At the end of this post you will see a way for you to enter to win one of the 5 awesome card kits that Momenta is donating. Each Card Kit contains 12 Cards and envelopes, Assorted stickers, cardstock borders and gems! But first I want to show you a few cards I made. I chose to do a couple different styles...each unique in their own way. All are made completely with Momenta products.

Now for the giveaway...all you have to do is leave a comment and become a follower on each of the 16 blogs on the hop (a complete list is below). The deadline for commenting is 11:59 EST, Sunday October 2nd. Five winners will be chosen by Random.org on Monday, October 3rd and will be announced on the My Momenta blog. Each winner will be receiving one of our five boxed card kits. They are even tossing in a BONUS entry! Simply head over to Momenta's facebook page after the blog hop, like them if you haven't already, and tell them that you blogged hopped with us!
Start: Momenta(http://mymomentablog.blogspot.com/)
Abigail Prado(http://www.faithabigaildesigns.com/)
Aymee Gandy(http://www.southernbellescrapper.blogspot.com/)
Carrie Walz:YOU ARE HERE!
Christine Meyer(http://scrappingwithchristine.blogspot.com/)
Cristal Hobbs(http://blueyecicle.blogspot.com/)
Erin Morehouse(http://girlpaperscissors.blogspot.com/)
Jamie Cripps(http://jamielanedesigns.blogspot.com/)
Joanna Bandelin(http://scrap-making.blogspot.com/)
Jodi Wilton(http://luvalotland.blogspot.com/)
Kristine Berc(http://stashofprettypaper.blogspot.com/)
Linda Abadie(http://lindaabadie.com/)
Monika Wright(http://iloveitallwithmonikawright.blogspot.com/)
Sherri Thompson(http://www.sherrithompson.blogspot.com/)
Bonus Entry: Tell us you hopped along on our Facebook page!(https://www.facebook.com/mymomenta)
END: Momenta (http://mymomentablog.blogspot.com/)
Don't forget to stop at the Momenta blog when you are done to let them know you stopped by all the blogs and that you played along and GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!!

Gift giving fun with Momenta!

2011-09-28T07:45:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! If you are like me, I am kinda sad to see summer ending. I thought, what better way to pick myself up than with a couple of cheerful cards and gift boxes. I am always needing cards and gift boxes. I hate buying store cards...one they are kinda pricey and two, a homemade card is just so much more personal. Everything you see here is Momenta...the cards, the gift boxes and the bows! I have a real hard time putting this stuff down. I realized, the more I work this product the more I LOVE it! I can't say it enough, the lines just flow so effortlessly. Go to the shop and pick some up and you can see just what I am talking about.
For the first card and gift box, I use the My Style/Young Friendship 12x12 Simply Perfect Scrapbook Kit. These boxed kits come with everything and boy do I mean everything. Papers, die cuts, embellishment, borders and get this...a 12x12 matching album!

The second set I used yet another one of those wonderful Boxed Kits. I used the Sweet Talk/Friendship 12x12 Simply Perfect Boxed Scrapbook Kit. They sure got it right with the name...these were Simply Perfect!

Next time you find yourself in a bind...grab your supplies and make yourself some of your own cards and perfectly accessorized gift boxes.

Thanks for stopping by,

Carrie

Products used:

PK-2259 Sweet Talk/Friendship 12x12 Simply Perfect Boxed Scrapbook Kit

PK-2310 My Style/Young Friendship 12x12 Simply Perfect Boxed Scrapbook Kit
Scor-Pal Scor-Buddy

PageMaps Sketch Challenge...

2011-09-22T09:07:00.002-05:00

I am sure by now everyone has heard of PageMaps (those of you who don't, head on over there now the site is chop full of wonderful sketches each and every month)...well they have another sketch challenge with a wonderful prize from Express the Moment.
I have had these photos of my daughter at her school's Bake Off contest for awhile now. When I saw this sketch I just knew it was perfect for these photos!

Love Always!

2011-09-12T10:17:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone and Happy Monday! I actually spent my weekend scrapping. I just love it when a layout comes together so perfectly. I usually like my work but this one...I love! I told you before how much I love the Paper Pads and Clear Layered Stickers by Momenta...well now you see why. Everything on this layout minus the ribbon and doilies is Momenta. These pads have such a variety of designs and colors making them so easy to mix and match. The paper I used was from the Kaleidoscope Super Pad and the stickers were from the Free to be Me and Kaleidoscope lines...pair them up and add some Puffy Title Stickers and you have the makings for a perfect layout!

September 4 x 4 is up and ready to go!

2011-09-08T10:06:00.006-05:00

Those of you that have been following my blog know that myself and three of my scrappy gal pals do what's called the "4x4 Challenge" every month. It's where we use the same 2 papers and the same 2 embellishments and see what we come up with. Well, it's now my turn to host this month! So without further adieu....
The four products we used this month were Simple Stories' Hello Sunshine paper, Cosmo Cricket Scraps Paper (all though Chrissy had other things in mind and oops, used the wrong one...we will allow it this time. LOL!), My Mind's Eye Soar Twine, and Webster's Pages Let's Celebrate Designer Threads.

Here are “The Rules”:
We must use the same four products: two papers and two embellishments.
- We can only use one of each sheet of paper.
- We can use unlimited basics (card stock, ribbon, alphas, mists, etc.) as long as the four main products are the focus.
- We cannot share our finished pages with each other until we are all done so that we do not influence each others’ design choices.
Make sure you stop by the other girl's blogs to see what wonderful inspiration they have created and to leave them some love! You can find Chrissy's here, Jess' here and Meg's here.

Here is my example:

Jess' example:

Meg's example:

Chrissy's example:

Here's where YOU get to get in on the fun AND WIN A PRIZE! This month's prize is a $10 gift card to A Cherry on top!

You get TWO entries into the drawing if you use *two or more* of the same products we used to make a layout.

OR

You get ONE entry if you don’t have the same products but you scraplift one of our pages.

Post a link to your completed layout in the comments section by September 30th for your chance to win! If you scraplift please let us know which layout you chose to lift.

That's Class!

2011-09-04T16:19:00.003-05:00

Fancy Pants Off To School line is an A+ in my book. I love the non-traditional colors this line has. Perfect for the grade school, middle school and the high school layouts. I really had fun working with this line and can't wait to knock some more layouts with it out. These are some photos of my daughter last year at her 4th. grade open house.

If you want to see some more awesome back to school layouts and projects...head on over to Paper Issues and see what everyone created over there!

My Monenta Wall Hanging....

2011-09-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! Are you all getting ready for the long 4 day weekend? I know I am. I thought I would make my daughter a nice little wall hanging for her room. I just cannot get enough of the Momenta Kaleidoscope papers and the clear layered stickers! The colors, the designs and the dimension this line has is just so wonderful. I made this with the cardboard backing that usually comes in my scrapbook orders (I secretly hoard this stuff, you never know when it will come in handy)and lots of yummy Kaleidoscope!

Products used:
Free To Be Me Clear Layered Stickers-ST-4725
Kaleidoscope Clear Layered Stickers-ST-4726
Patterned Paper from the Kaleidoscope Super Paper Pad-PA-2329
Textured Cardstock from the Kaleidoscope Super Paper Pad-PA-2329

Happy Day with Simple Stories

2011-08-30T08:12:00.002-05:00

Birthdays...we all have them, we all celebrate them...but I very rarely do layouts of them. I usually don't like many of the birthday lines. They are either too theme orientated or they are too busy or most importantly in my case...to age restricting. My whole outlook on birthday pages changed when I was at CHA and I saw the Simple Stories "Happy Day" line. I don't have many birthday pictures but I did know that I HAD to have this line. This line was AMAZING! They were perfect in every way. Perfect colors, perfect designs and the perfect amount of "birthday" without going overboard. Everything in this line just flowed together so effortlessly making them ideal for any of those birthday photos...even those hard to use and not so great shots.

My first layout I had a couple of photos that were kinda dark and not that great. I cropped out all of the unwanted space on them and used several patterned papers from the Happy Day 6x6 pad. I inked the edges to help make them pop off the Celebrate background paper, matted a few things and added a few extra touches from the Happy Day Fundamental Cardstock Stickers and I had the perfect page!

For my second layout I didn't really do much different. The Happy Day line has so many fun elements that can be fussy cut or just used as is. I myself like to give my scissors a work out and do the fussy cutting!

My last layout I wanted to show versatile this line was. Not only can it be used for birthday layouts, it can also be used for those everyday photos. I use the back side of the Make a Wish paper, some more matting and fussy cutting using the Fundamental Cardstock Stickers and a 4x6 Jouranling Card Element. I stepped outside my comfort zone with this layout a little bit. I embellished the rest of this layout with some canvas, pleated ribbon and some wire mesh.

So for those of you who have those "hard" to scrap birthday photos or just those everyday ones...head on over to A Cherry on Top and pick up some Happy Day by Simple Stories.

Big on Momenta...Mini on the Album!

2011-08-23T07:04:00.006-05:00

When it comes to mini albums, I will be the first to admit that I am not that big into doing them. Let me tell you, after making this one and using ALL Momenta products...I will be making some more. One nice thing about Momenta products is that they are so easy to mix and match which made making this album so easy! I used product from about 5 or 6 different lines and they all went together so perfectly. I can not take credit for the design of this album base. I actually made one at a crop "make and take" a while back. This album was so fun to make with all the fun folds...each page opened up for a wonderful little layout! I will put the directions up later this week. I would love to see what you come up with!

New do...New Momenta project!

2011-08-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

I am not normally the subject of my layouts but this picture of my new "Sassy and Bold" haircut was just perfect for these rich bold papers from Momenta. I used the backside of the 12 x 12 Snake print paper as a mat for my background paper which came from the Endless Summer Paper Pad. I also used a punch out border from the Bright Die Cut Pad along with these really cool puffy flocked message stickers. The cute little birdie is a clear layered sticker from the Emily's Garden line and of course we can't forget the fussy cutting from the Kaleidoscope 12 x 12 Super Pad.

Supplies used:
PA-2329 12x12 Kaleidoscope Super Pad
ST-4816 Animal Flocked Puffy Messages
PA-2393 12x12 Bright Die Cut Pad
PA-1108 12x12 Endless Summer Paper Pad
PA-2350 12x12 Snake Open Stock Patterned Paper
ST-3838 Emily's Garden Clear Layered Stickers
Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see what you create!

August 4 x 4 Challenge....

2011-08-01T11:08:00.002-05:00

A couple of my scrapping buddies started this little blog challenge and they recently asked me to join along.
Here are “The Rules”:
- We must use the same four products: two papers and two embellishments.
- We can only use one of each sheet of paper.
- We can use unlimited basics (card stock, ribbon, alphas, mists, etc.) as long as the four main products are the focus.
- We cannot share our finished pages with each other until we are all done so that we do not influence each others’ design choices.
It is so fun to see how we all used the same products yet all create something so different.
This month Chrissy is hosting so hop on over to her blog to see her creation and detailed information on the rules. You can see Meg's wonderful work here and make sure you stop by Jess's blog to see her awesomeness also!
Oh, and did I mention...there is a $10.00 gift certificate from A Cherry on Top up for grabs!!

Good Times...

2011-07-24T10:21:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a great summer so far. My last couple of weeks have been quite crazy. I could not wait to get to my scrap table and work on some layouts just to calm me down. I chose to do a layout with very simple, yet fun elements. With the week I have been having...between the bathroom "nightmare" and CHA I am completely exhausted and I just wanted to feel like a little kid again and I hope that came through in the layout. The colors in the One Fine Day Collection are so fun and cheerful...making my layout come together so perfectly!

Products used:PA-2333 12 x 12 Premium Paper Pad
PA-2330 12 x 12 Super Pad
ST-3163 Summer Fun Puffy Title Stickers
PA-2393 Bright -Die Cut Pad
Stop by the Momenta blog to see more wonderful projects!

What started out as a broken tub drain....

2011-07-06T18:45:00.002-05:00

turned into a complete bathroom remodel. WHAT were we thinking? A week before the 4th. of July...and we were also having over 20 guests at the house for a 4th. of July bbq and if that weren't enough...my dad will be staying with us while he is out for this mini family reunion that we are having. Things would have been fine except we learned to NEVER start the demolition process until you have EVERYTHING ready to go. We went shopping to pick everything out and actually found it all at the very first store we looked at, well by the time we hit the last store it was too late to go back to the first one to purchase what we needed. We decided we would get a head start on the demo job and would go back in the morning to get all the stuff...well, 90 percent of what we wanted needed to be special ordered! Now here we are having all of these guests and our bathroom is torn down to the floor. Thank goodness we have two bathrooms. So this is what we have right now.....
(BEFORE.....)

Bo Bunny Barefoot and Bliss Reveal at ACOT!

2011-06-29T14:24:00.003-05:00

Well, summer is finally here in Chicago. Not sure how long it will last though, so I figured I would do some pages of summertime fun. The Bo Bunny Barefoot and Bliss line was perfect! It was actually perfect in more ways than one. Bo Bunny has this wonderful abillity to make lines that practically do the layouts for you. Everything in the line comes together so perfectly and effortlessly, and this line was no exception. The colors and prints in this line really have a light breezy summertime feel.

Another thing I like about the Bo Bunny lines is the alphabet 12 x 12 sheet. I love that they include letters, borders, mini title stickers, and something that I love- journal strips. I love to use these when I need to fill in some empty space or to just add that little extra touch. So, if you are looking for something that can give you a layout in very little time that really looks like you spent hours on, then this line is for you!

Tri-Shutter Card Tutorial

2011-06-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

We all have them...but what do we really do with them? Last week over on the My Momenta Blog, Christine Meyer showed us an adorable card using patterned paper scraps. I am going to show you another way to use all of those scraps you have been hoarding and waiting to use.
For my card, I used scraps from the Kaleidoscope Super Pad, some textured cardstock from the same pad,vellum message stickers from Emily's Garden and some clear layered stickers from the Free to be Me line. Not only am I showing you how to use your scraps, this card shows how easy it is to mix and match these wonderful lines!
SUPPLIES USED: 12 x 12 Kaleidoscope Super Paper Pad(PA-2329), Free to be Me Clear Layered Stickers (ST-4725), Emily's Garden Vellum Message Stickers (ST-3322)
This card is really simple to create and you will see you will soon be making them all the time....
Now for the steps:
Creating the Card Base
1. Starting with your 12"x12" sheet of cardstock or heavyweight patterned paper. Cut a panel measuring 5-1/2" x 12".
2. Score from top to bottom at the 2", 4", 8" and 10" marks.
3. Fold at the score lines using a mountain, valley, mountain, valley sequence as shown.

4. Smooth the cardstock out again and now put your 12" long side in your trimmer vertically and line it up at the 1-1/4" mark. Carefully put your trimmer blade down at the 2" mark on your plastic guide and cut from there all the way down to the 10" mark. Turn the cardstock over to the other long side and repeat. Your paper should look like this.

5. Now re-fold at the score lines but here's the "key" part. You are going to push the first valley fold outward (only in the center) and the second mountain fold inward. Ta-da! A tri-shutter card base. Close the card and use a bone folder to make the creases crisp.
6. Embellish to your liking.
Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see what you created,
Carrie

Father's Day Project...

2011-06-20T11:57:00.004-05:00

Over at Momenta our challenge was to create a Father's Day project. I chose to alter this wooden frame I found at Michaels. The guitar was a wooden door hanger that I also altered. I know the picture is a bit old but I really love it and it matched so perfectly with these wonderful Momenta papers!

Products used: PA-2329 Kaleidoscope Super Pad,
PA-1003 Vibrant Textured Cardstock Pad,
ST-2561 Pure Puffy Alphas, ST-2972 Family Ties Puffy Titles

My first Momenta Project...

2011-06-12T09:50:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I am so excited to show you all my first project! I chose a couple of random photos of my daughter and the puffy title "Sweetie" (which was exactly what I thought of when I looked at these photos). I used these gorgeous printed papers from the Kaleidoscope 12 x 12 Super Pad. There are so many beautifully colored and printed papers in here it was hard to choose so...I used 3 different prints and for the flowers I used another print and cut the big flowers out. You will soon see that I am a big fan of the "fussy" cutting. I hope you enjoyed this layout as much as I enjoyed making it! Can't wait to show you more!

Supplies that I used are: Kaleidoscope 12 x 12 Super Pad...3 x 9 Sweetie Puffy Title

Momenta has an awesome contest....check it out!

2011-06-11T14:01:00.001-05:00

Momenta's Design Your Own Sticker to Win Facebook Contest!

Design Your Own Sticker to Win (Facebook Contest)
Momenta’s Design Your Own Stickers let you create personalized stickers quickly and simply using your own home printer. The creative possibilities are limitless…and now it is your turn to show us what you can do!
Contest entry is easy! Simply upload a photo of a project you created using the Design Your Own Stickers or upload a photo of a custom sticker design you printed to the Design Your Own Stickers to Win Album on Facebook then invite your friends to come “Like” your creation! The photo with the most likes by the end of July will receive a $250 coupon to Momenta.com and $100 cash!
The Design Your Own Stickers can be purchases at Joann’s, through the Momenta.comwebsite, or you can request a free sample of a random design to be mailed to you by sending an email to social@momenta.com!

I made the team!

2011-06-02T07:30:00.002-05:00

I am so excited...I made the Momenta Design Team! I can't wait to get started working with these wonderful products and creative ladies!! Yay!

We R Memory Keepers-Yankee Doodles Reveal at A Cherry on Top

2011-06-01T10:46:00.002-05:00

I am one that normally tends to stay away from themed papers, but the Yankee Doodles by We R Memory Keepers really caught my eye. This line is so fun and so versitile I had such an easy time creating with it. What I really liked about it was the fact that all the papers are double sided...one side totally themed and the other a bit more free with endless possibilities. The colors are so vibrant and bold making every page you do really stand out. I had so much fun with this line!
Check out my full reveal at...A Cherry on Top.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:48:00.004-05:00

First of all, I want to say Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day Mom....I love you!
Second, if you did not get a chance to check out A Cherry on Top's Rock Around the Crop this weekend....boy did you miss out on some rockin good fun! Here are a couple of layouts I did for some of the challenges...

ACOT and PageMaps

2011-05-01T10:51:00.003-05:00

Can you think of a better combo? I sure can't! This month me and the other CT girls over at A Cherry on Top were asked to help highlight Becky Fleck's wonderful sketches over at PageMaps...what an honor for us all! I got to work with this great 11x8.5 sketch and this is what I came up with... Make sure you go and check out the rest of the wonderful work by my fellow CT Gals!

Bo Bunny- Vicki B reveal at A Cherry on Top!

2011-04-18T16:36:00.005-05:00

When I was told I was gonna get to work with Bo Bunny's Vicki B line at ACOT I was so happy. I LOVE Bo Bunny, I LOVE everything Bo Bunny and when I saw sneak peeks of this line over the winter I knew I just had to have it. (So a big THANKS to ACOT for letting me work with it!)

3 new layouts...

2011-04-01T16:15:00.003-05:00

No April Fools joke here...I did get 3...yes count them 3 layouts done. These layouts are for the April Challenges over at A Cherry on Top. Make sure you go and check these out and show us what creativity they sparked in your layouts!
This first layout was for the Sketch Challenge...

This second one is for the Music Challenge. The challenge was to use a song that has a color in the title and use that for your title and do a monochromatic layout using that color. I used Brown Eyed Girl...

This third layout was for the Scraplift the Guest CT...You can see her gallery here.

Just her luck....

2011-03-18T10:53:00.001-05:00

I did this for the theme challenge over at ACOT. The theme was "un-lucky". This is my daughter with her air cast on while in Florida. About 10 hours before we were to head out on our trip she fell and tore her growth plate in her ankle. The doctor was nice enough to put an air cast on it so she could swim but she did have to go back when we got home to get a real cast put on.

My first reveal at A Cherry on Top...Best Creation's Jubilee

2011-03-16T09:27:00.003-05:00

If you are like me, you are tired of the cold, the snow and the gray skies. Yeah, I have plenty of snow pictures I can scrap this winter no thanks to the Blizzard of 2011 but right now I don’t want to be reminded of all that. I want to see blue skies, sunshine and flowers and Jubilee by Best Creation was just perfect. When I got my package I realized this line was even more perfect than I thought it would be. The papers were just beautiful with just enough design and just enough sparkle. I found this line was very fun to work with…allowing me to create classy, whimsical and just plain fun layouts!

My little bookworm...

2011-03-13T16:40:00.003-05:00

If you know me, then you know I LOVE Bo Bunny and a I love a great sketch! Bo bunny's layout Friday provided a great sketch to work with and I got to use more of my Bo Bunny products.(Not that I needed an excuse to use them!) I used Learning Curve. This line was so fun to work with...fun designs and really fun colors! When I did this sketch, I kept some of the lines the same, I turned some of the lines and this is what I came up with!

Comercial jingles...a love/hate relationship!

2011-03-02T10:56:00.002-06:00

They are goofy, they are annoying and they are catchy...commercial jingles that is! You know you have all had one stuck in your head and have found yourself singing one for one reason or another..I know I find myself singing the most annoying ones out there. I decided to use this inspiration as the March Music Challenge over at A Cherry on Top. Here is what I came up with. Go on over to ACOT and check out the rest of the challenges...you might just find some inspiration of your own.

ACOT crop challenge...Ablum cover inspiration...

2011-02-26T13:13:00.000-06:00

My crop challenge for the ACOT crop was to use an album cover or cd cover (boy am I aging myself by calling it an album..LOL) I chose this album to use for my inspiratation. I used ink for the first time...yay me!

Come and Crop with us this weekend!

2011-02-25T10:08:00.003-06:00

For those of you who have been to one before you know just how much fun there will to be had this weekend! For those of you who haven't...there will be plenty of fun and games...challenges...bingo...points and prizes! So don't be shy...we want to see you at A Cherry on Top for this fun filled weekend!

Happy Anniversary to me!

2011-02-10T07:49:00.002-06:00

10 years ago I married my best friend and 10 years later he is still my best friend! I love you more today and I can't wait to see what the next 10 years has for us!

So excited!

2011-02-02T08:06:00.005-06:00

I know you all hear me talk about A Cherry on Top ALL the time...well... I am excited and honored to say that they have invited me to be on their Creative Team! I am so honored to be able to work with such wonderful and talented women. I now proudly wear this badge....

I need to be better organized!

2011-01-27T17:08:00.002-06:00

I am on a real tight budget right now, so to satisfy my scrapping hobby I have been entering a lot of contests. The only thing is...is that I am entering so many of them, I have forgotten which ones! Some of them are straight forward with leaving comments on the blog or doing a layout, card or project...but then you get to the ones that send you all over the place leaving comments here and there. I just recently found out that I won a contest over at Prima like 3 days ago! I know now what I have to do...I am going to make an altered journal so I can log all the contests I enter WITH the website so I can remember to go back and check them....the trick will be to remember to look in the book!

January Card Challenge at ACOT...

2011-01-26T08:27:00.003-06:00

A Cherry on Top has an interesting card challenge right now for the month of January. Scraplift a CT Member's layout in the form of a card. I figured since I need all the help I can with cards I would give this one a try. I used a layout from the very talented Egle. You can see her layout I lifted here. In the meantime, here is my take on her layout!

Summer on the brain and a bit of jibber jabber!

2011-01-24T10:44:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I started to do this "super couponing" thing and let me tell you...it is CRAZY ADDICTING! It is such a rush to get to the checkout line and see your total...freak out...and then see all the $$$$ coming off that total. I still have a lot to learn but this is how I have been doing so far:
My first trip was to Target..my total was $33.83 and after coupons it was $14.29=a savings of $19.54!
My second trip was to CVS...my total was $73.14 and after coupons it was $22.31=a savings of $50.83!
Then I tried Target again with a few more coupons...my total was $105.53 and after coupons it was $65.56= a savings of $39.37!
All together in these 3 trips alone I have saved $109.74! See how crazy that is...why would you buy things without a coupon anymore when the savings are out there?
With all this saving, I figured I would reward myself with some scrapbooking time. I am still so over winter I just had to do another sunny summer layout....

I won!

2011-01-21T16:23:00.003-06:00

Just got news that the recipe book I posted up yesterday for the LYB contest won! Yay...I got 1st. place.
I also got a card done today, I know it isn't a lot but hey, I got something done. This card is for Creative Imaginations monthly card sketch challenge. I used the Robots Rock Collection....

Little Yellow Bicycle's Savor....

2011-01-20T10:40:00.003-06:00

I just love Little Yellow Bicycle! They were running another contest to promote their Savor line. I decided since I am always loosing my favorite recipes I would make a little book just for my favorites!

The perfect paper and the perfect sketch....

2011-01-17T11:17:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you, but when I buy new scrappy supplies I tend to only buy stuff for pages I know I am working on so I simply love it when I find that PERFECT paper or embellishment! For these pictures that is what happened. This paper by Little Yellow Bicycle's Clothes Line collection could not have been more perfect for these pictures of my daughter playing Little Bo Peep in her school play. I also realized that this PageMaps sketch for the January contest over at A Cherry on Top was perfect for these pictures too! I love when a page comes together this perfectly!

A little bit of summer!

2011-01-15T11:32:00.005-06:00

I know here in Illinois we haven't got as much snow as some parts of the US but, we have had a lot. I for one am done with it! I decided to go back and do some of my summer layouts just to get me out of the winter funk. Bo Bunny has this wonderful line called Sun Kissed...just perfect to put you back in the summertime mood. I also used a sketch for the sketch challenge that they are running. Here is their sketch....

Here is what I came up with...

Let it snow...well, not really...

2011-01-12T09:42:00.004-06:00

I actually got something done this morning..or should I say I actually got something done since the first of the year! Thanks to Bo Bunny and their Tuesday card challenge I was able to get the creative juices flowing and create this card. The catch was to use any of the wonderful wraps that Bo Bunny makes. I used the Frost Wraps and papers from the Midnight Frost line which by the way is gorgeous. If you haven't seen it person you should because the online photos simply don't do it justice!

Happy New Year...a little late....

2011-01-11T08:03:00.008-06:00

Okay...4th and final kid on the bus and on his way to school, dishes done, laundry in the washer, fresh cup of coffee poured and most importantly...peace and quiet!
I know this is a little late for the start of the new year but I figure better late than never. A bunch of girls over at A Cherry on Top decided to challenge each other with weekly blog prompts to get everyone motivated. There will be layouts we are working on, challenges we are doing and just some good old conversation! I decided to make my first post a Top 10 of 2010. I have been seeing so many people doing this on their blogs and I thought it was a really good idea so without further ado... I give you my Top 10 of 2010!

Imaginisce Blog: Garden Party Blossoms, Banners and Bows

2010-12-17T10:50:00.000-06:00

Imaginisce Blog: Garden Party Blossoms, Banners and Bows: "I thought I'd catch your attention right off with this amazing 'fascinator'...yep that's what it's called. Melinda created this and I had to..."

Page Maps Card Sketch....

2010-11-30T09:24:00.001-06:00

I love PageMaps sketches and so I really had fun with this one...This is due December 12 and the prize is a wonderful package from My Little Shoebox so make sure you go over there and check it out...

http://pagemaps.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-little-shoebox-card-contest.html#comments

2010-11-23T09:21:00.005-06:00

My friend Tanya from http://thecrookedcutter.blogspot.com/ passed this award on to me! Thank you Tanya, I am honored!

By accepting this award I must complete the following tasks:
1). Thank and link back to the person who awarded me
2). Share 8 things about myself
3). Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that I have recently discovered
4). Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

8 Things About Myself:
1. My favorite group is Journey...has been since 7th. grade!
2. I am stuck in the 80's music scene
3. My favorite color is green.
4. I love reality shows!
5. I have to have sour cream with my steak.
6. I love taking pictures...of anything!
7. I have lived in outside of Chicago all my life and never been to the Sears Tower.
8. My maiden name and my married name are the same...only spelled differently!

Now to pass this award on to 8 bloggers
1. Mary from http://siehledwithakiss.blogspot.com/
2. Laurie from http://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
3. Catherine from http://www.scrapsofgrace.blogspot.com/
4. Carol from http://crazyforcrafting.blogspot.com/
5. Mandie from http://mandiesscrappin.blogspot.com/
6. Gerry from http://gerryscrafts.blogspot.com/
7. Jess from http://scrapgoo.blogspot.com/
8. Megan from http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com/

First challenge for Scrap The Moments!

2010-11-22T14:59:00.003-06:00

As you all read a few days ago, I was selected to be on the design team over at Scrap The Moments. It is a brand new challenge site offering new challenges all month long. Your challenge is to create a layout using something that you find around your house on the layout. For example, a ticket stub, receipt, business card, anything like that! You can use a photo as well, as long as you have something else on your page! Get creative!! Email entries to dvnmre@yahoo.com and spread the word about our awesome new challenge site! Layout is due Dec. 6.

The sponsor for this challenge is Catch the Moments Kits. The winner of this challenge will win their fabulous Retro Kit! I will post a photo soon. Go over and visit their site this week, they are having an amazing Thanksgiving week sale! Catch the Moments Kits I will post some samples from design team members all week! I am also going to start posting design team bios tomorrow, so keep checking back to learn about our fabulous team! Good luck and happy scrapping!

Here is my take on the challenge...I used a clothing tag from a pair of my daughter's jeans....

Just a simple card....

2010-11-18T10:15:00.003-06:00

I really struggle with making cards. To me they all end up looking the same and just too simple, so I promised myself that I would start working on them a bit more. I am going to try and make a card a day...starting with this one!

Great news!!

2010-11-17T07:25:00.002-06:00

I am very excited to announce that I have been selected to be a design team member over at Scrap the Moments...http://scrapthemoments.blogspot.com/ - an awesome new challenge blog created by Devon Hickman. I can't wait to get to work on my first design team challenge! Devon also has a wonderful sister site (Catch the Moments) where you can purchase some fabulous kits. Check it out here...http://catchthemomentskits.blogspot.com/

12 Hours of cropping and 12 hours of fun!

2010-11-16T09:17:00.004-06:00

This Saturday I attended a 12 hour crop. Not so typical of myself. I have not been to an away crop for several years! I had such a hard time packing for this, especially since all of my stuff is in my scrapbook room organized in shelves and what not that are permanent fixtures. I did manage to have loads of fun, win a bunch of prizes(I won a raffle AND the grand prize raffle!)spend some much missed quality time with my sister and I got 3 pages done. I know that is not really a lot of scrapping, but if you know me....that is a TON! Here are the pages I got done.....

Had some fun at the ACOT online crop!

2010-11-10T15:54:00.004-06:00

Over the weekend A Cherry on Top held an online crop. If you have never been over there for one you should check out the next one. It is a whole weekend filled with games, prizes, challenges and a whole lot of fun! I had the honors of hosting a shift this time and let me tell you, I have much more appreciation for the CT's after seeing all there is to do...lots to do but it was really fun being on the other end. I really didn't get much done this go around. The first card I did was for a fast scrap that I was hosting. Make a mini christmas stocking for a card or tag. We could not use a pre-made one. I really like how this card came out.

The second card I got done was a shaker card. I wasn't going to attempt it at first because I really wasn't sure how I was gonna do the "shaker" since I had none of the right products, but then my brain started to whirl and I remembered that I had a few Buttons and Bling from Bo bunny(If you have seen the packaging you will know that it is PERFECT for a shaker card!) and whala! I have a shaker card!

There are a lot more challenges to do at ACOT right now. There are the monthly challenges, even though the time is up to submit challenges from the crop for prizes you can still go over there and use them for inspiration. Also, next week I will be putting some challenges up there for my guest spot as guest CT so go check it out!

Starting off the month well!

2010-11-02T21:32:00.002-05:00

First of all I want to thank everyone who went over to Little Yellow Bicycle and voted for my project. All of your support landed me the second place spot! I can't wait to get these goodies...$150.00 worth of product...can you say "YAY!"
Second, I was asked to be a guest creative team member over at A Cherry on Top. What an honor! Part of guest CT duties are revealing a new product line. I chose to use Creative Imaginations Be Jolly by Golly line. This was a little hard for me since I really don't do too many Christmas layouts. The line really turned out to be fun to work with.....

ACOT is hosting an on-line crop this weekend, I will be hosting a shift so come on by and check it out....

Finalist for LYB contest!

2010-10-20T09:35:00.003-05:00

Little Yellow Bicycle was having a contest to create something using the new Booville line. I decided to give it a shot and WOW....I made the top 10 finalists! I really need your help now. If you could please "Like" them on Facebook and then "Like" my project I would really be greatful. Here is what I created....a couple of centerpieces, some treat bags and place settings.

Another Kaisercraft sketch...

2010-08-30T10:30:00.003-05:00

Another wonderful sketch from Kaisercraft. I used the Jungle Bug Collection for this...it was so much fun to work with!

Kaisercraft sketch...

2010-08-29T10:05:00.002-05:00

I used a wonderful sketch over at Kaisercraft for this layout....

Another card challenge....

2010-08-26T09:51:00.003-05:00

This is for a card challenge over at Turned Gypsy. The challenge was to make a card using---DOTS, STRIPES, RIBBON, and BUTTONS. This is what I came up with. Make sure you go and check the site out...
http://turnedgypsy.blogspot.com/

ACOT Summer Crop....

2010-08-10T09:26:00.006-05:00

There was lots of fun to had over at ACOT this weekend....challenges, fast scraps, games and lots of chatter! I actually got quite a bit done this weekend...at least more than I usually get done. The deadline for the challenges is tonight at midnight so I am going to try to get at least one more challenge done.
The fast scraps over there are so much fun. It is a project that can be completed in an hour, usually a card or gift box or gift tag...you get the idea. I actually was able to complete several of them this time.
This first one was to make a tri-fold gift card holder. I did a Halloween one, I was trying very hard to stay away from pink (you will see why as you scroll down!)

The next one was to make a criss-cross card. These are fun and always look great....

We also got to make a recipe card, unfortunately my printer ink ran low and you can not read the recipe so I am going to have to make this one over...

Then there was the ever so popular birthday card...

We were then asked to make a journal box...the catch...it needed to have a flower and some bling....

This one was one of my favorites...a backpack tag....

Now on to the challenges. This was a fun and different challenge. We had to alter a wooden letter...BUT....we had to have the full word we were using the letter for. It also had to have some chipboard and bling on it. I really love how this one turned out and I think my daughter really likes it too!

The next challenge was all about the numbers. We had to do a layout with a number big enough to stand out along with our focal photo....

An oldie but a goodie...use a photo that was at least from five years ago or longer..

And the last challenge I got done was to make lemonade out of lemons. We had to use a paper that we bought and then looked back on and thought..."What was I thinking?!?" To me this was hard and I think I still have a lemon but....

If you want to see the rest of the challenges and fast scraps you can check out this link over at A Cherry on Top...
http://www.acherryontop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=331&t=228181

Imaginisce Sketch....

2010-08-04T10:52:00.003-05:00

Imaginisce has provided us with yet another great sketch and chance to win a bunch of goodies. I used the Apple Cider collection and this is what I came up with....

Imaginisce Blog: i-rockin' a 12x12 Leather Album (and HUGE giveaway...

2010-08-04T08:21:00.001-05:00

Imaginisce Blog: i-rockin' a 12x12 Leather Album (and HUGE giveaway...: "Did you know that we sell some of the nicest 12x12 leather Urban Memory Albums in the industry? Urban Memory albums are archival safe to ..."

Giveaway!!!

2010-08-02T08:39:00.006-05:00

All Scrapbook Steals is having another awesome giveaway! You have until August 10th to enter for your chance to win this giveaway. Check them out at....

http://allscrapbooksteals.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-giveaway.html?spref=fb

Creative Imaginations Card Challenge...

2010-07-23T16:30:00.003-05:00

Here is my take on the CI card sketch challenge. I made one with each of the lines I won a few months back...Beach Days and Birthday Bliss.

2010-07-15T09:35:00.006-05:00

Another great sketch over at the Creative Imaginations blog! I used all the new products I won from them awhile back. This line was so fun to work and I love the end result with the sketch.

Bo Bunny sketch contest...

2010-07-08T08:58:00.004-05:00

Bo Bunny is having a sketch contest so hop on over there and give it a try! Here is my vision of the sketch. I used the Bo Bunny Block Party line.

I made it....

2010-06-27T07:29:00.007-05:00

I made it to round 2 for the Last Scrapper Standing Contest! I was so thrilled and shocked to see my name. This contest is so fun and a real nail biter! Anyways, this round was a little tougher. We had to use a black background and at least 2 handmade flowers. Here is what I came up with...

Last Scrapper Standing...Round 1

2010-06-16T10:56:00.014-05:00

The subject...AMERICAN CHILD...
The object.. INTERPRET anyway you envision this...
The catch...MUST have stars and stripes

This is the first challenge for the Last Scrapper Standing over at Memorable Seasons
http://www.memorableseasons.com/

There is still time for you to register and play along....
Here is my entry...

Last Scrapper Standing.....

2010-06-12T10:02:00.009-05:00

Memorable Seasons announces the second annual Last Scrapper Standing contest to begin on June 13. It is a fast paced, challenge based contest where members will vote for their favorites to survive each week. The final winner will be announced on July 28. Grand prize will be the winner’s choice of a Sizzix Big Shot or a Spellbinder’s Wizard. You must be a registered member to participate and to vote so get signed up today! See more details here.

http://www.memorableseasons.com/

Imaginisce Splash Dance Giveaway!

2010-06-08T11:52:00.010-05:00

I stumbled across this awesome giveaway at a neat little blog..Me and the Little Rascals. Make sure you go and check it out...become a follower...post this and a link back to the site...then comment showing you did these easy steps and whala...you are entered for a chance to win that awesome prize too!
Here is the link...
http://justlovescrappin.blogspot.com/2010/06/imaginisce-splash-dance-giveaway.html

I won!

2010-06-07T18:02:00.007-05:00

Wow! What an awesome thing to wake up to. I actually won the Creative Imaginations sketch contest. You should really go check them out. They offer lots of awesome ideas, great inspiration, monthly card sketches and layout sketches...who knows, you just might be the next one to win!

http://creativeimaginations.typepad.com/

Creative Imaginations Sketch.....

2010-06-01T08:40:00.007-05:00

I found this wonderful sketch over at the CI blog. It was for a sketch contest with the winner scoring big with $50.00 worth of CI products. The layout had to use 80% of CI products. I used a lot of older stuff(trying to use up my stuff).

NSD at ACOT....

2010-05-19T07:30:00.005-05:00

Groovy.....

2010-04-08T09:18:00.004-05:00

Whenever I get into a "rut" I like to check out ACOT's monthly challenges to give me a little push. Every month the wonderful Creative Team they have there provides everyone a wide variety of challenges. It doesn't matter if you are a beginer or advanced...digital or paper...there is something for everyone! This month for one of the challenges we were to use the word 'sunglasses' in our title and this is what I came up with. This is my daughter and my nephew sporting the "GROOVY SUNGLASSES"....

A Cherry on Top and PageMaps team up...

2010-03-28T14:27:00.006-05:00

What more can someone ask for...my favorite on-line community sponsoring a sketch contest from my favorite sketch site! This is one awesome sketch with an awesome prize! A Cherry on Top has generously offered a Cricut for the prize of this sketch contest. If you get a chance...make time to go and check out both places for wonderful inspiration!

Create a layout based on the sketch to the left. Your page can be any size and any orientation, and you are welcome to interpret the sketch any way you'd like.

The theme of your page needs to be APPRECIATION, although the word does not have to be included in your title. It could be about someone you appreciate or something you are thankful for -- how you scrap it is entirely up to you! Your page DOES need to include journaling.

Here is my take on the sketch. I am thankful for all the special moments with my beautiful daughter!

This is what I got so far....

2009-11-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

I was over at the ACOT November Crop for a good part of this weekend trying to get some stuff done. I tell myself every crop that I am gonna get a lot accomplished and never do, I get all caught up in playing the games and enjoying everyone's beautiful layouts that I forget about mine. I did manage to get a few things done...now I have to scramble to see how many more I can do before the time runs out at midnight tonight!

Are you ready for a crop?

2009-11-18T06:52:00.003-06:00

I know I am, and what better place to go to for an on-line crop that ACOT! A full weekend filled with games, challenges and just good old fun! Come by and check it out for yourself, you will not be disappointed!

Trick or Treat?

2009-11-03T10:00:00.003-06:00

So Halloween was kinda a bust this year....yeah it was on a Saturday which was awesome but when you factor into the equation that it was like 4o degrees and windy out, most of us were sick and trick or treating was during the day...it just didn't feel like my favorite time of the year. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of Alyson though and she did make a cute witch!

PageMap sketch contest...

2009-11-02T12:49:00.000-06:00

If you haven't been to PageMaps you should. Every month they release a new set of sketches. There are sketches to fit all scrapbooking styles. They even have tag and card sketches. I did this layout for a monthly contest they are running until November 8th. Here is my take on the sketch....