Charlie - All Boy

See how the bracketed page is lopsided on this page? That is exactly what this little pup Charlie has done to our lives--made it very lopsided! Isn't he adorable though?  I made this page for Simon Says Stamp challenge to use a splash of color. I chose yellow mainly because of Charlie's pacifier chew toy.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are having a great day!

P.S. Please pray for us that our old house sells soon or at least has a contract by the middle of February. We've been given a lot of blessings that have made us do ok having two house payments, but we got news that at the end of February our home insurance will be WAY more expensive! Thanks and we appreciate any prayers you could offer!

The Cat in the Hat -- Getting a Little Wild with my Papers

I was a little out of my comfort zone in working with such wild papers, but they fit The Paper Variety's challenge to use a favorite photo! I'm also entering it in a sketch challenge from my friend Stacy! The photo is one of my favorite pictures of the school year--not because the photo is so good but because of what it represents. Mitch and his friend Adam were getting ready to perform their interpretation of The Cat in the Hat in front of the WHOLE school!!!!! It is pretty much the only photo I got of the performance. And, you know, I didn't get a video of it either! They worked so hard all year and even made it to Nationals with the piece. I picked this wild and crazy paper because of the sheer amount of energy and action these guys put into their performance. They. never. skipped. a. beat! They had to change voices and actions constantly! I was really proud of the effort, and it was hilarious! Plus, The Cat in the Hat is pretty wild anyway if you think about it--so the paper fits there, too! It is rare for the Speech and Debate team to be showcased in front of the school! Word was definitely out around school at how great the performance was, and one of Mitch's teachers made sure this made it to a school assembly!! Yay! I hope they find as good of a piece this year and win at Nationals!!!!

Sisters at the Heard Museum

I made this for My Scraps and More sketch challenge!

Thanks for visiting! Hope you are having a great week!

Anyone up for a BBQ? 2010 camping trip

I made this BBQ layout using Sketchy Thursday's latest sketch! I used the inspiration from Frosted Designs to make a card, layout or project using a BBQ, Picnic or Outdoor Games theme! My friend Stacy HW has a challenge over at Sketches 4 All where you could only/and must use Ribbon, Stickers, Buttons, and Flowers (other than Paper, Photos, Adhesive, Black Pen and A Shape Punch).   If you have time before the end of May, I'd like to encourage you to check out some of Stacy's Mix It Up challenges. She makes them very fun, and if you win, she will send you an AWESOME prize!!!! I should know--I've won enough of them!!!


Thanks for visiting. I've been scrap happy today, so you will see a few posts in the next few days!

Memphis Blues

I made this using a sketch at Sweet Peach Crop Shop! They have the most fun challenges and great kits!

Supply list:
pp, large sticker and large letters:  Sassafras Las (Amplify)
Guitar bling: Prima
stamping:  CTMH
small black letters: Basic Grey
Buttons: Such Sweet Tierney
Border punch:  Fiskars Upper Crest

I did a lot of scrapbooking this weekend. I'm not sure how many I will upload to the blog. Some have a lot of photos just so I could finally get through our Memphis trip from last spring.  I think I have one more set of photos to go! Yay!!!

Thanks for visiting! I appreciate it!

Old Wives Tale - Butterflies

Did you know that there is an Old Wives Tale that three butterflies together mean good luck?  When I saw 

Simon Says Stamp and Show an Old Wive's Tale!, I was curious to find a fun tale using butterflies! This is what I made based on the tale.  Anyway, I used a sketch I found on Stacy HW's challenge at Sketches 4 All, and I used Doris' idea of have three ribbons/trims, using at least one in an unusual way! How fun! I doubled stamped the butterfly-first with Jenni Bowlin yellow paint and then with some CTMH Hollyhock ink.  The three trims/ribbons:  1) yellow at bottom, Crate Paper; 2) unusual way 1:  butterfly antennae, Crate Paper; and 3) unusual way 2:  made a ribbon flower.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! Please leave a comment to let me know you were here!!!

Thanks, and have a great day!

My Niece's Prom from 2010, too! :-)

I made this from a sketch from the The Sweet Peach Crop Shop!  I used Sassafras Las' Sweetly Smitten collection.  I thought the butterflies were a lot of fun on this!  I also entered this on Sketches 4 All.  My friend Stacy sent me the Sweetly Smitten! 

I'm on a Sassafras Las Kick -- My Niece in 1994

I made this Spring layout with Sassafras Las's monthly challenge sketch!  The only things that are not Sassafras Las (Sweetly Smitten) are the hand-made by my friend Mary crochet flowers which go so well with the papers and dyed doily made by Marg Oliver!  I also did some hand-stitching around the rectangles and did a little doodling with a white pen around the perimeter of the layout! I love that the little banner is made up of hearts if you look closely!  I am entering this at Lasting Memories Challenge #32 - Spring Is In The Air With Artful Delight! (a new spot for me).  Spring is incorporated by adding flowers and Julie is a Spring baby so the one year birthday picture and other photos count! I thought this turned out pretty cute! I incorporated the white flowers for The Paper Variety's April Showers Bring May Flowers :) challenge.

Circa 1970 - Play

This layout is for Sketchy Thursday's challenge this week! I loved the sketch. I received the Amplify collection (along with some other fantastic Sassafras Las stuff)  from Brianne over at Scrapstreet a while back. The patterns are so busy in this collection, so I was just waiting for the right photos and sketch to use it! I found them and it!   I used so many hearts from the collection to represent the love of a father for his son!!!  I added some Huey Mist that I received from Kim recently!!! I love it!  Thanks so much for sending it, Kim!  The only other things I added were two buttons from my stash, one metal piece and one piece of chipboard (sprayed with the Huey Mist) from CTMH. I also plan to enter it into Simon Says Stamp and Show Anything But a Card!

Memphis Zoo

I still have more photos from our Memphis Zoo trip over 2010 Spring Break!  I made this using Sketch Inspiration's sketch #206 for the one-hour tulle challenge at Creating Keepsakes! I cut out the tulle using a Sizzix die and layered it with flowers and brads. I love how the flowers turned out!

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope you'll leave a comment! Have a great day!

My Sister's Wedding - 1988

In the midst of our impending blizzard here in the Midwest, I have suddenly gotten the scrapbooking mojo going!  Three layouts in a row!  I made Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday's layouts on Monday and thought I's spread them out over the week! I used Sweet Peach Crop Shop's beautiful January sweet kit that I won earlier this month and their January sketch to create this layout! I did add some Kaiser Pearls, a little lace from my stash and some Prima flowers (just because they matched the paper perfectly)! Sweet Peach Crop Shop's kits are a lot of fun!

Twins in late 1960s or early 1970s!

I made this for the Design Dollies element challenge to doodle!!! This is the 2nd layout that I have doodled on this month. I am not comfortable at all doodling, but I do like this one better than the first one I did.  I doodled on the flowers and around the letters on this one--a little more subtle than the first! Anyway, I did it Andrea! I am the twin on the left! I always use Karen's name first, because she was born first!  This picture is obviously very old--it's funny how I didn't really notice that we look a little orange in the photos due to the poor quality of the photo after all of these years!

Ugly Page

I am most unhappy with this page. Yet, it is finished.  I used colors from the Design Dollies and only used scraps, including making the medallion with scraps,  and used mixed alphabet title for Scrapfit's latest challenge.  My friend Stacy's idea was to doodle about yourself on a page. I loved the idea, but I just envisioned this a lot better in my mind. I do like the medallion though and the Sassafras and Core'dination papers.  I also kind of like using up some of those pesky letters that hang around...I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, too!

Holland, Michigan- Music Statues

I made this layout of Mitch and Steve in Holland, Michigan, while we were there on our summer vacation this year.  The statues were all over the town.  They are playing music here. Real music came from speakers on this one.  I made this from a sketch by Julie Bonner. The Sassasfras Las came from my friend Stacy HW.

First Job

You know, sometimes you have it, and sometimes, you don't! This is more in the "don't" category.  I don't know why I was so stubborn to keep working on a layout when I was just not "feelin'" it! Well, that's the way it goes sometimes. I just haven't been feeling well this week. Many of you do not know that I have Lupus as well as Sjogren's Syndrome (which is another autoimmune disease), and I also suffer from terrible migraines frequently.  This is why I work part-time as an ESL tutor instead of as a full-time librarian!  Well, this week I have been in a flair. I had a horrible migraine today, but I wanted to take two of my students to a kite making afternoon about 1/2 hour from where we live. So, early this morning I took my Rx, grabbed my "heart pillow" (heating pad) for my neck, slept in my quiet, dark room until it was time to get ready to go.  I did not want to disappoint "the girls."  We did get to go, and the girls got to make some beautiful butterfly kites--taught by a master kite maker from China! It was so fun seeing their enjoyment!!! We also took them out to eat. This was a rare treat for them! So, we really enjoyed the day! I'm still feeling badly, but HAPPY!

Anyway, back to the layout: The Paper Variety had a challenge where you had to scraplift one of their DT members.  I decided to use elements from Tessa's layout! They are the cluster with the heart, star and flower to the lower right of the photo. I also drew a box around the photo as a frame and added some buttons in a couple of clusters.  I also added a scallop to the right of the photo--which Tessa also included in her layout!  I did use paint, but I used it more like the loosely followed Sketch Inspiration's #144 this week.  You can see the sketch in the paint dauber circles and the border strip along the bottom of the photo as well as the little bracketed title "First Job - Gerbes." I also took a little inspiration from a CK layout called First Snowfall by Tina.

School Days - 1997

It seems like just yesterday that these pictures were taken. I made this for one of the Sketches 4 All challenges recently! Most of the paper I got from my friend Stacy, but the wooden letters came from my friend Mel. I shared links in my last scrapbook layout post!  The stickers were from Fia (Sketches 4 All owner) and the eyelet ribbon was from Cindy from there! so, thanks to everyone who contributed to this layout! :-)