Is It Wrong?

• To grab your camera before the kleenex?
• To tell your children to stand perfectly still while you run off to grab your camera so you don't miss "the moment"?
• To have way too many pages titled "Drama Queen" about your daughter?
• To scrap moments that are of great embarassment? (remind me to blog one day about my UH-OH page)
• To fix your downs in life with a little retail therapy?

Hope not...because I have done the first four this morning and am about to go off (with 5 kids no less!) to the mall and tackle task number 5.

Have a great day everyone!

Sketch of the Week Feb 24-Mar 1

It is a quiet snowy day here... Had a nice visit with a friend this morning and just finished up lunch with the kidlets. Looks like we are in for 4 days of snow (and foolish me thought spring might be on it's way?!). Just put on a crockput full of yummy chicken soup and I think I just may sit down and scrap a little this afternoon. My sketch this week includes my new birdie obsession :) Hope you all have a fantastic week!

And my version of my sketch last week - my beautiful daughter on a very windy day! That pretty little flower gave me a bit of a headache but it turned out nicely. I will add a blue thread to the pink button when I can find some!

A Simple Request

It was one of those days today.... First thing every morning, I click on my bookmarked scrappy blogs and go through the list. One of the first ones I always go to is Pinky's blog - I love how this gal writes and scraps. Her and I seem to be taking turns commenting on each other's blog and I just feel as though we are starting a scrappy friendship. I had read earlier in the week that she would be away this weekend for a crop so I was expecting to see a little blurb about her trip and maybe a sneak peek at what she would be working on....instead, I was saddened to be reading a story about the Willaert family who suffered the devastating death of their beautiful 5 year old daughter, Ellie. Being a mom myself, I cannot even begin to fathom the loss of my children and my heart breaks for this family. Pinky is sending out any and all donations and cards to the family and I hope that you can find it in your heart to send along something. While our economy definitely has some of us scared (me!!), it wouldn't take much to send a card. So I am asking you to please take the time and send one...please.... You can go to Pinky's blog and find all the information you need or please leave me a comment and I would be happy to answer any questions you have. And please keep the Willaerts in your prayers as I'm sure they would be grateful.

SKETCH OF THE WEEK Feb 16-23rd

Sorry Im a day late ladies...holiday yesterday made me forget it was Monday!!

I was reading in Canadian Scrapbooker about the new trend with using postal stamp shapes in layouts...so I got a little brave and did my sketch this week with Photoshop (I usually use a much simpler program) and voila...here's your sketch!!

By the way, the easiest way to make a postage stamp for your layout is to go around it with your small circle punch!!

February Reveal...FINALLY! (caution, long post!)

So when we got out DT package, I was so excited to get it started. We all received a Maya Road mini chipboard album and beautiful new paper by Jenni Bowlin. I had a really hard time trying to decide what to focus the minialbum on when my girlfriend offered up her wedding photos! I was ecstatic that she would trust me with them but a bit apprehensive as wedding pictures are a very special thing and they weren't digital so that meant no playing with sizes and colours! However, I headed out to a crop and got 8 of the 10 pages done - I was unhappy with 2 of the pages but overall, had a great jump on things. Then, I brought everything home and put it to the side for the online crop we had (mistake number 1). That online crop was so darn fun, I was a scrapping maniac (mistake number 2). However, when I scrap normally, I need to clean my workspace off after 2 layouts max...if I don't, I can't find anything and I end up getting super frustrated. After delaying my reveal due to ear infections, birthday parties and basically life, I realized that I needed to find my table top again. This is my before picture - can you see the table?!But yesterday, I finally got up the nerve and cleaned it up. My son was happily helping me (mistake number 3) and I finally found enough space to clean. Just as I sat down, I asked my son to take the bag of garbage downstairs for me - my back was towards him and as you can probably now imagine...this was my biggest mistake of all :( I continued to scrap and went to reach into the bag behind me to grab my neat little Cat's Eye charcoal chalk ink but suddenly...no bag?!!! Oh the panic... However by this point, everyone in the house was napping so I was trying to panic quietly.

I searched everywhere for that little blue bag. Where could it go? Was it not just right there?! How is it that when you clean, you suddenly can't find anything???? I wondered if my son had thrown it out so I went through the 4 garbages in the house but no luck.... So, I put on my shoes and coat and headed out in minus 17 to dig through the garbage bin across from my house. I had flashbacks to when I had to dig in that bin for my ring that had fallen off in there once - and let me tell you, it wasn't a pleasant flashback. As I walked across the road, grimacing with every step, a sudden glimmer caught my eye. There, in the side of a snow bank was my chalk ink! YAHOOOO ... I picked it up and headed back into the house to warm up and think about what else was in that bag... Did I really need to go dig in that bin?! Just then, my son came downstairs and I quickly asked him if he had tossed the bag out and what was in it.... His response? (Oh how I wish I had this on tape...)

Gosh Mom, I would NEVER throw out your scrap stuff!! You asked me to throw out that bag but I saw what was in it and put it away for you in case you changed your mind. See? It's here in the craft drawers! (it was a little crumpled but it was rescued! There was Riff Raff, brads, flowers, fibers, and another ink!) I kissed that little jellybean of mine, I was so happy! I forgot to ask how the one ink got outside in the snow...I think I was sidetracked!

Anyhow...long story short is that I finally got the reveal done :) I am happy with how it turned out. It was a hard challenge for me as the papers didn't match the wedding colours but I think it worked well. I am an embellie addict so mini albums are always a challenge - but in a good way!
Enjoy the pics of my beautiful friend Tanis and her handsome husband.

Front cover - Riff Raff's brand new release this month...I loved it!!!!!The bride, bridesmaids, and their driver.

The groom and the bridesmaids.

The bride and her beautiful Mom.

The bride and her Dad.The bride and her brother.

I think this one is my favourite page.
Back Cover.

Gotta GetEr Done!

Eek..take some time off and watch my piles of stuff to do GROW!! It is a long weekend here and I am really hoping to get some stuff done. I spent 2 hours last night finishing up my son's Valentines for school and forgot to take a picture :( Darn...they really did turn out cute... Would it be wrong to pack up all the other kids and drive to his school just to get a picture of them? I never realized that I had a obsessive side to me before I delved into scrapping...but there it is. So let's see what I am obsessed with right now:
Pinky's Blog - this girl is so talented...I can't believe she hasn't been scrapping for very long. Go and read her blog and you will be addicted too!
Scrap Time - I love how Christine highlights everything and anything... and she is Canadian so that's always a bonus!
Speaking of Canadian - Scrapbook and Cards Today - I love this magazine and their blog!
Lain Ehmann - I have been following her blog for quite a while but didn't realize exactly who she was until recently - she worked for Simple Scrapbooks until their demise :( and is the author of that little scrapping book you have seen called "Snippets" - She is a fabulous writer and
scrapper!
And my last obsession is that little pink box over there on the right called a FEEDJIT. It tells me where my blog visitors come from. Someone from Murfreesboro (sorry if I spelled that wrong) keeps popping in and I wanna know if she has a blog. Yesterday, someone from Campbell River came by and I was so excited to see someone from close to home I almost peed!!! I love looking at it....but would be more excited if it could show me who they were!
Well I think I need to hustle off and attempt to start on my pile - wishing you and yours all a very Happy Valentine's Day!!

Where did it go?!!

sMy scrappin mojo that is.... I seem to have taken a week off without even realizing it. This was a really busy week - ear infections, birthday parties, dayhome kiddies on extra days.... Somehow I was too pooped to scrap! I did start my kids' Valentines creations so I need to finish those up and then get to my "must do" pile (which sits on top of my "should do" pile, which sits on top of my "might do" pile). However, I do have the SOTW ready so I will post that before I take any more time off!

Technique Tuesday - Playing with Glossy Cardstock

I love Stampin Up....love it but don't sell it. I have thought about it but to be honest, I'm not sure where or when I would fit it in. I started out with Stampin Up and still get excited when a new catalog comes out. Tonight as I was trying to decide which technique to blog about, I came across my hidden stack of glossy cardstock and decided to feature it. I love this stuff - it is so versatile and makes for a gorgeous technique!There are many different things you can do with glossy cardstock but here are two simple yet beautiful ways to use this fun product.

1. Alcohol Ink

This is so quick and easy...but remember that alcohol ink are NOT forgiving. Once it's there, there is no taking it back! Alcohol ink dries almost immediately and you can't blend it. I did this with denim, lettuce and cranberry. I always prefer starting with my darkest colour so that I don't do too much of it to begin with. Simply drip drops (ok, that sounds funny!) onto your glossy cardstock and watch it spread.... it will spread quite a bit so try not to make your drops too big. A hint to this is to not tilt your bottle upright after each drop but to keep it sideways and lightly tap it. Fill as much space as you want and continue on with each colour until you have your desired look. Here are my professional photos (!) and my final project!

2. ReInkers

Also quick and easy but a little bit more forgiving than alcohol inks. You can blend reinkers quite nicely and cover over what you have done if you aren't satisfied...and keep covering until you have it right. Simply take a sponge (or a cotton ball also works quite nicely) and drop a few drops of the ink onto it. I usually do 2 of one colour and 1 of another colour. Dab at your glossy cardstock and continue until you have your desired look. This is used quite nicely as a background. If you choose to do that, stamp on it with your image using Staz-On Ink (my daughter's favourite!!) as it will dry quickly and not interfere with your ink. I added Stickles and some small circles in Versamark Dazzle for a bit of sparkle :) Here are my fabulous photos once again and the finished project!

Sketch of the Week - Feb 2-8

I have to admit that I am exhausted from the online crop this weekend....ex-haus-ted!!! However, it is a great kind of exhausted. What a great bunch of ladies and what an amazing amount of beautiful layouts. I love how someone may scrap in a style totally different from your own but still do something so beautiful .... One of our last challenges was to do a layout called "Why I Scrap" and it really was neat to see what the ladies came up with. I have that one on my todo list this week. Anywhoooo.... on to the sketch of the week. I drew this in my head last night while trying to go to sleep but was too tired to sit down and draw it on the computer until just now. Hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to see your version! Happy Scrappin!

Whole Lotta Making Goin On!!

Just wanted to share with everyone the make and takes I did at our online crop this weekend. I am exhausted....it was a lot of work to put together but I left it tonight with a big warm fuzzy feeling!! Lots of inspiration in an on-line crop - if you have never done one, I highly recommend it!

I did 3 make and takes - a shaker card, a pencil box and a purse mini album. Here are the tutorials for each :) If you make one, please send me a link so I can see yours!

PURSE MINI ALBUM
You will need:
1 piece 7 1/4" x 5" patterned paper
2 pieces 12" x 3" patterned paper
Brads, Ribbon, adhesive (double sided works best but you can use whatever you have)

1. Turn the 7 1/4" x 5" so it is horizontally longer. Score at 3 3/8" and 3 7/8"
Then turn it vertically and make a mark at 7/8" from each corner(this is your 5" side) Repeat on the other side. It should look like this:

2. In your papercutter, line up the 7/8" mark and the corner of the closest score line. Now cut off that corner. Repeat with the other three corners. Remember to line up the CLOSEST score line.

3. Your 7 1/4" x 5" piece should now look like this

4. Cut 1/4" off of each 3" long strip that you have. This just makes it easier to close later.
Put your double sided tape (or whatever you have) to one of the 3" ends on each of the 12"x3" patterned pieces. Tape the first piece so that it lines up with the score line on the right, but the 12"x3" piece is on the left.


5. Now adhere the second piece and line it up with the score line on the left, but the 12"x3" will extend to the right. You are adhering this piece on top of the first piece, but use the score line to determine placement.
6. Fold each 12"x3" piece into the score line. You will see a gap like shown in the picture.
7. Fold each side one more time. Again, fold only until the score mark. You will then need to open it up and fold it back the other way to have an accordian fold. (eek, don't mind my messy table!!)


8. Use your ribbons, brads, stamps and whatever else you can find to finish the outside of your purse. You can add a picture or journaling to each fold on the accordion. I'm sorry mine is plain jane...it's on my list of things to finish up this week!

VALENTINE'S PENCIL BOX
Perfect to make for school gifts for Valentines or kids birthday parties!!
Dont mind my Halloween pencils, they were all I could find!!!!

1. To start, you'll need a piece of cardstock that is 6 3/8" x 3 5/8". As you can see by the picture, you will want the long side going up and down (so it is tall). Score it at the following intervals: 3/8", 1 5/8", 2", 3 1/4". Then turn the c.s. 90 degrees (so it is wide) and score just one end at 3/8". On the end where you just scored, make a cut on each of those score lines, just until the next scored line. This will create little "flaps". I cut one of the end flaps off, as it is not necessary and just adds bulk.

2. Fold on all the score lines to make nice creases (this really helps your box to be a true rectangle), apply adhesive ( double sided tape works best) and fold together! That's it! They are super easy!!! Add a coordinating piece of c.s. to the top and add embellishments. This piece is 3 5/8" x 1 1/2". Score it again at the same intervals - 3/8", 1 5/8", 2", 3 1/4". Add ribbon, brads, glitter....whatever it takes to make you happy!

SHAKER CARD - You will need
*6" x 6" cardstock
*5 1/2 " x 2 1/2" co-ordinating patterned paper
*5 3/4" x 2 3/4" white cardstock
* 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" white cardstock (two of these!)
*pop dots
*your trusty scissors and some patience! ( this can be made way easier with a word window punch by stampin up but we can make do!)

*adhesive - double sided would be good but you can get away with regular
*a cute stamp about 1 or 2 inches square
*a word stamp - happy birthday, bite me or whatever you want it to say!
*some kind of ink to stamp your stamp with and something to colour it if you want it coloured!
* and two pennies
This handy dandy video (shot by me...super high quality....LOL!!) will show you how cool it is!

Take your 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" piece of white cardstock and fold it in half length-wise. Take a ruler and draw a line 1/4 of an inch on one side of it. Fold the cs in half and cut out a box along that line, making sure that your box will not be wider than 1/2 of an inch. This will be your template.
Trace that window over your other piece of 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" white cardstock and your 5 1/2 " x 2 1/2" co-ordinating patterned paper. Stick these two together (double sided tape works best but use whatever you have). If you see any of the white peeking out, just trim it off! Cover the back side of these two with pop-dots, be generous!!
Take your template and place it over the 5 3/4" x 2 3/4" piece of white cardstock. Stamp your word stamp over top of the template and onto the bigger white piece. If you make a mistake, just turn the white piece over and try again!
Take a penny and stick your stamped image (I used a flower) to the penny. On the other side of the penny, put a pop dot. Place the penny in the window slot that you cut out and then stick another penny to the back of that.

Tape your 5 3/4" x 2 3/4" white cardstock to your piece of 6" x 6" cardstock (that has been scored in half) and then your popdotted pieces on top of that and voila...your beautiful card!