Blog Candy Alert!

Here is a wonderful chance to try out some of the best markers I have ever used. I "heart" Copics. They can be pricey, but worth it. Check out this blog: http://mypaperprojects.blogspot.com/2008/06/northern-papercraft-retreat-blog-candy.html for a chance to win a SET of them! Good luck!

I won a fantastic prize!!!

I am not much for luck, but it is still fun to enter contests. You never know, right? Well, thanks to the Cricut message boards, I found this site: www.giveawaytoday.blogspot.com

They have prizes every week and all YOU have to do is sign up for them. Easy Peasy. The tricky part is that you have to check back every day. If you win you only have 22 hours to claim your prize before they draw another name. I entered last week for a few things and checked back. Nope...didn't win. Then last night our internet went down. When we finally got it back up around 9, I was surprised to see that I got several e-mails and there were posts on the Cricut boards telling me to hurry up and check out that site! Apparently the winner of one of the prizes didn't respond so they drew another name. MINE! How cool is that? But I only had until 10:00 to claim it!

I am super excited! It is the prize I wanted most...I have been wanting one for a while, actually. (And so have you, Pam....you will be super excited for "us", too. LOL) What? You want to know what it is? Hmmmm...should I tell you? LOL I guess I could show a picture of my fabulous $125 prize package. If you reeeeeaaaaallly want to see it. (Okay...can you tell I am excited?)

An entire set of brad making goodness! How cool is that? I can't wait to get it and start playing with it! I will post pics. and a review on my blog when I get it. :)

Bye for now...just HAD to share my good luck! And thanks to all my Cricut friends who were determined to find me so that I could claim my prize. You guys are the best!

Tag...you're it! Challenge

Since Billy and Belle are sick today, I have alot of down time (can't clean around sickies, you know), so in between getting sprite and crackers for them I have been browsing some of my favorite challenge blogs looking for something to play with. Cute Card Thursday caught my eye today, so I thought I would see what I could come up with using a tag. I had several swings and misses, but finally hit on one that I really like.

The prize, of course, caught my eye...all stamps and all perfect for me...a cowboy set...a girl reading set and a tree house set. So cute! They have my name written all over them! If you want to play along (and if you win...those stamp sets are MINE! LOL) click on this link:

http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

Jessica Sprague Birthday Bash

I assume that EVERYONE knows who Jessica Sprague is...the digital scrapbooking genius! LOL She knows how to do wonderful things to get you started and advance you as a digital scrapbooker. She is also a wonderful and generous teacher. I had the privilage of taking one of her oneline classes last year and it was amazing! Seriously, one of the best classes I have ever taken. And now YOU have a chance to take one of her classes, too! If you go to her site: http://www.jessicasprague.com/ you will see that she is offering FREE signups this week for her Birthday Bash for a new class she is offering the begining of July. You can only sign up for FREE this week, so don't put it off!

Whoohoo...Got to create!

Well, it is about time! LOL I finished 2 layouts off and on this week. I like them. Especially the 2 page one. I have been doing so many one page layouts, I wasn't sure if I could do a 2 page multi photo spread. :) I had some other ideas for it, but I am tired now. I declare it done. Now the page about Grandpa Ted...I am going to add journaling to that. I have some questions I want to call and ask him. Should be fun. Enjoy!

Blog Candy Alert...AGAIN! LOL

Wow! Poeple are sure into giving stuff away right now! Here are 2 more chances for you to win some pretty scrappy things:

http://creativecardcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-weddings-and-i-am-offering-some.html

http://truesgiftsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-3-new-dt-spots-celebration-blog.html

So be sure to enter! Doesn't hurt to try, right? I'll keep you posted as I find more great give aways!

Even more blog candy!!!

My dear, wonderful, sweet (sometimes bossy) friend Jen is hosting some blog candy on her blog. While you are there, check out her wonderful artwork! She finds the cutest stamps! Seriously! And is nice enough to stamp some images for me. Love ya, Jen!

http://myscrapcloset.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-very-first-blog-candy.html

Make sure you tell Jen I sent you when you sign up for the drawing...

Free Classes at 2 Peas

I will admit it. I am a school geek. I LOVED going to school and would be a college student still if I could. LOL My love of learning new things of course translates into scrapbooking as well. I have taken a few online classes, but they can be pricey (I won the classes I was lucky enough to take at Big Picture Scrapbooking). If you have not checked out the classes on 2 Peas lately, you should. They offer SO many things and alot of them are FREE!

You can go to 2 Peas in a bucket to check them all out, but I am linking to some of my favorites! Maybe you can do the classes with me? I save all the PDF's to my laptop...they are good resources to have.

Thinking Inking Class (will be posting videos and things 3 times a week)
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?cmd=display&seed_id=29821

A Year in Cards (great videos to help you make cards all year long)
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/education_class.asp?cl=8

Super Sketches (a new sketch ever month)
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/education_class.asp?cl=10

Make Mine Mini (mini album class)
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?cmd=display&seed_id=29808

A Year of You
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?cmd=display&seed_id=29625

And my all time favorite!!!
Finally Friday Videos (she also does Make a card Monday on Youtube)
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_list.asp?t=153

You can check out when new videos are posted by going to the Education Thread:
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=list&forum_id=52
They post on there when they add a video or project for their class.

PLUS if you participate in the classes and post what you create...you can win great prizes!

Hope this inspires someone! Let me know how you like it and share with me if you have a great super "secret" place where YOU find inspiration!

Father's Day Cards

Well, I promised to post my Father's Day cards, so here are 2 of them. My kids picked the themes and cuts and I just put them together.
My husband loves tools, so Collin and Isabel wanted to make him a tool belt card. I got the cutfile from this site: http://ruelysicreativecards.blogspot.com/

My FIL is from Texas, so Collin and Belle thought a cowboy card would be nice. LOL I found this cute boot cut for SCAL (sorry, I don't remember where I got it).

I *think* I might actually get to create something today. LOL Although as I am typing this, my kids have interrupted me at least 3 times, so we shall see.

What have YOU been creating lately?

Generous Blog Candy Give Away!

Okay...I guess I can share the information, but if you win, you owe me a big hug! LOL Check out this blog: http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/ for some generous blog candy. There are several ways to win, so sign up for her blog and good luck!

Will I ever scrapbook again?

(Insert dramatic hand fluttering over my forehead as I sigh deeply) Where has all of my time gone? I honestly had no idea that having Collin out of school for the summer would so greatly alter my schedule. He only finished Kinder so it is not like I was not used to having him home. For some reason, though, I can barely keep up with normal life right now. There is so much I need to do and not enough hours in the day...and I KNOW you know exactly what I am talking about. So here is my basic day:
Get up (early...because Isabel does) and get showered and ready for the day
Feed the kids and do a Bible story with them
Sit with Isabel to do some preschool work (I had planned on 30 minutes for this, but it is taking more like an hour or two)
Then do some work with Collin (nope, can't do them at the same time...he interrupts and tells her the answers)
Then straighten the kitchen and WHOA! is it time to make lunch already? Seriously?
Have lunch
Clean a bit and work on stuff for church....settle fights
Go swimming/or play/or watch a video/or read some books
Now time to make dinner
Clean up from dinner
Play some more
Bedtime
What, Billy? Spend time with you? But I haven't sat down...or had a few minutes for me...okay, honey.

There you have it. My basic day. I am exhuasted. LOL

This week I have added in having at garage sale at Sarah's house Saturday. So when will I scrapbook this week? I have no idea! :P I did manage to make a father's day card for Billy and am working on some for my FIL and Dad. I'll post those later.

So, since I have no pretty photos to post right this minute...I will send you off on a fun scrapbook hunt of some of my favorite sites. You can ooooo and ahhhhhh over THEIR work. LOL

http://jenalonso.typepad.com/fstop_memories/2009/06/index.html

http://www.paperphenomenon.blogspot.com/

http://www.paperphenomenon.blogspot.com/

http://stampedbyhand.blogspot.com/

http://memystampsandi.blogspot.com/

Be on the look out for a post about my favorite you tube crafting videos. Good stuff out there!

Scrapbooking ADD

Ever have one of those days when you could create somthing and want to create something, but just can't seem to figure out what you want to make? Too many options. It is like taking my kids to Golden Corral. Rows and rows of food choices. Too many for a six year old and four year old to choose from. I feel the same way today. I have so many wonderful tools, idea books and great cut files that I don't even know where to start. I guess it is a good problem to have.

If you haven't checked out 2 Peas lately, you really should. They have a wonderful gallery, great video tutorials and will be doing some great mini album classes that are FREE!!! You heard me! The first one was put up today. Super cute and the ideas behind are very easy to use to make all sorts of albums. Check it out!

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/cg_display.asp?cmd=display&seed_id=29808

So that is my challenge for this week. Make a mini album inspired by that tutorial. You'll thank me for it later. LOL When you finish, don't forget to post to Mr. Linky. He will thank you for it. LOL

I am finishing up a layout that I will share later this week, but I did make this card yesterday for my little sister. She does Irish dancing and just placed 3rd in her category. I have not seen Irish dancing stamps, but thought this House Mouse ballerina is just too cute for words. I used my Copics to color it. I am improving, but will need to practice more (and get more colors/shades so I can put more depth into the coloring).

Blog Candy Alert

I spy with my little eye...some great blog candy. I found this great site (beautiful artwork) that is offering a some generous goodies from SU! Check it out at:

http://d-swat.blogspot.com/

Finished! (sort of)

I have not been feeling well the past week, so the thought of doing the mini album in my challenge did not appeal to me. LOL So.....I decided to do a layout instead using the same color scheme. Still a challenge, but more attainable. Here is what I came up with:
Not my all time favorite layout, but it is done and the memory is captured for Collin. (Plus, he likes it, so that is what matters.) I have a graduation to go to this week and made a card for that as well. Now, the turtle has nothing to do with graduating (LOL), but it is a bit of a joke between me and Gina (the graduate).

I will post another challenge soon, so be on the look out!

I'd like to thank the academy....

Awe, I was given an award by chevygirl! That is so sweet! Thank you very much for the nice comments! This award is given to people who show great attitude and gratitude. Isn't that a fun thing to acknowledge people for?

I would like to pass this award on to some of MY favorite blogs:

Stacey : http://www.godsjewelrybox.blogspot.com/

Nona: http://www.nonapearl.blogspot.com/

Beatriz: http://iralamija.blogspot.com/

Amy: http://scrappingmommy.blogspot.com/

I REALLY want to scrapbook right now, but still have a major pain in my side (literally), so I will just post a few of my favorite "old" projects that I have done instead. I'm never quite sure what to do with some of the professional photos we have taken. This one of Isabel with the Easter Bunny was a free one. Getting some groceries at Walmart and they snagged us to see the Easter Bunny and get a photos. My kids weren't impressed with the bunny, but did like the candy. LOL

I have trouble getting candid shots of my kids. Collin loves to make wierd faces and do strange hand movements and Isabel....well, I think she is going to try out for America's Next Top Model. She loves to have her picture taken and poses as soon as she sees the camera. I was excited when I realized the my cuddlebug flower die matched the flowers on this patterned paper pretty closely. I love it when that happens. LOL

We are sick at our house, so don't be surprised if you get more than one post today. :)

Basic Grey Winner!!!

Thank you to everyone who suggested some blogs for me to check out. :) I love having fun new things to look at. And the winner of the Basic Grey prize is.....(drumroll please)....Leilani!! Congrats! I will contact you to get your address and will have your prize out this week. :)

I hosted a crop on Saturday at my church. It is so nice to get away for a few hours with my friends. I wish we could do it more often, but most of us have kids, so it is hard to schedule sometimes. I was not feeling well (a pain in my side...I hope it goes away soon), so I only made a few cards. I couldn't concentrate so it was hard to focus on making things. Here are two of the cards and I am finishing up a third one (set of 3 of the same card actually) to post.

Have a great week! I am still finishing up my DDDY challenge that I posted last time, but I will go ahead and post a new one soon. Don't want you to get bored or anything! LOL