Labor of Love

So last night I sat in awe of the fun package I got from Pam. I knew the sensible thing to do would be to start cutting and put a layout together, but I just couldn't do it. Cut that beautiful paper? And which side to use? Really, the stress of using nice paper is such a burden some times. The other slight obstical last night was Billy and Collin being sick. I spent alot of time tending to the ill. I did have a chance to think about what I wanted to do with all of that lovely paper so I could get right to work this morning. I spent a lot of time on the tree...adding layers of papers, buttons, brads, and bling. The cuts are from a variety of carts, but mostly Paisley.

I've got a Sugar Rush!

So, since kit clubs are a bit out of my budget at the moment, my friend Queen Pam (who works at a lovely scrapbook store called Journals of the Heart http://www.journalyourheart.com/) offered to be my personal shopper and put together a kit for me whenever I felt the urge to have one. I can set my own budget that way. How cool is that? So....she suggested my first kit be Basic Grey's Sugar Rush. Have you seen it? Wow! Great colors and perfect for this time of year. Plus, who wouldn't love paper called gummy bears? Not only did I get the paper, but I got the coordinating: stickers, chipboard, fabric tags, buttons, brads, glazed brads, journaling papers and clips. PLUS she threw in dew drops, Kaiser rhinestones and Paper Bliss Chipboard Owls. Isn't she sweet? I got her discount, so it was a fantastic deal for me! Love that!

Ready to see?

How about this haul, huh? She did a wonderful job of picking things out. It helps that she is my scrappy twin and knows exactly what I like and what my style is. LOL If you are in South Dakota, look up the store. I've seen pictures and it looks really great! And the owner has fantastic taste in both product and employees. :) And no, Pam is all mine. Get your own shopper. LOL

I *heart* me some sock monkey

I love sock monkeys. I don't care if they are "in" or not, but they are cute, cuddley and nostolgic. So...imgagine how happy I was when I strolled into Michaels and saw this!!

Imagine my surprise! I generally skip over the single sheet papers at Michaels because it was all old and stale and not my style. My daughter thought I lost my ever lovin' mind. I plopped my self on the floor and started scanning to see what else new they had and found these:

And if that were not enough...I spied with my little eye the new K and Company Valentines Stack. And it was on sale (said in hushed, reverent tones) and it was the last one (in a high, squeaky, panicked voice). I saved it.
Every pages is prettier than the last...and it is double sided. Grrr...which side do I use? And check out those valentines. Cute on a page or for my kids to pass out. (or for me to keep and put up in my room...)

Hopefully my next post will be all about the lovely box of goodies that are one their way from my scrappy friend, Pam.

All you need is love...

Hmmmm...and Mini Cadbury Eggs, I believe that part was left out. Let's take just a minute to stare are their crunchy, chocolately goodness.

Have you also been bombarded with all of the Valentines Day stuff lately? Everywhere I go I see pink plastic hearts and candy that has been given a holiday makeover...although the taste is still the same. Still....I have been sucked in. No, I have not purchased a single pink plastic heart...and the candy I buy comes in very traditional wrappers. I tend to feel the need to buy pretty pink paper and put hearts on all of my scrapbook projects. Yep. I have been sucked in. And in honor of that, I do have some new layouts of love...dedicated to the ones I love (or at least some of them...my poor DH has to wait for his layout).Think back...waaaayyy back. Remember those kits I promised to start making? These are thanks to my Valenetines themed kit. I have barely put a dent in it. I told you I tend to go overboard and put everthing PLUS the kitchen sink in the kits.

I did take a break from layouts to make my Valentines Day banner. I got the Paisley Cricut Cartridge for Christmas and have been itching to play with it. This seems like the perfect time, don't you think? I did do the letters with Storybook. My go to favorite font.

The blank heart near the end is blank on purpose. And laminated. I am going to talk with the kids about what love is and we will write ont he blank heart with a marker. I wanted a banner that was more thought provoking and interactive. I love it and the kids think it is cool. Now to make the lovey layout about my sweet DH. I have the photos and the idea...I just need a few minutes to take care of it. :)

Sketchy Goodness

I (uhem) need to tell you something. Please don't be afraid, but I am a cyber stalker. I admit it. I have a certain designer that I stalk online. I wait with baited breath for her videos...I stalk her blog...I worship from afar. That designer is Kristina Werner. Sigh. She is wonderful! Very down to earth and her cards and fun, bright and simple. She is great at thinking outside of the box, but all of her stuff is very doable and very inspiring. I just want to create when I see her videos. Alright...alright...I will share her with you.

Here is her blog: http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/

And on her blog there was a... cow? No...but a great idea for a card sketch book that you can make yourself. Now I will admit it, I am a great design lifter, but I struggle with my own abitily to design on my own. I didn't start out that way, but with so many places to look for inspiration, my design muscle has not needed to be flexed quite so much. Her sketch book has inspired me to stop borrowing so much and go back to doing my own designs.

Here is the link to the video on her blog on making the book: http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=2135

She even graciously shares her pdf for the pages inside. All you have to do is print, cut and assemble. Sweet! I finished mine in no time at all and am in love with it already!

I decided to get started right away, so here is my first sketch:

and here is my card:

I have been wanting to make a valentines day banner for the house, so that was my jumping off point for this card. And what can I say...I'm into owls. :) I even managed to sketch 3 more cards while waiting to pick up Collin today from school. Loving it! Give it a try...and if you make a sketchbook, I would love to see it!

Loving this kit idea

So far so good on making my own kits. It is fun to get excited about my stash again! All of my stuff is EXTREMELY organized (I'll share in another post), so it is great to dig through my categories and find goodies I have forgotten about to put in my kits. My only problem so far is putting TOO much stuff in them. :)

Here is my paper/alphas. I mixed 2 different paper companies (American Crafts and DCWV).

Embellishments were super easy. Think I pulled too much? LOL I am full of ideas already!

And stamps...I'm hoping to get some milage from my new $1 stamp finds. So cute! These would make the best valetines!!

I'll post my finished projects when as I get them done. Almost time to pick up Collin, so playing will have to wait!

Gettin' it done!

How nice to be able to play and create! What a great start to the year for me! I am determined to decide which of my older photos I want to scrapbook and which I want to just put in a regular album. Seriously. I want to be done with it and move on! LOL I have them all sorted and organized both in books and on my laptop (thanks BPS) and I just need to decide which are scrap worthy. Here are a few I've been meaning to do of Collin at his first fair.

I am doing a patterned paper challenge on 2 Peas which lead to this next layout. We were to use patterened paper as embellishements. This is a bit simplier than I usually do, but I am leaving it alone now. LOL

Isn't this card cute? I like how it came out. I just got the book A Card A Day and I LOVE it! Lots of fresh, current card ideas!

Okay. Call me wierd. Call me obsessive. I love this paper. My friend, Pam, sent it to me. It is from the Cosmo Cricket Line Girl Friday. Love Love Love the color combo and the design. So I have been saving it. Indefinitley. LOL I did finally locate some here, and yesterday I framed the original one Pam gave me. Yep. It is on my wall. Along with some of the coordinating paper. It looks so pretty!

I told you it looked cute! And yep. I know one of the frames is crooked.