Great Weather for the Beach...

...or and least for beach pages :).

Join me in sharing your T0-do's and Ta-da's for Scrappin' Sunday.

TA-DA: here is my most recent layout. It's fun from my birthday beach baby about a year ago :) The layout is another sketch from PageMaps, from October 2007.

It was fun to change the bottom scallops to waves, though I am not entirely happy with how they look together.

I also really liked the journaling block position, and my hand-written word with the liquid glass over it.

I liked all the positions of the flowers - though I think I am majorly running out of brown ones!

I think these are probably my last ones! - not good! I guess I'll have to paint the rest brown since I most likely won't use bright green :).

Oh yes - I mentioned back in May that I wanted to start making cards from the scraps of my layouts... well here is one from this last layout.... it's a simple one for me.

But it's still nice to have around in case I need to say Thank you :).

Oh and these next pics I took are part of proof that I finally did the things on my To-Do list running from 7 weeks ago!!!

• I hung the ledge in my bedroom for my black and white family photos :).

• And I finally hung my Lighthouse photo from Ikea :).

My room is feeling a little less lonely now :).

And this week, I don't think I am going to set any To-Do's to do, too much to do! :)

Yes! another Ta-Da!

Here is my TA-DA for the week :) - yes I have one!

It's another layout for my youngest daughter's baby album... and this one was from another PageMaps sketch! :) I'm STILL loving them!!! This one is from their September 2008 archives...

I added a little photo off the the left and popped it up, so fun.

I had a great time with the simple paper circle embellishments... of coarse one of my good friends saying nothing is simple with me, so I had to ink them and hand-stitch them down :).

I also really liked diggin' out my old decorative scissors for my scalloped edge... I remember when I used to cut my photos with those!!!! Ahhhh! That was very bad for me!

I liked the titling on the strips of paper with my new favorite - CHOCOLATE BROWN rub-ons from Close to My Heart...

But most of all I had a good time with my sister-in-law, hangin' out and scrapbooking.

Now onto my running TO-DO list...

1. Pick a date for a Close to My Heart party???
2. Hang ledge for black and white photos in my room.
3. Hang my new Ikea lighthouse photo :)

If you want to join the others and share your craft related Ta-Da's and To-Do's visit the Sunday Scrappin' home.

I'm diggin the Mosaic Styles!

Here is another "Mosaic Style" (I call it) sketch from PageMaps, from this year January... maybe that's why I love it because it is still popular? I don't know.

This is the one layouts I got done of my youngest daughter's baby album, she was brand new in these photos!!! So precious!!! I still have to journal that on the strip of white paper down the right side.

This layout was nice a simple but very sweet. I loved the purple paper with that tone on tone distressing. The big bloom with the grommets and rhinestone brads, with some pop-dots under the little baby photo.

I know, I know, I said simple then I name off all these things that I not :) My friend was saying that I am not capable of simple :) I love her!

Yeah simple... with the sewing machine :)!!!!!!!!!!

It really DOES add I nice (simple) touch :).

I Heart CTMH Paper!!!

Yes - yet another PageMaps sketch, this one from April '08. The mosaic style here with the centered title and the twist with a frame it totally beautiful!

And MMMM this paper Pack from CTMH is TOTALLY one of my new favorites... they really hit me on the nail with this one! It's called Emporium, yum!

Fun with the title - again trying to use up some of my older products that sit around too much... blue jewels, the wooden letters (an old fav) and some of the MANY rub-ons I have!

I brought my sewing machine with me on my weekend getaway and am sooo glad I did, it really bumped up the yum factor of this layout!!! Not to mention some felt! - yet another product that tends to sit unused.

I am so glad I made myself obedient to this sketch and find a frame for this layout, I loved it! (I really am working on obedience in all things Lord :).

Oh and one thing that sits around that REALLY shouldn't, that I TOTALLY have always loved! The vellum sticker here with the scripture verse on it, ""I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 4" B-E-A-U-tiful! And even more pretty embellished with some Emporium paper from CTMH!!! :)

Internet still a "Growing" Problem :)

Sorry I have not posted another scrap thing since Saturday - I did say that I would get as much in as possible with the Internet up and down and down and up... well I going to get a lot in tonight too I hope. (My hubby called our service provider and they said we don't exist - well - that could be a problem! :)

Here is my next layout to share... and yes it is another PageMaps sketch, my newest Scrap-Fetish :) I even put a blinkie button on my sidebar because I am so happy with them!

This particular sketch is from their January 'o7 archives. I really liked this one just for the different look in general and all the tilting going on... I have issues tilting things on my own (I tend to put them back straight up and down) unless I am obeying a sketch :)

I even added three more tilted photos off to the right of the main photo. I thought this was nice because with my plan of 2 layouts a year I always have more photos. I also knew I wouldn't be journalling a lot on this page.

The title I find a little cheesy, but I am so proud of my big girl and I just loved that photo of her with the sour grass weeds!!!... so I just HAD to play off on it!!! :)

Oh and when I was doing this layout, I was just so blessed to be next to a fellow Close to My Heart Consultant that had like EVERY one of their ink colors... I have fallen in love with a more subtle way of distressing with a tone on tone look... I TOTALLY want more inks!!! (Thanks Jenn!)

Oh and she let me borrow her new journalling stamp too :). And of coarse I had to jazz the journal spot up with some large CTMH blooms and the lovely brown (my favorite color) crystal flourish from Prima.
I also forgot to mention I had a great time adding some liquid glass (also from CTMH) to the paper circles on my buttons and the chipboard in my title :)

Lovin the Circle!

Yes circles in scrapbooking is an older trend, and I am not a trendy scrapper, but I don't think I completely missed it??? THIS STETCH is only five months old :) I scrap as I see what would fit with my photos and this one was pretty much perfect. (To get the circle that big - without a circle cutter - I traced a paper plate.)

I liked the flowery accents on the sketch, but I chose to go with a more "manly" approach :)... buttons, brads, and some clear accents from Close to My Heart.

The title was a cute one, but I do often find myself very repetitive saying "I love you" in a ton of different ways in my kids books :) I REALLY DO love them! :)

I did make sure part of the we was Jesus though :) since He is the most important part! :)

Oh and though the accents were "manly" I did use a flowery print paper! But I did grunge it up by crumpling it and inking it! I have a "tutorial" here of a previous time I did that. (Sorry if the photos scroll too fast - I just noticed I should fix that!)

Oh and I did distress some more with distress inks by Tim Holtz and some brown acrylic paint on the photos and the clear accent pieces... I think I like acrylic paint better than regular inks, it's just more work.

But I do have an artistic outlook on scrapbooking, so what ever looks good is what I take the time to do... I am also a social scrapbooker which means I am really REALLY slow :)!!!

Even if it's not a Party...

I still do not fail to have technical difficulties! :) My internet has been off since Thursday when I planned this post.... and now it continues... (both the post and the problems, so I'll get as much in as I can :)

This is my son's second layout of being 2 years old (after my kids are 1 - they only get two layouts a year).

This sketch is from PageMaps just like the last one... I really like "mapping" things out! This one is more recent though, it's a 2008 sketch, the last one was 2005 :)

I love all the negative space around the main chunk of photos with the patterned paper. I also really like the three smaller (tilted) photos at the top left.

Yes, in my planning I made a mistake and cropped one of my photos the wrong direction :)

I was excited to be able to use the new embossing labeler I bought months ago, so easy, so cute and too fun!... might just be addicting :)

... but this is definitely something that IS addicting! Prima's 'Say it with Crystals' Line! Yummo!!! I have like 9 sheets of them! And I know I have blogged on them before, I STILL love them!

Not a Party - But a Plan

So now that my retreat for National Scrapbook weekend has come to an end, I would like to plan a little fun for my scrappity blogity friends out there.

I know I have had blog parties in the past for National Scrapbook Month but this year I am going to have to tone things down a bit :).

So I have decided to blog everyday or so on something scrappy for you all month :)

My kick-off posts were of my scrap weekend, and know I would like to share one of my finished layouts with you, and the details in it...

This is the sketch I used from PageMaps from their September 2005 archives!

It was totally fun and exciting to be working with an 8x12 photo for the first time. At Costco an 8x12 is even cheaper than a Walgreens 8x10 :)

The acrylic stapes and the 'love' rub-on I used here are from Close to My Heart...

The word 'waves' was in grungeboard inked with Close to My Heart ink, they always have the perfect color to use! And grungeboard is always to fast and easy to alter,

Oh, and these tag letters are so old... I don't even remember who makes them... but I STILL love them and was glad to be using my older supplies! I was challenging myself to use things that I hadn't in a while :) you should to the same!

Here are some more of the Close to My Heart clear shapes and rub-ons. But the cool thing was, this paper was just left over from an altered paint can project. :)

Such an exciting layout, and so much fun to make... so now I challenge you to be inspired... find a sketch to follow, use a new size of photo, staple an embellishment in place, experiment with inks (I am a CTMH consultant if you need any :), use some old or left-over supplies and have a GREAT time!!! :)

Happy National Scrapbook Month!!! See you in a day or two for another post on some more scrapity fun! :)

A Long Update!

Where have I been since I haven't been here?

I know you have all missed me... and I REALLY REALLY thank you for all your prayers... and the kind, uplifting, loving and encouraging comments since I have been "gone".... you have definitely made this tough time less tough.

I especially loved this comment, lol...

... yes, I know Jill it took me another week to get a post up, but thank you for that kick in the rump, I love you.
Now... to answer some of your questions...
Yes, I am feeling a bit better. I have some crazy, sporadic ups and downs. Today is a little more hard than yesterday because I had to talk with a mean woman on the phone and my crying nephew is over. Yesterday was a pretty good up. I got (some) housework done, I showered (yes, that's how bad it is) and I made myself get some exercise in (30 minutes on my bike).... look at my face!

• No, I am not getting help (yet). My sister just called a counselor for me that she knows to get me an appointment... she even offered to meet me there to watch my kids (I love her!)
  
• Yes, there is some things you could pray for specifically (thank you). I need to get in God's word more, pray more, learn to dwell on His goodness instead of everything that is wrong with me... and regarding me little ones... that I would have patience, that they would want to be obedient, and that I wouldn't provoke them to anger, and that God would use this situation of mine for their good... I would HATE for this to mess them up in any way!

Now, what have I been up to? Not much...
Obviously I did a little redesign of my blog (with a ton of help from the wonderful woman who designed the original).
This is what the theme looked like at first...

... I put the theme's images in photoshop and altered them to look how I have them now...

Little did I know some of the changes I made were going to be too much for me. I left on comment on Trish's blog regarding the problems I was having and she was more than willing to help... I thought - praise God because the reason I was changing my theme was to get me interested in my blog again, but I was not interested in the problems I was having with it! Yes, this made me not want to post for a while also...
So I hid over at...

• 5 minutes 4 mom (who also has a new look by the way) posting my tackles as their resident tackler
  • I tackled my fridge, my hallway closet, parts of my garage, the donation of my car, the hatred of my house, my dishes, and my laundry!!!
• Yahoo messenger chatting with my Pastor's wife who has been trying to encourage me when I don't run from her :o(... I even made my very first avatar...

• the Haute Artist Gallery where I will soon be featured as one of their Design Team Members!!! Their kits are not out yet, but they did announce their August Debut! Keep an eye out, and don't worry, you can be sure I will be sharing more on them in the future.
  
• Here is one of the layouts I shared just recently... it matches the sketch I shared a while back. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out, especially since (yes) I actually journaled on it already!
• Journaling reads: (Top Left) Jesus says He will never leave us nor forsake us and I praise Him for that truth. I thank Him for seeing you when we could not! When you snuck out of the house and ran into the street He saw you! He saved you by having the car stop in front of you. He loves you beyond comprehension my boy and we do too! (Mid Right) Still living in God's grace... nine days later you choked! Mommy had to give you the baby heimlech maneuver. Another reason to always be ready - loving Jesus with our whole hearts.

• Facebook! - I know - I am not using it to replace my blog in any way, shape or form. But it has definitely been encouraging to find 30+ of my real life friends to chat with in my current slump.

Now did I do anything off my computer you ask... yes, I went to the boardwalk with my woman's ministry friends, I went to a water park with a friend and all our kids, I went to my SIL's house for the 4th of July, to the beach for my birthday, to our church's first park outreach of the summer, and to a crop!!!!
Here's some pics for fun - enjoy!