Starry Cards

My Shining Star stamp set and Stardust paper pack were still sitting out from last Sunday's scrapbook class (more on that in a future post), so I had fun creating these starry cards. The top left card is a gate-fold card, meaning that it opens at the seam between the B&T paper and the Topiary cardstock. I inked up the largest star in Honey ink, then rolled it in Topiary, and finally finished the edges with another roll in Moonstruck. I love how it tuned out. The card on the right is based loosely on the Close To My Heart Originals card sketch called "A Heartfelt Classic." You can tell that I love to tear our papers to reveal their white core! The third card is also loosely based on an Originals sketch called "Sunset." That pattern was created for a 2.5"x3.5" card, but mine is a standrd 5.5"x4.25" card.

BFF Layout (#20)

This layout is going into our "People We Love" album. I hope I captured the special relationship Ansley shares w/her best friend. The top three pictures on the layout were from Isabel's first communion, and they were the only copies I had. This concept of a "People We Love" album comes from Stacy Julian's Library of Memories class and Photo Freedom book. I am so glad these photos won't be "lost" in Ansley's album. Of course she can have them for her album after I'm gone!

She did all her own journaling and truly captured the quirks of their relationship. Talk about night and day! But they are still BFF through thick and thin. The Sweet Leaf tag slides into a pocket behind the far left photo. (That one is such a favorite of mine!)

The sketch for this layout came from Close To My Heart's

Imagine "how-to" book and is called "Memoirs Complete." The great thing about all of these sketches is that you can tweak them to fit your photos. I also incorporated a multitude of distressing techniques to give this gorgeous Life's Delight papers an aged feel. Hopefully that will help to capture the timelessness of the girls' relationship. (The participants at my "Distressing w/o Stress" scrapbook class got to learn these techniques first hand.)

Thanks for "oohing and ahhing" over my sweetie pies! ;)

You say it's your birthday?

It's my birthday too! It has been a wonderful birthday weekend. Last night, my sister cooked a scrumptious dinner for all of us to celebrate my b-day and my parents' return from the warmer climate. After three months, we were all glad to be back together! Amy rocked the house with an incredible Key Lime pie (my absolute fave of all time). This may not be the best picture, but I bet you can tell that we had fun!

After church today, we had lunch out w/my in-laws. What a nice treat! I've spent the afternoon stamping and couldn't resist playing around with my Cupcake Sprinkles stamp set. Now I get to go fold some laundry... Ah, the life of a birthday gal! (I'm afraid I'm too old to be a birthday girl anymore!)

Thanks to everyone for the birthday greetings and well wishes I've received. Thanks for making my special day special.

Cupcakes & More

You have GOT to go check out Jeanette's blog and her incredible birthday cupcakes. Just find her on my blog roll at right, and click. WOWZERS!

Also, I have found a few more spectacular blogs for you to check out:
Mojo Monday
Wizard's Hangout
The Inspiration Institute
Wonderfully Whimsy
Lisa's Creative Corner

Enjoy!

Relay for Life Crop for a Cure 2009

I am very excited to be planning a Crop for a Cure benefit for my church's Relay for Life team and the American Cancer Society! You can read all about it on my other website (haleyd.myctmh.com) on my calendar, but it is going to be so much fun!!!! Ten hours of cropping madness, a few games and contests thrown in, a layout class that I'll be teaching, door prizes, goody bags, fun, fellowship and dinner are just a few things I have up my sleeve- all for a great cause.

Let me know if you'd like more info. I'd love for you to join us on Saturday, April 18, from 1 PM to 11 PM.

Giveaway in Time for Easter!

Go check out one of my new fave blogs for a great giveaway in time for Easter. Yum!
http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Quote of the Week

These daffodils come from my yard to YOU!

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~Marcel Proust

Happy spring! Who are your charming gardeners?

Layouts #18-19: Tallulah Gorge

One great thing about CTMH and the products is that you can create artwork and preserve memories at any skill level. These four layouts use some of our "basic" products that truly let you create a scrapbook page (or four!) faster, simpler, easier.
I used two of the the Emporium Level 1 scrapbook kit. (It includes 4 preprinted layouts, 2 sheets of cardstock, 2 sheets of B&T patterned paper, and 2 sheets of My Stickease adhesive artwork.) I ended up not using the included My Stickease alphabet stickers because I needed way too many "l"s. Instead, I used my Extreme Caps alphabet stamps because I didn't have to worry about running out of letters, plus it has numbers.

The other two pages were created with one of our Photo Storage Pages. These 12"x12" page protectors have six horizontal pockets to hold up to twelve 4"x6" photos. These are especially great when you have a lot of photos you want to preserve. (I have seen some knock-'em-dead art created with these, but mine tend to be pretty simple.) You'll notice that I used several of the pockets for journaling blocks. I had fun mixing up the fonts using my alphabet stamps The Works and Chocolate Alphabet (Large & Small).

Layout #17: Ansley's 9th Birthday

I didn't go the traditional birthday route with this scrapbook layout! With her party's Nancy Drew theme, I had to go with the Confidential stamp set, and since the Unforgettable paper pack matched the photos so well, it was the winning combination.

Do you like how I used a pop dot on the clipboard "clip" to give it some dimension? (I love this trick!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March Word Puzzle stamp set

Stardust paper pack

Topiary, Honey, Moonstruck inks

gold Bigger Brads

LOM

I am currently retaking Stacy Julian's class over at Bigpicturescrapbooking.com called "Library of Memories." It is a phenomenal system of organizing your photos and capturing your memories. She scrapbooks stories, not photos (though she certainly uses her photos in her scrapbooks!), and has created a system that is "guilt free." If you're a scrapper, you're probably wanting to learn more!!! She is big on connections, and with her system you'll make connections you may not have made otherwise.

As an alum, I get to take the class again this year for free. This is a very good thing because I felt like I "flunked out" last year. I just couldn't keep up! It is hard to trust Stacy at times and do what she says, but she really does know what works.

I'd like to share a bit about the class now and then here on my blog. My DH rolls his eyes a bit if I get too long winded about this subject, but you dear readers will read away. (And if you don't I'll really never know! Shhh! It can be your little secret.)

Here is one thing that I took away from last year that is very "do-able" and really will make your life easier (if you take lots of photos). Each year, Stacy sets up four "highlight" folders. Yours could be by quarter, or you can do like me and choose seasons. The rationale is that if you need to find photos of a particular event, you'll probably remember what season you were in. You may have to look through a couple of folders to find the right year, but you're more likely to remember a season instead of a year.

This system is really working for me when I take the time to update it. Another great thing is that when Snapfish, Winkflash, Photoworks, Shutterfly, etc., is having a sale, I can upload one of my highlight folders to print. I've already chosen my best photos! If I absolutely need a few more photos from that event (for lack of a better term) when I do finally scrapbook them, then I can find my original photos and print a few more. (Hopefully this is making sense!)

When I've moved copies of photos into my highlight folders, then the entire original folder gets moved into a master folder for that year. Of course I make back ups of these, and at the end of the year I burn a CD to keep at my desk and a copy for our safe.

I'd love to hear how you archive and store your photos, or any other comments you have about this topic. Thanks!

Easter '08 (Layout #16)

Easter '09 will be here before we know it! I completed this layout of last Easter on our cruise. You can find out all the details if you go to my CTMH website (on the sidebar at right) & click on My Art.

Using vellum for your journaling is a nice way to share your story without hiding the artwork underneath.

6th Picture Challenge

I've been challenged by my friend Debra (from http://debsdisasterarea.blogspot.com/)!

These are the challenge instructions:
•Go to your photo folder in your computer.
•Go to the 6th folder of the photos.
•Go to the sixth picture.
•Put the picture on your blog and a description of it.
•Invite six friends to join the challenge.
•Link them in your blog and let them know they have been challenged!

This is the 6th picture in my 6th photos album....

It's my little "river rat" last summer tubing on the Little Pigeon River that runs through Pigeon Forge (and right behind our campsite). She only enjoyed the first trip or two down the river, and then she'd had ENOUGH. The pool was way more fun. (Her sister did teach her to swim all by herself there!) We had a fun time camping, especially since Grammie & Grumps came along on this trip.

Now, here are the 6 people I'm challening:
Sandy @ Traveling Bells
Chunky Gal @ You Saved What?
Beth @ House #1...

Brian @ Life of Bell

Sable @ Sable, Molly, & Ink

Kimberly @ 3 Happy Kids

Cruise & Crop Christmas Album Class (AKA Layouts # 8-15)

We signed up for 3 classes on our cruise, and the first, for advanced scrappers, was the Christmas mini album.

We started with a black 6"x6" spiral bound album- sorry I can't remember the brand.
We used Basic Grey's Scarlet's Letter 6"x6" paper pad plus a few extra sheets of 6"x6" cardstock.

(Here are the tags that go under the flap.)

We embellished with the Rusty Pickle "Grinch-mas Stamps" stamp set (which we got to keep) and 7 Gypsies Joy/Joie stickers.

We also used various eyelets and some fun metal circles (on the cover), plus various fibers and coordinating fabrics.

(Here are the tags in the pocket along w/a photo I also added to the pocket.)

When I got home, I realized I had already printed my '08 Christmas pictures (yeah!), so in they went. What a great match!

Of course no project of mine would be complete without some Close To My Heart product. Notice the white rub-ons and the White Daisy ink and markers to finish mine off.

(A peek-a-boo album flap, opened)

(This red tag pulls out to reveal a photo underneath.)

All these tags came out of the diagonal pocket. I had to add the clip to hold the tags in the pocket.

Since I already had so many pictures, I made this flap on the inside back cover to showcase two photos instead of just one. I just used scraps from this project!

I couldn't resist slapping this funny picture onto the back cover.
Too bad I smeared my name on the cute sticker, "Created by the Head Elf _____."

I'm quite pleased with how all this came together. (DH thinks it's too busy, but I like it.) It was fun to be the student this time and not the teacher. I definitely learned a thing or two that will crop up again in my future. Hopefully my cohorts won't be bored when they see fabric or dice again!

Butterfly Wings: March '09 Stamp of the Month

From dainty butterflies to fluttering hearts, this stamp set is a charmer with its artistic flourishes, appealing designs, and loving words. (Available 3/1-31/2009)

This set of 9 stamps features two sayings:
"You make my heart flutter."
"Love is like a butterfly. It goes where it pleases and pleases where it goes."

Whenever I see butterflies, I think of my late grandmother. She was a butterfly nut and had them everywhere! She also had an amazingly green thumb, so butterflies seemed to flock to her yard.

I recycled a Crystal Light container into this desk caddy. (You may remember this idea from my Christmas posts.) I used the Unforgettable paper pack and My Stickease, plus Sorbet ribbon. I stamped the butterfly on vellum and then colored her in (on the back) w/the markers to match (Cocoa, Desert Sand, Blush, Sorbet, and Juniper). I used liquid glass w/prisma glitter and some sparkles for the bling.

Here are photos of my swap gals' terrific items. Blogger is not cooperating so I will try to post the rest tomorrow.

Katy's card

Latisha's slider card

(The butterfly moves along the slot!)