Basketball-Camp-Mom & Dad -- New Layouts

Here is a layout I did with some newspaper clippings of Elias' basketball team last year when they were going to sectional

I embossed the stars with a dark blue, the star stamp is a close to my heart stamp, then painted over them. The whole background is painted with blue and yellow and blended some places to make green. Also used olive glimmer mist on the back ground. The 09-10 was cut using my cricut as a tag and I just cut the end off.

The star was cut out with the cricut then painted.

The chains are just punched out of bo Bunny their Basketball printed paper line using my new Ek success chain punch. Was 40% off at Stampin and Scrappin Time a couple weeks ago.

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This was the layout that we did at Crop at Stampin and Scrappin Time 2 weeks ago. The Flower I used some glimmer glam on as well as the chip board letters are painted with glimmer glam a dark blue and a goldish color - sorry i don't know the names of them yet : )

The flowers were stamped with stazon ink in black over the transparent overlay. Then cut the felt leaves I had in half and added them

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This next layout I did of my parents is a page map again out of Imagine (the close to my heart book) and the papers I used are also Close to my heart - notebook. I love these papers they are so vintage and already distressed!

Here I used a tattered angels frame and used some glimmer mist on it. I used a stencil and glimmer mist on the back ground. (viva pink and old lace - love these colors!) The tag is just cut out of patterned paper and card stock then I added a piece of jewelry I had bought to it and the "quotes" only paper is the back of one of the patterned papers then I stamped Love using the vintage photo. Added some braided ribbon I had that was cream and a vintage brown color

used an embossing folder to create texture on this piece of card stock then inked it with vintage photo distress ink (my fav). Added some of the old lace glimmer mist then used some black acrylic paint to stamp the words and ink up the edges some.

Here I used glimmer mist on the irresistible chip board piece, then added the happiness which is my stickease from close to my heart. (which are really nice card stock stickers for those of you not familiar with Close to My Heart products) The happiness is, is also a my stickease. Behind that I attached a piece of card stock inked with vintage photo and glimmer misted then punched with a Martha Stewart boarder punch.

Beaches and Babies

Last weekend we went to Green Lakes State park it is so beautiful here. We typically don't go to the beach because we have our camp but I really just wanted to go to the beach once this summer. So here are some photos from there

Dan sitting on the beach

They have so many beautiful places to walk, here were are down towards the end of the beach and then you get to the trails thru the woods

Here is a photo while we were walking on one of the trails in the woods

This is a pic from this old historic building they they have restored part of it to be use for parties and events

Here 2 trees were pulled right out of the water probably from the ice and snow last winter.

my niece getting ready for her walk in her stroller 2 weekends ago when I was babysitting her

Taking a nap, gotta love those baby from legs : )

Smiling Maggie woke up from her nap

Another nap time

Personal Post - FYI

So I haven't posted anything in a week, time sure does fly. Been kinda emotional for me so sometimes when I get this way I tend to just shut down for lack of too many things going on in my head lol.

Today Elias starts his class at LeMoyne. He is only a senior in High School this year but because he goes to a Catholic School that is affiliated with LeMoyne College, and since he's been in honors classes since he was in 7th grade and has completed the required Senior classes he is able to take a class at LeMoyne, instead of the AP class. He had his choice of what class he wanted to take as long as it was a College Freshman class so he choose calculus. He's really good in math and he is taking AP Physics this year with the teacher he had from last year's regular Physics course. So anyways I've been feeling kinda, sad at the fact that he is actually growing up and I only have him really at home for one more year that I know will just fly by.

I kind of feel like now my life has no real purpose. I know stupid, but it's like for the past 17 years, especially being a single mom, I feel I've spent all this time doing what I had to for Elias. Working sometimes 3 jobs to make ends meet, and running him to practice because there was never a dad there to help out, and now it's like he doesn't need me anymore. So what will I do now with all this extra time, haha I know scrapbook : ). But seriously, I never really thought I'd feel like this and it's really hitting me hard. I mean I was not the mom that cried when he went to his first day of Kindergarten I was excited for him and happy that we were done with daycare's! I didn't get teary eyed when he went to high school because it was just the next step and he was so excited about it.

Saturday he went to orientation at LeMoyne and of course they said that they encourage the kids to go alone not with their parents so he did, and he came back so excited and all these things to tell me, and I was happy and am happy for him. But I'm sad for me, ok so a little self pity we are all allowed once in awhile aren't we? It's just so weird because I really truly never thought that I would have these emotions. Dan and I went to the beach Saturday afternoon and just walking along the sand brought back memories of bringing Elias to the beach, and when we first got our camp, and all those happy memories that he and I have created over the years together. It's a real wake up call that has me feeling a little purposeless in life. I know I will get over it, and I am so very proud of him that he has done well enough to have this opportunity, and is taking full advantage of it.

I've been really inspired lately by Donna Downey's inspiration Wednesday's video and have been watching ones in the past and just her inspiration journal.

I've been taking time and scrapbooking some memories of Elias that I just don't want to forget, with a LOT more journaling that I ever do! I will hopefully post some layouts tonight to share with you.

Thanks for letting me share this post with all of you.

Be back tonight with a much happier post I promise : )

Another cool blog to share

I really like this lady's blog, I just recently found it and it looks like she just started it not that long ago. She has a pretty unique style of giving us ideas to scrapbook with. I took her idea when I started that mini album and pulled out a bunch of things that I wanted to use before I got started. Something I rarely if ever do. I have to say that it inspired me to use things I probably wouldn't have because I had the all pulled out. And really it made my project go all that much faster. Clean up wasn't too bad because I had everything already in a pile. Where as when I usually do a page or project I've got stuff EVERYWHERE and clean up is a chore!

http://lesleylangdontutorials.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoy it!

Mini Book - a few more pics

These little squares I punched out of patterned paper with and old creative memories punch (it has 2 sizes) inked the edges of the bottom one to make it stand out more then layered the smaller one on top and added the little roses. Really simple but cute. The envelope is a Martha Stewart envelop and I just took a card stock sticker and stuck it partially inside to make it look like it was coming out of the env.

More Pages from the mini book

These pages posted sideways sorry about that but I still have no idea how to fix it. I've tried several times rotating the photo and everything and when I post them on here it still turns.

I punched butterflies out of the greenish rose paper with my Martha Stewart butterfly punch then added a scrap of patterened paper behind it to make them stand out.

Added lots of ribbon, flowers and bling to make it really girly and pretty

Used a Martha Stewart boarder punch on the top and bottom of the blue paper.

Here is a side view so you can see the edges of the book, they were already jagged as that is how that packaging comes so I just added the gold embossing powder.

Bo Bunny design team

Thought I would post the new design team members since I love Bo Bunny so much. I didn't make it but check out some of the new teams projects, they are just amazing!! Congrats to all the new designers!

http://bobunny.blogspot.com/2010/08/drumroll-please.html

But I did win some Bo Bunny Goodness::

http://bobunny.blogspot.com/2010/08/another-winning-saturday.html

Thank you Bo Bunny, can't wait to see what I won : ), will let you know when it comes.

And check out these cards I really like them and the flowers they made out of paper way too cool!!
http://bobunny.blogspot.com/2010/08/card-challenge-tuesday.html

Making a trip to We B Scrappin tonight because look at what they have in stock:

http://webscrappin.blogspot.com/
I have been waiting for this product to be in stores for so long I can't wait to get my hands on some! I will have to refrain from buying every single color on my first trip there haha.

Catching up and just a few things to share....

Last Friday's class with Cari Fennell was fabulous, and the girls were all so much fun. One of the ladies made cupcakes and decorated them with picks that had prima flowers and stamped cameras. They were delicious and well as beautiful!! Some of us drank wine - I of course drank coffee, after all it was a class that didn't start till 7pm and if I drank wine I would have been sleeping lol.

So anyways I was so totally inspired by the class that I made my own mini book using the ideas and techniques we learned. I made this for a girl that we do business with who just had a baby. I made it for her to give to her mother in law. Reason being is that she's super close to her and her mom is not around and this is her first grand baby so I know that she would love to give her something like this but you know how it is when you have a baby who has time to scrapbook. So this she can just put the pics on it and it's all done and ready to give : )
I actually used the packaging from the Vines Divine and the letter stickers because the packaging is much larger so you can fit a 3x5 or 4x6 photo on it no problem. This in one of the inside pages. I made it so the book flips up. For those who might not understand what I'm talking about using the packaging, all the Prima products come in or on packaging that can be reused. They are like a thicker card stock type piece of paper so we put 2 back to back to make it thicker and more sturdy. So to make 3 pages (6 front and back) you need 6 pieces of packaging. Embossed the edges in gold (thanks Cari I love that technique) to make it more like a finished book or one of those old books with the gold leaving on the edges. Makes the packaging look less like packaging.

here are 2 pages together

This here is the front cover but still left room for a picture. I used lace to tie it together and the crop a dile to punch the holes. Will share more pics tonight I have more to upload.

Babysitting Saturday

So excited, Saturday, I get to watch my niece's baby, Pictured here, Maggie. Just adore this little girl. She is 4 months old now (was 3 in this pic) wow time goes by so fast. I get her for the whole day : )

Handmade Flowers

Okay so for several days I've been trying to do a post on these flowers that I've made but for some reason every time I try to post the link to the blog where I found them, I'd go back and the link was gone. So one more attempt here, because you have to see this talented lady's blog her tutorial is AMAZING http://byondbzr.blogspot.com/2010/07/ruffled-romance-flower-tutorial.html

hoping and praying that you can all see the link and that you'll take a minute to pop over there and check out the blog and tutorial. She has some other amazing tutorials as well, and I'd like to thank her for sharing them with all of us!

So I made these flowers and I think they turned our pretty cute. I haven't used them yet but hey I can hoard things for awhile before I use them haha. I need to go get some more fabric as I really don't have a lot but need to get some pretty stuff to make some flowers from. They are so easy and cheap to make, cause you can use scraps of fabric.

Exciting News........

I have a couple exciting things to share with you. First Cari Fennell, one of the Fab designers for Prima is doing a live class this Friday evening and I got invited. Can you believe it???? Me they invited me. Okay so I've been a little overly excited since I got the invite on Tuesday. I have been telling everyone around me (which pretty much consists of men because I work for a heating and air conditioning company and they don't get it but I don't care) I got invited to CARI's CLASS WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO. Okay thanks for letting me get that out of my system : ).

here is a link to Cari's blog so you can check out her awesome work: http://meandmymaryjanes.blogspot.com/

and now for the 2nd bit of Big News:

Donna Downey is coming to teach a bunch of classes at STAMPIN AND SCRAPPIN TIME in September.

Here is the link to S & S's blog where you can find all the info on the classes she will be teaching. They are all so wonderful so hard to choose!!
http://stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/

Page Maps & new layout

Page maps are all the rage these days and seems like everyone is using them and creating them.
Here is a book that I use many times that is filled with "page maps". This book comes from close to my heart and can be used even if you are a brand new scrapper that's why it's so great. It gives you step by step instructions on how to create the layout right down to the measurements. But the other great thing about it, is that you can also modify or change it how ever you want but it gives you that "page map" starting point. Where you take it from there is up to you. You can purchase this book online here: http://karenbarber.myctmh.com/
Karen Barber also does workshops and scrapbook groups for anyone interested just contact her, she's really totally awesome and so patient with new scrappers : )

This is the page map I chose to use. (I know it has pugs on it how appropriate lol)

here is part of the adjoining page just to give you and idea of how the book works

and here is my layout using that page map, I did change things a little to fit the pictures I wanted to use.

Close ups

These pictures are of Elias at the first daycare he went to called Busy B's. They grow so darn fast, I miss being able to just hold and snuggle that little boy. : )

Here I cut a tag with a nestibilities die inked the edges with my vintage photo distress ink. Took a script stamp I had and stamped that on the tag with the vintage photo, added some velum cutouts I had, punched some flowers out of the extra paper pieces, added some glitter, and stickles, and a ribbon

this was a set of letters I had from and older close to my heart set (not sure which one it came from) the blue wasn't quite the right color so I distressed the letters with my vintage photo then used a black pen to write over the letters to make them stand out

another tag and below I took a flower stamp I had embossed it with this "queens" gold that I got at the expo, its a really nice gold then punched it out, added another punched flower on top with a pop dot, added the green circle, this comes from the die cut paper I used from pink paisley I just cut out one of the circles to use as the center of my flower.