MYLIFEMYPUGSMYSCRAPBOOK

Lots of Pics - And a big thank you to all who donated to Pugapalooza 5

2011-10-25T10:38:00.001-04:00

So I have been MIA for most of the summer and now most of the fall. I thought that once Elias went to college I was suppose to have more time ha, fat chance of that. Below is a pic from this summer of Budha laying in the grass enjoying the sunshine by our patio.

Here is a pic in our back yard of a deer - we live in a very very residential area and the woods behind my house is very shallow so for us to have a deer in it was pretty cool!

And we also have baby turkeys, not sure if you are able to see them back in the clearing, the larger one up front is the mama - she's pretty small as well and only had 2 babies, then there was another larger mama with 4 babies not in this pic. Whenever I see them I go out and throw them some bread, makes the pugs made they want whatever I'm giving the turkeys lol

Here is a pic of my new love, pumpkin spice latte. Maxwell house has some that you can make at home, so yummy, love this in the fall!

Made some fall cupcakes awhile ago. Last night I made an apple pie, but no pics. I was lucky to get it done and out of the oven by 10pm before I went to bed :)

And because I'm still blog challenged here is a pic of the coffee mix that I made the pumpkin spice latte with in the above pic. They sell it at Target, I couldn't find it at Wegmans, I'm sure there must be other stores out that that have it though.

A paper flower I made from 2 different flower punches. I had downloaded a bunch of pics of things I made etc and of course we got a new computer and I lost a bunch of my pics I had saved stupid me for not backing up ugh so pics of how I made this, sorry!

Did up Halloween care packages for Elias and his girlfriend who are both away at college last week and sent them to them. I Enclosed a Halloween card for each of them. Andrea's was the little purse below, inside the paper had skulls and was pretty cute. Sent Elias a little pumpkin, a little skull I found that blinks on and off. Along with some fresh apple and a variety of teas, you wouldn't think that most kids including his roommates would find what I sent appealing, but they were all hovered around he said saying "your mom sends you the coolest stuff" , made my day!!! :)

Here is a pic of the fountain at Suny Albany when I took Elias over the summer for orientation.

Here is a pic of Elias with the SUNY Albany Mascot - the great dane - This was at orientation in July

And last but not least the Graduates. Seems like so long ago now!

Well I'm headed off for a weekend crop in MA this Thursday, Pugapalooza a fundraiser for the pug rescue of New England. Going to be a blast can't wait to see all my MA peeps!!! I wanted to give a quick shout out to all my friends who donated some scrapbooking goodies for our raffles: Karen Barber, CTMH Consultant, Kathy Greenia - Stampin and Scrappin Time in Bridgeport, NY, and Kathy Coogan - We B Scrappin. Thanks so much ladies, you are all a huge help in raising money for PRoNE and helping all those puggies that are in need! I can't express my gratitude enough!!!

An Amazing Give Away ....check this out

2011-07-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

Here is an amazing blog that I foung thru the Bo Bunny site. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my Bo Bunny! Gabrielle is having this amazing give away and all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog.
I'm totally addicted once you see her work it's like I just wish I could watch her create a layout.
http://gabriellepollacco.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-favourite-embellies-give-away.html

Going to try to get some layouts photographed and posted soon :)

So much to catch up on

2011-06-22T07:40:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, I know it's been so long since I posted. I've got so much to share and so little time to do it. Below is a layout that I did for our Friday morning crop at Stampin and Scrappin Time. Kathy let me teach and this is the page I taught. It was a lot of fun to be up there helping others, but a lot of work too, I give all you teaches out there lots of kudos for all the work you do. Esp. Kathy from Stampin and Scrappin Time she creates a unique layout for us each week!!!

The flowers are made out of patterned paper and flower punches in different sizes. I just punched them spritzed them with a little water and then crumpled them up. After uncrumpling them I took some ink pads that would match the paper the flowers were punched out of and ran the ink pad over them to make the creases stand out. The stems were just made out of green patterned paper that I distressed and inked the edges and kinda just rolled them in to give them dimension. The leaves were stamped with a hero arts leave stamp on to some pages out of a book with green ink and then I cut them out and kinda crumpled them up as I glued them on. The background was made with lemon glimmer mist and lily pad glimmer mist. Then inked the edges with my pool paint dauber. The journal block is Prima and the "Enjoy" tag is the back of a tim holtz tag that I stamped with the word enjoy. Captured Memories is from a Close to My Heart Stamp set that was a special they had a few years ago. The pic is of my oldest sister and I last summer at a family party.

Here is a pic of my baby who isn't so much a baby any more, here he was at just one year old.

And here he is in one of his senior pics, so grown up, I can't believe it. Time just goes so fast!

This was his senior ball with his Girlfriend and his 2 closest friends since elementary school. Elias is on the end in black and gold. He had decided to grow his hair out from January so that he could get braids for Prom.

Here is a pic of Elias and Andrea. As crazy as I am I volunteered to host an after the ball party up to our camp for him and 30 of his friends. I know CRAZY, but I have to say that they were all very well behaved I had no problems and Elias did an amazing job of cleaning up after. Needless to say I didn't get to bed that night until like 3AM but it was worth it because I knew where he was and him and his friends were where I could keep them all safe!

Graduation Pics to come next....:)

Vintage Give Away - You've got to check this out

2011-04-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

http://rustyroostervintage.blogspot.com/2011/04/giveaway-time.html Click on the link above in order to enter to win all the goodies you see in this pic. And you just need to check out her blog if you love vintage soooooo fun!

Hand Died Crinkle Seam Binding

2011-02-16T08:32:00.000-05:00

I followed a couple links on Janes blog which she has some awesome projects and cards on here:
http://anythingbutplainjane.blogspot.com/ and I came across this site which has an awesome video tutorial for hand died crinkle binding. Which is something I've been wanting to learn how to do and here is the link below I thought I'd share it with all of you it's pretty cool : )

http://tammytutterow.typepad.com/tammy_tutterow/video-tutorials.html#tp

Hello out there

2010-12-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

Wow I think this is the longest I've gone since I started my blog without posting. The days have just been whizzing by.

I want to start off by first going backwards in time and posting what I should have posted at Thanksgiving time.

I want to post about the many things that I am truly thankful for (may be a long post but I'll try to cut out the blah blah blah : ).

I am very thankful for my family of course but I do have to elaborate on this is bit....Last January my Dad who is 76 ended up back in the hospital for almost a month and had to have open heart surgery again. This happened to him back about 6 yrs ago prior to this where he ended up having quadruple bypass surgery. Well one morning I was getting ready to leave for work and my cell phone rang the name that came up on my phone was my oldest brother Carl, Jr. now mind you this is like 7am. Upon answering the phone my brother proceeded to tell me that my dad has gone into heart failure over night and that he didn't really know much because he had just gotten the call from our mom and he was on his way to the hospital. I hung up the phone thought I could compose myself since my son was right there. Dan asked me what was going on and I burst out crying. I just couldn't believe that this was happening as literally 2 nights before they sat beside me at Elias' basketball game and he looked fine. It was a long 3 1/2 weeks of running back and forth to the hospital, picking my mom up and bringing her, then going back to bring her home although I had 2 brothers that did help with this as well. Anyways this was not meant to be a sad story but a thankful one. My dad made it thru this and he is with us today although he can't do as much as he used to he is alive and well and living life and I am so Thankful that he was here with us this Thanksgiving and all year thru!

I am thankful for Dan my better half who has been there for me thru thick and thin for the past 11 years. He has been the one for me to lean on, to hold me to, tell me that he loves me when I'm down. He is an amazing person always putting me first and I really don't know what I'd in lfe without him he's just an amazing person and I am so lucky and blessed that he's in my life!!

I am thankful for my son Elias, who even though he can drive me crazy at times as most teenagers can, he has a kind and tender heart, he is a very giving and loving person. He is a hard worker and would do anything for the people he cares about (family and friends) and I'm very proud to be his mom and Proud of the person that he has become. I am truly thankful that God gave me him as my son.

I am thankful for my friends around me who always listen to me when I need them and are there for me, for my pugs who bring me so much joy each day and love me unconditionally (even when I make them go pee outside when it's snowing)

I am thankful for the roof over my head, the food that I have, the air that I breathe, the happiness that I'm allowed and the amazing people I have met thru scrapbooking. To all of you out there who take the time to read what I post, to comment and to follow my little blog I am thankful for all of you and feel very blessed to have all of you a part of my life!!!!

Finally a new post - A Tag & Canvas

2010-11-17T19:56:00.000-05:00

Wow I feel like I've been gone from my blog for so long. Once I got back from the Pug Rescue Crop everything just kinda hit. But I think I've caught up a little personally and I've got so many projects to share but need to get them photographed.

Here is a tag I made, I used a Tattered Angels tag, used the shell mask, put it on the edge and sprayed around it with some glimmer mist Electric Blue, then used Viva pink and added some to the edge which it turned purple kinda cool I like how the color fades out. Then I added over that at the top some of the pink (I forget the name) glimmer glam. I embossed in a silver the key stamp and the postage stamp. I outlined with a black pen around the key. Stamped in black stazon over the stamp and the "From the heart". I ripped a piece from a book and stamped messages on it in black, distressed the edges some and then glued it so that it was wrinkled and popped up some. Added the glimmer glass butter fly and then over it punched 2 butterflies used a pop dot in between then then added them to the tag. Punched a couple other butterflies the tiny ones and added them to the card.

Here I did a canvas of Elias' Prom picture. I used slate and candy cane glimmer mists. I used the swirl screens to create the background. Added a little black soot distress ink to the edges of the canvas. Took a piece of cardstock and embossed the edges with silver embossing powder and mounted my photo on that. Added the Prima black diamonds around the edges. Wrote with white gel pen Prom 2010 down the side. The little frame at the top is a Close to my Heart frame and I added a cardstock saying I had to that. Added the cardstock title pure happiness, and at the bottom stuck a little tag out from under the photo.

Give Away on Donna Downy's Blog - Simply Me

2010-11-16T08:48:00.000-05:00

Check out all this great stuff!

http://donnadowney.typepad.com/simply_me/2010/11/sponsor-spotlight-giveaway-helmar.html

above is the link to the giveaway and all you have to do is post a comment and check the like button on the Helmar Facebook page sooooo easy!

Blog to share and Getting ready for my final crop of the year

2010-11-01T07:54:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, this past month has been so super busy for me with crops, and getting Elias ready for college you name it, it's happened.

I was lucky enough 2 weekends ago to spend the day with my niece's baby Maggie. The one on the previous layout. She is now 6months old and just full of energy. Not crawling yet but will be any day now for sure. She is such a happy little girl, my niece a single mom (with no dad in the picture has done an amazing job with her!) you can totally tell that this little girl is spark in her step. She was so funny trying to grab the pugs as they would come near her not knowing really what to do with them, haha wait till next time when she can actually "go after them" lol that will be a site.

This past Saturday Elias and I made a trip to Suny Albany for a college visit. We got a nice campus tour and some more info on the program he's thinking about going into. He wants to do some type of Engineering but he's just not 100% sure yet and if not that something to do with math or physics. The campus was really nice, and their rooms were as well so much nicer than even when I went to college, but I think the Suny schools really have a lot nicer stuff anyways I went to LeMoyne and the rooms were tiny lol.

So I spent the rest of the weekend finishing up make and takes for the crop coming up and putting together some more raffle prizes. I'm hoping to completely finish tonight, and finish packing all my stuff by Tuesday night so all that will be left to do is pack my clothes and stuff. Plus I will have to get all the dogs food ready before I go because I feed raw and Dan will not cut up raw meat (lol) .

So I wanted to share a blog I've shared before but I just love her stuff "Rebecca" check out these flowers then go to the previous post to see how she used them on a layout. I guess I just really like these cause they are so rustic looking http://byondbzr.blogspot.com/2010/10/canvas-and-hemp-cord-flower-tutorialand.html and if you have time you have to go to even the post before that her daughter is dressed up for Halloween and I just think that this photo of her is just amazing, to me she reminds me of one of the Models (a very young one : ) on America's next top model, you know how they dress them up in different costumes sometimes and then do a photo shoot, I mean you gotta just see this photo and her eyes in this it's really awesome! here is the link http://byondbzr.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-delightfully-scary-vampiress.html

If I'm lucky and get everything done as planned I'm trying to take off Thursday as kinda a rest up day before the long 5 1/2 hour trip on Friday morning. We are planning to leave at 6am so that we can be there by noon, I typically try to get there early to help set up if I can. Then will have lunch with my friend Jeanne who I haven't see since last year. So was to work at 6am today so that I can get enough done this week to take off Thursday, if that happens I may get a chance to post before I leave for my trip.

Have a great day everyone and Scrap Like No One is Watching : )

Thank you to Stampin & Scrappin Time & Canvas Layout

2010-10-29T07:59:00.000-04:00

So I haven't blogged in over a week. I've had 2 whole weeks of nothing but computer problems at work. And Elias has been tying up the home computer in the evenings doing homework and I've worked several evenings trying to catch up at work when my computer has been working there. So here I am Friday trying to play catch up again : ).

First I want to send out a big thank you to Stampin and Scrappin Time and Kathy for giving a generous donation for our crop next weekend to Benefit the Pug Rescue of New England. You guys are wonderful and always so giving. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

Below is a canvas I did of my niece, it is a picture of her when she was sleeping one day when I was watching her.
I used a script stamp that I have is a big wood stamp and painted gesso on it and continued to stamp the background until it was completely covered. Once it was dry, I took crushed shells glimmer mist and sprayed in the center and used I think it was riptide GM on the edges. I also used some acrylic paint on the edges and sprayed with water to make it bleed. Then I painted one of the Donna Downey foam stamps with my acrylic paints and stamped it twice in the center. I then went back with some white gesso and a very fine tip brush and added some white dots to the center of the flowers. The lace was white and I sprayed it with riptide glimmer mist blotted it, dried it then attached it to the page with fabric tac.

The flower was a canvas flower from making memories that I've had, it had a script writing in black on it already, I added my acrylic paint to it and then sprayed water to make it bleed then added some extra paint to the edges to make them darker and then dried it with my heat gun. The tag I used the same foam flower stamp and stamped it in white gesso on the tag dried it then sprayed the center with crushed shells and added some magenta acrylic paint to the edges and sprayed with water to make it bleed and blend.

Here you can see the flower a lot better I added some Prima Pearls to the center. Kinda funny story about these pearls, they were the very first set I ever bought of Prima, I think I got them 2 or 3 years ago it was at a crop that I went to and they had them for sale. Still had some left and they matched perfect : )

Picture Heavy Post - So much to share

2010-10-20T17:24:00.000-04:00

The first project I have to share here is a fall wreath that I made. I just bought the plain grapevine wreath at Michael's and decorated it up.

I sprayed the raffia with glimmer mist and added a little glimmer glaze to add some extra shine and color to it.

Here you see I added an Owl glimmer glass piece, the flowers were all sprayed with glimmer mist various colors, mustard seed , olive vine, lemon yellow, suede, walnut) Then I added some buttons and some bling to the centers after layering them. The flowers are all Prima

Here is the finished product that I now have hanging on my front door.

This layout here I created a simple layout from my Reflections book to have as a make and take at the Pug Rescue Crop

These leaves I made out of an old piece of file folder and used my decorative scissors to cut them into holly shapes. Then used my CTMH stamp pads and inked them on my craft sheet I used 2 different greens (sorry I forget the names, I will have to go look then I will come back and edit this) spritzed the craft sheet where I put the ink and ran the leaves thru the ink dried them and continued to do this until I got the look and color I wanted then crinkled them a little to make them look a little more real. The flower I sponged with ink then used the champagne glimmer glam and painted it on to give it some sparkle and shine. The top flower I layered on and just added some gold glitter glue pretty heavily painted on so it would stand out added a red gemstone to the center (also CTMH)

This flower I sponged with the tulip ink and then spritzed it with some water that has my pearl, perfect pearls in it to add some shimmer. Added this awesome button that Karen had got for me and added 2 tulip brads to the center of the button.

I just wanted to share a pic of the pugs cause I thought they were all so cute. Here they are all laying in front of the fireplace.

Then I wanted to share one of my new favorite scrapbooking products. This is one of the Tim Holtz dies. The tattered flowers, they are sooooooo cool!

Here are a few pics of them just by themselves, here I cut some jean material and some canvas

Here's just a few of them layered together, and of course the possibilities are endless of what you could use, printed material, cardstock, patterned paper, a page from a book or dictionary.

Of course you could paint, glimmer mist or glimmer glam, glimmer glaze on the canvas.

I like how this one looks layered with just the Jean ones.

It has been so chilly lately I've been using my crock pot almost every night. There is nothing like coming home from work and having dinner all cooked for you, I love it! Here is some chicken stew I made, I put it over rice yummy!

And Last but not least here is Dan feeding Callie. Some of you may or may not remember back this summer when I went to Danielle's baby shower (she is one of Dan's son, Danny, Aides) Well since she has been back to work which is only one day a week right now I've been watching Callie every Thursday night. I just adore this little girl and here I had Dan feeding her, he was loving it : )

The pugs are even getting used to her crying a little at first they would just bark and bark but now they know she's just fussing a little and that it's alright. Not that I let her cry she's in my arms almost the entire night I watch her lol. I can't help myself she is just such a blessing to have around. I these pics I think she is 9 weeks old. She is 11wks old now.

I have more projects to post from my last crop but lost the daylight to get pics of them will work on it some this Friday when I have it off. Off to have some pizza tonight and watch Criminal Minds later while I snuggle with the pugs and Dan. Enjoy the evening and create something that makes YOU happy : ).

Pug Rescue Donations & Jennifer McGuire Ink Videos

2010-10-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, I wanted to start off by saying I had a fabulous time at the scrapbooking retreat I went to just lots of laughs and the first night we had some Pumking Beer (yummy) and lots of scrappin and fun!

Now my next scrapbooking get away is coming fast the first weekend in November and is a benefit for the Pug Rescue of New England http://pugrescueofnewengland.org/

If anyone is interested in attending there is still spaces available and we'd love to have you join us here you can find all the info http://mylifemypugsmyscrapbook.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekend-crop-to-benefit-pug-rescue.html

Now on to my next request. If anyone out there has any scrapbooking items that they won't use and you'd be willing to donate them to a good cause we are looking for donations of any size to put together raffles. Each year our raffles are one of our hugest money makers at this event. This rescue is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and if you choose to donate something just let me know it's value and you will get a letter emailed to you for a tax deduction. If shipping costs are an issue please let me know and I'd be more than willing to pay for the shipping for anyone that is not local. We need all the help we can get and any donated item no matter the size/cost is greatly appreciated and welcome. Please consider putting your unused items that you think you won't use to help the pugs in need : ). I will need to receive any items by the 27th if possible in order to have time to make up the raffle packages (as the last weekend of this month I'm taking my son on a college visit so will be busy that weekend)

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

**************************************************************************************

Now on to some scrapbooking. I don't know if any of you follow Jennifer McGuire's blog but she makes some fabulous cards and although I'm not a card maker I love some of her techniques. Well she's teaching some online classes for 2peas in a bucket and has some great videos with some awesome techniques that you might want to check out:

here is week 2 : http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/my-entry.html

and here is week 1: http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/10/holiday-thinking-inking-has-begun-week-1.html

Wonderful techniques using distress inks love it!!

Prima's Jack and Jill Line

2010-10-08T08:35:00.000-04:00

This was a layout that I did at the last crop I went to using Prima's new Jack and Jill line. This line is really sooo cute and really could be used for baby or for any layout that you wanted to do of someone you love.

This first page I used the cricut to cut the letters and did a shadow behind them in black to make them stand out because after I selected the paper and cut my letters I realized everything just blended in too much. This is really time consuming and 1/2 way thru I wished I'd picked a shorter quote haha but I was committed at that point. You can't really see it but I cut some off shaped circles out of the cricut as well again I must have been tired because I really selected papers that blended a little too much. In the bottom I journaled on one of the note cards from the jack and Jill line, these area all really super cute and really not that pricey for what you get and they can be used on cards or as frame for a picture or a journal spot like I choose. I cut a strip from one of their patterned papers to use as a border across the page.

And yes I have long hair here (um remember Elias is 17 now lol) this pic was taken when he was 6weeks old, I was at my parents for the first time as I was maid of honor in my cousin's wedding.

Here is the second page to the layout. I used the left over circle I had on the inside and the butterfly paper is the negative of the paper that I cut the circles out of. I cut several strips at different lengths of their border paper sheet and lined them up across the sheet. I faux stitched around the circle to try to make it stand out more and break it up a bit. I did in the first page too but for some reason forgot to take a close up of it.

Here you can see the little doggies on the border, they are so darn cute! If only they were pugs : ). This is Elias the same weekend at my parents on my old bed sleeping (he was born in June so it was July and really hot, you can see that full head of hair is a lil sweaty hee hee. A little side story, that afghan that is in the picture to the left the pink blue and white. Was made by my Grandma Cornish for me before I was born. Well she really wasn't my grandma but she was our neighbor across the street forever and we called her grandma. A super sweet old lady and I just adored this blanket it had little bows of each color tied in each square just a sweet memory for me as I really adored her and slept with this blanket every night. When I got older I would go over and just "hang" out with her and talk and watch tv, sometimes we'd play cards or do one of those huge puzzles. She always let me have soda and popcorn no matter how close it was to dinner (shhhh don't tell my mom!). I would stop and get her mail everyday after I got home from school and chit chat with her for a bit before I headed back home. I still have that blanket it's in my hope chest : )

The piece of paper with the flowers on it, I used one of the Bo Bunny journal book sheets and traced it on this paper then cut it out then faux stitched around it.

Here you can see all the borders that I layered.

Well I'm off to my scrapbooking weekend, got everything packed and ready got Karen's surprise goodie bag with scrapbook challenges inside all ready to go (I always make her a goodie bag of some things to use and have when we go to a crop) my idea kinda stems from when I was in cross country. We would draw names and everyone would have someone that they had to make a "get psyched" bag and we would put all sorts of goodies and little trinkets in it every weekend when we had an away meet. So I do the same kinda thing with scrapbooking goodies and snacks and a list of scrapbook challenges for the weekend kinda just gets you thinking outside of the box and also just fun : ). So off to pack the car and gas up the pug mobile before we head out this afternoon. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Another Scrapbook Weekend

2010-10-05T09:16:00.000-04:00

Well last night I finished packing up all my scrapbook stuff to head out for yet another scrapbook weekend with Karen. This time we are headed to White Eagle for a retreat put on by We B Scrappin http://www.webscrappin.blogspot.com/ . I CAN'T wait! I'm hoping I didn't over pack because now that I've ventured into iron ons, and paints and of course I have a whole stash of Glimmer Mists, Glimmer glam and Glimmer glaze (which by the way We B had a bunch of new colors in when I was there the other day hee hee) and fabric and canvas it makes for lots of extras to pack. Gotta make sure I have a little room for clothes and my toothbrush right : ). So hoping I can post one more project this week before I leave, maybe tonight if Elias doesn't have too much computer home work. I do have my laptop but I really prefer to use the regular computer when I'm uploading photos and stuff just seems easier to me. Have a great day everyone and take time to be creative!!!!

Some old pictures

2010-10-04T10:09:00.000-04:00

I was looking thru the pics on my camera phone and found these. These were pics I took from last Valentine's Day. (I know I still have a fall table cloth on shhhh hee hee)

Dan always buys me a dozen of the biggest chocolate covered strawberries I've ever seen every year. This tradition started after our first Valentine's day together. He bought me a dozen roses and although they were very beautiful I kinda felt like - where's the thought in that. Don't get me wrong I did not make him feel like he didn't get me something nice it's just the next year, I said you know I would really like it if you did something besides flowers. I mean flowers are nice but I'd like something different something special that isn't usual. Then he of course (not being all that creative haha) said well like what well what came out of my mouth was "how about a dozen chocolate covered strawberries" not thinking that each year it'd be a tradition from then on. So for several years after he was in search the "best" chocolate covered strawberries he could find. He found this Older Italian guy (Dan is Italian too) where he now gets them and he won't tell me who he is or where he gets them. So they are very very special to me each year and let me tell you are they are as good as they look!!! yummy!

Friday when I was on the computer, I looked over to find Pebbles laying like this in the cozy cave bed, haha what a goof!

Eerie Sky

2010-10-03T18:55:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night our area was suppose to be getting a storm over night that was to bring 2-4 inches of rain fall by the end of the next day and there was a flood warning for most surrounding areas. At about 7pm the sky all of a sudden brightened up. And I just had to take a few pics of it. It was really very pretty but eerie at the same time.

This pic almost looks like someone glimmer misted the sky lol

Glimmer mist and glimmer glam

2010-09-29T19:12:00.000-04:00

Here is a layout I did using lots of glimmer mist and glimmer glam. It turned out so girly just like my baby Niece Maggie

Here I used the glimmer mists masks and used the deep plum glimmer mist and sprayed over them. I stamped the numbers at the top and the bottom it's a Tim holtz stamp and I used antique linen distress ink. The butterfly that I sprayed up at the top I let dry then added some glue and some glitter glass that will antique as it ages around the butterfly. Used my thicker glitter letters to put Maggie's name on the page.

These were raw canvas butterflies that I colored the pink one I used lipstick pink glimmer glam and painted it on, sprayed it with water to make it spread throughout the butterfly. The purple one was sprayed with deep plum glimmer mist then after it dried I used the royal velvet glimmer glam around the edges to add more glimmer to it. I added the Prima pearls to the butterflies after gluing them together and then added the Prima swirls

Here are some punched out butterflies I did on raw canvas then put some lipstick pink glimmer glam on them and sprayed them with water to lighten them just a little. Then added some more Prima swirls.

Just a quick Hello

2010-09-28T13:21:00.000-04:00

Well I decided to re-arrange my scrapbook room / area last night at like 7:30pm. Dan decided to go back to work for awhile (big surprise there lol) so I went down to work on some projects that I've been doing. I've got like 3 or 4 different ones going on but have kinda hit like a road block. I think mostly because I haven't had the time to really work on things when the mood strikes me, and then when I have time I'm too tired.

So after sitting at my craft table for like 5 min and just being frustrated with too many random thoughts going thru my head. I decided that my craft area just wasn't working well the way I have it set up. I have 2 tables and instead of having them together to make a larger work space I have one in one area and one in another. So last night I decided to put them in the shape of an L that would make it more convenient for me when I'm working. I also decided to clean up my shelves and just do an over all reorganization of things. Plus one of my tables is just filled with stuff in bags, things I've recently bought or that people have given me or have had out for some reason and everything just needed to be put away. Well that I have not completely finish tackling - haha there are a lot of bags yeah I'm a compulsive scrapbook shopper I know. but shhhhh don't tell anyone!!

So then this morning, of course because I have to get up and go to work, I get this Awesome idea and all I want to do is get working on it. I went down to my craft area before I went to work and started on a little of it and then just popped home at lunch to let the pugs out and did a little more. I'm definitely going straight home from work and working on it while I've got the energy and the inspiration is still fresh.

I'm hoping that I will get to finish it tonight and still have time to share some pics of some projects I've still yet to share.

Oh so I just rambled on and forgot my whole point of this post. haha. Oh yeah....I love to organize my stash because I always find something I've forgotten about or didn't know I even still had. I found this set of my stickease (which are cardstock stickers) from close to my heart and they have rulers on them and some jean pockets just really neat stuff. And then I came across some word stickers I had that look very vintage and I know these are old because they were from back in the day when Scrapbook Creations was in North Syracuse and this was back when I first started scrapbooking. So I left them out in hopes that I will find a use for them as I really do still like them and what do you know I've held on to them so long that they've come back in style lol.

6 X12 Canvas Layout

2010-09-26T18:51:00.000-04:00

After taking the class with Donna Downey, I decided to purchase a 6 x 12 canvas scrapbook from Stampin and Scrappin Time. Since I don't really do a lot of layouts of Dan or Dan and myself, I thought it would be nice to have just an album of the 2 of us. This page here is my first page that I made for the album. Dan and I have been together for 11 years now, and he has been just an amazing person in my life. He seems to always be there to pick me up when I need it. We laugh together we, could talk for hours on end even though we are together every night and work together as well. He is my best friend and I really don't know how I ever got thru life with out him. I am so lucky to have found my sole mate in this life and I just adore him more everyday.
So this first page is a page of what Dan is to me. I am always telling him that he's my rock. I took a Donna Downey foam tree stamp, used my acrylic paints and applied paint to the stamp, then stamped it on the canvas page. I applied some more acrylic paint to the edges and sprayed it with a water bottle and let it drip down then also drip from the sides.

I bought some canvas at the fabric store and made these flowers. I cut a strip of canvas (and I did not make it straight just free hand cut it) added paint and some glimmer mist to the strip, sprayed it with a water bottle to make it bleed causing it to have darker and lighter areas. Dried it with my heat gun the twisted it up and coiled it around to form a flower. Added a Prima flower center and took another Donna Downey foam stamp that was a flower painted on some acrylic paint just on the stem and stamped it below the flower head. Repeated this with each flower. Then just took a paint brush and painted in some leaves.

The letters are Prima chip board letters and after adding them I felt the didn't stand out quite enough so I used a black pen and just traced around them. I have this quote book and I just cut out the quote that I liked, Inked the edges with frayed burlap and then glued it on to the page.

One more Pic - drippage

2010-09-24T10:56:00.000-04:00

Donna Downey is famous for her word drippage (made up word) anyways I forgot this on my last post and wanted to show you a close up of it. This was the last step believe it or not. We lightly put acrylic paint on the very edges of the canvas then sprayed it with water so it would soak into the canvas edges. I choose to let it drip some from the top. then we heat dried it and we were done. Now I just need to get a frame for it as I'm going to hang this one on the wall.

I have a few more things to share but I this is my only day off and I want to get to the art store and a few other errands I need to run. So will try to post the rest before the end of the weekend.

Donna Downey - Layout

2010-09-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

So here I snapped a shot of Donna while she was teaching us, she said we could take pics of whatever we wanted : )

Here is the Layout she taught us. The background is canvas with book text printed on it. We started by stamping the flowers on it using acrylic ink and a foam brush to put it on the foam stamp. Everyone else did there with the blue in the center, but I had to be different lol. Once we dried the flowers we took our iron ons and did the flowers first (the blue with the white dots and the inspire are all iron ons)

Then we created our flower, it was a printed canvas flower so we turned it over and inked the edges on opposite side, sprayed it with water and the the color bleed into the flower. Dried it added the center, glued it to our page, added the flower and pearl swirls (both Prima) then we added our photos. I choose to do a sepia copy of the photo of my oldest sister and myself. Since we were using the title inspire. And most people brought photos of themselves with things that they do that inspires them artistically but what came to mind for me is how my oldest sister inspires me. She has been an amazing role model for me growing up and although she probably doesn't know it she was always like a second mom to me. Sometimes when I'm sad or things go wrong all I wish is that she was here to talk to and to hug me. She lives in Cape Cod and so I typically only see her on holidays. She is the superintendent of schools in her area and I'm always so proud of all she's accomplished. She is married to the most wonderful man, who I've been around since I was 1 year old so to me his is as much my brother as my blood brothers are, and I love him dearly. So anyways I took the word inspire to mean someone who Inspires me.

Here you can see the baby's breath iron on flowers a little better, you can't really tell the difference between the iron ons and the stamped ones.

2nd Page of my Scrapbook Challenge

2010-09-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

So here are some more pics of Elias as a baby. I was totally loving him doing these pages but boy oh boy is he a teenager sometimes and I just wanna send him to the moon lol! He really knows how to push my buttons and is definitely too much like me haha.

These pics are of him at 4 mos old. Smiling and happy : ), still trying to get some from every stage done and into a book for his graduation next summer, we'll see if it happens.

I bought this owl stamp some time ago at stampin and scrappin time and I just LOVE it, but haven't used it. I embossed it with black embossing powder onto the dot patterned paper and then embossed it again on a piece of cream colored cardstock, I cut the whole thing out of the dot paper then cut just the head out of the cream and glued it on top so that you could see the eyes and stuff more clearly

The owls I cut out of the fabric by hand just trimmed around each owl close to the design. One of the patterned papers in this set was a stripped sheet so I cut 1" strips and made a border around the whole sheet with them. I really like that look. Then one sheet has like 4 die cut squares on the opposite side and I cut 2 of them and trimmed them a little smaller and mounted my photos on those.

First up - My scrapbook Challenge

2010-09-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

The last all day Crop that Karen and I went to, I was giving the girls at my table challenges through out the crop. haha I'm crazy like that. So Karen emailed me awhile before this crop and said she had a scrapbook challenge for ME lol. She's so funny. She bought me this adorable owl fabric and my challenge was to use it on a page. So my first thought was that I would use it as a border down one side or something well then I was thinking ...boring, so since I can't cut straight worth crap lol, I took out my creative memories cutters and the square template (it has rounded corners) and attempted to cut out one of the owls. Well low and behold it worked! So I cut out a bunch of them and some of the apples and put them together in a quilt like pattern and frayed the edges some, cause you know how I love everything distressed : )

This is an EK success border punch that I bought and I LOVE it

There's my lil green owl, isn't he cute : ). I just happened to have this paper the coordinated with it perfectly I think it's We R Memory Keepers, it's really bright and cheery!

Hello

2010-09-21T11:01:00.001-04:00

Wow, it's been over a week since I last posted. I've been trying to get time to photograph the pages I did at the crop I attended but between being busy and it getting dark so much earlier in the evening it just hasn't happened. I can't seem to get good photos with the lighting in my house so I typically do it outside or in our sun room but that only works if it's day time lol. I will try in the next couple of days.

I had an amazing time at the Donna Downey class. I so wish that it happened on another weekend so that I could have taken a bunch of her classes. It really was amazing and she is such a sweet down to earth person. Was really a lot of fun. And I am now addicted to scrapbooking on canvas I'm going to have a hard time going back to paper. And I may not for awhile. It is just sooooo different and I just really really enjoy it. I had about a 1/2 and hour last night free, between loads of laundry so I was working on another 12 x 12 canvas page, so far basically have done the background and I'm sooo pleased with it, wait till you see it. So now I'm on a mission to find some raw canvas that I can cut my own 12 x 12 pages from because the pre printed sheets that prima sells are like $3.00 each and well that's just a little pricey, on top of the fact that they are printed and I want them plain. So anyways going to find some time in the next couple of days to head out to commercial art supply since I'm sure that they carry what I'm looking for.

The CROP was also a blast. Had a great time with Karen and it was too funny because we both got depressed on Sunday when it was getting time to get packed up to leave. Ha I never new others were like me in that sense. I so hate when I'm having a great time and it has to end! Well we have another crop coming up, that is put on by We B Scrappin at White Eagle the second weekend in October so I've got that to look forward to and definitely am!

Super busy couple of months here for me. Next weekend we need to get up to camp to get the boat and dock out (ugh, I hate this part!) Praying for no rain!! Got the crop at White Eagle coming up, Karen and I are suppose to be working on some things for the Pug Rescue for their big Pug Social (which I have not done anything to help yet, Karen's been doing it all herself, with a sick daughter - have I mentioned how wonderful this lady is??? Amazing!) Then Elias and I are going to be going to Albany for Albany University's Open house at the end of next month. My niece has a wedding to go to coming up so I will be babysitting one weekend, and Elias has been sooo busy with school that I've been helping him with his lawn mowing jobs, ugh. I need this crop next month to relax lol. Going to make sure I bring along some wine that I really enjoy so that I can have a few drinks and unwind! : )

So please check back I'm sure in the next couple of days I will have at least some of my projects posted maybe even tonight.

It's Friday......

2010-09-10T07:19:00.000-04:00

Still not packed for the crop this weekend, but I did manage to get my stuff together last night for the Donna Downey workshop I'm doing tonight. Can't wait for that, then it's off to the crop. I have a bunch of things I've been working on but nothing finished so hopefully after a whole weekend of scrapbooking I will have some finished things to share. In the mean time I leave you with a few pics of my puggies I wanted to share. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Budha

Pooh Bear looking out from the blinds and Budha sitting on the rug.

Peachy taking a rest.

Senior Year

2010-09-09T07:14:00.000-04:00

Well today was Elias' first day of his senior year. Yeah I still had to get a pic even though he's 17. I warned him the night before that I would be taking some pictures, I told him I might even cry lol (but I didn't, at least not till after he left, then I shed a few "my baby's all grown up", mama tears). He came up the stairs at like 6:15am and was out of the house by 6:30am as him and a bunch of his buddies were heading to Denny's for breakfast before their first day of school. So he was like come on mom get the camera lets get the photo shoot outta the way I gotta get going lol, gotta love teenagers : ).

Super Awesome Exciting Weekend Coming up

2010-09-08T08:12:00.000-04:00

Okay so I'm a little excited it's Wednesday ALREADY, and I've got this fantastic weekend coming up.

Friday evening DONNA DOWNEY is coming to Stampin and Scrappin Time, well actually she will be there thru Saturday as well teaching classes. If you are local and are interested in attending you can still sign up here is the link http://stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/

This is the class I'm attending: http://stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/2010/08/donna-downey-workshop-schedule.html the life inspired workshop. I would have really liked to do the inspiration journal but won't be able to this time BECAUSE..........................

The rest of my exciting Weekend planned, I will be at CROP-A-LOT, with the greatest scrappin Buddy of all time, my friend Karen. We always have sooooo much fun together and we haven't spent nearly enough time together this summer so it is going to be so wonderful to be able to spend a whole weekend together just catching up. Karen is such a sweet and caring person I'm lucky to have her in my life. And the fact that she loves to scrapbook as much as I do is just an added bonus! We actually met at a crop held by Karen Barber, CTMH consultant a few years back, and I'm so glad that we did!

Going to take a nap Friday so that I can stay up late Friday night to scrapbook at our crop!! : )

Vicki Chrisman's Color Challenge

2010-09-02T07:03:00.000-04:00

So anyone who follows Vicki's Blog here: http://vickichrisman.blogspot.com/ could try her color challenge at home. So I selected no. 1 (I actually wanted to do more than one but I just didn't end up having the time) so I selected the one that gave me the most challenge. Pictured below are the colors that were to be used,
Here is a link to the post she did on color, take a minute to read it, it's actually really interesting! http://vickichrisman.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-about-color-challenge.html

I'd like to know what are the favorite colors of my blog followers, mine is purple, although I do tend to reach for blues and greens a lot as well. If you have a minute post your fav color in the comments section here.

Now on to my challenge, surprisingly I actually had just bought some of this paper I used, from We B Scrappin and so was excited when I saw that they had included the colors for my color challenge.

I used 2 page maps from the Close to my heart "originals" layout book. I really like this book because it gives really simple and easy layouts without a lot of cutting. And then you can add to it whatever you want but just gives you the basic design. And of course gives you the cutting dimensions which I always nice. Thanks to taking scrapbook classes in the past with Karen Barber, Close to my Heart Consultant, I've learned to use a ruler, haha, and more importantly how to use the ruler on my cutter : ).

The brown monkey's is a patterned paper that I cut in half and the back of it was the brown that you see next to it on the same layout. I adhered both pieces to a piece of neutral card stock. I attached a piece of blue ribbon down the center then the green over it. The green has like a circle pattern in it, it's kinda cool. Then I had one piece of patterned paper that had borders on it, so I cut the Monkey strip and used it for a border across the top, lucky for me the paper had 2 strips of the monkey border so I could use it on the adjoining layout. I cut matching green card stock paper to mount my photos on. I used my creative memories circle cutter for the photo at the top and the card stock it's mounted on. The monkey in the circle I used a card stock sticker from October Afternoon, cut a circle to fit inside the green border it had then embossed a stamped monkey on the orange paper with CTMH cocoa embossing powder. The "you make me smile" in the center is a rub on that I put on another card stock sticker from October Afternoon.

Of course I only bought ONE (scrapbooking faux pas) of the monkey paper. Mainly because I didn't really know if I'd use it but I really like it lol. So I created my own monkey paper here. I used this really cute stamp set from Close to My heart called It's a Zoo and you can find it here:
https://karenbarber.myctmh.com/Retail/Product.aspx?ItemID=4574&CatalogID=145 they have some other cute animal ones too but this one is my fav. The animals are great for kids cards, I used the giraffe for a baby card, just really cute!

So I used my new Tim Holtz embossing pad(don't know why I never had this pad before always used versamark) but I LOVE this pad, it's so juicy and really gives you time to get your embossing powder down! I used CTMH's star spangled blue embossing powder and just stamped my little monkey randomly. The card stock I used was a textured so the Monkey didn't come out perfectly embossed in everyone but I kinda like it like that.

This square was a die cut that I bought came in a pkg of 12 for each month of a babies first year. The brads are doodle bug that I've had for quite awhile just waiting for something special to use them on. The corner piece is another card stock sticker.

I used several little Making Memories clips on the papers, I really like them they are tiny and cute!

The animals you see in the background were cut out of some patterned paper I have. The wild and crazy is stamped on another October Afternoon card stock sticker. The Mischief is a rub on and the orange is just a circle cut out of card stock put on top of another card stock sticker.

Weekend Crop to Benefit the Pug Rescue

2010-09-01T07:40:00.000-04:00

Pugapalooza 4

What: A Weekend Scrapbooking Crop to Benefit Pug Rescue of New England

When: Friday, November 5th thru Sunday, November 7th 2010

Where: Courtyard by Marriott Boston/Woburn North
700 Unicorn Park Drive
Woburn, MA 01801

Cost: Full Weekend (2 pm Friday through 4 pm Sunday) for $150.00

Saturday Only 8am to Midnight (includes dinner) for $80.00

Register Now to Reserve Your Space!

All proceeds from this event will go to the Pug Rescue of New England!
Your crop fee includes a goodie bag, a free entry to a great raffle, Make & Takes, Breakfast Saturday morning, Dinner Saturday night, Breakfast Sunday morning, Contest Entries, and 24 Hour scrapping access for the weekend.
We hope you'll join us as we get together to raise money
for the Pug Rescue of New England!

Reserve your space now by mailing a deposit of $50 payable to PRoNE to:
Tammy Cooper

37 Woodlawn Street

Dedham, MA 02026

The remainder of your crop fee will be due by 10/15/10.

You will need to make your own room arrangements with the hotel by calling 781-938-9001.

We have reserved a block of rooms at the rate of $109 per night.

Our vendors will be doing some fabulous make and takes as well as teaching some great techniques with their products.

Our Vendors:
Christine Belmonte – My Paper-Crafting

Pam Berger – Creative Memories
Amy Palmeri – Close to My Heart

Tammy Cooper – Pinecone Press
Sara McKenzie – Stampin Up

AND…you won’t want to miss the TONS of RAFFLES

including our grand prize…
A Brand New Cricut Expression!!

This crop is a total BLAST, if anyone is possibly thinking of getting away for a weekend crop this is the one to do. And the best part is that all the proceeds go straight to the Pug Rescue of New England to help lots and lots of pugs. Here is their website if you want to check them out http://pugrescueofnewengland.org/

I am going to be driving there from NY along with my friend Karen. I so hope that anyone possibly considering a weekend crop comes to this one, I'd love to see all of you and I'm telling you this is the place to be! We scrapbook, we talk, we have drinks, we stay up all night, and we just have a total blast. The raffles are UNBELIEVABLE, I can't even begin to tell you how awesome the raffles are and there are so many that you go home with WAY more than you came with lol. Snacks and food like you wouldn't believe it's an extremely well put on weekend crop. Hope you will join us!

Basketball-Camp-Mom & Dad -- New Layouts

2010-08-31T20:15:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-31T19:52:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-30T13:23:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-23T15:40:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-23T07:16:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-19T10:30:00.001-04:00

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....

2010-08-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-17T09:15:00.001-04:00

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........

2010-08-12T08:35:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-11T07:05:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

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.

Stealing my lounge chair

2010-08-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

This pic I took Friday of my pugs, from left to right it's Peaches (with the toy), Budha and Pooh Bear. Where is Pebbles you might ask, haha well she's on the other chair with me since there was no room for us on this one :)

Enabling - Tim Holtz

2010-08-09T09:18:00.000-04:00

Well I totally love Tim Holtz products and have been following the blog check out these new goodies:

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/page/2/

And that vagabond die cutting machine. I thought I'd never want another die cutting machine after getting the cricut, but OMG this one can cut chip board and everything. I could make my own mini albums / books instead of buying them. This is a really cool machine. I'm going to have to save up to get one, I just can't believe how cool it is. Hmmmm maybe I could ask for it for Christmas : )

Tattered Angels and Pug Design to share

2010-08-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

Okay so what I had planned last night just didn't happen, life happened lol. Well I should have known cause I went for my accupuncture appointment and it relaxes me so much that when I'm done I don't want to do a thing except go home and sleep or just relax. So that's pretty much what I did, I went home and sat outside and read for a bit on the deck with the pugs till the mosquitos got too bad and were dive bombing my pugs that I had to take them in. Mind you my pugs are so ridiculous that if I'm inside they don't want to go out and if I'm outside they don't want to go in lol. That's pugs for ya. Then I went inside and enjoyed some air conditioning and just vegged out in front of the TV with the dogs, all the while thinking my scrap area is all clean and ready for me. Well it just didn't happen. But I was checking out the tattered angels blog today and they have a couple cute projects. Check these out:

http://mytatteredangels.com/blog/?tag=bingo-boards-and-calling-cards
And they use one of those pins I see they sell at Stampin and Scrappin Time but never know how they are used. Just love the distressing of these projects just so yummy to look at.

And then for all us pug lovers out there check this out:

http://scrappypug.blogspot.com/2010/08/ruff-day-adorable-pug-hugs-set-and.html

http://doodlepantry.com/latest-releases.html

The card that card Carla createds is just too adorable!

Never Enough Time

2010-08-04T08:44:00.000-04:00

Well I finally had time last night to clean up my scrapbooking area. OMG I literally had stuff piled on the table in bags from June, things I had bought. I actually didn't really have the time but I choose to do that instead of sleep lol. Dan was working late (yet again) so the pugs and I went downstairs and organized. I wouldn't say I'm completely done organizing but my tables are clean and most of the stuff put where I want it. I have to do some reorganizing of my paper I've got stacks that I've bought over the summer and it's just put in a couple of my paper holders all mismatched so I'd never be able to find something if I was looking for it.

I saw on someone elses blog and I wish that I had saved the link so I could share it with you, but they orgainzed their embellishments and scraps of paper by color. I'm so in the habit of organizing my things by "brand", but I think that this would be a much much much better way. So that is going to be my goal....soon haha. But seriously I think it would really help me when I'm scrapbooking to find what I want a lot easier.

I found this great tutorial well a couple actually for making your own fabric flowers and I've tried my hand at a few, they actually turned out cute, but my problem is I don't really have a lot of fabric (BUT I do know someone who does hint hint Karen if you are reading lol)and these can be made with just scraps so I will share those later hopefully if things go as planned tonight and I will post the tutorial for you, so you can try making some of your own as well. Okay back to work, I need to earn that money to support my scrapbooking habit : )

More Freebie - digital scrapbook kits

2010-08-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

While surfing for some ideas I came across this site that has a bunch of free digital scrapbook kits. Even if you aren't a digital scrapbooker many times you can print out the items you like and want to use on paper of your choice.

Here's the link: http://www.computerscrapbook.com/free-digital-scrapbooking.html

I was really pleased with how many they had!

Busy busy busy

2010-07-29T08:29:00.000-04:00

Wow summer is just flying by. I can't believe that Sunday will be August 1st. I want it to slow down, I love summer the most and the sun and it seems like I haven't had enough time to enjoy it this summer. Going to spend some time with my niece and her baby Maggie Friday, I can't wait! I will get to have Maggie all to myself, haha. She really is such a good little baby, this time I will remember my camera. Going to talk my niece into getting into scrapbooking hopefully fingers crossed!

I'm going to a weekend crop in September with my friend Karen I can't wait, it's local so we aren't staying over but still a whole weekend full of scrapbooking. I need to get myself organized between now and then so I am able to make good use of my scrappin time there!

I've got a few projects I've been working on but nothing near close to being finished, just haven't had the time this week to scrapbook at all. Will try to post some things Friday. Until then happy Scrapping : )

Just something to share

2010-07-26T08:59:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share with all of you some news I just got. My friend Danielle who I posted a pic awhile back that is pregnant had her baby last night, a beautiful baby Girl 7lbs 2oz and her name is Callisandara Ann. I will get some pics tonight when I got see them at the hospital and will post soon. : )

Bo Bunny and Recycling

2010-07-26T07:08:00.000-04:00

This was a fun page to make because I reused some packaging that I had been holding on to for awhile. My base is a dot cardstock from Bo Bunny, and I layered over it a partially used sheet of cutouts. I curled over one corner so you could see some more of the dot paper. I took this piece of packaging that I had from the chip board baby book I made for my friend. It has pretty flowers all over it and like a little boarder, it was just too nice to throw away. I distressed the edges of it with my distress ink (vintage photo) and ripped up some of the edges a little more, I placed my photo in the center of it. My "tag" or title spot comes from some packaging as well, a couple weeks ago I bought some dish towels @ Wegmans and the label on them was this piece above with the twill ribbon thru it. I flipped the label over and re-threaded it thru the label then wrote on it with a black pen my title. I distressed the edges a little with my vintage photo and there you go a free title spot. Or you could have added lines and used it as a journal spot as well or even decorated it up more and just used it as an accent. Lucky for me I bought a few packs of these towels so I have a couple more labels I can play with. I challenge all of you to take something that you would never dream of using in your scrapbook and turn it into something useful and beautiful. Happy Monday.

Fun in the sun more Bo Bunny

2010-07-25T19:17:00.000-04:00

I took a piece of Bo Bunny patterned paper and cut out the waves, then added it to a piece of Bo Bunny card stock. Took the sun from the journal cards and the sun lovin is a bonus piece you get in the back of the journal cards. I added some ink to the edges of the base and added 2 flowers layered with stickles in the center around the icandy and down the edges to make it look like a sun. I also added some stickles to the waves to make them shine and some to the sun lovin piece.

Bo Bunny Box

2010-07-25T19:12:00.000-04:00

I decided for my project that I would make something useful, I took an old Christmas box that someone gave me and painted it tan with the Claudine Helmuth paint, let it dry then took my paint dabbers and added some polka dots with the watermelon and espresso paints. to the centers of them I added some icicle stickles then I added cutout to the front as a label so I could use it to hold my scrapbooking stuff ( thought I might use it for my ribbon) Then around the back I added a strip of paper from the Sophie Collection, added some layered flowers and icandy to the centers and stickles around the icandy to make it look more like the center of the flower. In this post and the next I tried to capture the details in different angles.

Bo Bunny Project

2010-07-25T19:07:00.000-04:00

Bo Bunny Cards

2010-07-25T18:50:00.000-04:00

Here is my first card, it's a Christmas card I know but I just loved this line so I couldn't help myself. I used a sheet of tis the season and cut a piece (the red and white dot) to layer over the top, then I cut out a tree from one of the patterned papers and added some icandy to the bottom. The inside I stamped the Merry Christmas ( a Bo Bunny stamp and embossed with gold embossing powder. I layered another piece of the red dot paper on top, then cut an oval to layer on top of that and added some more icandy. Really simple but so cute in person.

I had a lot of fun with this card. I just love this Paradise Collection, the colors how the paper is distress and just reminds me of old wood, camp, camp fires, cape cod it's just soooo pretty. So I took a piece of water color paper and began to ink up the paper with my distress inks I used vintage photo and rusty hinge as they matched perfect with this paper, I inked the paper so that it was mottled looking and then spritzed it with some silver perfect pearls to give it some shine. I dried it with my heat gun, then I added the Bo Bunny cut out to the top after really distressing the edges and then inking them with the vintage photo, I made sure that I glued in a ways so that the edges would be up off the base a little. I curled up the one edge and I stamped the bird on the bottom in vintage photo. I took a card stock sticker from the flower child collection and because it was a little to bright yellow I inked it really well with my vintage photo and distressed the edges of it. Added a flower and icandy gem to finish it off.

Bo Bunny Layout No. 2 - Prceless Moments

2010-07-25T18:35:00.000-04:00

Here I started with a base paper from Bo Bunny's Peacock Lane line, and die cut paper from that line as well is added to the base page, I turned it slightly so it was off center. I inked the edges with white inked and a pale purple chalk ink. The one corner I used a craft knife and cut out part of it then folded it over and sewed it on the corners. I used a die cut I had from another project to trace and cut out the die cute with the purple flowers and circles on it and then inked the edges with matching lime green ink, then used a journal card to layer on top of that, I stamped 3 circle stamps on the journal card.. I stamped a large butterfly (from tattered angels) on the back of a coordinating piece of patterned paper and then cut it out. I inked the edges with purple chalk ink to make it stand out. I added some punched butterflies and some pearls to them, I stamped some flourishes around the butterflies with a pale pink acrylic paint and some molding paste, I thought they would stand out more but didn't so I added the dotted lines by hand with a black pen to draw in my butterflies. At the bottom I used a craft knife to cut out the edge of the die cut so my picture could fit just underneath it. I inked my title with black soot distress ink to help it stand out on the page. The blue butterfly is one that I had punched and saved awhile back on a piece of scrap paper then glimmer misted it. It has a script stamp, stamped onto it.

Beautiful - Bo Bunny Layout

2010-07-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

Here is one of my entries for the Bo Bunny tryouts. I took the patterned paper from the Sophie collection and used my Victorian velvet distress ink and inked the whole page and then used some perfect pearls in a spritzer bottle and sprayed them on then heat dried it, then added some walnut ink in some spots. I took another patterned paper from the same line and cut it in my cricut to make a large scalloped die cut out of it. Then I inked the edges with the Victorian velvet, I cut on side so it would be flush with the edge of my base and then cut the other side in little strips and curled it with my pencil. The scalloped piece that I cut from the one side of my die cut I flipped over and added, I had to cut out some of the curls I did to get the piece to stay. Then I cut a piece of fabric that I had I frayed the edges put that on top. I took 2 of the Bo Bunny die cuts distressed the edges, inked them in the Victorian velvet distress ink then added some gold embossing powder to the edges and corners.

here you can see the embossing powder really well and the shine of the perfect pearls on the base.

New Layout to Share- lots of distressing

2010-07-21T07:11:00.000-04:00

My friend Karen bought me this beautiful paper, I believe it was SEI. My back ground was the light pink and white patterned paper. I used walnut ink to spitz over a heidi swap stencil that I got at We B Scrappin for a dollar in their clearance section. It was a 12 x12 strip about 4inches long that has the polka dots cut out of it. I layed it crooked on my page more to one side

I used a tattered angels tag and inked it up with Victorian velvet distress ink and vintage photo distress ink, also added a little chalk ink in the mix to soften it up a bit. I cut out one of the flowers with the butter fly from the patterned paper and attached it to my tag.

here I used a tonic punch I bought and did it all the way down the paper so I could weave my fabric thru it. This is just a piece of white satin fabric that I bought in the clearance bin for I think $1.20, I just ripped a piece off, frayed the edged folded it and weaved it thru my punched slots

I took a piece of card stock, used a cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss this piece, then ripped the edge of it and sanded the embossed dots. The card stock is the coordination's card stock where the inner core is a complimentary color to the darker on the outside not white. Then I ripped a piece of the patterned paper (the brown is what is on the other side of my base patterned paper). I distressed the edges with my distress ink then layered this piece on top of the embossed piece and then put my photo on top.

Bo Bunny New Collections....

2010-07-19T10:52:00.000-04:00

http://bobunny.com/oliviaembellishments.html

OMG I so want to get my hands on these, they are all so pretty and check out all the new embellishments to go with them they are sooooo cool!

Update

2010-07-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

So I have been working hard on my Bo Bunny projects to submit for the design team competition. I will try to post some of them later this week but I want to get them submitted before I post them.

Karen and I went to the Stamping and Scrapbooking Expo Saturday. I have to say that although I had a great time with Karen, the show itself was not as great as years past. We actually had time to visit every booth, there weren't as many as they usually had in the past and that was disappointing to us both. I did still learn some new techniques that I hope to try in the next few weeks and will share with you.

Next couple of weeks is going to be really busy for me, I have to get Elias down to get a suit for his senior pics and next Tuesday he has his photo shoot. OMG I wish I was still at that adverstising agency so I could get the pics done for free and just pay for the actual photos to be developed. It is soooo expensive. But I think it will be worth it, I mean they only get to be a senior once. So I'm pretty excited about that!

Hope everyone has a happy Monday!

Another Summer layout

2010-07-18T20:13:00.000-04:00

Here is a simple layout I did with more of the Webster's Seaside Retreat from Stampin and Scrappin Time. I punched some boarders with the new Martha Stewart punch I bought, and layered them. The top boarders is actually cut from the packaging the pages came in. There was a strip showing all the different papers and it was scalloped so I cut it out and added it to my layout. The letters and brackets are from this same set (they are stickers)

Not sure how I ended up doing this but I have a pic of each one of my pug girls on the dock.

Websters Pages Seaside Retreat - Cross Lake Layout

2010-07-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

I love the accessories that go with webster's Pages, Smile, Breath, and Go slowly is actually made out of fabric, and it looks so nice in person.

These little flamingo tags I just adore, I added these little clear dew drops to them.

I inked the edges of the paper with my distress ink Pumice stone(so great for beach and summer pics, matches really nice), I layered another patterned paper over my base and used my new Martha Stewart punch to the top of it. Added some tags that I distressed the edges and then inked with pumice stone. Really a pretty simple page, but I just love the summer colors, it just reminds me of camp!

New From Graphic 45

2010-07-14T09:29:00.000-04:00

I was just on their blog and saw that they have new releases, OMG you have to check them out, they are sooo cool. I love the Christmas Papers!

http://g45papers.typepad.com/graphic45/

Give Away's

2010-07-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to post this yesterday

http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/
Check out Simon Says stamp blog they are giving away a bunch of goodies, and it's easy to get in the contest click on the blog and read how!! : ) Happy Scrappin and Hope someone I know wins!!

Stampin and Scrappin Time

2010-07-13T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone just a reminder that this week Stampin and Scrappin Time is having their Amuse-a-palooza. They have a lots of fun classes and things going on so if you have time stop out and see them and sign up for a class http://stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/.

Also reminder for anyone who is doing Cards for Grace, the twin who lost her twin to cancer, there's still some time left but just till July 31 all cards have to be in. Here is the link for the info again: http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Sweet pugs

2010-07-12T20:02:00.000-04:00

I made this tag with my cricut, including the grass. I sprayed the grass with some glimmer mist, then stamped a dog on card stock (the stamp is a CTMH stamp) colored it and then cut it out. Glimmer misted some CTMH flowers and added them to the tag.

Sweet Pugs

2010-07-12T19:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a 2 page layout I did of the pugs laying in the sun that comes in the front screen door

Flowers upclose- Christmas layout

2010-07-12T19:53:00.000-04:00

Flower - Christmas Layout

2010-07-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

I added a pretty brad from Basic Grey to the center and used some Prima leaves

Christmas In July

2010-07-12T19:38:00.000-04:00

Here is a layout I did of our Christmas tree in 2006. The papers are basic grey, I love these colors! The big swirl is from Close to My Heart a chip board piece and I sprayed it with 2 different glimmer mists. The Flowers I cut with my nestibilites dies then I crumpled them sanded them, inked them with my vintage photo distress ink then sanded them again. The bottom flower I added the ice distress stickles and the top flower is cut out of flocked card stock.

Freebies

2010-07-12T08:37:00.000-04:00

What what a beautiful weekend it was, sooooo warm and sunny and not too muggy. I loved it. We ended up staying home because Budha was a little under the weather and I wanted to keep her in the air conditioning but I spent a lot of time outside on our new deck and it was wonderful!

I was looking at a new scrapbook idea magazine that I had bought and they have some freebies in the book. Here is a link to their blog where you can download your free paper/embellishments and letters. I actually did download them myself and some of the paper and stuff is fantastic!

http://www.scrapbookinspirationsmagazine.co.uk/

Also came across this link while surfing the web and there are 15 pages of tags you can print out on to card stock and use for anything you want. Now I'm spoiled and I have the cricut so I can cut many different tags of different sizes anytime I want but I will be honest I don't. I need to get back to using my cricut more. So that is my challenge to myself to use my cricut in my next 2 layouts. I've got soooo much to share with you guys I just need to get my butt on the computer @ home and post the pics of things I've done. I did a cute Bo Bunny layout using their new Peacock lane, you can check the papers here http://bobunny.com/peacocklanecollection.html, and one using the Sunkissed collection, you can check out the sunkissed collection herehttp://bobunny.com/sunkissedcollection.html

Then I did 2 layouts with the new Webster's Pages Seaside Retreat. you can check that out here
http://websterspages.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=199
I really love this collection, the colors and the papers, they are just so perfect for summer activities!!!

I hope to get some of my layouts posted soon, this week is a busy week for me and this weekend is the Stamping and Scrapbooking Expo @ the Oncenter which I'm really excited about, info on that here for anyone local that wants to attend: http://www.rubberstampandscrapbookexpo.com/shows/index.php?ShowID=12

Philly Eagles

2010-07-07T06:42:00.000-04:00

Oh I forgot to post a little info on the pugs outfits. One year I decided to have a pug halloween party at the house so I had Cheerleader dresses and a shirt made for the girls and Pooh. This of course was before my good friend Karen was sewing for PRONE and making dresses and coats. I had Cindy from Central Florida make these for my pugs, here is a link to fashionable furbabies
http://www.clothes4pugs.com/home.html all of the proceeds go to the Central Florida Pug Rescue.

But PRONE also makes pug dresses, light weight coats and winter fleece coats, as well as belly bands for all your pugs need : ).

Details - Pugs in their Eagle's outfits

2010-07-07T06:39:00.000-04:00

I took some tissue paper and put it on my background piece then used a matte finish glaze and just kept going over it and adding more pieces till I got the look I wanted, then I ripped the edges of it and separated it some, added some distress ink and stamped a swirl stamp in the center and added some flowers folded in half.

Here I tore the edges and then separated the paper some and inked it with my vintage photo distressing ink. The piece that looks stamped is actually a book mark that I picked up at Michael's awhile back. In their dollar section they had 2 book marks discounted to 50 cents. I thought this one made a nice accent and matched really well.

Here I ripped the edges of the papers and then inked the and stamped on the one. The pink paper is actually a piece of cardstock that I use in my glimmer mist box that has been sprayed and sprayed and sprayed when I was spraying other projects and it was really soooo pretty and matched this project I thought I'd rip a piece from it and use it.

From my neices layout

2010-07-07T06:30:00.000-04:00

I never posted these close ups, I totally forgot :( This was a chip board heart that I painted with gold acrylic dabber (I like the dabbers as they add textrure) Then sprinkled on some chunky glitter. The flower was a white Prima flower that glimmer misted then added some chunky glitter to as well. The leaves are glimmer misted with irridicent gold.

More Pics and the bracelet my sis got me

2010-07-06T20:49:00.000-04:00

This is the bracelet that my oldest sister Carol got for me. (she lives on Cape Cod) She bought it as a thank you gift for making a wedding scrapbook for my oldest nephew's 5th anniversary. (Tim is my sister's oldest son). What is so special about this is that my sister has one too so we match : ), my oldest sis is very near and dear to my heart. She also got me this mushy card and of course it made me cry

Here is a pic of my friend from high school Jayme (also my brother's wife's youngest sister) her oldest boys (twins) and Elias

My crazy family again lol

My neice's baby Maggie and her Great Aunt Sherry, gosh I love that lil girl!!

Family Pictures

2010-07-06T20:23:00.000-04:00

Here is a pic of me with my crazy brothers and sisters, we are missing just one sister who is in North Carolina and didn't come to the graduation party. From left to right you have my brother Mark, my brother Danny, myself, my brother Carl (oldest brother), my sis Candy, my sis Carol, and my brother Terry the youngest brother and sibing closest in age to me.

Here is my mom, dad, and my 2 sisters and me.

Me and my oldest sis (the bookends we call ourselves cause she's the oldest in the family and I'm the youngest.

my 2 sisters and me, the one in Green is my sister Carol and she is the oldest sibling, my sister Candy in the purple is the 3 oldest.

Family and Old Friends

2010-07-06T20:13:00.000-04:00

Here is my nephew Jon who graduated and his mom and dad (my brother Terry)

I had a great weekend and I hope everyone out there had a safe and happy 4th of July weekend! I have so much to share, I'm uploading pics as we speak : ). Saturday was my nephew Jon's graduation party. He is just one year older than Elias and he and Elias were close growing up, my brother used to come over to the house with him a lot when I still lived at home with Elias and he and Elias would play together. I took care of the both of them A LOT! Ironically my brother married a girl who's younger sister I went to school with and was good friends with, she moved to NC for awhile after high school but is back now and it was so great to see her again. I had a wonderful time catching up with my 2 sisters, especially my oldest sister who I'm very close with. And I of course got some baby holding time as my niece was there with her baby : ).

Bo Bunny??? Maybe My Calling???

2010-07-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

Okay so I'm surfing the blogs this morning a little and low and behold what do my eyes seee..................... Bo Bunny is looking for Design Team members, WHOOOOO HOOOOOO I have to at least try even though right now I'm so super busy with other things and need to find time to get to camp and enjoy it a little. Some of you know I'm a little bit of a Bo Bunny Addict haha, what can I say, I don't know what it is about their products that draws me to them but I'm hooked!!

If anyone else loves Bo Bunny and wants to try out you can get all the info here: http://bobunny.blogspot.com/

Pug Stamps to Benefit Pug Rescue of New England

2010-06-30T09:22:00.000-04:00

All Proceeds go to the Pug Rescue of New England http://pugrescueofnewengland.org/

If you are interested, the stamps sets are $15 each or 2/$27. Shipping is $1.60 per stamp set.

Checks made payable to PRoNE can be sent to:

PRoNE

c/o Tammy Cooper

37 Woodlawn Street

Dedham, MA 02026

***************************************************************************************

Details about the stamp sets:

This is a wonderful set of Pug stamps that really show the breeds personality.

These would be great stamps for anyone who loves dogs.

These would be great for "Puppy Announcements, Everyday Stamping, and More!"

Size: Total 4x4 inches
Tall Pug (1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches)Smiling Pug (2 inches x 1 1/2 inches)Words I love my Pug (1 inch x 1/2 inches)Paw Print (1/2 inch x 1/2 inch)Words The more people I meet the more I like my dog (2 inches x 1/2 inch)Standing Pug (1 inch x 1 inch)Side o'Pug (1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches)
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Words "You should be jealous, I have the best Pug in the World" (1x2 inches)Running Pug with a Ball (1x1 1/2 inches)Come on Mom (2x2 inches)What? What did you say.. a Walk? (1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches)Grass Tuff (1/2 x 1/2 inch)Man.. I can't run that fast.. sitting Pug (2 x2 inches)Light Bulb (1/2 x 1/2 inch)Let's Go for a Walk Words (1x1 1/2 inches)

Jennifer McGuire & Cards for Kids

2010-06-29T12:08:00.000-04:00

Some of you may follow Jennifer McGuire's Blog, she stamps for Hero Arts and is amazing. Well she does these card drives for Kids that are ill and here she is doing a card drive for a little girl named Grace who had a twin named Ellie who just lost her battle with cancer. Any of us who have twins in our families know just how close the bond between these children are, it goes way beyond sisters or brothers and much deeper than we can even imagine. Even though they are individuals they are like 2 people in one sometimes. I have twin nephews that I am close with and I have witnessed this bond that is unbreakable. So if you have just a free minute or maybe you have cards pre-made, it would be so wonderful if you could send a card for Grace. Click on the link for the details.
http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Maggie - My Neice's Baby

2010-06-29T07:17:00.000-04:00

This paper is from the Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane. I absolutely LOVE these papers and now I've been able to use them. I used my vintage pink glimmer mist and a tattered angels glimmer screen at the top and added a little glimmer mist near the turtle. I used a wood heart that I had to glimmer mist a heart (with Viva Pink) on the bingo board, then added some more glimmer mist to it (vintage pink) to color in the heart. I also used Viva Pink to color my prima flowers then added some chunky glitter to have some added bling to it. Added some Prima Pearl swirls and the little saying is a fabric cutout that goes with the lullaby lane paper. The heart is a chip board heart, I painted it with my gold paint dauber then added some chunky glitter to it. I glimmer misted (iridescent gold) my leaves that I added to the flowers. I will post some close ups later.

So I was feeling creative last night and I whipped up a page in no time of my Nephew's Wedding Invitation to add to the book I made. I actually used the Lullaby Lane Paper and wait till you see it, I think it turned out really pretty and you'd never know it was suppose to be baby paper. The colors were just perfect so I couldn't resist! Had to let it dry but will take pics tonight

Webster's Pages

2010-06-28T09:14:00.000-04:00

I don't know if any of you are in love with Webster's Pages the way I am. Their colors are just sooo vibrant and pretty. Well I was at Stampin and Scrappin Time on Friday and they have in the new Seaside Retreat. Check out the papers here http://websterspages.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=136&Itemid=199

And these papers go so well with Tattered Angels Seaside Costal Breeze collection. They have glimmer screens, and glimmer glass, stamps and glimmer chips along with Bingo Boards. I've been waiting to get my hands on all the products. I was able to find some of the glimmer screens and a pkg of glimmer glass at We B Scrappin early on but have not seen any more since. And some of their summer colors which I bought At Stampin and Scrappin Time are just pefrect to use with these pages. http://mytatteredangels.com/shop.php?cPath=25_170

I have a few projects that I have to work on and get done before this weekend. I made a wedding album for my sister to give to my nephew of his wedding (she's giving it to them on their 5th anniversary this August) and I couldn't find my copy of the invitation to include in the book but she got her hands on one and brought it this weekend so I need to do a page or 2 for that and put it in the completed book. Then my neice and nephew graduated this past weekend and will be attending my nephews graduation party Saturday and I wanted to do a page with their graduation announcement and their senior picture on is an put it in a scrapbook frame for them to have for a memory. So I hope to get a couple other things posted this week that I did take pics of but will be busy working on my projects : ).

Finally My Pooh Bear Layout

2010-06-25T19:14:00.001-04:00

Scroll down to the other posts to see the details of this layout.

Close ups - Pooh layout

2010-06-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

here you can see I stiched around the edges of the paper, I cut out a piece of patterend Bo Bunny paper with a nestibilities die cut, the key is also a spellbinders die cut. The heart is a chip board heart from close to my hear that I painted with Claudine Helmsmith (sp) Studio paint.

I painted with the studio paint on some large bubble wrap then pressed onto my paper, then dipped a paper cup into the paint to make the large circles. I love the studio paint it really is worth the money and you can find it both at Stampin and Scrappin Time and at We B Scrappin.

Pooh Bear!

2010-06-25T19:08:00.000-04:00

Broken promise again lol

2010-06-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

I know I promised to post my layout of Pooh last night, and it didn't happen. I have to say that what I did last night was not something I was expecting. The carpenters were finally GONE! Other than the punch list of a few items that need to be fixed and the carpeting being put in the sun room is officially finished. So last night I was cleaning the new sun room and then we sat out on the new deck after it cooled off a bit and it was sooooo relaxing! Can not wait for my lounge chair to arrive, yeah I have it ordered but it will probably be 2 more weeks before it arrives. The gutters need to go up, the concrete patio needs to be put in and the landscaping needs to be done but people being in and out of my house that's DONE, lol. I know we will really enjoy it when we are finally able to use everything. I love to sit outside and read or look at a magazine so I'm already using the deck and I LOVE it so all the stress it brought getting it done was definitely worth it already. So anyways I will promise again to post some layouts tonight and this time I actually will!

Bo Bunny

2010-06-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Ha, one of my very favorite paper lines is Bo Bunny. I'm not really sure why I like their products so much, if it's the colors they use or the fact that their paper is all card stock even the printed. I love to work with it a lot more than the patterned paper that is not cardstock. I think because I always have to glimmer mist everything and it tends the curl regular paper more, which is not always the look I want.

So just a little enabling (hee hee) check out the Bo Bunny Blog site, they have a neat technique on there right now - Stamping with plastic wrap http://bobunny.blogspot.com/ and if you go here: http://bobunny.com/freebies.html you can get some free downloads.

Stampin and Scrappin Time has lots of Bo Bunny paper and accessories, they even carry their flowers and buttons and bling which I LOVE because they coordinate with their paper perfectly.

Tonight I will post a layout I did recently with some Bo Bunny paper, it's a cute picture of Pooh Bear that I scrapbooked, I love that pug boy lol.

Stampin and Scrappin Time

2010-06-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

I didn't even realize that I've never posted about Stampin and Scrappin time. In the summer I'm at camp most weekends and if not then super busy with family things, graduations etc. so I don't really get to the scrapbook stores as much. But Stampin and Scrappin Time is another one of my fav local stores and I've been watchin their blog they've got lots of stuff going on. Here is a link to it so you can check it out. http://stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/

They don't have evening hours during the week so I can never make it there during the week darn work getting in the way of my fun time again!! haha, But Friday mornings they have a fun crop with Kathy who works at the store and its super super fun!!!! And Kathy is a riot, she always comes up with great ideas for our pages. Take a look at her blog she's has some awesome cards and layouts on it. http://wetpond57.blogspot.com/

Promise to post something this week

2010-06-22T13:52:00.000-04:00

OMG my scrap area, now it's getting me mad! I need my space back and uncovered!!!! Tonight it's going to happen no matter what. I have stuff all over and I can't even get to it there are sheets on every table, sheets covering my shelves. I've had to take things off the one wall where I had things hanging that I use. OMG I'm going insane not being able to get to my scrap stuff lol. So I do promise to post some projects this week. Currently working on a cute layout for my Great Neice's birth announcement. I think I may put it in a scrapbook page frame and give it to my neice to hang up.

Crazy Busy

2010-06-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Well I fully intended to post some sort of layout this week but it hasn't happened, my scrap area is still 1/2 covered, grrrrr. If it's not done today (cause all that's left is just painting the ceiling area that they had to patch) I'm doing it myself lol. When the day/week has been really hectic I find it really relaxing to go down to my scrap area alone (well not completely I have anywhere from 3-4 pugs with me as well) and just play around with my craft stuff. Sometimes I just organize things and sometimes I paint, color, or glimmer mist embellishments, or try to create a new flower that I've learned in a book but no matter how little it is it just helps me unwind and feel at peace again. So that's what I did last night and I have the start of what I think is a really neat layout, it's going to include some new Bo Bunny that I got at We B Scrappin. The weather is rainy so pull out your craft stuff and start scrappin or crafting whatever you enjoy.

http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/12-tags-of-christmasday-12.html
Here is a challenge for you all, Tim Holtz grunge roses. I've made them with cardstock and regular paper and they aren't that easy but look awesome when they are finished. I just bought some grunge paper and am going to try them with that to see if it's easier. Use scrappaper that way if it doesn't turn out right you aren't disappointed that you wasted the paper and if it turns out awesome add some GM or glitter or stickles and jazz it up : )

My Scrapbook area

2010-06-14T11:36:00.000-04:00

Well my scrapbook area has been temporarily unavailable. As you know we are putting on the sun room and it is going to have a gas fireplace in it. Well of course where the gas line is run comes right thru the ceiling where my scrapbooking area is, sooooo. I've had to cover everything up for a few days so that nothing gets wrecked! Today they are suppose to be installing the fire place so maybe this week I will be able to uncover my stuff, but I won't do it until they finish patching the hole in the ceiling and everything is done cause I don't want anything to happen to my stuff. I think I have a couple projects that I have done that I haven't shared yet so I will try to post that this week when I get a free minute.

Other than that I wanted to share a "proud Mom" moment with you all. Elias has been pretty much working 7 days a week since basketball ended. He works M, W, F from 5-9pm at Delta Sonic, Saturdays and Sundays he works any where from 6 to 8 hours at Delta Sonic, Tuesday evenings after school he does his cleaning at the Apts for Dan and Thursday evenings he does his lawn mowing at 2 of Dan's properties and at our house. Soooooo Saturday when he was going to work he said I hope I get out early today and don't have to close. Well I guess when he was working he heard from some of the other employees that there were several people who didn't show up and/or didn't call in so they were short handed esp. for closing. Elias went to his boss and told him if he wanted him to he could take another break so he wouldn't go over 8hours (being a minor he can only work 8hrs in one day) and then he could stay to close for him. His boss was very happy and commented to him that he has a great work ethic for such a young person. Then proceeded to ask Elias how old he was and he told him he just turned 17 and his boss thought he'd just turned 18. Anyways I was so proud of him giving back because during basketball season there were many times when the coach would change practice last minute and his boss always let him go when he needed to. He has really made me proud!! : ) Thanks for listening to my brag!!

New Prima Designers

2010-06-14T08:42:00.000-04:00

Below is a link to the new Prima Design Team, I didn't make the cut but it's okay everything happens for a reason so congrats to all the designers check out their beautiful work!

http://prima.typepad.com/prima/2010/06/introducing-the-2010-prima-design-team.html#comments

Altered bottle close ups

2010-06-10T07:24:00.000-04:00

Altered bottle side view

2010-06-10T07:19:00.000-04:00

This is a really easy project to do, you just take your scraps I also used some light blue and cream colored tissue paper that I had on hand. I used the studio matte finish and applied it to the back of the scraps then to the fronts and I layered them on to the bottle and just kept adding and layering until I got the look I wanted. I then added some Prima "say it in crystals" then some Prima flowers, leaves and some crystals and pearls to the neck of the bottle.

Altered Bottle

2010-06-10T07:13:00.000-04:00

I decided to alter a bottle that I had saved and used in the past for a flower vase. This is a great shaped bottle, they are a little fatter than a wine bottle and just a little shorter. I drink a juice called Ningxia Red it is a health drink that is full of antioxidants and is really good for you so I always have these bottles if anyone wants one or 2 just let me know and I can save them for you.

Anyways I pulled out mys scraps bucket and just started ripping and tearing pieces that I wanted to use on this, I stayed with the theme of blues with a little pink because I'm going to take this up to our camp for a decoration up there and I've decorated with an pale aqua blue color.

Glimmer Glass

2010-06-10T07:11:00.000-04:00

Here is a close up of the glimmer glass fish, I painted them with the Studio paints then glimmer misted the front of them with the iridescent gold gm.

Splash

2010-06-10T07:07:00.000-04:00

Finally this uploaded the right way YEAH!!! I had a lot of fun making this layout, it's my first time using the tattered angels glimmer glass (the fish) they are really neat to work with. If you heat them with your heating tool they become flexible and you can shape them how ever you want. These photos are of my brother going down the water slide on the cruise we went on the pool on the ship had a slide. It was so hot being July in the Caribbean that we spent a lot of time in the pool when we were on board the ship.

The Prima paper I cut out the center and used the outside as a boarder, I layered it over a piece of textured cardstock that sprayed with glimmer mist and painted. Then I took a pencil and witht he eraser dipped it in white acrylic paint and dabbed it randomly on the page. I cut a few strips of cardstock and patterened paper and layered them at the top to kind of make a wave like pattern. Then addedt the fish and the flowers to dress it up a bit.

Splash - Layout

2010-06-09T08:59:00.000-04:00

Okay so I've been messing around all morning to get this photo to post right side up, (so frustrating) so I'm going to post just the close up that I took so you could see the details and will fuss more with the whole photo tonight when I'm home from work. So here you can see I used some bubble wrap again ( I love this look) and painted it with a blue, green and a white in different spots then rubbed on my page to creat a textureed back ground. I actually glimmer misted the page first in clover, and sea glass just random to give it some shine. The paint actually dries pretty quickly so you don't really have to use a heat gun as that does tend to curl your page.

My Baby is 17 today

2010-06-08T07:56:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to wish Elias a Happy 17th birthday, it seems so weird like I really can't believe that he's 17. They grow up way to quickly!

Baby Fun

2010-06-07T11:18:00.000-04:00

So Saturday I was at Danielle's baby shower and her friend was there who had a 5 week old baby Gabriella, beautiful baby and beautiful name. Anyways naturally I sat right next to her so that I could hold her the minute she woke up! : ) I was lucky enough to be able to feed her and hold her most of the time.

Then Sunday I went to my brother's house to see my neice's new baby girl who is only 6 weeks old her name is Margaret aka Maggie, and she is soooooo adorable and sweet. I held her also the whole time, she was awake for awhile and has the most beautiful eyes!

Seems like everyone around me is having babies and I'm in heaven. Especially since my baby will turn 17 years old tomorrow : ).

Mommy to be and baby book pictures

2010-06-06T19:57:00.000-04:00

Here is the Mommy to be, she is so cute and tiny!

This page was painted with the new claudine hellmuth studio paints, I blended dash of red and painterly pink to make the hot pink color, then used the lettuce green dabber for the one side and the edges. I love the paint dabbers cause you can use them more like an ink (chalk ink) they dry really fast and you can just dab or swipe on what you want. Added lots of prima flowers and bling to make it super girly.

This page was actually an oops, I painted it with lettuce green paint dabber, then decided to add this texture to it, I will have to look up what it was called but I blended it with the green paint and well it did look awsomely (is that a word?) cool but it made the green a little drab and not the color I was looking for on this project so I used a pink colored paint to dab on the edges then covered the page with patterned paper, it turned out fine (thankgoodness!) Being a "girly" baby book I used a lot of my premade butterflies.

MYLIFEMYPUGSMYSCRAPBOOK

Lots of Pics - And a big thank you to all who donated to Pugapalooza 5

An Amazing Give Away ....check this out

So much to catch up on

Vintage Give Away - You've got to check this out

Hand Died Crinkle Seam Binding

Hello out there

Finally a new post - A Tag & Canvas

Give Away on Donna Downy's Blog - Simply Me

Blog to share and Getting ready for my final crop of the year

Thank you to Stampin & Scrappin Time & Canvas Layout

Picture Heavy Post - So much to share

Pug Rescue Donations & Jennifer McGuire Ink Videos

Prima's Jack and Jill Line

Another Scrapbook Weekend

Some old pictures

Eerie Sky

Glimmer mist and glimmer glam

Just a quick Hello

6 X12 Canvas Layout

One more Pic - drippage

Donna Downey - Layout

2nd Page of my Scrapbook Challenge

First up - My scrapbook Challenge

Hello

It's Friday......

Senior Year

Super Awesome Exciting Weekend Coming up

Tags

Vicki Chrisman's Color Challenge

Weekend Crop to Benefit the Pug Rescue

Basketball-Camp-Mom & Dad -- New Layouts

Beaches and Babies

Personal Post - FYI

Another cool blog to share

Mini Book - a few more pics

More Pages from the mini book

Bo Bunny design team

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

Handmade Flowers

Exciting News........

Page Maps & new layout

Close ups

Stealing my lounge chair

Enabling - Tim Holtz

Tattered Angels and Pug Design to share

Never Enough Time

More Freebie - digital scrapbook kits

Busy busy busy

Just something to share

Bo Bunny and Recycling

Fun in the sun more Bo Bunny

Bo Bunny Box

Bo Bunny Project

Bo Bunny Cards

Bo Bunny Layout No. 2 - Prceless Moments

Beautiful - Bo Bunny Layout

New Layout to Share- lots of distressing

Bo Bunny New Collections....

Update

Another Summer layout

Websters Pages Seaside Retreat - Cross Lake Layout

New From Graphic 45

Give Away's

Stampin and Scrappin Time

Sweet pugs

Sweet Pugs

Flowers upclose- Christmas layout

Flower - Christmas Layout

Christmas In July

Freebies

Philly Eagles

Details - Pugs in their Eagle's outfits

From my neices layout

More Pics and the bracelet my sis got me

Family Pictures

Family and Old Friends

Bo Bunny??? Maybe My Calling???

Pug Stamps to Benefit Pug Rescue of New England

Jennifer McGuire & Cards for Kids