ScrapHappy

I challenge you...

Because I have absolutely nothing else to do (HAHAHAHAH!) I sat right down and completed this challenge from darlin' Stephanie at Homegrown Hospitality... to use my index prints on a layout. I like how this turned out, even though it is not my normal style (it's a little more rockin' than I usually get).

Want to play? Hop on over to FreckleFriends and start scrapping!

Back-To-School Survival Kit

It's that time of year and I for one am dancing inside as I think of all THREE of my children heading out the door tomorrow! Yahoo!

Even if your kids have already begun the school year, it's not too late to treat their teachers to a little something... so here's a quick project you can do in under an hour (and under $10 if you play your cards right):

Supplies:
*Mini lunchbox (I got mine at Michael's for $1)
*Patterned paper (I used Sweetwater's Cotton Candy collection)
*Adhesive
*Ink for distressing
*Corner rounder
*Label maker
*Ribbon and other embellishments as desired

1. Measure lunchboxes so you know what size to cut the paper. Mine measured around 4-3/4" x 3-1/2".

2. Trim two pieces of patterned paper to the appropriate size. Round corners and distress edges. Adhere to the sides of lunchbox. I used regular Tombow permanent adhesive; you could also use a Xyron or a Cheetah if you so desired.

3. Using glue dots or the adhesive of your choice, adhere rick-rack around edges of lunchbox.

4. Using a labeler, stickers or rub-ons, type out the teacher's name and adhere to the handle of the lunchbox. Also type out "Back to School Survival Kit" and adhere to top of lunchbox. I put mine at an angle to look a little "scrappy."

 

  5. Take a breath and admire your work thus far.

6. Fill box with "necessities," such as a protein bar, hand lotion, Purell, mints, and a Starbucks gift card (labeled  "In case of emergency"). Realize you may have just set a very high bar for future teacher gifts.

7. Tie ribbon on handles, add a tag from your child, and smile. You've done something nice for someone!

Episode 19 is in the house!

Episode 19 is in the house... listen here.

Show notes:
-Back to school! Yahoo!

-On the bookshelf: Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot, Firstlight by Sue Monk Kidd, and Four to Score by Janet Evanovich

-I'm scrapping away... new products include cute brads from Around the Block, tons of goodies from Sweetwater, and a whole box of stuff from My Mind's Eye!

-Review of the Essential Scrapbook Video Collection from CK (can't find a link anywhere on the CK site... but you can search for it on eBay if you're interested)

-Save your $7 on the DVD and instead buy the Foam Nuggets from Li'l Davis!

-I'll be at CKC Seattle in November... will you?

-Check out my BPS Blank to Beautiful class... $10 for five (six) cool home decor projects!

-Tag, You're It is underway!

-ETA: I will be the host of the Simple Scrapbooks Studio Blog for the month of September... stop by and say Hi!

Tag again

Okay, here's the scoop for the Tag, You're It game... we have 13 players. I have divided us into three groups of four, all radiating out from yours truly. I am sure I left someone out (unintentionally, you know it!) so if I left you out (unintentionally) please e-mail me ASAP and I will add you to the tail-end of one of the loops.

By tomorrow AM I will e-mail a layout and the list of your team members and e-mail addresses to the first person in each loop. She will create a LO based in some way, shape, or form upon mine. Could be as close or as far apart from mine as your little muse takes you... go with it!

When #1 has finished her LO, she will e-mail it to the next person in the loop (#2, in case you're keeping track) AND to me. Lucky #2 will rely on ONLY #1's LO as inspiration (no fair peaking back at mine or anyone before yours!!!). When finished, #2 will e-mail it to #3 AND to me, and so on, and so on, until all have had their shot. When #4  is finished, e-mail the final LO to me, and I will post your loop to my blog for all to see and be amazed at!

Rules:

1. Have fun. No stress.

2. No peaking backwards or forwards. Wait for the "big reveal!"

3. Please stick to a turnaround time of no more than 2 days. If you cannot hold to this, simply email the LO you received on to the next person. No harm, no foul. We all get busy and sometimes we bite off more than we can chew.

4. Did I say to have fun???

Of course, prizes will be awared to all participants, and a few extra goodies along the way for pure randomness.

TEAMS:

The Glue Sticks:
Deena H.
Etta
Tamara
Susan M.

The Photo Splits:
Katie S.
Amy C.
Jennifer McG.
Christel

The Rotary Blades:
Juel
Heidi
Maria H.
Abbie

Let the games begin!

"Tag, You're It!" and a few other things...

Here is my list for the inspiration relay (which will hereinafter be referred to as the "Tag, You're It" game, just because that sounded fun... hehehe).

Deena H.
Katie S.
Juel
Etta
Amy C.
Heidi P.
Tamara
Me

If you e-mailed me and you are not on the list, please send me another email ASAP. I am going to get the list out later today!

ALSO... the winner from the "scrap those darned pictures already" contest is...

REBECCA M.!!! Click on her name to see her cute LO (with pics from 2005 -- Love that!).

Rebecca, e-mail me with your snail mail addy and I will get some goodies out to you!

Just because

Do you ever have pictures that have been hanging around and you know you NEED to scrap them but you just can't get the mojo going?? Well, these two have been in my file for almost two years. Not a long time, but for this little girl, a LIFETIME.

Finally bit the bullet and got 'em on the page today. Done.

Mostly American Crafts here... patterned paper, thickers, Mini-Marks. And a handful of Hero Arts rhinestones. Because everything's better with rhinestones. Kinda like Blue Bonnet.

Do you have any of those? If so, I challenge you to pull them out and scrap them RIGHT NOW. I'm not talking about 500 pictures from your son's first year; I'm talking about a couple of photos that just aren't speaking to you but you still want to scrap. Grab 'em, grab some fun, bright paper, and get it done. Post a link here. Prizes, you ask? Well, of course! Post a link by Wednesday and I'll pick a winner. How's that for motivation?

Episode 18 is up!

Listen here.

Show notes:

-ScrapInStyle get-together was rockin! There's another in October so if you are in the Bay Area, check it out!

-Lots of love in the house: American Crafts, Reminisce, Piggy Tales, Hot Off the Press, Cloud Nine, Technique Tuesday, Heidi Grace, and more on the way!

-New class at Big Picture Scrapbooking called "Blank to Beautiful." 5 projects to get you started on your gift creation (or to keep for yourself!).

-Product review: Rebecca Cooper's "Real.Life.Scrapbooking." Get it  NOW!

-Memory Trends is coming to Vegas in September. Will you be there? I will!

Embarrassing

Tia got her socks... and actually sent me a picture!!! I told her that means she goes straight to the top of the "knit" list. ;)

School starts in about 10 days... not that I am counting!

This is one of the few weeks where my older two have NOTHING on the books. So we're just hanging out. Need to go get new shoes, new uniforms, new... you get the picture.

Wanted to take the camera with us when Kinsey and I went school supply shopping. "You know, Mom," she said, "Sometimes that embarrasses me." Oh. Well, then. She's only 7 and I am already embarrassing her??? What will happen at 16??

I guess I will just take naked pictures of them while I can.

Products: Junkitz paper, Heidi Grace glitter flowers, American Crafts letter stickers, MAMBI glitter letters, and some random paper that I can't recall. 

This was a scraplift of Stacy Julian from the Sept/Oct Simple. Scenic Route paper, Hambly overlay, Lil Davis letters, MAMBI letters, K&Co letter, KI plastic flowers and file tag, Autumn Leaves journaling chipboard tag, Making Memories brads and rub-ons, Technique Tuesday story tellers journaling box stamp, and Lil Davis bookplate. Whew. That one made me tired.   

Change is good.

That must be my mantra. I don't tend to be change-averse... in fact, I often seek out change when I've been doing the same thing for too darned long. But I got reminded of just how valuable change is this week while listening to an audio book by Seth Godin called "Small Is the New Big."

This man is a genius. Whether you are a small business entrepreneur, an author, an artist, or just a part of this economy, he's got something to share with you. He writes the stuff a lot of people think but don't dare to say. Or stuff we'd think if we had more than a split second to muse about life.

Good stuff.

The problem with late nights...

...is that you end up getting loopy and ordering something on the spur of the moment like this:

   Sorry the photo is so small. Couldn't get the big one to post.

Can I just say the Sandman made me do it???