Jillibean Soup goes Green!

Don't ya just love it!? I love FROGS and immediatley fell in love with the frog paper from Jillibean Soup! The photo is of our little wintering tree frog. I am not even sure how I obtained such a good photo - IRL you can see the moisture on the little suction cups of his toes, every bump and scale...it's something to see! Seems impossible I could have gotten that shot through aquariun glass, but I must have. I know if you bring the lens over the top he goes into hiding quickly.

Speaking of hiding - how many frogs do you count in this layout? To date no one has gotten it right the first time. I thought hiding frogs was a great interactive "I Spy" layout.


I used a Magistical Memories scallop circle frame as a base for a lily pad. Is that frog, cut from the paper, cute or what!?


I created the LO for the journaling challenge at ACOT - "green" is our theme. How does green make you feel, why do you like green, or in this case, the action of "going green".

Yes, I do know how to spell "conscience", but I was so busy trying to follow the curve of my handcut leaf and placing letters that I missed one. Hate that when it happens, but I am not going to do it over. Considered it, then though - ahhh, it is a part of scrapbooking. I have other projects waiting to be made!

Keep on telling your friends to leave a comment in the previous Border Punch giveaway blog post - need about 70 more comments to date before I draw! Thanks for coming by and joining me briefly as we share the journey!

Border Punch Giveaway!

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and although many will tout the “Luck of the Irish”, I have to share, with the risk of being boo-hoo’d, that I don’t believe in luck. Nor do our children. Today’s shared layout speaks of our firm position that there is no such thing as luck.

The journaling reads:Rabbit feet and 4-leaf clovers for good luck; stepping on cracks, standing under ladders, or black cats crossing your path for bad luck- we don't believe in any of those things. We don't believe in luck - because we know God is sovereign and in control of every occurrence - there is no such thing as LUCK.

This past Friday was the 13th - when I had our son stand under a ladder, and had our daughter stand on cracks in the sidewalk. Nothing bad happened…and in fact, our son declared it a very GOOD day because the video game he had ordered and had been waiting for finally arrived. I still recall the day six years ago when we were out walking with the neighbors. Not sure how the conversation began, but the older neighbor girl said something about good luck, and our five year old spoke right up, “there’s not such thing as luck, our fate is controlled by God.” I was walking ahead of the kids, overheard the conversation and smiled inwardly. My husband has voiced those exact same words many times…who says kids don’t parrot their parents? (LOL)


Putting this layout together was inspired by coming across an old photo from my childhood – one of my favorite black cats on the farm. I had named them all Spooky…and I think I got up to Spooky the V. Knowing I had a Magistical Memories “Black Cat Scroll” in the chipboard bin was the catalyst I needed to put this layout together. The green patterned papers are Reminisce and Collage Press. You may also note the use of the Fiskars Upper Crest border punch. Do you like it?

Well, this could be your chance to get one! To celebrate the recent fortune of finding a job in this downtrodden economy, and the upcoming celebration of 46 years in my journey, I want to give away the Upper Crest border punch. I want to bless someone!

All you have to do is leave a comment in THIS THREAD, and tell me one blessing you have experienced today. Send a friend over to post, make sure they include your name, and you will be entered again. Please, I need to limit the drawing to U.S. citizens only. Unfortunately, we are still recovering from my previous job loss, so I cannot be too extravagant with shipping costs, as much as I wish I could be!

I would love to have Abby draw a name on Thursday, March 26th, HOWEVER, I want to see at least 100 comments left before the drawing takes place. So please help spread the word - thanks! I know God is in control of this drawing, and I cannot wait to see who He is going to bless with Upper Crest!

Sunshine - Spring is Near!

By special request (just for you Carol!), I am reposting "Little Miss Sunshine" featuring Cosmo Cricket papers and journaling cards. I believe I used three journaling cards on this layout - using two to create the window. It remains one of my all time favorite layouts, and seems so appropriate today with the sun shining for two days in a row. I don't see daffodils, but some dianthus are up out of the winter ground by about 5" - spring is coming!


For the window I stamped a bird in one section, and created a valance with Fiskars Threading Water border punch. I also framed it in with black cardstock.

Yesterday was my first photogrophy group meeting - comprised of several folks from our church and their friends. The groups are called BAGs (Blackhawk Affinity Groups), which bring together people with common interests in a small group. When a church is several thousand, like Blackhawk, small groups are key into getting connected and being a part of a church family.

The theme for our March meeting was "edible". Since I joined the group on Thursday, I quickly took some shots Saturday morning.

I took this photo with my Nikon D80 - and honestly am not beyond using any mode other than automatic yet. I have a lot to learn, but seemingly no spare time to learn it. I am sure you know how that goes!

Here is a close up using the macro setting on my Olympus C-765. I love my little pocket camera for close-ups. One of the folks in our group showed me how to get a macro shot with the Nikon - I was having trouble with that. I learned at least three things yesterday, and met about 8 great people. I already have ideas for the April challenge, which is "empty space". Totally scrappable ideas floating in my head - can't wait to try and make the visions become reality in a photo!

Have a wonderful Sunday - back to my bible study for class tonight, and I plan to finish a "Luck" themed layout for the Magistical Memories March theme contest - you still have time to create and enter for awesome chipboard!

Thursday Recap, Happy Mail and Sponsor Thank Yous!

What a day it has been! I left at 8 am and got home at 8:30 pm.
An abbreviation of my day includes:- drove Kyle to band practice on acct. of cold and windchill
- Finished getting Abby to school, did some PR work for the "cards for soldiers" event
- worked for 8+ hours, passed my exam!! (YEAH)
- Parent/teacher conference for our son - we had to fill out papers for middle school (yikes!! reality is - my little boy is not so little anymore!)
- Art Night/Spaghetti dinner at the school, great to see neighbors and friends from our former church
- Bible study with my girlfriends
- Home again to say good night to the kids!

I worked late, which made us late for PTC, which put us behind getting in line for the spaghetti dinner, which made me late for bible study - but at least the gals did not abandon ship (or coffeehouse), and waited for me to get there. It has been one of those non-stop days.

I am so relieved to have taken my exam at work. It took a chunk out of my day leaving LOTS on my Friday to do list. I am doing some more PR work tonight on the cards event - but here I am blogging right now. (LOL) A great thing about networking - my friend Donna read about the "cards for soldiers" event and had some pre-made thank you card fronts on hand intended for soliders - and passed them to me. I wasn't sure how I was going to find time before Mar. 24th to make up some pre-mades for those wishing to write a thank you and not make a card - that concern resolved! Thank you Lord and thank you Donna!

I have to give a shout out to other awesome sponsors for "Cards for Soldiers". Besides Donna, fellow scrapper Candy P. donated a packet of papers and cardstock to make cards - it arrived today - thank you Candy! As did my friend Kati R., whom I worked with at the store. Kati's hubby is a military man, and Kati is also helping me on the day of the event to assist folks with making cards.

Fiskars came through will a cart FULL of product - from papers, both flocked and glittered, to punches, trimmers and adhesive. The unexpected donation of tools is going to make my task easier, as now I am not going to worry so much about pre-cutting everything. The kids will have a super time using the punches. Fiskars also donated some caddies, perfect to put the writing utensils, glue bottles and such in. I hope to host this event at least twice a year and having the tools will be helpful. After meeting with Donna this evening, the tools can also be used for a huge city wide volunteer effort that our church is doing in May. MUCH appreciation goes to Stephenie Hamen for pulling all the products together for me. It was wonderful to have lunch with her this week and catch up on how she and her family are settling into the area.

Cosmo Cricket sent a number of crafting kits, and the Scrapbook Superstore in Madison also donated consumables for the card-making event.

Thank you to ALL of our sponsors! We should have plenty of materials for this card-making event and more. I hope to use any left-over products to create items for silent auctions and other community fund-raisers.

I learned in the "spaghetti line" this evening that Abby begins a "gifted and talented" class on Tuesday, for Math, I assume. This was news fed to me by the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. C, that works with the advanced readers, as I went through the line. (She was scooping sauce.) (LOL) I know the kindergarten teachers were concerned that our school has no program for gifted children in 2nd grade or under. I appreciate Mrs. C going to bat for our kids, and getting something going. Now I don't have to worry about Abby being underchallenged and bored in school during mathtime.

When I wrapped up my busy-ness of a 13 hr day, I did discover a couple of great packages that had come in the mail. One was Candy's donation - yeah! The other was a pizza like box... can't even begin to express how excited I get over anything shaped like a pizza box. Some time ago I had won a blog prize from Bo Bunny. Well, it arrived today - and my heart be still - the box contained my most favorite of all the BoB releases- LOVE SHACK! I so heart the bright, sizzling, tropical colors. I cannot wait to find time to play with it...although if future weeks are like this one - I have not scrapped one iota since Sunday night!

Thank goodness I am heading to Plover, Wi on April 18 for the Fiskars crop! Rather than layouts I hope to work on one-two of the many mini albums I envision. It will require much less packing of supplies if I go the mini album route.

I wanted to announce a fanstastic give away today...but instead really wanted to give a shout out to the event sponsors. Be assured you will want to watch for my RAK - hint: a much sought after tool.

Happy scrapping! Take joy in the most wonderous of God's creations - YOU!

Cards for Soldiers - This March

Hey all - just a quick post to let you know about an event coming up in Cross Plains end of the month. God put this project on my heart - and my goal is to have the community and surrounding area rally to make 100 cards for military personnel serving our country from this area. I will be making some cards ahead of time as well for people who only wish to write a note of thanks.

If you could pass the word about this event that would be great. Crossroads Coffeehouse is having someone make up posters - if you have a good spot to place an 8.5x11" poster please stop by the coffeehouse (if you are local) by the end of the week to pick one up, or contact me I will make sure you receive one.

Following is a little press release should you like to help me advertise it through your own means, whether it is Facebook, blogging, or an internal company newsletter or ad flyer.

"Cards for Soldiers" - March 24th from 10-11:30 a.m., and 1:30-3:00 p.m. at Crossroads Coffeehouse, 2020 Main St., Cross Plains. Come and make/write a card of thanks for our military service men and women. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by adult. Coffee and hot chocolate provided. Hosted by Crossroads and Edward Jones-Cross Plains Branch. Sponsored by Sprint Print II, Middleton; Fiskars Craft Division, Madison; Cosmo Cricket, Utah; Dab’N Stick, Illinois; Scrapbook Superstore, Madison.

Every day I am thankful that I have the freedom to worship, vote, and live without fear. Too often we take for granted the freedoms we have, and if it were not for those ensuring our freedom, our world would be a much different place. Thanks for helping me spread the word.

Dabby Glue Review

No pics this eve...just a shout out for a product that deserves some attention. This past summer when I attended CHA I was given a sample bottle of Dab'n Stick "Scrapbook Glue" and "School and Craft Glue". Being pretty loyal to my tried and true adhesives, the samples sat all these past months. HOWEVER, as I am organizing a "Cards for Soldiers" event in our community, I wanted to find an economical adhesive that would be easy to use for people of all ages, was not messy, and would stretch our budget $ of zero.

I remembered Dab'n Stic, and googled for retailers. I found it in the JoAnn Fabrics on-line store, and read a partial review that gave a negative review. Hmmm, I thought - let me test the glue myself, so I did. The complaint noted that the paper moved around and it did not stick. I tested both the glue made for scrapbooking, and the school and craft version. What I found is that the Scrapbook glue allowed for some play time - the glue did not dry immediately which is good if you need to line something up just so -as often is needed on scrapbook pages. BUT once dry - I could not tear the papers apart.

Then I tried the School and Craft version. This glue dried much quicker, and again - I could not rip the papers apart. I tested both text weight and cardstock weight papers. No complaints! For the card making event I wanted the School and Craft glue. A wonderful perk to these glue bottles is that they last SO MUCH longer than glue sticks - not to mention they actually hold. If teachers were to try this glue they would never return to glue sticks! If you teach card classes at a scrapbook store I recommend you give Dab'N Stic a try. Having had experience in teaching, I know that adhesive can add up quickly on your expense report when instructing. Tape runners are fast and clean, but so often novice crafters/class participants, will run a strip of adhesive down the entire side of the card vs. putting just a bit in the four corners. If this happens to you - you owe it to yourself to try these glues.

I thought I had nothing to lose by contacting the company for a donation. It turns out that Norm, the gentleman who replied to my email, served in the military. He replied, "I am encouraged there are still caring individuals such as yourself willing to do such a worthy project for our young men and women serving our country overseas and placing their lives in danger for the benfit of all of us here back home. We will be sending you a case of our Crafty Dab School & Craft Glue." How awesome is this company? I have plenty of papers in my stash for the cause, so if I had no paper donors I could still pull off the event - adhesive cost was my greatest concern, and Norm just eliminated it!

"Cards for Soldiers" is coming up on March 24 - my goal and hope is that the community will rally and create 100 cards to send to soldiers who are serving on behalf of our freedoms. I will be posting soon about this event, but for now, I really wanted to give a shout out to a company who deserves to be noticed.

Multi-tasking Office Decor!

I am loving my new office. I have this huge cherry finish desk that is beautiful - but I knew as soon as I started my new job that I would want to create some personalized items for my desktop.

The motivation to get creating was a SB Etc. office decor call. Even if my projects are not picked up, I am thrilled with my projects. In fact, as I set them just so on my desk this morning I admit...I sipped my coffee and probably enjoyed looking at them for several minutes. Weird, eh? Who knew that homemade craftiness in the office could be so enjoyable? (LOL)

My project is a simple, bare-naked pine tissue box cover that I found at JoAnns, all dressed up in paper by Crate Paper Designs and a mix of flowers by Daisy Ds, Bazzill, and Prima. The best part of this rather utilitarian decor item, however, is that I made it into a photo cube! I cut pockets from non-glare, acid-free sheet protectors to hold 3.5x5" photos and stitched them onto three sides.



The fourth side of the box contains a quote I wrote about family, staged on a Magistical Memories nested bracket shape. In our company we believe in treating all of our clients like family, and our mission is to care for their needs - my quote was actually inspired by the company philosophy.

Did you spot the use of Fiskars new border punch - Apron Lace? I LOVE it and used it on all of my weekend projects.

Created to coordinate is a frame that displays a 4x6 photo of my family.

This project uses a "Swirling Good Time" chipboard shape from Magistical Memories, whick I cut into three sections, sprayed with Latte Glimmer Mist and distressed with olive and teal chalk inks.

Other Monday night musings... I found a new site today - Craft Critique. It looks to be a great site filled with information. I love articles that offer reviews and product feedback - check it out - I shared the blinkie in the sidebar on your right.

Funny thing happened today... I was enjoying a dark chocolate Snickers bar (have always loved Snickers and thrilled when they began making them with dark chocolate) - anywhoooo...I was finishing up a training module, celebrating my progress with candy and coffee...and my jaw started hurting. It started to hurt real bad with each chew...but did I stop eating my candybar? No, wasn't going to throw away a perfectly good Snickers! At some point I realized I could not get my teeth to come together on the one side of my mouth. Dang...lockjaw? I had that when I was like 19 yrs old - haven't chewed gum since. I called the dentist who told me to take 4 ibuprofen, 2 Tylonel and go to bed for the rest of the day. Yeah right...I just ate sugar, drank coffee, felt totally wired and I was supposed to go to sleep??!! Ain't happening. SO here I am at nearly 11 pm still feeling wide awake (afterall, it is really only 10 pm). The idea is to relax the muscle and not use my jaw - no talking, eating, etc. I told the kids I am not supposed to talk...do you think that stopped them from asking me questions all evening long? Ummm...if you are a mom you know the answer to that one. I've been trying to hide in the office, but they find me! (LOL) I am hoping that tomorrow will find my mouth back to normal after a good nights sleep. Otherwise it is day of "no talking" and nourishment through a straw, and I supposed a call to my doctor for a stronger muscle relaxer. Here's hoping for a peaceful rest - afterall, Weber blood is in me and talking is what we do! (LOL)

Magistical Memories Potty Girl Kick Line!

Of all the people in the world you really stand out in a crowd, and make it a better place to be. Thanks for being my friend.

That is the greeting I came up with for the inside of this card. When I learned that the theme for my firstever card swap was to be black and white, with a pop of color allowed, I had an instant mojo moment. I had an idea, vision, and was determined to make it happen.

First, however, I had to find b/w patterned paper of potty people. Nada. So I decided to make my own. I scanned in the Magistical Memories chipboard shape and traced it with pencil tool in Photoshop to create clip art, which was scaled down and used to step and repeat to make custom patterned paper. Rows and rows of potty girls - thus my kick line. (LOL)

I colored in one “potty girl” on the paper and popped the chipboard shape off card in same color, to emphasize the theme of the sentiment inside the card.
I also embossed and sanded Coredinations cardstock to reveal red core, AND swiped each swirl with red chalk ink to intensify the color.

Here is a close up of the potty girl shop, painted red and coated with Folkart Papier paper glass. Setting it off the card with foam adhesive helps her "stand out" in the crowd.


The card swap was lots of fun - and a great learning opportunity for everyone as we kick around ideas. One of the gals commented on her Bazzill chipboard and how much it absorbs, needing to use several coats of paint and ink never works as it is all drawn inside. No worries with Magistical Memories chipboard! I believe one coat of Folkart paint coated this shape - and that is using the cheapo paint! I may have done two, but I don't think so! MM chipboard also looks great when distressed directly with an ink pad - so many chipboard altering possibilities - gotta love it!

I was hoping to take a group photo of all the cards I received - but it has not happend. Been busy altering some items for a deadline this weekend - and TOTALLY love my finished projects. I am excited to share with you, but for another time...along with a RAK coming up that you won't want to miss! Be sure to check back later this week!

A Bullseye Day

It's been a great day - with lots of highs! Last night I emailed Cosmo Cricket and Fiskars to request donations for the "Cards for Soldiers" event and both companies responded quickly in support of - I am thrilled!! A friend whom I worked with at the Scrapbook Superstore volunteered to come and help me with the event - which is awesome as I was rather fearful how I would be able to instruct a potential coffeehouse full of people on how to put a card together. My friend's hubby is in the military so she really appreciates the efforts of this event.

A friend from A Cherry On Top is also sending me large scraps from her stash. Last night I pulled out a number of older papers that I may as well use for the card making event. It sounds like some local members of the Legion may get involved somehow as well - I am really excited for this event despite all I have to do to get ready for it. (LOL)

UPS delivered a box today...inside was my layout being returned from Memory Makers for the SB Idea Gallery book - that sure was fast!! I WISH WISH I could share this layout - using one of my fave all time lines from Cosmo Cricket, but alas... I cannot. I has some gosh darn clever, homemade embellishments in it, if I don't say so myself.

I attended my first card swap tonight - it was so fun and I loved seeing my friends at the store again. I will share photos of the cards soon - promise!!

Today's layout is an all cardstock creation. I just found this blog tonight: Cut Cardstock - and I admit it was one of the first LO images in my folder of imaged layouts.

Tonight I visited my friend, PennyBs blog, and she motivated me to email the folks who run a local writers group and photography group. I probably cannot do both - but I SOOO would love to have my children's stories and poetry published someday. A writing group would be good for me - hopefully motivate me to do something about my dream. Since I bought a Nikon D80 in December I have also been thinking it would be great to join a photography group and learn to take full advantage of my new camera's capabilities. Ah yes...sometimes I could use two of myself..but I don't think the world could handle it. (LOL)

If this post seems all over the place tonight it is because it is. I was too pumped up to go to bed, considered starting a digital layout...but see, type on my blog and now I am yawning. The new workday cometh...so I better hit the hay... thanks for coming by!

Why do I do this to myself?

Sometimes I question my sanity. March is just getting crazier and more crazy with all that is going on. A class every Sunday evening, and still havent' done my homework for this coming Sunday. A card swap tomorrow...just finished all my cards! Friday night is Family Fusion at our church and I am SOOO looking forward to that.

I think we are quadrupled booked for this coming Saturday - heading to Sauk Saturday morning to go to the veternarian, stopping at a big hunting/fishing place on the way home in hopes of finding red worms for the tree frog that still winters with us; Jesse has to be in Madison by 10, Abby to a dance clinic by 1 and myself to a Pampered Chef party by 2...but I have to face it, the latter is not happening.

In addition to all the training modules and testing at my new job I have decided to launch a community project - and I have just decided that I must be crazy to head up such a thing with the all important training and testing to get done...and my progress is being watched closely I am sure!

When I was working at the scrapbook store the local coffeehouse (Crossroads) had asked if I could teach a craft project to kids over spring break. Well, now I work in my hometown full-time, but I still figure there must be a way to use my God-given creative talents to promote scrapbooking, even though I work for an investor. (LOL)

What I have set in motion is to lead a "Cards for Soldiers" event on March 24th - and invite the entire community to come and make cards for our military servicemen and women. My new boss is going to donate my time for the cause. I found a local printer (thanks Sprint Print II) to donate blank cards and envelopes, and now I am trying to find patterned papers, adhesive and such.

If anyone has patterned paper they would like to send my way that would be awesome!! If I can obtain 12x12" I plan to use the huge Fiskars trimmer at the LSS to cut papers down (30-50 at a time!) and make easy work of it. All in all, I will mostly need 5.5x4.25 pieces of patterned papers and smaller ones to create interest. I welcome anything big enough to cover an A2 card, and papers cut down to 5.5x 4.25 would be most welcome!

Time and the economy may change my career, but I am still determined to promote my love for scrapbooking as opportunities allow. Sure, I may be crazy to take this project on in the busy month of March, BUT as hectic as this month may become...it is NOTHING compared to what our military service men and women are going through each and every day. I may lose a little sleep, but it is such a minute sacrifice in comparison. Don't forget as you walk this journey called life - to pray for the safety and well-being of those who protect us and our freedoms, and their families. I never take my freedom for granted... lives have been laid down for it.

March - Migration, Challenges, Giveaways!

March always sneaks up on me - no doubt because February has a few less days than other months. My husband and I are taking a class at our church every Sunday in March in the late afternoon. It did not register yesterday was the first, and we had to scramble to figure out what to do with the kids. Mostly Abby. Fortunately Jesse's folks were home and we ran them out there.

March - warmer weather, spring ahead. The songbirds wintering in the tropics shall soon be migrating and making their way to Wisconsin. By the end of March we may see some feathered friends we have been missing all winter long. Today's layout features "out on a limb" Magistical Memories chipboard from the new release - I LOVE this piece! (One of many new releases with a "critter" theme.) I knew right away I wanted to scrap a photo I have had since last spring of Abby and her dad birding. Again, the Penny Lane papers by My Mind's Eye had fun colors that worked wonderfully with this photo.

Magistical Memories has challenges and contests going on in March that could end up sending chipboard your way! Take the CRITTER CHALLENGE! The challenge will run from March 1 through March 31. Simply upload into the challenge gallery at www.magisticalmemories.com and you could be the proud winner of a very super cool prize package of chipboard goodness!!

I simply painted the bird and topped it with a coat of iridescent turquoise courtesy of Duncan Scribbles paints, which are translucent and put a nice shimmer coating on top of an opaque coat of acrylic.


For the tree branch I painted a coat of tan as a base, topped with "weathered wood" medium by FolkArt (similar to a crackle medium) and placed a top coat of dark brown over the medium once dry, to give my branch many lines and a bark-like appearance.

I used a fancy bookplate chipboard shape to frame in the title, which I created on the computer, including the "bird watcher" font, which gives me the hummingbird icon.


The theme is "Irish Eyes Are Smiling" for the Magistical Memories March contest. More info will be coming soon on this one!

Also, if you Facebook join the Magistical Memories fan page you'll be entered into a drawing to win the Scrap Easels http://www.facebook.com/pages/Magistical-Memories/126514970244 . Drawing to be held March 16th, and winner will be announce shortly there after, if you have already become a fan your already entered, if you want to be a fan click the above link and add us as a fan. Don't forget to tell your friends.

So much going on this week and this month - hope I find time to scrap a smidgen of all that is in my head. Right now I have to return to my cards for a swap on Thursday night - lots to finish! I will be sharing my card soon as it is way cool!

Penny Lane "Free Bird" by MME

"Free Bird" arrived at the LSS on my last day working there and I was thrilled to snag it, and all the new collections by My Mind's Eye! The "Free Bird" collection took me on an immediate flashback to highschool dances in the late '70s - seems every dance closed with "Freebird" by Lynard Skynard. Anyone else share this HS memory?

I immediately set out to create a layout using the Free Bird collection - starting on Monday, and not finishing until Saturday. With my new job I found only a bit of time to scrap this past week, but I plan to remedy that somehow. Inspired by the die-cut sentiment “every day deserves celebration” I immediately had thoughts of the annual birding day Jesse and I take each October to celebrate our anniversary.



For the look on the Magistical Memories “Happy Tree” I painted a base coat of gecko green, and while the paint was wet added drops of alcohol ink, which fanned out into circles -the wet paint prevented them from spreading out too much.


To make the "brad" I punched a bird shape from the PP, glued it to a chipboard circle and edged with brown marker and topped with dimensional glaze. The circle pattern on the tree ties in with the PP design to the right.


For the Magistical Memories “Bird” by Toni Rivera, part of the NEW release, I applied a base coat of acrylic to it and put a top coat of Duncan iridescent paint over the top - the shimmer does not show so well in the photo. I have been on a kick lately of using our parrot's molted feathers on my LOs vs. putting them in the trash. Just so happens these layered green feathers match the green in the paper perfectly. (LOL)

So, back to the song lyrics...anyone swaying to the music in their head yet? I actually had to look up the lyrics - it's been too long! This phrase, I thought, was interesting:
"... cause Im as free as a bird now,
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I cant change."

Well, how ill-worded is that? Because I KNOW from personal experience that a person CAN CHANGE with the Lord's help. I've not always trodden the straight and narrow path, but thankfully, because of God's grace and forgiveness, I have been set FREE as a bird to live a new life in Christ. Life is all about the choices we make. We can make all the excuses in the world and claim that we cannot change who we are, but we can with God's help, and sometimes that is the ONLY way we can be changed. If there is something about yourself, an activity or habit that you are not proud of, ask God to set you free from the darkness and He will be by your side. There is no greater feeling than to feel "free as a bird" when your old life/sin dies and you become new again in the Spirit! God bless!

First Day on the New Job!

I haven't had a chance to email everyone so thought I would post a job update here first. My first day on the new job went well, although somewhat uninteresting. The gal at St Louis HQ had written down that I start on Weds. so I was not yet entered in the system to have access. I did lots of drawer cleaning (as in sort small and large paperclips) LOL, dusted nuks and crannies on my paper trays - that kind of stuff. While doing all this I rather realized where Kyle gets that OCD from...(LOL)

Once I have access tomorrow I can begin my on-line training. Keith (the Financial Advisor I work with) sent me home at 3. We chatted earlier in the morning and it turns out I did not have to cancel the every other Friday morning bible study group I led at the coffeehouse. I met with some gals from 8:30-9:30 - and he said I could have just come in later on those Fridays. Go figure... not paid of course, but the fact that he was that flexible. I already rescheduled the group to a Thursday evening, but will still meet our daycare person/one of my very good friends, probably once a month as Friday is the only day she doesn't watch kids and was available.

I suspect I am going to love my job and it is going to be one of the best things that has happened to me - good pay, excellent benefits, understanding and flexible boss, kids can come hang out and visit me... totally loved being able to "run" home to snag a book to read when it was obvious the day was going to be slow. I think this is my payback for being very tolerant and enduring the less desireable aspects of my last two jobs. (LOL)

No art to share today - just wanted to post before going to bed. The greatest adjustment may be the less than an hour on the home PC each day. Wow!

Digi Share Time

Woo hoo! Managed to whip out two digi layouts this evening to complete my February CT assignments for Kjoi Studios. I used Lori Imel's – Be in Prayer Collection from Kjoi Studio, as well as a few extra digi elements from Kjoi and Faithsisters designers.

It feels good to have this off my to do list, as I am about ready to BURST forth into a new career on Tuesday as an Edward Jones Branch Office Administrator. I am excited to begin yet another new career, excited to meet new people, and EXCITED to be home with my family on weeknights and weekends!



Here is another layout featuring a scene from a favorite park Jesse and I like to visit on our anniversary day out in October. Each year we take a day off to celebrate our anniversary while the kids are in school. If it is nice we go hiking and enjoy the fall views. Brigham Park is almost always a stop. From a bench, just beyond these trees, we typically can watch bluebirds flitting around on a farm field fence below. It is also a great place to lay on the ground and try to catch that leaf falling in mid air on the camera...have not yet been successful, but someday! (LOL)

Have you created a layout of your favorite place to go, either alone or with a friend or family member? I would love to see it - please share a link in the comment section below.

Tomorrow is President's Day. I am off as the office is closed on this holiday. I am thrilled not to have to go into Madison to shop for pants for our growing boy. My good friend Brenda dropped off a large bag of pants this evening containing size 14 slim, or adjustable, pants and jeans! What a help!! A trip to the chiropractor in early morning to ensure my back is up to my new job (sitting at a desk can really take a toll if I am not conscience of posture) - a couple of spasms this past week has me wanting to nip things in the bud as I don't feel I can take time off for appointments once at a new job.

I hope to get a lot accomplished on Monday, and need to gather up my papers and such to report to work Tuesday. I also have a lot of cardstock scraps to file and ensure my workspace is cleared off. I need to try to do a better job of cleaning as I go so that my space is ready for creating when I have a moment of time.

Lincoln is still my favorite president of all time. The more I learn about the man the more I wish he were president right now. (LOL) Happy President's Day - and remember to find joy in the journey!

Enough....Unconventional...Eye Candy

What do those three words have in common? Nothing, other than they are used somewhere in this blog post. (LOL)

Today's shared creation was inspired by a song called "Enough", which I hope you will listen to while reading this blog. (Please click on the Chris Tomlin track #2 in the right sidebar.) It is a powerful song to remind us that through our trials and tribulations, through times of despair and feelings of hopelessness, God is ENOUGH, and He will provide for our needs.

I created this layout for the Journaling Contest at ACOT. So, of course I have to share the journaling with you:
On January 16th my position at the store was eliminated due to declining sales. The owner had no other option, but to eliminate management from the payroll; I actually felt worse for her than myself. I had a sense of peace, and thought, “if this is happening God must have a reason - He is in control.”
The second week into my job search Jesse and I sat down to make out a grocery list. We discussed foods that could make a meal to last days. We dug deep into the pantry and cupboards to see what we had that could stretch the grocery dollar - we had to give serious thought on how to make ends meet should we have to make it on one income. The next day we sang "Enough" during worship, and the words spoke to my heart. Yes, our food might become rationed, we might end up eating PBJs, but no matter - God is more than ENOUGH and He satisfies every need. “Enough” is about TRUST, and the lyrics were a reminder to trust the Provider through all trials. As I sang, much of it through tears, I felt so blessed to feel and know God's presence in my life. He is and will be more than...



The layout itself is a hybrid. I used Photoshop to add grunge overlays to the photo and mat. The overlay, designed by Kara Jones at Kjoi Studios, had a yellow overlay placed on top, and the design itself was flipped to create a torn/distressed frame around the photo. I also used the original black grunge overlay to add texture to the photo mat and carry over onto the photo. The stressed image is a reflection of the stressed time that this layout represents.

I had actually been considering doing this layout in grays and black to reflect the feelings of the journaling, and adding a bright splash of color to represent the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ. When Cath Evaldson issued a challenge this past week "dreaming in gray and yellow", it was all I needed to drop everything and get this layout created, which has been on my mind for several weeks.

There is symbolism throughout this layout.

The bird which reminds me of the passage in Matthew 6 where God tells us not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear. He feeds the birds of the air, and are we not more important than they? I even added a feather, courtesy of our lovebird, as a reminder of the passage where God knows the number of hairs on our head, and He keeps His eye on the sparrow.


There is a family of four created with Magistical Memories Potty People, representing four mouths to feed.


I rummaged through our cupboards, much like we did a few weeks ago, seeking box labels sporting yellow, and a bread bag tag in yellow to date the layout. Ohter unconventional items include a grocery receipt and expired coupon.

And just in case you don't have ENOUGH stuff...check out Melissa's blog. She is sharing great eye candy made with new DCWV and has a great giveaway. Be sure to check in by Feb. 19th for a chance to win!

In these hard economic times I know we are all thinking twice about using our stash. This layout sports some pretty old papers. Note the KI Memories from several years ago, Scenic Route that is so old I don't even know when Scenic Route paper ever looked like that (the sun design paper), and some scraps of the newer Basic Grey release from last year. If times are tough and you cannot afford new scrap supplies...look through your stash. You will be amazed how you can make the old look fresh and new again by mixing and cutting it up!

Enjoy the journey...and remember that God is enough for every thirst, every need, He satisfies...

Yellow, Gray and what...?

I think I am almost out of yellow and gray in my stash. (LOL) Cath Evaldson posted a FB challenge to use yellow and gray for a project, so I pulled out everything I could find in that scheme - not a whole lot in my stash.

However, the first LO I created is primarily yellow and gray with a few accents of red. I created it for the ACOT Journaling Contest, but once done I really liked it - it uses unconventional project and is really about the times we are living in. So rather than share it on line I decided to send it to Memory Makers Skylimit open submission - and of course they only accept unseen work. Of course I am:


But if one doesn't dream life would be dull, right? Seriously, if MM likes it they have to respond in 48 hrs as I am for sure posting it to ACOT, and I already submitted it to some other magazines as well. Fat chance anyone will bite on it, which means I can share with all of you soon.

As soon as I finished Cath's challenge a similar color scheme challenge was posted at Scrap4Life - using yellow, gray and pink. Whoa...I still had product out and dug a little deeper into my Basic Grey stash. How ancient is some of the papers in "Dream Big" eh? I stayed up WAY too late - 1 a.m. to get this challenge done. The hardest part of my new job will be changing my late night scrapping habit. I love to scrap in the quiet of the night, and never feel tired as long as the mojo is flowing. BUT I will need to be sharp at my new job so I can learn, thus I think I will be going through creative withdrawal. I don't dare start a project at 9 pm as time just flies away unnoticed when I am creating.

I also made to cute cards with the yellow and gray combo - will save them for tomorrow so you less to read today, and I have something to post tomorrow. Thanks for coming by!

Life is full of IFs

Another not so new layout, but a favorite still and worth sharing this time of year. Inspired by the MetLife commercials while watching Charlie Brown specials - lIFe is full of IFs - what if this and what if that...

Life is full of choices. What if I had done this or taken up that job offer...where would I be today... These are questions one might ask oneself, and the journaling in this layout reflects upon the "what IFs" in my life. I do believe everything happens for a reason, and as I look back I can see how God has orchestrated my life and brought me to where I am today.

What are the IFs in your life? I spend little time wondering what and where I would be now IF I had taken a job offer upon graduating from college that would have been filled with travel and excitement. It is in my past and a mute point...all I know is what really matters is where I am at, the people I love, and knowing God.

I will say I have no regrets in working 6 short months at the Scrapbook Superstore. I have met wonderful people... and although our paths may be parting I am sure we will be brought back together again by our love for papercrafting...I have no doubt I will see you in and amongst the paper aisles! (LOL)

Sweet Talks

Wow -feel like the weekend was too short! I have two more nights later this coming week to work at the LSS. Here are some key things I learned working in retail these past 6 months.
- DO be kind to the person behind the counter, they are doing their best.
- If a cashier doesn't make eye contact or chat, maybe they have a really bad cold or are not feeling well, but had no choice but to show up for work - give them the benefit of doubt
- DO NOT cruise into the store minutes before closing and stay past closing - retail workers have families, too - and many have little ones who are trying to stay awake until mommy or daddy comes home
- If you try on clothes, don't leave a changing stall full of unhung clothing - how would you like to be the person who has to clean up after one person after another?
- If you shop with your small child, put them in a shopping cart in order to keep tabs on them, and prevent them from pulling items off the shelf - children can injure themselves easily
- If you have been given the wrong change and know it - be honest (remember God sees everything)
- If you really like your store and want it to remain in business, do not shoplift. Likely products most often shoplifted will no longer be carried in the store, and if it becomes too bad the store may just have to close. NEVER think "I am the only person doing it" - shoplifting is really a common thing - which is shocking (did I mention God sees everything?)

I have also learned that:
- people who love to papercraft are a delight to work with and a delight to serve as they enter the store.
- nothing is better than inspiring the mojo of others and helping them come up with a project plan
- Talking about scrapbooking...what could be better?

Today's layout is not new (featuring Around the Block papers) - but as we near Valentine's I am reflecting on things I love most. For me, chatting with my daughter is high on my list. This layout is about enjoying the conversations I have with my daughter, in this case as her chaperone from pre-school. Transporting kids to and from activities is a great time to talk, and connect as a parent. I treasure these conversations, and hope to have many more "sweet talks" with my daughter. Enjoy your journey - even if it is in large part spent on the road as a chaperone. Talk to those sharing the ride, and if you are alone, "turn up the music" and learn how to live.

How are you all today? I just have to say that I saw the Piggy Tales tote bag at the LSS - the store owner got one at CHA - and it is in the same color combo as the Itsy Bitsy Spider line - I LOVE that green! So, I just wanted you to know.... in case you are interested in participating in the Piggy Tales "Bag A Friend" promotion.

Oh, and I will have to say again how VERY detailed the instructions are for the March kit. I used to make a living doing that kind of thing... so I would like to think a complete novice can follow my March kit instructions and recreate the projects with little effort. Above is a sneak peek - a frugal project using a peanut butter jar!

Here are details about the "Bag-A-Friend" promo direct from the Piggy Tales blog:

As usual, you had some great suggestions for our promo, so we are going with it!! We have tweaked our promo just a bit as we SpRead the loVe in FebRuary! Piggy Tales is excited to announce that we will have our first ever "Bag-a-Friend" event for our PTA (Piggy Tales Academy) kit club members! We have gotten such amazing feedback from our members about how much they love our kits, designed by well published guest designers each month, and the generous amounts of products/projects- all for $24.99 a month! We love hearing that you think that this is the best kit club eVer SOOOO we thought it would be fun to spread that love around! Invite your friends to become a PTA member from now until Valentine's Day and we will send you one of Piggy Tales fabulous new canvas 15 x15 crop bags with your March kit!! ..And that is not all- we are gonna spread a little more love too! Your bag will be stuffed with product making your total gift worth $30.00!! WOW!

HERE IS WHERE WE ARE ADDING TO THE PROMO... AND WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

NEW MEMBERSHIPS:
ANY new member between now and February 14th (or until we run out of bags) will get one of our fabulous Piggy Tales Bags. If you are a new member and you bag a friend before the deadline, you will get your bag AND it will be *stuffed with product too!! Your friend will get a bag only, until they "Bag a Friend" (once they do, then they will get product stuffed in their bag!)

CURRENT MEMBERS:
You will get a bag *stuffed with product and your friend will get a bag too!! Once they "Bag a Friend", then they will earn the product that will be stuffed in it!!

Don't forget to remind your friends of all the other AWESOME benefits of joining the PTA! Each month you will receive at least $40 worth of Piggy Tales products (you only pay$24.99+ S/H) . Each kit will include all materials needed to complete the monthly projects including detailed colored copies and instructions.

AND...
$50 in FREE Piggy Tales products after 3 months of membership
10% discount on all Piggy Tales purchases online
Exclusive promotional discounts
Exclusive Sneak Peeks on all new Piggy Tales products

***When your friend(s) sign(s) up, they MUST write in the comment box on the registration form "My friend (YOUR FULL NAME) bagged me for the PTA!" They must do this for you to receive your stuffed bag at the time they register- and there is no limit on how many bags you can earn! :) This promotion is only good on new memberships from today until February 14, 2009 ...or until we run out of bags, so hurry!! THE PROMO STARTS....... NOW!!!!!!!!!

To view the exclusive Piggy Tales 15x15 tote back click here.

To find out more about the PTA click here.

Here is another peek at one of the projects in the March kit - and did I mention there will be on-line bonus projects, and maybe even a card PDF file to download?


I really had fun working with the March Piggy Tales kit. The new releases are so much fun - you won't want to miss out, so sign up today for the PTA!

Kiss Kiss! Valentine

Not for the kids, but your significant other! This is a great card to announce a pre-arranged date for your sweetheart on Valentine’s, or any occasion. Featured for this project is Making Memories Noteworthy Valentine Collection. I used the Patterned Papers, Journal Cards, and adorable tickets; and the CUTEST lovebirds chipboard shape from Magistical Memories.

When I saw the paper design on kraft stock I knew it would make a perfect card for the man in my life. Not too "valentiney" - yet romantic. The journaling card pack is so versatile - and have much more uses than just journal cards. In this design I stitched it on the cardstock backing, and it actually became the front of my card.



In a small Ranger mister I mixed a few drops of Fire Brick distress ink with a smidgen of Perfect Pearls, filled the mister to the top with water, shook well, and misted the chipboard shape. I then took a nub and smeared a little more red ink on the wings and breast areas of the bird to make these areas pop a bit more. The wings are propped up with a glue dot. To ensure your heart shape is symmetrical in design be sure to flip your punch over and position it as you wish before punching.



I created a little itinerary on the inside with plans for our date night. One of my favorite free fonts is Social Animal, and I thought its distressed look went well with the Making Memories tickets. Can you see how this card goes beyond Valentine's Day for any date night invitation?

Another Valentine made using the Making Memories Noteworthy collection is this one:


Again, using the journaling sheet as the front of the card. I matted the kraft patterned paper onto red cardstock for durability. A ticket and chipboard heart by Doodlebug decorates the front of the card.


Open it up and a Quickutz tag pocket is adhered under the journaling sheet with a tag invitation for date night. These cards are so easy to make with the Noteworthy collection. I hope you make some time for romance in your journey - too often we take our husbands for granted - they need love, too!

Kid's Valentines w/ Piggy Tales

Today I created for a couple of challenges, including a non-traditional Valentine card challenge at ACOT. I just happened to have scraps of paper left from Piggy Tales "Ants Go Marching In" March kit collection, and whipped out two cards.

The first, for Abby, has the crypted message on the front "Buggy Over You" -did you get that? Well, I am sure our kindergartner will need help, but I know she will be quite amazed by it once I help her decipher. (LOL) Of course she is our "little bug", one of our nicknames for her, so the card is a great fit.



Kyle's card uses one of the adorable bee rub-ons I had left, and a small chipboard frame to make it stand out on the front of the card. I know the sentiment "bee my Valentine" is overused - but who could resist with these cute bees? The card is quite simple, and I criss-crossed two rows of stitching around the outside for a touch of whimsical fun.

The clock is ticking away - Abby and I still need to sit down and make Valentine's for the 24 kids in her class. I will literally be pulling out all the Valetine leftovers in my stash - papers from previous DT gigs, and all the red and pinks that I have had for too long. This is my plan for Sunday - unless I uncover a batch of leftover store bought Valentine's in my cleaning frenzy, and I just might! Next year at this time I fully plan to have a Cuttlebug - and oh how much fun Abby and I will have making Valentine's for her classmates. This year, however, I am thinking fast and easy! (LOL)

Just a note about the Piggy Tales March kit - there is a lot of buggy paper in the kit - and one could really make LOTS of similar cards. I know there are some March kits left -snag yours now!

Can You Hear Me Now?

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

I started downloading the “Can You Hear Me Now?” weekly prayer prompts from our church web-site this week. We are in week three of the series, and I wonder why I didn’t check it out sooner. Life, I suppose... Prayer is a part of every day in our home, and in my personal time with God – but it is interesting to have direction or themed subjects for prayer time.

Today’s word is “DO” and the reading of Psalm 37. The verses that jumped out at me are 3 and 4, “Trust in the Lord and DO good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The latter part of this verse actually came to mind upon my job loss – despite the loss I continued to delight myself in the Lord and trust in Him as my provider. My prayer was big – asking God to provide a new job that would in turn, provide for my family. As I reflect on how quickly I was hired by a new company in a rocky economy, can there be any doubt in your mind that all of this was divinely orchestrated? I have this vision of God putting everything into place. The timing of my job loss with the new posting of the Edward Jones position, the job being offered before I had a chance to interview elsewhere… um, yeah…this is a God thing. He is DOING on my behalf and I praise Him for that!
Now that He has fulfilled His “end of the bargain” it is my turn to DO. I want to shout it out to everyone that God provided me this new job! He is so POWERFUL and AWESOME! Can you hear me now? (LOL)

Have you questioned why God has placed you in a certain situation and you ask “why?” I have lost count of how many times that has happened to me, ESPECIALLY in the past two years. But one thing I was certain of, I had a job to DO. I am not talking about the day to day tasks of an employee’s job, but the task of going about the Great Commission. We are all called to plant seeds for the Kingdom, no matter where we go, no matter how temporary we may be in one place. I am positive that if more Christians depicted love on the outside, versus judgement and haughtiness, that the harvest would be that much greater to reap on the day of Jesus’ return. What are you DOING for the kingdom? Are you planting seeds, or are your words and actions met with disdain and falling upon hardened ground? Life situations and experiences cause hardened hearts, and only love can soften them so that a person may receive Jesus. As the song playing in the background speaks, “Let Jesus live through you and me!”

Today’s digital layout is a late one for Ivorys Designs – I apologize for being late! In the month of January I only managed one layout from her wonderful Loopy Lime collection. I guess I have been spending a lot of time these past few weeks with the job search…it couldn’t be helped. I love the color and I love the elements in her collection. One of the greatest digi tricks I learned from a Kjoi Studios tutorial recently was how to merge patterned paper onto a shape in the layer below. This is what I did with the film strip by Majula Designs – I “grouped” the filmstrip with Ivorys Designs wonderful patterned paper so that it has a circle design to pick up the roundness of a dandelions.

“Planting Seeds” meets both the February ad challenge at ACOT, and the element challenge by mITSYBELLE at Kjoi Studios – although you may think I am stretching it a bit. For the element challenge my flowers come from the photos (rules didn’t say they could not), the journaling is matted in essence with a vignette border, and the triangle shapes are actually stitched patterns in the ribbon hangers. Is that pushing it a bit, or simply thinking outside the box? (LOL)

The journaling in the layout provides an answer to a question I have asked many times, “why am I here Lord?” As I soon begin a new career, I am sure the answer will be revealed in time. God’s time, that is. I will close with verse 7 from Psalm 37, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, DO not fret...” Many of you may be waiting for an answer. Let your prayers be heartfelt, honest and offered up with humility…and always Trust, no matter the circumstances. I plan to continue scattering seeds wherever I am planted, and hope you will, too!