Longing to Scrap....

Since our family was together while we were gone for the past month, I did not find myself longing for home much (it's true that home is where the heart is and my "home" was with me!) But, I sure was wishing I had packed a bag of scrapbook stuff! While visiting Sue's blog, where she posted this card she did for a Courtney's Closet challenge, I thought of the last layout I did, which at this point was months ago! A while back I did a page for Savannah that I was pretty happy with, so I wanted do a similar one for Kylie: The lighting wasn't great when I took these photos, so the colors did not show as vividly in as they really are.
As you can see, I am great at leaving spots for journaling - but not so great at actually doing the journaling! These pictures are all pretty old and pre-digital camera - but special to us. I feel as though I will forever be playing catch up with my scrapping of memorable events. I have now switched to "get it done" mode and am taking a more "no frills" approach to scrapping my old photos. If I don't, I may be documenting my children's pre-school years well into my retirement! This week I will be working on getting settled back in at home as quickly as possible so I can get back to it!

More Christmas Thank You Cards!

This gingerbread man card ended up getting messy from the sticky fingers of a certain four year old........

And teeth marks from a certain three year old determined to find out if he tasted like a real gingerbread man.......

Needless to say, this card will go to said three and four year olds when their Mommy wants to thank them for something.....like not eating cards again!

Sweet Savannah

My husband has been away on a business trip - but today he is back - yaaa! In his absence, guess what I've been doing?! It has been fun revisiting some baby pictures and doing some long overdue scrapping. Here's a layout I did last night of our sweet, silly Savannah - wasn't she an adorable baby?

We Love Mexico!

I am all over the place with my scrapping - hence the need to finally finish this layout from 2004! I would really like to do some serious catching up over the next few months... Hopefully it won't take as long for me to do the journaling!

What a Month So Far!

We have been busy! Not much time for hobbies around here right now; but I can post the card the girls and I made last week for my father in law's birthday. (That was a picture of him on the front of the card :)) He loved it (but loves anything from his grandkids) and we put more pictures on the inside for him too.

We followed last week's Friday Sketchers sketch - but got so busy I never posted it in time...Oh well!

Friday Sketchers #17

I made this today following the sketch of the week on the Friday Sketchers blog. Don't know if I will submit it....since this will be my first time doing this, I don't know what the rules are....I see that everyone uses cute characters on their sketches - is that a requirement (using a character stamp)? Regardless, I made this anyways......I won't use it for a card - it will go on a layout with pictures of my daughter wearing her pink Osh Kosh overalls so I used an Osh Kosh button on the flower.

(Also, check out Joey's very cute card for this challenge. I love the pink and yellow flowers!)

I used paper from the Close To My Heart Boom-Di-Ada paper pack, other CTMH products used: postmarked stamp, waxy flax, my accessories (colonial white), clear inspirations..., and beads from one of the girls' broken bracelets!

Have a Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Last Night's Card

I stayed up last night to finally do something with the paper I had been wanting to use, the CTMH Boom-Di-Ada. Love the paper! Not sure what I think about the card yet :) But I had a good time making it!
Paper from CTMH Boom-Di-Ada level 2 paper pack, CTMH organdy ribbon/autumn harvest & striped from chocolate collection, CTMH "My Accents" eyelets & spiral clip in colonial white, CTMH Cottage Floral Stamp Set, used CTMH Liquid Glass on stamped flowers and leaves.

Picture Help!

I started this layout a couple of months ago at a friend's house (thanks Mel!) I am not accustomed to creating layouts without pictures already in mind for the layout so it took me a while to decide what pictures to use. I finally decided on pics from us (along with my husband's sister) taking my father-in-law out for Fathers' Day dinner. It is still a work in progress as I have journaling and other fun things to add, but I am stuck with the picture on the first page. I really wanted to use it because it was so sweet how Sammie wanted to give her Daddy a flower she had just picked (okay it was a dandelion weed, but to her it was a beautiful flower!) What I am not thrilled about is all of the cars in the background since we were in a parking lot. Any suggestions on taking the focus off of the cars?

I've joined the Sisterhood!

No, I'm not talking about traveling pants or a religious order :), but I have joined the "Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers". It seems that I am joining all kinds of things lately, but I am making up for some lost time... Anyhow, the "Sisterhood" is a community of crafty ladies, sharing ideas and a love for all things beautiful that can be made with our hands. Each SBS group is limited to twenty women and I have just 'enlisted' in SBS Group 23. I have been ogling the goings on in other SBS groups for a while now and decided to take the plunge and can't wait for the fun to begin! Be sure to check out the work of the talented people in our group listed in the right hand column of my blog.

Please bear with me as I introduce myself to my new friends:
My name is Kristin and I have been wanting to join an SBS group for some time now...I have a great love for all things crafty, but am just now at this juncture of my life finding the time to enjoy some of the things I love. I think it is more that I am now making the time, otherwise it wouldn't happen. I love to scrapbook and stamping is quickly becoming a favorite medium in the things I do. In the past, I would buy supplies with grand intentions and never get around to scrapping! I quit working a year ago in October and the more I adjust to my redefined role at home, the more I enjoy being able to create and work on those stacks of pictures that seem to be endless....I look forward to SBS being a motivator and reminder for me to take some time out for myself and get busy!

I started my blog as more of a way to stay in touch with friends, have an outlet for my thoughts and share a little bit of myself. It is very much a work in progress. To this point I have not used it to display much of my layouts, etc. but that will be changing! I love seeing the creativity on everyone's blogs!

I live on the currently VERY hot U.S. west coast with my husband and three beautiful little girls. Although we are in the desert, I am a beach girl at heart. From the time my husband and I began dating 11 years ago, we have escaped the desert and spent as much time at the beach as possible....any beach :). Give us a few days off and we are there!

I have have just signed up as a Close To My Heart consultant (another thing I just joined:)) and I mean just - the stuff is still in the box! My starter kit arrived as we were leaving for (you guessed it), the beach. So stay tuned for the fun I can't wait to have with my new CTMH products!

I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Happy Birthday Kylie!!

This month we celebrated Kylie's 6th birthday. It is hard to believe our first baby is six!! Lately Kylie has really wanted to spend time with me scrapbooking, so I decided one of her gifts would be her very own set of supplies. (this is where the $ spot at Target came in handy) I put an old ice cream tub to good use with a little bit of paper, ribbon, etc... (I told my husband I was sure I would need an old ice cream tub someday!) Kylie was delighted with her gift and as soon as all of our vacationing is over we will have plenty of pictures to get work on together!

Close to my Heart

No, this is not a mushy post about what is close to my heart! (oh, so many things)
This is a post to say I did it! After spending the past year becoming more enthralled with Close To My Heart products, I decided to become a consultant. I quit working this past October (well, officially "working" - I think I am working harder than ever though!) Once I got past the adjustment and shock to my system of not having to be chained to my computer all day long (and often into the wee hours of the night), I was able to devote some of my time to hobbies I had neglected. So, I have been scrapbooking as time permits and loving it!

For me, I started using CTMH products as a VERY easy (and fast!) way to create great scrapbook gifts since their kits are effortless and beautiful - and their idea books and guides are amazing. As I became more familiar with all they have to offer, I found that I love ALL of their products. I know I sound like a commercial, but I really mean it.

I have no idea how much time I will be able to put into this endeavor and it may at times just be for the sake of supporting my "habit". Whatever the outcome, I am excited to have access to more of what this great company has to offer from products to training, etc. If you want to check out my site to see the catalog and all of the great 'stuff', there is a link at the top of my blog or go here. I don't have the entire site built yet and still need to add artwork, etc. but will soon!

Happy Scrapping!

Weekend Crop!

Friday and Saturday was the quarterly scrapbook weekend held at our church. As usual, it was amazing! It is so nice to get 'away', spend time with other women, meet new friends, visit with old friends, and be creative! It was 27 hours of food, fellowship, workshops, give-aways....and loads of FUN! I am so blessed that my wonderful husband was willing to make adjustments to his schedule so that I could be a part of it!

Savannah.....Daddy's Sunshine

Card from one of the workshops...cute!

The Home Depot - Not Your Typical Scrapbook Store

I love Home Depot. I think it is the smell of lumber, paint, soil, drywall mud, etc. that takes me back to happy times in my childhood when I would go with my Dad (who is also a fan of the do-it-yourselfer's dream store.) My Dad can build or fix anything... really.

Today, what I love is that our daughters are beginning a friendship with Home Depot and going with their Daddy. They BEG to go with him. From toddlerhood each one would excitedly point out the big orange and white sign in the sky, "Look! Home Depot! Can we go?"

So, when my husband told me not to buy him anything for Father's Day, I was at a loss. (it was conveniently after he bought me really great Mother's Day gifts) So, I set out to make a scrapbook featuring him and the girls...with things I had on hand. I am a SLOW scrapper and did not have much time, so I looked for a kit. The only thing I had was an 9x9 kit I purchased a couple months ago from Melanie at Close to My Heart. The kit was pretty girly.... good thing my husband is used to all things girly, having 4 females in the house (5 counting the dog:) )

After raiding his workbench, I set out to Home Depot to find embellishments to take the girly edge off. What a great place for neat scrapbooking supplies...I will return for more. With extra time I could have added more manliness, but here's the finished product.

This kit came with an accordian album and everything you need to make something great. CTMH has many other fabulous kits - and some with perfect "boy colors" that I am already eyeing for next Father' s Day!

One of my husband's main criteria for a good scrapbook page :) is how many pictures I can get on one page, so I loaded up...it's his book after all!

Front Cover

Page 1

Used tiny lock washers instead of eyelets or brads.

Page 2

Looped ribbon through washer (top left); also looped ribbon through ring hanger and attached lock washer and brad (bottom)

Page 3

Used larger lock washers running ribbon through and spacing circle-cut pictures (at left); Used small utility hinge to make tiny flip book attached to a metal plate thing :); Lift tabs on flip book are staples used for tacking down electrical wires (I think!)

Page 4

Used another ring hanger with ribbon looped through and attached a rhinestone to center (at top); Flip book made with small utility hinge and staples also.

Page 5

Used another metal plate thing and ran ribbon through washers.

Page 6

No hardware on this page, just a bunch of silly faces.

Back Cover

No embellishments to allow for lying flat.

Open Accordian (w/ Front & Back)

Open Accordian (w/ Inside)