Pursuit of Scrappiness

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy <hearts> Day!  Sharing a project I made with the Echo Park Paper Yours Truly  line...I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this line of papers and stickers!!  I made sure to buy plenty extra so I can make a mini album later on!

Simple Stories Blog Hop!!

Welcome to my stop on the Simple Stories fan blog hop!  I am still a newbie in the blogosphere, so I am very excited to be participating in Simple Stories' first fan blog hop!

I chose 2 sweet pictures of my youngest son & my grandmother for my layout.  The gorgeous Simple Stories Generations line  was perfect to document the love that spans between 4 generations.  :) I hope you enjoy!

Please be sure to leave a comment below - not only does it give me a chance to win, but you'll be entered to win a Simple Stories kit collection, too, just for leaving a comment!

Once you've made it all the way through the blog hop be sure to head the Simple Stories blog and leave a comment for a 2nd chance to win a kit collection! 

Your next stop on the blog hop is Cindy Pittman.  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your hopping!

Bottlecap Mania!

I love the jumbo bottle caps from Bottle Cap, Inc.  At 2.75" round each, there are tons of different ideas for these!  I have been wanting to create with these for a while now...with 3 birthday gifts to make recently, I figured it was the perfect opportunity!   

First, I made one for my 3 year old niece.  Her bedroom is purple with a fairy theme...so the Kaisercraft Magic Happens line was perfect!

Next up, I used the Basic Grey Sweet Threads Collection for my 16 year old niece. 

Finally, a little gift for my friend's cube at work, made with the Fancy Pants Wishful Thinking line.

Thanks for stopping by!

Vacation Shadowbox with Cosmo Cricket

I'm excited about this project, mostly because it showcases the adorable vacation pictures I took with my new Fuji Instax camera.  These adorable mini "polaroid" photos have such character.  Add the Cosmo Cricket Salt Air line of paper and a variety of alpha stickers...and WA-LA!!  I showcased the project in a white 11x14 shadowbox, which I distrissed a little for a weathered summer look. Now I just need to decide where to hang it!

 

Baby Banner

Last week, I created a baby banner as a gift for a co-worker.  I used the Clear Scraps Precious Baby Banner as the base, and decorated mostly with solid Bazzill cardstock.  On the rattles, I incorporated the pattern of the baby's room by printing a picture of the pattern on photo paper.  This was a fun project because I got to use the i-Rock tool to attach the gems to the bear and the green hearts.  For the pink hearts, I embellished with pink Stickles.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get better photos without shadows!   

 


 
 

 

Finishing the Unfinished

This weekend I had the opportunity to finish three layouts that had been sitting on my desk for months...yes, months.  I don't get the opportunity to scrap very often, and it seems like when I do, I'm always working on some project or another, and rarely get to my own stuff! 

The first layout focuses on the day Lyle & I found out were were having another boy.  In fact, this picture was taken right around this time last year...and now we have sweet little Hudson!  As most of you know, that makes THREE boys for us...hence the Deja Vu!!  One of my favorite things about this layout is the blue paper behind the photo - it may be hard to see, but the pattern on the paper consists of the words "I'm not a girl" - you'll see that I highlighted one of the phrases in blue.  I thought it was a funny choice of paper for this particular layout!  He he. 

 

The next layout focuses on pictures of Ashton taken last April.  I managed to capture a series of photos with a few of his different facial expressions...I love his adorable face!  "Face" it - get it?!?!  I know, I know, I'm so clever you can barely stand it!

 

The third & final layout is also from last Spring (are you noticing a theme here ? I am MORE than a year behind!).  This one is all about Griffin...I absolutely love the look of joy on his face while "Bada" swings him!

 

See ya next time!

Remembering Denise

Scrapbooking is an outlet for me - it's something I can turn to, whether I'm feeling happy or sad, and channel my energy into something creative.  I've been working on a few projects this month, but one in particular has special meaning because it has helped me deal with the loss of a friend.   

A month ago today, my friend Denise passed away suddenly.  Denise's passing hit me hard for a number of reasons.  For one, Denise was only a few years older than me.  She left behind a husband, 2 daughters, and a son the same age as my daughter.  Like many others, I tend to get caught up in my daily life and forget how precious each day truly is.  Denise's passing reminded me that life is short - too short - and literally, any day could be my last.

Beyond that, though, is the heartache that stems from realizing Denise is gone.  Denise was the kind of person that you were instantly drawn to - she was smart, beautiful, hysterically funny, genuine and truly one-of-a-kind.  Denise was an amazing mother and friend.  She was one of the most captivating people I've ever met.  There simply aren't enough words to describe how wonderful she was.  I will miss her terribly. 

I wanted to honor Denise in some way, and of course, create a keepsake of her that I can cherish.  I started this layout about a week after Denise passed - and I can't tell you how many times I ripped it apart to start over, changed the papers, rearranged the layout, etc.  I guess in my heart I knew that no matter what I created or how it turned out, it would never really do her memory justice.    

So today, I honor Denise, who was - in a word - Unforgettable. 

 

 

 

Pursuit of Scrappiness

Well, here I go...I'm entering the blogosphere!  I've been wanting to create a blog for some time now, but I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing - or how to do it!  So hopefully, you'll embark on this new adventure with me!

This blog will be dedicated to my pursuit of scrappiness.  Yes, you read that right.  To me, happiness means many things - and scrapbooking is one of them - hence my new word "scrappiness".  Get it!?!?  :-) 

Scrapbooking has been my primary hobby for about 13 years now, and besides my family & friends, it's the one thing I am most passionate about.  In 2011, I am making it a goal to get more involved in the professional scrapbooking community, in hopes of one day making this my career. 

Since it's only January and the holidays aren't that far behind us, I will start by sharing one of the gifts I made this year.  My friend Beth is an incredible baker...whether it's simple chocolate chip cookies, "magic bars", or yummy coconut cookies - her cookies are amazing!  I'm lucky enough to frequently be the guinea pig for her recipes - and I am a fabulous taste tester if I do say so myself!  

I digress...back to Beth...

Beth (pretty much) has everything, and if she doesn't have it, she buys it for herself.  Whether she thinks so or not (and I already know the answer is "not"), she is one of the hardest people to shop for, so I always try to be creative. 

With the help of some clever elves, I managed to get several of Beth's recipes without her knowing it...and set my mind to creating a fabulous recipe album - one that would do her cookie recipes justice, and look fabulous on her kitchen counter, too.  (Naturally, a fabulous baker needs a fabulous kitchen, and Beth's got a brand-spankin'-new AMAZING kitchen!)

Here are some photos of my creation.  I hope you enjoy!

 

 



 

Supplies: 7 Gypsies Photo Display Stand, Little Yellow Bicycle Savor Collection, other miscellaneous papers & supplies.