Permission to play

Anyone who knows me knows I'm all about structure and rules and habits, I'm happiest when I can create rules...and uncomfortable when I'm around people who 'break the rules' except when in the crafty world, where I'm drawn to the work of the rule breakers. I watch them and think 'no way' will that turn out and it does. for them, not me or at least I thought so until I read through a class by one of the best...Miss Ronda Palazzari created for a Cocoa Daisy Online Crop.

I read these words on Sunday morning as the snow fell all around and thought gee that sounds familiar...
We cloud our minds with the "what ifs?" and self doubts.
What if i don't like what i do?
What if i mess up my paper?
I don't know how to do this.
I have never tried it before so i will just mess it up.

So lets clear those self doubts by just playing! After all, sometimes it is just about the journey. You may mess up. You may lose a few pattern paper scraps a long the way. Let go of those worries. We all make mistakes

And I did and boy am I glad I did...

I gave my permission to make a mess...and a mess I did


I'm not sure my desk will ever be the same...

I gave myself permission to play with all of my mists, stamps, paint, rub-ons, misc supplies and just play

And play I did and here's what I ended up with...ok so once color scheme started to emerge I went with it and then the theme emerged of positive messages to myself...now if only I could get my hands on one of those cute ATC printer's trays from 7 Gypsies to put all of my pretties in...

Thank you, thank you Ronda! Be sure to check out her class Loads of Layers and give yourself permission to play!

Ponder

Lots to Ponder...

How long will it take all of the snow to melt?

What happened to the Broncos?

When visiting friends why the dog jumps their fence and ends up in the neighbors yard, but won't jump back?

To take a nap or read a book for the last precious hours of a Sunday afternoon?

If I don't go to the grocery store today, will there be enough Halloween candy to sustain me for the night?

How did this girl get to be so cute?


I wish I could take credit for this page, but I lifted the combo from this layout by ArlaMo at Studio Calico.

A storm is brewing...

and I'm 'not so' secretly hoping for a major one that turns into a snow day. 5-10" is all we're predicted to get so I doubt my wishes will come true, just enough to make driving a pain.

Once upon a time this was a scrapbooking blog, so I thought it only fair that I finally show off a layout or two. I scrapped on Friday and Saturday night with some of my favorite girls, so inspiring they are...and the laughter, so much it hurt.

So for Jen, who I've missed so much a double page layout, with only a couple of buttons...
I love the way Sienna walks with such determination, here she is one the hunt for the perfect pumpkin, which sadly was elusive on this particular day. Oh well maybe next year...
and if you think those are cute, wait until you see her in her halloween costume, we took the essential costume/leaves pictures on Saturday. I have lots of editing to do, but here's a sneak peek for the fam.

Mix it up...

Just wanted to reassure all that despite my recent forays into the digi world, I'm just as content to push paper around for hours, and while this layout ended up being super simple, it sure didn't start out that way...I tried fussy cutting and then some pleating and I forgot what else, but in the end I came home to stacked flowers and tiny alphas, you just can't beat them for the perfect pop of color.

Patterned Paper: MME(dotted background), Cosmo(Title, Stripe)
Embellies: Primas, unknown button
Alpha: Making Memories

Basket Babe

Nothing says Easter like pink bling, right? This is another one of those layouts that's been in limbo, I started it at Emily's house month or so ago and just put the finishing touches on this past weekend. I think you can see the title better in real life, but maybe not.

Weather is starting to lean towards hot summer days, I was in Greeley yesterday and the carmometer said 95! Blah, spring can never last long enough for me, I would be so happy to live somewhere where it was spring all the time... maybe a week or two of fall and then back to spring...and lilacs and tulips bloom year round. Is there such a place? In my dreams...probably so

Hey Little Girl...

I honestly can't remember if I've shared this page or not, it's hard to believe that I haven't, it's become one of my favorites from the past couple of months. I love it so, because the photo so accurately portrays S for the fun, quirky, little girl she is quickly becoming. Often content to chatter away to herself, if no one else is listening.

What's your sign...

although lately in my life it's been more 'here's your sign'

this is really a catch up post, a layout I made for a journaler's challenge a couple of weeks ago but life got in the way of me sharing it here...oh well better late than never...right? the theme was to journal about your astrological sign, for me that's Leo...and how I don't always fit the Leo script.

Patterned Paper: Creative Imaginations
Diecuts: Fancy Pants(Journal Spots),My Minds Eye(Live Out Loud), Making Memories(tiny alphas)
Alphas: Making Memories
Flowers: Making Memories(Orange and Blue), Hobby Lobby(Brown)
Buttons: Making Memories

Monday Quote

'Ability is what you're capable of. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. '

Sienna is all about attitude these days, I believe such an independent spirit will serve her well as she grows, even though it may make for difficult days for those tasked with raising her. I made this layout for the journaler's challenge to journal with a question and answer. Design was lifted from this layout by Joy Uzarraga. I loved the tree in her layout, so much so I was tempted to make a late night run to 'Archrivals' to get it, but decided to draw my own instead.

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye
Cardstock:Bazzil
Buttons: Making Memories
Ribbon: Fancy Pants
Alpha: QK Jaqueline

Quick Layout

Do you ever have layouts that get off to a great start and then just sit and sit in the stack waiting for intervention from the scrapping goddess to get them to the finished pile...yes piles, albums are a struggle for me, don't know why...at any rate such was the case with this layout.

Stickers went on, the came off, then back on, then off and buttons...I know you're shocked that buttons appeared...and texture added to the title letters and voila:

Patterned Paper: heehee it's a trick, there is no PP on this layout
Cardstock: Bazzil
Stickers: Basic Grey(Urban Prarie)
Label: My Mind's Eye
Diecuts: QK (Diesel font embossed with swirl embossing folder)
Buttons: Making Memories

Monday Quote

'Live for the moments you can't put into words'

(yes, I see the irony in posting this on a blog which is all about the written word, but it's a perfect match for this page, heck it's even on this page.)

Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (Penny Lane)
Cardstock: Bazzil
Stickers: Cosmo Cricket (Girl Friday, love this!)
Flower: Hobby Lobby
Buttons: Making Memories, Houston's stash

What to share? What to share?

So it turns out that a blizzard is a good thing for scrapbooking mojo, studio gets organized and photos get scrapped. Here are a couple that I finished up today. I think I've properly gushed over these rocking horse photos here in blog land it was time to get them all down on pages.



I actually started this one first and when I realized the stitching would be the perfect finishing touch so I took the side photos off and thought the layout looked pretty good with just one photo too, now the tough decision which one to put in her book and which one to keep for mine.



I also tried out a fab tip from Houston to cut foam with my revolution, love the way these letters turned out...my own thickers with any alpha...oh boy!

Patterned Paper/Cut-outs: My Minds Eye Bloom and Grow
Cardstock: Bazzil
Buttons: Making Memories
Alpha: QK Paige


Back to work at the store tomorrow and a little crafty time with the girls, can't wait.

Monday Quote

The true object of all human life is play. G K Chesterton

I thought this quote was perfect for this photo of Sienna on the slide...and the photo was perfect for this fun new paper from My Mind's Eye...It's called Penny Lane... love it...can't wait for it to make it to the store.

as usual MME has terrific embellishments to coordinate with all the paper. I decided to kick them up a notch. The flower was originally a flat circle, so I cut the flower (because it's just not complete until you do a little fussy cutting) into 3 pieces and then stacked the layers with foam squares. On the top layer I decided to add a couple of buttons (been very into buttons lately) love the stacked button look. You'll see it on another layout coming up too.

Happy Monday!

A couple of cards

It's early Saturday morning and I'm on a mission to get several of the crafty projects I finished recently, posted. I don't know why downloading and cropping the photos has seemed like a monumental task the past week, then again everything seemed a little more difficult this week.

This first card I like to call 'Ode to Inky Button'. I worked a class that the fabulous Angela taught last week on two of my favorite things, Bellas and Copics. She was kind enough to stamp a couple of images of girls I don't have so I could play with them at home. I set out to make an Angela-esque card with Cupcakeabella. While mine is not nearly as cute as hers, I think I worked in most of the Inky Button trademarks. Let's see...Bella? Check!, Ticket edges? Check! Bling? Check! Copic layering? Check! Embossing Folder? Check! Black Ribbon? Check although for true IB style it should be wider. Glassy Accents? Check!




Supplies:
Stamp: Cupcakeabella
Cardstock: Hammermill(White) Prism (Green) Bazzil (Pink)
Bling: Kaiser Craft
Other: Cuttlebug Embossing folders, QK scallop circle

This second card has quickly become one of my all time favorites. I designed it for the January Frenzy at the store, but of course forgot to post it here...or did I post, hmm I guess I should have checked before I started this post. C'est la vie.



Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzil
Patterned Paper: 'tres old' Tres Jolie, MME
Ribbon: AC
Other: QK Thank You Goosebumpz, Tim Holtz ruler --- I love, love, love this ruler... so I went to find a picture of this ruler in case you wanted to run out and get one and you needed a picture and found something even better...because I know how much we all love Tim, how about a demo from Tim himself.



Happy Saturday!

Another week end layout

See I was kind of productive at crop in Ft. C... We brought in a new company after seeing them at CHA in Feb. I love the name --- Pink Paislee--- it combines two of my favorite things. MK asked me to put together a layout with this great orange grid paper...it's perforated to you could use the edges for a seperate project. Super cute stamps and embellies too...

Weekend Wind Down

Yesterday was a wonderful day of scrapbooking in Ft Collins with the Pea group. I love these ladies! Amanda P was a wonderful hostess. I came home with 3 prizes, maybe some of Rachel's luck in rubbing off on me. Plus, thanks to a miracle of pre-planning I came home with 5 finished layouts. I think that might be a record for me for such a short crop.

Here's the first of the layouts to share...

is there anything cuter than tiny baby body parts? Look a little different than my usual simple style...totally, that's because it was for a 2 Peas challenge hosted by Ducky. As tough as it was it felt good to stretch my style.

Since it was such a long day, Tanner went to Camp Bow Wow for the day and night --- gosh it was strange not to come home to his happy face.

Today was a work day, we had a teacher quit just a we were wrapping up CSAP and a week before grades were due. That left me to pull her grades out of the curriculum and into our grading software for 180 kiddos. Not particularly my idea of fun, but someone had to do it. Also noticed she was behind on her grading of student writing. When it comes to our educational system nothing depresses me more than reading writing samples of high schoolers who can barely write. I wonder what the world will be like when it is run by people who believe an essay needs only to consist of two sentences, void of capitals and punctuation. I'm not the only one who wonders, ironically I clicked on this link on Arleigh's page and found the post End of Eloquence.

For the waning moments of the weekend I'm content to watch Iron Chef...battle garlic. Yumm-O. Here's your parting thought..."Garlic is the ketchup of intellectuals"

A few new LOs

I totally meant to share these earlier in the week, but just never got around to it. I was inspired by scrap store buddy Tara to do some winter photos. The first is my favorite the boys are so cute when they play in the snow.
I also scrapped the pics from the first of three big snow storms. This one was a week before Christmas, so much snow the pics don't really do it justice.
Finally, I had some pics from a trip to the zoo a few months ago.