Project 12 for April...

Project 12 has been an amazing experience for me this year. It's been loads of FUN putting together my sketch and calendar pages; but it's also been more than that. It's really made me stop each month and reflect on what's happened - both challenges and victories. It's helped me see the blessings in hard times and I'm so grateful for that.

Anyhoo, here's my sketch layout for April...

which is based on this official Project 12 sketch by Becky Fleck...

and here's how the calendar page turned out...

I used the Studio Calico "Joyland" kit for both of these; along with a few bits and pieces from both the "Yearbook" and "Cotillion" kits thrown in for good measure.

We've been busy at Scrapping The Music this week! There have been announcement posts every day since Sunday, and it's going to continue thru Wednesday when we announce our next challenge. Come on over and see what's happening!!!

Thanks for stopping by my friends and have a terrific Tuesday!!!

National Scrapbook Day Challenges Part One...

The National Scrapbook Day Challenges are in full swing at Studio Calico, and they are lots of fun! I have been working on them all day, so I wanted to take a minute and share my projects with you!

Now normally I don't like to combine challenges cuz for some reason that feels like cheating to me, but for this crop, part of the guidelines were that you could combine the challenges in any way you wanted to; so I did combine a few...

This challenge was to make a card using your favorite Studio Calico stamp. I used the little "tweet tweet" birds...
I also used kraft cardstock, some American Crafts patterned paper, and dictionary paper with hand-drawn clouds.

Here's the inside of the card...


I made this layout for two challenges. The first was a sketch challenge, and the second was to use some digital elements in your layout. The mushrooms are printable digital elements from Scrapartist.com. I just love them and they seemed to fit perfectly for the subject of my layout!
I used the SC Quilting Bee kit for this, and made the banners by cutting little triangles out of the patterned paper scrap leftovers. I just love when I can use up scraps!


This layout was done for a combination of three challenges: The first one was to scrap your Studio Calico Avatar. The second was to use mist on a layout, which I did by misting the chipboard buttons that are layered in my flowers. (click on the image to see details). The third challenge was to make some layered flowers that have at least three different elements in them. My flowers are made from Prima flower centers, then misted chipboard buttons, then patterned paper on the bottom...
The thing I love so much about challenges is that they stretch your creativity. I LOVE that!

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again tomorrow my friends!

I'm back...

Hey there everybody - I'm back from California. I can't thank you all enough for all of your thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate it so much.

You can expect regular posts again from me starting right away. Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day and I can't wait to participate in the online crop over at Studio Calico! There will be challenges from each of the design team members, and much more! Click here to check it out!

Thanks so much for hanging in there with me, and I will see you all tomorrow!

The Voice of an Angel...

I wish you could hear my sister sing. She has an incredibly beautiful voice. This is the song she sang at Elmer's memorial service on Monday...



It was such a beautiful tribute. Thank you Renee.

Roses in Bloom...

Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's been awhile since my last post. We are in California for Elmer's memorial service. It's a difficult time for my family right now and I would appreciate any thoughts and prayers being sent our way. Here's a pic of the roses in bloom at my mom's right now. Aren't they beautiful?

Teesha Moore has some new fabric journal video tutorials up on her blog! They are awesome! Check them out here.

I will be back soon with another update. Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comments. I really appreciate them!

Cards, Cards, Cards...

After I finished making my Embroidery Hoop Mini Album last December, My Studio Calico Marketplace kit was left with alot of papers that looked like this (lol)...
So, I got the bright idea (if I do say so myself), to take the kit to my monthly scrapbooking day with my girlfriends, and go on a card-making crusade! I had SO MUCH FUN!!! I'm not usually good at coming up with cards, but using a kit made it so much fun! And I feel like those papers were not wasted! Yeayyy!!!

Anyhoo, I ended up with eleven completed cards. Here's how they turned out...












I hope you are having an awesome week my friends. I will be back tomorrow with another update - thanks so much for visiting!

Thank You's...

Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment on my last post about Elmer. It really means a lot to me. Our family is going through a difficult time right now, but we will get through it and I appreciate your words more than I can even express.

Now, on to the happy news...


I want to say a big thank you to Georgia Visacri who works for Altered Hearts Magazine, for asking me to write an article for their April issue! Altered Hearts is an online 'zine all about altered art-style scrapbooking and art journaling.

I'm so excited to say the April issue is now up and features my article along with twelve of my art journal/scrapbook pages! The magazine is only $3.00 to download and has over 60 full-color pages to read. Here is a link to check it out!

P.S. Georgia is an awesome digital artist whose work I've admired for a few years now. She does this work that is fun and colorful and always makes me smile! Check out her blog here to see what I mean! Thanks again Georgia!

Have a wonderful Monday and I will see you soon! Thanks so much for visiting - you brighten my days!

In Memory

In memory of my stepfather Elmer Yates, who passed away this morning. He was my dad for over twenty years. He was a gentle soul that I loved dearly.

His relationship with my mother gave me hope that true love is possible.

I will miss you Elmer.

40 Dogs At Scrapping The Music...

The new challenge for this week at Scrapping The Music is the song "40 Dogs" by Bob Schneider! If you haven't heard this song you've gotta take a listen!!!! It's such a fun song and one I have been singing for weeks now - it just sticks in your head, you know? Bob Schneider is one of my favorite songwriters; and one of the things I love about his songs is that he packs a lot of words into them! It's truly amazing! I did my layout using one of my favorite lines of the song...

I don't know if you can tell or not, but I actually used a black and white photo, and made just Michael in color. I'm not a digi scrapper, so what I did was print the same photo a second time in color, and then cut Michael out and pasted him on top of his black and white self. The lyric just describes him perfectly I think - he's such a colorful character and he lights up my world! The title and the dots on the photo are all done with Poster Paint Sharpies - I love those things!

I hope you will hop on over to Scrapping The Music and check out our 40 Dogs challenge! We would love to have you play along with us!

See you all tomorrow with another update! Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful and inspiring day!

Tuesday Stuff to Share...

Wowza, I just found out from my friend Julie, that one of my layouts is featured on Noel Mignon's blog today!!!! I am so excited and honored!!!!! Click here to check it out, and thank you so much Julie for letting me know! There are some other projects in the post that are totally awesome and inspiring!!!!

I had fun playing around with this week's "Sunday Sketch" at Studio Calico and my new "Joyland" kit! Click here to see the sketch, and here's what I came up with...I've been going to lunch every month with my sisters and mom-in-law, and having such a good time, but this is the first time we took a picture, so I couldn't wait to scrap it! I love all of these wonderful women so much! Everything I used is from the kit except the title alphas, which are Thickers in my fave font, "daydream."

Speaking of Studio Calico, sneaks are up tonight for their May kit, and it looks fantastic! There is a live chat, and the sneaks will be up in the gallery at 11 pm central time. Click here to check it out.

That's about it for today my friends - thanks so much for visiting and I will see you tomorrow!

Harmonie Products Layout...

I had fun the last couple days playing with the beautiful papers and embellies I received from Harmonie Products! The products they sent to me are from their line called Envolée Printanière, which according to google translator means "soaring spring." How beautiful is that?! I thought it was the perfect chance to scrap a photo of stepdaughter Becca on the day of her senior prom. Here's how it turned out (click on the image to see more details)...
Everything in the layout is from Harmonie except the buttons and rhinestones. Oh, and I also used a piece of brown cardstock from my stash for the background. My favorite paper of the line is called "Passion and Renaissance," and it's the one with the butterflies and dragonflies on it. It is so beautiful and unique! I cut a strip from it to go across the middle of the layout. The three pink butterflies were cut from their patterned paper as well, and the title was hand-drawn and cut.

There will still be more to come as I have more papers and embellies to play with. Thank you so much to Harmonie, for allowing me to create with your products!

Alrighty then - That's all for today. I wish you a Marvelous Monday my friends! Thanks so much for visiting!

Live With Prima Project Two...

I got my new Studio Calico "Joyland" kit this week and I am LOVING it! Check it out (click on photo to see it larger)...

I just love how this kit coordinates without being the least bit "matchy." In fact, I was so inspired by the new kit, I dug right into it immediately and made my second layout from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's "Live With Prima" class. Here's how it turned out...

That's Michael and his Dad - can you see the family resemblance? Julie always has such unique ideas, like the garland on the bottom half of this layout! I had so much fun making my garland! The flowers were a natural color, and I dyed them with spray ink. Julie actually used a sewing machine to make her garland, but I used the alternate method she offered, of just gluing my circles and flowers onto bakers twine. Now I can't wait to dig into the third layout from the class! Thanks for the inspiration Julie!

I hope your weekend is going well! See you soon!