Need a laugh?

If you need a good laugh, cut and paste this link:

http://www.mycraftivity.com/stampingschool/blog/media/video/index.one?a=view_video&vid_id=480076

This is a video entitled "Man-Made Card". It is about a guy's take on making a handmade card. He uses cardstock, tools from his garage, and even finds some embellishments in his toolbox. It's pretty funny!

Gone Fishing.

It's been a few months since I posted anything new on this blog... we've been busy this summer at the lake, boating, swimming, fishing, relaxing, etc. So, needless to say I haven't done a whole lot of crafting. I have made a few cards and have done a few layouts here and there, which I hope to get posted soon. Right now, I am in the midst of getting ready for my annual fall scrapbook weekend with Amy, Angie & Krissy! I am sooooo looking forward to it, but there is a lot of preparation involved to get ready for 48 hours of straight scrapbooking! I've received all the pictures I ordered from Kodak Gallery and sorted them, selected all my papers and sketched my layouts. Now, I just need to pull all my embellishments for the layouts, pack my tools, and I'm ready to go! However, with the recent storms, our basement flooded again... so, needless to say my craft room is in a bit of disarray right now. I'm thankful that nothing was damaged in my craft room, but it's difficult to find things in there for the time being.

During my scrap weekend, I am going to work on Ava's 2nd year album. I have 56 pages to do for her album... I anticipate getting about 24-26 pages done. It would be great to get half way through her album on my crop weekend, but we'll see. So, stay tuned in a few weeks for my new layouts!

April & May Projects

I really haven't done a ton of scrapbooking lately... mostly just cards since we've had a lot of friends who have either moved or had babies! I primarily used the Cricut for these cards, but also did a little stamping.

A card for Baby Hensley...

A card for Baby Elizabeth...


I made two identical "Moo-ving" cards, as we had two friends who moved to more 'rural' states (Iowa & Kentucky). This card was made with the Animal Kingdom cartridge.

A closer look... I used Crystal Effects to add texture to the cow spots.

Can I get a Dictionary, Please?!

We were at our lake house in Michigan this past weekend and heard a lot of crickets at night. My 5-year old son, who is now reading and very interested in the spelling of words, asked me how to spell cricket. I start spelling the word for him: C-R-I-C-U-T. He said, "but, Mom, I thought it sounded like crick-"et", not crick-"ut"." "Oh, duh!" I say to myself, as I tell him the correct spelling. Okay...I definitely have scrapbooking on the brain!

Scrap Weekend Accomplishments

Here are just a few of the layouts I did while on my recent bi-annual scrapbook weekend. As we always do in the spring, we went to the Scrap & Spa in Union Pier, Michigan. I think I got 27 pages done (my usual number when go away for the weekend)... woo hoo! I was working on the family album for 2007 and got through May of that year (yes, I'm still a year behind!).

This is the title page from the album. It's hard to see, but the quote reads, "Families fill our lives with happiness and laughter, leaving us memories to treasure today and forever after" (author unknown)



This is probably my favorite page I did the whole weekend. It turned out tres cute!

The Chihuly spread is very out of character for me, as it is so lineal, but I really liked how it came out!

I haven't journalled the "Cherish Motherhood" 2-page spread yet, but plan on doing so on the dashed lines on the purple cardstock on the first page. I used the new "crackle accents" by Ranger on the cherish word and on the bracket... it turned out to look antiqued. It's difficult to see from the picture, but it's pretty cool.


Another one of my favorite layouts from the weekend. I put green magic mesh on top of the yellow cardstock before diecutting the letters. I like how they turned out as well.

27 pages... is that all???

Okay, I just recently got back from my scrapbook retreat and got 27 pages completed, which is my "usual" number. So, what's the problem with that? Well, I went a night earlier than I usually do so I would have more time to scrap! I kept thinking to myself that I should have gotten more done. Granted, I decided to journal (most of) my pages as I scrapped them. (I used to go back and do all my journalling after finishing the album... but then I dreaded going back and having to journal. More so, I would forget what I wanted to "say" on my pages.) Yes, I probably should have gotten more done. But, at least 27 pages is WAY more pages than I would have gotten done if I had tried to scrap at home all weekend! And, I am happy with the pages that I did get finished. So, I've come to the conclusion that the overall number does not matter.
I think most scrappers are constantly striving to get somewhat "caught up" on their scrapbooking. (Well I know I am!) I'd love to be caught up so I can scrapbook in the present instead of the past; so I can do pages as I am thinking of them while I take pictures. I just don't think that will ever be the case for me though since I am more focused on the "artistic" aspect of scrapping rather than the quick and simple "Creative Memories" type scrapbooking method, as some people are. Some have said to me, "why don't you just make your pages more simplistic"? Well, the fact of the matter is that I am just not satisfied until my pages are "just right". So, my other conclusion... you have to do what makes you feel happy, satisfied and/or accomplished. For me, it is the art of scrapbooking. For others, it is being up-to-date in preserving their memories. Sure, I'd like to be caught up, but that's just not a realistic expecation when I am so focused on the "art" of scrapbooking. What type of scrapbooker are you... Artistic or Simplistic?? (Please vote in the poll on the right!)

New Cards...

Here is the invitation I made for the kids' recent Mickey Mouse-themed birthday party. I used the Mickey Cricut cartridge to make the diecut mickeys. They were time consuming, but I only had to make about 10.














The coordinating thank you note... I stamped the background on these and printed on the yellow band. And, again, used the Mickey cartridge to cut out the mickey shape.

February 2008

Well, these are the first posts to my new blog. I am "hoping" to post my latest artwork monthly or at least every other month (depending on how much "creative" time I get during that particular month). Below are some of my favorite scrapbook page creations which are from my daughter's first year album that is almost finished (just not journaled yet). Yes, I am a year behind on hers! Also are some cards and altered objects I have done in the past 6 months.

Scrapbook Pages

Altered Objects

This idea I "scraplifted" off the Two Peas website. I'd give credit, but it was so long ago, I don't recall whose idea it was. These baskets were made with the Doodlecharms and Learning Curve Cricut cartridges. I made two identical baskets for Evan's teachers for Christmas and stuffed them with art supplies...



These baskets used the basic idea from above, but I white washed them. I made the 'picks' from wooden skewers and more cricut die cuts and put them in with the tissue paper. They were gift baskets for two different baby showers. I also made matching cards (see post below...)