Bits and Pieces

Hey There!

2011-05-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

I had hoped to participate in the crop at Backporch Memories last week, but apparently it was not meant to be. Between working extra hours, household chores and going out with some friends I just couldn't fit it in. The challenges were great though and I'm still planning on using some of them to jumpstart my creativity on future pages. I did finish one . . . not in time to upload it . . . but it did get done. (I really hate the way working full-time interferes with my life.) :)

This page was done for the "It's Hip to Be Square" challenge. We had to use at least four squares of scrap paper from different lines. It as fun - just wish I'd had time to submit it. Oh well - maybe next time.

We had some really bad torandoes come through this week and a lot of people lost everything - 10 people died. Please remember them, as well as the Joplin tornado victims in your prayers. Stay safe everyone!

Oops!

2011-05-10T19:17:00.004-05:00

Well it seems that I'm failing miserably at at least some of my New Year's resolutions! Believe it or not, I'm doing remarkably well at others though. Since I started working full time in December I've been buried in work and I end up working late or working through lunch most days. I've been coming home too tired to want to scrap and playing on the computer is about the last thing I want to do after staring at a computer screen all day. Obviously I'm way behind at posting here, but I'm going to make a renewed attempt to get after it.

Here are a couple layouts I did at a weekend retreat I went to recently. I didn't get a lot done, but it did make me want to "play" with my papers and glue a lot more. I forgot how relaxing it can be. Hopefully I'll be getting back to it in the near future.

Resolutions

2011-01-14T20:56:00.005-06:00

"A goal not written down is only a wish (Dave Ramsey)."

So I guess it's time I write my 2011 resolutions down somewhere. So far I'm on track - just barely - but I aim to do better as the year progresses. So here are my official goals for 2011:

1. 365 Days of Kindness. Do something kind for someone every day. It doesn't have to be something big - let someone cut in in traffic; hold the door for someone; send a card; buy flowers - do something and write it down. By keeping a list I'll keep it in mind.

2. A picture a day (stored in a Facebook album).

3. Entertain (or organize dinner out) with friends at least once a month.

4. Lose 25 lbs.

5. Pay off both of my credit cards.

6. Update my blog twice a month.

This is do-able! So far so good!

I haven't been scrapping at all, but hopefully I'll get back to that soon (no goals there, it's just a fun hobby). Work has been all-consuming since the first of December when the lawyer I worked for merged his practice with another attorney. I went from an easy job working 25 hours a week to a full-time, challenging rat race averaging 50 hours a week. I'm now the official legal secretary/ paralegal/bookkeeper/receptionist/emergency TP buyer/office manager and I come home exhausted at the end of every day to do my other job - the one where I get to do laundry, cooking and cleaning at home. I have to admit that Kim has been a tremendous help on the home front though. Things are beginning to settle down into a routine, and I think I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel(knock on wood)!

just a few pics from our wonderful Christmas that I hope to get to scrap soon.

2011-01-13T11:47:00.002-06:00

More Christmas Pics:

And A Couple More

2010-09-26T00:13:00.004-05:00

I'm almost finished - I promise!
This page was done as a sketch challenge at Backporch Memories. The pictures were taken last year in Paris on Jenna's "Semester Abroad" trip:

And another from Kristin's Spring Break trip to Florida:

Can't Keep Up

2010-09-25T23:05:00.003-05:00

Lately I feel like I'm always running but still come up a day late and a dollar short. I've finished several pages, but haven't scanned them and still have several more page challenges that I wanted to do this month, that I obviously won't get to. I know this is all supposed to be done for fun and I shouldn't stress over it, but it does get frustrating sometimes. So I'm just trying to go with the flow and do as many pages for the kids' albums as I can get done and eventually I hope to fill in the many gaps that come from trying to complete a lifetime of pictures with a very late start.

First - a simple page of Jenna and her best friend just acting silly. I used the picture templates at Scrapbooks, Etc. for a quick, easy page:

This page was done as a page challenge at Color Combos Gallore. We had to use the color scheme: midnight blue/black/Grey/School Bus yellow together in a page. "Goodnight Moon" was one of Kristin's favorite stories when she was little. The tag behind the photo has hidden journaling sharing what a special time our nighttime ritual was for both of us.

Shopping With Boys is just a silly layout I made using pictures from our trip to Pigeon Forge from last summer. Kim and I met my sister, Tina and her husband there for a week of vacation. Needless to say, Kim, my nephew and his best friend didn't enjoy the shopping excursions as much as Tina and I did!

Watching For Cars is another silly layout using a picture I found on Jenna's Facebook page. She and a friend went to downtown Oklahoma City on a photo shoot - I just thought this was funny. It was also another challenge from Color Combos Gallore:

"Insights" was a page challenge where we were supposed to complete a page using a memory that we didn't have pictures for. I've included the journaling below.

Sitting on the dock with our feet in the water, I was complaining to mom about my frustration of being a stay-at-home mom, how hard it was to deal with kids all day and how unfair that at the end of the day Kim always came home to a hero's welcome. He got to eat lunch out, talk to adults and shmooze with clients; while I was at home doing laundry and housework and dealing with boredom, snotty noses, bickering, dirty diapers and tantrums. It was so unfair that Kim was the fun one that the kids were so excited to see when he walked in the door at night. I talked about how frustrating it was to try to cook dinner every night while the baby cried for me to hold her. I was afraid to try to juggle her while stirring hot pans of food. Kim tried to help, but she continued to scream for me leaving Kim frustrated, the baby frustrated and me frustrated. After raising six kids while dad worked two jobs, I'm sure mom knew exactly how I felt, but she just listened without saying a word. She then gave me a piece of advice that changed my attitude. She said in a very loving tone: "I think that you will be much happier when you accept the fact that motherhood is not fair. You are the mom - you are on the hook.It's not ever going to be a 50/50 proposition. But hang in there because it's all worth it."

Well - it's been awhile

2010-09-04T19:57:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I went to a retreat at the Scrappin Pad and had a really good time. I finished several pages for challenges so I'll just go ahead and add a few here and post more this week when I have a chance. Good times!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jenna. This page was done as a color challenge at Color Combos Galore. We were using kraft/pale pink/black and white - don't you just love that precious face!

These pictures were of Kristin and her girlfriends on their Florida Spring Break Trip. (She's going to add the journaling):

This last page was done as a challenge documenting the most influential person in your life. We also had to use our own handwriting, a circle somewhere on the page, paint and stitching. The journaling is below:

(Mom was the best! Not a day goes by that I don't think about her - and miss her. Sometimes the realization that she's gone hits me with a wave of sadness, but more often I think of her when I recall a funny memory or hear myself saying something she would have said. Nowadays those memories are more comforting than painful, but even though it's been thirteen years since her death, there are still occasional painful days - especially on her birthday or Mother's Day. I wonder if that's something I'll ever get over, but I think that in reality there will always be a mom-sized hole in my heart that will always remain. And yet I know even when it hurts, that the Lord blessed me to have given me a mother who was such a wonderful influence - a fun-loving woman of wisdom, a great role model who loved me unconditionally. How lucky am I!)

Florida Vacation - Jenna and Erin

2010-08-11T17:32:00.003-05:00

These girls sure know how to have a good time! I loved working with the challenge colors from Color Combos Galore this week! They just seemed to shout summer to me! I'm going to make this a 2-pager - so many photos (so little time).

BetterScrap.com

2010-08-07T16:32:00.002-05:00

I discovered a fun new place to spend some time! BetterScrap.com is a new challenge blog that I'm hoping will inspire me to play with more of my scrappy supplies and stretch me try some new things. They have a great design team who will be publishing a monthly newsletter full of challenges, tips, tricks, articles, tutorials and beautiful pages - and it's all totally FREE! What could be better than that! Just visit their blog to sign up!

Beautiful Jenna

2010-08-04T21:13:00.004-05:00

This week's color combination at Color Combos Gallore was aqua/yellow/white and Blue. I did this challenge with an old picture of Jenna for the page.

I realized I forgot to include a couple of other layouts so I'm adding them now too.

Cupcake Birthday Party:

Journaling:
The Cuppy Cake Song lyrics are printed on the journaling spot:
"You're my Honeybunch, Supgarplum, Pumpy-umpy-umpkin; You're my Sweetie Pie, you're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop, Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my eye. And I love you so and I want you to know that I'll always be right here. And I love to sing sweet songs to you because you are so dear." HAPPY BIRTHDAY CUPCAKE!

Happy Girl:

Challenge 151

2010-07-20T23:41:00.001-05:00

This week's color combination at Color Combos Galore was Orange, Yellow, White and Teal and in addition, we were challenged to use something transparent on our page. I scrapped pictures from Natalie's wedding and used clear letters on the word "Sweet". I also used pieces of a transparency above the large picture and on the lower right corner of the bottom picture on the left side of the page.

Besties

2010-07-15T20:24:00.003-05:00

This week's challenge at Color Combos Galore was to use the colors Sky Blue, Liberty Blue, Sand and Firecracker Red. We were also supposed to use a combination of gingham, checkered or floral patterns in our layout. This was what I came up with. It's a Glamor Shots picture of Kristin and Kendra that was taken before Kendra moved away. Fun challenge! I'm really enjoying using up some of my old papers that have been hanging around forever.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Perkins!

2010-07-08T23:03:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to my niece, Natalie and her new husband, Andy Perkins! They had a beautiful wedding and the most perfect day for it! Best wishes to you both. I have no doubt that your life together will be filled with much happiness!

History Repeating Itself

2010-07-01T18:40:00.002-05:00

This page was done as a "Backporch Memories" challenge to use pictures and comparisons of two people at the same age/stage in life. I used pictures of my college graduation in 1979 and compared them with Kristin's college graduation this Spring. It was a fun challenge, but I couldn't seem to think of a way to do anything "different" with the page - I guess I'm still struggling through my creative slump.

It was really hard to get a good scan of this one - especially the journaling since it was on a transparency.

Journaling:
I’ve celebrated two BIG college graduations;
First, my own; and just as exciting - Kristin’s!

Similarities:
Both of us went to MCC (now Rochester College)
Both of us lived on Third Floor of Alma Gatewood
My Roommate: Renetta (Patton) Proffitt;
Kristin’s roommate: Jamie Proffit (Renetta’s daughter).
One of my best friends was Beth (Dunn) Rajter;
One of Kristin’s best friends is Jamie Rajter (Beth’s daughter).

Differences:
When I went to MCC it was only a two-year school so I transferred to Oklahoma Christian in my Junior Year.
I lived in Michigan but went to school in Oklahoma; Kristin lived in Oklahoma but went to school in Michigan.
Kristin was very involved in Student Government, her club, newspaper, yearbook, etc. I didn’t get involved - preferring to hang out with my friends.
Kristin was a much better student than me - graduating Summa Cum Laude!

Daughters layout

2010-06-28T23:01:00.003-05:00

Recently I made a pledge to myself that I would start using up the old papers I have or get rid of them - use it or lose it. Why is that so hard? Yet I really need to get rid of some of the stuff that's been piling up in my space for years. This is a combination of some old and some really old papers and rub-ons: It was done as challenge No. 148 at Color Combos Galore:

Quote: "Daughters may outgrow your lap, but they will never outgrow your heart."

Color Combos Challenge No. 147

2010-06-23T23:00:00.003-05:00

This week's color combination at Color Combos Galore was: Chocolate, Honey, Cream and Olive.In addition to the color challenge, we were encouraged to journal about "our table" (traditions, feasts, gatherings, meals, history, etc.) This is what I came up with. The picture was taken in the summer of 1967 with my family and my Aunt Dorothy and her two children (Uncle Joe must have been taking the picture.) It was fun to reminisce about the good ol' days.

Journaling:
I was a child during the 60's when stay-at-home mothers were the norm and the family dinner hour was sacred. Every family I knew did the same thing. My dad got home every evening at 5:00 and my mother had dinner on the table shortly after his arrival. My five siblings and I were expected to be home from our various after-school activities on time so that we could all sit down and eat together while the food was hot. A phone call was required if we were going to be late; and we needed permission to skip. For an hour or so every evening we shut out the rest of the world. The phone went unanswered and our friends went home (or occasionally joined us) for dinner. Even if we didn't want to eat, we sat in our designated seats and participated in the conversation and enjoyed each other's company. It was the time of day when our large busy family, as well as others like us, touched base with each other and strong family bonds were formed. It wasn't a chore - we enjoyed being in each other's company and we had a lot of fun around that simple family dinner table. Sometimes we stayed for awhile after the food had been eaten and other family members had been excused, just to talk. I enjoyed seeing my busy mother relax as she drank a cup of tea before resuming her full schedule of evening chores that come with a large family.

Looking in on any given night, you could find: people talking about their day, good food, pouting, laughter, someone telling a joke; someone being scolded, laughter, an I-Spy game, planning for upcoming events and activities, tears, someone talking about a fight they had with a friend, laughter, discussions about religion, homework questions, moral dilemmas and mean teachers, Doug drumming on the table, a discussion about how unfair something was, laughter, current events, tears, Dad reading a Bible verse, people picking on each other, laughter, mom's "Connie grin", stories from the past and more laughter.

Prince Charming

2010-06-16T21:09:00.004-05:00

I did this layout in honor of Father's Day and as a color challenge at Color Combos Galore. We needed to use a color combination of gray, ivory, lilac and taupe. The title says it all - Kristin and her daddy definitely have a special bond.
"I found my Prince Charming and his name is Daddy."

Finally Scrappin'

2010-06-10T00:46:00.007-05:00

It's been awhile since I've had the chance and/or inspiration to get a page done and boy did it feel good to finally be scrappin' again. I did a page for a PageMaps challenge - their sketches are always a good jumping off point when I have no mojo - and to sweeten the deal, Webster's Pages is offering these gorgeous papers as a prize. That was wonderful incentive for me to give it a shot!

So - here's what I came up with:

The Journaling reads:

"Each birthday I felt a twinge of sadness at the realization that my little girls were growing up too fast, but they were still young and “grown up” still seemed distant.

I was so proud of Kristin at her high school graduation. It was an exciting time, but the twinge of sadness grew a little stronger. Although she was leaving home, I could tell myself that she wasn’t grown up yet, that she was still dependent on us, and that we still had a few more years before she would be on her own.

This year at her college graduation I could deny it no longer. Parents are supposed to work themselves out of a job - and we did. So with pride and sadness we had to let her go, to pursue her own future, realizing that although she’s all grown up, she’ll always be our little girl."

Peace Out - Kristin's RC Graduation

2010-06-06T22:53:00.004-05:00

Last month we traveled back to Michigan to attend Kristin's graduation from Rochester College! She graduated Summa cum laude, receiving her degree in Public Relations. She is now finishing up a certificate in Graphic Arts. It doesn't seem so long ago that we were leaving her as a freshman, and it seems absolutely impossible that in just two short months school will be completely behind her forever! She's had a wonderful experience at Rochester College and she's grown up so much while being away from home that we hardly recognize her anymore!

On to the next big adventure!

Jenna's Clipboard - 2 Years Late

2010-05-23T23:48:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I finally finished the clipboard I bought for Jenna 2 years ago when I was making them for her friends that were graduating. This one is a lot bigger than the others. It's 18" x 18" which gives her a nice writing service while sitting on her bed. I forgot how much fun these are to make. I have another couple that I need to finish for this year's graduates. (I put a check under the clip but the clipboard makes the gift a little more personal than just giving them cash.)

Scrap Room Re-Do

2010-04-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

Since last Fall, I've been distracted and too busy to motivate myself to do any scrapping at all. I finally came to the conclusion that my scrap space was part of the problem. Instead of it being my refuge and retreat, it had become a cluttered mess that I hated to enter. I didn't have the budget for a big re-do, and I especially didn't want to repaint the room, so I decided to start by de-cluttering.

The room used to be a patio outside the kitchen which had been enclosed by previous owners. Windows and doors make up three of the walls, leaving only one wall for storage space or shelving units. There is very little storage space and way too many windows, but I had to work with what I had. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, because even though I hated the room, I still felt very lucky to have a dedicated scrap space that I didn't have to set up (and pick up) every time I felt creative.

So . . . Here is my re-created space. I cut up the old curtains and recycled the white fabric with new black and white toile on the tops. I used peg board to hang embellishments and scissors, spray painted my previously bright-colored storage containers black, white, or black and white crackle, decoupaged my priority mail boxes and little storage containers with black and white papers, re-sewed throw pillows using black and white fabric and covered my folding and kitchen chairs with black and white chair covers. It may not compare with a lot of the awesome scrap spaces I've seen out there, but it's clean, organized and comfortable and it was done on a shoe-string budget . . . and that's all I need.

More Scrap Room Pictures

2010-04-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

My scrap space doubles as an extra sleep space when we have out-of-town company. The couch folds out into a double bed and the computer desk folds up, leaving the room a little less scrappy and a little more suitable for guests (But usually Kristin prefers to sleep in the scrap room and give her room up as the guest room.) The storage towers have peg board on the sides to hang miscellaneous embellishments. Small metal buckets were from the Dollar Spot at Target. I painted them with crackle paint and used rub-ons and ribbon to decorate them. The no-sew chair covers are made by draping fabric (in this case a tea towel) over the chair back, clamping the sides with drapery rings and tying front and back rings together with coordinating ribbon. A three-tier metal basked is used to hold stamps and stamp pads.

Paper storage from decoupaged Express Mail boxes:

Be Kind to Yourself

2010-03-01T10:33:00.002-06:00

We take care of our families, our work, our homes, showering kindness and love on the people in our lives. All too often, though, we don't show kindness to ourselves. Take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge yourself. Take a break, have a cup of tea, read a book, take a bath, plant the garden you want, make a page for your scrapbook or acknowledge something you like about yourself. Little things mean a lot.
(From Memory Makers Magazine)

Wedding Invations

2010-02-12T22:19:00.006-06:00

My beautiful niece, Natalie, is in the process of planning her wedding and totally flattered me by asking me to come up with a design for her wedding invitations that she and her fiance will make. For the past several weeks I've spent my evenings playing with paper while trying to design an invitation that will be pretty, economical, fit a standard sized (regular postage) envelope, and be simple enough to make a few hundred without taking months to get it done. It's been challenging but fun. Natalie received the samples in the mail yesterday - she loved them and that made it worth the effort! (Of course, at this point I don't think she has noticed the inside jokes and silly wording I used on some of the samples. She may have a different opinion when she discovers that!) Here are pictures of the front and insides of the invitation designs I came up with. The yellow one and the white one below it are made of long strips of paper (obviously the cover size in the picture is not to scale and the colors really did match in real life!) These are just samples of sizes and ideas - Natalie and Andy will decide on the actual colors and papers used and do all the hard work of putting the invitations together.

Love Me a Good Icestorm!

2010-02-01T17:39:00.006-06:00

Thursday and Friday of last week the Oklahoma City area got hit by another winter storm. Thanks to non-stop,24-hour weather coverage (ug), we knew the storm was on its way and we were able to stock up and get ready for it ahead of time. I love it when you have no choice but to slow down and take a few days off - hate the paycheck that comes along with it, but love the unexpected free time to catch up and catch my breath. Luckily we only got about 1/2" of ice followed by 5" of snow, which was bad enough, but not nearly as much as was predicted. We never lost our power and were able to enjoy the unexpected time off. On Thursday I was very productive. I got up early, made cornbread and stew and thoroughly deep-cleaned the house. That evening Kim and I built a fire and snuggled up to watch two CLUNKER movies. Friday I cleaned dresser drawers and closets, watched tv and took a long nap. Then we watched a good movie "State of Play". Saturday I made coleslaw, cooked a pork roast and homemade dinner rolls and Jenna and her boyfriend joined us for dinner. After they left, Kim and I built another fire and watched another clunker movie. I have to admit that of the four movies we watched, the three we didn't like were all my choices. I'm on quite a roll! Kim picked the only one we liked. I had to go back to work today, but it looks like we may have more winter weather coming our way this week. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed!)

Blizzard of 2009

2009-12-25T13:08:00.014-06:00

For the first time in a long time we had a white Christmas in Oklahoma! The blizzard of 2009 won't soon be forgotten! Our family had planned to travel to Nebraska for Christmas with Kim's family. Early in the week we changed our plans because we could tell from the weather forecasts that, while we would have no trouble getting there, we were likely to have weather issues trying to get back home. Kristin was scheduled to fly back to Detroit on December 26th (a scheduling error that we tried to undo earlier but that would have cost us more than the price of the original ticket to change). ANYWAY . . . long story short - thankfully we decided to stay home for Christmas this year which turned out to be a good decision because the mid-west got walloped with a huge winter storm. In Oklahoma City we had 14 inches of snow, 35 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 60 mph (causing the snow to come down horizontally) and extremely low temperatures and wind chills. Power was out in some areas of the city, snow drifted on the highways causing trucks to overturn and jackknife and there were hundreds of accidents (including a 50-car pileup in one area). Cars were stuck in snowdrifts on the highways and had to be abandoned, and eventually all the interstates were closed leaving hundreds of unlucky people stranded in stores and cars all across the city. We felt so fortunate to be spending a quiet Christmas Eve snug in our warm house with our power on, eating a dinner of yummy Mandarin Chicken, and enjoying a quiet family night playing cards while watching the non-stop weather coverage on local television. The best part of the whole deal for us was that flights were so disrupted that the airlines were allowing people to change their flights at no charge so we get to have Kristin home until next week after all! Today Kim ventured out to shovel the driveway and clean the snow off Jenna's car and a guy from NBC news stopped to interview him. He appeared on the national news for about one second and he's totally enjoying his moment of fame! Ha!
What a Christmas Eve this was!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34592139

Creative-Scrappers Sketch No. 75

2009-10-26T22:56:00.005-05:00

This is my last page as a Design Team member at Creative-Scrappers. I've enjoyed it. Thank you for the opportunity Kristine!

We used Sketch No. 75 by Allison Cope:

I used pictures of Kristin and her friends taken on their club's retreat near Charlevoix, Michigan:

October Challenge

2009-10-19T21:25:00.004-05:00

The October 1-15 challenge at Creative-Scrappers was to use a transparency on your layout. The biggest challenge for me was trying to find the transparencies I knew I had bought but never used! Once I found the two I had, the page was quick, easy and fun to do. This is a picture of Kristin and the girls in her club taken at a weekend retreat at a cabin in Northern Michigan.

Click Here to Check Out Tam's Giveaway!

2009-10-18T14:49:00.005-05:00

Go to Tam's blog for a big chipboard giveaway! And while you're there I'm sure you'll be impressed with the beautiful things she made this weekend! Her creations are so bright and fun with just the right amount of "whimsical" thrown in! Enjoy!

Creative-Scrappers Sketch No. 73

2009-10-11T21:10:00.008-05:00

Today was another reveal day at Creative-Scrappers! We used Sketch No.73 by Lady Grace. I really enjoyed working with this one!

This is what I did with it. The pictures were taken by Jenna and her friends at a park in Vienna.

Abbey Road Layout

2009-10-05T21:01:00.001-05:00

I've started working on a scrapbook for Jenna's semester in Europe - hopefully I can get it together to give to her at Christmas. This is one of the first layouts I've finished. The pictures were taken during the first week of their trip when they were in London.

Creative Scrappers Sketch No. 71

2009-10-02T19:21:00.001-05:00

Sketch No. 71 has been posted at Creative-Scrappers. It's a great sketch by Karen Gerber that I'll definitely use again. Here's the sketch, and my take on it. Thanks Karen for giving us a great one to work with!

Journaling:
"When you come to the end of a perfect day and you sit alone with your thought; While the chimes ring out with a carol gay for the joy that the day has brought. Do you think what the end of a perfect day can mean to a tired heart? When the sun goes down with a flaming ray and the dear hearts have to part? Well, this is the end of a perfect day, near the end of a journey too. But it leaves a thought that is big and strong, with a wish that is kind and true. For mem'ry has painted this perfect day with colors that never fade, and we find at the end of a perfect day, the soul of a friend we've made." (Carrie Jacobs-Bond)

Sketch No. 69

2009-09-13T21:19:00.003-05:00

Today was the reveal of Sketch No. 69 by (Deb Harter)at Creative-Scrappers:

I made two layouts using this fun sketch:

The first is of Kristin and some friends in Italy:

Pisa Memories:

And the second is some Glamour Shots of Jenna - a big OU Fan - wearing an OU jersey:

Ugly Paper Challenge

2009-09-04T09:37:00.005-05:00

This week it was my turn to host a challenge at Creative-Scrappers.com. I challenged anyone who wanted to play along (as well as myself) to use an ugly piece of paper that you've had in your stash for awhile. This is the paper I used - I cannot even imagine why I bought it in the first place! I've kept it around for several years and decided it was finally time to try to do something with it.

I started out by cutting and weaving papers through it; distressing it with paint; sewing on it and finally by spraying it with two different colors of Glimmer Mist (which doesn’t show up in the scan, but leaves a slight shimmer on the page).

Here is the finished page I made out of it:

(Journaling: Common sense told me it wouldn't always be this way. I knew that there would eventually be some sibling rivalry, squabbling and fighting. But we were off to a good start and common sense told me to enjoy every minute of the sweetness while it lasted. Quote: To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or confidant - it is to have a soulmate for life (Victoria Secanda).

If you'd like to participate in the challenge, post your ugly paper and your finished layout in the gallery at Creative-Scrappers.com. Post a note in the "Our Designer Challenges" section of the forum so we will know that you're playing along. Layouts posted by September 15th will be entered into a drawing for a RAK from me. I can't wait to see your creations!

Creative Scrappers Sketch No. 67

2009-08-30T13:35:00.003-05:00

Today was the reveal of Sketch No. 67 at Creative-Scrappers:

I used an old picture of my dad and his cousin Marie that was taken in the Spring of 1943 when he came home to visit on leave. He had just finished basic training and "tank school" and was home to visit before shipping off to England. I enjoyed listening to him talk about what he remembered about the picture. He said he remembered how good it was to be home. For him, the hardest part of being in the Army was being away from his family.

Here is the page I made with it.

Sketch No. 66 at Creative-Scrappers

2009-08-24T20:59:00.007-05:00

This week Sketch No. 66 (by Karan Gerber) was posted at Creative-Scrappers. This is one of my favorites and I'm sure I'll be using it again!

And here's what I did with it:

Bruce Tallon

2009-08-18T11:30:00.004-05:00

For the second time this summer I've unexpectedly lost a friend to a heart attack. Sunday evening my daughter called and asked me if I'd heard that Bruce died. She had received a text from a friend asking for prayers for her friend Zach because his dad had died. I made a few calls to mutual friends, but nobody else had heard about it either, so I began to hope that it was a strange rumor or a silly prank between the kids. It couldn’t be true - he was too healthy and too young to have died. Besides, I had seen Bruce that morning. He made a funny comment before leading the closing prayer at church and it seemed too impossible and too awful to be true. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Bruce had a massive heart attack Sunday afternoon. He had been rushed to the heart hospital, but the doctors were unable to save his life.

Bruce truly made the world a better place. I first remember him in college - the handsome jock who was dating the cute cheerleader. I got to know Bruce and Terry personally after college when we all attended the same church, worshiping and raising our families together, and more recently when he was our Bible school class chairman. He was a fixture - always there; always smiling; always contributing. Through the years, and the struggles I grew to appreciate Bruce and Terry. Just like the rest of us, they had challenges, but they were courageous enough to take off their masks and be real and I always enjoyed talking to both of them when I had the chance. We live in the same neighborhood and our paths seemed to cross a lot - they were coming as we were going or vice versa. Bruce would smile and wave; always taking the time to reach out, to smile, to make people feel welcomed and included.
He was good.
He was an encourager.
Tomorrow is Bruce’s funeral service and I will be there with literally hundreds of other people whose lives he touched in the same way.
He will be missed.
The world needs more Bruces.

Sketch No. 65

2009-08-16T12:14:00.004-05:00

Today, Sketch No. 65 by Deb Harter was revealed at Creative-Scrappers. This is the page I did with it. Jenna and her friend Kyle spent an afternoon walking around taking pictures of each other in downtown Oklahoma City. This was one of the pictures Kyle took of Jenna acting silly, but I liked it anyway. The background papers were done by stamping with clear ink on white paper and embossing the stamped image with clear embossing powder. I then rubbed the paper with green and blue pigment ink. The embossed images resist the ink and create a cool looking patterned paper.

In Search of One Decent Smile

2009-08-07T22:25:00.004-05:00

This is a layout I made of Jenna and her friend Ryan goofing off with the camera. They realized it's almost impossible to get a picture of Ryan where he's smiling AND keeping his eyes open at the same time. This one was made with lots of scraps - no new papers.

Counting Piggies With Grandma

2009-08-02T23:59:00.004-05:00

Today was my first design team reveal at Creative-Scrappers. The Design Team used this awesome sketch created by Karan Gerber:

This is the page I did using Karan's sketch. It's a picture of my mom and Kristin when she was little. They're cuddling in the chase lounge at the cottage, counting piggies. I used some of my favorite papers from Prima and Creative Imaginations.

25 Roses for 25 Years

2009-07-29T21:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Kim and I celebrated our 25th anniversary! On one hand I feel like that was a VERY long time ago, and yet on the other hand it could have been yesterday. We've done a lot of living since then - not always fun, but altogether very rewarding and I can say without hesitation that I would do it all over again. In the 25 years Kim and I have been married, we've loved and squabbled; raised two beautiful daughters; said goodbye to one mother and one father, 4 grandparents, numerous aunts and uncles and a few friends. We've been rich and we've been poor; we've changed sizes, jobs and houses; we've traveled - more before the kids and less after they were born; We've loved and lost pets; supported each other through surgeries and illnesses; worshiped together and fought with each other. We've shared friendships, fears, hopes, dreams and tears, and through all of that we've built a life and a history together that cannot be replaced by anyone else on Earth. Thank you Kim, for being a wonderful husband and daddy. It hasn't always been easy, but it's been such a worthwhile adventure! I'm looking forward to the next 25 with you!

Creative Scrappers Design Team!

2009-07-12T23:28:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to be on the Creative Scrappers Design Team for the months of August through October! I love their sketches and hopefully this will give me the motivation I need to get back to my scrap table. Thanks for the opportunity Kristine! This is the layout I used as my DT Application Sketch:

Creative-Scrappers Design Team Call

2009-07-05T21:25:00.004-05:00

Creative Scrappers, a truly inspiring sketch website that I love, is having a new Design Team Call and anyone is welcome to enter! Kristine is looking for eight new designers! If you are a sketch-lover who is looking for a home, you really need to check it out. The details for entering an application are listed on the Creative Scrappers Blog. (Even if you don't want to try out, you need to check out the website!) Submissions for the Design Team will be open until July 8th.

http://creativescrappers.blogspot.com/2009/06/design-team-call.html

Today

2009-07-01T21:05:00.003-05:00

This layout was done as a challenge at Backporch Memories, as well as a sketch challenge at Creative-Scrappers. we were challenged to make a layout using the word "Today". I did this wedding page in honor of our 25th anniversary later this summer. I used the lyrics from an old John Denver song: "Today" (A million tomorrows shall all pass away, ere I forget all the joy that is mine today.) In all honesty, I didn't particularly enjoy my wedding day. I was very unhappy with how my wedding gown looked on me after it was altered. (I thought it made me look fat - Ha. I wore a size 4 so I probably looked like I was a huge size 6!). I also had a bad hair day, wasn't happy with the flowers and was embarrassed to be the center of attention. But in spite of all that, there was true joy to be marrying Kim and excitement at the thought of starting our new life together!

Happy Daddy's Day!

2009-06-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

I was lucky to be able to see my father this year on Father's Day! Kim and I took a vacation to visit family in Michigan and were able to join the rest of my siblings and Momma Nell in celebrating dad and Father's Day together. Thank you dad, for all the sacrifices you made for us, for being a wonderful daddy, a good provider and a great example to all of us. We love you!

2009-06-18T21:45:00.002-05:00

This layout was done for a Backporch Memories challenge honoring one of the men in our life (for Father's Day). It made me realize that I don't scrap pages of Kim or myself often enough - partially because I don't have very many pictures of us. I really enjoyed doing this one though, and I'm definitely going to start taking a few more pics of both of us!

2009-06-05T00:43:00.004-05:00

Summertime reminds me of the cottage. Growing up, the family always met there on Memorial Day weekend to start the summer season and I will always miss those wonderful weekends with my aunts, uncles and cousins - playing in the lake, taking walks in the woods, eating wonderful food, the men playing horseshoes and everyone sitting around the kitchen table playing cards in the evening. Some of my favorite childhood memories took place there and part of me will always miss it. These pictures are of some of my siblings and me at the cottage in June, 1966.

Making Clipboards

2009-05-30T12:43:00.000-05:00

A couple of people have asked me for directions on how to make the clipboards I made last year as gifts for the Seniors. Here's a brief How-To:

These clipboards were a fun project and were easy and inexpensive to make. The kids seemed to like them but of course, I’m sure they appreciated the check under the clamp more than the clipboard itself! A couple of the kids have told me that they actually used them a lot when they were doing their homework in bed.

The clipboards I used were from Walmart and cost 85¢ each. They measure 13½ inches by 10 inches. Last year when I made so many, I did them assembly-line style and it was a big timesaver.

Steps:

Cover the metal clip with masking tape to protect it from the paint.

Spray paint the clipboard. Once the paint has dried, flip it over and spray paint the back side. I used black paint, but any color will work.

Now the fun part! Decorate the clipboard using anything that doesn’t have much texture to it so that the writing surface remains smooth enough to write on. I used crackle paint, patterned paper (glued on with Mod Podge), stamps and embossing powder, stickers, stencils, paint, distressing ink and rub-ons. You’re limited only by your imagination!

(TIP: Since I used patterned paper on most of mine, I made a template out of notebook paper so that I could use it as a pattern to cut the patterned paper out.)

To Use Crackle Paint:
After the base coat of paint has dried, crackle the front of the clipboard to gave it a distressed look. You can find crackle mediums at craft stores. To use it, apply the crackle medium over the base coat of paint using a foam brush and let it dry. Once the crackle has dried, paint a contrasting paint color over the crackle medium. As the top coat dries, it will crack and cause the bottom color to show through the cracks. The brands I used are “Plaid” FolkArt Crackle Medium or Delta Ceramcoat “Crackle”. Both work equally well. You can use any colors that appeal to you. On most of my clipboards I used patterned paper cut to fit the center of the clipboard with crackled paint around the edges.

I tried to personalize each clipboard by using patterned papers that represented the person’s interests (soccer, basketball, music, ballet, etc.) I also used rub-ons or stickers to spell out their name.

Once I had the clipboard decorated, I used a clear spray to seal and protect it. I didn't even bother wrapping the clipboards - I just put a card with a check in it under the clamp.

Feminine Finishing Touch:
On the boards I made for the girls, I tied an assortment of ribbons around the clamp.

Here are pictures of some of the clipboards that I made:

You Just Never Know

2009-05-28T23:49:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I was shocked and saddened to hear the news that a great guy that I've known for over 30 years had suddenly passed away. I met Nick in college. He was one of those guys who was really handsome but didn't seem to know it. He treated everyone so nice. After college we attended the same church and we had several mutual friends so I've seen him off and on through the years at various events and parties. It was always great to see him and his wife. They are such fun and sweet people - the kind of people you just enjoy being with. Last Thursday night Nick and Rhonda went to see the Lion King. It was late when they got home, so Nick went to bed. Everything seemed normal until Rhonda couldn't wake him at 5:30 Friday morning. The cause of Nick's death has yet to be determined. He was only 50 years old and he was gone so quickly and so unexpectedly. Tuesday was Nick's funeral. It was huge and everyone there seemed to be in a state of shock. It was one of the saddest funerals I've ever attended. Nick leaves behind a beautiful family and many friends who will never forget how wonderful he was. It was obviously apparent that he was highly respected and loved by everyone he knew and he will be missed by all who crossed his path.

Our New Little Fur Baby!

2009-05-10T23:17:00.002-05:00

Kim surprised me with this little sweetie on Friday! He had a friend who had adopted her earlier this year, but found out the hard way that his little girl was extremely allergic to cats! She's been declawed and spayed and needed a good home. She's really little and really playful and has spent the weekend tormenting Gizmo and Riley. They are not happy campers at this point, but hopefully will accept her soon. We've had a hard time finding a name that everyone likes, but I think we've settled on "Mona". We'll have to see if it fits.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-05-04T10:18:00.006-05:00

What a busy week! We've had company coming and going and in-between Jenna moving home from the dorm, work, doctor appointments, shopping, and cooking and cleaning getting ready for company, I've been trying to do some of the Creative-Scrappers Birthday Bash challenges. It was fun, but I didn't get a lot accomplished. Here are the sketches I managed to squeeze in:

One Hour Challenge:
In the interests of full disclosure, I finished my page, but didn't like it and went back to change things so this actually took about an hour and a half to finish up. The picture is of Jenna and some friends at her graduation open house almost exactly a year ago:

Spring Is In The Air Challenge: (using butterflies in our layout)

Jenna took these pictures when she was doing "quiet time" at Quartz Mountain camp this past summer. The journaling is from one of my favorite hymns: "This is my Father's World and to my listening ears all nature sings and round me rings the music of the spheres:

Use Something Non-Scrapbook Related:

The Converse tag was taken off of a Coverse shirt Jenna bought. I retrieved it from the garbage when I was empting waste baskets. A friend of hers took the picture and I thought it was really cool!:

Three Picture Challenge:
These pictures were taken many years ago while we were enjoying a warm winter day hiking at Martin Nature Park:

Birthday Bash Layouts

2009-04-28T10:26:00.009-05:00

I scrapped a little this week for the Creative-Scrappers Birthday bash. Here are a few of the layouts I did based on their sketches:

Funny Forest Challenge:

For this challenge we were required to use a tree on our layout. The tree on this page was scraplifted from a layout in the March/April issue of Scrapbooks Etc.:

Die Cut Shapes Challenge:

We were required to use only die cuts with our picture. This is one of my favorite pictures of the girls when they were little. Oh how I miss my little girls!

Stamp-It Challenge:

We were required to use rubber stamps on this layout. These pictures were taken last Christmas eve after we returned home from our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with our family friends:

Early Bird Challenge

2009-04-18T16:19:00.008-05:00

Yesterday Kristine posted an "Early Bird" challenge for those of us who were itching to get started on the Creative Scrappers Birthday Bash. I was in the scrapping mood, so I did this page from Jenna's graduation (could that really have been a year ago already?). This picture was taken as she and her fellow students were doing their processional into the auditorium - and of course she hates it, but I love it because she looked so happy! I love this Little Yellow Bicycle paper and it just happened to match her school colors. I cut out the center and flipped it so that I could use both sides:

Dream On
Dream On
Dream On
Dream Until Your Dreams Come True

Newest Pages

2009-04-17T16:32:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted in awhile, but I have been working on some pages. I've been trying to fill in the gaps in Kristin and Jenna's albums since I no longer do my pages chronologically. Here are my newest pages using sketches from Creative-Scrappers:

This is Kristin at 6 months. I thought she was adorable (but I wasn't entirely objective). The circle under the picture is stitched to the page using patterned vellum:

Kristin as an adorable 14-month old:

Kristin at 6 years old - still adorable (and I'm still not objective):

Kristin on her European adventure. She celebrated her 19th birthday in the Austrian Alps!

Birthday Bash!!!

2009-04-16T14:27:00.004-05:00

Don't forget the upcoming Birthday Bash at Creative-Scrappers! Has it been a year already??? It's going to be so much fun! Join us!

A Few New Pages

2009-04-06T20:36:00.005-05:00

These are a few pages I created from sketches during March but have never added to the blog. I actually completed all the challenges this month (could my scrapping slump be over?) The best news is - I won the drawing for March's prize at Creative-Scrappers! I don't normally win anything so that's big for me.

I've Been Tagged

2009-03-28T14:59:00.004-05:00

I have been tagged by Tam! Here is the deal......Go to the place on your computer where you store all your pictures and open the 4th folder. Open the 4th picture. Post the picture and give an explanation of what it is. Tag 4 people. DO NOT CHEAT!! You cannot edit or crop the picture!!So here is my picture.......

I got lucky and was able to use a picture I loved. This is my beautiful Gizmo!
Fun Tag Tam! Thanks!

I am tagging:
Melissa
Tami
Deb
Jules

Another One-Hour Layout

2009-03-23T17:26:00.011-05:00

Yesterday we had another one-hour layout competition at Creative Scrappers. There was a mix-up in the rules though, so to keep it fun and fair we were actually given two hours to finish our pages. I scrapped this page and even had time to do some sewing on it! I used a different flower on it originally, but it wasn't working for me so after the competition I substituted the three flowers in the lower corner. My one-hour layouts seldom go to my books the way they looked at the close of the hour-long competition. I always feel the need to do some tweaking. This is a picture of Uncle Doug having a heart-to-heart conversation with Jenna when she was 6 months old.

SMOOCHES (Another One-Hour Layout Challenge)

2009-03-12T00:15:00.004-05:00

This page was done using a sketch that the gals at Creative-Scrappers.com used for a one-hour sketch challenge. I was unable to participate in the competition, but I loved the sketch so I did it on my own - and yes, it took me longer than an hour to do. This picture was one taken at Jenna's "Follies" performance at Edmond Memorial High School last year.

One Picture - Many Pages

2009-03-04T00:22:00.009-06:00

I recently participated in a contest at Creative-Scrappers called One Picture - Many Pages. Kristine sent everyone the same picture (a shot of some ice shanties in British Columbia) that you could use in any way you liked to make a layout. It was really interesting to see how different everyone's pages were, yet we were all using the same photo. Here's what I came up with. I misunderstood the rules at first - thinking we simply had to use the picture. I didn't realize it was the ONLY picture we could use on our page. I had to redo the challenge - hence I ended up with a two-pager for my scrapbook. I really wanted to use something that related to my life since it's going in my scrapbook. The picture brought back memories of the fishing shacks on the lake at camp when we'd go up for winter camp every year. I used the Mod Podge photo transfer technique Natalie taught us, then inked the background picture with clear ink and used sparkle embossing powder on it to get a sparkly winter background. It was a messy, fun page to do!

It's Been Awhile

2009-02-21T18:55:00.006-06:00

Wow it's been awhile since I've been here! I didn't realize it had been so long. I've been taking a class at Creative-Scrappers with Natalie Roy and she is just awesome! I love her style - just wish I could duplicate it. These two layouts were from her class. She had us use a piece of shaped paper, along with lots of stamps, ribbon, rub-ons, ink, glimmer mist and stickers. I used quite a bit of glittery embossing powder on the brown page which is why it looks speckly on the scan. In real life it looks more like a shimmer. These pictures were taken years ago so Kristin and Jenna both HATE them but it's time to start scrapping some pictures from the "awkward years". Sorry girls! Natalie's style is grungy and really fun if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and I really don't. I can't wait to get back in there for some more creative-therapy!

One Hour Challenge

2009-01-26T22:24:00.007-06:00

Tonight was a one-hour challenge at Creative Scrappers and it came at a good time since we're iced in and going nowhere! At a specified time a sketch is posted and we have an hour to finish a page based on the sketch and 15 minutes to get it uploaded. One-hour challenges are always a real challenge for me since I tend to be a very slow scrapper. I did mine using a really old picture - but still one of my favorites.
The journaling says:
"Always remember . . .
Daddy loves you
even when it doesn't seem that way."

I can't tell you how much I miss this little girl:

I'm In a Scrappin Mood!

2009-01-17T23:28:00.005-06:00

Finally - after what seems like forever - the mood to scrap hit me. Other than the recipe books I made as Christmas gifts I haven't felt like scrapping in what seems like forever. This page was done as a challenge contest at Creative Scrappers. We were supposed to use the title "Way Back When." So here it is. The journaling is Old Days by Chicago. I used some of my old college pictures from back in the 70's.

I now have hope that my mojo won't be gone forever.

Holiday Recap 2008

2009-01-03T20:47:00.002-06:00

So - this year I decided I wasn't going to knock myself out trying to get everything done during the holidays. I was going to do what I could while trying to enjoy the season more - AND I DID! We had a wonderful Christmas and the chance to truly enjoy friends, gifts, food and family. Unfortunately, one of the casualties of this decision was my Christmas card list. For the first time ever I didn't get the cards out. The other sacrificial lamb was this blog. As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't posted in quite some time. So in my feeble attempt to catch up I thought I'd post some holiday pictures. Hopefully I'll have some layouts to add soon, now that the Christmas season has been totally enjoyed, cleaned up and put away for 2008.

Worrying About My Mind

2008-12-09T17:23:00.000-06:00

Well - I'm in rare form today, let me tell you!

I got to work ten minutes late, unlocked the door and then realized I couldn't remember the alarm code! My mind went totally blank. I tried several combinations - none worked. The alarm proceeded to go off LOUDLY! I ran across the parking lot to the office owner's office (she has everyone's alarm codes) but she's out for the day today. I was finally able to reach my boss on his cell phone and he told me the alarm code which sounded vaguely familiar - and it should since I use it EVERY day - and I finally got the alarm turned off.

Of course, that was only the beginning. While I was trying to get the alarm off the secretary from the psychiatrist's office next door came out in the hall to see what was going on. So after I got the alarm turned off, set down my purse, KEYS and coat on the desk I went over to apologize to her - not realizing I hadn't unlocked the door which proceeded to close behind me! So now I was locked out in the hall without my keys, purse, coat, etc. At this point I would have turned around and gone back home if I could have, but seeing as I had no keys I couldn't go anywhere. It ended up that the building owner (who was at home) came to the office to let me in an hour after I had first arrived. In the meantime I waited for him in the psychiatrist's office next door feeling strangely at home there! Maybe I should make an appointment to see her soon!

I hope everyone else is having a better day than me!

Just a Few Things

2008-11-06T11:44:00.005-06:00

It's been such a beautiful Fall - my favorite season of the year! Between games of Wordtwist with Cheryl and Cherri (my new obsession), I've managed to find some time to play with my supplies and create a few new layouts. I sure hope they look better than my Wordtwist scores - I'm sooooo bad at it - but determined to improve.

A Simply Beautiful Fall Day

A Sunflower, A Ladybug and Two Scarecrows

Halloween Cuties

Loving You Is Easy

Enjoying Life on the 4th of July

A Great Trip to Michigan

2008-10-21T14:46:00.005-05:00

Other than a rough time getting back home (and one emergency landing!), my trip to Michigan was wonderful! I couldn't have asked for prettier fall weather. I so miss the beautiful fall colors that I grew up with in Michigan. We have fall in Oklahoma, but it lacks the vibrant colors that I miss from my childhood. I met up with lots of friends and family; ate out a lot; did some shopping, saw a movie; spent time with Kristin and played lots of cards! I learned two fun new card games that I'll probably promptly forget now that I'm home. Kristin set me up with a Facebook account which could become a new addiction and we had a "sisters" day full of food, games and crafts. It was a beautiful, relaxing week but all good things must end - I'm back to life in the real world and now I must catch up on housecleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. What fun - I so wish vacations could last forever!

Natalie's Techniques Class

2008-10-17T22:55:00.005-05:00

I've been taking a techniques class taught by Natalie at Creative-Scrappers and am totally enjoying everything she's been teaching us. We've learned how to make transfers using Mod Podge, how to create our own cool background papers. How to use transparencies to create our own rub-ons, how to use spackle on our pages and lots of other really fun and cool techniques. Here are a few of the projects I've been working on - and there are so many others I haven't had the time to do yet. The "Tiny Dancer" layout in my last post was also from her class. This is an awesome class and Natalie is such a great, creative teacher! Thanks for the inspiration Natalie!

I've Been a Bad Blogger

2008-10-09T10:56:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. I've been a bad blogger lately. I usually wait to update until I have the time - but I never have the time. Anyway - here are a few pages I've done recently. Tomorrow I'm off to Michigan to visit with family and friends! I'm so ready for a break. I'll post some more pages when I get back next week.

This page was done for a Techniques class I'm taking at Creative Scrappers. I'm loving all of Natalie's ideas - she's an awesome teacher!
Tiny Dancer:

@ The Patch:

Little and Mighty:

This page was done as a "Go Green" Challenge. We had to use something we would normally throw away on our page. I painted and wove straw wrappers together and filled some of the clear wrappers with beads:

A Few More Miscellaneous Pages

2008-09-24T14:08:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple more pages I've never gotten around to posting. The first is my all-time favorite picture of Jenna. The layout is based on a sketch from Creative Scrappers:

This was a monochromatic layout from Backporch Memories:

I'm taking a techniques class taught by Natalie at Creative Scrappers and I'm learning some cool new stuff! I'll post pictures soon. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Some New Layouts

2008-09-22T10:00:00.003-05:00

These are a few miscellaneous just for fun layouts I haven't posted yet. I have a strong suspicion that I've developed a passion for the color orange lately! What do you think?

Hard Rock Cafe:

Angie's "Girl's Inc." Challenge:

Give Peace a Chance (Song Lyric Challenge):

Halloween (2-Pager Challenge):

Tagged by Carol!

2008-09-21T23:19:00.007-05:00

I've been tagged by my friend, Carol!
Here are my answers:

THE FIVE TAG

10 years ago I:
1. Was 41 years old.
2. Had recently moved back to Oklahoma from Michigan
3. Was a stay-at-home mom
4. Was a Girl Scout leader
5. Was significantly thinner!

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. Clean the bathrooom
2. Go to the office
3. Go to the gym
4. Fix Mandarin chicken for dinner
5. Return library books

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. A juicy apple
2. Peanut butter M&Ms
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Cookie dough
5. Chips and dip

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Keep the fact that I was a millionaire a secret
2. Have a cabin on a lake
3. Travel
4. Help people anonymously
5. Hire a housekeeper

5 places I have lived:
1. Dearborn, Michigan
2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
3. Royal Oak, Michigan
4. Edmond, Oklahoma
5. THAT'S ALL!

5 jobs I have had:
1. Worked at McDonalds during college
2. Secretary for Industrial Safety Division at Ford Rouge Plant
3. Labor Relations Secretary at Ford Rouge Plant
4. Legal Secretary at various law firms
5. Legal Assistant at various law firms

I am tagging: 1)Trisha; 2)Melissa; 3)Megan; 4)Tam; 5) Stace

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Oodles of Flowers

2008-09-08T22:18:00.005-05:00

Our Sunday School class is responsible for this quarter's dinner and program for "Refresh-HER", a ladies' program at church. The speaker liked the poem "Bits and Pieces" from my blog and decided to use that as the theme of her talk and they decided on a quilt-theme for the decorations for the evening. They asked me to come up with something quilt-related that would have the poem on it for each of the 32 tables, so I've been making these for the past week. I finally finished them up late Saturday night and, even though they were fun to make, I have to admit I'm glad I'm finally finished and can move on to something else!

The Poem:

The Flowers:

A Few More Pages:

2008-09-05T09:28:00.003-05:00

Laughter is the Best Medicine (Done as a challenge to use a "bad" photo at Backporch Memories:

Spring Fever:

Oh Where, Oh Where Have My Little Girls Gone?

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same:

And Yet Another Senior Picture

2008-08-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

This is a 2-page layout I did of Jenna's Senior Pictures. I know I'm prejudice, but I think she looked beautiful!

Some New Layouts

2008-08-30T22:56:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more layouts I've finally finished from Jenna's graduation. I've got lots more to add later.

AnoTHer WilD WeEkeNd of FuN!

2008-08-27T14:47:00.005-05:00

I spent another fun-filled weekend with the girls in Talequah at a scrapbooking retreat! What could be better than hanging out with crazy friends, doing scrapbooking for 3 days while being pampered with awesome meals prepared by someone else? Altogether I got 16 layouts done. Here are the first five. I'll post the others as soon as I get them photographed and uploaded but first I need to take a nap! I'm worn out!

You Color My World:
Kristin and Jenna in July, 1992 (ages 3 and 5):

Sleepy Brian:
(Youth Group's Mexico Mission Trip - June, 2008)

Grandma's Lap:
(Kristin and Jenna with Grandma - November 1992)
Quote: Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap (Doug Larson)

Spring in Bloom:
(Little Kristin - March, 1989)

Swoosh:
(Youth Group Ski Trip - March,2005)

Wylde Woman Award

2008-08-15T21:46:00.007-05:00

I received the best warm fuzzy from my friend Carol today. She gave me a Wylde Women Award on her blog. The purpose of this award is "to send love and acknowledgment to women who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy". Wow Carol! Thank you so much for thinking I deserve it! It's a sweet honor and it definitely made my day brighter!

I'm supposed to pass this award on. Here are the rules:

1. You can give it to one or one hundred or any number in between - it's up to you.
2. Make sure you link to their site in your post.
3. Link back to Tammy's blog so that she can go to visit all these wonderful women.
4. Remember the Purpose of the Award.

I am giving this award back to Carol. She has been through so many trials this past year and yet she maintains a positive attitude and her sense of humor. Your example has taught me a lot Carol, and I so hope I can respond with the same attitude if I ever find myself faced with similar challenges.

I also want to pass it on to Kim who has been on the most amazing journey over the past year. She has lost close to 100 pounds and her example has been nothing short of inspirational.

I know of nobody more consistently inspiring than Shanna. Not only does she do amazing cards and scrapbook pages, but she constantly keeps her blog updated and all of that while being mommy to 5 precious kiddos and still maintaining her sense of humor! She's amazing!

Thanks again for the honor Carol!

My Naked Ladies

2008-08-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

This week my Naked Ladies began blooming! I look forward to seeing them every summer. We used to have hundreds of them, but they were accidently dug up and thrown away when we were removing some old shrubbery several years ago. Only a few in the front yard and a few in the back yard survived. I just wish they lasted more than a few weeks a year.

Home!

2008-08-04T20:32:00.004-05:00

Last week Jenna joined approximately 55 members of the church youth group, chaperons and youth ministers on their annual mission trip to Mexico. They assisted in the construction of a school and a church in Piedras Negras. All week they worked long, hard days in the heat but they were rewarded at the end of the week on their way home by getting to stay in a plush hotel with time off to enjoy the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. I'm so thankful they got home safely. On the way back to Oklahoma, the tread separated from the tire of the vehicle that Jenna was riding in. This is especially scary because four years ago a similar tire failure caused one of our church vans to have a horrible roll-over accident that caused serious injuries to several of our teenagers. Luckily for us, the vans were immediately replaced with safer vehicles (Sprinters) and another potential tragedy was prevented. I'm so happy to say everyone returned safe and sound, but extremely tired. Some more pictures:

They clean up really well:

More Layouts From Sketch Fest

2008-08-02T20:53:00.006-05:00

Here are a few more layouts from Sketch Fest at Creative Scrappers. I'm tired but I had a great time!

Rice Family Thanksgiving - 1986
Family Ties Sketch Challenge creating a layout having something to do with "Family"

China Adventure - "Flip It" Challenge

Dirty Little Chickie - Stitching Challenge

Live Out Loud - Sketch Challenge using flowers

Kim in Junior High - Sketch Challenge using at least three of the same picture

The Best Kind of Weekend!

2008-07-30T15:14:00.005-05:00

I had the best kind of weekend! Kim went to Omaha, Kristin is back in Michigan, and Jenna left very early Saturday morning for her annual Mexico mission trip, so I had the house to myself with nobody to worry about but myself and I loved every minute of it! I watched two movies, I did a little shopping, a lot of scrapbooking and NO cooking! Creative Scrappers was having it's first on-line crop, Sketchfest, and I was able to participate in that without any guilt or interruptions. There was a great turnout, and their gallery is full of inspiring layouts and cards. You need to check it out! I've finished several of the challenges and will add a few more once I get them uploaded. Here are some of my creations from this weekend:

A Taste of Summer (Sketch Challenge using the word "Summer" in the title):

Go Green (Sketch Challenge using mini pictures):

Kristin and Jenna in Port Austin (Sketch Challenge using flourishes):

China '08 (Sketch Challenge Using no cardstock - patterned papers only):

Baby Girl - Grown Up Too Fast (Sketch challenge using white space:)

One-Hour Challenge

2008-07-24T21:31:00.001-05:00

Last night I participated in my first-ever One-Hour Challenge at Creative Scrappers. It was fun - but stressful for a slow scrapper like me. At 8:00 sharp we were given a sketch and our layout had to be posted by 9:15 (they allowed us an extra 15 minutes to get our pages uploaded). This is what I came up with. I've always loved this sweet picture of Jenna - wasn't she the cutest baby ever?

Come Join Us at SketchFest!

2008-07-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

It's Been Awhile

2008-07-21T23:51:00.008-05:00

I haven't been able to log onto Google for awhile now so I haven't updated in quite some time. (Not that I really had anything of interest to add anyway.) I wish I could say we are having a quiet, lazy summer but we aren't! We're as busy as ever. Unfortunately there isn't anything exciting going on to write about - just the same old routine and too much to get done in a day. Kim, with the help of our computer guy, finally got Google up and running again yesterday leaving me with no good excuse not to update.

I've enjoyed having Kristin home for almost a month, but she leaves in the morning to go back to Michigan. It's never easy to see her go, but I know she's excited to get back to her other life and she has a lot of friends there who are excited she's coming and that makes me happy for her. I'll be even happier once I've heard she's made the trip safely. Tonight we went to her favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate her birthday - a month early - but a good excuse to give her an early birthday gift for the trip. We got her a GPS system which will help her and two of her friends navigate cross-country a little easier. I'm just praying she has a drama-less trip! Kim will also be leaving tomorrow to go to Nebraska. His mom will be released from the physical therapy hospital tomorrow and he and his brother and sister-in-law are helping her get situated in a new apartment in an assisted living facility. She wasn't the least bit happy about the move, but she understands it's where she needs to be at this point in her life. Hopefully she'll have an easy transition and will feel at home there soon.

With Jenna working, Kristin in Michigan and Kim in Omaha I'm looking forward to a quiet week. I'm hoping to get back to my exercise/diet routine and also to get a little scrapbooking done. There's an on-line crop coming up this weekend at Creative Scrappers. Since it's supposed to be 104 degrees in Oklahoma City on Saturday I'm thinking it will be a good day to stay inside where it's cool and have some "me" time. I was able to get a couple of pages done this weekend and it felt so good to play. They are from Jenna's prom a year ago.

I did this page last week as a Sketch Challenge at Creative Scrappers. We had to use the phrase "Just Cause" on our layout. "Mr. Wonderful" is my sweet little kitty, Riley.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

2008-06-26T20:31:00.006-05:00

I think I can finally say I've fully recovered from a wild and crazy weekend with the girlfriends! For a scrapbooking retreat there certainly wasn't a lot of scrapbooking going on, but everyone had a good time - and that's the main thing. Here are some of the pages I created while at the retreat:

Opening Night (taken from a sketch designed by the great Tami Floyd). These are pictures of Jenna and her friends taken on New Year's Eve at Oklahoma City's annual "Opening Night" celebration:

All of These Does Not Equal One of You!
Just using up some of those old boyfriend pictures you have no idea what to do with:

Bubble Buddies: Jenna and Erin feeling silly and bored on the Mexico Mission Trip:

Climbing in the Wichitas (Taken from a sketch challenge and a sketch by AngieDe at Creative Scrappers):

Originality:

You're Still You (Lyrics from song by Josh Groban). These are a series of pictures of Kim through the years:

A Daughter: Journaling was from a Hallmark card:

Creative Scrappers

2008-06-02T20:32:00.007-05:00

I've been visiting the new Creative Scrappers sketch site and I highly recommend everyone check it out! The people are very friendly and there's some great inspiration in their gallery. Click on this post title to be directed to the blog! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

(The Creative Scrappers website is: http://www.creative-scrappers.com/)

WOW - June Already!

2008-05-31T21:57:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it's already the last day of May! Hopefully the mad rush from the end of the school year and graduation is now over and the dust will begin to settle a little bit. I finally had the chance to scrap for myself this weekend and I totally enjoyed the opportunity to have some "me" time! It had been quite a while since I had time to create a page for the pure fun of it. This is the page I did - a sketch challenge from Creative Scrappers. It's hard for me to believe this precious little girl is now my beautiful 20 year old! Of course, there are some obvious perks to our children growing up but when I look at these old pictures I have to admit it really pulls on my heart-strings! I love you Kristin!

Graduation Clipboards

2008-05-28T22:13:00.003-05:00

This year I made clipboards as graduation gifts for some of Jenna's friends. It was a great way to use up extra papers I've had forever, as well as a blast to play with! I figured they would be practical for the kids to use in their dorm rooms next year in college. Altogether I made 18 of them using a combination of techniques including acrylic paint, crackle glaze, ribbons, Mod Podge, inking, stamping, embossing, rub-ons, and glimmer mist. Basically I used anything I could think of that would still allow the clipboard to have a relatively smooth writing surface. Unfortunately I gave several of them away before it occurred to me to take pictures of them! The real gift was the check under the clip because even though they were time-consuming to make - they still only cost 97 cents apiece and even I am not THAT cheap!

I Think We're Through!

2008-05-18T22:18:00.011-05:00

Today we wrapped up all the Senior festivities with a graduation open house for Jenna and three of her friends at the home of Dan and Robin Waugh. They have a gorgeous park-like back yard with a beautiful pool and terraced seating areas. It couldn't have been prettier! It was a bright, beautiful (HOT) day, and Jenna and her friends (Dee Ann Waugh, Leslie Moore and Evelyn Poteet) had a great time enjoying themselves visiting with all the people who dropped by to congratulate them and wish them well!

Today is the Day!!!

2008-05-17T20:42:00.003-05:00

Today was the day Jenna has been working for for the past 13 years! She was one of 437 graduates from Edmond Memorial High School class of 2008 and one of six Salutatorians. Congratulations to you on a job well done, Jenna! You have made us very proud.

More Pictures from Graduation

2008-05-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

Jenna's Senior Banquet

2008-05-11T22:12:00.002-05:00

I've been so busy with company and preparing for company but it's been a really fun, good kind of busy. Last week my dad, step-mom, two sisters and a niece came down from Michigan and we had such a nice visit with them. They came to attend a banquet the church gives in honor of the high school seniors every year. Each Senior (43 of them this year!) invites their extended family or special friends to attend the banquet and it's hosted by the Junior class. They consistently outdo themselves on the theme, decorations and food and it's always a very special evening - especially when you have no family who live nearby but you have 5 family members willing to travel over 1,000 miles to attend in your honor! The Senior boys conducted the Sunday evening church service, then the elders presented each Senior with a Bible and the banquet followed. There was a great slide show of the kids through the years and the youth ministers made each of the Seniors feel very special by introducing them to the crowd individually and recalling their special memories of the kids from middle school through high school. It was a very fun and sentimental evening. I loved this picture of Dad and Nell wearing with the top hat centerpieces. They're the cutest older couple ever. The rest of the time our guests were here we spent eating, shopping, eating, playing games, eating, watching movies and eating. We totally enjoyed their visit but now I need to get back on my diet!

The PACE Banquet

2008-05-09T22:10:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the PACE (Performing Arts Council of Edmond) banquet for Edmond Memorial High School. The Seniors were recognized and the annual PACE awards were given. The food and program were very enjoyable. I totally enjoyed watching the slide show of pictures of the Seniors through the years and it was fun to hear where each one intends to go to school next fall and what their life's goals are. Jenna was one of five girls and five boys nominated by the students as "royalty" from which the annual King and Queen are chosen. She looked beautiful and felt honored to have been on the Court. The King was Matt Chancey and the Queen was Alyssa Jackson - both are Jenna's good friends and she was so happy for them!

Where Did the Years Go?

2008-05-02T14:13:00.007-05:00

People always told me to hang onto my little girls and enjoy every minute. They said "they grow up too fast" and "these are the best years of your life." At the time it seemed like my life as the mom would go on forever. It was my new reality. I don't think I fully comprehended what they were saying until the past few years. And they were so right. Of course, it's impossible to enjoy every minute when you're in the midst of it. Sick kids, sleepless nights, bad attitudes and temper tantrums are not something to look forward to. But now that I'm almost through raising my sweet little girls, I totally understand what they were trying to tell me. Jenna will graduate this month and next fall Kim and I will be official empty-nesters. I can't say I enjoyed every minute, but overall I have to admit that the years since Kristin was born have truly been the happiest years of my life and that makes this transition a little hard for me. I'm so proud of both of my girls and I know that no matter what - my life has been blessed by their presence.

Wear Red on Friday

2008-04-28T13:40:00.004-05:00

I loved this story from Gina's blog so I had to post a link to it. I will definitely wear red on Friday beginning this week!

http://ginahanson.blogspot.com/2008/04/please-take-moment-to-read-this.html]

Fancy Pants!

2008-04-24T15:18:00.003-05:00

Wow - I can't believe it's been so long since I updated! I've been painting walls and didn't know where to stop so I haven't been doing much scrapping or creating lately. Last night I was in the mood to just play so I did one of the scraplift challenges at Backporch Memories. I scraplifted a layout by one of my favorite scrappers - Tami Floyd. Tami and Cheri have an ongoing challenge to use some of our stash and last week challenged us to use Fancy Pants papers so I combined both challenges and this was the result. It felt so good to play with my papers again!

I Love the Dollar Spot!

2008-04-15T20:52:00.003-05:00

Whenever I go to Target I have to check out the Dollar Spot! It's not that I need anything in there but I almost always find something fun and since it's only a dollar I don't feel guilty treating myself. Last week I found the cutest paper organizer and notes - didn't need them, but they were fun! Now the glasses - that was something I hate to admit that I'm really in NEED of! The older I get, the more I realize that. Not only because my old eyes need a little help, but because my old brain keeps forgetting where I set them down. Thanks to the Dollar Spot, I now have a fun pair of glasses scattered in all the necessary places around the house (at the computer, at the telephone (especially for using the telephone book), on my bedside table . . . you get the idea! Love me the Dollar Spot!

Happy Friday!

2008-04-04T21:33:00.005-05:00

I have been tagged by Angie!!! Thank you so much Angie for making my Friday happy! Your tag made me smile! I am tagging Jules, Tricia and Chris who always put a big smile on my face!!! You guys need to pass it on - tag three people who make you happy.

Confidence

2008-04-04T20:59:00.004-05:00

This was the last week of our emotions album taught by Tam. Our emotion for the week was "confidence" - something I have always struggled with. That made this a hard assignment for me, but I finally decided I was over-thinking it and did just a simple (but true) page in honor of my sweet husband, Kim. I am so thankful for all of my family but having Kim's unconditional love allows me step out of my comfort zone, knowing that if I fail at whatever I do, he'll provide a listening ear, a hug and a soft place to fall.