Friday Finds: Geography, Giving Back & Cuteness!

I'll admit it, I'm a total blog stalker!  I follow lots of blogs in my Google Reader (which I love!).  This week I ran across some fabulous blog posts that you should go check out!!

Up first, this absolutely FANTASTIC geography art piece/lesson all rolled into one on the Crate Paper Blog:

I think I want one just for fun hanging in my office!

As seen on several blogs in the last week, but most recently I noticed it on the Pink Paislee Blog:

What a great idea and a good kid. I think I'll be sending a few cards for the cause. :)

And this put a smile on my face when I saw it on the Cosmo Cricket blog... one of our super sweet Legends of the Flock, Jill Sarginson was recognized for this gorgeous winning layout!!

Congratulations Jill!!  Such an adorable layout!! We can't wait to see what you make with your prize!! :)

Hope everyone has a happy weekend.  We will be celebrating my hubby's birthday and trying to stay out of the rain!!

Happy National Craft Month!

As you may know, March is National Craft Month. I thought I'd dedicate a post to one of the crafts I've done recently. While I am primarily a paper crafter, I do enjoy all sorts of other crafts!

I have made several crafts over the years using these:


They are quite handy to use as treat holders for birthdays. When Trevor turned 3, he had a Monsters Inc. party. Together, we made "Mike" baskets for all his friends.

My good friend Courteney recently mentioned that she was thinking about a Strawberry Shortcake themed birthday party for her two daughters. She asked if she could have some of my strawberry baskets to hold the party favors. Of course I said yes, then pulled out everything red and green in the craft room to see how I could decorate the baskets.

What fun! I started by weaving a red ribbon through slats of the basket. Then I stamped a strawberry. I added Stickles to the leaves/stem and coated the berry in Glossy Accents. I used a green pipe cleaner to make a handle and tied a dotted ribbon bow at the top. Cute!

From Flamingo Scraps: Stickles- Ranger
Other: stamp- Technique Tuesday; Ink- Technique Tuesday; Ribbon- Offray; Ranger Glossy Accents

Of course, being me, I couldn't stop there. How about cute barrettes for the two birthday girls?

And maybe some strawberry hair clips for all the girls who come to the party?


Napkin holders would be adorable.


What a fun theme! Happy National Craft Month, everyone!

Spotlight On: Prima

We have more new fabulous scrappy goodies in the store....

The Prima goodies are here!!   Make sure you go visit the store to get the goods while they last!!

We thought it would be fun to take a quick peek at one of favorite manufacturers....

Did you know....
.....Prima is based in Southern California.
.....had over 700 separate items available to choose from at the last CHA.
.....is our most popular manufacturer and our first manufacturer we carried in the store. :)
.....all the flowers are handmade, not machine made! (Can you believe that -- I was so surprised to learn this!)
.....that we have posted about Prima 156 times on this blog!  wow!! :o

My favorites...

My favorite layout I've made using Prima to date.

My favorite new item coming out is the Marilyn Matriarch flowers -- so pretty!! (And already in the store!)

And my favorite past item? Sugar Plum Roses!  I've been stashing them away :)

Susan's Favorites:

 Susan's favorite layout made using Prima's Angelique paper collection and a Say it in Crystals swirl!

Susan's favorite past product is the Bronte Blooms from Summer 2010!  Aren't they beautiful?!

Susan's favorite new product?  

Cabachon collection  - A much better value compared to Webster's Pages Whimsies.

Suzanne's Favorites:

A favorite layout of Suzanne's using Paisley Road paper, flowers, and a bling swirl!

Suzanne's favorite older item?  Alabaster Roses!

Suzanne's favorite new item are these flowers -- the Angel Eyes Reflections!



Cindy's Favorites:

Cindy's favorite layout using Prima products! 

Craftables are Cindy's favorite "older" product (we still have some in the store!!)

And Eminence flowers are Cindy's favorite new Prima item (aren't they gorgeous?!)

Tonya's Favorites:

Tonya's favorite layout uses Flights of Fancy papers, vines, bling, roses -- all kinds of prima goodies!!

No surprise that Flights of Fancy is also her favorite paper line!!

Of the new Prima?  The Reflections paper line, which is reminscient of the Flights of Fancy.

So now that we've talked all things Prima, we want to know what is your favorite from Prima?  Is it the bling or the flowers?  Is it a particular paper collection?  We would love to know and we would love to see your pages you've made using Prima!

Now hurry on over to the store and check out all the pretty new Prima goodies!! :)

Living a Dream

This past weekend Graphic 45 announced the short list for their design team auditions. I feel so honored to be in the top 25 of some of the most talented people in the world. They had hundreds of participants, and said it was extremely difficult to narrow the selection down to 25. On April 1st they will select their 12 new Design Team members from this short list.

Before I share my submission projects, I want to say a great big HUGE THANK YOU to Suzanne and Susan for allowing me to be a part of the guest design team. Several of the projects I created I did for their blog. Like the Halloween in Wonderland Mini Album, The Steampunk Debutant Canvas, The Steampunk Debutant Calendar, and the Steampunk Debutant Dress Form Card. They actually forced me to cut up the paper that I got from them and USE it. How dare they do that to the queen of paper hoarders? Yes, Suzanne you are the biggest enabler in the WORLD! All kidding aside, thank you so much for your support this past year.

On with the show…. I am going to only share the “New” projects with you, but for a complete submission page with videos and detailed photos, please visit my submission page.

From Flamingo Scraps: Trellis Roses and Cherry Blossom Vines from Prima

This layout was created on an embroidery hoop. It features the Domestic Goddess tags and paper collection. The fashionista in the photograph is my Grandmother. The paper, inserted into the lace pocket, is a measurement chart that I found in her sewing kit. It has her measurements and weight from different times of her life. The dress form is three dimensional. It has been decorated with vintage patterns, seam binding, and a bling collar. Blue rose trim from Maya Road softens the sides of the wooden hoop. A floral swag of Prima cherry blossom vines, and trellis roses complete the bottom. Butterflies were punched from a Martha Stewart punch and dipped in liquid ultra thick embossing enamel to give them a glass like finish.

From Flamingo Scraps: Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime patterned papers

Captured fairies are very popular with mixed media artists, and I thought the Once Upon A Springtime collection would be perfect for this project. I hand crafted the dogwoods to coordinate with the flowers in the paper's design. I made a very tiny 1 cm rose for the Fairy to hold, and she sits upon a handmade hydrangea cluster. I also scattered hydrangea flowers around the outer areas of the lantern. A rose scented coaster was added to the top of the jar so that the piece smells as enchanting as it looks. A crystal rose was the perfect touch for the top. The YouTube video below shows more detailed images of this piece.

Layout: Young-Me-Now-Me

I absolutely LOVE Young-Me-Now-Me on zefrank.com.

Contributors select a photo of themselves from their youth and try to replicate it using the same location, clothes, positions, and/or facial expressions. Both the original picture and the current picture are then posted side by side. Some are impressive in their attention to detail and many make me laugh out loud.

A few months ago, I attempted my first Young-Me-Now-Me using a picture of Trevor at 10 months old, cruising along the baby gate at the top of our stairs. I posed him in the same location and position at age 4. Here's the layout I made:

From Flamingo Scraps: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Tim Holtz Grungeboard
Other supplies: BasicGrey cardstock; Pebbles Inc. patterned paper; Americana paint; ColorBox ink;
Marvy Uchida circle punches; buttons unknown.
Based on Sketch #37 by Helen Croft.

I love the result! It's so fun to see how Trevor has changed and grown in the past 3+ years! I'm going to try to remember to pose him at the top of the stairs like this every few years.

For my second Young-Me-Now-Me, I followed the rules and actually used a photo of myself. My 20th high school reunion was last fall. (I'll save you the math and tell you that I turned 39 on March 12.) I went through the old photo albums at my parents' house and found a photo of my friends and me at our 8th grade graduation in 1986. We're sporting some excellent feathered hair and pastel dresses. Too bad you can't see our white hose and pumps! I brought this photo with me to the reunion. With the help of friends who weren't in the photo, six of us posed in the same positions as in the original. What fun!

Emma's Shoppe was perfect for the layout!

From Flamingo Scraps: Crate Paper cardstock, patterned paper and letters
Other supplies: ColorBox ink; Stampin' Up pen; ribbon: Michaels; punch: Marvy Uchida
Inspired by Lisa Swift's "My Dad" scrapbooks etc. May/June 2008

I've got lots of plans for more Young-Me-Now-Me layouts in the near future. There are so many possibilities and they make such fun layouts. I'd encourage all of you to give it a try!

Weekend Whimsy: Veronique, la Pug Fantastique!

As many of you know, I have four pugs.  Our oldest pug, Veronica, turns 15 years old this month. I'd like to tell you her story....to be honest, I can hardly believe she is still with us.

Jessica with her snuggle pug, Veronica

 Veronica was our first pug.  We got her during our "Archie's Comics" phase.  We already had a Golden Retriever named Archie.  Soon after that we acquired two turtles and named them Betty and Jughead.  This naming phase extended to the acquisition of our second pug, a black one we named Sabrina (the Teenage Witch) but that's another blog.

Jessica is trying to look like a pug!  Veronica does not seem amused.

 I remember when we first got Veronica.  She was fearless against the giant Archie!  She would jump and play and grab his under belly hairs in her mouth until they both collapsed in an exhausted, yet satisfied, pile of canine playfulness.  Archie would look at me and pant.  I swear I could hear him say about the puppy Veronica, "Thanks Mom!  She's the best toy you've ever gotten me!"

We decided that owning a pug was a very satisfying experience.  She was playful yet loved to relax and nap with us.  It seemed the pug personality totally reflected our lifestyle.  Veronica was fitting in just fine.

She got the name "Veronique la Pug Fantastique" from this Mardi Gras dress up session.

I was on a business trip when I got the phone call.  Veronica had been hit by a boat trailer and was paralyzed from mid-back on down.  I was heartbroken!  I cried all the way home from my business trip.  When I got home, we had to make the decision whether to put her down or not.  Although her spinal chord was severed, she was in no pain once we healed the minor injuries.  After conferring with our veterinarian, we decided to become the primary caregivers for a paraplegic dog!

The trauma of the accident caused Veronica's metabolic system to go whacky.  She is diabetic and we have to inject her with insulin twice a day.  We also have to express her bladder 2-3 times a day as she cannot urinate herself.  She frequently gets bladder infections which must be treated with antibiotics.  Throughout all this, she remains spunky, loving and dominates the other 3 pugs!

About six months after the accident, we had her fitted for a "wheelchair".

She gets around quite well with her wheelchair, in fact, maybe we should call it an ATV!

Veronica's accident happened when she was 4.  As I previously stated, Veronica turns 15 this month.  I have noticed some changes in her recently and seeing these photos makes it even more clear to me that she is becoming frail.

She's had an interesting life and her resilience and fortitude are qualities that many of us would do well to emulate.  Happy Birthday to Veronique, la Pug Fantastique!

Have a Great Weekend!

Fun with '11

Every once in a while, the date is pretty cool. Anyone remember the huge number of people who got married on July 7, 2007? There was a giant article in our newspaper about this "luckiest" of dates and how popular 7-7-07 was for weddings. In 2006, I was pregnant, due in June. Because my son was breech and I had to have a c-section, I was able to choose whether his birthdate would be June 6 or June 7. When I chose June 7, my doctor mentioned how weird it was that NO ONE wanted June 6. It wasn't until I pointed out to her that the date would be 6-6-06 that she understood why no planned c-sections would be happening that day!

On January 11, we had a date made up of nothing but 1's. Even though it was an ordinary Tuesday, I thought the date was special enough to warrant recording what we were doing when the clock said 1:11:11 on 1-1-11. Here's the layout I made:

From Flamingo Scraps: Tim Holtz grungeboard, Prima eline pearl
Other supplies: SEI patterened paper, Marvy LePen
Based on a sketch from scrapbooks etc. , Nov/Dec 2009

This got me thinking about other layout possibilities during 2011. We'll have another day with all 1's coming up in November (11/11/11). I've already made a mental note to take a photograph at 11:11:11. Chances are, we'll be at the Veteran's Day Parade. But here are some other possibilities for the next few months:

March '11: In many parts of the US, the police code for Indecent Exposure is 311. Obviously, I'm not going to suggest scrapping (or taking) indecent photos, but it could be fun to use a 311 theme to scrap about crazy things your pets do. I have a friend whose cat loves to jump into the bathtub after she showers. How cute would it be to scrap a photo of the cat peeking out from behind the shower curtain?!

April '11: To reach Information here in the US, you call 411. Scrap photos taken in April that help provide more information about a person, pet, or place. Use a title that incorporates 411 to signify both the topic and the date.

May '11: For traffic or transportation information, you call 511. In May, you could scrap about your car, your commute, public transportation, or other ways of getting around.

I'm sure there are many other creative ways to incorporate the date into layouts. I'd love to hear any suggestions you have!

Crate Paper's Portrait Collection

One of the most talked-about paper lines coming out of CHA is the Portrait Collection from Crate Paper. The line has a strong retro feel. Think cameos, oval frames, vintage cameras, and large florals. Each of the papers is named for an element of a wedding. For example, Bouquet reminds me of the drapes that used to hang in my grandparents' living room. The papers are all double-sided with a bold pattern on one side and something more neutral on the reverse.

I'm not a bold-pattern sort of person, so when I worked with these papers I went right for the more neutral side. While more neutral, they are still vibrant and interesting. They worked beautifully together. Here is the layout I made:

From Flamingo Scraps: Crate Paper patterned paper; Webster's journaling cards
Other supplies: Bazzill cardstock; ColorBox ink; buttons, lace and "T" unknown

As you can see, despite being named for elements of a wedding, these papers work just fine for other topics, including boy pages. I used the following papers: Honeymoon (top left), Bouquet (top right), June (middle left), Vintage Lace (middle right), Bridesmaid (bottom left), and Pearls (bottom right).

Portrait is a great line. It's beautiful and versatile, and of course, it is the same high-quality that Crate Paper always delivers. I know you'll all enjoy working with it! 

And our new Design Team Members are.....

So we wanted to grow our permanent design team just a little bit... and we asked two of our favorite people to join us in writing a few times a month to inspire our followers!  Who may they be you might ask?  :)

Well...

You will probably recognize them....

They aren't strangers around here....

It's Cindy and Tonya!! :)

And they have some great tutorials and ideas coming up this month to inspire you!!  Please join us in congratulating them on joining our design team.  We are so thrilled to have them!! :)

Announcing our Second Guest Design Team!!

We are thrilled to announce our Guest Design Team for 
April - July 2011!!

We were overwhelmed by the response we received and all the talented scrappers who applied.  We wish we could have each and every one of you on our team!!   Alas, we could only pick eight this time around.... and what a tough choice it was for us!!

After we finally made it through all the applications, we picked eight amazing artists that we hope will inspire you as much as they inspire us.  So without further ado our Guest Design Team is......

My name is Celina, I'm 33 years old, a military spouse, and a mom to three. I have been scrapbooking for almost 2 years and it has become a passion of mine. I love playing with paper (I can truly say, I am a paper addict!) and I love the challenge of creating beautiful pages that record my family memories. Along with my love for scrapping, I have a love for inspiring people.

Want to get a peek at Celina's beautiful work?  Go check out her blog and leave her some love!

Hi there my name is Janie and I live in Canada. I am definately a kid at heart. I have 5 amazing boys, and I love to play with them every chance I get. I think I am more excited to play with their toys on Christmas than they are!  I love to alter items it's definately a passion I have.

To see Janie's creative altered art, go check out her blog!

I am a SAHM, and a (new) soldiers wife.  I keep myself busy (when the kids are sleeping!!) with crafts. I would lose my mind if I didn't!! I have always been known for being a total girly-girl - which totally explains why I am a ribbon/lace addict, and love pretty frilly things! So naturally I am addicted to Prima as well :) My style can be pretty versatile, I try to make it fit the situation/person I am creating for, but my personal favorites almost always have a vintage feel.

What are you waiting for?!  Go to Jeana's blog and check out her fabulous work!

Hi, my name's Jen Unger!  I’m a fairly shy person although I have definitely come out of my shell in the last three years. I currently work part time at my LSS in Hague, Saskatchewan, Canada. I am best known to my family and friends as the creative one.

Jen's blog showcases her beautiful work and you can also catch up with her youtube channel.

My name is Julie Tucker-Wolek and around the internet I am known as the SMILEY GIRL! :):):):):):):):) I never go anywhere without my SMILES! LOL! I have been scrapping since my son was born 14 years ago, and got really into it about 4 years ago when my daughter was born! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Want to see more of Julie's cute layouts and adorble pictures of her daughter Brookie?!  Go check out Julie's blog!!

A little about me... I'm a born and bred Southern girl who loves scrapbooking more than just about anything! I started paper scrapbooking in 2004 when my daughter's social worker suggested I keep a lifebook for her about adoption. I visited the store to pick up a few things and got totally sucked in! I also create digital scrapbook pages and sketches in Photoshop Elements. I think of crafting as therapy. It's very important to me to have a little down time with two special needs children and a toddler. Scrapbooking just makes everything better. If I'm covered in ink... I'm happy!

To see more of Heather's super cute layouts, go check out her blog!

Hi everybody!  I am Monique Nicole Fox (by name), sweet (by nature), ethnic (by design) and blessed (by God).  I am a 41 y/o single mother of a handsome son name *Christian*.  He will be 8 y/o this month on 3/27.  He is growing so fast.  We also have a beautiful cat name *Angel* who turns 9 y/o this month.  She joined our family in Dec. of 2008. 

You can find Monique's gorgeous work in her gallery and on her blog!

And last, but certainly not least....

My name is Sara Zenger and I live with my husband and our son in upstate NY.  I have a full time job managing a store, I enjoy working out, I have an addiction to using coupons and I get a rush when I get groceries to see how much money I can save!  I love to bake, read, play board games and above all be crafty!  I am fan of many paper crafts from cards, home decore, altered projects and scrapbooking!  I have been 'paper crafting' for about 6 years.  About a year ago started a blog and just recently took over running ScrapFIT.  I do this because I love to inspire others to try something they might not have before!

Now go visit Sara's adorable blog and check out her fabulous scrappy stuff!!

So that's our fabulously talented guest design team and we couldn't be more happy!!! So go check out their blogs, galleries and be inspired... we are!!! 

Stay tuned for April 1st, when we will introduce our first two guest design team members for the month of April, Janie and Sara, in more detail.

And make sure you check back tomorrow when we reveal and welcome TWO new design team members to our team!!