Graphic 45

Whew! It's a very busy week. We went to Santa Barbara for a few days to celebrate my husband's and my daughter's birthdays. It was the first family vacation we've taken in a very long time. A good . . . no, make that a GREAT . . . time was had by all! Now I'm busy planning for my daughter's birthday party this weekend. We're doing a small party with just a handful of her friends, but it's still a lot of prep work (cleaning the house, getting the party favors, decorations, and food, planning activities, etc.). I also need to pick up stuff for her classroom birthday celebration later today. Plus I have a gazillion phone calls to return at work today. Calgon . . . take me away!

But before I jump into the tasks of the day, here's a layout I made with papers from Graphic 45's Renassaince Faire line. I just love my little girls!! They really are my world!





Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great day!!

Creative Cuts and More Blog Hop!!!

If you've come here for the Creative Cuts & More Mega Recipe Blog Hop, you're in the right place! Welcome!! Today is the first day of the Blog Hop, which features the 8”x8” Treasured Family Recipes Album. There are 24 designers who have created wonderful pages to inspire you. Plus we are all sharing some of our own delicious recipes. If you've already visited the previous blogs on today's list, I'm sure your mouth is watering!

If you didn't arrive via the CC&M Mega Recipe Blog Hop and you want to play along, head over to www.diecutdiva.com so you can get the instructions and start from the beginning.

I have to confess that I'm not a very good cook (though I make a mean macaroni and cheese from scratch). I do love to bake, so I decided to share a couple yummy brownie recipes with you. Here are my album pages from the fabulous Treasured Family Recipes kit:





Everything you need comes in the kit, except for adhesive and recipes. I added the ribbon and mini red stones.

And here are the recipes:

Super Duper Fudge Brownies
• 1 cup butter
• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate. Stir until blended. Remove from heat and add the sugar. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt and add to the chocolate mixture (don’t over mix at this point). Fold in half of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of the batter.
3. Bake in oven about 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely and cut into squares.

Toffee Brownies

• 2 sticks butter
• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs (not extra large or jumbo)
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• 1 package of toffee bits (Skor Bar Bits) on top.
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a med saucepan over low heat, melt butter, unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. When melted, turn off heat and mix in sugar and eggs.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add in chocolate mixture, then fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour into baking pan and sprinkle toffee bits on top of batter.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

As a continuing part of the celebration, CC&M is giving away great prizes. All you need to do is go through the blog hop and leave comments on every blog. After you have finished the blog hop, return to www.diecutdiva.com and instead of leaving a comment, you need to share a recipe to have a chance at winning a prize. Share the recipe on your blog and link it back and get another chance to win the prize!

Be sure and check back at www.diecutdiva.com tomorrow for the Holiday Treats Apron Recipe Album Blog Hop. There will also be 24 designers who will be showcasing their great creations and sharing holiday recipes.

Now head on over to Pam Smerker's blog and see what she has in store for you!!

A Million Memories kit layouts

Happy Friday!! I'm sharing the layouts I created with the beautiful A Million Memories November kit. I love the mix of Prima, Basic Grey and Pink Paislee papers in this kit.







Here is a layout I created featuring a picture of my grandparents from the year 1918. I really need to do more of these heritage pages. I think they'll be a special treasure for my kids and for their kids.





And last but not least, here's a page featuring pictures of me and my oldest daughter. I used Sea Foam Shimmerz Spritz and a butterfly mask on white cardstock.



I created a little instructional tutorial on A Million Memories with some tips on different ways to use the mini chipboard frames that came with the kit. You can find the tutorial here.

One another note, I'm going to be participating in a fun blog hop on Monday and Tuesday, so be sure and check back!

More Cosmo Cricket

As I mentioned in an earlier post (see my "Know This" layout a couple blog posts down), Cosmo Cricket recently sponsored the A Million Memories design team. Thank you, Cosmo Cricket!!! I got to play with papers from the Earth Love collection. Here are the other projects I made with these fun papers:





And here's a little card I made:



Thanks for stopping by!!

A (not so) spooky Halloween layout

I love this time of year . . . my girls are excited about their Halloween festivities at school and they can't wait to go trick-or-treating tomorrow night. They both wanted to be High School Musical cheerleaders, so I bought them the same red, sparkly cheerleader costume. It's the first Halloween that neither of them wanted to be a princess. After several years of buying every princess costume under the sun, I guess we're officially past the princess phase. It makes me a little sad because personally I'm quite fond of princesses. Hmmmmm . . . maybe I need to find a grown-up Cinderella costume for myself.

Here is my Halloween layout that was recently published in the October (and the last) issue of Memory Makers magazine. I was honored to have my page included in their very last issue.



And of course no layout of mine is complete without a little shimmer and shine. I used Coffee Shimmerz on the jagged edge of the paper to give it some extra sparkle.

On another note, I've been busy scrapping this week. The A Million Memories November kit is in 'da house,' and this one is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Here is the picture:

I'll be posting my kit creations sometime next week!

Also, A Million Memories is having a Guest Designer call for the month of December, 2009. Would you like to design with AMM's December kit?? If so, here's what you need to do to apply:

1. Register on the AMM boards and become an active member;
2. Post the A Million Memories blinkie on your blog; and
3. Send an email by November 15th to jennifer.findlay@yahoo.com and attach two layouts you think are your best work. Include your contact info and a link to your blog and/or gallery. Good luck!!

Have a Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cosmo Cricket and A Million Memories

Thank you Cosmo Cricket for sponsoring the A Million Memories Design Team! I created a sketch for the recent online crop at AMM, and here is the layout I made based on the sketch:

This is a picture of my daughter on her first day of kindergarten last month. The journaling reads:

I took this picture of you as we walked to school on your first day of kindergarten. I was savoring every last minute of our walk because I knew that once you entered that kindergarten classroom, you would no longer be my little baby. I wish I could have made time stand still that day. But know this: no matter how old you get or where you go in life, you will always be my little girl.

Here is the sketch I created:

I'll be posting more of my Cosmo Cricket projects in the next few days!

On another note, the very talented Larissa Albernaz is teaching an online altered book class at A Million Memories on November 9-11.
I'm sure it will be fantastic, so be sure and mark your calendars!

Shimmerz and Graphic 45

Shimmerz sponsored CPS last week, so I decided to play along and make a card with the weekly sketch:

I used Choc-o-lot Shimmerz paint on a Maya road chipboard cupcake base. I wanted something fluffy for the frosting on the cupcake, so I did a little experimenting. I mixed Wed Wagon Shimmerz with Golden's Molding Paste. While my concoction was still wet, I added little seed beads for the "sprinkles." It looked so much like frosting that I was almost tempted to taste it (but luckily I resisted the temptation).

These beautiful papers are from Graphic 45's Renaissance Faire line.

Creating Keepsakes "Amazing Pages" Online Feature

I have a special page to share today. This one is near and dear to my heart (and my husband says it's his personal favorite of all the pages I've created). I took this picture of my daughter at the park a couple years ago, but I remember that day like it was yesterday. This layout was selected by Creating Keepsakes as one of the "Amazing Pages" that they featured online earlier this month. You can see all ten pages here.

The patterned paper is from Graphic 45's Botanicabella line.

I handcut the tree branches and strategically placed them on the page so that they appear to be an extension of the tree in the photo. I painted the branches with Shimmerz for a little sparkle.

I cut clouds out of cardstock and used them as masks before misting the white cardstock background with blue and green. Then I added puffy paint which puffs up like little clouds when heated.

I used crackle paint here, both on the cardstock layers around the picture and on the little wooden fence. I made the little "stepping stones" out of Sculpey polymer clay.

Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a great week!!

A Million Memories Blog Hop and Scavenger Hunt

As part of A Million Memories' Anniversary Crop this weekend we’re having a blog hop and a scavenger hunt challenge!! This is how it will work: each one of the AMM Design Team members will have a special post for the blog hop where you will have the chance to get to know them a little bit better. At the end of the post, there will be a question that will lead you on a hunt through the AMM site and/or AMM blog. If you want to participate in the blog hop (there's a great prize up for grabs!), go to the AMM anniversary crop forum where you can find the complete instructions for the blog hop.

Here’s a little interview for you to get to know me better:

What is your favorite item in the AMM store at the moment? I love all the new Prima flowers.
Are you a messy scrapper or clean and tidy? I'm very messy while I'm working on a project, but I have to clean everything up in between projects.
What TV show(s) must you watch each week? Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Dancing With the Stars.
What are your 3 must have scrapbooking products/tools? My Making Memories trimmer, micro tip scissors and 3D pop dots.
What was the last scrapbook item you purchased? Prima flowers
What was the last non-scrapbooking item you purchased? Halloween costumes for my girls.
What is your guilty pleasure? I have a bowl Dreyer's Grand Light ice cream almost every night.
What scrapbooking item do you have way too much of? Flowers and lace (but you can never really have TOO much of these things, can you?).
How long does it normally take you to complete a layout? Two or three nights -- usually about 5-8 hours total. I'm a turtle scrapper . . . very sloooooooow.

Now onto the scavenger hunt! Here is your question:

How many items are currently listed in the “Hot Bargain of the Day" section of the AMM store?

Thanks for participating in our blog hop!! Now head on over to Karen Grunberg’s blog for your next scavenger hunt question!

Bo Bunny!!

A huge thank you to Bo Bunny for sponsoring the A Million Memories Design Team this month!! I got to play with these great papers from the Kitchen Spice line. There are fun, bright graphics on one side, and softer solid colors on the backsides, so the papers are very versatile. I love these big chipboard alphas and shapes too! Here are a few more of the pages I created (you can see my other Bo Bunny layout in my last blog post).






I used Shimmerz Spritz to dye the Prima flowers on the page above. The leaves were cut with my Cricut, then I sprayed them with Shimmerz. I used a stylus to make the crease down the middle of each leaf, folded them along the crease, and while they were wet I used my heat gun to set the fold so that the leaves would maintain their shape.



I also used Shimmerz on the flowers on this "Little Dreamers" page. The chipboard alphas and the edges of the leaves were painted with Hi Ho Silver Shimmerz to give them some extra sparkle. I covered the Bo Bunny chipboard circle with vintage glass glitter.

Thank you Bo Bunny and AMM!!

Fun stuff at A Million Memories!!

There's a lot going on at A Million Memories! First, every month some of the AMM Design Team members do a scraplift of one of the layouts in the gallery. This month we decided to surprise our fearless leader and the owner of AMM, Michelle, and we scraplifted one of her beautiful layouts. Here is Michelle's original layout, and here is my lift:

The papers are from Bo Bunny's Kitchen Spice line. Thank you Bo Bunny for sponsoring the AMM Design Team this month!!

Also, mark you calenders for Friday, October 16th through Sunday October, 18th. In honor of AMM's 3rd birthday, we're having a HUGE online crop!! Michelle and the Design Team have cooked up some awesome challenges, free technique and project tutorials, downloads, games and chats. Here's a little sneak peak of what we'll be doing:

And did I mention that there will be lots of fantastic PRIZES from AMM and some wonderful sponsors?!? Be sure and stop by!!

Lastly, three VERY talented ladies just joined the AMM Design Team. The new DT members are:

Staci Taylor

Jeni Boisvert
Kathleen Glossop

We're so thrilled to have them on the team!!

J'adore

Just another Graphic 45 layout to share today. I made this for CHA during the summer, but I don't think I ever posted it here.



I decided to do something a little different with these papers and add some splashes of bright purple and pink.

And speaking of "pink", October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In support of this important cause, Shimmerz is offering a special promotion. For the whole month of October, the Shimmerz Design Team members will be sharing pink projects on the Shimmerz blog. BUT, everyone is invited to get involved. Just create a project using any pink Shimmerz that you have, then upload it to the Shimmerz Flickr Group. Each Design Team member will choose their favorite project, and each winner will receive something pink from Shimmerz! For complete details on this breast cancer awareness promotion, visit the Shimmerz blog.

My little Sweet Pea and the AMM October kit

I have a Graphic 45 layout to share today . . .

I never scrapbook chronologically and I have years of pictures that haven't yet made their way onto my scrapbook pages. Here's a layout featuring baby pictures of my now 5-year-old daughter. Sometimes it makes me a little sad to scrap older pictures because it reminds me of how FAST my girls are growing up. I often wish I could slow down time -- or better yet -- go back and relive those baby/toddler years. *sigh*

The background papers on this layout are from Graphic 45's Christmas Past line. I've been finding ways to use the Christmas themed papers for non-Christmas layouts. I also added some flowers that I cut from the Baby 2 Bride line. I used Shimmerz paints on the flowers and the chipboard alphas to give them some extra sparkle and shine.

Also, the A Million Memories October kit is up for sale! Here's a picture:

It's a beautiful fall kit filled with a mix of October Afternoon, Jenni Bowlin, Pink Paislee, Prima, Basic Grey and more!

Have a great weekend!!

Pencil Lines Guest Designer!!

I am so honored to be the guest designer for Pencil Lines this week!! I created the weekly sketch and a layout to go along with it. Head on over there and see my sketch along with the fabulous layouts created by their talented design team. Here is my layout:



The papers are from Webster's Pages' Postcards from Paris line (one of my all time favorite paper lines!). I added some crocheting and lots of sparkle and bling.



I used the new Shimmerz fall vintage colors: Treasured Hymn and Antique Lace on the Prima felt border, and Rock-a-fella blue and Sapphire Spritz on the flowers and butterfly.

Thank you Pencil Lines and Anna for having me as a guest designer! And thank you again to Webster's Pages (Brandin and Terri) too!! This has been a great month!

More Webster's Pages

My month as the guest designer for Webster's Pages is slowly coming to an end, but I'm still busy creating scrapbook pages and other things with the gorgeous papers they sent me! Here are a couple more projects I just completed:

I used the peacock feather as a mask on white cardstock. I placed the feather on the cardstock and sprayed over it with Shimmerz Spritz. I used Sea Foam and Sapphire Spritz:

Here is a little card I made with fabric swatches and the dress form that I cut from the Postcards from Paris paper:

These little squares were cut from some fabric swatches sent to me by Lucy Edson after I won one of the monthly challenges on The Next Step challenge blog. I got a package filled with the most beautiful variety of fabrics. Thank you, Lucy!

I still have lots of beautiful Webster's Pages paper to play with, so you'll be seeing more projects here over the coming months!