CHA starts today!

CHA starts today, and I'm so happy it's right here in LA this time.   I'm going with the wonderful ladies from Creating Keepsakes magazine and some of my fellow CK Dream Members.  I can't wait!

Here's one of the projects I made for the Prima booth.  I used Prima's new Madeline line, which is one of my all time favorite collections.

I used some of Prima's beautiful new flowers and leaves, and I made the little starfish and shell out of polymer clay.

Tootles for now!

Creating Keepsakes Style Swap

I'm a lean, mean, blogging machine this week!  That's another old TV show reference -- from the Gong Show.  Remember that one?  I must have old TV shows on my brain this week.    Anyhow, I've been blogging a lot because I'm trying to catch up on posting my older projects so that I can post some of the new stuff I've been creating for CHA.  I have a whole bunch of Prima projects to share.  The new Prima products are gorg-e-o-us!!!  There are too many sneaks to post here, but you can see some of the new flowers and other goodies on the Prima blog.  Make sure you scroll down to see all the sneaks that have been posted over the past couple of weeks.

Creating Keepsakes has a fun challenge in this month's issue.  A bunch of the Dream Team members were asked to swap styles with another Dream Team member.  My style is described as "Shabby Chic."  This layout is more typical of my normal shabby chic style, with lots of layers, flowers, lace, stitching or crocheting, etc.:

As seen in the October 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher. 

I was asked to switch styles with CK Dream Team member Linda Barber, who is the queen of "Clean and Simple" pages.  All of her pages are eye-catching, well-designed and include heartfelt journaling.  I find "Clean and Simple" a lot more challenging than doing detailed pages, and they take me just as long.  That's because to achieve a really good "minimalistic" page, all of the basic elements -- design, photos and journaling -- really need to stand out.   Here was my attempt at a Clean and Simple page:

As seen in the January 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher. 

The journaling on this layout says:  My sweet Rebecca, there’s something you should know.  I will always be there for you.  As you get older and experience life’s ups and downs, you can come to me for encouragement and support.  I hope more than anything that your life is full of happiness, love, and success in whatever you do.  But in times when you falter or you’re feeling down, I will be there to lift you up. 

I had a lot of fun stepping outside of my box on this one.   Can you believe, there's not a single Prima flower in sight on this page??  That was the hardest part for me about going Clean and Simple.  So I challenge you to try stepping out of your box and scrapping in a style that's different for you.  Give it a try!!

I'm off to the LA Convention Center to drop off my projects for CHA.  I'll be there when the show opens in a couple days, so if you're going, I hope to see you!

Lily Bee CHA Sneak Peaks

Wait until you see the new Lily Bee collections!  The papers are fresh off the press just in time for CHA this weekend.   Here are the sneak peaks of the fabulous new lines:

I just received all the new papers, and let me tell you, they are gorgeous!  I started working on a couple things for the Lily Bee booth at CHA, but I can't show them just yet.   In the meantime, I'll share a couple projects I made with past Lily Bee lines.  

This is a layout that I made quite a while ago.  It was just published in the "Make It Yours" column of the February 2011 issue of Scrapbooks, Etc. (it was supposed to appear in an issue last year, but it got bumped a couple times).

  
Here's a little card I made with papers from the last release:

Thanks for stopping by!

Snaggletooth

The tooth fairy has been very busy at our house recently.  There's been a mass exodus of teeth from Danielle's mouth during the last couple of weeks.   I . . . ahem . . . I mean the tooth fairy . . . can barely keep up!  Every time Danielle looses a tooth, she gets a handwritten and decorated note from the tooth fairy, some fairy dust sprinkled around her pillow, and of course, some money.  The poor tooth fairy is going to go broke!   Danielle still has one more loose tooth in the center of her mouth.  I affectionately call her "Snaggletooth."  Ugh . . . there I go again dating myself with old cartoon references.  Here's a picture of my sweet little Snaggletooth:

And let me tell you what my sweet Danielle wanted to do with all her money.  One day at school they showed the kids a video about the devastation in Haiti and the stagnate relief efforts.  Seeing all the homeless children really struck a cord with Danielle.  So the other night she came to me with all the money she had been saving in her piggy bank (around $40+), and she said she wanted to give it to the children in Haiti because they need it more than she does.  I was so proud of her!!  I praised her for her generosity and caring heart.  I could see that while she was happy to be helping out those in need, she was also a little sad about giving up her entire savings.  So I suggested that rather than donate all her money, she could give a small amount and Daddy and I would kick in some money to supplement the donation.  That made her happy.  I'm a proud mama!

Here's another little project I made for the Prima booth at CHA last summer.   I bought this little evening bag for $1.00 at my local flea market.  It was missing a couple rhinestones on the front, but otherwise it was in excellent condition.

Here it is after I embellished it with lovely Prima flowers, leaves, rhinestones and pearls:

Soon I'll be posting some of the projects I made for Winter CHA coming up this weekend.

Last but not least, it's time to announce the winner of the most recent blog giveaway.  The winner of Creating Keepsakes new special issue:  The Organized & Inspired Scrapper, is MELISSA!   Congrats Melissa!  I'll contact you to get your address, or feel free to email me with it.  Thanks for playing along, everyone!  

Prima - Wearable Art

I've been busy working on Prima projects for CHA next weekend.  Wait until you see all the gorgeous new goodies they're coming out with!  Prima never ceases to disappoint.   Before I start posting my newly made projects, I want to post some Prima projects I made for the last CHA that I never got around to posting here.  Wait, let me go into Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine.  Okay, I realize that I'm totally dating myself.  Does anybody else remember that cartoon?   All I really remember is the Wayback machine.  But I digress.

Prima makes so many wonderful embellishments that you can use not just on your scrapbook pages, but also on clothing and other items.  Here are some "wearable art" projects I made.

A bracelet using Prima's pebbles:

A tank top adorned with Prima flowers and leaves:

Have a wonderful weekend!!

New Shimmerz and yet another Creating Keepsakes Giveaway

Shimmerz is releasing two brand new products, and they're gorgeous! Coloringz is a brand new product line in the Shimmerz family. They are super opague with highly saturated colors without any shimmer.

There will be ten colors in this release for Coloringz:
Mama Sings The Blues – a bright turquoise
Mandrin My Tie – an orange/yellow
My Bleeding Heart – deep, bright red
Anchors Away – deep navy blue
Valentino – a beautiful salmon/pink
Ivy League – an olive green
Lime In Da Coconut – a bright lime green
Mon-Shari – a vibrant blue/purple
No Yolking – a super bright yellow
Pink Stiletto – a hot, hot pink
Tropical Tan Line – a vintage tan

Shimmerzingz is another brand new product line in the Shimmerz family. They are super shimmery sprays with only shimmer and no color! There will be five Shimmeringz debuting in this line:
Heavy Metal - a combo of 3 different metallics
Goldie Lox - gold shimmer
Concrete - silver shimmer
Baby's Breath - white shimmer
Bronze Bomshell - bronze shimmer

You'll be able to see some beautiful samples tomorrow on the Shimmerz blog.  These new products will be on sale in the Shimmerz store tomorrow. If you place an order, type my name in the comment section and tell them I sent you! 

Winner, winner chicken dinner. My girls helped me draw a number for the winner of CK's new special issue: The Best of Digital Scrapbooking, and the winner is . . .Jocelyn!! Congrats, Jocelyn!  I'll contact you to get your address.

And how about another CK giveaway?? Creating Keepsakes has another fabulous new special issue out: The Organized & Inspired Scrapper.

This book is filled with great ideas and tools for organizing your scrap space. You'll find storage solutions that fit your own personal needs, and you'll be inspired by all the gorgeous workspaces! You can order a copy of this book in the CK Store (enter coupon code DS25DT for free shipping on orders of $25 or more, expires 2/11/11). For a chance to win a copy of this special issue, just leave a comment here by Sunday at Midnight. You can also find great organizational tips on the CK blog this week!

I've been busy working on projects for CHA.   I'll have a lot to share in the coming weeks (including some past projects that I never got around to posting).   

Monkey See, Monkey Do . . . Lily Bee

Hello everyone! I have a Lily Bee layout to share today . . .

The papers are from Lily Bee's Christmas Town and Domestic Bliss lines.  I used Pop Art Pink Vibez and Caribbean Sunset and Mango Madness Spritz on white Prima flowers.  I used Coal Shimmerz on a vintage crocheted doily.

These pictures are near and dear to my heart.  They are photos of my stepfather with my daughter when she was two-years old (she's now 8).  They liked to play "Monkey See, Monkey Do."  My stepfather would walk with his arms folded and then my daughter would copy him and walk with her arms folded.  He'd move his hands behind his back and she'd move her arms behind her back, and so on and so on (you get the picture).  My daughter always kept a straight face, but the rest of us would crack up every time she copied his actions.

My mom and stepfather loved these two pictures, so they framed them and proudly hung them on their living room wall where they've been displayed for the past 6+ years.

Sadly, my stepfather passed away a couple months ago.  We all miss him terribly.  As a gift to my mom, I made this layout for her and put it in a shadow box frame to go on the wall.

Another Creating Keepsakes Special Issue Giveaway!

If you’ve been wanting to give digital scrapbooking a try, you should check out Creating Keepsake's newest special issue, The Best of Digital Scrapbooking. 

You’ll find easy-to-follow tips, easy template tricks, brush basics, photo-enhancing secrets, and more!    I personally loved some of the great Photoshop tips and tutorials included in this issue.  The wonderful folks at CK are letting me give away a copy of this special issue to one lucky blog reader.  If you'd like to win a copy, please leave a comment here on this post before the end of the day on Sunday, January 16th.  Also, here's a free shipping code to use on your next order in the CK store: DS25DT (free shipping on orders of $25 or more).   

And while we're on the topic of Creating Keepsakes, let me share a  layout that appears in the January issue  of CK.    I got to play with the beautiful papers from Making Memories' Reverie line:

As seen in the January 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher. 

This is a picture of my mom and dad sitting in front of the fireplace with my grandparents (my mom's parents) in 1962, the year after my parents got married.   Yep . . . hanging out with the in-laws.    I wonder what they were talking about that day . . . 

I used Shimmerz' Gold Glimmer Blingz on the chipboard alphas:

I'm honored that this layout was chosen as the featured Project of the Day at 2peas today:

Thank you, 2Peas!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of CK's new special digital issue!

Favorite Projects of 2010

I've enjoyed blog hopping around the internet and seeing other scrappers' personal "Favorite Layouts of 2010", so I thought I'd follow suit.   I had a fun and productive year last year, and I'm so very grateful for all the wonderful scrapbooking opportunities that came my way.    Here are some of my favorite projects from 2010 (in no particular order):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for indulging me!  And thank you so much for visiting my blog last year and for all your lovely comments.  I really appreciate it!  I hope you will stop by frequently again this year.  I promise to start blogging more often again!

Back to the blogging world . . .

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Hanukkah, Christmas, or whatever you celebrate at this time of year.

I know I've been neglecting my blog lately and I've been bad about blog hopping and visiting you gals.  I hope to get back to all that soon!  We went out of town last week and now I'm still working hard every day to get my house and scraproom back in order.  Before I put all my scrap supplies back in my scraproom, I'm sorting  through everything and trying to purge all my excess "scrap crap" (as my husband calls it).   How do we scrappers end up accumulating so much *stuff*??? 

I'm way behind on posting projects here.  These are some gift card holders I made for Hanukkah using packaging and other recycled items. I made this first gift card holder using a long piece of printed cardboard packaging from Prima Vines. I cut the stars from Prima cardboard packaging and covered them with glitter.

The piece of cardboard packaging was about 12 x 3 inches long. You could just as easily use a long scrap of heavy cardstock or patterned paper. I simply folded over a little piece for the flap and then folded the remainder in half. I put Velcro dots on the flap so that it stays closed. I added a pocket on the inside to hold the gift card.

I made this next gift card holder using the clear packaging from Prima flowers. I hand stitched two of them together, leaving the top side open so that the gift card can be inserted.

If you’re like me and you save all your scraps of paper, why not use them to make gift card holders? There are so many printable templates to be found online. I found this great little pillow box template on JersGirl's website.  It's the perfect size for holding gift cards. Just print, trace onto paper, cut, fold and embellish. I tied mine up with ribbon and added a little Hanukkah embellishment.

Altoid anyone? Altoid tins are just big enough to hold a gift card. I took an empty Altoid tin and covered it with Mod Podge, then I poured glitter over it. Mod Podge works very well with glitter on metal!

Sorry I'm posting these after the fact. Better late than never, I guess.

I'm hoping to get back to blogging and blog hopping on a regular basis very soon!

Winners of the Creating Keepsakes giveaway and a Prima layout.

It's done, it's done!!  Our kitchen is finally finished and I absolutely love it!    I've been busy over the past week putting things away and trying to clean up, but it's been a very slow process.  As soon as I get everything back in place I will take pictures and post them.  Today was going to be "the" day that I finally put away the last of the kitchen stuff, but then I broke/sprained/severely bruised (not sure which it is) my pinky toe last night.  Ouch!!!  I banged it HARD into the corner of the shower tile edge while walking by, and it hurt like the dickens!  It still does. So I'm out of commission for a while . . . no heavy duty cleaning for me today.  You know what they say about the best laid plans.  I guess it's a sign that I need to take it easy today.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!  I had my daughters help me pick random numbers for the winners of the Creating Keepsakes Special Issues.  Without further ado . . .
The winner of Scrapbooking Everyday Memories is Anabelle.
The winner of Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: Stamps & Ink is Liana Suwandi

Congrats ladies!  Please email me your mailing addresses. 

I'm behind again on posting projects.  Here's a Prima layout I made based on the December Build-a-Page:

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hanukkah Layouts

Hanukkah is in full swing!  With so much going on and our house in complete shambles, Hanukkah has been a bit different for us this year.  Normally I do all my gift shopping ahead of time and place all the wrapped gifts in front of the fireplace and put up Hanukkah decorations so our house looks very festive.  This year I've had to wing it and buy and wrap gifts as I go each day.  Luckily the girls haven't minded.  And I normally make a couple nice Hanukkah dinners, but with all the kitchen stuff going on, I haven't been able to cook much.  But it's okay . . . we're together as a family, and that's all that matters.  And we've all been enjoying our Hanukkah . . . clutter, dust, and all!

Here are a few Hanukkah layouts that I made for Creating Keepsakes.  The journaling on this first reads: Every year we follow the established traditions of Hanukkah, like lighting the menorah, saying the prayers, playing dreidel, and opening presents on each of the eight nights. But in our family we have a very special Hanukkah tradition. Every night after we light the menorah, we turn up the volume on our favorite Hanukkah music, then Daddy, the girls and I all dance around the living room together. I’m not talking about mellow dancing. I’m talking about anything-goes-build-up-a-sweat-crazy-chicken dancing. This is definitely one of our favorite family traditions – one that we will hopefully continue for years to come. It’s usually just our little family of four, but if you happen to be invited to our house for Hanukkah dinner, you’d better bring your dancing shoes!!!

I used Shimmerz paints on the alphas and the flourish:

As seen in the November/December issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.
There, now you know our goofy little family secret. ;-) 

Lighting the menorah:

As seen in the November/December issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.
All the papers are Lily Bee, and I used shimmery, Shimmerz paints on the chipboard.
 

Playing dreidel (with more beautiful Lily Bee papers):

As seen in the November/December issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

As for the shoe template, I'm still working on it!  I thought it would be easy to just trace the cut-outs onto paper, but the perfectionist in me wants it to look pretty and perfect for you all.  So I spent hours yesterday trying to fix the template in Photoshop.  For the life of me I couldn't get the margins right.  It kept cutting off parts of my drawing.  But I *think* I finally got it!  Now I'm working on a tutorial and step-by-step photos.  Hopefully I'll have it all done soon!  

And one final little tidbit:  Shimmerz has extended their 30% off sale through December 20th!  

No coupon code is necessary.  Go take advantage of this great deal!!

Creating Keepsakes giveaway

Creating Keepsakes has two new special issues out, and I have one of each to give away!   The first one is Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: Stamps & Ink, which is filled with lots of creative ideas for using stamps. This issue is perfect for experienced stampers and also for novice stampers like me who own a gazillion stamps but never know what to do with them.

Next up is Scrapbooking Everyday Memories.  It's brimming with beautiful and inspiring layouts.

 And I just happen to have a couple of my own layouts in this issue!  Here's a sneak peak at my pages:

"Red Light, Green Light," a game my girls and I like to play in our front yard:

 

Creating a mosaic tile counter in our bathroom (all by my very own self!!):

If you want to be entered to win a copy of one of these issues, just leave a comment in this post before midnight PST on Friday, December 10th, and I'll draw two lucky winners (one for each issue)!  I also have a coupon code to share for the CK Store: CKDT15 (this is good for 15% off all items in the store, and it expires 12/20/2010).

My life has still been consumed with this remodeling project, but we are 90% finished and I'm so HAPPY with how it looks!!   Here's a look at what my kitchen looked like about a week ago (the first picture shows the empty kitchen with the new floors, and the second pictures show the cabinets and the countertop):

Thankfully we've had a functional kitchen now for almost a week, and there are only a few little details to finish up (they're coming tomorrow to finish the molding and a small countertop). Then Monday they start painting.  I get my scraproom painted too. . . yay!  I will definitely post the "after" pictures when it's all done.

Don't forget to leave a comment here if you want to win a copy of one of the Creating Keepsakes issues!