Way Too Cool Indeed

I did say I would share more of my layouts and projects using "The Company Kit" . . . didn't I?  This kit has been cathartic for me . . . because it is just perfect for my memories of older years.  I picked it up from my local scrapbook store (New England Scrapbook Company).  It totally has me moving on my old photos. 

Here is a blurry current day photo of my 110/120 orange photos from the 70's. Some might ask, "Why did you post this blurry photo of your layout, and not a clearer picture?"  

Whether I post a clear picture or not . . . the photo is what it is.  It is a photo of a layout that tells a story about my past.  Whether this photo is blurry or clear, the story does not change.   

The same can be said for my faded 70's photos.  They may be hideous, but the story they tell is not hideous.  It is a crazy story about a 16 year old girl who was forced to move from Michigan to Connecticut in her junior year of high school.  She left behind a house that she loved because it had three floors.  She left behind a younger sister in a group home.  She left many great friends.  She left behind a close-knit neighborhood.  Upon arriving in Connecticut, she moved to what seemed like "Little House in the Big Woods" in comparison to her Michigan home.  She wondered when she would get to see her sister again.  She had to try to make new friends with people who had already formed friendships and had little room for someone to fit in.  


What's a girl to do?  

This girl went and got a job and saved some money.  She made friends with someone who gave her a chance.  She spent some time at that person's house, where there were horses.  She wanted to buy a horse of her own, but was told "No!"  Said girl . . . who shall remain nameless . . . hangs out a bit and gets to know the ropes about this "horse thing."  She finds a horse that is for sale and she buys it on her own and makes arrangements to board monthly at the friend's house.  She does not tell her parents until after the deal is done.  Parents arrive that night and are introduced to large roan mare.  They are a bit quiet about the whole thing.    


Said girl rides into the "big woods" of Great Pond State Forest on her roan mare (named Roanie).  She takes photos of her horse with her 110 camera.  Photos go into a box and become faded and orange.  She makes a scrapbook layout thirty-four years later in spite of the faded photos.  

Why?  

Because the memories of a girl surviving change in such a strong and positive way are just way too cool not to memorialize.


Way too cool indeed!  

Check out the 5 & Dime

I remember the term "5 & Dime" store, although when I was growing up in the 60's, there wasn't much that you could get for a nickel or a dime, except penny candy (that wasn't a penny). 

What a thrill this month to be able to design pages with the New England Scrapbook Company Kit, full of October Afternoon 5 & Dime paper and embellishments, along with coordinating ribbons and Bazzill Cardstock.  This paper is great for present day photos, but it was screaming for me to use my old photos, and that's exactly what I did.  I followed my instincts on this one. 

I seriously have been holding back on the old photos for three reasons . . . 

1. We had limited photos back then.  You didn't take a lot of photos, because you had to pay for film and development.  You didn't know in advance if your shots came out.  There were no two-inch screens that gave you an idea that all was well.  When you would have them developed and you would anxiously open the envelope, it was like a crap shoot!  You either one the prize . . . or you were seriously disappointed (usually a little bit of both).  
2. I had a lot of those awkward polaroid's with the white edges or the nearly one-inch bottom borders.  Some of them are super thick.  They seem to be different sizes.  You can't really cut them down because they could crack (and some have cracked and are peeling).  
3. I had the 110 and 126 photos.  If you have those photos, you know exactly where I'm going with this.  They were the biggest photography disaster ever (in my opinion).  Sure they were beautiful at one time, but now they are faded and orange.  There is little to no color at all under the orange haze. 

So I had a little heart to heart with myself.  Those photos are not going to change; they are what they are.  So I might as well bite the bullet and do something with them.  

My favorite layout of all is this fabulous one of my sister, Tammy, who passed away two years ago.  I am biased.  I believe she was the most beautiful little sister . . . she had beautiful sparkling eyes!  She was a special needs child who never walked or talked.  I would have given the world to have a sister who could run and jump and play.  But growing up with her was full of lessons learned . . . about patience, acceptance, tolerance of others' ignorance, and gratitude for the hand that life deals you.  

 

In the coming days I will share some of my other layouts using this beautiful and awesome kit!  It really is the perfect compliment to my "mish-mosh" of photos.   

You know what . . .it is all part of our history.  Life isn't perfect, nor are our memories and photos.  A little lesson learned from the 110 and 126 film era . . . 

Sometimes life is a little faded, like our memories.

Thankfully, life is not all orange-y.  

Check-out this fabulous kit!  

It Stinks!

You know what stinks?

When you're creative time gets usurped by your nine to five job!  HAPPY to be employed full-time (don't get me wrong) . . . but when it really starts to eat into the time that feeds your soul, then you start to feel kind of "gunky."

Listen, it's not that organizing training for insurance adjusters and figuring out the ins and outs of a learning management system doesn't feed my soul just a bit (because it SO does), but those are side dishes for my soul.  It's not the main course, and it's definitely not dessert!

I made a little something from my leftover scraps.  And my skunk does not stink.  Isn't it scent-sational?  Those little bits and pieces of leftover layouts can go a long way toward making a cute little card.  The die cuts are all Quickutz from my stash . . . market tag, skunk, watering can and flowers (although the stems were just hand cut).  The grass was made using decorative edge scissors (rarely pull those puppies out).

Scrapbooking for the "Over 50 Crowd"

I wanted to participate in Little Yellow Bicycle's most recent challenge.  I just love their new line of paper . . . so of course I chose to use the paper and elements from Sweet Summertime! 

And then came the hard part . . . finding photos!  I dragged out the old picture box.  These were from the summer of 1989, and I have some advice for you. 

Our Trip to Treasure Lake in Pennsylvania (not Papoose Pond in Maine).

When you hit 50 years old (which I recently have) . . .

    and when your photos are more than 20 years old (which they are) . . .

         you may want to: 

                      A - Check the notes on the back of the photo for information . . .

                      B - Have an "innocent" discussion with someone else on the trip (without revealing your reason is because you are a moron and likely have mixed up your locations) . . . 

                      C - Question yourself on whether your details are accurate . . .

And you would want to do this BEFORE you journal on your layout. 

Do this to avoid your husband saying to you . . . "Papoose Pond?  Papoose Pond?  Your grandmother was never at Papoose Pond." 

And then you won't have to say, "Oh Sh*t!" 

Lesson learned. 

Lovely Layers Blog Hop

I am super excited to be a stop on the Denami Designs Lovely Layers Blog Hop this weekend!  You should have just arrived here from Dana's blog. (I love the way she layered her ink!)  

If you are looking to start at the beginning of the hop, you can click here to get to the Denami Designs Blog where the fun and creativity begins.  It is also link you can click if you get lost along the way.  You have until 11:59 p.m. PST July 11th to leave comments on the blogs to be eligible for prizes.  They are giving away three $20 gift certificates to their website.  

So . . . it was a tough choice for me to decide what stamp I would use for my design.  I am so attached to all those little chick stamps (they just make me smile).  But in the end I went with the Playful Puppies set and the doghouse.  I have four dogs living under my roof, so it seemed like the right thing to do.  

I never make a flat scrapbook layout, and cards are no different for me.  I always start with card stock and build layers.  My card started as any regular folded card, but then I decided to add some folded layers so I could bring my little puppies to life.  So I did some accordion folding on the right side.  Trust me . . . it looks harder than it is (I included the measurements on the cutting and folds further below in the yellow highlight).   

I am in love with the new We R Memories Friends Furever line and had picked some up from my local LSS, New England Scrapbook Co.  The 6 x 6" pad of pattern paper was perfect.  I used green card stock for my card base, as I wanted it to have an "outdoor" feel to it.  I added layers of the pattern paper over the green on parts of the card, and also layered strips of a second pattern paper (love those diagonal stripes).  And then I added more layers with my stamped images.  I used cream and brown card stock for my puppies and dog houses, and I colored some parts with my Copic markers.  I then added some Denami ribbon and a few sentiments from Pink by Design.  

A close up of the pups!

I should mention that the piece of blue card stock was yet another layer onto my last accordion fold, to give me a backdrop.  

Here is the card flat.  So this would be how it will look coming out of the envelope before it springs to life and hopefully causes the recipient to smile!     

The next stop on the hop is the creative Pam Wendt.  Prepare to be inspired!  Don't forget to leave your comments to be eligible for the prizes, and I welcome you to become a follower of my blog.  

Keep hopping toward creativity!  Thanks for stopping by,



Debbie

 

Cutting/Scoring Instructions:  Start with a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of card stock, and place in your cutter lengthwise.  Decide how much of the card you want folded, versus how much you want to remain flat.  For mine, I left about 2 1/2" flat on the left, but you can change it up any way you'd like, making the folds on the left instead of the right.  Once you decide where you want the cut, you will cut from the 1" to the 7 1/2" mark - so you're basically leaving the bottom inch of each edge intact without a cut. Once you've cut, you'll want to score one side at 4 1/4" (the regular score for a card).  On the side you want to have the pleated folds, you'll score at 1", 2", 3 1/4" 4 1/2" and 6 1/2". 

Sun & Fun - Unity Challenge

Another fabulous Unity Stamp challenge:  Sun and Fun!  Summer was the theme and it was perfect for my leftover paper from Simple Stories.  From my summer layouts, to a really cute card that will cheer someone up down the road.  I'm all from taking my scraps from layouts and using them on cards so they don't sit in a box or plastic tote of years.  I know it's not recycling, but I think there is a Girl Scout motto in there somewhere about "using resources wisely."  I have that one covered here! 

We get caught up with stamping on cardstock or plain paper, when sometimes pattern paper is just perfect for a particular stamp.  Case in point . . . the bathing suit from "It Suits You" which is a Jillibean Soup design.  Stamping it on pattern paper and cutting it out gives a really neat dimension, and while I used black ink in the design below, I'm thinking a blue would have been even nicer (hindsight).  I punched holes and fed my ribbon through so it looks like the suit is just hanging there. 

 

Clothing designs are perfect for pattern paper, and there are other stamp designs that would also get a boost of charm from pattern paper.  Don't be afraid to play around with it!  The results can be fun!

100 Days of Summer!

Summer layouts are so fun, and while I don't have a lot of pictures, I can never resist layouts with sun and fun.  The layout below is for an upcoming class I am teaching at my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co. in Canton, Connecticut.  It's a sketch class where everyone will get enough product to make at least two layouts in class, but they'll have enough leftover pattern paper so that with some additional cardstock, they can make a third layout and perhaps fourth . . . or maybe some cards!  The product is absolutely adorable . . . it is Simple Stories - 100 Days of Summer!  I fell in love with it and had so much fun. 

And whenever I teach a class I use some of my own stamps and die cuts.  On this one I used the Lemonade Stand from Cottage Cutz.  Love their die cuts, and this one is amazing.  Nothing better than dressing up die cuts!

Unity Stamp Kit of the Month Sketch

I used the May Stamp set to create a card using this months sketch. Using Bazzill white cardstock, Memory Box pattern paper, Stampin' Up Ribbon, and scraps of additional Bazzill.  I used the sheet music stamp, which has the hearth embedded in the image with the words "my heart sings."  But then I stamped the image on the pattern paper a few times and on my coordinating red card stock once and cut those images.  It's nothing fancy . . . but it sends a message.  

I noted the sketch below . . . and rather than one circle decoration, I did a few hearts aligned diagonally . . . my own twist on a the sketch, I guess.
 

A Stitch in Time

Anyone who really knows my sewing abilities over the last several years knows that I am the queen of unfinished projects.  I have a long list of unfinished quilts (just ask my daughter, Kelly), and a long list of projects waiting to be started and added to the unfinished list.  And so I thought I was out of my mind when some friends said, let's make a wine tote/lunch bag, and I said yes.  It was a class being offered locally, but that usually doesn't stop me from not finishing the project.  I usually leave with unfinished items, and that's usually where the story ends. 

But . . . this time I stitched in time! 

I always pick out fabric with high hopes.  Then when I cut, I think . . . "what was I thinking." 

This day was no different.  I didn't like the direction of the fabric and was worried it was going to be a bad scene in the end.    I was fretting over the fact that I had laminated the inside pieces, but left the outside pieces unlaminated (which I don't think is a word).

But putting that aside, My first pieces to make were the holders inside the bag.  I was upset that the words went horizontal on the short sides, but vertical on the long sides (who made up this pattern?).  Eh . . . not my fault. 

But as I started piecing it together . . . the pieces that were just fabric and interfacing and laminate and zippers and thread came together in the end . . . (although sorry to say there was a bit of swearing), numerous missed stitches and scrunched up areas (that's like my signature on things I sew).  

Horizontal or vertical . . . my fabrics came together quite nicely (what the heck did I do all that worrying about). And check out the end of the zipper (where it stops) and the little zipper pull!   

There was something in the air yesterday.  It was a banner day.  A project started on Saturday (with laminating and cutting in preparation for the class) and finished on Sunday.  O.K., so it was just a little lunch bag.  But it has a zipper . . . and some "holders" on the inside for a bottle/can and utensils.  And in the end . . . it's transporting lunch . . . nothing more . . . nothing less.

Loved the bag . . . the lemon Chobani . . . not so much!

Peachy Keen Stamps : Sketch Challenge 54

I hadn't done a challenge in quite a while, and so it was time to sit down and get a little something going.  And so I realized I had a few hours before the deadline on Peachy Keen Stamps Sketch Challenge #54.  I just did a bit of a quarter turn on the sketch, and there was my little card.

To my Peachy Keen Stamp I added some cardstock and pattern paper from my stash . . . some ribbon, a button and a flower . . . and my Copics . . . Done!

Meet "Buzz" Lightyear . . . the "Paws" that came with Accessories

What can be said about this little guy?

This little boy puppy came into the world as a little tiny guy.  He is Samantha's brother (you met Sam, she was the first paw). His mom was a Shih Tsu; his dad was a Chihuahua.  Samantha came to live with us, and he went to live with some other people (kind of how Snoopy went to live with Charlie Brown, and Spike went somewhere else).  They named him Buzz Lightyear. 

And so it was that a year and a half later those other people said, "Hey . . . would you watch our dog while we go on vacation?"  And so we did.  But we soon learned that his little guy was NOT a people person.  He also was NOT a dog person.  In fact, the only creatures in our house that he remotely identified with was our cats.  This little guy had clearly gotten his dad's Chihuahua frame, weighing about nine pounds (his sister weighed in at 16-18 pounds, and clearly got mom's Shih Tsu frame).  You couldn't touch him.  You couldn't hold him.  If he was sitting in his little dog bed (and he was always sitting in his little dog bed), you couldn't put your hand over the edge of the dog bed.  It was as though there was an invisible wall, and if your hand penetrated it, he would lash out at you.  We would tell Samantha, "That's your little brother."  She was not impressed. 

When the people came back from vacation and took their little dog, the saddest person in the house was the man of the house . . . the guy who didn't want anymore animals in the house.  He fell in love with that dysfunctional little dog.  He asked me to try and get the dog back.  Everyone thought the dog was likely mistreated, as he appeared to have been abused.  I did nothing.  And then a few days later, the people said . . . "Hey, did you like him?  Do you want him."  And that's how Buzz came to be a Bonczek.

When Buzz came to stay "for keeps," he came with a bed, a collar, a blanket, lots of toys, a leash, some food and some treats.  The joke was that he was the only pet we got that came with his own accessories. 

Truth be told, the little guy had problems.  BIG problems.  He clearly thought he was a cat, and our vet insisted he showed signs of abuse.  If you raised your hand, he flinched.  He would yelp if you brushed past him.  He didn't want to socialize, except with the cats.  He didn't want to be touched.  He didn't want to move (too much).  He just wanted to hide under blankets in a crate until it was time to eat, take care of his business, or give a kitty a little head butt.  In order to force him to socialize, we took away the one thing that he loved . . . his crate.  It was like his little man cave, and if he was going to become a member of the family, it had to go!  It took this dog nearly two years to move outside of the kitchen/family room area under his own power.  If you held him, he would spring off of you like a flea. 

At eleven years old, he can be a bossy little guy (to some of us).  He does as he pleases for the most part.  He enjoys an occasional car ride (loves to look out the window).  He will come to you for a little ear scratching.  He will climb on you to deliver a few quick licks.

Buzz loves to play with his toy, Bobo.  There have been many Bobo's that Buzz has loved to death.  In fact, if you look at the photo above, Buzz is sitting next to his Christmas Bobo (brand spanking new on December 25, 2009), while his former Bobo sits on top of a book titled, "Loved to Death."  If you look closely, you can still make out the smiling teeth on his old pink Bobo atop the book.  The book is about dog toys that have been loved to death by their owners.  Hmmm . . . how appropriate. 

In the photo below, you see Buzz with Christmas Bobo again . . . it's just that Christmas Bobo has become a bit of a shell of his former self.  He still has his head . . . and there is a new Bobo (a larger yellow one) waiting for it's turn to be loved to death.   

He's still a little odd, but we tell him all the time . . . "Buzz, your a real dog now."


And he believes it!  He believes almost everything we say.

CRUMPLE Your Stress Away!

Co-workers got you stressed?  The boss?  Husband?  Kids?

What can relieve stress better than crumpling up some paper, and doing a little paper crafting at the same time?  So here is my recipe for relieving stress (and it's short of doing anything that will have you behind bars, which is great). 

So you take several different sizes of flower dies that can be layered (such as the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die, and you use various pattern papers to cut them out.  I used Anna Griffin's beautiful Fifi and Fido line, which is not just for your dogs and cats alone (although I think my dog can read as she is glaring at me for not creating layouts with her in mind).  Seriously though, this stuff is beautiful, and still available at my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co. as is that Tattered Florals die.

So . . . after you cut those flowers, you imagine they are the person who is causing you the most angst . . . the bill collectors . . . the loser who cut you off on the highway . . . and you crush them.  You totally CRUMPLE the CRAP out of them.

O.K. . . . then you uncrumple them (which I'll admit put some of the stress back into me, so you may want to grab a glass of wine for this part).  Then you layer with a brad.  THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Aren't they cute as heck.  Don't you feel less stress just looking at them?

Then you get some cardstock, some ribbon and you create a little something bigger to put them on.  
 

Tooty Fruity w/Unity

Mmmmm . . . summer fruits!  I haven't really had any summer fruits, but I did take the time to make myself some strawberries for a little card for the Unity Challenge, Tooty Fruity!  My recipe:

Bazzill cardstock for card base (red)
Bazzill cardstock for mat (black)
Bo Bunny Dot Paper (green)
White Sketch Paper
Copic Markers
Ribbon from stash (red)
Scallop Punch
Black Pearls
Unity Stamps . . . April 2010 Kit of the Month and April 2011 Kit of the Month

Just talking about it makes me want to get me a shiny berry or two from my local market.

Out of Boundaries

I'm stepping a little out of my comfort zone on this one . . . trying to put together a Sketch Class for my LSS, NESC.  Everyone will get some pattern paper, some cardstock, some ribbon and sketches.  We'll maybe add some die cuts from my private stash and some stamping.  We will do at least two layouts, and maybe a project or card or two.  One layout is done . . . another will be coming . . . and this is just a snapshot of the lower right section of a page we'll be doing . . .

Hmmm . . . I've got some more creating to do for sure!

Cottage Blog Challenge #1

Another day, and another challenge.  The very first Cottage Blog Challenge . . . which had me so excited I think my head was spinning a bit.  The challenge was to be inspired by a specific photo posted on their blog which I have linked HERE . . . it was a photo of beautiful pink flowers, with a blue background.  Interesting that my eye caught the pink flowers immediately, and headed me straight to my "Sweetpea Seeds" die.  

I used some Little Yellow Bicycle Paper as my background, proving that you can use a scallop cut background paper on a card for a really nice effect.   I added some shimmering white ribbon to one side, and then went to work on my seed packet.  I cut the packet in a light brown cardstock and inked with brown.  Then I cut the Sweetpea Seeds pieces in white and used markers to color.  I am truly amazed at what a great job markers do on die cuts . . . the more I practice the technique, the more I like it.  While I had to keep the green in for the flowers, I pulled the blue background into the lettering on the packet.  

Great inspiration!  I am really looking forward to their next challenge.  

Whimsical Wednesday - Back to Basics Challenge

I am still not challenged out,  I am just enjoying creativity to the max!  I have been super-creative this weekend working on some items for an upcoming class, designing for "The Company Kit" (my LSS's store kit), and trying my hand at some challenges I saw on the web.  What's been great is that I'm actually using my stash . . . and I've been pulling out tools I've not used in quite some time . . . embossing powder, heat gun, stamps, inks . . . I feel creatively productive for a change.

And so I finally get to try my hand at one of the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge which was "Back to Basics."  The challenge was to create a card/project that was "Cricutless" (not a problem because I don't use my Cricut often enough).  We also needed to use some type of "old school" embellishment.

Well, you can't get much more old school then paper, ribbon, rubber stamp, ink, markers and staples.  In fact . . . let's talk about the stapler.  I was the kid in the family who always hogged the family stapler back in the 70's.  I would make staple designs in paper . . . and get in trouble for using too many staples.  I think I was in heaven when I bought not just my very own stapler for my little white desk in my bedroom, but a whole entire box of staples just for me!  And I think I was in heaven the day staplers entered the world of scrapbooking . . . I was using them way back in the day! 

So that's what I went for . . . 

These challenges are keeping me hopping (ha . . . little frog in the card . . . hopping . . . get it?).

Peachy Keen Stamps Challenge

And yes . . . another challenge for the day . . . getting in under the wire on the Peachy Keen Stamps Challenge - Sketch #52 which is to create a card based on the provided sketch . . .

O.K. . . I had way to much fun with this one!  I used some scrap paper I found in my stash, and matched my flower to the flower in the print of the paper (if you look close, there are little tiny daisies.

My die cuts all started white, and I colored them with markers.  I am suddenly in love with cutting all white and coloring with whatever I have on hand . . . and this time it was my Copic Markers.

I have repeatedly said that I need to use those Peachy Keen stamps more often because they really do make me smile!

The Scraproom May Word Challenge . . . PARTY

Another May Challenge from The Scraproom!  The challenge was to use product from their May kit and use the word "party" somewhere on the layout. 

A few old photos I found of my girls hanging out together and with some friends . . .

The Scraproom May Sketch Challenge - THE BOSS

The Scraproom has a monthly sketch challenge, and while I don't get all of their kits, I was given a series of months as a gift.  I decided to participate in a few of their challenges . . . nothing like trying to get some of my photos into a scrapbook! 

In November of 2009, my husband and I spent the weekend at a gorgeous hotel in New York City.  We had tickets to a New York Ranger game . . . wandered the city all weekend . . . and we even took a little jaunt over to Hoboken, New Jersey . . . home of Carlo's Bakery . . . where TLC's Cake Boss is filmed.  I was super excited to have the chance to meet Buddy and have my photo taken with him.  What a great trip.  So the papers in the May Kit, from Jillibean Soup, were perfect for a little layout of our trip. 

Here is the layout . . .

 

And here is the sketch . . . 

And I even created a second page for the additional photos that we took on that day.  

 

 

What a yummy journey!

June Company Kit . . . Scrapping Summer Memories

I created a little something for the June Company Kit from my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co.  They put out a new "Company Kit" each month . . . coordinating patterned papers, cardstock, ribbon, and embellishments . . . and their designers make all sorts of layouts, cards, and 3-D artsy things to inspire.  They also have an add-on kit to stretch out your creativity.  June will be our sixth one, which is pretty exciting . . . especially since the May Company Kit is SOLD OUT! 

June's kit will be full of summer paper and embellishments.  I created two layouts . . . here is just one of them . . . 

And then I created a couple of cards, and here is just one of them . . . 

And with even more product remaining, I made a little 4 1/2 x 6 1/2" book . . . but I forgot to take a photo of the little bugger!  

Matchy, matchy product that comes in a box . . . what can be better?  Check out the photo gallery at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/newenglandscrapbook

Rain, Rain . . . Go Away

I normally like a rainy day once in a while, but lately it's been about the rain every single day.  Seems appropriate that I post my Spring Rain layout which was a Designer Series Kit that I put together for my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co.  I designed it way before the rains came . . . perhaps it was a sign.  I do believe in signs.

So what's the movie that talks about believing in signs?  Anyone?

The main character in the movie gives a speech to her mom about how she doesn't believe in signs, and moments later goes to hug her mom and rips the wedding gown she is trying on and says . . . "It's a sign." to which her mom replies, "You don't believe in signs."

It's one of my favorite movies!  It is also a movie that is plagued with much rain . . . taking place in three locations . . . Baltimore, Chicago and Seattle . . . "It rains nine months a year in Seattle."

And what woman doesn't want to get a diamond ring placed on her finger, hearing those treasured words from her future spouse . . . "It was my grandmother's. I had them size it down. She had really fat fingers."  


Indeed . . . Sleepless in Seattle!  One of my favorites. 

What's that noise out my window . . . more rain!  I will go to sleep and dream of the sunshine!

Meet Jennyanydots . . . another of the "Paws"

So here is another one of the many "paws" that I scrap . . . Jennyanydots.  

Her name comes from the musical, CATS.  It was the summer that my oldest daughter, Tracy, was going into 5th grade.  She was spending her summer doing youth theater, playing the role of Jennyanydots in CATS.  Her sister wanted a new kitten, and a friend had called to say she had a number of feral kittens, and that she had caught one for us.  It was a fitting name, as the lyrics go . . .

        When the day's hustle and bustle is done
        Then the gumbie cat's work is but hardly begun
        And when all the family's in bed and asleep
        She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep


And then there is . . .

        I have a gumbie cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots
        Her equal would be hard to find, she likes the warm and sunny spots
        All day she sits beside the hearth or on the bed or on my hat
        She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a gumbie cat
        That's what makes a gumbie cat

Of course, what other name would we choose?  Although, truth be told, until we knew for sure that Jennyanydots was a Jennyanydots, a quick vet check-up could have easily made her . . . or perhaps I mean "him" a Mister Mistoffelees. 

My daughter is 25 years old, which makes Jennyanydots quite the senior citizen of the household at 15 years old.  She has always been an absolute sweet girl, and that has not changed.  She has just a squeak of a meow now . . . still likes warm sunny spots . . . and still sits and sits and sits!  On those late nights when I am working on some pages or cards, she will venture into my craft room and sit on any box or pile that she can . . . and that is precisely what she is doing in the photo above.  Always under my left elbow . . . she sits and sits and sits . . .

That's apparently what makes a gumbie cat!

Challenged by the Challenges

In my quest over the last few weeks to do more challenges, I've gotten myself a bit confused.

You see, I'm a die cut hoarder.  I'm a ribbon hoarder.  I'm a stamp hoarder.  O.K., and then there is the paper and the embellishments.  Whatever!  I'm a crafter . . . it's what we do.

So here's the deal . . . I was trying to make a card for a challenge, and I seemed to have forgotten who the challenge was with, and I guess I messed up a bit and used the wrong company.  And there it is . . . the girl who is about to turn 50 is surely losing her mind.

But it's a great card . . . just not challenge worthy of anything on my list of possible challenges at this moment.  It was a cross between a challenge for Unity Stamp to emboss something, and then somehow I got it stuck in my head that I was doing something for Cottage Cutz (but it was merely because I was so excited that they just put out their first challenge.

So I did emboss, just used the wrong company.

Recipe . . .

 - Bazzill Cardstock and Kaiser Pattern Paper from my LSS, New England Scrapbook Co. 
 - Sizzix Embossing Folder (leaf print) from my LSS
 - American Crafts Ribbon from my LSS
 - Cottage Cutz Bug Die Cut w/Peachy Keen Stamped
   (I did a heat emboss on the wings . . . so shiny)
 - My Creative Time "My Favorite Sayings" for the sentiment
 - Ink and Markers . . . whatever you've got (I used Staz-on and Copics)


So fun!

Meet One of the Paws

I have this blog called Paws to Scrap . . . because I love to scrapbook my pets.  But I rarely post pictures of my pet layouts these days, and lately I rarely scrapbook my own photos.  I'm in this sort of "card challenge mode."

So I decided that it is ridiculous that I never post my pets on the blog, I don't know why because they are so much a part of my life (enough so that I included the word "paws" in my blog title).  I will introduce my little four-legged friends one at a time, starting with my bestie . . . Samantha.  

Meet Samantha!

Samantha is a cross between a shih tsu and a chihuahua.  She came to our family as my daughter's birthday present back in December of 1999, but she ended up as my bestie.  That's just how it worked out.  She is so smart and personable, and as my husband says, "She believes everything you say."  It's true, she really does. 

So hard to think of my little "baby girl" as 11 years old.  Here is a layout that I created a camping trip we took a few years back.  She enjoyed the trip . . . we shared a sleeping bag up in Maine!  I think she would rather have been home (in fact, she was a little stressed as we started out the journey in the car).

Still need to finish my journaling on this one.  She truly does color my world! 

Unity Stamp - Kit of the Month Sketch Challenge

Oh Unity Stamp . . . how do I love thee? 
All that red rubber in my mailbox each month . . . I look forward to your arrival. 

And I love that you're doing a sketch challenge, because I need a good challenge to keep me motivated.  And this was a great sketch!  I repeat . . . this was a great sketch!


I used the newest set . . . the awesome little city, and then punched with a scallop punch and included the "rise above it all" stamp.  I did some matchy, matchy work with some Bazzill Cardstock, Jillibean Soup paper, various markers and baker's twine. 

Let me say it again . . . great sketch!  Want to see it . . . go to the Unity Blog and check it out! 

OWH Sketch Challenge

And so another challenge comes my way . . . a way to use up the many, many scraps that I have in my possession.  Operation Write Home has a Sketch Challenge, always a great idea for using up my scraps.  You can find more information on their blog.  Here is a recent sketch (Sketch #67).

And so I reached for my "Box O'Manicured Scraps." Manicured, you ask?  Well yes . . . it is the scraps from past projects . . . instead of keeping them in a heaping pile, I trim them down to card size.  So, I do a scrapbook layout, and the extra pieces get trimmed into card parts . . . a/k/a manicured scraps.  Large pieces get trimmed to 8 1/2 x 5 1/2" for cards.  Then we trim to 4 x 5 1/4" for card fronts, or 4 x 4" for die cuts (which I keep in a separate box), etc.  Whatever works.  And anything smaller goes into a Bag O'Scraps.

This is hoarding scraps in an organized fashion!

So from my Bag and my Box I pulled some matching colors . . . and created a little something for the challenge. I mixed a lot of companies here . . . we have bits of Bazzill cardstock, American Crafts ribbon, Stampin' Up Tag Punches (smaller and larger) and Stampin' Up Tag Stamp, Close to My Heart pattern paper from a past project (I recognize it!  Isn't that a little bit CRAZY.), Close to My Heart ink to match the pattern paper, Clear and Simple stamp, and Copic Markers to color the boat.  It is a smorgasbord of  scrap product! 
 

And this card will be set aside and sent to Operation Write Home at some point down the road.

I love a little challenge!

Tweet, Tweet

I made a little something for the Unity Stamp Monthly Challenge, which was to make a card or other stamped project incorporating a bird or birds from a Unity Stamp set.

And so, I did just that . . . Tweet, Tweet!

Nowhere, Anywhere, Somewhere

There is always this stash of stuff sitting next to my work area.  It no doubt ends up in a bin somewhere.  But in 2010 I decided that I need a better attack to that stash of stuff that ends up in the bin that usually gets stacked onto another bin that leads to nowhere.  I began a quest to use up scraps from layouts immediately . . . IMMEDIATELY (I say) . . . so as to not add to the bins, and eventually to eliminate maybe all but one bin down the road.  But it is seriously a great idea, because when it goes to the bin you spend hours trying to find things that go together.  By attacking it right away, I end up with cards that coordinate well (it's like a jigsaw puzzle trying to find the right layout for the scraps).  Best part is that all those extra pieces of chipboard embellishments have an immediate home and don't end up lost forever (in the other stack of bins with the extra pieces that no doubt are self-stick and end up all stuck together in a jumbled mess).

So any scrap of cardstock that is large enough for a card gets immediately sized down to 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  Pattern papers get trimmed down to 4" x 5 1/4".  Smaller pieces of cardstock will usually be trimmed to 4" x 4" (perfect for Quickutz, Cottage Cutz, Sizzix dies), and I keep them all stacked so I can just grab as needed. 

Yes - I am rambling!

So I did make this layout for a challenge, to be posted at a later date.  And with my leftover materials, I managed to make two cards which I will be donating to OWH in a shipment down the road.

So the stuff that usually ends up somewhere, and then goes nowhere could actually end up anywhere in the U.S. (sent by one of our nation's armed forces to his/her family).

Two people are going to need to get well somewhere in the U.S., and we'll be ready for them.

Action Wobbling a Kitty

So I just got done "Action Wobbling" a few things, and my favorite of the night was this awesome Cottage Cutz Kitty in a Pocket (using two of the die cuts).

Loving it . . . my brain is full of too many ideas now.  I need a rest!   

Spring is Springing Up Everywhere

I work at my local scrapbook store - New England Scrapbook Co. - and I've had numerous customers lately tell me that all of the new product is "girlie" and feminine.  That is 100% accurate, and the only reason is because everything coming in is all about Spring.  Spring is flowers and flourish the whole way . . . so yes, everything is full of butterflies, birds, and flowers.  It's Spring!  


I designed this cute tray for a class I'm teaching.  I have this idea that there is one spot in my house where I will always have a tray hanging reflecting the time of year and some photos.  For this particular tray depicting Spring, I used Jillibean Soup paper which I adore.

I made my own butterflies using bazzill cardstock and corner punch!  They turned out really cute, and they just pop off the tray (as you can see in the photo further below).

I used my Cricut to cut the flowers which shower from the handle and also for the title in the top left corner.  I used Twinkling H2O's to add some color to the title and the stamping in the lower right!  The stamp is a Unity Stamp (love Unity).  It all tied together.  These trays are super easy and fun to create.  I just need to add some Spring photos . . . but that's for another day (it's still a little brown out in the real world here in Connecticut). 

I am sure there will be a summer tray in my future, and I'll be sure to post it.  I also have my eyes set on a tray to depict my love for all of my four-legged friends.  Stay tuned!

Unity Challenge - Fashion Forward

I love a challenge because it gets me creating!  I've been so swamped lately, there has been little time to get busy.  This month's Unity Challenge . . . 

FASHION FORWARD.

Yep, that's right!

We want YOU to

SPRING into FASHION using ONLY UNITY or IPPITY stamps!

(by creating a fashion themed card, layout, or 3d project!)

I dug through my monthly kits looking for stamps and used a combination of the October 2010 collection (the handbags) and the January 2011 (shoes and quote).  I used the Pepper Bazzill Dotted Swiss cardstock as my card base, stamped in black on cream cardstock (both from my LSS) and then colored the images with markers.  I added some glitter to my bag handles and buckles along with a few clear jewels.  Just a little ribbon and wow!  I love black, cream (or white), and any other single color to go along with it (in this case, pink). 

 

Looking forward to next month's challenge!  

Keeping Up with Keeping Up

My life is like one of those pie charts with varying pieces.  There's the home piece of the pie, the family piece of the pie, the full-time job piece of the pie, the part-time job piece of the pie, the NESC Design team piece of the pie, then the hockey piece of the pie, then the "creative things I get myself into" piece of the pie (which is the biggest mess of them all).  My day is the plate.  It can only be one size as there are only 24 hours in one day.   

So if you were keeping track, we've got a one-size fits all plate and then we have some chicken pot pie, quiche, graham cracker cream pie, caramel apple pie, key lime pie, toll house, and some kind of berry crumb pie.  Mmmmmm!  All so yummy.  But I don't want them touching each other on my plate.  So it's a constant struggle to keep up!  I create a mess, and then I move on to another mess.  I am always trying to keep up with keeping up.


One such project . . . I always pick a Connecticut Whale player or two to follow during the season, and I complete a scrapbook with photos and articles taken throughout the year.  Since the beginning of this year was a bit stressful and I got off track, I spent the last two weekends creating my player's scrapbook.  I had thankfully done a good job collecting the items, so it was really about just sitting down and pulling it together.  I'll show off a few of my layouts in the coming days/weeks.


But I needed a break from the manly paper and the paper with sticks, and stickers with pucks . . . so I decided it was time to work on the Unity Challenge.  The theme this month was to create a card with a heart.  So I dug out a Unity Stamp from the itty bitty collection . . . the "Hello My Friend" itty bitty stamp . . . and created myself a little card using some scraps from one of my hockey layouts!  The layout looked all tough . . . and yet my card looked all sweet and flowery.  Nice contrast.

Great challenge.  Looking forward to next month!

On to create some more hockey pages . . . less than 48 hours until my deadline!