I am blessed beyond measure!

Announce yesterday while I was at work... I officially made the Design Team for Practical Scrapper. This is a blessing in so many ways..

1. I love the site and I love what they are doing -- using up what we have!
2. I love that Joni is on the DT and we get to work together
3. There are soooo many wonderful gals over at Practical Scrappers and I look forward to working with all of them.
4. I get to scrap!

SO I would say my cup runnth over this wonderful Saturday morning.. Please click over to www.PracticalScrappers.com it is a hoot.. also, go to the message boards and join us in our chats.. it is very fun and lots of good ideas and techniques are shared!

have a blessed day!

Nani Quilt

I admit it I love my great dane (Nani Boots) .. she is a big ,silly, sweetheart. She has outgrown her old "bed" (a lazy boy chair in my bedroom) -- I have tried to find a doggie bed big enough and I can't, sooooo I made her a quilt! My mom helped me pin it today so I hope to have it quilted by the end of the night.. or tomorrow. Once the binding is on it will be all hers... She is gonna love it!

Step by step - Punch flower

The making of a "punched flower" when you have given away your punches

punch circles

line up punch to make a petal

Punch 5-7 petals for your flower

adhere in a flower shape

add center (in this case a bosher--member them?)

Here is my entry for This week...

OK so here is my entry for the Practical Scrapper punches. I will admit, I was tempted to go to Michael's to purchase some fo the cool punches I saw people using..... BUT that wouldn't be practical now would it. Just a few months ago, I gave away probably 100 punches to a lady that uses punches all the time. SO I only have a few basic punches left. So I had wanted to make a flower for this layout and I did. I will put the steps in another post on my blog--- so if you want to see how I did it you can!

I should also add... I used my other two punches, my SU scallop and my SU notebook paper punches

Thanks for looking

Have a blessed week

IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING COSMO CRICKET IN THE VALLEY

I HAVE FOUND TWO STORES THAT CURRENTLY HAVE NUTMEG IN STOCK...

1. CRAFTERS RETREAT (PAPER ONLY) - also has Earth Love paper...
2. THE SCRAPBOOK STORE IN ANTHEM...SHOOT I CANT REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE STORE SHE HAS LOTS OF IT

Back in the Saddle

OH yeah baby.. I went 19.1 miles tonight on my bike.. sweeeeet.. I feel great about that too.. so now I am off to work on my new quilt.. it is soooo cute...

OH and a little secret...Tonight on our ride, we met a guy with a big ole black great dane.... he looked just like Nani only no white boots... anyway.. i am soo in love I want another dane... SOOOO pray, maybe God will plop one in my lap.. a male would be best and a sweet heart just like Nani...OHHHH I almost forgot to tell you. .his name was....

SCRAPPY... awwwwww

Weekend fall down

WOW what a weekend! Friday I got to scrap with Joni.. got a ton done.. that was wonderful, besides I got to hang with my main man Joseph... Well Saturday was FUN! It started with "Black Bag Day" at 35th Ave Sew& Vac. (this is my favorite Quilt shop) SOOO I picked up my mom and headed over there where we got some smokin hot deals and I found some fabric that I plan on putting on a layout pretty soon! (Joni's challenge over at Personal Scrapper). OH and an adorable doggie quilt that I am going to cut and start putting together this week.. tooo stinkin cute....
After that my mom and I went down to the state fair where we were demonstrators for quilting. I was hand quilting. (cause I am insane) and my mom was doing red work for a quilt. Our friend Faye was machine quilting. We had a lot of fun once we settled into it. I still don't like fairs, but I conquered my fear of fairs and went! SO hooo-raahhh! We hiked back to our car and headed home and I turned around and headed to softball.

HERE IS THE FUNNY STORY OF THE WEEKEND:
So we are at softball... playing a good team... Im up 2 outs, and I am feeling the pressure.(did I mention I don't like to lose?) I am being good and waiting on the ball before I swing.. Crack.. I hit it and take off running to first... well the ball I hit went right back to the pitcher who then decides he is going to run and "TAG" me out so I try to avoid the tag and he makes the tag, and I lose my balance, take 3-4 steps almost right myself just in time to TRIP OVER THE FIRST BASE BAG... AND GO FACE FIRST INTO THE DIRT..... WOW!!! I was down before I even knew what had happened... SOOOO I get up, I did not want to cry... so me being me.. made a joke... I look over at the first base coach (Steve) and say..."well I guess I will have to wash my shirt for sure this week" (I was covered with red dirt... everywhere...even in my bra) So I walked back to get my glove and I was proud becasue I DID NOT CRY I wanted to cause it hurt but I didn't

So now it is Sunday. I just finished 2 more layouts for Personal scrapper online crop. Our
message at church was wonderful this morning, I had guitar today and kind of had a break through on the G/ D and Am/ Em chord transitions. SO now, I am off to do a little Bible study.. Oh and I got to talk to Joni on the phone today... all and all it has been a busy but very pleasurable day... OH did I mention too... next SUNDAY I will be at Gammage viewing
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA... one of my life goals will be fulfilled on Nov. 1st unless Jesus comes.. in which case I am sure I will not care that I missed it! I am soo fired up about that

Fun Fabulous Friday

OK so Joni and I are scrappin together today! I am happy to tell you we are headed to the new LSS to give her a go. The gal that runs this store (Crafters Retreat) has a nice big room for us to scrap in and if you spend $5 you can scrap for free (otherwise it is just $5) anyway... I am excited, it has been a while since I was able to scrap at a store. I guess I just never felt welcome at the other stores. I love cropping at stores because I get an excuse to just focus on scrapbooking. I also will be down at the State Fair Grounds this weekend (Saturday) helping my mom with some quilting stuff. I will actually be hand quilting at the fair. I am a beginning hand quilter so I suppose I will defer most questions to my mom. I just know it is a great way to show people that quilting is still very much alive and well.

I hope to take a few photos to share with you all later. Again... someday I will get my quilt tops photographed and share with them with you. SOOOo I am waiting for my son to call and tell me to pick him up from school (he had a Volleyball Pizza Party today) and then I am headed over to the Craft Retreat!

Hope to have some fun layouts to share after today! I am working hard on my challenges from Personal Scrapper.

IF YOU HAVE NOT APPLIED, HURRY.. PRACTICAL SCRAPPER IS HAVING A DESIGN TEAM CALL.. RUN OVER THERE AND GET IN THE GAME!

HOW did it get to be Wednesday?!!?

Ok so here we are.. middle of the week already. I feel like time is flying by! Before we know it, Christmas will have come and gone. Well, today was a nice day. I went to my Bible Study got to see my mom and grabbed a snack out with my wonderful husband. We like to just go and sit and talk sometimes. When I got home, I ran onto the computer checked some of the challenges over at Personal Scrapper and realized I was getting behind. SO I made this layout today and I love the paper so I of course love the layout. I also love the subject... my sweet Bradley Bear!

Speaking of cool stuff... I was over at Practial Scrapper today and man some of the samples are aaaaaammmmmaaaaaazzzzzing.. like Joni's I am so in love with it.. Kim had great work too! As I have said and continue to say... head over there... check it out... I mean it... ;o)

One more thing, they are having a give away at Cosmo Cricket blog... follow the link on my page in the Favorite Places Online and all ya gotta do is leave a comment.. Good luck!

xoxox

e

Office Supplies Challenge - Practial Scrapper

I had this idea pop in my head the moment I read the challenge.. I went to my scrapbook room and sat down to do Bible Study, but I could not concentrate until this was out of my noggin! SO I am soooooo happy that Practical Scrapper had this challenge.. I used both BRADS and paperclips to make my little burst... or flowers, whatever I just love how it turned out! It is super simple and I have decided I am a simple scrapper! I adore the clean look of simple scrapbooking

Personal Scrapper - Croptoberfest

OK so all weekend I worked on stuff.. this is the only layout I got done! Sad!!! I have a ton of ideas running around up there but here is the "Thanksgiving/Food" Layout I got done for Personal Scrapper!

I loved the antipasta salad and I told Dave, that I was goning to scrapbook it because it was sooo yummy.. I am glad I did! Thanks for the challenge Personal Scrapper!

New thoughts for this Monday

Well I kept away from the boards this weekend.. and it was hard. I am just a chatty person and there are a lot of NICE ladies over at Practical Scrappers PLUS... JONI MADE THE DESIGN TEAM>.. HUGE props Joni! SOooo happy for you! I love that Joni is on the Team!! I am just hangin' I am sure they had a hard time picking new members.

ANYWAY!!! If you were at the crop on Saturday and are wondering which link it is just remember when you click on the "Practical Scrappers" link it will take you to the BLOG that is where the challenges are posted every week and if you want to come chat with me or any of the girls over at the Discussion Forum, just look at the very top of the blog in RED letters, on the Left hand side just below the banner and there is a link to the forums... just pop over and become a member and let the fun roll..

I am there often during the day so come and play. I just once to just give Joni Props ONE more time... I am soo happy you were chosen for the DT... I know you will love it!

Just Thinking

Well I have been hanging out at Practical Scrappers a lot.... I get the feeling I may have overwhelmed the boards so I am gonna lay off for a few days... I think I am gonna spend a little time over at Personal Scrapper. They have a great crop going on right now.... I am excited to see Practical Scrappers growing sooo much and I get too excited often times, I want to just find a nice place to chill and make friends online... so I am gonna scoot for a few days! I have a crop tomorrow and I have been blessed this week, my wonderful hubby said I can get a few supplies I have been "wanting" ---not needing... so I am gonna do a little shoppin and have some fun on the fly making some cards and layouts! I will be really busy on Sunday (I have church for 2 services, guitar, training for Sunday Night EZ Worship) I will be tired so perhaps Monday I will have time to upload some images of layouts and what nots over the weekend... I keep promising my friend Kim Kesti that I will post some photos of my quilts, so maybe Monday I can do a photo shoot and get all those promised photos up too!

Think Pink!

OK so if you don't know this already... I have found a very happy blog... Practical Scrappers. I love the challenges so far and seriously if you have not gone there.. do it.. then on the very top of the blog there is a "visit our message board" OH go there.. it is hoppin... great threads and ideas sooooo move it already... here is the link http://www.practicalscrappers.com/ anyway.. today is a due date for Think Pink Here is a card I made especially for October.... As always have a blessed day!

xoxoxo

e

Amazing You.. my sister Heidi Lee!

Ok so I have been trying to get someone to send me a photo that she likes so instead she just gave me all her photos and said, pick one.. so I did... This layout is for the "someone you admire" challenge over at Personal Scrapper! This is my sister, and I scrapped just one of the many reasons I admired her. If I tried to put them all in one layout, there would be really tiny writing like 2 pt. and no picture because the entire layout 12x12 (which would have to be a 2 page layout) would just be writing... in bullets... there is seriously that much.. Ok so heeeeeeerrrrreeee is Heidi!

Practical Scrapper Challenge

Ok so here is my Practical Scrappers challenge for this week. It was die (laser) cut paper I was not sure how much I loved this one but the more I look at it the more I like it. I used the Lime Rickey behind the laser paper because I thought it looked kind of like doodles on coloring page. I don't know how to describe it. I took a close up hoping that you can see the concept. I loved this weeks challenge because it streched me... Thank you to the gals at Practical Scrappers for the challenge!

giraffe grub

One more for Personal Scrapper.... it was a bingo challenge I got... two colors of cardstock (brown and Kraft) handwritting or doodle, inked edges and 3or more brads.. so this is the result. I love this layout mostly because I love the memory that goes with it...So below is a view of the cool trim I got at convention and in the other detail photo it was so cool I found these Makin Memories brads that were like fuzzy it totally brought the textures together..

A lucky day for kids in AZ

OK another post for a layout for Personal Scrappers Croptoberfest. This challenge was use the word lucky in a title... SO this was the day some friends of ours brought snow for the kids to play in from Flagstaff to Phoenix... IT was sooo sweet of them and a memory we all treasure. Its not every day you get to use snow stuff in Arizona so this was a lot of fun for me.....

Name layout

OK so here is a challenge from the Personal Scrapper Croptoberfest.. it was names... so here is one about my sweet Jasmine....

My poor fingers

I have just returned home from my gituar lesson. I can't stop playing. I have had two lessons and I know D chord, G cord, C cord and an Em cord, I can actally play a song.. well sort of. Iam still learning how to change from one chord to another. It will get better they say...

Well I have not had time to upload my layouts from this weekend so far. BUT tomorrow is a day off for the kiddos so I will be able to scrap more tomorrow and then I will photograph my layouts and post hopefully tomorrow...

That REMINDS ME... tomorrow starts a new challenge week for Practical Scrapper... so get off your duff and get scrappin! Join me over at http://www.practicalscrappers.com/ for this weeks challenge. Don't for get http://www.personalscrapper.com/ for a fun online crop we are doing called Croptoberfest it is a LOAD challenge.. (LayOut A Day) Such good challenges. Some of the members come up with challenges and we finish them and upload you don't have to do one each day, but there is a challenge for each day... Like you can do 4 layouts then upload.. did I make that clear as mud? Just hop over there and check out the "Croptoberfest" board, it will explain it well!

Well hopefully more photos tomorrow!

Happy Saturday!

Well my friends... Saturday is finally here! I love Saturday because it is the day that you can be chill... So the last two weeks have been busy Saturdays but today... ahhhhhh not so much! I began by sleeping in ---what!?!-- what does sleeping in mean you ask? Well, it means I did not get out of bed before 7:00am which is great! Then I spent a little time tidying up my room and the downstairs, then I came into the office and checked blogs, sites and what nots and now at 10am I am blogging. THAT is a great Saturday! The only thing that will make it better is my Bible study, scrapbooking and practicing for my gituar lesson (on Sunday) OH and I will be able to do all of those hahahaha!!!!

On the thought of gituar, wow my fingers and wrist are killing me! I just started lessons last week and I have been practicing pretty much every day for like 15 minutes 3-4 times a day (mostly because my fingers can't go too long because of the pain) So any of you play? How long until this goes away? I keep practicing, in fact, I practiced until my fingers literally bled! The good news is I can go from a D chord to a G chord almost without looking.. I mean sometime I can do it and not look but from the G to the D I still have to check my fingering...

OK enough about that. I am off to enjoy my Saturday! I will post photos of the layouts I get done, if any! I have a lot to post for Personal Scrapper this week. I don't know what the challenge is for Practical Scrapper until Monday. OH I didn't win the deco-edge challenge but congrats to the winner.. she did use her scissors much more than I did.. it was a really cute layout. Here is Sheri's layout for you to look out.... http://scrap4thememories.blogspot.com/
Go give her a shout at Practical Scrapper too!

I hope you are having a great Saturday too!

xoxoxo
e

Ciricut Cartirages are hoppin!

SO I was reading over at the Practical Scrapper Board that people really love the cricuts and they have the cartirages on long wishlist. I know sometimes you can get a smokin' deal at Michaels or whatever... but I have stumbled onto a site that maybe a good thing for the circut and Sizzix diecut families... They also have great prices on a lot of stuff... and becasue I can... I am gonna give you the link to the site... so here it is, the name of the store is Hallmark Scrapbooking.com... check them out..

http://www.hallmarkscrapbook.com/

again they have the circut cartirages as cheap as I have ever seen consistantly cheap! SO give it a whirl if you have a need..OH join the email list and you get told before they go on sale even more inexpensive then before...sometimes you can get some sweet deals!

Have a blessed day friends
xoxox
e

One last layout

Here is the last layout I did. It was for Personal Scrapper and it was for the Croptoberfest.

OH before I go... I was over at the Cosmo Cricket web..(ohhh big shock huh?) well they had a kit club on the site and I went and checked it out.. I can tell you this. I LOVE the "tree" card I saw over there and it is a $25 a month kit and it looked pretty cool. So go check it out... I did. The web site is...(http://www.torendi.net/torendi/home.html I am going to set it on my "Places I go Online"links under cool new kit club I told you about...) so you can always come back and find the link.. Have a blessed day

xoxoxo----e

Dude seriously

OK so last night I finished up some serious scrappin.. while I was doing this feat of amazing happiness I decided that I really really love challenge! here is the fruit of my laboor

1.finding fall--one post below for PRACTICAL SCRAPPER

2. a little piece of home... I did this one just for the fun of it!

3. weekend riders a layout I did for PERSONAL SCRAPPERS -croptober fest. I really liked this one and I am glad they put this as a challenge. the final layout I will put in a different post because it has detail photos. Have a blessed day!

xoxoxo

e

Practical Scrapper Layout for "deco edge scissor" challenge

OK well how much fun was this... I have decided to revisit my deco edge scissors more often! What fun I had and the deco edge added just the right... touch. Thanks for looking! Have a blessed day!

I also really liked using them to separate the photos in this layout. It was almost like using ric-rac. Pinking edge, I believe, are going to be used more often.

I also got to use my new Personal Scrapper Kit that came today.. whoo-hoo it is fun stuff... ALSO my friend Joni, is the guest designer and 3 of her layouts made it on the "sample" layouts they send each month. She made 11 layouts for them so pop over and look at Joni's work! She is awesome...I will take a better photo tomorrow and then you can see the details better, I just wanted to get it up so I don't miss the deadline. (I don't know when that is... so I just figured.. do it NOW!)

BETTER PHOTO POSTED with a few details added so you can see if you are interested

In the first photo I am just showing the deco-edge better. In the second, you can see the "what a hoot" embellishment has been raised to give more depth to the layout. I really like this look, especially in person!

The thrid photo was fun. I needed to separate the two photos and I thought ric rac.. then I rememebers.. deco edge. SO I used it in place of ric-rac. I love how it turned out...

Monday, monday...la la laaa la la la

WELL~ yesterday was my big sisters birthday! WHOOO-HOOOO Happy Birthday sista! I actually got to talk to her! That was a surprise when she answered her phone! (She travels a lot and so I miss her most the time) So that was a pleasant surprise and then after my guitar lesson I got a BLAST from my past... My very best friend from High School (whom I lost contact with for 15 years) CALLED me out of the BLUE! SO Dave and I headed down to where they were staying so we could have a quick meeting.. I missed her so much it was so cool to see her agian... she looks just like she did in high school.. We spent some time catching up and I am truly amazed by her strength...

ANYway. Like I said I went to the convention. Saw a lot of people that I had not seen in a while and happily was able to see some people that were a big part of my life when I was traveling with the conventions... It was great. I had not seen Stacy Krunger for so long and we got a big hug in as I was coming into the convention. She is soo sweet! and McKayla Leigh Ann and KimK... I just love them all. Bless their hearts they are all still plugging away. I found out that Darcy was there but I missed her which was sad!

Well I did a few layouts for Personal Scrapper and I am headed over to Practical scrapper to see what this weeks challenge is... so off I go... post more later.. HEY come on over and join us on Practial or Personal Scrapper, there seems to always be something to encourage you to scrap or at least get you a jump start...you can also head over to PageMaps for a good starting point too!

Have a blessed day
xoxoxoxoxox
e

Last one for the night. This is the first day of the Croptoberfest over at Personal Scrapper. I was going to wait and photograph it in the morning then looking over my post about this weekend I realized... when... so here it is not the best photo of a layout, but perhaps next week I will re-do the photo, however this works for now!

Good night friends... have a blessed weekend!

xoxoxo

e

new layouts

So I had this thought about a layout. I started doing this for the Personal Scrapper October Online Crop. This is the "doubles" layout, and when I completed it I said to myself.. "self, this is a good layout to enter in to the CKC layout contest... you should enter it!" So I suppose I killed two birds with one stone! LOL.. I love it when that happens.. So I am going to use this layout for both. OH I also had inspiration from Practial Scrappers use transparencies challenge. This layout was a lot of fun for me too.

So this is a birthday card I made for the PaperCrafts contest at the CKC Convention. I figured if I entered one may as well enter both. I like to make cards. I love looking at them even more. I suppose if I actually sent them to people that would be the best.. LOL No, I have gotten a lot better at sending the cards I make. I just tell myself..."self, you took a picture of it, if you want to make another one you can. " I talk to myself A LOT... perhaps I should be worried..

Anyway, this card was actually inspired by a new toy I purchased. I have a DYMO labeler, but I saw one at Michaels that had different types and different color labels and I have been eyeing it for a while, but I had the 40% off and figured, ahhh why not. So I got it home ripped open the package and began to make this card. I like how it turned out it is not too birthdayish so it could be re-arranged to say... "hello friend" or "thank you friend" "thinking of you " or whatever you get the idea. I like cards that are like that. Design simple enough that you can change it up...

OK well I have to go finish my other layout for the Personal Scrapper site from day one. It is almost done, but I can't photograph it tonight so it will be a little bit coming.

Have a blessed night
xoxoxox
e

LET the scrappin begin....

OK so this weekend is a bit crazy and it starts right NOW!
I just did my first layout challenge for Practical Scrapper (www.practicalscrapper.com) and I decided it has been a while since I was on a design team so I went ahead and signed up for a shot. So make sure you keep popping over there and here to see whats going on. I love the idea of using what you have in unique ways. (Joni should go for the DT she is SOOO good at that) OH that reminds me if you are wanting to try-out, jump on it.. shoot over to the site and check it out.
I am doing another online crop with Personal Scrapper (www.personalscrapper.com) and anyone can do it so GO and JOIN UP! OH geez What fun.. OH yeah.. Card Making day is this weekend
So we should all make some cards too! --a note... I seem to be drawen to sites that that are "PS" sites.. so now that I am loving both these sites, I will need to write them out... Practical Scrapper or Personal Scrapper.. NO MORE PS.. LOL just made me laugh.

I also will be going to the CK convention this weekend. I had a thought when I read the "layout" challenge for the convention and I thought.. ahhh if I have time I will do it... I think I will so I am going to see if I can turn out something that I like and enter it. I have not entered a contest in sooo long.
I also have a class I am teaching in the month of November, but I need to prep the project so I can have it ready for the sign-ups in October.
I will be training for Media Ministry on Saturday (after the convention) at 4pm then I will play Softball at 8:15 --I'm gonna be tired!
Sunday I have church in the morning, then at 4pm guitar lessons at church and then I will be working in the Calvary Bookstore training until after service is over. I mean it busy busy busy. BUT I LOVE IT! BECAUSE....
1. I love scrapbooking, and I love challenges so I am able to do that
2. I love Joni and I get to spend time hangin out with my friend!
3. I love my church and I love that I have found a place I may fit in nicely at
4. I love softball and can't wait to see if my practice this week pays off at the plate - I have had BP every day this week trying to improve my hitting-- since I have never play softball before 3 weeks ago.. I am happy with my progress)
5. I love my pastors teachings and I love what he is teaching on..(gifts of the Spirit and the manifestations of those gifts)
6. I've always wanted to know how to play guitar and our chruch is teaching us for FREE -- which is rocking! (yet another blessing of my God my Provider)
7. I love books and I get to work in the church bookstore which is amazing! TOTALLY pumped about that...
8. I love having something to do!

So that is my busy upcoming weekend, so if I don't blog.. you will know why. I am going to take a camera with me to the convention to try and get a few photos of Joni and I being silly...

SOOOO I am off to create. Perhaps later I will have time to add my layouts.

Practical Scrapper Entry for challenge

Well it looks like Joni's little bug hit me too.. So here is a layout for the "transparency" challenge. I just figured out how to do this.... I have to link to my blog. I was looking for a gallery but then I went DUH that is whay Mr. Linky is there.. so here is my layout