Learning New Things

I took a class this weekend. Don't ask me where I found the time because I couldn't tell you but I am so glad that I did. Look at what I learned:

How to make tear bears! I am so excited. It was a ton of fun and I think that my little guys are adorable. I even ran next door to show my neighbor and am planning on taking them with me this weekend to show my family, lol.

This is what I have been working on (among other things)....

An acrylic baby album for a class at the Fabulous Pink House. Love this paper so much that I bought one of every sheet! Aaack.
Gotta love a challenge. I completed this album for the challenge that I ran last week. I had my husband and my kids write down everything that they did that day. There is a page for each of us. I haven't thought of anything for this week, okay well I have but am not sure how you are going to like it. I haven't even started on it yet. Anyway, due to prepping for the show next week (cutting class kits like crazy) I don't forsee a challenge until April 1st.

I am loving the new kits! The OH show is going to be a blast and this is what is on my kit agenda

• Motherhood is Not For Sissies Page Kit


• Cupcake shaped chipboard album Kit


• Purse Album Kit


• Minnie & Mickey Baking Cookies Page Kit


• Dancers Album Kit


• Color my World Page Kit


• Treasure at the end of the Rainbow Kit (my favorite because of the colorful stitched rainbow)

As always, thanks for stopping by the blog and hope that you have a terrific day tomorrow!

Lucky Kid

My son is one lucky kid. He is tired. Very tired. So that makes him disagreeable. Very disagreeable. So where does the luck come in? He is lucky that I did not find him. Because if I had found him, I would be tempted to take him back where I got him but since I had to go through 2500 hours of intense labor with 1/2 an epidural, I'm going to keep him. Tonight, he is one very lucky kid!

Remain Unnamed

This post shall remain unnamed due to the fact that all of my creative genius (said very tongue in cheek) is going into designing new kits and projects for the upcoming show. Not to mention, prepping for all of the classes (I love putting together class kits) at Memories Expo Ohio. The Saturday Something Old, Something New class is now sold out! I am sure that even if you don't love anything else, you will love the kit. Here is a hint as to why: Can you say Tim Holt crackle paint? You get a whole bottle of it in your kit. Have you seen the KI Lace Paper? You get a sheet of that too. Basic Grey on your lovin list? We will be using some of that paper line. Transparencies? Um, Um goodness in your kit along with the rest. And believe it or not, that is not all! Luckily, I am very blessed when it comes to my classes and always seem to get some fun loving, creative ladies so we should have a ton of fun along with enjoying the fab kit items......


I have added the classes section to the top right corner as promised! It gives a detailed list of all the material that I used to make the original class projects. If you guys have questions about the classes, just post them there. After the shows, it will be updated with reviews and pics of the projects that everyone created (so get ready to share, lol!).

Here is my progress on my mini-album for the challenge. I used a deep red acrylic paint to paint the chipboard but I left it a little streaky.


I added the torn corner from the sketch but I changed it in a couple of places to make the layout flow from page to page......

I than got out the crackle paint and painted my corners. I painted each 2 page set differently and will be adding rub-ons to mimic the corner flourish in the sketch.


Here is my cover. I used the souffle pen to do all of my journaling and to outline my black letters.
How are yall doing with your projects?


A layout that I have had in my head for a couple of months but just completed today.



You're probably wondering why I said a layout. Well this is actually one single page. I used the KI Lace paper in the center and made a reversible layout. A lot of fun!

I will be teaching at The Pink House this weekend! I don't have pics of the layouts but will get them. Michelle got some great new stuff in (acrylic word and shaped albums and the cutest line of baby papers I have ever seen) so I will be teaching 2 acrylic classes over the next couple of months. One Baby Word Book on the 22nd of this month and a Mothers Day Acrylic next month. I am very excited about this one. Lots of rub-ons in the baby one. I normally use stamps and staz-on (will still use a little of that) so am loving the fact that we get to do something different. I will post pics as soon as I finish.

Thanks for stopping by the blog and hope that you are having a fantastic Wednesday!

Monday Mania

Happy Monday! I don't know about you but I had a terrific weekend with my sibs & parents. I absolutely adore these people and can't think of anyone that I would rather spend time with. We had a lot of plans to do this and to do that, but we ended up just spending time together enjoying each others company. We laughed, talked, cooked, ate, played and just plain cut the fool. Even when we ran errands, it was fun. I just love them! I didn't even take any pictures. But we made plans to have an Easter Extravaganza at my sisters house. Can't wait! I hope that you had a terrific weekend too.


So how did the challenges go for you all last week? Were you able to finish them all? I had a lot of fun and will post the rest of mine throughout the week. Ready for this weeks challenge? I'm just full of questions today!!!!! Sorry about that but what can I say, I'm a curious girl lol. Well here is your challenge for this week.............


A mini album. Woo hoooooo, I just love mini-albums. Pick a subject, pick your papers (this is a perfect challenge to use up some scraps, love that) and pull out the chipboard you've been saving. My album is 6X6 and my subject is going to be "Today"

1. 6 inside pages + a front and back cover


2. Use a tab that extends past the album on each of the inside pages (can be anything you want. I will be using either stars or hearts)


3. paint your chipboard with acrylic paint instead of covering with paper

Here is the pagemaps sketch for you to use. All you have to do is change the order a bit and you have a different (hassle-free) layout for each page.

If you make a couple of pages a day, you might be able to make 2 this week! A new challenge will be posted on Sunday. Mini-albums are great for events that you have a lot of pics of (birthday parties, trips to the park, vacations, family reunions, school plays, etc) or you can make your very own personalized coffee table book.

Here's whats new at Gifted Memories:

Heidi Swap Stamps (clocks, wings)

Tim Holtz Grungeboard


Creative Imaginations Blank Checkbook covers
New colors of Glimmer mist (silver, sugar cookie (pictured - love that name), cherub pink (pictured), pearl, snowflake)
New colors of crackle paint (spiced marmalade, black soot)



New colors of Stickles (frosted lace)


Prima and Petaloo Flowers
Thanks for dropping by the blog and I can't wait to see what you create. Have a great Tuesday tomorrow!

Home Sweet Home

Yeah! The new site is up and I love it. Michelle and I are still working out the bugs so with great reluctance and regret, I am going to have to resked the online crop that I was planning for tomorrow. It will happen next Saturday from 6 pm until. For everyone that was inconvenienced, know that I am very sorry and that I will try to make it up to you next week. I will ply you with virtual chocolate, coffee and pizza (my favorite crop foods) and real fun, games and prizes. You guys are the greatest and I look forward to seeing you on the new Gifted Memories boards.

I have been busy today but not working on the blog challenges. I have been trying to catch up on my deadlines. Michelle at the Pink House has started to get in all her CHA loot so the class planning is on. She was able to get her hands on some fantastic acrylic word and shaped albums. I just finished the sample for a baby acrylic and will post pics by Monday.

I am also working on a custom wedding album that will be given as a gift. These take a lot of care and time so....... I really want this bride to open the book and instantly burst into tears! That is the sign of an album done right, lol.

New kits, what can I say. I have more ideas than hands. For you mommies out there, I have a couple of very different kits in mind. And the college students won't be left out this time. OSU and USC are the first schools that will be getting a GM touch.

Just wanted to drop in and say high. Have a happy Saturday!

New Home For Gifted Memories

Tomorrow Gifted Memories will be in its new home. As i've mentioned, Michelle is supplying us wonderful support and I am excited to give the message boards, gallery and new features a test run. It is scheduled to go live tomorrow so make sure that you pop by and give us a look. I would love to know what you think about the new site and would really appreciate hearing any feedback you have about what you like and don't like about it. Really take the gloves off! We want to know the good, the bad and the ugly. We received some awesome comments when we first opened the old site. Everything from how you liked its looks, it's contents and it's ease of use to the shipping cost. So please don't be shy about sharing your thoughts on the new digs. Come check us out tomorrow, we can't wait to see you........

Bleach pen. What can I say. You are either going to love this challenge or hate it. I found it interesting but don't know that this is something I will be adding to the toolbox.

I used the bleach pen.....

To distress the edges of the top and bottom photos. It actually looks like it has been sanded than inked.

1. To doodle on the top photo


2. To lighten the dots in the bottom pp mat


3. To highlight the title circle in the top pp mat

I sanded the bleach residue off of the pp after it dried. It just worked better for me than wiping it off. I was also surprised that the changes did not happen immediately (except for on the photos) but took about 15 minutes to develop.

Here is a layout that I did for the current pencil lines sketch.....

This is my mom in 1988. I always look at this photo and wonder how she was feeling about her life. I used some Scenic Route floral paper and cut the entire background out. All of the dark red that you see is from another piece of patterned paper that I placed behind what I cut out. I love how it came out. Sorta like a lace paper but made by hand. I then placed a rub-on in the top left corner over the photo and the cut-out paper. Really like the way this layout came out. Once again, thanks for stopping by the blog and i'll catch you tomorrow (yeah it's Friday!!!!!).

SC Weather

It is no wonder I was sick. SC weather is the pits! The day yesterday started off in the high 70's and this morning it was in the 50's. Plus it rained and rained and rained. Ugh. Finally, the fortress that is my 16 yo son fell to the flu bug that we all had. Hopefully, we can keep him quarantined so that he does not reinfect the rest of us. Is that cruel? I'll give him soup and theraflu, I promise.

Today, your challenge was to print photos on canvas or textured cardstock and hand color the prints to match your layouts. Here is my take............

I printed the nature photos onto some plaid paper that I have had for a long time. After outlining the trees and some of the leaves with a black, fine tip Zig Marker, I lightly colored them in with artist crayon. The edges were inked with TH Distress Ink (which seemed to bring out more of the background). I printed the photos of my bff on cream cardstock and did the same crayon treatment with the background. I took the pictures about 2 weeks ago so I used the crayons to add leaves and blue skies. Very fun.

How did you guys like Marie's blog? I have been visiting some very artsy ones lately and if I can find them again (blog surfing is taking over my life and I stop by way to many to bookmark). Although, I must say that I visit Christine Middlecamps blog everyday. Her life, not just her work, is so inspiring. I would love to be able to layer the way she does. Her layouts are like oranges, the more you peel the more you find. Check her out for yourself. Hope you had a fantastically fabulous hump day and that your Thursday is equally terrific. Blog you tomorrow!

Funny

When I first looked at pagemaps yesterday, I was a bit confused. But as I read I began to laugh out loud, really really loud! That woman is hilarious. If you haven't visited her site, you have to go now just to see what she has to say about Bill Gates. The funniest thing I have seen in a minute and definitely worth repeating (and stealing as my own phrase even though I am not even close to being witty enough to think that up). Too, too funny.



Todays challenge is to Change the sketch into a 2 page layout and here is my take:



I decided to do something a little different by

1. Using 2 different papers for each page. I never do that! Both sides of my layout must have the same background paper. It is a rule.
2. I did not change the format. I used the exact same format. 2 broken rules in one day, what is happening to me? Aaaaaggghhhh.

Book Review...............

I picked up Memory Maker's Focal Point and I just love it!!!!!!! There are some fabulous techniques and ideas inside. In fact, the little guy and I are going on a photo field trip. We are going to take some photos and do the bleaching techniques! I can't wait. Intrigued? Leave a comment and I will randomly pick someone to send a copy of the book to.

(p.s. don't let my horrible photo dissuade you, it is really a gorgeous book!)

I have been visiting blogs and have come across some that I love! I am going to try to regularly feature a different one. If you go visit the blog from my blog blog the blogger some love please. In other words, everyone loves to see a comment left on their blog, so if you visit, please leave a comment. I know that I always get a warm fuzzy when someone leaves a hello! I love all types of crafty blogs so be forewarned, they are not all scrapbooking. Todays blog is - Marie. I love her work and am excited to try some of the techniques that she listed. I love finding new artsy blogs so if you have a favorite, please share.

Thanks for visiting and blog you later. Hope you had a terrific Tuesday and that your Wednesday is even better!

The Flu

I have not posted in a while. I have not sent out my newsletter. I have not created any new kits. I have not cooked a meal. I have not cleaned. I have barely even gotten out of bed since Monday. Why? I have had the flu. Me, the little guy and the girl have all been sick, sick, sick. Miserably sick. But we are all on the mend. The girl is back in college, the little guy is back in school and I am slowly getting back into my scrappin routine. Thank God! Being sick is miserable.

So here are a couple of layouts that I made:




Not my usual style but I really like them. I especially love the layered flowers and colors on the good times lo.

A new month, a new challenge. But instead of doing this one daily, I will be doing it weekly. My personal goals for the challenges are

• to complete as many pages as possible


• to learn at least one new technique a month


• to freshen my style and add more staples to my toolbox than sanding, inking and tearing


• to move outside of my comfort zone


• to experiment with someone elses style

What are your goals for participating in challenges?

Those that know me know that although I love to scraplift, I am lousy at it. My layouts never look even remotely like the ones that I received my inspiration from. I can never do a challenge without a sketch and I am still very much crushing on Becky Fleck so I will continue to use her sketches for every challenge. On Monday I will post the sketch and a list of challenges for the week. Saturday, I would love to have an online crop and to chat about the layouts that we've done over on the message boards at Gifted Memories. The crop will start at 6pm est. So here goes.

The sketch courtesy of pagemaps:

The challenges (to be done over the entire week, not all on one layout. So you will end up with at least 6 layouts):

1. Change this into a 2 page layout
2. Print your photos on canvas or textured cardstock and hand color
3. Use a bleach pen to add doodles to your photos
4. Use photos in place of the patterned paper squares
5. Use fabric in place of the patterned paper squares
6. Use a March Calendar page in place of the photo, and photos in place of the patterned papers.

Leave me a link or email me pics of your favorite layout from the challenge and you can win a free kit from the store. You can also post your lo in the Gifted Memories Gallery on Saturday. The winner will be chosen at 8pm est at the online crop.

Michelle has created the new store and I have been busy uploading all of the merchandise into it but should be done within the next couple of days. It is definitely nice new digs so stop by and check it out on Friday.

Hope that you all had a great Monday and blog you tomorrow.