Jen*uine Artistry

Hendrix, Vai, Van Halen?

2010-01-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Will Alex become a famous guitarist? We'll see! If so, we'll talk about January 5th, 2010 as the day she got her start! And when she wins a grammy, they'll show cute pictures like this one from her childhood...

Today was her first guitar lesson and she did fantastic! Her teacher said she had really good dexterity on the frets and had a good understanding of the notes, a fast learner. I am so proud of her, and inspired! I have always wanted to take music lessons, maybe I will!

Rock on Alex!

All about me!

2010-01-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday! And I have had a great one. I must admit I didn't think it was going to be a great one. Todd ended up not only having to work, but be on call and gone all day today and overnight! Plus, the kids went back to school today, so it was back to the daily grind of getting up early and making breakfast and lunches and nagging, uh-hmmm, I mean lovingly encouraging kiddos to get up and get dressed. So, kinda a regular Mom day for me. BUT, it has turned out GREAT! Yesterday, Todd and the kids and I celebrated...we kinda have a tradition in our family of getting a special weekend day on or around your birthday where you don't have to do dishes, make meals, discipline the kids, and make all the "fun" decisions about what to do that day. "It's your birthday, you get to pick!" So, we did that yesterday...they let me sleep in, I woke up to breakfast and presents, then I scrapped in peace while they got ready and did an errand. Then they made me a cake and Todd made dinner. After dinner, they sang to me and we ate cake. We even snuck in a family game of war (card game). My awesome hubby even "prepped" my morning as much as he could and unloaded the dishwasher after dinner (I usually do that when I get up) and had the kitchen and downstairs picked up and ready to go. He bathed the kids and put them to bed so all I had to do was pop in and hug and kiss them. It was lovely being pampered. And in between all that, i snuck upstairs and played on the 'puter. FUN! So, my picture of the day yesterday is this...

And today, even though it was "business as usual," my dear friend made it special by starting my day with a gift from her...a cute birthday martini glass (which I drank Diet Coke from today, LOL), a new novel to read and a pretty to-do list pad. Thanks Val! Then, we worked out together, as we always do on Monday mornings and ran a couple errands before picking up the preschool kiddos. Then, she treated me to lunch and we had a play date at her house for the kids, OK, for the Moms too! It was fabulous! Not to mention all the well-wishing phone calls, Facebook wall-posts and emails I have received today. I DO feel very loved! So, today I am 37, it was a regular day, I feel as young as I did yesterday. And this is my pic of the day today...I was on my way outside from the YMCA to do my run for the day.

Until tomorrow...

Off to a good start...

2010-01-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

I scrapped my New Year's resolutions..I like having the visual portrayal. I tried to keep them simple, but not too broad...

Day 2, I am proud to say I am doing well on all 4! Keeping positive, getting things done as soon as I can, keeping up with my running (even though it has been 26 degrees and WINDY here, eek!).

The third one, family, focuses on balance between me time (computer time and working out) and family time...with both time spent together and effort. For example, yesterday I called a family meeting to discuss our family rules and family mission statement. These are things I have thought of doing for a long time and just never did, my procrastination I suppose. We get frustrated with the kids' misbehaviors and part of my frustration is not using a consistent approach to discipline. I stand there when one of them is annoying me and feel like pulling my hair out because I repeat myself all day, everyday and behavior doesn't change, theirs or mine. So, we now have family rules, I will write them up nice and neat and post them. When someone is not following them, they get a warning and a reminder that they are not following a family rule and then a chance to correct, it they don't, they get a timeout or a privilege taken away. I like having the rules to refer to for a couple reasons. One, it's an easy, consistent reference that everyone understands ahead of time is the expectation and also, it reinforces the values behind the rules. I can say "I am warning you for being sassy...remember sassiness is on our family rules because it is disrespectful." And, I had the kids help come up with the rules, so they feel invested...after all, the rules were their ideas too, proving that they know what is and is not allowed and why. We also brainstormed rewards and privileges. So, they know what things can be taken away for not following the rules. At the end of every good week (hopefully every week), we'll reward ourselves with family time and the kids can pick from game night to movie night to going out somewhere (sometimes). This all sounds so elementary, I know. But we didn't have it documented Super Nanny style, I think it will help.

So, my P365 pic of the day is the kids with their rule board...

Tomorrow, we celebrate my birthday. It's actually Monday, but Todd will be on call that day and it's back to school day, etc. So, tomorrow we'll celebrate as a family...looking forward to a day of pampering, which to a Mom means not cooking or dealing with discipline or letting the dog out to go potty, etc. LOL

See ya tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 everyone! I am just dropping in here to say that I will be attempting the P365 project again this year. I didn't get too far last year, but this year will be different. I wish i had that book to look through right now with 365 memories! Next year at this time, I will...or at least be getting it printed. So, here is my Day 1 photo...we had a, um, well, relaxing day, LOL!

And speaking of new beginnings, have you heard about Chelle's Creations new journaling class? It's called "Tell Me More" and it starts Monday. It's all about improving your journaling on your scrapbook pages. She'll have ideas on what to write and how to incorporate it onto your page. It will be really fun!

I'm on her CT and have been helping her by getting some examples done and the lessons are great! So, if you're interested in taking your words to the next level, check it out! AND you get this amazing MEGA kit when you join!

That's it for me tonight. I was up late and didn't sleep in quite as long as Zach so I am starting to get droopy eyelids, see ya tomorrow for 2/365!

Can you believe 2010 is only hours away?

2009-12-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2010! I'm ready! I am feeling the new beginnings starting, I am getting organized and ready to be back into routine. I have my resolutions ready to go! Last party of the season tonight, bitter sweet. How will you celebrate?

And Scrap Matters is ready for the New Year too...check out the big sale they will be having!

Have fun and be safe tonight and then tomorrow, relax, do a little shopping at SM and then scrap!

Happy New Year!

The ScrapMatters DSD Blog Train

2009-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hop on board, choo, choo!!!!

But before you go to the next stop...check out all the awesome fun going on at Scrap Matters this weekend...there's a sale, games, a chat with prizes and a FREEBIE collab kit with a $15 purchase...and with all the awesome grab bags, that won't be hard to spend!

Also...check out this awesome freebie from Chelle...

Want it? Become a Chelle's Creations Facebook Fan today and receive it as a gift!

If you are following the train in order, you should have come from Denise's blog and received an awesome QP.

The train started at the SM Blog, so if you get lost, go there:)

Here's my car on the train...

Link has been removed, check the SM store soon for the blog train items to be sold:)

Ok, you should be heading to Kim's blog now for the next stop on the choo choo...

have a great weekend and Happy DSD!

Digital Scrapbook Day is coming...

2009-11-04T09:44:00.001-08:00

And SM has a party brewing with games and a sale and grab bags and a chat and a FREEBIE!!! Here's a little sneaky peek of what's to come...

Sneaky Peekys!

2009-09-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

LOL...I have two sneaky peeks for you this week...both are SUPER fun, both are seasonal...hint, hint...wink, wink...Here they are!

Happy almost Friday!

Scrap Matters is Having a CT call!

2009-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Run, don't walk to apply for the ScrapMatters Creative Team...it is the best around! Deadline is this Sunday night, don't miss it! It's a very supportive, fun team to be on, you won't regret it!

FORE!! Zach is gonna be a golfer!

2009-08-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well, after many tries of many different activities for Zach (DS4), maybe we've found the one for him. He's not ever been into going to a class or activity like tumbling or sports or music. Don't know why, he just says 'I Don't Know' when I ask him why he doesn't like something. Maybe he doesn't really know, he just knew he didn't really LIKE it. Boys are definitely born different from girls when it comes to communication, at least my two are. It's pulling teeth to get him to tell me about school or an activity or something. He'll answer with a token "We played Transformers" or "Yes, it was really fun" but that's all I get! So, talking to him about why or why not he likes or doesn't like something in an effort to get intel out of him for clues in choosing the next activity is usually futile. So, the other day he says that he'd like to play golf. I've been asking and asking him "what activity do you want to do for Fall?" (sister has Brownies). I've showed him rec center pamphlets with lots of activities, talked to him about t-ball, soccer, basketball, even Karate, and nothing impressed him. But out of the blue, golf. Go figure. Although, I've had a couple days to ponder on this and he does really LOVE mini-golf! And he LOVES golfing on the Wii, neither of which, I realize, are comparable to "real" golf. But, his interest does make sense! So, I tried to explain there would be no pirate ship to hit the ball into and no waterfalls and music and snacks. He said "OK." He asked about what he would wear and seemed really excited! So, I looked into it and pretty quickly found a place to take him to try it out. Turns out, our membership at the YMCA gets us substantial discounts to their own Junior course attached to a National course, awesome! I called and found out about classes (I was afraid of the cost) but it turned out to be fairly comparable to gymnastics or other organized sports. Today, the family went and golfed 3 holes just to show him what it's like and see if he wanted to go ahead and try the class. He really did like it! He (and Alex) had their own little kids' bags that the course provides to borrow and they used their drivers and putters and really golfed, it was fun! I explained that class would be some instruction and not just playing all the time, they teach skills as well as rules and etiquette. He still wants to try, so he's signed up! Yay for Zach! I hope he enjoys it and will feel proud! Here's some pics of us on his first day out on the course...

I took these pictures with a point-n-shoot, one handed while carrying stuff and while walking, so the quality isn't the best, but the cuteness is to die for!!!!

Thanks for reading!
'nite

A Perfect Picnic Blog Train!

2009-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be a part of the Scrap Matters 2nd Birthday bash blog train featuring the awesome collab kit 'A Perfect Picnic' by the SM Design Team! Isn't it sooo cute? The best part? It's FREE with a $15 purchase at Scrap Matters this weekend!

Have you heard about everything going on at SM this weekend? Games (including Bingo and a comment contest), a Chat with prizes, SEVEN Speed Scraps (all with participation prizes), a big SALE, and a HUGE blog train (see below). There is a ton of fun to be had, come on over and join in! Head over to these forums for all the details!

All of us hosting a train car are sharing our favorite summer picnic memories in honor of the party....I am fortunate to have good friends that we share a lot of time and fond memories with. It's hard to pick just one...but a favorite is definitely our annual 4th of July trip to see fireworks, always with a stop for fried chicken! We get together early in the day, have lunch, the kids all play. We always have a cake or cupcakes to celebrate America's birthday and we always sing Happy Birthday. Then, we load up the car(s) and head off to get our chicken and stake our claim on a good fireworks viewing spot. We get to watch them over the water at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in VA...it is really beautiful! We all hang out and eat, the kids play some more, we bring light sticks for the kids and at 9PM, we all huddle up and watch the sky light up! I really really look forward to this day every year. Partially because I get to spend it with great friends and partially because I am very patriotic and so this day means a lot to me. I hope you have equally as awesome memories with your family and friends, either on July 4th or whatever other days you have picnics together.

And now for the blog train...are you enjoying the ride so far? Boy, do we have some FANTASTIC goodies for you! So CHOO-CHOO!! Hop on and go grab your loot, then, head to SM to join in on all the events and browse the awesome shop full of great products to buy ON SALE!! Fill up your cart and don't forget about the FREE collab kit with a $15 purchase..so easy to spend there...the shop is amazing! Happy Birthday SM!!

So, if you are following the train from the beginning, you should have come from Heather's blog (Haynay Designs).

And here's my goodies for you, a three-pack of wordart that coordinates with the collab 'A Perfect Picnic' -- FREE with a $15 purchase this weekend!

Next, head to my fellow CTM Kim's blog and see what she has for you!

And if you get lost, just go to the Scrap Matters Blog to get back on track.

Thanks for celebrating with us!

Come join the celebration!

2009-08-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Soooo...there is a TON going on at Scrap Matters this weekend for the Birthday Bash!

There will be a free with purchase, AWESOME new collab kit...spend just $15 at SM (and there's a sale to spend it on!) and receive this awesome collab kit FREE!

There will be games, a chat (which I am hosting), a big SALE, and SEVEN Speed Scraps, each with their own participation prize! What a fun weekend it will be! Check out these threads at SM for all the details. And here's a couple of the ads for the events so you can get planning! I'll see you all there starting tomorrow...get shopping so you are all prepared for the rest of the festivities:)

'Nite

ANOTHER Speed Scrap!

2009-08-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Natasha is hosting another SPeed Scrap this week at Scrap Matters, this week's night time SS. Here's her ad....hope to see lots of you at all these, they are my favorite Scrapping challenges!

LOTS to catch up on and a freebie!

2009-08-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

So, I had a very busy weekend and didn't touch my computer other than to check email for 2 days, yikes! SO, now there are lots of things to catch you up on!

First, Scrap Matters is having a birthday! Yay!! We are celebrating all weekend with lots of fun events and special games and prizes!

And I am lucky enough to host two of the events!

The first is a Speed Scrap, of course, because you know how much I love these! There are going to be SEVEN this weekend for the celebration! I get to host the first one on Friday night...

And I am going to host a special Chat at Scrap matters on Saturday...there will be a little game with prizes and lots of fun! Scrappers, CT and Designers will all be there to gab gab gab!

AND, as if that's not enough fun...there's a daytime Speed Scrap this Thursday to get us warmed up for the celebration...

Now, about the catching up...there were lots of great new products introduced at SM this weekend! Go check them out at the SM blog...really cool things this week!

Chelle's Creations has this beautiful new paper pack...you can check it out and all her other great products in her store at SM.

AND...on Chelle's blog, she is offering this August Desktop freebie that Krisi from our CT made for you all...

So, that's it for tonight...but I'll be back with other important announcements about the Birthday Bash at Scrap Matters, you won't want to miss them!

Nite!

Chelle is Hosting a Speed Scrap at SM

2009-07-28T05:56:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! I know I have been full of Speed Scrap ads lately, LOL! But here's another... Chelle of Chelle's Creations is hosting one at Scrap Matters this Thursday night and take a looksie at the prize she made for us!

Aren't those gorgeous!?! I love Chelle's stuff! Oh, and did I mention that I am on her CT now? Yeparoonie, I am the proud new wearer of her CT blinkie, hehehe. Thanks again Chelle!

Here's what I made for my Speed Scrap yesterday...we had fun!

So, I hope you all have a great day, I am off to clean, do laundry, bills and workout. BUT, my reward is i can scrap later! Yay!!

Jen

Scrap Matters Speed Scrap

2009-07-26T12:12:00.001-07:00

It's time again for a Scrap Matters Speed Scrap...I am hosting this one, its my first daytime one!

It's tomorrow, July 27th at 1PM. They are so much fun! You can visit this thread to learn all about a Speed Scrap and how they work, but really just know that we have a lot of fun!

Here's the participation prize you get for completing the Speed Scrap:

Hope to see you at SM tomorrow!

I am back and a freebie template

2009-07-12T22:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I've said it before...I am a bad blogger...I am just returning from: a scrapping leave of absence (burnt out), vacation and my Mom being in town. My creativity slump is gone, I am back in business, but the timing was right when I was to have a VERY busy late June (in Walt Disney World, yay!) and early July (Mom visiting from out of town). So, I was still in the forums and on my blog. Mom and I did manage to Speed Scrap together though, I hosted last week at Scrap Matters and came up with this layout:

If you've never done a Speed Scrap, you should try it! They are soooo fun! The next one at Scrap Matters is TODAY at 1:30PM EST. You can find out all the details including specific times and where to go plus the rules/guidelines for doing a Speed Scrap here.

Anyway, to ease myself back into blogging, I thought I'd make you all a template from my Speedy layout last week...and here it is. Image is linked, just click to download.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all at a Speed Scrap soon!

Jen

Mom, I had a bad dream...

2009-05-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while Alex comes in at night and has had a bad dream. She is a girl with a wild imagination and that translates into her dreams too. Sometimes her dreams are about truly scary things like volcanoes, earthquakes), sometimes they are scary and funny, like the one where a little girl set down her ice cream cone to tie her shoe and while she wasn't looking someone put a bomb in her ice cream and then she unknowingly ate it. Wow, at 7, these are real, true fears of hers! Eek. Well, Alex is also a clowny little girl and that also translates into her REM sleep images. The other night she came in and was crying...I was watching Desperate Housewives or Brothers and Sisters, don't remember which. Todd was on call, so she climbed into bed with me and we cuddled. I never know how much detail I'll get on these dreams, sometimes she is so out of it that she mumbles and I just comfort her and tuck her back in. Sometimes though, she has a full on conversation with me complete with expressions and all. This was one of those times. She proceeded to say that a beetle had eaten her plant. And as I sat there trying not to giggle and hugging her, I began to probe for more..."I'm sorry punkin', where did you get the plant?" She said she had grown it from seeds so it was special. She was upset! Poor little thing! So in the morning I asked if she remembered this..she laughed and said yes, she remembered the dream and that the beetle was a really big one and described it's color and teeth and everything! Then, she drew it for me....so I had to share.

I am glad it was a beetle this time and not a bomb or natural disaster!

Alex Scrapped!!!

2009-05-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

So, I took a LONG break from the scrapping world b/c I was burnt out! I needed a little time to refocus on other priorities in my life and recharge my creativity...I am back now and man have I been busy!

But, before we get to that....my DD scrapped her first layout tonight! She's been asking me to do this for years and she is so cut out for it! My Mom told me (while I was on hiatus) about this kit Shape Up! that Amy Sumrall at The Digi Chick did. It's a kit and comes with some special files of shapes and other simple elements geared towards kids AND she makes video lessons for the kids! She's since added another installment of goodies and several more videos (once you purchase the system, add'l videos are included).

So, tonight Alex watched the first video and I set her up in Photoshop and the shapes and let her have at it. of course, she was already asking how to do things well beyond the scope of the first video, she is so ready! So, i let her in on a few other tricks of the trade and off she went...she used a scene background paper and added the cloud, rain, tree sparkles and "seeds" (yellow glitter). I think I'm in for it now, we'll be fighting for computer time...

Oh, wait, was that chore bribery I just heard...oh, yes, it's in her future!

Here's what she did...she would love some love if you'd like to leave her a comment, you think we like getting comments, 7yo girls are even more excited to see that others really saw her work!

And here's a little update of all the layouts I've done just in the past few days, yes, NSD can do that to you...

And with that, I am really tired! So off to sleep I go!
back tomorrow with a cute story and another piece of art from Alex.
G'night!

Just a little something...

2009-02-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

...to break the monotony...

WHY I LOVE MOM
Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, 'I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed' She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, pu t spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution &age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, 'I thought you were going to bed.'

'I'm on my way,' she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then
made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, thr ew some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. She set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in
particular. 'I'm going to bed.'
And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...?

CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things to do!!!!)

A new kit and an awesome Grab Bag!

2009-02-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have a busy weekend as usual...ughhhh...I want a weekend where I can stay home all day both days and have no comittments, is that possible? So, before I set off on my craziness I am popping in to tell you of a couple awesome new buys out there today in digi-land...the first is this gorgeous new kit Marmalade Skies by Franziska Altmann at Scrapbook Graphics. It is just a pleasure working with her designs! Isn't it pretty and fun at the same time? And, it's on sale right now for 20% off!

Here's what I made with it last night...I was really happy with it.

And at The DigiChick, Pamela Donnis has a Grab Bag...I've seen the contents and it's really good.....and it's only $3!
So, go check them both out and get scrappin'! Have a great weekend! I'll see ya back here Monday.

Jen

I'm Hosting a Speed Scrap tomorrow!

2009-02-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Have you caught the Speed Scrap buzz yet? Well, whether you answered yes or no, come on over to Scrap Matters tomorrow night and join us for a a Speed Scrap, I'm hosting! Check out all the details here and here.

And look at what you'll get for participating!

So, hope to see you over there...it is sooooo much fun!

Holy Moly, Doozie of a post, including a freebie!

2009-01-27T16:47:00.001-08:00

I guess that's what happens when you don't post for a while! But I have a freebie for ya if you get through it all, LOTS of great info here!

Let's start with Mandy Mystiques...did you know she has a new blog? Oh, yes and it's so pretty! AND she has a newsletter now...so go run over there, check it out and sign up for the newsletter. She's going to have exclusive Newsletter Subscriber freebies, so don't miss out on that! And speaking of freebies...she has a new collab kit out with Jennifer Barrette and Mandy has a freebie addon to the kit. So, when you go to the blog, don't miss that either. Here's the new kit, it's called Sunshine and Rainbows, isn't it just the fresh breath of Spring we all need right now?

And here's what I did with it:

And last but not least, Mandy is having a CT call right now, so if you love this and her other awesome designs, apply to be on the team...it's a great one to be part of!

And in other news...Franziska Altmann has an awesome new kit out at Scrapbook Graphics. Isn't it just gorgeous...as are all her designs! You can buy it here.

Here's what I did with it, it was so easy to be inspired!

And...look what's coming soon.... a new collab...Impressions of Delight coming to Scrapbookgraphics on February 1st...ooooh, it's so pretty! here's Franziska's portion and I will be back with my LO from this yummy collab!

And from pamela Donnis...we're all feeling a little Springy and Valentinesy! She has several new kits out and a sale! Let's start with the goods....

At Funky Playground Designs, she has these new yummy treats:

I was inspired and did this:

And at Elemental Scraps, she has this new Springy kit:

And I did this, so easy to work with, I am tired of being cold! LOL

Oh, and the sale....Pamela announced that she will be leaving Elemental Scraps at the end of January and so she is having a moving sale. See her thread announcement here. And here is her sale flyer. Click it to go to her shop at ES for the sale.

And lastly tonight...if you've made it this far...a template freebie. It was inspired by this LO I did with Franziska's Snowberry kit.

Just click template image to download. In case there is a password (I never know with 4shared) it is inspiration. Please no sharing links or files, just send friends here to read all my exciting stuff and download their own template for free. And hey, why not leave me a little note or thank you while you're here?

Thanks for reading!

A Hybrid project, some layouts and ADSR Catch-Up

2009-01-19T19:48:00.001-08:00

So, I am now on the CT for The Hybrid Kid, a new site that features hybrid projects for you do do with or for your kids that are learning based. It is such a cool site and neat, neat projects. I am very excited to be a part of it! Here is the first project I did...available now at The Hybrid Kid. It's a badge album with letter cards for each letter and some sight words. All you have to do is print the cards, insert them into badge holders (I got mine at Wal-Mart for next to nothing!), bind them together with rings (like the kind for attaching flash cards together) and embellish with ribbons if you like. Then, the kids can write on the plastic badges to practice their letters and then wipe it off to write again and again! The write-on wipe-off crayons or markers work well. Pretty cool huh?

And here are some layouts I have been working on...

These are using Franzika Altmann's products at Scrapbook Graphics:

This one uses Franziska Altmann's Efflorescence:

This one uses Franziska's Snowberry:

And these are from Pamela Donnis at Elemental Scraps:

This one uses her kit Box of 64. Aren't her kits adorable?

This one uses her kit Garden Charm. And she has an add-on available for doing a challenge at ES called "Inspired By". Check it out here. This was my entry.

And here are my layouts for the 1st 4 ADSR challenges..all credits can be found in my ADSR gallery. It's been fun and challeging so far...some new and different challenges than usual which is good, keeps in exciting! Three use Mandy Mystiques' products and 1 uses Franziska Altmann's products.

And that's it for me tonight...I finally feel caught up in the scrap world...I really got bogged down for a while, but I am afloat once again!

Good night!

P365 Catch Up

2009-01-18T19:36:00.001-08:00

We were officially a week behind on posting our P365 pics until tonight...but I caught us up on the P365 blog AND even got my LO done for week 3, so I am officially P365 caught up, yay! Here are the last 3 weeks of P365 for me...

Seems to be rolling right along and I am liking how the pages are turning out now that I am in a groove, at first I struggled with not embellishing the pages so much. But the plainer pages are growing on me now, they certainly go together quicker.

I'll be back later with my ADSR catch up...have a good night!

~Are you a Sweetie?~

2009-01-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

Look at this!! Super short call girls, so if you are interested, get your email in ASAP! I am on this team, great group of designers and Sweeties! Fun gallery to comment in and...oh yeah, have you SEEN their collabs? TO DIE FOR! As always! Here's the info!

~Some scrap work~

2009-01-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Remember I said that I did my first ADSR LO wrong and had to re-do it? Well, I did! And here it is:

(Credits)

I think it turned out really cute and I am proud of the tearing, I didn't use templates, but I did use an action, so it's semi-homemade, LOL!

And this I did with Franziska Altmann's Efflorescence, a gorgeous kit, of course all her kits are gorgeous! You can find it in her SBG store. I really like how this turned out! I did it for an inked edge challenge at Scrap Matters, their Saturday Special this week. I need to work in more techniques like this and stretch my skill base. It was really fun!

(Credits)

So, that's it for now...I have two more layouts in the works...I never do two at once, but they were both waiting on something, LOL. Off to do a Girl Scout email and then get Alex off the bus and then the whol HW, dinner, chores routine starts and then Bunco tonight!

Have a great Hump Day!

~My Birthday, P365 Update and a couple Layouts~

2009-01-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

OK--Seems I have some business to take care of...

First and foremost, it was my birthday yesterday, yay! My family gave me a nice day by letting do whatever I wanted, which turned out to be not much, LOL, so we decided togo to dinner! Int he afternoon they let me open my gifts, bought me my favorite German Sweet Chocolate cake and some beautiful flowers, they sang to me and we all had cake, of course! Then, we went to dinner a little local Mexican place near our house. We all love it. So, I was happy, you can go to my family blog for photos if you want to see my cake and flowers and such. Got some good shots of me and the kids.

Second, I started P365 here the other day and have since recruited my almost 7 year old DD to do the project with me! So, we started a dedicated P365 mother daughter blog for those pics and I will post the LO's at the end of each week here as a summary. Go to our new P365 Blog to see how we're doing...hint-hint, she's DYING for comments, she thinks that is so cool to get confirmation that people are looking, let's face it, we all do, right?

And last but not least, I have a couple layouts to show you...my first of 2009. I've only done two because I have been so busy getting myself organized!! P365, new desktop, new planner pages, kids back to school, I am doing ADSR (layouts on that coming soon), etc, etc. OK, here they are, both New Year's related...

The first uses Britt-ish Design's 'Life's a Party' (available at ScrapMatters) kit which worked out so well for my theme party...

Full Credits Here

This next one uses Alma's Scrap Habit's cute kit 'Brighter Tomorrows' (also available at ScrapMatters) There is a funny story here...I did this for the first ADSR assignment, and I did it wrong, people have been PMing me to tell me, isn't that sweet? So, I need to do another one, too late at night and I missed the specifics on the requirements! But I still LOVE how this turned out, and it is getting a great response, so here it is!

Full Credits Here

And that's it for me tonight, visit my other blogs if you wish!

~Toss the Fruitcake Day~

2009-01-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know that today is the "official" day to toss that fruitcake sitting on your kitchen counter that no one in your house will eat? In case you were wondering how long you had to keep it, I am here to save you and say that today, you can safely and without guilt toss it! Which reminds me of gifts we receive that we don't want...we all get them! That pair of earrings from your mother-in-law that you get every year even though you don't have pierced ears or the tacky piece of home decor that is so not your style (or anyone's! LOL) and in my case the peacock Christmas Tree ornament that I "won" at a Bunco white elephant ornament exchange! To me, it is AWFUL! But I am not a bird person. Maybe to others it is really neat or just their thing. I can't wait to get rid of it and I have just the place...at January's Bunco, we are having the "worst gift you got for Christmas white elephant exchange"! Pretty cool huh? Everyone in my Bunco group knows what I am bringing because I announced it at the December Bunco where I "won" it! But don't think I am rude, it was given as a joke and I received a pretty bell wreath ornament in addition to the tacky peacock, so it wasn't like I was looking the gift horse in the mouth. It was all in good fun. So, I'll now get to trade it for someone else's worst gift..hmmmm, a fruitcake maybe? LOL Here it is, what do you think?

Ok, that's it from me today, off to scrap!

~Happy New Year! and Project 365~

2009-01-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is off to a prosperous 2009...we sure rang it in with gusto at our house...we had a dress-up Rock Band party...soooooo much fun! See pictures on my family blog. Here's a little tease...

And speaking of the new year...I am going to tackle the Project 365 project this year...you take a photo of something in your life everyday all year and end up with a montage of memories at the end of the year. A bunch of us at ScrapMatters are going to do it and they have a thread posted there where we can share ideas on what to photograph and how to scrap the photos. For my January 1st photo, I took this photo of us eating breakfast this morning after last nights festivities...we all had a slumber party after the New Year's Eve party, and when we got up this morning, we had a huge breakfast together and continued to enjoy the holiday together, cooked by my DH, thanks hunny! It was an awesome party, excellent company and an all around fabulous memory! Definitely worthy of my first photo for Project 365. Here it is...

And last but not least, my New Year's resolutions...I am writing them here because I am the queen of justification. Hopefully having them here in "public" will make me think twice about breaking them! LOL!

~Workout 3 times a week

~Blog more regularly (I am going to try a 'schedule' i.e. Mondays are a tidbit or neat link I find, Sundays are my 365 recap, etc.)
~Scrap 183 layouts, I know, weird #, but it's an average of one every other day

~Be more diligent about craft time with the kids (we started planning a date every week for craft time together and with the holidays, things got hectic and it went my the wayside, I want to get that going again)

~Less procrastination! i've done better on this recently, I want to keep it up! This can mean anything from going through the mail as soon as it comes in to cleaning out a closet.

~Be "smarter" about money..which has a myriad of meanings for me including buying less "frivlous" items when I am out shopping. Wal-Mart kills me, I go for groceries and inevitably end up with ten things I didn't think I needed! Being more mindful of that will help.

What are your resolutions?

See you tomorrow!

~Oh, yeah, did I mention?~

2008-12-30T13:05:00.001-08:00

We're going to Walt Disney World!!!! We booked it a couple days before Christmas so the news got temporarily lost in the Christmas fun...but I never stop thinking about it! I am so excited, I am a Disney magic person, I am one of those that will never forget walking into The Magic Kingdom and taking in Main Street and wondering like a kid, "How'd they do that, that is so cool!" DH and kids feel the same. We are all transported for the duration of our vacation into a "happy mode." I LOVE it!! I know some people don't get it. You either love it or hate it. I am in the "can't get enough" camp. I can see DH and I going when we are 65 and still enjoying every moment. So, that's that. The only bad thing is, it isn't until June, so we have a long wait!!!

Gonna do some scrapping tonight...I'll come back and post my masterpieces! LOL

~Happy Winter Freebie~

2008-12-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hi again! I am feeling wintery today...the weather is rainy and it's a quiet Monday...I have a wintery layout to share...I really like the way this turned out. I used Mandy Mystiques' adorable mini-kit Snowman Kisses at Elemental Scraps.

(click for credits)

And here is the adorable kit...click to go to kit at Elemental Scraps

In the spirit of winter, I also decided to share a template! Use it for a winter layout or whatever you want. If you scrap a page with it, email me the link so I can see, that's always fun! Have fun and Happy Winter!

Download Here

Enjoy and Happy Monday!

~Ahhhhh, sigh of relief...~

2008-12-29T03:15:00.001-08:00

Did you hear that, my sigh of relief? Well, not to be a scrooge, but I always feel better when put away the Christmas decorations after Christmas. I put them up pretty early, weekend after Thanksgiving, so I am usually ready right away after Christmas to reclaim my house from Santas, candy dishes and the color red. I LOVE Christmas and I love Christmas decorations, but I am done now. Ready to move on to the Rock Band New Year's party we're having in 2 days, eek! We are having a rock star "dress-up" party, should be fun. Just wanted to get that off my chest....have a great Monday!

~Back in the swing~

2008-12-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

Nothing heart-stopping to share...just wanted to get the header updated for the season and make a post so I can say I did and that will hopefully motivate me to get "back in the swing" of posting more often.

We had a great Christmas and things are settling down. Kids are off for another week or so, so we are sleeping in and just enjoying the time playing with all the new loot.

I have been scrapping, and updated my slideshow above, I will be posting some specifics in the next couple of days.

Hope you all are enjoying your Holidays too and I will see you soon!

A FUNNY video and a freebie!

2008-11-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, this has nothing to do with scrapbooking, but it is so freakin' funny I had to share! A family member sent it to me on email. It is a Baby Shower Game video, but it is NOT guess the baby food or guess the belly size...you'll just have to play it to see for yourself!

Go here to laugh hysterically!

I also made ANOTHER card...here it is...

Credits

And here is a little weekend gift for you...just because! Happy Friday! Image is linked.

Have a great weekend!

2 more Cards and my Speed Scrap LO

2008-11-06T04:40:00.000-08:00

Good morning!

Thought I would show you the next couple cards I did for my gift sets I am making (see my first entry yesterday to see the others I've made). I am totally addicted to this now! Every new one I make is mw new favorite!

I really like this one because she showed us tips on making the elements "pop" off the page. I love the idea of printing the flower on and then adding another on top instead of just attaching a flower, the printed one adds even more dimension. You can get get this template and all the others here at ScrapMatters. And you get points toward the challenge system for each on you do, how cool is that?

Credits

And this one is not one of the It's In the Cards Challenge templates, it was a freebie on World Card Making Day which I have now gone and collected all of, they did a card template blog train! This one is by winkasheart. You can get it on her blog on her October 4 entry.

And the back...

Credits

And here is my layout from last night's ScrapMatters Speed Scrap...as usual I had a really fun time and I learned a couple new skills too!

Credits

Ok, I'm off to start my day, see ya all later!

Don't forget the template freebie in the next entry!

Layouts, announcements and a freebie!

2008-11-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been busy catching up this week and have done a few layouts...

Here's one with Franziska and Flergs new collab kit Sugar Rush...I just LOVE this kit, soooooo cute, look at that little dude in there! And, did you know Franziska is at Scrapbook Graphics now? Yep, that's right! Check out her new store!

Credits

I also did this layout with Polka Dot Plums' new kit Ashlea Brooke...again my favorite kind of colors, bright and happy, which, of course, led to this:

Credits

And, I did this LO with Mimi's very pretty kit Amanda...I love purple, my favorite color, and I love it combined with these blues and browns! Even though I didn't use the purple in this LO, I will on another one! Color is definitely the first thing I look at in a kit, if I love the colors, I will want to buy it!

Credits

Now, onto announcements...

Scrapmatters has 2 Speedscraps coming up...these are soooo fun! If you haven't tried them, you really should! I know it sounds a bit intimidating, but it's really so fun!

The first is tonight, go here for details:

And take a looksie at this participation prize!

Yep, you get it just for participating in the Speed Scrap!

And there is one Friday afternoon:

And here's what you'll get for completing that Speed Scrap:

And...now for the freebie...

You know the "tired" layout I did with Mimi's kit (above)? I made it into a template for you! Hope you like it! Here it is, image is linked...

Ok-that's it for tonight, I wanted to get this all posted, because I am going to be speed scrapping tonight!! See you there!

Look what I made!

2008-11-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

I have been busy creating HYBRID cards! My first hybrid projects and it is sooooo fun! I am getting to use all my old traditional scrap tools and a few embellies too. I am making the cards from Scrap Matters' It's in the Cards challenges running right now. i am making 13 of each card so I will have 13 sets to give to teachers and friends for Christmas gifts. I am so excited, this is a gift I would love to receive! I always make homemade cocoa mix too to give away for the Holidays, so this year I will give a pretty package of homemade cards and some fresh cocoa mix to drink while writing out a card or two.

Here are the three I have done so far...

Credits

That's it for now, off to work on card #4 and a couple layouts...

BFN

It's a Spooky Blog Train Party!

2008-10-31T04:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! Trick or Treat! Why leave all the fun for the kids? We have treats for you on tons of blogs today! The Sunshine Sweets and some of their friends have whipped up a super cute freebie party for you! But you'll have to be brave to get it...check out my door to "knock" on!

And if you survive my spooky door, hop on your broom and fly over to Kami's blog to get your next trick..ummm, I meant treat!

Happy Halloween!

TWO Speed Scraps!

2008-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

SM is having 2 speed scraps, one tonight and one tomrrow, they are so fun!!!! Please join us! Go here for all the details.

Don't know what happened!!!

2008-09-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

So, sorry! I don't know what happened to that pink Brag Book page! But here is a new link that has both pages in it, and when I open them, they are ok...hope it works this time!

Download Here

In case 4shared asks, the password is inspiration

Have a great night!

It's the Wonder Girl Blog Hop Party

2008-09-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

{If you are looking for the SM Birthday BLOG PARTY, SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT ENTRY}

Good morning!

Happy Blog Party! I know, two days in a row I have a blog party gift for you, cool huh?

So, the Wonder Girls thought that since we canceled August SWW, we would go ahead and use BOTH months of collabs, Sunflower for SWW and then we made a mini-kit based on Anchors Away for you too! And we are giving it away on all our blogs!

Here's mine:

Download Here

Please no sharing links!

And here's all the Wonder Girls' blogs where you can pick up all the pieces to the Anchors Away mini kit.

Ale

Dani

Janel

Jen

Joanne

Laura

Mandi

Mari

Teri

Wendy

Hope you enjoy! And please come join in on the fun of SWW starting TOMORROW at Sunshine Studio Scraps...LOTS of challenges, games and prizes (including another mini-kit)!

See you there!

Happy Birthday Scrap Matters!

2008-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!! It's Scrap Matters' 1st Birthday and the party starts today!

Go visit our store and forum and join in on the fun! There is an awesome new Birthday Kit that all the designers worked on. Part of it is a HUGE awesome gift with purchase, part is a Daily Download, part is a chat gift, part is a birthday gift!

Here is how AWESOME it is! This is the preview of the Gift With Purchase portion:

This is the LO I did using this fun, jam-packed kit:

Credits

And there are a bunch of super cool filled to the brim Grab Bags for sale in celebration of ScrapMatters' birthday! Check out this LO I did using a whole bunch of them:

Credits

We are all sharing birthday traditions in honor of SM's birthday...my Birthday is January 4th, only 10 days after Christmas! So, there were and still are many years that my birthday is forgotten by some. And, some years, school wasn't back in yet from Christmas break, so there was no cupcakes at school, etc. As a girl, that was important to me! So, every year, even now as an adult, my Mom sends me a gift for my half-birthday, which happens to be July 4th! That way, I have a small celebration of my birthday away from the busy holiday season! What is your birthday tradition?

And, oh yeah, we are having a Blog Party! The Designers, CT and SMG all made this incredible Brag Book using the new birthday kit! All I can say is WOW!!

So, hopefully you came from Heather's blog...she is before me on the train and after you get my piece, head to Alice's blog for the next piece.

And here are my pages:

Download Here

Password is inspiration

Please no sharing links!

Thanks for visiting, and I'll see you over at Scrap Matters! Don't forget your party hats!

A little birdie told me...

2008-09-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ooooh, at Sun? Yay!!!!!! Be sure to visit Sunshine Studio Scraps this Sunday so you don't miss out!

Sunshine Wonder Week is Coming (and a freebie)!

2008-09-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

OK--so I haven't been the best blogger lately, but I made up for it today with a whopping three posts! So read this one and then read on!

I am writing now to tell you that the September edition of Sunshine Wonder Week is starting this Sunday and has all the usual fun, games, challenges and prizes! So, be sure to start checking the forums this weekend for all the details. It will run all week until next Sunday, October 5th. It is really a blast and has lots of cool activities. This month we are featuring two kits...the regular challenges and SWW mini-kit are featuring the collab Sunflower.

And since we missed August, we are featuring an additional kit this month, the Anchors Away collab. The Wonder Girls have made an extra special gift for you this month and it will be given away as a blog train freebie party! So please bookmark the Wonder Girls and keep an eye out for us THIS SATURDAY, the day before SWW starts.

And speaking of freebie templates...Andilynn's CT has hijacked her blog this week to run a cool challenge...check it out! It's a really cool template challenge, that I made the template for!!!!! We have had really good participation so far and it runs until this Sunday night. You get the template for free obviously and when you post a LO, you get a cool photo mask set that Andi made as a participation prize! I am gonna let you go visit Andi's blog to get all the details...look at the September 22 post.

And finally, because I haven't done one in a while, I am giving away a template tonight just for the heck of it. I did this LO last night at the Scrap Matters Speed Scrap...

Credits

I like it and it seemed to get a pretty good response, so, I made a template of it!

DOWNLOAD HERE

NO SHARING LINKS

And that's it for tonight...I am tired and I am supposed to go to the gym in the morning, eek! Wish me luck!

Look at THIS!!!!!

2008-09-24T11:37:00.001-07:00

The ad says it all, I am soooo excited, SM is such an awesome site and I am so happy to help celebrate their 1st Birthday and be part of it all! Come on over and check us out!

Gorgeous new kit!

2008-09-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this gorgeous creation by Franziska Altman...I bet you have some cutie pies you can use this on! Look at the adorable alpha and irresistible denim!

Check it out in her stores at Sunshine Studio Scraps and Scrap Orchard. And here is a Lo I did using another of her gorgeous kits, Free Spirit. You can find this one in both her stores too.

Here for Credits

Here's a preview of the whole kit:

So, that's what I've been up to this morning...I will be back with more later tonight.

{Has it really been over a month?}

2008-09-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

Yes it has! But I have a good excuse...hubby came home after being away for over a year!!! YAY!! Notice the countdown ticker is gone from my sidebar? Won't be needing that anymore!!! So, we spent a while having lots of family fun and then school started, so we had all of that...open houses, orientations, first days, supplies, HW schedules, Girl Scouts starting...eeek, shall I go on? So, I am finally back, getting re-acquainted with my computer and my online friends!

I have missed so much and I feel so far behind..so I am just gonna jump right in and do a little shameless self-advertising...you remember I said I became a Sunflower at Sunshine Studio Scraps? Well, I completed my first project for that team...a collab kit with Madame Wing called Secret Garden! We had a fun time designing it! And the cool thing is that it is on sale at Sun!!! Officially in the store, can you believe it? The Sunflowers have their own section in the store, so you can check all three Sunflower collabs. So here it is...what do you think? if you like it, go pick it up and be one of my first customers!

Credits

AND I was accepted the the Scrap Matters site Creative Team! I am so excited, SM is one of my main two digi-scrappin homes and I am so happy and proud to be on that team!! Look what I've already scrapped...

Credits

So, here's another really gorgeous kit by Kiki Halbert called Cool Nights, Blue Sky...love the colors here, muted but so rich!

And yet another awesome kit from Sun...this one is by Kristi and called Psychedelic Funk and it is soooo coooool man! (hehe couldn't resist), she has it on sale for a limited time, so go get it quick! Take a peek...

So, I could go on and on because while I was gone soooo many pretty kits came out, but those are the two most recent, so I will leave it at that and be caught up now!

But before I go, don't miss this month's QP Olympics at Sun, we are featuring Shawn Headley's Cosmo-tini kit, it is so freakin cute! Here's my QP and LO with it and already I am getting super cute entries! Check them all out in the QP Olympics Gallery. Go to this thread to get all the details on how to participate. A little birdie told me there's a discount on the kit this month...

Whew, well, glad I finally juped back in, I feel like I can keep up now, you know?

Want to win a new kit?

2008-07-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Tonight I have a couple announcements and a freebie template!

How would you like to win one of these fabulous Sunshiney kits?

Well, you can! Sunshine Studio Scraps is starting a new promotion where you can add a preview and little advertisement for a cool new kit to your blog and in return be entered in a drawing to win that kit for free! It's that easy! Check out this thread for all the details and to enter for these three kits and then check it often for new offers to pop up.

And here are a couple awesome new kits from 2 Sunshiney designers, they are awesome as usual!

The first is All About Funk by Kristi...check out those cool colors and funky elements..I love those flowers!

And next up is Veralyn by Kelly. It is so soft and pretty and fresh! Love purple, my favorite color, so this one is easy on the eye for me! And she has a freebie on her blog that coordinates! How cool is that!
Now, if you made it through all that (it was worth it, don't you think, those are awesome kits!) then your reward is a template! I made it based on this LO I did. I just thought it was a cute expression he had on his face and it needed to be scrapped! If you want the story on what's going on in this photo, then scroll down to my last entry for pictures and the full story...

(credits)

And here is the template:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Please do not share links or files, send other fans to my blog to pick up the template for themselves, thanks!

So, that's it for me...I am going to try to fit in 1 or 2 more layouts tonight. Don't forget we still have Sunshine Wonder Week going on at Sun Studio and tomorrow is the last day for the QP Olympics featuring mgl Scraps Cinnamon Breeze kit.

As always, if you do any work with my designs, I'd love to see!

Nite Nite!

Bye Bye Butterflies!

2008-07-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

Well, the kids and I have been raising caterpillars into butterflies the past few weeks. (Thanks Nana for the kit) And today, we released them! They flew off into our backyard to enjoy their life, free from the "butterfly habitat" they have been living in. The kids did really well, both raising them and letting them go! If you want to see more pictures of the caterpillars and their chrysalises, visit my family blog here and check out the last few entries.

Danger: 6 year old reader present...we went to Barnes and Noble today to redeem Alex's reward for reading 8 books. They are running a summer reading promotion. Anyway, she must have been "reading" the magazine covers while I was paying (yes, we got more than the free book, can anyone get out of there without buying something, I love that place!) because on the way out to the car she said, "Mom, why did that book say 'why can't women read maps and men don't listen?' " So, I am giggling when she goes on to say, "it had a picture of a lady holding a map upside down and a man covering his ears" I am now laughing out loud trying to figure out how to explain the 'Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus' phenomenon to my 6 year old daughter. Out of the mouths of babes! Anyway, gave me a chuckle, thought it might give you one too.

And on the scrapping front, don't miss this brand new paper pack from Kiki Halbert at Sunshine. This and all her paper packs and kits are really rich and textured, not to mention pretty!

And, last but not least, here is another LO using my template! Thanks for sharing Amanda! I thought it was a very appropriate subject considering all the butterfly talk! Great job Amanda on the LO, it shows off the dragonfly really well with the natural papers and flowers and the pic is fabulous!

(credits)

That's it for me for today! Off to feed the kids and scrap! Toodles!

Some neato kits and lots of news...

2008-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

From lliella Designs. Have you seen how cute her kits are? I am a big fan! And she has a new kit coming out at the end of the month...and MAN is it freakin' cute... to quote Sunshine Girl Amy, "Holy Cuteness!" And I have to say, I agree! Here's the sneak peek...

And check out this LO I did using Mandy Mystiques newest kit Serendipity:

(see credits)

And here's the kit, go to Mandy's store to check it out! It's on sale too!

Also...I just found out that I am a Scraps Matter Gang girl! Check out my new blinkie in the sidebar...isn't it cute? It is kind of a cheerleading group. I consider Scrap Matters and Sunshine Studio my digi-scrapping homes, so I am very glad to be part of this team at Scrap Matters. I am already so involved over there with challenges and now I feel "official" hehehe. Look for more to come from us at Scrap Matters!

And back to the news of the Summer Sundress links..I am utterly frustrated! I have a comment again that the links are requiring a password. I did not set up a password on the brand new folder I set up for these new links. So, I just don't know what is going on. I double checked too. I can see that some of you are downloading just fine. So, I guess since I have noticed that 4Shared has been intermittent lately, maybe just keep trying and eventually one time it will work. Sorry.

OK--Gotta go eat lunch...and do "Mommy School" with the kids. Catch ya later!

Thanks for the layouts and new DL Links

2008-07-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have been honored by some awesome scrappers...they have been using my templates and kits! Thanks for sending them, it is really rewarding to see the creative ways you all use them!

(If you have contacted me that you used something of mine and I have missed it below, please let me know again, I am not leaving you out on purpose. You know when you get that funny feeling that you are forgetting something, happening to me right now!)

Here they are, please go to their galleries and leave them some love!

Sunshine Designer Greedz used my Freebie Template 1: (see credits)

Fellow Sunshine Wonder Girl Teri used my Honey of a Mini kit: (see credits)

And my Mom also used the Honey of a Mini kit and Freebie Template #2:

(see credits)

Thanks also for all your comments, I read them all! I have them come to my email so I don't miss any and I really appreciate each one and it is nice to see some of my digital friends stopping by!

Did you notice I added a feedblitz sign-up for my blog? Just enter your email and you will be notified whenever I update the blog.

AND did you notice the countdown I have at the top of the sidebar??? HUBBY IS FINALLY COMING HOME!!!! YAY!!!!!!! Ok, out of my system...for now... So, mid-August, I may go off the radar for a couple weeks.

OK..and about these Summer Sundress links...ACK, 4Shared!!!!!!!!! I have NO IDEA why they would all of a sudden stop working, but 4shared has been kicking me out for no reason the past couple days, so maybe something's up. I have re-done and re-assembled all the links here in this post,so hopefully this will work. Thanks everyone for telling me! I'm glad you are looking forward to getting the rest of the kit!

Here they are:

I hope these work, I tried them all myself and got no errors, so fingers crossed!

Ok...it's late, nitey nite!

Isn't this cool?! And LOTS of freebies!

2008-07-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

I was reading Scrapkitty's blog today and she linked us up to this cool site where you can get a "photo montage" name from photos loaded on flickr! Isn't that cool? You can get yours here. When you type in your name and your montage comes up, click on the letters and the image of that letter changes, so you can pick ones you like. Then, below, are the links to the photos on flickr and below that the html code in case you want to blog yours too. Thought that was a fun little Friday tidbit...

On to business...it's Sunshine time! Here's the schedule of all the fun events that will be going on all week, starting this Sunday. Make sure to stay tuned in the forums and on the Sun blog for all the details. OK, here's the schedule, it's gonna be big girls!

And, if you participated in SWW last month, you have already seen this and probably have it! It was our Wonder Girl mini-kit for June. If you missed it, you are in luck! The Wonder Girls are having a blog party! And this is the kit we are giving away! So, make sure to visit the Sunshine Blog at 8am Saturday for all the links to the Wonder Girl blogs, then go hopping and collect all the pieces. Hope you enjoy it, we sure had fun creating it! Here's a preview of the whole kit...

And for my portion, I have three download links:

Download 1

Download 2

Download 3

And, last but not least, as promised, I separated the layers of my template from yesterday into PNGs. Link is below...

DOWNLOAD HERE

As usual, no file or link sharing please, just send them here!

That's it for me, I am off to scrap a little, yay!! See you over at Sun and have a great weekend!

Sunshiney Announcements and a Freebie

2008-07-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...just a little light housekeeping before I get started...thanks to some fabulous help from none other than the Wonder Girl leader himself, Vasco, and some testing by my friend Joanne and my Mom, I have now figured out how to remove those "extra" files from my download folders. So, you can now download my freebies, junk-free! LOL!!

OK...on to the fun stuff...

Check out this CUTE CUTE CUTE kit by Beckie Wallace on sale now for a limited time in the Sunshine Shop. It's called Sadie's Garden and it is super fun, just my style! And, if you visit Beckie's blog...she has a little coordinating freebie for you, that's cute too! Check it out on her blog!

In WONDER GIRLS news today, we are all working hard to get ready for our next Sunshine Wonder Week (SWW) starting this Sunday. Hint-Hint: Have you seen my blinkie in the sidebar? It might give you an idea of this month's theme... It will be a week filled with fun games, challenges, events, prizes and freebies! I am really excited, everything is bigger and better this month, you won't want to miss it! Check out the Sunshine blog for a little teaser of what's to come...

And make sure you are signed for the Sunshine newsletters...Besides all the fabulous info from the designers, articles and inspiration from the gallery, I had a hand in this week's...hmm..hmmm...issue...that's all I can say....Click the blinkie on my sidebar to sign up! Or just click here to sign up!

FOR FUN: My fellow Scrap Matters scrapper, aka Kandy Kane Kreations, has the coolest little bit of entertainment for all the Moms in the world on her blog today. You should definitely go watch it...cute and true!! Visit her here.

And finally...your freebie...this is one of my own favorite layouts lately...I did it at a Speed Scrap at Scrap Matters. I really liked the look and feel of it...

(Credits Here)

And so I made it into a template for you! Hope you like it! Now, I am sorry, but it is 1:30 a.m. and so I did not make individual png's for this one, YET! But I will...stay tuned for that. Bookmark me and check back, I will get that done.

DOWNLOAD HERE

As usual, please no file and/or link sharing, just send people here to my blog to pick up the freebie.

So, that's it for me, waaaaayyyyy past my bedtime!

Off to la-la land! Catch ya over at Sun this weekend!

Thanks Beckie and Mandi!

2008-07-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

My blog was awarded! My first time!

Beckie Wallace, Sunshine Girl and MandiN, fellow Wonder Girl have both awarded me! Thanks gals! Go to their blogs and check them out! They are both fantastic members of the Sunshine Studio Scraps team, it wouldn't be as Sunshiney there without them!

The rules of the award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you’ve nominated

I am nominating the following 7 fabulous blogs!

My Mom's Blog: I'd Rather be Digi Scrappin'

(she just started it this weekend)

My new Sunflower teacher: Nicole at Sugarplum Paperie

My fellow sunflowers: Crystal, Ale (Madame Wing), Dani and Andrea

And Lisa at Kandy Kane Creations

(did you know she makes blinkies?)

Ok, off to leave love on your blogs, congrats, you all do a fantastic job!

"Extra" Files in folders...

2008-07-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

So, I learned today, that since I am on a Mac, when I zip up files to post, Mac puts extra files in the folder. Learn something new everyday! But, I tested them and confirmed that they are "extra" and all the pieces that should be there, are there. So, you can delete the files that have the "._" in front of them.

Also, I am working on a method to be able to take out these extra files so that you don't get them in the future.

Thanks vedette for bringing this up, I wouldn't have known, but you should be good to go by using all the "other" files in the folder and just ignore or delete the extras.

Thanks Dani and Mom for helping me sort through all this!

Until later...

Short Post...final link...

2008-07-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well, again, WAAAAAAAYYYYY past my bedtime, but I just get caught up in all my projects! So I am going to post quick here. Tonight I give you the final part to Summer Sundress, the alpha. I hope you all have enjoyed this, I think you have based on the comments, which I appreciate tremendously.

Now that you have the whole kit, when you make a layout with it, and you would like to share with me the rest of the readers, please email them to me at jengregory14 at cox dot net. I will post them here so we can all oooh and aaahhh over them. Include your gallery link too so we can see your credits and leave you some love!

So, here it is...

(LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED-see 7/28 post)

Thanks for visiting...I'll try to get a template done this weekend for you:)

Have you ever Speed Scrapped?

2008-07-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

I just got done doing a speed scrap over at ScrapMatters. Have you ever done one? They are popping up around a lot lately... Go to this thread to see what it is all about. Basically, for an hour, there is one instruction (pick your photos, use 3 papers, use a heart, etc) given every 10 minutes. In between instructions you work on your LO and chat in the forum with all the other participants. At the end of the hour you have one more hour to complete your LO. It's really fun! This was mine tonight...pics look familiar?

Credits Here

Have you all been to all 24 blogs from Sunshine to gather all your blog party goodness? It is awesome ladies, I am already seeing it used out there. Make sure to post your layouts using it in the Sunshine gallery, I know we would all like to see our designs shining!

And now for the fourth part of Summer Sundress, the second elements:

(LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED-see 7/28 post)

And that's it folks, it's past my bedtime and I'm hungry...that's bad! So, off to have a snack and then dreamland!

Time for a Sunshine Blog Party!

2008-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

And this time instead of just blog hopping (and believe me I will be), I get to be part of it!!! That's right, I got to create a piece of this amazing mega-kit! I am beyond excited! Sunshine has a new designer intern program called the Sunflowers and I was invited to be one, I get to learn the tricks of the trade from the Sunshine Girls, yay! And the Sunflowers got to participate in the blog party too! Pretty awesome! That was my huge news that I couldn't spill in my last post...see why I was bursting? This thing is HUGE and ROCKIN! Wait until you see the awesome goodness you get for free! Here we go...

Ok, it's time for a Sunshine freebie kit called Mango Tango! Who doesn't love a Sunshine blog party?!! We are celebrating the new designers at Sunshine, they will all be in the store on Friday, so be sure to check that out! Mango Tango is a fabulous color palette and all the designers', new designers' and Sunflowers' pieces are amazing! Check out the Sunshine Blog for all the details about this celebration and for a full list of the 24 designers participating and their blog links.

Here's my portion:

I have TWO parts, make sure to get them both.

Here's where to download my papers and elements.

This is an international party, so if you don't see someone's freebies up yet, be sure to stop by again later today! And don't worry, the links will remain active for a long time so you will have plenty of time to collect your goodies.

Hope you all enjoy and remember to leave these hard working freebie makers some love when you stop by their blogs, I know they'll appreciate it! And I have to say it...no sharing files or links, just send them to the Sunshine Blog where the whole list of links is available!

Happy scrapping!

And if you are here looking for day three of the Summer Sundress freebie kit, keep scrolling, there is another post for it.

I'm bursting to tell you...

2008-07-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

...some VERY exciting news...but I can't, my lips are sealed! But, I can tell you it's happening tomorrow and you'll want to come here to see...that's it, I have to stop before I spill it...

So, a couple of you took the quiz I posted yesterday and you all scored higher than me! Well, that's what I get for taking it at 1AM! It was fun to read your comments and scores. Thanks!

On to other news...This is a layout I did the other day. Recognize the kit? Wink! There are a few special things about this layout...first, it was done for my fellow Wonder Girl at Sunshine, Wendy. The Sunshine Sweeties and the Wonder Girls traded photos and did LO's for each other, fun, huh? When I get mine, I'll post it too. Second, the template I used for it is made by another fellow Wonder Girl, JoAnne and she is giving it away on her blog for free! She has 2 other templates and some wordart there for you too. Rumor has it, she has a layout posted using my Summer Sundress kit. So, go check her out. Leave her some love while you're there. And last, of course, I used my own kit to do the layout.

And last but not least, today's link for Summer Sundress:

(LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED-see 7/28 post)

And, I love your comments, so boost my ego will ya, and leave me some love!

So, that's it, it is late, late, late and I need to go to bed, but I was working on the secret I mentioned above...shhhh!

See ya tomorrow!

Hello Again!

2008-07-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying how wonderful all your comments have been both on poor Zachy and his giant goose egg (he is doing fine by the way, just looks like he got beat up, by the driveway!) and on my kit! It is so encouraging to read through everything you all said! I really appreciate hearing your wonderful comments so I know that my work is enjoyed!

So, here is a LO my Mom did for me using my new goodies... (my dd in the photo). Pretty huh? Good job Mom and thanks!

For credits, go here

And here is a preview of the kit again...

...and today's link (2 of 5) for the solid papers is (LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED-see 7/28 post). I don't think the password is working for whatever reason, but just in case it asks you, it is inspiration.

And...don't forget that Sunshine Wonder Week will be starting soon, it runs July 27 through Aug 3rd and is even bigger than last month! We have LOTS of fun challenges and PRIZES planned for you, so don't miss it! Keep an eye in the Sun forums for a thread dedicated to this whole event. And you can be sure the Sunshine blog will link you up when the time comes!

AND, we still have the QP Olympics going on featuring mgl Scraps' Cinnamon Breeze kit. Stop by here to see all the beautiful entries so far that you will receive if you participate! And check out all the details here on the challenge.

And last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST in Sunshiney news, you might want to check out this forum post and then head over to Shawn's blog. There's something BIG going on....I'll leave you in suspense and you can go see for yourself :)

Just for fun...I saw this on another blog I read...maybe you did too. I tried it and only got 28, wow! Try it! Let me know what your score was...

Thanks again and I'll see you back here again tomorrow for the link to the first elements!

The floodgates have opened...

2008-07-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

...that's right, I got a taste for designing and now I can't stop! I've read it on all the blogs and forums that this is how it happens, and now I have officially caught the bug! And I don't want a cure, LOL! I knew it was there all along, just hadn't given in yet.

I have just completed my very first kit. I was inspired, as so many are, by my daughter's clothes. She has this cute sundress and every time I wash it, hang it up, pick it out for her to wear or pick it up off the floor, I think, "that would make a cute color scheme for a kit" or "that would be a cool BG paper." So, i finally just took the plunge and brought the idea to fruition and, if you like it, you will benefit form my efforts, I'm giving away my kit on my blog! More on that below...

First I want to show you the inspirational fabric from her dress:

And the kit, Summer Sundress:

So, what do you think? Hope you all like it as much as I do and as much as I liked making it! I would love feedback, but be gentle, remember, this is my first kit ever:)

So, the way I am going to give it out is one file a day for five days: 2 sets of papers, 2 sets of elements and the alpha (sorry no international characters or punctuation on this one, I'm easing in, lol).

So, click (LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED-see 7/28 post) for the first set of papers, the patterns, password is inspiration. Please enjoy, let me know how you like it and when you do a LO, please email me! I'd love to share it here on the blog...jengregory14 at cox dot net. And finally, no file or link sharing, just send people here, thanks.

And, on a more personal note, I just had to share this...my darling son tripped over a chair at our block party yesterday and smacked his head on the driveway, ouch! I've never seen anything like it! Two hospitals later, he is fine, no loss of consciousness or internal bleeding, just a HUGE goose egg!

That's it for now, make sure to check back over the next few days for the rest of the kit. I think I'll have at least one, if not, two layouts up here tomorrow so you can see it in action.

Nite nite!

Good evening!

2008-07-07T21:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a late post, but with LOTS of news!

First up, I want to thank my Mom for being the first to post a layout using my Freebie #1 template! It is a cute one (not to mention the subject is my DS-hehehe!) See her gallery for full credits. Thanks Mom!

Next, check out what I did with Mandy Mystiques' brand new kit "Melody!" You can see it and all her beautiful designs closer in her Elemental Scraps shop.

And what I did with Moon Scraps' new kit "Nursery Chest!" You can see all his cool designs at his Sunshine Studio shop.

Ok---that's it for tonight!

With all the great stuff my designer's are putting out, and all the exciting happenings at Sunshine Studio. I'll likely be back very soon!

Freebie Template #1

2008-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is my first "official" freebie! I am really excited, I have been thinking about this for a long time, and now I have finally done it!

The file you are downloading is one zip that contains both the PSD and PNG formats of the template.

Since I have seen so many problems with piracy, I feel compelled to say: Please don't share my files or download links with anyone! instead, just send them here to my blog where they can download my designs for free too! I have also included a TOU in the download.

I would love to see any layouts you create using my designs! Please email me your layout link to jengregory14 at cox dot net and I will go leave you some love!

So, here it is:

Click the image to download and the password is veryfirst.

Please leave me a comment if you download, or even if you don't! I am new at this and could use all the love I can get:)

Thanks for reading, Jen

My first post!

2008-07-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, welcome to my NEW blog! I have another blog that I have been keeping for my family affairs, but it is now time to separate and have a scrapping themed blog. I am super excited!

So, to get started, I have some Wonder Girl business to attend to...a couple of announcements...

First, there is a new kit out in the shop called Vibrant Spirit, you may have seen it in the Happy Place at DST, Amanda ran a contest there to name it. So, it's in her shop now and it is fantastic! We are so glad to have Amanda back at Sunshine and she has come back with a bang!

Next, the next edition of the QP Olympics is on at Sunshine. Visit the July QP Olympics Thread for all the details. We are featuring mgl Scraps' kit Cinnamon Breeze this month, and she is offering a discount this month too! We will have a beautiful book at the end!

Also, please sign up for our new weekly and monthly newsletters so you can stay up to date on all our Sunshine-y happenings:) Go here to sign up.

And be sure to keep reading the Sunshine blog, the Wonder Girls are planning an even bigger Sunshine Wonder Week this month...stay tuned...

So, that's it for now, I'll be back often to update! Thanks for reading!