Les Papiers de Pandore

 

Check out this great new paper - the colors and patterns are so versatile!

The stamps are awesome too!                           

They are offering a chance to win at the Les Papiers de Pandore blog.  It's definitely worth checking out!

Going Home

We went to visit my mom in Ashtabula, Ohio this weekend. We were in a hurry to get packed and on the road after work Friday, and  unfortunately I forgot my camera.  As a result I only have a few pictures I took with my phone at Point Park.  (I think I can lose my license to scrapbook for that.)

My mom said she had taken us to Point Park often when we were growing up, but I have to admit that I didn't remember any past trips.  I did enjoy the trip this weekend though.  The view of the lake and the harbor was awesome.

One of Ashtabula's landmarks is the lift bridge.  When the kids were little we spent what felt like hours sitting near the bridge so they could see it go up and down.

The lift bridge on its way up

Nicholas and my mom (Nicholas didn't want his picture taken and made life difficult.)

Elisabeth watching the lift bridge.

Elisabeth and I are hoping to visit again later this summer.  hopefully, I will remember my camera and get some better pictures.

Great Giveaways

We traveled to my mom's this weekend, so no new layouts to share.  But as I am catching up on blog reading, I am finding some great giveaways.


At Scrap Addict (http://helentilbury.blogspot.com/2012/06/happy-1st-of-june-and-my-june-giveaway.html), Helen Tilbury is offering a great package of supplies sure to inspire.




At Creating From the Heart (http://keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com/2012/06/summer-giveaway.html), Melissa is continuing her tradition of offering great prize packages.  This one includes the Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection, A lucky 8 punch, a Fancy Pants kit and more cool stuff for your scrap room.

Falling In Place

http://artfuldelight.blogspot.com/2012/06/happy-june-1st.html

Yesterday I posted a layout that sat on my work table almost a week while I moved the pieces around.  I just couldn't get the look I wanted.  Finally I got fed up and stuck everything down - and I liked it, but I didn't love it.  Every once in a while I get stuck and can't seem to get a layout together.

And then there are the days when things just fall into place.  Artful Delights is having a sketch challenge.  I liked the sketch a lot, but the deadline is June 23.  I'd spent so much time on the previous layout and we are planning to visit family this weekend, so I didn't think I would have time to finish a layout.  But tonight all the pieces fell in place. I got my layout done in about an hour -- and I really like it.

I used lots of different lines - coredinations, bo bunny, little yellow bicycle and pink paislee products are all mixed together.  I went way out of my comfort zone and turned my journaling on its side.  And I think I ended up with a fun layout for the first day of school (2 years ago, but I never said I was caught up.)

Why are some layouts such a struggle when others fall into place?

(Sorry this picture is a little fuzzy; its raining out and I am having trouble getting a clear shot.

I'm A Hoarder

http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-challenge-team-b-reveal.html

I have an embarrassingly large stash of paper, stickers, ribbons, buttons, etc.  Shopping for my stash is as big a part of my addiction to scrapping as making the albums. But as much as I like shopping for new stuff and putting together layouts, I'm often reluctant to use my favorite stuff. And I am always looking for ways to stretch my budget so I can keep building my stash.

I'm still working on my reluctance to use my"best stuff," though this layout I put together for the June challenge at Once Upon A Sketch uses a great yellow doily I just got and some Simple Stories and Basic Grey birthday supplies I've had for a while.

The June challenge at OUAS had a birthday theme and was based on this sketch.  As I often did, I stretched the sketch into a two page layout. I put together this layout about my husband's birthday a couple of years ago.  Our celebration was delayed for almost a month while we devoted our time to our kid's summer activities.

 I did use a few of my favorite tricks for stretching my budget.  I cut the letters and the swirls from cardstock scraps from this layout and my scrap collection.  I combined stickers to create custom embellishments.  And because three dimensional stickers are one of my big weaknesses, I used pop dots to place simple cardstock stickers to create that 3D look.

Are you a hoarder?  What are your favorite tricks to stretch a scrapbook dollar?

June 24, 2012 - Sue commented below and suggested I post this layout on The Lollipop Ladies Cupcake Challenge (http://thelollipopladies.blogspot.com/2012/06/challenge-48-cupcakes_22.html).  After I checked it out, I thought the challenge looked pretty fun, so I did.  Thanks for the great advice Sue!

June 24, 2012 - also posting to the C'est Magnifique sketch challenge (http://cestmagnifiquekits.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/our-june-sketch-challenge.html).  

Soccer (or Futbol) Anyone?

June Sketch Challenge

This happened with my oldest son and I swore it wouldn't happen again.  But its a year from Nicholas's high school graduation and none of his high school albums are done.  (We won't even talk about the years before high school). 

Now I'm a little better off than I was with Stephen.  Nicholas's junior album is about 80% done and his sophomore album is started.  I went to a crop last night and did a series of 5 soccer layouts.  (Five layouts in one night might be a record for me. 

I started with this sketch from Purple Pumpkin as my inspiration for the first layout.   Here's what I came up with.

These layouts used the soccer title tags I shared a few weeks ago, cool hexagon border, lots of stars, Bo Bunny's Double Dot paper and paper from Authentique's Glory Collection.  I did all 5 two page layouts with 2 sheets of double dot, 2 sheets of the Glory paper, 1 1/2 pages of red cardstock, 1 package of making memories, flags, and 1 sheet of red sports themed paper.  I also had 1 small package of dimensional star stickers and that cool blue washi tape from Freckled Fawn.  Here are the other 4 layouts. 

I like that I stretched my supplies, that the layouts clearly go together and that they are all different.  Now for all those layouts I still have to do.. . . . .

DAD

My children never fail to frustrate me, make me laugh and amaze me.  They screw up on the simple things, seemingly are unappreciative of the things we (their parents) do, and then, out of the blue, say or do something thoughtful.  This weekend seems to be my daughter's weekend to shine. 

Yesterday, we spent the day together doing "girl things" - mostly shopping.  Elisabeth's a real bargain hunter and she carefully got the biggest bang for her buck at Plato's Closet.  Then we went to get the American Eagle sweatshirt I had promised her in exchange for her cleaning the basement a while back.  They weren't on sale so she decided she would rather wait.  Her desire to get value for her clothing dollars always surprises me (especially when I'm paying.)

Before we left the mall, she wanted to frozen yogurt from Yagoot with a gift card from her Easter basket. The big surprise of the day was that she also wanted to treat me since I bought her lunch.  Her generosity was really a sweet surprise - even sweeter than the peach yogurt.

But she wasn't done.  Today she got up and got right to work on a Father's Day card for her Daddy.  She carefully picked papers and cut the title with the cricut to get just he right size, color and look.  Then she spent time carefully researching quotes for the inside on the internet, printing on vellum for the perfect card.  She even is gong to let her brothers sign their names.

My Scrap Cabin

The scrappin' sisters are splitting into two blogs.  Here is a link to Erin's new blog - with great giveaways.

 http://erinblegen.blogspot.com/2012/06/welcome-to-my-housewarming-party.html?showComment=1339517357013#c1711817610929244987
 
The more new followers, the more giveaways.   Check it out.

Play Time and Family Time

With the end of the school year, moving my son from a dorm to an apartment and the St. Catharine Funfest, last week was really crazy.  I am still working on page planning and pulling paper for the next album I'm starting.  But page planning was making me a little crazy, so I took a break and put together these two layouts for Nicholas's sophomore album.  They are both from a weekend at my in-laws the summer before his sophomore year.


Studio Calico had a challenge where they were asking for 5 pictures on a page.  That inspired me to get 5 pictures on each page of each two page layout.

I used lots of MME from my stash.  The kraft paper is even the back side of paper from the Lost and Found collection.  To connect the layouts, I used a headline across the two layouts, common papers and embellishments, and common design elements. The embossed vellum, the kraft paper misted with the studio calico bubble mask, the wood frames, the baker's twine and the little canvas butterflies all help to connect the layouts.

New Goodies from the Nook and the Chip Chop Shop

Yesterday was a really long day at work and I had tons of errands to run when I got home.  It seemed like responsibilities meant no time for anything fun!  I know - I sound like a whiny kid, and that's just the way grown-up life works sometimes.  But the mailman made my day.A box from My Scrapbook Nook with the June kit and grab bag was waiting on my front step. It was full of goodies!

And in the mailbox, there was a package from the The Chip Chop Shop, my first purchase of supplies from Etsy.  It was full of these fun doilies and trim! 

All of the different sizes, colors and patterns in the doilies are great and I love that wide crocheted trim.

Now I didn't have time to play with any of it and probably won't all week.  But somehow just getting new stuff for my stash cheered me right up.  It was almost as good as a new pair of shoes!

I'm off for another crazy day at work and have a lot of prep work for the St. Catharine's Funfest that I have to get done tonight so its ready for set up tomorrow.  Maybe the mailman will leave me another surprise today.  Hope you have a great day!

Focus On The Positive

Like most parents (I think), I love my kids more than I ever thought possible, but they frustrate me on a daily basis.  They don't put away their laundry or put their dishes in the dishwasher or manage their spending money or find a job or do their homework or make the most responsible choices as they find their way as "adults."  The frustration can get in the way of the bigger picture - and then something happens that reminds you of the bigger picture.

My mother called tonight and told me about a friend of hers.  Her friend's son was supposed to graduate from high school today, but last night he was in an accident.  Three of his friends (also supposed to graduate today) who were in the car died and he is "alive" but without brain activity.  Nothing like a hard dose of reality to focus me on what is important.  I love my sons - even when they drive me crazy and my life is richer for having them. 

About a week ago, I shared a layout about being a mom that focused on my relationship with my daughter.  My relationship with my sons is every bit as important to me.  I did this layout for the Nook NSD challenge about leading men.

They are every bit as important to me as my daughter and really are leading men in my life.

In a Slump

Spending time in my craft room always makes me happy and reduces the stress in my life.  I know this, but sometimes I can't get motivated to get started.  This was one of those weeks.  I printed a lot of pictures for Nicholas's Sophomore year album and sorted them last weekend.  But now its time to pull paper, journal and get organized so that I can make a dent in the album.  It's my least favorite part of  the process and I just haven't been able to get motivated.  I'm trying again this morning, but have found a million things to distract myself.  (This post is probably one of them.)

I did come across this layout that I put together a couple of weeks ago and forgot to post.  I used some Creative Memories paper from a customer gift a couple of years ago.  I loved the gray and yellow color combination (so unusual for a winter themed paper) but never got around to using it.  I combined it with some Shine embellishments from current the current CM product line and really liked the way this newyear's brunch layout came out. 

I'm going to try to get back to my page planning.  Hope you have a great weekend!