Perfect Day Family

Here's yet another layout inspired by, who am I kidding? This one is completely lifted from Lisa Stenz. When I saw hers I knew that we were going to have some family pictures taken in the near future and loved how she did the layout so I copied it. It's been sitting in my "completed layout" file for months. (yes, I have a file for completed layouts with no pictures on them) Anyway, we took these pictures on Sunday and they fit so nicely on this layout, even I was impressed with my forethought!
Supplies used: Cocoa Textured Cardstock, Perfect Day B&T, Big Pinks flowers, Juniper reinker, Clear Circles, DE Bookplates, Cocoa ribbon

Christmas Jammies

This layout was totally inspired by Lisa Stenz. I, like many others, started the new jammies on Christmas Eve tradition. My lovely husband told me last year (the first year I did it) that he didn't need anymore jammies and that he didn't like that tradition. Well, I fixed him and wrapped him up the pair I got him last year. Thus, the tradition continues......
CTMH supplies used: New England Ivy Textured Cardstock, Evensong B&T, Blooming Flourishes, Holiday Craft Buttons, Dimensional Elements solo alphabets (to spell out Christmas) and the new Dimensional Elements Frames.
Non-CTMH supplies: Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Candy Apple Red for the shimmer on the frame. It comes white like the letters.

Project 365

A few of my CTMH friends and I are going to try this, Project 365, inspired by Becky Higgins and Creating Keepsakes Magazine. The concept is that you are going to take a picture every day in 2009 and put it in an album and do a little journaling about the picture. Don't freak out thinking that you have 365 MORE pictures to scrapbook, you're not going to do that. My plan is to get the CTMH photo pages that hold 6 pictures on each page and use 1 for the "title" 7 for the actual photos and 4 for the journaling.

Here's a link to Becky's blog where she explains the concept a bit more. Creating Keepsakes has a kit you can buy, but of course, I plan to use CTMH products. My plan also is to give it to my husband for Christmas in 2009, so I've got to keep it a secret from him. I want him to have a special reminder of our everyday life.

Now, to my club members. Here's a challenge for you! Anyone who brings a completed week to the club meeting will get a ticket, so a chance at 4 tickets per month. Once a month I will hold a drawing of those tickets to win a small prize. Anyone that completes the entire year will get 25% off a CTMH album to put your pages in. I plan on posting my completed week every Friday (I plan to actually start on Thurs Jan 1 so that's how my weeks are going to fall.) I hope you play along too.

The Christmas Kennel

I know there are many of you out there in cyberland that can appreciate something like this (Liane and Chris). Last year we didn't put up a Christmas tree, but rather piled the presents on the dog kennel. Then, my cute puppy (well she was just about to turn 3, but for a Lab, that's still a puppy) Bailey was in the kennel one day and looked so cute, I had to snap a picture or two. After looking at the pictures, I thought the presents piled on top was pretty funny so I had to scrap them.

Sorry about the blurry picture but with the edge anchors, it makes it hard to take out of the page protector. The journaling (which you can't read because of the glare) says something like this. "With a baby, a toddler and a 3-legged dog, somehow a Christmas tree didn't seem like such a good idea, hence the Christmas Kennel." By the way, yes Bailey does indeed only have 3 legs. She was born without her front right paw. But don't tell her she's disabled, she doesn't know.

Here she is playing in the snow. I told you she doesn't know she's disabled!

Here she is laying by the fire after playing in the snow. Lazy pooch!

Key to my Heart

January is National Paper Crafting Month and to celebrate, Close To My Heart is offering an amazing kit; Key to my Heart from December 16 - January 31. The kit includes an exclusive paper packet with our new colors and a new E size stamp set. You can earn it at a discount or even for free...
Spend $75 - Get the kit for just $20
Spend $130 - Get the kit for FREE!

Host a $400 show - Get the kit for FREE!

Become a consultant - Get the kit for FREE!

Or buy the kit outright for $47.90.

There was the cutest layout in our CTMH newsletter and when I saw it, I knew that I had to copy it. I know there isn't a picture on it yet, but there will be soon.

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Agua Dulce Club Layouts

Here are the Agua Dulce layouts for the January meeting. The top layout are from the Reflections book and the bottom one is Imagine Up the Tempo. For the top layout I have two 4x5 1/2 photos on the left and one 6x4, and two 4x4 photos. For the bottom layout (that I shamelessly copied from Yvonne Poulsen) calls for one 8x6 (but I used two 4x6), one 4x6 and three 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 photos.

January Lancaster Club Pages

Here are the 3 layouts we will be making in January. The first one is a brand new CTMH layout not in any book. The 2 large pictures are 5x5 3/4 and the 2 small pictures are 2 3/4 x 5 inches. the second layout is Imagine Monologue and calls for one or two 4x6 pictures, one 6x4 and two 3x3 picutes. (for an example of what the layout looks like with pictures, click here although there are no expanding photo mats) The last layout calls for three 3x3, one 3x4 and two 5x7 photos.

Together!

I came across this sketch website, Inspired Blueprints ,on Marjorie Ann's blog. They post sketches twice a month (sometimes bonus sketches). This is Sketch #5. This is one of the rare pictures we have of the 4 of us together in the same picture. We had a Pumpkin Carving event at the Community Center and part of the day included a picture with Matilde, the scarecrow.

Here's the sketch

Here's my layout. Everything is Close to my Heart. The paper and stickease are from the soon to be retired Abundance paper pack.

It's not a gift!!!!!

I got the Basic Grey Wassil collection the other day. Shyloh is having a 12 Day's of Christmas special on her blog and I ordered this on Monday. I got on Wed (talk about FAST, she's that kind of great gal!) and felt like making something for ME. I had grand(er) plans for it, but kind of like it simple. My lovely friend Jen RAK'd me a bunch of stamps (coincidently the 12 Day's of Christmas) and I was going to use those in the wreath also, but...... Anyway, I hope you enjoy and to check out Shyloh's specials click here.

yet another Christmas gift

Are you all sick of them yet??? Because I certainly am. Man it was a lot of work making all these gifts. Can I let you in on a little secret???? I bought something for my husband. I made him something too, but I actually bought him some books he's been wanting. I'm safe telling you guys because he doesn't look at my blog. AND I didn't tell you which books I bought!
Enough with all that gabber, onto the handmade gift. This is for my "other" best friend's daughter, Addison (see previous post). I actually had run out of the chipboard wall hangings so I had to come up with something else. I thought about it some and saw that I had, ahem, found some chipboard coasters and voila! Let's spell her name with those suckers. Yeah, I should have picked a kid with a shorter name. ha ha ha.
It was kind of hard to photograph close up because it's so long, so you're going to actually get some "detail" shots too. Please ignore the spot on my couch, it's Baby Magic Baby Wash, really it is. And don't tell Addison, but she got the scraps from the Basic Grey Sugared Collection that I used on Brooke's wall hanging.

Here's the closeup. See how the letters shimmer? Love that Glimmer Mist.

More, more, more

These two wall hanging are for one of my best friend's kids. I'm really into these things for kids. I think they're going to have a lot of fun putting pictures on them. I made sure that the chipboard embellishments aren't adhered to the photo mats, so the pictures can slide right on under there.

This is Brooke's. She's going to be 3 in Jan and it just about the cutest little 3 year old out there. (I have to preface with her age because tomorrow I'll be posting the Christmas gift for my other one of my best friend's daughter who's almost 18 months) Brooke's wall hanging is made pretty much all with Basic Grey's Sugared Collection. I think the photo mats are CTMH Amethyst Textured Cardstock. Oh and the sparkly stuff on both are Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.
This one is for Bryce who just turned 5. He is one of my 3 year old son's best friends. It's kind of cool to have 2 generations of best friends. Bryce's is made with a cornacopia of items the only of which I really remember is the chipboard stars are from Rusty Pickle.

One more set of Christmas gifts

Again, I can't say who these are going to because one never knows if they'll look at my blog. These are the CTMH Acrylic Albums and are too cute. The family pictures yet to be taken will gointo these albums. Again, I shamelessly was inspired by another CTMH sister. Why reinvent the wheel I ask you???

Supplies used: Notebook Level 2 Paper Pack, rubons, holyhock ribbon

I know who these are for!!!!

These are the Close to my Heart Display albums that eventually will become desk calendars for certain people (I made 2). Said people have never visited my blog but they both have the address and well, you just never know if they'll get inspired to pop in and check things out. Anyway, these were shamelessly cased from Kelly English-Triggs, a fellow CTMH sister, although instead of these cute pictures of my kids (why ever wouldn't she want pictures of MY kids on her stuff???) she made calendars. I was waiting for my January Stamp of the Month (little hint here, it's the cutest calendar stamp) but now that it's arrived, I see that it's too small for what I had in mind, still pretty cute though.

The album closed

Leo in Pismo Beach

Aaron in Tenaya Lake

Supplies used: My Creations Display Album, Magic Moments Level 2 Paper, Moments to Treasure stamp, holyhock ribbon, cocoa ribbon, sparkles and craft buttons.

More gifts!!!!!!

Whoohoo! 2 days in a row! (I won't tell you my little secret, I discovered how to post date posts, shhhh don't tell). Anyway, I came across these little beauties and had to make some. They're stationary boxes and have a spot for greeting cards, note cards, gift tags, a little address/note book, postage stamp holder and pen holder. In all total, I've made 6 of them. These are for my husband's aunts and maybe a few other people. The cards were inspired by many people and sketches. The Smile card was totally cased from Lisa Stenz. The link to the tutorial can be found here Have fun making these and if you do, link back so I can see them.

Supplies used: Perfect Day Level 2, cocoa ribbon, Treasure Life, Life's Creation, Chocolate alpha (small) and that sentiment stamp that I'm too lazy to look up the name of. :)

Another gift

Here's another quick gift I made yesterday. It's a wine container and the lucky recipient will not only get this beautiful container, but a bottle of yummy wine too! Actually, this isn't even a Christmas gift, but a thank you one. A friend (who is a wonderful amateur photographer) offered to take the family pictures I finally talked my husband into doing. Not only do we not have to go to Olin Mills, but he didn't want to charge us. What a guy!