MyMadkow

Deep In Thought

Do you remember how excited I was that a Joann's was opening nearby? I was giddy, and just couldn't wait for their opening day!! Well, the day finally came, and I went to the store. What a big let down. My problem is not with Joann's, the problem is with the size of the store, and what they carry for us scrappers. Which pretty much amounts to very little! The store is soooo small, and the majority of their product is sewing related. That's a BIG plus, as there really  is no other place to purchase fabric and or sewing related products in a 40 mile radius. So I'm pleased with that. But that leaves very little room for scrappy stuff, or anything else.

I've been there twice in the last 3 weeks. Once for their opening day, and the second time, to purchase fabrics. I'm going to make some covers for my Expression and my Big Shot Pro......I'm tired of dusting them off every time I want to use these tools!

Anyways, this is going to be a short post....gotta get ready for work!

Deep In Thought

Made with my Swirlydoos kit, and some older products from my stash!

I love how the flourishes turned out. Very simply made with the Flourish and Leaf die from Sizzix, and then stamped with DI in Gathered Twigs with a Timmy stamp from Holiday Wishes.

A K&Co bird diecut, overlayered with Glimmer Glass from Tattered Angels.

Alphas are a mix of American Crafts and October Afternoon. Some fussy cutting of the Glitz paper.

The Kaisercraft chippy flower is slathered in LSG embossing powders and topped with a Glitz rhinestone.

 You can see that I've been using lots of older products.....trying to make room, and keep my New Year's resolution from 2011 going!! So far, so good!

Hope you enjoyed!

Lynne

Java

How do you like your coffee? Black? With cream? With milk? With sugar? With both? Maybe you use another type of sweetener, like honey, sweet 'n low, etc.? For me it depends, at home, I use a quarter of a teaspoon of sugar, and some half 'n half. At work we have powdered creamer.....and that's just enough, cause the first ingredient on the list is sugar! No surprise there. I cannot drink it black, I find it too strong.

But maybe you prefer your coffee cold. Like Starbucks' Frappucino? McD's Frappes? Or maybe you like Dunkin Donuts' Coolattas? My preference is Tim Hortons!!! Yeah if you don't live in Canada, or the northeast, you won't know what I'm talking about! Love, love, love their coffee, hot or cold!! But, I live in Florida, so, I drink McD's at work, but splurge on Starbucks when I go out shopping, etc.

Speaking of, today is shopping day........hair cut, RX pick up, printer ink pick up, summer clothing shopping spree, post office to drop off a box for my DD, Starbucks!! And then there's Joanns! Today is their Grand Opening in Vero Beach. It's only about a 20 minute drive, and guess what? It's NOT Michaels!!!!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I like Michaels, but, it's been the only scrap/craft store around for 2 years now. I can probably tell you everything they carry, that I would use. And as far as scrappy products go, NOT much has changed in those 2 years! So, I'm making Joanns, my last stop, cause I plan on being in there for a while!!!!! Definitely need fabric to make a little curtain, and some lace, and I need to look at all of their scrappy stuff, and alterable products! Yeah, I could spend some big $$ in there!!

So, why all of the shopping, you ask? Vacation in 5 days!!!!!!!!!! Going to EL Paso!! Whoo Hoo!!!!!!! Can't wait to see my daughter, son-in-law, and Mason, my grand-son!!!!!!!!!!! It will be a surprise for him, cause he'll be in pre-school when I arrive!!! Yea!!!

Okay, enough of my blabbing.............

Java

Meet Arelys. Well, okay, you saw her in the last post! Anyways, Arelys, is my oldest son, Kevin's, long-time girlfriend! I was going to say that she's the newest member of the family, but that's not quite correct. It just so happens that it's really only recently, that I've been able to get pics of her....and that's cause I nabbed them off of her FB!!! So, she's new to you!

Okay, gorgeous Graphic 45 papers, from Steampunk Debutante, Le Cirque and Halloween in Wonderland! Of course I distressed, using both, Tim's and Zutter's distressers. A Martha Stewart punch, was used on the gold paper. And I did tons of fussy cutting!!

See the pic......I printed it on watercolor paper. My DIL keeps telling me that doing this, doesn't do justice to the pics or the LO's. What do you think? I'd really like to know!

The large metal flower is G45 and I embossed it with Lindy's Stamp Gang in Aurora Amethyst! Gorgeous color! Then I added a gold bead cap, turned upside down, and a little resin flower by Recollections. Hinges are also G45, and I left them alone, cause they match so perfectly! The cherry blossoms are from I Am Roses.

My title is from DCWV, and old as the hills! Bling flourish is from ZVA.

The little sign holder is a portion of a chippy from Kaisercraft. I inked it up with StazOn in Royal Purple, then layered Crackle Accents over top. Can you see the shimmer on the Wilton doily? Yep, LSG's Starburst Spray in Glory of The Seas Gold!

I think that's it for now......gotta get ready to go!

Lynne

Timeless

So I was supposed to do a vid of my scrap/craft room......it didn't happen! And for very good reason.....my son & his girlfriend are coming next week!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see them both!!!! Kevin, is the photographer of many of the pics I use in my LOs. I haven't had any of his pics for quite a while, as he's been in Puerto Rico for a year and half! Anyways, I've been cleaning, and organizing, and making preparations for their visit, sooooo, I promise, I will do the video as soon as I can!! BTW, we just found out they were coming, last weekend!!

Timeless

My daughter Ashley.....I love this pic of her!! Would you believe that I didn't write down everything I used for this LO! And it's been quite a while since I made it, so I'll do my best to tell you which products were used.

Of course BoBunny papers, and Coredinations carstock, which I sanded. I think the white cardstock is actually watercolor paper. I used the Spellbinders Lace Doily Motifs to cut the corner pieces. I just cut one in half diagonally, and stuck each piece in the left side corners. Here's a closeup...........

I love the look of the sanded cardstock!! So grungy and vintagey chic!!!

Some BoBunny accent pieces. The flower was made with the Lace Doily Accents. I used the edge piece, and snipped the bottom, and then glued it to a circle. I layered the cardstock, watercolor paper, BoBunny papers and a flower from I Am Roses, to make  it.

I was pretty impressed with how it turned out. It was my first time doing this, and I'll definitely do it again!

The title was typed onto watercolor paper, and cut with the Lace Doily Accent label, and layered over another accent piece, which was also sanded. I added a T!m Holtz clock face, and some flourishes, which I think were BoBunny cardstock stickers? I think.

All of the flowers and skeleton leaves are from I Am Roses. My faves are the gardenias and cherry blossoms!! But those curly roses are fast becoming a new fave!

The One About The Hose

This is as simple an LO as you'll ever see from me!! Definitely not my style, but it turned out pretty cool. I was having such a hard time photographing this LO, cause I layered a transparency from Dynamic over SEI paper....and no matter what angle I took the picture from, I would get glare. Ugh!!!!!!!!! If you look at the top middle portion, you can see the green leaves of the SEI paper....that's what the whole thing looks like. It's a very cool LO, I just can't show it to you that way!! Here's a closeup of the top section....it'll give you a better idea...............

The story behind this LO, is that my daughter Ashley & my grand-son Mason were here visiting us for a few weeks. On a Sunday afternoon, when my son Dan & his wife Carol came for dinner, one of our neighbors became ill, and paramedics were called. Well, Mason had to see the BIG trucks (here they also send a firetruck with the medics). So Dan took Mason out to the street so he could get a better view. Well the ambulance left, and the guys got into the firetruck, and pulled up to our driveway!! They got out, and asked Mason if he wanted to go inside and look around!!! They showed him everything, including the hose. Needless to say Mom was out there taking pics, well...............yep, they turned the hose on her (not hard). Of course Mason got a big kick out of this!!!! And I got some awesome pics!! Just wish I had one of Ashley getting sprayed!!! LOL

I think that's all for now!! I'm almost finished showing you projects from January!!!! And I still have to take pics of the about 10 more I've completed recently!!

Happy scrapping!!

Lynne

White Sands

If you read my last blog post, you'll remember that I mentioned I'd been re-organizing. I also said that I wasn't ready to take everything out and start over again. Well........right after I posted that, I started looking around my studio.......and........of course.....I had to figure out a way to make it work. At least make it work better, and still have some floor space! LOL It took me a full day of playing with graph paper and little furniture cut-outs, before I came up with a grand plan.

The very next morning around 6am, I started moving everything out!! It took about 8 hours, not counting breakfast & lunch, to get it all moved around. And now I just love it!! It's got a better layout, and there's floor space! I'm missing one small table that I want to use as part of my L-shaped desk. I actually ordered it from Target, got my confirmation, etc. and 3 days later, I got an email from them saying they'd cancelled my order! Ugh!!! Apparently they were out of stock. Really? They weren't out of stock when I ordered it!!!! I'm pretty bummed about it. So I'll keep looking around, and see what else I can find.

Anyways.......here's another LO that I completed right after Christmas. Yeah, I'm behind in posting!

White Sands

Paper is Prima and Webster's Pages, with lots of distressing and layering. Cardstock is from Bazzill. Doily is, of course from Wilton!

Not a great pic, but, the chippie is from Kaisercraft. It's slathered in Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays (Cosmopolitan Pink & A Bit 'o Bubbly) and T!m's Distress Inks  in Antique Linen and Tattered Rose, some Halo Pink-Gold Lumiere paint, Espresso Dimensional Pearls from Ranger and Stickles in Fruit Punch. I typed up my Title and glued it behind the chippy, after spraying with LSG Sprays.

I've used a Prima Antique Mirror over a Prima Flocked Rubon, and a K&Co diecut under the mat.

 

The
The floral spray is from Recollections. The newspaper leaves are also from Recollections, misted with My Mojito Green from LSG. The large white bloom is handmade from an old curtain, a scrap and a button cover, and one Prima flower center. I love that the fabric is fraying, it just adds to the overall effect. The pink ledger paper (Prima) doily was cut with the Floral Doily Motif from Spellbinders.

Here's a closeup of the flower. You can also see a bit of the stamping I've done with a Hampton Arts stamp, and Memento ink in Rich Cocoa. Pink roses are Prima. The little red blossoms were in one of my Swirlydoos Kits. The small green leaves are I Am Roses.

One more for the road.....................Applause

The birthday card I made for my oldest, Kevin.  Pretty simple. Lots of T!m products and a pleasant surprise! The red on the clock face is not intentional......it's a by-product of painting over black chipboard!!! Love it!!!!

I think I've been challenged......by PJ, to actually make some videos. Go check out her new blog, and watch some interesting AND funny vids!!! So.......I'm going to attempt it next week when I'm off. We'll see how it works with a point-and-shoot camera! Hahahahaha

Til next time,

Lynne

Ok, so I'm NOT dead!

and....I haven't fallen off the scrapwagon either!! LOL It's just that life has a way of getting your attention. I work in retail, and as you know, the holiday season is big business....so there were lots of extra hours worked during that time. Then I got very sick the week of Christmas....it took me almost 3 weeks to get better, only to get it back again about a week and a half ago!! So in all, I was feeling good for about a week or so!! Not fun! During the 'well' time, I planned on updating this blog.....but the weather would not co-operate with me, so that I could get pics done!! I really need to get a ligthbox!! If anyone knows where I can get one cheap, or how to build one (keep in mind....simple!!!), please let me know.

Anyways, I don't plan on leaving you hanging like this again, it's been way too long....so long, that I had to look up my Typepad password!! LMAO! Christmas is long gone, but my LOs aren't....so that's as good a place as any to start.......so grab a cuppa....this is going to be a long one! Oh, I almost forgot, the majority of the products used in these projects come from my Swirlydoos kit!!! Check them out!!

Santa, Define Good

A cute little pic of my Grand-son Mason, sitting on Santa's lap....and the only reason he went up there, was cause Santa was giving gifts out to the kids!!! Otherwise, he gets scared and cries!! This past year has been a rough one for Mom, Mason's made a few 'huge messes' that cost some big $$ to clean up!!! So this title is definitely apropos!

I love layering my papers, and the G45 and BoBunny papers were just perfect for this LO. I used a Martha Stewart snowflake punch to do Lisa's punched circle technique........love this technique! The Bingo card is my own design (minus the Santa sticker - Simple Stories), something I'm thinking about re-vamping, and putting on Etsy.

These Dusty Attic ornaments, started life as one piece. I cut them apart, and slathered them in Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray in Poinsettia Red Gold. Then accented with some gold Smooch, and Snow-tex. So if you're wondering how I remember all of that....well I do write down every product I use, for each and every project I make....I've got about 2 composition books full!

My title is American Crafts Thickers....my fave chipboard alphas, also accented with some Snow-tex. The border sticker is K&Co and I sprayed it with LSG Starburst Spray In Ponderosa Pines Olive.

I shaped a gorgeous Prima floral spray into a semi-circle, glued it down, and then added some small Prima Poinsettias in between. The large green poinsettia is from Ashland (Michael's). The I Am Roses skeleton leaves, were first misted with water, and then coated in Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing powder in King Midas Gold and embossed. The little dropplets of water actually hold the embossing powder in that shape, and it gives more texture to the leaves.....it's a real cool technique, which my pic doesn't capture very well. I have no idea who made the swirl (I didn't write that down...ugh!), but it's covered in gold Smooch  and Snow-tex. The little Santa bag sticker is also from K&Co.

All I Want For Christmas

Another cute pic of Mason, this one was taken by my DD Ashley.....I think she's got an eye for it!!

More BoBunny and Kaisercraft papers. The sheet music is vintage....love! More Martha Stewart border punching...lots of grunging of papers in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. I matted my pic, and then placed it over 2 huge snowflakes, they are real ornaments....from Walmart. The chipboard tag is from SEI.

So simple.......vintage book paper, layered over Tim Holtz/Sizzix diecut reindeer. Bling collar was in my stash, it could be Webster's Pages.

I was totally inspired by Lisa's Poinsettias, and wanted to make one for this LO. I was kickin myself for not purchasing those Spellbinders dies....cause of course, as soon as I wanted them, they were sold out everywhere! So I improvised....I found a free template online, and used that to make my smaller version. Of course I sprayed it with LSG Creme Brulee Cream, and edged it with Ranger Liquid Pearls in Bisque. The snowflakes in the center are punched from another Martha Stewart punch and misted with LSG Gator Gumbo Olive and edged in Adirondack Dimensional Pearls in Lettuce. The little pearls in the center are beads from my stash. The under petals of the flowers got the same treatment as the snowflakes.

My golden leaves are made from alcohol inked (caramel) vellum with another T!m die, and over misted with LSG Creme Brulee Cream!! If you try this technique, be careful when you heat set them (you'll need to as the spray doesn't soak in), as the paper becomes very brittle. So you'll want to scrunch your leaves first, and then let the heat take over the shape.

I also added another small poinsettia from Prima, sprayed with LSG Poinsettia Red Gold. Metal accent is from TPC Studio. Berry spray is from Petaloo. Diecut pinecones are K&Co. Little fern leaves are punched Bazzill cardstock using a Martha Stewart punch, and then inked with Ice Spruce DI. The metallic fibers around my pic is from Webster's Pages. Here's another view....

Just love how that poinsettia turned out!! It took me a few tries to get the look I wanted, but it was well worth the effect!!

So that's the only 2 Christmas LO's I've made. I plan on making a mini album with the rest of the pics (maybe another LO or 2). I have loads more to show you, but I'll space it out over the next week or so. Meanwhile I actually took pics of some new products for my Etsy store, and when I get them uploaded, I think I'll do a RAK....so stay tuned for pics!

Thanks for dropping by.....and leave me a comment. Since it's been so long, I'll start keeping track from this post, for the RAK!!!!

Love,

Lynne

 

 

 

Sweet Moments

So, I'm still having trouble leaving comments on your blogs!! But, I've got the guru working on it!!! Yep, he's stumped.....he tried everything I did, and nothing worked. Seems like it's a re-directing thing. Which means, that if your blog re-directs me to another page to leave a comment....I can!! If it doesn't re-direct me....well, that's where the problem is. Anyways, he's checking into it!! Hopefully it'll be fixed soon!

Meanwhile, here's one of my latest projects......

 
I love this pic of my grand-son!!! And not just because of his shirt!!!! LOL

Paper is Webster's Pages....love, love, love!!! I did a bit of fussy cutting (beige paper layered on the blue), and made the blue flower from Recollections cardstock, and my fave Cricut Cartridge.... Home Decor! Leaves were die cut using a Tim's Tattered Leaves die and embossed with a Sizzix folder (can't remember which one).

I used a lot of Tim products on this one, including the heart cut out of grungeboard, clock in chipboard, an ornate plate, a lot of distress ink, distress stains and alcohol inks on the WP resin heart.

Of course I had to add some flowers from I Am Roses and Making Memories. The little wood butterfly is Kaisercraft, slathered in Faded Jeans DS.  I also added a bit of glitz on the flowers and leaves, with some Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays and a touch of Ranger Stickles in Black Diamond, on the edges of the clock. WP alphas make my title.

This was definitely a 'clean & simple' layout for me!! Yeah, it's true, I love lots and lots of layers, and embellies!!

Well, that's all for tonight!! Working early in the am, so I'm off to bed!!

Happy scrapping!!

Lynne

Gentle As A Lamb

Wow!!! I just realized that it's been 3 weeks since I last posted!! Ugh....that's what preparing for inventory in a big box store, will do for you!!! But now, I'm on Vacation!!!! Doing the happy dance!!!!!

So what's new? Well, I've been putting some final touches on some new items for my Etsy Shop. I worked on a few LO's including the September project for Scrapbudz. And I applied for another DT position....this time at SEI. Nope, I didn't make it. All things considered, I'm not devastated!! Not that I didn't want it!!!!

Anyways....here's one of my newest LOs......

 
Lots and lots of older products on this one!! I went a little paper crazy last week, and ordered a bunch of new Prima, Graphic 45, Authentique, Glitz, and 7 Gypsies!!! I'll have enough paper to wallpaper the entire house!!!

I love this pic of Mason....and he's doing well. Talking a mile a minute, and driving Mom crazy!! Back to the LO....papers are BoBunny, October Afternoon, K & Company, My Mind's Eye and Tim Holtz. Cardstock is Coredinations. Minimal distressing, but lots of layers. And definitely not papers that most folks would put together, but I love the eclectic look, AND I'm using up my stash!!!

 
Chipboard Iron Gate is part of a set from Dusty Attic. I used a ton of Lindy's Stamp Gang on it. Starburst Sprays in Gossamer Gold, Ramblin' Rose Red & Jack In The Pulpit Teal. If you have not tried their sprays....you are totally missing out!! And we haven't even talked about their Magical Micas & Embossing Powders yet!!

Pointing Hand stamp is Tim Holtz....colored with Prismacolor Pencils and a touch of LSG's sprays over top. Decorative trim is from Hobby Lobby. Punch is an oldie, but goodie from Martha Stewart. I used a Sizzix embossing folder, Starry Night, on the Coredinations cardstock. Diecuts are My Mind's Eye and K & Company. Grungeboard Gears are Tim Holtz, with Distress Inks and LSG sprays over top. Stickers are Doodlebug Design, and Making Memories. The little acorn is from Love, Elsie. Brads are MME, Stella & Rose. I also added some Espresso Dimensional Pearls on one of the diecuts.

Since I didn't make the SEI DT, I thought that I would start sharing some of my projects......one at a time of course!

 
This one of my DD Ashley, Mason & SIL Mike, was made using all SEI products, except for a bit of inking & embossing. See the pinky butterfly..., yep metal filigree from SEI....he was copper colored!! I used some LSG Aurora Amethyst Embossing powder over top....love it!!!!

I'll be adding the new stuff to my Etsy shop this week, and then I'm doing a RAK!!! So stay tuned!!!

Imagine The Possibilities TCR #67

I am just playing everywhere this week!! These days, I'm loving to scrap along with various challenges. And I'm finally getting to play with The Color Room, and actually get my project in 'on time'!

Imagine The Possibilities

I have to admit that this one was challenging!! Besides the use of black, cement, chamois & mint green colors, which was totally outside of my comfort zone, the whole layout was just not working out the way I wanted it to. I almost gave up on it a few times!! I did walk away, and come back to it. I think it took me all day to just get on the paper, what I wanted. The problem was, that I really wasn't sure WHAT I wanted!!

 
Papers are Pink Paislee (courtesy of my Swirlydoos kit), except the green which is from The Crafter's Workshop. I used Pumice Stone Distress Ink on the Anthology paper. And then matted a Butterfly Garden paper & my pic, on some Best Occasion cardstock. Don't laugh....it was the only cardstock I had that went with my papers & the palette!!! I used a Martha Stewart punch on the edge, and added a 7 Gypsies tag, which I distressed.

 
Flowers are from Petaloo and I Am Roses, which I misted with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Spray in Long John's Silver. The Dusty Attic chippie was inked with Distress Inks and StazOn Ink. The bling is from White Blossom. The skeleton leaves were embossed with LSG Queen Sheba Silver, and the metal leaves are Tim Holtz, and a Prima metal flower that I cut with my Tim scissors!!

 
Love the film strip ribbon by Tim!! And I definitely needed it here!! And then I added more Tim Ideology pieces.

 
I think the easiest part of this LO was the title!! And so easy!! I used, again, Best Occasion (hey! I told you not to laugh!) chipboard alphas, which I inked with Bundled Sage & Peeled Paint DI. I used a Tim stamp & StazOn Ink in Jet Black over the DI. Then added some Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish over top. And then I glued my letters together to form one long strip. The rest of my title was made using Tiny Type alphas from Cosmo Cricket.

The great part about using the Best Occasion stuff (it's from Wal-Mart, in case you didn't know) is that I'm using up my stash!!!! Since the New Year began, I've only made one project where I didn't use some older stuff!! That's pretty good!! And all things considered, I guess my purchases from 7 years ago, weren't too bad, since I am using them!! Okay, so they're coming in handy...at times!!! LOL

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Life Is ......

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while, since I last posted. Situation normal.......you know the rest!! Aside from my daughter & grand-son being here, and computer issues a while back, my camera went nuts!! Long story! Suffice it to say, that whenever I would try to upload the umpteen million (exagerating!) pics to my computer, I would be told that there were NO pics on my camera!! Ugh!!!!!! This has happened at least 3 times!! On the last go round, I had about 150 pics, that just disappeared right into thin air. Needless to say, I really got upset about it, and vowed that I was done with it!! So I went and bought me a new toy!!! Although I would love to get a really fancy pro or semi-pro camera....I decided to stick with a point & shoot.......a Nikon Coolpix S4100. 14 Megapixels, 3.0 LCD Screen, Wide 5X Zoom, Touch Screen, HD Movie capability & the MOST important feature......Vibration Reduction!!  LOLOLOL

And of course, with all of the fun I've been having...if that's what you want to call 'fun'...I haven't been playing along with Linda at Studio L3, for Grungy Monday!! Wow I can't believe how time flies. It just feels like it was yesterday when I made the first tag. Hopefully, I am done with fixing &/or replacing equipment and tools!

Life Is......

The technique we're using this week is from Tim's Blog, January 2008. Check it out!!

 
A little different, but it is my grungy chic style! All supplies used are all things Tim, of course!! The Distress Inks I chose, were Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed & Shabby Shutters.

I think it turned out pretty cool, and it matches perfectly with a mini album I'm working on!! More on that in another post!

And I also decided that I need to get back into doing more challenges, especially of the layout kind. And what's the best place to do that at? The Color Room!! So I gave it a go, and made this LO of my DGS for their Palette #62.

Genuine U

 
I love the color Orange, but it's definitely a challenging one to scrap with!! I adore how this one turned out!!

Papers are from Glitz Design....GORGEOUS!!!! Main frame is punched with Martha Stewart's Large Punch Set - Wild Flowers. Sooooo glad I got this one at Mike's, with a 40% off coupon!!

Here's a few closeups....

 
I used Wild Honey DI on the Tim pre cut grungeboard and added some Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals in Cocoa Bean Copper over top. Some Ranger Crackle Accents and heat set right away to get that aged bubble effect. Some hemp cord around a Tim pin, glued over a spinner, and a large flat back pearl for the head.

 
I handmade the orange flowers with the pearl centers. More Lindy's ....mist this time, in Tiger Lily Red Orange. The orange Rose & the small Cherry Blossoms are from I Am Roses.

 
Love these leaves!! Cardstock is Bazzill, cut with Tattered Flowers die, misted with LSG Opal Sea Oats. Then embossed with Starry Night from Sizzix. A little DI over top and voila.....gorgeous leaves!

 
The alpha 'U' is from Tattered Angels....more misting and distressing. I had a leftover chipboard flower that I had used some flocking on...orange...how cool is that!! (yep, still using up my older stash!!) And a chipboard piece I diecut with Tim/Sizzix's Hardware Findings. There's sooooo many layers on that piece, that I can't remember all of the products I used. Def Tim's DI and LSG's Starburst Sprays & Magicals. Some crackle medium, and then more of everything on top!!

Well, that's it for today!! So glad I finally got to play along with both of these challenges!! Now I'm off to upload them!! Oh I alsmost forgot to tell you......I got those gorgeous papers in my Swirlydoos kit!! Gotta check them out too!!

Happy scrapping!!

Lynne

April Latte & Cream Challenge

Hi everyone!! It's that time of the month!! Noooooooo....not that!! It's time for the Latte & Cream Challenge over at Scrapbudz. DT Annette has definitely whetted our appetites for this challenge.......

Lemon Lime & Ginger Cheesecake

 
You can use these colors: lemon, lime, mango & beige on a latte or cream background.

And here's my layout.....................

 
Love that color combo!!

 
Easy peasy flowers, and not too girly for this LO of my DGS Mason, just before his first haircut!!

 
And one more........

 
So head on over to Scrapbudz, and link up your Latte & Cream project. And of course, there's an awesome prize for this month's winner!! Check it out!!!

Me, I'm off to bed!!

Love ya,

Lynne

Supplies:

Papers – SEI, 7 Gypsies & Basic Grey;  Alphas – My Mind’s Eye & Cosmo Cricket; Ornate Frame, Distress Inks, Distress Stickles, Tattered Leaves Die – Tim Holtz; Bingo Card – Jenni Bowlin; Tag cut from K &Co paper; Vintage Sticker – Glitz; Small Flower – Making Memories; Punch – Martha Stewart; Rubon – Fancy Pants; Lace – Prima; Key – Dusty Attic; Circle Dies – Spellbinders; Matte Accents – Ranger; Ink – StazOn; Buttons – Stash; Glitter Mist – Homemade

 

My Core'dinations Creative Frenzy

Hi everyone!! Thanks for stopping by!!

I have questions for you....do you think much about about your cardstock? Do you buy one specific brand, or do you just pick up any old cardstock? I have to admit that until about a year ago, I really didn't think too much about it. I usually bought cardstock for the colors. Mostly, because I used it only for matting my pics. So what changed? Well, I was at my LSS, and was looking for a specific shade of red......that's when I found Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock!! OMG!! It's just gorgeous....and embossable, sandable, distressable, and just plain fun to play with!! Still leery? Check it out.......

Spring Basket

 
Basket is built around the base of a chipboard box from Michaels. Cardstock is from the Super Assortment 'Nostalgia' pack and the Core Impressions: Graphic 45 Timeless Collection. Here's a few closeups......

 
 
 
 
Young Love

 
I used Nostalgia & the Core Impressions: Jenni Bowlin Collection for this LO of my DD and SIL. And some closeups...

 
 
Water Baby

  
More of the Nostalgia & the G45 collection. And some closeups......

 

 
 And a couple of cards........

 
 
Awesome cardstock, isn't it?!!! Love it!! I had a blast making these projects, and can't wait to make some more!!

Love ya,

Lynne

 

Sweet Dreams for Scrapbudz

Hi everyone!! I'm so excited to share my first DT project for Scrapbudz!!  And so happy to be joining such a talented group of ladies!! Check out their blogs:

                                                    Eve -- owner

                                            Vanessa -- sketch designer

                                                        Annette

                                                         Nicole

                                                         Leticia

                                                        Jasmine

                                                         Kerry

                                                        Marelle

                                                          Holly

                                     Congrats to all of the new DTs!!!!!

 

Here's our challenge......... Vanessa's gorgeous sketch:

 
And here's my interpretation.......

 
My grand-son Mason at about 2-3 months old!!! So love this pic, taken by my oldest, Kevin!! Check out his blog here.

I'm trying to stick to my resolution of using at least one older embellie/paper on my projects.....so far I'm doing pretty good!! Lots and lots of older products on this LO, including the paper by DCWV. Loving that Prima packaging behind the photo mat!! Rubons, stickers & diecuts from SEI. I liked the SEI clouds so much, that I decided to make some larger ones to hold my title. Alphas are My Mind's Eye Lush, and they're flocked....so beautiful!! And the red ones are also SEI. Punch is Martha Stewart. The little hot air balloons were just too cute to pass up...I had to include them!!

 
I made the larger flowers with more DCWV & Core'dinations. Glimmer Misted the lot and added pearl (Martha) and flower centers (Offray). The red flowers are Recollections that I misted with Chalkboard Mist by Tattered Angels. The other 2 beauties are of course, Prima!! Oh...those leaves, again misted, are Recollections....loving those!!! The little pom-pom fringe is Greenbrier Intl.

Almost forgot to tell you...I printed the pic on watercolor paper.......I've done this a number of times, and I'll definitely keep doing it. It adds such an ethereal quality, that you just can't get with photo paper.

Well, that's it for me tonight. It's been storming all night, and I've had to type this post 3 times already. The power's only gone off once, but Typepad, is not being cooperative!!!!

Happy scrapping!!

Lynne

A Few Projects & A Design Team

A few days ago, I received an email from Eve the owner of Black With 2. She had already chosen the new DTs for this blog. Was I disappointed....yes, but not for long!! Why? Well, Eve asked me to DT for her other blog, Scrapbudz Scrapbook Boutique. How awesome is that!!! I am honored to be part of the team!! And I'm definitely joining a very talented group of ladies!!  Thanks Eve!!!!!!

My new position starts on April 1st! It's been a while since I've been on a 'creative' deadline. But I'm totally looking forward to it, and I can't wait to get started!!

I did update my blog, with all of the new team info and blog links. Check out the <----- sidebar. And I will also post the new blinky, as soon as I can get it to work......technologically challenged here!! Please do take some time, and visit the Scrapbudz blogs. I also made some other changes (minor), and I'm planning on changing up my gallery......sometime in the near future.

So, I am going to share the projects that I submitted to Eve.....I'll keep the wordiness short!! LOL as if I can do that!! But I will keep the closeups to a minimum.

Tranquillite

 
Gorgeous papers!!!! The Moonrise Collection....this is one of my fave collections from SEI!!! LOVE IT!! I actually 'saved' it for months, before I finally decided to cut into it!!! How crazy is that? I just thought it was too beautiful to use up! The pic of my DIL, Carol, was printed in sepia on watercolor paper, and then distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The little black velvet leaves......were flowers from Heidi Swapp......I just cut them apart into sections of two. The filagree butterfly is also SEI. Lace trim is Prima, felt trim is Recollections (see note), the foil border strip is Jolee's & the vintage whatnot is from Glitz.

 
The peach and the black & white flowers were cut from the pp. I made itty bitty flowers with the buttons & sequins that were included in the SEI kit. The bling is also Recollections and the larger leaves are made from one of my fave 7Gypsies paper. I love it so much, that I buy a few sheets everytime I see it!!

Remember

 
I punched a bunch of circles and layered them under the punched (Martha Stewart) circle mat.  You can see the Heidi Swapp black velvet flowers peaking out from under the glimmer misted Prima flowers. I used Basic Gray & Graphic 45 papers. I added a few K&Co and G45 diecuts, as well as some October Afternoon stickers.

 
My title is also stickers from OA. The seam binding is from Bluebird Lane Etsy.  And there's a few odds & ends everywhere.

Forever Happy

 
Love this pic of my DD Ashley....I think my DGS Mason took this pic, when they were at the airport waiting to go back home. I sanded part of the background because I really didn't want suitcases & stuff showing. I then stamped all over the sanded parts, with various Inkadinkado & Anna Griffin stamps. This LO is a bit different then what I usually do. I kept everything in the center to keep the background cleaner. More SEI papers. I used Lumiere paints on the title, which is a piece cut from a Dusty Attic chippy, another from K&Co, and on the the Tim/Sizzix birdcage & bird. 
I love how these handmade flowers turned out. I used more SEI papers....double sided cardstock, and I love the bits of green peaking out. I used a bit of broken china Distress Ink and some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist, and added Recollections mini roses, also misted, to the centers. The leaves and bling are Prima. Bits of Tim Holtz, Martha Stewart pearls, Glitz sticker, and Tattered Angels.

Waiting

 
Pics of Mason are also at the airport...he was totally mesmerized by all of the hoopla outside of the window. I used My Mind's Eye, Prima, Onirie & SEI papers. Bits from Heidi Swapp, 7Gypsies, Sandylion, Martha Stewart, Greenbrier Intl. Distress Inks from Tim & paints from Folk Art

So here's my note...... 

Have you noticed how much more Recollections stuff there is at Michaels now? I was really getting frustrated with this, cause they were replacing the higher end products, such as Prima, with their own brand. Well, about a month ago, I was in there shopping, and they had lots more new stuff from Recollections. Not only more, but better quality, and much, much prettier than what they started with. I really didn't think I would ever say this, but I'm impresssed!! I'll still buy Prima, ZVA, etc, but I'll also get Recollections!! Bonus is that their stuff, is definitely less expensive!! Have you experienced the same thing? And are you buying the Recollections products? Nope, not getting any $$ from Michaels, just wondering if I'm the only one who feels this way.

That's all I have for today....and now it's time for me to go play some more!!

Happy scrapping,

Lynne 

Graphic 45 Projects

 
Hi everyone!! I'm sure that it's no secret that I'm applying for the Graphic 45 Design Team!! Definitely something that I could not pass up. Why? I love their papers! There bold and subdued, wild and sweet. You name it they got it!! Love that I can use them for any type of layout or project, from clean & simple to retro romantic chic, and everything in between!!

So here, are my submissions, in no particular order:

Graphic 45 Card

 
A Proper Gentleman Frame

 
Steampunk SpellBinders Die Holder

 
A big Thank You to Arlene at My Butterfly Kisses for this awesome idea!!

Unique

 
Le Romantique

 
 Lil Men

 
Spools

 

 Beach Babe

 
Love Wall Decor

 
Goddess With A Smile Box

 
Grand-mere & Gilles

 
Domestic Goddess Card

 
Life Deconstructed

 
I Wish

 
Precious Mason

 

That's all 15 of them!! Well if you count the spools as one, that is!! I had so much fun making these projects. It's easy when you have such gorgeous papers! And making the Graphic 45 Design Team would be the bomb!! And a dream come true!!!

Love ya,

Lynne

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

Mom & A Resolution

I haven't made very many LO's of my Mom.....for the same reason that I don't scrap myself. It's a weird thing, but, neither one of us photographs very well. For that matter, neither did my Gma (Mom's Mom)!! So, there are not very many pics of us, because, well.....we don't like having our pictures taken, for this very reason!!

Strange thing is, that we were on Skype last night, with DD & DGS (for the first time!!), and video seems to be okay. Neither one of us looked like we were ready to kill!! Yep, that's exactly how we photograph!!

Anyways, I did find one pic of my Mom, from last summer, that I scrapped. Here it is......

 
Pic turned out great.....pic of LO is off!! Okay, so I got an artist easel for Christmas, the kind that opens up to about six foot tall. My Dad thought that it would be easier to take pics, while standing up, instead of having to bend down & over like I was doing!! Soooo, I'm trying to figure out the best angle to take my pics, and apparently, I still need to work on that!! But not with this one......I've photographed this LO about 10 different times already, and I'm not doing it again!!

I made this  shortly after Christmas, with the November Swirlydoos kit!!! I know! Can you believe that I hadn't used up every piece before then? Well, I saved up some of the House of Three/Pink Paislee & Heidi Swapp papers for something special. I think that Mom is special!!

I cut a small strip off of the Heidi Swapp paper, distressed and inked the edge, and then added a border from the House of Three paper behind it. Love the combination of colors. I've been finding that I'm using colors that I've rarely used before...such as yellow!! I've always found it to be a very hard color to work with!!

So here's a closeup of the frame.....

 
I cut the frame from one of the pp, and stickled (is that a word) all of the black, and then raised it with sticky-back foam, and tucked in some black ribbon blooms from May Arts.

 
The butterfly is K&CO, and those little daisies, are Martha Stewart, and are as old as the hills!!! One of the first embellies that I bought a few years ago!!

I guess that's part of my New Year's Resolution ......use what you've got, and use up your stash!!! I have way too much stuff, and it's gotten to the point that I forget what I have. Honestly, it's hard to go back and use up what you have.....especially with all of the new gorgeous products coming out!! But I'm working on it......I'm attempting to use up at least one older embellie on each new LO/project that I make!!

All of the stamps are from the Rockin' Renaissance collection from Tattered Angels. LOVE these stamps!!! Alphas are from MME's Lush collection.

 
Another fave (maybe I should do a post on that!), the birdcage die from Tim!! This time, I used some packaging from a Jolee's bead pack!! I love that it was already printed, and shaded. I just used a bit of Distress Ink on the edges. The little bird was made from scraps. Flowers are handmade. I mixed up a few flower tutorials from Lisa at What A Beautiful Mess to get the look I wanted. I used cardstock from SEI, yeah it's not doubled sided......older piece, but the white breaks up the yellow a bit. I cut the flowers with the Home Decor cartridge on my Cricut. I used a bit of homemade glitter mist, and then added some aqua beads for the centers and stickled the edges. 

Here's a better closeup of the beading.....

 
The dangles.....love this!! Again using up my stash. The large black dangle is one piece from Blingage by Teresa Collins. I took it apart, because the whole thing was just too big. And yes, that also came in the kit. The itty bitty journal card is also House of Three/Pink Paislee.

Okay, one more......

 
Have I told you, how much I love these stamps? OMG! Yes, they're on the small size, but the detail on them is amazing!! Brad is also MME from their Lush collection.

So that's it for today. Remember, use up your stash!! Mix your oldies with your newbies!! Start using up all of that stuff you've been saving for something special!! And in the process, you'll gain room for more!!!   LOLOLOLOL

Love ya,

Lynne

Back from El Paso

And why, you ask, did I go there? Well................

To see Ashley & Mason, of course!!!! Miss them big time, already!!!!! This pic isn't from my trip, but I thought that it was appropriate, since it's from their road trip to White Sands, New Mexico, and I haven't processed my pics yet. I actually made this LO, two weeks ago, just before leaving. Guess I was already there....well, in my heart, anyways!!

 
Can you tell that I've been trying to use up my stash? Lots of older papers & embellies here. If you're anything like me, you know I gotta make room for new stuff!!

 
And I sent a sh*t load of papers & embellies to Ashley, before Christmas.....still have more to deal with!! And.......I bought tons of stuff while I was there!! We spent about 2 days just doing some scrappy shopping!! We found one store that carried just about everything Tim, Prima, 7 Gypsies, Graphic 45, Webster's Pages!! OMG, I died and went to Heaven!!! I really had to stop myself from buying everything!! But I did get some Tim dies that have been sold out everywhere, and some gorgeous blooms & bling from Prima. Can't wait to start using them!!

 
I had a wonderful time with DD & DGS......we shopped, we ate, we scrapped. We went to the zoo, spent some time at Fort Bliss, played with Mason, watched movies, and scrapped some more!! And I taught Mason some new words!! He's just too cute, and lovable, even if he is in the Terrible Twos!!

Oh yeah......I didn't make the Webster's DT. Honestly, I really wasn't expecting to and that's okay. I'm definitely going to keep trying!!! Here's one of the LO's I sent them......

 
Here's a couple of closeups......

 
 
I'm not going to bore you with the long list of supplies used. Mostly, cause I don't feel like typing it up!!! LOL.......and besides, I have scrappy stuff waiting on me!!

Love ya,

Lynne

PS, if you really want to know about any of the supplies or techniques.....let me know in the comments

 

 

Retrospective

Warning: Pic intensive!

So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon!! Quite a few, of the many blogs that I visit, are doing their top ten (twelve) favorites for 2010. Sounded like a good idea....but not so easy to do!! I have so many faves, that it was really hard to narrow down. Plus, I wanted to show you where my inspiration comes from, so that made it even harder to pick which LOs or projects I wanted to show. But I got it down to twelve! Yes, twelve....there was no way I could do just ten!

I also decided to show them to you in alphabetical order, by name, of those bloggers who have most affected my work. Again, no easy task, as there are sooo many!!

So here we go.......

Charlene at Paper and Ink Playground. Love all of the gorgeous cards, gift boxes and sets, that she makes!! I would never have thought to make something like this gift card holder, were it not for her.

 

Denise at Vintage Scrappin. Denise's LOs are stunning!! She has a knack for adding gorgeous details to all of her projects. I'm sure that she's not aware, of how much of an influence that she has been on the evolution of my scrapping.

 

 
Dyan Reaveley at Art and Soul. Love her quirky style and sense of humor!! Dyan is an art journaler; and she says it like it is. Of course, she inspired me to do this LO.

 

Ingvild at Spinnvild. That woman is so talented!! Her style is fresh & funky, and filled with beautiful flowers, and embellishments.

 

Irene at Scrapperlicious. Her style varies so much, and I love it!! Just when I think that I've figured out her style, she does something totally different. I never know what she's going to come up with, and that's motivating!

 

 
Karola at Karola Kraftuje. Love her gorgeous LOs and projects!! No matter what products she uses, her projects are always romantic & very feminine.

 

Lisa at What A Beautiful Mess. If you've ever wanted to make your own flowers, or you want to learn some new techniques....this is definitely the blog to go to!! Awesome tutorials!!

 

 
Lynne at The Next Best Thing by Lynne. From romantic to clean & simple. From vintage to retro. Lynne's style is all her own!! Gorgeous projects and LOs, from a fresh perspective.

 

Melissa Phillips at Lilybean's Paperie. Full of vintage, romantic, sugary, glittery projects!! Amazing projects, for any occasion!

 

Paulien at Paulien Van Den Bosch. One of the first blogs I came across. Love her style!! This woman does it all, and does it very well!!  

 

 

The Snobby Walrus DTs. These ladies are some of the most talented scrappers around!! I learned a lot while working with them!! Check out their blogs..... Birgit, Ilene, JJ, Keri, and Ria.

 

 
Tim Holtz. What can I say....the man is uber talented!!!

Thank you all for sharing your LOs, & projects!! For being real, open-hearted and quick to share your ideas and techniques.....you've changed my life, for the better, in more ways, than you'll ever know. Thank you!!

I'm sure that there are many, many more scrappers & bloggers, that have inspired me over the last year!! But these are by far, the best & most talented folks out there!! Soooooo, check out their blogs.....I know you'll be as inspired as I was!

 

Love ya,

Lynne

 

 

 

Snobby Walrus Sneak....Sort Of & Denise's Blog Candy!

Short post today......I have re-typed this post & lost both copies, twice already, due to technical difficulties with Typepad!! This time, I can honestly say that, 'I didn't do it'!!!!

Check out JJ Sobey's blog, one of my DT sisters, at Snobby Walrus, she just posted a sneak peek of the September Kit!! Awesome LO!!  Needless to say, I thought that I should post one too!! But.............I'm posting an LO that I made with the scraps & leftovers from the kit!! Papers are October Afternoon, Onirie, Sassafras Lass & My Mind's Eye. Tickets are My Mind's Eye, Alphas by Cosmo Cricket & American Crafts. Pompon fringe by Fancy Pants Design, and Flowers by Prima & moi.

I cannot remember where I got the idea for the chipboard flowers.....but thank you to that person!! I love this technique!! Please let me know who you are, so I can give you proper credit for it!!

I had some old Basic Grey naked chipboard, and I covered it with My Mind's Eye 'Regal' scraps. Huge distressing with an emery board, and then I added some embroidery floss from DMC, between the petals. Stacked 2 of them together, added a brad & voila....flowers! Here's a closeup......
Did I mention, that I LOVE this technique!!!! BTW, Typepad does NOT like small pics......everytime I try to resize them smaller than a 4" width or height, it goes beserk!!! Ugh!!!

On to the fun!!!!!!!!!

Check out my scrappy pal, Denise's blog candy!!!! Awesome!!! You know, she can count me in!!!!! Love it!! Soooo many embellies, soooo much fun!! What are you waiting for.....go enter!!

BTW, September 9th is my First Blogoversary....sooooo come back & check out my RAK!!

Love ya,

Lynne

 

Rosette Swap

Whoo Hoo!! It's time for the Rosette Swap at Gypsy Brocante!! Although swaps are not something that I do often, every once in a while, you just gotta do it!! This swap is my second in the last year, and I have to say that I have enjoyed participating in both!! The Rosette Swap is def up my alley....I love flowers!!

My partner in the swap is Victoria Resh at Things I Learn From Bear....check it out. From reading her blog, I can see that Victoria is an avid scrapper & craftsperson, someone much like myself!!

I was sooo excited when I received Victoria's Rosette!! I had just got home from work and was dead tired, but I couldn't help myself....I had to have a peek!!

Imagine my surprise when I saw this little beauty!! Victoria....your my rosette is just stunning!! I love it!! I haven't crocheted in years, but I know that this took some serious time, and I am very appreciative of your handiwork!!

Most of you are not aware that I will be moving (same city) very soon......and will be decorating.....a girl's gotta change her style & colors every so often. And this will be the perfect time!! Anyways, my point is, that I was thinking about doing red in my living room!!! And my plan for the rosette is to attach it to a pillow for my sofa....very chic!! I know it will turn out beautiful!!  And I will def post pics, when I finish it!!

I just love the depth on the flower, and that huge pearl!! The colors will be perfect for what I have in mind!!

This next pic, is what Victoria received from me:

And a closeup of the flower......

Thank you Victoria!! And thank you Jill!!

Happy swapping,

Lynne

So, You Call This A Vacation?!! And More Snobby Walrus

WARNING   WARNING   WARNING

Very Long Post Ahead

So, grab a cuppa, you'll be here for a bit!!

So obviously, I'm going on vacation! Actually, I am on vaca right now.....it's 2:30 am, I just got home from work, and here I sit typing, when I should be sleeping!! I was on the schedule to work, and was planning on doing the normal 8pm to 8am, but getting a little concerned that my peer would/would not be there for his scheduled day on --> we had our yearly inventory this week, so schedules were messed up. Anyways, my manager told me to come in, see if the other Assistant showed up, do some evals and then leave -----> He showed up!!! S W E E T!!!!!! Sooooo, I'm just not tired right now.

So here's my plans for the next 22 1/2 hours.....shop for clothes to take on vaca, take pics of September DT projects for Snobby Walrus, upload and PhotoShop all of the pics, write up my blurb about each project, send to the OverLord, do my QOTD & SQOTD for Posh, do laundry, pack, get AAA for DD & SIL, get & print directions & maps from MapQuest, and sleep!! All before 1 am Sunday!!

Wait....it gets better......wait for my parents to pick me up....3:30am and drive me to Orlando airport about an hour and a half away (you haven't had to drive with them, and in the middle of the night too!!), go through the normal airport security & airline procedures, and get on the plane. Fly to Burlington, Vermont......meet DD Ashley & DGS Mason, and drive to St. Albans, VT. Then visit with SIL's family for a day or so.

Not so bad right? W R O N G!!! Drive 1900 miles back to Florida, in one overpacked car with DD & DGS, who by the way is 22 months old and can put the Energizer Bunny to shame, and two cats!!! Ugh!!!!!!! All so she can meet hubby and spend a bit of time with the rest of the family, before they drive another 2000 miles to El Paso, Texas, by September 5th, where SIL is being stationed!!

Sooooo, would you call this a vacation? Me neither!! BUT, I do call it love, and I would do it everytime and anytime for any one of my kids! Even if it means that they have to leave me, to live their lives. They are and will always be my most prized possessions!!

Wait......and then, DS Kevin is moving......he's going to San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 5th, to be with the love of his life!!!

Sooo, that leaves DS Dan & DIL Carol, who have just bought their new house!!! They will moving at the beginning of September as well.

September is turning out to be the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. Will it be easy, NO! Will we like being apart from each other, NO! Will we get to see each other often, NO! Am I sad, NO! ....wait ....really, I'm not. I am very thankful, that we've had all of these years together, and I will cherish all of those memories. But it's time for all of us to move on and get on with our lives.

Why? I'm 50 years old, for crying out loud.......I want my own place....alone!!!! With a scrap/craft room!!!! Without having to clean up after anyone but myself!! Without having to remind anyone that it's time to pay the rent!! Without having to ask someone to move their car, so I can go to work! It's about time don't you think?!!! LOL

NOTE: If you are reading this, and are one of my children, please disregard the above paragraph!! It was never intended to offend you, just to smack you right dab in the middle of the face!!!!! 

Really, you think I hate my kids? Not!! But, I am looking forward to this change.

And this story, really does get stranger & stranger......I will leave the rest of it for another post!

BTW, did I tell you the deal I made with DD? I told her, that I would do all of this with and for her, but, that we HAVE TO STOP at, at least one good SCRAP STORE on the way back to Florida...that's the way it is!!!!!! There, I put my foot down, didn't I? As if....she loves those places as much as I do!!

Okay, enough of that, onto Snobby Walrus...........

6 mos.

DD at about  5 1/2 to 6 mos pregnant, a nice little stroll on the beach. Another beach goer, actually asked her 'if she was trying to bake that kid'. It must have been 90 degrees in the shade that day, and we were taking it all in!! Love this pic!! And the look of printing it on a subtle pretty paper by Fancy Pants. Here's a closeup......

You can see the various floral patterns, as well as the writing on the paper, it does give it a bit of a vintage look. Flowers and starfish pendant are all Prima. Alphas are American Crafts. Diecut images are Graphic 45 from the 'On the Boardwalk' collection.

Stickers are EK Success, and shell beads are from my stash. 

I used a Martha Stewart punch on the white cardstock, and then Glimmer Misted over a Glimmer Screen...all Tattered Angels. Lace is May Arts.

Sea horse is from EK Success, which I also Glimmer Misted with several colors. The journal card is Webster's Pages. A little bit of TH Distress Ink around the edges. 

Notes To Self

A very inexpensive (25 cents at Wal-Mart) composition book is covered in Glitz paper. Slathered in Prima, May Arts, and handmade flowers from various scraps.

Bits of Tim Holtz Ideology findings, buttons from my stash, alphas from Cosmo Cricket and a handmade bird.

This is another sneak at what's coming in my Etsy shop (more on that in a later post). Beautiful trim from Webster's Pages, which I Glimmer Misted. A bit of bling from Michaels, and a sticker (ornate frame) from Hambly Screen Prints. Large orange sticker alphas are from Sassafras. 

About the Etsy shop......I have a lot of product already made, my shop is actually open, though there is nothing to purchase at the moment. So, what's the problem, why haven't I stocked my shop yet? Uh, hello, vaca....and no one here to send out the lovelies!!! Can't really ask anyone to take over right now, as they are all moving!!! I promise, it will be stocked as soon as I can after my little trip to Vermont!!

And so, I will leave you with this question........Would you move back in with your parents?

Love ya,

Lynne