A Little Sneak Peek

I was asked to be the Guest Designer for Creative Scrappers. The sketch I did will be for the week of January 11, 2009. If you get a moment, check out their blogspot http://creativescrappers.blogspot.com/ There's always a new sketch to try, challenges to participate in...lots of fun and activity! Here's a little sneak peek at the layout I did for the sketch for January 11..... As always, I appreciate you stopping by...and would love to hear from you! Hugs! Susan

December Kit work for My Creative Scrapbook

I'm such a bad blogger! I have every intention of stopping by and posting a new blog entry at least weekly, but life just gets so busy, I just can't seem to find the time. I did want to stop off and post my most recent work for My Creative Scrapbook. The kits this month are just beautiful! I love the main kit with the Little Yellow Bicycle papers!

This is Allen and Helen Grace...as you can see, Allen is very excited to talk with Santa...Helen Grace just wanted to get away from him! I did a little hand stitching on this layout...very time consuming, but definitely worth it!

More cute photos of Helen Grace. These were made right after she started walking. The ornaments are chipboard covered with paper and then I covered them with glitter...gotta have sparkle at Christmas!

These photos are of my three grandsons on Christmas Eve 2006. They were so excited...can you just imagine the excitement of three...yes, three.....3 year olds!! Definitely brought back some sweet memories!

This is my daughter, Traci when she was almost 4 years old. I turned the photo to a sepia tone to give it a vintage look...although it was made in 1979! This was made with the Cosmo Cricket Christmas papers...very vintage type papers!

I have to admit when I first saw this kit, I wasn't too crazy about the paper...but I love the way this layout turned out! Sweet photos of three of my grandchildren on Christmas 2007. This was one of the add on kits from My Creative Scrapbook. The papers are My Mind's Eye Christmas paper.

This layout was with the same kit...I just love these photos of Allen and Jacob trimming the tree. They "helped" again this year for about 3 minutes, then they were off to play...chasing each other through the house. Helen Grace, who is 3, was helping decorate the tree and was taking the job seriously....on one race through the living room, the boys bumped her and she ran after them into the bedroom and told them...."Jacob and Allen, you need to stop running, I'm twying (trying) to decawate (decorate) the twee!" We all got a big laugh from that...mostly because she was so serious! This is a sample of cards that I made using the three kits...I really like the card with the Santa stamp on it.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you'll visit again soon. I'd love to hear what you think about the kits/layouts.

Merry Christmas to ALL!

Susan

TIME FLIES.............

Yep! It really does! Seems like yesterday, I was posting the layouts from our October kits at My Creative Scrapbook! This month was a little difficult for me since I was away from home working all month! What that means is...these layouts were a bit of a challenge for me. I knew I'd be working on these layouts while I was staying in a hotel somewhere in Mississippi....(and it definitely wasn't Somewhere Over the Rainbow!!!) No kidding, I saw at least 3-4 deer EVERY day while driving back and forth to the Bank! Okay, enough of my chatter, let me tell you about these layouts. This is a layout of my beautiful niece, Sarah. Sarah and her mom (my sister) were visiting my Daughter in Alabama...another very small town. These photos were actually taken at an old, old cemetery there. Lots of beautiful wrought iron and columns! The papers in this kit are Crate Paper - Prudence. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the "lacy" borders. The black swirls are Quickutz swirls. I added touches of bling to the flower and to the swirls. The journaling is printed on some of the patterned paper and then cut in less than perfect strips...inked heavily and doodled on. The journaling is an old Irish blessing. If you click on the pic, you can get a close up and read the journaling.

Ah.....my beautiful (yes, boys can be beautiful!) grandson, Adam. This is his serious look. He get very focused on something when he's really interested in it. I tell him his serious look means that he's "in the zone"! These papers are also part of the Main Kit from My Creative Scrapbook. I added touches of bling....flowers, and a butterfly on this "masculine" page! The butterfly is a QK Monarch butterfly that I inked and added bling to...love the look of that!

This little cutie is my daughter's niece, Erin! She has such a cute little grin...and I just LOVE those dimples! Very mischievious...this one! These papers are from the Creative Kit for November at My Creative Scrapbook. Lots of fun working with these papers!

This layout is more photos of another one of my beautiful grandsons - Jacob. My son's children, Allen and Helen Grace were having a birthday party in October and they rented this bouncy thing for the kids. We really had a bunch of pooped out kids after an afternoon of bouncing ...bouncing...bouncing!!! This layout is also made with the Creative Kit for November from My Creative Scrapbook.

If you haven't checked out the kits....come on over and check us out. We'd love to have you join us!

Thanks so much for dropping by....I'd love to hear from you too....so leave a note!

Hugs! Susan

October Kit Work for My Creative Scrapbook

The October kit from My Creative Scrapbook is AWESOME!!! I love the Bo Bunny papers and all the flowers, bling, and ribbons! The chipboard alphas are "sparkly". Head on over and check out the kits for October....there are several to chose from! This is my adorable granddaughter, Helen Grace. She can be such a girly girl...and in the next second, she's just as rough and tumble as her brother and her cousins! I edited this photo in Picnik - which is an online photo editing program I use sometime. The bling is by a fabulous new company called Zva Creations. I used lots of rubons, too! I shaped the curved edge of the flowered paper with my Bo Bonny flex ruler....that thing is really cool! I've probably had it for a year and just forget about using it!

Just a little "happy" card! I used scraps from my layouts to create this card. I inked each of the squares and glued them to the front of a prefolded card. The "hello" is some of the felt alphas that came with the October Main kit. I used my zig pen for the dotted edges of each block. The flower I cut from the patterned paper and pop dotted it on top of the flower on that square.

This is our home. We moved to this house in March 2005 after living at the "old" house for 24 years! Do you have any idea how much "STUFF" you can accumulate in 24 years? Geesh! It took forever to sort all the junk! Got rid of tons of stuff expecting our new home to be very neat and orderly. The new house looked bare for a while (considering it was a good bit bigger than our old house)...but, wouldn't you know it...I've managed to fill it up and it only took me 3 years! The title "blessings" was a chipboard title that I painted and then I outlined the letters. The quote and the red scalloped border are sticker borders that came with the kit. The word "home" is actually stickers! I backed them with black cardstock. The way they are designed, they look like they are 3-D, but they really are stickers and they also came with the kit! I loved the flowers, rubons and bling that are in the kit this month!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by! As always...I love your comments...so post away!!!

Hugs! Susan

I've Been TAGGED!

It seems that I've been "tagged" by the sweet, wonderful, kind, considerate, beautiful (aaaaaagh ~let go of my throat) VEL! No....really....I meant EVERY word of it....really, Vel...

So, here are the rules:

1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.

2. Link the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

Being blogger challenged as I am....I sure hope this works! Here's to you, my friends! Consider yourselves TAGGED! And thanks for entertaining me with your blogs! 1. Gabrielle - my scrappy friend! 2. Jennifer Priest - I always learn something new from her blog! 3. Nic - Lots of beautiful work and scrappy ideas! 4. Helen - I've traveled around the world with Helen! 5. Robbie - my scrappy friend! 6. Susan - Scrappy Susan, that is! 7. Julie - yeah....that's the one! I've met all the wonderful ladies (not you RJ) through the scrapping world. Each of them bring fun and laughter into my life in on way or another (Julie...you're the other). Take a minute to visit their blogs...leave them a comment. Everybody needs to feel "loved"! ~even Julie~

New Look

I've given my blog a little facelift. If only it were that easy for me! Once I changed it, then I realized that I would have to redo my header, then I changed my "tunes" to pink. After flipping in and out of my blog a few time, my music was beginning to get on my nerves...and I wondered if it bothered everybody who stopped by my blog as much as it did me....so.....I changed that too. Now, if you'd like to listen to my tunes while you're here, just scroll down and click on the arrow to play. Changing out the blog was a lot more work than I thought it would be. I had to figure out how to change the font colors so that they showed up. Yep! It's been a real learning experience. I've done a little scrapping this weekend and tried out something new I'd been thinking about. I wanted this layout to look like peeling wallpaper. I'm not sure I really got exactly what I was trying to do, but this is close. This is a photo of me taken in about 1956, that I scanned and changed to sepia tones. I added hidden journaling behind the large photo mat. It tells a little about why I was dressed up like this and a few memories that I wanted to jot down for my children. Thanks so much for stopping by! Leave a comment and let me know that you've been here!

My Creative Scrapbook - September Kit

No...there's definitely NOTHING ordinary about my grandchildren! And...there's lots of them! LOL! I drew the frame I wanted and hand cut it, then put a yellow border around the inside and outside of the frame. The big white flower is stamped with a "vine" stamp and then I layered a yellow flower and a black flower on top. The button was perfect for the center. The swirls are Quickutz. The title lettering is Quickutz - Nutmeg. This layout was designed using the September - Creative Kit from My Creative Scrapbook. The word "grandchildren" was made with sticker letters included in the kit. I LOVE this line from October Afternoon!!

My darling grandchildren, Katie and Adam. This layout was designed with the September Creative Kit from My Creative Scrapbook. I drew my swirls on the navy cardstock, then pierced it with a piercing tool so that I could stitch with the yellow embroidery floss. The kit has tons of lace in it....and the pretty yellow ribbon too! The butterfly is a stamp from a previous kit that I stamped on the yellow floral cardstock and cut out. Did I mention all the cool rubons and flowers? SOOO much to play with in this kit!

My grandson, Adam, at Pensacola Beach this summer. I journaled on the photo before printing it. The font is a Quickutz - Nutmeg. The shells are stamps that I highlighted with chalk and back with black cardstock. The fancy edges on the Pink Paislee paper was just perfect for this layout....and this too was completed from September's main kit at My Creative Scrapbook. The Main kit is just FULL of great scapping goodies!!!

My maternal grandparents sometime around 1920 which was about 5 years before my mama was born. Another layout using the Pink Paislee papers from the main kit at My Creative Scrapbook.

This is my parents when they had only been married about 18 months. They had been married for 54 1/2 years when my Daddy died....definitely the forever kind of love! This layout was designed using the Main Kit from My Creative Scrapbook...FAB kit this month!

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my new layouts....and if you'd like to check out My Creative Scrapbook to see what everyone else is doing....here's the link: http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/

As always...I love to hear your comments! Hugs!

Susan

A Bit of This and That.......

As we draw to the end of another month, it reinforces the notion that the older you get, the faster time flies! This week has been a great week. For starters, I was working close to home this week and was home every night! I never realized how wonderful it is to be home, until I took this job that keeps me traveling all over the southeast about 38 weeks out of the year! There's definitely something to be said for being able to relax at home...as opposed to sitting in a lonely hotel room, somewhere in a city where you don't know anyone....sniff...sniff!! Are you feeling sorry for me yet? LOL! We went to dinner with Traci and Jacob on Tuesday. Jacob will be four in December and he really enjoys calling Grandma on the phone. I got a voice mail on Tuesday from him telling me he wanted catfish for dinner at David's (a local catfish restaurant). The funny thing is, Butch and I had just decided Tuesday morning that we would go to David's for dinner that evening....then Jacob calls and asks about dinner at the same place! Of course we took them with us! We're still working on our "restaurant" voice. It's so cute when little ones believe that EVERYONE wants to be entertained by them! ...and another thought...it's much cuter now than it was when MY children were being loud in a restaurant! Wednesday night, we went out for barbeque with Matthew, Nichole, Allen, and Helen Grace. I'm not a big fan of this particular barbeque place, but everyone else is. Allen and Helen Grace were excited to see us. As we were finishing dinner, my daughter-in-law prepared two small dishes of banana pudding for each of the children. Helen Grace (at 2 1/2) seemed to be having a little trouble eating hers with just a big fork, so I asked her if she'd like for her Grandpa to help her (he was sitting right next to her). She said yes...so I moved her dish of banana pudding over toward Grandpa. She stood up in her chair (the kind that turn over easily) and I said to her...."Helen Grace, you need to pay attention to what you're doing, so Grandpa can help you with the banana pudding". She turns around..still standing in the chair and gently pats her Grandpa on the shoulder with her precious little grimy hand and says...."Grandpa, now pay attention.....okay?" I swear, that child just cracks me up! Since it's the end of the month, it's time again for another new kit from My Creative Scrapbook. I've finished four layouts, two bookmarks, and a card, using the Main Kit and the Mini-kit. Still have one more layout and a card to finish....so I'd better get back to work! Thanks for stopping by...leave me a comment...I'd LOVE to hear from you!

Gee, it's hard to believe that another month has already gone by! It's time for the reveal of the August kit from My Creative Scrapbook. If you haven't checked out our site...take a minute and come on over. We have a FANTASTIC contest going on right now....and it lasts until the end of August. The prizes are great and we have a very special prize that is HUGE! Check out the thread where we've posted the photos of all the FAB products!

The top layout is our great-grandson, Nolan. It's hard to believe he'll soon be 2 years old! He's changed so much since this photo was taken! The middle layout is our beautiful grandson, Jacob. This paper from October Afternoon with all the cute deer on it was just perfect for the photo. Jacob definitely has that "deer in the headlights" look on his face! The last photo is just a card I made from scraps I had left over from the kit. I used a little stamp and some rubons...super easy!

Take a minute and drop by to see us!

I've Been Tagged by StacEy!

1. Two names you go by: Hmmmm...guess I need to keep it clean....Mama and Grandma (these ARE my major roles in life!) 2. Two things you are wearing right now: Cropped pants (which are a little snug...UGH!), black sandels, shirt ...and the usual assortment of undergarments.....Being specific here is probably not necessary..... LOL!!! 3. Two of your favorite things to do: Scrapbook (DUH) and I read constantly! (oh......and a "small" confession here...I am somewhat addicted to my Gameboy DS...cause it travels well!!! sh.....I don't share that often...cause most people think that "grandmas" are TOO old to play with handheld games!) 4. Two things you want very badly at the moment: TO BE HOME!!!!!! and to be THIN!!!!!!! Not loving my chunky fat body right now!!! 5. Two Pets that you have or have had: No pets now...OH wait!!! Does DH count????? NO???????? Well in that case... my last pet was a minature pom named Muffin and before that a toy poodle (for about 6 months) named Puddles (any guesses WHY????) Gave him AWAY!!! But before Puddles....my sweet little silver toy poodle....Teddy Bear...and he was a teddy bear! 6. Two things you did last night: Sat in my hotel room...all alone....feeling sad.....cause I don't even get a decent phone connection here!!!! Oh...and spent a little time leaving some love for my friends at sb.com.....and My Creative Scrapbook... 7. Two things you did today: Spent the day at the Bank working....only because if I don't work, it cuts into my scrapbooking budget!!!!....then I spent 1.5 hours driving to and from the bank.......I'm SOOOOO ready to be HOME!!!! 8. Two things you ate today: Hamburger and fries (refer back to # 4.....wonder WHY I have a chunky body??????!!! LOL!) 9. Two people you last talked to: My DH, Butch, and my DS Matthew 10. Two things you're doing tomorrow: DUH! Working (again!!!) Hopefully, I'll finish up and HEAD HOME!!!!!! 11. Two memorable vacations: Please understand that memorable does not necessarily mean FUN......without going into a LOT of detail...the kids were teenagers....and the trip was long...but it became fondly referred to in our house as the "Vacation from Hell"!!! In fact....I'm pretty sure it was our last "family" vacation! LOL!!!! and......DH and I take trips to Sanibel Island off the west coast of FL about every other year...nothing really special....lots of quiet time.....nothing to do.....and ALL DAY LONG to do it!!! 12. Two favorite holidays: Christmas and Thanksgiving....mostly cause it's always been all about family!

Check this out!

Just wanted to share the layouts I designed with the fantastic kits from My Creative Scrapbook. I love the bright colors in the Leap layout....it just screams "SUMMER"!!! And I know it looks like Katie is walking on water...but trust me...she's NOT! LOL!!! I just somehow managed to capture Jacob, Adam and Katie in mid jump.....gotta be quick to catch a shot like that! Then in the Strike a Pose layout...my darling granddaughter, Helen Grace is just the cutest thing! (of course, I might be slightly biased! LOL!) I LOVE the photos of the three boys in Oh Say Can You See. This layout just kind of took on a life of it's own....and fell together in a snap...and these photos were soooo perfect with the title! In the All American Boy layout...that would be my handsome grandson, Adam...and yes...he most definitely is our All American Boy! Rough and tumble are words that definitely describe all three boys. Katie is at that in-between stage (age 9)...when she doesn't know if she wants to be a 9 year old or a 20 yr old and flucuates between the two...LOL!!! ....and then there's Helen Grace....why, she is just a girly-girl!!!

Thanks for stopping by....and I'd love to hear your comments!

DaisyDs New Chloe Marie Line

This new Chloe Marie Collection is just gorgeous! Here's a couple of cards I've done for DaisyD. The most difficult part of making these cards was chosing which piece of this beautiful paper I wanted to cut into! LOL!!! On the I Love You card, I added some swirls that I cut with my Quikutz 12" die....and pop dotted the flowers for a 3-D look. The scallops I cut with my corner rounder....you should really try that...it's super easy! On the Thank You card I pulled out some of my really OLD paper shaper scissors....victorian...and trimmed the bottom edge of the solid color and the patterned paper. The "thank you" is a stamp from Close to My Heart. The flower is one of the MANY die cuts available with the Chloe Marie line....all I did was add a few doodles and placed it on pop dots....I really enjoyed working with this collection...and can't wait to get a layout or two completed....

Thanks for stopping by....

Busy, Busy, Busy

The month of June really flew by! I've been on the road with my job every week this month...and that's really tough! I find that working and traveling really cuts into my scrapping time!!! LOL!!! Then when I finally get home, I rush off to my scraproom and hibernate! Of course, this month I have done four layouts and two cards for My Creative Scrapbook that had to be completed by today....I have a Daisyd assignment that must be completed and mailed by Monday, I have two grandchildren with birthdays this month...gotta make cards....Just finished my layout for the Winter issue of Scrapbooking and Beyond.....I decided to participate in another circle journal....and I haven't even THOUGHT about that yet!!!! Yep! It has definitely been a busy month....oop...June is over..now I've got to work on July stuff!!! DH had a birthday yesterday....I think he had a nice day. We went out to dinner with our son and DIL....Bonefish Grill...YUMMY!!! I did get a card made for his birthday....even though I didn't finish it until about ....oh......11:30 pm on July 1!!! Nothing like cutting it close!!! LOL! Thanks for stopping by....hope everyone has a great weekend...and for those who celebrate Independence Day (July 4)....Have a GREAT DAY!!!

Layouts I love!

Have you checked out all the beautiful paper collections at Cosmo Cricket?? This patterned paper is from the Love Notes collection and is one of my favorites! (but I may have a new favorite when I open my new Fleuriste I just bought this week!) This is a photo of my beautiful niece, Sarah. The photo was actually taken at a cemetery..but the softness of the photo was what got my attention. The quote is printed on a transparency and reads: "It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart." I've tucked a little journaling card behind the big mat (it has little hearts on the edges) and it reads: Sarah, you were such a beautiful baby girl and now you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. This quote is so true…your beauty captures one’s attention, but your personality definitely captured my heart. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with you and watch you develop into a beautiful young woman. Your personality is a delightful combination of your Mama and your Daddy…..and it suits you well. I love you, Sarah, and I’m proud to be your Aunt! The flowers are Prima and the chipboard is Fancy Pants.

This is a layout made with the Wanted Collection. I used strips of the brown to make a belt and one of the die cuts for the buckle. I thought the background paper had a very "outdoorsy" look to it and was perfect for these "farm" photos of my grandchildren, Katie and Adam. This was just one of the MANY photos we took that day....and we owe a big thank you the the nice lady who lived there and allowed us to use her yard for our photo session!

For the layout "Bittersweet Memories", I used the "Wanted" collection. The woodgrained paper was the perfect choice for this layout about the house where my children grew up. I did so much journaling on this layout that I had to attach it to the back of the layout! We had so many good times in that house....but home truly is wherever you are with your family! For the layout "Just Chillin", I used the Souvenir Collection. I love the greens...and the pattern in the paper gave the the idea to cut the pattern. I love this paper with the black and white photo of my grandchildren! Then just for fun, I added the metallic dragonfly circling overhead!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

MORE Free Stuff!!

Here's another one for you.....just come on over to My Creative Scrapbook http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=74&hl= If you haven't registered...register....then tell a friend...then email Pam and let her know. Simple! For each friend you bring over to register....and leave a comment on the forum...you'll be entered in the drawing for FREE prizes!!! How EASY is this!!!

Here's Your Chance to Win!

We all love a challenge...and we all LOVE free stuff! So head on over to the Daisyd blog and check out the mini-tutorial I have posted there! Great information...AND...a chance for you to show us your beautiful layouts that you've made with DaisyD paper collections!!! Here's the link....so head on over. I'd love to hear your feedback on the tutorial, and look forward to your layouts! http://blog.daisydspaper.com/ If your post doesn't show up immediately...don't worry. Give it a day...DaisyD reviews all posts before linking them to the blog (that's to eliminate possible spam)..... I'll be waiting for you!

Up for a Challenge???

Do you like a challenge.....would you like the opportunity to win prizes??? Come on over to My Creative Scrapbook and check out our Sketch Challenge!!!

YOU could be the winner of this fabulous prize package. SO....come on over, check out our challenge, upload your layout showcasing Liz's sketch...

Can't WAIT to see your layouts!!! http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=47&hl==

May Mini-Kit

The May Mini-Kit is now available from My Creative Scrapbook. The kit is absolutely awesome. Lots of tags, flowers, rubons, ribbon and LOADS of beautiful paper. This month features Scribble Scrabble. These layouts (check it out...ALL three) were made from this kit as well as a card...AND....I still have enough supplies to make about 2 more layouts!!! WOW! So...check it out at the link below...What are you waiting for....CHECK IT OUT!!!

http://www.mycreativescrapbook.com/index.htm

MY CREATIVE SCRAPBOOK

The website for My Creative Scrapbook is up and running!! Here's the link.... http://mycreativescrapbook.invisionzone.com/index.php? This is the page where you can register as a member of the site. SO...get registered, join in the chatter, upload some of you gorgeous layouts...and by ALL MEANS....Check out our monthly kits...You'll definitely want to order them!!! Be SURE to stop by and check it out!!! New kits every month and loads of inspiration from the design team!

Check it Out -- My Creative Scrapbook April Kit

As I mentioned earlier, I was selected for the Design Team for My Creative Scrapbook. My Creative Scrapbook is a kit club that offers the most outstanding kits you'll find anywhere! These are the layouts I made from my first kit from My Creative Scrapbook. Here's the link... http://www.mycreativescrapbook.blogspot.com/

These layouts were all made from the wonderful papers and embellishments included in the April Kit. To get your kit......go to the link above for information on how to order your kit and take a peek at all the items included in this month's kit!

This was a lot of fun to create with...so check it out!!

New "Stuff" in my Life.....

The last few months have been sooooo much fun!!! I was selected for the Daisy D Design Team in December 2007. We've been sent lots of products to play with...and I'm having a WONDERFUL time!!! Soon I'll be posting to the Daisy D blog. Daisy D just put out an idea book...another first for me. My photo and bio are included and 3 of the layouts I completed with the new Wonder Years Collection! Life is Great!!! I'm finally "published"!! I had my layout "Someday" published in the March issue of Scrapbooking and Beyond. Seeing my layout in a magazine....WOW! great feeling!!! Then last week I found out that I'd been selected to be on the design team for My Creative Scrapbook. This is a kit club that will be in full swing by the middle of April! I'll soon be receiving my first kit....can you say "EXCITED"!!! Like I said.....Life is GREAT!!!

We took a day trip to Kimberly's yesterday. It was also Adam's 4th birthday. I took lots of photos, which I hope to get scrapped soon. These two are a couple that I was trying to work on my depth of field....the first photo is shot up through the limbs of the bradford pear tree and the little purple flowers are VERY low to the ground. I actually had to lay down on the ground to get this shot...but it turned out okay...

My Flowers

The plants in our front flowerbed are in FULL bloom!! Just playing around with the camera and working on my "photography" skills!