**EXCITING NEWS**

I'm so happy to share that I was selected as part of the new group of designers for Creative Scrappers! Looks like I'll be part of a great group of scrappers.

Links for this new team of scrappers are located here.

Trish Harwick - USA

Renata Moni - Brazil

Suzanne Torr - England

Myia Manghum - USA

Yuka Hino - Japan

Jenn DiPaolo - Canada

Annelie Maddock - New Zealand

Julia Stainton - Canada

Avina Lim - Australia

Edith Ezanno - Canada

Susan Goetter - USA

Aphra Bolyer - USA

Annette Lose - Australia

Jennifer Shaw - Canada

Kerryn Lawson - Australia

Our first reveal will be June 9...stay tuned for more details! Until next time....

Hugs!

OLW4 - Add a ribbon Challenge

There's a blog I follow...Simplicity. Each Wednesday, Susan (I love her name!) posts a One Layer Wednesday Challenge. I admire her cardmaking skills and one day (when I grow up) I will create cards just as cute as her's! Her cards inspire me to get off my duff and create some super-cute cards. Simplicity is the key here. The cards are simply (HA) adorable! I can't wait to check out Susan's blog every day to see what new gems of wisdom she has to impart.

Making a card with just one layer really stumps me sometimes! For those of you familiar with my scrapbook gallery, you KNOW I always have to keep adding "stuff" to my layouts. I just cannot seem to achieve the negative space layouts that I love. It's the same with making a simple card.

Here's a perfect example. One layer with a ribbon - Right? Well, for this card, I was doing fine until I started adding bling and pearls. ~sigh~ I'll keep working until I get it!

For this second card, I did a little better. I stamped it, colored it with my Copic markers, added a ribbon...then quickly... LEFT THE ROOM!

LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by....Until next time...

Hugs!

Sugar-White Sand Beaches

Speaking of white sand beaches....here along the Gulf Coast, I'm afraid we might be losing our beautiful white sand beaches to the huge oil spill in the Gulf. When I found these adorable photos of my grandson, Jacob, I knew I wanted to scrap them right away. I'm also glad that we have these great photos of the "white" sand, before it is gunked up with oil!

I used the new Seaside collection from Websters Pages....and BIG surprise!!! This layout was chosen as the banner of the week at Websters Pages Ning site!!! YAY! Okay...I get excited easily! LOL!

The background paper is shaped with a postage stamp edge. I cut the luggage and the hot air balloon from another piece of Websters Pages and attached them to the layout with pop dots for added dimension. The title letters (exploring) are thickers, and the red letters are Websters Pages sticker letters. I also added a little doodling. There are coordinating stickers between the top photos and on the pull out journaling tab. Photos were taken at Pensacola Beach in 2005.

Thanks for stopping by.....until next time...

Hugs!!

***More GCD***

Recently I was given the opportunity to create with some of the fabulous GCD Lydia collection. This is another layout I've completed from that collection. This one is all boy! I love how the papers were so perfect for the "John Deere" layout!

The little tags at the top were some pictures I found. The big tractor is from a photo and I cut it out and put it on pop dots. I stitched some "tracks" for the tractor wheels and added a little faux stitching around the yellow background. The title letters were cut with the Silhouette and mounted with pop dots.

These photos are three of my grandsons - Adam, Allen, and Jacob. We were at the Jay Peanut Festival (we live in the country - what can I say!) The festival had 20+ John Deere tractors displayed and these boys climbed on almost every one of them! We also had the opportunity to taste-test boiled peanuts (YUM!), fried peanuts, roasted peanuts...and of course, we bought a few green peanuts to bring home with us to boil and freeze. YUM-M-M-M-Y!!! Nothing better than a salty boiled peanut. (I've been told that's a "Southern" thing! LOL!).

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time...

Hugs!

***BLOG RAK WINNER***

We have a winner!

I'd like to say thank you to all who participated in our blog hop, and hope you'll come back and visit again!

The winner was post #13.....

Congratulations Sandy!! Please send me your address by clicking on the "contact me" envelope in the top right corner of my blog. Again...congrats and thanks for stopping by!

Quick and Easy Birthday Card

Just a simple little birthday card. A little stamping, a little coloring (with my Copics) and some glitter all over the flower for a little sparkle. I made this card for a challenge that I saw at Simplicity blog for a One Layer Wednesday Challenge. I love that blogspot. FULL of ideas for making cards.

With 5 children and 16 grandchildren - I need LOTS of cards! So the quicker the better for me.

This card was VERY quick...and I just love the way it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time....

Hugs!

Ideas for Scrapbookers....Blog Hop (and RAK)

Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Thanks for joining the Ideas For Scrapbookers blog hop today. If you've been hopping along, you just came from Sarah's blog where you learned about medical issues that accompany autism. If you've just joined the hop, you can get a list of all the participating Artists here. I'm going to be sharing information about the treatment autism.

Right now, the main research-based treatment for ASDs is intensive structured teaching of skills, often called behavioral intervention. It is very important to begin this intervention as early as possible in order to help a child reach his or her full potential. Acting early can make a real difference! Some of the approaches may include:

•Occupational Therapy

•Physical Therapy

•Behavior Modification

•Communication Therapy

•Social Skills Therapy

•Dietary Modification

•Medicine

•Sensory Integration Therapy

To learn more, please visit Autism Society of America

Thank you for hopping along on our Autism Awareness blog hop. We hope that you have enjoyed learning more about this issue that affects so many. If you missed some of the blogs, please go to the Ideas for Scrapbookers site where you can find a complete list of the participating blogs.

Leave me a comment so I'll know you've stopped by. I'll be drawing a name (on April 30)from those who leave a comment and sending out a little RAK. Have a great week, and until next time.....

Hugs!

Pssst.....

I know a secret....you'll need to come by on Monday to find out what it is......

GCD Studios is Featured....

on Ideas for Scrapbookers blog. GCD was generous enough to sponsor our design group at IFS by sending each of us their GORGEOUS Lydia collection. You just have to take a look at all the fabulous creations the contributing artists showcased. Thanks Heidi!!!

Here's a couple of layouts I made using the Lydia collection. I absolutely LOVE these papers! (I must admit, this is the first scrapping I've done in about 3 months, and I really struggled trying to scrap. I seem to have lost my scrapping mojo.)

These photos of Jacob, Allen and Helen Grace were taken at the park just a few weeks ago. I love how well these papers match the photos! The tire swing and little people are some Me and My Big Ideas stickers that I've had forever!

This is a photo of my mother and her siblings and their spouses taken sometime in the 1970s. The only ones still with us are my mother and a couple of her sister-in-laws. I cut the flowers from the Lydia paper, put them on pop dots and then added button centers. I added a touch of 3D paint and a little stitching. (I might add that the stitching was VERY difficult to do with my left hand! LOL!!)

Take a minute and pop over to Ideas for Scrapbookers and check out the designs from the other contributing artists!

Until next time!

It's a Special Day

It's been two months now since the surgery on my right thumb. Slowly but surely I'm getting the use of my thumb back. There are still MANY things I can't do, but the list is getting shorter every day. I began my therapy (exercises) a couple of weeks ago to build back strength and flexibility. VERY painful, but I have to do it if I want to be able to have full use of my thumb again.

However...that is not what I was going to write on my first blogpost since surgery. Today is a special day....

Today is our wedding anniversary. We've been married for 29 years! Some days it's hard to believe it's already been 29 years...and other days it seems more like 40 years! LOL! Lots of ups and downs, we've been happy and sad, and we've shared lots of laughter and tears. With all we've been through in the last 29 years, I can definitely say...he's a keeper!

Here's to you and your special someone....have a great day...make it special!

Until next time....

Hugs!