Online crop productivity

Its been a little hard to actually get to a scrapbooking crop lately so I was able to join in at an online crop at Scrap Shotz (http://www.scrapshotz.com/) this weekend. Loved being able to "scrap" with others and complete challenges. Here's what I got accomplished. This one was for a Clean Energy challenge. I'm so tickled about this layout. Its based on a box that I got Owen's first pair of Umi shoes in. Loved the color scheme and graphic look of it so I kept it. Just made with Bazzill and my cricut.

This layout was a bit more time consuming cause I dragged out my sewing machine. My mom would be so proud. The challenge was to do a patchwork denim layout. I used my 6x6 pad of Basic Grey papers, Fancy pants transperancy/chipboard, Making Memories blossoms/denim brads, my cricut, SU! cardstock and plastic flowers.

This layout was for the "knock off'" challenge. I had to do a direct lift from the gallery. I chose a layout done by Jillian and loved how this turned out. Photo of Owen is by Adrienne Ulliac. Papers are by 3 bugs in a Rug, Jenni Bowlin, bazzill cardstock, October Afternoon journalling card, SU! diecuts, Pebbles Inc. chipboard, Bo Bunny brads, Heidi Swapp ghost heart and stickles.

This layout was done for a Ruffles challenge. I used Bazzill, Bo Bunny papers and brads, SU! ribbon, Heidi Swapp flowers & ghost heart, Martha Stewart punches and stickles.

This layout was for a 80's Big is Better challenge. Sorry Dena I had to use a photo from the 80s and this is what I had. Love the mullets, eh? Scribble Scrabble papers, Bazzill, Martha Stewart punches, Scenic Route chipboard, Prima flowers (I think) Doodlebug stickers.

some craftiness going on :)

So Abby and I found this super cute idea in a scrapbooking magazine (Scrapbooks Etc.) and decided to modify it a bit for her Valentine's treats for her classmates. We made it a bit more simple than what was shown in the magazine but it totally worked and looks super cute! All you do is punch 2 scallop circles out of cardstock (I used spellbinders nesties for mine) and punch a circle out of white paper, add a cute word stamp (7 gypsies) and a heart (Stampin' Up!) use tape to adhere both scallops to the flat lollipop. Embellish with ribbon. Super easy and it makes a cute Valentine for her classmates. Best thing is I only had to buy the lollies as I had all the other supplies. Big surprise.

These portfolios uploaded backwards but you'll get the idea. I managed to get some 7 gypsies large portfolios from a scrapbooking store that was going out of business for $2/pack. I ordered 3 cause I thought "well I have 3 kids I'll do something with them" . Open the package and find out that they come 2 to a pack so now I have 6. I used up 3 and I'm not sure if I'll use the others, if anyone wants them let me know :)

So basically I altered them so that each kid could have a place (meaning I could have a place) for all those papers and stuff that are important like swimming report cards, certificates and various bits of their lives. Not saying that everything goes in there, I'm still a purger by nature. Boy that sounds bad but I can't keep everything. Too much stuff sucks the life out of my house (except in my scrapbooking room, that's sacred)

so each kid has one now, complete with their names curtisy of my cricut (winter woodland font),
their picture and some cute paper.

it was also great to use up some stash that I had laying around. Like these diecut papers, never quite knew what to do with them but had to have them. Now they are used and I'm happy :)

Ethan's portfolio includes his Yellow belt certificate from Tae Kwan Do and his Honorable Mention certificate amoung other things.

Yes, I did use my labeller that Ron got me for Christmas ;) love that he gets me.

Inside of Owen's. Not much in his yet, except his baby dedication certificate.

And just a layout that I did for the fun of it this weekend. I had made a mental note to take a photo of Owen in his crib before he outgrew it. Such a bittersweet moment, going from the crib to a real bed, moreso cause he's my last baby. Sniff, sniff.

October Afternoon papers & journalling card, SU! ribbon & cardstock, chipboard word from my stash that I have no idea where it came from.

I have actually other layouts to share but can't right now cause they are on deck for a class that I'm teaching in the next month or so. I'll post some sneakies soon.

This picture tells a story

It may not look like it but it does. It says its been so nice outside that the boys and I have been walking through our bush almost everyday. Which in turn means that *I've* been getting exercise! How can I not when I'm always pulling between 2-5 kids ;) On another note I've begun to exercise again and it feels great! Every muscle I have, and didn't know I had, is sore.

Back into the swing of things

I'm finally starting to feel like my old self again after being so sick with a bad throat/sinus infection + cough. It seemed like this sicky season hung on for a very long time. I can't believe how much energy it sucks out of you to be sick. And how much energy you seem to have once you get better :) I was very happy to head over to my sister in law's on Saturday to scrapbook. It has felt so good to get back to doing what I love to do. I brought the November Memory Workshop kit and just printed out some photos and a tool kit. Sometimes its so freeing to limit yourself to a few supplies. I did bring some extra basic cardstock for myself just in case.

Very weird to use AC thickers again. I haven't really touched them since I got into the habit of using my cricut. It does require a bit more planning of titles and such because you are limited to a certain amout of letters.

I've got so many brads of all different colors that I decided that I need to use them up more. So I accented the scallop around my journalling block (circle) The white thickers didn't come from the kit, but my stash.

I did this layout at home and I did use my cricut to cut the squiggle from the calligraphy cartridge. I put pop up adhesive behind it and cut out the label style journalling block from a rectangle. I used the Scenic Route chipboard words as my title.

Love this photo! My cousin Adrienne took it (www.photographybyadrienne.ca/blog) Loved the little onesie that Owen had on that day. It came from The Children's Place and says "Chicks dig me" :)

This photo was taken on Christmas day and shows my kids at they're typical behaviors. I just love documenting stuff like this!

Scrapping in the new year...

After being so sick and busy I've finally got a chance to scrapbook this holiday season. My monthly kits have been piling up and making me feel guilty so I figured time to bust them out. This was the October kit from the Memory Workshop. I had to scrapbook Ethan's main obsession with joke telling and basically anything humorous. I don't think that he ever starts a conversation without saying "Do you know what's funny?"

This was a photo from this past Easter. It was so great to get a photo of my mother in law and my son :) I'm totally loving the jillibean soup journalling spots (in kraft and white) such an easy way to add your journalling.

I'm a huge fan of fall photos and always seem to have an abundance of them. Loving how the glitter chipboard accents the photos. (glitter chipboard is by Pebbles Inc.)

I just picked up this cute paper from Jillibean Soup and I thought it was perfect for this oversized photo of Abby. I wanted to bring some color to the kraft and brown combo so I added this cardstock from Stampin' Up! (Tempting Turquoise) that really brings out Abby's eyes. A little bit of Prima pearls and a journalling spot to finish up. I added some butterfly punches (Martha Stewart and Cuttlebug)

In an effort to use my cuttlebug embossing folders more I added a strip of embossed paper (houndstooth) as a mat for my photo. This papers are from the September Memory Workshop kit. I had to change the alphabet stickers because the color wasn't right so I colored them in. The photo was taken by my cousin Adrienne (www.photographybyadrienne.ca/blog)

Same kit but I wanted to document a part of my daily routine that was very important to me :)

This photo just makes me smile. Its crazy hard to get a good photo of my 3 kids so I take what I can get. I really liked this kit, the colors were ones that I found easy to work with.