BIG NEWS!

A couple weeks ago, I found a design team call on Pamela's World of Scraps. I completely forgot about it and late last night, I got an email, I was chosen!! Since she has officially made the announcement, I am free to share my news, here is the post! It is a myspace group called Scrapbook Challenges. I cannot tell you how excited I am, it has over 1500 members! There will be weekly sketch challenges and 2 weekly challenges provided by the DT members. If you like challenges, you should go check it out, there is a current sketch challenge going on right now.

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I have already done my layout for the sketch, and have until the end of the month to design my challenge layout, I am still thinking of ideas! I will post my sketch here each week, when the challenge goes up.

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It is funny, as soon as I start thinking my stuff stinks, something cool happens, 2 days in a row!!! Thanks for letting me TOOT!! I hope this is the beginning of bigger things!

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Ok, seriously, this is my last post till after the weekend. I am off to pack, charge batteries, find tripod (just moved), shave all over since we are going to a water park, and get some much needed sleep! Have a great holiday weekend!!

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Just A Few More Before I Leave Town

Of course, it figures! As soon as I think I am caught up, more challenges popped into my Reader-LOL! I really enjoyed these too!

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This one if for Making Lemonade. This challenge blog helps us use those imperfect photos. This one was to use a blurry picture and incorporate the reason it is blurry into our layout. My reason is pretty obvious, these 2 were flying by at what seemed to be light speed! lol

I used Bazzill cs, Bo Bunny paper, Walmart chipboard letters, Bazzill chipboard which I inked and dotted with Stickles, and brads. Pretty simple. I also got to play with photoshop and learn just a little bit more about it. I had accidentally used a date/time stamp and was stuck with the date on the photo. I crudely used the paint brush tool and colored over the yellow stamp. I even figured out how to make the image smaller and print it on a 4x6 at Costco!.

This is for Method Playground. We were supposed to make an element by repeating the design of our patterned paper. I used some American Crafts scraps and used the backs to re-create the pattern on the paper-I just free-handed it. I also used American Crafts thickers. Hmmm, maybe I should've added something else to this layout! lol No, I don't have stock in American Crafts either.

I hope I haven't overdone it with all the challenges. This will be my last post until I come back on Sunday, which I should have TONS of pics to share. Have a great holiday weekend!
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OH yeah, I am gearing up for a BIG announcement, I will share that when I get back! I would love to hear what you think is "my style" of scrapbooking!!

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Catching Up Big Time!

My scrapbooking to-do list is dwindling down! I am leaving on Wednesday for a mini-vacation with tigardlilly and won't be back until Sunday night-WOO HOO! I had quite a few challenges due by then, so I had to play catch up! As usual, I am sharing them here, just for you!

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This one was for Scrapbook Cafe's Saturday night challenge, it is listed on my blog under Southern Breezes. We were supposed to make a card using layers. I used paper scraps from Basic Grey's Phresh & Phunky line, Bazzill cs, Studio G and Autumn Leaves stamps, ribbon, Maya Road rubon (which was too black so I inked over it with alabaster Color Box Chalk, and a button..

This one is for Pink Sketches, thier 2nd challenge. I used Bazzill cs, Luxe Designs scraps, K&I Memories Lace Cardstock-which was again too white, so I chalked over it with dry chalk, American Crafts Thickers which I inked, Heidi Swap Journal tabs, MM Noteworthy which I trimmed off the color, Prima flowers, skittles, ribbon, K&Co rubons.

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This one is for a challenge over at AMR, the 4th week of August using one vintage or older photo and a new photo. This my mom, and though she thinks she looks disgusting, I think she is still a beautiful woman! I used MM Passport paper, American Crafts paper scraps and rubon, SEI ribbon, Target $Spot chipboard letters which I stripped off the ugly paper, misc flower and button.

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This one is for Scrapbook Playground, using stamps creatively. I used Bazzill cs, Sassafras Lass paper scraps, American Crafts Thickers which I stamped, Deja Views framed jewels, and Technique Tuesday stamps and twill ribbon. I used Loves Me, Loves Me Not to make the flower and some little stamps, Hanging by a thread to stamp the twill, Kabloom for the title, and Storytellers-Ledger partially inked for the journaling..

This is #1 of 3 for the AMR Book About Me, childhood years. She wants us to do at least pages. I used Bazzill cs, October Afternoon, Bo Bunny sticker, Jenni Bowlin letters, Dress It Up plastic apple, Bazzill Flowers, 7 Gyspies journaling tag with MM eyelet, and buttons.

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This is #2 of 3 for the AMR Book About Me, childhood years. I used DCWV cs, October Afternoon pp, more uncovered Target $Spot chipboard letters which this time I inked and made faux stitches, Prima flowers, buttons, ribbon, and embroidery thread to stitch using Bazzill In Stitches template.

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This is #3 of 3 for the AMR Book About Me, childhood years. I used Basic Grey pp, MM Noteworthy, Felt Fusion, Grungeboard which I inked and Stickled, and Me & My BIG Idea rhinestone title. .
On another note, While I was not a winner at Sassafras for thier stamping call, my card was shown as one of the favorites! Check it out here!

One more fun note...If you didn't already know, I love Jane Austen and her books! I did a little quiz that I found on tigardlilly's blog, and as it turns out, I am Marianne Dashwood! I have it over on my sidebar. If you do it, let me know in my comments who you are!!

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I won't be around after tomorrow, as we are going to an indoor waterpark Wednesday and coming home Thursday night, then leaving Friday morning for a 2 night stay at Newport! I absolutely CANNOT wait!!!

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Remember This???

I did it for a challenge over at Scrapbook Cafe. They are a scrapbook store in NJ. I submitted this layout using Webster's Pages and a summer theme (the requirements) and I woke up today with this email...

"Marilyn, Congratulations you are our Websters Challenge Winner. Your layout wil be featured on the home page of our site and you will receive our gift pack of Scrapbook Supplies worth over $100.00..."
I am so excited. I figure since it will be featured and the prize is so large, that it is based on technique rather than random drawing! If this be true, than I have won my first real "TOOT"! I can now start my scrapbooking resume! Don't get me wrong, I still love the "random drawing" challenges and I still get excited when I win, but this is WAY cool!! It doesn't even matter that it is just a store in NJ, it still counts!! I would love to share the blog on my list, but they don't have one. Now I need to get in the habit of actually going to the website to check it....unless I can subscribe to a website......NOPE, just tried, oh well!
Thank you Scrapbook Cafe!!

UPDATE: I just rechecked thier website, and my layout is there with a link to my blog and they said it was a panel of judges, WOO HOO! Thank You!!

Sassafras Lass

This makes me a little nervous, a challenge for Sassafras Lass themselves! The challenge is create layouts, cards, and projects using thier clear stamps. I only have one set, it is Big Top. Tigardlilly has 3, Botanical, Mini Hombre, and Oliver & Friends. We got together the other night and shared our stamps, and I shared my supply of thier papers. I used the Serendipity-Owl Pals line-Allure, Honeybunch, and the die cut sheet. We had a lot of fun! I love their stuff but am always scared to use it. Thier patterns are so bright and amazing, thier stamps are really great quality too!

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So here is what I came up with. It is not the result I was looking for, but I am going to submit it anyway. In addition to the supplies I already mentioned, I used some ribbon, rhinestones, Stickles, and Bazzill cs. I stamped with the Big Top, cut out the clouds and stamped the title with Mini Hombre, cut out an owl, stamped the branch and pop-dotted him. Used a die cut owl and scallop punched it for the date, put on some ribbon and put rhinestones on it.

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This one I tried to make my own patterned paper with the Big Top stamps. They are really cool, you can flip the stamp over and have a double stamped image-I tried that technique here. I stamped the owls and pop-dotted them, used some American Crafts ribbon, stamped the title with Mini Hombre and Stickled the stamped owl on the die cut for the title.
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This is a card I made. Used Big Top again, put buttons in the center of them. I hand wrote the title since I did this at home without tigardlilly's stamps. I also used a Sakura Glaze Pen to "emboss" the title. Made inchies and put a Basic Grey fiber over it.
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I will be honest, I don't feel I did thier product any justice, but it is really hard to use such big, vibrant paper and stamps! This was a real stretch for me, but I know if I had more variety of stamps (and more time) I could do a much better job!

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RAK Winner And Some Layouts

Okie Dokie, I have quite a few pics of layouts, so I am saving some for my next post-lol!

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This one was done for a challenge over at Method Playground. The challenge was to use bows on your layout. I had bought this large ribbon 2 years ago at CKC (don't know why) and this was the perfect chance to use it, so I went with a big bow! I used Scenic Route and October Afternoon printed paper, I made inchies out of the OA flowers and Stickled them, Jenni Bowlin letter stickers, chipboard from Target $ Spot, Grungeboard which I painted with MM paint then inked to make the dots "pop", Prima flowers with Kaiser Craft pearls and one dyed skittle.

Close up of Grungeboard flourish and flowers.Close up of bow and title.
Journaling
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This layout is for a challenge Heather at AMR put out, to get back into the swing of things after her long vacation! The idea was to do a page about your BFF (best friend forever) and tell why they are special and for how long. This was not hard for me to figure out, I had to do it on Marla, my bestest friend from grade school. To start, I took a 3x4 piece of photo paper and used alcohol ink-cranberry and stream, pearl mixatives, blending solution and the applicator tool and just kept stamping and blending. I goofed towards the end, but I think it works. The die cut paper and journal tag are MM, the pp is BG Euphoria. I also used Prima flowers with more Kaiser Craft pearls, American Crafts Thickers, and Stickles.

Blended Alcohol ink title.
Journaling.I love these! Marla emailed them to me, scanned from her scrapbook! This is around 1990 when we went to Seaside with our youth group! OMG, what a flashback-yeah, we were dorks! My mom, of course, had to comment on how much thinner my face was. Thank you so much mother (insert eye roll)!

I really need to start taking pics during the day time, sorry for the bad photos.

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Remember this layout on my last post? Remember the misspelled words? If not, here is a refresher...
Here is how I fixed it. I still can't believe I did that!

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Oh yeah, you wanna know who won huh!? Sorry, I got caught up in posting layouts!! I used random.org and this is the first name it pulled up-Angie Worthington, AKA, Craftyscrapr from AMR. She left a comment and linked to my blog. I got your address on the AMR list, so I will get something out to you this week!

I just realized how small this screen shot it, feel free to click on it to view it larger-sorry again! I want to thank you all for commenting on my blog and getting in on the RAK drawing. There wasn't a huge turnout, even considering Tigardlilly and Kaydrenth both left tons of comments-LOL. Don't worry, they didn't all count!

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Got A Blog Award And More!!

Angie, at Sun, Sand, Surf and Scrap It, gave me this blog award! How awesome is that?!

Thanks Angie!

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Here are the rules....

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girl's you nominated.

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So here are the people I nominated.....

1. Tigardlilly
2. Kaydrenth
3. Inara
4. Scrappy Girl
5. Crop-A-Holic
6. Kelliannie
7. Amanda Berens

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I got a RAK today, from Chrispea for her AMR August online crop challenge! I woke up with this surprise today! Thanks Chris!

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This is a challenge I did for AMR. This is for the week 3 in August's challenge, using a sketch. My brother Matt, picked up everything dead he could find! First he found a whole piece of kelp (seaweed) and proceeded to use it as a whip! He did get himself with it too! Then it was a half-eaten Dungeness Crab, ewww! Lastly there was the cluster of Mussels! I mispelled both of the last 2 mentioned. I will be going back and using labeling strips to cover my boo-boos.
I got this mini starfish last year at my LSS in thier bulk section. Isn't is just adorable??

There is still time to get your comments in on my 100th blog post RAK-here!

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100 Blog Posts!!!

I started this blog last November, and I have finally hit 100 posts!!! I can't tell you how excited I am!!! Blogging has become such a big part of my life, not only looking at other blogs, but sharing my life and scrapping on my blog. It is so interesting to get to know someone through blogging, I feel like I "know" so many of you, just from reading your blog. I like to think that people are interested enough in my boring life to keep coming back to visit me!

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I have been thinking what to do as a RAK for hitting 100 posts, and all I can think of is to leave me a comment! I thought I could make it more interesting though! All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what you like best about my blog and what you would like to see more of on my blog. Want another entry? Link to my blog in your blog post and let me know you did it in another comment. Two tries not enough, how about a third entry? Add me to your blog list on your blog sidebar and again let me know through a comment. You will get one entry into my RAK drawing for each thing you do! I will come up with something great to give as a RAK. Remember, if you use Google Reader (GR), you also know the extra steps you have to take to leave comments. I have been adding a link to my comments in the post, so you don't have to leave GR, I know your pain, lol!

You have until midnight, pacific time, Friday August 22 to get your comments in. I will do the drawing Saturday Aug 23.

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I haven't done anything scrappy today (GASP!), but I did go through my mom's box of pictures for a challenge on AMR. Gotta love all the tape and labels on the pictures! (NOT) Here are just a few I found that are fun to remember!

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Me and Tigardlilly, just after HS graduation in 1993! Though I wasn't as "big" as I am now, that gown sure doesn't help!! A friend of mine took this shot in her back yard.

Me and Tigardlilly at Christmas time in 1981! I think this is only the 2nd time I had ever seen her, and we were 7 and 8. She lived overseas, but we bonded in no time! Look how happy we were! Bet you didn't know we were cousins, did you!?! We didn't see each other again till 1988, and were immediately like best friends, and we fought like sisters!
I love this photo of me in 1982 on Christmas day. I got those pom poms and I am showing my my Barbie Under-roos! Notice the cone with the macaroni all over that is spray painted gold? How tacky, and yes, I made that in school! My mom and I found it a few years ago, smashed and missing about 2/3 of the macaroni. I told her she can throw it away, I wouldn't care-plus, we have a photo of it! Oh yeah, look how skinny I was as a little girl!!
Another great work by my mom (ugh). I like this one because my little brothers loved me at one time, they really looked up to me! They did whatever I did, and did whatever I told them to do! I was, am still am, the typical older child, bossy (just ask my husband, lol) I remember coming home from school and they would hear the bus and come running, yelling "Sissy!". Now they just think I am a selfish b*!#h!! Well sometimes at least! I miss them both!
This one means a lot to me, but only now that I am older, heard the stories, and understand. We were VERY poor back then (which we never knew), and this was the year (1983) that Cabbage Patch Kids came out! Apparently my mom looked ALL over for one, but couldn't find one, which is probably a good thing, I don't think my parents could have afforded one! She also searched all over Spokane for a He-Man and Skeletor for my youngest brother Matt! They finally found them, you can see how happy he is! Marty got a pair too, real walkie talkies! I got another Barbie and my first ever Ken, Oh the fun those two had when I got older!!! My aunt made us those shirts for Christmas. I lost mine a few years ago when I couldn't pay for my storage unit in Arizona (along with all my childhood/hs memorabilia, but I bet Tigardlilly still has hers!!
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Thanks for coming to my blog, thanks for looking at my photos and hearing my stories, but most of all, thanks for helping me get my blog up and running. I still have a dream that it will be a MUST READ someday in the scrapping world of blogs.
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Another Busy Day

Using my new flip calendar, I was able to prioritize the challenges I need to get done first!

This first layout is for Scrapbook Cafe, a scrapbook supply store in New Jersey! I was checking out their website site, and oh MAN, I wish I lived there! The challenge this month was to use Webster's Pages and a summer theme. I used Webster's Pages-Sweet Charity Collection-both sides of both papers, Bazzill CS, Technique Tuesday Stamps-Pocket Full of Posies, Fiskars stamps for the title, a random saying I got as a RAK (thanks Kim), and some rhinetones. The posies are stamped, cut out, traced with Crystal Stickles, and pop-dotted. The title was a happy accident, my original title had a backwards letter, lol! So I restamped it on a scrap piece of paper, inked it, and pop-dotted it.

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This one is for One Little Word, or OLW. I am so glad I found this blog, it is amazing!! The challenge was to share a story of faith, whatever it is to you. I chose to, yet again, scrap my dream of having a child. I used Black Market Paper Society-Ebony & Alabaster, October Afternoon scraps-Detours/Picnic Basket, a plastic journal card from the RAK from Detta (thanks), Turquoise and Aqua Stickles, Prima Flowers, DCWV Glitter CS, Dyed "skittles", and glittery chipboard letters from Target Dollar Spot. Picture is courtesy of Kaydrenth (her friend actually, but she said it was ok too). Thanks Kay! Journaling reads...I was given a promise that He will give me a child. I often doubt it, but am always reminded of His promise..."Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
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I went to the post office today, and mailed off a RAK, 2 swaps, and 4 cards! It feels good to get some of that done-there are still more swaps to be done, but you know I love the pressure! I also recieved my Four Seasons-Summer ATCs today from a swap on AMR, aren't they amazing?? There is such an amazing group of ladies over there!
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