Pieces of me

SFTIO Blog Hop!

2010-09-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Good morning!! I hope you all have been having a wonderful week! Today is the Blog Hop for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out!!! So exciting, right?! We want YOU to win this beautiful kit - ENLIGHTENMENT....

So what you have to do is go through the DT's blogs, leave a comment to better your chances at winning, and 'like' SFTIO on facebook. Easy Peasy right?

For me Enlightenment is a state of mind, a state of MY mind at least. So I created this LO with that entire concept. Something that is enlightening to me might not be so to you. So I journaled about that, about what enlightenment meant to me, in my own personal life. I have edited my picture by washing it out to create a sense of peace as well as left a lot of white space to represent the calmness I feel that comes along with being enlightened.

It's a simple LO, but represents so much to ME, and that's what SFTIO is all about! Creating meaningful LO's that speak to yourself :)

Once you have left a comment here then head on over to the beautiful Nancy's blog for another chance to win! Good luck!!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out Blog Hop Tomorrow

2010-09-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is an exciting day! Scrapbooking From the Inside Out is having a blog hop!!! That means that YOU could win the beautiful September kit - ENLIGHTENMENT!! So make sure to come back tomorrow and leave a comment on all the DT's blogs as well as SFTIO's blog for even more chances to win :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Life Experiences - SFTIO Reveal #2 - Enlightenment

2010-09-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Beautiful people! Amy here....yes, I know I have been gone for a bit...sorry! Life has a way of keeping me super busy these days!! Today I have my second reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. Have I told you all how much I absolutely LOVE the colors in this months kit: Enlightenment?! I wish I could just take the kit and turn it into an outfit....I mean it would fit right in with my current wardrobe already :)

For this LO I focused on Life Experiences and how you learn from those. For me, life experiences are one of lives most in your face ways of learning....and seriously you learn!!! I have seen this tearing and layering technique around here and there and wanted to try my hand at it! I LOVE the way it turned out, especially with these muted colors. I did something a bit different and added punched layers and then stained all the paper with a new favorite - Walnut Crystals! So, if you ever get bored and have lots of scraps....just tear them up and slap em' on a piece of paper :) It is a stress reliever too!!! lol

SFTIO always has beautiful and unique product in their kits.....I mean, check out that flower!! I wish I had 10 more of them. And the cream wax seal - love!
Journaling:
Personal life experiences are always one of a kind. I have learned so much through my own life experiences. The kind of knowledge you can't learn in a text book. You have to experience them first hand. Learn from them and have a personal understanding as to how those experiences could or should...or should not apply to your life in the future. These can mold you into the you you need to be.

Do you have any experiences in your life that has helped mold you into who you are today? Something that you will never forget? I encourage you to scrap about it, get it on paper. It may not be something that you want to share, but I promise you, anything....good or bad....that has helped make you who you are today is a beautiful lesson in itself!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Ignorance Not so Bliss - SFTIO Reveal #1 - Enlightenment

2010-09-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

It's the 1st of the month...that means it's reveal day for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out! I have been waiting FOREVER to share this kit. It's absolutely remarkable. The colors alone make you gravitate to it, not to mention it is freakin' loaded with delicious product! Seriously, I would eat it! The emotion we are focusing on this month is ENLIGHTENMENT. This kit is all about looking beneath the surface at what moves you, at what spiritual expressions have shaped your path. Beautiful, exotic designs, rich color and meaningful symbolism will light your way.

Here is the first of many LO's I have created with the Enlightenment kit:

Journaling:

To be so blissfully ignorant in some situations is something that I have chosen for myself. Why? Because sometimes it is easier to just not know the truth. It's a guarding mechanism I have created for myself. The truth can sometimes hurt just as bad as it can be good. So I hide in the shadows, eyes closed to certain realities because it's easier to face my self-indulgent perception. This is definitely something I am not so proud of. There is nothing enlightening about playing ignorant. I need to open my eyes and learn truths.

If you are interested in purchasing this FABULOUS kit and exploring your inner emotions you can go here and Rachel will get one right out to you!!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

ScrapBiking is what I've been doing

2010-08-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

So, there isn't much scrapbooking going on here at the moment because I have been ScrapBIKING with my husband! As many of you know, building bikes is something that the DH and I love to do. It all started off as his passion and somewhere along the way I grew an interest in it as well....Well, more for the design of the bike than the overall mechanics. I will leave all that mumble-jumble for the DH! This month we started on a bike that I have been thinking about for quite sometime now, and I was super excited to dig in and get my hands a little dirty. We have a bunch of parts laying around that we have took off other bikes, that we have ordered and decided that we no longer needed, or that we have picked up at the local bike meets. My idea was to take all these parts and up cycle them to create one AWESOME bike! I absolutely do not like things to get wasted :)

Here she is in the just getting started stages: Just a Rigid frame, primered gas tank bought really cheaply on eBay, and a raw seat pan.

(Don't you just love what Travis has done with my deep freezer?! He says all the paint adds character....I say "Hmm, OK dear")

For the paint job I wanted to keep it....cheap! All it took was 4 cans of spray paint in 4 different colors: Light grey primer, dark grey primer, black, and red. Look at me sanding away :)
Still sanding! Don't you just love candid shots. Look a Chai tea!
Here is the tank finished! It got painted in layers and then I sanded down the layers to give it an aged distressed look. It's an acquired taste.....or so I am told. I think it rocks!

Rear fender that I just finished up. This fender was another eBay find! It's not mounted yet, but it's getting done right now - so excited!
This seat happens to be one of my favorite things on the bike. Can you believe I actually covered this myself?! I still can't believe it. It only took 4 hours....3 of which were dedicated to doing some fancy Mexican Basket weave stitch to hold it together. MY. FINGERS. WERE. RAW. for days. The Ostrich leather was bought at a local Tandy Leather store for a whopping 3 dollars!

Here she is as she sat in the yard today (before I finished sanding the fender). We still have a long way to go in building her....BUT it's been fun so far! Not to mention a wonderful project for the DH and I to spend some quality time together! Ladies, you know a man loves you when he doesn't kick you out of his garage when he asks for a torque wrench and you have no idea what he is talking about.....Or any other tool for that matter! lol Travis is doing his part as well. Like I said he is working on the mechanics, like rebuilding the motor and whatnot's :) Guy stuff!

Hopefully we will have most of her done soon. I would love to see her running within the next month. We shall see what time allows us now that Travis has returned to work!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Want to win the Discovery kit from SFTIO?

2010-08-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Then head on over to Donna Downey's blog and simply tell her what you would like to DISCOVER about yourself! It's as simple as that! She will be choosing a winner tomorrow morning, so hop on over and join in on the fun! And thank you for your continuous support of Scrapbooking From the Inside Out!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

No More Chances - Dirty Scraps

2010-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The new challenge is now live at Dirty Scraps! For this challenge you are being asked to create a LO based on the thought 'Your Love Hurts Me'. Now this prompt is a little difficult, one that will require you to dig deep and just lay it all out there. In my life I am one who doesn't really allow people to hurt me, and if I have been hurt I am the type of person to hold it in and never let it be known. There are very few people that know this about me and can tell when I am hurting over something someone has said to me. One of those people is my DH. Bless this man, he tries to protect me from said encounters and people. There is only one circumstance in my life that just jumped out at me when I started this project and that being one with my 'best' friend.......

The challenge:
Your Love Hurts Me
It's funny how people hurt the ones they love the most.
Sometimes is it so toxic you have to cut them off, sometimes you
can handle it but it's a daily struggle, sometimes you just avoid it
altogether. This challenge is all about those who love to hurt you
or just blindly hurt you while saying "I love you".
No it might not be intentional, but it still hurts.
Maybe it's the sister who constantly says how horrible your
children are, or the friend who always criticizes your weight.
Or the parent who only sees their child who makes mistakes
and does not acknowledge your accomplishments.
It's ok to see the pain, and it's ok to still love them.
It's therapeutic to be aware!

Now go get Dirty!

No More Chances:

Our July Sponsor Keller's Creations was so generous and sent the DT some amazing products to work with. So I wanted to use as much as possible in this LO! All the circles (except the yellow) are from Keller's Creations. I used gesso and embedded the circles into it to create a 3Dish background!

Also from Kellers Creations are these white little frames I used to create this hidden pop out journaling spot. I am not one to use hidden journaling, but I felt on this LO it just needed to be hidden for design purposes.

Journaling:
Having a child at 18 really puts into perspective who your true friends are in life. There were a few people who I had thought were forever friends, but as soon as I had a child and was no longer able to be the 'Amy' I once was, they distanced themselves from me. What hurt the most is that they still claim to be one of my best friends. All the while talking crap behind my back. I overlooked it over and over. Guess What? NO MORE 'one more chances' with me. YES!!! I had a child at a very young age. Do I regret it? Hell NO! It caused me to finally grow up and learn to appreciate life so much more. I'm actually sorry our friendship is over, but having people in my life that don't support me when they said they always would is not something I want. I want my kids to value friendship - TRUE friendship. You hurt me far too many times. NO MORE.

This challenge is being sponsored by Scrappy Jo's! Come on over and play along with us....we would love to see you get Dirty!!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Destination - SFTIO Reveal #5 - Discovery

2010-08-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's Amy coming at you (of course it's me, this is my blog!!!) Today I have my very last reveal from the August kit - Discovery from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out! This LO just happens to be my absolute favorite one from the August kit. Although it is the simplest one I created, it represents something that I am forever working on and struggle with in daily life - discovering myself through God. This piece of paper just spoke to me as soon as I pulled it out of the kit. It's just so beautiful! I used it to represent letting God be my compass through life. My picture is in the center to always remind me that no matter which way I go, that if I just let myself be true in my relationship with God then I will forever be going in the right direction.

Journaling:

Over the years I have lost sight of who you are and what you mean to me. I have set you aside and lived for me. I am slowly finding myself and building our relationship again. This time I am discovering myself through you. You make me better.

The embellishments on this LO are very scarce, but I wanted to show the pen work I did to make the compass pop a little more. I used a black & white pen and outlined the compass...never a straight line though..this is to represent that I am still shaky in my relationship with God. I can't be certain that those lines will ever be straight though. Just one more thing to work on!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

You Learn - SFTIO Reveal #4 - Discovery

2010-08-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful Bloggers! I am coming at you today in a very happy state of mind! One of my most amazing friends is currently (as I type this) in in labor! Hopefully soon we will have a beautiful little girl joining us in this world of ours!! Her son is currently staying with us Ox's, and it's so precious to see the excitement in his face knowing that soon he will have a baby sister! I love babies & Kiddos, they truly do light up our lives in ways that we never thought imaginable. Please keep the Lloyd family in your thoughts and prayers today as they welcome an addition to their already cute little family :)

Also today I have my 4th reveal from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out - August kit - Discovery. For this LO I focused on learning about life and love. When I was 15 years old I read a poem by Veronica A. Schoffstall called You Learn. This poem resonated with me in such a deep way and has stuck with me over the years. Every time I need a few words of encouragement I reach in my wallet and grab my old, worn, much read copy of it and read it yet again. Every single time I read this poem it seems like the first time. It has taught me a lot over the years. Helped me through rough times with friends, family, and even my own husband. Life is a learning experience, one that should be cherished.

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up
and your eyes ahead with the grace of woman,
not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn...

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

First Sketch Reveal for Sketchabilities & Cardabilities

2010-08-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am so very over the moon excited! Today my very first Sketches went live for Sketchabilities and Cardabilities!! It is amazing to see so many fabulous scrappers working with my sketches. I, myself, LOVE working with sketches and love interpreting them into my own style. It's truly TRULY awesome to see SO many different takes on a sketch! If you have the time I would like to invite you over to join us. This Sept Sketchabilities is celebrating their 1 year anniversary! There will be guest designers, FABULOUS sponsors, and a Blog hop on Sept 15th!

LO Sketch for Sketchabilities:

Card Sketch for Cardabilities:

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Me Myself & I - SFTIO Reveal #3 - Discovery

2010-08-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

DISCOVERY. When I first heard Scrapbooking From the Inside Out's emotion for August I immediately thought of one thing that we all yearn for - Self Discovery. What is self discovery in general? One thing I have come to realize is that finding yourself is a long and never ending journey, and that's a good thing. We are always changing and we need to learn to love who we are no matter what life's circumstances are.

Journaling:

Finding yourself is an enlightening experience. You become self-sufficient and do things for others without expectations of something in return. You are no longer needy and become utterly grateful for all the things people have done for you in the past. Finding yourself is a time of harmony because you develop that philosophy or belief system that will carry you throughout the rest of your life. When you love yourself and who you are, you will savor and enjoy both life's pain and pleasures. How do you know you have found yourself? When you are able to help others find themselves. Finding yourself is not easy. If you have never felt connected to who you are, and you want to find whatever makes you you, being yourself will be hard. The first step is always the hardest, but after that hill, you will be smooth sailing to discovering who you are. Be you!

See...isn't that one BEAUTIFUL kit? There are still some in the store if you want to head on over and grab one up!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Self Love - SFTIO - Discovery reveal #2

2010-08-06T23:49:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Today I have my second reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out August kit - DISCOVERY. For this LO I focused on discovering self love. I think that self love is a very important aspect of life. Without loving yourself then you aren't opened up entirely to allowing others to love you. I have struggled with self love for a really long time, but by opening up my mind and looking at myself through others and seeing what they see, I have learned to love myself in a completely different way.

Journaling:

It took me a long time to love ME. Discovering myself through others helped. Sometimes you have to travel outside your own head to truly discover life and who you are. Take a look at yourself from the outside. Do you like who you see?

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

DISCOVERY - SFTIO Reveal #1

2010-08-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

Today I have my first August Reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. This month we are exploring Discovery and how that applies to our past, present, and future. What are things that you have discovered or want to discover? Maybe you have discovered a way to overcome those fears to move on to a better place in life. Maybe you have discovered something about yourself that you never thought possible. Maybe you even discovered the perfect recipe for that German Chocolate cake! Every discovery that we make in life, whether it be good or bad, has a place, has a meaning....and that's what we are exploring this month!

For my first adventure in Discovery I wanted to create a LO about how 'all the little things' add up to create something much bigger, referring to my relationship with the DH.

Journaling:

Growing up I always thought that when I fell in love it would be like all the fairy tales. My love would be picture perfect, without problems, without inhibitions. It would be one huge gesture of perfection wrapped up in two people that couldn’t live without each other, white picket fence and all. To be in love with my very own Prince Charming is every little girls dream come true. As I grew up I have discovered that love is not a fairy tale, it’s not just one huge gesture of overall life completion. Love is a combination of all the little things added together that creates a life with that one person that you can’t imagine living without. Love is having the ability to fall in love with you over and over again, deeper in love each and every time. Love is two people growing together, learning life together, compromising, and always having the ability to say you’re sorry and actually mean it. Love for me is having you know me so well that you mail me Carmex from Afghanistan because you know I always forget to buy it for myself. Love is waking up in the morning to a pizza bagel on the night stand and a text that says “Enjoy babe”. Love is not being able to sleep without you beside me because I miss your cold feet resting on my legs. Love is our children who bring us so much joy, and our undying love we share for them. Love is just being happy sitting on the couch watching a random late night TV show. Love is that one look you give me that just makes me melt. Love is so many things. I could go on forever about the little things that make our love ours. You are love. We are love. I knew at 15 that you were the man for me and 13 years later I still know this. We may not be Prince Charming and his Princess, but we are so much more.

August SFTIO kit - DISCOVERY
This kit is FILLED with amazing product. Featuring Little Yellow Bicycle 'Pack your Bags' and Bo Bunny 'Mama-razzi'.
Yummy embellishments too! Thickers, Flowers, printed ribbon, chipboard, and MUCH more!!
Speaking of Discovering... I have realized quite a few things the past few weeks......

1.)Having your Internet go down really doesn't do wonders for ones nail biting habit. I need a manicure bad.

2.)Blackberry's aren't as cool as one might think, unless I am just that special that I couldn't figure out how to access web sites and get them to load....

3.)My DH leaving his freshly shaved facial hair in the sink is causing me to go crazy. Daily.

4.)Not having Internet made me actually scrap MORE :) I guess there was a silver lining after all.

5.) When did my dog get allergies???

6.)Wanting to cook again is requiring more patience than I expected. Why can't my DH just eat mac-n-cheese? The kids love it :)

7.)Reese's Whipps are REALLY delicious and I should stop buying them.

8.)Twilight movies are getting to be disappointing. I think I should have read the books AFTER seeing all the movies, not before. I am not on team Edward, or Jacob. I am on team 'get me out of this theatre with all these yappy little teeny boppers before I blow a gasket...where are my migraine meds?' Yep, that's my new team. You can join me if you want!

9.) I should really consider cleaning out my car more often. I did so this morning and found something very important hiding under my son's car seat. BUTTONS! Buttons that I had thought were mailed, but apparently not. Also hiding in the dark abyss were 3 half eaten chicken nuggets, my spare house key, 7 hot wheels, a barbie comb, a pair of gloves, and one scooby doo house slipper. Wow, what a kid. The Buttons ARE mailed now, expect them soon. Sorry, as I hold my head in shame :(

10.) Last but definitely not least....I have discovered that my DH thinks I am not nice, and he loves it. He was helping out a buddy today with some car issues, he came home and said "Wow, his wife was nice. I mean overly nice...Too nice. Amy, you would drive me insane if you were that nice." Thanks dear......I think.....

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Reveal #14 - IMPACT

2010-07-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

The new challenge is now up at Dirty Scraps and it's all about things that IMPACT your life. You are being asked to create a LO about something that has had an impact on you in some way, shape, or form. Here are the details.

IMPACT!!!
I think of a car wreck when I hear the word IMPACT, but it can mean so many different things. An abusive parent can IMPACT your life in detrimental ways.
A wonderful teacher can IMPACT your life in amazing ways, a loving mother can IMPACT your life forever. You can be scarred or shaped with it. Scrap a page with the word IMPACT in it, make it strong, make it you!

Journaling:

Good or bad, memories affect lives in unimaginable ways. Just remember everything happens for a reason and you will always have those memories to learn from.

I created this LO as a reminder more or less to myself. I didn't add specific journaling with all the details, but it represents the friends I have lost due to death because of decisions they have made. The memories that they leave behind in my heart are wonderful, but the personal decisions they made were horrific.

It's a reminder to myself to be careful, to love life, and to never take a minute for granted. Because honestly, it could be your last.

This Challenge is being sponsored by:

They are sponsoring the winner with a $50 Gift Certificate to their online store! That's one pretty amazing prize and all you have to do is be in it to win it! Create that page about IMPACT and share it with us over on the Dirty Scraps Blog.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

DAD - SFTIO - COURAGE Reveal #5

2010-07-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful bloggers and friends. Today I have my last July reveal for Scrapbooking From the Inside Out kit - COURAGE. When I was perusing around online one day I came across this sentiment: Hate is easy, to love takes courage. It stuck with me, as it resonated feelings of my relationship with my father. Many of you already know that I have daddy issues and struggle with our relationship on a daily basis. I find that scrapping about those feelings gives me a sense of relief. And that's what SFTIO is a all about. Scrapping all those inner feelings - let them out! Scrap them out! It's truly amazing.

Here is my LO - DAD:

Journaling:

Sometimes I wish I could just hate you and be done with it all, but you are my father. I can't help but love you and want what's best for you. To want you to actually stop drinking again and just be a normal dad. The dad you were for the past 10 years of my life until you picked up that beer again. But I doubt that will ever happen. I hope one day it will. I will continue to love you even though you continually disappoint me. I will always be here for you, for my father.

I know I have scrapped this picture before, but it's one of the very few I have of my father. It's a wonderful picture taken candidly by my Brother in law Jason Dodge Photo. I LOVE this picture because it captures my father perfectly. Jason works out of Arkansas, so if you're in the area and need some awesome pics check him out! He's AMAZING!

SFTIO still has a few July kits available if you are interested. It's packed full of some of the most current and bold products to help you scrap some of those courageous feelings :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

BRAVE - SFTIO - Reveal #4 & Chance #3 at winning the courage kit!

2010-07-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful bloggers! I hope you are all having a wonderful, fun filled summer! This week has been real HOT for WA! I have been living in front of my fan, sleeping in front of my fan, and I swear if I didn't think it was too weird I would even bathe in front of my fan. I DO NOT like to be HOT! I'm one of those 'keep it cold, I can add layers to stay warm' type people. I hope you are all dealing with this summer heat better than I!!

Today I have reveal #4 from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. The July kit COURAGE is based around some of the most beautiful summer fresh Lily Bee papers called 'Hello Sunshine' I LOVED these papers and quite honestly could use them on every LO! Who doesn't love a red polka dot piece of paper though?! I have featured this entire LO around one quote by Mary Anne Radmacher “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” Something about this quote makes me have a sense of bravery. One has to be brave to face the day never knowing what could/would happen. And if your day doesn't go as planned then don't let it get you down. It's just one day!!! Try again tomorrow!

SFTIO is being featured on the Lily Bee Blog TODAY. If you head over there and leave a comment then you could be the owner of this amazing COURAGE kit! I'm so excited because one of my LO's is being featured! Whoo-Hoo!!! So that is now 3 chances you have at winning the COURAGE kit. Scroll down to previous posts to see the other 2!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Want another chance to win?!

2010-07-08T10:04:00.001-07:00

Win the July - Scrapbooking From the Inside Out - COURAGE kit that is! Then head on over to the Glitz Designs blog and leave a comment for yet another kit giveaway! This month's kit is featuring Glitz Kismet line, and it's delicious!

SFTIO Courage Reveal #3 & a chance to win the Courage Kit!

2010-07-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

At Scrapbooking From the Inside Out we are focused on courage and what courage means to you. I have based this LO around just being myself and finding the courage to do so. It's not journal heavy, but I did put little tags of things I would like to remind myself. It's OK to be jaded. It's OK to be weird. It's OK to be passionate. It's OK to just be me and to have the courage to do so. I have created the background in a patchwork style that represents the different layers of myself that are all patched together to make me who I am. No one is perfect, we all have patches....don't be afraid to show them. It's OK to be YOU!

Would you like a chance at winning the July kit - COURAGE - from SFTIO? All you have to do is head on over to the GCD Studios blog and tell them what courage means to you.
Scrapbooking From the Inside out is being featured on the GCD blog today which is so exciting! Head on over for your chance at winning this amazing kit. Winner will be chosen on Monday, July 12th.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Please Return to School - SFTIO Reveal #2

2010-07-03T22:11:00.001-07:00

Hello beautiful Bloggers! Today I have another reveal using Scrapbooking From the Inside Out - July kit - COURAGE. I can't even express enough how much I loved this kit. It's full of vibrant colors with just enough softness to balance it all out. Which is the perfect combination! Did I mention that this kit is FULL of stars?! I love stars! With the focus of this month being courage I immediately thought about myself returning to school. This is by far one of the things in life that I needed courage to do.

Journaling:

At 18 I made the decision to give up a college scholarship to pursue being a stay at home mother and wife. It was an easy decision at the time, but now 10 years later I face the difficulty of starting all over. I am terrified of submerging myself into the unknown. At home I have everything perfected. There is nothing that I can't handle. I guess this is what scares me. The Unknown! What will happen? How will I do? WHAT will I do? I have no idea. I am still undecided. I do know though that I have finally built up the courage to embark on this journey. Now I just need to have the faith in myself to succeed. I have the ability. I have the heart. I have the strength. I CAN do it!
A little close up of the embellie cluster. I have a hard time NOT putting a little cluster on every LO! Look at the beautiful flowers that are included in the COURAGE kit. Yellow! I have had such a weakness lately for yellow flowers!

Here is the kit in it's entirety. Totally Drool worthy! You can order yours here! :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out - July Reveal - Courage!

2010-07-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

It's July 1st! That means that Scrapbooking From the Inside Out has revealed their brand new FABULOUS kit! I am extremely excited for this kit as it is my very first DT reveal with SFTIO and the emotion of the kit is Courage. What a perfect emotion for the month of July and for what I have faced in the last year of my life. I have had to have courage in times where all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and hide in the darkest corner I could find. I am sure we all have those moments, but the important thing is that we find the strength within ourselves to pull ourselves up and live each day to the fullest....no matter life's circumstances. How we face our daily trials and tribulations is what makes us the person we are, and I am proud to say that I can go to bed at the end of the day knowing that I am happy with the person I am. The person I have become because I have had the courage to do so.

I encourage you to look inside yourself and find the courage to scrap about YOU. Scrapbooking From the Inside Out has put together this amazing kit to help you do just that. This kit is loaded with bold star images – your badge of courage - in chipboard, felt and even a distressed acrylic stamp. There are gorgeous Prima flowers of course, some rustic burlap and some gentle yellow roses. And more: printed corduroy fabric from Buzz and Bloom, gingham and lace ribbon, embossed cardstock, journaling cards, die cuts, vintage-look buttons from Jenni Bowlin and beautiful Melissa Frances resin wings.

Check it out in all it's glory:

Here is the first of many reveals I have using this kit.

This LO is about the courage I have had to find within myself to live our daily lives without Big Daddy alongside me every step of the way. I have ripped the paper to represent the broken aspect of our lives while he is away, and the netting represents all the little threads that still hold us together. There is nothing that we can not make it through together!

*Netting is not in the kit. It's an apple bag that I recycled into my LO!

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out is a wonderful kit club that inspires you to scrap your emotions and put them to pen and scrappy paper. Dig Deep within yourself and learn more about you in the process. I would like to invite you all to join us in the FORUM and get to know other wonderful supportive ladies. If you are interested in this AMAZING kit you can find them here. Be quick though, because SFTIO sells out of their kits FAST!

Thank you all for stopping by today and joining me in the journey of finding the courage within.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Reveal - I wish I had known....

2010-06-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's Challenge time at Dirty Scraps once again. This challenge is asking you to dig deep and be reflective. Here are the details:

I wish I had known......
This is a reflective challenge. Everyone has had those moments, those "I wish I had known then" moments. Maybe it was too late to say goodbye, maybe you wish you had known you were beautiful and sexy, maybe you wish you had known how hard it would have been or how EASY it would have been if you had tried it earlier? I wish I had known it was going to be ok, I wish I had known I was going to lose you, I wish I had known how valuable I really was.
So much life to scrap, so little time. So put on your thinking cap, pull out those memories, dig deep, scrap it real. Can't wait to see what you do!

This challenge is being sponsored by Nikki Sivils. She has donated one amazing prize pack for the winner!

My LO:

Journaling:
I wish I had known how hard it would be to tell you goodbye. You were my father’s father, My Grandpa Page. A man that was happiest sitting in his recliner watching a football game or in your workshop building. Working with wood. You had a magical hand grandpa, you could build anything and I always looked up to you for that. But in your house I always felt like an outcast. After all, we were our father’s children. Children that came from a home you did not approve of. From a man that has caused the family a great amount of disappointment. I know you had big dreams for your children. You worked hard to make a life for them, and he let you down, and in retrospect I always felt like I was a disappointment to you as well. In your house we were strangers. As a child I always wondered what was wrong with me. Mom and Dad always made us give you hugs when we left your house, it was never comfortable. It should have been hugs filled with love; instead it was a race to see who could let go fast enough. I have a childhood filled with memories of awkwardness, forced affection, and I just want you to know that I do love you. I always did, but I did hold a lot of resentment towards you and my grandmother. When we found out that you had cancer and were becoming sicker by the day I loaded up my family and drove 9 hours to be there. I was only able to stay a couple days, but those few days changed my heart towards you in ways that I can’t even explain. I came to your house and saw you laying in bed and my heart hurt. This distant man who has been such a huge part of my life is leaving us. You asked to see Kyrsten. You had never met her. She was only a few months old at the time. You looked at my girls and told me how proud of me you were, that I was a strong person and that you loved me. In all honesty I had never felt so loved in my life. It’s a silly thing to think that those few words could make such a difference, but they did coming from a man that I had longed for acceptance from for so long. Less than a month later you passed away. I made the trip back down to attend your funeral. I was lost. I was upset. I was sad. I was an emotional rollercoaster that kept turning circles with no destination, and all of a sudden I crashed into a river of tears. Tears for the past 23 years of my life that I knew you, but never really knew who you were. You were a good man, a strong, silent, observant man. I know this now. I know you loved me in your own way. I know you only wanted what was best for me, and I love you for that. Every time I get the chance to visit you I do. I sit at your grave and talk with you to let you know how I am, but you know that. Now that I have gotten older I understand you. I just wish I could have known then what I know now. I wish I had known that telling you goodbye would be one of the hardest things I have had to do because I do love you grandpa. I do.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Some Exciting and Randomness stuff

2010-06-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

First off I want to apologize, I have been really really busy this week and I am behind on posting, commenting, and emails. I am playing catch up as we speak! Today we celebrated Koen's 3rd birthday. It was a blast! He specifically asked for a bubble party and a car cake. I thought it would be a fun idea for me to personally take on the task of creating this cake with wheels.....big mistake! It was a task I was not ready for to say the least. But I sucked it up and did my best. He loved it, so that's all that matters!

Here he is blowing out his 3 candles on his tank cake, fork in hand ready to dig in.

Little man had me relight them 4 times so he could keep blowing them out!

Another thing that has kept me over the top busy this week.....Kayla had to create a project for school that determines if she passes on to 5th grade. She used some wonderful MOSD products on her project, and it's currently being featured (by a proud momma, of course) on the MOSD blog! Please head on over there and leave Kayla some love. She would love to read it. And THANK YOU!!

My big announcement!! I am SO very excited about this as it is something rather new and different for me to! I received an email from Karan Gerber this morning telling me that I had made the new Sketch Design team at SKETCHABILITIES! I was so nervous when I sent my application in because I am SO SO new at sketches. I had only created 4 when I initially sent my app in. I wrote it up, hit send, and held my breath for 3 weeks...until this morning! Thank you Karan for this opportunity. You have no idea how excited I am to be doing this!!!

**Freebie Friday will be back next Friday! I have some great stuff planned!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Birthdays Challenge - Candy Shoppe Designs

2010-06-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

As you have probably noticed, this month is all about Birthdays over at the Candy Shoppe Designs challenge blog. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a project that reflects anything and all things birthday. The deadline for this mission is: 24 hundred hours (midnight), 21 June.

For this challenge I opted to create a LO about my DS's 'Birth' Day. Little man is turning 3 years old on 17 June, and is a true joy in our lives. He is very special to us. He is our only boy, our last child, and he joined our lives on Father's Day! It was a very emotional day for our family, especially for Big Daddy. Koen's timing was perfect!

I remember like it was yesterday, when I was in my last month of pregnancy. We were in the middle of a move from Fort Campbell, TN to Fort Lewis, WA. I was staying with my mother while Travis was getting our home set up in WA. We had originally planned on me coming to WA after Koen was born so I didn't have to travel 36 hours in a car while being 8 months pregnant with 2 little girls and a huge dog. But one day Travis called me and was upset due to the fact that he would be missing his only son being born. He wanted to be in the delivery room as he was with our girls. Due to his job he couldn't come to me, so I packed up the car, convinced my brother to drive me, and we started the drive. We made it to WA in 2 days with little to no sleep. I was 38 weeks pregnant and scared to make this trip, but in the end it was worth ever doubt, every fear I ever had. Because 12 days later, when I saw my DH holding his son, knowing that I have given him this joy, it was all that mattered.

So, yes, I am rambling....it's been a very emotionally draining week!!! But here it is. My LO dedicated to our son on his 'Birth' Day:

All entries for this Challenge will be entered into the drawing for a "Good Times" kit that has been generously sponsored by Color Me Miki. So come on over, grab something sweet, and celebrate birthdays with the Lollipop girls at CSD!

Side note: I am currently loving Paper Trunk's new Rockabilly line.....OMGoodness, this line is fun!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

And the CSN Stores Random Winner is:

2010-06-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Julie Tucker-Wolek

Congratulations Julie! I have forwarded your email to CSN Stores. You should be receiving Your $40 Gift Certificate via email to use at over 200 CSN stores of your choice! Thank you all for playing along and making this giveaway so successful!
PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Celebrating Birthday's with CSD via Cupcakes!

2010-06-08T15:53:00.001-07:00

The new challenge is now live at Candy Shoppe Designs and we are celebrating Birthdays. Not just any one's birthday though, today is Lynnette Davis' big day! Happy Birthday Lynnette!!

To kick off her birthday festivities CSD is hosting a Cupcake challenge. You are being asked to create a cupcake out of paper and decorate it using scrapbook supplies! (there is a tutorial on the CSD blog) I personally had a lot of fun creating cupcakes although I couldn't make up my mind on a theme. So.....I created a Girl and a Boy one just to keep things fair in the Oxford household.

Color Me Miki is sponsoring CSD this month with this "Good Times" kit. All you have to do to be in the running for the win is create a paper cupcake and post a link in the comment section on the Candy Shoppe Designs blog. Pretty easy, and not to mention fun! Come on over and get sweet with the Lollipop Girls!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Giveaway brought to you by CSN Stores

2010-06-07T02:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Bloggy Friends! I am so excited to announce a Wonderful Giveaway for you today courtesy of CSN Stores. When I was asked if I would be interested in hosting a Gift Certificate giveaway for my followers I jumped at the chance! I love you guys, and it's easy to say that you light up my life! And we all know how important lighting is, right?! It can add such a beautiful ambiance to a room, make a subtle statement (or a bold one if you're like me)! There is one particular type of lighting that I prefer and that is Track lighting. I think it makes all the difference in a Scrap room, or any room for that matter. I have been stalking the lighting store over at CSN Stores; take a look at what I am coveting.

Hourglass Mini-Pendant in Yellow Glass and Brushed Nickel

Mini Pendant in Turquoise

Illuma-Flex Mini Pendant with White Glass

Madeleine Mini Pendants

How amazing would any of those look in my Scrap Room?! I'll take one of each please!

CSN Stores is offering up a $40 Gift Certificate to one of my fabulous bloggy friends because they love you as much as I do! That's $40 you can spend in one of over 200 CSN Stores Online. It doesn't get much better than that!

All you have to do to be in the running for the $40 CG from CSN Stores is:

Please leave a **Separate** comment for each. You are not required to do all of these. I was just trying to give everyone a better chance at winning :)

1) Be a Follower of my blog.
2) Head over to CSN Lighting and tell me one product you would love to have!
2) Become a Follower of CSN Stores on Facebook - Tell them Amy from 'Pieces of Me' sent you :)
3) Share about this Giveaway on Facebook.
4) Follow CSN Stores on Twitter
5) Tweet about this Giveaway on Twitter and leave me the permalink in a comment.
6) Blog about this Giveaway on your personal blog and link me the post in comment.
7) Have a look around my blog :) Leave me a comment on an idea for a tutorial you would like to see!

*This Giveaway will be open through June 13, 2010. Winner will be announced on Monday, June 14th.

**On a side note. Please be aware that the winner is responsible for shipping charges and/or any amount that goes over the $40 CG. (A lot of items are free shipping though). This is normal with all websites though, so it's nothing new, right?!

A BIG Thank you to CSN Stores for hosting this Giveaway for my AMAZING friends!

Good Luck!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Self Portraits of a Little Man

2010-06-04T16:09:00.001-07:00

I want to thank you all for leaving comments on Freebie Friday! The first 10 comments:

Rita

Julie Tucker-Wolek

Laurie!

Velechula

Ilene

Darlene Servolini

**Treefrog**

xoxOGirls

laterg8r

Jennifer Shaw

Please send me your address and I will get those mailed out to you!

alaurelpo@yahoo.com

(If you have already sent me your addys - thank you!)

This week I thought I would peruse the web and see what I could find for inspiration. You see, I have been on a little scrappy hiatus for the last week or so, and I needed a boost. So enter: Sketchy Thursdays to the rescue!

When I first saw the sketch I just knew I had to utilize it. How could I not?! It was screaming for some paint splatters and overall messiness, which in my opinion, equals uber FUN! I have had these pictures of Koen sitting on my scrap table for about 2 months just waiting for their turn on a LO! The little man got a hold of my Blackberry and took some self portraits which I found a few days after the fact. All I could do was smile at his squinty eyes (due to the flash) and cheesy smile. Melts a mommas heart! I used my Know Your Signs printable on this LO. I know they have nothing to do with pictures, but I don't really care...lol

Check out this amazing sketch: If you want to take a crack at this sketch you have until June 9th to link it up to Sketchy Thursdays!

Also, Lynnette is having a giveaway on her blog for this Lovely 'Heritage 1981' kit to celebrate her birthday. Head on over and leave her a little love for your chance at winning this beauty! Winner will be chosen on June 8th - her Birthday!
PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Freebie Friday Only a little twisted!

2010-06-04T00:40:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Freebie Friday. I am doing things a little different this week. I created sets of buttons for a kit that never made it due to sitting on the post office shelf for 4 weeks (darn inconsiderate post office). So I now have 10 sets of these buttons to give away, because let's face it, I will never use that many owls! The colors are burnt orange, brown, green and light blue. If you want a set all you have to do is leave a comment. The first 10 people that say "Hey yeah" will get them. It's nothing big, but I think they are cute!

Also I have a new sketch today. I am playing around with more layering because I know that is something that I, myself, have a problem with doing. I seem to not be layering much these days, so I am trying to give myself a little push in that direction!

Have any of you ladies ever heard of 'Plumb'? She is a Christian singer that has apparently been around for a long time. I just heard her music for the first time today when my husband calls me and tells me to hit up Itunes for the song 'Cut'. I fell in love. I have seriously been shedding tears all evening. Think Evanescence meets Christian music....totally awesome and emotionally beautiful. It's just nice to hear music that touches the heart in a positive way. I could have used this music a loooong time ago! Thank you husband!

**Be on the lookout for one Amazing giveaway right here on my blog SOON!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

For the Love of Boots!

2010-06-03T03:54:00.001-07:00

I have recently come across a challenge blog that I am falling in love with. These Are a Few of my Favorite Things is a challenge blog that prompts you to create LO's around things that you love. Well, when I saw the current challenge that highlights your favorite shoes....how could I NOT play along?! I mean seriously....SHOES! This girl LOVES her some shoes! I already had the perfect pair in mind too, my favorite boots in the world, my Sugar Rhapsodies. So many people think they are ugly, I mean seriously ugly, but to me they are patch worked, over stitched, sequin covered, flowered, leather goodness that make my feet glide as they hit the ground. Every step I take is more enjoyable because I am taking those steps in these boots! I will admit, before I started scrapbooking, I too, would have looked at these boots and thought they were a bit 'out there', but as my Sister-in-Law puts it I am now 'scrapbooting' lol

I used Sketch Inspiration's sketch #126 as inspiration for this LO. It turned out quite different than the sketch , but the base is still there! Also I took on the color purple for the first time EVER in a LO. The color intimidated me so I felt the need to try to conquer that fear and go for it. Little did I know that out of all the paper I have I only owned 1 (yes one) piece of purple paper! I didn't realize my fear of scrapping with the color ran that deep. *sigh* Take that purple!

If you have a little extra scrappy time on your hands like I did then head on over to These are a Few of my Favorite Things and play along. Julie has lined up 500 million sponsors, OK more like 27, but that's still a lot. Not to mention they just got published for the first time AND they are celebrating their 1 year anniversary! Awesomeness, right? So head on over and play along!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Freebie Friday - Ticket Master, Journal What?!

2010-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

I SO so tried to come up with something clever for the title of this post, but my mind is slacking! I am off to bed (it's 4am - ouch), but wanted to post these before my head hits that beautiful soft pillow and I drift off into Never Never Land. Hope you enjoy this Freebie Friday. If anyone has any suggestions/requests let me know and I will try my hardest to get er' done! Awesomeness....night ya'll!

If you want to use these then follow these steps:
1.) Click on picture (this will bring it up in a new screen and larger)
2.) Right click and save
3.) Print out on cardstock.
**Recently I printed out on matte picture paper. It added a slight shine that looked pretty cool.
**You can print these out smaller, I create them larger for more options.
4.) Have fun

Serenity - Dirty Scraps Challenge #10

2010-05-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Challenge #10 is now up at Dirty Scraps and we are finding our inner peace with this one. You are being asked to create a LO based on Serenity. The one place you go to that you find YOUR sense of Serenity. Whether it be your scraproom, your big comfy bed at the end of a long stressful day, or your Mother's kitchen table talking over a glass of hot cocoa. Just scrap it and why it makes you feel serene.

My Serenity is my Mommy Chair. I took a picture of my chair and then added it to a picture of a field of flowers. When I was growing up I remember being happiest playing in fields of wild flowers in our backyard. The combination of my chair and flowers puts me at peace, as this is how I feel when I am sitting in my chair. Journaling:

Mom’s Chair. A very Special chair. One might look at it and see just a simple piece of furniture, but to me it is so much more. I look at this chair and I see happiness. Happiness from the past, present, and future. I see all 3 of my children late at night snuggled up to me as I rock them to sleep, as I sing them silly songs that only a mother can sing. I see me reading ‘The Cat in the Hat’ just one more time, over and over. This chair has had another life other than the one my family has given it. It was handed down to me by my dear cousin Jenny, who used it to rock her own 2 babies to sleep. This rocking chair is history, it is love. Once a light oak color, but sanded and refinished by my husbands own two hands just to make me happy. Now that my babies are older this chair sits perfectly placed on my front porch. I sit in it and watch my children play. I sit in it late at night, enjoying the fresh air while having endless talks with my husband about anything and everything ever imaginable. This chair to me is so important. It’s the one place where I can go and everything else fades away and all I see is a state of calm. It’s my serenity. My peace. My happiness. My memories all combined into a piece of wood. A very important, always loving, piece of beautiful rocking chair wood.

This challenge is being sponsored by the Wonderful:

So head on over to Dirty Scraps and show us your place of serenity for a chance at winning a sweet little packet of Bella BLVD goodness! I can't wait to see what you create!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Lollipop Girl Flowers - CSD Reveal

2010-05-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

The new challenge is now up at Candy Shoppe Designs. The theme is 'April Showers bring May flowers'. You are being asked to incorporate Lollipop girl Flowers into your creations in any way you choose. The possibilities are endless, just use your imagination, and create something that is beautiful to you!

Princess Kyrsten just celebrated her 6th birthday exactly one week ago, and I HAD to create a LO about it! It was a BIG deal to her to turn 6 years old. When I asked her what she wanted her LO to look like she told me she wanted all the colors of the rainbow. I ran with that idea and played with colors...lots of colors! Broke out the paints, the sewing machine, and even my cricut! The end result screams Kyrsten to me!

Now, Lynnette has changes things up on the CSD blog. We are going to one challenge a week, so that DOUBLES your chances at the prize!! The prize up for grabs is a Magpie Club kit that is truly stunning. So head on over to the CSD blog, link up your new Lollipop creation, and be in the running to win this:

I hope to see all your beautiful creations incorporating Lollipop Girl Flowers! I know you all will rock this challenge!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Amazing news to share :)

2010-05-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a wonderful phone call from Rachel Kaufman, owner of Scrapbooking From the Inside Out. She was calling to tell me that I made the team!!! I am beyond excited to join this team of extremely talented ladies, and look forward to working with them in a journey of scrap therapy! Scrapbooking From the Inside Outs motto is: Scrapbooking your emotional life - using color, design, and journaling to create pages and projects that explore your inner world. How exciting! I have seriously been jumping up and down in excitement since yesterday morning. If you saw me you would shake your head, roll your eyes, and think I was seriously crazy! But I'm OK with that ;)
But that's not the only reason yesterday was an amazing day. *Travis received news that our orders to Germany are now cancelled. *We are staying stateside! *Kyrsten got her first loose tooth! *Situations we have been having with a bully at school are now resolved.*Koen put me on his list of top 3 things he loves. Mommy, cupcakes, and cars.*I got a NAP!
It has been a good few days in the life of the Oxfords. I want to thank you all for your love and support you have shown me. You make my days brighter and give me reasons to smile too! I hope you are all having a beautiful weekend full of Scrappy goodness and much love!
PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Freebie Friday - Know your Signs

2010-05-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

It's Friday....Freebie Friday to be exact. I don't know about you guys, but I am having so much fun playing with these. Seriously!! I was asked last Friday what program I use. Well, I use Microsoft Office PowerPoint....mainly because I really have no patience to sit and teach myself how to operate my Photoshop :) I should add that to my goals of things to do though! Today's freebie is a mixture of journaling spots and other do-dads. I was in my DH's garage and got Street Sign inspired. We collect them and have them hanging ALL over the garage...mans things up, ya know?! I hope you enjoy!!

Look Color :)

If you want to use these follow these steps:
1.) Click on picture (this will bring it up in a new screen and larger)
2.) Right click and save
3.) Print out on cardstock.
**Recently I printed out on matte picture paper. It added a slight shine that looked pretty cool.
**You can print these out smaller, I create them larger for more options.
4.) Have fun

Oh, and I created a new sketch! Sketches make me happy!
I will be back soon with some actual Scrappy Projects! I know I haven't posted much work recently, but I have been creating, I promise. I just can't share yet :( Well anyways, Happy Friday and I hope you all have a WONDERFUL sunshine filled weekend!! PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

2 new Candy Shoppe Designs Kits & 2 Awards :)

2010-05-19T01:14:00.000-07:00

WOW, Lynnette has posted 2, yes 2, new kits for sale on the Candy Shoppe Designs blog. They are so sweet, let me tell ya! This first one is titled 'Snap Crackle Pop' after me....wow a kit created with me and my love for gnomes in mind....love it! Thank you Lynnette! Do you love gnomes and awesomeness?! Yes? Then you need to head on over to CSD and snag one of these kits for yourself. Seriously, you won't be sorry. CSD kits are amazing!!

Next up is the new Lollipop Girl kit. Fun sweet colors that are bound to make your scrapping just a little bit sweeter! Check out those colors - fabulous, right?! They have me drooling. I love bright colors and this kit doesn't disappoint! It's also for sale over at the CSD blog.

Over the past few days I have received a few awards! OMGoodness...Thank you ladies! I feel so loved :)

The first is the Sunshine award that Lynnette gave me. She says I brighten her day a bit...blush blush warm fuzzies. Seriously, she rocks! And SHE brightens MY day too!! The rules are to pass this along to 12 other bloggers that brighten my day as well.

The second award comes from a total sweetheart, Darlene. It's the 'You're going places, baby' award. I'll tell ya where I should be going is bed, but aah....blogging is so much more fun! lol Thank You Darlene for always being one of the sweetest girlies ever! The rules of this award are simple. I need to tell you all where I see myself in 10 years and pass it along to 10 awesome bloggers....so here goes:

In 10 years I see myself still married to my DH, putting kids through college, still scrapbooking, finalizing the plans for our house we are building. (We can't really build one now because we would never get to live in it due to moving every few years!!) There is so much I would like to see in my life in 10 years from now, but I will focus on the most important ones for now :)

Now to pass these bad boys on to other awesome ladies. I am combining the 2 awards and giving them to:

1.) Trisha Hill

2.) Jamie Harder

3.) Jennifer Shaw

4.) Julie Tucker-Wolek

5.) Audrey Yeager

6.) Dana Tatar

7.) Teri

8.) Crista

9.) Kat

10.) KateB

11.) Betsy

12.) AshleyB

Thank you ladies for adding a little sunshine into my life and for being awesome!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

MOSD - Build a Book turned Shadow Box

2010-05-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers and awesome people of crafty land. It's my day to post on the MOSD blog and I have created a fun little project to share. I love MOSD perfectly shaped Build a Book pages, there is so much that you can do with them. Like today's project! Can you believe those are chipboard book pages turned shadowbox?!

To create the shadow box I used 2 Perfectly Shaped - mini scallop pages for the front and back. I covered the front with paper using a spray adhesive and cut a 4in square out of the middle. I simply painted the back mini scallop page with black acrylic paint. To get depth in the shadow box I used a Perfectly Shaped - Pudgy Rectangle cut into 1in strips and hot glued them between the front and back. So easy, and it turned out so cute!

Once I had the initial frame of the box built it was time to embellish it. I started out with the idea of using the MOSD Picto Gram Cement Truck stick on and built my box around that. I used some of new favorite young boy papers and embellies, Sassafras Apple Jack. It goes so well with my little printable robot tag that you can snag here, and the polymer clay embellies I made. Tutorial here.

Here is a side view to give you an idea of the depth of the box. What I love most about this shadowbox is how well it represents my son. I now have it hanging in his bedroom and I am sure it's something that I will treasure for a long time!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Freebie Friday - Journal This

2010-05-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Freebie Friday here at my bloggity blog. Today I have some more journaling spots for you , no real theme this week though. I was just messing around and having fun. Well, honestly, that's always the case with me....it's all about playing around! I just thought I would include you all in my experiments now....muwahahaha

**Side note** I just bought some awesome coloring pencils from EK Success, and I have been coloring the journaling spots. I like b&w because it leaves an endless amount of possibilities, but I promise I will start creating more with color :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Want to win some Blue Moon Goodness?

2010-05-10T15:51:00.001-07:00

My girl Lynnette is having one awesome giveaway on her blog right now. She has teamed up with Blue Moon Srapbooking and is hosting an American Crafts giveaway to one lucky winner. Head on over to her blog between May 8th -29th for details on how you can win this:

If you haven't checked out Blue Moon Scrapbooking yet then you should head on over to their store. This is my new favorite place to order from. The most AWESOME customer service ever....seriously! And free shipping on all orders over $50. Doesn't get much better than that!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Scalloped Punch Flower Tutorial

2010-05-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful bloggers! Today I have a new tutorial for you. This one is so easy....so so easy, but the flowers are gorgeous when done! I have done this one a bit different. Instead of posting a zillion pictures, I have combined them into just 2 easy to follow pics! Let's get started, shall we?!

1. Supplies needed: Scalloped Punch 1.5 inch. Hole punch. Brads. Paper.

*I used book paper. Thinner papers seem to work better.

2. Punch out 8 scalloped circles. You can use more or less, but this is the amount that I felt looked best. It all depends on the thickness of your papers though.

3. Use your hole punch and punch a hole through the very center of all 8 scallops.

4. Secure your brad through the center of all 8 scallops where you punched the holes.

5. Start by taking the very first layer and fold & pinch it up around the brad.

6. Continue doing this step with all 8 layers building and shaping your scallops so they are pleasing to the eye!

7. This is the finished little scalloped flower. They are so cute, so fast, and so...CHEAP! lol

8. A variation of the flower. On this one all I did was use Smooch in Siren. I simply smooched the edges before adding the brad. Adds a little more definition.

9. Another variation. On this one I used pink liquid chalk and faded it from pink to white to give the flower more depth.

Here is a little example of different flowers I was playing around with using this technique. I used brown paper bags, book pages, cardstock, and even an old pattern. I inked them, chalked them, glittered them, and misted them. There are so many awesome ways to customize these flowers however your heart chooses....and did I mention that they are cheap....and cute! My favorite combination ;)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

The Domino Effect - Candy Shoppe Designs

2010-05-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

Candy Shoppe Designs newest challenge is now live and waiting for you to play along! This week we are focused on Games. Thus titled The Domino Effect. You are being asked to incorporate a game piece into your creation in any way you wish. There are so many pieces to choose from, so this should be fun! Try a bingo card, a domino, a playing card. If you are looking for inspiration then make sure to check out what the Lollipop girls have created for you on the CSD blog! And we have a guest Designer this week who has created one awesome tutorial. Check it out here.

You love playing games, right? In our family we have family game night ever Sunday. It's the perfect way to spend some quality family time and have some fun while purposely trying to loose so that our children can win...yep, that's how we do it in the Oxford house hold. Game nights are for the kids, not us parents! lol But Momma Oxford decided that since I can't win the games, I might as well wear them! For this Challenge I decided to create a Game Piece Necklace using scrapbook supplies and game pieces (of course). I love funky jewelry, the weirder the better. So I plan on rockin' this necklace and enduring all the weird looks from on goers! Believe it or not a lot of planning went into the elements on this necklace. May be cheesy to some, but it's love for me ;)

*Scrabble O- Oxford

*Emerald chandelier- Irish is awesome

*Crafty Melissa Frances paperclip- because being crafty is cool

*5 dice- There are 5 Oxford peeps

*Monopoly house- Represents our home

*Monopoly Thimble- I love to sew

*K charm- For my 3KO's. K is my favorite letter ever

*Key- Key to my diary from when I was younger, so represents memories to me

*Bingo marker- Next month I will be 28

**The frame was a pink metal frame (I think Making Memories from back in the day) that I painted black then glued a Jenni Bowlin mini bingo card into. The little Monopoly man I printed offline and placed into a vintage frame. I then used crackle accents to give him more of a finished look**

Come on over to Candy Shoppe Designs and show us that you've got game! I would love to see what you create!

Remember the Awesome prize up for grabs? No, ok I will tell you all about it :) Magpie Club is offering up a beautiful kit to the winner. Magpie Club is a pretty snazzy little kit club that not only has some beautiful kits, but they offer a Credit crunch kit (12.50) for those that love kits, but don't love spending a bazillion dollars on them. For a chance to win the below kit all you have to do is head on over to CSD and play along in the fun!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Freebie Friday - Let's talk about boys

2010-05-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first Freebie Friday! I am pretty excited about this day!! I was recently asked to create some boy-ish journaling tags, so here we are, 6 boy-a-licious (at least I think so) tags and whatnots. Check out my little robot...I love this little guy. I think he deserves a name, and a girlfriend!

If you want to use these follow these steps:

1.) Click on picture (this will bring it up in a new screen and larger)

2.) Right click and save

3.) Print out on cardstock.

**Recently I printed out on matte picture paper. It added a slight shine that looked pretty cool.

**You can print these out smaller, I create them larger for more options.
4.) Have fun

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

What I did on NSD

2010-05-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

One whole LO, that's right. ONE! I played along with Scrapbook.com, which I have for the past 3 years, and it was a whole lot of fun. Those ladies know who to rock out some major awesome LO's...fast! Although I would love to say I was right along with them in their speed, I was not. I am not that slow of a scrapper, but I typically scrap at night, after the babies are in bed. I am ashamed to say that it took me like 6 hours to do this simple LO, seriously! The challenge was to scrap a LO depicting why you scrapbook. What are the reasons? When I first read the challenge I immedietly thought about my blog header and blog name. Those are the reasons I scrap... my family and all the pieces that make us who we are. So this is what my LO was about. I used some of my hoarded Sassafrass. I buy that stuff like it's candy, and never use it because it's too yummy looking! And...I actually used my cricut. I hardly ever use that thing for a LO! Yay me.

I am excited that I won a little prize from Scrapbook.com. I have no idea what it is, but I love scrappy stuff! How about you, did you win anything Scrappylicious on National Scrapbook Day?

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

I'm a Military Wife - hear me roar!

2010-05-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggy friends. I have recently come across a blog dedicated to the every day inner workings of a Military Spouse. Well, they are currently holding a little blog hop at Riding the Roller Coaster to get to know other Military spouses. I thought this was a cool concept as we can never have too many friends that share some of the same experiences. I know that my blog is typically dedicated to my Scrapbooking passion, but I wanted to share another piece of me...The Military Wife.

Hello, My name is Amy. I am a Military wife. This above all other things has the most impact on my life. The military decides where we live, when the family gets to have Big Daddy around, and most importantly builds a stronger bond in our family life. It has been the reason for the love and strength that holds us together. I am 27 years old and have known this life since I married my High school sweetheart at the ripe ole' age of 18. I knew my DH, and have been dating him since I was 15 years old. He has always been the man for me, and I would follow him to the ends of the world and back again, just to hold his hand. We have 3 amazing children; Kayla 10, Kyrsten 5, and Koen 2. They are our 3KO's, and life with them is truly amazing. My husband is currently on deployment #3. This by far has been the hardest deployment we have faced. Words can not describe the reality of this one. We have lost a LOT of good men, and I live for those phone calls. I wait for those phone calls anxiously, just to hear his voice. Just to know that my soldier, our Big Daddy, is safe for one more day. I know a lot of people think it's silly to live your life for a man, but when he is THE man for you, then you live your life together. We do the best we can, and we are happy with that. Where will the Military take us next? That I am not sure of, but one things for certain, it will be an adventure. One that I will treasure.

OK, I know that was supposed to be a short introductory, but I could seriously go on forever... I am so excited to be participating in this MilSpouse blog hop and hope to meet many other ladies that wear the same shoes as I do.

OK, OK, you didn't really think I could post without something Scrappy, did you?! Today I have a new sketch to share. I am really having fun creating these. If you use it please let me know! I would LOVE to see :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Challenge 21 - Candy Shoppe Designs

2010-05-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's the 1st of the month! You know what that means right?! The new challenge is now up at Candy Shoppe Designs. This challenge is based on 'Twenty One'. Take what you want from that and go with it. I know you must be thinking 21 is an odd challenge, huh? Well, it just so happens that this is CSD's 21'st challenge. Seems fitting. Sounds fun. So sweet.

For this challenge I created a LO based on 21 things I WILL do, things I will accomplish. Not so much a bucket list, but a set of goals for the near future.

1. Research family genealogy 2. Learn a new Language 3. Give back 4. Turn my passion into a career 5. Drink a green beer in Ireland 6. Run in a marathon 7. Build dream home 8. Finish College 9. Find and get to know my sister 10. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon 11. Explore Paris 12. Be emotionally Generous 13. Try new things willingly 14. Swim in the Ocean 15. Watch my children grow 16. Rediscover myself with God 17. Write a random book 18. Bury a time capsule 19. Learn how to garden 20. Let go, forgive, and love more 21. Motorcycle road trip

Oh boy does CSD have a treat for you. May's sponsor is Magpie Club. Magpie is a kit club that puts together some amazing kits...seriously these precious little gems sparkle! Below is the kit that is being given away over at CSD....But, you have to be in it to win it ;)

Go on over and check out Magpie Club....you won't be disappointed!

(click on logo below)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Bloggiversary Winner

2010-05-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning fellow bloggers! Today is truly a fun day for us Scrappers, don't cha think?! A day dedicated to one passion that we all share in common - Scrapbooking! I just want to wish you all a wonderful Happy NSBD. I hope you all have lots of fun things planned to celebrate :) I'm still not quite sure what on earth I will do, but I can guarantee you I will celebrate in some size, shape, or form! Speaking of celebrating, I would like to thank YOU all for helping me make my Bloggiversary a huge success. I can't believe how many ladies played along! I would also like to send a huge hug and thanks to Lynnette Davis and Candy Shoppe Designs for the amazing kit she put together Special just for you. She's such a sweetheart! If you like all things sweet then you should definitely check out Candy Shoppe Designs....rockin' I tell ya!

I know, I know, you all want to know who the winner is of The Sweet Emporium kit don't you?!

Random.org chose #14

So a huge congratulations to:
Darlene please shoot me an email with your contact info to alaurelpo@yahoo.com. I will give it to Lynnette, and we will get your kit out to you asap!

&& I want to thank you all for the lovely response to my journaling spots! You all made my week...seriously! I am now going to be posting a Freebie Friday every week! If you have anything in particular that you are looking for just let me know and I will see what I can do for ya!
**Ilene - I will see what I can do for some little man journaling spots :)

I will be back in a bit with a new challenge reveal. Yay!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Free Journaling Spots

2010-04-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely ladies! Today I have some journaling spots for you! I had a lot of fun creating these, and you can be sure that you will be seeing some in future projects of mine :) If you want to use them then all you have to do is click on the picture to make it larger, right click and save the picture. Then print them (preferably on card stock) and cut them out! I hope you enjoy!! I am planning on creating more things like this to offer my wonderful friends, let me know if that's something you would like!

If you haven't already joined in my Bloggiversary Celebration make sure to visit HERE and enter to win a Special Candy Shoppe Designs Kit!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

It's my Bloggiversary & I'm celebrating with a Giveaway!!!

2010-04-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all my beautiful friends out there in Blogger Land. Guess what?! It's my Bloggiversary this month, that's right, I have officially been blogging for one year. I think I can now call myself a dedicated blogger. When I first started blogging I really didn't know if it was something I would enjoy, but I have, immensely. I have met some of the most amazing people through the world of Scrapbooking and blogging that sometimes I get overwhelmed with love for you ladies. I truly do appreciate you all. And since I can't have you all over to my house (I would if it were remotely feasible) then we will just have to celebrate right here....in Blog Land. What better way to celebrate a Bloggiversary than to have little custom Candy brought to you by Lynnette of Candy Shoppe Designs. CSD is one of my all time favorite places in the bloggasphere, so I wanted to share something I love with you!

This kit, titled 'The Sweet Emporium' was made special for my little party by the wonderful and talented Lynnette Davis. It just exudes all things sweet, don't cha think?! Do you want it? Heck, I want it!! Just leave a comment here on this post about your favorite party memory. It can be a birthday, an I'm just awesome party, an anniversary, a wild night on the town, or a party for your gnomes....I just want to hear all about the fun you have had celebrating something special in your life!

I will be drawing a winner on 1 May, so you have until midnight 30 April to leave your winning comment! All I ask is that if you are wanting to be in the drawing for the kit, then please be a follower. I want to give away this kit to one of my fabulous bloggy friends!!

Good luck ladies and THANK YOU for being so awesome!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Challenge #8 - Compassion

2010-04-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

The new Challenge is now up at Dirty Scraps and it's all about Compassion! You are being asked to create a LO around how compassion has affected your life. Here are the details:

Challenge #8 COMPASSION:
There is definitely a lack of compassion in this world that is full of judgment. So this challenge is all about compassion, maybe it will give someone else perspective on having compassion and less judgment, maybe it will make you think twice next time? So scrap a page about yourself, and something you "wish" people would stop judging you about and have compassion for you.
Not feel sorry, not pity you, but have some compassion because they don't know the whole story. Let's spread the love and get some insight on life :)
Now go get dirty!

Journaling:

Kayla is a little girl with a big heart. At 10.5 years old she is the size of an average 6 year old. Kids are always poking fun at her because of her size. It breaks her heart because she doesn't understand. I only wish kids would open their eyes and realize that words do hurt. They hurt good people with big hearts.

I chose to do this LO based on how a lack of compassion from her peers has affected my oldest daughter Kayla. But instead of her looking at it from a negative aspect, I mean sure it hurts her feelings, she looks at it from an example of how not to be. She is a very loving girl and has more compassion in her heart then most people I know. I feel good knowing that I am doing something right in raising my kids!

For this LO I used the March kit from Paper Poppy Kit Co. If you haven't checked out their kits yet then you definitely should. They are loaded with beautiful goodness and a major plus: they are a month to month, so no subscriptions!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

I'm being Sketchy

2010-04-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get bored and I doodle sketches in a little notebook. You know the notebook. The one that you keep beside the bed so that when inspiration strikes you can write it down in the middle of the night. No? Just me?! Well, I have a notebook full of mini sketches, ideas, random whimsies, rough drafts so to say. Tonight I got the urge to try my hand at actually turning one into a real sketch...and this is what I came up with! Just so you know...those circles were originally intended to be flowers, but I don't know how to do all the fancy schmancy stuff yet :) But for me this is a big deal as I am definitely not up to par on the inner workings of my computer. hehe. Any who, just wanted to share in my excitement! :)

I do have a LO created using this sketch, although I can't share until 1 May. I think I like.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Sketch Inspiration #120 - A little Lamp Love

2010-04-18T14:36:00.001-07:00

I *heart* Sundays because Trisha at Sketch Inspiration always posts a brand spankin' new Sketch for everyone to play with! I was especially excited because this week I was able to get my hands on her sketch a little early to create an example for her - yay, I didn't have to wait! Studio Calico is sponsoring Sketch Inspiration this week with one amazing kit, and I used this as the perfect opportunity to finally use this piece of Lamp paper that I have been hoarding forever. Do you have those pieces of paper that you buy because you just *love* it and it breaks your heart to cut into it unless you have the perfect project? Well this my friends was the case for me. But I did it, but not without hesitation :) This particular piece of paper inspired me to the point that I created a shirt just for it. Yes, I know, I went a little too far, but when inspiration strikes you just have to run with it!

Journaling is quick and simple (and somewhat cheesy, but true): Kayla is my lamp. This girl lights up my life. Shine on.

Sketch Inspiration Sketch #120

How cute is this?! There is so much room for interpretation. That's what I love about Trisha's sketches!

Here is the Kit up for grabs this week. Studio Calico is so amazing to provide such a beautiful kit for you to win. And to think, all you have to do is complete the sketch above and load it to the Sketch Inspiration gallery and you will be in the running! Easy Peasy and so much fun!

Alright beautiful bloggers, I am off to spend this beautiful Sunday afternoon with the kiddo's. We are working on a huge project of pulling weeds out of my (pretend) garden! I only have a garden for the gnomes, they need a place to hang!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

April MOSD reveal - Us in 2010 - Build a Book

2010-04-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggy friends! Today is my day to post on the Midnight Oil Scrapbook Design blog, and I am so excited to share with you my project. I, like most people, am so happy that it's finally spring. This warmer weather makes me want to sing and dance and spend all day rolling in the fresh cut grass (if only I wasn't allergic to the stuff...humph). To celebrate I wanted to create something bright and fun that represented my family. So....Sassafras meet MOSD! I decided that a mini book would be the perfect project. This mini book was created using 6 Build a Book Concave pages. What I like about these pages is the fact that they are so sturdy and they don't come with the holes pre-punched. That way you can choose where you want the bindings to be! How awesome is that?! The concave shape is quite unique. It definitely captures your attention!

For this mini book I focused on my family and who we were in the year 2010. We haven't filled out the pages yet, but we will get to that! I think it will be fun to look back at this book in the years to come and see how much we have all changed! As always I used MOSD Spiral binding rings in black to hold my mini album together. I really can't say enough about these, they make life so easy!

This is Big-daddy's page. I had so much fun dressing these little Maya Road dolls to fit each of our personalities. Daddy is wearing his Army uniform with custom dog tags. I even gave him a wedding ring ;)

This is me, mom, mommy, Amy. I am wearing my favorite leather jacket, and little Doc Martens. And of course a pretty little rhinestone diamond ring! OK, OK, I admit, I really thought the rings were adorable!

Kayla. She helped design her outfit. If you couldn't tell she really loves leopard print, black and pink right now! And the little tulle peeking out of her skirt is something she also loves in real life!

Kyrsten is 5, she loves sparkles and pretty dresses. I don't know how well you can see it in the picture, but she is wearing a pair of black glitter ballet flats :) These are her 'I have to have those or I'm going to die shoes'

And last but not least here is Koen, my wonderful little man. He is starting to get himself dressed at 2 years old, and he always picks out Khakis and a t-shirt. He is also really into Motorcycles right now, so I thought his outfit was perfect!

Well there you have it, my 'Us in 2010' mini album. I really had SO much fun working on this one, I think it's going to be a yearly project. Thanks to MOSD Build a Book pages I can create a custom album every year! Thank for stopping in today to check out what I have been up to.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful weather! And hey, maybe you can roll in the grass for me :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Candy Shoppe Designs 'It's raining, It's pouring' challenge reveal

2010-04-16T02:27:00.000-07:00

The new challenge just went live over at Candy Shoppe Designs, and boy is it a fun one inspired by the famous saying "April showers bring May flowers"! And with that you are being asked to incorporate rain/tear drops into your paper creation in any way you choose.

I loved the idea of the theme for this challenge and wanted to incorporate it the best I could. So for the background I created a rain effect inspired by what rain looks like when it falls onto a window...so much fun! I will be doing a quick tutorial on this background effect very soon!

Journaling reads:

Pain is a journey. You have your ups and downs and can only pray that you find yourself somewhere in the middle. A place that is tolerable. No amount of medication will ever allow me to feel normal again. So I just do it one day at a time and do the best I can.

You have until 1 May to get your 'It's raining, it's pouring' paper creation linked to the site. We would love to have you come on over and join us and show us your waterworks! Don't forget that Scarlet Lime is our Sponsor this month. You must be in it to win it ;) And trust me, this kit is beautiful!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Challenge #7 - Save the Drama for yo' Momma

2010-04-10T18:19:00.001-07:00

There is a NEW challenge up at Dirty Scraps. It's team RAW's turn to post, so I don't have a LO to show, but the DT has come up with some amazing LO's to showcase the current challenge.
Check it out:
Challenge #7 Save the Drama for yo' Momma!

I struggle with this all the time, eliminating DRAMA from my life! If it's not one thing it's another, finding balance is key! So I challenge you this week to scrap a Dramatic Moment! Whether you are a drama mama and love it or you hate drama and just want it to go away, scrap a dramatic moment or scrap how you feel about drama! Make it your page and make it the way you want it! Scrap it dirty!!
Now I know that at one point or another in our lives we have all been bitten by the Drama bug. Lord knows that I have and survived, even though at the time I thought I was going to DIEEEEE. Why not Scrap about it? Get those feelings down on paper! Right now I could write a book on Drama. My DD has reached that age...the age where I would like to just lock her up in her room and throw away the key. Ok, ok, that's a bit harsh, but I swear at her age I NEVER acted like this. Of course my mother would tell you a different story. Kayla's a pre-teen. She wants to die her hair blue. I'm a mean mom because I tell her no. Any little look sets her off into emotional hysteria... She doesn't understand why at 10 years old she shouldn't have her own Itouch, her own laptop, her own car :) She's 10, go outside and jump rope!! But I guess that if this is as bad as the drama in my life gets, I will take it! It certainly makes life interesting at times.
Any who, this Challenge and all future challenges will be Sponsored with some fabulous prizes. All the little details are currently being worked out right now! So head on over and share your Drama with us! We would love to see what you bring to the table!!
PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Candy Shoppe Designs DT call

2010-04-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Candy Shoppe Designs is currently looking for some fabulous ladies to join the team. If you are a person who enjoys a good challenge and wants to show off your personal style then this is the place for you! Lynnette is a WONDERFUL leader and always has something interesting up her sleeve. I would like to encourage all of you lovely ladies to try out for this DT! I have personally loved my time with CSD and I am sure you would too!! So why not apply?! All the details are below. If you haven't checked out Candy Shoppe Designs then I encourage to head on over and see what we are all about :)

Do YOU wanna be a Lollipop Girl for C.S.D.?

Lollipop Girl Design Team Call - ends April 23

*International applicants welcomed

The Lollipop Girls of C.S.D. are searching for 3 talented designers to join the team for May, June, July and August 2010 (summer months).Lollipop Girls are expected to show dedication to their position as a DT member by not only completing the 8 challenges during the term but by also spreading the word about C.S.D. on their own blogs and elsewhere.*All 8 challenges will be given to the successful designers prior to 5/1 in the DT ONLY area. Access will be given if you make the team.

As a DT member:
You will be allowed bragging rights of being a "Lollipop Girl for C.S.D."
You will have your headshot and fun facts about you on the C.S.D. blog along with a link leading back to your own blog for more exposure.
You will have your bi-weekly creations featured on C.S.D. to help give our Sweethearts inspiration and
You can include the DT position on your scrapbooking resume.
PLUS, all Lollipop Girls who make it through to the end of their term successfully will be spoiled with a "Goodie Box" filled with gifts from our sponsors and C.S.D.
*s/h is the Lollipop Girls responsibility.

Interested applicants must email us at candyshoppedesigns@hotmail.com with
"I wanna be a Lollipop Girl for C.S.D." in the subject line.

Include the following in your email:

- Your full contact information (including a link to your blog)

- A list of current DT's you are on (if any) and your DT duties.

- 21 RANDOM FUN FACTS ABOUT YOU!

- A headshot of your sweet self as well as pictures of your all

-time favorite 5 creations. They don't need to be just layouts as we create everything here from cards to altered items.

- A unique challenge idea you'd like to see on C.S.D.

- and ANSWERS to these questions.......

1. How did you first find out about C.S.D.? Were you told about it through a scrappy friend? Were you brought here by clicking on someone's link badge? Tell us how you discovered us!

2. Are you a Sweetheart (Follower) of C.S.D.? If not, why not? If so, for how long?

3. Do you have the C.S.D. link badge displayed on your blog with a working link leading back to us?

4. How many C.S.D. challenges have you participated in (if any) and do you remember which ones?

5. What do you like about C.S.D. and why do you want to to be on the DT?

We are looking for that WOW factor and everyone of you who are interested in the position are encouraged to apply!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

A non-Scrappy related project!

2010-04-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

Introducing Project Shovelhead! This is what has been keeping me from the Scrappy world the past few weeks, and is another passion that I have. A passion shared with my husband, something that we do together. Building Custom Harley's! This particular Harley we bought at a steal!! We plan on rebuilding it to our specific wants, needs, and desires. It's going to be the 'Daddy' bike, and yes, it does look a little sad right now, and needs a lot of work, but that's the fun part.

Here are the kids helping daddy wash the bike. They are such good little helpers!

Right before my DH left we finished up the 'Mommy' bike. Which was Project Sportster. This one is really special to me because:

a.) It's the first attempt at building something of this magnitude.

b.) He built it for me!

c.)It's friggin' beautiful

d.) These Harley's are our 10 year wedding anniversary presents to ourselves. When they are completed we plan on going on a road trip together, just the DH and I!

Here is my bike:

As you can probably tell, our preferred color for our vehicles is black. It's a problem, we need help. I would like to say we are working on this problem, but we aren't ;) I have been taking lots of pictures to document the process, and plan on creating a mini album or something along those lines just for the bikes....so in the end this will be a Scrappy project...in more ways that one :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Candy Shoppe Designs - challenge 'You Crack me Up'

2010-04-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

The new challenge is now up at Candy Shoppe Designs and we want to make you laugh!

So, for this first April challenge you are asked to dig out those photo's buried in that deep, dark corner of your lives that you have hidden away so that no one will discover them. Come on girls, you know what I'm talking about! We wanna see the funny, hilarious, embarrassing memories you have that you wouldn't dare scrap before this. It can be of yourself or if you'd rather embarrass someone else, feel free.

How fun does that sound?! I know I had a blast scrapping this picture that I dug up from back in the day. This is a LO about myself and my 2 besties all dressed up and ready to go....to Taco Bell. Yes, seriously, Taco Bell. I look at us in this picture and just have to laugh. Were we really wearing shiny pleather glitter skirts?! And what about that coat my bff Lauren has on. I really wish you could see the shoes we had on too. They are 4 inch chunky platforms that no one in their right mind should ever wear unless you are an official Spice Girl. I must admit, this picture is gawdy therefor I tried to create a Gawdy looking LO to mimic it! Love!!

I have to mention this month's FANTASTIC prize. Our sponsor is The Scarlet Lime and below you can see how wonderful this prize really is. I personally am a Scarlet Lime subscriber and love their kits SO much! We would love to see you join us in this challenge and can't wait to get a good laugh from your funny LO's!! You have until April 15th to get a paper creation in for your chance at this prize!

Lynnette, the owner of Candy Shoppe Designs, and a wonderful Scrapper has started to put together some Sweet Kits as well. Right now she has an exclusive kit available at CSD based around the Awesome movie 'Alice in Wonderland'. This kit is #1 of 4 from her Twisted Wonderland Series that will be available for purchase. It's titled Stupid Girl and you can find it here.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps & Candy Shoppe Designs Reveals

2010-03-31T14:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, I am a little behind with posting these, I know. I have gotten so wrapped up in spending every free moment with the DH that it slipped my mind to pre-post like I normally would do. We have had an amazing time this past 2 weeks and I hate to see him leave again tomorrow, but I live for the day that he will be home for good. When we can have our Big Daddy back in our lives full-time! July can not come fast enough for me. But I have missed you guys!! It feels good to be back in my bloggy world, and I can't wait to surf around and see what you have all been up to these last few weeks!

This LO is for Dirty Scraps challenge #6. You are being asked to scrap an 'Oh boy, What was I thinking' moment in your life. I chose to scrap about a time in my life when I had a playful Alter-Ego of 'Gangsta'. It was a joke among friends. We all dressed up as Gangsta's for Halloween and made some random comment on our Myspace pages about being Gangsta's in our awesome ghetto lingo. I honestly could not even tell you what status update said because it was that lame....but a few days after posting this Status update I had the police at my door questioning my stupidity! I mean seriously....WOW! I was told that the Gangsta status wasn't something to flaunt and I should rethink what I post online....OK. In all honesty I think it's hilarious & is a joke among girlfriends that will live on in my mind forever! But just to be safe, in the future I will only pretend to be a Ninja. ;)

Head on over to Dirty Scraps and play along with us! I would love to hear about your 'What was I thinking' moment!

This LO is for Candy Shoppe Designs - Monochromatic Green challenge. You are being asked to create just that...a monochromatic LO using the color green! Boy did I have fun with this. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I like a good challenge! When I first got the challenge I knew that I wanted to use this picture of my DS wearing his favorite color, green!

If you want to take on this challenge please head on over to Candy Shoppe Designs and show us what you've got! This month's prize is a Goodie Bag from Wild Olive Kids filled with Scrapbook Supplies. Now that's one awesome prize!!

Thanks for stopping by today and checking out what I've been up to. Within the next few days I will be back full time again :) I am now off to spend one last night with my man! I hope you all are having a magnificent week thus far!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Circle Explosion - MOSD style!

2010-03-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggy friends! I am currently 'OUT' of the blog office, but have this pre-scheduled so I can share with you my newest MOSD project! This month I wanted to focus on circles, just circles. This is something that I would never had attempted in the past, but once I saw this fabulous Circle Intricacy I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I filled in all the circle cut outs with patterned papers to add some more visual interest and then mounted the entire 11x11 Intricasy onto Kraft cardstock. I like that by outlining the Intricasy it allows it to 'pop' right off the bg!

The big circle is a MOSD Perfectly Shaped - Circle. It's made of chipboard and is 6in in diameter. The perfect size!! I covered it in a book page by using a Spray Adhesive and trimming off the excess paper with my Xacto knife. This has come to be one of my favorite ways to cover chipboard. Another thing that I love is the MOSD Journal bits. I used one in black by simply applying it on the green cardstock. These journal spots are fabulous. They add that special touch to your journaling (not to mention make you write in a straight line, which is always a problem for me!!)

Thanks for joining me today in my Circle Explosion project, which I think might now be a Circle Obsession! I hope you all are having a beautiful few weeks! I am just beginning my time at home with the DH back - we have 2 weeks!! I know they are going to fly by too fast though and we will have to say goodbye again....BUT it's good to have a hand to hold for now!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Rock Star Chicka - BMS Hardware challenge

2010-03-13T22:43:00.001-08:00

Have you ever come across a challenge that you just could not NOT do?! I did a few days ago, and it has had me spending too much time in my DH's garage. Thank goodness that he is not home or I would hear a lot of complaining. His garage to him is like my scrap room is to me....you don't go in there without consent!! If I ever feel bad about spending too much money on scrappy supplies I just go open the garage door and look in - that cures it. Seriously, we collect paper, he collects wreches and ratchets. Anywho, I found so much fun stuff in there to play with. Which leads me to the challenge I am sneaking around in the garage for :)

Blue Moon Scrapbooking is currently holding a 'Hardware' challenge over on their DT blog.

Here are the details:

You live in a rural County, in fact so rural the closest scrapbooking store is many miles away and you get the chance to shop only once in a while. You shop online normally, at… joy, oh joy...Blue Moon Scrapbooking!! On a whimsy, your neighbor says “I’m going to town, want a lift?” Well, you hop in and the neighbor says “I’ll drop you off and pick you up in a bit”. Fabulous – except you have been dropped off at the hardware store with only cardboard shapes, nuts and bolts, wire and mesh… available. Time to push the creativity button as you work with the supplies from the hardware store.

OMGoodness!!! How fun! Hardware I used include: Black mesh, wire, washers in various sizes, black sandpaper, cardboard heart, paint, and calking (which was used to create the textured bg paper). Now I need to go clean up his garage a bit because the man will be home for R&R on Monday for 2 whole weeks!!! I am over the moon excited. We haven't seen him in over 8 months so this is much needed family time :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by...now go hug those loved ones!!!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Tutorial - Custom Corrigated Alphas

2010-03-06T02:05:00.001-08:00

Hello fellow bloggers!! Today I have a very quick and easy tutorial for you on how to create your very own corrigated cardboard alphas. I have been looking at the Jillibean Soup ones for months....and months, but I have not been able to bring myself to actually buy them. Why? Because they are cardboard, something that I love and something that I have all over my house. So one day I just thought to myself - Make your own, and that's exactly what I did :) But first I am going to show you one of the fastest ways to strip that pesky layer of paper off cleanly so we can get to that coveted corrigated bliss!

All we need for this is a bowl of water, a paper towl and your cardboard.

First we just dip our paper towl into the water. Make sure to get it really saturated with water.
Then just wet the cardboard really well and let it sit for about 15-20 seconds. Long enough to loosen the paper.

Start off in one corner and begin to lift the paper carefully. If you notice it isn't coming up very easily then add more water.

When you are pulling the paper off make sure to do it following the lines. The paper is glued to each individual raised corrigation, so this is the easiest way to do it. If you do it against the lines then it typically creates a mess!

As you are lifting the paper keep adding water.

And there you have it. A nice clean piece of corrigated cardboard to work with!

Now on to the letters. All we have to do it cut the cardboard to fit our cricut matt and run it through like you normally would. I set my settings to shadow because I like the thicker look. Also...I used a deep cut blade which works better for thicker products. I have used a normal blade, but have had to go back in with my Xacto knife to finish the cuts. So if you don't mind the extra bit of work the regular cricut blade works as well!

And here is my corrigated name all popped out!

These are a few different words that I have cut in various sizes. What I love about this is that you can cut your letters any size, any font that YOU want! And then use as is or you can paint them, ink them, make em' pretty in any way you want! Also another thing that I love is how the letters take on a different look depending on how you turn your cardboard before cutting. The 2 words on top are cut vertically with the lines while the 2 on bottom are cut horizontally! So cool!

And there you have it....Your very own custom Corrigated Letters!!! Have fun :)

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Let's Go Green! Candy Shoppe Designs and Dotty Divas Reveal!

2010-03-01T22:10:00.001-08:00

March, one of my all time favorite months ever. It's the month where green is the color of choice. Where being Irish (even just a wee bit) takes center stage and ones fear of little leprechauns is one step closer to becoming a reality as opposed to myth. Seriously, I don't care how cute those little men are, and their promise of a pot of gold just doesn't do it for me either. Of course none of this has anything to do with being forced by my brother's to watch the movie 'Leprechaun' numerous times....I swear!! But most of all I love the month of March because it's the month that I met my husband and he asked me to be his girl. It's the month that I got to start wearing his Letter Jacket around school and permanently retired mine to the back of the closet. We still have those letter jackets due to the fact that I am one of those people that hate to throw something perfectly useful out. Which brings me to these next few LO's!!

First we have Candy Shoppe Designs

Challenge: Go Green

Think it's garbage? Think again! The Lollipop Girls of C.S.D. are challenging you Sweethearts to use everyday items from around your house that you wouldn't normally use on your LO's and use them! Items such as cardboard, duct tape, dryer sheets, you name it!St. Patrick's Day is coming up and we thought it would be fun to "GO GREEN" for the environment in honor of the holiday. So join us as we turn our trash into treasure.

Here is the LO I created for this challenge:

This LO was seriously FUN. I have been having a huge problem lately with wanting to create my own BG's for LO's as you have probably already noticed!! But it's just so much fun and once I get an idea I HAVE to do it. On this LO I recycled a bunch of paperclips that the DH always brings home from work. I swear I have thousands of them and they have just been sitting there. I also recycled cardboard, coffee filters for the flowers, and newspaper for the leaves.

We would love to see you over at Candy Shoppe Designs and have you play along. And with a prize like this from WILD OLIVE KIDS filled with Scrapbook goodies how could you not want to be in it to win it?! You have until 14 March to get your 'Green' project turned in via Mr. Linky on the Candy Shoppe Designs blog!

Next up is Dotty Divas. Again it's all about going green!! Take a look at the Advert inspiration for this challenge:

Here is my LO for this Ad challenge:
Going Green is just what I took from the Ad, for you it may be something completely different. That's what is so great about having a piece of inspiration to work from. Everyone has their own style, their own interpretation, and I love seeing that! This LO is mostly recycled product. For the BG I used a shopping bag from the mall, the letters are newspaper, the flower is newspaper and a walmart sack, of course we have cardboard (I heart Cardboard), and the arrows and earth are from a pamphlet the girls brought home from school.
If you would like to play along with this Challenge we would love to have you! All Projects are due by 14 March to be in the running for the prize donated by one of our very own DT members!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Challenge #4 Reveal - I of tha beholder

2010-02-25T14:55:00.001-08:00

The new Challenge is now posted at Dirty Scraps. This one really got me to dig deep. Probably deeper than I ever have before and I know it's a lot to take in all at once, but it is my life. Or rather it was a part of my life that helped form me into the person I now am today. I am putting this all out there for the sheer fact that I want it to be known that one can overcome their past and create something better for themselves if they have the courage, the will power, and most of all the heart to want something more.

Dirty Scraps Challenge #4:In Your Eyes-

When I talk to the people I love or friends I often ask myself "Who are they looking at? What glasses are they using?" It's amazing how much less/more critical we would be on ourselves if we saw what others saw. So this challenge is to Scrap a page through someone else's eyes. Either how someone see YOU (ask them or journal words they have used before) Or scrap a page about how you see someone else. I mean how you REALLY see them. Why they see you that way? Why you see them that way? Think about it and reflect, it might give you some new insight or even compassion (for others or yourself).

Now go get dirty!

I chose to scrap this page about how I see my father. Now don't get me wrong, I do love the man...he is my father and it's a love that most of the time I do not understand myself, but I have only wanted more for the man than he has given himself.

Dear Father…my dad…the man I am supposed to look up to, the man I am supposed to come to with my problems, the man who is supposed to make my life better with wise gentle words and daddy hugs. We all know that Daddy hugs make everything better in life. At least that’s what my own children tell me. But I will never know that for myself, will I? I do look up to you dad but not in the way a daughter should. I look up to you as an example. An example of what not to do and of whom not to be. You impacted my life on so many levels with your harsh words, your brass personality, your seemingly common failures, and your abandonment. I will never in my life allow something to control my life like you have. I will never allow a drink to be more important to myself than my very own children. A six pack of beer or dinner for my family?! Are you freaking kidding me? For most people it would be a very easy question to answer, but I guess for you it was too….you always chose that damn beer. You say you have your reasons for drinking, well dad your reasons for drinking are the same as my reasons for sitting on a toilet….SHIT. As I was growing up I tried to put on my daddy blinders and pretend that everything was ok, life was normal, and I always had the help of my big brother to make me happy, to make all of us kids happy. He is only one year older than I am and was more of a father to me than you have or will ever be. Who was around to build the tree houses, to hang a ghetto rigged basketball hoop, to push us on the swing he made. Who was it that rode his bicycle to the store to get food, who went to work at the age of 15 so he could pay our rent, who loved his family that much to sacrificed being a normal child himself?! It sure the hell wasn’t you. You were too busy sitting back nursing your beer and wondering why your family was so mean to you. We were your pretty little trophies that you liked to show off whenever we went anywhere and if we ever spoke out of place we knew that we would get the belt when we got home. Sure we were pretty little kids, but we lived in fear. Fear that if we did anything to upset ‘dear old dad’ that we would get it. When we were older and able to stick up for ourselves better you resorted to not spanking us, but verbal abuse. Which in my opinion is much worse. You made your daughters feel like the worst girls in the world…why? Because we were getting older and we were dating. You hated that. You called me every single name in the vulgar dictionary. And you wondered why at the age of 16 I was gone. I couldn’t deal with you any longer. You are my worst nightmare, and probably always will be. I know what a father should be; my children have experienced that for themselves because they have a wonderful father who loves them unconditionally. A father that you hate of course. I just want you to know dad, that you hurt people. You hurt me, and you are now hurting your grandchildren. But the saddest part of it all is the fact that you have hurt yourself the most because you will never experience the love a father should, and that is truly a disservice unto yourself. The one good thing I did learn from you was to find something you love and never let go of it. For you it was your alcohol, and for me it is life. My life, my children, myself. So thank you for that. Good Bye ‘Dad’.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

I like making lists - MOSD Feb. Project

2010-02-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

This month MOSD has been focusing on 'love' as our overall theme so I decided to create a project based around something I love....no it's not your typical object of affection, but I have a huge love for creating lists. I will create a list for everything and anything. I guess you could call it more like an obsession! Yes, it's that bad. So for my MOSD project I created a notebook for myself to keep all my lists in one place. (I am also known for loosing these precious lists I create.)

MOSD has some of the most amazing Perfectly shaped Build a Book pages imaginable. For this book I used 5 Perfectly Shaped - Tabbed pages. This gave me the exact look I was going for, and will hopefully keep me a little more organized as well! And as always I used MOSD Spiral Rings to hold the book together. I don't know if I could live without those rings!
I simply cut the tabs off in the appropriate places so the pages layered effectively. This was so easy...just used my Xacto knife and we were good to go!
I cut regular copy paper to size and added it in between the chipboard pages. Which is another reason that MOSD Spiral Rings are a plus - I can always go back and replace my paper at anytime. Love it!

I used JuJu Bee's JAN kit for this project as well. There are still some available in the store if you would like to chem them out!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Candy Shoppe Designs - Recipe for Love Challenge Reveal

2010-02-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

The new challenge is now up at Candy Shoppe Designs. This one is all about creating your recipe for love using a shopping list per say. All you have to do is create a project using this list and let your imagination run wild!

-picture(s) of your loved one
-any type of doily - even the paper kind
-flowers *to taste
-hearts*to taste
-lace
-the colors pink & red *even a pinch will do!

Here is the LO I created using the shopping list:

I chose to go all out and create a Valentine's Day LO using a picture of myself and the DH. The Doily was used to create my flower and there are hearts all over the place. For the lace I chose to outline my title area and there is pink and red splattered throughout the entire LO. I think this is the perfect recipe for love. Me + Hubby :) What I love most about this LO is that paper die cut of the man and woman. I have been holding onto that die for over 10 years!! The DH had given me a card and that was on the cover...so I cut it out and was waiting for the perfect time to use it. And what better time than on a LO representing our love?!

If you get a chance to play along this round then I would love to see what you create using this recipe. I always love to see what others do using the same guidelines - you ladies are so creative and blow my mind with your talents!! Oh, I almost forgot to mention the prize. Generations Crafting along with Candy Shoppe Designs has put together a beautiful kit that is up for grabs. So head on over and check it out!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps Challenge #3 & Candy Shoppe Updates

2010-02-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

The new Challenge is now up at Dirty Scraps. As usual Pinky has came up with a wonderful subject matter for this one. Check it out!!
Dirty Scraps Challenge #3Broken, that's the key word for this week...we all have broken relationships, whether it be an ex boyfriend, an ex husband/wife, a broken relationship with a friend, or even God. So this week's challenge is to scrap a broken relationship. Heck you could have broken off your relationship with cigarettes, or Dr. Pepper! LOL Make the challenge work for YOU, after all its' YOUR book and YOUR page, just get down and deep or have fun and make it light~Now go get DIRTY! How fun does that sound?! Team Raw is up for this one, so I haven't completed a LO yet, but I intend to! If you would like to see some amazing inspiration on this challenge then please head on over to the Dirty Scrap blog and check out what the DT has created.
Candy Shoppe Designs is having little giveaways on the blog. Lynnette has decided to do random drawings for the Sweetheart followers once we hit 300, 325, 350...and so on. So if you aren't currently a follower then head on over for a chance to win some awesome prizes.
Also the current challenge "Cupid's Arrow" is still going on. All you have to do is create a current project displaying an arrow. Make sure to link it to the post here for yet another chance at winning some amazing candy!! Hope to see you join us in these amazing challenges!!
PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

2 Zipper Flowers - Tutorial

2010-02-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

As promised I have a new tutorial for you fabulous bloggie friends based on creating a few flowers using zippers. I got my initial idea for these when I bought my DD a pair of shoes with a huge Zipper flower on the toe.....and after that I kept seeing Zipper flowers everywhere (or maybe that was just in my mind). So I set out to create an easy tutorial on how I created mine...and I am still playing around with the idea for more, so be warned...there may be another installment to this tutorial :)

Supplies Needed:

*Zipper - 18in long

*Needle & thread

*Scissors

First what we need to do is cut the Zipper pull and the end stopper off the zipper. That's where a good pair of scissors are needed. I used my Tim Holtz Tonic ones because they will cut through anything (including metal) and stay sharp! Love them!!
After you cut the Zipper pull and stopper off the zipper you will have cut off about 1inch leaving a 17inch Zipper area to work with.
Then simply use a running stitch up the entire side of the zipper on the fabric area.
After you complete the stitch up the side of the zipper just pull the thread to create a tight gather. The zipper will begin to twist into a circle. Make sure to leave the needle and thread on the zipper. We do not want to cut this off because we will be using it :)
Take those circle twists and start arranging them. You will want to take the very end of the zipper and just tuck it under. Use that as your starting point and wrap the zipper around until you get a look that is pleasing to you.

Once you get a desired look simply take your thread and hand stitch the zipper together to create a solid flower. This works best if you start in the back and bring the stitches all the way through to the center.

And there we have it - our Zipper flower. These look pretty awesome as is, but if you want to add something to the center - that looks sweet as well!

We are using the same exact Supplies for this flower as in the previous one. And it starts out the same as well. We need to cut both ends off the Zipper giving us about a 17inch piece to work with. The first thing we are going to do for this flower is cut the Zipper. We need 5 pieces of 2.5inch zipper. These will be the petals. There will be a little left over after we cut these 5 pieces - we want to save that and cut it down to 3 inches. This piece will be the center of the flower.

Next we want to start creating our petals. To do this simply take one of the 2.5inch pieces of zipper and bend it like shown.

Using our needle and thread simply tack the two ends together. We don't want those babies coming apart!!

Repeat this process until you have all 5 petals complete.

Next we are going to start forming our flower. To do this slightly overlap the petals and stitch them into place where one petal touches the other. This forms a really solid base.

And here is what our flower base looks like after we have stitched all 5 petals together.

Next we are going to create the center of the flower using the 3inch piece of zipper. Add a Running stitch to the fabric area the lenght of the zipper.Then simply gather the stitch to form a circle. Tack this circle together with your thread.

And then add tack it down it down to the center of your flower base!!

And there we have it folks, another Zipper flower completed!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Fortune Cookie Tutorial

2010-02-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to show you how I created these felt fortune cookies. They are so simple and adorable, not to mention they make the cutest gift for someone special! We made them for teacher's gifts for Valentines Day, but they would be great for any time of the year. First off I found the Chinese take out box pattern here. This is a small box that fits 2 cookies perfectly.

Supplies Needed:

*Felt of desired color

*Glue Gun

*Scissors

*Quotes 'fortunes'
First what we need to do is draw a 4" circle onto the felt. I used a sharpie because it works beautifully!
Cut out the circles. When doing this cut just inside your drawn circle. This eleviates any marker to show.
Lay your 'fortune' on the felt and using your glue gun add a thin line of glue leaving about half an inch on each side. This allows room for the fortune to be pulled out!
Then just fold over and let the glue set.

Next we need to flatten out the top of the felt. Using your finger just push it down to create a dent..lip..heck just flatten that baby ;)

Add a bead, ok a glob of hot glue onto one side of your 'dent'.

Then just fold it together and allow to dry. Warning from experience: Hot glue takes a little longer to dry on felt than it normally would. I don't know why, I am sure there is an awesome reason....I just know it's frusterating at times. (meaning I'm impatient)

And this is what they look like completed. And those fortunes just pull right out!

Wouldn't these make the cutest little gift?! I love how you can totally personalize your fortunes depending on the person. There are also many sites that have fortune cookie quotes if you would rather. Thanks so much for stopping in to visit me today. I hope to have a few more tutorials up soon!!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Candy Shoppe Designs Reveal - Cupids Arrow

2010-02-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

The new Challenge is up at Candy Shoppe Designs. This challenge is for the single ladies ;) We were sent out on a mission by the lead Lollipop girl Lynnette to find some of Cupids arrows just for you and use them on a LO. Now that our mission is complete we are hoping you can use these arrows for inspiration!! The challenge is going on now through Feb 14th, so plenty of time to get your project in for a chance to win a fabulous piece of Blog Candy!

I found an arrow!!! This LO is all about my DD Kyrsten and her new found 'love' at school. Mind you she is only 5 years old, but seriously....how could you not love a boy when he tells you this:
"Tomax says I'm beautiful and he wants to marry me when we get all big and stuff like mommies and daddies. He's gonna be an Army man like daddies are and we are going to live happily ever after."
It just melted my mommy heart to hear that. All I could think about after her telling me this was the Reba Mcentire song 'She's in love with the boy' which I used as my title!

Oh, and I would like to introduce you to a wonderful new sketch artist I have recently discovered. She made this exclusive sketch just for me to use (although she did say that if anyone else wanted to use it that would be ok too) She is a wonderful person, about 50lbs, blonde hair, blue eyes...ok, ok, it's my daughter ;) She has decided that since I love sketches so much she would create some for me, and I think that is a brilliant idea!

So here you have it, Kayla's very first sketch:

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

February Full reveal for JuJu Bee's!!

2010-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

The day is here! I am so excited to share with you the full reveal of JuJu Bee's February kit. This kit is absolutely delicious and jam packed full of amazing product featuring Pink Paislee Cupid line! Check it out:

And here is what I have created with this kit so far and I have barely put a dent into it! Gotta love that :)

If you would like to get your pretty little hands on one of these fabulous kits then head on over to JuJu Bee's and rab one before they are sold out! This is seriously one kit that you do not want to miss!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

JuJu Bee's FEB Kit sneaks & a Few LO's

2010-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Ohh, I am so excited to be sharing a few sneaks with you from the Amazing JuJu Bee's FEB Kit! This kit is absolutely beautiful and I just can not stop playing with it. If you look really close you can see tidbits of some Pink Paislee Cupid ;) I am totally loving this line and the kit is built around all those precious colors...just perfect to scrap those loved ones!

I also have some more LO's created with the DEC & JAN kits, which also feature some more delicious Pink Paislee! Can you tell I love Pink Paislee?! Hey, I have to support my fellow Missourians!!

This LO was created using the DEC kit. Isn't that Making Memories snowflake paper beautiful?! The minute I saw that paper and the wings from the Fancy Pants cut outs, I just knew what pictures I had to scrap! This LO is all about Kayla teaching her sister how to make Snow Angels in the first snow we have had since moving to WA!

This LO was also created with the DEC kit from JuJu Bee's. I had cut out all the journaling cards from the pp and later realized that I really wanted to use the reverse side of the paper. So what's a girl to do?! I patched them randomly back together and then sewed them down...with my new sewing machine!!! Whoo-hoo, thank you hubby for that little suprise! This was Koen first time EVER seeing snow. He didn't know what to think about that fluffy white stuff and lasted only about 5 minutes outside!

This LO is also about my little man Koen using the DEC kit. This year he became obsessed with Christmas!! It was the first time he acknowledged the holiday at all and really got into the spirit of things. Still over a month later he is walking around saying 'Ho, Ho, Ho". This is a typical picture I get of Koen...I call it his 'Happy say cheese for the camera' face. I think he has mastered the look!

This Simple LO was created using the JAN kit from JuJu Bee's. I kept it really simple from my typical LO's because I am totally in love with this picture of my DD. She looks so innocent and perfectly sweet and I wanted the focus of the LO to be the picture. Man, I love this little girl!!!

And my crazy LO from the JAN kit. Kyrsten broke her little arm on Jan 18th in 3 different places...and well, she's been feeling a little down lately. So one night after she went to bed I started working on this LO in hopes that it would cheer her up seeing how beautiful her cast really is. So I set out and tye dyed the lace using my homemade mist sprays....pulled apart all those pretty little prima flowers that come in the kit and misted them all....and used sharpie markers to color all the pearls. All to match her awesome Tye Dyed cast her amazing Doc. (went out of his way) to get her! She woke up the next morning and saw the LO and told me I was the Prettiest Princess Mommy in the entire world and she loved it with her heart. That right there made me feel like a scrapping hero (at least in her eyes) :)

Well, whew that was a long picture heavy post! Thanks for going along with me on my little LO journey! I just can't get enough of these kits...as you can probably tell :) If you would like to check out the kits for yourself please visit the JuJu Bee's store or blog... You really don't want to miss out on the FEB kit...seriously, I am ordering an extra myself!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Custom Pebble - Tutorial

2010-01-29T22:51:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow beautiful scrappers! My beautiful friend Trisha from Sketch Inspiration has asked me to do some tutorials here and there for the site and how could I say no?! I love tutorials...I mean seriously love doing them!! So Today I have a tutorial on how to create your very own custom pebbles which is also posted over at Sketch Inspiration. I just love all those pretty little pebbles you can buy to add that special depth to your projects... I just hate to pay the prices for so few especially when I only end up liking and using a couple out of the package! So I got to looking at those bad boys and realized that they would be SO easy to make! I went to my local Michaels and picked up some clear glass flat backed pebbles - $2.49 for a bag of 20. Got on the computer and searched for images that I loved...printed those out onto white cardstock using my thumbnail option which is the perfect size. And then got busy making my pretty custom pebbles!

Here is how I did it:

Supplies needed:
Clear flat backed pebbles. (I used 1" and 1 1/4")
Your images/pictures
Glossy Accents
scissors

Then I simply layed my pebbles onto the pictures I printed to get the positioning I wanted.

Then traced around the pebble with a pencil for a guideline as to where to cut. I used pencil so I could go back in and erase the marks so they wouldn't show through the glass!

Then of course we just simply cut them out. And there we have it...the backs for our pebbles.

Next take some glossy accents and apply a glob to the center of your image. I used glossy accents because it dries completely clear and doesn't deflect from the glass effect we are going for. Plus that stuff can glue like no other!

Using your finger spread the glossy accents into a thin layer over your entire image. This is the only messy part of the entire process I promise :)

Then simply lay your pebble on top of the image. Using your fingers make sure to gently press out any air bubbles you see between the image and the glass. Start in the middle of the image and work out.

On this one I didn't use glossy accents for the glue. Rather I used Diamond Stickles and it sealed beautifully! I love the glittery effect that the glitter gives to the pebbles and you could use any color. Just one more way to create a custom pebble for your project!

I even used some vintage music sheet paper for one of the pebbles below. Love it! Turn rub ons into pebbles, pictures of your children, Or even just a sweet sentiment. The possibilities are endless!!! To create the 6 pebbles below it only took a matter of minutes. A quick, easy, and custom look for your projects at a VERY reasonable price!

If you are looking for some amazing sketches to play around with then Sketch Inspiration is a wonderful place to check out! There is a new sketch posted Sunday and Trisha has some Amazing sponsors lined up for each week! So head on over and check out the site. I promise you won't be disappointed!!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dirty Scraps - Challenge #2 reveal - Sister

2010-01-25T16:33:00.001-08:00

How exciting is this?! My first DT reveal over at Dirty Scraps, I am beyond ecstatic!! This challenge blog is for real, and by that I mean it allows you to be real, scrap life - the good and bad, express yourself, be yourself!

The current challenge is simply this:

Dirty Challenge #2 - Scrap a pivotal point in your life. Scrap a page about that one changing moment that happened at some point in your life, whether it be a new baby, escape from abuse, a tragedy, a miracle....I don't care just get it on paper and remember it for what it is! It does not have to be a positive event, it can be anything that happened to you, by you or for you? Maybe it was an intervention, a breakthrough, someone, or something...just look deep and scrap it hard!
Now go get DIRTY!

Here is my take on the challenge:

I have to admit, this truly is the most difficult LO I have EVER created. The entire time I was working on it I was teared up and didn't think I would even finish, but I did! And that's what I love most about Dirty Scraps! It really is scrap therapy. I feel so much better now that I have actually taken the time to put my feelings onto paper. About 5 years ago I learned that I have another sister, one that my parents had given up for adoption on Nov. 19, 1987, the day she was born. This tore me up inside as my family is extreamly close. I know why my sister was given up for adoption (that's a completely different story for another time) But that doesn't stop the pain I feel for living the past 28 years of my life not knowing someone that is a HUGE part of myself. I wonder what she is like, does she look like myself and our other sisters, is she ok, does she even know that I exist?! I do know that she kept her name that my father had asked for, Crystal. I do know that she is now 22 years old, but that's ALL I know other than the fact that I love her and one day I hope to meet her.

Here is a close up of my little embellie cluster. I just love that zipper flower. I have seen them all over the place and just had to make one for myself. I am currently working on a tutorial on how to create several different styles of zipper flowers, so excited for that!

I encourage you to head over to Dirty Scraps and check it out. There is so much passion on this challenge blog, and the ladies are just wonderful and supportive! Also make sure to check out the other DT memebers LO's. They are remarkable!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Sketch Inspiration - Sketch #8 - JuJu Bee's Sponsored

2010-01-24T17:05:00.001-08:00

Trisha has posted a new sketch over at Sketch Inspiration and it's absolutely beautiful! This week JuJu Bee's is the sponsor so that meant that I got the priviledge of working with the Sketch right along with the Fabulous Jan Kit!

Here is my take on Sketch #108:

If you would like a chance to win a beautiful kit from JuJu Bee's then head on over to Sketch Inspiration and show your interpretation of this amazing sketch:
Why you are there why not check out my latest tutorial on creating your own Custom Pebbles! I will be posting the tutorial on my blog soon as well!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Dotty Divas Ad Challenge Reveal #6

2010-01-20T10:39:00.001-08:00

The new challenge is up at Dotty Divas and it's bound to make your heart flutter! I mean seriously, just look at the inspiration Ad that we are working with:

Aren't those butterlies beautiful?! They totally inspired me, and truth be told I don't even like butterflies. It was the colors, the vibrancy against the black and white. The beauty in this Ad was overwhelming! Wait....I don't like butterflies you ask. How could I not like butterflies?! It all goes back to when I was about 4 years old. I was outside swimming in our little pool when all of a sudden I was attacked (ok, maybe swarmed but in my defense it felt like I was attacked) by a swarm of Monarch butterflies that would not leave me alone. I was screaming and running all over the place and they followed....They scared me and to this day I do not like butterflies! The End!

But I do think they are pretty! Like on this headband I created for my DD's. The Butterfly is attached with a little clip so they can remove it if they want to wear just the feathered headband, or replace it with a different colored butterfly!
For this LO I was really inspired by the butterflies! So much so that I used my trusty Martha Stewart punch and punched all these bad boys out and glued each individual one down onto Kraft pp! I love the focal point it created as a background paper! My title is based off of the song "Soar" by Christina Aguilera. It's such a beautiful song with meaning behind it that I think everyone should take to heart.

For this Challenge at Dotty Divas we have Cosmo Cricket as our Sponsor. So come on over and show us your take on this Ad for your chance to win an Earth Love paper pack! Hope to see you there!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

Jan MOSD Reveal - Inner Beauty

2010-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Beautiful People! I know, I know, I have been posting quite a bit these past few days. But it just happens to be a pretty busy week for me and I have quite a bit to share in the bloggy/scrappy world of mine! Thank you for stopping by to take a gander at these little pieces of me. (Had to throw that pun in there, couldn't help myself!)

Today my project for MOSD went live on the company blog. This is the first time I have created a LO with MOSD products and I am super excited about how it turned out! I absolutely love how MOSD products work for all types of paper crafting, no matter where your passion lies!
This LO is all about how my Sister has effected my perspective on life. She is a beautiful person inside and out and I strive to be a bit more like her each day.

To create this frame I used a MOSD Perfectly Shaped - Mega Scallop. I cut a square out of the center to create a frame for my journaling and painted the Mega Scallop with black acrylic paint.
To finish off the frame I painted the edges with a white paint pen and added my little dashes with a white pen! Very easy and adds such a focal point for my journaling! Love it!!

Here you can see the awesome MOSD Twirly Gigs - Elegante that I used. I just love Twirly Gigs, they are so fun and add that special touch to any project. And not to mention they come in 15 amazing colors! I outlined my white Twirly Gig with a black pen to make it 'pop' off the background.

Look at the center of the flower. Aren't those circles just the coolest?! Those are from the MOSD Cover Up - Flower Garden stick on sheet! I used one of the flowers and cut the top off and used it for the center of this flower.

This is the bottom stem of the flower I cut from the MOSD Cover Up - Flower Garden. It looks so cute as a little vine. When I was using these MOSD Stick-Ons I loved how easy they were to position. All Stick-Ons come with a see threw transfer sheet that allows you to position your stick on perfectly on your project. Another major plus about stick-ons is that they don't leave a film around the edges like most rub-ons do! These babies are just awesome!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Why not head on over to MOSD and have a look at what other projects the DT has created. I promise you won't be disappointed!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

In with the new @ Candy Shoppe Designs

2010-01-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

The new challenge is now posted at Candy Shoppe Designs and it's all about the new! It's a new year, new beginings, new experiences, and NEW Product!! We are challenging you to scrap a LO using the newest product you currently own. Heck, it can be something you bought last year, as long as it's the new to you, that's all that matters.

This LO is all about Koen's very first ice cream cone. The little man is 2.5 years old and had never had one before, so I had to remedy that and make him up one awesome cone and a LO to go with it! BTW, he LOVES ice cream cones now :)

New Products Used:
*Sparkly Fluff - Rockin Pink
*Delta Starlite Dye - Robin Blue
*American Crafts pp - Junior - Rock On
*g.c.d studios/Melody Ross pp - Artsy Urban Collection - Blue Floral

Here is a close up of the paper pieced cone I made! I have just recently decided that I love paper piecing, even though I know I need much practice. See that sparkly Fluff?! It is so freakin' awesome, I have found a new love!

This month over at Candy Shoppe Designs we have an amazing sponsor that goes by the Sweet name of Blue Moon Scrapbooking. If you have been looking for an online store that carries the best of the best then head on over and check out Blue Moon. You won't be disappointed!

Here is a little looksie at the prize up for grabs:

You wanna know what's awesome about this prize? You don't even have to complete the challenge to win it! So make sure to head on over to Candy Shoppe Designs and complete these few simple little things!

To enter:

All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question....."What is the NEWEST Scrapbooking goodie that you currently own?"

For an even better chance at winning let us know if you have:

-Become a Sweetheart (Follower)

-Posted our Link Badge on your blogs sidebar

-Posted about us on your blog to invite others to check us outand/or

-Have participated in this NEW challenge.

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways

A day in the life of me!

2010-01-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

So, as promised I have my collage done for 'photo an hour' challenge that can be found here.

This was quite a fun challenge for me to complete. It's interesting to look at your typical day and see what you have done, or where you have been. I know I rush through every day just trying to get things done and sometimes I forget to take a step back and truly take a look at my life. I have so much to be thankful for and I have been blessed with a wonderful life. I just need to remember that sometimes and not take everything for granted. That is what this challenge has taught me. I know that this is something that I will look back on and treasure for a long time. I picked a very special day to complete this on as well....because as you can see in the collage there is a baby! That is my niece, just minutes old! Her name is Allison Kay, and she is the most beautiful little girl!! Another blessing in my life.

I would like to challenge you to photo your typical day. If you do, let me know, as I would love to see your collage!

PeaceOut-ScrapOn-LoveAlways