Lots of cool stuff going on...

First up, the one and only Jamie Waters is going to be the August guest designer for Work in Progress Kits!! Woo Hoo!! She is the first and now only person to guest design for us twice, and I am eternally grateful. She has been one of my favorite scrappers since forever--and her blog and gallery work on 2Peas show evidence of her popularity. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for us!!

Next, I want to thank you all for your DT submissions once again! You all have been really busy out there, and I can see from the 12 submissions before noon today that it was a good weekend! Wow--I'm incredibly impressed and so flattered that you are all interested in being part of our team--thank you, thank you!!

As for the little announcement yesterday, I just want to clarify and confirm that yes, I will be teaching at least one (and probably more) online class through DebbieHodge.com!! I am really excited about the prospect of doing this and bringing classes to those who have been asking for more of them. When the details are ready to be announced, believe me, I promise to post them here!! As I said yesterday, please be sure to sign up for the email newsletter she puts out...you never know when or where a freebie will be tossed out there!!

ETA: The July kit is now officially SOLD OUT--thank you! And the main kit newsletter will be sent out around noon EST today, but the project kit newsletter won't be out until later on this evening (sorry--I'm trying to help filter through and respond to the people who are applying for design team and give them priority since today is the deadline.) I hope you understand!! Thanks so much!

Trish

A Peek...

At the upcoming August Project Kit ......and you should SEE the rest!! The papers shown are the new KI Memories Bloom and the Heather Bailey FreshCuts papers that are brand new, and I love all the colors and patterns!!

The kit will be offered to individuals on the subscription program on July 13th, and offered to the public on July 15th. I'll show peeks of the embellishments along with the full reveal in the next week...

In other news...

I am continuing to receive DT submissions daily and want to thank all of you who have taken such time to apply! The deadline for submitting your work is approaching, so be sure to email me your work by July 1st.

I will be sending emails out to those of you attending the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn regarding classes and sign ups in the next week. The event will not "sell out", as they are accommodating as many people as I have to register, and if you are still on the fence and want me to reserve a room, please email me to let me know! I am accepting deposits until June 30th, so if you have not yet paid, please send those in--thanks!

And last but certainly not least, how cool is this? Be sure to sign up for her email list! More details to follow...

Enjoy your Monday, bloggers!

Happy Sunday!

I was sent this link by Rita--and I feel compelled to share it with you all this morning! Not only is the music beautiful, I found their interpretation of it to be amazing!!

Enjoy your day! I'll be back later this evening with a sneak...

Good Stuff...

I wanted to share a mini book that was made by the sweetest lady--my friend, Phyllis Merrell...Phyllis shared this with me and I wanted to pass the idea on to you all. She made several of these prayer books for her and her friends at church. It is compact enough to carry around in her purse, and she uses it whenever she can take the time out of her day to pray...
It is filled with lovely quotes and scriptures, and the whole thing is made using the Making Memories journaling spots...
A great tip I learned from Phyllis is simply twisting the metal out of the holes at the top of the notebook--and when you get your pages situated the way you want them, you simply twist the wire right back into the holes. She demonstrated it for me, and it was quite simple!
She keeps empty cards inside the back cover of the notebook, and writes the names of people on the cards as they are needed. She then tucks the names of the people in her prayer circle into the back of the book, and prays for them...
Thank you for sharing this absolutely beautiful book, Phyllis! I'm happy to call you my friend--and I love your inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration, I picked these 1974 papers up the other day and I can't wait to use them!
And this is the second purchase from this gal on etsy. Love her work--you should check her out!

And last but certainly not least, if you are local, you NEED to check out Cord Camera in N. Olmsted this weekend. They have a massive amount of clearance stuff--and it is all an additional 25% off the lowest price until this Sunday. CRAZY!! I got the American Crafts Rub on books (Remarks) for $1.50!! I spent a fun evening there scrapping with friends and I told them I'd come home and blog about it tonight (hello Patty and April!). Be sure to check it out--the sale ends on Sunday...

I also wanted to scream a huge THANK YOU to everyone who turned out to the garage sale on Wednesday night and Thursday. I have never, ever seen anything like the crazy amount of people we had in our development (there was actually a police car directing traffic at the top of our street!) Needless to say, I was almost wiped out entirely and didn't even open today. Thanks so much for stopping by and telling me you read the blog! I was really touched by your comments and support, and it means a lot that you said hello...

And to those of you who missed this garage sale, do not fret! There is another one in the works, and the details will be posted soon, I promise! I will not be renting out the clubhouse as I did last year (sorry--I'll be on vacation), but I will hold another garage sale in August (along with several other neighbors who did not participate this time around) and I'll post more when there are details...

Enjoy your Saturday everyone!

a sketch and a little peek!

tgif! yay! so glad its friday! hope everyone has a great weekend!
are we ready for a new sketch exclusive to WIP? and a lil peek form the july kit?
this kit is so flippin' amazing! i have had such a blast with this kit! ok so here is a fun little sketch for you:

and here is what i did with this sketch using
the july main kit-so much fun!

now---lets see what YOU can do!
never know what may be in it for
one lucky person! *wink*
have a fabulous friday!

So, how many techniques can one fit into a layout?

Don't ask me, because I am sure that I can even count the # of techniques I did on this one little layout. From stamping to faux stitching, it has it all. So, without further ado, here is the big picture of the layout, and with the closeups, I will try and tell you what I did as easily as possible. Drive, B, Drive

Ok, so, here is the first closeup, which is of the title.

Ok, so on the title, I used three different types of chipboard letters, Making Memories, Heidi Swapp and Basic Grey. I didn't do a thing to the Making Memories letters, they were the exact color I wanted. But the Heidi Swapp letters were a stark white. That didn't go so well with my layout. And, of course, I didn't have a caramel ink color at home, and it's past midnight (and on the island of Oahu, there isn't really a 24 hour craft store, heck, our Wal Marts arent even 24 hours here), so what's a girl to do? Well, after searching for over 30 minutes, just in case I did have the right color (and still didn't), I decided to mix two colors. I had a very juicy ink pad from Clearsnap in alabaster and a regular brown, and just mixed to give it a more caramel look. Then, I used a Stamped in Ink clear stamp (I believe it is journaling lines) and stamped over the letters, to make them appear a little bit more like the Making Memories chipboard letters. For the Basic Grey letters, I colored them with a Clearsnap black ink pad...so at least that one was easy. ;)

And away we go to the faux stitching AND how I added a bit more texture to the black and white paper from Teresa Collins (which is in the kit).

So, the faux stitching first. This is pretty easy. I drew a white line and then poked holes. Seriously, that was all. Told ya, it was easy. Also, you can see how I distressed the patterened paper. I first ink (with black on this layout), then sand, then use my edge distresser. On the cardstock, I just use the edge distresser.

And here is the added little extra texture I added to the black and white grid paper from Teresa Collins.

So, this layout had been 'done' for about a day, or so, but I felt like it was still missing something. It just seemed to plain. I had gotten this roll of American Crafts black velvet ric rac at the stamp store the other day, and had been playing with it somewhere else on the layout (which was later ripped up), and put it down on the patterened paper, and bam, it hit me, just put it on there and it may add that little extra bam. And, wouldn't you know it, it did. :) I just used mini glue dots to lay the ric rac down, and cut it to fit. :)

So here is the last photo for this layout and you may say that I everything and the 'kitchen sink' so to say, here.

So, my kitchen sink? That would be the packaging from the Making Memories brads that we got in the July kit. It's there, I promise, under the green Cosmo Cricket patterened paper. :) And I tore one of the journaling stickers (from Making Memories) in half (it had a plane on the other side, and that didn't go with my layout).

So there it is, my layout with about a gazillion techniques to them. LOL. Oh, and the quote that I used...it's from a Subaru commercial. I found it to be fitting with the map paper from Making Memories. :D

Here's hoping that you have had a wonderful Wed and are enjoying your Thursday! :D

Ah, yes.

I pulled out my ribbon basket (I throw spools of it in a wicker laundry basket) and made this today...
You may recognize it from this post last fall. I plan on adding some photos tomorrow, so stay tuned for more when it is officially "finished."

I've been cleaning and organizing and gearing up for the big garage sale this week! For you locals, there is a preview night on Wednesday at 6:00!! Now just to clarify, the entire Waterbury development is holding over 40 garage sales--so many people park and walk. My garage sale is just one of many--and is usually a hit with the crafters. So the best selections will be on Wednesday evening, but if you can't make it out then, you can also stop by anytime on Thursday from 8:00-3:00--we'll be here! My kids are all set with lemonade and cookies too--they look forward to this every single year! Can't wait to take the pictures...

If you need my exact address, please email me and I'll help you out.

Have a great Tuesday all!

Hello, Monday!

How about starting the week off with a peek of the upcoming August Main kit? They're almost finished and ready to go, and I can't wait to share the full kit with you! And wait...just wait until you see the Project kit for August? Chock full of brand new Heather Bailey papers and embellishments--you'll want to scream when you see them, I promise...

And trust me when I say that the guest designer for August won't disappoint, either. She's the first person I asked to guest design TWICE--and that pretty much says it all...

I guess I also owe you the winner of the RAK from last week, huh? I'm happy to announce that I've selected FIVE...

Ady Abreu

mpezzell

phyllismerrell

miniguinea73

hoover5fis

Please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com with your address, and I'll get a wonderful RAK out to you asap...

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Bits & pieces...

These beautiful cards were sent to me from Janelle, using the July WIP kit. I love these--and I also love that they're completely lift-able...Thanks for sharing these, Janelle!! And if you've never checked out her awesome sketch site, you must come out of the closet and check it out. Every week, amazing layouts based on sketches created by Janelle. I have no idea how you do it, girl! You can see it here (and the link is always over to the right, too.)

And speaking of bits & pieces, I wanted to tell you all about an exciting little thing I recently started. I've had several people request to purchase items from kits individually, so in an attempt to try and get rid of extras on my end and to service you, the customer, I opened an Etsy store for people to check out. Right now, it has only a few items I listed on there from leftovers I have here, and most of it is at a discounted rate. I have so much to upload, I took a breather and promise to add more really soon. I also intend on putting up my page kits there soon. In addition to those, I have a lot of projects that I have completed--from mini books to altered items--and these will all be available for purchase there as well. I hope you visit me here and check back often!

I have already started to receive several requests about the design team application, along with actual applications--so THANK YOU for your interest! I will be out of commission for the next day or so, and I apologize for being so behind on emails, but I have to take care of some business and won't be able to at least acknowledge them until Sunday or so. Please bear with me--I appreciate your patience in advance!! Thanks! :)

Enjoy your Friday everyone!

Takin' care of some business...

First up, some sad news. :(

These are Anilu Magloire's last layouts on our design team, and we will miss her madly. These are from the July WIP kit, and I waited to post them so I could announce her departure...


Anilu lives in Miami and resigned to spend more time with family. She has always been a great supporter and friend, and even though she is only an email away, I will miss her layouts every month! Thank you so much for holding out for as long as you could, Anilu. Best of luck to you and your family!! You know you are always welcome back as a guest designer anytime. My door is open to you! And if you are still interested in her jewelry (I know many of you out there own an Anilu Original), her link is still over to the right...

I'd also like to publicly apologize for not announcing the departure of Nicole Eshelman a few months ago. She too resigned due to family obligations, and left on great terms. I still love her work and check in to see her gallery over at SIS, and I miss her as well. No scandals--no drama--I just wanted to be sure nothing was being taken out of context. Maybe she too will come back for a guest DT stint in the future...

So this brings me to the topic of design teams. Our current team is nearing the end of their contract, and I was planning a DT call anyway, so here are the details...

Work in Progress Design Team Call!!

Work in Progress Kits is a monthly scrapbooking kit club and we are looking for at least 2 new designers for our team. We are looking for designers that can create pages using not only traditionally not-matching kits, but also projects and altered items as well. Are you that person who can think outside the box? We will be taking submissions from now until Tuesday, July 1^st, 2008 and the winners will be announced Monday, July 7, 2008.

As our designer, you will be asked to:

1. Provide quality scans/photographs of 4-5 projects a month using (but not limited to) our kit. The work has to include a title, journaling, and not just single photo layouts—I’m looking for a variety of work that showcases your style.
2. Provide tips along with detail shots of the projects for our website & blog.
3. I feel strongly that the WIP blog represents not only the kits, but me personally. That being said, I expect the design team member to post twice monthly on scrapbooking techniques or layouts (in addition to the ones they submit monthly). I do not –nor will I ever--require any participation on any Work in Progress message board and want to keep it sweet and simple without designers feeling obligated to participate and talk about unrelated stuff.
4. Help promote Work in Progress Kits on other message boards.
5. Design for Work in Progress on a 6-month term, beginning on July 7^th, 2008 (with the August kit.)
6. Provide a link to WIP kits and the WIP blog on your blog.

All projects made with the kit are yours to keep, and when used in the newsletter or on the website, you will be given full credit. As our designer, you can also submit your own work for publication after 1 month of debut of the kit, as long as you give Work in Progress Kits proper credit. Your compensation will be a free monthly kit along with no shipping charge!

To apply, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com the following::

1. 3 recent layouts (12 x 12, 8 1/2 x 11, doesn’t matter). I have to be really honest here—I am looking for not only detailed work, but work that is also heartfelt. Titles and journaling should exist. Really tell me who you are through your work. Please submit pages that don’t all contain one photograph—I’d like to see a variety in your presentation. Please only submit your original work!
2. An altered item you created & designed
3. A card you created & designed
4. A mini book you created & designed
5. Link to your online gallery, blog (a blog is a requirement to be on our team) and scrapbook resume. Please also list what current design teams you are on, along with any other commitments you may have.
6. Your full contact information: name, address, phone number, email address.
7. A short paragraph or two of why you want to be one of our designers. Describe your style, who and what inspires you, and your passions outside of your family and this hobby.
8. Being a current customer is always a bonus, but not a requirement to apply.
9. If there are any other reasons I should consider you as a DT member, please list them! If you do sketches, have a certain talent for cards, belong to 12 message boards, design original stamps, sing your own praises!! I won’t know unless you tell me, so stick your neck out and brag about your strengths and hidden talents.
10. Being published doesn’t really hold any weight with my decision. This isn’t to offend anyone who has been or will be pubbed—it is simply to encourage those of you out there who think they’re not good enough to indeed apply. I go with my gut, and I know what I’m looking for, so don’t be discouraged.

** When sending us your projects, please send us your best work. This can be posted online; we just want to see your best stuff! (File size not exceeding more than 200kb, please!)

I will be looking for at least 2 designers, possibly more at this time, for a 6 month term. I really look forward to seeing what you guys come up with!! It is an exciting time...

I'm gearing up for a HUGE garage sale in our community next week. For you locals, I will be doing the preview night on Wednesday, along with the garage sale on Thursday and Friday. I have a TON of stuff that is scrapbook and stamping related, so be sure to stop by and check it out if you are available. Every year the turnout gets better and better, and I look forward to visiting with the repeat buyers from years past. Email me at Turay413@gmail.com if you need directions or more info.

Don't forget to sign up for the WIP flickr group by Friday for the chance to win the RAK. I'll announce the winner on Saturday's post.

And last but certainly not least, thank you for all the heartfelt comments regarding yesterday's blog post. I'm with kindred spirits out there--I feel you! And for the record, Val's pond and fountain is what pushed Chris and me to take the plunge and put one in our yard--so I owe her for that...

Enjoy your Thursday everyone!

And this would be...

...my latest distraction.

Now, let me warn you. As far as obsessions go, I've been known to go completely overboard in two areas--crafting and gardening. It is not beyond me to scare strangers because of my excitement unintentionally. I do realize this...My husband and I have spent the better part of 3 weeks working on installing a pond in our backyard. It is 720 gallons of heaven!! The only drawback (next to having to haul each and every one of those stones by hand) is that the sound of running water does make you want to go to the bathroom until you get used to the trickle of the waterfall--ha!
Last year we installed a patio, and did most of the landscaping. This year, we finished the backyard off with the addition of the pond. Well, at least for now. Next year's project--an outdoor fireplace--is now in the designing phase. (Just don't mention that to my hubs, okay? Give his back some time to recover...)

Now, you have to know us to understand that this is a big deal. Chris and I are not do-it-yourselfers. We call people and pay them to fix stuff--he was raised by a single mom and really has no idea how to do basic repairs inside the house. Not a big deal--he's got mad financial skills and makes up for things in different areas. But landscaping is something he and I learned together. When we got married in our first house, the yard was a mess. We studied and learned about plants and design and really got into it. Some people golf together, some people bowl...we garden. That was one spectacular garden, and I cried like a baby when we moved from that place.

So much so that I still refer to it all the time (which drives him nuts--"it's not your garden anymore, we moved 5 years ago!" blah blah blah...) Ah, those were the days before children!! We had time to bond and share and create our home, work on our relationship and all that other stuff...

We had TIME then. ha!

Now, 12 years into gardening together, we still love it. We talk in shorthand. We step back, tweak every little detail, make it exactly ours. We love the satisfaction it has brought to our lives and to our home. The outside is really his domain. My husband takes such pride in it too--and he's often spotted in the neighbor's yards helping out others when he can. Yes, he's already agreed to help someone install their own pond in a few weeks in fact...

So really, if you're thinking of getting one, DO IT. It really was surprisingly easy and very affordable (and if I can do it, a monkey can!). The possibilities are endless!

When his grandma died two years ago, I was asked what I wanted to keep of hers. I asked for her peonies. Chris used to mow her lawn as a teenager, and he remembered those always being there in the springtime. I love that they were in full bloom this year for the first time, in the perfect spot.
I love that we get gift cards to landscaping places, and that people buy us cool garden gadgets. I love eating dinner out on the patio every night we can as a family. We build fires and burn marshmallows over a fire here. Our kids catch fireflies and praying mantus' here. We have friends and neighbors over a lot to entertain, and we have found ourselves living out here now.

Like everything, it is always a work in progress...
And while this miniature rose garden (above) isn't the one I had in my first garden, it will be. I am a freak--no exaggeration here--over miniature roses. I have a collection of the tiniest vases and make small little arrangements all summer long with those beauties!! They make my heart skip a beat.

I know it isn't anything spectacular to people who live in more mild climates to have incredible yards and landscapes. I also know there are a lot of people who have way more amazing yards and houses--so I apologize if this comes off as over-the-top, sincerely. I also don't mean to scare people away by my excitement or passion either. I just find such gratification in it.

These plants and flowers seem to rest my soul. They really do. They speak to me, and I talk right back to them (figuratively here, folks. I haven't completely lost my mind...yet...) It is a slice of heaven on earth, and nurturing them and coaxing their growth somehow seems so personal to me. I feel privileged to have them here with us--almost a bit guilty for having them all to myself.

So, what does it for you? Besides the obvious on this blog--scrapbooking and family--what is it that fulfills you in ways you didn't know were possible? I want to know. And what is it that makes you love it the way you do??

Whatever it is, I hope you know what it is. And I hope you have access to it and enjoy it and love it as much and as often as possible!!

Good night!

Pasta and Flickr

Okay, first the recipe...

Italian Pasta Salad

8 oz. cooked angel hair pasta

2 tomatoes

4 oz. feta cheese (tomato basil is my fav)

Fresh basil

Garlic

Olive oil

In a frying pan, heat oil. Brown garlic in hot oil, making sure to stir a lot so it doesn’t burn. Place cooked garlic and oil over freshly cooked cold angel hair pasta. Add chopped tomatoes and crumble feta over the dish. Add chopped basil and salt and enjoy!

I made this for dinner tonight and used the basil growing in the backyard--it was divine!! And for those of you who enjoy cheese, the feta in this recipe makes it taste so wonderful (but if it is too strong for you, simply swap it out with a more mild type of cheese!) This is great hot or cold, and it takes minutes to throw together. YUM.

Okay, onto business...

I've had SO many emails about creating a flickr account, and it was on my To Do list forever...and it is now FINALLY available!

You can check out old kits and galleries here.

And you can join us here. Please upload your creations--I LOVE seeing what you guys have done with the kits! It really is one of the best parts of the job. And you have until Friday to join--when I'll randomly select a member for a RAK! Promise, this one will be a goodie...

And all credit goes to Tina here. God bless you for pitching in to help me! You are a gem and I love you for doing this!!


And Kristie Denton mentioned this article over at WT, so I thought I'd link it. Good stuff if you're in the market for a lens. I use mine all the time, and would be lost without it now!

Enjoy your day! I'm off to work on my latest distraction (more on that tomorrow...)

Tis the Season...

For strawberries!And for you locals, you should head out to Fitch's Farm Market in Avon, Ohio to pick some scrumptious, ripe and beautiful strawberries!

What could be more fun than a hayride out to the fields? This is new this year, since they rotate crops and the berries are in the back of the lot this year. My sons were in heaven...
Took all the kids and some extras too. We had a ton of strawberries, and left with red hands and feet, eager to eat more!
Thought I'd share a fun tip I learned from Mrs. Fitch herself (she was my 8th grad home ec teacher way back when...)
After you wash and dry the berries, take a straw and start from the bottom, going up.
It will take the stem out (if there is one) and core the white, bitter part of the strawberry, all at once! Cool trick. The kids love this part.
Now, with the super huge ones, you leave the stem on, wash and dry them, and dip those suckers into a vat of chocolate. Perfect for a Father's Day after-dinner nibble...
And if that doesn't suit you, flash freeze them like my friend Molly Umland told me about. Wash them well, put them on a cookie sheet separated, and they'll freeze like little ice cubes. Put them into bags, and then thaw as needed. Cool trick--I tried that one too...thanks Molly!

And last but not least by any means, my favorite strawberry thing to do is to cut them up and put them into a bowl, add 1/2 cup sugar, and let them sit for 20 minutes or so. The juice from the berry makes its own syrup, and I freeze them that way. When I want to make pancakes or waffles, I simply thaw them and put those on top instead of the syrup--and a dab of whipped cream!! YUM. This is also great for cheesecake and pound cake in case you want to try those options. And they made my strawberry smoothie taste like sheer heaven last night.

Are you hungry yet?

Happy Father's Day!!

I couldn't have asked for a better father. I love him to pieces, and we plan on spoiling him today...

I love this photo of my parents. It was taken at Christmas 2001, before either of my parents had any medical complications. They had us all take a big family photo, and we asked them to get this one for all of us. It is difficult sometimes, to remember what they both were like then because they've been through so much these past few years. I am truly blessed to have them both nearby, and I cherish our time with them. Love you guys!And Chris--I adore you. Our kids have such an example in you as their father. I had no idea you'd be this amazing dad when I married you, and you blew all expectations out of the water. You laugh and play and lead by example. Love you, sweetie!! Happy Father's Day to you, too.

Hope you all enjoy a wonderful day with each other...

July Work in Progress Kits...

Here they are!

The July 2008 Main Kit:
Contents of this kit include: 18 sheets of patterned paper (6 Making Memory Passport papers, 3 Cosmo Cricket papers, 2 Pink Paislee Papers, one Jenni Bowlin papers, 2 7Gyspies papers, and 4 Teresa Collins Travelogue papers), 1 Making Memories Passport cardstock sticker sheets, 6 Noteworthy brads, 4 Scenic Route chipboard butterflies, Scenic Route label stickers, Cosmo Cricket Summertime Rub ons, Cosmo Cricket chipboard alphas, and American Crafts chocolate daiquiri alphas. Subscription price--6 months $30, 3 months-- $32, and one month option $34.

The July 2008 Project Kit:
Contents of this kit includes: 18 patterned papers (6 from Jenni Bowlin papers, 12 Scenic Route papers), 2 cardstock papers, 1 set of JBS journaling spots (6 cards), 1 Scenic Route cardstock sticker sheet, one SR chipboard set--decorative elements, 1 sheet of Cherry Arte Rub ons, 1 SR star stamp set, 1 red JBS alpha, 6 gold stars, two Magistical Memories chipboard albums (scalloped square and stars), two red tin stars, 1 sheet Teresa Collins journaling tags (4 tags), 1 sheet of Scenic Route Liberty Die cuts, one set SR black alphas, one set SR gold alphas, and a full book of 7Gypsies Postal stickers. Cost of this kit: $48.

...and the July 2008 Add On Kit:
Contents of this kit include: 6 sheets of patterned paper (4 Teresa Collins Travelogue line, and 2 Making Memories Passport papers), 1 felt notebook, 1 Chatterbox black frame, 1 Making Memories Addie Journaling Notebook, 1 Cosmo Cricket Blackboard chipboard alphabet set in Retro font, Scenic Route summertime rub ons, a full book of Tim Holtz Adage Tickets, a variety of Making Memories Passport flowers, buttons, postage stamps and die cuts, two Noteworthy journaling cards from Etsy.com, and one set of blue poolside American Crafts alphas in vinyl. Price of this kit is $30.

Please note, the emails for the subscription holders will go out this afternoon, and need to be sent back to me by noon on Sunday, June 15th.

The kits will be up for sale to the public on Sunday, June 15th at noon EST. Thanks so much!

Enjoy a wonderful weekend everyone!

Pieces Parts.

Body Parts. We all have them, right? This week, I want to encourage you to take a photo of one of YOUR body parts, and photograph it in a different way. Maybe it is a scar you have. Maybe it is your feet in sandals. Whatever you choose, take the photo yourself—and get creative!
I did a blog post a while back about photographing my mother’s hands. For the love of all things holy, PLEASE, if your mother is still here and it is possible, do this. Those hands cared for you—they gave you life. They fed you, nourished you, punished you, consoled you, and they gave you strength and guidance. It may sound silly, but you’ll want to remember what they looked like someday.

Get on the floor, and take a photo of a toddler’s chubby thighs from behind. Place a newborn on a beanbag chair and do a photo shoot while they’re sleeping. Photograph your husband’s best physical trait. Make it an obvious photo shoot—and play!

I recently placed my little baby niece on a beanbag chair and did a photo shoot. I simply played around—and after 163 photos, I fell in love with about 15 of them. She was asleep most of the shoot, but I got some good ones that my sister (her mom) and I will treasure for a long time…

I have a bunch of friends who either just had or are having baby girls. I have 2 photo shoots this week--both of baby girls! And one more of a family that just introduced another little one to their family this past week. Something is surely in the water...(No, I'm not drinking it!)

Sidetracked. Sorry! Anyway, if you're in for more challenges, do check out Willow Traders. I posted one this week about focusing your subject matter off center...

And my dear gal pal Heather Saxberg posted on that very site a little tidbit I asked her to share here as well. She ran out of those tiny Making Memories letter stickers, so she made her own.


She used the Avery labels (so they are stickers to begin with) and simply stamped or ran the letters through the printer, leaving space in between to cut. You could just as easily use cardstock and then run them through your Xyron, but this way you already have the sticker part down. Cute, time and cost saving tip! Thanks, Heather!

Okay, one more thing. I spent the day at the zoo today, and when I returned home, I had 73 new emails just on the Project kit sneak peek I listed on the blog yesterday. So here are a few answers to the many questions and requests. No, I do not have a price on this kit just yet. I will by tomorrow, however, so hang in there. Sorry for the delay on that. And based on the response, I need to just remind you that people who are on the subscription program get the first options to purchase anything beyond the main kit. If there are extras left over, I will surely sell them to the people who have requested, and if you sent me an email and are NOT a current subscriber, I put your name on a wait list and you will have first grabs at them if they are not sold out. I will have sneaks of the main kit in the next day or so...

Thanks for the wonderful response--it is good to know you love it as much as I do!

Enjoy a wonderful Thursday, all!

Project Kit Sneak Peek

This is part of the July Project kit sneak peek...The paper lines include all of the Jenni Bowlin Trendy line, all of the Scenic Route Liberty line, THREE alphabet sets, TWO mini albums, and metal stars to embellish. I can't wait to show you more! The July Project kits, along with the main kit, will be available to the public on June 15th. More to come!

Have a super Wednesday!

And another one...

This is the Father's Day book I did for my dh in 2006. I got the concept from Ali Edwards, who posted on her blog about using chipboard as pages in an album. I immediately thought of this little D-Ring binder that didn't have page protectors inside, and was sitting at my lss forever, so I snagged it...I used chipboard for all the pages in this book. I also used very little patterned paper, along with some 7Gypsies office type embellishments. It went together quickly.
The first and the last pages are the only full pages in the book. As you turn the pages, each page gets 1" smaller width wise...
Some pages are full photos. I sanded the edges to make it look more worn.


This is the middle of the book, and here you can see that the pages are graduated...




So go grab some chipboard, black ink and a few pieces of paper along with some office supplies, and get to work!!

Loved your emails on how a couple of you are lifting the books exactly--so I was sure to include all the pages today too. Thanks for the kind words!!

And yes, there will be sneaks soon, I promise!