Just Scraps

This Turkey Survived!

2010-11-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't help but post this cute vide... looks like this turkey got away!!!! I hope you all enjoyed a very happy Thanksgiving!!

Adoption Photo Album!

2010-08-11T16:44:00.001-07:00

As part of the dossier that we sent to our agency (and will be sent to Korea) for our adoption, I needed to create a photo album all about our family. This will remain in our adoption file in Korea so it can be viewed by the birthmother or birthfather so they can see the family that their daughter will be placed with. This project was totally up my alley and I was really excited about it! However, as much as I love to scrapbook, I really struggled getting started with it. I think I had put so much pressure on myself to want it to be "perfect" for our daughter's birthmother, I kept myself from just doing it. I did finally dig in and finish it and was pleased with the results. I hope our daughter's mother will know how much love was put into it. It is such a small token of the appreciation and admiration I have for this woman I may never meet.

The back cover was dedicated to her. It simply says "To a mother I may never meet, but will pray for daily. God bless."

baby card

2010-06-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a baby card I made for a dear friend at school!

May the Force Be With You!

2010-06-03T17:16:00.001-07:00

It was no surprise that Carson wanted only one theme for his birthday..... STAR WARS!

Considering my tradition is to make the boys a cake of their choice, this was no easy prospect. How on earth was I going to make a Star Wars themed cake? Luckily, I found some pictures of cakes of R2D2 and gave it a go! It surprisingly turned out great- although it did take me 2 hours to decorate!

Carson had a great birthday! May the force always be with you buddy!

Caribbean Cruise!

2010-04-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

For my parents 40th anniversary, they took our family and my brother/sister-in-law and nephew on a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean! It was such a fun vacation! Here is a small "scrapbook" of some of the highlights of the cruise!

Create your own scrapbook

We went on MSC Cruises which is a cruiseline based out of Italy so LOTS of authentic Italian food- sometimes it was even TOO Italian with some weird seafood selections, but I can't complain- cheesecake, creme brulee and cannolis that were out of this world! We ate and ate and ate and ate! My favorites were filet mignon, lobster, pork scallopini, and Cajun tilapia. HUGE buffets for breakfast and lunch and then six course meals for dinner! (appetizers, salad, soup, pasta, main dish and dessert) They had some kiddy pools that the kids just loved, a playground, miniature golf and a whole kids club that the kids could participate in. The entertainment was amazing- magicians, dancers, gymnasts... very very cool! We went to Puerto Rico first and Jeff, Lisa, Jeff and me (Mom and Dad watched the boys) took this excursion where we kayaked through these small mangrove channels with big iguanas on the branches. The coolest thing was we did this at night and there are these tiny microorganisms in the water that glow in the dark as a defense. They light up similar to fireflies. When you put your hand or paddle in the water and spash, the water GLOWS! They are microscopic, but there are billions of them so its hard to see individual ones- they are about the size of a pin head, but with so many the water just glows around the kayak or around your hand. There are only 5 places in the world that have these organisms- Puerto Rico has 3 lagoons with them, but where we were was the brightest concentration. It was so amazing. If a fish swam by, they glowed! It was cool doing it in the dark too! Truly amazing! We also went to St. Marten where we rented a car and drove around the island. Then we went to Virgin Gorda which is part of the British Virgin Islands and we all went to this beach called the "Baths" with HUGE boulders everywhere. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life!! The water was turquoise and formed tidepools and caves everywhere. Finally, we went to the Bahamas and our whole family took a glass bottom boat ride and a tour of the harbor. The weather was high 80's to mid 90's everyday. One day it actually hit 107, but with a nice ocean breeze it was still wonderful! We had sun everyday- not even one cloudy day! It was great! I'm already thinking about when we should do our next cruise!!

Christmas Photos!

2010-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

I cheated a little and used "Smilebox" to create this cute online scrapbook. Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our Family Is Growing!

2009-12-24T08:16:00.001-08:00

We have the most exciting news to share! Our family will be growing! We are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Korea! We can't wait to add a daughter and sister to our family! If you would like to experience all of the details of our adoption process, check out our blog: Waiting For You.

I already have plans swimming in my head for an adoption album to document every step in this amazing journey. Check back soon for updates. I will be sure to post pictures soon!

Halloween

2009-11-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year! I love dressing up! Usually I am one of the few that go to school with some crazy outlandish outfit on each year. The kids love it! Its so fun dressing up the boys too... I love it all- the costumes, the makeup, the hairsprays and little details. The more parts to a costume, the better! I love trick-or-treating and carving pumpkins... and of course raiding the kids Halloween bags after our night is over!

Here are some fun pictures from this year!

First Place!!

2009-06-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know this is a little late in posting... (seems to be my life lately!)... but I was so thrilled to be able to take FIRST PLACE at the Scrapbook Mega Meet in Novi Michigan in May! My best friend, Christine and her mother and I have made it a tradition to go every year and this is our fourth year and obviously my lucky year! I was so excited! The winning layout was one of my favorites of my muddy little monster, Kolby! Thanks for celebrating with me! Click on the link above to see my super excited face after I won!! Here is a photo of my winning layout...

Long time, no post!!

2009-02-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

Has a month REALLY gone by already? I can hardly believe it!

So what has happened in 30 + days?? Well, first of all, I decided not to reapply for the Crop Addict design team, although it was a hard decision. They are such a fun, incredibly talented group of ladies And Debbie creates wonderful products and kits. I had an awesome 6 months with them. I know the new design team will be wonderful, but I will miss it. But I really just need some downtime to try to catch up on life!! So much cleaning and organizing needs to be done that I can barely find my pictures, much less try to find SPACE to scrapbook! I did a ton of organizing and purging this summer, but once school started, it has turned once again into pile after pile...

I suppose its the creativeness in me that causes the haphazard piles and unorganized lifestyle. My mind "thinks" organized, but my body "acts" unorganized. Ah well... the curse of the artist, huh?

I am just now starting to get motivated to really clean and get back to scrapbooking. I haven't touched a page in over a month! Can you believe it??!! I think that's the longest stretch I've gone without actually scrapping. I still look at layouts and blogs and magazines, but just haven't had the time or desire right now to dig in. I need to look for a good contest... that ALWAYS kick starts me this time of year!

Besides that, life is pretty normal and boring. Tons of snow here, but no snowdays (well unless you count the day last week when my HUSBAND got a snow day and I didn't... I was a little cranky to say the least!!) And both my own kiddos and all the kids at school are struggling with cabin fever. Its driving us teachers crazy! How many days until spring break?? LOL!

Carson is reading like a monster- I have to stop him to get him to go to bed sometimes! Its so wonderful to see! We discovered the early readers section of our library where they have books at his level and he is so excited!

Well... that's all for now. I hope it won't be another 30 days before I bop back on to update! Hopefully with some layouts, nonetheless.... until then... too-da-loo!

January Crop Addict projects

2009-01-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

This was such a wonderful kit! The contrast of the earthy Webster Pages papers and the bright bold Pink Paislee papers was so fun to work with! Here are some projects I created with the January Crop Addict kit.

December Crop Addict Projects

2008-12-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

What beautiful Christmas papers I had the opportunity to work with in the December Crop Addict kit. The "Little Yellow Bicycle" papers had such a classic Christmas charm. My layouts came together so easily! The NOEL letters were simple wooden stand-up letters that I purchased at Hobby Lobby and altered with the papers. They look great sitting on my end table by my front door!

Scrap Within Reach projects

2008-11-18T15:59:00.001-08:00

I had the privilage of getting to design with products from the manufacturer "Scrap Within Reach" and let me tell you... I am LOVING their stuff! Their papers are double-sided and distressed just to my liking! Their solid colors remind me of Basic Grey- one of my favorites. I had so much fun playing with them! Here's what I came up with using "The Cottage" collection!

November Crop Addict projects!

2008-11-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe its already November! It has been so nice to see the beautiful fall colors and feel that crispness in the air. The November Crop Addict kit really embraced those fall colors and back-to-school themes. It was a fun kit to design with!

Getaway Travel minialbum PEEK!

2008-10-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

I had the awesome opportunity to design with a project kit for Crop Addict! The kit includes a great 7 Gypsies mini album and had fun Kaiser papers and travel themed embellishments. I designed this "Getaway" minialbum with the kit. The kit includes everything you need to complete the mini album. You can purchase the kit here.

Here's a sneak peek!! (Inside pages will be shown soon so check back!!)

Fantastic FALL CYBER CROP!!

2008-10-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Come join us at Crop Addict for their Fantastic Fall Cyber Crop this weekend! The festivities begin at 6pm EST on Friday, October 10th and end at 9pm EST on Sunday, October 13th.

Come ready to scrap and win prizes.

They'll be giving out over $1500 in prizes.

So clear your calendar, send the kids off with dh to the movies, the inlaws, hunting or some other activity and get your scrap goodies and play along. See you there!

October Crop Addict Projects

2008-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

Its that fun time of the month again... time to reveal what I've been working on all month! The Crop Addict October kit of course! Its so yummy! And very versatile! I was able to do school-themed layouts, flowery layouts, graphic layouts and vacation layouts all from the same kit! I even created a sign that hangs on the shelf handle in my refrigerator to list leftovers that are hiding in there! Hopefully my hubby will remember to take them for lunch now! I just sewed a piece of transparency to the top so I could write/wipe it off with an overhead marker. Thanks for looking!

Growing up TOO fast!

2008-09-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of my boys on the first day of school. UGH! What happened to my babies? It seems like just yesterday that I brought them home from the hospital, held them in my arms, nursed them through the night, rocked them to sleep... now they are confident little boys with happy personalities ready to grow up. I'm not too sure I like this! I wish I could slow time down a bit.

But I know they must spread their wings and fly. Carson is loving 1st grade and reading books to us every night. Kolby is loving preschool and has charmed every one of his teachers! Watch out world, here they come!

Holey Moley!

2008-09-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

Holey moley...Holy cow...what am I talking about? Holes of course! My challenge this week at Crop Addict is all about holes!! Get out those hole punches because we are going to be making holes! My challenge to you is toc ome up with creative ways to make holes in your paper. Don't just use those hole punches the way they were intended...think up exciting new ways to use them...create borders, create shapes, create a title, use different sizes...let's see how HOLEY you can make your layouts!

Check out my example. Its a layout I did last year and is one of my favorites! I used three different sized hole punches to create my water droplets. Love the effect!

Upload your layout in the Sep 15th - Sep 22nd Holey Moley Challenge Gallery AND link back to the Weekly Challenge forum by midnight PST on Sep 22nd.

Good luck! I can't wait to see what you come up with! Winners are usually announced at the end of the month and receive some great prizes!! Come join the fun!

Saved $250 in groceries!!!!!

2008-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yup... you heard me right. I'm still in shock! I just left Meijers, our local grocery store and saved more than $250!! That's not even including the $96+ I saved in a couple trips to Walgreens and Family Fare!! In fact, in one of my trips to Walgreens, I bought 5 bags of Chex Mix, 2 boxes of Fiber One bars, and 3 bottles of Robitussin cough/cold syrup and they PAID ME! I made a profit of $2.00!!

So... I bet you're wondering how I did it?

I just signed up for a trial membership ($19.99 for TWO months) at Savings Angel . I had a few teachers that I work with that had been raving about it for about a year, but I kept thinking... I'm doing ok, I usually buy stuff that's on sale, so its not going to save me much. Besides, its $19.99 a month... can I really save enough to make up for it? OH YEAH! I sure was fooling myself! This is the coolest thing I've ever signed up for! Even my husband is shocked!

Its not a complicated theory. Savings Angel simply takes sales from local stores (Michigan and Saint Louis) and matches them up with killer coupon deals to give you unheard of savings. They give you the links to print the coupons or tell you exactly which newspaper coupon flyer to go to to cut out a particular coupon. I was never a coupon cutter, but its easy when they tell you exactly what to print or cut. No going through coupon books in the aisles. I simply took all my pre-cut organized coupons to the store, went down the list I printed from their site and ended up with a great deal!

Here's a couple highlights from my trip to Meijers last night:
*free boys jeans
*free boys underwear
*free boys shoes
*free boxes of Green Giant vegetables
*free tubes of Colgate toothpaste
*free Ladies Speedstick deodorant
*Lean Cuisine meals for $0.90
*hot dogs for $0.15
*Combos pretzel snacks for $0.40
*Betty Crocker tuna and chicken helpers for $0.40
*Electrosol dishwashing detergent for $0.40
*Hunts snack pack puddings for $0.53

My receipt said I had $65.65 in just coupon savings!! I paid $199.18 for $450.61 of groceries! (I'm totally stocked up for awhile!!) My savings were $251.43 and I even got $7.00 off my next shopping order.

I am so excited about this. Just couldn't wait to tell everyone about it! Give it a try. If you do try it, it would be great if you would use me as a referral. My referral number is 15393. Happy shopping and SAVING!!

P.S. For all you scrapbookers... I just saved myself plenty of money to go on a shopping scrappy spree!! YIPPEEE!!

The Melting Pot

2008-09-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our 11 year anniversary (which is TODAY!!), we treated ourselves to an INCREDIBLE four course dinner at a fondue restaurant called The Melting Pot. It was so much fun! We were seated in a quiet dimly lit booth with high sides so you couldn't see anyone else. (It was very romantic!). Our first course was a Wisconsin Trio cheese fondue that came with different breads, granny smith apples and veggies. Our second course was a wonderful salad. I had a tropical one with mangoes, coconut crusted pecans and a sweet citrus dressing. Our third course was the main entree. We had a platter of meats (filet mignon, jerk sirloin steak, peppery shrimp, vanilla rum chicken and marinated pork) that we cooked in a mojo wine/broth. It was scrumptious! There were also 7 different sauces we could dip into! Our final course (at this point we were so stuffed they could have rolled us out of the restaurant) was a chocolate pecan turtle fondue with flaming rum! We dipped strawberries, pound cake, brownies, Oreo crusted marshmallows and cheesecake into!

I have always loved fondue. Now I'm an addict! Can't wait to do it again!

Crop Addict Monthly Challenge

2008-09-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm the featured design team member for September for Crop Addict!!

How cool is that??!!

Anyways... I created some challenges for this month, which was a ton a fun! Here's my first one. I hope you'll come play along!

"Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken." - Bill Dodds

As a teacher and mother, September signals the beginning of school. Backpacks get filled, pencils get sharpened, and school supplies get bought.... To celebrate this exciting back-to-school time of year, I want you to think back to Kindergarten basics and focus on letters. Sticker alphabets to be exact.

Pull out those sheets of alphabet stickers and get creative with them. Don't just use them for titles, but use them as embellishments, masks, or backgrounds. Show me all the unique ways you can use letter stickers on a layout!

Upload your lo into the September Design Team Monthly Challenge Gallery at Crop Addict. Post a link in the forums under "Monthly Challenges" by midnight PST on September 30th.

Let's see your ABCs! Hope you play along! Good luck!

Crop Addict September kit!

2008-09-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with the September Crop Addict kit! It was full of Little Yellow Bicycle and Basic Grey papers. There were also embellishments from Heidi Swapp, Maya Road, 7 Gypsies, and Cloud 9 just to name a few! It was so fun and I just loved how my layouts turned out! I have tons of stuff left over too! Thanks for taking a peek! (Complete supply lists available in my Crop Addict gallery)

Ad-Inspiration!

2008-08-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I found this advertisement in my favorite scrapbook magazine!! Although we may complain about all the advertising that many scrapbook magazines seem to have, use them to your advantage as great inspiration!!!

I loved the collage of photos on the advertisement and decided to duplicate the look on my layout. I had these pictures of Kolby eating ice cream last summer during a Kid's Day carnival. I loved all the pictures and the expressions on his face and always wanted to use all the pictures, but never knew how to do it without doing a two page layout. This ad was my answer as I reduced some of the pictures down and created a collage. Love the results!

(Supplies for layout from Addicted Scrappers April 2008 kit)

Thank a Teacher!

2008-08-23T17:56:00.001-07:00

"If you can read this, thank a teacher!"

With school just a week away, I wanted to make something special for my son's 1st grade teacher. As a teacher myself, I know how crazy and stressful the first week of school is so I've made a point to do something little for his classroom teacher's each year. Last year I made an inspirational card for his Kindergarten teacher and this year I made a photo frame for his 1st grade teacher (got the idea from the Sept/Aug Scrapbooks Etc. magazine- p.22). I plan to send it in his backpack for her on the first day of school. Its a great pick-me-up that first day for any teacher!!!

And the winner is.....

2008-08-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much everyone for coming out to join in my 1000th hit celebration! WHOO-HOO!

My 6 year-old son was my little helper who randomly selected a number between 1-10 (correlates with the 10 people who commented on my post). After wanting to know what "game" I was playing... LOL (I think he thought I was playing his WebKinz!!) he chose number...

#9

Our winner of a scrappy prize is.... BETH!! Congratulations!

Please e-mail me at ajcbretz@yahoo.com and let me know your address so I can send you your prize! Thanks everyone for playing along!! Until next time...

1000 Hits Celebration!

2008-08-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well... I know that 1000 hits isn't much, but its a big step for a little blogger like me. So to celebrate, I am giving away a little goodie bag of scrapbook prizes to a lucky winner. Wanna play? Just leave a comment here and tell me what you like, don't like or want to see more of on my blog. On Thursday, August 21 I will randomly select a winner! So be sure to check back then to see if you've won! Good luck everyone!!

T-ball season

2008-08-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well... we survived our first T-ball season with our oldest son Carson. Last year was our experimentation year... we tried gymnastics, soccer, swimming, and T-ball camps. Soccer was definitely not his forte (he was the one running miserably behind all the kids crying "they won't give me the ball"!). Nope... definitely not a soccer kid. But T-ball camp didn't go too bad.

So... we signed up for our first T-ball league this year.

The first practice had me questioning our decision that this was his "best" sport. First was his attempt at throwing the ball... oh help us... his adorable attempt had him flinging his arm across the front of his body and landing the ball all the way in the soccer field to his left. Then he would turn to us with a huge smile and give us a thumbs up... hee hee... hee... yeah... ok.... Then he stepped up to the bat. He was ready, he was holding the bat, ready to swing... until Daddy yelled "Coach- he's right-handed!" He was holding the bat in his wrong hand. Oh boy...

This was going to be a long season.

But much to my surprise, he improved very quickly and loved it! He was a great listener and paid attention most of the time (unless there was a spider or catepillar in the grass... then any ball, coach or players quickly moved into a non-priority position as he squatted down intently watching the lucky little insect! And on some rare occasions, other teammates noticing what he had found would readily leave their positions and race over to see the bug who had commanded so much attention! ...all in the middle of a game!) But if a ball came his way... he usually stopped it. He was a great runner and even managed a few good hits! I was so proud of him! It was fun to go to his games and he was all smiles all the time. What a great little sportsman!

So... T-ball is over, but we will definitely be looking forward to next year's season!

Baby card

2008-08-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

Only 8 more weeks and I'm going to have a brand new nephew! I'm so excited! My only baby brother and his wife are due in September. Since they live across the street from us, I hope to see the little peanut all the time! My boys are very excited for their cousin to arrive too! My 6 year-old asks me about every other day "Did Auntie Lisa's baby come yet?" He loves to pat her tummy whenever he sees her! Its really cute. Since all three boys will be three years apart, I hope they grow up to have a lot of fun together!

We had a baby shower for them this weekend. Here's a little card I made with some scraps. TFL!

Crop Addict August kit!

2008-07-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Just finished up my layouts and projects for my first month designing at Crop Addict! Their August kit was so yummy! Kaiser, Basic Grey, Imagination Project, Making Memories, Cloud 9, Lil Davis.... the list goes on and on with all the goodies in this kit! Here are some of the layouts and cards I did with it! TFL!

Christmas in July!

2008-07-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Addicted Scrappers just had a "Christmas in July" crop this weekend! What a fun idea to get a head start on some of those Christmas cards and projects that always sneak up on us at the last minute! Too bad I was gone and missed it! If you didn't get a chance to stop over there, go check out their projects anyways. Lots of fun inspiration!

And here are a few of my own Christmas themed projects and inspirations!

My inspiration for the first one comes from none other than a shopping bag! (who said shopping isn't good for you?!!) The logo on the side of the Old Navy bag grabbed my attention because I loved the stripes behind it and how the letters reflected the color behind them.

I created the same look on this Christmas card by layering strips of patterned paper from an Addicted Scrappers kit, then getting out some old stencils and cutting them out of the white cardstock. When I layed it over the top of the patterned paper, I had a unique see-thru title!

My second card inspiration comes from none other than a Christmas card that I had received! I mean... really... when the holidays are over, what do you do with all those old Christmas cards?? USE THEM FOR SCRAPBOOK INSPIRATION OF COURSE!!

I loved the cool design with drawn-on buttons on it. I also liked the unique way it was folded. Its a bit hard to see, but the front cover is actually cut down the middle and around the right side of the tree. That is all that makes up the front cover. The right side of the card is actually the inside of the card showing.

I created a Valentine/love card using a heart instead of the Christmas tree and used real buttons to cover the heart with and folded it the same way, cutting out the outside edge of the heart on the front cover. The front cover says "Love is" and the inside cover on the bottom right side says "The Greatest Gift."

Here is the inside of the card to better show how the front cover is cut down the middle and around the heart. When closed it says "Love Is the Greatest Gift." When open it says "You Are the Greatest Gift."

Thanks for looking!

Our little fish!

2008-07-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Carson is definitely turning into a little fish lately! After a year of swim lessons, he is getting so much more comfortable with the water. After bribing him with a few matchbox cars (hey- a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do!!), he was soon going down the slide by himself, doing cannonballs off the diving board and swimming all over the deep end! WOW!

Poolside Pics

2008-07-11T21:30:00.001-07:00

Over the 4th of July weekend, we went to visit my brother-in-law/sister-in-law who live outside of Chicago. They have a pool and my boys couldn't wait to go swimming. We could hardly keep them out of the pool! Here are a few fun pictures of us!

Desk Discovered!

2008-07-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Fellow adventurers.....

With extreme excitement, I have successfully discovered the long lost ruin of the "Scrappers Desk." It was covered by the dust of time and the scraps of many long lost layouts. But alas, after many days of careful recovery, it is being excavated to its former glory!

The floor is also slowly being revealed, and drawers of long lost treasures discovered. The excavation site is exciting as new relics are being found in forgotten drawers and cubbies. New organization methods are bringing these treasures on display so the "Scrappers Desk" will never again be lost.

Exciting times!

The excavation is about three-quarters of the way finished, but I will update you as progress continues in this exciting discovery! Until next time adventurers.....

Just a box of crackers...

2008-07-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

Isn't it amazing what you can see when you look at objects through the eyes of a scrapbooker??

My inspiration for this Addicted Scrappers DT layout came from none other than a simple Nabisco box! I noticed that the corner logo resembled a photo corner, but that there was writing in it... the word "Nabisco." I liked the concept of adding words to a "corner" and thus.... came the instant inspiration!!

Thanks for looking!

All because of a box of crackers....

WHOO-HOO!! I made the TEAM!!

2008-06-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

I made the team at Crop Addict!

Wow... when I got the call, all I heard was "we would like to offer you a position on our design team... blah... blah blah... blah... blah....." Sort of like the teacher on Snoopy. Everything after the words "design team" were a blur. LOL!

I'm so very excited! My term officially starts July 1 and I should be receiving my August kit this week! I have no idea what will be in it, but based on their other kits, I'm sure it will be awesome! I just can't wait to start scrapping!! I'll be stalking the postman soon!

It will be sad to say good-bye to the design team at Addicted Scrappers (my term will end July 1)- I have really enjoyed my time there and will still be sure to stop by and say hi.

So... a new chapter begins! I can't wait to get to know all the girls at Crop Addict! WHOO-HOO!!

Card Inspiration is EVERYWHERE!!

2008-06-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

So... have you seen the new challenge blog called "I Inspire Me" yet? It is such a fun place to go for inspiration.... inspiration all around you. The blog says:

Yep, I inspire me!: And YOU INSPIRE YOU!! Look around you. Your home. Your couch. Your colors. All your tastes are already there. In your clothing, jewelry, dishes, displays. This is a scrapbook challenge where YOU are your own inspiration.

I love this new blog and have already been doing just that the last few months. Getting inspiration from all around me! I created some fun cards this past year inspired by things I've seen around my house.

My first card was inspired by scrapbook packaging! I found a package of "Imaginesce" brand brads with a great logo of overlapping circles and it provided me a perfect inspiration for my card! I used clear colored buttons to recreate the overlapping circle shape and create a flower on the card! It was fun!

Another card I did this year was inspired from the cover of a set of Bibles. I noticed that the design was perfect for a card! The spine on this Bible set had a pattern on top, a solid on bottom, and a line with a square element dividing them. How perfect! I used a kit from Addicted Scrappers to recreate the design with patterned paper, cardstock, ribbon and the chipboard embellishments! It worked perfectly!

So the next time you've lost your mojo... just look around. You might be surprised at what you find!

Cleaning! UGH!!

2008-06-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

OK... I have to admit that I cannot find my scrapbook desk.

I've looked... and I'm sure its where I left it, but somehow the piles of patterned papers, brads, flowers, paints, sandpaper, stacks of chipboard, pens, unsent cards, cardstock in every color, bags of new purchases, tools, stamps, ink pads, staplers and kits... have... well... covered it somehow.

Its time. I know. I've been putting off the inevitable. I've moved my scrapbooking to the dining room table and have started storing scrapbook products in our downstairs office.

Its time to rescue my room.

Time to send in the search party.

So here goes... if you don't hear from me soon... please send help!! LOL!

Advertising + Inspiration = Ad-Spiration!!

2008-06-26T19:05:00.001-07:00

I was looking at the Pottery Barn Kids website (which has great design inspirations on it!) and came across this baby quilt. I loved the handstitching around the edges of the truck and thought it would make a great stitching idea on a layout!

I immediately thought of the large felt dinosaur that came in the Addicted Scrappers June "Dino" kit and handstitched around the edges of it. It added a perfect "handmade" detail to him and really made the dinosaur stand out. This is an easy handstitching and didn't take long to do. You could use this handstitching around any felt object, cardboard, paper or on the edges of a layout for a unique look. Try it!

So... the next time you need some inspiration, check out some of the online catalogs like Pottery Barn. Even things as simple as quilts, bedding, pillows or furniture could be your next "ad-spiration"!!!

More Addicted Scrapper June Creations!

2008-06-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few birthday cards I made with the June Addicted Scrapper "Dino" kit. I love the felt Fancy Pants pieces that came with the kit. Perfect for cards... especially boy cards!! I used the Jenni Bowlin BINGO board as a background and colored the #6 on the one card since this is for a 6th birthday and the #3 on the other card for a 3rd birthday! TFL!

World Traveler??

2008-06-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Perhaps not.

But I thought this was such a cool feature! I found it on another blog and just had to go check it out for myself. I have traveled much of the United States, done a few mission trips in Honduras and Dominican Republic and cruised to Mexico, Jamaica, Grand Caymen Islands, and Haiti. When you look at how big the world is, this doesn't seem like much! I've just shaded in my corner of North America for sure!

World Traveler

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

I have faired a little better in the United States. My family and I always traveled on vacations growing up and many of the states we have a least driven through. Now... if I could only get to Hawaii.... hmmm..... need to fill in those blanks, ya know!!

US State Traveler

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Couple sneak peaks...

2008-06-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I found out the June "Dino" kit at Addicted Scrappers was going to have the Basic Grey "archaic" papers! I was even more thrilled to find some great boy papers and rub-ons from Kaiser in it. Its definitely an ALL-BOY kit! But I love it!

Ironically, I made a journal for a GIRL teacher at school. She will be taking a year off to travel in Oregon and I wanted to make her a travel-themed journal. The kit worked perfect! I also altered a wooden letter "K" for my son Kolby's room. I LOVE how it turned out! I used a little cardboard to give it a distressed look and Basic Grey and Kaiser papers. A cool trick I did was put the rub-on onto transparency to keep it clear! Thanks for looking!

Semi-Finalist at Cocoa Daisy!

2008-06-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

So... I decided to give it a try.

I tried out for the DT at Cocoa Daisy last month. The girls trying out were absolutely AMAZING! There were almost 60 people who applied and I was blown away by the talent in the gallery! You can imagine my absolute delight when although I didn't make the team, I was one of the top 10! Whoo-Hoo!! That made my day! She even listed us on her blog!! Thanks Tricia!

First Runner-Up!

2008-05-22T02:49:00.000-07:00

I just found out that I made first runner-up on the American Idol contest at Scrap-Tastic! Yeah! We started with 27 girls and I made it to second place... whoo-hoo!! No prize for second (as far as I know), but still the honor of making it that far and having created some FANTASTIC layouts! It sure was a lot of fun!! Congrats everyone who participated! Check out the American Idol gallery and see all of our layouts!!

Butterfly "Ad-Spiration" #1

2008-05-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

This month's ad-spiration comes from CLOTHING! Isn't it amazing how much we spend on clothes... and behind each clothing line is a famous designer somewhere! So why not take some inspiration from the clothes we wear or see! Let's put all those designers to good use in our scrapbooking!

Teaching elementary music, I see a lot of fun shirts and outfits come through my classroom. I've been known to sketch designs on post-it notes during class! This time, I just rounded up the school camera and actually took a picture of my inspiration! This is a shirt one of my student's was wearing earlier this week...

I loved the way the butterflies went across the shirt, and the soft swirly design underneath. I duplicated that look on a doorhanger I made for my girlfriend's birthday (I'm sending her a gift full of pampering items). I used a scrolly rub-on, then cut out butterflies out of patterned paper and bent the wings up when I attached them to the page to give them dimension.

Next time you go shopping, look twice at the designs, colors and patterns in the clothes around you. You may be surprised what you may find to use as inspiration on your next scrapbook project!

Butterfly "Ad-Spiration" #2

2008-05-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here was another butterfly themed ad-spiration I got from clothing! Just can't get enough of those graphic tees out there right now! Seems like every time I turn around, I see a GREAT design! I need to just go shopping with a sketch book!!

This month, one of my student's T-shirts had a butterfly on it written over and over with the words "butterfly kisses." I loved the butterfly, but I loved the words even more! It was such a great design element!

I took the idea of the printed words and created two cards. Both were inspired by the T-shirt's design. The first card was a butterfly birthday card. I cut out the butterfly out of patterned paper (from this month's Flutter kit!) and then took a stamp and stamped over the top of it. This recreated the look of the T-shirt.

The second card was a mother's day card. I again stamped words, but this time onto transparency and laid the transparency over a Jenni Bowlin journaling flower. It created an entirely different effect!

Thanks for looking! And be sure to look twice at all the T-shirts out there for your next inspiration!

FINALS!!

2008-05-20T19:39:00.001-07:00

Well... I can't believe it, but I made it to the final round of the American Idol contest! Here are my final two layouts.

Last week's layout had to be inspired by a love song. You had to use a love song as a title and some of the lyrics somewhere on the page. I used a favorite photo of my husband and I! We were in my uncle's wedding together as junior bridesmaid and junior groomsman! Who would have thought we'd walk down the aisle again 12 years later as husband and wife!! It was such a fun layout to do!
This week's layout was our final challenge and was a scraplift challenge by none other than my very best friend Christine! She won last year's American Idol challenge and they used her winning layout as inspiration. Again, our title had to be a song. I used a photo of Carson from Florida. I love the softness and serenity of this layout!

Now the wait begins... the winner should be announced tomorrow! Keeping my fingers crossed!

WHEW!! Made the top 8!!

2008-05-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! Just found out today that I made the top 8 in the American Idol contest at Scrap-Tastic. I ended up using that "perfect" picture of Carson that I had taken at the butterfly exhibit! It was such a fun layout to do. I used mostly Prima papers so I could also enter it at Prima's Build-A-Page contest. Its definitely one of my favorite layouts recently!!! Must be the cutie in the photo!!! LOL!

Addicted Scrappers May kit!!

2008-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

Check out the May Addicted Scrappers kits! They have a boy themed kit with MME "Star Bright" papers and a girl themed kit with American Crafts Spring and Summer "Flutter" papers. I was able to design with the girl "Flutter" kit and just love it! Lots of butterfly inspiration! Here are a couple projects I just completed.

That perfect photo...

2008-05-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

I just love it when you achieve "that perfect photo"!!! And I have to admit, I just LOVE these two photos! Now granted, its nice to have a "perfect" background... we took the boys to see the butterflies at some local botanical gardens, but its much harder to get that great smile. I can't wait to scrap these pics!!

Top 9!

2008-04-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Whew! I made it to the next round of the American Idol contest! This week's challenge was a real "doozy"!! It really stretched me. In fact when I first saw the challenge, I was really frustrated by it... but I am really pleasantly surprised by what I created! The challenge was to be your own judge. Requirements were to create a layout that had 3 good qualities, and 3 "critical" qualities in it. The title had to have the word "judge" in it and you had to have doodling, a quote, and a non-scrapbooking item on your page!! YIKES!!

So... I took a different spin on it and created a layout about how I judge my own scrapbooking layouts and how it is so easy to compare and judge to other designers. My non-scrapbook item was a tag from a brand called "Tape Measure"... I covered up the word tape and by adding some handwriting, created a tag that read "How do I (measure) up?" It was perfect!!

Scrap-Tastic American Idol Contest!

2008-04-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

I decided to participate in the Scrap-Tastic American Idol Contest again this year and am loving it! Its fun to participate in the challenges and really gets you thinking outside the box! I did it last year and created some of my favorite layouts!! So far, I've made it to the top 10! Whoo-Hoo! Here are some of the layouts I've had to do so far....

Week 7: Product challenge - rock star style (I included leather, paint and metal)

Week 6: Design your own CD cover layout

Week 5: Scrapbook your diva demands (two page layout, include a circle)

Week 4: Choose a song title from the year you were born as your layout title

Week 3: Pattern layout after True Hollywood Story (Include at least 3 photos)

Week 2: Create a layout and choose a song from a list as title (include metal, star and stamping)

Week 1: Layout about your favorite music right now (Include chipboard and 10 buttons)

Contest deadline EXTENDED!!

2008-04-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Great news!! The deadline for entering the "Last Scrap Addict Standing" contest at Addicted Scrappers has been extended!! The new deadline will be Monday, April 21, so come and join us! We were experiencing some computer problems and unable to activate new member accounts, so if you were trying to join at Addicted Scrappers and had any problems, please try again. We would love for you to join us!

HUGE Contest at Addicted Scrappers!

2008-04-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Check out the new contest starting at Addicted Scrappers!!

LAST SCRAP ADDICT STANDING Contest

So.... you think you can scrap?
Think you are the ultimate scrap addict?
Think you can outscrap your opponents to be the last scrap addict standing??

Then come join us at Addicted Scrappers for our biggest contest ever!! This will push your scrapping talent to the limit! Each week, you will be issued a challenge. These might be sketch challenges, ad-inspired challenges, or product challenges, whatever we can create to stretch your creativity! Your job will be to complete the challenge and upload your creation by the deadline the following week. Our design team and owners will vote and those left standing will move on to the next round. We will continue until we have only one left who will earn the title of being the "LAST SCRAP ADDICT STANDING"!!

DETAILS:

The contest will begin Saturday, April 19 and end June 21.

This is a 10 week contest and you will need to complete each challenge each week in order to move to the next round. Depending on how many players we have participate will determine how many are eliminated each week. We will announce the elimination details after our first round.

There will also be occasional short bonus challenges randomly spaced throughout the contest which will award players immunity and a guarantee of moving onto the next round. Check into the message boards often to stay updated on these challenges.

REQUIREMENTS:

In order to participate in the contest, you simply need to sign up at Addicted Scrappers. (www.addictedscrappers.com) and submit one of your favorite layouts. This needs to be newly made within the last three months. Upload it to the gallery under Challenges- Last Scrap Addict Standing. This is your first challenge and your "audition"!!

DEADLINE is April 19- 6:00 CMT time. (Go to http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html to convert your current time to CMT time. No late submissions will be accepted)

Once you have your first challenge uploaded, check the messageboards to see the players moving on!! That's it!

PRIZE

We have a fantastic prize for our final last scrap addict standing! The winner will get a prize package and be offered a position as a GAC for Addicted Scrappers for the month of August!!! WHOO-HOOO!!

So... what are you waiting for? Go get that layout uploaded and come join the fun and see if YOU can be the last scrapper standing!!
_________________

20 Pound Mark!!

2008-03-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

Whoo-Hoo! Just hit the 20 lb mark in my weight loss! YIPPEE! Its such a nice milestone and I'm very proud of myself. Can't wait to do some summer clothes shopping!!

Melting Away

2008-03-14T19:02:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe we had almost 50 degree weather today! Especially after hitting record snowfalls this winter season. Our district had 6 snowdays this year! WOW! It was only a week ago that we finally had an entire 5 day week of school since Christmas break!!

Anyways, I loved this winter. It reminded me of the winters I grew up with as a kid. The kind that ALWAYS had lots of fluffy snowfall, plenty of snow for forts and snowman and lasted well into late March and April. It was a very nostalgic season! It was fun to share the snowdays with the boys and we had a lot of fun in all the snow! The boys even sledded down the backporch stairs!! I love this picture of the two of them. It makes me smile every time I see it!

Bell Ringing Boys

2008-03-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

My boys were both in my cousin's wedding this weekend. They were bellringers and rang the bells to announce the entrance of the bride. It was so cute! Carson (5 years old) had been talking about it for weeks. Since I was playing for the wedding and my husband was singing, we could not be in the back of the church to coax them down the aisle. To make it worse, we found out 10 minutes before the wedding started that Kolby had fallen asleep on my Dad... I'm talking the mostly-unconscious- drooling-all-over-grandpa's- shoulder-nothing-is-going-to-wake-me- up kind of a sleep. Oh boy. I thought that was it. I figured Carson would be the only one coming down the aisle, but miraculously my incredible sister-in-law Jill and my Mom managed to wake him up, get a bell in his hand and send him down the aisle! It was so precious. There were my two boys holding hands, ringing bells and looking more beautiful than anything! They were so cute in their matching outfits with red ties and black vests. It is a sight I will never forget!

Now Kolby held it together until the very end of the aisle. Carson walked up next to the other groomsmen and Kolby stood at the end of the aisle with a look of horror on his face and let out a wail of "Mmmmoooooommmmyy"! Then saw me by the piano, started crying and came running to me. Even that was cute! My Mom rescued him though and all was well!! Great wedding. Great memories!

LITTLE black dress

2008-03-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

Ok... so I had to go shopping for a new little black dress...

I have a wedding coming up this weekend that I'm actually playing for, but after trying on some of my dresses... I discovered a "horrible" dilemma... they were TOO BIG!! Now, granted... I was totally weeping over that aspect... yah right... I mean.. come on... its not everyday that I can lay out epirical evidence to my hubby as to why I MUST ABSOLUTELY go shopping... that SERIOUSLY... I have nothing to wear!!! hee hee hee...

So... I headed out to the mall. After perusing every store, I stumbled on the perfect little black dress. Now I must say I love the cut of it, the style, the little bit of beaded embellishments, the hint of cleavage... but what I fell in love with was something surprising.... THE TAG! Not the brand name... it could have been created by my five year old and I still would have loved it... it was the SIZE ON THE TAG!! It probably could have been the ugliest dress in the store and I still would have bought it just because of the SIZE!! LOL!

The coolest thing is that it is actually HALF of the size I was wearing 7 weeks ago when I started the Biggest Loser competition! HALF!! Now unfortunately, it is inbred into a woman's genes when she is still in the womb that you NEVER under any circumstances reveal your pant size (well... unless you're a size 2), so you're not going to get that lucky... but you can do the math. HALF! Ya know... like hypothetically speaking if I was a size 15/16 I'd be a size 8 now... or if I was a size 11/12 I'd be a 6... you get the point. I'm so excited! Can't wait to show it off Saturday!!

Lots of Cards!! (AS March kit)

2008-03-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is an AMAZING kit! Ok... seriously... I think it may be my new favorite from Addicted Scrappers! Making Memories "Sophia" line... I just can't put it down! I've been terribly busy this week, so haven't had a chance to dig in and do any layouts yet, but have been getting tons of cards done this week. Everything coordinates and goes together so easily! I love all the different looks and creations I'm getting! Thanks for looking!

More Projects from the February Kit!

2008-03-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more projects I did with the Addicted Scrappers February kit- "Hey Sugar"! What a fun kit! Very versatile! It was easy to do both girly projects (which I don't get to do too often!) and boyish projects! Still playing with this one!!

March SNEAK PEEK (Addicted Scrappers)

2008-02-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that this kit ROCKS!! I am so in love with the March kit at Addicted Scrappers! Everything is just beautiful and coordinates so perfectly- lots of trendy stuff and a great mix of manufacturers! Here's a little sneak peek for ya... a card I did for a baby shower yesterday! Everything is from the kit except the playing card with the baby quote! I'll be posting more soon so check back!!

New favorite layout!

2008-02-24T18:36:00.001-08:00

Every once in awhile a layout turns out just perfect.... That was this layout of my youngest son when he was born. I used the "Hey Sugar" kit from Addicted Scrappers, along with a Basic Grey tag that I took with me to the hospital. The nurses stamped his newborn feet on it and I've been hanging on to that tag since! It matched PERFECTLY with the "Hey Sugar" papers! I created my own design for the angel wings and pop-dotted them up for dimension. There is a hidden journaling tag tucked behind the footprints tag. TFL!!

Down FOUR sizes!!!

2008-02-23T17:15:00.001-08:00

OK... I just had to post this because I am so absolutely THRILLED! I am doing a "Biggest Loser" Challenge at school and have lost 14 lbs so far!! It feels so good! I am finally to a weight I was at before my oldest child, which was 5 years ago. The best part was that I had to go out and buy new jeans two weeks ago because my "favorites" were just too baggy! And they were from the JUNIORS department!!

Since I bought those jeans, I've dropped more weight and wanted some "dressy" dark denim pants. I bought a pair that were a size I haven't been in since about 9 years ago!! I literally was jumping up and down in the dressing room! I checked the tag four times to be sure I was reading the size right!! YIPPEEE!!!!

Valentines Day Ad-Spiration Challenge!!

2008-02-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

For this challenge, I challenge you to look at designs in unlikely places!

I found a Disney paint chip as I was walking through the aisles of Lowes! I loved the shape with the rounded corners and the two tones on each half. I even loved the single Mickey shaped element in the corner!

I took all those elements and created a Valentines "coupon" book for my hubby for Valentines day. I mimicked the shape of the paint chip for the coupons and also the "half/half" design by tearing paper half way across the coupon. I also loved the tiny Mickey Mouse sign in the corner and used a heart on mine instead! It was fun and very unlikely inspiration! So be sure to pay attention to design elements everywhere! You may find something you were never expecting to inspire you!!

January Addicted Scrapper projects

2008-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

This kit was so much fun to play with! I still have so many ideas in my head- especially for some fun birthday layouts or cards. You just can't resist the great bright colors- they just make me HAPPY!!

** Idea to note: The "black" area on the Kindergarten layout (behind the numbers cardstock lace) is actually see-thru. The black is just showing through to the room beyond in the photo! It was fun to have that transparent aspect to the photo!

New USE YOUR STASH Contest!

2008-01-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

Check out this new contest from Addicted Scrappers!!!

USE YOUR STASH CONTEST!

Do you have LOTS of scraps and embellishments that are just taking up space? Do you have older supplies that haven't been touched in years? If so, this contest is for you! Let's put all those older supplies to good use so we can make room for NEW ONES! Come on and join in on this fun contest which will have you using up YOUR STASH and winning fun prizes!!

CONTEST RULES:

Contest will begin January 19 and end February 23 (5 weeks) at midnight MST.

Each week a challenge will be posted that will ask you to use up some of your personal scrapbooking stash. Watch for each challenge and complete the challenge by midnight (MST) of the following Saturday. For each challenge you complete, you will earn points which will be posted for each challenge. You may complete as many projects as you'd like for each challenge, but they must be newly made projects. After the deadline each week, the owners and DT of Addicted Scrappers will vote on their favorite project. The winner for each challenge will receive bonus points for that round (these will also be posted in each challenge). Also watch for bonus challenges throughout the contest!

At the end of the 5 weeks, whoever has the most points as of midnight, February 9 will be our USE YOUR STASH winner!!

POSTING PROJECTS:
When you complete a project, upload it to the USE YOUR STASH category in the gallery. In your title, be sure to include which challenge it is for (Ex: Challenge #1).

Good Luck everyone!

Our first challenge will be posted Saturday, January 19!

January Addicted Scrappers kit revealed!

2008-01-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this month's Addicted Scrappers kit! Its the new KI Pop Culture! I love the hip hop bright colors and cool combinations of pink, orange and blue! The KI cardstock lace is so much fun! And of course those Thickers vinyl letters ROCK! Check it out! I can't wait to start creating with it this month!

Ad Inspiration!

2008-01-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun ad-inspired layout I did a couple months ago. After opening the freezer and reaching for a popsicle, I noticed that the logo on the box of popsicles was very unique. The name brand "Mexico" was created with stripes of color going across it... yellow, then blue, then a light blue. It immediately caught my eye.... (I'm sure my husband was wondering why I was standing with the freezer open for so long!! ) hee hee hee.... So I was inspired to create a title for my page called "Life's A Beach" after that logo. I took three papers- a dark blue, water pattern, and sand pattern and tore them into long strips, layered them one on top of the other, then hand cut my letters out of them. I love the unique look it gave my title and my layout!

And of course... December projects too!

2008-01-04T15:00:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the projects I created with the December kit from Addicted Scrappers!

Past Addicted Scrapper projects

2008-01-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of my favorite projects from the Addicted Scrappers kits from October and November! These were so fun and versatile!!

New Year's Resolution!!

2008-01-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

OK... this one is a no-brainer! My new year's resolution (among a few others!) is to actually stay up-to-date with my blog! Considering my last post was October... looks like I've got some catching up to do!!

Difficult layout

2007-10-22T16:34:00.001-07:00

OK... to say the least, this was the most difficult layout I have ever scrapped. It also was very healing. I recently suffered a miscarriage at 5 weeks. I am blessed with two beautiful boys and this would have been our third. I had no problems getting pregnant with all three and had very healthy pregnancies with the boys. Guess I always thought something like this could never happen to me. Now I know it happens to anyone.
Thank you to everyone who has given my husband and I so much support (Kissy... I don't know what I'd do without you!!)... the cards, flowers, and prayers mean the world to us. With God's help, everyday gets a little easier... even though we know we will never forget you little one.

Halloweens past...

2007-10-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Are you a big Halloween fan? My husband and I have always loved Halloween. We used to go all out on creating outlandish costumes! Our all-time favorite costume was what we called "double date." (Mind you this costume was B.C.... before children!). I found a suit at good will and our secretary at school donated an old bridesmaid dress she had and we split each down the middle. My Mom helped sew the two together. We bought a blonde wig and top hat which we cut apart and glued together... bought shoes both of us could fit into (I have big feet which helped!) and went all out. I used two different shades of foundation to create a more distinct line down the middle of our faces. My hubby even let me paint his toes on one foot, he shaved half of his chest hairs and let me put mascara on him!! It was a riot! We entered a few big Halloween contests and won numerous prizes. The best one was against about 200 people... we won fourth place and a year's worth of movie tickets, popcorn, pop, and dinner gift certificates. The third place was a trip! Just missed that!!

Guest Designer at Busy Bee Scrapbooking!

2007-09-22T09:53:00.001-07:00

Well... this was finally my month to be guest designer at Busy Bee Scrapbooking! What fun! I got to pick out my own products and needed to complete three layouts. The first layout was a freebie layout. The second layout had to use the quote "Nobody's grass is greener than ours", and the last layout was a challenge to use paint from their celebrity guest designer Vicki Chrisman. I had a great time! Thanks Busy Bee!!

Awesome kit!

2007-09-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Just got my Addicted Scrappers projects finished up and all I can say is WOW! This is such a great kit! I am just LOVING it! Check out some of the things I've made so far! I still have lots of scraps leftover and can't wait to dig back into it!

File Folder Idea Book

2007-08-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I created this fun idea book out of just 3 file folders!

I found some decorative ones at Meijers while looking for school supplies for my 5 year old. They were brown/cream print on the outside and solid brown on the inside. I simply took patterned paper and transparency and sewed pockets on each page. I bound it by punching holes and tying ribbon. Now I can fill them with ideas, layouts, or cards I see in magazines. Hopefully all the ripped out pages I have scattered around my scrapspace can now be contained!!

If you would like to see the complete instructions, click below!
Idea Book instructions

August Addicted Scrapper Sneak Peak!

2007-07-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Wanna sneak peak?? Well... here are my recent projects I completed with the Addicted Scrappers August kit. It was such a versatile kit to work with. Tons of papers and embellishments and the pink/purples were great for girly pages while the green/browns were good for masculine or generic pages. I was able to create a variety of different looks and I still have soooo many scraps leftover! I still have more projects I wanna do with it! I loved the double-sided Upsy Daisy papers! Very cool line! And Addicted Scrappers just came out with exclusive clear acrylic stamps! I love them. (The flower, journaling oval, "Memories" word, and arrow are all from this month's set of stamps!!) Thanks for peaking!

Cool Clipboard!

2007-07-21T17:05:00.001-07:00

I had so much fun making this little circle clipboard!

It came with my July Addicted Scrappers kit (Check them out- they're awesome!). A cool trick I discovered is since I love this clipboard so much, I didn't want to permanently affix the design to the clipboard (in case I want to change it in the future- I probably won't though- it turned out so cute!). So, I simply created the design on chipboard and cardstock to add dimension and instead of gluing it down, I just laid it in place and attached/screwed the silver clipboard clip through it to hold it there! Its very secure! I love the fact that I can change my boys pictures too since the clip just holds the photo so perfectly! Thanks for looking!

Cool Stamp Tip

2007-07-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you forget about what stamps you actually have because they are tucked away in a drawer somewhere. Its usually AFTER I've completed a card or layout that I remember the perfect stamp that I COULD have used if I'd have remembered it!

So... I thought of a cool idea...

Create a reference sheet of all your stamps! Just take your wood-mounted ones and lay them wood side down (where it shows the design) on a flatbed scanner... fit as many as you can on your scanner and then scan and print out a reference sheet. For clear acrylic stamps, either copy or scan the piece of paper that they are usually mounted on that shows the design. You can also just stamp all of your stamps onto a card or paper, but this seems to take a lot longer than just scanning them.

Now the next time you are scrapping or crafting, you can pull out your reference card(s) and see what stamps you actually own!!

I've Been TAGGED!

2007-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged!

My best friend Christine (check out her blog: Paper Rhino- link on right) tagged me, so I have to continue this! The rules are pretty simple. List 7 random things about myself and then tag others to do the same. Sound good? Now technically, I'm supposed to tag 7 other people but honestly I don't know 7 people that have blogs yet! So I am revamping the rules and am tagging 5 people. Once you are tagged, you need to post the rules and tag 7 (or 5!) other people by letting them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment on their blog. So... Jeff, Lisa, Dee, Didi and Jenn... you've been tagged!!

1. I competed in beauty scholarship pageants when I was in high school and college. I even made 1st runner up once and won the swimsuit trophy!

2. I am deathly afraid of spiders.

3. My husband and I were both virgins when we got married!

4. I recorded a CD with our past worship leader at church. I played keyboard. Its pretty amazing to see your name on a CD jacket!!

5. I have always loved horses. As soon as I got married, I bought my first horse "Cowboy." He is a beautiful Appaloosa- chestnut colored with white spots on his back.

6. I ran a 5k race last summer.

7. I started my college degree in journalism and was the editor of our high school paper. I also wrote articles for our local newspaper before going into teaching.

Addicted Scrappers projects

2007-07-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the projects I created with the July kit over at Addicted Scrappers. This was such an awesome kit! Great boy "star" themed papers and transparency and embellishments. It was a ton of fun! I am LOVING being on the design team there! They are an amazing bunch! Thanks for looking!

Stingray City!

2007-06-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I just got back from the best vacation of our lives! We took a Western Carribean cruise to Jamaica, Haiti, Grand Caymen Islands, and Cozumel to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. It was awesome to say the least. Just the two of us... no kids (although we did miss them!), no responsibilities, no worries.... just two tickets to paradise!!

Anyways... our favorite part of the cruise was in the Caymen Islands. We had a chance to snorkel/swim with stingrays. Now of course images of Crocodile Hunter were flashing through my brain, so I was a bit nervous to say the least. We live on Lake Michigan so I never have to worry about fish or animals that could potentially eat or kill you!! But the tour guide said it was suitable for 5 year olds, so I figured we could handle it.

We got in a boat and rode about 20 minutes into the ocean. About 2 miles out there is a sandbar that locals have been going to for 20 years and feeding the stingrays there. The stingrays are very friendly and used to people because they get fed all the time! When the boat started slowing down, we anchored on a perfectly clear, sandy sandbar about waist depth. I saw a little stingray and thought ok, this is fine. But suddenly there was a huge black blob moving in the water and I honestly thought it was a clump of seaweed until my hubby said... no honey... that's a stingray! It was more than 4 feet across!! The next thing I knew we were standing in the water with about 25 HUMONGOUS stingrays thinking they are cats and rubbing up and down you. Seriously... they rub on your legs, back, crawl up you... they love to be touched and pet. Its safe as long as you don't step on them or rub them the wrong way where their stingers are. We fed them squid and although they have no teeth, they suck the squid into their mouths like little vacumes. After I got used to it, it was incredible! I would highly recommend it to anyone! One of the coolest things we have ever done in our life!!

I'm an Addict Counselor!!

2007-06-26T18:27:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh!
Oh my gosh!
(breathe)
Oh my gosh!

I am so excited! I just got news that I was chosen to be on the Design Team of Addicted Scrappers! They call their design team "Addict Counselors"... and I'm officially one!! YIPPEE!

They are such an amazing website. They have tons of contests and challenges and great inspiration in the gallery! Their kits are awesome with very trendy products and papers which is what drew me to them in the first place. Check them out... you won't be sorry!!

Whoo-Hoo!
Still in shock...
YIPPEE!!!

Color Matched Mess!

2007-06-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ok... seriously... I did not plan my son's yogurt covered face to match his shirt! Really. I know it makes scrappin' these pictures much easier now that they match, but I really didn't plan it! hee hee... Although... that DOES give me some great ideas! I'll have to remember that the next time he's eating ice cream. Brown shirt with chocolate ice cream... White shirt with vanilla... Green shirt with mint chocolate... Enjoy!

Chipboard Challenge

2007-06-11T20:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a new layout I created for a June RAK challenge going on at Addicted Scrappers.
The only requirements were to use chipboard on a layout. I had this picture of my brother and I being "rock stars" when we were young... very young... hee hee... (3rd and 7th grade). We were jamming in his bedroom- probably to the radio- with a flashlight microphone, cheap guitar, silver metallic fringed table skirt wrapped around my waist, and our signature 80's jean jackets! Hair slicked back... hoop earrings.. well... you get the idea! ha ha ha... ENJOY!

(Oh... psst.... DON'T tell my brother that this picture is now all over the world wide web!! LOL!)

Journaling on hidden tag. Heidi Swapp chipboard stars, Heidi Swapp ghost letters, silver star bards, Heidi Swapp felt star rub-ons, Art Warehouse rub-on letters, Bazzill cardstock, Making Memories paint, sewing, Bohemia patterned paper.

Perfect Weekend

2007-06-10T19:29:00.001-07:00

What more could I ask in a weekend?

Upper 70's
slight breeze
blue skies

Saturday spent with my best friend scrappin' and sipping these incredible cocktails called "Peachmopolitans" on the back porch

Watching our boys play joyously together on the playset

Sunday wearing cute new sundress to church

Spending rest of the day with family on the beach of Lake Michigan at our cottage

Watching boys so excited as they played in the sand with trucks and shovels and buckets galore

If I have to be pulled away from scrappin'... this is what I want to be doing!!

Teacher gifts

2007-06-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my 5 year old just "graduated" from preschool! He will be going to KINDERGARTEN next year! Where did the time go?!!

Anyways, as a special end-of-year gift for his teachers (he had four teachers this year), I made altered clipboards to give to them. They loved them! One of the teachers won't use it because she says its just too pretty! Guess that's the ultimate
compliment!

School's Out!!

2007-06-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

Whoo-Hoo! Yippee! Yeowza! Hip Hip Hooray!

The busses left down our school's driveway for the last time this year!

As teachers... we waved enthusiastically to the kids, then calmly returned to the building and...

SCREAMED AND YELLED AND HOLLERED AND JUMPED UP AND DOWN AND RAN DOWN THE HALLS!! School's out! School's out! Then we participated in a much beloved game that is played whenever we need to let off some steam. We call it the Noodle game. We have cut foam swimming "noodles" into 3 foot sections to create "swords" or "whackers" or whatever pet name you'd like to bestow upon them. Then we have sliced small sections off the ends of other noodles to create small disks. The goal of the game is to place the disk on top of your hand and try not to let it fall off while at the same time using your "sword whacker" to try to topple your opponents disk to the ground. With a staff of 30+ teachers... this game is a riot! If only the kids could see us swatting each other and laughing like hyenas, they would think we've all lost it!

Well... off to recover, put my feet up for the summer, and prepare myself for August 27... and the beginning of another school year!

And ya know... even with all the exhaustion of this job, I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

New Layout

2007-06-07T18:40:00.001-07:00

Ok.... so maybe I can blame it on my being an elementary music teacher. Or perhaps its my 26 years of piano playing. Maybe its just the fact that music is so much a part of me. Whatever it is....

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!

This is a picture of my oldest son Carson when he was just 11 months old trying to play our piano! It was such a fun layout to do! Thanks for taking a peek!

I used cream and black cardstock to create the keyboard down the center. The patterned paper is one of my favorites- Basic Grey, and the chipboard photo corner is 7 Gypsies. TFL!

Hardcorescrapper

2007-06-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ok... so what's in a name? This name began as a joke between my girlfriend and me. We both sorta tend to go above and beyond normal scrapbooking. Sorta extreme scrapbooking. Its nothing for either of us to spend 3-5 hours on one layout. We sew, we sequin, we handstitch, we paint, we stamp, we create 3D embellishments, we stamp, we sand, we tear, we bead, we're always trying the newest and craziest techniques. Well... you get the idea. So we started calling ourselves "hard core scrappers." Our logo was "Hobby" just doesn't cover it! Well... I guess it stuck!

Hello, my name is...

2007-06-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hello.
My name is Amber Bretz.
I'm a scrap-a-holic.

hee hee hee...

No... seriously. I really, truly am horribly addicted.

I am one of those people that think about scrapbooking, stay up to wee hours of the morning scrapbooking, and even see scrapbook layouts in everything from truck logos to clothing! I have even been known to grab a piece of paper and "sketch" out a layout idea based off of one of my poor student's T-shirts! Its amazing how I have mastered the art of sketching with one hand, while singing and conducting my music class with the other! And luckily, 7 year olds don't usually notice it when you're staring at their shirts trying to draw the cool swirl or flower that they chose to wear that day! As long as they're having fun in music class!

Pathetic. I know. But its how I think. Its just me.

Simply creative, a little crazy..... me.

Welcome to my New Blog!

2007-06-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Blog? Me? ...ha ha ha... If you would have asked me that a month ago, I would have told you no way, no how! I just don't have the time for one more thing in my life! I'm a full time teacher by day, a scrapper by night, and a mother all the time! How can I possibly fit in one more thing to my busy life? Well.... it all started a few weeks ago...

You see... I have this best friend who is an AMAZING scrapbooker... She took it upon herself to create her own blog as a personal challenge to herself. Being the "supportive" friend, I encouraged her, and listened to all the glitches she was running into and thought to myself- no way will I EVER do this! ... and then one night she e-mailed me and told me to check out her newly created blog. OH MY GOODNESS!! It was awesome! It was a place she could be creative, journal, and showcase her layouts all at the same time! I thrive on creativity and the ideas started swimming in my head... scrapbook pages, inspirations, sketches, products... pictures of my boys, pictures of my scraproom... I could keep a journal to look back on, I could keep the in-laws up-to-date on what was happening in my life. So... here I am. And here it is... my "never-say-never" blog! Just a few scraps from my desk and my life. Enjoy!