Happy Girl layout and a bottle set

Happy Friday! Once again, it is my day to post a challenge on My Scraps And More. Today's challenge is the final challenge for the My Scraps Got Talent contest, and I chose to create the challenge around dimension- create something with dimension and use it on your layout. I have been wanting to make some of these cute pinwheels for some time now, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. These photos and fun papers from Pebbles really inspired me. Here is my layout: happy girl

supplies: cs- Bazzill, paper, brads, paper flower, stickers are all Pebbles Inc, twine is from The Twinery. The 3 white brads on the butterfly are from my stash.

Speaking of Pebbles, I sent my submission for the DT earlier today. I have been looking forward to this DT call for a year now. Wish me luck! This would be a dream team!

Here is a project I created for the DT call- it's also been awhile since I have created a set of bottles. I kept this one simple, yet fun.

everything is from Pebbles, with the exception of the twine which is from The Twinery.

I will leave you with a final layout- I decided not to use this one in my submission, although I really love it. (The layout above, and another I will share on Monday were the two I used).

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a beautiful weekend!

MSAM challenge day

Hello! It's my day to host another challenge over at My Scraps and More. Today's challenge is to use rub ons that are at least 6 months or older on your layout. Here is my layout:

supplies: cs- The Paper Company, rubons- Scribbles by Ronna Farrer, pp- Chatterbox. I think the papers and rubons are among the oldest supplies I have in my stash. lol

I also had the quote challenge last Wednesday 7/20, which I never got around to posting, but here it is: The quote I selected was from Dr. Seuss, "Today you are you, this is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." PERFECT for Skylar and these photos. :)

 

supplies: cs- Bazzil, pp- Echo Park, flowers- MM, twine- The Twinery, buttons

I have two more challenges this week I am hosting, as well as several next week. I will be posting some blog candy here shortly as well.

Today I will leave you with a Design Team call for My Scraps and More. Seriously, if you enjoy scrapping and want to have fun, this is the place for you! I have really burned through my stash of scrapping supplies and have enjoyed doing so. Tammi, the owner, is wonderful, as are the members.

Here are the details:

My Scraps & More (www.myscrapsandmore.com) is looking for 2 new design team members! The term for these positions will be September - December 2011. If you love challenges and friendly, fun sites, then this is the place for you! Design team members are asked to sign up and create examples for daily challenges issued on the message boards. Being active on the forums is also very important as we want this to be a fun place to go and share our hobby with others who are as enthusastic as we are about scrapbooking. If you would like to be a part of our great team, please do the following:

1) Become a member of our message board. We would really like to get to know you and see how you fit into our community.

2) Send me two of your favorite layouts that you have recently (in the last 3 months) completed. Also send me a NEW layout that you have completed using a sketch made by Heather, a design team member. You can view the sketch here.
(you can view the sketch on the message boards)
3) Please provide me with the following:
Name
Address
Phone
email
blog

Why do you want to be a design team member at My Scraps & More? Have you been on any other design teams or are you currently a design team member of another scrap community?

All design team members receive a GREAT discount on all products in the online store during their terms. I will also, periodically, send you some scrappy goodies as well! As a design team member, I ask that you are not a design team member on another scrap site with an online store. At this time, because of shipping, I can not take international team members.

Please send all applications to teajays@aol.com This design team call will end August 28th and the new team members will be announced by August 31st! I look forward to seeing your applications and meeting you on our forums!!

Lake Michigan layout

Short and sweet today. I have been wanting to scrap these photos I took of Ashlyn when her and I went to Kara's Navy boot camp graduation a little over a year ago, and these papers from Pebbles are perfect for them! We had such a great time, and I know Ashlyn will carry this memory for a lifetime.

Have a beautiful day!

Kara's back on land and a fun wooden cupcake!

Our sweet Kara is home again!!! When I say home, I mean back in VA. Her ship pulled into Norfolk yesterday after being deployed for 6 months. I wish more than anything I could have been there to welcome her back, but I wasn't able to, however my heart is still bursting at the seams! I want to yell to the world. To every person walking by, "my girl is home!". I think some people think I am crazy, but I'll take crazy happy any day, over sadness and a heavy heart. I love my girls more than anything in this world.

Sadly, she is in Virginia. That is a long way from here. Too far away. From me. Thankfully we can talk just about every day now, like we used to before she shipped out in Jan. I didn't realize how much I truly missed that until yesterday, when she called several times. Hearing her beautiful voice was music to my ears, my heart. My soul. She is coming home for about two weeks soon, so I am going to enjoy every. precious. moment. I have with her. :) I haven't seen her since last October, which by the time she arrives here will be long 10 months. A lot has happened in that time. She has experienced some amazing adventures and has seen some wonderful places, and I cannot wait for her to share it all with me. To tell me story after story after story.

Onto scrappy things. I created this cupcake last week using this wooden 12" cupcake piece (well, pieces in this case) from Say It With Letters. I used a Sizzix die to cut the rosettes and then rolled each one, then glued them on. It took some time, but the end result is well worth it.

Everything else is from My Minds Eye, minus the buttons.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Wow! July is flying by! I want time to slow down- lol. Today is another challenge day for me at My Scraps and More. it's Tuesday and that means it's scrap{stash} day. You can check my challenge out here. Here is the layout I created:

supplies: cardstock- The Paper Company, pp- Bo Bunny and Basic Grey, various buttons and some DMC floss.

Here are two more layouts I created with some MSAM challenges posted previously this month:

everything is Jillibean Soup except: cs: Bazzill, brads, and twine is from The Twinery.

I just love the look on his face!

this one uses about 13 different MF, so i am not going to list them.

If you haven't been to My Scraps and More, you should really check it out! Tammi has made some wonderful new shipping fee changes as well as has a huge variety of CHA Summer goodies on order!

parade ready layout- Butterfly Crafts June challenge

Hi! Not sure how I missed posting this, but here is my take on the June challenge over at the Butterfly Crafts blog.

I booked Kara's tickets home!!! Her ship will be pulling into Norfolk, VA sometime next week, and then she gets to come home for about 10 days in early August. I am SO excited to get to see my sweet girl! It'll be 10 months since I have seen her beautiful face, and I cannot wait to give her a hug and hang out with her. I am going to enjoy and cherish every single moment I have with her before she heads back to VA. I wish we lived closer because it's hard for her to be away from family, and it's just as difficult to have her across the country. However, she has a job to do, and I am immensely proud of her for what she is doing, how she has grown and who she is becoming. Gosh I love that girl!

Have a beautiful day!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th everyone! We are going to have a low-key day today. Kenny, Ashlyn and I will head over to my BIL's home for a bbq later this afternoon after we drop Emily off at work. We'll stay for a few hours and then head home. If we watch fireworks, it will be on tv. lol

Today was my challenge day at My Scraps and More. Here is a link to my challenge: http://myscrapsandmore.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=lift&action=display&thread=816

Here is my layout I created:

everything is Pebbles, with a few exceptions: stickers are Pink Paislee and doily is Wiltons. And the brads are from my stash.

Have a wonderful day!

layouts, frustrations, and migraines- oh my!

My little Boo has not had such a good week. :( On Sunday afternoon (a week ago), she came down with a sudden and intense migraine, and has been pretty miserable since. I ended up taking her to the Dr. on Tuesday to get something stronger than just plain Tylenol and benadryl, and he gave her some Tylenol with coedine, and a prescription for Immitrex should she need it if she ever got another.
Unfortunately the initial headache has not gone away, although it has lessened in intensity- it's been holding at a dull roar the past few days- enough for her to eat and drink more, and get a few smiles and giggles in between the rocking and tears. On top of the headache, she has been having more intense stomach pain- probably due to all the medication she is taking. My heart just aches that there is nothing I can do for her other than keep her as comfortable as possible. I would trade her places in a heartbeat, if I could.

She is the bravest, strongest, most amazing 11 year old I know. God has blessed me with her, and I am ever so grateful that he has. I have learned the art of patience and compassion and grace on a higher level watching her suffer these past few years; especially the past 6+ months now. I am more capable of taking care of her and her needs, and realizing that there is a plan for her- I cannot always have control. I do not understand why the dr's cannot figure out the source of some of these problems, some of this pain, but I have faith that we will know someday. It is frustrating to watch and it makes me angry, but I have learned to use that anger and frustration in a productive way. Medicine has made some incredible advances, but there is still so much to be learned. I am confident in the abilities of the team of Dr's she has now- that we have created this past year. They keep me grounded. They encourage me to be proactive. They remind me how well I am dealing with this, and how lucky Ashlyn is to have me, because so many parents give up the fight. Really?! I find that unbeleiveable, but yet they tell me it is common. I cannot fathom that. I would give everything to help my children. I will continue to fight for her until she can fight for herself, and then i will be there beside her every step of the way. This is a journey that will be ongoing. Her doctors remind me of that at well; everytime I get frustrated with what I think is a backward step, they remind me that disease is not a forward and backward progression- it is a daily ride on a bumpy road. Some days the road will have a nice smooth ride, but there are ruts, and they knock you off that course when you least expect it. This has been the most difficult part of the journey for me- I am trying to be optimistic, and when she has a fair stretch of good days, it's really difficult to watch her "go back". I want her to continually move forward. I want to have the girl who I keep getting glimpses of; one who is full of fun and music and laughter and energy. One who can be a normal 11 year old- carefree and finding herself. Not lying in a dark room for days on end.

Enough of that- onto something happy. I have 3 layouts I created last week using challenges from My Scraps and More. I cannot say enough how much inspiration I have gotten there. The site inspires me to create- and have fun doing so. I feel like I am in a good scrappy place right now, and although life is not how I had envisioned, I am happy. I know that makes all the difference in the world. :)