*NEW* Fancy Pants Mixed Media 8x8 Books

I meant to post my mixed media book sooner, but my buddy Ryan got the stomach virus. I have been taking care of him since yesterday afternoon. Poor thing is so pathetic...sleeping and being sick. He is with my parents now, so I thought I would take a minute or two to share.

So, these 8x8 mixed media books by Fancy Pants turned out to be so much fun! I have to say that I was a bit intimidated at first. Believe it or not, I never created an album or a scrapbook page on a clear acrylic background. I sat and pondered how to do it. How do I keep elements from showing on the other side yet still keep the truly fabulous design of the clear page? I know that I have seen it done, but I guess I never paid much attention to how they did it. Well, I just decided to stop over-thinking it and jump right in. I just started resizing and printing pictures as if I were going to put them on an 8x8 page. The rest just happened! As it turns out, I am thrilled at how this book turned out! So, before I drive you nuts with my rambling, here are the pages:

This is the front cover. I chose to use the clear acrylic page so that a picture of Ryan would show through from the page underneath.

January's page:

February and March pages:

April and May pages:

June and July pages (half of a felt page):

More July:

August and September pages:

October and November pages:

December's page:

Back Cover:

As you can see, the album has pictures from each month in 2008. It is just a snippet of our lives for 2008. The neat thing is that I can easily add additional pages with more pictures and journaling if I would like. Speaking of journaling, if you click on the images, you will see that I do, indeed, have several typos =( I saw this after I had the book all packed and ready to ship out for CHA. Thank goodness that I saved all of the journaling. Once I get the book back, I can just reprint it and change it out. Easy as pie!

You can check out more of the great shapes of 8x8 mixed media books and designs from other Fancy Pants DT members on this Fancy Pants blog post. Fun stuff!

Thanks for stopping by and have a super day!

*NEW* Fancy Pants "On A Whimsy"

Another adorable line is being released by Fancy Pants at CHA this upcoming weekend. It is called On A Whimsy, and it is just so......whimsical. The talented Jackie Eckles created this sweet and playful collection. It has line drawings and pretty colors that I loved working with. And the acrylic stamps that go with the collection are so stinkin' cute! I cannot wait to create more pages and use more of the stamps.

I used some older chipboard from Fancy Pants to create my own little sunshine on this layout. If you click on the layout to make it larger, you can see a close up view of that sweet little lady bug stamp on top of the "m." It is just ever so tiny and ever so cute!
Once again, you can check out more of this collection in use by clicking on this Fancy Pants blog post. Keep your eye out here because I will be sharing an awesome mixed media book that I created for Fancy Pants. I am so happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait to show you guys!

Thanks for stopping by and Have a super day!

*NEW* Fancy Pants "Summer Soiree"

CHA Winter '09 is right around the corner. I had the pleasure of creating some items for the new Fancy Pants releases. My layout below uses their new collection called Summer Soiree. Can I just say that I adore the cheery colors and the fabulous designs?

This collection is so me right now! Created by the talented Michelle Coleman, it just screams summer fun! I created this layout with the new collection:
Please excuse my scan and all of its shadows. I am normally 100% obsessive compulsive when it comes to my scans. I usually play around forever until each layout is just right. With my time being so tight and the show coming up so soon, I had to scan my pages quick so I could get them in the mail on time.

You can see creations from some of the other girls on the Fancy Pants DT by checking out this Fancy Pants blog post. Stay tuned for more goodies from yours truly over the next few days!

Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. It's always nice to spread some cheer! Have a great day!

A favorite layout

I'm not sure if everyone feels this way, but my favorite layout is usually the one that I created most recently. When I create a page, I like to keep it out in my scraproom, so I could look at it and enjoy it. Now, that does not mean that I like every page that I make. I am sure a lot of you can relate to the fact that I don't always like the way some pages turn out. For one reason or another, they just do not turn out how I envisioned they would in my head. Usually, I just tuck those pages quickly away in my album and move on. After all, not everything turns out the way we plan.

I made this layout this past summer, maybe in July. I loved it when I was done and just could not stop looking at it. The good thing was that it was picked up by Creating Keepsakes for publication. The bad thing was that I had to mail it off to them right after I finished it, and I couldn't stare at it anymore....LOL! When I received it back in the mail, it was like love at first sight all over again. Of course, I saw it in the magazine, and I have a scanned image of it on my computer....but there is nothing like the real thing. Honestly, it's just one of those pages that you appreciate the most in person. I love the dimension created by the chipboard border and the fabric pleat. I love the flowers with the wire on them. I was just really happy with this then, and I still love it now.

So, what's your most favorite layout? Is it your most recent one? Or an oldie, but goodie? Feel free to share links with me in the comments. I love admiring other people's creations! Have a super day!

BTW....this page appeared in the November 2008 issue of Creating Keepsakes in the Hot Spot column. If you have that issue, you can check out the other beautiful pages in the column.

Scrapbook Deals 4 U!

I am not currently on any design teams for kit clubs. Since my time has been so limited with my teaching job, I know that a monthly commitment would be a bit more than I could handle. I do, however, enjoy designing with kits and get very excited if someone asks me to guest design. I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from Martha at ScrapbookDeals4U asking me to design some pages for their January kit, and I was even more excited when I received the kit in the mail. The kit is called Home Sweet Home and contains some of the cutest papers and embellishments. Here are the pages that I created with the adorable kit:

The really cool thing about ScrapbookDeals4U is that you get to choose from two kits each month. If you choose to receive one monthly kit, you will receive an e-mail asking you which kit you would prefer to receive. How cool is that? Of course, if you are someone who has a hard time deciding like me, you could also opt to receive both kits!

You can see how the ScrapbookDeals4U design team worked with both of the January kits by checking out the gallery here.

I loved the papers that were in the Home Sweet Home kit. The colors and designs were so fun. There were a lot of little extras in the kit like buttons, brads, jewels, rub ons, flowers, ribbons, cardstock stickers, letter stickers, chipboard houses, and clear acrylic accents. My layouts just came together so easily with such a great selection of goodies to choose from. The only things that I added of my own were my Quickutz alphabet, embroidery floss, and a pen. Everything else was already right there for me! If I had to choose one favorite thing from the kit, it would have to be the papers. They were a bit different than what I am used to choosing for my pages, and it was great to work them into my style! Thanks, Martha and ScrapbookDeals4U....it was fun!

Tell me about TypePad.....please?

Just curious. I've had this blog for almost a year now. Blogger is free. It's easy. I feel like I have everything that I need, but do I?

What does TypePad have that Blogger doesn't? What am I missing? What makes people pay for a blog service when they can get another blog service for free? Right now, I feel like the only thing that I can't do with Blogger is make a photo album, and it may just be because I have not found that feature yet.

So, please take a minute to tell me what I am missing. Or tell me that I'm not missing anything. I would really appreciate it.

Pink is for boys, too

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment on my posts. I enjoy reading what everyone has to say, and your comments always bring a smile to my face. I don't know anyone who couldn't use a quick smile every now and again!

I used to struggle with pink papers or with papers that had pink in them. I never thought that I would be able to use them unless I was working with pictures of my nieces. I don't know exactly how or when I changed my mind about that....but I did. Now, I love using pink...and it is fun to scrap Ryan's pictures in shades of pink. I created this layout using some pink paper from Fancy Pants!

These pictures are just some random shots of my buddy that I captured on Christmas morning. He was making funny faces for me, and I was snapping away. The lighting was bad, but I like how these turned out. They are so him.

The papers that I used are from the Fancy Pants Splendid collection. It's a great line for Valentine's Day, which will be upon us in a few short weeks. It's a limited edition collection, so get some now before it's gone!

My original plan was to make the background from the paper that I did the journaling on, but I just knew the whole design would look so much better with a pink background...so I went for it! And I love it! Just goes to show you that stepping outside of your normal box is a good thing!

I am off to spend my Sunday scrapping! Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Christmas Present

I love making handmade gifts for people. If I had more time, I would make them for everyone, but time is hard to come by. However, I try to make sure that Mom gets a handmade gift as often as possible. I know that she truly appreciates them, and that makes me happy. Because I know she lurks here every once in a while (Hi Mom!), I had to keep this little album to myself until after Christmas.


The chipboard album is by K&Company. I love that the edges of each page are different. It's being held closed with a ribbon from Fancy Pants that has a thin piece of elastic sewn through it.

The whole album is done in Fancy Pants papers and diecuts. The circle phrase on the front is a stamp by Art Warehouse. I heat embossed it for a deeper, shinier look

All of the photos inside are from different times throughout 2008. I also labeled those photos with when they are from.

I added a little personal message with the date to the back of the album.

I was just so happy with the way this turned out. It's kind of hard parting with creations that I love so much, but I know it went to a good home where it will be loved, shared, and taken care of. Hope you liked it, Mom!

101 Expert Solutions Week

I know that I mentioned it before, but I want to let everyone know that 101 Expert Solutions for Scrapbooking is out on the stands and also available at CK online.

I picked up a copy this weekend for my Mom at Barnes & Noble. I have not had the time to sit down, relax, and read it from cover to cover, but I am making my way through it page by page. So far, it is amazing. Here's what CK has to say about the book:

101 Expert Solutions for Scrapbooking

Easy secrets for achieving spectacular results

Got scrapbooking questions? CK has answers!
• Discover your journaling “voice.”
• Employ photo-editing software for cool effects.
• Save money by making your own embellishments.
• Incorporate multiple photos in a clean design.
• And so much more!

For the first time, scrapbooking’s top talents address the most common reader dilemmas. Imagine having your very own team of experts! Featuring CK’s 2008 Dream Team, Hall of Fame, and Scrapbooker of the Year, this issue is packed with tons of tips and ideas! Meet these amazing designers and learn the secrets behind their incredible pages. Order yours before they’re sold out!

I am so excited about this book that I can barely stand it. Lots and lots of talent in there! For some sneak peeks, you can visit the CK website. There is an online group set up for chatting, sharing, and posting about the book, also.

Here is a little sneak from the book of one of my layouts:

This layout was one from my HOF entry. I used it as a "favorite" layout where we were able to choose 4 of our favorite unseen layouts as a part of our entry. This layout was done when I was going through a hybrid stage. I printed the title, journaling, and the star design along with the patterned paper. I then added my paper scrapping skills to finish it off! I still love this layout, but it is not my favorite one from the book. You'll have to buy a copy to see that one...I can't reveal everything, ya know! If you do pick up a copy, you will know which one was my favorite because Lisa Bearnson liked it, too. She liked it enough to scraplift it...how cool is that?

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your day!

Fancy Pants Photo Box

Hi all! Hope you are doing well. Since we have begun a new year, I am trying to find ways to make my life a little bit easier. One thing that I have to learn to do more is to organize my pictures. Often times, during the course of the year, I take a picture that just turns out perfect. I want a way to save those pictures, so I created this little photo box for them.

You can get step by step instructions for this box on the Fancy Pants blog along with a complete supply list.

The sweet thing about this box is how the pictures will be stored inside. I attached a ribbon to the inside of the bottom of the box with a brad. The ribbon is long enough to hang outside the box as you can see in the above picture. I cut pieces of cardstock that fit exactly inside the box. I will adhere a favorite picture to each piece of cardstock. On the back of the piece of cardstock, I am going to write the file path to where the original can be found on my computer. This way, if I need to make a print, I will know exactly where to look. Then, to remove the pictures from the box, all you have to do is remove the lid and pull on the ribbon. The pictures will be nicely lifted right from the box!

Below is a close-up of the box top. I added some rub ons, chipboard letters, and brads to make it a little fancier! I just love little projects like this that are not only fun to make, but are also very useful!

If you have some spare time to craft, this would make a great gift idea, or a nice organizer for yourself! Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day!

Happy 95th Birthday, Pop!

We had the pleasure today of spending some time with my Grandfather on his 95th birthday. How about that? I know, I know....people are living a lot longer these days, so it may not seem like a big deal. But, it is to me.

He has been around all of my life (obviously), and I am thrilled that my son has Pop in his life. My other Grandfather and Grandmother passed away when Ryan was only 1 year old, so he has no memories of them. I so wish that he did because they just adored Ryan. Sure, they already had 2 other granddaughters, but he was their first and only grandson. Being the parents of only 1 boy (my Dad), I think Ryan really held a special place in their hearts. So, it has always meant so much to me that Ryan know and love his Great Grandparents since he only had 2 left. For those of you who keep up with my blog, you know from this post that my other Grandmother passed away in September. Now, I have one grandparent left and Ryan has one Great Grandparent left. So, we are counting on Pop to stick around with us for a while. We are just not ready to let him go, and I hope that God doesn't need him for anything anytime soon.

So, Happy 95th Birthday, Pop! You said that you were going to live until the year 2020, so we plan on celebrating with you for years to come!

Happy New Year!

Before I go on with my regular posting, I just want to take a minute to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. Whether you are sadly waving goodbye to 2008 or kicking its butt right out the door, remember that life is what you make it. From all experiences, good or bad, take something with you. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and we often do not see that reason until a ways down the road...but it is there. So, do the best to enjoy this life and everything that it has to offer. God Bless.

Okay, so back to some scrappy stuff.......I have the pleasure this week of being the guest designer for Color Combos Galore. For those of you who may not be familiar with the site, they do weekly challenges using specific color combinations. Their design team and a guest designer create layouts with the color scheme of the week, and then anyone who wants to can join in by creating a layout with the same color palette.

I chose Blue Lagoon and Lemon Twist as my colors this week. They tossed in firebrick red and chocolate brown. Here is the palette:

I really like the dark brown with the blue and yellow. And the red just brightens the whole palette up! Here's the layout that I came up with. If you'd like to join in, you can link your layout to the thread at Two Peas. It was a fun challenge to do, and it's a great excuse to scrap if you have not had the chance with the holiday rush! Not to mention, you could win a fun RAK!! Happy Scrapping and Happy New Year!!