I am loved!

Many, many months ago, I applied for my first Creative Team!! A fairly new designer had ventured out into the world and posted a CT Call at DST. I was a little nervous, but decided to go ahead and see if my LOs would fit the bill to be a part of a CT. This designer is CanDesigns. When I first starting creating LOs using her kits, she was at several stores, but now, you can only find her designs at Stone Accents Studio.

Candee's designs are beautiful. With each new kit she publishes in her store, I am amazed at the design and technique she's used. In honor of each of her CT Members this week, she's actually created a kit bearing our names. And look at this GORGEOUS kit called "Rose." She's giving it away for free on her blog, but you have to visit Mermaid's Haven if you want to snag it!!

Thanks, Candee! It's an honor to work with you.

Chocolate Kisses in time for Valentine's Day

This has been a busy week in Designing and Scrapland for me. I finished my latest kit, Chocolate Kisses. I love the colors I've chosen - Pinks and Browns (my favorite color combination at this moment). This kit is perfect for Valentine's Day Layouts, Weddings, Romance, Baby Girls. Just perfect!
You will find within this kit:
* 5 Solid Papers - Chocolate Brown, Caramel, Cream, Pink, Lt. Pink
* 6 Patterned Papers - Plaid, Argyle, Stripes, Circles, Kisses, and Love Circles
*3 Buttons
*3 Eyelets
*3 Brads
*5 Ribbons
*5 Bows
*3 Felt Hearts
*3 Glitter Hearts
*4 Puffy Stickers
*1 Lace Embellishment
*2 Chocolate Hearts
*1 Chocolate Rose
*1 Postage Stamp

You can find Chocolate Kisses in all 5 of my stores! See my sidebar for the links.

This is also the first kit I have created after reading Sandra Adamson's e-book, So You Wanna Be a Designer. This book has helped me so much in my designing techniques. It has taught me the art to making papers as well as packaging my products and previews. I love how this preview has turned out!! The book is geared towards Photoshop CS2, so I really had fun learning how to use my new program, Photoshop CS3. If you are really interested in learning to become a designer and are looking for something to help walk you through the steps, I highly recommend this book.

I have been busy scrapping photos from Hannah's class. I'm creating a Digital Scrapbook for Hannah's teacher that highlights all the field trips, parties, and special events from throughout the year. Of course, they are on the desktop and I'm typing this on Stephen's laptop. But that's all going to change in a couple weeks as Stephen is getting me a laptop for my Valentine's Day present with our tax refund. I'm soooo excited!!!!

I do want to apologize to my CT Designers. I am seriously slacking in my CT Areas. I still need to scrap photos using products from the majority my CT Designers. I promise I will get them done. It's just been a busy week, playing catch up after being so sick last week. To make up for it, I want to do a little enabling.

I am still sitting on the Guest CT at N4D, and this month, I chose to work with KylieM Designs's kit, Swirls are for Boys, too. I'm looking forward to working with this kit. I know I'm going to have so much fun with it.




This weekend, I am going to be working with Lliella Designs's kit, Fancy Hearts Club. This kit is just gorgeous!! I love the colors, the papers, the elements - everything about it!!! But until I am able to start working on the layouts, let me share with you this awesome Blog Party that Lliella Designs is taking part in this weekend in celebration of ScrapLadies's 1st Birthday. The designers at ScrapLadies have put together an amazing Mega Kit for absolutely free. All you have to do is visit each of the designers' blogs. Start with Lliella Designs's blog!


And while you're in search of freebies, be sure to spot by Mermaid's Haven and pick up Candee's latest freebie kit, October Romance, that she made in honor of her sweetheart!











Traci Thompson, at Make It Scrappy, has finally come out from her hiatus and started designing again. She has really outdone herself with her latest kit, A la Grunge. It's absolutely gorgeous and sitting on my desktop awaiting me to open it up and scrap lots of photos using it. I just love the brown with that color blue/green.
I will be back tomorrow with more enabling and LOs. Tomorrow is going to be a long day that starts with Weight Watchers and ends with 2 birthday parties. I know I will be looking forward to the scrapping break I get to take at the end of the day!!

Ch-ch-changes

Well, I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. Today has been an absolutely gorgeous day.

After a long week of horrible, wet and freezing weather, we had a beautiful day with highs in the 60s. I was able to open up our stuffy house and enjoy the sunshine and cool breeze.
And not only that, my mother-in-law came and took my two children to play with one of their cousins, my husband went over to his folks house to help with the floors, and I had the majority of this beautiful day all by myself. I cleaned and vacuumed the living room. I cleaned and vacuumed the playroom. I cleaned, swept, and mopped the kitchen and dining rooms. And I was able to get some scrapping and designing done. I'm working on a new collaboration kit for KJOI. I'm also working a brag book using my 30th birthday photos for the Brag Challenge at N4D. And I'm also just scrapping and trying to meet all my CT requirements. Regardless, I'm having a blast!

Here are a couple of my latest LOs.

This LO was created with Whimsical Spring by CanDesigns.

Template is from Kellie Puddy's Baseboards Pack #3.

The photos are of my sweet Hannah and her good friend Stephen at Easter 2006.

This next LO was also created with a kit by Candee. This time I used Letters from Grandma. The template is by me. I might post it as a freebie if you're nice to me. LOL :)

And I've really been missing Granny and Grandaddy this week. I shed a few tears so I thought I'd scrap a LO that made me smile. The next two LOs I created using the Caroline B.'s Once Upon a Time who designers at N4D. This kit is so much fun to work with I just had a blast working with it. Of course, when you have a daughter who has focused on princesses for the past two years, creating LOs that involve castles and pumpkins, fairies and princesses isn't very hard at all.

This first LO is one of my oldest and dearest friend's little girl.

Template is from Kellie Puddy's Baseboards Pack #3

This next LO is of my daughter at her 3rd Birthday Party. We had it at Toys R Us and part of the party was a Princess Parade through the store. It was so much fun. She had a blast!
Template is from Templates-N-More by Trish H.

And finally, this last LO was created using Created with Cuddly Creatures by Lliella Designs. The template is by me.

The beautiful little baby in these photos is our cousin's first child, Lexi, who is now 2.

And now, about those changes. I am no longer selling at Scrapper's Zone. In fact, for the time being, Scrapper's Zone is no more. I do not know anything more than I am sharing here. There was some sort of something and now the site is gone. I do not know what the future holds for that site. I am very thankful that I was able to sell there while I had the opportunity. I hope to see you at my other stores.

Template Challenges GALORE

Hi everyone. Today has been a long day. Both kids are sick with a virus, both running temps over 100, and both cranky as can be. Not to mention that they both want Mommy which makes for a long day. I was soooo close to weaning Cayden completely, and now we're back to phase 1. But when all he'll do is nurse, I'm so thankful that I'm still nursing.


Anyway, I am the host of 4 template challenges for January for 4 different sites. I'm sooo excited, and have been soooo busy this evening attempting to get the challenges up and ready to roll. There are four completely different templates, 1 at each site. I've been hosting the template challenges at SZ, BBSD, and KJOI for some time now, but I've added SFS to the mix. Of course, I'm still learning that site, so when I figure out where to upload the actual zip files, I'll post a link back here reminding you to go and play with the template there as well.

The template and my LO for the challenge at SZ look like this:

The kit I used for my LO is Pretty Flowers by CanDesigns. And this is actually a QP that I created. The little girl in the picture is Nickie's and Joel's eldest daughter, Lexi, at Hannah's birthday party in August. She's such a cutie and turns two years old in 2 weeks! If you want to play along in this Template Challenge, go here and read all the rules and how to get the template.


The template and LO that I created for BBSD are here:


Again, I used Pretty Flowers by CanDesigns for this LO and turned it into a QP as well. This is a photo of Aunt Debbie that Uncle Kenny took earlier this week. You can learn all about how to play along with this template here.

This will be my second month hosting the template challenge at KJOI Studios. I have not created a LO with the template I made for this particular challenge. I cannot wait to play with this template. You can go here if you want to play along with this template.

And lastly, I am hosting the first ever template challenge at Scrappin' Freestyle. I have the template created but I do not know where I should upload it to start the challenge, so all I can do is share the template preview with you. This is another template that I cannot WAIT to create a layout with (<-- I know that's bad grammar, but it's sooo late). Anyway here's the preview. If you want to play along with this template, click hereI created my LO using Miss Michaela by Becki Kress. It's available at Color Line Designs. This kit is PERFECT for LOs with little girls. Just look at how awesome it matches the girls' shirts in the photo I used. The template was created by me. I used some actions by Atomic Cupcake to help with the torn and folder papers.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Sales, Sales, and MORE Sales!

CanDesigns is having one heck of a sale at Stone Accents Studio. If you're a SAS-y Scrapper then head over to her store. Shop the after Christmas sales in your pajamas folks!! No crowds, no lines and no fighting for a parking spot! She's put my entire store on sale for you from December 26th until January 2nd!!! Redeem this coupon at checkoutCanDesign40to get 40% off every single item in her store at Stone Accents Studio,You've got a zillion new wonderful photos to scrap, take advantage of these awesome prices before they poof!!

Here are a couple of LOs I've made using her kits. Click on the LOs for full credits:

Karla Marano has everything in her store marked down 60%! You can pick up all of her awesome designs for unbeatable prices!!! I used her Christmas Cheer Kit for our Family Christmas Card. I also created a fun LO showcasing the Christmas Photos that Uncle Kenny took with it as well.

Here are just some of her kits:

You can also pick up her items at Divine Digital at low prices as well.

And lastly, Lliella Designs AMAZING sale is still going on at ScrapLadies.

And don't forget that her designs are also marked 25% off at Art & Scrap, until the 31st!

My CT Obligations!

I haven't been the greatest CT member. I have rarely been scrapping my own LOs because of all the commitments I have, but I was able to sit down this weekend (between unpacking) and scrap a little bit).
This LO was created with Karla
Marano's "Gianni's Tractor Kit." It's available at KKD and is super cute for those Little Boy LOs you may need to scrap!

The template is a new one by ME! And it will more than likely be available as a freebie for a short time. But right now, it's just for my LOs.

Journaling reads: Cayden received lots of toys for his first birthday. One of his gifts was a package of little tractors, trucks, and cars. I was finally able to capture Cayden hard at play, driving his trucks all around the living room. May 31, 2007



These next two LOs were created using CanDesigns, "Autumn Wind." It's available at DXD and SAS. I just love it. It's perfect for fall LOs. The templates are both by YSIC Designs. This first template I chose to be for my Template Challenge at BBSD. It's soooo awesome. I love how I was able to get sooo many pictures on the LO without it looking overly cluttered.

Journaling Reads: Journaling Reads:On a beautiful November morning, Cayden played in the leaf file in our backyard while Mommy raked more leaves. The leaves just keep falling and falling with no end in sight. Cayden doesn't mind, though. He had a blast running, jumping, and rolling in the leaf pile. He also enjoyed throwing them up in the air and trying to catch them again. November 8, 2007

Again, this LO was created using CanDesigns, "Autumn Wind." It's available at DXD and SAS. The template is by YSIC Designs and totally perfect for what I wanted to capture in this LO of the little girl that I watch everyday.
Journaling Reads: Playing in the leaves. One beautiful day in November, I raked a huge pile of leaves for the little ones. They had so much fun running and leaping into the leaf pile. Petra expressed sheer joy as she discovered how much fun it is to play in a pile of leaves. 11/8/2007




And finally, I LO with Little Boy by Sarah-Design available at scrapworld24.de and hotspotscraps.com . I did recolor the original kit pieces to match the pictures. But this kit is super cute, regardless. I am about to work on some Halloween LOs with her Happy Halloween Kit, but this LO will have to do for now. :)

Lots of LOs and Enabling

I've been working on a Brag Book for my mom. Here are the final LOs!

The above pages were created with my Kids in the Kitchen Kit! You can get it at Buzy Bee Scrapper or Scrappers Zone!!

These LOs featured above were created with BuzyBeeScrappers BROOM! You can grab it at Buzy Bee Scrapper














These next two above LOs were made with Karla's Kaleidoscope Designs Beyond the Rainbow and Flamboyant Flamingo which you can find at her store or Tina Williams Designs




And this final page was made with September's Child by Sandra Adamson (aka SeAscrAps). You can pick this up at Digital Candy

And, tomorrow is Super Saver Saturday at Digi by Design, and of course that means CanDesigns has a SUPER sale for you!!!! This week, you can pick up her newest page kit, Adorable Kitten for a whopping 50% off the regular price. Oh, no cat??? That's OK, you'll STILL love this kit so be sure to check it out!!!

New Store, CT Announcement

I have some exciting news! I'm adding another store to my portfolio!! Add some "JOI" to your LOs!!! I'm the newest designer at K-Joi Studios!!
We're having some technical difficulties with the servers right now so members are not able to participate at the moment, but it should be back up and running again by the end of the week. And I should have my store up!

I have two wonderful scrappers to announce as being on my CT!!!
I'm so excited to have these ladies working with me. They are doing a wonderful job so far and it's only day 3 :) I will post some of their LOs later this evening. I'm working on a preview of my new kit. . . .so once that's done, I'll focus on blogging.

So, my last two template freebies are no longer available. If you missed them, you'll have to wait until they are up in my stores.

And the link has expired!!!





Still working on my latest kit. It's called "Kids in the Kitchen" and it's kicking my butt!!! But I think I'm almost done.

Here's a LO I made yesterday with Candee's Got Baby Papers

Credits: Got Baby? by CanDesigns, Flower Element from O Baby by Debi B, Heart Element from DaddyO! by Victoria Stegall. I cannot remember when I got the star. Let me know if it's yours.